"Carl!"
"Carl!"
Carl took a deep breath and did his best not to let the impatience he felt show in his voice when he answered his little sister, "Yes, Judes."
They were heading downtown to The Joy, which was a toy store for kids. The Joy store had been advertising a sale on toys for the past week, such as the flying tricycle, or the animated teddy bear. The sale synced perfectly with Judes' fifth birthday. Carl had made a promise to her and his father that he would take Judith to the hellish store and allow her to buy anything she wanted, within range of the allowance his father had deposited on their Deso card.
As it were, Carl was assigned this birthday duty by his father, Rick Grimes, who did not have the time himself. As the leader of the Infantry group, the military protectors of their small city of Alexandria, Rick could not reschedule an important meeting he had with the President of Alexandra, Deanna Montague. They were to be in a closed session meeting for half of the day, so it was up to Carl to keep Judith busy until Rick was free the rest of the afternoon.
"Are we there yet?" Judith asked from the back of Carl's hover board. She was strapped in and Carl had set up his vt-monitor at the ready, in the hope of keeping her distracted while he took in a nap; she would be able to watch all her favorite videos.
Earlier, Judith woke up at least two hours before the sun made an appearance and declared, "IT"S MY BIRTHDAY!" Her announcement reverberated through the Grimes household, waking up both Carl and his father.
Rick didn't seem to mind as he appeared at Carl's door with Judith in his arms, a wide smile filling his face. "Come on son, it seems your sister would like to get the festivities started sooner rather than later."
To both of their surprise, Carl made no move to argue that it was four in the morning and it was too soon for anyone to celebrate. He just rolled out of bed and followed his father and sister downstairs to their large kitchen and helped his father make Judith's favorite breakfast, blueberry pancakes.
Now, Carl looked at his wrist band, which was connected to the hoverboard's directional system. "We're a few minutes away."
He yawned, stretching his long limbs in the tiny cabin. He had long since outgrown this tiny transportation machine, but Judith loved riding in it and his father felt it was safer than allowing both of his children to walk the path to the small city alone. Although many of the zombies that once roamed the area had been destroyed, every now and then, a herd would have to be tracked and destroyed. The round exterior of the hoverboard, no bigger than a Volkswagen beetle, the silver air born vehicle, kept them safe from any outside trouble.
"YAY!" Judith yelled.
Carl let out a deep sigh, there was no need to close his eyes again, so he decided to check his messages instead. Strolling past the to-do list his father had managed to send him, Carl's eyes widened when he saw a message from his female classmate Enid. He fumbled as he tried to open the message on his wristband, not wanting to disturb Judy who was now engrossed in the movie on his vt-monitor.
"Morning Carl, do you have some time this weekend to help me with my bow and arrow technique? Professor Dublin says I need more practice and suggested I ask you for help since you hold the highest grade in the class. Please let me know at your earliest, as I have to gain permission from my guardians."
Carl quickly typed, "Sure, I am free tomorrow. Today is my little sister's birthday. Just let me know the time and place."
The hoverboard lunged to a stop and the interior turned a bright blue, then green, signaling that they arrived at their destination. Judith giggled as she unstrapped herself from her seat, excited to get started on finding her birthday present.
"Let's go!" she said as the side door opened to reveal a sidewalk and the exterior of The Joy store.
Carl unfurled his tall body and followed his little sister into the store. For a second, he thought Judith had gone into shock as she stood frozen in one place and took in the wonders of the giant store. Kids and parents pushed past them, but Judith remained in the same spot.
Carl bent down so he could be at eye level to his younger sister, "Judes?" he asked, "Are you alright?"
"It's just really big," Judith whispered. "Really big." She said again. Carl had never seen his little sister act like this, she was awestruck.
"Yeah it is," Carl answered
"Will you come with me?" Judith asked.
"Of course." Standing, Carl took Judith's hands in his and together they went off to explore the store.
It wasn't long until Judith found a little boy her age and they took off together riding a flying spaceship. His wristband vibrated, and Carl found that Enid had responded to his message. "I can meet you at the rear fence of yard 3 at noon but I promised my Guardians I would be home by four p.m."
Carl replied quickly, this time using the vt-monitor, "That should give us plenty of time to practice."
"Great! See you there. And thanks for taking your time to assist me."
"No problem. Glad I can help." Carl couldn't help but feel a little nervous about spending time with Enid. She was not his "Indlovu", his chemical love match, Carl was way too young to have an "Indlovu" reaction, but he did feel something for her.
His friend Ron told him it was a crush; Carl didn't know what to name it but he knew he liked spending time with her. Carl had heard that chemical Indlovu reaction never happened for some as it had not happened for his father and mother. They had met and fell in love the natural way.
Indluvu was a love finder virus, the virus laid dormant in the blood stream, it was given to settlers of this world a thousand years ago in hopes to keep the population growing. The virus turned active when those of matched chemistry met. Once the matched love birds looked into each other's eyes, the Indluvu virus would become active; there would be a quick physical reaction, where their hormones hit a high peak and the love birds could not think of nothing else but spending time with each other. This would last for about thirty days straight, once the thirty days were through, both parties could decide if they wanted to be together or they could go on with their lives.
Carl remembered seeing the Indlovu reaction take place only once and that was with his uncle Shane had met his now wife Andrea. He was about ten at the time, when he, his father, and Shane had entered a communal elevator after leaving a Sunday baseball game. Carl was not sure what exactly happened, but all that he remembered is one second Shane was joking with his dad about the umpires last call and the next he was all over some blond woman. One second Shane was next to Carl in the elevator, and the next, he was in a corner of the elevator hiking up the woman's red dress as he pressed between her legs. That was all Carl was able to observe before his father covered his eyes. Carl didn't see much of his uncle for a long time after, and when he saw him again, they were at he and Andrea's wedding.
"Carl!" Judith yelled from across the room. She was standing a few feet away from the talking Teddy bears. "This is what I want for my birthday."
Happily, Carl helped his sister carry the large size teddy bear to the checkout stand. He was so ready to leave the loud, noisy place. He silently wondered if all three of them would fit into the hoverboard, but if Judith wanted it, he would make it work somehow, even if he had to strap stuffed bear to the top of the round vehicle.
As they waited for their turn to be checked out, Carl asked, "So why did you pick this one, Judes? I thought you really liked the rocket?"
Judith shrugged, "I did, but who would ride it with me?" she answered picking at the teddy bear's artificial fur, "You and daddy are way too big. But my teddy likes to read and hug. We can have tea time and watch videos together when you're busy."
Carl didn't know what to say, he was nine years older than Judith, but he always tried to make time for her. But if he was truthful, for the past six months since school had started back, he had spent less and less time hanging with her. Before he could respond, the checker asked for his Deso number so they could charge the teddy bear to their father's account. Once finished, he crab-walked the very large teddy bear out the door behind his sister.
"Hold on, Judes," he called out once they hit the sidewalk outside of the store. Carl used his other hand to call back their hoverboard, which had risen to a safe level to keep the streets clear. He heard her say okay right before something slammed hard into his right side, knocking him off of his feet. A large white flash blinding him, as something slammed against his right temple. The bear went flying as Carl crumbled to the ground.
A deep voice said from somewhere above him, "Grab her!"
"Carl!" Judith screamed from somewhere to his right.
"Judes!" Carl slurred as he tried to get up, but his head was ringing and he could feel something wet trickling down the right side of his face; the white light had blinded him somehow and he couldn't see a thing, only dark shadows.
"Carrrrlll!"
"Shut her up!" came the deep voice again, which now seemed closer. Muffled screams came from Carl's right side.
Carl lunged out and grabbed onto something solid, it was an arm, no a leg, a leather clad leg. "What are you doing to my little sister?" he said wildly, trying to hold onto the leg; two large hands grab onto the collar of his shirt and yanked him up. Carl's feet left the ground.
"Your little sister is coming with us. She fits the specs completely. You better be glad there is no request for skinny gangly white boys with long hair or you would be coming with us too."
Blindly swinging out, Carl's fist connected with flesh; he swung again, only to find himself flying through the air. His back crashed into the glass doors of The Joy store. He landed unconscious just inside the entrance door.
Rick looked down at his vt-monitor which sat on the conference table in front of him, and swallowed down a yawn.
Judith had woken them up so early that morning and he didn't have the heart to tell his youngest child to go back to sleep, especially since she was so excited to see a new birthday.
Hell, he was excited for her to see one also. He had no idea how he was managing being a single parent of two kids. After Lori's death due to childbirth complications, Rick had no idea how he was going to do it all by himself. And he had to admit, he didn't have to; he had wonderful friends who were like family and they stepped in to help where they could.
Managing being a single parent to two wonderful, but active kids in addition to being the leader of the protective military group was hard at times. He had a lot of responsibility as he reported directly to the President of Alexandria. Finding the time to go to games, teacher parent conferences, and tiny tot ballerina plays, and making sure his kids ate, slept, did homework and stayed healthy, was a fulltime job in itself. Thankfully, his boss was an understanding lady and often suggested herself that Rick keep a home life balance.
Although he wished he could have spent the day with his kids, enjoying Judith's birthday together, this meeting was of the highest importance. An outside patrol group found a herd of at least three hundred dead walkers heading their way. This meeting was to discuss options on how they would protect the city. The city's head engineer was in the middle of describing ways they could fortify their walls when a priority call came through.
Deanna answered the call, annoyance, at being disturbed, dripping off every syllable. "Please tell me this interruption is necessary," she said to the caller who was on loudspeaker.
"Very, Madam President," the caller responded.
Rick perked up, that voice belonged to Shane, who was at the security headquarters monitoring the city.
"Shane, is there a problem?" Rick asked, knowing Shane would not knowingly interrupt a meeting of this magnitude as Rick had filled him in about its subject a few minutes before the meeting started.
There was a slight pause, "Yeah Team Lead, I am sorry but you need to get to the local hospital right away. Carl has been seriously hurt and…Judith has been kidnapped. I have shut the city down and we are actively looking for Judith's kidnapper right now."
Rick's world stopped. "Carl..Judith what?"
"Yes, Team Lead. You need to get to the local hospital. Carl was brought in with serious injuries, but he is alive and we are actively searching the area for Judith and her captors. I have a transport waiting for you outside of Madam President's home right now to take you to the hospital."
Rick didn't think he could move, but small hands moved across his back, pushing him up and out of his seat. He looked down in a haze to find Deanna's serious face, "Come, we have to get to the hospital," she said, pushing him toward the door. "We are on our way now. Send any and all word to us there." She called out to Shane.
"Yes, Madam President." Shane responded before ending the call.
Rick didn't think he could move without her assistance, his brain had stopped at son injured and daughter kidnapped. Deanna bundled him into the transport and sat beside him on the way there. His children were in danger, his son was in the hospital, and his daughter was kidnapped! The words stumbled through his head over and over, even as he got out the transport and followed Deanna down the hospital hallways. The world rushed back to him only when Carl's doctor met them outside of the surgery room.
"I'm Dr. Rosita Gomez, your son was brought in with a serious concussion, multiple contusions, and a laceration above his right eye. He's lost a lot of blood but we were able to stabilize him. We have hyper healed his contusions and the laceration, although there will be a slight scar. He needs to stay overnight so we can make sure concussion has no lasting damage, but he should be up and alert in a few hours."
"Can I see him?" Rick asked, focusing on the bright red pendant the doctor wore on her necklace.
"We are moving him to recovery. Once there, I will have a nurse come get you." The doctor responded.
Rick nodded and pinched the top of his nose, something he did when he tried to calm himself.
"Rick, that was good news." Deanna said laying a comforting hand on Ricks arm.
"Now we just need to find out where my daughter is," Rick responded, pulling the vt-monitor from his belt, he called Shane.
Shane's face came into view and Rick could tell he was on one of their open security hoverboards. Shane was moving fast as his hair whipped back in the wind; he turned toward the camera and they could see he held a power gun in his right hand.
"Did you find them?" Rick asked, hoping beyond hope that Shane had caught the bastards before they left the security of Alexandria lands.
"We are tracking them now, they are heading toward Yard 5. Three assailants, two men and one woman."
"Were you able to put eyes on Judith?" Rick asked.
"Negative. They are traveling on a rocked out hoverboards and are moving at exceptional pace. All three have a small trailer on the back, one of which we think could be holding her."
"She's still alive Rick," Deanna replied. She stood close to Rick as they both watched Shane in real time pursue his daughter's kidnappers.
"Rick, they wouldn't go through all this trouble just to kill her," Deanna added.
Rick could only nod in response as they continued to watch Shane and the rest of the security group chase the assailants across the green scenery of the outskirts of their large city.
There was a shrill whistle, and Rick immediately knew what that meant. The security team had made contact with the assailants and were now in hot pursuit.
With every fiber of his being, Rick wanted to leave the hospital and pursue his daughter captors himself, but he couldn't; he needed to be there for Carl when he woke up, so he watched helplessly as his team took on fire power from the assailants as they fought back.
"Remember to keep your power guns on stun only!" Shane called out as he ducked and weaved and returned fire, "My god daughter is on one those boards and we can't hurt her!"
Rick wished there was some way he could see what Shane was looking at, but knew Shane needed his hands to direct the hoverboard and return fire power.
There was a loud scream that came from Shane's left side. "Shit! We just lost Wilson!" he yelled, "Flank to their right!" He told one of the security teams to his right side, "I'm going in on the left, we'll try to box them in!"
Come on Shane! Get those sum bitches! Get my daughter back!
The scene from the vt-monitor became blurry from there as Shane upped his speed. They could hear and see the bright streaks of green light as Shane and his team fought with the Judith's kidnappers.
Rick was not certain the security team had a chance with only using stun on their power guns and kidnappers using kill on theirs, but it was the only choice Shane had.
Suddenly they heard Shane say, "SHIT Rick!" and he came back into focus as it appeared he came to a stop.
"WHAT?" Rick yelled at the screen "What happened? Where's Judy?" Rick could faintly recall Deanna's nails pinching into his right forearm. They both held their breath as Shane turned his vt-monitor so his viewers could see what he was seeing. Deanna let out a loud scream as what they saw came into focus.
One of the captors held Judith upside down by one leg and beneath his baby girls was herd of dead walkers. Judith's eyes was closed and her mouth was open in a silent scream. Rick's stomach dropped. The herd went on for miles; it wasn't the one they discussed that morning in the meeting, but this was a large contingent.
The man who was holding Judith turned to Shane, his lower face was covered with a green bandanna "I don't think you want to keep pursuing us, now do you? Because if you do, I will drop this precious little bundle into this herd and they can have her for lunch."
"Rick?" Shane asked, he would do what needed to be done, but this had to be Rick's decision.
There was no choice, there was no way for Shane or anyone in their group to save Judith if this madman decided to let her drop into that herd.
"Let them go," Rick said. "Let them take her."
Michonne held herself as still as she could as rough hands grazed over her ass then her breast. Both were given a hard squeeze before she was finally released from the "security" check. She pasted a smile on her face before Negan's bodyguards finally opened the door to the auditorium. Finally! Sasha has to be in here!
Michonne had searched for two long months for her sister, gathering information from here and there that Sasha had joined Negan's gang. For the past three weeks, Michonne worked alongside Negan's servants, doing menial tasks while trying to locate her sister. She was finally able to gain the trust of one of Negan's men, an older man named Todd. He told her about Negan's multiple wives and how one sounded as though she fit Michonne's description of her sister.
Only "special" servants got to serve the wives of Negan. And it would take Michonne months to gain entry into the wives' compound. The quickest way was to request an audience with Negan, with hopes that he would hear her offer to become a new wife.
So Michonne did as Todd told her, she found the cheapest, sexiest lingerie and high heels, put both on and found Jeffrey, Negan's right-hand man and requested an audience with Negan. As humiliated as it was, strutting half naked in front of audience of ten men, her ass out and breasts barely covered, Michonne was determined to find her sister and get her the hell out of there.
Michonne had no fear of being raped while there, as Negan had a strict policy against that among his people. However, Michonne could argue that the women Negan chose to be his wives were being coerced into sex every night they had to join him in bed; that was a form of sexual assault itself. She kept a smile on her face as the Jeffrey and his cronies cat called and demanded she do the stupidest things like hop on one foot. After a couple of minutes of this, Jeffery finally called a stop to it.
"Come here," he demanded.
Michonne stepped closer. Once she was only a few feet away from him he, grabbed her face. Rubbing his finger along her cheek, he pulled it back and examined it. "Hmmm no make-up," he said, now closely eyeing her. "You one of those natural beauties, huh?"
Michonne didn't know how to answer that so she just shrugged.
"Negan likes natural beauties," Jeffrey spat, and Michonne tried not to gag at the halitosis breath that hit her right in the face. "Everything on you real?"
"Real?" Michonne replied, confused about the nature of this conversation.
"Yeah, for instance that ass of yours. It is spectacular!" The men behind Jeffrey laughed at his statement but he quickly held up a fist that silenced them.
"Yes… it's real."
Jeffrey continued to eyeball her as he walked around her, humming his appreciation. Michonne held herself still; she wanted to punch him in the balls and rip his throat out, but it would not get her closer to her goal that was finding her sister, who she knew was on the other side of that door.
"Not sure if Negan is an ass man, but he will definitely love everything else about you," Jeffrey said.
Michonne could barely contain her relief when the heavy metal doors opened to show an opulent room filled with sunlight and incense. Michonne stepped forth into the large auditorium filled with women of all sizes and ethnicities; each woman sat or lay upon large decorative pillows as servants ran about them, fulfilling their needs. Michonne quickly searched the large room for any sign of her sister before a large horn sounded. Jeffrey grabbed Michonne's arm bringing her to a stop. She noticed that all the wives stood up and faced a wooden door opposite of them.
The wooden door opened and in came Negan, or whom Michonne assumed was Negan, and behind him was, to Michonne's upmost relief, her sister Sasha. Negan wore dark jeans and a fancy floral shirt underneath a dark leather jacket. He was smaller than what Michonne thought; a gray beard and dark hair defined his face. She could not tell his eye color from where she stood, but she could tell he was a handsome man even though he was a monster. Even Lucifer was beautiful to look at.
Michonne could see Sasha was dressed in short gold dress and golden stilettos, and she seemed to be arguing with Negan about something. Michonne was too far away to hear what exactly was being said but she could tell the body language it was not something Negan wanted to hear. He stopped in mid-stride and turned to Sasha, she said something else and he grabbed her around her throat.
Michonne instantly went into protection mode and started forward but Jeffrey jerked her back, just as she was getting ready to turn to punch Jeffery in the throat, she heard clapping coming from the women around her. She looked back to see Negan and Sasha lip locked in a passionate kiss. Michonne tried to hold down the miserly breakfast she had that morning.
What the fuck, Sasha? Have you lost your mind?
Negan pulled away from Sasha, and tenderly caressed her face. Michonne tried to keep the look of shock and disgust off of her face. Taking Sasha's left hand in his, Negan led her to the one real seat in the room and took a seat. A throne.
Where the hell did they find that thing?
Sasha sat at his feet and look up at him in adoration.
Please Sasha, please don't have fallen in love with this asshole! Please!
Michonne felt Jeffery pushing her forward and she followed his lead. Keeping her eyes on Sasha, praying her sister would not out her once she recognized her. If she did, it would be all over, maybe for both of them.
"Sir, this young lady has requested your attention. She would like to be considered as a new wife for you."
Negan finally set his sights on Michonne, a wide grin spread across his face. He opened his arms wide and said, "Well bring her up here and let's see what she's got."
Michonne moved about five feet away from Negan. From the corner of her eye she could see her sister's eyes widen in realization.
"What is your name, my dear beauty?" Standing up from the throne Negan perused Michonne's exposed body.
"Maddy," she answered, using the name she had used since she became a servant at their compound.
"Maddy?" Negan said as he walked around her. Michonne silently pleaded with her sister to remain quiet. "Maddy is a sweet name," he continued, "Are you sweet?"
"Yes, I believe I am."
Negan sucked his teeth and stopped in front of her. He used one finger and trailed it across her collarbone. "With skin as soft as this, I'm sure you are."
"Let me ask you something?" he continued, his face only a couple of inches from hers. Michonne could now see his eyes were hazel. "Why do you want to be my wife? I mean besides the obvious. As a wife, you get some mighty perks, such as getting anything you want. You are pampered and the only thing you have to do is keep me happy when I request you."
"I guess I would like to make you happy," Michonne answered, not sure where the hell these answers were coming from. It must be the crazy incense, but if it would help her get her sister back then she would say anything. "I believe I can make you very happy."
Negan smiled, "That's what I like to hear." Just as he leaned in closer to kiss Michonne, she was pushed to the side.
"You keep away from him you bitch!" Sasha yelled. Negan grabbed Sasha around her waist before she could get any closer to Michonne.
"Baby!" he said doing his best to restrain an irate Sasha. "You know this is how this goes. There is no jealousy between the wives."
"She won't be your wife Negan!" Sasha spat, her eyes hardening on Michonne. "Because her name is not Maddy, it's Michonne. This is my sister."
Michonne couldn't believe it. Sasha has ratted her out. Negan's guards had begun to fill the room and surround them. Sasha had completely ruined Michonne's rescue plans.
"Your sister?" Negan said, the smile now gone. "The sister who killed about five of men and wounded several others? That sister?"
"Yes, her," Sasha answered; she had stopped struggling as they both stared at Michonne who was frozen in uncertainty.
Well I knew this would be a suicide mission. But I had to try.
Straightening her back and pulling her bra in place, Michonne lifted her chin and faced them both. "Yes, I am that Michonne."
To her surprise and everyone else in the room, Negan began to laugh. In between chortles, he managed to say, "I mean you have some balls on you lady! I mean big huge balls! Bigger than some of my men apparently!" Out of nowhere Negan pulled a gun out, the laughter had stopped and Michonne prepared herself to meet her maker. But when he fired the gun, the green light whizzed past her face and hit the person standing behind her.
Looking down, Michonne could see a burning hole where Jeffery's face had once been.
"Awww there, that's so much better," Negan said, pushing the handheld power gun into his pants.
Turning to Sasha, he took her hands into his. "Sasha my darling, you have done so much for me that I will allow you to make the decision on what we are to do with your sister."
"You don't want her as a wife anymore?" Sasha asked.
Negan turned to look at Michonne, "I mean she is very tempting but no. I wouldn't be able to trust her. I'd rather kill her and be done, but I did make the promise to you, that if we ever caught her I will let you dole out the punishment."
Sasha smiled, "Yes you did."
"What would like to do to her?" Negan asked.
"I would like you to iron her for me."
Michonne eyes widened in shock. She knew what the "iron" meant. Sasha meant that for her! Michonne couldn't believe it.
Negan smiled, "Anything for you sweetheart!" he answered, "Get the iron ready!" he called out to no one in particular.
"No!" Sasha said "Not on my birthday night! We'll do it tomorrow after breakfast. You promised me that this night will be all about me. Don't let her spoil it! She used to do it when we were kids! I won't let her do it now."
Her birthday? When we were kids? What the hell was she talking about?
"And it will be!" Negan said, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "All about you."
"Dwight?" Negan called, a man with a ruined face stepped forward. "Put Michonne in one of the cells. We will take care of her in the morning."
Dwight grabbed Michonne and pulled her arms behind her back. There was no use in resisting as she could see no escape. Steel handcuffs closed in on her wrist before Dwight led her back across the room. Michonne could only stare back at her sister in disbelief, but Sasha was not paying attention as she and Negan made out in the middle of the floor.
After taking off the handcuffs Dwight shoved Michonne into a small dark room and shut the door behind her. Not able to see much, Michonne squatted down on the cold concrete floor. She couldn't believe it. Her foster sister had lost her mind! And the following day, Michonne's face would be ironed in front of Negan's loyal fan base.
She had been locked away for the longest time, and all the while she he racked her brain on the different ways she could fight her way out, but there was no way, not without help. Well I can forget getting help from my sister. What else can you do Michonne? You got to get yourself out of here.
She was so deep in thought that it took a moment for her to realize when bright light filtered into the room. Michonne stood up quickly, her body creaked in response from sitting in the same position for hours. She balled her fist up in front of her. If they were going to take her it was going to be a fight.
"Michonne, it's me," Sasha whispered.
It took a moment for Michonne's eyes to adjust. "Sasha?"
"Yes, sis it's me."
Finally, Sasha came into focus: she wore a long nightgown and large bundle around her chest; in one hand she held a lantern.
"Sis?" Michonne said sarcastically.
"I know," Sasha replied continuing to whisper, crowding into the small cell and closing the door behind her. "I had to figure some way to get you away from Negan so I can get you out of here."
"Get me out of here?" Michonne responded, keeping her voice down also, "I'm supposed to be rescuing you."
Sasha smiled as she handed Michonne the lantern. "Here hold this," she said as began to undo the large bundle. "You won't be going anywhere dressed like that."
When a tiny head covered in brown curls appeared from under the bundle, Michonne eyes widened "What is that?"
Sasha pulled a sleeping little girl out. "I don't know her name but she was brought in a week ago. Negan has already sold her to the highest bidder, who will be here to pick her up tomorrow. So you have to take her with you tonight."
"Wait, Negan is trafficking little girls?" Disgust rolled off Michonne in waves. What had Sasha gotten herself into?
"Little girls and little boys." Sasha replied handing over the sleeping beauty to Michonne. She continued to pull out a light, white shirt, green pants, and some hiking boots. Once she unrolled the bundle, it turned out to be a long black jacket.
"Here put these on," Sasha said, taking the little girl from Michonne's arms. "You would have nightmares about the things I've seen here."
Michonne rushed to put on all the clothes Sasha had brought. "How do we get out of here?"
Sasha handed Michonne a vt-wristband. "Here put this on, it has a map on how to get out here. You should be able to slip past the guards in two locations. I made sure to get them liquored up for my birthday but you must move as quietly and quickly as possible."
Michonne shook her head, "That is the third time I heard you say YOU instead of us."
Sasha nodded, "I can't come with you."
"WHAT?"
Sasha pressed a hand against Michonne' mouth, "I can't go with you. I have to stay."
"No, that's not the plan."
"It has to be. I have to stay here. Before you say anything, listen. Negan killed Bob. Bob was the love of my life and he killed him with no remorse and no justice and he can't get away with that. I joined his group to kill him. I know you think it's sick that I even allow him to touch me, but I found out the first night I was with him what he was doing. What he was doing to these kids. And I thought I had to find a way to save them and take him down. But I couldn't do it myself. I needed help. Then I heard about you and the things you were doing to rescue me and so I put a plan in place. I made Negan promise me that I would be the one to punish you. That way I would have the upper hand on what to do," Sasha paused and stroked the sleeping girls face. When she next looked up she pointed to the wristband Michonne now sported on her left wrist. "The wristband is tuned to my biometrics, meaning you can now find me where ever Negan takes me. I've also uploaded all the data of the kids he has taken and his buyers. Don't ask me how I did it, it took a lot of time and effort and I had to do things I'd rather not discuss. You have to get this child back to her family and that information back to the authorities, so they have enough to stop him."
"I can do that Sash, but come with me. You can come with me right now," tears Michonne had held on so long now flowed freely down her face. She didn't want to leave her sister, her only family, with this monster.
Sasha shook her head, "I can't," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Tears now streamed down both of their faces. "If I leave, Negan would just go into hiding and the trafficking will just continue. He takes ME wherever he goes. So once you get help, you can come find me and truly save me."
"But what if he figures out that you helped me tonight and the fact you stole this little girl right from under him?"
A sad smile graced Sasha's face, "He won't suspect me because I have already placed the blame on someone else. Someone who won't be able to tell his side of the story."
"Aww, Sash what did you do?"
"Let's just say the poor doctor had a case of a good conscious, he could no longer stand what was happening to these children so he released you and gave you this child to save before he took his own life."
"Oh my God Sasha!"
"I said I had a plan," Sasha said solemnly, backing up to the door. "Now you've got to go, the sun will be up in few hours, and I have to slip back into Negan's bed before it does. The map in the wristband only gets you out of this compound. I couldn't map you back to the nearest sign of civilization."
Michonne had reattached the jacket as a bundle around her neck and placed the little girl in it. "Don't worry, I will figure it out. How long will she be knocked out?"
Sasha shrugged, "They keep the little ones drugged up, feeding them intravenously, less worry that way until their buyers show. This one has been here for about two weeks. I know her parents have to scared to death."
Michonne looked down at small little face and smiled, "I will do my best to find her parents. Don't worry."
"I won't," Sasha said as she led her sister out of the small cell, "You found me, didn't you?"
Sasha led Michonne to one of the out posts. Pulling Michonne into a tight hug, she whispered in her ear, "I love you. Thank you for coming to find me."
"I will always come to find you," Michonne said, pulling away from her sister.
"Oh," Sasha said, reaching over her shoulder, "I almost forgot this. I heard one the guys you fought with at the last compound was able to get this away from you."
It was Michonne's plasma katana. A grin filled her face as she held the weight of the handle in her hand; how she had missed it.
"I'm sorry it was the only weapon I could pilfer. Negan keeps a tight control of all the guns, he doesn't care about the plasma's though."
Michonne gave her sister another tight hug, both careful of the child sleeping on Michonne's chest.
"Be careful sister," Sasha said. "Once they figure you have escaped, they will send their full forces after you."
"What else is new?" Michonne said with more confidence than she felt. She had hidden from Negan and his people before, that wasn't the challenge for her. The problem now she had to do it with toddler on her back.