…. Chapter 49 ….
Daryl crouched down behind a large cluster of boulders and pulled the Horton from his back, figuring it best that he load the damn thing while he had the chance. As he set the bolt he'd been given upon its frame he noticed that his fingers were trembling. Not having the time or fortitude needed to read into it, he clenched his hand into a tight fist before attempting the simple task again... struggling to pull the cable taunt until it finally snapped into place. He hefted the weapon up against his chest and took the moment to reign himself in, wishing more than anything that the inherent survival skills that would've normally kicked into gear by now would get with the fucking program and do so.
He had taken off running as soon as Joe had given the word, figuring it best not to doubt the man or his intentions. Barreling into the nearby tree line, he had disappeared into the thick of the woods and hadn't much given a shit about the low hanging branches that had whipped unforgivingly at his face and neck. He had run until his lungs ached, traversing any obstacle in his way until the effort had left him lightheaded. Quickly burning through his stamina at an alarming rate he knew he needed to stop and formulate some sort of coherent game plan if his goal was to get through this thing alive.
With his chest heaving, Daryl cautiously peered out from behind the boulder. The pressure he was under made coming up with something feasible damn near impossible. The way he figured, he had about a minute or so before the other two men came in after him... assuming of course that they chose to abide by their own rules to begin with. Realizing the unlikelihood of such a thing, he felt himself begin to falter. The intensity of the situation and everything that came with it descended upon him like a black cloud and he slumped back against the rock, struggling to hold onto what remained of his bearings as the panic threatened to overwhelm him.
From somewhere within the murkiness a faint recollection of Beth came to him. The soft glow she gave off somehow managed to penetrate the stifling fog he was in and he unknowingly lost himself in the recollection...
It was the night they had found the mortuary, just after one of his nightmares. The damn thing had woken him up with a start to leave him laying there in a sheen of his own sweat, completely out of breath with his heart pounding in his chest almost as frantically as it was doing right now. Having heard him call her name, she had cautiously come into his room, her loose hair shining in the candlelight as she had encouraged him to talk about it. In the process of begrudgingly doing so he had unknowingly open himself up to her and to the prospect of something further happening between them. Even now… even after all this time... he could still recall how his pulse had slowed in the calming warmth of her presence.
''Was I a walker in your nightmare?'' She had whispered from beside him, her gaze soft and reassuring, ''You said my name.''
''Nah…but you were there.'' He had responded just as quietly, ''Instead of comin' after me like they usually do, they went after you 'an I couldn't get to ya in time. I don't know…it's tha first time you've ever really shown up in one an' I reckon I didn't like it.''
The admission had been a lot more than he had expected to say and it hung on the air between them. As it did so, he wondered yet again what it was about the girl that drew him to her. Much like a stray dog that had been left out too long in the cold, he couldn't get enough. Everything about her was inviting, so much so that the impenetrable defenses he usually wore like an ironclad shield had gradually eased for knowing it. They had been a part of himself for so long he barely knew how to function without them. The strange feeling had left him exposed and unguarded and had basically scared the shit out of him.
She looked at him for a moment and then gave him a shy smile, ''It's probably a good thing that it was only a dream then. Besides, you always get to me on time. Of course, you're not always happy about it, but I always trust that you'll come for me.''
He had shrugged with a forced indifference before purposely dropping his gaze from hers, not wanting her to see what he'd spend the rest of their time together trying so damn hard to hide.
''Yeah, well…Guessin' I ain't got much choice in tha matter,'' He had admitted almost inaudibly, more so to himself than to her, ''...I'm kinda used ta havin' ya around.''
From there he had kissed the hell out of her, pulling her to him despite all his reticence and his previous declarations to the contrary. It hadn't been his intention but he hadn't been able to help himself. She had responded just as he hoped she would and it had changed the entire dynamic of their relationship, setting them firmly on the path to where they were today. He didn't regret it… or anything that came after it for that matter. He just wished that he had been more forthcoming with himself and with her from that point on.
Pulling a calming breath, Daryl emerged from the darkness… returning back to the moment to know she was right. He would always come for her… no matter what. Be it hell or high water, one bolt or a thousand... it didn't make a damn bit of difference. Finding her safe and getting her out of here was the only thing that mattered. His jaw tightened into a hard line as he pushed himself away from the rock, feeling a lot more centered than he had just a few scant moments before. He could feel his heart slow beneath his ribs to give him back the focused determination that had been missing. Relieved more than he could say for it, he took off again into the trees, the game plan that had previously been so elusive now formulating consciously in his mind.
In an effort to throw off the two men that were following him, he veered off of the straight and narrow to follow the tree line that marked the forests perimeter. He strategically made his way around it to circle his way back in, hoping to come up from the rear with neither one of them being any the wiser. As he went his gaze constantly swept the terrain for tracks so no one else in the area could make themselves known without his knowledge. With all of his senses now tuned on point, Daryl couldn't help but feel as though every hunt he had ever participated in had all led him to this very moment.
About an hour or so in, he hadn't seen a the slightest trace of a human but he had managed to avoid a fair amount of walkers. The forest was inundated with them. Their unwanted presence just added another harrowing aspect to an already stressful situation. Clearing a cluster of trees, he came across two flailing in the distance. Curious despite his better judgment, he made his way closer to see that they were partially submerged in a large muddy bog. The knee deep pit was a result of the areas recent storms and was proving itself to be inescapable. Unable to free themselves and decidedly unhappy about it, the disconcerting noise the two made rendered sharply into the air, grating across his senses as he looked down at them in disgust. Not having the bolts needed to silence them and unwilling to waste the one he had, Daryl backed off the way he came, disappearing into the trees again before they could spot him and became even more agitated.
Rounding a large rock formation, he heard a rumble of thunder overhead and he glanced up through the tree boughs to see the grey clouds above churning ominously. Finding Beth's tracks was proving to be difficult enough without the threat of impending rain only making matters worse. With the pressure on, his gaze methodically swept over the uneven terrain once more, looking for anything that might have disrupted the natural lay of the land. He inherently knew that she'd leave a trail of some kind for him to find... a mark or trace… something for him and him alone. That she would think to do so just meant that she knew him and that gave him a distinct advantage over every other person out there.
It took about an hour but Daryl finally found what he was searching for...
There... pressed deliberately into the mud… was the distinct imprint left behind by a well worn boot. He dropped to his haunches to inspect it more closely, his fingers ghosting over the tread to determined the direction she had taken. He quickly headed out of the area himself to follow the subsequent footprints as if they were a trail of breadcrumbs that only he had the foresight to see.
Completely engrossed in the endeavor, Daryl almost didn't hear the succession of gunshots nearby until they tore into the air to echo noisily all around him. Diving for cover behind a fallen tree, he lay there with his heart racing. What the hell?! He had been so caught up in the moment that he had all but forgotten that he wasn't out there alone! Holding his breath, he listened intently to the shots aftermath as each one resounded through the trees, trying his damndest to determine where they had come from without having to go so far as to actually blow his cover to find out.
It was then that he heard the faint sound of someone yelling desperately for help in the distance.
The male voice was high pitched and panicked and he had heard it before… more times than he cared to recall. It started with walkers and finished with death and it was the never ending soundtrack to the hell that they had all learned to live with.
Pushing himself to his feet, Daryl tentatively left the log behind to traverse his way up the nearby embankment, following the hysterical cries until he finally found their source. Reaching the top of the hill, he looked down the other side to see Tony stuck in a mud pit of his own, his corpulent weight sinking him in its sludge to his belt. There were walkers down in the hole with him, some of them dead… others not so much. The ones he hadn't managed to shoot were now clawing their way diligently towards him, their boney arms flailing at the mud in an effort to make headway. Three more stood on the other side of the sinkhole and watched as the fat man below fumbled clumsily with his gun. He was attempting to reload it but his slippery fingers were making the task difficult. He cursed in frustration when the replacement clip dropped into the muck only to quickly disappear beneath its murky surface.
Daryl looked back up to see the three across the way were now intently staring back at him. The new incentive he provided immediately spurred them into action, causing them to gnash their teeth as they began shuffling over. Tony looked up as well and followed their clumsy movements to see him standing there, his eyes widening in dismay as if his circumstance wasn't shitty enough.
''Well well well…" Daryl sneered down, "Don't you look like a pig in shit.''
The man below held up his hands, conceding that the gun held in his muddy fingers posed no kind of threat. ''C'mon partner… ain't no need for that. Here… tell you what, you give me a hand and I'll tell you where your girl's at, ok? I know exactly where Joe dumped her… hell, she's probably there right now, waiting for ya safe an' sound. No hard feelings and we can help each other out… whaddya say?''
''After that beatin' ya laid down? There ain't a fuckin' thing in this whole damn world that could compel me ta wanna help you." Daryl bit out vindictively, meaning it with every fiber in his being.
''I swear that shit weren't personal!" Tony yelled over the piteous moans being made by the walkers submerged in the pit with him.''I swear it! I was just doin' what I was told! That was all Joe! C'mon man, I'll tell ya where she's at! Just get me outta here! I'll help ya find her, I promise! Please!''
Daryl began circling around the sinkhole towards the walkers still heading his way, barely bothering to listen as he slung the Horton back over his shoulder. His gaze was full of derision as he regarded the man pleading in the mud, knowing him to be the worst kind of low life as far as turn was concerned. He was a pathetic piece of shit, one that had no regard for the lives of others if it meant keeping food in his gut and a roof over his head. He was a follower... a parasite… a two bit bootlicker that only showed his true colors when the boots in charge weren't there to back him up.
With the fresh meat so willing to sacrifice itself steadily closing the distance between them, the three walkers nearby began jostling for the best position to attack. Tony watched them do so with a look of tentative hope plastered on his face. Daryl kept an eye on them as they came within arms reach, making sure to avoid the slippery edge of the sinkhole himself.
With the anger churning inside him an almost palpable force, he waited until the walkers were almost upon him. ''That shit weren't personal? Guess what... it felt fuckin' personal ta me!''
The sentiment was spat out derisively as he shoved each walker into the pit, doing so one at a time as they each reached out to grab him. Too slow and stupid to counteract it, they landed on the man below as intended, their teeth honing in on the bare expanses of his skin to latch on immediately.
Tony flailed against them, huffing in desperation until his jugular was torn violently from his throat. The rest of the walkers that were caught in the pit with him immediately surged into the fray as well, incited by the scent of blood in the air and equally as ferocious. Their added weight only caused Tony's body to sink even further down into the mud. They all piled on top of him to push him beneath the surface, the most determined of them going down with him. The rest lingered there in confusion as they looked around for the food source that had been there just a moment ago. A trail of red swirled in the mud around them all and it was the only trace evidence that a person had even been there to begin with.
Daryl stared down as the remaining walkers groaned in disappointment, the strange and disturbing sight they presented only making what had just happened that much more surreal. He did so completely devoid of remorse, having always known that there was a reckoning to be had. Now that the bastard was dead though, it didn't change a damn thing. Beth was still out there somewhere and he had yet to find her. Tony's death just meant that he could do so with one less hindrance standing in his way.
Pulling the crossbow from over his shoulder, Daryl carefully traversed his way back down the embankment, stepping past the fallen tree limbs and storm debris in his path. It had started to rain in earnest but he found that he didn't care. Taking out Tony had given him the boost of confidence that he desperately needed, strengthening his resolve while pointedly reminding him of just who it was these bastards were fucking with.
Finding Beth's trail again, he picked back up where he had left off... disappearing into the rain to be enveloped by the trees. He left what had happened behind him, doing so like the fleeting memory it was always destined to be.
The way he figured, the bastard had gotten what was coming to him and paybacks a bitch.
….
From where he was hiding, Len watched as Daryl headed off into the rain, a thin scowl etched harshly on his face. He had been observing his rival for a while now, doing so from the safety of the bushes… impatiently waiting for him to dispatch of Tony as planned.
He was the one that had pushed the fat son of a bitch into the sinkhole in the first place, needing some kind of bait to lure whoever was lurking around nearby into exposing themselves. Like a moth to the flame he had drawn Tony in, using the man's own fear against him in the worst possible way. Stupid motherfucker that he was, he hadn't even realized he was in trouble until it had been too late. He had stood on the edge of the pit looking around in confusion when a hefty shove from behind had sent him careening in, sinking him in to his gut.
With the trap set and the bait in place, the horde of walkers that had shown up afterwards had just been the cherry on the cake. Stuck in the hole, Tony had immediately got to shooting at them aimlessly, blowing through his bullets while inflicting minimal damage. That was exactly what Len had hoped for. With the gun useless and empty, he had resorted to yelling for help like an idiot… making it just a matter of time until someone came along. When they did Len would finally know who was still out there loitering in the area with him. He hadn't seen another human for hours and frankly he was beyond fucking sick of it. He had one measly bolt at his disposal and he wasn't going to waste it on someone unworthy, he wanted it to count.
The sound of Tony's gunshots had barely dissipated through the trees when he looked over to see Daryl traversing his way up the pits embankment. That it was him of all people was almost more than Len could've possibly wished for. The cocky son of a bitch had probably walked through the forest like he owned it, doing so like he was the fucking king of the world. After wrestling with the decision to not put his only bolt through his neck, Len had ducked out of sight, curious enough to see how the situation played out. He had gone to all the trouble of setting the trap after all, it would be a shame at this point not to see it through.
After putting Tony out of his abject misery, Daryl had descended back down to take off again into the woods, the newly determined set of his shoulders making it clear that he knew exactly where the girl might be. That he had managed to pick up on her trail wasn't necessarily surprising. Len probably could've found it too if he had cared enough to look. Truth be told, the girl had barely crossed his mind. The bullshit reality of the situation and everything that had come with it had decisively seen to that. It made what had previously been an obsessive way to pass the time suddenly not seem so important. Right now, his own personal survival was all that mattered. As much as he wanted her he wasn't willing to risk his own fucking neck in a last ditch effort to prove it.
Choosing to follow behind Daryl at a reasonably safe distance, Len utilized the rain and any other cover he could find to stay safely hidden from sight. While finding the girl's tracks gave his opponent a distinct edge, it also gave him one as well… and it was an opportunity that he simply couldn't squander.
With Daryl up front and center, he could handle any issues that came their way… including the men out there hunting them and any biters in the area as well. All Len had to do was stay secluded in the background and just let him, damn near guaranteeing that he wouldn't have to do any of that shit himself. Just like a good dog Daryl would lead him straight to the girl, all while conveniently eliminating every other obstacles in their path. If he happened to get his ass killed while doing it? Oh fucking well. That was the price to be paid for taking all of the risk for none of the reward.
Keeping pace with the unsuspecting man trudging through the foliage ahead of him, Len grinned to himself, unable to help it. He pulled the Stryker up closer to his chest, a gut feeling coming over him that was itching to use it. He darted behind trees and bushes, blending silently into the rain soaked background to remain completely undetected. He could barely wait for Daryl to suss the girl out from her hiding spot if only to see how this all went down. The moment he had her in his sights, Len would use his one and only bolt and take him out from behind... quick and easy-like which was a hell of a lot more than the fucker deserved. Either way, he planned on finishing what had been started between them once and for all and doing so right there in front of her.
That was important, he wanted the girl to watch. Daryl would bleed out in the dirt at her feet and when his inevitable demise had fully sunk in, Len would step over his opponents dead corpse to finally claim what belonged to him.
…...
What?! Another chapter so soon?
This is for all of my faithful readers! Over 500 reviews is an awesome milestone and I can't think of a better way to recognize it than with another chapter. I usually wouldn't post for another two weeks but I appreciate you all so much and wanted to say thank you!
Please continue to drop me a line! I love reading all of your comments and theories and musings in general!