Five minutes later, more people came out from deeper inside the stronghold.
Their leader was a lean man in his forties, with a scar running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth. It had healed badly, making his face look as though it was always twisted in a cold sneer.
He wore a filthy leather jacket, a knife tucked at his waist, and carried a handgun.
Jason's eyes narrowed.
He knew this man.
He had been a minor leader who fled when the Red Scarf Gang collapsed. It looked like after Lorenzo fell, he had joined a new force and even become its boss.
"Jason?" The scarred man recognized him too, and gave him a cold smile. "You're still alive? Found yourself a new boss, huh? What, you brought your new people here to grab territory?"
Jason took a step forward, but did not fully leave the protection of the group.
"Eddie, save it. You know we're not here for this pile of junk." He pointed at the surrounding scrap containers. "Rock Fortress doesn't care about any of this."
Eddie's eyes turned cold. "Then what are you here for? To show off?"
At that moment, Gwendolyn stepped forward.
Her appearance made Eddie and his men pause.
In a place full of rough men, a neatly dressed woman with a calm, gentle presence looked completely out of place.
"Mr. Eddie, we're here on behalf of Rock Fortress to discuss a deal."
"A deal?" Eddie sneered. "I don't make deals with women."
"Then you'd better learn," Carver said, taking a step forward. His height and presence immediately bore down on Eddie. "You'll get used to it. Of course, you can choose to take that advice, or choose not to."
As he spoke, everyone in the negotiation team adjusted their positions slightly and raised their muzzles halfway.
Eddie's expression changed.
He could tell these people were not bluffing.
Their positioning, their eyes, even the rhythm of their breathing all showed that this was a real combat team.
And in numbers, equipment, and discipline, they completely outclassed his people.
"What deal?" Eddie finally asked, with less contempt in his voice.
Gwendolyn did not answer directly. Instead, she laid out the facts first. "We know there's more than one former Red Scarf Gang member here.
"We also know you're barely surviving in this place by relying on your familiarity with the park, robbing lone survivors, and stealing what the Scavengers find."
One of Eddie's men behind him could not help cursing.
Gwendolyn did not react. She simply continued, "But how long can that kind of life last? The resources in the park are dwindling, the walkers are increasing, and there are fewer survivors. You're getting less and less, aren't you?"
Eddie's eyes flickered. She had hit the mark.
"The Red Scarf Gang's era ended last year," Gwendolyn said, raising her voice. "Rock Fortress ended it.
"Now, a new order is being built. You can choose to become part of that new order, or be crushed under it."
"Are you threatening me?" Eddie said through gritted teeth.
"Easy. I'm only stating the facts." Gwendolyn met his gaze.
"In one day, our team will enter the park. We can clear you out as obstacles, or we can treat you as… potential partners."
"Partners?" Eddie repeated, as if weighing the word.
"After the park is cleared, more safe areas can be used to establish outposts, storage points, and even factories," Gwendolyn said, beginning to offer something sweet.
"Rock Fortress needs people familiar with the local area to manage those outer outposts. We need people to maintain order, gather intelligence, and give early warning."
Jason added at just the right moment, "Eddie, you've been running around this area for more than ten years. You know every alley and every sewer entrance. That kind of skill has value in Rock Fortress's eyes, as long as you're willing to follow orders."
One of the men, also a former Red Scarf Gang member, suddenly snapped, "Jason, you became a fucking traitor, and you still have the nerve to talk?"
Jason turned to him, his gaze cold. "Rex, when the Red Scarf Gang was wiped out by the walker horde, you ran faster than anyone. Don't act loyal now."
Rex had nothing to say.
Gwendolyn brought the conversation back. "We won't ask you to join Rock Fortress immediately.
"You only need to do two things. First, don't get in our way. Second, if anyone from the Scavengers tries something, keep an eye on them for us. In return…"
She looked at Hank.
Hank took a small cloth bag from his backpack and tossed it at Eddie's feet.
The bag loosened open, revealing two boxes of antibiotics inside.
Eddie stared at the items on the ground. His tone was no longer as hard as before. "And if we say no?"
Carver flashed a handsome, roguish grin. "Then tomorrow, you'll get to see how Rock Fortress deals with obstacles.
"By the way, I was standing nearby when Lorenzo died. Do you want to try a worse way to die than he did?"
Those words finally broke through Eddie's defenses.
He had seen Lorenzo's cruelty with his own eyes, and he knew exactly how powerful the Red Scarf Gang had been.
If these people had really destroyed the Red Scarf Gang, that meant they had the ability to drive walkers, or maybe even some kind of dark magic…
"When you move," Eddie said, bending down to pick up the cloth bag, "my guys will stay in the stronghold. But only for one day. After that, we'll talk about what comes next."
"A wise choice." Gwendolyn nodded slightly. "Also, if you can contact any other small groups active in Knoxville, pass along a message for us.
"Rock Fortress is willing to offer everyone a way to live, as long as they don't stand in our way."
The negotiation team began to withdraw.
Eddie and his men stood where they were, watching them leave. No one spoke, and no one stopped them.
After they left the stronghold's range, Carver said quietly, "Will they keep their word? These people look slipperier than the Scavengers."
"At least until the day after tomorrow, they will," Gwendolyn said with certainty. "Eddie isn't stupid. He can see the gap in strength. And those two boxes of medicine are enough for him to keep his men steady."
She was not boasting. Medicine was extremely precious now.
If someone had offered Norris Community two boxes of medicine back then, they would have compromised too.
Two negotiations, two completely different strategies.
With the Scavengers, she had used empathy and benefits. With the Throat-Slasher Gang, she had used deterrence and a deal.
Both had worked, at least for now.
"Next," Carver said, looking toward the park, "we'll see whether they really know what's good for them in a day."
Daryl walked at the rear of the group, his crossbow never fully lowered.
He glanced back at the Throat-Slasher Gang stronghold and said quietly to Wagner beside him, "Someone's following us."
Wagner did not look back. "Two of them. One hundred meters east, eighty meters west. Should we deal with them?"
"No need," Carver said, having heard their exchange. "Let them watch. Only when they see us return safely will Eddie truly believe we have something bigger behind us."
...
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