Back in the modified RV, where Jason's group was moving through the desolate streets, a rather peculiar report was being received about what had happened just a few minutes earlier.
"Zz... I fully trust your decisions, Shane. You're the leader of that shelter, and you'll do what you think is best to keep it safe." Jason nodded upon hearing Shane's words.
"Zz... I knew you'd understand. We've already cleared many buildings for now, especially high schools. We've also taken in many refugees who were hiding in places our men hadn't yet passed."
"Zz... Hmm, that's a good thing. I'll be back at the base soon. For now, I plan to take over the largest hospital in Atlanta; once I see it's secure, I'll call in reinforcements to make it useful for our people."
"Zz... Understood, we'll stay in contact."
"Zz... Good. See you, Shane."
Jason knew he hadn't made a mistake by putting Shane in charge of a shelter. He was one of the first to truly grasp what the world had become with the walkers. At the time, no one in his group could understand it, and everyone wanted to stay in an unrealistic bubble where a perfect world still existed for all.
But now things were different. Jason needed Shane just as people needed him. He wasn't just giving wings to the smartest and most decisive people who would shape the future—he was also creating strong pillars for the continued growth of the S.C.T. community.
In fact, Jason had thought long and hard about this and had gone over his decisions ten times before acting on them. But for now, he had to focus on his own missions and objectives. The easiest way to take the hospital would be to kill all the cops without mercy.
But two things were holding him back: one, his group, which was still steadily growing, and two, the fact that he couldn't afford to create such a bloody image—especially when many of them could be rehabilitated through special training at the base.
After all, the vast majority were still good people, even in the midst of this apocalypse. They gathered people, tried to establish stability within the hospital, and made every effort to keep things going as best they could while hoping for a resolution.
Just seeing how they brought Beth from the outskirts of Atlanta to the hospital showed how determined they were. But they still had their flaws, and a few of them might need to be taken out if they couldn't understand the reason for his visit.
The police officers, for their part, were relatively easy to deal with—people slightly less than average—and even the weakest members of his group could handle them now. In his view, the cops probably didn't have much ammunition, and there were many ways to handle them.
And their existence was easy to explain to the team. After all, they often went out on patrol, and all he needed was to catch a survivor posing as a soldier exploring this part of the city.
If the goal wasn't to kill all these people, then he needed to warn them and make it clear who they were dealing with. If he presented himself as military, two things could happen: either they'd feel scared, or they'd feel relieved.
Jason also understood that for someone like Dawn, who only cared about her own bubble, once she realized there was a powerful group outside her doors posing as military, her first instinct would be to avoid any kind of misunderstanding.
Dawn wouldn't do anything too disgraceful—nor would the other police officers at the hospital. In fact, while they might have good or bad personalities, their core was the same.
So, under the premise that Jason would present himself as military and had no intention of harming them, the best option was to talk.
But first, he had to create a situation that would force him to go inside. No one from his group could just walk into the hospital armed, present themselves as military, and then leave. That way, people wouldn't trust their identities.
It had been a year since the outbreak of the end of the world. According to the original plot, Noah was rescued by Rick's team about a year and a half after he left the hospital with Beth's help. He had told the group that Beth was at the hospital.
In other words, if we consider the somewhat confusing timeline of the story, Noah had likely been with the hospital people for around half a year.
Jason sat in the passenger seat, planning the best way to make contact with the people in the hospital. Of all the crazy ideas going through his mind, the most viable one was to present themselves as military.
As the modified RV with the trailer approached Grady Memorial Hospital, the streets became increasingly deserted, littered with nothing but trash. Even if there were walkers, George drove right over them without a second thought.
Some of the walkers in their path tried to lunge at the wheels of the vehicle, but they were torn apart or deflected by the armor plating surrounding the body of the large truck.
After a while, George found a hidden alleyway, parked the truck skillfully, and a few of them stepped out to eliminate the nearby walkers. Then, the dispatched bodies were moved into a dumpster.
Jason conducted a visual inspection and discovered that the hospital was less than a kilometer away—just a few minutes' drive. Shane's base was at least three miles from here, so it was reasonable to consider setting up shelter points in key locations around the city.
Sam's base was a bit farther—at least six miles away—and that didn't even account for how difficult traveling was these days. Additionally, to avoid being seen by the other side, they had chosen a route that wouldn't typically be taken by the hospital group.
"Jason, are you sure there could still be survivors in that hospital?" Looking at the desolate surroundings, Tyreese couldn't help but voice his doubts.
Upon hearing the question, Jason responded immediately: "Sam's scouting team detected movement in this part of Atlanta. There were police cars that seemed to be transporting survivors to a location near here. This hospital is the largest in Atlanta, and it was left protected by police forces when the military pulled out. Besides, it looks like this place could be included in our expansion plans."
When they heard Jason's words, everyone nodded—the argument was very convincing. Surprisingly, there were two community bases in this area, something even Jason hadn't known at the time.
Jason thought for a moment, then said, "Bob, Daryl, George, and Jon—follow me. Tyreese and George, head to that building. I want you to get up high and keep an eye on our position from above."
As he discussed the plan, Jason pointed to a spot they hadn't considered before and added, "Regardless of our objective, we need to observe the situation around us first before trying to approach."
"Hmm, Merle—stay with the others in the RV and keep watch over the area. Once we make contact, you'll regroup with Merle and stay on alert in case we need backup."
Glenn, who was standing nearby, wasn't entirely convinced by the plan and said, "Jason, isn't this too dangerous?"
Jason shook his head and explained, "The five of us are enough. If there's danger, don't forget to report to base, and we'll get air support—but it won't be necessary. If we all show up, the people taking shelter in the hospital might get scared."
However, before Jason left with the group, he remembered the issue of the driver, so he added, "Glenn, you'll be the driver while George is out. Do not leave the RV under any circumstances. If we lose it, we'll be in serious trouble."
Glenn nodded with satisfaction. Now that he was included in the plan, he would be the one to handle that incredible truck monster.
After speaking with Glenn, Jason looked at Merle and Carlos, the explosive duo of the group, and warned, "Don't freak everyone out with weird comments—anything could happen if you open your mouths."
"My mouth only opens to kiss, drink, and curse out the bastards I meet on the road," Merle said, glancing over at Sasha with a grin before winking at her.
Sasha frowned and looked away. She already knew Merle was the sicko of the group, so she didn't take his annoying words seriously.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Jason looked at Daryl, and the two of them moved forward. The others also began heading to their positions.
A few hundred meters was nothing for these people, especially now that there were fewer walkers on the street. Most of the time, the few people in the group didn't even need to use their knives.
Jason took the lead, running toward the main entrance of the building. The place was empty, with only a few walkers lying lifeless on the ground.
Daryl approached one of the corpses, crouched to inspect it, and suddenly his eyes sharpened. It was a walker that had just been killed!
"Someone's here?"
Hearing this, Jason signaled to the group behind him to follow. Then he pointed to the body and whispered to Daryl, "What did you find?"
Daryl stepped closer to examine it and looked around the body. After a moment, he pointed toward the stairs, signaling them to go up. "Someone went that way. Let's be careful."
Jason's group began climbing the stairs with light steps. Most of them were military, so moving silently wasn't a problem. Jason also kept his eyes on the ground and watched the direction of the footprints.
Not long after, some of them reached the eighth floor, and Jason noticed that the tracks disappeared from there. He looked at Daryl, and the two of them began searching separately, one to the left and the other to the right.
"There!"
Daryl soon called out, pointing in his direction, and several people quietly made their way over. Sure enough, they found two walker corpses lying in the hallway. Jason leaned forward and walked a little farther until he heard sounds.
Jason gestured for everyone to be quiet, then crept to the corner, peeked slightly around it, and under the building's dim lighting, he spotted a short figure struggling to force open a door.
"Need a hand, friend?"