We are here, chapter 16. Time to get the guns! Also I was going to work today but I was told to self isolate. So more writing for me. Disclaimer I don't own The Walking Dead just my ocs and plotlines.
Callie's PoV
It felt forever, just staring at the severed hand laying a few feet in front of them. Merle's severed hand. Mocking them of their failure. Mocking Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog about their mistake of leaving him behind.
Daryl lets out a roar and turns his crossbow onto T-Dog, followed by Rick pointing his gun at Daryl.
"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick threatens and Callie was tense, the same with Glenn. The two don't know how this was going to go down.
Daryl's lip quivers before he lowers his crossbow. "You got a do-rag or something?"
Callie walks up to the bloody mess and touches the blood. "It's fresh. It probably just happened. He could be nearby." Rick nods in agreement.
Daryl comes next to her, laying down the do-rag, and picking up Merle's hand which almost makes her gag. "I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain't that a bitch." He walks over to Glenn and puts it in his backpack, which had Callie grateful that she wasn't in Glenn's shoes right now. "He must have used a tourniquet... maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't."
"He would be passed out if he didn't. Don't see why he didn't just cut off his thumb, he would have slipped through." Callie explains and they all look at her. "What? It's true?"
Daryl rolls his eyes before following the blood trail. And the group follows him. "Merle? You in here?"
The group walks down the stairs and Callie unsheathes a machete. They walk down a corridor, when suddenly a walker comes out of a door, but it was killed in a second, Callie just stabbing it upwards, into its neck. Callie grunts as she slides her machete out, and the walker slumps to the floor with a thud.
They come to an office and Callie holds up a hand. She mouthes one to Daryl who nods. He quickly shoots the walker, killing it instantly.
Callie notices the two dead walkers.
"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One handed." Daryl compliments and Callie rolls her eyes. He reloads his crossbow. "Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."
"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is." Rick informs him. Even though this was on him, he didn't expect this.
"Also he's been out on the roof, he'll be dehydrated as well." Callie adds and Glenn nods nervously in agreement.
Tabby's PoV
Tabby was sewing a hole in her jeans, when she hears footsteps coming towards them. She looks up to see Amy and Andrea, grinning like fools while holding tons of fish.
"Holy-" she pauses at the glare Lori was giving her. "Wow. That's a lot of fish."
"Oh baby. Would you look at that? Hey check it out!" Morales chuckles. The girls hand him the fish. "Ladies... because of you, my children will eat tonight. Thank you."
This made Tabby sigh. Thinking about everything that Callie said yesterday. About how Merle and Daryl were bringing back the fresh meat and no one vet thanked them. Now just because two people that they like could fish, they were grateful.
"Thank Dale. It's his canoe and gear." Andrea puts in and Tabby grins.
"You both need to teach me." Tabby adds.
Carl looks at all the fish in amazement. "Mom, look. Look at all the fish."
"Thank you." Lori states wide eye at the fish.
"Wow! You guys did amazing." Josie claps, and Maya and Connor are both looking at the fish in amazement.
"That's so cool!"
"Woah!" Connor mutters, even as a 14 year old boy, he was still amazed.
"Yeah, woah. Where did you two learn to do that?" Lori asks them and they all look to the sisters for answers.
"Our dad." Amy brags.
"Can you teach me how to do that?" Carl asks her and she nods.
"Sure. I'll teach you all about nail knots nod stuff." She trials off and looks to Lori. "If that's okay?"
Lori shakes her head. "You won't catch me arguing."
"Can you teach me too?" Connor asks and Amy beams.
"And me!"
"You'd be a teacher in no time. You have a whole class lined up ready." Tabby jokes and Amy nods.
"I always wanted to be a teacher. But after the world ended... the dream kinda stopped."
"Well. Fishing is a skill that needs to be learned. Does Aubrey know how to fish?" Tabby asks the girls and Andrea nods her head.
"Yeah. She does. She just didn't feel like it today." Andrea says and they all nod in understanding. That's when Dale walks up. "Hey, Dale. When was the last time you oiled those line reels? They are a disgrace."
He stays silent, a big change to his usual demeanour. "I, uh, I don't want to alarm anyone. But we may have a bit of a problem."
He points over to a hill side where they see Jim. Oh god, what's going on now?
Callie's PoV
The group is continuing to search for Merle and Callie is starting to have doubts. What if he's dead?
"Merle!" Daryl yells.
"We're not alone here. Remember?" Rick hisses at him.
Daryl scoffs. "Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself."
Rick clenches his jaw in frustration.
Callie walks into a kitchen and smells something weird.
"What's that burned stuff?" Glenn asks and Callie notices the stove lit up and Merle's belt. Why would hi- Oh.
"Skin." Rick grimaces. "He cauterised the stump."
Glenn pales at the thought.
"That's horrible." Callie mutters, just staring at the charred skin.
"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle, but Merle." Daryl points out to Rick.
"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick retorts.
Daryl raises his brow and walks towards a window. "Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap."
We all rush to the window, seeing a fire escape along the world.
"Oh for fuck sake." Callie groans.
"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" Glenn hisses.
Merle has gone. Dehydrated, loss of blood, handless, into the city. He. Is. Fucked.
"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do. Surviving."
T-Dog turns to him then. "You call that surviving? Just wondering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"
"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks." Daryl snaps, and he whirls around to Rick. "You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."
Rick cocks his head. "What about 1,000 dumb dead bastards? Different story?"
"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him." Daryl says determined, about to walk past Rick, who blocks his path and pushes him back.
"Daryl, wait-
"Get your hands off me! You can't stop me." Daryl yells and Callie flinches at the tone.
"Daryl, you're making noise." She hisses.
"I don't blame you. He's family. I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head."
Daryl stays silent for a moment, considering Rick's option. "I could do that."
"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog puts in and they all look at Daryl, for his input. Well, his disagreement.
"Okay." Daryl mumbles and they all look surprised for a moment. Callie was expecting a full on hell fire rain upon them for the suggestion. But I guess Daryl figured it was the smartest play, in case things go south.
"I got a plan." Glenn says and walks out of the room, and the group all follow him.
Josie's PoV
The group walks to where Jim is, and Josie saw that he was digging holes- no graves. He was digging graves.
"Hey, Jim." Shane calls but Jim just digs, completely ignoring him. "Jim, why don't you hold up, all right? Just give me a second here, please."
Jim puts his shovel down. "What do you want?"
"We're all just a little concerned, that's all."
"Maybe we can help?" Josie offers but Jim shakes his head wildly.
Morales steps forward. "Dale says you've been out here for hours."
Jim raises a brow. "So?"
"So why are you digging? Are you heading to China, Jim?" Shane laughs.
"What does it matter? I'm not hurting anyone." Jim points out.
"Yeah, except maybe yourself. It's a hundred degrees today. You can't keep this up." Dale tells him, concern laced in his voice.
Jim picks up his shovel again angrily. "Sure I can. Watch me."
Lori steps forward. "Jim, they're not gonna say it so I will. You're scaring people. You're scaring my son and Carol's daughter. And Josie's kids."
Josie was glad that she didn't bring her kids up here, she trusted Connor with Maya and to stay in camp. She didn't want Maya to see Jim like this, he's a good man.
"They got nothing to be scared of. I mean, what the hell, people? I'm out here by myself. Why don't you all just go and leave me the hell alone?" Jim says and Josie feels bad for the man.
"We think that you need to take a break, okay? Why don't you go and get yourself in the shade? Some food maybe. I'll tell you what... I'll do what Josie said and in a little bit I'll come out here and help you myself. Jim, just tell me what it's about. Why don't you just go ahead and give me that shovel?" Shane asks him.
"Or what?"
Shane gives him a look. "There is no or what. I'm asking you. I'm coming to you and I'm asking you, please. I don't want to have to take it from you."
"And if I don't, then what? Then you're gonna beat my face in like Ed Peletier, aren't you? Y'all seen his face, huh? What's left of it. See, now that's what happens when someone crosses you."
Shane stood tense. "That was different, Jim."
"You weren't there. Ed was out of control. He was hurting his wife and hit Tabby." Amy points out to Jim.
At the mention of Tabby, Josie looked back to see Tabby, sporting an already forming bruise on her face.
"That is their marriage. That is not his. He is not judge and jury. Who voted you king boss, huh?"
"Jim, I'm not here to argue with you, all right? Just give me the shovel, okay?" Shane says and goes to reach for it.
"No no no." Jim mutters.
"Just give me the- Jim!"
Jim shoves Shane away and then goes to hit him with the shovel. Josie puts a hand to her mouth. Shane tackles Jim to the ground.
"Okay, shh shh." Shane tries to calm Jim down, who was struggling underneath him.
"You got no right!"
"Stop. Shh."
"You got no right!"
"Jim, just stop it. Hey hey hey."
"Don't." Jim cries.
"Jim. Jim, nobody's gonna hurt you. You hear me? Shh. Jim, nobody is gonna hurt you."
Jim sobs. "That's a lie. That's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and my two boys. I said it 100 times. It didn't matter. They came out of nowhere. There were dozens of 'em. Just pulled 'me right out of my hands. You know, the only reason I got away was 'cause the dead were too busy eating my family."
Josie couldn't imagine the pain that Jim was going through right now.
Callie's PoV
After Glenn explained the plan, they were all sat in silence, just contemplating Glenn's plan. Glenn was staring at them all, hope in his eyes.
"You're not doing this alone." Rick finally says.
"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl mutters.
"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out. If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast." Glenn draws a quick map of the street on the floor and marks the tank and the bag of guns. "Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley, me and Jeremy dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl, Callie and I will go."
Daryl looks at him. "Why me and Callie?"
"Your crossbow and her machete are quieter than his gun. While Daryl and Callie wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag." Glenn explains.
"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asks and Glenn nods his head.
Glenn points down the street. "You and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley, here."
"Two blocks away, why?"
"That seems far, Glenn." Callie points out to him.
"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl and Callie. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." Glenn explains and the group is stunned into silence.
"Hey, kid, what did you do before all this?" Daryl asks him.
"Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn looks at him confused.
"You delivered in Atlanta?" Callie asks him and he nods. "Why he knows the geography."
They all smile at that pure luck.
Glenn is probably the same age as Callie, at 23 years old, or maybe a year older, she doesn't really know. But however old he is, because of his job, he is really good at runs, and knowing his way around a city, and fast on his feet. Which is what they need.
Glenn, Daryl and Callie climb down the ladder and into the alley. This is where Glenn and Jeremy met Rick. Daryl loads his crossbow ready and Callie brings out her machete.
"You got some balls for a chinaman."
"I'm Korean." Glenn tells him and hurries to the entrance of the alleyway.
"Whatever."
"Glenn." Callie whispers and he looks at her. "Be careful."
Glenn just smiles and hurries out of the alley.
Daryl and Callie wait behind the trash can, waiting for Glenn.
"You okay?" Daryl asks Callie who nods her head.
"Yeah."
Daryl's head perks up and points his crossbow at some young guy.
"Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you want?" The guy exclaims.
"I'm looking for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?" Daryl asks him, still holding up his crossbow.
"Ayudame!" The guy shouts.
"Shut up!" Callie hisses at the kid. One wrong move and all of the walkers in the city will be all over them and Glenn will be dead.
"Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me!" Daryl hisses. The kid looks around nervously. "Answer me."
"Ayudame! Ayudame! Ayudame!" The kid shouts.
"Shut up." Daryl hits the kid and holds him down on the floor.
"Look, you need to keep it down. The walkers will be all over us." Callie tries to calm down the kid before she is pushes into the wall with a oof. Callie looks up to see them attacking Daryl. She looks at Glenn.
"Run!" She shouts and he goes to turn.
"That's it! That's the bag! Vato. Take it!Take it!" They go to grab Glenn and the bag of guns.
Callie runs up and jumps on the guy's back.
"Get off him!" Callie screams, and starts pulling on him.
He runs into the wall and she crumbles onto the floor, the guy hauls her up before he lets out a scream.
They drag her and Glenn to the car.
"Daryl!" They both shout before they are thrown into the car and it takes off.
Dun dun dunnnn! Cliff hanger. Callie and Glenn are now hostages, Jim is on house arrest, Merle is MIA, it's all going wrong. Please leave a review of what you think! Also I'm glad that Callie sees everyone as a resource to the group, Daryl and Merle for hunting, Glenn for his geography, I wonder what she's gonna think when she finds out Amy and Andrea can fish. Another huge skill to be added onto the list.