In the same way Jason had led everyone to the central base, Merle and his group soon arrived at the border of Virginia.
The place was no different from others—there were walkers everywhere, and everything was deserted. Even those pirates they used to run into in other places had vanished, making the trip slower and more complicated than expected.
They had been driving straight toward their objective for a long time. Originally, it was supposed to be a one-day trip, but it ended up taking four days to reach the location.
The main reason was that Jason had warned them before leaving: Don't go directly to the target. Try to survive out there for a few days and pay attention to even the smallest detail. One key point: the car you're using must look filthy enough to prove you've traveled a long way. Everyone in the group must look exhausted to really sell the image that you've been wandering for a long time before finding the Commonwealth.
So Merle took the time to teach the elderly couple how to kill walkers. Alicia, on her side, used the opportunity to train herself, but whenever Deanna or Monroe were in danger, she immediately stepped in to help them.
Seeing a young woman handle walkers so skillfully left them with no doubts—they committed themselves to learning how to kill walkers with melee weapons.
Jon, meanwhile, was responsible for watching the surroundings. With his large rifle, he had a wide range of vision and could observe the terrain from afar, alerting the group if any trouble was approaching.
In this way, Merle's group took four days to get close to their destination without stopping.
Under Merle's training, the elderly couple gradually adapted to fighting walkers in close combat. Gone were their previous comforts—a daily bath was impossible now, and their bodies were camouflaged with walker blood and dust from the environment, giving them a peculiar smell.
"Everyone smells like shit…"
"Well, I think you're the biggest pile of shit in the group…" Alicia said as she looked at the peculiar man Jason had sent on this mission.
"Hahaha!" Merle laughed, teasing Alicia. At least the old couple had now experienced survival in its rawest form. After that, everyone continued toward their objective.
"Alright, we've arrived. Let's find a nearby house and set up a temporary shelter. If we want those people in the Star Wars armor to trust us completely, we need to act as naturally as possible. Even if they're watching us right now, we have to behave like real, ordinary survivors."
The group soon found a nearby residential house, carefully searched it, and moved their supplies inside. Merle decided they should live there temporarily.
After cleaning up, he carried the corpses of two walkers outside. It had to be said—there were very few walkers in this area, which likely meant those federal soldiers routinely came out to clear the zone.
The group's goal was to attract the Commonwealth's attention, so there was no need to hide their tracks or whereabouts. They simply settled in, then left the house again.
"Let's head over there to look for supplies. Watch your step and remember—we're survivors, here searching for whatever we can find." Merle gave the orders, while Jon kept an eye on the safety of the elderly couple.
Crack!
When Merle opened the door, the glass shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground.
The group didn't care much about it and continued cautiously into the store. It was a small bar, the interior area completely dark, making it impossible to see clearly inside.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Merle knocked on the door with the handle of his pistol, and the sound not only echoed inside the place but also spread through the surrounding streets, fading into the distance.
"Alright, ladies, let's take a look."
After searching for a while, they found nothing—only Merle discovered a bottle of wine in a hidden compartment beneath the bar.
"Look at this, Jon—this beauty's what we found in a filthy place like this."
The rest of the group looked up to see Merle shaking the bottle in his hand with a grin on his face. It was a bottle of whiskey.
Deanna threw her machete on the bar, pulled a chair from the side, sat down, exhaled deeply, and said to Merle, "Come on, give me a drink. This is exactly what I need right now."
The rest of them exchanged glances, smiled, and sat down in front of the bar.
"Welcome to my enormous banana—this is old Merle's tavern, and I'm about to treat you to the finest of my prized collection."
Merle grabbed a few upside-down wine glasses from the wine cabinet and poured each of them a drink.
"Cheers!"
Bang!
Just as their glasses clinked together, the bar door burst open from a heavy impact.
Boom!
A group of strangers wearing white bulletproof vests suddenly entered the room, each of them armed. The armor on their bodies covered them from head to toe, even their faces were hidden behind helmets—only a pair of eyes could be seen. And just as Merle had said, the outfit looked as if it came straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Deanna's family was startled by this sudden turn of events, but Merle and Alicia didn't hesitate—they instantly raised their weapons, aiming at the armored soldiers.
"Drop your weapon! Put your hands on your head!"
Shouted the armored soldier leading the group of strangers. The people behind him quickly advanced to take control, but they stopped halfway when they saw the swift reaction of Merle's group.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" The group of Commonwealth soldiers seemed uncertain, but one of them suddenly said,
"You'd better lower your weapons. We have no hostile intentions. This could actually turn out to be something good for your group."
Merle heard his words but didn't lower his weapon. Instead, he held a bottle of wine in his other hand.
"Want a drink?"
The soldiers who had been talking nonstop froze for a moment—only to see the bottle of wine suddenly thrown into the air. Their eyes couldn't help but follow its arc slightly.
Crack! Boom!
A gunshot rang out, and the bottle shattered instantly. Wine sprayed into the air, filling the room with a strong alcoholic scent.
The soldiers were clearly startled and looked around, trying to figure out where the sniper was.
Merle signaled to Deanna and the others, his face unchanged, and they quickly took the chance to run behind the bar. Then he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Unfortunately for you, we've got other companions. If you don't want trouble, you'd better tell us why you want us to drop our weapons."
The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. They had never expected a simple group of survivors to have someone hidden at a distance—especially a sniper.
Desperate, the lead soldier finally spoke. "We don't want anything you have. This is our protocol. We just need to make sure you're not a threat before proceeding."
"Protocol… Haven't heard that word from regular folks in a long time, and judging by your looks, you're not exactly regular. Listen—my name is Deanna Monroe, member of Congress in Ohio. With me are my husband, my secretary, and several soldiers who volunteered to protect me. We pass through here from time to time, but we don't understand why you're acting like this toward us."
The lead soldier looked at Deanna with some hesitation, then asked after a moment, "Do you have any document that can prove your identity?"
Deanna smiled modestly, then took a black wallet from her coat. She was about to hand it over when Merle stepped in. He signaled her to toss the wallet on the bar and motioned for the soldier to pick it up himself.
"Never thought something I kept only as a memento would come in handy again someday…"
Standing beside her, Merle chuckled, eyeing the wallet. "You still carry something like that, ma'am?"