LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

sacrifice for one another

"Holy shit," Glenn laughs, lurching forward and grabbing Sakiko in a hug.

"We have to be fast," she hurries.

She couldn't let emotions take over. Not yet. She still had to get Daryl.

Glenn nods and the two tip toe down the hall. Daryl was already out of his room, so they hurry through another set of doors.

"Kiko," Daryl's voice whispers.

Sakiko waves him over, checking around the corner to make sure no one was close.

"Are you okay?" she asks him as he hugs her.

"I'm fine. Are you?" he asks, unable to let her go until she pushes him off.

"We gotta move," she stays level-headed.

"It's good to see you, man," Glenn tells him.

Although Daryl was grateful he was alive, he couldn't say the same. Clearly, Sakiko hadn't told him about Ryan. There was a reason she was remaining stoic. She wasn't allowing herself to feel it all.

"You, too," Daryl nods, the two men trading a handshake-hug.

"This way. I saw wheels on the other side of the fence, there's gotta be something," Sakiko leads.

Usually, Sakiko was following Glenn or Daryl's lead. This time, they were following her.

Just ahead, there was a door with a window. The sunshine peered in the window like the promised land.

"Now," Sakiko takes off into a run, Glenn and Daryl following her.

They burst out the doors, looking around the lot of motorcycles.

"We can hop the fence," Glenn points.

"They'd catch us. We need wheels," Daryl runs to the bikes.

"It's worth the risk," Sakiko agrees, though, "Glenn, go."

"What about you?"

"They don't know that we know each other. If you get away, you're just another stray. They have bounties for us. Just, go!" she pleads, shoving him to the fence.

"We'll be back for you," Glenn promises.

Sakiko smiles, heart aching. She wanted to tell him about Ryan so it came from her and no one else. But, if she did, it would blur his vision of escape.

"Go," she urges, "Go find Maggie."

He takes a step to the fence, turning back to wrap Sakiko in a hug, kissing her temple before running to the chained fence again.

"Keys?" Sakiko pushes her emotions aside again in favor of helping Daryl.

"Nah," he pants, pointing to a box with a lock on it, "They might be there."

Sakiko dashes to it, slamming her fist against the metal tin. She keeps it up until the top dents and she can fit her hand in the crack, grabbing a random sets of keys.

As she starts back to Daryl, she chances the look back to see Glenn running up into the woods.

She tosses a set of keys to Daryl, keeping one for herself before they try fitting them into ignitions.

Then, the door opens.

"Shit," Sakiko panics, Saviors piling out with weapons up all round them.

"Behind me," Daryl pushes Sakiko.

Sakiko puts her back to his, sliding the keys in between her knuckles and holding her fists up- ready for a fight.

The Saviors circle around them. Then, there was whistling.