Snapped (Gabentine Fic)

Bad Men

It's been a week since my promise to AJ and I have nightmares about what happened to them. I wake up covered in sweat and go to check on them. I crack open their door and always see them sleeping peacefully without a care in the world. This calms me enough to get back to sleep. I'm becoming soft again and have to stop.

I informed my team that we would be going on a run tomorrow morning and be gone for two days. They give a shout of excitement from getting to get out of town for awhile. That night I cook dinner for Clementine and AJ. I also announce that I will be gone for two days and that I'm going on a run and leaving early tomorrow morning. AJ looks sad that I'm going to be gone that long but, Clementine looks terrified. I let loose a sigh and stand up from the table and make my way to my bedroom. I grab a satellite phone from my dresser drawers and head back to the kitchen. I lay the phone on the table and start explaining.

"This is a satellite phone. If you guys have an emergency, turn this on and holler for me. I will have mine on me at all times and also have it turned on. It has a distance of 200 miles so, I will not be out of range. Just say code red and I will come running."

Clementine looks at me with gratitude and I turn my head, still not bringing myself to forgive her. AJ gets up from his seat to give me a hug and I pat his head. I gather the plates and go to wash them while Clementine and AJ head upstairs for bed. Before they exit I hear Clementine mumble under her breath but, I catch it.

"I'm sorry."

This causes me to freeze and everything stops. She runs upstairs to catch up with AJ before closing their bedroom door. I finally come out of my frozen stance and grip the sides of the sink. I close my eyes as a lone tear slides down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away and finish the dishes before going to bed myself.

Her words repeat in my head like a broke record player. They grip me and tug on my heart. Sleep closes in on me as I remember the day she left me.

My eyes snap open right before my alarm goes off. I slam my hand down onto it and scramble out of bed. I rush to get dressed and eat breakfast before escaping the house. I breath in deeply as I step outside, enjoying the feeling of being free. I make my way to my group that's waiting for me and I give one last look at the house and see AJ watching me leave through his window. He raises his hand as a goodbye and I hesitantly raise mine back to him. I turn back to the gate and leave with my group.

It's been a day since we left our town. We were making our way through a Walmart and picking up leftover medicine and food. It has been a good run, only ran into a couple of walkers that were quickly taken care of. We even found two cars full of gas, the owners shot themselves in the head from a bite that each one had. One was a black 2015 Shelby Mustang. The other was a dark blue 2015 Dodge Charger. I took the black mustang and Carl and Glenn shared the Dodge. We were walking out of the store when a static sound came from my belt. I look down in confusion and see my satellite phone light up.

"Gabe! Code red!"

Oh no

I look at the guys and they nod their heads for me to go. I hop in my car before taking off towards home. I bring the phone to my mouth before responding.

"I'm coming. Hold on."

I make it there in two hours and nearly drive over the gate before Rick opens it. I race to my house and bolt out of my car, running upstairs to Clementine's room. I burst open through the door and stop in my tracks at the sight before me. A man has Clementine on her bed and forcing himself on her. Something inside me snaps and I march forward, the guys turns toward me with a grin.

"Hey buddy. I don't mean no trouble and we can even share her."

I shoot him a grin of my own and step closer to him. My grin turns into a sadistic one as I clasp my hand around his throat, feeling some snaps and he struggles against it. I raise him off of Clementine and push him on the floor with me on him and my hands around his throat. His face turns purple from lack of oxygen and claws at my face. I grip his esophagus and rip it out, blood spraying on my face and body. The man's eyes widened before the life leaves them. The room is silent and I wipe my face before standing up.

Clementine is looking at me with fearful eyes and I step towards her.

"Please, don't hurt me."

"Clem, it's me. It's Gabe."

She closes her eyes and I sit on her bed and don't move. She finally opens her eyes and they're filled with tears. Clementine looks at me one more time before collapsing into my arms. I freeze up and become afraid to touch her. Sobs rake her body and I hold her tighter to my body to comfort her. We sit there and a thought occurs to me.

"Clementine, where's AJ?"

"They took him."

"Who did?"

"The bad men."