Daughter of the Fallen

The Key

The next morning, I was walking through Hilltop when Maggie came jogging up to me.

"Bree!" she called, sounding like she had something really important to tell me.

I turned. "What?" I still felt numb, and my voice conveyed it.

She stopped in front of me. "Rick and Michonne are here."

My eyes widened slightly and we both ran to the gate.

I slowed to a walked as I saw them coming in.

Rick made eye contact with me and immediately walked over, pulling me into a hug.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly.

I sighed as we pulled away. "I'm still breathing," I answered honestly.

He nodded, knowing that was the most important thing right now.

"Oh, I forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out an envelope and gave it to me. It had my name on it.

I gave him a confused look.

"It's from Carl," he mumbled.

Icy hands seemed to grip my entire body and I held it tighter.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He nodded. Michonne and I hugged as someone brought Judith to Rick.

Rick hugged her tightly and my heart broke. She was all he had left.

I softly made eye contact with Enid. Her eyes were still swollen. I had heard her crying last night.

I gave her an understanding nod and she reciprocated.

I glanced down at the letter. Just the sight of it made my heart speed up and brought everything back. I couldn't read it yet.

Unzipping my jacket, I put it in an inner pocket, right against my heart.

•••

I walked over to Michonne, Maggie, Enid, and Rosita as they were having a suspicious discussion.

"Hey," I called as I approached them. "What's going on?"

Michonne wordlessly handed a piece of paper to me and I read it.

If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records, I will gladly exchange them for a key to your future. It also had coordinates for a meeting place.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Who's this from?" I asked, looking up at them.

"We don't know," Rosita answered. "But it's not the Saviors."

"What if it's someone who actually wants to help?" Michonne asked warily.

"What if it isn't?" I asked back.

"Bree's right," Maggie agreed. "If someone is trying to help us and we miss out, we miss out. If somebody's trying to kill us, we die."

"Not if we're careful," Michonne pointed out.

"Being careful is staying here," Enid chimed in.

Michonne sighed. "I'll go."

"You go, I go," Rosita decided.

"Rick wants us here," Enid argued.

"Well, Rick and I are partners and I say we go," I stated. "And Rick's not here, so my word's final."

Enid gave me a weary look before nodding.

"I'll come, too," Maggie decided, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Then I'll come, too," Enid finished.

I nodded. "Okay, come on." I got in the driver's seat, ready for anything.

•••

I slowed the car to a stop at an intersection, in front of a car with guards in front of it.

"Okay," I whispered. "Let's go."

We all got out and stood in front of the car. I took my gun out of my holster and held it tightly, though I kept it down.

The guards opened the car door and a woman wearing a pantsuit got out.

Maggie and I gave each other surprised looks. A pantsuit? Really?

"My name is Georgie," she introduced, a sunny look on her face. She gestured to her guards. "These are my friends, Hilda and Midge. And you are?"

None of us responded.

"Suspicious," she finished. "But curious enough to see what I have to offer for food and music. I do hope the records are music. I don't accept spoken word. If you're out here, you know you can take care of yourselves, and I like that. I don't care to share this with the weak."

"Good," I responded and gave Rosita her signal.

She came over and pointed her gun at Georgie. Maggie, Enid, and I raised our guns as well.

"Enid," Maggie said.

Enid walked forward and took the guards guns and started patting Georgie down. Maggie and I kept our guns up.

"Give us what you have," Maggie ordered.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Georgie chuckled. "I came bearing knowledge to trade—essential knowledge for the future, primarily in my head,  and I prefer to keep that where it is."

"You're trading knowledge," Michonne stayed, making sure she was hearing it right.

"That's what I have," Georgie confirmed. "I've made the same offer before—fill the crates, get the knowledge—simple as that. It's not a trick, just a fair trade. I promise you."

"It's an act of benevolence," one of her guards added.

"And why would you do that?" I asked, my suspicion still high.

"What else should I do?" she answered, seeming confused by my question.

I waited a moment before saying, "Rosita."

She nodded and went to the van, searching it.

"What's in there isn't part of the deal," Georgie claimed.

"There is no deal," I informed her.

Rosita came back. "How many communities have you found?"

"Communities like yours?" Georgie responded. "Not many at all. And not one for a very long time. What you have is special, unusual. The dead have brought out our best and worst, and the worst has been outpacing the best lately, but that won't last forever."

"It won't," the other guard agreed.

"If, perhaps, people can believe in people again, four crates of goods is worth far less than a sustainable future and perhaps an exercise in trust."

I lowered my gun slightly, not sure how to feel.

"I know trust probably sounds like a made up word now, like flibberschticky."

"Or komph," the guard chimed in.

"Or moisture," the other guard added, making all of us give her a weird look.

"Stop," Enid spoke up. "This isn't real. No way anyone survives going around doing what you say you're doing."

"But we do," Georgie countered. "And we will, because I can divine that you are a fine group, manners notwithstanding."

Michonne walked over to me and Maggie.

"We can make a deal," she suggested.

Before I could say anything, Maggie said, "No. These people and their van are coming with us back to Hilltop."