Bloodlines.

Chapter Three : We are All Negan

Alyssa's head snapped toward Glenn the moment the voice on the walkie mentioned Maggie and Carol. Glenn's face was pale, panic clear in his wide eyes. Maggie was being held hostage—and she was pregnant.

Alyssa turned next to Daryl, who was clenching his jaw, his body tense. Carol was taken too. Carol, had been like a mother to Alyssa and a best friend to Daryl.

The group knew Alyssa would tear the world apart to get to them. Maggie was the last breathing connection Alyssa had to Beth, and carol like a mother too her since Atlanta, the thought of losing either of them was unbearable.

Alyssa gritted her teeth, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. Rick, sensing the tension building in her, stepped in and took back control of the walkie.

"We need to know our people are alive," Rick said firmly, his voice steady but filled with an underlying tension.

There was a pause, the group holding their breath as they waited. Finally, the walkie crackled again, and two familiar voices came through.

"I'm here," Carol's voice said, calm but clear.

"Me too," Maggie added, her tone steady but strained.

Alyssa exhaled sharply, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. She caught Glenn doing the same, his face still pale but his breathing steadying now that he knew Maggie was alive.

Rick's gaze hardened as he looked at the man on the ground, then back to the walkie. "One of yours for ours," he said, his voice firm as he motioned toward the captive Savior kneeling by the motorcycle.

There was a pause before the walkie crackled again, the voice on the other end filled with dark amusement. "Doesn't seem fair. Two for one."

Alyssa's teeth clenched harder, her fury barely contained. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her weapon tightly, every instinct in her screaming to act, to take back what was theirs. But she held herself in check, waiting for Rick to decide their next move.

Rick's voice remained calm but firm as he spoke into the walkie. "You don't have another choice... or you would've done something about it already."

There was a long pause on the other end. The group stood in tense silence, their eyes darting between the walkie and the man kneeling on the ground. Alyssa's fingers twitched against her weapon, her frustration barely contained as she glared at the motionless device.

Rick noticed her agitation but kept his focus. "I know you're talking it over," he said evenly. "But he's a fair trade. Just come out, we do this, and we all walk away."

The silence stretched on before the walkie crackled again, the voice replying with an infuriatingly calm tone. "I'll get back to you."

Alyssa snapped. "FUCK!" she shouted, kicking the dirt in frustration as her emotions boiled over. She paced for a moment, her breathing sharp as she tried to calm herself, but it was clear she was barely holding it together.

Rick glanced at her but didn't say anything. He knew how much this weighed on her. He also knew they couldn't afford any rash moves, not yet. "Hold it together," he said quietly, his voice meant only for her.

The group waited around the satellite station for what felt like hours. The tension in the air was thick, every second stretching into eternity. Alyssa paced back and forth across the grounds, her boots crunching against the dirt. Her frustration was palpable, her movements restless and sharp.

Daryl tried to calm her down, stepping into her path and speaking in a low, steady voice. "Lyss, you gotta keep it together. This ain't helpin'."

But Alyssa brushed him off, her pacing never faltering. "Don't tell me to calm down, Daryl. Not when it's Carol," she snapped, her voice tight with anger and worry.