Rise Up

Chapter 16

We all filed into Gregory's office. He was shocked at seeing us all in there.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"We have a proposition for you," Maggie said.

"Which is?" he asked in the same annoying tone.

"Getting rid of the Saviors. For good," I said.

"And what is it that you're proposing exactly? I'm assuming you all have a plan of some sort? Because that really helped the last time," he said sarcastically.

I knew that we had to go to him because he was in charge. But we were wasting our time. There was no convincing this asshole.

"We get our numbers up and then we attack," Rick said.

Gregory scoffed and looked at us. We were being serious and he saw it.

"No. No way in hell! That was not the deal. You failed the first time. So any arrangement we had is now done. Null and void. We aren't trade partners, we aren't friends, and we never met. Hmm? We don't know each other," he said.

He then took a seat.

"So it's better for us to just cower and take all the crap the Saviors give us? To just kneel? Gregory, you owe us," I said.

He looked at me.

"I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me for taking in the refugees, at great personal risk," he said.

I scoffed and crossed my arms.

"Oh, you were very brave staying in here while Maggie, Sasha and Amelia saved this place. Your courage was inspiring," Jesus said.

"Hey, don't you work for me? Aren't we friends?" he told him.

"Gregory, we already started this," Rick said.

"You started this," he retorted.

"You really think that's going to make a difference? You agreed to the deal so 'we' started it," I said.

"And we're gonna win," Rick said.

"These are killers," Gregory argued.

"Is this how you want to live? Under their thumb, killing your people?" Rick asked.

"S-Sometimes we don't get to choose what life looks like. Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have," Gregory said.

He was really annoying the hell out of me. Even more than usual which I never thought could be possible.

"How many people can we spare? How many people here can fight?" Maggie asked.

"'We'? I don't even know how many people we have, Margret. And does it even matter? I mean what are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum farmers? 'Cause that's what we got. They grow things. They're not gonna want to fight," he replied.

"You're wrong. When people have the chance to do the right thing, they usually step up. I mean, people just..." Tara started but was cut off.

"L-Let me stop you before you break into song, okay?" Gregory said.

I rolled my eyes.

"And by the way, who would train all this cannon fodder?" he asked.

"I will," Sasha said.

"Give me a week," Rosita interjected.

"Rhetorical, okay? I don't want to know and I never want to hear another word about any of it, ever," he said