Matches To The Flame 》 Daryl Dixon

Chapter 44

Sashas axe went down hard on the church benches in rythem. It was satisfying and heart breaking. Since Bob she'd become.. cold, I suppose. We were creating a wall around the church for walkers, intruders.

"She hanging in there?" I heard Daryl ask from the main hall.

"No." Tyrese answered him.

Wow, they were paying attention to me? Was I really that obvious I was heart broken?

"Ever since Bob.. she just kinda.." Tyrese trailed off.

I dropped my graze, right. I should've known. They weren't talking about me.

Before we knew it, we were heading to Atlanta, for Noah, the new kid Dar had brought. They'd found Beth, but carol was there as well. Rick and I said our goodbyes to Michonne and Carl, and the priest before heading our way. The trip was quick, and quiet. We all rode in the back of the truck that Daryl brought.

///

Wed found a building in Atlanta where Rick went over our plan.

"At sundown we fire our shot. Get two of them out on parol. And then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks on one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out."

"How?" Tyrese questioned Rick.

"He slits his throat." Rick stated simply. "This is all about us doing this quiet. Keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there we fan out. Knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." Rick drew a little map of the building on the floor.

"Tyrese, Sasha, take these ones." He drew two x's in the dirt.

"Daryl, Hailey, you take care of whoever is in the kitchen." He drew our x's. Yay, team Daryl is exactly that I needed right now, not. Considering he hasn't spoken to me since before terminus.

I got dawn." Rick stated. "If they're smart, the rest of the group will give up. Then it'll be five on three. Six on three once we get a weapon to Beth." Tyrese cut him off.

"12 on 3. The wards will help. That's best case. What's worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the wrong hall at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck, we're talking about alot of bullets flying around. " Tyrese explained. I suddenly felt uncomfortable with ricks plan.

"If that's what it takes." Sasha stated.

"Its not. If we get a couple of her cops out here, alive. We do an even trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

"Yeah I get it. And it might work. This will work."

"Nah, that'll work, too." Daryl agreed with Tyrese. "You say this dawn, she's trying to keep it together right?"

"Trying and doing are two different things." Noah said plain as day.

"You take two of her cops away, what choices does she have? Everybody goes home. Like he says." Daryl pointed at Tyrese.

We all looked at Rick.

"I think both would work." I blurted. All eyes fell on me since it was the first time I spoke.

///

We watched as the car went rapidly after Noah, and the had him drop his gun, and out his hands up.

"I thought you were smart, Noah. Think we wouldn't hear you?" The female officer asked.

"Where were those rotted people you were shooting at?"

Just when Rick whistled as we all moved closer, surrounding them.

"What do you want?" The female spoke

"Whatever this is, we can help." The male spoke.

"You do what we say, we dont hurt you. " Rick said.

"Okay." An officer surrendered, followed by the other.

"Good. Now turn around. Put your guns on the floor and Kneel. " Rick went closer as they did what they were told. I untied Noah from the zip tie around his arms.

"We need to talk. There's water if you need some, food. " Rick said again.

"Mind if I ask you something?" The male officer spoke. "The way you talk.. the way you Carry yourself. Were you a cop? Belive it or not I was too. "

"That's Lamson. Hell be down for this. He's one of the he good ones." Noah was cut off by tires screeching. Just then a car pulled up, we fired shots, hoping to hit the driver. Instead they took the male and female officers a d drove off, missing our fires.

We rounded the corner to find the car abandoned since Sasha shot out the tire. We raised our guns and searched for them. Melted walkers stuck to the pavement, growling at us. We then seen the two officers run out from a unknown area. Rick and the rest ran after them. I stopped at a camper.. and slowly opened the door, Daryl was back at the car, checking it for them. I opened the door fully when and officer came out from the front of it, knocking me down, and tackling me on the ground. I fought back, as hard as I could, but he overpowered me. He started choking me with a walker maybe half a foot away from my head, I fought but I was losing strength quickly. I was having a very hard time breathing now and reached for the walker beside me, hoping I wouldn't get bit. Just then the officer fell off me, I lay, gasping for air to see Daryl now tackling the officer. I'd forgot what it felt like to be saved my Daryl. They fought, swinging punches until Rick shot the walker on the ground, grabbing their attention. The officer stood frozen.

"Okay." He surrendered. "You win, asshole."

With that Daryl got up, as I coughed on the ground.

"You okay, Hailey?" Rick asked me.

I coughed up some more before he came over, helping me up.

"Yeah I'm okay. " I said brushing off the tar that now stained my clothes.

"Rick. Rick! Threes better than two." Daryl reminded causing Rick to lower his gun. We took them to an abandoned building, where we would work out a further plan.

"You're friend. What's his name? I need to talk to him. Your plan is going to get me and my friends killed." The female cop pleaded, as I ignored the incoming conversation of bribes and sat against a pillar. I sat in deep thought about why Daryl jumped in. Why didn't he just shoot him? It would've been easier, plus they already had the two other cops. Maybe because 3 was better than 2.. or maybe because..

"Hey."

I knew it was Daryl. Nobody else spoke with such a low rasp. I crossed my arms and ignored him.

"What, now your not talking to me?" He scoffed.

I got up and looked him in the eye.

"Oh? I'm not talking to you? I haven't heard you talk to me for a month, I don't know, maybe more. And you want to come to me and act like nothing happened in that time? Nice try Dixon." I said before storming off in the other direction.
"Fucking dick." I muttered to myself, almost positive he heard me as I walked leaving him there by himself.

I hated myself for saying what I did, but he deserved it. I couldn't forgive him. Not like that. Not here. Not now. He needed to try a hell of alot harder of he wanted to be apart of my life, again. He has changed so much, I don't even know if he is the man I fell in love with anymore. The Daryl I knew was at my side 24/7, and loved and saved me from every possible thing.

This was not.. my Daryl Dixon.