Rayne stared ahead into the flickering flames rising and falling before her, trying to gain some ability to understand their situation. There were a few things she was certain of,

1. They were completely outnumbered.

2. Daryl and the others must have noticed they were gone by now.

And 3. She couldn't do anything without compromising the safety of Layla and the members of her small unit.

Helplessness wasn't something she was at all comfortable feeling. Rayne may not have been an expert fighter or the best shot, but where she lacked physical training, her mind was always a sharpened weapon. Her eyes flicked to the side where Lori was cradling Carl to her side, smothering him with her fear. Carol was wringing her hands to the point that they had turned red and Layla sat between them, trying her best to comfort Maggie and Beth who were watching the tent their father had been swept off to.

She wouldn't leave Hershel behind, that much was obvious, but she knew that Daryl and the other men couldn't be that far off. James had climbed up a tree and settled himself in the crook of a a large branch, his dark eyes watching them like some deadly bird. He would see their rescuers long before they came. Rayne shifted slightly, trying to keep her calm as she rose from her perch.

Instantly two armed men looked to her and she held up her hands, "I have to use the bathroom." The beady eyed man named Bill that she had encountered earlier sneered at her, "Go ahead then." Rayne's blue eyes fixed on him, "You expect me to do it here, in front of everybody?" The shrewd little man smiled sickly, "Why not? Nobody is stopping you."

Rayne knew his type, perverted little scum who liked to hurt women to make them feel big. She could have ripped into him verbally, but there was something much better she could do, "I wasn't asking you. You aren't the big man around here," Her eyes turned up to the panther like leader looking towards her with an amused smirk, "he is."

James rose his hands which were sporting fingerless leather gloves, "Guilty as charged. But I can understand Bill's desire to not have you out of his sight. Why should I waste one of my people taking you to the side? Can't you hold it until your men arrive?" Rayne's tilted her chin up and watched him with scornful eyes, "I suppose I could, however I was always taught that Georgian men were the most chivalrous in the country. Not allowing a lady privacy to relieve herself doesn't seem like very good manners, now does it?"

She could see the slight twitch that went through the man as he smiled and climbed down from his tree. He walked a few feet and bowed cordially, "You are most certainly correct, my lady. I apologize, but I must insist one of our people escort you. It's a dangerous walk." Rayne nodded and looked around the camp pretending she wasn't searching for anyone in particular, "Thank you, I'd like the woman who took our guns to escort me. She seems able to protect me without my weapons and I would appreciate a woman. You understand, yes?"

There was a quiet as James looked her up and down. He smiled softly and snapped his fingers, "Anna Marie." The older woman rose her graying head, "Yes?" He gestured to Rayne, "Would you mind escorting our guest to the river so she may relieve herself?" Anna Marie nodded and came to one side and was about to take Rayne away until James cleared his throat, "Wait a moment."

She watched him as he took off his belt and wrapped it around Rayne's delicate wrists. She eyed him warily and he smiled, "I can't have you abusing my older sister now can I?" Rayne's gaze widened slightly as she looked from the snake before her to the tired woman at her side. She shook her head, not expecting that knowledge at all, "No, but I fail to see how you think I can...go with this around my hands."

The leader shrugged, "The anatomy of a woman is a mystery. I'm sure you'll find a way, you seem clever enough." Anna Marie took her shoulder and led her away from the fire, the others in her group watching fearfully as she went. She tried to psychically project that she had a plan, but she doubted any of them received her message. Rayne stepped over a few large rocks and downed branches, trying to keep up with the older woman's stride and cursed when she stubbed her toe.

Anna Marie stopped and steadied her, "We're almost to the river. Keep up." Rayne nodded and followed her, wondering if it was a good idea for her to trust this woman. She hadn't said anything about the pistol hidden in her jeans to James and now she was acting like Rayne was a prisoner. Mixed signals were something she hated and her mind was trying to wrap around her possible ally.

When they had reached the river, Anna Marie turned and spoke loudly, "Go ahead and squat, I'll help with your pants." Rayne jumped at the volume of her voice when she said equally as loud, "I know the river is loud, I said squat!" Rayne nodded and bent down as the older woman undid her jeans and placed a hand on her side that had the gun.

Rayne's first instinct was to push her away from it when she realized what was actually happening. Anna Marie was making it look like she was holding her up since she couldn't use her hands and hiding the gun at the same time. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "We're being watched. This was the only way I could talk to you. You have to get out of here."

Rayne nodded minutely, "How? There are so many." Anna Marie suddenly spoke loudly, "Well are you going to go or not?" Rayne waited a second before yelling in a frustrated tone, "I can't go with someone watching me! I'm shy!" That would buy them a few more minutes.

The woman spoke again, "You need to get James alone. He has a weakness for forward women and if you can take him hostage, the others won't strike. They are waiting for your men to come and they won't spare any of them. If you can move him and your group away, you will gain the advantage." Rayne nodded and began to stand, "Why are you turning against your own brother?"

She bent down to pull her pretend prisoner's pants back up replying, "That little monster isn't my brother. He was my sister's husband and she died at the beginning of this thing. James has lost his mind, he is an animal that needs to be put down." Rayne nodded and turned when Anna Marie pushed her. On the walk back she wondered how it was that she would be able to get him alone, even now she felt eyes on her from his warriors. What could she do?

Anna Marie brought her back to the camp and she sat down in her circle of companions, relief clear on their faces. She nodded to them and waited a moment before turning and walking over to the tree James was resting against. His dark eyes watched her as she held up her wrists, "I think you forgot something."

James smiled and walked towards her, "I take it you want me to release you, then?" Rayne swallowed and quieted her voice so that it was no more than a whisper, "Do you think bondage looks good on me?" James stopped short and looked at her, a distinct curiosity in his eyes, "Does that question require an honest answer?"

"He has a weakness for forward women."

Rayne's blue gaze stayed locked in his, "You'll never find out. A woman like me is far too much for you to handle." When he released her, Rayne scanned him up and down before turning back to her group. James watched her walk away, noticing the way her hips swayed with each step. He smiled softly feeling a slow fire creeping into him. It had been a while since he met a woman who didn't cower away from him.

His attention went to his first in command, "You take over watch for the men. I need to take care of something." The red haired man nodded and James walked over to the fire where Rayne made her movements intentionally slow as she looked over her shoulder, "Can we help you?" The dark haired man took a hold of her arm, "I have some questions for you, ma'am. I wonder if you'll indulge me?"

Rayne stood up and felt the curious eyes follow her movements, including the worried eyes of her goddaughter. She extended her pinky Layla's way, hoping she would receive the message that was much more discreet than a wink or nodding to anyone else in the group. Rayne only had a short amount of time before Daryl and the others arrived, she needed to work quickly.

The hunter could smell the fire and hear the murmuring of voices long before they came upon the camp. His sky blue eyes moved over the terrain and he noticed a guard standing on a hill, scanning the territory. Cursing to himself, Daryl backed up a bit and crawled behind a tree so he could watch without being noticed. He only saw one guard so approaching from that way wouldn't work.

He moved back to where Rick and the others were waiting, "It looks like a really big camp. The girls and Carl are sitting in the middle and I don't see Hershel anywhere. We can't come from the East, but if we circle around we could try from the back way." The sheriff rose a hand to his face, "Are there too many to fight?"

Daryl nodded, "We would be outnumbered by a lot." Glen held up his hands to illustrate his point, "What if we take them out slowly? Work our way in by picking them off? We don't need to kill everybody, just make it difficult for them to follow the others out." T-Dog shook his head, "They would notice their people missing, a group that bad means that everybody is watching everybody."

Rick put up a hand, "What if we make a diversion? Like Glen said, we don't need to kill anyone, just give Lori and the others time to escape. We'll separate throughout the forest, round up our people when they run for it and reconvene outside the town. Sound good?" The other men nodded wondering what the diversion would be.

Rick pulled out a grenade from his belt, "Let me worry about the noise. I'll throw it into the camp, far enough that it won't hurt anyone and when you hear the noise be ready to grab our people and run. All right, take ten minutes to get into position around the camp and wait for my signal." There was an understanding from the four men and they each went in a different direction to make ready for action.

Rayne followed as James walked ahead of her, his grip firm on her arm. Once they had made it far enough from the camp, his grip turned painful as he spun her around to look at him, gentleman visage completely gone, "Who do you think you're playing, little girl?" Rayne tilted her head, "What are you talking about? You asked me out here, remember?"

James crossed his arms, looking oddly young in his stance when he replied, "You are oddly brave for a woman in your situation. Most ladies I swoop up are cowering and pissing themselves afraid I'm going to rape them." Rayne's blue eyes turned patronizing, "Now we both know that's not going to happen."

His onyx eyes widened, "Oh really? And what makes you think that I'm not going to rape the attitude out of your mouth right now?" Rayne tried to push Daryl's face from her mind when she replied with a husky, "Because you can't rape the willing." James stood there shocked, his mouth sliding into an aroused smirk, "Well aren't you just the little sex kitten? What, no man riding you in your camp?"

Rayne shook her head, "Not a one. There isn't a real man among them. The only one who is getting any action is married and I've been waiting for a long time for someone who thinks he's man enough to tame me." Her eyes flicked down to his black jeans and back to his face, "A very long time."

James took a step forward, his movements becoming predatory, "So you want to be dominated, you little slut?" Rayne laughed at him, "Oh please, you had to tie me up to beat me. A real man would want a fair fight, but I understand if you are afraid...bitch." At that, the leader pounced, his hands pushing her against the tree roughly. A knife emerged from his hip and Rayne seriously worried she had pushed too far until the blade sliced through the confining belt and his hands went into her hair.

Rayne gasped when his face suddenly slammed against hers, his tongue groping her mouth violently. Her nails went to his back and she slid them down hard enough to make him bleed. She wasn't trying to be sexy, she was angry...furious to the point where hot tears were beginning to slide down her cheeks. Her hand reached to the weapon secured to her hip by her jeans when James ripped open her shirt, exposing her fair skin to the cold.

She was about to pull out her weapon when an arrow suddenly shot through his head and into the tree beside her. Rayne gasped as his limp body slid out of her grasp and her eyes took in the hunter who was panting with his crossbow still raised. Rayne blinked away a few angry tears and smiled, "Daryl!"

She rushed over to him only to have his calloused hand push her away. Rayne stumbled back a few feet, "But...what's wrong? You came to save me didn't you?" The hunter's cold eyes stabbed through her when he replied, "Looked like you didn't need all that savin'. Sorry I killed your boyfriend, my finger slipped." Rayne shook her head quickly, "It isn't what you think! I had a gun in my jeans and I was going to use him as a hostage to get the others out! See? Look!"

She held up the pistol as if it were here only saving grace. Daryl looked from it to her and turned away, "You sure waited a while to use it." Rayne walked closer to him, "I had to get him distracted so I could pull it. Daryl believe I would never..." There was suddenly a loud boom that seemed to shake the forest. Rayne stumbled forward slightly, her hand going to Daryl's arm when he shook her off, "No time for talkin'. We gotta save the others and leave. Where's Hershel? He dead?"

Rayne shook her head, "No, they took him into a tent saying they needed a doctor." Daryl grabbed her torn shirt from the ground and threw it at her, "Cover yourself up and get out of here. Head to town and wait for us there." She took a step closer to him, "I'm going to help you save the others." He walked quicker and Rayne had to struggle to keep up, "Daryl...Daryl wait a second, I can help you and Layla is there!"

The hunter turned and pushed away, "Get out of here Rayne! I don't even wanna look at you! Now piss off, you are only in my way." Rayne froze mid-stride, her eyes blurring with frustrated tears, "You are such a moron!" With that she turned and rushed off into the dark forest, her skin freezing from the night air, James's blood smearing on her face when it mixed with her tears.

At that moment she didn't care if it were walkers, evil people or anything else that, she dared them to come out of the darkness and take her on now. She was worried about everyone, especially Layla, but she knew that even if he were angry with her, Daryl would never let anything happen to the child. Rayne jumped over a downed tree and landed in a cold stream, the water a harsh slap to her system as she tried to get back to her feet.

It was then that a dead woman lunged at her from behind a tree and it took everything Rayne had not to scream and draw more. There was going to be a herd from whatever boom went off in the camp and she doubted this one was alone. Rayne lifted her knife and stabbed the walker through the eye three times before getting to her feet and rushing towards town.

Daryl came into the panicking camp, no one expecting the grenade blast. His attention turned to the women, "Get out of here! Head to town! I'll get Hershel!" They nodded and jumped up, Lori taking both Carl and Layla's hands as they rushed away to the first clearing they could get. Guns started to fire off and Daryl wasn't sure if it were from his people or theirs. His attention turned to a large tent full of weapons and for a moment he seriously considered taking as many as he could carry.

It was then that a fist slammed into his face, sending the redneck stumbling backwards. Daryl looked up to see a red-haired man in plaid coming at him quickly. Daryl went to raise his crossbow when a shot came from behind him and the man dropped. He turned around to see Rick moving quickly to his side, "They said Hershel is in one of these tents. Let's get out of here!"

Rick nodded and pulled his friend up to his feet while they both ran to the different tents, looking in each. In one was a group of cowering women and their children looking up to him as if he were the monster. Daryl scanned the inside for Hershel but didn't see the doctor so he rushed to the final tent when Rick whistled, "Daryl I got him! Let's go!"

The hunter nodded and noticed a man with his gun raised at Glen who was fighting with a Hispanic gunman. Daryl raised his bow and shot the enemy in the shoulder, giving Glen time to escape. He was about to run off with them, covering from behind when a shot rang out and a sudden pain ripped through his left pectoral. The force was so much that it knocked him off his feet and he fell to the ground, clutching the fire that erupted in his chest.

Daryl gasped and curled in on himself when he noticed a smaller man approaching him, gun at the ready to shoot him again, "Tell your bitch I'm coming for her." The hunter wasn't sure who he meant and he would never find out because only seconds later T-Dog bashed his head in with a metal baseball bat, "Come on man! Get up!"

He bent down and took hold of Daryl's shoulders through it sent ribbons of pain through him with each movement. The large man flung him over his shoulders and ran towards the forest. Daryl reached out, his voice strained, "My bow...we gotta go back..." T shook his head, "You're crazy man, we ain't going back for no weapon. We have to get away and get you patched up."

Daryl could feel his blood trickling out as he gasped and wheezed while darkness flooded his vision.