Daryl and I had been placed on Randall duty. Daryl made me wait outside while he talked to him. I heard Randall inside pleading, the shuffling of feet. Daryl threatened him lowly, I couldn't make out the words through the door. I bit my nails, humming quietly to myself.
Randall had become a problem. Rick and Shane weren't seeing eye to eye on how to dispose of him and floundered around all day looking for a place to drop him before eventually making their way back to the farm. Daryl didn't like the idea of him being here, especially after he was one of the men who tried to kill me the night before.
There were cries of fright from Randall and Daryl cursed him, again his voice becoming too low to hear. I pressed my ear to the door straining against the wood.
"One night, there was this guy and his two daughters. Teenager, ya know? Real young, real cute…" Randall's voice trailed off and I gasped, bringing my hand to my mouth. Slowly I opened the barn door, letting myself inside. The barn was silent as I entered, Randall eying me up and down.
"Uhn uh, look at me you slime." Daryl growled, kicking the kid's foot. Randall yelped, takinga deep breath, and he began again.
"Their daddy had to watch while these guys… they… And they didn't even kill him afterwards!" Randall said loudly, trying to justify what they did. Again his eyes drifted to me and Daryl glared at him, his look enough to make the kid shudder. "They just made him watch! But I didn't touch those girls!" Randall explained, his voice pleading. I swallowed, watching the boy in disbelief, my heart suddenly growing cold to him. His people were monsters.
"I don't believe you." I whispered quietly. Randall looked at me, near tears. "I knew what Tony was going to do to me and I don't believe you at all." I glared at him, looking up to Daryl. Daryl watched me curiously and Randal began to whimper. Daryl kicked him, hard, and he feel to the side in pain.
"Please! You gotta believe me man! I ant like that!" Daryl looked over at me, his stare intense. Randall's eyes fell to me again, studying me and again Daryl kicked him, causing him to cry out in pain. Daryl began to punch him, over and over again.
"Stop." He didn't hear me so I tried louder. "STOP! Daryl!" I ran over to the man, grabbing his arm before he could bring it down again. Daryl looked at me, confused and I shook my head. "Please, please stop." I glanced down at the boy. Daryl had caused his face to bleed profusely and he whimpered non-stop. "He's scum but you don't have to beat him to death." Daryl nodded, shaking his hand out, taking a few steps back from him.
Daryl and I headed back out towards the camp. The others survivors turned, watching us approach. We walked silently, quickly, and I eyed te group as we approached.
"Boy there's got a gang, thirty men." Daryl stated bluntly, stopping in front of Rick and Shane. "They got heavy artillery and they aint looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead." Daryl looked at me, biting his lip. I nodded at him and he continued. "And our women, they're gonna wish they were."
"What did you do?" Carol spoke up. My ears weren;t accustomed to her voice lately and she surprised me when she spoke. Daryl and I both looked down at his blood knuckles.
"We had a little chat." Daryl said matter of factly, crossing to sit in front of the fire. I rushed over to Dale, who sat waiting with the first aid kit. I took it from him graciously, sitting on the ground in front of Daryl. He held his hands out to me and I pulled out an alcohol pad, quickly wiping his wounds. He winced, but he didn't remove his hands.
"We have to eliminate the threat." Rick spoke up. Dale watched him in disbelief.
"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked, shaking his head. I looked up at him, confused on how there was another option. My eyes darted between the two men, watching quietly.
"It's settled. I'll do it today." Rick spoke up, taking charge of the situation. The sheriff walked off and Dale followed him. I watched them go, bandaging up Daryl's hand. He looked down at the gauze and frowned. I shook my head, standing.
"It's just for the next few hours, then you can take it off." I smiled at him. He grinned at me, reaching over and grabbing my face, kidding my forehead. Shane glanced up at us.
"You two can head back to your tent for a bit. Thanks for taking the early shift at the shed." I was surprised as the deputy thanked us and I nodded at him, leading Daryl off across the field.
I sighed as we reached the tent, ready to lay down.
"You go ahead and lay down. I'ma sit up for a bit." Daryl gazed off in the distance and I followed his eyes straight to the shed where Randall sat locked up. I sighed, reaching out to touch his arm.
"He's locked up, he's not getting out." Daryl licked his lips nervously, turning to me. I smiled up at him, but he didn't smile back.
"You said you knew what Tony was gonna do with you." He eyed me up and down and I grimaced. "You didn't tell that part of tha story." My cheeks grew red and I turned away from him.
"Nothing happened, it was handled." I said quietly, entering the tent. I looked up at Daryl but I knew he wasn't going to let me off that easily. He stared at me expectantly. "They tried to take me, but my women's defense classes came in handy." A small smile pulled at Daryl's lips but he wiped it away as quick as it came. "I beat his ass and Rick put two bullets in his head, just to be sure."
"And that worked out. But when they roll through here, when they find us, that wont." He turned to his homemade bolts, handing me a couple of longer ones that he'd made for my bow. I took them, our fingers lingering as they touched. "If they touch ya again I will kill every last one of them. No exceptions, not even for that little punk in the shack at the bottom of the hill."
His words were deadly, but they made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Daryl turned away from me again, sorting his bolts. He sighed heavily as footsteps approached.
"The whole point of us being out here is to get away from you people." I raised my eyebrow, wondering who had walked up.
"Its gonna take more than that." Dale spoke up. I rolled my eyes, crawling to the door of the tent. Dale and I exchanged nods as I sat next to the door. There was a pause and Dale threw his walking stick to the ground. "I'm growing rather concerned with your new role in the group." Daryl didn't acknowledge him and Dale looked at me. "Aren't you, Beau?" I didn't say anything, merely ignored him.
"I don't need my head shrunk, this group's broken." Daryl stood, looking at me "We're better off fending for ourselves."
"You act like you don't care." Dale pestered.
"It's cause I don't." Daryl said quickly. I flinched, looking up at the men. Dale and I exchanged pointed looks.
"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" Dale asked, his eyes looking at both of us. I shrugged, looking at Daryl.
"Nope." He lied, glancing at me. Dale shifted his weight, happy with Daryl's answer.
"Then why not stand with me, try to save the kids life, if it doesn't really matter one way or the other?"
"I didn't peg you for a desperate sum'bitch." Daryl said, throwing on his jacket.
"Your opinions make a difference…" Dale said quietly. I watched him and he looked at me pleading. "You have Rick's ear." Daryl turned abruptly, growing rigid.
"No, Rick just looks to Shane. Let him." He said coolly, turning away from him..
"You cared about what happened to Sophia." I froze, my eyes growing wide. This, I knew, was a tender subject and I shook my head willing Dale to stop, but he didn't listen. "And I know you care about what happens to Beau." Daryl spun glaring daggers at the man who stood before him. I shot to my feet, making my way between the men, placing a calming hand on Daryl's chest. "Torturing people? That isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick." I turned to look at Dale as he pleaded with the hunter. "Shane, he's different, but that's something both of you already knew."
Daryl and I shared a pointed look, recounting all of the bullshit Shane had pulled with him and I.
"Rick aint stupid." Daryl suggested. I finally felt him relaxing under my hand and I backed away from him. "Shane's story about how Otis saved his ass, didn't hold water with either of us. And then he showed up with the dead guys gun on top of it." Daryl shook his head at the old man. "Shane killed Otis and If Rick didn't figure that out, it's cuz he didn't wanna. So it's like I said, the group is broken." Dale nodded silently, dismissing himself from our tent. I turned to watch him go. Daryl scoffed behind me, ducking inside the tent.
I thought back to what had happened today, everything with Randal in the barn and frowned. I shuddered as my mind replayed what Daryl had done to the kid while I listened and watched. But then I remembered the feel of Tony's hand around my neck and I hardened, watching Dale's retreating figure.