Chapter 19: Receiving the Convoy

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A massive convoy was on its way to Star-town. In one of the off-road vehicles, a woman dressed in jeans, with a super-fit physique and a gorgeous face, spoke through the walkie-talkie, "Carlos, how much longer till we reach our destination?"

"We'll be there soon. According to the map, after passing the mountain ahead, you'll see the entrance to Plaish Valley in five minutes, tops, Claire," Carlos responded over the intercom.

"Carlos, do you think there's a zombie safe base in Plaish Valley?"

"I don't know, but we have nowhere else to go. According to the construction boss, this Star-Town had stocked up on supplies for four months straight before the zombies appeared. There should be survivors here, and possibly many more," Carlos explained.

"Let's hope so," Claire replied before switching off the walkie-talkie.

After a while, as the convoy passed the mountain, they all beheld a towering wall about 15 meters high blocking the mountain pass ahead.

"Goodness, look at that enormous wall."

"Oh my, that's massive!"

"Dear Lord, what is this place?"

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Everyone in the team exclaimed.

"Claire, did you see that?" a man's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"I see, Carlos. It appears to be a shelter. Let's head there," Claire responded.

A flicker of hope ignited in her heart at the sight of the towering wall, but she quickly regained her composure.

As the convoy approached the mountain pass, two helicopters flew out from it, hovering above them. A voice boomed from one of the helicopters through a loudspeaker, "Stop, stop the convoy ahead! If you proceed, we'll open fire."

Carlos promptly halted the convoy, instructing everyone else to stop. He gazed up at the Apache gunship, bewildered as to why military helicopters were present here.

With the convoy at a standstill, the helicopter continued to hover in the air, not leaving.

"Carlos, what do we do now?" Claire inquired through the walkie-talkie.

"Let's wait and hope these people are friendly, or we're in trouble," Carlos responded with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on the helicopter.

The gate at the mountain pass opened, and several Humvees equipped with machine guns emerged and approached the convoy.

As the Humvee convoy stopped in front of them, soldiers clad in military uniform alighted, their guns pointed at the newcomers. Strangely, they lacked the insignia of the US military on their attire.

An officer approached the convoy and asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Claire stepped forward and replied, "We fled from Detroit. There are zombies everywhere, and many people have died."

"Everyone, step out of the vehicles. We need to inspect you and collect your weapons; you are not allowed to carry weapons in Star-Town" the officer ordered.

Claire and Carlos exchanged glances, understanding that they had no choice but to comply.

"Sir, we are the leaders of this convoy. Can we speak with your officer?" Claire requested.

"Wait," said the officer before speaking into his headset, "Major Mike, the person in charge here wants to see you."

"You proceed with the inspection and weapon collection, and I'll report to the officer," Mike replied over the intercom.

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"Sir, this is the fleeing convoy, and their leader wants to meet you," Mike informed Alex.

"Bring them here, and have your men conduct a thorough check to ensure no infected individuals enter," Alex ordered, having already scanned the entire convoy with his spiritual power.

With his current strength, scanning the entire California with his Mental Power would be quite simple, but Alex preferred not to rely solely on his abilities. He found pleasure in living among others and did not wish to control everything. His interest now lay in understanding how Claire and her group managed to make their way to California instead of wandering around Nevada.

"Yes, sir, I'll ensure a thorough check," Mike replied with a salute.

"I didn't expect so many people to seek refuge here," Alice commented, surveying the refugees below.

"Even though this place is somewhat remote, some people are aware of it. We had procured ample supplies before, and all the suppliers knew about our location," Alex explained.

"Is everything alright?" Terri inquired anxiously.

"Yes, there are others who have sought refuge here as well," Alex reassured Terri, patting her head gently.

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After a while, two guards brought two individuals before Alex.

"These are our leaders."

Claire and Carlos were slightly surprised to see that their chief was a young man, embracing two women and a little girl, who happened to be of Asian descent.

"Sir, hello, I'm Claire, and this is Carlos. We escaped from Detroit," Claire introduced herself, observing Alex's casual attire.

"What's the situation like in Detroit now?" Alex inquired, marveling at the unexpected presence of Claire, the protagonist from Resident Evil III, and Carlos, whom he had not seen in Raccoon City, here.

Claire sighed and replied, "Detroit is in ruins. There are probably no survivors left. Zombies roam the streets, and we haven't encountered any living people along our journey. The outside is swarming with zombies."

"Did you come across any living individuals on your way here?" Alice asked.

"We did not. Despite passing through some remote areas, we encountered no one alive. Every town we crossed was infested with zombies," Carlos shared.

"We can offer you refuge here, but anyone causing trouble will be dealt with firmly," Alex assured them.

"Thank you, sir. We promise not to cause any trouble," Claire expressed gratefully. She mentioned that they were running out of food, and if Su Chen could accommodate them, they would have a chance to survive.

"Mike, allow those who pass the inspection to enter," Alex instructed, leaving him in charge of handling the follow-up procedures.

"Yes, sir," Mike saluted.

"You also need to maintain order. Have your people line up, and those who are not infected can enter. Additionally, collect their weapons," Alex ordered Claire and Carlos.

"Understood."

"Thank you, sir."

After Claire and Carlos finished speaking, they were led away by the guards and Mike.

Alex, Alice, Terri, and Angela returned to the villa, now better informed about the dire situation outside. While they previously relied on the Red Queen for updates, witnessing a convoy of refugees arriving emphasized the severity of the situation.