They shot the tiger on his chain
in a field behind the cages
walked in circles till he was crazy
and he lived that way forever separate from the other tigers...
-Neko Case "The Tigers Have Spoken"
Glenn led them single file through the back access roads into the city. It was hot and the air was still and sticky with humidity. They were instantly accosted by a small group of walkers. The number was much easier to handle than the herds moving through the larger downtown areas. The first one wore a tattered national guard uniform. As the corpse shuffled toward them, Daryl plunged his buck knife between its eyes with a sickening squelch. Before he turned around another was on him. He took it out with an arrow to its forehead. As he bent to retrieve the bolt, he motioned to a third stumbling carcass of a woman. "Hell people, a little help here?"
Glenn and Rick were several feet ahead by that time. Without hesitation, Danni swung her tire iron smashing the side of its skull releasing a rotting stench that sent her reeling back.
"Didn't want to cramp your style." She explained to Daryl.
"Pain in my ass, all y'all." He muttered.
They reached the alley that Glenn had secured with a chain link gate. The back passage ran behind the building where they left Merle. Someone had pulled the fire escape's ladder up too high to reach since they had last been there.
"Now what?" Glenn said with exasperation. "There is no other way in."
"One of us can go around front with cover," Rick suggested. " Go in and lower it down to the rest of us."
"Nah. Too risky." Daryl squinted up at the ladder, assessing the height. He then looked at Danni.
"Come here." He ordered.
"Why?"She asked suspiciously.
"I'll hoist you to grab the ladder and pull it down. You're what five four, five five?"
She nodded.
"You'll have just enough reach. Get over here."
"You could say please." She suggested sarcastically
"Whatever." He grunted back.
He turned her so her back was to him. Bending at his knees he put his arms around her lower thighs and stood up slowly; she leaned back a bit almost sitting on his left shoulder.
"Put your foot in my hand." He ordered. She stood, getting extra reach while he lifted her with one hand and firmly supported her lower back with the other. She was balancing well.
"Okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, don't drop me."
"That's the plan, girl." He grunted, shifting her weight. Her t-shirt had hitched up so he was touching her skin. It was smooth, warm and slightly slick with sweat.
His hand on the small of her back made Danni's knees weak She didn't want to admit that she liked the feel of his arms around her; his touch on her bare back. It had been a long time since a guy had his hands anywhere on her body. Of all people, why was Daryl's touch turning her on. She remembered her dream. She started to feel a twinge between her legs. She tried to focus on something, anything else other than his hands on her.
He was surprised that she was heavier than she looked. Her legs were well muscled. He liked that her thighs were so toned. He pushed her up a little more, setting his hand under her butt. That's when he felt himself grow slightly hard. His cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment and he hoped no one noticed. The feeling caught him off guard; he'd never touched a woman this much. I'm not feeling her up or nothin'. He forced his focus back to finding Merle.
She reached up as far as she could. Her fingers just clasped the lowest rung. "Got it."
Daryl grasped her hips and lowered her to the ground. She hauled the rusty the ladder down with her. Daryl removed his hands from her as if she'd burned him. He turned around quickly like he couldn't get away from her fast enough. Danni felt absurd for letting Daryl arouse her. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute. He must think I'm disgusting. I'm sweaty and I weigh a ton. Then she caught herself. Wait a minute take a look at him. He's filthy, smells to high heaven and grunts more than talks. Why did she care what he thought of her? He's not even that good-looking.
"Guys, who could have done that? Pulled it up? We were the last ones here, weren't we?" Glenn asked.
No one really wanted to know the answer.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Rick used bolt cutters to break the padlock and the chain fell off in two sections. Daryl immediately kicked the door open, shouting "Merle!"
He ran ahead of the small group, looking around wildly. His brother was not on this roof. His distress was palpable. "You said he was here!" When there was no doubt that Merle was gone, he roared "No!" He stalked back and forth like a caged, wounded animal. He was shouting and holding back tears. He couldn't give in to his pain; all he knew how to do was express rage. Danni saw him look down and he again howled "No!"
Rick approached, knowing it was the area where he had handcuffed Merle. He realized there was only one way out of those cuffs without a key. A grisly way.
Daryl was tensing every muscle in his body. He couldn't contain himself. He moved fast, suddenly holding his crossbow to Glenn's head. He swung it to Danni's. He held it there. He wasn't thinking straight; he wanted a scapegoat and T Dog wasn't here.
Danni searched his eyes as he aimed the crossbow at her head. She saw anguish and fear. There was no malice. She saw the devastation he felt at losing his brother. His only family. Tears escaped his eyes despite his best efforts to contain them. Danni felt like she shouldn't shouldn't see this; it was too intimate. His eyes were asking for something. Asking her for something but she didn't know what. She didn't think of going for her gun. Rick went for his. Within seconds, his cop's reflexes kicked in and he raised his weapon to Daryl's head. "I won't hesitate, I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."
Daryl reluctantly lowered his bow. He was breathing heavily, clenching his fist and furiously blinking back tears. No one knew what to say. He suddenly bent down and picked up Merle's severed hand.
Danni untied the blue bandana she wore around her hair. She held it out to Daryl. "Here, use this."
He snatched it from her and wrapped the lifeless appendage carefully. His breathing slowed as he calmed down. "The saw blade must have been too dull for the cuffs. Aint that a bitch." Daryl observed. He walked behind Glenn and unzipped his backpack, putting the hand inside. Glenn grimaced.
"Not much blood." Daryl went on, his voice becoming steadier with every word. "He must have used his belt for a tourniquet." He knelt on the ground examining the blood trail his brother had left. "He went this way." He surmised more to himself than the others. He stood and began walking slowly forward, eyes on the ground in front of him.