They searched every cell carefully, leaving no corner unchecked, and dealt with anything that looked even remotely like a "corpse."
At an intersection, seven or eight walkers staggered out from different cells at the same time.
"Hold formation," Rick ordered. "Glenn, Maggie, left side! Jimmy, Otis, right side! Andrea, watch for any that slip through! Carol, Axel, stay in the middle and watch the flanks and rear!"
The fight broke out in an instant.
Glenn and Maggie stood back-to-back. Glenn swung his crowbar hard, while Maggie used the reach of her pitchfork to calmly stab at the walkers' heads or chests, either shoving them back or knocking them down to create openings for Glenn.
Her movements had the clean efficiency of farm work. They were still a little rough, but there was real strength behind them.
Jimmy and Otis were much more flustered.
Jimmy in particular nearly got grabbed by a walker, but fortunately, Otis rammed it away with his bulky body.
Andrea was not as quick to fire as she had been that morning.
She rapidly scanned the area and spotted a metal ladder at the end of the corridor, leading up to the upper cellblock. It was not badly damaged.
An idea struck her, and she called to Rick, "Rick, I'm going up! The view's better from there!"
Rick understood at once. "Be careful."
Andrea rushed to the ladder, climbed up in a few quick steps, then lay flat on the floor of the upper walkway and raised her rifle.
From that angle, she could clearly see most of the battle below.
Andrea did not fire right away. Instead, she watched her teammates carefully, waiting for the right moment.
She saw Maggie holding off one walker with her pitchfork while Glenn moved in to finish it off, but another walker was closing in on Maggie from the side.
Now!
Andrea held her breath, locking her sights firmly onto the temple of the walker attacking from the side.
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out, and the bullet blew the top of the walker's skull clean off.
Still shaken, Maggie glanced at the fallen walker, then looked up at Andrea and gave her a grateful look.
Glenn also let out a breath of relief and shouted, "Andrea, nice shot!"
A powerful surge of confidence rose inside Andrea. She had found her place as a sniper.
She kept shifting her aim, picking off the walkers below that posed the greatest threat to her teammates.
Carol gripped her kitchen knife tightly and stayed beside Axel. Her face was pale, and her body trembled slightly, but she did not back away or scream.
She forced herself to watch the fight in front of her, to watch those walkers being killed.
When a walker suddenly crawled out of a broken cell to the side and lunged at Axel, who was giving directions, Axel cried out in fright and froze for a moment.
Just as the walker was about to grab him, a figure charged forward.
It was Carol!
Her eyes were shut, or maybe she simply did not dare to look. Relying only on instinct and a burst of courage to protect her companion, she thrust the kitchen knife forward wildly.
"Pshk!"
The sharp kitchen knife unexpectedly stabbed into the walker's neck. It was not deep, but it was enough to hinder its movement.
Only then did Axel snap back to his senses. He scrambled away in a panic and stared at Carol, still badly shaken.
Rick arrived just in time and finished the walker off with one swing of his axe.
"Carol! Are you all right?" Rick asked, concerned.
Carol let go of the knife, stumbled back two steps, and gasped for breath. She looked at the walker's corpse on the ground, then at her own hands, now stained with black blood. Her body was still trembling, but her eyes were astonishingly bright.
She had done it. She had really done it!
"I'm fine," she said. Her voice was still quiet, but it carried a new strength.
Axel stammered his thanks. "Th-thank you, ma'am!"
After the fight, Axel, still shaken, led them toward a relatively intact section of cells.
Most of the cell doors here were still in good condition. The interiors were plain, but they offered enough shelter and were much cleaner than the ones in Block C.
"This is it," Axel said. "This used to be the low-risk prisoner section. Management was strict here, so it didn't take much damage."
Looking at the rows of empty cells that could be used immediately, everyone broke into smiles.
They had gained a lot today, and no one had been hurt. Everyone's spirits were high.
Big Guy, Carol, Lori, and Patricia worked together to make everyone a meal that could almost be called a feast.
After dinner that evening, Calista called Rick and Hershel over to discuss what came next.
...
Prison Block C, inside a guard's office.
Calista stood at the head of the table, with Leah beside her. Gathered on both sides and in front of her were her core team members.
Carver, Mike, Turner, Bossie, Jenson, Wells, Ethan, and Danny.
Of course, there were also the three new members: Merle, Daryl, and Shane.
With so many people inside, the room felt a little crowded, but no one made a sound. Every pair of eyes was fixed on Calista.
"Everyone's here," Calista said, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "I'll keep this short. We're continuing our original mission. In the next two days, we're heading to Sentinel Station."
Aside from Shane and Daryl, who looked somewhat surprised, everyone else had already known the destination of this trip.
Her gaze turned to Rick and Hershel. "The prison is in your hands."
Rick immediately straightened. He knew this was the real focus of the meeting.
"We'll take Lorenzo with us, put him in shackles, and have Carver and Mike take turns guarding him up close. At the first sign of trouble, shoot to kill."
There was no warmth in Calista's tone, making her stance toward Number Six perfectly clear.
"Shane, Daryl, you're already part of our group. You're coming with us this time."
Shane and Daryl both nodded without objection.
Shane even looked a little eager, while Daryl stayed silent as usual, though he did glance at Merle.
"As for the prison..." Rick picked up the thread. "The cleanup won't stop. We'll keep pushing deeper into Section A and Block B until this place becomes a truly safe fortress.
"Hershel will be responsible for everyone's medical care and for looking after the livestock. Lori, Patricia, and the others will handle logistics. For security patrols and defense, we'll organize people and make sure nothing goes wrong."
His arrangements were orderly, and Calista nodded. "Once we leave, this place will be your home. How you run it is up to you. I only have one request."
She looked Rick in the eye. "Hold it. Until we come back with the equipment."
Then Calista smiled faintly. "Rick, Hershel, I'm leaving my half of the livestock with you for now, but I'll be taking them back later!"
Rick smiled and nodded.
Hershel also nodded firmly. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, those animals will be well cared for."
"Good. We've already finished counting and distributing the supplies. We set out tomorrow morning. Rick, Hershel, good luck!"