The four remaining Red Scarf Gang guards in the factory were like ants on a hot pan, shouting into their crackling walkie-talkies filled with pleas for help and curses, completely unaware that death was closing in behind them.
Just as a furious guard captain barked, "Get these bastards back into the cages and lock them up!" a cold glint flashed in Maya's eyes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Murphy, Zhou, Jonathan, and Thompson fired at the same time.
Several short, suppressed shots rang out, tight and lethal.
The four guards dropped instantly, blood blooming from their foreheads or chests. Their walkie-talkies hit the ground, still hissing with distorted cries for help and the snarling, feeding sounds of walkers.
The confusion and panic on their faces froze there forever.
The gunfire startled the worker prisoners, who had just been driven together, triggering a wave of fear and unrest.
They stared in terror at these sudden intruders, heavily armed and moving with a precision that didn't feel human.
"If you don't want to die, shut the hell up! We're here to get you out!" Maya snapped.
With a swift motion, she planted one hand, vaulted over a rack, and landed in front of the crowd.
At that moment, several gaunt figures in tattered National Guard uniforms stepped forward from among the captives.
At their head was a thin Black man in his thirties. Even emaciated, his military bearing was unmistakable.
"Who are you?" he asked warily, his voice hoarse.
Despite the heavier bruising on his body, he instinctively shielded the civilians behind him.
He had already noticed the lethal edge in Maya's team, the kind only elite units carried, along with their standardized gear and instinctive tactical movements.
"From outside," Maya replied curtly. Time was too tight for anything more.
"Lorenzo's stronghold is under siege by walkers. This is your only chance. Come with us, or stay here and die."
Her words sent a shock through the group.
The Red Scarf Gang's base was under attack?
So the guards had been pulled back… to reinforce Lorenzo?
Rescue… from outside?
The man's gaze locked onto Maya and her team.
He spotted a faint insignia on Jonathan's weapon, something he'd once seen on a legendary unit in the Middle East. Then he looked at the others, their natural positioning, their calm eyes.
A realization hit him.
"You… are you Delta Force? Or Green Berets?" he asked in a low voice, disbelief mixed with a flicker of hope.
"Did the federal government send you? Did command finally respond?"
In his mind, only top-tier special forces could match what he was seeing.
Maya and Jonathan exchanged a quick glance.
Most of them had indeed come from those kinds of units, but that was long in the past. They had been mercenaries for years now.
Still… the misunderstanding was useful.
No need to confirm it. No need to deny it.
"I'm Staff Sergeant Allen Miller, Company B, 278th Infantry Regiment, Tennessee National Guard!" the Black sergeant said quickly, taking their silence as confirmation. His tone shifted to urgency and trust.
"We're with you! There are 103 people here, mostly civilians. They're in bad shape, but they can move!"
"Good, Sergeant Miller," Maya said, seizing the moment and the authority that came with it.
"Have your men maintain order. Organize everyone and follow us. Now. We don't have time to waste."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Miller didn't hesitate. He turned and barked at his men.
"You heard the order! Move! Help the civilians! Now!"
The National Guard might be a militia force, but they were still far above ordinary civilians.
Their discipline snapped back into place immediately.
Though weak, the twenty-odd soldiers found their footing and began organizing the crowd, urging them forward in low voices.
"Move! Stay with the group!"
"Don't fall behind! We're getting out!"
"They're government special forces!"
Maya's team spread out quickly, securing exits and taking key firing positions.
Wells set up his heavy machine gun at the entrance, establishing a strong deterrent.
Jonathan, the demolitions specialist, carefully avoided critical production equipment while placing traps and explosives at key choke points, his movements carrying a hint of grim satisfaction.
Little "gifts" for any Red Scarf Gang pursuers.
"Area clear!"
"Route secure! Move, all of you!"
The group of over a hundred surged out of the factory like water breaking through a dam, guided by Maya's team and the National Guard soldiers who had regained their purpose.
But not long after they exited, a Red Scarf Gang pickup truck suddenly turned the corner and ran straight into the rear of the group.
"Damn it! What the hell?! Stop!" someone in the truck shouted, leaning out in shock.
Bang!
From a distant high point, Ethan's sniper rifle let out a dull crack. The driver's head snapped back violently.
Before the passenger could react, Maya, Jonathan, and Thompson opened fire almost simultaneously.
A precise burst of gunfire tore through the passenger seat and hood, shredding both in an instant.
The pickup veered off and crashed into the roadside.
Maya lowered her weapon, blowing away a faint wisp of smoke as if she had just brushed aside two annoying flies.
"Keep moving. Don't stop."
This brief encounter only deepened the misunderstanding among the National Guard and civilians.
This… was the power of elite forces.
Clean. Efficient.
At the same time, their trust in this rescue team reached its peak.
Led by Maya's squad, the group moved quickly along the planned route toward the outskirts of the industrial zone.
Maya ran along the flank, with Sergeant Miller beside her. Panting, he couldn't hide his excitement as he asked in a low voice:
"Ma'am… any further orders from command? Where do we regroup after this?"
Maya glanced at him but didn't correct the title.
"Stick with us. Stay alive. That's your order for now."
Inside, she let out a cold laugh.
The government? Command?
Long gone.
And even if something remained, who knew where it was hiding, barely hanging on?
For now, this convenient misunderstanding was the best cover they had.
As for the truth…
Once they reached Rock Fortress, they would understand soon enough.