Grace's hunger made her shake and weak. She watched as the Lemoyne Raiders exchanged words while eating. The bread in their hands looked better than ever right now. Grace had been here for two days, starving and harassed. She was growing extremely sick of the boys with their comments and their smell, their putrid smell. She could tell they hadn't had a bath in months, the dirt staining their skin and their facial hair mattered and unhealthy. Grace noticed Oliver had walked out of the house, waving Phil over to him. She watched as they talked, it looked serious. Phil nodded and she watched as they both joined her, staring down at her.
"I think I've decided what to do with you," Oliver announced. Grace looked at the ground before looking back up at him, squinting from the evening sun behind Oliver.
"And what's that?" Grace questioned. Grace grinned cheekily. "Because I guess starving me to death isn't enough."
Phil chuckled lightly, looking at Oliver. Oliver grinned, his grin forced and sarcastic. "Trust me, Phil wants you dead and I'd be amused to watch you suffer. A lot of my men want to do unpleasant things to you, as you probably already know," Oliver sighed before squatting down to get to eye level with Grace. "I want to hold an execution, Lemoyne Raider style. Now, this won't be like any normal hanging like what those Sheriffs do. Huh, why should I explain to you, you'll see soon enough."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Grace muttered. Grace knew for a fact she was not going to let herself get hung, not when the gang needs her and she needs them. Like Hosea said, they're family. Oliver frowned, Phil looking down at Grace. Her comment had caught his attention.
"What do you mean by that?" Oliver question instantly. Grace chuckled.
"I'm a Van Der Linde! They're going to find me, they ain't stupid," Grace laughed. Grace motioned around the camp. "Unlike you, at least we know how to look after ourselves."
"Yes, you defiantly know how to look after yourself," Phil scoffed, pointing at the ropes around her hands.
"Take this ropes off me and try for yourself," Grace hissed her threat. Phil's eyes turned into slits as his hands clenched into fists by his sides. "Remember, I killed your friends and almost you. Such a shame you didn't bleed out," Grace finished. Oliver slapped her hard across the face, Grace falling onto her side from the impact. Oliver grabbed her chin roughly, ripping her to look at him.
"Remember, it's you dying tonight. Nothing will change that," Oliver hissed before pushing her away from him, motioning Phil to follow as he marched away in fury. Phil gave Grace a nasty look before following. Grace chuckled as they marched away, rubbing the side of her face gently, trying to ease the pain.
"That's all you've got?" Grace chuckled as she called out to them. Oliver stopped in his tracks for a few moments before continuing back to the house, refusing to go back to Grace. Grace pushed herself back up right, bringing her knees up to her chest as she held them close to her.
Grace awoke to a hard jab in her rib cage. She looked up to see Phil aiming a rifle down at her. The camp was dark except for a few dimly lit lanterns.
"You seem excited," Grace grunted as held out her wrists for him to cut the ropes off of. She watched as he pulled out his hunting knife and rubbed the blade against the rope, the rope fraying before bursting off her wrists. Grace watched as he purposely dug the blade into her skin drawing blood. Grace chuckled at him, pulling her wrists away from him. "Just a bit," Grace added. Phil grabbed her arm forcefully, pulling her to his feet. He shoved her forward before aiming is rifle at her back.
"Walk," was the only word he hissed. Grace didn't bother fighting, feeling shaky from hunger. Plus, she didn't much like have a rifle aimed at her back. Grace noticed more lights by a large tree in the distance, she made out dark figures of people. She joined the figures who were Lemoyne Raiders, seeing the old man from the other day and Mike there. She also saw Oliver of course. Oliver outstretched his arms, motioning to the chair under a branch, a noose already tied on the branch, hanging ready for her neck. Grace's eyes locked onto the noose, realising what was happening. She didn't actually believe she was going to die but now it seemed too real. Grace felt her vision blur from panic and fear.
"Welcome to your death," Oliver greeted. A few small chuckles from some the men were heard. Grace felt Phil's hand grip her shoulder before shoving her forward towards Oliver. Oliver grabbed her arm hard, staring at her as he held her arm tight. "Easy there, you really want to die don't ya?" Oliver joked. He chuckled before pushing her towards Mike. Grace stumbled into Mike who lifted her onto the chair, another man pushing the noose around her neck and tightening it. Grace could feel her neck pulsing against the noose in panic. Oliver lit a cigarette, looking up at Grace. "Any last words?" He asked before placing the cigarette between his lips. Before Grace could speak, a sick grin grew on his face. "Forget it," he scoffed before walking forward and kicking the chair out from underneath her. Grace gasped for air as she brought her hands up to the noose, trying to loosing it. A gunshot rang out and Grace's body slammed into the ground and Grace spluttered, coughing and trying to breathe. Grace heard cussing around her as the raiders ran for cover, Oliver dragging Grace to her feet. He pulled her in front of him, using her as a shield as he backed towards the house. "Fuck! Goddamn fuck! You're coming with me and you will die tonight," Oliver hissed. Grace waved her arms crazily, making sure to grab the attention of whoever was there. Grace felt her eyes fill with tears of relief, she didn't know how they found her but she knew it was her family. Oliver threw Grace into the house, Grace collided with the floor. She watched as he turned towards the doors, trying to lock them. Grace quickly scurried to her feet, attempting to run through the house but before she could get far Oliver's body collided with her. Grace's head hit the ground hard, causing her vision to spin. She felt Oliver dragging her again, this time up a stair case. Grace pounded her fist into his arm that dragged her while screaming, making sure her gang could hear her.
"LET HER GO!" Dutch's voice was heard from outside over gunfire. Grace wanted to shout out to Dutch but she was immediately winded as Oliver threw her against the nearest wall as they got up the stairs. His hands squeezed around her throat, attempting to cut of her air. Grace's eyes welled with tears as she hit wildly at his hands, gasping for air. Grace managed to find the strength through hunger, exhaustion and lack of air to kick him in the stomach. Oliver stumbled back and Grace quickly ran into the nearest room, slamming the door behind her. Grace looked wildly around the room for something she could block the door with. Before she could find something the door crashed open, Grace letting out a shriek before quickly grabbing the lamp from the side table near the large bed. She went to swing it at Oliver when he caught her arm that gripped onto the lamp, with his other hand he punched her hard across the jaw. Grace dropped the lamp as she stumbled backward into a wall. As she managed to regain herself, Oliver grabbed her by the shoulders before shifting her into the glass of a window beside her, causing the glass the shatter. Grace winced as she felt the glass shatter behind her, gripping onto the window's edge with her hands. Grace winced in pain as the glass on the edge dug into her fingers, drawing blood. More blood was drawn as Oliver continued to try and push her out of the window. Grace managed to pull herself up quickly, slamming her head into his. It was enough to make him stumble. Grace's head pounded but she managed to rip out a shard of glass from the broken window. As Grace pulled herself back into the room, she heard Oliver roar in fury. She heard him stomping and immediately spun around, slashing his neck open with the glass. Oliver's eyes widened in horror as blood poured out of his neck, he immediately brought his hands to his neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Grace's breathing quickened as she kicked him hard in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Grace climbed over his body, letting out a growl as she stabbed him in the chest with the shard. She pulled it out of his chest before catapulting it back into his chest, screaming. Blood exploded over Grace's face from the repeated stabbing. Grace stared into his eyes as the life was drawn out of them as his blood filled the room. Grace continued screaming as she continued to stab him, his body full of stab wounds.
"Grace?" She heard Charles' voice say softly. She ignored him, continuing to cry as she stabbed Oliver repeatedly. She heard more footsteps coming towards her before she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on," she heard Arthur's voice. Her screaming stopped and turned to crying as she continued to stab him, Arthur dragging her off of Oliver. Arthur managed to grab the glass out of her hand, throwing it away. Grace tried to pull herself away and back to Oliver but her legs gave way, exhausted. Arthur fell to the ground with her, holding her as she cried. Oliver's blood was smeared all over her and she gripped the arm Arthur held around her, staring at Oliver's bloody and ruined corpse. Grace wiped her tears away with her free hand, feeling blood being wiped onto her face. She looked up to see Charles, Dutch, Bill, Hosea, Lenny, Javier, John, Sean, Micah and Sadie. "Th-thank you," she thanked them as she started to calm down. Dutch took a step forward, extending a hand carefully to her.
"Miss, let us get you home. You're safe now," Dutch comforted, his voice soft. Arthur let go of Grace as she took Dutch's hand. Dutch pulled Grace into a hug, Grace sniffling yet feeling herself calm down being in the arms of her gang again.
"I was hung... th-they-" Grace stuttered as they all slowly filed out of the room. Grace noticed Arthur, Charles and John hang back. She looked over Dutch's shoulder to see a look of worry plastered on Arthur's face, Charles and John staying behind with him.
"I know, we saw everything. We were not going to let them kill you," Dutch explained, reminding her that her death day is not tonight. Grace nodded. "Did they do anything to you?" Dutch asked. Grace shook her head, looking up at him as they walked down the stairs.
"No, other than hit me but it was nothing I couldn't handle. The worst was what you saw. How'd you find me?" Grace asked as they reached the bottom of the staircase.
"Arthur and Lenny found this place a few weeks back. They cleared it out but more must've moved in. We needed a plan before running in," Dutch explained. Grace nodded, understanding. Dutch led her calmly outside, asking Javier to put her on the back of his horse. Javier lifted Grace onto the back of his horse, being careful not to hurt her. Javier made sure she was steady before mounting. Grace wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him before the gang rode out of the blood pool.