Simon looks up as Negan heads through the door, appearing as if he has something bitter in his mouth.
"What's up, boss?"
"Sherry's gone."
"Gone?" Simon raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah. John just got through on the radio. Said Amber was worried 'cause she hadn't seen her in a while."
"You think she just left?"
"Probably. She has done it before.. with Dwight."
"Is Dwight missing?" Negan shakes his head in reply. "You got people out looking for her?"
Negan runs a hand over his beard. "Not this time. I've told my men to keep an eye out, but.. if she doesn't wanna be there, then i'm not gonna fucking force her to be. I just.. if she didn't wanna be my damn wife anymore, i wish she'd have just fucking said something. I'm a reasonable guy, it's not like i would've put her on the fucking wall, i would've got her a decent job."
"Well, maybe she never really got over Dwight. Maybe it was too much for her?"
"Maybe." Negan looks out of the window, his back to Simon. "You think i'm doing the right thing, Simon?"
Simon stares at the back of his head. "Regarding what exactly?"
"With my wives. I mean, look at this place, and how the women are."
Simon shakes his head. "Come on, Negan. That's not the same, and you know it. Your wives know what they're getting themselves into, they know how it is. They can leave. Sarah on the other hand.." Simon trails off, looking down at his feet.
Negan turns to him with a frown. "What about Sarah? You got something you wanna say, Simon?"
Simon lifts his head. "I think what you're doing with her is not gonna end well. Don't get me wrong, i like her, but she's dangerous."
Negan steps closer. "Dangerous how?"
He rests his hands on his hips. "You know how she is, Negan. She can take someone out without a seconds thought."
Negan smiles. "Like yourself you mean."
"She idolises you.. and she wants you all to herself. And i think she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. That's a pretty dangerous combination, since you're never gonna give her that."
He rests a hand on Simon's shoulder. "I appreciate your honesty, Simon. But i can handle Sarah."
~
The school took on an almost eerie quality after dark, much like the Sanctuary. But unlike the Sanctuary, there were almost no women to be seen. Most of them seemed to disappear, and those that didn't seemed to be either washing, drying, or sewing some kind of garment.
Sarah's footfalls echo through the corridors. She wonders what Negan's next move will be, if he makes one at all. Her theory about the women was still that, just a theory, even if she was certain of it herself.
She stands still, muffled voices in the distance. Light spills into the corridor as one of the doors opens, Sarah slinking back into the darkness.
"You'll do as i damn well tell you next time!"
Sarah peeks round the corridor, Grace wiping at her eyes as one of Vince's men all but shoves her out of his room before slamming the door shut. Grace leans against the wall, covering her mouth with one hand as she sobs into it.
Grace jumps as she feels fingers around her arm. "Wha-"
Sarah places a finger over her mouth, pulling at Grace's arm as she leads her down the corridor. She finds an empty room, closing the door behind her.
"What was that?" Sarah whispers. "And don't try and tell me it was nothing, because i have eyes and ears."
Grace shakes her head. "It.. it doesn't matter."
"It does matter. Look, i'm trying real hard to be nice. I actually wanna help you. Maybe you don't want my help, but can you say the same for everyone else?"
"I.. i don't-"
"Listen, Grace. If it's just that you've got a man with heavy hands, and no on else has gotta through that shit, then fine, that's your business. But if that's not what it is, and someone else is getting hurt because you're keeping your mouth shut, then that's everyone's business. So which is it?"
Grace looks down at her hands. "You can't help."
"Like fuck i can't."
"They.. expect things from us."
Sarah raises an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Just, things that a wife does.. all the things that a wife does."
Sarah opens her mouth, closing it quickly as she realises it sounds eerily similar to Negan's arrangement with his wives. Is that what it was? Was she getting so riled up over something that Negan himself had going at the Sanctuary. "You mean you're sleeping with them in return to keep you safe?" Grace nods in reply. Sarah drops her shoulders, not sure what else there is to say.
"We.. we don't have a choice. It's just how it is."
Sarah raises an eyebrow. "Are you saying they're forcing themselves on you?"
"I.. sometimes. But, mostly we just don't have a choice. It's either do what they want, or go hungry."
Sarah clenches her jaw. "So.. they have you doing all the shitty work during the day, and then they pretty much fucking force themselves on you at night, is that what you're saying?"
"Yeah, but.. Vince said Negan's pretty much the same. That he's got a whole bunch of wives to himself."
"Negan does have a whole bunch of wives to himself, but it is not the same, Grace. His wives have a choice. Every woman at the Sanctuary has a choice. Wife, worker, soldier, everyone gets a chance. Negan doesn't go forcing himself on women or starving them because they won't put out." Sarah rubs at her temples. "Negan's gonna hit the fucking roof. This place is over."
Grace grabs at her arm, her eyes wide. "You can't tell him. What if something goes wrong? What if Vince finds out?"
"Negan knows what he's doing. Vince is gonna regret the day he came across the both of us."
~
Negan clenches his fists as he paces the room, his face an angry shade of red.
"That fucker!"
Sarah grabs his arm, pulling him to a stop. "You need to dial it down a notch, walls have ears."
"I just.. this is fucking wrong. I can't fucking stand here and let that happen. Knowing what i know now." Negan shakes his head. "I should've listened to your instincts."
"Where's Simon?"
"He's on guard duty with Vince's men."
"Negan, i know you wanna go straight in there and bash Vince's brains in, and believe me, i really wanna see it. But we need to come up with a plan."
Negan strokes her cheek. "I don't like you being here. Not now i know what they're doing."
Sarah smiles, butterflies filling her stomach. She stands on her tiptoes, softly kissing his lips. Negan brushes a hand through her hair before he pulls away.
"Not here.. not while that's happening.. i fucking can't, sweetheart."
Sarah nods. "So we come up with a plan, and quick."
Negan sits down on the bed, running a hand through his hair. "We've gotta get to the armoury. Now we know where it is, it shouldn't be that hard."
"I think we should get the women out, that way they don't get hurt in the crossfire. It'll make it a lot easier. From the looks of it, most of them don't know how to fight."
"I agree, but how the fuck are we supposed to get all the fucking women out without Vince and his men noticing?" Negan frowns. "Are we sure they'll even come with us?"
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Because even if they want to, they might be too afraid. That's what men like Vince thrive on, fear."
"I'll talk with Grace again. See if she can speak to the other women."
"I was talking with Simon earlier, he said a couple of Vince's men seem alright. They haven't been here long."
"You mean Brian and Gavin?"
"Yeah. And a few others."
"Well, i can't speak for the others, but from what i've seen of those two, i'd have to agree. Unless they know what's going on here." She shakes her head. "I find it hard to believe they don't know though. I mean, how could you not know that's going on under your roof?"
"You'd be surprised, sweetheart. There's a few of my own men that have felt the barbed end of Lucille. Sometimes you just don't see shit."
"You think they'll turn traitor? Because that'd give us one hell of an advantage."
"I'm fucking hoping so. I'll talk with Simon. If he seems to think so, then i'll trust his judgement. We could offer them good positions at the Sanctuary."
"When do you wanna make a move?"
"The sooner the fucking better." Negan runs a hand over his beard. "I can't stomach being here knowing what i know now. If not tomorrow, the day after."
~
Negan and Sarah had headed out in the dark of night, assuring Vince it was to pick up much needed supplies for the bridge.
They'd made their way to the Satellite outpost, Simon not far behind them.
Negan stands in front of his truck with Sarah, Simon, and a few of his men.
"So that's nine men, and you vouch for them?" Negan asks, glancing at Simon.
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure we can get them on board."
Negan shakes his head. "We need to be more than pretty fucking sure, Simon. If we let them in on this, we need to fucking know they're not gonna screw us over."
"I vouch for them," he assures him. "They haven't been with Vince long, they have no idea what's happening there. They find the place just as weird as i do."
"Alright. I got through to the Sanctuary, they're gonna send men out, should be here before first light. Sarah, how did it go with Grace?"
"She wants out, but she's scared, they all are."
"How many women are there?" He asks.
"Twenty-six. Grace said it's best if they don't know, and I agree with her."
Negan raises an eyebrow. "How's that?"
"Like i said, they're afraid. They don't wanna live how they're living, but I guess that's all they've known for a good while, and it's kept them alive. If they have the night to worry about how this could go wrong, no doubt at least one of them could go to Vince."
"You really think they'd fucking do that? Considering what that fucker's doing?"
"I do. Of course they want out, but they don't wanna die either."
"So, how do we get them out?"
"I've already spoken with Vince."
Negan puffs out his chest, clenching his jaw. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't have time."
"And what the fuck did you say to him?"
"I convinced him to let me give them some basic weapons training."
Simon raises an eyebrow. "How the hell did you get him to agree to that?"
"I used my womanly charms. I'm having dinner with him tomorrow.. apparently." She smiles.
Negan doesn't know whether to be jealous or impressed, his lips creeping up into a smile nonetheless. "But that doesn't get them off the grounds."
"Actually, it does. He wanted me to train them in the schoolyard, but i convinced him i needed more room. So he's letting me train them out by the running tracks, with the condition he has two of his own men keeping watch, along with our own." Sarah turns to Simon. "You think you can swing it so Brian and Gavin are on guard duty?"
"I'll see what i can do."
"So we get the women in one place, outside the walls, then what?" Negan asks, intrigued to see where her plan is going.
"Well, that's the hard bit, because that's when they might panic. Luckily, we have Grace on board. Hopefully she can convince the women that we'll keep them safe, and that they're better off at the Sanctuary. Then we bring them here, until the fight's over."
Negan smiles, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's a good plan, sweetheart. If Gavin and Brian can be trusted, they can lead the women here, along with three of our own."
"You want me with them?" Sarah asks.
"No. I'm gonna need you to take the armoury. Soon as those women are in safe hands, you make your way straight to that fucker. I'll be waiting for you, along with a few others. We take it, and then shit goes down." Negan looks over his men. "I need to know that nobody's gonna cut and run. You panic, then take a fucking second to get your shit together. You don't fucking run, understand?"
His men nod in unison.
"Good. Let's go over the plan again."