Tour Guide ➣ Carl Grimes

45. In His Voice

The woman pushed Tara forward, the dark metal of her pistol still stuck below her ponytail.

"You need to let everyone go and leave right now," she walked Tara towards Rick, "Just walk away or this one dies."

"I think you're doing the right thing."

That's what Hannah had said. That's what she had said before sending her friend into a trap. Why had she said that?

"Yeah, we'll leave you alone," Hannah heard Rick speak, breaking her from her thoughts, "But we're taking your weapons with us. That's not gonna change."

The woman who held Tara made a face at Rick's words. At his arrogance.

"It's Natania, right?" Rick continued after a sigh, "Put the gun down, and let's talk about what we can change."

"No," the woman, Natania, said quickly and Hannah saw Tara wince.

There was a moment, almost too miniscule to pick up on, where Tara's face changed. She went from stoic to scared without any warning. But it wasn't a fear for herself. She wasn't thinking about if she was killed.

Michonne must still have been in the tree just outside of where they were gathered, inevitably aiming the end of her rifle at Natania's head. That was what scared Tara.

"We just wanna be left alone," Natania continued, oblivious to the danger she was in.

"Yeah , we'll leave you alone. Just let go of her." Rick pointed at Tara, "Now. Or we'll kill you. None of us want that."

"They want us to fight the Saviors," a girl about Hannah's age spoke up from beside Natania. Hannah hadn't realized these people knew who the Savior's were. She hadn't realized just how far the group had reached. How much damage they had done.

But it was obvious the Saviors had left an impact. The eyes of all the Oceansiders huddled on the floor, young and old, went wide at the mention of the Saviors.

"We tried that," Natania rebutted, "We lost. Too much. We're not gonna lose anymore--not our guns. Not our safety. Not after everything we've done to get here."

"We're gonna win," Tara spoke, cutting the argument off, "With your guns, with or without your help."

The woods went quiet.

"You kill me and you die. And my people take your guns and nothing changes," Tara's eyes were almost frantic as she finished. She couldn't see Natania's face behind her. She couldn't see if the decision had already been made.

It hadn't.

Hannah could see the looks on the faces of the Oceansiders. She could see the consideration in their eyes. It was the same look the people of Hilltop had given them. The same look she had given Maggie.

With a soft nod in Tara's direction, Hannah tried her best to communicate that to her friend. They had to believe this would work.

"Grandma stop, it's over," the younger girl spoke up, "just talk to them, okay?"

"It's not over!" Natania's loud voice made Hannah jump, "They've forgotten. You've all forgotten." She looked down at her people, the grip on Tara's arm becoming tight enough to leave marks. "Some of you actually want to fight them? After everything? We can lose our guns, but us leaving this place to fight? After everything? No."

There was pain in the woman's voice as she continued, desperation lacing every word. Hannah couldn't listen as the woman begged her people not to give in. As she dragged them closer and closer toward death. That's what it was, really. If they didn't give up their guns, if these people refused to help her group, it meant the end for everyone. It was obvious now that the Oceanside had dealt with the Saviors before, and there was no doubt in Hannah's mind that they would have to again. They were stuck in a never ending cycle. The Saviors were everywhere. Death was everywhere. Behind every bush, every wall, every smile, death was waiting for a single moment of vulnerability. The only way to get ahead of this twisted game of hide and seek, was to make the first move.