After making sure of things, Sasuke led the three back to his safe house.
Walkers were gathering near the warehouse, but it was some distance from his current base; thus, they were safe after returning.
The father sat opposite Sasuke, hugging his daughters with warm blankets covering all of them.
The man looked to be in his late forties, with the two teenage girls nearing his age. The one with the pixie cut called the man "Papa" so Sasuke figured they were a family surviving this together.
And from what he saw in the warehouse, they weren't armed, but they got enough food it seems. They were just unfortunate to meet the jackals.
Thus, he thought lending a hand would be good.
If they are good people, then that means a helping hand for his group. If they are bad? In any type? Welp, nature would deal with them. Aka...walkers.
"Thanks again, sir, for saving us," the man said, and his daughter nodded, gazing cautiously at the man who sat on the other side of the lantern.
"Sasuke, my name is Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke nodded.
"Adam Lancaster, those are my daughters, Lilly and Maria." He patted the heads of the one with the pixie cut and then the one with long dark hair, respectively.
"Thank you," Lilly, the younger one, said to him while the other girl stared at him without doing anything, eyes red from crying.
"I did what is right, so Adam, I will try to make it short, as you guys need to rest."
Adam nodded his head, curious about what this is about.
"I have a group, survivors like you, good people with their families, the few who survived. We secured a place, and they are there now, safe. We have food and clothes, and I can promise you that they are good people who won't harm you."
"I am currently on a personal objective. I will go back to them in two or three days, so if you want, I can promise you guys a safe place. If that is not what you want, I can give you supplies and the gun to keep yourselves safe."
'For a while,' he thought, as one gun would just prolong the inevitable for a short time. And if the man is smart, he should know it.
"Why should we believe you? Maybe you are just like—" The girl with long hair suddenly asked in an almost hostile tone and got reprimanded immediately by the anxious father.
"Maria!! Apologize now."
"But Dad—"
"We won't be ungrateful to the one who saved us. Apologize!" Adam spoke sternly fearing the consequences. Whoever this boy is, he wasn't normal, and he didn't want his daughter to make him hostile.
"I'm sorry, son. It has been a very hard day for us; please don't let it anger you."
"It's okay, I'm not petty." That unexpected reply made Adam chuckle in reflex.
While Maria, who was about to say sorry reluctantly, looked at the masked guy stupified.
"Haha, um, I really don't want to sound ungrateful, but you saw what we have been through," Adam said, asking him if it's okay to give him moments to think about the offer.
He wasn't a man to turn against his benefactor, but he didn't want to take his daughters from wolves just to be tossed at hyenas.
"Yeah; unfortunately, similar things tend to happen in many places since the outbreak, and I can understand your paranoia. It's the right thing actually, to be cautious of anything and anyone...but I don't see any other way. You have to either believe in me or in yourself; either let me help you or go your way. Am I wrong, Adam?"
"Hahh, no son, I'll come with you."
"It's okay." Adam held Maria's hand. He decided to take a leap of faith; he had no other option.
The warehouse where they had been at should be full with roamers now, and it's either they took chances out there...alone, tired, and unarmed.
Or follow this young man who cut at least a dozen of them on their way back here with apparent ease; maybe that's what Maria is doubtful of—she has never been good with... violence.
'She needs to start changing that wrong mindset; violence is what can protect us now.' Adam held their hands, making his choice.
"You won't regret it, though we do need to talk about a few thi...ngs." Sasuke glanced at the watch on his wrist.
"Sorry, can you give me a moment so I can contact my friends? We set a specific time to check on each other's
"Um, sure, go ahead." Adam tensed at that, but he knew nothing could be done other than sitting there; at least Sasuke stayed in front of them to let them hear the talk; otherwise, Adam would have made a run for it with his daughters.
Sasuke, unaware of that thought, took his CB and contacted whoever should be on watch now.
"~zzz~ Sasuke here~zzz~" few moments and a reply sounded from his CB, a man's voice.
"~Zzz~ Morgan here, good to hear from you, boy. Is everything good on your side? ~zzz~"
"~zzz~Stable Yeah, I found survivors, a family of three, and they are with me now. How is the situation with you guys? ~zzz~" Sasuke hinted for Morgan not to share anything vital, and the man understood.
"~zzz~ It's rare to hear about survivors those days. I know they must be safe since they are near you. Do they need help? And it's peaceful here since you left. Any progress on your end? ~zzz~"
"~zzz~ They are fine. Yeah, my side looks good so far. If nothing changes, I must be back in two days. I offered them a place in our shelter, and at this point, going back all the way...~zzz~"
"~zzz~Means wasting worthwhile time. Don't worry, I can take off first thing in the morning to meet with you and bring them back safely. Do you need me to bring something with me? ~zzz~"
This time it was Daryl who replied.
"I fully understand that it isn't the best thing you want." Sasuke spoke to Adam, seeing his anxious look.
"Strange people you know nothing about, but unfortunately that's the best thing I can offer. Daryl will be risking his life alone just to come all the way here. If you don't trust me, trust that action...He is a man I can trust with my life. So, should I tell him to come? Or you are changing your mind."
He knows very well that it isn't the best thing to trust strangers, but he has no other way; he needs to keep going for his original plan.
"We will go," Adam thought about it and resigned the matter to his fate.
"~zzz~ Alright Daryl, I'll meet you halfway at I-85; from there you take them back and I keep north to my original path ~zzz~."
"~zzz~ Noted, I'll take off at 5:30. See ya tomorrow, stay safe. ~zzz~"
"~zzz~ You too, good night. ~zzz~"
Sasuke put the CB aside and decided to give them a picture of what to expect.
"So, in brief, we cleared a prison, and we are using it as a shelter currently. I know it doesn't sound perfect, but it's ours, and safe. It has fences, and the inside is clean..."
"..."
...
Sasuke then explained the basics, what to expect, and what the rules are there, including the one that they would be under watch until he is back as a way to protect his people.
Which bothered them, but Sasuke had already decided to be frank about it.
He then gets to know that the man used to be a successful architect.
They talked some more and went to sleep while Sasuke kept watch.
===
The morning came fast; the four had a simple breakfast. Sasuke checked his tools and weapons before leading the three out toward the SUV he unsealed, as he had originally changed to a sport bike halfway through here, but the unexpected guests called for a different vehicle.
"Why are you always wearing a mask?" Lilly whispered to him hesitatingly as she sat back in the car, fearing it might be a sensitive subject.
"Hm, nothing particular, I just don't want the splashed blood of walkers to enter my mouth and nose." Sasuke pulled his mask down, and there was a long period of silence.
"Daryl is a man of few words, and he has a...particular style of speech, so don't take it to heart. He is a good man and you can trust that he will keep your family safe all the way back to the shelter. There are others there who will help you guys get comfortable."
"Was the prison empty? When you found it" Adam asked him.
"Not really; we dealt with walkers in one big building and the outside. It is safe now."
The way back was mostly peaceful, with the three of them asking him about the shelter and Adam wondering just what kind of people they are to let him go out here alone, even though he had seen how skilled this boy was.
...
…
.
"Hey." Daryl and Sasuke fist-bumped, and Sasuke introduced the Lancasters to Daryl, who nodded briefly.
'I see our ninja already hooked another hopeless one.' Daryl rolled his eyes as he caught the look in the girl's eyes.
"We are sorry for the bother." Adam nodded at Daryl. He looked to be the quiet type just as Sasuke said, but he didn't seem hostile.
"Don't be; we can leave if you guys are ready, and Sasuke, be careful, man... don't worry about us; everything back there is fine."
"Yeah, well, until next time," Sasuke bid them farewell, boarded his SUV, and sped back up to the highway with the intent to not stop until he was in Union City.