Bloodlines.

Chapter fourteen: Carl And Alyssa storm the sanctuary.

Alyssa dropped Judith off at Aaron and Eric's with a quick explanation. Aaron gave her a knowing look, but she didn't stick around long enough for him to pry. "Watch her for me. I'll be back soon," she said before jogging back to the house to meet Carl.

When she burst through the door, Carl was already waiting, backpack slung over his shoulder and his knife strapped to his belt. Alyssa grinned, a spark of excitement lighting her features. "You ready for this, Carl?"

Carl nodded, his resolve matching hers. "Yeah, I am. We got this, Lyss."

Without hesitation, the two of them slipped out of the house and made their way to the south side of the Alexandria wall. Alyssa climbed up first, helping Carl over before they dropped down into the woods below. They moved quietly, weaving through the trees until they reached the street in front of Alexandria's main gate.

Alyssa spotted a car parked nearby, and they climbed in without hesitation. Alyssa quickly hot-wired the vehicle, the engine roaring to life. She didn't even glance back to see if Spencer or anyone else had noticed them leaving. Rick and Michonne weren't there to stop them, and Alyssa wasn't about to let anyone else get in her way.

As the car sped off, Alyssa glanced at Carl, her determination softening into a small smile. For the first time, it dawned on her—this was the first time it was just the two of them, brother and sister, out on a mission. No one else. No adults hovering over them, no one to tell them what to do or how to act. Just them.

She turned her eyes back to the road, her grip on the wheel steady as she pushed the car faster. "We've got this," she muttered, more to herself than to Carl. But Carl heard her and nodded, his own smile creeping onto his face.

For the first time in a long while, it felt like they were in control.

As they sped down the road, Carl leaned forward and fumbled with the glove compartment. Alyssa raised an eyebrow, glancing at him as he dug through the contents until he pulled out a dusty CD.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a smirk already forming on her face.

"Setting the mood," Carl replied with a grin as he slipped the CD into the car's player. The music crackled to life, and an upbeat, completely inappropriate pop song blared through the speakers.

Alyssa burst out laughing, turning to him with wide eyes. "Are you serious right now? This is supposed to be a serious task! We're literally going willingly into enemy territory, Carl!"

Carl shrugged, leaning back in his seat, clearly pleased with himself. "Yeah, well, if we're doing this, we might as well have some fun on the way."

Alyssa shook her head, still laughing. "You're unbelievable."

"You're laughing though," Carl shot back, the corners of his mouth lifting in triumph.

Alyssa rolled her eyes but didn't turn the music off. Instead, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, letting herself relax for just a moment as they cruised toward the hilltop.

As they neared the hilltop, Alyssa slowed the car and carefully pulled over into the treeline, keeping the vehicle well out of sight. She turned off the engine and looked at Carl, her expression serious.

"We wait here," she said firmly, her voice low. "We watch for saviour trucks. When we see them, we wait until they enter hilltop. Then, once they're gone and busy inside, we slip into one of the trucks—hide behind some boxes or something."

Carl nodded, gripping the strap of his backpack tightly. "Got it. But what if they see us before we get in?"

Alyssa smirked, patting the glocks stashed at her side. "Then we improvise. But let's try to keep it quiet."