cassette tapes |d. dixon| [1]

22

"If I had known how this day would've ended, I would've never gotten out of bed. It was chaos, absolute chaos. When one good thing happens, some many bad things occur to block it out."

CAROLINE AND A FEW OF THE OTHERS were outside, driving the cars inside the yard. They were able to push the prison bus out of the entrance with the truck, clearing the gate so they could easily drive through.

"Alright, let's get the other cars in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard." Rick said,

 "Good. Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant "vacancy" sign." Daryl commented,

"After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them." Rick continued,

"It's gonna be a long day..." T-Dog began,

"Where's Glenn and Maggie?" Carol asked, "We could use some help."

"Up in the guard tower." Caroline grinned, 

"Guard tower?" Rick questioned, "They were just up there last night."

The group of them stared at the top of the guard tower, trying to see if they could spot the couple. "Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl yelled up at them. Glenn came out of the tower, without a shit and buttoning up his pants. Caroline laughed and Daryl gave her a look.

"Hey! What's up guys?" Glenn asked, squinting down at them,

"You comin'?" Daryl asked and they all laughed,

"What?"

"You comin'?" Daryl repeated and Glenn looked back at Maggie in confusion,

"I think he already did." Caroline commented, causing the others to bark out in laughter.

"Come on, we could use a hand!" Daryl yelled up at the boy,

"Yeah, we'll be right down!"

Caroline went over to the truck to get her dirt bike into the truck bed and Daryl walked over to help her. "Hey, Rick!" T called out and they turned to see Axel and Oscar outside their cell block, walking towards them.

"Come with me." Rick stated, walking towards them. Daryl motioned her to stay there and she sighed, deciding not to argue with the man. 

Carol walked over and began helping her take the bike and the two watched the exchange between the prisoners and their group.

Once the bike was secured, Caroline hopped down and motioned for Carol to follow her. They walked up behind the boy and listened to what was going on,

"The fence is down on the far side of the prison." Oscar told them, "Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. So we just dump the body and just run back inside."

"Look! We had nothing to do with Thomas and Andrew, nothing! You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro! We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group, just, please, please, don't make us live in that place!" Axel begged,

"Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in your cell block, or you leave." Rick stated,

Oscar turned to the blonde man beside him, "I told you this was a waste of time." He looked over at Rick, "They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out like... Those were good guys! Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint like Thomas and Andrew." He shook his head, "Now, we've all made mistakes to get in here, chief, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me... we paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road, than to go back into that shithole."

Rick looked back at Daryl, who shook his head. And with that, the two grabbed the prisoners and shoved them outside the gate before locking it. 

They all gathered around the far side of the bus, discussing what to do with them,

"Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you?" Rick asked T-Dog, who was vouching for them, "They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons, you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"

"I never stopped." T-Dog replied, "Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."

"I don't know," Glenn sighed, "Axel seems a little unstable."

"After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this, what if they decide to take it?" Carol asked,

"It's just been us for so long... They're strangers. I don't... it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around." Maggie stated,

"You brought us in." T-Dog argued,

"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms, didn't give us a choice." Maggie replied,

"They can't even kill walkers." Glenn stated,

"They're convicts, bottom line." Carol declared.

"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do." T-Dog replied,

Caroline nodded, "He has a point. They had plenty of chances to take us out in there, just like Tomas tried to. But they didn't."

"I get guys like this. " Daryl spoke up, "Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could have been with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys."

T-Dog turned to the Dixon, "So you with me?"

"Hell no!" Daryl scoffed, "Let 'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did!"

"What I'm saying, Daryl-"

Rick interrupted him, "When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, and in 2 weeks later shot another girl." He stated, "We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands."

"He's right. They may have not been violent before, but this world changes people. There becomes a point where you change into something you though you'd never be. Who knows what these men, who are already felons, could end up doing in the future. For the safety of the group, it was too much of a risk."