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Beth

The guy named Daryl was unconscious when Dwayne and Shepherd lifted him from the ground. Instead of Negan dirtying his hands, he kicked Shepherd with a hard boot in his leg, saying, "Get the fuck up… Let some worthless redneck outfuckingsmart ya… Who the hell do I got working for me anyway?"

Shepherd hastily climbed to his feet, holding back the groan that would have fallen from his lips, knowing better than to say anything in return. I grimaced on the inside. Working for someone indicated one had a choice in the matter, and these men didn't have a choice. Well, I guess they did… They could work for Negan, or be put on the fence… If you could really call that a choice. Yet that was my brother's logic… Either you were for him, or against him, and there was no in between.

It took both men to heft the wild man from the bed of the truck and instead of assisting him in getting out of the back, they just kind'a pitched him forward, letting his hard body collide with the gravel.

It took everything within me to stand there and watch. I wanted to run down the steps and put myself between the men and this man I didn't even know. Instead, I stood there with my teeth clenched, my entire being stiffening, as I contemplated what I could do to help these people. Honestly, there wasn't much I could do… If I uttered so much as a word, Negan would have me locked in my room, indefinitely.

He'd done it once before… When this had all started, and when he'd made the transformation from my brother into this… this… beast that was just a visual image of the person I had once loved with all my heart. I had tried to stop his brutality, when he'd taken Mary from her husband, threatening the man with the fate of Lucille if he interfered, I had spoken out against what he was doing.

"Negan, what are you doing? You can't just take another man's wife as yours," I said, shocked at the idea. "Who does that? Of course, he's going to refuse…"

"Beth, stay out of this," Negan had said, his cocky face turning serious as he considered my protest. "Things are the way they are and the sooner these fuckers see that the sooner, we can all live in peace."

"Who the fuck are you?" Tears welled in my eyes as I studied him. The picture of his sitting on the hospital bed next to his dying wife, tears running down his cheeks, started to waver. "I swear, I don't even know you anymore… What would Lucille think… What would she say if she could… see you doing this…"

The mention of his wife seemed to make him angrier, and he bared his teeth as he glared back at me. "Don't bring her into this, Beth… She has nothing… Nothing to do with this…"

"That's fucking obvious," I told him, my chin lifting as I refused to back down. I was the only person in the world to talk to this man, this way… Anyone else would have been dead the second Lucille had left their lips. "Just leave Mary and Billy alone… They don't deserve this…"

"Mary will be my wife, and that is the fucking end of it," Negan stated, with finality. "I won't hear no more about it from you or anyone else."

Things had gone completely south after that. Negan had grabbed Mary by the arm, his fingers caressing her skin, as he urged her to his side. "Either you can be my wife, and Billy will live…"

"I can't," she whimpered, shaking her head in the negative. Tears seeped out of the corner of her eyes, as she tried to withdrawal her arm from Negan's grasp.

He released her arm, his teeth showing as his anger increased by the refusal. "You would disrespect me and my house by refusing the honor of being one of my wives… No one says no to Negan…"

With that simple statement, he'd swung Lucille, and planted the barbed wire bat against Billy's forehead.

He hadn't relented until Billy's head was smashed, and Mary was reduced to a slobbering mess. I stood there in terror, watching the scene, my insides froze. I could barely breathe, and the vomit climbed my throat without warning, until I puked all over the drive. I was crying and didn't even realize it, until the tears dripped in rivers down my cheeks.

Negan turned to Mary and lifted withdrew his knife from his belt. Without so much as a breath, he walked straight up to her, and drew the blade across her neck. She wilted to the ground with a gasp.

Negan turned his attention to me at that point, and I thought my own life was in jeopardy. Slowly, he walked over to me, and his face dropped to mine. "Never get in my business, Beth… Put her in her room…"

Simon grabbed me by the arm before I even knew what was happening and yanked me behind him. He'd shoved me in my room, and that is where I stayed. I was there so long; I wasn't even sure how much time passed.

So, yeah as they picked Daryl up from the ground where he'd fallen, and drug him toward the double doors, I remained silent. Before they'd even reached the doors, several of my brother's men came out to grab the other two prisoners and pulled them in the same direction. I briefly glanced at them, as they passed me, fearing my gaze would betray my thoughts.

Under the veil of my lashes I looked at the unconscious man being dragged up the stairs. His hair was soaked with sweat, the dark stringy strands framing his face, leaving his strong features visible. Stubble lined his jaw, a hard jaw, his cheekbones sharp, firm lips relaxed in his current state. His scent wafted to my nose as he passed, masculine and woodsy, wrapped around my senses. I knew if he was standing, he'd be at least a head taller than me, I would only come to his shoulders. Daryl's build was muscled, the lines of his arms visible from his cut shirt, hinted to a defined body. The muscles of his thighs pressing against the fabric of his cargo pants.

He looked wild and rugged in appearance, but to me he was pretty intriguing. My fingers itched to touch him as he passed. I wanted to trace the definition of his muscles on his shoulders. I didn't though… If I dared touch this man in front of my brother, he'd take great pleasure in removing that very sexy arm.

"Take Daryl to the cells… Strip him, and chain em'…" Negan stated with a sneer, and then gave the other two a pointed look. "Take those two to my office… I have a few questions they can answer."

For the best interest of these prisoners I hung back as they were taken to separate ends of the building. Negan's "office" was on the third floor on the north end, and the "cells" were in the basement on the south end. The once factory was a maze to anyone who didn't know the layout, and even if one or the other was to break free, they would have little hope of finding each other. I chose to follow Dwayne and Shepherd as they hefted Daryl's weight to his cell, making sure I remained undetected.

Everyone knew I stayed away from the goings on around here, and if they noticed I took any type of interest, it was sure to gain attention. I stayed a hall length behind them, peeking around the corners until they disappeared from view, then jog down to the next turn. Then finally they stopped in the last hall where about ten doors lined the wall on the far side, and they opened the fourth one, shoving the cold metal wide.

"Get his clothes," Dwayne ordered, as he proceeded to unlace and strip his boots off.

I had never seen a naked man before, and I hated that the first time that I would enjoy the pleasure would be under these circumstances. Yet as they removed Daryl's clothes, I could help the heat that spread through my body. The man was built for this world. From his spirit to the fine lines of his lean muscle that became visible with every piece of cotton stripped from his hard body. Shepherd peeled off Daryl's shirt revealing hard pecks, and defined abs. I almost couldn't look when Dwayne worked his pants loose, and pulled them down his long legs, but I felt compelled to watch, a heat climbing my neck. He was beautiful. All I could really see was the side of his leg, and one hard buttock. That was plenty to fill my imagination for days. Everything about the man, reminded me of a sleek panther climbing over boulders, its power evident in every move.

I suddenly felt a guilt like no other as I enjoyed the sight of his battered form. Dwayne's beating from the courtyard was visible from even at this distance. A large dark bruise forming on Daryl's ribcage, there were several welts dotting his flesh. A wave of fury filled me.

I wasn't sure exactly how, or when but I would help get this man out of here.

Daryl

I woke up naked in the hallway with my arms tied tight behind my back. The little fucking turd, Dwayne, dumped a bucket of ice-cold water in my face, bringing me back to consciousness with a jolt. Jerking to one side as the splash hit me square in the face, I took in the scene before me through squinted swollen eyes. As hard as I tried to focus however, it was all pretty useless, everything just a blur.

All I really knew at the moment was I was alone… Michonne and Glenn no where in sight…

The chill of the cement sinking into my bones, causing me to shiver uncontrollably, cold rivulets of water streaming down my body, soaking the floor around me. My head was pounding, blood streaking down my temple, dripping on to my upper shoulder. The beating Dwayne had delivered started to take effect, my chest to my toes throbbing, and the way they had my hands tied had my shoulders felling like they were ripping clean from the sockets. The pain I was experiencing now made the beatings my dad had given me seem like child's play.

Even if I was a bloody stump there was no way I would let these two fuck-wads know my ribs were burning so bad I could barely breathe. I went to climb to my knees, when that motherfucker kicked me in the side, causing me to tip to the side and fall back to the floor. Growling in response, I glared up at Dwayne. "Soon as I get loose, I will fuckin' kill y'."

"Well until that day comes this is your fate, your future," Dwayne gloated, grabbing me by the arm that was already excruciating, and yanked me to my feet. "You can let me know how you like it when I bring ya dinner."

With that last statement they both shoved me inside a dank, cold closet, and slammed the door. It was as dark as pitch with the exception of a thin stream of light coming in from the hallway. I heard their footsteps fade away as they left.

I had no fucking idea how the hell I was going to get out of here. I shifted over to the creak in the door and tried to see out into the hallway. Even though I could see out of the little opening there wasn't anything to see. Testing the durability of the door, I threw my weight up against it, yet the damn thing didn't even budge. All I could really hope for was catching them off guard when they came back as good as that sounded, the thought of Michonne or Glenn paying for my actions held me immobile. I could never live with myself if something happened to either one of them.

Helplessness filled me as I stared into the dark. Just as my eyes drifted closed and my consciousness started to slip blaring music filled the tiny space. My eyes ripped open as I looked for the source of the sound, glaring up at a dark corner, I knew just by looking it was to high for me to reach to stop it.

Daryl

I wasn't sure how long I had been in this damn closet. It seemed like forfuckingever. The music the same song repeatedly filled the concrete, driving me insane, when it would stop for only seconds my eyes would drift closed. Instantly however, it would start all over again. My head was pounding, and there was no fucking rest in sight.

When they were carrying me inside the factory, I had been fading in and out of awareness, or at least I thought so anyway… There had been a woman standing at the top of the steps, her presence no more then a blur really… Probably just a figment of my own imagination. Yet I could swear when they were taking my clothes, I had glanced down the hall at some point and saw her peeking around the corner… In a way, her existence was oddly comforting…

Maybe I am close to death, and she is my angel, I thought, just as the maddening music restarted overhead.

Endless moments passed, and finally after what seemed like an eternity, I heard the lock turn, and Dwayne appeared before me. I would have put my plan into action, yet there wasn't much chance, his rifle striking me square in the chest as soon as the door swung open. I stumbled back a step, and Dwayne and his cronies came forward to pull me from my cell. "Boss wants t' talk t' ya…"

By boss I assumed they meant Negan. What I wouldn't give to get my hands around that motherfucker. No matter what he did, there was no way I would give him any type of information about anything. He was wasting his time, but I refused to speak to the two in front of me.

"Try anything fuckin' stupid, and I will take great pleasure in cutting that pecker off," Dwayne stated, glancing down pointedly at my junk.

My nakedness had me self-conscious as I followed Dwayne down the hallway, his lacky close at my back. There was nothing I could do to cover myself, having my arms bound as they were. Refusing to let them see any type of weakness however, I kept my shoulders as straight as I could manage, and my head as high as I could.

We came to what must have been the actual living space of the factory, passing several people along the way. To my surprise, the place seemed to be filled with all sorts of people, and to what I could tell, most of them were ordinary people. Not fighters, or threats to me, or my group. The only downfall they had was the fact that they lived here, under Negan, and I was coming to the realization that it was probably against their will.

I counted the turns we took as we left the hall, noting mentally the route we were heading, and looking for any means of escape. Escaping physically didn't appear to be a problem, it was learning the route to take, and learning what doors went where, where the windows were to be found, and then, finding Michonne and Glenn. As much as I hated the fact, these people weren't fucking stupid, having thought of everything it seemed. It was highly unlikely that Michonne and Glenn were anywhere fucking close.

A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned to see what it was. That's the first time I saw her.

Her blue eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched me pass, her gaze seeming to take in everything about me. It was kind of unnerving really, the sympathy that flashed in her expression, and she met my gaze without fear. Her hair was like spun gold, hanging to her waist, her face heart-shaped. Her lips were pulled thin with a grimace as she studied me, her soul in those bright eyes. If there was any human form of angel walking this earth, it had to be her.

As I passed her, I would have turned my head to keep her in my sights, but the prick at my back gave me a solid kick to the back of my leg, nearly taking me to my knees.

"Mind yer manners, and keep yer eyes forward…"

At that the angel seemed to dissipate and fade from view. Perhaps I was seeing shit, wasn't like I had much wits about me at the moment. Yet the guys response to me looking at the woman told me she had been quite real and had me wondering who she was. Must be someone important for him to refuse to let me look at her.

I didn't get much time to contemplate it however, because I was shoved into a room that consisted of a table with four chairs around it. A bat was propped up in one of those chairs, which I found odd as hell, then I turned my gaze to the head of the table to find who I assumed was the man my group had been hunting…

"Well, hello Daryl, take a seat… Don't jus' stand there with yer balls flappin' in the breeze," he said, as Dwayne and his partner yanked me to the table, and forcibly sat me in a chair across from the bat.

"As you can guess, I am Negan," he chuckled, staring at me with a toothy grin. "And this is my beautiful, Lucille… Lucy to her friends…"

I was completely confused as he gestured to the bat. That's when I took in the meaning of what he was saying. Lucille was covered in barbed wire from the tip to the base of the handle… The threat didn't need no further explanation.

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