Chapter 1

The noise inside the car was becoming unbearable; fingers clawing at the glass, teeth grinding against the windshield as the walkers tried desperately to reach the two men trapped inside, groaning and snarling the whole time.

Aaron glanced at Daryl; thinking now probably wasn't the time to ask him not to light up the battered cigarette clamped between his lips.

"I'll go" the gravelly voice startled him.

"I'll lead them away, give you a chance to get out" Daryl glanced at him from under his long hair "Jus' let me finish my smoke first"

It took him Aaron a few seconds to process what the older man was saying, that he was offering up his own life, to give him the chance of his, the chance to get back to Eric.

"No" he finally managed "if we go, we go together"

They stared at each other for a moment then Daryl pulled out his knife.

"'Kay" he muttered "Go on three"

Aaron clutched his machete tightly and they braced themselves, ready to force open the doors and fight for their lives.

Daryl took a deep breathe, raising his knife.

"One" he began

His next word was drowned out by the gunshot, the walkers head exploding against the passenger door window caused them both to jump in surprise.

Recovering quickly they threw open the doors and lunged out, weapons slashing as they fought their way through the pack of walkers surrounding the vehicle.

Over the roof of the car Daryl caught a glimpse of Aaron, a stranger welding a long wooden staff fighting alongside him. Between them they managed to clear a path to the gate. He realised that, with hindsight, he should have followed Aaron out the passenger door, not scrambled from the driver's seat. Walkers were all around him, he couldn't even get back to the still open vehicle.

He kicked a particularly rotting walker away from him as he stabbed another, a third was reaching for him and he barely got his arm up in time to shove it away before it sank its teeth into him. He managed to gain a few feet of clear space, all the time trying to get to the gate. He could just about hear Aaron and the stranger shouting and banging on the fence, trying to draw some of the corpses away from him, trying to give him a fighting chance. The stranger with Aaron had fired a few more times but now appeared to be out of ammo.

His blade flashed and twisted as he took out one after another but they just kept coming. One latched on to his leg and he lost his balance, stumbling down onto one knee, knife sinking into a soft skull at the last second. He felt the weight of another pushing down on his back as he fought to regain his feet. Decaying hands gripped his hair and he could smell the creature's foul breath as it dragged his face closer to its gnashing, yellowing teeth. He bought his arm up, shoving against its chest as he tried to free himself. His other arm, the hand with the knife, was pinned at his side by the press of bodies as they surged toward him. He could feel the moist breath on his cheek and braced himself, waiting for the pain of the bite to follow.

Suddenly the creature fell back, pulling him with it. Several others fell around him as he struggled to free himself, climbing to his feet.

"Get your ass up here if you wanna live!" a voice yelled, as more walkers dropped. He saw a figure on top of one of the trailers by the loading bays and made a dash towards it. The figure was holding a sniper rifle and systematically taking down anything in his way.

He leaped onto the loading bay platform behind the trailer. A hand in a thick leather glove appeared from the roof and he jumped, grabbing it, allowing himself to be pulled up. He landed in an uncoordinated heap at the feet of his saviour.

Panting, trying to regain both his breath and his dignity, he rolled over squinting up at his rescuer. He saw a slight figure, head covered by a baseball cap and backlight by the falling sun making him unable to distinguish any features. The figure slung the rifle over their shoulder then squatted next to him, hand resting casually on the hilt of the knife sheathed at their waist.

"You bit?" the question was abrupt.

He shook his head and sat up

"Aint bit" he confirmed, knowing the stranger was looking him over, checking for themselves. Finally with a brief nod the figure stood and moved to the edge of the trailer, surveying the scene below.

"Still too many to fight through, I've not got much ammo left. Gonna have to stay up here a while and hope they move on"

Daryl pulled himself up, eyes searching the fence line. Finally he saw Aaron and the stranger and managed to get their attention. Through a series of gestures he conveyed that they should go back to the vehicles; that he would make his way back as soon as he could. They were both very aware of the warning note found in the car, the warning that bad men were coming. He didn't want the two of them caught out in the open if and when the men did arrive.

Reluctantly Aaron moved away, he didn't want to leave Daryl behind but knew it was the right thing to do. He needed to keep himself and Morgan, the stranger who had rescued him safe.

Daryl waited until they were out of sight before turning back to the figure, now sitting cross legged, digging into a backpack.

"You hungry?" The figure glanced up at him, pulling a couple of cans from the bag.

"I guess" Daryl replied hesitantly, not really wanting to be in any more debt to this person, but realising just how hungry he was.

The figure pulled off the cap and he was surprised when long, dark, wavy hair cascaded out, tumbling down her back. His surprise must have been obvious because the woman chuckled.

"You was expecting some kinda Bruce Willis lookalike weren't you?" she laughed as she hacked open one of the cans with a large hunting knife before handing it over to him.

He took the can with a shrug.

"Hadn't thought 'bout it too much, just glad to still be alive" he muttered as he dug into the food, trying not to stare too hard at the woman in front of him.

She was probably in her mid-thirties, dark eyes that matched her hair and an amused smirk on her lips as she caught him studying her. She stretched her legs out in front of her and leant back on her hands, giving him a good view as the leather jacket she'd unzipped gapped open, revealing a tight fitting tee shirt. He noticed her fitted leggings were filthy and ripped in several places, her lace up boots scuffed and well worn. She looked like she'd been having a tough time.

"How long you been out there?" he asked, dropping his eyes to the half empty can in his hand.

"Too long" she replied. "How about you?"

"Long enough" he told her, holding back on mentioning Alexandria.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" he indicated the rifle, now lying by her side.

"Hung around a while with a guy who used to be in the army. He taught me how to use firearms. Guy who was part of a street gang in Miami showed me how to use a knife and a survivalist nut job taught me to hunt and skin animals. I know how to look after myself" she watched him, waiting for his response.

"Makes sense to hang out with someone can teach you something" he told her as he set down the empty can. "What happened to them?"

"They're all dead" she told him bluntly and he felt a prickle of unease at her tone. He rose, pulling the crossbow from his back as he walked to the edge of the trailer, peering over at the walkers still milling around below.

"Maybe you can teach me how to use that crossbow" her voice was soft and mocking and he turned to see her standing a few feet away, watching him intently.

"Why?" he asked "You got one you can use stashed away somewhere?"

"Not yet" she told him as she turned her back on him and his uneasiness returned.

They sat silently for a while, each watching and waiting for an opportunity to escape the canning factory compound.

"Your friends upped and left you fast enough" she commented suddenly "I'd be looking for new ones if I was you"

"Told 'em to go. Weren't no point them hanging around here puttin' themselves at risk" Daryl peered at her in the semi darkness. She was about to reply when movement at the fence caught his eye. He lunged forward and grabbed her, slapping his hand over her mouth as he shoved her down onto the roof of the trailer, pinning her in place with his weight.

She squirmed under him, trying to get free only ceasing when he twisted her round and she saw the three men by the gate.

As they watched one of the men reached up and slit the throat of another. As he fell to the ground with a gurgled cry Daryl realised it was the man in the red poncho, the one he and Aaron had been following when they came across the canning plant. The third man raised his hand towards the yard and suddenly one of the open trailers and the loading bay were filled with loud music and flashing lights. As one the walkers headed towards the distractions, moving away from the trailer they were trapped on.

Daryl cursed when he saw the yard below them was clear but with the men waiting by the gate they were still stuck. He made a decision and pulled the crossbow in front of him, rolling away from the woman and aiming at the first man. He was about to pull the trigger when he sensed movement behind him. He tried to move but it was too late, he saw the woman's smiling face as the rifle butt swung towards him. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was her voice.

"Looks like I've got me a crossbow"

Thanks for reading

Chapter 2