Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 126.

 The Widow.

Soft sobs escape Iris's body as she looks down at the letter, she wipes her tears and carefully puts the letter back into her pocket, she looks up at the sky and lets the hot tears fall down her cheeks, "um... i'll be back" Iris mumbles standing up, she walks towards the graves and sits down. "I dont know what to do anymore" she mumbles looking down at the dirt.

"i want to kill them all but carl wants me to help them... he wants us to move forward and work together" she continues, she stands up and walks away, Iris pulls out her gun when she sees strangers sat outside the manor, "who are you?" she questions, pointing her gun at them, "Iris, it's okay" Maggie says, walking towards a van with a crate of supplies.

"No spoken word?" the older stranger questions "I'm agreeing to your deal. We'll fill your four crates, then you can go. You're gonna want that to be sooner than later." Maggie explains to the strangers "I accept. But I'm changing the terms. This one, no more. In addition, you can have a sizeable portion of my food stores. From the looks of things around here, you need it far more than we do." the stranger says.

"You're giving us food? In exchange for what?" Maggie questions "Records and good faith. To be clear, this isn't a gift, it's barter. I'll be back. Maybe not for a while, but I will, and by then, I expect great things. Here... is the aforementioned key to a future. Inside, there are handwritten plans for windmills, watermills, silos, hand-drawn schematics, guides to refining grain, creating lumber, aqueducts... A book of mediaeval human achievement so we may have a future from our past." the woman says, taking a book out of the van and handing it to Maggie.

"Yes, I know, the originals are in my head, but I made photocopies. Still, it's been an evolving document since the copy shop." the woman adds "Thank you." "Build this place up. I want those other crates filled when I get back... Cheeses for Hilda, pickles for Midge." "We'll see what we can do." Maggie says "You will." Iris watches the strangers get into the truck and drive off. Iris looks at Maggie for a minute before walking away, sliding her gun into her holster.

.......

Iris stands with some of the others on the watch tower, their guns ready, she grips onto her rifle as the air horn echos through the air, "it's on" Jerry says, Iris climbs down the ladder and walk to Juniper, "ready?" she asks "ready" Juniper answers.

Iris and Juniper stand on both sides of Maggie, holding onto their guns and waiting, the sky goes dark and everyone stands in their position, "Negan. I want to talk to Negan." Maggie says through the walkie to the cars on the other side of the walls, "Well, hello there. You are speaking to Negan, but my birth certificate says "Simon." With whom do I have the distinct displeasure of speaking?" "Maggie. Maggie Rhee. The Widow."

"Well, then. Hello again, Widow Rhee, and allow me to offer my condolences. For what's happened and what's about to happen. In case it's not already plain as Hilltop potatoes, yours truly is speaking on behalf of Negan this go 'round. And I assure you that the man himself personally received your care package next day delivery. I noticed it was the box that I gave you in good faith... Trick's on me. But the bill's come due, and you and your people are gonna have to pay. Quite dearly, I'm afraid."

"Your thirty-eight people are alive and breathing. Turn around and leave us be, and they stay that way. But if you don't, I have bullets that I will personally fire into all thirty-eight." Maggie says before holding the walkie in front of one of the prisoners mouths. "It's too nice a night to spend it dyin' slow, don't you think, Simon?" the man says "How's this gonna go?" Maggie questions Simon.

"Well, Maggie Rhee, this is highly regrettable, but the way I see it, the Saviors you're in possession there are damaged goods. You know, they've got themselves into their own pickle, and this organization prizes those who, "A," avoid capture and, "B," figure out their own shit when said outcome eventuates. Which, in the end, is my way of saying screw them."

"Did you really think that cockamamie play would work?" Gregory says, Iris turns and looks at the man behind her, bawling her hand into a fist she punches the man across the face, "It will." she snaps, looking back at Maggie and giving her a reassuring nod.

Iris looks back out at the walls as she hears the sound of Daryls bike getting closer followed my the sound of gunfire, she watches the gates open and Daryl drives his bike through the gap, stopping in front of the large building, before the saviours can get any further inside the large yellow bus blocks their path.

"Now!" Maggie shouts, Iris and Juniper raise their guns and everyone starts shooting at saviours, Iris lowers her gun and moves Maggie to behind one of the pillars as arrows start hitting people around them. "Take the prisoners to my office. Hold 'em there 'til it's done." Maggie orders.

Iris stays down as she walks down the steps, Juniper sticking close next to her sister, they hide behind one off the cars as they starts shooting the saviours. Iris looks back "Tara!" she screams as she watches the woman drop to the floor. Iris runs over to Tara, shooting the saviours in her path, Enid gets to Tara at the same time, "i'll cover you" Iris says as Enid helps Tara up.

When she knows their away she moves back next to Juniper, she stops shooting at the saviours and shoots at all the lights, they get into their places, Iris and Juniper hide behind one of the cars parked at the building, everything goes quiet and they all duck behind the cars. Iris hears the saviours start to whistle, she grips onto her rifle and looks to her sister hiding next to her, all the car lights turn on and Iris stands, shooting at the saviours.

The saviours start to run but Iris chases after them, shooting as many as she can, Rick and some of the others come from the other side, shooting as well, Iris runs through the entrance, Rick and Maggie doing the same, shooting at the cars as they drive away.

The three of them lower their guns when the cars are gone, "I wanted them dead. All of them. Negan most of all." Maggie explains, "Yeah. Me too." Rick says "Did you see him?" Maggie asks "He wasn't here. I saw him out there. I broke away and tried to kill him... I didn't, but I tried." Rick admits.