Safe haven | Rick Grimes

017. THIS WAS THE MOMENT

Chapter seventeen

"This was the moment."

The next morning, Daryl, Andrea, T-Dog, and Shane scoured the surrounding woods and fields to ensure no other walkers were lingering on the property. Meanwhile, the rest of the group prepared a quiet plot of land to bury Dale.

Once the scouts returned, everyone gathered in a silent circle around the freshly dug grave.

"Dale could get under your skin," Rick began, his voice echoing softly over the open field. "He sure got under mine. He wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, or how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare, and it's brave. Whenever I had to make a hard decision, I'd look to Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it at one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us."

Rick paused, his eyes drifting across the circle to Scarlett. She was standing a few paces away from him, her posture stiff as she kept her gaze fixed firmly on Dale's grave, refusing to look up.

"He saw people for who they were," Rick continued, turning back to the group. "He knew things about us... the truth of who we really are. In the end, he was talking about us losing our humanity. He said this group is broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. We set aside our differences and we pull together. We stop feeling sorry for ourselves and we take control of our lives, our safety... our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

Rick stepped forward, bending down to place a heavy stone on top of the mound.

As he did, Scarlett finally lifted her head. Her eyes swept across the circle and landed directly on Shane. The way Shane was staring at the back of Rick's head made her blood run cold. She recognized that look instantly. It was the exact same dark, calculated expression Shane wore every single time she brought up Rick's name—the look of a man who was actively planning a murder.

Once the funeral ended, the group walked down to the camp and immediately began breaking it down to move inside.

"It's gonna be tight," Rick noted, tossing a rolled-up tarp into the truck bed. "Fifteen people in one house."

Hershel shook his head, looking out toward the perimeter. "Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening and the creek drying up, our natural barriers are gone."

"With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell," Maggie added, hoisting a heavy crate.

"She's right," Hershel agreed quietly. "We should have moved you all in a while ago."

Rick wiped the sweat from his brow. "Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out toward the road. We need clear exit strategies."

Nearby, Scarlett approached Beth, who was struggling with a heavy load. "Here. I'll take it," Scarlett said gently, relieving her of the basket and carrying it toward the truck.

"We'll build a lookout in the windmill and another in the barn loft," Rick continued, projecting his voice over the noise of the camp. "That should give us clear sightlines of both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asked, looking up from his packing.

"I need you and Daryl on double duty for now," Rick told him.

"Gotcha," T-Dog replied, nodding.

Scarlett walked over to Lori, who was reaching for a stack of heavy luggage. Scarlett immediately stepped in, taking the bags from her hands. "Scarlett..." Lori began to protest.