Gifts of Iron and Fire

The base gates closed to the grinding of the winch, shutting out the darkness outside.

Inside, the air grew heavier.

Seven exhausted, wounded members of Ash stood at the edge of the searchlight's beam. Their cold-blooded appearance immediately put everyone on edge.

The newcomers huddled in a corner, watching these armed, wounded strangers with fear, their bodies reeking of gun smoke and blood.

"Davis," Lynn broke the silence, his voice flat as though nothing had happened, "stand down. Noncombatants, go back to your quarters.

"Combat team, continue basic patrols. Old Joey and the others, take some people to clear the road and tow their vehicles to the repair area."

The clear orders eased the tension a little.

"Understood, Boss!"

Davis immediately got to work, directing the people on the wall to withdraw some of their firepower, though his eyes remained on the new squad.

Old Joey led some people forward, guiding the two battered SUVs to the open ground beside the tool shed.

Wrench immediately followed, muttering about the parts and tools he needed.

Lynn looked at Anvil. "Anvil, report. Casualties, mission, cargo."

Anvil stood ramrod straight, his voice loud and hoarse. "Reporting, Boss! Ash squad originally numbered eight.

"While carrying out the Ark mission outside Knoxville, Tennessee, we were ambushed by a large horde of walkers and a small armed force.

"Our demolitions specialist, Fuse, detonated explosives to block the road and cover the convoy. Confirmed dead."

His voice was steady, but there was pain in his eyes.

Someone in the crowd gasped. Even Merle's grin faded a little.

Dying for teammates was a heavy price in the apocalypse.

Anvil continued, "Mission objective one: locate antibiotics-ceftriaxone sodium and vancomycin injections-and a surgical kit.

"At a pharmacy outside a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, we secured ceftriaxone sodium injections, twenty milliliters each, fifty vials, and one basic surgical kit. The vancomycin had all been looted.

"Objective two: locate precision electronic components, list A.

"At an abandoned electronics research institute in Louisville, Kentucky, we secured some of them, approximately sixty percent of list A, including high-precision sensors and small circuit boards.

"Objective three: locate iridium ingots, ten kilograms. Failed. The warehouse had been emptied and burned by an unknown force."

He paused, pointing at the vehicle with its rear door knocked crooked. "Main cargo: fifty vials of medical ceftriaxone sodium injections; one basic surgical instrument kit;

"one batch of electronic components, sixty percent of list A;

"reserve ammunition: approximately eight hundred rounds of 5.56mm, five hundred rounds of 9mm, and one hundred shotgun shells;

"diesel filters and vehicle parts; high-energy compressed rations, seven days' worth for seven people."

The crowd stirred with every item he listed.

At the mention of "fifty vials of ceftriaxone sodium injections" and "surgical instrument kit," Min-seon suddenly poked her head out from the medical station, unable to hide her excitement.

Antibiotics. Powerful medicine, arriving just when they needed it.

Stitch calmly added, "Boss, the injections were properly stored, kept cool and away from light. The surgical kit is sterilized and sealed.

"The squad's medical kits still have some battlefield first-aid supplies: morphine injections, though not many, hemostatic powder, and sutures. They can replenish the base's stock."

Lynn nodded slightly, something in his eyes.

Fifty vials of powerful antibiotics were crucial, and the surgical kit was important to Min-seon.

Those electronic components were valuable in the world as it was now, too, and the ammunition had arrived just in time.

"Mission assessment: primary objective, antibiotics, partially completed; secondary objective, components, partially completed; one objective failed.

"Squad status: all members wounded, urgently need rest and food. Vehicles severely damaged, requiring major repairs."

Anvil concluded his report, his voice carrying a trace of regret at not having completed everything.

"Thank you for your efforts." Lynn's voice was still level, but this time it carried weight. "You did very well, under the circumstances. The base will remember Fuse's sacrifice. Treat the wounded first."

He looked at Min-seon. "Dr. Min-seon, take Stitch and the wounded to the medical station immediately. Prioritize their injuries and check the medication's effectiveness. Stitch, work with Min-seon."

"Yes!"

Min-seon practically rushed over, her eyes fixed on Stitch's large medical bag.

Stitch adjusted her glasses. "Understood, Boss."

Wraith stepped forward without a sound and handed over a flat object wrapped in waterproof cloth. "Boss, found this near the target site during perimeter reconnaissance. Might be connected to the recent activity."

His voice was low, hoarse, and toneless.

Lynn took it. It was quite heavy.

He lifted a corner of the waterproof cloth, revealing a military map soaked with rainwater and more than half drenched in blood.

The Atlanta area had been heavily marked, with several locations circled in red. One was not far southwest of the zoo base-exactly where the fresh tire tracks had been found that day.

Beside it were the scrawled words, "Supply Depot... Watchdog... Zoo... Weak??" There was also a blurry sketch of a spray-painted mark that looked like a bloody vulture's claw.

Lynn's gaze sharpened instantly.

The map confirmed what Old Joey and the others had discovered and exposed the watchers' target-they had their sights on the zoo and were looking for "weaknesses."

"Good work, Wraith." Lynn quickly put the map away, his voice cold. "This is important."

Noticing the change in Lynn's eyes, Anvil said gravely, "Boss, as we approached Atlanta, we also noticed unidentified vehicles operating to the southwest. Their engine noise had been specially modified. Very professional. They seemed to be... mapping and watching.

"We were in a hurry to get back, so we avoided them."

The threat to the southwest had gone from speculation to fact.

And they were professionals, not ordinary bandits.

The atmosphere grew heavy again.

Shane watched Lynn put away the bloodstained map, then looked at the murderous Ash squad, especially Bulwark with the machine gun on his shoulder. His pent-up frustration and sense of threat exploded.

He abruptly stepped forward, his voice simmering with anger and deliberately provocative:

"Lynn! Quite the show! You really kept this hidden! Out there wading through corpses, and back home you've been keeping a whole bunch of... mercenaries?"

He bit down hard on the word "mercenaries." "What's the matter?

"Think us 'dead weight' who crawled out of those piles of corpses aren't useful anymore?

"Or have you never trusted anyone at all?

"Now you bring in people from who knows where. Who knows if you're letting wolves in?

"The blood on them might not all be from walkers."

His words were venomous, immediately bringing suspicion to the faces of some old camp members and newcomers.

Daryl frowned. Glenn and T-Dog exchanged looks.

Anvil's brow furrowed, and he turned a cold, hard gaze on Shane.

A rumble came from Bulwark's throat. His machine gun still pointed at the ground, but his massive body leaned forward slightly.

Wraith's fingers settled on his knife hilt again.

"Shane!" Davis barked, his hand pressing against his holster.

Lynn raised a hand, stopping Davis and the members of Ash.

His gaze stabbed at Shane like an ice pick. His voice was quiet but oppressive:

"Deputy Sheriff Shane, what a 'fine' question."

A hint of cold mockery entered Lynn's tone. "Trust? These days, bullets are worth more than food, and the living are crueler than the dead. Trust is shit. All I recognize are rules, fists, and... usefulness."

His gaze swept over everyone. "Ash squad is a security team I hired before everything happened.

"They risked their lives carrying out the mission I assigned them, finding lifesaving supplies for this place.

"The antibiotics they brought back might save one of your lives the very next second.

"The bullets they brought back will go into walkers trying to tear down our walls and living people trying to rob us."

Lynn's voice suddenly rose, hammering into everyone's ears:

"As for letting wolves in? Spare us your attempts to stir up trouble, Shane. Here, the people who break the rules, sow discord, and refuse to pull their weight are the real 'wolves,' the greatest threat to this place."

"I'll say this one last time: obey orders and do your share if you want to live. Stir up trouble or sabotage us, and there's only one road left-get out, or die."

The cold, hard words seemed to clamp around Shane's throat, and they also cowed those harboring their own intentions.

Shane's face flushed red, veins throbbing on his forehead. But faced with Lynn's icy stare and Ash squad's obvious hostility, he finally swallowed the harsher words he wanted to say, squeezing only this through his teeth: "Fine... just fine! Lynn, you're ruthless!"

He spun around, shoved past people, and strode toward the communal dormitory, his retreating figure bristling with anger.

The conflict that had been on the verge of exploding was temporarily suppressed by Lynn's hard line and the tangible benefits Ash had brought.

"Davis."

Lynn did not look at Shane. "Take Ash to the rest area and get them settled. Give them hot water and food.

"Anvil, once you've rested, give me a detailed operational report and an assessment of the threats outside."

"Yes, Boss!"

Davis and Anvil answered together.

Anvil turned and growled at his squad, "Ash squad! Gather your gear! Follow me!"

The six immediately moved, quick and orderly, silently following Davis deeper into the base to the area set aside for them.

Old Joey led people in carefully unloading their cargo and taking it to the warehouse.

Lynn stood alone, watching Ash squad disappear into the distance, then lowered his head to look at the bloodstained map in his hand, marked "Zoo Weak??"

The vulture's claw mark to the southwest, the increasingly loud walker roars in the woods to the north... the teeth outside had been bared, and the thorns within had not gone away.

Ash had returned with urgently needed medicine and helping hands, but like a boulder crashing into water, they had also thrown the zoo base into complete turmoil.

The situation had changed. It seemed Shane should no longer be kept around.