Red Tide² ━ FTWD

CHAPTER 7: Stranded

RED TIDE

chapter seven: stranded

[ season 2, episode 3; ouroboros ]

DAY 19

Katie held out a hand in front of the woman as they approached the wheelhouse stairs. "Wait, wait, wait."

The Clark rounded on her. "What?"

Katie hesitated. While she did agree with Daniel that it was right to confront Strand about their end goal, she had a feeling she and Madison were on very different pages for how to go about doing so. "I just think we should have some sort of plan for how to handle this."

Madison cut her off. "We have a plan," she said. "We make him tell us where we're going and why."

"How do you intend to do that?"

"I'll force him."

That clarifies things, Katie thought sarcastically. Then, she affected a knowing look, and said as carefully as she could, "I only ask because by the end of this conversation, we're still going to be stuck on a boat with the man. This could require a more...delicate touch."

"I'll show him a delicate touch," Madison muttered before beginning to ascend the steps. At the top, she could hear the woman shout, "Mexico?"

Katie resisted the urge to bang her head against the bannister. If at some point Strand finally had enough and threw Madison overboard, she was sorely tempted to help him do so.

She came up the stairs just as Madison finished looking over a map on the dash. "Where the hell are you taking us?"

"Why don't we start by telling me who's been meddling in my business?" Strand shot back.

Madison turned back to him. "It is my business. It's all of our business."

"Perhaps our Latin friend?" Strand suggested thinly, then turned to Katie. "Or a certain hyperactive teenager?"

"Heather doesn't have anything to do with this," Katie said firmly.

"Where are we going?" Madison demanded.

Strand paused. "I saved Nick from that death camp."

"And then we saved you, Victor, remember?" Madison reminded him coldly.

"I welcomed you into my home."

"Who got you to your home?" she challenged, taking a step closer to him.

"I gave you and your families safe passage on my boat," he continued thinly. "And you still don't trust me. Are we not friends?"

"Are we going to Mexico?" Madison all but shouted.