Struggling to Connect: The 6th Book

Chapter 24: No Rest

Two days later when we get back to Alexandria, we aren't there long enough to even settle in before our guards see a heard incoming towards our camp. Michonne and Gabriel send everyone out to take care of it and we come back in tired but relieved it's done. I decide to grab a bite to eat letting others shower first and right before I head upstairs to shower, we are being called back out, for another heard. I ask out after Michonne decides to stagger our fighters into groups, "this has got to be her, right?"

"I wouldn't say that just yet" she nods to me, telling me it's time to head out. I grab my bow and turn to tackle on the heard.

We fight for hours. Three days of alternative waves of the dead and we are all exhausted, dirty and irritable. The last time I remember being this irritated was when we were on the road after the terminus. Exhausted from lack of food with no where to rest long. I'm coming in from my 7th or 10th wave when I ask up to Eugene in the tower, praying I have time for a shower, "how long till the next wave hits?"

"One hour from the north, two from the south. Northern wave's thicker than fleas on a farm dog, but the southern's more dispersed." He glances down at those of us on the ground, "by my estimation, we'll be fighting into the night again."

"Yeah, can't push 'em too much further." Daryl comments out.

"I have eyes." She scowls at him. She takes a moment to breathe and apologizes, "sorry. I'm just tired. We all are."

The insects chirp out at no one responds and just breathes when Daryl sees something out in the field while looking with some binoculars, "hey, heads up."

A few of us walk over to the wall to meet the alive Walker heading right to us. She walks up to the gates and grumbles, "the north border. Now."

"Call off your walkers." Michonne argues.

"Not us." The women replies.

I scoff, "yeah, right."

She tries to assure, "not. Us." A moment later she continues, "go to the border, lay down your weapon, and wait. "

"Wait for what?" Daryl sputters with annoyance.

"Her." She replies annoyed and turns to walk off, flies buzzing behind her, "and bring her" she eyes me from behind the wall. Michonne and Aaron glance back at me while Daryl stares her down.

Within 10 minutes, majority of people in Alexandria are sitting in the church for a discussion. Everyone has heard about what happened, and there's chatter all around. Swiftly, Michonne calls out, "all right! Is this your mother?"

Lydia shakes profusely like a buzzed moth, "no. I don't think it is."

"Why's she want to talk with us?" Daryl quizzically asks in his typical husky annoyed voice.

She bites her lip but answers with a shake in her voice, "you crossed into her land. Again. You have to answer for that."

"We don't have to do anything."I utter back with a flat tone, "we could just not go."

"That's a bad idea." Lydia argues.

Someone from the ground argues, "we're already under attack" the hollers from the crowd are in agreement.

"It isn't her." Lydia responds harshly, "if she wanted you dead, she'd send the horde. All of it, not just a few waves at a time."

"Maybe she's trying to wear us down first." Someone else from town protests.

"Or, as I relayed to you all at the beginning of this meeting, there's plausible reason to believe that the satellite and fire.."

Margo, a woman from the former highway men group growls at Eugene, "I don't want to hear about the damn satellite anymore, Eugene! My friends died trying to save yours and ended up with their heads on spikes." She scoots her chair back and stands with force, "the Highwaymen want justice!" the crowd agrees, "so all I want to hear from you is that you're gonna take a dozen of us to meet these freaks at the border and that we're gonna take that lead bitch's head off!"

Someone finalizes her thoughts, "and then we'll put their heads on spikes!"

The majority of Alexandria holler in agreement some more, when Siddiq pushes his chair out abruptly and goes to leave. I grab his arm before he can and ask, "you all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just need to get some air." He nods and shuffles outside the room as the crowd intensifies their argument.

Michonne quickly stands and asks to Daryl, "how many walkers did you see in Alpha's horde?"

Daryl shrugs his one shoulder and mutters a number,"tens of thousands."

"Ah" she turns her attention back to the former highway woman, "so...what's your plan for taking them out?" It's silent for a moment as Margo looks at her blanky, "oh, that wasn't rhetorical."

"I don't have one." Margo falls into her chair a little.

"Ah." Michonne looks around, "does anybody else?"

"If she sends that horde, that's it!" Someone argues quickly

Michonne quiets them, "right now, all she wants to do is talk. And we are going to listen. Now, while we are doing that, everyone here needs to focus on what's coming in from the north and the south." No one replies, so she exhaled sharply, "we're tired. We are on edge. And it is going to get worse before it gets better. But we aren't gonna get through it at all if we do not act as one."

Although the people aren't as loud as they were for the protests, she manages to get everyone to agree for the most part and dismisses everyone but the committee and Daryl and I. She explains the plan a little while later after talking it thought, "three objectives means three groups. Gabriel will take point in guarding the gate from the northern wave... while Aaron will take some troops and handle the southern wave, breaking it up before it hits the wall. That leaves us, and the border."

"Unarmed." I remind her.

"You're really going in there unarmed?" Carol asks.

Michonne confirms, "we got no choice."

"And you need me?" I make sure there's no way out of this.

"Sadie, she asked for you specifically." Michonne reminds me and I nod, while simultaneously pushing the knot in stomach further down.

The ones of us going to leave to meet up with Alpha begin to head out and as I follow the path out, Negan calls to me from where he stands with Aaron, "careful out there Sadie" I turn and nod to him, but I notice the glance Daryl gives me as I turn back around. I ignore it and focus on my breath, knowing how hard this is going to be for me.