RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

nothing's ever really over

THEY STRUGGLED to pick the hefty man up, but when they managed to, Willow pressed her gun to his head while Rick spoke through the walkie.

"You can see we have one of yours. We'll trade."

The woman on the other end came through quickly. "I'm listening."

"First, I want to talk to Maggie and Carol, make sure they're all right."

It was quiet for a moment while they waited anxiously.

"Rick," her familiar sweet voice came through, "it's Carol. I'm- I'm fine, we-"

There was static for a moment.

"Rick, it's Maggie. We're both okay. We'll figure this-"

"Shut up." The woman said, cutting Maggie off. "You have your proof. Let's talk."

Willow could see Glenn ease up for a moment, but his face was still twisted and horrifying.

Rick spoke again. "This is the deal right here. Let 'em go, you can have your guy back and live."

"Two for one, that's not much of a trade."

Rick gritted his teeth. "You don't have another choice, or you would've done something about it already."

More silenced followed, and it was killing each of them.

The man squirmed underneath Daryl's hold on him, and Willow pressed the gun harder into his head. 

"Look, I know you're talking it over." Rick began again. "It's a fair trade. Just come out, we do this, we all walk away. Do we have a deal?"

"I'll get back to you."

There was more static and then silence. Whoever it was, was already gone.

"No-" Glenn paced around the grass, his knuckles white around his gun. "No, no, no!"

"Calm down." Rick said as he clipped the walkie to his belt. "We'll find them. We know how."

"How?!" Glenn was practically yelling.

"There were no other vehicles." Willow said quietly. "They had to have come on foot, there has to be tracks somewhere."

"Exactly." Rick said, pointing to her. "We split up, search the perimeter for anything. You find something, holler and we'll be there. We need to be quick. We can't let them get too far ahead."

"And what about this asshole?" Daryl said, shoving the man they held captive.

Rick looked at the man, disgust on his face. "We bring him as leverage. Glenn, Abraham. You keep him in line. He tries anything, you kill him."

The two of them nodded, both grabbing onto a different part of the man and forcefully making him walk. 

They split up and hit different areas around the building. They were able to rule out the backside. Anyone standing back there wouldn't have been able to see them up front. That left the front and the two sides, both covered by a thick forest.

They moved quickly in scanning each area for anything that would give them information. Now more than ever, they were motivated to find it. 

Daryl and Rosita were on both sides of Willow a few yards out, the three of them moving branches out of the way and their eyes glued to the ground. Being around Daryl for so long, they all picked up how to track. They knew what dust ups looked like against the ground and which direction things were going in. They never thought it would be of much use, but it sure as hell is now.

Daryl whistled, waving his arm. "I got somethin'!"

Their group ran to him from different angles, stopping a few feet away to not kick up any of the tracks.