"Yes, there's no one else in this mall but me. Please, take a seat." Logan said with a somewhat nervous smile.
Everyone looked at Jason, and he nodded in confirmation. Then, they all sat down in the room while Logan pulled out a few bottles of water from a corner.
"I'm really sorry, resources have been hard to come by lately."
"You're going through too much trouble for us."
For safety reasons, no one decided to drink the water he offered. Besides, it would've felt unfair to take someone else's supplies. Some sat down while others chose to stand by the door, as Jason began questioning Logan in detail about his situation.
After a long exchange of words, things became clear. Logan was a man who had worked on a farm. Normally, he didn't like visiting the city, but when the outbreak started, he came here to bring his uncle back. The restaurant they were in had been opened by his uncle, and Logan used to work there before the walkers overran everything.
In the first few months, it had been nearly impossible to move around—not only because of the heavy traffic but also because soldiers wouldn't let anyone leave. Those who disobeyed were shot on sight.
"I never expected something like this to happen, and even less that the army would be powerless. God, after some time, the walkers started to change in strange ways. Some say a gigantic monster hides inside a church—who's supposed to believe that?"
Logan claimed to have seen different kinds of undead—some matching the records Jason already had, and others that sounded like they'd come straight out of a video game. However, as Logan spoke, it was clear that some of his information couldn't possibly be accurate.
Like many survivors, Jason could tell Logan had terrible luck, but behind that, there were only tragic stories and countless deaths.
Jason could clearly sense that Logan's mind was still stuck in the pre-apocalyptic world—he had no real understanding of the current state of things outside.
"So you haven't gone out until now?" Jason asked.
"Well, some people have come through this place, but I never got close to them. I just overheard a few words—some useful information that helped me survive."
"You all have very advanced equipment. You must be from the army or some kind of extermination organization. I'm guessing your mission is to take Alabama, am I wrong?"
Daryl smirked slightly and couldn't help but think of Carlos; the kid and Logan shared a similar aura.
"You're not wrong. We're taking all of Alabama, but before that, we need to see if it'll be easy or hard. What are you planning to do now?"
"Well, honestly, I can't be of much help. I've done a lot just to survive. I've got a small garden, and I still have some rice and flour left—enough to last me a few more years."
"Well, I've been alone for the last few years, so..."
When he fell silent, Luke directly extended the invitation.
"Why don't you come with us for now? Our initial plans are to take all of Alabama, but that'll take time and a lot of scouting from my people. Now that the world has changed, my people are the closest thing you'll find to order in these final days."
"Then from now on, we're companions. Ah, don't worry, even if fighting walkers isn't my thing, I can cook for you. I've practiced a lot these past few years—eating the same food every day made me come up with a lot of new dishes."
"Hell, kid, what a shitty life you've had since those balls of crap showed up," Negan said, standing up from the couch.
"Well..."
Logan's dazed look made everyone in the room smile. Negan was such a random man that everyone could imagine—if Merle were here, those two would've been great friends.
But right at that moment, a voice came from the radio:
"Zz... Sir, we've secured the doors and the team has begun deep cleaning."
"Zz... Do you need reinforcements?"
"Zz... No, sir. This place is suitable to turn into a temporary base for the advance team. Once we seal the areas we've scouted, we'll be able to secure the surroundings from this point onward."
"Zz... Understood. Stay alert."
Hearing the report over the radio, Daryl left the restaurant followed by T-dog and Glenn. Jason decided to return to the main topic, noticing Logan's expression had become rather strange as he frowned.
"Don't worry, there are no bad people at the base—you'll be safe."
"No, no, Jason, I thought you were joking about belonging to an organization and taking Alabama. If you really want to accept me, I'd be a fool to say no."
In truth, Jason was planning to find several shelters in the area, then clear the walkers from every corner using helicopters. After that, they would seal Alabama's main entrances and occupy the city center until they had full control.
For now, they had already left Washington, so they needed to expand quickly now that Georgia was completely theirs.
"Then wait for me to grab my things."
"Only personal belongings—this place will soon be taken over by my people. Once it's safe, you'll be able to come back here."
"Alright, I understand. I'll just take my personal stuff."
...
The UAB Hospital was a natural gathering point—it was possible there were still survivors there. Hospitals were known to have been key areas where the military left most of the police to protect the site.
As in all major cities, Logan said he had seen parts of the city engulfed in flames. But that hadn't solved anything; after all, walkers behaved in ways no one could comprehend.
Some time later, a few walkers had left that place and headed toward Atlanta. When Jason heard that, he figured those might have been some of the injured ones his people had encountered earlier.
...
Logan was visibly excited when he saw the armored vehicles. He had lived nearly thirty years, and this was the first time he had ever ridden in one—he couldn't resist running his hand along its surface.
"Logan, you've lived here and know the area better than we do. We'll need you to guide us if you know where we are."
"Ah, yes, yes—let me see… just drive two intersections ahead, then head north."
Guided by him, the convoy soon arrived at what looked like the grounds of a large community. Some signs hung around bearing Firefly patterns, prompting Luke to alert everyone to be ready in case of combat.
"Once again, I apologize for not telling you everything. Before he died, my uncle said he had a friend who built a safe zone with help from the army. After that, I never heard anything else."
The wall in front seemed to surround a secure place, but when everyone looked around, they quickly realized the perimeter was too small, and there were many signs hinting at something ominous.
"This doesn't look good—you'd better be mentally prepared."
Logan was startled by the words, but then he understood what they meant and smiled bitterly.
To be honest, he had lived through so many tragedies that he had grown numb.
"I have to go back there and see if anyone's still alive. You understand that, right?"
The community appeared before their eyes. The surrounding areas looked destroyed, and Jason could tell the refuge had been abandoned long ago.
But as Logan scanned the surroundings, he suddenly noticed something and pointed.
"Look at that..."