Save Me

50. Momma

Molly finally meets the infamous Alpha and her people and has to decide Lydia's fate.

I told Daryl to watch Lydia while I ran down to the gates to see what was the problem.

I climbed up the ladder as Tara said 'it's them'.

My heart stopped as I grabbed the binoculars off her and looked through to see a group of about twenty whisperers and a bald headed woman without a mask.

She must have been the leader. She must have been Lydia's mother.

She stood at our gates with her people behind and just stared at each one of us, landing on me last.

I glanced quickly at Tara and Yumiko and told them to hold their fire.

'I am Alpha! And we only want one thing from you, my daughter!' she shouted.

Well, damnit, I was right.

I hesitated and then climbed back down the ladder.

'What are you doing?!' Tara whispered.

'We talk first, then fight' I said as I gave the signal to open the gates.

'Connie is still out there! She's in the field!' Kelly exclaimed.

I just nodded, knowing exactly what had to be done.

I strolled down the path to meet the woman who was already my enemy.

Every bone in my body told me to kill her right there and then but I restrained my hand from going to my gun as I came to stand in front of her.

She whispered to her people, saying 'go get em' as they brought out two masked individuals.

The woman stared at me as she shifted on her footing and moved like a snake, like she was ready to eat me alive.

I didn't shudder or show any fear, I simply raised my eyes to meet hers and stared right back.

The silence between us was deafening before I spoke.

'You can't have her' I said sternly.

I wasn't gonna allow that abusive son of a bitch take back a child who was terrified of her.

'Now, if it's a fight you're looking for? We got enough fire power to light you up right now' I said angrily as I felt pure hatred coarse through my veins.

I looked slightly past the woman to see a masked girl carrying a baby in her arms.

I scowled, knowing I couldn't kill her, let alone that baby.

That woman was heartless.

My attention turned back to her.

'You brought a baby out here?' I asked confusedly.

She smiled sinisterly and said 'we're animals. Animals live out here, animals have babies so we have babies out here'.

Her eyes cut through me like knives as I clenched my jaw in frustration.

'Now, what were you saying? Lighting us all up?' she asked mockingly.

'You want conflict, I don't. So, I'm posing a trade' she said quietly as she nodded to one of hers by the two masked individuals.

The whisperer lifted off their masks to reveal Luke and Alden, completely unharmed.

My eyes widened to see them both.

'I want to kill them, but I want my daughter more. One of mine, for two of yours. It's a good trade which is why you're gonna take it' she said without blinking once.

I looked at her and then at Luke and Alden.

They were terrified, cloth around their mouths and knives to their throats.

I had to protect our own, before one of hers.

The baby in the whisperer's arms started to wail and shriek loudly, causing nearby walkers to flock towards them and us.

The woman panicked, knowing what their leader would do to her if she didn't sacrifice the baby for the group.

She put the baby down on the mud and stepped away from it as she sobbed.

My heart raced faster, knowing what was coming next.

I remembered what Kelly had said about Connie.

She was in the field and most probably watching me so I dropped my left arm to my side and signed to her about the baby.

A few seconds went by and Connie came rushing out, she slingshotted the walkers who were getting closer to the baby and scooped up the child in her arms and she ran back into the field.

I needed to get Connie safely out of there but I had to wait until Daryl brought Lydia.

'Now, bring me my daughter' she whispered almost pleadingly.

At least I knew her weakness, but my heart sank knowing that a decision had already been made for me.

I sighed before I turned around to see Daryl, Tara, Kelly and Yumiko with their eyes focussed solely on me.

I nodded sadly to Daryl to bring Lydia out.

I could barely look at Lydia, she had just begun to trust me and I had failed her, like I failed Meghan.

She struggled in Daryl's grasp, clearly terrified of her mother standing there in front of her.

Her mother walked forward, bringing Luke and Alden with her as we opened the front gates to let them in.

Her mother nodded for Lydia to step forward to greet her, which I allowed, nodding to Daryl to let her go.

Lydia walked hesitantly forward until she was standing right in front of her mother.

The bald headed woman let Luke and Alden go as they walked hastily through the main gates.

Enid running down to embrace Alden as Yumiko and Kelly ran to Luke.

'I'm sorry momma' Lydia said nervously as she bowed her head down.

'Thanks for coming to get me' she continued as her mother just watched her in silence.

Suddenly she swung her hand in the air, landing a slap straight across Lydia's face.

I lunged towards her in reaction, Daryl instinctively holding me back as her mother smiled sinisterly.

She sensed my attachment and pulled her daughter in for a hug.

'You'll call me Alpha, like all the rest' she whispered in her ear.

'Yes Alpha' Lydia replied sadly.

I was seething with anger, seeing Lydia be abused right in front of my eyes and not be able to do anything.

I promised to help her and here I was, helpless.

She grabbed her daughter and made her march in front of the group as they left without a word.

I told Daryl to get Connie out of the field and away from the walkers, which he did without hesitation as Tara came running out to help me with the walkers in the mud.

As soon as I saw Daryl and Connie escape safely out of the field, we all rushed back inside the compound, shutting the gates securely behind us.

Tara just looked at me as I walked back through the gates, my feet dragging on the ground as I felt emotionally deflated.

'Molly...' Tara started to say sadly as I just lifted my hand up half-heartedly and said 'don't' as I walked past them all.

The guilt of betraying Lydia's trust overwhelmed me.

But before I was her friend, I had to be a leader and a leader protects their people first above all else.

I still couldn't help but feel like shit though.