𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter four; Rescue Mission
" And you still have your charming personality. "
VEX KEPT TO her word, packed and ready to leave as morning barely broke.
She greeted Rick quietly, joining the group around the map.
"Alright," Rick said, "Everyone's gettin' new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might've gone further East than we've been so far."
"I'd like to help. I know the area pretty well and stuff."
Vex raised a brow at Jimmy's approach, breaking his confidence just slightly.
"Hershel's okay with this?"
Jimmy's eyes darted to Vex's before he said, "Yeah. Yeah, he said I should ask you."
"Alright then," Rick nodded, "Thanks."
Vex was still staring a hole through Jimmy when Shane spoke up.
"Nothin' about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me," He said. "Anyone coulda been holed up in that farmhouse."
"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea said quickly.
"Well, whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high," Daryl said, holding a hand to his waist."
"It's a good lead."
"It's the only lead," Vex retorted, "And unless you want to throw the search off-- we follow it. Nothin' West anyway."
Shane craned his neck, looking at Vex, but remaining silent.
"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again," Rick nodded.
"No maybe about it, I'm gonna borrow a horse," Daryl said, "Head up to this ridge right here, take a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there I'll spot her."
"Good idea," T-Dog said, "Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there, too."
Vex's lips tugged up into an amused smile.
"Chupacabra?" Rick questioned.
"You never heard this?" Dale asked, "First night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra."
Vex snorted.
"What're you laughin' at?"
"Nothing," Vex breathed out, "Plenty of men tougher than you believe in the same damn myths and legends."
"So, you believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Rick asked.
"You believe dead people walkin' around?" Daryl retorted, looking to Vex, "Ain't no myth."
"Bunch of livestock goes missing, people get scared, make up a story," Vex said, "Ended up just being some normal ass street dogs."
"Ain't what I saw."
Vex shook her head, stopping only when she saw Jimmy reach for a gun.
"You've never cleaned a gun, let alone shot one," Vex said, "No."
"Well, if I'm goin' out, I want one."
"Yeah," Daryl said, swinging his crossbow over his shoulder, "And people in Hell want Slurpees."
The man walked off toward the stables quickly.
"Why don't you come train tomorrow?" Shane suggested, "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."
"I'd rather have Vex teach me," Jimmy laughed, nudging the woman.
His humor dissipated when he met her glare.
"You'd have better luck finding that chupacabra," She mumbled in passing.
Vex made her way to the stables, hearing the rustling of a man who wasn't sure where anything was.
"Tack's in that closet," She called, opening one of the stalls, "Just don't get that one, she--"
"I 'on't need your help," Daryl mumbled in passing, hauling a saddle with him.
"Sure seems like you do," Vex scoffed, retrieving her own saddle from the closet, "Borrowin' a horse, sleepin' on someone's front lawn--"
"You gonna help find this girl, or you gonna keep your head up my ass?"
Vex stared at him in utter disbelief, the man faltering but continuing on with tacking the horse.
She left him without another word.
"Hey, Hershel, I'm about to head out," Vex sighed, approaching the man with her horse, Mary, in tow, "I'll be back in a few hours, just wanted to let you know."
Hershel nodded, only glancing over his shoulder.
"Daryl took a horse," Vex admitted, "I should've cleared it with you before I did, I just. . ."
"Ask for forgiveness, not permission, you always have, Vex," Hershel said, turning to her, "I want to be very clear on where I stand with these people."
"I promise I'm the last person you have to explain that to," Vex laughed dryly, "I don't want them to stay."
"But do you see how easy it is for that line to become blurred?" He urged.
Vex took a moment, before nodding in agreement.
"She'll buck him right off, you know that."
"Kind of hope she does," Vex admitted, "He's stubborn and rude."
"Well, it's not up to us to judge him, now is it?"
Vex pursed her lips as Hershel rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Make sure he and that horse get back tonight."
"Yes, sir."
Hershel nodded, waving her off, and Vex did not hesitate.
🗡
For the first hour of her search, it was the same thing as yesterday.
Absolutely nothing.
Vex's hope was starting to dwindle; more than anything she wanted to find Sophia alive and well, but at the bare minimum, she wanted to be able to confirm to the girl's mother whether she was alive or not.
Vex knew she'd never be able to go on not knowing, and needed to give that closure to someone else.
The woman's head snapped up, slowing her horse as she heard leaves rustling a couple of feet in front of her.
Vex slipped down from the horse, lifting her gun to look down the scope, only to see a familiar animal.
"Godammit," She sighed, lowering her gun.
Nelly had gotten spooked, to no surprise. Vex approached the horse slowly, managing by a miracle to grab the reigns without incident. She worked quickly, securing Nelly's lead to Mary's saddle, leading both horses back down Nelly's hoofprints.
All the way until she came upon a ridge, a clear scuffle in the leaves on the ground. Vex looked through her scope, down over the ridge to the riverbank, and spotted none other than Daryl Dixon laying by the water, clearly unconscious.
Vex grumbled, lining up her crosshairs to the walker chewing on his boot-- she nearly pulled the trigger, until Daryl jolted to life, clearly in a panic.
He calmed when the walker fell dead at his feet.
The man tried to stand, spotting two more walkers coming at him. He buried an arrow in one's head, as the other fell slump on the ground.
He approached it slowly, only to spot a bullet hole between it's eyes.
Daryl looked searched the scenery around him, staggering back down to the mud, letting out a grumble of frustration at who he saw.
"I'm expecting a 'thank you' when I get down there!"
Daryl couldn't argue, succumbing to unconsciousness once again.
🗡
Vex slipped out of the saddle with ease, kicking Daryl's limp foot.
"Come on, get up," She called.
His eyes fluttered open-- clearly unfocused and unrecognizing.
His fall must have been worse than she thought.
Vex kneeled over the man, spotting the blood on his side. She pulled down the fabric, earning a groan from the man. Once confirming it wasn't a bite, she refastened the tie, and grabbed the man's face.
"You here with me?" She asked, "Come on--"
"Liked you better when you was missing. . ."
Vex furrowed her brows.
"The hell are you--"
"You never took care o' me."
"What's your name?" She asked, grabbing his jaw, "Hey, what's your name?"
His eyes flickered back and forth, until finally settling on her.
". . . Daryl Dixon."
"What state are we in, Dixon?"
"Georgia."
"Great, you haven't fully lost your mind," She smiled, slipping her shoulder under his arm, "Come on, we're gettin' up."
Daryl groaned, even as Vex supported most of his weight.
"Can you get on a horse?" She asked, walking him to the animals.
Daryl nodded once.
"Good, 'cause I can't lift you up," Vex sighed, "Go on, I'm right here."
Vex spotted him as the man pulled himself onto Nelly, his head lulling as he did.
She made the safe assumption that his fall and wound, coupled with blood loss, heat, and a lack of food or water were the perfect storm to put Daryl Dixion entirely out of it.
"Who were you talkin' to?" Vex asked, pulling herself onto her own horse, and starting the march home.
She craned her neck at the lack of response, "C'mon, Dixon, you gotta stay awake."
"None. . . of your buisness."
Vex laughed, facing forward again.
"And you still have your charming personality," She sucked her teeth.
The radio on her hip crackled, the woman pulling it from her belt as Dean spoke.
"Hey, V, find anythin'? Everyone but you and Daryl's back."
"Not the kid," Vex said, "But Dixon--"
Vex halted her words at the loud thump behind her, turning only to find Daryl Dixon had fallen right off his horse.
The woman got down quickly, attempting to pull Daryl to his feet to no avail. She ignored Dean's calls, grabbing her water bottle and pouring the cold liquid on Daryl's face with no remorse.
He gasped, still over-exerting himself by simply opening his eyes.
"Come on, second time's a charm," Vex groaned, helping the man to his feet.
She used all the strength she could to assist him, but getting a fully grown man on a horse was not an easy feat.
Luckily, with their combined effort, they succeeded.
Vex climbed into the saddle behind Daryl, grabbing the reigns from in front of him.
"I 'ont. . . I don't need--"
"I'm not interested in this taking any longer than 20 minutes," Vex said as the horses began walking, "If you fall off that horse every 30 seconds, we'll be out here all night."
Daryl did not retort, most of his energy all used up.
Vex knew he was out of it when she heard rough breaths and felt his weight relax into her, head lulling to the side. Every now and then, his head jerked up, he mumbled something, he spoke a name Vex hadn't heard.
He talked as if someone was listening.
Dean was the first to greet his sister as she arrived back to the farm. It wasn't long before most of Rick's group joined.
"I was worried, you just stopped responding--"
"Is that Daryl?" Rick questioned in surprise.
"Yeah," Vex said, holding Daryl upright as she dismounted the horse, "Nelly kicked him off; nasty fall, got himself with his arrow. Figure that plus the heat, and not enough food or water, has him out of it-- Dean, help me get him down."
Dean obliged quickly, supporting Daryl's left side while Vex stayed on his right.
"Guys."
Vex craned her neck at T-Dog's words, the man holding up an unfamiliar doll.
"Isn't this Sophia's?"
WORD COUNT : 1766