I mentioned that I was going to be working on this when I updated for The Runaways. I'm sure none of you believed me. I'm really sorry about that. I intend to get this back on track. I won't tell you that you'll get daily updates because I have a lot going on. But they'll come regularly now. If you've abandoned this story, I can't say I blame you and I apologize for that. For those of you that have hung in there, You amaze me and I thank you! A lot is going to happen in the next couple of chapters and I hope that you enjoy it! I'm going now since a few of you have been waiting 7 months for this chapter.
When Things Fall Apart
Merle was itching to get the hell out of the truck. They had been driving for what felt like ever and he was starting to think that they weren't going to find anything. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in the kid because he did. He was just eager to end this.
"Something isn't right," Sophia said quietly.
He looked down at her but she was looking straight ahead. No one else seemed to have heard her over the quiet hum of the truck. Her face was troubled. He leaned in closer. "What is it?" He asked, keeping his voice quiet.
She screwed her face up into a grimace. "Merle, I don't feel anything."
He frowned. "What the fuck you mean?"
She looked at him, eyes wide. "Ever since this started, before I knew what it was, there was always this hum. I can't explain it. It wasn't something I could really hear. I could feel it. Kind of like when your foot falls asleep and you get that feeling. Like pins and needles? That's kind of how it feels but in a good way. But now I can barely feel it anymore. In the beginning it was all I could feel. It was like that until my mom woke up. It's been getting quieter. Lately I've only been able to really feel it when I go to those other places. But now it feels like it's almost gone."
He took this all in, not knowing how he felt about this news. He hated that she had to live with this strange thing but because of it, they were all well on their way to surviving this thing. If it was gone then she could be free of it but then they would be blind to anything coming for them next. "Don't say anything to anybody else for a while," he finally said. If Daryl thought that they were heading towards this guy without Sophia's weird visions then there was a chance he would just turn around and that would be the end of it. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen. He wanted this bastard dead and he wasn't going to let Daryl stop him. Sophia was safe with them. It wasn't like keeping this a secret was putting her danger. She was tough.
"We're gonna find that guy, Merle. With or without the freaky stuff I have going on," she said fiercely. "You should have seen what he did to Daryl and my mom and Carl. Me and you were the only ones left. All those people were just... slaughtered. There was so much blood and the house had been burned. How could someone do that to a group of people that never hurt anyone?"
Merle swallowed hard as he studied her face. She looked like she was trying hard not to cry. Her words had his blood freezing in his veins. He was as determined as she was to get rid of this threat. "Some people are just bad, kid," he whispered. "There ain't no other reason."
She shook her head. "You're bad, Merle. Sometimes bad men aren't so bad, you know? This is something else. This guy, he's not just bad. I know it sounds stupid but he's... he's evil."
Merle leaned back, not wanting to hear anything she had to say about the man. He couldn't stand to hear it. Maybe after they found him and he was dead but not before then. He needed to have a clear head and the more she spoke about the guy, the angrier he got. He couldn't do anything to save them once his temper took over. It was a character flaw, sure, but he could admit it.
~H~
Shane grabbed Sasha's hand and moved with her and the others towards the back of the building. His heart sank when he heard the familiar laughter from the men. It was like they had a damn tracking device planted on them or something.
"Do any of you have any guns?" Tyreese whispered, panic clear in his voice.
Michonne shook her head, holding her son close. "We haven't had any since this whole thing started. We haven't needed them. How could the three of you lead them here?"
Sasha shook her head. "We didn't lead them here. We were in the woods."
A loud thump sounded at the door, causing Andre to whimper and the rest of them to jump.
"Anybody home?" A male voice sounded from behind the wood. Shane knew that all the man had to do was give it a good kick and he would discover that it wasn't even attached to the door anymore.
"Well, you may not have led them here but bad luck must follow you folks around," Michonne said, her voice low.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," a man bellowed.
Tyreese cursed under his breath. Shane didn't blame him. He knew that lingering here had been a risk but he had never really expected the men to be so close. What were the chances of them finding them at the first place they stopped?
Shane took a deep breath. "We need to go out there," he said, not looking at either of his companions.
"What?" Sasha hissed. "No!"
Shane looked at the child in Michonne's arms. Sasha followed his gaze and then looked up, like she was saying a silent prayer for them all. It wasn't a bad idea. They were definitely going to need it. "We go out there and that kid has a chance of surviving another day. If we wait for them to come in after us then I don't know what's gonna happen to these people. Either way, we're screwed but they have a chance."
Sasha and Tyreese both nodded. Shane looked at Michonne who actually looked undecided, until she looked down at the little boy. Shane smiled at her. "You take him to the back and keep him as quiet as you can. Hopefully they'll just take us and that's that."
She didn't say anything but the look on her face told them all the thanks they needed. It wasn't really like he was playing the hero here. Either way, he was pretty much a dead man. He may as well try to save a few innocents while he was at it. He went to the door that the men were knocking on, toying with them. "We're comin' out," he shouted.
The men outside grew quiet as Shane and the others walked to the door. Shane nudged the loose board aside and stepped out, squinting in the bright sunlight. He found himself standing in front of the leader of the group.
"Did you really think you were getting away with that? You think I would let you assholes run off after you killed two of my men?"
He took another step and before Shane even knew what was happening the man slammed the butt of his rifle into his stomach. Shane doubled over, gasping for breath. He felt someone's hand on his arm but suddenly it was torn away and he heard Sasha struggling. He looked up and saw one of the men dragging her towards the truck. He tried to straighten up but his knees buckled when he was hit in the back of his head. His vision swam but he fought hard to hang on to consciousness. Two men had Tyreese kneeling on the ground, a gun to his head even though his hands were up and he was posing no threat. He was watching Sasha as she was thrown to her knees not too far away. A man was working to tie her hands behind her back.
"If you're gonna kill us then make it quick. You don't strike me as the type for dramatics," he wheezed, trying to drag the group's attention away from Sasha and Tyreese. He felt like he owed them that much.
That was going to cost him but it was worth it because all eyes fell on him.
~H~
Sophia felt a sharp pain flash through her head and then she blinked as the road dissolved into a parking lot with a small building and a few gas pumps sitting like a mirage in the sun. she could smell the heat rising off of the gravel and feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. She looked up and there was Merle, standing in front of her. He had appeared out of nowhere.
"What's going on, Merle?" She asked.
He pointed to the building and then he pointed to something behind her. She turned to look and was surprised to see herself, Carl, Andrea and her mom walking down the road towards the store. Andrea and her mom carried gas cans and her and Carl were walking silently behind them.
She looked back at Merle, frowning.
He pointed to the building again and then back to her small group coming towards them, confusion etched clear on her face but Merle just grinned, winked and then disappeared. Suddenly she was back in the truck, the real Merle staring at her with a frown. She didn't understand what she was suppose to do but she had to do something. "Daryl?"
He glanced up in the mirror. "Yeah?"
"How much gas do we have?" She asked.
He looked down. "Half a tank but no worries. We brought plenty of gas with us, kid."
She leaned back, knowing that Merle was still watching her. "Do we have any empty gas cans?"
Daryl shook his head. "All full." He glanced up again. "What's this about?"
She shook her head. "I think we need to stop the truck. Now."
He didn't ask any questions and she was glad because she didn't know how to get him to go along with what she thought she needed to do. Once he was parked he turned in his seat. "What's goin' on?"
She rubbed her temples, trying to think. "I think we need to empty two cans into the truck. Me, mom, Andrea and Carl need to start walking. While we do that you and Merle should follow us but stay out of site."
Everyone looked at her like she was crazy and she found herself twisting the necklace Carl had made for her between her fingers. "Sophia, that's not happening," her mom said, leaving no room for argument.
She felt her stomach fall. "Mom, we have too. If we're going to get this guy then we don't have a choice. The four of us have to be on that road and we have to be carrying gas cans. I don't know why but that's the plan. That's how we're going to get this guy."
All of the adults shared an undecided look. All but one. Unsurprisingly, it was Merle who spoke. "If it's what we have to do then we do it. This ends today." Without another word he threw open the door and hopped out, wasting no time. He went to the back and pulled out two gas cans. Everyone filed out of the truck and walked around to where he was emptying the cans.
"Merle, come on. That's too dangerous. Anyone can happen by and we'll be right there in plain site!" Carol sounded a little frantic and Andrea was right there with her, nodding in agreement.
Merle threw the now empty gas cans on the ground and glared. "We brought her because she can help. She's fuckin' helpin'. We do whatever the fuck she says to do to get rid of this mother fucker. If you didn't have any plans on letting her help us find this asshole then why the hell is she here!"
"Mom, this is it. I can feel it. This can all be over. You can't chicken out now. Not when we're this close."
"Sophia knows what she's talking about," Carl chimed in. "We have to trust her. Unless you want everything you've done to be for nothing. This is it. It's time to finally end this."
Carol was so pale that Sophia was worried she was going to pass out but after a few deep breaths she finally nodded. "Are you sure? This is completely necessary for this to work? And none of us get hurt?"
"This works, mom. If it wasn't going to then Merle wouldn't have shown it to me."
When they were finally heading down the road Sophia could see how tense Andrea and her mom were. Her and Carl hung back a few feet just like they had been doing in the vision. Each woman carried a gas can and, despite a devastated look from her mother, Merle had given Sophia and Carl both a gun. They knew how to use them. That was a part of everything else they had been learning. Carl was a little better than her at the shooting part but Sophia had him beat when it came to dodging and fighting.
Sophia felt safer knowing that Merle and Daryl were in the woods that flanked the left side of the road but there was still a thick uneasy feeling in the air. She couldn't describe it but it was there, all around her.
It felt like they had walked forever, the sun beating down on them, making the walk feel that much longer. As soon as they passed the trees there it was. The parking lot, the building and the gas pumps, all shimmering in the heat. Carol and Andrea stopped in their tracks. Unlike the scene that Merle had shown her, this one was different. There were two men lined up outside of the building, on their knees with their hands clasped behind their heads. Behind them stood three men with rifles pointed at them. Five other men were there also, talking amongst themselves. The taller one looked up and Sophia felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.
"That's him," she whispered just as two men pointed their guns at them.
"What do we have here?" The man called out. "You fine ladies may as well come join the party. Bring the little ones with you. There's plenty of us to go around."
Sophia grimaced as bile rose in the back of her throat at the man's words. His voice alone revolted her. Knowing what he would eventually do if they allowed him to live made her feel like gagging.
Carl, like an idiot, went for his gun but Sophia grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Not yet," she said. "We do what they say. Merle and Daryl are out there. Don't forget that. They won't let anything happen to us."
Wordlessly Carol and Andrea put their hands up and started walking towards the men.
~H~
Daryl couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't know how close they were the gas station that Sophia had mentioned but he knew that Carol, Andrea and the kids were ahead of them now. A dozen or more walkers had come out of nowhere, catching him and Merle both of guard. They didn't dare use the guns, not knowing what the women were about to walk into.
Daryl took down a few with his crossbow before he finally pulled out his knife and went at them with a vengeance. He could hear Merle, dispatching them behind him. He was frantically ramming his blade into the head of every dead bastard that got near him but it seemed like they were still coming at them from every direction. This was taking too much time. Carol and the others would be a good distance ahead of them now.
He turned around, breathing heavily, sweat pouring into his eyes. He expected another walker to be there but there was no one but Merle, looking as warn out as he felt. "What the fuck was that!" He hissed.
Merle shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. "I don't know but we need to haul ass. That just put us behind."
The two of them didn't waste anymore time. It felt like forever before they made it to the break in the trees. Slowing their pace they inched closer, not wanting to be seen by anyone that may be on the other side. Merle saw it at the same time he did and cursed under his breath. Daryl couldn't even breath. There in the parking lot, a group of men had Carol, Andrea and... "Is that Sasha?" Daryl asked, his stomach sinking at the image of Carol in that truck.
Merle looked as haggard as he felt. "We gotta get them the fuck out of this mess. This wasn't suppose to happen. The kid hasn't been wrong about anything so far. This ain't how things are suppose to go."
"Well, that's apparently how it's goin' now. Now we have to do somethin' about it," Daryl growled.
"What the hell are we suppose to do? If we go at them with guns blazin' our women are fucking dead!"
Daryl didn't comment on his brother's untimely admittance that Andrea was his woman. There would be plenty of time to crack jokes later. Now he had to figure out how to get them out of this mess.
~H~
With the gun pressed solidly against the back of his head it was hard for Shane to focus on these new developments. He had no idea how Carol and Andrea had gotten themselves into this mess. He now knew that he had been a whole two hours away from the farm. So what were the odds of them stumbling onto them on this specific road on this specific day? He had met Carol's eyes as the men were binding them but neither of them gave any indication that they knew one another. He was glad she caught on to his silence. It was bad enough that he had to watch these women, women that he cared about, be bound and herded into the back of the truck, but what really got him was the fact that there were kids here. He had known Carl since the boy had been conceived. Sophia, as far as he knew, was a sweet kid. He didn't know what would happen to either of them now.
He moved his eyes over to look at Carl and Sophia, knowing if he moved his head at all that he would suffer another blow. His heart went out to the little girl. Carl looked like he was holding up pretty well but Sophia... He looked away from her. She was standing there, her eyes vacant, staring off at nothing. Her arms hung at her sides. She seemed lifeless already. The look caused chill bumps to break out over his arms despite the heat. When his eyes moved to her again something strange happened. She blinked a few times. Took in the scene around her, not seeming fazed by the armed men that were currently holding them all, and smiled.
Smiled!
What the hell was wrong with this little girl? Had she snapped?
"Negan," she said in a clear voice, devoid of fear.
The big man, the leader, turned his head slowly, cold gray eyes narrowing on her. He took a few steps towards her but stopped when he saw the grin on her face. "How the hell did you know my name you little bitch?" He spat.
Sophia shrugged. "I know a lot of things," she said, the smile still in place.
"Is that right," he sneered, taking another step. "Like what exactly."
The smile dropped from her face and her kind eyes turned to steel. "I know that today, you're gonna die."