Unbreakable threads

Chapter one hundred and Eight: Carols plan.

Alyssa glanced up as Carol stepped through the front door, her  familiar presence filling the room. Carol's eyes immediately locked with hers, and Alyssa couldn't help but feel the weight of the unspoken words in Carol's gaze. Her right eye was turning an ugly shade of blue and purple, a bruise that was still fresh, still a reminder of the fight earlier.

"Alyssa, can I have a word?" Carol asked, her voice soft but firm.

Without hesitation, Alyssa got up, her body moving instinctively. There was a quiet understanding between them. She had always had time for Carol—whether it was to talk, or to vent, Alyssa didn't need to be asked twice.

She walked toward Carol, her movements purposeful. She'd always known Carol would be the one who'd pull her aside, the one who would see through her bravado, through the hardened exterior she'd built.

"Yeah, of course," Alyssa said quietly.

Carol led Alyssa out of the living room, away from Rick and Carl, and into the quieter space of the kitchen. The door clicked shut behind them,and Carol wasted no time.

" I need you to do something for me, lyss," Carol said, her voice steady but urgent, as if the weight of her request was something that needed to be done quickly.

Alyssa, already down from the moment Carol pulled her aside, nodded without hesitation. She would do anything for Carol—go to the ends of the earth and back, if that's what it took. Carol had been there for her  since the farm, always steady, always reliable. To Alyssa, Carol was like a mother figure, someone she loved nearly as much as Daryl. She trusted Carol implicitly.

"What do you need?" Alyssa asked, her voice low, but with an edge of curiosity.

Carol's expression didn't waver. She was direct, the urgency in her eyes matching the gravity of what she was about to ask. "I need you to distract the Alexandrians while I loot the armory. Not completely, just enough. Set aside a few weapons, just in case tonight goes south."

Alyssa didn't hesitate. The mischief in her eyes sparked as she grinned. She knew exactly what Carol meant—this wasn't just a simple distraction; it was a calculated move, something that could save them if things went wrong. But she also knew it was risky. With everything that had happened, especially after the fight with Pete, they were walking on thin ice.

"Got it," Alyssa said, a mischievous grin curling at the corner of her lips. "Leave it to me."

She knew she was already on shaky ground with Deanna  and the others, especially after what had happened with Pete, but the thrill of stirring things up, even in her bloodied and bruised state, was something she couldn't resist.

"Thanks, Lyss," Carol said, her voice softening for a moment before her usual composure returned. "Be careful."

Alyssa moved quietly, her bloodied and bruised body feeling the weight of the day's chaos, but there was no stopping her. She left Rick and Carl behind on the couch, knowing she should be resting, but the pull of Carol's request was stronger. She couldn't let Carol down—not when everything was on the line.

As she made her way through the streets of Alexandria, she tried to figure out the best way to distract the Alexandrians, to draw their attention away from the armory long enough for Carol to do what she needed to do. A little sarcasm or quick wit wouldn't cut it—she needed to do something bigger, something that would pull enough of them away, but not in a way that would raise too many questions. Something bold but not overly violent. At least, that's what she hoped.

Her eyes scanned the ground, looking for anything she could use. And then she saw it. A loose brick by the curb. It was just sitting there, as if waiting for her. A grin spread across her face as she looked toward Deanna's house. It was perfect.