TWD - Chapter 565: Officially Part of the Force (Patreon)

When Benson found Elijah and Josephine, the rest of their squad was gathered with them, along with Victor, Cyrus, and a few others.

Looking at them, Benson felt a sudden rush of emotion. None of the Reapers had had an easy time since the apocalypse. As he thought about everything they had endured, his eyes grew hot.

Sharp-eyed Josephine noticed him first. “Benson, what’s with that face? Don’t tell me you got chewed out.”

Benson approached, cleared his throat, and announced, “Gather round. I’ve got news. Starting today, we’re officially joining the Defense Force.”

“Officially?” Elijah blinked. “We’re not temporary help anymore?”

“That’s right. No more temporary status. We’re on the official roster now.” Benson looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

Ulysses asked curiously, “So where are they assigning us?”

Benson thought for a moment. “You’ll be spread among the combat teams according to your skills.”

Joel’s face immediately fell. “Split up? So we won’t get to see each other every day? I thought we’d keep fighting side by side.”

Benson gave him a reassuring look. “We’ll be on different teams, not different planets. We’re all staying at the same base, and we’ll see each other all the time. Besides, this lets everyone play to their strengths.”

Jeremiah asked, “What about you? Where are you going?”

Benson grinned. “I’ve been made Deputy Commander of Special Operations. I’ll be assisting Leah.”

“Whoa!”

Bruce burst out laughing. “Yo, you’re an officer now! Guess we’ve got somebody in high places!”

Benson shot him a look. “Shut it. Don’t start making a scene.”

Josephine came over and sat beside him. “That’s good news. It means she trusts you.”

Benson was quiet for a second before nodding. “Yeah. She trusts me. She also said we’re included in the Knoxville operation. It starts in a month, and we’ll be among the main forces.”

Joel’s eyes brightened. “The main force? Seriously? Then we’d better show everyone what trained fighters can do.”

Jeremiah shook his head, putting on an old man’s air. “Young people. All you ever think about is fighting and killing.”

Joel glared at him. “Like you’ve never fought anyone. Drop the act.”

Jeremiah drawled, “I was fighting while you were still in diapers.”

Joel had no answer for that.

Elijah burst out laughing.

Watching them joke and laugh, Benson suddenly realized how good it felt to see them hopeful about the future.

That afternoon, everyone except Benson and Victor, who was still recovering from his injuries, reported to their assigned combat teams.

Benson stood by the training ground and watched his people leave one by one. Without their usual chatter, the place suddenly felt empty.

By evening, he was tired of being on his own. He headed into Knoxville to see how things were going there.

Maya and Wells had already pushed to the edge of the city center and established several outposts.

After a ride in a Defense Force vehicle so bumpy his backside went numb, Benson finally reached an outpost near the UTK campus.

Maya looked surprised to see him. “Benson? What brings you here?”

Benson hopped out with a grin. “Maya! Long time no see. Looking even prettier than before, and now you’re an officer, too!

“I heard you could use more people, so I came to take a look around. Maybe I’ll get the chance to show off a little.”

Maya laughed. “We could always use more people. How many did you bring?”

Benson shrugged. “Just me. I’m scouting the place first. Don’t underestimate me, though. I can handle twenty guys on my own!”

Maya sighed. “I suppose that’s something. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Maya led Benson on a tour of the outpost.

The outpost was in UTK’s Fraternity Row, a neighborhood where many of the houses belonged to different fraternities.

When the Defense Force cleared one house, a crowd of half-dressed male and female walkers had poured out. There were even walkers with only their upper bodies left, dragging themselves along the floor. It had been a gruesome sight.

When the outbreak swept through the city, the fraternity had been holding a swimsuit party with a sorority.

The place was so crowded, and the partygoers so poorly dressed for an escape, that almost no one got out alive.

That house had suffered the worst damage. Almost nothing usable remained inside, so Wells had sealed it off after the clearing operation.

The Defense Force had converted a large detached house into a warehouse, packing it full of supplies.

The house next door served as barracks, with beds crammed into every available space. Several soldiers watched the streets through binoculars from an observation post on the third floor.

Pointing through a window, Maya said, “Two blocks farther on is the city center proper. It’s packed with walkers, so we haven’t pushed in yet. We’ll probably have to wait a while.”

Benson looked in that direction. “How long before we can take it?”

Maya shook her head after a moment’s thought. “Hard to say. First we have to secure the East District. Then we can establish another outpost farther in.”

Benson nodded. “When that happens, I’ll bring a team to help. My people are itching for a proper fight.”

Maya smiled. “Okay. I’ll feel better knowing you’re coming to help.”

After a pause, she asked, “Have Josephine and the others settled in?”

Benson nodded. “Yeah. They got their assignments today. Everyone seems pretty happy.”

Maya studied him. “And how do you feel about it?”

Benson considered the question. “Good, mostly. I’ll miss having everyone together, but splitting up gives us a better chance to grow.”

Maya smiled. “Then let’s make sure we take Knoxville together!”

Benson wandered around the UTK area and helped kill more than a dozen walkers before returning to the industrial park after dark.

By then, lights shone across the entire base. Beneath the black sky, their warm glow stretched like a river, pushing back the cold emptiness of the apocalypse and making the place feel lived in.

Standing outside the dormitory, Benson gazed at the lights. Without warning, memories of the Reapers’ camp surfaced.

At night, that camp had been lit only by fire pits. Corpses hung from poles, and their shipping-container sleeping quarters were cold and cramped. Oppression seemed to seep from every corner. It felt like another world.

He took out a cigarette, set it between his lips, flicked his lighter, and drew in a lungful of smoke.

The smoke drifted away, taking a little of his lingering gloom with it.

Hell, this place really was better. Even the cigarettes were name-brand!

Soft footsteps sounded behind him.

Elijah came to stand beside him. Josephine followed and took her place on his other side.

The three stood shoulder to shoulder at the entrance, watching the lights without saying a word. None of them wanted to break the quiet.

Josephine finally spoke softly. “We picked the right people to follow this time.”

Benson paused and turned toward her.

After weeks of treatment with burn ointment, the raised scars covering half of Josephine’s face had begun to fade. They were no longer such an angry red, and the constant itching had finally eased.

She kept her eyes on the distant lights. Her face held a quiet, unmistakable sense of peace.

“I think so too,” Elijah said quietly.

Benson turned back toward the lights, took another drag, and slowly exhaled. His usual easygoing tone returned. “Yeah. We made the right choice.”

Only when his cigarette had burned down did Benson put it out and slip the butt into his pocket. He clapped his hands. “Come on. We’ve got plenty to do tomorrow.”

The next morning, Benson went straight to Calista. “Maya says they’re short-handed in Knoxville. I want to take a team over as soon as possible.”

Calista looked him over and raised an eyebrow. “Only your second day, and you’re already itching to leave?”

Benson grinned. “It’s a good chance to put everyone through their paces. Keep me cooped up here and I’ll start to rust.”

He looked much more spirited than he had the day before.

Calista remembered his words about his people needing a sense of security. It seemed he had already found that security for himself.

Beneath the carefree exterior, Benson was far more dependable than he looked, and worthy of greater responsibility.

She nodded. “All right. How many are you taking?”

Benson thought for a moment. “Twenty. I’ll draw them from different teams so they can learn to work together.”

“Sounds good.”

Benson turned to leave, but Calista called after him. “Benson.”

He turned. She was looking at him with a faint warmth in her usually cool gray-blue eyes.

“Be careful,” she said. “It took a lot of effort to bring you all over to our side. I’d prefer to keep you around for the long term!”

Benson hesitated, then smiled, his eyes bright. “Understood!”