Chapter 72: Captured
KPOV
~Years ago~
Sobbing, I had sat on the roof, no chocolate pudding to help me as I just wanted to drown in my tears. I wanted to cry without anyone hearing me. "Kat?" I heard my mom calling to me. "Baby?" she called again but when she heard no response, I saw her head poke out from the window.
Climbing out, to join me on the roof, she heard my whimpers and sniffles. Traitor was my own body to my hidden emotions. As I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them to hug them to me. My head would rest and hide into the oval I had created with my arms.
As I felt my mom take a seat beside me, she rest her hand on my shoulder before she lift my face with her free hand to look up at her. Her mouth parting, eyes widening when she saw the cut on my bottom lip. "What happened? Who did that to your face?" she asked me.
Pure concern was in her expression as she examined my face more thoroughly. There was a forming of a bruise just under my eye from the hits I had taken in order to protect my best friend.
Nothing had worked. "It doesn't matter mom," I gently took her hand and removed it from holding me. "Telling you what happened, it'll only make things worse," my intervening only worsened the situation and telling her, who would then go on to tell dad, would try to do the right thing.
But the right thing, wasn't going to help my friend. "I'm fine," I reassured her I was fine. It was Ella who wasn't fine. She was far from it.
Mom's arm slid to wrap around my shoulders. "Baby..." she whispered, I could feel her eyes shutting as she rest her head atop of mine. "Who hurt you, baby?" she asked me, her fingers went to rub up and down my biceps.
Not saying anything to her, I kept quiet and still. I was trying to stay strong, to stop my tears. "I saw something awful today," I felt my voice shake. "Tried to stop it," the events were flashing before my eyes, they were slowly getting to me.
Me trying to be a hero, always got me into more trouble than it did good. Mom's head rose to stare at me, I saw this from the corner of my eyes. "That's how I got hit but it only made the situation worse," I revealed to my mother. I trusted her.
Her hand went to caress my head, her other hand caressing my face as she held it. "Oh no, my poor baby," she gave me a small squeeze in a side embrace, as her hands rested on either side of me. Her arm holding me to her side.
My tears were silently falling but they still fell with an undeniable quantity. "You're going to see horrible, terrible, awful things," mom tried her best to comfort me. But it only made me feel worse. "Nothing in this life, is ever easy baby."
All of this, was facts I already knew and saw first hand. "I know," I whispered as my eyes shut tightly. "I know..." I cried softly, feeling my lip wobble and my eyes stream with tears rolling down my cheeks at a rapid speed, all before they fell onto my lap, being absorbed into the material of my pants.
"People can do horrible things but..." I heard mom break the silence after a few seconds. As her hand moved to my chin, she slowly lifted my head up and turned it to look into her eyes.
Her thumbs would wipe my tears away. "I know you are brave, you're smart and strong. So very strong," she listed as she held my gaze firmly. "And whatever comes your way, you can handle it," she was so confident in her belief in me.
The fact she had faith in me, gave me a little bit of my strength back. "You think so?" I whispered, finding it hard to let my words out between my cries.
Mom grinned but it slowly fell and her eyes were stern again, confident in what she believed in. "I know so," she nodded to me. Her own sniffles from the tears she had to share began to pour too.
She always did hate seeing me in pain, seeing me cry. "You're capable of doing anything...because that's the woman that me and your father raised. It's the woman you became all by yourself," her words gave me a kind of confidence in myself I hadn't felt before.
"You can do anything, especially when you put your mind to it," she shook my face a little in her hands, forcing me to listen to her. "Most stubborn girl in the world, had to be mine, didn't she?" she teased me with a sad laugh, remembering all the times I had proven to get my way, one way or another.
Hearing her, made me let out a sad laugh too. "That's not funny mom," I gently tugged my face out of her hands but I couldn't help the grin on my face.
My mother always knew how to make me feel better when I was down, without needing the chocolate pudding to assist her. "But you're laughing, ain't ya?" she teased me, a smile in her voice as I laid my head upon her shoulder.
The stars above us were comforting, a vast sea someone once told me, as it gave me a sense of endless possibilities. "You'll be alright," mom whispered as her hand smoothed my hair down. "It'll all get easier, I promise," she had breathed into my hair.
Feeling a kiss pressed on the top of my head, I knew she was just comforting me and just her words alone, they had worked. "I love you, so much, Kitten," mom's words were soft but they weren't a whisper anymore. It was above it now.
Letting out a sigh, I shut my eyes and cherished this moment with my mother. Opening my eyes, I saw the stars, as they gave me comfort and the strength I needed. All of which, went along with the words of my mother.
"I love you too, mom," I returned the sentiment to her and meant it. I knew, I would be pretty lost without her...
PRESENT DAY...KPOV
"You are staying here," Carol decided for Maggie as she stared at her. "Both of you," she then glanced to me. But...the alarm...
Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the distance, like something was approaching closer. This had pulled my attention away from the alarm blaring and the argument we were having between us. "Did you hear that?" I asked them.
Neither said anything, they only stared at each other with far too many emotions in their eyes. "I'm going to go check it out..." I announced, I preferred to go out there, to check out what was there and keep us safe this way.
Stepping deeper past the trees, towards the RV, I glanced around, swapping my bow for my assault rifle. As soon as I was changing weapons, I heard footsteps approaching behind me, before I felt something cold hit the back of my head. A soft groan escaping me from the contact to my skull.
Falling, I saw darkness and nothing else. As the darkness swallowed me whole, I surrendered to it. As there was nothing I could do to fight against it.
CAROL'S POV
For a few minutes, Kat had disappeared and not returned. For a few seconds, I worried for her but leaving Maggie or suggesting we go look for her, made me fear that Maggie would ignore me and run into the Savior's camp.
Just when I went to open my mouth and make a suggestion, I heard something rustle in the bushes. My gun came up as I saw a figure move towards us, the hammer clicked back and I shot for his arm as he rose his gun up.
He went to shoot Maggie, as she turned to look at him and went to get out her gun. The man groaned as he fell. "Damn it, Maggie, let's find Kat and go!" I tried to quietly call to her as she got her gun and rushed to the man.
Judging by who they were and where we were, this man was a Savior. "Not until it's done," Maggie growled as she pointed the gun up to the guy's head. The guy was panting as he grasped onto his arm.
Suddenly footsteps ran towards us. "Stop!" a woman yelled to Maggie as I felt a gun come up to the side of my head. "Or she's dead," the woman warned Maggie. "And that brunette that was with you," the same woman referred to Kat, we instantly assumed.
Feeling my body tense, the thought of Kat being caught by them, was just as worrying as the thought of Maggie in danger. "Where is she?" I spoke stiffly but needed to know where the girl who was like a niece to me was.
I needed to know she was okay. Soon enough, we were surrounded. By three women, pointing their guns up at us. "She's alive, for now," the red head who held the gun at me answered. "We do the asking, you answer," she growled.
Maggie slowly stood back up straight and as guns were being aimed at us everywhere, I couldn't risk one shooting and hitting Maggie. "Now guns, knives on the ground right now," the woman ordered.
As Maggie turned to look at me, to look at the one who held me at gun point, her eyes were wide too. Possibly with worry over Kat and our own situation. Lowering her body down slowly, she removed the items mentioned.
Doing the same, I couldn't risk either of us getting hurt. Or Kat. "Nice jacket," one woman said as she pointed the gun at Maggie.
"For a murderous bitch," the other remarked.
The leader though, had her gun aimed at me, from what I could tell. "Well, we'll take it off her before we shoot her," the leader was assuring her companions they would get what they wanted eventually.
We just wanted to go back home. We just wanted Kat back and safe. We needed to get out of this.
KPOV
Slowly, I was gaining consciousness again, the darkness was becoming clearer and clearer as I felt my eyes squeeze shut and then slowly open. "It ain't on there right, I can feel it. It ain't stopping," I heard a man's voice say.
Groaning as I blinked, rain was pouring down on me. My arms felt sore, my head ached and my body was resting against something hard. "I'm getting it tighter. Jesus, give me a second," I heard a woman's voice echoing in my head.
Blinking away the fogginess in my head, I eventually blinked as many times I could until everything looked clear to me. "Son of a bitch, you're cutting off my circulation," a man whined.
"Well, sport, it's supposed to," the woman mocked the guy as I gradually could see again. Noticing I was laying atop of leaves and a tree, the rain was pouring down on me but we got some protection from the trees around us.
Noticing two pairs of feet in front of me, I recognised them almost instantly. It was Maggie and Carol's feet. "She's awake, make her stand with the others," I heard another woman order of them, as she talked about me and my current state.
Feeling a hand grab at the collar of my jacket, they tugged me up to stand. "Kat...are you okay?" Carol asked me, as I got dragged to my feet, my wrists were sore as I was tied up.
Trying to rub at my head, I could feel like it was going to be sore for the next few days. "Yeah," I assured them I was well. Or as well as expected, given our circumstances.
The sound of distant gunfire drew my attention to the noise. Before I could make out what was happening, I could see my dad stood behind Daryl, as Daryl was gripping what I could assume was another Savior.
"Hell was that?" another woman asked from behind me.
An engine roaring in the distance was only recognised as a bike. A red head, who held the binoculars close to her eyes, was scoping out the scene. A scene I could briefly see from the distance we were at. "It's Primo," the one I assumed was the leader said.
As Daryl and dad stood over the guy, the woman was giving us information we already knew. "Damn it, they've got him," she growled, hating the fact we had the upper hand for a minute. "Give me the walkie," she ordered of the guy.
The man was shot, cradling his arm and as he handed it to her, she took it firmly. "Babe, what's happening?" he asked her.
Static hissing sounded before she spoke into the walkie. "Lower your gun, prick," she was referring to someone in particular. "You, with the Colt Python," she said to my father. "All of you, lower your weapons right now," she ordered.
Instead, no one lowered their weapons. All they did, was glance around, looking for where we were. "Come on out. Let's talk," dad suggested through the walkie. His voice the most recognisable voice to me in my life.
"How many we got?" the woman's voice came from behind me.
Glancing behind, I noticed the group was small but ours was smaller. Three women, one man. The man was injured and the other woman looked a decent amount of years older than Carol. "Eight in sight. Too many," the woman speaking into the walkie announced.
Briefly, my eyes caught sight of Maggie and Carol glancing to each other before meeting with my own gaze. They looked afraid but Maggie looked calm. "No, we can take 'em. We took more," the guy suggested a plan of action.
Pressing the button to speak back to dad, the woman would glance with her binoculars over to our group. "We're not coming out, but we will talk," the woman told my dad through the walkie.
The second she no longer talked to him, her head whipped over to us. "Names," she ordered of us. "Names!" she yelled when no one said anything. I wasn't going to give in.
It had been Maggie who talked the fastest out of us three. "I'm Maggie, she's Carol and that's Kat," Maggie listed us off to her.
Content with the answer, she raised the walkie to her mouth again. "We've got a Carol, a Maggie and a Kat," the woman stated, making me internally hate myself for getting us into this mess.
I wondered if I had stayed with them, if it would of prevented this from happening. "I'm thinking that's something you want to chat about," the woman talking to my dad sounded cocky as she spoke to him.
"Now, we're gonna work this out right now, and it's going to go our way," she declared into the walkie. Like this was going to make my father roll over to her.
From what I could tell in the distance, both Glenn and Daryl had tugged Primo to his feet. "You can see we have one of yours. We'll trade," dad made his own offer. One that she shouldn't refuse.
The static hisses between were making my mind feel a little numb. "I'm listening," the woman told my dad her ears were intrigued to hear what he had to say but the smirk said otherwise.
The exchange at first was slow but it was beginning to pick up. "First I want to talk to Maggie, Carol and Kat. Make sure they're alright," this was dad's rule to getting to business. No news, meant no business.
A walker growling in the distance alerted us that one was close. The elder woman was the one getting ready to deal with it. "I'm gonna put you on. You say you're fine. I'll know if you try anything else," the leader warned us as she approached us.
Her cold stone eyes glanced between each of us. First, she put the walkie to Carol's face. "Rick, it's Carol. I'm-I'm fine, but-" Carol spoke in a soft, scared tone and I wondered if this was the innocent act everyone spoke about.
Scoffing, the red head tossed Carol away from the walkie, then pulled on Maggie's jacket. "Now you," the red head ordered of Maggie as she put her on next.
"Rick, it's Maggie. We're all okay. We-," Maggie spoke into the talkie once the woman pressed the button.
The moment she went to say something else, she shoved Maggie back and tugged on my jacket next. "Now you," she ordered of me.
My eyes stared into hers, rather than on the walkie. I was proving to her by my dead eyes that I didn't fear her. "Dad, it's Kat. You need to stay strong. We'll figure a-" I talked to my father confidently. I didn't stutter and I didn't hesitate.
Words rushed out of me quickly but just as I said the word 'We'll', she cut me off by stopping the walkie from picking up my words. "Shut up," the woman ordered of me as she shoved me back into my spot.
Stumbling a little, I stayed on my feet and glanced behind me, at the woman aiming her gun at me. "You have your proof. Let's talk," the red head said into the radio to my father.
I could already sense my father's slight panic at the thought I was in trouble. At the thought the three of us were in trouble. I hoped he had faith in us to get out of this by ourselves, if we could.
Dad though, he wasn't going to let this slide so easily. I knew he wouldn't. He'd negotiate if it meant buying us some time. "This is the deal right here. Let 'em go, you can have your guy back and live," this was my dad's only offer.
"Three for one, that's not much of a trade," the red head remarked.
Although, my dad knew how to call people's bluffs and if they really wanted to kill us, they would have. If they expected more, then they had another thing coming for them. "You don't have another choice or you would've done something about it already," dad called her bluff.
The woman stared at our group, as Maggie glanced between Carol and then myself. Probably comparing the blank, mortified expression of Carol, to the calm, stern expression of mine. "We have to get him back," the man said.
"Primo can take care of himself," the red head sounded sure of herself.
The man though, was struggle to stand upright as his arm had been bleeding a whole hell of a lot. "He can patch me up," this was the only thing keeping Primo on the table, I supposed.
Primo must of been their doctor or something close to it. "I need him, thanks to that bitch," he growled at Carol. So Carol shot him. "You lost your balls, Paula," the man spat at the red head.
"You should've shot her in the head so they could hear her die," he made a remark that made me want to kick his teeth in.
None of us are dying today. Not Carol. Not Maggie. Not me. "If you could just shut up, I'll solve this," Paula tried to shut the man up.
"Then make the deal or we go in," the man argued with her.
The tension clearly was rising for each of these as the others stared at us. "She said shut up, so shut it," the elder woman yelled back at the man. "You should be glad she doesn't have a sack of gonads to trip over."
For once, I agreed. Paula did have balls but not as big as my dad's or mine. "Just make the deal," I encouraged them, not wanting them to debate it further. "Don't risk your lives over us," was my best advice for them.
I knew, if my dad didn't kill them...I would. The fact they knocked me out, threatened to kill Carol and had Maggie between us too. I won't let them live if they try anything else.
Paula's head whipped to look at me, when she opened her mouth to say something, the static stopped her. "Look, I know you're talking it over. It's a fair trade. Just come out, we do this, we all walk away," dad was speaking smoothly.
"Smug prick," the woman behind me, pointing the gun at me spat. She better shut the hell up. "He must think we're stupid," she commented but little did they know...
"That's 'cause you are," I spoke my mind.
This earned me a hard punch in the face. Falling to the floor, from the impact, I felt blood pour inside my mouth and the bitter taste wasn't anticipated. "Say that again, bitch," the woman clicked the hammer back and pointed my own gun at me. "I dare you," she encouraged me to cross the line again.
When the woman landed the blow on me, Maggie gasped. "Don't!" Maggie pleaded them to spare me. To leave me alone.
"Stop, please!" Carol cried at the same time, begging for me to not be harmed.
Paula glanced at us, spitting out the blood that collected in my mouth, I welcomed it and glared over to her. Reminded me of the kind of assholes that were still left in this world. "Shut up, all of you," Paula barked coolly.
Glancing from me to the same girl who punched me, I glared daggers up at the one who hit me. "Get her up," Paula ordered. As I got dragged back up onto my feet, I saw Paula gaze back to our group. "If he thinks we're stupid...that's a good thing," she spoke confidently.
"Do we have a deal?" dad asked into the walkie. A walker snarling in the distance alerted us that it had heard our commotion and was making its way over.
The same girl who hit me, took it down. She'll be the first one I kill. "I'll get back to you," Paula replied to my father, not giving him a yes or no answer.
Another walker was approaching, when I saw the two women exchange glances, then a signal the woman holstered her gun and pulled my jacket over my head. "Good think we don't need to tie her up," I heard the woman say as she approached me once the snarling of the walker stopped.
I felt her footsteps pass me as I prepared myself for what was coming next. I'm going to get us out of this.
RPOV
Just the mention of Kat being kidnapped, had my mind going crazy with rage, with worry. "Now, we're gonna work this out right now, and it's going to go our way," the woman on the other end said.
Nothing was going her way. And if Kat was in any way hurt. She was going to pay for it. Snarling, my blood was boiling under my skin as I looked to the guy we held hostage. "Get him up," I ordered.
Instantly, Daryl and Glenn dragged the guy to his feet, showing him to whoever was watching us, wherever they were watching us from. Bringing the walkie to my lips, I looked around for any sign of our girls. "You can see we have one of yours. We'll trade," I offered a proposal.
Static hisses alerted me that she was still there. "I'm listening," her low voice spoke out to me.
Feeling my heart pound, I glanced to Daryl who was glancing between me, to the guy in his hold and to wherever there was signs of life in the shadows. "First I want to talk to Maggie, Carol and Kat. Make sure they're alright," I needed to make sure they were alive.
"Rick, it's Carol. I'm-I'm fine, but-" the first voice to come back was that of Carol's, who sounded afraid. Daryl had been panting, hearing the sound of his best friend's voice, really shook his core.
The next voice was calmer, making me glance to Glenn who was worried for his wife. "Rick, it's Maggie. We're all okay. We-" she too had got cut off, just like Carol had.
What about Kat? Is she okay? I felt my heart pounding harder at the thought of my daughter. "Dad, it's Kat. You need to stay strong. We'll-" my daughter's voice was firm, strong and instead of fear, worry struck me with a hint of relief.
"You have your proof. Let's talk," the woman spoke to us as I glanced to the one she would want back. Or so I hopped.
Kat needed me to be strong, so I would be. "This is the deal right here. Let 'em go, you can have your guy back and live," this was my only offer for them and they were lucky it wasn't death I was offering.
"Three for one, that's not much of a trade," the woman remarked, which only made my breath shake more. She was making it hard for all of us, even herself.
Although, I could sense her bluff. I knew she needed this man alive for something. "You don't have another choice or you would've done something about it already," I called her bluff. For the longest time, no one said anything.
Pacing a little, I kept the walkie to my ear, waiting to hear anything from this woman that had my daughter and family hostage. "Look, I know you're talking it over," I could only hope they were coming to terms with the deal.
"It's a fair trade. Just come out, we do this, we all walk away," I had hope they would show themselves, so one of us could get a good shot and end them. So Kat, Maggie and Carol could be free.
Nothing was being said, something in my gut told me something wasn't right. "Rick..." Daryl was panicking too, his eyes were full of fear, his face coated in sweat mixed with rain as both him and Glenn held a gun to our hostage's head.
Both boys were willing to kill to get their girls back. To get our people back. "Do we have a deal?" I asked them, hoping they were still on the line.
The sound of static hissing had me on the edge of my figurative seat. "I'll get back to you," the woman replied but without confirmation or rejection of my then that was it.
Panting, I could feel my heart going millions of miles a minute. Lowering the walkie, I put it onto my belt and would keep it close.
"Rick," Daryl called to me once more.
"What do we do now?" Glenn asked me when Daryl hadn't said anything. Both men were worried for the women who clearly held all their emotions. Their hearts.
Feeling my heart pound, I knew my answer as I glanced around us, searching for any signs of Kat. Of Maggie. Of Carol. "We get them back," this was my determined plan.
Walking over to the guy we held hostage, I glared directly into his eyes as Daryl had tossed him to me. Grabbing him by his collar, I stared directly into his eyes to show him I meant business. "And you're going to lead us right to them," I was going to get my daughter back.
I was going to get all of them back. And this Savior was going to help us. If he liked it or not, it didn't matter. He was going to help us.
MAGGIE'S POV
The second we got blinded by our jackets, they then proceeded to gag us and moved us along. As we walked, I did as Kat and Daryl once told me to do. So they could always track us, we had to make sure to make our prints deep and messy, as to not look too suspicious to our kidnappers.
"Move! Turn. Wait," we had been ordered around by Paula, I suspected as she moved us from one point to a car they shoved us into. In this car, they proceeded to restrain us with duct tape.
"Omega, omega, Saviors down. Go to Gamma, code 'fire'," Paula spoke to her people on their shared channels. "Alpha channel is not clear. We follow the protocol," she continued to talk. "Where the hell are you guys?"
From what I could tell, they had removed Kat's rope restraints to help give more pressure to the man Carol had shot. Replacing her rope restraints for those of duct tape, like us. "Out west of the-15 mi-on-way," was all I could pick up from a man speaking back to Paula.
"We're headed to the break point. Switch to Theta channel, same code. If I'm not there, toggle to Alpha, listen in," Paula instructed the man on the walkie.
"Copy that," he answered her back. The drive didn't take long to get to wherever it was they were taking us.
Passing what looked like a lake, the woods and a few roads between, I sensed we weren't far from our home at all. When they got us out of the car, the walk was brief but I could hardly see anything, other than my feet. Sounds of a keys jingling, the lock clicking and a door squeaking open were my only indication that we had finally gone inside.
"I hate this damn place. Safe house," the older woman of the group grumbled in her hoarse voice. Walkers growling alerted me that we weren't alone. "There ain't nothing safe about it," she remarked about the place.
I wasn't sure what she meant by that but I kept my head down, watching where I was going. "This place is gonna save our asses," Paula corrected her, silencing her from all her negative talk.
As a door closes, snarling began and I heard it get closer to me. Once my jacket no longer covered my line of vision, I was met with a walker inches away from my face. Paula got hold of it and drove her knife to the back of its skull.
The blade's tip inches away from my face. Panting, I stared at Paula, both thankful but understanding that she tried to make me fear her. Make me praise her for saving me. Glancing around me, I saw that Kat's eyes were wide as she must have seen the walker inches away from me.
Then, I looked to Carol, who must have seen part of it too, as her eyes were full of fear but doing their best to look anywhere else. Is she looking for a way out?
"Get on the ground," Paula ordered, bringing me back to the moment. Back to the threat, that was them. The body falling to my feet as I stayed very still.
CAROL'S POV
Seeing both Kat and Maggie the way they were, with gags in their mouths, their hands tied by duct tape. I hated the sight. I wanted to get them out of here but I knew what it cost. I have to kill them if we're going to get out of here.
If they weren't going to accept Rick's deal, then I would have to do what I feared I would do. "You there," Paula ordered Maggie to sit by the panelled wall. "You, over there," she then ordered me to sit opposite Maggie on the far wall by the door.
"And you, there," Paula pointed for Kat to sit on the wall to my right, between what looked like a kind of table and where the tanks of gas were near.
As each of us slumped into our specific spots, I watched as Paula came to crouch in front of me and began opening up her backpack. Taking out some duct tape again, she restrained our feet together. This way, we couldn't run.
"You're wondering if there's a way out of this. There isn't. Not unless I say so," Paula said to me, as she watched my fear in my eyes. The younger girl was dragging the body out, while Paula then duct taped Maggie's feet, then Kat's.
What I saw was that, just as she had done up Kat's first layer of duct tape, rather than two, a growl had alerted us that there was a walker close. "Paula, I need backup!" a woman yelled to their leader.
Gunfire sounded. Slapping the strap of duct tape down on Kat's feet, Paula got to her feet, like that would have to do for Katherine. If I know Kat, she's going to use that to her advantage.
Quickly, Paula got to her feet and began shrugging on her backpack after placing the duct tape back inside it. "I want to kill you three right now. It's taking all I have not to," she informed us as she shrugged on her backpack and looked to the three of us.
"So go ahead, I dare you, try something. Just see what happens," she threatened as she pointed a gun at us. Running out, she shut the door behind her and what I had noticed, was the moment the walker was scrapped across the floor, it had dragged a rosary with it.
Faint gunfire could be heard, walkers were growling. Shots continued to fire and the girls were already trying to get out of their restraints. Maggie had shuffled a little to start scraping her hands against something sharp, to cut down her hands.
Kat was the opposite, she had shuffled over to the corner and rose her legs up to scrape her feet against something that had a curve, something a little sharp. It looked like a vice or a hook of sorts. Gritting her teeth, I heard muffled panting.
Trying to wriggle the rosary up to me, I then tried to tuck it into my pocket. Praying for the strength to get out of this without killing. And if I had to kill, to have strength to not hate myself after it.
Maggie had been scraping away. Kat had been scraping away. Both girls trying to fight their way out of this. As soon as I heard a little rip, the sound of gunfire stopped too. The one who had tore out of their confines, was Kat.
With the duct tape layer so thin on her feet, it worked like a charm to get off, even it it pained her to rip it off from around her ankles. Maggie shuffled back to her spot, as did Kat but she brought her legs together, acting like she hadn't just set herself free.
Hyperventilating, I suddenly couldn't breathe. My heart was racing and my mind was going just as fast. These girls are going to get themselves killed. What if Rick can't get them to do the deal? What if they hurt the girls? The baby? What if I have to kill again?
I knew that not only was my hyperventilating real but it was a way to get them to hear me. If I act like I'm scared, like I'm weak, then they won't expect me to be capable of what I can do.
The door opened, the group that took us slowly filing into the room as Paula carried the guy I shot. "When's the last time anyone checked this place?" Paula asked but I could hardly make out their words by my loud breathing..
"It was fine a month ago," the younger one stated, like it meant something to the others.
The older one had moved closer to the younger woman who had just spoken. Maggie and Kat were confused to me panicking but I needed these people to hear me out. I did fear for Maggie, for Kat. For the baby.
"Sweetie, that was a month ago. Shit hards quick. The guns have gone bye-bye, the food's gone bye-bye, and we got growlers up and down the halls," the older woman said as she would proceed to glance outside the door they just came from.
I continued to breathe heavily, as I feared for Maggie, for Kat and their lives. "Means people can get through, too. Maybe we should get gone," the guy panted as the woman was trying to fix him up.
"-arol!" I could hear Maggie's muffled voice. I could make out a 'Carol', even with her gag on.
The younger one was getting mad. But at this point, the sounds of them talking was just a background for my loud breathing. "Yeah? Where the hell to?" the girl yelled.
I needed air. I needed to talk. I needed them to listen. "Nowhere," Paula answered. "Got dead in the halls? Free security," this was her answer to the problem. "Those assholes get here before our people, the cold bloods will buy us some time," she tried to stay positive about the situation.
This only caused me to breathe harder. I don't want anyone else to die. "'ome-one -elp -er!" Kat yelled through her gag. What I could make out from her was 'Someone help her'.
No one listened to them. "Shut up," Paula barked at them.
Paula had been tightening the rope they had been using to keep the guy's arm from bleeding out. "Jesus, it's bleeding. It's not supposed to keep bleeding," the man commented as he whined like a child.
"Molly, give me the rope," Paula ordered and the older woman began digging into her pocket.
It must have been the same rope they had used on Kat earlier. Which I had seen them tuck into Molly's pocket. "I'm not losing it. I'm not," the man was refusing to cut off his arm because of the bullet I had put in him.
"So you grind it out. Jesus, Donnie," the younger one spoke in a tone that was mocking of the guy.
Donnie, the guy I had shot, didn't appreciate her comment. "Screw you, 'Chelle!" the guy yelled, between it, the girls had both been muffling words. "We have to get him back. He can fix it. We have to, Paula," Donnie had tried to convince his girlfriend to save their friend.
If he wanted his arm, they would need to agree with Rick. "No," Paula refused. "I saw them, you didn't. They took the place down, they got the guns, they'll kill us, too," she wasn't wrong.
Maggie, muffled, still tried to talk. "-ey!" she yelled the word 'Hey', but then the words that came after were unintelligible.
"A-oles, -elp -er!" Kat mumbled, her words were a little clearer. Her words were 'Assholes, help her' and yet, they still didn't care.
Not until Maggie's tired muffle and my constant heavy breathing was getting to them. "I'm not going down like that, not after making it this far," Paula said before the girls words were more muffled than before.
Hearing us making noises, it was getting on Paula's last nerve. Getting up from her spot, she stormed her way over to Maggie. "What?" she snarled, tugging her gag off then strolled over to Kat. "What is wrong with you two?" she asked as Maggie glanced to Paula's frame.
"She's hyperventilating. Somebody needs to take her gag off," Maggie said as Paula tugged Kat's gag off next.
Kat's eyes were glued to Paula's never leaving her as she was staying strong. Just like her father would hope. "I said, 'help her'!" Kat gestured to me using her head as she peered over Paula and at me.
I was still hyperventilating, trying to breathe but I couldn't. My head was getting light and the more they spoke, the less I could hear. Turning, Paula glanced at me before throwing her arms up to the others she was with.
It was Molly who took a step closer to me and moved past Paula as she glanced out the door before returning to Donnie's side. "She's a nervous little bird, ain't she?" Molly asked as she tugged on my gag.
Trying to catch my breath, a gun came out and I heard a hammer click as the younger one approached me. Holding the gun up at me. "Look at you," she looked me up and down. "Bitch, how did you make it this far?" 'Chelle asked rhetorically.
If only you knew the things I had to do to make it this far. "Honey, you need to take some yoga breaths and calm your ass down," Molly tried to comfort me but being around these people, was giving me anxiety.
Panting, I was unable to relax. Most importantly, I couldn't get my rosary out of my pocket. "I can't-" I said between much needed breaths.
As my panting continued, I went to grab my rosary and couldn't get it out. Reaching into my pocket, Molly inspected what I had. Possibly thinking it was some pocket knife or something. When she saw it was a rosary, she handed it to me.
"Oh. You're one of those," Molly didn't seem impressed but rather both amused and unenthusiastic about it.
Wheezing, I was regaining my breath and my sense of thought. "What are you so afraid of?" Paula asked as I brought the rosary to my lips. When she got in front of me, she had her hands on her hips.
They had blocked my view of Maggie but I could see Kat from the gap and a bit of Maggie through the gaps too. "Are you actually afraid to die?" Paula wasn't amused as she scoffed. "All this and you're scared of getting your ticket punched."
My breath came back to me. Tears were forming in my eyes at the images that crossed my mind. Of Kat. Of Maggie. The baby. Of any of them getting hurt. What I feared, was if my loved ones got hurt.
What I feared most, was killing people in order to protect the ones I loved. That, had been my fear. As I steady my breathing, I brought my eyes up to look directly at her. "It doesn't matter what happens to me," this was the truth.
I didn't fear for my life. I feared for theirs. "Just don't hurt them," I pleaded with them. "Don't hurt Maggie's baby," I begged, not wanting to see Maggie hurt the most out of them.
Kat could take a hit or two, she'd taken more than I liked to see. But I knew she was strong. She was capable. Maggie was carrying a child and I needed to protect them.
This news, surprised the group that took us. "Yeah, right," 'Chelle then turned and pointed the gun directly at Maggie.
Both women had looked stunned and defeated to hear this news. "She got a bun in the oven, she doesn't look it," Donnie remarked as he stared at Maggie.
"I'm only two months, I think," Maggie informed them.
All their attention, was on Maggie now. Kat had been silently watching, just as I had but I knew Kat was calculating the situation. "You're some kind of stupid, getting knocked up at a time like this," Paula made her opinion known.
This humoured Maggie, made her laugh and look to the floor before licking her lips. "You think that's funny?" Paula challenged her.
Maggie's legs bounced, pressured by the personal conversation this had become. "When was it ever smart to get knocked up?" Maggie threw back the question at them.
"Women used to just die in childbirth," Maggie put the facts out for them. "And they always thought the world was gonna end," she stated what we all knew. "Living through it, why would you just give up?" Maggie asked Paula in return.
The next thing that entered my ears, worried me. "But are you gonna live through it?" Paula challenged her. Yes, she is.
Glancing at Kat, I could see her eyes stare daggers into the woman. She was thinking the same thing I was. "Anyway, that's cute. Babies are the point. Children are our future. Making bite-size snacks for the dead," Paula teased and taunted Maggie.
Paula had been trying to get a reaction out of Maggie but it was Kat who reacted to it. "You'll be a snack for the dead before I let that happen," Kat spoke up, threatening for giving Maggie that horrible mental image.
The leader's head whipped over to Kat. "What the hell are you going to do?" Paula questioned her, stepping closer to Kat as her feet dragged.
Staring at Kat, I feared she'd do something this time. Kat's going to get herself in trouble if she keeps going like this. "Keep talking and I might just have to take that tongue of yours," Paula threatened as Kat sat silently where she was.
"You wouldn't dare," Kat challenged her. "I'm that prick with the colt python's daughter..." Kat reminded Paula, referring to the deal they were discussing earlier.
"Anything happens to me, you'll be dead before you can get two steps out of this place," Kat stated the facts when it came to Rick. "And he will want proof that I am still alive, if you're smart, you'd know that."
Rick was a hard man and Kat was proving to be just as hard. I could feel the sweat building on me, worried for Kat who was only getting herself into trouble. "If you say so," Paula said with an amused tone.
Returning her attention back to Maggie, she moved away from Kat and to stand in front of Maggie. "Back to my conversation, princess here rudely interrupted," Paula glanced over to Kat before returning her gaze to Maggie.
"The point is to stay standing," Paula continued their conversation when it came to babies.
Maggie didn't let her words affect her, but I feared for the two girls. One far too calm, the other like a walking warning sign. "No. Walkers do that," Maggie argued back softly. "I'm choosing something," Maggie spoke confidently.
Seeing only the back of Paula, I could only assume she was amused by Maggie's sight on the world. On her choices. "That's right," Paula agreed. "You are. You did," she then corrected herself.
Donnie was groaning from the pain. Molly pulled out a smoke, lit it and began coughing as she let out the smoke. "The baby," I reminded Molly of my plea with her.
Looking to Maggie, she then blew out some more smoke, coughing as she laughed. This only seemed to amuse her. "Honey, in case you haven't noticed, you've got bigger problems than a little secondhand smoke," she joked, bringing the cigarette back to her lips.
"Molls," 'Chelle spoke with a warning, encouraging her to drop the smoke and put it out.
Lowering to the ground, Molly stubbed the tip onto the ground before dusting off any of the light that stayed in it. "Y'all are worse than a bunch of evangelical second graders," Molly grumbled as she did as she was told.
Coughing, the woman was hacking her lungs out. "Those things'll kill you," I warned her, the same way I warned Shel the day the wolves arrived.
The same way they killed our people, I had killed them. If I have to kill her, I would. If it meant protecting the girls. The baby. Then I would do it in a heartbeat.
As she continued to cough and hack into a cloth, she showed it to me. "They already have," she informed me, showing me the blood she had just coughed up onto the cloth.
The way she looked at it, was like it was just another thing with this world. "I'm a dead woman walking," she joked. "Which puts us in exactly the same boat," she laughed, coughing up the rest of what was left of her lungs.
Shutting my eyes, I needed to relax. I needed to steady my heart as the fear took over me. The adrenaline was working one of two ways. Either urging me to kill, or urging me to cry and beg for their mercy. I need to get my shit together.
KPOV
Things had been intense from the second we got captured. Focusing on my breathing while trying to come up with ways of getting out of here, I was running out of chances. My foot was free but luckily, it was still easy to hide my foot behind the one that was still somewhat attached to the duct tape.
My eyes darted across the room, while Maggie did the same kind of, it was like she was looking for a place she could get loose of her ties. I needed to find a way to get us out of here without getting us killed.
"Ah!" Donnie groaned from the pain. "My arm feels like it's on fire," he wouldn't stop whining.
The fact he was so weak to a gunshot to his arm, made him look pathetic to me. I've survived cuts, getting run over and even my brother got shot. I didn't see him complain about it.
Paula entered the room and instantly crouched down beside him. "You pull that off, you gonna be nothing but a spigot," Molly warned him.
"Okay, hold on," Paula tried to pull the ropes tighter, to adjust them to help him feel nothing but Donnie kept groaning and whimpering like a child. "Scout crew is coming. They're 30 minutes out, maybe less," she informed all of us. More guys. Shit.
Maggie's voice made my head turn to her. "He doesn't have 30 minutes," Maggie warned them.
"His nerves are dying. If he doesn't get medical help, he's gonna lose his arm, maybe his life," Maggie was giving them the facts and it was all true.
How she paused, made me think that maybe she was remembering something. "I'm not a doctor, but my dad lost his leg, and I know that much," Maggie had been referring to what happened to Hershel.
Needing them to listen to us, to listen to my father, it was the easiest way I knew we would be safe. "Your man, Primo, you think he can help you?" I tried to get their attention.
Paula and Donnie both looked at me, listening to what I had to say. "It's time to end this. Talk to my dad," I encouraged them to take the deal.
It was the only way Donnie would get what he wanted. And so would we. "30 minutes," Paula could see right through me as she looked me directly in the eyes but said these words to Donnie.
Sighing, I had tried to get them to see sense. But Paula had every right not to trust me. As she got to her feet, Donnie's eyes were glued to me, then when his head turned to look at Carol, a crazy look crossed his eyes.
"You know my problem?" Donnie asked us as he panted, trying to shuffle up onto his feet. "She did this to me," he spoke pointedly at Carol, throwing the blame at her as he walked towards her. "She did it and she's just sitting there right as rain, fully intact."
My eyes widened at his rage towards the woman I saw as an aunt. "Hey," Paula tried to calm Donnie's rage. His eyes glued to her like an animal stalking its prey.
"No, you're not gonna make the trade," Donnie pointed out to her. "And we just do these three now," he encouraged them to kill us.
Needing to get his attention of Carol, I needed him to stop trying to intimidate her. "You do that, you'll die," I warned him.
His head turned to look at me. "If you're smart, which I know you aren't," I gave my honest opinion as I glanced at my tied up hands and 'feet'. "But they are...you'd keep us alive," I glanced to the women around us.
"Let the women do the trade," I encouraged again. Needing them to listen to me.
This was their only option and his better judgement was only clouded by anger. "Shut up!" he yelled at me. "She didn't shoot you!" he stated the facts.
Staring directly into his eyes, I didn't break, I didn't quiver and I sure as hell didn't stutter. "If you touch her, if you touch either of them..." I started, nice and slow. "I swear it...I'll kill you myself," I made him a promise.
Amused by my words, Paula approached me slowly. "How are you going to do that?" she questioned me. "That's right, you can't," she answered for me when I didn't.
Staring directly at her, I didn't break eye contact with her either. "The girl is right though..." she agreed with me, but over what? "We wait for the others. We have to be smart. We need insurance," she then spoke out to Donnie.
"Then shoot her in the arm, too," Donnie suggested, which made Paula chuckle.
Shaking her head, her eyes had shut. "No," Paula objected to his suggestion.
This argument was heating up in a way I was predicting was only going to get worse. "You really gonna stick up for some gutless bitch over me?" Donnie questioned her. "God damn it!" he yelled from the pain in his arm as he doubled over.
Paula was growing just as tired as we were of his constant whining. "Shut up," she tried to silence him.
Grasping to his side, to his arm, to anything that hurt, he was contorting in agony. "Don't push me, Paula," he yelled as he groaned.
Glancing to the others, I sensed something odd happening. Molly stiffened, her expression dropped when she heard the words 'don't push me Paula' leave his mouth. 'Chelle's eyes fell to the floor as she avoided to look at them.
"Shut up!" Paula yelled.
Nect thing he did, was throw a solid blow up across Paula's face. Stunning her, she grasped her face and next thing I saw, was Donnie looming over Carol. A dark look on his face. "Leave her alone!" Maggie shouted up at him.
Maggie had kicked him down before he could attack Carol next. Shuffling to get closer to him, I watched as he scrambled to his feet and grabbed Maggie by the hair. "No! No!" Carol cried.
Screaming from being dragged onto her feet in the awkward stance, Maggie gritted her teeth and I began to wriggle up against the wall. The others just watched on as Donnie fought all of us.
"You dumb, uppity bitch!" Donnie yelled at Maggie but before he could hurt her, she got the upper hand and knocked her head into his. With a thud, Maggie fell onto her butt and hit the wall lightly with her back.
Grunting from the pain, Donnie stumbled back, clasping his head and Carol tried to grab hold of his leg to bring him down. Except, he had kneed Carol down and began kicking at her back.
Shuffling up, finally, I got to my feet and ran over to Donnie, wrapping my tapped arms around him in a headlock. Dragging him back, as I used my elbow and arm to choke him out. "She said, leave her alone, asshole," I snarled into his ear as I squeezed him tightly, feeling him struggle against me.
Feeling his hand push my face, as he was gasping for air, his finger were digging into my eye, I yelled and bit down on his ear. Just as I was piercing the skin, I felt his hand tug my arm off him at the same time, it only yanked my teeth to rip his ear off. When he turned to look at me, I spat his blood and the piece of his ear I tore off with it, out from my mouth.
Turning to look at me, he grasped onto his ear, he had yelled loudly into my ear from the pain I had caused him whilst he yanked me off. Blood that was both mine and with his, was possibly dripping down my face from the damage I had been taking from my own accord since the capture.
Checking his palm, he saw the blood on it and panted. "You stupid bitch!" he yelled before he went to lunge at me. I was ready and I was going to attack him the best I could in this situation.
When I thought he was going to attack me, Paula came up behind him and knocked him out with the butt of her handgun. She glanced to Maggie, who initiated this fight when she went to protect Carol.
"You really are some kind of stupid," Paula commented as she put her gun in her holster and rubbed her jaw. Then, she glanced to me. "And you, how did you get that duct tape off?" she asked me.
Staying stood, I was panting from the fight. I almost had the asshole and could of killed him if Paula hadn't stopped me. "The strip was thin," I answered. "And I have my ways," I informed her that I as capable of just about anything.
"Sit," Paula ordered.
Doing as I was told, I went back to my spot and sat down.
Crouching down in front of me, she opened up her backpack and searched inside it. "Resourceful little girl, aren't you?" she mocked me. "That mistake, won't happen again," she said, shaking the duct tape up in front of me.
"Take her out. See if she knows anything. Should've done that before," Paula pointed to Maggie and spoke to 'Chelle.
Seeing 'Chelle cut the duct tape on her feet, and then drag Maggie to her feet, I felt my heart pounding. "Move," 'Chelle ordered of Maggie as she stared at Paula.
How rough 'Chelle had been as she spun Maggie towards the door, I peered around Paula to look at Maggie. "I swear, if you hurt her, I'll-!" I went to threaten 'Chelle as she dragged Maggie to the door.
Meanwhile, Paula was taping my feet together. "We know!" she yelled at me with a roll of her eyes. "You'll kill us yourself," she repeated the words I had been saying since the start. "Shut up," she snarled when she was done taping my ankles together.
DPOV
Since finding the spot where Maggie, Kat and Carol were supposed to be, there had been signs of where they had been walking. There were patches of where they had been carrying a body. Which, I couldn't be sure.
Eventually, I could recognise Maggie's, Kat's and Carol's footprints in the dirt. Walking for a few minutes now, we had been gaining on a trail they had but it eventually cut short. Staring at it I bit my inner cheek and stared at it. They took a car, didn't they?
"How are we doing?" Rick asked as he strolled up to me, noticing that I had stopped my search when I saw the car tracks begin.
Pointing to the tracks we had been following, Sasha and Abraham had been keeping an eye on our hostage. "Tracks are still fresh," I informed Rick of what I'd been following. "But the rain's been washing it away," this was the only downfall.
"It stops here, there are car tracks that start here," I pointed to where there were tire marks.
Nodding, Rick's lips were pursed slightly as he had a stern look in his eyes. He's a father and he's on the hunt for his daughter. Turning around, Rick waited for the hostage to catch up to us.
"Hey," he called to get his attention as he took a step towards him. "Hey!" he spoke a little louder as he tilted his head to catch his gaze.
When he didn't look, it only ticked Rick off more. "Where would they be taking them?" he asked as he grabbed hold of the guy's collar with one hand. "Where was your back up retreat for this kind of stuff?" he questioned their safe spots.
The guy laughed. "I'm not telling you shit," the guy smirked at Rick, blood still covered his teeth.
Rick on the other hand, wasn't humoured by this at all. "Hey," he spoke a little firmer now. "If I were you, I'd be smart about this," he advised him to stop being stupid.
"That's my daughter they've got. They have his wife, too. Our family," Rick was stern, as he then glanced to Glenn behind him, who was now stood beside me. They have my Kat. Carol. Maggie. We need to get them back.
Rick's head tilted as he stared the guy directly in the eyes. "Now if you don't co-operate...we'll find ways to make you co-operate," Rick threatened. He didn't play when it came to Kat's safety, at all. "So don't test us," he warned him.
Nodding, I hoped the guy finally understood who he was trying to mess with. "We did have a safe house," he told Rick through nods. "But like I said..I'm not telling you shit, asshole," he laughed and shook his head at him.
Now, Rick was glaring at the guy. "Fine," Rick slowly let him go. "We'll get them back and when we do..." he squinted and shifted his weight on his feet. "You'll be wishing you were as dead as your buddies are," Rick gave him a cold, hard threat.
Turning away from him, Rick began to follow the trail of the tracks that had been left for us. Hopefully, we would get to the girls in time. We had to. What I did know, was when our people's lives were threatened...
When Kat's life was on the line. Rick was a force to be reckoned with and he would stop at nothing to get her back.
KPOV
Molly had been trying to patch Paula up, clean her wound after his hit had cut her cheek. "He got you good, kid," Molly had spoken a little sympathetically to her leader.
"He's in pain. Guys can't handle pain," gave an excuse for Donnie's actions.
Glancing to him, he was knocked out beside me. Like he was out like a light and unable to wake up. "Excuse me?" Carol's small voice called to her. Paula sighed and turned her head to Carol.
Whatever Carol had to say, I could tell Paula cared very little to hear it. "Just wanted to say thank you for helping Maggie, for helping us," she gestured between me and herself. "My husband Ed, he used to-" she went to say her life story.
A story I remembered plenty about. "Yeah?" Paula cut her off as she raised her voice to her. "I don't care if your old man used to ring your bell," Paula was being harsh to Carol.
"I see exactly who you are, Carol. I know. You're pathetic," the way she described Carol, she was wrong.
"You're wrong," I disagreed with her. Carol is one of the strongest people I know.
Paula ignored me entirely. "You wanna think we're just the same?" Paula asked Carol. "Go ahead. You're wrong," she denied their similarities. "He's just a warm body for my bed. That's it. I could kill him in his sleep," she spoke so nonchalantly about Donnie.
Chuckling at her statement, I shook my head once. "Then why didn't you?" I questioned her. "Why stay with his abusive bullshit?" I wondered why she didn't just end him like she said she would.
She must fear someone else. Maybe she feared Negan. Or maybe she feared Donnie himself. "That's none of your business, princess," Paula directed at me as she turned her head to glance at me.
Her hands on her hips, she stood over us, proud of herself. "All the good guys are dead," this was what she believed. "There are only bad guys now," Paula gave out her opinion.
I knew this wasn't true. Daryl is out there. My dad. Carl. Glenn. Aaron. Heath. I knew those guys were good and there were many more to list. "If that's what you believe..." I shrugged my shoulders at her.
Carol had been silently rubbing her hands together, clasping the rosary in her hands. The sight Paula turned her attention to, amused her and made her chuckle. "Do you really believe in that crap?" she asked Carol seriously.
"My faith got me through the death of my daughter," Carol answered her with tears in her eyes.
Feeling the sting of Sophia, brought back memories that were too painful to remember. I looked everywhere with Daryl for that little girl. "Hmm," Paula mused. "Well, the good news is maybe you'll see her again soon," she tried to make this into a comforting statement.
If she believes that...then she has another thing coming for her. There was no way in hell I was going to let either Maggie or Carol die. Not today.
After a few moments of silence, the sound of my father's voice filtered into my ears. Like a blessing from God, I felt relieved to hear his voice again. "Have you thought about it?" he asked. "Talk to me," he encouraged Paula to talk to him.
A very faint sound of static could be heard. "You weren't listening," Paula said to him. "I said I'd contact you," she reminded him.
The sound of the static hissing was softer, fainter. He must be getting close. "Would it make a difference if I said I was sorry about that?" dad apologised lightly.
"What do you think?" she taunted him sarcastically.
I knew my father and I knew Daryl. They'd be tracking us down until the ends of the earth if they had to. They wouldn't stop. "I think we're gonna make the trade, so tell me where," dad continued to talk, possibly trying to see in which direction was he getting closest to us.
Paula's back was to me, so I didn't know how she reacted to the sound of how clear my father's voice was. "We haven't agreed to that," Paula corrected him.
"You will," dad was so sure of this, he almost sounded cocky.
How Paula stood, I knew she wasn't taking the bait. "You know what? I'm not so sure," she reflected back to my father. "We'd be taking most of the risk, not getting much in the way of a reward," she commented on their agreement.
"The other option won't work out for you," dad warned her.
"We'll take our chances," Paula ended the conversation with my father there. When she finally put the walkie on her hip, Carol let out a heavy sigh.
Not liking she kept trying to avoid my father, it was selfish and it was going to get her killed for nothing. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to fight," I tried to make her see sense.
That only seemed to encourage a defiance in these people. "Your people killed all of my people. Of course we gotta fight," Molly spoke up.
"We didn't want to," Carol stuttered.
This intrigued Paula as they kept their distance, so they could get a good look at both of us. "But you did," Paula stated. "So tell me why," she encouraged us to speak up, to say our peace as she walked closer to Carol.
Letting out a sigh, I knew it best to stick closest to the truth when it came to a lie. "Your people ambushed my people on the road, tried to take everything we had," I spoke up, giving them a picture of how it went. "They were gonna kill them, so they killed your group first."
It was as simple as that. "Well, damn," Molly seemed shocked by this information. "So now we know what happened to T's group. Those idiots. Probably put on a big show," she commented on the group I had mentioned.
Nodding, she glanced to me then to Carol. "Okay, fair play. You were just defending yourselves," she spoke mostly to Carol. "But, see, your people killed them on the road, right? Blew them to pieces. So, why not stop?" she questioned us both.
"They said they were working for Negan," I spoke confidently.
Mention of this tyrant evidently piqued their interest. "And what do you ladies think you know about Negan?" Paula questioned just how vast our knowledge was.
Little did she know, we knew plenty. "He sounded like a maniac," I stated coolly. "A man who wanted everything and in turn, we would get nothing," this was what I gathered but there was much more I wanted to say.
He is a kid murdering psychopath. "We were scared. We had to stop him," Carol cried, trying to draw attention back to herself. Molly had lit another cigarette.
Knowing Carol, she must of been worried about me being so calm, so stern with them. So prepared to take each and every one of them down. "Sweetie, sweetie. We are all Negan," Molly said, like this was something we understood.
Perplexed, I didn't understand what that meant. "What do you mean?" I asked her as she brought her cigarette up to her lips. Molly once again began coughing. "Answer me!" I ordered a little too firmly. "What does that mean?!" I needed to know what that meant.
CAROL POV
The sound of coughing pulled me back to the moment. My mind would drift off, go in circles as I thought to the what happened, what could happen. I feared it. "Can I have one?" I asked Molly, needing something to calm my nerves.
"Well, look at you, little bird. I didn't think you approved," Molly was shocked to find out that I too, smoked.
Truthfully, I didn't but it was the only thing that didn't break me down to the pieces I was feeling lately. "I don't," I stated, having a hard time following my own morals.
As she picked out a cigarette for me, she placed it between my lips and lit it up for me. Paula had been pacing but when she saw me take my first inhale of smoke, she stood in front of me.
"You are weak," she commented on me. All she did, to Kat, was ridicule her, treat her like a child. She didn't know Kat like I did. That girl is capable of anything. "What are you so afraid of?" Paula asked of me once again. "So scared, you can't even stick to your own principles," she commented on what I stood for.
I once told Sam that sometimes killing was the only way we didn't become monsters. Now look at me. "You don't want me to stick to my own principles," I subtly warned her.
Paula then began pacing once more. She had told us this story, about how she was a secretary before all of this. That she used to fetch coffee for her boss, tried to make him feel good about himself. She told us about reading an inspirational e-mail. One about a girl having a hard time, telling her mother she wanted to give up.
Told us about the hot water story, involving the carrot that went in strong, came out soft. About the egg that went in soft, came out hard. The coffee beans, that had changed the water itself. Stating she didn't want to be the coffee beans. Because coffee was just a drink she would always refill for her boss.
Just one thing that was never enough in the world before this one. Told us how she survived, that she had to without her husband, her daughters. All four of them. Her boss was weak. Was going to get her killed, supposedly. So she killed him.
The fact she gave up counting when it finally hit double digits, made me realise that I hadn't. I still clung on to those lives I took. Lives I had believed to my core that I had to take. Lives that changed me in ways other things had not.
Unlike me, Paula stopped feeling bad about killing. "I am not like you. I'm still me, but better. I lost everything and it made me stronger," she tried to convince herself that this was the case.
"You sure about that?" I questioned her.
Kat had been looking over to the door. Walkers still stayed by the door, growling like hungry guards at our door. "I'm alive," Paula stated.
"With those people, those killers," I was disappointed that someone like her was with such people.
All these people seemed evil. But who hadn't done bad things at this point? "Your people are killers, Carol. That makes you a killer," little did she know, she was right.
Swallowing that hard pill, I held onto the cigarette and gathered some of my strength. "You-you're the one," I spoke up.
Stopping Paula from pacing, she slowed and stared at me. "Excuse me?" she questioned me.
Gazing up at her, I knew what I wanted to say. What I needed to say. "You're the one who's afraid to die," I revealed the truth. "And you're going to. You will die," I was sure of this. "It's what's gonna happen if you don't work this out," if they didn't make the deal with Rick, they were as good as dead.
Instantly, Paula caught onto my threat. "Are you going to kill me?" Paula challenged me, staring directly into my eyes.
Not breaking eye contact, I knew in my heart that I didn't want to but I knew in my head, that I could. "I hope not," I was being honest with her.
I don't want to kill anymore. Kat though, had another plan, completely different to my own. Another promise to share with this group.
"If she doesn't, I will," Kat made a promise to her. "And if I don't...my dad will," this chain proved that Kat's family, in itself, wasn't one Paula should be messing with.
Paula's head turned to glance at Kat, their exchange cold and still. "You can be sure of that," Kat assured her that this would happen if a deal wasn't made soon enough.
KPOV
Keeping my head down, I already tried to figure out ways to get us out but with these women still here, they were making it difficult. More so when they started to make arrangements with my father. "Asshole, are you there?" Paula spoke into the walkie.
"I'm here," dad responded back.
Every time she would call my father an asshole, or a prick, it made me want to beat these people half to death. How dare they insult my father in front of me. "We've thought about it. We want to make the trade," the woman spoke confidently but her eyes said differently.
I knew she had a trick up her sleeve installed for them. "That's good," the static was faint between the conversation.
Turning her back to us, she spoke into the talkie, making me no longer look into her eyes. "There's a large field with a sign that says 'God is dead' about two miles down I-66. Good visibility in all directions," she was giving my father a meeting spot.
Picturing my father, I shut my eyes, needing his strength to guide me into what I was preparing myself to do. "We'll meet you there. 10 minutes?" dad asked her. Before he spoke, I pictured him, like he was waiting, glancing to the groups.
I imagined him possibly stood in an open field, the others around him, listening into the negotiation being made as they debated if it was a set up or not. "10 minutes," Paula agreed with him. Quickly, I glanced up at the others around me.
Shaking her head, she lowered the walkie and a ghost of a grin formed on her features. "Mm-mm. Now, that was too easy," she remarked on how quickly they made an arrangement.
How dad instantly knew where it was, how far it was, it could of easily been their hostage telling them where it was, how long it took to get there from the point they were at. Shutting my eyes, I bowed my head and heard Donnie's breathing becoming so progressively quiet, slow, I was sure he was dying from the blood loss.
But if the guy was as defiant as these people, he would resist and say nothing. "Maybe they're just itching to get their people back," Molly gave my dad the benefit of the doubt.
Opening my eyes, I glanced up and had seen Paula was glancing to Carol before looking to Molly who had stepped closer to her leader figure. "No, there was no static. There should've been static. They're close," Paula was rapidly figuring it out.
"They're probably already here. We were careful, but there were tracks. There had to be," little did she know, she was right. On the way here, I made sure my feet sunk deep into the mud as I had tread on it.
Carol was wriggling around and I could see her worry building up again. "They killed everybody back home. They have the weapons. They know what they're doing," Paula was pacing, figuring all of this out in her head.
"They're probably waiting to kill us as soon as we walk out those doors. That's what we'd do," Paula predicted what was going to happen.
Carol's wide, sad eyes stared up at Paula. "No," Carol disagreed with her. "You have to listen to me, please. Rick is a man of his word," she begged, trying to get Paula to hear a voice of reasoning.
I knew my father, I knew he was trying to be safe but he knew what to expect from these people too. "He wouldn't put me, put Maggie, put his own daughter at risk to attack," Carol shook her head, confident that my father was putting our safety first.
That, I knew too but I hoped he knew that we were capable of getting ourselves out of this too. "Then he's just as stupid as you are," Paula spat back at Carol. Changing channels, once her walkie was in her hand again, she rose it to her face "What's your ETA?" she asked the others.
"A few minutes away, but the car is running on fumes," the man responded to Paula.
Keeping my eyes on the women, Paula was a nervous wreck, pacing, trying to stay as calm as she sounded. "We have gas. We'll fill you up and then we move. Radio when you're back in the perimeter," she gave out instructions to the others.
As the static hisses, I saw Carol glance at me, worry in her eyes as her bottom lip trembled. We have to kill them. Before they can kill the others. "Copy that," the guy responded almost instantly.
Paula put her walkie back on her belt, gathering her things before Molly too placed her gun back in her holster. No longer glancing at either myself or Donnie that laid unconscious next to me.
"We gotta get ready. Pull 'Chelle out so she doesn't get stuck in a fight," Paula had begun listing what they needed to do. "We have to be ready to move at any second."
"What about the girls?" Molly made a valid question but Paula was focused on getting her gun, on checking her ammo before getting herself ready to leave us here.
First, her eyes met mine before glancing to Carol, as she placed her gun back in her holster. "Leave them for now," Paula answered Molly. "If we leave, we travel light. And if the pricks are here, we pick 'em off at the door," she instructed.
Leaving through the door where the walkers had been clawing for entry, Molly had worked the two walkers at the door like it was nothing. "Molls, we need this hall clear," I heard Paula say as she stepped into the hallway.
The moment I saw Molly shut the door behind us, I went to wriggle back to how I once removed the ties to my feet. Using a sharp, curved tip, I would drag and drag on the tip against the duct tape but this time, it wasn't as easy.
This time, the second layer was harder to work with as I gritted my teeth and tried not to make a noise. Feeling the circulation in my feet shorten the tighter I pulled. Laying on my back, I turned my head to see Carol scraping her cross against the floor.
Instantly, I knew Carol was sharpening it to use it to cut us free. Still, I tried to make work of the duct tape on my ankles as I began hoisting my legs to forcefully tug and slowly, it began to rip.
When I saw that Carol had began cutting her confined hands, then her feet, I was pleased to see her finally rubbing her ankles. Just as I finally got free of the tightening sensation, that was the restraints on my ankles.
Carol made quick work of the duct tape on her feet, only to get up and help me with the duct tape around my wrists. "Carol, smart thinking," I praised her for her quick thinking as I eventually got free of the duct tape.
"Come on, let's go," Carol spoke quietly as she made work of my wrists. "No time to talk, only time to move," she ordered once I was free, I took the knife from Donnie and stored it in my knife holster on my belt.
Carol had checked the doors, as we left the room and slipped through the halls. Hearing a walker, she held me back and I kept my back pressed firmly against the wall. We need to find Maggie.
"Just a sec, sugar," I heard Molly's voice say before she grunted and ended the noises the walkers were making as they must of approached her. Or so I imagined.
Glancing through a door, Carol signalled to me that Maggie was here. No longer holding my knife up, staying alert, we slipped into the room and found her scraping her duct tapped wrists against a pipe.
"Are you two okay?" Maggie asked us the moment she saw us.
Using my knife, I cut her hands free and helped remove the duct tape from her skin. "I have to be," Carol said softly, the two women pulling one another into a long embrace.
When Maggie then looked to me, she tugged me into her arms. "Yeah, we need a plan to get out of here," I both answered and encouraged the women to speak as I hugged her back. Trying to calm my heart, my breathing, I was trying my best to keep my cool.
"They're clearing out the halls to get out. Probably trying to ambush the group," I informed Maggie, informed Carol as we both had heard Paula's plans but I made it as brief as I possibly could.
Holding onto Maggie's arms, I slowly let her go and pulled back from the hug to glance over my shoulder, to Carol. "They've spread out, but I think we can make it past them," Carol made a suggestion. "We have to try."
The fact she was willing to try and sneak off, to get away from them, left me stunned. Knowing this group, what they were capable of in the short amount of time we had been with them, something told me they wouldn't give up. They wouldn't stop looking for us.
They wouldn't stop looking for revenge. "We can't leave them alive," I encouraged Carol that this was the only way this could go. The only way it had to go.
Carol's eyes were wide, scared as she looked at me and I slowly let go of Maggie entirely. "No, we should just go," Carol pleaded with me, her eyes were welling with tears but none fell. Not yet.
"Carol, Kat's right, we have to finish this," Maggie was taking my side in this debate. "We have to," Maggie's words were weary but they were firm.
Carol had swallowed a hard lump in her throat, her breath shook and slowly she turned her back to us. Glancing at Maggie, she too shared the same concerned expression on her face for Carol as I had.
That was when I realised what was going on with Carol, her back to us as she glanced outside the window of one of the doors. "You're afraid to kill them, aren't you?" I asked her.
Nothing was said for a long moment. "Come on, this way," Carol didn't answer me, but this was enough of an answer to me. She's afraid to kill.
DPOV
The more we walked, the more Kat's bow and quiver on my shoulder was getting heavier. I need to bring this back to her. Following the tracks, the trail was getting closer, I could feel it. And the more Rick spoke to them through the walkie, the less the static sounded.
Rick knew it. I knew it. All of us knew it. We were getting close. Hearing of a meeting point, Rick had pulled the guy to him and let him stand in front of him.
"Why do they need you alive?" Rick wondered what the importance this guy had to the others.
The man said nothing. He would say, nothing. That was his deal and it was really ticking Rick off. "You some kind of doctor? Leader? What?" Rick listed all the things he could think of.
When the guy said nothing, he landed a blow to his stomach, then gripped his face tightly, making him look Rick directly in the eyes. The look in Rick's eyes were murderous, a man not to be messed with.
"A first aider! I can patch someone up if I need to," the man spat his words from the wheezing pain Rick was giving him.
Rick was shifting the weight on his feet repetitively. "And the place they want us to meet, are they going to ambush us there?" Rick needed to know everything but when the guy wouldn't co-operate, it would only make him more angry.
Without thinking, Rick took one of the guy's hands and broke one of his fingers. Watching it twist, I gripped the string of Kat's bow a little tighter. "Yes! Yes! It is!" the guy yelled. "Jesus! You broke my finger, asshole!"
Snarling, Rick was in no mood to play. Not when his daughter's life was on the line. "If you had just talked, I wouldn't have had to break that finger," Rick commented. All of us were on edge. That much, was obvious.
"How much longer until the safe-house?" Rick continued the interrogation with the guy.
The guy was panting, possibly from the pain Rick inflicted. "Maybe 10-15 minutes, I don't know!" the guy spoke and with that, it was all Rick needed to know before he encouraged me to follow the trail I had picked up again.
KPOV
Entering the room myself and Carol had escaped from, I instantly went over to Donnie, who's breathing was becoming very faint. Very slow. Using the knife I had taken, I crouched down straddled the man.
"Kat, what are you doing?" Carol asked me, curious to know just what I was planning to do.
Without responding to Carol, I pursed my lips tightly, I could feel my teeth trying to meet between the skin. As I grabbed him by the hair of his head, I lifted it up and let my blade kiss the skin of his neck. Soft gurgling was heard before I let him go.
Watching the life pour out of him and onto the ground, I was numb to it, even as he gurgled his final few breaths. "I killed him..." I said in a cold, almost dead voice. "This?" I gestured to Donnie as I got to my feet, getting away from him. "This wasn't you," I told Carol.
Somehow, I thought this was the only way to soothe her. Not wasting any time, Maggie went to Donnie and began removing the ropes and cloths that kept him from dying earlier. As she handed the ropes and cloths to us, we took it.
"He was already dying from blood loss," Maggie said as I watched the dark red liquid spill out from his arm too. "He's already turning," Maggie informed us.
This news only spooked poor Carol. "We should go," Carol encouraged us to just leave, to run.
Running, meant they still lived. They were a threat and they always came back. Where there is life, there's possibility. I heard Morgan's voice say. Of them hitting us. My dad's voice echoed in my mind.
They always come back. These words that my dad had said, echoed louder in my mind than any I'd heard before. I can't let them hurt us. Dead or alive. "We need a gun," Maggie had said for me as I momentarily froze.
"Give me that," Maggie gestured to the ropes in Carol's hands.
As Carol gave her the rope, Maggie began tying it around Donnie's belt. "Whatever we're going to do, we need to do this quick," I suggested that her plan be done quicker.
What happened next, was Maggie had tied Donnie by the post where I sat near. Close by the door, so that when someone came in, it would attack them by surprise. Before footsteps approached, we were already out of the room, hiding around the corner.
Next, we heard a door open but it didn't shut. Growling, what sounded like a bite and then screaming followed. "Eat shit and die, Donnie!" I could tell it was Molly who yelled at the walker-fied version of Donnie.
The snarling quickly finished as a loud thud could be heard with Molly's angry response to getting bitten. "Where are ya, Magnolia? I wanna bloody up that nice-" Molly said before Maggie came up behind her and held onto the knife.
"Agh!" Molly groaned when Maggie used the back of the knife to slam it against her head hard. Maggie's hand was bloody from the knife she had held. As soon as Molly was falling, Maggie took the gun from her belt.
Climbing over Molly, Maggie lost her mind. Slamming the butt of the gun repetitively against the back of Molly's head. Shouting and grunting as she beat Molly's head to a pulp. Handing Carol the gun, Maggie took the knife.
"Let's go," Maggie whispered to us as we walked out and shut the door behind us. What a day...
RPOV
Following Daryl as he took the lead with Rosita at the front, both of them were doing their best to follow the tracks Daryl had found. Michonne to my left and Glenn to my right, we kept up while our hostage was following behind us. Abraham and Sasha flanking either sides of him while Jesus and Gabriel stayed closely behind the hostage.
"Kat will be fine, I hope you know that," Michonne spoke up, returning my attention back to the moment.
My mind would wonder how Kat was, how she was coping, if she was alive or hurt. "I know," I had to have faith Kat was a smart girl and could get herself out of this. "But I can't help but worry about her," I admitted to my faults. "About all of them."
To me, it wasn't just me being worried for Kat. I worried for all three of them. They were family. "We know because it shows," Michonne teased me but with a slight seriousness to her tone.
Nodding, I swayed my head a little before I rose my gaze to the people ahead of us. "Yeah well...they did take my daughter," I bit back a very small smirk. Everyone noticed how on edge I was, how ruthless I was being with our hostage.
"You're just eager to give her back her weapons, aren't you?" I teased Michonne, trying to keep the topic as light as I could.
Michonne let out a faint snicker. "What? Never," she spoke playfully back. "I think Kat's machete could be like a baby sister to my sword," she pat the machete that rest upon her hip. To Kat's machete.
We had found Kat's belongings by the RV, then we found Carol and Maggie's things on the ground not far from Kat's position of abduction. All of us were carrying something of theirs. Myself, I was carrying Kat's gun in a free holster.
"Or a brother," I joked back to Michonne as I looked to her.
Thinking of Carl, when Michonne's eyes met with mine as she pursed a smile at me. "Yeah, well..." Daryl grumbled, bringing my attention to him.
As he walked ahead, Kat's bow and quiver rest on his shoulders as he carried it all the way to wherever he was taking us. "This bow weighs a good few pounds on my back," he complained. "I don't know how she can carry this every day with her."
Daryl sounded amazed by the strength my daughter had. Then again, Kat wore her bow around her, like it hugged her. Daryl was letting it bounce on one shoulder. The sight and the thought of the strength of my daughter, made me smile.
"Yeah, neither do I," I agreed with Daryl, amazed by my daughter's strength. After a few minutes of silence, I glanced to Michonne and nodded. "You're right, Kat's strong, she'll be fine," I accepted what I didn't want to before.
I had to have faith in Kat. In all of them. "They will all be fine," I had to keep my hopes up because until proven otherwise, I had to stay positive.
"We hope," Glenn said from beside me.
KPOV
Trying to find a way out, we were faced with a hallway filled with walkers and all of them were either on spikes or tied there. The gap was too small and we would be grabbed if we got too close. "They're using them to keep us in, keep the others out," Carol spoke up.
Glancing around, there were walkers all on the ground too, some were free and as they approached us, I took out my knife. "Come on. We have to find 'em," Maggie was the one encouraging us to kill these people.
Digging my knife up into its jaw, to it's brain, it fell tot he ground and stayed there. The sudden sound of gunshots coming from behind, had Carol drag Maggie down, as I ducked, I gestured for the girls to hide and to sneak around to a spot Paula couldn't reach us.
When Paula was out of bullets, Carol stepped out from our hiding spot, her gun up and our backs facing the walkers. I tried to take a step forward, to protect either of them as Maggie stayed close to the wall. Carol stood close to the other wall.
Aiming the gun up at her, Carol wasn't planning to shoot Paula like she had just done so to us. "Just run," Carol encouraged the woman to leave and never come back.
"Shoot her," Maggie was like me, she couldn't risk seeing their faces roll up to our gates like the Governor had.
It was one mistake I didn't want to happen again. I couldn't afford for it to happen again. Taking my knife, I was ready, in case she got too close.
Paula's eyes were glued to Carol. "Go on, do it. You've killed Donnie, you've killed Molly," Paula listed as she walked closer to us. "Your people have destroyed my home," this was the cherry on top for Paula.
"Get outta here," Carol kept giving her a chance to leave us here.
How she kept letting this woman have power over her, was beyond the Carol I knew. "Carol, you have to shoot her," I tried to encourage her this time. "It's her or it's us," I needed her to see the choices she was making the more she hesitated.
I could hear Shane's voice in my ear. If you don't have what it takes, you'll die out here. "You have no idea. The things I've done, what I've given up, what I had to do," Paula said, I wanted to shut my eyes, to stop hearing the voices in my head.
But my eyes wouldn't shut, they were glued to Paula as she just kept walking. "Just run," Carol's hand trembled and her voice was so quiet. She was terrified.
"Carol, shoot her," Maggie tried her best to convince her to do so.
Carol had taken a few steps forward but she was frozen on the spot. Her gun aiming directly at Paula as she was slowly closing the gap. "Go ahead. I've already lost everything," she said. In seconds, I had seen a walker get out of it's trap.
The snarls were what caught my attention, along with the movement out the corner of my eye as it reached out for Carol. When I pushed Carol closer to Paula, a gunshot sounded. I didn't see what happened, as I shoved the walker to the wall and dug my knife into the side of its skull.
Once the body dropped, I looked to see where Paula was, she was gone. Carol was panting, holding onto her shoulder as that was the closest thing the walker almost grabbed hold of. 'Chelle's voice soon sounded through the halls.
"Paula? Paula?" her voice called and when I looked to Maggie, she had pressed her back to the wall and began sneaking towards the voice. A door squeaking open could be heard. What is Maggie doing?
I followed Maggie closely beside her. "Molly?" 'Chelle called to her companions but none were responding. The next thing I saw, was Maggie knock the gun out of 'Chelle's hand and tackled her to the wall.
A knee flew up to Maggie's stomach and instantly, I felt my blood boil at the sight. Rushing over, I saw red as I rushed over and landed a punch to 'Chelle's jaw. As Maggie tried to catch her breath, I was taking over in the fight.
Just as I went to get 'Chelle in a choke hold against the wall, she grabbed my arm and shoved my back hard against the wall. Keeping firm, nothing hurt but the change in position was making me vulnerable.
Grabbing her by her neck, I brought my knee up to her stomach, to show her how she liked it and threw her against the opposite wall. When she turned to face me, she took her knife out.
"You lying bitches!" she screamed before I could properly prepare for what was coming. She came swinging at me, dodging the best I could, her knife came close to my stomach and my mind froze.
Grasping my stomach, briefly my fingers trembled but I was lucky. It only had cut my shirt and not my stomach. If it had to be me or Maggie, I'm glad it was me. Panting, I tried to regather my thoughts as I looked to her and prepared to kill her myself.
Although, it was like instinct kicked in and Carol came up from beside 'Chelle and shot a bullet into the side of her head. Her face stone cold as she did so. She protected us. She saved me.
Hearing the sounds of a groan, I watched as Maggie got to the floor and took the gun she had disarmed from 'Chelle. "I'll do it," Carol said, stopping Maggie from having to kill another person. Especially after all that happened, I didn't blame either of them.
Paula was groaning, laughing as we came into her line of sight. Carol's gun once again came up and aimed it directly at Paula who sat on the floor, smiling at Carol. "You're good," Paula praised Carol for her ruthlessness.
"Nervous little bird. You were her. But not now, right?" Paula finally could see through Carol's innocent act. "Me, too," she said once she finally got to her feet and nodded at the thought.
Carol's hold on the gun was firmer. "I told you to run," Carol's voice quivered slightly.
How Paula spoke, how she looked at us, to Carol, she was going to fight until the bitter end. I could tell. "If you could do all this, what were you so afraid of, Carol?" Paula was curious to know.
Carol's feet shuffled closer. "I was afraid of this," Carol answered once they got face to face. Paula shut her eyes, turning her head away as she laughed. Feeling my body tense, that laugh wasn't normal.
It was menacing. Once again, I could hear Shane's voice in my ear. You need to toughen up. To do the hard shit. Otherwise, you're going to die out there. His words were clear in my head.
Slowly stepping closer to Carol, I was thankful that Maggie didn't try and stop me. Because suddenly, Paula knocked Carol's gun out of her hand. Forcing Carol against the wall, the she was having the upper hand on Carol.
Grabbing hold of Paula's waist, I tackled her to the wall opposite us. "Let her go!" I yelled as I went to save Carol. When she tried to get the upper hand on me, trying to turn me to where she was, I could hear the walkers growling to the right of me.
Breaking her leg, I tossed her away from me and to the right of me, straight into a pole. Into the walkers as she got both impaled and devoured by walkers. Her screams left me frozen in shock at just what I was capable of.
But as I looked to Carol, who was completely lost on everything that just happened, at Maggie, who looked relieved but done with the day. I knew that killing, was worth it. If it meant I could keep them safe, it was worth the fear I had to fight against on my own. To keep people safe, meant killing people and I had to do it. I can't risk losing anyone else again.
The sound of static was faint. "Paula, we're approaching the perimeter. Are we a go?" I heard the man's voice faintly against Paula's screaming. As Paula began gurgling, the walker was taking chunks out of her throat.
My own words to Paula earlier came to my mind as I stared at her. You'll be a snack for the dead before I let that happen. I had said to her and I had kept my promise to her too. "Do you copy?" the man asked into the walkie.
Carol had reached over and took Paula's walkie off her belt as Maggie came up beside me and rest her hand on my back. Bringing me back, I knew what I did and I didn't regret it. Carol on the other hand, looked horrified by this whole outcome of the day.
Bringing the walkie to her lips, she glanced at us before she pressed the button to respond. "Meet us on the kill floor," Carol had done her best imitation of Paula. What happened next, had to be done quickly.
RPOV
The trail felt like we were getting warmer, as the prints looked fresher and since the rain had stopped, Daryl could track more easily. "We're getting close," Daryl announced to us as he lead the way for us.
"I know, I can feel it," I could sense it in my bones. Kat was close. Slowing my pace, I stopped in front of our hostage. "What can we expect in there?" I asked him.
Laughing, the guy, Primo, we had found out his name far earlier than the moment we had first found everyone's belongings near the RV. Primo was not co-operating the way I wanted him to. "A whole bunch of surprises," he laughed. "You won't believe your eyes, asshole," he moved his face closer to mine.
Our eyes staring to each other, faces inches apart, there was a crazy look in his eyes and I didn't appreciate the way he spoke to me. Grabbing hold of his hand, I twisted another finger and felt it snap under my grasp.
Primo screamed from pain. "Not another finger!" he cried as he panted from the excruciating pain. "Why did you do that, man?" he complained for my methods of getting him to talk. Of putting him in line.
"Because I felt like it, asshole," I spoke with sarcasm, using the same words he had.
Regardless of the trade, the second we got Carol, Kat and Maggie back, I had planned to kill them all. Staring directly into Primo's eyes, he was glaring at me but whimpering at the same time.
"Rick," Daryl's voice called to me.
Looking in his direction, above the trees, I could see smoke was rising above and it was close. "Smoke," Michonne pointed out the obvious as she too stared up at the sky.
The distance of the smoke, didn't look too far away from where we were. "That's got to be them," Glenn said and I could see his eagerness to get to the girls. To bring them back and hope that it was them causing the fire and not our enemies.
Shoving the guy back to Abraham and Sasha, I held onto my things and began running in the direction of the fire. "Come on," I yelled as the others began following me shortly after. "Keep up!" I ordered more of our hostage than to anyone else.
Racing through the woods, I needed to get to Kat. I had to. Hold on, sweetheart. I'm coming.
KPOV
After we had cleared out the room, poured gas all over the floor and got ready for the group to meet us there, we waited outside, leaving a door slightly unlocked as they would approach from the side that had been cleared out for them.
We stayed inside a small room as they would walk past us in through the sliding door. This would be our best advantage to both see them and to end this before they figured out it was a set up.
All of our backs pressed to the wall, I was in the middle, Carol was closest to the door and Maggie was as far from the smoke Carol was about to inhale. "I think I might have killed 18 people. 19," Carol mused in her darkest thoughts.
Carol's voice wobbled. "I should've killed Donnie, too, in the woods. I had a clear shot. I didn't miss. None of this would've happened if I had just killed him," Carol was so sure as she looked everywhere, like she was looking for something.
"Don't think about it," Maggie's voice was low, cold and I could sense she wanted this over and done with.
Knowing the self doubt, knowing the what ifs that could run in one's mind, I also knew this had been the first time Maggie had properly killed someone. A life or death situation. "You can't know that, Carol," I tried to soothe her.
Thinking back, I hated myself more for leaving them to go find out what had made the noise that pulled me away from them. "Maybe this would of never happened if I hadn't left you two in the woods," I spoke up.
Somehow, I sensed Carol appreciated my attempt to comfort her. "Doesn't matter," she let out a small sad laugh. "I can't stop thinking about it regardless," she quivered.
"We're almost done," Maggie's voice sounded more and more lifeless.
I knew Maggie was set to kill these people. Carol wasn't and I was going to do whatever it took to survive. To protect those I loved. Both here and at home.
Knowing Carol wasn't strong enough to take another life, I knew I was. I can do it. "Carol...I'll do it," I spoke up, breaking the momentary silence. "Have your smoke, just hand it me when you're done," I tried to compromise with her.
The sounds of footsteps passing alerted us that they were here. Shadows passed us and I could see roughly 5 men walk past us. "Careful. The floor's slick," one man warned the others.
"You sure this is it?" another man had asked.
"She said kill floor," one responded as Carol's lighter clicked.
The sound of a door trying to open, alerted us that these men were trying to get a way out of there. "Hey, this one's locked," one man mentioned as the rumbling of a door trying to get opened sounded loudly through the halls.
When Carol was done, she handed me the cigarette. Slipping out of the room quickly, I saw all five guys staring at one door. "What the hell?!" I heard the man say before I dumped the cigarette onto the floor in the room, sealing the door shut tightly as flames engulfed them and I let them roast in there.
"Agh!" we had heard screaming, pounding on door and chose to ignore it.
Looking to Carol and Maggie, Maggie looked relieved but Carol looked like something was weighing on her. "Let's go," I encouraged for us to leave as we walked down the halls, trying to find a decent way out.
Leading the way, Carol slowed when she saw Paula, now a walker with no face. Maggie went to kill the couple of walkers. But I had placed my hand out and took it upon myself to end Paula, both alive and now, as a walker.
As I used my knife against walkers that tried to grab at me, Maggie too would join in with stabbing at walker's heads, with stomping on their skulls and making our way to the door.
Suddenly, footsteps approached, the door swung open and what we were faced with, were guns pointed at us. My knife came up, as did my fist, ready to fight anyone in close proximity.
When we saw it was the others, that they had found us, we stared at them with pure relief and lowered our weapons. At the front, was Glenn, dad and Daryl. Behind them, were Rosita and Gabriel. Behind them, was Abraham and their hostage, Primo.
"Maggie," Glenn said her name before he approached his wife and held her in his arms.
RPOV
The second the doors swung open and we saw their faces, my eyes instantly fell on my daughter. I went to her and saw her lower her only weapons. She looked exhausted. Covered in sweat, blood and possibly tears.
Grabbing onto her face, I no longer had my gun in my hand. Gabriel and Rosita had scoped ahead as Daryl went to Carol, Glenn went to Maggie and I went to Kat. "Hey," I spoke to my daughter, trying to bring her back to reality.
Her eyes looked so distant the second relief washed over them. "Did they hurt you?" I asked her, trying to see if she had any cuts, any bruises, anything.
Her hand reached up for mine, smiling as she had tears rise in her eyes. "Nothing I couldn't handle," she assured me. Positive, like always. "What matters is Maggie and the baby are safe," she told me.
"We're all safe," the way she said it, was like she was trying to tell herself this more than she was trying to tell us.
Staring at her, I was relieved to have her back, to have her safe. Nodding, I pulled her in and kissed her forehead. Glancing behind her, I saw the trail of a mess they had made. Walkers, a fresh one and God knew what else.
Pulling back, I felt her tug on my jacket. "You were right dad..." she said to me. "You were right," she admitted something I wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"I can do it," she looked me directly in the eyes. I instantly knew what she was referring to the moment we locked gazes.
Nodding, she looked down but then back up at me. "I know that now," she assured me she had the strength now, to kill again. That she could kill if she had to.
Panting, I stared at her, understanding what it meant. This had meant she had to fight today. She had to kill. Grabbing hold of her, I pulled her to me in an embrace and I felt her silent tears fall from her eyes as I held her. You're so strong. So brave. And you're safe now. I promise.
DPOV
As Rick went to check on his daughter, I went to check on the woman who was my best friend. Holding onto Carol's shoulder, I pulled her to one side to give the others room. "You okay?" I asked her. "We got your trail. You start a fire?" I had hope it was them.
"Yeah," Carol answered me numbly. Her eyes glanced to Kat for a moment.
This made me realise that it was Kat who started the fire. Not her. "Hey, you good?" I asked her, tilting her chin up so her eyes met mine. Carol had never looked so shaken in the time I've known her until now.
Bringing her attention back to me, her eyes were sad as she looked anywhere but at me. "No," she shook her head as she responded to me.
"Come here," I said as I pulled her in for a hug. Getting used to this kind of thing now, since I had been doing it often with Kat. Holding Carol, I had hoped she had felt safer now as I held the back of her head with my hand, the other holding her body close to mine.
KPOV
As Maggie had been talking to Glenn and Carol had talked to Daryl. My conversation with my father ended with an embrace. Finally safe, in his arms, I had a bit of that strength back in me. Shutting my eyes, when we pulled back, he brushed his thumb against my cheek.
This gesture soothed me plenty. As soon as we pulled apart, I noticed Daryl pull away from Carol too. Approaching me, my dad parted from me, giving me and Daryl our space. His eyes had trailed up and down my frame.
"They cut you, didn't they?" Daryl asked but my dad hadn't noticed it. His eyebrows furrowing as he squinted at me, trying to find the cut Daryl had spotted.
Forcing out a laugh, it was only strange sounding because of the built up tension I had in my body. "Only the shirt, I got lucky this time," I showed him the attack that had been made to my clothes.
"It was either me or the baby," I was showing them the odds of that fight. "I wasn't going to let it be Maggie," I stated that I would of preferred putting my own life on the line than having Maggie go through it instead.
Hearing this made Glenn smile at me. "Thank you, Kat," he spoke to me. "Saving Maggie, the baby, that was brave and selfless," Glenn praised me.
Offering a smile back to them, Maggie had been holding onto her husband tightly. "No need to thank me," I assured them. "We're family, it's what we do," I spoke with all the honesty in my tone.
I protect my family. No matter what. "We are," Maggie sniffled, nodding and her bottom lip pursed a little, as her eyes were softly gazing at me.
Daryl took a few steps closer to me. "Hey, you're safe now," he brought my attention back to him. When he got close enough, he wrapped his arms around me tightly. "I got you," he comforted me.
Being in his strong arms, always made me feel at my safest. Daryl has been getting good at giving me hugs. "I know," I said as my hands raised to hold his back. "It's so good to see you," I whispered.
"Yeah," he grumbled into my hair. "You too," he spoke softly before we pulled apart from one another and smiled to each other.
RPOV
Seeing my daughter, safely back in the arms of her lover, I knew Daryl cared for her. I knew he was just as stressed as I was over her safety. But I also respected him more for letting me be the one to go to her first when I saw her the minute we found her.
Easily, he could of gone to her first. Instead, he let me reassure my daughter that she was safe now. Watching as they pulled apart, as everyone was now at ease, now that they were together.
I approached our hostage, Primo. "Your friends are dead," I told him, he had overheard Maggie, as she told Glenn that everyone was dead. "No one's coming for ya," I informed him, fear in his eyes as he looked around him.
The halls were empty, all that was there, was ghosts, walker corpses and a fresh walker that turned maybe less than an hour ago. "So you might as well talk," I encouraged him to finally co-operate with us.
"Let him burn," Daryl clearly had enough of these people after the state we had found the girls in.
All of them looked exhausted. Coated in sweat, blood and tears. All of them looked like they had gone something horrific together. And I felt to blame for it. I should of let them stay at Alexandria or come inside with us.
I wondered if they had a better chance in either place than with us, where they were. "I'm gonna ask you one last time...how'd you get the bike?" I tried the guy again.
"We found it," he answered me without even looking at me.
Daryl was riled up, after the day we night we had, the journey here, only to find the girls like this, he was ready to beat this guy to a pulp. "Like hell you did," Daryl snarled.
"We found it," he repeated a little louder than before.
Tired of his shit, I was on the brink of ending him there and then. "Was Negan in that building last night or was he here?" I needed to know this answer. If he is still out there, we need to find him.
Slowly, his head turned to look at me. "Both," he spoke out softly, like he was in a daze.
A smirk formed on his lips. "I'm Negan, shithead," he growled and raised his head to look me dead in the eye.
But he lied and convinced himself it was the truth. No, you're not. "There's a whole world of fun that we can talk about, so let's have a chat," the guy continued to speak but I finally had enough.
Taking a few steps back as he spoke, I felt like I had been waiting forever to do this to him. As I pulled out my gun, I quickly took the safety off, pulled back the hammer, raised the barrel and pointed it at him.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," I apologised, all at the same as I did this. As I fired the shot, in the small space, it rang in my ears. His body falling with a hard thud to the ground.
A/N: I ASKED, AND BOY OH BOY DID YOU DELIVER. If you can't tell, I am doing my best at getting used to writing for Negan, so I'm trying to become him to understand him. Minus the killing and baseball bat covered with barbed wire. Thanks to all of you who gave me those 5 reviews so I could keep my end of the promise.
So, this chapter was very action packed and a lot of thrill, I guess? I hope you liked it. I hoped you like the small moments between Rick and the group that I added in between that weren't in the show. Anyway, seeing as I did this chapter in roughly a couple of days since posting chapter 70, I would like to request another 5 reviews. You heard it, I wrote all of this in the shortest amount of time.
LIKE NEGAN, WE HAVE A DEAL. 5 REVIEWS, OR NO NEW CHAPTER. THIS NEW CHAPTER, CAN BE POSTED JUST THE SAME AS THE ARRANGEMENT BEFORE. AS SOON AS TOMORROW YOU COULD BE READING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. COMPRENDE? 5 REVIEWS. OR NO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL I GET THEM.
5 reviews, or no chapters until I feel ready to post it. We're getting so close to season 7 content, that I really don't want to stop this train rolling. So please, 5 reviews. It's all I ask.
Questions to answer in the 5 reviews:
1) What did you think about this chapter?
2) Favourite scene in this chapter?
3) What did you think about Kat, with her being included in this whole situation?
4) Was any of the fight scenes believable to you?
5) What did you feel about the breaks between the action? The scenes involving Rick and the group?
Anyway, until those 5 reviews are posted...
Much love,
HeroJustInTime90
