Crossbow Hearts

~Jamie~

“Whoa hang on there Thorn, did she just say my name?”
“How the fuck should I know? Bitch struggling so damn much I ain’t listening to her just trying to stop her.” The pressure on my throat lifted and I took in air in greedy gulps. I found I had eleven guns pointed at me. I wasn’t even going to attempt to run. I rubbed at my throat trying to see where my pack was. Then I remembered the reason why I was still breathing. I looked up at the man who had told this Thorn to back off.
“Merle?”
“Look sugar tits if we met before the shit hit the fan then I’m sorry but I don’t remember you.”
“Merle Dixon?”
“Yeah should I know your name sugar tits?” I shook my head.
“You’re Daryl’s brother.” I simply stated.
“How’d you know my baby brother?” He demanded crouching down in front of me the smell of sweat and alcohol invading my senses.
“I’m part of his group.”
“That bunch of no good back stabbing ingrates! I don’t remember you with them. I’d remember such a fuckable little thing like yourself.”
“Merle stop being a fucking pig.” Thorn growled at him.
“Ah bite me tutsi, now you.” He said pointing at me.
“I’m new to the group, I came across Dale…”
“Ha that old goats still alive?!” He laughed wheezily. He sound like he smoked sixty a day.
“Yeah, I saved him from a walker. They invited me to stay on the farm. I agreed, but Shane tried to kill Rick and then a herd of walkers blew through. We lost some from the farm and Carol, but Rick killed Shane.”
“I knew that son of bitch was no good.”
“Yeah Shane was a real piece of work, Daryl and I said he came back on his own I’d kill him.”
“Ha you? Little thing like you?” I glared at him and his mocking tone. He was nothing like Daryl except the eyes, they were the same. I stood grabbing his good arm the one with a hand on the end then twisted and put him on his ass.
“Yeah I’d kill him.” Then I let go feeling I’d made my point, though the guns pointing at my head was a good incentive as well.
“That’s a military move.” He stated slightly impressed.
“Sergeant United States Army Artillery, 7th Field Artillery Regiment.” I pulled up the side of my shirt revealing the tattoo on my ribs. My units insignia with our motto in cursive Latin writing. Nunquam Aerumna Nec Prolio Fractum. I could see Merle trying to figure out what it said. “It means Never Broken by Hardship or Battle.”
“Well colour me impressed, now we have three army chicks in The Raiders.” Merle laughed wheezily again.
“The Raiders? And what? I am not in this group. I need to get back to the others!”
“Look if you’re with that group, then the china man I saw was that faggot Glenn. They ain’t coming back for you.”
“I don’t care, Daryl needs the antibiotics that are in my damn back pack that, that shit head took from me!” I shouted getting in his face and pointing in the direction of the man with my pack.
“And why would my brother need them?” He chuckled.
“Are you completely fucking retarded?! He was stabbed and now its infected! Hershel doesn’t know if he’ll make it, but I’ll be damned if you’re going to keep me here while Daryl dies!” Merle’s face softened only slightly, if I wasn’t used to seeing the slight changes in Daryl’s expression I’d have thought Merle didn’t care.
“He what?”
“Are you deaf as well as a fucktard? Daryl has been stabbed, his wound is infected and Glenn has gone without the antibiotics!” I yelled pushing Merle back.
“Well where is he?”
“You think I’m telling you lot? So you can waltz on down there take whatever you want, kill Rick and whoever else left you on top of that department store? Hell fucking no! Gimmie my pack and I’ll take a car and go myself.” I stalked over to the guy still holding my pack and snatched it from his grasp. I picked up my bat and tucked away my gun. I made towards a car as Merle stood shocked at what I had said. Then Thorn stepped in my way.
“I don’t think you get what the Raiders do.”
“I don’t think you get that I don’t care.”
“We aren’t what you seem to think we are.” She said calmly.
“Let’s see Raiders by definition, raid places to seize goods and destroy anything else.” I snapped, I just wanted to leave. Glenn would be almost back by now.
“We don’t, we go from city to city, we take supplies, we kill walkers. If a city is overrun with them we burn it to the ground. If we meet travellers along the way we try and help them out. If we meet hostiles, then we’ll kill if they attack and take their things, but that’s it.”
“Well that’s dandy, but he is way more hostile than Daryl, he set’s eyes on Rick and T-Dog, he’ll kill them as for Andrew, I’d hold that punk ass bitch down while he kills him.”
“There weren’t no Andrew in the group when I left.” Merle said coming towards us.
“No he was in the place me and Daryl where emptying of walkers. He had me go one way against my better judgement, then he got stabbed. But Hershel fixed him the best he could. I shoulda killed that punk there and then.”
“But you didn’t.” He growled out.
“No because Rick and Tyreese stopped me. Look I don’t have time for this bullshit.”
“Hey Merle, Thorn we got incoming walkers, man it’s like a herd of them!” Merle grabbed my arm and pulled me to the hunting store.
“You all know what to do, we set?” Thorn shouted.
“Yeah it’s all sorted Thorn!” Another guy shouted.
“Merle get off!”
“No you need to be kept out of harm’s way so we can get those drugs back to my brother.” I heard the concern in his voice and let him pull me into the hunting store. Half the group coming with and the other half going with Thorn to the candy store across the street. As I sat crouched down in the hunting store with Merle and his group I wondered if I’d make it out alive as the walkers started to come down the main road. If I didn’t make it out of here who was going to get the antibiotics to Daryl? I sat staring at the walkers as they went by. Merle said something, but it was like he was far away. Then he yanked me down trying to cover my head as an explosion ripped through the street outside. My hands went to my ears to stop the ringing.
“Girl are you fucking crazy?!” Merle shouted as he yanked me back to my feet. A smile formed on my face, Merle sounding just like Daryl.
“Daryl seems to think so.” He cracked a smile, something that Daryl didn’t do often.
“Ok you dickless fuckers let’s get out there!” Merle shouted and the other guys in here got up. They quickly and efficiently cleared out the rest of the walkers that were still about. It was like a military operation everyone knew what they were doing, who had whose back and where they were supposed to be.
“Its impressive isn’t it?” Thorn asked coming over to me.
“Impressive? Hell yeah, do you realise what you guys could do? You could clear the whole United States out of walkers put this country back into a working order.” Thorn smiled at the idea, but it was quickly shut down by another females voice. Someone I had yet to see, but she must be the other military girl Merle referred to.
“We aren’t doing that though. We clear the country of walkers then everyone will get their own little groups, communities and it’ll be the living fighting the living. Some groups would be better off some would behave like savages. I hear there’s a town near here. It’s safe for those in it, but strangers come along, they get shot on sight or brought in and tortured for the towns amusement.” I looked at the woman who had spoken. She was a few years older than me, dark brown hair cut short and cold steely eyes.
“Groups like yourself ain’t all that friendly. I got attacked by you, but I was with a group that sounded a lot like what you described, though they haven’t got the brains to set up somewhere they’ll blow threw towns just like you and pillage, loot, rape and murder.” I felt a shiver run through me, the nightmares were coming back in full force and talking about it just made me feel sick to my stomach. I looked up to see the nights sky. Shit Glenn would be back by now. I needed to get going. Everyone was reporting the all clear, Thorn and this new woman walked away not sure what to say to me. So I took my chance to go. I walked towards a car as casually as I could.
“Sugar tits now where you running off to?” His hand on my shoulder turning me round.
“Merle I need to get back.” I put as much pleading in to my voice as I could without sounding pathetic.
“Well I’ll be a monkey’s fucking uncle, you’re in love with my baby brother.”
“I am not.” But it sounded like a lie, I wasn’t in love with him I cared about him sure. But in love with him? I barely knew him, but that wasn’t true either the past few days I had spent plenty of time talking with him, that’s how I spotted Merle without having actually ever having seen him.
“You keep telling yourself that princess. Spark!” I looked to see who he was calling to see the other woman coming over.
“What do you want?” she asked folding her arms.
“I need you to watch the group. Carry on as we planned, I gotta make sure my baby brother gets these antibiotics.” He said slapping my pack.
“Whatever Dixon, do whatever the fuck you like. Not like you and your one hand can do much cept jerk off.” I half expected Merle to blow up, but he barked out a laugh and clapped her on the shoulder.
“You’ll do fine Spark, the boys listen to you. Now come on princess sugar tits you need to go play doctor and patient to my loser baby brother.” He steered me from the car to a motorbike and not just any motorbike, an Indian Chief Dark Horse 2012 model. “You like motorbikes?” Merle asked as I appreciated the bike.
“Who doesn’t? This is better than the Triumph Bonneville 650 he rides though that is a fine bike.”
“You screwing my brother yet?” I felt my face heat up.
“What?! No why,”
“You like bikes, got a badass attitude look the way you do and my baby brother isn’t fucking you yet?”
“It’s…we aren’t …there’s nothing going on between us.” I flustered.
“Damn I knew he was a faggot. Come on lets go save my fagotty baby brother’s ass so I can kick him in to touch for being a fag.” He barked out another laugh and climbed on the Dark Horse I got on behind wrapping my arms loosely round Merle my nose wrinkling at the smell emanating from his body.
“Erm Merle you can drive this with one hand right?” I asked just as he was about to start it.
“You may have a point sugar tits, Thorn usual drives it and I sit behind her.” I was so not about to let him drive then.
“Right off I’ll drive it, plus I know where I’m going.” We changed places and Merle had no qualms in wrapping his arm around me resting his head next to mine. I cringed inwardly and set off. There were roamers dotted about some seemed to be heading to Macon and some towards the prison almost as if they could sense there were living people there. I slowed as I came towards the fence the sun was up fully by now and I could see all the walkers that had gathered there.
“Shit I haven’t got a damn radio with me, it was in the car.”
“You lot are staying in there?” Merle asked surprised.
“Yeah we’ve cleared some of it out probably still walkers in some parts, but we’ll clear it sooner or later. But right now we need to figure out how to get in, I only have my bat seen as I lost the crowbar somewhere back in Macon.” But then I noticed some people, I couldn’t see who from where I was, but they were trying to lead the walkers away from the gate entrance and it was working. “Looks like you were wrong Dixon.” I smirked.
“Well a nice piece of ass like yours I guess even I’d come back for you.” I rolled my eyes and the second the gate started to open I sped forward Merle holding on again. The gates closed and then everyone was there.
“Jamie!”
“Thank god you’re alive!”
“Did you get the meds?!”
“Jesus its Merle!” Glenn shouted.
“Hey china man, miss me?” I elbowed merle.
“You’re a guest be nice.” I chided. Then I turned serious. “How is he?” I asked Rick.
“He’s doing fine Jamie, though he was ready to kill somebody last night, Hershel had to fix his stitches this morning.” He laughed.
“Why did something happen?”
“He heard us talking when Glenn came back.”
“He got himself out of bed and to the hallway ready to go look for you.” Glenn added. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at the thought of Daryl worried about me.
“Right well shall we go give Daryl his antibiotics?” I asked looking at Hershel, I turned to motion Merle, but he’d disappeared. “Where the fuck is that asshole?” I shook my head and followed Hershel.
“Jamie what happened?” Rick asked concerned.
“Some guy grabbed me, that still hasn’t been explained. I fought free when I realised that I still had the antibiotics. Then outta nowhere this woman Thorn and some guys grab me, I ended up fighting with Thorn, till I saw a guy that seemed familiar. We ended up on the floor and she grabbed my bat, choked me out. Then I remembered the guy was Merle. They call themselves the Raiders, they collect supplies help groups out when they can and kill groups like the one I use to be with. And kill walkers as they go.” Rick and Tyreese seemed mighty impressed, but there were at least three ex-military with them, Thorn and Spark and Merle’s a veteran or so Daryl had told me so it didn’t expect any less from them really. The second I walked into the cell block Caleb threw himself at me.
“JAMIE you’re alive!! I knew you’d come back for me and Daryl.” I hugged him tight.
“I know sweetie, no matter where I end up I’ll always come back. You behaved yourself?”
“Yeah I stayed with Daryl last night.” He smiled as I put him on his feet and he grabbed my hand in his little one.
“Jamie?!” I smiled sheepishly as I came into view of Daryl who had called out my name and was trying to sit up.
“Daryl,” Hershel started.
“Daryl lay your sorry ass back down before you pull out more of your stitches.” I scolded and pushed him down.
“You alright? Did they do anything?” I smiled, I knew he had pretty much guessed what had happened with the other group so his concern made sense.
“I’m fine, but I got one hell of a surprise for you, but he calls me,” I stopped what I was saying as the man I was talking about came running into the cell block carrying a body, blood was everywhere.
“SOMEBODY GET ME SOME FUCKING HELP!”