Chapter Thirty Seven

Nicholas stood by watching this man who called himself Negan speak with his other men at a rest stop a few miles from the motel. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he knew it was about the Safe Zone. He had hoped that this man would honor their arrangement. There was no other option left; Rick has to go, including Glenn.

Especially that little fuck Glenn, he thought to himself. Glenn, who came into their community acting as though he had more experience than anyone, practically telling him and Aiden what to do. Glenn couldn't save his own people, he thought. He was no different anyways.

For months Nicholas acted like a good little soldier, not complaining or getting in their way. But at night, he would sneak out in the sewers beneath the community and reach fifty feet outside the wall and no one had ever seen him. He got through a little tunnel that the workers had closed off in the beginning of this shit storm, but he managed to pry it open. He would venture outside, looking for the people that Dani, her redneck boyfriend and her brother had pissed off all those months ago.

And finally, it paid off just two weeks ago.

"Nicholas, get over here," Negan commanded. Nicholas strolled over, confident that he will get what he wanted all along, control over Alexandria.

But the look on Negan's face was uncertain, not the look of pride.

"This girl you brought to us. We have a fucking problem," Negan said.

Nicholas began to worry. What the hell happened?

"She's escaped. She managed to get herself out of her handcuffs and ran off. According to my men, she jumped off a huge cliff with walkers on her scent. By now her people are out looking for her. And what the fuck am I going to do when they reach her first?" His face twisted in an angry sneer. "SHE WAS MY FUCKING BARGAINING CHIP!"

Nicholas began to sweat and panic. He still kept his composure. "I….I….don't know how that could have happened," he stammered. "I…I…mean she was with you."

Negan leaned into his face. "You telling me this was my fault? Is that what you're saying, you little fucking pissant!"

Nicholas trembled with fear, beginning to regret his decision to contact the Saviors. But he knew he had to deal with him. By now, Rick and his people would know that Nicholas took Dani to the Saviors. They would tear him apart for what he did. All he could do was hope that Negan kept his deal.

Negan then grinned wickedly at him. "Don't worry, Nicholas. I'm sure she's around here somewhere." He then turned to two of his men and ordered them to scour the river where Dani jumped into.

"I need her alive. If she's dead already, then we move to phase two," he commanded. The two men left immediately.

Nicholas then stepped forward, starting to speak, but his voice was shaky. "Our deal is still on, right, Sir," he asked him. "The deal was that I brought her to you. So, I've kept my end of the bargain."

Negan glared at him with vicious intent. "You little fucking brat. You worried about our little deal when I have bigger problems to worry about! First, my little bait is gone! She's fucked off right from under us! And all you're worried about is being picked on by a chink and a small town sheriff?"

Nicholas looked down, terrified. This man right before him was so horrifying. Just being in his presence scared the shit out of him.

He then felt a huge slap on his shoulder and heard Negan laugh boisterously.

"I'm just fucking with ya, Nicky Boy! I'll keep the agreement! But there's one other thing you gotta do for me," Negan replied.

And at this point, Nicholas was all ears. One more thing he had to do and he was self-proclaimed leader of Alexandria Safe Zone.

…

Glenn and Rick stood by each other, shocked at what Eugene had just shown them in Rick's own home.

A listening device. Planted in a German porcelain beer mug on a shelf.

Eugene spoke into it, anticipating Heath to respond from the three way radio found in Nicholas' basement.

"If you can hear this, Heath, please respond in the Walkie Talkie, 'Nicholas is a Judas.' I repeat. 'Nicholas is a Judas.'"

Silence at first. And then Heath's voice announced over the speaker, "Nicholas is a fucking backstabbing piece of shit Judus. Over."

"Fuck,' Rick exclaimed, pacing around his own home. "That asshole listened to us all along! How long as he been…" he stopped himself, angry.

Glenn just stood there, his rage simmering inside of him. And the guilt rose steadily. This was all on him. He never should have given him a chance. He should have killed him the night of Deanna's meeting.

And Dani was out there somewhere, because of him.

…

Daryl scanned the river Dani had jumped into as Jesus drove by, hoping to get a look of her somewhere. The water was raging furiously over rocks and he couldn't see where she was. He almost wanted to jump in and find her himself. But even he knew there was no point. She may have gone further down the river, trapped between rocks, or….

No. He couldn't think that. No way. He wasn't going to lose her like this. He was going to find her and bring her back to Alexandria and then they would take out the Saviors when they come by. She would fight by his side like a Viking Goddess and make them suffer. That is how it will be, he kept telling himself.

"The water goes on for another five miles," Jesus told him. "She may be further down the river, by this gorge. The rapids will stop then and hopefully she can pull herself out and we can meet up with her there."

"But she has no idea we're out there looking for her," David replied.

"I think by now she has an idea," Carol assured him. "Let's just hope we find her first before they do."

Daryl angrily faced Carol. "No point about hoping," he snarled. "We just do! We find her first!"

He turned back to the raging river, trying to see any trace of her. A hand or her leather jacket.

She's just gotta be there, he thought. She has to be!

…..

Dani felt her body stop against a large rock in the water. She reached out and grabbed its side. She felt her body being pulled by the current of the river but she held on tightly against the rock. She felt the river ending its rampage and becoming calmer. If she kept drifting down, she would reach calmer waters.

And it would be easy for the Saviors to find her then. And no way was she going to be taken by them again.

She tried to pull herself on the rock, but then stopped herself. The top of the rock was dry and she was already leaving dripping marks on it. People looking for her would see this and from there it would be easy to track her. She even feared getting out of the water by the dirt because she would leave marks etched in the ground.

"Fuck," she cried softly. "What the fuck do I do?"

She then heard a familiar growl of a walker nearby.

And a thought came to her.

She pulled herself up on the reeds and immediately started to walk like a walker in the dirt. Anyone tracking her now would think they were looking at walker prints. It was the only thing she could think of. But one thing she needed was a weapon. And out in the woods with walkers around, it's a very big problem.

She looked over her shoulder and saw a road through the trees. She smiled. She could fake her walker stroll by the road! She walked closer to the road and let out a sigh of relief!

She recognized the faded billboard on the road that indicated a restaurant was nearby. And this restaurant was four blocks away from the safe zone! She was almost there! Just five more miles!

She smiled and laughed. And then she picked up the pace. She was close enough to the water so if she came across any walkers, she could just duck into the water to escape them. At the first sound of vehicles approaching, she will hide behind the bushes and trees. She smiled broadly knowing she may get out of this yet!

And tell everyone at the safe zone what an asshole Nicholas really is!

After at least fifty feet, she heard the sound of vehicles approaching. Quickly she hid behind a very large rock and waited for it to pass by. She held her breath, hoping no one in that car saw her.

The vehicle drove past where she was and continued on its way. Dani sighed again. She knew the vehicle came from the motel she was held at. She knew they were looking for her. She had to keep moving, she told herself.

Unfortunately what she didn't know was that behind the wheel of the car was her new friend Jesus with her brother and best friend Carol in tow.

And her boyfriend Daryl, frantic and worried to death all over her.

….

Nicholas came to the cliff of the gorge, looking deep into the still waters. Sooner or later, she would show up. He kept his rifle handy, anticipating her arrival down those waters below him.

And from where he stood, he could see the road. He held out his rifle and looked through his scope, the view of the road becoming closer now. He grinned.

Like shooting ducks in a pond, he thought.

Just then, he saw people emerge from the woods, stepping closer to the gorge. To his dismay, it was Daryl, looking desperately into the waters. The white haired bitch Carol came up behind him along with David. How the fuck did they know to get here?

He held up his rifle and crouched down to the ground, aiming at Daryl, watching his every move, his finger lightly gripping the trigger.

And then he saw movement above his sight. He looked up and the road.

And smiled.

….

Dani kept her walker's pace through the woods by the road. So far she saw no walkers. She kept glancing over her shoulder, hoping no one living or dead was behind her. She would then look toward the river, anticipating a quick escape if called for it.

She felt sore all over from her fall. She didn't jump correctly for she landed on her stomach in the waters, slapping her body instantly. Despite her pain, she still trekked on. She had so much to tell the others about their new threat, about Nicholas' betrayal and the danger he put the safe zone in.

And worst of all, Negan. That bastard's words were still echoing in her head. The disgusting things he said. She couldn't understand why they were running through her mind right now. But they were, and she never wanted to hear that prick's voice again.

She lumbered slowly on for about a couple of miles, the only sounds she could hear were the rapids of the river.

In the distance, she saw a vehicle parked by the road. She stopped herself and fell to the ground, hoping that whoever was in that car didn't see her. She heard the car door open. Faint voices in the distance. They sounded familiar. But the raging of the water drowned their tones. She crawled forward, being very careful not to be seen.

Then she heard the low sounds of the walkers nearby. She looked over her shoulder and saw at least four of them approach her. She jumped up and started to pick up her pace.

She faced forward and sighed with huge relief, her heart elevated!

Jesus was standing by the van, looking around. He hasn't seen her though.

"Thank you," she cried softly. "Thank you God!"

She then ran toward him, running right onto the road, waving her hands. "JESUS! JESUS," she screamed. She saw Jesus look right at her and smile. He immediately opened the car door on the passenger's side. She then heard him honk the car horn loudly. He was signaling the others! They were looking for her.

She ran faster and laughing with liberation with each step. She made it! She beat them!

She then saw Daryl run from the woods and saw her. He ran right for her.

"DARYL!" She kept running. She was safe! She was found!

BAAAAMMMM!

A shot ran out.

And Dani fell to the ground, face down, her arms stretched out right in front of her.

Daryl halted in his tracks, shocked all hell at what he saw happen right in front of him.

He screamed but couldn't hear his own voice.

He ran to her and crouched down to her, pushing her on her side.

"Dani? Baby? What the fuck," he cried as he saw the side of her face splattered in blood.

"Dani? Oh Fuck! God! Fuck! NO!"

…

From where he was standing, Dani was dead. Her face was covered in blood and Daryl cried over her with Carol and David running to her. Nicholas lowered his gun and smiled. His job was done. He can now tell Negan that not only was Dani dead, but her brother and her boyfriend witnessing her death would be the icing on the cake.

He walked away from the edge of the cliff and headed for his car. He got in and turned the car on and drove to the outpost where Negan was.

Since he came through for Negan, Negan better keep his promise.

…..

Daryl wiped the blood from Dani's face and heard her breathe. His heart drowned in relief. She wasn't shot in the head.

She was shot in her shoulder, but was losing blood pretty fast.

"She's alive," he screamed. "She needs help!"

"Put her in the car," Jesus commanded. "We're taking her to Hilltop where Carson can look at her."

Daryl picked her up and ran with her, her brother David touching her forehead, a tear streaking across his face. Carol opened the back door and jumped into the front. David got into the back seat first while Daryl followed suit, putting Dani in feet first. Her breathing was labored and if she didn't get help soon, she could die.

As soon as Daryl slammed the car door, Jesus hit the gas, roaring down the road. Daryl put his hand on her wound and watched her carefully.

"Dani, stay with me," he ordered her. "You can't leave me like this!"

He saw her eye lids flutter, a low moan escaped her lips. She opened her eyes and saw Daryl. She gave a weak smile.

"There…you are," she softly spoke, her voice weak. "I…I…knew I'd see you soon."

"Sweetheart, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be just fine," he stammered into her face, holding her close. "You're gonna be fine."

She gave a light chuckle. "Guess I fucked up, didn't I," she whispered. "I tried. I tried." Tears poured down her face, her voice crackling with sobs.

"Hell no, you never fuck up, girl," Daryl told her. He kissed her cheek and repeatedly told her he loved her over and over.

He then looked up, his face soaked in tears. "Goddamnit Jesus! HURRY UP!"

"Just keep pressure on the wound. At this rate, we'll be there in about twenty minutes," Jesus told him.

"She doesn't have twenty goddamned minutes," David screamed at him. "She's going to die!"

Carol turned around in her seat to face Dani. "Not if we can help it," she muttered. "Jesus, pick up the speed now." She then turned to Dani. "Dani, whatever you do, stay with us. You're going to be all right."

Dani faintly shook her head. "No…..I saw…I saw….him."

Carol and Daryl looked at each other. Carol then looked back at Dani, and saw that her face was twisting into fear.

"Who did you see," Carol asked her.

Dani began to sob. She panted and cried from the pain and the fear. "The devil," she whimpered. "I saw ….the devil."

And then she passed out in Daryl's arms.

Daryl shook her gently, calling her name. But she wouldn't wake up.

"Please Dani! PLEASE! DANI! DANI! GOD NO! DANI!"

Oh no! Dani's been shot! Is she dead? Find out soon! A big shout out to BreenaBelle-xoxo and Leah Pensotti for their amazing and kind reviews! Thank you both so much! Please review more and let me know what you think! A lot of bad stuff will go down! Thanks and take care! Have a wonderful weekend!