When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 72 - Shit creek

Nobody in the RV could settle. Pure tension hung in the air and nobody seemed to able to string a simple sentence together without swearing or panicking. With every mile they drove, Maggie grew worse and her temperature rose. She constantly need them to turn around but nobody, least of all Louise, were willing to risk her baby's life.

Louise sat uncomfortably on the worn seat behind Abraham. She ran her fingers over the map, repeatedly searching for any other routes but every available road was bound to be full of Saviors. The words in front of her blended together as her eyes strained so, with a heavy sigh, she pushed the map away and rested her head in her hands.

"How're we on gas? Rick asked, dropping to a crouch besides her.

"Half a tank" Abraham answered, looking over his shoulder quickly.

Rick sighed and punched the bridge of his nose. "I pulled some more cans before we left. Those weren't the same men who blocked the road the first time. Same outfit, different shoulders"

"They got the numbers" Lou nodded, sitting upright and stretching her arms over her head.

"Yeah...we keep driving, get here there"

"We will" Abraham stated. "If we have to shove each and every one of them up their own asses"

She looked towards the front of the vehicle as it began to slow down. "Oh, what now?"

The breaks were gradually pressed as Abraham pulled the vehicle to a stop. A group of 'walkers' stood chained together across the otherwise deserted county lane. They moved side to side, attempting to break free of the restraints but only knocking into bones and charred flesh.

"We can't go through it" Rick grumbled from his spot next to her. "Can't risk the RV"

"You stay behind the wheel, just in case" Lou muttered, patting Abraham on the shoulder before she jumped from the vehicle. Slowly, she followed Rick and the others, a hitting knife gripped tightly in her right hand.putting together a red rover like that takes people. A lot of them"

Rick nodded at her. "Come on, let's do this"

She raised her weapon but stopped hesitantly when Carl's worried voice rang out behind her. "Dad..."

"That's Michonne's" Aaron finished, nodding towards the cantered 'walker".

A black dreadlock had been glued to its forehead, hanging down to the shoulder blade. It stood out immensely from the thin grey strands of hair that protruded from it's almost bald head. Rick grimaced and dropped his axe slightly as a million thoughts raced through his mind.

"And that's Daryl's" Sasha said, pointing the gun at the next walking corpse.

It was then that Louise noticed the two green arrows lodged into the 'walker's' abdomen. They moved slightly, scraping across rib bones as it slid around. Lou's stomach dropped and her mouth went dry.

They have them.

She closed her eyes tightly before taking a step towards them, knife at the ready but before she had a chance to take them out, bullets bounced off the floor at their feet. With slight panic, she jumped, turned and retrieved her gun from its holster as her eyes scanned the tree line for any Saviors.

"GO!" Rick yelled over the gunfire. "Get back to the RV. GO!"

Quickly, the rest of the group retreated, leaving Rick and Lou standing in the middle of the gunfire. They risked a look at each other before nodding. Lou sent a bullet through the nearest skull. Rick rushed forwards, grabbed Michonne's dreadlock from the balding 'walker' and stuffed it into his pocket before slicing through its wrists with his axe. Lou connected her foot with a decaying stomach and yanked Daryl's arrows from the flesh. Swiftly, she shoved her metal blade into the side of its temple and kicked the body backwards. The ace was raised again and Rick brought it down the chain twice, separating the links and allowing space for the RV to fit through.

"LETS GO!" he shouted, pulling her shoulder and guiding her back to the vehicle.

"I'm getting really pissed off with these assholes!" She snapped, slamming the door behind her and holding onto the interior handle as Abraham pushed the accelerator. She threw the arrows onto the table and slouched against the wall.

"What's that sound?" Sasha asked, listening intently to the harsh clicking sound coming from beneath them.

"Undercarriage could've caught a bullet" Eugene said, looking up from the map. "Or could be transmission. It could be nothing"

"Insightful, Eugene" Lou sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"They we're firing at our feet...they blocked the road but they weren't trying to stop us" Rick explained, gathering around the table with the rest of the group.

She squeezed in next to him, their shoulders touching. "They want us in this direction. Barton road takes us north but they gotta know we wanna go north"

"Meadows...could take us east a piece but we can get back on track of Meyhew"

"How do they know where we wanna go?" She mumbled.

"We're down to a third of a tank" Abraham shouted back, never once taking his eyes off the road.

"We could top off at the next stop" Lou suggested. "But no refills after that"

"Alright"

The bedroom door shut behind them and Aaron shuffled past Louise. "Hey, she's burning up"

Abraham grumbled loudly. "RICK!"

"Oh for fuck sake!" Lou breathed, leaving the table and walking to the front of the RV.

Yet another group of Saviors were blocking the road. At least twenty bodies stood together. Two males stood on top of their vehicle, shot guns aimed at the group. Every single opponent were armed and ready.

"Go back" Rick said, glaring at them.

Abraham raised his eyebrows. "Where?"

- - - -

The fresh tire tracks scattered the dirt, large patterns breaking the otherwise stable gravel. Before them stood a large stack of tree trunks - bark piled upon bark. They towered over the group, threatening to fall at any moment as the wind whistled through the cracks. The distinguishable stench of petrol lingered in the air and it radiated off the wood like decay from walkers.

They had left the RV quickly, abandoning it underneath the bridge behind them to get a better look at the situation in front of them.

"These tracks...they would indicate that they not only have people but some big ass toys and capabilities" Eugene said, nodding at Louise.

She crouched next to the logs, running damp soil through her fingers.

"What it indicates, is that we are neck-deep up shit-creek with our mouths wide open" Abraham snapped through gritted teeth.

"There's no way we're getting past this" Lou sighed as she stood up. "I think maybe we shoul-"

A scream rang out from behind.

Four meters of rope hung from the concrete bridge, the Saviors hostage dangling from the end. He clawed at his throat in an attempt to loosen the noose but any effort he made only waisted his energy. The body swung left to right, tightening the knots.

Aaron turned quickly and aimed his rifle.

"Don't"

"I can try and break the chain!" he said, looking through the scope.

"It won't work" Rick grumbled. "And we need the bullets"

The male jolted and choked. His arms dropped to his sides and he stopped struggling.

"You're treating your people good, right?" The impeccably clean Savior said from behind the tower. "Like it was your last day on earth?...maybe there's?"

A flame ignited besides her and Louise stepped backwards.

"You better go...It's gonna get hot" he laughed. "You go get where you're goin'"

"Go" Rick growled, walking backwards towards the vehicle. "GO!"