Chapter 26: Join
CDC Parking Lot — Training Grounds
"Faster! Move!"
Rick's voice cut sharply across the training field.
He wore a black combat uniform like the others, but without the Umbrella Corporation insignia on his chest. He was not yet an official officer—only an instructor.
Marcus was drenched in sweat, struggling under the weight of a 20-kilogram pack and an M4 rifle as he ran laps around the field.
His breathing was ragged. His steps were uneven.
"Dylan! Are you aiming or painting circles?"
Rick turned sharply.
"In a real fight, a walker won't give you three seconds! Aim, fire, move—no hesitation!"
Dylan lay prone on the ground, elbows raw and trembling as he tried to steady his aim. His teeth were clenched so tightly his jaw shook.
"Kyle! Stop laughing!"
At the registration desk, Kyle sat with one leg crossed over the other, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
He was supposed to be monitoring intake.
Instead, he watched the training field like it was entertainment.
When Rick called his name, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and pretended to check the registry.
Rick shot him a warning glare.
Kyle immediately straightened up, only to secretly light another cigarette the moment Rick turned away.
"Man… this is way more fun than I expected," he muttered, watching Marcus and Dylan suffer.
Survivor Registration Desk
Kyle had been assigned to manage incoming survivors.
In recent days, several groups had arrived—most of them reacting badly when they saw Umbrella Corporation's contract.
"Lifetime service?! No betrayal clause?! This is slavery!"
"I came here for freedom, not this!"
And just like that, they left.
Kyle didn't argue. He simply smiled and said:
"Safe travels."
Most of them never returned.
In this world, "freedom" without protection rarely lasted long.
Kyle exhaled smoke slowly, eyes drifting toward the road.
Then he noticed movement.
Two figures appeared at the edge of the highway.
A woman pushing a wheelchair.
A man seated inside, wrapped in bandages, pale and barely conscious.
"People…" Kyle muttered.
He dropped his cigarette, stood up, and adjusted his posture.
New arrivals.
Arrival at the CDC Base
Karina pushed the wheelchair forward, heart pounding harder with every step.
The sight in front of her grew clearer with each meter.
A fortified perimeter fence stood over two meters tall, topped with spiraled barbed wire.
Guard towers lined the perimeter at regular intervals.
Inside the compound, groups of people in black uniforms trained in formation—moving in coordinated drills, handling shields and rifles with increasing precision.
"This is it," Paul said weakly.
His voice trembled. "It really exists…"
Karina couldn't speak.
She pushed the wheelchair forward until they reached the gate.
A black-uniformed man stood at the registration desk, watching them calmly.
Kyle.
"Hey!" Karina called out urgently. "We saw your message at King County Hospital! This is a shelter, right?"
Kyle glanced at them and exhaled smoke.
"Obviously," he said lazily. "Unless you're blind."
Karina frowned slightly at his tone but pressed on.
"Can we enter?"
Kyle tilted his head.
"This isn't a military shelter," he said. "It's a private company. Entry requires joining."
Karina's expression changed instantly.
A private company.
In her mind, that meant exploitation. Control. Exploitation disguised as safety.
She instinctively hesitated.
But Paul grabbed her wrist.
"Wait," he said quietly. "Let him finish."
Kyle noticed their reactions immediately.
He wasn't surprised.
He had seen this before.
"You know where you are?" he asked.
"CDC," Paul answered.
"Right," Kyle nodded. "And do you know what the CDC is for?"
Silence.
Kyle continued.
"Viruses. The walkers. How they started. How they spread. How to stop them. There's a group of researchers inside—dozens of PhDs—working on a vaccine."
He pointed toward the facility.
"This place is humanity's last real chance."
Karina froze slightly.
Paul frowned, listening closely.
Kyle continued calmly.
"This company exists to protect them. That's it. Everything else is secondary."
He gestured toward the training field.
"Those people? They're not mercenaries. They're survivors. Just like you. They train because the people inside this building are the only reason the world might still recover."
Karina fell silent.
Memories surfaced—days of starvation, running, hiding, watching people die, watching trust collapse.
Paul looked at her.
She looked back.
And in that moment, both of them understood the same thing.
There was no safer alternative.
Karina exhaled.
"We'll join."
Kyle nodded without hesitation and handed them the forms.
Signing
Karina signed immediately.
She didn't even read the contract.
Paul hesitated for a moment.
He glanced at the clauses—lifetime service, no betrayal, violations punishable by biological experimentation—
Once, those words would have terrified him.
Now, they meant nothing.
He remembered the blood, the walkers behind him, and the pain of survival.
He signed.
Kyle collected the documents.
"Good. Follow the rules and you'll be fine."
He pointed inside.
"Three-day quarantine. Food, medical checks, basic rest. No exceptions."
Then he shouted:
"Duane! Take them to quarantine!"
Duane, Morgan's son, walked over from the training field and nodded quietly.
"Follow me."
Inside the Base
As Karina pushed Paul through the gates, they passed the training field again.
Rick's voice echoed behind them.
"Faster! Don't slow down! Walkers don't wait for you!"
Karina slowed slightly.
She looked around.
Men and women trained under strict discipline. No chaos. No panic. Only structure.
Something about it felt… stable.
Different.
Quarantine Room
The room was clean.
A bed. A window. A small television mounted on the wall.
Simple—but safe.
Karina helped Paul onto the bed and sat down beside him.
Duane stood at the door.
"A doctor will check your wound soon. You're safe here."
He paused.
"You made the right choice."
Then he left.
Silence settled over the room.
Paul leaned back slowly.
"…We made the right bet," he said.
Karina nodded.
"Yeah."
Outside the window, the sun dipped below the horizon.
The sky burned orange and gold.
In the distance, the sound of training still echoed through the compound.
This place was strange.
But for the first time in a long time…
It felt like hope.