Rescue and Overrun

New chapter is live.

Settle in, take your time, and let's see what waits in the dark 🖤

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"Evan!"

Seeing him, Merle suddenly found strength.

He pushed his head out as far as he could.

"I knew you'd come looking for us!"

Shhk.

While Merle was talking, Evan smashed down two more walkers with several heavy blows.

The remaining walkers began closing in.

Using the opening, Evan looked up at the two men lying on the convenience store roof.

"Still got enough in you to help? Then help."

"Don't just stare. Can't you see my arm's not exactly useful?"

As he spoke, Evan threw a black bag up to them.

Daryl caught it.

He and Merle opened it together.

Damn.

Two automatic rifles, plus seven or eight full magazines.

Daryl looked up at Merle.

Merle was already looking at him.

They both seemed to see something special in the other's eyes.

"Fuck it. Let's go."

With a firearm in his hands, Merle became that familiar bastard again.

He grabbed an automatic rifle with one hand, slapped in a magazine with the other, and moved through the process cleanly.

Daryl recovered just as quickly.

He loaded his own rifle and worked with Merle from above, picking off targets with careful shots.

Fear got a lot smaller when you had firepower.

With weapons in their hands, a few dozen walkers were no longer much of a problem.

Still, this was a gas station.

They fired carefully, one shot at a time, afraid that one bad round might turn the whole place into a fireball.

Evan killed the walkers near the middle of the station at close range.

Daryl and Merle shot the ones around the edges from above.

The three of them worked together and crushed the remaining horde.

The few dozen walkers left at the gas station did not last five minutes.

Thud.

Daryl and Merle collapsed together on the roof.

Below them, the ground was covered with walker bodies.

"Whew."

"I'm done. That's it. I'm at the limit."

"Ward, get your ass up here with some food!"

Merle's shout had no strength behind it.

Evan climbed onto the roof with a bag of high-calorie food and water, then dropped it at their feet.

The moment the two men saw the supplies, their eyes lit up.

They did not even bother greeting Evan.

They scrambled up and began eating and drinking as fast as they could.

Evan watched them with a smile until most of the food was gone.

Only then did he speak again.

"How's that for timing?"

"Perfect. Damn perfect," Merle said, nodding as he ate.

Aside from Daryl, no one understood the satisfaction of finally being full and hydrated better than he did at that moment.

"How'd you find us?" Daryl asked.

His pale, quiet face finally had some color again.

"I didn't see you at first. I came for gas." Evan pointed behind him.

"Then I saw the horde and your bikes, so I figured you were probably nearby."

Daryl nodded.

He seemed about to ask something else, but Evan cut him off.

"All right, all right. We can talk on the road. Fill the tanks and move. I can't promise those walkers won't decide to come back."

At that, both brothers sat up at once and slung the automatic rifles over their backs.

After Evan filled the bikes, Daryl and Merle were already waiting on the road, looking back at him.

The three motorcycles roared away from the gas station.

Only then did Daryl and Merle visibly relax.

"Nice taste, Merle," Evan called.

He meant the gaudy shorts used as a flag.

"Need me to warm your bed too?"

"Get lost."

"Our radio's dead," Daryl shouted over the wind. "How are Rick and the others?"

"I don't know!"

"I came looking for you and didn't go back either!"

"But my guess is they've already left!"

Daryl nodded.

After a brief discussion, the three decided to return to the road where they had split from the convoy.

If the others had not left, they could go to the Prison together.

If they had already moved on, following the main road would still not be wrong.

It had just rained. The convoy's tires would have left muddy tracks.

Follow the tracks, and they could find the direction the group had taken.

By evening, three motorcycles slowly stopped by the side of the road.

"Looks like they left," Evan said as he got off and poured gas into his tank from a portable can. "We'll find somewhere to rest tonight. Riding after dark is too risky."

"Fuck. They really did leave us behind."

Merle climbed off his bike and kicked a scattering of wrappers and bags across the road, cursing under his breath.

Daryl frowned at his brother.

If Rick's group had not gone far, Merle would absolutely catch up and start trouble.

"When we first left, we saw a cabin near here," Daryl said. "We can sleep there tonight and head out in the morning."

"They've been gone a day and two nights at most. We're not far from the Prison. With bikes, we can reach it tomorrow."

Evan nodded.

The three continued along the road.

After just over a mile, they turned off onto a side path and entered the woods.

There, they found the cabin Daryl had mentioned.

Walkers wandered nearby, but the cabin itself was intact. The doors and windows were dusty but serviceable.

After killing the one walker inside, the three men locked every door and window and settled on the second floor.

"What are you doing?" Evan asked.

Daryl was crouched on the floor, working with something.

"Tripwire."

With rough fingers, Daryl brushed a nearly invisible line.

One end was tied to the stair rail.

The other connected to his precious crossbow.

Daryl angled the crossbow slightly upward, then stepped back carefully.

"Done."

He clapped his hands once.

"If someone comes through here, they'll catch a bolt before they know what's happening."

He looked at Evan.

"We've got the rifles you brought. The crossbow can watch the stairs so all of us can sleep."

The little display made Evan click his tongue.

Leave the professional work to the professionals.

Tracking, counter-tracking, traps - among all the survivors they had met so far, Daryl was near the top.

Daryl had been born for the woods.

"Night, little brother. Night, Ward."

When Evan and Daryl looked back, Merle had already fallen asleep on his side against the wall.

"When we were trapped at the gas station, Merle was too worried to sleep," Daryl said suddenly.

He looked at Evan.

"He never said it, but I know that bastard gets scared too."

"I thought maybe we weren't getting out."

Daryl pressed his lips together.

His eyes were like dark stones in the night, reflecting moonlight from the skylight.

Then he sighed and patted Evan's shoulder.

"Whatever else... thanks, Ward. You saved us."

"Thanks."

After saying it, Daryl turned, jumped lightly onto the ledge beneath the window, and lay down.

The ledge was not wide, but it fit his body just well enough.

Merle had his back against the wall and was turned inward.

Daryl faced the window, his back to the room.

Maybe that angle let him watch outside at the first sign of trouble.

Or maybe it was the only shelter from the embarrassment of having said something sincere.

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