The End of a New Beginning // Daryl Dixon

Part 81

Daryl

I stood out on the road, standing next to my bike and waited for all the horns to signal me that Negan and the Saviors were coming. So far, everything was nice and clear. I couldn't think of any other thing other than to be prepared for the fight we're gonna have tonight. All I know is, this plan, the idea Maggie put into place...it's gonna work. And we're gonna have the upper hand in this.

Distant horns fill my ears, signaling the Saviors were coming. I reach down to my bag and raised the airhorn in the air, pressing down on the button. I waited a few long moments, holding that button down before packing everything up and jumping on the bike. I turn the bike around and drove off.

I drive through the road and turn onto the dirt pathway, driving in front of the Savior convoy and fired my gun a few times. I easily took out a few of them. I turn the bike and looped around to the front gate. Kal and Jerry opened it up for me as I drive through it. I quickly curve over to the side and hopped off the bike, running off to a hiding spot. I turn my head and see the bus driving in front of the convoy, quickly stopping them. Maggie calls for the signal, allowing all of us to jump out of hiding and fire our weapons.

I turn my head and see Simon and Dwight sneaking through the darkness. I turn my head and see 'em stalking over to Tara.

"Tara!" I shout. A Savior jumps up from my hiding spot and I put him down. Dwight releases an arrow and shoots Tara in the back. She spins around, firing her weapon as Simon pulls back from her, running off. I lay my gun out and fire after Dwight and Simon. I turn my head and see Rosita rushing over to Tara, pulling her up from the ground and getting her to safety.

"Daryl, come on." Michonne calls. "Maggie gave the signal. We gotta go." I search frantically through the darkness, looking for Dwight to get another chance at killing him. "Daryl!" Michonne hisses. I turn back and finally joined her.

Everyone fired their guns at the bright headlights around Hilltop. We kept firing til the last set of headlights are blown out. All fall silent as everyone rushes around quietly to get into place. We watched through the darkness, being the moonlight our only source of light. We could see Simon, Dwight and the others all creeping over to Barrington House. Before they could get any closer, the line of cars switch on the headlights and we open fire.

We could hear rapid gunfire outside the gates, meaning Rick and the others made it up here and began picking off everyone who tried escaping.

*****

By morning, everyone was recovering, rebuilding, redoing everything. I walked around Hilltop, helping out as much as I could, doing what I could. I turn my head to the sight of Tara getting out of a car.

"Hey. You shouldn't be out here." I frown at her, knowing how her injuries were last night.

"Oh, it's just-it's just a scratch." She waves it off. "I can help."

"What if it wasn't?" I ask her.

"Then it'd be my own damn fault." She shrugs. "He's back with them because of me."

"No, he's back with 'e, 'cause that's who he is." I say.

"We got lucky." She frowns. "Finding Maggie...Rick. It could've been different. It was, for me, when I was with the Governor."

"Yeah, but you weren't one of 'em." I argue.

"But I was with them." She says. "Your brother, too."

"My brother?" I question. "My brother ran the wrong way his whole life. If he were here, if I stuck with him when he left, we'd be with the Saviors, too, or some other group just like 'em. But I'd have figured out who they were just like you did."