Shattered sights ( temporarily on hold)

Drive, just drive

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Negan trots along behind me. His outrageous personality seems to have dampened  into thoughtful silence. At least he's Shut up since almost loosing his foot to a bear trap. I don't think his silence will last long.

There she is. My truck. still parked slightly off to the side of the wet road. The rain has washed off the dirt I smudged on the windows to make my truck look abandoned. I pry the keys from my pocket. Swinging them around my finger. The metal stings.

"Hand them over." Negan demands. He outstretches his hand waiting for me to drop my keys into his open palm.

"Okay, I understand you own my truck, you technically own ma sorry ass but I aint gonna listen to ya burn my clutch out." I admit clamping my hand around my keys.

Negan laughs. "Badass, the strongest southern accent I've ever head. And you drive a big badass stick shift vehicle. You're just to good to be true. I won't burn you're clutch out. Promise." He crosses his heart before holding his hand out again for the keys.

Reluctantly I hand over my keys. "I shouldn't be trusting you. Go easy on the gas. I've only got about twenty- thirty miles left." Negan nods handing over his baseball bat.

I weigh the object in my hands for a moment, only slightly heavier than my machete. I throw a quick test swing. It's nice. I can see why he chose it.

"Lucille looks even more threatening in your hands!" Negan hoots. I scrunch up my nose. The bat loosing its appeal. He named it? Seriously? I've lost any recpect I had for this man.

"Don't give me that look! Get in." He orders. I open the passenger door, and hoist myself inside. Negan follows suit. "This is a beauty. What year?" He asks turning on the ignition.

My answer is drowned out as the sky opens up. The roar of the rain pelts the roof like bullets. Visibility drops to nothing in seconds. I watch in awe. So glad I got out of this. The camp would have flooded.

"Mother Nature is looking for vengeance!" Negan exclaims. I lean over cranking the wipers on to high. They barely keep the constant pour off the windshield. I'd rather not watch Negan total my truck in this weather But even I would have been a risk of totaling my truck.

"Scared?" He asks as he drives down the center road. "Nah. I'd rather know you can see the road and know ya ain't  crashin' my truck then watch you do so and die in a ditch." I retort. Mateo suppresses a chuckle in the back seat.

"What are you laughing at kid?" Negan glances into the rear view. "Nothing sir. I had something stuck in my throat." He answers.

Negan smiles. "It's Negan kid. No need for 'sir'." That at least earned back some respect. He's got a decent impression on kids, despite having scared probably everyone For life.

I reach over again, turning the heater on. I try not to turn it up to high. Negan seems fairly dry. He probably won't like it if I try to boil him to death. But I've lost the feeling in my finger tips and toes.

"Cold?" He points out.

I shrug. "Nothing I ain't used to sleepin' in a tent." I answer rubbing my fingers.

"Your turning purple, Jesus!" He cranks the nob all the way to max heat. "I'll have one of my guys give you two a room. I'll also tell him to give you a run down of the building. I have to go talk to my wife." He explains as we round a corner. Squinting into the rain I can make out the tail lights of another vehicle. Negans convoy.

"You've gotta wife? Huh. Didn't peg you for that kind of guy." I retort with a shrug. I wrap my hands around the heating vent. Glancing into The back seat to see Mateo has passed out wrapped in a towel I kept in the trunk.

Negan raises an eyebrow. "What kind a guy you peg me for?" He shoots back. Wrong conversation to have started with this man.

"Well, I don't know... I just-"

"Now you're lying. What kind of guy did you peg me for. Be honest. I'm not gonna get mad, I'm curious." He interrupts. I glance nervously out the window into the rain.

"Hard as stone. No attachments. Worked for special forces or sum shit before the world shit the bed." I rub my neck.

Negan chuckles nodding his head. "Good to know."

we sit in a few minutes of peace. The rain drumming the roof to keep the truck from being completly silent.

"Welcome to the sanctuary!"

I Jump in surprise. So does Mateo, startled from sleep by negans exclimation.

I don't see nothing through the rain at first. But as we approach it becomes more and more clear. The fence line stretches what seems like at least a mile or so in each direction. The first line of defense, eight men standing soaked to the bone with guns around the perimeter. A few more near the gate. Then the second line of defense, a sea of skin walkers staked to the ground or to the fence. The space between them is barely enough to fit a car through. This small path stretches from the gate up to the main compound. This is the final thing to come into view.

It's massive. A solid concrete building that is several stories tall. It appears as an old mill or heavy machines factory. Three smoke stacks crown the building. Stray flashes of orange light glow on the roof. Snipers. The forth line of defense.

The saviors May be ruthless but they seem to have learned one thing. They know how to survive.