Daryl's Angel: Saviour (Book Two)

Chapter 31: 20 Miles Out

The walkers cause an endless roar of rasping noise in Daryl's ears, but all he can think about are the gunshots in the distance and the commotion over the radio clipped to his shoulder.

"Rick!" he shouts into it.

After a second, the radio crackles back to life. "I'm here."

"What's going on back there?"

"Half of them broke off. They're going toward Alexandria."

Daryl's heart skips a beat, and his gaze darts to the car next to him. Sasha's face is painted with alarm, Abraham's jaw set and firm.

"Towards you?" Abraham asks into his walkie.

"We ran ahead. There's a horn or something," Rick explains. "Loud, coming from the east. It's not stopping."

"I'm gonna gas it up, turn back," Daryl says.

"We have it. You keep going."

"They're gonna need our help." Whatever is going on back there, his family needs him.

"Gotta keep the herd moving!" Rick insists. His voice is harsh, rough from running.

"Not if it's going down, we don't!"

"The rest of that herd turns around, the bad back there gets worse."

Daryl keeps picturing it in his head, the worst case scenario: walls falling, Hope running with nowhere to go, Judith wailing as the dead pour in.

"Daryl!" Rick snaps.

"Yeah, I heard you."

Sasha and Abraham are still here. They could keep leading the herd even if Daryl went back. He could go back, help his family, and make sure they're alright.

He swerves the bike closer to the car, motioning for Abraham to roll the window down. He does so.

"We gone five miles out yet?" Daryl asks.

"Give or take some yardage," Abraham answers. "You got a reason for asking?"

"Next intersection, we're gonna spin around and go back."

"The plan is to go fifteen more," Sasha says.

"Yeah, I'm gonna change that. Five's gonna have to work."

"The magic number's twenty," Abraham insists. "That's the mission. That's making sure they're off munching on infirm raccoons the rest of their undead lives instead of any of us."

"You wanna go, we can't stop you," Sasha says, "but without you, they could stop us."

Daryl looks at the long road ahead. There's a rotting sign for Alexandria, half hidden by the trees, and all he can think about is his wife. She has to protect their baby; the least he can do is protect her.

Sasha is still staring at him, pleading. Abraham looks ahead, unfazed.

"Nah, I got faith in you," Daryl calls.

He revs his engine, pouring on the speed as he pulls ahead.

"Daryl!" Sasha shouts.

"Don't do it, man!"

But he's flying, back towards home, heart pounding in his chest, and all he can hope for is that they'll stay alive long enough for him to get back to them.

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The bike rumbles beneath Daryl, the wind whipping his hair back. The road seems to go on forever.