Novel Full Chapter 638 - Convince Me.
Everyone was just looking at me with their eyes and an intangible weight fell on my shoulders.
My mind spun with different scenarios and whatever I do next would decide our relationship with Morales and his soldiers. To be completely honest, even if the president gave me the authority to take command of his soldiers here, the majority of them would still stand beside their actual commanding officer, especially Morales.
Ferdinand and Rico, the COs of our DDR Camp here and the DDR Camp in Meycauayan still held great authority with their soldiers but it was completely different with Morales.
If things went south, I could more or less make all of their soldiers stand by me but I could maybe get a solid 10-20 soldiers from Morales, maybe fewer.
It didn't matter as much before but if the fate of their families rested on my hands, I would need to think of a better solution to handle what the president just gave me. This was the first time he just dumped me with something this tricky and it felt like walking on a tightrope while my feet were loosely tied together.
With that said, I decided to make use of the seven days the president gave me.
I walked forward and said with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Stop that right now.. Give them medical treatment first but have a few soldiers watching their every--"
All of a sudden, a loud noise assaulted our ears, and Shawn just dropped to the ground with a gaping hole in his head. A small pool started to form under his body and Jose just holstered his gun with a nonchalant expression.
The 'prisoners' almost scattered but they were too afraid that they may follow after him. However, before another officer shot his own, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR THAT I JUST SAID STOP?! I'M FIGURING SHIT OUT! IS THIS WHAT YOU ALL FUCKING DO OVER THERE?! IF YOU WANTED TO EXECUTE SOMEONE, DO IT ON YOUR HARBOR! WE HAVE KIDS HERE FOR FUCKS SAKE!"
Morales didn't do anything but the officer I was staring down shook his head before holstering his pistol.
Jose spoke up with a different expression, "I didn't even like the guy. If I'm gonna choose between him and my family back home, it's fucking easy. Don't tell me I did something wrong? Besides, president's orders."
I sighed before I opened my mouth, "I get that but who among you here doesn't want to pull the trigger?"
Jose scoffed, "I told you, it's mandatory. If--"
I cut him off, "What if it's not?"
Morales shook his head as he looked at me straight in the eye, "Are you planning to act against the president? You know what that means, right?"
"I'm not. But this place is my jurisdiction. Whatever I say here, goes."
"You can't be serious..."
"Fine. If you have the same feeling as Jose, fucking do it. I'm not even gonna bat an eye but do it in your place. However, as I said earlier, if some of you don't want to pull the trigger, speak up now or regret it forever. I'm not saying I'll guarantee their lives but I'm gonna do one of the things I do best, negotiate. The solution to keeping your family over there safe is quite easy without killing your own, right?"
Jose crossed his arms, "What do you suggest?"
"You're kinda late now since you killed that guy but hear me out. You're forced to do this so the ones in their care could live safely and comfortably, right?"
Every single one of them nodded.
"Then… can't I just bring them here? They gotta work too but it'll be more comfortable for you guys if you don't have the president's collar around your neck. I get what he's trying to do but I have my own ways."
Jose and a few others were taken aback while a few officers and soldiers present turned to me with a hopeful expression. However, Morales was still on the defensive and was still unwilling about my proposal.
It didn't take long before he turned to me and said, "My cousin here and his friends just deserted their posts and tried to join the opposing team. If that doesn't warrant an execution, I don't know what is."
"I know. What did the other do though?"
Avalos brought up a list, "Two were also accomplices, that one is charged with murdering an officer, one of them sexually abused a civilian, that one fought with a foreign dignitary when intoxicated, and those three tried to leave the island group with a boat but not joining any other team. All of them are soldiers except the one that murdered an officer."
"Hmm."
Morales turned to me once more, "Are you still thinking of saving them? Huh?"
As soon as the prisoner's dirty laundry was aired in the open, their expressions turned difficult, especially the soldiers close to them. Furthermore, everyone else who heard of their deeds started to not give a fuck about what awaited them and just felt sorry for the families and the people involved. Getting punished for one's mistake was supposed to be the go-to rule but pushing other people into difficult situations due to others' wrongdoing was just bullshit.
I sighed heavily before turning to everyone once more.
"You got me, fine. Let's do it like this: if you want to deal with it right now, tell me so I could bear witness as the president ordered but… if you want me to try and do something to keep their sorry lives and maybe get your families over here, convince me."
"C-Convince you?"
"Yeah. Convince me that you're worth a proper meal, convince me you're more than what you did, convince me that's the last time you'll do that shit, and convince me that your family here is right to give you mercy."
"R-Really? You're serious?"
"You have seven fucking days but for the guy who forced himself to a civilian, I'll give you a small chance but you'd have to chop your fucking dick off or have my doctors surgically remove it. It's either that or you'll join Jose's brother-in-law. I'm more lenient compared to the president but I have my limits too."
The guy I specifically mentioned suddenly stood up in protest, "WHA-- WHAT THE FUCK?! ARE YOU FUCKING--"
I cut him off as I stared at him with murderous eyes, "D'you really think I'm joking right now? My place, my rules. I'm not gonna let someone like you roam around my territory. Remember, you're supposed to be dead. Either live in shame as a eunuch or have the fucking decency to kill yourself and save your half-brother the pain from offing you."
"I DIDN'T FUCKING DO IT! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! I DIDN'T--"
I scoffed as I shook my head, "Then prove it. You got seven days to convince me. If we're done here, you're all gonna get taken care of by our doctors and we'll process you. After that, you'll be put in your cells and you'll get the space to think about ways to convince me to bend the rules put on you."
Everyone else was just stunned in place but I left them as I set out with my group to do our rounds with Artem's team.
Our trip for this day wasn't anything special but we would put down as many deadheads as we could until the sun was about to come down. Aside from clearing the streets for potential threats, our group with their new loadout would get more practice down but nevertheless, they were improving at a steady pace.
We still haven't encountered the special that took Kristoff's life but once we do, we would be able to test whether a .308 was enough to blow their brains out. There's a limit to how a body could get so rigid and fibrous but if all else fails, quantity will beat quality.
'I doubt it could survive a .50 though...'
With that said, our run went off without a hitch and we started to drive back with valuable items plus a bit of information around the area we just explored.
It was protocol to get as much info as we could from each place we would visit so the next time we or another group came back, we would be more prepared to tackle any situation. It included zombie population density, resource availability, road clearance, and etc. It would sound tedious to a normal survivor but if tedious equals a higher chance of survival, no one would be dumb enough to skimp on it.
Even before the world ended, access to valuable information was fought for.
With that said, as soon as we arrived, no one was put to rest by their close relatives or by themselves since they bought the idea of having seven days to turn their death sentence into something less permanent.