Daughter of a Dixon ✔️

19: Execution

Later in the afternoon, close to dusk, Rick and Shane finally returned.

The surprising thing about that, though, was that Randall was with them. I didn't understand why, I thought that they were gonna drop him off somewhere with some supplies so we wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. Although, it appeared that I was horribly wrong.

I watched from a log at the group's campsite as Rick exchanged a few words with Dad, nodding at each other at the end of their conversation. Then, everyone in the group began piling into the farmhouse, probably about to have a talk about Randall. I figured that it was just for the adults, so I didn't move from my spot. I was about to turn my eyes back towards my book before I heard Dad call my name.

"Hey, Sidney! Come on, we're gonna have a meetin'!"

I quickly stood up from my seated position and looked over to Dad on the porch. He was waving me over, nodding his head at the same time. I didn't waste anytime after that in running over to him. He waited until I was beside him before entering the house.

When we walked in, Rick was already talking, and Dad and I stood by the doorway and listened to him.

"He said he knows where the farm is, he went to high school with Maggie. If we drop him off somewhere, he could find his group, tell them where we are... they could ambush us all."

"They could, it doesn't mean they will," Dale interjected, his arms crossed over his chest. "Randall's just a kid mixed in with the wrong group. If we keep him with us, we can get him going down the right path."

"This isn't a rehab program, Dale, this is life or death," Shane said. "This is about us, our survival, not anybody else."

"There are still good people in the world. I mean, who knows? Somewhere down the road he could make a valuable asset to the group," Dale said.

"Or, he and his group could come along and raid us, take everything we have and more," Rick said. "Is that a risk you're willing to take?"

"It's better than leaving someone for dead out in the middle of nowhere."

"We're not talking about just that anymore, Dale," Rick said, looking down at the ground.

I looked over to Dale, and saw him furrow his eyebrows, obviously thinking. Then, a look of realization crossed him, and he looked downright horrified.

"Rick, you aren't talking about..."

"Yes, I am... execution."

The whole room fell silent. I looked up to my dad with wide eyes, and saw that he looked perfectly calm. I wasn't surprised by it, though, knowing him. When he caught me looking up at him, he glanced down in my direction. He must've seen the frightened gleam in my eyes, because he let out a sigh and placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me just slightly closer to him.

"Rick, torturing a kid is one thing," Dale said. "But killing one?"

"What other choice do we have that ensures our safety, Dale? We got kids here, Carl and Sidney, another one on the way. I'm not willing to risk all that, all of us."

"We don't have to risk it!" Dale exclaimed, gesturing with his hands wildly. "He could be one of us, he could help us!"