Chapter Forty Four
Merle wasn't expecting any of this to be easy. Most things usually weren't. Not all of the walkers had taken off after the truck. There were plenty left to deal with and even though they were spread out, the dangers were still there. Three people, two of which had never actually had to dispose of any walkers, were up against at least twenty. He didn't like those odds at all but it was better than trying to fight their way through the mass of them that had been swarming a little while ago.
"Remember to stay the fuck away from those teeth and aim for the head."
Katherine paled but clutched the knife harder. "That seems a little impossible. If I'm suppose to aim for the head, I have no choice but to get near their teeth," she said, her voice strained.
Merle met her gaze unflinchingly and when she tried to look away he gripped her chin, giving her no choice but to look back up. Carol was ahead of them, her eyes trained on the walkers still left outside the building. Katherine blinked, her brows coming down in a frown. He thought about kissing her and the thought brought him up short, so he dropped his hand suddenly. He sighed. "You're gonna do fine cause you ain't got a choice."
She nodded. "I know. I have Sam to think about."
"Just be quick. Don't spend too much time on one. You strike and you move and if you feel like it's too much, just remember that all you gotta do is say somethin'. I don't plan on going far."
She smiled slightly but she looked relieved and then she came up on her toes, her lips pressing against his jaw but he wasn't having any of that. He swiftly turned his head, catching her lips with his and kissed her hard. She didn't object. On the contrary, her lips softened against his and she actually kissed him back. This wasn't exactly surprising though. He knew he had some game. The woman just couldn't resist.
"Merle, really? You decide to make your move now?" Carol hissed, her voice disbelieving.
He broke the kiss and glared at his brother's meddling ass semi-wife. He was a little surprised himself because he didn't want to get involved with this woman but here he was. Fuck. "Shut up and keep your ass behind me," Merle said to Carol as he stalked past. He was sure he heard her stifle a laugh but he didn't turn to see. The three if them eased onto the blacktop. The plan was already set. They knew that the doors wouldn't be unlocked since the people inside were there because of the walkers. Even if they weren't locked, he knew they were barricaded and it wouldn't be wise to start banging on the doors, but there were ways to get on the roof and from there they would get inside.
That was, if none of the survivors inside noticed them outside the doors. But Merle didn't think that was likely. The doors were glass and that many walkers would have easily gotten through them if they hadn't been something solid blocking the way in. So their goal was to get to the top and by the time Daryl got back with the kids, Merle and others would be inside and able to just let them in from the doors in the back.
Katherine was sloppy, obviously had never involved herself with much violence, and looked like she was about to be sick by the time they made it to the back of the building where all the bay doors for the trucks were, but she had killed her share and he hadn't had to babysit her much. Carol was faster to get the hang of it, probably because she knew that the more walkers she was able to kill off out here, the less Daryl and the girls would have to deal with so that was a lot of incentive to fight. The plan hadn't been to kill all of them but when it became clear that it was a possibility, the three of them worked to make it happen without a word.
"Do we try these doors first or do you think we should go straight to the top?" Carol asked, bracing one arm against the wall as she worked to catch her breath.
Merle took a second to think, deciding to go straight up. Surely the people inside weren't stupid enough to leave doors unlocked and he knew that if his family were here, and somehow he just knew that they were, then none of them would let something like locking the place up tight go. They would have this place resembling a fortress.
He nodded towards the ladder that was mounted on the side and both women seemed to agree but before they could take a step to move towards it, one of those doors started sliding up. The three of them froze, and Merle expected to see his uncle step out of the shadows but that wasn't what happened.
Katherine took in a sharp breath and edged a little closer but there wasn't a damn thing he could do to protect either woman at this point. There were close to a dozen men, all of them armed and aiming their guns right at them. Richard was the first one that stepped out into the sun, shielding his eyes with one hand as he smiled at them like they were old friends.
"I must say, I'm surprised at this," Richard said, his voice oily. "I've been expecting you and your brother, not you and two women. Is he babysitting then?"
Merle sneered his fists clenching. How in the hell could he have misjudged this asshole so thoroughly? He should have known that if the man was here, that there would be trouble. But he truly thought it would take him longer to find men willing to fight for him.
"Well, you may as well go ahead, drop your weapons and follow us. I am thrilled to tell you that your cousin and the rest of your little clan showed up here, seeking refuge from one of those herds. I wasn't ready to round them up just yet but it looks like my plans had to change since you lovely folks decided to show up."
Merle kept his mouth shut, even though he had a whole lot he wanted to say. Daryl was gonna walk right into this trap and there wasn't a fucking thing any of them could do to warn him. Katherine was the first to toss her weapons, raising her chin and meeting Richard's stare in a way she never would have when he had first met her.
Merle felt his stomach drop as Richard's smile spread. The man took a step towards her and without thinking Merle's hand went to the gun nestled against the small of his back. Richard stopped, raising a brow at him and then one of his men raised his gun, aiming right at Merle's face, the distinct sound of the hammer causing Carol to flinch. Merle idly wondered if he could get at least one good shot off before he was killed out here. If he could take out Richard, the cronies wouldn't know what to do and maybe his brother would have a chance at getting their people back.
Then again, there was Piper to think about. He couldn't do anything too stupid. A hand on his arm had his jaw clenching hard and he glanced down at the woman, her dark eyes wide and pleading. He cursed, dropping his hands just as one of the men stepped around, pulling the gun from Merle's pants and then patting him down.
"Katherine," Richard purred, gripping her wrist and pulling her away from Merle's side.
Carol cursed and Merle felt his heart sink at the look in the man's eyes.
"You're looking well," Richard went on, forcing her to follow him. He glanced over his shoulder before entering the building. "Jim, handle this. Me and this lovely lady here have some unresolved issues to discuss. The rest of you get back to where the Dixon clan and the others are being held, keep a few extra eyes on them for a few minutes."
The man, Jim, gave Richard a swift nod. He was tall and broad with a face that looked as though it were carved from stone. He carried himself like a man that was used to getting his way. Merle guessed he'd been a cop. He looked like the type that would kick someone while they were down. But he couldn't worry about that at the moment. He couldn't stop thinking about what that fucking psycho was about to do to Katherine.
"How's it goin', Kojak?" Merle asked as the guy circled around them.
"Keep your mouth shut, asshole, and hand over the knife in your boot."
Merle bit back a curse and did as the man asked.
"And you. Hand over everything or I'll strip you down right here," he said, eyeing Carol with a cruel look.
She lowered her eyes to the ground and started tossing the weapons she had on her. She looked completely cowed by this man and Merle couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't an act. From what he knew of her she was a strong capable woman, but her fear seemed legit. And it seemed to be something other than their situation causing it. When the man grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her towards the bay doors that was about all Merle could tolerate. This was his brother's woman, this was a part of his family and he'd be damned if he stood there and watched some piece of shit scare her the way this man was.
Merle made a move, ready to do something, anything, to get the man away from her, but the guy had some sort of sixth sense, swinging around with his own pistol raised. The man grinned and Merle could see the unhinged look in eyes, realized he had seriously fucked up now and accepted the fact that he was about to get his brains blown out the back of his head.
"That was the wrong move," the man said, his face reddening in anger, sweat popping out on his forehead. "We heard about what kind of people you have up there. They put up a good guy front down here but we can see right through that. We know what you people did to Richard's boy. So I'll fill you in on what we're gonna do to you. To your women." The man laughed.
"You ain't gonna do shit, asshole," Merle spat, fear fueling his outrage.
"Richard's wife is gonna pay for staying up there with you monsters. He'll make sure of that. And he's already promised us our pick. And I think I'd like this one right here for myself. I'm not much interested in teenage girls so someone else can take them." He nodded towards Carol and Merle was just a few seconds away from doing something incredibly stupid, stupid enough to get himself killed but at least give Carol a chance to run, when something else happened.
Right as the man turned his head, something seemed to explode from his throat and then just as quickly disappeared. Just like that, blood poured forth from this strange wound that seemed to have come from nowhere. The man opened his mouth and blood spilled down his chin and suddenly, the gun in his hand went off and it felt as though an invisible mule kicked Merle right in the shoulder, knocking him backwards.
He landed hard on his ass, stunned, and looked up in time to see Carol try to wrestle the gun away from the man that was clearly dying. Merle climbed to his knees and then pushed himself up off the pavement just as Carol finally had a good grip on the gun. She shoved the man hard and he hit the ground, his hands clutching at his throat. Through the haze of pain that was starting to pound through his shoulder Merle noticed that Carol was pale, shaking, her eyes wide and almost glazed like she was in shock. When she finally looked up at him her hand went to her mouth and she rushed over. He looked down then and saw the blood already staining the front of his shirt.
"We have to get away from here. Someone surely heard that shot, or more walkers," she said, grabbing his hand. "I'm so sorry, Merle. I didn't think about the gun at all. I thought if I could-"
"I've had worse," he rasped, hoping he wasn't lying.
Before they could even turn away from the bay doors they heard feet pounding towards them and then something even more terrifying. The sound of an engine. The others had finally made their way back.
Sure enough the truck came barreling around the corner just as the men came out, guns drawn, shouting for Carol and Merle to get down. They both hit their knees, knowing these men wouldn't hesitate to shoot them. Hands laced at the back of his head Merle raised his eyes, saw the others in the cab of the truck, and hoped his brother would just leave. When he felt the cold steal of a gun barrel press against the back of his head he knew that wasn't going to happen.
"Out of the truck. And if I even think you're gonna try somethin' you'll have a front row seat to your friend's brains exiting his head!" the man behind Merle yelled.
"Damn it," Carol whispered as the driver's side door opened and Daryl slid out of the truck, his hands up.