Dead Silent

Chapter 5

Negan sits on the back of a truck next to Kirsty. "Damn this is good," he smiles through a mouthful of food. "Janet really knows her shit. I mean, did you ever think you'd get to eat bread again?"

Kirsty shakes her head, chewing on a mouthful of food. She washes it down with a sip of water, then covers her mouth, letting out a cough.

Negan jumps at the side of her. "Holy fuck! Was that you?"

Kirsty stares at him then nods.

"You scared the shit outta me. I almost choked on my fucking sandwich," he chuckles.

Kirsty smiles. Shame, she mouths.

"Shame? Oh, you mean it's ashame i didn't choke on my sandwich?" He smiles. "That's fucking cold, sweetheart."

Kirsty shrugs, taking another sip of water. She coughs again.

Negan stares at her, an amused look on his face. "That's weird as fuck."

Thanks, she mouths sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that," Negan frowns. "I just.. i haven't heard you make a single noise since i met you. I didn't think that you could."

She takes another drink and coughs again.

Negan raises an eyebrow. "You can tell me to mind my damn business. But that cough, do you have that for the same reason you can't talk?"

Kirsty nods and takes out her notepad. Sometimes i struggle to swallow.

Negan grins. "That's not something a guy wants to hear."

She turns to him, frowning.

"Sorry," he chuckles. "I couldn't fucking help myself, it was such an obvious joke."

Kirsty rolls her eyes and goes back to eating her sandwich.

~

Negan and his men watch as the herd from the ground floor clears, led away by a truck playing it's speaker's full blast.

"Let's hope the fucking first floor goes this smoothly," Negan says. He turns to Kirsty. "You still up for this?"

Kirsty nods.

"You sure? Because if you're not, i can get one of my men to cover my ass."

I'm sure, she mouths.

"Let's get fucking to it then," he smiles, heading inside.

They make their way back up the escalator, Negan with a set of bolt cutters in one hand, and Lucille in the other. He stands outside the doors of the store. The shutters are already up, just a rusty chain kept the dead locked in. Negan holds the bolt cutters under the chain. He turns to Kirsty.

"You ready? Soon as i cut this, those fuckers are gonna come flying out of here. I'm gonna be really fucking pissed with you if these guys turn me into a fucking Negan buffet," he jokes as he kneels in front of the door. For a moment, he really doubts his decision to have just her there. What the fuck is he actually thinking? Giving his enemy the advantage like this? Christ, if she wanted to, she could just push him into the herd, or hit him with a stray bullet. What the fuck could his men do about it?

Kirsty stands a few feet from the escalator. She holds the rifle in the crook of her shoulder. She aims toward the doors, and nods.

Fuck it! Negan shrugs, and he cuts the chain. The dead burst out of the doors. Negan takes a step back as they lunge towards him, eager for fresh meat. The sound of gunfire fills his ears as Kirsty takes out as many as she can. He runs towards her. "Come on! Let's get the fuck out of here!" He yells.