Home is You ('Home Is' Book One - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 87 - When You Say Nothing At All (Ronan Keating)

DARYL

Took our time. Almost four hours of it in fact. Following the eleven-mile-long perimeter wall all the way around the massive property.

Then did a line up the centre, with me happily wrapped around Nate. She feels a lot more confident being in control of a four-wheeler than my hog.

Might grab it for her next time we come back? One for Carl too I reckon.

This place is an absolute shitload bigger than Hershel's farm. And there are quite a few decent-sized cabins dotted about. Maybe a dozen, probably more?

Every half mile or so along the wall line we found what looked like escape hatches. Checked one of them out and it revealed a tunnel. Went far out into the woods to a secure and very well-concealed exit.

On top of the wall amongst the razor wire, are security cameras. Nate said there's a bank of screens in the office....probably hooked up to them.

Must've taken that Vincent guy years to build this place? But then again, Nate said he was as rich as all fuck. Could afford the manpower and pay them all off to keep quiet about its existence.

There are several large, wooded areas. Spotted some deer and other critters. Heard a porker squeal every now and then.

I'm itchin to get stuck in with my bow.

We also saw livestock and horses in the fields with plenty of pasture for food. Water from the solar-powered wells plus the lake and dams.

No walkers to be seen, but we heard a few of them outside the wall occasionally.

But inside? Not a damn one  😊

That Vincent guy sure had some serious ideas about surviving and keepin his old folks safe. Real shame it all came to nuthin.

Have some ideas about it myself, though. Need to talk them out loud with Nate.

A mile or so from the main house is a huge spring-fed lake, mostly surrounded by big strands of trees. Motioned for Nate to stop the quad and we got off to stretch our legs a bit.

She's gonna walk back to the house from here. Start strippin what she can from the vegetable garden, then start in on the orchards of fruit and nut trees.

Can't wait to see their faces back at the prison....cos they ain't had fresh stuff in an age. The gardens Hershel, Rick and Nate have started are just seedlings still.

I'm gonna go back to one of the wooded areas and bag a few deer. One of them wild pigs too if I can. Considering a beef steer as well.

I'll butcher them in that shed kitchen then smoke the meat up in the big mud oven.

*

Slide my back down a tree and pat the ground next to me. Nate grabbed a bag before sitting. Dug out a couple of water bottles along with some packs of Saltines.

They're goin on pretty stale but we're not fussy.

Am still pretty full up from that awesome breakfast anyways. Demolished the whole lot including Nate's leftovers.

As we eat I watch her.

My woman is as relaxed and happy as I've ever seen her. Gazin over the lake towards the house.

However, I heard her voice crack a few times as we rode along and pointed things out to each other.

It's been almost two years now since she first arrived in the States. and I reckon this place is probably reminding her in a huge way of her old life? Her home on the farm, her friends and kinfolk. A lot of good memories from what she's told me.