Sasuke returned with Daryl and briefed Morgan on what happened and on his decisions.
They spoke about some things before he asked Duan to gather everybody.
While waiting, Sasuke activated the shared vision. Billy was still walking; he was near the town but didn't get in. He was creating traces to make it look like he survived near here alone and was on the brink.
They will find him sooner, and Sasuke made the snake ready to act. Billy had her keep his glock and magazines in her belly.
He seriously became interested in that snake and grateful; she almost acted as his magical storage, similar to Sasuke's personal hol—cough...
"Alright, come up. Look, I know we survived more than two months in this fallen world already, and maybe someone won't like what I'm going to say next, but know that it's important and non-negotiable..." Sasuke spoke first thing, seeing all adults here.
Ciri and Sophia—those two were still asleep; it was 9 am anyway, and they had nothing to do.
"We will try not to argue," Carol shrugged her shoulders, joking.
"I'm leaving, alone." He shook his head at Daryl and Katniss, who were about to say they'll come along.
"I need to retrieve things, and it needs to be done fast. That's why, I can move better if I am alone; sorry for that." He didn't want to sound like he was boasting.
"It's a fact," Daryl shrugged.
"So, I don't want this place to turn bad due to disorder or something; that's why everyone here needs to work by a set of rules." Dale nodded, agreeing.
Sasuke may be young, but he came to see he had what it takes to lead.
"First, only Daryl, Katniss, Morgan, and Dale are allowed to move outside this cellblock." Others were surprised hearing that, not really liking it.
"Ease up, alright? I know it's bad and dark, and you need air, but it is what it is. We are few, and we don't have many lookouts. Always remember, we came here by cutting a fence, which can be done by using a damn bolt cutter, so could others."
That made them think it over; William wanted to speak, but Sasuke told him to keep it until he is done.
"Second, those allowed to move outside"—he glanced at the four he stated.
"You either go 3 or don't at all, always keeping one armed here; no matter the reason, I don't want you to be picked off outside one by one.
This is the only place you could be sure of; it has two entrances that can be guarded easily."
"Third, no matter who or what happens, never ever let a stranger in. I don't care how peaceful they look, You see adults, even if they have kids. Dale, listen..." Sasuke turned to Dale, who had his eyes widened at just what he heard the boy say...those were kids they were talking about.
"I'm not saying to kill them or something; I'm talking about this cellblock.
If someone happens to come, first Daryl and Morgan need to have them empty-handed outside the cell block; they take off shirts so you can be sure no gun is hidden. They refuse; you deal with it accordingly. This isn't our old world anymore; you check their belongings too."
"We can't do that...those are going to be people, Sasuke, like us, trying to survive, not some...thugs. You guys joined us in the quarry; how would it have felt if we did to you what you are asking us to do to other people?" Dale stood in front of Sasuke trying to make him understand how wrong that is.
"If I was hostile...you think people back there would have stood a chance? Even with me out of the picture, we were better geared. It's not a question of who may be bad and who may not, Dale; we just don't have a slot for mistakes."
"People learn from their mistakes boy; we need to give them a chance to prove it at least."
"Dale, we learn from our mistakes, yes, but in this world? Mistakes mean loved ones dying, so don't learn from your mistakes; prevent them from surfacing altogether." That ended the back and forth between them, and Sasuke turned to others who didn't know who to side with...
"So yeah, once they put weapons down, and you are sure of them, you guys take them to cellblock B, Or in the upper cells, guarded" he spoke to Morgan and Daryl.
"Keep them at bay until they are in there, lock both entrances, and make sure the other three understood the consequences if they mess around. We have food so you can share it regularly until I'm back."
Silence fell upon the place as everyone was contemplating about this; some wondered why he was putting so many possibilities that may not even come true.
"I'm not doing this for nothing, nor to boss you around. Out of all of us here, I'm the only one trained to pick spies and traitors and those kinds of people. Please, take my words seriously. We are all family here, and I'm not planning to risk someone for something careless." They finally understood what his intentions are.
"I won't harm innocents, but I will suspect everyone. Anyway, We will keep contact designated at the quarters of the clock throughout the days.
00 am, 3 am, 6 am, 9 am, 12 pm, 15 pm, 18 pm, 21 pm...I will initiate the contact. If something important happens outside those times, don't hesitate to reach for me."
"Any questions?" Sasuke sipped some water and looked at them.
"I'm not trying to rise anything, man," William spoke to him with an awkward laugh.
"Don't worry, anything can be the idea that saves us. You guys can speak frankly."
"Like you said, since the fences all around can be bypassed by possible hostile groups, why are we taking this as our shelter?" Jess nodded hearing her boyfriend say that; same with Andrea.
"And that's why I am leaving. I have the best stamina and the best strength for manual labor. I only need materials. I wasn't planning to have those fences as our first line of defense from the start. Once I'm back with the materials, I can put the plan to work and build the walls in 3 days of focused work. Just trust me on this, alright?"
"We can help," Alena told him, hearing how he was planning to overwork himself the moment he is back from this dangerous trip.
"I know, I'm just saying this so you know it won't take months to have sturdy walls around this section at least. I will build it around this courtyard so everyone here can at least walk outside without fearing about someone shooting us from outside; we can progress steadily from there."
"Where are you planning to find the materials, and how are you even going to move them alone?" Dale asked him.
"It's already figured out. Billy has marked all the necessary locations. I have my ways. Any other questions?"
"Will you be okay?" Katniss asked.
"Certainly," he smiled at her reassuringly.
He saw them keep silent, knowing many here weren't totally in agreement with his ways.
"Look, I myself don't want to lose what we can call our humanity; no one wants to be the bad guy, but please...think logically before making a decision. Strange people need to be treated as dangerous. Not potential, but real danger. Until they are checked and separated in the other block, don't let your guard down.
And I don't need to tell you that you won't let anyone who is a stranger leave this place after they are in; you either have them in the block or..." Morgan and Daryl both nodded.
"How can you decide on the lives of other people this easily? I know you aren't cold-blooded, boy, so why are you saying all those things?"
"Dale...they bring a bigger group, they execute everyone here, or do worse to them..." He pointed to the ladies.
"You say there's a chance they won't and would just leave us alone; I say there's a bigger chance they do and spill doom over us after seeing what we have...we fought hard to have this place; I'm not planning to lose anyone here due to carelessness."
"And lastly, since we are a group, better have things cleared from now. Daryl and Morgan will take the lead; if they don't agree with something over how to deal with unknown people, no one is to object...are we good?" Sasuke shook his head at Katniss; she wasn't ready yet for heavy decisions.
His girl, yes, but she still doesn't have that...ruthlessness needed to lead in this place, and he hopes to keep her away from it as much as possible.
But Sasuke knows that sooner or later she will acquire that too, like everyone else. No one can stay as a clean sheet in this world.
"Clear, we will wait for you." Jenner nodded at him.
"I will be away for 2-3 days; you can live with that, yeah? Write anything you might need in a paper, I will try to find it for you"
"Yes, don't worry and just keep yourself safe." Carol told him, she wasn't worrying like Dale; she has a daughter here...and everything Sasuke said was about making sure no one endangers Sophia and Ciri in any way. So she had no issue with that.
Dale didn't like it; he felt that the boy started to drift into a path of no way back, but one sentence echoed again and again in his mind.
Learning from mistakes now meant already losing your loved ones.
He knew Sasuke lost people—not the full story, but enough to know he lost everyone when he was a kid; thus, those weren't just empty words.
And what was said, even if cruel, was the right way to keep everyone here safe.
He just hoped things wouldn't come to that. Ever.
...
"It's in your hands; I'm sorry to leave those kind of heavy decisions to you." Sasuke stood by the gate of the fence talking to Daryl and Morgan after bidding everyone goodbye.
It was the second time he saw Ciri cry after her grandpa's burial; she didn't want him to go alone.
But it was necessary to leave, for the better of her...and everyone.
"Don't worry about it, man; it is what should be done to keep us safe. You were always the one to shoulder those types of hard calls. Leave it to us." Morgan hugged him with some worry; he didn't want the boy he came to see as a son to keep that burden on him.
"One more thing, be wary even of familiar people...just in case, alright? If someone showed up alone, be extremely vigilant; treat them well, yeah, but trust your instincts. When it feels wrong, it probably is, and you act accordingly.
I kept gas masks, some handmade in the upper last cell, in case whoever can throw a gas bomb or create smoke there to force you outside."
"And those are bombs." He passed each of them a stack of papers with weird markings on them, making Daryl wonder if he heard right: bombs? Those papers?.
"If things become wary, place them wherever you want, to ignite it; just light the flammable wire tied to them here. It can stretch for a maximum of ten meters." Daryl and Morgan inspected the papers, finding nothing special about them.
"They detonate with a force akin to a real grenade each, so be careful. And Daryl, don't test them, and just trust me when I say those are bombs; no need to make a loud sound." Daryl chuckled, as that was on his mind.
Morgan walked back to the prison after telling him he will deal with the issue concerning the expected coming trade and seeing him step through the other side of the gate.
"Daryl," Sasuke, who was holding the key for a car they found near the prison, called for Daryl.
"It's not that I don't trust our people, but can you please make sure Dale is on-sight if any of the situations arise? You saw what happened with Thomas; he hadn't even survived outside there and still didn't hesitate to go for a life. Dale still thinks all people outside are still the same as those back in the quarry. I trust you can deal with it. Keep him from making rash decisions."
"Don't worry, hey, they will come to understand with time...until then, I will keep it steady; go for it." He held a fist for Sasuke.
"Lucky to have you guys with me, see ya." Bumping it from the other side, Sasuke turned and got into his car.
The goal? Looting on a large scale.