Chapter 2
Daryl searched through Aaron's pack while he was knocked out. The group was on edge, guns still in hand. He emptied the contents onto the floor. Rick kneeled next to him. He had the basic supplies: water, food, flashlight, ammunition, and a flare gun. Daryl glanced up at Rick. They were thinking the same thing. They usually thought the same thing. The flare must be used to signal his partner. He couldn't be too far away.
Rick stands and turns to the rest of the group as if having a silent conversation with them. They hardly talked much anymore. Talking required energy and they had little energy to waste.
Daryl quickly put the items back into the pack, holding onto the water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and took a quick swig before he dumped it on Aaron's head.
Aaron woke up immediately from the cold water being splashed on his face. He looked around, realizing that he was tied up. He struggled against his restraints for a moment, testing their strength, then gave up with a huff.
Rick was the first to speak.
"You said there were two of you?" Rick asked.
Aaron nodded, "Yes. And we have two cars, one sedan and one mobile camper. We can easily fit all of you in the camper-"
"We never agreed to come with you yet," Rick said, cutting him off.
Aaron shut his mouth. There was a moment of silence between them as Aaron thought carefully about what he would say next.
"Look, you're never going to believe what I say. Come with me, at least to the cars. They're parked on the intersection of the two highways. I can take you to Alexandria and when you get there you can choose to stay or leave. No one is going to force you to do anything. I just think your group deserves a break."
"Rick," Michonne said before he could say no. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her so only he could hear her words. "This could be what we've been searching for. A place to settle down in. Something secure. You want that for your family right?"
Rick considered Michonne's words carefully. She and Daryl were his closest friends, who he confided his trust in. He turned to Daryl, needing to hear his opinion.
"Settling down with another group? I don't like it. We need to find a place for us," he said.
Rick knew he was right, but here was a person offering a safe haven. He wanted that for his family. His heart was torn.
"He did say we could leave if we wanted to. No one is going to force us to do anything," Michonne said encouraging him to see her side. "We need this."
Rick nodded.
"Alright, we're going to…trust you for now. We will go at sunset in two groups. One will follow me and Aaron on the main interstate, the other group takes the highway. We meet at the intersection where he says the cars are parked," Rick said.
Aaron looks up and smiles for an instant, but his smile leaves when he hears the group is splitting up and one is taking the highway.
"We've already cleared the highway. The interstate is overrun with walkers. It's safer to take just the highway. And we should go during the day," Aaron said.
"So that you can trap us all? No. We do it my way," Rick commanded.
Aaron sighed. There was no convincing the man.
Daryl cut Aaron free from his bonds. They gave him his pack back and a knife to defend himself against zombies. They held his rifle. The group split into two groups. Rick, Aaron, and Carol led the interstate group. Daryl, Michonne, Maggie, and Glen led the highway group. They checked their supplies as they waited for the sun to set.
ooo
Rick and Aaron led the group through the interstate. Aaron was restless. He knew the interstate was overrun and Rick was making a mistake. He also remembered that his partner, Eric, was searching just on the other side of the interstate for recruiters. He wondered if he had any luck. Eric was Aaron's lover. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was gay, but he didn't mention it to Rick and he wasn't sure why. He just called him his partner. Which he was, that was true. He didn't mention he was his lover. Would Rick be angry with him? It was the only untruthful thing he did, or didn't do. He hoped this would not hinder the little trust he had with the man.
The sun had completely set now. The group did not use their flashlights, but rather the moonlight to stay on the interstate. The walkers they killed, they killed with knives, up-close contact. Aaron could hear the air from the swing of an arm and the wound the knife made as it punctured a walker's skull and the sound when the knife retracted and blood splattering when the kill was complete. He had never seen the group fight like this. They were very skilled killers, indeed.
They traveled like this for a mile or so it seemed until they reached a point where they had to stop and think about their next move. The road ahead sounded of many walkers. Aaron could hear their scowls and grunts ahead and could not keep up with the count. But the group remained silent and still.
Rick checked one of the cars parked on the road. It was unlocked and it was big enough to fit his small group. He wished Daryl was here. He was the best at hotwiring cars.
"Let me," Carol said stepping into the driver's seat. She pulled the electrical box out from under the steering wheel. Rick felt relieved as he remembered the time when Daryl taught Carol how to hotwire cars. She started the engine and turned on the headlights. Aaron felt fear creep into his mind. The interstate was overrun with a heard of walkers on the road ahead. Their eyes instantly went to the car lights and they slowly moved toward their prey.
ooo
Daryl and Michonne led the group on the highway. So far, Aaron was correct. This highway had already been cleared. They killed maybe two or three walkers as they reached the crossing just as the area grew dark.
Daryl grew concerned when there was no sign of Rick and Aaron. He looked at Michonne and could tell they were thinking the same thing. They must have gotten caught on the interstate. There must have been a lot of walkers to delay the other group this long. Daryl strained to hear anything coming from the interstate. He heard a couple scowls of walkers, but that was it. Rick must have run into trouble sooner rather than later.
He looked into the darkness once more and saw a faint light in the distance. That must be them, he thought. Then he heard a crash, not from the direction of the light, but it came from the other side of the interstate. He heard scrambling and the sound of glass breaking. The group turned their attention to the noise and watched as a red flare lit up the sky in front of them. Aaron's partner. It must be him, Daryl though.
The group rushed to the commotion, flashlights on, lighting the way down the slope of the interstate. The came across a farm with a silo. The house's front door glass had been broken. There was a struggle coming from inside the house. Daryl and Michonne were first to enter. Daryl had his crossbow aimed and Michonne readied her samurai sword.
Upstairs they heard a howl. Daryl rushed up the stairs taking them two at a time and found a defenseless man struggling in a corner of the hallway. The walker was climbing toward him. The walker's torso had been ripped from the lower half of his body. Blood trailed the floor behind him. The walker grabbed the man's leg and tried to bite it as the man attempted to kick it off but it continued to climb up his legs. The man struggled, twisting and turning, trying everything he could to shake the walker. Daryl hesitated to shoot it in fear that he would miss and hit the man on accident, so he pulled out his knife and grabbed the walker's shoulder but not before he took a bite out of the man's stomach.
Fuck.
Daryl stabbed the walker's head, twisting his knife into his brains. The walker went still and Daryl yanked his knife from his brain, blood spurting out as it was dislodged. The metallic scent from the blood filled the air. He grabbed the walker off the man. Michonne was now joining them. It had to be the stomach…Daryl thought as he assessed the man's condition. There was nothing he could do to save him. He knew this was Aaron's partner. He was well dressed and did not look hungry. Daryl spotted the empty flare gun on the ground a few feet away. Michonne took a piece of fabric and covered her hands over the fabric and placed it on his stomach.
"You're Aaron's partner?" Daryl asked.
The man looked up at him when he mentioned Aaron. "Yes, I'm Eric. Is Aaron alright?"
Daryl shook his head, "I'm not sure."
The man winced as Michonne applied more pressure to slow his bleeding. Michonne looked up at Daryl. They all knew he wouldn't make it.
Michonne pulled the handgun from her belt. "I can do it for you if you want," she started to say.
"Not yet, I want to see Aaron one more time if I can," Eric said.
Michonne nodded. The least they could do was make him comfortable until Aaron and Rick found them.
ooo
Carol drove the car as fast as she could, running over as many walkers as she could. They were making good time and distance. Aaron could almost see the crossroads in the darkness until a flare was shot into the air. Aaron's eyes widened in fear. Eric was in trouble.
Carol drove faster. They neared the crossroads and Aaron saw the two cars waiting for them. The other group was not present. Did they make it? Aaron thought. But his thoughts quickly changed to what was happening to Eric. He was scared.
The group exited the car and followed the smoke trails from the flare gun still set in the sky. Aaron ran faster when he saw a farm. He knew Eric would be there. He listened for him, but silence met his ears. He saw the silo and an entrance to a house. There were lights on in the upstairs windows. He rushed up to the door. Some of the other group members were in the living room of the house sitting on the couches, exhausted. Eric was not there.
He looked around and saw the stairs. He climbed the top stair, slipping on blood in the hallway. He prayed it was not Eric's blood he slipped on. He followed the blood trail into a bedroom. He saw Daryl and Michonne sitting next to the bed and that's when his eye's met his lovers'. Eric laid there, hardly breathing, covered in blood. He rushed to the bedside. Eric had a stomach wound.
Daryl and Michonne placed a hand on either side of Aaron's shoulders and exited the room.
"Aaron," Eric whispered. "I'm sorry. I got bit."
"Don't be," Aaron choked, tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to smile, tried to be strong for his lover. He kissed his lips instead, tasting blood. He cradled his head in his hands, pressing his forehead against Eric's. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Aaron," Eric said. He lifted a gun from his side.
"No, you cannot ask me to do that. I won't kill you!" Aaron cried.
"You must. I don't want to turn," Eric said. "Please?" he begged.
Aaron looked at the gun and took it from his hands. It felt so heavy.
"I'm in so much pain, Aaron," Eric said.
Aaron turned his attention back to his lover. They were only together for three months, but they were the best three months he had in a very long time. But good things don't last forever. Aaron felt a pit in his stomach. It pained him that his lover was in pain and he wanted to end it. He just didn't know if he could do it. The one person who understood and loved him in this zombie world would be gone and he would be alone once more. But he loved him and his heart ached.
With tears running down his face, he aimed the gun at the side of Eric head and leaned down to kiss him one last time.
Bang!