Rock Fortress Industrial Park.
The team heading to the Prison with the greenhouse construction materials was ready to depart. Zhou stood beside a reinforced truck, going over the checklist in his hands one last time and occasionally calling instructions to the team members loading the cargo.
Calista stood a short distance away with her arms folded, watching everything.
This shipment of construction materials and protective equipment was Rock Fortress's first substantial investment in the Prison's Greenhouse Project, as well as a symbol of the closer ties between the two sides.
Besides escorting the shipment, Zhou's team would also handle part of the personnel rotation.
"Calista, everything's accounted for. We can leave whenever you're ready." Zhou walked over and dusted off his hands.
"Be careful on the road." Calista nodded. "Handle the handover at the Prison according to plan. If Rick has any new developments or requests, report them back immediately."
"Got it." Zhou grinned. "Don't worry. Murphy and Leon are veterans. Leslie and the others came all the way from Georgia with Lieutenant Welles. They've traveled this route plenty of times."
Calista waved him off.
Zhou turned, climbed into the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, and the convoy slowly pulled away, kicking up a cloud of dust before disappearing down the road toward the Prison.
Hopefully, these supplies would help the Prison get its greenhouse built as soon as possible.
Calista turned and headed back, thinking it over.
Food self-sufficiency was the foundation of long-term survival. Fresh fruits and vegetables, in particular, had an enormous impact on both morale and health.
Unfortunately, the apocalypse always seemed to have a knack for slapping Calista across the face the moment she thought, "Maybe I can finally get some rest."
Less than four hours after the Rock Fortress convoy departed, the emergency communications light flashed brightly, followed by Danny's suddenly raised voice.
"Calista! Emergency transmission from the Prison Outpost! Highest priority!"
Highest priority?!
Another damn fight?!
Countless possibilities flashed through Calista's mind as she rushed into the command room.
A walker horde? Infighting among the former Woodbury residents? Raiders? Or...
She snatched up the headset and pressed the transmit button.
"Rick? This is Calista. Report!"
But Rick's voice didn't immediately come through.
Instead, she heard rapid breathing, confused background noise, and the faint echo of explosions in the distance.
A few seconds later, Rick's voice finally broke through the interference, much more urgent than usual.
"Calista, we're under attack! Armed survivors. They've got heavy weapons!"
Armed survivors?
Heavy weapons?
Calista's heart sank.
One of the worst possible scenarios.
"Details! How many of them? Any casualties on our side?" she demanded rapidly.
"Tyreese and Sasha were leading a team on a supply run near an abandoned gas station about ten kilometers out when they were followed!"
Rick was breathing heavily. Shouting and running footsteps could be heard in the background.
"We estimate a little over a dozen! They've got vehicles and guns, and most importantly... they've got a damn tank!"
A tank?!
A tank... a dozen or so people...
Something was on the verge of clicking into place in Calista's mind, but she had no time to think about it.
"Holy shit! A tank?! Did they break into the Prison?"
"We're still exchanging fire! But things... aren't as bad as we expected!" Despite the tension in Rick's voice, Calista could hear a trace of relief. "Thank God Edmund and the others are here!"
Edmund, Saed, Corporal Brad, and several reorganized and trained National Guard members were the first Rock Fortress Defense Force contingent stationed at the Prison to help with its defense and training.
"Edmund and the others reacted fast. They used the abandoned buildings behind the Prison to establish a defensive line, so the tank couldn't immediately smash through their formation!"
Rick continued his rapid report.
"The Defense Force is firing at the tank's observation ports to interfere with its vision! T-Dog, Jacqui, Tyreese, Sasha, and the others are coordinating well too. The enemy doesn't look particularly well trained. They might just be relying on the tank to bully everyone!"
Calista quickly processed the information.
"Can you disable the tank? Or lure it away?"
A louder burst of explosions and shouting came through the headset. Rick's voice vanished briefly, then returned.
"Edmund and the others... I don't think they're planning to destroy the tank!"
"What?"
Calista froze.
They weren't going to destroy it?
With the enemy fielding a tank, that was far too risky.
"He said... he said, 'The Commander likes collecting these big guys!'" Even Rick sounded incredulous. "They're trying to... capture the tank intact!"
"The Commander likes collecting these big guys."
Calista admittedly had an unusual fondness for heavy weapons that could increase the Base's combat power.
She had even considered trying to get a tank when the apocalypse first began, but unfortunately, she'd never managed to acquire one.
She had never gone out of her way to advertise that interest.
Apparently, however, mercenaries like Edmund, who had followed her from the earliest days, had quietly remembered it.
A flicker of surprise and warmth passed through Calista.
Those lunatics...
Should she call them reckless, or just say they knew her far too well?
But this wasn't the time to feel touched.
Trying to capture a tank intact was completely insane.
"Tell them safety comes first! People's lives take priority over any piece of equipment!" Calista immediately stressed into the microphone.
"Understood!" Rick replied. "We've got the situation under control! They're pinned down! The tank looks like... it stopped moving?"
The gunfire in the background had thinned somewhat, but the shouting and roar of engines were clearer now.
"Wait. Someone's climbing out of the top hatch with their hands up?!"
The battle turned so quickly it was almost dizzying.
About ten minutes later, Rick's excited voice came through again.
"Calista! It's over! We captured the tank! Thirteen prisoners!"
Calista stood there holding the microphone, completely stunned.
They won just like that?
And captured a tank?
While she was still on the radio with them?
That was...
Way too fast.
"Any casualties on our side?" she asked urgently.
"We've got four minor injuries. Just scrapes and bruises!" Rick could barely contain his excitement.
"The tank's engine compartment took several Molotov hits, so there might be some damage, but the main body is intact. The main gun and machine gun both look fine!
"The crew surrendered. They said they were almost out of fuel and ammunition anyway. Their plan was to hit us, grab what they could, and run!"
Running low on fuel and ammunition explained why the tank had never been able to bring its full destructive power to bear.
It also explained why the crew had surrendered so readily in the end.
Even so, defeating them in an unexpected engagement and capturing both the tank and thirteen enemy fighters was an astonishing result.
She had only just sent out an investment, and already she was seeing this kind of "return"?
For a moment, Calista was almost dazed.
"Excellent work! Tell everyone who fought that they did an outstanding job!" Calista praised them sincerely. "By the way, Rick, who are these people?"
Rick ran off.
A short while later, he came back, breathing hard.
"Three of them are soldiers from Fort Benning. The others are civilians."
Calista nodded.
"Treat the wounded immediately. Inventory everything you captured and keep the prisoners under strict guard. Especially those three former National Guard members. Separate them, lock them up individually, and interrogate them thoroughly!"
"Understood!" Rick replied. "I'll focus on where they came from, whether they have any accomplices, and the location of their base."
"One more thing," Calista added. "Tell Edmund and the others they did very well. But next time... everyone's safety comes first."
She didn't explicitly mention their decision to capture the tank intact.
She trusted Edmund to understand what she meant.