RULE THE WORLD | D.DIXON

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He wonders why she always wears the same mask when she's in public, in the eight months he known her he never saw her face once. It was shady and weird in his opinion, but nobody else seemed to agree with him, not even his father who voiced his opinion about her.

When they got to Hilltop, Maggie and Elijah were standing on the lookout, looking down at them. Hornsby smiled, greeting them. "Afternoon, Maggie. Good to see you again."

"What do you want?" Maggie asked with her arms crossed over her chest.

"These are some killers still on the loose. We lost a lot of men. So, I've been hunting them down. And the property they stolen, the Commonwealth's property."

Maggie pressed her lips and shrugged. "I don't know anything about that."

Hornsby let out a chuckle. "Well, of course not. So, you wouldn't mind if we just do a quick look around, right? Rule you all out. For the paperwork."

"I gave you my answer." The woman says, causing the smile on Lance's face to faded.

He turned toward his troops, looking straight at the Dixons. The father and son stepped up and Daryl spoke. "You're gonna get people killed if you force your way in there."

"She isn't giving me much of a choice here." Hornsby throw out a hand.

"We'll talk with her." Daryl says, knowing he and Max could get through to her.

"And why would you do that?"

Max spoke up which startled Lance. "She trusts me and I don't want anyone to get hurt today."

Hornsby clicked his fingers. "You know I really thought you were mute. You have a great voice, you should talk more."

"Just let us do this. We go in, and nobody gets hurt. Deal?" Daryl said, ripping the attention to him instead of his son.

Hornsby stared at him for a moment, before nodding. "Deal."

Daryl and Max walked closer to the gate as his father says. "Open up."

"It doesn't have to be this way." Maggie spoke.

Max and Daryl took off their masks, the boy's emerald eyes pierced in hers. He moved his hand slightly in front of him and signed. "You have to let them in or they will enter forcefully and hurt our people."

Daryl didn't glance at his son, knowing it would gain attention. "Yeah, it does. Ain't nobody leaving until they look around. It'll be quick, I promise."

"You expect me to trust him?" Maggie says, glancing at Hornsby.

"No, but trust me." Max spoke as he signed. "You're not the only one who doesn't trust him. But you trust me, right?" Maggie gave him a barely visible nod. "So, trust me."

Maggie looked to her left, nodding to the person. The gates opened, Hornsby and the troopers walked in. Max still was looking at Maggie, who looked back at him. "Thank you."

The troopers began to search while Daryl and Max was ordered to get out their uniforms, Hornsby hopes it would put Maggie a bit at ease. Hornsby whistled, pulling back a cover on a truck.