Born 2 Be Wild-A Merle Dixon love story

Chapter 34

  The next morning Daryl and I joined the group that would be looking for Sophia around Carol's Cherokee.

"All right, everyone's getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far." Rick was telling us.

Daryl was pulling his shirt on while Rick was talking, making it hard to pay attention.

"I'd like to help." One of Hershel's people said approaching us. "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

I'm pretty sure that the guy's name is Jimmy. I'm not sure how he's related to Hershel. Daryl caught me looking at him and raised his eyebrows at me. I turned back to Rick.

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick asked Jimmy.

"Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you." Jimmy answered.

"All right then. Thanks." Rick told Jimmy.

"Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse." Shane said.

"Anybody includes Sophia, right?" I said jumping to Daryl's defense.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was yay-high." Daryl said holding his hand about waist height.

"It's a good lead." Andrea said.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." Rick said hopefully.

"No maybe about it. I'm gonna borrow a horse, head to this ridge right here, take a bird's eye view of the whole grid." Daryl said gesturing to the map on the hood of the Cherokee. "If shes's up there, I'll spot her."

"Good idea. Maybe you'll see your cupacabra up there, too." T-Dog said.

I looked at Daryl and chuckled. A few years ago he and Merle went out hunting and Daryl came back saying he saw a chupacabra. Merle told me later that night that he had given Daryl some shrooms. But Daryl still swears it was real.

"Chupacabra?" Rick asked confused.

"You never heard this?" Dale asked Rick. "Daryl and Jess's first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time he went squirrel hunting and saw a chupacabra."

Jimmy laughed at Daryl. Daryl glared at him.

"What are you braying at jackass?" Daryl asked Jimmy.

"So you believe in a blood sucking dog?" Jimmy asked.

"Do you believe dead people are walking around?" Daryl asked him.

Dale was putting guns on the roof of the Cherokee. Jimmy reached for a rifle, Rick stopped him.

"Hey, hey. Ever fire one before?" Rick asked Jimmy.

"Well if I'm going out, I want one." Jimmy answered.

"Yeah and people in hell want Slurpees." Daryl retorted.

"Why don't you come train with us tomorrow?" Shane offered Jimmy. "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."

"For now he can come with us." Andrea said.

"He's yours to babysit then." Shane told her.

Andrea didn't respond.

I walked off to find Daryl before he leaves.

"So, do I get to accompany his royal highness today?" I said with a smile

"Nope. The king is flying solo again."