Alexandria

Chapter 21

Negan hadn't slept, the whites of his eyes a light shade of red as they stare out into the woods. The sun had risen ten minutes before, and yet they hadn't found her. As he sits there, tears on the brink, his mind races at the thought of what they may have done to her.

They'd spent half the night tripping over one another in the woods before Daryl had managed to convince Negan it was pointless. They weren't going to find her. So they had made their way back to the border, Daryl going over the plan with his men, whilst Negan stared out into the woods with his jaw clenched, his stomach rolling more and more with every hour that passed.

"You alright?" Simon asks as he sits beside Negan.

"What kinda stupid fucking question is that?" Negan snaps.

Simon clears his throat. "I guess it was stupid. You know Rachel though, she's a badass."

"Yeah, she is, but she's also just one woman. One woman who's being held captive by a bunch of fucking savages, and she's been there all damn night!" Negan spits.

"Sorry," Simon says sincerely, dropping his head.

"We should've kept looking for her. What if they've.." Negan shakes his head, the thought of what could be happening to her painful enough without saying the actual words. "If they fucking hurt her, i'll never forgive myself." He runs a hand over his beard, clenching his jaw to bite back tears.

"Daryl thinks they're gonna make a move soon. We've got men out in the woods, that way we can surround them."

"Well good for him," Negan sneers.

Simon nods, rising to his feet. "I'll seeya later." He smiles sympathetically before walking off.

"Here," Daryl says, holding out a bottle of water to Negan. "Don't need ya droppin down on us."

"What's the point?" Negan frowns.

"The point is we need ta win this war, i need my men strong."

"But Rachel is-" Negan starts.

"Rachel wants ta win this war just as much as any of us, that ain't changed. An if ya care bout her, you'll remember that," Daryl says. Negan grabs the bottle and nods. "This'll end today, one way or another. Let's just hope we're on the winning side."

"We fucking are," Negan says as he rises to his feet.

"Good. Now go see Jesus, he's got all the ammo, ya gon need plenty," Daryl says.

~

Rachel stumbles over the ground, Beta's large fingers curling around her arm as he all but drags her through the woods. He'd taken off the gag, but her hands were still tied behind her back, and with Whisperers and the dead in every direction, she'd seen no opportunity to escape.

"You won't win," she says.

"Is that so?" Beta sneers.

"Why don't you turn back while you still can? Kill me if you feel you have to, but if you keep going forward, you'll lose," Rachel tries to reason.

"Look at you, willing to give your life for that worthless maggot. If you think i do not realise the reason you wish me not to go forward, then you must think me a fool. You know i will crush that very maggot that you hold so dear. Maybe i will let you live long enough to watch him die, you can die together, that would bring me great joy." Beta smiles.

"Whether you kill us both or not, you'll die."

"Keep quiet, unless you wish for the dead to notice you," Beta warns her.