Daryl's Angel (Book One in the Apocalypse Angel Trilogy)

Chapter 2: Necklaces and Walker Guts

Merle, T-dog, and I sit in a stony silence for a while after the group leaves. I fidget, finger combing my curly brown hair and picking under my fingernails. My head still throbs, and I try my best to ignore it.

What I wouldn't do for an aspirin...

T-Dog fiddles with the radio, turning nobs and pressing it to his ear every once in a while. Merle slouches against the pipe, grumbling curses to himself.

"Hey T-dog!" Merle shouts. We both look at him. "Come on and grab me that hacksaw from the bag. I'll make it worth your while."

"I guess you want me to get that rifle over there too, so you can shoot that cop when he comes back up," T-dog scoffs. He goes back to the radio.

Merle grunts angrily. He turns to me. A sly smile plays across his lips. "What about you sweet cheeks? Grab that hacksaw for me?"

I grimace. "No thanks."

He whistles, laughing slightly. "Oh oh oh. Someone's grumpy."

"Getting smashed in the back of the head can do that to people," I reply sarcastically. I get up and stretch a little. "I'm gonna go back inside for a bit."

I walk off the roof and start going down the stairs, not wanting to spend another minute near that asshole.

I enter the main part of the store to find Andrea and Rick standing by the jewelry. Andrea is holding a necklace with a mermaid pendant on it.

"I've always liked that one. Pretty isn't it?" I comment.

Andrea smiles. "My sister loves mermaids..."

"You should take it. Give it to her," Rick says.

"I don't know..." Andrea says. "There's a cop looking right at me."

I laugh. "And I worked here. Go on and take it."

Rick smiles at me and turns back to Andrea. "I don't think shoplifting rules matter anymore."

Andrea pockets the necklace. "I guess if a cop and a store employee have both told me it's ok..." She sighs. "Her birthday is in a couple days. My sister's. This will be a good present."

Before we can say anything else, the walkers at the entrance of the store break through the first set of glass doors with a crash. I jump backwards, terrified.

Morales, Glenn, and Jaqui run into the room, panting heavily.

"The sewer isn't an option," Glenn says, disappointed.

"We have to get out of here. Fast." I point at the walkers pounding on the doors.

"Everyone to the roof," Rick yells, ushering us towards the door.

We listen to him, leaping up the stairs swiftly.

Back on the roof, Rick explains the situation to T-dog and Merle.

"There's a van. Over by the construction site," Rick explains, pointing towards the ground. "It's our only chance."

"How would you even get over there without being detected?" I ask, worried.

"Hope is right. If the walkers smell you or see you, they'll kill you," Andrea agrees. "They smell dead, we don't."

"Well, we'll just have to smell dead then."