Tribulation

Chapter 3: "Failing To See The Devil Beside You"

Walking closer to the room-sized barn I was coming face to face with the man who shot up my home. I tightened the hold on my python that rested in my holster, scratching at the grip handle in anticipation..

I shot a quick look to Daryl who moved around the side of it, he nodded as he stood by the window.

I grinded my teeth, reaching my hand out to slide open the barn door. Keeping a steady hold on my revolver, I begun to slowly make my entrance...

Rick's P.O.V -

I took a quiet breath in, the smell of pine wood and hay filled my nose as I slowly crept into the the middle of the barn. I unleashed the gun out my holster..

inclining my ear to the smallest noises I heard, I scanned my eyes into the dark corners, looking for that man..

Alarmed by a loud floorboard creak, I wrenched my head straight ahead. I saw him him emerge from the shadows. Having a smirk I expected to slither across his lips.

"Rick," his dark voice spoke up.

Without a thought I quickly held my gun up to him, fixing my eyes on his every move.

The Governor snickered like a sick bastard, as he put his hands up and stepped back a bit.

My eyes wouldn't leave him for a second, as I stepped closer, with my gun still cocked at him.

I watched him put his arms back down to the side of his thighs. "We have a lot to talk about." ..

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"Lori?" Carol spoke up softly, as she knocked on the inside of her cell.

Lori quickly wiped the fallen tears under her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah?" She looked up at her.

Carol slightly scrunched her brows, noticing the breaks in the tone of her voice. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she tried reassuring her.

"Lori," Carol said again, knowing she couldn't play her as a fool.

Lori took in a deep breath, and looked down at her hands, as she fidgited with her ring. "It's just.." She shook her head feeling the tears come back up. "I always have this awful feeling in my stomach when he goes out like that.. Angry."

"I know," Carol nodded her head a bit, as she glanced down at the ground...

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"I'm gonna remove my weapon," The Governor said, carefully reaching down to the buckle of his belt. "Show that I mean to negiotiate in good faith."

I still couldn''t keep my eyes off that little smirk on his face, the way he carried himself, all signs he wasn't the type of man to sit down and really settle this.

"May I?"

I tilted my gun to the side, giving him the go ahead to put his belt that held his holster on the table infront of us.

"See?' The Governor raised his hands up again. "No trouble." He chuckled darkly.

"Now you.."

After a few seconds I calmly uncocked my revolver, slipping it back into my holster..

The Govenor lifted his eyebrows. "Well.. suit yourself then.." He huffed, pulling out a chair to sit on.

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"So you're the Governor." Rick examined him carefully. As he took a slow seat down on the chair beside him.

"That's- that's their term, not mine." He corrected Rick, resting his elbows on the table.

"But still, you're beholden to your people." Rick said.

"Well, of course.."

"You have a responsibilty to them." Rick went on. Daring to have any sort of personal conversation with this man.

"Mm-Hmm."

"Wasn't Merle your lieutenant?" He questioned.

"He was helpful, yeah." The Governer nodded.

"But you knew he was erratic. You blame him for scooping up Glenn and Maggie in the first place?" Rick tilted his head at him.

"Exactly. I was trying to sort it out when you attacked."

"So it was his fault?"

"He's a wild card, but he's effective. He gets the dirty jobs done." A grin grew on The Governor's face.

"I thought you'd take responsibility." Rick raised his brows.

"I thought you were a cop, not a lawyer." He snapped back.

"Either way, I don't pretend to be a governor." Rick mocked.

"I told you, I'm their leade-."

"You're the town drunk," Rick quickly interupted, as he leaned forward in his chair. "Who knocked over my fence, and shot at my wife," He pursed his lips tightly. "Nothing more." He shook his head to the side, fixing his eyes on him intently..

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Lori's P.O.V -

I slowly crept into Rick's cell, searching for the spare ring of the prison's keys to give to my son. I soon found them hanging on a nail by his bunk.

Walking over to retrieve them I stopped in my tracks, as something had caught the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I eyed what seemed like a corner of a photogragh sticking out from underneath his pillow. Curiousity getting the better of me, I reached out my hand and slipped it out. I held the picture up to my face, immediatey recognizing it to be a picture taken from our family photo album, it was Rick and I on our wedding day. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I softly stroked across it with my thumb.

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