The next day, several groups went out to gather supplies in the surrounding areas. So were tasked with clearing walkers to make it easier to scavenge nearby towns.
After different teams filled military trucks with provisions, so even took the ti to find working vehicles to continue the resource search.
The materials were classified into three categories: food, useful items, and dicine. Under Jason's orders, everything was important and had to be taken to the prison. That's why no one held back, and trucks constantly arrived packed with supplies.
Shane, who had co to visit Rick's daughter and so familiar faces, left that sa morning, as he felt responsible for the care of the other base. With the recent transfer of people to the base Sam runs in the city, the prison's population dropped from over four hundred to just over three hundred.
Because of this, so food that was at risk of spoiling was sent to other bases for consumption. Tyler had been in charge of communications up to this point, so there was no concern about the state of the other shelters.
Jason watched as the trucks ca in after an initial inspection, then returned to his room. After a long night celebrating the birth of Rick's daughter, nad Judith Gris, he had several matters to take care of before considering departing for new destinations.
Sitting on a chair beside his bed, Jason silently stared at a map pinned to the wall. A few minutes passed before footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door; he turned his gaze to see who it was.
"Jason, are you planning to leave today?" As he turned, Jason saw Rick, who had asked the question. He nodded slightly in response.
He had been thinking about this for days. Exploring new places was necessary—many opportunities awaited to strengthen his position and save more lives.
After watching Rick for a mont, Jason smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about, my friend. I'll be back after a while. Besides, don't forget we'll stay in contact over the radio."
Rick stayed quiet and entered the room. He knew that once Jason left, he would be in charge of the prison, and his decisions would determine the future of hundreds of people.
Jason knew it too. Rick wasn't called "the destroyer of communities" for nothing. Thinking about it made him hesitate for a mont, wondering if it was really a good idea to leave him that responsibility. But another part of him understood that Rick needed to keep evolving to increase his value.
"Co on, tell , how's your family now that it's grown with a new mber?" Jason asked, seeing Rick so quiet.
"Well, the doctors said Judith was born healthy, no complications. I don't know if I should be happy or worried, seeing what the world has beco." Rick sighed with so distress.
Jason considered offering so words of encouragent but held back. He knew that for Rick to grow, he had to face reality. He now had a bigger family to fight for; he had to make firm decisions and understand the harshness of the current world.
Thinking about that brought Jason a mix of sadness and joy. He didn't know what the future held, but he found peace in seeing that, with each experience, others better understood what the world was like outside the prison walls.
"You have to be careful with those who discover the prison and then escape. You need to understand that outsiders only have two options: keep surviving… or die and beco corpses."
Rick understood the ssage and nodded. He knew that if soone escaped, what happened with the Governor could happen again. It was lucky that Jason had anticipated his moves, but that couldn't be guaranteed a second ti.
"I'll make sure to keep this place safe and everyone in it. I'll do whatever it takes, and I'll kill whoever I have to." Rick said, looking him straight in the eye.
"I know!" Jason stood up from the chair and walked over to his cloak. He grabbed a backpack packed with his belongings and said, "It's not for nothing that I left you and Shane in charge of the most important shelters in our community. Everyone recognizes you both as leaders, and I can't keep too many lions in a single territory."
"Ha, Shane was always a big lion, even before walkers showed up in the streets." Rick replied with an ironic smile.
"Ha ha!"
Jason smiled genuinely at that. Then they talked for a while longer about a few matters Rick should keep in mind before Jason t up with the group joining him on his journey.
…
Jason gathered only a dozen people for this trip—too many would hinder their mobility and increase their needs.
Originally, Jason had struggled with how he should approach other survivors, but he later realized that, since he was a soldier, he didn't need to present himself as just another group of survivors.
"Is everyone ready?"
"We're all set. We can leave whenever you say."
Hearing those words, Jason nodded and decided to say a few things so everyone would understand more deeply the danger of this expedition.
"First of all, I'm grateful to all of you for your support. This team was ford voluntarily. Even though there were over a hundred volunteers, I selected only you."
When Jason finished those words, everyone exchanged smiles, and he said, "You all have a deeper understanding of the world outside these walls, and each of you has experience in different fields. I hope that more than just a group, we beco a family—willing to give our lives for one another and support each other throughout this expedition."
"Now I'll explain each of your roles. First, Daryl, you're in charge of scouting the path. A motorcycle has been prepped just for you; you can test it out later."
"All right!"
"rle, Jon, and Sasha, you three are in charge of overall security. Your priority isn't walkers, but dangerous humans. You all have special sleeping arrangents inside the modified VR. Sasha, your spot is on the lower floor—I hope that's okay with you."
"Elijah, you'll be the sniper."
"Understood!"
"Carlos, you've recently discovered you're good with compound bows. You'll be in charge of protecting the vehicles under Daryl's leadership. It's up to you two to take out a few walkers."
"Got it, commander! You can count on to eliminate all the walkers with my teacher Daryl!" Carlos said excitedly.
"Oh god…" Daryl murmured from the back of the group.
Jason smiled and nodded—he really liked this young man. Then he looked at Michonne, who was standing next to him.
"Michonne, you'll be the cook, and I can help with that. You can also join the fight when you're free!"
Michonne nodded indifferently.
"Glenn, Maggie, you two are in charge of developing and executing prevention, protection, and combat activities."
"Billy Fisher, you're responsible for the daily maintenance of the vehicle—I don't want the car breaking down halfway!"
"Understood, boss!"
Finally, Jason looked at the last two people and said, "Tyreese and T-Dog, you two along with Michonne are in charge of close-quarters combat. If the team stops to rest, you need to cooperate with Daryl and the others to complete defensive work together!"
"Yes, sir! Commander!"
In the end, Jason looked at the excited George with his big beard and said with a bit of speechlessness, "George, as always, you'll be driving! You've got great skills, and I've always trusted you in that role—no need to say more."
Hearing Jason's words, George imdiately pounded his chest and promised, "Don't worry, boss! As always, I'm happy to follow you!"
Jason stayed silent, watching George get so emotional. Then he smiled and nodded, thinking about all they had been through together.
On this journey, he planned to recruit many forces in Virginia. After all, there were many people from the original storyline there who could be useful to him.
If he let these opportunities slip by, he might barely survive the threat of the CRM. Maybe he could stand up to them if things went bad, but without many key people, he wasn't confident in the outco.
This ti, Jason knew he would face many forces and a very complicated situation, so he had to be fully prepared. But nothing is absolute, and he couldn't account for everything.
As for future events, if his strength grew in Atlanta, he was sure he could stand his ground firmly.
After thinking it through, Jason returned to his room and began planning his next steps.
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