Chapter Thirty-Eight

Daryl

I was going to kill Angel. She's going off after that rat bastard that raped her on her own. She had promised to let me be the one to take him out, but instead, she runs off to do it herself. If we both make it through this, I'm gonna kiss her, then I'm gonna kill her.

When the group from the run came back I instantly knew something was wrong. The second I heard the truck approaching the gate, something inside me told me she was in trouble. I ran over to the truck with Rick automatically following me.

"Where is she?" I demanded pulling John out of the driver's seat. "Where the fuck is she?"

"Daryl, back off of him!" Rick said pulling me off the guy. "Give him a chance to tell us what happened."

"Talk!" I had no patience for this. I needed to know where Angel was and now.

"She chose to stay back, Daryl. She's alive the last we saw her," John said as he dusted off his pants.

Amy and Benny joined him. "Daryl, It's not John's fault. Jessie got weird after this car drove by the strip mall we were in. We heard it before they could see us, so they never knew we were there. When she saw the guys in the car, her face got white and she said it was time to leave. I thought we were all going together," Amy said standing up for John.

"Yeah, but then she told us what route to take back before running off. But she did say to tell you 'that she's settling an old score' and you would know what that meant. I didn't want to leave her, but you can't tell Jessie what to do. You know that." While I knew he was right, I was still pissed that they came back without her.

Except now I knew the reason why. She had found the motherfuckin' prick that had raped her and now she was going after him. Once I heard that I had them tell me where this strip mall was and I was on my bike in seconds. My crossbow was already in the back since I had been planning on going out for a ride, but got delayed. I was thanking God for that delay.

Rick wanted to go with me, but I told him no. He asked me if I knew what was going on and I told him I sure did. I couldn't tell him more than that. That would be breaking Angel's trust and I never wanted to do that. I'd find her and bring her back, even if meant she was hogtied on the back of my motorcycle. This was something I had to do alone.

Scenarios kept running through my head and none of them were good as the miles passed under my tires. Rash emotional decisions like that always blew up in your face. I should know since that happened to me every damn time. The image of this asshole raping her again kept replaying over and over again. She survived the first time, I doubt she'd be so lucky again. Either way, she'd be so fucked up in the head I wouldn't know how to fix that. Look at me. I'm still fucked up from how my old man treated me as a kid.

I zig-zagged around a few straggling walkers as the strip mall came into sight. I knew she wouldn't be here, but I should be able to find her tracks. Besides Sophia, this was the most important person I needed to find. Tracking was the only damn thing my old man taught me and it was something I used all the time. Now I needed that skill more than ever.

Normally, tracking on asphalt was impossible, but since there were so few people around these days, dirt and debris blew over the roads and parking lots making footsteps slightly visible in some cases. I drove my bike around the back of the strip mall and saw where the truck had been parked. There were numerous recent footprints around it. Then I followed tracks along the building and through the front lot. I went back and got my bike and headed in the direction she went. It wasn't long before I lost her trail and just had to go with my gut.

By the time night came I had doubled back so many times my head was spinning. I had no idea where Angel was. I figured she was following the car she had seen driving past, but there was no sign of either. At least I knew she could survive on her own and she was armed. Like all of us, she always carried a knife on her hip, but she never went anywhere without her gun. That was the only comforting thought as I hid my bike behind a house. It was getting too late to be out on the streets. I needed a place to hold up in.

I secured the house I broke into and sat down to wait until daybreak when I could start this all over again. This was the first night we had spent apart since we hooked up. I missed her.

Badly.

All night I sat in the living room keeping an eye on everything outside, but not having her by my side was driving me crazy. As much as I knew I loved her, this was when I realized that I could never live without her. Just this one night had my stomach in a twist and my nerves on edge. I never felt like this about anyone before in my life. That's when it dawned on me that she was my life. Without her, I couldn't exist. So, I had no option but to find her. Once I did and brought her back home to The Hillside, I wanted to whip her ass for putting me through this. The only problem was that knowing her freaky side, she'd enjoy it. Just my luck.

Once the sun came up I was back on my bike. I had spent a totally sleepless night waiting to start my search again. I was also hungry, but it wasn't the first time and I could easily ignore that for now.

I went back to the last area I had searched and moved to the next street. I parked my bike heading off on foot. It was quieter this way. I covered that street, the next and the one after that. Then it was like my Angel radar kicked into high gear. She was close, I could feel it. That's when I noticed a white SUV down the road. It looked out of place in that it was cleaner than anything else on the street.

It had to be them.

I crept up on the car but could see that it was empty. That's when I heard voices coming from the house it was parked in front of. Walking up the front steps was a sure fire way of getting my head blown off, especially since the front door was wide-open, so I crawled along the bushes belonging to the house next door until I could squeeze through. When my back was against the old gray siding, I tried to calm my racing heart enough to hear who was speaking. I heard two different male voices talking about who was going to go out and look for supplies. Neither wanted to go.

Then I heard a softer female voice, but I recognized it right away. It was Angel. Damn it! They had her. Dying quick and easy was not going to be an option for them. Slow and painful was the only way. Nobody touches my girl.

I was so busy concentrating on what they were saying that I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard my name quietly called from behind me. I whirled around with my crossbow up to see Dwight waving me over to him. He was in the yard next door. What the fuck was he doing here?

I shook my head no. I wasn't going to leave Angel.

"Man, come over. We can keep an eye on the house from here," he said. Wait, why was he watching the house too?

My gut told me to go see what he wanted, but I just didn't want to leave her. I had no idea what he wanted, but as much as I needed to save her, two people would be better than one. So I slid through the bushes again and together we stepped slightly out of sight of the house that held my girl captive.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"I was following those guys. Why are you here?"

"Because they have my girl and I'm gonna kill them for taking her."

"She's got that long ass braid going down her back, right?" he asked. I nodded that he was right. "How did she get with them? It isn't safe for her there."

"Why the hell do you think I'm here? Of course, it ain't safe. That douchebag is a rapist and I'll die before I let them do that to her again?" I hissed. "She was doing a run and saw them. Apparently, she took off after them to kill them without coming to me to help. She wants them dead for gang raping her and so do I, but looks like she fucked up and they caught her. Why are you watching them?"

I watched Dwight shake his head. "Sorry, man. Jason was briefly a Savior until I realized he was abusing women. Kicked him out with two others – Smitty and Hank. Last night, I was out for a ride, just clearing my head, and heard the car coming down the road. I hid between two houses and watched them. I saw Jason drag her out of the SUV kicking and screaming. I knew what he was going to do to her, so I followed them and listened outside the house all night. She sure has a mouth on her and she's pissed them off, but they haven't touched her except to knock her out to shut her up."

Knowing they hit her, I quickly turned toward the house to exact my revenge, but Dwight grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I swung at him, but he was ready and stepped back out of my range.

"Daryl, I'm not the enemy. We need to come up with a plan before you go busting in!"

"You let them hit her!"

"Yes, but it shut her up and the guys spent the next few hours arguing over it. Smitty wanted to rape her then, but Jason said, no that she needs to be awake. He likes to see the fear in their eyes. I think she heard that since she stayed quiet all night. Man, if they had tried anything with her, I would have gone in. I swear it, but now we both can save her. Two on two is better than one on two, but we need a plan." I hated that he was right, but he was. Why out of everyone in this upside-down fucked up world did he have to be the one around to help me? The one guy I hated. Now I was trusting him with Angel's life and the sad part was, I knew I could.

"You're right. Let me think a second."

I came up with a basic simple hail-mary type of plan. Both of us slipped through the bushes and stayed back up against the side of the house. We heard Jason telling Smitty he was the one going to food and he would stay back with Jessie. I knew he was doing that so he could have first crack at her. Over my dead body would he lay another hand on her.

"You gonna fuck her up, while I'm gone?" Smitty asked.

"No man. We'll do that when you get back so you can watch. Just going to talk to my ex and get reacquainted with her. I don't like how her attitude's changed, but I won't fuck her until you get back." His words made me see red, but I couldn't let my anger rule me now. I needed a level head to get her out of there.

I heard the door close and moved toward the front of the house. Dwight was staying back eavesdropping on Jason. He was telling Angel what a bitch she's become. I had my crossbow up and silently let a bolt fly hitting Smitty in the back of the head. He died instantly. I dragged him off to the side.

It was now two on one.

Dwight met me at the foot of the steps and we quietly made our way up. I was going to go in first, letting him think it was just me. Dwight would come in behind me in a few minutes or immediately if everything went bad fast. It wasn't a great plan, but it was the best I could do.

I stood outside the front door, why my heart about to pop out of my chest. I had been in crazy situations before and I was always calm. Not today. There was too much at stake this time. I trend the doorknob and stepped into the room with my crossbow up.

"Smitty, what the fuck are you doing…"Jason started to say before he turned and saw me. I hated him the second I saw him. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded as he yanked Jessie in front of him. He had a knife to her throat.

My eyes immediately went to Angel's. I saw the fear being replaced by relief and then strength. She knew I was going to get her out of this. "Release her asshole and you may live." I could lie as easily as I could breathe.

"Not happening. Jessie's mine and she's coming with me. You want to don't you sweetheart?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you fuckface. Before Daryl kills you, I'm cutting off that puny dick of yours. You've raped your last woman," she yelled at him.

I could see his face turn red and his hand started to shake as he was consumed with fury. Apparently, he wasn't happy with Angel's plan. The knife was pressed harder against her throat. "You know him?" he growled.

"I sure do, he's the man I love. Unlike you he's a real man, that knows how to please a woman and doesn't need to rape them to get off like you do you sorry piece of shit." Okay, Angel needed to shut up. She wasn't helping me riling him up this way.

"That's it bitch. You're done!"

Everything happened in a flash. Angel elbowed him in the gut which released his hold on her enough for me to put a bolt into his right shoulder causing him to drop the knife. A gunshot from behind me hit him in the knee making his drop to the floor instantly in pain.

My crossbow fell as Angel ran into my arms. I saw the black eye he had given her and a split lip. If I wasn't already planning on killing him, I would now. No one hurts Angel and lives. Dwight walked over to him with his gun still drawn as I made sure Angel was alright.

"I'm so glad you found me. I'm sorry, Daryl. I should have gotten you first," she admitted as a few tears slipped from her eyes.

"Yeah, but we'll talk about that later. Are you okay? Did he hurt you besides hitting you in the face?"

She knew what I meant and shook her head. Thank God.

"What about the other guy?" she asked wiping her eyes.

"Outside dead."

"Daryl, what's the plan for him?" Dwight asked me. "Shut up asshole," he told Jason as he lay crying on the floor.

"Please don't kill me," the man begged. "I'm sorry about Jessie. I wasn't gonna hurt her, just scare her."

"Bull shit," I told him as I stepped on his gunshot wound. The baby screamed in pain. Pussy. "You're dying man there ain't no way around that."

"Dwight, c'mon! Don't let him kill me. Argh!"

"Sorry, man. Didn't mean to kick that bolt you got in you. So Daryl, how we gonna do it?" Dwight asked. The smile he gave me was eerie with the burned side of his face stiff.

Angel slipped out of my arms and went for Jason's belt. Damn, she really was gonna cut off his dick. "Hold him down, guys. I've needed to do this for a long time."

I was not going to get in the way of her needing revenge. I knew that feeling well. Too bad he just helped me save her life. When Jason started to try to get up, I shot another bolt into his other shoulder anchoring him to the floor.

Angel put her hand out and I knew she wanted my knife. I handed it to her without a second thought. She undid the belt and cut his jeans with the knife. I noticed Dwight had his foot on Jason's wrist. I hated that I was starting to like him.

"She's really gonna do it?" Dwight asked.

"Yep. I may not be able to watch though." That was for real. Cut off a leg, an arm or slice a guy's throat I had no problem with. This world had made that easy. But to watch my girl slice off a guy's dick, no fuckin' way. I sleep with her and just no way. Not gonna watch.

I watched her grab his little dick and chuckled. It was puny like she said. Jason started to scream, so I grabbed the bandana out of my back pocket and shoved it in his mouth. "Turn your head guys," Angel warned.

Both Dwight and I quickly did. She was fast because Jason was screaming in pain worse than before in a second. I made a mental note not to piss her off.

"Now, even though you'll be dead, you'll never rape another woman again. Daryl…Babe, he's all yours. Kill him."

She was blood-thirsty that's for sure. "Where's your gun, Angel?"

"Over there on that table with my knife. They took them from me when I killed the other guy they were with."

"Hank? Dark skinned with a scar on the side of his face?" Dwight asked.

Jessie smiled. "Yeah, that was him."

In the meantime, I had gone over to the table and retrieved her weapons. I handed Angel back her knife but I kept her gun. Fitting he should die with it. I said nothing before putting it against his head and pulling the trigger. Now he would never hurt her or another woman again.

"Let's get out of here," Dwight suggested. "This place smells of piss."

I was the last one out closing the door behind us. That chapter of her life was finally over. I still wanted to strangle her for putting me through this, but I understood her need for revenge.

Angel put out her hand to Dwight. "Thank you for helping us. I don't even know your name."

"Dwight. I don't believe in men abusing women, so I was glad to help."

She looked over at me with the question clearly across her face. Was he the one I had told her about? Yeah, the man I hated and vowed to kill just helped me save her life. Now I owe him. God fuckin' damn it.

Before I could answer her, he did. "Yeah, I'm him."

Angel then turned toward him and gave him a gentle kiss on his scarred cheek. "Thank you, Dwight. I can never repay you for helping Daryl this way. You both saved my life. Jason was going to rape me then kill me. I heard them talking about it last night. Maybe now you two can call a truce between you? Just a thought." Then she turned to me, "Can we go home now?"

"Yep. C'mon my bike's hidden few streets over." But before we went I had to thank the man I used to hate. "Dwight, man…you didn't have to help me, not with our history, but you did. Thanks, man. I owe ya."

"No man, you don't. Me helping you and Jessie doesn't even get us even close to calling it even. Glad I could help. Good luck to you both. And Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd hide knives around her…especially if you've pissed her off," he laughed. "Later."

"You got that right!" Jessie said with a wink. "Thanks again, Dwight." He waved at us as he headed toward his bike. He took off on it as we headed down the street so we could find my motorcycle.

As we rode home to Hillside, I finally felt the tension leave me that started the second the truck came back without her. She and I were going to have a long talk about this. We were a team…partners, hell I guess you could say she was my soulmate, but she couldn't put herself in danger like this. I may not survive the fear she put me through again. I was ready to whoop her ass when we got back, but I was pretty sure that she'd love it and ask me to do it again. Just my luck.