Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 65 - Just (Radiohead)

DARYL

"We pissin our pants yet? Yep, gonna be pee-pee city here real soon."

"Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan...."

"....and I do not appreciate you killing my men!"

So we didn't end up disposing of him after all? Or is this guy another 'pretend'  Negan?

He's about my age, taller and dressed up like some kind of fifties biker wannabe. Any other time or place I woulda just laughed to myself, thinkin we can take him down easy.

But it's the way he were standin. So casual as if we're all meetin up at a church picnic or something. Except....I ain't never seen anyone carrying a baseball bat swaddled in barbed wire to a bible BBQ before.

He's sermonising to Rick now about us killin his people and then killin more  of his people.

"You are so gonna regret crossing me in a few minutes, yes you are."

The baseball bat slid through his hands and pointed itself at Rick's face. He moved his head slightly to avoid it. When I look down the line-up once more, can see everyone is holdin their breath even Nate.

No more little puffs of steam came out into the cold pre-dawn air.

Reckon it's his smile that did it for me. When I saw it I knew exactly who he is. Even his calm and almost joking way of speakin can't hide it. This guy ain't the boogeyman. Oh no....

....he's Will Dixon re-incarnated. My ol' man.

"Give me your shit....or I will kill you."

"Now today was Career Day and we invested a lot. So you get to know who I am and what I can do. You work for me  now. This is your way of life and the more you fight back? The harder it'll be."

Can feel the blackness nudging at my head again, start to sway. Know Dwight's bullet has cost me a lotta blood.

NO DIXON!

Yer can't give in to it, not now. Yer gotta do whatever it takes to stay conscious.

"So now? I'm gonna beat the holy hell outta one of you."

I gazed down at Nate again, to see she's staring back at me. Still scared shitless but not at what he's saying. More terrified out of her mind that I'm gonna keel over. Can feel her desperately willing me not to do it.

Cos if I do? I'll probably be the one he'll pay out on.

Just like he must've done to the others she told me about. Them one's in the photos that she, Glenn and Jorge saw back at the Saviors outpost.

Straightened my back and took in a deep breath. Force myself to keep sittin upright....just like Mags is doing.

He twirled that fuckin bat in his hand as if it were a baton and he's a leather-clad cheerleader with a moustache.

"This is my Lucille and she is awesome!  All this? Is just so we can pick out which one of you gets the honour. Jeeeezus, you look shitty....let's just put you outta your misery right now."

Glenn screamed then broke, scrabbling towards Maggie as Negan readied his bat.

Dwight was on him in an instant, my bow at his head while Mags screamed out for him to stop. Glenn sobbed and begged for her life, their baby's life as Negan laughed.

"Nope, get him back in line. Now don't any of you do that again, cos I will shut that shit down....no exceptions. First one's free, an emotional moment. I get it."