Day 2: The Circle of Death

Cherry Log, Georgia, United States

7:09am June 28th, 2010

I awoke when the sun was still low on the horizon, leaving me to guess that it had only rose thirty to forty-five minutes ago. I was itching for a shower, so I thought I'd try my luck. Going down the hall into the bathroom, I switched on the hot water knob, and was relieved to see that it still ran. Frankly, I was surprised that the power was out in Blue Ridge. Logically, it should have lasted a few weeks at least if this really was the end. While relieving myself into the toilet, I held my hand out to find that the water was still hot, so I stripped myself of my clothes and got in, relishing in the warmth overcoming me. It was more than what I needed. I had slept in my own father's blood last night and God knows who else's. The soaps had all been cleaned out, so I didn't linger too long in the stall before getting out. I had no choice but to put my dirty clothes back on- it was all I had, but I opted to go commando and leave my boxers behind. Never have I ever taken underwear off then put the same pair back on, except maybe after sex.

When opening the bathroom door, I was nearly slapped in the face with Warren standing right outside.

"Are you tellin' me there's hot water here?!" he exclaimed.

"Sure as hell is," I answered. "Be quick. Don't wanna use it all up for everyone else."

Warren rushed by me into the bathroom, the door slamming behind him. Going back into the room I temporarily deemed as mine, I got what little I had for gear on me. My shoes, my belt, the hammer, the bolt action rifle, and my revolver.

I tromped downstairs to see Daryl and Jess standing around the table, discussing the plan for the day.

"We can get to Lawrenceville in a few hours, no problem," Daryl was saying.

"That's all gonna depend on what these roads look like," Jess said. "Who knows what kind of traffic is going on as we get closer to Atlanta."

"Or if there's anymore roadblocks," I inputted.

"Your ass is finally up," Daryl scoffed. "'Bout to go wake up that cowboy then we'll be out of here."

"If you're in that much of a hurry, don't mention the hot water," I advised.

"He hopped in the shower last night after y'all passed out," Daryl informed us.

"Now, you're payin' attention to when other men get naked?" Jess teased.

"Go fuck yourself," Daryl barked back.

He left the room, presumably to go wake up Jimmy Blake.

"Did you sleep alright?" Jess asked, handing me a small baggy of deer jerky, of which I was guessing was what he made himself.

"Like a rock actually," I replied, shoving a piece of the meat into my mouth. "All that physical exertion knocked me the hell out."

"Wish I could say the same for myself," Jess said. "Been gettin' hot and cold flashes all night and day, sweatin', just thinkin' 'bout my brother. You would think putting a bullet in your dad's head would do the same to you."

Jess shot me a daring look into the eyes.

"You don't really know who he was."

"He was your father."

"He was a terrorizer."

"You're cold, boy. I ain't tryna start a fight."

"Then don't say nothin'."

Jess did just that. He picked up the rest of his bags of deer jerky and headed out to the truck. I could admit that I didn't want to follow him out right away, so I decided on helping Daryl round the boys up so that we could go and fetch our brother. I passed a quiet and groggy Blake going down the stairs then found Daryl banging on the bathroom door.

"Get your ass out here, boy, or you can stay behind!" He shouted.

"Okay, okay, I'm almost done!" Warren replied.

I could hear the shower stream stop.

"Well hurry up, or I'll break this door down and give your cock an Indian burn!"

"I see why Jess has his suspicions about you," I joked.

"Don't think that's what homos are doin' to each other," Daryl replied.

"You would know. Look, Daryl, if that's what you're into, you're not goin' to get no shit from me about it. It won't make me think any differently of you."

"Shut the hell up, already!"

Those words were true, what I was saying. Daryl's sexuality was no business of mine and no matter what it was, it would not change a thing for me. He had always played his cards close to his chest. I'm sure he'd dated before, but he never told anyone a thing about it. I didn't particularly suspect he was gay, but I never knew anything about any girlfriends he ever might have had. Merle was always on about women.

I put my hands up in defense to Daryl.

"Hey, Bedford, you got five minutes to meet us down there or we're leavin' without you!" I shouted. Of course, I wouldn't leave the guy behind, but I did need him to get a move on. "We'll be at the truck!"

Daryl stomped past me, and I followed right behind him down the stairs and out to where Jess had parked the truck. It was still early in the morning and much cooler than it had been the day prior to this. I knew it wouldn't last and would probably only get hotter as we got further out of the mountains. Jess was stationed in the driver's seat and Blake sat in the back. Daryl and I both hopped in the back with Blake as Warren barreled out of the door and ran over to the truck.

"Start it up!" Daryl banged on the back window alerting Jess. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Hop in passenger today," I instructed the youngest man to do, and he obliged.

It was probably smartest to keep the stronger fighters of the group in the bed just in case anything went down. Jess started the engine and began down the road.

"Your family ever make it up from Gainesville?" I asked Blake.

He shook his head, something sad taking over his usual self-assuredness.

"There was always some reason not to," he muttered. "Years and years went by. I just accepted I'd be up here alone after a while."

Blake was only a few years older than me. He was an asshole, I knew that much, but not the worst cop I'd ever met. I didn't want to push him anymore on a subject that seemed sensitive for him, so I turned my back to the cop and my brother and faced our surroundings as we bounced down the road, looking out for any signs of danger.

I saw many of the biters peaking out from the trees on either side of the road. We passed quite a few on the road as well, Jess haphazardly swerving out of the way each time. Eventually, we came to a stop when a white mini van was completely blocking the way in the road, to which Jess pulled to a stop.

"What are we waitin' for?" Daryl asked. "Let's move it, come on!"

"Daryl, no!" I grabbed onto his shirt collar and pulled him back before he could jump out the side of the truck which earned me one of the angriest expressions I had ever seen from him. I thought he would punch me, so I quickly diverted his attention which was my original intention anyway. "Look!"

Daryl glanced in the direction that I was pointing out to what seemed to be a whole shit ton of them coming at us from behind and from the trees on either side.

"We can move it quickly and be gone. Ain't no other choice!" He barked.

"Yeah there is," I argued, pointing to a shanty street branching off on our right. "No risk, all of us get out alive."

"That road'll just add time we can't afford to waste!" Daryl argued.

"Jess!" I shouted. "We need to get out of here!"

"Make a decision already or I'll go move it myself!" Blake growled.

Jess swerved the truck over to the right which earned me Daryl's version of a pouty look.

"Can't get to Merle if we're dead!" I snapped.

Daryl said nothing.

"Guys! Shh!" Jess's voice came through the back window.

We all quieted down to hear whatever Jess was shushing us for.

"…of unknown origin," a staticky voice came through on the radio. "Citizens are strongly advised to avoid all contact with anyone who has or may have been affected. Do not try to communicate or reason with anyone displaying strange behaviors. Such individuals display elevated hostility and aggression. If attacked by affected individuals IMMEDIATELY clean and disinfect any resulting bite or scratch wounds. Military units have initiated vaccination, rescue, and evacuation operations across the Southeast region. Details will be broadcast on this station as they develop. This is a recorded message and will be played again in three minutes."

"Vaccination?" Warren repeated.

"These things gotta carry all kinds of diseases," Daryl speculated. "Don't think a flu shot's gonna save you though."

"Think these things are the disease," I said.

Everyone seemed to sit on this thought, contemplating whether or not that statement was literal or figurative. Lucky Les had been one of them. He must have caught whatever it was that they were infected with.

Ahead of us, I could see the small town of Cherry Log, Georgia. It wasn't so much a town as an unincorporated community. Mostly residential but with a few businesses here and there.

It seemed we were in luck to be approaching a town because the truck began to give out an unusual rumbling which I knew wasn't a good sign.

"Jess?" Daryl called out. "The hell are you doin'?"

"Ain't me!" Jess called from the front window. "You know Buck don't take care of his shit properly!"

With that, the vehicle came to a complete stop.

"Shit," I cursed.

It was only early in the day. We had wanted to make it all the way to Lawrenceville as soon as possible, and it seemed like our bad luck was just back-to-back at this point.

"Try it up, Jess!" Daryl commanded.

Jess turned the key in the hole a few times, but the engine failed to start.

"Look, it could be worse," I consoled my angry brother. "We're not in the middle of nowhere anymore. We can find a new ride."

"Alright," Daryl took a deep breath. "Let's be quick then."

He jumped out the side of the truck, Blake and I following him.

"We should split up, it could make this faster," I offered to the men. "Daryl and I will go find a new ride, picking up anything we can on the way. You three need to focus on other supplies- fuel, ammo, food- but if you find a ride worth taking out of here, meet us back here in an hour max. We won't wait too long for anyone."

I didn't want anyone to get left behind, and I sure wouldn't leave Daryl or Jess behind, but I had to be realistic about what could happen to Warren or Blake. If they didn't come back, I'd have to assume the worst.

"As soon as we score new wheels, we're out," Daryl reiterated.

"Yeah," Jess agreed. "Anyone turn anything up, whistle, and we'll reconvene. Try not to wander too far from everyone else at any time."

Jess bent over, placing his hands on his knees as if in pain. He seemed unable to sit still.

"Hey," Daryl said worriedly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jess assured him. "I'm fine. Little tired maybe. Been a long couple of days."

"Well, let's keep it together a little longer," I suggested. "Watch out for each other."

Jess was capable of looking out for himself, but I could tell he wasn't feeling great. That bite mark on his arm… we hadn't been able to clean and disinfect it right away like the message on the radio suggested. He was a strong guy though. He could fight it off. I felt better having Blake look after him. He was capable and I could tell his bravery had grown since being part of our group. He wasn't as timid as he was when we found him on the roof.

The three men wandered off together around an alleyway. Daryl and I would check the cars out here.

"Police station in Cherry Log?" I questioned, looking ahead at a bright blue sign lighting the entrance of a building. "Thought they didn't have one out here."

"Well, it's not Cherry Log PD," Daryl explained. "It's Gilmer County. Heard they got approval to put an outpost out here 'cause of crime rates goin' up. Truth be told, Merle and I'd been spendin' more time here with the motorcycle guys. Think that has somethin' to do with it."

"Very well could," I answered. "Sherriff's station might have a lot of supplies. From what I gather, BRSO was the last place up there to go down. They probably used all of their resources to keep this place up as long as possible. Could be what's left of the town's supplies in there. Could be some of the best vehicles we're gonna find in there too."

"Let's check it out then," Daryl proposed. "We gotta search around the buildin' though first. Just keep your eyes open."

Daryl and I headed left around the station. More bodies had littered these streets. It was obvious that someone had been here taking the biters out.

"Daryl," I grabbed my brother's attention, pointing towards a fresh corpse on the ground.

"Just what we need," he said.

Going up to the corpse, he picked up a six-inch barrel revolver left in its hands along with some ammo lying to his side.

"Ain't a car, but it'll help," I agreed.

I tried for an emergency exit next to the body, but it was locked, so we circled out back to the front and entered through the brown entry doors and found ourselves in a lobby. The floor was a black and white tile and the buzzing of flies around bodies birthed an uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Doubt there's anyone alive left in here," Daryl said. "Keep your eyes out for biters though."

I followed Daryl around down the hall, his crossbow raised along with my bolt action rifle. We searched what seemed to be filing office to find nothing but a dead body, an empty water cooler, and a flickering ceiling light. Leaving the file room, we continued down the hall to a room filled with cubicles. There were bodies littering the floor here too and it looked as if a hurricane had run through, papers everywhere.

"Squad five-four-zero!" The voice transmission of a police radio caused me to jump back a bit. "Quarantine failed! Need back up! …Surrounded! …Down! Repeat! Surrounded! Officer down- Step back!" A gun shot came through the radio as I frantically searched around, looking for the source. "Step back! Need-"

As the last words came through, I spotted a green light emitting from a police scanner, but the transmission has stopped.

"Pre-recording," Daryl hypothesized.

"Why would that be pre-recorded?" I challenged. "Someone's alive. Jess and the boys might run into them."

"Well, you heard it too," Daryl said. "Whoever's on the other end of that is as good as dead. If they were close, we'd have heard the gunshot out here too. This is Gilmer County PD. Could be half-way across the county. Nothin' we are gonna get mixed up in."

Daryl was right. We couldn't let this get in the way of what we were doing. He continued out of the office space and down the next hall where he seemed to have been met with dirty, decaying hands that I could only see coming out from the left side of the doorway. Before I could come to my brother's rescue, he shoved a knife through its skull.

I then followed him out into the hall where I saw that the biter that attacked him seemed to be a male dressed in a blue jumpsuit. It was hard to tell if the jumpsuit was a janitor's or a jailbird's.

"Squad two-one-zero Able," I was sure this voice was a person only a room away from us. Daryl and I quickly crouched down out of instinct. "Assist squad four-four-zero at twenty-one-hundred Christopher Avenue."

"Squad two-one-zero, copy," a second voice came through. "ETA 20 minutes."

"Where is that coming from," I whispered.

"Check everywhere, stay alert," Daryl said.

We rounded the corner to find a bunch of jail cells. In every cell seemed to be a biter feasting on its cell mate.

"Poor bastards," I commented. "No weapons, no way of escape."

"Cops just left 'em there to die," Daryl said flatly.

A few bullets lied on the ground, and I collected them, noting that it was the right kind for my bolt action rifle. We then circled out of the cell room and into a storage room. It was mostly cleaned out other than a flare, three grenades, and three boxes of ammo. Next was the men's locker room which was completely clear of everything other than some putrid corpses. We then turned to go down another corridor in the police station which led to a small garage with two police vehicles, both hoods up.

"You think they're runnin'?" I asked. "Looks like some maintenance was being done on 'em."

"Maybe. But we're gonna want one of 'em SUVs if possible. Those'll fit everyone inside. If worst comes to worst though, we might have to settle."

"Hear that?" I asked. Daryl quieted down to accentuate the sounds of growling and chewing. "We're not alone in here."

I walked slowly around the police cars to reveal a biter in a suit and tie chewing on an unidentifiable corpse. I took out my hammer and finished it with a few blows.

"Found more fuel," Daryl told me.

I looked to the ground to find some shotgun ammo and picked it up.

We exited the garage and continued searching the police station, checking an office which turned out empty. The men's and women's bathrooms both turned out nothing as well. At last, we rounded a corner which led to an office, but the office was blocked by overturned desks.

"Hey! You need immediate attention?" On the other side of the office, a police officer sat in a desk, his hands folded. He was a white guy in wide lens glasses and a cowboy hat.

We hopped over the overturned desks to meet with the cop.

"We're lookin' for a workin' ride," Daryl explained.

"Tell you what," the officer began. "Sent a couple of my deputies over to the motel next door to check out some screamin'. They ain't back yet. You find 'em, I'll have 'em set you up with a ride. Deal?"

"Sounds good to me," I agreed without hesitation.

"Squad five-two-zero is code 4," a voice cackled through the police scanner.

"You been at this for a couple days," Daryl observed.

"Sharp eye. Here's a radio," he reached out and handed a handheld Motorola to me. "Now, you've got a radio. Good. Get on it, I'll talk you through Cherry Log as you look for my men."

"Yeah? Alright," Daryl agreed.

"Squad four-four-one, priority," the radio transmitted again.

"I have to get that," the cop said. "Good luck, boys."

"Yeah, you too," I said while turning around to leave.

"We ain't your boys," Daryl remarked.

"Watch yourself," he warned. "Everywhere. I lost a man right here in the station. Can't be too careful."

Daryl hopped back over the makeshift wall after me and we continued down the corridor until we were out of the police station.

The cop's voice came through on the radio. "Check on my deputies, and you can have one of the RMPs."

"Oughta just take it," Daryl said, raising his crossbow at a feasting biter.

"I almost agree with you," I admitted. "But I didn't spot anywhere that he could be stashing the keys. Plus, who knows if he'd send what's left of his deputies after us."

"What's left," Daryl reiterated, shooting the biter in the back of the head. "These deputies we're goin' after are dead."

"I know that," I said as he pulled the bolt out of the biter and knocked it back into the bow.

"Soon all of 'em will be," he continued.

"Motel's right up ahead," I changed the subject before Daryl could talk me into doing something stupid.

We crossed onto a bridge over a dry canyon and Daryl took out a biter with his crossbow. For the second biter, I decided to use my environment to my advantage. Walking up to it, I served it a firm boot, sending it over the edge of the bridge. From what I could see, nothing was surviving that fall. Heights were maybe one of my only fears, so I didn't dare to look down. We then approached the motel, staying low as we could see it was pretty much overrun. It was one of those classic road stop motels. It was in an L-shape and was cheaply built, no doubt. It looked as though the police and other survivors were trying to fortify it, semis intended to keep biters out along with a recently constructed chain link fence.

"Think we can sneak around," I whispered to Daryl.

"We can," he assured me. "Stay low and stay quiet. We'll go for that first door on the end."

I did just as Daryl had advised, crouching down, and sneaking around the semi-trucks. We were quick and stealthy on our feet, and although many biters were roaming around, we remained undetected and made it into the first motel room, closing the door as quietly as possible behind us. In the hotel was a television displaying white fuzz and the annoying buzz of static. I rushed into the bathroom to check for any sign of the deputy's, hoping to radio to the cop sooner rather than later that we'd found their bodies. Of course, it would be ideal to find them alive, but our survival counted on us finding them and getting the hell out of there. Nobody or bodies were in the bathroom unfortunately, but I did get away with a few water bottles which I shared with Daryl, and we used the opportunity to properly rehydrate.

This room was a dud, so we exited out and made our way to the second one undetected. When we entered, three biters were feasting on a corpse. I signaled for Daryl to first close the door behind us by raising my left hand towards it, then took the butt of my rifle to the closest biter. Daryl took out the second with his crossbow then unsheathed his knife and finished out the last one.

"Body don't look like a deputy," Daryl observed, pulling his bolt out of his first kill's head. "Let's get out of here."

He opened the door to find himself face to face with a biter which he quickly grabbed the shirt collar of and stuck his knife through.

When we exited is when we noticed a deputy's cruiser with headlights shining into the open door of the next room. We entered, only to be startled by the shadow of a biter which made me quickly spin around to only see a biter stumbling by outside, paying no attention to Daryl or myself. Turning back around, we entered the bathroom. The stench was what I noticed first, and I was unsurprised to find a slain deputy in the corner, a shotgun next to his corpse. Daryl picked up the mat black Mossberg 590 with a stock and slung it around his shoulder using the attached strap. I took out my radio and pressed the call button.

"Hey, sheriff, it's your boy," I said, considering there were no established call signs.

"Go for sheriff," the cop's voice came through.

"Found one of your deputy's," I said. "Poor bastard didn't make it."

There was a pregnant pause.

"God, okay, see if you can find the other deputy," he requested.

"Will do," I replied.

"We ought to just see if he's got the keys on him and just get out of here," Daryl suggested.

"Let's just keep goin'," there was no time for a debate.

I continued on out into the next motel room where we found nothing but a biter that Daryl took out and a water bottle I shoved into my belt for later. We continued down the L until we found ourselves in what seemed to be the reception and breakfast area. In here, we ventured behind the main desk to find some stashed shotgun shells.

We exited out of the service center into what seemed to be the main parking lot which was littered with abandoned vehicles. The biters were everywhere, too busy feasting on their victims to notice the quiet steps of Daryl and myself. We rounded the corner to find a dumpster which had a corpse in front of it, some revolver ammo spilling from its pocket which I gratefully collected.

"The other deputy ain't here," Daryl said. "Probably split not wanting to play this sheriff's game anymore."

"I wouldn't doubt it," I replied. "Let's get out of here."

We knew it wasn't in our best interest to get back to the sheriff's station the way we came, so ventured through the parking lot where we spotted a gas station across the way. We used the building for cover, circling around it until we were well on our way back to the police station.

It had seemed that while we were gone, that horde had started to catch up with up. Many more of them that weren't there originally now wandered the area, and their hungry eyes were on us.

"We ain't got time for this!" Daryl growled.

He swung the crossbow over his shoulder and switched it out for the shotgun. If that was what he was doing, I'd follow his lead. I pulled out my revolver but did not yet fire a shot. He and I booked it for the police station, slamming the doors behind us, turning the lock. That would only hold out for so long though. Unfortunately, I could see that some of them had ventured into the police station, and Daryl and I had no choice but to start firing and clear the way. We were already surrounded anyhow. We made our way further and further into the police station, hoping to find the cop alive.

Running down into his office, we found him safe and sound, his pistol drawn at the door, but him sheathing it when he saw that it was only us.

"They were good men," the cop lamented. "All of mine were."

"Not every department is so lucky," I did my best to console the man. He slid a pair of silver keys to me to which I picked up, "…here's the keys. Full tank of gas, and she's… she's good off road."

"Looks like you could use some help," Daryl observed a bulletin board behind the cop, a collage of everything he intended to fix about the community, which was really just the whole community.

"Of that, I am certain," he remarked. "Go on, now. I got a system." He seemed like a man who had to be in denial of the way things were for now in order to cope. There was no way he was saving this town with his men going out left and right. No system would be good enough, and if it was, it wasn't the one he was using. "Palmetto Estates is still evac-ing civilians to safety. Sent my daughter there. Get there right quick. It's the cruiser parked out front."

That was going to be more than a tight fit between the five of us men.

"Squad nine-one-zero to base!" the radio cackled.

"Squad nine-one-zero, Lee, is that you?" the sheriff replied.

"Yes, sir! I'm at the campground; I have a few survivors. Back up! Send back up!

That was all that ever seemed to come through on that radio. Daryl and I turned around and left towards the front of the station. We had no other choice but to fight through these things with our guns. Hopefully our boys would hear the shots and come help out.

When we reached the front, things were suspiciously quiet. None of the expected sounds of biters banging on the front door were present.

"Stay on guard," I warned Daryl.

He nodded and turned the knob of the front door slowly.

"Jess," he said. "You took all those bastards out?"

My uncle stood out from the crowd because of his orange vest he always wore, even when his back was facing us, though when he turned around, something wasn't right. He was gone. His eyes were empty, and he lunged for us.

Daryl got a wild look in his eye, and unsheathed his knife, stabbing Jess square in the face, but not pulling his knife out. Rather, Daryl followed him down to the ground and began to repeatedly stab him, grunting and crying much too loudly.

There it was. This had nothing to do with Jess and everything to do with our dad. Yes, he was sad and frustrated at the loss of Jess, but he needed to take out all of the conflicting emotions he felt at the loss of our father. He did love him, Daryl loved his father so much, but boy, did he hate him. Will was a tormentor in our lives for the entire duration of it. Daryl had never pulled himself away from him the way Merle and I had too.

"Oh, Jesus, what the hell?!" The voice of Warren came barreling over, and I looked up to see him looking at Daryl in shock, a serious look on the face of Blake beside him.

"He was one of 'em," I explained solemnly to the younger man.

"God, he wasn't feelin' good. I had him go back to the truck," Blake explained.

"How does that happen?" Warren asked. "How do we become one of them?"

"I'll tell you how it happens from what I've seen," I started. "I've been doin' the math in my head. This was the last link I needed for it to make sense. You get bit. You die. You come back. You eat people. It's a whole no meaning to the circle of life."

"More like the circle of death," Blake remarked.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Daryl spoke up at last.

He started for a cruiser out front to which I jogged to the driver's side and unlocked.

"You ain't gettin' Daryl to ride in the cage," I warned the other men. "You're gonna have to be on the other side of the cruiser for once, Blake."

The four of us got in the car and I drove us off towards Lawrenceville.

Daryl, ever fidgety when a passenger, began to flick the channels around on the radio.

"…Be afraid of the terror by night," the radio called, "nor of the arrow that flies by day! Repent, repent, repent, and be the bow of salvation!"

"Enough of that shit," Daryl mumbled and turned it off.

The transmission did inspire a thought for me though. Everything that was going on was beyond believable. I didn't know or remember much from the bible, but I was sure that there was a prophesized apocalypse, something about the dead coming back to life. Maybe they weren't so full of shit after all.

A while of driving had past, and I'd guess it to have been passed noon by the time we pulled up to Lawrenceville. I know that Daryl and I were hoping it would be a straight shot to the jail, so we could get Merle and get out, but we weren't so lucky today. This town had also been fortified, and we were going to need more fuel to get through. With that being said, I was forced to take the cruiser to a stop.

"Y'all held your own," I said to Blake and Warren. "We'll split up again. You two look for supplies, bring it back here to the car, and Daryl and I need to go get our brother."

Truth be told, I didn't want to bring the other two to the city jail to be judged for breaking Merle out or for Merle to receive judgement for being in jail. He'd ask for enough of that on his own.

"I won't argue with that," Blake said.

I thought there was some bad blood between he and Daryl.

"Warren, you know your way around a firearm?" I asked him. "We picked up a few. Thought it'd be easier to make sure everyone has that as backup if a blade is ever not enough."

"I'm not the best shot, but I have training," he admitted. "I'll only shoot if necessary."

"Go on," I said to Daryl, who pulled the shotgun up from where it rested between his legs and handed it to Warren.

"You watch his ass with that thing," he said to Blake, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"Let's go," I said, stepping out of the car as all the other men did the same.

"We'll go around this way, see if we can find a way in," Blake said, gesturing towards the left of the fortified fence blocking the street.

I gave him a nod before the two took off.

"We got to go straight through," Daryl said, gesturing towards the fence. "I know you've hopped a fence before."

I shot Daryl a smile. He was six years older than me, but we shared a lot of boyhood memories.

The fence was made of chain link, first of all, but backed up with old doors that had been removed from their hinges, then other debris holding the fence up. I peered through an open spot on the chain link.

"Well, they had a breach," I told Daryl. "There's a hell of a lot of them in there."

"All it takes is one infection then the whole city follows. You'll bet your ass Merle is still in there though. Tough son of a bitch ain't gonna die any time soon."

"I worry more for what he does to himself then what these things could do to him," I admitted. "No rules means somebody could hurt him if they wanted to. God knows he pisses enough people off."

"And visa versa," Daryl countered. "He ain't likely to have mercy for anyone who pisses him off."

"He ain't a killer."

"But he can serve a hell of a beatin,."

"I think we can sneak our way around if we hop the fence quietly enough."

"You waitin' for me to go first or somethin'?" he hit me with the usual hostility in his voice.

I didn't need him to tease me any further, so I began to climb the fence as carefully and quietly as I could. The fence rattled, but it seemed that the biters couldn't hear me over their own moans. I still would have to be as careful as possible. At the top, I jumped to the bottom with a thud, taking cover behind some sandbags. I peaked up, my heart thumping loudly. I'd still managed to remain undetected.

"Come on, now," I whispered to Daryl who repeated my motions and made his way over the fence.

He took cover beside me.

"Place is lousy with eaters," he observed. "Somethin's got 'em bowed up."

"We should keep our eyes peeled," I added.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed. "Come on, let's go."

He gestured towards an alleyway to the side and I followed him down it.

A car alarm went off in the distance. Then a gunshot.

"Sure hope that wasn't Blake and Warren," I said.

"It was some poor idiot," Daryl muttered. "Settin' off a gun in all of this. Least it's bringin' the attention off of us."

It was survival of the fittest out here, that was for sure. Someone else might die so that we could live another day. I had no choice but to be okay with that. One day, though, it could be anyone who bites the bullet for someone else's life. I supposed that was better than dying for no reason.

We found ourself in a small parking lot at the other side of the alley, this one a lot quieter than the original street area we had hopped the fence into.

BAM. Car alarm. BAM. Car alarm.

"Someone's doin' that on purpose!" I whispered. "Tryna get us all killed. We should get outta here, away from any cars. I don't want any alarms goin' off right next to us."

"It's a little quieter over here," Daryl said. "I don't know if our rogue gunman has eyes over here."

"Let's hope not," I replied. "There's still a hell of a lot of eaters in this area. We ought to keep sneakin' our way towards the station."

Daryl took my advice and we stayed low, passing by many of the living dead crouched down over corpses while feasting and wandering between parked cars. We eventually passed through an open fence.

"Where the hell are you, Merle?" Daryl groaned rhetorically before we realized we had no choice but to enter through one of the doors to go forward.

All of the alleyways were blocked. I went through an open door where we found ourselves entering through the back end of a diner.

"All right, buddy, it's okay, we're gonna get through this," a woman's voice seemed to be comforting someone. "Hey a little help over here?" she called out to us. "Just hold on. I'll get you out of here. Hang tight for me, okay?" she spoke back to the other person. I still couldn't see where she was, but I could assume she was behind the counter, as half a dozen eaters reached their hands over it as if trying to reach for something. Daryl held up his crossbow, and I pulled my hammer, beginning to take out her assailants. "Shh, stay quiet, Noah. Calm and quiet? Cool?"

My first thought was that Noah was her child, but she didn't seem as worried as a mother might be. Maybe little brother or nephew? Whatever their relation, she was putting in a hell of an effort to keep him calm, and I couldn't hear his voice at all. Once we'd finished taking out all of the dead ones, we hopped the counter and went through the door that led to the kitchen where we found a red-headed woman leaning over what, to my surprise, was an injured man.

"He bit?" I asked.

The woman looked up and shook her head. "Thanks. From both of us."

"What's wrong with 'em then?" Daryl challenged, suspicious that the woman could be lying. "You sure he ain't bit?"

"Huh-uh," she answered. "Gunshot. Some crazy asshole is sniping at us and car alarms. I dragged Noah in here. They followed.

"Who's 'us?' You two?" Daryl interrogated.

"Got a whole team out there," the woman explained. Or did. We scavenge supplies for the local survivor camps."

"There's survivor camps?" Daryl asked.

"Non-profits at the end of the world," I remarked.

"Um. Yeah?" She replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The military supplies some of them with weapons, meds… there's a big one at Cherokee Hills Sawmill. We were doing pretty well until that psycho sniper showed up and brought a whole mob of biters down on top of us. We got split up, pinned down… killed… I need to get my people together. One of my runners, Mia, is holed up in the theater across the street. Help her out, and I'll make it worth your while. Trade you one of those," she gestured towards a bag of supplies on the floor. "Lots of goodies in there, hillbillies. Just tell her scout sent you."

"We'll think about it," Daryl replied.

"Better watch how you talk to the people you ask for help from," I said to her, but she just turned back to help her friend, Noah.

He was a man in his twenties or thirties, white skin and for some reason wearing a hoodie in this Georgie heat. Maybe more layers meant more protection from being bit? That was my best guess. Daryl and I turned to leave to find more eaters entering through the left entryway, so we quickly ducked behind the counter. Luckily, there was a second one on the right that we were able to make our way to safely. Upon exiting, we noticed a good couple dozen eaters in the street, and Scout had been right. The theater was a straight shot across the street. It might be good to stop in there anyway for a moment's shelter.

"How can we sneak by th-" I began.

"Shh!" Daryl cut me off. "Look at that. Car alarm's got them distracted."

I looked ahead at them, and they were all migrating left towards a blaring car alarm in the distance. We could easily make our way across now.

I took a run for it, Daryl right behind me. When we got to the theater door, a chain link fence had been placed as a barricade with only a small amount of space at the bottom to fit through, so, last-minute thinking, I let myself slide under like a track runner trying to hit the end goal just in time.

With not quite the same amount of grace, Daryl ducked in after me.

"Mia?" I called out but not too loud.

I gestured ahead to where an eater was banging on a door and trying to get in. Daryl took it down with his crossbow.

We followed down the door on the other side of the eater after Daryl had retrieved his bolt where we saw a woman at the end of the hall.

"Ah!" She screamed. "No, don't shoot me!"

"We're not here to hurt you!" I called back, but she had already run through the nearest door.

"Hey!" Daryl called out.

I ran ahead towards the door she went through and tromped up a big set of red carpeted stairs that led to a door at the top. Daryl was right on my heels as I opened the door to the projector room.

"Get away from me, you assholes!" she yelled.

She was a white brunette in a blue blouse.

"We ain't the assholes you're worried about," Daryl replied.

"Who are you then?" she asked, seeming a little relieved but still not trusting of us.

"I'm a different one," Daryl said. Gunshot. Car alarm. Mia was startled. "See? Ain't us?"

"Look, your friend Scout asked us to come get you out of here," I stepped in, ever the more diplomatic one.

"You know Scout? She sent you?"

"Yes," I answered.

"She's across the street," Daryl elaborated. "In that diner."

"She's with a Noah," I added. "He's been shot."

"Noah," she shook her head. "Thank God she's okay though. I thought the shooter… every time I put my head out, he's all over me. I lost my gear, so I'm pretty much trapped. The theater is locked up tight since they started loading corpses in there. Exit is blocked, and there's a bunch of them. There's a half-ladder down. Clear the way, and I can get out, and back to Scout."

"We can't just go the way we came?" I asked.

"I heard where you guys came in," she said. "And absolutely not. That street is always crawling with those bastards. And I don't want to get shot."

"Let's do it," Daryl agreed. "I got to get over to the police station to get my brother anyway."

"The police station?" she asked. "But that's where that killer is set up! You think your brother is even alive?"

"Yeah, I've got my suspicions," Daryl admitted for the first time.

Our father's death really hit him hard.

What Mia told me worried me. If Merle was at the police station, the shooter very well could have killed him. If he was alive, he likely wasn't there. Which means we would have to start all over again. Without further ado, I faced the ladder into the theater room and started descending. The thing was sturdy enough that Daryl was able to climb down right above me, prompting me to only look down.

The theater was dim, but the lights on the sides remained on, outlining the shadows of the few eaters that crowded the area. There really weren't too many of them around to be a bother. This was something that could be handled between Daryl and myself. Maybe a little over half a dozen. I drew out the hammer and Daryl opted for his crossbow again and we began taking out the monsters one by one. Within the theater were gurneys littered everywhere. My guess was that they were littering the bodies who had died from bites into here before any of us knew what happened. One gurney blocked the exit way and Daryl and I went ahead and pushed it out of the way before exiting the theater to a street.

We crouched low while navigating across the street, hoping that the shooter wouldn't notice us. On the other side of the street appeared to be an old door being used as a ramp to climb over a fence, so we took this opportunity, leading us closer to the police station.

"This is it," Daryl whispered. "That door right there will lead us in."

The alleyway we had emerged in was filled with eaters, and we had little chance of remaining undetected. It seemed that whoever was shooting from the roof was drawing them all to surround the police station.

"I don't know how we're gonna get out of here, but I don't think firin' a gun is gonna make it any worse," I said to my brother as the dead continued to advance onto us.

"We'll worry about that first part later then," Daryl replied, pulling the revolver we'd found out of his belt and taking him.

I did the same with my revolver and we began running and shooting towards the back door of the police station until we got inside, slamming the door behind us. Greeting us were two more eaters which we quickly shot in the face each. I pushed my revolver back into my belt loop.

"I'm gonna need somethin' quiet but better than a hammer soon," I said to him, my tone hushed.

We didn't know what we were going to find in the police station.

"Gunner on the roof probably knows we're here now," Daryl said. "Merle?!"

"I'm sure he does, but I think he might be trapped up there," I hypothesized. "Eaters down here? There's got to be a swarm of them at the roof door if they're in the building and he's firin' shots left and right."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

More of the eaters had piled up against the back door that Daryl and I had entered through, so I quickly shoved a bench in front of it.

"That won't hold long," Daryl commented. "We got to keep goin'. Hopefully somethin' else will distract 'em before they get through."

Daryl and I continued down the dark corridor that we had entered through. More of the eaters were stumbling towards us on the far end of the hall, so we took a left into an office full of cubicles much like the one back at Cherry Log. I will say though, it seemed that the Lawrenceville Police Station was much bigger than the Cherry Log one, so we had a lot more ground to cover- if Merle was even still here.

"We gotta split up," I said to Daryl as we headed through the maze of cubicles towards a door in the far-left corner.

"What are you crazy?!" he replied as he quickly pointed his crossbow in each cubicle, ready for anything to jump out at him.

"I'm not willin' to let that gunner on the roof take us down after we escape," I said. "I go take care of him, and you check the cells for Merle. If he's behind bars, nothin' can get to him."

"Trigger happy son of a bitch," Daryl accused me as he grabbed some spare ammo from a cubicle. "You ain't goin' nowhere. We got in here just fine."

As much as my brothers acted rougher than me, there were certain lines they weren't willing to cross that I was apparently.

"We wouldn't just be helpin' ourselves," I argued.

"That dumb bastard on the roof is gonna get himself killed!" this time, Daryl stood in my face, all but screaming at me. "If it ain't the eaters, it'll be the sun, exposure, dehydration, starvation! And you'll be next runnin' off by yourself in this overrun buildin'! We ain't splittin' and that's final! Cells is just around the corner anyway." He stomped off through the next door, and I decided that it would be in my best interest to adhere to his request of staying together. I could see that this wasn't just about his stubbornness being set on Merle as the priority, but he was scared for my life. He'd never admit it, but he was scared for his life too. "Merle, where the hell are you?! Where are you hidin'?"

Following him through the door, I ended up in a hallway where several eaters had turned their attention to us. Daryl brushed past them, ignoring them completely and irrationally, running towards a door on our left. I had no choice but to follow him into the next room. In here was the cell block. I quickly surveyed each cell, one after the other.

No Merle in this one. Or this one. Or this one. We'd finally gotten to the last one which was slung open, a trail of blood dragging out of the cell.

"He got out," I observed. "There's no way he's still in the station."

"You crazy bastard," Daryl said as if speaking to Merle directly. "Where did you get off to?"

"I can't leave without takin' care of that gunner."

"We ain't leavin'. Chances are Merle's barricaded himself up in here somewhere. The buildin's surrounded. Don't think he could've left."

Merle was a lot smarter than he seemed but barricading himself up didn't seem like a move he would make. He'd put survival first, but he'd go down fighting before he'd stay stuck up somewhere.

"I know where he would've gone," I replied. "Evidence locker."

"His dope would be locked up there, yeah."

"That and a whole lot of useful shit. Weapons, ammo. God knows what else."

At this point, the eaters in the hall had caught up to us, and Daryl and I began to take them down. This time, we switched up the formation a little bit with my hammer taking out the first and Daryl's crossbow shooting over my head to the second. Eventually, the lot of them were dead, but I could hear the steps of more of them coming.

"Just follow this blood trail," Daryl said. "It starts right from his cell."

Daryl shined his flashlight down on the blood trail, and I hurriedly led the expedition of it towards a door which led to a steel staircase. The trail continued to lead up the stairs.

"There ain't gonna be no takin' out the shooter," Daryl broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Our brother- he's the asshole psycho shooter."

Now it all made sense. I guess I just wanted to believe that Merle wouldn't do that. Spending time away from my family sometimes made me forget what they were really like. Daryl was actually the tamer of the bunch.

We eventually made our way up the last flight- there weren't too many- where a blue door led out to the roof. As Daryl put his hand on the bar to open it, a voice called out.

"Oh no!" It was the familiar growl of my oldest brother. "Sneakin' up, are we? No, no, no. You're never gonna take me back there!"

Daryl and I barely dodged the bullet hole which shot through the door, letting a bright beam of sunlight shine through into the dark staircase. A second one popped through. My brother and I exchanged glances from each side of the door.

"Aw, come on Merle, it's me!" Daryl called out. "Merle!"

"What's lower than impersonating a man's long lost baby brother?!" Merle called back out, anger rising in his voice. You're just tryin' to gain false entry! That's what you're doin'!"

"He ain't all there," I said to Daryl. "He's lost it."

"He's on somethin'," Daryl shot back.

I honestly didn't want to deal with it. There was no reasoning with crazy, but I knew that Daryl wasn't going to give it up so easily. Maybe it's cold as could be, given that this was one of my last living family members at the end of the world, but I was ready to just walk away.

"We'll just leave your ass here then!" I called out.

"Keep your pants on, sweetheart," he yelled back out. Daryl stood in front of the door, ready to open it. "I locked this place down pretty good."

Not really. There were eaters everywhere.

Before Daryl could open the door, it swung open, and Merle pulled Daryl out, throwing him out to the side. I grabbed the door before it could slam shut in front of me and made my way out to the roof.

Here was my oldest brother. He was only forty-one, but the drug use and other variables of his lifestyle seemed to have aged him up to his fifties. His skin was a blistering red like he'd been up here for days, but I knew it hadn't been that long.

"What the hell are you doin', Merle, don't touch him like that," I said to him.

"Them people locked me up for days in the dark with all them abominations!" He screamed in my face. "But look-ee who's just a little bit too smart for them!" He turned back to Daryl.

"Bro, you're stir-fried from the sun, and the booze, and whatever else you been into," Daryl reasoned.

The roof was actually pretty well set up. He had his baggy of drugs, no doubt from the evidence locker, some chairs and tarps scattered around.

"Eh, I do feel a little warm now that you mention it," Merle admitted. "I sprang myself, see? Established myself a little sniper's nest right here. And then I commenced sending those soldiers packin'. I rang the alarms, callin' in the abomination!"

"Man, those aren't soldiers down there! Just some scavengers tryin' to help people out!" Daryl barked. "They don't even know who you are."

How long was he going to listen to all of this. I did feel bad that they'd left Merle locked up, but I knew he was exaggerating when he'd said it had been days. This whole thing was only a couple days in effect.

"They're in uniform, ain't they? And they came to take me back to the hole! I'm not goin' anywhere but Jake's, and that's where you're gonna take me. Come on."

"Who the hell's Jake?" I asked, as Merle began to topple over on himself.

"Let's go, ya ape!" Daryl said to Merle, putting his hands on him to help him back up. They began heading back in my direction where the door was, and I began to lead the way back out. "Guess I gotta lug your thick ass across town. Man, you must be runnin' over a hundred and six."

"My chair!" Merle tried to turn around.

"Yeah, it'll be here when you come back," Daryl mumbled, and pulled him back.

Merle obliged, and my two older brothers followed me back down the stairs. I knew it was largely going to be up to me to take out the dead and navigate, with Daryl having to look out for delirious Merle. A few of the dead and made their way into the staircase, no doubt with Merle's gunshots having everything to do with pulling them in. I took out my hammer and put an end to them.

"I feel fine, baby brother," Merle said to Daryl as we reached the hallway. "I mean, I could be a lot better, but I'm well enough to take care of myself!"

"Keep your voice down!" I shushed him, as we made our way across the hall.

"Why don't you keep your voice down yourself, prick!" he challenged me. "Tell me, Daryl, why'd you go after this uppity asshole before me?!"

"We was together at that start," Daryl told him as we entered back into the cubicle office.

"Oh okay," Merle laughed. "Now that your big brother is out of the picture, you wanna go runnin' 'round the woods with this fairy!"

"You don't know the half of nothin'!" I shouted in Merle's face. "Make yourself useful for once then!" I handed him the hammer. "You wanna show you can take care of yourself, then do it! You got out of that cell, you could have came up to Blue Ridge to look for us like we did for you!"

He accepted the hammer from my hand, and said nothing, but let out an arrogant chuckle. I knew he was only happy to get a reaction out of me. The three of us continued down the hall to the door out of the police station, where I had to move the bench from its place in front of the door. I was surprised and relieved to see that the eaters had moved on to something else. More than likely one of the car alarms Merle had taken a bullet to earlier.

"We need to get out of this city as fast as we can," Daryl stated as we rushed down the alleyway. "That lady, Scout, still owes us that bag of supplies."

"Let's drop by the diner then," I agreed. "We'll make it quick. Merle, don't say nothin' about what you were doin' up on that roof. Could put all of our lives at risk."

"Like a secret mission," Merle said, sounding like a methed-out child.

"Sure," I stated.

We hopped the little fence out to the street where we quickly ran down past the theater and into the diner. Merle placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath as I secured the door behind us.

"You guys lied to me!" This was the accusing voice of Mia.

"The hell are you talkin' about?" Daryl asked her.

"Scout isn't here!" she replied.

"Then neither is the supplies she promised us," I stated, going around to check if she'd left anything behind the counter.

We were in no luck.

"We ain't the ones that lied, lady," Daryl spat.

"Did you get left behind, sweetheart?" Merle asked. "Come give Merle a little lovin', and that won't be an issue ever again."

"I'm married," she grimaced.

"Don't listen to him," I quickly butted in. "He's delirious. He's not right in the head, harmless though. If we can find a second vehicle, you're more than welcome to come with us though. One we got is only a five-seater, and we're part of a bigger group."

"We're part of a what, now?" Merle asked me.

"Got a couple of guys with us, Merle, don't worry about it," I replied. "We need to get out of here, now. Eaters are catchin' up to us."

I headed for the back door we had entered through before, and the three others followed suit.

We made our way through the parking lots until we got back to the fence we'd originally hopped. Although, this time, Merle did not want to do any climbing, so he found the weak spot in the fence, tore at it with brutish strength, and we were all able to safely squeeze through.

Back at the car was Blake, standing on top of it, using his glock to take down the dead that surrounded him.

"Where's the kid?" Daryl cried out as we all joined in on the fray, Daryl handing his revolver to Mia for help.

"Eaters caught up to him!" Blake shouted back. "He's gone!"

Daryl and Merle had fought their way over to the passenger side of the car and managed to get in, while Mia, Blake and myself did the same on the other side. I took drivers again. This left Merle, Blake, and Mia in the back. The last thing we needed was for Merle to be in close corridors with a woman and a cop, but as I drove off, his head fell against the window, going into a heavy slumber.

"Shame about Warren," I said, taking a look back at Blake through the rearview mirror. "Did you come back with anything at least?"

"Filled the tank right up," he said, exhaustion evident in his voice. "Found some ammo, plenty of food. It's all back in the trunk."

We'd lost two but managed to get our group back up to five. This time, with a very different dynamic.

"Where to now?" I asked Daryl. "Should we give Atlanta a shot."

"Dunno," Daryl muttered. "Got Merle now, that's what matters. We find somewhere safe."

I thought Atlanta would be our best bet. It might not be the best place for the Dixons, but these two traveling companions we'd picked up probably had safety in numbers in mind.

"It's getting late," Mia spoke up. "Maybe it's best if we find somewhere to sleep that's safe and figure out what we should do in the morning."

"Anyone have any objections?" I asked.

"Not at all," Blake spoke. "After today. We lost two people. I need to sleep it off."

I looked over at Daryl.

"Fine with me," he said, chewing on his thumbnail.

My brother seemed to be deep in thought. His mission of finding his brother was complete, and now he needed a direction. Now, he had time to process the loss he'd faced with Uncle Jess and our father.

I drove until we came face to face with a roadblock, right by an exit in Duluth, Georgia. With no way to get around it, I took the exit and found ourselves by a Mercedes dealer. Duluth seemed quiet this far. It was close enough to Atlanta that the whole city must have fled there. I was only suspicious because of the lack of eaters.

"The dealership will get us better wheels," I voiced my thoughts out loud and pulled in to the parking lot. "Everyone can choose a car to sleep in."

Parking near the front, I could see that the lights were still on, meaning that Duluth still had power, or specifically, this car dealership. I got out of the car, followed by the three others who were still awake, and tried for the front door which was unlocked to my pleasant surprise. Something was going smoothly for once.

"I think everyone's about ready to knock out," Blake said. "Let's find the keys to the cars and get our rest on."

More than enough Mercedes cars were protected by the safety of the building for us to each have our own to sleep in.

"We'll search the place and syphon gas in the morning then," I agreed. "Y'all find the keys, open the big door, and I'll just drive Merle on in here along with the supplies in the cruiser. Wouldn't want someone stealin' what we've already scavenged in the trunk."

I left the three of them in the dealership and went back out to the car. I'd seen that the building was clear of infected, which made me comfortable enough to leave the responsibility to the other three. They all seemed capable enough.

Starting the engine of the cruiser, I pulled the car up to the big glass doors and waited until they began to open. I drove the car in just enough to leave enough room for the shutters to close which they did, and I got out of the car, taking a last glance at Merle in the back, who was now laying down, fast asleep.

"Here you are," Blake's voice called out to me, and I looked to him as he tossed me a pair of keys that I caught. "For the Sprinter in the back."

He pointed me towards a large van, and I knew this was going to be the perfect vehicle to take with us in the morning. It was a white cargo van, with plenty of space for passengers and storage. I knew it wouldn't be so easy on the gas though.

Using the keys, I opened the front door and climbed in. There were three back rows of seats in addition to the driver's and passenger's seats in the front. The first two back rows were for three people, and the back fit four. With that being said, I made my way to the back seat and laid down, letting sleep overcome me.

Words: 10,953

Thank you all for reading Day 2 of this story. I'm actually really surprised I got followers from the get-go. I know male OCs aren't as popular in fanfiction. I'm so excited for my first review. As always, constructive criticism is highly appreciated and encouraged. I will not get offended. You may have noticed that I'm changing a bit from the video game, such as Daryl having his crossbow from the start and using real Georgian geography partially which you will see more of into the story. There's no King County, Georgia, so that won't exist in this version of the Walking Dead.