And so, amid the ruins of post-apocalyptic Knoxville, two former Special Forces elites—Rock Fortress's finest warriors—pedaled hard toward the East Knoxville Industrial Park on two creaking bicycles that looked ready to fall apart at any moment.
The scene was both ridiculous and strangely bleak.
Carver and Bossie avoided the main roads, cutting through alleys and abandoned factory yards, muscles tense and eyes constantly scanning for walkers or enemies.
With no seat on his bike, Carver had to pedal half-standing the entire time, muttering quiet curses under his breath at everything and everyone.
After nearly an hour of grueling riding, the familiar, ruined outline of the industrial park finally came into view.
The two of them tossed the broken bicycles into a ditch like they were throwing away hot potatoes, then cautiously moved toward the spot where they had hidden their Unimog.
When they were still a few hundred meters away, Bossie gave a hand signal. Both men immediately stopped and slipped into cover among the ruins.
Bossie pulled out a small pair of binoculars and began scanning carefully.
Their Unimog was still hidden in the shadow of the half-collapsed factory building. And standing right beside it were Leah and Mike.
They looked relaxed as they leaned against the vehicle, but a closer look revealed that they were positioned to cover each other, their eyes constantly sweeping the surroundings in silent vigilance.
More noticeable was the human-shaped bundle lying at their feet.
It was tightly bound with rope, a rag stuffed in its mouth, and a burlap sack pulled over its head.
Completely motionless—still unconscious, it seemed.
Carver and Bossie exchanged a glance. Relief washed over them, along with a hint of surprise.
Looks like Leah's team had succeeded too—and quickly.
The two men gave the soft, prearranged birdcall.
Leah and Mike instantly tensed, then recognized the signal and gave a subtle nod toward the ruins.
Carver and Bossie stepped out of the shadows and jogged over.
"Hey, looks like you two haven't been slacking," Carver said with a grin, pointing at the "package" on the ground.
Leah nodded.
"We waited for hours and finally caught one of their office guys—a small-time boss. What about you? Where did that truck take you?"
"A hell of a surprise," Carver spat. "We'll talk later. Let's get out of this damn place first."
Mike had already opened the rear cargo door of the Unimog.
He and Carver lifted the bound captive like a sack of sand and tossed him into the corner of the cargo compartment.
Bossie quickly climbed into the passenger seat and started operating the vehicle's communication and monitoring equipment.
Leah slid into the driver's seat. Mike and Carver climbed in and shut the doors.
The engine rumbled to life.
The Unimog slowly backed out of its hiding place, then picked up speed as it headed toward Rock Fortress.
Less than ten minutes after they left, muffled struggling noises came from the back of the vehicle.
"Oh? Looks like our guest is waking up," Carver said, glancing over his shoulder.
The burlap sack on the captive's head twisted violently as the man struggled, trying to break free.
Mike sighed, unbuckled his seatbelt, and climbed into the cargo area.
He crouched beside the prisoner and spoke in a cold, calm voice.
"Listen. Stay quiet and you'll suffer less. We're going to ask you a few questions. Maybe you'll live through it. Nod if you understand."
The sack-covered head paused briefly.
Then it began thrashing even harder, letting out angry muffled grunts and even trying to slam its head toward Mike.
"Alright," Mike said with mild resignation. "So you want to play tough."
His fist shot forward.
The punch landed squarely where the man's chin should be under the sack.
"Ugh—"
A dull groan escaped him. The struggling stopped instantly.
The sack-covered head lolled to one side and went still again.
Mike checked his carotid artery to make sure the man had only been knocked out, then calmly returned to his seat and buckled up as if he had just swatted a mosquito.
"Problem solved," he said flatly.
Leah glanced at him through the rearview mirror and smiled faintly.
Carver chuckled.
"Still efficient as ever, Mike."
Meanwhile, Bossie had already begun compiling the reconnaissance data on his tactical tablet, sketching a rough map of the area along with a simple diagram of enemy positions.
...
At dawn, Ethan stood watch in the lookout tower at Rock Fortress.
Through his binoculars, he spotted Leah's vehicle approaching and let out an excited whistle.
"The recon team's back!"
The vehicle drove through the gate. The heavy doors slowly closed behind it, and the thick locking bar dropped into place.
The Unimog stopped in front of the main house and the engine shut off.
Leah jumped down first. Her movements were still crisp, though a trace of fatigue showed between her brows.
Moments later, Carver and Mike dragged the captive—still bound like a dumpling and hooded with a sack—out of the cargo area and dropped him onto the cold ground with a thud.
Even though it was early morning, the noise quickly drew attention from people already awake around the base.
Mrs. Howard had been working beside Martha and Mira near the large cooking pot in the base cafeteria, preparing breakfast for everyone.
All three stopped what they were doing, their aprons smeared with flour and grease.
"Merciful heavens… they really caught one," Mrs. Howard murmured, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Looks like someone won't be sleeping tonight."
Tom had been repairing a faulty generator nearby. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and wiped his oil-stained hands across his face, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Merle wandered over from somewhere and nudged the unconscious captive with his boot.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Still breathing? Don't tell me you dragged a corpse all the way back."
"Shut up, Merle," Leah said coldly, though there wasn't much real anger in her tone.
At that moment, the door to the main house opened.
Calista stepped outside.
She looked like she had just woken up. Her long golden hair was slightly loose, and she had thrown on a jacket against the cold.
Calista immediately noticed the captive on the ground. Her brows relaxed slightly before her gaze shifted to Leah and the others.
"How did it go, Leah?"
Leah made an OK gesture and smiled.
"Mission accomplished. We caught a small boss. And Bossie and Carver found something big."
Calista nodded, a weight clearly lifting off her shoulders.
She pointed at the sack-covered captive.
"Have Rickson take him to the interrogation room first. The rest of you come with me. Mrs. Howard, could you please call Rickson over?"
Calista's gaze briefly met Mrs. Howard's, Evans's, and several others nearby. She gave a small nod to reassure them before turning toward the command office.
Leah followed naturally behind her.
Mike and Carver exchanged a glance and went after them.
Bossie walked last, casually carrying his precious equipment bag.
...
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