The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

147.

Daryl's POV

It's turning dark and we're getting ready to head out in an hour. We have all the supplies we need for the morning but there is still no sign of Rick and I can tell Dani is getting worried. This just proves her right though that the Scavengers aren't to be trusted and he was damn wrong about them which means we are gonna have to go and save him.

Me, Dani, Tara and Rosita are packing and loading some gear into the back of the truck when a metallic pounding echos through the community. We whirl towards the gate, my eyes widening. Not pounding....knocking.

They got out.

There's a loud cackle, like a loud speaker is adjusting, and Negans voice cuts through the air. "You may be wondering why the hell your lookouts didn't sound the alarm." Beside me, Tara gasps silently and she and Rosita take a step closer to me and Dani.

"See, we are polite. I mean, I don't know when they are going to wake up from that kinda shot, but they will wake up."

"What now?" Tara's voice is low and urgent and when I glance at her, she's looking up at me. Like I'm the one in charge.

Negans voice keeps going on and on as he keeps talking, loving the sound of his own voice as more and more people come out of their homes and stood around us, their eyes wide and full of fear.

I swing my crossbow around into my hands. This isn't happening. These people don't deserve this. I ain't just going to lay down. Carl and Liam step out of the dark. Their faces hidden in the shadows and Carl has Lil-ass kicker on his hip.

"So you're gonna line up in front of your little houses and work up some good apologies. And the person with the lamest one is gonna get killed."

Dani looks at the gate glaring like if she stared hard enough she could burn a hole through it. Carl looks at me and meets my gaze. I can see the fear in his eyes as he looks around at the people who aren't fighters and then his sister.

"Then I kill Rick in front of everybody and we move on. You have three, count 'em, three minutes to open this gate before we start bombing the shit outta you!" He then whistles into the mic, that horrible two more he uses to scare people.

Carl and Liam run over to where we are standing and they look over each one of us. He holds Lil-ass kicker out to Tara, who takes her gently into her arms.

With his hands free, he pries open one of the crates with grenades. "You need to make it look like we're escaping out the back." He tells me as he fills the bag with smoke grenades. "Get to the woods, halfway to the quarry, and cut the lights. Get enough of a lead on them, hit them, and get away on foot."

I nod along with his plan. It's a good one as long as he manages to buy us some time. "You'll know where we'll be. Just have to get the guns, get everyone else here, and we'll meet you there." Liam adds.

"I'm coming with you boys." Dani speaks up. Carl and Liam look at each other before looking at her before they nod, grateful for her backup.

I look back at the people standing behind me. "You heard the men." I growl and they snap into motion.

"Two minutes people!" Negan yells into the loud speaker. "Dig deep, I want these apologies to be memorable. Bonus points for creativity. Work up a poem, sing a song, I love that shit. And well if ya don't....I'll make sure Mrs.Dixon pays the price."

I stop dead in my tracks and look back at Dani as my blood runs cold. I can feel the tension radiating through me as Dani looks unaffected like he's threatened her with this before. I can't leave her here. I take half a step towards her when Carl stops me. "Daryl!" He snaps forcing me to look at him.