"What do ya think we should do with 'im?"
"Let's gouge out his eyes!" said one man.
"Or tear 'im open," said another.
"Now now I think we can do it all." The leader of the group kneeled down to look at Daryl. "Didn't think we'd find ya, did ya?" Daryl then felt a strong kick to his stomach as the leader of the group grabbed a sharp blade. "We'll make this nice and slow, hunter."
They were interrupted by the sound of vehicles outside. One of the men looked out. "Joe, it's the Governor!"
The Governor then entered the house. "Problem gentlemen?"
"As a matter of fact, there is," said Joe. "Ya see this man here's been huntin' in Central Territory. And Central laws say we have the right to kill 'im."
"That is true," said the Governor. "But this is still my land. I can't let you have any shed any blood here. Wouldn't look too good if my people knew your people were here killin' and stuff. That was part of the treaty wasn't it? But I tell you what. You can take Dixon with you back to your territory and deal with 'im there however you want. Deal?"
Daryl was enraged at what the Governor was doing. He was selling him out. But Daryl was too weak to put up much of a fight about it.
"Sorry, Dixon. But you broke their laws," said the Governor. "You gotta pay your dues and there ain't no hidin' away from it."
Daryl managed to utter a "son of a bitch" before the Central men dragged him out of the house. The Governor departed the opposite way as Daryl was dragged by Joe and his group to the border, with his hands tied behind his back and a pillowcase covering his head.
They were going to kill him.
But just as they got to the border a truck pulled up with a dark haired stranger driving it. "Hey what's going on?"
"This man's the one been stealin' our vermin."
"You were gonna kill 'im?"
"Why the hell not?" asked Joe.
"You want justice I get it. Don't worry, bring him to Terminus. We'll see to it he's put to good use." The man then threw Joe a bag. Joe went through the bag and found a large amount of food and ammunition and other trade-able goods. That was enough for him to shove Daryl into the truck.
...
They were supposed to have a family dinner together but Beth would not sit down. She was spending too much time out on the porch. It was past sunset and Daryl had not returned since his morning departure.
"Something's wrong." Beth told her father.
"He lives quite a bit of ways," said Hershel. "Are you sure..."
"Daddy, I know Daryl. He would've been back by now. Something's really wrong. We have to get Officer Grimes."
"Grimes?"
"Please, Daddy!" Beth cried. If anyone can find Daryl. It's him."
"Look," said Hershel. "It's too late to go see him, you know that. If Daryl is not back first thing in the morning, we'll go straight to Rick."
Beth did not sleep at all that night. She remained by the living room window waiting for any sign of Daryl but by morning he did not show. Her father was true to her word and they both went to see Rick.
Rick agreed to go to Daryl's to see if he was still there.
"I'll come to," said Beth.
"No," said Rick. "You say you're pregnant? Can't have you going out there not knowing what's happened. I'll handle it."
The Greenes returned home waiting anxiously for any word. When night fell Beth saw approaching lights hoping that it was Daryl but instead it was Rick.
"Did you find him?" Beth knew it was foolish to ask. He clearly wasn't with him.
Rick shook his head. "I checked out his place but nothing. There may have been signs of a struggle but I can't be so sure."
Beth tried to hold it together. "What about his brother Merle?"
"Haven't seen him either. I even with to the Governor but he hadn't seen or heard anything from him."
But Beth couldn't hear anymore. Daryl was gone. Was it possible that he was ditching her? Was it possible he didn't care about the way she thought he did? So many questions plagued her mind as she failed to hold back her tears.
...
Whenever a vehicle could be heard down the road from the farmhouse Beth would run out with a gleam of hope in her eyes. Always she was alert. She needed to hope that one of these days she would hear his motorcycle again.
It wasn't long before Maggie and Glenn brought their son into the world. Seeing him was one of the few things that cheered up Beth in the weeks following her return home. But being home just wasn't the same. She helped out with the farm. Hershel tried to restrict her work due to her pregnancy but she needed this. She needed to do things to keep herself sane.
Preparing for the baby also helped but at the same time it was too painful. She never expected to have to go through this alone. By the time she was four months along, she had a most peculiar bump. Being a small person made her look farther along than she really was and that just made it harder for her. By the time she brought herself to bring a crib into her bedroom it was too much for her.
She was starting to break down. She was starting to lose it. Every reminder of Daryl tore at her.
She could still hear vehicles coming down the road from time to time but she gave up on going outside a long time ago.
...
...
...
...
Daryl had to endure the same routine ever since he was brought to Terminus. His days were spent in a dangerous coal mine where he was forced to dig, enduring dangerous conditions, while coping with the chains around his ankles. His nights were spent locked up inside a large container with other prisoners.
The people of Terminus had spared him death but eventually he understood why. He was physically well-built for the work. People like that were hard to find...at least ones that could be made to work for nothing. Though Daryl believed that death would've been better. He made several escape attempts in the past four months and all of them ended in failure. Terminus was filled with fences and guards that he had underestimated. But he kept trying...for Beth...for their child. He had to find a way out and get back to them.
Time had ways of changing a man, especially when thinking about his family was the only thing that occupied his mind. Sometimes Daryl wondered if Merle knew he was gone or if he even gave a sh*t. The only slight form of comfort he had was knowing that Beth was now back in her true home, with her family. They would look after her and their kid since he clearly wasn't cut out for the job anymore. Perhaps he never was. He couldn't even provide her with anything decent and he had to resort to dangerous and illegal hunting just to ensure her survival. She had deserved better in the first place, he thought. Their kid deserved better. In the end, he really was just a pathetic old redneck who had nothing good to give.
The door to the container opened and it was another day of work. "Dixon!" said one of the guards. "Gareth wants a word with you."
Daryl's hands were tied and he was escorted into the building. He had only met Gareth the first day he was brought here...when he was given his sentence to work in the mines instead of being killed...as if he was supposed to be grateful for that.
"You know alot of our men don't last very long in the mines but you're still here after all these months. I must say I am really impressed. What is your secret?"
"Ain't no secret," said Daryl.
"You must have a strong will to live, then," said Gareth. "Probably have a family back home do you?"
Daryl tried to look away but his eyes told Gareth all he needed to know. "So you do...what if we were to make a deal where you just might see them again?"
"Like I'm suppose to trust ye?"
"We can both help each other out, Dixon. I need someone strong enough for the job and you just might be it. I can get plenty of men to work the mines but what I need done even more than that is something I can't just ask anyone. What do you say?"
Daryl said nothing.
"Okay, I'll explain." Gareth then placed a knife infront of him. "We let you go and all you have to do for us...is kill the Governor."