"Daryl, we're on our way towards you. Have you found the cabin yet?"
Nothing but static answered and Rick, who was already on edge, began to pace anxiously, gripping onto the walkie tighter.
"Daryl, you there?" He repeated sternly.
When there was no answer again, Michonne bowed her head, and whispered a curse, praying that what she feared happened hadn't really happened.
"Daryl!" Rick called out, his voice more frantic than before, betraying just how scared he was. "Fuck." He breathed out, running his hands through his hair.
"Maybe they're out of range." Jenelle chimed in, refusing to come to the possibility that their group was in danger.
"Or The Hunters found them." Michonne said cynically, her voice tense with fear. "What do we do?" She asked Rick.
"Let's head back to Alexandria. We'll take a car to Springfield, at least we know that's where The Hunters are and it'll be faster than on foot. We'll congregate with the other groups so we're stronger together in case The Hunters have found them." He explained, making sure to stress that Daryl, Rhiannon, Glenn and Aaron being the clutches of The Hunters was still only just a terrifying possibility.
"Let's go."
As Rick started to walk rapidly, Jenelle and Michonne looked at each other, sharing nervous looks that dreaded the fate of their friends.
Rhiannon's heart was racing within her chest as she walked, surrounded by Hunters, their weapons in hands, ready to shoot if she took one step out of line.
She looked over her shoulder to Glenn and Aaron who were behind her, making sure they were ok, especially Aaron with the vendetta he had against these men.
Seeing her wandering gaze, the Hunter to her left glared at her angrily.
"Keep walking." He barked angrily and jammed the butt of his gun in her side, making her stumble and lose her balance. Thankfully, Daryl's hand shot out, latching onto her arm to keep her from falling to the ground.
He pulled her into his side, keeping her steady as she regained her posture. Daryl's face twisted with fury and he lunged at The Hunter who shoved her, cursing him out as he swung his fist out.
Within a second, he was tackled to the ground, a gun pointed at his head.
"Don't!" Rhiannon screamed and was promptly taken by the arms by two Hunters, keeping her in place as she squirmed in their grip, desperate to get to her husband.
"Hey, hey, easy." Damien told his lackeys that held a raging Daryl down. "Let him up."
"But he-"
"You hurt his girl, what'd you expect him to do?" Damien admonished.
Rhiannon looked at the man with her brows furrowed in confusion. She wasn't trusting his good cop act for a second. She could feel herself trembling in her spot as she watched Daryl get hauled to his feet, remaining in the grip of the Hunters, while the rest of them had their weapons pointed at him.
"I'll give you a pass this time." Damien told him, his voice low in warning. "But you try anything and you'll have a bullet in your brain before your little girl over there can even scream your name."
Daryl glared at the man fiercely, wishing he could knock his teeth out. The second the two Hunters holding him back let go of him, he spared one last scowl at their leader before taking a step back to be next to Rhiannon, who was thankfully also let go by the other lackeys holding her back.
Damien laughed at the interaction, at the man's blatant protectiveness over the girl. He looked over them carefully and when his gaze fell on the rings on their left hands, he let out a loud, amused laugh, clapping in his hands almost in victory.
"Well I'll be damned. You two are married?" He asked in disbelief through his laughter.
Daryl went rigid, trying to hide the fear from his face. He knew he could never hide how he cared for Rhiannon in front of others, especially in a situation as dangerous as this, but the fact that Damien knew they were married could be damning for them.
Rhiannon shrunk under Damien's gaze. The smile on his face sent a shiver down her spine.
This wouldn't end well for them.
They were forced to walk for hours, until Damien let out a loud whooping sound and the distant whoops and whistles that called back to him made her stomach drop.
As they made their way over the crest of the hill in front of them, the dreaded cabin came into view. Rhiannon felt a gun prod into her back, reminding her that escape was futile.
The four of them were led to the back of the cabin where the large doors to the cellar were. Damien lifted the hatch and motioned for them to go first, as if it were a polite gesture. Daryl shrugged off a Hunters grip from his shoulder, glaring at the man fiercely as he begrudgingly made his way down the stairs.
As they all made their way down to the cellar, the lights were turned on, the dim bulbs casting a gloomy shadow over the already dreary room.
Rhiannon cringed at the sight of the cages that lined the room. She shuddered to think of how many people had been taken there before them, how many lives had ended there. They were shoved forward harshly, Rhiannon and Alex pushed into one cage, while Daryl, Aaron and Glenn were shoved into the one across from them.
Daryl struggled, trying to wrench his way out of their grip to get to Rhiannon, but he was overpowered and thrown into the opposite cage.
"Hey!" Daryl yelled, slamming his fist against the cage door as they locked it. "What the fuck, let her in here!"
Damien laughed and looked at Daryl incredulously. "You didn't think I'd be that nice, did you?"
Daryl's chest was heaving with anger and as his eyes moved to find Rhiannon and he saw the scared look on her face, he could've sworn his blood began to boil in his veins feverishly. She subtly shook her head, silently telling him not to cause a stir, not to give The Hunters more of a reason to hurt them.
"Now, why don't you tell us how many of you are out there?"
"We're not telling you shit." Glenn snarked at the leader, maintaining his gruff appearance even as Damien stared him down intimidatingly.
"That's fine with me. I got my guys headed to Alexandria right now and I'm sure the sheep you left behind will be singin' like canaries by the time we're done with them."
Glenn's face twisted into one of horror, his stomach dropping, making him feel nauseous. Images of Maggie flashed through his mind and the thought of something happening to her and their unborn child made him feel like he could pass out.
"If you do anything-"
"I'll come back for you later." Damien interrupted and with those daunting, threatening words, he left, slamming the cellar doors closed behind him and leaving them in the dim and dingy basement, dreading their fates.
Back in Alexandria, Maggie was laying on her couch, her arm thrown over her face, shielding the light from her eyes. She had barely slept a wink the night before and she could no longer hold back her exhaustion.
Thoughts of Glenn, Rhiannon, Daryl, her entire family, ran through her head endlessly, causing her worries unable to cease for the entire night.
She was going crazy just staying back and doing nothing.
Her hand ran over her bump, feeling her emotions swell as she did. She knew why she needed to step down from the fight, she needed to protect her son. She smiled to herself, picturing Glenn's playful glare at the mention of their son.
He was convinced it was a girl, but Maggie just had a feeling. She knew they were having a boy. Tears sprung in her eyes as she thought of her husband.
"Please be ok." She whispered to herself.
A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts and she sat up just as Julia was stepping inside.
"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No, no, you're fine." Maggie told her with a dismissive wave of her hand. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to check in on you. Have you eaten anything yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Come on, I'll make something for you." Julia stood in front of her and held out her hands for Maggie to take, helping her stand from the couch.
Maggie sat at the kitchen island, her head propped up with her hand, hiding yet another yawn behind her fist, as she watched Julia scrounge together some lunch for her.
"How are you holding up?" Maggie asked quietly. She was sure this war was bringing up a lot of bad memories for Julia and what she had been through with The Hunters.
Julia faltered in her movements, her mind wandering to the horribly triggering thoughts of her captors and what people she had quickly considered to be close friends were putting themselves through to end them.
"As good as I can be, I guess." She shrugged. "I feel kinda useless though. I know I'm not the best fighter, but staying back here feels wrong."
"Yeah, I know how you feel." Maggie mumbled.
The front door opened behind them, making Maggie perk up and she smiled when she saw Carl stepping in with Judith in his arms and Jack holding his hand.
"Hey!" She greeted happily, opening her arms for the excited toddler to jump into. She felt her worries melt away as Jack hugged her tightly and she savoured the moment, no matter how brief it was. "What are you doing here?"
"Cassie's taking a shower, she asked if I could look after him for a bit." Carl answered.
As soon as Jack was out of her arms, Maggie approached Carl and pressed a loving kiss to Judith's forehead, smiling at the baby affectionately.
"Have you heard anything?"
"My dad radioed last night, said the raids went well."
Maggie nodded, heart swelling at the thought. The two cabins were cleared without a problem, that only left the final and most daunting part of the plan.
"Good. You should call him again later today just to make sure-"
Maggie's words were cut off by the pop of a gunshot and the sound of a bone-chilling scream. They all paused, looking at each other intently, wondering if they had been imagining the sound, but by the matching horrified looks on all their faces, they knew each other had heard it too.
"What was that?" Jack asked innocently, looking up at Maggie curiously, not noticing her darkened expression.
"Julia, take the kids and get upstairs." Maggie ordered sternly, trying to keep her voice from wavering with fear.
Julia nodded without hesitation and quickly took Judith from Carl's arms and motioned to Jack to follow her. She began to make her way to the stairs, but stopped and turned on her heel, looking at Maggie and Carl, the terror in her eyes clear as day.
"It's them, isn't it?" She said numbly. "They're coming after me."
"We're not gonna let that happen." Maggie told her, her voice laced with fierce determination. "Now go upstairs and keep them safe."
Julia looked to both of them worriedly for a moment before she scurried up the stairs with the kids.
"What's the plan?" Carl asked nervously.
"You got a gun?"
He nodded and hurried to find his gun he had hidden while Maggie grabbed her own she had thankfully kept at her side when the others left the day before. She told herself better safe than sorry, but she sure as hell didn't have this in mind when she grabbed it.
"Let's go."
"You… you want me to go with you?" Carl asked in disbelief.
"Who else is gonna watch my back?"
Carl smiled eagerly, relieved to finally be a part of the war, to finally make a stance against The Hunters and straightened his shoulders in determination. With both of them armed, they stepped out of the house, their guns raised at the ready.
They saw Alexandrians running down the streets to take cover in their homes. Maggie raced down the porch steps in time to see Damien's second in command soldier, Colin, striding down the street with a group of Hunters behind him, all armed to the teeth.
Maggie swallowed thickly when she noticed Olivia who had been on gate duty, being forced to walk in front of them at gunpoint. Her hand gripped her bleeding shoulder tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks.
At least that explained the gunshot and the scream they had heard.
"What do you want?" Maggie barked at the men.
"Due diligence." Colin answered simply. "I mean, your people took out two of our outposts, what did you think was gonna happen?"
"Where's your leader?" Maggie asked. It was unusual that a leader of a group so heinous would miss an attack on their enemies, especially after they had killed so many of their people. She figured Damien wouldn't miss an opportunity for revenge.
Colin laughed loudly, looking to Maggie and Carl smugly, making both of their stomachs twist uncomfortably.
"He's busy. Found some stragglers on the way that he needs to deal with."
The way he spoke, like he knew a secret they didn't, had Maggie's hackles rising in worry. She didn't like where this was going.
"It seems some people from your group were wanderin' where they shouldn't have." Colin told them. "The dude with the crossbow, some asian guy, a very pretty woman, and two tall douchebags."
Maggie felt like her heart had dropped to her stomach and simultaneously cracked into a million pieces. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes no matter how desperately she wanted to hide them from their enemies who gained a sick satisfaction at seeing them.
The smile that grew on Colin's face at the sight of her grief had Carl tightening his grip on his gun, wanting nothing more than to shoot the smile right off of his smug looking face.
"You really think this is a good idea?" Carl asked, his voice low with anger. "You think we won't put up a fight?"
Colin scoffed in disbelief at the teenager, surprised by the bite to his words. He looked over his shoulder at the Hunters behind him, all of them laughing in amusement, finding it ridiculous that they'd just been threatened by a kid.
"You believe this?" He chuckled and turned back to face Carl. "What the hell do you think you're gonna do about it, Kid?"
Carl's face remained stoic and brave as he stared down the men in front of them.
"Here, why don't we put it to the test." Colin mused with a slight laugh as he pointed his gun at Carl. "I'll shoot and you show me what you can do to fight back."
Maggie tensed, her legs twitching, getting ready to jump in front of Carl.
The second Colin's finger moved over the trigger, a gunshot sounded and the Hunter to his left crumbled to the ground, blood splattering from his forehead violently.
Colin turned on his heel in disbelief and noticed Rick racing towards them, his weapon raised at them. Cursing under his breath, he turned and quickly shot Olivia, getting rid of their collateral that they didn't need anymore, and ran to find a place to hide, shooting wildly as he did.
"Carl, move!" Maggie yelled and dragged the teenager away to take cover behind the porch. Carl fired off shots as he ran, managing to hit one Hunter in the back who was running for cover, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, motionless.
Rick, Michonne and Jenelle fired at The Hunters as they scattered and raced to where Maggie and Carl were hiding.
"Carl!" Rick yelled frantically, practically skidding around the corner of the house. He dropped to his knees and brought his son into his arms tightly. "Are you ok?" He asked breathlessly.
Carl nodded rapidly, holding strongly to his dad. "I'm ok. What are you doing here? I thought you were out looking for their cabin."
Rick's expression darkened and his jaw clenched. "We think they got Daryl, Rhi, Glenn and Aaron."
"They do. That asshole told us." Maggie said stiffly and stood to fire off a round of shots before ducking back down for cover.
"Where's Jack? Have you seen him?" Jenelle asked Maggie frantically, her face a mask of intense worry.
"He's ok. He's inside with Julia. She's got Judith too. They're hiding, they're ok." Maggie assured her, squeezing her hand comfortingly to soothe her worries.
Michonne slammed her back against the porch, breathing heavily after shooting off a volley of rounds. "We gotta take these guys out. The longer we're here, the more danger our people are in."
"We gotta storm them, end it now."
"What? We'll never get through that, not without cover." Maggie argued against Rick's plan.
"I'll give you guys cover." Jenelle spoke up, her voice stronger than they had ever heard it before. Rick looked at her carefully, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Are you sure?"
Jenelle nodded, looking more confident that even she could believe. But the thought of Jack in danger, that The Hunters could storm the house and find him, had her more incensed than ever to fight back.
"I'll stay here, lay down cover fire so you can go."
Rick's lips twitched into a smile and he squeezed her shoulder, his look of gratitude making her feel even more confident.
"Alright. There's only two of them left. We got 'em cornered and outnumbered. We can do this."
Rick looked at Jenelle intently and she tried hard not to let the pressure cripple her.
"You can do this." He told her, understanding her insecurities without her even having to speak on them.
Jenelle got into place as the others made their way around the back of the house to get to the other side, diverting The Hunter's attention. With a deep breath, Jenelle closed her eyes, focusing on what she needed to do and forcing herself not to think too hard on the fears it instilled within her.
In a second, she shot up to her feet and shot like a madman, firing off a volley of shots towards where she knew The Hunters were taking cover. She ignored the shaking of her hands and the rapid beating of her heart.
She forced herself to just focus on The Hunters and take them out.
They were distracted by her shots, focusing all of their attention on her position, where they thought all of them were still hiding.
With a nod of his head, Michonne, Maggie and Carl followed Rick's lead and raced out from their hiding spot, catching The Hunters by surprise from their attack from behind.
With all of their rapid shots, they had managed to take out the final lackey of The Hunters, leaving the lone leader that was Colin who cried out, holding onto his arm that was bleeding from the bullet that managed to hit him.
With all the rage that was inside of him, Rick sprinted forward and, before Colin could comprehend the double attack, and readjust his wounded arm to aim, Rick tackled the man to the ground, knocking the weapon out of his hands.
Rick struggled with the man, his heart racing wildly as he fought for the upper hand. He ended up straddling the man and landed quick punches across his face to disarm him completely.
He pictured the people they had lost, their faces flashing through his mind like a mirage as he beat The Hunter brutally. He ignored the pain in his fists, he ignored Carl's yells for him to stop.
All he could see was Colin, all he could see was the enemy that took so many of his family from him. All he could see was revenge.
"Dad!" Carl yelled desperately, finally gaining Rick's attention.
Rick's fist faltered in the air, stopping before they could land another brutal blow to Colin' face. He was breathing heavily and as he looked down at the Hunter below him, he finally noticed the bruised and bloody face, how much he had already taken down the man.
But it didn't feel like it was enough.
Rick grit his teeth, wanting nothing more than to finish the man with his bare hands, to make him feel the pain he had felt, the pain everyone in his community had felt. But his son was watching.
"Dad, just stop." Carl pleaded, looking at Colin, bleeding and panting, desperate for the pain to end. He didn't feel any sympathy for the man. He didn't want to spare him, he just didn't want his dad to deal with the consequences of the man's brutal death.
He didn't want these Hunters to change his dad.
Rick staggered to his feet, glaring down at the man in front of him darkly. His anger was simmering, every instinct telling him to end the man in front of him with no mercy. He turned his head, his gaze finding Carl's who stared back at him with fear.
He took a few stumbling steps away from the Hunter that lay bleeding and in agony on the ground. Rick turned to face Carl, placing his hand on his shoulder comfortingly, letting Carl know he heard him and he wasn't going to do what he feared so greatly.
Colin laughed, making both of the Grimes men look down at him questioningly. The man on the ground shook his head, his wide and bloody smile never wavering, even through his pain.
"You really thought you would win? You can't even kill me. You're so pathetic, you were never going to get rid of us. We're always here-"
The crack of a gunshot interrupted Colin's words and Rick flinched, his hand raising to point his weapon again instinctively. He gaped down at the sight of Colin's forehead that was torn open viciously and turned on his heel.
His gun lowered, shock flowing through him as he saw Julia standing in the road, a rifle in her hands, her face hardened with anger as she stared down at The Hunter who had ruined her life, the man she had just killed.
Carl's eyes widened, his face a mask of disbelief as he stared at the broken woman before him, the woman who had just faced her fear in a way she had never expected.
"Julia… you ok?" Rick asked slowly, approaching her hesitantly, like a wild animal he was worried of spooking away.
Julia let the weapon fall from her hands, a shaking breath leaving her that quickly turned into a sob. She covered her face with her hands, crying hard as she came to the realization that she had just faced her biggest fear, she had just defeated her biggest enemy.
She didn't know how to handle it.
"Julia, just take a deep breath." Michonne said softly, looking at the woman worriedly.
Julia stared down at the man she had just killed, watching as the blood flowed from the bullet wound in his forehead, like she was in a trance. She couldn't look away. It was torturous.
"I… I killed him." Her monotonous voice replayed just how terrified her actions made her, no matter how justified they were.
She had never killed someone before and it made her feel sick.
Michonne raced towards her and grabbed Julia's arms, forcing her to look her in the eye.
"You're ok. You did what was right." She assured the crying woman. "He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore, he will never hurt anyone else."
Julia nodded frantically and Michonne hugged her tightly. "You did it. You ended him. You're safe."
The words were repeated in a whisper in an attempt to soothe the woman. Julia nodded stiffly, the reality still not crashing down on her just yet. She held onto Michonne tightly, her mind racing with images of the dead man who had once tortured her.
"What happens now?" Carl asked quietly, not willing to admit how nervous he was for the answer.
"They have our family. We have to make a move." Rick answered sternly.
"I'm going with you." Maggie stated with finality, her tone leaving no room for argument. Despite her determination, Rick looked at her carefully, worried for her safety.
"Maggie, you can't-"
"My husband and my sister have been taken by those assholes. I can't do nothin' about it. I have to help them."
Rick hesitated, looking at the pregnant woman for a moment, weighing his decisions. But the look she was giving him, the devastation on her face, he knew he couldn't refuse. He couldn't hold her back from protecting her family, no matter what.
"Fine." He relented softly. "But you stay by my side, ok? No wanderin' off on your own."
Maggie nodded in agreement, relieved that she would be a part of the effort to bring her family back home.
"What about the others?" Carl asked. They couldn't fight with just them. They needed everyone.
"I radioed them this morning. They're all makin' their way back here."
They couldn't do anything until the other groups got back to Alexandria. Rick hadn't explained why and he was dreading having to tell them all that their family and friends were in danger. They got to work hauling the dead Hunters out of their community in the meantime, desperate to get them past the gates, to get them away from their home.
From the corner of his eye, Rick noticed movement and he let Colin's legs drop to the ground, stopping his haul of the heinous man. He sighed in relief when he saw Merle leading his group back to the community.
His face was drawn tightly, anger shrouded in his expression, making Rick stiffen in his spot. He did not want to be the one to tell him about the state of his brother and sister in law.
"What the fuck, Officer Friendly? What the hell we doin' back here?" Merle barked impatiently, his nerves clearly on edge. His stomping footsteps slowed to a stop when he noticed the bloody body at Rick's feet and he raised an eyebrow in surprise, giving him a questioning look.
"It's Colin." Rick explained. "A group came here in an ambush. We took care of it."
"Shit. We lose anyone?"
"Olivia."
Merle sighed heavily and nodded solemnly.
"Are the kids ok?" Rob asked worriedly, pointedly avoiding looking at Colin's bloody body on the ground.
"None of them saw it happen."
"Good."
"So… why the hell did you call us back here? Thought we were meetin' in Springfield." Merle interjected again.
Rick's shoulders tensed, a dark shadow crossing over his expression. "Somethin' happened. The Hunters… they ran into Daryl's group."
"What?!" Rob yelled immediately, his face crestfallen with fear. Jesus reached out, placing his hand on Rob's back, the only comfort he could give.
Looking to Merle, Rick felt his stomach twist, he'd never seen the usually abrasive man so somber before. The redneck looked petrified, furious, and devastated all at once.
"We're goin'." He said, his voice hoarse with the emotion he was so desperately holding back in front of the others. "Right now, we're killin' those assholes."
"I know, we're goin' as soon as we can." Rick assured him. "We're just waitin' on the other groups. They'll be here soon and as the second they are we're makin' our way to Springfield and findin' that damn cabin."
"What if we made a stop on the way?" Jesus started and Merle turned on his heel, his face red with anger.
"What you wanna stop for a bite to eat, get your fuckin' nails done? We got shit to do, we ain't-"
"Merle, easy!" Jesus yelled, interrupting the brash man and raising his hands in surrender. "I meant we should stop by The Kingdom first."
The others looked at him incredulously, not having much faith in having The Kingdom by their side in this fight.
"I know Ezekiel hasn't reached out yet, but he's not a vindictive man." Jesus continued quickly once he saw the disagreeing looks from the others. "Once he knows our own are in trouble, he'll join. I know he will."
"We can't take the chance that he won't."
"We can't take the chance of losing this fight." Jesus countered Rick's argument. "We lost the element of surprise. We don't have the numbers, not without The Kingdom."
"He's right." Rob agreed quietly, still reeling from the news about his friends. "We have to try and persuade the King again. We've lost too much and we'll lose more if we don't have The Kingdom with us."
Rick looked at the fighters standing before him, how they all agreed, and he found himself powerless to fault any part of their arguments. As ansty as it made him to not be making their way towards their family right this second, he knew it would be for the better.
They needed The Kingdom to get their people back safely.
"Ok." He finally agreed. "We stop by The Kingdom first."
Every minute they waited was agonizing, but eventually, every group made their way back to Alexandria. Rick explained the plan, trying his best to avoid the gut punching expressions that met him at revealing their family was in danger.
It was a whirlwind getting everyone into the cars and on their way out the gates, but eventually they were on the road, driving like bats out of hell.
"Hey, you sure you wanna be out here?" Merle asked Maggie who was seated next to him in the back seat.
She nodded, a fierce determination in her eye he had become familiar with when they were together after the prison fell and she was adamant about finding her family. She hadn't lost one ounce of that fire.
"I need to be out here. I need to get them back."
"We will." Merle told her. "They'll be fine."
They were the same words he'd been telling himself.
He thought of his brother, his sister. Yes, Rhiannon was his sister, no matter how much he would deny feeling that way if she were to tease him about it. He thought of Aaron and Glenn, people who had grown on him, who had become friends.
They just needed to hold on a little longer.
Rhiannon was avoiding Alex as much as she could while being locked in a small cage with him. She hated the fact that he was the one she was stuck with. It was almost as if The Hunters knew of their past and was doing this just to torture her.
She just focused her gaze across the aisle where Daryl was slumped against the wall, his own gaze never leaving her. She wished she could feel his arms around her, she wished she could feel his lips on top of her head, she wished he could comfort her in any way.
"You think they're coming for us?" Aaron asked quietly, breaking the long and tense silence the room previously held.
Alex scoffed and shook his head. "They don't know where this place is. They don't even know we've been taken."
"Rick would've called to check in. He'll know something's up." Glenn countered lazily, not having much energy left for Alex's attitude.
Alex just chewed on his lip, not having much faith that Rick would lead the charge to rescue them. Even if they did know they were taken, he didn't have much hope that they would risk their lives coming to The Hunter's cabin without some of their best fighters.
He didn't believe in Rick the way the others did. He didn't blindly follow him like the others and it made him even more cynical than before.
He looked over at Rhiannon who was leaning against the wall, her body as close to the edge of the cage as she could get, putting as much distance as possible between them.
"It's not all bad." He said softly. "This is the longest we've gone without fighting."
Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "I have a lot more shit to deal with than you right now."
"Don't fuckin' talk to her." Daryl spoke up, his voice sharp with hatred.
"Easy, man. I'm allowed to talk to my ex."
Daryl got to his feet and made his way to the edge of the cage, glaring at Alex fiercely.
"Alex, don't." Rhiannon interjected, trying to stop the fight between the two stubborn men before it started. "We have bigger problems right now."
Suddenly, the cellar doors slammed open and heavy, stomping footsteps sounded down the stairs. Damien smiled to himself as he looked over at them trapped in the cages, pleased with himself for the small victory.
He couldn't wait to see the look on Rick's face when he saw the people from his group swinging in the breeze with the rest of his trophies.
"Everyone good?" He asked, amused when his words were received with harsh glares. "C'mon, don't look at me like that. You're still alive, aren't you? That should count for somethin'."
Daryl stayed stoic, his scowl never wavering. Suddenly, Alex got to his feet, his hands gripping onto the cage desperately.
"Sir, please, you have to let me out." He pleaded with the leader.
Damien scoffed and looked at the man in disbelief. "Just you? And why would I do that?"
"I'm not like these people, I'm not with them, not really."
Rhiannon looked over at Alex with wide, furious eyes. "What the fuck are you doing?" She hissed angrily. Daryl clenched his jaw, his fists held tightly, wishing he could go over there and punch the words right out of his mouth.
"They all hate me, they don't want me to be a part of their community. I was gonna leave them anyways." Alex explained frantically. "Please, just let me out, I can join you, I can help you fight against Rick.
"Alex!" Glenn yelled, warning him to stop. He felt sick to his stomach. He knew Alex wasn't a nice guy, his past with Rhiannon cemented that, but he had no idea he was this vindictive.
Damien stepped up to the cage, standing face to face with Alex, his eyes roaming over him curiously, sizing him up.
"You wanna join our cause?"
Alex nodded frantically. "I do, I really do. I'll do anything you tell me to."
Damien chuckled and unlocked the door to the cage. Alex stood frozen, shocked that his plea had actually worked. He was beyond relieved. Damien held his hand out and Alex took it and shook it eagerly, smiling triumphantly.
"You know, there's one thing that every Hunter needs to have." Damien started and in the blink of an eye, his charming smile fell off his face, his expression turning cold as he reached behind him and pulled the gun from his waistband.
He fired a shot straight in Alex's chest, causing the man to stumble and fall back onto the ground, sputtering in disbelief as he began to choke on his own blood.
"Loyalty."
Rhiannon was rooted to her spot, numbly staring down at Alex as he wheezed and writhed on the ground, his shaking hands coated in blood as he pressed on his wound.
Damien closed the door and locked the cage, his easy smile returning to his face as if he hadn't just shot someone.
"I'll check on y'all later."
With that, he practically skipped up the stairs and closed the cellar doors, leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence.
The only sound in the room were Alex's strained groans of pains as he slowly and torturously succumbed to the gunshot wound.
Rhiannon felt her legs go weak and she slowly slumped to the floor, curling in on herself as her eyes stayed locked onto Alex.
Her ex turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. His gaze was pleading, begging, for her to do something, anything to help him. But she couldn't move. She was frozen in her spot, watching with wide, horrified eyes as he bled out.
It wasn't as if she was saddened by his imminent death. No, she knew her life would be much better off without him there to pester her or her family. But she had never had to watch as someone from her past, someone who once meant the world to her, die so painfully.
It shook her to her core.
"Rhi! Rhiannon!" Daryl's frantic voice finally cut through the static in her ears and she shook herself out of her reverie, her head finally turning to cease the bloody view of her ex.
"Just look at me, keep lookin' at me." Daryl told her and she nodded numbly.
A shuddering breath escaped her and she slowly unchlenched her hands that had tightened into fists in her distress. Her fingers ached and she stretched them out slowly, focusing on the feeling instead of the panic bubbling in her chest that she was desperately trying to subdue.
"It's alright, keep your eyes on me."
Daryl's rough, yet soothing voice reached her ears and she breathed in deeply, forcing herself to move past her shock.
She squeezed her eyes shut when the room went quiet, the sound of Alex's struggling breaths ceasing for good.
The stillness in the dim cellar was eerie, fraught with heavy tension. Rhiannon turned her head slowly, despite Daryl's warnings, his insistence for her not to look, and her gaze fell on her ex.
His eyes were open, his unseeing gaze locked on her, making a shiver race down her spine, making her tense and curl into herself further.
"Rhi, c'mon, don't do this to yourself." Daryl said softly, trying his best to coax her away from the torturous sight of the dead man beside her.
Rhiannon shifted, moving her feet in when she noticed the growing pool of blood getting close to her.
"Can you reach anything beside you?" Glenn asked and she looked up at him questioningly, his words not quite yet registering in her shocked state. "You need something to use when he comes back."
The implication finally hit her and she swallowed thickly. The thought that she'd have to beat Alex's head in so he wouldn't tear her apart in his undead state made her stomach twist sickeningly.
Daryl bowed his head, hating to see her in this state, hating that it was up to her to deal with her ex. Even in his death, Alex was still putting her out. The thought that she wouldn't be able to fight him off, that she was caged with her death sentence, made him feel sick to his stomach and his foot began to tap against the floor anxiously, biting his lip bloody with worry.
Rhiannon looked at the space beside her, through the cage. She didn't see anything she could use to defend herself, there was nothing she could do.
She clenched her jaw and looked back at Alex's still form worriedly.
She didn't know how much time she had until he came back.
The group pulled up to The Kingdom in a fury, alerting the guards instantly.
"Jesus? What the hell is going on?" The man on the horse, Richard asked. He knew King Ezekiel wouldn't be too thrilled about the people of Alexandria dropping by unannounced.
"We need help, Richard."
"We need to talk to the King, now." Rick said authoritatively, leaving no room for arguments.
Richard gaped at the group in front of them, all of them armed to the teeth, all of them with fierce expressions on their faces, and he knew he couldn't refuse.
He led the stern looking group into the community and to the auditorium where the King sat.
Ezekiel sat up straighter when they burst through the doors and he eyed them in confusion. Fighters from both Alexandria and The Hilltop stood before him.
"Rick Grimes of Alexandria." He started wearily. "I don't believe we had a meeting scheduled."
"Our people are in trouble and we need your help." Rick explained, not wasting time with pleasantries. "We're fighting The Hunters. We've taken out two of their cabins, we've taken their numbers down significantly, but there's more of them left and we can't do it alone."
Ezekiel felt as if his head were spinning with the whirlwind of information coming his way.
"And what makes you think I'll risk the lives of my people for your cause?"
"It's not my cause." Rick spat back impatiently. "You've lost enough people, that's why you refuse to fight, you don't want to risk more. But are your people really thriving living in the shadows, under their rule?"
Ezekiel shifted in his seat, taken aback by his words.
"The Hunters have our people, took them hostage and you know what will happen to them. We can stop it from happening, we can save them and end The Hunters, but only if you help us."
Ezekiel stared back at Rick thoughtfully, his words causing a stir within him. But he remained silent, wasting time they didn't have.
"Colin's dead." Michonne told him. That certainly caught his attention. The man on the throne perked up, a pleasant feeling of surprise racing through him. "That just leaves Damien. If we kill him, the lackeys will be scattered, we can take them no problem. But we need your help, Damien won't go down easy."
Ezekiel remembered Colin, he remembered how ruthless he was. The warnings he gave, which left many without their limbs, made a furious anger rise within him, one so foreign to him. To know he was dead, to know such a vile man was taken down, had hope rising within him.
"I think we should fight, your highness."
Ezekiel turned to face Jerry who was looking at him sincerely, as he always had.
"We need to help these people."
"But our people-"
"Will be helped to." Jerry said and quickly closed his mouth with a bashful smile. "Sorry for interrupting, your highness, but our people want to fight, they want to get rid of The Hunters. We're the good guys, we have to act like it."
Ezekiel sighed heavily and a soft smile grew. "Thank you, Jerry." He said softly and turned to face the hurt and angry group before him. He noticed the teenager standing beside Rick and the woman behind him with the unmistakable baby bump.
He knew he couldn't refuse, not when so many other people were putting their lives on the line. He knew he finally had to step up and be a leader.
"I hope you can forgive me for my hesitance." He said genuinely. "When do we start?"
The group of fighters from Alexandria and The Hilltop all sighed in relief while Rick looked back at the leader with a growing smile. He nodded to the king in thanks who nodded back jovially. As if feeling the anticipation that stirred within the room, Shiva got to her feet and roared loudly.
Hope stirred within Rick for the first time that day. The Hunters didn't know what was coming to them.
Rhiannon's eyes stayed plastered to Alex's still form, dreading the moment he would start to move again. Her eyes trailed downwards to the blood that coated her boots from the pool of blood she could no longer avoid in the small cage.
"Rhi, you still good?"
She looked up to meet Daryl's worried gaze and nodded. "I'm ok."
He had been checking in almost every minute. Her silence was deafening to him, keeping him on the edge of frantic worry. He worried what Alex's death would do to her. It wasn't often one had to watch their abuser die right next to them and he worried what trauma would linger.
He wanted so badly to rip the cages between them apart.
"What do you think they're gonna do to us?" Aaron asked hesitantly. It had been hours since they had been taken and they were more than confused. The Hunters liked to play with their victims, but so far, they'd been left alone, apart from Alex's fiasco, but that hadn't exactly been planned.
These people were cunning and ruthless. It wasn't like them to leave their prey untouched.
"Maybe they're waiting for nighttime?" Glenn suggested, but it was as good as anyone's best guess. They didn't even know if it was still daylight outside, they knew nothing about what happened next and it was terrifying.
"Maybe. At least whatever they're planning is giving the others more time to find us." Rhiannon said hopefully. "Do you think-"
Her words cut off when she heard a slight rustle beside her. She whipped her head around to look at Alex's body, her heart beginning to race.
"Rhi?"
She ignored Daryl's concern, her eyes scanning every inch of Alex's body. When she saw his fingers twitch, her heart dropped, her eyes going wide with terror.
Across the room, Daryl gripped onto the chain link on the cage as his panic began to rise to dangerous heights and he spoke her name again, his voice laced with worry.
Rhiannon shoved herself up against the wall of the cage, staring at the reanimating body of her ex. The corpse let out a bone-chilling hiss, it's milky white, dead eyes locking onto her. The corpse groaned eagerly at the sight of her and began to sit up unsteadily.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Rhiannon hissed, looking again desperately for anything she could use to defend herself.
"Hey, hey! Over here!" Daryl yelled, baginging on the cage, trying to catch the attention of the hungry corpse, trying to keep it distracted from Rhiannon. Glenn and Aaron joined in, making as much noise as they could to keep the walker's attention on them and not Rhiannon.
Her chest was heaving with scared, panting breaths as she looked at the corpse of her ex boyfriend that was adamant on having her as its first meal. The twisted irony, that Alex was still finding a way to hurt her, was not lost on her, and it made her heart clench sadly.
She angled her legs, ready to use her boots, the only thing she could use, to kick in his head, to at least try to keep the flesh hungry monster away from her.
A gunshot sounded and Alex's corpse fell to the floor, finally going still for good. Rhiannon gaped up at Damien who held the smoking gun. She hadn't even heard him come down into the cellar.
The Hunter unlocked the cage and opened the door, motioning for her to come out. But she stayed frozen in place, eyeing the man wearily, hesitant to follow any of his orders.
"Come on now, I just saved your life. Why would I do that if I was just gonna kill you now?" Damien admonished and motioned again for her to come out of the cage.
Rhiannon stood on shaking legs, swallowing the lump in her throat as she hesitantly stepped over Alex's body. She made sure to keep her gaze up, not sparing a look down at him. She slowly stepped out of the cage and her eyes fell onto Daryl immediately.
The worried look on his face made her stomach twist.
"Let's go." Damien grabbed her arm and practically pulled her up the steps of the cellar, away from her family.
"Hey! Hey, let her go!" Daryl screamed, his hands banging on the cage, wishing he could rip it apart with his bare hands. "Don't fuckin' touch her!"
The sounds of Daryl's desperate screams were cut off as the cellar doors slammed closed behind her. Rhiannon ignored the sting of tears welling in her eyes and clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
She looked out into the dark forest in front of her, noting that it had in fact gotten dark in their time in the cellar. Her hope of Rick finding them anytime soon was waning dangerously.
"What are you gonna do?" Rhiannon asked with a hoarse voice, despite knowing the answer already.
"That bitch that escaped us didn't tell you?"
Damien placed his hand on her shoulder, making her flinch under his touch, and he guided her to the front of the cabin. Rhiannon swallowed thickly when she saw a group of men sitting on the lit porch, sharpening arrows and knives.
A few waved when they saw her, a sickly delighted smile on their faces that made her feel nauseous.
"I'd get goin' if I were you, Sweetheart." Damien chuckled. "These men are pretty damn eager to get their hands on you."
Rhiannon felt like the world had turned on its side. All these months, seeing the handiwork of The Hunters, the swinging corpses that had been hunted like animals, made her feel sick to her stomach. She never expected to be the person on the other side of it.
She never expected herself to be their victim, not like this.
"Go on." Damien urged her, shoving her forward. Rhiannon swallowed and with one last spared look at The Hunters, she knew she didn't have another choice. She stumbled forward, her fear not allowing her coordination and began to run.
She sprinted at full speed, ignoring the sting of branches hitting her skin and twisted ankles that came from upturned roots in the ground. The burning in her lungs didn't matter, the aching that grew in her legs didn't matter.
She had to keep going.
She avoided the muddy patches on the ground, knowing they could track her easily if she left an obvious muddy trail. She made sure to zig-zag, making her trail more complicated and intricate than it needed to be.
She had Daryl's voice in the back of her head, reminding her of every trick he used to track, making sure she could do the exact opposite. She jumped from spot to spot on the tips of her toes, redistributing her weight, changing the look of her tracks.
She would make The Hunter's job as difficult as she possibly could.
Eventually, she had to take a break. She couldn't breathe any longer and she slowed to a stop, her hands resting on her knees as she hunched over, her entire body heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
She made sure to keep walking, keeping a slower pace until the fire in her lungs dissipated and she could continue sprinting for her life again.
She strained her ears, making sure she couldn't hear the damming sound of footsteps behind her, making sure The Hunters weren't close behind her.
Another noise caught her attention and she furrowed her brows, listening hard.
The rushing sound of a stream made her perk up and she eagerly followed the sound. Practically falling to her knees once the small body of water came into sight, she eagerly scooped up handfuls to her mouth, drinking down the much needed cold water.
Once she had her fill, she stayed stagnant for a moment, pausing to finish catching her breath, though it seemed useless. She was too on edge to really calm herself down enough to stop the pounding of her heart or the panting of her breath.
"Keep going." She whispered to herself. She knew the longer she stopped, the worse it would be to start again. Getting to her feet, she groaned, rubbing her thighs in a failed attempt to stop the aching.
She stepped into the cool stream, noting how the water reached to only her knees. The Hunters couldn't track her in water.
Smiling to herself, she continued her trek, trudging her way down the stream.
Back at the cabin, Damien blew out a cloud of smoke from the cigarette between his fingers, his eyes looking out into the forest in front of him.
"You boys ready?" He called out to his group on the porch who were getting their weapons together.
"Hey, boss?"
He turned on his heel, staring down at the man who was approaching him hesitantly. The fear on the man's face was clear as day, sending amusement coursing through him. He always loved the hold he had over his people.
"What is it? We're about to go on a hunt."
"We… we haven't heard back from Colin."
Damien's face changed, the easy going look on his face falling into a dark scowl that made the man before him cower slightly.
"What?" He hissed angrily.
"His group never came back from Alexandria and he isn't answering his walkie." The Hunter explained, his voice wavering from fear of what the leader would do to him for delivering the bad news.
Damien clenched his jaw tightly and threw his cigarette to the ground. "Hold that thought, boys." He called out to the others, making their shoulders sag in disappointment at their hunt being delayed.
In the cellar, Daryl sat with his head in his hands. His fingers were bloody and aching from his attempts at tearing the cage apart to get to his wife.
His mind was racing with the worst possibilities of what they had done to her and he couldn't stop himself from panicking.
"She's gonna be ok." Glenn spoke up softly. "She knows the game they play, she'll know how to outsmart them."
Daryl ignored him and his attempts to make him feel better. They didn't work. Nothing would.
Glenn shuffled closer to Daryl and placed a hand on his tense shoulder. "Hey, Daryl, Rhiannon's smart, you know that. You know she'll get away."
Daryl didn't say anything. He worried if he spoke just one word about her, he'd let the tears fall.
The door to the cellar slammed open and Daryl got to his feet, shrugging off Glenn's hand, his worry morphing into fury in a split second. Damien stepped into the room, the glare on his face matching Daryl's.
"What the fuck did you do to her?" Daryl barked immediately.
Damien ignored the question and opened the door to their cage. The Hunters behind him held up their rifles to them, making sure they didn't all try to make a run for it.
"What the hell are you doing?" Glenn asked angrily, staring the leader down with a scowl.
"It's your lucky day, Loverboy." Damien said as he dragged Daryl out of the cage. "We're lettin' you see your girl."
Daryl's eyes widened and he didn't need Damien to drag him up the stairs and out of the cellar, he was already on his way. Once he was out in the open air, he looked around desperately, but he didn't see her and his heart dropped to his stomach.
"What is this?"
"We're givin' you a chance." Damien explained, though his words didn't match the expression on his face. There was something sinister in his eyes that set Daryl on edge instantly. "Go on. You better hope you find your girl before we do."
It was then that Daryl understood and his face went pale. They were going to hunt them both.
With Rhiannon in mind, Daryl didn't give it a second thought, and he quickly made his way into the forest and started to run, desperate to find her.
Damien breathed deeply, his expression going even darker with anger. He waited a minute before turning to the group on the porch.
"Kill them."
The group waited in the darkness with bated breath, counting down the moments for their opportune moment to strike.
It hadn't been easy finding The Hunter's cabin in the dark, but Daryl had cut their search grid in half and as they got closer, the lights emanating from the large cabin had been like a beacon, drawing them in easily.
Rick tensed from his crouched position as Damien walked past their hiding spot, unaware of their presence. It was hard for Rick to force himself to stay in his spot and not lunge at the leader then and there.
"Hey, boss, we headin' out?" A soldier asked the leader and Damien nodded, beginning to make his way to his lackeys who were waiting for him by their truck.
"We'll make our way to the rendezvous and wait for the group to bring us our toys."
Rick looked over at Merle who was crouched beside him, the two of them sharing expressions of unease. Their 'toys' had to have been their people. The realization that their family were out there at that same moment, being hunted, made their chests tighten with fear.
Merle grit his teeth together tightly and shifted on his feet, gearing up to make a move, to take Damien out, but Rick stopped him, placing his hand on his shoulder to keep him down. He subtly shook his head, silently telling the hot headed man to wait.
They watched as Damien and a group of Hunters got into the truck and pulled out of the driveway.
Everyone collectively held their breaths, waiting until the headlights disappeared into the distance. Rick turned back to the fighters behind him and nodded.
It was time to fight.
A lone Hunter was walking the perimeter, keeping watch. He whistled to himself lazily, barely paying attention to what was in front of him, until he heard a growl. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face the dark forest beside him, thinking a walker was approaching the cabin.
He peered into the darkness in front of him and his eyes widened as a pair of glowing eyes met his. He barely had time to scream before Shiva was jumping out of the bushes with a vicious snarl and clamped her jaws around the man's neck, silencing him before he could alert the others.
The fighters of Alexandria, Hilltop and The Kingdom raced forward quickly and like a well-oiled machine, they took out their enemies with a furious vengeance.
Rick, Merle, Carol and Michonne led the charge into the cabin. Much like their first ambush of the cabin just a day ago, they caught The Hunters by surprise. Most barely had time to reach for a weapon before they were shot down.
The second group moved in swiftly, Rosita, Gabriel, Jesus, Rob and Jerry racing in to take care of The Hunters on the upper floor.
Jesus stuck close to Rob, knowing the man of his affection was spiralling with worry for his friends. He made sure he kept his head on straight while fighting. Rob turned on his heel and together, they shot a hunter coming up behind them, both of their bullets hitting home in the man's chest.
They paused, looking at each other in surprise. A moment of mutual affection passed through them and Jesus' lip twitched slightly. He placed his hand on Rob's shoulder, squeezing slightly in the barest of moments he could get with him in this chaos.
"Come on." Jesus breathed out, forcing them both from their daze and back to fighting.
Maggie stayed outside with most of the fighters from The Kingdom, firing at any Hunter that tried to get to the cars and escape. She flinched when she heard the animal roar of Shiva and couldn't help but smile in disbelief at the sight of the tiger taking Hunters down viciously.
Her eyes searched frantically before finally finding the cellar doors. Her heart skipped a beat and she was instantly sprinting forward.
"Maggie!" Tara yelled worriedly and whispered a curse under her breath when the pregnant woman she had been glued to the side of to keep her safe ignored her warnings and kept running.
When she noticed the cellar doors, Tara's eyes widened in realization and she quickly followed Maggie.
Ezekiel, who had just shot down another Hunter, noticed Maggie and Tara's detour and raced after them, his stomach twisting at the thought of not watching out for the brave pregnant woman fighting for her family.
Maggie pulled at the heavy cellar doors with all of her might, groaning at the struggle and sighing when they fell open with a loud thud. She felt as though she could barely breathe as she stumbled frantically down the steps.
She squinted in the dim light, waiting for her eyes to adjust. A heavy gasp left her and she raced towards the cage, tears already steadily running down her cheeks.
"Maggie?!" Glenn cried out in disbelief, getting to his feet quickly. "W-what are you doing here?"
He and Aaron had heard the gunshots above them, but he had no idea his pregnant wife had been a part of the carnage. He was suddenly so terrified, he felt dizzy.
"We came to rescue you." She spoke as if it was expected, like he shouldn't be surprised. She pulled at the chain that was locking the cage, clenching her jaw when she saw the lock that she didn't have the key to.
"Stand back." She ordered and Aaron and Glenn quickly took note, scurrying away from the door of the cage. Maggie shot the lock and it fell to the floor. She yanked the door open and in a second, she was in her husband's arms.
Glenn let out a shaking breath and held onto her tighter, still in disbelief that he was hugging his wife.
"I love you, I love you so much." He rambled in a whisper, relief washing over him so greatly, it brought tears to his eyes.
"Shit." Tara cursed, having pulled away from her hug with Aaron to find the second cage and the gruesome sight of Alex's dead body and the enormous pool of blood surrounding him.
"I'm sorry, was he an Alexandrian?" King Eziekel spoke softly and comfortingly to Tara and was surprised by the sour look that crossed her face.
"Yeah, but it's not really an upset." She mumbled, making the king sputter in surprise at her blunt words. He looked up, his confused gaze meeting Aaron's, desperate for clarification.
Aaron just sighed and shook his head. "He wasn't a great guy."
Footsteps came down the stairs and they all tensed, raising their weapons at the ready. They all sighed in relief when Carol stepped into the dim room, looking around frantically. She smiled and raced forward to hug Glenn and Aaron.
"You guys ok?"
"We're good. They didn't touch us."
"Where's Daryl and Rhiannon?" The older woman asked worriedly, their absence making her feel as though a cinder block was resting on her chest.
Maggie held tighter to Glenn, needing his touch for whatever news was about to come.
"Damien let them out."
The silence in the room was stifling after that. They all knew what it meant. They knew the couple was being hunted.
"We gotta find them." Maggie said softly, her voice sounding weak and raspy as she tried her best to hold back the emotions that were flooding her.
She couldn't lose her big sister. Not after everything they had already lost. Rhiannon was the only blood relative she had left and she knew she wouldn't survive losing her.
Carol's face was shadowed with grief and guilt, her stomach twisting into knots at the thought of the two of them in danger.
"Let's go." She said, her voice low and stern.
It caused a shiver to ripple down Ezekiel's spine. He hadn't been expecting that kind of darkness and power to come from such a demure looking woman. He had fiercely underestimated her.
They all made their way back up to find the fight had ended. All of The Hunters at the cabin were dead.
Except for one.
Maggie's eyes widened when she noticed Rick gripping onto a lone survivor and she ran forward. He was their only chance of finding Rhiannon and Daryl before Damien and the remaining Hunters did.
She felt sick thinking about what The Hunters would do to them if they didn't find them first.
"Why should I tell you anything?" The man said shakily, looking around at the angry faces staring back at him. He recognized a few, he knew they had been tormented by his group.
Shiva roared and the man flinched, shaking in Rick's grip.
"I think you know why." Rick said coolly, sparing a look at the tiger he so desperately wanted to give another meal to. "Where are our people?"
"You won't find them, it's useless."
"Tell us!" Merle screamed, ripping the man from Rick's grip and pinning him to the ground. The redneck hovered over the man, glaring down at him heatedly. He held the knife attachment on his hand against his neck roughly, drawing a drop of blood. "Where are they?"
"Ok! Ok!" The man relented, wincing at the pain in his neck Merle wouldn't let him wrench himself away from. "Damien's going to meet them at a clearing. The group hunting them creates a perimeter around them to herd them there."
"Where is it?"
"It's... uhhh…" The man floundered and let out a yelp of pain as Merle dug his knife in deeper. "It's some park! At an old nature center." He answered frantically.
Behind them, Jerry quickly pulled the map from his pocket and opened it hastily, scanning his flashlight over it. His eyes widened when he fell on the right marker.
"I got it!"
Rick sighed in relief and as he turned to Merle, his face hardened. He gave the redneck a nod to which Merle nodded back. He looked down at The Hunter below him and dragged his knife against his throat, ending him quickly.
"Let's get going." Rick ordered.
He chose to take the cars that were left, giving Daryl and Rhiannon the best chance they could have in their haste to find them. His hand clenched onto the steering wheel as he pulled away from the cabin.
Beside him, Michonne reached over, placing her hand on his thigh comfortingly. "We'll find them." She whispered assuringly.
He chose not to comment on the way her voice shook as she spoke.
None of them would fathom losing Daryl and Rhiannon, none of them would know how to move on from their loss and Rick hoped to god they would never have to find out.
Rhiannon felt dead on her feet.
She didn't know how long she had been running, all she knew was that she didn't have much left in her.
She could hear the occasional whoop and cheer from a Hunter behind or beside her, forcing her to change course to get away from them.
She felt like a helpless sheep, being corralled by predators.
Taking a break wasn't the best idea, but she was desperate. She had to stop, just for a moment. She found an old, dilapidated shack and leaned against it, putting her head between her knees as she caught her breath and blinked the white spots out of her vision.
She sat for a few minutes until the sound of her breathing calmed. She got back to her feet, having to hold onto the shack behind her to help her regain her balance. She started to walk forward slowly when the sound of a twig snapping under someone's weight caught her attention.
She turned on her heel and stared out into the darkness in front of her with wide, fearful eyes.
Her legs ached and screamed at the prospect of having to sprint away for her life again, but she didn't have another option.
"Rhi?"
The faint whisper made her perk up and she stared into the darkness in disbelief, wondering if she had finally lost it, if she had become so delirious she was beginning to hallucinate.
"Rhiannon?"
The whisper sounded again, more frantic than before. More twigs snapped and leaves crunched, making her tense, before a figure stepped into her line of sight and walked towards her.
She stumbled back, ready to start running again, before she realized who it was. Her shoulders sagged and her face twisted in relief as a sob unwillingly escaped her. Daryl let out a shaking breath and raced forward, almost bowling her over in his desperate embrace.
She held onto him tightly, her hands gripping onto his vest, twisting the leather in her fists.
"It's ok, you're ok, Darlin'. I'm here." He whispered, his hand curling into the locks on the back of her head. He felt his own eyes sting with tears at the relief he felt. "I found you, I found you." He spoke softly, almost in disbelief.
"Fuck, almost lost you in that fuckin' stream."
He had followed her tracks as best he could, knowing it was his only chance of finding her, but she certainly hadn't made it easy. Her eyes widened, she never thought that Daryl would have been the one to have to track her.
"I'm sorry."
Daryl shook his head, chuckling slightly. "You did so well, Darlin', I'm so fuckin' proud of you."
He pulled away and cradled her face gently, pressing his lips to hers in an eager and quick kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers and wiped her tears away.
"We gotta keep movin'."
She nodded and together they began to make their way forward. She was practically stumbling over her feet to keep up with his fast pace, but his hand remained sturdy in hers, making sure she didn't leave his side.
They were only walking for a few minutes before a large building came into view. It was an old, rundown nature center.
"C'mon, we'll hide out here for the night, wait for the light."
Rhiannon leaned heavily on Daryl as they walked, feeling exhaustion creeping in. She didn't know how much longer she could keep herself standing. Daryl felt her heavy weight against him and wrapped his arm around her waist to help support her.
"It's ok, I got you, Darlin'." He whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, unable but to indulge at a time like this.
They were walking past the clearing, only yards away from the building when suddenly, to their left, bright lights blinded them.
Daryl immediately shoved her behind him. From behind his raised hand to block out the harsh light, he made out that they were headlights of a car. He simultaneously paled with fear and flushed with anger.
The Hunters had found them.
Damien stepped out of the truck with a swagger and smugness of a man with a wealth of riches, like he had just won the lottery. The other Hunters raised their weapons towards them from the bed of the truck.
Daryl eyed them intently, plotting how they could out maneuver them to get away when The Hunters that had been after them on foot appeared on his other side, quashing his plan instantly.
He tensed, reaching his arm back to comfort Rhiannon as he shielded her. He could feel her grip on his back, he could practically feel the fear emanating from her.
"Looks like you found her, Loverboy." Damien preened, making Daryl clench his jaw. "Too bad we found you too." He said with a vicious sarcasm.
Daryl stared the man down with a fury, his hands twitching in anticipation of a fight. He knew he wouldn't win, he knew it would be futile, but he would do anything to give Rhiannon a chance to get away, to not be their casualty.
He was ready to lay down his life for her.
"Get on your knees." Damien ordered.
"You gonna make us?" Daryl barked back and Rhiannon gripped onto him tighter.
"Daryl, don't." She whispered, not wanting to make their fate even worse. She complied easily, getting to her knees on the hard ground.
Daryl grit his teeth, his heart pounding within his chest and he slowly got on his knees. He made sure to turn himself so he was facing Rhiannon. If this was it, he wanted his last sight to be of her.
"You're lucky it's endin' like this." Damien told them as he circled the couple like a vulture, ready to pick them apart. "Most people don't get the luxury of dyin' with their loved one."
Rhiannon whimpered slightly at his words, not ready to accept that this was it, that this was how it ended for them.
Damien kneeled down next to her and leaned in, making her cringe and finch away from him. "You should really be thankin' me for this." He whispered with a sick smile.
"Hey," Daryl called out, his voice soft and just for her and she pried her eyes open to look at him. "Just keep lookin' at me."
Rhiannon swallowed thickly, a heavy sob escaping her when she saw his eyes shining with tears.
"Daryl," She choked out.
"It's ok, just look at me, Darlin'." He said softly, his voice cracking on her pet name.
Damien pulled out his gun and pressed it against Rhiannon's temple. Her chest heaved with her cries as she struggled to breathe through her panic.
Daryl shifted, his eyes widening in terror at the sight of the weapon pointed at his wife. He was seconds from lunging forward to tear it away from her when she cried out his name, stopping him.
She looked at him knowingly and shook her head. His stomach dropped and his face contorted as his own tears began to fall.
"Rhi, I-"
"Don't." She said weakly. "Don't do that for me."
Daryl gasped for breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he shook his head desperately, refusing to believe this was it.
He hoped they killed him quickly afterwards so the image of her death wouldn't stay with him too long. He hoped he wouldn't have to live even a couple of seconds without her.
"I love you." She sobbed and Daryl whimpered, finally raising his head to look at her.
"I love you. I love you so fuckin' much." He cried, wishing he could reach out to her.
As Damien pulled the safety off his gun, Daryl made his rash decision. He hoped Rhiannon wouldn't hate him for going against her wishes. But he couldn't live with himself if he didn't take the bullet for her.
In a split second, Daryl shot to his feet and lunged at Damien. Rhiannon threw herself back to avoid the fight and the crack of a gunshot sounded, making her jump in fright.
She righted herself and her eyes widened, a scream welling in her throat as she saw Daryl fall to the ground, his hands clutching onto his stomach tightly as his face contorted in pain.
"Daryl!" Rhiannon shrieked, her vision blurring, almost mercifully, from the sight before her.
Damien shook his head and spat out the blood from the split lip Daryl had given him.
"Dumbass." He growled and pointed his gun at the man, this time aiming for his head.
"No, no! Please, please, please don't!" Rhiannon cried out frantically, but the Hunter was ruthless, her cries meant nothing to him and his finger curled around the trigger again.
Before Damien could shoot, a crash sounded.
He jumped back and looked up to find a car ramming into the truck from the side, knocking off the Hunters who had been in the back.
Damien was stunned, frozen in spot, as he watched in disbelief as Rick jumped from the driver's side and fired off rapid shots to his men before they could get their footing back.
Another car raced through the field and Damien watched dumbly as the car ran down the other group of Hunters, as people jumped from the cars to gun down the rest of them.
In the chaos, Rhiannon crawled towards Daryl.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god." She whispered frantically. Quickly opening the buttons of his shirt, her lips parted, though no words escaped her and she was left to gape at the wound in his stomach with devastation.
She quickly tore her shirt off and placed it over the wound to put pressure on it, wincing as her husband cried out in pain. The shirt became saturated with his blood in seconds, making her heart stutter and she watched, feeling sick, as her hands soon became soaked in his blood.
"Daryl." She cried out and leaned over him, kissing him quickly. "You're ok, you're gonna be ok."
Daryl looked up at her, his eyes growing heavy. She noticed the hazy look in his eyes and sobbed harder, shaking her head and leaning her forehead against his.
"Don't, don't you dare do this to me."
Daryl reached up, using all the energy he had left, and cradled her cheek. She flinched at the touch slightly before melting into it eagerly.
"You shouldn't have done that for me."
Daryl just shook his head, his eyes blinking more often and slower, like he was having trouble keeping them open.
"Hey, keep your eyes open. Just keep looking at me." She repeated the words he had said to her, choking out another sob.
Once all The Hunters were taken care of, Rick stepped towards Damien who was surrounded after trying to escape. He stood in the middle of the group, his hands raised in surrender against the many guns pointed at him.
"Didn't think it'd end like this." Damien snarked, looking to Rick disdainfully. "At least I got to kill a whole lotta you assholes before I left."
The grin was just blooming on The Hunter's face when Rick put a bullet in his forehead, stopping the smug smile before it could come to fruition.
Rick could barely bask in the glory of their victory, before a sound of a scream echoed through the night, making him tense and turn on his heel.
He raced towards where a small crowd had formed and he saw Carol on her knees, sobbing into her hands.
His heart dropped to his stomach and his steps faltered when the crowd parted, revealing Daryl on the ground, bleeding out. He stood still for a moment, shock racing through him. It barely registered that Daryl, his brother, the fierce man he was sure would outlive them all, was on the ground, looking so pale and so weak.
He stumbled, feeling a shove to his shoulder, that shook him out of his daze. He watched as Merle, who had shoved him out of his way, skidded to a stop and kneeled next to his brother, looking more terrified than anyone had ever seen before.
"Hey, hey, Bambi, I got this." Merle whispered, moving to take over putting pressure on his brother's wound. But she didn't hear him, her catatonic gaze was locked onto her husband.
"Rhiannon." He said sternly, finally catching her attention and the broken, tear filled gaze that met his made him swallow thickly. "I got this."
She nodded and let Merle take over. She instantly moved to Daryl's side, propping his head up to lay in her lap. She brushed her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead sweetly.
"You're gonna be ok." She whispered to him.
Daryl's tired gaze lifted to meet hers and he smiled lightly. He opened his mouth, but before he could get any words out, he coughed, blood now coating his lips.
Rhiannon's eyes filled with horror, dread settling in the pit of her stomach.
"I- I had to." Daryl choked out, using the last of his strength to tell his wife that saving her life was always how it was supposed to end for him.
He wouldn't have accepted anything else.
Daryl coughed again and Rhiannon watched as his eyes fluttered closed.
She wasn't even aware of the scream that left her, she couldn't hear anything but the static in her ears.
She didn't register the others yelling at her that he still had a heartbeat.
She didn't watch as her husband got carried into the car.
She didn't feel the arms of her sister holding her tightly.
She could only feel the shattering of her heart.
I'M SORRY
THIS ISN'T THE END I PROMISE