Leaving the Apocalypse Behind | The Walking Dead

Herding Sheep Ain't Easy

Morgan leads the group and their unconscious prisoner back to the waiting cars. Everyone quickly gets into their assigned vehicle, with Jeremiah being dumped, rather unceremoniously, into the backseat of car #1 between Mercer and Abraham, with fists poised and just wishing he would wake up. The children had already warmed up to both Tara and Princess and were eagerly waiting to be reunited with their parents. Rick, now familiar with the route, cautiously pulls his vehicle out onto the backroad, followed by the other two cars. Proceeding slowly as first, listening intently for the sound of approaching motorcycles or other vehicles, then approximately five miles from Culpepper Creek, they gun the engines and head for Alexandria as fast as they possibly can. Though they couldn't hear anyone behind them, they knew they were coming. They had only put down about 6 of Jeremiah's people and suspected there were about fifteen to twenty, maybe more left in town.

They travel on for the next 2 hours and finally arrive back in Alexandria around midnight. They are met at the entrance by Negan, Maggie, Rosita and Jerry. All anxious to see if Jeremiah is among their ranks. "Well?" Negan asked. Did you get..." Before he can finish his sentence, the back door of car #1 opens and out steps Abraham dragging a very unwilling, very conscious Jeremiah out with him. Jeremiah, now struggling against the ropes and trying to pull away from Abraham, suddenly backs into Mercer who is exiting the vehicle right behind him. "Going somewhere?" Mercer asks sternly. "You will all be sorry for what you've done! You stupid fools! My people WILL come for me!" Jeremiah bites back. Abraham gets in Jeremiah's face and mocks the unholy man, "Humph! Sticks and stones, your eminence, sticks and stones.  Say it one more time and I'll be happy to break your bones!" Abraham laughs under his breath quite pleased with his quick, thought up rhyme. Rick comes around the car and faces Jeremiah. "So you're the one who's caused all this trouble. Not much to look at. Abraham, Mercer, please show this character some Alexandria hospitality then hurry back. We have a party to get ready for and the guests will be arriving any minute." The two men haul the Flock's leader to his cell in Alexandria's basement jail. Mercer cuffs him to one of the bars, posts a guard and then they get back to the watch tower where Rosita is waiting. Wanting to make sure Abraham is still in one piece. When she sees him, his smile tells her all she needs to know. Her heart is at peace.

Meanwhile, Tara and Princess help the children from the vehicles. "Where's my mommy and daddy?" One of the little girls asks as she looks around. Another simply says, "I'm hungry...and cold." Tara and Princess quickly take the four exhausted children downstairs to the makeshift clinic into the community kitchen basement. As the children descend the stairs, Jaxon suddenly hears a very familiar voice and cries out, "Mommy! Mommy!" Haley turns around as she hears the sound of her little boy, "Jaxon?!" She sees her son and runs to him, falling on her knees and hugging him tightly. "Oh, Jaxon." Princess speaks up at the point, "We have four very hungry, very tired kids here and as I see it, if this is the community kitchen basement...there should be a few morsels of food around here somewhere." Nabilia steps forward, with a huge smile on her face and a platter of little peanut butter sandwiches, some cookies and cold creek water to wash it all down. "Happiness is seeing these little ones safe and sound again. But I also thought these might come in handy when you arrived. Truth be told, I had lots of help today." Nabila says, pointing to Judith, RJ and Ginny as well as her own children Ezra, Aliyah and Mariam. "Very eager to help make this feast, especially the cookies, of course. I know you have other pressing matters ro attend to, so leave us to feed these little ones and hopefully they will all be off to bed soon. Haley and I will watch over them and keep them safe."  Tara and Princess thanked them profusely before hurrying up the stairs and back to their waiting teams.

The teams finalize their battle plans and if they were very lucky, no one would show up. Still, they take their places in expectation that the remnants of the Flock would be ascending on them anytime now. Daryl, Carol, Rosita and Maggie have taken up their positions on the rooftops closest to where the trenches have been dug. They are the community's best when it comes to using the crossbow and/or the bow and arrow. They will be the ones to use the fire arrows to ignite the bio-diesel, as needed. They also have the best vantage points in which to see any would-be target, trying to break through the protective measures set in place around Alexandria. Rick is posted in the watch tower and armed with the bazooka. His responsibility is to take out the first vehicles approaching what the enemy might see as Alexandria's 'supposedly' unprotected front entrance. Those who are not able to or do not possess the ability to fight are inside behind locked doors or in basements and out of harms way. All others are poised and ready to do combat with guns and bullets or hand-to-hand, if necessary. What a surprise awaits all those who underestimate them! They will learn what the power of true family, loyalty and love are capable of! That's what makes the people of Alexandria fight so hard to protect what they have.

Walking the perimeter, Negan, Jerry and Abraham taking the left side while Mercer and Princess go to the right. They can be heard quietly whispering to one another while also keeping a wary eye on the snowy darkness. It's Rick, however, who hears the first vehicle approaching. He sends a signal to those on the rooftops and on the ground, alerting them to the impending danger. Evil has arrived. It's showtime. They have been laser focused; ready to pounce on anything moving in the shadows but even so, they now hear the car engine too. Though the Flock had hoped to cover their other attempts at breaching the perimeter using the sounds of their vehicles, Jerry and Abraham are still able to detect the crunch of hardened snow under the weight of human footfall. Still not clear whether this sound was being made by the dead or living it made no difference. They waited. They know their perimeter is well protected so they must be patient. If these intruders are walkers, that would only be to their advantage. Afterall, who would want to attempt to cross over razor wire which bites back in more ways than one??