Chapter Twenty Two
"Dani said you were dead," Daryl told Dave as he cut him loose. "She saw the school blow up."
David nodded. "It got too hot for me to go through the front where she was, so I had to jump out of a back window. Just in time too, because the whole place blew before I hit the ground. I am so fucking lucky to be alive." He paused for a moment. "Let me see your fingers. They look pretty bad." David gently touched his bruised fingers, closely examining them. He completely forgotten how busted they were. But now they hurt like hell.
"Yeah. Your fuckin' leader broker 'em." He winced at the pain. "I didn't feel 'em before now."
"Demerol is wearing off. And for your information, that asshole's not my leader. He took me the same way he took you and Dani. I only pretended to go along because I was looking for a way out. But when I learned that this so-called leader has many wives, I thought there was a chance that Dani was with him, being held captive. I thought if I could become one of them, I could see if she was there, and then I could free her." He smiled at Daryl. "When I saw her brought here, I was relieved. Then I saw she was with you, and I had to be sure if she was with you by choice or you were holding her hostage."
"Well, she's with me, 'cause she wants to be," Daryl told him. He blinked at the pain again, and David nodded.
"I think he dislocated your fingers, not break them. Still, they'll be out of commission for a while." He took out a role of bandages. "I'll wrap them up for you. And then we gotta get my sister and get the hell out of here."
Daryl nodded. "Okay. How many men here do we have to take out?"
"About twenty. Fifteen in the farmhouse and five outside guarding the perimeter. We have to take the outside guards one by one. Get their weapons and then storm the house, take them by surprise."
"What about Dani? What if they hurt her?"
"They won't. Because they know they can get a lot of points for her."
"Points?"
"Yeah, like cash. It's what the leader calls it. You accumulate a lot of points and can buy food and supplies with them. If the leader wants Dani as a wife, each man here gets a thousand points each for her." Daryl felt sick to his stomach.
"That's sick," he said with disgust. "Dani ain't no prize."
"I know. That's why we gotta get out of here before the leader shows up tonight." He handed Daryl a hunting knife and a handgun. "We take them out, one by one, sneak into the house through the basement, and get the rest of these fuckers. Sounds good?"
Daryl smiled at him, agreeing with the plan. "Sounds great."
Slowly, they both sneaked out the back of the barn, Daryl getting his knife ready while he follows David's lead. "I go up to one and distract them," he told him. "Then you sneak up behind him and stab him through the skull. We make our way one by one, till there's no one left out here. Got that, Daryl?"
Daryl nodded. "Got it. Let's go." They both crept up behind a stack of crates and boxes behind the barn. David pointed out to him a tall man with long dark hair standing over to the corner of the perimeter of the area, smoking a cigarette. He mouthed the words 'wait here' for Daryl and stood up and casually walked towards the man.
"Hey Bill! How are ya," he said as he approached the man. "Can I bum a smoke?"
"Sure." He presented his pack of cigs to David. David took one out, stuck it in his mouth and lit it up. "I should charge you twenty points for that cig, but since you're being inducted by our leader tonight, it's one me."
"Thanks, Bill! That's nice of you!" Daryl noticed that David moved to the left of him, having Bill turn more away from Daryl. Daryl saw David give a slight nod, meaning to do it.
"By the way, what's the leader like? I'm just curious, Bill." David asked him, keeping him busy as Daryl slowly lurched behind him, his knife ready.
"Well, I can't say too much about him. But if you follow the rules, he can be okay. If not, well, just look what happened to Jerry and Bart. I mean…EELGHKKK!" Daryl stuck his knife on the top of his head, wrapping his forearm around his neck. He slowly let him fall to the ground and dragged his body by his arms to the side of the barn. David smiled.
"I'm impressed. Just four more." They continued to creep up by the crates, watching another man stand to their right, pacing around, looking annoyed. Luke then walked up to him, stopping David and Daryl in their tracks.
Luke appeared to be handing something to the man, and he looked pissed off about what he was given.
"That's it? That's all I get tonight," he asked Luke. Luke crossed his arms over his chest and sternly glared at him.
"You know the rules, Craig! You only have enough points for this can of beans. Not anything else tonight," Luke shouted at him.
"This is fucking ridiculous," Craig hollered at him. "I get a lousy can of beans for 100 points? I helped you catch those lovebirds we brought back! That's worth at least a thousand, even more!"
"It's up to the leader. If you want, you can wait till he shows up and allots the points. But if you take another can without paying for it….." his voice trailed off. "Well, you know what happens."
"Yeah, I get sliced and diced over a goddamned pittance," Craig sulked away, holding his ill gotten can. Luke merely shook his head and walked back to the house. They saw Craig stand there for one a moment. David nodded towards Daryl and crept up to Craig. He then stood up and briskly walked over to him.
"Hey, Craig! You all right," he asked him in a pleasant tone. Craig shrugged.
"Just so pissed off at this stupid point system," he told him. "I work my ass off, doing everything like a fuckin' lap dog, and this is the thanks I get. I'm so sick of this!"
"Hey, don't worry. Tonight the leader shows up. He will reward us. By the way, I need your help with something. See that broken fence over there?" David pointed to a corner off on the side of the perimeter. Craig strained to see it.
"What the fuck you talking about, Chuck? I don't see…." David instantly drove his own knife into Craig's skull. Craig slumped to the ground. David then picked up Craig's legs and dragged him over to the crates where Daryl was hiding.
"So far so good," he told him. "Let's keep going." They slowly kept their pace towards the house, where David pointed to a guard standing by the porch of the house. Daryl nodded at David and crept up to the guard. Sneaking up just behind him, Daryl stood up and wrapped his forearm around his neck. Before the guard could utter a sound, Daryl stabbed him in the head, letting him fall to the ground. David was right behind him, acknowledging his feat.
"Wish I had my damned crossbow," Daryl muttered. David patted his back.
"The armory is in the basement. I'm sure that's where your weapons are," he assured him. "There's two more now. One over by the right side of the house and the other in the back. You take care of the back. I'll go around the front and get the other guy."
Daryl patted his shoulder and proceeded to walk to the back while David made his way to the front. This was risky, trusting him. But the picture of Dani and David didn't lie. They were siblings. And one thing Daryl knew all too well was that blood never betrayed blood. He learned that from Merle. And David seemed like a trustworthy guy. He wanted to save his sister.
Daryl wanted to save the love of his life. No way was she going to die. Never. Not like Beth. He wasn't going to lose Dani like he lost her. It would drive him mad if that were to happen.
He saw the other guard urinating in the back. It was perfect for Daryl, for a guy with his dick out is vulnerable. He merely walked up to the guard and grabbed him. It took no time to jab the knife into his temple. The guard fell to the ground and Daryl pulled him to closer to the house so no one could see him.
"What they fuck are you doing, Chuck," he heard a loud voice yell out from the other side of the house.
"Sorry, Kurt," he heard David tell him as Daryl walked briskly to the other side to see David holding the guard from behind. He then stabbed him in the head and let him fall to the ground. "I'm done being a slave."
David then looked up at Daryl sadly. Daryl returned the glance. "Let's go get your sister," Daryl told him. They both then walked up to a basement window, where Daryl peeked into a room filled with guns and weapons.
"That's the room we need to get into. The window's locked. But I know another way in." He gestured to Daryl to follow him to another window that David easily opened. He looked inside and saw through the darkness that it was some sort of boiler room with a large water heater and a furnace.
Both of them climbed through the window one by one and landed softly on the concrete ground. In the dark, Daryl followed him to the door. "Just follow me, and no matter what happens, do exactly what I say. You got that?"
Daryl silently nodded.
"From here on out, if they see you, they will kill you on sight. Don't mean to sound like a dick, but we're this close to getting Dani out." He sadly looked down. "It would kill me if we fail. After everything she's been through…"
"We'll get her," he assured him. "Don't you worry 'bout that."
"How's your fingers," David asked him. "They okay?"
"Fuckin' sore as hell, but could be worse," Daryl informed him. "Now let's go get Dani back!"
…..
Dani managed to cut her wrists free. She then untied her ankles, breathing a sigh of relief. But still she had to get out of this room. She crept over to the window and saw to her relief that it was unlocked. She peered out of the window and saw three men patrolling the perimeter of the house she was in. She could see a large barn to her right. It was getting close to dusk and she knew she had to get out of here before the "leader" showed up. Just who was he exactly and what did he want with her, she didn't want to find out.
She wanted to find out if Daryl was still alive. She had to see if he was all right. She wanted to tell him…
"How's it going," she heard a voice, the same voice she had heard earlier, ask outside.
"Good. No one's tried to get in, and I think she's still asleep."
"When she wakes up, let me know." She heard footsteps walk away. She waited for a moment, and then crept up against the door. She strained her ears to hear anything else. So far, just mumbled voices.
She looked back at the window. It was worth a shot to go through, but she feared being caught by the men outside. She then opened a door next to the bed, and saw it led to another bedroom. No one was in there. This could work, she thought. She could try to sneak out through this way, possibly take out anyone she crosses paths with.
The door to the second bedroom opened halfway, and she quietly closed the adjacent door. She started to panic, hoping whoever was approaching didn't see this door close. She then heard footsteps coming towards the door. Quickly, she got back onto the bed and feigned being tied up and unconscious. She heard the door open and whoever was there came closer to her. The footsteps stopped right in front of her. Then she felt a hand on her left breast, making her feel disgusted.
"Now, where were we, before we were interrupted," she heard a gruff sinister voice whisper in her ear, making her clench her knife even tighter.
Dani fought to show her reaction as this creep started to feel her up. She still kept her eyes closed, but tried to open them halfway. Through her blurred vision, she could see he wasn't paying attention to her face. It was only her body he wanted. It repulsed her when his hand reached her crotch.
"Best damn thing I'd had in a long time, Sugar Tits," he told her. She was laying on one side, holding the knife behind her in her free hand. He then leaned over to her face, and she could feel his hot breath against her cheek. "I like 'em like this," he whispered. "All still and quiet." She then felt his lips on hers, trying to slide his tongue in.
Without waiting another moment, she slammed her little knife into his forehead. Her eyes flew wide open, showing him the rage that had built up inside of her. He slumped down to the floor as Dani stood up, still holding her knife, her eyes never leaving him. The prick was dead.
She then faced the bedroom door to see if anyone heard the slump. Thankfully no one else entered. She then turned her attention to the prick who tried to molest her. She picked up his weapons, consisting of a large hunting knife, and a handgun. She wished she had her Winchester back. But this would have to do. She put her small knife back into her leather coat sleeve, affixing it to the clasp. Then she slowly walked over to the next bedroom, and saw no one in there. She then went to the door that led to the hallway. She leaned against the door to hear if anyone was out there. Slowly, she opened the door and peered outside. She saw the man who was supposed to be guarding her, sitting on a chair reading a book and listening to an IPod with his ear phones. No wonder he didn't hear the slump of his friends' body hit the floor.
She watched him as he made himself more comfortable, shifting his body weight towards the staircase, facing away from her. She then crept up towards him, taking out her newly required hunting knife. As soon as she was close, she lunged after him, startling him and before he could react, she plunged the hunting knife into his head.
Panting, she stood up, looking around for anyone else. She then walked by every room, seeing no one in them to her relief. She slowly walked down the stairs, stopping at every sound and creak the floorboards made. She came to a halt when she heard voices at the bottom of the stairs. She heard the distinctive voice of the man who captured her and Daryl speaking over some radio. She crept down more, crouching down to see the same man talking into a microphone at a table in what looked like the dining room. Two more men stood on either side of him, listening in on their conversation.
"This is Luke at Outpost Four, coming in," he said. Then she heard a voice talk through the radio.
"Luke, this is Tyler from the Sanctuary coming in, over."
"Tell Negan we have everything ready. We even have a possible new bride for him."
"Sure will. Only problem is he can't come over tonight. He's handling a domestic issue."
"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Tell him we are saddened by the news and hope to see him again soon. Chuck was looking forward to meeting him."
"I know Negan wanted to meet him. But tonight he found out that one of his wives has strayed. He's handling the situation with the man she cheated with."
Dani then heard the faint sound of a man screaming in agonizing pain in the background. She felt sick to her stomach and anger. This was the man they were offering her to? A sick demented psycho who did God knows what to this man? Jesus, she had to get away quick!
"Sounds like he handled it," Luke chuckled.
"Yeah. It's bad. So, it looks like Negan's due to arrive tomorrow night instead."
"All right. Thank you for the update. We'll sit tight till then. Over and out."
Luke clicked off the microphone. He got up and left the room with the two men, giving them orders she couldn't hear. She lurked around the corner of the staircase, seeing nobody there. Slowly she stepped down the staircase, carefully watching for any movement, straining her ears for any sound she could make out. As soon as she reached the bottom, she halted in her tracks and lowered herself to the ground. She saw Luke talking to someone walk to the large front window to look out. Carefully she readied her knife and started to sneak towards him.
Suddenly, she felt arms grab her around her chest and a hand over her mouth.
"Not so fast, sweetheart," she heard someone behind her. She struggled, and unfastened the clasp that held her small knife in her sleeve. But at that moment, Luke walked in, smiling at her along with two other men, holding their guns on her. The man she was about to dispatch spun around and grinned at her.
Her weapons stripped away, she held tightly against the man who had her, as Luke walked over to her and touched her cheek, making her turn her face from him.
"If you're trying to save your redneck, it's too late. I've killed him," he told her, making her more incensed. "I hope it wasn't too serious." He then ordered two of his men to check upstairs, and they ran up the stairs. "I know you killed Christopher, the man guard you. I can let that slide. In fact, that's quite impressive. Normally it's damsels in distress we bring to our leader, who I know you overheard his name. Only those who are inducted are privileged to learn it. And he is always the one to make the introductions."
The men came downstairs, shaking their heads. "Chris is dead," one man said. The other looked repulsed. "So is Thomas. He was in her room."
Luke smiled more. "Ah! You saved me the trouble of dealing with Thomas. Thanks!"
Suddenly, shots rang out from downstairs. Luke turned to his three men to check it out. As soon as his back was turned, Dani hung her head low. And then brought it back hard, breaking the man's nose. He released his grip on her, and instantly she spun around and stabbed him in the head with her small blade. As he was slumping to the ground, she grabbed his hand gun and started to shoot at Luke, who managed to duck behind a sofa. Dani ran hid behind a bureau, waiting.
…
Daryl stayed behind David and watched as he dispatched the first man in front of him quietly and stuff him into some closet. Just fourteen left to go, and they could get Dani. He closed his eyes at the thought of what could be happening to her right now. He didn't want to take that asshole Luke's word that no one would touch her. Just having been forced to watch that fucker Thomas touch her made him angrier than Hell.
David gestured Daryl to come to him. He then held out his hand and motioned for him to step back as he peered into the weapon room. "Hey, Carlos," he heard David say walking into the room. "Do you have any ammo for this gun? I'm almost out."
"Well, let's see. Umpphffff!" Daryl took that as a signal that Carlos was dead. He entered the armory where he saw David grab some weapons. Daryl grunted as he came across his crossbow stacked neatly on the table. He picked it up along with more arrows and grabbed an AK-47 with ammo. David grabbed some grenades and an extra rifle. He also grabbed two canisters of tear gas and two gas masks. He handed one of each to Daryl, excited but also serious.
"Okay, we're golden. Now for the next part. And it's going to be tough" he whispered to Daryl. "Dani will be in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. What we need to do is take out the men in the den down here. I think there's about six of them. We can't just sneak up to them and stab them in the head one by one." He handed Daryl a tear gas canister. "We throw this in there, they'll try to escape through our way, then we shoot them down. Anyone coming down the stairs, we take them out."
"Damn, that's good!" Daryl was impressed with this man's thinking. No wonder his plan to destroy Tobias' compound worked.
"Now, put this on, and be ready. On my mark, we toss these canisters at them." They both entered the hallway and ventured into the den. David held up his hand and began the countdown with his fingers. Three…..two…..one….and then he pointed.
Daryl tossed his canister, already set, in the middle of the room. It was followed by a loud noise, and soon the room was engulfed with white burning smoke. David and Daryl immediately put their masks on. They heard the coughing and wheezing and panting.
"Now!" David commanded, and Daryl and David opened fire with their automatic weapons, their bullets slicing through them. Daryl heard more men run downstairs. He instantly started to shoot at them one by one as they came down. One however ran back up, and screamed for more back up. Daryl smiled. None were coming now.
...
"Give it up, darling," Luke ordered. "We have men around this perimeter and we're not too far away from our headquarters. I can be merciful. I doubt the leader will be."
Dani still hid, checking how many bullets she had in her magazine. Unfortunately it was not enough. She then looked to her left and saw a shotgun laying by the man that Dani had just killed with her small knife. She reached over and grabbed it, bringing it close to her.
"If you fuckers hadn't taken me and him, this wouldn't have happened, you psycho dick," she yelled. "You think I haven't come across an asshole like you before? You think I'd just let you take me away to be a fuckin' sex slave for some demented fuckhead with an ego trip? You are the dumbass! Not me!"
"You make it sound like it's a life of hard labor but it isn't, sweetheart," Luke continued. "You get to live in the lap of luxury. Like a queen. Something you never would have gotten with that redneck you were fucking back at that shack." Her face twisted in anger and disgust. How dare this prick talk about her Daryl that way.
Oh God Daryl, she thought. It can't be true.
"Just give up, and I promise you no harm will come to you."
She saw movement in the in a dark corner of the room and she fired the shotgun at whatever was there. She heard a loud groan and a thud hitting the floor.
She slid herself across the wooden floor to the leather chair, still keeping her aim. She then heard the stomping of footsteps climbing up the basement steps. And a very familiar voice called her name. "DANI!"
Her heart soared. It was Daryl. He was alive!
"Over here," she screamed. "He's still in here."
Then she heard a loud gun shot in front of her, and the mirror that was hanging on the wall fell to pieces. She swung around and aimed where the shot came from. That was when she saw Luke holding his rifle on her stepping up, keeping his aim on her. "Drop your weapons, bitch," he commanded. She refused.
"No way. I gave up before, and I'm not doing that again."
"You don't have a choice, dickhead," Daryl said, keeping his crossbow on him. "You kill her, I kill you. That simple."
"Really," Luke laughed. "You'd really let her go like that? I don't buy it."
"That's because he has insurance," she heard another familiar voice answer. Her eyes widened. No. It couldn't be.
A shot rang through the room, and Luke fell over on the floor, a bullet wound was gaping in his leg. He grabbed his leg and cried out in pain. He was bleeding fast. Dani then walked over to him with her handgun and aiming it at him. Daryl joined her, creeping up next to her, keeping his aim on Luke. He gave her a quick kiss and smiled.
"So glad to see you're okay, darlin', " he told her. "Look behind you."
She turned around, and nearly fainted when she saw him.
It was David, lowering his gun, smiling at her. Tears were starting to fall down his face. He held out his arm to her. "Dani," he cried with joy. "It's really you!"
Dani's lip trembled. "DAVID!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. He hugged her right back, crying her name over and over.
"I knew you were alive," he whispered. "I just knew I'd find you!"
"I thought you were dead, David! I saw the school burn and…."
"I know. But I knew you'd come to DC. I knew I'd find you sooner or later." He kissed her cheek and pulled away to get a look at her. "I missed you so much." He touched her cheek with his palm.
Dani's face was wet with tears and she smiled so happily at him, touching his hand. "I missed you too."
"Hey, we ain't got no time for no family reunions," Daryl interrupted them. "We gotta get outta here fast 'fore the leader shows up."
"I heard his name," Dani said in between breaths. "It's Negan. And he's not showing up here tonight."
"Really," David's eyes grew wide. "Good. Let's load up on of the pick-up trucks and blow this place up."
They heard a chuckle from Luke. Dani walked over to him, standing next to Daryl, putting her hand on his shoulderblade. Luke glanced at her, snickering.
"Negan will kill you," he told her. "All you had to do was obey the rules." He then turned to David. "And Chuck, you fucking traitor! Negan will make sure you suffer slowly. You thought what we did to Jerry was bad! Eh, that was just for laughs."
David leaned over and spat right into his face. "My name is David," he muttered to him. "And this is my sister. And her boyfriend. No on fucks with them."
He then stood up and walked back to his sister. Dani just stood there, looking at him filled with anger. Daryl tried to get her attention. She faced him for a second.
"You start loading everything without me," she told him. "I'll only be a minute. I promise." He nodded to her and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Call if you need anything," he told her and he left her alone with Luke.
She then aimed her shotgun at him, pointing it at his hand. "So, what did Jerry do for you to draw and quarter him? What was this horrible act of treason he committed?"
Luke lay there, looking at her with fury. "He broke the rule of entering the house when our leader was on the radio," he spat at her. "No one who is formally inducted is allowed in the house when he is on the radio."
Dani then shot his hand off, and Luke screamed.
"That's for breaking my boyfriend's fingers," she muttered.
She then stuffed the shotgun's barrel into his mouth, noticing how his eyes were widening with fear. "Funny, how you're not really that cocky anymore," she told him. "It's always the same. Every fucker I meet, anyone who tried to take me, they always have to act like they're the dick of the world. And then they see what I can really do." She smiled. And pulled the trigger. His head exploded into pieces.
"Suddenly, they don't laugh anymore," she intoned. "Tired of all you monsters and demons."
She then turned around and saw Daryl standing there, looking at her. He walked over to her, and held her tightly against him. She buried her face into his chest, sighing great gasps of relief.
"I love you," she heard him say in her ear. "I love you so much, Dani. I'm sorry I didn't say it before. I…"
Dani kissed him hard and passionately, feeling the tears sting her eyes once again, clenching his long hair in her fist. She then released herself from the kiss and looked up right at him. Her lips trembled and her eyes grew so sincere.
"Oh Daryl," she whispered. "I am so in love with you!"
He smiled widely at her, his tears formed in her eyes. It was the first time anyone ever told him that, that he was loved. He kissed her again, never letting go this time.
"Um…guys? We have to take care of this now," her brother interrupted them, making them laugh but knowing he didn't ruin this moment between them.
….
Dani kept watch while Daryl and David stocked up the weapons, food and supplies in one of the pick-up trucks stored in the large garage. They poured fuel and kerosene all over the floors in the house. After they were done, Dani greeted them by the truck. Hearing a loud growl, they turned to their left, and saw a few walkers approach, some eating the men that Daryl and David had killed. Dani got in the truck shot gun.
"We need to leave," she said. "Let them think there was some sort of accident and that the walkers got the rest."
David nodded. "Exactly what I thought." He then walked up to the porch and lit the match, igniting it on fire. He raced back to the truck and got in next to his sister. Daryl jumped in the driver's side and started the truck's engine. As soon as it roared, he hit the gas and raced away from the farm and away from the monsters that had them.
He looked over at his girlfriend who was resting her head on her brothers' shoulder. David rested his head on hers. He smiled at them, happy to see them reunited finally in this shit storm of the apocalypse.
It made him think of his brother Merle, and how he felt some joy being reunited with him. But it was kind of short lived because the Governor tried to have them fight to death.
They drove through the night, hoping to get home quick. Daryl had a lot to tell Rick about these Saviors.
And he also had a new member to introduce to the group.
It took me two days to work on this chapter. I had to get this right. Please let me know what you think! And no! Negan won't show up for a bit. But as you remember from the comic, the Saviors are not so forgiving. I really hope you liked it!