CHAIN REACTION-066
"So, how's you get out?" Rick questioned.
Matilda, Glenn, Michonne, Kelly, Violet, Rosie, Kelly, Maggie, Lee, Carl, sat at the table watching as their leader questioned Jesus. Daryl stalked behind the man, his blue eyes narrow.
"One guard can't cover two exits," Jesus stated. "or third-floor windows. Knots untie and locks get picked. Entropy comes from order, right?"
"Right," Daryl mumbled.
Jesus takes a deep breath. "I checked out your arsenal. I haven't seen anything like that in a long time. You're well equipped, but your provisions are low. Very low for the amount of people you have. 54?"
"More than that," Maggie spoke up, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Well, I appreciate the cookie. My compliments to the chef." Jesus said, taking a bite of the cookie.
"She ain't here." Daryl spat coldly.
"Look, we got off to a bad start." Jesus sighed. "But we're on the same side—the living side. You, Rick, and Matilda had every reason to leave me out there, but you didn't. I'm from a place that's a lot like this one. Part of my job is searching out other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things, and all of you looked like trouble. I was wrong. You're good people. And this is a good place. I think our communities may be in a position to help each other."
"Do you have food?" Matilda asked, sitting next to her brothers.
"We've started to raise livestock. We scavenge, we grow. Everything from tomatoes to sorghum."
"Why should we believe you?" Rick says, sternly.
"I will show you." Jesus declares. "If we take a car, I can take you back home in a day, and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer."
"Wait," Maggie says. "You're looking for more settlements. You mean you're already trading with other groups?"
Jesus sits back and places a smirk on his face.
"You would's about to get a whole lot bigger."
***
After a long negotiation, Rick finally agreed. Everyone started packing the RV, Matilda helped her brothers with the jugs of gasoline. "Hey, Carl, Lee."
"Yeah," Carl replied as he and Lee glanced at their sister.
"When we get a chance to be alone with each other, I have to tell you something," Matilda says as their father walked up to them. The teen Grimes gave their sister one last look before looking at their father.
"You sure?" Lee asked Rick who was holding Judith.
"No. But if he's telling truth, this could be the start of everything." Rick said, holding his youngest daughter.
"He had things that we need, we need allies. Get yours, Tilly, and Lee's stuff, Kelly can take care of Judith while we're gone."
"No, I'm not going." Rick raised his eyebrows at his sons as Carl continued. "Someone's gotta stay back, keep this place safe. A kid with a messed-up face probably wouldn't make the best first impression anyway."
"Carl, bud, don't say that," Matilda said sadly.
"Tilly, it's true though."
"No. You look badass and still handsome. Why do you think Rosie likes you."
"Rose likes me?"
"Shit, um, Let's go, Dad. Love you guys." Matilda panicked, kissing Judith's head before rushing over to her husband.
"Let's chew up some asphalt!" Abraham exclaimed as everyone climbed in the Rv with Daryl being the last person. He took a seat next to his wife.
"Hey," Abraham says to Glenn. "Can I ask you a question?"
Glenn nods, making Abraham lean forwards. "Sure."
"When you were, uh, pouring the Bisquick, were you trying to make pancakes?" Abraham asked.
Glenn looked at him confused before realizing. " Uh...yes? Oh, okay, um...it's something that we talked about, yeah. Why?"
"No, I just...Well, given the precarious stated of affairs on any given Sunday, I am damn near floored that you or anyone else would have the cajones to make a call like that."
Matilda watched as her father grabbed Michonne's hand with a small smile on his face. She was happy for them, she really was, but she didn't want her father getting hurt again. She need to talk with the dark skinned woman.
They drove a few miles out before the Rv came to a stop. Matilda kneeled on the couch and peered out the blinds with Daryl.
"Yo, Rick. What's going on?" Daryl questions.
Matilda get off the couch, walking towards the front, leaning over Michonne's chair getting a view of what's happening. Her eyes danced over what appears to be a car crash that was flipped and smoking as a thick puddle of blood trailed around the area. Jesus came up next to her, his eyes widening at the sight.
"We got a crash ahead," Rick says. "Looks like it just happened."
"It's one of ours," Jesus says before jumping out of the door with the rest of the group following. He walks around the scene frantically, scanning the area to make sure nobody was around.
Matilda felt bile rush up to her throat from the smell of rotting flesh mixed with gasoline. She leaned forwards, vomiting on the ground which caused a chain reaction and Maggie vomited.
Rick pointed his gun at Jesus, realizing that no alive people were around. "If this is a trick, it won't end well for you."
"My people are in trouble," Jesus states, trying to stay calm. "They don't—we don't have a lot of fighters. I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"
"No," Daryl says coldly, glancing at his wife. "We got tracks right here."
They all followed after Daryl, moving further along before spotting a building. It was abandoned but there could be things lurking inside. Rick takes the lead and bangs on the door, only receiving no response.
"They gotta be in there," Jesus mumbles, standing with the group behind Rick.
Abraham glances between Jesus and Rick. "We moving in or what?"
"How do we know this ain't firecrackers in a trash can?" Daryl questions coldly.
Jesus throws up his hands. "You don't."
"We'll get your people" Rick spoke, walking towards Jesus.
Daryl looks at his wife, giving her a look that made her rolled her eyes. She nods, standing next to Maggie who was also stayed back.
Rick nods towards his daughter and Maggie before placing handcuffs around Jesus's wrists. The man makes a small noise of complaint but takes it anyway.
"Just hurry." the man pleads.
Rick turned towards Matilda and Maggie. "You hear me whistle, shoot him.
"We will." Matilda nodded as she and Maggie pointed their guns at Jesus.
Everyone walks inside, Daryl was the last one in, giving his wife and Maggie a nod before walking in, the glass door shuts behind him.
Rick, Rosie, and Michonne walked slowly in the building and around a counter. Walking down a corridor, the young redhead had her gun at the ready.
They came to a glass door, Rick slowly opens in before hearing the snarling of walkers. Rosie and Rick pull out their knives, rushing forwards and took out the two walkers. The hallway was dark until they reached a room.
Spotting people, Rosie spoke gently. "It's okay, come on out. We're not gonna hurt you. We're friends of Jesus. We're here to get you out."
"There more of you?" Rick asked, keeping them at gunpoint.
"Two more. They ran ahead." The woman answered.
Glenn and Daryl walked down another corridor, hearing walkers snarling. A walker came out of a room, the Korean man grabbed it by the head and stabbed it. Another came out and the redneck stabbed this one.
Daryl looked through a window and motioned inside, they enter the room, looking at someone. Their hands were held up and a man came out from behind filing cupboards.
"We're with Jesus. Let's go." Glenn said as the man stood up.
"I can't go with you. I'm looking for my friend. He's close, and he's hurt from the crash." The man said
Abraham walked down another corridor, hearing a walker. He peered around the counter when a snarl of a walker and a man yelling at him heard.
They headed towards the snarling as the walker came out of a room. Abraham grabbed and pushed it against the wall, holding up a flashlight. It wasn't a walker, it was a man.
"Come on, man, let's go." Daryl said as he, Glenn, Rosie, Rick, and Michonne came down the corridor and passed him.
Ori and Maggie snap their heads towards the door watching as Glenn and Rosie stumbled out of the building with the others following
Rick and Michonne rushed past them, heading towards the RV. "Let's go!"
Rick drove off as walkers piled out of the door. Everyone was unharmed from their group, Matilda glanced at Jesus and saw that he was still handcuffed.
"Dad," Ori called out. "Do you have the key to the handcuffs?"
Rick reaches into his pocket and tosses them to her. Jesus gives her a smile before glancing down at her stomach.
"You're pregnant, right?" He whispered, lowly so that only she could hear.
Matilda freed hi making him rub his wrists while looking at her.
"Yeah. How do you know?"
"I heard you and Daryl talking when I went to get your mom and dad. Happy belated birthday." Jesus said.
"Uh...thanks. Also, don't tell anyone." Jesus nodded as Matilda walked into the back room, seeing Maggie, Glenn, and an unfamiliar man.
"You must be Matilda?" The man says, packing medicine in his bag. "I'm Harlan. Hilltop's doctor."
"Do you have any prenatal vitamins in your bag?" Glenn asked, standing next to his best friend.
Harlan looked at Maggie. "For you?"
"And me," Matilda spoke, quitely. Harlan, Maggie, and Glenn looked at her. "I'm pregnant, too."
Maggie stood up and brought her friend into a hug. "Congrats, Tilly. Does Daryl and Max know?"
Matilda nodded as Glenn side hugged her. "Yes, Max was the first one to know. I told Daryl last night. I wanted Carl and Lee to know third but Jesus figured it out and now you guys so."
"Well, uh, I was an obstetrician before," Harlan cuts in. "I can take a look if you'd like it when we get back."
"I—we would love that," Matilda said, holding onto Maggie's hand.
As Matilda walked to the front of the RV, it came to abruptly stop making her stumbles forwards. Daryl reached out and grabs his wife, stabilizing her.
Rick plays with the gears and turns the wheel. The tires turn, but the Rv doesn't move. He gives up, turning towards the group.
"We're stuck."
Jesus stands up, looks outside. "No worries. We're here."
Jesus and the other three strangers followed, Matilda glanced down at her husband before going out. The group looked at pillars of wood as Jesus stands in front of them, hands on his hips.
"That's us. That's hilltop."