All Out War

Chapter 43

We got back to the car and headed back to Hilltop.

"Thanks for holding me back," Rosita said from the back seat.

I turned to look at her.

"As much as I wanted to, I don't think I would have gone through with it," she said.

"You could have. I just didn't want to lose you because of him. It wouldn't be worth it, you know," I said.

"Yeah...I guess after everything, he really is our enemy, huh?" she said.

"Seems that way...unfortunately," I said.

Daryl reached for my hand and held it tightly. We drove the rest of the way to Hilltop in silence. When we got to the gates, the sun was about to start setting. We learned that the bag we had gotten from Eugene, held a few rifles. They were loaded and I was looking forward to testing them out. I carried the bag off to the most isolated area in the community. I grabbed the first rifle, aimed it at the tree in front of me and fired.

"Shit. He did it," I told myself.

I grabbed the other and fired again. These weapons were fully operational. If that was the case, then that's what we could expect if they attacked again.

"Hey," Daryl said.

I turned and he walked up to me.

"You left so quickly, I lost ya," he said.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see what it was that we were dealing with," I said.

"And?" he asked.

"He was able to pull it off. Both are fully operational. They'll have enough bullets to take us out if there's another attack," I said.

"Maggie said that she's got a plan B in case that does happen," he said.

"Which is?" I asked.

"We leave. We hide out somewhere for a few days and pick off the ones that come to find us," he replied.

"I don't want to have to keep leaving. I want this done. I want them done and I want Negan dead," I said.

"I do too. But I trust Maggie with whatever she comes up with. She wants that asshole dead just as much," he said.

"No. She wants it more. You know I've been thinking, if we just get Negan, we could give the other Saviors a chance to live peacefully. You said yourself that there are families at the Sanctuary. Kids and the elderly. It wouldn't be right to go in and kill them all. Negan and his way of living is what needs to die. After that, we could start to build something else. I just know it," I said.

He came up and wrapped his arms around me.

"We're that much closer to a future," he whispered.

I leaned back and looked at him.

"A future with you is all I want," I said.

He leaned in and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The sound of the gates opening caused me to pull away.

"Were we expecting someone else?" I asked.

"Don't think so. Let's check it out," he said.

I grabbed the bag and placed the rifles back. We then headed to the front. There were some others that were gathered around when we got there. I caught sight of that rat and hurried over to reach him. I grabbed hold of his collar and punched him square in the jaw.

"What did you tell them, huh?" I asked.

"I didn't...I didn't say anything," Gregory said.

Daryl came and pulled me away.

"What the hell are you doing back here, Gregory?" I asked trying to fight against Daryl's grip.

"To give you all this," he said.

Maggie went up and took the piece of paper he had.

"Put him back in his cell," she said.

Cal and Eduardo took him back to the pen. Daryl then let me go.

"What is it?" I asked going over to her.

She handed what I now saw was a map.

'Tomorrow afternoon – Negan and ten men at the X. Other 11 person teams at each of the circles. End Negan. End the rest. End this,' the note on the right corner read.

I looked at her.

"May have been Dwight," she said.

"Makes sense. He's the only one that we know there," I said.

Daryl had taken the map and was studying it carefully.

"Could be a trap," he said.

"Could be but we don't know that for sure," I said.

Rick and Michonne then came over to join us.

"What it is?" Rick asked.

Daryl handed him the map. He and Michonne looked it over.

"Who brought this?" he asked.

"Gregory," Maggie answered.

Rick looked over at the pen that Gregory was now in again.

"You were right. He did go to the Sanctuary," he said.

"What do you think?" Maggie asked.

"Could be a trap. But we can't know that for sure. We're gonna have to go and check it out. There's no other way to find out," he said.

"So we get ready then," I said.

He nodded.

"I'll study this a little bit more and come up with a plan later. Maggie, I'm gonna need your input," Rick said.

Maggie nodded and they both made their way back the house.

"Did you guys just get back?" Michonne asked.

"Yeah. The place Rosita had told us about is up and running. Eugene is making bullets for the Saviors," I answered.

"Dammit," she said.

"We had him. We were gonna bring him back here but he got away," Daryl said.

"In typical Eugene fashion," I added.

"Where did we go wrong with him?" she asked.

"Eugene is all about Eugene. I wish I had seen it sooner," I said.

"You tend to give people second chances. You don't give up on them. You believe that there's still good people around. You're kind of like Glenn that way. Nothing to blame yourself for," she said.

I chuckled lightly. It was true. Glenn had instilled so much in me that what he taught me was finally catching on.

"Doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I'm sure Glenn would have been proud," I retorted.

Daryl wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead.

"I know he would. Have you eaten something?" she asked.

"Not yet," I said.

"I'll have Charlie make you those grilled cheeses you love so much," she said.

"Thanks, Michonne," I said.

She took off while Daryl and I headed toward our favorite picnic table.