"Boy, your whole world is about to change."
Rick is speechless at Paul's words.
The rest of us aren't much for words either. Carl, Sasha, Tyreese, and I are all gaping from our post atop the wall. Below us, Rick and Daryl are in a similar condition. There is growing trepidation among my groupmates. Four groups coexisting in the same general area as one another is either a blessing or a war waiting to happen. I'm curious as to what these other groups are like. Do they have control over a town like us, or are they more like Rick's group had been when they lived at the prison; merely operating out of a singular building? Are they all as big as Paul's group? How have they been surviving these past five years of hell? This is all assuming that Paul is telling us the truth and not feeding us bullshit in order to lure us into a false sense of security. Realizing this is a possibility, I direct my attention to Rick. Either way, Paul is right.
Our lives have just gotten interesting once again.
"Let me get this straight." Rick says. "You and these other two groups are in communication and trade supplies with one another. Not only that, but you want us to join in on this exchange?"
"Sounds about right." Paul replies nodding. "Exactly, actually."
Rick glances at Daryl briefly, then back to Paul.
"Say I believe you." the former sheriff's deputy continues. "It simply can't be that simple. What's the next step for us?"
Paul strokes his beard for a moment, going into thought about Rick's words.
I have to give Rick credit where its due; he's a good interrogator. I know Rick well enough to tell from his line of questioning that he does not trust Paul at all. He's waiting for something. An opening, most likely. His questions are meant to give the illusion that he is on the verge of trusting Paul and it is working flawlessly. I only know all of this because I'd seen Rick do it before. I'd seen him keep control of the situation with Gareth, years ago in Terminus, with simply his powerful presence and words; backing it up with force when it became necessary. That's why, in my mind, Rick is the only one who deserves to lead this community. Not only is he a responsible and trustworthy leader, he is also very meticulous and cunning when it comes to dealing with outsiders; a repertoire of talents he has come to hone after numerous encounters with people like Shane, the Governor, and Gareth.
The sound of Paul speaking again snaps me from my thoughts.
"I'll escort yourself, and whomever you choose to come along with you, back to my community so that you can see for yourself what we have to offer. While we're there, I'll introduce you to Gregory. He's the main man in charge of the place. Assuming you check out with him, I'll show you a safe route between here and the community which we can use to trade back and forth."
Rick pauses to consider Paul's words.
I, on the other hand, am already suspicious.
Escorting Rick, entourage or not, to a mysterious community sounds to me like a chance to capture hostages in order to get supplies and God-knows-what-else from Alexandria. That's why it surprises me when Rick, ever the suspicious leader, smiles and starts extending his hand towards Paul.
"Sounds simple enough." Rick announces. "Let's begin."
What?!
My head snaps in Carl's direction. Carl Grimes is as shocked and bewildered as I am. In fact, he even seems somewhat angry. As distrustful as Rick is towards outsiders (at least initially), Carl is twice as distrustful. Hell, when I'd first met him, it had taken me saving his life to get him to even look at me with a reasonable expression and even then he gave me the cold shoulder for quite sometime afterwards. Until after Michonne joined, or rather re-joined, our little group, in fact. Carl senses my gaze and flashes me a look. He knows that I know something is up. Something about this just isn't right. For once, our sense of distrust towards this newcomer is one and the same.
"Really?" Paul exclaims. "That was... easy."
Even the newcomer, smells something awry.
"How can we refuse?" Rick continues, as Paul stretches out his own hand to shake Rick's.
Rick's next movement is a blur.
It happens so spontaneously and blindingly fast that I nearly miss it. Rick Grimes seizes Paul's hand and pulls with the full of his strength. Paul is caught so off-guard that he doesn't even have a chance to protest vocally. The large man slams into the concrete with such force that I can hear the impact even from the top of the wall. Sasha, Tyreese, Carl and I may have been caught off-guard by Rick's complete one-eighty, but Daryl appears to have completely expected it and makes no move to intervene. Just before Paul is able to recover, Rick delivers a swift and impactful boot to the newcomer's face, rendering him completely unconscious.
"Daryl," Rick breathes, panting slightly from the exertion. "Tie him up. Quick, before he regains consciousness."
Daryl nods and bolts off towards the still-open gates in order to retrieve the required rope.
"Carl. Tanner." Rick raises his voice so that Carl and I can hear him more clearly from our distance. "Come here. Once Daryl ties him up, you two take him to the church and hold him there until I come and get you. I have to let the others know what's happened."
Again, I glance at Carl, who returns my gaze.
A simple nod is all I need.
Like me, he is in agreement with his father, and so we both set off to fulfill our orders.
####
Guarding Paul is slightly more bearable with Carl alongside me. Even though I know Carl doesn't trust the man in the slightest, I can tell he's curious for some reason. We've been watching the newcomer for almost an hour now and Carl can't seem to stop himself from glancing back at Paul every couple of minutes to gauge his actions. After about the third or fourth time, Carl catches on to the fact that I've noticed this, but before he can speak and explain himself to me, Paul stirs behind us and slowly returns to consciousness.
"You..." he murmurs upon seeing us. "You two... who are you?"
I shift my gaze towards Carl.
He is completely transfixed on the man; his gaze hardened and callous, even. Slowly, Paul becomes more and more alert as the haze of Rick's earlier attack begins to wear off. There is a slight glint of recognition that comes across his face, likely because he remembers seeing Carl and I from the wall earlier. I fully expect him to become enraged. It wouldn't be the wrong reaction. He was just attacked by Rick, after all, and all while extending an invitation of peace. In his place, I very likely would be enraged myself. Oddly, though, Paul doesn't react that way. Instead, his gaze actually softens. He's such a curious man. I'm not sure what to make of him, but I can see why Carl is so curious about him.
"I've seen you before." the man observes. "You two look a little young to be holding a man hostage."
Carl's eyes narrow.
Seeing the contempt building behind his demeanor, I'm quick to intervene, preventing Carl from answering himself.
"You should know by now that age doesn't mean anything anymore." I say.
"Fair enough." Paul replies. "At least tell me this. How long do you plan to keep me tied up like this?"
"As long as we have to." Carl finally speaks up.
Paul nods solemnly, "I figured you'd say something like that. Truth is, I understand your group's reluctance to believe me. I know what its like to live in the outside world. The dead aren't the only things you have to worry about. There are people out there... horrible people... who work their evil, using the end of the world as their excuse. So, I don't take this personally. I get wanting to protect your people."
Silence.
My feelings are conflicted.
Paul's words seem nice and accepting, but, then again, so did Gareth's. Natalie was a kind person when I first met her too, and she ended up harboring an evil greater than I ever thought possible from her. Niceties and the promise of understanding just aren't enough to make a solid judgement about a person. Part of me wonders if Carl is thinking the same thing.
"You two seem to have questions." Paul speaks up again. "Don't worry, I don't bite. I'll tell you anything you want to know."
I'm not stupid and I know Carl isn't fooled either.
Whether Paul's intentions are genuine have yet to be seen, but even I know he's only telling us this to get us to drop our guard, feel better about him, and then report as such to Rick. In a way, we're like a pipeline to him. If he gets through to us and gains our trust, he will have Rick's ear willingly or not. Even so, I can't help but hear the whisper of the tiny voice within my head. The voice advising me that Paul isn't a true threat. That he really is telling the truth about all of this. Only time will tell, however. I'm just about to open my mouth to indulge him when the door behind me swings open, distracting all of us from our conversation to see who is arriving. Of course, it is none other than Rick Grimes pushing his way into the room. Rick glances at Paul, who regards him with a similar expression, before motioning for us to follow him. Carl and I obey, passing through the door, which Rick promptly shuts behind us, and turn to face him.
"Sorry that took so long." Rick apologizes. "We checked the vicinity. No signs of his group or any threats at the moment."
"Do you think he intends to initiate an attack?" Carl asks, folding his arms against his chest.
Rick huffs in frustration, "I don't know."
"Do you have a plan?" I ask him.
This time, however, Rick nods;
"We're going to try to have him take us to this community of his. See if its genuine or not."
"We?"
"You, Daryl, Carl, Michonne, and I." Rick replies.
That seems to be a reasonable set of choices, given the circumstances, "Just the five of us? What about the others?"
"Abraham will stay here and hold down the fort. Glenn and Maggie are going to take over the wall operations and make sure we aren't blind-sighted by an attack while we're away." Rick explains. "Carol will watch after Judith."
"Dad?"
Rick turns to regard Carl, who had spoken up, sounding rather incredulous.
"Why are you really doing this?" Carl inquires his father.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean going to his group." Carl replies. "It could be an ambush. Another Terminus. Another Woodbury."
"That's exactly why we gotta go." Rick explains. "Listen to me, boys. This place is safe. We've worked hard these past three years to ensure that it is. Our walls are strong against walkers and everyone has really come together to put up a good defense of this place. The truth is, we need supplies. Food has been dwindling since last winter. We're already going to have to severely ration what we do have this winter and if things keep getting worse... well.. you both can imagine."
"You're seriously considering his offer, aren't you?" I interject.
Rick pauses for a moment before continuing, "Maybe he is telling the truth. We only have two choices. Either we view it as a threat, like I initially did, or an opportunity to help our community keep going forward. There is a chance this guy... this Paul... is right. There wasn't an ambush waiting for us and he hasn't tried anything stupid despite being held hostage. Every indication tells me he's being truthful. He and his group may be good people. Exactly the people we want to ally with."
"And if they aren't?" Carl, ever the voice of skepticism, voices.
Rick's eyes come up to meet his son's. The gleam in them is ferocious; the look of a lion in command of his pride. Its a look I haven't seen since Terminus. The look of a ruthless leader hellbent on doing what is in the best interest of his community.
"If they aren't, we'll kill them." Rick declares. "I won't let there be another Woodbury this close to our town."
####
So, the plan was final.
In the morning, Rick, Daryl, Carl, Michonne, and I will set out with Paul towards his community in order to find out once and for all if he really is telling the truth. The hope is that he is, in fact, telling the truth. Even though Rick seems certain that we can take on Paul's group, in the occasion that he is lying, I'm not so certain we can. Especially since Paul described a community of two hundred survivors. Even with everyone in Alexandria, we're still vastly outnumbered. The rest of the day passes by quietly and uneventfully. Rick spends most of the evening preparing for our trip the next day, as well as briefing the other members of the community on contingency plans should things go south. Carl and I return home in time for night to fall. This time, it is I that goes to put Judith down, while Carl heads to the other end of the house to get ready for bed. For all the energy the young Judith Grimes possesses, by nightfall she is usually completely wiped out, and tonight is no different. Within ten minutes, I have her ready and tucked in, and am heading back across the house to my room. Before I'm able to reach it, however, I bump into Michonne who is, herself, just coming home for the evening.
"How are preparations coming along?" I ask her as she sheds her shoes and sword.
"You know Rick." she replies. "His backup plans have backup plans. We'll be alright."
"And that man?" I push further. "Paul?"
"Rick is keeping him tied up in the church tonight." Michonne explains. "Don't want to take any chances. Daryl, Glenn, and Abraham will take turns guarding him through the night."
As usual, Rick has all of his ducks in a row. Slowly, that man is becoming harder and harder to catch off guard; a very good quality to have in a leader anymore these days.
"You should go check up on Carl." she says suddenly.
My head comes up to glance curiously at her.
"He was acting kinda funny earlier." she is quick to explain.
So she had noticed it too.
"Yeah, I think I'll do that." I reply.
Without waiting any longer, I leave Michonne to herself in the sitting room and immediately make my way towards the other side of the house, where Carl and I's bedroom sits.
The door is cracked, allowing me to slip in without making too much noise. Upon entering, I immediately see Carl standing at the center of the room. He's ditched his shirt in favor of a gray tank top, which he usually sleeps in, but he hasn't made it into the rest of his night clothes, as he is now staring idly at the floor; apparently deep in thought. So deep in thought, in fact, that I am able to walk up right behind him without him even so much as glancing back to acknowledge he saw me enter the room. I use the opportunity to slip my arms around his waist and hug him from behind. The sudden sensation of my touch would've scared any normal person. Especially since he wasn't expecting it. But Carl knows, by now, that I'm the only one who hugs him in this manner, and so, recognizing my touch, he sinks back into me and allows me to hold him tenderly in my grip. His head droops back, resting against the faint outline of my collarbone.
Carl's eyes flutter shut and he releases a much-needed sigh from his nostrils.
"Everything alright?" I finally find the voice to ask him.
He's silent for a moment; as if mulling my question over in his head.
"Yeah," he finally breathes. "Its just a lot to absorb for one day."
I nod in agreement.
"That man... Paul... do you think there is any truth to what he said?"
I frown as I think back on Paul for a fleeting moment.
"I want to say 'yes'." I begin. "If he were hostile, I'd think he'd be causing us more trouble than he has. But..."
Carl waits patiently for me to complete my thoughts. I merely sigh as I let my thoughts sort themselves out.
"You never know." I finish, finding the right words. "Anymore, no one is ever what they seem. We'll know tomorrow though."
Carl nods but I can tell that his concerns haven't been put to rest. I unwrap my arms from around his waist and turn my attention to his shoulder. My hands latch on to a shoulder each and I gently begin to knead the finely toned muscles there. My suspicions are confirmed. Carl is tense. Very tense. His shoulders feel like two solid rocks. I intensify massaging his shoulders, up into his neck muscles. Carl seems to relax somewhat under my ministrations, sighing audibly and sinking back even further to me.
"Relax, Carl." I encourage him. "You're way too tense."
"Sorry," he groans, glancing back at me with a soft expression. "Just got a lot on my mind."
I chuckle lightly under my breath.
"What?"
"Nothing," I reply smiling. "Its just, you're just like your dad sometimes. Always making everything your problem to solve. Taking all that burden on yourself. Its not healthy, you know? You're going to give yourself a stroke."
Carl averts my gaze, but doesn't deny what I've said.
Of course he doesn't.
He knows I'm right.
"You don't have to, you know?" I press him further.
"I-" he begins, frowning momentarily before continuing. "I just don't want to bother you with it."
"Yeah, but when you do that, I end up worrying about you, so either way I'm worried." I argue. "Better to let me in and share your burdens. We're married, Carl. We should tackle these issues together. There's no point in you getting crushed underneath all that stress."
Silence again, though he does return his gaze to mine.
Instead of talking any further, I take his chin between my index finger and thumb; holding him there so he has no choice but to stare back into my eyes. From there, my hand snakes upward to cup and caress his cheek and then, finally, I dip down and take his lips on mine. Our kiss is soft and sweet, and I savor the flavor of his lips; of his tongue. My free hand finds the back of his head, my fingers threading themselves through the thick strands of his light brunette hair. Before I know it, his hands mimic mine; one lightly resting on my cheek, whilst the other twists the locks of my own hair around his fingers. Slowly but surely, Carl's muscles begin to relax and soften up and by the time we relent, he is actually smiling, albeit softly.
"C'mon," I finally say, casting him a slight grin. "Let's go get your mind off of all of this."
I take his hand and slowly begin to lead him towards our bed.
"And how are you planning to do that?" he inquires of me.
My grin widens, "I can think of a thing or two."
Reaching our bed, I quickly shove him down into the sheets. Climbing him after him, I devote myself completely to helping him relax that night. Tonight, I'd much rather focus on Carl. After all, tomorrow will bring with it it's own troubles.
####
Rain is in the forecast this morning.
Over night, a large storm system moved in over the Washington area, and now the entire former metropolitan area is doused in a powerful rainstorm. Even despite this development, Rick decides to push on with our plan. So that's where we find ourselves now, gathering outside the main gates in a heavy downpour. Rick decided to only use one vehicle for this trip, to minimize the amount of resources we'll consume. Paul has remained silent all morning; still tied up and being escorted everywhere by Daryl. After a final check in with Glenn and the wall team, our small group loads up into the larger church van-like vehicle, and we waste no time in taking off. Immediately, Rick begins to barrage Paul with questions.
"Where is your group?" the elder Grimes demands.
"About twenty miles from here." Paul replies, much to my surprise.
I didn't think he'd be that cooperative, to be honest.
"Here's what's going to happen." Rick continues. "You're going to give us directions to your group. If I don't like what I see there, if anyone tries to attack us, I will kill you on the spot."
"If that's how it has to be," Paul replies. "So be it."
And so that's how it is.
Paul complies with Rick's demands, giving us detailed instructions on how to reach his community, which he calls "the Hilltop". It becomes quickly apparent why the supply run team never ran into this place in the three years we've been here. The route is rather hazardous. There are walkers in clusters everywhere, which means there is a very high potential that they could form a herd if given enough time. Add to that the obstruction of abandoned vehicles and this Hilltop colony is actually pretty well guarded from other groups interfering. The storm outside only worsens as the day goes on. Lightning flashes across the horizon, thunder rattles the bolts and pipes of our van, and the rain pounds relentlessly on the outside hull of the vehicle. The road twists and turns through the countryside until finally, I catch sight of something on the horizon. At first, its nothing more than a speck, but, after a moment or so of driving further, I can make out the faint outline of a wall over the hilltops.
"Is that it?" I vocalize without intending to.
Everyone's head turns towards the spot among the hills that I am pointing at.
"Yes." Paul replies, nodding. "That's the Hilltop."
The closer we get to Hilltop, the more features I can make out. The most prominent of these is a massive wooden wall, similar to our own in Alexandria, that surrounds the entirety of the community. As we come to the crest of another hill, I can make out the roofs of houses sticking just over the height of the walls. At the far end of the wall appears to be some sort of a tower, which overlooks the outside of the walls and out over the countryside. Upon first inspection, this place could certainly hold two hundred survivors. I can spot several people walking the length of the walls. Good or bad, these people really do seem to have a good head on their shoulders. The defense of this place is flawless against walkers. Against people, though, remains to be seen. Before we actually reach the front gates of the settlement, Rick parks the van and shuts off the engine.
"What now, Rick?" Paul inquires.
"I was about to ask you the same thing." the sheriff's deputy retorts. "Am I supposed to just trust you? Take my people and walk with you straight into a place where we're insanely outnumbered?"
Paul sighs, "Listen, Rick, if I were a threat, then I'm a pretty poor one. Coming to your gates alone, armed with a rusted pocket knife, without any members of my group as support. Getting captured and then refusing to resist detainment. I even lead you right to my group's front door. What more is it going to take to prove to you that I don't mean you or your people any harm?"
Rick is silent.
He doesn't have a retort for that.
"You're just going to have to trust me." Paul finishes.
"And how can I do that?"
"I'll let you bring your weapons. All of you." Paul declares. "Like I told you yesterday, we have no ammunition. We're reduced to using knives and machetes. You see those guards up there on the wall? They use makeshift spears to deal with walkers. If we're as dangerous as you say, you'll have the instant advantage."
To me, that sounds like a more than fair bargain.
I'm carrying both my gun and my sword today, Michonne is always packing her katana, Carl has brought his pistol with him and one of his larger knives, and Daryl is sporting his crossbow. Everyone knows Rick has brought his revolver with him. We're armed to the teeth. Against people who only have close combat, even in large numbers, we'd do significant damage.
"Alright." Rick relents. "Lead us in."
Paul actually manages a smile at this.
"The van won't make it up the hill in these wet conditions." he notes. "We should go by foot. Its a short walk."
Rick reluctantly nods and, with that, we're back out into the rain.
I join up with Carl on the other side of the van. He looks just as reluctant to do this as Rick does. Even I'm tense. As good as this situation is beginning to look, I can't help but remember Terminus. In fact, this situation brings back a wave of nostalgia. It was Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Carl, and I who had been together when we'd arrived in Terminus and been captured. Now it is the five of us again heading into Hilltop. I can only hope and pray we don't meet the same fate as we did then. The walk up the hill is indeed short, but the relentless downpour makes it a very unpleasant one. As we approach the gates, a lone walker staggers out of the woods. Snarling in typical undead fashion, the cadaver limps down the muddy path towards us, hissing and reaching out with insatiable hunger. It can only see a walking buffet in its path and is naive to the danger we pose towards it.
"Mic-" Rick starts before I cut him off.
"I've got it."
I step forward towards the dead thing, drawing my sword as I approach.
"I've got your back." I hear Carl call out behind me.
Not that I ever doubted him for a second.
The walker is easily dealt with. One slash across its rotting cranium and the the reanimated corpse topples, like a stack of blocks, harmlessly to the side of the road. The intense downpour quickly cleanses my steel blade of the walker's rotting body fluids and I then return the bladed weapon back to its place in the scabbard. Rick nods at me in approval and we resume our walk towards Hilltop. The remaining walk up the hill sees two more walkers stumble into our path, only to be cut down, this time by Daryl. Finally, however, we reach the crest of the hill and come to the simply massive gates of Hilltop. Upon approach, two heads pop up from over the rim of the gate, spears raised.
"Stand down, Kal!" Paul shouts up to them. "Its just me."
"Why are they armed?!" the man named Kal bellows down at us.
"Just trust me!" Paul yells back. "Open the damn gates!"
The bearded man sighs and shakes his head as the two atop the gate scramble to do as commanded.
"Sorry about them." he says to Rick. "Those two can be antsy sometimes."
As we wait for the gates to be open, the rain above slowly begins to weaken. By the time the massive wooden doors start to move, it has reduced itself from a downpour to a mere drizzle; a welcome change from earlier. Rick makes the call to cut Paul loose from the ropes that have kept him tied up. Best not to give the wrong impressions inside the man's community. The gates open fully and I catch sight of Hilltop for the first time. A large community it is indeed. I can see trailers, like you'd find at a trailer park, farms, even the outline of a water tower in the distance. There are people out and about and even children in the streets. In may ways, it reminds me of the first time I set foot in Alexandria. The same sense of awe and wonder washes over me. I glance over at Carl, who seems just as bewildered as I am, and offer him a reassuring smile.
"Impressive, eh?" Paul glances back with a smirk.
"Very..." Michonne breathes silently.
"As I mentioned, two hundred people live here. We turned all the barns in this area into the sheet metal and wood that make up our wall." Paul explains. "There aren't a lot of houses, like you have back in your community, so the residents make do in trailers. Its much better than sleeping outside."
"Ah, Jesus." a deep voice startles us from the side. "You're back."
"Greg," Paul acknowledges the newcomer. "Everyone, this is the man I was talking to you about. Gregory. He's the one who keeps the wheels turning around here."
Gregory is not what I expected. Then again, neither had Douglas. He's a man no taller than Rick, with a bald head, save for a patch of hair along the back of his skull, and a full brownish-black beard. First impression, I don't really get the air of a threat from this man. Like Paul, he seems rather benevolent and is even sporting a soft, welcoming smile.
"If you don't mind, Jesus," Gregory continues. "I'd like to speak to whomever it is that leads these people. A talk. Man-to-man. You can keep showing the others around while we do."
Paul glances over to Rick, "This is the man you're looking for." he explains. "Rick. He's a good man. I'll vouch for that."
"Its a pleasure to meet you." Gregory says. "Rick, step this way. Accompany me."
Rick's face immediately hardens. He shifts his gaze back towards Carl and I instantly make the connection. Of course, Rick being who he is, is still worried about the safety of this place. The last thing he wants is to be split away from his group, most of all Carl, where anything could happen. Even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't need to worry about that at this point. Nevertheless, I step forward, placing my arm protectively around Carl, which somewhat startles the younger Grimes, even though Rick seems to understand what I'm doing.
"Don't worry, Rick. We'll be just fine." I assure him.
Reluctantly, the elder Grimes nods and turns to follow Gregory away from us.
Unfortunately for Gregory, though, things don't quite go as planned. Just before Paul is able to lead the rest of us off towards the rest of the community, while Gregory leaves to have his talk with Rick, there is a loud commotion behind us in the direction of the gates. Being the alert person that I am, my head immediately whirls around to bring into view the offending noise. Sure enough, its the gate alright. The large wooden doors are open and a small crowd has formed. Two men are running in the direction of our group, a third man limping between them.
My eyes narrow.
Something isn't right here.
"Gregory!" one of the men screams. "Jesus!"
Paul is on high alert, bolting to the front of our group, where he meets up with the three men. The third man, visibly injured, steps forward to address Gregory, who himself had returned to see what all the commotion was about. The man is tall and stocky, much like Paul himself, sporting short blonde hair and a farmer's tan. The man is quite obviously in pain, panting and gasping as if each breath he takes, each movement he makes, is costing him a tremendous amount of stamina.
"Ethan!" Gregory gasps, addressing the man. "Where are the others? What happened?"
"They're dead!" the injured man named Ethan spits. "They said it wasn't enough. That we weren't holding up our end of the bargain. They said there will be more killings if I don't give you a message!"
Wait, wait, wait.
Dead?
Bargain?
Killings?!
This whole situation has gone from good to shit in less than thirty seconds. But why am I even surprised any more? My hand instinctively travels to the hilt of my sword, which I grasp tightly. Carl is still within the embrace of my other arm, which tightens its hold around him. I feel him tense. I know he's ready to take action the moment he's needed to. Around us, everyone else seems to be sharing in that reaction.
"Killings?" Rick snarls, vocalizing my concern.
"What message, Ethan?!" Gregory snaps, ignoring Rick. "Who did this?!"
Gregory gets his answer.
But not in the form of a vocal response. There is no name given. No secret message. Just the glint of metal as the man named Ethan retrieves a knife from his coat pocket and slams the serrated edge into Gregory's abdomen. Blood spews from the fresh wound, splattering across my face, as I am the closest one to Gregory. I feel the warm ooze travel down my cheek to my mandible. I'm in utter shock. Carl tenses further, reaching for his gun. Rick, Daryl, and Michonne follow suit. Gregory can only stare forward in terrified pain as the knife plunges deeper into his stomach, spilling his internal fluids onto the muddy ground beneath him.
That's when it comes.
The verbal answer from Ethan's mouth that Gregory had originally asked for.
And though I do not know whom or what he is speaking about, the name he speaks, and the tone in which he speaks it, sends a cold chill from the the base of my neck down the length of my spine.
"...Negan!"
A/N: Whew! Packed chapter. As you can see, I'm wasting no time getting to the meat of the plot this time around. You know the characters and the setting, so from here on out, things will get interesting xD I hope this chapter was enjoyable and rivoting. For you romance saps, there are a few chapters coming up here soon devoted to that. But, as usual, I'll balance it with some action. This IS The Walking Dead, after all x)
Onto reviews, as promised.
First of all, I must say that I am extremely heartened by the outpouring of support this story already has received. Thank you guys so much! I promise that you will all enjoy this story as much as the first and I'm glad to have you all back along for the ride.
Stuwee: Thanks! Glad to have you back as well :)
.who. .987: I'm happy that you're happy! You're in for a wild ride with this story, so strap in! :)
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Kayden Pause: I'm glad it felt like a natural progression. I did my best to give it that feel, so that you felt like you were picking it back up from where we left off. Glad to have you back along for the ride :) Enjoy!
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Like I said guys, really, thank you! Continue to comment, review, and ask questions. You all know that I'm always happy to hear from you! For those of you wondering about Deliverance, expect a chapter this week sometime. I'm producing it slower than this story, because this story is priority, but chapter two should be out in a day or so. I'll try to space out the chapter release times, so that you guys don't feel like you're waiting too long between each story.
Happy to have you guys back!
Lots of exciting stuff in the next chapter! See you then!
Later!