State of destruction- The Walking Dead [Alden x Maggie][2/2]

5- Waiting game

Mike was the first to return with answers. Tara followed a day later and Maggie followed some days after her. It was late in the evening when she arrived, but yet everything was talked through immediately. As soon as Maggie had all the information she felt she needed, she wanted to leave, even if it was the middle of the night. Alden barely managed to talk her down, convincing her that she needed at least one night of good sleep before they would surrender themselves to many nights of broken sleep.

Early that next morning Alden packed everything they needed before Maggie was even awake. He had to do everything he could to get his boys back; he would cross every line there was. But bringing his sons back home wasn't his only job, he also had to make sure Maggie wouldn't unravel further. He could so easily tell she was already on the brink of collapsing. Not long after they took one of the cars and set off.

"Can't believe he's hauled up in a motel." Alden shook his head slightly. They drove down endless abandoned forest roads. "To have Annie and their kid live in such a dump. All of those places are the same and it's no place for a child. Tara and I come through them sometimes, never liked them."

"They're filled with people who won't back down from a fight. We'll have to beat some people up, get yourself ready for that," she replied.

"Just remember our fight is not with Annie or their kid."

"We might have to use their kid as a bargaining chip."

He sighed, "I know."

"And remember our cover story. When anyone asks we tell them our home was overrun by groaners. Remember to say groaners, not walkers. If I understood Tara correctly Negan offers himself for hire to clear them."

That was the story Maggie went with when she went inside the lounge. It didn't take her long for the bartender to confirm that Negan was there. Alden stayed in the car and watched her enter his motel room from a distance. He wasn't happy about staying back, but a woman alone made less people suspicious and he hadn't wanted to kick up a scene in the parking lot. He pretended to be sleeping off some booze, he wasn't the only one doing it.

He waited. As long as everything stayed quiet, everything was alright. Then he saw Maggie being dragged away by a bunch of motel workers. He cursed quietly, that was the quiet over. From now on they had to fight till their sons were home safely.

He couldn't rush after her right straight away, even though that was all he wanted to do. It would only end with a bullet to his head. He waited till they'd dragged inside the lounge. Then he grabbed his gun from the glove box with lightning speed. He was ready for the fight.

He was painfully aware that he wasn't the best fighter. But he hadn't stopped training over the years and he knew he'd gotten significantly more comfortable with it. Maggie had always told him that he made up for it in other ways.

He climbed out of the car as fast as he could and ran inside the lounge. They had Maggie pinned down on a table with a knife to her face. Alden freed his knife and threw it at the woman with the knife before anyone had even noticed him. The knife buried itself inside her shoulder blade.

Maggie used the distraction to kick one of her legs free. She rammed the hell of her boot against the table and a small knife popped out. For good measure she rammed it through the woman's hand.

One of the guys pinning Maggie down let go of her and charged at the bigger threat; Alden. He simply cracked a smile, he had already succeeded at his job. He was the distraction. The man charging towards him was muscular and tall, but unarmed. He had the first swing, but Alden dodged it. Their scuffle continued, moving further into the room.

Maggie fought as well, it didn't even take long. Alden and Maggie were better prepared for it. At the tail end of the fight they saw Negan run past them, fleeing. A girl trailed closely behind him. Maggie tried to pursue them, but tripped over on the unconscious men in her haste. By the time Alden had helped her back to her feet, they were long gone.