Amid the shouts filled with excitement and anger, the Governor raised his hands. His once-emotional face had turned expressionless, and he signaled Martínez to approach.
"Leave two or three people at the base to guard it. Everyone who knows how to use a weapon must come with us!"
"Alright, I'll take care of it right away, Governor!" Martínez was about to turn around and organize the people, but the Governor grabbed his arm again.
"Bring every weapon we've thought of!"
"Of course!"
As everyone was getting ready to attack, the Governor returned to his room to think—he needed to consider the next course of action.
Currently, he was unaware of the enemy's situation and strength, but he also felt that the other side likely didn't know his situation either. Otherwise, why would they have let Martínez go? In other words, he could choose whether or not to engage them this time.
The first thing to do was to gather as many details about the other side as possible and then choose the safest course of action. If the other side wasn't very strong, they could be killed, and everything they had could be taken after the attack. On the other hand, if they were strong, the Governor's group would have to retreat, recruit more people, and once they had enough firepower, launch an assault on the enemy's base.
Knock knock knock knock!
A series of strong knocks interrupted the Governor's deep thoughts. He frowned, grabbed his weapon, and opened the door.
"Milton? What are you doing here?"
Milton, standing outside the door, looked a bit hesitant and even flinched when the door opened.
Once inside the room, Milton didn't speak for a moment, and the Governor quickly grew annoyed. "Are you alright? I don't have time for this—get out now and come back when you're ready to talk!"
Seeing the Governor begin to push him out, Milton finally reacted and made a decision as he looked at him.
"Governor! I think you need to reconsider this."
"What do you mean?"
"This is clearly an act of revenge. Considering the possibilities, I think it's too risky." Milton was deeply concerned about the operation, and a persistent sense of unease coursed through him, warning that things were slipping out of his control.
The Governor patted the fearful Milton on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Milton, I'm afraid you don't get to make that decision. There's nothing to worry about—this time, I'm only going to negotiate with those people. Do you really think I'm that impulsive?"
Hearing the Governor's words, Milton softened a bit and said, "That's good to hear. I thought you just wanted to attack that group of survivors who, like us, are only trying to stay alive."
"Relax, Milton, I'm not that reckless. Enough talking—I need to make a few preparations." The Governor patted Milton once more before turning around and heading back into his room.
"Yes, alright… I'll be going, then."
…
Prison in western Georgia
"Sir, the survivors named Tyreese, Ben, Allen, and Sasha have been placed in isolation per protocol. Unfortunately, one of the female survivors died from a walker bite. A field agent tried to help, but first aid wasn't enough to save her."
As Jason received the report, he felt strangely connected to the name Sasha. Then, recalling a scene that would unfortunately take place in the future, he realized which group of survivors this was.
"Understood. Proceed as planned." Showing no emotion on the outside, Jason walked to his desk and smiled.
Indeed, it had been a long time since he arrived in this world as nothing more than a stranger with advanced knowledge. Until now, he had been so focused on gathering resources that he had forgotten small things like this—things he had promised himself he would change as a personal whim.
Smiling, Jason murmured softly, "In the end, this world is changing me too…"
What these survivors needed was someone like Jason, someone who didn't hesitate to create an ideal plan to eliminate all potential threats to his group's survival. And that's exactly what he had been doing—burdened by the future, acting with urgency.
…
A few hours later…
Tyreese and his group were placed in an isolation unit. Their friend Donna didn't make it—by the time they reached the base's gate, she had already stopped breathing.
With the help of many people at the prison, Donna was buried in a special place, and the group submitted to a series of checks by the locals. They were then placed in this unit for a two-day quarantine.
Sasha chose to stay in the same cell as her brother Tyreese, while Allen and Ben were across from them. Though separated by a wall, that didn't stop them from talking.
At the time, Sasha and Allen were discussing everything that had just happened—all they had seen and heard at the base—while Tyreese lay on the bed with his eyes closed, lost in thought, occasionally responding with a word or two.
Finally, Tyreese's expression relaxed. This base brought him an unparalleled peace of mind. Even if he was isolated from the outside world's news and problems, lying in bed like this, he wished to feel this way forever.
As the four silently waited out their scheduled isolation, the Governor quietly led his men through the woods, not far from the prison. To avoid drawing attention, they all concealed their firearms and carried only melee weapons.
According to Martínez, it had taken Jason and Merle around ten minutes to walk from their first contact with the others. Moving through the forest was slower than on flat ground, and the leader's breathing had been steady, suggesting they weren't far from their base.
The place where Merle's group was first encountered should be only a few hundred meters from the prison—or even closer.
That's why this time, they came prepared with high-powered binoculars to observe from a distance.
Standing behind a tree, the Governor leaned forward and peered through the binoculars in the direction Martínez pointed. Sure enough, he spotted a watchtower. However, the top of the tower was completely camouflaged to look like a treetop, with what appeared to be massive antennas attached, making it extremely hard to see from a distance.
If he hadn't used high-powered binoculars and looked carefully, he wouldn't have seen it at all. After confirming the prison's location, he began to survey the surrounding area and spotted about four more watchtowers, all behind barbed fences. But from this vantage point, he couldn't see anything else.
Now that the location of the watchtowers was confirmed, the next step was to find a spot from which they could approach undetected. Soon, he noticed the terrain on the southern side was more uneven and the towers were taller there.
The group headed south.
Once they relocated, the Governor said, "Martínez, Crowley, come with me. Let's check this area first."
Since the other side knew that the watchtower couldn't fully see this area, they had likely increased patrols. But unexpectedly, even when they reached the edge of the woods, they encountered no patrols—making the Governor even more convinced the enemy group was small.
Still, the four of them didn't dare go too far and stopped a dozen meters from the forest edge.
"Oh my God…"
"What kind of base is this?"
The men stared in awe at the towering wall in front of them. From this elevated ground, they could even glimpse parts of the courtyard.
Once again, the Governor raised the binoculars and looked at the giant wall nearby, then saw a large stretch of food crops. He could clearly make out a moat surrounding the land.
Though the outer perimeter was guarded by wire fences, he could vaguely see several people working in the large vegetable field. Some structures resembling livestock barns were visible in one corner of the wall.
Looking deeper in, the interior was blocked by another wall. They could only glimpse buildings curving off to one side—likely the living quarters.
The Governor handed the binoculars to Martínez without saying a word, deep in thought.
Martínez, after observing, said excitedly, "Governor, there can't be many people in there—most of them are just farmers working the fields. The people we encountered must be their entire fighting force. These folks are lucky to have found a shelter like this. There's no one in the watchtowers, no visible weapons. Only one person in that tower."
The Governor nodded, signaled everyone to fall back, and returned to the convoy.
Waving to the group, the Governor said, "Withdraw! There will be no war today—I'll think of another way."
Unbeknownst to the Governor's group, an elite team was stationed above them and in the surrounding trees. With silent movements and specialized gear, they watched the enemy without being detected.
Resting weapons on their legs, they calmly observed the Governor's group leave. The squad leader picked up a radio and reported: "The target has abandoned the area. Orders, sir?"
"Let them go—it's not time to deal with those civilians yet..." Jason's response was short and firm, proving everything was under control.
The Governor's group had arrived with force and left in haste. Yet as the Governor got into his vehicle, he wore a confident smile, unaware that he had just stepped onto Jason's chessboard.
Moments after their departure, people emerged from every corner of the prison and resumed their tasks, enjoying the rest of the day in peace.