LEIGH PERKINS' POV
I REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER MANY HOURS OF BEING DRUGGED. I ripped the bag off my head to see myself on a bus surrounded by people who were also just awakening again. I was at the back of the bus and I tried to see out the windows, but it was useless since they were barred and my hands were zip-tied anyway.
CJ wasn't here. Where had they taken him? I swear to god if anything happens to him-
"Is everybody alright?" Ezekiel asked from the front of the bus, looking around in confusion.
"Where the hell are we?" I replied instead, only noticing a few people. I was sat near Negan and his partner, Annie, who noticed me after taking their bags off too.
"I don't know. They injected us with something though, my neck's still sore from it." The man said.
I heard Annie speak, "One of the trucks is missing." She managed to be able to see out the foggy windows.
"No sign of Gabriel, Maggie, or Rosita." Negan added, making my heart drop. Lilia would've been with Rosita at the church to check on Eugene. Did they take her too? Fuck.
"Did you see Lia?" I asked Negan, "Was she...was she there?" Negan shook his head in response, looking at me pitifully.
"They're unloading a bunch of stuff off the trucks." Kelly pointed out.
"Can you see the kids?" Ezekiel questioned, not being able to see, but Kelly couldn't see any of the children who were taken.
Shit. Where were the kids?
My thoughts were interrupted when the bus door opened and in stepped a ginger haired man I had never seen before, "Good morning, and welcome. Today is the first day of a new beginning. The world works when everyone knows their place. Your place is at the bottom. All of the resources that we use to bring the old world back into the new and sustain it, it all starts at places like this." I assumed we left fucking slavery in the old world, but apparently not.
"You should take comfort in knowing that good people will benefit from your labor here. That is your redemption. That is your salvation." The man continued to speak whilst eyeing up everyone, "Your children are safe and being attended to. Play by the rules, you get to see them again." Thank god. "In order to do that, you must work as one. Here... nobody has a name because we have no need for them. I'm not gonna tell you mine, and you will not... address each other by yours." His keys jangled as he unlocked the gated door he was standing behind, "When I point at you, you stand up. You exit the rear." The rear door was opened by soldiers behind me.
The man pointed to many people, me not being one of them, but Annie and a few others were. They left the bus to probably go to another location as they were being transported. Everyone else left the bus and stood in a group opposite the ginger man and soldiers.
"The work is hard, but you'll be protected by our great Commonwealth." The man continued. The Commonwealth is so great that they're getting others to do their dirty work like slaves. "And although you have been delivered from the paradise of the Commonwealth, take solace in knowing that it's better being here than it is being out there..in the wastelands."
As I looked around, I noticed how there was basically nothing. There were trees surrounding the place, but on the other side were the 'wastelands'. The ground was muddy, making the place more depressing. That's probably how they wanted it so they could break us. There was wood and other materials for us to probably build and move stuff - hard labour.
"Alright, everyone! Get to work!"
I don't care what I have to do, but I'll do whatever it takes to make sure CJ and Lilia are safe.
Whatever it takes.
I looked around once more and unsurprisingly, I saw Ryan. But only this time... a bullet hole was in his head as he stood staring at me.
•
LILIA DIXON POV
After a while of being in the woods we eventually found a shack where we could hold up for the time being until we heard a train once it got light. We followed the sound of the train as it went through the woods and there were no direct roads nearby.
Thankfully, we ended up finding Maggie on our drive following the train, she was crouched over a walker, who looked like a young boy. At first my heart dropped for her, thinking it was Hershel, but when I carefully approached her I realised it wasn't. She still came into my embrace, sobbing quietly as her son was also taken from her as well as mine.
We drove back to the shack, only to later be regrouped with Gabriel and Rosita, who looked equally stressed. After a long while of discussing what had happened previously at the Commonwealth, we agreed that our only option was to go after the train, especially since my dad, Carol and I saw Connie taken hostage on it. Rosita's daughter, Coco, had also been taken. It appears they all have, and she was more angry than upset.
We got in front of the train as it stopped somewhere, and we bent part of the lever that switched the tracks. Before we could get caught, we hid in the woods until the train pulled to a stop. I put down the binoculars and Maggie nodded at me faintly after one of the soldiers came out to inspect the damage. My dad and Carol headed over to the middle of the train where some vehicles were, Rosita and Gabriel went to the back so Maggie and I went to the front.
Maggie and I then crept towards the train, entering the drivers room to see a man looking stressed out as he spoke into the radio.
The radio went static and he placed it down. Maggie and I held up our weapons as he turned around with wide eyes.
"Put it down." Maggie ordered firmly whilst the man tried to reach for his gun. He quickly saw how he was outnumbered, placing his weapon down, "Over there. Now."
Suddenly there was rapid gunfire, and the man's eyes flickered to the radio and then his gun momentarily. I noticed and glared at him, tightening my grip on my rifle. "Don't even think 'bout it." He obliged without hesitation once again.
A couple minutes passed, we tied the man's hands together and exited the train after Rosita said it was all clear. The sound of two motorbikes revving in the distance confused me, but apparently a soldier tried to escape so my dad was chasing after him.
Rosita harshly grabbed the train driver's arm, and dragged him along to the vehicle and headed back to the shack nearby. The man did his best to co-operate, his tone was desperate, "I do what you're asking, I'm dead!"
"You know what? You're dead if you don't." Rosita spat, nudging him to look at one soldier on the ground my dad earlier questioned before he died. She then pushed him against the wall, "Sit down."
"My family lived at a nearby outpost. If Warden finds out I helped you.." The train driver, who's name was Wilson after searching his pockets, shakily spoke, "I'll end up just like your friends."
I folded my arms, narrowing my gaze at Wilson, "They took our children. You said you have a family? You'd do anythin' to get 'em back too."
Rosita looked to the dead soldier on the ground next to Wilson, tauntingly, she said, "I bet he had a family."
Wilson gazed at the soldier next to him, sharply inhaling and then looking back up at us, "There's a map. Back at the train. It's in the engine room.."
Maggie nodded slightly again, looking at the group for our thoughts. It was the only option. No other choice, "Let's go." She stated, wasting no time to drag him to the vehicle.
I placed my hands on my hips as Rosita made sure the bonds around Wilson's hands were tight enough, waiting for my dad to return. The sound of a motorbike could be heard, so that must've been him. But suddenly, Wilson managed to grab the knife that was in my belt and held it up to his own throat.
I tried to grab it off him, but he stepped back with the pointy end against his flesh, "Stay back!"
"Put it down." Carol told him, her hands up warily.
"I'll do it!" Wilson threatened, but he was still scared. Seems like this 'Warden' was quite terrifying. It sorta made me scared of what he could be doing to Leigh and our friends. "Please. I help you, my wife and two boys will die!"
"No, listen. Just tell us where our people are, and we'll injure you. N-Nothing serious." Carol continued calmly, trying to get the man to put the knife down. "Just enough to make it look like... Make it look like you barely got away, and you can tell him you escaped. He'll never know."
Wilson's head shook, his eyes wide with fear, "He'll know I lied! He'll torture me when he finds out I did!" The knife shook against his throat as he nearly broke out into a sob, "Then he'll kill my family. Please... I can't! I'm sorry!"
He plunged the knife into his throat and blood spilled out instantly, he began to gurgle and he fell to his knees. "No!" Everyone yelled as he fell dead on the floor. Shit.
•
We got the map and the radio from the now abandoned train and we had it set up in our shack. I started a fire to keep us all warm now that it was night and we came up with an idea to act like one of us were a soldier and we needed directions to this nearest outpost.
Rosita help the radio speaker to her mouth, putting on a pretend scared voice, "Outpost 22 this is 301, I need help. The train was overtaken, and I'm in the woods, I'm lost. They're still looking for me. I-I need to get back to the site. Over." It sounded believable, we just hoped that whoever heard us would buy it. No one responded, so Rosita repeated, "Outpost 22, please. I need help, over."
A woman's voice suddenly spoke through the radio, "301, what was your original sit-rep and location?"
"Junction seven! I'm the last one left!" Rosita desperately answered.
"Damn. Copy that. Don't worry. We'll get you home." The female soldier replied, "Do you still have your compass?"
"Yes."
"Good." The soldier breathed out, before giving us directions, "Head due north through the woods. You'll eventually reach a breach. After that, you'll be on a rough road. That's Packard Avenue. Gauge your direction, and head south. Copy so far?"
"Yes, copy."
"Eventually you'll hit highway 30. Take it east. Get off at Crooks. Head down the road until you find a suburban neighborhood. A section has been shored up and fortified with walls. You'll see friendly faces in the guard tower. When you get here, you'll take the northeast gate closest to the railroad tracks, and we'll have guards on the lookout for you. Unfortunately, we don't have any spare units to send out your way for a pickup. We have a convoy coming in for colonial processing. Governor's orders."
We all curiously looked at each other, Rosita questioned the 'reprocessing part', "22, did you say a convoy is coming in for reprocessing?"
"Yes, ma'am. Word is that most of the processees used to live here before the Commonwealth claimed the territory and turned it into an outpost, back when it was still called Alexandria. The Warden will debrief you when you get to base. In the meantime, keep an eye out for any more hostiles on the road. If you have to engage, shoot to kill. Watch your six, and godspeed, 301."
Rosita hid the anger behind her voice, "Thanks, 22. I'll see you soon."
They had taken over our home. Alexandria. Our community. It was now turned into a camp?
Everyone was just as angry. Maggie breathed sharply and looked up at everyone, "Milton has underestimated us since day one. We are gonna get our kids, take back our home, and make it right."
"Pamela's never gonna see it comin' either." I grimaced angrily, my hands clutching my belt that had my weapons in.
•
The next day we followed the map to the 'working site' that our friends were being held. My dad and Carol went to scout it from a distance before coming back to the group.
"Are they there? Did you see 'em?" I rushed out, nervously picking my fingers. I had been working myself up about it for the past few hours. The sickening feeling that had been in my stomach for the past few months had just worsened suddenly.
I couldn't imagine what they're doing to Leigh. Since he was an ex-soldier and all.. who knows, they might be treating him worse than the others.
My dad sighed, "It's bad. I don't think any of 'em are gonna make it."
I felt my breath catch in my throat, shaking my head and looking at the ground. That can't be true. We're gonna get them back. Leigh and CJ are gonna be okay.
"But you saw everyone." Gabriel blurted out confusedly.
"The adults.." Carol trailed off. No sign of the kids?
Rosita looked at Carol and then my dad, "Coco, Hershel, CJ, the kids?" Carol sadly shook her head.
"But they have to be there. Right?" Maggie asked in disbelief, not wanting any of this to be happening right now.
Rosita didn't want to waste anymore time and neither did I. Standing here and talking wasn't gonna solve shit. "Okay, we need to go in now."
"We can't. There's too many guards. We'll never make it." My dad quickly told her.
"We gotta try." I snapped firmly, hugging my arms against my torso. I avoided my dad's gaze regretfully for getting worked up quickly, "We have too."
"She turned our home into a prison... after promising to give it back!" Rosita also added.
Gabriel sighed, putting his hand on Rosita's shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "She never planned to give it back."
My dad looked like he had an idea, "Wait. We can go in the sewers."
"I'll come with you." I said to my dad firmly.
He then signed to Connie, "You, me, Lia. Shit tunnel." Connie understood and nodded.
"I also know a way to get back into our old house, but I need some backup just in case the guards have it blocked." Carol added.
Maggie nodded at the woman, "I'll go with you."
"Alright, we're gonna go to the windmill. There's a sewer grate there." My dad slung his crossbow over his shoulder and took a walkie from Maggie.
"I'm going with you guys." Rosita also opted towards my dad and I.
"But we need eyes out here." Carol briefly pointed out, since Gabriel would be on his own back here.
"Carol, I'm not staying out here when Coco's inside."
"You and Gabriel are our best sharpshooters. If it comes to that. We can radio each other if something goes wrong."
Rosita sighed as she desperately just wanted to find her daughter. At first she shook her head, but she eventually gave in and nodded, "If it's more than a night, I'm going in."
After that discussion me, dad, and Connie headed over to the windmill in the distance where the nearest sewage grate was. The smell instantly hit me as I followed Connie down the ladder, making me want to gag. When my feet hit the ground I subconsciously rubbed my stomach, which Connie noticed, but I didn't.
"You okay?" Connie tapped me and signed
I nodded my head faintly, even though I wasn't. I was stressed to the brim, worried sick, and I just wanted this to all be a nightmare. I would say I wanted to go home, but where was home? "I'm fine. You?"
"So-So." She replied with a motion.
We held our flashlights up and headed through the gross smelling tunnel, walking through the stingy and brown water. Dad's walkie then sounded static-y before Carol spoke, "We made it. We're good."
"We made it too, yeah, we're good." My dad replied before putting it away, then turning around to sign to Connie, "Carol, Maggie. Here. Good."
Connie nodded, looking nervous, "This will work right?"
"Yes." Dad simply signed as we continued walking in complete silence.
I'd say something to fill the silence, but my mind was spiralling uncontrollably. I had a bad feeling in my stomach. No Lilia, it's probably just the-
A few walker growls in the distance caught me off guard. We turned a corner and there were some walkers stuck in some vines that were hanging off the ceiling, but it looked like they were going to snap soon. I took out my knife, stabbing one in the head as my dad took care of the other two.
Connie looked at him concerningly, he seemed just as tired and stressed, "What's going on?"
"I'm fine." He just shrugged it off, putting his knife away and holding up his torch once again.
Connie tilted her head, giving him a knowingly look. She placed her hand on his arm for a second and then signed, "I'm scared, too."
Dad just inhaled quietly, moving his head away to look down the tunnel. "I'll go scout up ahead. Wait here." He signed back, but also said the words. "Be right back." He gave me a subtle nod before disappearing down the tunnel, and Connie and I just simply waited for him whilst standing in the dirt water.
This Warden sounded awful from what that train driver said earlier. Was he capable of killing innocent families? It made me feel more sick. I would've even known how to feel if CJ, Leigh or any of my friends died because of him. The fact they were being forced here anyway in this horrid conditions was bad enough, but having no idea where my son was was even more scary. What if CJ's dead? No, don't think like that!
I rubbed my stomach once again, trying to stifle my tears and be strong for everyone else around me. But I don't know how long I can keep it up for right now.
Connie rubbed my arm, her eyes full of worry as she watched me rub my stomach, "Lilia? What's going on?"
I sniffled slightly, rubbing my eye before shaking my head, which didn't seem so convincing even to myself nevermind to Connie. "I just.. can't stop thinkin' 'bout what they're doin' to them. To Leigh and CJ."
"They're going to be fine. They're both strong people."
"But what if they ain't?" I wiped my teary eyes and continued, "Leigh- he's used to be a soldier for these assholes. Can't imagine what they're doin' to him.. If he dies-"
Connie stopped me for a moment, trying to be as reassuring as she could. She gave my arm a gentle squeeze, "He's not going to die."
"If he does I'd never be able to forgive myself.. he can't die." I bit my bottom lip to stop it from quivering. The knot in my stomach got tight and more uncomfortable by the second. I breathed out heavily, I need to tell someone about this. "Connie I'm.."
I paused myself, and Connie began to understand what I wanted to say from my unusual behavior lately.
"I'm pregnant."