Chapter Eight

The Next One to Die

We are all sit at the table with the spaghetti Negan had made infront of us. I know it's odd to think of right now, but I don't think I've ever seen him cook before. We sit waiting for Rick to get home. However, not long after we start waiting Negan places Lucille in the seat next to him, while Carl is on the other side of him, and I sit across from Olivia, who is holding Judith. Negan puts his napkin down the collar of his shirt.

"Well, I'm done waiting. Carl please pass the rolls."

Carl nods and passes the rolls to Negan. He places a few on his plate, before handing the basket back to Carl, who puts a roll on his plate. Everyone starts to fix their plates and we start eating. This is actually really good, who knew he could cook. Once we finish eating and finish cleaning up Carl and Negan go back out onto the porch. When I get out there is a man standing at the bottom of the stairs with a bottle of whiskey, talking to Negan. The man is tall with curly brown hair and a slight beard.

"Rick can't play along and he's gonna get more people killed. I can play ball, I know how it needs to go."

Negan nods and looks the man up and down, while Carl is giving him a stink eye.

"Is that so?"

Is this guy really trying to get Negan to kill Rick? I mean if he wanted to do so he could have anytime he wanted. The man keeps trying to buddy-buddy up to Negan.

"Why don't we discuss this over a glass of scotch and a game of pool? We found a nice pool table a few weeks ago."

Negan nods and stands, looking over at me.

"Come on and cheer me on, honey."

I nod as the two of us head over to the pool table that is in the middle of the street. I stay a few feet away from the table and they start playing pool.

"Talk to me, Spencer. Talk to me about Rick."

"I get what you're trying to do here, what you're trying to build. I'm not saying I agree with your methods, but I get it. You're building a network. You're making people contribute for the greater good. It makes sense. But you should know Rick Grimes has a history of not working well with others."

*Crack*

Negan shots one of the balls.

"Is that so?"

"Rick wasn't the original leader here. My mom was… She was doing a really good job of it. Then she died, not long after Rick showed up… same with my brother, same with my dad."

"So, everything was peachy here for… what… years? And then Rick shows up, and suddenly, you're an orphan? That is the saddest story i've ever heard. Good thing for you he's not in charge anymore."

"Doesn't matter. His ego's out of control. He'll find a way to screw things up, to try and do things his way, to take over. That's what he did with my mom. That's what he'll do again."

"What exactly are you proposing be done about that?"

"I am my mother's son. I can be the leader she was. That's what this place needs. That's waht you need."

"So I should put you in charge… that's what you're saying?"

"We'd be much better off."

"You're all right. You're all right."

Negan walks over to Spencer, blocking my view of him.

"All right, all right, all right. Point made. My heart's still beating, right? You know, I'm thinking, Spencer? I'm thinking how Rick threatened to kill me, how he clearly hates my guts. But he is out there right now, gathering shit for me to make sure I don't hurt any of the fine people that live here. He is swallowing his hate and getting, shit done. That takes guys. And then there's you. They guy who waited for Rick to be gone so he could sneak over and talk to me to get me to do his dirty work, so he could take Rick's place. So I got to ask, if you wanna take over, why not just kill Rick yourself and just take over?"

"What? No, no. I didn't… I don't…"

"You know what I'm thinking? 'Cause I have a guess. It's because you got no guts."

Just then Negan takes out the large knife he carries with him and stabs Spencer in the stomach.

"Oh! Oh, how embarrassing. There they are. They were inside you the whole time. You did have guts. I've never been so wrong in my whole life! Now, someone oughta get up here and clean this mess up. Oh. Anyone want to finish the game? C'mon. Anybody? Anybody? Baby? I was winning!"

*Bang*

A gunshot rings out. Once the saviors see a young latino woman with a gun up, that tackle her to the ground and Negan runs over furious.

"Shit! What the shit! Shit! Shit! You just.. You tried to kill me?! You shot Lucille!"

"She got in the way."

Negan bends over and grabs the casing.

"What is this? What is this? This little bad boy made from scratch. Look at those crimps this was homemade. You may be stupid, darling, but you showed some really ingenuity here. Arat, move that knife up on that girl's face. Lucille's beautiful, smooth surface is never gonna look the same, so why should yours!? Unless, unless you tell me who made this."

"It wa me. I made it."

"You see, now I just think you're lying. And you lying to me now?! Such a shame."

"It was me?"

The woman leans up and cuts her cheek on the knife.

"Oh! You're such a badass! Fine. Arat kill somebody."

"NO! It was me! No!"

Arat, one of the saviors who goes with Negan, everywhere, pulls out a gun and shots Olivia, just then I here Rick running up.

"Carl! We had an agreement!"

"Rick! Look, everybody it's Rick! Ah, your people are making me lose my voice doing all this yelling. Rick how about a 'thank you'? I mean, look, I know we started this relationship with me beating the holy shit out of your friends, and because of that, we're never gonna sit around and braid each other's hair or share our deepest, darkest secrets, but how about a little credit? I just bent over backwards to show you how reasonable I am. Your kid… he hid in one of my trucks and machine-gunned a bunch of my men down. And i brought him home, safe and sound, and I fed him spaghetti. Another one of your people… Well, he wanted me to kill you and put him in charge, I took him out for you. And another one, here… She shot Lucille, trying to kill me jsut now, so I gave you one less mouth to feed. And by looking at her… that mouth did some major damage. Now, personally, I wouldn't have picked her to be the one to go, but Arat… I don't know, didn't trust her."

Rick looks around, clearly pissed.

"Your shit's waiting for you at the gate. Just go."

Rick looks over at me, I can't bare to keep eye contact with him and looking away.

"Sure thing, Rick. Right after I find the guy or gal that made this bullet."

Just then a man with a black mullet, steps forward, sniffling.

"It was me. It was only me."

"You?"

"It required one spent casing, one four-holed turret reloader, powder, one funnel for the power…"

"Shut up. I believe you."

Negan takes a deep breath, gripping Lucille tightly. I'm still looking at the ground. I just want to hide.

"Lucille give me strength. I'm gonna be relieving you of your bullet maker, Rick… That and whatever you left for me at the front gate. And however, much you scavenged, it's not good enough, because you're still in a serious, serious hole after today. Let's more out!"

The latina woman jumps up and starts yelling, as they take the man who confessed to making the bullet.

"No! No, no! Please, just take me!"

Negan walks over to me and wraps an arm around me.

"Come on, darling. Let's go."