RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

decisions

(This chapter contains some mature/smutty content. If you are not comfortable with reading it, please pay attention to where I insert the asterisks *** before the scene so you can skip over it. It is at the end of this chapter.)

"HER NAME'S LYDIA." 

Willow set down the pencil and leaned back in the leather chair, glancing across the desk at Enid. 

"She hasn't said much else. She just... rambles about stuff that doesn't make any sense."

Her finger tapped against the wood of the desk. "Who's next on watch?"

"Bonnie."

Willow and Daryl thought it would be best if they had some of their people take shifts on the outside of the cellar. There is a small, barred up window that they're able to hear through, and they hadn't thought anything of it until they were passing by and heard Lydia and Henry talking. She seemed to be opening up to him more than her, Daryl, and Tara, but still hasn't shared anything majorly important.

"All right, thanks Enid." She looked back down to the piles of notes and blueprints she had been sifting through. Some were completely finished, and others were only partially done. She's been trying to fill in the blanks, but she's constantly being torn away from them with other matters.

As Enid left the office, Magna, Yumiko, Connie and Kelly came rushing in, standing in a line on the other side of the desk.

Willow looked back up, and took notice of their panicked expressions. "What's going on?"

"Luke and Alden still aren't back." Magna informed her quickly. "Their search grid was small, they should've been back last night. "

Willow shoved away the stacks of papers and unfolded the map that was beneath them all, spreading it out across the table. She traced it with her fingers, searching for their names. Her finger stopped atop of them, penciled in. "All right. Grid C, it's just north-east from here. Tara and I'll gather some people, and we'll head out in 15."

Connie stepped forward with sad eyes, signing to her, "We would like to come. He's our friend."

Willow had known a little sign language from her days in middle school, but it wasn't the best. She made an attempt to sign back, "Well then he'll be glad to see some friendly faces. We'll leave in fifteen."

She stood from her chair and walked out with them, stopping by her room on the way.

Looking at Daryl buttoning up his shirt, she told him everything. "Alden and Luke still aren't back. We're gonna go out and look around, see what we can find."

He turned and fastened the last button before rolling up his sleeves. "I'll come with."

She shook her head and smiled. "No, I need you to stay here and try to get some more answers out of Lydia."

"That's her name?"

She hummed and nodded. "She told Henry this morning, and I have a feeling she'll be spilling some other things to him pretty soon. They seem to be comfortable enough with each other. At least a little bit."

She had thought about letting Henry out of the cell. Earl had put him in there in the first place because he had snuck out of Hilltop with a few other teens and came back drunk out of his mind. But they've kept him down there longer because of whatever jacked up bond is forming between him and Lydia. It felt like they were using him as bait, and she felt slightly guilty about it, but then again, it's their only tactic right now.

He nodded and stepped over to her, kissing her cheek. "Be safe."

"When am I not?" She slightly joked.