*WARNING: Please be advised that this chapter contains mature content and strong language.*
Chapter 51
Quinn's POV
Daryl and I quickly broke apart as we heard a shuffle in the trees. We both held up our weapons and waited for something to come out. I could've sworn I saw a shadow.
"It was nothin'," Daryl said quietly as he grabbed my hand and hoisted me up.
___
Daryl and I emerged from the bright woods the next morning to guns pointed at us.
He held out the squirrels and his crossbow. "We surrender."
Rick sighed, but continued walking and we fell in step with them. I held back near Michonne while Daryl stayed up with Rick.
"You two alright?" she asked quietly.
I nodded. "Just fine. I told him."
She nodded slightly, keeping her gaze on the ground.
"I'm sorry for yesterday. I was just worked up about everything."
"I figured," she said as she lifted her eyes up to meet mine. "I'm sure—"
"Help!" a voice cried. "Somebody help!"
Rick held up a hand, but Carl urged him to go. We ran through the woods and came out to see a man in a black dress suit on a rock with about five walkers reaching for his ankles. I tucked my gun away as we came out further. I unsheathed my knife and embedded it into one of the skulls.
"Everybody, keep watch," Rick ordered after all the walkers were taken down.
The man got off of the large rock and swayed back and forth.
"You okay?" I asked.
He held up a finger and doubled over, letting all the contents from his stomach come up.
"Sorry," he said. "Yes, thank you. I'm Gabriel."
"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked immediately.
Gabriel laughed lightly. "Do I look like I'd have any weapons?"
"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like," Abraham snapped.
"I have no weapons of any kind," Gabriel finally said. "The word of God is the only protection I need."
"Sure didn't look like it," Daryl said lowly from behind me.
His fingers were entangled with mine. His hands were warm and sticky with sweat.
"I called for help, help came." He smiled slightly as he scanned the group. "Do you have any food? Whatever I had left just hit the ground."
"Here, we have some pecans," Carl said as he held out his hand.
"Thank you," Gabriel said quietly. Judith cooed in Tyreese's arms. "That's a beautiful child. Do you have a camp?"
"No. Do you?" Rick asked in a daring tone.
"I have a church."
"Hold your hands above your head," Rick said suddenly. Gabriel did so and Rick patted him down. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"Not any, actually."
"Turn around," Rick said as he pushed Gabriel. He patted down his back. "How many people have you killed?"
"None."
"Why?" Rick finished.
"Because the Lord abhors violence."
"What have you done?" Rick asked in atonishment. Gabriel sent him a questioning look. "We've all done somethin'."
"I'm a sinner," Gabriel said quietly. "I sin almost everyday. But those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers."
"You got a church?" Michonne suddenly said from my left.
Gabriel nodded and we started off behind him.
"You have anyone back at that church?" I asked.
"Used to. I keep to myself," Gabriel answered. "Nowadays people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"
"I know," I replied.
"People are worse," Daryl added.
Gabriel nodded before continuing forward. We soon emerged from the woods and sure enough, a large white church stood before us. Gabriel went to open the doors, but Rick stopped him.
"Will you let us take a look around first?" Rick asked.
Gabriel handed him the keys. Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Michonne, and I stepped inside, weapons raised.
I opened a black door and made my way inside, Glenn right behind me. I opened another door that was in the room. Glenn was at my side, aiming his gun with mine. Turns out it was just a bathroom. I looked on the desk to see a bible and a notebook. On the wall, a picture read: "And let us not grow weary of doing good. For in due season, we will reap if we do not give up."
I slowly looked back to Glenn who was flipping through the notebook. I heard a whistle and Glenn's eyes met mine. We made our way back out to Rick. This place seemed sercure, but after what I saw in the woods with Daryl, I wasn't so sure.
"I spent months here without stepping out the door," Gabriel started. "If you found someone inside, I'd be surprised."
Carl smiled. "Thank you for this."
I picked up a duffel bag and made my way inside to settle in.
___
Rick and Gabriel had disscused a place nearby that might have food stored inside. I decided to stay with Judith and Carl while they all went to raid it. Well, it was mostly Daryl who didn't want me going.
"Listen, I don't trust this guy," Rick said as we sat down.
"Why?" Carl asked quickly.
"Why do you trust him?" I asked.
"Everybody can't be bad," Carl answered.
Rick and I laughed quietly.
"Well, I don't trust this guy. I'm bringing him with me, but he could have friends. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Okay?" Carl nodded. "Now, I need you to hear what I'm about to say. You are not safe no matter how many people are around, how clear the area looks, no matter what anyone says, no matter what you think; you're not safe. It only takes one second, one second, and then it's over. Never let your guard down. Never. I want you to promise me."
Rick and Carl kept talking, both now standing while I stayed seated. I let Rick's message sink into my brain. He was right.
___
Rick, Gabriel, Bob, Sasha, and Michonne had left to go to whatever place they were going to raid. Maggie, Glenn, and Tara had gone to raid some other place. Daryl and Carol had taken a trip down to the stream to get some water. I was holding Judith in my arms as she giggled softly. Carl stood by and watched as his sister sucked on her thumb.
"Dad says we're not safe," Carl said suddenly.
"He's right. This is a cruel world. Always keep your eyes and ears alert. Think about how quickly someone could get bit. And unless they wanna live with a missing limb, that person's a goner."
I watched as Carl nodded in understanding before he tugged on my sleeve and lead me outside. "Let's take a walk."
I smiled at him and pulled Judith up on my hip. We did a circle of the buidling and then some. Carl suddenly stopped.
"Whatcha see?" I asked.
He gestured to the walls. Scratches surrounded the edge of a window sill. I tried to ignore it and kept walking.
"Quinn."
I turned to see Carl pointing to something else. On the wall, someone had carved, "You will burn for this." Carl and I observed this for awhile.
"Hey, Tyreese said you guys were outback."
I looked behind me to see Rick making his way over.
"Come on in, we found food; a lot of it." He looked at the wall. "What is it?"
"Those scratches; they're deep. Knives or something. We found something else."
Carl made his way over and showed Rick the carved note.
___
I dug my spoon into the bowl and plopped the beans on my plate.
"I'd like to propose a toast," Abraham said over the voices. "I looked around this room and I saw survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To surviviors!"
The word echoed through the group like a wave and we all held up our drinks. Déjà vu washed over me as I thought about the CDC. That was a long time ago.
"Is that all you wanna be?" he asked. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse, and repeat? 'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength and the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, if we get Eugene to Washington, he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again and that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. Eugene, what's in DC?"
Eugene said something that only his kind would understand. He then translated it into meaning food, fuel, and refuge; a restart. He knows the cure.
"However this plays out, however long it takes for this reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for the little one, save the world for yourselves, save it for the people out there who don't got nothin' left to do except survive."
Judith cooed in Rick's arms.
"She's in," he said. "If she's in, I'm in. We're in."
A wave of "yeah"s and chuckles echoed throughout the room before chatter arose again. It felt like we were happy for the first time in ages.