Chapter 62
The sewer was dark, damp, and cold, but trickling water made a subterranean echo as we followed spray painted arrows through the winding tunnels. We hadn't encountered any danger since descending into the earth's depths. It was mostly clear with a few dead and rotting bodies scattered through the sewer floors which were readily ignored. The Kingdom must use the tunnels as a means to move more discreetly to and from the city; plus, it was a great way to avoid detection or lose pursuing enemies. Just being here now, hidden and safe, set my anxiety at the lowest it had been in a long while. It was almost completely gone, and despite the sheer exhaustion I felt at this point, I was the best I ever had been emotionally in the past few months.
It didn't take us long to find the way out. It was a rusted, gritty ladder screwed onto the sewer wall with a neon red arrow beside it pointing up. The manhole was already removed, the bright but dim sky a halo above us. Daryl stopped me with one finger, flicking the flashlight off as he listened to the sounds that drifted down from outside. Mostly there was the wind and faint chirping of nocturnal insects, but also there were murmuring voices, soft but near. Daryl indicated to me that he was going up first and for me to remain quiet. I nodded, signaling my understanding.
I knew we must be right under the Kingdom, so I wasn't too worried that we would run into anyone who wanted to cause us harm, but the possibility still remained. So, I allowed Daryl to play by his caution rather than climbing out into a trap.
He paused at the mouth of the sewer, listening more closely before chancing a peek outside. He ducked back in, but slowly poked his head out before going rigid on the rails he clung to. I heard a short gasp and quickening footfalls on the asphalt, and he didn't move at first, but as whoever was above got closer, he started out.
"Oh, thank God!" I heard a sweet, southern voice that I instantly recognized as Maggie's.
"You guys made it!" Another female voice exclaimed, and it took me less than a second to pin it to Sasha.
I grabbed onto the wet, metal rungs and climbed up as fast as I could go, eager to be out of the smelly sewer and into safety - into home. I came up right after Daryl, and Sasha's dark hands reached out for me as I got to the top. I took a hold of her like she was my last lifeline and we embraced one another tightly, both of us happy to see the other after being separated for so long. And to the side, smiling and giving us all our space, I noticed a long haired, bearded man who I remembered was nicknamed Jesus; mostly because he put a face to what I imagined the son of God could have actually looked like.
"Oh, Maggie. Your belly!" I cooed and hugged her firmly but tenderly. Rick had mentioned that Maggie had taken refuge at the Hilltop when I first visited Alexandria, and I was more than ecstatic to see her swelling belly.
Our reunion was sweet; the four of us hugging one another and expressing our gratitude that we made it here, alive and relatively unharmed. I couldn't help but notice, however, how tense Daryl looked and how guiltily and forlornly he gazed at Sasha but mostly Maggie and her stomach. It didn't take a lot of pondering for me to figure out what was troubling him and as silent tears welled up in his eyes, all of the merriment drained from the moment.
We stood there in awkward silence, watching him as he began to cry, unable to form words. I went to his side, placing a delicate hand on his bicep as he turned his face away, hiding himself. I didn't want him to shut me out, but I wasn't sure what to do either.
"Daryl? It's okay." I made to put my arms around him, but he shook his head, sniffling and wiping his eyes.
"It's all my fault," he choked, looking at our two friends again. "I'm sorry 'bout Abraham and everythin' that happened… I'm sorry 'bout Glenn."
He lost his words to a sob, his shoulders shaking as he cried. I reached for him again, but Maggie stormed up and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the face. She was angry and hurt; her blue eyes animated with emotion.
"Don't you ever apologize for somethin' you didn't do. You did not kill Glenn, Daryl. His death is not on your hands." Her eyes turned glossy as she locked them with Daryl's.
"It was me," he confessed but she shook her head.
"No," she stated firmly, still holding his chin in place so he would know the depth of her seriousness. "Do not blame yourself for something that was beyond your control. He would have killed Glenn whether or not you hit him. That's just the kind of rotten person he is, but not you. Never you."
She wrapped her arms tightly around him and after a moment, she broke away and caught his eye again with a sad smile. Sasha stepped forward, teary and sad as she hugged Daryl too, telling him just as much as Maggie did.
"We should let you guys clean up and get some rest," Jesus spoke as he came up to my side. "You'll be in the same building as Maggie and Sasha. I sleep there, too, whenever I visit here which seems to be often these days. So if you guys need anything during the night, we'll be close by."
The trio separated, wiping wet, red eyes. I stepped up to Daryl, taking hold of his arm as I sheepishly thanked Jesus.
"We'll only need one bed…if that's okay."
"Oh." Sasha seemed surprised and Maggie smiled widely at the two of us.
Jesus chuckled. "Sounds good to me."
"Everly needs to be checked out. One of Negan's men made us wreck and she hit her head pretty hard." Daryl gingerly palmed the crown of my head.
"I feel fine. Just utterly exhausted," I said.
"Nonsense," Jesus said with concern. "Both of you need to be checked out. You've been through hell. Follow me."
He started off and the group of us trailed behind him.
"Have you guys heard from Dwight since we separated?" I asked hopefully.
Jesus looked back over his shoulder. "Once about thirty minutes ago. He managed to lose the Saviors, but he won't make it here tonight. I think he decided to hole up at Somerset."
I sighed, clutching Daryl's arm anxiously. "Good."
"He's done a lot for us," Maggie piped in. "Helpin' us plan what to do, where to start, gettin' us weapons. If it weren't for him, we'd be nowhere and you'd still be hostages."
"It's a good thing he turned out to be a traitor. Let's just hope he doesn't betray us," Sasha added with a slight edge of skepticism in her voice. I couldn't blame her for not laying all of her trust in Dwight. I held moments of mistrust as well, but they were fleeting and rare.
"Dwight's done right by us so far. I know it's hard to keep faith, but he's done nothin' but deliver for us since he promised he would," Maggie countered, and Sasha didn't interfere further.
Jesus led us to a brick building, opening the doors for us as we stepped inside. It was an old but clean school.
"I'll have to go wake the doc up, but I'll lead you to the clinic. Maybe you two can get cleaned up in the meantime."
"I'll go find you guys some fresh clothes," Sasha offered, a thin look of guilt on her face as she left to complete her task.
"She alright?" Daryl asked Maggie.
"She's fine." The spunky brunette sighed, running a hand through her short locks. "Just wary and suspicious and sick at heart. She wants to believe that we can beat Negan, but her entire outlook is bleak. Everything Dwight's done up until now… She just can't trust his motives."
"It took us a while to believe in him, too. Maybe we can talk with her," I said.
"Maybe." Maggie smiled at me as Jesus stopped us at a door.
"Make yourselves comfortable. I'll be back shortly with the doc."
Maggie opened the clinic door and flipped on the lights as she gestured us inside. It was a typical school clinic; small with one desk, a few hanging cabinets, a bathroom, and only a couple of cots.
"I'll getcha guys a few rags to wash up. Lie down, rest your bones."
I thanked her and did as she suggested with Daryl following in my footsteps, sitting by my side on the cot dotingly. Maggie smiled as she hovered by the door, watching us with the knob in her hand.
"I'm really glad you guys are here."
"You have no idea." I smiled back and rested my head on Daryl's shoulder.
Dwight winced as the brunette woman finished up his stitches. His shoulder was a throbbing, swollen mess, but he'd refused anything stronger than aspirin. He didn't want to dwindle what supplies Somerset had and he had to stay sharp of mind. Tonight was only the beginning of what was to come for a lot of people. Namely, pain and death, and Dwight pictured his name at the top of that shit list.
Negan knew he was a traitor now; a backstabbing, two-faced snake; a regular Benedict Arnold. That had not been part of his original plan, and the untimely discovery of his treachery nipped a bud in the score he'd planned to settle with his former "leader". But he was already working on something new; something better. Dwight was anything but short of ideas, and as he fought against the pain in his left shoulder, he conjured up something so devilishly perfect that he nearly moaned at the thought.
Despite working out what to do next in his head, he was still stark raving mad and ready to unleash the fury he held within. It wasn't so much anger at Negan that he felt, but more at himself for screwing this night up so badly. He had lost two good men, his friends, tonight, and Dwight couldn't see to blame anyone else but himself.
"Hold still," the woman chastised him and he tried, but he kept balling his hands into angry fists, his arm muscles clenching, with each wave of realization that they had been so close to losing it all. A couple of them had. "Done."
His nurse rolled her chair back, removing her gloves and tossing them onto the counter. She looked to Kai for permission to go. He leaned against the wall opposite of Dwight, fuming silently but so obviously that it almost appeared smoke was coming out of his ears.
"Go," he grumbled.
The woman flicked up her eyebrows in offense, rolled her eyes, and left.
"Tell me why the fuck I let you through my fuckin' gate," Kai demanded.
Dwight sighed internally. He wasn't in the mood for this shit. "Because you're helping us."
"I ain't gonna be of much fuckin' help if Negan comes barrelin' in here after your head and takes mine, too. I told ya to keep me the fuck out of this until he was dead."
"If they knew I was here, we'd both be dead already," Dwight snapped, fed up and exhausted.
Kai stomped up to him, stooping so that his face hovered menacingly in front of Dwight's.
"I'm tellin' you now, and I don't play no fuckin' games, if Negan finds out ya here, I'll kill ya myself and deliver your limp dick body to him personally."
The blond man inhaled and exhaled rapidly, his anger nearly spewing forth before he could stop himself, but at the last second he reined himself in and broke eye contact. Now wasn't the time to start a fight and lose the biggest ally he had. He ducked his head and tried to sound humble.
"I'm sorry. I didn't have anywhere else to go. They blocked the way back to the city."
Kai scoffed but backed away.
"He's already radioed me lookin' for you. I told him I'd keep my eyes out, send out some men, but as long as he don't show up here, you're safe…enough."
Dwight kept a sneer at bay. "Got it."
"So, since ya screwed shit up so badly and Negan knows you're a double-crossin' bastard, what's the plan now?" Kai sat on the chair the nurse had vacated, rolling it back to stretch out his long legs.
"Well, we can't exactly go forward with hitting the Hilltop or Alexandria yet. And the Kingdom is barely stocked with defenses. He would crush them all in one go if they acted alone," Dwight thought aloud.
"So, cripple him," Kai suggested.
"I was getting to that." Dwight glared at him in annoyance. "Since we can't get all of our soldiers rounded up like we planned, I'm going to have to find them from somewhere else."
Kai squinted his eyes in confusion and leaned back in the chair. "Who and where?"
"The horde that are scrambling about several miles southeast of here."
Kai laughed. "What? Are you the commander of the dead now? What the fuck are you gonna do with a bunch of shit for brains dead fucks stumbling about?"
"I'm gonna lead them to Negan's door. Then, I'll let them handle the rest."
"Okay," the broad man nodded his head in thought, but he lifted a finger with a mocking smile on his face. "And you'll be the one to sacrifice yourself to do that right? 'Cause there ain't no way anyone is gonna volunteer to do that shit."
"I'll figure something out. No one is going to have to sacrifice themselves." And Dwight sincerely hoped that turned out to be true. Although, he wouldn't mind too terribly if Kai changed his mind and offered his self-sacrificing services.
"Welp," Kai shrugged, still grinning. "You're the mastermind here. I'm just the moral support."
Dwight's laugh was acerbic. "Yeah, a real pillar to lean on."
"Hey, I've helped you out a lot. I gave you shit that my some of my own people would kill me over if they found out," Kai replied defensively.
The former Savior stood up from his spot and slipped his jacket on gingerly. Kai stood as well, nearly towering over the slighter man as he ignored the goliath before him.
"You got a room for me, man? It's been a long night." Dwight kindly smiled.
"Right this fuckin' way, ya ass."
Dwight rested in the room he had been given, flicking on and off a flashlight he'd managed to keep on him. He watched the light hit the wall, the mirror, the curtains, the floor, and then he watched it disappear, the sudden absence of light a remaining glare in his eyes. With each beam, each flick of his thumb, he saw her silhouette; her hair framing her soft face, a summer breeze blowing her dress against her tanned legs, the smile she always wore when she welcomed him home, the fluttering of her eyelashes as she slept. Those images were as dark as the corners of his room. They were translucent shadows that danced across his mind, the edges blurred and the figures unclear; fading memories.
But he would remember her. She would always be there with him even as the time they shared became a distant, unattainable horizon; far away and out of his reach no matter how fast he ran. He would bear the longing, however. So long as it never disappeared.
"My friends," King Ezekiel revered as he stood from his throne and gazed down at the two battered figures before him. "I have waited many moons to make your acquaintances. The tribulations you have bared for your people show vastly on your faces. How beautiful sorrow can look… Come hither. Open yourselves to me and share all that you have endured."
Through the fog of a restless night's sleep and a tremendously aching body, I found myself stunned and impressed by the man before me, not entirely expecting such a professional play to this degree. King Ezekiel was intriguing, more so by the three hundred pounds of Bengal tiger that lounged domestically by his side. She was gorgeous; her coat glossy and yellow-green eyes luminous. And naturally, I was timid of her.
Daryl kept my left arm locked behind his, half blocking me with his right shoulder. King Ezekiel chuckled silently at our expressions and nervous eyes. He sat on his throne and patted the large cat's head, and she remained passive as her eyelids began to droop.
"Shiva," King Ezekiel introduced us. "My most loyal pet and lady. She will not harm you unless I command it, and I wish upon you no harm."
I swallowed. "I'm glad for it."
The two of us stopped right in front of the stage the king sat upon, waiting for him to lead us in what he wanted us to say. Daryl wasn't much of a talker or a sharer. At least, not with people he didn't know very well. So that was going to leave much of the conversation up to me; I just wasn't sure where I should begin.
"Your story," King Ezekiel encouraged with a warm grin. "Tell me your fascinating tale."
"Well," I stammered. "I'm sure you heard how it all began?"
The king's face changed dramatically, the once benign glow souring into a disgusted scowl. "A most putrid occurrence to have been borne of this extant, foul world. Oh, yes. I heard of your fate with our adversary; a foul-mouthed caricature of a man prone to bellicose conduct. I was saddened to hear of the untimely deaths of your friends and your ultimate sacrifice." His obsidian eyes studied Maggie and Sasha briefly, and they softened significantly as they returned to us. "But before me I see two strong souls that bore tumultuous pain… Ease yourselves and bestow upon me the grievances that burden your hearts."
With much effort, I explained our time in the Sanctuary, sparing the gruesome details of what we endured. I told him, including those who stood in the auditorium with us, everything, but decided to skip what happened in the forest, not ready to neither venture down that avenue with anyone nor confess how my perception of Negan had changed slightly in those moments afterward. I still saw him as a monster; a thief who stole everything that had made me happy and destroyed it in the palm in his hand. But from the remnants he picked out some of the pieces and offered them back to me to fit together again.
As I spoke, King Ezekiel's facial expression hardened, his eyebrows dipping down as the corners of his mouth lowered, and when I finally finished, I felt light; like a tremendous weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. But it seemed the king had become encumbered by our "tale".
"In my time on this Earth, moving amongst the magnificence of stars and celestials that swallow every ounce of our significance, I have never deigned to envisage such cruelty. Stealing life is one thing; a repugnant, appalling thing. But to take a life that still breathes and use it to pleasure the demented, violent whims of a maniac such as what you have sustained twists the wholesome parts of me into something dark and abhorrent. I wish to never feel as I do now for the remainder of my blessed days…" King Ezekiel broke off and looked away, disturbed, and then composed himself. "I cannot say that I am ungrateful for your selfless submission for without it we would not be here and we would be none the wiser. It is with your knowledge, and those yet trapped within the bowels of that hell, that we will triumph over evil. Your bravery will bring about glorious days and your wisdom a plentiful bounty, and in honor of the afflictions you so graciously endured, I will win this war for you."
"I… I don't know what to say," I responded.
And I really didn't. It might take me a few days, but I needed to soak in everything he just said. The amount of passion and innate altruism that laced the words of a complete stranger… I was genuinely touched.
"Thank you," was all I could respond with.
"Do not thank me, child. It is I, and all of the people whom you took the place of, that should be thanking you. You are the heroes, and we are merely wide-eyed in awe." The king smiled gently.
I flushed, not used to such praise. While Daryl was silent, his arms had relaxed and on his face I saw that while he thought the man before us was a bit off his rocker, he respected him.
"King Ezekiel," Daryl spoke quickly, and the king's eyes lit up, excited to hear him speak. "I request just one thing."
"Anything." He lifted one hand beseechingly. "Whatever your humble heart desires."
"Negan." Daryl took a deep breath. "He's mine."
The king's smile broadened widely, exposing large, white teeth. A rumble began in his chest, deep and warm. He laughed thunderously, his head thrown back and his subjects laughed with him. It wasn't mocking or aiming to offend; it was laughter of the admiring kind.
"Consider him yours, friend. I admire your temerity." He paused, studying Daryl shrewdly. "I fear he may be no match for what is to come."
Edited by Nightperidot.
Another delayed chapter, and it's a short one too; my bad. :/ I'm going to work toward writing a longer one than usual to post next time. I have had some personal issues happening lately where they may take up more of my time during the weeks to come, but just know that I think about you all every day and it doesn't please me when I can't post on time. But you guys knew that, right?
Anyway, the battle scenes should be coming up shortly and it's going to take a lot of concentration to make them (fuckin' kick ass!) read well . Hopefully I don't disappoint when it comes to that. So, if I don't post anything at my usual time, I'm trying to make things perfect. I sat on this chapter all weekend and week because I wasn't satisfied with it, but I didn't want to hold out any longer. Arg! As a pirate would say, I suppose...
Until next time! Peace out.