HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

044: four walls and a roof

Sasha was the first to notice Bob's absence, her panicked question breaking up everyone's conversations. "Where's Bob?" She asked, she repeated it again and again until someone gave her an answer and that answer wasn't the one she wanted. Nobody knew.

The panicked woman didn't even bother to throw on a coat before grabbing her gun and heading outside into the cold. Rick went to follow her but Rio got up from his seat and shouted to him. He took a final scan around the room, confirming his thoughts.

"Daryl and Carol are gone too."

"Everyone, just... stay prepared." Rick instructed, chasing Sasha out the door with Tyreese on his tail.

Daryl had left with Carol. Is that what they'd meant by getting to start over? Rio had given them enough time to come back. Something had happened. Leaving together. Leaving without them. Leaving without him. The boy sat back down and shook his head, trying to reassure himself.

Rio trusted Daryl not to leave. He wouldn't do that, not to him.

"What is it?" Glenn asked.

"Do you think they're in trouble?" He asked, turning between the group. He didn't care about the impression he made on the new people he just needed to make sure his people weren't gone.

"I don't think they're in trouble." The man answered honestly. "I think whoever messed with them is."

"They seem like a capable pair." Abraham nodded to him.

"Okay." Rio said quickly, sinking further down into his seat. He couldn't shake the feeling that they'd left. Realistically, Rio knew they hadn't but the thought wouldn't leave him.

Sasha burst back into the church moments later, storming up the aisle to where Gabriel stood. The man was standing before the altar, arranging their rations.

"Stop." She said and the man complied. "What are you doing?"

As Rick walked in Rio peered over the pews trying to look for Daryl, Carol or Bob. None of them were there. They weren't found.

"What are you doing?" Sasha repeated, taking an intimidating step towards Gabriel. "This is all connected." She continued, voice wavering slightly, "You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone."

"I..." Gabriel stammered. He looked around the group before his eyes landed back on the woman in front of him. "I don't... I don't have anything to do with this."

Sasha unsheathed her knife from her pocket and the man shuddered back.

Rosita jumped out of her seat, running towards Sasha and yelled out "Don't!" as Gabriel begged for her to wait. Abraham held his girlfriend back, not letting her get too close to the scene.

"Sasha, put it away." Tyreese ordered his sister.

"Who's out there?" She pried anyway.

"I... I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel repeated.

"Where are our people?" Sasha asked, taking a step forward once again. The man grew uncomfortable, grimacing at the closing gap.

"I don't have anything to—."

"Where are our people?" Sasha yelled. Rio flinched instinctively as her voice echoed through the building.

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel murmured.

"What's he saying?" Rio frowned.

'The same thing' Glenn scribbled and then underlined what he'd already written: 'he says he doesn't have anything to do with it'