𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟒 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫.

Out of all the potential outcomes that danced in the back of his mind, making a break for it didn't make the cut. The loud beeping done out of disgust by the Governor's vehicle wasn't enough to make the truck transporting the cowards pull off to the side of the road as it intended to.

"Hey! I want this truck over." Philip shouted over the roaring engine as the two trucks raced side by side down the road.

When commands failed to deliver results, he ordered the driver of his own vehicle to take action. The tires squealed when the wheel was cut sharply to the right, blocking the oncoming band of defectors. The trucks were barely at a stop when he lunged out of the passenger seat. "What the hell are you doing?" His grizzly voice shouted. "We need to dig in."

"It's not worth it." The opposing driver told him. A woman shouted as the rest of the people flooded the street, once hopping out of the back.
"That was a slaughter!"

Caesar held his arms out, yelling at the group.
"You bunch of pussies." He lowered his tone when addressing the one-eyed mad man next. "I told you we should have handled this shit ourselves."

The Governor began to pace back and forth, burning the pavement below with his fuming rage.

Another man stood up for the rest of them as he spit in the face of authority. "We're done fighting for a hole with a half-dozen psychopaths living in it. They can keep it."

"You've seen what they've done. They attacked us. Those dishonorable trench monkeys killed my boy." Allen directed his hatred for the uniform at the people who wanted to run for it. "We're going back."

Karen pleaded with him. "We're not soldiers. You want us to kill biters, of course. But this is crazy. Did you see that guy on the roof? He took Blake out from miles away as we were driving. He doesn't miss. He'll see us coming back."

"Not to mention the one that killed Miller. His own friend. What the hell do you think he's going to do to us?" The woman beside her stirred the pot.

The driver, also one of the men responsible for the capture of the Marine that night, nodded. "He stood there, gunning us down without a second thought. We're not going back." The man swung open the door and climbed back into the truck.

"Go home then!" Allen shouted towards the people. "You think you're going to be safe?"

"I'm going back to Woodbury." Another man cried as he and others began to turn back towards the tailgate.

The manic state of the leader was made clear when the semi-automatic rifle forced ear-splitting screams from the people as he fired into the displeasing crowd. Caesar, who stood a few feet behind him, stumbled back, bumping into the truck. His jaw dropped in pure terror. The other man had widened his eyes as he stood frozen beside him. They watched as their Governor killed everyone before them, including shooting through the windshields to catch the ones already in the vehicles. Some tried to run off through the field, but here they were given the same treatment.

Turning around afterwards, he was met with Allen holding the gun towards him out of fright. He wasn't man enough to pull the trigger. The Governor however, sent a bullet straight through the man's skull without a care in the world. Caesar used the side of the truck to hold his body up, in need of support. He clutched onto his own rifle, backing away slowly towards the door when Philip staggered down through the tall grass.

Pistol in hand, he sent a bullet to the heads of each person laying face down. He made sure no one was playing possum before he caught sight of Karen's motionless body laying beneath another person. One shot to the meat shield's head didn't startle the woman as she closed her eyes, inhaled, and prayed for a miracle. The gun clicked as she waited for his presence, which loomed over her from a foot away. She focused on the sound of a bird cawing in the wind to help her stay as calm as she could. Believing her to be dead from the lack of response, he let it be. When she could no longer feel his daggers as footsteps faded, she opened her eyes, finally being allowed to safely exhale.

The Governor got behind the wheel and motioned for the two survivors, his trusted men, to join him. Caesar hopped up into the bed of the truck and banged on the roof when he was ready to leave. Giving the mess of dead one last look, they set off. The engine roared down the road, and Karen sighed, barely escaping death for the second time in less than an hour.

Fallen leaves munched under Nate's boots when he hopped out of the truck. Michonne looked back at him after crawling out from the passenger side. She kept her sword held low when advancing the dead, which fed on the once-living army that threatened them. One swing sliced through two walkers heads as the men followed just behind her. Rick walked by, lunging his knife blade into another.

"How many people did you say you shot again?" Michonne asked, glancing around at the corpses, then back to Nate. Bodies were scattered across the road, left for the birds to peck on. "Not this many." He mumbled just before nearly jumping out of his skin at the loud banging.

A scared woman's hands pressed against the glass, showing no threat, once she popped up from hiding inside the transport truck. Karen's eyes wandered around the circle of people who saved her. Daryl, however, did jump as his body jolted from being caught off guard standing just right outside of her location. They were all back on high alert when they saw her looking down on them.

"Open it." Danny directed with his gun ready. Daryl opened the door cautiously but irritatingly, then stepped aside.

"I'm alone." Karen muttered, leaning back, when the man climbed up. She held her hands up, watching him while he did a quick scan behind the seats. "You're the sniper." She said it dreadfully, believing herself to be his next victim.

"And you're the woman who attacked my home." He lowered his pistol, placing it back in the holster around his thigh. "Let's go; keep your hands up." He ordered as he stepped down.

When she slowly made her way off the seat onto the ledge, she panicked, seeing Nate. Her eyes bounced over, seeing Daryl, who stood behind them. The look on their faces incited worry. She leaned back, regretting her decision to catch the group's attention. Danny had no patience left for her flight response. He reached up, taking ahold of her by the waist. She gasped when her body was torn from her place. He made her kiss the pavement to pat her down, checking for weapons. At the same time, Daryl slammed the door shut. Michonne and Rick went to check the other vehicles, not taking her at her word, but came up empty.

"Get in." Nate ordered as he watched the woman stumble over to him when it was time to go. It was decided to keep her alive after she shared the details of what happened when the Governor went ballistic. She turned to see Danny stop behind her as he waited for her to do as she was told.

After Nate saw her place a foot on top of the tire to give herself a boost, he walked around to the other side of the truck bed to get in himself. She hesitated slightly, making Danny exhale deeply. "Do I have to throw you in the back, or can you listen and get in?"

She didn't move, but not from a lack of trying. Her body wouldn't allow her to. The shaking woman's heart sank when she saw the man step toward her with a disgruntled look in his eyes. "No." She raised her voice, hoping he'd respect the word, with a tear accompanying her new nightmare.

He took her by the arm roughly while lowering his head to come face-to-face with her. "I remember you standing at the front of the group. You weren't half as scared barging into the prison ready to kill us as you are right now looking into my eyes."

"We were trying to protect ourselves from what the Governor told us about you guys. I told you that already." She found her strength as she jerked in his harsh grip.

"Danny," Nate sternly called out to him, making his train of thought pause. His jaw clenched when he released her. She wrapped her hand around the burning sensation that was left from his ruthless grab.
Stepping away from the point of dropping her where she stood, Danny rubbed the back of his head before speaking to her again. Words were his worst enemy in the moment, leaving him to nod over to the truck with a sigh. Karen turned steadily, pulling herself up to find a seat next to Nate.

"Thank you." She muttered. He glanced over at the woman, who was staring intently at him. Danny hopped in, signaling to Rick to drive before he took his place on her other side. Shoulder to shoulder, the three sat in silence on the way to finish what the Governor started.