Ch. 14

Sorry for the long break! This weekend was crazy!

I hope you like this one.

They threw Len's body outside the garage right before they left the garage. Beth had a moment of weakness where she wanted to cover him up, but at the last second, she changed her mind.

Daryl didn't say anything about it and neither did Merle, but she could tell they were worried she had snapped a little, and maybe she had.

Every single man in that group was a terrible person, both before and after the end of the world. A person didn't learn that kind of evil or give in to it once everything went to shit. It was the kind of bad that simmered in your soul and tainted everything around you.

With all that in mind, Beth kept a bolt ready in her bow and the sheath of her knife unbuttoned. If they were going to try something after they found this man they were tracking down, she was going to kill as many of them as she could before they got her.

Merle and Daryl watched her cautiously, and when no one was looking at them, Merle stood behind her and put something in between her belt and her jeans. "Just in case they take your knife," he whispered.

Her hand automatically went to the new weapon, a screwdriver in between her belt and jeans, and she nodded.

Night settled in, and instead of setting up camp, Joe told them to push forward. "We ain't never gonna catch this bastard if we sleep while he sleeps and move when he moves."

The three of them had slowed their pace and were at the back of the group when they heard the signal that they had found who they had been looking for.

"Let's go," Daryl whispered. "They found whoever it is."

"Wait," Beth whispered and looked him in the eyes. "We know these people. They're liars and killers. The person we've been trackin' could be just like us."

Daryl and Merle sighed and exchanged a quick look. "We'll check it out. See if it's someone like them then we decide from there," Daryl said and nodded over his shoulder.

When they made it to the others, Beth froze in horror as she saw Rick, Michonne, and Carl sitting in front of a fire.

Daryl caught Beth's arm and whispered, "Stay back."

Her horror turned to terror in a split second as he stepped forward and said, "Hey, ya ain't gonna do this. These are good people."

Merle raised his knife hand and stepped behind a man who was too interested in the scene Daryl was causing to notice. Beth pulled out her knife and moved closer to the man on her left. Right as she moved into position, the man who asked to watch her and Daryl picked up Carl and started to lean into his neck, dragging his nose against him.

Beth's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't even know what Joe said, but as soon as the man in front of her moved toward Daryl, she stepped out of the shadows and stabbed him in the throat.

Her hands were shaking when it was all over, and she stared off into the distance. She knew that Rick was on the other side of the truck in a similar position. He was shaken because his son had almost been raped in front of his eyes, and he ripped a man's throat out with his teeth. Beth was shaking because she had taken her first life, and she didn't feel guilt at all.

"Here," Daryl said and handed her a bottle of water and his red rag. "Ya alright?"

She nodded.

"I'm gonna talk to Rick for just a second then I'll be back, okay?"

"I'm good," she spoke in a soft voice. "Check on him."

He rounded the truck again and Merle sat down beside her. "Ya sure you're alright?"

Beth paused for several seconds and looked over at him. "Have ya ever killed someone that didn't deserve it?"

Merle tightened his jaw and looked away. "Yeah. I've killed good people."

"Do ya feel bad about it?" She asked and watched as he turned back toward her.

"Sometimes."

"Why only sometimes?"

He shrugged and looked at his knife hand. "The good people I killed were so I could stay alive in the long run. Sometimes I feel bad that I'm here and they're not. Sometimes, like last night or the night at the funeral home, I'm glad I killed 'em 'cause if I hadn't've, then y'all'd be dead."

Beth sighed and nodded. "You're a good person. You're just a little rough around the edges."

"I'd kill anyone who tried to hurt y'all," he whispered. "Y'all are the only family I got left."

"Ya might be my only family, too," she said and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "I might be the only Greene left."

"Then I guess you'll just have to go by Dixon. Finally bring some polish to the old family name," he joked and stood up.

Beth didn't know what to say, but she watched him walk to the open truck door and peek in on Michonne and Carl. He said something really soft so Beth couldn't hear before moving around to where Daryl and Rick were.

One day, after they found someplace safe, she would tell Daryl that his brother proposed for him.

Terminus.

All those who arrive. Survive.

Daryl thought it was a whole bunch of bullshit, Merle didn't like it, and Beth seemed wary, but hopeful.

Rick thought it could be the answer to everything, and that maybe some of the others had gone there, so Daryl figured they could at least go and see what it was.

After scouting the location briefly, they left the majority of their weapons in the duffle bag in the woods before hopping the back fence. Everything was quiet and there didn't seem to be anyone on guard duty.

That instantly made him feel uneasy. A place as big as Terminus with chain link fences needed protection and people on watch. A herd of walkers could take down fences like that quick.

He desperately wanted to keep Beth safe, and if this place offered that, he would be grateful, but these people would know they needed better protection, especially if his group could get as far as they did without meeting a single soul. If it was another Woodbury, he would tear this place apart. Beth had experienced way too much shit in a short period of time, and Daryl needed to finally do something right. He'd be damned if he opened the proverbial door again and let something fuck up their lives.

As they walked through an open door, they saw a group of people milling around, making the signs that had been along the railroad tracks, and there was a little old lady broadcasting something over the radio. It dawned on him that he had heard what she was saying on the radio months ago but couldn't make out until now.

"Oh, hey." A young guy stepped forward as they walked toward them. "You could've used the front door. That's where it looks the best. Back this way is where the grunt work happens."

"Yeah, we'll we wanted to see y'all before y'all saw us," Rick said and looked around.

"You're cautious. That's good," the same guy said. "I'm Gareth."

The group continued to stare for a moment then he shook his head. "Just lay your weapons down for a minute, and we'll check you over and show you to the front."

Slowly, everyone laid their weapons down while another guy ran over and started patting them down to make sure that was all they had.

"Wow, y'all are really beat up," the kid said as he checked Daryl over for weapons. He looked at Beth who stood beside him. "Y'all do this to each other?"

"No," she whispered.

"Guess I don't wanna see the other guy then?" He tried to laugh and break the tension.

"No, you wouldn't," Rick said and raised an eyebrow at the young guy.

"the guy who did this is long dead," Beth added and met his eyes. Whatever the kid saw there must have scared him a little because he backed away and went to Merle next, which was worse than dealing with Beth. Merle knew how to press everyone's buttons.

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the front. That's where the welcome wagon is. From there, you'll get a tour, and we'll show you what we're all about here."

They followed behind Gareth silently. Daryl looked over everything they passed. The huge empty rooms, the tiny walkways made between the roofs above them, the potted plants that started lining the sides of the buildings as they got closer to the front gate.

The woman manning the barbeque pit smiled when they walked up. "I heard ya came in the back. That's smart," she said and picked up a plate of food. "We've got lots."

Daryl gripped Beth's hand and tugged her to his side. They had lots of meat, but Daryl didn't see any animals. He did see people sitting at tables across from him, though, and when Rick caught his gaze Daryl nodded.

That was his poncho across the way. Glenn's riot gear on another. A pocket watch chain hanging from the kid's pants that had checked them for weapons.

Everything happened fast, and when Rick moved Daryl raised his bow, Beth did the same a split second after.

"Where did ya get this watch?" Rick asked with his gun pointed at the young guy's head.

Gareth stepped forward and calmly said, "You want answers or anything else, you'll get them when you put the gun down."

Daryl met Rick's eyes and tilted his head up. Rick followed his line of sight and said, "I see your man on the roof. How good's his aim?" When Gareth wouldn't answer, Rick asked again, "Where'd ya get the watch?"

People from the tables started making their way to the barbeque pit, and Gareth shook his head. "Don't do anything. I have this."

Daryl watched as they backed off and the snipers seemed to ease their posture.

"Where'd ya get the watch?"

Daryl felt that this was the last time Rick was going to ask, and he wished he could have taken better care of Beth. Protected her from all this.

"I got it off a dead one. I didn't figure he'd need it," Gareth lied effortlessly.

"What about the riot gear? the poncho?"

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop," he said and shrugged like he was stating something anyone should have realized. "Found the poncho on a clothes line."

"Gareth, we can wait," the young guy said from in front of Rick.

"Shut up, Alex," he said.

Rick tightened his hold on Alex and looked to Gareth, "You talk to me."

"What's left to say?" Gareth said and held his hands up for a moment. "You don't trust us anymore."

"Gareth," Alex said again.

"Shut up," Gareth said, still staring down Rick.

"Gareth, please!"

Finally, Gareth looked to Alex and said, "It's okay." Then looked back to Rick. "What do you want?"

"Where are our people?" Rick asked, his voice turning colder than Daryl had ever heard it.

"You didn't answer the question," Gareth said then quickly moved back as the bullets started flying.

They ran into a room lit with candles and writings and small knick-knacks all over the place.

"What the fuck is this?" Daryl mumbled.

Beth squeezed his hand hard and whispered. "It's a memorial."

They wasted no time finding the exit, but as soon as they got back outside, the gunfire started all over again.

They raced through the train depot, trying to stay in a group at first, but quickly realizing that they were being herded in the direction that Gareth wanted them to go. Daryl grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her close behind him as the bullets bounced off the pavement.

The noise was going to bring down a fuck ton of walkers, and there was no way they would be able to get out through the woods if that was the case. Merle ran on his other side, watching the people on the roofs.

"These people ain't tryin' to kill us," Merle yelled.

"No, they're not. They're aiming at our feet," Rick said and shook his head as they came to a dead end.

Beth was panting and held on tightly to his hand as Gareth came into view again.

"Drop your weapons. Now!" The all paused for a second before laying them on the ground. Gareth looked to Merle and pointed at his hand. "That too. Take it off and put it on the ground."

Merle took a deep breath, reining in some smart-ass comment, before unbuckling his knife hand and laying it to the side and kicking it away.

"This is how it's going to work. The kid and blondie, move to the side." Beth's eyes widened, and she took a step closer to Daryl while Rick latched onto Carl's arm. "The train car. Go. You do what we say and the kid and the girl will follow you. Anyone else makes a move, and they'll die, and you still end up in the train car."

Beth pried her hand away from Daryl. "It'll be okay," she whispered. He met her eyes, and she sent him a shaky grin. "Hey, I love ya. I'll be right behind ya."

Once she was away from the group, Carl joined her and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Good," Gareth yelled down to them. "Now, you'll go in this order. Ringleader, archer, samurai, and blade."

Daryl should have been more focused on their surroundings and how to get out of that train car they were being led to, but he couldn't take his eyes of Beth and the shooters poised beside Gareth and on the roof.

"My son!" Rick yelled as he reached the steps.

Gareth looked to Beth and Carl. "Go, kid." When Carl got to walking, Gareth continued, "Ringleader, open the door and go inside."

"I'll go with him," Rick said and waited on the bottom step for Carl.

"Don't make us kill him now," Gareth said in tired voice.

Rick looked back at Daryl who nodded at him. He would watch out for Carl until he was inside the train car.

"Now, go on, archer," he said and pointed to the steps as Carl went inside.

Daryl clenched his jaw and pointed back at Beth, not saying a word.

"She'll go next," Gareth assured him.

"Let her go first. I can't do shit anyway, right?"

"A man who knows when he's been beat." Daryl didn't move or speak. "Go on, blondie."

She walked past Daryl and as she did, he grabbed her hand and tugged her along and up the stairs.

It took him a few seconds to adjust to the darkness, and by that time, Michonne and Merle had entered the train car and the door and been shut behind them. He had Beth wrapped in his arms, shifting them from side-to-side.

"Rick?"

Daryl pulled away and looked into the far end of the train car.

One by one, he made out their faces, and Beth rushed from his arms to Maggie, hugging her tightly. Glenn was to her left and Sasha and Bob on her right with a few other people standing in the back.

"I knew ya made it out with him," Maggie said and rocked Beth.

"I knew y'all did, too, but we never found the bus, and we couldn't go back to track anyone."

Glenn stepped forward and pointed out the people they didn't know. "These are friends. They helped us."

"Then I guess they're our friends, too," Daryl said and looked over the group.

Merle walked over and stood at his side.

"You always seem to make it out of the shittest situations," Glenn said and looked away.

"What can I say," Merle said and held out his hands from his side. "I live to make your life hell."

Rick shook his head and walked to the door, peeking out through the small opening. Beth walked back to Daryl's side and hugged his waist. Everyone was quiet for a several seconds. He imagined they were in same boat as him, confused and mad as hell.

Finally Rick voiced everything they were feeling. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out," he said quietly, his eyes narrowing as he watched what was going on outside.

"Find out what?" One of the new guys asked.

Rick turned to face the group, and Daryl saw the same look in his eyes from the night before.

"They're fuckin' with the wrong people."