*italics = sign language*
Miles was in shock.
She had been taken by a group who showed up from nowhere and attacked. In the process of trying to fight them off, they had hit Miles in the stomach with a bat and knocked the wind out of her. Max wasn't with her, thankfully, because she had told him to stay by Daryl's side while she went with Glenn.
The group who kidnapped Miles had shoved her into the trunk of the car and took off as soon as they could. Miles knew why. They wanted to do a trade for the guns. She wasn't stupid because it's something she would have done if she was in their shoes.
Being in the dark trunk and not being able to hear anything scared Miles. She could feel the vibrations of the car but that was it. Miles was afraid she would never see Max or the group again. All she could hope for was for someone to save her.
+
Daryl turned and stormed after one of the Mexicans that was left behind. Before he could beat the shit out of the guy, Rick forced Daryl back.
"Whoa whoa whoa. Stop it!" Rick yelled at Daryl.
"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!" Daryl yelled and tried to fight Rick's grip. "They took Miles. That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your ass!" Daryl continued yelling.
Glenn ran back to the group from where he was and noticed Max but no Miles.
"Where's Miles?" He asked. By the look of Daryl's fuming face, he knew something bad must've happened.
Before anyone could answer Glenn, Rick started yelling at them to run because the walkers were coming towards them. He picked up the bag of guns and his hat, and ran back into the building with the group and the kid that was left behind.
They ran into the lab and secured the doors before turning their attention back onto the kid who was part of the group that kidnapped Miles.
"Those men you were with, we need to know where they went," Rick tried to stay calm.
"I ain't telling you nothing," The kid did not plan on snitching.
"Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog asked while Glenn nodded. Both were still confused on how everything went down. It was supposed to be an easy plan. Glenn and Miles were going to run and get the bag of guns while Daryl, T-Dog, and Rick stayed behind and watched their back with the walkers.
"I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me," Daryl roughly pointed his pointer finger to kid on the floor.
"You're the one who jumped me, puto! Screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault," The kid fired back at Daryl, giving Daryl a mean look.
"They took Miles! Could have taken Merle too."
The kid chuckled, "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."
Daryl went to kick at the kid but Rick held him back. "Damn it, Daryl. Back off!"
"Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" Daryl asked while pulling out Merle's hand from the backpack and throwing it at the kid.
The kid tried to back away, freaked out by the cut hand.
Rick held Daryl back again, "The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out."
+
The group of Mexicans forced Miles out of the trunk and started to push her forward towards a warehouse. Out of no where she was shoved down to the floor. Miles looked up and saw a man screaming at her.
"Answer me when I speak to you!" He yelled out but Miles couldn't understand him. He kept his lips in a minimum movement, like he was mumbling while he yelled. This made it difficult for Miles to read his lips.
Miles shook her head and pointed to her ears with a shaking hand, signaling that she was deaf.
"Would you leave the girl alone. We took her to get the guns. How are we supposed to do that when we keep hurting her," The leader, Guillermo, told the man who shoved Miles.
"Sorry, G," The man apologized and gently picked up Miles off the floor.
"I'm sorry about that. Seems like my men have forgotten their manners. We're not going to hurt you. You'll be safe here until your group hands over the weapons," Guillermo said at a good pace for Miles to understand.
Miles only nodded. She was afraid to sign to the man. They hit her with a baseball bat then tell her they weren't going to hurt her? Yeah right.
+
The group arrived at the warehouse where the men who took Miles were hiding.
"You sure you're up for this?" Rick asked the guys.
"Yeah," T-Dog answered.
Rick nodded and began to walk up to the building. Once they got halfway to the door, Guillermo walked out.
"You okay, little man?" He asked the kid.
"They're gonna cut off my feet, carnal," The kid responded to Guillermo.
"Cops do that?" The leader questioned.
"Not him. This redneck puto here. He cut off some dude's hand, man. He showed it to me," The kid answered before Rick could say anything.
"We were hoping more for a calm discussion," Rick told Guillermo.
"That hillbilly jumps Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me," Guillermo chuckled.
"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides," Rick was started to get irritated with this man.
"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked. He was going to ask about Miles but he already knew she was in there.
"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I've got a Deaf girl. You interested?" The leader raised his eyebrow and smirked. Max growled at the man, knowing he was talking about his owner.
"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade," Rick tried to speed up the process. He wanted to make sure Miles was safe.
"Don't sound even to me. My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?" Guillermo asked.
"Guns?" Rick shook his head, confused as to how the man knew about the bag.
"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns."
"You're mistake," Rick shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"About it being yours. It's my bag of guns," Rick shook his head at Guillermo.
"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?" Guillermo told Rick but Rick wasn't showing any sort of emotion.
"You could do that. Or not," Rick nodded his head to the wall, showing where T-Dog was hiding with a sniper pointed at Guillermo.
"Oye!" Guillermo called out, signaling his men to bring out Miles.
Daryl, Rick, and Glenn see two men appear on the roof with Miles. Daryl was fuming at the men. He brought Miles on this run and he felt like it was his fault that Miles was in the position. Max started to bark at the men but stopped once Daryl told him too.
"I see two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood," Guillermo told them their options. He turned around and his men followed him back into their hideout, taking Miles along with them.
+
Daryl was pacing the floor. He was more worried about Miles than finding his own brother. Yes, he rarely spoke to her or paid attention to what she was doing but Miles was the only one in the group who didn't annoy him. She was the only person in the group he actually trusted, other than Merle.
"So you're gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl snapped out of his thoughts and asked Rick.
"I didn't say that. There's nothing keeping you three here. You should get out, head back to the camp. I'll handle this myself," Rick tells the men in his group.
"And tell your family what?" T-Dog asked. "We're staying and helping you get Miles back. We're not going to leave her."
+
Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, and Rick walk into the hideout with Miguel, who's hands are tied behind his back.
"I see my guns but they're not all in the bag," Guillermo looks in the bag that Rick handed him.
"That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that," Rick tells the leader.
"I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."
"No, I'm pretty clear, " Rick did not show any fear, even though he was worried for Miles's safety.
Rick decided to cut Miguel free and hand him over in hopes they would give Miles back. "You have your man. I want Miles."
This made Guillermo mad. He wanted all of the guns and here was Rick, pushing for this trade.
"You said come locked and loaded," Rick said to Guillermo, all while pointing his gun at him. This caused everyone in the room to raise their weapons at each other.
Before anything could happen, an old woman comes out from behind the group and starts shouting for Felipe.
"Abuela, go back with the others...now!" This was not the time for her to interrupt.
"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl yelled at Felipe.
"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing. He needs his asthma stuff. Carlitos didn't find it. He needs his medicine," The old woman continued to talk, not realizing what was happening.
"Felipe, go take care of it, okay? And take your grandmother with you," Guillermo ordered Felipe.
"¡Abuela! Ven conmigo por favor," Felipe tried to lead his grandmother out of the room but she seemed to realize what was happening.
"Who are those men?" She asked.
"Por favor, ven conmigo," Felipe begged her.
"Don't you take him. Felipe's a good boy. He has his trouble but he pulls himself together. We need him here," The grandmother looking up and down Rick's sheriff uniform.
"Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson," Rick responded, shaking his head.
"Then what do you want him for?" She asked.
"He's... helping us find a missing person. A girl named Miles," Rick hoped his lady would help them out.
"The deaf girl? She's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come. I'll show you," The old woman grabbed Rick's hand and led the group down the hall and into a nursing home where they saw a lot of elderly and sick patients.
Rick realized that the Vatos were protecting the individuals that were staying at the home. That's why they needed those guns.
"What the hell is this?" Rick asked Miles as soon as she looked to him.
"Asthma attack," Miles signed then pointed to her lungs for them to understand.
Daryl tapped her shoulder for her to look at him. Miles immediately turned around and her smile grew once she saw that it was Daryl. Miles couldn't help but pull him into a hug. Daryl was uncomfortable. He never got hugs and this was the first time Miles ever really touched up like this. Daryl hesitated but slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around Miles.
After a few seconds, Miles pulled away and signed "thank you" to Daryl.
"What for? It was was mainly Rick," Daryl tried not to show that he cared.
"For helping and watching out for Max. Thank you," Miles squeezed Daryl's arm and bent down to pet Max, who was patiently waiting for her attention.
Daryl couldn't help but smile at the interaction between Miles and Max. They could get on his nerves but for some reason he liked having them around. Daryl was glad that Miles was safe and back with the group. Back with him.
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Two chapters in one day! YES! I got my inspiration back and I am so happy to be writing again! I sped through this and I'm publishing it before I can correct anything errors. I'll go back and edit later tonight. Just thought y'all would appreciate another chapter!