Out of the Woods (The Walking Dead) PART 2

Chapter 3

Out of the Woods (The Walking Dead)

Indifference:

It was a beautiful morning. The sun gleamed through the windows of the guard tower, alerting Suzy to wake up. Had they spent the night here? Suzy sat up fully alert. She reminded herself to calm down and that she wasn't in that place anymore. They were safe here, at least for now. 

"What's the matter, darlin'? Bad dream?" Suzy felt so comforted by that voice. She smiled and shook her head at Merle who was touching her hair to move it out of her face. 

"It's just-" Said Suzy, "It still feels surreal. Being here, you know? I keep expecting to wake up in Woodbury."

"You ain't gotta worry about that anymore," Merle replied, "We ain't there."

"I know," Suzy shrugged, "Guess I'm still getting used to it."

"We should probably get a move on now that you're up," Merle replied as he put on his black button down shirt.

"You think Rick's little talk with the Governor is gonna work out?" She didn't know why she was asking. Perhaps it was because she already knew the answer and needed the reassurance. There was also the slim chance Merle could have a different opinion.

"Hell no," Merle replied. Just as I suspected, she thought. "If you ask me, it's nothin' but a waste of time."

"And when it doesn't, then what?" Suzy could feel the anxiety building in her chest. She could still remember the Governor's face when she left Woodbury. He could've killed her then. Why didn't he? Was it just some other game to him? Allow her to leave, knowing he would be coming back here to kill her and everyone she loves anyway?

"I already said we should'a been out of here," Merle said, "Too late for that now."

"So you're willing to stay here and fight?"

"Look, honey," Merle sighed, "I'm here for you. I'm here for my brother. If this is where y'all wanna be, then yeah."

Suzy found herself throwing her arms around him as she rested her head on his shoulder. His one hand wrapped around her small frame.

"Don't underestimate me, darlin'," He said, "There ain't nothin' I wouldn't do for ya. I'll do whatever I gotta do to keep you and Daryl safe."

I'll do whatever I gotta do to keep you and Daryl safe...Safe...It seemed like such a foreign word now...Suzy felt the back of her head pounding from where the gun had hit. The blindfold over her eyes kept her from seeing a thing. Her wrists were bound with zip-ties in front of her and sitting in her lap. She felt tires rumbling beneath her. It took her a minute to put together what had happened. The pain in her ankle burned from the trap in the woods that had caught her. The blood pulsed in her ears. Her mouth felt incredibly dry just like the times over the months when she went days without water. How far had she gone? How long was she out? Who were these people? How many were there? She counted at least six in the woods, but it was dark and she was panicking to get away. That count would most likely be wrong. 

"We're pulling up to Jackson now. One mile out," She heard one of them say. She was in the backseat of a car and the voice was definitely coming from the passenger seat. She heard radio static then a response from the walkie that someone will be opening "the truck". They said Jackson. Jackson? Jackson what? This definitely couldn't be Georgia anymore that's for sure. Once she felt the car come to a stop, she could feel her heart begin to pound out of her chest. A hand grabbed her arm so firmly and quickly she had no idea what was happening until he was yanking her out of the car.

"Let's go," He snapped. Suzy stumbled out of the car with the blindfold covering her eyes. If this man hadn't been holding her arm so tightly, she knew she would've fallen.