Stray // Daryl Dixon

Sweet Surrender

A change of scenery is what we got today, finally, I could stare at something other than concrete walls and the walkers that went in circles around our field. This day would have been nice too, apart from the circumstances for it. I sat in the backseat of our SUV, Herschel in the driver's seat and Rick in the passenger side. Daryl drove just ahead of us on his bike, pulling up onto the grass in front of an abandoned dairy farm.

After Andrea had left the prison, retreating to her precious Philip, she managed to get what she wanted. A meeting was arranged between the Governor and Rick, they were to sit down and talk things out to hopefully prevent any more lives from being lost. In the back of everyone's head though, we knew, this was all just for show. As hopeful as I try to be for a resolution, I knew better than not to expect anything less than the Governor still wanting revenge and Rick protecting us from a threat the only way he knew how. Killing it.

Herschel pulled the SUV to a halt, while Rick looked around the vicinity to make sure it was clear. I kept my eyes focused on any areas around the main barn where one of the Governor's men could be hiding if they got here before us. The place looked well preserved considering the state of some of the surrounding towns nearby. The large steel barn looked intact, surrounded by a cluster of tall standing silos. There weren't any dead walkers laying around, which means another group hasn't been through here yet.

Rick turned to Herschel and me, raising his hand to signal for us to stay put in the meantime. Rick took Daryl around the place, scoping out the area while we remained in the car. I was okay sitting this one out.

"What do you think is gonna come of this?" I asked Herschel, both of our eyes remaining locked on our surroundings.

"Nothing good," he responded. His body language was telling me that he was displeased with the whole situation. I gripped my gun tighter in my hands. Herschel moving about caught my attention, he raised his torn-apart khakis on his amputated leg, checking to make sure that the extra gun and clip he had taped down to his thigh was still in place. I snickered to myself slightly, this man always had a trick up his sleeve.

Rick and Daryl were gone an awfully long time, I shifted my weight in my seat, becoming uneasy. "Maybe we should bring the car closer, see what's going on," I suggested, I couldn't sit and wait any longer. Herschel nodded his head agreeing. He put the car in drive and brought the car around the other side of the barn until he spotted Daryl walking back to us.

"He's already in there. Sat down with Rick," Daryl explained as he approached the window. We all looked around to try and spot his men, questioning why the Governor would come alone. Was he really that arrogant?

"I don't see any cars," I said.

"Yeah," Daryl sighed, "it don't feel right. Keep it running," he told Herschel. The sound of a van speeding up beside us made my heart begin to race. "Heads up." Daryl tapped the hood of our car. The tan van screeched to a halt just in front of us, blowing up dust around the SUV. Daryl had his crossbow raised at the vehicle, I finally got out of the car to back him up.

Three men stepped out of the car, one of them being the dick that had me trapped in that room for interrogation. My blood boiled upon laying eyes on him, but I had to keep myself collected. Another man hopped out of the backseat along with Andrea, he didn't look like one of the Governor's typical minions. A scrawny little guy with perfectly parted hair and beady spectacles on the edge of his nose. He looked nervous like he knew that even I could pummel him in a fight.

"What the hell? Why's yer boy already in there?" Daryl questioned, his crossbow locked in place on his shoulder.

"He's here?" Andrea asked like she was just as shocked as us. Her face flushed with anger, pissed that she was being left out of the plans.