Destined to Lose: The 5th book

Chapter 9: Wiped Out

I follow Simon down towards his crew here at the sanctuary and one of them asks, "so we lighting up the Hilltop?"

Simon snarks back, "gonna sit on our dicks a bit more. Alas, we're going to the landfill."

He goes to head out the door but turns around and sarcastically adds, "no worries, Gary. Not a single one in the world." Loud enough for the entire crew to hear. I sit in between Gary who's driving and Simon who has a gun resting on my leg. "Negan might trust you, but I don't. Try anything, I shoot to kill." He told me as we were getting in. We pull up to the garbage home and I follow Gary who is behind Simon, with someone else now in charge of watching me. As we walk in, everyone is pulling their guns out and getting them ready for a fight. Simon hollers loudly, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Nellie! Everybody keep their horses inside the gate! After all, we're friends. Right?" Janis has stepped away from whatever it was she was doing and nods towards Simon to agree they are indeed friends. Her people lower their weapons and he goes on, "now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the brass tacks. Bottom line, I'm gonna need an apology. The genuine article. Now, I know you had your little side deal with Rick. You came to our home, pretty much arm in arm. This despite the pre-existing arrangement with us." He lets it sit with her for a moment before continuing, "now you know we saw you, because we tried to kill you. So.." he sighs heavily, "you've had plenty of time to prepare something." She just stares at him and he clicks his tongue, frustrated, "heartfelt act of confession, I hope." She doesn't budge and he sucks his teeth and takes in a big inhale, "feel free to refer to any notes you may have prepared."

Janis simply answers, "No deal with Rick. Delivered him. Brought to you. But you shot."

"Bull-shit!" He yells drastically. He inhaled even more to try and calm himself, "but no need to worry. Cause you caught yourself a break... a big ol' break, if you ask me. Negan is graciously willing to forgo any punishment, provided you agree to revert to the agreed-upon terms of our deal. You do that... all is forgiven. That's some crazy good luck, right?" She just looks at him. He sucks at his teeth again, walking around her, "However, we will be taking all your guns and ammunition."

"Not our deal." Janis grits.

"No, it isn't." He agrees, "but we currently have a need. And as friends, you will grant us this neighborly gesture as a sign of good faith."

One of the people standing near Janis steps closer and says, "dangers everywhere. Need guns, too."

Simon corrects her, "not when you got us. And if and when the time comes for you to have guns, the Saviors will provide them for you. Spit-shined, ready to go." Janis' people all start to murmur and whisper to one another but Janis holds up her hand and nods, and everyone stops, lowers their guns to give up. "Thank you." Simon smiles and whistles. All of his men besides the one watching me move to collect all their guns. Simon walks over to where she was standing before, where it looks like she was painting and asks, "mm, is this you? It's not bad. You learn before or after?"

Janis takes a moment respond, "don't learn. This? Come to know."

"Oh. Why the dump?" He then asks and scoffs while looking around, "I mean, there had to be a better place to call home."

Janis quickly responds, "our place. Ours."

"What's the deal with the helipad in back?" He further questions, "the solar panels? What was this place?

Janis simply answers, "a dump."

Simon clearly annoyed with her response growls back at her "I want to know if you know."

"You have guns. We have deal?" She asks, wanting this to be done.

Simon squints around at us and then her people and replies, "it occurs to me that I've not yet received the full definition of an apology. I feel like I've gotten some transgressional acknowledgment, the guns certainly cover restitution. But what I'm not yet feeling... is the remorse."

"There is remorse." Janis replies flatly.

Simon picks up his gun and shoots the man behind her. Janis, clearly upset tries again, "there is remorse." Simon points it to the women behind her and Janis yells, "NO!"

He shoots the women and yells, "say it again!

Janis lunges to punch him and with all her emotion yells to him, "there is remorse, you son of a bitch!"

Simon gets up from the ground and smiles, "Ohhh. No, no, no." He starts to laugh, "Ohh! Ah." He wipes the blood off his gun, "I don't think you mean that." He turns to all the men behind him and hollers, "light it up, gents." Everyone instantly murmurs to one another but he yells louder, "Light it up now!" And everyone listens, killing every single person Janis has with her, as she watches in horror.

Janis is on the ground, crying when it's all done. Everyone picks up the weapons they came with and the ones they got and begins to head out. Gary pushes me out with a nudge of a pistol against my back and I turn to leave, my heart pounding for Janis as she looks out at her people.

When we get back into the van, Simon drives back. Most of the drive is quiet, but as we begin pulling into the Sanctuary, Simon growls under his breath, "you keep your mouth shut and I won't have to kill you." I simply nod, knowing all as hell I won't keep my mouth shut. Negan told him to kill one, and he killed everyone but one. He was greedy with power, and all those innocent lives were taken. They weren't suppose to be dead. Simon gets out first, then Gary, and finally I get out, meeting everyone else at the back of the truck. Simon is saying to Negan, "want me to turn back around, roll out, end the mystery"

Negan replies with a sigh, "I already sent a team out there."

Simon responds with a chipper tone, "Ah. Well, I'm sure he's A-okay. And if not, we'll just send another message."

Negan asks, "so, tell me how it went."

"Standard message and delivery. Showed 'em and told 'em." He gives me one quick glance and I look down, to pretend to his ego that I'm scared of his threat to me. "there was remorse."

Someone calls out, "Negan!"

"Yeah. What is it?" He asks the Man.

He replies holding out a walkie, "it's Rick."