The Lone Buck ↣ The Walking Dead

Chapter 6

"We are. You know the geography. It's your call." Rick spoke now directing the question to just Ching and only Ching. All four of them started to jog in front of her and she had to jog a little faster behind them to keep up.

"Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first." Ching replied and Briony nodded to herself.

Good choice.

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Rick led them to the clothes store which they were at not too long ago, this was all new for Briony. She would have never have come to the city by herself, she knew it was too dangerous but she felt more secure having other people beside her.

She looked around at the dull dark shop, the colourful clothes were the only thing that brought the shop back to life. She saw a small white puffer jacket with a fluffy hood and although it was summer outside she was thinking ahead for the winter, so of course being Briony she grabbed it and shoved it in her back as quietly as possible.

Daryl turned around and rolled his eyes at her and they carried on through the shop. Rick suddenly held his arm up to signal the group to stop then put two fingers to his eyes and pointed to the walker which was across the room.

Daryl walked ahead, ducking slightly and creeping slowly and carefully towards the walker, crossbow in hand. Rick just behind him with the rest of the 3 just behind the two ready to pounce in case anything went wrong.

"Damn... you are one ugly skank." Daryl whispered before he aimed his crossbow at the walker and just as she was about to attack he shot his arrow and it went straight through her skull in a matter of seconds. The walker fell to the ground and Daryl retrieved his arrow.

A mushy and crunchy sound coming from the skull as he ripped it out, blood splattered across the floor and he shook the excess blood and organs that might've been remaining on the arrow.

Daryl and Rick signalled us to move on upwards once the deed was done and Briony followed just behind her brother. Once the halls were clear from walkers they started to jog down the hallway and that jog turned into a run and they all came to a flight of stairs and followed the stairs upwards.

The stairs stopped a large grey door which had a huge chain around it, Briony let T-Dog go in front of her and Rick and Daryl stepped aside for him to open the door with the bolt cutters. He cut the chain within a matter of seconds and the chain slipped onto the floor with ease. Daryl then booted the door open and ran outside onto the roof.

"Merle! Merle!" He shouted and Briony ran right behind him to look for her brother. They ran down some small metal stairs and near the front of the roof but he wasn't there. Briony just stood frozen still, she couldn't move. A massive lump started to appear in her throat and her eyes started to sting. She just collapsed to the floor as Daryl started shouting.

She put her head to her knees and just cried, there was just emptiness in her soul. She felt so empty. She could just see Merle's hand on the floor engraved in her mind. That was all that was left of him. She couldn't get it out, she wanted to scream but she couldn't. Not her brother, she couldn't take another loss. Why did all the bad stuff have to happened to her and her brothers? Why? How was this fair?

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After recovering from the massive shock Briony managed to regain her strength and pull herself together. Although she watched her brother crumble at the seems, just because Merle's hand was left didn't mean he was dead right? That's what she hoped anyway.

She watched Daryl's expression change, in the same way it did when he was about to attack Rick the first time. She watched the same features appear on his face because he turned around and aimed his crossbow at T-Dog. Rick then cocked his gun and aimed it at his head.

"Wrong move, dick." Briony spat as she aimed her bow at his head, Rick looked at her, smirking, and she glared at Rick then turned her head at Ching as he stood there unsure of what to do. She looked back at Rick then looked at Daryl as he started to shake.

He started breathing heavily with the crossbow still pointing at T-Dog, T-Dog stood there, fear in this eyes. Daryl wasn't a killer and she knew he wouldn't shoot him. As much as he wanted to, she knew Daryl had a heart.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick warned, gun still pointed at his head.
"Fuck you, Rick!" Briony shouted. "You shoot my brother you're dead and you know what that'll just leave me and Ching." Briony told him, smirking.

Daryl clearly hated the words that came out of her mouth because he thought about it and lowered his crossbow and looked down.

Rick lowered his gun and Briony still held up her bow glaring at him, after a few seconds she lowered it and stepped back a little looking at Ching who looked nervous.

"You got a do-rag or something?" Daryl asked T-Dog, tears streaming down his eyes. T-Dog reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue rag. Daryl snatched it out his hands and shook it and walked over to the hand, placing it down onto the floor, taking a deep breath.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." Daryl spoke picking up Merle's hand and analysing it. "Ain't that a bitch." He placed the hand into the rag and started folding up the edges to cover the hand.

Daryl stood up and signalled Glenn to go over to him, he walked behind Glenn and grabbed hold of his bag putting the hand into it. Glenn just shut his eyes and sighed, Briony felt sorry for him.

She sort of had a soft spot for Ching because he looked so innocent. He had a sort of kindness to him that he showed to everyone no matter who they were. He seemed like a positive influence to the group, he was the peacemaker and some how Briony adored him.

"He must've used a tourniquet maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't." Daryl started following the trail of blood and the rest started to follow behind him. Briony started to walk next to Ching who smiled when they made eye contact. T-Dog picked up Dale's tools that he was moaning about earlier while the group followed the trail of blood. They knew he'd catch up.

"Merle, you in here?" Daryl shouted as he started to make his way down a flight of stairs back inside the clothes shop. There was no reply to the shouting of Daryl, scared, Briony tapped Ching's shoulder.

"Do you think he's dead?" She asked for that extra bit of comfort, she hoped he give her the answer that she wanted to hear.

"Of course not." He answered with a small smile of sympathy. Briony nodded and looked down at the ground as she thought about her brother. Ching put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

She looked up and gave him a small smile. Loud, fast thuds coming down the stairs drew her attention and she watched T-Dog bound down the stairs with his heavy feet making the stairs shake a little.

"Hey, I never asked your name." Briony spoke looking directly at Ching. He was about to answer her question but T-Dog interrupted.

"That is Glenn, and he's one the most soppiest but one of the most toughest sons of a bitches I know." T-Dog answered for Glenn.

Briony smiled slightly. "Reminds me of someone I know." She paused, then looked down at Daryl who was swiftly racing down the stairs, towards the bottom.

Both Ching and T-Dog smiled a little at her response.

They both liked Briony, to them she was a rose, although she was beautiful and could make you smile, she had thorns, and if you got on the wrong side of her, those thorns would prick you.

That's the last thing anyone wanted.