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Ch. 27 - Shadow Hunters

I should've been here. I should've found a way out, I shouldn't have been sucked in by Negan and forgotten about my family.

But I can't change what has already been done. Turning my back on Negan now won't save Carl later.

"Hell's wrong with you?" Daryl pulls me from the sun's hypnosis.

"Uh, um. Nothing, nothing's wrong," I blink away my teary eyes and rid myself of my thoughts. Carl wanted to tell everyone himself, and I'll be damned if I give it away without saying a word.

"Tell me you don't miss that piece of shit," Daryl grumbles as he shakes his head. "The fuck did he do to you? He's got you flipped the hell around."

"Can you just let it go?" I pull my brows together as I look that Daryl. He turned his body to face me completely and I hadn't even noticed.

"Nah, Jade. Don't think I can," he spins on his heel and quickly draws his crossbow, aiming at the mindless walker and taking it down with a pull of the trigger. "You saw what he did, what he's done. How they treated me."

"So what if I believe he's capable of changing? We've all done shitty things, Daryl. We attacked the satellite outpost first, we're no fucking better," I cross my arms before continuing. "Besides, there are good people behind the gates at The Sanctuary. Good people who, like you, can't stand Negan. People who didn't deserve to be punished, like Glenn and Abe. And now there's a huge chance that those people are dead."

"You're delusional," he pushes past me and knocks his shoulder into mine before stepping onto the ladder.

"I prefer neurotic," I look forward to the distance once more. Since when is optimism such a cynical trait?

The ladder creaks as Daryl makes his way to the bottom. The gate begins to creak as he pulls it open, the fence still pulled shut tightly. As the sound of the gate spreads through the tree line, I take notice of a small herd of dead ones creeping toward our camp.

"Small pack out there, Daryl," I can't find it in myself not to warn him. After all, he's still family.

"I can handle it," he mumbles before unlatching the fence. Just as he begins to pull back, I notice a plethora of lights cutting through the growing darkness and shining on our walls. I count ten total, five pairs of headlights. But the lights don't belong to any vehicles owned by the Saviors.

"Daryl, close the gate!" I look down to see him with the fence halfway open, its chain rattling louder. "Daryl!"

He looks up at me, then off into the distance. Once he notices the cars, he rushes to close the fence and then the gate. The metal barrier closes with a booming thud. I grab the rifle designated for the watch tower and aim down sight as the cars come to a halt in front of our walls.

A tall woman emerges from the largest vehicle and stands in front of the grill, just as an even taller man slips out from the driver's side. Their silhouettes are about all I can make out. He towers over the woman but stands slightly behind her.

She must be the boss.

Daryl somehow managed to sneak back up to the watch tower without me noticing. He draws his crossbow before speaking, "Who the hell are you?"

"Well hello to you too," she speaks loudly before snapping her fingers above her head. All at once, large groups of people pile out of the vehicles with weapons in hand. Guns, some duel wielding, a rocket launcher, katanas, and more. There are easily 40 people at our gate. "My name is Leah, and these here are my friends."

I scan over the crowd of men and women, all cloaked in black, analyzing as much as I possibly can in the provision of an attack. So much for my optimism.