LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

erosion and rotting

"I'm going to keep him safe and wrap him in bubble wrap and give him lots of kisses on the head and-"

"Kiko!" Henry complains.

Sakiko giggles, tightening her arms around Henry's shoulders, forcefully kissing him on the cheek.

"He's safest with you. Ezekiel wouldn't allow this if you weren't here, you know that," Carol reminds.

"I sure thank you both for trusting me so much," Sakiko smiles, dropping one arm but keeping the other around Henry's tall frame.

"We're family," Carol reminds.

Conversation quiets as Michonne and Siddiq walk by.

"Yeah. Some of us haven't forgotten," Sakiko sighs, patting Henry's back and motioning for him to help load the supplies she was sending to Kingdom.

"I tried to talk to her. I wanted to invite her to the fair," Carol reveals, "But, she said they can't. We had to take care of our own. All about the world being broken.. I don't know."

"You and the King taught me how to lead. Maggie and Glenn, too. A whole lot of us would be gone if not for you. I don't care what happens between then, now, and later- I've always got your backs."

"So, you're still down for the fair?"

"Of course! I have sections already planning ahead for it. Extra wagons that need to be used in the midst of being made. Supplies to trade once there."

Carol reaches out to Sakiko and she smiles, giving Carol a big hug.

"Take care of my boy. He's gonna try and take care of you and everything else, but he's here to work."

"Will do," Sakiko pulls back enough to kiss Carol's cheek, "Tell King Daddy, Jer-Bear, Moms, Sophia and all I said 'hi' and that I will see them at the fair."

"Will do, honey. Thank you again for this."

"Henry, tell your mom 'bye' before I kick your ass!"

Henry throws his head back, a hard blush on his cheeks, "Kiko!"

"Now," she knees him in the butt, "Then, we're gonna go to Mr. Sutton to get your work area set up."

Henry sighs, reaching over to give Carol a big hug.

--

"Sakiko!" Siddiq panics, running over.

"What?" Sakiko deadpans.

"Rosita's awake."

Sakiko straightens, beginning to run to the med trailer before Siddiq grabs her arm.

"She's not talking right. She said we have to go out and find Daryl and the others now."

Sakiko looks up to the sky. The sun was beginning to set. She didn't like that, either.

"All right," Sakiko nods, "Get her back in bed, tell her that I'm on it."

Siddiq nods and Sakiko takes off into a run to the big house.

Once inside, the door opens again as she's running into Maggie's office.

"Sakiko!" Yumiko calls, "What's going on?"

"You want to earn your keep, right?" Sakiko asks, picking up emergency packs.

"We do," Magna agrees.

Sakiko throws a bag to each of them, "Then, earn your keep. Let's go."

Once they have their supplies, they run outside. Sakiko has half the mind to find Tara and yell a quick 'tell Kitsune I'll be back- you're in charge'.

The three women run to the gates and Eduardo spills that Michonne left already. The revelation makes Sakiko curse and hurry Magna and Yumiko even faster.

--

Going on foot was harder as the sun went down just as fast as they ran. They caught up with Michonne who hated that they were there just as much as she was grateful.

Sakiko took over tracking and found a graveyard.

"Eugene!" Michonne calls, "Eugene!"

"Michonne," he nearly cries, turning to lim their way, "Honest to God, I am happy to see you. The gate's obstructed by topsoil erosion-"

"Dude, just say the fucking gate is stuck!" Sakiko hisses.

Magna drops to her knees to dig the dirt away as Michonne and Yumiko pull the iron. Sakiko fits her arm in the tiniest crack, pushing it open with her whole body until she fits her leg in to push even harder.

"Come on," Sakiko urges Eugene.

Aaron suddenly shows up, startling Sakiko. The two hold Eugene on either side, trying to fit him through the crack in the gate.

"Jesus! Come on!" Aaron calls once outside.

Sakiko turns as Jesus walks their way.

"Goddamn, Jesus," Sakiko exhales, tugging the gate again to make sure it stayed open.

Jesus stabs one of the walkers, thrusting his sword to the second only for it to duck.

Sakiko thought the walker tripped until it grabs Jesus- turning him around and stabbing him in the back.

"No!" Aaron screams in Sakiko's ear.

The 'walker' turns to face them, knives on full display.

Sakiko is inside the cemetery before anyone else.

More walkers run around the tombstones, weapons in hand. Just as Sakiko brings her knife up, an arrow flies into the side of the walker's neck.

"Dad," she breathes, not questioning how the walker died to a neck shot.

Instead, Sakiko falls to her knees by Jesus. He groans, eyes rolling back in his head before fluttering closed.

"Jesus! Jesus!" she pats his chest, "Dammit, Paul, open your eyes!"

A tight exhale makes her gag on her tears and she leans forward, her head on Jesus' chest.

"Dammit," she whispers, clutching his hand.

She brings her knife up but Aaron grabs her wrist.

"Let me," Aaron urges, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Sakiko nods, sniffling. She cringes when Aaron stabs Jesus' head to stop the infection from making him turn.

"Kiko," Daryl grabs her back of the shirt, tugging her to her feet.

"What the hell is this?" she whimpers in fear and loss.

Daryl hands her something and she nearly drops it at the sight of walker skin.

It wasn't just skin. There were ties at the back of the head. A mask.

A walker mask.

Sakiko wipes her eyes free of tears with her sleeve, forcing herself to not think about the death she just witnessed.

Then, she hears the faint whispers around them- getting closer and closer by the second.

"They're trapped.."

"Get them.."

Sakiko pulls her knives out and Daryl pushes her to stand back to back with him.

"You die now.."