Mean While

The next day Carol continued on her quest to eradicate dust and disorder in the house. She had decided to let her misery fuel her newfound zest for cleaning. She had made breakfast for the crew going to get logs for the new house which was pretty much everybody but Carl, Judith, Beth, and her. Carl ate breakfast later before he went to school at Emily's. Carl said suddenly, "I am glad that Dad and Andrea are together. He was happy last night talking about the house." Carol agreed, "Yes, I think they will be good for each other. Andrea needs a man that will let Andrea be Andrea. She is not made to stay home and make curtains. Rick needs a woman who won't let Rick be Rick all the time."

Carl looked a little puzzled," How does that help?"

Carol smiled, "Rick holds too much in and takes on too much by himself. Andrea is going to want to know what is going on with him and I hope he has figured out that bottling everything up doesn't work. Andrea will be there to share the load."

Carl finished breakfast and got his school bag full of weapons. Carol did wonder how Emily reacted to the automatic pistols, knives, and a broke apart automatic rifle in his back pack. He recited the plan." If I think I can make it, I will lead them here. You will take Judith to the safest room in the basement. You will wait by the back door for me to come. All the windows and doors will be locked. We protect this house. If I can't make it, I will stay at the other house. Beth will protect Judith here. Maggie, Glenn, you, and whoever else is here will take the back way to the house and join the battle." He hugged Carol goodbye and went off to school like a good little soldier.

TWDTWD

Daryl had a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and toast. Connie had not made eye contact when she plopped the gray mass in his bowl and he was relieved that she was treating him as a worthless wife beater. Kevin was helping with the toast and he ignored him too. Good, Daryl thought, I don't need them in my way.

Daryl finished breakfast quickly and went back to his room to pick up a pair of work gloves that someone had left there. He was still there when Kevin came in the room and shut the door. Kevin had already checked to make certain that no one saw him come in and he spoke to Daryl in low tones, "I think its Josh, Curtis, and Harold. They aren't traumatized enough. They are too calm and collected. The other new guys are barely holding it together."

"I don't know what in the hell you are talking about, old man, and "Daryl began.

"Don't waste your time, we want to help. We know that you would never hit Carol. And you need us. We are just background clutter to those guys, they'll pay attention to you, and but not us. We are just two old people hanging around a nursing home, we are invisible, and we will be watching them," Kevin went on.

Daryl looked him over; he wasn't all that old, maybe sixty and in pretty good shape. He had been made by the Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew in one evening. He wasn't cut out for this undercover shit. "Josh, Curtis, and Harold? What's their story?"

Kevin was relieved that Daryl caved so easily. "They say that they were in Myrtle Beach working on construction when it hit. They have been moving around ever since."

"And you nailed them because they are not crazy?" Daryl asked.

"Ashton came in here last week with Emily, Ariel, and Arya. They were bringing some vegetables in. Good looking women always get male attention. Josh's crew looked at them speculatively, like they were sizing them up for market. The other guys just looked and turned away. Carol and Beth were in right after that, same reaction from Josh's crew. Carol had stopped to talk with the other guys to see if there was anything that needed. The oldest guy talked to her for a little while and the others listened. They watched her and Beth leave, the look in their eyes was well, longing not lustful. They have been through hard times but they still respect women. "

"I'd better get going," Daryl said, "Thanks". The truck was waiting for him when he got back to the lobby. Kevin would wait until the truck was gone to leave his room. He knew what he was doing.

The men were working on a hydroelectric dam with Joaquin. Small scale but he was hoping to develop a dependable source of electricity for the town. The project had been started before the ZA and they had been too busy surviving to get it finished. Daryl was put on a crew with Josh and Curtis. They were friendly with the town guys, and really fit in well. Too well, he thought, no one who had been out there for that long would be this relaxed anywhere.

All of the guys from the other new crew were on this one. The oldest guy was Larry and he did most of the talking which wasn't much. They worked hard and didn't say much, but he found himself trusting them. They gave off decent vibes and once they settled in they would be okay.

Two women rode by on bicycles going to the office trailer. They must work there, the men all waved hello. Daryl noticed that Josh and Curtis waved hello like the rest of the men but the look in their eyes was arrogant. He knew that the two women were targeted; they probably knew where they lived and had a plan to get them. Josh and Curtis didn't do much work and were surly when a crew chief said something to them. Daryl figured they knew that it all was coming down soon. They were getting ready to join the others so they were starting fights so that when they disappeared everyone would just think they wanted out

Daryl continued to work but was looking for Joaquin to show up. He needed to talk to him now. The shit was hitting the fan soon. It was after lunch before Joaquin showed up and Daryl was trying to think of a way to speak to Joaquin when Joaquin started walking toward their work area. He spoke to the crew chief and the crew chief came over and got Daryl. He told him that Joaquin wanted to talk with him now and he really seemed angry. Daryl followed the crew chief to Joaquin who coldly ordered him to the office.

Inside his office Joaquin told Daryl his news. He had been attending a meeting at a nearby town and the topic of conversation was a distant town that had been attacked by marauders who took women captives and stole food supplies. The attack had been about a month ago and the place was still a mess. Walkers were everywhere and the nearby militias were trying to restore order. Everyone had been warned to double every defense they had. Daryl told them that he believed that it was Josh's crew and that they were getting ready to take off. They had gotten progressively surlier during the day.

Joaquin thought it might be best to fire Daryl now and give him an excuse to go back and protect his family. Daryl asked him to go talk to Kevin; he was the one who clued him in on Josh's crew. Daryl also asked if they would find some way to protect the office workers and move Connie and all the other women from the nursing home.

Joaquin gave Daryl a ride to the bottom of the mountain; Daryl knew that he couldn't go back to the house. He would do what he did best; he was going to guard the ones he loved. He would hide out on the mountain and watch for what would come. Daryl plunged into the woods; he couldn't be seen walking up the road. Daryl Dixon was just going to disappear for a while. It would be cold and lonely up there but he was still happy to think how close he would be when something happened.

Joaquin went up to Ashton's house and talked with him for a few minutes. They went to Carol's and told her that Daryl was somewhere on the mountain watching over the house. Rick was back and the three men went to visit Kevin. Within an hour Kevin, Rick, Glenn, and Maggie were on their way on a run. Connie was moved to Frank McAllister's house and Kevin was coming as soon as the nursing home was empty which would be no later than tomorrow. Joaquin was shutting it down as a waste of resources. The women who were staying there were moved that evening but no knew where. Josh, Curtis, and Harold stole a car that evening and disappeared.

Kevin moved on the mountain the next morning. They had dispersed all of the nursing home inhabitants after Josh's crew disappeared. He was still a fair shot and would be ready when it happened.

Ashton had been pissed that he hadn't been warned, but admitted that he would have told Jo. He did warn her and the others that there was a credible threat for their safety. He wasn't leaving the hill unless it was an emergency. The girls were not allowed out of the house.

Carl continued to be home schooled at Emily's but the piano lessons were stopped. Carol missed Daryl but knew that his eyes were on the house. Daryl slipped into Sam and Dave's for food and clothing. Everyone was on edge with the waiting.

Rick believed that they would defeat them here, they had fighters, weapons, and they wouldn't be caught by surprise. They had been gathering electronic equipment to track them back to their lair. Rick knew that just killing a few of them might discourage them from coming up the mountain again, but they would just keep attacking somewhere else. They would follow them back and rid the world of another evil war lord and his followers.

Two weeks passed and the leaves were beginning to show some fall colors and slip to the ground. Carol knew that it wouldn't be much longer. She could feel them coming.