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Chapter 231 - Cleanup and Encounter
"Zz... Hello! Can anyone hear me? Well, it doesn't matter. My name is Lee, and I hope someone out there is actually listening. I have a group of seven survivors, and we're surrounded by walkers on Viler Cruise Street near the hotel."
Lee Everett shook his head, having received no response from the radio. He had been trying ever since they got trapped in a building near the military base, where too many walkers had gathered nearby.
Kenny shook his head and said, "We might as well take out all the walkers one by one. That's the only real way to get out of this place alive."
"Zz... Repeat your location!"
But as soon as they heard a voice coming from the radio's intercom, a series of distant gunshots echoed through the air, plunging everyone into silent thought.
What were those shots they had just heard? If someone was now responding to the radio, then that person had to be nearby—most likely right where that sudden shootout had just erupted.
"We're on Viler Cruise Street. Are you the ones doing the shooting?"
"Zz... Just some walkers. A team is heading toward your location."
"Are you close to our position?" After a brief pause, Lee asked hurriedly, "We're hearing a lot of gunfire—are you sure it's actually safe to meet up now?"
"You can hear that from so far away?"
The voice on the other end of the radio went silent for a moment, then said, "Zz... A group of raiders attacked our convoy. We're taking care of the situation. Everything should be under control now. There's nothing to worry about."
Hearing that the situation was being "taken care of," Lee thought back to what he had observed earlier and the people they saw last night at the church, and he asked out loud, "Did you kill all the survivors?"
"Zz... Kill them all? No. I still have three alive. Why are you asking such weird questions?"
Jason, who was on the other end of the radio, answered without hesitation, as if he knew the people listening might already suspect the truth. He said, "Zz... Alright, this conversation's over. You can come out now."
"Come out... come out? What do you mean?" Lee asked, confused.
"Zz... You'll understand when you get out. Don't be afraid, trust me."
But Jason didn't answer the question directly. He simply reminded them to step outside and then turned off the radio. During this time, his job—and that of his entire group—was to evaluate others by sight. If they were trustworthy, they'd be sent to the military base. Those who weren't would be eliminated.
Jason had learned that many people simply weren't safe to trust. A lot of them asked for help only to ambush and rob others. Naturally, it ended very badly for those who thought they could deceive his people.
When those inside the room heard his words, they all instinctively felt something was off. The situation could best be described as... strange.
Bang!
Just as they stood in stunned silence, a sudden loud noise rang out nearby—especially piercing in the otherwise quiet city.
"Sniper rifle!" Kenny instantly recognized the weapon as soon as he heard the shot. He instinctively stepped forward and shouted, then turned his head toward the direction of the gunfire.
"Shots from over there—someone must've been killed!"
While the others tried to pinpoint the source of the shot, Lee, who had been watching through the window, immediately reported what he saw.
Through his binoculars, down the main street leading toward them, a man fell from a second floor with a hole in his chest. But just then, a car crashed into the area, and several people came running into the building.
Bang!
While Lee was watching further down from their position, another shot rang out. A man who had been hiding behind a low wall took a hit to the chest, staggered backward, clutching his chest in confusion. Blood poured from his mouth and soaked his shirt. In seconds, he stopped moving.
"Shit!"
Shocked by what he had just seen, Lee quickly pulled away from the window.
Moments later, two bright lights suddenly lit up the nearby street. A military truck, followed by several armored vehicles, slowly appeared and immediately drew everyone's attention.
Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Even from a distance, those inside the building could hear the roar of the engine. They watched the convoy appear shortly after the crash, slowing down as it approached the building where the people had entered.
"Shoot! Stop them!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The people inside clearly saw the military truck approaching and stopping. It was obvious what was happening—someone inside the building had opened fire on the armored vehicles.
The truck swerved left and right, trying to dodge the incoming bullets, but some rounds still struck the vehicle's body, throwing off dazzling sparks.
Bang!
Before the people in the building could fire again, a sniper rifle echoed from the distance. A single shot pierced a man's head, killing him instantly.
The rest, realizing there were snipers outside, no longer dared to show their heads. Fearing the same fate, they huddled behind the building's walls, trembling from the tension.
Bang, bang, bang!
Boom!
With no more gunfire in its path, the military truck stopped dodging. The driver stepped on the gas again, ramming straight through the iron gate of the building with a loud crash.
Kenny and the others on the rooftop were stunned by the scene before them. From the gunfire to the military truck chasing those people, everything happened so fast they didn't even have time to react.
"Quick! We have to get over there too!" Unlike the others, who were still stunned, Kenny looked excited. He turned and rushed down the stairs, believing rescue had finally come.
As for the walkers below, they had already been drawn to the gunfire and were killed shortly after entering the combat zone.
"Ah!"
Just as Jason opened the car door, he heard terrified screams from outside. He frowned slightly, glanced at the people coming down behind him, and said, "George, check the car's trunk. There might be someone hiding."
"Elton, Raúl, if you can capture someone alive, do it. We need new sources of information. But if they resist, don't hesitate—kill them."
"As for the rest of you—take care of the walkers!"
"Yes!" With their orders, the group quickly split up and moved in different directions.
Watching them go, Jason sighed and looked ahead at the unfamiliar area. He walked down the street, killing a few walkers along the way before heading toward another block with his rifle in hand.
As he got closer, he looked out at the open fields surrounded by crumbling buildings—there was little else besides scattered trash.
Tap-tap!
At that moment, Jason heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw seven figures emerging—led by an old man wearing a cap.
It was the group of survivors he had contacted. Switching the safety on his weapon, Jason smiled and said, "I was about to leave. I thought you'd gotten scared by the gunshots. We've already dealt with all the problems."
Kenny stepped forward, looked Jason in the eye, and quickly said, "A few days ago, we heard some radio messages saying the military base was safe. We came here to ask for help—for our entire group."
"This isn't the time to talk about that. Do you have any weapons? If so, I need you to hand them over. Then I'll listen to what you have to say." Jason could tell the old man wasn't lying—he was surprised they'd guessed the military base was involved.
Seeing how relaxed Jason remained even after asking for their weapons, Lee—still anxious—spoke up from behind, "Kenny, let's just hand them over."
As he said this, he turned and began running toward the row of buildings, a little girl beside him, after spotting walkers approaching.
"If you don't want to die, don't go there!"
Before Lee could take more than a few steps, Jason stepped forward and stopped his reckless behavior. Seeing the confused look on Lee's face, Jason walked up and said, "My soldiers are clearing that area. Their adrenaline's still pumping. They don't know you. And you haven't handed over your weapon. If they spot you, they won't talk to you—they'll shoot you. So you'd better stay with me."
Then Jason drew his pistol and, with twelve precise shots, took down every walker approaching them with ease.
When Jason led Lee and the others out to an open field near the buildings, dozens of survivors were already crouching there, heads in their hands, with Sam standing nearby.
Behind them, soldiers in gray uniforms stood with weapons in hand while others tied up the survivors.
Two trucks were parked behind the cars. The moment the operation was over, they began loading boxes of supplies while a man with his face obscured by his helmet supervised the work.
When Sam Valdez saw Jason approach, he looked briefly at the people with him, then stepped forward and reported, "Boss, there are forty-eight survivors here. Three guards were killed, two captured. The rest of those who resisted were eliminated."
"Good. Contact Shane's team. Ask him if he's finished dealing with the cannibals—none of that group is to be left alive."
Jason looked over the people crouched on the ground. Most were elderly, women, and children—only a few were able-bodied adults.
Right now, they were lowering their heads, faces full of fear. But he could still see the bitter hatred hidden deep in their eyes.
Seeing this, Jason chuckled softly and didn't pay much attention. In this new world, there's no such thing as good or evil, justice or injustice. When you stand in a different position, you see things from a different angle—and that's something he had learned after nearly dying more than once.
He turned to Sam and asked, "You said the base was fully secured—did you prepare a special place for interrogations?"
"It's ready. It's at the military base, and they're already questioning people before their transfer."
"Alright. Daniel, come with me."
Jason gave a nod and motioned to Daniel, who had been leaning against the truck, and then led Lee and the others into the building.