Day 10

by iminyjo

(find more of iminyjo's writing under our favorite authors or check out her tumblr page)

It was the early hours of dawn when they pulled off the road closing in on the Sanctuary and the place where they were keeping Carl. They would have to make the rest of the journey on foot, the Saviors told them then.

It disgusted Michonne to even call them that in her mind. They didn't "save" anyone but themselves. They were predators, parasites intent on destroying everything she and Rick and the rest of their people were trying to build. Michonne tried to keep her temper under control as they pushed their way through the trees, brush and bramble.

She looked at Rick. He seemed steady, which was good. She was going to need him thinking today, strategizing. She knew when things involved his family, particularly his children, he sometimes led with his heart instead of his head. Today was going to test the patience of Job and they both needed to be absolutely rock-steady to get Carl back.

The trail was over-grown and craggy with little evidence that people had been that way before.

Michonne found that odd.

Maybe that's how they managed to keep their location a secret from their enemies, she supposed.

On a slight incline made slick by morning dew, Tara slipped a step, tweaking her ankle. Heath reached out and caught her arm before she hit the ground. They paused for her to regain her footing.

"Tara?" Rick queried, obviously irritated with the whole journey.

"I'm fine." Tara nodded then thanked Heath for his assistance quietly.

Michonne was happy they had come along. Despite their early misgivings about one another, Heath had proven himself to be an asset to the group. She supposed his friendship with Tara, forged during their two-week run together, had helped that along. Looking at them now, Michonne felt confident that they were the right people to help her keep the peace with Negan if Rick and Carl couldn't or wouldn't.

Rick looked back at her from his place in the group, two paces ahead.

"You good?" He checked in.

"Yeah, just wondering where this place is." Michonne looked up and around at the dense pack of trees. It could be very easy to get lost and hurt out here alone. Once again, she hoped Carl was alright.

In the end, it was a short trip. On the whole, maybe fifteen minutes on foot. When they got there, however, they saw cars and trucks lined up along the perimeter fence.

Rick turned to look at lead Savior accusingly. "Why did we have to walk? Our cars could have made the trip."

The female Savior Michonne caught earlier snickered like a grade-school child.

"I just thought you all could use the exercise. Especially her." He looked at Tara.

Rick's face darkened. Michonne felt distinctly how it could be all downhill from now on in. She looked at Heath and Tara and shook her head. Thankfully, they seemed more surprised than anything at the turn of events.

One Savior whistled while another beat on the heavy gate attached to a chain-linked fence that surrounded the compound. After a moment, it slid open.

As they walked into the Sanctuary, the Savior turned on them.

"You wait here," He directed.

They obeyed, looking around. There wasn't much else to do anyway. The place was ugly, concrete and metal housing, little better than the Prison she and Rick used to call home. It certainly wasn't the expansive space, manicured lawns and expertly landscaped architecture of Alexandria -but few things were anymore. Michonne conceded that fact in her mind. Anyway, it appropriately served its function, to house criminals, degenerates and those subjugated by them.

She looked over at Rick. She could feel his tension radiating from him as he stood, one hand on the hilt of his Colt, the other on his hip.

"I'm not gonna have to take that from you am I, Big Boy?" A female Savior appeared on Michonne's right, cradling a rifle. With short brown hair, big brown eyes and a heart-shaped face, under different circumstances the woman could have been attractive. Michonne straightened to her full height and regarded the woman sternly.

She wasn't about to make the tactical mistake of laying claim to Rick in front of the Saviors but she also wasn't going to be pleased to watch some woman trying to aggressively flirt either. Just then, a man, seemingly the woman's complement, appeared to Rick's left. There would be no time for that after all. They looked around and realized, there were Saviors appearing from every side. By the end, nearly a dozen more had appeared.

Their leader must be coming, Michonne thought. She exchanged a glance with Rick that indicated he came to the same conclusion simultaneously. She braced herself.

"Looky here, Looky here, three times in one week!" Negan appeared, strolling down the pathway from further in the sanctuary with a big grin on his face as if he were genuinely happy to see them. Some of the Saviors parted, stepping back and out of his way almost reverently as he passed them.

"Howdy Neighbor!" Negan gave them a little wave with the hand that wasn't holding Lucille over his shoulder.

"Hi Neighbor," He said again and chuckled when he got no response from them. "You remember that show? Damn old creepy dude and his fuckin' sweaters. Shhiiit, I used to hate that goddamn show. Kid brother watched it. Ugh. Him and his imaginary friends. Dude seemed like a classic fuckin' pedophile to me and there people were, plunking their kids down in front of him every day."

"Oh, hey there, you." Negan turned and said suddenly to Michonne, catching her off-guard.

She just looked at him silently, trying to control her scowl.

"I'm just gonna keep on tryin'," Negan shook his finger at her lack of response and sighed. "Anyway, speaking of fuckin' creepy people, I guess you're here to pick up the Night Stalker, right?"

Rick had been squinting; Michonne could tell, struggling valiantly to keep a hold on his temper. Now was going to be the test.

"I don't want any trouble, we just came for Carl." Rick said as deferentially as he could manage through gritted teeth. Michonne was proud.

Negan smiled.

"That his name? Carl? Hmm, Carl." He enunciated as if rolling the name around on his tongue for taste.

Michonne found the silence as they waited, indulging this man, almost as unbearable as she was certain Rick did. She watched his jaw clench and unclench as Rick chewed and swallowed all the things he wanted to say.

"You know what's interesting? Some people might be concerned, might think 'I gotta get this kid some professional help' – I mean if that was possible anymore," Negan spoke to his people as much as he was speaking to Rick and their group. Michonne could tell he fancied himself an orator. "But not you. Uh-uh, I can tell. You looked at that boy, Son of Rick, and you said 'I'm doing a great job!'"

Negan moved closer to Tara and spoke to her directly. "See, I called him 'Son of Rick', kinda like 'Son of Sam', you know? 'Cuz he just kinda creeps you out."

Tara looked at him blankly.

"So, you're all a little like that, huh?" He said then looked them each over with another sigh. "Whatever. Jules, bring out the body."

Rick's eyes widened. Michonne's whole body tensed involuntarily.

"Oh yeah, I mean you didn't think I'd let some little snot break into my humble abode, try to kill me and then I'd just give him a little smack on the nose like a bad dog, did you?"

Before anyone could blink, Rick lunged for Negan but the three Saviors closest to him immediately caught him by the arms pulling him backward. In the same amount of time, Michonne had drawn her katana ready to take their arms off at the shoulders and let the chips fall where they may. Tara and Heath had their guns drawn and trained on Negan as other guns were on them. It was a real Mexican standoff.

"Oooh, I need a cool sword." The woman with the rifle said calmly, with the gun leveled at Michonne's temple.

Michonne froze with her arms already on the upswing. Just at that moment behind Negan, Carl appeared. He was very much alive and looking no worse for wear. He did look very angry though, scowling behind his eye bandage as Negan's men held him. It appeared he had not been mistreated. At Negan's word, they dragged him forward roughly but without hurting him.

"Okay, okay, that was fun! Everybody back to their corners now." Negan declared, laughing heartily. He wiped tears from the corners of his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. His people lowered their guns as Tara and Heath slowly did likewise.

Rick pulled himself harshly out of the grip of the group that held him as Negan continued chuckling.

"That's smart." The woman whispered to Michonne as she released her two-handed grip on her katana, letting it rest at her side in her right hand.

"Woo-boy, you should have seen your face!" Negan pantomimed hitting a home run out of the park with Lucille. "Why do you keep making this so easy for me, Rick, huh?"

"Listen," He continued and with a nod of his head the men that held Carl released him, giving him a hard shove toward his father. "I like your kid. I truly do. Night Stalker's a cool customer. I even dig what you're doing with him. I'd imagine most of the serial killers of the world are dead now, so, you know, good on you for bringing the tradition back single-handedly…"

Negan's face went perfectly serious. He glared at Rick, all the humor and mirth of a moment before suddenly gone. "…But if he EVER sneaks into my house and tries any shit like that again…like or no like, I'll kill the little bastard dead. Ya got it?"

Rick glowered at him but remained silent.

"I figure after your little trek here, you'll know your way out." Negan said then, turning and walking away as if he'd dismissed them.

They watched until his figure was swallowed up by his followers trailing behind.

Michonne looked from Carl to Rick, both wearing identical murderous expressions and prayed that they would all be ready when this came inevitably to a head.