All Out War

Chapter 37

"Maggie! Behind you!" I shouted shaking myself from the daze I was in.

She turned and fired at a walker that was about to get to her. I ran down the stairs and started taking out the dead. How the hell could this have happened?

"No! Charlie!" I shouted.

I drove my knife into the walker's skull before it could get her.

"Are you okay? Are you bit?" I asked her.

"No. I'm okay," she said panting.

"Get somewhere safe," I said.

She nodded and headed in the opposite direction. Rick, Morgan, Ezekiel, Michonne and Jesus had come over to help. I looked up and saw Daryl making his was downstairs. He pulled out his knife and started to take out the walkers one by one. Siddiq was treating those who had been bit. Rick chopped off some limbs to keep the infection from spreading. We took out a few more until it was finally over.

"Are you okay?" Daryl came and asked me.

I nodded. He looked around.

"What the hell happened?" he asked no one in particular.

"I don't know. Maybe walkers got in," Rick said.

"Maybe during the fight," Morgan said.

"How is that possible? We would have seen them. The gates were unscathed," I said.

"Yeah. And these are all of our own people," Daryl said.

There was some thumping that was heard upstairs.

"The kids," I said.

I ran to the second floor. As I got closer, I heard yelling. I followed the noise. Right when I found the source of it, I saw Carol take out a walker and stare at it.

"Are you okay?" I went and asked her.

She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Carol?" I asked.

I followed her gaze and was sadden to see Tobin as a walker. Daryl, Rick and Maggie came into the room.

"Dammit," I whispered.

"You two all right?" Daryl asked us.

I nodded.

"Yeah," Carol said.

Bertie was here along with Bruce who had been shot with an arrow as well.

"Tobin...he...he wasn't bit. But he turned," Carol said.

"How could that have even happened?" I asked.

"Negan's bat. When I was out there with him, it was covered with walker blood. I just thought he'd crossed some but maybe..." Rick trailed off.

"They have us working for them again. Killing our own," Maggie said.

"It's the fever. It's what it is. It makes sense now. One of you, you're gonna have to do it. I can't. One of you'll have to do it. Please," Bruce said getting choked up.

I sniffled.

"Tara...she's...she's with the kids," I said.

I ran out the door and found her room. I quickly opened it. Enid and Rosita held up their guns.

"It's just me," I said.

"Everything okay down there?" Rosita asked.

I nodded. They were all okay. Enid, Judith, Carl and Gracie. I looked at Tara and she looked fine. It didn't seem like she had a fever. I went up to her and placed my hand on her forehead. She was okay. By then, Daryl and Rick had come in.

"Amelia...what's going on? What happened down there?" she asked.

I looked at Rick and Daryl.

"The Saviors did something to their weapons. Everyone they cut up or got shot, they all got sick. Some of 'em turned," Daryl said.

"What? No," Enid said.

"So, they sabotaged their weapons on purpose," Carl said.

I nodded. He then looked over at Tara. Everyone was looking at her.

"Okay," Tara said.

"Look when we were out there and you said you were done waiting, I coulda killed him. I should've," Daryl said.

"No. He wanted to be here with us. And no matter what he did or how hard he tried, I wanted him dead. I just couldn't let it be anything else. Karma's a bitch, right?" she said.

I shook my head.

"No. If she was gonna turn she would have done so by now. Everyone who was involved in the attack, turned or got sick and I'm pretty sure it was around the same time. Tara is fine. She looks fine," I said sternly.

"Maybe in time..." Tara started.

"No. I won't accept that. I just won't," I said storming out of the room.

I rested my hands on the banister and looked at all the people we had lost within a day. I gripped on the railings tightly. The Saviors had planned to wipe us out last night. That Simon prick had an ax. If he had cut me, maybe I would have been a walking corpse right now. Dwight pulled him away. Was that intended? I was so confused and I hated that. I went downstairs and out the door. There was a gunshot and I ran toward it. When I got closer, Maggie, Jesus and Dianne had their guns up.

"What's going on?" I asked once I had reached them.

They all turned then lowered their weapons.

"The prisoners escaped," Maggie said.

I looked toward the pen we had them in.

"How?" I asked sternly.

Alden was close by and I looked at him. I went up and held my knife against his throat.

"How?" I repeated.

"Amelia, don't," Jesus said.

"Some kid came in and threatened us. We heard the screams. He had opened the gate and left it open. He was there and then he wasn't. Some left but there were some that stayed to help," he answered.

"Amelia, he's right. Look," Maggie said.

I turned and looked to where she had signaled. Some of the prisoners were trying to close the front gates that were being pushed by walkers. I let Alden go.

"Why didn't you take off with your buddies?" I asked him.

"I heard what I mean to the Saviors. Hurting you is not something I'm looking to do. And the ones who stayed behind feel the same way. You didn't kill us and you could have. The Saviors, they wouldn't hesitate. That's how they'd punish us," he said.

"You mentioned a kid?" I asked.

"I don't know his name. But he was here with Morgan, keeping a close eye on us. He was wanting to kill the guy who killed his brother," he replied.

My eyes widened.

"Henry...oh god. You didn't see where he went did you?" I asked.

"No. Like I said before, he was there one minute, and then he wasn't," he replied.

"Shit. I have to tell Carol and Ezekiel," I said.

"Go," Maggie said.

I ran back to the house. Everyone was helping move the people we lost outside. I found Ezekiel first.

"Hey have you seen Carol?" I asked once I got to him.

"She helped move Tobin's body outside," he answered.

"Well, I need to talk to the both of you. Help me find her?" I said.

He nodded. We went outside and looked all over for her. We finally found her sitting down on one of the picnic tables near the trailers. I took in a deep breath and we both headed over to her.