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»»————　act one. game of survival
CHAPTER THREE  ━━ the lone hand

Josie was sat in one of the chairs next to Amy, Tiff, Carl and Lori. She played with her pistol that was in her hands hands as She bit her top lip, anxiously, watching two figures come into sight.

Rick Grimes, in his Sheriff uniform and Shane Walsh, bickering to Rick Grimes about the trip to the city. "Could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked Rick, the words spitting out like venom.

Josephine noticed Daryl's face scrunch up as he turned to Shane. "Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl spat at the ex cop.

Tiff rolled her eyes when Shane spoke again. "No, I did. Douche bag's what I meant. Merle Dixon, The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"But he had a family, like everyone here." Josie reminded her brother, not looking up from her gun. "He has a brother that cares about him and you can't just leave someone cuffed to the roof, no better than Merle." Josie finished her little speech. In a world like this, she didn't want to loose her humanity.

Rick sighed, agreeing with josie, "She's right Shane. Look, What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" Lori piped up from beside josie, making the woman look at Lori.

Rick turned to Glenn, who hovered behind josie and tiff, who rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on." Glenn sighed as he understood what Rick was on about.

"You know the way. You've been there before... In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask... I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." Shane turned around to look at Lori.

Josie jumped out of her seat and stood next to Glenn, hand on his shoulder. "I'm coming too, more the merrier right?" She squinted her eyes, due to the sun being in them.

Rick hesitated as he turned to Shane but nodded, knowing that the woman had a good shot. She smirked, knowing that she was going and patted Glenn's shoulder.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane spat, ignoring his little sisters comment, which made her sigh and she tilted her head back, looking up at the sky.

"Four men and one woman." T-dog corrected which made josie smile. Josephine turned when she heard a sigh come from Daryl.

He glared at T-dog, "My day just gets better and better, don't it?" Daryl said sarcastically.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-dog fired back at the youngest Dixon.

"Why you?" Daryl asked, seen as though he was the one to drop the key. Josie had zoned out slightly, looking far into the distance. She snapped back into reality when she felt a soft tap on her arm, looking up to see glenn with a 'are you okay face' making her nod.

"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up." Rick was said as josie listened.

"Ammo?" Shane asked.

"700 rounds, assorted." Rick said.

"You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave? Lori asked her husband.

"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl piped up quietly from beside his mother, making Rick sigh, looking at his son.

"To hell with the guns. Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in. Tell me. Make me understand." Lori argued which made josie bite her thumb. Merle wasn't a good person but Merle is the only family Daryl had and they had taken him away from him, he was still alive and someone's family.

Rick and Shane took one look at josie and knew that she was anxious about the whole situation. He shook his head and looked down at his shoes before turning to his wife. "I owe a debt to a man I met and his little boy. Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn him."

"What's stopping you?" Lori asked.

"The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer." Rick said.

"So use the CB. What's wrong with that?" Andrea, who was now in the conversion, asked Rick, hands on her hip.

"The CB's fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap... Date back to the '70s, don't match any other bandwidth... Not even the scanners in our cars." Shane told her.

"I need that bag." Rick looked at his wife, telling her, not asking her for permission, before turning to his son. "Okay?" Carl simply nodded. Rick held his son and kissed his forehead. Josie walked over to her own tent to grab her pack, heading someone walking towards her.

"You sure you wanna go, j?" Tiffany's voice asked, making josie turn to the teenager. "They won't mind if you change your mind."

Josie smiled as she grabbed her jacket and then putting her gun in her holster that was on her thigh and tied her hair up. "I want to go, besides I haven't left the camp in ages since In forever." Josie answered the blonde as they walked out of their tent. Tiffany hummed as they walked towards the van, seeing dale and Jim stand beside the rv.

The pair walked over to Dale and Jim, giving them both a smile. Dale gave the two girls a smile before resting a hand on josies shoulder. "Would you be a star and get them tools back for me back that t-dog left behind." He asked her which made Josie smile with a nod.

"Can't trust men with anything." She simply joked, a laugh coming from dale. "I'll get you those tools, Dale."

"Thanks." He gave her a thankful nod as she smiled one more time, patting his shoulder and walking to the van, tiff by her side.

"You be safe okay." Tiff replied as josie climbed into the rv.

"Sure thing tiff, ill try my best." Josie replied sarcastically, making tiff roll her eyes as Lexa moved into the van and placed on the edge of the van, watching as Tiffany made her way towards Amy.

"Jj," she turned when she saw her brother, a defeated look on her face. "You sure about this? You can stay here." Her brother asked with pleading eyes, not wanting his sister to walk straight into danger.

"I'll be fine okay, I've done this a bunch of times. No need to worry." She gave him a confident nod as he sighed, nodding is head also.

"When did you grow up?" Shane asked, making her let out a small laugh.

"Since the world changed, didn't you get the memo?" Josie played along as Shane chuckled, ruffling his sisters hair, that was now messy.

"You be safe okay." He asked and she nodded, leaving the conversation at that and moving towards the seats, sitting down and leaning against the wall.

"You ready?" She looked up at Glenn who was in the passenger seat. Josie hummed as as she leaned her head against the van wall.

"Gotta be." She simply replied. Daryl was growing annoyed, wanting to get his brother already. He climbed into the van and walked past Josie and used his foot to press the horn on the wheel.

Glenn raised his hands up in the air which made josie chuckle, covering her hands over her ears. T-dog climbed in and dropped himself on the opposite side of josie as Rick climbed in the front with Glenn.

Daryl shut the shutters before placing himself down on the same side of josie, facing T-dog. Josephine pushed her legs to her chest so she could rest her chin on her knees.

They had been driving for a while, in a awkward silence. Daryl cleared his throat before speaking up which made Josie lift her head up from her knees to look at the man. "He'd better be okay." Daryl said, wishing that his brother was okay.

"It's my only word on the matter. I told you the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us." T-dog told him. Josie hummed, In agreement, turning her head to face Daryl again.

The van stopped and all of them got out of the Van, josie hopping out last, gripping her pack in her hand as she followed the four men to the city. T-dog cut the fence up, josie going in first, holding the wire for everyone else to get in.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick asked as we all was on the opposite side.

"Merle! We ain't even having this conversation!" Daryl was quick to answer the ex cop, thinking about his brother.

"We are." Rick fired back before looking at Josie and Glenn. "You two know the geography. It's your call." He looked between the two.

"Merle." Josie said first. "He's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first, then the guns."

Rick nodded at her, respecting what she said. Glenn nodded agreeing with the woman and everyone agreed. Merle first. They started to run to the city, as they came close to the store. Rick and Daryl stepped in first, T-dog, Glenn and Josie, following the two.

Josie quietly grabbed her gun, holding it tightly in her hand. She had never used it on the dead or living. Rick signalled to Daryl when he saw a Walker to which Daryl nodded, getting his crossbow ready.

Daryl led off towards the Walker before shooting it in the head with a arrow. Josie held her pistol tight in her hands as Daryl pulled his arrow out.

They began to walk up the stairs to where they left Merle. They let T-dog go first with the bolt cutters. Rick nodded his head and T-dog cut the chains and Daryl kicked the door open, running to find his brother.

Daryl screamed his brothers name and Josie followed behind them all. She looked down to where everyone was looking and her eyes landed on a hand. She shook her head as she looked at the blood that was near the hand and the cuffs. Merle chopped off his own hand.

Daryl's cries were heard which made josie turn to the man, softening her eyes at the man as she saw how hurt he looked. He paced back and forth, crying, calling his brother which made josie feel bad for the Dixon.

Josie ran a hand though her hair as she turned to look at the other three, who's eyes didn't leave the hand that was on the floor. It looked perfectly cut which made josie tilt her head. "God." She muttered as she turned around, facing glenn who had a tired look on his face. "He cut off his god damn hand." She sighed quietly, directing her words to Glenn.

Glenn nodded his head sadly, rubbing the girls shoulder as cries echoes around them.

— MADDIES NOTES
3RD SEPT 2023

New cover slay..
2023 words