With Lorenzo's forces gone from Knoxville, it became much easier for Rock Fortress to gather supplies.
In less than two days, Maya's squad returned triumphantly with several fully loaded trucks.
They were packed with urgently needed heavy barbed wire, angle iron, cement, even a few small diesel generators and plenty of tools.
For Rock Fortress and Blackberry Ranch, both in the middle of expansion, this was exactly what they needed.
Ancheta's eyes lit up at the sight of the materials. He immediately led his engineering team, mainly Tom, the estate's former mechanic, along with more than a dozen capable new survivors, and got to work.
In the past, this kind of exhausting construction work meant pulling people from patrol or search teams. Now, the mercenaries didn't even need to touch it.
The points system worked like a powerful stimulant, pushing everyone into action.
With over a hundred extra people, everyone was scrambling for work, all trying to earn points for better food and living conditions.
"Let me do it! I'm strong!"
"I know how to mix cement! I used to work construction!"
"Hey! Is this how you stretch the wire?"
The unfinished sections of Rock Fortress's perimeter fence, along with the planned boundary for Blackberry Ranch, began going up at a visible pace.
And another benefit quickly showed itself.
Hidden talent was everywhere.
Before, no one knew what the person next to them used to do. Everyone had been stuck on the same assembly lines, numbly producing bullets. Move too slow, get beaten. One mistake, and you might blow yourself up.
Now, with points on the line, anyone with a skill stepped forward.
Mrs. Howard's registration station was overwhelmed.
"What? You used to be a dentist? That's perfect! Dr. Evans and Dr. Jenner need help!"
"A pediatric nurse? That's great! Felipe's been run off his feet, finally some relief!"
"A cook? Got certification? No? Worked a fast-food line? That's fine! Head to logistics and cook for the big kitchen. Do well, and you might even get special assignments later!"
Henry, the veteran mechanic, became especially valuable. He was immediately assigned a high-point technical role, responsible for maintaining vehicles and farm equipment.
The twenty-plus National Guard soldiers and the original mercenaries were completely freed up.
No more heavy labor. Their days were patrol, training, and occasional scouting missions. Life was comfortable.
The two groups frequently held joint drills, and their combat effectiveness kept rising.
Martha and Mira were overwhelmed and had already recruited most of the women among the survivors, except the pediatric nurse, to handle cooking, laundry, and cleaning.
One woman wanted higher-point work but had no special skills. Mrs. Howard suggested field teams, farming, or construction, but she ultimately chose logistics.
The National Guard soldiers were now officially part of Rock Fortress.
The remaining survivors set up simple tables in the temporary camp.
Every day, the central kitchen prepared large batches of food for both Rock Fortress and the camp.
Once the outer defenses at Blackberry Ranch were completed and everyone relocated, another large kitchen would be built there.
Calista enjoyed two rare days of rest. Just as she was thinking about leading a team farther out to search for better supplies, Rickson came running over, visibly excited.
"Calista! Huge news!" His voice carried from far away.
"What are you yelling for? Did you pick up a dollar?" Calista nearly choked on her drink.
"Better than that!" Rickson grinned, eyes shining. "I was training those National Guard guys, and guess what?"
"Let me guess, someone hit the jackpot?"
"There are four of them who used to be at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base!"
Rickson practically shouted.
"One ground crew mechanic, three pilots. Actual military pilots!"
"What?" Calista shot to her feet, completely forgetting her drink. "McGhee Tyson? You're sure?"
"Absolutely! The mechanic can even name the exact models and issues with the planes!"
Rickson was flushed with excitement.
"Calista, those two refueling tankers, that transport plane, and that F-16 we've been eyeing… we can get them flying!"
Calista's heart started pounding.
McGhee Tyson Base.
When they had scouted the area before, they'd found the base largely intact.
Two KC-135 tankers sat on the runway, along with a C-130 Hercules. There was even an F-16 in the hangar that didn't look badly damaged.
They had been dying to get their hands on them.
Those were game-changing assets.
The tankers meant long-range capability. The transport could move people and cargo. And the F-16, even just one, meant absolute air dominance.
In this world, having aircraft or not made all the difference.
Rock Fortress only had a civilian helicopter Calista had acquired before everything collapsed. It could carry people, but that was about it.
Back then, Calista had already wanted those planes.
But no one here could fly them.
Rickson, Maya, and Thompson could handle helicopters, but fixed-wing aircraft were another matter entirely.
Only Thompson could barely manage a transport plane like the C-130. As for the KC-135 or an F-16, he was completely out of his depth.
And now, the solution had just fallen into their hands.
"Get those four soldiers here. No, forget it, I'll go myself!"
She was practically vibrating with excitement, grabbing Rickson and heading out.
At the training ground, converted from the Twilight Manor golf course, the four soldiers stood a bit stiffly, surrounded by curious and envious teammates.
As Calista and Rickson approached, the crowd parted.
"These are the four?" Calista asked, trying to stay composed, though the excitement in her eyes was obvious.
"Yes, Miss Norton!"
An older-looking pilot stepped forward and saluted.
"Robert, pilot, 151st Air Refueling Squadron, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base."
He gestured behind him.
"These are my teammates, Kenny and Lee. And this is our ground crew mechanic, Oliver."
"Good. Call me Calista."
She shook each of their hands firmly.
"Rickson told me about you. Are you sure those aircraft can still fly?"
Robert nodded.
"When the outbreak happened, our base reacted quickly. Most of the aircraft were properly stored. Before we evacuated, the tankers and transport were still in good condition."
"As for the F-16…"
He glanced at Oliver.
Oliver stepped forward, calm and confident.
"Ma'am, the F-16 Falcon was undergoing routine maintenance when the issue occurred, not combat damage.
Some electrical lines need inspection and replacement. With enough time and manpower, I'm about seventy percent confident I can restore it to flight condition."