This Night

Chapter 196

Author's Note: Last chapter reunited (most) of our group. We've got a little bit to go before Rick meets baby Hope. We've got to check in with Merle (who will literally cause a riot in my head) and Summer and Joey. We know what's going on with Ty and Carol, so I am not rewriting that, but Summer will be meeting up with Carol. I've had this planned for Summer since I saw that Ty left Martin alive. Two people in the same predicament, both doing different things because leaving them alive is not an option. Something Ty learned. Please review.

Merle's POV:

Merle knew the minute that he saw Rick, Daryl and the rest of them go through the back, he should have followed them, should have warned them. But damn it, Jes told him to wait. "When the hell did you start listenin' to people? Admit it, you Merle Dixon, are whipped. Yeah, you let yourself fall for Jes. Of all the stupid things to do. You just watched your brother go into a damn bad place, saw Officer Friendly bury a bag full of weapons. Seriously dumb ass what are you going to do if you get into trouble and the bag's out here. You and I are going to have a damn serious talk if you make it out alive. Oh hell you better make it out alive, otherwise Jewel's gonna make you wish you were dead," he grumbled to himself. "Hell, she'll make me wish I was dead," he grumbled as he looked through the binoculars. "About damn time," he said as he saw Jes running with Mika. Mika was definitely holding something in her arms. "Where the hell is Jewel?" he thought to himself as he jumped out of his spot. He heard the gun shots and looked at Jes as she was running.

"Help Mika and the baby!" Jes yelled as she turned around and fired a shot. "We got to be ready to move quick."

"What the hell is going on? Where's Jewel? She's not…she's not dead is she?" Merle asked as helped Mika through the fence.

"No…she made Jes and I go, she knew she couldn't go that fast, that she had to be able to help the rest of them," Mika said as she rubbed the babies back.

"That wasn't the plan, Jes. The plan was you'd get Jewel out," Merle told her.

"Well the plan changed when we're dealing with a bunch of cannibals. We need to get in position to take out snipers on the roof. They were distracted by the fact that Rick and the group snuck in the back. We've got to get Mika and the baby up away from walkers'," Jes told him. "How's she doing Mika?"

"It's another girl?" Merle asked.

"Hope….Jewel named her Hope. She's cold I think, she misses Jewel's warmth. The makeshift earmuff's were a good idea, to keep her from being scared from the gun shot's," Mika said.

Merle adjusted his rifle. "Give the pack to me, baby and all," he said. "Did you say cannibals?" he asked as he looked at Jes. "I waited out here for three days, I watched people go in and you're telling me, now, Jes, that this was the first time you could let me know what the hell was going on?" he asked as he took the pack and the baby. "Oh, don't you go fussin' little Hope. You're Uncle Merle has to put on a scary face for people, and I'm an asshole, but your mother would kill me if anything happened to you and Mika til she got back," he said as he zipped his jacket.

Jes and Mika both looked at him. "Who are you and what did you do with Merle Dixon?" Jes asked.

Merle rolled his eyes. "Officer Friendly, that's my nickname for your daddy Hell Raiser, buried a bag over there. I'm sure it's got guns and stuff. You want to go get it, I'll keep eyes out here and help Mika get situated. You know how to climb a tree, short stuff?" he asked Mika.

"Yes, but I haven't done it in a long time," Mika told him. "We got weapons too, and stuff for the baby. Stuff for Judith too, when we find her. Those are bad people, real bad. We've got to get them out of there."

"We will," Jes said as she took off running.

"Put the bag down Mika, up you go," he said. "You were with Jewel when Hell Raiser was born?" Merle asked.

"Yes," Mika answered. "We were on the bus…but it crashed. We made it here, like two days after, she had been hiding the fact that she was in labor. They found us, took us in. We didn't know what they were, not til Jes showed up."

Merle nodded. "Well, no one expects that kind of fucked up shit Mika. I'm glad that you were with Jewel. I know you must be missing Lizzie, I know what's it like to be separated from your siblings. I aint much on sentimental crap, but family is important. We'll find her, and, if well if she didn't make it, you are part of the family. Now, you gonna be ok if I hand Hell Raiser back to you? If she gets fussy, you got something to give her?"

Mika nodded. "Jewel fixed her a couple bottles, we got some blankets and pacifiers for her."

Merle nodded as Jes came back with the bag. "You're gonna be fine, Mika. I'm gonna have to come up with a nickname for you."

Jes looked at him. "You know people are gonna start talking, Merle Dixon has a heart," she said as she watched him get Mika adjusted.

"The gun fire is getting worse," Mika said as she took Hope.

"It's go time," Jes said. "You take these binoculars Mika, and you tell us if anyone comes in this direction. That's your job. Merle and I are going to take out the snipers, and keep you two safe. Jewel will be back soon. We got this far," Jes told her.

Summer and Joey's POV:

Joey and Summer both stopped and turned in the direction of gun fire at Terminus. "Gun shots from a place offering sanctuary, now that doesn't seem very friendly," Joey commented as he glanced at her. "Should we go check it out? Our people may need our help," he suggested.

"Let's meet up with Carol and Ty, they're hearing the same thing," Summer told him as they kept walking.

Joey grabbed her and pushed her against the tree. "Look, she's coming from Terminus," he said as he nodded at a woman walking toward them. "Shh, she's saying something."

Summer watched the woman in the red beanie stop and talk on the walkie. "I haven't seen a sign of Mika, Jes or the baby. They couldn't have gotten far. Why is Gareth worried about it? He's got Jewel and the others."

Joey pressed a hand over Summer's mouth to keep her from yelling out. He put his mouth to her ear. "You get her attention, I'll come from behind," he told her. "We got this. Right Princess?"

Summer nodded as Joey started to move his position to come from behind her. Summer took a few steps so she was visible. "Are you from Terminus?"

The woman jumped and took a breath. "You scared the living day lights out of me. I am from Terminus…I'm Sloan. You out here alone?"

"Summer," she introduced yourself. "Something going on back there? That's a whole lot of gun fire," she informed her.

"I would really think about answering her question honestly," Joey said as he came up behind her, putting his gun to her head. "Throw down your gun and walkie talkie and kick it over to her."

"Look, I don't want any trouble. Terminus, it's not a good place alright? Just go and I won't tell them I ever saw you," Sloan begged them as she did what she was told.

Summer walked over to her and punched her. "Oh shut up," she said.

Joey put the unconscious girl over his shoulder. "There's a small garage over that way, saw it when we came over. Be safer to do what we need to do inside."

Summer glanced at him. "You know we can't let her go."

Joey nodded. "I know. I'll do it, if you can't. But first we're going to find out what she knows."

Summer nodded as she banged on the garage door, and waited. She did it again and when nothing happened she opened the door and they walked in. Summer looked around and found some rope. "Put her in the chair," she said as she tied her up. "Hey, come on wake up," she said. "She can't take a punch," Summer said as she took the cap off her water bottle and threw it in her face. "That's better," she said as the woman started to stir. "You said your name was Sloan right?"

"Look, I'm not going to say anything to anyone. Just go, get away from here and we'll all pretend that this didn't happen," Sloan told Summer.

Joey and Summer exchanged glances as Joey moved to the small window. "I think you are under the impression that you have any bargaining power at all, you don't. You said Terminus was a bad place, but the signs say sanctuary, so you need to start explaining," Joey told her.

Summer bent down in front of her. "You mentioned a baby and Jewel…that baby is my little brother or sister. Jewel is my mother. I have a feeling that a lot more of my family is in there, so you need to start talking. Now," she said as she glared at her.

"Your family is as good as dead….I'm sorry, but it's the truth. You can't save them, but you can save yourself," Sloan begged.

"What do you mean as good as dead?" Joey asked.

"I mean we're cannibals!" Sloan said as her voice raised in fear. "The signs…they were real, but…somehow it got all messed up. Bad people came and then we took back over. People come, if they join us, they live, if they don't….they…the gun fire you heard, it was them herding your friends, your family into a train car," she told them. "You two can save yourselves. You aren't going to be able to take down Terminus…not the two of you. And, neither one of you are killers, you aren't going to kill me."

Summer got up and walked over to her bag. "You were looking for the baby and Mika? Jes? What happened to them?"

"They somehow got out…your mother should have left with them. But for some reason she put herself in front of the boy with the cowboy hat," Sloan said.

"It's a sheriff's hat," Joey corrected her.

"Carl, he's my brother," Summer said as she came back. "You're wrong about something, you're wrong about us not killing you, because that's exactly what's going to happen," she told her as she jammed a knife in her knee. "But, how you die is up to you, really."

"You're also wrong about us not being able to take down Terminus and there only being two of us. You think that our family is just sitting inside that car waiting to be slaughtered? You are sadly mistaken," Joey said.

Sloan screamed in pain. "No one escapes. Once they go in the cars, people, no matter how close they were before, they turn against each other. There is no all for one in this world, there's no such thing as families or friends, it's all about your own damn self. That's what it all boils down too. You think your family is planning on some attack from the inside? Your mother was there for days, she only came out of her room once. Jes was helping us go through supplies of the first group."

Joey and Summer smirked at each other. Summer shook her head. "Let me guess, no one even bothered to check the pregnant woman and little girl for weapons. They weren't threats right?" she asked. Summer handed Joey her knife and put a leg up on the table. "You really made a big mistake," she said as she pushed a knife out of the lining of her boot. "But, that's why you're going to die today," She said as she raised up her shirt and pulled a small knife out of the lining of her bra. "Jes and mom were planning, and let me guess, Jes, Mika and the baby disappeared right at the time Carl and the rest of them showed up."

Joey smiled. "You people are idiots. Not to mention totally disgusting by eating other humans," he said as Summer looked in Sloan's bag.

"Dad's python. Or now you're really screwed," Summer said as she took it and put it in her belt.

"You don't want to kill me, I'm not any harm to you. I didn't have a choice," Sloan begged. "You're either the butcher or the cattle….you are hell bent on risking your life for them, do you think that they would for you?"

Summer took her knife back from Joey. "I know they would. What train car are they in?"

"It doesn't matter!" Sloan yelled. "They're all going to die, you are going to die."

Summer stuck the knife in Sloan's knee again and twisted it. "The only people that are dying today is you and your people. Now you have a choice, you can tell us what we want to know, and I make it a easy death. I put this knife right through your head, you don't come back. Or…Joey opens that door, I take you outside, tie you to a tree, and let the walkers' come and get you. This wound is bleeding real nice, going to attract a lot of them. Then, if there's enough of you left, you'll be coming back as one of them. And all the while, as they are eating your flesh, and you're screaming for mercy, for death, you'll have a perfect view of Terminus falling," Summer told her.

"You wouldn't let her…." Sloan said as she looked at Joey.

"I personally wouldn't have given you the first choice. I would have just taken you out to the tree. But she's nicer then I am," Joey said with a shrug.

"Both of you are bluffing, you don't have it in you. You aren't killers," Sloan said.

Summer went behind her and pulled the red beanie off her head and put it on. "Nice hat. Open the door," she told Joey as she pulled her up. "You have no idea what we're capable of. You are a worthless piece of crap, you picked on the wrong family to pick on."

"You promise you'll kill me, in the head if I tell you? I don't want to die like that!" Sloan pleaded with them.

"I promise. Dixon's don't break there word. You have two minutes," Summer told her.

"Train Car A. The owner of the Python…Rick, he saw things that belonged to others of your group, him, a woman with a sword, a guy with a mustache, a woman with curly hair, two kids and a guy with a cross bow, they all took action. Gareth…he's going to take Rick…Daryl….Glenn…for sure to the slaughter house today…he knows Rick is gonna be trouble. Usually he keeps people for a while, but he isn't going to take that chance. Not with your group," Sloan told them.

"Rick, Michonne, Axel, Mar, Daryl, Glenn…Carl, the other kid, girl or boy?" Joey asked.

"Black girl," Sloan answered.

"Lexi," Summer answered. "Glenn wasn't with dad and the others?"

"No…he got in with another group about a day and half ago. Glenn, Maggie, another kid, a boy….a big old red headed dude, a guy named Bob, Sasha, Tara….a Spanish woman…Rosa? Rosita? And a guy with a mulett…" Sloan rattled off.

"Tara is with them? I knew she was one of us," Joey said. "The red head, Rosita and mullet guy, he wasn't with us before."

"They are now," Summer said. "Thank you," she said as she pushed the knife in her brain and out.

Joey picked up Summer's bag and handed it to her. "You OK?"

"Ask me that after we rescue our family," Summer answered.

"You didn't ask her if the baby was a boy or girl," Joey said as they went out the door.

"I want mom to tell me," Summer said. "Let's go find Carol and Ty," Summer said as she walked.

Author's Note: Man that was long! I am not promising my updates are going to be this fast and furious, but my son is a night owl and I wake up really early. I can't do this during the week when I work but hey! Review please