On that same night.
Darkness enveloped the surroundings, and the places that were once illuminated by lamps were now shrouded in darkness, with the sounds of insects resonating through the forest. Occasionally, the faint sound of a walker wandering in the area could be heard.
On a forest trail not far from the yet-to-be-named base, Airon and his entire group were seated at different spots, barely illuminated. There were only dim lights from oil lamps, and nothing else to give away their position.
A group of people who were the leaders of the soldiers in the vicinity sat in a modified RV, listening to the breathing or laughter of some individuals.
Since the weather had become hot, their expeditions outside had become exhausting. They not only couldn't get enough sleep, but the combat gear of many soldiers was heavy and stifling, so many opted for standard military uniforms.
It could be said that the only happiness they had was taking a simple shower in the modified RV, but due to the number of people who had arrived, this was not possible.
However, most of them were elite soldiers, and they were accustomed to going for over a month without bathing. In that amount of time, it was easy for some people to survive in the forests.
"Abraham, you will take the outermost side of the city and secure two footholds with seventy soldiers." Airon suddenly provided this information.
"T-Dog and Glenn will be in charge of the checkpoint we've been observing so far, and as for Rick and Michonne, they will handle the remaining checkpoints."
"Airon, I think it would be better if the more experienced ones accompany you to deal with the enemies at the central base."
"No, we will have aerial support shortly after successfully capturing all the bases at once... They will panic and won't know who is attacking them, and by the time they want to resist, the helicopters will be their greatest support."
"So, we all need to be careful."
...
Airon had been restless about Daryl all night, and after realizing he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, he immediately geared up. His sole objective now was to find out if those people had imprisoned Daryl and, if possible, rescue him before everything began.
Since he wasn't the only one unable to sleep, several people saw him leave and disappear into the night.
Glenn, who was in a group of people, said frankly, "This time we have to show what we're capable of. We need to give Airon the confidence that these things can be carried out by us and not someone as important as him."
"Yes, we have to protect our Commander..."
...
Airon walked briskly through the grass, and now the outside was dominated by walkers emerging from various places, moving aimlessly.
On the way, under the moonlight, Airon could see approximately a few meters distance around him. However, he came prepared, wearing his usual gear, and the night vision greatly helped him move forward safely.
Airon was brought back to those memories where most things relied on his decisions, and that lonely feeling made this night even darker. The uniform and rhythmic breathing, combined with his steps, seemed to put him in a state of harmony, making every cell in his body feel alive.
It didn't take him long to reach the outskirts of the town's wall. Perhaps due to lack of manpower or time, the other group didn't surround the entire town but only chose the area where the buildings in the center of the town were located.
This place is certainly incredible for establishing a base, and Airon believed it could be their foothold now that, in the future, Florida would be theirs. On the other hand, it was easy to maneuver in this place since there were both buildings and large residential houses.
He quickly climbed a tree, its crown slightly higher than the town's wall, allowing him to have a clear view of part of the interior area. The enclosed area was about six to nine thousand square meters, with no less than a dozen residential houses and shops, and the central point was the four-story building they had seen before.
The reason these details could be clearly seen was that there were several bonfires in the streets and alleys at the moment, casting a reddish-orange glow over the entire town. There were two people guarding each bonfire with weapons. Even the nearby city wall had heavily armed soldiers.
Seeing this situation, Airon couldn't help but frown. He didn't expect the other party to be so security-conscious even at night. There were at least a hundred people on the night watch team, making it extremely difficult for him to sneak in unnoticed.
Should he turn back now? But if he did, what would happen to Daryl once everything started? Or should he wait a little longer?
Various thoughts crossed his mind, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. He quickly descended from the tree, dealt with a few walkers that had been attracted to him, and swiftly entered a nearby residential building, which was very close to his position.
The building was well-maintained, indicating that the people in this place must have cleaned up the area.
Silently, Airon reached the second floor of the villa, found a chair, and sat comfortably, patiently waiting for an opportunity.
...
In the afternoon, they brought Daryl here, and then the leader summoned him to a special place.
Following Caine to the largest building, as soon as they entered the first hallway, they heard noises coming from the rooms on both sides. Secretly estimating based solely on the level of noise, Daryl figured there must be no fewer than a hundred people on this floor.
Both of them climbed the stairs to the top of the building, and they could hear similar noises on every floor. As they continued ascending, the noises remained the same, as if there were over a thousand people in this building alone.
Caine kept walking, advancing deeper into the corridor, and Daryl saw two large armed men standing outside the door of the deepest corridor, which should be the leader's room.
As he walked towards the middle of the hallway, an open door caught his attention. He turned his head slightly to look and saw a man with dark eyes sitting calmly on the room's sofa, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Puffs of smoke escaped from his mouth as he took drags, and he finally turned his eyes to meet Daryl standing outside the room.
The sinister eyes moved slightly, scrutinizing Daryl intently, then he turned his head expressionlessly. At that moment, Daryl had already entered through the door, the momentary contact and the intense gaze made Daryl furrowed his brow slightly.
Finally, Caine walked towards the door at the end of the corridor, nodding slightly and greeting the two guards. The latter looked at Daryl, said nothing, and slowly pushed the door closed behind him.
...
Airon simply sat in silence, staring at the nearby courtyard without blinking. Time slowly passed three o'clock, and a group of over twenty people emerged from the small building, yawning. They quickly split into several groups and went to their respective posts of responsibility.
Some people returning greeted those on the next shift and hurried into the building.
Seeing this, Airon furrowed his brow again, realizing there was no progress. There was very little information available, and he couldn't just go inside directly. If Daryl wasn't found at the right moment, there would be problems.
At that moment, another figure emerged from the small building. Airon stared intently, but suddenly his eyes lit up.
That person turned out to be his target this time, Daryl!