Safe haven | Rick Grimes

085. I CAN'T BE AT HILLTOP

Chapter eighty five

"I can't be at hilltop."

The steady rhythm of the horses and the creaking wood of the wagon filled the morning air as they moved down the empty road. DJ held the leather reins, driving the wagon full of the Hilltop-bound travelers, while Scarlett and Siddiq rode their horses side by side along the flank.

"How much further have the patrols cleared?" Scarlett asked, her eyes scanning the tree line.

"To the Route D river bend," DJ reported, looking over his shoulder. "Their abandoned rig is about five miles past that. If their story checks out, that is."

Scarlett nodded, her expression hard. She glanced to her left and caught Siddiq staring at her. When she leveled her gaze at him, he quickly shifted his attention back to the road ahead.

"I think it's good you changed your mind about them," Siddiq offered quietly.

"That's the thing," Scarlett countered, her voice sharp. "I didn't change my mind. I don't trust them. Just like I still don't trust you."

In the back of the wagon, the friction among the travelers began to boil over.

"What do I always say about having options, huh?" Magna muttered, her arms crossed tight.

Luke let out a dry, exasperated laugh. "Us not being defenseless out in the open because you gave them a reason not to trust us? I choose that option! Except—oh, wait. We don't have that option anymore, do we?"

"Guys, chill. We can roll with this a little while longer," Kelly cut in, trying to keep the peace.

A sudden silence fell over the bed of the wagon. Scarlett looked over and saw Connie's fingers flashing in a blur of rapid movements. They were using sign language to keep her from hearing the rest of the conversation.

"Cool?" Kelly asked aloud, looking around at her group.

"No, no, it's not cool," Magna snapped, loud enough for the riders to hear. "I want my damn knives."

Scarlett pulled slightly on her reins, slowing her horse until she was riding right alongside Magna's side of the wagon. "I can give you your knives," Scarlett said, her tone deceptively calm. "Except one will be in the base of your skull and the other jammed straight into your heart. Especially after you came onto my porch last night in hopes of stabbing me—only to play it off like a surrender after you saw my five-year-old son standing in the hallway."

The threat hung heavily in the air. Magna opened her mouth to speak, but Yumiko quickly intervened.

"Look, I'm sorry about Magna. She can be hotheaded," Yumiko said, leaning forward to address Scarlett.

Scarlett just scoffed, keeping her eyes on the road.

"She's been on edge ever since we lost Bernie," Yumiko explained gently.

Siddiq adjusted his grip on his reins, looking toward the wagon. "Was he with you long?"

"Long enough," Yumiko shared, a soft, melancholic smile touching her lips. "He loved getting under Magna's skin. He used to wear this absolutely horrid shirt. It was like looking into creation itself, but in paisley. God, it was horrendous. Magna hated it. She said just looking at the pattern gave her a migraine. So, of course, Bernie wore it every single day for a week straight. Honestly, I think she eventually came around on the shirt. Just like she came around on him."

"All one big happy family," Scarlett muttered under her breath.

Yumiko ignored the sarcasm, shifting the subject. "This place... Hilltop. It's safe?"