Chapter 149: Return to Atlanta
On the large screen on the third floor of the CDC, the fires burning across Savannah had already begun to fade.
The Red Queen's live feed showed the last few waves of more than five hundred thousand walkers being systematically eliminated by the defenders on the city walls. The gray-white tide had broken apart into scattered streams, slowly crawling across the wilderness like the final remnants of a massive meat grinder.
Wu Fan switched off the display, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his aching eyes.
They had been fighting for three days and two nights.
It was time to bring this battle to an end.
The remaining cleanup could be left to Sean and Rick.
He pressed the intercom.
"Amy, how's Eugene doing? Is the radio station repaired?"
Amy's voice came through the speaker, accompanied by the rustling of documents.
"It was fixed yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to tell you because of everything happening in Savannah."
Wu Fan nodded before remembering she couldn't see him.
"Prepare the vehicles. We're heading to Atlanta."
---
Five Hummers rolled out of the CDC and onto the interstate.
Wu Fan sat in the rear seat of the second vehicle. The window was cracked open, allowing cool air carrying the scent of damp earth to drift inside.
On both sides of the highway, waist-high wild grass swayed in endless waves beneath the wind, resembling a gray-green ocean.
Occasionally, a few wandering walkers could be seen in the distance. They would turn toward the sound of the engines, but before they could take a single step, the convoy had already disappeared beyond the horizon.
As he watched the scenery flash by, Wu Fan couldn't help recalling this same road one year ago.
Back then, he had escaped downtown Atlanta in a battered car scavenged from the roadside. Behind him lay a city occupied by millions of zombies.
At that time, all he possessed was a Glock, a few rifles left behind by fallen soldiers, an uncertain system, and a plan that even he himself barely believed could succeed.
One year later, he was returning to Atlanta at the head of a convoy.
Everything had changed.
---
Atlanta's wall had gone from blueprint to reality.
Four layers of shipping containers had been stacked together, creating an eleven-meter-high barrier.
The containers were riddled with drilled openings and filled with concrete. Once hardened, the steel and cement fused into a gray-white structure as solid as bone.
Construction crews moved along the outer walls, tying reinforcing steel bars into place and preparing additional concrete forms.
From a distance, the defensive wall resembled a mountain range rising from the earth itself, stretching between civilization and the wilderness beyond.
Jackie stood near an intersection with a helmet tucked beneath her arm and a roll of blueprints in her hand.
Dust covered her face, but her eyes shone with energy.
As soon as she saw the convoy arrive, she hurried over.
Wu Fan stepped out of the vehicle and glanced at her.
"You've lost weight."
Jackie smiled but didn't answer.
"The Savannah project has been temporarily suspended, so we're focusing our resources on Atlanta."
She spread out the blueprints and pointed to the dense network of markings.
"The northern and eastern sections of the main wall are complete. The western section is still being reinforced, and the southern section..."
Her finger moved downward.
"The foundation has only just been laid. We're short on both materials and manpower."
"Good work."
Wu Fan nodded as he studied the wall.
"What problems are you facing?"
Jackie hesitated before answering.
"Security."
"The construction noise keeps attracting stray walkers. Last week, one of our workers was bitten. A chunk of flesh was torn from his arm."
Wu Fan frowned.
"How is he?"
"Recovering. The wound was treated immediately, and the vaccine worked. He'll need some time before returning to work."
She paused.
"His compensation points..."
Wu Fan waved a hand.
"Follow the work-injury compensation standards. We can't discourage the people doing the hardest jobs."
Jackie immediately wrote it down.
"What about security personnel?"
"Most were transferred to Savannah. We only have around forty left."
She checked her notebook.
"They're handling patrols, guard duty, and zombie cleanup. Scheduling is becoming difficult."
Wu Fan thought for a moment.
"Increase the number of safety observers. Assign personnel specifically to monitor the surroundings. If they spot walkers, eliminate them immediately. If they can't, report the threat and pull workers back."
He looked toward the construction site.
"The workers shouldn't have to perform their jobs in fear."
Jackie made another note.
"And there's one more issue."
"The sewer system."
Wu Fan looked at her.
"About two weeks ago, twenty-one survivors emerged from a manhole near a supermarket. They heard us clearing abandoned vehicles and came out on their own."
"They said there are still many people living underground. Some are alive. Some have already turned into zombies."
Jackie pointed toward several drainage openings in the distance.
"Nobody knows what's happening deeper inside."
Wu Fan's gaze shifted toward the dark sewer entrances.
Atlanta's underground drainage network was enormous.
Decades of construction had created a maze of tunnels, pipes, and culverts beneath the city.
No one knew how many survivors—or how many zombies—were hidden down there.
"Where are Lu Bo and James?"
"Still in Atlanta."
"They've already cleared around eighty percent of the city."
Wu Fan nodded.
"Have them report to me."
---
The radio station occupied an old downtown building.
Its gray walls and narrow windows made it resemble a military bunker.
When Wu Fan entered, Eugene was crouched beside a transmitter, tightening a capacitor with a screwdriver.
A multimeter, soldering iron, spool of wire, and half-finished cup of coffee were scattered around him.
Hearing the door open, Eugene looked up.
His glasses had slid down to the tip of his nose, and dust covered the lenses.
When he recognized Wu Fan, he quickly stood.
"Boss. What brings you here?"
"Checking on your progress."
Wu Fan walked over to the transmitter and examined the blinking indicators.
"Is it operational?"
Eugene nodded.
"We completed testing yesterday."
"The signal can currently cover roughly three hundred kilometers. Most of Georgia can receive it."
He adjusted his glasses.
"Anything farther will require stronger antennas."
Walking over to the microphone, he pressed the transmit button.
"This is Umbrella Corporation Atlanta Broadcasting Station. Sound check. One, two, three, four."
He released the button, waited a few seconds, and transmitted again.
"If anyone can hear this message, please remember: there is a survivor settlement in Atlanta, Georgia. We provide food, shelter, security, and medical care."
"The frequency and coordinates are listed below."
"I repeat—"
Wu Fan patted his shoulder.
"Good."
"Continue broadcasting several times every day. The more survivors who hear us, the more people we can save."
Eugene nodded.
"If we want greater range, we'll need teams sent to other states. Once we restore regional stations and power systems, the network can expand significantly."
"I'll arrange it later."
---
Lu Bo and James were already waiting outside.
Both wore black combat uniforms and stood at attention.
Lu Bo held a detailed map of Atlanta's drainage system, covered with red circles and markings.
James stood beside him, writing coordinates onto the map.
"Some survivors claim there are still people living in the sewers."
Wu Fan repeated Jackie's report.
"There are likely zombies as well."
"I want you to take a team down there."
"Rescue anyone still alive."
"And eliminate everything else."
Lu Bo nodded.
Without another word, he folded the map, tucked it into his pocket, and turned to leave.