I'm a Fair Man, Right?

Thomas cursed these two idiots internally when he realized that the chances of getting out and using them in the process were high. Still, he explained carefully, "Even though he's short, he's very agile and can solve many problems we might encounter. With him on our side, no one will have to go out and do the most dangerous tasks alone!"

"Damn it! Hurry up, don't wake the others!" Impatiently, Merle handed Thomas a set of keys and started looking around as if he were a fugitive.

Looking to the side, Shane's gaze was somewhat unnatural. He didn't know if going through so much trouble for this was really worth it. Could they truly judge these two murderers who, for now, were only trying to save themselves? He would have preferred to simply put a bullet in their heads and be done with it, but not everyone shared his thoughts—nor did Jason.

Aside from the soldiers who made up a large part of the group and only listened to Jason, the vast majority, which was growing larger by the day, were just ordinary people who still wanted to preserve their humanity.

That was why they were having these problems—if they wanted to be strong, great, and united, they had to cater to the weak.

Looking at the keys in Merle's hands, Thomas hesitated for a moment before taking them and unlocking the cell where Andrew was resting. It didn't take long for him to open the door and step inside quietly to wake the other man.

Andrew, who was sleeping at the moment, suddenly felt someone hitting him and then covering his mouth. Startled, he woke up instantly and desperately tried to break free without seeing who was holding him.

When he opened his eyes and was about to scream, he realized that the best possible thing had happened—his friend Thomas was standing in front of him, with his index finger pressed against his lips in a gesture of silence, while his other hand covered his mouth.

Thomas removed his hand, signaling Andrew to follow him.

As soon as he stepped out of the cell, Andrew saw two strangers standing next to Thomas, likely from the group that had imprisoned them today. But before he could ask anything, Thomas pulled him aside and whispered in a very low voice, "Don't do anything stupid. These two saved me; we need to get out of here first, and then we'll explain everything."

After speaking, Merle motioned for the two to follow him and then walked toward the other side of the unit.

Under Merle's guidance, they easily avoided the guards patrolling the prison at night and reached the gate, but they saw a figure standing on top of a modified RV parked by the entrance. Instinctively, they quickly dropped to the ground.

Fortunately, it was midnight, and visibility was poor—even for those keeping watch. Under the moonlight, they could vaguely make out the general outline of the person on the roof.

"It's Daryl! I'll take care of him, don't move!" Merle pulled a silenced pistol from his waist and fired at the figure on the vehicle's roof.

Bang!

With the sound of a suppressed gunshot, Daryl, who was standing on the RV's roof, fell with a dull thud.

Thud!

Merle signaled, and the four of them walked toward the prison gate without hesitation. Shane fully opened the gate, a sinister laugh escaping his lips.

"Hey, don't close the door—let's go!"

Thomas and Andrew had no idea that, just as they disappeared into the woods, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the RV, holding a crossbow.

Walking toward the gate and closing it, Daryl spat in the direction of the fleeing men, cursing under his breath, "You two bastards… you deserve it."

…

Deep in the forest, Shane and Merle, along with the prisoners, ran until they reached a slightly open area. They slowed down and stopped, turning to look at the two who had followed them closely.

"Damn! That was crazy. We'll definitely get revenge on those bastards for treating us like trash!" Andrew shouted, panting heavily.

"Our time for revenge will come, but for now, we need to find shelter," Thomas said, a cold smile on his face as he looked at Merle. "Friends, I will be eternally grateful for your help today."

"Hahaha… If I were you, I wouldn't be so quick to be grateful," Merle chuckled as he turned and switched on a lamp.

Originally, these two were supposed to be killed without much effort, but they needed to confirm their true intentions once they left the prison. Hearing Andrew's and Thomas's words, Shane no longer hesitated.

"What's going on?" Thomas felt that something was off, so he slowly took a step back.

But before he could move any further, a deep voice spoke from behind him, sending a strange chill down his spine.

"I'm definitely a very fair man, aren't I?"

Thomas and Andrew turned around. Under the harsh beam of the flashlight, they saw a figure in a black tactical uniform stepping out from between the trees.

Surrounding them were men holding assault rifles—Jason's soldiers, men willing to do anything and who followed orders without question.

When the prisoners saw Jason approaching calmly, Andrew immediately shouted, trying to understand the situation, "What the hell is this?"

Jason's appearance triggered a flood of thoughts in the prisoners' minds, making them realize that everything had been a trap. That was why they immediately tried to figure out what he was after with this childish game.

Hearing their words, Jason stopped speaking, turned his head, and looked at the two men whose expressions were now full of terror. Ignoring their fear, he walked closer.

Ignoring the others, Thomas glared at Jason angrily. He took a deep breath, trying to control his fury. Then, with a new expression, he focused on the man who had caused them so much trouble and was now slowly approaching. He asked, "You're going to kill us, aren't you? Damn it, I never thought you'd toy with my life right before killing me."

Andrew then looked at the weapon in Jason's hands and asked, "Why are you doing this to us? We've never done anything to you. We could be useful to you—why kill us?"

"The only reason you're still alive, and why we're having this conversation, is because I'm a fair man. I ordered your deaths, but believe me, I thought about it a lot, and I concluded that since I ordered it, I should be the one to do it."

Looking directly at Thomas and Andrew, Jason holstered his gun and pulled out two knives, throwing them to the ground near them. Even if he was determined to get rid of his enemies, he would be fair to them.

As he said this, he drew a knife and looked at them. "Come on. If you manage to take me down, you can leave this place safely. Don't look at the soldiers—they won't do anything to you. You'll have that privilege."

"You're looking at us like we're idiots!"

"I'm going to kill you, you arrogant son of a bitch!"

Thomas and Andrew picked up the knives that had been thrown at them, both moving toward Jason with murderous eyes. Even if they died, they wanted to make sure they took Jason down with them.

All this time, these two criminals had lived their lives feeling superior and acting above everyone else who had once lived honorably. Now that someone else had arrived and was looking at them as if they were trash, an irreversible anger grew within them. Thomas and Andrew exchanged a glance, silently communicating something.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and everyone held their breath slightly. Seeing this explosive scene, their faces were filled with adrenaline, eager to cut down the person in front of them.

Shane and Merle stood not far away with flashlights in hand, watching closely like the other soldiers to ensure no walkers approached before Jason took care of these two men.

Jason smiled slightly, gripping the knife tightly as he prepared to face them. He didn't know how, but he had complete confidence in his abilities.

"I will judge all your sins..."

In the end, it was Andrew who took the initiative. Now that he knew they were going to be killed, they should at least leave a mark on these people. Even if the other side was armed, he had to try to land a hit.

"Die, bastard!"

With a loud roar, Andrew raised the knife in his hands and charged at Jason. At the same time, Thomas hesitated for a moment before also rushing forward.

Seeing the two of them running in his direction, Jason showed no expression of fear. Instead, he raised his knife and slowly stepped forward.

Thomas and Andrew had taken lives before; both were experienced in the feeling of kill-or-be-killed. But so was Jason—and he had far more experience in doing so.

In an instant, Jason extended his left hand and struck Thomas in the neck before he even had a chance to stab him.

Andrew, seeing this, swung his knife forward. The blade neared Jason's throat, attempting to end him with a single slash.

But these prisoners had no real combat experience; they all relied on brute strength and their knives to attack. None of them were a real threat in Jason's eyes—he had trained to become a killing machine.

Quickly, Jason changed the rhythm of his movements. After dodging Andrew's attack, he pulled back his left hand while his right, gripping the knife, slashed three times in rapid succession across Andrew's chest.

Before Andrew even realized it was the end for him, Jason jumped back and delivered a powerful kick to his chest. The force sent Andrew flying backward. In just an instant, Jason had eliminated one opponent.

"The first one's out..." Jason murmured coldly.

Turning his gaze toward Thomas, who was struggling to catch his breath, Jason casually walked in his direction.

Thomas looked at Jason and said, "Buddy, please, let me go."

Seeing this, Jason's expression showed clear surprise. He had thought that in a fair fight, the other side would face him until the very end. But his thoughts weren't far from the truth—because Thomas's next move made his previous words meaningless.

Shh!

In an instant, Thomas moved his hand toward Jason, attempting once again to stab him. But before he could strike again, a fist came flying toward his face, leaving him no choice but to close his eyes.

Crack!

Swinging his fist, Jason looked down at Thomas, who was now half-unconscious on the ground. He sheathed his knife, took a few steps toward Thomas, leaned down, and twisted his neck in one swift motion.

Then, Merle and Shane approached Jason.

"That was quick. Let's get out of here before my legs freeze off," Merle said.

"We need to make sure they don't turn into walkers," Jason murmured as the soldiers around them approached with makeshift wooden stretchers.

"I'll take care of it." Shane stepped up to the two corpses and shot them both in the head.

Bang! Bang!

"Bury them. If we leave the bodies outside, we'll get sick."

"Understood, boss."

...

After about ten minutes, Jason and the others returned to the prison gate.

Daryl opened the door for them. He really wanted to say something, but when they arrived, he didn't know what.

"Brother, are you okay? I really thought I shot you back there, ha ha ha!"

Merle's love for his brother was real, though he never showed it openly. But Daryl knew his brother would give his life for him at any moment.

"Get inside and stop talking nonsense." Daryl gave his brother a look of annoyance but, in the end, didn't ask anything.

"Good job, guys. Get some rest—tomorrow will be a busy day," Jason said as he walked away.

"You two can show your affection later. I'm going back to sleep—I'm exhausted!" Shane rubbed his face and headed inside the prison.

"You three tired already? I could kill dozens more walkers. Let's go clear the outside, ha ha ha!"

Merle, now standing there alone, mocked sarcastically, but when he saw that everyone ignored him, he got bored and walked off to his bed as well.