The
Wall Fifteen
Year 23, August, Early Morning: Glenn and Maggie are dead. They died
together. We were not able to go back and retrieve their bodies. At least Rick
gave them a proper burial; one of the few considerate things he’s done in
recent years. I don’t think I can forgive him for this. I don’t think I can
even call him Dad anymore. We’re so different and yet…so much the same. We want
the same things but go about it in different ways. Rick believes in ultimate
control to protect those you love. I don’t. Building a wall will not keep the
dead out. Scanning patrols, assigning jobs, making people “earn” their place
will only bring about one thing…revolution.
One silver lining is Beth. She’s
beautiful; she has Maggie’s eyes. Marla is leaving the Dead Heads, she can’t
forgive what happened to her parents. I sent them on this mission and they
didn’t come back from it. She blames me and I can understand it. I won’t tell
her about Beth….not yet. I don’t want Marla to do something that would endanger
herself. She wants to blend in with the people of New Charleston. I can at
least help her with that.
New name, new identity, new start.
We should all be so lucky. I’ll keep an eye on her though. One day, we’re going
to need her. I sent Michonne outside the wall with Beth. No one must know she
survived the fire.
Dr. Hopkins analyzed Beth’s blood. I
can’t really say exactly what she said with all her technical talk but in
laymen’s terms; she’s special. Because she was exposed to the walker virus
while still in the womb the virus and her DNA are coexisting somehow. Doc
called this Chromosome Fusion? Not sure what that really is but she’ll continue
to work on it for the foreseeable future. Not only that, Beth may be the key to
even curing this thing. Unfortunately there is also a side effect of changing
some walkers into something else. Something…more dangerous. Could this be what
Rick wanted? Create an army of controllable walkers? If it is, then the Dead Heads
are going to have to act soon. We’re preparing now…for war.
-Carl
Grimes
Carl
closed his journal after reading the old entry. Marla knows about Beth and he
feels a weight lifted off his shoulders. Marla wants to see her, he can’t allow
that, not now. New Charleston is in turmoil, the lower ring is flooded with
walkers and the survivors are in disbelief. The NCD has yet to make an
appearance of at least trying to contain the walkers which leads Carl to
believe that they are all hiding behind the inner wall waiting for the
inevitable to happen.
The city
is not lost, not entirely. After hours of walking with the occasional Zeek to
put down the group finally made it to the inner wall. From their hidden vantage
point, Carl observed the NCD patrolling the top walkway.
“So here’s
where all the forces are. Why am I not surprised?” Daryl spoke as he squatted
low out of sight.
“Unbelievable.
You have innocent people dying in the streets and the NCD does nothing but
patrol a wall?” Hank spoke incredulously.
“Of
course, all the big shots are behind that wall. All the assets, or as I like to
call them, the assholes.” Trinity kneeled beside Jen. The group crouched
unaware of the elite squad of NCD bearing down on their position.
Councilman
Troy spoke the Major James sitting in the truck beside him. “Now remember
James, we want these Dead Heads alive. You can shoot them but don’t kill them.
They have valuable information that we need.” Troy smirked as he watched the
group on the security camera.
“Oh
they’ll give us a fight, Councilman. More than likely one of those Dead Heads
in the leader and a pain in my ass for several years now.
“Don’t
worry Major, I have a feeling they won’t put up much of a fight.” Troy’s smirk
turned into a full grin as the NCD converged on them.
Carl spoke
to Daryl trying to plan their infiltration of the Inner Wall when a feeling
struck him. He stopped talking midsentence. “Carl? You alright?” A single
bullet hit the concrete wall in between the two sending rocks flying. The group
turned drawing their weapons.
“I
wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A male voice crackled over a loud speaker.
“You are surrounded. If you want to die then please by all means try to shoot
your way out of this but I’m sure you want to live so drop your guns now.” The
voice said sarcastically.
“Don’t do
it.” Daryl spoke softly. “We can’t be taken. If some of us can make it out, I’d
rather take that chance.” Daryl fingered the trigger on his bow.
“Stop it!
Please, please stop.” A female voice now pleaded on the loud speaker. A
familiar female. “Please, don’t hurt them.”
“I should
have known you were a part of them. I’m glad I had you followed to confirm my
suspicions.” Troy spoke. “Drop your weapons or Judith will die.”
Carl’s
heart sank, in a split second he was thrilled to know his baby sister was still
alive but now devastated with the reality that she was taken. “Put down you
guns.” Carl commanded. No one hesitated, the Dead Heads were not going to win
this standoff.
“That’s
good. I’m glad I finally caught the mysterious leader of the Dead Heads. Isn’t
that right Carl? I should have known that also. Take them!” NCD dressed in
black gear descended on them, efficiently taking them down with blows to the
back of the head. Carl watched his people being tied up as he was hit and the
lights went out.
As the NCD
gathered what was left of the Dead Heads into a truck for transport beyond the
inner wall a lone walker viewed them. It didn’t attack but turned away and
rounded a corner to shamble out of sight. Its dead legs carried it along the
inner wall to a point where the patrol on the top thinned out.
The walker
reached its hand up and grasped a piece of cement jutting out; it haul its
frail frame up the wall hand over hand. It didn’t care that its fingers
cracked; it felt no pain and left a trail of blood in its wake. Some entrails
splattered on the ground as it lifted itself up and over. It simply stepped
over the organs and ambled to the singular guard pissing over the wall
unawares.
It grabbed
his neck and dug its teeth into the flesh, the guard only able to let out a
gurgled scream. The walker dropped the body not intending on feasting but
needing this guard to turn and join him. The walker moved on to the next one.
The truck
carrying Carl and the group moved through the inner gate into the heart of New
Charleston to the well-guarded holding cells. It was here where they locked up
citizen who break the rules but most were here simply to be experimented on.
Betty
Patterson started the experiment program two years ago under the nose of Head
Councilman Grimes who wanted to shut the whole thing down; the fool. If only
they could have saved the infant or even retrieved the body the project would
be much further along than it is now.
Betty
paced her lounge with the two way mirror into the holding cells and labs. She
wanted to be able to see the testing without the subjects seeing her. She would
never admit to anyone the rush she feels when watching the subjects suffer. She
felt almost God-like to have such control over their lives. Her lounge was
fully appointed with a Persian rug, satin chaise lounge chair, velvet pillows,
a sparkling crystal chandelier, and expensive turn of the century art stolen
from some of the more prestigious museums.
A new
group a test subjects were being dragged to their cells. This was a special
group, the remains of the Dead Heads and their leader. Carl Grimes was just
waking up as Betty sipped her glass of merlot and sat down to watch.
Daryl
kicked at the closest guard’s legs causing him to fall. He was not going to be
put in a cage. Two more guards wrestled him down to the floor kicking him in
the sides and cracking a rib.
“Be easy,
they won’t make good candidates if they’re injured.” A man’s voice spoke in the
darkness. Troy Hudson stepped forward hauling a struggling Judith with him.
“If you
hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do.” Carl threatened, his eyes
locked on Troy.
“Empty
threats Grimes, you’re locked up and can’t do a goddamn thing.” To prove his
point, Troy violently twisted Judith’s arm behind her back, she let out a painful
scream. Carl flinched as if in pain himself upon seeing his sister hurt.
“You’ll do well to listen to what we say from now on, if you want to survive
this.”
“Stop
bullshitting us. You’re not going to keep us alive.” Daryl said leaning against
the bars of the cell he was thrown in. “The people who come in here don’t make
it out.”
“Clever.
You know you’re not as dumb as you look.” Troy looked behind him at the mirror
knowing Betty was watching. She liked to watch and he wanted to put on a show
for her. Carl flicked his eyes to the oversized mirror and quickly back again
noting it. “So doctor, which do you want?” Troy asked the shadows.
The click
of heels on the floor sounded as a woman stepped forward with a clip board.
Carl recognized her immediately. “I’ll take this female and this male.” She
spoke pointing to Trinity and Jason.
“Aww hell
no!” Jason yelled as he was yanked to his feet, hands still tied behind his
back. Trinity was lifted too but didn’t say anything. She simply looked at Jen
as if to say goodbye.
“No!
Trinity! Jason!” Jen yelled as they were escorted out of the room. Hank was
placed in the adjoining cell to Daryl while Jen was place in the cell directly
across with Marla.
“Dr.
Hopkins. I was wondering where you had gone off to for the last few weeks.
Didn’t know you were ‘sleeping with the enemy’ so to speak.” Carl ground out
the words with venom. He was tired of people he trusted turning on him.
“I’m sorry
Carl, but you tasked me with finding out how the walker virus can live in a
healthy person and the facilities you provided were inadequate. Not to mention
the benefits Councilman Hudson promised me outweighed what the Dead Heads could
offer. I’m so close Carl, can’t you see? I’m so close to solving this thing.
I’m going to save the world, just like you wanted.”
“Or
destroy it.” Carl added.
“No…” Dr.
Hopkins whispered, she wanted Carl to understand. “The world didn’t end when
the dead started to rise up. This is just the next evolutionary stage of
mankind’s existence. We have to evolve too. Our DNA is made up of 20,000 genes,
do you know that 97 percent of that is not used at all. It’s inactive…97
percent. How have we risen to the dominate species on Earth without using more
of our DNA? The 3 percent that control our physical makeup, our hair color, how
tall we are, our intelligence is called Exons while all that wasted space is
called Introns.
“I’ve
found that test subjects that have a genetic mutation of using more than 3
percent of their DNA, the Exons, are what we need for Chromosome Fusion.
Remember Carl when we talked about that? Chromosome Fusion is when the walker
virus and normal human DNA can live together.”
“That’s
why you have the scanners! They’re not testing for the infected, they were
testing for the subjects you need.” Hank put two and two together.
“Brilliantly
deduced Mr. McAdams. You and your daughter carry those genetic mutations too
with high potential. I’ll be saving your testing for last in this grouping.”
“The man
at the Processing station. The one that was taken away when the scanners showed
he was infected. He wasn’t was he? Jen asked.
“Of course
not, and he actually saved the two of you that day. I only needed one more
subject and since he scanned positive first, he was taken. Your scans were
noted and saved in the system for pick up later. The frequent scans are so we
can keep track of you and your movements throughout the city.”
“How can
you do this Beverly? How can you turn people into monsters?” Carl asked her.
“I was
hoping you would understand Carl. I need to go now, my subjects are probably
prepped and ready for me.” Dr. Hopkins turned on her heels and walked out of
the room leaving Troy to speak with Carl.
“I think
I’ll hold on to Judith here. In case you try anything…stupid.” Troy forced
Judith out of the room and slid the metal door closed behind him.
Betty
enjoyed that display and she now moved down to the next window to peer into the
adjoining room where Trinity and Jason were strapped to metal tables. She took
another sip of wine.
“Please,
please don’t do this.” Jason pleaded straining against his wrist straps.
“Jason,
I’ve always liked you. You made me laugh.” Dr. Hopkins smiled remembering how
they joked with each other as she prepped a syringe with bright pink fluid and
a very long large needle.
“I can
make you laugh some more just please, please let us out of here. You don’t have
to do this. This guy said I don’t even have that, that...mutation thing.” Jason
tried to reason with her.
“No you
don’t but a good scientist always has a control subject. Now, I have to say the
quickest way to get this into your brain is to go through your eye socket. It
will be painful but that won’t last long because when your brain begins to die
that will be excruciating.” Dr. Hopkins said with all the emotion of a science
teacher about to dissect a frog.
“No! No
please God no!!” The guard strapped his head down and Dr. Hopkins positioned
the needle at the corner of his left eye. He screamed as the metal syringe
plunged into his flesh drilling its way through the eye wall and into the
brain. Dr. Hopkins pressed down on the plunger and push the concentrated pink
fluid into the brain. Blood tears ran down his face.
Trinity
closed her eyes and tried to drown out Jason’s screams with thoughts of her
sister. Her twin waiting for her on the other side. Her skin was clear of open
wounds, her jaw was back into place; she looked as she did before she was
bitten. That’s how Trinity wants to remember her, smiling and happy. Jason’s
screams were replaced by the groans of the undead. Trinity made the mistake of
opening her eyes to see a large syringe hovering over her right eye. She
thought of her sister again.
“Trisha….I’ll
see you soon.” Trinity whispered as the syringe entered her eye. Betty behind
the mirror took her last sip of wine with satisfaction. She left her lounge to
find Troy. It was time they let Councilman Grimes in on the secret that his son
is the leader of the Dead Heads.
“We need
to get out of here.” Daryl spoke from his cell.
“Already
working on that.” Jen said as she attempted to squeeze her body through the
bars on her cell.
“Jen, what
the hell are you doing? You won’t fit.” Marla urged her to stay inside.
“I’m not
that big, I can slip through and get help, maybe find the keys.”
“No it’s
too dangerous.” Hank yelled.
“Hank, I
think it’s more dangerous to stay put.” Carl said solemnly. Jen continued to
wiggle her way out while in the next room a groaning Jason lay next to a still
Trinity.
“Umm,
perhaps I was wrong about this one. But the scan showed she had the potential
right?” Dr. Hopkins asked the guard. “Let me see those scans again.” As Dr.
Hopkins reached over to take the scanning unit Trinity’s arms shot up breaking
the wrist restraints and grabbing the doctor by the head. In a quick motion,
Trinity snapped her neck easily. The guard had no time to react as Trinity sat
up and captured both his wrist in a vice like grip. She popped his arms from
his torso as if he were a Ken doll. The guard screamed in pain as he fell to
the floor in a wet thud.
The thing
that was Trinity stepped off the metal table and looked at the thing that was
Jason clawing to get free. Trinity ripped the wrist restraints off him and
allowed him to leave with her.
Jen bent
her leg in an odd angle and fell to the floor outside the cell. “I’m out.” She
said as she rubbed her thigh.
“Good, now
I want you to take a metal bar and throw it through that mirror.” Carl
commanded.
“The
mirror? Why?” Jen asked
“It’s a two
way mirror. I’m sure of it.” Carl responded.
“You mean
someone could be watching us right now?” Marla asked concerned.
“I doubt
it, there would alarms by now or guards rushing in.” Daryl pointed out.
Jen
grabbed the bar when a sound from the sliding metal door grabbed her attention.
Jen could see Trinity through the glass but she wasn’t Trinity anymore. She’s
infected. Knowing she couldn’t get through the door, Jen turned back to her
task when the click of a latch drew her attention back to Trinity. The door
slid open slowly and Trinity stood in the doorway glaring at her through blood
red tears. She would have to kill her friend just as Trinity had to kill her
sister. It was the only way.
“No Jen,
don’t go near her. She’s not like the other infected.” Hank warned. At that
point Trinity rushed in going for Jen. “NO!” Hank yelled helpless shaking the
bars through clenched fists.
Jen swung
the bar at Trinity’s head but she ducked out of the way. She clipped Jen at the
legs knocking her off balance and to the floor. Jen brought the bar up as
Trinity rolled on top of her holding the bar and pressing it down.
Jen felt
cold metal touch her neck and pain radiated downward. It was getting harder to
breath as the pipe cut off her air. Trinity growled as she pressed down harder.
Jen’s lungs burned for air and finally she kicked her bottom half up throwing
Trinity off her. Trinity held onto the bar and wielded it like a weapon. Jen
was on her feet and dodged the first swing.
“Keep
moving Jen, keep moving! Stay on your feet!” Hank coached from the cell.
“You got
this Jen. You’re a strong girl.” Marla encouraged all the while her heart was
racing with fear.
Jen dodged
the second swing but the third caught her in her gut knocking that precious air
right back out of her. Her vision blurred as she fell to her knees. Trinity set
herself up for another swing to Jen’s head but Jen fell back as the pipe caught
the very top of her head causing it to bleed. Trinity swung down and Jen caught
the pipe in her hands. Placing her foot in Trinity’s belly Jen used her
momentum to through Trinity up and over her.
Jen spun
to her feet and brought the pipe down on Trinity’s head with a heavy thud. She
did it again and again until her face was completely smashed in.
“You did
it Jen.” Hank assured. She looked at her father, she saw the pride in his eyes.
But just to make sure, Jen slammed the pipe down on her head again sending bone
fragments and coagulated blood flying.
“Quadruple
tap. Nice.” Daryl approved. Jen walked to the mirror and sent the pipe flying
through. On the other side was a very expensive looking but empty room. Jen
crawled through the opening and found a table stand with a set of keys in it.
“Hank, you
need to take your daughter and Marla and get out of here. I’m not sure how much
longer this city is going to last now. We’re going to find Judith…and my
father.” Carl instructed.
“No, we’re
going to help you end this. These experiments can’t continue; we need to stop
it here and now. No matter what.” Hank stated with confidence. The group left
the holding cells picking off weapons from down NCD agents.
“Trinity
must have taken them out.” Hank observed.
“Not all
of them. There must be more.” Carl stated ominously.
“Shit’s
hitting the fan, big time.” Daryl added. The Dead Heads nor the NCD knew that
the inner wall was filling with the dead as Troy forced Judith down the
corridor.
“Judith?”
Rick came upon them in the hall.
“Dad!”
Judith cried out but Troy stopped her from running to him.
“Troy!
What the hell is this? You let her go!” Rick instinctively reached down to his
hip only to grasp air. He hasn’t had to wear his gun in years but never missed
it more than now.
“Councilman
Grimes, I’m actually glad you’re hear so I can tell you that we finally found the
leader of the Dead Heads. He’s in a holding cell now but your daughter here,
Judith is also one of them.” Troy laughed.
“What?
Judy is this true?” Rick asked.
“Daddy,
please.” Judith pleaded.
“Yes, your
son is the leader. He’s the one that has been sabotaging New Charleston for
years.”
“Liar!”
Carl burst through the double doors and yelled. “You’re the one sabotaging New
Charleston. Making these super walkers, experimenting on people like Trinity
and Maggie.”
“What? I
told you to stop those tests. I told you I didn’t want to do that anymore. You
bastard.” Rick advanced on Troy but a bullet fired through his right shoulder
sent him to the ground.
“Dad!”
Judith cried out.
“You
sentimental old fool.” Betty Patterson emerged from the alcove pointing a gun
at them. “You never really embraced the progress we were making.”
“You
bitch. You killed them. I was trying to save them and you killed them.” Rick
accused.
“No. You
killed Maggie when you approved of the testing.”
“That was
a mistake. I never should have…”
“Well we
can’t change the past Rick. Only move forward and I think new leadership is in
order perhaps….” Betty’s words stopped as a walker plunged its abnormally long
forearms through her abdomen. Betty looked down to see the arms dangling through
her expensive Dior dress but all she could manage to say was “son of a bitc-“
as the arms pulled apart and ripped her in two.
“Betty!”
Troy let go of Judith and pointed a gun at the walker. Its neck was unusually
long and its mouth was ripped open from ear to ear in a grisly permanent smile.
The thing dodged Troy’s bullets, none hitting their mark and it slammed its
mouth down on Troy’s neck lifting him off the ground.
“GO!” Carl
yelled as the group ran down the corridor. Carl held out the bag he picked up
from a dead guard; inside were grenades. Daryl and Hank fired their weapons
back at the creature but it did nothing to slow it. It ran for them on all
fours like an animal with its bobble head bouncing on its long lanky neck.
Carl
pulled the pin from a grenade and sealed it in the bag. He sent the bag flying
back into the corridor. Daylight peeked from ahead; the main doors to city hall
was slightly ajar. Daryl and Hank forced the tall heavy doors open enough for
the group to squeeze through and they slammed it shut just as Carl exited.
“Fire in
the hole!” Carl yelled as the group took cover. The massive explosion sent
glass and debris flying in all directions knocking everyone to the ground. The
heavy doors contained the initial blast but not the residual ones. They came
flying off the building and into the sky; sailing overhead. City hall, the
centerpiece of New Charleston came crashing down.
“Holy
shit!” Jen exclaimed.
“Is
everyone alright?” Carl asked. Judith helped Rick to his feet. Hank lifted Marla
up as she dusted cement from her clothes. Daryl’s focus was ahead of them to
the inner wall.
“What do
we do now?” Marla asked. “I need to find my sister.”
“Sister?
Beth’s alive?” Rick asked Carl surprised.
“Yes, and
so is Michonne.” Carl closed his eyes and breathed deep relived to know that
his father wasn’t the cause of all this suffering. That people he trusted
betrayed him. They would have to have a long talk eventually.
Rick also
breathed a sigh of relief trying to contain his emotions. He’s had to be strong
for so long that he leaned on Michonne and Carl when it got to be too much.
Thinking Michonne had died was devastating and driving his son away made it
worse.
“Yeah, but
first we gotta get through that.” Daryl said as he pointed to the inner wall
and the hundreds of former NCD agents were now shambling out as walkers.
“With this
group, I think we can handle it.” Carl spoke as a leader. Daryl loaded another
arrow in his bow, Hank cocked his Glock back filling the chamber with another
round, and Marla held Judith’s hand as they pulled out their weapons.
“Dad,
you’ll need this.” Carl handed Rick the heavy silver Colt Python. Its barrel
gleamed in the sunlight.
“You had
this? I thought…” Rick asked his son.
“Thought
you might want it back someday.” Carl smiled as they looked to the wall and the
charging walkers. They readied their weapons, took aim, and began to fire. They
were free and they would have to continue to fight for their freedom still but
when they made it out of New Charleston they’ll find a new home. One without
walls.
The End.
