"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I don't think I got you're name."
"Because I didn't tell ya my name,"
When survival is no longer living its time to take back their world from the dead. Can they do it together or is being so similar to each other more toxic...
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I trail along behind Negan with a rag pressed under my nose. I watch him lead me through the compound towards the armory.
"Danny has been relieved of his position as a scout. We need a replacement. I know you can handle you're self out there and you said something about being a survival instructor?"
I nod my head. Wiping tears off.
"I was a survival counselor for sum outdoors camp for youth. It was ma brothers idea." I admit.
"So that wasn't a lie? You have brothers?" Negan turns around, taking casual practiced steps backwards. One eye brow arched over his dark eyes.
"Had. Dallas, Jasper, and Mikala, jaspers wife. They all served in the marines. Mateo is their son. Dallas and jasper refused to have me on the force. Suggested I take up a survival course. It stuck I guess. Dallas went MIA before shit hit the fan. Mikala was in a car accident. And Jasper... he died." I rub my forearm as a familiar tingling spreads down it.
"Oh shit. Well guess survival of the fittest I guess." He jokes. I give back a weak smile.
"More like survival of the least likely." Negan shakes his head at my comment and shoves a set of metal doors open. Inside three men stand around guarding the large supply of weapons. The three men drop to their knees as Negan strides inside.
"Where is Dannys shit?" Negan demands.
"Right here sir." One man quickly grabs a small container and dumps its content across the table in the center of the room. Among the things to tumble out are my machetes, wrapped in their cases.
"Go grab them." Negan instructs. I rush across the room, scooping up my blades gently. "Do ya got a stone and cloth?" I ask the guard that dumped everything out. He tosses the small stone at my face, a canvas cloth wrapped around it.
Plucking it from the air I turn back to Negan who offers my walkie talkie to me.
"We needed an extra. Everyone in the sanctuary is on the same frequency." He explains. I clip it to my belt loop behind my machete case strap.
"Come on."
Once again Negan takes me through the compound, this time to his office.
Inside sitting on the bed, is Mateo. His small hands tucked between his knees.
"Mateo!" I unintentionally shove past Negan, grabbing Mateo up in one swift motion. I wrap my hand around his body, the other tangling in his hair as I tuck my face into his shoulder.
"Auntie D." Mateo whines. His own arms wrapping around my neck. I squeeze him tightly.
"Negan got rid of Danny. He's gone Auntie D." I slip to my knees again prying Mateo away from my chest. I look him up and down. A dried smudge of blood has been spread across his forehead following his bangs. A kind gesture after a terrible act.
I turn my gaze to Negan. "He dead." I don't need to ask. Negan killed Danny because Danny saw me as a threat and that was a threat to Negan.
"Yes he is. NOW, on to business." Negan drops down on to the leather couch facing the door. He sets Lucille in the space beside him. Carefully, delicately. As if it were a person.
I rise to my feet, striding across the small space to sit opposite of him. Looking over a map before him.
"We've got supply trains from about four different communities around. We're good on food, clothing, weapons, meat. What we need is meds, gas, solar Panels. All the shit you can't find out there, unless you look long and hard." Negan points to small stars in the map, each community he robs. All the paths lead back to a large star in the middle, the sanctuary. It may be easier to escape then I thought.
"Yer runs gotta be far. If these are yer feeders then you've gone that far, you gotta push. Two weeks, three. Get out into the prairies, the boonies. That's where yer gonna find all this. Places no ones gonna think to look," I slide my finger along highway ninety five. Down south off the edge of the map towards North Carolina.
(Based off Alexandria being roughly in Alexandria, VA. I think the sanctuary is around there somewhere)
"If I was gonna go anywhere I'd sail straight down into Paris, Texas. Take the eighty one and be back within 'bout two, three days. Last I saw, place was sumthin' out of the movies. Tumbleweeds and dust clouds. No ones bothered touchin' 'Paris regional' or 'CHRISTUS Dubuis'. They think it's already been done. Right there is yer meds and if ya get lucky, generators, other serious power supplies." State proudly. Taking my finger off the table I look up to find Negan grinning.
"Now I knew I saw potential in you the moment I saw you. You've got the smarts, the looks, you know how to read a damned map. You are too damned good to be true!" Negan exclaims.
"Your aunt. She's got to be as easy as punch to work with. DAMN!" He informs Mateo sitting on the floor against the side of the bed. His head is lolled to one side, his eyes barely open.
"And that's my que to kick myself out. Ya need me back in the Mornin' or where should I be?" I rise from my seat, my clothes itch against my skin. I should have a shower.
"Nah. Come back here in the morning. We'll talk more then. Oh, hold up." Negan strides across the room to the fruit bowl on top of the dresser and tosses an apple across the room. I catch it like a baseball. "Eat something. Dinners already over."
"Thanks." I smile gratefully. I stuff the apple between my teeth and scoop up Mateo carrying Him out the door of the office.
"Dakota!" Negan slides out the door a second later. "Never mind." He shakes his head closing the door behind him.
I shrug it off as him wanting me to close the door. Mateo sleeps against my shoulder all the way back to our room. I manage to tuck him in to bed, take my clean clothes and take a shower.
Curling up in bed I don't toss or turn. I know my luck is turning around and I'm going to be just fine.
