Make it Till You Don't

Finish This Once and For All

"They think they're in control." Rick spoke up as we sat around in a group. "We're in here and they could be anywhere. But we know exactly where they are."

"Plan's got stones, I'll give you that." Abraham spoke up, glancing down at his hands.

Glenn looked up at everyone. "Make our move before they do."

"That's right." Rick agreed, glancing over to Glenn. "They're not counting on us thinking straight."

"Are we?" Rosita asked. "I'm just making sure. It's a big play."

Rick stood up, walking forward. "Remember what these people are capable of." He reminded her.

"I don't see any other way around it." I spoke up from my spot, glancing at Rick. "We gotta do what we gotta do."

Rick nodded at me before glancing at Tyreese. "Tyreese?"

"Yeah?" He asked, not tearing his gaze from the ground in front of him.

"You up for this?" Rick asked him, knowing how he doesn't like conflict such as this.

We heard footsteps causing us to glance over at Sasha as she walked into the room. "I'm going with you."

"You should stay with Bob." Tyreese told her.

"No, I want to be out there." She shot his idea down. "I want to be a part of this." Without another word, she went back to Bob.

I frowned as she walked away. Tyreese is right, she should stay with Bob, with what little time he has left. Bob had shown us he had gotten bit on the shoulder, saying it happened earlier at the food bank.

She has a chance to say goodbye... not many of us get that opportunity.

Tyreese got up and made his way over to Sasha, going to talk some sense into his sister. As the others began preparing for Rick's plan, I walked over to him. "Rick." I called out to him, causing him to turn his attention to me. "I'll stay back with the others. They won't believe we left them alone without some sort of defense."

"You're right, I appreciate it." He said as he glanced over at Carl and Judith.

I nodded my head as I watched him and the others make their way out the door, closing it behind them. "Let's do this." I told the others as I turned to look at them.

All of us made our way into the room Bob was in, Tyreese beside him in case... ya know. I noticed Carl tapping his finger on his gun, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder giving him a reassuring nod.

Not even a few minutes after the others left, the door of the church was opened. Carl and I raised a gun, aiming at the door.

"Well, I guess you know we're here." I heard Gareth speak up. "And we know you're here. And we're armed. So there's really no point in hiding anymore."

"Yeah no shit... you were stalking us..." I mumbled under my breath.

Gareth continued, trying to bait us out. "We've been watching you. We know who's here. There's Bob, unless you put him out of his misery already. And Eugene, Rosita, Martin's good friend Tyreese, (Y/N), Carl... Judith."

"Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns." It was silent for a moment as we listened carefully. "Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be."

I heard footsteps getting closer, stepping closer to the door. I glanced down as the doorknob jiggled, tightening my grip on the gun as it stopped.

"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take down both. Can't imagine that's what you all want." Gareth spoke once more, the sound of a gun cocking followed.

I highly doubt he'll go through with it, it'll only attract Walkers and they wouldn't risk wasting the ammo.

"How about the priest?" Gareth addressed Gabriel. "Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this." I turned my head to Gabriel, shaking my head. "Just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you. What do you say?"

I watched as Gabriel grasped the cross tightly in his grasp, squeezing his eyes closed. I froze, swinging my head around as Judith began to cry. Gritting my teeth as I glared back to the door.

Carl rushed over to silence Judith, but I know it was too late, they now know we were in this room. "I don't know, maybe we'll keep the kid. I'm starting to like this girl."

I heard footsteps approach the door, most likely standing on each side. "It's your last chance right now to tell us you're coming out." I heard mumbling, before the sound of bodies dropping to the ground.

"Put your guns on the floor." I heard Rick, causing me to ease up some. Went exactly as he planned.

"Rick, we'll fire right into that office. So you lower your gun- AH!" Gareth was cut off by a pained shout.

"Put your guns down on the floor and kneel." Rick ordered them.

"Do what he says." Gareth gasped out in pain. "Martin, there's no choice here."

"Yeah there is." This Martin guy replied.

Knowing the others can handle this, I lowered the gun, I focused my attention to Tyreese and Bob. "How's he holding up?" I whispered out, motioning my head to Bob.

Tyreese shook his head, with an expression I knew all too well... Bob doesn't have much longer. I glanced back to the door. They need to finish this fast.

"NO-!"

I heard several shouts as I glanced back to the door. Tyreese stood up and went for the door as I tried to stop him. "Tyreese do-"

Tyreese cracked the door open, seeing what was going on. I sighed placing my hand on his shoulder as it grew quiet, stepping around him and out the door as he stepped away.

I glanced around, seeing what was left of Gareth's group, dead. "It could've been us." Rick told the others.

I stepped up, giving him a small nods "We know..." I whispered out. He's growing cold, day by day- No. It's this world that we live in now... it forced him to.

I glanced at the others as Gabriel came out, glancing at the scene, horrified. "This is the Lord's house."

I closed my eyes as Maggie spoke up. "No. It's just four walls and a roof."

And that was the sad truth. Nothing holds any value anymore. The only thing worth value left, is time. The very little time we all had left until we were either killed or turned into another walking corpse.

I made my way outside, going to sit on the steps as I stared out into the night. In the beginning, we were just fighting the dead in hopes of living whatever this was, out.

But now? We have to fight the living along with the dead to survive. We can't trust anyone outside our group anymore. All anyone is doing now, is trying to outlive the rest... it's survival of the fittest.

To see who's going to be the last one standing.

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Published: 01/18/2025