The convoy headed back toward the small town, this time with Shane's sedan following behind Calista's group.
Calista and Daryl still took the lead.
She was starting to love the thrill of roaring down the streets.
The pickup truck followed close behind. As he drove, Merle bragged to Leah in the passenger seat, "See that, Leah? Four wheels are what really matter! Once I find a decent ride, I'll take you out for a spin!"
Leah did not even lift her eyelids. She replied flatly, "Find one first. And keep your eyes on the road."
At the rear was Shane's sedan, with T-Dog in the passenger seat and Jacqui in the back.
Inside the car, T-Dog rubbed the spot on his arm where the bandage had been removed, leaving a faint scar. Looking out the window at Calista riding ahead, he said to Shane, "Hey, Shane, seriously. If it weren't for the meds Calista left at the CDC, this arm might've been done for. When it got infected, I was scared out of my mind."
Jacqui spoke softly from the back seat, her eyes sincere. "Yeah. Those supplies, and that note… they gave me hope when things felt hopeless."
Shane let out a faint snort, neither agreeing nor denying it. "In this world, 'good people' don't last long. You need capability to survive."
It sounded like a rebuttal, but also like something he was telling himself.
T-Dog and Jacqui exchanged a glance and fell silent, but their impression of Calista did not change.
To T-Dog, she was someone who stood by others. To Jacqui, she had long been a light in the darkness.
Once they entered town, the search began immediately.
Taking advantage of the motorcycle's mobility, Calista split up with Daryl, each taking one side of the main street to scout quickly.
"Daryl, check that used car lot on the left. I'll take the supermarket parking lot," Calista called over the walkie-talkie she had borrowed from Rick.
"Got it." Daryl responded briefly, making a sharp turn toward the dusty used car lot filled with dozens of abandoned vehicles.
Calista rode into the parking lot of a medium-sized supermarket. There were even more cars here, but most were in rough shape.
She slowed down and scanned each vehicle, checking whether the windows were intact, the tires deflated, or the body showed heavy damage or burn marks.
At the same time, she stayed alert for any unusual sounds, ready for a possible walker attack.
In the parking lot, she spotted a Ford Explorer that looked relatively intact.
She stopped her motorcycle but did not approach immediately. Instead, she circled the vehicle, tapped the tires with the handle of her dagger to check the pressure, and shone her flashlight inside to confirm there were no walkers.
"Daryl, I've got something here. A Ford Explorer. Exterior looks decent. Needs a closer check," she reported over the radio.
Before long, Merle and Leah arrived in the pickup.
Merle jumped out, rubbing his hands eagerly. "Now this looks promising!"
He went to the driver's side and tried the door. Locked.
"Watch this." He raised his metal arm, ready to smash the window.
"Merle," Calista said sharply in a low voice, "don't wreck it yet. Try another way first."
Leah had already moved quietly to the passenger side. She pulled a compact toolkit from her vest, filled with thin metal probes and a torque tool.
Crouching down, she inserted a probe into the keyhole, pressed her ear close to the lock, and made minute adjustments with her fingers, completely focused.
A few seconds later, a soft click sounded as the lock opened.
"Nice." Merle let out an exaggerated whistle. "Didn't know you had that skill. Teach me sometime."
Leah ignored him, opened the door, and was hit by a wave of stale dust.
She quickly checked inside, confirmed it was safe, and gave Calista a nod.
Calista got into the driver's seat, found the keys on the floor beneath it, inserted them, and turned the ignition.
"Vrr… click… vrr…"
The engine sputtered weakly a few times before going quiet.
"Shit. Another useless wreck." Merle slammed the hood in frustration with his metal arm.
Calista sighed, stepped out, and opened the hood.
The wiring inside was a mess, and several key components were missing.
"Already stripped," she said with resignation.
At the same time, Daryl reported in from the used car lot.
"I've got something at the back. A modified civilian Humvee. Tires are good, windows reinforced. Looks solid."
Everyone headed over immediately.
The olive-green Humvee looked powerful, like it could smash through anything in its path.
Shane arrived with T-Dog and Jacqui, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes when he saw it.
But when Daryl shot out a small section of the window with a bolt, reached in to unlock the door, and opened it, disappointment followed.
The vehicle consumed a huge amount of fuel. More importantly, the fuel tank was cracked. The odometer showed extremely high mileage, meaning it had been abandoned after the tank failed.
"Damn it. Got excited for nothing," Merle muttered, clearly annoyed.
Daryl stayed calm as he checked it over. "Engine's still decent, but without fuel, it's useless. And it's too conspicuous. It'll draw attention."
Leah nodded. "That's why it was left behind."
The search stalled.
They checked several garages in nearby residential areas, finding some tools and a small sealed container of motor oil, but still no usable vehicle.
While searching a relatively well-off neighborhood and inspecting the garage of a detached house, Leah, who was watching the entrance, suddenly let out a sharp warning whistle.
"Contact," Calista said immediately in a low voice, and everyone snapped into combat readiness.
From deeper within the neighborhood, more than a dozen walkers staggered out. They wore different pajamas and loungewear, clearly former residents who had turned early.
Drawn by the constant engine noise and voices, they were converging from all directions.
"Use the vehicles as cover. Get ready to fight," Shane ordered, raising his gun.
But Calista's command came faster and more precise.
"Daryl, left rooftop. Two climbing up."
She had already spotted two walkers trying to crawl over the solar panels on a nearby roof.
Daryl reacted instantly, raising his crossbow.
Two shots rang out in quick succession, dropping both walkers cleanly from the roof.
"Merle, Leah, clear the ones behind the bushes on the right. Shane, you take the front and the ones coming from the left street," Calista said rapidly, her voice steady and controlled.
The fight broke out in an instant.