America in catastrophe

Chapter 16

Merle Dixon if the governor doesn't kill your I will!

My head is still heavy with sleep and I stumble a few times in the dark following after Taz.

I hiss as my ankle rolls and I stumble face first into a tree.

Daryl hauls me back upright with a firm grip on my elbow.

The warmth of blood at the back of my throat makes me gag.

"I'm going to kill him," I grumble spitting out blood, pressing my sleeve into my nose as more blood rushes out.

Daryl is silent.

Taz vanishes into a dense patch of underbrush.

"Did you help him?"

I slide in the leaves.

"What?"

Daryl is standing a few paces away, crossbow white knuckle in his grip.

"Did you help Merle?" He repeats himself, "did ya let him go with michonne?"

I stumble back a step. "Did I... what?! Where would ya come up with such bullshit?"

"You are on watch!" Daryl barks back, the first slivers of dawn creep overhead; igniting a darkness in his eyes.

Blood pools on my lips. My head spins.

"No." I breathe out, blood burns my tongue. "No, no. I didn't help Merle. I came down-" I spit out another mouthful. "I came down because..."

The trees thrash behind me.

I whip my bow around. Daryl is at my side, crossbow aimed.

Taz herds a figure from the trees.

Michonne. Tripping in the dark much like me, her hands bound together keeping her from keeping her balance.

"Merle?!" I charge for her, steadying her as she wobbles. "Where is he?!" I demand.

I only receive a vague nod back towards the way she came.

"Lynn-"

"Taz seek!" Im already moving.

The sun rises overhead the farther I stomp through the trees. Merle has to have snuck away when I fell asleep.

Daryl does not catch up. Either he's turned back to take michonne or he believes I turned on everyone. On family, on him.

The blow still aches as taz slides to a halt, fur rising.

The trees thin around me as I come to a stop beside Taz, nocking an arrow into my bow.

An old mill, looking more like the skeleton of something far worse than the dead looms from the earth.

Trucks are parked between the old silo's.

The last breath of hope whistles between my teeth. The governor and his ilk.

I loose my bow, tucking it into my side. I brush Taz fur. "Go home." I whisper.

Taz whines looking up at me with his full dark eyes.

"Go home," I order a little stiffer. My arms begin to tremble.

"Taz, go home." I ground out again.

Taz does not howl. He nuzzles my fingers once before turning. Launching into the trees. Maybe Daryl will find him. Maybe Daryl will find me.

I take a breath. Nock my arrow again, and sprint hunched over across the yard into the back of the closest outbuilding.

The sheet metal clacks as I hit it, shoulders pinching. On the balls of my feet I slide across the building, avoiding broken glass.