Daryl had gotten back on Rte 85 and had only gone three miles when up ahead through the rain he could see a huge, burned out expanse of vehicles blocking the highway. He was about a quarter of a mile from the mess of twisted and charred metal when he first noticed it, which was not close enough to be able to determine whether or not he'd be able to find a way through or around the mish-mash of vehicles. He continued his approach until he was able to see that it would be impossible to get around or through it. He scratched at the goatee on his chin as he examined the blackened roadblock ahead of him. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Napalm had been dropped on the vehicles.
Daryl stepped out of his truck into the rain and climbed up on top of his truck to see if he could see beyond the tangle of burned out vehicles. The results of the napalm drop by military helicopters was evident as far as he could see down the roadway. Charred vehicles clogged the highway for at least the next mile ahead. He couldn't see much farther than that due to the rain. Daryl climbed down off the roof of the truck and got back behind the wheel. He consulted the map and after taking a moment to memorize a new intended route, he folded the map and placed it on the seat next to him and turned the truck around. He backtracked a mile and a half and then turned onto Macon Road.
Macon Road had been newly paved right before the dead started to walk and it was still in good shape. It was a set up for one lane in each direction with a posted speed limit of 40 mph. Daryl had to weave around deserted vehicles in the roadway for the first couple of miles, then the road was clear of other vehicles for the next fifteen. He had traveled for close to an hour when he reached he outskirts of Columbus, GA . He had kept himself entertained by counting how many walkers he saw as he drove and so far he' seen thirty-six of them, the largest group being what looked like it was once a family unit of six. Most were stragglers either by themselves or with one or two others scattered here and there.
The most interesting thing he had come across as he drove was a herd of about twenty-five or so horses wandering around on the side of the roadway and in an open field next to the road. Daryl knew that there was a large thoroughbred breeding farm in this area as he and Lily had made the trip down to the farm twice to pick up a couple of mares for Bud. Daryl slowed down as he approached the herd and he was happy he'd done so when a bay mare with a young foal bolted out in front of his truck from behind a disabled telephone truck that was parked on the side of the road. There were what looked to be quite a few thoroughbreds in the herd, but they were a mixed group and Daryl saw a couple of draft horses and a pony among the large group of equines. They appeared to be holding up well and none of them appeared to be overly thin. Two walkers were trying their best to approach and grab at the horses grazing on the edge of the road but the horses never let the foul-smelling former humans get close enough to touch them.
Daryl accelerated once the herd of horses was behind him and continued to drive south. The rain had stopped and the sun seemed to have returned with a vengeance as it banished all traces of any clouds from the sky and evaporated any puddles of water that the rain had left behind. It was starting to get unbearably hot again, but at least it wasn't as humid. Daryl turned onto 10th Armored Division Rd and realized he was a little more than fifteen miles from Fort Benning. "Hope you're there and I hope I can find you, bro." Daryl muttered.
When the Dixon brothers were camping out at the quarry with the group not too long after meeting up with them, Merle and Shane had both agreed that it would be a good idea to head out for Fort Benning. The two of them thought that it would be safe there, what with the military presence and all. There would be weapons, food, medicine, and manpower and surely the military would be working on some sort of containment procedure to keep what was left of the human population safe from the walkers. Daryl smirked. Daryl had never gotten along with Shane, but Merle and Shane had tolerated each other quite well. The Fort Benning subject had come up one night by the fire and Shane and Merle had enthusiastically agreed that it would be a damned fine idea to go there. Daryl had left to go hunting the next morning and hadn't seen his brother since. The day after Daryl had disappeared into the woods to hunt, Merle had gone into Atlanta on a supply run with some other members of the group and they had returned with Rick Grimes and without Merle Dixon. Most people in the group thought it was a damned good trade, but they had been smart enough not to say this in front of Daryl. The plan to go to Fort Dixon had been nixed by Rick and the unfortunate trip to the CDC had been made instead and ho ho, hadn't that turned out just swell.
After turning onto 10th Armored Division Road, Daryl drove a mile before turning left onto Massey Road. He drove another two miles and made a left turn onto Wildcat Drive. He was almost there and evidence of a nearby military based started to increase. Two disabled tanks sat on the side of the road with three burned out Humvees. Five walkers in olive green fatigues shambled around the vehicles and started toward Daryl's truck as they heard and saw it approaching. He drove by them without incident. The wreckage from a helicopter crash partially blocked the road and more fatigue wearing walkers ambled around in the road near it. Daryl passed by them, too, and then turned onto Custer Rd. He drove a mile and a half down Custer Road and passed five military transport buses parked on the side of the road. The buses were riddled with bullet holes and several partial bodies and limbs hung off the side of the buses where the windows had been shot-out. Custer Road dissolved into Ft Benning Boulevard and Daryl tried to think of where Mere would be holed up if he had made it to the base.
Several walkers were plodding down the road in the same direction he was heading and towards three large, black Lincoln Navigators parked on the right side of the road up ahead. There was a little blue Honda Civic parked in front of the Navigators and Daryl noticed that two walkers were crouching by the left front tire on the Civic. One of them seemed to be small. A child walker? Those were rare. As Daryl got closer the child walker stood up. Daryl raised his eyebrows in surprise as the small walker started shouting and waving its arms as his truck closed the distance between them. He was hit with the realization that this was not a walker, but a human child. He lowered the window on the passenger side of his truck as he came to a stop just before the Civic.
The small walker turned out to be a boy, probably about Carl's age. His blonde hair was cut short and his clothes were clean and the kid looked clean and well fed, too. Daryl brought up a Blackhawk as the child ran to the open window and grasped the top of the door with his hands. Tears stained the child's face and he was sobbing and Daryl thought he looked terrified.
"Please, sir, please help us!" the boy begged. "We got a flat tire and my Mom's hand is caught and the biters are coming! I'm not strong enough to move the tire off her hand! Please! Please help her!"
Daryl shoved the Blackhawk back into its holster and jumped out of the truck. He quickly followed the boy to the Honda.
Glenn smiled. He was in a really good mood. This was the perfect little road trip and he was in the driver's seat. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and he had a travel mug filled with damned good coffee resting in the F150's cup holder just for him. There were four chocolate chip cookies wrapped in a paper towel tucked into the console for his cookie eating enjoyment and the interior of the truck was twenty degrees cooler than the hot, humid air outside as the air conditioner in the truck pumped out crisp, cool air. Glenn felt that the very best part of this road trip was that Maggie Greene was sitting next to him. For some reason, this made him feel giddy, like he was on his first date or something like that.
He pushed a CD into the CD player and Maggie bit her lip and looked out the window as the music played.
"Take your time,
Don't live to fast..
Troubles will come
and they will pass.."
Maggie reached over pushed the eject button. "I'm sorry. I just can't listen to this right now." she said.
Glenn swallowed. Well hell, his good mood had just gone out the window. Shit. Who the hell had stuck a Lynryd Skynyrd CD into the CD player, anyway? Daryl had never driven this truck, had he?
They drove in silence for a few moments, then Glenn glanced over at Maggie for a second before looking back at the roadway as he drove. "So," he said. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Maggie turned from the window and looked at Glenn. "There isn't really anything to say and even if there was, you can't tell me that you wouldn't feel awkward talking about it."
Glenn snorted. "Ha. The jokes on you, Maggie Greene, because you see, I almost always feel awkward about just about everything, so I'm open for discussion about anything at any time." He took a quick peek at her and smiled. "You of all people should know that."
Maggie grinned. "You're too hard on yourself," she said.
"I'm too hard on myself? I am? When I told you that we had eleven condoms left after the first time we made love, do you remember what you said to me?"
Maggie blushed. She did.
"You said, 'you see eleven condoms, I see eleven minutes of my life I'm never getting back.'" Glenn reminded her.
"Wow," Maggie said with a smile. "I was being generous, wasn't I?"
"What? No! No, you were not!" he laughed and then cleared his throat. They both rode in silence for a few moments, and then Glenn said, "A lot has happened since then."
"I'm sorry." Maggie blurted. "I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't expect to.." she broke off there and looked out the window again.
Glenn sighed. "I have to ask, and you don't have to answer me, but I have to ask anyway."
Maggie bit her lower lip in anticipation of the question from Glenn. This really was awkward.
"Okay, I lied. I have two questions. First of all, why does Daryl hate me so much? Second, Why didn't you go with him when he left? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm very glad that you didn't leave. Very glad, but I figured that since you guys were obviously in love and I'm sure he tried to talk you into going with him..."
"You are so wrong about so many things," Maggie said to Glenn. "First of all, Daryl doesn't hate you. If anything he's the president and number one fan of the Glenn Rhee fan club. Second.."
"Oh bullshit on that." Glenn interrupted.
"No, no bullshit." Maggie said. "I promise. Daryl kept telling me that I needed to try to work things out with you and that I belonged with you. He said that you could love me the way I needed to be loved and that he couldn't. He said he didn't have it in him to love anyone ever again."
Glenn swallowed. Daryl had said that about him? Daryl had told Maggie that she belonged with Glenn and that he didn't have it in him to love her? Holy shit had he misjudged Daryl.
"Daryl said you were better for me than he would be and he refused to let me leave with him. Andrea had wanted to go, too and he wouldn't let her go with him, either. I think he left so early in the morning so he could avoid us and our attempts to jump in his truck and leave with him."
"Let me see if I have this straight," Glenn said, "Daryl didn't want you to go with him and he really said that he thought you'd be better off with me?"
Maggie sighed. "Yes. Yes, he adamantly refused to let me go with him and he told me he didn't love me, but that you did. Does that make you feel better?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Glenn knew she was hurting and he was hurting, too. "Would you think I was a total asshole if I said yes, it does?"
Maggie smirked. "Yes. But at least you're an honest asshole."
Glenn was torn. Part of him was mad at Daryl for hurting Maggie, but part of him was secretly pleased as well. He was a little ashamed of himself about that. After all, how juvenile was the 'ha ha ha, take that! Now you know how you made me feel.' mentality. Oh well. He couldn't help how he felt any more than Maggie could help how she felt.
"Look," Maggie said. "For what its worth, I'm sorry that I hurt you. I didn't plan on developing feelings for Daryl. Not in a million years would I have expected that to happen."
"You and me both." Glenn paused for several seconds and then got up the courage he needed. He took a deep breath and addressed Maggie. "Since I've got you trapped here in the truck and the only way you can get out is to jump from the moving vehicle, I'm going to ask you an inappropriate question that is probably going to totally and completely piss you off. "
Maggie raised her eyebrows. "Ooooh, I'm intrigued," she said. "But I can't promise that I'll answer it or that I won't smack you a good one when you ask it."
Glenn smiled. "No smacking me unless you're wearing a dominatrix outfit."
Maggie laughed. "Glenn! Stop that!"
"I just want to know, " Glenn said. "What did Daryl have that I didn't? Besides the fact that he was way cooler than me and was much more skilled in the sack that I am."
Maggie scoffed. "It wasn't a matter of Daryl having something you didn't have or being 'cooler'. What are you, ten years old? It was just that as I got to know him, we developed this really intense connection. I don't know how to explain it. And as far as 'bedroom skills' go, I never slept with Daryl so I have no idea about those."
Glenn's eyes got wide. "What? You can't be serious. I mean, come on, you spent the last night he was at the house in his room with him."
"Yes, I did. He was tense that night after all the crap that had gone on that day and I rubbed his back until he fell asleep. I fell asleep, too and when I woke up in the morning he was gone. We didn't mess around at all."
"Oh come on. He told me you got him off."
"He told you that? okay, yes, yes I did. Once." she blushed. "I can't believe this talking to you about this."
"Well, believe it. I want to know so spill. When and how?"
"Why on earth would you want to know this? "
"'Cause I'm a huge masochist. I want to know how you got Dixon off and never had sex with him. Now tell me. Please."
"Fine. If you insist, but this is so awkward." Maggie looked down at her knees and Glenn peeked over at her and he could see that she was blushing.
"It was when I let him see me naked. He was...and I...all I did was grab him though his jeans and he was done. He was fully clothed the whole time and he never, ever tried to get into my pants. Ever."
Glenn chewed on his lower lip. She almost sounded disappointed. This was an interesting development. He wasn't sure why, but he did feel a bit better knowing that Maggie and Daryl had never been completely intimate with each other. The fact that all it had taken for Daryl to get off was a grope through his jeans surprised and amused Glenn. He wondered if that made him a bad person.
"I'm sorry, Glenn. I was just sort of caught up in the moment." Maggie tried to explain.
"No, no, I get it. I apologize for my morbid curiosity."
"And I apologize for hurting you."
"We're good." Glenn said. "I'm over it. Almost."
Maggie smiled.
Glenn pulled the F150 onto Fairburn Road and in another ten minutes they were turning into the driveway at the Greene's farm.
There were no walkers to be seen anywhere and as they got out of the truck Maggie said, "I'd like to grab one of the bushel baskets from out of the barn and pick some peaches to take back to the house. Will we have time to do that? "
"Sure, I don't see why not." Glenn replied.
Maggie and Glenn both walked out behind the house and toward the barn. Glenn broke off and walked toward the chicken coop when he noticed several of the birds scratching and pecking in the yard around the coop. "I'm going to check for eggs and then try to grab a few hens," he said.
"I'll come and help you in a minute." Maggie said as she continued walking toward the barn to retrieve a basket for the peaches. She went around to the side of the old building and stopped in her tracks. The barn door was open and she thought she heard something moving around inside the barn. She slipped her Sig Sauer 226 pistol from its holster and slowly approached the open door. If it was a walker, she would shoot the damned thing. She stopped and peeked into the barn, and after seeing nothing from her vantage point that looked to be out-of-place, she took a deep breath and stepped inside. She shrieked when someone grabbed her and wrenched the gun from her hand and then shoved her down forcefully. She stumbled and fell onto the hay covered barn floor.
"Don't make a fuckin' noise, toots or I'll blow your head off," a gruff male voice growled.
Maggie whimpered and looked up at her assailant. He was a stocky man, probably in his mid to late 40's or early 50's. He had close-cropped, gray, curly hair and a weathered, square-jawed face and he held her gun in his left hand. She heard the safety click as he flicked it off. Maggie's eyes widened as she noticed the man's right arm. He wore some sort of apparatus and his hand had been replaced with a long and sharp-looking knife blade.
"Please don't hurt me." Maggie pleaded.
The man narrowed his eyes at her and Maggie was struck with a feeling of familiarity with the expression and his eyes. There was enough light shining through the dull barn windows for her to see the man's eyes were a clear pale blue.
"I ain't gonna hurt you if you do what I say," the man snapped. "You live here?"
Maggie nodded as she slowly stood up. "I did, but we found a safer place just a few weeks ago."
"How many of you are there?" the man demanded.
Maggie bit her lower lip. She didn't know this man and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him know about the lake house and the group.
"Who are you?" Maggie asked.
"I'm the one askin' the questions here, darlin'," the man drawled. "Now how many of you are there?"
"Six," Maggie lied.
"Maggie?!" Glenn's voice called from outside. "I need your help! These damned chickens are tricky little buggers."
The man put his finger to his lips. "You say one word of warnin' and your friend is dead." he whispered.
"Maggie? Where are you?" Glenn's voice was closer now.
Maggie looked at the door and then at the man and then back at the door.
"Oh, there you are!" Glenn stepped forward to enter the barn. "Why didn't you answer me? Not funny, Maggie, not..."
The man stepped out in front of Glenn and stuck the Sig Sauer in his face.
Glenn's words died on his lips. "Merle?" he gasped.
Merle's thin lips curled into a smile and he stepped back. He motioned to Maggie with the gun. "Move on over and stand next to the Chinese kid here." he said with amusement in his voice.
Maggie did as she was told. Glenn looked like he was in shock. His mouth hung open and his eyes were huge as he stared at the oldest Dixon brother.
"Woo hoo! Lookit what we have here!" Merle exclaimed as his devilish smile broadened.
"We, we came.. back for you." Glenn stuttered. "but you...you were gone."
Maggie sucked in a breath. Merle. "You're Daryl's brother!" she exclaimed.
The smile left Merle's face and he scowled as he took a step towards Maggie. "You know my baby brother? He still alive?"
Maggie nodded. "He...he headed out to look for you two..two days ago. He was heading to Fort Benning."
Merle smiled again. "I knew it. I knew he was still alive. So tell me, Glenn, you still with that group of losers? The nigger? The cops? That fucker that cuffed me to the roof still kickin'?"
Glenn pursed his lips and then said, "We came back, Merle. Me, Rick, T-Dog and Daryl. We came back for you but you were already gone."
"So where y'all callin' home now?" Merle asked, completely ignoring what Glenn had said. "Don't look like no one's stayin' here anymore. I'm out on a supply run for my own group and we caught a couple of goats here yesterday. Came back today to see what else I could find. We got a whole town, and guess what? You're gonna get a VIP tour of the place! Now let's go." He motioned toward the open door with his knife hand as he kept the gun trained on Glenn.
"Uh...I don't think that's a very good idea." Glenn stammered.
"Shut up Glenn, I'm not giving you a choice here!" Merle snarled.
Glenn cringed and Maggie reached over and grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Now I've got a nice Dodge Ram parked right behind this barn. What say we all get in and take a little ride? You're drivin' Glenn and if either of you try anything funny, I've got no problem with blowing your damned brains out. Now move!"
Merle herded Maggie and Glenn towards the nearby truck. Glenn opened the passenger's door and slid in and over behind the steering wheel. Maggie got in and moved over into the middle of the seat.
"No, girly, you and me are ridin' in the back."
At first, Maggie thought he meant in the truck bed, but he motioned to the back seats in the extra cab. Maggie climbed into the back and sat directly behind Glenn. Merle slid in next to her. He reached over with his left hand and closed the truck's door. "Okay," he said, "let's go. If we're lucky, we'll get there just in time for a late lunch."
Glenn drove down the Greene's driveway toward Fairburn Road. Dirt and gravel kicked up from the dry roadway behind the truck, leaving a cloud of dust behind it as it headed for Woodbury.
