Thank you all for your patience. It's been a rough year of illness, loss after loss and an anxiety disorder making me lose a lot of myself and my ability to focus on writing. This fic has been in the works for six years, this particular chapter has been partially written for at least four of them. Kinda insane to finally be posting it. Apologies for making everyone wait. If you're a reader of any of my other fics as well I'll try to get them updated but have no eta as I kinda have to depend on what my concentration is like on any given day.

Stay safe and hold your loved ones close.

"He did what?" Merle growled at Glenn and Rosita as they stood near the front gate. He'd just gotten to the barrier for his guard shift, when the pair brought the troubling news to him.

"He just peeled out of here." Glenn spoke quickly, his hands motioning to the gate. "He's going after the Saviors. We have to stop him."

"Goddamnit." Merle shoved passed them and headed to the nearest vehicle. All three climbed inside the van to follow Daryl to the sight of Denise's death. Merle knew he would be tracking them back to whatever hideyhole they came from and if he knew his brother he was going in head first. Bolts and knives out with little thought about how he would make it home alive.

Merle knew that Daryl being the softer hearted sibling would be blaming himself for the doctor's death. He would carry it for a lifetime and that guilt would drive him right into an early grave if Merle didn't stop him.

He couldn't let Daryl get himself killed, he wouldn't lose him to a rash decision. Not when it was a rash decision that got them into trouble in the first place.

As the pulled up to the gate, Michonne jogged up to the drivers side window.

"Where are you goin?" She asked, her hand up to block the early morning sun.

"Daryl went after the Saviors." Rosita replied from the back of the van, leaning over the console to speak to the other woman.

"Don't got time for this shit." Merle barked pointing at the entrance to the community as Eugene finally began approaching the rolling gate. "Open this shit up now."

Michonne climbed inside the van before they could pull away, the group exiting the gate with a scattering of loose gravel kicking up loudly against the corrugated metal gate.

"We know where he's going?"

"Denise." Rosita replied, her hands methodically checking her large rifle for ammo.

"What's his plan?" Michonne asked incredulously. "To take them on himself?"

"Ain't got a plan." Merle growled lowly, his eyes scanning each road they passed for signs of his brother or Saviors. "Only lookin' to get himself killed by these fuckers Officer Dumbass pissed off."

"Rick was doing what he thought was right."

"Naw, he was playin' king dick with a bunch other fucks playin' king dick and now we're all gettin' bent over a barrel and fucked. If my brother ends up dead by the end of the day, I'm stringin' ol' Rick up by his balls. Aint nothin' or nobody gonna stop me."

"It's not Rick's fault." Glenn replied only to be cut off by Merle sharp words and icy blue eyes.

"He wants to be the big man in charge, it's his fuckin' fault we got targets on our back now."

Sam held the small blanket knit in a gray chenille, her fingers stroking the soft threads. She felt tears bubble up as they were prone to do recently, her lip even trembling as she croaked, "it's so pretty, Beth."

"I figured since you're waiting to find out what you're havin' it'll go good for either. I could even add on, pink or blue after they're here."

Sam gave the young woman a hug, her stomach turned out of the way. "Thank you."

"Okay, stop crying." Beth laughed, patting her on the shoulder. "Let's get you some tea."

Sam smiled while wiping her cheeks, her lips poised to answer when a sharp pain rippled across her stomach. The abruptness of it had her crying out, her hands holding onto the lower curve of her abdomen.

"Oooow." She groaned as she bent over before it turned to a sharp hiss. "Shhhhit."

"Sam." Beth gasped, her hands clutching onto the pregnant woman's elbow. "Are you okay?"

"I..." her lungs caught as another cramp brought her to her knees. "Don't know."

"I'm getting help. Just stay there."

"Merle."

"I'll get him, just stay there."

The forest was quiet as Merle and Glenn picked their way through the trees and shrubs, while Rosita and Michonne followed closely behind them. He was tracking a set of prints that most likely belonged to the saviors, Daryl wouldn't be so careless. They found his bike hidden by the train tracks, a few feet away from the large blood stain Denise had left behind. Merle knew his brother had a soft heart, it was something that alway got in him in trouble.

"How many Saviors do you think are left?" Glenn asked the hushed question as they ducked through a group of shrubs.

"Too damn late to be wonderin'..." Merle's sentence was cut off as a bolt embedded into the tree beside Rosita's head.

"Watch the hell out, asshole." She snapped as Daryl stepped out of the trees.

"I did, ya'll shouldn' come." Daryl growled back, yanking the bolt from her hand.

"The fuck you doin' boy." Merle snapped loudly, rushing towards his brother with intent to beat some sense into him.

"You shouldn't have left." Michonne commented as Daryl shoved Merle out of his way to continue into the woods.

"Man, when I split off from Sasha and Abraham, he was out there in the woods." Daryl's voice carried in the trees, the pure rage bubbling up as he went on, "in that burned-out forest with them girls, put a gun to my head, tied me up. I even tried to help him."

"So, you think it's your fault?" Glenn surmised, following the man as he tried to keep going only to be stopped by Merle's tight grip on his arm.

"Yeah, I know it is." He replied, smacking Merle's hand from his shoulder. "I'm gonna go do what I should've done before."

"What for?" Merle snapped, his temper flaring as his brother continued to try and leave them behind. "She's dead and she ain't comin' back."

"You're not doing this for her." Glenn commented over his brother's shouts. "You're doin' this for you."

"Man, I don't give a shit. I'm settlin' scores." Daryl's voice was hoarse, his eyes wild.

"Aint settlin' shit. Ya out here gettin' yourself killed." Merle snapped, shoving Daryl back towards Alexandria. "Now go on home, boy."

"Don't call me boy. Aint no fuckin' kid no more, old man." Daryl shoved his brother out of his way.

"Daryl... we need to get back there and figure this out from home. Our home. We need you, and everyone back there needs us right now." Glenn begged, his face full of concern. "It's- it's gonna go wrong out here. "

Merle huffed out a frustrated breath, he could see the resolve in his brother's eyes. No one was talking him out of the crazed idea of revenge. Merle felt himself sinking with the realization that no matter what they said, his brother wasn't turning back until he got his hands bloody from the bastards who took advantage of his soft heart.

"We'll square it. I will. I promise you. Just come back." Michonne assured, her words desperate as Daryl's shoulders rolled back and his chin tipped up.

"I can't."

"Daryl." Glenn's voice rose as Daryl stepped away from all of them, his boots stomping on dead leaves and broken twigs with little regard to subtly.

"Man, I can't!" His back faded into the woods as the group watched him leave.

"I can't either." Rosita commented before striding after the younger Dixon, her rifle up and ready for enemies.

"Goddamn, stubborn sonsabitches." Merle growled, pulling his gun out from his waistband. "Y'all go back, make sure home's not bein' burned down by now. I'll get him and lil Mexico back."

"What do I tell Sam?" Glenn asked as Merle followed the pair deeper into the woods.

"Tell her I'll be back as soon as I knock her brother in laws teeth outta his thick skull."

"What do you mean he's gone?" Sam whimpered, her hand curling around the significant curve of her belly. She wasn't sure what was happening but it didn't feel normal, whatever normal was being seven months pregnant in the undead world. What she wouldn't give for a real hospital with doctors and drugs.

"He went after Daryl." Rick replied, putting his hand on her forehead. "You're burning up."

"Aint feeling too good." She panted, her eyes flicking to the door as Maggie stepped inside, her brow furrowed as she took in Sam's sweaty forehead and pinched expression.

"What're we gonna do?" Beth was kneeling next to Sam as she grit her teeth at the cramps rolling through her abdomen. The young woman's eyes were on Rick who paced near the front window of the house.

"She needs a doctor, Rick. We gotta get her to hilltop. Their doctor will know what to do."

"We can't, we don't know how many Saviors are out there. The roads aren't safe."

"You gotta go find Merle and Daryl." Sam chimed in through clenched teeth. "I swear to god, Rick. I'm not havin this kid by myself."

"Hey, hey, hey." Rick drawled as he approached the bed. "Easy, you're not alone."

"You have to find them. They could be.."

"They're okay." Rick assured despite them both knowing the others could very well be in trouble. "We gotta worry about you right now. Merle would want us figuring out how to take care of you."

"This is too early. She's got a couple months left." Beth murmured, wiping a wet cloth across the back of her neck.

"I don't know what to do for her here. She spotting and the pain is only getting worse." Maggie murmured from the other side of the bed as Sam grimaced at the next wave of pain rippling across her stomach. "She needs a real doctor or its going to be Lori all over again."

"Shit." Rick huffed, rising to his feet to scrub his face wih both hands.

"Rick." Sam started but the man's expression stopped her.

"It'll be okay, Sam. We can do this. We take a group to hilltop. Get the RV ready. We'll take the back route and hope they aren't watchin'. Don't worry, Sam. We'll get you there okay?"

"Okay." Sam spoke through gritted teeth and tear filled eyes. "Gonna kick both their asses for me too?"

"Hell yeah." Rick smiled sadly, his hand squeezing her shoulder. "I'll read them riot act when they get back."

"Where's Carol?" Maggie asked as Rick headed for the door, his shoulders stiffening at her question. He gripped the door knob but paused his exit.

"She left, Morgan's on her trail."

"The hell is everyone runnin' off for?" Sam huffed, rolling to her side looking for relief from the cramps clenching at her back muscles.

"I don't know but we'll get everyone home and then we'll deal with the rest of the Saviors."

Sam was being helped inside the RV by Abraham and Beth when Maggie jogged up.

"I'll come with to help."

"You're needed here, Mags." Beth got Sam seated on the bed in the back of the RV, the pregnant woman groaning as another contraction tore through her lower stomach.

"Glenn's out there."

"All the more reason to stay, you can see him when they get back. Merle's gonna want to know where she went."

"Everyone else can let him know. I got as much experience birthing calves as you do."

"I'm not a heifer." Sam grumbled under her breath.

"But you can keep Alexandria safe while I go with." Beth ignored Sam's comment as she tried to convince her big sister that she could handle the dangerous trip beyond the walls.

"Beth."

"Mags, let me do this. I can do this."

Sam watched the sisters stared at each other until the older one gave in.

"Okay but."

"It'll be fine. I'll be fine. Rick says he's taking the backroads there. They can't be everywhere."

"They can if they're bigger than we thought." Maggie murmured, her forehead wrinkled in worry.

"It'll be okay." Beth assured, squeezing her sister's shoulder. "I did some rounds with Denise before she was… gone, she went over the birth plan with me."

"But it's not going as planned."

"I know but… I can do this Maggie."

Rick joined the group inside the RV as everyone settled for the trip to hilltop.

"We need some fighters to stay here Maggie." He encouraged Maggie towards the door. "You can hold down the fort and when the others get back keep them from doing anything stupid."

"Don't you mean stupider, chief?" Abraham commented from the driver's seat. "The fuckers are already runnin' blind through the woods like headless chickens."

"They ain't runnin' blind." Sam grunted as she cramped up again. "Dixons are never blind in the woods."

"They shouldn't have left." Rick commented, perching himself on the edge of the table. "We're weaker apart."

"Y'all know this is as stupid as shit right?" Merle whispered as they found another set of prints leading them deeper into the woods and further from Alexandria. "Aint gettin' nothin' done but get ourselves killed."

"Then go home, asshole." Rosita snapped, her hands gripping the assault rifle. "We don't need you."

"Shuddup, lil Mexico. Aint talkin' to you."

"Fuck you, redneck."

"Naw, fuck you…"

"Shh." Daryl hissed, his bow raised and pointing through the brush clutched Merle's attention instantly. He could make out a flash of red in the foreground but it wasn't until the man sat forward that he realized it was a bound and gagged Glenn.

"Fuck." Merle cursed under his breath, his gun and bayonet raised. It was exactly what he thought would happen, they walked right into Savior's territory.

Glenn was motioning with his head, his words muffled. He was trying to express something but it was too far away and far too muffled by cotton for them to hear.

"The fuck he sayin'?" Merle rasped right before a gun was pressed to the back of his neck.

"Think he's telling you dumb fucks to look behind you." A voice informed sardonically behind them.

The sharp crack of gunfire had Merle startling, his eyes jumping to his brother who now lay holding his shoulder. Blood oozed below his hand making Merle turn on their captors with rage fueled actions. He lashed out at the scarred man with the gun, his knife taking a slice from his uglied face before Merle was tackled to the ground. Several sets of hands and boot clad feet rained down him, his vision blurring as a heel caught his chin, splitting it open. A rib was definitely cracked after a vicious kick to the side. The last sight Merle saw before darkness took over was his brother's face down in the dirt, blood pooling around his chest.

Sam knew something was going wrong, the route to Hilltop would not have taken as long as it had but no one was telling her anything. They'd closed the vinyl accordion barrier leaving Beth to sit anxiously by her side. The afternoon sun flickering through the linen curtains slowly turned to dusk, the vehicle seemingly nowhere near its destination.

"Everything's gonna be just fine." The younger woman assured when Sam ground her teeth as the RV stopped suddenly jostling her in the bed.

"You tryin' to convince me or yourself?" Sam snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Did they find us?"

"No…" Beth started but gave up lying as Sam did her best pissed off Dixon glare, "yes, they've blocked all the roads."

"Fuck." Sam clenched her eyes shut as regret for asking closed her throat. She wished she didn't know because knowing one's head was on the chopping block was far worse than the surprise axe to the throat.

The partition opened suddenly, Rick striding into the tiny space with wild eyes. "We gotta continue on foot."

"What?" Sam choked out in shock. "There's no way, Rick. I c-cant.."

"Don't worry, we're gonna carry ya, Sam. Eugene and Abraham are getting a stretcher together."

"Rick." She began but stopped as pain gripped her insides and twisted. "Hurry."

Merle blinked away the black spots when he came to, his arms tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth. The surface below his cheek was cold metal and smelled of rust and gasoline. It was dark inside the van but he'd could make out the silhouette of Michonne and Rosita from the bright lights piercing through the cracks in the back doors.

Grunting against the wet cotton in his mouth, Merle sat himself upright against the metal sidewall. His vision kaleidoscoped for a few solid blinks before he could finally make out his brother propped against the barrier between the cargo hold and the front seats. He had a rough wool blanket over his shoulders, his calculating gaze pinned to the door.

Merle mumbled something unintelligible even to him to get Daryl's attention but the only response he got was a sharp shake of his brother's head.

The sound of voices outside had them all freezing, breath held in anticipation.

"They radioed. Bout five minutes out." He first man informed the group restlessly pacing outside.

"How many they get?" Another asked, followed by the click of a lighter and inhale of air.

"Sounds like just one, but the others are headed our way in the woods."

A gruff laugh crackled out of the second Savior as his weight settled against the bumper. "Dumbasses thought they'd out run us?"

"Guess so."

Cold fear trickled down Merle's spine at the conversation outside. If what they were saying were true, the Saviors had scooped up more of their people. He wasn't quite sure why anyone else was beyond the walls, but figured they'd come out chasing after them as they'd chased after Daryl. Vicious circle of idiocy in Merle's humble fucking opinion.

There was a loud crunch of tires and several new sets of headlights flashing through the seam of the back doors. A round of car doors squeaking open and slamming shut was followed by the sound of someone being dragged across the ground, their feet kicking out gravel as they struggled.

"Please… please. Don't. ." The blubbered words were tear filled and snotty, the voice familiar.

"How did they get Eugene?" Rosita muttered, confirming Merle's hunch.

"Be easier if you tell us where you think you were goin'."

"J-just your standard road trip via recreational vehicle."

" Right, right, right. I hear ya."

A meaty thump was followed by Eugene whimpered cries.

"Wanna try again, asshole?" The man asked gruffly.

Sharp whistles rang out, the sound turning more ominous as the group's sheer numbers were revealed. Alexandria hadn't even had a chance, they were out numbered twenty to one by the Saviors if Merle had to guess.

Sam wasn't sure how it happened but suddenly her eyes rolled to the side and all she saw were dense woods bouncing in her field of vision. The others were carrying her on the table top from the RV, the hard laminate thumping against her head with every uneven step. At some point she'd passed out from the pain and fever, her body desperately trying to protect itself from the chaos inside her.

"I heard something." Sasha murmured nearby, her gun raised and pointed into the brush.

Sam's head rose off the makeshift gurney to get a look at the dark forest surrounding them. Her arms were too weak to hold her up for long, her aching body collapsing back down with a groan.

"Keep going." Rick ordered lowly, his hand adjusting his grip on his revolver as the other clutched the edge of the gurney.

The sharp whistling that rang out all around them had the group jogging as though they could escape what was coming. The churning in her stomach was no longer just the stressed life inside, a thick sense of doom began to fill every cell of her body. As the haunting whistling seemed to crescendo around them, they all stopped short, they'd been round up like cattle for slaughter.

"Good. You made it." A voice called out from the shadows before the headlights of over a dozen cars blinded them. "Welcome to where you're going. We'll take your weapons."

"Now." Another snapped.

"We can talk about-" Rick tried to reason with them as men approached with large rifles and hand guns.

"We're done talking. Time to listen." The other man replied, while they were striped of their weapons. "Let's get her down and get you all on your knees. Lots to cover."

There was a shuffling of feet, gravel kicking up as they moved the table to the ground.

"Hold up." Abraham growled as men tried to take the gurney from their grip.

"We got it." Rick added, his eyes meeting Sam's panicked gaze.

"Sure, sure." The man calling the shots drawled, "Gonna need you on your knees."

Sam was laid on the ground, a painful groan escaping as Aaron and Beth helped her sit up. She held onto her belly as she moved to her knees, the pressure in her stomach intensifying with the position.

Her eyes lowered from the leering men surrounding them. Flashbacks of being at the Governor's feet skipped behind her raw eyelids. It was a place she never wanted to find herself in again. Caught in a trap, unable to escape.

The sound of a car door squeaking open was followed by the scuffle of shoes. Sam's eyes rose to meet the gaze of Michonne, Glenn and Rosita. They were all shell shocked at the sight of the others kneeling surrounded by Saviors.

"Come on. You got people to meet. " Dwight growled, shoving Merle into the clearing. "On your knees!"

Sam's eyes focused on Merle's blood crusted face and chest, his injured nose and lip leaving dark stains on the front of his shirt. Her heart clenched tightly at the sight of his battered face but it was the absolute horror in his eyes that brought tears to her own.

She blinked them away as he was shoved to his knees next to Rosita. Daryl followed him, his legs kicked out from behind, collapsing his stubborn body next to Glenn's.

The group were in a semi circle, a collective feeling of utter fear was palpable. Dread slowly sinking into their tired bones. Their plan to end the problem had only sown them more trouble than they could ever have thought possible. Dozens of cars were surrounding them, next to each vehicle a couple dozen men and women holding heavy weaponry. They hadn't even had a chance.

Sam whimpered as her guts twisted and cramped. She was too inexperienced with motherhood. With no point of reference Sam had no idea what was wrong with her and the baby. All she knew was being stuck in the woods surrounded by the enemy wasn't conducive to staying calm. The sound of Merle struggling with their captors had her eyes rising from the dirt.

"Stop." She growled through clenched teeth, "Merle. Stop."

Huffing out quick breathes through her nose, Sam cupped her lower stomach. Merle calmed down and focused his eyes on her. "Breath Sam." He rasped, his own breath rough and quick.

"Shut up." Dwight snarled, pressing his bow to Merle's head.

"Stop." Sam grunted, clenching her eyes as a terrible cramp had her curling up tightly. "Don't fight. Don't."

"Let me help her." Beth asked, her voice shaky and eyes wide.

"Fuck off." Dwight barked, his head swiveling towards the RV. "Everybody's going to shut the fuck up until the boss gets here. One more whiny bullshit word and I'm caving the pregger bitch's head in myself!"

Her eyes fluttered open and she made eye contact with the mustached man standing nearby. Recognition seemed to hit them both simultaneously, the man's eyes widening as Sam's mouth thinned out in anger instead of pain.

"Holy shit, Sunshine?"

Negan's right hand man chuckled, his familiar smile and obnoxious laugh bringing back way too many memories. Simon Weston was her ex-boyfriend and the worst mistake of Sam's life. Getting involved with the drug dealing twenty something as a naive teenager had only caused her pain and it had ended with her doing a long stint in prison when he saved his own ass by selling her out to the DEA. Her breathing sped up as he walked closer, crouching in front of her. Flicking her gaze to Merle, she saw his tight jaw and strained neck. He wanted to tear Simon apart for being too close.

"It is you, isn't it." He rasped, smoothing his moustache down with contemplative eyes.

"Simon." She growled, the anger for all those years locked in a cage flaring up inside. "Long time no see."

"Wow." He huffed, standing up to pace a few times, his eyes trailing over her kneeling form. They stopped at her curved stomach before he shook his head. "Fucking hell. Of all the goddamn people." He spoke with a chuckle before approaching to crouch again. "You know, I've done a lot of shit in my life. Fuck and that's a lot of real shady shit since the world went tits up. But what I did to you..." he huffed out a laugh. "That was probably the worst."

"Yeah well how about you pay me back for that." She murmured, as sweat beaded up along her hairline. She was burning up with a fever. "Give us a break here."

Simon chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't do that, Sammy. I am not callin' the shots here."

"You've gotta have some pull." She spoke quietly, her eyes moving to the men surrounding him. "Come on Simon. We're just... we're just trying to survive here." She begged, looking down at her stomach before looking back at him. "Please try to do somethin'. You owe me that much."

Simon stood and walked away, his hands resting on his hips as he looked at the RV.

"Who is he?" Aaron whispered.

"No talking." A man barked, hitting Aaron in the back of the head before pointing his bow in Sam's face. "Shut you're fucking trap."

"Back off, Dwight." Simon snapped, his shark like smile shining bright under the headlights. The man had always had a cutting grin, the type that held all kinds of misery behind it's facade.

"Let me go get the man of the hour."

Sam watched Simon walk back to the RV and enter it, closing the door behind him with a loud slap.

"They pissin' their pants yet?" Negan's voice rumbled from the driver's seat, his long legs crossed and propped on the dashboard. His gloved hand gripped the barbwire bat resting across his lap as he looked over at his right hand man.

"I'd say there's a high chance of golden showers tonight, boss." Simon replied, flashing him a toothy grin as he raised his bushy eyebrows.

"Excellent." Negan crowed, his own mouth pulled into a satisfied smile as he rubbed his hands together excitedly. They were planning the events of the day and evening for what felt like months. Every detail , every roadblock. It all came down to the main event. Showtime. When bat met brain matter and everyone bent their knees to Negan. The slow building heat of satisfaction curled in his chest, the thrill of grinding his boot on the neck of the biggest thorn in his ass since the undead fucks began walking.

"There's something else." Simon murmured, interrupting Negan's wet dream of crushing everyone in his way.

"Well, con-fucking-tinue, Number Two." Negan grinned rakishly, the jab had not gone unnoticed. He never ignored an opportunity to remind Simon he wasn't in charge any longer, he wasn't the head honcho he liked to pretend to be.

Simon smiled tensely, his jaw bulging as he clenched it for a solid second before speaking. "A familiar face. From before."

Negan let his hooded eyes slide over the mustached man's tense frame. "Oh yeah? This familiar face have two very familiar titties?"

"Yes indeedy." Simon smoothed his mustache down as he leaned against the stovetop with crossed arms. "Damn blast from the past that one."

"This gonna be a problem for you, Simon." Negan drawled while climbing to his feet, his broad shoulders wrapped in leather rolling back as he looked down his nose at the man.

"You could say I have a debt to pay." Simon grunted hesitantly.

"And you want me to pay it?"

"They'll bend the knee after tonight and they'll stay bent when we take possession of the hot milf to be."

Negan's grin slid across his face, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "You got a thing for baby mamas?"

"Maybe just the one." Simon whistled lowly and grinned. "She is just as purdy as she always was, even with the baggage."

"Alright. Let's go introduce ourselves. I gotta see what kinda woman gets a heartless fucker like you askin' for favors."

The RV door creaked open, Simon stepping out first followed by a man in black. His dark hair slicked back away from his calculating eyes and sharp jawline.

"Pissing our pants yet?" He asked with raised eyebrows, his lips curling up as he taunted. "Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close."

He nodded his head decisively, his teeth flashing white as he clicked his tongue. "Yep. It's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon."

He was a tall man, his body lean in a way that still spoke of strength. A black leather jacket framed a red scarf wrapping his neck, his gloved hand holding a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire. His dark gaze slid over them, the sharpness of it prickling every hair on her body. Sam had experienced a fight or flight response but never before had she been so frozen in place in fear. She wanted to flee the moment his eyes landed heavily on her, Simon just steps behind him with an equally weighted gaze. Sam began to realize that pressing Simon for payback had been a very large mistake, the action only carving a target on her forehead. She released a shuddered breath when his piercing stare fell away, her body trembling from holding every muscle so stock still.

It felt as though they were all standing on the edge of oblivion. One wrong move, one unsteady breathe, would be their end.

"Which one of you pricks is the leader?" He asked with a grin, his motorcycle boots scuffing gravel as he paced in front of them with a lazy gait.

Simon pointed at Rick, his scowl deepening. "It's this one. He's the guy."

"Hi. You're Rick, right?"

Sam clenched her teeth, her stomach churning as the man towered over them with a sharp grin.

"I'm Negan."