Better off dead

Chapter 08: Vatos Pt1

In Atlanta, T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn, Delilah and Rick still stare at Merle's severed hand. Daryl turns his crossbow on T-Dog to kill him, but Rick pulls out his Python "I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it" Rick warns, Delilah reaches out for Daryl and says "Daryl please..." hearing Delilah's pleading voice Daryl realizes Rick is being honest and lowers the crossbow "You got a do-rag or something?" Daryl asks, Delilah removes the bandanna from her hair and hands it to him and Daryl picks up Merle's severed hand that is already decaying.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain't that a bitch" Daryl mumbled before he puts the hand in Glenn's backpack "He must have used a tourniquet... maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't" Daryl continued before he notices a blood trail. The group starts to follow it. T-Dog picks up the tools on the roof "Merle? You in here?" Daryl calls out. The group walks down the stairs.

Daryl shoots a Walker in an office with his crossbow. The group walks in and makes sure the coast is clear. "Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails" Daryl says and Rick responds "Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is."

The group continues to search for Merle. Daryl shouts for Merle "Merle!" Rick hisses at Daryl "We're not alone here. Remember?" Daryl scoffs "Screw that! He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself" They come upon a kitchen where a stove is still lighted. They find Merle's belt sitting on the top of it. "What's that burned stuff?" Daryl asks and Delilah replies after covering her sensitive nose "Skin. He cauterized the stump" Daryl lets out a bitter laugh "Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle!" "Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood" Rick says after sighing "Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap!" Daryl fires back.

"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" Glenn asks. They come to a smashed window and they realize Merle left "Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do. Surviving" Daryl says and T-Dog snarks back "You call that surviving? Just wandering 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. You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard!"Daryl sasses back making Delilah flinch at his tone.

Rick places a hand on Delilah's shoulder and says "What about 1,000 dead dumb bastards? Different story?" "Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him" Daryl says Delilah doesn't let him go "Daryl, wait!" Delilah says pulling him back slightly "Get your hands off me! You can't stop me!" Rick comes up behind Delilah and grabs Daryl as well "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 sighs and nods "I could do that" T-Dog speaks up "Only if we get those g*ns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"

"You're not doing this alone" Delilah says in reassurance as they come up with a plan "Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much" Daryl snarks "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 Delilah's or I'm alone, we can move faster!"

Glenn then gestures to the plan mapped out on the floor "Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of g*ns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl, Delilah and I will go" "Why me?" Daryl asks "Your crossbow is quieter than his gun. While Daryl waits here in the alley, Delilah run up the street, grab the bag. I'll be a little ways behind her and covering for her. Delilah, don't focus on anything, but the bag, alright? Daryl and I will worry about the rest" Delilah nods from her spot next to Daryl who looks at her. Delilah looks up and smiles at him, silently putting her trust in him, before returning her gaze to the others.

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asks, slightly antsy about Delilah's role in the plan. Glenn points down the street "You and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here" "Two blocks away? Why?" Rick demands feeling his protectiveness over Delilah rear it's ugly head "Delilah may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut her off. If that happens, she can't go back to Daryl and I. She'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction she goes, I got you in both places to cover her. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here."

Daryl suddenly asks "Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" "Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn answers before asking. The other men look at each other in surprise before Delilah let's out a giggle saying "Could've fool me!" And gives Glenn a shy, warm smile that Glenn returns. The group heads outside Glenn, Daryl, and Delilah crawl down the ladder and run down the alley. Rick and T-Dog head down the other alley. Daryl loads his crossbow.

"You got some balls for a Chinaman" Daryl comments earning a look from Delilah. Daryl avoids eye-contact "I'm Korean" Glenn snaps "Whatever" Daryl mutters, Delilah runs down the street. Several Walkers notice her, but don't aggressively chase him yet. While Glenn is behind a car a few feet away and Daryl waits behind the trashcan, a young man of Mexican descent, Miguel, walks down the alley. Daryl spots him and points his crossbow at him "Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you want?" Miguel shouts "I'm looking for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?" Daryl asks "Ayúdame!" Miguel yells out "Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me!" Glenn notices the Walkers start to converge on him as Delilah grabs the bag of guns and Rick's sheriff's hat. They runs back down the street they came "Answer me!" Daryl yells again "Ayúdame! Ayúdame! Ayúdame!" Miguel repeats.

Rick and T-Dog hear yelling help and start to run over to Glenn, Delilah, and Daryl's alley "Help! Help!" Miguel shouts "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up. Shut up!" Daryl snaps, two other Mexicans, one of them named Felipe, also come down the alley and they start to beat up Daryl. Glenn and Delilcomes back with the guns and sees what is happening. "That's it! That's the bag, Vato! Take it! Take it!"

Felipe starts to run towards him and tries to grab the bag of guns. They grab Delilah, who tosses the back to Glenn, and hold her hostage. Daryl shoots Felipe in the rear end with his crossbow and Felipe cries out in pain "Get off me! Get off me! Glenn! Daryl! Daryl!" Delilah cries out sounding scared as she tries to fight off the male holding her. A car pulls up and they start to back up. One of the Walkers is crushed by one of the Mexicans. With no guns, but Delilah as a hostage, the group flees leaving Miguel behind as well.

"Come back here, you sumbitches!" Daryl yells as he grabs the gate and shuts it before the Walkers can get at them. Rick and T-Dog arrive to see what happened "Whoa whoa whoa! Stop it!" "I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!" Daryl threatens rage and guilt building up inside him "Let me go!" Miguel yells out "Chill out!" T-Dog says waving his hands "They took Delilah!" Glenn pipes up "What?!" Rick questions panicked as he looks around the alley for his daughter.

"That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your ass!" Daryl yells out "Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" Glenn points out, still in shock over what happened "Get to the lab! Go!" Rick orders "Come on!" T-Dog yells "Damn, let's go" Daryl snaps as he grabs Miguel. Rick takes the bag of guns from Glenn and the group runs back into the building.