When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 38- I ain't who ya think

His hands were bound tightly. Rope was cutting into his skin sharply, reducing the circulation to his fingers. Blood trickled down his skin, sliding over patches of dried crimson and dripping to the mud below. His arms barely stretched around the tree trunk, and his elbows popped with every attempted movement. The pain across the top of his head was enough to knock him back out as soon as his eyes opened and he could just about make out snippets of hushed conversations.

"Probably another soldier from one of the outposts" the voice whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the cracking of a bonfire "They probably hate him too"

"Yeah" another voice rang out, softer this time.

"Look, we pick up Patty and we're gone okay? This is the last day we're gonna live like this."

His eyes dropped closed again and they didn't open until the sun was just visible on the horizon. He grunted, attempting to ignore the pain and lifted his head lightly. Sat around the dying fire were a blonde male and two female companions.

The man jumped from his seat on an old, moss covered log and walked towards Daryl, a smirk apparent on his chapped lips. 

"Hey! Get up, we're moving!" He snarled, untying Daryl's wrists from behind the tree trunk "Here's the deal. You don't say shit and I don't kill you"

"I ain't who ya think" Daryl managed to grunt out, only to be wacked with the butt of a gun in response.

"The hell I just say?" The man yelled, pointing the gun at Daryl's forehead "Go ahead, say somethin' else."

Daryl stayed quiet.

"Follow them. Go" he instructed harshly, pushing the gun into Daryl's back.

He did as he was told and walked behind a brunette woman. She was almost all skin and bone. It was completely obvious that none of them had eaten a decent meal in long while and judging by the paleness of her skin, she hadn't drank much either. She passed an almost empty bottle of water towards the other girl "Here, drink the rest"

The blonde girl shook her head "We should save it"

"We'll find some more, drink. You're supposed to stay hydrated"

Reluctantly, the blonde girl took the bottle and chugged half of the remaining liquid. She passed it back to the brunette, who held it out to Daryl. He shook his head.

The male muttered under his breath before angrily snatching the bottle and pushing it into Daryl's chest. He stepped back, shocked by the sudden force. "Have it. We don't need you fallin' down" When Daryl still refused the liquid he forced it into his tied hands "Drink"

He drank the substance, uncertain whether he could trust the strangers to not poison his water supply. As it slipped down his throat he relished in sudden moistening of his mouth. His tongue and gums loosened slightly, the skin suddenly able to move a little more freely as more fluids were introduced to his system.

"They find us, maybe we give you to them, they let us call it even." Daryl raised an eyebrow at the ranting male. "You see, we're reasonable people. Everybody's got their code. You feel you gotta kneel, that's fair enough. We don't. Let's go"

Daryl passed the bottle back and was pushed forwards. The back of his vest was bundled into the first of his capture, guiding him through the overgrown woods. He listened closely to their conversation, biding time until he could take them on and bolt; or at least get his crossbow back.

"I can't believe we're back"

"It ain't home anymore, but it's better than where we were"

"This is a pit stop" the male said, cutting the girls off "We pick up Patty, nothing more than that"

"How'd you do it?" The blonde girl asked, turning back briefly to look at Daryl as she walked.

"Saw where we parked the truck? We opened the valve and drove all the way in from Farmview Road. Ran from the tree line till we got to the pavement. Lit up a matchbook from the Sweetwater and dropped it in on the trail. Then we just ran for the car. Got in and the dead ones were there. They were beating on the hood, and then-- and then boom! Knocked 'em on their asses and I took an axe to each one" the man explained, as if Daryl would find him threatening.

"Then we just watched it go up. No more moans, no more of that wailing" the brunette chipped in as they walked past a group of dead, charred body's. Their arms were waving in the air, reaching for fresh meat.

"It was just fire, burning them all away"

"You did all this?" Daryl spoke for the first time, nodding towards the dead on the floor.

"It was right at the start. Everything stopped-- the TV, the radio. We were here. The forest was full of them. And the other ones in town, they were drawn to it. They just walked right into the flames. We got most of them" she explained, gesturing towards the quiet blonde girl "Thought we ended it for us, and she was in DC. We thought everyone was fighting them wherever they were"

The brunette nodded "Yeah, we thought that was what everybody was doing. Fighting it"

"We were stupid"

"Y'all don't think you're being stupid right now?" Daryl scoffed.

The gun clicked behind his back.

"Are you saying I should kill you?" Daryl didn't move. "I mean it, are you gonna try and pull something on us? Are we just being thick here by not removing all doubt?" He walked around to face Daryl, and held the barrel to his forehead. "I'm serious. I really wanna know. You made a choice to kill for someone else, to have them own you for a roof over your head and three squares, so maybe I'm not considering all aspects here. You tell me, am I being stupid?"

"No" Daryl clicked his jaw "Look, I got somewhere to be. We can make a deal, I can help you out"

"You're hurt and you're alone and you'd say anything. We should've never trusted you people to begin with. Go on"

He grabbed Daryl by the back of his shirt and kept the gun aimed at the back of his head as he pushed him forwards once again.