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Chapter 9

"Cassie" Daryl called her name through parched lips "How you doin'?"

"I've had better days" he could hardly hear her voice. She tried to stand straighter and managed to turn her head, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"How about you?" She hesitated "I'm sorry about Merle. He was trying to do the right thing just in the wrong way."

"He'd turned, came at me I had to put him down" Daryl told her quietly. "When we get out of here I'm gonna enjoy feeding that Bastard to the walkers"

"I'll help you if we can do the same for Michael" She stopped speaking as the door opened. Milton slipped into the room and headed for Daryl, a knife in his hand.

"I'm going to cut you free and help you get out of here" he told them as he sawed through the ties and tape holding Daryl.

"Aint you his aide, why you helpin' us?" Daryl was suspicious, expecting some kind of trap.

"Because he's losing his mind and I can't just sit by and let this sort of thing happen anymore." Milton freed Daryl and handed him the knife.

"You're taller than me, you cut her down and I'll catch her" he told the hunter. Milton supported Cassie as Daryl cut the ropes. Both men took her weight as her legs buckled. They sat her on the chair for a few minutes to regain her strength.

"I'm sorry but we need to move now" Milton told her apologetically "I don't know how long he'll be at the wall. I think he really wants to come back and finish the job with you two." Daryl supported Cassie with his arm around her waist and they made their way through the door and into the corridor beyond. He held the knife in front of him as they edged their way around a corner. They had only gone a few steps when the Governor appeared, Michael at his side.

"It seems you can't trust anyone nowadays" He said sadly as he looked at a now terrified Milton.

"We've been friends for years and now you betray me." He sounded genuinely upset at his friend's disloyalty.

Milton faced him "You've changed. When we started Woodbury it was for everyone's benefit, a safe place for all. Now you've gone power hungry. This thing with the prison, it's gone too far. For God's sake now you're torturing women" Milton sounded close to tears.

Ignoring him the Governor turned to Michael. "Take her and finish what you started" Michael started towards Cassie and Daryl threw the knife he was holding. It landed in the man's throat and he fell, a surprised look on his face as blood gushed onto the floor.

"That was unfortunate" The Governor looked at the gasping, dying man. "Now I'll have to do the dirty work myself" They heard the click of weapons being cocked and Daryl pushed Cassie behind him, trying to shield her.

"How touching" the Governor pulled the knife free from Michael's throat and nodded to his men. The three of them were forced at gun point back into the room they had just escaped from.

"On your knees!" he demanded at Daryl, who looked at him defiantly.

"You gonna kill me you're gonna have to look me in the face and do it like a man, not some pussy" He taunted. The Governor turned away from him.

"I'm not going to kill you" he stated, turning to Milton, "He is" Before anyone could move he stabbed the smaller man in the stomach. He plunged the knife in twice more and Milton sank to his knees, hands clutching his belly as blood poured between his fingers.

Martinez grabbed Cassie, pulling her from Daryl as two others tried to force him to his knees. Finally on of them used the butt of his gun, striking the back of Daryl's leg, causing it to buckle. They pinned his arms behind him and held him down. The Governor stood in front of Cassie and ran his finger down her cheek.

"So pretty" he commented "Almost seems a waste."

He ordered Martinez to take her to Daryl and make her kneel in front of him.

"I'm not a heartless man" He told them as one of Cassie's arms was forced around Daryl's neck, the other around his waist then tied together. Daryl's arms were placed the same around her and also bound tightly.

"I'm going to let you die in each other's arms, just because I'm an old romantic" He pointed to Milton's body. "When he turns the first thing he'll see is you two. I don't know if he'll want both of you or if just one will satisfy his hunger, but one or both of you will die at his hand" He smiled at them.

"Make the most of your last minutes" His men behind him he left the room.

Daryl could feel Cassie shaking against him. They were chest to chest again, their arms tangled together, with no way of wriggling free.

"How come we keep ending up like this?" She asked, trying not to sound scared. "I've spent more time pressed up against you than I did my last boyfriend"

"Yer boyfriend was a damn fool then" he told her, trying to get his arms in a more comfortable position. She managed a small smile up at him.

"Is that a compliment?" she asked. He was about to reply when they heard a light sound. Both heads turned toward Milton's body and they saw the tell-tale twitching of his arm. He was starting to reanimate. Cassie pressed her cheek against his chest.

"I'm sorry" she whispered "I shouldn't have come here with Merle. I thought I could help"

"Got nothin' to be sorry for" he snapped at her "You just wanted to help Merle, aint many people would've done that" They saw Milton's fingers curl into a fist. Cassie couldn't stop looking and couldn't hide how scared she was.

"Cassie!" He called her name, trying to get her attention "Cassie, look at me"

She lifted her head, staring up at him, eyes wide and shiny with unshed tears. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek gently, before pulling away.

"This aint the way I planned to go" he told her "And I'm real sorry you got dragged into it"

"It was my choice to follow Merle" she told him. "and I don't regret it, just wish it could have ended better" She adjusted her hand so her palm was flat against his neck and pulled him down again, resting her forehead against his. Over her shoulder he saw Milton's body sit up. It's head snapped round and it's now milky eyes settled on them. At once it stumbled to its feet and staggered towards them. Daryl held on to Cassie so she didn't see it approaching. He didn't know whether to try and shield her or not. If it killed him and satiated it's appetite then it may not bite Cassie, but that would leave her tied to his mangled body which would turn and attack her. He knew there was nothing he could do. They were still holding each other when Cassie's head was pulled back. The walker had grabbed her hair and it's other hand was reaching for her arm. She locked eyes with Daryl as its teeth moved closer to her shoulder. She could feel it's rancid breath on her face and braced herself, accepting death.