After several hours of walking, they finally arrived at the camp.
He had erected it in a demilitarized zone deep in the forest, which prevented any gathering of predators in the surrounding area due to its sparse traffic.
There were guard towers all around the area, wire fencing served as a barrier and was reinforced by wooden barricades hewn to pierce the jaws of the attackers.
The main gate, meanwhile, was constantly guarded by two guards who patrolled to eliminate any attackers that got too close; it also served as a passage for vehicles.During supply operations
Once near the gate, Kodji waved his hand; it was a way of showing that he belonged to the camp, because it wasn't just about protecting themselves from walkers but also from humans.Which in a sense are much more dangerous
The hand sign consisted of raising the thumb, then lowering it, finally raising all four fingers, and finally presenting the middle and ring fingers. It was a way of saying, "Don't shoot me, we know each other."
"Hey Rick, open up! It's not cool to stay outside."
KODJI was addressing one of the guards at the main gate, who was equally tall with a huge mop of hair And had a slightly darker brown complexion than Kodji or Elie.and wore a white t-shirt soiled with sweat and brown trousers And a firearm, a semi-automatic rifle.
"Where were you for the last two days?"
While still speaking, he began to open the gate, then Kodji and Elie stepped through it.
"I had some difficulties along the way..."
"Don't tell me anything! Your sister is waiting for you, she has a few words to say to you."
A shiver ran down his spine; he already knew what awaited him. For it was possible that he had gone out without permission, which would earn him a severe reprimand Coming from his sister, who was the leader of this group, among others
"I came back alive, that's already something"
"Yeah, but she's angrier because Manhattan followed you."
He looked over his head to watch the cat sleeping peacefully, oblivious to everything.
"You like causing me problems, don't you?"
"Hurry up!"
Once inside, it was completely different from a typical military base; the atmosphere was more civilian than military.
In total, there were 90 survivors who divided the tasks equally so that everyone could be comfortable, especially since the layout and comfort That was enough; the buildings where the soldiers slept became high-capacity housing, allowing everyone to sleep peacefully.
In terms of tasks, there were those who cooked, those responsible for monitoring weapons and supplies, those in charge of vehicle maintenance, and many other important tasks.The area was perfectly organized for significant space optimization.
Once inside, they should visit the medical unit for Elie's examinations to ensure she wasn't infected.
He approached a woman who was in charge of cooking to ask for information
"Well, old lady, it smells good around here, it's been a long time since I've eaten a good meal."
The next moment he received a powerful elbow to the stomach; it was so strong that his legs began to tremble and he collapsed to the ground.Manhattan, who was on his head, jumped up and stood before heading towards a young girl a little further away who greeted him with a smile.
"You're calling me an old, rude little thing."
He was in such agony that he couldn't even utter a word.
"Introduce your friend to us before we begin"
Elie was paralyzed with fear when she witnessed the barrage of shots Kodji took; she began to stammer.
"Hmm, ha, my name is... Elie... Yes, Elie is my name."
She forced herself to smile
The old woman approached her and Elie panicked, then the old woman put her hand on her shoulder
"There's no need to be so tense, I'm only violent with that idiot."
'That's supposed to reassure me.?'
"Call me Grandma or Denise if you like... Or Grandma Denise is always good."
Denise must have been around 60 or 70 years old; she was a former soldier who had retired quite some time ago. She had braids that met at the back, having lost Brown color, giving way to white or grey hair
His light brown face, marked by years of service, bore a scar that ran from his right cheek to his brown eye.
Shortly after, the young girl who had taken Manhattan in approached, with the cat who seemed quite comfortable in her arms.
"Oh! Kodji, you're back!? I thought you had died in terrible agony."
This girl is Marie; she was also helping in the kitchen. As a result, she was wearing a green headscarf and a black tank top over military pants, which she had probably found In the military quarters, Her fair skin made the brown of her eyes stand out nicely.
"Spare me your trivialities, just tell me if Michael is here!"
"Yes, he's here, be careful, he's been a bit angry lately."
On the other side, Elie and Denise were talking, but Elie didn't seem too comfortable, perhaps because of the strong presence of the former soldier.
"Hey, you're scaring the old lady."
She grabbed a ladle that was nearby and threw it in Kodji's direction, who narrowly dodged it. There was a hint of pride and arrogance in his gaze.
"We have to go, Elie"
Denise, for her part, looked at him with great anger, Then he calmed down
"I'll be waiting for you at training."
Kodji chuckled inwardly and advanced with terrified steps towards the medical ward
Along the way, many people greeted him; it seemed he was quite popular.
"Do you know a lot of people here?!"
"Not really, they only know me because of my sister"
"I heard that she was the one who created this camp; she's impressive."
"Yes, you could say that."
They had finally arrived at the medical ward. Once inside, there was no one there, well, no one at reception; everyone was huddled around Michael's cubicle, where he was yelling.
He stepped forward to one of them and called out to him.
"What's going on here? Is the old man having another fit?"
"No idea, he hasn't been out for days."
He pushed open the door and slipped through with his large bag and Elie behind him.
"Yo Michael! How are you doing?!"
He turned towards the voice, and everyone behind Kodji hid.
He was sitting on a table experimenting on pieces of flesh
"What do you want, Kodji?!"
"Nothing but that you examine my friend here present"
In Michael's eyes, one could see the fatigue that was also reflected in the dark circles under his dark brown eyes and his tousled, untidy hair.
"Are you kidding me?! Is that why you're interrupting my research?! I'm trying to save humanity by finding a solution, and you want me to examine your girlfriend?!"
KODJI backed away a little in the face of Michael's emotional outburst.
"Relax, man! I know why I'm here! You think I'd come and ask you that without a good reason?"
He placed his hands on his head and massaged his face to ward off the fatigue.
"Okay, I'll give you one minute to give me a valid reason for me to examine it."
He smiled proudly at himself and moved closer to Elie, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Imagine, there's a chance that this girl is immune or has managed to overcome the infection."