Ennis, the sole leader of the Vultures, was captured along with a few of his followers while trying to flee the church. This time, when he saw the handkerchief—identical to the one Teddy's people had recovered from the hospital rubble—he knew there was no need for explanations.
All these people, those who attacked them, were from the same group whose helicopter had been shot down by Malvin. He knew it—these people had come to kill them, and what puzzled him most was that he was still alive.
But that question was soon answered when the convoy he was traveling in came to a slow stop at a private school. The walkers had been cleared, and every now and then the sharp crack of a sniper rifle echoed from the rooftops, eliminating any walkers approaching the school.
The vehicles quickly parked, and men dressed in gray combat uniforms stepped out. They pulled out around eleven people, all of them with cloth bags over their heads, completely obscuring the vision of the Vultures.
"The rest were killed. We took the stuff from the church and came straight here," Shane said as he looked at Jason. Then he signaled for the people behind the kneeling Vultures to remove the cloth bags from their heads.
Upon hearing Shane say that the remaining Vultures had been wiped out, Jason nodded silently. Not everyone who had come to Texas was in the same place. After some long consideration, Madison had agreed to join his group solely to witness what was about to unfold. They wanted to understand how Jason's group operated, which is why they were at this abandoned school.
Now, the surrounding area had been cleared of walkers, and more soldiers were currently ensuring that nothing and no one posed a threat to the safety of those inside the school. After all, tonight Jason wanted the truth—he wanted to end this once and for all.
Suddenly, a beam of floodlights shone directly onto the kneeling Vultures' faces, forcing them to shut their eyes from the blinding light.
Just as their vision began to recover, Jason silently observed them. He paced back and forth, giving Alicia—who had insisted on coming—a quiet glance.
"I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is: you can all live, as long as you answer our questions honestly. The bad news is: you could die at any second during this conversation."
"But before I ask a very special question, I want you to understand why we're here today. You need to know why my people nearly wiped out your group. You all need to understand what happened."
"Aren't you just thieves?"
Jason turned to a young girl who didn't seem old enough to be mixed in with this group of wretches. Still, who really wants to be part of a group like that?
With a slight smile, Jason snapped his fingers and said, "Seems like you don't get it. We don't give a damn about the little crap you've hoarded in your hideout. Don't you think a little bigger than that?"
"Your group—the Vultures—attacked a helicopter from my community that was having technical problems. Even though people may have already died in the crash, a bunch of idiot vultures decided to shoot hundreds of rounds at us."
Jason went quiet, closed his eyes, and controlled his urge to drop the act and execute them all. But he knew that wouldn't bring him anything but more losses.
After another look at the terrified captives, Jason snapped his fingers again and said, "Come on. I can't believe you didn't know what your people did to mine. They picked up their weapons and not only opened fire on us—they also attracted the attention of thousands of walkers like a bunch of damn amateurs."
But Jason knew full well that these people did know what their group had done. He wasn't looking for realization—he wanted the reason they had made that decision. Assuming there even was one.
"I've thought about it for days. Over and over, I tried to find some logical reason behind that stupid decision. And I came up with two possible explanations. One: you're just plain stupid and attacked us for no reason. Or two: you were desperate for something valuable."
As he said this, Jason looked directly at Ennis, the leader of the Vultures, and added, "Now that you know our story, and why we're here, don't make me kill you."
There were six men and five women kneeling on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs, heads lowered, faces full of panic and dread. Beside them, several men stood in silence, rifles aimed at the backs of their heads.
Jason slowly walked in front of the eleven captives, scanning them one by one. Men of color, women of all ages—yet all wore the same expression.
"So…"
Jason leaned in slightly, gazing kindly at the five people directly in front of him, and spoke in a low voice:
"Who among you would like to tell me about your hideout—its location and its condition? I'm in a position to let you walk away unharmed. And one last thing—who the hell is Teddy?"
Upon hearing this, the oldest man in the group of prisoners squinted slightly and looked up at the seemingly kind man in front of him. When he lifted his head, his face was filled with fear, and he stammered, "I… I can say something. Please don't hurt any of us…"
His companions turned to him, one by one, startled. While their faces said little, their eyes were filled with disbelief.
Hearing someone willing to talk so quickly, Jason looked at the older man, nodded with satisfaction, and smiled.
"Very good. You're clearly a smart man. Now tell me…"
"I… our hideout was originally part of a nomadic group. The people at the church were the last of the Vultures. Most of our people have been killed, and we're not affiliated with any group like you just mentioned. There's no such thing. We thought you were the bad military…"
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes... that's right!" The older man looked at Jason, who seemed unaware of the truth, and a flicker of hope crossed his aging face. He quickly added, "If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone else here."
Bang!
Before he could finish his sentence, Jason's expression suddenly turned cold. He drew the pistol from his waist, aimed it at the man's head, and—without hesitation—pulled the trigger in full view of the other ten kneeling captives.
Crack!
The old man's head snapped back, his eyes wide open in shock. His face was frozen in confusion. He didn't understand why he had been killed like that. Seconds later, his body slumped forward and collapsed to the ground.
Staring coldly at the man's corpse, Jason looked at the remaining ten and said:
"There are always people who can't follow clear instructions—and they think everyone else is stupid. I hope… I really hope none of you are part of that group of fools."