A/N: After much contemplation, I decided to truly give you a better story this chapter needs to be from Daryl's point of view. Enjoy!
Preacher's Daughter
Chapter 29: Proof
I push the bike as fast as I can, Sam riding beside me. I wanted this over and I wanted it over tonight. Sam pulls his bike into a bar, the place looking like some dive I'd pull Merle out of. Pushing the kickstand down, I follow Sam's lead.
"My friend owns this place and he heard Regan was in town. I'll go in and talk with him, just take a stool and enjoy a beer." I knew I could trust Sam, he'd proven himself to me.
Taking a stool at the end of the bar, I order a beer from the pretty blonde bartender. "What can I get you gorgeous?"
I don't look at her as I keep my eyes on Sam. "A beer, bottle … not tap."
She opens the beer, sliding it over to me. I take a long sip, Sam walking my way. "Daryl, this is my friend Wes."
Wes looks at me over his glasses; the man looked too old to be running a bar. "Hey, you got the information on Regan?"
He pulls up a stool, slapping a piece of paper down on the bar. He slides it towards me, looking over his shoulder. "If you find him, shot him once for me."
"Why do you want him dead?" I usually don't give a flying fuck about other people's shit, but Wes didn't look like the type to want some guy dead.
I watch as he takes off his glasses, cleaning them with the hem of his shirt. "That son of a bitch raped my daughter. That whore, Greta, helped him. I want them both dead."
"I thought Greta was Neil's old lady, what's up?" I knew Sam had told me Merle had run off with Greta, sounded like she was a real slut.
Sam orders up a beer as he sits down beside me. "Greta was with Regan before she left him for Neil. You might say she was keeping it in the family. Regan ain't in the club; he's a lone wolf of sorts. He's been in and out of prison since he was eighteen. I've was in the club for ten years and I could tell even Neil was afraid of his baby brother."
I want to punch Merle so fucking bad; he was a really bad judge of people. I knew one of these days his dick would get us both in some deep shit.
"Are ya tryin to scare me off? As long as that asshole is out there my gurl and my baby ain't safe." Sam lowers his head and I can tell he's not following me.
"I thought you were in this to keep Merle alive or doesn't he matter anymore?" I finish off my beer, shoving the paper in my pocket.
"Properties change Sam." He nods at me and I knew he got me; he has a son and an ex-wife.
I wait till I get back to my bike before I look at the paper. I show it to Sam, and we're back on the road. I let him lead, following him to a rundown motel off the main highway.
Tucking my handgun in my belt, I make sure I have my hunting knife. I grab my crossbow as Sam motions me to follow him. We walk up to a room numbered 114, the gray door looking like no problem. "You stay here; I'll go to the back."
I give Sam a few minutes after he disappears down the alley. Giving the door a good kick, I rush in with my crossbow up. A man stumbles out of the bed as I plant my weapon in his face. "Where do you think yer fuckin goin. Hands up asshole."
Sam comes through the bathroom after squeezing through the window. "Daryl … put your crossbow down. This ain't Regan."
We tie the guy up, Sam roughing him up a bit. "You're going to tell me where Regan is. I know you run with him Ryle so talk our I'm taking your tongue."
I toss my hunting knife to him, holding the guy's head still for him. The guy struggles as Sam reaches in his mouth, jerking out his tongue. "You talking or not?"
"Regan told me to stay at the hotel; he's had me going around town asking about these two stupid rednecks named Dixon." Sam doesn't stop me as I punch him hard, bruising my knuckles.
"Why are you here asshole, what is that bastard up too?" Ryle spits blood at me, grinning.
"People in our your little hometown think I'm Regan cause that's what I told them. I was asking about you and to my surprise someone talked. I met a good old boy that didn't like you much, actually he hates you. He told me I could find you at the Baker farm with some sweet piece of tail." I move to punch him again when Sam's beats me to it.
"You've been watching Bobbi Jo and Daryl … why?" Sam pulls his fist back again when Ryle starts squawking like a pigeon.
"Regan wanted me to watch the farm to see if Merle was there too. When I never saw him I went back to the bar and asked the same guy where the Dixon boys might be holding up. That's when I got the name of a moonshiner named Fraser. Old man Fraser was real friendly, especially after I threaten to burn him out. I told Regan everything I know this morning and that's where he's at now. You're too late, I'm sure Merle is already dead." I take my knife back from Sam and I hold it to his throat. He gives me a smug grin and I want to cut it from his face.
"Don't Dixon; I know just what to do." Sam pulls out his phone, calling Wes.
We wait for Wes and a few guys from the bar to show up, Wes walking in with a baseball bat. "Before you guys teach him a lesson, I need to know who ratted on us."
Wes pats me on the shoulder, telling me he'll get the information I need. Sam and I go back out, waiting by our bikes.
A few moments later, Wes comes out wiping blood from his glasses. "Jeb Johnson … that's your rat."
I can feel my blood boil, that son of a bitch had tried to rape B.J. and now he wanted to get me and my brother killed. After I deal with Regan, Jeb was getting a redneck education.
All I want to do is put a bolt in Jeb's head, that smug ass had done enough damage to last my life. Getting to Merle was more important, Regan could be with him right now.
We ride all day, finally getting back to town around dusk. As we pull on the old mountain road I smell smoke. Sam pulls up beside me, pointing to a billowing tower of black smoke. "Ain't that old man Fraser's place?"
He was right, the old farmhouse was on fire and maybe Merle was already dead. Giving the bike all it can take, we hit the dirt road hard as he leaves the pavement.
The house is nothing but flames when we get there, smoke and fire covering everything. Sam goes over to a strange bike parked in the yard as my eyes go to Clyde's old truck. I see blood on the driver's door window, making me wonder if Clyde was alright.
"Sam … you find anythang?" I walk over to him as he pulls a leather vest from the saddle bags.
"This was Neil's old cut … I would have thought they'd buried him in. Regan is here and by the look of his bike he's not alone." Sam pulls his handgun from his belt, the both of us scanning the area.
As I stand there watching the flames soar to the sky, it hits me, Merle could be dead in that house and the fire a way to cover it up. An emptiness hits me in the chest, I wasn't sure I was ready for a life without my brother.
We decide to look around, seeing if we could find any tracks that Regan may have left. I find three sets of track leading up the mountain, one of the tracks smeared. Someone was limping and bleeding by the blood drops on the rocks.
Calling to Sam, he rushes over. "This way … someone went up the mountain."
"It's too damn dark to go looking for Regan tonight; we need to wait for morning." Sam slides his gun back in his belt, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"There's three sets of tracks, maybe it's Merle running from Regan." I don't really buy what I'm selling but I hope Sam did. If there was a chance Merle might still be alive, I was gonna take it.
Sam goes over to Mr. Fraser's truck, looking for some flashlights. "Daryl!"
The look on his face makes me wonder if he's found a dead body. "What?"
He pulls out bag and a sweater I instantly recognize. "I'm sorry man."
"No way in fuckin hell is that Bobbi Jo's; no … she wouldn't come up here." An even worse feeling of lost hits me, my chest feeling like its caving in.
I start to run towards the house when Sam pulls me back. "You're going to get your foolish ass killed. If she's in there Daryl … she's gone."
I don't know if it was adrenaline or sorrow that pushes me on but I pull free from him and straight towards the burning house.
Sam rushes in behind me, throwing his arm around my neck. He pulls me out, the both of us falling on the ground. "I have to know … goddammit!"
My body feels like I've been nailed to the ground and all I can do is lie there and watch the house burn. Sam lets me go, going over to his bike. I watch as he pulls out a poncho and takes it over to the old well hand pump.
He drenches the poncho, tossing it over his head. He knew he was one crazy bastard, but as he runs into the smoldering house, I get a new respect for just how crazy he is.
The flames start to die down when Sam comes back out, his face covered in soot. He tosses the poncho off and I notice something in his hand. "There are two burnt bodies in there, one could be Mr. Fraser. Dixon, I'm not sure if this means anything to you, but I found this on one of the burnt bodies in there."
My whole world turns to ash when he places the arrow head I'd give Bobbi Jo in my hand. I feel my legs give out as I sail back to the ground again. I hadn't cried in a very long time, so long I was sure I couldn't do it again. The tears I shed when I found out about my baby girl were happy ones, but these, they came from the hollow in my soul.
Sam holds his hand out for me, his eyes hiding the pain he felt for my loss. "You think that son of a bitch is in the mountains, then let's go get him. I think you're right, I think he's chasing Merle. For Bobbie Jo and your baby girl … let's go kill that fucking bastard."
A red hot heat boils in my veins and for the first time in a long time I let the man that Bobbi Jo made me go, becoming the man that Merle always knew I could be. "I kill him … got that."
I tuck the arrow head in my vest, remembering the sweet smile on my B.J.'s face. Sam tosses me the second clip for my handgun, the look on his face matching mine. I lost three months looking for Merle, three months I could have been with Bobbi Jo. Three months I didn't get with her while she carried the secret of our baby. I brought this trouble to her door and now she and my baby are gone.
With nothing left to lose, I toss my crossbow over my shoulder and follow the tracks up the mountain side.
