A New Strength: Henry Joins

Jason accepted Henry almost in a daze.He could tell right away — this big guy had no bad intentions.It's often said that God is fair: Henry might have been built like a tank, but his thinking was a little... slow. He couldn't really think around corners, and he often got stuck on small, simple problems.

You could call it simple-minded, clumsy, or just rough around the edges.

Before the others could even react, Jason came back dragging a giant man behind him — scaring the entire team half to death.

Especially T and Dale — the moment they saw Henry, they instinctively backed away, knowing exactly how strong he was.This was not someone they could afford to mess with.

Jason laughed and waved a hand casually."Relax, everyone! Let me introduce you. This is Henry — he's our new member. From now on, he's traveling with us."

At Jason's introduction, Henry scratched his head awkwardly and gave a goofy grin.That silly, harmless smile somehow calmed everyone's nerves.

"Oh my god, you're huge," Shane blurted out, walking up to Henry.At over 1.8 meters tall himself, Shane looked practically small standing next to him.He patted Henry's massive arm and chuckled helplessly."I think I get Jason's idea now. Looks like you're gonna be the team's heavy lifter."

Honestly, Henry looked like a human forklift.

"It's fine," Henry said, smiling happily. "As long as I get fed, I can work."

Jason couldn't help but grin.People like Henry, with their huge bodies, needed a crazy amount of energy.If they went hungry too long, they'd go wild from hunger.But give them food, and they were the most obedient teammates you could ask for.

"Alright, alright," Jason said, waving his hand. "We'll talk more later. Right now, we need to eat something, then hit the road."

There was still daylight left — they couldn't afford to waste it.

Rick dashed off to the gas station, filled up two tanks, and he and Dale quickly repaired the RV.Soon, the convoy was good to go again.

They topped off the gas in the other vehicles too, making sure they wouldn't get stranded later.

Meanwhile, Henry devoured almost five people's worth of food and drank an entire bucket of water in one go.Wiping his mouth happily, he said, "I'm finally full! I haven't had food like this in forever. From now on, I'm sticking with you guys!"

Jason laughed.What a simple request — just food and companionship. Nothing more.

He liked teammates like Henry.No betrayal, no complicated demands.If Jason had food, Henry had food.If Jason didn't, neither did Henry.They'd share hardship and fortune together.

Before they left, Henry showed his value again:He carried two oil barrels from the backyard, filled them with the leftover fuel from the gas station, and even drove another pickup truck into the convoy.

"We're leaving anyway," Henry said cheerfully. "Better we use the gas than leave it for someone else."

Jason had to admit — that was smart.Even he hadn't thought of that.

The convoy grew stronger, with one more man and one more truck.They rolled out, leaving the deserted town behind.

By dusk, they finally reached the outskirts of the CDC — their next destination.

But this city...It was swarming with zombies.There was no way they could drive straight in — if they got surrounded, they'd be trapped for sure.

Jason quickly made a decision.They set up a temporary camp on a nearby hillside, fortified it with obstacles to slow down any zombies — basically creating a second RV campsite.

It was the safest option for now.

"I'm heading into the city," Jason announced.He glanced at Henry, who looked exhausted after everything today."You stay and get some rest, big guy."

Taking Morgan, Shane , and Moore, Jason drove toward the city center.

This city was even bigger than Atlanta — towering buildings rose on either side of the road like silent giants.

Surprisingly, most buildings were still intact.Only the ground floors showed signs of chaos — shattered shopfronts, burnt-out cars, abandoned belongings.

Jason and his team parked their vehicle carefully — somewhere they'd have to pass on their way back — and set off on foot, moving carefully toward the CDC.

Their next big challenge awaited.