Suddenly...Gone

Chapter 32

Daryl was able to fall asleep for just a few scattered hours during the night. It helped take the edge off his fatigue, but not his anger. That and the adrenaline he had flowing through him helped keep him going. People were going to die today, and he knew he wasn't going to one of them. Daryl looked out the window and could see that the sun was about to come up and he was ready to head out at the first sign of daylight. He was anxious to get going.

Rick was already awake and was rifling through his pack for something to eat. He grabbed a protein bar and handed one to Daryl.

"Gonna take a walk down the road just a ways to get a better look at the trail. I'll be back," Daryl told Rick.

"Okay. As soon as we get any daylight, we can head out."

Daryl gave Rick a nod of his head in agreement and got out of the car. His muscles were tight from sitting in the car all night, so after a quick stretch, he headed for the road. Daryl used his flashlight to scan the debris that covered the unused street and easily saw signs that a vehicle had passed through recently. They were still on the right path. The weather was calm overnight, so it didn't do anything to destroy the tracks left by the other car. He continued about half mile down the road, before turning back. It was time to start the search again.

Rick kept his eye on his friend the entire time. He needed to make sure that Daryl didn't just take off on him if he saw something. They needed to do this together. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him turn around and head back to the car. As soon as Daryl got back in, Rick took off. The sun was barely up, so visibility was difficult, but they still were able to follow the faint tracks.

A couple miles down the road they came to an intersection and Daryl got out. On closer inspection, he could see disturbances in the ground cover on the pavement that led towards the left, so they headed that way. About five miles down the road, they saw a car stopped in the middle with the hood up. They stayed back looking for signs of life but saw nothing.

Rick slowly pulled the car up behind the vehicle, and they both cautiously got out. With guns in hand, they cleared the car but found nothing. "The water pump went," Daryl told Rick. "They abandoned the car last night."

"Look at this," Rick said. He had a blue bandana in his hand. It was on the floor behind the driver seat.

Daryl took it and brought it to his nose. "Yep. That's Emma's. I gave it to her when she asked if I had another. She kept it in her pocket. Her scent's on it."

"She's leaving us a trail," Rick stated. Emma was a smart girl.

"She sure is," Daryl agreed. He then scanned the area and saw where they headed into the woods. "They went in here. I bet they camped for the night and it's early enough they could still be there.

"I'll follow you," Rick said.

Together they went single file into the wooded area off the road. Daryl followed the path the group had carelessly left. They weren't too far in when he could smell the remnants of a campfire. He signaled Rick to slow down and watch. Everything they did from now on was done with hand signals and looks. Slow and steady they approached the camp.

Rick and Daryl hid behind some dense brush and surveyed the campsite. They saw Emma lying on her side on the ground. Dwight was on his back with a knee bent, so he was most likely awake. There was another larger man standing up.

Relief flowed through Daryl. He had found Emma, and she was still alive. Thank-fucking-God.

Emma was watching the two men that abducted her. She was trying to think of a way to escape, but the ropes that bound her hands behind her were too tight. She knew that someone from home should have realized she was missing by now. With any luck, Daryl was back, and he would come find her. She had complete faith in him. She also knew he would find the breadcrumbs she had inconspicuously left along the way, her hair tie and bandana.