Safe and sound, Carl Grimes

070. WE OWE YOU OUR LIVES

Chapter seventy

"We owe you our lives."

Katniss didn't take a straight shot to hilltop, she kept going back and covering her tracks, where as she walked out of the woods, she found a crates lying on the ground, as she walked up and grabbed them, she began heading towards the gate, and as she did, it opened up, as Maggie, Rosita, Michonne, Enid and Carl were standing there "with the handwriting on the letter it can't be the saviors." Katniss shared, walking in, she put the crates down, Maggie walked up and hugged her, she pulled away, putting her hands on her face "I'm fine. It's not my blood." Katniss shared, as Maggie smiled, she turned around, grabbing the letter out of the crates "if you fill the crates with food or phonograph records, I will gladly exchange them for a key to your future?" she read off.

"There looked to be coordinates on there for wherever and whoever sent this wants to meet you." Katniss shared, as Maggie handed it to Michonne "Katniss is right. This isn't the saviors. They'd blow up these gates and make a big show. This isn't that." Michonne shared "I wouldn't put nothing past em." Maggie shared "well, if it is a trap, it's kind of obvious." Rosita shared "which is what makes it a trap." Katniss shared "come on, we'll get you cleaned up." Maggie shared, as her and Katniss began walking off, Katniss stopped noticing the cage full of people "saviors?" she asked.

"What if it's someone who wants to help?" Carl asked, as Katniss stopped, her attention went to the cage full of people while Maggie turned around "if someone is trying to help us and we miss out, we miss out. If somebody is trying to kill us, we die." she shared "not if were careful." Michonne told her "are those saviors?" Katniss asked, as Maggie turned to her "yeah, Jesus told them to surrender, brought them all back here. You can go over if you like, I trust you." she shared, and as she did, Katniss began walking over, but as she got closer, one of those saviors in there looked very familiar "Alden?" she asked.

And when she did, Alden turned around and looked at her "Katniss." he told her, walking toward's the edge of the cage "I thought they killed you." Katniss shared, kneeling down, Alden chuckled, as he kneeled down on the other side "remember what I told you?" he asked her, as Katniss shook her head "things from my time there are fuzzy. But I.." she told him, her hands started shaking again, as Alden reached through the wire and put his hands over her's, they stopped shaking "I remember what they did to you because of me. Tying you to that tree. And whipping you in front of everyone. It was the first place I went when I finally got out of there." Katniss shared "well I wasn't afraid then and I'm not afraid now. I'm with you." Alden shared, squeezing her hand.

While Maggie, Rosita and Michonne had gone off to get ready to leave to check on that letter, Enid went to follow them but noticed Carl watching Katniss and the savior "he's the one that Jesus and Maggie have been negotiating with. And seeing as he hasn't tried to grab her weapons and few of the others seem to be guarding them. I don't think he's gonna hurt her, Carl." Enid shared, but that's not why Carl was watching them, he recalled what Katniss had said to him in the woods before they broke up, how she needed his help, and seeing how the savior cared for her, getting down on her level and reaching for her hands opposed to her weapons, he knew, he was the one who took care of her, who was there for her, when he couldn't be.

Where Katniss had been sitting there all day, as the sound of horns could be heard in the distance "it's time." she said, standing up, Alden did the same inside the cage, the others walked up, as Katniss stepped back, watching them all bring them out and tie their hands, they began heading toward's the building.

Where by nightfall, they all had taken their places, as Katniss was standing next to Maggie, Jerry soon turned from the lookout and gave them the signal that the saviors had arrived, as Maggie turned around "here we go." she said, as Katniss handed her the walkie, Maggie pressed on the button "Negan. I wanna talk to Negan." she told them, letting go of it "well, hello there. You are speaking to Negan, but my birth certificate says, Simon. With whom do I have the distinct displeasure of speaking?" Simon asked, as Katniss rolled her eyes, Maggie pressed down on the button "Maggie. Maggie Rhee. The widow." she told him, letting go of it, and bringing it down.