Daryl's Angel: Saviour (Book Two)

Chapter 41: Blood and Karma

We gather back in Gregory's office. It's a spacious area with plenty of bookshelves, a fireplace, and seating. Michonne, Abraham, and I take up residence in a few of the armchairs while Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie stay standing.

The doors open and Jesus enters. "Dr. Carson was able to patch Gregory up," he announces. "He's in pain, but he'll live."

"So, what happens now?" Michonne asks.

Jesus exhales. "Things like that don't usually happen here, but it's settled," he says.

"We heard the name Negan," Rick says. "A while back, Daryl and Abraham had a run-in with his men. Who is he?"

"Negan's the head of a group of people he calls the Saviours. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviours showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss," Jesus explains. "They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And they killed one of us—Rory. He was sixteen years old. They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat."

I swallow back a sick feeling building in my throat, looking back at Daryl. He's pacing again, jaw clenched, rage in his eyes. The men he confronted wanted him to lead them back to Alexandria, before Daryl blew them sky high. I try to picture Rory, but all I can see is Carl.

Sick bastards.

"Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation," Jesus says. "He's not the leader I would've chosen, but he helped make this place what it is, and the people like him."

"He made the deal," Maggie says.

"Half of everything," Jesus confirms. "Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviours."

"And what do you get in return?" Glenn asks.

"They don't attack this place. They don't kill us."

"Why not just kill them?" Daryl asks.

"Most of the people here don't even know how to fight, even if we had ammo."

"Well, how many people does Negan have?" Rick wonders.

"We don't know. We've seen groups as big as twenty."

"Now, hold up," Daryl says. "So, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give 'em half of everything? These dicks, they just got a good story. The bogeyman, he ain't shit." He doesn't sound angry, which surprises me. He sounds almost excited, and that scares me more.

"Well, how do you know?" Jesus asks.

"A month ago, we took his guys out PDQ," Abraham says. "Left them in pieces and puddles."

"You know, we'll do it," Daryl says. "If we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up? We want food, medicine, and one of them cows."

I've never heard Daryl so quick to negotiate, so eager, and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut. Something about this rubs me the wrong way. Good story or not, these Saviours sound brutal, and we've handled brutal before, but...

I think of the tank sitting outside the prison, Hershel on his knees, watching the life we built fall apart.

Jesus looks to Rick for confirmation, eyebrow raised, and Rick shrugs. "Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with."

"I'll take it to Gregory," Jesus says, and he excuses himself.

The bad feeling doesn't go away.

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I sit outside on the front steps, watching the people of Hilltop gather around Nathan's funeral pyre. I twist my ring around my finger, the tags on Old Dan's collar clinking together with every movement.