Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 57 - You Should Never Have Opened That Door (The Ramones)

NATE

"Nate? I can kill them too, just so you know."

"Sorry....sorry. Get a little carried away sometimes. Next one's all yours."

I apologised to Jesus while he gazed down at the pile of walkers scattered around us.

Poor Andy  😔

He looks like he's barely hanging onto the oatcakes he'd scoffed down. Tara handed them out on the drive here.

Mind you, he ate about six of them. Didn't even think to ask why some of us were more than happy to pass ours over.

I love Denise like crazy, especially as her Ditzy is the equivalent of my Derpa. But the last time I watched her doing cooking duty in Olivia's community kitchen? I'm pretty sure she ended up summoning a demon.

"We only need someone who resembles Gregory. Why are you killing all these others?"  Andy whispered, holding a hand over his mouth now.

"If it's safe to do so then you should, and not just for their sake. Can't take the chance. What if you trip and they get you? Or they go off to kill someone else?"

"Seems like you've taken care of a few, then. What's your highest number....in one sitting?"  Jesus asked, planting his knife into an older male's ear.

We took a look at his face and nodded to each other. I started hacking off its head to take back with us.

Andy stumbled away a bit. He and the oatcakes finally parted company.

"Ummmm....let's see. About two hundred in an explosion. Roughly five hundred but that was over a few hours with a slingshot. Hand to hand....hundred and twenty roughly?"

"Mind you, everyone else took down about the same. Probably more I'm guessing."

At Jesus's confused look, I went on to explain about the quarry and subsequent herd. The attack on Alexandria by the Wolves.

He blanched hearing their name.

"They were another group the Saviors did a deal with. Except they took it to extremes in order to pay their share."

I felt the blood draining away from my face. My fear of what we're getting ourselves into rushed in to take its place again.

We're stumbling headlong into this. Action....reaction.

'That's just plain fuckin stupid, Nate. Jeezus....why do yer always have to over-analyse shit like this so much?'

Daryl's words from this morning hit me with a wallop once more.

And just like I've done almost every minute since, I stomp down on them forcibly. So they can't get a grip on me again.

Too many other important things to take care of right now. So much more at stake than ever before.

"Sorry, Andy....what was that?"

"I said I've never killed a person before. I mean a real, live one. Have you, Nate?"

"Yup, a few"  My voice was terse as I nodded briefly.

"How many and why?"  Jesus asked softly.

Reminding me of the questions Daryl would ask of any newcomers he found and thought of bringing back.

Tallied them up quickly in my head. Atlanta, the Governor's people, Terminus, the Wolves....and....

"Hundred and seventy or thereabouts? Most of them because they'd killed or were trying to kill me....my family. As Rick said, we're no strangers to confrontation."