Violent Delights¹︎ | D.Dixon

1.09 ➸

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CHAPTER NINE
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LEONA WAS IN AWE. SHE had seen the camera move, and she believed in her brother more than anyone else, but part of her didn't expect anything to come of their efforts. They'd traveled from their campsite to the CDC, losing one of their own along the way, and the group had lost their hope after. But it seemed the universe wanted to prove her wrong, and on this occasion, Leona couldn't say she minded. She heard Shane call out to Daryl to cover the back of the group as they all squeezed through the doors, impatient to be inside as the horizon began to swallow the sun, leaving them no light to view the dangers outside.

"Hello?" Rick called out, stepping in front of her, his rifle drawn out of caution as he forced her to a halt. She suddenly realized she had been walking straight towards the first door leading inside the building that her eyes could find, her body acting out of reflex before her mind had the chance to catch up. "Hello?"

Dale and T-Dog closed the doors behind them as she, Shane, and Rick all kept their eyes to the inside. She felt a small body bump into hers, and when she glanced down, Carl was standing there. She readjusted her grip on her gun, which she'd drawn as she'd come into the building, and let one hand drop for her nephew to grab hold of. She could feel the tremble in his movements, and she was comforted by the fact that despite the trauma the past few months had supplied him with, he was still that little kid she'd known. He was more human than any other person in their group, besides Sophia.

The room was silent for a moment, and she could hear Lori as she approached her and Carl. Leona glanced to her, looking over her body quickly to check for any marks before settling back on those doors. Someone had let them in, which meant there were people here, and it was only a matter of time before they made themselves known.

"Hello?" Rick called out again, and a gun cocked somewhere on the other side of the room. Leona dropped Carl's hand and sidestepped in front of him, raising her rifle toward the man at the edge of the room. Others did the same, and the room was filled with the sound of cocking guns for a split second.

"Anybody infected?" He called out to them.

"One of our group was." Rick told him. "He didn't make it."

"Why are you here? What do you want?" He asked them, his tone clipped as he stepped down the short flight of stairs, gun still drawn.

"A chance."

He stepped a bit closer, light from above shining down on him. "That's asking an awful lot these days."

Rick nodded. "I know."

The man's eyes shot over the group, and Leona didn't miss the way they stayed on the children just a second longer, a softness appearing in his features as he started to realize why they were so desperate. Sophia and Carl deserved a roof over their head, if only for one night.

Leona silently hoped they could stay under a solid roof for just one night. She missed it more than she thought she would.

"You all submit to a blood test." He told them. "That's the price of admission."

Rick nodded. "We can do that."

Leona would've cut off one of her fingers if that's what it took.