The way to the highway once they were off the mountain made Carol incredibly sad. It was obvious the people here put up a hell of a fight. These people, her heart hurt for them, for everyone. The houses in what she now knew was Lynch Kentucky were close together. A tight knitted community that paid for it's closeness in the end. It looked like once a fire started it ripped through the place.
Daryl's eyes were hard as they drove the cracked pavement out of the small town. When they reached the next little town she read the sign and it was Benham. It was just as bad as Lynch had been. Burned down and looted. Blood on houses and fire ravaged.
She knew they needed to get to Cumberland to make it to the highway to go to Harlan. BUt so far she was just seeing these depressing little post.
"Were you from this area?" Carol nearly whispered.
"I had family here." His voice strained.
Carol eyes watered and she wanted her grandmother even more. Everything in her hoped that she'd find the woman alive and whole. Not come up on a dead body or a walker trapped in the house. It'd break her to find such a thing.
When a sign said Welcome To Cumberland Carol was relieved. Daryl took an exit out of town and they were on a highway that was surprisingly clear. Still she held hopes that the whole trip would remain so clear and open. Not that they hadn't seen walkers but the town was few and far between. It was like the whole town picked up and left at once. Or maybe the fires got the most of them.
"Where are the walkers?" Carol asked.
Daryl chewed his lip and smiled some. "We've been through here a few times."
She never had to kill people she'd possibly known. But Daryl's own words told her that there was a possibility that he had. Did that mean he'd cleared the town and searched for resources?
They were half way to Harlan by the time Carol snapped awake. There were abandoned cars littered around but nothing like the highway's she'd seen on her way here. Nothing at all like that. Here it was like they'd just been left almost forgotten. Blood was on a lot of them and Carol felt her heart rate pick up.
"Carol."
Daryl's voice was tight.
"What?"
"Get your gun out." Daryl ordered. "We're being followed."
Carol didn't turn but did as he said. His driving hadn't changed and he was still lax. But his eyes were a wild dangerous that she'd never seen before. Not since he thought his son was in danger. It was a stark reminder she took him away from his family. What would she do if she came back without him? Could she go back? Would they welcome her with open arms while his son and brothers looked at her like she was trash and dead to them.
"How long have they been following us?"
"Since we left town."
Carol flinched. She'd been asleep and he'd just kept his mouth shut and drove.
"How far are we from Teeterville?"
"About seven miles."
Carol knew it would come to a head soon. Whatever was out there, whoever...it was all going to come to a head with a clash. She just hoped they both made it out of this.
When they got to Teeterville it was a little offshoot of Harlan itself. Still she kept her eyes open and sure enough she finally spotted them. That they were on such a weird winding road helped to spot them out. They couldn't drive as far back and keep eyes on them. It made her curious. Why the wait? WHy not force the issue.
"What are they waiting on?"
Daryl shifted in his seat and sighed. "Probably for us to stop somewhere."
Daryl asked her a few questions about where her grandmother lived and she told him what she knew. She realized she didn't know as much as he probably liked but in the end she spotted the house she remembered and that was in photos. The grand fence was still standing. It gave her hope. When they whipped into the drive it wasn't long before the car sped up and blocked them in.
Daryl turned and Carol felt her heart rate beat a bruise against her chest. Daryl had a wild look about his eyes but was cool and collected everywhere else. He stared at the man that stepped out and didn't move a muscle.
"What do you want?"
The man raised a gun and jerked his head at the truck. "Tell the lady to get out."
Carol flinched at that and did as he asked. He licked his scabby cracked lips and she nearly hissed at him. She'd kill this man before he touched her.
"Such a pretty thing." He cooed.
"You aren't taking her." Daryl's voice was cold.
"I aint asking." The man barked.
"I'm not asking either." Daryl snarled.
Carol moved closer to Daryl and the man raised the gun directly onto Daryl. Her worst fears were coming true. It was only in the relative distance that she heard a noise. Walkers. Walkers were here. She'd led them into a trap and she'd been raped or killed for it. Daryl just killed. The group would never know what happened to them.
The sound of a gun going off made her scream and lunge for Daryl. Only Daryl was still standing. His head swiveled looking behind them when the man in front of them's head rocked back and he dropped lifelessly to the ground. Gun falling from his hand. Carol was wrapped around Daryl though, nails sinking into his skin and panting.
"I warned those sons of bitches to stay away."