The Third Dixon [The walking dead]

Chapter four

Rick, Carol, Daryl, and T-Dog worked to guide the cars into the yard. Carol climbed into one, her hands gripping the wheel as she eased it forward, eyes scanning the yard with a furrowed brow.

"Alright," Rick called, "let's get the other cars in. Park them in the west entry of the yard."

Daryl squinted at the vehicles. "Looks like a giant 'vacancy' sign out there," he muttered, smirking.

Rick shook his head. "After that, we need to load up the corpses so we can burn them."

Measi stepped forward, slinging a bag over her shoulder. The early morning light caught the sharp angles of her face, her expression resolute. "Nathan and I can help with that," she said, her voice steady. Rick nodded in thanks, while Carol glanced at her, eyebrows drawn together.

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

Carol squinted down the yard. "Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help."

Daryl pointed toward the guard tower. "Up there."

Rick blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Guard tower? They were just up there last night?"

Measi followed his gaze, cheeks heating as she remembered her own night there with Nathan.

From the top of the tower, Daryl called up. "Glenn! Maggie!"

Glenn appeared, shirtless, fumbling to button his pants. "Hey! What's up, guys?"

The sight was enough to make everyone laugh, and Measi quickly looked away, hiding a smile as a memory of her and Nathan in the tower surfaced.

Daryl smirked. "You comin'?"

Glenn blinked, confused.

"I think that's a bad choice of words, Daryl," Measi muttered under her breath.

"Come on, we could use a hand!" Daryl called again, grinning.

Glenn shook his head, still buttoning his pants. "Yeah, we'll be right down!"

Carol, Rick, and Daryl started toward the cars, chuckling, but T-Dog's sharp voice cut through the amusement.

"Hey, Rick!"

Rick's smile disappeared when he saw Axel and Oscar walking out of their cell block. His hand went instinctively to his side.

"Stay back," he said to the group. "And you," he told the prisoners, "that's close enough. We had an agreement."

Axel raised his hands, eyes wide. "Please, mister. We know, we made a deal," he started, as Glenn and Maggie arrived behind him, now fully dressed again. "But you gotta understand! We can't live in that place another minute. All the bodies... people we knew... blood, brains everywhere... there's ghosts!"

Daryl's crossbow went up. "Why don't you move the bodies out?"

T-Dog stepped forward, voice firm. "You should be burning them."

Axel shook his head, frustration etched on his face. "We tried! We did!"

Oscar's tone rose, tense. "The fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. So hump in a body and just run back inside."

Measi stepped closer to Rick and Daryl, slinging her bag onto her back. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked from Axel to Oscar. "They've been cowering in there long enough," she muttered under her breath, her jaw tight. "We can't babysit them forever. Either step up or step out."

Axel glanced at her, a flicker of frustration crossing his features. "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 part of your group, just—please, please, don't make us live in that place!"