Sanctuary

Chapter 6

They'd been driving for about ten minutes. Negan, hadn't said a word since they'd left the outpost, a stony look on his face.

The silence is deafening. Rachel drums her fingers on the passenger door. She leans forward, opening the glove box. "Let's see what we've got in here?" She says, rifling through. Negan's eyes remain on the road. She pulls out three cd's. "What the fuck?" She says, a look of disgust on her face. "Shania Twain, Leanne Rimes...i can't even pronounce that last one." She says, tossing them disappointedly back into the glove box.

A smile, momentarily creeps, at the corner of Negan's mouth. "What kind of music do you like?" Negan asks.

Rachel starts a little. "Mostly indie rock. I'd kill for some Arctic Monkeys right now." She says, brooding.

Negan stares at her, confused. "Who the fuck are the Arctic Monkeys?" He asks. Rachel giggles. "What?" Negan asks, looking baffled.

She looks him in the eye, smiling. "Nothing." She chuckles.

His face softens, his trademark grin returning. "Well whoever the fuck they are, i've never heard of them," Negan says.

"So what's the plan?" Rachel asks.

"Check the town out, see how many dead fucks there are. If there's too many to handle, or too much shit for the truck, i'll radio for more men...No fucking sense in putting a shitload of my men on this. Place is probably fucking picked clean anyway." Negan replies.

~

"Jesus, you weren't kidding," Rachel says, reading a sign that says, Population 298. They see the town, in the distance.

Negan stops the truck. "We've got a good view of the town from up here." He says, taking a pair of binoculars from the glove box, and exiting the truck.

Rachel scans the town below. White houses, with picket fences, a couple of convenience stores, a big white church with a steeple.

She goes through her backpack, finding her own binoculars.

A few walkers roam around, here and there. Not too many to handle. She thinks. She sees the school, zooming in to get a better look. Jackpot! She thinks. "The school might be our best bet," Rachel says.

Negan looks at her, "How's that?" He asks.

"The doors are chained, and there's movement inside. Walkers from the looks of it..in fact..it's crawling with them." She says, still scanning the school.

"What makes that our best bet?" Negan asks.

She looks at Negan. "Maybe it was chained up early on..to keep the walkers in. If that's the case, then it's probably untouched." She answers.

"See that, is why i fucking wanted you with me..i knew you'd be fucking smart as hell," Negan grins.

"So what's the plan?" She asks, smiling.

Negan bites his lip, deep in thought. "I'll radio for some more men, we can get the fuck down there while we wait for them..take out some dead fucks." He smiles.

~

They wander through the streets, Rachel holding her bow, Negan swinging his Lucille.

"Walker." She whispers, drawing her bow.

"Allow me. Lucille hasn't tasted blood in a while..and she, is, thirsty," Negan interrupts. He moves towards the walker, and swings Lucille with his right hand. The walker drops to the ground, its head, a bloody mess. Negan turns to Rachel, grinning from ear to ear.