Break Free

Chapter 73 - Now or Never

While still in the meeting with Simon, Negan goes on to explain the situation with Hilltop. He is determined to keep the farmers from leaving, at least until he has things under control again. All of this rebelling against him and the saviors will end, and he wants to do it in a way where he doesn't have to kill everyone, but he still wants to kill Rick, and if it comes down to it he will kill him, not just for him but his family and his people. The hatred he has for the elder Grimes is completely personal, the shit he has done can not be forgiven, and the same with Simon, he has gone to far and Negan plans to put a cease to it once and for all, it's just about waiting for the perfect opportunity do so.

As he stares at the map, Negan explains the plan. "This is the first of our new staging post. See we do not have to take the Hilltop. We just have to make sure that those fuckin' farmers can't leave. So we stay nimble and we stay light. We plink their asses, every time one of them tries to poke their head out. Sometimes right in front, sometimes from a mile a fuckin' way. But we do it every goddamn time"

Negan stops and takes a deep sigh. "Tomorrow afternoon i am going to take a ten head team to this spot" he points on the map, and he feels like he needs to tell Jack about this, but he knows that she will freak out and try to stop him. "I'm stocking up with supplies and ammo that Doctor Smarty Pants is making up. Everyone else here is gonna do the same fuckin' thing, same time, different spot. End of the day tomorrow we will have cache after cache around that Hilltop"

As Negan explains Jack finishes up and gets dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top and plaid long sleeve shirt. Deciding to meet up with Negan, she walks down all the steps, and she is out of breath, still feeling a little stuffy and sick. She makes it to the door which is closed, and she hears Negan's voice, as he speaks to his associates about Hilltop. Jack has no clue what he is talking about, and she hears him saying about a plan, that she didn't know about.

Jack holds off opening the door, not wanting to interrupt the meeting so she stands outside the door eavesdropping in on the conversation and she feels left out and a little pissed off that Negan didn't tell her this first and she wonders why and how long he has even had this plan. It makes her feel bad, and she is upset but she still listens in and waits to confront him when the meeting is done with.

"So we can always be spitting distance from a reload. There will be teams 24/7 around that place...snipin' them one by one, day after day. Until we have full...oh what's the fucking word..attrition" he mocks with hand motions and all the lieutenants look puzzled and Simon has an unsure look on his face, questioning the plan. Jack is still outside the door and Negan has no idea that she is there and listening in on the whole thing. She wants so badly to walk in there and give him shit, but she can't do that, he has to have a reason why he is keeping her in the dark about this right now.

Simon opens his mouth after hearing the plan. "It's an ambitious plan, with testicular heft, i'll give you that. Very happy to have you back, boss man"

"It's damn fucking good to be back. All right everybody clear out" Jack hears those words and she scoots from the door, hiding behind the corner as they leave. "Except you Dwight" Negan holds him back. "Got a few things we need to kick around" Jack watches as Simon leaves and she walks to the door and Negan takes notice of her small frame inside the door way.

"Hey baby, why don't you come join us, sit down here right next to me" he pats the chair beside him as he sits down beside Dwight. Jack walks in and also takes a seat and she is feeling all types of emotions after what she just heard, things are weird now. Negan stares at Dwight, and he looks to be confused as to why.

"You are smart as hell. You know that? I mean after everything, Sherry, the sizzle...you didn't stew, and you didn't do anything stupid. You just went about the business of getting yours. Nothing shook you. You kept your eyes open, on what could keep you alive and well" Jack remembers Sherry, she is gone now but she chose to leave and get herself killed and now well Dwight has to live with it.