Chapter 8

They fought hard, Janis staying back, taking down any Walkers that managed to get passed Daryl and his crossbow. There wasn't many Walkers left when the small group finally managed to get to the back door, Daryl pushed past them, swinging the door open leaving them all at the bottom of the stairs.

They followed him up, his crashing footsteps attracting all the walkers left. Janis quickly turned back, running down the first few steps to kick the walker, who had managed to crawl to the first step, back through the door before slamming it shut, using a fire extinguisher to keep it closed, at least for a while.

Rushing up the stairs she could hear shouting already, stepping over the walker bodies that lay at the top of the stairs Janis rushed through the open door. Daryl was screaming, shouting.

Merle wasn't there.

He turned on T-Dog, brandishing his crossbow, pointing it right at his head.

Rick was fast though, he had his gun out before Janis could say anything, pointing it at Daryl, scarily reminiscent of why they were back in the city in the first place.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."

The men had a standoff, Daryl too proud and angry to back down, Rick knowing he would.

He did.

Lowering his crossbow he looked at the only part of Merle left to him.

"You got a do-rag or something?" Without hesitating, T-Dog handed one over. Daryl knelt, carefully wrapping the hand in the rag, encasing it and walking over to Janis and Glenn. They both cringed away before Daryl motioned for Glenn to turn round. Doing as he was asked Janis couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face, a mix of fear and revolution as Daryl tugged on the zips of his backpack.

He knelt again, pointing at the blood pooling on the floor.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." Janis winced "Ain't that a bitch."

Janis turned, grabbing Dale's toolkit, knowing they'd have hell to pay if they forgot it again.

"He must have used a tourniquet maybe his belt...Be much more blood if he didn't." She heard from across the roof as Daryl followed Merles trail of blood to the other door.

They all followed him, down stairs, into what looked like a staff room. Two dead walkers lay on the floor. They all stepped over them.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches." Daryl pointed out, wandering around the room "One handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother...Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails." He was checking every corner.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is." Rick added cautiously, Janis just managed to catch the look of worry that passed over Daryl's face before it was quickly replaced with his usual scowl.

"Merle! Merle!" Daryl shouted, making the rest of the group flinch.

"We're not alone here. Remember?" Glenn pointed out as Janis walked over to Daryl.

"Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself."

"What's that smell?" Janis asked him, pointing at the hot plate on the counter.

"Skin. He cauterized the stump." Rick called over, inspecting the two walkers lying dead on the ground. Janis scrunched her nose up, looking over at Glenn, He was making the same face.

"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill merle but merle."

They carried on discussing Merle's chances of survival as Janis backed away from the seared skin on the hot plate, over to the smashed window on the other side of the room.

"Umm...guys?"

There was a small amount of blood on the ledge below the window, the gravel there was disrupted,

"He left the building?" Glenn asked behind her "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do."

"Surviving." They looked at Janis, who was still staring at the blood splatter under the window.

Daryl and Rick continued to discuss Merle's chance of survival in the overrun city. Finally silence fell around the group.

"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog stated, to which Glenn agreed. They all filed out of the room, looking for somewhere that smelt less of burning flesh.

Janis unconsciously hung back, still thinking of Merle, fighting his way through the City, blood pouring from his severed arm.

"Jay." She looked up, it was Daryl. He motioned his head for her to follow him.

"He's gonna be okay." She said, almost to herself more than Daryl.

"Course he is...ain't no one can kill a Dixon."

"But a Dixon, yeah, I know." She cut him off.

"C'mon, don't want 'em thinkin' we've made a run for it."

"Me and you?" She laughed.

"Reckon I could put up with ya at least a day longer than the rest of them...s'long as ya don't bring the China man."

"Glenn...his name is Glenn. And we kinda come as a package."

"I'll make a run for it alone then."

They were laughing as they followed the others now, up some stairs to an abandoned office above the department store. Glenn turned, giving Janis a look which she ignored.

It was agreed, they'd go after the guns before they searched the City for Merle. He would be close, and the more firepower they had the safer and easier it would be. Janis sat back, letting Glenn do his thing as he drew the plan of the City on a white board he'd chucked on the floor.

"You're not doing this alone." Rick and Janis said at the same time, she looked to Rick who smiled at her, Glad he had someone backing him up.

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl said, making her smile.

"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out...If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."

"No."

"Janis. Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now." He said placing a whiteboard eraser on the board "That's the bag of guns," a scrunched up post-it note was put right next to the eraser "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met...That's where Daryl and I will go."

"Why me?"

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun."

"While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked.

"You and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here."

"What about me?" Glenn ignored her.

"Two blocks away? Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way."

"Glenn?" She asked, he ignored her again.

"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. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me.

Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." his eyes met hers, she knew he wanted her to stay here, out of harms way.

"I'm not staying here."

"Jay...c'mon."

"No. When have I ever let you down? I'm a better aim than T-Dog...no offense," he held his hands up, signifying non taken "I'm not sitting pretty while you risk your life." He grabbed her arm to drag her away from the group, she pulled her arm from his grip "No Glenn, if you wanna do this alone fine, I get that bit of the plan, but what's stopping me covering Daryl? What use am I here?"

Glenn's jaw clenched.

"Man, she's right."

He shook his head "Fine, Jay you're covering Daryl. No shots unless necessary." He was shaking his head, but Janis knew he couldn't stay angry.

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked.

Janis smiled at Glenn, knowing the answer before he said it. Glenn was always better than his job, but he didn't care.

"Delivered pizzas, why?"