The Fortunate Ones

Chapter 23: It's Personal

I woke up the next morning totally ready to bitch. I was going to get Cameron back, and I was going to do just about anything to.

I got everything together, went downstairs and out the house. It was still dark outside it was so early. I saw Rick in the slight shadow next to the truck. He was standing there, and Daryl and Glenn were sitting in the back of the truck whispering.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked them impatiently.

"Yeah, but I want you to listen to me. This man that took him, he's savage. We used to harbor where they are, until we found out about some of their... Strange customs. They're dangerous, so be on your guard."

"Okay, thank you," I replied.

"You'll sit in the front with me, and Daryl and Glenn will be in the back," Rick told me.

"Cool," I said, and got in the truck. We were all set and started driving. We drove for a long time, maybe 45 minutes. I'd fallen asleep but was soon rudely awaken by a sudden stop. Rick stomped on the breaks which flung me forward, I wasn't wearing a seatbelt because it had ripped through. I went forward into the windshield and slammed my forehead. The car completely halted and I weakly reached from the floor to the door handle, opened it, and rolled out onto the ground dramatically. Rick, Glenn, and Daryl came around the car to me.

"I'm sorry, I lost it for a second and almost ran into that other car so I stopped hard, I didn't mean to..." He apologized.

"It's okay," I said, feeling my head. It was bleeding and tender, how fun- more marks on my body.

"That was a hard hit," Glenn said.

"I'm fine, just a little cut," I said, getting up. I did feel fine, but I put the worry out of my mind that there was anything wrong with me besides the cut.

"We can go back, you don't have to come with us," Daryl said.

"This isn't about me at all, this is about getting Cameron back, SAFELY," I said aggravated.

"Ok, we'll continue," Glenn said. With that, we all got back into the car. Daryl handed me a bandana for my forehead, and we continue on. Fifteen minutes later, Rick stopped the car, pulling onto the side of the road. He got out, and so did I. Glenn and Daryl hopped out of the back and met us at the front of the truck.

"We walk from here, it's only about a half mile away, and I don't want to risk anything with the truck. If we get I to trouble, I want the vehicle to still be here, I don't want any of Jared's people finding it and taking it," Rick lectured. We nodded, and began walking. The walk was silent and awkward. As we got to the camp, Rick signaled us. We got close to him so he could speak quieter.

"Glenn will be at the entrance with me," Rick started, "and you and Daryl will try and find Cameron," he told me, "but Katie, if you get into any sort of trouble, abort the task. I don't need to lose two members. Don't interact with any of the people if you have to, if you see anyone when you go into that building... Well Daryl will take care of them. But promise me you won't be stupid?"

"Rick, I won't promise anything," I told him blatantly.

"I'll accept that. Ok, let's go. In here," he said, lifting up the fence revealing a hole. Daryl went in, then me after. I followed him into a weird development as we wound down odd alleys. We ducked behind trash bins and broken walls. After some time winding around the place, Daryl stopped and whispered to me.

"I stop here. Now Cameron, I know, is in that freight car. We just have to figure out how to get him out. It's locked with a regular bolt. If you have anything to pick it we can-"

"Daryl, just cover me, I already know what I'm gonna do," I spat out impatiently. I took a step out into the clearing when he pulled me back in.

"Now hold on, you've gotta tell me what your doing, so that I'm aware of what's going to happen," he told me.

"I'm gonna go over there and pick the lock with my bobby pin, and get him out. All you have to do is cover me," I told him.

"Okay, let's do this," he said. I nodded back and stared into the clearing. No one was there, I walked towards the freight car, when I heard voices. I didn't know what to do, so I ran up to the car and hid behind it, hoping they wouldn't see me when they were passing. I heard two sets of footsteps and something dragging.

I heard people talking, "damn this kid is strong, I almost feel bad for him. He doubt with all of that abuse and still never gave in. Do you think Garret will try anything else?"

"Maybe not for a couple days until he's stronger... But I don't know man, his next move is the pit... No ones ever survived that."

Were they talking about Cameron? What had they done? What's the pit? I stood motionless listening. They put whoever they were dragging back into the car and slammed it shut. They stepped and I heard them get close. I stayed where I was. They turned the corner and met eyes with me. Two big men, one small girl, those aren't good odds... So I RAN LIKE HELL!

I sprinted behind the freight car and deeper into the development. I heard one of the men yell "Garret! It's going down!"

I turned a corner and was struck in the face with a gun. A man stood over me holding an M-16. I laid on the ground writhing. He'd hit my face with the back of it, and boy had he hit it hard. My jaw went numb. I groaned, and the man motioned to the two guys. They picked me up. I fought as hard as I could but they were huge. I punched and kicked and screamed but nothing worked. They carried me away from the freight car.

I'm screwed.