The Reason for Being

Safe House, Last Supply Point

"It looks like the walkers are decreasing in numbers. These should be the last of the horde," Billy said as he looked outside.

After taking double magazines filled with bullets and equipping himself to the limit, Jason nodded and said, "Let's not waste time. Let's take out the walkers in the street carefully and silently."

Picking up rifles with suppressors, Elias, an expert at taking down long-range targets, settled by a window and began shooting. With precise, silenced shots, many walkers started dropping to the ground.

This time, the assault rifle in Jason's hands was a modified AR-15 with a double magazine. He decided to carry his M4 on his back, wanting a change for this situation.

"Focus on the walkers near the truck where we'll load the supplies!"

"Understood!" Elias and the others, now working under Jason's command, took charge of eliminating all those walkers. After all, their marksmanship was reliable, and eliminating walkers was far easier than carrying heavy supplies.

"Reloading!" Once everything was in order, Jason went downstairs to help move the weapons crates from the basement to the first floor.

"How's everything going?"

George, who was catching his breath while moving a large crate of ammunition, looked at Jason and nodded. Now that everyone had started working, he felt at ease and wasn't too worried about the remaining walkers outside.

"The team upstairs has started taking care of the walkers outside. We can move faster now," Jason said seriously. He set his weapon aside, went down to the basement, grabbed a crate, and said, "Getting tired already, Rick? We'll be back at the prison soon, and you'll see your family."

"Yeah..." Rick responded with a smile as he carried a supply crate upstairs. He was doing all of this for his family and survival, working for the future of his friends and loved ones.

"What's the situation outside?" Rick asked as he climbed the stairs.

"Elias and the others have it under control. There's nothing to worry about."

After some time, all kinds of crates were stacked one after another near the door, ready to be quickly moved out once it was opened.

"I think it's time to head out and get all this stuff to the bus as soon as possible. We have a long trip back to the prison," George said, sweating.

Setting a crate on the floor, Jason nodded and went to retrieve his weapon. The time had come to leave—no one wanted to waste any more time here if they could get out now. In this situation, there was no telling when they might encounter another horde of walkers.

Once Jason grabbed his rifle, he stood in front of the door and said, "I'll clear the way. Wait for my signal, and when I give it, start loading the supplies onto the bus."

Everyone nodded without saying a word. After confirming they understood, Jason raised his rifle, opened the door, and stepped outside.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With three precise shots, the closest walkers were taken down with headshots. Blood splattered as their bodies collapsed to the ground.

Jason's eyes sharpened with vigilance, scanning the area for more walkers. His job was to clear out any blind spots that Elias and the others couldn't reach.

Bang! Bang!

Two more shots, and another two walkers were instantly eliminated.

The street was littered with corpses, all taken down by the group on the second floor. Jason ignored those and then signaled the team to move forward.

Seeing Jason's signal, everyone smiled and moved toward the bus, starting to load the supplies they had brought up from the basement.

Jason's thoughts drifted back to everything he had planned before all of this started.

First, he had meticulously focused on physical training.

Whether it was for endurance-based tasks or surviving the world's end, a strong body was necessary. Uncertain of where he truly was, he felt an overwhelming need to become physically stronger.

His workout routines surpassed those of many of his companions.

He knew exercise increased food consumption, but that wasn't a problem, considering all his efforts today.

The second thing he had focused on was food. He and his future group needed a large supply to survive. The food crates stored at various locations before the world fell apart were proof of his foresight.

He was aware that extensive training required a lot of food, so it was a priority. During the transport from Atlanta to the prison, Jason had worked relentlessly to stockpile supplies from supermarkets.

In the future, food would be the first thing survivors would seek. As time passed and food supplies rotted, it was crucial to consider long-term survival.

Theoretically, there wouldn't be a food shortage, but that couldn't be guaranteed. As the community grew, so would the demand for food.

"Elias, come down now and help me clear out the walkers nearby!" Jason, now indifferent to making noise, operated like a machine and began shooting rapidly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each bullet from his rifle found its mark in a walker's head, executing them flawlessly.

"Understood, Captain!" Elias responded in a loud, clear voice.

The four soldiers in the group had recovered from their previous muscle fatigue. The food and vitamins they had consumed had gradually restored their strength.

"Cover the right flank!"

"I'll take care of overwatch!"

One by one, the soldiers deployed into their designated positions, allowing Jason to focus solely on eliminating walkers. He turned to George and said, "Get in the driver's seat. We need to plan a new route back, considering the large walker hordes."

"Understood, sir!"

Since their time at this location was limited, Jason didn't want to waste any more of it. He started carrying two to three supply crates at a time. Unlike at the last military base, they couldn't afford to leave anything behind this time.

This wasn't just an important site—there were massive amounts of medical supplies here that wouldn't be available later. No matter what, even if they had to kill hundreds of walkers, Jason was determined to take everything from this place.

"These are the last crates, Jason!" Rick called out as he and the others came out.

"Alright! Everyone, get in the trucks! We're getting out of here!" Jason set down his assault rifle and decided against boarding the trucks. Instead, he grabbed an M249 machine gun and climbed onto the truck carrying the tank.

Grabbing the radio, Jason turned it on and climbed onto the tank's roof. He secured himself to avoid falling and put on a mask. After scanning the surroundings, his gaze fixed straight ahead, ready to clear the path.

Due to the structure of the lead truck, he needed to provide support and also wanted a clear view of the road.

"Zz... This is Jason. Start moving now along the planned route. We'll change course if we encounter walkers." Jason said seriously.

"Understood, sir!"

With the roar of engines, two large cargo trucks, two military transport trucks, and a double-decker bus began moving quickly. The narrow roads made the journey difficult, but they were slowly picking up speed.

Just as Jason thought everything was under control, a distress call came through the radio.

"Hello... is anyone there? Help..."

Jason looked down at the radio strapped to his chest. He had left it on a general frequency so civilians could find them. During this time, they had helped many people, but after parting ways with Shane, no one else had contacted them.

"If we consider everyone a threat, then we must treat any new encounters as such."

Keeping this thought in mind, Jason picked up the radio and said, "This is Captain Jason Momoa of the military. What is your current situation? Over."

People wouldn't trust others easily, but they might trust the military. After all, it hadn't been that long since the system collapsed.

"We need help... Please!"