Merry Christmas! Sorry this is not so filled with holiday cheer... Please review!

Chapter 18

-Daryl-

He watched the two black SUVs approaching with a feeling of foreboding anticipation in his stomach. This is Woodberry bullshit. Part of him knew it instinctively who the fuck else brings matching cars to a shoot out during the apocalypse?

They had decided to let the newcomers join the group in exchange for their help, and a good natured looking guy named Tyrese had accepted for all of them, though some of the others didn't look happy about it. They'd left to guard the people inside with Carol and Sasha, the woman who seemed to be Tyrese's second in the new group, and together they would be in charge of getting Ben, Caitlyn, Beth and Judith to safety. They'd wanted to leave Hershel inside but he wouldn't have it, insisting that he'd only slow them down in his condition, and had instead declared that he'd guard the entrance to the prison, standing as a last line of defense should the others get taken out.

It was a grim prospect but as Daryl made his way up the inner guard tower in front of Lexi he was glad for the old mans resolve. Even with Glenn and Maggie in the other tower Rick by the gatehouse, and Axel and Tyrese on the roof, there was a chance they'd be over run if Woodberry decided to throw everything it had at them. What mattered now was that Carl, Beth, Judith and Caitlyn got out. He'd never say it but like most of the members of the group, sometimes the only thing that kept him going was the thought of helping those kids reach adulthood.

Still, as he watched Lexi stretch out on the ground and set the scopes on her long range rifle part of he felt his chest tense up as he realized there was a chance in a few minutes he'd watch her die. As they gathered to lay the plan Rick had pressed her again about telling him who the father of Caitlyn's child was, in case he arrived at the fight. She had refused again, making Daryl realize that must've been the name Rick was pushing for when he overheard them earlier.

His earlier feeling of hatred and betrayal had fled, and although he still didn't know what to make of her, and the fact that they'd almost had sex in this very tower not 24 hours ago, he knew that he had to force himself not to contradict Rick and try to send her inside with the others. They were the best shots in the group according to Rick, and this was no time to hold back.

He shook the thought as the SUVs pulled to a stop in front of the gates. Five men climbed out of the first one and began making quick work of the walkers. As Rick had ordered, no one fired, but Daryl kept one of the men locked in his sights at all times, his finger itching on the trigger of his rifle.

Once most of the walkers in the immediate vicinity had been taken care of, the back doors to the second SUV opened. Daryl felt his heart seize up as two men dragged a hooded man out of the back seat.

'Merle.'

The driver's side door flew open and the Governor stepped out, megaphone in hand.

"As a result of your terrorism, we've lost seventeen men in the past week."

Daryl could feel the blood pumping in his ears as he tried to get a clear shot of Governor, but the man kept Merle in front of him like a shield.
"Four of them you neglected to kill properly, and left to die in the hands of walkers or for us to have to put down..."

The need to do something overtook his mind p, and he pushed himself off the floor in a daze, desperate to reposition himself for a better shot.

"We have neither the man power nor the desire to lose more lives storming this shithole you've adopted as your home..."

He could feel Lexi press herself against him in an attempt to block him from leaving, he could hear her pleading with him to stay put, but none of it registered.

"But we can't just let the behavior go unpunished..."

He freed himself of her and began racing down the steps...

"...so we've com to pay you back in kind..."

He rounded the corner of the tower stairs just as the shot rang out, and Merle collapsed, writhing on the ground, blood pouring from his thigh where the Governor had shot him.