My Damaged Protector

Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Arrow on the Doorpost

It had been two days since we sent Andrea back with the request of a meet up with the Governor. Rick had decided to go with Hershel, Daryl, and I as backup in case the other community tried anything. Rick was a little hesitant on me joining them, concerned for Judith's safety, but I had assured him that Maggie could handle watching the little girl for a few hours.

"Take care of her. Everything she would need is in my cell, and please keep Jasper inside, I don't want anything happening." I was watching Maggie bounce the baby while Carl and Jasper ran around the courtyard outside.

"They'll be fine. Be careful." She smiled and waved as I got on the back of Daryl's bike, while Hershel and Rick got in another car. Merle was the one to open the gate and let us out, getting a soft smile and a wave from me as we passed.

The location of the meet was a solid hour ride from the prison, Rick wanting to keep the man away from our home incase anything were to happen. I spent the ride with Daryl's bow slung over my back, along with one of our new riffles, and my arms around his waist as the wind whipped through my hair. We were the first to get there, me handing the bow off to Daryl and joining Hershel over by the car, sitting up on the hood as we watched for any other people.

Daryl and Rick had wondered off to the large barn we parked beside where the meet would take place as Hershel and I kept watch for any threats. My hands sat ready in my lap, a gun on my thigh and two knives strapped to my belt on the other side. "He's already in there." Daryl commented as he rejoined Hershel and I. "Sat down with Rick."

My eyebrows raised. "I don't see any other cars." As Hershel looked around again.

"This don't feel right." My eyes locked on Daryl to see what we were going to do. "Keep it running." He tapped the hood of the car beside me, staying fairly close to my side. An engine rumbled from somewhere passed the trees around us, making all three of our head's pop up. "Heads up." Daryl pointed over to where a tan SUV was approaching.

My hands held a bit tighter to the riffle sitting on my lap, watching as the very ugly and neglected car rolled to a stop, screeching as the breaks were applied. Andrea stepped out of the passenger side along with two other men we had never met before. Daryl's bow was instantly drawn up in a ready-to-fire position, making his way closer to my side.

"What the hell? Why is your bow already in there?" I questioned the three, hand tightening yet again on the gun.

"He's here?" Andrea looked confused, like no one had told her the real plans for the day.

"Yup." Daryl nodded and lowered his bow, helping me to slide off the hood of our car as Andrea stomped off into the barn that held Rick and the Governor. Hershel shut the car off and made his way around the front, stopping beside Daryl and I.

"Maybe I should go inside." He wondered. The odds of Rick and the Governor needing a middle man through all this tension were high, but we didn't want to start anything either.

One of the men that came with Andrea spoke up, pushing classes up his nose. "The Governor thought it be best if he and Rick spoke privately." He was scribbling in a notebook as he spoke to us.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl questioned, his hands on his hips.

"Milton Mammoth." The man barely even glanced up to look at us.

"Oh great, he brought his butler." Daryl's joke made me smile, as well as the Latino man that also came with Andrea.

"I'm his advisor." Milton argued back.

"What kind of advice?" I wondered, truly curious on what the man needed an advisor for in this world.

Milton sighed, setting his pencil in his notebook, and closing it. "Planning, biters, you know. I'm sorry, I don't feel like I have to explain myself to the henchmen." A glare set in his gaze, directed at me for the questions.