Chapter Eight
Joelle was leaning against the hard wood of the shed wall watching as Daryl smashed his fists repeatedly into Randall's flesh, she felt no pity for him as he begged Daryl to stop. It was only when Daryl threatened to rip off the scab from the wound in his leg that he really started talking. Randall had said thirty men with heavy artillery, which would be a massive problem if they rolled through here.
Daryl stopped his torture as he listened. "But we'd go out, scavenge, jus' the men. One night we found this little camp sight. A man and his two daughters, teenagers you know, really young, real cute," Randall looked down, Joelle froze she knew where this was heading and felt her blood begin to boil in anger. Daryl who'd had his back to Randall turned around slowly with a repressed anger.
"The daddy had to watch while these guys they.. and they didn't even kill him afterwards. They just made him watch his daughters… Jus' jus' left 'em there. No bu' bu' I didn' touch those girls."
Daryl kicked him in the leg hard, before turning away from him. Joelle who had been frozen in anger moved forwards and grabbed his head before slamming it back into the metal. She drew her gun and can hear him beg but said nothing as she slammed the butt of the gun into his temple, he slumped unconscious. Joelle just turned on her heal and stormed out the shed.
Joelle waited outside for Daryl to join her and he didn't take long, together they walked towards the rest of the group. "Boy there's got a gang, thirty men, got heavy artillery and ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here our boys are dead, and our women," he looked over at Joelle, "their gonna, their gonna wish they were."
"What did you do?" asked Carol. Joelle rolled her eyes well duh woman!
"Had a little chat," said Daryl before walking away with a trailing Joelle. After last night they had gotten closer and Joelle couldn't believe how different he was from his brother. It was like the only thing they shared was blood.
She was alone cleaning her bike when Dale walked up to her, "Don't ask me to help save him Dale he deserves to rot in hell and nothing you say will change that, so leave me be." Dale didn't press the matter and walked away with a defeated expression etched into his face.
Everyone was in the living room either sitting or standing, Rick was trying to get everyone's thoughts on Randall, Joelle wondered why, they should just kill him. People like him didn't deserve to live, he may not have "touched" those girls but he didn't do anything, he didn't stop them from being raped and in Joelle's eyes that was just as bad.
"So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" asked Glenn uncertain of the situation.
"Does it have to be anonymous?" questioned Andrea.
"How about majority rules," offered Lori.
"Well let's, let's just see where everybody stands," said Rick interrupting anyone else, "then we can talk through the options."
Shane looked around, "well the way I see it, there's only one way to move forward."
"Killing him!" snapped Dale, "Right? Then why even bother to take a vote its clear which way the winds blowing."
Dale was arguing with them all, trying to save Randall's life but by the looks of it no one really cared about the kid. Joelle zoned out, only looking up when Dale marched towards the door only stoping when he faced Daryl, "This group is broken" and with those words he left.
Joelle followed him out and caught up, "Dale, I know you must think I'm heartless for wanting him dead. I'm not, it's just when we found out what his group had done I couldn't take that risk with my family and friends."
Dale looked intrigued yet confused, "But you're still condemning him to death for something he may never do!" replied Dale.
"He watched as two young girls were raped, you said it yourself Dale, standing by and letting it happen is the same as doing it yourself," she gave him a sad smile before walking away.
As the sky darkened Rick, Daryl and Shane led Randall towards the barn. The door creaked as it was opened and the men were startled to find Joelle there sitting up on the hayloft looking like she had no care it the world.
"Put him there," ordered Rick ignoring Randall's pleas. Shane moved behind Randall blindfolding him before backing away. He continued to beg but none of them listened. "Would you like to stand or kneel?"
Randall didn't reply, Joelle jumped down and walked up to Randall grabbing his hair and forcing him to his knees, "Karma's a bitch Randall," she whispered in his ear, before taking his hair and pulling him up straighter. Joelle moved away from him and stood beside Daryl.
Rick looked to Shane who nodded slightly, "Any last words," he asked voice low.
"Please, please," Randall sobbed, Rick aimed his gun.
"Do it dad, do it," Carls voice came out of nowhere and Rick looked up eyes wide.
Joelle rushed towards her nephew taking his arm she roughly pulled him out of the barn, "What the hell Carl," she yelled and Carl knew she was pissed, it took a lot for her to yell at children.
A second later Daryl came out dragging a living Randall back to the shed and an angry looking Shane who stormed off to go hit something. Joelle looked to Rick, "here," she handed over Carl and walked off back to the camp.
Rick and Carl followed, everyone looked shocked to see Carl with Rick, "We're keeping him in custody for now," Rick explained to the confused faces of the group.
"Carl go inside, now, please," said Lori her tone leaving no room for argument, he left for the tent Joelle following.
"Carl why did you follow us?" her voice was quiet.
"Because I wanted to see it happen," his voice was hard, too hard for a boy of eleven.
"Carl I know this world demands you to grow up fast, but it doesn't have to take away your innocence. You need to know how to protect yourself just don't forget you still need us like we need you," she gave him a quick hug before leaving the tent and sitting by the fire.
The silence was interrupted by a loud scream , it didn't take long for everyone to jump into action, Joelle who already had her two hunting knives and handgun ran towards the scream.
In her peripheral vision she could see everyone else running to but she was faster. As she got close she recognised Dale who was struggling with a walker on top. Pushing herself even faster, she launched herself and the walker knocking it off Dale and onto the ground away from him before pulling her hunting knife out and stabbing it through the forehead.
Daryl who came a second after her started yelling for the group, Joelle moved to his side and saw his stomach open entrails spilling out. Joelle's hands trembled, she had seen men die with much less, he wouldn't make it. The group gathered around him staring at the dying man.
"HERSHEL! WE NEED HERSHEL!" Rick screamed, Andrea kneeled beside Dale trying to keep him calm and awake.
Joelle moved away her hands bloody, "Rick," she said it softly but everyone heard and turned to look at her, she shook her head, "he won't make the trip."
Rick thought frantically for a solution, "You have to do the operation here, Glenn-"
"Rick," she shook her head.
"No! No!" Rick shouted as Hershel arrived and looking at Dale and then each of their faces he knew Joelle had told them.
Andrea sobbed, "How would you know!" she screamed.
Joelle put her hands on Andrea's shoulders, "I was a medic in the Army and then a Nurse, men had died of less Andrea and that was with the proper equipment. I'm Sorry," she said softly as Dale continued to groan and shake in pain.
"Do something!" Carol cried, and Joelle couldn't help but agree, he was suffering and it needed to end.
She backed up and watched as Rick pulled out his python and aimed it at Dale's head but he hesitated, Daryl moved and took the gun, "Sorry Brother," he whispered before a loud shot rang through the wails of a grieving group.
A service for Dale was held the next morning; he was buried next to the others. Rick spoke words about Dale that shook everyone to their core; he was so right, Joelle hadn't been in the group long but he had still gotten under her skin.
After the service a group went out to check the fences, Joelle went with them. She hadn't known Dale well but she needed to vent some of her anger. They were all grateful when they came across a group of walkers feeding from a cow carcass. They killed them all except one, they vented their anger out through kicked the growling walker before Shane slammed its head with a shovel, its brains spilling out.
When they got back to the farm it was a flurry of activity everyone moving their things into the house. Joelle who had quickly finished packing up her own things moved to Daryl's tent packing it up too. He would've done it himself she was sure but he was busy with Rick. They were planning where to take Randall so she left the men to their work.
They were moving all their food and blankets in the house when Joelle told them to stop, they looked at her like she was crazy, "we should have at least one box of blankets and canned food each car! That way if we get overrun and have to leave we'll have some supplies!" she answered, a look of understanding crossed each of their faces as they hurried to do as she suggested.
It was well past midday when Daryl and Rick decided it was time to take Randall out, Joelle watched as they got their gear ready, "Daryl," she called quietly but he heard, his head shot up and he walked over to where she was standing, "Just be careful okay?"
"Always am darlin'," he gave her a quick one armed hug before moving away.
T-Dog had left to get the "package" but came running back seconds later with no Randall, "He ain't there man," he said slightly out of breath, in minutes everyone was gathered searching for signs of Randall.
"The cuffs are still hooked, he must've slipped them," explained Rick.
"Is that possible?" Carol asked naïve as ever.
"It is if you've got nothing to lose," said Joelle stepping out of the shed.
"Door was secured from the outside," Hershel said, still trying to find how Randall had gotten out. Everyone started searching for signs but there was nothing there. Not even Joelle or Daryl could find anything of use.
"RICK! RICK!" screamed Shane emerging from the trees.
"What happened?" asked Lori concern and worry lacing her voice.
"He's armed, he's got my gun,"
"You okay?" asked Carl who had very frightened Sophia hanging on his arm, clutching it hard.
"I'm fine, little bastard just snuck up on me, clocked me in the face," explained Shane.
"Alright, Hershel T-Dog get everyone back in the house, Glenn, Daryl come with us," Rick ordered, Daryl nodded and set a bolt in his crossbow.
"T, I'mma need that gun," T-Dog handed Shane his handgun before the racing to get everyone back in the house.
"Rick, I got a real bad feeling about tonight!" Rick turned to Joelle eyes widening slightly, "Just be safe okay? You too Daryl and Glenn." She purposely left Shane out.
They walked into the forest where Shane had emerged from and began their search. Joelle watched stepping forward slightly to get a better look, when she did however her foot hit something hard, moving the leaves she found herself staring at Shane's gun. Fuck. Joelle wanted to run after them to shoot Shane and for everything to be okay but she knew Rick had to do this by himself, to kill Shane himself and she had to look after the group.
She ran to where she was staying in the house and grabbed her leather jacket before arming herself with her weapons. Quickly putting two handguns in their holsters; one on each leg, the same went for her hunting and knives, the throwing knives sheathed around her waist. Joelle hurried strapping the dual swords sheath to her back before placing the swords inside; she had collected them on her way back to the farm.
Joelle made her way towards the living room, the others looked up at her arrived and shock covered their faces at her apparel, "I have a real bad feeling about tonight Lori and I just wanted to be careful."
Lori nodded the shock easing into worry. Everyone who knew Joelle knew to trust her feelings, they were often right. Lori's parents had died in a car crash and that same day Joelle had said it was a bad idea for them to leave, that she had a bad feeling but they waved her off and never came back. From that day on no one questioned her.
The group sat in the living room watching through the windows, waiting as the sky darkened and became black. There was no sign of Randall, no sign of anyone. The sound of a gunshot tore through the still night and together the group held their breath hoping their men, their family were still alive.