"No."
Rick immediately pressed down on his shoulder, his tone stern. "Our primary goal is to save people."
"A direct assault could easily injure our companions inside, and if a violent explosion occurs, Walkers within miles will be drawn here."
"Even if we win by then, it won't be easy to retreat safely with the wounded."
Rick withdrew his gaze and looked to the side. "Proceed as planned; we need to find that side door."
Everyone stayed low and returned to the shadows on the side of the recycling station.
There was indeed a small iron door used for transporting scrap parts, hidden away.
And just as Randall had said, the guards here were even more lax than at the main gate; there were only two lazy guys leaning against the corner smoking, holding their guns quite carelessly.
"This is it." Shane observed for a moment with his night-vision goggles, then frowned slightly. "But there's a problem."
"The door is locked."
Shane pointed to the massive, old-fashioned heavy-duty padlock on the iron door. "The guards are easy to deal with, but the patrol is a problem."
"If we force the lock, the sound of metal at this distance will definitely alert them."
"We need the key," Rick said in a low voice, looking at the lock.
"Randall said the spare keys are in the sentry box above the main gate," Shane immediately chimed in.
Everyone looked up and locked onto the second floor above the main gate.
Through the dirty glass, they could see a guard with a fleshy face dozing off with his feet on the table, a half-finished bottle of beer beside him.
Not far above his head, on a hook, several sets of keys shimmered with an enticing metallic luster under the dim yellow light.
"Damn, they really are there," T-Dog cursed softly. "That distance is a bit far."
Rick quickly analyzed the situation. "If we don't get the keys, our only options are to force the door or make noise to lure the guards away, but both increase the risk of exposure and turn the raid into a chaotic brawl."
"Can we get them?" Daryl frowned.
"It's hard." Rick shook his head. "There are no climbing points near that spot."
"To get in, you'd have to cross an open area completely exposed to the guards' eyes."
"Should I try?"
Glenn volunteered, "I'm fast. I could dash over when the light sweeps past and then find a way..."
"No, it's too risky."
Rick decisively rejected the proposal. "The guards there may be lax, but there are many of them, and there are dogs."
Although the original plan included a backup for a direct assault, no one wanted to open fire early if infiltration was possible.
Just as everyone was weighing the pros and cons, wondering if they would have to give up on infiltration and switch to a riskier assault plan—
A small hand gently tugged on Daryl's sleeve.
"What is it?" Daryl looked down at the boy beside him, his gaze questioning.
Louis was fully armed—wearing a tactical helmet on his head, a bulletproof vest on his body, and everything else was tightly wrapped.
Rick had forced him into it before they set out. Although it looked a bit strange, it ensured his safety to some extent.
Louis didn't speak; he just quietly stared at the sentry box with the open window.
"Those keys..."
He pointed into the distance and turned to look at everyone, a glint of confidence flashing in his eyes.
"I might be able to get them."
Everyone was stunned, and Merle let out a sneer, looking Louis up and down. "What? You planning to fly over there, Peter Pan?"
"No," Louis shook his head, then reached back and patted the backpack he had been carrying. "But I have Robin."
"Robin?"
Merle froze for a moment, then as if realizing something, his eyes widened. "Oh, damn... you didn't bring that stupid bird along too, did you?"
He leaned in curiously, reaching out to poke the backpack while muttering under his breath, "How come it hasn't made a sound for so long? Did it suffocate from being in the bag too long..."
"Slap!"
However, before his hand could touch the backpack, Daryl unceremoniously slapped it away.
The others were long used to Merle's habit of running his mouth and ignored this interlude, focusing instead on Louis's suggestion.
Shane's brow furrowed with worry. "Louis, I know you trained it at the farm, but this isn't some simple game. The environment here is complex, the light is dim, and..."
He paused, then voiced his doubt: "Are you sure this owl can understand what you're saying?"
"Let it try."
Louis insisted, his tone firm. "Even if it fails, they'll just see it as a stupid bird looking for food; it won't raise any alarms. This is the least risky method right now."
Everyone looked at each other.
Although it sounded a bit far-fetched, they didn't object, considering the boy was always steady and never did anything he wasn't sure of.
"Alright." Rick nodded, his gaze solemn. "Give it a try."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Louis tilted his head slightly and softly called out toward the top of the backpack behind him, which was left unbuckled and slightly ajar:
"Come out, Robin."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the flap on top of the backpack moved.
Then, a fuzzy little round head pushed open the flap and poked out, cleverly surveying its surroundings.
This scene surprised everyone around.
But Louis acted as if it were perfectly normal. He leaned close to Robin's ear, whispered a few words, made several specific gestures, and finally pointed to the lit sentry box in the distance.
"Go, Robin."
He gently stroked the owl's feathers and promised, "I'll give you an extra meal tomorrow."
The little owl ruffled its feathers, its golden eyes flashing with a spark of intelligence in the night, as if it understood the command.
The next second, it spread its wings silently, like a red ghost, gliding noiselessly into the night sky and instantly merging with the darkness.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the nearly invisible little figure.
Robin deftly avoided the beams of light, landing as lightly as a fallen leaf on the open windowsill of the sentry box.
The guard inside was completely unaware, still snoring away.
Robin tilted its head, its large eyes surveying the human inside. Once it confirmed it was safe, it hopped onto the console, its talons precisely grabbing the set of keys.
"Clink."
As the keys were lifted, they lightly bumped against the hook, making a crisp sound.
The guard muttered groggily, seemingly disturbed by the sound, his eyelids flickering.
But Robin reacted extremely quickly, instantly taking flight and gliding out the window unnoticed, vanishing into the night.
Fortunately, the guard didn't wake up; he just rolled over and changed his position.
A few seconds later, Robin landed back on Louis's shoulder, the cold set of keys still in its talons, and rubbed against Louis's helmet as if claiming credit.
When the keys fell into Rick's hands, a chorus of suppressed gasps sounded from the grass.
"My god..." T-Dog's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is this bird a genius?"