Red River Blue
Chapter 69
Rick filled his glass with cold water from the pitcher they kept in the fridge. His throat bobbed as he gulped it down, trying to decide if he wished it was coffee or a beer. He took another swig and decided he definitely wished he had a beer. It was the sort of day where everything that could go wrong was going wrong. And even things that didn't seem like they could go bad, were going even worse. Rick was dog tired. His body was sore. And the only good lead they'd ever managed to get on the location of Alpha's horde was now lying dead in a holding cell. Rick finished his water as he tried to figure out just how in the actual fuck a man locked in a cell managed to kill himself. And if he didn't take the poison himself, who in the hell would have any motive to kill him.
Setting his glass on the counter, Rick trudged up the stairs. He didn't bother to take his boots off. And he was sure he was tracking dirt and mud up the carpet. But at the moment, he was too tired to care. Rick checked in Judith and Monroe's room first. Finding it empty filled him with momentary panic. But when he checked in his own room, that fear quickly dissipated.
Rick stood in his doorway, feeling the soft pull on his heartstrings. Harley and Wren were on either edge of the bed, fast asleep. Judith was wrapped in Harley's arms, cuddled into her like they were two spoons on edge. Wren was lying on her back, letting Monroe use her shoulder as a pillow. And Axel was sprawled out in the center of the bed with his cat curled up near his head. Carl drug the recliner up from the living room and positioned it at the foot of the bed. He was sharing the large cushioned chair with Daryl's dog, soft snores emanating from both of them.
The entire group was so tired that none of them even flinched when Rick entered the room, rubbing his hand softly over Harley's shoulder. He was supposed to wake her and bring her to the council meeting. They needed to discuss what happened to their prisoner. And figure out what their next move was going to be if the waves of walkers didn't stop soon.
Harley usually sprung into attack mode the moment anyone even breathed in her direction. So Rick wasn't sure what to do when his gentle shake of her shoulder failed to produce any reaction from her at all. He smoothed the wild blonde curls back away from her face. Without the angry little scowl that often marred her expressions, he was able to appreciate how beautiful she really was. She looked so peaceful, he felt terrible for trying to wake her.
Rick knelt down, shaking her shoulder with slightly more force as he whispered her name. Harley groaned, shoving his hand away before she snuggled in closer to Judith's warm body.
"Harley," Rick coaxed, pressing a soft kiss into her hair. "We're having a council meeting. You gotta get up honey." He guessed she must have liked his kiss better than having her shoulder shook. Because she leaned slightly into his touch as she hummed her disapproval of his words.
"No meetin'," she countered, her voice slurred and sleepy. "Come cuddle with us."
Rick smiled. There was nothing he would like more than to do just what she asked and climb into bed with her. There was room between Judith and Axel for him to squeeze in. He knew he could wrap his arms around Judith and Harley and probably fall asleep faster than he ever had before in his life.
"Can't do that," Rick reluctantly admitted. "We're having a council meeting."
Harley shook her head slightly, still showing no interest in rising from her comfortable spot on the bed. Wren, on the other hand, was yawning herself awake as she stretched her arms out. She took her turn fighting at the gate. But since spent most of her time watching over the kids, she'd gotten a little more sleep than the rest of them.
"I can go," Wren offered. "Just let 'er sleep."
"Thanks," Rick said, rising onto his feet and scrubbing his face with his hands.
Rick knew Wren technically couldn't vote in Harley's place. Only married couples were allowed to do that. But given the current state of exhaustion everyone was in, he doubted anyone would care. Especially since they were only meeting to kick around ideas about what to do next. They weren't convening for an actual vote on anything.
Despite her gentler disposition, Wren was just as smart and capable as the rest of her family. Rick couldn't keep from smiling as he watched her lean down and run her hand through Carl's hair before pressing a gentle kiss to the side of his mouth. Carl pretty much won the apocalypse lottery when he fell for Wren. They got married so young, Rick half expected them to eventually get over their infatuation with each other. But that never happened. Years later and she was still looking down at him as he slept with stars in their eyes.
Rick and Wren exited the house just in time to hear the siren blast. Whoever blew it, didn't leave the horn on long. Which meant there was probably another wave of walkers at the gates. Normally, they would leave the siren on if they were under attack. But after the second wave, the noise started grating on everyone's nerves. And since they were sleeping in shifts, they didn't want to wake the people that were getting some much needed rest.
Rick picked up his pace, heading for the gates. He pulled them open, heading out towards the barricade they erected with Wren trailing slightly behind him. He noticed right away that this wave seemed much smaller than the ones that preceded it. Rick hoped that meant that Alpha was slowly running out of walkers to send in their direction. The general consensus was that she had to run out eventually. There was no way she could have an infinite supply of the dead. They just needed to outlast her. Something that was proving to be much harder and more exhausting than people thought it would be.
Rick stabbed a walker through the head with one of the long pointed poles they'd been using. Wren was beside him doing the same. But suddenly she stopped, yanking at his shirt and pointing to her right. At first glance, the person she was pointing at looked to be just another walker. Part of the herd. But this one had her hands in the air as she approached, signaling to them that she was a human under her walker disguise. Olivia pulled the gun from her belt, lifting it until it was pointed at the walker woman. But Wren rushed over, pushing her hand down and telling her the woman to wait.
"It's okay," Wren encouraged, gesturing for the woman to approach. The woman didn't hurry. She moved slowly, eyeing Wren and the rest of the group with suspicion. But she did finally shuffle forward close enough that they could hear her raspy whisper of a voice when she spoke.
"I have a message from Alpha," the woman said.
"You'll have to come in and deliver it to the council," Rick said, relieved that he was still able to think clearly despite how tired he was. He wasn't sure if he wanted to detain this woman. Not after what happened to their last prisoner. But bringing the woman into town would give him a little time to consider that option. Moving forward, he climbed on top of the car they'd pulled across the road to create a barricade and offered the woman his hand. She took a step back, unsure if she was comfortable with this unexpected development. She obviously wasn't planning on coming inside their gates.
"If I'm not back in an hour," the woman warned, "She'll send the hoard." Rick nodded, extending his hand again. This time the woman took it, allowing him to help her up and over the hood of the car. When she landed, Rick turned her towards the vehicle and patted at her sides, checking her for weapons. He only found a knife.
"You'll get this back on your way out," he said, pulling the weapon from under her ragged flannel shirt.
With how close Rick was to her, he could confirm that she not only looked like a walker but smelled like one as well. He supposed that was part of the disguise. But it was still gross. Her clothes were tattered and filthy. Everyone got dirty when they were out on the road. But this woman took it to another level. Even her hands were unwashed, with dirt crusted under her fingernails. Her face was mostly obscured by the mask. But the few patches of skin that Rick could see looked as dirty as her hands. The only reason he could even tell she was a woman was because she was especially curvy under her baggy unwashed clothes.
"This way," Wren chirped, leading the woman towards the gates.
People stared with wide eyes as Rick and Wren marched into town with the woman between them. He tried not to laugh as Wren started up with her well practiced welcome wagon routine. The woman didn't seem to know how to respond to Wren's friendly conversation. But she did look around town at the things Wren pointed out, her blue eyes wide with a look that was something close to wonder.
"How long have you been living here in this place?," she asked.
"About eight years now," Rick said, remembering what Lydia said about her people. They'd been convinced that places like Alexandria didn't exist anymore. That was part of the story Alpha used to control them.
"Would you like something to eat while you wait for the council meeting to start?," Rick asked. Like he knew it would, the offer of food sprung Wren into action. She took off for the house to make a leftover turkey sandwich for the woman as Rick led her into the building where they were planning to have the council meeting.
"What the fuck!," Daryl hissed, jumping from his seat at the sight of the woman and whipping his knife out. His loud curse startled everyone else, sending them scrambling out of their seats.
"It's okay," Rick assured them. "She's just here to deliver a message. From Alpha."
"Good!," Daryl huffed," …'cause I got a message she can send back!"
Before Daryl could announce whatever threats or curses he intended for the whisperer's leader, Carol tugged him down into the seat next to her. Rick couldn't hear what Carol whispered when she leaned in close to the man. But whatever it was, Daryl settled down into his seat and didn't say anything else.
Before anyone could speak further, the watch on Carol's wrist began to beep. Rick watched as the woman pulled a bottle of pills from her jacket and tossed one into her mouth.
"Ya need ta lay off that shit," Merle warned, reaching to take the bottle from her hand. Carol elbowed him, pulling the bottle out of his reach.
"It's no different from a cup of coffee," she argued. "Don't be dramatic."
"You got caffeine pills over there?," Aiden asked, stretching his arm across the table as he rubbed the sleep from his one good eye with the other hand. "Come on," he urged, wriggling his fingers, "...don't be stingy." Carol huffed, reluctantly placing one of the large white pills in Aiden's palm. Eager to change the subject, Carol turned to their uninvited guest.
"Well?," she asked. "What's the message?"
"You crossed onto our land," the woman said, obviously trying to sound more confident than she was. "Alpha wants to meet with you. Tonight at sunset. At the pikes."
Everyone in the room reacted to the spot the woman mentioned. But Carol's reaction was the most intense. Her body tightened. Her vision went hazy with rage as she gripped the table. And for a moment, she was back there again. Looking at her son's decapitated head on a pike. Seeing Carol grip the table, Rick was glad he left Harley in bed sleeping.
"I've got your food," Wren announced, balking slightly at the obvious tension in the room as she entered. She set the plate down on the table, moving back so the walker woman could sit. The woman hesitated for a moment. But her hunger quickly won out. Sitting down, she whipped her mask off her head and grabbed for the sandwich with her dirty hands.
With her mask off, Rick could see that her hair was red under the filth. He guessed she was about his age, or maybe a little younger. That was hard to determine with the layer of grime that covered her. She inhaled the food Wren made for her, barely chewing before she swallowed hard and took another bite. When her plate was finally empty, it was River that spoke.
"What's yer name?," she asked. The woman quickly reached for her mask, pulling it over her head before she answered.
"Animals don't have names," she said, speaking in the same raspy monotone she used by the gates. River nodded. After hearing the same nonsense from the man they captured, she was expecting it.
"We crossed the boundary to put out a fire," River said. "If we left it, the fire woulda destroyed yer land and ours. Do ya think it's right for her ta send an army of walkers after us fer that?"
"You don't know Alpha sent the walkers," the woman countered.
"Actually, we do," River said. "We caught the last shepherd she sent." The woman shifted in her seat, unsure of what to say in response to River's admission. She clearly wasn't expecting to have a full conversation with these people when she arrived. Or to be invited into town. Or to be fed and treated with any measure of kindness or respect.
"You crossed onto our land," the woman repeated.
"We did," River agreed. "To put the fire out." River paused, covering her mouth as she yawned. She needed a nap in the worst way. But that would have to wait. "Do ya think it's right for Alpha to try and kill us fer that? I mean, I know she's crazy. But what do you think?" The woman rose from her seat, scraping the chair legs against the floor.
"I have to get back," she announced. "If I'm not back soon, she'll release the hoard." No one stopped the woman as she headed for the door. Stopping in the doorway, she turned and repeated her message. "Tonight. At the pikes. Be there by sunset."
Rick signaled for one of the guards. He handed the woman's knife to the man and instructed him to give it back to her once she was outside the barricade. Then he headed back into the meeting where a loud debate was already taking place.
"If she shows her bald ass head at that meetin', we should take her out," Merle barked. "Cut off the head of the snake."
"That could trigger a full scale attack," Aiden countered. "...and we're in no condition to fight. She wants to talk. Let's see what she has to say first. Then decide."
"I don't care what that bitch has to say. I wanna see her head on a pike!," Merle huffed back.
Rick pounded his fist on the table a few times, trying in vain to quiet everyone down. Aiden and Merle were getting the loudest, arguing about why Merle was so adamant about killing Alpha when he'd been voting Harley down every time she proposed going after the woman.
"HEY!," Rick hollered. "We can't just go after her. We have five other communities to consider. What'll happen if we kill Alpha and her people send their pet walkers after Hilltop. They'll tear up all their crops and livestock and then we'll all be screwed!"
"He's right!," Carol said, raising her usually quiet voice loud enough to drown out any other objections. "We need to get on the radio and see if any of the other leaders can come to the meet tonight. And we need to neutralize the horde before we go after Alpha."
Rick breathed an audible sigh of relief. Carol was not just the only person in town that could get both Merle and Daryl to listen to her, she always had a way of phrasing things that put them into perspective for everyone. Rick didn't realize how difficult leading the council was until Carol was gone and he had to try to do it himself. Wrangling all the Dixons was like herding feral cats. When they weren't fighting with him they were fighting each other. Even his own girlfriend wouldn't listen to him half the time. And Aiden wasn't much better. His vote was always a wild card. It was impossible to predict if he would behave like a diplomat or be out for blood.
"I'm so glad you're back," Rick said, rounding the table and leaning down to wrap his arm around Carol for just a moment before he returned to his seat.
"Me too!," Wren added. "I love you Momma C!"
Wren's declaration of love was followed by a chorus of similar comments. Carol finally put a stop to it by banging her hand on the table like Rick did a minute before.
"Okay!," she said, shoving Daryl away from her. "We still need to figure out what happened to our guest in the holding cell."
"You don't think he did that to himself?," River asked. Carol shook her head. River cringed a little. "I didn't put anything in his food. That food came right out of my fridge."
Rick wasn't sure if River was upset because she felt like she was being accused of something. Or because she was worried the contents of her fridge might be poisoned.
"River, it's okay. No one is accusing you of anything," Rick clarified.
"It wasn't you," Carol added. "It was her, that dog woman. I saw her put a bottle on the tray before she left."
"Naw," Daryl argued. "Why would Leah wanna kill that asshole?"
Carol whipped her head towards Daryl so quick, Rick was surprised it didn't fling right off her neck. She narrowed her eyes at him, her lips pressed into a tight line. Not only had Daryl been spending a lot of time with the woman in question while his wife was gone, now he was defending her honor as well. Rick guessed that wasn't going to go well for him.
"Yer just stickin' up fer that slut 'cause she sat on yer balls and spun," Merle accused.
"That's a FUCKIN' LIE!," Daryl bellowed, rising from his chair and leaning across Carol to insert his middle finger into Merle's laughing face. "I never fuckin' touched her!" Daryl glanced nervously at Carol before he added, "...she's earned her place here. Leah's got no reason ta wanna kill that guy."
"She's only nice to you because she wants her hole filled," River announced, sending both her and Merle into a fit of inappropriate laughter.
"Yeah," Merle added through his loud guffaws, "...ALL OF 'EM!"
"Oh my gawd dad! That's disgusting!," Wren lamented, looking at her parents in total disgust.
The caffeine pill Aiden got from Carol must have chosen that moment to kick in. Because he burst into laughter right along with River and Merle. And given his current lack of sleep, Rick was honestly having a hard time not cracking up himself. A fine council they were, punch drunk and laughing about some woman wanting to get backdoored by Daryl when there was a whole ass group of psychotic walker people waiting to tear the entire town down.
"Did you fuck her?," Carol asked, not finding the joke as funny as everyone else in the room.
"NO!," Daryl huffed. He glared at his brother, practically daring the man to say something else on the matter. "I never fucked her. And I sure as hell never fucked her in her ass. Y'all are disgustin' as fuck."
"Oh my god," River gasped, slapping at Merle to shut him up so she could speak. "Maybe that's why Leah poisoned that guy. She's mad because she didn't get fucked in the ass." River wiped at her eyes, her body still shaking with laughter.
"Well at least they can take you off the suspect list," Merle said, laughing even harder at the expression of shock on River's face that came before she slapped the mess out of him.
"For fuckssakes," Rick grumbled. They were all nearly delirious from lack of sleep. And this meeting went sideways some time ago. "Hey! Come on y'all! Let's wrap this up." Rick gave everyone a moment to get themselves under some form of control before he continued. "Do we really think Leah had something to do with what happened?"
"She did hand over that bottle of liquor outta nowhere," River said, "...but that fucker coulda had the poison on him too. We checked him fer weapons. But it's not like we strip searched him. He coulda had a pill or small packet of shit. And he was pretty upset after he saw Lydia..." River cast an apologetic glance at Carol before she continued. "...and Daryl's right. Leah's been here since last summer. She ain't caused no problems. I can't think of any reason she would have to fuck us over now."
Rick waited to see if anyone else had anything else to add. Leah handing over a few shots of liquor wasn't exactly solid evidence of murder. River was right. The man might have poisoned himself. Or died of some sort of freak seizure or allergic reaction. There was really no way to prove for sure that he was even poisoned with their limited medical knowledge and supplies.
"Let's just keep an eye on her," Wren suggested. "Don't let her leave town alone. And watch her. If she's up to something, we'll catch her. And if she's not, there's no harm done." Rick nodded.
"No one should be out by themselves anyway," he agreed.
"No one goes out alone. And we're not deciding on what to do about Alpha until after the meet tonight," Carol summarized. "Anyone have an objection?" Carol looked around, waiting on Merle in particular to see if the man was going to run his big mouth some more. When he held his tongue, Carol continued. "All in favor?"
After everyone lifted their hands, Carol excused them from the meeting. She sent Aiden home to call the other communities. Rick rose to his feet, catching River before she could head back outside.
"I got something I need to ask you," Rick said, keeping his voice low. River nodded and followed him deeper into the building where they wouldn't be overheard.