Didn't See That Coming | The Walking Dead(1)

Part 42 (The Governor's Attack)

CJ was out in the courtyard sitting on one of the benches alone. She was sharpening one of her knives when a gunshot filled the silence of the late afternoon and she saw Axel drop to the floor. She immediately got up and ran to hide behind a filing cabinet to try and see where the gunfire was coming from.

More shots were fired as CJ did her best to aim her rifle at the man she'd spotted in the guard tower. Carl and Beth were behind the benches as Carl tried to return the fire and Carol was trying her best to use Axel's now lifeless body as cover.

"Carl! Beth!" CJ called out. "Get to the wall!" she instructed as she continuously shot at the man to distract him until they were hidden again.

The gunfire was returned, and she ducked down behind the cabinet just as a stray bullet barely missed her head.

"Beth!" Maggie shouted as she came running out of the cell block with two guns. She handed one to Beth before running to CJ, ducking to avoid the bullets being sent her way.

"Where's Judith?" CJ asked over the noise as she reloaded her rifle.

"Inside the cell block," Maggie answered. "She's safe."

There was a short pause in the gunfire and CJ used it as a chance to shoot back again. "Carol, go!"

Carol managed to make a run for it and get to Beth and Carl. CJ and Maggie shot at the man in the guard tower again before he shot back and made them both duck down again. There was more gunfire down in the distance and CJ could only assume that they had spotted Rick outside the fence.

Then the gunfire stopped completely....

The courtyard was silent for a short moment as everyone tried to look around to see what had made the Governor's men seize fire. That's when CJ heard the very faint hum of an engine grow louder by the second.

Breathing heavily, they watched with wide eyes as an orange and white van came crashing through the gates and stopping in the middle of the field. The ramp on the back fell down with a loud clank of metal and walkers began spilling out of the van, groaning and limping their way across the field.

The gunfire started up again and CJ started firing at the man in the watchtower once again whilst trying her best to stay hidden. She looked through the scope of her rifle and sent several bullets to the man. She watched as the glass windows shattered and the man fell to the floor lifelessly.

Everyone in the courtyard turned their attention to the field. CJ's gun was out of ammo again, so she took her bow off her shoulder and began shooting arrows at the walkers.

The Governor and his men drove off, feeling satisfied with what they'd done. Glenn drove down to get Hershel from the far side of the dead-infested field and brought both him and Michonne back to the yard.

Once the car was through the gate, Maggie pulled it shut and went to check on Hershel whilst CJ and the others all stood looking past the gate at the sight before them.

They had worked hard to make this prison their home, only for one man to try and destroy it in a matter of minutes.

After a short while of juts watching the walkers disperse across the wide-open area, they saw Rick running up the path towards the gate with two people following closely behind him, all of them avoiding the walkers as they ran.

"Who's with him?" Beth asked as Carl went to open the gate.

CJ squinted her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things. It was Daryl and Merle.

Carl pulled the gate open enough to let the three men in before shutting and locking it up again. Rick went to hug Carl whilst everyone looked between the Dixon brothers in shock. A few of them were talking but CJ wasn't paying attention. She didn't even spare a glance at Merle. She was looking at Daryl.