𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍, rick grimes

SIXTY

THE GROUP WAS IN THE TRAIN CAR, MAKING WEAPONS OUT OF wood and their belts. Abraham was currently recounting the story of how he and the others ended up in the train car.

"They seemed nice enough, but I was ready to go," he explained. "We just got here, but damn, it was time to go. When I told them about DC, a wink and a nod from the asshole in charge, they pulled their guns and it was right back to our regularly scheduled shitstorm."

"Before they put you in here, you didn't see Tyreese?" Sasha asked Michonne.

"No," Michonne replied.

"It was a black car with a white cross painted on it," Daryl told Maggie, who had asked about Beth. "I tried to follow it, I tried."

"But she's alive?" Maggie asked.

Daryl nodded. "She's alive."

They continued working on their weapons and Josie glanced over at Parker, who was silent and solely focused on her makeshift weapon.

Josie watched her for a moment, knowing this wasn't fair for her. Parker deserved to grow up like a normal child. She deserved to be a normal kid, with two parents who cared for her. Her dad had abandoned them right before the world ended, and that wasn't fair to her.

"All right, I got four of them pricks coming our way," Daryl announced as he looked through the crack in the door.

"Y'all know what to do," Rick said. "Go for their eyes first, then their throats."

Outside the train car, someone spoke up. "Put your backs to the walls on either end of the car, now!"

No one listened and stayed put, all getting ready for the door to open. All of a sudden, a panel above their heads opened up and Josie looked up along with the others. A smoke grenade was dropped onto the floor.

"Move!" Abraham shouted.

Everyone listened and scattered. Josie grabbed Parker's arm as Maggie grabbed onto her hand, pulling her and Parker to the end of the train car. Josie covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve as the others began to cough.

Soon enough, the smoke cleared up and they all noticed a few people from their group were missing.

"Where's my dad?" Carl asked.

"Where's Glenn?" Maggie asked next.

"Bob's gone, too," Sasha added.

"So is Daryl," Josie said. "What happened?"

"They took 'em," Abraham replied.

"Took them where," Josie asked, beginning to get worried about them, especially Rick.

"Probably to interrogate them?" Abraham suggested.

Josie sighed and looked around the train car. "We need to get out of here."

"How?" Rosita asked. "The door's locked and I bet that roof panel is, too. We're stuck."

"We just have to wait it out," Michonne said as she put her hand on Josie's shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be fine. They know how to take care of themselves."

It felt like hours had passed. Josie sat with her back against the end of the train car, Parker had her head on her mother's lap and Carl rested his against Josie's shoulder.

A sudden explosion rocked the car and all three of them got to their feet, joining the others around the door.

Abraham slammed his fist against the door. "What the hell is going on?"

"Someone hit 'em," Michonne replied.

"Maybe they got free?" Sasha suggested.

"Excuse me," Eugene said, pushing past Sasha and Josie to crouch down next to the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rosita asked.

"I might be able to use this shell to compromise the door," Eugene replied. "From the sound of things, there may not be anybody left to open it."

Josie shook her head and sighed. "Don't say that."

"Yeah, Eugene," Tara agreed. "Shut up."

"Hey, my dad's gonna be back," Carl told them. "They all are."

"They are," Maggie agreed. "And we need to get ready to fight our way out with them when they do."

Josie walked over and looked out of a crack in the wall. "Fence is down by the looks of it. We got walkers, too."

Everyone worked in silence for a moment before Sasha spoke up. "What's the cure, Eugene?"

"It's classified," Eugene replied.

"We don't know what's gonna happen," Michonne said.

"You leave him be," Abraham demanded.

"We need to keep working," Maggie pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's time to hear it cause we don't know what's coming next," Sasha replied.

"What's next is we get out of this," Josie said, agreeing with Maggie.

"Even if I told you all, even if I provided step-by-step instructions completed with illustrations and a well-composed FAQ and I went red-ring, the cure would still die with me," Eugene explained as Josie gave him a confused expression.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Abraham reassured him.

"The best case scenario, we step out into a hailstorm of bullets, fire, and walkers," Eugene said. "I'm not a fleet of foot. I sure as hell can't take a dead one down with sharp buttons and hella confidence."

"Yeah, but we can and we will," Michonne replied.

"You don't owe us anything," Sasha said. "Not yet, but we just want to hear it."

"You don't have to," Rosita said to Eugene.

Eugene suddenly stood up. "I was part of a ten-person team in the Human Genome Project to weaponize diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships were made, information was shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind fail-safe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in DC, we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of them. Fire with fire. All things being equal, it does sound pretty badass."

"So... let's get back to work," Josie said awkwardly.

Just then, the door opened and Rick appeared. "Come on! Fight to the fence!"

Josie felt a wave of relief go through her body when she saw everyone. The brunette jumped down from the train car, helping Parker down before she turned to find Rick. He was already next to her, handing her her gun, knife, and bow and arrows.