Cap: 7

"Shit... what do we do now?" Bart asked after seeing the seven men get out of the vehicle and aim their weapons at them.

They had encountered a roadblock made of vehicles in the middle of the road, so they had no choice but to stop the van. Almost immediately, a pickup truck emerged from the trees and stopped a few meters in front of the van, allowing armed men to get out and point their weapons at them.

Erick remained calm and opened the window toward the back of the van, giving a few orders to his men and telling them to let him do the talking.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" Erick asked the men after rolling down the window.

"Actually, yes," replied a bald man as he pointed a gun at him. "There's a new toll for using the road, and I'm here to collect it..."

"Really?" Erick murmured, confused. "Last I checked… this is a free country, and you don't seem to have the authority to do that..."

The man's face soured at his words.

"Listen, idiot… can you see the gun pointed at your head? That's my authority. Now, get out of the vehicle..." he ordered, threatening him.

Erick and Bart complied, while the men laughed and took the guns they were carrying.

"Good… just how I like you two. Now, what do you have for me in that van?" the bald man asked.

"I doubt you'll like what you'll find back there…" Erick murmured.

"Well… I'll be the judge of that," the man replied, trying to sound intimidating.

Two men stayed with them, pointing their guns at them, while the bald man and four other men went to check the van.

The sound of the rear door opening was soon followed by gunfire and screams of pain.

The man pointing his gun at Erick got distracted for a second, which was enough… Erick seized the man's gun, struggling enough to ensure the bullet that fired didn't hit him. He drew his knife and plunged it into the man's neck…

"Oh… shit," Erick heard the second man say.

When he turned, Erick saw the other guy pointing his gun at him, only for Bart to tackle him to the ground, where the two began fighting.

Erick pulled his knife from the man's neck and helped Bart beat down the other guy, who wore a trucker cap. When they finished, the man was left a bloody mess on the ground, while Erick's men got out of the van to greet them. Erick realized the man with the cap was the only bandit still alive.

"were there any deaths?" Erick asked Ralph, who shook his head. "Alright… take their weapons and anything useful. I'll see what information I can get from our friend here," he ordered.

The man in the trucker cap coughed up blood, staring at his captors in panic. Suddenly, they all heard growling and saw a few walkers emerge from the trees, ready for breakfast.

"You have two options… tell us where your camp is, and I'll put a bullet in your head… or refuse, and we'll let the walkers eat you piece by piece… What's it gonna be?" Erick threatened.

...

The camp was in a clearing in the woods, where sunlight could break through. Vehicles were positioned so that only one entrance was accessible, with tents and an RV protected within.

"Hey, Frank… did you get anything good on the road?" the man at the camp entrance asked.

Bart adjusted the trucker cap on his head and raised his gun to shoot the man in the head. A couple of arrows shot out of the bushes, hitting the chest of the man holding a rifle on top of the RV.

A third man rushed out of the RV, pulling up his pants, only to be shot by Erick, while the fourth and fifth men were felled by arrows as they exited their tents.

When the noise stopped and all the men at the camp were no longer a problem, it was time for the victors to take the spoils, and Erick's men eagerly began looting the place.

Erick, meanwhile, took a moment to consider what might be happening on other roads. There was no way these guys were the only ones ambushing other survivors, so they'd have to clean up the roads in due time… He wished Roger good luck in case he, too, ran into bandits.

"... Erick, you've got to see this," Bart called him over, and Erick decided to follow him to see what it was.

Bart opened the RV door and gestured for him to enter. Inside, there were at least a dozen women, most in their underwear, the youngest about fourteen and the oldest in her mid-thirties… From the looks in their eyes, Erick guessed they weren't here of their own free will.

Erick approached a Latina girl of around sixteen who trembled as she looked at him. He took off his helmet and crouched to her level.

"What's your name? How did you end up here?" he asked the young girl.

"I… I'm María…" the girl murmured, struggling with her words. "I was with my dad and grandma… those men made us get out of the car… shot my dad… then dragged my grandma and me into the bushes… They… they…"

"I understand…" Erick interrupted María, knowing exactly what she meant.

"They killed my grandma when they finished and locked me in here with the others…" she finished her explanation.

Erick nodded, glancing at the other women in the RV and deducing their stories were likely very similar.

After talking a bit more with the women, Erick exited the RV and looked at his men, who awaited him, filled with anticipation.

"They're coming with us," Erick explained. "We'll discuss this further when we get back home, but until then… no one lays a hand on them."

His men nodded, satisfied with his answer, while Erick sighed at having to deal with damaged women.

Erick wasn't one to condone rape; if a man wanted a woman, he had to make it clear what he could offer from the start, and if she wasn't interested, it was best to forget she existed.

But with damaged women, things were different. The man who settled for one of these women would have to fix what another man broke and pay for something he didn't do…

Erick would never stoop to settle for another man's leftovers… and this rule applied both to abused women and women who treated their bodies like public restrooms that any passing man could use…

Even so, if any of his men wanted one of these women, that was their choice… But Erick had a feeling not all of them would have the patience to deal with the trauma, which would likely cause him problems in the future…

His men looted the camp and took all the vehicles. It was much more comfortable than cramming into the van like sardines.

"Before we leave…" Erick said from the RV driver's seat, "I'd like to let you know we're going to Atlanta to gather resources. You can stay in the RV until we're done, or you can go your separate ways," he informed the women, who had put on clothes they found to avoid staying in their underwear.

The women looked at each other but hesitated to answer… until María stood up and approached him.

"It's not like we have another choice… You said the military can't protect anyone anymore… Is this refuge you mentioned really safe?" she asked.

"Safe from the walkers, yes… But almost everyone there is male, and given your… experience, I'm not sure you'd want to be there… especially considering the circumstances," Erick informed her.

"What circumstances?" María asked, panic in her voice.

"Well… you should know we're not a charity… If you want food and protection, you'll have to give something in return," he explained.

The women looked at each other, realizing exactly what that "something" was, and when Erick didn't correct them, their fears were confirmed.

"I guess you're no different from the bastards who did this to us…" a woman spat.

"Oh, but we are…" Erick corrected. "No one here has raped you, and I've been honest with you about what to expect. These men will risk their lives for any scrap of food you get if you join us… and in my opinion, they deserve compensation for that."

All the women in the vehicle looked at him with disgust, but Erick just shrugged and waited patiently for their response.

"I… I think I'll do it…" María murmured.

Seeing the other women look at her expectantly, she continued.

"They can't be that bad if they're asking us first… And I want to live. Whatever awaits us in that refuge can't be worse than what we've already been through… And I… I think God put these men in our path to lead us to salvation… I believe it's His way of compensating us for our torment…" María finished.

The other women looked torn, both moved and unsure of what to do after hearing María's words… But they seemed to have no other choice… None of them seemed capable of protecting themselves, either from the walkers or armed men.

Once settled, Erick started the RV and led the convoy of eight vehicles they had just formed.

Erick ignored the discomfort of the absolute silence in the RV and kept his focus on the road… Fortunately, they didn't encounter any more bandits on the way, but as they got closer to the city, they began having trouble navigating the road.

They encountered abandoned cars, concrete blocks, cones, and a few other abandoned military roadblocks with nothing of value inside.

It seemed the soldiers guarding the city's entrances and exits were the first to flee, given the lack of useful items they could have left behind in a hurry.

However, when they were only about 2 km from the city, it became impossible to proceed with all the vehicles due to an endless traffic jam.

People must have tried to escape hastily, but due to the concrete blocks the military set up, they had to abandon their cars. Erick saw spike strips and vehicles with punctured tires that must have caused the congestion.

"Stay here, and don't go out for any reason until we return," Erick ordered the women.

All of Erick's men had parked the vehicles and got out to observe the city from where they stood.

"Can we look for another route into the city?" someone asked.

"Yes, but we won't do that," Erick replied. "Our vehicles make too much noise, and I don't intend to attract the thousands of walkers roaming the city's streets… We'll have to go on foot," he explained.

"It'll be challenging for us to bring back a lot of supplies if we have to carry them back here on foot," Bart pointed out.

"If we find a vehicle within the city, we could use an alternate route to escape… But under no circumstances should we enter the city using a vehicle… That would ruin any chance of staying discreet and force us to constantly flee from the walkers," Erick explained his reasoning.

"I remember in the movies, the military used huge trucks to transport supplies… Do you think we'll find anything like that at the refugee center?" Ralph asked.

"It's quite possible but not guaranteed… So, in case we don't find something like that, I'm going to need some walkers," Erick muttered, recalling something.

"Walkers?" Bart asked.

"Yes, walkers," Erick nodded. "If you see one, let me know… But first, we need to drain the gas from these vehicles and fill up our tanks… If we have to flee this city, I'd prefer we do it with a full tank…"

His men checked the vehicles for anything useful. Most of the vehicles were intact, but people had managed to take their belongings and flee… Even so, collecting gas wasn't hard since each vehicle had at least some fuel…

"Hey, Erick…" Chris and Alder approached him with a tied-up walker. "... we got this for you… Hope it's worth it…"

"Let it go and throw it on the ground…" Erick ordered.

After they obeyed his command, Erick got on top of the walker and chopped off its arms with his axe right above the elbows. Then, with a few strikes, he tore off its jaw, rendering it incapable of biting and theoretically harmless now.

"Everyone, come closer…!" Erick called out to his men. Once he was the center of attention, he allowed the walker to rise from the ground.

Everyone watched the walker standing in front of him but making no attempt to attack him. Perhaps, unable to scratch or bite, it decided not to bother, or maybe it was simply confused by the situation. The fact remained that it was harmless at that moment.

"Well, that's surprising, but I don't see the point…" Bart pointed out. "... Why go to so much trouble when damaging the brain is enough to kill it?"

That was a valid question; chopping off a walker's arms and tearing off its jaw required significant effort, something one couldn't do if facing more than one at a time.

"Walkers don't tire, don't feel pain, and don't need to be fed… This makes them relentless enemies…" Erick explained as he took off his backpack and placed it on the undead's back. "… But it also makes them unparalleled pack animals… If we have enough of them, we could carry twice or three times the supplies without breaking our backs ourselves…"

His men stayed silent, weighing the idea… They were clearly considering it, but there was one more detail that would likely seal the deal.

"There's one more detail… Walkers aren't very intelligent… But they never attack each other… They act like rabid animals, and I think we could trick them into not attacking us… But I need another walker to test this theory…" Erick explained.

Erick named the walker "Clifford" as his new "pet" while his men found another walker inside a vehicle, released it, and allowed it to approach.

While hugging Clifford from behind, Erick allowed the walker to approach. The monster looked at him for a few seconds, then passed by him, focusing on the men standing a few meters away.

They repeated the process a few more times until it was finally proven: Clifford's corpse smell rendered both him and Erick invisible to the walker.

"If they are guided by smell… then… why are they attracted to sound?" someone asked.

"I had a friend who was blind… He said that although his eyes were useless, his other senses were incredibly sharp… Maybe it's the same with these things…" another man murmured.

That made sense, as it was easy to see Erick hugging Clifford with just a bit of attention, but still, the walker simply acted as if he didn't exist…

His men were thrilled with the discovery and quickly repeated what Erick had done to Clifford with the other walker, bringing out ropes they had in the van.

The plan was simple: each of Erick's men would have two "domesticated" walkers to mask their scent and carry backpacks on their backs. Part of the instructions was not to get too close to a walker, as their disguise might fail, and if a walker noticed the trick, they should not panic but simply kill it and move on.

The group began moving toward the city, "domesticating" any walker they encountered. Initially, the idea didn't have much effect, but as the number of "pets" began to equal and then exceed their owners, the walkers practically ignored them altogether.

Erick domesticated a second walker and decided to name her "Martha." It was then that another mission was activated…

[Mission Unlocked: "Man's Best Friend"

You have found a way to harness the virtues of walkers… This could be the start of something bigger in the future…

Mission Objective: Martha and Clifford, along with at least half of the domesticated walkers, must reach your shelter "alive."

Rewards:

- Walker Domestication 1: Domesticated walkers can follow you or stay in a location on command without the need for ropes.]

This mission was fairly simple, and the reward was truly valuable. Who knows to what extent walkers could be utilized if he improved domestication...

His men smiled as they finally walked through the streets of Atlanta, the walkers around them ignoring them and going about their own business.

The place was undoubtedly a graveyard, with dead walkers on the ground, bullet casings, cars crashed into buildings, and military vehicles in deplorable condition—all of it adorned with walkers that made the city scream apocalypse wherever you looked.

Erick approached a crashed military vehicle with an open door. Bloodstains covered the driver's seat, indicating whoever was inside likely managed to escape, but there were military rations in the back, so he grabbed the food and left the vehicle.

Some of his men inspected a tank, but it was completely sealed and impossible to open from the outside, so they decided not to waste any more time with it.

They moved on and encountered a walker policeman in riot gear among a dozen walkers. Erick ordered his men to kill them while he stripped the suit off the officer and handed it to Ralph, who immediately put it on.

They kept walking toward the city center, Erick not remembering exactly where the refugee center was. When he had been in the city, he'd simply driven downtown until he found it, so he intended to do the same here. The military had taken over several blocks, so it would be hard to miss.

"Oh, god…" Chris murmured, and everyone looked in the same direction.

To their left, just a few meters away, were tens of thousands of walkers filling the avenue as far as the eye could see. It was a terrifying sight, and confronting them was entirely beyond their capabilities, so they continued on in silence.

Some of the walkers noticed them but simply ignored them, remaining completely still, waiting for a stimulus.

Erick and his group kept moving, taking whatever they deemed useful. They found two assault rifles on a couple of dead soldiers, and although they were out of ammunition, they decided to keep them anyway.

The walk stretched on for quite a while, with shattered store windows as they gathered food and medicine for their pets to carry in their backpacks…

In truth, the city was a gold mine in that sense. Erick made sure his group avoided streets with large herds while silently looting shops, with the lack of space in their backpacks becoming the biggest issue.

They now had plenty of food and medicine, but they had barely found any weapons… So the shop looting stopped as they continued toward the refugee center, with Erick marking empty streets they could use to escape and streets filled with huge herds.

As for all the food they couldn't carry from the shops… Erick made sure to put it to good use.

[Resource Sacrifice: Completed…]

[Physical Condition: B- → B → B+]

Erick continued sacrificing any food they couldn't take. He considered using his pocket storage but decided it would be best to keep it empty in case he found weapons or ammunition to bring back.

The group had to walk a few more kilometers before finally seeing the refugee center… The place looked different from the last time he'd seen it… Although, of course, he had approached it from the north then… Now they'd arrived from the south, so he didn't think much of it.

The military had taken over several streets, transforming them into a temporary refuge to save people. Erick could see structures set up in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, with a few walkers roaming inside.

The refugee center had a fence protecting the people inside… The fence was still there, but a section had been knocked down… Judging by its appearance, it seemed a vehicle had smashed through from the inside to escape.

They entered the refugee center and started clearing out the walkers in the section they were in. It was quite easy since the walkers didn't realize Erick's men were alive until it was too late for them.

After clearing the section, Erick realized they must be in a military parking lot… There were transport trucks, cars, and even a fuel truck on-site, and almost certainly, these military vehicles should still be functional.

Even so… Erick couldn't help but notice the strange detail that there was no entrance or exit for the vehicles, only that section of the fence the military must have brought down in their escape… How strange.

"Find the keys to the vehicles and a map of the place…" Erick ordered, and his men scattered to follow his command.

They found a map easily since it was pinned to a wall. But they didn't find any keys on-site. The vehicles were locked, and unlike a regular car, forcing them open would require time and effort they wouldn't have if an alarm went off.

None of his men had any knowledge of how to hotwire a vehicle, much less a military one… Maybe Roger or some of the men he'd taken to Macon would know, but they weren't here.

Erick decided they would have to find the keys, and for that, they'd need to search the place, so he took a look at the map they had.

Looking at the map, Erick realized the refugee center was divided into two parts: the larger residential area where civilians lived and a section accessible only to the military.

Erick didn't hesitate to immediately disregard the residential area… It would not only have a large number of walkers, but they'd only find clothes there, maybe some food, so it would be a waste of time searching there…

The military area had several interesting sections and was definitely the part of the place that was worth the risk.

The sections in the military area included: Parking Lot, Maintenance Area, Fuel Depot, Barracks, Armory and Ammunition Depot, Communications Center, Command Center, Dining Hall and Ration Storage, Medicine Storage, Hygiene and Shower Area, Medical Services, and Quarantine Zone.

The parking lot was connected to the maintenance area, which had a vehicle entrance and a pedestrian door. To access the other sectors, they first had to go through there.

The vehicle entrance was closed, and pulling on it didn't yield any results. However, the door could be forced open with a crowbar, though any walkers inside might hear the noise.

Erick gave instructions, and all his men stood in a circular formation. The door allowed only one person through at a time, so they could handle any walkers that might come out to greet them.

Devon pried open the door with his crowbar and quickly returned to the formation as everyone waited nervously. After a minute of nothing happening, they relaxed and passed through the door into the interior.

The maintenance area looked like a typical mechanic's workshop, except there were soldiers' corpses everywhere… That was to be expected, but paying closer attention, there was a detail that set off alarm bells in their minds…

"How is this possible?... None of them have bite marks…" Bart pointed out as they shone their flashlights. "They were all killed by gunshots…"

All the bodies were half-rotted but hadn't been eaten. None of them turned into walkers due to the bullet wounds in their heads, and some must have dragged themselves on the ground before dying, judging by the stains and positions of the bodies.

"Collect the weapons and look for any clue as to what happened here…" Erick ordered, and his men moved.

There were between 50 and 70 corpses in the area, armed with melee weapons and pistols. There were no assault rifles, and the bodies wore a mix of civilian and military clothing but didn't seem to have the physical condition of a soldier.

Erick saw a portable toilet in the area with bullet holes. The idea that a walker might be inside crossed his mind, and he signaled Devon to open it.

The door was opened, and Devon jumped back as a corpse fell to the ground in front of them. The body was riddled with bullet holes and had a pistol in its hand… Erick noticed the man was missing an arm.

After handing the pistol to Devon, Erick inspected the man's body and found some ammunition but nothing else of use… When he was about to step away, Erick saw a notebook and pencil on the floor of the stall.

Erick opened the notebook and began to read...

The colonel went insane after the latest desertion... He's confiscated all vehicle keys and ordered the removal of the parking lot doors so no one else can steal a vehicle and escape...

Erick skipped over the parts where the guy talked about his feelings and focused on the useful parts:

... People are getting more desperate... No one knows what to do, and the colonel refuses to tell us anything about Cobalt... We don't even know if it's a place or an operation, but the guy assures us that help is coming, while he locks himself in the communication center...

Erick had more questions than answers, so he turned to the next page.

... Today, White and two others died... The guy confronted the colonel, demanding that he do something or tell us what the plan is, but the man just put a bullet between his eyes without hesitation... As much as I hate the idea... There's no choice but to flee, so I've told Richard that I'm on board with his plan... I don't like deceiving the recruits, but better them than us...

Erick noticed some pages were torn from the notebook, so he read what was left...

I've been bitten... I managed to convince the colonel to cut my arm off, and the man was surprised it actually worked... He gave me a few days off, and instead of resting, I took the opportunity to steal the truck keys... That bastard locked up almost all the keys in a safe but kept one set of keys for a truck for himself... I wish I could see his face when he finds out...

Erick now knew where he needed to look for the safe—the command center or communication center—but kept reading.

We only had one truck... and those bastards left me behind... We were supposed to leave the recruits and escape, but Richard told me they wouldn't risk it with someone bitten... The colonel has lost it, and the recruits are trembling with fear... They fool themselves into thinking they can resist the colonel and his men while the door is being battered... Fools... It's all over now, so I'll make it quick... Mom, if you ever read this... Forgive me...

"Did you find anything?" Bart asked.

"Yes..." Erick closed the notebook and handed it over. "The keys are in a safe... We'll have to force it open or find the combination..."

"Well, that's something, I suppose..." Bart said after reading the part Erick pointed out to him.

"It seems not all sections fell to the walkers..." Erick deduced. "There might be soldiers hiding around, so we need to be cautious..." he warned.

The door connecting the maintenance area to the rest of the refugee center was locked with chains on the other side... Looks like the military closed off the area after killing all the traitors...

They found a bolt cutter nearby and unlocked the door by moving it slightly to make the chains stick out. The rest of the place seemed the same as the maintenance area... No signs of life, only bodies with bullet wounds...

There were no soldiers moving around or in the watchtowers, and Erick knew if there had been, they would've been discovered by the noise they made.

Erick moved through the area with his men and ordered them to be ready to shoot, but he eventually commanded them to explore the area when it became clear no one alive was there.

Erick himself climbed up a watchtower to get a better view of the situation and finally understood exactly what was going on.

There was a wall separating the military sector from the residential area. The wall was reinforced with furniture and barbed wire, while on the side where the refugees were supposed to be, there were only tens of thousands of walkers.

The military must have abandoned the refugees to fend for themselves and isolated that section when things got out of hand. The walkers in the residential area were inactive among the tents, and Erick wasn't eager to attract their attention.

The real question was where the military had gone. Clearly, they hadn't fled by land; to reach the parking lot, they would have had to go through the maintenance area, and the chains contradicted that theory.

It also didn't seem likely they simply killed each other; there must have been a winner in that fight since all the bodies had a bullet in the head to prevent reanimation.

Erick climbed down from the tower and informed his men of the situation... There were no soldiers or walkers in the area, and the wall should prevent the residential area's walkers from getting in... But now they needed to get the vehicle keys and leave... Erick ordered them to quietly gather all the supplies in the area, careful of any hidden or trapped walkers while he went for the keys.

They first entered the communication center... There, they found a sophisticated radio powered by a generator and a board on the wall with letters A, B, and C, each with a radio frequency...

On a table were various papers: casualty reports, supply counts, failed contact attempts, and other details...

From what Erick could understand... In the early days, the military tried screening the refugees before allowing them in by forcing them to undress to check for bites. But this measure, along with rejecting those suspected of infection, caused unrest and protests both inside and outside the refugee center.

At some point, the intake process slowed to the point that people became so desperate they broke through en masse, trampling the soldiers guarding the entrance.

The military response was swift... Over 1,000 civilians dead and 100 soldiers wounded or killed.

The following reports were confusing... Orders to shoot anyone approaching the refugee center, infected or not... Along with a "change of plans" and "new orders from above," an extremely high casualty rate that led to "forced recruitment"... Mentions of "segregation" among the refugees according to their chances of survival, all justified under the code name "Cobalt."

Erick looked at the board with numbers A, B, and C again, thinking for a few seconds before shaking his head. He'd have time to review that once he had the keys he was after, and there was only one place left to search.

The safe mentioned in the notebook was in the command center. Devon tried to open it with a crowbar but couldn't find a gap to insert it. Without the combination, the only other way to open it was to use a saw or something similar... But there was a risk of damaging the keys inside...

Erick searched for any clues among the documents in the room... Initially, he didn't find anything useful, but eventually, he found a notebook in a drawer and opened it without hesitation.

Report 1:

The refugee center has been established, and all ordered security protocols have been implemented... Some resistance is reported among civilians, but the situation is manageable for now... Those suspected of infection are not permitted entry... And the more viable and less viable refugees are being separated according to indicated parameters to prevent spread...

After that, several pages were torn from the notebook, and Erick imagined some disturbing details that the colonel probably didn't want known.

Report 5:

High command has ordered the activation of an operation under the code name 'Cobalt'... To prevent the information from leaking and causing chaos... Only Dr. Veronica and I know the details... The goal now is to manage resources to ensure the survival of military personnel and the most viable refugees until military personnel can be evacuated so that the final steps of the operation can be carried out... All contact with external threats is met with lethal force, and an effort is being made to clear the streets.

Erick turned the page to read the next report...

Report 6:

Efforts to eliminate external threats have been unsuccessful, with massive casualties reported and a staggering increase in the infected, followed by decreasing civilian activity... Desertions continue to deplete our forces, so all external activities have ceased to prevent a collapse of morale...

Report 7:

Even without worrying about external threats... Casualties and desertions continue to rise at an alarming rate... Forced recruitment among male civilians has been resorted to, along with the airtight sealing of the refugee center and strict control of all vehicles, so only the doctor and I have access in case of emergency... Veronica refuses to leave the city without the remaining civilians, and though she hasn't revealed operation details... I fear we'll have to leave her behind...

Report 8:

There was an escape attempt with partial success... I was forced to execute all conscripted civilians, but I suffered massive casualties among the few soldiers left... Only one helicopter will be needed for evacuation; the doctor refuses to abandon the women and children to the point of threatening suicide, so she will have to be left behind... It won't be possible to carry out the humane elimination without sparking a revolt among the remaining soldiers...

Report 9:

The helicopter will arrive tonight... I've locked the doctor along with the remaining civilians (women and children) in the dining hall under false pretenses... The soldiers have packed up and only essential items have been taken... The rest of the supplies will have to be left behind and written off once the city is bombed...

Erick closed the notebook and immediately called his men. He had the domesticated walkers tied up and approached the dining hall.

If he remembered correctly... The dining hall also served as food storage, so theoretically, the civilians locked in there should still be alive... But if they weren't, they'd have to deal with the walkers...

Erick took the bolt cutter and first knocked on the door, listening for any growls or dragging steps of a walker, but after a minute, he heard nothing...

Erick's men knew that there had to be people alive inside, so they drew their weapons and aimed as Erick cut the chains that kept the dining hall doors locked. He then kicked them open and stepped back with his men.

The outside light faintly illuminated the dining hall, allowing him to see a few shadows moving inside... After a few seconds, a figure emerged into the light with hands raised, while his men kept their guns trained on it.

The figure was a woman in her mid-forties with blonde hair, a white lab coat, and large glasses. She shielded her eyes from the sunlight, struggling to adjust after who knows how long in the darkness.

"You're not the military..." murmured the doctor as she got a good look at them.

"You're right, doc... We're not," Erick replied with a smile of uncertainty. Things were getting interesting... perhaps too interesting...

.

.

.

.

[Character Summary:

- Name: Erick Bolton

- Age: 18

- Combat Attributes:

(Take into account that C- is the average)

 * Melee: B-

  * Ranged: C-

 * Physical condition: B+

 * Stealth: B

 * Plot Armor: Low

- Group size: 60

- Army quality: Very low.

- Inventory:

 + Pistol (ammo x70)

 + Small axe

 + Machete

 + Tactical knives x1

 + Backpack

 + first aid kit

 + Food (remaining days: 86 )]

-unlocked features:

+"Sacrifice Resources" 

(You can sacrifice resources in exchange for improving your attributes... For example, food for physical conditioning, ammunition for ranged combat, etc... but the resources you sacrifice will be lost forever, and the cost increases exponentially based on how high your attributes are.)]

+ "Pocket warehouse 1" (Allows you to carry objects without physically holding them, and they'll be available at any time. The current limit is 100 kilograms and can be upgraded by completing missions.)

+ "Perceptive leader" (You'll be able to see detailed information about all the members of your group, including their perception of you.)

[Community summary:

-name : ???

-members : 60

-Food (remaining days: 85 )

- Army quality: Very low.

-weapons:

 + crossbow x5

 +bow x14

 +pistol x21

 +shotgun x 9

 +bolt-action rifle x1

 + AR-15 x2

 + 

 + spears x50

 + guns : ??

- lifestyle tree: Feudal

- Community benefits:

 +["Accelerated Harvest": Crops need half the usual time to grow and be ready for harvest.]

]