The Wolf You Feed

Chapter 101

Their escape from the Sanctuary was terrifying. But the ride to the new outposts was well worth it. Rowan had not been outside the place since she arrived. The only glimpse of the outdoors she got was from the rooftop. Even though she was in the truck with Negan, the fresh air on her face made her feel free in a way she couldn't describe.

This place wasn't as secure as the Sanctuary. Rowan noticed that right away. There was no moat of walkers. There were multiple exits. And there were a million directions to run. She didn't know which one would lead her home but she was willing to take her chances at this point. Any direction that led her away from these people was a good one.

Rowan had to sleep one more night in his bed. But telling herself that it was the last time eased her suffering slightly. Rowan was up and yanking her pants on before Negan's convoy even pulled away from the building. Since they had to run from the Sanctuary and didn't know how long they would be staying at this new place, she was able to keep her bag packed without arousing suspicion.

The door swung open. Rowan jumped at the sound, quickly relaxing when she saw Olivia standing there.

"Ready?," she asked. Rowan nodded, snapping her fingers and calling Tank to her side.

"Never been more ready for anything in my life."

Olivia stepped forward, holding out a gun for Rowan to take. Rowan hesitated for a moment before grabbing the weapon. She checked the safety. Then checked it again, just to be safe. Then she tucked the gun into the back of her pants. Rowan swung her pack onto her back. There was water and dried traveling food inside. Plus her mother's spell book and tarot cards, items that were too precious for her to leave behind.

"There wasn't a lot but I brought you up a bowl of…"

David's words tapered off as he entered the room and saw Olivia and Rowan. The women were dressed in clothes clearly meant for road travel, And they had packed bags on their backs. Olivia pulled her gun out and leveled it at the man. Rowan gasped, her eyes widening. She was prepared to do anything to escape this place. But she didn't want to hurt David. He was her friend.

"Holy shit!," David exclaimed, "Yer gonna fuckin' dip out on him aren't ya?"

Rowan nodded, waiting to see what his response would be. David had a gun. But he didn't pull it on them. Not yet anyway. Rowan thought that was a good sign. She signaled Olivia to lower hers. Olivia was hesitant. She pointed her gun at the floor. But she kept a firm grip on it in case the man decided to try anything.

"Well are ya gonna let me come with you at least?," he asked. Rowan smiled and nodded her head again, laughing when David tossed the bowl of oatmeal he was holding on a nearby table and swept her up into his arms, swinging Rowan around in a circle. Olivia put her gun away. Then the two women quietly followed David back to his room. Olivia wasn't sure if she trusted him all the way. But Rowan clearly did. And that was good enough for her. Having someone with them that looked geared up for world war three did make her feel safer. At least if the dead came, David was capable and willing to protect them.

Rowan followed David. They moved as fast as they could through the place. It was hard not to attract unwanted attention. By now, all the saviors recognized Rowan on sight as their queen. And if that wasn't bad enough, they had a giant dog with them. Which only garnered more attention. When the small group finally arrived at the door where Eugene was supposed to meet them, Rowan was surprised to see that he was not alone. Frankie, Amber and Tayna were huddled nearby, glancing at Rowan with a mixture of hopefulness and fear on their faces.

"I didn't encourage this gathering in any way," Eugene stammered.

"We thought there was a chance you might make a run for it," Frankie admitted. "And we knew you wouldn't leave without your friends."

"We followed Eugene down here," Tanya added, "he didn't tell us anything."

"Will you take us with you?," Amber asked. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. "Please, I can't stay here." Rowan glanced at David to see his opinion on the matter. He nodded his head, his eyes lingering on Frankie for just a fraction longer than they did on the other girls.

"I'll take you with me," Rowan said, bracing her body for the impact as Amber threw herself into her arms. Rowan hugged the other woman, who was really not much more than a girl and should never have been put in this situation in the first place. "But we have to leave now."

"There's a truck outside, ready to roll," Eugene said. Then he took a step back. Olivia's face went pale.

"You're coming with us," she said. "Eugene! You have to come with us!" He shook his head and took another step back, holding his hand up with his palm out. He knew Olivia wanted to rush into his arms. But he couldn't hold her now. He was already teetering on the edge of abandoning his plan and running from this place. But thoughts of his child and the type of world he wanted the boy to grow up in held him steady. But if she got her arms around him, he knew his resolve would crumble.

"The very fate of the new world may depend on the work I have left to do here," he said. His eyes lingered on Olivia. "I need you to go. I need to know that you're safe."

Rowan grabbed her friend and held on tight. Olivia sucked in a strangled sob as Rowan started pulling her towards the door.

"I need a favor from you before you go," Eugene said. Rowan turned, expecting that he was talking to her. But he was focused on David.

"I've got them," David assured him.

"While I appreciate that," Eugene said, "That's not the favor I had in mind. The likelihood of me being blamed for this jailbreak is high. But there's something you could do to tip the scales in my favor. If I was incapacitated during the escape, it would make my involvement in it seem less likely to the powers that be."

"You sure?," David asked. Eugene nodded. Then he squinted his eyes shut and braced himself for the impact. David warned Olivia not to look. But she didn't listen. He stepped forward towards her husband and cocked his fist back. Then he slammed it into Eugene's face, dropping the man instantly. Rowan pulled Olivia all the way to the truck and shoved the larger woman into the cab with David. Rowan climbed into the back of the truck with Tank and the other girls. Olivia wiped at her tears as she pulled a map from her pocket.

"Where are we going?," David asked.

"Alexandria."

"You don't think it would be a better idea to fuckin' lay low for a while?," he asked. Negan was on his way to Alexandria. That was the last place they ought to be going. At least in David's opinion.

"I think the time for laying low is over," Rowan told him, talking through the small window in the back of the cab. David shrugged.

"Whatever you say, yer highness," he teased. Olivia held the map out for him to take but he waved it away and told her to put it back in her pocket. "I know the way."

** This story will be drawing to a close soon. From my outline, it's looking like about 12 more chapters before the ending, which is already finished. Thanks to everyone that left a review and to all my silent readers as well. **