Season 1 Episode 5 "Wildfire"
"She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes. She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes." A young girl sang, her arm hanging out the open window of her momma's truck. "She'll be coming round the mountain.."
In the back seat, another little voice joined in, "she'll be coming around the mountain, she'll be coming around the mountain when she comes."
In the drivers seat, the mother of the two young girls drives slow and steady through a throng of vehicles lining the highway. She hummed with them, smiling in a loving way when the toddler in the back glanced at her in the mirror.
"Keep your eyes open Dakota." Annie had to pull off the road to get around a block, her eyes scoping for any of the undead things that could be lurking about. Her truck wasn't the quietest thing, but it was pretty darn quiet still. Annie knew that that meant nothing if they were right past the tree line watching them pull up.
"There!" Dokota exclaims, pointing off to the trees ahead. "Look at them lurkers go.."
Annie's eyes narrowed at the two lurkers stumbling along the tree line, they were headed to a slumped over man, leaning up against a tree. Definitely injured.. Annie put the truck in park. Both girls grabbed for the doors. Annie grabbed her bow crept to the car ahead of them, slamming her back to the hot metal notching an arrow.
"Sit tight Minnie." Dakota told her baby sister as she left her door open, whistling sharply, gaining not only the attention of the lurkers ahead but the four doberman in the back seat of the truck.
"Come on." Dakota grabbed her own bow, and a leash with a four way split on the end and backed away from the truck. One by one the four dogs leapt from the truck, growling at the lurkers now frantically running towards them.
"Good..." Annie nodded, crouched behind the vehicle in front of them.
Dakota whistled again, patting her leg and setting into a steady jog backwards. Glancing back over her shoulder to make sure it was clear, her bow ready at her side. The lurkers followed her and the dogs spread out around her growling ferociously. The dogs were trained for hunting and wouldn't leave Dakota's side unless she told them too. That didn't stop them from taking their stances and snapping at the lurkers in warning.
Once the lurkers passed Annie, she stood and let an arrow loose. It lodged into the skull of the heavier set one, an older man dressed in filthy overalls and a bloody collared shirt. Annie threw herself up onto the hood of her truck, laying across the window and aiming her bow the last lurker's head just as he turned to see the commotion behind him. He hit the ground in seconds and all fell silent. The dogs freezing in their tracks, knowing that there wasn't much threat now. They let Dakota hook them up, scoping around for any stragglers like these two.
Annie hopped off the truck, bending down and dragging the lurker into the grass and letting it roll down the slight hill. She rounded and grabbed the second one, this time putting a firm heel to its back and letting it roll itself down. She waved her daughter back over, petting one of the dogs absentmindedly.
"Let's check him out." Annie holds in a sigh, glancing down at her only baby.
"Are you sure he's alive?" Dakota questions, worry radiating off her. Annie smiles and pushes a few dark blonde strands away Dakota's face. "Is it worth it?" The little girl asked.
"All human life is worth the risk." Annie nods. "Let's check him out, get my bag, bring the pack too." She patted her fur family one more time before taking off down the alcove and back up the other side. Her bow at her side and ready as she approached the panting man. He seemed to be in severe pain, he was slender and had long legs, dark brown hair was limp on his forehead, stuck there by sweat. As her eyes roamed over his body she found an oval of blood seeping through his shirt, and was willing to bet it was a bite. Either way he didn't look like he had much strength and that probably meant not much time. Her eyes went over his face as she bent to his level, a few feet away from him. She was slightly startled to see him open his heavy lids and reveal brown eyes.
"Hey." She said softly. His eyes slowly focused more, hit eyebrows furrowing deeper.
"Ashley?..." he huffed, his hand twitching.
Annie smiled sadly at him, shaking her head. "My name is Dr Annabel Dixon. You can call me Annie though. Mind telling me your name?"
His whole face crumpled in fear and sadness. "No.. no, no!"
Annie held up her hands in peace. "Sir? What's wrong?"
"I.. you aren't.. that means I'm not.." he trailed off, his head tossing from side to side. "Just go away.. I don't want to hurt anyone." He begged, tears started to trail down his cheeks.
At the affirmation that the wound was a bite Annie felt sadness pin her heart.
"Just go away!" He exclaimed, lurching forward suddenly. He didn't get far before crumbling over in pain with a cry.
"Alright, how about we move you then?" Annie asked. Not waiting for an answer she hefted one of his arms over her shoulder, lifting him into the air and dragging him away from the dangers of the trees.
She walked towards her daughter, shaking her head when her daughters eyes widened. "He's bit." She calls.
Dakota looks down sadly, hefting the heavy medical bag over her shoulder and pulling the dogs away before they could get a good sniff.
"Scout around see if we're clear." Annie orders, lifting the man into the passenger seat and wrapping the seat belt around him. "Not too far, we'll drive a few more miles before settling for the night on the road."
Dakota nods, and tugs the dogs away after handing her mother the bag. Annie nods her thanks, and digging through the side pouch, finding what she was looking for she tosses the bag in the middle of the front bench and opens a pack of zip ties.
"You poor man. I wonder just what happened to you." Annie sighs to the unconscious man. He had passed out either from fever or pain so she climbed up and leaned over him to start the truck. Once back down she rolled down the window and shut the door, climbing up the step to zip tie his hands to the handle on the door.
Annie hopped down, pulled her bow off the hood and whistled sharp and crisp, three clear sounds. Three cars ahead, Dakota's head popped up, and she nodded her affirmation. She quickly called the dogs into a run back to the truck. Annie opened the back door, letting the four big dogs climb in and holding out a hand to help her daughter up after them. Once in and buckled safely behind the drivers seat, Annie tapped the ten year olds leg thoughtfully.
"If he turns, you put that arrow through his head." Annie says in a no argument tone. "No hesitation."
"No hesitation." Dakota nods. Annie smiles softly, stepping back and shutting the door. Beside Dakota, Paisley was trying hard to pronounce 'hesitation'. The three year old couldn't get the rest of the word after 'hesi' and started frowning.
It was a quick and silent drive up the highway. Once it started getting dark, they rolled up the windows and called it night. Annie hopped out first, glancing around the highway and nodding to Dakota to get out. The child pulled the leash still connected to the dogs away from the truck. Annie unbuckled Paisley from the middle of the back and set her down on the pavement. She took hold of her hand and pulled her away from the truck.
The three took off at an easy pace into the trees, Annie grabbed the leash to let one of the dogs go. He trotted ahead but stayed in sight, sniffing everything as he went.
"We just going to leave that man in there?" Dakota frowns, looking up at her mother.
Annie smirks, "what's it going to hurt?" She asks, intwining their fingers together. "If he turns we'll do what we planned to do, and if he's up we'll do what we plan to do." She shrugs. Paisley tripped over a branch and the only thing that held her up was the hand connected to her mothers, she steadied quickly and kept going.
Dakota pouts, when she said it like that, it was hard to argue. It made sense. Her mother had always spoken in vague ways, and now it wasn't too hard to keep up with her. Unless she doesn't want you knowing.. Dakota thought. If Annabel Dixon didn't want someone to find something out you better believe that that person was left in the dark.
"I miss daddy..." Dakota whispers, Annie squeezed her hand. At their side, Paisley perked up, looking around for her daddy.
"Me too honey. Me too." Annie stopped in a clearing, she whistled and her dog came running back. "We'll set up here. It's not too far from the highway but it gives good cover for you to sleep and me to see."
Dakota nods, looking up towards the trees. "Where will you be?" She asks, her blue eyes scoping.
Annie lifts a hand and points to a sturdy tree, "there." Dakota's eyes found the spot her mother had in mind, about fifteen feet in the air.
"I'll be ten feet away from y'all, I'll have the birds eye. We'll be good." Annie nods, she whistled loud, "come on boy." The white Doberman jogged to his owner and companion, alert and watchful. Annie rubbed his smooth head, scratching behind his ears. She bent to his level, playfully holding his cheeks. "What do you say boy? Is it clear? Huh Kasey?" The intelligent dog pushed his head into her hands, his cropped snow colored ears peeking at her words. He let out a low rough bark, almost nodding his head in the way he went down and bounced up.
"See Dakota?" Annie smiles at her daughter. "Even Kasey likes this spot." Paisley hugged the dog around the neck, lifting her legs and holding onto the tall, strong dog. Kasey trotted around with the baby giggling madly.
Dakota smiles and sighs, "well I guess we have it then." She leans over, tugging the strap to her book bag off her shoulder. "Let's get to work." Dakota hands a set of gloves to her mother and let's the dogs off their leash, grabbing her own gloves and slipping them on. Then she pulled a spool of barbed wire, with a mischievous glance she tossed the wire into the air.
"Think fast!" Dakota exclaims.
Annie's head shot up from examining her gloves, her eyes wide as she caught her daughters expression. She lunged forward to grab the spinning wire before it could hit the ground, landing on her knees.
"Nice catch momma."
"Ha ha ha." Annie glares, standing and unwinding the long spool as Dakota pulled out her own. "Let's get down to business-"
"To defeat-" Dakota took a stance, a clenched fist in the air, "the Huns!" She sang out. Paisley joining in.
Annie laughed and circled a tree starting at the bottom, she clipped it together and wound it one more time before connecting it to the tree beside it, and then the next and the next. So that at the end of the spool, they had a nice and wide clearing surrounded by their make shift fence. The barbed wire came up above their heads, and from side to side, it was a good thirty feet. The large circle would provide the perfect place to rest, it had only one space for in or out, and that was three feet wide between two trees that Annie would connect once they were all settled for the night.
"Let's go back and get him and the stuff and maybe we'll do a bit of huntin' before we settle in." Annie calls. Dakota had finished her side first and started a game of fetch with the smallest, all black Doberman named Lexi. The other two, Hershey and Bess were laying under a tree close by, Paisley in between them, and Annie could see Kasey in the corner of her vision running the perimeter.
"Alright," Dakota patted Lexi and broke into a run, the dog easily keeping up with her. She bent low to scoop up her bag before passing her mom.
"Eyes open!" Annie tells her, patting Hershey at her side, she picked up Paisley and whistled for the other dogs attention.
"Yes ma'am!"
Annie watched her daughter run off ahead, Lexi at her side and Kasey closing in on her right flank. She sighed and tossed the last of the spool on the ground close enough to the tree that no one would trip or step on it.
Annie made the trek in peace, occasionally one of the dogs would nudge her as they passed and sometimes them rounded to check a scent. She made it in a few minutes and found Dakota standing in the truck bed, tossing out the important bags.
"Let's get to work!" She exclaims proudly. Annie smiles and jogs up the hill to grab a few bags, tossing those on her back after setting her toddler down.
"You just can't help yourself can you?" Annie questions, helping Dakota jump off the side even though she didn't need the help.
Dakota shrugs, putting a thick heavy bag on her bag and grabbing her personal book bag and sleeping bag.
"Grab the spare too please." Annie points, tossing her own on her arm and lifting the two book bags and a weapons bag over her back. Her bow was still in her hand as she started going back down the way. Between them, Paisley walked, one hand holding onto each of their thigh pockets.
It took them a little over half an hour to set up everything then a bit longer to go back and get their guest and bring him to camp too. By that time, Dakota had managed to stick a few squirrels and they had a fire and a stew going. Annie closed the gap in their fence and sat next to Dakota. Paisley was in Dakota's lap, falling asleep. Both sleeping bags beside each other and close to the small crackling fire. The dogs were safe in the fence, Lexi curled up behind Dakota and Bess in Annie's lap. Kasey and Hershey weren't too far away, sitting and laying near a stump.
Once it had gotten late, their new friend woke up. Slowly and carefully, he managed to turn his head and lift an arm to run his hand down his face with a groan.
"Well good morning to you too." Annie said in a chipper tone, sipping her warm water. Bess rolled over in her lap to look at the man.
"What?.."
"What's your name?" Dakota asked, her confidence level high.
Annie loved that about her baby, Dakota had such a boldness to her. She was set with who she was and she was intelligent, she knew when to act and how to act. Annie had worried at first about how the whole outbreak would affect her spunky attitude, but her only daughter had rose up quickly. Once Dakota realized that those beasts that they had to kill were actually dead and there was no saving them, she didn't hesitate or think twice about doing what needed to be done. From then on it was like typical hunting, she could kill deer to eat, so she could kill lurkers to survive. Annie had tried to talk with her about possible guilt or sadness that could of occurred following the first few incidents. But Annie quickly realized that Dakota didn't feel any of those things. It was so odd to her, but Annie was grateful. How else can you survive this new world? Without fear or sadness, to stay happy and have hope.
"I'm still alive?" The slender man stuttered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Hi Alive! It's nice to meet you," Dakota giggles, "my names Dakota, this is my momma, Annie, and my sister, Paisley."
His dark gaze passes over them, and then around the small camp. "This is real then?"
"Yes, it is." Annie nods almost sadly but more resigned. It fell silent for a few moments after that.
"My name is Jim..." the stranger concedes, "under better circumstances, I'd say it's nice to meet you. But..." Jim let's his head fall back onto the sleeping bag.
Annie let's her hair out of its tight pony tail, fanning it out and running her fingers through it. "Well I think it's nice to meet you, even under these circumstances."
Jim's lip tips up at that.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you." Dakota looks at the fire. "Is there anything we can do to help or ease you?"
Him shakes his head in sorrow, "no. Thank you."
"We'd love to stay with you awhile," Dakota suggests, "if you don't mind."
Jim glanced at the child, taking in the innocence and looking sadder before glancing around and seeing the weapons and the dogs he sighed deeply and nodded. "I'd like that." He whispered.
Through the rest of the night Dakota made sure to get the pained man in better spirits. She told him all about herself and the things she loved to do, she didn't ask about his own story, she just cracked jokes and had fun. When the moon was well up and the fire was only embers, Annie moved Paisley to her own sleeping bag, and Dakota laid down in her own. Annie zipped them both up and wished them goodnight, kissing their foreheads and tossing one more chunk of wood into the fire before sitting back and checking over her bow.
"Thank you.." Jim said after a bit.
Annie glanced up at him, from under the cover of her hair. "For what?" She grunts.
Jim turned his gaze from hers, looking for the stars, but not seeing many through the thick trees. "I got bit two days ago."
Annie sighed, "you really don't have to explain anything."
"I want to." He pants, his face contorting in pain. Annie could see the sweat lining his brow.
"A big group of the walkers-"
"Walkers?" Annie smiles, raising a brow.
He nods, "yeah that's what we call them, what do you call them?" He shifts to turn over and look at her.
She shrugs, "lurkers, cause they're lurkin' around every corner. Sorry I interrupted, please, go on."
Jim smiles softly with a nod. "They crept up on us silently one night, they came in waves. They took out so many of my group. And we had around thirty people there. Over half we're killed..."
Annie's eyes closed, her teeth clenching as the tears welled up. "I'm sorry." She managed to whisper.
"It's crazy you know?" Jim chuckles, "the ones who survived were the ones with children pretty much."
He went quiet after that, thinking hard on something. Annie was pretty sure he let out a few tears but she didn't comment on it. She waited patiently, feeling like he had more to say but he didn't know how to say it.
"My own sons... they- they would've loved the two kids. And when I close my eyes I can see my wife, laughing with the other women down at the quarry." Jim's voice was layered with thick emotion. "They were taken from me, ripped right out of my hands! I only got away because the walkers were too distracted with them to chase me."
At the end of the rant he had heavy tears following down his face. "Were you married?" He asked suddenly, his eyes flying down to her left hand.
Annie looks at her ring finger that lacked a wedding band. She nods. "I am married, yes."
"Is your husband...?" Jim asks with a flippant gesture, not able to say the word.
Annie shakes her head, "he's alive. He's out here somewhere. I just don't know where." She shrugs, smiling ruefully towards the trees. "I was in Seattle at the beginning of this mess, when it started getting worse, I came back. But he was gone. The house empty." Annie sighs deeply. "But he's a hunter, so he could be anywhere. His stuff packed and his truck gone." She adds. "Maybe he found some others, and he's survivin'."
"There's a lot of good people out there." Jim nods. "I pray he found a good group that will watch his back. I had a group like that, they became my family in practically a few weeks. I got bit protecting them." His voice trailed off, "it was worth it." He nods determinedly, making eye contact and showing a bold strength.
Annie nods, "I believe you."
It was quiet again as Kasey walked around the fence, sniffing in the air and on the ground as he went. He settled next Annie, sitting taller than even she was. He was thick with muscle and honestly a scary sight to see. Annie couldn't imagine her life without him. She rubbed her hand down his back, patting occasionally, before rubbing him again. She looked at him with love, smiling as she watched him.
"Where'd you get him?" Jim asked.
"A friend," Annie's smile widens, "her dog had pups, by that time I already had Lexi," she nods to the all black dog. "And Hershey." She gestures to the red dobie. "He was the only white one of the litter and thought it'd be the coolest thing if I had another one."
"And where did you get them?" Jim was smiling softly now.
"Hershey was a wedding present from my husband." Annie smiled wide, "and I rescued Lexi when she was about a year old, her owners were druggies and abusive. Some cops had almost put her down- but my friend, the one with the other Doberman, she was a cop too. She offered to take her. Dropped her off at my house with no explanation, just a 'good luck Ann, catch ya later.'" Annie laughs. "To this day, her and Dakota have been best friends."
Jim laughed too, holding his side as his eyes fell closed. "And what about the last one?" He asks.
"Bess," Annie nods towards the black and rust colored dog. "She's the baby of the pack. Got her from a pet store in Seattle, just after Paisley turned two. She's a very playful pup, very sweet. She can get a little too rough sometimes though, with the girls." Annie shrugs, "but no ones ever gotten hurt so.." she trails off seeing the steady breathing coming from Jim.
With a small smile she pats Kasey one more time before standing and slinging her bow over her back. She climbed carefully over the barbed wire, glancing around as went to the tree she planned to sit in the rest of the night. She climbed up easily enough, settling her back against the rough bark and pulling her rolled up sleeves down to cover her bare arms. She had a good look of the the area, and from her point of view, the fence looked a lot like a big cage. It was creepy. The rest of the night was quiet, occasionally a walker, as Jim liked to call them, would amble up to the fence. Annie would put an arrow through its head before it even touched the fence. After three of them went down, the rest that came by, just passed right through. They didn't even turn their heads to the sleeping girls. Annie's eyes had widened at that, in curiosity. She didn't have much time to dwell on it before the sun came up and birds started greeting everyone.
Dakota woke first, slowly getting up and stretching, before grabbing her bow and looking around. She grabbed a few logs and made another fire, putting the grill piece and pot over it and pulling out a thing of oatmeal.
Annie smiled, climbing down a few branches then just jumping. She hit the ground with a solid thud, letting her knees bend to absorb the impact. She quickly made her way over and unwound half of her wire door, making it easy to step over for her or Dakota if need be but still high enough so if a lurker got close he'd trip. The term walker kept going through her mind, it was a funny term to her. She was tempted to start using it, her three year old would think it's hilarious. Her ten year old would probably roll her eyes. To Dakota a walker was someone who walked home from school. But Dakota also liked to call the lurkers 'zombies', because of how much they resemble the dead things in her comic books.
"Mornin'." Dakota smiled, wrapping her arms around Annie. "We packing after breakfast?"
Annie nods, "yeah, we should get going. This place is starting to feel weird." She rubbed the back of her neck, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "I'm going to start packing, will you watch your sister for me?"
Dakota nods. "Sure. I'll keep an eye on things here."
Annie smirks, and nods. Patting her shoulder and passing her to father the things they wouldn't need. She called for Kasey, who easily hopped knee height wire, and the two lugged through the quiet woods, nothing interested happened. Annie packed up and ranked the truck up to crack the windows, for a breeze to get through before she whistled for Kasey and they went back to camp.
Dakota had everything ready once they got there, Paisley was still eating and Jim still sleeping. A flicker of worry crossed through Annie and she realized that it was time for them to go.
"Dakota," Annie called, something in her voice made the young girl perk up in attention. "Take the pack and get Paisley in the truck." She tossed her the keys.
Dakota didn't question her, instead she stood, grabbed her bow in one hand and grabbed Paisley's hand with the other and set off.
Annie set to packing the last few things and equipment, taking down all the barbed wire carefully. Setting everything neatly, she pulled out her hunters knife that was skillfully concealed by her cargo pants on her hip.
"Jim?.." Annie whispered, bending down beside him. She shook his shoulder, but he didn't stir. "Jim, wake up." His forehead was feverish to the touch and his skin was losing color. His eyes started to crack open, revealing slits of blue and red rather than brown and white and it filled Annie with sorrow. So before he could open his eyes fully, she stuck the knife through his forehead. He didn't even move. Didn't fight back. Just laid there, now dead.
Annie stood and grabbed the remaining bags. She knew inside, that she didn't kill this man. But that through the night he had died in his sleep, succumbed to the sickness and the animal waking up was dangerous and needed to be taken down. She still had an uneasy feeling but she pushed it aside as she tossed the bags in the truck bed and climbed in.
Dakota was quiet when her mother returned, already in the passenger seat, understanding why her mom had told her to take Paisley and leave.
Paisley was singing her ABC's softly in the back, Bess had her head resting on the toddlers knee.
Annie breaths deeply, glancing at both girls and giving them smiles. "Let's get going."