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Safe Haven in the Chaos	By : IdrilsSecret Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 6517 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead or any of the characters. No money is being made from the writing of these stories

Chapter List
- 89
- 90
- 91
Chapter 91 Plan of Attack

“Aaron … Aaron, you there?” Daryl said over the hand-held radio. He waited for what seemed like forever when it was probably only a few seconds. Still, it was longer than he would have liked.

“I’m here,” Aaron came back. “This damn radio isn’t working right. I have to keep tapping it on my arm to get it to work.”

“What’s the situation?” Daryl asked.

“No sign of them yet, but there’s a slight stench in the air which tells me they’re close. I’ll radio back once they’re at the gate, but then, I’m going to have to go into silent mode.”

Daryl sighed. “I hate that I won’t be able to reach you. What if something–"

“Nothing is going to happen. Alden and I are already in position. The trap door to the hide out is locked. They won’t find us up here,” Aaron reassured him. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“See you soon,” Daryl answered with some reluctance, and they went into radio silence. He looked around the room at all the people. Everyone was involved in some way, either taking care of others or working on their plan to get rid of the horde and Beta. Suddenly, he had the need to get away and be alone, like he’d done so many times in the past. He approached Gabriel and stopped him as he was rushing by. “I’m gonna make another sweep of the grounds.”

“Are you sure? We could really use someone to–"

“I need to get outside for a moment,” Daryl interrupted him. Gabriel gave a nod and went back to work.

As Daryl was about to leave, Gracie stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll just be outside. I’m not going far,” he assured her.

“But you just came back from being outside,” she complained.

Daryl knew she missed Aaron, and that he needed to take up the father role while they were separated, but he felt he couldn’t do that right now. He needed some air. These deteriorating walls were closing in on him. “I won’t be long. Why don’t you hang out with Judith and R.J. until I get back?” he suggested.

“I don’t know where Judith is, and R.J. is with the other little kids having story time. I’m too old for that,” Gracie told him.

“I’ll stay with you,” Rosita said, coming up next to them. “You can help me with Coco. I’ll even let you hold her,” she said, rocking her baby in her arms.

Gracie looked from Daryl to Coco and Rosita. “Alright,” she said with little enthusiasm.

Rosita smiled at Daryl, and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I just need to do something to keep busy, and what I’m good at is patrolling.”

“We’ll be okay until you get back,” she told him. Daryl gave her a nod, and gave Gracie a soothing rub on her back before he left.

>>------->

He’d been walking around the perimeter for half an hour, but it was quiet. He only had to kill two walkers, and he’d gotten them before they ever sensed him. Daryl wished he could talk to Aaron, but his radio was off. Besides, he didn’t want to take the chance that his radio was on, and make any noise that would compromise Aaron’s position. The last they’d spoken, it sounded like the horde was almost in range. Daryl didn’t want to think about Aaron hiding in the windmill, surrounded by an ocean of walkers. It only made him more anxious. Instead, he let his mind wander a little as he walked around, and found himself thinking back to years past when life on the run was normal for him and his people. There weren’t many left from that original group. He had a special bond with those few, Michonne, Carol … Maggie. He didn’t know where Maggie ended up, and he hadn’t seen her in quite a few years. She used to pick up correspondence left from the other communities, but the hidden box hadn’t been cleared in a long time. Carol told him that she still left notes once in a while, but it had been a long time since any of them had been read. Now, Michonne was gone, out helping someone get back to their home on an island, and possibly making contact with yet another community. Unfortunately, none of that mattered because war had come to Alexandria sooner than they would have liked.

Feeling nostalgic, Daryl wished to talk to Michonne. He knew she had a radio, and he hoped she was still within range. The problem was, the Whisperers could also be listening. It was for this reason that they referred to the abandoned hospital as the ‘tower’. Still, he needed to get a message out to alert her about their situation. “If you can hear me, don’t go home. You won’t find what you’re looking for there,” he warned to keep her from returning to Alexandria. “We got a plan to end this,” he said into the walkie. “I think you’d like it, too. Man, being out here, on the run like this, reminds me of the old days. Seems like ages ago. A lot of them aren’t with us now. I miss them all.” Daryl paused before he said too much. “On a lighter note, I got hitched. I bet that comes as a shock.” Unfortunately, there was no answer. “Michonne, can you hear me? Michonne?”

Just as he got done talking, he heard leaves rustling not far from his position. There was a slight incline, and the sound was coming from the other side. Daryl put his radio back in his pocket and went to see what was going on, shocked by what he found. Gracie was sneaking around in the forest, alone.

“Gracie?” he called, and she whipped around quickly. “What are you doing out here?” he said with authority.

“I want to help,” she answered with confidence.

“Absolutely not,” Daryl returned. He looked around to make sure the area was free of threats, and reached out to take Gracie by the hand. “I’m taking you back.”

“No,” she rebutted. “I want to stay out here with you. Maybe you can teach me what you do so I can help keep everyone safe.”

“Right now, it’s my job to keep you safe, not the other way around.”

“Carol says we’re never too young to learn,” Gracie said, using his best friend against him.

“Is that right? Well, remind me to have a word or two with Carol when this is all over,” Daryl said to her.

“Please let me stay, Daryl?” she begged.

“What would your father think about this? No, you have to go back.”

“You would let Lydia stay,” Gracie challenged.

“She’s much, much older than you, and . . .” he paused realizing she was drawing him into an argument. “I’m not doing this right now.”

“I’ve already started learning some things,” Gracie announced as she tried to shock Daryl.

“Oh, you have?” he answered cynically. He made a mental note to have a really long conversation with Carol, until Gracie let him know who was teaching her.

“Judith showed me how to use her katana, and she gave me one of her knives. See?” she said, pulling a small hunting knife from her belt.

His first instinct was to abandon his position and take her back, but he couldn’t help think about Judith and how much Michonne had taught her so far. She was only a couple years older than Gracie, and she could already fight walkers, though with adult supervision. Gracie needed to learn this stuff too, and Aaron kept telling him she was too young. It was an argument that was overdue, but with life being so caustic right now, Daryl chose to put it off. “What did Judith teach you about using a knife?”

Gracie turned the knife to hold it properly, and went to Daryl to use him for her subject. She used only a couple of moves, but they were good ones. She circled around him, came up from behind and attempted to kick his legs out from under him. “First, I have to get you on the ground, and then . . .” She pretended to bring the knife down at Daryl’s temple. “And if you were face down, I would stick you through the base of your skull.” She stood and offered Daryl her hand. He might have laughed if she wasn’t so serious.

“Not bad, but have you ever actually fought a walker?” he asked, and she shook her head. “It’s good to know how to fight, and it looks like Judith taught you some good moves, but that’s not going to work for every situation.”

“That’s why the first thing I should do, if I’m able to, is run away and get help,” she said.

“Yes, that’s the first rule,” he agreed.

“Please Daryl? Let me stay with you,” she asked again, this time with big doe eyes that stared into his soul.

Daryl could resist a lot, but Gracie stole his heart. She was his kryptonite. After giving her a hard glare that didn’t seem to make much difference, he caved in. “You do exactly as I say or we go straight back.”

>>------->

Aaron and Alden were in place. The horde arrived and flooded the streets of Alexandria. Of all the places to go, Beta and two of his people chose the windmill to perch upon and oversee their army. The two men kept quiet and out of sight, hardly breathing as they hid just above their enemy.

“They’re not here,” a male Whisperer observed.

“They knew we’d come here,” Beta responded.

“Maybe they’re hiding. A bunker? Underground?” the other Whisperer, a woman, suggested.

“They left,” Beta said, as though he knew what their next move would be. “It’s time to walk. We’re going to the ocean.”

As Beta discussed his next move, Alden spied on him from the open window above, eavesdropping on the conversation. Suddenly, Beta looked back and up. Alden tucked his head back in quickly. Aaron watched him and waited, fearing for their safety. Using sign language, he asked Alden if he’d been seen, but Alden didn’t answer. The hairs stood up on the back of Aaron’s neck. If they had been spotted, they were trapped. Aaron tried asking Alden the same question again, this time with more force. Alden moved back to the window, and carefully peeked out. A look of relief washed over his face as he turned back to Aaron and signed that Beta was leaving. It was a very close call.

They waited until the horde emptied from the town to make their next move, and then cautiously made their way to one of the guard stands. Aaron pulled his walkie out of his pocket and pushed the button, but nothing happened. With frustration, he tapped it on his metal arm and tried again. “Tower, do you copy?” He was hoping to hear Daryl’s voice, but Gabriel answered instead.

“Yeah, copy.”

“They’re heading for Oceanside, just as we expected.”

“Any sign of it slowing?” Gabriel asked.

“Not yet. We’ll let you know if anything changes. In the meantime, we’ll stay on top of them.”

“Copy that. Stay safe.”

“Uh, is my husband around?” Aaron asked just before Gabriel ended the transmission. It felt good to refer to Daryl as his husband, and it kept him from using names.

“He’s on patrol, but he should hear you if he’s on.”

Aaron knew Daryl would have a radio on him at all times, and he began to worry. “When’s the last time he checked in?”

“Not too long ago. I’m sure he’s fine,” Gabriel reassured him.

>>------->

Daryl had been showing Gracie how to patrol and track, putting their time together to good use. It was good practice, but he couldn’t help feel the guilt creeping up on him. Aaron wouldn’t approve of this, especially right now with all that was going on.

So far, he spent his time pointing out different signs to look for, and Gracie was absorbing everything like a dry sponge dropped onto spilled water. This shouldn’t have been required learning for an eight-year-old, but this was the way the world worked. At a time when she should be collecting stuffed animals and hanging posters on her bedroom walls, she was learning how to wield a weapon and properly take down a walker. Instead of glitter and glue, it was blood and gore. What was even more disturbing was that no one batted an eyelash. Still, Daryl knew how important it was for her to know these lifesaving rules. If she was going to learn these things, she was going to learn to do them right.

“When you’re patrolling, you have to look for something wrong or out of place,” he told her as they were walking along the perimeter.

“Something like this?” Gracie asked, finding a branch that had been snapped in half.

Daryl came over and looked at it. “What did you find?”

Gracie bent forward with her hands on her knees to get a better look. “Looks like something came through here.”

“What’s your outtake on this?”

“Anything could have broken it. There’s nothing else here,” she concluded.

“Good,” Daryl said, proud of her observation. “And you can tell that it broke a long time ago because the wood at the break isn’t green and fresh like this,” he said, breaking another branch to show her the difference. “But what if it was newly broken and, let’s say there was a piece of material or some threads stuck to it. What would you do then?”

“Radio it in?” she asked, feeling sure she was right about her answer.

“Yes, but first and most importantly, get yourself somewhere safe and then radio it in.” As Daryl spoke, he checked his radio and realized he didn’t switch it back to the open channel they were using to keep in contact with the rest of the group. Just as he turned the dial, static came across the speaker, and he turned it up so he could hear better. It was Gabriel, and it sounded like he was talking to Aaron.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Gabriel said just as Daryl intercepted the call.

“Aaron, is that you?” he asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me,” Aaron said with relief. “Where are you?”

“I’m on patrol, checking the perimeter.” As Daryl talked, he held a finger to his lips, telling Gracie to keep quiet. The last thing Aaron needed to know was that she was out here with him. “How’s it going?”

“They’re doing as we predicted.”

Daryl signaled for Gracie to stay put, and he walked away a few feet. He didn’t want her worrying any more for her father than she already was. “Are you heading back yet?” he asked quietly.

“We’re going to keep an eye on things here for a while longer. When we’re sure then we’ll head back.”

“Just be careful. You’re not out of the woods yet,” Daryl warned, though he knew Aaron was always mindful when he was out on a mission.

“I know. I’m always extra cautious. You watch out for yourself too. It’s not safe. Get back as soon as you’re done with your rounds.”

“I’m heading back now. Oh, and hey … I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Aaron said, and Daryl could hear him smiling. “I’ll be there soon. Over.” Aaron ended the conversation. It wasn’t good to stay on the radio any longer than they needed to be.

Daryl held the radio in his hand a moment longer before he put it back in his pocket, before he went back to Gracie. He took the moment to feel relief that everything was going according to plan, and that Aaron was okay. When he turned around, Gracie was watching him, waiting to continue her lesson. “Okay, where were we?” he said as he walked back to her.

“If I see something wrong, hide and then call it in,” Gracie reminded him.

“Right. Now, let’s talk about hunting. When a hunter moves, everything around him moves too. Your goal is to find something that doesn’t belong.” He gave a quick look at their surroundings, and instantly saw something to use for his lesson. “Alright, try to find something that doesn’t fit in, something that just doesn’t feel right.” He watched Judith look around until she spotted what he had seen. She slowly walked over to a tree that had something stuck to the bark.

“Found it,” she called. Gracie took her knife and examined a piece of skin caught on the rough tree surface. “It’s a walker.”

Daryl moved in to examine it for himself. Indeed it was the rotting flesh of a walker. “Would you say it’s fresh or has it been here for a while?” he asked.

“Looks new. It’s still floppy and it smells too.”

“It’s pliable, not stiff or dried up, so yes, it hasn’t been here long.” It was a good find, but it had Daryl a little worried about the walker it just came from. “What do you do first?” he asked, still moving on with the lesson as other thoughts came to him.

“Find a safe place, and then use the radio,” Gracie answered. “Is that what we’re going to do?”

“We are, but just to be on the safe side, I want you to stay behind me.” Daryl was worried that Whisperers might be around the area, rounding up some stragglers.

Gracie moved close behind Daryl as they made their way through the woods. Up ahead, not far, they saw a small group of walkers. Daryl wasn’t convinced that they were all walkers because of the way one of them moved with purpose. He lifted his crossbow up, aimed it and fired his arrow. It struck the Whisperer, who let out a yelp. The walkers nearby turned to the Whisperer, who sounded like a woman, but she took off before she was attacked.

“You stay close to me unless I tell you otherwise,” he ordered. Daryl and Gracie moved in, and Daryl took down the walkers. The lesson was over for now. Gracie was obviously scared, and all Daryl could think of was to keep her safe.

They climbed a small hill and stopped at the top when they saw the sharp drop and the Whisperer rolling around in the ditch below. It had been a lethal blow to the upper chest that would lead to a slow and agonizing death. Daryl made sure of that.

“Help me,” the Whisperer woman begged. “Pull it out. Please.”

“Answer my questions and I’ll see what I can do,” Daryl said to her.

“Anything. What do you want to know?” said the woman who was out of breath and in extreme pain.

“Where’s your people at?” Daryl asked.

“A few miles east of here. They’re heading toward the ocean.”

That was good. It correlated with what Aaron reported, so it seemed everything was still on track. “Are you a scout?” Daryl asked her.

“No. I’m on my own.”

“Why?”

“Beta, he’s lost it. Ever since your people killed Alpha, he hasn’t been right. I got scared so I left. That’s all I know, man. Will you take this arrow out now?” she begged again.

Daryl ignored her request and continued with another question. “Does he know where my people are?”

The woman winced as more blood seeped from her wound, turning the ground red around her. “I … I assumed that’s why he was going to the shore … to that village. Does this mean he’ll find another empty town?” she asked.

Daryl glared at her, bow still raised. This woman was a liability, and he knew how this was going to end. The woman must have seen the look in his eyes and figured it out too. “It doesn’t matter where you go. Beta will never stop looking for you.” She winced again and cried out, the pain becoming unbearable. “Please, let me die then, so that I can join the horde. You’ll give me that at least, yeah?”

Without another thought, Daryl launched an arrow, this time hitting her in the head, killing her so that she wouldn’t come back like she asked. He’d almost forgotten about Gracie, and turned to see if she was still there. She was, but she looked horrified. It was a tough lesson and a difficult thing for her to see, but she wanted to know what it was like to patrol. He climbed down the ravine, retrieved his arrows, and climbed back up where Gracie stood at the edge of the ditch.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Gracie said.

“She was going to die anyways. Better if it’s quick,” he said and started to leave.

Gracie stood only for another moment, looking down at the dead woman. “You’re just going to leave her there?” she asked, disturbed.

“We need to go,” Daryl insisted, ignoring her.

“What if she had a family? They might never find her. They’ll never know what happened to her.”

“It’s not our problem. We have to think about the safety of our people.” Daryl took her hand and pulled her away with him.

“What if it was you? What if Daddy was looking for you and never knew what happened? Wouldn’t you want him to know so he could–"

“Your dad and I never do anything or go anywhere without the other one knowing. It’s our number one rule. Always has been. And when you’re older and out on your own, you need to do the same thing.” Not meaning to, he spoke with an edge to his voice, but that was because of the adrenaline flowing through his veins. Gracie looked worried and scared, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. “I know this is scary for you. I should have taken you back to the tower,” he berated himself.

“I wanted to stay,” she said. “I just don’t understand why you had to kill her. You could have just scared her, or maybe you could have captured her.”

Daryl shook his head. “That’s not how this works,” he said. A million other reasons came to mind, but Gracie’s worry seemed extensive. “Where’s all this coming from?” He got down on his knee to face her at eye level.

“I just want everyone back together again,” said Gracie with sadness.

“Your daddy will be back before you know it. Actually, I expect he’ll be–"

“Not just Daddy,” Gracie interrupted. “I want Michonne to come back, too. For Judith and R.J.”

“It will take Michonne a little longer than your dad, but she’ll be back.” Daryl wondered why she was bringing up Michonne. “What makes you think she’s not coming home?”

Gracie bent her head down as though she’d said too much. “When people we love aren’t with us, we don’t know what’s happening to them. Just like that woman you killed, no one will know what happened to her.”

“Honey, is there something you’re not telling me, something you know that I don’t?” Daryl went on with gentle interrogation.

“I promised I wouldn’t tell,” she said quietly.

“I think you have to now,” Daryl said with an easy tone, but she wasn’t giving up the information. “You know, I radioed Michonne earlier to let her know what was happening. I told her not to go home so that she’d be safe. If that’s what’s worrying you or Judith–"

“She’s probably not coming back anyway,” Gracie said.

“Why? What did Judith tell you?”

“She said she’s not coming back. At least not for a long time. Michonne told Judith that she found other people on that island, and she decided to go with them, and help them get back to their home.”

This was news to Daryl. He had to wonder if it was true or something Judith came up with while worrying about her mother. It also sound like something Michonne would do, especially knowing they could use the extra man power to fight this war. But if it was true, why wouldn’t Michonne have radioed it in? He would have to confront Judith about this, but now was not the time. “Is this why you came out here without permission?” he asked to keep the attention focused on Gracie.

“I was worried something might happen to you too, and without Daddy here, I got scared,” Gracie admitted. “I thought that if I came with you, I could help to make sure you didn’t get hurt.”

Daryl opened his arms to her. “Come here,” he said, and she jumped into his arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?” she asked.

Daryl released her so he could look into her eyes. “I can’t make a promise like that. Not to you, not even to your dad.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “But why?”

“I can’t lie to either of you. The truth is, I don’t know what’s going to happen. No one does. In this world, anything can happen at any time. But what I do know is that I would fight like hell to come home to you and your dad. If something ever happens to me, know that I didn’t give up, and that I fought until my dying breath. That’s something that your dad and I promised each other, and now I promise that much to you.” He pulled her back into his embrace. “I love you, Gracie girl.”

“I love you too, Daryl,” she whimpered.

Just then, the radio came alive with static. It was Gabriel, but he was breaking up. “. . . come back . . . surrounded . . .”

Daryl and Gracie released one another, and he grabbed the radio from his belt. “Gabriel? What was that? You’re not coming in.”

“. . . not safe . . . horde . . . here . . .”

“We gotta go. Keep up,” Daryl commanded, and they took off running back to the tower. Daryl tried the radio as he went. “I’m on my way,” he answered, but there was no reply. Next, he attempted to get a hold of Aaron “Do you copy? What’s going on? Are you there? Aaron,” he tried desperately, but there was no answer. He made a few more attempts, but there was no signal. Something was happening, and it wasn’t good.

>>------->

Aaron and Alden were following the horde at a distance, and so far they were heading toward Oceanside. They made sure to stay hidden and alert, especially being this close.

“Still no sign of slowing,” Aaron commented. They were using a stand of trees as coverage.

“You think this plan will work?” Alden asked.

Aaron could tell he’d been thinking about it for a while now. “It has to, doesn’t it?”

“I always thought it would be easier once Alpha was dead.”

“Sure, Alpha was erased from the equation, but we still have her horde and Beta to contend with,” Aaron answered.

“I meant … seeing past what we’ve lost,” Alden said, a solemn tone coating his words. “And we’ve lost a lot because of her.”

“We have, yes, and I’m not sure we’ll ever see past that. What I do know is that we can make a stand right here, right now, and try to make sure that we don’t lose anymore. We’re doing this now for Gracie, for Adam, for everyone here and for those who come along later. We go all in for them, and when this is over … then maybe something good can come from all the loss.”

Alden gave a slight smile and a huff, but their positivity was interrupted when Alden noticed something odd. “Wait a minute. Are they slowing down?”

Aaron observed the horde, and felt his heart drop to his stomach. “They’re changing direction.”

“Shit. The Tower is that way,” Alden said, breaking into a cold sweat. “Call it in.”

Aaron took the radio from his pocket and pressed the button, but there was nothing. He tried several times, and then tapped it on his metal arm, but there was still only silence. “Damnit. It’s no good. We have to leave … now,” he demanded.

Both men turned to head back to the tower as fast as they could, but before they could take a single step, they found themselves surrounded by a half dozen or so Whisperers. They were all armed with knives, except one who had a gun, and it was aimed at Aaron’s face.

It was an intense standoff. No one moved. No one spoke. It was the Whisperers mistake not to make the first move. Aaron sensed their hesitancy, and glanced sideways to see if Alden was getting the same vibe. With a quick nod of his head, Aaron gave the signal, and Alden and Aaron went into battle. Aaron ducked quickly and kicked the legs out from under his assailant. He punched him with his metal arm, knocking him out, and then grabbed his shotgun. Alden was fighting with two Whisperers. The third made a charge for Aaron. He raised the gun and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Aaron dropped the gun, and got ready for a hand-to-hand fight. He was always at an advantage because of his arm, and he blocked the knife as his attacker tried to aim for his throat. Years ago, Paul had taught Aaron the moves he used now, and they hardly ever failed him. Another Whisperer went down, and Aaron went to help Alden, grabbing the attention of one of the attackers. Together, Alden and Aaron took out the last of their enemies. All dead with wounds to their heads. Out of breath, Alden and Aaron looked at each other.

“We make a good team,” Alden said, letting a smile escape.

“Nice moves, man,” Aaron complemented.

Their victory was shortened by the sound of the nearby brush rustling. Both men swung around, knives in hand, ready for anything to come out at them. They thought it was walkers drawn over by the noise of their struggling, but they were shocked when someone dressed like a ninja burst out of the bushes.

He was dressed in black from head to toe, and his face was covered by a metal mask. At least they assumed it was a he. They couldn’t tell for sure. For weapons, he wielded a pair of wood and steel sickles, and he handled them like a pro, twirling them around with ease. Aaron and Alden glanced at one another, unsure how they were going to take on this new foe. Their hunting knives were no match to the Japanese Kama this man threatened them with.

Aaron knew he had the best chance, and said quietly to Alden. “I’ve got this.” He raised his knife and his metal arm into position for an attack, but their assailant lowered his weapons and seemed to stand down. Aaron cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow. “Who the hell are you?”

“He’s with me,” came a woman’s voice, and out of the trees, to Aaron’s great surprise was none other than Maggie Rhee.

“Maggie?” Aaron said with amazement and shock.

“Aaron,” she answered and went to him. They hugged and released quickly so that Maggie could give the same welcome to Alden.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Alden asked.

“Long story, but I found your letters, and I’m here to help.”

“Letters?” Aaron asked, confused.

“So,” she gestured toward the horde past the trees. “Is this Alpha’s army of the dead?”

“How–" Alden started to ask.

“No time to explain now,” Maggie cut him off. “Where is everyone?”

“The others are at our hideout,” Aaron explained. “I’ll tell you about it on the way. They’re in danger. The herd has turned and is heading their way.”

“Let’s go then,” Maggie said and they were off.

>>------->

Daryl and Gracie were almost to the safehouse when they came upon Carol and Kelly. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“We were getting some supplies for Luke, and all of a sudden we heard them,” Carol said. “Why are they here and why didn’t we get any warning?” She was angered by the surprise invasion.

“I don’t know. Aaron was supposed to radio in, but … Have you seen him or Alden?” he interrupted himself. Carol and Kelly shook their heads. There was no time to worry about it now. “We have to go,” he told them.

They ran as fast as they could, but the walkers were closing in on them, surrounding them. The way back was almost cut off, but at the last moment, they managed to slide inside one of the doors into the hospital. It was so close, a couple walkers got inside, but Daryl and Carol took them out quickly. The four entered into the hospital, and others gathered around them, curious to know what was going on. It was obvious that they had no warning.

Gabriel pushed his way through and met Daryl. “We’ve got a problem,” Gabriel stated.

“Yeah, I barely made it through our problem,” Daryl answered, looking back at the dead walkers on the floor.

“It’s not just the horde. Come on. We need to talk,” said Gabriel who led Daryl and the others to another room.

As they walked along the hallway, Rosita saw Daryl and rushed toward him. When she saw Gracie, relief washed over her face, but quickly turned to anger. “Gracie, you can’t just run off like that.”

“It’s alright,” Daryl said to calm her. “We talked. She knows what she did wrong.” Then he turned to Gracie. “I need you to stay with Rosita for now. And I mean it. You stay with her. No more running away.”

“I promise,” Gracie said. She seemed embarrassed for getting caught. Rosita smiled at her so she wouldn’t feel too bad. She put her arm around Gracie, and led her away so that Daryl could concentrate on the problem at hand.

Daryl stopped Gabriel just before they entered the room full of people. “Have you talked to Aaron?”

“Last time we talked he said the horde was heading for the ocean. We had no warning or we would have gotten everyone out of here,” Gabriel informed.

“I have to go find Aaron and Alden,” Daryl said under his breath.

“We need you here, Daryl,” Gabriel countered.

“They could be in trouble. They could be trapped. I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” said Daryl sounding upset and determined.

“Just hear what they have to say first,” Gabriel begged.

“No!” Daryl demanded with anger. Some of the people close by stopped what they were doing and looked toward the doorway where he stood with Gabriel. Daryl calmed quickly and spoke in low tones. “That’s my husband out there. I didn’t marry Aaron just to lose him to this war.”

Gabriel laid a gentle hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “We need you here.”

“Aaron needs me too,” Daryl contested.

“You know Aaron is strong and smart. Yes, he’s out there somewhere, but he wouldn’t want you abandoning your position to look for him. He’d want you here with Gracie and the other children. I’m sure he couldn’t warn us because the radio stopped working. We were having trouble with that walkie for a while, but it was the only one we had left. Aaron is going to try to come back to you just as hard as you would try to go out there and find him. But we need you here or this isn’t going to work. Do you understand?”

Daryl closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew Gabriel was right, but his drive and his concern for Aaron usually won above all else. After a minute, he had convinced himself to listen to Gabriel. “Alright,” he finally agreed.

They approached the group gathered around a bench where Luke had been working to get things ready. Luke looked up at the gathering crowd. “So, the problem is, the wagon with the speakers is on the other side of this horde, out in the far end of the parking lot. Everything we need to run the speakers and draw the horde away is with us.”

“So, we need to get from point A to point B,” said Carol as she looked at Daryl for leadership.

“I think we’re abandoning that plan,” Jerry said from across the way. “We need to follow through with the evacuation.”

“But if we don’t do something now, we might not get another opportunity,” Carol argued.

Everyone started choosing sides and giving their ideas of how to go forward, but Daryl knew they still needed to deal with the horde. It was their only chance. “Gabriel, you need to start the evacuations. In the meantime, we need to get to the wagon, fire up those speakers and draw the herd away from the hospital. I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it,” he told them.

“Does this have anything to do with meat suits?” Carol asked. She already knew what Daryl was thinking.

“We’ve done it before. We know it can work,” Daryl told her.

Carol, who stood near one of the sheet covered windows, moved the material to the side and looked out across the large sea of walkers. “We’ve never done it from this distance, and with killers woven into the mix.”

“You got a better idea?” Daryl challenged her, but she refused to take him up on it.

“What’s a meat suit?” someone from the group asked.

“We’re not going to wear one of their skins like the Whisperers, are we?” asked another.

“Not exactly,” Daryl answered. “But it’s not pretty either.”

Gabriel had been there when they made a similar move through the walker infested streets of Alexandria. Back then, his only goal was to take Judith and get her to safety. Now, he had an entire community to see over. “We need four groups of two, one to carry the equipment and the other to protect. All of the equipment must make it or this won’t work.”

“I want to help,” Lydia said after coming forward, but two women from Oceanside made their opinions known that they wouldn’t participate with Lydia in the mix.

Daryl felt the anger bubble in his chest. After all this time, he didn’t understand why some still distrusted Lydia as much as they did. He took a step toward the women, but Carol was there to lay a hand on his arm and stop him. He looked down at her hand, realizing that it was usually Aaron taking this position. He closed his eyes and calmed, holding back the thought of leaving all of this behind and going to find Aaron instead. He knew that wasn’t a wise decision. What was important was getting rid of the horde, and to do that, they needed the cart with the speakers.

“Do we have an evacuation plan?” Daryl said as he looked around the room.

Gabriel nodded in gesture to the elevator shaft. “There. That will lead out away from the hospital in the opposite direction that the herd is coming from. We can tie a rope and get everyone down, but it will take some time.”

“Alright, I’ll leave that up to you,” Daryl told him. “I’ll buy you some time by rigging up some explosives in the stairwell.”

“I’ll help you,” Carol volunteered.

“Good. Luke, you get those bags packed. It looks like we have a plan. Let’s go,” Daryl said. He and Carol gathered up some charges and a bag of nails and other shrapnel, and got to work.

>>------->

They were almost done with the explosives in the stairwell when Daryl decided to tell Carol about Michonne.

“But I thought she was just taking one person back,” Carol said.

“She was, but it looks like she came across some other people and decided to help them get home. It could be beneficial for us. She might find a whole other community, more people to trade with, to join sides with.”

“Then that’s a good thing,” said Carol as she handed him a fist full of nails for the charge they installed. He didn’t look like he was sure though. “Is there something else?”

“I’m worried, that’s all. I don’t like not knowing where Michonne is or who she’s with. I should have gone with her,” Daryl mentioned.

“Michonne would never have gone in the first place if she didn’t trust that you would be here to watch over Judith and R.J.,” Carol pointed out. “Gabriel is right, you know. This is where you’re needed most.”

They finished up their work just as someone came to inform them on the progress of their plan. It seemed Jerry and Magna hauled in a couple walkers, and they were getting ready to make the meat ponchos.

“I hate this part,” Daryl told Carol with no enthusiasm. She gave him a sympathetic smile before they went to join the rest.

“I got the packs ready,” Luke informed Daryl once they were all together. “This is the last part.” He gazed down at the walkers on the ground, their bodies opened up and gore spilling out.

They found whatever they could to use, coats, jackets, rain coats, and spread the disgusting recipe on them. Teams were formed. Jerry and Magna, Luke and his girlfriend Jules, Beatrice and Carol, and Daryl and Kelly. One would carry the pack and the other would be the guard, keeping a sharp eye as they made their way through the herd. Everyone was nervous, but they were determined to make it to their destination.

Daryl watched as they all worked to get ready, and noticed Negan off to the side. He got angry at the fact that Negan wasn’t participating in any of this and confronted him. “Hey, why aren’t you helping?” he said angrily.

“Not my style. Thought I’d be better off staying around here, maybe playing lookout or something,” Negan answered in his usual egotistic style. When he saw that Daryl wasn’t playing along, he got serious. “Every Whisperer is out there searching for me now. If I go with you, I’ll just bring unwanted attention. It will only complicate the mission.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Daryl called him out. “You said before that you wanted to be a part of this, so now is the time to put your ass on the line just like the rest of us.” Daryl thought of Aaron out there somewhere, putting his life and their future on the line, and felt his anger get to a dangerous level. He decided it was best to walk away. After all, it was Negan’s decision how he wanted to participate in this war, and people would remember if he didn’t.

“It’s time,” Gabriel called, and the group of teams got ready and put on their disgusting garments. They entered into a vestibule of sorts, a place where they could go out into the herd without any walkers getting inside. The pairs teamed up and stood silent as Jerry eased the outer door open. Walkers squeezed inside the small room, ignoring the living. Everyone flowed into the mix and went out into the open.

It was horrible to be in a sea of walkers, all growling and gurgling, and only inches from their snapping jaws. But as bad as it was, and as frightening as it felt, it was working. Very slowly, they made their way across the lot. They spread out in pairs, and the one playing guard kept a strict eye on their surroundings. They knew to watch the hands of the surrounding walkers. It was the quickest way to identify a Whisperer.

Daryl was Kelly’s protector, and he watched everything surrounding them. If he saw an attack coming on, he would have to act fast. However, they still had one more form of protection. Standing in the top windows of the hospital, archers prepared to take out any Whisperers they located from above. And when a Whisperer started to make a move toward Daryl and Kelly, he got an arrow in the chest. Daryl didn’t even have to flinch. But the Whisperer with the arrow went down quickly due to the walkers around him. As soon as they smelled blood and heard the scream of pain, they were on top of him, feasting on his living flesh. Daryl gave Kelly a nudge and they moved a little faster away from the bloody scene.

From their location amongst the herd, they caught the sound of more screams, and hoped they came from Whisperers. There was no way of telling while inside the massive crowd of walking corpses. The pair was moving along when suddenly, the bodies around them started squeezing in tighter. It seemed the Whisperers were tightening the horde, making it almost impossible for Daryl and Kelly to keep going. Still, they eased their way through rotting bodies and chomping teeth. The gore smeared on their clothes was working, keeping them invisible as they pushed on.

After what seemed like forever, they reached the edge of the horde and emptied out into a forest. Hiding amongst a fallen tree and some rocks, they found the others. Jerry, Magna, Luke and Jules watched cautiously, relief evident on their faces when they saw it was Daryl and Kelly. Daryl glanced around and noticed who was still missing. “Where’s Carol and Beatrice?”

“They’re not here yet,” Luke announced.

Daryl looked back through the trees, but all he could see was a wall of walkers. He would just have to remain hopeful that Carol and Beatrice weren’t far behind. He pulled a radio out of the bag Kelly was carrying and turned it on. He needed to call in to Gabriel, but he waited for Carol. He was also anxious to know if Aaron showed up or not. Too much time had gone by without word from him, and Daryl was worried sick.

Two figures pushed out of the horde and stood at the edge of the forest. Daryl stood, and the figures came forward. It was Carol, but Beatrice wasn’t with her. It was Lydia wearing her mother’s mask. Daryl watched her with confusion, but Lydia walked past him without stopping. Why was she here? She should have been at the hospital with the others. He wanted to ask why, but there wasn’t time. Besides, there was nothing to do about it now. Instead, he got on the radio and called in to the hospital. “We made it. We’re heading to the wagon now.”

“You need to hurry,” said Gabriel with desperation. “They’re here, and they’re trying to break through.”

“What about the charges we put in the stairwell?” Daryl asked.

“At least one went off. I could hear someone moaning. But I think the rest got wise to your trap.”

“Did Aaron and Alden make it back?” Daryl asked, though he was afraid to know the answer.

“I’m sorry, Daryl. There’s been no sign of them. I’m sure they’re safe wherever they are.”

It wasn’t a good enough answer. He needed to know Aaron was back safe with the others. As Daryl listened to the horde nearby, he made himself refocus on his current situation, getting to the wagon. “It shouldn’t be much longer and we’ll have the wagon up and running. When you see the herd turn, you’ll know.”

“We’ll do our best, but I don’t think we can hold out much longer. Most of the group has gotten out, Gracie amongst them. I’m just worried about them all out in the open,” Gabriel said with lost hope in their plan.

“They’ll be okay. Once we get the wagon working, we’ll draw the horde away. And if you see Aaron–"

“I’ll let you know right away,” Gabriel interrupted. “Be careful. Over.”

Daryl turned the radio volume down, but he didn’t turn it off. He looked up to see Carol close by, waiting for him to finish up his conversation. They moved toward each other as they traveled through the forest to the wagon.

“Why’s Lydia here? Where’s Beatrice?” Daryl asked.

“A Whisperer cut her. There was a scuffle. In the end, Beatrice was overrun. She had the bag, and I was about to circle around to retrieve it when Lydia came out of nowhere. She picked up the bag, and we moved on,” Carol informed him. “I didn’t tell her to come along.”

“Yeah, I know that much. That’s just one more I have to keep an eye on,” he said.

“No, you don’t,” Lydia said, coming up beside Daryl. “I can handle this myself. I know what to do.”

Daryl was about to argue, but Carol laid a gentle hand on his arm. “She’s right. Let her go, Daryl.”

He found he didn’t want to let Lydia go. Up until now, he’d been her guardian. He had been there when she needed help, when she needed someone to talk to. But he found that when he looked into her eyes, even as she wore her mother’s mask, she wasn’t the kid he’d saved from the jail cell in Hilltop. She was a warrior, just like him. Daryl gave her a quick nod, and Lydia answered with a nod of her own before she moved away to join the others.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Carol asked with a slight smile.

“They have no other choice,” Daryl said as he thought of Gracie too. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
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Safe Haven in the Chaos