Daryl listened as Randall called out to people he couldn't see. Two more men entered the room and grabbed Shane, dragging him from the room. He saw Rick struggle against his bonds. Randall turned and smiled at Rick. "Oh don't worry, your turn is coming." With that he followed Shane and the other two men out the door.
The minted they were left alone Rick worked hard against the ropes at his wrist. "We gotta hurry. They won't leave us alone for long. If we can get out, we can find our weapons and get out of here." Daryl grunted and fought against his bindings. He felt the knot give a little and continued to pull and twist, hissing as he felt the coarse rope bite into his skin. It didn't take long for him to free his hands, the rope falling away. He moved to Rick, pulling him free and helping him stand.
"You got any weapons?" Daryl rumbled, wishing he'd left the little blade in his boot like normal. Rick shook his head.
"Nah, wasn't plannin' on fightin' just some huntin'." He looked towards the door where they took Shane and then towards the only other door in the room. The groans and gurgles that sounded from behind that door had Rick shaking his head. "Looks like we gotta go that way." Daryl gave a silent nod, following as they moved towards the door. They listened. Listened for any sound signaling that someone was on the other side of that door. Listened for anything that would tell them if they were alone. Hearing nothing, Rick took a deep breath before opening the door quietly, his eyes scanning the area before he poked his head out. "It's just a hallway." He whispered. Daryl followed him out, both walking on quiet feet. They rounded a corner and ran smack into one of Randall's thugs. Daryl lunged, grabbing the front of the guy's shirt and slammed him into the wall, knocking his head against the concrete wall with a resounding thud. The guy went down without a sound. Rick and Daryl made quick work of searching his person for any and all weapons. They found a handgun tucked into the waistband of his jeans and a hunting knife strapped to his ankle. These would help for sure.
"We need to find Shane and get the hell outta here." Daryl mumbled lowly. Rick nodded.
"Let's try this way." Rick and Daryl crept down the hallway checking rooms along the way. They encountered another one of Randall's boys in a random room they opened. They'd made quick work of the kid, knocking him out and confiscating his weapons before leaving him where he laid on the floor.
They made their way through a few more doors, finding a few more weapons along the way. "Rick, know where we're goin'?" Rick shook his head.
"Just trying to find Shane so we can try to get the hell out of here." Daryl nodded. "C'mon. I think he's through this door." Rick pushed the door open, pistol trained in front of him as he entered the room. "Shane!" Rick rushed forward and crouched before his friend. Shane was tied, hands behind his back, and to a metal chair. His face was bloodied, and deformed from being beaten.
"Rick?" Shane muttered, trying desperately to open his swollen eyes.
"Yes, Shane. We're gonna get you outta here, and take you home." Shane groaned. Rick moved behind him, gripping the bindings on Shane's wrists. Daryl held his knife in his hand, ready at the door in case Randall or another one of his boys decided to walk on in. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Rick sling Shane's arm over his shoulder and lift the injured man up. It was then that Daryl could see the full extent of Shane's injuries. It wasn't just his face that was busted and bruised. Shane's wrists were bloodied with brilliant scarlet blood from the rope that had tied him and he had darkening blood pooling and dripping wounds along his torso and chest. No wonder the man was hurting. "Daryl, lead the way, we gotta get him outta here."
Daryl nodded before swinging the door open and making sure the hallway was clear. He heard Rick moving behind him, Shane hobbling and hopping, trying to keep up. Knowing Randall and his men could be anywhere Daryl moved to a door, hoping it would be a way out of this maze of a warehouse. It wasn't Daryl walked into the room and met eyes with not only Randall, but two of his buddies. The sound of chair legs scraping along concrete rang through the air as the men jumped up and moved to Daryl. Daryl swung, letting out a grunt as his arm was caught and pushed back towards him. His left arm came up, connecting with the man's torso before his right swung back around and connected. Daryl watched as the large blade in his hand sunk into the man's side. The man latched onto Daryl's shoulders, fear seeping into his eyes as the pain made him grunt low in his throat.
Daryl watched as the lights went out in the man's eyes and he let him fall to the ground. He spun around, watching as both Shane and Rick tried their best to fight off Randall and the other goon that had been in the room. Rick quickly put down the unknown man turning to try to aid Shane.
A loud grunt of pain made everyone freeze. Shane stood, glaring at Randall, as shock flooded the younger kids face. Shane hobbled back, and Daryl saw the thick blade slide out of his stomach, dark red blood seeping into his shirt and down the front of his pants. Shane looked down at the wound before letting out a roar and grabbing Randall's hand. He slammed the man's fist up into his own throat, reveling with an evil smile as Randall gurgled and grunted in fear as the blade slide into his neck up to the hilt. Without a word Shane jerked on Randall's wrist and watched as the blade sliced near clean through Randall's throat. The kid let out a gurgled gasp before he fell to his knees and then collapsed to the floor. Shane looked up at Daryl and then over to Rick as he stumbled and crashed into the wall.
Rick was at his side instantly. "Shane, you hold on. We're gonna get you home and Hershel's gonna fix you right up." Daryl watched the scene in silence. He watched as Shane's bloodied hand came up to grip Rick's sleeve in a death grip, shaking his head in response as he fought for breath. "Yes, Shane, you hold on now…" Shane's grip loosened. "You hold on dammit!" and with that he was gone. Rick let out a sob before he sucked in a breath and tried to calm himself.
Daryl didn't get to sit in silent reverie for long. A low gurgling moan made his spine stiffen as he turned and looked at the guy he'd down just minutes ago. Daryl watched as the kid, now a walker, moved towards him, arms outstretched as he reached forward in hunger. Daryl cocked his hand back before sinking his blade deep in the kid's skull. His heart thudded quickly. The kid hadn't been bit. There was no reason he should have turned…
Daryl moved determinedly into the hallway, sinking his blade first into Randall's skull, and then into the last guy's. He looked to Rick, not sure how to voice his suspicion. "Rick-" he started but wasn't able to finish his sentence. Shane gripped Rick, dead eyes opening again, as hungry jaws growled and snapped at his friend. Daryl jerked forward sinking his blade into Shane's head, twisting until his body went once again limp in death. Rick pushed Shane's body away, his mind whirling in confusion. "Was he bit?" Daryl asked. Rick shook his head, staring in disbelief. "Rick, are you sure he wasn't bit?" Daryl asked his voice much more urgent.
"No. He wasn't bit. He shouldn't have turned." Rick's eyes landed on Daryl, "He shouldn't have turned." Daryl nodded before he pulled his knife free, wiped it clean and tucked it into his belt. "What does that mean, Daryl?" Rick asked, clearly unable to process what had just happened.
"It means, until we figure out why he turned, we give everyone the courtesy of a head shot, just to be safe." Daryl moved away from Shane, checking the other bodies and collecting a set of keys that looked like they went to an old car that might still run, as well as scooping up his crossbow that was neatly tucked away in a corner he hadn't seen upon first entering. "Come on, we need to get him up if we're going to get back to bury him." Rick climbed to his feet, helping Daryl heft Shane up. Before they could decide which way to go a shout sounded from down the hallway. Daryl met Rick's eyes before they set Shane's lifeless body back down and took off away from the new group of people on their tails. "We'll come back for him Rick." Daryl shouted as he shoved Rick down the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when Rick nodded and moved quickly beside him down the hallway.
Daryl lost track of which way they'd gone, or how many doors they'd run through, blessedly not running into anyone else. Soon enough they stopped hearing the stampede of footfalls behind them, but the adrenaline was just too high to slow down.
Rick burst through the door first, the sunlight blinding him temporarily. The gurgles and moans of the walkers outside made him rear back, falling into Daryl in his attempt to backpedal away from the danger. Daryl gripped his shirt, steadying him, "Ain't no turnin' back, Rick." He turned Rick to catch his eye. "Just a few more walkers and we can go back. You can make it back to your kid." Rick grit his teeth and gave a nod, gripping his stolen gun in his hand and turning to face the small group of walkers now ambling towards them.
One by one they took them down, watching as each body fell where they were hit. Daryl and Rick found themselves standing amidst a small pile of rotting corpses, breathing hard as they scanned the area. A soft scuffling, followed by a low hiss pulled both men's attention to the farthest corner of the little quad they were standing in. The sight that met their eyes caused the breath to leave Daryl's chest.
"No." Rick gasped, taking a step back as anger, frustration, and sadness overwhelmed him. "No!" He yelled fisting his hand at his side. Daryl felt his insides turn to ice as he watched the small little figure amble towards them, hissing and reaching for them in a mindless hunger.
"Dammit," Daryl choked out before gripping his gun and raising his arm. "Sophia, you weren't supposed to go out like this girl." His words floated to the unhearing ears of the little girl they'd been searching for since she disappeared from the highway. Daryl felt the angry tears prick at his eyes but refused to let them fall. He took a deep breath before he aimed his weapon and pulled the trigger. He watched as she fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. His eyes watched her, feeling an unfamiliar pain float through him. He could hear Rick panting and trying to hold back his own tears next to him. On legs that wobbled dangerously beneath him, Daryl ventured forward, grabbing a discarded and destroyed fabric tarp along the way.
"Daryl, what're you doin'?" Rick gasped out, trying to claw his way through the uncomfortable emotions assaulting him all at once.
"Ain't gonna leave her," Daryl responded, "we had to leave Shane, we ain't gonna leave her too. We bury our dead." He took the fabric tarp and laid it down before gently moving Sophia to the middle of it. With quick and efficient movements he wrapped her little body up. "Carol at least deserves to bury her daughter. It's been hell on her not knowin'." With that he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and pulled Sophia into his arms. He turned and looked to Rick as the other man walked closer, gently reached out and placed his hand on her cloth covered forehead. He watched as Rick sniffed before wiping at his face, smearing the sweat and tears on his skin.
"You're right." He looked off into the distance, "We should get goin'." Daryl nodded. "That group could come out any minute, best to get hidden in the trees." Daryl let out a soft grunt and followed behind Rick in the direction of the farm.
Beth sat the kitchen table, nervously fidgeting with the pen in her hand as she wrote in her journal. It had been three days since Rick, Shane, and Daryl had been seen by anyone on their little farm. A deep pit of dread settled in her stomach at the thought that something bad had happened to them.
Suddenly, a loud crying sounded from outside and Beth was on her feet instantly. She rushed through the front door, screen door slapping closed with a loud screech. It took her brain a minute to process what she was seeing. Her eyes landed on Daryl and Rick first, Rick carrying a bundle that looked like the body of a child. Then she saw Carol gently reaching for the bundle, crying in anguish as she fell to her knees. Rick knelt down in front of her, and Carol reached out gently cradling the little body. Beth's heart broke.
She heard the screen door screech and then slap shut again, as Lori walked up beside her. "What happened?"
"Rick and Daryl are back," Beth started, "they found Carol's daughter." Her voice was soft and pained as Lori let out a gasp. She watched as Lori moved forward, going to Carol's side and enveloping her in a comforting hug. The sight was painful to watch. Beth's eyes floated away from the scene, unable to hide the pain that filled her for her friends, and landed on Daryl. He was watching Carol and Rick and Lori, but Beth could tell he was hurting for them as well. She couldn't put her finger on how she could tell (it wasn't like he outwardly displayed his emotions or feelings) but she knew. She could feel it.
She bit her lip and turned, her eyes landing on her daddy who stood silently just inside the doorway, watching everything. "Bethy…" It was all he needed to say. She knew what she needed to do. Her mama always said she had a knack for making people feel better, well now that was needed more than ever.