The convoy moved in silence along the broken highway, following the winding route marked on Calista's map.
Unexpectedly, the entire day passed in unusual calm.
They ran into no raiders and no walker hordes.
Only a few scattered walkers staggered through the fields. When they spotted the convoy from a distance, they let out meaningless groans, but posed no real threat.
That calm, however, left some people uneasy, as if it were the stillness before a storm.
"It's too quiet," Rick muttered, gripping the steering wheel, his brow tightly furrowed as he spoke to Lori beside him.
Lori held Carl close, giving a soft reply while keeping her uneasy gaze fixed outside.
In contrast, Calista and her team seemed far more accustomed to it.
For them, this level of calm was already a stroke of luck in this world.
Leah stayed alert the entire time, her eyes sharp.
Shane used the opportunity to get more familiar with the simple hand signals used by Calista's team.
Merle even started wiping the blade of his axe with his left hand, humming an off-key tune under his breath.
Daryl spent most of the time leaning in the back seat of Shane's car, resting with his eyes closed.
As time passed, the sun began to sink, staining the horizon a bleak shade of orange-red.
Calista glanced at the sky and the fuel gauge, then spoke into the radio.
"Convoy, slow down. Stay alert. Leah, come with me. We'll scout ahead."
She took Leah with her on the motorcycle and pulled away from the convoy, accelerating until they disappeared down the road.
About half an hour later, they returned.
Calista removed her goggles and addressed Rick and the others who had gathered.
"About eight kilometers ahead, there's a roadside gas station with a convenience store. It looks abandoned. No signs of large walker activity nearby. I suggest we stay there for the night."
The news lifted everyone's spirits.
A proper building offered far more shelter and comfort than spending the night cramped in vehicles.
"That's great. We finally don't have to sleep in the car," Sophia whispered to Carol, a hint of excitement on her face.
Calista continued giving instructions.
"Women, children, and the injured go inside the store first to rest. The men will split into two groups and take turns keeping watch outside. Guard the supplies and livestock. Stay alert."
The plan was practical and thoughtful, and everyone agreed.
The convoy slowly rolled into the abandoned gas station.
The pumps had long run dry. The convenience store's doors and windows were damaged, with trash and broken glass scattered at the entrance. A typical scene of the ruined world.
"Shane, Merle," Calista called, "you two go in first and clear it. Use melee weapons."
Rick added, "T-Dog, Glenn, you're with me."
These were the strongest fighters among this mixed group.
Daryl was left out due to his injury. He leaned against a vehicle, lips pressed tight, clearly unwilling but saying nothing.
Jimmy was anemic and not suited for combat.
The five men moved out immediately.
Shane and Rick took positions on either side of the door. Years of working together showed in their coordination. After listening for a moment, Rick kicked the half-open door wide.
A low growl came from inside.
"One on the left," Glenn called out sharply.
Merle reacted first. With a vicious swing of his axe, he charged in and took down the walker nearest the door, a former gas station worker, with a clean, brutal strike.
At the same time, another staggered out from behind the shelves on the right.
Shane stepped in fast, his fire axe splitting its skull in one precise motion, clean and efficient, with a suppressed intensity behind it.
Rick and T-Dog quickly checked the storage room and restroom in the back, while Glenn scanned the entire store.
"All clear," Rick called from inside.
Outside, Maggie, Beth, and Jimmy were already busy.
They opened the rear gates of the livestock trucks and trailers one by one.
"Come on. Easy. You're okay now."
Maggie carried out a bundle of hay and spread it across a small cleared patch beside the vehicles.
The cattle let out low calls and gathered to feed.
Beth and Jimmy filled water troughs and brought out soybean meal to feed the pigs, sheep, and chickens.
Otis and Patricia joined in, helping lead a few horses to the roadside to graze.
These animals were the farm's last hope. As long as they were safe, Maggie and the others could breathe a little easier.
Inside the convenience store, dust covered everything and shelves leaned at odd angles, but there was enough space.
Carol, Jacqui, and Lori worked together to clear out a relatively clean area for everyone to rest.
Andrea and Dale brought out blankets and sleeping bags from the RV.
Sophia and Carl helped where they could.
After the terror of escaping the walker horde that morning, both children seemed to have grown up overnight.
Carl in particular had changed. Just days ago he had been moody and impatient, but now he was quietly helping Lori clean up.
Night fell.
The gas station lights were dead, but the vehicles' headlights provided enough illumination, carving out a small, reassuring patch of light in the darkness.
The farm group carefully fed all the livestock. Before the last light faded, they let the animals down briefly, then guided them back onto the trucks and secured them again.
Maggie checked every enclosure, making sure everything was tightly secured.
These animals were their future. There was no room for mistakes.
The watch rotation was set.
The first shift was taken by Otis, who knew the livestock well, and Jimmy.
Armed with a machete and a pitchfork, they slowly patrolled around the convoy and the perimeter of the store.
The night air was cold, seeping into their bones. The only sounds were the wind and the occasional restless stamping of hooves from the trucks.
"Stay sharp, Jimmy," Otis said quietly. "It's too quiet. I don't like it."
Jimmy nodded, tightening his grip on the machete as his eyes scanned the darkness beyond the reach of the lights.
Time passed slowly.
Around midnight, Jimmy caught a faint sound.
Dragging footsteps. A scraping shuffle. And that low, unsettling groan.
He immediately shook Otis awake and pointed toward the darkness near the gas station entrance.
"Otis… look."
At the edge of the headlights, several swaying figures were approaching from the road.
Not many. Five or six at most. But they were heading straight toward the scent of people and animals.
"Damn it." Otis's expression hardened. "No shooting. Calista and Rick said gunfire will draw more in. It could even pull the horde this way."
...
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