For my sister | Negan |

67 - Save him

It didn't make any sense, but he could comfort me like nobody else could. And now I'm with a group of people that want to kill him. It's understandable, of course. But if there's any way to stop it...

How could you possibly stop it? You are an idiot to come out here. You'll either get yourself killed or you'll get to watch him getting killed. This was a mistake.

But maybe I can make a difference. We don't know what's going to happen today. Negan could win. And if he does, I will beg him to spare us. He's listened before, maybe he will again.

And if Negan falls and Rick wants to kill him... I'll plead for his life too. I don't care what they'll think. Too much has happened to not try. Unfortunately, I don't really dare to hope that Rick would listen. But if Negan has to die... maybe it will at least make a difference that there will be somebody there that cares about him.

The sun is starting to hang low as we walk over a stretched-out field. I feel like we're very exposed here, out in the open. But Michonne convinced me that Negan and his Saviours won't know we're coming, because they don't know we have his real position. And they won't know until it's too late.

'How much further?' Daryl asks, voicing a question that's been going through my mind as well.

'We grow closer', Ezekiel answers. 'Yonder. Over the ridge.'

With every step, my feet grow heavier. Soon, we'll be at the spot. I'll hang back again, but I think I'll be close enough to hear what's going on. Will I hear the shot that takes him out?

But then... Everybody stops and raises their weapons when an eerie whistle cuts through the air. A whistle that we've all heard before. I look around frantically as the group closes in around me, pointing their weapons left and right. The sound seems to be coming from everywhere.

Fear is palpable and nervous mutters flow all around us. Quickly, the truth begins to dawn on us. We've walked right into a trap after all.

'Well, damn, Rick. Look at that. Pegged again. Pegged so very hard. I ambushed your ambush with an even bigger ambush.'

My heart stops when I hear his voice. The last time I heard it, it was gentle.

Goodbye, Christina.

Now, it is filled with malice. He's as eager to destroy Rick as Rick is to destroy him. And I don't doubt he won't hesitate to take everybody else here down too.

'How 'bout you step out and face us?' Rick calls out. His voice betrays no fear. Just anger. So much anger.

'Oh, I am everywhere, Rick', Negan replies. My mind flashes back to when they were yelling at each other that day at the Sanctuary. Me, caught firmly in Negan's arms, unable to change anything about my situation, stuck between two ticking time bombs. This feels way too similar.

'Some more bullhorns, more walkies', Negan continues. 'Pick a direction to run. See how you do. Make it fun for all of us.'

Everybody continues to look around anxiously. It's not clear where Negan's voice is coming from. Any second now, they could appear and blast us all to pieces. Rosita keeps close to me. We agreed someone would always be, because I don't know how to use a weapon. Once again, I curse myself for it. Though even with a rifle in her hands, Rosita doesn't look confident she'll be able to get us out of here.

'Guess what else I did', Negan continues. 'I brought you some of your old friends. Remember your old buddy Eugene? Well, he is the person that made today possible.'

Eugene? I hadn't seen him in a while. Not since that day I almost died when Rick attacked the Sanctuary. I'd heard rumors that he'd been given an outpost of his own but I never really learned why he rose through the ranks so quickly.