𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 ✔️- 𝑐. 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

4: Rescue

Having been the one to get Daryl's hopes up by suggesting Merle was still alive on a rooftop in Atlanta, Elle felt obligated to join in on the journey into the city. Naturally, people were hesitant on risking lives for someone like Merle Dixon, but Rick refused to leave a man to die like an animal in a trap. He also recalled the large bag of guns he entered the city with but dropped in the street when his horse was taken down.

"He better be okay." Daryl said, looking at T-Dog as they sat in the back of the truck they had taken from the city. "It's my only word on the matter."

"I told you the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us." T-Dog told him. Elle sat quietly, only being armed with a crowbar. It took a lot of arguing and convincing to let her back into the city, but she considered arguing and convincing a talent of hers. Naturally, she got questionable looks from Daryl Dixon when she entered the large vehicle, but she reassured him that his feelings about his brother weren't foreign.

The brakes squealed as the truck came to a stop over a large bump.

"We walk from here." Glenn announced as he turned the engine off. Daryl stood up and walked to the very back of the truck, pulling the door up before hopping out onto the railroad tracks they had stopped on. Elle followed, carefully stepping down to avoid rolling her ankles. Once everyone had successfully exited the truck, they broke into a slight jog as they ran along the tracks.

With Glenn's keen sense of direction and experience of Atlanta, he had successfully led the small group back to the department building. They seemed to be filled with bouts of adrenaline the moment they ran through the two layers of shattered glass doors, because they ran directly for the staircase that leads to the roof. It was quite the trek, as the building was many stories tall, but in a few, short minutes, they had managed to make it to the very top of the very narrow staircase.

Rick noticed the chain was perfectly intact, asking T-Dog for the bolt cutters they had borrowed from Dale. T-Dog was quick to cut the padlock and untangle the heavy chain from around the door's handle. Daryl was the first to touch the door itself as he kicked it open.

"Merle!" He shouted, running out onto the roof. Anxiously, everyone was on his heels as they followed him outside. Everyone's eyes directly found their way to the pipe he was handcuffed to, but Merle wasn't there. "No!" Daryl shouted, tears instantly flooding his eyes. He looked back at everyone behind him, who could only offer him sorry looks. "No!" He cried out. They rest remained silent as all they could focus on was the hacksaw coated in blood and the severed hand on the concrete next to it.

The cuffs remained perfectly intact, still secured to the pipe. The cuff that once bound Merle Dixon to the rooftop was empty and instead coated in blood.

The group slowly walked closer, stepping down from the wooden platform to join Merle on the concrete surface. Daryl's sorrow quickly turned into anger. He turned around, pointing his crossbow at T-Dog, the man responsible to the key to the cuffs. After dropping the key down a drain, T-Dog had made it very clear that he felt guilty about it all, which is why he volunteered to come back into the city to look for Daryl's brother.

Rick was just as quick to point his gun at Daryl's head, almost threatening him to release an arrow. T-Dog tensed, but remained where he stood, the bow only inches from his face. Daryl's hands shook with anger and grief.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick told Daryl, his grip on his weapon strong. Daryl blinked his tears away before dropping his bow to his side. His gaze met the ground as Rick clicked the safety of his gun back on and returned it to its holster. Daryl looked up at T-Dog, the look of sorrow returning to his features.