Ch. 34
Sam sat under one of the trees, enjoying the shade and the cool breeze that blew in contrast to the hot Virginian sun. Bastard's head rested in his lap and the people went about their business in the Kingdom. He was off duty at the moment, but unfortunately he would need to get back on the wall before long.
He checked his watch, five minutes before his shift. Sam groaned and began to stand up. He grabbed the rifle that was resting against the tree and slung it over his shoulder before strapping his sword belt on. Bastard got up quickly and followed Sam as he made his way out from underneath the cool shade of the tree.
"Hey Sam." He waved to Mrs. Bayer as he walked by.
"Sam, you coming to poker tonight?" Ethan, a fellow Kingdom guard, asked as he and his friends came back in from patrol.
"Only if you stop playing with cards up your sleeves, cheating prick." Ethan laughed and then waved him off.
The wall to the Kingdom was mainly wood but there were a few sections where it was reinforced with steel or sheet metal to cover up weak points. Along most of the wall was a small catwalk where soldiers would stand and walk along so that they could keep watch.
"Sam, bought time you got here. I thought you weren't gonna show." Sam checked his watch and saw that he still had two minutes before his shift started.
"Darrius, I'm on time, hell I'm early."
"You always gotta be early by at least fifteen minutes! Haven't I taught you anything?"
"Just how to swing this thing around." Sam said, grabbing the hilt of his sword. "'Sides, where are you so eager to be off to?"
"The kids are waiting for their lesson right about now."
"Right, that explains why none of 'em tried to steal Bastard from me while I was off."
"Yeah, yeah. Look keep your eye on the west area over there, a bit more Walkers are coming through than normal."
"Righto Darrius."
When the King requests your presence, you go. It was something that everyone in the Kingdom new and something that everyone in the Kingdom respected. It wasn't that they were afraid of the King, Ezekiel was a good and fair man, and it was simply out of respect. He led them, made sure that everything was kept in order and above all else, he cared for the people of the Kingdom. No, he loved them. So when the King asked to see Sam, he went without hesitation.
"M'lord," Sam said bowing just a bit. "You wanted to see me."
"I did Samuel. For the past four months you have served the Kingdom, you have protected its people, and you have done it well." The King paused and looked to where Richard stood. "Richard and I have been discussing a, situation, which has been occurring for the last year. I need strong soldiers to help me. After knowing what you have survived and seeing you work with the soldiers, I know that you would be of great value on this endeavor."
"Sorry if this sounds rude, but that is some fuckin' ominous shite." Sam crosses his arms. "What are you asking me to do?"
Ezekiel took a breath. "There is a group that we have business with. We give them supplies, food mainly, and in return we do not fight. They do not hurt anyone of the Kingdom."
Sam stood silent and then looked around to the others in the throne room. "Is-is that it? We give them shite and they don't attack?"
"It is more complicated than that!" Ezekiel said harshly. Sam shut his mouth and bowed his head quickly. The King hardly ever raised his voice like that, but when he did people listened. "The Kingdom, strong as we are, are not nearly strong enough to take this group on. It would cost a great many lives. Both ours and theirs. What I need from you is to come with me and others during these transactions. One of our soldiers, Robert, is retiring, and I wish for you to take his place."
"Aye, I'll go, but only because you ask it. If you believe that it is best for the people of the Kingdom, then I'll do it."
"So what do you know about the saviors?" Sam asked Richard. They were traveling with a few crates of produce to a meet up point. Jerry was with the King and several of the other Kingdom soldiers.
"They're killers. Answer to a guy named Negan. They guy we answer to is named Gavin. Negan though, never met him." Richard said, his hands wrapping tightly around the steering wheel.
"Negan. Pretty kick ass name. So what, they just go around telling people that they work for them?"
"Basically. You resist they kill you, intimidate the others. That's what I've heard. They haven't killed anyone from the Kingdom, yet. If they did, the King would have gone to war."
Sam shook his head as Richard began turning into the meet spot. There were three cars and men with rifles standing at ease. A man with a small bit of belly sticking out stood in front of the rest waiting for them.
Sam got out of the truck and kept his rifle down as were his instructions. The King went first greeting the lead Savior with respect, which Sam noticed was received and given, before he motioned for the Savior to come to the truck.
"Surprised you're on time, a couple of the patrols said that there was a herd coming around."
"We've not seen a herd but we are wary during these times. When the months begin to turn frigid and white, the dead seem to congregate."
"May be another lean winter. That being said, the next pick up is gonna need to be a bit heavier than normal."
Ezekiel stopped and looked at the Savior. "Gavin, surely what we give is more than enough."
Gavin shook his head. "That isn't for me to decide and you know that. Negan wants to be prepared in case the snows are bad. Preparation. You got one last good harvest. I don't need to tell you what happens when Negan gets pissed do I?"
Ezekiel closed his eyes and nodded. And Sam saw the Saviors for the first time.
"Samuel, if you would, ride with me in the back. Dianne you ride with Richard." Sam went to the back Ezekiel and Jerry. When the truck began moving, the wind made it hard to hear, which was why Ezekiel sent Jerry to the back of the truck and sat next to Sam. "What do you think of the Saviors?"
"Bad news. They might be on your side for now, but give them enough time, a harsh winter, hell a bad day, and they'll turn on you."
"You speak from experience with groups like these?"
Sam shook his head. "It's just what I'd do. I mean it's good to have food brought to you, but it's better to know have control of the food. Where it's grown, how it's picked, when it's delivered. Right now they only have one."
"What would you have me do?"
Sam laughed. "A King asking little old me for advice. My ma would think me mad if I ever told her that I'd met an American King and he asked me for advice. But honestly, give these men an inch and they'll shoot you in the head."
"Is it truly this barbarous out here?"
"Worse. I've killed men and women for food; I've killed them for less. It's rough, and horrible, but that's just the world now."
Ezekiel eyes Sam skeptically. "You truly believe that this is the way of the world now?"
Sam shrugged. "I make conclusions off of what I see."
"Yet the good Pastor tells me you believe in God."
"Not the point."
"Isn't it?" Ezekiel asked. "You cannot see God yet you believe. You cannot see the hope and goodness of men at the moment, but does that not meant that it is not there? I believe that men are redeemable, the Saviors no different; however if it were between my people and the Saviors I would choose mine. If this were not the case, I would have had you executed as soon as Dr. Finch told me what you had done."
"Some men are redeemable, fine. But look at all of those Saviors, do you think that bit one of them enjoys the killing he's done? That he revels in the chaos and the blood?" Sam shook his head and looked at the King. "You want my advice. Prepare for war. I don't think you're a fool m'lord, but f you think that those men are on your side, if you think they won't hurt you, then you're wrong."
Ezekiel looked pensive and looked out at the rapidly moving countryside. The open fields, the grass that was slowly dying from the turning of the seasons.
"I cannot go to war with the Saviors." Sam scoffed. "They are to numerous. However, what if they were to come under fire from a group of marauders? A group of-"
"Raiders," Sam said, smiling a bit. "What if the Saviors convoys, patrols and the like were hit?"
"Their numbers would be depleted some. And if it ever came to war between the Saviors and the Kingdom, they would be fighting on two fronts."
Sam smiled. "M'lord, I like this idea."
"Gentlemen thanks for coming," Sam said as he strode into the throne room. The King was away so it was simply Sam and five other men that he had elected to offer a place with him.
"What's going on Sam?" Darrius asked from his seat in the theatre.
"Yeah what gives?" Ethan Luain echoed.
"I'll get to that. First though, I need your word, all of yours, that what is said here right now will stay here. Not gonna lie, it's gonna be some heavy shite, and some of you may not like it, but, everything here is for the good of the Kingdom and the King has sanctioned it. Now, do I have your word?"
They all nodded and sat up in their chairs wondering what the C.I.A spook act was for.
"Who here knows about the Saviors?" Darrius raised his hand, having been a senior officer in the Kingdoms Militia, but the others looked around confused at the name. Sam forced a smile and ten explained them, who they were, what they did, what the Kingdom was doing for them. And then, he began to explain the plan. "The Saviors and the Kingdom are a cinder box with a lit match near. The King knows this, and he also knows that we aren't strong enough to fight them straight on. That is where we come in. We fight the Saviors, Inglourious Basterds style. Guerrilla style fighting, we hit the Saviors and then we run. When the spark is lit and the Saviors decide to fuck with the Kingdom, we'll have whittled them down enough for it to be a fair fight, what do you all say?"
To say that their response was overwhelming would have been a poor description. Each of the Kingdoms soldiers were loyal to the Kingdom, and any threat they would gladly kill in order to preserve their home.
"You know that speech was quite something. Gave me chills." Although they had subsided in the past few months, the hallucinations were still there at times. And they still taunted him, poking holes at him, often appearing at the most random times, or like right now, a bit awkwardly.
Richard was in the room going over what he knew about the Saviors patrols and habits, and Beth was lying on his bed, naked. It was a bit distracting for Sam.
"Now this road here is where some Saviors like to pass through. It's near the Kingdom though so-"
"It'd probably be best to follow 'em out a bit. Don't worry; we won't be circling around the Kingdom much. Besides, why would they suspect you? It's been what, a year, year and a half, since you've been giving to them? It's too long a time frame."
"Oh Sam, getting tactical?" He tried to tune her out, but his eyes couldn't help glancing over at the bed every once in a while.
Richard nodded and scratched his chin. "Don't worry about resupply much. The King has agreed to a few dead drop locations marked here and here. Canned goods mostly, you can't exactly be eating fresh vegetables all the time. Saviors would catch on."
"Right. Any body armor, Kevlar? I like the Kingdom stuff just fine, but it's a bit iconic. Any Saviors that do manage to get away would know it the minute they saw it." Beth waved at him when his eyes roamed over and he quickly looked back to Richard, his face burning.
"Darrius is digging some out of storage. I wish I could be out there with you guys. But, if too many of us go then they'll piece it together. Dianne, Jerry and I have been going to the drop offs since it started. If we stop going-"
"War. Don't worry. By the time it gets here, we'll be ready. These Bastards won't know what hit 'em. Speaking of which," Sam stood and walked over to where Bastard was sleeping, curled up next to the bed. As Sam bent down to pet the dog he felt Beth's hand grip his shoulder softly and then her mouth hovered next to his ear.
"You know what you can do on this mission."
"I want you to keep Bastard. Well, you don't have to keep him, but he's staying in the Kingdom. I don't want him in a warzone. Plus, I think the kids would kill me if I took him away." He stood up and let the dog sleep. "Make sure he's taken care of?"
Richard nodded. "I promise. Just do me a favor?"
"Course."
"Hit 'em hard. These men are monsters, kill 'em all."
Sam smiled and shook Richards's hand. "Promise mate. It'll be the Saviors that need saving."
Richard left and Sam was now alone with a naked hallucination.
"Well that was fun."
"Shut up."
"Oh come on. I know you can see the humor in this. Besides it's not like anyone got hurt."
Sam shoots his head and began packing his bag for the mission.
"Sam. You know what you can do on this mission."
"And what is that?" He asked, annoyed at the hallucination.
"Find us."
AN: Sup everyone! So this is gonna be fun is it not? Sam and a handful of men against the Saviors. Whooo! Yeah! anyway, so will Sam find the group before Negan finds them? I don't know maybe, maybe not. Maybe he won't even find the group until the war starts or maybe he'll die and never see them again. Who knows! Now, please leave a review I'll try and post one on Christmas Eve if I don't then it'll most likely be the day after Christmas. Review! ~Pacco1