traded my life [TWD]

『109』

Judith cries and reaches for me as the group stares down the guy Maggie and Beth met outside- Aaron.

"Fuck.. if Judith doesn't trust him, I don't either," I mutter, taking Judith from Rick.

Daryl points his bow at him- like he understood what I was saying.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asks.

Beth walks over and hands Rick the gun. He checks the ammo and slides it in the waistband of his jeans.

"There something you need?" Rick asks.

"He has a camp nearby," Maggie explains. "He wants us to audition to become members."

The fuck is this? Some kind of idol shit? I look up at Rick and he gives me a nod.

"I wish there was another word. 'Audtion' makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe," Aaron says. "That's only on Friday nights."

The joke doesn't land with the group and we all just watch him.

"And it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would be valuable additions. But, it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home."

I look at Rick again. Convince? Why word it like that?

Aaron continues to ramble and Maggie gives Rick the pack. Aaron explains there's pictures inside of the community.

I hand Judith to Carl and nod for him to stay back. Rick gets on one knee and flips through the photos. I bend down to look over his shoulder.

"No people," I note.

"Mhm," Rick hums as he stands up straight.

"There's only one resource more critical to our community's survival than those walls.. The people," Aaron continues.

People are a resource.

The thought sends a chill up my spine and I look up at Rick once more. We trade a look and he nods once. He looks back at Michonne who gives him a look of her own.

Rick hands me the pictures and marches forward. As Aaron continues to ramble about the community, Rick punches him square in the face and knocks him out.

"K.O.!" Woojin cheers from the back.

Daryl and the others set to tie Aaron up as Rick returns to my side.

"So, we're clear- that look wasn't a 'let's attack that man' look," Michonne scolds. "It was a 'he seems like an okay guy to me' look."

"Yeah. But, Hyejin said to put him down," Rick brushes it off.

Michonne looks at me and sighs.

"Carl, dump his pack. Let's see who this guy really is," Rick leads.

Carl picks up the bag and heads for the table to sort the supplies out.

Rick leans in to whisper to me. "Meet me at the table so we can talk this out."

I nod and go toward the table, but Michonne grabs my arm as Rick starts giving orders to everyone else.

"What the hell was that about?" Michonne asks.

"What?" I question.

"Egging him on like that. He could have killed that man."

"We don't know that man," I remind. "Do you really want to take chances after what we've been through in the past month?"

"He approached with his hands up," she reminds.