Sinclaire emerged from the water with a war cry of rage. It actually felt good. Maybe that was why Merle yelled so much. Wait. No. Fuck Merle. She yelled again, but this one wasn't as impressive since she was a shitty swimmer and already starting to sink a bit.

Daryl put out his hand to help her out of the water and she slapped it away because fuck being rational, too. "Where's my cat?" she demanded shrilly.

"Where's my brother?" Daryl asked, dragging Zeke out of the front of his vest and shoving the angry fur ball at Sinclaire.

"Your stupid fucking brother pushed me over the stupid fucking cliff to go and throw away his stupid fucking life!"

Zeke scratched her, bowing his back and hissing, and Sinclaire realized that the kitten had a point. She needed to not lose it right now. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as questions were thrown at her left and right by everyone on the grassy area by the lake. She held up her hand after several minutes and focused her attention on Nate.

"Glenn and Carrie were taken, the preacher was M.I.A. So was Rick. Lori is..." she avoided Carl's eyes. "Lori didn't make it. You said Dale was wounded and Andrea left with him?"

Nate nodded.

"Okay," she went on. "Then we've got to consider them out of the game. God only knows where they went."

"And my brother?" Daryl asked again.

Sinclaire pointed up at the cliff. "Up there. M.I.A with Rick and the preacher."

"No, we gotta do somethin'!" Daryl insisted.

"Do what?" Sinclaire snapped.

"Go back! We gotta get up there!"

"How well do you think that's going to work out? Did you miss seeing the tank? Or miss the fact that we're out numbered?" Sinclaire allowed Zeke to perch on her shoulder since her hands had tightened into fists.

"What the hell?" Daryl yelled. "Is this what you do? You just fuckin' run off when people need you? The goddamn army all over again? Too scared to-"

That was as far as he got before Sinclaire kicked him in the knee. "I didn't leave! I was pushed, you son of a bitch!"

Nate grabbed her when she stepped forward. She kicked him too, but he didn't react. All he did was immobilize her arms and lift her up so that her feet didn't touch the ground.

"Special forces dickhead!" Sinclaire snarled.

"You'll probably regret beating up your boyfriend," Nate said and damn it if she didn't hear a smile in his voice.

"He's not my boyfriend," Sinclaire snapped.

"She ain't gonna beat me up," Daryl snarled.

"Watch me, Redneck!"

"Stop it, please!" Marie said shakily. "Why did Merle stay?"

"I don't know," Sinclaire answered, trying for a little dignity despite the fact that she had a kitten hissing in her ear and a 6'4 Navy Seal holding her off the ground.

"Look!" Carol gasped, pointing up at the cliff.

A body dropped gracelessly off of it. Nate dropped Sinclaire to her feet and dove into the lake without waiting for the man in question to hit the water. Daryl dove in after him. Sinclaire's brain finally clicked into gear.

"Get back," she said quickly. "Into the woods, out of sight of the cliff. We don't want him to know we're here. Carl, go with Carol and Sophia. Go, move!" She shepherded them into the neat little grove of trees the golf community had cultivated, hoping they were well hidden enough in case the Governor decided to look over for some reason. Her heart was beating too quickly. It had to be rage, right? When Merle got...it wasn't Merle that they were dragging ashore. It was Rick. Her heart dropped to her soggy boots.

"Dad!" Carl ran forward as Daryl and Nate pulled Rick into the treeline. "Dad, are you okay?"

"Fine," Rick said, sitting up a little too quickly. He rested his head in his hands and Sinclaire saw a red spot darkening around his right eye and down his cheek.

She tried to keep her voice steady. "What happened?"

Rick rubbed his face and then winced. "Merle happened."

Merle watched Yank hit the water with a splash and thought about how it was probably for the best that they'd never see each other again. She'd have his balls on a plate for what he'd just done. He looked over at what had been their backyard and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes which were only blurry cause of the damn smoke. He didn't know which asshole had set the fire, but he fully planned to throw that bastard a beatin.

He had to figure out a way to get Glenn and Carrie out. Then he could dump 'em over the cliff and...

"Fuck me."

Yank had been right. The noise was drawing the zombies. Guns began to go off and the Governor shouted for everyone to start moving out. Fuck, fuck, fuck! How the hell was he supposed to. .. Rick.

Officer Friendly had emerged from the smoke, his gun drawn and pointed directly at the Governor. The man glanced around, but with the smoke and the panic and the zombies getting closer, there was no one to step in and he probably knew that he couldn't kill Rick before Rick killed him.

Merle sighed and stepped out of the woods. From his vantage point the punch was easy to land and Rick dropped the gun as he staggered and nearly fell. Merle kicked it over to the Governor and dragged Rick upright, punching him again as he snarled, "Hit the dirt, dumbass."

Rick did as Merle said but, when Merle leaned over him, he hissed, "that bastard killed my wife!"

"Boo hoo, ya fuckin jackass!" Merle yelled, continuing in a lower tone as the Governor approached. "But not yer boy, so I suggest ya play along."

Merle felt the cold barrel of the Governor's gun on the back of his neck.

"Fine way to repay a favor," he snapped before the man could say anything.

"I'd like to know why you're doing the favor. Aren't you part of the camp?"

"I lived here," Merle answered. "But I ain't never been part of this. And this bastard here..." he backhanded Rick. "Is the reason I'm down one hand. Just been waiting for a chance to pay him back."

The Governor laughed. "What's your name?"

"Merle."

"Well, Merle, my name is Brian and I think you'd be a good fit in my town. Pretty little place called Woodbury. They call me the Governor. We can head there as soon as you finish with him."

"Oh I'm about done," Merle said casually.

The Governor's smile was still in place but his eyes had gone cold as a rattlesnake's. "You're not going to kill him?"

"Why should I, when I can let them eat him alive?" Merle pointed to the advancing zombies. He yanked Rick up and punched him one last time, letting him fall bonelessly to the ground. "Shit way to go for him and no cleanup for me."

After a second and after a strategic glance over his shoulder to see how close the zombies were, the Governor laughed once more. "Sounds fine to me."

"Then let's get movin'," Merle said brusquely. "I like the sound of that town." And if they didn't get on the road, Rick really would get eaten. Or, he'd move too soon and it would be Merle's ass on the line. He didn't relax until they were in the truck, but as far as he knew Rick was still alive when they left. He was surprised to find that he hoped Officer Friendly stayed that way.

"So now what?" Marie asked once Rick had finished.

Sinclaire looked away from the gaze. She didn't know.

"Now I guess you should introduce yourselves."

They turned as one to see a new group of people in the trees. They were heavily armed and not exactly friendly looking.