Merle Dixon's watch was finally over. It had been a long damn day and long damn night and he was ready for some shuteye. After he and Martinez put their rifles away in Woodbury's armory, he'd head on back to his place, check on his daughter and finally get some much needed sleep.
"Goddamnit, Merle, you coulda pulled that punch a bit." Caesar Martinez rubbed his jaw. "I think you knocked a couple of teeth loose."
Merle shrugged and shot the man walking beside him a unrepentant look. "You hurt my baby girl."
Unconsciously placing a protective hand over his groin, the younger man said, "Technically, my friend, your baby girl hurt me more than I hurt her."
"That's cuz you're a pussy." Merle snorted. The man grew up with four sisters. He couldn't help it.
"She kicked me in the nuts, bro. Ain't no coming back from that shit." Martinez shuddered, remembering the excruciating pain all too well. "Besides, man, It's...well, she reminded me of my little sister, Maria." The man was silent a moment but pulled himself together quickly. "And you know I don't hit girls, Dixon."
Amanda had to get out of there...before Crowley returned. But how? There were no windows in the small room. He'd locked the door when he left. She didn't have her knife anymore. Bastard.
Her wrists were still bound, hands numb. He had removed the gag when he was done with his particular brand of torture. Then, he started the questioning. She didn't understand why he wanted to know about her uncle, Daryl. He asked about the whole group from Atlanta. Where were they hiding? How many were left? Did they pick up more people along the way? What kind of weapons did they have? Amanda's head was spinning and her body ached with every movement from blows the man dispensed when he didn't like her answers. But she didn't tell him. Salty tears burned the cuts on her face and lips.
The door knob rattled. Shit! Amanda choked back a sob. He returned too soon! She pushed herself back with her feet into a dark corner furthest from the door. Masculine voices spoke on the other side of the door, not loud enough to comprehend. Crowley brought the Governor this time. That's what he said he was going to do...get the Governor. He would make her tell them what he wanted to know. She made herself as small as she could and closed her eyes and prayed.
The door opened with the screech of rusty hinges. Martinez entered first, "Listen, man, I was thinking...Fuck!" he cursed, stumbling over something in the dark. He shone his flashlight on the offending object. "What the fuck?" he muttered and picked up a brown leather boot, a woman's boot.
"Lemme see that," Merle snatched it from his hand. "Amanda?"
A sob emanated from the pitch black of the far corner. Merle knocked the other man out of the way in his effort to reach the far side of the room. "Amanda!"
"Daddy?" The battered form of his daughter illuminated in the beam of his flashlight forced the breath from his lungs.
"What the fuck? Who the fuck..." He knelt down before her. "Baby?" His eyes burned with tears of failure and rage. He cut the tie wrap from her wrists and tenderly held her bloodied hands. "Baby girl, who did this?"
Martinez took off his hoodie and handed it to Merle who carefully placed it over his daughter's tattered dress.
She sobbed harder. "I can't, he'll kill you daddy! He said he'd kill you!"
"Damn, girl, ain't no coward goin' kill me and only a coward would do this." He shook with repressed anger. He was trying real hard to stay in control of himself for her sake.
"Daddy, I didn't tell him anything," she cried uncontrollably. He kept hittin' me but I didn't tell him about Daryl. He kept asking where Daryl was."
"Dixon..."
"Fuck, Martinez! Not now!" He turned to his girl and asked, "Tell who, baby girl?"
The man dropped a dirty red bandana in front of Merle. Crowley's bandana.
Their eyes met. "Take my daughter home, bro, I got a rat to kill."
"Daddy, please" She held on to him. "Please don't leave me."
"Ladybug, I gotta..." Merle tried to extricate himself from his daughter's clinging arms. Why the fuck would Crowley ask about his brother?
"He wanted to know about the Atlanta group..."
"No, Dixon. Take care of her first."
"What the fuck do you mean 'no'?"
"Think about it man..."
"Ain't nothin' to think about." Merle's voice was deadly calm as he stood up, bringing Amanda with him, arm around her waist. "I'm going to kill 'im, and when he comes back I'm going kill 'im again. Get the fuck outta my way, you stupid spic. I don't wanna hurt you but if you get in my way..."
"Stop! Don't be stupid, man." Martinez pulled his gun out and pointed it at Merle's head. "You gonna listen to me, Dixon." He was terrified of the man but he wasn't backing down. "You saved my life more than once and I'm going to save yours this time."
Merle held his hand up but stepped forward. Martinez backed away. "Close enough, Dixon...Who else has keys to this place?" He was determined to make his friend understand how far this had to reach.
"Don't have time for this. Get the fuck..."
Martinez pulled back the hammer. "Who? Besides you, Dixon?"
Merle stopped. "Jus' me ...and the Governor." The realization struck him like a sledge hammer. Fuck! Backstabbing mother-fucking son of a bitch!
"Right, so how could Crowley get in, without a key?"
"He's right, Daddy. Crowley left to get the Governor." Amanda held on tightly to his hand. "We gotta hurry, before they get back."
Merle closed his eyes. His head hurt so much. He felt like his chest would explode. He really wanted to kill someone. Now. Fucking motherless bastard. I'm gonna carve Crowley up and feed him one piece at a time to the biters. Then I'll take care of the Governor. He closed his eyes inhaled deeply. Focus, Dixon, focus. The red haze of anger was pushed aside while he realized his priorities. "Let's get Amanda somewhere safe." Merle pulled her against him with his right arm and pulled his gun out of the back of his waistband with the other. "The first place they'll look is mine." Merle said. "What about yours?"
"It'll be kind of tricky crossing the street and keeping out of sight. Any one on the wall who looks that way'll see us. Especially with the way that storm is lighting up the sky." Martinez handed Merle his daughter's boots and waited while he carefully helped her put them on her bruised legs.
"I got an idea," Merle mumbled picking up Amanda.
"I can walk, Daddy," she protested weakly, but leaned against him.
"Hush, girl," he said. Then, to Martinez, "Follow me."
"Knock again!" Merle ordered impatiently.
Martinez shook his head but knocked sharply on the back door of a house just a block away from the room they found Amanda in. "You sure about this, man? I don't think it's a good idea."
"Shut the fuck up," he hissed.
"Put me down, Daddy." Amanda struggled. "I can stand."
"You hush, too," he said more gently kissing the side of her face. "I'm gonna take care of you."
Martinez raise his hand to knock again when a dark-haired woman, wiping the sleep from her eyes, pulled back the curtain.
"What the hell is going on?" she said and quickly unlocked the door.
"Need your help, girl," Merle said as he pushed by Martinez and into the small kitchen.
"In here," Rowan ordered and the two men followed her into the living room. Merle gently sat Amanda down on the sofa.
"What happened?" Rowan asked returning from the kitchen with a washcloth and bowl of warm soapy water. She started to dab at Amanda's face but Merle grabbed the cloth away.
"I'll do it," he said gruffly not meeting her eyes.
"Crowley happened," Martinez answered.
"I'm leaving tonight. Me and Amanda," Merle announced. "My girl's been here less than 24 hours and they damn near killed her."
"You'll need back up." Martinez said, "I'm going, too."
Merle's first reaction was to object but then realized the wisdom of having someone he trusted to watch his back.
"Take me, too," said Rowan.
Both men were already shaking their heads. Merle looked at the raven-haired girl standing barefoot before him. Oh. hell no! Ain't no way he was dragging her skinny ass with them. It'd be all he could do to keep Amanda safe. "Forget it, girlie."
"You can't leave me here! They'll eventually figure out you were here. I might as well be dead. Besides, I'm a good shot." Rowan offered, "I can help cover you and your daughter."
Merle opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "Why don't you two work it out while I find some clothes for her." Rowan gently took Amanda's arm and led her to the bedroom. "Let's find you something to wear."
As soon as the women disappeared into the other room, Martinez turned on Merle, "That's the Gov's bitch Merle? You really trust her?"
"Was his bitch. He prefers blondes, now." Merle met his friend's incredulous stare. "And I don't trust no one."
The taller woman pulled out some clothes from her closet and tossed them onto her bed. "We haven't officially met," she said, and emptied out a dresser drawer onto the pile. "I'm Rowan." She brushed her long hair over her shoulder. "And you are Amanda. Merle's long-lost daughter." She smiled and gestured at the heap of clothing on the bed. "Sorry, they're a little big but take whatever you want. We'll shove the rest in my backpack."
Rowan stepped into a pair of jeans and pulled a dark T-shirt on over her camisole.
Amanda winced when she removed Martinez' hoodie and then the torn dress.
Rowan gasped in dismay at the other woman's bruised body., "Oh my god. That bastard!" She covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, Amanda, I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. Let me get the washcloth and help wash off the dried blood."
"We don't have time," Amanda said, pulling on black knit tank. She covered that with a long sleeve t-shirt hiding most of her injuries from sight.
"You sure?" Rowan asked softly touching her hand.
Amanda nodded. "I just want to get out of here."
"Of course," The taller woman replied. "Here, try these capris, You won't have to roll them up." Rowan donned a pair low-heeled boots and gave Amanda a pair of athletic shoes that fit well enough with two pairs of socks.
She put her own hair up in a high ponytail and fastened Amanda's back with some clips.
"Ready?" Rowan asked.
Amanda nodded and blew out a shaky breath. "Ready."
"We're ready to go." Rowan announced, marching into the living area with Merle's daughter in tow. She and Amanda were fully dressed in dark shirts, jeans and semi-sensible shoes.. Amanda looked a bit green around the gills but other than that she seemed prepared for their escape.
Merle opened his mouth to speak but Rowan cut him off yet again. "I'm not staying behind, Mr. Dixon. So unless you plan to tie me up or knock me out, I'm going." She stood with her arms crossed and feet planted firmly on the ground.
Merle shrugged and looked around the room for something. "That'll do," he said triumphantly and pulled a tieback off of the curtains on Rowan's front window.
"You can't be serious!" she protested backing away.
He took a menacing step towards her. "Sorry, darlin', I ain't got nothin' against ya, you'll just slow us down."
"No I won't," she said hurriedly, stumbling backward into the kitchen. "I won't slow you down any more than Amanda. She's injured. I can help her." She squeaked as Merle closed in on her. "I-I can help your daughter, Mr. Dixon."
"Ain't got time for this bullshit, girlie." He grabbed one of her small wrists in his large hand. "Now, just hold still, damn it!"
Amanda grabbed his arm. "Daddy! Stop it! Rowan's right. We can't let them hurt her."
"Ladybug..."
"She can help me if you and Caesar have to fight. Please, Daddy." she pleaded.
"Fuck me!" He dropped the girl's wrist and threw down the tieback. Rowan let out an audible sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Daddy," Amanda said, kissing his cheek.
"Hurry up, then," he grumbled.
Rowan smiled "We're ready," Rowan said indicating the small pack each woman had over their shoulder. "Thanks, Mr. Dixon." "You won't regret it."
Merle grunted. I doubt that.
Rowan looked both directions out the back door. "All clear," she whispered. "Where's Caesar?"
"Distracting Cooper," Merle answered. "We'll go out that way." He pointed to the right. "I need to get a couple a things, first. Meet me in five minutes! That's all you girls got, understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright then..." Merle didn't want to let his daughter out of his sight but he couldn't risk her being caught. There was no way around it. He hated having to rely on others. Made him feel weak. Helpless. He swallowed a little of his pride and barked, "Five minutes! At the northwest corner of the warehouse."
He slipped his big hunting knife into Amanda hand. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Don't be afraid to use it on the livin' if you hafta."
She nodded, grimly, "Yes Daddy." She knew she wouldn't have a problem with it.
Merle handed Rowan a smaller knife. "Same goes for you." He gripped her chin tightly in his rough hand, steel blue eyes staring hard into her soft brown ones. "Don't let me down, girl."
"I won't, Mr. Dixon." She met his fierce gaze with one of her own. "Promise."
Merle Dixon collected his few belongings and filled duffle bag with guns and ammo from the armory. He took as much as he could carry without slowing them down. Merle hid the key for Martinez so he could also gather what weapons he could carry. He ain't never trusted a spic before but he and the younger man had been in some tight spots together and Martinez never backed down and never ran away. As a fighter, he impressed Merle and that was no easy accomplishment. He figured between the two of them they should be able hold off whoever the Governor decided to send after them long enough to get his daughter, and now Rowan, to safety. I'm a goddamn fool. He never could say no to Possum and look what it got him. Now I gotta protect two women. Shit!
Merle realized he couldn't risk stealing one of Woodbury's few vehicles but he knew where to get one. He'd been planning his "escape" since Blondie showed up with news of his brother. He had a truck gassed up and ready to go. It was hidden behind a dilapidated house, a few miles out, one he was sure the Governor's men wouldn't bother wasting their time on. With the storm approaching, they'd have to move fast if they wanted to reach it before the rain came.
When he had told the Governor he wanted to go look for Daryl, the man had said he couldn't risk anyone for a wild goose chase. Blondie's news was too old to be reliable. Merle said he'd go on his own. Then the man said Woodbury would collapse without him. Merle snorted. That was bullshit. The Governor had been keeping him on a short leash since Blondie showed up and he was through with it. The Governor even had the nerve to say if he came up with some hard evidence, he'd actually go with him. Well, Merle's baby girl brought him all the evidence he needed and he sure wasn't gonna share it, now. No one told Merle Dixon what to do, especially when it came to taking care of his family. That man could go to hell and Merle would send him there. But first, he would deal with Crowley. He already had a special form of hell planned out for that bastard and he was going to enjoy every long damned minute of it.
Thank you to my patient and fearless proofreader, Siarh.
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers (and my new guest reviewers). Your comments keep me fired up!
Happy Reading and Happy New Year!