‘Fear the Walking Dead’ recap: Abigail crew, marauders battle for survival

When a zombie apocalypse strikes, it’s survival of the fittest. And the Abigail yacht crew proves fitter for survival than a murderous band of marauders on “Captive,” Episode 205 of AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Sea raiders working for Connor (Mark Kelly) have seized the yacht and returned to base with abductees Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis). That base is a dry-docked ship near the Mexico border.

Connor’s younger brother Reed (Jesse McCartney) and two guards intended to bring Abigail into port and presumably slaughter the crew. But expert marksman Luis Flores (Arturo del Puerto) saved the day when he arrived in a launch with Alicia’s brother Nick (Frank Dillane).

Luis killed the guards while Alicia’s mom, Madison (Kim Dickens), impaled Reed.

Suddenly Maddie has leverage, figuring she can swap Reed for Alicia and Travis. Luis objects, however, insisting they sail south to Baja immediately.

“I need half a day,” Maddie tells “Abigail” skipper Victor Strand (Colman Domingo). She’s calling in a favor for rescuing Strand when he nearly died of hypothermia in the ocean.

Okay, Strand agrees. Half a day.

“You can have your brother when I get my family back,” Maddie informs Connor over the radio. “He’s alive,” she adds, not mentioning Reed’s near-fatal injury. “You want him? Trade!”

Meanwhile, Alicia is treated as a recruit, not a prisoner. Jack (Daniel Zovatto), who’s smitten with Alicia’s beauty, shows her how to track boats by radar so Connor can decide which ones to spare and which ones to target.

“This is the new world now,” Jack remarks. “This one lives, this one dies.”

While Alicia has value to Connor (and Jack), Travis does not. He’s locked in a cage and may fall victim to a revenge killing.

Remember Charlie (Michelle Ang), that survivor from doomed Flight 462? She and Jake (Brendan Meyer), a boy who suffered terrible burns in the jet crash, were prevented from boarding Abigail by Travis. Instead, they were towed in a life raft until Strand cruelly set them adrift.

Charlie lived because Connor’s people found her at sea. Sadly, Jake didn’t make it. Choking on blood and near death, Jake begged Charlie to end the misery. She reluctantly strangled him.

“You did what you had to do,” Travis says.

“I did what you made me do,” Charlie bitterly replies.

So it’s not surprising that when Connor asked what Charlie could offer, she vindictively provided intel on Abigail. In return, Charlie gained control over Travis.

Not for long, though, because Connor accepts Maddie’s offer to exchange Travis and Alicia for Reed. That deal becomes problematic, however, when Travis’ son Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) impulsively shoots Reed in the face.

After Reed “turns,” Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades) conceives a plan. The idea is to bind Reed’s hands, put a hood over his head and let this zombie loose on Connor.

Maddie bravely carries out the prisoner swap by herself. She balks when Connor produces Travis but not Alicia.

“You’ll get her when I see my brother’s all right,” Connor yells.

That’s Maddie’s cue. She sets Reed free and he viciously tears into his horrified brother.

Having a birds-eye view of the carnage is Alicia. Now it’s her turn to escape.

“My family came back for me,” she tells Jack as he pleads with her to stay.

“I’m sorry” are Alicia’s parting words before speeding away in a launch with Mom and Travis.

So apparently it’s on to Mexico for the intrepid Abigail crew. A mansion in Baja could offer shelter from the apocalypse. Or perhaps it’s just another false hope in a sea of peril.