A team of nearly two hundred people marched through the forest, all of them wearing a walker mask. If it weren't for the weapons strapped to their bodies, they could have easily been mistaken for a horde of walkers in this forest.
Carol, at the front of the team, said in amazement:
"Do all of you have masks like the ones used at the base?"
Glenn turned his head a little oddly, not quite understanding what she meant.
"Don't you have your own mask?"
As far as he knew, long before Jason's group had left the base, there were rules in place for the future stating that everyone should wear their walker mask—at least those with Class Two authority, who risked their lives for the base's future.
However, Carol had heard rumors that these masks couldn't fully protect against red-eyed walkers. Very few people outside specialized groups agreed to wear a mask made from corpse skin.
"Not everyone wears them, much less when going outside. There are some special walkers that don't care if you wear a mask—a small mistake, and you'll end up walker food."
"But even so, this mask is like protective armor when used properly..."
Everyone couldn't help but recall the scene at the Saviors' base. The feeling of security when walking among the undead made them believe they could live forever.
But Jason didn't think that way. There was no safety in walking among walkers, and it was something dangerous to get used to. At this moment, he was focused only on building something that would no longer need his constant involvement.
On the way to the terminal, it took barely more than ten minutes to cover the distance, and once again night was falling. The fighting throughout last night and the entire day had left everyone completely exhausted, but in the end, this matter needed to be resolved, and everyone had to stay strong.
They were already very close to the terminal, and Jason knew well that these people had some kinds of traps. He hadn't found any secret traps along the path through the forest, but he had noticed signs of human activity in several places, so he guessed that someone must be lurking in the darkness tonight.
Even so, he remained cautious along the way and felt relieved once he safely walked to the forest's edge outside the terminal.
"Which container is it?"
"The one near the wall. I originally wanted to sneak in at night, but there are guards everywhere, so it's not easy to get close."
Many people didn't fully understand the intentions of the people in the terminal, but inevitably they imagined something similar to the situation they were in. Now that they knew Rick and the others were also part of that organization so often spoken of, they wondered how they had been captured—and whether some secret had been discovered.
Michonne was the first to speak, her eyes unconsciously falling on Jason.
"Why did these people capture them? Aren't they afraid of our revenge?"
Looking at the sky, which was growing darker and darker, Jason simply said a few words:
"There are only three possibilities for capturing people. The first is forced labor. The second is for pleasure. And the last… to keep living food to feed on."
"What?"
There were sudden whispers throughout the group.
Meanwhile, Carol was thoughtful, remembering the people Rick had mentioned. Even so, she hadn't thought Jason would experience similar situations. But if Jason believed it, then she believed it too.
In that moment, everyone's minds instantly cleared.
Yes, it made sense. Why would they put up signs to welcome survivors if they only ended up capturing them? It didn't make sense—until you thought of it that way.
In everyone's eyes, anger flared!
Fury!
The people here relied on their own hands to defend themselves. No matter how difficult things had become, no one had ever considered cannibalism—that was a direct betrayal of humanity.
"We have to kill them!"
"That's right, these beasts can't be allowed to live!"
Seeing everyone's emotions rising, Jason slightly pressed the weapon in his hand and said:
"If they really are cannibals, of course we won't let them live another day. But we'll have to wait and see the bigger picture. First, we need to discuss our plans."
After hearing these words, the group instantly fell silent. Carol was deeply surprised by this comparison. She now understood more clearly why Jason was called "commander." No one else could convince such a large group of people wherever they went.
Unaware of Carol's thoughts, Jason began assigning tasks to the people.
He had no intention of letting anyone in the terminal walk away. The threat these people posed wasn't particularly high, but they were disgusting individuals who could cause endless trouble at any given moment.
In the original story, it was a coincidence that led to Bob's death and indirectly caused Sasha's mental collapse. If it hadn't been for Tyreese, she might not have been able to handle it at first. But in the end, it had been the group's fault for insisting on leaving the remaining terminal members alive.
Now Jason, with the opportunity before him, had no intention of letting such enemies survive. He had to wipe them out completely.
"Glenn, Tyreese, T-dog, and Jesus—you four will lead twenty people to draw walkers. You'll need at least hundreds of them."
"Understood!"
"Michonne, Victor, Ezekiel, and Negan—each of you will lead thirty men to guard the perimeter."
"Understood!"
"Madison, I want you to stay in contact with the group on the road and notify me if anything comes up that we need to pay attention to."
"Understood!"
"The rest of you will follow me shortly. Just make use of the favorable terrain. George will come with me—we need to scout the inside first."
"Understood!"
"Alright, I want open communication at all times. Once the operation begins, everyone must follow my instructions."
"Understood!"
"Good. Move out now!"
The two hundred people split into several teams in an instant and followed their respective captains to their positions, while Jason and two others led a group to slip along a wall at the side of the terminal.
"Keep your eyes on the rooftops and windows—I don't want any surprises."
The people behind him looked in the direction Jason pointed, spotting two vague figures hidden in the corner.
Watchmen in the dark.
"I'll take care of it. Let's go!" Daryl patted Nick, who was in Jason's group, and both advanced with knives in hand.
After just a few seconds, they had taken out the two people in the darkness.
...
Time passed slowly, and the sky gradually darkened. After eliminating some guards, Jason kept glancing at the containers from time to time, always confirming the safety of those inside.
The clock's hands slowly pointed to nine o'clock, and the sky was now completely dark. Tonight was extraordinarily dark, the moon hidden by clouds, which provided them excellent cover.
Calling the team members to follow him closely, Jason took the lead and climbed over the courtyard wall.
Each time they passed a good ambush point, some team members stayed behind. Knowing that their gunfire could attract too many walkers, they had set up a line for ambush and retreat.
The guards were eliminated one by one—silent and effective.
Leading the remaining fifty people around the courtyard, Jason's group eventually secured many of the key positions.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten the main objective of this operation: after clearing the courtyard, he headed straight for the container where Rick and the others were being held.
Creaaak!
Rick's group, who had still been discussing countermeasures, suddenly heard the container door opening. Rick immediately pulled out his weapon and aimed at the shadow in the doorway.
"Who's there?"
"Are you asleep?"
A familiar voice rang in their ears, and everyone inside the cell looked at the blurry shadow with shock on their faces. Rick even exclaimed in a hushed, emotional voice:
"Jason!!?"
"Well, look at that—I never thought I'd see so many leaders of my organization gathered together as prisoners!"