The debate about this supply run was particularly heated. It was going to contain a lot of first. The first joint run with Hilltop. The first long distance run after the war. And the first run that wouldn't have a short-term payoff, that was based on Deanna's vision for Alexandria. And the plan was full of potential failures. Ken of Hilltop knew of a large nursery out 75 miles. It was a wholesale nursery and at one time grew thousands of vegetable seedlings, fruit and nut trees and berry bushes to supply those big box stores. Ken had been a seasonal worker at the nursery before the infection. Hilltop couldn't do this run on its own. The manpower needed to burlap and load the trees, search the buildings for seeds, fertilizer and clear any walkers required a big team. Ken and Maggie had proposed to Michonne and Aaron to split the team and the supplies recovered 50/50. "There could be spring peaches, summer apples, late and early raspberries. We could extend our harvests by months," explained Ken.
"Trees? Trees don't pay off for years!" protested Carol. "It's a suicide run. A stupid suicide run." Dwight's Saviors weren't likely to find the convoy's pass though threatening, especially a truck filled with plants. So the real threats were what could be beyond. "There might be vegetable seeds too, and fertilizer, tools," Aaron reported. "But, it's already fall. Aaron, you're still talking about stuff we can't use for 6 more months," protested Olivia. Tobin thought it a worthwhile idea, being seasoned at both hard labor outside the walls' protection, slaying walkers... and now humans. Michonne said that with the Saviors war over, it was time to rebuild and expand as Deanna wanted. "Fertilizer could be used for explosives," Carol said more quietly, faintly remembering a time in all their lives when that fact seemed scary, threatening. Now it was the only prospect in this run with which she found slight merit. "Look, Hilltop was ready for the future, that is why they were able to feed themselves and Saviors and then us," said Michonne. "Maggie isn't going to let us take most of our food from Hilltop indefinitely, we have to prepare for the future too. We can fight, we can survive, but we can do more too." Knowing that the plan had already been made in the minds of several, the dissenters almost conceded until Olivia spoke out, "What does Rick think of this?" Michonne shot her a steely side-eye. "Rick is not in charge right now. He's still got weeks of recovery. I'm not consulting with him on this." And the decision was final.
Tobin, Gabriel, Francine, and Michonne of Alexandria, Ken, Marco, Wesley, and Crystal of Hilltop set out from Alexandria at dawn a week later. Michonne, never the farmer type, was there for lookout and silent walker slaying. Ken was the man in charge. He knew the general layout of the property, major and minor roads to get there. And of course, which plants would be valuable to them. They all felt the tension of getting this run right the first time.
As they approached the border with the Saviors they saw the scout tower. They slowed their trucks to a stop, not getting out of the vehicles. They paused half a minute to let the scout see the trucks were empty and the gunpower was minimal. Then they slowly rolled forward regaining speed a half mile down the road. No shots. No bombs. One hurdle down. "all in the name of some peaches," smirked Marco. They did the same dance at the outbound scout tower of the Saviors' territory and shortly found themselves in the beyond.
For ten miles beyond the roads were clear, not a walker or even debris. The Saviors must have picked it clean long ago. Then the suburbia dotted with forests gave way to field after field of farmland. Walkers peppered the landscape. A small group huddled by a fresh deer carcass oblivious to passing trucks or the vultures awaiting their turn to feast just feet beyond them.
Then a car pile up outside of Upperville, made the convoy use their first detour. Michonne counted the walkers she could see in the town's streets as the trucks turned. It was more than she'd have liked. Even though Ken was itching to get there, he complied when Michonne directed that they take the last few miles slow. She wanted to scope out any living or dead neighbors and if this place was even still standing. This part of Virginia was hilly country, so they didn't get a good look at the place until a crest at quarter mile away. Ken, Michonne and Tobin exchanged the binoculars. The nursery was overgrown, but it was definitely still there. Ken was right, but Carol was too, no one wanted pecan trees when the world was ending.
They rolled onto the edge of the property pulling up beside each other to review the plan. Michonne, Crystal and Marco would search the buildings and the seed stores at the front of the property. Ken and the rest would head toward the fruit bushes and then the trees. They reviewed distress signals and agreed to meet at 2pm to head back. Ken hopped out of the cab of the truck, pushed the unlocked steel gate bar wide and the convoy parted one to the fields, the other to the stores.
Ken knew that the fruit bushes were a gamble, sitting in black plastic buckets on professional black landscape fabric for 3 years what not a recipe for survival. However, if anything was left, they'd be the hardiest and bode well for taking root in camp. Ken instructed the team what to look for, signs of life, but not disease, and to work fast. Tobin and Francine took the first two rows, Gabriel and Ken the farthest two rows, all the length of a football field. They gave themselves 1 hour to meet in the middle while Wesley kept look out and loaded any finds onto the trucks.
The tarp walled buildings of the nursery were covered in creeping vines now. Even with daylight, flashlights would be needed inside. Marco turned off the engine. Michonne put her arm in front of him before he could open the cab door. She put her finger to her mouth and mouthed "listen" to him. A few faint groans echoed. There would be company.
Ken had told Marco and Crystal in advance what to do when they got into the buildings. If the seed stores were wet, forget it and move onto hunting for tools, fertilizer and lastly seedlings. Like the fruit bushes, Ken knew 3rd generation seedlings were a long shot. Crystal spotted a car bumper at the far side of the building. She motioned to Michonne before grabbing the gasoline tank and tube out of the back of the cab. If there were any gasoline left, perhaps at least that would replenish the gas lost on this harebrained run. Quietly and quickly the 3 ran over to the car. Crystal popped open the gas door with her crowbar and got to work. Michonne began to study the building entrance nearest the car. Marco used his hunting knife to whack at some of the few vines overgrowing the door. Crystal, done siphoning, was screwing the cap on the container. She lifted it slightly off the ground to get a sense of its weight and shrugged a "meh."
She and Marco ran back to the truck dropping off the gasoline and returned just as Michonne was quietly pushing in on the door. The trapped air raced out and with it a big whiff of moist, moldy stench. A quick glance at hanging baskets told her this was a houseplants and tropicals building. She shut back the door and motioned the team on. Two buildings later, they glanced overgrown tomato plants and knew that was the vegetable seedling building. Michonne slashed the tarping with her katana so they'd remember which to return to and they pressed on to the middle of the compound, this time, they found a 2 story square cinder block building with almost no windows and exterior iron stairwells. This had to be the seed store. The building didn't appear to have any damage.
Michonne and Crystal approached the door to the building while Marco scanned the area for walkers. Michonne knocked loudly. Hearing nothing, motioned to Crystal to use her crowbar on the door. Then Crystal, Michonne and Marco slipped inside, closing the door behind them.
The room was dusty and quiet. The metal desk and filing cabinets untouched, thick with cobwebs. Crystal noticed the stair well to below ground. She signaled to Marco and the two took each stair down quietly, prowling. Michonne glanced at the upper stairwell and the light that flooded down from it. Michonne heard a quick whistle from below. Marco was smiling at the base of the stairwell. "It's dry and loaded," he whispered as he ducked back to the industrial cellar. Each bin on the metal shelves was coded, so they'd have to guess. Crystal knew what beans, peas, and melon seeds looked like. She sprinted down the rows, pulling out each bin looking for something she recognized from food. Marco did the same. Stacking promising bins at the base of the stairwell.
Michonne, headed upstairs toward the light, her right hand on the handle of her katana. Stealthy, she reached the top of the stairs and jiggled the door handle. It was just more office space, but, she did get a clear elevated view of the whole compound. And below her was a separate single story concrete walled building with a metal roof, originally blocked from the view outside. It was marked with all kinds of hazard symbols. Michonne smiled as she realized Carol would be appeased.
The next time Crystal appeared at the base of the stairwell with a bin of beans, Michonne told her about the fertilizer building. Crystal ducked back into the basement to tell Marco. She and Marco agreed that she would stay and keep trying to decipher which bins were potential food. Marco ran up the stairs two at a time to join Michonne.
Marco and Michonne quietly exited the seed store and heard to roamers nearby. Marco closed the door tightly behind him and Michonne drew her sword for a second time. A wind or weather gauge of some type was reflecting the bright sun sending jumping light all along the west wall of the building. The dancing light display had drawn a small group of roamers near blocking their path to the fertilizer building. Michonne would have normally left them to their distraction, but she feared their attention lost, they'd threaten Crystal. She signaled attack formation to Marco and the two snuck into the fray.
Sli-plunk-sli-plunk, Michonne got the first 2 unexpecting heads in one wide swipe. The walkers turned at the action. Marco took his hunting knife to the temple of one, Michonne complemented by slicing the skull top of the walker flanking her right and then her left. Marco pushed back the roamer at his front to beat in the roamer trying for his arm with the butt of his knife. Finally reaching his knife behind his front attacker and sinking his blade deep in the base of this skull. They scanned and not seeing any imminent walkers, ran toward the building.
The fertilizer building turned out to be less of a building and more like a horse stable with a series of concrete walled bays. It reminded Michonne briefly of the prison, but without bars. Michonne shined a flashlight in at each bay's contents. Michonne was glad to see large bags stacked on pallets in one because there was no way they were going to be able to extract whatever was in the huge plastic jugs or find something strong enough to scoop the mountain of loose fertilizer into. Michonne whispered to Marco, "I'm going to pull the truck around. It will be easier than hauling these bags back. Marco nodded. And followed her to the entrance to stand guard.
Michonne ran silent and fast toward the truck. She tried not to rev the engine too loudly as she headed toward the buildings. She drove slightly past the path to the fertilizer building, setting the gear in reverse and drove backwards toward the building. She figured less noise and time wasted near the walk-in light show. She allowed herself a small smirk as she easily closed the distance navigating over her shoulder. Marco's eyes widened a bit with disbelief when he saw the truck approach in reverse. He nodded at Michonne when she jumped out of the truck and headed inside to grab the first bag. They took turns in the relay never both being in the fertilizer shed at the same time. The openness of both the shed and the distance to the seed store rippled concern down Michonne's spine setting it straight as an arrow.
After several trips, Michonne heard Crystal call out her name with panicked pitch. "Marco, let's go!" Michonne ran ahead while Marco jumped into the cab of the truck. Michonne came upon Crystal trying pin a walker while not dropping the two large bins of precious seeds in her arms. Crystal had known their location, but not the walker activity. Michonne picked up the pace and yelled to attract the frail but still deadly thing away. Crystal backed to the wall clutching the bins with white knuckles. Michonne ended the walker in two blows of her sword because her arms were tired from lugging the bags of fertilizer. She stepped back making a path for Marco in the truck and shot Crystal a steely glare that lectured the young woman on her foolishness for assuming safety.
Michonne stayed by the truck as Marco and Crystal transferred the seed bins aboard. When they were finished, Michonne nodded for the 2 to pile into the cab. "We made good time," she said. "We could go back to look for seedlings in that greenhouse, but I'm thinking we just head back to meet up." Crystal agreed, "I think the seeds we got are more valuable."
The trio arrived back at the entrance gate around 1:30 and rewarded themselves with protein bars and stale Gatorade.
Tobin, Francine, and Gabriel panted heavily hands on their thighs, sweat dripping from their temples. Francine forced out," I haven't run suicide drills in a decade," remembering her high school basketball coach. Ken looked over the salvaged plants. 21 viable berry bushes and 24 muscadine vines. He smirked amazed at their survival. "Climb into the truck," he said to the group, "I'll drive us over to the trees." The team let out a collective silent "shit" as the exhaled deeply before climbing into the bed of the truck with their trophies. Francine looked up at Wesley, "I'll be on watch at our next stop."
The truck rolled to a stop at the back edge of the property. The huge greenhouses where the rest of the team scavenged so far in the distance they looked like marshmallows. This made Francine a bit nervous at her declaration to guard the group. "Ok, let's go," said Ken. "Tobin, grab the axe and shovel. The trees will have definitely rooted into the ground burlapped or not. Let's start over here." Gabriel, Tobin and Wesley headed with Ken down a row of 6-foot trees. Francine grabs the rifle with the scope and starts scanning the area for walkers. The back part of the farm abuts woods making poor sight lines. Ken scans the tags on the young trees. Pecans, Candor peach, Atlantic Queen pear, and Gilpin and Carolina Red apples, Ken repeated in his head over and over as he scanned each tree. Pecans, Can.. "Candor," Ken said aloud and pointed the trees out to the group. "Tobin, Wesley, dig these 3 out. Gabriel and I will spread out the bedsheets." Bedsheets were the improvisation since the team didn't know if they'd find usable burlap. Ken continued to scan the row, Gabriel trailing behind him. "Gilpin. Here, Gabriel. Let's get to work."
At the edge of the row, Francine could hear the crews grunting as they dug out the trees. She scanned the edges of the forest more rapidly now knowing that sweaty, grunting humans would definitely attract the dead. Then she saw it. A male, tall one arm chewed off above the elbow, but its head and those dangerous teeth pristine, for a walker. Francine made the quick decision to not shoot but let it come closer so that she could get a good blow to the head with her crowbar. She made a quick warning whistle and the men looked up from their work. Tobin being the closest to her and the walker stopped digging and started toward the fight in case Francine needed back up with this tall one. The rest continued their work. When the walker made it into the clear aisle, Francine approached deliberately and quickly. Before it could tilt his head down at her, she rammed the crowbar straight up through the neck and into the base of the skull. The limp body fell toward her as she yanked her crowbar out. She stepped aside to let it fall. She looked up a Tobin who nodded at her before heading back to help Wesley lift the trees out of the ground.
Francine had to take out 4 more walkers while the men worked, 2 at once. But Rosita had taught her how to take out their knees, so she was never in real danger. The men's' arms burned like fire hauling 15 trees and lifting them onto the truck bed. Tobin looked at his watch, "Damn, it's after 2! We're late for meeting up. Let's go." The team jumped in the truck and speed toward the rendezvous.
At 2:18 Michonne saw treetops wiggling in the air and new their crew was approaching. She let out a sigh of relief not because she feared the team mostly made up of Alexandrians wouldn't make it back, but because Rick wasn't here punch each one for the time infraction. He would have set out at 2:05 looking for a fight with walkers, plunderers or idiots. Ken hopped out of the truck bed still rolling eager to get a look at what Michonne's crew got. Before he could get too deep into his inventory, Michonne warned him, "Ken, we can do that back at Alexandria. Let's get going."
Once inside the gates, the crews pulled all but a few trees off the truck beds to assess the score. A few Alexandrians gathered around mostly unimpressed by rows of overgrown plants. Ken turned to Tobin with instructions, "Soak those tree root balls in water tonight and get them in the ground in the morning if they are going to have any chance of setting before winter. And tell Olivia to get those seed in a cool dark place asap." Tobin patted Ken's shoulder in appreciation. Then, Ken turned to his Hilltop crew, "load our half in the truck. We gotta get going." "This was good, let's do it again sometime," Michonne said with a smile. "We'll cook up the next plot," she promised as she shook Ken's hand.