Chapter 150-Fighting to live
Eugene's P.O.V
Eugene ran back over to the radio with Shane behind him. "Hello, this is Eugene Porter. I am a friend of Georgie's," Eugene says.
"Is she there?" The woman asks again curiously.
"She's dead," Eugene said rapidly but took a breath. "I have been trying to contact someone for hours. Are you alone?" The radio is silent, as if unsure what to say.
"Please, our people are being killed by the same woman who killed Georgie. This woman who calls herself Alpha, she has killed twelve of our friends, her people killed more since then, and one of them was pregnant. She and her people are now sending herds of walkers to kill our friends and family, so please, if you can, help us." Eugene says firmly.
"I'm not alone. I'm a part of a community." The woman said after a moments pause.
"Can they help us?" Eugene asks.
"They could...but my people, they don't like strangers." The woman says. "I can't say anything until I know what you say is true, and we can't say our names, not anymore, in case they are listening."
"Very well. Thank you for confirming." Eugene nodded.
"Keep talking to her. We'll keep production up. Keep focusing on that." Shane tells Eugene, who gave him an assuring look as Shane leaves.
Daryl's P.O.V
The moon shined down as the Kingdom as Daryl slammed his knife into a walker's head. He pulls it out and stabs his other knife into the eye of another walker. Beside him, Alicia stabbed her barrel through the head of another walker and stabbed her buck knife into another walker's head. Daryl looks at Carol as she comes out with her group. "Daryl, it's time to go." Alicia tells her husband, who nods as they move back into the Kingdom to let Carol's group take over. Daryl looks at Ezekiel as he walks up to them.
"Your group ready?" Daryl asks Ezekiel, who nods. "It's been twelve hours since her first herd showed up."
"At this rate, they'll get into the Kingdom by tomorrow night. It didn't take them that long to get into Sanctuary," Ezekiel said in deep concern, looking at his home for over a decade in worry and dread.
"Next time we get a break, we need to set some mines around the trees." Daryl tells Ezekiel, who nods.
"Hopefully, that is soon." Ezekiel said worriedly "We have to go on the offensive."
Daryl nodded, hoping Rick had an idea where Alpha was held up soon.
Rick's P.O.V
Rick was staring at the maps as Michonne walked into the room with Frankie. "Rick, Frankie needs to talk to you, and you and Carl will take your group out in ten minutes," Michonne tells her husband, who nods and then leaves the room.
"You doing okay?" Rick asks Frankie in concern as he turns to look at her, knowing only a few dozen made it out of the Sanctuary in time.
"He got bit saving me," Frankie says. "A walker grabbed my arm, and he killed it, and then one got behind him and bit him in the shoulder. We got back inside, and I tried to get him to come with me, but he wouldn't. Said he was going to make sure that bitch didn't get our weapons. He wanted me to tell you something."
"What is it?" Rick asks.
"Thank you," Frankie says, and Rick stared, then looked down in thought.
"I remember when I first met Reiley, me and Morgan were captured by Jared and several other Saviors. We worked together to stop a herd. Besides Alden, he was the only Savior I trusted. That's why I gave him control of the Saviors, cause I knew I could trust him, that he was a good man, and he never made regret it. He was a good man, and he gave his life so the rest of us could live. We have to honor him by beating Alpha and continuing to build a world that he believed in," Rick tells her as he lays his hand on her shoulder. "Until this is over and the leaders can talk and decide the next leader of the Saviors, he'll lead what is left of your people."
"Okay," Frankie says, wiping her tears and looking firmly at him
"Okay, I gotta get back out there," Rick says before he leaves the house.
Hershel's P.O.V
Hershel sat on the steps of the house he was staying in with Enid and Robert. Ofelia and Merle were staying with Kate, and Coco was with June and JJ. Enid walked outside the cabin and sits down beside him. "Robert's asleep." She informed.
The boy just nodded, rubbing his hands.
Enid leaned down, concerned "What is it? You've been real quiet...if you're worried, don't be. They'll be fine, your Moms-"
"Mom told me about Negan." Hershel cut her off.
Enid stared at him steadily...then took a breath. "Your Dad is the only reason I am here. When I gave up on Alexandria, he was the one who convinced me to come back. He's the reason I'm with Carl now. He proved to me that even in the darkest times, you could still have hope. He was like a father to me."
"You say that, but Negan is still alive." Hershel looked at her accusingly.
"That's because of Carl...he had a dream that we were at peace. In that dream, Negan was alive. He was a part of that world. The new world that we have made it was because of Carl's dream. Your Uncle Daryl, Grandpa Rick, Uncle Carl, Your Mother, hell both of them, they made it a reality." Enid says. "I hated Negan for a long time, but I forgave him because I saw who he really was. The fact is, a lot more of us would have died in Richmond if not for Negan. He risked his life to blow the walls up. Hate him if you want to Hershel, but don't forget that revenge won't change anything." Enid tells him.
Seeing her little brother figure remain silent, but looking down.
"Can you listen for Robert? I'm gonna go check in with Elijah."
Hershel nods as Enid leaves, and he sits on the steps with his thoughts.
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie sat on the steps of Barrington house, checking her gun for the fifth time, hearing footsteps behind her. "Our group goes out in fifteen minutes. A herd is coming from the North." Beth says as she sits down.
Maggie just nodded absently, checking it over yet again.
"It went that bad?" Beth asked tenderly.
"Worse," Maggie says. "Al said she'll stay there. She's going to grab the stash that we made in between there and here and then head back."
"Good, Hershel should have someone there just in case something happens here," Beth says, then rubbed her older sister's back. "He'll come around. He just needs some time to absorb everything you told him. He's still Glenn's son and Daddy's grandson, he'll see things soon."
"What if he hates me for not telling him?" Maggie asks, looking at her in concern.
"He won't. He loves you more than anything. He'll understand why when we give him some time," Beth says as she hugs her sister. "It's going to be okay."
Shane's P.O.V
Shane sat with Dante and the others as they made bullets, Shane looking over occasionally to the doorway in the small factory. "Has Eugene contacted anybody?" Dante asks Shane, who nods absently, looking at the next casing.
"A woman. He's talking to her now," Shane tells Dante, who nods.
"Is she part of a community?" Dante asks curiously.
"She said she was, but she could be lying. Eugene is trying to figure more out," He tells him.
A clang was heard and they looked up to see one of the residents working the forge rubbing her hand, a red mark forming on her palm.
Dante grimaced and stood, the doctor informing "Must be a burn from the lead melting, be right back."
Alden's P.O.V
Alden stood with his back against the wall of the infirmary, a bruise on his head from a bad tumble with a walker. He looked at Connie as she walked up to him. "You okay?" She writes on her notepad.
"Yeah, I'm just tired," Alden tells her. "You doing okay?" Connie nods. "You think this is all that's left, one fight after another?" Alden asks Connie sadly, who shakes her head.
"The fight will end at some point. One day, we'll have real peace. Until then, we fight to get there/" She writes. "We have to survive, and then we live."
Alden smiled and nods at her as Carl calls for them. "Back to work," He says taking a breath as he runs over to Carl with Connie following him.
Daryl's P.O.V
Washing his face with water, Daryl looked at the newest pile of dead outside, his teeth clenched, not sure how much longer they could keep this up.
"Daryl." Carol walked up behind him, eyes full of worry "The radio."
Turning to her absently, he shook his head "Just about to do another round, tell whoever it is, I'm busy."
Carol bit her lip and quietly said, "It's Hershel."
He stopped mid turn, looking at her puzzled "What? The hell is he doing on the radio?"
"I don't know. He said he'd leave it alone after he talks to you," Carol tells him, and he nods as he walks away, Soon he headed into the radio room and sits down.
"Hershel, what do you need? I'm sorry, but we're busy right now." Daryl says into it, trying not to sound curt and hasty.
"My Mom had been telling me stories my whole life, from Grandpa's farm to the prison to Alexandria."
Daryl fell silent, and looked at the radio blankly, wondering what Hershel was doing.
"Some of them were about you and my Dad, about how he saved you. Grandpa Rick said he'd be dead if it wasn't for him."
A sinking feeling formed in his gut, Daryl having an idea what Hershel learned "He did. I might not be here today if it wasn't for Glenn, and Rick said he wouldn't be either. What's going on, Hershel?"
"How could you let his killer live?" Hershel asks, and Daryl stays silent as he stares at the radio, then closed his eyes hanging his head in a mix of exhaustion over the last hours and frustration.
"God dammit, Maggie," Daryl mutters then collected his thoughts. "Do you remember Uncle Troy? The one that died at the cemetery?"
"Yes?" He answered, uncertain
"A group of rogue Saviors took him. They were going to kill him unless I gave him Negan, so I let Negan out, and we met their leader Jed, who had Troy. Jed tried to kill us, Negan stopped him and killed him, and I gave him a cabin, a chance. I know how you're feeling Hershel, I laid awake in bed for days and weeks on end just dreaming of all the ways I wanted to fucking kill him. But...I didn't. It's what your father would want and what your namesake would want."
Hershel was silent
"So if you wanna be pissed off, be pissed off at me, not Carl, or Rick, or your Mom. Me, I'm the reason he's out of the cell. Negan, he's my...he's my brother, just like Dwight or your Dad. I trust him with my life." Daryl says, and Hershel stays silent.
He also quietly looked around, cause if Negan learned he said that, the asshole would never let him hear the end of it.
"I gotta go, kid. We're still fighting here. If you wanna talk next time, we will." Daryl says before he sets the radio down and heads outside, gritting his teeth.
He walks back towards the gate where he sees Alicia and Negan waiting, his wife's face confused while Negan just stared ahead. "What's going on? Carol said you were talking to Hershel."
"He knows, doesn't he?" Negan asks Daryl quietly, who nods.
"Maggie told him?" Alicia asks Daryl, bewildered, who nods.
"That's a problem for later. We gotta keep fighting until Alpha stops sending her walkers." Daryl says as he walks out, and the other two follow.
Negan cut in "Daryl-"
"Later. We have a war to win." Daryl said sternly.
Carl's P.O.V
The sun was in the sky as Carl and Earl threw another walker into the pile, both wiping their brows. "How many do you think we've killed?" Earl asks him.
"A couple hundred, maybe a thousand," Carl says as they pick up another walker. "It's been quiet for the last two hours."
Earl grimaced "Here's hoping...Ken put it over here!"
His son and Gabriel tossed another down, Gabriel crossing himself "You know what I've noticed?"
Kenneth looked at the priest grimly "Zero Skins?"
Gabriel nodded "Precisely."
"You think she's done? Or gearing up for her people to come with the next wave?" Earl asks Carl, who shrugs his shoulders.
"Maybe? It's the longest we've gone without an attack in the last day," Carl tells him. "If not, we'll keep fighting."
"This old man is tired," Earl says with a smile, making Carl chuckle.
"Crack your back and fix your hips, and we'll keep going," Carl says with a smile, making Earl laugh, and Kenneth to lightly shove Carl
"Carl!" Scott says, making Carl look at the man who points to the road. Carl and Earl turned towards the road and saw a figure walking towards them.
Looking over, Gabriel's eye widened then narrowed "Company."
"Get my Dad!" Carl tells Scott, who nods as he runs inside. "The rest of you, guns up!" Carl says as he removes the Colt from his holster. Rick comes out as the woman stops in front of the spikes. "Who are you?"
"Gamma." Was her only response, then she said "The North Border. Now."
"The Border?" Rick asked clarifying.
'Gamma' Turned to him in particular, "Go to the border and wait."
"Wait for what?" Carl asked icily.
Gamma turned and locked gazes and gave a single answer.
"Her."
Thanks for reading. In the next chapter, Rick and Carl take a group out to meet Alpha as Daryl talks with Maggie about telling Hershel. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.