That same night, Jason took it upon himself to stand guard until the following morning. There were days, after all, when he couldn't sleep, so he simply focused on the job to keep himself occupied.
As he walked through the silent shelter, he realized many things—how easy it would be for this place to be destroyed. Of all the possible ways, the easiest would undoubtedly be to take out the pair of guards who originally stayed in the small tower at the entrance to the shelter.
"Boss, are you really not going to sleep?"
As he passed by the modified RV again, Jason heard the voice of George Burcea. He turned to look at the good man and let out a slight sigh. The situation in this shelter was much worse than it had been at the hospital. He could no longer rely on air support or nearby S.C.T. community bases. After all, they were far from their territory.
By taking the first watch, he could be more at ease and personally ensure nothing would happen that might endanger his people. If there's one thing that defines him, it's that he's always willing to take the lead. He doesn't care if he's in the middle of a battle or facing incoming gunfire—he'll always be in front of his subordinates.
It was midnight by then, so most people should already have been sleeping peacefully. Smiling slightly, Jason approached George and said, "Will you wake me if I go to sleep now?"
"Haha, of course, boss." George had been very surprised the first time he met Jason; it was one of the main reasons he decided to follow him no matter what.
"Well, I like the night. It's the time of day I enjoy the most."
Jason walked slowly after saying that. There were people sleeping inside the modified RV, and even though he was sure no one would hear his words, he decided to move away from that area.
"Do you think it's that bad?" George asked lightly. He knew Jason well and could tell from his thoughtful expressions that he was always thinking about what was about to happen—or what could happen.
Jason heard what George said and shook his head. He couldn't say the wolves were exactly a problem, but they would definitely be a huge hassle to deal with—and not only that, they would also need to hunt them down and make sure they didn't escape. "It's nothing serious. I was just wondering what happened to all the cats in this world…"
"Haha, of course. Cats are beautiful."
Jason nodded in agreement. He liked cats and, if the chance ever came, he would definitely want one. But he would need to think of a good name for it.
…
The next day, Jason woke up at seven in the morning after only a few hours of sleep. Merle's snoring was truly unbearable. When he saw that Merle and T-Dog were still sleeping—wanting to keep sleeping even after everyone else was already awake—he slapped them without hesitation to wake them up.
"You two make a good pair. A lot of people say hate turns into love… looks like you took that a bit too literally," Jason said with a slightly unnatural expression as he looked at them.
"I don't like dark chocolate…" Merle murmured as he struggled to open his eyes.
"If you make another joke about Black people, I'm going to beat you until you beg for forgiveness," T-Dog said as he sat up, holding his head tiredly.
"Last time, I knocked all your teeth out with a single punch. Be a good dog and don't bark at your master," Merle said as he stood up and looked at Jason, who was staring at them without making a move. From his expression, he knew he was being judged.
"You can't even take care of yourself, and you think you have a dog... Stop using your powders…" T-Dog turned his gaze to Jason, who just looked at them one more time before walking out of the room.
"I still think you make a great couple. You know I respect love beyond all borders."
Hearing Jason's last words before he walked out, Merle looked at T-Dog and then scoffed. "Damn Jason. He better stop saying stuff like that or the two of us will beat the crap out of him."
T-Dog glanced at the crazy Merle, still unsure whether they could actually beat Jason in a two-on-one fight.
…
Jason left the modified RV and trained early, as usual, to keep himself in top physical condition. Even though finding a bathroom could be a problem, it really wasn't that serious.
At that moment, some members of his group were exercising alongside him. Although it wasn't mandatory, he always liked to suggest that he could train everyone without any issues. This simple training could save their lives.
As soon as they finished their morning workout, another group had already prepared breakfast, and just then Ravi Kapoor stepped out of his house and walked toward Jason.
"Good morning, Jason. Do you have a moment to talk?"
Jason turned his head, saw Ravi, and when he heard the question, nodded and pointed to the modified RV. "Of course. We can talk in there without being disturbed."
They walked all the way to the RV. It was Ravi's first time stepping into an RV this large and secure. Although the exterior design wasn't particularly easy on the eyes, the inside was very well-organized.
With just one look, it was clear the vehicle had everything needed to survive in today's world. After a quick look around, Ravi walked over to a couch and sat down.
"Jason, after what you said last night, which really opened a lot of people's eyes, everyone finally voted to follow you without any problem. While it's true that at first, some families didn't want to leave this place, your words helped them see the world for what it really is."
Jason nodded when he heard this. Now he knew his words hadn't been in vain and that many had chosen to follow him. Even though he knew not everyone would like the idea, this was a very good outcome, right?
"Those are good words. Since that's the case, we need to start planning our next steps as soon as possible."
"Plan?" Ravi hadn't expected Jason to be such a committed man, which made him feel even more thankful for choosing to follow him. Maybe this man really could change their lives.
Jason pointed to a map not far from where they were sitting. Looking where he pointed, Ravi saw a large map of Virginia. Several key locations were marked, with notes explaining what was at each important site.
"If you look at the map and compare it to our situation, you'll see that we don't have the right vehicles to move together as a group. I've been checking the surrounding areas with my team, and there are some key spots where we can get buses."
Ravi looked at where Jason was pointing and then replied with a somewhat nervous expression: "With all due respect… that's the area where we lost our group the last time we went out. If we go there, we might run into that group of bad people again."
Ignoring those words, Jason said indifferently, "This city is the closest one. We're not just going to look for buses—I also want to gather some materials to make a few modifications. After all, a regular bus is very fragile."
Hearing this explanation and seeing the firm look in Jason's eyes, Ravi believed there wouldn't be a problem following them and said, "Then I'll go with you! I know that place pretty well, and it should be easier to find what you're looking for."
"Then we'll go after lunch."