sixteen


CHAPTER SIXTEEN




Andie walks into the common area as Beth raises a gun into the air and fires a bullet at the ceiling. The four who are in the middle of a fight start to separate, and Merle shoves on Maggie and Michonne, yelling at them to let him go.

The brunette whistles as she walks over to them. "Let's go for a little ride, huh?" She says, and they all look over at her.

"What are you talking about?" Glenn questions as he gets to his feet, no longer stuck underneath Merle.

"I have something I wanna do, he's getting on people's nerves — two birds, one stone."

"You're not going anywhere with him."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you the impression that I was asking your permission."

"Nobody's supposed to leave."

"Remind me, when exactly did I revert back to being the group's prisoner?" She questions as she looks at him. "You're not my father. Not that I obeyed his orders either."

"Where are you going?" Maggie asks, seeing that she has no intention of backing down.

"We're running low on supplies and we know that the Governor's preoccupied at the moment. I plan on going on a supply run." She tells them. "You want me to bring someone else with us so you can be sure that we're not gonna intervene with Rick's meeting?"

"And if I said yes?" Glenn asks.

"Well, you're starting to piss me off, but I guess I'd ask for a volunteer."

"Go." Carol says as she walks in from the cell block. "I think you could all use a break from each other. Take Merle and go."

"Can I come with you guys?" Beth asks, and Andie looks over at her. "I wanna learn from you while we're out there."

"Let's go then." The brunette quickly rifles through the bag that Merle was trying to take to go after the others, and she grabs less fire power than he wanted.

The three of them load up into the truck, and Carol shuts the gate behind them after Andie drives out. Beth's sitting in the back, and a very irritated Merle is in the passenger seat.

"You know I'm right." He says as he looks over at them. "You said yourself that your people aren't assassins."

"You don't know my group."

"I'm trying to help your group." He tells her. "I know the folks here are strong, good fighters... But they ain't killers."

"The night I met Rick, Glenn, and Hershel — they were holed up in a bar, trying not to get killed by the men in the group I was with before." Andie starts. "The group wanted them dead because two of their members were laying dead on the bar floor. They wanted information on the farm, had threatened to kill Rick and take it. So Rick shot and killed them both.

"When the Governor tore down the gate, had me pinned down in the field, there was one of his men in the guard tower. He kept shooting at Carl, but I had a clear shot, so I killed him." She tells him. "We're not assassins, but that doesn't mean we won't kill to protect what's ours."

"For some reason, that doesn't surprise me about you." He says, and she glances at him. "We could go, you know? Me and my brother, we have a few calls we use when we hunt. I'll give him a heads up. He'll warn the others. You can get the Governor for what he did to you, I'll take care of the rest. We'll be home before you know it."

"Hey, Merle, read my lips." She turns her head and looks at him. "No."

"I get it." Merle smirks. "What my brother sees in you."

"Daryl's my friend." She shakes her head as she looks out at the road. "At least, I thought he was."

"What made you change your mind?"

Beth's watching them from the backseat, and Merle glances over his shoulder at her. He tries to ask her what she thinks, but she simply turns and looks out the window at the passing trees.

Andie stops the truck outside of Southern Discount, and Merle looks up at the store. "Look familiar?" She asks before climbing out of the cab.

Beth follows closely behind the brunette, who has her hatchet in hand. They start into the store and the youngest picks up a small basket to help her collect things that they may need. She's excited when she finds beans, and Andie chuckles as she helps her look for more food.

Merle finds them a few minutes later with a basket full of baby formula, and he holds it out toward Andie. She pauses as she looks at him, then she reluctantly takes the basket. They load their findings into the backseat of the truck, and that's when Andie sees a single walker making its way down the street.

"Beth, come here." She calls her over as she pulls the rifle off of her back.

"Isn't it a waste for one walker?" The blonde asks.

"Not if it's teaching you to be better with a rifle."

"What do I do?"

"Hold it like this." Andie helps her situate it in her hands and against her shoulder. "It's got a much stronger kickback than what you're used to. Make sure you're holding it firmly in place before you're ready to shoot. Now, look through the scope — there's two lines that cross in the center. You see what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah."

"You want the walker's head where the lines intersect."

"Okay. I see what you mean."

"Good. Now, cock the gun and put yourself back in this position." Andie tells her, and she does as instructed. "You feel secure in your posture, on your feet?"

Beth pauses a moment before answering. "I-I think so."

"Find the walker in the scope, then pull the trigger."

The blonde does as she's told, but she misses the first shot. She sighs as her shoulders sag, and she looks at Andie.

"No, don't do that." The older girl shakes her head. "You didn't fail, you missed. It's your first time with a rifle. I'd be surprised if you hit it first try. Did you see which side the bullet passed the walker on?"

"The right."

"Good. Learn, correct, try again."

Beth stands firm on her feet as she raises her shoulders and positions the rifle again. She looks through the scope, listening as Andie tells her to steady her breathing, then she fires again. The walker drops, and she smiles brightly as she looks back at Andie.

"Did you see that?" She asks, bouncing on her feet.

"You'll be Daniel Jackson in no time." The brunette chuckles as she reaches out and takes the rifle from her. "Let's get this show on the road. I have one more place I wanna hit before we head back to the prison."




"What the hell were you doing?" Rick questions when Andie, Beth, Merle, and Carol walk back into the cell block.

"Well, Dad," The brunette looks at him. "We went on a supply run, got food... Oh, yeah, and bullets." She tosses a bag into the middle of the room, and he walks over to go through it.

"Where did you find all this?" Glenn asks as he looks at the ammo over their leader's shoulder.

"A place Merle knew about."

"You took Merle and Beth with you on a supply run?" Rick questions.

"I thought Merle could use some fresh air after Maggie put him in a choke hold because he tried to beat Glenn again. And Beth wanted to learn a thing or two while we were out." Andie tells him, and he looks up at her. "I'd have asked you for your permission, but you were out wasting time and fuel. And, uh, I don't need permission to leave the prison."

"You have a problem with the way I run things?" He asks as he stands up straight.

"I'm just getting a little tired of everyone treating me like I'm incompetent."

"More like I'm worried you're a ticking time bomb."

"You took Daryl and Hershel and left the prison. Glenn hates Merle, and Merle likes pushing buttons to get a rise out of people. I deescalated a situation and got us supplies that we needed — food, munitions. Instead of a thank you, I'm being scolded." She shakes her head as she starts for the stairs. "But please, tell us about your fruitless endeavor with the Governor."

Rick grinds his teeth as she walks past him, heading up to her cell. He takes a deep breath as he places his free hand on his hip, a gun in the other.

Their leader clears his throat. "I sat with this Governor for quite awhile."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asks, and he nods. "Should've gone while we had the chance." He then looks up at Andie and she flips him off.

"He wants the prison." Rick continues. "He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury... We're going to war."

Their leader walks out of the cell block, going up to the catwalk, and the others look up at Andie; she's standing on the perch. The brunette's leaning on the railing, her arms resting on it as she looks back at the rest of them. Daryl looks over at his brother before starting up the stairs.

"Hey, sugar baby?" Merle says, and Andie's head drops as she groans in annoyance.

"You never shut up the whole time we were gone. Can't you just—"

"I have a question. And don't worry, I'm not asking your age."

The teenager stands up straight and crosses her arms over her chest. "What is it this time?"

"The way you taught little blondie today..." He starts, and she nods as Daryl looks between Andie and his older brother. "How'd you get to be a decent instructor so young?"

"It's fairly easy to teach something you've been doing your whole life."

"You've been shooting rifles your whole life?" He questions.

"Guns."

"How long you been using guns?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"Since before I could write my name."

"No clues to your age, huh?" He chuckles, and she rolls her dark eyes. "Your daddy a survivalist nut or somethin'?"

"No."

"Military?" He asks. "You made a reference to Saving Private Ryan out there."

"I watched a lot of movies."

"So, what did your old man do?" He asks, and she just looks at him. "He a serial killer?"

Andie cracks a smile as she looks at him. "You solved the puzzle." She says sarcastically.

"Why are you so cagey?"

"Why are you so nosy?"

"What about your mama?"

"What about her, Merle?" Andie questions. "Do you have a point to this interrogation?"

"I find you interesting."

"Yeah, well, I find you annoying." She says as she turns for her cell.

"What was your mama doing while your old man was teaching a child to use a gun?" He asks, and she stops as she turns to look back at him.

"She kept her mouth shut and her head down — stayed in line, obeyed orders, didn't speak out of turn." Andie tells him, and his expression turns far less amused as he looks up at her. "Call me sugar baby again, and I'll show you what else the men in my family taught me."

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