We're The Ones Who Live | The Walking Dead (2)

Part 44 - Outpost 22

They drove through the night to find the train, and when they did, it was surrounded by troopers. Some of the train cars were like supply crates, large metal containers with doors, parts of the metal broken and replaced by wooden slats. Other carriages were more like trailers, flat platforms with cars and motorbikes tied down and secured.

In the not so far distance, CJ, Daryl and Carol were hidden by a cluster of trees and dead shrubbery, watching from afar to try and find out where the train was going. They watched through binoculars for a while, seeing the troopers marching around the train, packing up and getting ready to move out.

"You think we can follow it without them seeing us?" Carol asked.

Daryl replied, "If we hang back far enough, we'll be fine."

CJ kept watching through the binoculars, leaning sideways against the tree trunk, staying as hidden as possible with Daryl and Carol behind her. She watched as a jeep drove up to the train and came to a stop. A familiar face was taken off the jeep, her hands tied on front of her as she was walked over to some troopers.

Lowering the binoculars, CJ breathed out worriedly. "They got Connie."

She handed the binoculars to Carol, who looked down at where Connie was surrounded by troopers, all of them talking while she looked between them, not knowing what they were saying.

One of the troopers pulled out a walkie, and Daryl took one out of his pocket, tuning into the channel to hear what the trooper was saying.

"Guy's saying, I gotta put an exile on here. But this is cargo transport and it's against regs. Over."

Another man's voice responded. "It's been cleared from up on high. She's not gonna be a worker. She's designation two."

"Oh, shit," the trooper mumbled.

"Yeah, exactly. Get her there safely."

"Copy that."

Daryl put the radio back in his pocket, taking the binoculars from Carol as she asked, "What's 'designation two'?"

"Never heard of it before," CJ mumbled. "Maybe we just keep listening in, see if they say anything else. We can try and get Connie if we-"

"We can't get to her. They'll radio ahead," Daryl cut her off, regret in his eyes when he realised they couldn't help Connie. "We'll go find the kids."

"We'll hang back," Carol spoke up. "We'll follow it to the others, and we can bust them out all at once."

CJ hated the thought of leaving anyone behind. They needed to find the kids and the rest of their people, but they didn't know where they were. They could see Connie right in front of them, and not being able to do anything to help her, had CJ scared for her friend, afraid of where she was being taken, or what the troopers had planned for her.

She walked off quickly to the car they'd taken the previous night, sitting the passenger seat. The stitched gunshot wound on her hip was aching as she tried to ignore the twinge she felt with every heavy step she took. Daryl and Carol came over after a moment, him getting in the driver seat while Carol climbed into the back.

Daryl took a glance at his wife and could tell that she was worried as he started the engine and drove down to the main road, the train moving along the tracks up ahead. Reaching over, he rested his hand on CJ's thigh. She looked down at his hand, then over to him, the two of them sharing a brief look of reassurance before Daryl focussed on the road again.

The need to protect his wife had increased dramatically when she got shot, as the injury worked like a wake-up call for Daryl that he was at great risk of losing her once again. It was hard for him to admit he was afraid, but there was no point hiding it.