Just as the walker was about to pounce on Maggie, a blur shot forward even faster than the scream.
It was Leah.
She slipped in between Maggie and the walker in one smooth sidestep.
Her left hand knocked aside the rotting arm reaching out, and her right hand drove the dagger upward in a clean arc, the blade flashing cold in the dim light as it pierced through the walker's jaw and straight into its brain.
The walker froze mid-motion, then dropped heavily beside Maggie, completely still.
Maggie stared at Leah, still shaken, realizing this was the woman who had just saved her life.
Leah had already pulled back, wiping the blade and stepping away. She pressed her lips together slightly.
"Be careful."
Calista stepped forward and helped Maggie up.
"Are you okay?"
Maggie's face was pale as she nodded, her heart still racing.
At the same time, the fight outside came to an end.
Daryl took down one walker with a crossbow bolt, while Merle split another's skull open with his metal axe in a brutal swing.
Glenn rushed inside. The moment he saw Maggie was unharmed, he let out a breath and pulled her into a tight hug.
"You scared the hell out of me."
His voice still carried the aftershock.
This time, Maggie didn't push him away. She let him hold her, though her gaze drifted toward the walker's body on the ground, slightly unfocused.
Once Maggie calmed down a little, Glenn joined Calista and Leah in continuing the search for medicine and supplies.
Taking advantage of the moment, Merle pulled Daryl, who had been checking the nearby alley, into a more secluded corner.
"Hey, kid. Got something serious to tell you."
Merle lowered his voice, dropping his usual rough attitude for once.
Daryl looked at him with suspicion.
"What are you up to now?"
He had seen this look before. It usually meant Merle was about to pull something.
"Listen," Merle said, gesturing with his good hand. "After I got off that damn rooftop, things didn't go completely to shit. I ran into Calista and Leah. Where they're from, it's nothing like this dump."
He launched straight into selling Rock Fortress.
"It's in the mountains, walls so high walkers can't even get close. The place is huge. Mercenaries and National Guard patrol the perimeter every day.
They've got proper patrol units, search teams, engineering crews. Their own water and power. Crops growing, livestock, everything.
And the best part, they've got a military fighter squadron.
People there don't mess around. If you can fight, you step up. If you can't, you train.
And Calista, don't let her age fool you. She runs things tight."
He lifted his metal arm proudly.
"She designed this herself, got top combat engineers to build it. Better than what I had before. Over there, I'm a key fighter."
Calista: …
Merle leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Daryl, don't stay in this dump. Come with me. Rock Fortress is where people like us belong. Way better than this place."
Daryl snorted, still wearing that mocking expression.
"Yeah, right. You? A key fighter? Save it, Merle. Who knows if you're just making this up again?"
He shot it down out of habit, not letting anything show.
But inside, he wasn't completely unmoved.
A strong community. High walls. Self-sufficient.
It was the first time he had ever really imagined a place like that.
He had always lived on the edge of the group, used to being alone. A stable place like what Merle described felt distant, almost unreal.
And yet, Merle was alive. Not just alive, but doing well.
That metal arm might look strange, but it was clearly useful. It also meant someone had invested in him.
Calista and Leah didn't look like ordinary survivors either.
Especially Leah. He had seen how she moved when she saved Maggie.
All of it made him hesitate, even if he didn't show it.
Merle finished his long pitch, looking at Daryl smugly, expecting to see some interest.
Instead, Daryl narrowed his eyes.
"Sounds real convincing."
His tone was full of doubt.
"If your 'paradise' really has everything, walls, food, all of it, then why are the three of you…"
He pointed with the tip of his bolt, first at Merle, then toward Calista and Leah inside the store.
"Why are you running around like stray dogs, sneaking onto this farm to steal sheep?"
Merle's expression froze instantly.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first. His face flushed.
"Fuck. That was an accident."
He stiffened, trying to defend himself.
"We ran into a walker horde. You don't know what you're talking about. Not dozens, not hundreds. Thousands. I've never seen that many in my life."
He gestured wildly with his left hand.
Daryl raised an eyebrow, pressing further.
"Thousands? And it just happened to scatter your little core group? And just happened to send you here?"
"What a coincidence."
"And that damn Italian pretty boy," Merle snapped, getting worked up. "That bastard Lorenzo. Took our car and ran at the worst time. Otherwise we would have…"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Too late.
Daryl caught the hesitation instantly. A knowing smirk tugged at his lips.
"Oh yeah? So where is this place of yours? What's it called? It's got to be somewhere."
Merle quickly pulled himself together, glaring at him before putting on a smug look again.
"Nice try. Not happening. That location is top secret. You think I'd just tell you?"
He tapped his temple.
"But the fact you're asking… means you're interested, right? Starting to think this place isn't good enough for you?"
"Interested my ass."
Daryl turned away.
"I can survive anywhere. You, on the other hand, should think before you start talking, so you don't trip over your own lies."
He hoisted his crossbow and headed back toward the alley to keep watch.
Still, in the back of his mind, the place Merle described, a hidden base important enough to keep secret, a place that even led to betrayal, lingered.
Merle watched him go, spat to the side, and muttered,
"Kid's sharper than he looks. But…"
A grin slowly spread across his face.
He could already picture the day Daryl would come asking him to lead the way to Rock Fortress.