[PPZ] - Til Death Do Us Part #BigChange [Elarcy]

4| The maiming of a gentleman

"Tell me more about who we're up against. This...Wickham."

They all listened intently as I gave the complete history as best I was able about Darcy and Wickham, about my first encounters with him and his later deceptions. All the way through to the attack he'd led after the double wedding ceremony between myself, Darcy, Jane and Bingley. "He controls them in ways we've never seen before. As if by some kind of Black Magic...they listen to him. Respond to him. It's why our defended have been so badly hammered. With his knowledge of battle and English stratagems, we are without hope."

"You sure he'd come for you?" Rick asked, leaning back against the wall, his team close at his side.

I nodded. "Beyond a question. He wants me, and loathes my husband. He would not want to miss our deaths for the world. In fact, I'm almost certain he intends to see us both removed by his own hand."

"Good. That's good. Means we can get him to come to us."

We spoke of battle stratagems and tactics, a plan quickly formed though I struggled to follow most of it. The primitive and stilted way, in which they spoke aside, the words bandied about, such as—high-powered rifles, ammunition, bazooka launcher, C4 explosives and detonators—were beyond my scope of understanding. Apparently those contraptions sitting outside in the gardens were cars and contained within were powerful weapons they planned to use. Among other things.

"We need to draw him out. Get him to want to take you on in single hand. Or to think you plan to surrender." Gathered around the table in the study, I looked down at the basic drawing Rick had drafted clumsily with quill and ink.

"We'll position ourselves here and along here, flanking them."

"How on earth do you plan to manage that?" Lydia gasped. "There are scores of hundreds out there. Maybe thousands. You'll never make it."

"We'll gut a couple bodies, smear their entrails on sheets. We've done it many times with great success. It confuses them, allows us to blend in."

"In our world," Daryl, the most sullen of the group grunted, his dark gaze unconvinced. "We have no way of knowing if it'll work on these Walkers."

"It's risky," Carol nodded. A kindly woman with silver hair and a soft voice, though I detected a current of steel beneath her skin. She would not be a woman to underestimate, whatever her appearance. "But we're pressed for time and we're going to have to operate on a bit of faith."

At that moment the door burst open and a couple of our remaining guards burst in with Darcy strung between them. His face ashen and eyes glazed.

"Darcy—what happened?" Racing to them, I helped as they guided his body to slump to the floor, his back braced against the wall. Blood smeared his shirt and then I saw it. His arm... "Our Father in Heaven...He's been bitten."

"Stricken are moments from breaking through. I pulled the men back to stay within the house. We have minutes before the gates come down. If that. I tried to...stop them..." "I'm sorry, Dearest..."

"Shhh." I stroked his face, kissed his brow.

Darcy hissed as Rick sliced and tore away fabric to expose his arm.  "Who...who are these persons. I recognize them not." 

Glancing around me, I could only imagine what might be going through his mind at the sight of the strangely dressed women and harsh looking men without a hint of refined sophistication to be had about them. "I will have to explain another time, my love, but know that they are warriors here to help us."

Darcy's unwavering trust in me stood as testament of his profound affection, as he simply nodded his acceptance, saying no more on the matter.

Blood welled in the wound and shone almost black in the dim glow of candle light, Rick examined his arm carefully before his eyes pinned to mine. "We're gonna have to remove this. It's the only way to stop the spread of infection. To keep him alive."