The Hunter's Prey

Chapter 8

My consciousness slowly came back as I heard my name being called. Carol. Shit. What was I thinking? Falling asleep, Carol and Maggie still needed help. I opened my eyes quickly and sat myself up. I looked over to Carol who was already cutting her way out of the duct tape. I scanned the room. No Maggie. What happened to Maggie? My mind quickly went to the worst. Carol saw me.

"Good to have you back. Maggie's in another room. I think Rick's found us. We gotta hurry before they come back."

Maggie isn't dead and Daryl found my trail. A throbbing pain shot through my hand, as I pulled it from the duct tape. I'm not dying today. I'm not dying, and neither is Maggie or Carol. I popped my thumb back into place and pulled off my gag. I quickly pulled my knife from my boot and cut the duct tape around my legs. I moved to Carol and helped her with her hands, then her legs. The body I saw fall was Donnie. He was out cold. Carol and I snuck down the halls. We searched the rooms before finding Maggie in one. I quickly cut her free of her binds. She pulled me into a hug.

"Are you okay?" Maggie kept her voice low.

"I should be asking you that."

"They've spread out, but I think we can make it past them. We have to try." Carol said.

"We can't leave them alive." Maggie protested.

"No, we should just go."

"We have to finish this. We have to." I cut in.

Carol and Maggie both nodded. Carol seemed reluctant about it, but knew she was out voted. We snuck back to the original room we were in. Donnie's body was still lying there. I knelt down beside him and drove my knife into his head. I grabbed the gun from his side and gave it to Maggie. Hearing footsteps I directed Maggie and Carol to go out the other door and wait for me to signal to them. They both seemed confused at my sudden leadership, but didn't question it. Seconds after they left the room Molly came in from the second door. She quickly noticed me. She reached for her gun but I stopped her by lunging at her. She slashed with the knife in her hand. I felt a cut form on my arm. I used my arm to push her up against the wall and quickly drove my knife into her skull. I signaled Maggie and Carol to come back in and handed Carol Molly's gun.

We quickly went down the halls. We rounded a corner to see a group of walkers of rods. They were using them to keep us in and the others out. Smart yet stupid at the same time.

"Come on, we have to find them."

I started to take down walkers but the sound of gunshots made us drop to the ground. Carol was the first to her feet and aimed her gun at Paula. Still no sign of Chelle. Paula had run out of ammo and was down to just her knife.

"Just run."

Carol seemed reluctant to shoot Paula. What was going on with Carol? She wasn't acting like herself at all.

"Shoot her." Maggie said.

"Go on, do it. You've killed Donnie, you've killed Molly. Your people have destroyed my home." Paula spoke as she inched closer.

"Get out of here." Carol sighed.

"Carol." Maggie snapped.

"You have no idea. The things I've done, what I've given up, what I had to do."

Paula continued to inch closer. Too close for comfort. I pushed past Carol. If she wasn't going to do it then I would. Paula quickly stared at me with her knife. I planted my foot in her stomach and sent her onto the ground. Her knife fell from her hand and I quickly lodged my knife into her head. The sound of the comotion brought Chelle right to where we were. She rounded the corner and quickly aimed her gun at me. A shot fired and for a split second I thought I was dead. I looked back at Maggie who had shot Chelle. I nodded as a thank you and walked back to Carol and Maggie. We were free.