Chapter 69
Shooting
Carroll didn't know the specifics, but he could guess the general idea.
What made Daryl so wary couldn't be a zombie; it could only be a living person.
If it were a walker, Daryl could simply drive his motorcycle over and run it over.
There's no need to stop so far; just walk slowly forward.
After Carroll finished informing the three men, they dispersed and flanked them from both sides.
Carroll carefully followed Daryl, staying seven or eight body lengths behind to ensure he could fire at a safe distance if anyone suddenly appeared.
Daryl's attention was focused on the crossbow, which was already strung. His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the direction in which a bush was swaying.
Just as Daryl was about to approach the bushes, suddenly, a figure darted out from the bushes to his left.
Daryl reacted quickly, lunging to his right and turning to fire a crossbow bolt.
The crossbow bolt pierced straight into the man's body, but it did not stop his attack; he roared and raised his gun.
A gunshot rang out.
It wasn't that person who fired the shot; it was Carroll.
Carroll raised the gun, trembling, the muzzle still emitting a sulfurous smell.
The man was shot in the temple and fell to the ground. His pistol went off accidentally and fired several more shots.
Fortunately, the gun was not pointed at Daryl and Carroll.
Daryl stood up and examined the man's body.
The man was wearing a military bulletproof vest, and the crossbow bolt only pierced a little bit, without hitting any vital organs.
The fatal blow was Carroll's shot, which killed him instantly.
The man had nothing on him that identified him, not even a car key.
At this moment, the bushes on both sides began to sway.
Before Daryl could even be on guard, four people came out. They turned out to be three of Daryl's teammates and a stranger.
The team members were also leading two horses.
One of the team members said, "Captain, we just spotted this guy sneaking around in that bush."
Daryl looked in that direction and saw the bushes that had initially caught his eye, which was why he was ambushed.
"These horses were found over there; they were tied to tree branches, and they must have been the mounts these two men used to come here."
Daryl nodded, indicating that he understood.
After Carol calmed down, she walked closer and stared blankly at the corpse on the ground.
She heard a slightly hesitant voice, "Uh... thank you."
After saying that, Daryl turned around and got on his motorcycle.
Carol smiled.
Once they returned to the ranch, Caesar immediately learned what had happened.
Caesar let out a long breath. Such things were inevitable; the land was vast and sparsely populated, and it was impossible to guard against them all.
As the territory expands, such incidents may become more frequent.
Ultimately, the problem is a lack of manpower.
Take CRM for example. With a large number of people, it can even lock down a city, preventing its specific location from being leaked and preventing anyone from sneaking in.
Caesar looked up at the man kneeling on the ground, his hands bound behind his back.
He had a burlap sack over his head, and his body began to tremble.
No one around made a sound, so the man could only kneel on the ground, his body straight, seemingly unafraid.
"What's your name?" Caesar asked.
The man turned his head to face Caesar, nodded, and said, "Hello, my name is Ram."
"I would like to speak with your rancher, Mr. Caesar."
"I've come here to have a friendly exchange with Mr. Caesar and to discuss some important matters. If I delay you, you lot will certainly be punished."
"Oh, really?" Caesar glanced at Daryl and saw him shake his head, so he knew that this man was definitely not behaving honestly outside.
"Then why did you investigate our ranch?"
"Whether it's friendly exchange or espionage, I think I still have the right to define it."
Caesar spoke slowly, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Ram's seemingly strong exterior.
Ram trembled slightly and her chest heaved violently, as if she sensed that her life was threatened, but she calmed down after a short while.
"What I said is true. My companion and I rested outside for a while, just to maintain a good mental state when communicating with you ranchers. At that time, my companion only acted because there were enemies nearby, and we were worried that they would pose a threat to your ranch."
"We were acting out of a sense of justice, but our good intentions backfired. You even killed my companion. Once I realized you were from Caesar's Ranch, I surrendered without resistance. You can ask me!"
Ram spoke very quickly and urgently.
He knew that this was a moment that would decide his life.
Caesar looked at Daryl with a questioning gaze, and Daryl hesitated for a moment before nodding.
This man did indeed surrender very quickly, without making a move, in stark contrast to his companions.
"You said you came to discuss something with Mr. Caesar. What is it about?"
Caesar then asked, "This is probably the key point."
Ram suddenly became defiant. He straightened his body again, turned his head, as if looking down on the people around him.
"This matter is very important, and I must see Caesar Rancher before I can tell him."
Caesar thought for a moment. Intelligence was the most important thing. Anyway, this person wouldn't live much longer, so it didn't matter.
Thinking of this, Caesar nodded to More.
Mor understood and removed Ram's hood, stood in front of him, and looked at Ram as he raised his head, giving him a wicked smile: "Little brat, I am Caesar. Tell me what you know."
Ram glanced at him, then turned away disdainfully to look at Caesar. His eyes lit up, and he crawled a few meters on his knees. "Hello, Mr. Caesar."
Seeing that Ram simply walked past him, Mor's eye twitched, and he stared dangerously at Ram's back.
Caesar glanced at Moore, then looked at Ram: "Which ranch are you from, or are you from inside the valley or outside?"
Caesar wasn't worried about whether the man was from Leon or Horus; he was worried that Ram was from outside the valley.
This means that forces from outside the valley have their eyes on this Black Pine Valley.
The internal situation is not yet stable, and there is already a crisis on the outside.
That would be bad.
Ram glanced around, his eyes haughty as he looked at Mor, Daryl, and the others, but his gaze was devout and humble as he faced Caesar.
"Mr. Caesar, are the people here trustworthy?"
These words immediately aroused public outrage.
Not to mention Moore, even the elderly Lloyd and the steady Ryan looked grim.
But Caesar did not speak, so they could only swallow their anger.
Caesar was curious about where Ram's confidence came from, as he dared to provoke the ranch's leadership on someone else's territory.
"Of course, go ahead and tell me." Caesar didn't want to hear any more of his empty platitudes; he needed the truth.
"I am……"