Dr. Jenner wasn't confident.
"We don't have any IT specialists right now, do we?" he asked uncertainly. "Why not put out a notice and offer high points for anyone with IT skills? That might work."
Calista and Leah racked their brains, trying to recall everyone's recorded skills and professions in the base.
The only ones even remotely related to computer systems seemed to be an electronics salesperson and a computer repair technician.
Thinking it over, there really wasn't anyone suitable.
Calista fell silent for a moment. "If we really don't have anyone, we'll just blast our way in."
Everyone fell silent at the same time.
They all knew that plan would come at a heavy cost, with no guarantee of success. It might even attract nearby walkers, making a safe retreat uncertain.
Leah hesitated, then said, "Calista, do you remember that Italian guy locked up down there?"
The Italian? Lorenzo?
Calista recalled that pretentious lunatic.
"What about him?"
Leah rubbed her chin. "I remember when he was captured, he said he was an IT genius."
Oh.
Calista remembered.
When Lorenzo was trying to prove his value, he had claimed to be both a weapons genius and an IT genius.
She really must have been out of it to forget something like that.
Leah still looked doubtful. "But what if he was lying?"
Calista smiled slightly. "Someone like him, half mad and half genius, wouldn't bother lying about that. The real question is whether he'll genuinely help us."
She remained skeptical about that.
He had only been locked up for a short time. It was hard to say whether Lorenzo had changed at all.
After all, in the original storyline, Negan had been locked up by Rick for eight full years before being released.
Calista had originally planned to keep Lorenzo locked up for at least a year or two to wear down his temperament.
Rock Fortress still had plenty of weapons and equipment for now, so they didn't need him urgently.
If they found a replacement before then, this high-risk Italian would become unnecessary.
...
Calista and Leah walked down the stone steps into Rock Fortress's dungeon.
Today's guard was Zhou. When he saw them, he immediately straightened up.
"Calista, Leah."
"How are they?" Calista asked, her gaze sweeping casually over the cells separated by thick steel bars.
"They're behaving themselves. Just that Italian guy causing trouble, asking for clean water and towels every day, complaining about the food, sometimes even humming opera." Zhou curled his lip. "The other four have been quiet."
Calista nodded and stopped casually outside Wagner's cell.
Wagner looked up, saw Leah, then lowered his head again, as if indifferent to everything.
Calista raised an eyebrow and glanced at Leah: your turn?
"Wagner," Leah said, "getting used to the food here? I heard you weren't too happy with the canned beans earlier."
Wagner didn't look up. His voice was low and hoarse. "Just say what you came to say. No need to go in circles."
Leah shrugged. "Just checking on our 'guests.'"
Calista smiled faintly. The smile was beautiful, but there was no warmth in it. "After all, your safety and basic comfort matter to me as well."
The words sounded proper enough, but both sides understood the real meaning. As long as you're alive and useful, you have value.
Wagner wasn't deeply tied to Lorenzo, had some history with Leah, and had some ability of his own. If he was willing to cooperate, letting him out later wouldn't be an issue.
Jason, the first one captured, was just an ordinary thug. Carver had already scared him half to death. He could be sent out for labor later.
André and Marco were simply attached to Lorenzo and fiercely loyal to him.
Rock Fortress didn't lack capable fighters.
If Lorenzo proved useless, they could all be dealt with together.
Wagner gave a cold snort and ignored them.
Calista didn't mind and turned lightly toward André and Marco's cell.
The two of them immediately lunged forward like startled beasts, slamming against the bars.
"Hey! Let us out!" André roared in heavily accented English.
"The Calabria family won't let you get away with this!" Marco shouted, pounding the iron bars.
Calista only gave them a cold glance, like she was looking at a pair of noisy animals. "No need to get so worked up. You've got food and water here, and no walkers to deal with. Isn't that better than risking your lives out there? Just stay put and don't make trouble for yourselves."
Her casual tone carried a quiet pressure that made their shouting falter and die in their throats.
Finally, she and Leah stopped in front of Lorenzo's cell.
Compared to the others, Lorenzo's cell had clearly been given special treatment.
There was a fairly clean cot, a small table, even a chair, and a few old books from who knew where.
He sat with his back to the door, leisurely reading under the dim light.
If this weren't a dungeon, the scene would have looked almost like a painting.
Calista: …You really are something.
Hearing footsteps stop at the door, Lorenzo didn't turn immediately. He spoke slowly and casually.
"Is it mealtime already? I do hope it isn't those disgusting canned beans again. Perhaps a pleasant surprise today. Some pasta, maybe?"
His English was fluent, though thick with an Italian accent, his tone full of affected elegance and complaint.
Leah tapped the iron bars impatiently with the butt of her gun, producing a sharp clang.
Only then did Lorenzo seem to notice the visitors. He turned around slowly, a trace of irritation still on his face.
But the moment his eyes landed on Calista, his expression froze.
In Lorenzo's mind, the leader of Rock Fortress should have been a cold, hardened middle-aged man, or a battle-scarred veteran with sharp eyes.
He never expected… this.
A girl.
Yes, a girl.
She looked far too young, perhaps just past adulthood.
Her long, light-golden hair fell loosely behind her, framing a face that was strikingly beautiful.
And those gray-blue eyes, clear yet deep, were studying him calmly.
She wore fitted tactical pants and a simple black T-shirt. Nothing about her looked like someone who could build such a base in the apocalypse and crush him so completely.
She looked more like a wealthy young woman who belonged on a magazine cover or a college campus.
Lorenzo's pupils contracted slightly. A flash of disbelief passed through them, quickly replaced by intense curiosity and something more.
Well now… what had he just found?
A piece of art that perfectly matched his taste.
Lorenzo slowly stood and walked to the bars, nearly pressing his face against the cold steel as he openly examined Calista.
The gaze was openly invasive. Leah's expression turned cold as she stepped forward, her hand resting on her holster.
But Calista raised a hand to stop her, her face expressionless as she allowed Lorenzo to look.
She knew her appearance could be misleading and had long grown used to such scrutiny.
Lorenzo, what exactly do you see?
"Well, well, well." Lorenzo finally spoke, his voice filled with the delight of someone who had just discovered something rare. "What an unexpected surprise.
The one who defeated me, who shattered everything I built, turns out to be such a young and beautiful lady.
This world truly is full of surprises."
...
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