The Hunter's Prey

Chapter 8

"Paula, we're approaching the perimeter." Paula's walkie went off. "Are we a go?"

Damn it. Could we just have a break for once? Carol grabbed the walkie. She held it to her mouth and took a deep breath.

"Meet us on the kill floor."

Carol changed her voice to sound like Paula. The man on the walkie confirmed that he was coming with one other person. Paula had called the room we were staying in the kill floor. Carol quickly explained her plan and we did as she said. We removed the bodies from the room and drenched the floor in gas. We found a room to hide in and waited for the people to show.

"I think I might've killed 18 people. I should've killed Donnie, too, in the woods. I had a clear shot. None of this would've happened if I had just killed him." Carol's voice was soft as she spoke.

That's what was wrong. She didn't want to kill anymore. It was eating away at her. The first few times I killed it haunted my dreams, but I just became numb to it. I assumed everyone else did too. I was wrong. People handled it differently and Carol couldn't handle it anymore.

"Don't think about it." Maggie spoke.

"I can't stop." Carol's voice was shaky.

"We're almost done." I looked at her and reassured her.

Footsteps confirmed what I said. Four sets. So there weren't two men. We could still do this. I pulled my lighter from my pocket as the men entered the kill floor. They spoke back and forth. I ran out of the room and closed the final door to the room with the men. I tossed my lighter at the last second. The room went up in flares and screams.

Once the screaming stopped we searched for an exit. Reaching a door we slid it open, our guns ready. Instead we came face to face with our group, doing the same. Maggie and Glenn quickly hugged each other as I reached Daryl in a second. I pulled him into a hug as he did the same. We pulled apart and he quickly scanned me.

"You okay?" I nodded slightly. "We got your trail. You start a fire?"

"Yeah." I said, thinking about Carol's words.

"You good?" Daryl looked at me concerned.

"Yeah." My voice was soft as I tallied up how many people I had killed.

"Come here." Daryl pulled me back into a hug.

I pushed it from my mind. I did what I had to. Why was it bothering me? It never did before. I inhaled Daryl's smell and instantly felt better. Maggie explained to Rick what happened as Daryl and I separated. I looked over to Rick as he spoke to the man they had taken, Primo. That's at least what Paula called him.

"Your friends are dead. No one's coming for you. So you might as well talk."

"Let him burn." Daryl spoke pissed at Primo.

"I'm gonna ask you one last time, how'd you get Daryl's bike?" Rick asked Primo, that explains why Daryl was so pissed.

"We found it." Primo answered.

"Like hell you did." Daryl snapped.

"We found it." Primo repeated.

"Was Negan in that building last night or was he here?" Rick asked his next question.

"Both." Primo smiled. "I'm Negan, shithead."

I zoned out as Rick shot him. That was Negan. No wonder the rest of his group wanted him back. Part of me expected to see a different face, but all my doubts about knowing this Negan went down the drain. My Negan was dead and that would never change.