Beep! Beep!
The sound of the alarm echoed through the base. Ramón and the others shuddered and, almost instinctively, stepped aside, scanning their surroundings for the cause.
They knew that sound meant something… but they had no idea what. They could only assume it was important—perhaps a threat or an event outside the base.
Immediately, a group of heavily armed soldiers gathered in the main courtyard. At the same time, the door of the main building swung open, and a man dressed in a black tactical uniform with a red bandana tied around his right arm rushed out, followed closely by several others wearing bandanas of different colors.
Shane, the captain who had rescued Ramón and his group, quickly advanced toward the newcomer. They exchanged a few hushed words, and soon after, the man with the red bandana began issuing orders with authority. Without wasting time, he grabbed a weapon and boarded a Humvee equipped with a machine gun.
Three more armored vehicles rumbled into the courtyard, moving heavily. With a single command from the young man, more than twenty soldiers climbed into the remaining vehicles. In a matter of seconds, the convoy set off and disappeared through the base's main gate.
That man was Jason. He had only returned to the prison a few days ago after months of absence. He leaned back slightly in his seat and closed his eyes, trying to regain some energy.
The prison had been built following a meticulous plan. For six long months, everyone had worked tirelessly—training, reinforcing structures, consolidating that place as the hidden stronghold of their community. From there, they could organize rescues and relocate survivors to the growing shelter in Atlanta.
Suddenly, Jason's radio crackled with static.
"Zz... Jason, this is Rick. I think I saw a helicopter go down. Should we head there?"
Jason's eyes snapped open. He grabbed the radio and pressed the button to respond. "Zz... Copy that, Rick. We're already on our way. You focus on completing your mission. We don't need backup for now, but we'll keep you informed."
"Understood! Stay safe on your end."
Jason kept his voice calm, but his mind was anything but at ease.
If his sense of time was accurate, it had been about two hundred days since he moved into the prison and established a new refuge in Atlanta. According to his calculations, the time had come for the next phase of major events to unfold.
Jason clearly remembered that in the third part of the story, a helicopter crash occurred at the beginning of the events, triggering a series of crucial incidents—ones that were extremely important for Jason. Among them were the sinister plans of the infamous Governor, the leader of a rather large community.
He also recalled how, in the original story, many fans started hating Andrea at that point. However, he knew the situation wasn't that simple. In the comic version, which was a very different story from the TV series, Andrea was one of the key members of the group. With this knowledge and everything he had done so far, Jason couldn't afford to waste the opportunities that were about to come knocking at his door.
That was why both groups—one led by Rick for resource gathering and the other by Jason—were heading to the same point. And if, for any reason, they crossed paths with the Governor, there would be no negotiation.
There was no way to reason with men like him. Letting their guard down for even a second could cost them their lives.
Jason knew that a confrontation with him was inevitable. If the Governor discovered his existence, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him—just as he had done with so many others in the past.
This time, Jason and his group responded to the helicopter incident faster than in the original story. However, the arrival of both sides was still uncertain. To avoid any unforeseen situations, he decided to take his elite rapid-response team—each of them heavily armed—to the crash site. They were equipped with machine guns, bulletproof vests, ballistic shields… everything was prepared for a direct confrontation if necessary.
But the Governor wasn't the only unknown factor in this equation. Jason also remembered that, in the original storyline, the woman with the sword had been captured by the Governor's people at this moment. However, this time, Andrea wasn't gravely ill, nor was she lost, which could change how events unfolded—something that worried Jason.
Could it be that she wouldn't be there this time?
Following the timeline of future events, Jason also knew that there were soldiers inside the helicopter. In the original story, the Governor captured the survivors, interrogated them about the location of their camp, and after getting the information he wanted, he executed them. Not only did he seize their weapons, but also their vehicles, further strengthening his control over his refuge.
Later, the Governor justified his actions by claiming that the soldiers had planned to take over his town. A ridiculous excuse. Why not simply integrate the military into his community and take advantage of their combat experience? Jason didn't know if the Governor had acted out of fear of losing authority or for some other reason… But this time, Jason would do things differently.
To be honest, Jason acknowledged that the Governor had once been a good person before the world ended. However, everything he had been through had completely changed him.
The man he was now was nothing more than a deranged psychopath. And the best way to deal with someone like that was with a swift and definitive solution. He couldn't allow him to be part of his future plans—not only was he unstable, but also unpredictable.
However, eliminating him wasn't so simple. The Governor had strong influence over his refuge, and his followers trusted him completely. If Jason wanted to win over those people, simply killing him wouldn't be enough. He needed to expose his true nature so they could see for themselves the kind of leader they were blindly following.
Faced with this, he had two options: He could eliminate the problem immediately, without worrying about the consequences, or he could be patient, gather evidence quietly, and expose him when the right time came.
The four armored vehicles moved swiftly. Jason set aside his thoughts and focused on what lay ahead. Before he could make a decision, a voice on the radio pulled him from his musings.
"Zz... Shane, any updates on your end?"
"Zz... Nothing yet. We haven't found anything."
"Zz... Then we need to hurry to the red zone. If there are survivors, we need to rescue them."
"Copy that!"
After a few minutes, the vehicles reached their destination. Jason stepped out with the rest of the team and took in the scene.
The helicopter had crashed into a forest. They couldn't go any further with the vehicles, so he ordered them to split into two groups to approach the crash site from different directions.
When they finally arrived, the scene was harrowing. The aircraft was burning, sending thick columns of black smoke into the sky. Its fuselage was completely warped from the crash. Near the wreckage, a soldier lay mangled on the ground; the impact had torn him in half.
Jason approached the corpse and took his identification tag. Then, without hesitation, he drove his knife into the soldier's temple. The last thing he would allow was for these men to turn into walkers. They didn't deserve that fate.
Reaching the cockpit, he saw that there were still two occupants inside. One of them wasn't responding.
Quickly, a medic stepped forward, reached out, and confirmed he had a pulse. The pilot, on the other hand, was still conscious.
Jason wasted no time. He stepped out of the cockpit and began issuing orders. "Alright, take what we need and evacuate the wounded!"
"Yes, sir!"
The only thing Jason wanted now was to get out of that place as soon as possible. He was sure the Governor's people would arrive soon. Besides, there were no signs of Michonne, which led him to deduce that she probably wouldn't show up there. Without wasting time, he began giving orders.
Just as they were about to move, a rustling in the grass caught his attention. Jason reacted immediately, raising his weapon and taking cover behind the helicopter cabin. With a hand gesture, he signaled the others to take cover.
The bushes on the opposite side shook, and a moment later, Shane emerged from them. Seeing there was no danger, Jason lowered his weapon, stepped forward, and gave him instructions: "Shane, lead a team to take care of the nearby walkers while we retreat. Do not shoot."
"Got it, I'll handle it." Shane nodded, drew the dagger from his waist, and called several group members to spread out and handle the matter silently.
Jason turned to the others and continued giving orders: "Tommy, you're on lookout duty. The rest of you, focus on evacuating the wounded. Hurry up."
"Understood, captain!"
Wasting no time, Tommy slung his weapon over his back, assessed the surroundings, and climbed a tree to get a better view of the area.
Meanwhile, Jason quickly searched the helicopter wreckage for weapons and ammunition. Once the wounded were placed on stretchers, everyone withdrew silently.
Just as Jason and his group disappeared into the trees, two figures emerged from the opposite side of the forest.
They were two dark-skinned women. One of them, with a sword on her back, held two walkers restrained by ropes. She was none other than Michonne.
The other woman, also dark-skinned, held a pistol with a tense expression as she carefully observed the surroundings.
Michonne tied the walkers to a nearby tree. Both had had their arms and jaws amputated, rendering them completely harmless.
"I'm going ahead to take a look. Cover me from here." The armed woman nodded and disengaged the safety on her pistol.
Michonne trotted toward the helicopter wreckage, and as she approached, she saw the body of the soldier who had been thrown from the aircraft. At first glance, he was split in two from the impact, but something about his face made her frown.
A chill ran down her spine. She quickly leaned down to examine the corpse, and as soon as she confirmed her suspicions, a cold sweat ran down her forehead.
Someone else had been there before them.