Playing For Brains

Chapter Twenty Eight

I didn't know how to feel. Watching some sort of satellite station, hidden from view. Rick had gotten us into this fight, and I wasn't quite sure just what help this would do. Was it really worth the possibility of losing one of our own just to become allies with these people? Couldn't they stand up for themselves and defend what they grew against these apparent monsters. I heard their story, all of us did. But how true was it. How could a small group that lives in a satellite post be so scary. I had run into some of them on the road back when I was moving the heard with Sasha and Abraham. They weren't the best of people, but it didn't take much to overpower them.

I knew we could all handle ourselves but the thought of some people going in there worried me. Maggie and Carol were waiting nearby and would be our eyes and ears which helped put me at ease, I care for Carol in a sibling sort of way and wouldn't want to see anything happen to her. I knew she could protect herself, but I could see the killing eating away at her insides. But Arlie was different. I knew she shouldn't be coming in with us, because of what happened the other day. What we did in those woods. I knew she wouldn't back down in helping with this fight, but it was clear that something was affecting her, and blood and destruction didn't seem like the best thing to be around in that situation. Especially around these new people.

"Daryl, you ready?" I was brought out of my thoughts as Rick signalled for me to move in. The guy from earlier was in position and was holding the Gregory look alike head to fool the group we were here to take out. I looked to my left catching a glimpse of Arlie, receiving a small smile of reassurance as she caught my eye. Every part of me wanted to go over to her and drag her away from this. To stop anything else from happening to her. We have all been through hell since we met each other but this woman had been with us for such a small amount of time yet been through so much. She has literally died for us. And although the other don't know it, she is going through hell every day to try and control the changes she has endured during that time.

We moved in, being as quite as we could, as not to bring attention to ourselves. It wasn't long until the two guards were taken out without any suspicion. We moved towards the front doors, cautiously opening the large metal doors as not to be taken by surprised, should there be some more of their group behind them. It was the middle of the night and most of them seemed to be asleep, I didn't know how I felt about killing people while they slept but I would never admit it. I was supposed to be tough so I would keep these feelings of doubt inside and try to think that it was us or them.

It wasn't long until it turned to shit thought. Me and Rick had gone ahead down one hallway while half of the group split off down a separate hallway. It wasn't until 10 minutes later that we heard the gun shots. Something had gone wrong with the other group, making my heart skip a beat and my breathing to become laboured. Was any of our people hurt? Where was Arlie? Which group had she gone with?

The gun fire grew rapider as we came across one person after another. I didn't know what happened, but I knew that if we didn't fight these people right here, right now then we wouldn't be able to help everyone else in our group to get out of this mess. Fear began to creep around my body, as I pulled bolt after bolt from my heath to take down the people who were shooting at us.

"Cover me, while I move in. It's our only way to re-join the others" Rick shouted over the sound of gun fire. I agreed with his plan and began to fire a few round from my own pistol to distract the 3 men shouting at us. I was able to get two leaving one hidden behind a large wooden box down the corridor. As Rick crept along the side, I watch and waited for the last man to come into view. My bolt hit the main square in the head, as he poked his head over the box ready to fire a lethal bullet at the man sneaking towards him.

Cautiously we moved through the corridors looking for the rest of the group. The gun fire had come to an end, but the feeling in my gut just wouldn't go away. Body after body, full of bullet wounds, with blood smeared across the floor and walls. The destruction here was gut wrenching. All the death we had caused here for some food, was it really all that worth it?

Turning a corner we found the rest of our group or the majority. There were four faces missing. One of those faces was the one in which I was looking for. Where was she? Why wasn't she here? I couldn't stop the feeling of dread and I didn't know why. What was it about this girl that made me feel this way?

"Where is everyone else?"