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FRIEND OR FOE
Chapter 21
Daryl explained everything to T-Dog on the ride back to the lodge so he'd know what to expect. Daryl was tired of talking but he wanted them both to be prepared for whatever they were in for. He knew they were in for a big fight.
They turned down the dirt road that led to the lodge. As they approached the clearing, Daryl could see Alex's truck at the bottom of the hill against a tree. The front hood was bent up and the engine was still smoking. Daryl could see someone was still inside.
"STOP!" Daryl shouted as he opened the door.
T-Dog slammed on the brakes as he tried to stop in time to keep Daryl from jumping out while the truck was still moving.
"Daryl wait!" T-Dog shouted as he watched Daryl jump out and run over to the driver's side of the truck with his shotgun raised.
T-Dog looked around and could see the lodge. The gate on the fence surrounding the building was wide open. He could see a few bodies of walkers lying on the ground near the gate. He was still too far to see beyond the fence. T-Dog raised his shotgun, keeping his eyes on the surrounding area to make sure no one caught them by surprise. He walked over to the wrecked truck and saw Daryl pulling a man out of the driver's side. The man was clearly injured but still alive.
"Daryl man! What are you doin'?" T-Dog asked in shock that Daryl was being so rough with the injured man.
"Where is she? What have you done with her?" Daryl demanded.
Alex struggled to speak and groaned in pain as Daryl threw him onto the ground.
Daryl stood over top of him grabbing the front of his shirt to lift him up and shoving the shotgun in his face.
"I said where is she?" Daryl shouted again.
Daryl looked Alex up and down and noticed part of the injuries he suffered were from slamming into the tree but he also clearly had a bite wound from a walker. Alex gurgled on his own blood and Daryl could see it was useless trying to get any information from him. He was on his last breath.
"DAMMIT!" Daryl shouted as he stood up for a moment. "He's been bit!"
T-Dog started to speak but before he could get any words out Daryl aimed his shotgun at Alex and pulled the trigger then racked another round into the chamber.
"Come on….." Daryl ordered.
"Man….Daryl…." was the only thing T-Dog was able to stutter out as he ran after him towards the truck. They both jumped back in and drove up to the gate. Once again before T-Dog could even have the truck at a complete stop, Daryl flings the door open and jumps out. T-Dog follows soon after.
They enter the gate stepping over a few bodies of walkers, rolling each over as they go with their shotguns ready and checking to see who they are.
"She's got dark hair…it's real long but she usually has it up some how…" Daryl instructed T-Dog as they looked at all the bodies.
The yard had a few bodies scattered around, mostly walkers and two women from camp.
T-Dog watched as one woman started to reanimate.
"Daryl?..." T-Dog questioned as he watched the woman slowly begin to rise back to her feet.
"Well shoot her dammit! It's a fuckin' walker!...I don't know what the hell you're waitin' for….it ain't like this is somethin' new!" Daryl said in anger as he continued to look around. He walked over to the shed as he heard the blast from T-Dog's shotgun.
Daryl cautiously opened the door half expecting to see the guard as walker food but to his surprise it was empty. It was strange being back there and having things be so dramatically different. He had only been gone a few hours and it looked like a walker bomb had gone off there. After stepping back out Daryl noticed one of the dead outside in the yard was the guard they had tied up in the shed. Someone must've freed him before the walkers came.
Daryl quickly turned around and ran over to the building as T-Dog quickly followed after him. Carefully they both entered ready to shoot if needed. Once in the great room Daryl saw another walker in the middle of the room just wandering around. T-Dog positioned himself to shoot.
"Aw hell no T-Dog….this bitch is mine!" Daryl stopped him. "Hey….." Daryl whistled to get it's attention.. " I want you to look at me you child beatin' sack of shit!"
The walker slowly turned towards Daryl's voice and confirmed what Daryl already knew, that it was Jason. Alex's right hand man.
"You better believe I'm gonna enjoy this one." Daryl said just before he pulled the trigger. The walker Jason dropped to the floor.
Daryl and T-Dog continued to search all the areas of the lodge, only finding a few other walkers.
"NAOMI….." Daryl shouted as they excited back out into the yard. T-Dog followed behind.
They continued to search the area of the entire property and surrounding area, calling out her name but couldn't find any signs of her. Daryl increasingly grew frustrated.
"Daryl man, she ain't here…..we're runnin' out of time, we've got to head back…" T-Dog told him.
Daryl pretended as if he didn't hear him and kept walking around calling for her.
"DARYL!" T-Dog shouted.
Daryl stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at T-Dog.
"WHAT?" Daryl snapped.
"She's gone! One way or another, she ain't here" T-Dog told him.
"Shut up!" Daryl replied.
"I'm serious….it's over, we've got to leave now! She either escaped and ran off to who knows where or she turned and is now a walker stumbling out there somewhere." T-Dog said as he waved his arms around. "I'm leaving, with or without you."
T-Dog turned around and started to walk back towards the truck. Daryl stood in his tracks and looked around one final time.
"God dammit!" Daryl turned and grumbled his whole way back to the truck with T-Dog.
"Let's grab whatever supplies they have and bust ass out of here!" T-Dog told him.
The whole ride back neither one of them said a word. Rain poured down their whole way. Daryl chewed on his fingers and stared out the window and wondered what on earth he was going to tell Caleb. It was only a few hours….she should've still been here….why did I leave without her…I should've listened to my gut…..I was only gone a few hours….it shouldn't be this way…