Head of the Snake

PenPatronus

Chapter 1

Lucille's final blow popped Eugene's eyeball clean out of his skull. It rolled across the ground to Carl's knee and stared up at him—lidless, lifeless. The Sheriff's hat toppled to the dirt, bowl side up, and Carl emptied his stomach into it. Negan chuckled at the sight. In one smooth motion he plucked up the hat and Frisbee-ed it at the RV, dousing one of the windows with vomit. He shook Lucille like a maraca and warm red droplets rained down on everyone in the line.

Rosita lay on her stomach with one hand outstretched, fingers reaching but helpless. Abraham's forehead rested on the ground as if in prayer. Into the dirt he sighed a lengthy, defeated moan. Maggie's whole body heaved with each breath. Blood coated the inseam of her jeans. "It's all right," Negan told her. With unnerving tenderness, the Savior leaned over, gently folded Maggie's hair behind one earlobe, and gave her a smile that was almost fatherly. "It's over. The worst is over."

Negan stepped back to Rick and used the sheriff's sleeve to wipe off the rest of the blood coating the barbed wire. "Do you smell it? Do you smell that stench? One of you finally pissed your pants. That's the smell of my victory." Negan took a deep breath through his nose and smiled like he was inhaling a fresh bouquet of flowers. Rick watched his jacket absorb Eugene's blood. Red mixed with brown until they became one.

Negan crouched in front of Rick. An earthy, spicy cologne flowed off his skin and stung Rick's watery eyes. "I see it," Negan whispered. He pointed Lucille at Rick's nose and squinted. "I see the defiance in you. Bet I could kill two more and it would still be there. How many more deaths would it take for you to truly give in?" Negan smacked his lips and cocked his head to the side. "I admire that defiance, Rick. I really do. I admire it, but it's gotta go. And I gotta see it go, which is why you're going to stay here with me just a little while longer." Negan reached into his pocket, took out the RV keys, and tossed them at Glenn. "The rest of you," he said, "are free to go."

"No." Dwight marched up behind Daryl. "Not him. He's mine." He aimed the crossbow.

"NO!" Rick cried.

Lucille moved cobra-fast. She butted Dwight's chest like a battering ram, and the Savior ended up on his backside, gasping for air. The crossbow hit the ground and went off. A bolt speared the RV's rear passenger-side tire. Arrows spilled in every direction with a click-clatter. Daryl reached for his weapon. The blanket covering his wounded shoulder fluttered across the ground. Negan's left boot landed hard on Daryl's fingers mere centimeters from the crossbow. Daryl grunted, then shouted in agony when Negan's other shoe rolled him onto his spine and stomped down hard on the gunshot wound. Air whistled as the tire went flat.

"You," Negan barked down at both Dwight and Daryl, "should NOT have done that." Shark-eyes settled on Glenn. "Take your lady into the RV."

Glenn shuffled forward an inch, retreated back, and then tried another few inches. When Negan nodded, confirming his offer, Glenn rushed to his wife's side and helped her stand. Glenn looked at Rick, got a slight nod, and then quickly led Maggie into the vehicle. Rosita and Aaron shadowed them at Negan's command, followed by Sasha, Michonne, and Abraham. "Go on, son," Negan called when Carl stayed put. "Daddy will join you at Hilltop real soon." Carl moved, but only after Negan swung Lucille over Daryl's body like a medieval Pendulum.

Once everyone was loaded up in the RV, Negan turned his attention back to Daryl. "What to do?" he wondered. "What to do with you?"

Rick crawled three feet forward before Dwight stepped into his path. "L-Let him g-go," he stuttered.

White teeth flashed. "You look worse off than the girl," Negan told Daryl. "Bet you don't have the strength to hold your own dick long enough to take a piss. But, I'll tell you what…" Negan stepped off of Daryl's hand, shouldered Lucille, and combed his fingers through his short salt-and-pepper beard. "I'm keeping Rick, but if you can make it to the RV in the next five seconds, I'll let you leave." Negan waited half a moment, and then said, "One…"

Daryl muscled his way up to his knees.

"Two…"

The blanket lay spread-eagled across the dirt. Daryl rolled it up against his chest.

"Three…"

"Daryl!" someone called from inside the RV.

Daryl settled on his haunches. He didn't break eye contact with Negan.

"Daryl, get up," Rick called.

Daryl didn't move.

"Four…"

Rick slammed his fist into the ground. "DARYL!"

Daryl almost glanced at his friend, but he pulled his gaze back.

"Five." Negan smacked his lips, amused. "Damn," he sighed, impressed. "What to make of that show, huh?" He nodded at Dwight. "Haul him into the van."

Daryl climbed up onto his feet before Dwight could touch him. "I'll walk," he grunted. Something in his eyes made Dwight step back and just hold a gun on him while he moved, swaying a bit, past the RV and into the van. Eight faces watched from the windows, terrified.

Negan stood in front of Rick. "You and I will chat some more in the morning," he said. Fabric ripped as Negan dragged barbed wire across Rick's collar. "The rest of you can get going now," Negan called to the RV. After a wave from Rick, the vehicle started up and limped north on three strained wheels.

Brief relief turned Rick's legs numb. His son was safe. Most of the group got away…

There must've been a slope in the ground and a slight breeze in the air. Eugene's eyeball rolled past Rick's kneecaps like a tumbleweed in the desert…

"You have a nice nap," Negan said. Lucille descended like a guillotine and mashed Eugene's eye into the dirt. And with that, Negan set the bat on his shoulder and strolled past Rick, whistling.

Rough hands yanked Rick up and over to the van. Men laughed as they shoved him into the vehicle, sending him sliding across the floor on his stomach. Bullet-riddled double doors shut and locked behind him.

To Be Continued