Chapter 126: The Man Who Could Save Humanity
The morning after the typhoon, the sky remained a gloomy gray.
The rain had weakened, but it still fell steadily, drumming softly against the tin roof.
Daryl was the first to wake up.
He had spent the night leaning against the wall beside the wooden door. His neck was stiff, his back ached, and his legs were numb.
As he shifted slightly, his joints cracked.
Beside him, Gabriel was still asleep, using his arm as a pillow. The silver cross hanging around his neck had slipped onto the muddy floor.
Daryl got to his feet and walked to the door.
Peering through the gaps between the wooden planks, he looked outside.
Rain and fog blanketed the world.
The muddy ground was covered in puddles, and all traces of footprints had been washed away.
More importantly—
The Walkers were gone.
Not a single one remained.
The horde that had surrounded the cabin the previous night had completely disappeared.
Perhaps they had been swept away by the storm.
Perhaps they had been crushed beneath falling trees.
Or perhaps they were still wandering somewhere in the wilderness.
Daryl turned around and kicked Merle's boot.
Merle nearly rolled off the wooden crate she had been sleeping on.
"Shit!"
She cursed as she opened her eyes.
"They're gone," Daryl said.
---
The convoy set out once again.
Bulldozers led the way, clearing fallen trees and broken branches from the road.
Behind them, a Humvee rolled over the rain-soaked asphalt, spraying water in every direction.
Merle sat behind the wheel with a cigarette dangling from her lips.
In the back seat, Gabriel clutched his cross and silently stared out at the devastated forest.
"Your God..."
Merle glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Did He help last night?"
Gabriel remained silent.
Merle snorted.
"Well, the Walkers got blown away, so I guess it worked."
She flicked her cigarette ash out the window.
"Next time, pray a little harder. Maybe you can blow the typhoon away too."
Gabriel still didn't respond.
His lips moved slightly.
Whether he was praying or silently cursing her was impossible to tell.
Merle raised an eyebrow.
"What? No comeback?"
---
A beige military truck rumbled along the interstate highway near the Georgia border.
The vehicle looked battered.
Dark bloodstains covered the front bumper.
One headlight was shattered.
A long crack stretched across the windshield.
Behind the wheel sat Abraham Ford.
His muscular arms bulged beneath his military-green T-shirt as he gripped the steering wheel.
Rosita Espinosa sat in the passenger seat, her baseball cap pulled low.
In the back sat Eugene Porter.
His messy hair stuck out in every direction, and his fingerprint-covered glasses constantly slid down his nose.
"Four more states."
Abraham grinned.
"Once we reach Washington, we'll find the government, find the scientists, and use what's inside your head to save humanity."
Eugene's expression twitched.
He adjusted his glasses and lowered his head without saying a word.
Rosita glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
For a long time now, she had felt that something about Eugene wasn't right.
He claimed to be a scientist.
He claimed to understand the virus.
He claimed he possessed the knowledge needed to create a cure.
His explanations always sounded convincing, filled with complicated terms and scientific jargon.
But Rosita had met real scientists before.
Back in Texas, there had been an old researcher with wild hair and glasses held together with tape.
Whenever he talked about his work, his eyes lit up.
Eugene wasn't like that.
Whenever he talked about science, his eyes would dart around nervously.
"This road's been cleared."
Rosita pointed out the window.
Vehicles had been pushed neatly into roadside ditches.
Fresh bulldozer tracks were still visible.
"Someone came through here recently."
Abraham nodded.
"I see it."
He slowed the truck.
"The military?"
"Maybe."
Then—
A deafening roar shook the sky.
Abraham slammed on the brakes.
The truck screeched to a halt.
He jumped out and looked up.
An F-15 fighter jet burst through the clouds.
Its twin tails cut through the sky as missiles hung beneath its wings.
The aircraft flew so low that the ground trembled beneath it.
Abraham's eyes widened.
"An F-15!"
Excitement filled his voice.
"The Air Force is still operating!"
---