"What do you mean? You want to go back to your base?"
Hearing what Merle said, Deanna was very confused. Obviously, this place was very safe. Even if Merle couldn't leave, he still had his three meals a day and water without fail, so he should just wait for his chance to slowly integrate. More than anyone, she had dealt with politicians for most of her life, so she knew that this kind of maneuvering could happen from time to time.
"Look, instead of being locked up in this fucking place, it's better for my mental state—and of course for everyone else—if I go out and scout the surrounding areas. Didn't Jason mention that the weather in Texas is much better? And that if he had the chance to go back, he'd do it to search for more survivors? Even reaching the border we have with Mexico would be incredible for our future."
"Jason really isn't that interested in the people of this place. What he wants is for them not to become an annoying obstacle to his future plans. So it would be good for him if I explored the surroundings like just another survivor out there."
Looking at each other, Alicia was the first to express her opinion.
"Merle has a point. We have Jon, so we're safe for now. Besides, Deanna, your proposal should start gaining strength in this place. Therefore, even if Merle isn't with us, we can slowly climb up from this point."
When she heard these words, Deanna reflected for a few minutes. After thinking it through, she lowered her voice and said,
"Mercer has talked a lot with me, so we should think well of him because of what he's told us about this place."
Merle looked at her blankly; he didn't know this person.
"Who the hell is Mercer?"
Deanna curled the corners of her mouth, looking slightly amused, then glanced outside unconsciously.
"Given your situation, you should have seen him every day."
"Every day?" Aside from Walnut and Peanut, he might have seen many soldiers hidden under their plastic masks, so that only left the Oreo cookie. Well, Merle had nicknamed him that just to identify him like the others, not for any special reason.
Thinking of Mercer, Merle frowned and suddenly said,
"So Oreo's actually called Mercer? Damn it. Even if his attitude toward me has improved all this time, he's still an asshole."
"He's tough on the outside, but he's a man who cares about the people..."
As she said this, Deanna lowered her voice and added,
"Merle, if you really want to leave here, I can ask Mercer for help—at least to make sure you're alive when you go."
Merle smiled mischievously and said nothing. He didn't really take Deanna's words into account.
This made him understand something that truly observant people would notice. This place wasn't as violent and strict as he had imagined. Although these soldiers were dressed like they came out of Star Wars, in Merle's final analysis, they were still ordinary people.
There was no comparison between the soldiers here and those in his organization. Therefore, he was fully confident in leaving this place. Even without Mercer's help, it wouldn't be difficult.
"Don't worry about it. I won't return immediately after I leave here. If there's any news, I can bring it to you right away. Besides, I don't think Jason will take long to arrive at this place."
"As Jason said, this plan could last a few months or even years."
Not long after, the two women left under Jon's supervision, while Merle remained seated, thinking about something, until a guard came in and took him out.
...
That same afternoon.
In a small town outside the Commonwealth.
Bang!
Boom!
"Sons of bitches..."
A car sped down the road, and a man with a sack over his head lay on the ground with a bag beside him.
The man stood up while cursing the mothers of all the men who had brought him here. He pulled off the hood, revealing his old face—it was Merle.
"Weren't those the same bastards I messed with in the interrogation room?"
Merle dusted himself off, the dirt falling away from his body. With a grin, he looked into the distance and took a deep breath as he watched a walker staggering nearby. Smelling that familiar scent of rot—it was something he missed in his dreams.
"Hehehe, finally out of prison."
Picking up the backpack from the ground and surveying his surroundings, he chose a random direction and started walking.
About half an hour later, the sound of an engine echoed through the town, and then an old Beetle drove out of a yard.
"Baby, it's just you and me against the world. Let's get the hell out of this place."
Caressing the steering wheel, Merle's expression became very relaxed. He had done everything he could to protect Deanna and Alicia, but those bastards simply wouldn't let him in. Now he could only settle for the next best option within his reach.
After taking out a map and tracing a line with pursed lips, he decided where to go. In any case, there was no specific destination. Until he found a radio, he wouldn't be able to contact the base, so for now he would take his time and live comfortably.
At the same time, however, a white figure faintly flashed in the rearview mirror, and the corner of Merle's mouth lifted, a playful smile on his face.
This situation was truly amusing in his eyes. These people still wanted to play with him, so wasn't it good for an old fox to teach the little ones a lesson?
After spending a month around them, it was impossible for Merle to know nothing about these guys. They hadn't revealed much, but he had learned quite a bit.
Not to mention that Deanna and the others often came to visit him, sharing information about the base whenever they could. He had also learned a lot of internal information about the community.
Did the people of the Commonwealth not know about what was happening now? Of course they knew—but so what? In their eyes, Merle was just an insignificant old man they could use to pressure Deanna.
As for why they didn't use anyone else who had accompanied Deanna, it was because they obviously knew that although the people who had been allowed to enter were docile, they were not afraid of disaster. And Jon, together with Merle, were the type who could cause them serious trouble, so that wouldn't end well.
To put it bluntly, some people simply didn't want Deanna to have an easy time and tried by all means to create problems for her. Now, the people behind the scenes had clearly sent some men to find out the real destination of the base they had come from.
Merle ignored the people behind him. They could follow if they wanted. Even he didn't know where he was going yet.
With a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth, he stepped on the accelerator, and the car roared onto the main road, speeding away and leaving behind the two federal guards who were driving after him.
"You want to follow me?"
"I looked furious along the way three times, just because of the blonde who used to work as a waitress..."
...
Two days later.
Bang! Boom!
"Hey, hey, I can't kill you with just a little tap."
A walker blocking the road was run over by the Beetle. After flying into the air, it crashed heavily onto the ground. Merle turned the steering wheel, and the wheels rolled directly over the walker's head, making a bursting sound.
Merle grinned mischievously, but his eyes continued to scan the surrounding environment. A distant scene caught his attention.
"Damn it, are those fucking leeches?"
The car continued forward for a few hundred meters, then slowly stopped on the side of the road. What appeared before Merle was a large stretch of blocked highway.
Jumping onto the roof of a car to look at the situation in the distance, he saw an overturned truck occupying the road. There was only a small gap to pass through, but obviously there was no room for a car like the one he was driving.
Moreover, his car couldn't get past the abandoned vehicles in front of him. After cursing a few more times, Merle took a can from the back seat, filled with gasoline, slung a backpack over his shoulders, and finally rested the machete on his shoulder.
A large number of walkers wandered through the filthy streets. Swinging the machete, Merle struck accurately and eliminated all his enemies in just a few blows.
"I'm afraid I'll fall in love with this smell—the smell of shit, freedom!"
Shaking the blood from his hands, he poured out some of the black, foul-smelling liquid from inside, then hung the head on a wire and tied it behind the backpack. After that, he checked the map and realized there were still a few kilometers left before reaching another town, so he had no choice but to walk.