LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER-150
Alice jolted awake from whatever they had injected her with the night prior, she tell that it was daylight where the light that was seek into the bag that was over her head. She reached up, pulling the bag off as she looked around and saw Ezekiel in the front of the bus and Max in the back.
Her hands checked over her eight month swollen stomach and smiled when she felt her daughter kick her hand. Loud banging on the outside of the bus caused everyone to wake up and take off their bags.
"Is everyone alright?" Ezekiel asked, looking at their people. "Ally, you and BB okay?"
Alice nodded where she was seating next to Kelly. BB is what everyone's been calling the baby since she doesn't have a name yet. "Yeah, we're okay."
"How long have we've been out?" Kelly asked.
"I don't know. My neck's still sore from whatever they injected us with." The King replied, looking around but the windows were covered with something that you could hardly see out of.
"They're unloading a bunch of stuff off the trucks." Kelly told them.
"Can you see the kids?" Alice asked, leaning a bit towards the window.
The slightly older woman shook her head. "No."
The door suddenly opened and a man stepped on the bus. "Good morning and welcome. Today is the first day of a new beginning. The world works when everyone knows their place. Your place is at the bottom. All the resources that we used to bring me all the world back into the new world and sustain it. It all starts at places like this. You should take comfort and knowing that good people will benefit from your labor here. That is your redemption. That is your salvation. Your children are safe and being tended to. Play by the rules, you will get to see them again. In order to do that, we must work as one here. Nobody has a name because we have no need for them. I'm not gonna tell you mine and you will not address each other by yours. When I point at you, you stand up, exit the rear."
The back door opened as the man walked into the front one. He pointed at people, each other them got up and walked out of the bus, then he pointed at Max, then to Annie. Alice whipped around, looking at her boyfriend and father of their daughter with a panicked expression.
Max gave her a small smile in reassurance before he got off the bus and waited for Annie. As Alice and others got off the bus on the other end, she watched the truck that held Max in, drive away. She and the group was lead to a junkyard looking area, the man from behind started to speak again.
"The work is hard, but you'll be protected by our great Commonwealth. And although you have been delivered from the paradise of the Commonwealth, take solace in knowing that it's better being here than it is being out there, in the wasteland."
After the speech and getting their new 'names', the Alexandrians were sent to work, laboring most of the day before it was mealtime. Luckily, Negan and Ezekiel did most of her heavy lifting which she was very appreciative of. She sat in front of Zeke, playing with her gray sad looking food as Negan came over and said down side the King, facing the other way.
"Don't turn around." Negan says so they wouldn't look suspicious.
Zeke pressed his lips, shaking his head. "What do you want?"
"I want to get in the same page."
"I stayed away from you for years...for a reason."
Negan nodded. "Well, you need to shelve that shit it."
Zeke looked incredulous as he sneered. "Shi—Melting people's faces with irons? Coercing women into marrying you? Slaughtering my people? That shit I have not forgotten. Nobody has."
"Yeah, well, just so you know, I haven't forgotten, either. And for the shit I've done, I probably deserve to be in a place like this. It fits. But, Ezekiel, it doesn't fit you, it doesn't fit the others, and it definitely doesn't fit Ally and BB. And it sure as hell doesn't fit my wife and baby that's on its way."
Alice glanced up at the men as Zeke asked. "Where did they take her and Max?"
"I don't know. But I need to find her. The same with Ally with Max. I promise. Look, I am coming to you two as a f...soon to be father, and as man who had led people. We have got put our shit aside and work together...for everyone."
"What are you thinking?" Zeke asked.
"I know this Warden's playbook, using fear as a weapon. But hope? And that is your thing, Ezekiel. It is definitely not mine." Negan told them.
"This place thrives on separating people. They'll be breaking us down. We have to unite folks, but..."
"But what?"
"We need a, a spark that reaches into their hearts and wakes them up. I don't know how to do that here. We can barely talk to each other."
"I can get you your spark. But when I do...you need to know that I doubt that I'd be getting out of here with you."
Ally and Zeke frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Back to work!" A trooper call out to them. "Back to work!"
"Are you with me?" Negan asked.
Ally and Zeke looked at each other, before the king says. "We're with you. For now."
When night fall, the Warden came out of the his tent and said. "Let's load it up!"
Everyone started to head to the bus when three walkers came out of the woods before the troopers shot them down. Alice stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets as she was loaded on the bus. She sat next to Negan while Zeke and Kelly sat on the seat beside them.
Sometime on the road, Ally fell asleep and was shaken awake up Negan who pointed in front of him. Outpost 22 was Alexandria.
***
"Rogers to Sal, do you copy?" Rogers's voice came out from the walkie.
Cassie watched as her mom lifted up the walkie and spoke into it. "Go ahead."
"Alex's was been spotted, they were taken to Alexandria last night. What do you want us to do?" Rogers replied.
Matilda looked relieved. "What's your position?"
"Four miles out."
"Close in, but don't go in until my signal. Do you have an eye on my boys?" She asked, glancing at his daughter who was listening closely.
"No, ma'am. Firefly three have not been sighted, neither has Winged Angel." The man answered. "But Firefly one has been transferred with the rest of Alex."
"Okay, if you have eyes on them, repost to me immediately."
"Yes, ma'am. Rogers out."
"Mommy?" Cassie asked as her mother sat on the couch and climbed onto her lap. "What if they don't find Daddy or Carl?"
Matilda pushed back some of her daughter's bangs that fell over her eyes. "If they don't, then we will, I promise."
The nine year old nodded and laid her head on her mother's shoulder, hugging her. "I hope so."
"Gale to Sal, do you copy?" Gale's voice crackled out of the walkie this time.
Matilda spoke into it. "I copy, go ahead."
"Arrow is planing on going into the massive horde."
"Move in and be careful. Tell them I sent you to help. Arrow will know." She replied, standing up with Cassie in her arms. "Keep me posted if anything happens."
"Roger that. Gale out."
***
Alice wasn't feeling to good the next morning at their next work-sight. The Warden and troopers forbid anyone to help her with the heavy lifting, causing her to carry and lift heavy rocks with Kelly. The older girl tried to help Ally as much as she could, but a trooper always came and stopped them.
She knew it was horrible for her and baby, but there was nothing she or anyone could do. Standing next in front of the water jug, her and Negan were getting water when Magna came over, whispering so quietly only that could hear.
"Two on the perimeter and four inside."
The older woman as Negan woke something on a piece of cloth. A sharp pain ripped through Alice causing her to grab handful of his jacket and let out a pain grunt.
Negan grabbed ahold of her, looking extremely worried. "Ally, what's wrong?"
Another pain grunt escaped her as she said. "I don't know." Alice grabbed her stomach, hunched forwards as liquid trailed down her leg. "Oh, god. I think the baby's coming."
"Shit!" Negan said as Zeke came over, laying a hand on Alice's back. "She's in labor."
"How long have you been feeling the pain?" Zeke asked, looking down at Alice.
Alice panted, her eyes squeezed shut. "A few hours ago, but it only gotten worst a few minutes ago."
Zeke made eye contact with Max who was other side of the work sight. The King didn't even need to say or sign anything as the boy dropped whatever he was holding and bolted over to them. The troopers yelled after him and followed as Max got to his girlfriend.
"What's wrong? What's happening?" He asked, fantastically, concern laced in his voice.
"You're gonna have a baby." Negan says, still being held by the pregnant girl.
Two troopers came over looking between all of them. One of them spoke. "What's going on here?"
Negan was the one to speak. "Thanks to your genius and the Warden's idea of not letting us help Preggo here, she's now in labor."
One of the troopers called over their Warden, who order to of them to took her back to Alexandria before walking away. The troopers pushed the men away before grabbing Alice's arms, causing her to freak out.
"No! Don't touch me!" She screamed, thrusting around into their hold. "Max! Max! No!"
Max immediately stand up and was about to after the troopers when Negan held him back and whispered something before heading after the troopers. "Hey! Let me take her."
One of the troopers stopped, letting go of Alice and shoved Negan back. The man fall to the ground as the trooper spat. "Back down, prisoner."
Negan stood up and attacked the trooper, punching the man in the face before he was hit in the chest with the trooper's gun. He fell on the ground again as his wife tried to defend him.
"Max!" Alice was still screaming as she was put in a truck.
Back in Alexandria, she was taken to the infirmary where she was placed in a bed with two women. Alice was sobbing not just from the unbearable pain but also because she wanted Max. She screamed, launching forwards as a sharp pain hit her, causing her to push.
She pushed several more times before a loud cry echoed around the room. Alice smiled, reaching out her baby and watched as the women cleaned BB off. Then suddenly her smile faded as one of woman wrapped the baby and took BB away, leaving her alone with the other woman.
"Wait." She cried out, desperately, and became a sobbing mess. "Wait! Where are you taking her?! No, I want my baby! Please! Give me my baby, please!"
Alice didn't notice the second woman filling up a syringe with some liquid and put into her neck. As the efforts of whatever the woman injected her with, she continued to plead for her baby. "
"Please! Please...give me...my baby! I want... my baby..." Her voices faded as she fell unconscious, darkness surrounded her.