The night passed quietly. The herd had thinned out enough that Merle Dixon decided they would take out the few remaining stragglers and get the hell outta there. He felt like a sitting duck in that damned house and Daryl said as much as well. They would take the biters out, get in the truck, pick up Rick and Daryl's vehicle, and then head to the prison. Merle stuck his head out the front door and was greeted with a loud gunshot that ricocheted off the door frame. Splinters bit into his cheek. "Fuck!" he hollered, slamming the door.
Daryl was right behind him. "Which direction?"
"Just across the street. Blue house, I think." Merle answered, pulling a sliver of wood out of his face.
"Governor's men," Martinez stated. "Who else could it be?"
"Probably right. Only one he's got left worth a damn is Shupert and he wouldn't 'ave missed." Merle snuck a peek through the curtains.
Martinez looked out the other window. "Want me to take him out, Dixon?"
"Nah," Daryl answered for his brother. "I got 'im." He went back up the stairs followed by Rick. The younger Dixon didn't trust the Martinez himself and he didn't want him out of his sight. He knew Grimes felt the same way and he'd keep an eye on the man while Daryl was taking care of business across the street.
Rick dropped his shoulder against the window frame. "I'll cover you, Daryl."
"Go ahead if you have to but I ain't gonna need it." He half-grinned at his friend. The younger Dixon climbed out one of the bedroom windows and down a tree that brushed up against the house. Rick didn't see him once he hit the ground.
Merle watched from the door. It wouldn't take his brother long. "Martinez, get the women down here."
When everyone was in the kitchen, he opened one of his duffle bags and said "If you need another weapon, take your pick. Make sure you have plenty of ammo."
Rick pulled Amanda's Glock from the waistband at the back of his pants and handed it to her, "Here, Mandy, I found this while we were looking for you."
"Thanks," she said taking it, not meeting his eyes. Her fingers accidentally brushed his and she pulled them back like she'd been burned.
"Come 'ere baby girl. Let me see that thing." Merle gave her gun the once over and not finding it lacking, he handed it back. He wanted to make sure Officer Friendly knew he didn't trust him as far has he could spit and he didn't give a shit what the man thought about him. The man didn't fuckin' trust him to go to the prison. Well, that was too damn bad. He wasn't letting his daughter out of his sight and wherever Daryl was, well that's where he'd find ol' Merle. Fuckin' asshole.
About fifteen minutes later, Martinez pointed out the window "Dixon, take a look." Daryl was jogging across the street with a few extra weapons in tow. Merle smiled with pride as he watched his brother's return. Daryl stabbed a biter in the eye that was sniffing around the truck, without breaking stride, and gestured that it was all clear.
"Amanda, Rowan, in the truck!" Merle ordered. Daryl ushered the girls into the truck, Possum first, then his brother's whore. Rick and Caesar took out a couple more biters that showed up. They must've been alerted to them by the sound of the earlier gunshot. The younger Dixon slid into the driver's seat while the rest of the men threw the supplies in the back and jumped in as Daryl was speeding off.
"How far to ya truck?" asked Merle, as much as he hated to talk to the bastard who left him for dead.
"On the edge of town, no more than five miles," he replied, looking Dixon in the eye. Taking Merle Dixon and crew back to the prison didn't sit well with Rick. Daryl talked to his brother last night and said Merle trusted them and took full responsibility for the man and woman he traveled with. Maybe Dixon wouldn't do anything to put his daughter in harm's way intentionally but Rick doubted that he'd ever be able to trust the man.
They reached the truck in short order with Daryl plowing down at least a half-dozen walkers on the way. Rick pulled out the map and they agreed to take separate routes on the way to the prison in case they picked up a follower. Merle didn't think the Governor had any men left that could track them but he sure as hell wouldn't make it easy on 'em. Rick would be in one vehicle and Daryl in the other so the group at the prison would let them in, just in case one truck got there first.
Against Merle and Amanda's wishes, but at Daryl's insistence, Rick would drive the two women in Merle's truck since it was newer and in better shape. He wanted to get his niece to the prison as soon as possible so their resident "doctor" could have a look at her. Merle insisted that Caesar go with them for added protection. The Dixon brothers would take the longer route but wouldn't be too far behind.
Caesar made himself comfortable in the bed of the truck with half the weapons loaded and within reach. Merle threatened them all with a slow and painful death if his daughter didn't arrive safely. He watched the truck as it pulled away hoping his brother was right in trusting Officer Friendly.
Amanda sat stiffly in between Rowan and Rick. She wanted to be anywhere else but when she suggested that she ride in the back with Caesar she thought her daddy was gonna pop a blood vessel. He very patiently told her that the middle of the truck was the safest place for her to be, end of discussion, and he sternly warned Rowan and Martinez not to let her "sweet talk" either one of them into switching seats.
Rowan looked out the window, appalled at the devastation. She had never been out of Woodbury since the dead started rising and she was starting to wish she was back there.
"Rowan." The man Merle wanted dead, as she'd come to think of him, asked, "Can you tell me about the place ya'll came from?"
"Woodbury? Um...yeah, sure," she answered. Merle told her the man had been a cop and would probably ask lots of questions. He said tell him everything. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"Whatever Dixon said you could tell me."
She smiled. Smart man. "He said I could tell you whatever you wanted to know."
He thought about that a second. "Really?"
Amanda piped up, "Well, why wouldn't he, Rick? Daddy's got nothing to hide."
Rick sighed. This was going to be a long damned ride.
"Well, the town was walled in," Rowan began not giving the man a chance to answer the other woman's questions. "Armed guards on the walls protected the citizens from biters or marauders. There was over seventy people living there before we left. Men, women, children, the elderly. What else? Let's see...groups of men would go out periodically to hunt for supplies for the entire town. We had running water. The Governor made sure we were safe," she trailed off.
"Who's the Governor?"
"He's the man that brought everyone together. He built up the town...started out with only nine people."
Rick was silent for a moment letting that information absorb. Then he said, "Tell me about Merle Dixon. How long have you two been together?"
Amanda raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Rick. His profile was hard and he didn't take his eyes off the road but a moment to meet her stare and raise an eyebrow of his own.
"Together?" Rowan asked, a little unsure what to say. "Um ...well, we've been together about...two days."
"Two days?" He almost ran off the road. Shit! Dixon's trusting this woman he's only known for two days?
"Hey!" Caesar yelled from the back. "Watch where you're going, man!"
Rowan turned to look past Amanda, facing Rick as she answered his question. "I've known Mr. Dixon, Merle, for a year. I was there when they brought him in. He had almost bled out, was half-starved. The doctor wasn't sure he'd even make it. Most people wouldn't in that shape. He was delirious with fever, dehydration, I guess. But the Governor told Dr. Stevens to do everything she could to save him because that man was a real fighter, a true survivor, and Woodbury needed more men like him." She paused a moment remembering that day. She never would have thought anyone in that condition could have survived. But Merle defied the odds. "When he had healed enough, he taught the men how to use the weapons they'd found. He hunted and supplied Woodbury with fresh meat. He kept us all well-fed and cared for...made sure everyone had what they needed."
"If he had it so good, why'd he leave?"
"He wanted to find his little brother. Everyone in Woodbury knew that. Family was important to him. He talked about Daryl all the time." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap and said softly, "But mainly he left because someone hurt Amanda."
"Who?"
"Crowley. But not on his own. Merle thinks the Governor was behind it."
"For what purpose?" Why in the hell would a place so supposedly idyllic harbor a monster who would beat up a woman?
"I don't know that." She answered truthfully.
Rick looked at her a moment, "You sure about that?"
"Of course, I am..."
"I know why," Amanda said.
"So tell me, baby brother," Merle started. "How long has that prick been fucking my baby girl? And why the fuck did ya let him?"
Shit! Daryl knew the subject would come up sooner or later. He was just hoping it would be way, way later. Fuck it. Might as well face it head on. "Merle," he began but then the words got hung up and he didn't know where the hell to go after that.
"I'm listenin'," his brother replied. Daryl could feel his hard stare burning a hole in the side of his head. No way he was looking at him.
"Damn it, Merle. What could I do? She's a grown woman. Ain't no way she gonna listen to me. I tried talkin' to her. Told her it was a bad idea, gettin' involved with Rick. She said I wasn't her daddy and told me to fuck off."
My baby told Darylina to fuck off. He snorted. "Bad idea, huh?" Merle shook his head. "Ya fuckin' pussy! Why didn't ya jus' tell her the fucker cuffed me to a roof to and left me die."
Daryl slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Cuz she still had hope that her daddy was alive and I wasn't gonna take that away!"
Merle sighed and rubbed his hand over his short hair. Shit! How could he be mad at Daryl for that?
Daryl stopped the truck and turned to face is brother. "We came back for you, Merle. Me, Rick, Glenn and T-..."
"I know ya did, bro," he said quietly, staring out the windshield.
He did? "Ya do?" Daryl asked, not sure he understood exactly what his brother was saying. "But, how?"
Merle looked at him, wanted to see his reaction. "Blondie told me."
"Blondie? Ya mean Andrea? She's alive?" Daryl was obviously surprised at that piece of information.
"Found her and took her back to Woodbury. Told me about the farm and ya'll being overrun."
"Hell, Merle! Why didn't you bring her with ya?"
"Why would I? She ain't nothin' to me. She's shacked up with the boss man, the Governor, living high on the hog. Forget about her, little brother. That bitch ain't interested in going nowhere."
Fuck! Daryl thought. They saw her go down. They said they saw her go down.
Rick was mulling over what Amanda had said about the man called the Governor when they turned down the road that led to the prison. Why did the Governor want to know about their group, how many and where they were? Why'd he have her tortured to find out?
A smile immediately spread across his handsome features when he saw his son at the gate. They didn't recognize the truck. He rolled down the window and stuck his head out. "Carl! Open the gate, son!"
"Dad!" Carl yelled out to him while he and Oscar opened the heavy gate for the truck to roll in. Apparently someone sounded the "alarm" because all the residents came out to greet them.
"Oh my God, Amanda! They found you!" Maggie sobbed as wrapped her in a bear hug but quickly eased up a bit when she felt her wince. "Oh, honey, I am so sorry. Glenn and I looked for you. We really tried."
"I know you did, Maggie," she said patting her friend on the back and giving Glenn a quick hug.
Rick hugged his son. "Any problems, Carl?"
"No sir!" his son reported proudly. "None at all."
"Good. Glad to hear it," he said patting his shoulder. "Come to Daddy, sweet girl." He took Judith from Carol and nuzzled his daughter until she giggled. "How's my baby girl?" he cooed. "Daddy missed you."
"Where's Daryl?" Beth asked, looking around somewhat frantically.
Herschel reached for his youngest daughter but she slipped out his reach. "Beth..."
Her voice rose above the chatter, "Is someone gonna tell me where Daryl is?"
Rick answered, "He's on the way, Beth. He's in another truck...with his brother, Merle."
The name didn't mean much to the Greene family or Oscar but the remaining Atlanta group, Glenn, Carol, and Carl stopped in their tracks.
"Oh Amanda!" Beth said running up to her and taking her hands instead of a hug, much to the other woman's relief. "You found your daddy! That's wonderful!"
Amanda smiled fondly at the girl. "Thanks, sweetie. He found me and yes it is wonderful," she said, shooting icy daggers at Rick.
He chose to ignore it and instead said, "Herschel, Mandy's been hurt pretty bad. Will you please check her out?"
"I'm staying right here to wait Daddy and Daryl," she said stubbornly.
"Mandy..."
"No." She refused to move. "I'm not leaving."
"Daryl and your father wanted to get you here so you can get checked out."
"I don't need to be checked out. I don't have anything wrong with me that time won't heal," she said and climbed in the back of the truck with Caesar.
"I guess I'll wait with you," Rowan said.
Beth joined them, "Me too," she said brightly introducing herself to Amanda's new companions.
Rick wanted to stay and wait with Mandy but he needed to attend to his family first... no, that wasn't right. She was a part of his family too...
"Hey, Dad, why don't we all wait for them?" Carl, his unknowing savior, smiled up at his dad.
"Good idea, son." Judith was happily sucking on her hand cuddling against her dad. Her eyelids were drooping and she'd be asleep in no time. Rick didn't want to leave Mandy anyway. She was a part of him now and even if she was angry at him, he was going to wait for her. When she started talking to him again, maybe he could try to explain things. Hopefully, she'd understand. Hopefully, she'd at least listen.
Thankfully they didn't have long to wait. About thirty minutes later, Beth jumped up screaming, "I see the truck! I see him!" Caesar gave Amanda and Rowan a hand down from the truck bed. Beth had already run to the gate attempting to help Oscar and Carl slide it open faster.
Daryl drove the truck in and was greeted by cheers. "Damn, baby bro, you're a fuckin' hero," said Merle, getting out of the truck receiving a hug from Amanda and a quick kiss on the mouth from Rowan.
He watched in awe as a little blonde tornado threw herself at his younger brother. "I'll be damned," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. Amanda introduced his brother's "girl" as Beth. She looked at him with wide-eyed wonder like he was a fuckin' pirate or something.
Then he met her dad, the one-legged doctor. Hmph...might get along with the old man, had somethin' in common. Greene had another daughter, Maggie, pretty girl too, but she had hooked up with that fuckin' Chinaman he remembered from Atlanta. Chinaman remembered him too...looked like he might piss his pants. Merle laughed to himself and sent him a chilling smile that practically had the young man hiding like a pussy behind his woman. Figured. She looked like a spitfire. Then there was Oscar, fuckin' big black bastard, wearing prison pants. Better keep an eye on 'im
Merle vaguely recalled the mousy Carol. Didn't she have an asshole for a husband and a stringy little girl? Carol didn't seem so mousy anymore. She stuck out her hand to shake his and said, "I'm so glad to see you again, Merle."
Damn, he wasn't expecting that. He kind of smiled back and shook her slim hand awkwardly with his left one, muttering, "Thank you, same here."
That bastard Grimes was holding a baby girl, cute little booger, too, couldn't be his. The boy, Carl...he'd grown a lot, lost his mom, turned out Officer Friendly was his dad. Wasn't that skinny bitch screwing around with a different asshole cop? Hafta ask Darylina 'bout it later.
Daryl had somehow managed to extricate himself from Beth and came around to stand by his niece, concern on his face. "Lookin' pale, Possum. Did Herschel have a look at ya, yet?"
"I'm okay, Daryl. Just tired," she replied pushing her curls back from her face.
"Possum..."
"Back off, Daryl! I said I'm fine."
Merle gave his brother a warning look and put his arm around Amanda. He glanced at Carol and asked, "Think we can get my baby girl somethin' to drink and maybe a bite to eat?"
"Of course," she said. "This way, Merle."
Rick rubbed his little daughter's back as he watched the trio disappear into the prison. He hoped to God that he'd made the right decision.
Thanks to my readers and especially all of my reviewers. Your comments keep this story going and keep the updates coming as fast as I can type!
As always, a special thanks to my proof-reader and sounding board, Siarh. She makes sure the characters stay "in character" and that I keep the facts straight. If you get a chance, check out her work. "Days of Our Freakin' Camp" is my favorite.
Happy Reading!