Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Eighty-nine.

 I should've done it.

"Hey." Rosita says, noticing Daryl walking down the tracks "This way's faster, right?" he asks and they all follow him, "you did good today" Iris says to Denise as they walk, "no i didnt" she says, looking at the ground, "it was your first time" Iris says looking at Daryl and Rosita as they walk ahead, "you wanna know how i learnt to track and hunt?" she asks the woman, Denise looks up from the floor to Iris, "how?" she asks.

"My daddy taught me. When he had a good day he'd take me out huntin'... taught me to track and kill... if I upset him he would take me out into the woods and I would have to find my way home... sometimes he would take me out there with his friends" Iris says nervously picking at the skin on her fingers, "he'd make me run and they would hunt me down... i made mistakes too and i still do" Iris says, "i didn't find someone and it got people i loved killed so don't think you cant do it just because you made a mistake today" Iris says smiling to Denise before walking off and catching up to Daryl.

The group walk in silence, Iris wondering if she'll regret telling Denise so much, "There's a cooler in there!" Denise shouts, Iris turns to the woman standing at one of the abandoned cars, "Might be something we can use inside." she adds "We got what we came for." Rosita says "Nah, ain't worth the trouble, come on." Daryl adds and the three of them turn and start walking again, they turn back when they hear a commotion coming from behind them.

"Shit." Iris mumbles running over to Denise with the other two, when she gets to the woman she pulls out her knife to kill the walker "No, don't!" Denise shouts, Iris steps back and watches the woman kill the walker herself, she stands up, putting the machete back in her belt and turning to the other three, bending over and throwing up on the floor. Iris steps back out of the splash zone, "Oh, man." Denise says standing up straight again "I threw up on my glasses." She adds.

"Hot damn." she says pulling a pack of drinks out of the cooler, "What the hell was that? You could've died right there, you know that?" Daryl questions "Yeah, I do." "Are you hearing me?" he asks "Who gives a shit? You could've died killing those Saviours, all of you, but you didn't. You wanna live, you take chances. That's how it works. That's what I did." Denise shouts back at the man.

"For a couple of damn sodas?" Daryl asks "Nope. Just this one." she says holding up the orange tin and walking past the others, they follow her back to the tracks "Are you seriously that stupid?" Rosita asks "Are you? I mean it. Are you?" Denise asks, Iris stands and watches the woman, feeling bad because all she wants is to help, "Do you have any clue what that was to me, what this whole thing is to me? See, I have training in this shit. I'm not making it up as I go along, like with the stitches and the surgery and the... I asked you to come with me because you're brave like my brother and sometimes you actually make me feel safe." she explains to Daryl before looking at Iris.

"I wanted you here because you don't make me feel stupid and you've been helping me and... because you also make me feel safe" she explains, Iris watches the woman, guilt rising in her stomach, "And I wanted you here because you're alone. Probably for the first time in your life. And because you're stronger than you think you are, which gives me hope that maybe I can be, too. I could've gone with Tara. I could've told her I loved her, but I didn't because I was afraid. That's what's stupid. Not coming out here, not facing my shit. And it makes me sick that you guys aren't even trying because you're strong and you're smart and you're all really good people, and if you don't wake... up... and face your..."

Iris freezes, all air leaving her body as she looks at the arrow pierced through Denise's eye, she pulls her gun from her thigh holster pointing it at the tree line, she finds a group of men running out of the trees, "You drop 'em now!" a man shouts, stepping out with Eugene. Iris fights the vomit as it starts fighting its way up her throat, the three of them lower their weapons. "Well, hell." the blond man with the burnt face says, "You got something to say to me? You gonna clear the air? Step up on that high horse?" he questions, looking at Daryl.

Iris glares at the man "No. You don't talk much." He says when Daryl doesn't speak, three men walk up to them and start taking their weapons, patting them down to make sure they arent hiding anything. "Still getting the hang of her. Kicks like a bitch, but–" the blonde man says, Iris looks at the crossbow he's holding onto, Daryl's crossbow. "I should've done it." Daryl says "Oh, what's that? Seriously, I didn't catch what you said." "I should've killed you." Daryl says

"Yeah, you probably should've. So, here we are. Kind of begs the question, right? Who brought this on who? I mean, I get that you'll just have to take my word for this, but... she wasn't even the one I was aiming for. Like I said, kicks like a bitch. It's nothing personal. Look, this isn't how we like to start new business arrangements, but, well, you pricks kind of set the tone, didn't you?" the man says, Iris's blood boiling with anger.

"What do you want?" Rosita questions "I'm sorry, darlin', I didn't catch your name. I'm D, or Dwight. You can call me either. So? What's your name?" Dwight asks "Rosita. What do you want?" she asks "Well, Rosita... it's not what I want. It's what you, Daryl and red are going to do. You're going to let us into your little complex. It looks like it's just beautiful in there. And then you're going to let us take whatever and whoever we want... or we blow Eugene's brains out. And then yours. And then his. And maybe end with hers. I hope it doesn't come to that, really. Nobody else has to die. We just try and start with one. You know... maximum impact to get our point across. So what's it gonna be? You tell me." Dwight explains.

"You wanna kill someone, you start with our companion hiding over there behind the oil barrels. He's a first-class a-hole and he deserves it so much more than us three." Eugene says, nodding his head in the direction of some barrels "Go check it out." Dwight orders his men, Iris looks down at Eugene seeing a look in his eyes that he has a plan, she watches as he turns and bites down onto Dwight's crotch, shots start flying around them, Iris kicks the man that took her weapons in the back of the knees, she takes her knife from his belt and stabs him in the head before taking his riffle and shooting at the strangers.

She runs over to the abandoned cars with Daryl and ducks behind them as they get shot at, rising up and shooting at the men, "Daryl stop!" she shouts when the man goes to run after the strangers, he listens to her and they make their way back to the tracks, Iris stops and looks down at Denise's body, laying on the ground lifelessly. She looks over to see Rosita and Abraham kneeling by Eugene trying to stop his bleeding. Iris runs ahead keeping it clear while the others carry Eugene behind her, her mind rushing a million miles a minute.