Disclaimer: I do not own TWD. I do own Samantha.
A/N: Welcome to the second chapter of my first ever TWD fanfic where our group will embark on their mission to save Daryl's older brother Merle. So without further ado, I turn it over to Samantha. Enjoy!
"So that's it, huh?" demanded Shane as Rick emerged from his tent with his uniform on. "You're just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?"
"I'm not saying to hell with anybody," argued Rick. "Not you, Shane."
"Lori least of all," his friend continued snidely. "Tell her that."
"She knows," he assured him.
"Well, look, I…I don't, okay?" admitted Shane. "So could you just…could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"
"Hey, choose your words more carefully," Daryl advised him.
"No, I did. Douchebag's what I meant," replied Shane, turning to look at the archer. "Merle Dixon…The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."
"That's enough, Shane," I told him.
"She's right," the former deputy agreed. "What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst…me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."
"So you, Daryl, and Samantha, that's your big plan?" inquired Lori.
Rick turned to stare meaningfully at Glenn who became visibly upset.
"Oh come on," he groaned.
"You know the way. You've been there before," Rick pointed out. "In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask…I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too."
"That's just great," muttered Shane. "Now you're gonna risk four lives, huh?"
"Five," corrected T-Dog.
Daryl huffed. "My day just gets better and better, don't it?"
"You see anyone else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" demanded T-Dog.
"Why you?" asked Daryl.
"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language," he replied.
"We do need all the help we can get," I reminded him causing the archer to look at me. "I know you don't like this but it's the only way we're going to be able to save Merle so you'll have to put up with it. We're short on time as it is."
Daryl sighed. "Fine."
"That makes five," declared Dale.
"It's not just five," argued Shane. "You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick. Come on, you saw that Walker. It was here. It was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back; we need every able body we've got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protect camp."
"It seems to me what you really need here are more guns," noted Rick.
"Right, the guns," murmured Glenn.
"What guns?" I asked.
"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left," Rick informed us. "I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up."
"Please tell me you had ammo in there too," I inquired, not daring to hope too much.
Rick nodded. "700 rounds, assorted."
"To hell with the guns," said Lori savagely. "Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in. Tell me. Make me understand."
"I owe a debt to a man I met and his little boy," he explained. "Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn them."
"What's stopping you?" asked his wife.
"The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped," he replied. "He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when we got closer. I need that bag. Okay?"
"All right," she surrendered.
~ An Insane World ~
"All set?" inquired Daryl as I hopped into the passenger seat next to him.
"Yep," I confirmed as I stared out at the rest of our merry band. "Are Shane and Rick still arguing? We're wasting daylight."
"No kidding," Daryl agreed, laying on the horn and yelling for them to get a move on.
I laughed. "You are not a subtle man."
Daryl did not reply but I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile as the rest of our team piled in and we were finally on our way to Atlanta.
~ An Insane World ~
Glenn told Daryl to stop the truck outside of the city limits. "We walk from here."
"He'd better be okay," murmured the archer as we got out and headed for the railway tracks.
"Knowing your brother, I'm sure he's fine," I reassured him.
Glenn led us to the department store where we found a female Walker. Her blonde hair was tangled and she wore a dirty dress that was slipping off her decaying shoulders.
"Damn. You are one ugly skank," remarked Daryl, raising his crossbow and shooting it in the head causing it to crumple to the ground.
We made our way up to the roof and used bolt cutters to cut the padlock before shoving the door open to reveal…an empty roof. The handcuff was empty and beside it was what must have been Merle's hand while Merle himself was nowhere to be seen.
"No! No!" shouted Daryl, collapsing to his knees.
"Daryl," I murmured, bending down next to him and laying my hand on one of his trembling shoulders. "I'm so sorry."
Daryl laid his hand on top of mine before abruptly dropping it. The archer then rose to his feet and aimed his crossbow at T-Dog. Rick in turn raised his python at Daryl.
"I won't hesitate," the former deputy told him. "I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."
"Then you'll have to go through me first," I informed him as I stepped in front of Daryl.
"You're really willing to sacrifice your life for his?" inquired Rick.
"Would I be standing here if I wasn't?" I pointed out.
"Savanna, enough," said Daryl, lowering his weapon. "I won't have you risk yourself for someone like me."
I glanced at Rick who nodded and holstered his Python while Daryl asked T-Dog for a do rag which he used to pick up Merle's already decaying severed hand.
"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs," he figured before dropping it in Glenn's backpack. "He must have used a tourniquet…Maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't."
The tracker then noticed a blood trail and we all followed it down a set of stairs while Daryl called out for his brother.
"We're not alone here. Remember?" Rick reminded him.
"Screw that," replied Daryl. "He could be bleeding out."
We came upon a kitchen where a stove was lit and on top of it was Merle's belt.
"What's that burned stuff?" asked Daryl.
"Skin," Rick told him. "He cauterized the stump."
"Told you he was tough," grunted Daryl. "No one can kill Merle but Merle."
"Don't take that on faith," cautioned Rick. "He's lost a lot of blood."
"Yeah? Didn't stop him from bustin' out of this death trap," said Daryl smugly as we discovered a smashed window.
"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" demanded Glenn, confused.
"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl shot back. "He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's gotta do. Surviving."
"You call that surviving?" asked T-Dog. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"
"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks," Daryl replied. "You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dead bastard."
"What about 1,000 dead dumb bastards?" inquired Rick. "Different story?"
"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him," Daryl declared as he started to leave but Rick held him back.
"Daryl, wait," he urged.
"Get your hands off me!" ordered Daryl. "You can't stop me."
"I don't blame you," the former deputy assured him. "He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a couple blocks around but only if we can keep a level head. Do you think you can do that? Not for me but for Samantha who is willing to give her life for yours."
Daryl glanced at me before inclining his head. "I could do that."
"Only if we get those guns first," said T-Dog. "I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"
~ An Insane World ~
"You're not doing this alone," Rick told Glenn after he revealed his grand plan to retrieve the guns by himself.
"Even I think it's a bad idea," agreed Daryl. "And I don't even like you much."
"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out," promised Glenn. "If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."
"I hate to say it, but he does have a point," I murmured as Glenn drew a map of the street and marked the tank and the bag of guns.
"Look," he commanded as we all gathered around. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl and I will go."
"Why me?" inquired Daryl.
"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun," he explained. "While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."
"You got us elsewhere?" guessed Rick.
Glenn nodded before pointing down the street. "You, Samantha, and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "Two blocks away? Why?"
"I may not be able to come back the other way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are," he figured. "Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here."
"Hey kid, what'd you do before all this?" asked Daryl.
"Deliver pizzas," he replied. "Why?"
~ An Insane World ~
"He'll be alright," Rick told me, reassuringly as we waited in the alley.
I was pacing back and forth but stopped to glance at him. "What?"
"Daryl, you're worried about him right?" he reckoned.
"So what if I am?" I shot back defensively. "You just got here so don't act like you know me."
The former deputy raised his hands. "I'm sorry if I offended you. It's just I thought you two were together. You were willing to take a bullet for him, after all."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that and no, we're not a couple but I am worried about him. As you have seen, he has quite a temper which often gets him into trouble."
Rick laughed. "That's for sure and yet with you he seems to…"
He broke off as we heard a cry for help coming from Daryl and Glenn's alley. I glanced at Rick who nodded before heading over there to see what was going on.
~ An Insane World ~
"Come back here, you sumbitches!" Daryl yelled as we reached their alley. He was holding a Mexican man by the front of his shirt.
"Whoa whoa whoa. Stop it," ordered Rick.
Daryl ignored him. "I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat."
"Let me go," the man begged.
"Chill out," advised T-Dog.
"They took Glenn," Daryl revealed, never taking his eyes off of the terrified man. "That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your ass!"
Rick looked meaningfully at me.
I sighed and walked around Daryl so he could see me. "That's enough, Daryl. Threatening this guy out of his wits isn't going to help us get Glenn back so do us all a favor and calm down."
Daryl stared at me for a moment before finally nodding and letting the guy go.
"Guys! Guys!" yelled T-Dog suddenly. "We're cut off."
"Get to the lab," replied Rick calmly as he made for the bag and his hat. "Go."
"He's right," I agreed. "Let's go, Daryl."
"Fine," he muttered.
We headed back into the building with our new "friend" Miguel.
"Those men you were with," began Rick. "We need to know where they went."
"I ain't telling you nothing," replied Miguel.
"Jesus, man. What the hell happened out there?" T-Dog asked Daryl.
"I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me," the archer told him.
"You're the one who jumped me, puto," shot back Miguel. "Screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault."
"They took Glenn," Daryl reminded us unnecessarily. "Could have taken Merle too."
Miguel chuckled. "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."
Daryl went to kick Miguel but Rick held him back while I stood in front of him.
"Seriously, Daryl? Enough already," I told him as I folded my arms against my chest.
Instead of listening to me, however, Daryl pulled Merle's severed hand out of Glenn's bag.
"Want to see what happened to the last guy who pissed me off?" he demanded as he waved his brother's detached limb around causing Miguel to freak out and back away.
"Start with the feet this time," Daryl continued thoughtfully.
I sighed and grabbed the limb out of Daryl's hand while Rick tightened his hold on him.
"The men you were with took our friend," said Rick. "All we want to do is talk to them; see if we can work something out."
Miguel eventually agreed to lead us to his hideout.
"Ya up for this?" Daryl asked me as we reached our destination.
"Are you?" I shot back.
Daryl smirked before turning to Miguel. "One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know."
"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours," retorted Miguel. "Just so you know."
"G?" I repeated.
"Guillermo. He's the man here," he informed me.
"Okay then. Let's go see Guillermo," replied Rick.
A/N: And there you have it! The second chapter of my first full-length TWD ff ever! Until next time, read review and share the love!