S1E4P2

Once we returned to the office building Rick turned his attention on the boy.

"Those men you were with, we need to know where they went." Rick said.

"I ain't telling you nothing."

"Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog said, rubbing his head.

"I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me, jumped us." Daryl said, looking at me. My head still ached occasionally but it certainly wasn't serious. It had pissed me off though.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault."

"They took Glenn." Daryl pointed out. "Could have taken Merle too."

"Merle?" The kid chuckled. "What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

Clearly this kid either didn't care if Daryl killed him or was plain stupid. Rick had to grab Daryl, who still nearly got a kick at the kid, before he killed him.

"Damnit Daryl, back off." Rick said. I sighed.

"Look, the way I see it this was all a misunderstanding. The kid overreacted, screaming in the middle of a city filled with walkers. We tried to get him to shut up, which made his friend think we were attacking him. They attacked us, they took Glenn and here we are."

"It ain't my fault you started screaming at me." The kid scowled.

"We were whispering at you to shut the hell up." I retorted, rubbing the back of my head.

"Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" Daryl said, turning around and dropping Merle's hand into his lap. The kid freaked and jumped aside as Daryl jumped on him.

"Start with the feet this time."

I rolled my eyes. Rick jumped on Daryl and pulled him away, kneeling down beside the kid.

"The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out."

The kid looked unsure, but clearly didn't want to stay with us. He was out of options, so he told us where to go. After a while we came across a building that had seen better days and Rick sent T-Dog to the roof with a sniper rifle.

"One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know." Daryl told the kid as I loaded a shotgun.

"G's going to take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know." He retorted. Thankfully Daryl didn't try to kill him again.

"G?" Rick said.

"Guillermo. He's the man here."

"Okay then. Let's go see Guillermo."

We headed into the area, ducking under some cut chain-link fence and carefully approached the building where the kids' people lived. The doors were painted red and slid open as we got closer. A group of people emerged.

"You okay, little man?" The man I assumed was Guillermo said.

"They were going to cut off my feet."

Guillermo looked at Rick.

"Cops do that?"

"Not him. This redneck puto. He cut off some dude's hand, man. He showed it to me."

"Shut up." Daryl said, shifting his aim to the people who jumped us in the alley.

"Hey, that's the Vato's right there, homes. He shot me in the ass with an arrow, and she gouged a line into Jorge's chest."

"That was your own damn fault for grabbing a woman holding a military-grade weapon." I said, turning the shotgun on them as he waved a pistol in our direction.

"Chill," Guillermo said, making him lower his gun. "This true? He wants Miguel's feet? That's pretty sick, man."

"We were hoping more for a calm discussion." Rick said.

"A hillbilly and a brit jump Filipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet, Felipe gets an arrow in the ass, Jorge gets sliced and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me."

"Heat of the moment." Rick said, adjusting his grip on his own shotgun. "Mistakes were made on both sides."

"Who're they to you anyway? You don't look related." Guillermo said, looking between me and Daryl.

"He's one of our group, more or less. I'm sure you have a few like him. And Ava's a friend."

I glanced at him, surprised but pleased to be called his friend. Daryl stepped forward.

"You got my brother in there?"

"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I've got Asian. You interested?"

I tensed, hoping Glenn was okay.

"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade." Rick said.

"Don't sound even to me."

Miguel groaned.

"G. Come on, man."

"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering?"

"Where's my compensation for the raging headache you gave me?" I said, but other than a scowl from Jorge, they ignored me.

"More to the point, where's my bag of guns?"

Shit.

"Guns?"

"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns."

It had been too much to hope that no one would notice what was practically gold lying in the middle of the street. It was like dropping a Rolex in London and expecting it to still be there the next day.

"You're mistaken." Rick said.

"I don't think so."

"About it being yours. It's my bag of guns."

"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?"

"You could do that. Or not." Rick said, looking up at T-Dog, who had Guillermo in his sights. Guillermo called out behind him and two men pushed a blindfolded man to the edge of the roof. I sucked in a breath as they revealed Glenn, his breath coming fast.

"I see two options." Guillermo said. "You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood."

With that, the group retreated back into their hideout and left us with Miguel and very few options. We returned to the office area to discuss our options. Rick grabbed the bag of guns and started sorting through them.

"Them guns are worth more than gold. Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table. You're gonna give that up for that kid?" Daryl said.

"If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree." T-Dog sighed, rubbing his head. "But you think that Vato across the way is just going to hand him over?"

"You calling G a liar?" Miguel said.

"Are you a part of this?" Daryl said, slapping the kid across the face. "You want to hold onto your teeth?"

"Question is, do you trust that man's word?" T-Dog said.

"No, question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?"

"Yes." I said.

"What life we have we owe to him." Rick said. "I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away but he didn't. Neither will I."

"Nor me." I nodded firmly.

"So you're just going to hand the guns over?"

"I didn't say that."

Daryl looked at Rick for a moment before reaching for a gun and helping him load the shotguns.

"There's nothing keeping you two here. You should get out, head back to camp."

"And tell your family what?" T-Dog sighed. He had a point. Instead we all turned to the guns, ready to fight for Glenn with our lives.

It hit me as we returned to the hideout that if I died here, I'd never see my family again, but I realised that I'd rather risk never seeing them than see them and have sacrificed Glenn. His life was worth more than finding them.

Miguel was pushed before his, hands tied and gagged. The door opened and Rick pushed him inside. We raised our guns on the Vatos.

"I see my guns but they're not all in the bag." Guillermo said, looking frustrated.

"That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that." Rick said. Felipe pushed forwards, glaring at me and Daryl.

"Let's just shoot these fools right now. Alright? Unload on their asses."

"I don't think you full appreciate the gravity of the situation." Guillermo said.

"No, I'm pretty clear." Rick said, cutting Miguel free and pushing him towards the others. "You have your man. I want mine."

Guillermo stepped forward, fixing Rick with a murderous glare. I shifted, keeping my shotgun on the others but watched G closely.

"I'm gonna chop up your boy. I'm going to feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up them Satan at a yard sale. I told you how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?"

"No, my hearing's fine. You said come locked and loaded."

He cocked his gun and we all followed suit. I fixed a glare on the man before us, mentally preparing myself for a bloodbath.

"Okay then, we're here."