Safe haven | Rick Grimes

046. THAT CAN'T BE THE REASON WE DON'T GO

Chapter forty six

"That can't be the reason we don't go."

Once everyone had finally woken up, they sat in the quiet safety of the barn. Judith was sitting on the straw, happily playing with her small wooden horse. Watching her, Scarlett let out a soft, rare chuckle. Rick looked over, a faint smile touching his face as he watched the two of them. Nearby, Carl picked up one of the broken wooden planks to inspect the structural damage from the storm.

Suddenly, the heavy barn door groaned open.

"Hey," Maggie said, peering inside. "Everyone..."

The room went completely still as everyone looked toward the entrance. Maggie stepped fully into the barn, and a clean-cut, unfamiliar man followed closely behind her.

Reacting instantly, Scarlett scooped Judith up into her arms. Rick stepped directly in front of Scarlett to shield her, while Carl moved swiftly behind his mother to guard their flank. Weapons clicked into place across the room as everyone raised their guns. Sasha followed the stranger inside, her rifle aimed squarely at his back.

Daryl slipped past them, moving out of the barn into the bright morning light to scan the surrounding woods for an ambush.

"We met him outside. He's by himself," Maggie announced over the tension.

Daryl stepped back inside and immediately began patting the stranger down for hidden weapons.

"We already took his weapons and his gear," Maggie added.

Tara quickly checked the perimeter outside before ducking back into the barn and pulling the heavy door shut behind her.

"Hi," the stranger said, his voice remarkably calm given the dozen gun barrels pointed at him.

Hearing the new voice, Judith leaned her head into Scarlett's shoulder. Scarlett tightened her grip, holding the baby close to her chest.

The man took a small step forward, holding out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Daryl aggressively stepped into his space, forcing him to drop his hand.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asked, his eyes locked on the stranger.

Maggie walked over and handed Rick a pistol. Rick lowered his own revolver, taking the stranger's weapon to inspect it before sliding it securely into his back pocket. He stepped closer, his expression hard. "There something you need?"

"He has a camp nearby," Sasha answered for him, her eyes narrow. "He wants us to audition for membership."

"I wish there was another word," Aaron said, offering a small, self-deprecating smile. "Audition makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe. That's only on Friday nights."

Nobody laughed. The silence in the barn remained heavy and cold.

Aaron cleared his throat, his smile fading. "Um, and it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would make valuable additions. But it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home. I know... if I were you, I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into." He turned his head slightly. "Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack?"

Sasha walked toward Rick, sliding the backpack off her shoulder.

"Front pocket, there's an envelope," Aaron pointed out calmly.

Rick took the bag and set it on a crate. Unzipping the front pocket, he pulled out a thick envelope.

"There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community," Aaron explained, watching Rick's movements closely. "That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality. Uh, we just found an old camera store last—"