The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

73.

Daryl's POV

The air horn had stopped for a few minutes but I still haven't heard anything over the walkie. It was nearly impossible to hear next to nothing over the sound of my bike.

"Rick!" I rasp into the walkie. "I'm here." Ricks voice comes through but it crackles with static and I can tell he's running as he answers me.

"What the hells goin' on back there?" I demand. I haven't heard anything from Dani in ages and it's worrying me. She has a walkie and she had been in contact with Rick at the beginning but then suddenly radio silent.

"Half of 'em broke off." Rick informs me as his words go over me like ice. "They're headed towards Alexandria." He says making me panic thinking off the boys and lil-ass kicker.
Abrahams voice comes through. "Towards you?" He asks.

"We ran ahead. Morgan and Dani are ahead of us. Should be back by now. There's a horn or something. Loud, coming from the east. It's not stopping." Rick calls through the walkie answering Abraham.

"Imma gas it up, turn back." I offer as my heart pounds in my chest. Dani isn't in the group. Rick had sent his own sister off with his new friend. Morgan seems alright and had saved me and Aaron but I don't know him. Hell, Rick doesn't even know him, not really at least.

"We have it, you keep going." Rick commands. I shake my head even though he can't see me. "They're gonna need our help." I say gravely. "Gotta keep the herd moving." Rick snarls as his voice gets angry that I'm arguing with him.

"Not if it's going down we don't." I argue back. If half that herd is heading towards Alexandria and Rick had sent Dani back, she was gonna be trapped with a bunch of people she can't stand.

"Then the rest of the herd turns around and the bad back there gets worse." Rick tries again. I rev my engine as my mind fumbles over all the possibilities. None of them were good for Dani, for the boys, for Lil-ass kicker.

"Daryl!" Rick yells through the walkie. "Yeah, I heard ya!" I growl back irritable. I rev the engine again and drop my hand back onto my handle bars as I grit my teeth.

I drive a few more minutes but it's feels like hours. I pull closer to the car. "Hey, we gone five miles out yet?" I call into the rolled down window. "Give or take some yardage." Abraham answers me. "You got a reason for asking?" He asks, quirking his eyebrow. "Next intersection, we're gonna spin round and go back." I call loudly.

I need to get back to my girl.

"The plan is to go fifteen more." Sasha argues.
I hate that it's Sasha and Abraham. They are the two people in the group other than Dani to fight me on something like this. Everyone else would have just followed my lead. "Yeah, I'm gonna change that. Five's gonna have to work." I tell her.

Abraham doesn't look convinced. "The magic numbers twenty. That's the mission. That's making sure they're running off and munching on raccoons the rest of their undead lives instead of any of us. That includes Little Knives back there." He says, giving me a pointed look like he knows I'm thinking of Dani.

I grit my teeth. I still don't understand and possibly never will, why Dani is good friends with this guy. Sasha leans across the street so she can look at me. "You want to go, we can't stop you. But without you, they can stop us." She says jerking her back towards the herd behind us.

I rev my engine again in frustration and look back at the road. She was right but shit, I couldn't leave them back there. There isn't anyone to watch Dani's back. I don't trust Morgan and everyone else would assume she's okay to fight on her own. Hell, she would insist that. And she would do it. And I know she would endanger herself for those idiots back there.

A sign advertising Alexandria went by. I ground my teeth and glance back at Sasha who is watching me with a wary expression. Sasha and me had down a lot of run back at the prison so she knew me pretty well. I saw the second she realised what I was going to do.

"Nah." I say shaking my head. "I got faith in ya." And I gun the engine before I could hear what they were going to say.

I run it as fast as I dare so I wouldn't waste gas. I haven't opened her up before not like this. I wished I was doing it for fun and Dani was sitting behind me, but not to get home. I was halfway there when the walkie hisses. "Daryl?" It's Ricks voice and my heart sinks. "I'm here." I call loudly over the roar of the engine.

"Won't be long now, they're almost here. I'll get them going your way again." Rick promises. I back of the throttle a little bit and slow as Sasha's voice comes through. "How 'bout that Daryl?" She questions smugly. "He's gonna be coming our way."

There was a few moments of silence as I debate on what to do. Then Ricks voice comes through. "There's gun fire back home." I feel sick like I'm physically going to be sick. I couldn't leave it knowing Dani and the others are in danger. We have every capable fighter out here.

"We gotta sit with it and hope they can handle it. I think they can." Rick says encouraging but I know well enough to not believe him. "They have to." He says resolutely. "We keep going forward for them. Can't turn back just because we'd afraid."

I slow even more.

"We ain't afraid." Abrahams voice comes through and I wish I can punch him.

"We're doing this for them. Going back now before this is done would be for us." Part of wondered if Rick knew I had already turned around. Like he knew I couldn't stand it. Like I couldn't leave my girl. He should understand, his kids are back there.

"The herd has to almost be here." There is a hiss from the walkie but no one said anything. Then I hear gunshots. "Rick?" I call through the walkie. When there is no answer, I call again. "Rick!" I gun the engine heading towards where I know Ricks last location was. I squeeze the brake and jerk the bike to a stop on the side of the road.

"Rick!" I yell into the walkie getting no answer. "Nelle!" I try feeling my heart jump in my throat that the gunshots are from home.

I hand my head and grip the handlebars, feeling the leather of my gloves bite into my skin. I don't know what to do. I try and think about what Dani would do. But she hadn't wanted to split up in the first place...not at first...not until she told me that needed her more than I did Which is not true.

I let out a harsh breath.

I peel out as I turn my bike around. The tires squeal and the engine whines in protest. Neither Abraham or Sasha say anything when I turn in front of them at the next cross street.

Please be okay Nelle.