Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 38 ↣ Was it really that easy to leave?

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."

— German Proverb

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Daryl

AS RICK WAS forming a plan, I heard footsteps behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Michonne was slipping away. "Hey," I called. Rick whipped around. Michonne paid me no attention and disappeared into the darkness.

"Dammit," Rick cursed. He took this new development in stride, though. "All right, we need to downsize."

We started going through the bags we had brought with us. Looking beyond the wall I said, "There ain't no way we're gonna check in all 'em buildings. Not with all 'em guards there." At the sound of a twig snapping, I turned on my heel, bow raised. The rest of the group followed with drawn weapons. The figure came into the light, and I dropped my arms. It was just Michonne. She gestured for us to follow her.

Rick shook his head in disbelief but said, "All right, let's go."

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Michonne led us to the other side of the wall, and into a darkened building. Looking around, I didn't think that this was where they'd keep people. Rick was thinking the same as me, and he asked, "This is where you were held?"

"I was questioned," Michonne amended.

"Any idea where else they could be?"

The light by the window caught my attention, so I made my way over with quiet footsteps. Pulling back the curtain, I cautiously examined the street. It was full of people casually walking about. There was maybe a dozen. Looking back at Michonne, I whispered, "I thought you said there was a curfew."

"The street is packed during the day," she told me. "Those are stragglers."

"If anyone comes in here," Rick started, "we're sitting ducks. We gotta move."

"They could be in his apartment," Michonne suggested.

My skin was prickling with annoyance. We needed to know where they were. Not chase our tails in the dark. "Yeah? What if they ain't?"

"Then we'll look somewhere else," she replied like it was the easiest answer in the world.

Rick walked up to her. "You said you could help us."

"I'm doing what I can."

"Then where the hell are they?" Oscar asked.

I locked my jaw and felt the overwhelming urge to punch something. I didn't get the chance as Rick called Oscar and I aside. "If this goes South, we're cutting her loose."

Oscar asked, "You think she's leading us into a trap?"

"Right now it's the blind leading the blind. Let's split up," I suggested, confident that my instincts would serve me in this situation.

Rick looked as if he was going to agree with me, but a knock at the door had us freezing. As keys could be heard in the lock, we scattered, hiding out wherever we could fit. Rick and I ended up being squashed in the same corner. "Why'd ya pick this spot?" I hissed, shoving his arm out of my face.

Rick hit me back. "I was here first."

"I know you're in here," a voice called out, silencing our cat fight. "I saw you moving from outside." The stranger waited for a reply. When no one answered, he said, "All right, now. You're not supposed to be in here and you know it." Footsteps. "Who's in here?"