Lorenzo tilted his head and continued, "Let me guess. Before the apocalypse, you were probably a spoiled rich girl. Living in some grand mansion on a hill, throwing lavish parties?"
Leah frowned and shot a silent look at Zhou, as if asking how he had found out about Calista.
Zhou waved his hands repeatedly, clearly wronged.
This guy had obviously just guessed.
Calista simply looked at Lorenzo indifferently. Only after he finished did she speak calmly. "Sounds like you've had plenty of time on your hands these past few weeks."
"Got to find something to pass the time, right?" Lorenzo shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face.
"So what brings you down to this filthy basement to visit your poor prisoner? Don't tell me you've finally fallen for my charm and changed your mind."
His tone was light and self-assured, making Calista instinctively tense with irritation.
"What charm does a prisoner have?" she shot back bluntly, then went straight to the point. "I'm here to give you a chance. I need your help."
"Oh?" Lorenzo raised his brows exaggeratedly, as if he had just heard the funniest thing in the world. "My help? I'm honored.
But why would I help someone who locked me in a cage and took everything from me?"
The word "help" dripped with sarcasm.
"Because I can give you a better cage. And possibly some freedom."
Calista tossed out another bait. "I can also let you get back to the things you care about most. Weapons. Technology. Challenges."
She knew exactly what would tempt someone like him.
Calista leaned forward slightly, meeting his eyes. "A Joint Biological Defense Advanced Research Station. There's something in there I need.
But the security system is complicated. Didn't you say before that besides handling weapons, you're also skilled with systems?"
The mockery on Lorenzo's face faded slightly, replaced by real interest.
"I'm guessing the security level is high. Biometrics, dynamic passwords, maybe even automated defenses. Forcing your way in would be suicide."
He licked his lips, his gaze sharpening. "You want me to hack it?"
"Yes."
"And why should I?" Lorenzo leaned back, settling into a negotiator's posture. "Just for a better cage and a technical challenge? My price isn't cheap."
"Because this is your only chance to get back in touch with the outside world." Calista's tone turned cold. "Either you prove your value and earn better treatment, or you rot in this basement. Your choice."
She stripped away all pretense and laid the decision bare.
Their eyes locked in silent confrontation.
André and Marco held their breath in the next cell, and even Wagner, who had seemed indifferent all along, looked up.
Lorenzo studied the young girl in front of him.
Her voice was frighteningly calm, her terms precise and direct. Nothing about her matched her age.
That contrast only made her more interesting.
He let out a low chuckle, the sound echoing faintly in the dungeon.
"All right, miss. Or should I call you Calista? Or Leah?" He leaned closer to the bars, lowering his voice, his tone tinged with a strange intimacy.
He had heard Zhou address them earlier, but he hadn't turned to look, so he wasn't sure who was who.
Hearing her name spoken like that made Leah's fists tighten instinctively.
Calista felt a chill run through her and rolled her eyes. "Calista."
"Wow. Calista, you've got my attention. I'll handle breaking the system. But I have conditions.
First, I want a clean room with windows, not this place.
Second, I want coffee. Real coffee, not that dishwater.
Third,"
his gaze swept across her face again,
"I want to discuss the operation with you personally. I prefer dealing with smart and beautiful people."
Leah's expression darkened, her hand already resting on her holster, ready to object.
His intentions were far too obvious.
Calista simply narrowed her eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, weighing it.
"The room and coffee are fine. As for communication, that depends on my mood," she said at last, her tone cold but leaving room. "If you fail or try anything clever, your situation will get worse."
"Oh, don't worry." Lorenzo smiled like a cat that had gotten what it wanted, clearly pleased she hadn't rejected his third condition outright.
"When it comes to real deals, the Calabria family is always professional. Especially when the other party is such a charming lady. I'm already looking forward to it."
His words carried an obvious undertone.
"You'd better be." Calista said no more and turned away.
As she passed Wagner's cell, she didn't slow down, but from the corner of her eye she saw him glance at Leah before lowering his head again.
Only after they left the dungeon and stepped back into fresh air did Leah speak in a low voice. "That guy's trouble. Be careful with him."
"I know." Calista's tone was calm. "But he's still useful. And…"
She paused, a faint, cold smile forming. "Let's see how he performs. If he behaves, he goes back to drinking dishwater. If not, he can go outside the barbed wire and serve as a 'sentry.'"
She rubbed her arms, brushing away the goosebumps.
It had been a long time since she had seen someone this blatantly sleazy.
Leah paused for a moment.
A "sentry" outside the barbed wire. That was basically turning someone into a mutilated walker.
In the dungeon, Lorenzo watched the direction they had left until their footsteps faded completely. Only then did he slowly look away and let out a soft whistle.
"André, Marco," he said in Italian to the next cell, his tone full of delight,
"Looks like our boring days are over. A beautiful and dangerous princess. Much more interesting than ruling a bunch of idiots, don't you think?"
...
Rock Fortress command center.
The large regional map was spread out on the table again, now marked with new routes and key points in different colors.
Calista, Leah, Bossie, Rickson, and Lorenzo stood around it. Lorenzo had been temporarily brought out of the dungeon, cleaned up, and dressed in fresh civilian clothes.
"The route is basically set," Bossie said, tapping the map. "We'll take this path, avoid downtown Knoxville, and enter the mountains of Clayton County from the southeast.
Based on Dr. Jenner's map and our own analysis, Sentinel Station should be around here, in the mountain range west of Tybee Island."