Greek Tragedy | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 13 | They left her

Having sent Daryl and Glenn off to look for Randall in the forest, Rick was walking apprehensively across a field with Shane. He knew something was off, he knew Shane was teetering on the edge of sanity and it was his own life on the line. With everything that had happened between his family and his best friend – Lori's affair, their brawl at the school and, perhaps most importantly, Lori's baby – Rick was finding it more and more difficult to get behind the character of the man he once called brother. He highly doubted Shane's pretenses for getting him out here alone, casting a shadow on the details of his story. He did not believe Cassandra was capable of doing what Shane accused her of, but, if so, where was she?

Night had fallen as Rick plodded up the hill before Shane, pondering what he knew was coming in his gut. 

"Does this feel right?" He asked back.

"As right as any," was the gruff, nonchalant reply.

"Snatched your gun, huh?"

"Yeah. It's my favourite piece too. Punks are gonna wish I'd killed them when I find their sorry asses."

"You say he hit you with a rock?"

"While Cassandra distracted me, that's what I said."

"Inside the shed? 'Cause that door was shut when T-Dog rolled up..."

Shane ran his hand over his bald head and hissed in irritation. "That butch must've got him slipped through the rafters in the roof."

Rick paused for a good long while before he decided it was about time the charade was up. He pinched the bridge of his nose, scrunched up his eyes and sniffed back the remnants of the feelings he once had for his partner. Realising his brother was finally gone, Rick turned around to face him.

"So this is where you planned to do it?"

Shane wasn't stupid, he knew what Rick meant. "It's as good a place as any."

"At least have the balls to call this what it is... Murder."

Shane sucked on his teeth and looked around him, checking the surroundings like a common criminal. Rick had seen the behavior a thousand times in the people they had both witnessed right before they were about to do something sinister.

Rick changed tactics.

"You really believe if you walk back onto that farm alone – no me, no Randall, no Cassandra-"

"I want you to hush up!" Shane burst out, seething in his madness.

"You really believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up? That's just it?"

"It ain't no story," Shane replied with a smug grin of victory. To him, his plan was perfect. Foolproof. "I saw that prisoner shoot you down with Cassandra at his side. I ran after them, snapped his neck but she got away."

"Where is she, Shane?"

Shane smiled and finally raised the gun that had been hung limply at his side the whole walk. The man had not even been trying to hide the fact that he knew there was no Randall or Cassandra loose on the farm. 

"She's taken care of."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She ain't dead, I just haven't figured out what to do with her yet," his smirk grew. "I mean, that barn ain't in use anymore so I guess I could keep her in there where no one is gonna find her. Won't be too hard, everyone already thinks she's gone and Daryl will forget about her soon enough."

"I think you underestimate the group."

"Nah, I think you underestimate me. It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori and Carl...they'll get over you. They've done it before. The whole group will get over you. They're just gonna have to."