Alone (Henry TWD) (Needs major editing)

11.) Search & Rescue pt. 2

"How do you know this is a bait type of mission?" Maggie whispered to Daryl.

"I can tell by their setup. By the look on that guard's face." Daryl whispered back.

"I didn't think we'd actually have to use her," Ezekiel whispered. "It's dangerous."

"She distracts them, she acts like she needs desperate help and we'll come up from behind and take the men out. They only have two guards," Daryl whispered. "I'll walk her through what to do, Jesus and I will go in to take them out and then we all go inside, Michonne and Maggie stayin' out here with the vehicles."

"Fine," Ezekiel retorted. Daryl looked at me.

"You're gonna go up. We're gonna get you lookin' like you got in trouble and need medical help. You're going to act like you're innocent and don't know what danger is, begging and crying for them to help you, tellin' them that you'll do anythin'. Yer' story is you were with your group on route 62 but got attacked by a herd, you just nearly escaped and you're starvin'. Okay?"

"I don't want to do this..." I said quietly.

"I ain't gonna let anythin' happen to you," Daryl told me. "You'll be okay. Just act the part, okay?"

***

"Hands up!" The men yelled. I put my hands up weakly. At that moment my eyes watered, tears slowly dripped down my cheeks. This wasn't me acting, I was actually scared. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"E-Emily," I cried. "My name is Emily... I was with my Papa on route 62 and-and we ran into a herd of creepers," I continued crying. "He fell and his gun went off and-and it hurts," I held my hand to my side where Daryl dropped the food coloring.

The two guards whispered to each other and nodded. "Welcome to Albany, Emily. We-"

Daryl came up from behind, stabbing the talking man in his ear. Jesus killed the other man by stabbing him in the lower back of the head. They nodded at me as they dropped down from the guard post, Daryl whistled. People filed out from the bushes as I wiped my tears and then grabbed the gun and knives Daryl held out to me, at the same time popping one of the sticks of gum in my mouth. It was blueberry flavored.

Daryl knows me too well.

"You stay close, if you get lost then yell. Don't worry about waking people up," Daryl whispered as we walked into the dimly lit building. It was night outside, so everybody was sleeping. "If somebody comes at you... you have to kill them, Navy."

"Kill them?" I asked worriedly. "I can't kill people."

"You have to in this world. It's the way it is - survival of the fittest. You have too."

"I can't Daryl."

"Navy... you have too. Please."

"Daryl..."

"Navy."

"I can't. I don't know-"

"Promise me, Navy. Promise me you'll try to kill if you have too. Promise me."

"...I promise," I looked down, gripping the handle of the throwing knife. I held the handgun as we began walking. The doors were shut and everything was cement. It was freezing. I shouldn't have left my jacket in the RV, although I had to because I had to show my "bleeding" wound and also Daryl said it would be more likely they'd find an interest in me if I showed more...

I kept walking, following Daryl, until a man came down the hallway with a knife raised in the air. Daryl acted as if on instinct and shot an arrow through his skull. I cringed, turning down a different hallway that had a flight of stairs. I walked down it, gripping the handle of my gun.

In this moment in time, I was more determined to find Henry than I was to keep myself safe. I just wanted to see his face one more time.

The stairs were extremely long, like in a horror dream. They seemed to be close to 10 flights and my legs were tired as all hell at the end. It led to a set of double doors that were locked about 20 times from the outside, just a ton of slide and twist locks. I unlocked them all, opening the doors and ripping off a piece of my gum to stick in the doors, keeping them from shutting. I turned and looked down the extremely long hallway.

Doors were locked from the outside. And on the floors of some of them were articles of clothing that were bloodied and ripped off.

I gulped.

I slowly began to make my way down the hallway, looking at all the different pieces of clothes. One was a female shirt, royal blue and ripped in half. I went up to the door and silently unlocked it, opening it. Inside a girl was half naked and chained, knocked unconscious, beaten and bruised. Pieces of her scalp were ripped off and her hair was wet with blood. My breath hitched in my throat as I panicked and shut the door, it clicked shut and locked without me even touching the lock.

Henry has to be down this hallway. This is where all the prisoners are.

I continued walking, skimming through the clothing as I found a white shirt laying outside a door. It looks like Henry's, but anybody could have a white tee shirt.

I put my hand on the lock, taking a gulp.

Henry could be in here, dead or alive.

I unlocked the door and opened it, seeing a black-haired man laying on the floor shirtless. I took a step back and shut the door.

Not Henry.

I continued walking down the hallway, looking for another white shirt. I saw a couple, but they weren't Henry's. I could tell.

The last door on the left had a white tee shirt. I could smell Henry from here.

Don't judge me.

I opened the door, stepping inside to see him handcuffed to a chair with his head hung low. His hair was sopping with blood and sweat and dirt. His chin was bloodied and bruises, along with his entire chest, neck and face.

I took the rest of my wet gum out and stuck it in the door, letting go of it, relieve when it didn't click shut.

"Henry," I whispered, walking up to him and kneeling in front of him. I placed my hands on his cheeks and lifted his chin up to look at me. His eyes fluttered open the littlest bit, looking at me. "Henry it's okay, you're getting out of here," I whispered.

"Don't min... uh see..." he mumbled inaudible words as his head fell back down. I placed my two fingers on his neck to feel his pulse, which was weak. "The front... gun in a - sill... seal..." his breathing slowed down. The door opened. His head flung up. I turned around.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing," The man chuckled. He wore a black tank top, showing his clusters of tattoos. He reeked of cigarettes and whiskey, his hair was greased back.

"Don't you touch her," Henry ordered through gritted teeth.

"What if I want to kid," The man grinned and gripped the shoulder of my shirt, turning me to look at my front side. "You'd be good for the boss," he chuckled.

"Fuck off," Henry growled. I've never seen him this angry before. His eyes were red either by anger or being beaten up... or both.

I grabbed my throwing knife and quickly turned around to stab the man, but he gripped my arm, tightly, making me drop the knife. He smiled, showing his yellow, chipped in teeth.

"The boss is gonna like you."