Carter's P.O.V
It's been around two hours since I started hunting. The rope around my waist covered in squirrels and rabbits I killed. The blood changed my blue jeans into crimson. Tracking my steps back to camp, I slow down when I hear people screaming. I walk over and see the group around a geek eating a deer.
Amy and Andrea look like they're about to heave up there breakfast. Glenn, Jim, Morales, Shane and Rick have disgusted faces. I roll my eyes and pull out my hunting knife, but Dale beats me to it by chopping the geek's head off with an ax.
" It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale looks over at me and asks," Where have you been?"
I just point to my waist. "Ugh, gross," Amy gags. Branches snap, making me grab my bow and arrow, aiming at the sound. A man comes out from the bushes with a rope of squirrels around his tors, a crossbow in hand with an annoyed expression.
" Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this..." He then kicks the headless carcass while ranting, " Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"
" Calm down, son. That's not helping," Dales exclaims, trying to calm the guy down.
" What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'on golden pond'? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around the chewed up part right here?" I shake my head no as Shane says not to risk it.
" Damn shame. I got some squirrel, about a dozen or so. That'll have to do."
The geek then scares the group as the moves it mouth, trying to gnaw at us. Amy is about to throw up again. I roll my eyes, shooting an arrow. A bolt lands right beside my arrow, making me look up, seeing the hunter blue eyes staring back at me. He stares a moment longer before asking, " Who 'da hell is she?"
" Her names Carter," Glenn answers for me, " From what I can tell she is a tracker and hunter too, Daryl."
He then scoffs. Walking by me, he hits my shoulder. I roll my eyes and grunt, pulling my arrow and his bolt out of the geek's head. I wipe them on my jeans, walking behind Daryl and sticking the bolt and arrow in my quiver.
" Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Lett's stew 'em up!" he yells. When he get's no response you can see concern cross his face.
" Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you," Shane says, making Daryl stop yelling.
" About what?"
" About Merle. There was a...," he stops trying to find the right words. " There was a problem in Atlanta."
" He dead?"
" We're not sure."
" He either is or he ain't!" he yells, forcing Rick to intervene.
" No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it."
" Who are you?"
" Rick Grimes."
" Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?"
" Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."
Daryl begins to pace in place. " Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!"
" Yeah." Daryl goes to attack Rick, luckily he shoves him off. I force myself in between them.
" Hey watch the knife, Dixon!" I yell, the light hitting his blade. He tries to slice Rick but cuts open my cheek before Shane puts him in a chokehold.
" You'd best let me go!" Daryl croaks.
" Nah, I think it's better if I don't."
" Choke hold's illegal."
" You can file a complaint. Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day."
" I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that? Do you think you can manage that?" Rick asks him.
Daryl gets out of the hold, getting up as T takes fault, Rick checking my cheek. " It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped it."
" You couldn't pick it up?"
" Well, I dropped it in a drain."
" If it's supposed to make me feel better, it doesn't."
" This will though jackass." I walk past Rick, wiping the blood off my face. It only creates a red streak across my hand and cheek. " I was the last one to leave his ass. Chained the door with a padlock. Geeks ain't gettin' through, Dixon. He's alive. Happy?"
He glares before yelling, " Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so that I can go get him."
" You'll need our help," Rick states. Lori scoffs, stomping off towards the R.V.
After about half an hour Rick is back in his uniform, arguing with Shane. " So you're gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane questions, waving his arms towards Daryl and Glenn.
" Four," T-Dog states.
" Five." They all turn to me as I walk over to them, adjusting my bow and quiver.
" You got hurt, maybe you should just stay and help the other women." I narrow my eyes at Shane before speaking.
" And Merle beat my ass too, T-Dog's as well. I can help." Daryl lets out a small snort, making me look at him.
" Bitch, you can't do shit. Probably can't shoot a gun either."
" Required to shoot shit in the army asshole," I show Rick my dog tags before hiding them under my jacket once more. " Plus you need someone fast enough to get your guns."
" Wait. What guns?" Shane asks.
Rick then begins to explain all about his guns as they begin to argue, then Lori gets into it as well. I blur out their voices, sitting down and taking apart my Glock and put it together. I keep doing this until Daryl honks the horn as I reload the magazine. " Come on, let's go!"
We all get in the van and begin driving: Rick and Glenn in the front, Daryl, me and T-Dog in the back.
" You sure he's alive?" Daryl questions making me look up from my hands.
" Hopefully," I mutter.
" 'Da hell you mean by that?" he questions, leaning in close to me, T now listening as well.
" Gave him three choices: One; Wait for us to get him out. Two; Get his ass out by using the bolt cutters. Or...." I trail off.
" What? What's the damn third?!" he exclaims.
" It's..." I clear my throat, feeling it go dry. " Cut himself out with a saw."
-
Carter's P.O.V
We got to the fence, T-Dog cutting through it. Rick stops us after we get through. " Merle first or guns?" Never thought he had to ask that.
" Merle! We ain't having this conversation."
" We are. You know the geography. It's your call," he states motioning to Glenn.
" Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first." They begin walking except for Daryl and me.
" Didn't think someone's life would be chosen over mega horns for geeks," I grumble. Daryl gives a confused look as I follow them.
" The hell does that mean?" he questions, catching up to me.
" Which part?" I mutter.
" All of it."
" Wasn't a fan of 'im but we should still save him first. Guns are mega horns to bring geeks over unless you have a silencer." Our conversation ended there, the two of us behind the group until he speaks again.
" Sorry." I'm now the one giving him a confused glance until he gives further details. " Didn't mean to cut you." I shrug before we go back silence. I start messing with my gun, checking the magazine every minute before sticking it back in my jeans.
" Will you stop doing that?" he questions, frustration and annoyance in his voice.
" Give me something else to calm my mind then sure."
" Well it's hard to when you barely speak over a mutter," he snaps back.
" Give me something to do then I'll stop." I pause for a moment before speaking again. " Or you can leave me alone. Your choice Dixie."
" Whatever," he scoffs, walking to the front of the group with Glenn. Ricks looks back at me with a sincere expression. I shrug before continuing to reloading and checking my magazine. Over and over again.
-
Carter's P.O.V
We make it inside the store. The first thing we see is just one geek walking around.
" Damn. You are one ugly skank," Daryl states. I roll my eyes, his bolt landing in between the eyes. He pulls it out before Rick begins moving towards the roof, us following.
We finally reach the roof and T-Dog finally cuts through the padlock. I take the chain off and push the door open before running to where he's supposed to be, Daryl right behind. I stop , Daryl running into me.
" 'Da hell you doing bitch?" I feel myself go a bit pale. He finally notices as the rest follow.
" No! No!" he yells, trying to contain his sobs. We all stay silent as my face contorts in sadness and concern. He chose the saw. His hand is the only thing here of him with an empty handcuff, as the bolt cutters never moved from the spot I left them in.