The prison, the main refuge of the S.C.T.
The eyes of Elías, Emilio, Jim, Kenneth, and all the other survivors rescued by Jason and his group naturally scanned their surroundings.
It was obvious that this place was a prison, but the number of survivors here was too large. There were dozens of people, security guards, and elderly individuals in the courtyard, even at a casual glance.
All the soldiers were relieved to find a safe place where their comrades were protecting all these people. Just by looking at their good spirits, lively complexion, and bright expressions in a world that was dying more and more each day, they could tell that food in this place must be abundant, and security was clearly not an issue.
Not only were all the adults armed, but there were also soldiers in the towers around the prison equipped with heavy weapons, melee weapons, and short-range firearms. It was evident that the people in this refuge were prepared to defend themselves.
This alone made the soldiers very satisfied and happy to have come to this place. Given the state of the world, food was the foundation of survival, and weapons were the fuel that kept people alive.
Jason jumped off the truck, approached Guillermo, and gave him a warm hug. As the others walked toward him, after exchanging a few words, he turned to the crowd.
Looking at the soldiers and civilians who had arrived this time, Jason had no choice but to briefly introduce all these people.
Seeing the prison's inhabitants celebrating the arrival of the new group, he removed his gloves and spoke loudly:
"These past days have been long and difficult since we started communicating with each other. As you know, I can't fully guarantee your safety, but I promise I will do everything I can to make sure of it."
"These people joined us on our way back from Atlanta. Most of them are soldiers, police officers, and firefighters, while the rest are civilians who have been struggling to survive just like us. Please, let's give them a warm welcome!"
Upon hearing Jason's words, the crowd began to cheer and applaud joyfully. Many stepped forward to greet the soldiers who had been fighting all this time.
After finishing the introductions, Jason spoke again:
"Alright, I hope we all keep working hard. We need to start unloading the weapons, equipment, and food from the trucks and take them to the warehouses according to their categories. Some of the weapons need maintenance. Shane, I'm going to need you to help the newcomers and assign them to their respective groups."
"You got it, buddy," Shane said as he gave orders for the trucks to move to the side of the prison, where all the vehicles and the rest of the tanks were stationed.
Hearing this, Jason turned to Guillermo, who was standing beside him, and asked, "How's your wound?"
"I'm fine. As long as I don't make any sudden or heavy movements, it won't affect me much. Don't hesitate to give me an order if you're busy or have something else to take care of." Guillermo smiled upon hearing Jason's concerned tone, then moved his body slightly to show he was alright.
"That's good! Guillermo, I want to entrust you with the most important job. Take charge of the food and weapons. You need to keep a close eye on those two things and make sure no one misuses the community's resources."
Jason brought up a crucial issue that had been on his mind. There was plenty of food, but he had ordered it to be rationed correctly to ensure people didn't misuse the supplies. The same applied to the weapons—ammunition from now on should be reserved for humans, not walkers.
It was obvious that Guillermo understood his concerns, so he knew exactly what to do to ease Jason's worries.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure no rats steal the colony's cheese!" Guillermo said with confidence.
"Tommy, I still have something important to take care of. For now, since Sam Valdez is resting, I want you to move all the tanks and leave only two stationed in this open field. We need to conserve fuel and avoid using them unless absolutely necessary."
"Understood, Captain!" Tommy responded and immediately moved to carry out his orders. At this moment, the newly joined soldiers had accepted Jason's leadership and started calling him "Captain," which reassured him.
"For now, let's move inside the prison as soon as possible. Too much movement outside attracts nearby enemies."
"You got it, sir," the others responded in unison before getting to work with cheerful expressions. The main courtyard quickly became a scene of organized movement.
Glenn and the others supported Richard as they took him to the infirmary. Although the wound was no longer life-threatening, he had lost a lot of blood and still needed careful treatment.
Jason called Rick and Lori over for a moment and led them inside the prison. There was a separate room prepared for Jason—although he didn't really care where he slept, everyone had set aside a special room for him as his personal quarters.
At that moment, Jason led Rick and his wife into the room. It was simple: a bed and a basic table with a few chairs.
Jason walked over to the table, sat down with exhaustion, and then motioned for the two of them to sit as well.
After a brief silence, Jason looked at them and said, "First of all, congratulations on the child you're expecting. There are studies that suggest when a large number of people die around the world, humans instinctively react by reproducing. Haha, a strange phenomenon."
"Now then, Lori, what I'm about to say might sound harsh, so you should be prepared." Jason looked around and then spoke directly:
"I want to ask you a question. Do you know why the people in our community respect you and don't blame you much for what you did?"
Lori was surprised by Jason's question. It was true that she had felt a certain level of different treatment from the others, but she always thought it was because her husband was a leader in the group and a police officer.
But now, when she heard Jason's question, she didn't say anything. Instead, she simply shook her head to indicate that she didn't know.
Seeing Lori shake her head, Jason continued expressing his thoughts:
"I do know. You probably think they respect you because of Rick, since he's a police officer and a leader inside the prison, helping to manage everything here."
Looking at Lori without any negative expression, Jason spoke in a firmer tone:
"But you still don't understand. Let me tell you, yes, it is because of your husband—but not in the way you think. You have no idea that the respect you receive comes because Rick is the first to step up for everything. He risks his life to find food—our food."
"My only goal is to give hope to everyone who follows me. I don't want the children to ever have to raise a weapon against another human. All my actions and decisions have a single purpose! Do you know what that is? Do you know why I built this refuge and strive to keep everyone safe? It's so that everyone can stay alive and preserve whatever humanity they have left."
When he saw Lori's shocked expression, Jason's voice softened again as he continued speaking frankly:
"I was discharged from the military without honors or commendations. Do you know why? Because I disobeyed orders from high command that ordered me to massacre an entire village."
"Today, we lost our first member of the community… Do you know the name of the boy they killed?"
Lori shook her head once again. Rick, standing beside her, wanted to say something, but he decided to hold back upon understanding Jason's intent. So, he chose to listen in silence and take responsibility for his family's mistake.
"Let me tell you the answer. The injured one was Richard, who went outside only because he felt guilty for letting you go out. And the boy who died was named Jimmy. He had no family, and Hershel took him in at his farm when the world ended."
"And do you know why I know this?"
At that moment, Lori began to cry softly. She finally understood that the only thing she could do now was listen in silence without arguing against Jason's words—after all, this was her fault from the beginning.
Jason, who had stood up, walked toward the glass window and looked at all the people working.
His tone returned to calm as he said, "Because I know the situation everyone is in! I have spoken with all of them, I know their names, their jobs, and what makes them special. I know their illnesses and dislikes. Each and every one of them is part of my plan to save all of our futures!"
"Unless it's an accident or a major enemy attack, I do not allow anyone to die under my orders. If there's a bullet aimed at my people, I will be the first to get hit, and I want you to know that everyone is important to me—including you."
"I don't want Jimmy's death to torment you, because it wasn't your fault. I just want you to understand that any mistake we make in this community will be suffered by all of us."
"A funeral for Jimmy will be held later. I also hope that once you leave here, you will apologize to Richard—he believes what happened this morning was his fault. And never question my results again; it's bad for everyone! I work very hard to make sure everyone knows I do this for our future."
After saying that, Jason turned around and looked at Lori with a calm expression, and she nodded as she listened to his words.
At that moment, Rick finally had the chance to speak, and he couldn't wait to say, "I want to apologize on behalf of my wife. It's true that I haven't been with her for a long time, and she did all of this because she was worried about my safety, so I hope you won't blame her."
Jason looked at Rick and smiled. He reached into his vest and pulled out a large chocolate bar, saying, "This chocolate will make you feel better. Don't forget to take any food you need from the storage—we will prioritize for the babies. Also, your safety is assured in this place. There are doctors and teachers who can offer a little of what we've lost so far."
Lori began to cry while showing a smile and said, "Thank you, Jason. I know you do everything for the benefit of everyone here and try to maintain a peaceful environment. I'm just worried. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've been under a lot of pressure these past few days."
As she spoke, Lori could no longer hold back and cried in Rick's arms, while Rick patted her back and kept whispering to her to comfort her.
Jason nodded at Rick, then left the room, giving them space to be alone. He didn't know how long it had been since they had last seen each other, nor how long they would need to talk.
At that moment, he had already entered the cell block, and as soon as he stepped in, he encountered a very familiar group. Otis was silently holding his wife, while Hershel's family embraced one another.
Maggie was supporting Hershel, as if she were telling him something!
Seeing her flattering smile, Jason knew there must be a certain gentleman named Glenn involved in all of this.
And now, once again, he was completely alone.
Maybe that's why he liked Shane—because in many ways, they were alike.