Volume 14: No Way Out

Volume 14: No Way Out is the fourteenth volume of Image Comics' The Walking Dead that includes issues 79-84.

After the murder of Douglas' wife, Rick and his people begin to step up as the leaders of the Alexandria community against the wishes of many residents. But the people of Alexandria have a much bigger problem that they must deal with together as they  discover they are being surrounded by a massive herd of roamers.

Plot Synopsis
The story begins with Rick looking out the front gate of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. He and Andrea talk about the recent assault to Alexandria and soon Aaron arrives, with Eric on a horse, yelling that he has been stabbed. Rick and Andrea help them finding Denise Cloyd who is with Heath, both scantily clad. Later, Heath explains to Andrea that he and the Doctor are in a relationship. While Eric is being fixed, Aaron tells Rick that an unknown woman stabbed Eric and stole their horse. Later, Aaron tries to explain about the loss of one of the horses to Maggie, but she interrupts him and forgives him anyway. He goes to talk to Douglas and discuss the decision to put Rick in control. He informs Douglas that he won't bring any more people to Alexandria. Douglas reveals that, in fact, he is afraid.

Rick tells that Eric is better and Andrea leaves so Tobin can drive her to the tower, because now is more important than ever to keep an eye on what's going on. Morgan apologizes to Michonne in response to the fact that he can't deal with his wife's death. Carl is pleased with the assault because now everyone realizes that they're still in danger. Snow begins to fall outside of the safe-zone.

Abraham rallies a group to take out the zombies outside the walls that were attracted by the gunshots from the previous shoot out. They split up into two groups to take out the zombies on both sides but, when they gather back at the front, they discover that a massive herd of the beasts have arrived. One of the zombies bites Bruce, and Abraham kills him in mercy. He and Holly dispute over this, and it ends with her forgiving him, hinting towards an affair.

Rick reunites the community and makes a speech about increasing the security. He also suggests consolidating people inside fewer houses to conserve the solar grid during the winter. Michonne invites Morgan to join her night patrol, and also removes her katana from retirement.

Rick gives Carl a new gun and later that night, Jessie Anderson and Ron Anderson go to Rick's house and ask to sleep there for one night. Ron confronts Carl about Rick killing his father and Carl admits that both he himself and his dad killed only those that they had to. Jessie admits that she admires Rick for his courage and selflessness. Rick goes on his patrol, and retires to bed afterwards. Jessie then enters his room and kisses him passionately. In the next issue, Rick answers to her kiss.

Meanwhile, Glenn has woken up but tells Maggie to go back to sleep. Also Michonne and Morgan are awake, and Morgan says he deserves to be happy. Michonne becomes insulting and says he's not the only one who has lost somebody. She tells him how Tyreese died, and says it is horrible that Duane died. She goes get some water and tells him he has to move on.

Rick and Jessie have sex, and Rick leaves her to sleep. Rick assures her that Ron did not hear them, and goes away. He goes by his room, where the phone he's been talking is. He says "Lori... You're not even real", and leaves.

Outside, Rick discovers the fence is giving up. Zombies are trying to get in. Tobin is holding the fence, and Rick tries to think what to do. Glenn says he, Heath and Spencer Monroe are going to look over Andrea, who needs supplies, like water. At the journey they could also treat some zombies away from the fences.

Glenn's group successfully lands in to building's roof, where Andrea is. The fence is giving up, and zombies get in. Tobin tells Holly to get some people, when he keeps them off. Holly runs to Rick's apartment, and tells them that they gotten in. Rick tells Jessie and others to stay there, and tells Holly to get some other survivors. Rick runs for Tobin; only to discover he's been entirely eaten by zombies. Morgan comes to help Rick, and he asks where are others. Morgan doesn't know, and notes there's too many of them. Suddenly, Morgan gets bitten in the arm, and falls down.

In the next issue, Issue 82, Rick forces Morgan to get on his feet. He gets, and Michonne arrives to the place. Rick tells her they have to take his arm off, and Michonne cuts it off instantly. Morgan is about to black out, and Abraham with a group of survivors arrives to help them. Abraham tells them to get Morgan to safety, and Rick tells that they have to get him to Rick's house.

Glenn, Andrea, Heath, and Spencer notice the zombies pouring into the town, and Glenn comes to the realization out loud that they are doomed. Abraham and the rest start killing off the zombies, and realize with horror that there are not enough people and too many zombies.

Denise patches up an unconscious Morgan's shoulder where he lost his arm, and tells Michonne that she has done all she can and does not know if he will pull through. Michonne calls Morgan a fool and sits sorrowfully beside him.

Rick is about to walk Denise back to her place when Maggie runs into the house, holding Sophia and ordering everyone to hide and keep quiet. Rick looks outside and sees that the zombies have taken over the streets in town and are wandering around everywhere. Meanwhile, Abraham gives up trying and orders everyone to get back to their houses and hide.

Back in Rick's house, Carl is asked to stay with Morgan in case he reanimates. Morgan reveals that he knows he will die, and asks to speak with Carl before he does. He tells Carl that he watched him kill Ben. He reassures him that it was the right thing to do, and praises Carl. He tells Carl of how important this time is for him, growing up and becoming who he will be. He mistakenly calls him Duane, and then cries as Carl cautiously puts his hand on his gun.

Outside the town, Andrea tries to plan out how they will get inside the walls and save the townspeople. Spencer suggests that the two of them leave together and abandon everyone else. Andrea punches him and storms away, ending their brief friendship.

Rick decides that his group will make a run for it until they are outside the walls. Jessie doesn't want to leave the rest of the townspeople behind, but Rick assures her they will think of a way to help everyone else once they are out, but for now, they had to think of themselves and their children first.

Michonne sits beside Morgan and apologizes for being so harsh about his difficulty getting over the deaths of his family. She reveals that she cannot open up to people, and locks her emotions away. She tells him how much she cares for him, and asks her to forgive him, but after no response from Morgan, she realizes that he is dead.

Before the group can get packed up, Maggie tells him that she and Sophia are staying behind, because they'll have a better chance for survival. Rick gets an idea to make the escape safer, and pulls in a zombie from outside.

Andrea decides that her group will lure the zombies away from the walls until they're thinned out. Michonne kills Morgan again to keep him from reanimating, and joins the rest downstairs to tell them. Rick starts to chop the zombie to pieces and explains that it will keep them unnoticed because of the smell. Denise refuses to rub the body on herself, so Michonne goes with her to defend her from the roamers. Rick, Jessie, Carl and Ron, covered in the dead flesh, walk through the crowd of roamers while holding hands. Meanwhile, Douglas steps out of his house with a gun, planning to commit suicide.

On the way through the crowd, Ron panics and draws the attention of a roamer who bites him. Rick orders Jessie to leave him, but she refuses and the zombies overwhelm her as well. Rick turns away while Jessie screams and begs him not to leave her. Rick hesitates, but only after he realizes that she won't let go of Carl's hand. He chops her hand off with his axe and he and Carl run away. Michonne leaves Denise and runs to kill some of the excited dead. Douglas decides to help by shooting them. Rick warns him to stop and Denise runs to safety in her house. Douglas is bitten and he begins firing the gun at random until he dies. Rick looks around and sees that Carl has been shot in the face. He collapses and a horrified Rick picks him up and runs for Denise's house.

Denise answers the door and Rick pleads for her to save him. After leaving him there, he runs back out with more energy than ever and he and Michonne continue killing off the dead.

While still in hiding, Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Aaron, Eric, and others see Rick and Michonne trying to fight off the frenzy and they all decide to go help. With all the help, the fight turns into a battle and the zombies begin to thin out more and more until there are only a few stragglers, to the amazement of everyone. Although exhausted, the town continues to kill them off. Andrea and Glenn make it to the opening in the wall and are stunned at the peoples' success.

Rick sits down beside an unconscious Carl after it all and explains to him what he has realized, that the dead aren't much of a threat when there are so many people working as a team, who can prepare and organize like they did today. He tells Carl that he has discovered a chance for hope after all this time, and that he feels as though they are in a new world. He then pleads for Carl to wake up and experience this new world with him.

Deaths

 * Bruce
 * Tobin
 * Morgan Jones
 * Ron Anderson
 * Jessie Anderson
 * Douglas Monroe