Teddy walked toward the window and saw how the members of his cult were being gathered in the middle of an open area. All of them wore expressions of fear, and to them, the future was anything but certain.
When Jason considered what to do, the same question always came to mind: Are they the good guys or the bad guys? For some people, that's an easy answer. But for Jason, there were two very important perspectives.
If he wanted to lead, he had to know that people must fear him enough to follow him without hesitation. Humans are strange creatures. Today, there's only one kind of person left in the world—those who want to survive.
Jason wasn't a bad guy; he was just surviving, the same way the Vultures did. But from now on, everyone had to understand that his people were off-limits. Absolutely no one could touch them—not even slightly. For those still alive—at least his enemies—this was a very clear idea.
"Are you going to give me that key?"
That simple question broke the silence in the room, making everyone wonder what the answer would be from this calm old man. But the response didn't take long. Teddy reached into his jacket and pulled out a key identical to the one Jason carried.
"I wish I could show you the world I'm going to build. If I ever plan to have children, I want that world—dreamed of by every living being in recent times—to be appreciated by all."
Jason put the key away, sighed softly, and said, "People don't value what they have. It may be a phrase quoted by many philosophers, but it's more than true. Now everyone's willing to work twelve hours just to have food on their plate. Can you believe that?"
"You've got a dream that's hard to achieve…" Teddy shook his head in disapproval, rejecting Jason's mindset. "You're stubborn and think you'll always win, and believe me—your downfall is closer than ever. If you killed hundreds just because a few from your group died, I don't want to imagine what kind of leader you are."
"Maybe the kind of leader these people need. I'm just a good survivor, and when I believe something is necessary for us all, I don't hesitate… I'm fully aware of the dangers in this world. I won't deny that. And I know it's dangerous to act this way at any given moment."
"But if I ever lose, you won't live to see it…"
Jason pointed toward the door of the room, and Teddy walked out without saying a word. He knew his end had come, and he didn't regret anything. But he was bitter—frustrated from tasting the honey just slightly with his tongue, only to have someone come and take away everything that was his.
Outside the mall.
Jason followed several members of his group and walked out to where all the survivors of this place had been gathered. Among them were children, the elderly, men, and women—all of them crying.
After seeing the situation, he nodded toward Sam and pointed to an open area, saying, "I want Teddy to stand right there—on his knees, of course."
Once Jason spoke, two soldiers grabbed Teddy by the arms and dragged him to the spot Jason had indicated. Then they struck his knees, and he collapsed to the ground.
Everyone watched in silence. No one spoke, knowing that what would be done with all these people was about to be decided. And after glancing at Sam, Jason said:
"First of all, my condolences for your losses. There really was no other way to achieve my goals than through this method."
"My name is Jason, leader of a vast organization called S.C.T., which operates mainly in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington... Since the beginning of the outbreak, I've done everything in my power to protect people. Months and months of hard work by my people have achieved a level of stability that's unmatched today."
"Thousands of people depend on our decisions, and the only reason we came to Texas is because we received a distress signal from survivors at a military base. But as you now know, the walkers are evolving in unpredictable ways… Stronger, faster, and far more aggressive…"
After saying that, Jason sighed and continued, "We're dead serious when we say we're fighting for a new future—and that future we seek isn't about killing the living, but destroying the dead. That's why I'll give you a choice: those who want to keep living must remain on that side."
Pointing to where the survivors were gathered, Jason said, "But if you think I'm a damn demon and plan to follow orders blindly, you can stay with Teddy and die gloriously alongside your leader."
"You're going to kill us anyway…"
At that moment, a voice came from within the crowd, catching Jason's attention. He responded, "Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. Who will know in the future? I'm a man of my word. None of us want to kill you—so make your decision now."
At that moment, Sam walked up beside him and said, "Shane wiped out the cannibal base completely. Right now, they're securing their weapons and supplies. On the other hand, Morgan eliminated those who resisted and rescued the children and anyone who didn't want to fight."
Listening to Sam report what had happened, Jason nodded silently. He couldn't help but think that, despite everything, it was a good outcome. And it was no surprise that Morgan's leadership was far less bloody.
To eliminate all members of the cult, their force of two hundred had split into three separate groups—and by now, all of them had completed their objectives.
"Looks like they've made their decision…" Jason looked at the people who had walked over to Teddy and nodded. At least 170 had chosen to live. Meanwhile, around 30 had chosen to die.
"They're insane… they have no idea," Sam muttered in a deep voice.
"Kill the elders and keep the young ones—they'll serve as human test subjects for the vaccines at our research center. At least they'll be useful for something. Let's not waste any more time here."
"Yes, boss!"
Sam nodded and gave the order loudly. Then, the sound of gunfire and screams echoed behind Jason.
At the entrance to the shelter, a convoy of armored vehicles arrived. Snipers and other members of their group had joined them. Daryl led the unit, and upon seeing the numerous corpses on the ground, everyone felt uncomfortable.
"We can go back now, Daryl!"
"Yeah… we always win."