Calista turned her attention to the communicator. "Rick, this is exactly why I brought this information up for discussion. The prison is the closest outpost to that area."
After a moment, Rick replied, "Our reconnaissance around the prison has mainly focused on searching for supplies and monitoring walker herd movements.
"We've explored the southeast and north more extensively. We haven't pushed very far northeast because the terrain is more complicated, with ruins and woods mixed together. But..."
He paused, his voice growing more serious.
"Recently, while operating around this area, we have run into some... people and situations that didn't feel right."
"Oh?" Calista frowned. "Tell me."
Rick began explaining. "Our scouts encountered a priest hiding alone in his church. He was extremely nervous, very wary of us, and evasive whenever we asked him anything. I have a feeling he's hiding something important. Could he have some connection to Terminus?"
Rick's tone then turned colder.
"Also, during one reconnaissance mission deeper into the eastern woods, Boone and the others were with me when we ran into two... lunatics.
"One was a deranged hunter who had set up all kinds of deadly traps throughout the woods and talked to walkers as though they were pets.
"The other was a woman hiding in an abandoned ranger station. At first, she pretended to be helpless and said she had food and medicine, trying to lure me back to her cabin.
"Once we exposed her, we found out she was actually trying to trick travelers into becoming food for her husband, who had already turned into a walker and had nothing left but his head."
Weariness crept into his voice.
"In this world... sane people seem to be getting harder and harder to find. But as for organized advertising like what you described with Terminus, we haven't found any concrete traces yet."
Calista listened patiently before nodding.
"Scattered survivors and lunatics are one thing. Organized bait meant to lure people somewhere for a specific purpose is something else entirely. What you've encountered only proves how unpredictable and dangerous that region is."
Calista immediately began issuing orders.
"We'll adjust the mission priorities for the prison outpost.
"First, maintain your current defense and reconnaissance schedule, but make the northeast a priority search area, especially where the hills meet the woods and the terrain is complicated enough to conceal hidden routes."
"Understood. I'll have the reconnaissance teams probe farther in that direction," Rick replied.
"Second, watch for anything that looks unnatural. If Terminus really exists, there's probably more than one billboard. Pay particular attention to signs like that.
"Third, and most importantly, no one is allowed to approach or attempt to enter any area suspected of being connected to Terminus for any reason without direct orders from Rock Fortress.
"If you find clear markings or have strong reason to suspect something, your first priority is to remain hidden, observe, record what you can, then withdraw and report. I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk because of curiosity or good intentions."
"Understood. I'll make sure everyone at the prison receives the order and follows it strictly," Rick replied just as seriously.
"As for Rock Fortress..." Calista turned toward Leah and Rickson. "The Defense Force will increase daily patrols to the southeast, particularly along the alternate routes leading to the prison. Our communication and reinforcement routes need to remain completely secure.
"At the same time, strengthen the background checks on new arrivals, especially anyone claiming to have come from the southeast. See what information you can get out of them."
"Understood!" Leah and Rickson answered together.
"Finally..." Calista looked around the room. "For now, everything concerning Terminus is restricted to the people present at this meeting.
"Until we obtain solid evidence or confirm an actual threat, this information is not to spread any further. Publicly, we're simply conducting routine clearance operations and expanding the safe zone."
Everyone nodded.
"Rick, keep communications open. If you discover anything, no matter how insignificant it seems, report it immediately."
"Understood."
"Meeting adjourned."
The meeting ended, and everyone rose to leave.
Leah and Rickson walked out while speaking quietly, clearly discussing the details of how to carry out Calista's orders.
Carver and Danny were the last to leave.
As they passed Calista, Carver slowed for the briefest moment before resuming his normal pace. Then he and Danny carried the communications equipment out of the command room.
Calista headed back to her office alone.
Terminus had now officially been brought into the open.
The net was beginning to spread quietly, and she needed to deal with the various factions around them, large and small, one step at a time before they could become problems.
About an hour after the meeting, someone knocked softly on the door to Calista's office.
"Come in."
She didn't look up. She was reviewing a report on the latest group of prisoners who had accumulated enough points to qualify for full resident status.
The door opened, and Carver walked in.
His tactical jacket was open, revealing a dark short-sleeved shirt underneath. The fabric clung to his well-trained torso, outlining his solid build.
Carver closed the door behind him, but hesitated near the entrance. His eyes quickly swept across the room before settling firmly on Calista behind the desk.
Only then did Calista look up, somewhat surprised.
Carver rarely came to see her alone outside of mission hours.
She set down the report.
"Carver? Something wrong?"
Carver walked up to the desk and stopped, his hands hanging at his sides. His fingers curled slightly, then relaxed.
His eyes never left Calista's face.
"Calista... about Terminus."
Calista felt a slight tightening in her chest, but nothing showed on her face. She simply waited for him to continue.
"That survivor you mentioned in the meeting... the one who came from the south."
Carver carefully chose his words, studying every subtle change in her expression.
"At Grady Memorial Hospital, I was with you through the final cleanup and the initial questioning. I remember pretty much everyone who was there."
He paused, looking more deeply into her eyes. There was open uncertainty in his expression, but no accusation.
"I don't remember anyone like that. A man who mentioned a billboard and then left on his own."
The office fell silent.
Calista held his gaze.
She knew there was no fooling Carver.
He was one of the people most closely involved in her operations, and he paid an unusual amount of attention to her.
When she invented the intelligence source, she had expected Carver might notice something was wrong. She simply hadn't expected him to come ask her directly in private.
Calista remained silent for several seconds.
Carver stood perfectly straight, his questioning gaze and the concern buried beneath it never fading. Instead, both became quieter, as though whatever answer she gave, he would accept it and adjust his understanding accordingly.
"There was no such person, Carver."
Calista finally spoke, her voice calm and her admission completely direct.
Carver's pupils contracted slightly.
He clearly hadn't expected her to admit it so readily.
But he said nothing.
He merely tilted his head a fraction, waiting for her to continue without the slightest change in his posture.
Calista rose from her chair, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of the glass window with her back to Carver, looking out over the thriving Rock Fortress.
"Carver," she said without turning around, "some intelligence comes from sources I can't openly explain. All I can tell you is that this comes from my intuition."
Calista turned and leaned back against the windowsill. In the sunlight, her gray-blue eyes seemed especially deep.
"The name Terminus, and the danger it may represent, are real. I'm far more certain of that than I could ever be from some rumor about a billboard."
Her explanation was vague.
Carver listened quietly.
His own instincts told him that while Calista's explanation made sense, it still did not reach the heart of whatever she was hiding.
His gaze remained fixed on her. When she moved, his eyes followed, never straying for even a moment.
Just when Calista expected him to press further, Carver took a deep breath.
Then he said simply:
"I understand."