"The motorcycle. Get it onto the pickup!" Calista's original plan had been to load the motorcycle into the back of the pickup.
But now, with Lori and Carl urging him on in a panic, Rick had already driven the pickup away, and Shane's sedan didn't have much trunk space.
"Shit! No time!" Merle cursed. He glanced at Daryl's beloved motorcycle still standing there, then at Daryl, whose injured arm was still being bandaged.
"You get in Shane's car!" Merle shouted at Daryl, while trying to steady the motorcycle with one arm. "I'll ride this thing!"
But handling a heavy motorcycle with one arm was already difficult under normal conditions. Trying to weave through a horde of walkers made it nearly impossible.
The bike wobbled under Merle's grip. He struggled to keep it upright and nearly went down with it.
While he fought to control it, no one noticed three or four walkers slipping through the gaps between the vehicles, snarling as they lunged at him from behind.
"Merle! Behind you!" Leah, who had just gotten onto the back of Calista's motorcycle, spotted the danger immediately.
She did not hesitate. There was no time to even speak. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
Leah jumped off the moving motorcycle.
She hit the ground, rolled to absorb the impact, and brought up her rifle in one smooth motion.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three quick, precise shots.
The bullets passed close to Merle and punched straight through the walkers' skulls.
The walkers dropped instantly.
Merle broke out in a cold sweat. He turned, seeing Leah and the faint smoke curling from her gun, and froze for a moment.
At the same time, Daryl saw everything.
More walkers were already closing in. His eyes widened, ignoring the tearing pain in his shoulder as he rushed over from beside Shane's already running car.
"Move! You idiot!" Daryl shoved Merle hard with his good arm, pushing him toward Shane's car door. "You think you can ride with one hand? Get in!"
At the same time, Daryl forced himself onto his motorcycle.
He clamped the bike between his legs, his injured left arm barely holding the handlebar while his right hand twisted the throttle.
The engine roared to life.
"Leah!" Calista shouted from a distance. Her path was already cut off by walkers, and she could not turn back to pick Leah up.
Leah reacted instantly. The moment Daryl revved the engine, she sprinted forward, leapt, and landed cleanly on the back seat of his motorcycle.
"Stay on Calista!" Leah said quickly near his ear, her breathing slightly uneven from the sudden burst of movement.
Her warm breath brushed against his ear.
Daryl's heart jolted. He did not have time to think. He pushed the motorcycle forward, breaking through the forming ring of walkers just in time and catching up to Calista ahead.
Seeing this, Shane slammed the accelerator. His sedan, carrying Merle, screeched as it surged forward and took the lead onto the dirt road.
Calista's motorcycle wove through the growing gaps between the walkers with agile precision.
Leah sat behind Daryl, one arm wrapped naturally around his waist to keep steady, the other holding her gun, ready to pick off any walker lunging in from the side.
Daryl could clearly feel the warmth and strength against his back. A faint flush crept across his pale face.
As he sped forward with Leah behind him, even with the pain in his arm, he felt an unexpected sense of steadiness.
Behind them, Greene Farm had already been swallowed by a sea of walkers.
From the trailer window, Hershel watched the hellish scene devour the land that held generations of his family's labor and memories. Tears streamed down his face as he finally slumped into his seat, no longer resisting.
Maggie bit her lip hard. Tears blurred the road ahead, but her hands stayed locked on the wheel as she followed the taillights in front.
With all the farm's livestock and poultry and most of their supplies in tow, they fled like startled animals, racing toward the interstate along the route Calista had pointed out.
The century-long history of Greene Farm came to an abrupt end amid the deafening roars and the devouring tide behind them.
They sped on until they reached the interstate, only then daring to ease off the gas.
Once the horde was no longer visible, Calista, leading the convoy, signaled for a stop. The vehicles pulled over at a relatively open, abandoned roadside rest area.
Engines shut off one by one. Doors opened with trembling hands as people stumbled out, legs weak and barely holding them up.
"Everyone here? Check if anyone's missing," Rick said hoarsely, scanning the group.
"Jimmy? Beth?" Maggie called out. Beside her, Hershel, still in tears, craned his neck to look around.
"We're here!" Beth jumped down from the livestock truck and rushed into Maggie's arms. Jimmy nodded, his face pale.
"Otis? Patricia?"
"Here!" Otis answered, his deep voice steady as he supported Patricia beside him.
"Glenn?"
"Maggie, I'm here." Glenn jumped down from the supply truck and pulled her into a tight embrace.
The RV door opened, and Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, Jacqui, Carol, and Sophia climbed out one after another. Fear still lingered on their faces, but all of them were unharmed.
Carol held Sophia tightly. Both of them were still trembling.
Lori clutched Carl close and gave Rick a firm nod. Her tears finally fell.
After counting everyone, miraculously, no one was missing. No one had been left behind.
A wave of relief swept through them.
The farm was gone. Their home was gone. But everyone was alive.
T-Dog and Jacqui hugged each other, laughing and crying at the same time.
Dale took off his hat and wiped his eyes. Andrea leaned against the RV and let out a long breath, as if a heavy weight had finally lifted.
Carol let go of Sophia, crouched down, and carefully checked her over.
Compared to the mix of grief and relief among the farm group and Rick's people, Calista's side was noticeably calmer.
Almost instinctively, Shane first checked over his "new" team.
Calista, Leah, and Daryl were all safe. Merle sat in the passenger seat, still talking nonstop.
Then Shane looked toward Rick's group, his expression carrying a complexity even he might not fully understand, as he quickly scanned the crowd.
When he saw Rick supporting Lori, with Carl close beside them, the tension in his jaw eased.
They were safe. That was enough. It also meant he could move forward without hesitation.
"Hey, kid! See that? I almost handled your busted bike with one hand!" Merle walked over to Daryl and slapped him hard on the back with his good arm, slipping into his usual bragging.
But Daryl did not snap back or ignore him like usual.
He turned his face slightly away, giving a vague "Mm," his ears faintly red, his eyes drifting toward Leah as she walked over to Calista.
Merle paused, disbelief spreading across his rough features.
He reached out and pressed the back of his hand against Daryl's forehead.
"Fuck! You running a fever or something? Why's your face so red? Your wound infected?"
...
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