NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 49: A New Day
Early the next morning, after two long days of deep cleaning and repairs inside the prison, everything was finally set up thanks to the joint effort of dozens of people.
Of course, all the walkers were moved to a location near the prison and stacked on top of each other to be burned, depending on their condition.
The people had just heard Jason say that the bodies of the walkers should not be moved for now, and some should be left at the edge of an open space, while the rest should not be burned as long as they remained stacked. Nothing else should be done for the moment.
No one understood the meaning behind Jason's actions, but they were used to their leader's mysterious ways, so they didn't question it too much and simply followed orders.
At that moment, Axel, Tiny, and Oscar had already arrived at the main plaza, looking around at the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar surroundings. They walked back and forth, deep in thought.
Moreover, when they woke up this morning, they discovered that out of the five original reports, only three remained—Thomas and Andrew had left, leaving only two open cells, which made them very nervous.
When they were brought here, everyone thought it was finally their time to be executed by this strange group of people. However, so far, they had only been taken outside for some fresh air before being put back in their cells.
Jason knew that it was highly unlikely that any of these three would betray him, but he couldn't impose his own will on everyone else's thoughts.
If the three of them could easily join the team just like that, the people in the community would inevitably have complaints about the situation.
Therefore, they would remain under observation, getting familiar with everything happening in this place. Later, they would be forced to make decisions in times of crisis, and their fate would ultimately be determined by the choices they made.
But Jason wouldn't be the one in charge of that test, because today, the first shipment of resources from the CDC, led by Tommy and a special forces squad, was set to arrive.
According to the plan, Tommy would arrive today with resources and a large number of people tasked with moving everything according to its classification.
When it came to relocating people, a round trip in a single day was enough to gather everyone at the site. However, since this operation involved the transfer of equipment and resources, the entire process would take several days!
Over the next few days, Jason needed to be involved in the entire operation and couldn't afford any mistakes.
Just as they were about to check on a few more things, a shout came from below, calling out to him:
"Sir, the resources have arrived!"
"I'm coming down now," Jason shouted from the top of a watchtower.
On the road leading to the prison, a large convoy of cars, trucks, and tanks sped toward them, quickly coming to a stop at the prison gates.
Tommy stepped out of a truck and looked at the vast space that would now serve as the community's refuge. This place was definitely much safer to defend and would serve as a starting point for everything Jason wanted to accomplish in the future.
The people nearby quickly approached to greet them, while Rick looked at the large trucks with excitement, knowing that everything was finally coming together.
"Just look at those beauties. No one's gonna dare take this place from us, ha ha ha ha ha!" Merle said, grinning at the tanks and Humvees with mounted machine guns in the convoy.
"Definitely. We can protect this place with that level of firepower," T-Dog added with a smile.
The massive prison could easily accommodate the large trucks inside. Even in the open field, there was enough space for numerous vehicles without feeling cramped, not to mention the outdoor gym and sports courts.
"You took longer than I expected. How's the situation at the CDC?" Jason asked as he approached with a slight smile.
"Boss, the place is calm with security in the hands of Sam and Billy. I thought it would take you longer to clean up this massive place," Tommy replied with a grin.
"Jason put a lot of pressure on us to get it done," Rick added as he stepped closer. "How are the people at the CDC?"
"Everyone's fine. Originally, we were going to transfer more people, but it was decided that would happen on the second trip. For now, we brought the most important resources in this first shipment," Tommy explained, watching as the trucks made their way inside the prison.
"That's something we'll have to deal with later…" Jason looked into the distance, feeling more at ease with Tommy's arrival and the tanks reinforcing the prison's security.
"What we're waiting for now is your next move. Even though we've moved the most essential resources, we still need to figure out what comes next." Hearing Jason's words, Tommy smiled wryly. He hadn't had the chance to fully understand Jason's plans before moving out to this location.
"Well, let's not waste time. We need to start unloading the resources from the trucks and prepare for the next trip," Jason said firmly. There was a lot to do, and that included dealing with the walkers that would soon be leaving the urban areas.
"I want you and the people you brought to start guarding the watchtowers around the prison. Set up the machine guns and make sure there's enough ammunition for them. It's not necessary right now, but it's something we need to be ready for."
"Once the resources are unloaded, review the list of areas inside the prison and assign functions to each one."
Without wasting time, the large crates of supplies were unloaded from the trucks and transported into the prison one by one.
With Tommy's help, security was expanded, guards were placed in the watchtowers, and the interior of the prison was classified as the resources were moved inside.
…
Early this morning, half of the personnel had gathered in the recreational yard—Jason was about to announce the next steps.
"It's been a busy few days. The CDC's resources have started moving to the prison, so there's a lot more work ahead. Tommy and Shane will stay here to secure and organize everything in the prison."
"We're leaving, but most of you will remain to maintain security. We'll stay in contact, and don't forget to coordinate with Shane and Tommy if you have any questions."
Leaving most of the group behind to protect the prison, Jason led the rest toward the CDC for another major resource transport.
The emptied trucks were also driven back to the CDC to be refilled with the remaining supplies and to begin relocating people.
As all of this unfolded, Jason thought about his next steps and how to make the most of the situation.
…
The distance between the prison and the CDC wasn't too great, but this transfer involved more than just moving people and equipment. Jason divided the 20-person team into several groups.
The prison had been occupied and cleaned by his people, so all the resources Jason had gathered needed to be moved as soon as possible. After all, his next plans required far more supplies than he currently had.
First, survival supplies, weapons, and ammunition left at the CDC had to be completely transferred. Then, there were caches of resources left in certain locations around Atlanta that hadn't been taken when the world first fell apart.
These stockpiles contained heavy weapons and essential supplies that could not be left behind.
Right now, walkers were leaving the city and spreading into the surrounding areas.
Considering that, the number of walkers in the urban zones had significantly decreased. That made this the perfect time to enter the city. If they delayed, many trapped survivors would die, and countless supplies would be lost.
This was also an ideal time to gather any remaining survivors.
Their community was small—barely 200 people—while the prison could hold more than 550.
Their work was far from over. A community this small would inevitably be crushed by larger groups.