Before dawn had fully broken, Cole was already waiting in the buffer zone outside Block B's eastern defensive line.
He had not brought Tony. He had come alone, carrying a bulging canvas bag on his back, his eyes fixed on the figure behind the slowly opening gate.
It was not Gwendolyn, whom he had met once before, nor was it one of those dangerous-looking fighters. It was Calista herself.
Her combat uniform was casually left open, revealing a simple black long-sleeved T-shirt underneath, and she held a steaming cup in her hand.
Calista walked to the gate and lifted her chin at Cole. "Come in. It's cold outside."
Her tone was as natural as if she were greeting a neighbor, but that only made Cole more tense.
The more ordinary she seemed, the more it showed that this girl was sure of herself.
She was not afraid he would try anything, and she was not in a hurry to force him to take a stance.
Following Calista through two checkpoints, Cole kept his eyes moving the entire time.
In the open space inside the fortifications, there were two more small diesel generators than yesterday, running side by side.
Not far away came the rhythmic clang of metal, as if a certain factory production line had already started up and was stamping something.
When they entered an office building in Block B that had been turned into the park's command post, the smell of food hit him at once.
On the conference table were two simple breakfasts: mashed roasted potatoes, fried eggs, and a small plate of canned fruit.
"Sit." Calista sat down first and picked up a fork. "We'll talk while we eat."
Seeing Cole's conflicted, hesitant expression, she found it a little amusing. "Your portion isn't poisoned."
Cole looked embarrassed for a second, but he still sat down.
The smell of the food went straight into his nose, making his stomach cramp.
How long had it been since he had sat in a clean room in the morning and eaten a hot, proper breakfast?
His memories from before the apocalypse felt as distant as a past life.
Cole did not touch his fork. Instead, he reached into the canvas bag, took out something carefully wrapped in oilcloth, and pushed it to the center of the table.
"This is the spare key card for Warehouse Seven in Block A, and a maintenance access map for the main ventilation ducts." Cole rubbed his hands together.
"Back then, the Red Scarf Gang looted several of the main factories in Block A. Warehouse Seven was the biggest warehouse. It had its own power supply and air circulation. They couldn't get it open, and they couldn't bring themselves to blow it up.
"There should be things you want inside. Precision measuring instruments, some specialty alloy materials, and maybe well-preserved electronic components."
Calista did not rush to take it. She finished a bite of mashed potatoes, wiped her mouth, then reached out and opened the oilcloth.
Inside was an old magnetic key card with worn edges, along with several yellowed blueprint copies. A few messy words had been marked in red: "Emergency passage. Ventilation shaft B-7 leads directly to the underground vault."
"What are your terms?" Calista looked up at him calmly.
Cole took a deep breath, knowing the crucial moment had come.
He was no longer just an old scavenger digging through ruins. He had to act like a negotiator.
"First, my people, fifty-seven in total, enter your outer settlement. We don't need the core area. Just give us a piece of land on the edge of Block B.
"We'll build our own shacks, but we need you to provide basic building materials, drinking water, and… medical rounds once every two weeks."
Cole paused and carefully watched Calista's expression, but she only nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.
"Second, we can handle daily patrols and basic maintenance in the cleared areas of the park. We can also… gather intelligence on usable supplies in East Knoxville. Or do any other work you need.
"We trade labor for rations according to your standards. But we won't accept being fully absorbed into the combat teams, at least not right now.
"We have many elderly people, children, and women. They can't fight. Once… once they're settled, our able-bodied adults can go into combat."
"Third…" Cole's fingers tightened, his hands twisting together as he spoke uneasily.
"If one day… I mean if you have to clear Block D, my people must be among the first moved to a safe distance. We don't want to become… whatever is in there."
After saying those three conditions, he seemed to have been drained of strength. His back hunched slightly, but his eyes remained fixed on Calista.
These were the most practical and humble terms the Scavengers could come up with.
They wanted shelter, but did not dare ask for too much. They wanted a way to live, but did not want to become cannon fodder.
Calista did not answer right away.
She picked up her cup and took a sip of water, her gaze resting on the ventilation shaft map as her fingers tapped lightly on the table.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound was especially clear in the quiet room.
"Agreed," Calista said. "But I have a few additions."
Cole's heart tightened.
"Regarding the first point, your people can visit our base. If they're willing to stay at the base, that's fine too.
"If you stay in the industrial park, the settlement will be built according to Rock Fortress's unified plan, not by throwing up random shacks. We'll provide tools. You'll do the work yourselves, and we'll send people to guide you.
"After it's built, sanitation, fire safety, and nighttime light control must follow our rules. Three violations, and you're expelled.
"Second, patrol and maintenance duties will be assigned by our Defense Force, with daily reports.
"We'll evaluate the value of any intelligence and award points based on importance. You can use those points to exchange for supplies or medical quotas from the supply list.
"You don't have to fight, but every able-bodied person between fourteen and sixty must attend basic defense training twice a week. Not so we can send you to the front line, but to teach you how to run, how to hide, and how to give an effective alarm when you encounter walkers or an attack."
Morning light slanted through the window, illuminating half of Calista's face while the other half remained in shadow. "Third, regarding Block D, you don't need to worry about the evacuation order.
"If it ever reaches the point where we have to deal with it, everyone inside the industrial park will be evacuated according to the established contingency plan. But before that…"
She picked up the ventilation shaft map. "You need to prove your value is more than scavenging and showing the way."
Cole's throat went dry. "How do we prove it?"
"Warehouse Seven in Block A." Calista leaned forward slightly and pushed the blueprint back toward him. "You lead the way. Not just pointing us in the right direction. You go in with my reconnaissance team.
"Inside, you help us identify what's useful, what's dangerous, and what might be hiding a trap.
"Complete this mission, and the three terms I just mentioned take effect immediately. Your people can move into temporary tents tonight and start building houses tomorrow."
Cole's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Go in with them?
Into that warehouse even the Red Scarf Gang had failed to open?
That frightened him more than asking him to fight walkers.
Unknown places were sometimes more terrifying than walkers.
But Cole had no choice, and neither did the Scavengers.
This was his token of good faith.
"…Fine." He forced the word out through clenched teeth.
Calista's expression relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "Much better. I look forward to working with you."
She stood and walked to the door, then said to Danny, who was waiting outside, "Notify Leah. Prepare the settlement site on the edge of the B-3 area. Set up twelve emergency tents and connect water pipes. Notify the medical team to conduct basic checkups and quarantine processing for the newcomers this afternoon."
Calista turned back to Cole. "After breakfast, go to the Defense Force and pick a weapon that suits you. We gather at the east gate in one hour. I'll take a squad and go with you."
It was just right for some activity after breakfast. She could let Leah handle the affairs here for a while and clear her own head.
Cole looked at the fried egg on his plate, already a little cold, and suddenly felt that the price of this breakfast might be heavier than he had imagined.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (70 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.