Finley -> Rick's Dog

t h i r t y - s i x

After a few more days living at the sanctuary I was starting to get used to it all, and I didn't have to wear a lead anymore.

Currently, I was strolling peacefully down the hallway listening to Negan's incessant whistling as he playfully swung his bat round, like he had nothing better to do.

I trotted ahead of him, my tail swishing from side to side, my nose to the floor, as I picked up many scents. Deep down, the k9 training I went through all those years ago were screaming at me to alert to the smell of guns.

I could smell blood, drugs and weapons. It was never a good combination, and in a place like the sanctuary it proved just how chaotic things got when Negan wasn't looking.

Another bonus of my new found freedom was that I was trusted enough by Negan to roam round the warehouse freely. I thought about running on the first day but when I saw the walkers on the chains outside I decided against it.

I'm not very good walker food, and besides, it wasn't so bad here after all, despite the creep ass men who were definitely perverts in their lives before the apocalypse. Life had become easier.

I missed Diesel, Judith, Carl, Rick and Max terribly but I was adjusting to my new life with Negan and the saviours. I didn't want it to last long, I just wanted everyone to get along with one another and not threaten to kill each other every day.

I skidded down the rest of the remaining corridor as a truck pulled up, and ran out the open door, the hot asphalt burning my paw pads. I wagged my tail as I picked up a very familiar scent.

It was Carl, I stopped dead in my tracks, don't get me wrong I was happy that I'd be able to see him, but he could get hurt, or worse. And I would not standby and let it happen.

I walk over slowly as Negan speaks up, approaching the truck, " Okay, boys, let's get this haul unloaded and inside. I want to get back in there and unload a little myself."

"Negan, need to talk to you about redirect." The saviour says jumping out the van. I put my front two paws up on the step up into the truck, and poke my nose through the bottom corner and catch a glimpse of Carl.

"What about the redirect?" Negan asks blankly.

"It got screwed up. We're on it now, but it's a mess out there." He says, but I pay no attention.

"And whose job was that?" Negan asks cockily.

The saviour approached the plastic flaps pushing them to the side annoyed, "Aw, damn. I thought they packed this up tight. Ah, no worries. Plenty more where this came from. Right?" He says grinning as he jumped up grabbing a box of beers.

I quickly jumped up, onto a box avoiding it as he dropped it smashing it's contents, "Son of a bitch!"

"What the hell?" He shouts spotting Carl who just starts firing his gun, shooting one man dead, while the others sprung back as Carl came out the shadows.

I held a doggish gring on my face, as I stood at his side, "Stay back! Drop your weapons. I only want Negan. He killed my friends. No one else needs to die." Carl says pointing the gun at the saviours.

I pause as Negan whistles walking over with a side grin on his face, "Damn. You are adorable. Did you pick that gun 'cause it looks cool? You totally did, right? Kid, I ain't gonna lie, you scare the shit outta me." He grins.

Out of nowhere a saviour steps forward to try yank Carl down, and he shoots him down, only for Dwight to come flying at Carl, sending him straight to the ground, kicking me in the process.

Dwight pulled the gun from his gun pointing it down at Carl, and I scrambled to my feet frantically, latching my teeth onto Dwight's arm who let out a strange half scream, half grunt.