Daughter of a Dixon ✔️

73: The Saviors

The next day, Rick and the Hilltop group returned, all safe and sound. They immediately called a meeting in Alexandria's rebuilt church, and I presumed they were going to tell us the conclusion they had come to with the Hilltop people.

Everyone in Alexandria came to the church at around two that next afternoon, all of us squeezed into the building like sardines. Carl, Lea, Alex and I sat in one of the very first pews, behind the one that held my dad and the others who had went to the Hilltop.

When everyone was finally gathered, Rick began his speech, pacing the front of the church as he spoke. "Jesus was telling the truth. There is a community called the Hilltop, and it's not far from here. It's just like Alexandria, except it specializes in farming, growing crops. We made a deal with their leader, Gregory. He said they'd been having trouble with another group, the Saviors, they call themselves. We struck the deal that, if we take out the Saviors for good, they'll hook us up. Food, guns, ways to grow crops. Alexandria's been running out of food more quickly than we can find it, and so we made the deal. That's the way it is."

The church settled, going eerily silent as all the Alexandrians, myself included, tried to digest the information. It didn't quite feel right that our community was supposed to kill another, just for food, crops, and trust of one of our neighbors. It should be an equal trade; we send some people, they put in some of theirs, and together, we take out those Savior people, if they even were a threat.

"These 'Saviors'," Lea said, causing Rick's head to snap over in her direction. "Are they even really a danger to us? We haven't had a problem with them. Is it really smart to put our people in danger just for the hope of food and new friends?"

Rick nodded his head, understanding where Lea was coming from. "Gregory said the Saviors had killed their people, that they were taking their food, medicine, and lots of it. Jesus was there to vouch, and a lot of other citizens. Now, as far as us? Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham had a run-in with a group of Saviors on the road, when they were heading back to Alexandria the night of the walker attack. They took all their stuff, and said it all belonged to some guy called Negan, the Savior's leader. They were gonna kill our three, until Daryl blew them up. The way I see it, we've already sparked something with them from that. It's only a matter of time before they come looking for revenge."

"And, killing more of their people is a way to prevent them from seeking revenge?" Rosita questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

Rick looked down to her, eyes burning, before saying clearly, "no, but it's a way to prevent them from attacking us in the future."

Protect or prevent; that was Dad's motto, and it had stuck with me ever since he told it to me that day on Hershel's farm. Before every decision I had made, I thought about those words, and something told me Dad did, too.

"So, we're just going to kill people without even trying to strike a deal?" a voice said from the back of the church. I turned, along with ninety-percent of the congregation, to find that it was Morgan who had spoken. He was standing uneasily, leaning up against the back wall of the church with a conflicted expression on his face.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Rick countered, furrowing his brow. I could tell he wasn't too keen on the 'no killing' policy Morgan had adapted, and honestly, I didn't think I was either. I wasn't for killing of course, I didn't like it, but under circumstances like that, sometimes it had to be done for the protection of others.