Tour Guide ➣ Carl Grimes

31. Stoic or Scared

The Saviors had them all kneel in a line. Rick and Abraham helped Maggie down, careful that she didn't fall when she was finally on the ground. Hannah kneeled beside Carl, who kept his face ahead. The ground below her was cold and hard, digging into Hannah's knees as she put her weight onto them. If she herself wasn't in the situation, she might have been interested to see how everyone reacted. Carl and Abraham kept themselves like stone, unmoving against the Saviors' taunts. Eugene didn't bother to hide his fear. Blood ran across his face and it was clear they had already beaten him. He had no reason to pretend. Hannah wondered what she might have looked like. Was she stoic or was she scared? And how would she look by the end of this?

"Dwight!" The main Savior called out to someone Hannah couldn't see.

"Yeah?" A voice called back and Hannah knew who it was. It was the same Dwight from the tracks.

He walked over to a van that was parked just behind some of the other Saviors. Hannah had seen it as they lined up, noticing the bullet holes that were scattered on the back doors, but hadn't had time to think much of it.

Dwight knocked on the side of the rusting van, "Come on," He spoke, "Got people to meet."

Hannah couldn't stop herself from crying when she saw Daryl stumble from the van, a blanket wrapped around him, his body bloody and beaten. She quickly covered her mouth with her dirt-covered hand, holding in what she could. Daryl's eyes immediately found hers and he looked so broken. Behind him came Michonne, Rosita, and Glenn, all pulled from the bed of the van. She couldn't watch as Glenn found Maggie, vulnerable as she tried to hold herself up. Hannah turned back to Daryl. He was so strong. He was always so strong. If Rick couldn't do anything, he would have to. She knew he could do it.

Hannah stopped her sobs, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She pulled her face tight, just like how she knew Daryl would. Then she looked ahead, stoic.

"All right! We got a full boat!" the lead Savior stood in front of the RV, "Let's meet the man!"

He knocked on the side of the RV and everyone held their breath. It felt like hours before someone stepped out, but they could only hear his heavy boots on the metal stairs. As he emerged, Hannah saw what was in his hand. He held a bat, just like the ones she had played baseball with growing up, but now with thick, barbed wire wrapped around its head.

"Pissing our pants yet?" He smiled at them, "Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close." The man with the bat eyed them all as he slowly walked down the line. "Yep. It's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon. Now," He stopped walking, "Which one of you pricks is the leader?"

Immediately, the man who Hannah could now only assume was not the lead Savior, but rather, some sort of right-hand, spoke first.

"This one, right here," He pointed down at Rick, "He's the guy."

The man with the bat started toward Rick, a smug smile on his face.

"Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan."

This was Negan. The real Negan.

"And I do not appreciate you killing my men," he continued as Rick eyed him through his hair, "Also when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool."

Hannah made a face as he spoke, like none of this was a big deal. Like it was all some kind of joke.

"You have no idea how not cool that shit is. But, I think you're gonna get up to speed real shortly." Negan paused, "Yeah, you're so gonna regret crossing me in a few minutes. Yes, you are. You see, Rick, whatever you do, no matter what, you do not mess with the new world order. And the new world order is this, and it's really very simple. So even if you're stupid, which you very may well be, you can understand it. You ready? Here goes, pay attention." Negan leaned down closer to Rick, almost like he was speaking to a child, and pointed the bat toward him. "Give me your shit or I will kill you."