Jason's group had been busy from morning until afternoon, moving to five more locations near the first place they had reached. Night had fallen by the time they arrived at the last location. At that moment, besides four more trucks, there was also a double-decker bus.
The soldiers were moved from the tank to the bus so they could be more comfortable and provide support in case extra hands were needed.
At first, these four people didn't believe there was a safe place outside of the situation they were in, but after seeing and hearing what these people said, they also formed a strong impression of this group—especially its leader.
As a sniper, Elias' observational skills were his strongest asset, one that very few could question. First of all, the captain of this group, the tough-looking man named Jason, generally preferred using two large machetes to eliminate walkers.
Everyone thought Jason was extremely capable in close combat, just by watching how he moved while killing the undead.
After an entire day of observation, Elias was now certain that Jason was undoubtedly someone with an extremely high combat effectiveness. Whether in melee combat or firearm handling, he was convinced that Jason was definitely a special forces soldier—one who had lived through all kinds of situations.
As for the man named Rick, there was no doubt that he had good aim, some real combat experience, and better-than-average tactical skills. Together with his distinctive uniform, there was no need to mention that he was a cop.
Then there were two men, one named Billy Fisher and the other George Burcea. At first glance, along with Jason, they appeared to be very experienced soldiers. On the other hand, the few remaining people surprised Elias even more. These individuals had clearly received training, but not for long. He could tell because they were still clumsy in some of their movements.
However, in this world where people fought to survive, were there actually resources available to train good fighters? This made Elias even more interested in the background of the resistance Jason led.
Emilio, Elias, Diego, and Fabian discussed it, and the four of them felt that this seemed like a good group to follow. If the conditions at the shelter weren't bad, they might consider staying permanently.
Jason, unaware of what these soldiers were thinking, carefully oversaw everything that was unfolding. Truth be told, he had never wanted to be a soldier. It was his father who instilled in him the art of perfection and never missing a shot. That kind of desire became an obsession, something that awakened within him and led him down the path of special forces.
But soon, he lost the spark that made him the best at what he did—after all, killing certain people had become a trauma.
Fortunately, his father hadn't lived long enough to find out that the son he was so proud of had been sent to prison for insubordination.
The experiences of both his lives, stored in his memories, had shaped him into what he was—a soldier capable of achieving anything he set his mind to.
That could be considered the good part of his two lives. The bad part was overcoming both traumas and the despair of living in a world that, as time passed, was coming to an end.
But everything—good and bad—had led him to this point.
If it weren't for his combat experience and slightly crazy mind, he really couldn't imagine how he would have survived in this world. Walkers were terrifying, but people were even more so, and Jason had no difficulty killing his enemies.
Shaking his head, Jason pushed aside those thoughts that led him into a dark, endless pit of questioning. He still needed to carry out his plans and survive in this world as best he could, so he said, "We'll spend the night here. It's best not to move at night since we don't know the area."
After saying that, Jason opened the entrance to the basement but didn't go in right away. Night was the most dangerous time when walker activity didn't decrease.
Everyone could still hear the sirens coming from the CDC, and for that reason, there were very few walkers nearby. However, Jason didn't want anyone to move. If they encountered a horde of walkers, the outcome wouldn't be good.
Wasting no time, Jason briefly led everyone into the basement before inspecting it. This was the last supply point he had stored goods in—and it was also the most special one.
Because what was stored here wasn't common supplies like food and medicine but rather far more important firearms and hard-to-find ammunition.
To save space, a handful of long and short firearms were densely packed in huge crates, and there was too much ammunition to count. Even so, Jason had acquired some machines to manufacture ammunition without needing pre-made ones. That ensured at least a small but stable source of ammo within his base.
Some members of the group were no longer surprised. Either way, Jason had said this was the last supply point for the day, meaning everyone could rest and eat as much as they wanted.
Elias and the others entered the basement, leaning against the wall. The four of them stayed together. When they saw everything in the basement, they were shocked. Everything they had done today had been enough to leave them stunned.
When the four of them saw the neatly stacked crates of weapons in the basement, they were completely speechless.
They exchanged glances, instantly understanding what the other was thinking. Jason's group was far from ordinary! No, it had to be said that the leader of this group was extremely well-prepared for this situation.
The entire group had been busy all day, moving countless supplies from one point to another. It had been fine during the day since they were handling important supplies. Everyone had carried large crates and was exhausted. Now, they could finally rest, and the fatigue gradually caught up with them.
"Don't fall asleep yet. Eat something before you sleep. It's now 7:30 PM, and we'll be resting until 6:00 AM. We'll be rotating watches every two hours, and I'll take the first shift." Jason was feeling much better than the others, and seeing their expressions, he decided to take the initiative.
Emilio and the other two also raised their hands. "We can also stand guard at night."
Jason smiled and motioned for the four of them not to worry. "For the sake of your physical condition, it's better for you to get more rest. I'll bring you some food that's suitable for you."
After Jason left, Rick smiled and said, "Since Jason said so, just focus on resting."
Rick's initiative finally gave Elias and Emilio a chance. Emilio quickly took advantage of the moment to talk to Rick—he wanted to learn more about their group.
"Can you tell us about your group? The four of us are also part of the team now, and maybe we'd like to know more about the situation."
Rick nodded and didn't deliberately avoid their questions. Instead, they openly conversed. They were talking when they saw Jason walking in with a large pot.
"Look, I made some hot soup. Everyone, come and eat something before going to sleep!"
Several people gathered around, and Jason didn't make anything complicated—just a pot of canned soup, and everyone ate.
Around eight o'clock at night, everyone finally found a place to lie down after eating, and soon the room fell silent. They fell asleep almost as soon as they lay down—except for Jason, who remained awake.
Silently, he made his way to a room on the second floor. Jason looked out through the dark window, chose a suitable seat, and sat down.
Time passed little by little, and soon it was midnight. Jason turned around and walked toward the basement, patted Rick on the shoulder, and the other man quickly woke up.
Checking his watch, Rick saw that it was already midnight. He asked in a low voice, "Did you get any rest?"
"I wasn't that tired, so I let you sleep a few extra hours..." Jason glanced around the not-so-spacious basement and simply lay down where Rick had been.
Rick climbed upstairs, found a seat, and sat down.
Jason also fell asleep quickly. The habit he had developed over the years made him a light sleeper. If he sensed any movement, he would wake up immediately.
Beep! Beep!
A car alarm blared. Though the sound wasn't loud in the basement, Jason was already awake.
However, just as he felt the situation wasn't too serious, he heard a series of footsteps coming from the first floor, the sound reaching directly into the basement.
Frowning slightly, Jason suddenly realized that things weren't as simple as they seemed. Just as he grabbed his M4, he saw Rick rushing toward him, looking somewhat nervous.
"Jason!" Rick's low and concerned voice called out, and Jason slowly approached.
"What's going on?" The rest of the group also woke up from the commotion, rubbing their eyes and sitting up.
"A massive horde of walkers has appeared! We're already in the middle of it!"
Everyone, still drowsy, went pale at the mention of the horde, as if they had seen a ghost—especially the soldiers, who had just escaped from a horde and now found themselves in the same situation again. At this point, they truly felt like they couldn't catch a break. What were the chances?
"Everyone, calm down! Let Rick finish explaining what he saw." Seeing the panic spreading, Jason remained unfazed.
Rick nodded, also gesturing for everyone to stay calm before continuing, "There's a horde of walkers moving outside. It looks like one of them hit a car, setting off its alarm. The alarm hasn't stopped, and many walkers have been drawn to the noise and gathered around."
"So we're still surrounded!" Elias looked at Rick in despair. Emilio, along with the others, clutched his head in desperation!