Atlanta, Georgia. Growth Base at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Bobby Dodd Stadium.
At that moment, three large containers filled with intelligent walkers were being transported to the base Rick had cleared and taken over. Since civilians started arriving, word spread that Jason had stayed behind in Texas so everyone else could evacuate.
From the base in Washington, C-5 planes began arriving one after another at the base Rick had secured. All the planes were loaded with military and civilian supplies, which were sent to Shane's base, while others carried cargo to storage facilities.
"Move the containers carefully! If there's any leakage, months of work will be ruined!" Shane shouted, wearing a dark military uniform.
"Yes, sir!"
"The containers will be sent afterward! Once we take the base in Texas, we will communicate with the commander again."
At the newly acquired base, hundreds of soldiers were moving special equipment that would be used for whatever decisions were made regarding those who attacked Jason and his group in Texas. It wasn't hard to guess a massacre was coming; Jason was determined to completely eliminate those who attacked his people and killed many of his own.
From what they knew, there was a sort of community posing a danger not only to his group but also to other survivors. Additionally, Jason wanted to collect samples of a possible variant of the Wildfire virus that had adapted in the dark. If he managed to accomplish everything he set out to, the losses would be offset by what he gained at the military base in Texas.
Besides Apache helicopters, there were more advanced C-5 aircraft, anti-air defenses, tanks, armored vehicles, boats, and especially fighter jets. Leaving all that at that military base was something the community could not afford. If those supplies fell into enemy hands, they could become a real threat.
At the very least, they would ensure all fighters and helicopters stayed at a secure military base controlled by the S.C.T. community.
While Jason's people prepared to arrive at the military base in Texas, a group led by Sam Valdez had already arrived at the walker-filled base.
The sound of gunfire and flesh being cut echoed through the area. After reaching the military base, soldiers wearing masks made from walker skin slowly exited the C-5 and boarded helicopters used to carry the walkers away from the base.
"Gather the corpses to burn them! We must not leave anything to turn this place into a dump! Move fast!" Sam shouted as he smoked a cigarette. He had heard about Billy's death, which had filled him with deep anger.
He still remembered when Jason gathered the original team. Back then, no one really knew what the job was about, but the pay was good and they promised to get back into action like in their army days. Everyone accepted, though ironically, the world went to hell shortly after.
Among those Jason gathered was Billy, a great man with a unique sense of humor. After months of living together, they all knew each other pretty well.
"They will die for what they have done," Sam murmured as he looked toward the rising sun in the distance. He was sure they would get revenge on those who had done this to their own.
...
Early in the morning, Jason and the others left the camp and headed toward Alicia's community. After a few hours of travel, they soon saw the stadium that belonged to the community where she lived.
"It's right here!" Alicia murmured with a look full of emotion. She had been away for a few days, so her family must be very worried about her safety.
The large convoy of vehicles stopped near the stadium, and soon many survivors came out to observe the surroundings. Morgan, next to Jason, looked at the huge stadium and said:
"It's a good place, but I feel it's too big for so few people."
Jason silently observed the place. Except for the guards at the entrance, there didn't seem to be much other security around. This was definitely a bad sign. With the situation in Texas, it wouldn't surprise him if that place could be attacked at any moment.
"They have water filters and high places for solar panels, but with so many people causing trouble out there, it's definitely not a safe place. I'm surprised they've held on this long."
After saying that, Jason took his crutches and approached to greet the leader of the community, who had to be Alicia's mother. As he got closer, he vaguely heard the woman say:
"Alicia, how could you put yourself in danger like that for a complete stranger?"
"Mom, Jason is not a complete stranger. I talked to him a year ago, and I'm sure he's someone trustworthy," Alicia whispered, clarifying quietly to avoid misunderstanding.
Madison looked at her daughter with a frustrated expression. "How do you know that what he told you is true? The last time we saw the military, they arrested us, and your father died because of it. They were deeply involved in that."
"You must be Madison Clark. Your daughter has spoken a lot about you. I must thank you for having such an incredible daughter," Jason said, approaching with a slight smile. "I'm Jason Darcy. I hope that during the meeting we have, I can clear up your doubts and tell you in depth about my community and what happened a few days ago."
Madison looked at him, noticing the many visible wounds on his body. She was a bit surprised and responded, "Since my daughter shared my name, let's not talk any more here. Let's go inside; we'll attract walkers if we stay out here."
"All right," Jason nodded. He clearly sensed Madison's hostility, which was completely understandable. He understood her annoyance and didn't take it personally. Then, he signaled Morgan to have everyone enter the stadium.
"You shouldn't be so defensive with that man, Madison. He really seems to have noble intentions and helps without hesitation those who still matter in this world," Daniel Salazar said as he approached Madison to greet her while Jason reunited with Morgan.
Everyone seemed very kind, but Jason's mind was fixed on a single goal: to completely eliminate the Vultures and the organization controlling them. He would kill them all. There was no doubt about that.