Red ~ TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

Apocalypse Barbie and Tara leapt to their feet the moment they spotted us, the entire group sitting a few feet away waiting on bated breath. 

"How'd it go?" Tara asked, eyes wide.

I didn't respond, handing Apocalypse Barbie her gun.  She immediately ejected the magazine, hastily counting the remaining bullets.  Her mouth dropped open and her head snapped up.

"There's only one left."

I sat down, digging a bottle of water out of my pack.  She continued to wait for explanation I had no intention of giving.  Her annoyance at my dismissal was palpable, and I felt myself relax.  It was almost nice to see a glimpse of the feisty, hot pants wearing woman I first met at Terminus.  Ever since we lost Ariel and Sasha she'd been more reserved.  The way her face was flooding with color now told me she was pissed which was more like the woman I'd come to know.  It was either that or her skintight pants were cutting off the blood flow to her brain. 

"Guess there were more than six?"  She phrased it like a question, but it was an accusation.

I twisted the cap back on the bottle, raising my eyebrows slightly.  "Ungrateful doesn't look good on you."

She pointed a gloved finger like she was wielding a weapon, ready to verbally duke it out, but Daryl intervened. 

"We took care of 'em."  Both women put their hands on their hips, their glare now directed at my redneck.  He swallowed hard under their scrutiny, but didn't give an inch.  "There were 11."

No one spoke for a solid minute.  The reality of our situation hitting a little too close to home.  As if we coordinated it beforehand the four of us turned to Two-Face who pushed off the tree, shaking his head back-and-forth.

"I didn't know."  His eyes pleaded with each of us to believe him, and I almost laughed at the absurdity of the unspoken request.  "I swear, I didn't know."

"Be a lot cooler if you did," I replied casually, trying to rachet down the escalating tension.  I was all for killing Two-Face, but only after we got everyone safely to Hilltop.

"So, what's the play?  Obviously they're on to us." 

Tara was right.  Negan knew our only option for refuge was Hilltop and our best chance of making it there safely lay in the woods.  It didn't take a genius to deduce our odds spiraled into the gutter the longer we were out here. 

Daryl pulled the map out, biting his thumbnail.  "If they're smart, they'll cover all these passes b'tween here and Hilltop."

That didn't leave us a lot of options.

"We have to keep moving."  Apocalypse Barbie had reverted into her reserved shell like a spooked apocalyptic turtle.  I didn't like it.  It was more fun when she was irrationally angry at the world.  "We'll just have to risk it."

"Maybe you don't have to."

I had my weapon aimed at Two-Face before he had a chance to take a second step.  He froze, hands raised, lips pressed together in a hard line.  He could take his sad, dejected puppy dog look and row, row, row his boat the fuck away from me.    

My husband laid a gentle hand on my arm, and I drug my teeth across my bottom lip, reluctantly lowering my weapon.  Two-Face waited another 10-seconds before coming closer on shaking legs.  He bent down, eying the map thoughtfully.

"Negan won't send his people down into this stretch of swamp, not if he doesn't have to."

Tara bristled at his intel, her tone sharp.  "Yeah?  How do you know that?"