Heartless ➳ TWD² [COMPLETED]

Chapter XXVIII ➳ Bounty

➳ AS soon as Kelly ran back behind the gates, she ran up to the guard-post to join the rest of us watch Alpha and her ground back behind the gate. However, Kelly was only looking for her sister and was hopeful that she was safe out there.

To my surprise, Tara opened her mouth and called out to Alpha: "Our community is more than capable of defending itself!"

You got that right, I thought to myself, having my hand on my gun on my waist. Oh, man, I was ready for this fight.

"I show you my face because we mean you no harm," Alpha replied, trying to throw us off. We all knew who she truly was — and that was one truly evil bitch. "I just want my daughter. I know you have her."

I gulped and glanced over to Daryl, wondering rather or not he was going to give the girl up so easily. To no surprise, he countered: "You should turn around. Leave now and no one gets hurt."

In a way, I agreed with Daryl on this and, without turning away from glaring down Alpha, I whispered to him: "Just tell me when. I'm ready."

"Wrong answer," Alpha called aloud before holding her right hand up. Then, just like that, others started to appear, waking right across our crops out there. The others joined up with her and those that were already there.

Kelly whispered to us, "They don't see her." She means Connie, and I'm internally thankful for that. "Least not yet."

"That girl told me what her mom does to her," Daryl grunted out, as I listened in. Probably abuse, as I suspected. "We ain't sending her back to that."

"Yeah, but what if she has Alden, Brie, and Luke?" Tara countered, thinking of our people before the girl. "Pissing her off can get them killed."

"Fuck that," I cursed, practically spitting the words right out. "We ain't gonna let her walk away so easily if she's already killed them. I bet my life on that."

Magna suddenly took in what I said before turning her head to the outside and calling out, "Did you kill our friends? We found their horses."

My breath remained caught in my throat while we waited on an answer that could either break us or make this all better.

To my surprise, Alpha called back: "No." I was instantly relieved, but I had my suspensions that she could just be lying to us. "Which one of you leads these people?"

I gulped and glanced over Tara before turning to look at Daryl, pursing my lips. He grunted back, "What the hell does it matter?" He had that right.

"Then, I'll just address all of you," Alpha countered, more hostile than before. She was breaking from this good persona that she was trying to put on for us. "Your people crossed into our land. There will be no conflict. Your people killed our people. There will be no conflict. I'm done talkin'. Bring me my daughter, or there will be conflict."

Oh, that's it! "Hey!" I called out, not being to keep my mouth shut any longer. Alpha turned her eyes just on me. "You wanna talk 'bout conflict? Your people killed my twin brother! There will be fucking conflict for that!"

"Tess," came Tara's warning tone, as she took ahold of my shoulders and held me back. "Stop. There doesn't have to be any more trouble. Okay?"

"Fuck them! They—!"

"Stop," Daryl grunted out, staring me down. "No one touches the girl."

He started to leave and we all turned to watch him. "Daryl? Daryl, stop."

Instead of staying up there with Tara and them, I decided to follow Daryl. We went down the ladder and were immediately ambushed by both Enid and Henry, while I saw Mollie and Tory standing with Earl and Tammy close by.