Man I can't believe I'm already writing about that night where everything's about to go down. Oh my. Please let this night last forever because I don't want this fic to end! Really loving this chapter for all the Connaryl interaction. The walker action. Oh and the gas can. I changed a few canon things. Mainly replacing Glenn with Connor because really, we need the boys all on their own in the woods. It's the first time we're having them out like that. With walkers waiting for them. *grrr*
setting: episode 12 "Better Angels"
Salvation
Chapter 34 - Missing
Daryl got the blue truck ready by the end of the afternoon. Everyone was done securing the farmhouse so there wasn't much else to do. Connor had also returned from wherever he'd gone for the past couple of hours and handed Daryl the provisions Carol had prepared for Randall. When the hunter saw his friend he shook his head and snorted.
"Where the hell were yah?"
Connor snorted as well.
"Why? Did ye miss me? I was helping the ladies."
He grabbed some of Daryl's arrows which where lying next to the car and placed them on the loading area of the truck.
"Pff, ain't no ladies around here. Nothing but stupid cows' more like it."
"Just because ye obviously never got close to any chicks it don't mean they're all stupid because af that. Take Maggie fer example, she took care af my leg that one night.
When you didn't know what ta do."
Daryl growled.
"I knew what t'do. She just came in before I could do any of my stuff."
Connor snickered and helped him with the gas cans.
"Aren't you adorable when yer jealous."
Daryl growled and pointed an arrow at him.
"I ain't jealous! Keep yer stupid trap shut!"
"When ye keep runnin away and pull that face whenever 'm talking t'someone else..."
"I said shut it!"
Connor started laughing.
"Don't worry Darlyna, yer still the real thing. I'll love ye til the end af time.."
Daryl threw one of the empty gas cans at him and hit Connor's head. The Irishman groaned and rubbed his aching forehead.
"Ow, fuck you! Are you fuckin nuts?"
Daryl grinned mischievously.
"I told yah t' shut up."
"Only got so many arrows" they heard someone say and turned around in surprise.
They saw T-Dog coming for them. Connor still growled and complained because of the gas can attack.
"Fucker" he murmured and looked what T-Dog and Daryl were doing.
T-Dog had a gun in his hand and gave it to Daryl. The hunter took it and looked at it.
"Is that Dale's gun?" he asked and T-Dog nodded. Connor stopped cursing then and sighed.
"Yeah" T-Dog answered and they didn't speak for a while.
That's a conversation killer.
"Thanks but I already got one from that stupid leprechaun" Daryl said and gave it back to T-Dog.
"Oh fuck ye, give it back then if ye don' want it" Connor answered but his friend ignored him.
T-Dog closed the tail board of the truck and shook his head.
"No, I'm sure Dale wanted yah to have it. You should take it. You're gonna need it out there."
Daryl took it with a sigh and put it away.
"Yeah guess yer right. Wish I knew where the hell mine is" he murmured and Connor snorted.
"Yeah looks like ye lost it, dumbass."
"Fuck you, I didn't. Idiot."
"I didn't take it either."
Daryl snorted but couldn't say anything else because Rick came over to join them.
"Ready?" he asked and Daryl turned around.
He nodded and grabbed his crossbow.
"Yeah" he muttered and T-Dog nodded as well.
"I'll get the package."
"Thanks" Rick said.
He looked at Connor and frowned.
"You planning on coming with us?"
The Irishman shrugged and folded his arms.
"Can I?"
Rick shook his head.
"I don't think that this is a good idea. With your leg.."
Connor sighed.
"It's always that fuckin leg..."
"Yeah but the town's different. There's walkers everywhere. We might need to run. Fast.."
Connor shrugged.
"Whatever. You go an have fun then. But take care af my girlfriend out there. She might start throwing gas cans at tem walkers."
"Gonna throw a full one at yah next time!" Daryl spat.
"Guys!" they heard T-Dog shouting and turned around in surprise. He came running for them. "Guys! Randall's gone!"
They started running for the shed and when Daryl opened it they found it empty. Andrea, who'd been on watch joined them to search it for clues.
All they could find were bloody handcuffs and empty blankets. Within minutes half the group was with them.
"What's wrong?" Maggie asked and T-Dog stopped them so Daryl could see any remaining tracks and clues.
"Randall's missing" he informed them.
"Missing? How?"
They all started asking questions until they were one big chattering crowd.
"Now everyone calm down and let Daryl figure it out" Connor tried to soothe them and turned around to check on his friend.
"Anything?"
"Workin on it" Daryl murmured and searched the ground.
"What's goin' on?" Glenn asked and Rick sighed.
"It's hard to say. The cuffs are still hooked. He must've slipped 'em."
"Is that possible?" Carol asked and Andrea exited the shed as well.
"It is if you've got nothing to lose" she said and Connor nodded.
"Aye. I tried that once. And Murph. All you've gotta do is break yer hand enough to fit through. Hurts like crazy but...
If yer really that desperate and try ta escape it'll work."
He grabbed his wrist absently and stroke the faint scar.
"The door was secured from the outside" Herschel said and Rick frowned.
"Well how could he get out then, it's impossible!" Glenn said and Andrea shrugged.
"He could've made his way out through the top window."
Connor shook his head.
"Nah, me and Murph secured it this morning. With planks and nails. Impossible ta get out. Just look, everything's still there."
"Well then how did he do it?" Carol asked and when Rick was just about to say something he was interrupted by Shane who stepped out of the woods.
His face was all bloody and he kept shouting for Rick. They all looked up in surprise and Lori joined them.
"What happened?" she shouted and Shane walked over to them.
"He's armed! He's got my gun!"
"Are you okay?" Carl asked and Shane nodded.
"I'm fine. Little bastard just snuck up on me. He clocked me in the face!"
Rick turned around and nodded.
"Alright, Herschel! T-Dog! Get everybody back in the house! Connor, Daryl, come with us."
Daryl nodded and loaded his crossbow.
Connor grabbed his gun and checked the magazine.
"T, I'm gonna need that gun" Shane said and pointed at T-Dog's gun.
"Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn't it, to just let him go?" Carol asked and Rick shook his head.
"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, but not on our front step with a gun."
"Don't go out there. You all know what can happen!" Carol shouted but Rick ignored her.
"Get everybody in the house" he said to T-Dog who nodded.
"Lock all the doors and stay put!" Rick yelled and the group did as they were told.
Rick, Shane, Connor and Daryl headed for the woods.
Although Connor had quite some trouble keeping up with the other three men he tried his hardest and held his gun tight.
"Ye ready fer this shit?" he muttered and Daryl nodded.
"Been waiting for shit like this t'happen."
"I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out" Shane said once they were deep inside the woods. He pointed at some place between the trees.
"I'm not sure how long" he went on and Rick walked further ahead.
"He couldn't have gotten far. He's hobbled, exhausted."
Daryl snickered.
"Reminds yah of someone?"
Connor growled and tried to hit him.
"Shut it."
"Really, yer stupid, go back to the farm. Yah not gonna last a minute out here like that."
"I said shut it. Rick asked me ta come."
"Ain't gonna babysit yah."
"Don't fuckin need ye ta."
Rick suddenly turned around and looked at Daryl.
"Can you track him?"
Daryl looked down and then shook his head.
"I don't see nothing."
"Hey, look, there ain't no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way. We need to pair up. We spread out, we just chase him down. That's it" Shane said.
Daryl turned around with a frown.
"Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. You trying to tell us he got the jump on you?"
"I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?"
This made Connor suspicious as well.
"Where did the kid get a fuckin rock inside that shed?" he asked but Rick wouldn't let him say anything else.
"Alright, knock it off. You and Daryl start heading up the right flank. Me and Shane'll take the left. Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there.
Keep an eye out for each other."
It was getting dark. Way too fast.
After an hour of searching Daryl and Connor found themselves roaming through the pitch black woods, somewhat trying to search for clues.
"Don't ye think it's a bit weird?" Connor asked after a while and Daryl sighed.
"What?"
"This whole story? Te kid freeing himself and then getting the jump on that pitbull? I mean breaking yer hands ta get through the cuffs is tough shit.
It hurts like crazy. I doubt he'd be able ta grab a stone that's big enough to knock Shane out after that. Not to mention that there weren't any stones inside the shed."
"I know it's bullshit. But that doesn't change that the kid's still missing. Guess we just need t'find him to get answers. His body. More likely."
"You think he killed te kid?"
"Well he sure did some crap. And it didn't exactly look like they were Bffs."
"Aye just...why bother kiddin with us then? I mean why send us out ta go looking fer him?" Daryl growled and turned around.
"Look it ain't no use if yah keep prattlin about. I can't fuckin concentrate. It's too dark. Yah still got the light from truck?"
"Aye."
Connor searched his pea coat and found the flashlight. He handed it Daryl who grabbed it with a grunt. He started walking again.
"Oh Christ Come on."
The Irishman sighed and grabbed a smoke.
"All right, bitchy."
About 20 minutes later Daryl finally found something.
"There's two sets of tracks right here. Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said."
Connor snorted.
"I told ye te whole thing's fucked up."
Daryl pointed the flashlight at a tree and frowned.
"Look, there's fresh blood on this tree."
He looked down and nudged Connor.
"There's more tracks. Looks like they're walking in tandem."
Connor frowned.
"You mean like te kid up front and Shane covering his back? Maybe with a pistol?" Daryl looked at him and snorted.
"Yeah thanks for reminding me what "walking in tandem" means smartass. What are yah, got yer degree as Dr Obvious?"
Connor shoved him.
"Oh fuck ye and keep sniffing, snoopy."
He started walking and ran right into Daryl who looked at him and frowned. After a moment of glaring at each other the hunter turned around again to search the ground.
He found something soon after that.
"Looks like there was a little dust up right here."
"What te fuck's that supposed ta mean. Redneck-English, English-Redneck please."
Daryl growled.
"I mean something went down."
"Looks like Mr SuperCop jumped on te kid. I fucking knew it."
"Had a little trouble" Daryl said and Connor knelt down.
He found the blindfold lying on the ground. He picked it up and flashed it Daryl. He snickered.
"Ye up fer some bondage sex in te woods, Darlyna?" he said with a big grin on his face and threw it at Daryl.
The hunter glared at him and hit his shoulder. Suddenly they heard branches breaking behind them and turned around in surprise.
"Oh shit."
They started running for the closest trees and hid behind them. Someone or something was walking around the forest. Very close to them. Judging by the pacing and sound it was a walker. Connor slowly turned his head to see what it was. It was indeed a walker just a couple of meters away from them. Suddenly Daryl whistled which made him look at him. The hunter threw the flashlight at him and he took it with a sigh. They heard the walker groaning and gasping. Daryl turned his head and checked on it. When the undead got closer he looked at Connor and signaled him to shine the flashlight at the walker in order to blind it so he could shoot it with his crossbow. Connor nodded and they waited for him to get closer.
When the Irishman turned around abruptly to do as he was told he was surprised to see Randall standing there. Except Randall was now a walker. He hadn't expected him to be so close so he gasped in surprise when Randall growled and grabbed him by his pea coat. Connor was thrown back against the tree and fell down to the ground. Because Randall kept moving and attacking the Irishman and because Connor was too close Daryl couldn't shoot him with his crossbow.
"Fuckin shoot te fucker already!" Connor yelled and tried to get back up.
Daryl pulled the trigger then and missed. Suddenly Randall came running for him and grabbed his crossbow.
The hunter tried to get hold of it but Randall, being a walker, was stronger than he thought. After a moment of fighting Daryl fell down as well.
"Connor, where the fuck are yah!" he yelled as he tried to fight Randall.
The walker was growling and snarling and tried to get hold of the crossbow. Suddenly Connor came running and knocked Randall down.
He grabbed his knife and buried it in the kid's head. The Irishman fell back panting.
"What in the name af fuckin Mary and Jesus fuckin Christ was that..." he asked and tried to sit up.
Daryl looked at him for a moment, relief washing all over him. He was glad he and most of all Connor were still in one piece.
The hunter got up after a moment and when he saw how the Irishman tried to get up he walked over to him and kicked his behind.
"Be more careful next time, yah prick."
Connor fell back down and cursed.
"Fuck you, 't was yer stupid plan!"
He got up and they looked at Randall who lay dead on the ground. Both Connor and Daryl were still panting heavily until the latter nudged his friend.
"Nice job."
The Irishman grinned.
"Well I didn't miss."
Daryl kicked his shin. Connor growled and rubbed it. He looked at Daryl.
"You alright?"
"Just a stupid walker."
"No bites?"
Connor eyed him head to toe and Daryl growled.
"I said I'm fine."
The Irishman nodded and looked at Randall.
"What about yah, are yah alright?" Daryl asked after a moment and Connor nodded.
"Aye."
They both knelt down next to Randall's body and Connor grabbed his knife.
The hunter inspected the body for a while and placed a hand on Randall's cheek to move his head.
"Got his neck broken" he muttered and Connor frowned.
He moved the head as well. Daryl grabbed the kid by the shoulder and turned him on his back. He moved his jacket and shirt up to check on his bare back.
"He's got no bites."
The Irishman looked at the body and shook his head.
"No fuckin way, he was a walker. Maybe you just didn't see any."
He moved Randall's jacket and Daryl shook his head.
"No I'm telling yah. He died from this."
He pointed at his neck and Connor frowned.
"Well aren't ye the new Sherlock Holmes af Walkerland."
They both looked at each other and the Irishman chewed on his lips.
"So are ye telling me that everyone becomes a walker now once they're dead?"
Daryl shrugged and looked at Randall once more.
"I dunno. Looks like it."
He got up and got his arrow that was still stuck in the tree. Connor sighed and held his head for a moment.
"Now if that isn't some seriously fucked up shit."
"Come on now, let's head back to camp. We should tell the others."
He offered Connor a hand to help him up.
"I don't fuckin like this, Daryl" the Irishman muttered and Daryl nodded.
"Me neither. We should get back now. Tell 'em. Shane must've done it. I mean I don't know bout any walkers just snapping yer neck without havin a couple of bites.
Stupid prick must've killed him."
"Well we knew anyway, didn't we?" Connor said as they headed back home.
"Yeah. I'm not sayin I'm gonna miss the little shit but 't wasn't right. I think that hyped up cop's losin it. We should tell 'em."
"Aye. And then we should.." Connor was interrupted when they heard a piercing shot echoing through the woods.
They stopped and looked at each other.
"Why would they use their fuckin guns in the middle af the night. They fuckin know we can't risk makin that kinda of noise."
Both men looked at each other for a moment and started running.