LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

the greater escape

"The fuck?" Sakiko questions, leaping off the bar stool.

"Uh, uh, uh," Negan waves his finger back and forth.

"Take that finger and shove it up your ass before I shove it down your throat," she hisses with venom.

"Kiko.." Carl gapes.

"The hell are you doing here?" she asks, turning back to Negan, "The hell is he doing here?"

"Your question should stay on him. He's the one that stowed away."

"Carl?" she asks.

"I.." he sighs.

"Piss off," she spits at Negan.

"You should be glad I have other business to attend to," he squints at Sakiko, walking away.

"Dude," she grabs Carl's arm.

"I.. It was too much. I got here and I was just gonna kill him. I couldn't get a shot on him, though."

"Me and my dad are here against our will and you came here guns slinging?"

"After what he did? And then.." he looks around, leaning closer to whisper to Sakiko, "Glenn got back to Alexandria. He told us what happened."

Sakiko breathes out in relief. At least that much had worked out.

"But, you weren't back yet. We thought maybe you went to Hilltop but I went and didn't see you anywhere."

"Do they know about us and Hilltop?"

"No. But, Maggie, Sasha, Hershel, and Nanami are there. Glenn now, too. We went together and I saw him go in the gates."

"Wait.. You 'saw' him go in?"

"I didn't go inside. At least not where anyone saw me."

"Why?"

"I.. If I saw anyone, they would know I was planning something. Then, they would have talked me out of it."

"Nanami would have talked you out of it, you mean."

"Shut up."

Sakiko rolls her eyes, taking a breath to calm down.

"Okay.. What did he say he was going to do to you?"

"He won't tell me."

"Goddammit," she sighs.

"I'm just.. really happy to see you right now."

Sakiko frowns, now seeing the fear in Carl's features. His silence told her everything that he didn't just say. Sakiko pulls him into a hug and Carl lets out a shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Kiko," he whispers in her ear.

She'd been forcing herself to stay strong. She almost lost it at Carl's comfort. But, not yet. She couldn't break yet. Not here. Not now. She sniffles to keep her tears back, pulling away from Carl.

"Things are already messy here," she says, turning to look at where Negan was talking to Amber, "I have no idea what's about to happen. But, something is going down."

--

"Nanami," Sasha waves him over, "I wanna give you a heads up. You can't tell Maggie, though."

"Oh, no. What are you scheming?"

"Jesus is on one of those trucks the Saviors left out on. He's gonna get me the Sanctuary's location."

"Why didn't you ask me?" he frowns, "I need to go anyway. I need to get Kiko and my dad. Why not-"