All Nightmare Long
Chapter 543
Author's Note: Time to get everyone heading back to Alexandria. Got to get Tara and Quinn there, Michonne and Mitch are on their own little side journey, Rick, Jewel and Aaron are doing their thing, and Jes needs to get back from Arlington. Plus Negan is bringing Carl home. Not all this will happen in this chapter, of course. But I'm trying. Plus checking in on Alexandria but that can wait.
Jes POV:
Jes picked up one of the rifles and looked at it, checking it for bullets. She heard Shaw's footsteps behind her and didn't even turn around. "You need to work on the whole stealth thing," she informed him as she slowly turned around.
Shaw shrugged as he lit up a cigar. "These things are harder to come by now a days," he told her.
"Yeah, one of the reason's I stopped smoking, that and you know the whole it's bad for your health thing," Jes told him.
"At least I'll go out doing something I like," Shaw told her.
Jes looked at him. "You can cut the nice guy routine, it doesn't suit you. Don't worry, I'm on my way out."
"With the guns?" Shaw asked.
"Now, that's more like it," Jes answered. "Well, if I leave them here, you may all decide to pack up and take them with you, and that wouldn't do me any good, now would it?"
"We've been here since the beginning, not going anywhere," Shaw responded as he leaned against the desk. "You and I got off on the wrong foot."
Jes rolled her eyes. "Great, now you're going to do the whole let's start over, I'm not the enemy routine. Save your breath, you let me know what you think about me coming here, what you think about maybe working together, so you or some of your people don't die. And you made it perfectly clear that you think these guns are yours now, which they aren't."
Shaw gave a small laugh. "You're definitely a spit fire, I'll give you that," he told her.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Jes told him. "What do you want?"
"You know that Garza and Cece went to Alexandria. You probably know why," Shaw said.
"Yeah, because you wanted info on the big bad wolf. Look, there was no guarantee what was going to happen when he got there, and he showed up early, so I sent them back. They wouldn't have been safe, and I didn't need them in danger any more than you would want them in danger. I had enough to worry about with the people I call family, didn't need any more responsibility. You gonna tell me that I was wrong in doing that? That I was wrong in trying to protect your people?" Jes asked.
"No, you weren't wrong," Shaw answered. "I don't say that often don't get used to it. It wasn't a bad idea for me to send my people there, get information about this Negan."
"And gather information on Alexandria while you're at it," Jes informed him. "You got your people to protect, I get it. But this isn't the military anymore, you aren't running a base, and they are not your soldiers. It has to be more than that for you to surive, for them to survive."
"Worked so far," Shaw answered with a shrug.
"You've still lost people, and this thing with Negan, it's spooking you. Just like any good military leader, you want to know all the variables, all the possible players, all the possible chess moves. But, to do that, you need a spy inside, and that's the only reason you agreed with Garza and the kid coming. You still want to send someone in," Jes told him.
"It wasn't my plan, but it was a good one," Shaw said.
"I can't be bringing back strangers to Alexandria, not now. Anyone that comes in and that they don't know is going to be considered an enemy," Jes said.
Jes heard the door of one of the rooms open and sighed as Garza came out. "You could make an excuse, introduce me as an old friend. You need all the help you can get, you said it. And, I've already met some of your people, it's not like I'm a totally new face."
Jes crossed her arms and looked at him. "Yeah, that meeting with Joey and Summer didn't go to well, if you remember. And Jewel and Aaron were both grieving and exhausted. And what if Negan comes back and sees you and decides he likes you and takes you back to wherever the hell he comes from? There would be nothing I can do, just like there isn't anything I can do to get Daryl out. No, you stand out to much, would bring to much attention on yourself. All you men are, scream military or bullies. Definitely would attract Negan's attention. Surprised you didn't think of that Shaw," she said as she faced Shaw. "And you, you'd fight back, both of you would," she told both Shaw and Garza.
"Yeah, we would. What's your point?" Shaw asked.
"You'd both be dead. Just like I would have if I had been in that line up, that's why Garza didn't let me go," Jes said.
"Are you admitting you were wrong about something? I don't think that I've ever heard you admit something like that before," Garza said.
"I've grown. Look, you want someone in Alexandria, you want someone that can tell you about Negan if he shows up again or at this point the aftermath, I get it, it's smart. You want to be ready, you want to prepare. And, if I take one of you back to Alexandria, and I bring this person back, if we need help, you'll give it? No questions asked?" Jes asked.
"No," Shaw answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Now, that's more like the asshole I've dealt with," Jes answered.
"OK, let's not start. Let's hear her plan out Colonel," Shaw offered. "Jes…"
"I'll take the kid," Jes answered.
"That's a plan? You'll take the kid? What kind of plan is that?" Shaw asked.
"The smart one. She's the one who doesn't look like she can tear someone's head off, I can get her in and out. If you don't want to send her alone, send the kid with the dogs. Or one of her sisters. No guns, obviously, since we don't have any at the moment," Jes informed him.
"Not only do you want to send in my two youngest people, one who is a teenage girl, you want me to send them in unarmed? What the hell are you thinking?" Shaw questioned. "And then you want me to say 'yes' if you need help without question? Absolutely not."
"Actually, I just want to take the girl, she'd be easier to get by everyone right now with the way things are going, but if I had to, I'd take the kid with the dog or one of her sisters. And what I'm thinking is a way for both of us to get what we want. I was good at what I did, before all this, make myself invisible, make the people I took in invisible, to blend in. Trust me, I've met Negan once and I wanted to beat his head in with his own damn baseball bat. I made myself look small and it took all I had to do it, or I would have been a perfect soldier for him. And I could have done that if I wanted, but they need me in Alexandria. It's not up to you if the girl comes, it is up to her sisters, so why don't you get the three of them out here and let's ask them? Why do you think I hid the guns here in the first place Shaw? Because I always think one step ahead," Jes told him.
TBC