MADISON'S POV.
It's quiet and we all continue to stand awkwardly, cornering him against the rock. Something's not right with this guy. He smiles politely at us all, despite the numerous guns pointed straight at him. It's creepy. Aware of the many threats he, for some reason, decides to compliment us instead.
What an ass!
"Your baby is beautiful." He says to Rick.
"Nice son too, i'm presuming." He points to Carl.
"He looks just like you."
He smiles at Abbie. She just squares her shoulders and glares at him, which i'm very pleased about. She knows that this guy can't be trusted.
But what he says next is crossing the line.
"You girls are sisters, I can tell. You look alike. Where's your mother?"
I hear someone gasp quietly.
And I have to ignore the blood thats boiling inside me. Another voice inside me begs me not to listen to the devil on my shoulder that tells me to beat the shit out of him.
"Calm Mads." Carl whispers next to me. I take a deep breath and unconcerned my fists. I jump when a figure dives from our group onto Gabriel. Nick lifts his fist into the air and snaps it forward, clocking Gabriel in the jaw. I fight off a laugh that threatens to bubble at my lips. Nick was who I least expected to snap.
Daryl and Glenn pull Nick back and he doesn't fight them, he just brushes the dirt off his trousers. The priest picks himself off the ground and rub his already bruising jaw.
"What do you want from me?" He asks, frightened. He looks like he might throw up again.
"Theres no way you could have survived out here on your own or this long. You proved that much to us. So, where have you been hiding?" Michonne taunts.
"Where have you been hiding?" Carl echoes.
Again, he says nothing.
I hear a click and watch as Rick takes out his knife.
The preist stumbles back on the rock, with his hands up either side of him in surrender.
"OKAY! OKAY! I've been staying in a church. My church."
A church?
"Take us there." Bob demands
"But, but you've been doing so well on your own. Why would you want..." He struggles for excuses.
"TAKE US THERE." Tyreses voice booms.
"Follow me." Gabriel says glumly.
**************************
We've been walking for an hour, maybe more, our weapons pointed at the priest incase he tries anything 'funny'.
Tara is carrying Judith, she's the only one without a weapon pointed at him.
A few walkers stumble our way but they're gone just as quickly as they came.
We have been winding our way through trees for ages and I'm beginning to wonder if he's leading us into a trap.
Just like he's reading my mind Gabriel speaks up.
"Why do trust me?" He asks.
"Does a group of people pointing guns at you, willing to kill you before you can take another breath, look like the kind of people who trust you" Sasha argues.
"I mean, for all you know I could be leading you into a trap to kill you and take your squirrels and maybe that rabbit too" He states, laughing slightly.
Everyone stops walking and raises their Weapons higher.
He turns around to see why we stopped.
"I mean, I was kidding. My friends used to say that I had a good sense of humour." He admits.
"Mmm hmm." Rick mutters.
We walk a bit further until we come to a church, just as he had promised.
It was painted white, although the paint looked old, stained with dirt and patches of it peeled off. It's a small church but big enough for our group to stay in. There was a tall tower at the front that had a bell at the very top and a wide base behind it.
We walk up to it guns ready in case this is a trick.
"You open the door." Abraham instructs. He abides and moves forward, slowly opening the door which creeks loudly, echoing through the church.
We head inside one by one and then disperse into small groups checking every inch of the church to make sure it's safe. We look between all the benches and on the alter for any sign of movement. There are two rooms, one either side of the alter, each filled with religious paintings and statues, but again, nothing unsafe was there.
On the alter are gigantic cans of food. All empty of course.
"Where did you get all these?" I ask.
"I've been going into the town, trying to gather as much food as possible. I have nothing left. Anything you thought I had left is on the ground beside that rock." He explains.
"Isn't there anywhere else in that town where we can get some more?" I ask.
The whole group is listening for his answer.
".....No." He answers quickly. He scratches his head and I can tell he's chewing the inside of his cheek because it dents inwards.
Unlucky for him, i'm exceptionally good at reading people.
"You're lying." I state.
"No, I, i'm not... Theres nothing left." He stutters.
"Okay bud, i'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I have what some people may call anger issues and unfortunately for you there's no meetings for that anymore because everybody is dead. So, I don't want to get angry because it'll be you that gets to see my ugly side, which isn't fair because I just met you and good first impressions count, right?"
He nods.
"Then why are you lying to me?"
"I'm n-"
"-No! Don't say that. Don't lie! I already feel it. I'm getting angry. There's no tell-signs or symptoms to when I'll snap. It just happens so I could break your nose at any given minute and you'd be just as surprised as I am."
He takes a step back.
"So, why don't you answer my question before something really bad happens." I add.
"There, there's ...a..a foodbank near."
"Thats more like it. See that wasn't so hard, was it? Ahh, I feel better already."
I turn to look out over the alter to find Carl smirking and Maggie and Michonne covering up their laughter, the others not paying much attention to my little scene. Rick, however, to nobody's surprise, is still an emotionless freak with a glare that could kill. I take that as my queue to leave. So, to finish off nicely, I jump off the alter noisely and leave Gabriel behind with his usual fear induces shakes.
Rosita emerges from one of the rooms on the right side of the alter, holding a community map in her hand.
"This could come in handy." She waves it back and forth.
"Excellent. Gabriel was just about to show us the way to a food bank. Isn't that right ?" Rick pressures him.
A sheet of sweat has coated Gabriel's forehead and his hands continue to tremble.
"Y,yes."
"Great. Everybody get ready, we're taking a trip into town."