Chapter 17: Schemes
KPOV
~3 days ago~
"Kat?" Carl's small voice called out to me. I turned to look at him and saw him stood by the tent door and looking slightly worried. I was curious as to what exactly could have him like this.
"Yeah?" I asked him, keeping my voice calm and collected. Even though there was a storm in my mind I needed to keep it a calm sea so that Carl wouldn't worry.
"Do you think dad will be fine with Shane and that Randall guy?" he asked me, his voice slightly scared and worried as to what could happen. I too was worried as I felt dad had taken the wrong person to join him in this task.
"He'll be fine. Dad's as tough as nails," I tell him trying to reassure him that dad will be fine. If he had survived the journey he took to get back to us...he could survive anything.
"Good...are...you all right with all of this?" he asked me curious as to how I was feeling. He stepped in and watched me as I tried to fix up the tent a little, placing things where they were meant to and fixing the bed.
"I'll be fine...I'm just...tired," I tell him and he looked at me sad. His blue eyes were slightly dark with the sadness they had in them. It made my heart sink and my body sigh in my own sadness towards my baby brother.
"Oh..." he said slightly sad, his eyes on the floor and his feet. Smiling slightly I looked to him and moved closer to get to him.
"Want to read a comic book while protecting me? So that I can get some rest?" I asked trying to comfort him and to make a deal. Knowing he would want me safe and well rested after all the sleepless nights I've been having as of late.
"Sure," he said with a small smile. The two of us cuddled up in bed as I tried to sleep and he laid down reading his comic book. Taking care of me and myself trying to get some needed rest...
Present day...KPOV
"Dale could-...could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another," dad said as we all surrounded Dale's grave.
"I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us-...the truth. Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together," my head was lowered to pay respects, my mind in my own thoughts and I just held Carl to my side.
"stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives...our safety...our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on...we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale," dad spoke as we all eventually left. The whole time, Carl was by my side, his arm around me, holding me to him and he cried. I couldn't cry. Not now...not ever. I could not bring myself to cry about anyone else anymore.
"It'll be tight. 15 people in one house," dad said as we were all gathering up supplies and preparing for the long day we had ahead of us. People were either moving things into the house, securing the fences, preparing Randall for later or fixing up things around the farm.
"Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..." Hershel spoke as I stood beside dad, sharpening my knife and machete as the two ment spoke. Maggie stood beside me and listening in to their conversation like I was.
"With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell," Maggie spoke, finishing her dads sentence which made me smile and look at dad. It's funny...they think alike. Just like me and dad think alike at times. We all have our moments.
"She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago," Hershel agreed with his daugher. Who knew that so much animals in the farm could attract more walkers. Wouldn't exactly surprise me...
"All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines both sides of the property," dad spoke as he looked around the farm, pointing at all directions. "T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going," dad instructed T-Dog of his job.
"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asked as he pointed to where we were keeping Randall. My heart pounding a little and my stomach churning at the thought of him still here...still under our protection.
"I need you and Daryl on double duty. But for now...Kat will watch over him," dad said to T-Dog but then looked to me. Studying my expression and my eyes were wide. Taking a gulp, I nod and stayed silent. My eyes shut from the task my dad wanted me in charge of.
"Gotcha," T-Dog said as he went to walk away, doing what was asked of him and I just stayed silent. Trying to calm myself down from the fact that I had to stay and guard the asshole. Mom walked towards me and pressed a kiss to my temple. She knows I'm worried again.
"I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be," Hershel said as he carried a stack of things towards the house, leaving me, mom, dad, Shane and Andrea alone.
"What about patrols?" Andrea asked as she stepped up, Shane was leaning against the truck and waiting for the answer. Mom wrapped an arm around me back, her hand resting on my arm and she gently rubbed it to sooth me.
"Let's get this area locked down first. After that, Shane'll assign shifts while me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose," dad explained making me feel a little more relieved. He'll be gone. Hopefully he will never return. If we're lucky.
"We're back to that now?" Shane asked stunned and concerned when it came to the plan. Why is he always going against my dad? It's like he can never agree...it doesn't matter what comes out of my dad's mouth now. Shane doesn't agree with anything.
"It was the right plan first time around. Poor execution," dad explained, reminding me how they both showed up, bloody, cut and bruised. All with that shit bird at the back with his hands and legs tied up again. Like nothing had happened other than obvious danger for the two.
"That's a slight understatement," Shane said as he looked away and then back to dad. See what I mean? Always complaining. Fucker.
"You don't agree, but this what's happening. Swallow it. Move on," dad ordered of him. Not playing the nice guy anymore and fed up with Shane always going against his say. Doesn't surprise me. Shane is being an ass.
"You know that Dale's death and the prisoner...that's two separate things, right? You wanna take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest," Shane asked mockingly. As though Daryl wasn't any better than him. Shane is far from perfect. Daryl or dad aren't perfect but at least they aren't at each others throats over my mom.
"Thank you," dad mumbled as he turned away and walked off. Leaving me and mom with Shane. Mom pressed another kiss to my temple, patted my arm and walked off.
"You got it," Shane mumbled as I walked off after my dad, heading towards the farm and to where my job was meant to be. Time to baby sit Randall...
"Hey, Kat?" Carl called to me as I sat down beside the shed, looking at it to make sure Randall wasn't getting out. Daryl was getting the wooden planks ready to seal off where Carl had somehow managed to enter in order to speak to Randall the other day.
"What's up, Carl? What you doing, wandering around by yourself?" I asked him curious. He's meant to be with mom. Not wandering around and being here with me.
"If, um...if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell mom and dad?" he asked me shyly, this made me curious as to what he would want to keep from them. This boy has been getting himself into a lot of trouble lately.
"I don't know...it depends on what you're going to tell me," I admit. I'm not going to lie to him. I'm never going to lie to him. Ever.
"I took it from Daryl's motorcycle. If he found out I took it, he'd kill me," Carl whispered, looking up to see if Daryl was shifting any more wooden planks over to the small roof where Carl had slipped into.
"What are you doing with this?" I asked confused. I thought he was already given a gun. Why would he need or want Daryls? This is just getting weird and confusing. There's something he's not telling me.
"Dale. It's my fault that he died," he told me which made me more confused. Making him come closer to me, I looked at him but he shied his eyes away from mine. He can't be serious...can he?
"Carl, why would you say that? He got killed by a walker. Why-" I went to ask but he handed me the gun, checking it quickly it worked and had ammo in it. What is going on in this mind of his?
"I saw that walker. I was gonna shoot it. When he was stuck in the mud. I was-...I was throwing rocks at him and stuff. But I was gonna do it. Shoot it right in the head...and it...it got free, came after me and I ran away. If I had killed it, Dale would still be here," Carl said, his eyes on the ground as she shuffled, stood in front of me and never looking me in the eyes. Cutting me off from my questions with his answers.
"Carl, I want you to stop that, okay? This isn't your fault...but you need to hold onto this," I tell him as I tried to hand him the gun. "You need to protect yourself. As long as I'm around you, nothing's going to happen to you, Carl. But I can't keep my eyes on you 24/7 or mom...or dad. Only you can do that. Carl, take it," I try and convince him, knowing he knew how to use it and that he needed to always be safe.
"I'm never touching another gun again," Carl growled as he took steps away from me, away from the gun and kept walking away. His eyes angry, shocked and sad. He's scared of...something. But what?
"That isn't an option, Carl, okay?" I tell him, trying to convince him it was all right. Handing the gun to him again, he didn't want to take it. Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets and rushed to keep away from me.
"Just give it back to Daryl!" he told me as his steps were longer and further away from me. Faster he walked away from me, turining his back and leaving me there. My head hung low. Why do I feel like I'm failing him...failing my family?
"Hey Daryl?..." I called as I walked up the ladder, hoping that he wasn't disturbed by me wanting to talk to him. He was kneeling, nailing boards down on the hole Carl had squeezed in through and spoke to Randall.
"What?!" Daryl growled as he turned towards me voice, angered and disturbed. As though he was fed up with anyone looking for him. "Oh...hey. Sorry about-," Daryl went to appologize. His eyes slightly sad, a nail in his mouth and hammer in his hand.
"No. It's okay. I just...I wanted to talk to you. About some issues that have come up...and...well...I don't know who else to turn to. Especially since you're the only one slightly involved in this..." I say as I couldn't look at him. My eyes shying away like Carl did seconds ago. Fucking Carl telling me not to tell mom and dad...
"Well...what is it?" Daryl asked as he got to his feet, pulling the nail out from between his teeth and dropping the hammer. Walking to me he picked up a cloth and wiped at his hands. His face and hands were already mucky from the work. This made me smile slightly, one side of my lips curving into the smile.
"This..." I said as I pulled out the gun from my pants, behind my back and showed it him. "Carl took it from your motorbike. He says...that Dale died because of him. He went out there...found the walker and...ran away scared," I tell him as I didn't meet his eyes.
"I want to help him, reassure him that it's okay to be afraid from time to time but...that it wasn't his fault. That...he needs to defend himself when me or my parents aren't there to save him," I tell him and looked up at him. His eyes would glance down at the gun and then back up at me.
"So why didn't he keep it?" he asked me unsure of where I was going with this. His voice was rough, edgy and one of those voices that made me shiver. Why am I shivering? He looked at me with those piercing blue eyes and seemed confused as to why I would be telling him this.
"Dale. He said he was going to shoot the walker but...he didn't. That his fooling around caused the death of Dale. I don't know what to do Daryl. He won't listen and...I don't know if I should tell my parents. Carl asked me...no. Pleaded. That I keep it secret," I tell him, feeling lost and frustrated with these past few days...the situations we've been in and now this whole wreck.
"Then...the only way I see it is...tell your dad. He'll know what to do. Sometimes...a father is the best man to go to for a boy. Sometimes. I can't guarantee it will work," he tells me as he shrugged and turned his back on me, wiping his hands again and dropping the cloth to the floor.
"Thank you Daryl...I need to ask you two more favours..." I called out to him, my voice quiet and insecure of him even doing these favours. He slowly turned to look at me and looked at me curiously. God...please be on my side for this. Let him do as I ask.
DPOV
"Take him out to Senoia- hour there, hour back, give or take. We may lose the light, but we'll be halfway home by then," Rick said as he pointed down at the map, looking towards the distance as he spoke. Somehow I felt...a little intimidated by him. Why the fuck am I intimidated by him?
"This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory. Good riddance," I growled. Thinking about Kat and how she spoke about the situation last night...it made me sad. Girl's having a real tough time. She needs a fucking break and...her dad is trying to do right by her. Gotta respect that.
"Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last a few days.
That thing you did last night-" he said as I sat down, my hands shoved into my pockets and I turned my head slightly to look at him.
"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting," I say thinking about last night. Rick's been doing the things that not many people have the balls to do it. Not even Shane has the balls to kill those people we cared about. Sophia...Dale. They're gone now.
"So are you good with all this?" Rick asked me. His blue eyes watching the distance where we saw Kat walk towards us. He seems curious as to what's wrong with her. Overall...I think he's a good father. He cares about his children. Not like my dad.
"I don't see you and I trading haymakers on the side of the road. Nobody'd win that fight," I told him as he handed me the folded up map and we looked to Kat. Rick stood still, watching her with sadness and curiousity in his eyes. The blue eyes that Kat had inherited from him. "I'm gonna take a piss," I spoke as I got up and left the two to be alone. Knowing that Kat needed to talk to him.
KPOV
"Hey, dad have you seen Carl lately?" I asked dad as I got close enough to him, a few feet down in comparison and looked up at him. He seemed slightly tense and curious as to why I was here. As to why I had cut the chat between him and Daryl short.
"He's inside with mom. What are you doing here? I thought you were on guard duty of Randall?" he asked me curiously. Yep...you gave me the worst job here. The one where I babysit the fucker who assisted in the attempted rape.
"Look...dad...he came to me. Okay, I wasn't supposed to say anything, but he was out in the swamps yesterday and he came across a walker stuck in the mud.
He got scared. Ran off," I tell him, his eyes watching me as he stayed stood above on the porch.
"The same walker that killed Dale?" dad asked as he looked away for a second. He's clever. What can I expect? He was a cop and now...he's still our dad.
"That's the one," I tell him. Agreeing with what he had suspected. He must of seen it too. The way Carl was so sad and angered about Dale's death. How he frozen when he examined the walker that killed Dale.
"I'll have your mom talk to him," dad went to say which stunned me. Mom? Is he sure? I mean...the best conversations that always made me see sence was always the ones I had with dad.
"Listen, dad, I think-...I think he wants to talk to his father," I try to convince him, stepping up to the stairs that led to the porch, he looked at me, watching my every move and rested his hands on his hips.
"Well, I need this Randall thing done already," he tells me, looking away a second and then back at me. His voice firm just like his stance. He means it.
"Dad...believe me...that needs to wait, okay?" I try and convince him again. Reassuring him that Randall wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.
"I can't keep him here any longer Kat. Not for you and not for anyone else here," he tried to explain to me which made me want to hug him but hit him at the same time. Is he really putting Randall and me before Carl?!
"You know dad...Carl? He gave me this," I said as I pulled out the gun and slamned it down on the table. Angered with how he spoke. "Now...if we want him to stay alive, I don't want him to fear this out of the guilt he's feeling. He needs to have a conversation with you dad. I've tried to make him see sence but...I of all people know that sometimes it's better to have a conversation with you," I tell him hoping he would remember all the times he had shown me the light. To see what was really true. What was really there.
"Now...don't worry about Randall. He can stay a prisoner for as long as he needs to be. 5 minutes...5 hours. I don't care. All I know is the reason we do this is to protect the ones we love and to make sure that we are doing what's right...we need to remember the whole reason why we're doing this," I say as I looked at dad. His eyes were soft but hard. As though he...wait. Is that pride in his eyes?
"Carl. He is the reason we are handling the Randall situation. Why we keep going...Carl needs you dad. Before he dies from the fear of protecting himself...we need to help him. You need to help him. He needs you dad and only you to show him the way," I tell him and he just nods. Placing his hand on my cheek and stroking it with his thumb. I did it. I made dad realize that Carl is more important right now...
"Mom said you'd be here," dad said as he took a seat beside Carl. I was stood down by a pillar, watching dad and Carl sit beside each other. Carl was on the look out and was sat at the open window like perch.
"Told her I would stand lookout. I got tired of helping around the house," he told him as he placed the binoculars to the side and looked at dad. The shilouets of the pair made me lean against the pillar, my arms crossed over my chest.
"Take it. What happened to Dale had nothing to do with you," dad said as he held out the gun I had given him earlier. The gun that Carl had given me earlier. Please take it and listen to him Carl...please.
"He-he died, dad," Carl said sadly, as though he was about to cry about it again. This made me frown and look at him sadly. Poor Carl...I know how it feels to be thinking you're the one to blame. I was to blame for Sophia's death whereas Dale wasn't the same situation.
"Yeah. Yeah. Feels like there's a lot of that going around. That's why I need you. No more kid stuff. I wish you could have the childhood I had, but that's not gonna happen. People are gonna die. I'm gonna die...Kat...Mom. There's no way you can ever be ready for it," dad tried to convince him. This made me smile sadly. Thinking of this new world and Carl like this.
"I try to be, but I can't. The best we can do now is avoid it as long as we can, keep one step ahead. I wish I had something better to say, something...something more profound. My father was good like that. But I'm tired, son. Please take it," dad said which made me think of gradpa, a smile on my lips as I saw Carl take the gun from dad and dad rest his arm over Carls shoulders...
DPOV
~o~
"Thank you Daryl...I need to ask you two more favours..." Kat asked me, I was getting ready to continue my work when I heard this and turned to look at her curiously and walked to her slowly. What could she possibly ask from me?
"What are they?" I asked her in retun, curious as to what she would ask me for. Her bright blues were shy and then suddenly flashed up at me from under her lashes. Fuck.
"That one...start a conversation with my dad. When you see me make my way towards you, walk away and let me talk to him about this. Two...keep this between you and me. Act like you don't know where your gun is," she suggested, her voice was strict and serious, much like her fathers when he was giving orders.
"Fine...but I ain't promising anything," I growled at her as I went to continue my work again, my back to her and I could feel her eyes still watching me. Why doesn't she just leave? Didn't she ask me for a favour and I agreed...kinda.
"And Daryl?" she called to me again, making me turn to look at her and stop on my tracks again. "Thanks for what you did last night...for Dale...for my dad. We all appreciate it," she said kindly, a sparkle in those blue eyes of her as she looked as innocent as her brother does.
"Whatever," I growled not wanting to seem like I cared about what her or anyone else thought about me. It's because I don't care and never will. My time of caring is over. Turning my back, I continued with the work and she went back to watching over Randall.
~o~
"Only got so many arrows," T-Dog said as he walked over to me, fixing up the truck for the voyage to take Randall off to wherever we were going. T-Dog presented to me a gun and showed me the gun as he stopped beside me.
"Is that Dale's gun?" I asked as I took it from him gladly, checking the ammo and its condition. Seems all right. Not exactly my gun but...it will work.
"Yeah," T-Dog informed me. Knew it.
"Wish I knew where the hell mine is," I said after a few seconds of deliberating whether to say this or the truth. I'll go along with Kat's favour. For her...and Carl.
"Ready?" Rick asked me as he got towards us, taking my crossbow and placing it on the front seat, I looked at him and saw that he was walking towards us from the direction of the barn. Maybe he was talking to Kat there? Or maybe Kat convinced him that he needed to talk to Carl?
"Yeah," I answered him quietly, getting ready to get into the car and looked back at him.
"I'll get the package," T-Dog said as he examined the truck, tapping it and leaving us there. I got into the seat and waited for Rick to get inside and for Randall to be dragged towards us.
KPOV
"What's wrong?" I asked as I got close to Andrea, dad, T-Dog and Daryl who were all stood either inside or outside the open shed. My panick rose as I thought about the fucker in there.
"Randall's missing," Daryl told me and this was when my eyes widened. Oh fuck...
"Missing? How?" I asked my panick starting to drive me crazy, I was worried and my heart was pounding.
"How long's he been gone?" Hershel asked curious as to what happened to the prisoner we were about to send off today.
"What's goin' on?" Maggie asked as the entire group got closer to us.
"It's hard to say. The cuffs are still hooked. He must' slipped 'em," dad said as he stepped outside. Wait...where's Shane?
"Is that possible?" Carol asked as she peeked inside, Andrea was making her way out and Hershel stood beside dad.
"It is if you've got nothing to lose," Andrea explained with her best reason as to why he would of done this.
"The door was secured from the outside," Hershel informed us and this made my stomach churn. Something isn't right. Judging by the look on dad's face...he knew something was up too.
"Rick! Rick!" we all turned towards the shouting and saw Shane rush up towards us, his face bloody and his walk was wobbly. As though something terrible had happened to him that left him slightly dazed.
"What happened?" mom asked panicked. Stepping up to look towards the distance at Shane who was getting closer with every step.
"He's armed! He's got my gun!" Shane shouted as he got closer and Carl grabbed onto my hand, his eyes searching at Shane in the distance.
"Are you okay?" Carl asked of Shane as Shane came up and stood in our group. Looking down at Carl and then back up to the rest of us.
"I'm fine. Little bastard just snuck up on me. He clocked me in the face," Shane said as dad looked out, standing in front of us all and looking to Shane.
"All right, Hershel, Glenn, get everybody back in the house. Kat, Daryl, come with us," dad instructed as Daryl got his crossbow at the ready, my weapons were all on me, sharp and clean. Ready for a fight.
"T, I'm gonna need that gun," Shane shouted as I felt my mom and Carl grab me as though they didn't want me to go. Getting out of their reach I gave them a look of reassurance. I'll be fine. He tried to hurt me once...it won't happen again. Not with Shane, dad and Daryl by my side.
"Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn't it? To just let him go?" Carol asked as we all got ready to leave. T-Dog handing Shane the gun he had and I walked closely beside Daryl the two of us staring directly at dad and Shane.
"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun," dad growled as he checked his gun of ammo, everyone was standing around, watching us and some were stunned as to what was going on.
"Don't go out there. Ya'll know what can happen," Carol pleaded as she looked to us, ignoring her dad kept walking and the rest of us followed closely.
"Get everybody back in the house. Lock all the doors and stay put! Let's go, back in the house," dad ordered and everyone rushed to go back inside. Dad, Darly, Shane and I heading towards the woods in search of Randall.
"I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out. I'm not sure how long,"
"He couldn't have gotten far. He's hobbled, exhausted.
"And armed," Shane said as he tried to remind him that Randall was dangerous. Not as dangerous as the other men were.
"So are we," I remind them and this was when Daryl tried to seach for footprints, dad turned to look at him and pointed to the ground, Daryl searched but looked as though he couldn't find anything.
"Can you track him?" dad asked him as Daryl tried to find anything that could give us a good enough lead.
"No, I don't see nothing," Daryl answered him as he shook his head.
"Hey, look, there ain't no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way," Shane said pointing off towards the distance, never turning to look at Daryl or the rest of us. "We need to pair up. We spread out, we just chase him down. That's it," Shane said looking to us, he sounded as though he was the one in charge and dad tensed up with that same acknowledgement.
"Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. You trying to tell us he got the jump on you?" Daryl asked him curious as to see what bullshit he was saying now. Something is very odd about this...
"I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" Shane growled at Daryl. A blank expression crossed Shane's face, one of impatience and anger.
"Alright, knock it off. You and Kat start heading up the right flank. Me and Shane'll take the left. Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there. Keep an eye out for each other," dad said as we separated and headed different ways. Daryl gave a single nod and walked off. Following, I could feel my gut telling me something wasn't right.
RPOV
"Looks like it's busted pretty bad," I said examining the blood that was running down Shane's busted nose. A feeling in my gut telling me he was lying and that this was all just for show.
"It's fine, man. Don't worry about me," Shane said, there was a look in his eye and the way he walked which...struck me as odd. Something is going on in his head and I think I know what is about to happen...
KPOV
We were in the dark, staying as silent and slow as we walked. As to not alert anything or anyone of our presence. "This is pointless. You got a light? Come on," Daryl asked me as I handed him the flashlight and watched him search around for anything. He sighed and kept walking quietly.
"We're just back to square one," I tell him noticing that we were back to the same place we once were. What the hell is going on here? I think we should just find dad and head back to the others.
"If you're gonna do a thing, you might as well do it right. There's two sets of tracks right here. Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said. There's fresh blood on this tree. There's more tracks. Looks like they're walking in tandem," Daryl said as we finally found a lead and found clues as to where the pair had wandered off to.
Hearing a noise I looked over my shoulder and followed closely behind Daryl. The noise startling me a little and making me bump into Daryl's hard body by accident. "Sorry," I mumbled as I took a few steps away from him.
"Yeah, there was a little dust up right here," Daryl said as he shone on the footsteps of the pair who were out here in the woods. It made me look at it confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked him unsure of what he was trying to tell me. Something's wrong...really wrong.
"I mean something went down," he explained as I looked down at it and noted that it did look wrong. Like something went completely different than what Shane was telling us.
"It's getting weird," I tell him noting that this was something...odd. Something's not right here. Not right at all.
"Hello trouble," Daryl said as he lifted the piece of cloth they used to cover his eyes, looking around I noticed it was really off. What is going on? Nothing makes sence. Looking around, I heard footsteps, Daryl grabbed my arm and shoved me to hide behind a tree. Throwing the flashlight at me, I caught it and held it in my free hand. Grabbing my knife, I waited for the sound and could hear footsteps wander around in the woods.
Next thing was, both me and Daryl shared a look, glancing around the tree we checked to see who or what it was. It was a someone, looked like a man...like...fuck...I don't know who or what. The footsteps got closer to us, readying my stance with my knife, I turned the corner and so did Daryl. Both of us froze when we saw it was Randall as a walker, his hands and arms reaching out to grab me.
Falling to the ground, I got to my knees and saw Daryl was fighting with Randall. Grabbing my knife that I had dropped, I got to my feet and kicked Randall off of Daryl. When he fell to the floor, I got onto him and dug my knife into Randall's skull. Panting, I pulled out my knife, got up again to my feet and looked down at the now dead Randall.
"Said I would kill him the next time I saw him," I spoke dully before I wiped at the sweat that I didn't know was bedding my face. Fuck me...who knew I would kill him...but only when he was a walker?
"Yeah...nice," Daryl said as he went to look for his bolt. Picking it up we decided to try and realx for a second. Gather our breath and then check out Randall for any bites and Shane's gun.
RPOV
"Does this way feel right?" I asked Shane, feeling like we were miles away from where the boy had actually wandered off to. Where they both wandered off to. Shane is plotting something. I can feel it.
"As right as any," Shane spoke as he turned to look at me, an dark gleam in his eyes. A killer expression plastered to his face. A merderous look on his face that scared me slightly.
"Snatched your gun, huh?" I asked him, looking away as to not show the intimidation and fear he gave me. Gathering up my strength and putting on a brave face. Like I taught Kat once.
"Yeah. It's my favorite piece too. Gonna wish he'd-wish he'd killed me when I find his sorry ass. Go on," Shane said as he looked at me, his voice cracking as he spoke and this is when I was certain he was lying to me. Walking ahead, I took a hard swallow and kept my eyes forward, my ears listening to hear if he would try anything.
KPOV
"He's got his neck broke," Daryl told me which made me look at him surprised. "He's got no bites," Daryl said as he examined Randall, he was on his knees and weirdly, I would have felt good about killing Randall and seeing him this way but...something was making me feel sick inside.
"Yeah, none you can see," I mumbled as I got closer to him, my stomach making me feel sick and looking down at Randall I felt something inside me bubble. What is going on?
"No, I'm telling you he died from this," he said as he pointed to the snapped neck. Looking at him I was confused, crouching beside him I could see him looking directly at me and this was when I felt my brows furrow.
"How's that possible?" I asked confused but that was when something hit me. "Wait...Daryl...my dad. He's out there. Shane killed Randall and is now leading my dad out there in the woods. He wants to kill my dad! We need to go save him!" I begged as I felt my heart thumb against my chest. Dale warned me something like this would happen! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
"Woah! Woah. Woah, woah! Hold up. Your dad will be fine. Rright now...we need to go to your family. To your mom and Carl. I'll get Glenn and T-Dog and we'll go out there to find them. I promise. Right now...you need to go back and look out for your family. For Carl and Lori," he said as he stopped me pacing around, wanting to go save my dad from Shane. Daryl gripped onto the tops of my shoulders and held me still, looking directly into my eyes. His blue eyes twinkling in the moon light.
"Yeah...back to mom and Carl," I say as I thought of the other two who may be just as worried about my disappearance as they were of dads. Who knows? Maybe dad convinced him to return and that they were to forget this? Turning back we headed towards the farm house, in search for my family and Daryl had finally let me go. His warm, strong hands were...comforting.
RPOV
"You say he got you with a rock?" I asked as we walked onto a field. We weren't too far away from the house and my gun was starting to slide out of my hand. From all the sweat, I didn't know how I still had a grip on the gun.
"That's what I said," he tells me and this was when I knew he was going to do it here. Fuck...I guess it's time to confront this little stunt he has. The real intentions of this whole situation.
"Inside the shed? 'Cause that door was shut when T-Dog rolled up," I inform him. Knowing that Shane was full of shit. He's lying.
"I saw that too. Must've slipped through the rafters in the roof," he said and this was when I definately knew he was lying. He did this...this was all a trick and made up story to get me here...so that he could kill me. Daryl blocked those rafters.
I kept walking, noticing that there were no footsteps behind me and slowed down. Coming to a halt, I lowered my head and slipped my gun back into my holster. "So this is where you planned to do it?" I asked him as I kept my back facing him.
"It's a good place as any," he confirmed, I could hear his soft panting and could sense he was looking at me with that blank, merderous expression that was plastered onto his face. He wants to kill me...I knew this time would come. I had hoped it didn't.
"At least have the balls to call this what it is. Murder. You really believe if you walk back onto that farm alone...no me, no Randall-" I say as I turned to look at him, he already pulled out his gun and I circled him.
"I want you to hush up," he growled at me as he pointed towards me. He knows I'm right. Kat would be way too clever. She can see through his bullshit. She can vouch for me.
"You really believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up?" I asked him, spitting it at him and hoping he would never sell this story. That Kat would have found Randall and Daryl would figure out that Randall was killed by Shane all along.
"That's just it. It ain't no story. I saw that prisoner shoot you down. I ran after him. I snapped his neck. It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori, Kat and Carl...they'll get over you. They done it before. They just gonna have to," he growled at me, his facial expression was blank. Like he was in a zone or trance. His gun aimed at me.
"Why? Why now? I thought we worked this all out," I asked him as I kept circling him, he followed my path and kept the gun aimed at me.
"We tried to kill each other man. What you think? We just gonna forget about it all? We gonna ride off into the sunset together?" he asked me sarcastically. How did I know that this would eventually happen?
"You're gonna kill me in cold blood? Screw my wife? Have my children. My children. Call you daddy? Is that what you want? That life won't be worth a damn. I know you. You won't be able to live with this," I say trying to reach out to the old Shane. To the one who could still be hidden inside of him.
"What you know about what I can live with? You got no idea what I can live with, what I live with! You wanna talk about what I can do, Rick? How about what you can do? Here I am. Come on, man. Raise your gun," he said as he tucked his gun into the front of his pants. His arms spread out at either side of him.
"No. No, I will not," shaking my head, I told him this and paced around a little. I won't give in to what he wants me to do. He won't make me.
"What happened, Rick? I thought you weren't the good guy anymore. Ain't that what you said? Even right here, right now, you ain't gonna fight for 'em? I'm a better father than you, Rick. I'm better for Lori than you, man. It's 'cause I'm a better man than you, Rick. 'Cause I can be here and I'll fight for it," he tells me angered with what I had said and done in the past.
"You come back here and you just destroy everything! You got a broken woman. You got a delusional daughter. You got a weak boy. You ain't got the first clue on how to fix it. Raise your gun," he told me, commanding me and I stayed still. His gun raised and aimed at my head.
"You're gonna have to kill an unarmed man. Watch my hand. Nice and easy. Easy does it. Now listen to me, Shane. There is still a way back from this. Nothing has happened here. We're gonna lay down our guns and we're gonna walk back to the farm...together. Back to Lori. Back to Kat. Back to Carl. Put this all behind us," I say trying to convince him, picking up my gun and getting closer to him. To hand him my gun.
Just as I got close enough, he reached to take my gun and in split seconds, I pulled out my knife and dug it right into his heart. He went to shoot but I already held him to me. Slowly I lowered him to the ground and cradled him. "Shh. Damn you for making me do this, Shane! This was you, not me! You did this to us! This was you, not me. Not me! Not me! Son of-" I cried as I took my knife out of his heart. Bleeding out, he died in my arms and all I could do was cry.
Standing, I waited for Shane to turn, to see if what Jenner told me was true. To see for myself. "Dad?" I heard Carl's small, sad voice call out to me and this was when I looked up and saw him stood there. Gun in hand.
"Carl. You know...you should be back home with mom," I tell him as I walked closer to him. He quickly aimed the gun up and this was when I froze. "Just-just put the-...put the gun down. It's not what it seems. Please," I pleaded as I got closer to him slowly. Carl was crying, but what surprised me is he shot and it flew past me. Knocking Shane down onto the ground. "Wait-wait-wait-wait," I tell Carl as I gesture for him to stay put. Walking closer, I had realized...Jenner was telling the truth...
Hey! Hope everyone liked this chapter. Got lots of Daryl and Kat moments. Quick question...does anyone like the Kat and Carl moments? Or any moments she has between the family? Who do you like more that she communicates with in the Grimes family? Personally...I enjoy all of them. Which do you like seeing?
Now...please can I have some reviews? Next chapter will be the season finale! Oh my god! I'm going to get that started now. So be prepared for a fast update.
Now...for replies!
Liaskane: You're going to see heaps of it next season. Especially when shit hits the fan which...will really put Kat to the test. Wait and see! Although...you'll see next chapter! Thanks for the review dear!
Caity6991: Oh you! Hope you have a lovely one too! As for Kat...yeah. She's had it tough but...it only will get tougher. I'm glad you love it and me so much. Love you too! As for the signing in...so silly! Always know how to put a smile on my face like that dear. Love you too! Thanks for the review dear!
jessica. orr. 1884: I'm glad it did! Thanks for the review! Stay put...we have more drama to come!
redangel2463: yes...she feels sad but she's going to do the best she can to stay positive as there is much to do to keep her preocupied as you've seen. I saw this chapter more as the pain it inflicts on the family when they feel they're to blame. Yes...Kat was grateful as you saw here. Thanks for the review dear!
HeavensWeatherHellsCompany: I hope this could satisfy your Kat/Daryl needs. Its a slow burn. It's just how it's meant to be. Sorry. They won't be getting together as soon as you would like. Hence slow burns love. Thank you for the review dear!
Until next time...
Much love!
HeroJustInTime90 x
