The Anti Hero ⥤ Rick Grimes

[3] JJ and the Sanctuary

I held the gun in my arm, fixated on the target in front of me.
"I can't." I state, shaking my head.
"Yes you can." Tarzan urged, determination in his voice. "Listen Checkers. All you have to do is count to three. Count to three and pull the trigger."
I bite my lip, feeling the trigger under my finger. I begin counting to three, growing conscious of Tarzan's presence.
One.
Two.
Three.
I pull the trigger and squeal slightly, jumping back as the gun fires.
"A little more practice and you'll hit that bullseye." Tarzan grinned, squeezing my hand.
"Guns huh? Thanks for teaching me." I stated, taking the gun off of the stand. Tarzan takes it.
"Okay. Sweetheart. Let's head back before it gets dark."

The plan was simple. Walk until I can no longer walk.

I feel a little bad for leaving Rick, Michonne and Carl but I know it's the right thing for me to do. Groups weren't right for me. What better sign than having my face smashed against a tree multiple times.

Speaking of that, I ached. My lip wouldn't stop bleeding and I had a cut over my eyebrow. It sucked.

The first place I arrived at was simple. A few streets of houses. There were no walkers in plain sight, so I went through it.
Houses. Places where I could lie until the sun lowered and rose again.

I trudge around the back slowly, reaching for my knife. I take it out, creeping around the back of the cottage. I enter the backyard and breath a sigh of relief. There are no walkers. Nothing but a dead carcass on the ground.
I bend down slowly, feeling the walker.
Fresh blood oozes onto my hand, causing my face to turn in dismay.
"Ah." I breath out, straightening my back. Fresh blood? It could mean nothing, and it could mean that the walker was killed recently. Either one, I really don't care. I want to sleep.

I head up the stairs to the back door of the cottage and try the door. Turning the handle with my hand and gently pushing it open. To my luck, it swings open.
With the intentions of finding a snug place to sleep, I venture inside, not surprised to find it messy and raided.
Whatever, it will do.

The room reeked of mould and termite eaten wood but it was alright. The sofa had been trashed and the cushions had been thrown a muck, none the less, I crawl on to it. With the sun rising in the sky, I close my eyes. Hoping, of course, not to wake up for another millennium.

But I don't. My sweet sweet sleep is interrupted.

"I'm telling you Mitch! She went over the fence!"
"Uh, no, she went inside. Stop being such a pussy and just open the door."
"Come on man, let's just go. Garret doesn't even know we saw her? He's already got his hands tied up with those new people..?"
I sit up, immediately grabbing for my knife. Once I have a confident grip on it, I push to the corner of the room, crouching below a window.
Crap. There are people outside! And they're close!
The room is bright, so it must have been well into the day. Damn, I'd slept alright. I stand up, peering out the window. There they were. In the backyard. Two men. Two hefty looking guys.
How the hell was I suppose to sneak out without making a sound? Without drawing attention to myself?

I scan the room for anything to help myself, my eyes landing on the front door. Get out and make a run for it. Good as plan as any.

I glance up at the men again. They've got their backs to the cottage now. I have to make a run for the front door. I have too.
One.
Two.
Three.
I brace myself before sprinting to the front door, gripping the handle with shaking hands and yanking it open.
More light pools into the room as the door opens and I throw myself out of the door, getting ready to run.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement I'm instantly stopped by a big ass gun in my face.
Great. Great. Great. Honestly, if there was a record for how many times the world has screwed me over, I'd have broken it several times straight.
"Stop right there." A deep voice says.
I scramble back, losing my balance and crashing to the ground. My knife bounces on the concrete and I curse, turning to face the guy with the gun.
"Kill me, why don't you." I grit my teeth. "Take me to dinner at a nice cafe, give me a bottle of scotch- or SHOOT ME." I shout, my voice breaking.
"Actually..." He replies, the gun shaking as his hands do so. "I'm under strict instructions to deliver you alive."
And then something real hard hits my head and everything goes black.

My cheeks are streaked with tears and my hands are shaky as I hold the gun.
"Please, Cal. Please. Let me go."
"He won't stop looking for you, JJ. He's got men searching for you everywhere. You can't escape it. Just come back with me. Let me give you back to him."
"NO!" I shout. I don't want to kill Cal. I don't. I know I don't.
"He loves you, you know? He just wants you safe?" Cal replied. He still hasn't drawn a gun on me. I always liked Cal. Now I might have to kill him.
"I won't go back there. Cal. You have to let me go!"
"JJ. He won't stop searching for you! He won't!"
"I'm sorry." I whisper, pointing the gun. I shoot, watching Cal scream out in pain. "I can't go back to him. I can never..."

For a while being knocked out is alright. Of course, I'm probably out for a while- but for me, it goes by like a flash.

Someone has taken me. Someone wants me alive- so y'know, while I'm knocked out, I don't have to worry about some dead man eating my ass.
But that's while I'm knocked out.
Now, I'm awake. And it's dark. It's dark and cold.
"Hey..." Someone whispers. Someone female. I groan, clawing at the cold ground. Metal. It's metal. I'm inside somewhere.
"JJ, is it?" She coos. Crap. I'm in here. With someone else.
I sit up, scrambling away. As I move backwards, I bash into someone else.
"Ow!" They call out.
"JJ." Someone yells. I know that voice. The voice sends nerves all through me.
It's Rick. Rick Grimes.
"Where am I?" I hiss.
"Chances are you got tricked into coming to Terminus." The female says.
"No." I shake my head, feeling the cold metal below me. "Someone took me? They...they...where am I?"
"In a shipping container." Someone bluntly calls. Their voice echoes slightly. I crease my brow, looking around in the darkness.
"Oh." I softly reply, hugging my knees. My head hurts and my face does too.
"So...we're captive?"
"Pretty much." I still can't put faces to names, but I can hear them all loud and clear.
"We've been getting ready. They could come any minute now, so we're making weapons." Michonne says. Of course, I'd recognise that voice anywhere.

"Okay." I whisper, pushing myself up and standing.
"Then you're right. We have to get ready."