Who I Used to Be

Chapter Six: Rescue Mission

Sweat coated my body as I sprinted up the hillside leading to camp. The shotgun in my hand felt like a million pounds in my hands, but I kept pushing. Rounding the corner I heard screams, fear filled me and I picked my pace up sprinting in the midst of camp, where a hoard of walkers seemingly stood surrounding the few survivors left. Letting out a battle cry I raised the shit gun and pulled the trigger exploding the brains of the nearest walker.

8 hours earlier

Sweat slowly trickled down my neck, it's tingling sensation distracting me from keeping my eye on the horizon. As I would spend more time glaring at the sun or asking for an umbrella, which was never delivered no matter how many "sure things" I got.

I leaned down and picked my water battle up, and sucked down the last quarter of the refreshing substance. Sadly the refreshed feeling died out after a few moments, leaving me to glare at the sky again.

The sound of someone climbing up the RV ladder hit my ears, and I glanced over to see Rick Grimes.
I nodded at him, before continuing to look over the hills.
"I came to ask you something," The cop informed me.
"Which is?"
"You and Glenn know that city better than anyone else here. You can help get us to Merle and back with no problems. I hate to ask but, would you be willing to go with us?"

"You, me, Glenn, and a hot head redneck on a road trip sounds fun," I mumbled sarcastically.
"T-dog volunteered to come as well, leaving Merle on that roof isn't settling with him well."
"Same here," I informed Rick, "Doesn't matter who Merle is or what he did. What we did isn't humane."
"Thought you may say that... look I need you on this Daniel. There's more than just Merle we're going for."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, " Such as?"
"A bag of guns... rifles, shotguns, and about a dozen handguns. We need that fire power here," he explained, "A handful of bullets and garden tools won't do us any good if the walkers decide to leave the city."
"You got that right."
"So.. will you come with us Daniel. Please."

I stayed quiet for a moment, having a mental debate where my conscious won my choice.
"Yeah.. just make sure we don't leave anyone else behind this time," I joked.
"I'll get someone to take watch for you. We're leaving in about thirty minutes," He informed me before leaving. 

Sighing once alone I stared down at my hands wondering what I had just put myself into.

>>>

I stared out the window of the shipping truck lost in my thoughts. The main one that kept popping up no matter how many times I shoved it away was if this was worth it. Was Merle Dixon worth my life? Or anyone in this "rescue crew".

Would I be able to save everyone if things turned south? Would I even be able to save myself? With everything that happened these last two months had taught me that when things turn south, people change. Someone you thought had your back, would suddenly be on there own only thinking about yourself. Their true colors coming to the front and acting purely off terror.

My true colors had come to the front at the lobby of the store. My self doubt, and fear that I couldn't make it almost made me give up. I never wanted to feel that useless, no hopeless again. I wanted to be the man that was in the drivers seat, Rick Grimes.

He had been the one that saved all of us, and he was the one who had just reunited with his family, and was willing to go back out into the chaos to save some racist trash. That's who he was, Rick Grimes was someone that almost instantly you knew you could relay on. Even in all of this, I was certain that his willingness to save others was going to be a factor in the future of the group. All those motives you had to have to become a cop, wanting everyone to be safe and making the world a better place, thats who I wanted to be. I wanted to be someone others could rely on, someone others leaned on when thing turned south.