Chapter 58: Rescue
"Shawn!"
Seeing the familiar face, Merle was suddenly energized. He craned his neck. "I knew you'd come looking for us!"
'Schlick—!'
'Schlick—!'
While Merle was talking, Shawn took out two more walkers with a couple of blows from his hammer. The remaining walkers gradually closed in. Shawn looked through a gap at the two men on the convenience store roof.
"Got any strength left? If you do, come and help me!"
"Don't just stand there staring. Can't you see my hands are tied?"
With that, Shawn tossed a black bag up to them. Daryl caught it and opened it with Merle.
Whoa—!
It was two assault rifles, plus 7 or 8 full magazines!
Daryl looked up at Merle, who was looking right back at him. They both seemed to see something special in each other's eyes.
"Damn it, let's do it!"
With a firearm in hand, Merle was back to his old asshole self. He picked up an assault rifle with one hand, slapped in a magazine with the other, the whole process extremely fluid!
Not to be outdone, Daryl reacted quickly, loaded his magazine, and started providing covering fire from their high ground, coordinating with Merle.
All fear stems from a lack of firepower!
With weapons in their hands, even a few dozen walkers were no big deal to the two of them. However, since this was a gas station, they were extremely careful with their shots, afraid of accidentally causing a massive explosion.
And so it went. Shawn engaged in close-quarters combat with the walkers in the center of the gas station, while the two brothers picked off the walkers at the edges from above. The three of them, working together, were slaughtering the remaining group of walkers with overwhelming force.
The few dozen walkers left at the gas station didn't even last 5 minutes.
'Thump—'
Daryl and Merle both collapsed onto the rooftop. Below them, the ground was a sea of walker corpses.
"Hah—"
"Hah—"
"I can't… I'm at my limit."
"Shawn, hurry up and bring us some food!" Merle yelled, his voice weak.
Shawn climbed onto the convenience store roof, carrying a bag of high-calorie food and water, and dropped it at their feet. Seeing the supplies, a fiery glint appeared in both their eyes. Without even greeting Shawn, they scrambled up from the ground and started devouring the food.
Shawn watched them with a smile, only speaking after they had eaten most of it. "What do you think? Good timing, right?"
"Good timing. Incredibly good timing," Merle said, nodding repeatedly as he ate. Besides Daryl, no one understood the satisfaction of a full stomach at this moment better than him.
"How did you find us?" Daryl asked, looking at Shawn. Some color had finally returned to his pale, quiet face.
"I didn't see you guys at first. I was just coming for gas," Shawn said, pointing behind him. "But when I saw the horde, I also saw the bikes you left behind. I figured you were probably here."
Daryl nodded, seemingly wanting to ask something else, but Shawn cut him off. "Alright, alright, we can talk on the road. Let's get gas and get out of here. I can't guarantee those walkers won't get a crazy idea and come back."
Hearing the last part, the two of them sat up from the ground and slung the assault rifles over their backs. By the time Shawn had filled up the tanks, they were already on their bikes on the road, looking over at him.
After the three of them rode off, leaving the gas station with a roar, Daryl and Merle let out a visible sigh of relief.
"Merle, you've got good taste," Shawn laughed. The flag made from the shorts was too flashy.
"Do you require any bed-warming services, sir?"
"Fuck off!"
"Our radio's dead. How are Rick and the others?!" Daryl shouted over the howling wind.
"I don't know!"
"I didn't go back after I came out looking for you!"
"But I'm guessing they've already left!"
Hearing Shawn's words, Daryl nodded. But after a brief discussion, the three of them still decided to head back to where they had separated. If the convoy hadn't left, they could all go to the Prison together. If they had left, following the main road wouldn't be a mistake. After the rain, the convoy's tires would have left muddy tracks, and by following those tracks, they would surely be able to find the direction they had gone.
***
As evening approached, the three motorcycles slowly stopped on the side of the highway.
"Looks like they've already left. We'll find a place to rest for the night. Traveling at night is too risky," Shawn said, getting off his bike. He took a portable fuel can and started filling up his motorcycle.
"Fuck! They actually left us behind!" Merle got off his bike and kicked a scattered paper bag, cursing unhappily.
Seeing his brother's state, Daryl frowned. If Rick and the others hadn't gone far, Merle's personality would have him chasing after them to start trouble.
"When we left before, we saw a cabin near here. We can rest there for a night and then set out," Daryl said. "They've been gone for a day and two nights at most. It's not far from the Prison. With the bikes, we can catch up in a day."
Hearing Daryl's suggestion, Shawn nodded. The three of them continued along the highway. After about 2 kilometers, they took a small path off the road into the woods and found the cabin Daryl had mentioned. There were walkers wandering nearby, but fortunately, the cabin's doors and windows were just a little dusty and looked to be in good shape.
After dealing with a walker inside the cabin, the three of them locked the doors and windows and settled in on the second floor.
"What are you doing?" Shawn asked curiously. Daryl was on the ground, setting something up.
"A tripwire." Daryl's rough fingers gently slid along a nearly transparent thin line. One end of the line was connected to the stair railing, and the other was connected to his precious crossbow. Daryl angled the crossbow slightly upward, then carefully took two steps back.
"Done," Daryl said, clapping his hands. "If anyone passes through here and triggers the tripwire, they'll be shot full of holes."
He looked at Shawn. "We have the rifles you brought. The crossbow can help us stand guard tonight, so everyone can get a good rest."
The skill Daryl had just shown made Shawn click his tongue in admiration. Sure enough, professional matters were best left to professionals. When it came to tracking, counter-tracking, and traps, Daryl was among the best of all the current survivors. Daryl was born for the woods.
"Goodnight, little brother. Goodnight, Shawn."
When Shawn and Daryl turned around, they found that Merle had already fallen into a deep sleep, leaning against the wall.
"We were trapped at the gas station. Merle was so worried he didn't sleep at all," Daryl said suddenly, looking at Shawn. "Although he never said anything, I know that bastard gets scared too."
"I thought, maybe we wouldn't be able to escape…" Daryl pursed his lips. His eyes were like black gems in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight shining in from the skylight.
At this, Daryl suddenly sighed and patted Shawn's shoulder. "Anyway, thanks, Shawn. You saved us… thanks."
With that, Daryl turned, leaped lightly, and lay down on a ledge extending from the window. The ledge wasn't wide, but it was just enough to hold his body. Merle was leaning against the wall, his body turned inward. But Daryl's back was to the inside, his body facing the window. Perhaps for him, this angle allowed him to see outside at a moment's notice.
…And perhaps it was also a safe haven for him to hide in after speaking his heart.
*****
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