When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 65 - The kill floor

The oil cannister bounced off the floor, the last remains of liquid spilling from the cap as Louise tossed the plastic tub into the small room. Every ounce of concrete was plastered in the flammable substance - not an inch was left dry. They had one chance to leave the building alive and they weren't taking any chances.

Louise wiped her dirty hands on her jeans and pulled Paula's cigarette box from her pocket before lighting one and bringing it to her lips. She took a deep drag of nicotine before breathing it out.

"I think I might have killed eighteen people...maybe, twenty" Carol sighed, leaning against the wall to her left. "Should have killed Donnie in the woods too. I had a clear shot. None of this would've happened if I had just killed him"

Lou shook her head, took another drag and exhaled. "Don't think about it"

"I can't stop. Look at you, Lou, this is my fault"

"Nah" she said. "It's theirs...we're almost done"

"You sure this is it?" a male voice echoed from inside the fuel soaked room. It was the same voice that they had heard over the radio not half an hour before. Lou brought her fingers to her lips, signalling for Carol to be quiet as she carefully approached the door.

"She said kill floor" another voice said.

Louise dived forwards, tossed her lit cigarette into the room and slammed the door closed. Her heart was racing but as flames engulfed their trap, she was ashamed to say she felt relieved. Screams erupted from the men's lips as they were burned alive. She closed her eyes tightly and turned, not daring to look into the room. Maggie tapped her shoulder before the trio took off down the dark corridors, guns in hand.

Nobody spoke as they moved - too scared to be caught off-guard. They slid around corners effortlessly, hugging the walls around them. Without her bow, Louise felt useless. Stealth and agility was her main strength so being stuck with an unfamilar weapon in a place that begged silent kills was something she absolutely detested.

As they reached a set of black double doors, she held her hand up to her friends, pulled the handle and swung the door outwards.

She had expected more Saviors but instead, came face to face with members of her group. She let out a heavy sigh and dropped her weapon to her side.

"You okay?" Glenn asked, racing towards Maggie and wrapping her in a hug.

"We got your trail" Daryl said to Carol, "You set a fire?"

Carol nodded in response and Daryl took off towards Louse. She stood errily still as he placed a hand on either side of her face. She pressed her hands to his.

"Hey" his fingers brushed the purple bruises on her neck and she winced. "Son of a bitch, you alrigh'? You okay?"

She opened her mouth to speak but struggled to string a sentence together. "I...uh...No...No, not really"

"Come here" he sighed, pulling her into his arms and placing a hand on the back of her head. She didn't wrap her arms around him. She kept them pressed against his chest as he rubbed her back.

"They're dead" Maggie said as Glenn released her from his embrace. "All of them that took us"

Rick smirked at the hostage they still had.

"All of your friends are dead. No-ones coming for you so you might as well talk" he said.

"Let him burn!" Daryl snarled, letting go of Louise and checking the gash on her head.

"I'm gonna ask you one last time" Rick sighed. "How'd you get Daryl's bike?"

"We found it" the man stated, a chuckle escaping his lips as he studdied them all.

Daryl grabbed him by his shirt. "Like hell ya did!"

"We found it" he said again.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Was Negan in that building last night or was he here?"

"Both. I am Negan, shithead" he laughed. Louise raised her eyebrows and took a step towards him. "There's a whole world of fun that we can talk about, so lets have a chat"

"Yeah? Well I've had a taste of your world" Lou spat, bringing her gun to his temple and firing. "And it's a pile of shit"

His body dropped.

She avoided eye contact as she stepped over his corpse. Her shoulder barged into Shaun's and she shoved him out the way before making her way out of the building. Daryl watched her as she walked away, completely bewildered. Every instinct he had was telling him to follow her but he stayed put.

"What the hell happened in there?" He asked, looking towards Maggie and Carol.

Maggie closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

"She saved me" Carol said. "She saved my life"