I made my way closer inch by inch. When I was close enough to the truck, I saw someone had made their way out and was dressed in armor. They had started to make a run for it but they weren't gonna get away that easily. I aimed and fired at their leg. It was a man that shouted and keeled over, cradling his leg. He then proceeded to try to get away by crawling. There was a bus that had been left on its side and crouched behind it was Michonne. She took her katana out of its sheath and was about to put an end to him but I stopped her.
"Don't!" I shouted.
I got closer and watched as the guy was still struggling to get away.
"Why spare him? This piece of shit attacked us," she said.
"There was a reason I didn't fire multiple shots into his head. We are gonna get some answers from him. Like who he's with for one thing," I said.
I looked over toward a jeep that was parked a few feet away and my eyes widened. I picked up my rifle and aimed it right at him.
"Kari!" Michonne shouted.
She pulled me behind the bus just before a bullet could pierce my body for the second time. I breathed in and out.
"It's him, Michonne. He fucking found us...but...how could he have...we...we were so careful," I said in disbelief.
"Kari. We need to focus. Hershel is out in the field by himself, we have to work together in order to get him out. Do you understand?" she asked.
I was still in disbelief that that asshole had found us. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. How? How was he able to find this place?
"Kari!" Michonne said shaking me back into the now.
I shook my head.
"We have to get Hershel," she said.
"Right. Sorry. But how are we gonna get to him?" I asked.
Michonne carefully peeked over the bus.
"He's gone," she said.
"Wait, what?" I asked.
I went to where she was and had a look for myself. The jeep had turned back around.
"No. NO!" I shouted.
I started to make my way toward it but again Michonne stopped me by pulling my arm.
"Enough. We have other problems," she said gesturing toward the field.
I looked over to see the multiple walkers that were roaming around the area. In the distance, I saw Hershel trying his best to keep them from reaching him.
"Hershel," I said.
Michonne took care of the guy that we had left alive. We didn't need the answers anymore. I ran toward the field, taking out the walkers that reached out toward me.
"Hershel. Are you hurt?" I asked the second I had reached him.
"No, dear," he said.
"Come on. Let's get you back," I said.
I had him wrap his arm around me and could hear a truck coming toward us.
"Get in," Glenn said.
Hershel and I went over to the passenger's side and made sure Hershel was in before I turned to call Michonne. She had just finished slicing through a walker before she came over to us.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said.
"Kari. Michonne. Get in now," Glenn shouted.
I turned to take care of a walker before I climbed onto the bed of the truck and held my hand out for Michonne. I banged on the top of the truck to assure Glenn that we were clear to head back. He put the truck in drive and turned around to head back to the fence. The walkers had invaded the field and it was gonna be awhile before we got it cleared again. I clenched my fist as I remembered seeing him. How the hell did he find us? That was a question that I was gonna be asking for a long time.
When we got to the fence, Michonne and I hopped off while Maggie and the others came over to the truck.
"Daddy. Are you okay?" she asked as she helped Hershel out of the truck.
"Yes, honey," he said.
"I'll be back," I said as I made my way to the driver's seat.
"Where are you going?" Glenn asked.
"I'm gonna see where Rick went off to. I couldn't see him when we got to Hershel," I said.
"There's no need for that," Carl said.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
He pointed behind me and I turned to see what he was referring to. Coming up to the entrance, I could see Rick. But he wasn't alone. I could clearly see the familiar crossbow that I didn't think I'd ever see again. And with him was his brother. Carl ran toward the gate to get it opened for them.
"Well, I'll be damned," Carol came over and said with a smirk on her face.
Michonne, pulled out her katana and headed over to Merle. Andrea and I were at her side in an instant.
"Don't," I said.
"You serious?" she asked.
"Now's not the time, Michonne. Put it away," I said.
She looked at me then at Andrea.
"Michonne, do it. We need to get to the bottom of what happened first," she said.
Michonne sighed and reluctantly placed her katana back into its sheath. Rick, Daryl and Merle had come over to us by then. I went up and hugged Rick.
"You okay?" I asked when we parted.
"Yeah. You?" he asked.
I nodded.
"So what do we do now?" Maggie asked.
"Let's get inside. We'll talk about it there," Rick said.
Everyone made their way inside. Daryl came over and tapped my elbow lightly. I looked over at him.
"You came back," I said.
"Yeah...uh. It didn't take me long to figure out that I belonged here," he said.
"Glad you finally realized it. And you brought Merle back. You gonna keep him in line?" I asked.
"You ain't even gotta ask," he said.
I chuckled lightly.
"Good to know," I said.
I turned to head back in but he stopped me again.
"Merle and I got to talkin'," he said.
"Okay. And?" I said.
"He mentioned something. About you and the Governor," he said.
The butterflies in my stomach that appeared every time Daryl was around quickly turned into knots as soon as he mentioned it.
"Daryl..." I started.
"Did he or didn't he?" he asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," I said turning around.
By this time, everyone was inside except for Daryl, Merle and I.
"It's a simple question," Daryl said turning me back around to face him.
"Simple? Are you kidding me? It's simple to tell you that that asshole violated me in ways that I still can't believe? It's easy to give the simple answer of yes, he raped me? You weren't there, Daryl. You have no idea what he did to me and you never will. So don't you dare tell me that admitting any of this, is simple because standing right here and having this conversation with you is the hardest thing I've had to do since yesterday when I told Hershel," I said.
I scoffed.
"Welcome back," I said flatly.
I turned around and went back into the cellblock. What the hell was his problem? Nothing about that question was simple by any means. Dammit. I couldn't wait to find that son of a bitch and torture him just like what he did, tortures me.
"Kari?" Beth asked once I was inside.
"What?" I asked.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I retorted.
"You just looked out of it. That's all," she said.
I saw her gaze go past me and that made me turn. Daryl and Merle had made their way inside.
"Holy shit. Home sweet home," Merle said.
"Come on, Beth," I said pulling her toward our cells.
Beth and I moved over toward Glenn and Maggie. Daryl made his way in but Rick stopped him when he saw Merle was right behind him.
"He doesn't come any further than there," he said.
Daryl didn't argue. Rick went over and locked Merle in the next room.
"After I helped saved you from them walkers?" Merle retorted.
I was growing irritated. We knew the problem that we needed to discuss. I couldn't wait any longer.
"What are we gonna do?" I asked.
Rick turned to look at me.
"Kari..." he started.
"Do we have plan to retaliate?" I pushed.
"Kari, dear. Now hold on a sec," Hershel said.
"Hold on for what? We know where he is. He knows where we are. Why the hell are we even standing here instead of going after him right now?" I said.
"Hey. Kari. Look at me," Maggie said.
She stared me down until I finally caved.
"We have to figure out a plan. We can't just storm over there with guns a blazing," Rick said.
I looked over at him and talked a little softer.
"Why not? He knows where we are. He's not gonna wait for us to attack. He'll come back. And when he does, he'll take more lives. I'm sorry about Axel but we have to do something. I can't...I can't lose you guys," I said, almost on the verge of tears.
Maggie came up and took my hand.
"You won't lose us," she said.
I pulled my hand away from hers.
"You don't get it. You have no idea what he's capable of. I'll go after him right now if that's what it takes," I said.
"You won't do such a thing," Hershel said sternly.
"You can't stop me, Hershel," I said.
He made his way to me.
"The hell I can't. You think you're the only one that has something to lose, here? We need to figure out what to do about this. Together. If we have people going off and doing their own thing, that puts us all in danger. You have to take a step back and really think about this, sweetheart," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder.
I knew he was right. I knew that I needed to slow down. But all I wanted, all I ever wanted since I left Woodbury was revenge. And I was gonna get it one way or another.
"He rapes me and I'm supposed to just sit back and wait? That's not gonna cut it," I said flatly.
I ignored the faint gasps that were heard at the confession I had just given and turned to head upstairs. Feeling their gazes on me as I ascended the steps, I went to the cell that was farthest away from where they were. I knew better than to distance myself from the people that knew me better than anyone else would but the thing was that I had to. I had to distance myself in order to prepare myself for what was to come. I knew that the Governor wasn't gonna give up easily. I wouldn't either if I were him. Going back to Woodbury to finish him off was the only thing that I could think of that would put my mind at ease. After that, maybe just maybe I could get back to being with my family like I had planned to do back at the farm.