"Wow, I didn't think he could look any worse than he did that night." Daphne raised her eyebrows at Rick's lumpy face.
"He'd be easier to treat if you weren't taking half of our meds," a stout blonde muttered from the corner.
"Denise, Denise, you can't fuckin' guilt trip me, when are you gonna learn that?" Negan put a hand to his chest and grinned. She huffed and continued adjusting her inventory sheet. "Find anything, strawberry?"
"A few stashed guns, a very impressive homemade jail cell, and lots of booze." Daphne counted off on her fingers. "The armory is stocked to the tits, complete with a rocket launcher. Arat's overseeing the loadup of that. But no missing people."
"How fuckin' boring, Rick." He kicked the unconscious man's bed, and Denise shot him a glare over her thin rimmed glasses. "Though I'm fuckin' excited to play with a rocket launcher. Way fuckin' cooler than a crossbow."
"Keep dreaming," Daphne shot back, feigning offense.
"Oh I fuckin' dream about it," Negan purred as he stood. "I dream about how fuckin' sexy it would be if you could hit a target."
She punched him in the arm as a short dark-haired Savior strode in.
"I have a lead on Carol," she said in an even tone. Daphne whirled around to meet steel eyes and sharp features.
"Letty!" Negan opened his arms in greeting. "Didn't even fuckin' know you were here. Like a fuckin' ghost."
The blonde lieutenant extended her hand and the shorter woman took it. "You're Letty?" she asked. "Daphne. Big fan."
The scout's mouth curled up in the smallest of smiles, but then her expression fell back to business. "One of my crew members witnessed an altercation between a middle-aged woman and a group of armed men. A man with a stick and supremely effective martial arts skills rescued her and called her 'Carol'. They were then picked up by men on horseback."
Negan sighed. "King fucking Tiger."
"Looks that way, Sir." Letty nodded. "We're keeping an eye on the Kingdom but we can't get too close without risking harming our agreement."
"No, you just keep fuckin' doin' what you're doin'." He strode over and clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll talk more later, away from prying fuckin' ears." He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb at Denise, who dropped her pencil in surprise at being addressed.
The trio headed out of the makeshift hospital to find Spencer standing there with the Lara Croft chick.
"You're a gutless fucking pussy!" she hissed right into his face, and then turned to shoot a glare right at Negan. "Go on then." She spat and turned on her heel, stalking off.
"Whoo-eee, that looked like it fuckin' hurt," the leather clad man said as he descended the porch steps.
Spencer carefully composed his hurt expression into one of indifference and turned to the trio. "She's still salty about Abraham." He waved it off like it was nothing, and then raised his gaze to meet amused amber eyes. "I guess she wasn't over him when she started sleeping with me."
"Ah, that's why Rambo Barbie is in an extra fuckin' piss." Negan nodded.
"Anyway," Spencer said, and wiped his palms on his pants.
"Anyway!" The leader of the Saviors looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "Get outta my fuckin' way. You don't want Lucille to have to move you."
The pup scampered to the side of the road, and the trio headed to the armory where Arat and a group of Saviors were just finishing loading up the last of the weapons.
"Cheesus fuckin' Christ, that's a lot of fuckin' guns!" Negan bellowed, a massive grin breaking out on his face.
Carl headed over just as Arat slammed the truck door down, the ex-Samurai at his side.
Negan squinted, inclining his head. "What was your fuckin' name again, sweetheart?"
"Michonne," she said, stone faced.
"Mi-chonne, beautiful fuckin' name." He grinned. "I hereby decree you Rick the Prick's stand in until he's back on his busted fuckin' feet. We'll be back in a week, so get scavenging, little rodents!" He waved them off, bending his knees a little.
Carl opened his mouth to say something, but Michonne grabbed his shoulders, pulling him back against her. The sound of doors slamming reverberated all along the road, engines spurring to life.
"Move the fuck out!" Negan yelled as he hopped up into the cab of his truck. When they started moving, Daphne rolled down the window, stretching her legs outside and crossing them at the ankle.
"So?" she asked, reclining her seat and folding her hands behind her head. "Do I get to go pick up Carol?"
Negan laughed. "Fuckin' right, strawberry. You get to storm the fuckin' Kingdom."
"I can't wait to meet-" Daphne started, but the sound of gunfire cut her off. She immediately jerked her feet in the window, and grabbed the collar of his jacket. He grunted as she yanked him down into her lap, shoving her radio into his hand as she drew her handgun.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Negan barked into the mouthpiece.
"Shooters in the trees," Letty's calm voice came back. "Close the gate back up, we can handle this."
Daphne growled. She leaned out the window to a wide-eyed Michonne. "You trying to set us up? Because I will fucking end you."
"No! We wouldn't do anything to put Maggie and Daryl in danger." The dreadlocked woman's voice pleaded for understanding.
"Closing the gate," Arat said over the radio. "Taking a crew up on the wall." The cracks and pops of bullets didn't let up.
Daphne kept a firm grip on Negan's collar, though she knew realistically if he wanted to move he was more than strong enough to overpower her. She was thankful that he was letting her do her job.
"Give us some weapons back so we can defend ourselves!" Carl demanded.
Daphne scoffed. "Yeah, right, kid." She stared at the Saviors following Arat's lead, staying low along the wall and peering over.
"You pissin' off other fuckin' people too?" Negan called from his lieutenant's lap. "Killin' off other communities?"
"They could be here for you," Carl pointed out.
"Little shit could be right." Negan rolled his head to the side so he was looking up at her, a lopsided grin forming. "Your tits look fuckin' amazing from down here."
"Focus, asshole." She pinched his neck and he slapped her hand away playfully.
"Jesus, you get so fuckin' uptight when you're in work mode." He sat up in his seat and she narrowed her eyes at him.
The gunfire ceased, and the silence was palpable as everyone strained their ears.
"I think we're clear," Letty's voice came through. "Going to sweep the woods to be sure, stay put." They heard the echo of her barking orders to her team, and Arat directed her wall dwellers for covering positions.
"Maybe just drifters looking to take over the place," Daphne said.
"And what if they'd come ten minutes later?" Carl seethed, and Michonne looked like she wanted to shush him but lacked the energy. "If we're all dead you won't be getting supplies from us."
"You highly overestimate your fuckin' worth to me, kid," Negan drawled, ever the picture of relaxation. "If you get wiped out, that's fuckin' karma at its best. And if you don't, then I still have little worker bees buzzing the fuck around procuring shit for me." He tilted his head. "It may look like I'm doin' you a fuckin' favour here but my people are just clearing a safe path for us. Maybe in the future when you've paid your fuckin' debts we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. But for now, I don't give half a shit, let alone a whole fuck."
Daphne clenched her jaw to avoid the laugh threatening to bubble up from her throat.
"Clear," Letty said.
"Any idea who these fucks are?" Negan asked into the radio.
"Negative," came the reply. "Give us a three minute head start so we can scout ahead."
"Yes ma'am." He saluted the radio and handed it back over to Daphne as Arat followed her crew back down the ladder to the trucks.
"You should make Letty lieutenant," the blonde said. "I wouldn't ever have to worry about you with that supersoldier around."
"Aw, you fuckin' worry about me, strawberry?" Negan put a hand to his chest and batted his eyelashes.
She actually blushed, and averted her gaze, cursing herself for letting that slip out.
He smirked.