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"THAT'S WHY WE do it." Daryl Dixon said after Tara reminded them that Rick and whoever was with him was going to ask for the Sanctuary's surrender.
After being shown what the Sanctuary looked like — full walkers in the courtyard, begging to be let in — Ella found herself peering down into the courtyard next to Daryl and Tara. Michonne and Rosita right behind her. They were weighing their options, they had been for the last hour. Attack the Saviors? Wait for Rick to ask for the Saviors surrender? Ella wanted to attack. . . but with the walkers roaming the yard, it was impossible to attack and live. It was suicidal. The odds weren't looking too good.
And Daryl's plan didn't make it any less suicidal. His assurance didn't make things better either.
"So we cover you with crossfire from the upper windows, you crash the truck into the walkers and through to the building." Michonne repeated the plan Daryl put on the table.
"Yep. Crack it open," Tara showed no emotion in her words. "Savior buffet."
Ella couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity they called a plan. "It's a death sentence," she grabbed Daryl's shoulder, turning him toward her. "Daryl, how are you getting out of there?"
"I'll figure it out." he waved her off.
Staring at the horde, the idea of Daryl leaving without being bit was impossible. There was only one person here who could be bit and live.
"You know the workers will make it away, up the stairs?" Rosita questioned.
"They're on the other side of the building. They should make it." Daryl nodded.
"You sure?" Rosita prodded.
"After we do this, their only choice is to give up."
"It's risky. They could see the truck comin'." Michonne's hands were on her hips.
Tara sighed. "There weren't any more weapons at the Savior's warehouse, right?" the three women who were in the warehouse nodded. "No more rockets for the RPGs. We work with what we got."
"You got me." someone from behind spoke softly. Ella jumped. She turned to see Morgan Jones decked out in armor from the Kingdom. He pointed behind him. "Other snipers, too. Saviors see you comin', we got you covered, whatever it takes. I want it done. I want them done."
"Good," Daryl nodded. "So, we doin' this or what?"
Ella put a hand to her forehead. "This is a bad idea. No amount of coverfire will change that. It's a fucking horde of walkers out there. . . I'm all for attacking them to force their surrender, but waiting is the better plan."
Daryl hesitated, his eyes darting everywhere but to Ella. "It can work."
Rosita scoffed. "Michonne and Ella are right. What you're talking about is risky. Things could go bad."
Tara shook her head. "The truck with the speakers took all those walkers away. It almost did go bad. Something else could."
"Even if it don't, we don't got the Kingdom fighters no more," Daryl interjected. "I mean, if the Saviors want to put up a fight, we don't got the numbers to make 'em surrender."
"That's why Rick's talking to the Scavengers." Rosita leaned back into the truck, fingers intertwined.
"You got shot. They lied to us," Tara reminded. "You-You believe them now?"
"I believe in Rick Grimes." Rosita snapped.
As much as Ella wanted to do otherwise, just because Rick got them into this mess she believed in Rick, too. Sure, his decisions costed him people's lives, but not this time. The Saviors were going down by surrendering or fighting and Rick would be the reason why.
Tara walked to Rosita. "I could've done something. . . sooner, to end this. I knew about those weapons at Oceanside and I waited. I didn't do shit about it. With or without you, I'm not letting that happen again." she snapped back at Rosita.
"Then it's without me." Rosita stood from the truck. "I'm out."
Ella looked at the group. "I'm out, too. This is too risky."
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THE SILENCE COMFORTED Ella like a mother's caress comforted a newborn babe. It let her pursue her own thoughts, to let her think. The silence was her own personal friend. Many need to fill the silence and speak for they are uncomfortable with the silence, but not Ella. She had no need to say anything when it was silent. She wanted to just let it be.
And frankly, right now, she needed to think about the Saviors, Rick, and what Rosita was thinking of everything because she needed to know how her friend felt and if when the time came, if Rick couldn't do it, would Rosita help Ella murder Negan to disband the Saviors? Rosita seemed to think highly of Rick and who could blame her? Rick had gotten them through a lot. He led them on when no one else would, or could. He was the reason why the remaining people from the Atlanta group were still alive, even though some of his actions did kill a few of the ones from the Atlanta group. But if he couldn't lead them through to the end of the Saviors disbandment, if he decided he couldn't kill Negan, Ella would kill them all. By herself or not.
Daryl and Tara making sure it'll be done by crashing a truck into the Sanctuary didn't mean Negan and his men would die, it didn't even make sure they were going to surrender to Rick. It was suicide. Ella wanted the Saviors to die just as much as they did, but was killing themselves in the process worth it?
Ella noticed Rosita's guilt riddened face. "What are you thinking?" Ella decided to ask.
"I'm thinking. . . I'm thinking that we should have made them come back with us. I'm thinking they're going to get themselves killed and the lives of all those people working for Negan. . . as slaves. I'm thinking I want to punch them. They deserve it. Why wouldn't they, you know?" Rosita gripped the steering wheel tighter. "I'm thinking I might be angry with them for a bit for not believing in Rick. They're his friends, Michonne is his girlfriend or whatever they are, and they don't believe in him. Who doesn't believe in someone they care for? Certainly not me," she breathed in deeply. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking. . ." Ella leaned her head against the cool glass. Rosita knew damn well what Ella was thinking because Ella thought of it all the time ever since the lineup. Ella didn't think there was any point of telling her. She would only be repeating herself. "I want to go back home to Alexandria."
Rosita smiled. "Did the world outside of Alexandria remind you why you hate it?"
