In the mall, a little before Jason would advance with a larger team, Abraham stayed behind with a group of eight men to clear the mall.
"Sir, shall we begin?" asked a sentry to Abraham, who had been silently listening to the sounds around them.
"Rrr!"
The walkers' characteristic sound came from the other side of the door. After Abraham gave the sign, he said, "Prepare to eliminate walkers!"
In position, everyone got ready for the door to open. At the moment the sound came, the weapon-mounted flashlights aimed into the room and fired several times at the heads of many walkers.
Mists of blood burst from the shrapnel and the high-caliber rounds impacting the foreheads of numerous figures; many of the walkers inside died within seconds.
¡Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The sound of the bullets was muted — since these weapons were manufactured by Jason's people, all were configured to be quiet and carry large amounts of ammunition for prolonged engagements.
Standing behind the soldiers, Abraham scanned the numerous walkers heading their way and said, "I really don't know why these walkers hid in this place. Do you think the stupid survivors here took refuge inside and died from infection?"
Thinking about it, he shook his head and didn't ponder it further; he simply watched the isolation area approaching, searching for more places where his people could reach.
"This place will be very good and important — our people can land in open areas and we'll have a clear overview of this site."
To find a suitable place to establish a base, many things must be considered. First, evaluate what must be protected and whether it's worth the wear and tear to clear it.
For example, this mall was a structure mixing modern elements with uncommon architecture, so some of the ornamental constructions of this advanced mall could be used to defend the place and gain advantages.
Second, know what it will be used for and what you plan to achieve by securing a refuge. This shelter would be the city's central operations base, so once Jason's people clear the area they will send the report and the large-scale operation will begin.
"Sir, to our left there are more walkers that appear to be abnormal," said a soldier before firing.
Bullets penetrated the heads of those motionless figures, and one of the walkers that came out of the darkness began to run toward the soldiers. With a cold expression, one soldier stepped forward slowly and pulled a long knife from his back.
"Come at me, you damn dead thing!" With a furious shout, the soldier swung his arm and the knife split the walker's head in two.
"Holy hell, man! What did those fucking walkers do to you that you treat them so badly? Good heavens, I love it."
A soldier beside him spoke admiringly: "Well, he's always been a maniac with walkers. The crazy bastard says he levels up or something — he used to be a competitive player."
Abraham shook his head and nodded; he couldn't deny it — there were a lot of lunatics these days, but they all had the skills to survive. After confirming there were no more walkers in that area, he grabbed the radio and reported, "Zz... What's the situation outside?"
"Zz... Sergeant, everything is in order and unchanged since last report."
"It's most likely the walkers abandoned this city like they did Atlanta. How is it possible that there aren't more than walkers hiding in closed structures?"
The soldier who had used the long knife said, "Well, that's a great point for us. Considering the plans we have for the future, we'll take this city faster and then expand."
"Mmm, maybe something took them," Abraham said, shaking his head as he left the room.
"Does anyone here think the commander read my memo on how to use walkers in a thousand different ways? For God's sake, has anyone seen an infected animal?"
All the soldiers left the room while Abraham shook his head; that comrade who had assigned levels to everyone had become so interested in infected animals he even dreamed about them.
"Those stories may scare kids, but not us — we've killed so many walkers that we don't even need guns anymore."
"Arrogant. When you meet an extremely powerful beast I don't want to hear you cry in terror. Although, honestly, I think the commander would fight it head-on."
...
Base in Georgia.
At this moment, many workers were preparing special containers that would be used for the operation to be carried out in the city of Birmingham.
According to the initial plan, helicopters would fly over the city and then seal most of the main avenues, but first they intended to move all the walkers that remained inside.
"Sam, how do you see this operation?" Liam asked while looking at the hundreds of soldiers.
"It won't be a problem. We're ready," Sam reassured Liam about the idea.
"Once we take Birmingham it will be a direct channel to take all the territory behind us and open the way to the sea."
This opportunity would not only help them get seafood but also be a major food route that could provide substantial production.
Considering this, they had enough force to control that large territory and begin building massive bases. It's unclear how much land the CRM occupies, but they mustn't fall behind.
The bases in Atlanta and across Georgia had provided them with enough weaponry to engage in a war; they could even use nuclear bombs. There was nothing to worry about.