All Nightmare Long

Chapter 572

Author's Note: Sorry I didn't post a chapter or two last week, I wasn't feeling 100% and working from home and watching everything going on with the world, just got my depression kicked up. It happens. I stand with you all. I was in the Army for three and half years back in the 90's and the one thing I always ran into was the amount of men who didn't believe women should be in the military. Shaw is based on several of those men I dealt with. Please review.

Shemar Moore as Graham Brody

Jes, Joey, and Mitch's POV:

Mitch counted grenades and whistled. "They have enough weapons for us to take Negan out on our own."

"We don't have enough people, not yet," Joey reminded him.

"He's right, we have to keep looking forward, we're on the right track. Your dad escaped, that's one major hurdle. How was he?" Jes asked.

"Withdrawn," both Joey and Mitch answered.

"What are you three doing?" Shaw asked as he came in.

"Having a private conversation," Jes answered.

"In my weapons room. Looks like you're taking inventory. I could tell you what we have," Shaw responded as he lit up a cigar.

"Like you would tell us the truth?" Mitch questioned.

"Look, we need to know what weapons we have at our disposal. Rick and Jewel will want to know. Unless you have a problem with us knowing what you have?" Jes questioned.

"I'm not letting my people be left empty handed," Shaw pointed out.

"That's not going to happen. And we aren't going to take any of the weapons that aren't ours right now," Joey assured him.

"So when are you going to bring this Rick here to meet me?" Shaw asked.

Mitch looked at him. "You mean Rick and Jewel right?"

"I'd rather speak to the real leader," Shaw pointed out.

Joey and Mitch exchanged looks. "You assume that Jewel can't be a real leader cause she's a female?" Joey questioned.

"A community can't be lead by two people, it doesn't work. So I assume Jewel is just considered a leader because she's married to this Rick," Shaw stated as he puffed on his cigar.

"You'd be wrong," Mitch responded.

Jes smirked. "You'd be very wrong. They are a team, and it makes us all better. And they aren't coming here, you're coming with me to Alexandria. Joey and Mitch will take whoever is going to Hilltop."

"I told you Garza is going to Alexandria with you," Shaw said.

"Yes, you did, but now I'm telling you that you are coming to Alexandria with me. We don't have a lot of time to mess around and it saves time if you just came with me now. Garza will be with us. You meet Rick and Jewel, we set up a plan and you come back here. It makes sense, and you know it. Don't let the fact that I have breast cloud your judgement," Jes said with a smirk. "You want home team advantage, try to intimidate them, like you did with me, Joey and Summer the first time we stumbled on you. It's not going to work."

"Isn't that what you are trying to do? Getting me on your home turf?" Shaw asked.

"Seriously, are you two arguing again? You two should just go off and work off some of that tension already," Palmer said.

"Palmer!" Shaw yelled.

"I could kill you with my bare hands and they'd never find the body," Jes warned him.

"Sorry, didn't realize the kid was with you," Thor said.

"I'm not a kid," Mitch responded.

"Can we get back on topic?" Joey questioned. "Whatever we are doing, we need to do quickly, I'd like to get to Hilltop before dark. I don't want to be on the road at night, Mitch and I need to get going with whoever going with us soon."

"And, I need to get to Alexandria," Jes said. "So you've got 15 minutes to get a bag, pack up some weapons and be ready to move out."

"Look Shaw, this is the easier way for all of us doing it this way," Joey told him. "It'll take less time for you to go back with Jes then Jes going to get Rick and Jewel and then bring them back here. And time is not on our side, not when it comes to Negan and the Savior's."

"Weather you like it or not, your time is running out too. They'll find you. They are looking for my dad, they are going to be scouring the roads, and if they decide to stop and look around, then it's over," Mitch stated.

"It isn't going to matter if you are here or in Alexandria, if you piss Jewel off, she's going to punch you, or throw a knife at you. She's got perfect aim, so I'd try not to piss her off," Jes said.

Shaw looked at her then sighed throwing the cigar on the ground and putting it out with his boot. "Harris, get in here!" he bellowed.

"Yes sir?" the unofficial second in command answered coming in.

"I'm heading out with Jes and Shaw, will be gone overnight at least," Shaw reported. "You're in charge while I'm out."

"Right," Harris answered.

"Keep inside, keep the blinds closed, one person on alert, night vision goggles," Shaw ordered.

"You have night vision goggles, awesome," Mitch said with a small grin on his face.

"We have all the cool stuff," Harris told him. "Whose going with Joey and Mitch?"

"I will," Palmer responded.

"Brody got back last night," Harris said.

"You want to send someone whose been out for a while back out without rest?" Joey questioned.

"Brody isn't one to rest and stay for a long time," Shaw explained. "He's more of a lone wolf."

"That doesn't sound like the type of person you'd have around here, Shaw. Let's meet him," Jes stated.

Joey grabbed Palmer's wrist. "What's this guy's story?"

"He blames Shaw for the death of his wife and kid at the beginning. Shaw was trying to keep the people he was able to save all together, somewhere safe. Brody wanted to take a couple of us out to go get his wife and son, we all followed Shaw. He didn't, but by the time he got home, they were part of the dead. Brody came back, punched Shaw, set up a room, goes out on supply runs whenever we need it. The less time he spends around Shaw the better," Palmer explained.

"For him or Shaw?" Mitch asked as he followed him out.

"Both," Palmer stated as they went into an exercise room.

"Brody, we have a job for you," Shaw said as he crossed his arms.

The black man stopped hitting the boxing bag and looked at Joey, Jes and Mitch. "So CeCe was telling the truth when she said that you let strays in. You going soft on me Shaw?" he questioned. "I'm Brody," he introduced.

"Jes, this is Joey and Mitch," Jes stated.

"Need you to go with Palmer and Joey and Mitch up to a place called Hilltop, get intel, bring it back," Shaw said.

"Hilltop? Jesus' hilltop?" Brody asked.

"You know Jesus?" Mitch asked.

"I've ran into him, a time or two. Stayed at Hilltop when I was injured," Brody reported.

"And you didn't think it was important to tell us?" Shaw asked.

"Had nothing to do with you, just like I didn't tell them about here," Brody responded. "Why are we going to Hilltop?"

"We had a run in with a group called the Savior's. Negan killed friends of ours, took my dad hostage, took all our guns," Mitch explained. "We're getting ready to fight them. Trying to find allies."

"This Negan still got your dad?" Brody asked.

"He escaped," Joey responded.

"You aren't getting much help from Gregory," Brody informed them.

"We've got people in place to take over," Jes explained.

Brody took off his boxing gloves. "Give me five minutes to suit up," he said. "Proud of you Shaw, thinking about other people besides your little group," he said as he walked off.

"I like him," Jes said with a smirk.