Holy moly, Walking Dead what are you doing to me! one week left until the season finale. Who will bite the dust? I have a couple of people in mind.

But on with the story!

Will Maddy beg for Merle's life? Will he survive? Don't trust everything you read is my motto. ;)

Thanks for the loads of reviews from last chapter! and a big hug for all the readers for sticking with this story!

Enjoy!


Chapter 53

"Come on, Madison! Beg for his life!" Philip shouted as he held Merle in a tight grip.

My arms were still stretched out in front of me, the gun aimed at Philip. Beg for Merle's life. It sounded easy enough but was it really that simple? I hated to admit it, but Philip played a game too advanced for me. Merle had to survive and I wanted to survive. Between the two of us, who had a higher survival chance?

"No?" Philip retracted his arm only to swiftly sing it forward and punched Merle in his side. Merle flinched and his legs started to shake. For a second time Philip hit Merle in the exact same spot. This time Merle cried out loudly.

"Wait!" I raised my arms and shakily placed my gun on the ground. I got down on my knees and looked up at Philip.

"Please…"

"Excuse me?" Philip leaned forward. Blood dripped from Merle's lips.

"L-… let Merle live." I shifted my eyes to Daryl's brother for a quick moment, "Don't kill him."

Without warning Philip hit Merle again and the eldest Dixon brother fell to the ground. He hit the dirt with his dislocated shoulder. Merle opened his mouth in pain but no sound came out.

I pressed my lips together but couldn't stop them from quivering. My whole body trembled at the sight of Merle lying on the ground on his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Madison. I must have misheard you." Philip lowered himself and stared straight at me, "You were saying?"

"D-don't kill him."

"D-d-d-don't kill him?" He repeated mockingly followed by a laugh.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "I'll do anything you want, just promise me you won't kill Merle!"

Philip closed his mouth, gave a quick nod and looked up at Martinez, "Well I guess that settles it." Then his hand shot forward and he grabbed a bundle of my hair, "Fair enough. I won't kill him."

With that Philip stood up and pulled me with him. He paused and nodded to Merle on the ground. Martinez followed this silent command and lifted the battered Merle from the ground. His head hung low and blood still dripped from his face.

"I'm a man of my word, Madison. You do best to remember that." He nodded at his henchman, "Martinez…put a bullet through his head." Philip turned around and dragged me with him.

"NO!" I screamed, "MERLE!" I watched in horror as Martinez pulled Merle out of sight.

"MERLE!"

Philip opened the car door and was about to toss me inside when he paused. A gunshot sounded. That was it. Merle Dixon had died. Merle…

::::::…::::::

"How could you!" I yelled at Philip, "You promised me,-"

"I didn't kill him, now did I?" a crooked smirk appeared on his face.

"You still gave the order."

Philip sighed as he dragged me through the hall, "potato, potato…"

I had no idea where I was exactly but it had to be in Woodbury. Although this was a place I'd never seen before. It almost seemed as if we were underground. Perhaps this was the place leading to the arena? I had to get out of here. If only I could contact Andrea or Milton, perhaps even Martinez. I glanced over my shoulder and looked at the man behind me. I couldn't believe Martinez had shot Merle, after the way he had helped me last time I honestly believed Martinez was a good guy. Guess I was wrong…

"Don't even think about it." Philip said to me, "There is no way out of here without you being seen…I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Three times." I mumbled under my breath.

A sharp pain erupted from my cheek. I raised my hand to cover the sore spot where Philip had just hit me. He brought me to a door halfway down the corridor. We stopped, Philip nodded and Martinez stepped forward to open it. The room wasn't big and the only thing in there was a round wooden table and a pair of chairs at either ends.

"Ah, this place holds some good memories." Philip exclaimed as we walked inside. He pulled out the stool at the back and pushed me down onto it.

"One of your friends had the honour of being in here…" He circled around the chair, "In this exact same spot you're sitting."

I felt Philip's hands creep up my upper arms and halting on top of my shoulders. He squeezed tightly and brought his face next to mine, "What was her name again?" I closed my eyes as his breath tickled my cheek. I knew exactly who he meant.

"The farmer's daughter, Maggie," Philip took his right hand of my shoulder and moved it up. His thumb gently caressed the side of my face.

"She didn't put up much of a fight. No, she knew her place. She stood up when I asked…took her shirt off when I ordered her, "Philip pressed his nose against my neck and inhaled deeply, "took her bra off…,"He paused for a moment, and surprisingly enough stepped back and I let out the breath I was holding.

"Heck even Andrea came to me willingly." Philip grinned as he crouched down in front of me.

"Michonne will simply have to wait her turn." He looked up at me and grinned mischievously before placing both hands on my knees, slowly moving them closer and closer, down my inner thigh. I couldn't hide the disgust and angst I felt at that moment. He then stopped and stood back up.

"Luckily for you, you will have to wait." He turned around and looked at Martinez, "Make sure she's tied up good and bring me Milton."

Milton?

"No problem." Martinez replied. Without looking back Philip left the room and I was alone with the man who helped me once before. But would he do that now? Martinez kept quiet as he grabbed a rope from the floor and bound my hands to the chair. I tried to make eye contact with him but he averted his head every time.

"Why did you do it?" I asked him softly. For a mere second I managed to lock eyes with him, but I got no answer.

"Why do you still support him? You've seen what kind of person he is,- owe!" I hissed as he pulled on the rope.

"How many people have yet to die before you realise you're with a tyrant!" For the second time today I got struck in the face.

"Shut up." Martinez said so softly I almost didn't hear him, "he is listening." He bent down and spread the rope he held in his hands. Only he didn't tie my feet to the chair as I had expected him to do. He loosely draped it around them. I looked at him strangely as he glanced up.

"I didn't do it." He told me. Didn't do what?

"What do you mean?" I asked as he got up. He placed his index finger against his lips and he walked towards the door.

"Wait…" The door slammed shut.

::::::…::::::

The annoying thing about not being able to use my hands was that I wasn't able to dry my tears. Of course my actual problem right now was finding a way to get out of here. But what I had already been sitting here for a while and still I had no idea on how to get out of this situation.

My mind wandered back to Merle and how he had died trying to kill Philip singlehandedly. In the end he was the big hero, only no he was dead and everything he had tried to do was in vain. Philip was still alive and no one at the prison knew what had happened. I was crying because I wished Merle was still alive. I was crying because I knew I should have knocked him out when I had the chance back when Michonne stepped out of the car. Now she was the only one who knew where Merle and I had gone off to. It was all a matter of time now, unless she didn't return to the prison.

I glanced down at my lap and looked at the dark spots my tears created on my jeans. I moved my head to the side and used my shoulders to try and wipe my eyes dry. The fact that Martinez left my legs unbound was no use. I was I going to get out of here with the chair tied to my hands. I looked around the room but saw nothing that could cut through these ropes. I could try and break the door down. Whilst being bound to living room furniture…It was useless. I had no idea what to do.

"You see this here, Madison?" Philip tossed Milton in front of my feet, "Another one of my people who turned their back on me. I keep losing men, after men."

"Oh my God," I said with horror, Milton's face was slightly swollen and covered with dried up blood. One of his eyes was shut closed and he could barely move, "What did you do to him?!"

"Don't worry he's not dead." Philip said casually.

"A-And-…rea," Milton muttered.

"Okay, that's quite enough." Philip grabbed Milton by his collar of his shirt and yanked him back up, "You've seen her, now it's time to leave."

"He got Andrea too." Milton managed to get out. My eyes widened. Andrea was down here too? Realization hit me. We weren't going to make it. None of us were. Not me, not Milton and not Andrea. One by one he was going to murder us all.

"Philip, wait." I yelled after him, "You don't have to do this. Just stop what you're doing."

Philip halted in his steps and looked back at me.

"You gonna beg for his life now?" He nodded at Milton, "or Andrea's?"

I looked at the two men. Philip watched me closely with one eyebrow arched and Milton tried his best to stand up on his wobbly legs. I pressed my lips together and turned my head away from them.

"Didn't think so," I heard Philip say, "If you're not with me, you're against me. That means you're a threat and like a threat you have to be wiped out, every single one of you."

He shut the door behind him. I blinked as another pair of tears cascades down my cheeks. It was too late. I slumped back into the chair. I survived months fighting my way amongst Walkers, surviving hunger and the cold, but this was going to be my end.

::::::…::::::

"Madi,-"

I knew that voice.

"Madison."

Andrea? She was still alive? Wait, if she was alive then why was she yelling, if Philip or anyone else heard her…

Her voice sounded like it was coming from the right. I had to get closer to her. I kicked the loose rope away with my feet and bend forward. It was highly uncomfortable but slowly I managed to shuffle my way over to the wall. That's when she shouted my name again.

"Andrea!"I shouted.

"Oh thank God!" She said, "When you didn't reply I thought you were,-"

Her voice vanished.

"Andrea?"

"I-I'm here."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Milton's not, he's dying."

Oh no… If he died, he would become a Walker, "Andrea, is he in there with you?"

"He's still alive." She replied after a couple of seconds.

I cursed under my breath. That meant Milton was in there and that she knew very well the situation she was in, "Andrea…can you,- Are you tied up?"

"I'm working on it."

Shit!

I couldn't sit here and wait for Andrea to somehow free herself. I had to get out of here myself as quickly as possible, but I already checked every possible way for me to free myself. I licked my lips and fought back the new tears forming behind my tired eyes.

"Andrea," I began, "I- I don't know how to get out. I don't know how to help you." I felt weak. Not being able to help a friend when she was so incredibly close. Hearing her voice had given me hope but now that I thought about it, it didn't make any difference.

"Don't worry. I'm cutting myself loose as we speak, it'll take time but I'll make it. I'm going to get us out."

I nodded at the wall. Hoping she was telling me the truth. However every minute felt like much longer and after a while I still heard nothing from the other side. I hopped the chair a bit closer to the wall and pressed the side of my face against it.

"Andrea?"

"I'm almost loose! I'll come and get you!"

I sighed with relief. We were going to get out. Me and her, we were going to make it and head to the prison together. Suddenly Andrea cried out loudly. My heart stopped. She cried out again. it wasn't a cry of success, it sounded almost as if she,-

"ANDREA!"

Her cry became a high scream and then I heard nothing…


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