TWD - Zomboid - Chapter 281: Joel Up to No Good (Patreon)

She didn’t want to believe it.

But ever since they left the Firefly Lab, Joel had undeniably become much more on edge. He was more serious too.

Sometimes, he even woke with a start from nightmares.

Could it be... could that man actually be telling the truth?

“Get some rest for today.” Luke’s tone softened slightly when he saw how shaken she looked.

“This is a lot to take in. You’re not going to process it all at once.”

“I’ll get the evidence. When I do, it’ll prove everything.”

“As for whether I’m trying to turn you against him or simply showing you how far someone might go for love, you can decide that for yourself.”

He gestured toward the door.

Two white-armored soldiers entered.

“Take her back and get her settled. I’ll be calling her in to talk from time to time,” Luke said.

Still dazed, Ellie followed the white-armored soldiers out.

Luke was alone in the office again.

He looked around at the mess and sighed helplessly.

“Tsk. That kid has one hell of a temper, and she’s not even grown up yet.”

“And then there’s Abby later on.”

“Even more trouble.”

He pressed the intercom. “Send someone in here to clean up my office.”

Luke then called Ada again. The female agent was lounging lazily on the couch.

“Uh... any chance that offer to share a bath is still open?”

Beep... beep-beep...

The call disconnected.

Luke: “...”

...

Night had completely settled over the outpost.

Leon carried a maintenance lamp as he patrolled along the base of the outer wall, with Joel following half a step behind him.

Joel silently studied the outpost, paying particular attention to anywhere that could serve as an escape route.

Patrolling was one of Leon’s habits. Every night after dark, he personally inspected the perimeter, and tonight he had deliberately kept Joel with him.

Leon stopped beside one of the purple-light posts and crouched down to carefully inspect the wiring and power supply at its base.

Joel stood nearby, looking over the row of UV lights before finally asking, “What are these for?”

“They keep infected away.”

Leon didn’t look up, though his guard remained fully raised. “More specifically, they keep away a certain type of mutated walker. UV light is extremely effective against them, especially Volatiles.”

“Volatiles?” Joel frowned.

He was an experienced survivor and had seen plenty of infected, but he had never heard of anything called a Volatile.

How did they compare to Bloaters?

“They’re terrifying creatures.” Leon stood and brushed the dust from his hands. “Volatiles hide during the day and come out at night. They’re vulnerable to sunlight and ultraviolet light.”

“But once night falls, that’s when they’re at their strongest. They can tear apart an entire fully armed squad before anyone even realizes what’s happening.”

“There have been a lot fewer Volatiles around here lately.”

Leon looked out over the wilderness beyond the wall. “When I was first ordered to establish this outpost, there were several Volatile nests in the surrounding area alone.”

A layer of cold sweat formed on Joel’s back.

If those things were really that dangerous, then not running into one on his journey here had been unbelievably lucky.

“Anyone who manages to make it here alive has had their share of luck.” Leon seemed to read his thoughts. “If you’d run into a Volatile on the road, you wouldn’t be standing here now.”

The two continued along the wall.

Joel’s wariness was deeply ingrained, yet there was something about Leon that made him strangely easy to trust. He even gave off a sense of safety.

It was odd.

There was something unusual about the man.

A kind of... uprightness.

Joel had learned to read the character of the people around him.

After considering it for a moment, he finally asked, “How did you figure out UV light could drive those things away?”

“We have our leader to thank for that.”

There was unmistakable respect in Leon’s voice. “He’s dealt with a lot of mutated walkers. When it comes to knowledge and experience, no one here can match him.”

“The Commonwealth also has a dedicated medical team studying these viruses. They’ve made some very encouraging progress recently.”

“It won’t be long before Volatiles stop being a problem.”

Joel’s expression shifted slightly.

Was he talking about... a cure?

His thoughts immediately returned to Ellie.

These people... didn’t seem like bad people.

At the very least, Leon certainly didn’t.

The [Ark] was clearly a massive refuge, nothing like the Fireflies from what Joel had seen.

But even so, they absolutely could not find out that Ellie was immune.

“Has Ellie... already reached the [Ark]?”

Leon glanced at him.

“By now, she should already be settled in. Our screeners work fast,” Leon said.

Between building walls, installing turrets, keeping production running, and everything else, the Commonwealth was desperately short on manpower.

The screening staff were practically working around the clock.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be sent to school and get to live like a normal kid.”

Joel’s expression softened.

That was exactly the kind of life he wanted for Ellie.

“Once you pass the assessment and we confirm you’re not a threat, you’ll naturally become her guardian.”

Then Leon casually added, “You two aren’t really father and daughter, are you?”

Joel’s pupils contracted.

His eyes sharpened with suspicion.

How had Leon figured that out?

He and Ellie had agreed to pose as father and daughter to get through the [Ark]’s screening process. They had only come up with the story recently.

Joel didn’t answer.

Leon didn’t seem bothered.

“No need to be so tense. I can tell how much you care about her,” Leon said.

He figured Joel and Ellie were much like himself or Claire with Sherry.

“All right. That should do it.”

...

Late that night, the outpost fell silent.

Aside from the white-armored soldiers standing guard and patrolling, most people had already gone to sleep.

A dark figure slipped quietly out into the night.

Judging by where he had come from, it looked like the mounted patrol barracks.

It was Joel.

He moved quickly and quietly, with the agility of someone who had survived countless battles. There was nothing sluggish about him despite his age.

Using the darkness as cover, Joel avoided the patrols and made his way toward Leon’s room.

His plan was simple.

He needed to find out exactly where Ellie had been taken, and whether this outpost and the [Ark] were really some kind of trap.

During the day, there had been too many guns pointed his way. He had been unable to stop them from taking Ellie.

Leon had shown him a considerable amount of trust, but in the apocalypse, people could be far more terrifying than monsters.

For all Joel knew, the [Ark] might secretly be a hell where survivors were imprisoned.

He reached the door and pulled a hunting knife from a hidden sheath inside his boot.

Holding his breath, he gently pushed open the door, which had been left slightly ajar.

Joel didn’t stop to wonder why there were no white-armored soldiers guarding the commanding officer’s door.

It was an opportunity, and he intended to take it.

The room beyond was pitch-black.

Keeping low, Joel slipped inside...

But the instant he crossed the threshold, a large hand suddenly shot out of the darkness and locked around his wrist.