Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Ninety-nine.

Not so good.

Iris stares at the ground next to Rick as the saviours carry the guns past them, Negan stood in front of them, "You know what today is, Rick? Today is a banner day. Yes, it is. I think this little arrangement we have is gonna work out just fine. Hold up." Negan says, Iris looks up to see Daryl walking past them with some of the guns, Negan takes one of the guns and Daryl continues to walk, trying his hardest to ignore Rick and Iris, especially when Iris looks so scared and broken.

"Let's see if you've been taking care of my guns." Negan says, Iris watches him lift the gun and point it at Daryl, but he lifts it and shoots a window above them, "Feels good. Sounds good! Oh, I do believe Lucille's gettin' a little jealous. Well, ho-ly smokes! Look at this!" he says, taking the large weapon from one of his men, "It was you guys that took out Little Timmy and the dick Brigade? Wow, Rick. Gettin' in your last licks. Ooh, man, I'm gonna have some fun with this." the man says.

"Please, I-I don't know for –" Oliva pleads as she gets dragged out of the basement, "Arat, we don't do that unless they do somethin' to deserve it." Nnegan says "Yeah, we went through the inventory. guns in the armoury, guns they had around the walls, they're short. GLOCK 9 and a .22 Bobcat." Arat explains "Is that true?" Negan asks "We had some people leave town. Those guns probably went with them." Rick explains

"So Olivia sucks at her job. Is that what you're sayin'?" Negan questions "No. No, I'm not sayin' that." Rick says, "There should be a full accounting here, right? Top to bottom. Am I right?" Negan asks "No. I mean, yes. The inventory is correct." Olivia says, "Good. But not so good, too. You see, what's in here... isn't in there. You're two handguns short. Do you know where they are?" "No. I..." Olivia status "That's disappointing, Rick. I thought that we had an understanding. But this -- well, this shows that someone's not on board, and I can't have that. I don't enjoy killing women. Men -- I can waste them all the live long. But at the end of the day, Olivia, my dear, this was your responsibility." Negan says.

"Look, we can work this out." Rick says "Oh, yes, we can. And I'm going to -- right now." Negan says, turning and looking at Oliva who is now crying "This was your job, and you screwed up. Keeping track of guns? That shit... is life and death." Negan says. "Rick, why don't you go find me my guns and Iris can keep me some company." Negan says.

Iris sits at the garden table, Negan and Olivia sitting on the opposite side, she keeps her eyes on the floor, her hands in her lap as she picks at the skin around her nails, "y'know... i like you Iris" Negan says "you would be great on my team... be my right hand woman" Negan explains, he stands up, Iris stands up and follows behind him and Olivia.

"What you got for me, Rick?" Negan questions, jumping down from the back of a loading truck, Iris keeps her head down, "Well, would you look at that? They were here after all. Funny how a little 'Holy shit! Somebody's gonna die!' lights a fire under everybody's ass!" Negan says as Olivia cries more, "So, tell me, Rick -- which one of your fine folks almost cost Olivia the rest of her days?" he asks "It doesn't matter anymore." Rick says "No, it matters. See, you need to get everybody on board. Everybody. Or... we just go right back to square one." Negan explains, signalling his men to shut the truck.

They follow Negan back to the gate just as Rosita and Spencer pull into Alexandria, "Hell of a place you got here, Rick." Negan says "Give me a second." Rick requests, looking at Michonne standing in the church outside the walls, "No." Negan says "Please, can you just... give me a second?" Rick asks, Negan nods and Rick runs to the woman.

"Look at this!" Negan says turning and looking at Michonne as she walks towards them "I thought she was scavenging. She was hunting. This one never came inside. We kept it near the line." Rick explains, handing a gun to Negan "Look at this. This is something to build a relationship on. Good for you, Rick. This is readin' the room and gettin' the message. I've said it before, I'm gonna say it again. You, sir...are special." Negan says.

"Now that you know we can follow your rules..." Rick says "Yes?" Negan asks "...I'd like to ask you if Daryl can stay." Rick says "Not happenin'. You know what? I don't know. Maybe Daryl can plead his case. Maybe Daryl can sway me. Daryl?" Negan asks looking at the man, Iris looks at Daryl as he keeps his eyes low, "Well, you tried. Now what you got to do is get over that tall wall of yours and try harder out there. Earn for me. Because we're coming back soon, and when we do, you better have something interesting for us, or Lucille, she's gonna have her way. I want you to hear that again. If you don't have something interesting for us... somebody's gonna die. And no more magic guns." Negan explains.

"And one more thing" he says, Iris looks at him preparing herself for what he might say next, "i'm goin' to be takin' Iris with me" he says, smiling at the woman, "why?" Rick questions, "because Rick, I can do whatever i want" Negan says, "Rick it's fine... i'll go" she says looking at Negan, one of the saviours comes up behind Iris and aggressively pulls something over her head, her vision goes black, her arms get pulled behind her and rope gets wrapped around her wrists. "Arat, grab that deer. It's getting late. Let's go home." Negan says, Iris stumbles as she gets dragged away.