Chapter 298: Chapter 298: It’s For Your Own Good

Nina Jacobs remained silent because she was focused on the group of people not far away.

Based on what she overheard with her Five Senses Enhancement, the woman named Elara Thorne seemed vehemently opposed to the idea.

Aiden Gordon, however, looked like he was cooking up some big scheme.

’This is getting interesting.’

Seeing Adrian Shaw’s group pack up, Aiden Gordon quickly got out of his car and went to meet them.

"Lead the way. But let’s be clear: we’re only going to get Maya Warner back."

Adrian Shaw said.

"Alright. Little Maya has been talking about how much she misses you every single day.

Elder Stone, get in the car. Lead the way back."

Aiden Gordon said to one of the men.

Knowing he might see his sister soon, Greg Unger was both excited and deeply worried.

Maya Warner was a naive nineteen-year-old girl. With no one to protect her, there was no telling how those people might have abused her.

"As long as Maya is alive, that’s all that matters."

Seeing his state, Trevor, who was standing nearby, commented.

In his eyes, just being alive was the most important thing.

There were four cars ahead of them. The road was teeming with zombies, but the drivers seemed to know the route intimately, always managing to find the paths with the fewest of them.

Nina Jacobs sat in the RV. Wayne Warner was asleep by himself in a compartment to the left of the hallway. The air conditioning in the RV was running high, making the trip relatively comfortable.

Still, she made thorough preparations before getting out.

First, she coated the compartment’s exterior with Diamond Sand. That way, it would be protected even in the event of an external attack.

She placed a few of her Little Zombie Rats under the bed, in a corner of the hallway, and on the vehicle’s undercarriage.

"Keep focusing on your advancement. I’ll be back soon."

Nina Jacobs said, sitting beside Wayne Warner.

She looked out the window. The group’s stronghold looked rather impressive.

They had already passed through three separate checkpoints before a large compound wall appeared up ahead. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

After the vehicles passed through the wall, the final gate shut automatically behind them.

Nina Jacobs had Holden Shaw park the RV in a shady spot. Leo Hale, Jessica Vance, and Holden himself would remain in the vehicle, ready to contact her via walkie-talkie at a moment’s notice.

Adrian Shaw only brought a little over ten people with him.

The rest of his people, led by Joanne Page, stayed behind in the courtyard.

"Be careful."

Joanne Page said to Adrian Shaw, Nina Jacobs, and the few others who were going.

"Right. Have Gareth Rowan and Cedric Coleman on standby. They move on my command."

Adrian Shaw said in a low voice.

Gareth Rowan and Cedric Coleman were the team’s two snipers, and it was said they never missed.

Nina Jacobs, meanwhile, was sizing up the building before them.

Shirley Lucas’s offline map indicated that this place had once been a local grain depot.

The high walls had been reinforced and raised, and it was clear that a great deal of work had gone into the facility’s construction.

"Where is my sister, Maya?"

The moment Greg Unger got out of the car, he blocked Aiden Gordon’s path.

Aiden Gordon clutched his swollen face. He had originally intended to go inside and announce their arrival.

"I’ll take them."

Liana Thorne said.

"Fine."

Aiden Gordon forced a smile, then shot the group another look.

Adrian Shaw had expected Greg Unger and the others to be furious when they saw Maya.

He’d had a sinking feeling, especially after hearing Maya was only nineteen.

But when Maya appeared before them, perfectly safe and sound, her eyes sparkling as she looked at them, everyone was stunned.

"Maya? They didn’t hurt you, did they?"

Lana asked with concern.

"Maya, you..."

Greg Unger’s face was also filled with delighted surprise. ’If she had been through something terrible, she definitely wouldn’t look like this.’

Maya threw her arms around both Greg Unger and Lana, tears welling in her eyes—but they were tears of a long-awaited reunion.

"Lana, it’s so wonderful to see you! I’ve missed you all every second of every day."

"No one dared to hurt me! I’m so glad you’re all alive! SOB..."

"Could we have misjudged them?"

Shawn couldn’t help but ask, overjoyed.

"Summer, what do you think?"

Shirley Lucas said as she watched the scene.

Nina Jacobs finally snapped out of her daze. She had been trying to use her Five Senses Enhancement to eavesdrop, but there were so many people around that she couldn’t pinpoint her target.

Nevertheless, she answered.

"This is a good thing, but it could also mean we’re in bigger trouble."

’Bigger trouble?’

Adrian Shaw grew even more confused.

Just then, Maya dried her tears and said,

"Brother, Miss Thorne has been protecting me. That’s why no one dared to hurt me."

After Maya spoke, everyone turned to look at Elara Thorne.

Elara Thorne was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed. She sneered, "Now, I’m afraid not even I can save you."

"What do you mean?"

Shirley Lucas asked.

"No wonder you said what you did earlier."

Nina Jacobs’s earlier confusion was finally cleared up.

She had found Elara Thorne’s indiscriminate verbal assault strange.

The woman had never shown any intention of attacking them; even when Greg Unger went after Aiden Gordon, Elara Thorne had said nothing.

Nina Jacobs’s words made Elara Thorne look at her again.

"That’s right. I told you to get lost for your own good."

"Because once you set foot in here, you’re never getting out."

Elara Thorne glanced outside. Seeing that no one was approaching, she continued to explain,

"There are over five hundred people here. Their ’commander’ is a woman named Oceane Sutton, a Dual Element Superpower User. She has five other masters with different Superpowers at her side.

Any outsiders Aiden Gordon tricks into coming here will be skinned alive if they try to leave, assuming they even survive."

"What’s their goal?"

Adrian Shaw asked.

He remembered this place wasn’t far from Riventon Base.

"Gathering supplies, recruiting talent, and building their own base."

Elara Thorne answered. "Haven’t you noticed this place is basically a miniature base?"

"Then why are you..."

Shirley Lucas could tell that Elara Thorne didn’t approve of their methods.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have helped Maya.

"My husband is a Healer, too. It would be difficult for him to survive out there if we left."

Elara Thorne lowered her head. She put up with it all just to stay with the man she loved, even though she hated this place.

"Miss Thorne is a good person. I’m not the only one she’s helped,"

Maya added.

"We’re taking Maya with us. If they don’t agree, we’ll just have to fight our way out."

Trevor declared.

"Fight your way out?"

Elara Thorne shook her head. "There are only a few dozen of you. They have the numbers, and they have weapons.

More importantly, you’ll never find your way out of here."

There were numerous roads around the grain depot. Some led straight into zombie hordes, and one wrong turn could get you cornered by the undead in a dead-end alley.

"No wonder the route here was so convoluted. They’re convinced we’re trapped, aren’t they?"

Shirley Lucas scoffed.

"It’s getting late. I don’t think it’s wise for you to clash with them right now."

Elara Thorne said.

Evening would be upon them in two hours.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from nearby.

Elara Thorne cleared her throat and whispered, "If you stay here, you’ll at least be safe for the night."

The injuries on Aiden Gordon’s face looked mostly healed.

He walked in with a smug grin. "Well? We’ve treated little Maya quite well these past few days, haven’t we?

Our commander invites you all for a chat. Will you do her the honor?"

Adrian Shaw wanted to meet this commander as well, so he agreed. But as they were led to the main hall, Nina Jacobs and the others were stopped at the entrance.