Chapter 53

                                    

                                          
Daryl's P.O.V
I walk out of the doors to the church, the cool summer's air hitting my skin. I search for Carol but don't see her anywhere. In the moonlight, I see tracks heading down the road. I follow them to see Carol standing at the abandoned car we found earlier today. She takes the battery charger out of the boot and goes to the bonnet of the car. I walk into the woods and watch her as she reboots the battery.
                          
Once she finishes, she closes the bonnet and goes to head towards the boot when a noise comes from the bushes. She turns and a lone walker stumbles out, looking for flesh. She puts down the charger and pulls a knife out of her belt. She walks forward and plunges the knife into its head, it falling to the ground. She stands up with her hand on her hips, breathing heavy. I walk out of the bush towards her, stepping on a twig. She turns startled but visibly relaxes when she sees me.
                          
"What you doin'?" I ask.
                          
She looks around hopelessly, "I don't know."
                          
"Come on." I say, nodding back towards the church.
                          
At that moment, I hear a car driving fast down the road adjacent. We rush behind the car and look out. As the car speeds past, I rush onto the road to check it out. In the moonlight, I see the white cross sticker on the back window. I grab my crossbow and run to the back of the car, busting the lights out.
                          
"What are you doing?!" She yells.
                          
"They got Beth." I say.
                          
Once the lights are blown I rush to the drivers side, "Come on! Get in! " I yell.
                          
I get into the drivers seat and turn the car on and speed down the road after the car. Once the car is insight I slow down, keeping my distance so they won't know we are following them. 
                          
"What's going on?" She asks.
                          
"When Beth got taken, the car had a white cross sticker on the back. The car that just drove past has the same sticker. If we follow them, maybe we will find Beth." I explain.
                          
She nods her head and looks forward, both our eyes concentrated on the car ahead of us. The car is silent, the tension of the situation filling the air. The Carol finally speaks.
                          
"So it was just you and Beth after?" She asks.
                          
"Yeah." I reply, keeping my eyes focused.
                          
"Did you save her?" She asks.
                          
"She's tough. She saved herself. We were out there for awhile. We got cornered, she got out in front of me. I don' know she was just gone. When we got out, the car pulling away had a white cross on the window." I explain.
                          
"Just like that one?"
                          
"Yea'."
                          
We watch the car as we drive, "Rick's gonna wonder where we went. Cat..." I say looking down.
                          
My eyes land on the gas indicator and I mentally curse, "The tanks running low." I mutter.
                          
"We can end this quick. Just run them off the road." She states.
                          
"Nah, we're good for abit." I say.
                          
"If they're holding her somewhere we can get it out of the driver." She suggests.
                          
"Yeah but if he don' talk we're back to square one. Righ' now, we got the advantage. See who they are. If they're a group, see what they can do. Then we'll do what we gotta do to get her back." I say.
                          
"They're heading North. I-85." Carol points out.
                          
I turn and follow them onto the freeway, keeping a safe distance from the car ahead.