TWD - Chapter 564: Where the Reapers Belong (Patreon)

The day after Norris Dam was brought online, Calista sat in her office poring over documents. When she glanced up, she noticed a dark figure lingering outside the door.

A closer look revealed it was Benson.

She studied him with interest. What was he up to?

Benson hovered there for a good three to five minutes, drawing strange looks from people passing by, as though he were some rare animal on display.

His obvious hesitation amused Calista. He was usually so easygoing. What had gotten into him today?

Her guess was right. Benson was wrestling with a decision.

Just as she considered calling him in, Benson finally gathered his nerve, took a deep breath, and knocked three times.

“Come in,” Calista replied.

Benson pushed open the door. For once, all trace of his usual roguish swagger was gone, replaced by an awkward stiffness.

“Benson? Something on your mind?” Calista asked innocently, fighting back a smile.

Benson came in, sat across from her, and stammered, “Y-yeah. There is.”

Calista set aside her papers and leaned back. Soft sunlight fell across her face as she regarded him with a faint smile and drew out her reply. “Well?”

Benson pressed his lips together, steeling himself. “I’d like to make a formal request to bring the nine of us and the twenty-one newcomers into the Defense Force.”

Calista raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you already working with the Defense Force? Not happy with being temporary? Or should I set up a special ‘Benson Elite Squad’ just for you?”

Benson shook his head quickly. “We’re only helping out for now. We don’t have official positions, we don’t have... It just doesn’t feel like we belong.”

Calista’s brow twitched slightly.

Benson went on, “Calista, you know these people came over from the Reapers with me. But now... I don’t know how to put it. They need something...”

Calista was amused. For all his rough edges, the man clearly cared about his team.

She gave him a knowing look. “I understand. You want some security. You want to know you’re truly part of the group, not just temporary help. Right?”

Benson’s eyes brightened, and he nodded vigorously. “Exactly! That’s it! Calista, you really do get me!”

Calista was silent for a few seconds, sizing Benson up from head to toe.

He usually wandered around with a cigarette between his lips, looking as though nothing in the world could bother him. Yet sitting across from her now, he was unusually earnest.

Calista remembered the day Benson first arrived, when he and a handful of other bedraggled survivors defected from the Reapers.

Back then, uncertainty had filled their eyes. Now Benson looked at her with the sort of trust that meant he would willingly place his life in her hands.

Calista stood up and walked to the window, watching the setting sun bathe the entire industrial park in an orange-red glow.

Smoke still rose from the distant workshops. On the training ground, soldiers ran in neat formation. The industrial park was full of people, life, and activity.

The sight stirred a host of emotions in her.

She and Leah had built Rock Fortress from the ground up with just over twenty mercenaries, the Howard couple, and a handful of others.

Now more than three thousand people lived here. And another group had chosen to entrust their lives to her.

Calista turned to face Benson and asked, “Benson, tell me all about those Reapers.”

Benson scratched his head, thought it over, and described the abilities and personalities of his squad members and the Reapers he knew personally.

Not one of them was dead weight.

Calista nodded. He really did know his people. “You know them well.”

Benson nodded. “We’ve risked our lives together. How could I not?”

His tone was casual, but Calista could hear just how hard life had been for the Reapers since the apocalypse.

She returned to her desk, sat down, and tapped it once. Then she looked Benson in the eye. “Benson, as of today, you’re officially Deputy Commander of Special Operations in the Rock Fortress Defense Force.”

“D-deputy commander?” Benson’s eyes widened and his jaw nearly dropped. “I haven’t even been here that long! That’s one hell of a promotion. You’re not joking, are you?”

Calista laughed and teased him.

“What? Is the rank too low for you?

“Don’t worry, Leah, Maya, and Wells are still above you. Maya and Wells are mainly responsible for operations involving full combat units.

“Your job is to assist Leah. You two will have to coordinate closely on special operations.

“Leah recommended you for the position, and I trust her judgment. I trust you, too.

“So don’t let me down. If you make a mess of things, I’ll hold you responsible!”

Benson stared at her, stunned. There was such calm confidence in her eyes that his throat tightened with emotion. For a long moment, all he could manage was, “Thank you!”

Calista nodded. “As for the other twenty-nine, distribute them evenly among the combat teams. If any special circumstances come up, report them to me directly.”

She paused, suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, and Maya and Wells have established several outposts in downtown Knoxville. They’re short on manpower.

“Since you were just talking about giving your people a sense of belonging, this is a good opportunity. You can take a team there to reinforce them if you want.

“You’re already part of the Knoxville operation plan. Getting familiar with the terrain now wouldn’t hurt.

“The operation starts in earnest in a month, and your people will be one of our main forces!”

Benson’s eyes lit up. “We’re already slated to be one of the main forces? Heh, we won’t let you down!”

Calista smiled at his eagerness. “You didn’t seriously think I was going to let a bunch of Reapers sit around doing nothing, did you? When the time comes, all of you are going!”

Benson jumped to his feet and shouted, “Got it!”

At the door, he turned back and struggled for words before blurting out, “Thank you, Commander! You’re the most brilliant leader I’ve ever served!”

Calista waved him away with a smile. “Get back to work and save the flattery.”

After he left, Calista sat quietly, thinking.

Benson might act like a carefree slacker, but he was loyal to his people and genuinely cared about them. Previous operations had also shown that he and his team knew what they were doing.

Sending him to reinforce Knoxville would address the manpower shortage, give the former Reapers a chance to fit into the Defense Force, and provide practical training for his team. It was a good solution on several fronts.

The question was whether Benson could deliver. If he screwed this up, she would not let him off lightly.