Knife Edge [Daryl Dixon]

Chapter Ten - The First Blow (2/2)

Clive tutted as he drove through the abandoned city streets, following the route north, again. There was a sudden downpour that morning and he hoped that would be the end of it, but a few, sporadic raindrops began to spatter the windshield of his pickup. They added to the already greasy, slick sensation beneath his tires.  

Garry was in his usual spot beside him, fiddling with the gun on his lap barely looking up when some gimps staggered out of a busted storefront in front of them. Clive twitched the steering wheel to avoid them. They had a long way to go and he didn't need to get bogged down fighting the dead so early in the day. 

After he passed, he checked the rear view mirror to make sure the two crews following behind got past them okay too. They did, but Moran in the car behind was scowling at the filthy spray Clive was kicking up onto his windshield.

He turned back to the road, but Moran's expression got him thinking. He popped the wipers and asked Garry, 'What d'you think about Bennett?' 

Garry took his time before answering, and that was why Clive asked for his opinion more than anyone else now that Ted and Jack were dead. He had a front tooth knocked out in a tussle the year before and it made him look like the dumbest hick ever but Clive knew better. 

He wiped a hand across the condensation on his window, 'He doesn't say much. I don't like that.'

Clive didn't either, and he liked the fact that Bennett was working to keep his face in neutral whenever he was around even less. 'And Kyle?'

Garry grinned, revealing his missing tooth, 'I like him. I think we could bring him around in time.' He gave Clive a side-long look, 'Bennett being out of the way might help that along.'

Clive wondered aloud, 'He might not like it if Bennett goes down. They were on the road together for a while.'

'We'll let the gimps get Bennett,' Garry shrugged. 'Make it look like an accident.' He looked out the window at the passing stores, 'And if Kyle doesn't make the right noises, then he can go too.'

Clive nodded. That was what he wanted to hear, 'Let's leave them on the fence until the new crews come up. We can make a decision then.' 

What he really wanted was take care of Bennett straight away. No good came from leaving the wrong men in the wrong places but he was short four men since Jack and the others were killed at the hut in the woods. Six if he included Ted and Richie. He grit his teeth and amended that count to seven, as it seemed like Gordon had no plans on coming back anytime soon. 

Seven men short and here he was, instead of building up his base like he should be, he was on a fool's errand. Iain was all hot and bothered about making sure they didn't go north of Richmond until he was ready to take down the Washington communities, but he didn't seem to care about the risk they were taking heading north every week or so looking for the woman who killed Ted.

He got a sour taste in his mouth whenever he thought about it. Ted was the reckless one but that was okay because Iain balanced him out, and as much as they were brothers, Iain had the casting vote. Now, with Ted gone, Iain had changed. How much remained to be seen.

Approaching an intersection, he held the steering wheel steady as he flattened some trash, 'We've gotta find this woman soon.'

Garry spluttered a laugh, 'We've got no chance. I keep telling you, the next blonde we find we should take her to Iain and tell him it's her.'

Clive grimaced, he liked the idea a little too much but though Gordon was screaming pretty good when he held his face together after the woman cut him, he got a few kicks in once she was down.