Save Me

13. Surprises and Questions

Molly was now at the top, earning the favour of the King. She was infiltrating his every thought, controlling his every move and she knew it. But with both of them playing the same game, one was bound to lose. Unless, someone decides to change the rules...

I felt powerful being in that meeting room.

It was like knights of the round table type shit, Negan sitting at the top and all of us lower down, Dwight, Simon, Arat, Laura and now me.

I was expecting to uncover something important, maybe their plans of attack on my family, but nothing. Not even a word.

I knew they must be retaliating, we had taken out one of their outposts, killed over fifty of their men and all Negan wanted to discuss was farming and food supply.

Perhaps he didn't trust me. Perhaps he had separate meetings, ones where I wasn't there and they discussed Rick then.

I looked around the room, each one of them kept staring at me. Dwight just looked down.

He knew something, I always recognised that guilty face.

Negan asked each one of us for our ideas, all of them came up with something similar to the set up they already had.

I suggested that while they were already growing crops at the Sanctuary and that was kind of working, the land wasn't fertile enough being a factory area, so they should outsource a plot of land at one of the farming communities.

Provide the seeds and they grow them.

Give them more than just 'protection' in return for their service.

It would not only lighten the load from the communities needing to scavenge to provide for the Saviours but it would make them more subservient and get them on their side.

Negan sat in silence as I explained, just slowly nodding and smiled widely once I'd finished.

'How lucky am I, my gal's a genius!' he said whacking Lucille down onto the table as he chuckled.

Simon just scowled at me.

'Alright, plan A that works and we don't kill anyone, plan B if they resist we take a flyer on the place and kill everyone there. Unfortunate play, but other communities will get the message' Simon barked.

Negan scowled at him and slammed Lucille onto the table, adding more marks to the table's surface.

'People are a resource', whack!, 'money on the table. People are the foundation of what we are building here!' he yelled, hitting Lucille onto the table on every word.

I jumped slightly, everyone else looked down while Simon was wide eyed, like a rabbit in headlights.

He glared at Simon, breathing heavily and lent over the table, hands pressed firmly on the surface.

'Who the hell do you think you're talking to?' he said calmly but sternly.

'Are you confused about who we are? Are you confused about who is in charge? Are we backsliding Simon?, please tell me we're not backsliding' he growled almost smirking.

Simon was nervous and almost stuttered 'we are not...backsliding' he forced out quietly.

A smile grew across Negan's face as he stated, 'plan A, they get the fuck on board willingly, plan B, we kill the right people, including Rick, in an instructive and public way and make everyone get on board'.

Simon just sat silently, as did we all before he dismissed the room.

'Darlin, wait' he said calmly as I tried to walk out.