S u r v i v o r s [ Daryl Dixon ]

Chapter 43

"Dr. Carson was able to patch Gregory up" Jesus began as he entered the room where we were waiting for him. "He's in pain, but he'll live."

"So, what's going on now?" I asked.

"Things like that don't usually happen here, but, uh, it's settled."

"We heard the name Negan" Rick said. "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 Saviors. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviors showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And he killed one of us-- Rory. He was 16 years old. They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat. Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation. 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" I didn't ask, I stated a fact.

"Half of everything. Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviors."

"And what do you get in return?" Rick asked.

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

"Why not just kill them?" Daryl asked and I looked at him with surprise.

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

"Well, how many people does Negan have?" Rick spoke up and I felt a contraction in my stomach. I didn't like that question.

"We don't know. We've seen groups as big as 20."

"Now, hold up" Dary said. "So, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give them half of everything? These dicks just got a good story. The bogeyman, he ain't shit."

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

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

"You know, we'll do it" Daryl said. "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."

Fuck, I knew.

Jesus looked at me and I winced, kept silent.

"Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with" Rick replied.

"I'll take it to Gregory."

Jesus left us alone.

"I don't like that idea" I finally said. "We're not mercenaries with nothing to lose. We don't know the situation. We don't know what they have."

"I think so too..." said Maggie.

"We managed before" said Abraham. "We'll be fine this time too."

"They have food, we don't" said Rick "We don't have enough of anything. Except us. What we can do. This is the trade."

"BUT it's gonna cost us something" I said hard. "It always costs us something."

"We can get something for ourselves" said Daryl. "You know very well that we have a poor choice"

"I believe in Eugene and his calculus more than in killing each other."

At this point, Jesus came in saying that Gregory wanted to talk and assigned Maggie to do it. We all watched her go, and I left the building and, on the terrace, took a deep breath. I heard soft footsteps behind me, followed by Michonne.

"It's not the best idea, I know that" she said calmly.

"Best? It's a verdict, not an idea" I winced. "Some of us will get hurt or die."