All of Us (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 38

"Okay, get ready," Rick said.

After a few moments, we heard the dynamite go off and the building shook slightly. We waited for a couple of minutes to make sure people inside had time to make it to the other side of the building to where the blast was. Hopefully no one would see us come in and we could find Rosita. Michonne picked up a rock from the ground.

"Ready?" Rick said to Michonne as he stood under the window and cupped his hands. She stepped in his hand and he boosted her up. She peaked in, and then after a moment making sure it was all clear, she used the rock to break the window.

Michonne ducked her head after causing the loud noise, and then peaked her head up again. It must have been empty in there still because she broke away the remaining glass and then put her hands on the ledge and pushed herself up and in through the window. She balanced on the ledge on her knees and then whispered back down to us. "Watch the glass." She swung her legs around and dropped in. Rick stood his ground as Daryl went up next.

"Sorry," Rick winced as I got into position. I knew I would need the extra support so I bent one leg and rested my hands that were cupped just above my knee for support.

Rick put his foot in my hands and then pushed his weight up. I took in a deep breath as I struggled to support his weight. He made it easy on me though and pulled himself up to the window quickly.

"Let's go," Rick whispered as he reached one hand down, the other holding himself up on the ledge. I reached up and grabbed onto his hand with both my hands as he started to pull me up. I put my feet on the wall and tried to use the traction to push myself up more. When I was high enough, I let go of my left hand and put my palm on the ledge, trying to push myself up as Rick leaned back. Both of us couldn't fit on there so he was going to have to let go soon and jump down into the building to give me more space.

"I'm good," I said, out of breath.

Rick nodded and then let go of my hand which grabbed onto the ledge and then he hopped down into the building. I scrunched my face as I used all my force to push myself up onto the ledge. I let out a breath as I brought my knees up and finally got up on the ledge. There was no time for a break so I swung my legs around into the building. I sat on the ledge and looked down at the three of them waiting. I slid my butt forward and prepared to jump down.

"Ah," I breathed out as I felt a pinch on the back up my right leg under my butt. I looked down at the drop and then hopped down. Daryl reached up and caught me as I dropped to the ground.

"Thanks," I said as I looked up at him. He nodded his head and then I reached my hand around and placed it on the back of my leg where I felt a slight stinging sensation.

I brought my hand back and saw the blood on my fingertips.

"Yer bleedin'," Daryl frowned.

"It must have been the glass," Michonne said. Daryl quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his back pocket and then bent down and tied it tightly around the top of my thigh while Rick kept his gun up, keeping an eye out for movement.

"All good?" Rick asked when Daryl stood back up.

I nodded. "All good." We heard shooting and shouting from the other side of the building. I didn't know if the cut was bad or not but I didn't have time to think about it.

Rick motioned with his hand that we were going to move forward. Michonne followed Rick's lead and then Daryl nodded his head for me to go next, him trailing closely behind me.

We walked swiftly and quietly ahead. There were doors lining the left and right of the hallway. Rick motioned to him and Michonne and to the door on the left, and then motioned to me and Daryl and to the door on the right. We nodded our head in understanding.

Daryl and I walked to the right and stood outside the door. We locked eyes and then he nodded his head. He swung open the door and walked into the room, his bow raised. He cleared the room and then we looked back to Michonne and Rick who walked out of the room from the left. We all walked down the corridor and then did the same thing again. Luckily, no one was in the rooms as they were all probably at the other side of the building where the wall had been blown off and were shooting at our people.

Ahead of us were a few more doors and then it opened into a larger room. It sounded like the shooting was coming from that direction. To the right there was another hallway leading to more doors and some more hallways. Rosita could be anywhere. 

"We need to split up," Rick whispered. "Michonne and I will go forward. You guys go down there and check the rooms," he pointed to the hallway on the right. 

I nodded my head and turned to look at Daryl and we both started walking cautiously down the hallway. Daryl opened a door and immediately shot an arrow. I walked in, my heart racing, and saw a man on the ground as Daryl pulled the arrow out of his head. I was amazed at how quick his instincts were. 

We started to walk out of the room, but I jumped as a bullet hit the wall beside me. I saw a new hall across from me and immediately ran across to hide. Daryl pulled out his gun and from the room he was in, he started shooting at the men down the hall who had spotted us. I did the same thing and peeked around the corner from the hallway, shooting at the men. I took cover for a moment as a couple bullets came too close to my head for my liking.

"Sloane," Daryl shouted. "Go!"

My eyes went wide and I shook my head. I wasn't leaving him. I noticed at least three guys shooting at us. It was too hard to get them all from this position. I looked behind me at the hallways and realized that maybe one of these would loop around and I could catch them by surprise from behind and kill them.

I looked at Daryl as we took a break from shooting and I motioned with my finger that I was going to try and loop around. Before he could respond I shot one last time at the men and then turned around, running down the hall away from them. I was about to turn down another hallway to the right but stopped when I saw a man down that hallway standing outside of a door. I peeked around the corner and waited for him to move but even with all the sound of bullets and commotion coming from around the building, he stood there with a gun in his hands. He was guarding something in that room. I was hoping that it was Rosita.

I took a deep breath and waited for him to look away. When he did, I took my chance and stepped out of my hiding spot, shooting him square in the head before he even saw it coming. I ran up to the room and quickly opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind me. I turned around and saw a large man standing with a gun in his hands. 

That was not what I had been hoping for.