Papá's Girl

Bob-B-Q: Tainted Meat

I was starting to panic.  It has been two hours since Izzy went outside and this red-haired asshole is arguing about heading to Washington D.C. tonight.  On top of Izzy going missing Bob, Daryl, and Carol were gone.  "We're not leaving without our people," Rick sneered at Abraham as he got up into his face.  I was right behind him, ready to jump in and have my brother's back as always.  Glenn, being the only man in the room not filled with testosterone infused rage, jumped in between the three of us.  "Just give us one night," he pleaded with Abraham, "One night, help us find our people and we'll leave with you in the morning, no matter what.  Me and Maggie."  Glenn looked back at her and she gave him an approving nod.  Tara stepped in and offered to go as well.  I threw my hands up in the air and growled.  "Great," I said in frustration, "That's half our manpower."  Rick placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.  We were just standing there staring at each other when we heard noises outside.  We eased open the door, peeking outside.  Rick and I had our pistols ready when we saw Bob lying on the ground with a leg missing.  We hurried up and shuffled him inside while Rick kept his gun raised and watched for anyone to jump out while we were distracted, but we were safe.  We got Bob to the back room.  He told us that this was the Terminians and they still had Isabella.  He also informed was that he was bitten when they went on the run to the food bank.  We all hung our heads as we said our last goodbyes, and we just waited.  We had all left the room and went back into the church, except Rick.  He stayed back with Judith to talk to Bob a minute.

We forged our plan to go rescue my Izzy.  Rick, Abraham, Michonne, and I walked outside that church and started down to this small school.  We had gotten the distance and direction from Gabriel before we left.

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We watched from the woods as Rick and the other three walked back to the schoolyard we were camped at.  I slowly opened the door looking around the darkened church.  "We know you're in here," I called out in the dark, "We watched Rick leave with the other two and the Samurai.  So that leaves Carl, Maggie, and Judith.  Bob, unless you've put him out of his misery already."  I softened as I said that last part.  Nothing.  "This place isn't very big.  We'll find you."  Still nothing but silence.  "We outnumber you and we've got more than enough ammo to blast this place apart."  I was getting impatient now.  There were two doors at the back of the church.  Half of us pointed our weapons at the door on the left and the other half pointed our weapons at the one on the right.  Suddenly we heard a little cry from behind the door on the right.  "I'm starting to like this kid, maybe we'll keep her."  I chuckled as I glanced over at Martin and we steadied our guns on that door.  "Put your weapons down,"  Rick's stern voice came loud and clear through the darkness.  I turned to see the four had returned, well they had only pretended to leave apparently.  "You're outnumbered and outgunned," I said not showing any fear of these four when a shot rang through the church and my hand began to sting.  I felt a warm liquid slide down my hand as I looked at it in shock.  This part seemed to be moving in slow motion as I fell to my knees and Rick walked up to me.     I pleaded with him to let us go, tears stinging my eyes from the pain in my hand.  He had taken off two of my fingers with that shot.  "We'll leave, never cross your path again."  Rick's head tilted to the side.  "But you'd do this to someone else, anybody else," he stated more than asked, "Besides, I already made you a promise."  Before I even knew what was happening that red handled machete he threatened me with was coming down on my head.

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I stood there with my hands still bound and watched as them carry Bob away.  I started to run after them when I was knocked to the ground.  Through blurred vision I blinked my eyes and tried to focus on the figure standing above me.  I noticed it was Mary as I lay there still trying to focus on her but swaying back and forth as stars danced around my head.  "You're gonna pay for that bitch."  I uttered those words before falling backward hitting the hard ground.  

I don't know how long I was out but when I came to Mary was sitting across from me with a hard stare locked in on me.  I sat up the best I could with my hands still bound and swiped at my face with the backs of them.  I could feel the stickiness of the dried blood all over my face.  I sat myself straight up and propped my elbows on my knees staring at the older lady.  "I did tell you that you were going to pay for this right?"  I pointed my thumb back up toward my face as Mary smiled and nodded.  "You did, but I don't see how you are going to do anything."  She looked down at me feet causing me to look down as well.  Damn.  She had tied my feet up while I was past out.  I shrugged.  "It's just an extra challenge.  I'll get out of it."  I sat there wondering just how I was going to get out of this and trying not to show her that I really had no clue.  I finally remember Papá's knife.  I took it from him when I buried him and I kept it in my boot.  I felt a tear start to slip down my cheek and I quickly swiped at it before she could see.  When she turned her back I pulled the knife out of my boot and dropped it on the ground behind my feet just as she turned back to face me.  She apparently gave up talking to me because she just sat there staring.  I let my elbows fall off my knees landing my hands on the ground on top of my knife.  I was waiting for her to move closer so I could stab her.  I couldn't cut the rope without her knowing that I was doing it and she still had the shovel beside her.  Finally I decided to speak and see if I could get her riled up enough to come over to me.  "Your son ain't back yet.  It's been a while, you think Rick and our people killed him?"  I could see anger growing in her face and I couldn't help the small smile on mine. 'Bingo!'  I thought, 'Momma's got a soft spot when it comes to her boy and death.'  

"Yep, Rick and my boys are probably standing over his rotting corpse right now, laughing at his dumb ass."  

"Gareth isn't stupid.  It's your people that are dead right now."  I laughed at the absurd thought.  I mean, she could very well be right, but at the same time I know Rick and Shane and they are going to do whatever it takes to keep Judith and Carl safe.  "You keep tellin' yourself that, if it makes ya feel better.  It ain't the truth, that ain't how it's gonna go down.  Your boys ain't no match for my boys."  I looked down at my hands hovering over my Papá's blade.  I was actually proud of myself and I knew Papáwould be proud too.  I couldn't let up, he wouldn't.  She'll make a move for me soon and I can do what I need to do to get out of here.  The smile on my face grew wider as I thought of how my Papáwould handle this and how proud he would be of me and the way I was handling it.  "Yep, he's probably layin' in a pool of blood right now.  That is if my boys left any part of him to bleed."  I barely glanced up when she lunged for me screaming, "You think this is funny?  You think this is a game?"  She startled me and the blade slipped through my fingers as she knocked me on my back.  She was kneeling over me and her hands were moving for my throat.  I quickly moved my folded hands up and plunged them into her face as hard as I could.  I didn't give her time to recover from the first blow before I hit her again, and again and again.  She finally fell backward off me and I flipped over running my hands along the dirt trying to find my Papá's knife.  I was on my hands and knees facing her when she finally gained enough composure to start at me again, this time not as quick though.  As she moved to me I rolled on the ground causing her to fall forward and almost landing on her face.  From my knees I spun around and jumped on her back throwing my arms over the back on her head and pulling back against her neck.  Tightening my grip harder and harder until she gasped her last breath and her limp body fell to the ground with me still latched onto her.  As I went forward I flipped myself over her and back onto my knees.  "That's what happens when you fuck with a Dixon, bitch."  Now that I had plenty of time to look I scanned the ground for Papá's knife, no way I was leaving without it.  I finally saw the glint in the dim firelight and I crawled my way over to it and started sawing at my rope bonds.

About the time I got the ropes cut free from my wrists and ankles Mary began to twitch and groan.  "Shit," I mumbled, "She's turning already."  I grabbed Papá's knife by the blade and flipped it up so that the handle came back down and landed in my palm.  I stood up and walked over to Mary's freshly reanimated corpse and dropped the blade down piercing her skull and then ripping it back out.  I stood to my feet just as I heard the crash of glass shattering all over the sidewalk.  My head shot over to the building as walkers poured in through that small window.  "Gotta run," I said to myself as I turned and tried to make my way back to that little church and Shane's big, strong arms.