Daryl's Angel (10th Anniversary Edition)

Chapter 35: Killer Within

More days pass and we keep trying to make the prison into a home. We search more of the tombs and find the armory, although it's picked clean. I'm tempted to go back and check on Oscar and Axel, but I know I won't be able to convince Daryl to come with me again. I stirred the pot enough and I don't need more people getting upset with me.

I join Rick, Daryl, Carol, and T-Dog one sunny morning as we bring the vehicles in from where we parked them in the front gated area. It involves moving the bus blocking the second gate, but the Silverado and a tow hook, plus the truck, make surprisingly easy work of it.

"Okay, let's get the other car in," Rick says, pointing to the Tuscon as Carol backs the truck up. "We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard."

"Good," Daryl says, throwing the chain down. "Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant vacancy sign."

"After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them," Rick says. There are still walker bodies all over the yard.

"Gonna be a long day," T-Dog says.

"Where's Glenn and Maggie?" Carol asks. "We could use some help."

"Up in the guard tower," Daryl says, pointing to the one nearest to the inner courtyard.

"Guard tower?" Rick repeats. "They were just up there last night."

Daryl steps forward a bit, cupping one hand around his mouth. "Glenn!" he shouts. "Maggie!"

I see shadows moving in the tower's slightly tinted windows, then the door clicks and swings open. Glenn appears, shirtless, fumbling with the buckle on his pants.

"H-Hey!" he calls. "What's up, guys?"

I press my hand to my mouth, stifling a laugh. Rick, Carol, and T-Dog laugh more openly.

Daryl puts his hands on his hips, a tiny smile lifting his lips. "You coming?" he asks.

"What?" Glenn asks.

I snort into my palm. Carol giggles harder.

"You coming?" Daryl repeats, more forceful. Glenn looks back into the tower at Maggie's silhouette. "Come on, we could use a hand!"

"Yeah, w-we'll be right down!" he calls, raising one finger. I see Maggie appear on the balcony briefly before they both disappear back inside.

I nudge Daryl as we start towards the last vehicle, still giggling to myself. "Guard tower...didn't think of that, did we?"

"Shush," he mutters. I steal a kiss on his shoulder.

"Hey, Rick!" T-Dog calls.

We all turn around and T-Dog points back towards the prison. Axel and Oscar walk towards the field and Rick's eyes narrow immediately. Oscar's wearing the grey t-shirt I picked out, and he's tied the sleeves of his jumpsuit around his waist. Axel looks unchanged for the most part.

"Come with me," Rick says, breaking into a jog.

T-Dog, Daryl, Carol, and I follow after him. Axel and Oscar keep walking towards us.

"That's close enough," Rick says before they've gotten two feet into the yard. "We had an agreement."

"Please, mister. We know that," Axel says. Glenn and Maggie emerge from the guard tower behind them. "We made a deal. But you gotta understand...we can't live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies—people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts!"

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asks.

"Should be burning them," T-Dog adds.

"We tried," Axel insists. "We did."