Disclaimer - I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I only own my original character Rayne and anything else that seems out of place.
Thank you to all of you who have followed or favored myself and my story. So even though I didn't get any more reviews, I decided it was time for another chapter, so enjoy.
The next morning is a solemn one for the entire camp. But none more so than Andrea, who hasn't left her sisters side since she fell to walkers during the night. It was setting everyone on edge, knowing she had been bitten and it was only a matter of time before she turned.
Phoenix was up before dawn as usual, mostly because with her concussion she wasn't supposed to sleep for 12 hours, and by then it was morning so she decided to fore go sleep.
She snuck quietly into the RV grabbing what she was looking for and stepping back outside. She knelt next to the woman, taking her free hand and placing her hand-gun in it. Andrea slowly looks up at the woman, they don't know one another but somehow Phoenix knew what Andrea was doing and was willing to help.
The two shared a small grim smile before Phoenix headed back to her truck. No one else in the camp was awake except for Daryl and he was already out hunting. Phoenix grabbed a towel, soap, razor and conditioner, then headed down to the quarry with her bow.
Daryl had been out hunting since an hour before dawn, he was making his way around the top ridge of the quarry when an interesting sight caught his eye. Phoenix, by herself, standing below at the waters edge. He knew she hadn't slept at all, he was restless and couldn't sleep himself, so he set about cleaning his bow and making some new arrows. He would glance up every now and again, watching her read a book.
He watched as she kicked off her boots, then peeled off her skintight shirt and pants. He was welcomed by the sight of a Mossy Oak camo bikini top and matching shorts that just covered her ass. The top was a bandeau halter that tied at the neck and clipped at the back, the shorts hung low on her hips, and fit like a second skin.
If that wasn't hot enough, he could now see she had several tattoos, including a full sleeve on her left arm, a half sleeve on her right and her entire back. He could see a few small ones on her right arm, abdomen, left side of her chest, both ribcages, right hip, both ankles and the tops of her feet, but he couldn't make out what they were.
He observed her as she washed her clothes and set them out on a flat rock to dry. From there she washed her hair, her body and shaved her legs and arm pits. He liked that she had no problem getting down and dirty, but still took care of herself, even in these shitty times. He was a firm believer that the better you felt, the more likely you were to fight for your life. If you didn't feel like living, chances are you wouldn't.
She gets out toweling off and then slipping her feet into a pair of worn black flip flops. She gathered her clothes and her bow, making her way back up to the camp. Halfway up the road he saw her grin, "Mornin' Dixon."
He shook his head as he made his way back to camp, he should've known she'd know he was there. Everyone in camp was saying she was the female version of him, and little by little he was starting to agree. He arrived a few minutes before her and set out helping the rest of the guys move bodies.
Phoenix walked into camp, stopping behind everyone she listened to them fighting over the fact that Andrea wouldn't let anyone come near her sister's body. She had also pulled a gun on Rick, but none of them knew how she got it out of the RV since she had been there all night.
"Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb." Daryl tells the group.
"What do you suggest?" Rick asks him.
"Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey 'tween the eyes from this distance."
"No. For God's sakes, let her be." Lori says looking to the woman.
"Well who the hell gave her the gun in the first place?" Rick asks.
"I did." Phoenix states. "She knows what she's doin', leave her the hell alone." She sighs walking past the group to her truck. She could feel the groups eyes on her, not sure if it was for what she said, the fact she was in a bikini or all her tattoos.
Daryl scoffs walking away from the group, he glares as he steps past Phoenix shoving her with his shoulder. She sighs, shaking her head, that man had mood swings worse than a woman. Her clothes weren't dry just yet, so she pulled on a tight pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top and worn brown cowboy boots. She brushed out her hair letting it dry naturally in waves.
Daryl goes over to help Morales with a body, upsetting Glenn as they try to set it on the fire. He snaps, clearly upset, saying walkers go on the fire, our people go over there by the RV.
"You reap what you sow." Daryl tells them. "Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this comin'."
Suddenly Jacqui begins yelling, shouting that Jim had been bitten. Daryl comes up demanding that Jim show them he hadn't. Jim grabbed a shovel and turned to defend himself, T-Dog sneaks up and grabs him from behind. Daryl lifts up his shirt revealing the bite wound, Jim is pleading that he's okay. They sit him down by the back of the RV and have a group meeting a few feet away.
"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl says.
"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane asks looking sideways at Daryl.
"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."
Dale sighs, "I hate to say it—I never thought I would—But maybe Daryl's right."
"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." Rick tells him.
"I'm not suggesting—" Dale starts but Rick interrupts him, his voice full of anger, "He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"
"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Daryl tells them.
"I'm with Dixon on this Rick," Phoenix says, "If it were me I'd hope y'all would put me out of my misery."
"What if we can get him help?" Rick asks looking around the circle. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure."
"I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane sighs.
"What if the CDC is still up and running?" Rick asks them again.
Phoenix tunes out the conversation between Rick and Shane, to her the CDC was a pipe dream, nothing to rely on. She came back as she hears Daryl yell advancing on Jim with his pickaxe, "You go lookin' for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!"
Rick pulls out his gun aiming it at Daryl's head, "Hey, hey, hey! We don't kill the living."
Daryl lowers the pickaxe turning to face the cop, "That's funny comin' from a man who just put a gun to my head."
Daryl drops the weapon and stalks off, Phoenix follows him, stopping at her truck. She watches as Dale shares some words with Andrea, handing her the necklace she had got for her sister for her birthday, which coincidently was today. She smiles unwrapping it and placing it around Amy's neck.
Daryl stalks by her going over to the front of the RV, he picks up another pickaxe preparing to make sure Ed doesn't come back as a walker.
Carol walks up to him, "I'll do it. He's my husband."
Daryl hands her the axe and steps back. She grips the handle, crying as she looks down at him. She swings the axe down, five times in total, seeming more relieved with each swing.
Phoenix watches Carol take out her frustrations on her husbands corpse. Years of pent up anger for the way he treated her were released with every swing. Phoenix only wished Carol could have done that while he was still alive. But at least her and Sophie were free from his wrath now, they didn't have to live in constant fear.
Her eyes drifted over to Andrea, she noticed Amy beginning to move and waited, hoping Andrea had the will do what was needed. If she didn't Phoenix's gun was at the ready. She watched as Andrea spoke to her sister, knowing she didn't understand anymore, but it was simply to make Andrea's letting go easier. She watched Andrea say her final goodbye, saw her pull out her gun and in a single gunshot, she put her sister to peace.
Phoenix saw the rest of the group look from Andrea to her, she gave them a sad smile, "Told you so."
The entire group heads up to the ridge to bury their friends and say a prayer, then they head back down to the camp. After a meeting with everyone, they decide that Rick's right, the group is gonna make for the CDC in the morning.
Around the fire that night, Dale asks Phoenix a question he's been itching to ask. "Why do you drive such a big truck? Isn't it hard to find gas for?"
She smiles, "I grew up in the country, we drove nothin' but trucks all my life. Plus if you notice when you stand next to it, yer head barely touches the hood. That means walkers can't reach me inside the cab or bed and if I hit 'em, it doesn't damage my radiator or engine. I can run them suckers over all day long."
The group chuckles. "And how do you keep it running?" Dale wonders.
"Solar panels on the roof, wired to 12 batteries inside the box in the bed of my truck. It runs off diesel which is hard to find, but easier nowadays than regular gas. I have a 40 gallon tank, I only use the gas if I absolutely need too, otherwise the whole truck runs off the sun."
The men look around, impressed to say the least. "What did you do before all this?" Glenn asks her as they had done a day earlier to him.
"I was a survivalist trainer. I taught people how to survive for cases like this. Although I will admit, walkers never even crossed my top ten when I thought about how the world would end."
"Could you teach us some stuff, to help us out?" Glenn asks eager to learn something new.
"Sure Glenn, I'd be happy too. Although the way you handled yourself in the city, I think I should be learnin' from you." Glenn's cheeks beamed red making Phoenix smile.
"How did you end up alone out here?"
Phoenix glances over at the small boy, she had to admit, he'd grown on her in the short time she'd been around him.
"Uh, well Carl, that's not really a story for kids. Maybe some other time, aight bud?"
The child smiles and nods, satisfied with her answer but now more curious than ever, as were a lot of the others.
The next morning the group packs up to leave, minus Morales and his family who declined to go with them. So the caravan pulls out, Dale leading the way in the RV, then Rick and his family in the van, the Suburban, Daryl in his truck, Phoenix in her truck, then Shane in his Jeep bringing up the rear.
Shortly after they had to pull over, the hose on the RV busted yet again. Shane and T-Dog head up the road to see if they can find another hose or something to jury-rig it. They return shortly and Dale fixes the hose with Phoenix's help. Just before they leave, Jim decides he wants to be left behind, so they honor his wishes and leave him sitting under a nice big tree.
They pull up outside of the CDC building, the entire grounds around the building are covered with rotting corpses covered in flies. The stench is almost unbearable as they head up to the building. They reach the front doors, Rick and Shane try to open them but they are locked. There doesn't seem to be anyone there. It seems they have doomed themselves by coming here. The sky is slowly fading to black as they stand around.
Suddenly walkers start coming towards them, Daryl yells alerting everyone, "Walkers!" He pierces one through the head with a bolt, he turns back to Rick, "You lead us into a graveyard!"
"He made a call." Phoenix says backing up the cop.
"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl snaps back at her.
"Just shut up. You hear me? Shut up. Shut up!" Shane yells pushing Daryl backwards.
The group starts to head back to the vehicles when Rick stops them by hollering that the camera moved. Shane tells him its automatic, but Rick doesn't listen. He pleads to the camera as everyone tries to pull him away. Suddenly a sound stops them all, they turn back to the building as a bright light engulfs them from an opened doorway.