Immune 17 –Daggers of the
Dead-
The Governor stroked the hair of a dead girl in a secret
room of his apartment. The little girl was outfitted in a frilly little dress
that was somewhat clean with matted hair and arms in a restraint jacket. The
Governor was soothing and gentle with his brush strokes and hummed a familiar
tune. His eyes were blank and unseeing. He didn’t see an undead creature that
would rip his hand off should she get the opportunity. He saw a daughter. He
saw the little girl that maybe could still grow up normal if only he could find
a cure.
“It’s okay Penny. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s gonna take care
of you. I’m going to find this woman no matter what it takes. Daddy loves you.”
The Governor cooed as he tied the restraints back in place and ushered little
Penny back into the dark cage in which she lived; waiting for a cure.
Andrea and Michonne sat on a bench on the main road.
Andrea watched life unfold here in Woodbury where the people seemed happy and
content. She wanted that same contentment but Michonne was having problems
blending in.
“You shouldn’t have taken the sword, Michonne. He would
have given it back to you eventually.” Andrea spoke while still looking at the
kids play.
“It wasn’t his to take from me to begin with. Andrea,
don’t you see there is something wrong here?” Michonne turned towards here
trying to make her see.
“Isn’t this what we wanted? Didn’t we talk about a normal
life again?” Andrea finally turned to face her friend.
“This is not ‘normal’. This is a prison and I’m not
staying here.”
“You should listen to her, Andrea. I have a bad feeling
about this place.” Vanessa walked up to the women. She had been listening and
her thoughts mirrored Michonne’s. There was something off about this place,
something just beneath the surface that Andrea is choosing not to see.
“Van…I mean, Tina, you don’t know what we went through. I
almost died this past winter and I don’t want to live that life anymore. You
two can leave, I’m staying.” Andrea stormed off in search for solitude while
Michonne walked with new determination.
“She’ll just slow me down anyways.” Michonne headed for
her shared room most likely to retrieve whatever supplies she has to leave
Woodbury. They fought like an old married couple; signifies that they went
through a lot together. It’s sad that they are parting ways like this.
Vanessa and Julian have been assigned to Milton to aid in
the search for Vanessa Summers. So far, her guise has been working and she
hasn’t been uncovered yet. From what she saw and heard, finding a cure is very
important to this governor. More than just protecting the people of Woodbury;
there is something more there.
It had been a week and 4 days since they arrived in
Woodbury and Vanessa has been on the lookout for a way to slip out. The
Governor has told them they would be able to leave whenever they wanted but
there was always some excuse as why they couldn’t leave today.
Michonne was able to walk through the gates and Vanessa
hasn’t seen her since. The Governor has told them that he sent Merle out to
check the roads and they were overrun with biters from all the recent activity.
Vanessa thought that seemed plausible.
It was just after dusk when some Woodbury citizen raised
an alarm as to intruders within the wall. Armed guards took up positions along
the perimeter.
“What should we do?” Julian asked as we looked out the
window.
“We should get our things, we’re leaving.” Vanessa told
him as she grabbed her back pack. She never did unpack it as was her habit.
“What? There was walkers out there and now intruders in
here.”
“Yes, the perfect distraction for us to get over the wall
and away from here. I need to get back to the prison.”
“What about your friend, Andrea?” Julian’s questioned.
“She made her decision.” Vanessa said after a pause.
Maybe she’ll come back later and try to convince her but for now, she needs to
get out of here. Outside on the street, people were yelling and running. They
couldn’t pinpoint where the strangers were and so everyone was confused.
Sneaking around a building, Vanessa glimpsed what
probably was the offending intruders huddle in an alley. There was something
familiar about their organization; Vanessa has seen it before. She walked out
beyond the shadows and into the road unfazed by the bullets that flew around
her.
“Rick.” Vanessa whispered to herself and allowed hope to
spring in her mind. Did they come for her? How did they know she was even here?
A shadow moved towards the group from the wall, it was Michonne. Perhaps she
found the prison and told them. Vanessa made a move to run towards them when a
strong hand pulled her back.
“Get down! You’ll get shot.” Julian said as a bullet
shattered the masonry right behind their head easily demonstrating his point.
“It’s them, Rick and the others. We need to get to them.”
Vanessa spoke. “We have to run, now!” Vanessa pulled him up and ran towards the
wall. The group was making it over, one went down. Rick was holding the rear
line to allow the others to get over.
“Rick! Wait!” Vanessa yelled out. She watched him turn
towards her and recognition spread on his face. But it didn’t last long when a
bullet grazed his left arm and he went down hard. “No!!!!”
“Hold your fire! I want them alive!” Vanessa heard the
Governor’s commanding voice over the dying sound of gunfire.
“Vanessa!” She heard her name and froze. Not from knowing
her cover was blown but because of who screamed her name. A voice she hasn’t
heard in months and wanted so desperately to hear again. Lizzy. Vanessa slowly
turned and focused her eyes beyond the encroaching guards and the smoky haze to
the angry Governor with a piece of glass where an eye should have been. He held
Lizzy’s slender arm like a father holding a daughter.
“So, Vanessa Summers, pleased to finally meet you.” The
Governor’s words dripped with rage kept perilously in check.
Vanessa, Julian, and Rick were taken down to a basement
with cages set up to hold biters as well as people. Vanessa was put in a metal
cage in the center when the Governor and his men arrived. Two men carried a
claw foot tube and began filling it with water. Curious, Vanessa thought.
Before they arrived, Rick told her about Maggie and Glen
being taken by Merle and that they were here to save them. They didn’t know
about her until tonight and Vanessa didn’t know about Lizzy until tonight as
well. On the one hand, she was glad her search was over but on the other she
had to deal with the Governor and his men.
“Vanessa Summers,” The Governor walked in and sat in a
lone chair near Vanessa. His eye was now bandaged and his clothes changed. “So
you’ve been right here, under our noses all this time; hiding. Why…why is that
huh?” He waited for an answer.
“I didn’t know if I could trust you. I can’t really trust
anyone. I wanted to find out more about you, about Woodbury first.” Vanessa
spoke. She felt the need to face this man who seemed to be on the cusp of
insanity.
“And did you?”
“Did I what?” She answered a question with a question.
“Learn anything about us? Like how to disable our
defenses? How to breech our walls? How to kill us?” He stood up so forcefully
he knocked over the chair.
“No, I didn’t know they were coming. Besides, they
weren’t after me, they were after the two innocent people you kidnapped and
tortured. This is because of you.” Vanessa said.
“Because of me? So my little girl is dead because of me?”
That struck Vanessa. What little girl? Rick and the others wouldn’t have killed
an innocent like that unless she was caught in a cross fire. That must be the
reason for the Governor’s disenchanted expression; the man lost his child.
“I’m sorry…” Vanessa whispered to herself but he heard.
“You’re sorry, you’re sorry. You know Summers, you’re
gonna be here a long time. We’re gonna find a cure so you’ll be staying with
us. We’ve moved your accommodations here. And if you are going to stay with us,
you need to learn the rules. I’ve found that hope is a powerful thing. It can
move mountains, build a town out of nothing, even give a man who’s lost
everything a reason to live. But when that hope is gone….and there’s nothing
left…..a man could do things he wouldn’t normally do.” The Governor motioned a
man to open the door. In walked Lizzy who walked right up to Vanessa.
“Lizzy,” Vanessa tried to hug her as much as the bars
would allow. She didn’t speak except to say her name again.
“I never knew her name. Lizzy. Lizzy has been with us for
months now. She’s never spoken until tonight. Must have seen something terrible
out there on the road. You see she was in my apartment sitting by the window
when she say you walk by. She simply said Vanessa. Of course, I was looking for
a Vanessa Summers and what a coincidence that she happened to know you. I was
amazed. I guess she did prove useful after all.
“Lizzy, listen to me. I want you to go, leave this room
and go. Please.” Vanessa tried to plead with her.
“No, Lizzy is going to help me prove a point about hope.
When a person has no hope, they tend to not put up such a fight. Now you
Vanessa, are a fighter. I can already see that. This should prove to you that
if you fight me, you’ll be sorry.” The Governor ushered Lizzy to the bath tub
now full of water.
He violently pushed back into the water leaving her thin
legs dangling off the side.
“NO!!!! Please stop this! I’ll do what you want, please,
please stop!!!!” Vanessa’s hands gripped the bars and she shook them with all
the power she could conjure. She screamed and wept and pleaded to let her go. Water
sloshed out with Lizzy fighting to breathe. Her legs kicked air and her hands
clawed at him. She wanted to live and fought as such.
“NO!!!!! Lizzy!!!! Please, please God!!! Please stop!
I’ll do anything! Please!” Vanessa’s throat grew hoarse, her hands bled where
the metal bars cut into them, her face was wet with tears; she felt helpless.
The kicking finally stopped and Lizzy lay motionless in the tub. No one moved.
His men had a look of shock and horror on their faces but did nothing.
All Vanessa could do was cry. Cry for Lizzy and not being
able to protect her from a psychopath that wore the disguise of a charming man.
She felt empty, hollow and her sobs echoed throughout the basement.
Vanessa abruptly stopped her crying and let the pain and
anguish settle to the bottom of her stomach. She would use that; use the pain
for revenge. She slowly lifted her head and allowed her eyes to shoot daggers
at the Governor.
“You’re going to die…..screaming. And I’m going to be
there, I promise.” Vanessa spoke from a place in heart she didn’t know existed.
A place of hate but spoke the truth.
To be continued……