CHAPTER 37: A Change of Plans

00:35 am

Sarah's head jerked up as she was startled from her sleep, and she blinked in confusion, not noticing immediately what it was that had woken her. Then suddenly it struck her. The sound of an engine - a car engine, one she recognised. Someone was outside!

With the realisation like an electric jolt, she gasped, and looked wildly around the dark room - the others were stirring, similarly confused. She scrambled to her feet, cursing as her cold muscles cramped from her awkward sleeping position propped up against the wall.

Across the room, Rick was the next up, already making his way to the door with quick steps, and hushing everyone with a hiss. They couldn't risk noise until they knew what was happening.

Daryl was up, just seconds after Sarah, and looking much more awake than she did. She helped pull him to his feet, trying to wake up properly herself, but her eyes still felt gritty from lack of sleep.

He cast about, mind working, and noticed who was missing. He rapidly came to the same conclusion that Sarah had already arrived at. He went still and met her eyes, his livid expression mirroring hers.

"Motherfucker!" he swore.

"He is so dead." Agreed Sarah.

They followed Rick out in an undignified scramble. "T?" asked Sarah anxiously, seeing Rick kneeling next to T-Dog, but he was already coming around, holding his head and muttering. They all made room for Herschel to get through, and then Maggie and Glenn half-carried him inside, where they could risk using a torch to get a good look at his head wound.

Rick stood in the street, stiffly staring off into the darkness, where he'd just seen headlights disappearing.

Carol had the presence of mind to check the other vehicles. "Rick, he's drained the tanks!" she cried out, turning pale, as the engine's sputtered.

Rick cursed and came to check the other cars - they wouldn't be going anywhere.

Lori glanced into the remaining vehicles, and then hugged Carl close. "He's taken the supplies too, Rick! What-" her voice rose in fear.

"Shh." Hissed Rick, starting to pace. The last thing they needed was a herd of walkers finding them now, especially since they had very few weapons left - the traitor had stolen even the bag of spares that Rick always kept outside the vehicles, within reach. They had little food, no transport, and half of their tents and medical supplies were gone. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his face distractedly - and unconscious habit he'd picked up from Shane, Lori realised dully.

"I knew this would happen!" said Daryl furiously, but keeping his voice down. "Din' I tell you we couldn't trust that asshole?!"

Rick glared, but didn't reply. He tried to think - he had to keep calm, weigh up their options, push his guilt, fear and anger aside for now... but it was hard, especially with everyone's eyes on him... as usual. Blaming him. Wanting him to say it would be alright. To tell them the plan. But all their options were bad again.

"You were right." Sarah said quietly, answering instead of Rick. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Daryl."

"Yeah, well, s'no good now, is it?" he snarled, his fear showing in the tenseness of his shoulders.

"We can still make this right." Sarah said slowly. Rick looked up at her sharply, and followed her gaze.

"Daryl, check the bike." He ordered, hope kindling again. They still had Merle's motorbike!

Daryl revved the engine, and they all sighed with relief - it still had fuel. It seemed that David had either forgotten it, or perhaps couldn't find the fuel cap.

"Well, that's good." Said Sarah, trying hard to be positive, but sounding unsure. One motorbike wasn't going to get them out of this predicament...

But Rick looked like he had been handed a lifeline. How could they use this to their advantage? He ran over options in his head, calculating risks and considering all the angles. It was hard to believe just minutes ago they'd all been relatively safe and secure, and not doing to badly for themselves... following a plan... Now they'd been reminded how fragile their situation really was. He sighed. It seemed like their run of good luck in the few weeks since they stayed at the cemetery had come to an end.

"Alright, here's the plan." He said at last, walking back to the waiting group. Even T-Dog was lucid and sitting up, and seemed none the worse for wear, besides a small bandage around his forehead.

"We're not far from the next town, where there are supplies and weapons and shelter-" he didn't mention that it was only Sarah's say-so that they would find safety there to go on, and the possibility they would find supplies there... if they could actually find the town, since they'd already gotten lost once before. He didn't mention any of that, but said it like it was an absolute certainty... hoping fervently that they would find everything they needed there. "We have to make it... we can't stay here."

There was an immediate outcry at this, but Rick talked them all down, explaining his reasoning. "We can't get caught out here, alone and without a plan. If we barricade ourselves in this building - it only has one entrance - we'll only be trapping ourselves..."

"What about that dirty little-" Daryl glanced at Carl and took a breath, "What about David? He ain't gettin' away with this!" he started pawing at his crossbow.

"I can't have you going off in the middle of the night to search for him, who knows what direction-" Rick began heatedly, but Sarah interrupted him.

"We do know where he is... where he's going." She said suddenly, it all dawning on her at once. "It's why he left. He's going back for..."

"...His books." Herschel finished heavily. "I thought he gave up fightin' for 'em a little too quickly."

"He left us here with nothin' - we might die - for books?!" Beth's voice was high with indignation.

"No one's gonna die," said Maggie firmly, squeezing her sister's shoulder.

"Rick, Daryl's right, we can't just let him go!" Glenn argued loudly.

Rick held up his hands. "Fine!" he snapped, "Daryl goes to get David-"

"I'm going with." Said Sarah immediately. When Rick glared, her chin went up stubbornly.

"Well, two people have to go, if Daryl takes the bike, the other drives the car back." Added Carol reasonably before Rick could argue.

"...Precisely." Sarah said confidently, mentally thanking Carol for supporting her. She hadn't thought of the practical reasons of going at all... she just wanted to see David get his just desserts.

"Fine!" shouted Rick, reaching the end of his tether. "Daryl and Sarah get the car back from David." He glared, but no one had anything more to add, so he continued, "In the meantime, we wait here until dawn. As soon as it's light, we're leavin' on foot to the town." He shot a warning look at Daryl and Sarah, serious. "With or without you two."

Daryl nodded. "We can catch up... if we need to."

Sarah ran inside to grab her backpack and weapons - at least she still had her hand gun and machete-sword.

Daryl got onto the bike and started the engine - they needed to get going if they were to catch that bastard before he got too far.

"Daryl," Rick said in a low tone, away from the others, "That son-of-a-bitch doesn't come back, you got it?"

Daryl nodded. "He ain't going nowhere." He promised, eyes hard.

Glenn stopped Sarah as she came out of the small building. "Here, take this," he said, handing her a sniper's rifle and a small box of ammo.

She hesitated, unwilling to leave them even more vulnerable than they already were.

"We need those supplies... the weapons... the food... We need it all back." He said, holding her gaze stubbornly. "I'm counting on you."

"But-"

He glared at her.

She took the gun.

Author's note:

Sorry about this super-short chapter... I had planned to release one long chapter, but it isn't ready yet and I don't want to keep you peeps in suspense for long intervals. The next part is long and action-packed, and coming to you soon, so hang in there!

Reviews are always greatly appreciated!