The
Wall Nine
Marla
held the bottles of water tight to her chest unsure if she would have to fight
to keep them. The group has been travelling through the square all night and
were not able to take a straight path with walkers around every corner. They
ran into survivors sporadically all with blank expressions on their collective
faces. A few tried to take supplies from them even though they had five
children to care for but desperation overwhelms empathy.
“Here
Josh, hand these out to the kids.” Josh silently took the water as he shut the
door behind her and gave the first to the youngest Amy. Marla handed a bottle
to Hank who hasn’t spoken much since last night and to Richard, a man they
picked up during the day.
He was
crouched inside an abandoned bus that Hank thought if they could get moving
they could drive out of there. Richard was able to tell them the bus driver
said the transports are control by the counsel and they were inoperable. The
only sounds the bus was able to make was a static recording telling people to
stay in their homes.
“Bullshit,
that’s what recordings said when the outbreak first appeared 25 years ago. Then
came the ‘safe zones’ which only turned into walker buffets.” Richard
stammered.
Hank’s
faith in New Charleston waned more and more. There were no patrols, no
transports out of the district, and no containment of any kind. It was almost
as if the citizens were left here to fend for themselves or die. And with every
passing hour, the thought of something happening to his daughter weighed on his
mind.
“I know
Jen will be fine. She’s strong and stubborn.” Marla spoke softly seeming to
read his thoughts.
“Like
her old man…”Hank forced a small smile knowing Marla was trying to cheer him
up.
“Walkers.”
Josh’s voice interrupted them, a group of walkers wandered pass the broken
windows. “We can’t stay, more are starting to gather.” He whispered as he
picked up his backpack. It still amazes Hank how young people have to grow up
so fast now, they take on leadership roles more easily than him at that age.
The thought gave him hope that Jen was still alive and fighting her way back to
him.
“Let’s
move.” Hank gathered the supplies and took point with Josh close behind him
taking second. Richard took up the rear apprehensively. Moving quickly, Hank
led the group down the street avoiding small herds of walkers that were feeding
on the ground. The group hasn’t seen another survivor since they passed a bus
stop where they found Richard.
Walkers
simply overcame the living quickly because the attack was so unexpected.
Without organized evacuations or containment, the walkers would have spread far
and fast. Hank devised a plan in his head after reaching his home and meeting
up with his daughter; they would have to either head for the inner or outer
walls. Even though the announcement said they were sealed, he would find a way
to get through them. The outer wall would lead away from New Charleston but
into walker infested lands. The inner wall would lead to safety but for how
long?
“No!” A
small scream penetrated Hank’s mind and he turned to see Amy on the ground with
a walker pulling at her leg. Marla turned to run back to her only to be stopped
by a walker’s dead hands plunged into her hair snapping her head back.
“Shit.”
Josh turned to help Marla while Hank made a break for Amy before the walker
could sink its blackened teeth into her. Two walkers shambled out of a tall
bush, both grabbed at Hank stopping him in his tracks. He kept his eyes on the
defenseless little girl struggling to crawl out from under the walker while
holding two at bay.
Hank
spotted Richard standing by with a white face and wide eyes. “Help her!
Richard, goddamn it, help HER!” Hank roared at him urging him to act. Richard
looked at him with blank eyes then turned and ran away. In that moment, Hank
never felt as helpless as he did now. Richard never even looked back, Hank
stared daggers into his fleeing back until he turned a corner.
Just as
a walker’s mouth was close enough to Hank’s face to smell what it had for
breakfast a single silver arrow penetrated the skull stopping just at Hank’s
eye. The walker fell and a man came into view.
A group of men and women charged from behind him to dispatch the
remaining walkers. The archer picked up Amy and stood her on her feet as Hank
rushed to them.
“You
alright little one?” The man said with a southern accent. He wore a T-shirt and
leather vest with a quiver full of arrows on his back.
“Daryl!”
Marla yelled out. She ran to the man and hugged him; clearly they were old
friends. “Thank you, we got ambushed.”
“Amy, go
with Josh.” Hank told Amy as she clutched her bear closer. Josh came to take
her hand and led her back with the other children. The group of men and women
took up defensive positions around them as a disciplined unit.
“Hank,
this is Daryl Dixon, he’s with the Dead Heads; these are them.” Marla introduced
breathlessly.
“Thanks.”
Hank shook hands with the man who looked to be in his late 50s but still able
bodied enough.
“We took
out more walkers than I can count. Carl sent me to find you and bring you back.”
Daryl spoke.
“Do you
know what happened here? We haven’t seen any NCD around at all.” Marla asked.
“And you
won’t, Carl thinks the NCD and counsel are responsible for this.” Daryl knew
the news would be hard for Marla to hear, even harder for Judith.
“Paul,
take them back to headquarters, the rest of us are going ahead.” Daryl ordered
and a younger man moved to obey.
“Where
are you going?” Marla asked him.
“I’ve
gotta find Judith. She went to the inner wall but she’s not responding. A courier
just got through with a message that she was coming to meet us late last night.
I know she walks through Columbus Square…and then we heard about this….” Daryl
couldn’t finish; he practically helped raise Judith and herself.
“I’m
going with you. You’re heading through Spring District?” Hank asked him. Daryl
nodded his head. “I’m trying to find my daughter. I left her a note to go home
and wait for me there. I need to see if she made it.” Daryl’s face changed with
understanding of what Hank is going through. He nodded his agreement.
“Then I’m
going too.” Marla spoke up.
“Carl
said to get you to a safe place…” Daryl interrupted.
“I’m
going with you there’s no point in arguing. Will the children be okay?” Marla
asked.
“Paul’s
one of my best, he’ll take a crew with him.” Daryl pointed at Paul and they
began to move out. Marla rushed over to hug Amy tight before departing. At
least the children were safe while she, Hank, Daryl and some of the Dead Heads
were traveling further into danger. Judith was someone out there along with
Hank’s daughter.
“Don’t
worry Hank, Daryl is the best tracker. He’ll find Jen and Judith.” Marla
comforted.
“Who’s
Judith?” Hank asked.
“A very
dear friend, I just hope she’s okay.”
To Continue…
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