That night, the farm was brightly lit.
Rick directed Glenn, T-Dog, Jacqui, Dale, Andrea, Carol, and the others to gather every heavy object they could find.
Discarded farm machinery parts, thick logs, even empty barrels dragged out of storage were all piled up behind the wooden fences and barricades surrounding the farm.
Hershel, Otis, and Jimmy focused on checking the doors and windows of the main house, reinforcing what would be their last line of defense.
The old man's face was full of stubbornness and unease. He still believed in his own judgment and thought this was just an overreaction, but the invisible pressure in the air kept him from feeling truly at ease.
Amid the noisy preparations, Calista quietly found Maggie, who was taking stock of tools near the barn.
Under the moonlight, Maggie looked confused. She watched her father and Rick's group busy at work, yet couldn't shake the feeling that she was watching a rehearsal with an already decided ending.
"Maggie," Calista pulled her back from her thoughts, "I need to talk to you about the walker horde."
Maggie's heart tightened as she looked at her. "Dad and Rick are preparing defenses, aren't they? Maybe… maybe we can hold it."
Calista shook her head. Her gray-blue eyes looked especially deep in the moonlight. "Maggie, do you trust me? Do you trust my judgment and Leah's?"
Maggie answered without hesitation. "I do. You saved me, Beth, and Dale. I've seen what you can do."
"Good." Calista stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Then listen carefully. The walker horde we saw is far worse than anything Hershel and Rick can imagine. Those fences will be like paper in front of them. Once they surround the farm, no one will get out."
She saw Maggie's face turn pale and continued, "I swear I'm not exaggerating. The only way to survive is to evacuate before they close in. If we try to hold the farm, it's a dead end."
Maggie's breathing quickened as her thoughts churned.
On one side was her father, someone she loved deeply, stubbornly clinging to their family land and trusting only what he could see.
On the other were Calista and Leah, whose strength and judgment she had witnessed firsthand, people who had truly seen the brutal reality of the apocalypse.
Maggie thought about the growing number of walkers out there.
Could her father's farm really stay a safe haven forever?
How long could they rely on luck?
A sharp clarity struck her.
She could not keep following blindly. She had to prepare for the worst, for herself, for Beth, and for their family.
"What should I do?" Maggie's voice trembled, but there was firm resolve beneath it.
A hint of approval flashed in Calista's eyes. "We may not be able to convince Hershel to abandon the farm right away, but we can prepare ahead of time. If the horde really comes, we will need vehicles ready for a quick move and essential supplies. Especially the livestock. They are our future food source, we cannot afford to lose them."
Maggie immediately understood. "You mean… we load them onto the trucks in advance?"
"Yes." Calista nodded. "While everyone is busy reinforcing defenses, we quietly gather the livestock we can take, along with key tools, medicine, and seeds, and load them onto the farm's trucks and trailers.
If tomorrow turns out to be nothing, we can always unload everything. But if it is real, this will be what keeps us and your farm alive."
The plan was bold, but Maggie made her decision almost instantly.
At worst, her father would scold her for acting recklessly.
A scolding meant nothing.
Compared to losing everything, the cost was trivial.
"I know what needs to go. Come with me." Maggie stopped hesitating and moved at once.
They first found Leah, Merle, and Shane.
Shane had no reservations about joining this kind of behind-the-scenes move. In fact, he saw it as the practical thing to do.
Leah and Merle had no objections either, and the three quickly got moving.
When they reached Daryl's room, he was trying to move his heavily bandaged arm. His face was still pale from blood loss, but he looked much more alert.
"Something going on tonight?" Daryl asked hoarsely.
"Yeah. We need people," Calista replied simply.
"I can do it." Daryl tried to get up, but Leah stopped him with a single look.
"You're in charge of watching the supplies and coordinating. Talk, don't move." Her tone carried a firm, almost commanding concern.
Daryl paused, looking at her cold profile. For once, he did not argue, only muttering, "…Got it."
Under the cover of darkness, the operation began quietly.
Maggie led Calista and Shane to the livestock pens.
She skillfully opened the gates, softly calming the restless cows and horses.
Calista and Shane guided the more docile dairy cows and several valuable horses toward a large livestock transport truck parked behind the barn.
Shane's strength came in handy as he firmly controlled the larger animals, veins standing out on his arms.
Meanwhile, Leah and Merle dealt with the more troublesome pigs and sheep.
Merle cursed under his breath, but his methods were effective as he shoved and drove the pigs and goats onto a fenced trailer.
Leah did not often handle this kind of work, giving Merle a chance to show off a bit.
Daryl could not handle heavy work, so he sat on a crate and took inventory of important supplies. Hershel's medical kit and stored medicine, sealed seeds from the warehouse, tools from the shed, and easy-to-store canned food and grain.
Partway through, Maggie stopped, wiped sweat from her forehead, and said to Daryl, "Watch things here for a bit. I'll go get someone."
Before long, she returned with a confused Glenn.
He stared at them in disbelief. "Jesus. Are you guys looting the place? We're still out there reinforcing defenses."
Maggie smacked him on the back. "Shut up. We're making a backup plan. Hurry up and help carry things."
Glenn felt uneasy about keeping this from Rick, but trusting Maggie, he gritted his teeth and joined in.
It was a quiet race against time.
On one side of the farm, the defensive work continued loudly with constant hammering and voices filling the air.
On the other side, behind the barn, a tense and silent transfer was underway.
That night, both groups worked toward their own survival.
Maggie's heart stayed in her throat the entire time. Every small sound from the livestock made her tense, afraid her father or Otis might discover what they were doing.