ELEANOR . NEGAN

105.

"Afternoon, Maggie!"

A chirpy voice echoed across the gates of the Hilltop, a charming tone under the skin of a demon. He had a parade of white-armoured soldiers following behind him, Aaron and Gabriel sheepishly on the sides.

As soon as they came up with a plan at the complex, they left quicker than before. Pushing through bushes and trees with hushed voices and blank faces. Eleanor was at the back of the groups, eyes wide and aware. She didn't trust the forests after finding Leah's dirty work.

"Good to see you again!" This was Lance, a shell of a coward in a man's body.

Glenn frowned, "What are you doing here?" He barked.

Lance blinked before smiling, again. "There are some killers on the loose... we lost a lot of men. So, I'm hunting them down." Maggie forced a gulp. "And then property they stole. The Commonwealth's property."

Maggie sent an enthusiastic frown, shaking her head slowly. "I don't know anything about that."

"Of course not... so, you wouldn't mind if we took a quick look around, right?" He smirked, "Rule you all out... for the paperwork."

Glenn scoffed. "We gave you an answer."

His smile became crescent on his face at their disagreement and fell sullen towards his group. He mumbled some words that Maggie nor Glenn could hear before one of the officers stepped forward. "Open up."

Maggie sighed under her breath, "Doesn't have to be this way."

The officer huffed and grabbed the curve of his helmet and peeled it off, the ends of brunette hair waving against his neck while he strained his eyes against the sun to find Maggie. "Yeah," Daryl started. "It does — ain't nobody leaving until they look around. It'll be quick, I promise-"

"You expect us to trust him?" Maggie bit back, hateful eyes towards Hornsby.

"I ain't askin' ya to trust him. I'm askin' ya to trust me."

Reluctantly, Maggie sent a curt nod towards Glenn who quickly whistled, the sharp noise roaming throughout the air as the Hilltop gates opened. Hornsby smiled success but Daryl stayed quiet, silent — worried. He had no idea what was going on and he was barely able to speak to Aaron and Gabe before Hornsby got in the way.

Those dead officers, dead innocents, too much death in such a short notice.

The group trudged forwards into the community with the rattling of their guns, plastic clashing against plastic as they walked ahead. Daryl stayed the furthest away with his blue glassy eyes stuck to the treeline, a silent wish upon whoever was listening for this to stop.

He quickly joined the rest of them.

Hornsby scoured the grounds of Hilltop but Daryl kept his distance, afraid that he might see the wrong thing and get called out for it by the Commonwealth. He couldn't risk that with Jude, RJ and Maya waiting for him.

-

A woeful nineteen hours has passed since the Commonwealth came and wrecked Hilltop top from bottom in hopes for finding the killers. Nineteen hours and the sun has finally stayed strong, beaming down on the hidden latch everyone was staying silent in.