The Hunter's Prey

Chapter 16

Then a thought crossed my mind. I was the only one who knew Negan's tactics. He wouldn't stop. Everyone standing up to him and attacking him would make it seem as though he wasn't the bogeyman anymore. Rick had taken that title from him. Negan wouldn't stop, even if I died. He'd continue fighting until everyone was dead. I was the only one that could understand his mind and have an idea what he would do next.

Our inside man, he warned us. Told us that if the Sanctuary were to fall the outposts would be able to save the Sanctuary. One of the outposts had guns strong enough to destroy the herd of walkers around the Sanctuary in moments. Not to mention the damage the guns could do to us. We knew which one and we had plans to attack all the outposts. Rick was going to send more people to the one with the heavy guns, but what if they weren't there.

The people who went would be outnumbered and outgunned. Negan would've had the guns moved, or someone would've moved the guns. Something churned inside me. If those guns got to the Sanctuary, Negan would live. Everything we worked towards would be discarded with ease.

I rose to my feet quickly. I prayed I was wrong, but if I wasn't our people could be in serious danger. If I was wrong we'd send the wrong amount of people to the wrong outpost. I couldn't tell Rick, if I did I could put more people at risk. Every emotion I felt before was now replaced. I couldn't die. Not yet. I needed to be here. For my people. My family.

I've been out here long enough, they'd send someone after me. I pulled Daryl's note from my pocket and flipped to the otherside. I fumbled in my pockets for something to write with. I quickly found a pen. I scribbled on the paper. Don't follow me. Pray I'm wrong. Once I finished I stabbed the note into the tree. They'd find it easily.

I started in a sprint. If I went a mile down the highway and either went straight or turned right, I make it to one of the outposts. I had a fifty fifty shot. There were two outposts west and south where the guns could be, if they were moved. Moving through the forest as fast as I was, I made a lot of noise. A few walkers caught on. I paused every now and then to kill them.

I reached the highway in no time. Keep going straight or turn right? West or south? Which one would Negan move the guns to? West was farther from the Sanctuary, but more secure. South was closer, yet less secure. South had fewer people to guard the guns; it wouldn't make any sense for Negan to send the guns there. But there were fewer people meaning they would need more gun power. West was the opposite. It had more people. If I remember correctly, Hilltop was going south and the Kingdom was going west.

South or west? I needed to make my choice. Which one was more likely to have the guns? Negan was smart and knew how to use reverse psychology like it was his first language. Would he really think it through and send the guns to the less guarded outpost? Or did he just want whoever thought that to go to the wrong outpost? Or what if he wanted me to go south thinking that he was trying to trick me into going west instead of south?

Damn it. Why did this have to be so hard? I couldn't go to both. I was on my feet. Running would only allow me to reach one location. The highway was clear of cars. Rick and the others had used them in their attack on the saviors. I had to choose. West or south? The Kingdom or Hilltop?

I crossed my fingers as I headed west. The Kingdom was strong, they had armor and the men to take out their outpost. If that outpost had the stronger guns, it would kill everyone in an instant. Same goes for Hilltop, but Hilltop had a better chance. The Kingdom stayed in one big group. If someone fired into that group they would kill a lot of people. Hilltop tended to split apart, divide and conquer. It would be harder to kill all of them.

My feet pounded against the pavement. Everything in my body burned as running became my new least favorite activity. I slowed to a stop as I noticed something in the middle of the road. I walked up to the neon thing in front of me. As I reached it I realized what it was. A golf ball and a tee pointing in a direction.