Nothing Left to Burn [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 10 - On the Run

Negan and Aven slipped outside into the frigid morning just as the sun was coming over the horizon, lighting the sky pink and orange. As they began running across the yard towards the car they'd left on the other side of the gate, they noticed a motorcycle coming towards the Sanctuary, followed by two cars. They stayed low as they ran, moving from cover to cover, but they stopped when there was nowhere else to hide. Just then, the same door they'd just come out of opened again and someone came outside to meet the incoming visitors. Negan grabbed Aven's arm to make sure she didn't leave cover.

"Don't fucking touch me," she hissed, yanking her arm away. The motorcycle came through the gates first and rolled to a stop on the other side of the pipe Negan and Aven were hiding behind, just a few meters away from them.

"We have to stay here for a minute," he whispered, gritting his teeth at the distaste she was exhibiting towards him. "If we run, they'll see us."

"No shit, Sherlock," she spat. "Don't touch me." He was about to tell her to cut the attitude, but sitting and arguing with her wasn't the best way to be stealthy. Her attitude was the least of his worries, because after the cars rolled up and came to a halt and eight pairs of boots stepped out, Negan heard the last voice in the world he wanted to hear.

"Regina, Potter," Rick Grimes greeted the Saviors who were now standing patiently in the middle of the yard waiting for their guests. "How have you been?"

"Hungry," Regina said flatly. "Cold."

"Well, we'll see what we can do about that," Rick replied genuinely. "But first, where is he?" Regina and Potter glanced at each other; negotiating was supposed to be Jed's job. They'd radioed him to come outside but he hadn't shown up yet. Little did they know, he was lying dead on the floor of an otherwise empty cell.

"Let's slow down, Rick," Regina began. "We have something you want. What will you give us in return?"

"I thought you might ask that," Rick sighed. But before he could tell them what he had to offer in exchange, he was interrupted by the radio on Regina's hip.

"We have a problem," said one of the Saviors. "Jed's dead. Negan and the bitch are gone." From her hiding spot, Aven grimaced. She knew she wasn't necessarily the nicest person, but her apparent reputation with the Saviors as "the bitch" was definitely bothersome.

"What the hell?!" Daryl growled, stalking up to Regina. "When was the last time you checked on him?!"

"Jed checked in a half hour ago and everything was still fine. They could still be inside," Regina replied tensely, not faltering under Daryl's angry glare. Trading Negan was the Saviors' last chance at survival, and she couldn't mess this up. But she was nervous, to say the least.

"You and the others check inside," Rick ordered Regina, not missing a beat. "The rest of us will start looking out here. Michonne, Arat, Laura, DJ, and I will search the town. Carol, Ezekiel, Jerry, take the woods on the other side," he said pointing across the yard. "Daryl search the trees over there on the other side of the fence. Unless you think you can find footprints around here."

"Dog might be able to pick something up," Daryl replied.

"We have Aven's hat," Carol said, turning back to the car and pulling out the warm winter hat Aven had left in their tent at the Hilltop. "Maybe he can get a scent."

Behind the nearby pipe, Negan and Aven's eyes went wide as they looked at each other nervously. If this dog was trained, it would find them immediately. Rick and his group jumped into their car and took off for the nearby town while Regina and Potter headed inside to gather the other Saviors. Negan peeked out from behind the pipe to see Ezekiel and his group starting to make their way to the other side of the yard while Daryl held Aven's hat out for the dog to sniff. The dog buried his nose in the soft fabric and only took a few quick, deep sniffs before putting his nose to the ground and starting to search.