New Meanings to Old Words: Safe
And here's to another chapter! This installment should be fun. We've gotta bit of catching up to do with Callie and Felipe in this one, we may just learn what happened to Merle. Then again, maybe we just get dealt a few more questions…
Note: Callie's flashback to Day Two is in italics. Everything else in this chapter (the normal font) is Day Three of the Atlanta trip.
As always, read, review and enjoy! I love to hear from you and to know that you're liking where we're headed. It makes me feel so good that most of you think Callie and the crew fit in so well, that was my intent all along.
~SWW
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Callie and the crew of misfits (Danny, Miles, Jenna, Mike, Nina, Ben and Gracie).
Chapter 10: Apocalypse Please
Callie settled her back against the brick wall, squishing her backpack to her sweat-drenched back for a second before doubling over. Dropping the bat from her hand she wrapped her left arm around her screaming ribs and let her torso fall forward. Her right hand, still gripping her gun settled at her knee and she continued to take in deep breaths. Beside her, Felipe had closed the gate to the alleyway shut behind them, and pushed the large dumpster over as a barricade to keep the Walkers out.
He settled on the ground, his bad leg stretched out as he sat gingerly on his opposite hip, his head rested against the cool metal of the dumpster. Eyes closed Felipe muttered yet another prayer as he listened to the shuffling feet trying to get past their barricade.
Luckily for both of them there were only four on their trail. At least four that they saw. At least four for now, Callie thought as she shifted her gaze back to her boot covered feet. Blood and gore from their little trip through Atlanta stained her boots and her lucky jeans damned near up to the knees. Gagging a bit at the smell Callie raised her head and again looked to the utterly defeated form of Felipe.
She couldn't really blame him, morning hadn't even dawned yet and here they were back out in the fray.
"Fucking longest seven blocks of my life," Felipe was muttering as he let his bald head bang lightly off of the dumpster behind him.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty sure we've only gone four." Callie said, inhaling a sharp pain-filled breath. She shot Felipe a smile when his tired and annoyed gaze slid to her.
"We been moving out here for like two hours," Felipe said in a hushed tone pushing forward a bit. "Like I said, longest fucking seven blocks of my life." He let his head fall to his waiting hands and shook off the last two hours of running, waiting, killing Walkers, more running, and hiding. Callie couldn't help the chuckle but regretted it as her ribs protested more. "Why the hell couldn't we have waited for the sun to come up again? It would have made this all a lot easier. You know a little more than a fucking flashlight to show us the way."
"I told you," Callie said pushing up to a standing position and keeping her arm steady around her ribs. "If my guys made it to Heavenly Grace, then there is definitely going to be a stupid decision made to come and get us. We need to get there before they decide to leave."
"But-"
"Daryl's not a man to wait for the sun to come up before he does something stupid," Callie said with a snarl at the memory. Callie shifted her gaze to dead end of the alley and shook her head. Her gaze shifted to dilapidated metal fire escape that looked barely connected to the building. "Looks like we're going up and in again."
"Aw man," Felipe's voice was that all too familiar whine that Callie couldn't hear from any one of her kids when she got back to camp. Placing her gun into her waistband and bending over she retrieved her bat, placing it into the small opening of her backpack. The bat's grip stuck out of the backpack along with the arrow Callie had pulled from Felipe's ass. With a smile at the thought of returning the arrow to a fairly pissed off Daryl and a shake of her sleep deprived head she trudged over to the large Hispanic man on the ground, reaching down a hand that he grabbed with a reluctant sigh. She pulled, hissed in pain, and pulled again helping him get to his feet. Felipe watched her walk towards the fire escape, limping slowly behind her. "How are your ribs?"
"Hurt like hell," Callie said quietly as she shifted her gaze to where the Walkers at the end of the alley could still be heard. Callie put her hands to the ladder, and her foot to the bottom rung lifting off the ground gingerly. The ladder held and she settled back to the ground motioning Felipe over. "Nurses first."
"Fuck you, Callie." Felipe said as he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Puta," he muttered under his breath causing her to roll her eyes.
"Look, we need to see if it will hold your weight," Callie said pushing at him. "Pendejo," Callie muttered back at him as he put his hands to the ladder. He shot a look over his shoulder, and they smiled at one another as he put his feet on the rung of the ladder.
"If it doesn't hold?" Felipe said looking up the ladder at the landing.
"We'll figure that out if it happens. Now go." Callie pushed at his back helping him get the leverage he needed. With his wounded leg he was having as much trouble as she was getting around. Felipe struggled and pulled himself up.
The noise the ladder made as it held Felipe's weight was louder than anything Callie had ever heard in her life. Felipe had frozen, both feet perched on the bottom rung, his eyes at the gate and the dumpster holding it shut.
"Don't just stand there! Go!" Callie said pushing him a bit. She watched as he slowly moved his injured leg up the ladder and stood tapping her hands on her thighs as she listened to the Walkers pushing at the gate moving the dumpster. As soon as she saw Felipe pull himself on to the much sturdier grate landing, she started up. As soon as her foot hit the first rung, the sound of the dumpster pushing forward had her eyes sliding back to the gate. "Fuck!"
"Move it!" Felipe yelled, urging her on as he watched the now ten Walkers push the gate open.
Callie propelled herself up the ladder, and practically threw herself onto the landing in a painful heap. Felipe pulled at the ladder just as a few Walkers got their finger tips on it. Moving to his side Callie helped to pull the small ladder up and out of the Walkers' reach. She and Felipe settled back against the building, watching through the grate below their feet as the Walkers clawed at the building trying to reach them.
"I say we take a bit of a break before we do anything else," Felipe said running his hand along his bald sweaty head. "I'm not going to make it any further if we don't."
Callie nodded her head and then let it rest against the brick wall behind her, taking in a few excruciating gasps of air. Settling her arm along her protesting rib cage she let her body relax as she tried to block the sounds of the moans from below. Beside her a window sat waiting for them to bust through and venture into yet another unknown situation. Closing her eyes Callie looked at the sky, watching as the deep purple-blue of late evening stared back at her. She had no idea what time it was, if she had to guess she would put it near three in the morning.
A God awful time to be doing anything.
Letting out a sigh, Callie thought back to yesterday, and the trip to the pharmacy to try and find Merle.
She and Felipe had spent a good deal longer in that small sweltering locker of death that used to be an office, than she would have liked. It had taken her longer to fix up Felipe's ass than it had for the much more adept nurse to fix up the gash in her knee. A couple of stitches for each of them, and nearly the whole roll of gauze and tape later and they were ready to get moving.
After dousing their bloody clothes with the remainder of the bottle of rubbing alcohol to try and kill the smell they got to work on the boarded up window. They worked one board free at a time, slowly, silently as they could so as not to rouse any kind of disturbance to the Walkers wandering outside. The window was broken in a few places, most likely from greedy, hungry hands trying to grab at the delectable treats held within. Callie figured that was what had caused the men and woman inside to choose the route of biting a bullet rather than being bitten themselves.
She didn't really blame them. She had a contingency plan herself for the ultimate unwinnable situation, if it ever occurred.
They unlocked the window, both of them sharing a bit of a chuckle at the fact that it was locked in the first place, and did a quick odds or evens shoot of their hands to decide who would stick their head out. Callie lost, and with a begrudging push to the smiling Hispanic she stuck her head out into the alley. Looking left and right she was happy to see that there were no Walkers currently in sight.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, she pushed herself up and lowered herself to the ground outside. Thank God for first floor offices. As her feet hit the ground, Felipe was at the window handing her backpack and bat out to her. Shouldering it she waited to help the husky man as he gingerly worked his way through the window.
Feet on asphalt, and breathing a deep breath of semi-fresh air Callie settled her back to the wall. Felipe pointed a finger down the alley way, towards where they needed to head. Two and a half blocks. They'd run further than that to get to the office, smelling like a fucking buffet of fresh meat. Two blocks would be a piece of cake.
As they exited the alley way, slowly taking in their surroundings, Callie spared a glance up at the sky. The sun was higher now, the heat at an almost unbearable level causing the sweat to run in a stream down her back. She would guess it was at least three in the afternoon if pressed.
Felipe tapped her on the shoulder, and pointed two fingers at his eyes and then lifted three to the air and down towards the left side of the street. Callie nodded. Three Walkers right in the direction they needed to go. Gripping her bat, trying to will the sweat away from her palms, she took three deep breaths and nodded.
"Can you manage on your own? Or do I need to carry your ass the whole way?" Callie said with a smirk at the large man beside her.
"Fuck you, Puta." Felipe spat as he adjusted his grip on his bat. Callie smiled wider and smacked him in the shoulder.
"It's Callie," she said as she stepped out. "I know the sun has probably melted what little you have left of a brain, but at least pretend to remember it."
"You are a crazy bitch," Felipe said chuckling as he followed her out.
They skirted the street, keeping as low as either of their wounded asses could keep. Felipe bashed in one Walker's head, making a little too much noise as his bat continued on and smashed through a car window. Callie had given him that look that just said 'really?' and then they both took off at a dead run. Buildings and Walkers flew by in Callie's peripheral vision her mind set on getting to that fucking pharmacy.
Merle.
That's what was running through her head. She was going to find his ass. Then she was going to find Daryl and offer his brother and a fucking arrow as a goddamned peace offering. Preferably before he kicked her ass for locking him in that alley.
The pharmacy sign was in view, Varner's Family Pharmacy. Callie looked behind her to smile at the winded Hispanic pulling up the rear, and her feet stumbled at the sight. Fifteen Walkers at first glance had joined them in their little foot race and were closing in on Felipe fast. Callie reached her hand back and pulled Felipe with her.
"Move your husky little ass, Felipe!" Callie said as Felipe's feet stumbled below him. "Don't you dare fall down," Callie said pulling him upright again and feeling the pain tear through her ribs at the movement. "Don't you fucking dare."
Felipe nodded his head, and looked her square in the eye. They skidded to a halt at the door to the Pharmacy and Callie let out a frustrated scream at its half open state. Looking at the fast approaching Walkers she decided Glenn would gladly have given exception to his rule for this one. Pushing the door past the accumulated debris inside Callie shoved her way into the small pharmacy. Felipe fell in right after her diving towards a long rack along the wall.
As Callie struggled to keep the door shut, her breath coming in nothing but gasps as decaying fingers pushed and pawed through the slit that hadn't closed yet, she started saying her prayers. Felipe was using every last ounce of strength he had to push the moveable rack towards the door. His face was beat red when he looked up at her, pain laced in his eyes.
"I need you to help!" Felipe said, and Callie gave one final slam of the door with her body hearing the click before running towards him. The door opened just as Callie got to the other side of the rack. They pushed and the rack moved fast along the debris on the floor. "Go!" Felipe yelled, and Callie pulled her gun and shot the two Walkers that had pushed through the door. Their bodies fell inside the store and Callie was able to thrust forward again, running with all her might and shouldering the door fully closed, before the other hungry sons of bitches could figure out how to come in one at a time.
The rack settled in place at the door and Felipe fell to the ground on his knees. Callie climbed over the rack and put a hand to Felipe's bald head as it rested back against the rack. The rack gave a sudden jolt and Callie was up on her feet running towards the next rack.
"Come on, no time for sleeping yet Felipe." Callie began pulling at the rack and she felt her tender ribs give just a bit more. "Son of a bitch! I am going to fucking kill Ed when I get back. I don't care what Shane says." She was ranting and pushing when Felipe settled in beside her. They were able to get three racks into place at the door before they both collapsed at the back of the store.
Their eyes were glued to the large storefront window. Boards had been put up, but not nearly enough to cover them fully. As they sat, taking in deep breaths and allowing their hearts to slow to a more normal pace Callie had only one thought going through her mind. Daryl's going to be really pissed off if he has to waste an arrow on my Walker ass.
"That shit ain't gonna hold," a raspy barely audible voice from somewhere behind the counter they were at echoed in the dimly lit pharmacy. "Might as well just invite those things in. We're dead anyway."
Callie and Felipe were both on their feet in an instant, each one raising a gun and pointing it at where the voice was coming from. Her eyes landed on the form of a man, resting at the back wall. He was sitting in shadows, his features completely hidden from view. The tangy smell of fresh blood mixed with the horrid aroma of rotted flesh hit Callie like a ton of bricks and had her swallowing a lump in her throat as she looked to Felipe.
They exchanged a glance, both trying not to gag and made their way behind the counter to where the man was propped up. Slowly advancing, Callie's heart began to speed up.
Dear God, was that Merle?
The stench got worse the closer they got, mixed with a sound she couldn't quite place. Callie was actually happy about the lack of light as her boots squished and sloshed through whatever coated the surface of the floor. The sounds of the Walkers clawing at the window outside caught her ears and as they advanced on the now chuckling man, Callie put a hand to Felipe's raised gun arm.
"Keep eyes behind us," Callie said nodding her head over her shoulder at the window. Felipe shifted his eyes to the man, and turned his body sideways so that he could keep eyes on both Callie and the window full of Walkers. She smiled at him and patted his arm as she inched a bit closer.
"Watch your step, sweetheart." the man on the floor choked out with a sadistic laugh. Coughs racked his body and Callie's feet froze on the ground. Shadows played with her vision and her hand tightened around her gun. A tap to her shoulder had her damned near screaming. Turning she found Felipe tapping the flashlight on her elbow.
Taking the flashlight, Callie nodded to him before returning her gaze to the front. Three deep breaths and she flicked on the light. The gasp that escaped her lips before her hand was able to close over her own mouth was loud and echoed through the store. The flashlight, which had fallen from her numb fingers at the sight before her clattered to the ground, tossing a strobe light effect on the man on the floor as it spun.
Callie could feel the image burning into her eyes, and she knew no matter how long she may survive in this godforsaken world, she would never be able to close her eyes without seeing the scene set before her.
One thought entered her head as she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. That's not Merle.
Using that one thought as a buffer she settled her nerves and locked her knees in place. Her gun fell to her side as she stared at the man eerily illuminated by the fallen flashlight.
His dark hair hung to his chin, and stuck to his face from the mixture of blood and sweat pouring down his face. The gash on his left temple was wide and oozing blood, his left eye was swollen shut and he kept moving his jaw around as if trying to get it to work properly. His arms hung limply at his sides, his right hand clinging to a piece of wood. His clothing was dirty and unidentifiable in the dim light, but Callie could see he was wearing some kind of dark t-shirt with an insignia on the front. What the symbol was would never be known, half of it destroyed by a large gaping hole revealing what could only be a large fucking bite mark marring his upper chest.
Callie's eyes continued down his body, and she again covered her mouth in disgust. Blood was pooled around his entire lower half, seeping from wounds that she couldn't see.
"Mind the biter," the man's gravely, tired voice croaked out, and Callie watched a wicked smile form on his blood crusted lips.
Her eyes followed his down to his feet. Stifling a scream she stumbled back a few steps, bumping her shoulder into Felipe. Felipe steadied her with a questioning glance, then his eyes saw it and he was pulling her back with him.
A Walker, or at least part of a Walker was gnawing on the man's left ankle and calf. It was only a head, and upper chest, and one gnarled and decayed arm, and the sight of it had Callie covering her mouth. Felipe couldn't take it, and turned away dry heaving as he moved further away. Callie dug in her heels at the sound of the man chuckling, and swallowed hard. Moving forward Callie lifted her gun, but a chuckle from the man had her looking up. He shook his head and nodded it towards the glass where the Walkers were still milling about. They seemed to be losing interest in them, not being able to see or smell them anymore, but a gunshot would definitely draw their attention back.
Grimacing Callie lifted her bat. The thing didn't even look up at her, it was far too engrossed in its meal to bother with her. Her bat swung and smashed the decayed bones of the Walker's head. Gore splattered her jeans, and she closed her eyes when she kicked out her foot and sent the now dead thing away from the man.
Callie's legs gave out then and she crouched down at the feet of the man before her. The soon to be dead and then up and walking man staring at her and chuckling between his labored breaths. Her eyes moved to his face and caught his eyes.
"Let me guess," the man said in a raspy voice coughing again. "Not who you were hoping to find?"
"Merle Dixon," Callie said rubbing the back of her hand along her mouth, willing the bile down. "I'm looking for Merle Dixon."
"Never knew Merle to have such pretty ladies on his side," the man said gripping the piece of wood and lifting it to his chest as a fit of wet coughs racked through his body. "I was expecting Daryl."
"You know them?"
"Yeah, good buddies, me and the Dixon boys. Well not so much Daryl. Boy never liked me too much." He coughed and laughed and pitched forward in pain. "Me and Merle go a long ways back. Done a lot of dumb things together." The man eyed her with his glassy half dead eyes. Callie maintained her distance, settled in at the pooled blood at his feet. "I really thought he was going to take me with him. Mistake there."
"He was here," Callie said, her eyes hopeful in the face of the horror around her. The man chuckled and nodded. "How long?"
"Well, let's see?" The man tilted his head back. "He got here early this morning. Sporting a stump for a hand and a necklace of Walker fingers. Ranted and raved about God for the whole time I patched him up. Then he started ransacking my place here." Coughs flooded out, and he spit blood to the ground. "Searched and searched for my stash, and when I told him it was gone he laughed. Fucker laughed." The man sighed and his head lowered to his chest. Callie inched forward just a bit putting her hand towards the flashlight and lifting her bat, just in case he'd passed.
"Never heard a laugh like that before. Something happened to him," the man continued in a voice Callie struggled to hear over the blood rushing in her ears. "Something snapped in that moment. I watched him for a good long while, as he stared up and talked to God like the fucker was in the room with us. When his eyes hit me I knew that boy had gone off the fucking deep end."
"What happened?" Callie said finally getting a grip on the flashlight and shining it over towards Felipe. He had his eyes glued to the window, but he glanced back at her with a sick expression before shaking his head.
"He said it was time to see if I was worthy to live. See if I was worthy as him," the man said with a sadistic smile snaking its way onto his face. "He beat the shit out of me, cut my back and legs so I couldn't get away, and settled me here against the wall to let the blood loss start to flow. After a bit of just watching the blood flow, he grabbed himself a walker and used the door there to cut the fucker in half. He left the upper half alive at the door, and walked out into the sunlight."
"!Dios Mio," Felipe said the reality of the situation hitting him full force as his eyes went to Callie. "That is the friend you're looking for?"
Callie just shook her head and stared at the dying man in front of her.
"Guess I wasn't one of the chosen few," the man said quietly, his eyes sliding down to his gnarled leg were the white of his bones stood out in stark contrast to the blood and torn flesh around them. He smiled up at Callie. "That happened 'bout two and a half hours ago I'd say. Took the fuckin' walker a while to make it to me. Licked at my blood for a while, before moving up to the main buffet." He smiled and tapped the piece of wood he held to his chest. "Knocked it off of me and then waited for it to come back. It's been a fun couple of hours."
Callie felt the bile in her throat, burning as it struggled for freedom. Swallowing hard she lowered her gaze and then tilted it towards the back door. They couldn't stay here. She couldn't stay here. Not without losing her mind. Running the back of her hand along her mouth she closed her eyes.
"Do you know where he went?" Callie asked quietly.
"Not a damned clue," the man said with a laugh, he sputtered out a mouth full of blood and spat it to the side. "Must'a found a few others though, I heard him talking to people as he walked away." Callie's eyes shot up. "There's a buncha people still hanging around here, doing God knows what to survive, sweetheart. Gotta be careful who you hook up with though." His smiling eyes went to Felipe.
"We need to get out of here," Felipe said moving towards her and putting a hand to her shoulder. "We can't stay here."
Callie nodded and shakily got to her feet, angling her head towards the back door she motioned for Felipe to check it out. He spared a glance at the storefront, then down to the dying man, and finally back to her. She smiled and handed him the flashlight.
"I'll be right there," she said quietly. Watching as Felipe slowly made his way towards the door at the back she let out a sigh. Turning her attention to the man watching her with a smile, she made her way to his side. Her boots made a sick suction sound as she trudged through his blood. Crouching at his side she put her forearms to her thighs, her gun hanging between her knees.
"Gonna put me out of my misery, sweetheart?" the man said still smiling, blood-covered teeth bared for her to see.
"What's your name?" Callie asked quietly. He stared at her, and she lowered her gaze to the pool of blood she crouched in.
"Keeping a list?" he said in that snarky tone that reminded her so much of Merle she forgot for a second that it wasn't him she was standing beside. Her eyes found his and he nodded his head and smiled "Good for you. Names Henry J. Varner, but Merle always called me 'Lanky Hank'."
Callie nodded and lifted her gun to his temple as she stood. The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes, she followed suit and closed her eyes as well.
"If you find Merle," the man said, causing her eyes to open and fix on his serene face. "Tell him I said 'Fuck you'." He smiled up at her and then nodded his head, once again closing his eyes with a smile on his face. "God bless you, sweetheart. Don't put my name on that list of yours."
She felt her finger pull the trigger and the reverberation sent a tremor through her entire body.
Callie's eyes flew open at the feel of a hand on her shoulders. Startled, her hand went to her gun in her waistband.
"Woah, mamacita," Felipe said taking his hand away and holding both up to the air in surrender. Callie shook her head and dropped her hand from her gun. "Figured you would kill me if I let you sleep any longer."
"I fell asleep?" Callie said groggily wiping her hands over her tired, tear stained eyes. Had she been crying? The moans and groans from below caught her ears and she looked through the grated landing to see the Walkers still milling about below. Still clawing at the walls to get to them. "I seriously fell asleep?"
"Yeah," Felipe rubbed at the back of his bald head. "Sorry, I just figured you needed it." He looked away and down at the Walkers below, averting his eyes as Callie again wiped at her eyes.
"How long?" Callie asked, still noting the dark hue to the sky.
"Only like a half an hour," Felipe said as if it were nothing. "I stayed awake. Figured one of us should. I wouldn't have woke you but I was fading too." He shrugged and Callie smiled.
"You want to take a little cat nap?" Callie offered as he started to push up to a standing position. Felipe shook his head, his eyes roving over the Walkers below.
"Nah," Felipe said with a smile. "I got a bed waiting for me back at Heavenly Grace." Callie reached up and took Felipe's offered hand up and winced with the movement. She watched his smile grow into that cat like sneer that always made her smile at what was to come. "If you're real nice, I may share it with you when we get there."
"Oh, promises, promises, Felipe. I'll bet you say that to all the girls that drag your ass around Walker infested streets." Callie patted him on the shoulder as she moved towards the window, and he let out a bark of laughter.
Callie lifted her hands to cup up to the glass of the window, hoping to be able to see inside. Her eyes had adjusted enough to the dark that she was able to make out the destroyed remnants of a living room apartment. There was a couch directly below the window.
"I figure we don't really have much of a choice," Felipe said quietly from beside her. "Besides going up." They both looked at the next ladder of the fire escape, and the next landing. Exchanging a glance with the man who was having a hard enough time putting any pressure on his bad leg, she shook her head.
"Nope, we go in here." Callie said putting her hand to the window and lifting. "Fucking unlocked. Really?" she shook her head. "Well, pal, ready for another three blocks of horror?"
"Hell no," Felipe said shouldering his bat and watching as she adjusted her backpack. "But I am ready to get the fuck home."
Daryl was pacing. He'd been pacing for the last twenty minutes that Rick had been watching him. They were standing at the entrance that they had come in yesterday, the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. Beside Rick, T-Dog ran a tired hand down his face and yawned. The yawn elicited yet another scathing glare from Daryl. The pacing man stopped only long enough to sneer, before he ran his hands over his dirty disheveled hair, and once again glanced out the small glass window of the door.
"Fuckin' ridiculous," Daryl spat, biting on his thumb nail as he turned to glare at Rick. "We got guns. We can go through them."
Rick shook his head for the fifth time and placed his hands on his slim hips. Rick's retort was cut short by the arrival of Guillermo.
"From what my men can see there are about twelve of them out there," Guillermo said coming up to stand beside Rick. His eyes went to Daryl still pacing in front of the door. "Could be more hiding in places we can't see, but won't know that unless someone goes out there."
"Then we go out!" Daryl nearly screamed throwing his hands towards the door. "We can't stay the fuck in here all damned day."
"We can't go out there shooting up the courtyard either," Rick said calmly, watching as Daryl's face contorted with a very slightly controlled rage. "All that would do is bring more of them on us. I'm not going to be responsible for bringing a horde of Walkers down on this place. You want to shoulder that one?"
Daryl glared at Rick for a moment before, mumbling something and dragging his hand through his hair again. Rick looked to Guillermo and the other man gave a firm lipped nod of thanks.
"So what you suggestin'?" Daryl asked angrily. "We just wait 'em out?"
"No," Rick said immediately. "I know that's not an option. We just need a plan. We can't just go out there and hope for the best, Daryl."
"Why the fuck not?" Daryl said with a sick little smile. "That's the way this world works now, Rick." The name came out like in a sing-song sneer. "Roll the dice and let the bodies fall where they may."
"I ain't going out there," T-Dog said shaking his head.
"Not surprisin'," Daryl said glaring at the large man.
"You got something you want to say? Say it." T-Dog said as he lowered the duffel bag full of guns to the ground and began making his way over towards Daryl. Daryl smirked and put his arms out at his sides welcoming the oncoming fight.
"Enough," Rick stepped between T-Dog and Daryl and pushed the larger man back with a shake of his head. "Enough." He turned to face Daryl, his eyes landing on the crossbow on the man's back. "How quick can you get those things off?"
"Enough," Daryl said nodding his head and pulling his crossbow off of his shoulder. Holding it in his hands he looked at Rick with a smile.
"Alright," Rick said running a hand over his hair and looking to Guillermo. "I'm not going to ask any of your people for help. We're the ones who need to get out there."
"We've got a man out there too," Guillermo said with a nod of his head to the two men standing behind him. "You've got our help whether you want it or not."
"Thank you," Rick said extending his hand to the man.
Daryl turned towards the door and put his eyes to the small window out into the courtyard. Walkers milled about aimlessly blocking their path. From what he could see there were two close enough to the door to cause problems. He felt Rick step up beside him, and moved slightly so the former sheriff could look out and assess as well.
Daryl watched Rick from the corner of his eye. Watched as the man's eyes took in the courtyard with a steely confidence. Daryl wasn't sure what exactly to make of Rick Grimes just yet, but he did know he didn't mind having the man at his back. Rick's honest streak was a mile wide and worn on the sheriff's sleeve like a fuckin' badge of honor. Which is why Daryl was finding it harder and harder to fault the man for leaving his brother on a roof top.
"I see about three of them close enough to cause problems." Rick said moving back. Daryl's eyes squinted in confusion as he looked out. He'd only seen two. A third Walker moved into his line of sight dragging its broken left leg at a slow pace just past the furthest of the two Daryl had seen originally.
"I can take out the first two," Daryl said nodding his head. "Think you can run up on gimpy there?"
Rick nodded and shifted his bat between his hands, testing the weight as he looked back over his shoulder. Daryl watched as Rick nodded to the four men behind him, and gave a smirk as T-Dog grabbed a bat and moved up to stand behind Rick. T-Dog sneered back at Daryl as he adjusted the heavy duffel bag of guns on his shoulder.
"Shut up," T-Dog said in return to Daryl's look.
"Didn't say nothin'," Daryl turned his eyes back to the door. "Ready or not, here we come." Daryl pushed the door open and lifted his crossbow in almost one liquid smooth movement. Letting the first bolt fly and hit purchase in the closest Walker's eye.
Behind him he heard Rick and the other's filing out of the door, flanking him as he shot another bolt into another Walker's head. Stopping short and pulling his first arrow out, he kept his eyes up and watched Rick take out the third closest Walker with a smash of his bat. Daryl's eyes shot over to his left as he watched one of Guillermo's men take out a Walker near the opening of the courtyard.
"Fuck, watch your back!" Daryl yelled as three more Walkers stumbled into the courtyard. One grabbed onto the man and bit into his upper left arm, tearing a scream from the man's lips. All hell broke loose then.
"Daryl, watch it!" Rick's voice was far off in the other end of the courtyard as he smashed at a few other walkers. Daryl spun just in time to duck the reaching grasp of a Walker. Flipping his crossbow he used the butt end of it to completely destroy the face of the Walker, before he spun back around.
Most of the men were doing good, all except the guy who was still stumbling around with a Walker attached to his arm. Daryl lifted his crossbow and let a bolt fly taking out the Walker gnawing on the man. The man fell to the ground screaming in agony as another Walker fell on him. One more bolt flew from Daryl's crossbow and took out the second Walker.
The sounds of struggle were slowly ebbing away as the last of the Walkers in the courtyard were dispatched. The sun was up fully now, and the blood and gore coating the once clean cobble stone of the entrance drive was glistening. Daryl walked slowly over to retrieve his arrows from the Walkers that had signed the death warrant of the man he didn't know. The hurried footsteps of Guillermo and Rick sounded as they made their way to the man still screaming on the ground.
"Gotta shut him up," Daryl muttered to Rick as he pulled an arrow from the head of one Walker. Rick looked up and met his eyes with a look of shock and distain. "Gotta shut him up, 'fore he just brings more geeks in here." Rick looked away shaking his head. "He's dead anyway," Daryl said to Guillermo now. "You gonna let your boy suffer like that?"
"We can't take him inside," Guillermo was saying, shaking his head in dismay as Daryl moved to the next body. "We can't just leave him either."
"You need me to do it?" Daryl asked over his shoulder. Rick again looked up, shocked at the indifference in the Daryl's voice. Catching the man's eyes, Rick quickly realized that it wasn't indifference. The look in those eyes was sincere as he locked gazes with Guillermo. Daryl wasn't being cold, he was offering to do something that he figured the other man wouldn't be able to. Rick turned to Guillermo and put a hand to his shoulder as the dying man on the ground gave a few final gasps.
Daryl walked up, crossbow in hand and aimed it at the now dead man laying at their feet. Rick and Guillermo stood, each taking matching steps back as Daryl advanced forward. The arrow let loose and Rick closed his eyes. The sound of T-Dog yelling shocked them all out of the quiet that followed Daryl's mercy kill.
Daryl and Rick turned in unison, just in time to see a Walker grasp onto the large duffel bag and T-Dog trying desperately to get his arms out of the strap.
Daryl was reloading his crossbow and rushing forward, followed by Rick bat raised ready to help. Suddenly a bat swung from behind T-Dog and crushed the skull of the Walker, causing the thing to fall and twitch at the feet of the stunned black man. Daryl was still running forward, his eyes narrowed at the Walker still moving at T-Dog's feet.
T-Dog was staring wide eyed at the man leaning heavily on the bat used to save his ass.
"Felipe!" Guillermo's voice echoed through the courtyard as he came up and fell into step with Rick. Daryl's eyes shot to Guillermo and Rick for a split second. Which is all it took.
The Walker reached out and grabbed onto Felipe's leg, causing the man to fall to the ground. Before Daryl could pull the trigger of his crossbow a knife plunged into the skull of the Walker dropping it for good. Felipe let his head drop to the ground, a huge sigh of relief as he hugged his bat to his chest.
"Took you long enough," Felipe's voice was nothing but a harsh rasp from exhaustion and lack of water.
"Not my fault you fuckin' hit like a woman. Shoulda took it out when you hit it," Callie's voice was just as throaty as she sat on her knees by the body of the dead Walker. Her body was hunched over, hand still on the hilt of her knife as she sat there taking in deep painful breaths.
Callie used the last of her strength to pull her knife from the skull of the Walker. A shadow fell over the body and when she angled her head up she was greeted by the twisted angry face of Daryl Dixon.
"Miss me?" She said with a quiet chuckle, struggling painfully to keep herself held up on arms that were shaking like leaves. Her arms were like jelly, every muscle in her body protesting any more movement. Daryl shook his head and put his crossbow to his back quickly before reaching down and roughly 'helping' her to her feet. His warm calloused hands, those damned hands that Callie was beginning to think she'd never feel again, tightened on her upper arms and dragged her up to her feet.
"Son of a bitch," T-Dog said running a hand over his head and looking between the dead Walker, Felipe, and Callie with a smile.
Guillermo passed by Daryl and Callie and hit his knees beside the still prone form of Felipe. Rick stopped short, his eyes catching Callie's for a brief second before he smiled and nodded his head. Moving on he put a hand to T-Dog's shoulder and then bent down to help Guillermo with Felipe.
Daryl stood staring at Callie, holding her only a scant few inches from his body. Her tired eyes lifted to his, and he watched a smile slowly form on those lips of hers. He watched those large hazel eyes, still pretty even surrounded by the dark circles of exhaustion, crinkle slightly as her lips twitched with the effort to hold the smile. Without warning her head dropped, her warm sweat-soaked forehead hitting just below his collar bone resting on his chest.
Callie let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and let her knife fall from her exhausted fingertips as she brought her hands up. Her fingers grasped into Daryl's shirt at his waist, and she felt his body tense at the contact. And when his hands tighten to almost a painful grip on her arms, she smiled still, deciding the pain was well fucking worth it.
"Daryl," her voice was raspy, her lips moving on the fabric of his shirt. She worked at lifting her head from his welcoming body. She had to tell him about Merle.
"Shut up," he said in a gruff whisper. "Just shut the fuck up." She felt his left hand lift from her arm and stiffened slightly when his fingers tangled into her hair and held her head close to him. The shock of the action was enough to still her lips. What she couldn't see was the way he tilted his face up to the slowly dawning sun overhead and closed his eyes.
Their whole exchange took only seconds, but to Daryl and Callie it felt much, much longer. Daryl felt Rick and T-Dog's gaze on him and he lowered his head to meet those watching eyes head on. Fuck what they thought. His eyes hit then on the sight of the bat and his arrow sticking out of the backpack slung over her shoulders. He felt the tug of the smile and shook his head, willing himself to move her away. Girl was going to get a piece of his mind whether she liked it or not.
At the feel of him pulling her away from the security of his body Callie's eyes opened.
"Daryl," she barely heard the rasp of her own voice over the sound of the blood suddenly rushing through her head. She felt the black specs behind her eyelids closing in, and knowing she was safe she let them.
Suddenly, Daryl felt Callie's body go limp in his hands. Her knees gave out as her hands fell from his shirt. Daryl's hands tightened, and his eyes went wide as he went to one knee following with her limp body still held to him as she fainted.
"Is she bit?" Rick's concerned voice sounded as he worked with Guillermo to help Felipe to his feet.
"No," Felipe said shaking his head wearily. He looked to Guillermo. All of their eyes were taking in the blood stained clothes of both Felipe and Callie with wary unease. "We're fine. We haven't slept at all and finished our last bit of water early 's all. Been running all day and night since the shit with the guns went down." He leaned heavily on Guillermo and Rick as they draped his large shoulders over their own. "Exhausted. Thirsty. Just fuckin relieved to be here."
"We'll still have to check," Guillermo said as he began to slowly walk forward. T-Dog stepped up and took Rick's place at the sheriff's look. Felipe was nodding his head. "Let's get inside."
"She saved my ass, G." Felipe was saying as he walked past Daryl's scowling form as he continued to hold Callie's head to his chest protectively. "More times than I can count."
"Can you manage her?" Rick said as he knelt down by Daryl.
"Don't think any man can manage this," Daryl said tilting her head back slowly, looking at her face with an angry glare. Rick smiled just a bit and nodded at the man. The muscles in Daryl's arms as they settled one of her limp arms behind his head and across the back of his shoulders, and placed his other arm at the back of her knees were coiled steel. Rick ran a tired hand over his face as he watched Daryl follow behind Guillermo, T-Dog and Felipe. Daryl was muttering something to the unconscious Callie as he cradled her body to his chest.
Picking up Callie's fallen hunting knife, Rick gave a glance behind him to the streets. Running his hand over his mouth and scratching at the stubble upon his chin he let out a laugh. Maybe just maybe their luck was finally changing.
It's time we saw a miracle
Come on it's time for something biblical
To pull us through
And pull us through
And this is the end
This is the end of the world
~Apocalypse Please/ Muse
AN: Well, I guess you guys know what's going to happen in the next chapter… the crew is going to head back to camp. And we'll see if their luck is actually changing or not. You may be asking... What about Merle? Well, what about Merle indeed... :)