《Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System》


 Chapter 1 Awakening.

    Beep... Beep... Beep...


    Rayne woke up to the subtle rhythmic sounds coming from machines near her. A sharp antiseptic smell assaulted her nose, making her scrunch it like a rabbit''s. She tried opening her eyes but found it difficult; it felt like her eyes were glued shut.


    Suddenly, she heard a door open followed by fast-paced footsteps.


    "Oh my goodness! Ms. Weston, you''re awake!" exclaimed a female voice. "I''m Nurse Judy, and you''re at St. Mary''s Hospital. How do you feel? Are you thirsty? Oh! Let me go call the doctor to come and take a look!"


    Before Rayne could reply, she heard the door closing. What am I doing in a hospital? She tried opening her eyes again, this time successfully. Her eyes squinted, and all her blurry vision could make out was a bright light. It was painfully bright, so she shut her eyes again and opened them ever so slowly to give them time to adjust.


    After what felt like an eternity, her eyes finally adjusted enough to check out her surroundings. Rayne looked around and saw her standard-sized hospital room. It was all white, with a window on her right side, and filled with different kinds of hospital equipment. Aside from a small chair by the window, there were some generic paintings hung up on the wall. The room felt empty, but at least it was quiet and peaceful.


    Rayne tried lifting her hand to rub her eyes but found that moving even just her fingers was difficult. "What happened to me?" she groaned. She suddenly remembered walking home from her boyfriend''s apartment and getting pushed by someone behind her onto the street at a busy intersection. It seemed she must''ve gotten hit by a car.


    She looked down to see if she had any broken bones or deep wounds from the car accident, but surprisingly, she didn''t see anything.


    She even managed to pull the thin blanket that was draped over her legs aside to check. Shocked again, she didn''t see anything wrong¡ªno bruise or scratch.


    Surely if someone got hit by a vehicle, they would at least get a bruise or a scrape, she thought.


    The door clicked open, and she watched an older man in a white coat enter, being closely followed by an excited-looking young female in pink scrubs. Most likely the doctor and Nurse Judy.


    "Doctor Henson, I told you she woke up!" Judy enthusiastically motioned toward Rayne. She was practically jumping up and down.


    "Now, now, Judy, Ms. Weston just woke up. We don''t want to scare her." Dr. Henson slowly came over to Rayne and smiled at her. Judy nodded and started recording various readings from the different medical equipment while smiling brightly at Rayne.


    Dr. Henson took out a small flashlight and was about to shine the light into her eyes when he asked, "Ms. Weston, can you hear me? If you can, please blink once."


    Rayne opened her mouth and asked for water. Her throat was extremely dry, and when the words left her mouth, they were hoarse and very quiet.


    Dr. Henson stiffened, clearly surprised that Rayne could talk.


    Judy practically jumped up. "Doctor, did you hear that? She can talk already!"


    "Judy, please get Ms. Weston some water."


    Dr. Henson came over and performed a few basic examinations. To his surprise, everything was normal, and showed only signs of weakness and lack of physical activity, which wasn''t surprising.


    "Ms. Weston, I don''t mean to alarm you, but seeing that you are in full control of your cognitive abilities, I feel it''s okay to inform you that you''ve just woken up from a year-long coma."


    Rayne nearly choked on the water she was now drinking. A one-year coma? No wonder she did not see any bruises or scratches! They all would''ve already healed over the course of a year! She trembled slightly, holding the cup of water with both hands.


    She looked up and asked the doctor, "How is that possible, Doctor? How bad was my accident that it put me into a coma?"


    Dr. Henson shook his head slowly. "Honestly, yours is a strange case. I''ve been dealing with coma patients for the last ten years and have seen and studied injuries that lead to comas. Your case doesn''t fit into any of the categories. You did indeed have a car accident; however, the car was not moving at a very fast speed. Physically, your injuries only extended to a rib fracture and a few superficial wounds, such as bruises and scrapes."


    He adjusted his glasses and continued, "Honestly, looking at everything, including the brain scans, you should not have been close to getting put in a coma, especially one for so long. In my eyes, it''s a medical mystery, but of course, I''m glad you''re awake."


    Rayne sat up, trying to process everything she had just heard. Something didn''t feel right about this situation. Something was telling her that there was more to this than just a "medical mystery." The last time she had this feeling was when her parents died due to a "mechanical failure" in the car they were driving.


    Thankfully, she was resilient and able to digest the information better than the average person. Whatever the cause, she was going to get to the bottom of it, including finding the person who pushed her.


    Dr. Henson finished his examination and said, "Okay, looks like everything is recovering well. I will keep you here in observation for a little bit and see if we can get you started on rehab soon."


    He stood up and walked out of the room.


    Rayne sat still, lost in thought about the situation. Now that she''s awake, will her life be any different? Will her friends remember her? Dillon! Will Dillon be excited that she woke up? Did he miss her?


    Snapping back from her thoughts, Rayne looked up to see Nurse Judy refilling her cup of water on the small side table by the bed.


    She looked over at Rayne and said, "Ms. Weston, I am happy that you are awake! I will be your nurse on duty. Please let me know if there is anything you need or if you are feeling unwell anywhere. Press this button on the side of your bed, and I will come over to check on you."


    "Nurse Judy, are any of my belongings still here after the accident? I remember I had a black backpack with me at the time of the accident," said Rayne, looking up at the cheerful young nurse.


    "Ah, yes, of course. There should be something stored over here," Judy walked over to the counter that had the hospital computer sitting on it.


    She bent down and opened the cabinet doors, picking up a paper bag. She brought the bag over to Rayne and gently placed it on the bed next to her.


    After handing her the bag, Nurse Judy said she still needed to check on her other patients and reminded Rayne to call her if she needed anything. Then, she turned to leave.


    Once Rayne was alone in the room, she slowly moved her arms to reveal her black canvas backpack inside the paper bag.


    She smiled, looking at the contents of the backpack, happy that nothing seemed to be broken. Her phone was still in good condition; however, the battery must be dead because it wouldn''t turn on. That did not bother Rayne too much. She knew no one would bother charging her cell phone while she was in a coma.


    Thankfully, she had a charger with her in the backpack and would ask Nurse Judy to help her plug it in the next time she got the chance.


    Her wallet was in place, and nothing seemed to be missing. Even the small chain necklace she was wearing that day was there in a small plastic bag.


    She also had a few books and stationery supplies that were still in good shape.


    Rayne was surprised to see that even her pencils did not break in the accident, leading her to feel that something was wrong about this whole situation. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After looking around the backpack some more, Rayne realized that she was missing something! Something very important to her: the bracelet!


    Her grandmother had given her a family heirloom on her 10th birthday. She told Rayne that this bracelet was passed down through multiple generations to the women in the family and that it was now hers to take care of.


    Rayne cherished this bracelet very much because her grandmother used to tell her stories about how it was blessed by a fairy and would give the wearer good luck.


    The bracelet was also very beautiful, made up of large beads of jade. The most beautiful shades of pale green mutton jade, that almost glowed in the light.


    Unfortunately, Rayne''s grandmother died a few months after gifting her the bracelet, giving it even more sentimental value as a memento.


    Rayne never wore this bracelet since receiving it, instead keeping it safe in a locked jewelry box. But the day of her accident, she decided to wear it out because she wanted to choose a few accessories that would match it for her upcoming engagement party.


    In a panic, Rayne started digging through the backpack again, her muscles crying out in pain from the fast movements, but she ignored it.


    After searching through every pocket, she still could not find it anywhere.


    Rayne closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, feeling a warm sensation spread throughout her body.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rayne passed out.


    Nurse Judy came by an hour later and found Rayne sleeping, all the contents of her backpack laid out on the bed with her.


    "Poor girl must be exhausted," she said as she carefully placed Rayne''s items back in the backpack.


    She noticed her cell phone lying next to the charger and decided to plug it in for Rayne. After tidying up, she took out a strawberry-flavored candy and placed it on the table. She thought that it might cheer up Rayne later and left the room.


    A few minutes later, Rayne woke up, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a holographic screen that said, "CONGRATULATIONS ON ACTIVATING THE MULTIPLIER SYSTEM."

 Chapter 2 The Multiplier System

    CONGRATULATIONS ON ACTIVATING THE MULTIPLIER SYSTEM.


    Rayne sat up and looked down at the holographic screen in front of her.


    She read the bold words on the screen repeatedly, as if reading them one more time would change something.


    "Is this some sort of new technology?" Rayne mumbled to herself. She figured that surely, in just a year of coma, technology wouldn''t have advanced so much that mobile phones were replaced with this holographic screen.


    "What is a Multiplier System anyway?" Rayne questioned.


    She decided to try and touch the screen. Once her finger touched the holographic display, a new screen popped up, showing new words.


    Length of activation: 1 year, 3 days, 23 seconds...finalized.


    Rayne froze when she saw that. Isn''t that the exact length of time Dr. Henson said she''d been in a coma? Could her coma somehow be related to this system?


    Before Rayne could continue her thoughts, the door to her room opened again. Nurse Judy walked in, smiling and holding a tray with food.


    Rayne froze.


    How would she explain this holographic screen?


    But to her surprise, Nurse Judy walked over to the side of her bed and placed the tray down on the table.


    She looked over at Rayne and said, "Hi, how are you feeling? I noticed that you fell asleep earlier, so I decided to plug your phone in to charge. I also brought you some porridge. I know it''s a little bland, but we need to reintroduce foods slowly since you haven''t eaten normally for an entire year."


    Rayne looked at Nurse Judy, then down at the screen in front of her. It seemed like only she could see the screen.


    Rayne looked up at Nurse Judy and smiled. "Thank you for the food and for plugging in my phone to charge."


    Nurse Judy smiled in response and picked up the strawberry candy she had left on the table earlier. She handed the candy to Rayne, her hand passing through the holographic screen.


    "I brought you this candy earlier. I know your food is going to be a bit bland, so maybe this sweet candy will make it more bearable." She then turned and left the room, leaving Rayne alone once again.


    Rayne looked down and opened her hand, searching for the candy Nurse Judy had given her. But to her surprise, her hand was empty. The candy was gone.


    She looked around the bed and under the blanket to see if it had rolled out of her hand unnoticed, but she didn''t see it anywhere.


    While searching, she felt a slight headache, closer to a pressure behind her eyes, but it didn''t last long.


    Just then, something caught her eye!


    On the holographic screen, she spotted an image of the exact candy Nurse Judy had given her. She stared at the screen, her brain trying to make sense of what was happening.


    Rayne slowly pressed her finger on the picture, feeling curious. As soon as her finger touched the icon, a perfectly wrapped strawberry candy appeared in her hand.


    She took a second to study the newly appeared candy.


    "It looks and feels exactly like the one Nurse Judy gave me," Rayne mumbled as she began unwrapping the candy.


    She took a few more seconds to observe the pink candy before popping it in her mouth.


    Soon, a sweet taste washed over her mouth, and she couldn''t help but smile. After not being able to taste anything for over a year, her taste buds were practically jumping with joy!


    She leaned back to relish the feeling, closing her eyes.


    After a few blissful minutes, the candy was finished. Rayne opened her eyes, frowning slightly. Her inner foodie was not satisfied with how short-lived the sweet bliss lasted. She wanted more! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking back at the screen, Rayne saw that the icon of the candy was still there. She gracefully extended her index finger to the screen and pressed the candy icon.


    However, she didn''t stop with one click. She continued to tap the icon until there was a small pile of strawberry candies in front of her.


    Rayne was thrilled. This meant that no matter where she was, she could have an unlimited supply of this strawberry candy!


    As a foodie, she valued being able to have a treat on demand.


    This thought led to many more. If she could store other items in this system, did that mean it would work in a similar way?


    Immediately, Rayne scanned the room with her eyes, looking for her next test subject. Her eyes jumped to the black backpack beside her.


    She could try using one of her drawing pencils.


    Rayne opened the backpack and reached in to grab her favorite drawing pencil. It was short from all of the previous sharpenings and showed signs of wear. There were dents and small scratches all over, the eraser was worn, and the golden logo was barely visible.


    She smiled, holding her trusted pencil, thinking of all the beautiful drawings and sketches she''d made with it in the past.


    She looked at the pencil in her hand, thinking about how to get it stored in the system. There were no buttons or prompts on the holographic screen, only the icon for the strawberry candy.


    Rayne took a moment to think. If the system was linked to her, then that meant it should respond to her commands.


    She looked at the pencil in her hand, focusing really hard, and gave the mental command: store.


    Rayne suddenly felt dizzy, and a dull pain spread throughout her head. It felt like the world was spinning, and soon beads of sweat formed on her forehead.


    The pain lasted for only a few minutes, and soon she was able to orient herself and open her eyes.


    Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at her now-empty hand. It worked!


    She looked over at the holographic screen and saw a new icon next to the one for the strawberry candy. It was her pencil, looking exactly as it had in real life, with the scratches and worn-out eraser.


    She clicked the new icon, and the pencil instantly materialized in her hand.


    Rayne looked down at the pencil. "This is still a bit unbelievable, but also incredibly exciting," she said.


    She inspected the pencil in her hand and noticed that even the dents and scratches were identical to the original.


    Rayne continued to click the pencil icon until she had a small pile of identical pencils. She could hardly contain her excitement. With this new system, she could live an extremely comfortable life!


    She quickly reached into her backpack once more, this time pulling out her wallet. She wasn''t rich, but she should still have some cash if she remembered correctly. Rayne opened her wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Holding the paper bill in her hand, she again gave the mental command to store.


    This time, there was no big headache, but she did experience some mental fatigue and dizziness. Rayne ignored it and quickly looked at the screen. Sure enough, a third icon appeared: the 20-dollar bill.


    Rayne was ecstatic! Before her finger even managed to touch the icon, a 20-dollar bill appeared in her hand.


    She looked closely at the 20-dollar bill and realized that perhaps the system could be used to take the stored item "out" the same way it was stored. Rayne concentrated and visualized the icon of the 20-dollar bill.


    A moment later, another 20-dollar bill appeared in her hand, on top of the previous one.


    Rayne was ecstatic. This was an incredible and life-changing ability.


    Deep down, she knew she needed to be extra careful because this system, which could bring her wealth and good fortune, could also send her to a research lab where she would never know freedom again.


    Multiplying things like this 20-dollar bill would have to be done carefully, so she wouldn''t get caught. Each bill had a serial number, and it would be suspicious if someone found out there were hundreds of copies of the same exact 20-dollar bill.


    After contemplating for a few minutes, Rayne concluded that storing as many things as possible would still be very beneficial, and she would consider the risks before taking anything out.


    With her thoughts sorted, she lifted her head with a determined smile.


    "Now, what to do with this pile of drawing pencils?" She looked at the pile of identical pencils now piled up on her lap.


    "I guess I could just throw them all back into my backpack, but that could be inconvenient in the future if I accidentally took out too many of a larger item," she said to herself.


    While Rayne was contemplating a solution, she glanced over at the holographic screen.


    As if responding to her thoughts, a new icon appeared. This time, the icon was smaller than the others and located in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. There was also some text written under the icon in bold: Dematerialize.


    Rayne''s eyebrow raised at this. How interesting, and convenient.


    She picked up a pencil from the pile and clicked on the "Dematerialize" icon. The pencil that was in her hand vanished, as if it had never been there!


    Rayne was amazed and wondered how this system worked. It felt very magical!


    She continued to delete the rest of the pencils until only one remained, then tossed the last one back into her backpack.

 Chapter 3 Recovery 1

    Rayne laid back down on the hospital bed after dematerializing all of the extra pencils. Her body was still weak from the coma, and processing everything that had happened to her took a lot of mental energy. She felt the exhaustion catch up to her, and shortly after she closed her eyes she fell asleep.


    After sleeping for a few hours she woke up to the sound of someone opening the door. Nurse Judy walked in carrying a tray with medicine and water.


    "How soon before I can take a bath?", Rayne asked looking up at Nurse Judy.


    Nurse Judy smiled in understanding, "Hmmm, let''s see. I have you scheduled tomorrow morning for some medical tests to assess your current health and recovery. Once the tests come back, depending on the results I will come by to bring you to the shower room. Please bear with it for now.


    Nurse Judy then resumed her medical duties and left to report to the head doctor.


    Rayne sat up, feeling more refreshed after her nap. She realized that her arm muscles felt less sore, and overall she felt better. She stretched her arms and let out a sigh of relief.


    Rayne reached over to pick up the glass of water to drink but froze halfway. She couldn''t see the holographic screen of the multiplier system anymore! She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, I know I didn''t imagine it, there must be a way to open the screen again.


    She grabbed the water and took a few sips while thinking to herself, So far the system responded when I willed it to do something, maybe I can try a similar approach to opening the screen.


    Rayne closed her eyes and visualized the system screen. When she opened her eyes, the holographic screen was floating in front of her. She felt relief after seeing the familiar holographic screen. Rayne then closed her eyes once more and visualized it being gone. Opening her eyes, she was happy to see that the screen was gone once more.


    Rayne spent some time practicing opening and closing the holographic system screen. She got good enough to open and close it without much effort, and with her eyes open. Smiling happily, she was just about to open the screen again to try and store another item, when Nurse Judy walked in with a tray.


    "Ms. Weston, I brought you some dinner!", said Nurse Judy. She placed the tray on the table near the hospital bed. "The night staff will come to pick up the tray later when they come to clean the rooms. I hope you sleep well tonight, I will see you tomorrow morning!". She made sure everything was in order and left the room.


    Rayne moved the tray over to her lap and looked down. On the tray was a bowl of vegetable noodle soup. It was very watery, with only a few pieces of carrot and celery, and even less noodle. She sighed looking down at the sad-looking soup, her inner foodie was very unhappy.


    "Well food is food", she mumbled and grabbed the spoonful to try. The taste was very mild, with almost no salt or any kind of seasoning. This kind of soup isn''t even worth putting in the system but let''s try to anyway.


    Rayne gave the mental command to store the soup she was holding. A sharp pain spread through her head, and small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She felt like she had to focus with great difficulty but the next moment the bowl of soup vanished.


    Rayne opened the system screen and saw the newly added icon- the mediocre hospital soup. Wiping the sweat off her forehead she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. It seems like storing this bowl of soup was more taxing than storing the candy or pencil.


    Rayne decided to eat quickly and go to sleep. She clicked the icon of the soup and a bowl appeared in her hands. The warmth of the soup warmed her hands giving Rayne new information on her multiplier system. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah! It seems it even keeps the state of the item the same! This means I can store all of my favorite meals and eat them hot whenever I want!! I can save so much time not having to cook all the time!", she exclaimed. This new information left her in a very happy mood.


    Rayne quickly picked up her spoon and started eating the soup. Her good mood even made the bland soup taste better. After finishing her dinner, Rayne was hit with another wave of fatigue. She lay down and quickly fell asleep.


    Rayne slept so deeply that she didn''t wake up until Nurse Judy came over to wake her up. The entire morning Rayne was put through numerous medical examinations and only got back to her hospital room in the afternoon for lunch.


    Nurse Judy had spent the entire morning with Rayne, helping her in and out of the wheelchair.


    "We should know the results soon, but based on the cognitive and motor tests you seem to be recovering at an incredible pace. Perhaps you could even get that bath you wanted this afternoon!", she said while smiling brightly.


    "Fingers crossed!", said Rayne smiling back. She couldn''t wait to take a nice hot bath and wash her hair. While the nurses did wipe her down periodically during her year of coma, she still felt gross.


    While Rayne and Nurse Judy were chatting, a second nurse walked in with a tray.


    "Hello, I was sent to deliver Ms. Weston''s lunch", the new nurse said, putting down the tray on the small table.


    "Thank you, Anna! Could you check on the patient in room 301 with me?", said Nurse Judy. Anna nodded and waited for Nurse Judy by the door.


    "Ms. Weston, I need to go check on a different patient but once I am finished I will check and see if we can schedule you that bath", Nurse Judy said to Rayne after handing her the tray with food. She turned to leave the room with Anna.


    Rayne looked at the food in front of her. "This has to be a joke right?", she said out loud. The food was the same bland vegetable noodle soup from yesterday. Do they serve anything differently at hospitals?


    She stared blankly at the soup before convincing herself to eat it. She kept repeating the names of all of the delicacies she would eat after she got discharged from the hospital with every spoonful.


    Not long after Rayne finished Nurse Judy came back with good news, "Ms. Weston! The Doctor said that you are recovering incredibly fast and has approved your request for a bath! I can bring you there now if you would like."


    Hearing the good news Rayne nodded, smiling back at the nurse. "I am so excited! I would like to go now please."


    Nurse Judy then helped Rayne into a wheelchair and pushed her out to the shower rooms. When they arrived Rayne noticed that the shower rooms looked rather new.


    "You''re in luck, Ms. Weston! They just finished renovating the bathroom and shower areas in this wing of the hospital just recently. You are actually one of the first people using it", said Nurse Judy. She continued to push the wheelchair into the enclosed room where the bathtub was.


    The room felt rather sterile as expected of a hospital facility. The floors and walls were covered in a pure white tile, and there were railings and hand bars for patients who should need them. Rayne was happy because the room looked clean which was important for her.


    "Nurse Judy, could you help me to the bench? I can still stand and walk slowly, I should be able to take a bath on my own".


    "Hmm, well it is true that you have been recovering very well. I think it should be okay to let you bathe on your own. There''s a big red button on the wall near over there, push it if you need help later. The soap and shampoo are over there, and the towel is on the bench over here", said Nurse Judy, pointing at two places with her finger. She then helped Rayne out of the wheelchair and onto the bench, leaving the room right after.


    Rayne sat on the bench and started to undress slowly while the tub was filling with water. Across from her was a full-length mirror near the bench with the towels on it. Rayne froze when she saw her reflection.


    The first thing she noticed was her milky white skin. It was a bit on the pale side from the lack of sun exposure, but the texture was incredibly smooth.


    Rayne was surprised at this because her skin had always had small issues like acne or redness, which always made her feel unconfident. Her initial thoughts were perhaps the medication or eating through the feeding tube could have caused such a change, but after looking at her breasts she wasn''t sure anymore.


    They were much bigger than before! She reached out and touched them thinking maybe she had an accidental breast enlargement surgery while she was in a coma. They felt very natural and there were no signs of surgery, causing Rayne to stare at herself in disbelief. Well, I suppose if I can wake up with a magical system that can multiply items for free, then I guess I can also wake up with larger breasts?


    Rayne took note of other changes, her blonde hair that was usually thin and frizzy was now down to her waist and voluminous. It cascaded down her shoulders in beautiful waves even though it was a little greasy from not having been washed in a long time. Her body seemed to have curves in all the right places.


    If it wasn''t for her face having the same shape and structure, she would have thought she was occupying a different body!


    Overall she felt like a blooming lotus, becoming more beautiful than before. The only problem she noticed was that she felt like she was a little on the thin side. If she gained a little weight her curvy figure would be even more pronounced.

 Chapter 4 Recovery 2

    Rayne''s emerald green eyes stared back at her in the mirror. Even her eyelashes seemed to have gotten longer! She was radiating beauty, which was only enhanced with her bright smile!


    Having gotten another incredible surprise, Rayne was in a great mood. Humming softly she carefully entered the bathtub. The warm water felt incredible, and soon she found herself fully relaxed.


    She took her time washing and scrubbing every part of her body and hair. About 30 minutes later Nurse Judy knocked on the door. "Ms. Weston, how are you fairing? Do you need anything?".


    "Ah, no, no! I am doing great! I''ll be out in a few minutes!", exclaimed Rayne from the bathtub. She was enjoying herself so much she lost track of time.


    While bathing, Rayne didn''t forget to store the bar of soap and bottle of shampoo in her system. She noticed that storing the two new items was a lot easier than before. She also never experienced the headache that she normally got when storing an item in the system. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne finished up in the bath and slowly got out to dry herself. She put on the hospital-issued t-shirt and shorts and sat down in the wheelchair. Her muscles were still very stiff and walking was difficult and painful.


    She called in Nurse Judy when she was ready and they set off back to her room.


    When they got back to the hospital room Rayne noticed the dinner tray was already waiting for her on the small side table. Her eyes lit up when she noticed there was a small baked potato on the plate and a small cup of fresh fruit.


    Rayne thanked Nurse Judy and waited until she left the room before touching the food. She wasn''t going to let this opportunity go to waste and put both items in the system before taking them out to eat.


    She was in a great mood which gave her a big appetite. She ate the small baked potato and two cups of fruit, thanking the system for the extra portion.


    The next day Nurse Judy came by with news that physical therapy would start later that day and that this was the final step in her recovery. Once the physical therapy ended, Rayne would be able to get discharged from the hospital. Nurse Judy also mentioned that an administrative nurse would be visiting her soon to get some paperwork in order.


    With all of the recent changes and discoveries, Rayne completely forgot to check her phone since waking up. Having some time to herself, she reached out and grabbed her phone which was still plugged into the charger.


    She was expecting hundreds of messages, but looking at her phone she only saw a few messages from her bank confirming money transfers from her account. She quickly logged into her bank app and saw that she only had a little over 3,000 dollars left in her account. She looked through the transaction history and saw that there were all regular transfers made out of her account to a different one.


    Rayne quickly tapped the screen on her phone to see additional information about the transfers. When she saw the account number the money was transferred to her hand paused... it was Dillon''s account, her fianc¨¦.


    "Why would he take so much money out of my account", she whispered. She was trying to come up with reasons her fianc¨¦ would take over 30,000 dollars out of her account over the course of the one year she was in a coma. The most recent transfer was only a few days ago!


    She checked her messages once more to see if Dillon had contacted her, or messaged explaining what he needed all that money for. But she found nothing, no messages, no missed calls, nothing. She opened her social media account only to see an image of Dillon kissing another woman on the cheek while she was sitting coyly on his lap. She kept scrolling on his page, seeing many more photos of the couple posing intimately in various locations. She realized that the earliest photo of them together was only a month after her accident!


    Rayne felt her blood boil. She was angry, hurt, and in disbelief that Dillon would toss her aside so quickly. They were making plans for marriage! He didn''t even bother visiting her or calling her this whole time she was in the hospital!


    "This fucking asshole has the audacity to take my money while I''m in the hospital while seeing a new bitch! I cannot believe I wasted my time with such a lowlife!"


    She quickly changed her password to the account. "Thankfully I was smart enough to keep my savings account private", she muttered. She checked her savings account and saw that she still had a little over 80,000 dollars. This money was her entire life savings, and a bit of inheritance from her parents.


    Rayne took a few deep breaths to calm herself. This coma was becoming more and more of a blessing in disguise. I dodged a bullet. To think I was about to marry that asshole.


    Rayne was a little surprised to see that she wasn''t particularly heartbroken. While the situation felt really hurtful she didn''t feel like crying nor like her heart was ripping in two. She thought maybe she didn''t love Dillon as much as she thought she did. They met at university and dated for over 3 years, outside of him, Rayne didn''t have much experience in the dating scene.


    "Either way, karma''s a bitch", said Rayne looking down at her phone. She finished updating all of her passwords to accounts that Dillon might know of or have access to. No more freebies for you asshole.


    ----


    Meanwhile, in a high-end bar downtown, a group of people were sitting in a VIP lounge.


    "Hey Dillon, how about we buy a few more bottles of this champagne?", asked the blonde man in the lounge.


    "Yeah, of course, it''s on me today so keep the drinks coming", Dillon replied after downing his glass. Recently this bar has become his new hangout spot after he met these two wealthy friends. They would come here to discuss sports or hot women and spend the majority of their evenings drinking top-shelf alcohol.


    Dillon''s face warmed up after downing the entire glass of high-quality champagne. His eyes landed on his girlfriend''s pretty face, making him heat up a little more. He took his arm and pulled the girl over to his side so that she was practically sitting on him.


    "You got yourself a real hottie there Dillon", said the other man, shouting over the loud music.


    "Yeah she is, you jealous Chris?", Dillon shouted back laughing.


    A provocatively dressed waitress came over with a few more bottles of champagne. Smiling sweetly she asked, "You boys celebrating something today?".


    "Yeah! We''re celebrating your beauty!", replied Chris as he ran his hand up and down the back of the waitress''s short skirt. The waitress blushed in reply and wrote down her phone number on a napkin handing it to Chris, winking.


    Sitting on Dillon''s lap, Krissy saw the look on his face when the waitress came over, wearing very skimpy clothing. She felt a little jealous that he was giving another woman attention while she was right there. Thinking on how to get his attention back, she subtly pulled down her off-the-shoulder top exposing her very large breasts even more. Her little trick worked because shortly after she caught Dillon glancing over at her.


    Krissy was happy to receive the attention. Her two favorite things in the world were money and attention, and Dillon provided both. She met him almost a year ago, he was sitting depressed at a bar by himself. He was a decently good-looking guy, tall with a good figure. She approached him and soon they hit it off chatting. He mentioned his fianc¨¦ was hospitalized and was in a coma. He wasn''t sure when she would wake up, or if she would wake up.


    Krissy used this opportunity to flaunt her feminine allure, and with drinks added it wasn''t long before they ended up back at Dillon''s apartment fucking like rabbits.


    Since that day Krissy had Dillon wrapped around her finger. She had him buy her all sorts of expensive bags and jewelry, and take her out to fancy places on dates.


    Dillon quickly forgot about his fianc¨¦ and used all the money she had given him for the wedding on gifts for Krissy and entertainment. This lifestyle was exciting and he soon became addicted to it, even though it was very expensive.


    Dillon soon found his bank in the negative and his credit cards maxed out. That''s when he remembered that Rayne gave him the login to her bank account, letting him know he could use it for emergencies. At first, he felt a little guilty transferring her money over to his account, but as time went on he cared less and less. His new life was much more exciting now than when he was with Rayne.


    They dated for more than 3 years but he never slept with her and they never went crazy on the party scene. Rayne was always a bit shy and lacked confidence, she was a cute girl but lacked the curves and confidence that make a woman sexy.

 Chapter 5 Declined

    (A/N: Spicy scene ahead)


    Now Dillon had Krissy, who had sexy curves and large breasts. She wore sexy revealing clothing that made him lust over her whenever they were together. The best part was that she would also put out whenever he wanted, especially after he bought her something nice.


    Dillon was more than willing to do whatever he could to keep his current exciting lifestyle.


    After the waitress walked away Dillon looked down to see Krissy sitting on his lap looking very seductive. She wore a tight off-the-shoulder black top with long sleeves and a very short tight skirt.


    The top was very low cut and practically had all of her goods on display, making the blood rush to his lower regions. Her outfit along with her newly bleached hair made her look new, which kept it interesting for him.


    Soon his hands started wandering all over Krissy''s body. This wasn''t anything new to Dillon''s friends, they''d seen Dillon grope Krissy many times before.


    His hands reached under her shirt and worked their way upwards. After they slipped under her bra, he began to massage her breasts.


    Leaning over to Krissy''s ear he said, "I''m gonna fuck you so good tonight, mmm".


    Krissy started to squirm in his lap, feeling his hard erection.


    The night continued like this for hours until the final bill came.


    The same waitress came up to the table holding the bill in her hands.


    "Thank you for spending your time at our bar tonight! Here is the bill for today, I''ll come pick it up whenever you''re ready".


    "Aye! No need to come back, Dillon here said it was his treat tonight!", said Chris, finishing his last glass.


    "Haha! Daddy Dillon''s got you today!", laughed Dillon responding to Chris. He pulled one hand back out from Krissy''s shirt to grab the check.


    When he casually glanced at the total due, he almost dropped the check. It was over 2,000 dollars!! The champagne they drank all night was of high quality and was very expensive.


    Dillon quickly recovered from the shock trying not to embarrass himself. He pulled out his card and passed it to the waitress.


    Trying to impress everyone around him, he generously told the waitress to add on a 500-dollar tip. In reality, he was already making plans to transfer more money from Rayne''s account when he got home.


    The waitress happily took the card and ran off to run it. She returned shortly after with a frown and said, "Sorry but the card was declined".


    "What''s this? Daddy Dillon can''t even cover this small amount?" asked Chris, giving Dillon a look of superiority.


    Dillon immediately laughed it off, "Of course I can, how can I not? This isn''t the first time I''m treating you guys here. It must be an issue with the card or something".


    If you looked closely you could see the nervousness and embarrassment, but Dillon tried his best to hide it. Dillon pulled out his phone and quickly opened the banking app to log into Rayne''s account to transfer more money.


    "Sorry, the password you''ve entered is incorrect".


    Dillon''s hand shook as he attempted logging in time after time until the app locked him out for the unsuccessful attempts. What is going on, I''ve logged into this account many times with no issue. He comforted himself thinking he was too drunk to remember the password properly, and turned to Krissy who was looking at him.


    "Hey babe, could you cover this for me, and once we get back I''ll transfer you the money. The banking app isn''t working for me right now".


    Krissy wasn''t really bothered by this. She saw him log into this account many times and he''s always paid without any issues. She believed that it really was an issue with the bank, and helping him now might earn her a new purse!


    Krissy quickly pulled her card out of her purse and handed it to the waitress. "Think of this as Dillon paying, this money I''m using was given to me by him anyway", she said to the table, trying to butter Dillon up for that new purse.


    This worked very well and Dillon gave Krissy a grateful look. She helped him salvage his reputation in front of his friends today, he was sure to reward her later.


    After settling the bill Dillon and Krissy returned to his apartment. As they stepped through the door Dillon immediately pushed Krissy against the wall and started undressing her, ripping her shirt from the force.


    "Ah! Dillon, you''re ripping my clothes!", Krissy moaned coyly. She wasn''t worried, she knew this just meant a future shopping trip.


    Sure enough, Dillon replied, "Don''t worry baby, I''ll buy you whatever you want later to make up for it". He led her inside, kissing her down her neck and chest.


    They knocked over the books that were on the coffee table as Dillon pressed her down onto it and started fucking her. The couple''s moans could be heard from the hallway for the rest of the night. They made their way to the bedroom, not forgetting to fuck on the dining room table on the way there.


    The next morning Dillon woke up in a great mood after last night''s adventures across the apartment. Finally sober he went to the living room and picked his laptop off the ground. "Okay let''s figure out this bank issue", he mumbled as he pulled up the banking webpage to Rayne''s bank.


    He entered the password time after time for it to give him the same message as last night, "Sorry the password you''ve entered is incorrect". Dillon frowned but didn''t stop there. He clicked the password reset option because he knew the password to Rayne''s email. Opening the webpage to her email, he entered her information on the login page, but the same message as the bank popped up.


    Dillon sat up in a cold sweat. "There''s no way she''s awake!", he said. His heart rate increased from anxiety, how was he going to pay for his lifestyle now?!


    --- sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the hospital, Rayne sat up in the bed looking at her phone which was filled with security messages from her bank. She raised her eyebrow when she saw the email log-in attempt, "Oh? Desperate are we?".


    Last night she did some investigating while looking through Krissy''s social media page. She found many posts and pictures showing off purses and jewelry, all of them thanking Dillon for the gifts and garnering compliments from her friends.


    Rayne didn''t need to think hard to figure out why Dillon needed her money. She knew how much he made working as an analyst at a manufacturing company, and there was no way he could afford all of these lavish gifts on his own.


    "Looks like you found yourself an expensive girlfriend Dillon, I hope she doesn''t dump your sorry ass the first moment she realizes you ran out of money", Rayne laughed out loud.


    She wasn''t too worried about the money that was spent, she would get back from him one way or another using her new system. All she needed to do now was focus on her recovery so that she could get discharged from the hospital sooner.


    Rayne spent the next couple of days in physical therapy getting her muscles back to their previous state. She also didn''t forget to store any new hospital food or medication in her system whenever she got the chance. She figured that these items might be useful one day in the future, and even if they weren''t, keeping them in the system didn''t hurt her.


    Rayne was looking through her buffet of bland hospital food on the holographic screen, looking for a snack, when she heard a knock on the door.


    "Come in!", she said sweetly, closing the system screen mentally.


    An older, stern-looking woman came in dressed in a fancy long-sleeve shirt and a modest pencil skirt. She carried a large leather tote bag that was filled with a bunch of files and other office supplies.


    "Hello Ms. Weston. My name is Margaret, and I am in charge of administrative paperwork and billing. I''m pleased to see you are recovering well". She came over to the side of the bed and pulled up a chair.


    She pulled out a folder from the tote bag and pulled out a few papers, placing them in front of Rayne. After adjusting her glasses she continued, "I have two matters to discuss with you, both related to the cost of staying at our hospital. On this first paper you can see an itemized bill for your treatment and stay". She pointed to the first paper, giving Rayne some time to look it over.


    Rayne glanced down at the paper, reading the treatments and their respective costs. By the time she got to the bottom of the page and saw the final cost Rayne nearly fell over. It was over 100,000 dollars! She didn''t have that kind of money! Even if she used up her entire savings she would not be able to cover the cost of this bill!


    Seeing the stiff expression on Rayne''s face, Margaret took the bill from Rayne''s hands and said, "The second matter I would like to discuss is that you were selected to be a recipient of the Mercy''s Angels charity group". She pulled out a different form handing it over to Rayne.


    Rayne was shocked! Reading the new document she realized that this charity was going to cover the entire cost of her hospitalization! I must have been a saint in my past life to receive such luck!


    Margaret looked at Rayne''s once again shocked expression and smiled. "You are very lucky Ms. Weston! This charity organization is very new, and you are its very first recipient!".


    After discussing a few more less important topics Margaret packed up her things and left. She left Rayne with a copy of all the important documentation for her safekeeping.

 Chapter 6 Personal Charity

    Rayne stored all of these important documents in the system and pulled out her phone to do some research on this charity.


    After searching online for a few hours Rayne found very little information on this charity group. What she did discover was that it was founded by the REN Corporation, which was a privately owned R&D company specializing in weapons and technology.


    Rayne remembered seeing this company in a few news articles and magazines, but it never really touched her area of interest. She was honestly surprised that such a company would even have a charity foundation, but either way, she was benefiting from it! The reason why Rayne was interested in the charity was because she was a grateful person! The least she could do was send a letter to the company expressing her thanks and how big of an impact their generosity has had on her life.


    After digging around on the internet Rayne finally managed to find an address. She planned on asking Nurse Judy to mail the letter once she finished writing it.


    ---


    One week later.


    The door opened to the best private room at City A''s most luxurious restaurant.


    The room was designed with opulence in mind. It had very tall ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling window that showed off the scenic city skyline. A large circular solid wood table stood in the center of the room surrounded by a half-circle booth-style bench. The bench was upholstered with high-quality black velvet giving it a unique softness. There was a modern-style golden chandelier producing comfortable ambient lighting and the walls were covered with tasteful priceless art.


    The waitress walked in gracefully with practiced movement holding a tray filled with exquisite finger foods. As she walked towards the table she couldn''t help but give the man at the center of the table a few looks. He was incredibly handsome!


    He had dark brown wavy messy hair that gave him a slight bad-boy vibe. His face was a work of art -a strong jawline, deep blue eyes, straight nose, and square chin. He was tall, over 6ft, and had a well-built body shape. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up, his well-defined muscles peeking through. What was most attractive about him was his powerful aura! He was around his late 20''s but had the aura of someone with great power.


    The waitress swallowed the droll that had accumulated in her mouth while placing the tray down on the table. Before she could greet the handsome yet aloof man...


    "Leave"


    A single word escaped the man''s mouth. It was said rather softly, but the power behind it made the waitress want to run out of the room at full speed.


    She bowed stiffly and turned to leave the room at the fastest acceptable speed.


    A few seconds after the waitress left a man walked in. He was tall and handsome, but with a leaner build than the one sitting down. His most striking feature was his messy ginger hair. He was dressed in a professional suit with the jacket folded over his arm.


    "Haha, hey Julian, why are you scaring the poor waitstaff?!", he walked in and sat down at the table.


    "Huh? I just told her to leave. She kept staring at me, and it was freaking me out", replied Julian. He reached out to grab one of the finger sandwiches that was on the tray.


    "Nothing new, my big boss makes all the ladies weak in the knees! Hahaha!", laughed the redhead.


    "You make the same joke every time we go anywhere. Be a little more creative Noah", Julian scoffed. "Where''s Ian? Didn''t he come with you?".


    Noah let out a big goofy grin. As Julian''s right-hand man he loved poking fun at the guy at any chance he got.


    "Yeah, he''ll be right up. I think he''s doing a quick smoke break outside", replied Noah.


    Noah leaned back in his seat and watched Julian eat 3 more pieces off the tray. Smiling, he couldn''t help but make fun of Julian some more. "Haha! I''ll make sure my future sister-in-law knows how to cook! Who knew the big boss of REN Corp. is such a foodie!".


    Julian ignored him and continued to enjoy the food in front of him.


    The door opened once again and a big burly man walked in. He was tall and very buff and had a few similar facial features to Noah- including the hair color. Unlike the other two men he did not wear a suit but instead a black t-shirt and black pants, and gave off a slight gang boss feel.


    "Ian''s here!", Noah announced.


    "I still have eyes...", Julian looked at Noah with a speechless expression.


    "Hey there boss", said Ian to Julian.


    Julian nodded at Ian then leaned back in his seat and placed his hands on his lap. "Okay, now that we''re all here I want to hear your reports". The energy instantly shifted to a more serious tone.


    "Noah, you go first. I want to hear about the status of the improved assault rifle as well as the improved ammo. Then anything else that requires my attention at the company".


    Noah sat up appearing a lot more serious than before. "In general both projects are moving along smoothly. Our research department has even made a new breakthrough that should result in a significant upgrade from the initial prototype models."


    Julian listened carefully to the update, giving orders when needed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Noah finished his update Julian turned to Ian, "Ian, it''s your turn. Please tell me that you''ve found him".


    Ian frowned, "Not yet. I''ve spent 2 weeks at the underground casino but there was no sign of Damian or his men. However, our informant told me that there will be an auction held in the underground auction house next month. He said there would be a large amount of illegal weapons up this time around. I plan to attend to see if this is related to Damian".


    Julian frowned but nodded. "Okay, keep me updated. I need to find that bastard as soon as possible".


    After a while the hot food arrived and the three men chatted casually while eating. The three of them were good friends who grew up together and once work-related matters were settled they were able to relax and enjoy their time together.


    "Oh! I forgot to mention that the Weston daughter woke up from her coma", said Noah. He cut a piece off his steak and continued, "The hospital also confirmed that she accepted the charity donation".


    He laughed, "The charity that was created for her, haha! How funny would it have been if she declined!".


    Julian looked over and said, "Dr. Weston was a good man. The least I could do was help out his only daughter".


    "Did the hospital say what caused the coma?", asked Julian.


    "Nah, it seems they have no idea. According to the doctors, she should''ve been hospitalized for a week tops", replied Noah.


    "Oh! She even wrote you a letter!", he added and pulled out an envelope from the pocket of his briefcase.


    Julian opened the letter and read the contents. He noticed the clean and elegant handwriting, but what caught his attention the most was how grateful she sounded. A small smile formed on his face, "Looks like Dr. Weston raised a good daughter. I''m not sure how many people would bother writing a thank you letter anymore".


    He folded the letter back up and placed it in his pocket then looked at Noah and Ian, "I''ll see you both at your father''s birthday celebration Friday".


    ---


    Rayne''s recovery was progressing at a very quick pace. After being checked up by the doctor she got the okay to be discharged.


    She was currently curled up on her bed playing a game on her phone. The doctor finally gave her the okay to get discharged and she was planning on going home first thing in the morning. She had already thanked the hospital staff for taking care of her, especially Nurse Judy.


    Rayne came to really enjoy Nurse Judy''s company. They were both in their mid-20s and had a lot of things in common. They both enjoyed similar music and Nurse Judy turned out to have a drawing hobby as well! They spent their free time sketching and laughing. Nurse Judy''s bright personality reminded Rayne of a sunflower swaying in the sunlight and made her time at the hospital less boring.


    "Judy, thank you again for taking care of me this whole time. I''m not exaggerating when I say I''ll miss your company", Rayne said smiling. "I hope that one day I will be able to repay your kindness".


    Nurse Judy smiled brightly, "Ah Rayne, I''ll miss you! I''m happy that I had the opportunity to be your nurse, and I hope we can see each other again in the future! I''ll come by and see you off tomorrow morning, wait for me".

 Chapter 7 Going Home

    The next morning Rayne woke up early and changed into normal clothes that were provided for her. Today was the day she was finally going to go home and start her new life! She was itching to put her system into full use.


    Nurse Judy came by as promised and the two said their goodbyes once again, promising to see each other again.


    Rayne finally finished her checkout procedures and walked out of the hospital. She had a long checklist of things to do, so she hailed a taxi and went straight to her apartment. She lived in a small 2 bedroom red brick apartment in a quiet area of town. She liked living here because it was further away from downtown making it a lot quieter and cleaner. Most of her neighbors were elderly couples or older single parents. The brick apartment building wasn''t very large, with only 4 floors, and 5 apartments per floor and there was a small community garden to the right of the building that was filled with growing flowers and vegetables.


    Rayne was happy to see that not much has changed in the community since she''s been away. The garden was thriving and the flowers were in bloom, putting Rayne in an even better mood! She walked up to the 3rd floor and opened her apartment door revealing her dusty apartment.


    She usually kept her apartment relatively clean and organized, but because she wasn''t around for an entire year a thick layer of dust formed on all of the surfaces.


    "Well first things first, I need to get this place cleaned up", she said, rolling up her sleeves. Rayne spent the entire morning dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning her apartment.


    Around noon she finally flopped down on the couch exhausted and hungry. Her empty stomach growled multiple times, getting her to cut her break short. She had thrown out all the food that was left in the apartment because it was all old or expired, she needed to go out and restock.


    Before she went out she rinsed off her sweaty body in the shower. Coming out of the bathroom Rayne went through her closet to find some clean clothes but ran into a small problem. All of her clothes were baggy and unflattering. She never realized how little confidence she had in herself before the accident. She always chose to wear loose-fitting and baggy clothing over styles that would''ve looked better on her. Even before her newly enhanced body she still had a good figure she just always kept it hidden behind loose clothing.


    "Looks like Dillon successfully got me in my head thinking I was ugly".


    Rayne sighed looking at the clothes in front of her, "Well, it seems like I get to go on a shopping spree! But better because of my new system!!".


    She ended up choosing a plain white T-shirt and blue denim shorts. Unfortunately, none of her bras fit her anymore so she had to squeeze into a sports bra to make do. She quickly dried her hair, grabbed her backpack, and went out to find some food first.


    Rayne was extremely hungry so she decided on a fast food restaurant that was close to the mall. She ordered a burger and fries meal and decided to get it to go so that she could add it to her system.


    She grabbed her food after paying for it in cash and went to sit on a bench outside where there were fewer people. She used her backpack as a cover to quickly store the food in her system, smiling after seeing the newly added icon. Taking the food back out of the system and backpack she began to eat, relishing the delicious tasting food.


    The birds were chirping and the sun was out making it a really nice day to be outside. Rayne cleaned up after finishing her meal and decided to walk to the mall which was about 20 minutes away. It was City A''s largest shopping center where you could find just about anything. They had department stores and luxury boutiques all the way to appliance stores and restaurants.


    Rayne marveled at how much the mall expanded in the year she spent in the hospital, there were so many new places she''d never seen. She walked around slowly while taking in all the sights until she found an undergarment boutique.


    Previously she would never shop at an expensive store like this for just some undergarments, but this time she decided to stop by and stock up on new bras and anything else that caught her eye.


    Rayne walked in and was immediately greeted by a worker in the store who went on to explain the current promotions. She continued in and quickly got to business! Walking over to the section that had the bras on display, Rayne picked a few options that she estimated would be her new size and went to the fitting room.


    In the fitting room, she tried on a few different options and was shocked to see that the D-cup bra fit her the best! Her previous bras were all B-cup, and the difference was quite noticeable.


    Leaving the fitting room Rayne went back to the bras and picked out every bra style the store had in her new size. As she walked back towards the fitting rooms she came across a few display mannequins with lingerie making her pause. Never in her life before has she worn anything even close to lingerie, but now her curiosity was piqued. She read that lingerie could help boost a woman''s confidence in her body image and she wanted to try it out.


    Rayne grabbed a few different sets, some lacy with a corset style, others with pink ribbons, and then headed back into the fitting room.


    In the fitting room, she first tried on all of the bra styles and added them all into her system! Her heart raced each time she saw a new icon pop up on the holographic screen.


    When Rayne put on the first set of lingerie she froze looking at her reflection in the mirror. She felt so gorgeous and sexy, like a supermodel! She stared at her reflection for a few minutes, admiring her smooth skin from every angle. She never knew that clothes could make a person feel so different!


    Without a second thought, she added both sets of lingerie to her system while telling herself to be more adventurous when picking out clothing in the future. Walking out of the fitting room she chose the cheapest bra, which was still a whopping 60 dollars, to go and purchase.


    She didn''t feel guilty storing the items in her system because she technically wasn''t stealing anything. When she put an item into the system, she would take out a copy to replace it, meaning the store wasn''t losing a product. She also wasn''t planning on opening a store to sell the copies of the goods she stored. But to avoid suspicion, she decided to play it safe and make at least a single purchase.


    After finishing up at the undergarment boutique Rayne went on to look for a trendy clothing store to get a few new outfits.


    --- S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A shiny black Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the mall causing many onlookers to pause and gossip amongst themselves.


    "Julian, I told you that you don''t have to get my dad", said Noah as he opened the car door for Julian.


    "Of course I do, he''s basically half a dad for me too", replied Julian as he gracefully got out of the backseat of the car.


    Seeing two handsome men in suits made some ladies in the crowd practically squeal. Others took their phones out to take some pictures-- some of the handsome men, others of the car.


    Julian and Noah walked into the mall heading toward a luxury jewelry store to pick up the gift that they previously ordered. Thankfully it was still early in the day and there weren''t too many people at the mall, or Julian would have gotten irritated from all the stares.


    As they walked down the hallway inside, Julian noticed a woman happily checking out the display cases of a popular female clothing brand. She was dressed simply in just a white t-shirt and denim shorts, but her radiance couldn''t be hidden. Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulder and back, making her look ethereal-- like an angel.


    Julian paused, looking at her radiant smile. He felt like time stopped, and everything else was just a backdrop for this woman.


    "What''s got you in such a good mood boss?", asked Noah, seeing the rare smile on Julian''s face.


    Julian snapped out of his momentary trance and adjusted his expression, "Ah nothing really, just saw something I liked". He then continued to walk over to the jewelry store with Noah following closely behind.


    Once the two men arrived at the store the store manager eagerly greeted them, "Welcome back Mr. Barclay! We have been expecting you!".


    Julian nodded to the store manager and said, "I hope the item I ordered is ready".


    "Of course! We have everything prepared to your standards!", replied the manager, bringing the two men over to the glass counter where a gorgeous diamond Rolex watch lay inside a velvet box.


    "What do you think Noah? Will this one be an okay replacement for the one your dad lost?", Julian asked looking over at Noah.


    Noah walked over and glanced at it. "I think he will like this one more than the old one, it''s very nice".


    Getting Noah''s confirmation Julian turned to the manager, "Please wrap it up, I''ll take it".

 Chapter 8 Shop Therapy

    Rayne was currently standing outside a popular fashion brands store. She was checking out the outfits displayed in the window, seeing if there was anything she liked.


    There was a cute summer dress on display that caught her eye. It had a blue checker print design with ruffles along the bottom. It came in two lengths, one down to the floor and the other was just above the knee.


    Rayne decided to go in and see if she could try it on, while looking for anything else she might like. She spent a good hour just walking around the store and grabbing anything she liked. The store associate who was helping out was running back and forth from Rayne to the reserved fitting room she requested, filling up the racks with clothes.


    Once Rayne was finally satisfied with her rather large selection she walked into the fitting room to begin trying on the clothes. Unlike how she was when she tried on the bras, Rayne decided to place all of the clothes into her system. She did this mainly to save time, she had picked out so many outfits to ''try on'' that she figured she would be in this fitting room until closing time if she actually tried them all on.


    She picked out only her favorite pieces to try on, loving them all! She happily twirled around in the fitting room, making the dress she tried on flutter. The next dress she tried on was an elegant evening gown. It was a beautiful forest green color and had a strapless top. The dress hugged her curves until about the lower thigh area, where it lightly flared out in a beautiful cascading ruffle design.


    Rayne hardly recognized herself! She wasn''t sure when she would use this dress but she knew she needed to have it!


    Rayne spent about 30 minutes trying on clothes until she heard her stomach growl. She looked at the time and realized that it was already past lunch time. She double checked her holographic system screen to make sure she didn''t miss adding any of the clothes, then picked out a few dresses to buy.


    One of the dresses she chose was a sage green chiffon maxi dress. It was long, down to the floor, with a big thigh slit. The color really complemented her skin tone and hair color, making her feel like a fairy.


    She chose to buy this dress because she wanted to change into it right away. There was an upscale steakhouse at this mall that she''s only ever been to once before, and wanted to go again. The restaurant had a dress code and what she was currently wearing would not be acceptable.


    After paying for the two dresses Rayne went over to the mall''s public restroom to change into the newly purchased dress. She even pulled out a pair of nude colored heels from her system that she had stored in the previous store.


    She walked out feeling great (and hungry) and made her way over to the steakhouse.


    Thankfully it was still early enough that the restaurant was not too busy, else she would have been required to make a reservation ahead of time. She requested to be seated in the corner of the restaurant where there were booth style seats, giving more privacy.


    After Rayne sat down and placed her order with the waiter, she looked around the restaurant enjoying the d¨¦cor and ambiance. What quickly caught her eye was a handsome man looking over at her from a table on the opposite side of the small hall she was in. He was one of two that were at that table, and it seemed like they had just finished eating their meals.


    Rayne gave the handsome man a shy smile and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. She was worried that he would misinterpret the situation thinking that she was checking him out.


    What Rayne didn''t know what that Julian was looking at her from the moment she entered the restaurant. He immediately noticed her as the woman from earlier, even after she changed outfits. For him, it was her radiant aura that he couldn''t help but feel attracted to. Noticing the new dress she was wearing, he mentally gave her a compliment and said she had very good taste!


    Unfortunately, Noah once again snapped him back to reality.


    "Hey boss, we should probably head back to the company. There''s still a few things we need to take care of before the banquet tonight".


    Julian nodded and the two men stood up to leave. On the way out Julian couldn''t help but take one last look over, just in time to see the obvious joy in Raynes eyes as her food got delivered.


    The pure happiness her face depicted as she looked over the glistening steak made Julian chuckle as he walked out of the restaurant.


    Rayne was ecstatic looking at the well marbled steak in front of her. "This place really holds up to its reputation as a great steakhouse", she mumbled, gulping.


    She absolutely had to find a way to get this steak into her system! Luckily she asked for a rather private booth seat, so she only needed to figure out a way to block one viewpoint.


    She pulled up the decorative paper bag from the clothing store she had just visited, and placed it directly in front of her. Thankfully the bag was rather large due to her buying multiple dresses, and worked well to hide what she was about to do next.


    Rayne took a few seconds to look around, making sure no one was watching and gave the mental command to store the plate of steak that she was touching with her right hand. Moments later the food in front of her vanished and reappeared.


    If anyone were to see this, they would think their eyes played tricks on them because of how quickly it happened. This made Rayne happy! She felt like she was getting better at storing and taking out items much faster than previously.


    Having stored the food into the system, Rayne finally began to eat. The steak was cooked to perfection and the side dishes were very flavorful! She couldn''t help but compare this to the hospital food she lived off of for a whole month she was recovering.


    She took her time eating her meal, trying her best to savor every moment, making the people around her think she was being very elegant. But in head she was jumping for joy at the thought that she could now eat this whenever she wanted!!! And with the system ''delete'' option, she wouldn''t even need to worry about doing the dishes afterwards!


    After finishing her late lunch, Rayne swung by a few more clothing stores to try on and store more shirts, t-shirts, jeans, skirts, jackets, dresses and even swimwear!


    By the time she was finished the sun had already started to set. She walked out of the mall holding multiple bags, giving people the illusion that she bought a lot of things. Only Rayne knew that the things she bought were only a very, very small portion of what she had managed to store in her system.


    Rayne had one more stop before heading home for the day, she needed to get some groceries. While eating from the system was extremely convenient, Rayne enjoyed cooking every once in a while. She wanted to keep some ingredients on hand to be able to enjoy a home cooked meal whenever she was in the mood for it. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead of going to a large supermarket, Rayne decided to go to a smaller corner store because it was closer to her home.


    She hailed a taxi which drove her to the street right before the one the corner store was on. She asked to be dropped off here because this was the street that typically had small food stalls and coffee shops, and she wanted to check it out.


    She walked down the street and a few peddlers called out to her.


    "Hey Miss! Come try these delicious lamb skewers!", called out a kind looking man.


    "No, No! My chicken street tacos are much better! Try these instead!", the man in the neighboring stall shouted.


    "Haha! Yes, don''t worry, I will try both of your stalls'' specialties!", laughed Rayne.


    Soon she was holding a tower of delicious street food. Rayne once again used her backpack as cover to place the newly purchased food into the system while it was still hot. She didn''t skimp out, and purchased whatever she found pleasing or novel.


    She finally made her way down the street to the corner store and walked in. It was already evening time and not many people were inside.


    Rayne only picked out a few staple items since she already had her hands full from the shopping bags from the mall. At one point Rayne decided to throw them away since the contents were already stored, but ended up deciding against it.

 Chapter 9 Nightmare

    Walking slowly through the aisles of the corner store, Rayne picked out some daily staple ingredients.


    She picked out a small carton of eggs, some milk, and a loaf of bread before walking over to the meat section. She didn''t really have a menu in mind so she decided to only pick up a small pack of chicken.


    While walking through the store, Rayne weighed the items in her hands and what she had in her shopping basket. Seeing that she could carry a few more things she went to the produce section and picked out an onion, two carrots, a tomato, and a cucumber. She figured she could make a few different things with these ingredients.


    Her initial idea of storing more food ingredients in her space fell through because the young man at the register couldn''t keep his eyes off her. She didn''t want to take any risks exposing her space, so she decided to just shop normally and store the things she bought once she got home.


    She knew she would have more opportunities to fill out her system with food ingredients in the future, so she wasn''t bothered by it.


    The poor man at the register was so nervous when Rayne came up to pay for the items that he barely mumbled a greeting.


    Rayne was surprised and rather flattered at such a reaction! She couldn''t help but want to tease him a little when she spotted his crimson ears!


    "Thank you sweetie!", smiled Rayne, winking at the man.


    "...You..re...welcome...miss..", the man replied, stuttering, his face turning completely red.


    Walking home Rayne realized she made a mistake. She knew the walk back home to her apartment would only be 15 to 20 minutes, but she didn''t take her heels into account. After only about 5 minutes of walking, her feet were blistering and in pain.


    Rayne walked over to a small public bench on the side of the street and sat down. She took her heels off discreetly and looked at the small red blisters that had formed on her soles.


    Rayne pretended to place her heels into her backpack while in fact, she placed them in the trash bin of her system (since she had a copy of them stored already).


    While she sat on the bench to allow her feet to get some rest, she decided to open her system''s holographic screen.


    While scrolling through the many icons on the screen, Rayne noticed that there seemed to be a new additional feature! She could now create a folder and labels for her icons! She was very happy to see this because she had spent the last few minutes endlessly scrolling searching for a more comfortable pair of shoes.


    She had stopped by a large shoe store at the mall and had stored dozens of pairs of shoes in her size. Some of the shoes she didn''t even look at. She simply opened the box just enough to fit her hand in, storing them in her system.


    This new folder system would let her organize her items within the system panel so that she could find the items she needed much quicker. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since she was already looking at shoes, Rayne decided to make her first folder labeled ''Shoes'', and placed any relevant shoe icons into the folder. She decided that once she got home she would create more folders for her other items, and take the time to fully organize her inventory.


    A few minutes later Rayne finally came across a comfortable pair of flat sandals. The material they were made from was very soft and they were designed more for comfort than beauty. Using the backpack once more as a cover, she took a copy of the shoes out of her system.


    Feeling refreshed and in more comfortable footwear, Rayne picked up all of her shopping bags and continued walking home. When she made it to the entrance of her apartment building she was greeted by two elderly women.


    "Ah Welcome back Rayne, we are so happy to hear that you''ve recovered well!", said one of the elderly women. She was seated on a small bench that was located under a big oak tree that was at the front of the apartment building.


    The other elderly lady eyed Rayne up and down a few times, looking at the many bags she was holding as well as the new dress she had on.


    "Hmph! Look at her beautiful face and figure! Are you certain she was in the hospital due to a car accident? To me, it seems like she went to see a cosmetic surgeon! I''ve never met a person who came back looking more beautiful after getting hit by a car!".


    The first elderly woman frowned hearing her friend say such a thing out loud. She knew Rayne for a few years now and knew her personality. She turned to her friend and said, "Well if you don''t believe Rayne, then believe my words! My niece is a nurse at the hospital, and she was the one who informed me of the accident!".


    Rayne walked over to the two ladies, "Good evening Mrs. Li, and Mrs. Barton. Are you finishing up your post-dinner walk?".


    Rayne then turned to the first grandma who spoke, "I''ve recovered very well Mrs. Li, thank you! I appreciate you keeping everyone informed of the truth on my behalf so that nasty rumors don''t get spread around".


    She turned to look at the other elderly woman, "I greatly appreciate your compliment, Mrs. Barton. My complexion has indeed improved noticeably since I''ve been hospitalized. The doctors and nurses at the hospital must have great skill to help me recover to a state that''s even better than before!".


    Rayne excused herself and walked inside.


    Mrs. Barton''s face turned sour but she couldn''t refute. She knew that Grandma Li''s niece did, in fact, work at the hospital, and knew that Grandma Li wouldn''t lie about the matter. Still, she thought that Rayne''s changes were too great. Rayne had become too beautiful, even her aura changed.


    Rayne took a deep breath entering her apartment. She knew that the elderly Mrs. Barton had always had a slightly more difficult personality, but she didn''t expect to get called out like that.


    She decided not to dwell on it and went inside to place the food ingredients into the refrigerator as well as her system. She felt tired from all the walking and shopping she did today so she decided to relax for the rest of the evening.


    She went to take a hot shower and put on her favorite comfy pajamas before curling up on the couch.


    Rayne turned on the TV for some background noise and decided to take the time to organize her system. She first made a bunch of general folders--Food, Clothing, Bedding, Shoes, Stationary, Money, etc. Then inside the folders, she made more subfolders, for example inside the Food folder, she made subfolders called: Meats, Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Canned Food, Dairy, Prepared Food, etc.


    She spent a few hours making the folders and subfolders while organizing her current items to their respective locations.


    By the time she finished organizing, it was already very dark outside. She got up and stretched, happy about her newly organized system and a decent amount of items.


    She looked around her living room and realized that she hadn''t stored any of the items or furniture she already had! Up until now the largest item she had placed into her system was the long evening gown she purchased earlier today.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if the system had some sort of limit to the size of the items that could be stored.


    She walked around a few times looking for a good object to use as an experiment when her eyes landed on her large flat-screen TV. She walked up to the TV and placed one hand on the corner, concentrating really hard.


    She realized that it was a lot more difficult and her face paled. Rayne didn''t want to give up and continued to concentrate. A few moments later a sharp stabbing pain spread through her head. It was so painful that moments later she passed out, falling to the ground.


    That night Rayne spent the night on the floor in front of where her TV stood. She was currently experiencing a really bad nightmare--


    She was standing outside of her apartment building except there was chaos everywhere. Many of the widows were broken with glass shards covering the ground. She turned her head and saw a man slap his wife so hard she fell over only to turn and eat the last few biscuits that were in the small bag.


    Rayne tried to run over to the woman to help her up but realized she couldn''t move. She tried to yell at the man, but no one heard her.


    Different scenes kept flashing before her, and people were killing each other for a single piece of bread! A young man smashed through a window and robbed an elderly couple of all their food. Another scene showed children shoving handfuls of dirt in their mouths just to fill their bellies.


    She wasn''t sure what was happening and why the world was in chaos, but at that moment all she wanted to do was run and hide!


    Rayne woke up gasping! Realizing that she was on the cold living room floor only a few moments later.


    "What happened to me? I remember trying to store the TV and then a sharp pain made it difficult to concentrate... I must''ve passed out".


    Rayne got up off the floor and noticed the empty space where the TV was originally standing.


    "At least after all that effort I managed to store the TV..", she mumbled.

 Chapter 10 Bucket List

    Rayne was still a bit shaken from the nightmare and decided to go make a cup of herbal tea to help calm herself.


    The tea was hot and just after a few sips, Rayne felt a bit warmer and relaxed. She pushed the nightmare out of her thoughts, deciding not to dwell on something so horrific. She didn''t want to concern herself with something that wasn''t real anyway.


    She went back to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. After looking through her ingredients she decided on a simple omelet and a side of toast.


    Rayne played some upbeat music from her phone while she cooked. Soon a wonderful aroma spread through the apartment making Rayne do a little happy dance.


    After eating breakfast, Rayne was at a loss for what to do. She was currently jobless due to the year-long coma she was in, so she had a lot of free time.


    Previously, before her coma, Rayne worked as an architect at a design firm.


    She had a very strong portfolio and she was often requested by wealthy people wanting to build their luxury dream home, so she wasn''t worried about being unemployed for too long.


    She didn''t want to jump right back to working full-time right after getting her life back in order. She wanted to enjoy as much time as she could so that the year she lost didn''t feel like a total waste.


    She decided to do some of her long-time bucket list items, and first on her list was a self-defense class. She had long wanted to take a self-defense class for two reasons.


    First, it was a good form of exercise, and she felt that a class would be more interesting than just going to a gym to run on the treadmill.


    Second, she''s read too many news articles where girls were either getting kidnapped or robbed on the streets. She felt that if these classes could help her even just a little bit in a tough situation they were worth it.


    Rayne went over to the living room and took out a copy of the TV she barely managed to store.


    Thankfully, taking items out of the system was easy, and never caused her pain or fatigue.


    But she learned a bit more about how her system worked with this TV experiment. It seems that the larger the item the more mental energy it would take to store, progressively getting easier per item stored--similar to a level-up system.


    For example, if Rayne were to store another item with a similar size to the TV, it should be easier to store, getting exponentially easier with each item.


    She walked over to the couch and pulled out her phone to look for trainers who specialize in self-defense. After filtering out the places that were too far away, Rayne was left with only two choices.


    The first website had very flashy advertisements. The trainer looked like he was in his late 20s, showing off his big muscles in all of the photos.


    All of the promotional videos had young women fawning and swooning over him, making Rayne frown.


    The site also had images of his many certificates plastered all over, in between the pictures of his shirtless body.


    She wondered how a single trainer was able to teach self-defense to hundreds of these swooning females properly.


    The second advertisement was a lot simpler, simply a photo of the instructor and a bulleted list of the services he taught. There were no certificates listed nor any flashy photos of the trainers'' muscles.


    Rayne looked closer at the trainer''s photo. He looked to be in his mid-30s and had a good physique. He was wearing an army green t-shirt and didn''t smile in this photo.


    Just looking at the photo, Rayne felt like she was looking at someone who''s been in their fair share of fights.


    The cold glint in his eyes alone told her that he knew what real fights, and difficult situations, looked like.


    Making her choice, Rayne dialed the number on the website. A deep masculine voice answered after a few rings.


    "Hello?"


    Rayne felt a little intimidated but tried to not let it get to her, "Hello, I saw your advertisement for self-defense classes and was looking to sign up".


    "Hmm, okay. How soon do you want to start?", asked the deep voice on the other end of the phone.


    "I can start as early as today I guess", answered Rayne.


    "Good. Come today to the address on the website at 2 pm. Don''t be late".


    Rayne then heard a beep and looked at her phone, seeing the ''Call Ended'' notification. She shook her head seeing this, figuring the trainer was someone who didn''t enjoy talking much.


    Looking at the time Rayne saw that she still had a few hours to spend before heading out to her new class. She decided to take the time to find a few more bucket list items to do, while she had the time.


    Laying on the couch and thinking, the first thing that came to Rayne''s mind was camping! She''s always been very interested in camping and even watched a number of solo camping videos on the internet!


    The only issue with camping- at least the kind she wanted to do, was that all of the equipment needed was very costly. She couldn''t justify spending that amount on items that she would only use a few times a year at most.


    Now that she had her heaven-defying cheat system, she could go to a camping store and just make copies of any item she needed--for free!!!


    Rayne sat up excited at this! She immediately wrote down ''camping'' on her notepad, while thinking of the best places to go to get these camping items.


    There was a big camping and outdoor superstore in the neighboring city. It wasn''t too far away, only about 30-40 minutes by car.


    Rayne debated whether or not she wanted to make a trip there now, but she decided against the idea because she didn''t want to be pressed on time.


    Instead, Rayne did some research online about good camping spots in her area.


    She found a park that looked very pretty in the pictures that were posted online, along with great camping facilities. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What really drew Rayne to this park was that it was somewhat mountainous, and had scenic trails that lead through a few waterfalls!


    Rayne decided on this spot and called up the park to book a campsite.


    Luckily, even though it was peak camping season, someone canceled and Rayne managed to get a 3-day 2 2-night reservation for this upcoming weekend.


    She decided that she would take a trip to the camping and outdoor superstore tomorrow to stock up on camping items. She wasn''t really sure what she would need outside of the basic tent and sleeping bag.


    But she figured she would just try and put as many things as possible into her space so that she would have what she needed when the time came.


    The day went by quickly, and it was already past noon. Rayne wasn''t in the mood to cook anything so she just searched her system for something pre-made.


    She ended up choosing the lamb kebab from the food stall, thinking that it really was delicious!


    While she was chewing on the lamb kebab Rayne was scrolling through her ''Clothing'' folder on the system screen. She was looking for a suitable outfit for her upcoming self-defense class.


    What she found was an all-black pair of sports leggings and a matching sporty tank top. She also pulled out a pair of white sneakers and a white sports bra.


    After changing into her sports attire Rayne grabbed her phone, keys, and backpack and walked out. She ordered a taxi and gave the driver the address of the gym that was posted on the website.


    As she got closer to the location, Rayne was starting to feel a little nervous. She prayed that she wasn''t walking into some scam head first. Everything about the website felt fake and the instructor looked like he could be a criminal.


    Rayne took a deep breath while stepping out of the taxi. She looked up at the building where the gym was and she was surprised to see that it looked relatively new or renovated!


    The gym was on the second floor of the building across from a ballet studio. The location helped Rayne calm her nerves because she was initially picturing some dark back alley location.


    Rayne walked up to the second floor and stood in front of the entry to the gym. The sign was very minimalistic, just black text on a white background that read "Brent''s Gym".


    She walked in and looked at the space. There was a small washroom on the right side next to another room with a closed door. The rest of the space was just a large hall with different kinds of floor mats, with a few training dummies in the corner. There were large mirrors covering the walls on one side of the hall making the room feel a lot bigger.


    Rayne looked at the time and it was 1:45 pm, she arrived 15 minutes early. She decided to wait by the entrance, but a few seconds later the closed door opened and two men walked out. One of the men she recognized as Brent, the instructor, by his online photo.


    The other man was very big, buff, and somewhat intimidating. Initially, she felt that her instructor was very intimidating, however, compared to this other man he felt rather normal.

 Chapter 11 Self Defense

    Rayne looked over at the intimidating man, her eyes drawn to his red hair. He had a stern expression and was talking to Brent as if giving orders.


    "Boss wants to go to the underground auction that''s in a few weeks. I''m going to need you to be there as backup", said the large man.


    "I''ll be there Ian, don''t worry", replied Brent.


    Just as Ian was about to continue, he noticed Rayne standing at the entrance.


    "You never told me you got a girlfriend Brent!", said Ian while looking at Brent.


    "What? I don''t have a girlfriend. She must be the one who wanted to take self dense classes", replied Brent as he turned to look at Rayne.


    The two men walked over to where Rayne was standing. They both looked at her, scanning her up and down, when Brent frowned.


    "Hmm, you spent too much time sitting. Your muscles look even more underdeveloped than the average person".


    Instead of getting angry or upset Rayne laughed! "Yes, you''re quite correct! My muscles are indeed underdeveloped, but the reason is not because I spend my days sitting around. I actually just recently woke up from a year long coma".


    Brent looked a little awkward after hearing the explanation, he cleared his throat a few times to try and mask his embarrassment.


    "Ah I see, forgive me for assuming incorrectly".


    Ian looked over at Rayne after she mentioned being in a coma. His younger brother had just mentioned that Dr. Weston''s only daughter had just woken up from a coma not long ago. Ian doubted that this girl was the same person. He had received a photo of Dr. Weston''s daughter on the day of her accident, and the girl in the photo looked very weak, almost invisible. But the girl standing in front of him now was quite radiant, giving off a strong lively aura.


    Shrugging it off, Ian patted Brent''s shoulder saying, "Don''t forget about what we talked about earlier, I need you there". Then he pushed open the door and walked out of the gym.


    After Ian left, Rayne looked up at her instructor meeting his eyes. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Before we begin, let me ask you a few questions so I have a better understanding of how to teach you. First, what are you trying to gain by coming here?", questioned Brent.


    Rayne replied rather straightforwardly, "My main desire is to learn some self defense. I want to be able to protect myself if I were to ever find myself in a difficult situation".


    Brent nodded at her response, "Good, good. What I will teach you is something you can use in the real world, not flashy moves that look cool but are useless in a fight. However, we will have to start slowly to give your body time to rebuild some muscle".


    After the chat, Brent led Rayne to the section of the gym that had the floor mats and began instructing her on basic stances and positions.


    Rayne was surprised that even though these moves required very little movement, they were quite strenuous on her body. She was soon covered in sweat but she was feeling great!


    Brent was indeed a great instructor! He was able to see places that she struggled in and offered effective solutions.


    Soon the 2 hour session ended and Rayne was exhausted, laying on the floor trying to catch her breath.


    "You did very well today. To be honest I didn''t think you''d be able to hold up", laughed Brent, passing Rayne some water.


    "Thanks", replied Rayne. She was doing her best trying to try and catch her breath.


    "Since this is your first day of heavy physical activity, let''s schedule your next lesson next week to give your body time to rest. Afterwards we can plan lessons twice a week", said Brent.


    "Sure thing! I''ll see you at the same time next week!", replied Rayne happily. She was happy she gave Brent a chance. After the lesson today she knew for sure that she would gain a lot from his lessons.


    Rayne dragged her exhausted body back home and ran a hot bath to relax her aching muscles. While soaking in the bathtub, she mentally went over her to-do list for tomorrow. She planned on going to the outdoor camping superstore, but realized that it would be rather inconvenient traveling there if she relied on a taxi or public transportation. She decided that she would go and rent a car, she would need one for her camping trip this weekend anyway.


    After finishing her bath, she rinsed off and got ready for bed. She was so tired that she wasn''t even hungry, which was very rare. The moment she touched her bed she fell asleep, sleeping deeply through the night.


    ---


    In a dark underground room a handsome man sat staring at another man who was tied up, laying on the ground. There were men in black suits surrounding the man who was sitting on a wooden chair, armed with weapons.


    Julian slowly leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his thighs andi his fingers supporting his chin. There was no warmth in his eyes. His eye reflected a cold glint, conveying the deep hate he was currently feeling.


    "Enlighten me once more on how you ''didn''t mean'' to kill one of my men", Julian asked the man who was laying on the ground.


    The man on the ground shivered, replying meekly, "I...I really....It was an accident.. I swear! I thought he was the enemy!".


    "Hahaha!", Julian laughed loudly, sending a shiver down everyone''s spine. "Ian, could you show this poor man the surveillance footage, so that he could get his story right?".


    Ian opened the laptop that he was holding and placed it on the floor in front of the tied up man. The video was taken from a hidden angle, only a few people knew of this camera''s existence.


    In the video, the man who was currently tied up, walked up to another man and pointed towards a car that was parked in the parking garage they were both in. The man seemed surprised and ran up to the car, pulling out his gun. Just as he was going to peek inside the car, the first man sneaked up behind and stabbed him in the back with a large combat knife.


    The man kept stabbing until he was sure the man was dead, and ran away.


    After watching the video the man on the floor shook. He had no idea there was a secret camera! He made sure that all of the cameras in the parking garage were disabled, but didn''t think there were hidden ones!


    Julian let out a chilling smile seeing the man''s reaction. "Well I''m glad I could at least refresh your memory. Now, tell me where Damian is hiding and I might let you live".


    Hearing this the man snapped, "HA! Do you think you''re even worthy of seeing my boss? Go ahead and kill me! I will never tell you where he is!! But let me tell you, he has something big planned, and it''s going to change the world!! Hahahah!!!...ahh...".


    Julian put his gun back into the holster after shooting the man. His cold aura freezing everyone in place. Only Ian walked over to where Julian was sitting, placing his hand on his shoulder.


    "We will find him boss", said Ian resolutely.


    "Mmhm, and when we do I''ll be sure to kill him myself", replied Julian.


    ---


    The next morning Rayne woke up refreshed, even though her muscles were very sore. She was excited to go to the outdoor camping store and fill her system up with more items!


    She put on some comfortable clothes, grabbed her keys and wallet and left the house.


    She was craving coffee this morning and realized that she hasn''t stored any coffee in her system yet! One of Rayne''s favorite cafes was on the way to the car rental place and she decided to stop in on the way.


    Opening the door to the caf¨¦, a very pleasant scent greeted Rayne. She walked in and ordered all of her favorite drinks and pastries, making the girl at the counter think Rayne was buying coffee for her office.


    Rayne ended up ordering 10 different drinks, both hot and iced, as well as 6 different pastries. Thankfully the items were all packed neatly into two large paper bags, making it easy for Rayne to carry.


    Rayne left the caf¨¦ and walked a few steps down the road to a relatively secluded area. She placed the two bags down and squatted over them for some extra cover. Rayne then reached her hand into each bag and stored each drink and pastry into her system one by one. She replaced the contents back in the bag to avoid suspicion but she wasn''t in the mood to carry all these drinks around with her.


    Just then Rayne thought of the small homeless community that lived in the alley downtown and decided to give these two bags to them. She wished that she had stored some blankets in her system so that she could give those as well but unfortunately she did not.


    She pulled out another bag from her system and filled it with water bottles, street food, and even a few bars of soap she got at the hospital. She then went to deliver the three bags of goods to the small homeless community.


    "Hi, I have a few items I would like to gift you all. These two bags contain different kinds of coffee drinks and pastries, while this bag here has a couple of water bottles, street food and daily necessities. Please accept them!", said Rayne to the people who were sitting down on old blankets.


    The people looked at her with joy, "Oh thank you miss! We accept! We accept!".


    They then came over to the bags and passed around the items, thankfully there was more than enough for everyone so there weren''t any arguments.

 Chapter 12 Camp Supplies

    Rayne continued to the car rental location, feeling more determined to fill her system with items after her encounter with the homeless community. This experience gave her good insight on how she could be helpful to her community with the help of her system.


    The car rental location was inside of a large fancy hotel.


    Rayne walked through the grand lobby, taking in all of the beautiful art and architecture. Before long she found herself in front of the service counter.


    "Hello, I''m here to pick up a rental car. I made a reservation online", said Rayne to the older man behind the counter.


    "Sure thing miss! May I please see an ID?", replied the older man.


    Rayne gave him her ID and signed the relevant papers. A few minutes later she was standing in the parking garage with a set of keys in her hand.


    "Well it couldn''t hurt to put these into the system as well", said Rayne looking at the keys.


    The man at the service counter told Rayne that her rental car was in parking spot #308, so Rayne spent a few minutes walking around the garage.


    Having finally found the car, Rayne was pleasantly surprised! Online when she was booking the rental, it stated that she would be getting a smaller compact car. But the one in front of her was a larger SUV, and even had tinted windows!


    Rayne had previously owned a car, so she was a good driver.


    She decided to sell the car not long before her accident to save some money for her wedding, but now she was feeling a little regretful.


    Rayne sat down in the SUV and adjusted the seats and mirrors to her preference. She took advantage of the tinted windows to take out a copy of her favorite vanilla iced coffee. Taking a sip she felt energized and happy!


    The drive to the camping and outdoor superstore was very nice, and relatively quick. Soon she found herself in front of the store.


    "No wonder they call themselves a superstore, this place is massive!".


    She walked in with determination to store as many items as possible!


    Rayne made her way to the isle where the tents were, placing a box from every tent into her system. She did her best to choose a box that was further back on the self so that it would seem like she''s looking through the boxes.


    As usual, she replaced the item she stored immediately.


    She continued to the next aisle where there were tarps, tent hooks, covers and other tent related accessories.


    Continuing like this she made her way around storing different types of sleeping bags, coolers, blankets, weatherproof clothing, foldable tables and chairs, propane and electric lanterns, etc.


    By the time she made it over to the outdoor kitchen section she had already stored hundreds of items.


    In the kitchen supplies section she stored camping stoves, propane refill cylinders of every available size, pots, pans, knives, water packs, water purifiers etc.


    Rayne even found larger items such as wood stoves that were designed to use with certain tents. She was a little worried about storing such a large item, but tried it anyway.


    Soon a familiar dull pain spread through her head, but thankfully it went away after a few minutes. This gave Rayne the okay to store more items of larger sizes!


    She continued on storing full size and tabletop grills, different types of generators and even foldable solar panels!


    Rayne made her way around the store, storing everything. Her ability to use the system got better and better, and soon she no longer felt any pain when storing larger items.


    She stood in the final section of the store, the clothing and shoe section.


    Previously Rayne would only look for clothes in her size to store, but after her encounter with the homeless community she decided to store clothing in a variety of different sizes.


    She also had to be a lot more careful storing items because there were a lot of people shopping in the clothing department.


    After thinking for a moment Rayne went over to where the shopping carts were and grabbed one. She then walked around and filled the shopping cart with random clothing, creating a large messy pile inside her cart.


    Using the messy pile of clothing as cover, Rayne added a new clothing item, and stored one from the pile. This way she would keep the illusion of filling her shopping cart, without drawing attention to what she was actually doing.


    She walked from one clothing rack to another, storing clothing from tank tops to weatherproof winter coats. She went from the women''s section over to the men''s and repeated the process. She didn''t forget to work her way through the shoe section, adding many different kinds of boots.


    When Rayne finished she pushed her cart to the entrance of the fitting rooms and sneaked away.


    On her way out of the store, Rayne picked out a few small items to purchase. She spent a lot of time in the store and it would seem odd if she didn''t buy anything. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She picked up a small set of thermos cups and soup containers (which she already had in her system), and made her way over to the registers, picking up a few bags of beef jerky on the way.


    After she paid, she walked back to her rental car and headed home.


    ---


    "Baaabeee, when are you going to pay me back?", Krissy pouted. She was trying to free herself from Dillon''s embrace.


    "Soon babe, I promise. The bank has already launched an investigation into my account and they promised to return my money soon", replied Dillon, calmly lying without a change of expression.


    He tightened his grip around Krissy, kissing her on her neck.


    "Once this whole issue gets solved, I have a nice surprise for you".


    Hearing his sweet talk, Krissy''s eyes lit up and she stopped struggling. "Don''t tell me you ordered the limited edition purse I''ve been talking about!", she exclaimed.


    "Now, now, it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if I were to tell you. Now would it?", whispered Dillon as he unzipped her dress.


    Dillon was no longer as worried about his lack of money because a few nights ago he ran into a guy who offered him a high paying job. The man told him that all he had to do was hold onto a package, then pass it to another man the following week. The man offered to pay Dillon 10,000 dollars, making Dillon excitedly accept the job.


    Now Dillon only had to wait a few more days, and he''ll have the money he needed to party again.


    Krissy, feeling excited about the surprise, gave in to Dillon''s desires and turned around to kiss him. "Just be quick, I''m already late for work", she moaned.


    Recently Dillon''s sexual urges increased to a whole new level, causing Krissy to have to endure his poundings more often.


    When they first started dating, Dillon was very gentle with her, and always made sure that she was enjoying sex. But now he was like a fiend, demanding more and caring less.


    Krissy was still okay with it because he was her ticket to getting new luxury purses and jewelry, which was all she really wanted.


    Soon sounds of moving furniture could be heard due to Dillon''s rough thrusts. He flipped Krissy over on the couch so that she would face him. He lifted both of her legs over his shoulders and thrusted his hard cock forcefully inside of her, driving her into the couch.


    Krissy cried out with every thrust making him only more excited, causing him to increase his pace.


    ---


    Before driving all the way home, Rayne decided to stop by the homeless community once more. She parked her car by the alley and began filling up a few hiking backpacks with blankets, warm clothes of varying sizes, warm socks, water bottles, and packets of beef jerky.


    It took Rayne a few trips back and forth from the car to deliver everything. Along with the filled backpacks, Rayne also passed out a few tents and other relevant items she felt they could use.


    She wished she could do more to help these people get off the streets, but for now hopefully what she passed out could at least make them slightly more comfortable.


    "Ah miss, its you again! Thank you so much, you are really so kind", an elderly lady said while wiping the tears from her eyes. She was getting older and it was difficult for her to move around much, so the few items she had were all torn and barely usable.


    Her tent had many holes in it, causing her to get wet when it rained. She also used a large men''s coat as a blanket because she didn''t have one.


    Rayne helped the old woman set up the new tent she brought. She also gave the lady extra sleeping bags to make sleeping a little bit more comfortable.


    When she finished, the old woman wouldn''t stop crying while thanking her.


    Rayne felt undeserving of the thanks because she didn''t really help them out of their homelessness, she only made it a tiny bit more comfortable.

 Chapter 13 Invitation

    Rayne walked into her living room and laid down on her couch. She was a little tired after all the walking she did at the camping store, but overall she was happy with todays ''harvest''.


    Her system was now filled with any kind of outdoor/camping item she could think of, making her even more excited for her solo camping trip!


    While she laid on the couch and organized her system via the holographic screen, she felt her phone vibrate.


    Sitting up, she looked at her phone seeing a text message from a girl she went to university with.


    Hey Rayne, it''s Ella from University! I hope you''re doing well. I''m contacting you because I would like to invite you to PRISMA''s architectural gala. I remember that you were always very talented in your designs and this event could help you establish a few strong connections in the industry. I believe REN Corp is planning on doing some sort of event there too.


    The event is next Tuesday at 7pm. Let me know if you''re interested!


    Rayne read the message a few times. She remembered Ella!


    Ella was the typical quiet girl in class who always sat by the window and kept to herself. She was even more introverted than Rayne at that time so everyone usually left her alone.


    Rayne had one day decided to stay late in her design class and accidentally stumbled upon Ella''s designs. They were very unique and creative, much better than the designs of the so-called ''top students'' who always flaunted their work.


    "This should be interesting, I should go", said Rayne as she tapped the reply button on her phone.


    Rayne spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. It had started raining outside, cooling down the hot summer heat. The rain was pitter pattering softly against the windows, creating a relaxing ambiance.


    After a few hours of watching outdoor camping videos and eating snacks from her system, Rayne finally succumbed to sleep.


    She found herself in the same nightmare she had earlier, the only difference was that this time she was aware she was in a dream.


    The scenes that played before her were just as awful as they were last time.


    People were huddled together around a small open fire. They were all desperate for the warmth coming from the fire, uncaring if their frostbitten hands got burned by the open flames.


    One mother was holding her young child while softly crying in the corner. There was no happiness, no hope, only suffering on the peoples faces.


    There was only a little snow on the ground, but the temperature was colder than Rayne had ever experienced before.


    The luckier people were huddled around an old wood burning stove and wrapped in worn out blankets. They were taking turns sipping on hot water they made by boiling the snow on the ground.


    All of the people around were covered in dirt or dried blood. The cold temperatures made everyone too scared to bathe or even wipe themselves, causing many to get sick for reasons other than the cold temperatures.


    Soft cries mixed with coughing could be heard within every group of people. The ones who weren''t sick kept their heads down, knowing that their turn would be coming up next.


    Rayne took in everyone''s hopeless expression and a chill ran down her.


    "What is happening? Why am I seeing these horrific scenes?!", yelled Rayne. She collapsed to the ground and started crying.


    Rayne woke up with a few small tears in her eyes. "Why do I keep having these horrible nightmares? I used to never really get nightmares".


    The rain outside picked up in intensity turning into a storm. The streaks of lightning lit up the dark apartment in bright flashes and the thunder made it feel like the building was shaking.


    Rayne got up feeling a bit unnerved. She stood up rubbing her arms, feeling cold.


    Walking over to the kitchen, she decided to make a hot cup of tea. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a jar of chamomile tea. The tea released a very nice and calming aroma, helping Rayne ease her nerves.


    While the water boiled for the tea, Rayne decided to take a hot shower to help warm herself up. She couldn''t shake the cold feeling she felt in her nightmare, it chilled her down to the bone.


    The hot water poured over her body, making her delicate skin turn red. Rayne stood under the running water until she began to feel warm again.


    After the hot shower went back to the kitchen to drink the tea she prepared.


    Having warmed up and calmed down, Rayne finally felt her stomach growl. She pulled up the holographic system screen and looked through the ''Prepared Foods'' folder to see if she had anything warming.


    She scrolled through the list until she found the one thing she wanted, soup. Rayne frowned looking at the icon of the only soup she had stored, the hospital soup.


    "Nope! I''m not going to force myself to drink that again! Looks like I''ll have to add better soup options to my system.", said Rayne to herself as she walked over to the refrigerator.


    She pulled out some ground chicken, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, rice and chicken broth. First, she took a little bit of rice and cooked it to about half doneness. She took that half cooked rice and mixed it with the ground chicken, added spices, and formed small meatballs.


    In a pot she added some butter then threw in the diced onion, carrot, and celery that she prepped while the rice cooked. About 5 minutes later she poured in the chicken broth and waited until it came to a boil.


    Once the soup started boiling, she added the meatballs as well as some diced potatoes. The soup boiled for about 15 minutes before Rayne added the fresh chopped parsley.


    Before pouring herself a bowl, Rayne decided to add the pot of soup to her system first. She figured this could help her in the future if she ever had to cook for others.


    She poured herself a bowl and stored it once more, for convenience sake.


    The soup was hot and delicious! Made with simple ingredients and fresh herbs, it warmed the body and soothed the stomach. Rayne ate it with much relish, sipping even the last bits of broth. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having a full belly and time before heading to bed, Rayne decided to spend more time in the kitchen preparing various dishes to store in her system. She made dumplings, salads, pasta dishes and a few different baked desserts!


    Satisfied with her now better stocked system, Rayne went to bed.


    The next morning Rayne woke up early. She was happy to see that the rain had stopped, replaced by the bright summer sun.


    Soon various hiking backpacks could be seen being filled with clothing. Rayne spent about an hour preparing for her upcoming camping trip. She wanted to have enough items packed so that it wouldn''t be suspicious if she had to pull items out of her system.


    As Rayne walked out of the apartment building, carrying a large hiking backpack and a cooler, she heard a snark.


    "Looks like our pretty princess is still on vacation mode. Do tell us working folk, where are you heading off to now?", old Mrs. Barton sneered. She was enjoying the sun on the bench in front of the building, when she saw Rayne walk out with an expensive new cooler in her hand.


    As soon as she saw this cooler her jealousy took over! She had been wanting this cooler for a long time!


    Her husband used to work as a fisherman, and had always had a fondness for fish. Because he usually requests to eat fish a few times a week, she ends up taking long trips to the fish market in the neighboring city regularly.


    This cooler was designed for comfort, style and reliability. She could place many fish in it and not worry about transporting them over such a long distance.


    Because of this, she''s been asking her son to buy her this cooler. But after discovering the super high price, she knew her son wouldn''t spend that much on her.


    "Hello Mrs. Barton", replied Rayne calmly. "I am indeed going out for a few days. The doctor told me to take my time adjusting to society, and recommended that I spent more time surrounded by nature. Therefore, I''ve decided to go camping".


    "I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day", said Rayne as she continued on her way to the rental car.


    She wasn''t sure why she kept getting targeted by Old Lady Barton, but she made a mental note to try and avoid her in the future.


    Rayne finally made it over to her rental car that was parked in the parking lot beside her apartment building. She was glad that she decided to only bring down one backpack and cooler, else she felt her arms would fall off.


    She sat down in the driver''s seat and reached back to place some tents, tarps, and a grill on the back seat. With everything in order, she set her navigation system to the park!

 Chapter 14 Camping

    When Rayne finally made it over to the park, it was already midafternoon. Thankfully the sun was shining, drying up the puddles from the previous day''s rain.


    Rayne walked over to the service desk and was greeted by the park ranger.


    "Hello! Welcome to Three Falls Park! How may I help you today?", asked the park ranger. She was a middle aged woman with short brown hair. Her most notable feature was her great height!


    Rayne looked up at the woman thinking that she was at least 6ft tall!


    "Hello! I have a reservation for a campground. Here is my ID", said Rayne while placing her ID on the counter.


    "Oh perfect, let''s get you checked in!", replied the park ranger.


    "Lets see, we have you reserved for lot 48. It''s in a great spot, very close to one of the larger waterfalls in our park!", she said, smiling at Rayne.


    The park ranger handed over the receipt and the parking pass, along with a coupon to the small campground store.


    Lastly, she handed Rayne a small booklet, "Here is a booklet with our parks rules and regulations, as well as a fold out map of the park. Please enjoy your stay!".


    Rayne walked back to her car, opening the booklet to take a look at the park map. Her lot was on the east side of the park, on the outskirts of the designated camping area.


    She decided to stop by the small campground store on the way to her campsite. The store was indeed small, selling a mix of food items and small camping equipment like flashlights and batteries.


    Rayne walked through the store filling her cart with random snacks and items she didn''t have in her system. She grabbed a can of all her favorite sodas, ice cream bars, instant soup packets and of course items for smores!


    The mean looking lady at the register glanced at Rayne with a judgmental look when she saw how many items Rayne picked out. Without saying a greeting she began to scan the items, making the atmosphere a little stiff.


    Rayne got back to her rental car, holding a few bags of items she had just purchased. Sitting down in the driver''s seat, she pulled out the map once more and memorized the route to her campsite.


    She drove through the scenic forest admiring the beauty of the tall trees and small wildlife. A few fluffy rabbits scattered as they heard the car approach. Rayne was so excited to see the small, cute creatures and hoped to see more around her campsite!


    Before long she spotted a wooden pole with a sign on it that said "Campsite 48". Raye drove her car directly on to the campground and got out of the car.


    The campsite was larger than what she had expected! It was surrounded by very tall trees and small plants.


    She noticed a large stream flowing with crystal clear water just a few steps down from her campsite.


    After walking around her campsite she began to unpack and set up her tent. She looked around her system to see the different kinds of tent options she had stored. After clicking on the "Tents" folder she was shocked at how many different options she had!


    There were micro 1 person tents all the way to blow-up castle options!


    "Hmm, I should have looked through these before I got here", mumbled Rayne. Since Rayne stored the items with their packaging on, she could only go off of the small picture that was on each tent box.


    She scrolled some more before giving up. "I have no idea which one to choose! I guess I''ll just choose whatever the 12th tent is in the list!".


    Rayne scrolled down the list from the top, and counted until the 12th icon. Without even glancing at what kind of tent it was, she clicked the icon and began to set it up.


    Twenty minutes later Rayne began to regret her decision. The tent in front of her looked more like a house! It was an enormous, three room, inflatable glamping tent! The only benefit was that it was an inflatable type tent, making the set up very easy after the initial stage of spreading it out.


    She walked inside when it finished inflating and was stunned! She could easily stand inside this tent! She even reckoned that the tall park ranger who checked her in, could stand comfortably inside of this tent!


    As Rayne was marveling at the tent she randomly chose she heard some people talking outside.


    "Mom! Mom! Look at that tent!!! It''s like a house!", a young boy shouted excitedly.


    Rayne walked out of her tent and saw some people setting up in the neighboring lot. A young boy around 10 or 11 years old was staring at her tent excitedly. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Luke! Please don''t yell, we need to be respectful of our neighbors! Do you remember what I told you in the car? People come here to relax, and we need to keep our voices down", said a woman who was dragging a tent from her car.


    The woman placed the tent on the ground and walked over towards Rayne. She maintained a respectful distance and apologized for her son''s shouting. "I really apologize, I am camping here with three boys, and I will try my best to make sure they keep the shouting to a minimum.


    Rayne walked over smiling. "Hello, I''m Rayne, and I am solo camping. No worries about the noise, I can see the kids are excited to be here".


    "Oh where are my manners? I''m Natalie and my two sons are Luke and Isaac", Natalie said pointing at the boy who shouted, then another boy who was standing beside the car.


    "It''s Isaac''s birthday weekend, and he wanted to go camping with his friend Dave to celebrate", she said smiling then pointing to another boy who was standing next to Isaac.


    "Ah that sounds like so much fun! And happy birthday to your son!" replied Rayne.


    Natalie excused herself saying she needed to set up the tents, while the boys ran around exploring the campground.


    Rayne went back to continue setting up as well. She walked back inside the tent and pulled a number of items out of her system, since she had all this space in her tent.


    She first took out a king size inflatable mattress, followed by an inflatable couch.


    Rayne scratched her head while looking at the couch, she didn''t even know that such a thing existed!


    "Oh well, I guess I''ll just experience glamping", she laughed.


    When Rayne finished setting up her tent, she realized it looked more like a livable house. Her ''bedroom'' had a king size mattress, a super plush sleeping bag, blankets, and even a rug!


    The second room was converted into a mini kitchen with top of the line camping appliances. It had a propane stove that converted into a table, a sink that hooked up to a water reserve and could pump water, and a rack with cooking utensils!


    The ''living room'' felt like an actual living room. The inflatable couch was large enough for three people to sit comfortably, and was decorated with pillows and blankets. There was a collapsible coffee table in front of the couch, which was where Rayne planned on eating.


    The tent even had a collapsible screen that worked with a projector to act as a TV, but Rayne felt that was a little over the top and didn''t use it.


    She walked out of the tent and couldn''t help but look over at her neighbors campsite. Natalie had just finished setting up the second tent and was blowing up the air mattresses.


    The first tent was a very small old tent. It was a very faded yellow color, and a few spots looked like they were torn. The second tent was a bit bigger, looking to fit two or three adults. Rayne figured that the larger tent was for the boys, while Natalie would take the very small tent.


    Rayne noticed that they only had one air mattress, most likely for Dave since he was a guest. The rest of them pulled out three worn out sleeping bags from the trunk of their old car.


    Natalie went over back to the car and Rayne overheard the boys talking.


    "Isaac! You promised that I would get to sleep in a big tent! This tent is so small, the three of us will barely fit! If my dad was here, we would have a tent that big!!", Dave said to Isaac, unhappily, pointing to Raynes'' tent.


    "This is a big tent! Mom bought this big tent for us!", replied Isaac, keeping his head down.


    "Yeah! Mom saved a lot of money to buy this tent for us! Look, it''s big, I can stand up inside!", said Luke, standing up in the tent.


    Rayne frowned hearing this, she didn''t want to be the reason why these kids got into an argument. She was also unhappy with this boy! If he was a friend, why would he say such things to him?

 Chapter 15 Camping 2

    Rayne decided to ignore the situation for now. She felt that if she were to bring this up to Natalie, it might embarrass her. If she heard anything worse she would tell Natalie at that time.


    It was still light out so Rayne decided to take a short walk around before dinner.


    She went back inside her tent to grab the park map and to change into hiking boots.


    The trail Rayne chose was the one that was closest to her campsite. It was a small dirt path that led across the stream and into a wooded area. She checked the map and saw that this trail was the one that led to one of the waterfalls she wanted to go see.


    However it was a somewhat long walk and Rayne didn''t want to be in the woods after dark, so she decided to go see the waterfall tomorrow.


    As she walked she couldn''t help but marvel at how beautiful the nature in this park was. The large rocks and green trees felt like works of art! Feeling inspired Rayne discreetly took out a sketchbook and her trusted drawing pencil from her system. She found a rock that she could sit on comfortably and began to sketch her surroundings.


    There was a nice breeze, allowing the trees and plants to sway beautifully. Small critters ran around scavenging for food, and birds chirped.


    Rayne listened to the sounds of nature and felt very relaxed. She enjoyed sketching so much she found herself sketching designs for a forest cabin, which then turned into a rough set of architectural blueprints!


    She laughed at herself, "Looks like my brain always pivots to creating new designs even when I''m relaxing!".


    She looked up and noticed that the sun was starting to set, giving her the cue to head back to her campsite.


    As she entered the campsite she heard her neighbors sing happy birthday as Natalie held a small chocolate cake.


    Isaac was in the middle of the group smiling, waiting to blow out the candles. When the singing ended, Rayne joined in on the clapping and wished him a happy birthday.


    Feeling festive, Rayne wanted to gift Isaac something and walked back to her tent to see what she could pull out of her system.


    She remembered the tattered old sleeping bags they had and felt that it would be an appropriate gift!


    Rayne pulled out a new brand name sleeping bag from her system and walked over to the neighboring campsite. As she walked closer she saw Isaac opening a gift from his mother. It was a handheld gaming device that was popular with kids!


    "Wow! It''s the newest one! Thanks mom!!", Isaac cried out happily. Natalie smiled seeing how happy her son was with the gift. She had to work overtime for a few months to save up for this gaming device, but seeing her son so happy was worth it.


    Rayne came over smiling, "Happy birthday Isaac! I know it''s not anything too exciting but I''d like to give you a gift too".


    "Oh! Please Rayne, you really don''t have to", said Natalie, rejecting the gift.


    "I insist. It was something I had extra of and didn''t plan on using. Hearing that it''s your son''s birthday I felt that it must be fate, so please allow me to gift it to him", explained Rayne cheerfully.


    She handed Isaac the box and watched him open it.


    "Oh wow! It''s a brand new sleeping bag! Look how soft it is!", exclaimed Isaac.


    "Isaac, be sure to thank Miss Rayne for the gift, it was incredibly nice of her", said Natalie.


    Isaac turned to Rayne with a big smile on his face, "Thank you miss Rayne, I look forward to sleeping on this tonight!".


    Rayne smiled and nodded. The boys ran back into their tent to play with the new gaming console, and Natalie turned over to Rayne.


    "Thank you again for your gift, I can tell that the sleeping bag was not a cheap one. Could I invite you to join us for dinner tonight?", asked Natalie.


    Rayne thought about it, and felt that it might be fun and agreed. "Let me bring over a few ingredients. I bought way too many for myself anyways".


    Rayne stood up and jogged back to her tent before Natalie could stop her. She pulled up the holographic system screen and began to scroll through her food options.


    Natalie was grilling hotdogs, so Rayne decided to take out a few bags of chips, a few cans of soda, and a few fruit cups that she got from the hospital. She placed the items in a bag and brought them over to Natalie''s campsite.


    When Natalie saw all the things Rayne brought over she said, "Why did you bring so many things over? I invited you over, but here we are eating all of your food!".


    Rayne smiled, "Please, you are helping me out by eating it! How could I possibly finish all of these snacks on my own?". She placed the items out on the table for everyone to enjoy.


    The kids inside the tent heard the commotion and came over to the table. "Wow Mom! We got so many snacks!! This is the best birthday ever!", shouted Isaac. He reached over to grab a bag of chips and a soda. The other two boys followed his lead.


    Natalie saw this scene and smiled. She saw the boys run back into their tent with the snacks in their hands and yelled, "Boys make sure you leave room for dinner! You can''t just eat snacks, okay?".


    She then turned to Rayne and said, "Thank you. The boys are so happy today. I rarely buy snacks and drinks so this is really special".


    Rayne chatted with Natalie for the rest of the evening, discussing mostly topics about the park and nature.


    When the temperature cooled down, Rayne decided to head back to her tent. She turned on an oil lamp which instantly lit up the inside of her tent in a soft glow.


    She wasn''t tired yet so she pulled out a book she packed earlier and began to read it. Having got so absorbed into the book Rayne lost track of time.


    Crunch! Rayne quietly jumped up from the inflatable couch. She heard the sounds of leaves rustling and twigs crunching.


    She quietly walked out of the tent to take a look around, holding a knife in her hand. Thankfully the moon was out, allowing Rayne to observe her surroundings.


    She looked around and saw a boy walk out from a tent in the neighboring campsite. He walked over to the table, then went to sit by the stream.


    Rayne was worried for the boy''s safety and decided to quietly follow him. She walked over to the table he stopped by first and noticed the handheld gaming console that Isaac got as a present. She decided to pick it up and head over to the boy.


    She walked quietly, trying not to alert him. She wanted to know what he was doing up at this hour of the night.


    As Rayne got closer she realized that it was Dave and heard him mumble, "It''s so unfair that Isaac got the new console game before me. His family is so poor, they shouldn''t be able to afford it! Now all the people at school are going to want to hang out with him and not me". S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dave then picked up a rock and tossed it into the stream.


    Rayne frowned when she heard him talk. She felt that this boy was not a good friend, and was curious how far he would go.


    Rayne looked at the game console in her hand and thought, Surely he wouldn''t go as far as stealing?


    She quietly walked back to the table and placed the game console on the table after making a copy of it in her system. Then she walked farther back behind a tree to observe the situation while staying hidden.


    Rayne watched Dave throw a few small pebbles into the stream. He looked extremely upset and was venting his emotions by throwing more and more rocks.


    After a few minutes Dave walked back up to the table and grabbed the console. He stood there looking at it with jealousy and hatred.


    What Rayne did not expect was that after Dave fiddled with the game console, he walked down to the stream and threw it right into the water.


    Rayne was so angry!


    "This boy needs to be taught a lesson, such an awful character at such a young age is really heartbreaking!".


    She watched Dave walk back to his tent. He was extra careful to be as quiet as possible, making Rayne frown even more.


    After Rayne was sure that Dave wouldn''t come out anymore she went back to her tent to sleep. She decided to tell Natalie about Dave''s unhealthy behavior.


    The next morning Rayne woke up to Isaacs cries, "I swear I left it right next to my pillow before I went to sleep last night! I can''t find it anywhere!".


    (A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the missed update days, I''ve had some personal matters come up. I''ve also been working on fine tuning the outline for the next arc of the story, which will help me get more chapters out (faster) in the future.


    I am also considering a few mass releases for the future.


    I appreciate your patience, and a big thank you for reading my novel! <3


    -Ophilliya


    )

 Chapter 16 Camping 3

    Rayne immediately knew what was going on. Isaac had woken up and realized that his game console was missing.


    She dressed up and left her tent, heading over to Natalie''s campground. She brought a paper bag with fruits, and a copy of Isaacs game console.


    As she walked over she saw Natalie helping Isaac and Luke dig through the tent, trying to find the game console.


    Isaac was in tears, frantically searching all over the tent. Natalie was trying to stay calm, and keep Isaac calm while searching through the sleeping bags.


    "Don''t worry Isaac, it''s somewhere here. I saw you bring it into the tent with you last night", said Natalie.


    "Dave you wanted to play with it last night, have you seen it?", Luke looked over to Dave and asked.


    Dave shook his head, "Nope, you guys wouldn''t let me play with it so I just went to bed". He just stood outside the tent, looking oddly happy.


    "Are you sure? I feel like I saw you playing it in the middle of the night", probed Luke. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dave got really angry. "Yes I''m sure! Are you saying that I stole it? Go ahead and check my stuff!! Some friends you are!", he shouted.


    "Calm down everyone! I don''t believe that it could have gone far. Dave if you don''t mind, let us check your bag, maybe it was misplaced.", said Natalie, looking at the three boys.


    Rayne walked over, and gave Dave a cold glance.


    "I couldn''t help but overhear that you''ve lost something. Last night I had a dream that a little thief was tossing things into the stream".


    Dave froze, looking up at Rayne. "Whhaat... what do you mean?".


    Natalie looked over at Dave and saw his frightened expression and her face darkened. But before she could say anything Rayne took the game console out of the paper bag and presented it to Isaac.


    "I woke up in the middle of the night to go use the bathroom, and noticed that this was sitting on the table outside. I was worried that it might rain so I decided to hold on to it until the morning for you".


    Isaac lit up, holding the console that Rayne handed over. "Thank you! I was worried that I was unlucky again! I''ve lost many cool things before which made me feel like I was an unlucky person. I will take care of this gift much better!".


    Rayne looked over at Dave and thought , I''m sure that your ''unluckiness'' is this boy you call a friend.


    After handing over the bag with fruit Rayne turned to walk back to her campsite, but realized that Natalie was following behind her.


    "Hey Rayne. I get the feeling that you know something about what happened, mind telling me?", Natalie walked over and asked Rayne.


    "Sure, I will tell you what I saw", replied Rayne, and continued, "Last night I saw Dave come out holding the game console. He placed it on the table before he went down to the stream and began throwing rocks.


    I overheard him complaining about how Isaac got this gift, and eventually jealousy overtook him. Once I realized that he had intentions to throw the console into the stream, I grabbed it off the table for safe keeping.


    I know it''s not my place to say this but I don''t believe that Dave is a good friend to your son", Rayne explained. Of course, she skipped the part where Dave actually threw the console into the water.


    Natalie looked horrified, "Thank you for telling me this. Once we are back home I will have to have a serious conversation with Isaac".


    When the two finished talking Rayne went back to her tent to freshen up. Today she planned to take full advantage of the sunlight to go hiking towards the waterfall she wanted to see yesterday.


    -----


    Dillon was sitting on his couch at his apartment feeling bored. He was recently fired from his job because he kept skipping days due to being hungover.


    Now he had little money, and fewer things to do. Krissy had work during the day and couldn''t keep him company. Dillon didn''t tell her about him losing his job because he didn''t want to lose his ''rich boy'' image.


    He glanced at the small sealed box that was sitting on the coffee table. He had finally heard back from the guy who gave it to him, saying that he needed to drop it off at 11pm on Tuesday at Club Solstice.


    "This guy better not rip me off, I need the cash bad", sighed Dillon.


    He turned off the TV since nothing interesting was playing and looked around the room. Looking at the clock he realized that Krissy wouldn''t be back for at least a few more hours.


    Leaning back against the couch, Dillon picked up his phone and opened his favorite porn site. Unzipping his pants, he figured he could relieve some of his boredom until Krissy came back.


    He repeated this process multiple times until Krissy finally came home. When she opened the apartment door, what greeted her was Dillon''s erection.


    She didn''t even get enough time to take her shoes off before Dillon led her to the bedroom and bent her over the bed. He hiked up her black pencil skirt and ripped the crotch area of her tights with his hands before he shoved his cock inside.


    He kept Krissy on the bed for hours before he was finally tired enough to relax.


    Krissy lay on the bed trying to catch her breath. "This surprise better be worth bullying me like this", she muttered, feeling exhausted.


    ---


    Rayne was walking along a dirt trail through the forest, enjoying the views of the forests and mountains. The sun was shining brightly, and there was a nice cool breeze helping Rayne with the summer heat.


    After walking along the trail for about 40 minutes, Rayne could finally hear the sounds of running water.


    She picked up her pace and before long she arrived in front of a large, beautiful waterfall. She went to stand on the bridge that was directly in front of the waterfall, and felt the water mist coming off the water on her skin.


    She stood there enjoying the view before taking out her phone and taking a few pictures. She would use these photos for drawing inspiration in the future!


    After she finished admiring the waterfall, Rayne decided to walk further up the trail. The park was large, and she didn''t encounter anyone else on the way.


    She hiked for most of the morning, and ended up in a higher part of the mountain. She heard someone talking a little farther up ahead, so she slowed down and lightened her steps.


    "Tell the boss that this location could potentially be suitable. The only issue is lack of flat land".


    A man who looked like a lawyer was talking on his phone. Rayne felt intimidated by him and wanted to turn around to walk back to her campsite.


    Just as Rayne was about to turn around, someone grabbed her by the shoulders from behind.


    "Oh who do we have here? A little eavesdropper?", said the man who was holding her.


    "Hey Tak, I found this young woman listening in on your phone call", shouted the man behind her.


    Rayne struggled to get out of his grip, but he didn''t let her.


    "Please, I was just walking along the trail, I wasn''t eavesdropping! I didn''t hear anything!", pleaded Rayne. She was very frightened, she felt like these men wouldn''t think twice before killing her.


    Tak, the lawyer looking man, finished his phone call and casually walked over towards Rayne. He glanced at her, seeing her hiking boots and the park map in her hand.


    "Let''s go, I''ve finished giving the status update. We need to head to the next location", he said casually.


    "What should we do with her? I can kill her if you want", said the man holding Rayne.


    "Don''t bother killing her, we don''t have time to clean it up", replied Tak. Then he turned around and began walking down the mountain.


    "It''s your lucky day lady! You get to keep your life!". The man then searched her and took her phone and park map and threw them down into a ravine.


    He then took a sack and placed it over Rayne''s head, and tied her to a tree.


    "Hahaha! Be a good girl and reflect upon yourself. It''s rude to eavesdrop, next time I won''t be so kind".


    Rayne then heard footsteps walk away. Her heart was racing, she''s never been in such a situation. She stood, leaning against the tree she was tied to, trying to calm herself.


    "I am alive, and I can get out of this. It''s going to be okay", she whispered to herself a few times.


    Rayne knew that panicking wouldn''t help her, she needed to be calm so that she could think clearly. She had her system, and knew it would be the ticket that would get her out of here.

 Chapter 17 Heading Home

    Rayne took a few minutes to think. First, she needed to free herself from the rope that was wrapped around her.


    She remembered the utility scissors she had bought from the outdoor camping store. She closed her eyes and visualized the scissors in her system.


    After a moment, the scissors appeared in her hand. She carefully wiggled her hand to position the scissors on the rope.


    Just as she felt she was about to cut through the rope, the scissors fell out of her hand.


    She repeated the process of retrieving the scissors from her system and tried again to cut the rope.


    This time, she managed to get the scissors into a better angle and cut the rope, freeing herself from the tree.


    Rayne took off the sack that had been placed over her head, restoring her vision.


    She looked around warily, hoping that no one was around, especially those two men.


    Thankfully, Rayne did not hear or see anyone in the area. She picked up the scissors she had dropped earlier and put them in the system trash bin. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She reached into her pocket to get her cellphone, but she didn''t feel anything. Then she remembered that it had been tossed down into the ravine.


    Rayne opened her system screen and retrieved a copy of her phone. Unfortunately, all of the photos she had taken of the waterfall were gone, but Rayne wasn''t in the mood to worry about that.


    All she wanted to do was get back safely. She took out a water bottle from the system and drank it all before setting off back to her campsite.


    The walk back was uneventful. Rayne ran into a few small groups of hikers but quickly walked past them after giving a brief greeting.


    Normally, Rayne would have stopped to chat with the hikers, commenting on how pretty the scenery was. However, after her recent incident, she was much more on edge.


    Rayne finally made it back to her tent and sat down on the inflatable couch. She placed her hand over her eyes and started crying. The adrenaline wore off, and fear and sadness took over.


    She sat there quietly crying for a while, letting all of her emotions out.


    Her eyes were red and swollen after she finished crying. Streaks from where the tears had traveled were left on her face.


    Rayne finally stood up. She told herself that the only way she would get over feeling helpless was to improve herself. She was more determined than ever to learn from her self-defense instructor.


    It was no longer just an activity to make exercise more enjoyable; it was to gain the skills to save herself.


    Rayne walked outside to wash her face in the cold stream. On her way there, she noticed that Natalie''s campsite was empty. Rayne figured that after what happened with Dave, Natalie wouldn''t feel like entertaining him any longer.


    She squatted on the bank of the stream and splashed cold water over her face.


    The cold water felt very refreshing on her skin, helping her clear her thoughts.


    She stared at the flowing water, trying to figure out what she wanted to do next. Truthfully, she didn''t really want to stay another night. Camping gave a sense of adventure and excitement, but what Rayne wanted now was a feeling of security.


    She walked back to her tent and began packing everything up. This trip was meant for fun and relaxation, and if she was no longer getting those things, then there was no point in staying.


    The sun was still up, giving Rayne plenty of time to pack and hit the road before it got dark.


    The packing process was relatively easy. The high-quality design of the tent made it very simple to deflate and fold.


    Rayne didn''t bother putting the tent back in its packaging; she simply placed the roughly folded tent in the back of her car. Once all the other items were placed in the car, Rayne went around and put everything into the trash bin of her system. She only kept a few smaller items, like the cooler and hiking backpack, for show.


    Rayne drove toward the entrance of the park, stopping by the service counter. She was greeted by the tall female park ranger who helped her check in.


    "Oh, you know you still have one night left on your reservation?" said the park ranger, looking at the computer screen.


    "Ah, yes, I know. Unfortunately, something came up at home, and I need to leave earlier," Rayne lied. She decided not to tell the ranger about the two men because she knew that if she mentioned them, she would need to give a police statement.


    The man on the phone mentioned a "boss," and Rayne knew that they were more than just two thugs. She felt that if she got too involved, these people would find her, and she wasn''t ready for that.


    After she finished checking out, Rayne drove straight home, stopping only to refuel the car.


    While driving, she took out a sweet caramel iced coffee from her system, sipping it occasionally. The sweet taste lifted her mood little by little, allowing Rayne to arrive back home in a rather cheerful mood.


    She peeked around the corner before walking toward the entrance of the apartment building. Rayne let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that old Mrs. Barton was not there today and quickly walked into the building.


    After entering her apartment, Rayne ran to take a shower. She hadn''t showered while at the campground and felt a little gross.


    The warm water of the shower somewhat substituted for the warmth of a hug that she had been craving since the incident in the mountains, lifting her spirits.


    Rayne spent the rest of the day at home watching TV, reading, drawing, and cooking a few easy meals.


    She also did a little bit of research about the event that Ella invited her to. She found out that the event was quite formal. Many top figures in the design/architectural world would be there, along with many important companies looking for promising talent.


    "It seems like this event is quite exclusive. I''m honored that Ella invited me," Rayne said while reading more on the event.


    At the bottom of the event website was a special mention:


    [ Special Guest: REN Corp. will be hosting a design contest. The top three designs will win a contract with REN Corp. to design their next office buildings!


    Top prize: an exclusive contract for a secret project!


    This is an extremely rare opportunity to work with one of the most lucrative and elite corporations in the country! ]


    "REN Corp., huh? This might be interesting! I''d like to try and see if it''s fate that we work together!"


    Rayne went to her bedroom and opened the small safe in her closet. She kept all of her important documents there, along with a large leather folder containing her portfolio.


    All of her best designs were stored inside the portfolio, showcasing her best work. Rayne was always quite proud of her work because she put a lot of effort into each design, perfecting it.


    "Winning a contract could help me secure an income for a bit while working at my own pace," Rayne smiled as she carried her portfolio to the kitchen table.


    Before she began to organize the designs inside the folder, Rayne stored it in her system.


    She picked out the most recent design she had worked on before the coma. It was a multi-story hotel blueprint that was extremely unique and creative. The exterior architecture was very different from the interior, but the way Rayne designed it created a unique, cohesive synergy.


    Picking up the blueprint, Rayne studied the near-finished design and decided it was time to finish it. She felt that this hotel design could help her get a spot in the contest at the gala.


    She retrieved her pencil case with her specialty blueprint utensils and sat down, spending the rest of the night and the next day finishing the design.


    Tuesday morning, Rayne woke up a bit late but in good spirits.


    She stayed up late finishing the design to her perfect standard. Overall, she was very happy with the completed blueprint. This was probably one of the best works she''d ever created.


    Rayne placed the blueprints back into the portfolio folder and stored the updated portfolio in the system. She placed the portfolio back into her safe and got ready to attend her self-defense class.


    She had messaged Brent the day before and asked if they could meet earlier in the day since she needed time to get ready for the gala. He agreed, and they moved the lesson two hours earlier, allowing Rayne to schedule a hair and makeup appointment right after.


    She got dressed in her sports attire and ate a light breakfast, consisting of a hard-boiled egg and a cup of tea. She cheered herself up by telling herself that she would treat herself to something delicious after her lesson.

 Chapter 18 Getting Ready

    When Rayne arrived at the gym, Brent was doing warm-up stretches, followed by some basic fighting stances.


    Rayne watched in awe as he performed these movements with seemingly effortless precision.


    "Ah, Rayne, you''re here. Come on over, and let''s begin from where I left off last week," said Brent, waving Rayne over to him.


    She put her whole heart into today''s lesson, engraving every movement and word Brent said into her memory.


    Brent looked over at her, noticing the seriousness she displayed. He could see the fire in her eyes; she seemed almost desperate to improve with every motion.


    "Hey, did something happen these last few days? You seem a bit different from last week."


    Rayne paused and looked up at him. Although this was just her second class, she considered Brent her teacher.


    She calmly recounted her experience on the mountain and how she narrowly escaped death.


    Hearing the story, Brent''s expression turned serious, even more so after he had Rayne describe what the two men looked like. She unfortunately never got a good look at the man who was restraining her, but she described the lawyer-looking man named Tek.


    Brent''s gaze turned cold. He knew this person. Tek was part of Damien''s group, and although he wasn''t someone high up in the rankings, he was still a small-time leader in the group.


    "Rayne, you were smart not to report this to the park rangers or the police. Such people have no morals, and if they found out you reported them, the only outcome would have been your death," said Brent.


    Rayne was a little surprised to hear this. Brent gave off a strong ex-military vibe, and she thought that he would have scolded her for not doing the "right" thing.


    After hearing about the close call Rayne experienced, Brent changed a few of the moves he had been teaching her. He was originally going to wait longer until her muscles were more adjusted, but seeing her determination, he began to teach her ways to protect herself.


    Rayne requested to learn how to break free from being held, so Brent spent the rest of the lesson demonstrating and teaching Rayne various ways of breaking free.


    After the self-defense lesson, Rayne left feeling a little sore but empowered. She successfully managed to break free from Brent''s grip, marking a success in having learned her first self-defense move.


    She quickly went home to shower before heading to the salon for her beauty appointment.


    Brent stepped into his office after Rayne left and called Ian.


    "Hey boss, I have some new information. My self-defense student ran into Damien''s men at Three Falls Park. Based on what little she heard, it seems like they''re scouting land for something."


    "Why would they scout land at a country-owned park? Something seems off," replied Ian over the phone. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am also curious about this, but if Tek is involved, then we can assume it''s important," said Brent.


    "Hmm, thank you for telling me about this. I will let Julian know," said Ian before hanging up the phone.


    Ian grabbed the keys off the counter and left for REN Corp. headquarters.


    The moment he arrived at the large office building, the experienced secretary had already alerted Noah of Ian''s visit.


    Ian curtly nodded at the secretary and stepped into the president''s elevator, heading towards Julian''s office.


    Noah greeted his older brother as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Hey Ian, what brings you over today? It''s unlike you to simply visit," asked Noah.


    "I have some information for the boss. It seemed important, so I came here as soon as I got off the phone with Brent," replied Ian.


    "From Brent? Interesting how he came across some information we haven''t heard already," questioned Noah as he led Ian to Julian''s office.


    Julian was a little surprised to see Ian in his office but figured that only meant he had something important to discuss.


    "Noah, postpone the meeting for another 30 minutes. I want to hear what Ian has to say."


    Noah picked up his cell phone and stepped out to make a call, returning shortly after.


    "Boss, Brent called me just now with some interesting information. He has a new student at his gym, and she had an encounter with Tek over the weekend at Three Falls Park," said Ian.


    "How do we know it''s Damien''s Tek and not some other guy with the same name?" questioned Noah.


    "Brent asked the girl to give a description, and what she described was undoubtedly that Tek. The thing I am more curious about is what they were looking for up in those mountains?" said Ian, glancing over at Julian.


    The office was filled with silence for a few minutes while the men thought of reasons.


    Julian looked up and said, "I''m not totally convinced of this, but I think Damien is looking for a place to hide off the grid."


    He frowned and then continued, "Looks like our plan B will have to go into effect sooner than I thought. Noah, you will go to the PRISMA gala tonight and find the most talented and suitable architect to design the bunker. We need to begin construction as soon as possible."


    "Are you sure, boss? I was going to let Manager Ross handle the event. Don''t you need me at the business dinner with S Corp. tonight?" asked Noah.


    "I can handle the business dinner myself. It''s just that old greedy pig who keeps trying to win me over to get some funding. Finding the right architect for this job is very important, and I only trust you with this," replied Julian.


    He then turned to Ian, "I''m sure you already know what I''m going to say. Send your men out to locate and tail Tek. I also want people sent to Three Falls Park ASAP to see what they were looking at over there."


    "Got it, I''ll go take care of that right now," Ian nodded and walked out of the office.


    "I can''t help but feel like something world-shattering is going to happen soon," sighed Julian.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Rayne made it to the salon a few minutes before the time for her appointment. The salon was fairly new and not very well known, which allowed Rayne to make an appointment on short notice.


    The d¨¦cor was very earthy, with wood accents and green potted plants. It created a fresh and calming atmosphere that Rayne really enjoyed.


    She was soon greeted by a young man with pink hair and piercings. "Hey, gorgeous! Welcome to my salon! My name is Kellin, and I have the honor of being your stylist today."


    Rayne immediately fell in love with his fun personality and was very happy that he was her stylist!


    "Hello, Kellin, I''m Rayne. I am here today to get prettied up for a gala I will be attending tonight!"


    "Oh, how fancy! You brought your dress with you, right? Let''s have you put that on so that I can see what hair and makeup will suit you best!" said Kellin enthusiastically.


    He led Rayne toward the back of the salon to a dressing room.


    While Rayne carried a white paper bag with her, she actually forgot to pack the dress! She was so thankful to have the system once again and pulled out the forest green evening gown and black stiletto heels.


    She walked out of the room and heard Kellin gasp.


    "Wow, you are absolutely stunning! You will really make my job too easy!" exclaimed Kellin!


    He went over and examined her thoroughly, noting her face shape and skin tone.


    "Okay, love, I have the perfect hairstyle in mind for you! Go back and change into your normal clothes for now. We will start with a facial and massage first. Once we get to the hairstyling stage, I''ll have you change back into your dress," said Kellin.


    A little over two hours later, Rayne came out of the spa room with glowing skin. The esthetician was very knowledgeable and skilled in various techniques and massages.


    It was finally time for Kellin to take over with the hair and makeup, marking the final stretch of the beauty treatment.


    Rayne went back to the dressing room and changed into the evening gown, as Kellin instructed. Her heels clicked as she walked on the tiled floor toward the salon chair where Kellin was standing.


    As soon as she sat down, Kellin went to work, trimming and styling her long blonde hair.


    "Wow, I''ve never seen hair this beautiful before," marveled Kellin, picking up a small strand. "You must tell me what brand of shampoo you use."


    Rayne laughed as her mind immediately pictured the cheap bottle of shampoo from the hospital that she''d been using.


    Laughing nervously, she replied, "I don''t remember the name, but next time I will bring the bottle with me."


    An hour later, Kellin turned the chair to have Rayne face the mirror.


    "What do you think?" he asked, confident in his work.


    Rayne gasped! Her hair was meticulously styled into tight side-swept waves, cascading down her shoulders to her waist.


    "It''s gorgeous! How could this be my hair? I love it!" she exclaimed, turning her head side to side.


    "I was originally going to do an updo, but your hair is too good not to let down," explained Kellin.


    After giving Rayne some time to marvel at herself in the mirror, Kellin sat her down at the makeup counter.


    He applied makeup mostly to the eye area because Rayne''s skin was radiant and blemish-free. He chose to do a dark smokey eye, highlighting Rayne''s light green eyes.

 Chapter 19 Gala

    Rayne looked gorgeous, with hints of seductiveness, once everything was finished.


    Rayne thanked Kellin multiple times, complimenting him on his skills as an artist and stylist. After paying, she called a taxi and left for the location Ella had messaged her to meet at.


    They had agreed to meet at the hotel lobby where the gala was being hosted.


    When Rayne stepped through the glass doors of the hotel, everyone turned to look at her. A few women jealously tugged at their husbands'' arms so they wouldn''t stare at the beautiful woman.


    Others whispered amongst themselves, asking if she was a celebrity.


    Rayne, seemingly oblivious to the looks she was receiving, was busy scanning the lobby for Ella.


    She walked over to the small bar area in the corner, where she spotted a petite young woman with a brunette bob haircut. She was wearing a knee-length black cocktail dress, holding a small drink in one hand and a leather folder in the other.


    Rayne walked over to Ella and greeted her. "Hi Ella, it''s been a while! Thank you for inviting me tonight."


    Ella looked up and nearly spilled her drink.


    "Rayne? Is that you?!" Ella asked, looking surprised.


    "Haha, yes, it''s me!" Rayne laughed, enjoying the expression on Ella''s face.


    "Wow, you look beautiful! I barely recognized you... Oh, not that you weren''t beautiful before... um, sorry!" Ella mumbled shyly.


    "No worries! After getting my hair and makeup done, I hardly recognize myself!" Rayne joked.


    The two young women took a few minutes to catch up. They discussed life after university and the successes and failures of their first jobs.


    Ella''s post-university journey was a little different from the average graduate. Her father owned a rather successful design firm, and naturally, Ella went to work there right after graduating.


    The reason Ella was able to get Rayne an invitation to this gala was precisely because of her father''s business and connections.


    Ella wanted to use this gala as an opportunity to get Rayne to join her father''s company, and that was the main reason she invited her.


    As they chatted, the doors of the massive banquet hall opened, and the invited guests slowly trickled inside.


    As expected at a gala of this caliber, all of the guests were greeted by well-trained waitstaff, offering a variety of refreshments upon entrance.


    As Rayne stepped through the doors, she saw a sea of people. Thankfully, the banquet hall was very large, so it didn''t feel crowded.


    Most of the people there were holding leather folders, similar to the one Rayne had.


    "Looks like everyone here is trying to participate in REN Corp.''s event," Ella leaned over and said to Rayne.


    "Yeah, it sure does," Rayne replied.


    The two of them walked around for a bit until Ella excused herself for a moment to go find her father.


    Rayne stood by the refreshments table and observed her surroundings.


    A group of women came over and stood not too far from Rayne.


    "Hey, did you hear? Head Secretary Mathews from REN Corp. is here personally!" one woman said in a hushed tone.


    "What? Isn''t he the CEO''s right-hand man? Why is he here?" another woman asked.


    "They must be serious about finding a talented designer. Can you imagine being chosen? If it were me, I''d make sure to include a big bedroom in the CEO''s office for some stress-relieving activities," the first woman giggled.


    "Don''t you read the news articles? The CEO of REN Corp. is known to be the cold bachelor. Apparently, he''s very handsome but has never been seen with a woman," the third woman pitched in.


    "You don''t think he''s...?" the second woman asked.


    "Shush, of course not. If he were, that would mean my dreamy Secretary Noah was off the market! And if you read April''s issue of Top Business Magazine, you''d know he''s into women! He said it in an interview!"


    Rayne listened to the women talk with interest. She had found very little information about the CEO of REN Corp. online when she looked earlier.


    These women must be very passionate if they managed to gather this much information, she thought.


    Rayne continued to listen to the gossip until Ella came back with her father.


    "Dad, this is Rayne, the one I told you about. Rayne, this is my father, Reginald, CEO of PRISMA," Ella introduced them.


    Rayne was shocked. PRISMA? Wasn''t that the host of today''s event?


    Reginald was equally shocked. He never expected the classmate his daughter always complimented to be such a stunning beauty!


    "Nice to meet you, sir!" Rayne greeted, giving a slight bow.


    "I''m glad you made it! My daughter often mentioned your work when she was in university! Are you going to participate in the REN Corp. audition?" Reginald asked.


    He was curious about her work and wanted to see her design process in person before he committed to trying to poach her to work for his company.


    After exchanging some more small talk, Reginald left to talk to the other executives present, leaving the two women alone.


    Rayne turned to Ella. "Ella! I had no idea your father was the president of PRISMA!"


    "Well, you never asked," joked Ella, laughing.


    The two of them walked around the banquet hall, greeting other designers along the way.


    After a while, the MC of the event picked up the microphone and made an announcement.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of PRISMA, thank you for taking the time to attend our gala."


    The crowd clapped, and the MC continued. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Now, I am sure that all of you know about our special guest, REN Corp.! I am excited to bring to the stage REN Corp.''s very own Secretary Mathews!"


    This time, the clapping was enthusiastic, and Rayne even heard a few people cheer.


    Noah walked up onto the stage and flashed his signature smile, making the ladies in the crowd blush.


    "Hello, all! First, I would like to thank PRISMA for inviting REN Corp. to this wonderful event where the top talents of our country in design and architecture could be found. I''m sure that some of you already know about the small contest that REN Corp. is about to host, but I will reiterate for those who don''t know..."


    Noah then went ahead and stated the purpose and rules for the competition. All of the people interested in competing for a contract needed to bring their best design to a panel with REN Corp.''s judges.


    The judges would then choose the top 100 people who they felt had the strongest designs for a chance to take part in the contest.


    "Another hall has been prepared where the chosen 100 designers will compete. The design subject will be announced at that time. I hope everyone can have fun and enjoy the festive competition!"


    Immediately, the hall exploded with chatter. People were asking their friends if they should enter the contest, while others were confidently boasting about how they would be the winner.


    Ella led Rayne over to the table with the assigned judges. As they waited in line, they both opened their portfolios and began to skim through their designs, finding the one they wanted to use for judging.


    Rayne was relatively calm, as Ella had mentioned this contest when she initially invited her to the event.


    She decided to choose the design she had just finished, as she felt it best displayed her creative and unique thought process.


    Ella, on the other hand, had a hard time choosing between two of her designs. They were very different from each other and highlighted a different creative aspect.


    She asked Rayne for her opinion, and Rayne pointed to the first design. This design was a bit simpler than the second one; however, the unique inverted building design was very bold and novel.


    It was finally their turn to present their designs to the judges.


    Rayne walked up and handed her design to an older man with grey hair. He wore glasses and had a scholarly air about him.


    He gave Rayne a small nod in greeting and took the design she held out for him to look at. The moment he saw her design, he was taken aback!


    It was bold, unique, but had such perfect synergy! He couldn''t help but look over it a little longer than normal. Being a designer himself and working in the field of architectural design for decades, this was the first time he felt so inspired by looking at someone else''s work.


    He glanced up at Rayne, giving her a mental kudos. He managed to retain a professional expression throughout the process but wrote her name down on the list of approved designers who would go on to the next round.


    Seeing her name on the list got Rayne excited! She wasn''t sure how she would fare against all of the other top designers here, and felt very validated knowing she passed!


    Ella walked over to Rayne after she finished with a different judge. "Well? How did it go? Did you make the list?"


    Rayne smiled and nodded. "Thankfully, I did! How about you?"


    Ella nodded. "Thank you for helping me choose the design. The judge seemed particularly interested in the uniqueness of my design. I may not have made the cut with the other one I wanted to present."

 Chapter 20 Design Contest

    (Dedicating this chapter to Diosa_De_Los_Deseo for all of the power stones and support<3)


    Both Rayne and Ella were chatting happily, discussing the reactions of the judges to their designs.


    "I managed to take a peek at a few other designs that passed the first stage. It seems like the judges have a preference for those people who can come up with unique, out-of-the-box designs," said Ella.


    "I wonder if it has to do with the first-place prize. I think I read that it was a contract for a secret building," replied Rayne.


    She felt that the first-place contract had a lot to do with why the judges were looking for specific elements in everyone''s designs.


    The judges were very efficient at looking through everyone''s designs, and about twenty minutes later, the MC got back on stage.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! The judges have concluded, and a list of those who will be competing for REN Corp.''s exclusive contracts will be posted! Everyone whose name is listed, please proceed to the next hall in 10 minutes. Good luck!"


    After the MC finished speaking, people rushed over to the results table to see if their name was on the list.


    Although Ella and Rayne knew they had passed, they still walked over to the table to check.


    Rayne noticed some happy smiles along with angry scowls. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of the guys who had been boasting in the crowd about how he was going to easily win was now yelling angrily about how incompetent the judges were at identifying talent.


    The people around him distanced themselves, throwing him pitiful looks.


    Rayne even saw Ella hold back a laugh.


    "Don''t you remember him? That''s Anthony from university," she said to Rayne.


    "Wait, the guy who never shut up?" Rayne turned to look at the man more closely. "How did someone like him end up at this event?"


    Ella let out a giggle. "True, he was mediocre at best. I guess some company believes his endless boasting and hired him."


    It was finally their turn to look at the list of names. As expected, both of them passed and would be competing.


    "Let''s make our way over to the contest hall," said Rayne.


    They slowly made their way over to the large double doors of the adjacent hall.


    Inside the hall, Rayne spotted the older man who had judged her design, talking to Secretary Mathews. She couldn''t hear what they were saying, but she saw the older man nodding a few times.


    There were 100 workstations set up in the contest hall, each equipped with a drawing desk, chair, paper, pencils, rulers, and any tool an architect would need to draw a blueprint.


    The hall was large enough that the desks were a comfortable distance apart from one another.


    As the contestants made their way inside, they were told that there was no assigned seating, and they were allowed to choose their own seats.


    Ella grabbed Rayne''s hand and pointed at a set of desks toward the front of the hall, next to the stage.


    "I see two open seats over there, let''s get them before they''re taken!" she said excitedly.


    They walked over quickly and claimed their seats. Rayne looked around the room, waiting for the rest of the contestants to get settled.


    After about 10 minutes, the hall quieted down as everyone was seated and waiting.


    Noah walked up on the small stage and addressed the contestants. "Congratulations on making it here! You will all have two hours to finish a rough design. Waitstaff will be walking around occasionally to bring refreshments for your convenience.


    The theme for this contest is... Off the Grid, Secret Bunker! The design should focus on sustainable, off-the-grid support. It should be large enough to house large vehicles and about 20-30 people comfortably.


    Begin!"


    Most of the contestants laughed at the "secret bunker" topic.


    "Haha, REN Corp. has a good sense of humor! This is a fun idea indeed!" one man laughed.


    Rayne, on the other hand, was surprised. The requirements seemed a bit specific for something that was meant to be a joke.


    The scene of Tek on the phone flashed in her mind. By what she had heard him say on the phone, it sounded like he was scouting for a suitable place...


    Rayne spent a good 15-20 minutes thinking about how she wanted to approach this design. Although Secretary Mathews didn''t say it, she felt that the bunker also needed to be hidden.


    She decided to go with a concept where the bunker would be built into a large hill. This way, she could design discreet entrances and exits, as well as ways of collecting rainwater to be filtered and used.


    Her mind kicked into full focus mode. The more she drew, the more complex her design became.


    She knew she wouldn''t have time to fully incorporate a lot of the details, so she simply drew in placeholders with explanations for the very complicated parts.


    Rayne only lifted her head when she heard the MC declare that time was up.


    Rayne signed her name on the bottom corner of her design and handed it over to the assigned staff member.


    She wished she had more time to continue drawing, but was happy with how much she was able to show.


    Once everyone handed in their rough designs, they were all escorted back to the main hall to enjoy the remaining festivities.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    On the other side of the double doors, Noah got off the stage to sit down at the head of the judges'' table.


    "Okay, everyone, you know what we are looking for. If you feel that you have come across a strong design, pass it over to me," he ordered.


    The first design that was passed over to him was a super-fortified-looking building. It had a triple protection layer and strong brutalist features.


    Noah frowned looking at this.


    Although he wasn''t a designer himself, he had experience with blueprints and could identify the main concepts easily.


    This bunker met the requirements he mentioned, and was very reinforced, but it stood out like a sore thumb.


    Noah placed the design into the "rejected" pile.


    The second design was slightly better. It was an interesting concept that focused on a coastal location. It featured flood-proof construction with high-impact glass and steel doors to resist storm surges.


    There were even mentions of water collection and filtration with storage tanks. But the most unique feature of this design was the built-in boat/submarine dock that could serve as an emergency escape route.


    Noah looked over this design a few times, thinking that it was quite nice. He looked down to see the name on the paper and saw Ella''s name.


    "Oh, this must be Reginald''s daughter. She is indeed talented," Noah said to himself, placing the design into the "accept" pile.


    The next few designs were very boring. They were mostly some variation of an underground tunnel, with little consideration for sustainability or long-term survival.


    Noah continued to flip through multiple designs, rejecting them all.


    He paused when he saw an interesting idea. It was a take on a modular prefabricated design. Since it was modular, it was portable, with easy-to-assemble reinforced steel walls.


    The design was tailored for quick construction, allowing the user to set it up in both remote and urban environments.


    It had a compact design, with fold-out beds and multipurpose furniture.


    Although this sort of design wasn''t exactly what Noah was looking for, he felt that the designer was very creative.


    He placed the design into the "accept" pile.


    Noah continued to flip through, his eyes glazing over. While some of these designs were interesting, they all lacked something.


    He only had a few more blueprints left in his pile, and he let out a sigh. He had really hoped for a better turnout, especially from a group of so-called "top talents."


    The next design he picked up sent a burst of energy through him. It was thorough, creative, and secretive!


    It was a combination of a mountain and underground bunker. The main focus was blending in with the surroundings. It was designed to be built into a hill, keeping the grass and foliage on top. (A/N: like a hobbit hut)


    The garage entrance was designed to look like a boulder, blending in with the surrounding environment.


    There were considerations for water harnessing and filtration, weapons storage rooms, and even large specially designed food storage rooms.


    It was a multi-level bunker with secret tunnels that could be used as escape routes on every floor.


    The living quarters were designed for long-term comfort, with rooms for bunk beds as well as larger single-person quarters.


    Noah even read through the placeholders that weren''t drawn in yet. They included complex ventilation systems with advanced air filtration that would handle biological and chemical threats, and various ways to harness electricity, like hidden solar panels and backup generators.


    He spent more time looking through this design than all of the others combined. He felt as if this designer knew that this contest topic wasn''t just a fun joke!


    After examining every little feature, he went to look at the name on the design.


    Rayne Weston.

 Chapter 21 Winners

    Noah did a double-take when he saw the name.


    "Rayne Weston, huh? What an interesting coincidence!" said Noah, almost laughing out loud.


    "Dr. Weston''s daughter has her father''s sharp and creative mind!"


    Noah then placed Rayne''s design on top of the ''accept'' pile. He picked up the three winning designs and signaled to his assistant that he was ready to announce the results.


    ---------------------


    The guests gathered in the main hall, making predictions about who the winner would be.


    "I bet that Fabiano will win! He''s been featured in so many magazines this past year, and I hear that he''s been booked a year out to design company buildings!" gossiped a middle-aged man.


    "Yes, I agree. Fabiano is like a celebrity to us designers," replied a woman with sharp features.


    Rayne walked around the hall with Ella, listening in on everyone''s gossip.


    "Do you think you''ll win?" Rayne asked Ella as they reached the table with the drinks.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. I''ve never thought about designing a bunker, so I''m sure there were many aspects of the design I missed," she replied quietly.


    "Yeah, I was honestly expecting them to say the subject would be something like a hotel, or office building. Maybe even a hospital," replied Rayne.


    Rayne picked up a glass of champagne from the table, sipping on it slowly.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! I have the much-anticipated results for today''s fun competition!


    Allow me to reiterate that there will be three winners! Second and third place will both win an exclusive contract with REN Corp to design the next set of office buildings for their ever-growing company!


    And the lucrative first-place prize will be an exclusive contract for a top-secret project! I am sure this one will pay very well!" announced the MC.


    The chatter in the hall quieted down as everyone was excited to hear who the lucky three were.


    "Starting in third place! The third-place winner is Fabiano! The judges praised his creative modular approach!"


    The crowd clapped and cheered. Many people were shocked that Fabiano was only a third-place winner.


    "No way! How did Fabiano only get third place? I wonder who beat him!!" a few people whispered among themselves.


    "Next up, we have the second-place winner! The winner is... Ella Soto! The judges said that her design had a feature that no one else had," announced the MC.


    Once again, everyone in the room clapped. Ella''s father, Reginald, was being complimented by his old buddies on having such a talented daughter.


    A few of them even tried setting up a blind date with their sons.


    "Oh my goodness, Ella! You won second place!! You''re amazing!" Rayne said excitedly! She was very happy that her friend had won such an honor!


    Having this exclusive contract with REN Corp had just sent Ella from a low-key designer to someone the rest of the world would know!


    "I can''t believe it! I truly didn''t expect to win!" replied Ella. Tears of joy were welling up in her eyes.


    "Up next is the winner who takes first place!" said the MC.


    The hall immediately quieted down. Everyone was very eager to hear who the winner was.


    "And the winner is... Rayne Weston! Her design took every little situation into account. Not only were there creative elements, but she also designed a one-of-a-kind ventilation system that''s never been seen before!" Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crowd clapped, but many people were wondering who she was.


    "Who is Rayne Weston? I don''t think I''ve ever heard of her before," one lady asked a group of women.


    Everyone shrugged, indicating that they also had never heard of her before.


    "Oh, I know her! We went to university together. I taught her everything she knows!" boasted the same man who was angry about not being selected for the competition.


    The crowd looked over at him, shaking their heads. How could someone who didn''t even pass the initial selection claim that they taught the winner of the competition?


    "Rayne!!!! Oh my goodness!!" squealed Ella! She jumped up to hug Rayne.


    Rayne stood frozen in place! She couldn''t believe that she had won! She was doing this just for fun, but she ended up winning the top prize!


    Ella dragged Rayne toward the stage to join Fabiano. As Rayne stood up, many people couldn''t help but comment on how beautiful she was:


    "Oh, so she''s Rayne Weston? She''s very elegant; just look at the way she carries herself."


    "I wonder what studio she works at?"


    Once they got to the stage, Fabiano moved over so that Rayne could stand in the middle. The three winners waved at the crowd, smiling.


    The MC walked over, followed by Noah.


    "Congratulations to the three of you. We were very impressed by the designs you came up with on such short notice and within the time limit. This should speak volumes about how talented each of you are," said Noah.


    He grabbed three golden envelopes from his assistant and handed them to each of the winners.


    "Here is a placeholder prize. It''s an invitation to our company headquarters where we will distribute the actual contracts. Congratulations one more time!" explained Noah.


    When he handed the envelope to Rayne, Noah couldn''t help but take a few more looks. She looked very different from the photo he had received from the hospital.


    He couldn''t help but feel like he''d seen her somewhere before, but couldn''t think of where.


    When Rayne reached out to accept the envelope, she looked up at Noah and said, "Hello, Secretary Mathews! I''m pretty sure you''ve never heard of me, but your company''s charity organization helped me out a lot after I was hospitalized."


    Noah looked at her and smiled. "Actually, I do know of you. Dr. Weston helped our research and development team a few times over the years."


    Rayne was surprised! She knew that her father was a research chemist, but she didn''t know he was involved with REN Corporation!


    ---------------------------------------


    Dillon had just gotten dressed in his typical ''playboy'' attire.


    Earlier in the day, he had received a text message from an unknown number telling him to meet at a bar to deliver the package he''d been holding on to.


    "Fucking finally, I didn''t think it would take this long," he complained as he got ready.


    The message said to meet at 11 pm, but Dillon was feeling impatient and left about an hour early.


    He''d been in a rather bad mood recently because Krissy had picked up overtime hours at work and hadn''t been to ''entertain'' him as often as he wanted.


    He was also broke and hadn''t been able to go out drinking, only adding to his bored and shitty mood.


    It was Dillon''s first time at this bar since it was downtown and farther from his apartment. He walked in and marveled at how nice it was.


    "This is definitely where the young masters of this city''s rich families come to hang out," mumbled Dillon while checking out the interior.


    He was greeted by a beautiful woman at the entrance. "Hello, sir, welcome in! Tonight, we are having a special event with exotic dancers! Feel free to sit anywhere you like."


    Dillon looked around and saw a stage set up with all sorts of vibrant fabrics hanging from the ceiling.


    The thought of seeing beautiful women got him excited! Maybe after he was paid tonight, he could have some much-needed fun.


    He found a seat that had a good view of the stage but was still slightly more private than a regular table.


    A few minutes later, a sexy woman wearing exotic clothing came over to him.


    Her top was like a bikini top made from gold chains and tassels. Her skirt was made from a sheer, see-through material, with tiny gold chains covering only the most important parts.


    She leaned over slightly, putting all of her goods on display in front of Dillon.


    "Hey there, you look a little thirsty. May I interest you in a bottle of champagne?" she said seductively.


    Dillon didn''t hesitate and immediately agreed, causing the woman to smile.


    -------------------------------


    After the awards were handed out, the closing events began while the guests slowly trickled out of the hall.


    Both Rayne and Ella were in a great mood and laughed while walking toward the exit.


    "How do you feel about going out to celebrate somewhere? I don''t normally go to bars or clubs, but I''m feeling like I need to celebrate our victory. Plus, we still have a lot to catch up on!" suggested Ella, holding Rayne''s arm.


    Rayne agreed without hesitation. "Yes! That''s a great idea!"


    "Okay, great! I believe there''s a decent bar across the street. Let''s go there!" said Ella.


    Rayne agreed, and they both made their way over to the bar.


    When they walked into the bar, they were greeted by a beautiful woman.


    "Hello, ladies, welcome in! Tonight, we are having an event with exotic dancers, please enjoy!"


    ---


    (A/N: Hi all! Thank you for reading up to this point!


    We are now 20 chapters in, and I would ask that if you are enjoying the story please rate my book or leave a comment.


    It would help me very much!


    Power stones and gifts are also always appreciated!!


    <3


    )

 Chapter 22 Meeting

    Rayne and Ella walked in and found a table in a somewhat private location.


    "This place looks pretty nice! I like what they did with the interior design", said Ella.


    The both of them sat at the table, sipping on the red wine they had ordered earlier.


    Rayne was telling Ella about how she got into a car accident and only recently woke up from a year long coma.


    "What?! How did I not know about this?"Ella asked, surprised!


    "Oh, but it gets even better! You remember Dillon? The guy I dated all throughout university?", asked Rayne.


    "Oh yea, the decent looking tall guy? Wasn''t he in accounting?", replied Ella.


    "Get this, we were weeks away from our engagement party, with the wedding not far off either. Then the accident happened and ''poof'' he''s gone.


    Not only did he not visit me in the hospital, when I woke up I found out that he''s been taking money out of my bank account!


    And the best part was that he spent MY money on his new bitch, buying her limited edition purses!".


    Rayne was retelling the whole situation to Ella, allowing her to finally vent some of the frustrations she''s been holding in.


    Ella proved to be a good friend, laughing and listening to Rayne''s retellings.


    As Ella listened to Rayne, her eyes wandered around the bar. She was admiring the design and layout, until her eyes landed on a man who was sitting near the stage.


    "Hey Rayne, I don''t mean to cut you off....but is that Dillon?", she asked, pointing at the man discreetly.


    Rayne turned around to look, and gasped!


    "Well well! Speak of the devil, it''s really him!", she replied then continued, "But damn, I barely recognize him. He looks like a total fuck boy now haha!".


    Ella nodded and said, "Yea, for real! Who wears such flashy shirts anymore?".


    Rayne looked over at him a bit more, noticing how his eyes were completely glued to the exotic dancers on the stage.


    "Ha! Looks like he''s turned into a real horn dog too", she laughed.


    Rayne noticed the small box sitting on the table next to Dillon, and got curious as to what that was.


    Just then a very sketchy looking man with tattoos walked in. As he walked by their table, Rayne smelt heavy tobacco mixed with other scents mixed in.


    Rayne watched the man walk around slowly until he spotted the box on Dillon''s table and walked over.


    He sat down and began to talk to Dillon. Unfortunately Rayne was too far away to hear over the loud music.


    She felt that something was wrong with this situation. She knew Dillon, and no matter how party-centric he''s gotten she was sure that he wouldn''t hang out with this kind of guy if he didn''t have to.


    "Hey, do you think something feels off about that guy next to Dillon?", she asked Ella.


    Ella nodded right away. She noticed the man the same time Rayne did and felt like he was not a good person.


    As Rayne watched the man and Dillon, she felt whatever in that box was very important.


    Just then, she watched the man stand up and walk towards the restrooms in the back of the bar.


    Rayne stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked towards Dillon, and the box that was still sitting on the table.


    Once she arrived at Dillon''s table, she picked up her purse and strategically placed it in front of the box.


    "Hey there handsome, I couldn''t help but notice you from across the bar", she said, using her best seductive voice.


    As she was talking, she used the hand that was not holding the purse to touch the box and store it in her system, placing it back on the table.


    Dillon looked over and saw the most gorgeous woman he''s ever seen standing before him, and motioned Rayne to sit down.


    Rayne laughed internally, realizing that he didn''t even recognize his ex-fianc¨¦, and decided to play along for a bit.


    She sat down and placed her purse on her lap, revealing the small box on the table.


    Seeing the box, Dillon quickly pulled it toward himself, and turned back to look at Rayne.


    "Hey gorgeous, you''re more than welcome to keep me company", he said, trying to act cool.


    Rayne nearly blew her cover by bursting out in laughter at his stupidity.


    "So tell me a little about yourself?" she asked flirtatiously.


    Just as Dillon was about to answer, the sketchy man came back to the table.


    "Ayeee! Look at you Dillon, getting a babe to come keep you company already", laughed the man.


    He looked at the box that was still on the table.


    "Excuse us for a moment miss", he said and turned toward Dillon.


    "Okay, I spoke to my boss and he told me to give you my number. We will have more jobs for you in the future", he said, placing a piece of paper with a phone number on the table.


    "And here''s your promised payment".


    The man took out a bundle of cash from the inner pocket of his jacket.


    Rayne was shocked to see the large wad of cash. She figured it had to be at least a few thousand dollars.


    Dillon''s eyes lit up at the cash. "Thanks boss!".


    The sketchy man then picked up the small box and walked out of the bar.


    Ella, who was watching Rayne the entire time finally relaxed a little bit when she saw the man leave.


    Dillon put the money into his pocket and looked over at Rayne, "Can I offer you a drink, gorgeous?"


    "Sure, I''ll have a glass of wine", replied Rayne, observing Dillon''s male hormones activate.


    Rayne leaned over and rested her chin on her hand.


    "So does a handsome man like yourself have a girlfriend?", Rayne asked while fluttering her eyelashes.


    Dillon looked at Rayne, doing his best to undress her in his mind. Her body was perfect, making the blood rush towards his manhood.


    "No, I don''t have a girlfriend. Why would you like to be mine?", he asked, already formulating a plan on how to get her in his bed.


    Rayne averted his gaze, her eyes turning sharp. But just before she was about to reply she heard a screech!


    "Dillon! What the fuck?! Who is she?", Krissy yelled!


    Dillon froze, not sure whose side to choose. Of the two, the woman in front of him was much hotter. As he frantically came to a decision to introduce Rayne as his new woman, he heard her speak up.


    "Ah, you must be the new girl", Rayne stood up, looking at Krissy with a small smile.


    "I''m not sure if you''ve heard of me but I''m Dillon''s fianc¨¦!"


    Dillion stood up, completely shocked.


    "Rayne?! Is that really you?!", he asked, gripping the side of the table.


    Krissy looked Rayne up and down, and felt inferior in terms of looks. Jealousy took over and she couldn''t help but make a scene.


    "Ha, I know that Dillon''s ex-fianc¨¦ is in a coma, laying in the hospital. You must be some vixen trying to claw your way towards Dillon''s money!", she shouted.


    Rayne laughed at this, showing her pretty teeth.


    "Is that so? I''m the vixen trying to get his money? Are you sure that''s not you?".


    Dillon looked at both Rayne and Krissy, unsure of what to say. He knew that the reality was that he was the one who took Raynes money, and was scared that she would expose him. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Krissy it''s not like that. Calm down.". He tried convincing Krissy but that just set her off even more.


    "Bitch, you even have him standing up for you? Tell me how long you''ve been messing around with him before I claw your face!", screamed Krissy.


    "Hahahah! Dillon, you found yourself a psycho! A match made in heaven!


    Don''t worry love, he''s all yours. I give you both my blessing, but first I want my money back.", said Rayne, laughing to the point of tears.


    Dillon panicked! He never realized that Rayne was so beautiful, and knew that she was a pure woman. His horn dog instinct twisted his brain, telling him that she was his woman, and he needed to ''claim'' her.


    He also figured that if he could get back together with Rayne, she''d drop the topic of him owing her all that money he''s transferred.


    Making up his mind he walked over towards Rayne, trying to hold her hand.


    Smack! Rayne slapped his hand away, making him angry.


    "Don''t push your luck Rayne, you''re my woman. I won''t let you get away!", growled Dillon.


    "You''re delusional Dillon. I count my blessings every morning knowing I dodged a bullet not marrying you!", replied Rayne, angerly.


    "Oh and I will get my money back!".


    She then stepped over to meet up with Ella, who walked over when Krissy showed up.


    "Let''s go somewhere else, this bar has too much filth", she said, grabbing Ella''s hand, and walked out.

 Chapter 23 Frustrations

    (A/N; a bit of r18 content)


    Rayne left the bar alongside Ella with confidence. The ruckus that Krissy created attracted a lot of attention from the other guests of the bar.


    Dillon felt the mocking stares directed at him from everyone around the room. He grabbed Krissy by the hand and angrily stormed out of the bar.


    "Dillon! Let go! You''re hurting me!", yelled Krissy as she tried wiggling her arm out of his grip.


    Hearing her complaints, Dillon took a deep breath and loosened his grip but still continued to hold her arm.


    "We''re going home, don''t make a fuss", he said sternly.


    Krissy heard the anger in his tone, and stopped struggling. She was feeling very jealous and hurt, still believing that Rayne was there trying to seduce Dillon.


    As they walked she began formulating plans on how to keep Dillon on her side. She knew that Dillon had a soft side when he was sexually satisfied, and planned on exploiting this side of him once they got back.


    She shifted her stance so that instead of Dillon dragging her by the arm, they were now holding hands.


    Dillon noticed her behavior, but didn''t say anything, continuing toward the place they could flag down a taxi.


    When they got back to Dillon''s apartment, he stormed into the bedroom slamming the door. Laying on the bed all he could think of was Rayne. He didn''t want to admit it but he felt like he really fucked up by ditching her.


    She was so beautiful and sexy tonight, he couldn''t stop imagining what it would be like if he got to fuck her whenever he wanted.


    Soon the horny thoughts took over, making Dillon less angry and more in the mood.


    Click! The door opened, and a scantily dressed Krissy walked in wearing a set of extreme lingerie. The lingerie was closer to leather ropes than actual clothing.


    The leather was wrapped around her neck and torso, encircling her large breasts but not covering them. There was a crisscross pattern that covered her waist, with more leather wrapped around her thighs, leaving openings in all the needed places.


    She walked in and saw Dillon laying on the bed with a bulge in his pants. She smiled inwardly praising her choice of attire, thinking that Dillon''s erection was caused by her.


    Dillon, who was already in the mood from thinking about Rayne, noticed Krissy in her provocative attire. He felt his body heat up, and the pent up anger from what happened at the bar served as fuel.


    Dillon got up, taking his shirt off, and beckoned to Krissy to come over. After taking his pants off he sat down on the edge of the bed and ordered her to begin sucking him off.


    Krissy strutted over seductively, happy that her plan was working and did as he requested.


    However, although Dillon was horny, he was still angry with her, making his actions rough and punishing.


    While Krissy was sucking him off, he grabbed the back of her head and forced himself farther down her throat.


    Krissy''s eyes watered at the rough actions, but she was determined to show Dillon that she was better than that other woman.


    After Dillon was satisfied with the ''warm-up'' he pushed Krissy down on the bed and rammed into her from behind. He closed his eyes and imagined that it was Rayne beneath him, which made him enjoy the process so much more.


    Dillon continued to immerse himself in the fantasy. He leaned over and used his hands to feel up Krissy''s body, landing on her breasts. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He pictured the beautiful breasts that were under the green evening gown Rayne wore, getting more and more excited.


    Krissy was secretly proud of herself, she''s never heard Dillon moan so much before and attributed his pleasure to her choice of outfit.


    Her ego flared up making her feel smug, Dillon is mine bitch!


    ---


    Meanwhile, Rayne celebrated her victory along side her newly found gratefulness for being single.


    "You should have seen the look on Krissy''s face when she first walked into the bar, seeing you with Dillon!!", laughed Ella.


    "Honestly, she and Dillon are a match made in heaven. One''s a jealous gold digger, the other is broke and horny. Haha!", said Rayne.


    They were having fun, recounting the events from earlier, at a different bar down the street.


    By the time Rayne got home there were only a few hours left before the sun came up. The exhaustion was hitting her hard, but she managed to power through enough to remove her makeup and take a shower.


    Her gown was left on the bathroom floor, leaving it as a later problem. Having the dress already stored, Rayne wasn''t worried about it getting ruined.


    The next morning Rayne woke up late. The time on the clock read 10 am, causing her to jump out of bed.


    Today she would be going to REN Corp. at noon to discuss the contract she won. Before she left the bar, she agreed to meet up at a caf¨¦ with Ella so that they could go together.


    Rayne had about an hour before she needed to leave the house, so she hopped into the shower, taking the time to scrub her body and shampoo her hair, since she had only rinsed off last night.


    After the shower she went to apply some light makeup, and walked over to her closet to see what options she had for office appropriate attire.


    Soon a pile of shirts, skirts, pants and dresses was formed on the floor next to the closet, almost toppling over.


    Rayne looked at the empty hangers in her closet and sighed.


    "Why did I even bother looking in here?".


    She eyed the mess she made and just pushed the messy pile of clothes into the closet, forcing the door shut.


    Sitting on her bed, she opened the system panel and opened the "Clothes" folder. It only took her a few minutes to find a suitable outfit.


    She put on a black V-neck shirt with long sleeves and a white, high waisted pencil skirt. Although it was still summer and relatively warm out, the long sleeve shirt had a very light and breathable material, keeping her cool.


    She put her hair up in a twist and secured it with a claw clip, allowing a few loose strands to frame her face.


    By the time she was ready, she realized that she was already running a little late. Thankfully, she still had the rental car for the rest of the week.


    She put on a pair of heels and ran to the rental car.


    Before she got out of the car to enter the caf¨¦ she pulled her portfolio out of the system.


    Ella had already arrived and was waiting for Rayne inside. The caf¨¦ was small, with only three tables, but the store was packed with people.


    Rayne almost bumped into three different people when she walked in.


    Ella was currently standing in the corner holding two coffees. When she spotted Rayne she carefully made her way through the sea of people to meet up with her.


    "Let''s get out of this place", said Ella as soon as she got to where Rayne was standing.


    "Yes please, I don''t know how they fit so many people in here", replied Rayne.


    The two of them left the caf¨¦ and walked down the street heading towards the main business district. This part of town was where all of the top businesses in the entire region built their headquarters.


    As Rayne walked, she marveled at the giant office buildings and hotels around her. Most of the buildings were uniquely designed, as if trying to outshine the neighboring buildings.


    Because this was the area where all the money gathered, the streets were very clean and upkept. There were street lamps and benches that were surrounded by flowers, as well as small shops and fancy restaurants.


    "Is it your first time here?", asked Ella, noticing Rayne''s interest.


    "It''s my first time walking through. I was here once before when I met one of the first clients I ever worked for", replied Rayne.


    Ella nodded, and pointed to a small restaurant across the street.


    "That''s my favorite sushi restaurant in the entire country!", she said excitedly.


    Rayne looked over and saw the cute artwork drawn on the large windows of the restaurant, depicting a small cat stealing a fish.


    Smiling, she said, "Let''s go there sometime! I love sushi!".


    After about 15 minutes of walking they arrived in front of a massive, all glass, office building. It towered over all of the other buildings surrounding it, giving off a slight oppressive aura.


    Rayne looked up and guessed there were at least 50 floors. The glass panes that covered the building were coated in a unique reflective coating, creating privacy for the workers inside, and an interesting design for the onlookers outside.


    Above the main entrance there was a large gold carving of a blooming lotus, and words underneath that read: "REN".


    "Looks like we made it!", Ella said enthusiastically.

 Chapter 24 The REN Corporation

    As they walked toward the entrance, they saw a beautiful woman with a high ponytail wearing a dress shirt and a pencil skirt.


    The shirt was a button-up style, but she had left most of the buttons unbuttoned¡ªshowing a large amount of cleavage.


    She walked around with her chin up, surrounded by other female office workers.


    "Katie, tell us! Is it true you get to see the president whenever you want?" one of the young female workers asked.


    Katie turned around, her breasts nearly popping out of her shirt, and faced the girl who had asked. She smiled sweetly, but her eyes had a cold glint.


    "Yes, of course. I''m very close to the president! Sometimes we even eat lunch together in his office!" she boasted.


    "Wow, how lucky! What if he likes you, Katie?" another office worker asked.


    Katie blushed. "Now now, don''t go around telling people."


    The female office workers felt like they had heard a big piece of news! Since Katie didn''t deny it, then it must be true! The president of REN Corp liked Katie!


    This meant that she had a high chance of being the future Mrs. of the company!


    The coworkers immediately began to fawn over Katie, giving her compliments and congratulations.


    Rayne and Ella watched this scene, feeling like something was a little off. Although Rayne had never met the president, she had had a chance to talk to Secretary Mathews.


    She felt that if the president was anything like the secretary, then he would not go after someone who tried to parade her cleavage around like that.


    Rayne shrugged it off. It didn''t matter to her who the president liked anyway; she just wanted to know more about the contract.


    She walked through the large glass double doors, following Ella to the main counter.


    "Hello, welcome to REN Corporation. How may I help you?" asked a very polite older woman.


    Ella turned to point toward Rayne and herself. "Hi, we are here to discuss a design contract."


    Ella placed the golden envelope on the counter and signaled Rayne to do the same.


    When the secretary saw the golden envelopes, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    "Hi, the two ladies with the golden tickets are here...yes...understood."


    She then pushed the golden envelopes back toward Rayne and Ella.


    "Please wait a moment, someone will be down to escort you," she said politely.


    After a few minutes, Noah stepped out of the elevator and walked toward Rayne and Ella.


    Katie walked in at this moment with the group of office workers and saw Noah personally escorting Rayne and Ella into the elevator.


    "Who do you think they are? Secretary Mathews personally came down to greet them?" one of the females asked.


    The others shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know who the two women were.


    "They were both very pretty, the woman with blonde hair has a really nice figure," another woman commented.


    Katie clenched her hands, digging her nails into her palm. She was the only woman allowed on the same floor as the president''s office, and she was supposed to have Secretary Mathews himself escort her!


    Ignoring the women''s gazes, she stormed off toward the elevator.


    Noah guided Rayne and Ella out of the elevator and into a comfortable-looking waiting room. There were a few leather sofas and a table with many kinds of refreshments.


    Rayne noticed Fabiano sitting on one of the sofas, drinking fancy mineral water.


    Noah walked forward and faced the three winners of yesterday''s contest.


    "Welcome to REN Corporation! Thank you all for coming!


    Ella. Fabiano. We have created a team for each of you to lead. These people are all familiar with the location, requirements, and timeline for each of the projects you will be working on. Use them as you need."


    A man and a woman, both dressed professionally, walked into the room on cue.


    Noah pointed and introduced them, "These are the project managers for your respective projects, and they will answer any questions you have."


    After a few more introductions, Ella left with the male project manager, while Fabiano left with the female one.


    Soon, only Rayne was left with Noah in the room.


    "Ms. Weston, the project you will be working on is a bit special in nature, so you will be working with me directly," said Noah, smiling at Rayne.


    Rayne was shocked! She was going to work with Secretary Mathews directly? She never would have guessed she would one day work so closely with the famous secretary of REN Corp!


    "Let''s head over to my office where we can begin," said Noah. He led Rayne back into the elevator, taking Rayne up to the top floor.


    When Rayne walked out of the elevator, she marveled! The top floor had a unique design with only a few offices. A small reception desk stood in front of the elevator entrance, followed by a large hallway.


    "The room to the right is a lounge that''s fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Feel free to enjoy them whenever you like.


    This door leads to the restrooms, and this one is the conference room."


    They continued to walk down the hallway until they reached a set of heavy wooden double doors. The doors were engraved with the company''s logo, the blooming lotus.


    "This is the president''s office. Please don''t go inside unless you are invited."


    Rayne nodded. She understood that someone like her would have no right to disturb the president.


    Seeing Rayne nodding her head, looking like a frightened animal, Noah chuckled.


    "If you follow me down here, this is my office."


    They walked down the small hall on the right side to another large wooden door. There was a small golden plaque on the wall that read "Secretary Mathews."


    "And this office across from me will be your office," he said, turning toward the wooden door opposite of them.


    "My office? I get an office up here?" Rayne asked in disbelief.


    Noah laughed, seeing her shocked expression. "Yes, since we will be working together, this is the most convenient way."


    He led Rayne into her new office. It was huge, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. There was a large office desk made of solid mahogany in the center of the room, with a computer on top.


    Behind the desk, there were two high-quality drawing desks along the back wall. Next to the drawing desks was a shelf with any drawing tools needed for architectural design.


    Rayne marveled at the amount of supplies that were on the large shelf. She noticed a number of items that she had never even used before.


    The rest of the office contained a small, leisurely sitting area with a large leather couch.


    "Okay, let''s head over to my office to get to the important part," said Noah.


    They walked into Noah''s office, which was even larger than the one assigned to Rayne. Noah motioned for Rayne to take a seat at his desk as he walked over to the other side.


    "Before we begin, I''m going to have to ask you to sign this NDA. It''s basically an agreement that you will not discuss this project with anyone, even close family members and friends."


    Rayne looked over the documents, reading the part that stated if she were to breach the agreement, she would need to pay the company more money than she could ever hope to make.


    Instead of feeling frightened, she was more curious about what it was they wanted her to work on that would warrant such an agreement.


    Noah watched her read through the document and was impressed that she could remain so calm after reading the frightening consequences. Instead, he watched her calmly read the entire document, then pick up a pen and sign it.


    He was shocked. Surely, she should have at least asked a question or thought about it before signing.


    "Secretary Mathews, I''ve signed it," she said, holding the signed document out toward Noah.


    Noah snapped out of his shock and resumed his professional expression.


    "Okay, great. Please allow me to stress the importance of keeping this project secret. In fact, the only other person who knows about this is the president himself."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing. She was getting more and more curious, until a thought came to mind. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, Secretary Mathews, my only hope is that I''m not going to be involved in anything illegal or immoral," said Rayne hurriedly.


    Noah shook his head, smiling. "No, don''t worry. It''s perfectly legal, and nothing bad."


    Rayne let out a sigh of relief. She was worried that she would have to design an illegal torture chamber or something.


    "Okay, now that we''ve come to an agreement, I will tell you what you will be working on."


    Rayne sat up in her chair, listening carefully. She had a list of ideas in her head, such as a hotel or a new warehouse facility.


    "You will be designing a fully fleshed-out version of the bunker you designed at the contest."

 Chapter 25 The Bunker

    Rayne remained relatively calm when she heard that it would be a bunker. She had already had a small suspicion back during the contest, and now Noah proved her to be correct. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah was once again surprised at how calm Rayne was. He expected her to be stunned, and ask questions. But she just sat there, calmly waiting for him to continue.


    "I know this will be a bit demanding, but we need the design completed as soon as possible. Preferably within the month".


    This time Rayne''s eyes widened! A timeline of just a month was a nearly impossible ask! Especially for a project this large in scale!


    "Secretary Mathews! I believe you are overestimating my capabilities! To design something this large, to completion is near impossible!", exclaimed Rayne.


    "Yes, it will be difficult and demanding, however I believe in your ability. I will also assist you around the clock, whenever you need. Please come to me with any questions or concerns", replied Noah.


    Rayne was still in disbelief, she would have to put in so much effort for this project that she wouldn''t be able to do much more outside of that.


    Noah picked up another document and handed it over to Rayne.


    "This will explain the compensation we have prepared for you".


    Rayne glanced over the paper and nearly jumped out of the chair! If she completed this contract she would never have to work again for the rest of her life!


    The monetary compensation was over one billion dollars!


    She took a deep breath to calm herself and turned to look at Noah.


    "Okay, I accept".


    Noah smiled and stood up, collecting the signed documents.


    "Okay now that we got all of that out of the way, here is a list of mandatory requirements for the bunker. Feel free to add anything you see fit. I will be reviewing the initial design at the end of the week."


    Rayne looked at the list. Her design from the contest included most of these requirements already, she just needed to add a few additional features such as solar farms and advanced water filtration systems.


    There was also a detailed sketch of a micro laboratory that would need to be included in the bunker.


    "Some of these systems are fairly technical, and we already got our engineers and researchers to come up with design documents for the more advanced systems. These will be sent to your computer, for you to reference", explained Noah.


    Rayne returned to her office and quickly got to work. She pulled out her design from the contest to use as a reference, and started from scratch on a new blueprint.


    -------------


    While Rayne was busy working, Noah went to Julian''s office to give a status update.


    "Boss, the contest went smoothly and I have already sorted out the winners for their respective projects. Here are copies of the winners'' designs.


    Second and third place was Ella Soto and Fabiano. While the first place winner might surprise you! It''s Dr. Weston''s daughter, Rayne Weston!", said Noah.


    Julian raised his eyebrow, hearing Raynes name.


    "I wasn''t aware that his daughter was skilled in architectural design. This is indeed interesting, show me what she came up with for the contest".


    Noah handed over a copy of Rayne''s design.


    Julian carefully studied the blueprint, taking time to read all of the placeholder ideas Rayne wrote down. He was very impressed at the level of detail, and forward thinking Rayne had.


    "Noah, you did well choosing her as the winner. This is exactly the kind of bunker I want."


    Julian continued to study the design with interest. Seems like Dr. Weston''s daughter is as brilliant as her father.


    "Take a small team of trusted people and begin scouting a suitable location for this bunker. Choose a remote location. If I remember correctly there''s a large uninhabited forest valley a few hours away. It''s near the newly constructed nature retreat resort.", instructed Julian.


    "I''ll get it done", replied Noah.


    -------------


    Rayne spent the rest of the day absorbed in drawing the blueprint. She had managed to completely flesh out the entire shell of the bunker.


    She kept the initial design, only tweaking a few parts to accommodate more solar panels, and defense systems.


    Knock, Knock!


    Rayne snapped out of her trance and went over to open her office door.


    "Hello Miss Weston, I came by to deliver the second part of your contest winnings", said Noah.


    Rayne let him enter her office and they both sat down around her desk.


    Noah handed her a new document, "This is the small monetary bonus that was included with the contest winnings. Since you won first place, your prize was a bit higher than that of the other winners".


    Rayne looked at the paper seeing a document stating a transfer of 100,000 dollars to her account.


    Happily surprised she looked at Noah and said, "Wow! How generous, I wasn''t aware that there was a monetary prize as well!".


    "Yes, we decided not to publicize this for the sake of the winners", explained Noah.


    They chatted for a few more minutes while Rayne showed Noah the progress she made on the design.


    Noah was pleasantly surprised at how quickly Rayne worked. He felt like she would definitely be able to finish the design by the designated time, alleviating some stress of this shoulders.


    After they were done, Noah politely escorted Rayne to the elevator. As they passed the reception desk, Rayne noticed the arrogant woman from earlier sitting behind the desk.


    Katie saw Rayne walking with Secretary Mathews and was stunned! She was coming back from her lunch break when she saw the secretary escort Rayne, but she didn''t see the woman for the rest of the day. She figured the woman was just a regular worker, so when she saw her again her jealousy flared!


    How was it possible that this woman stayed up on this floor the whole day? Could it be that she was a guest of the president?!


    As Rayne and Noah passed Katie, Noah stopped to introduce them.


    "Miss Katherine, this is Miss Weston. She will be working on this floor from now on. Her office is across from mine, please help her out with whatever she asks", said Noah.


    His words made Katie even more angry! How on earth did this vixen climb her way to work so close to the secretary and president?! She was supposed to be the only woman on this floor!

 Chapter 26 Future Planning

    Rayne noticed the "less-than-welcoming" expression on Katie''s face and sighed internally. Why do all these office women get jealous so easily?


    Noah noticed the way Katie was dressed today, frowning.


    "Miss Katherine, please go to HR to receive a warning about your inappropriate attire," said Noah sternly.


    Katie''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    "Yes, sir, forgive me," she said meekly, getting up and entering the elevator.


    Noah pressed his fingers to his eyebrow. "Sorry about that, Miss Weston. Unfortunately, these things happen sometimes."


    Rayne gave a slight smile and nodded politely. As long as she was able to work in peace, she didn''t care about anything else at the company.


    Noah then gave Rayne a key card.


    "This key card is required for the elevator. This one specifically is needed to access this floor, so don''t lose it."


    After handing Rayne the key card and sorting out the plans for tomorrow, Noah walked back toward his office.


    Rayne pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive.


    On her way down to the lobby, Rayne took the opportunity to store the keycard in her system.


    In the lobby, Rayne ran into Ella, who was saying goodbye to the male project manager she had seen earlier.


    "Oh, Rayne! I was just about to send you a message! I wanted to see if you wanted to go to that sushi restaurant to celebrate our first day!" Ella said enthusiastically.


    Rayne was in a very good mood after receiving the additional monetary prize and agreed happily!


    They quickly arrived at the cozy sushi restaurant and placed their orders. Both of them were in a great mood and ordered everything they wanted, regardless of the cost.


    "You must''ve gotten the monetary reward too, right?" asked Ella.


    "Yes! I was pleasantly surprised!" replied Rayne.


    As they ate, Ella enthusiastically recounted her day, describing her new corner office and team members.


    "I can''t believe it! I have a team of 10 people working solely for me!" she exclaimed.


    Rayne was savoring the delicious food, making a mental note to come back here so she could add it to her system. The fish was fresh and high-quality, and the seasonings used were a unique combination that highlighted the fish''s flavor.


    "Say, Rayne! I''ve been meaning to ask you, what was the contract they offered you? They made it sound so secretive at the gala," asked Ella.


    Rayne smiled, thankful Noah had prepared an excuse for this kind of situation.


    "I''m actually designing a personal project for the president. It''s a vacation villa for one of his newly purchased private islands," answered Rayne.


    "WHAT! Oh my goodness! What an exciting project! I''m so jealous!" exclaimed Ella, jumping up from her chair.


    "Yes! It''s an exciting project, with a lot of creative freedom! The only thing is that the timeline is pretty tight. I''ll be working a lot of overtime on this project, so I won''t be able to go out much for the next month," added Rayne.


    ----------- S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Later that night, in a secret underground casino.


    Julian sat down on the luxurious couch, facing Ian.


    "Do we have any updates on Damien or his men?" he asked.


    Ian took a seat across from Julian. He was dressed in opulent clothing, looking like a mafia boss. This underground casino was Julian''s underground HQ, led by Ian.


    "Yes, Team A just sent word that they located Tek scouting the coastline along the southern border of the country.


    Similar to what Brent told me before, it seems they are looking for a suitable location to build on. We''re not exactly sure what they want to build, but I''m guessing it''s either a weapons facility or a base of some sort," said Ian.


    Julian listened carefully, frowning.


    "Damien is planning something big, this much is obvious. However, I don''t know exactly what. Have Team A continue following Tek to gather information.


    The bunker design began today, and things are on schedule for our big plan. Seeing that Tek is still in the scouting phase, we still have some time left before Damien unleashes whatever it is he''s got planned."


    Ian noted Julian''s instructions.


    "Boss, are you sure you want to do this? What about your parents and family?" asked Ian.


    "I''ve already made plans for them. They''ll be fine. It''s about time they learned to stop relying on me for every little thing," sighed Julian.


    ----------


    Rayne spent the next month working diligently on the design of the bunker. She worked all day in the office and even brought the blueprint home to work at night.


    Over the course of the month, the only time she went out was to attend her self-defense classes. Brent had praised her for the swift progress she''d been making, mastering most of the common anti-restraint moves.


    He told her that from the next class forward, he would begin teaching her offensive moves.


    Rayne was happy with the progress she was making. She felt her body get stronger and felt that if she were to experience the same situation as the one in the mountains, the outcome would''ve been different.


    She was currently drawing the finishing touches of the design on her kitchen table.


    It was late into the night, and Rayne''s light was the only one still on in the apartment building. Half-empty take-out boxes of sushi were scattered on the counter.


    Rayne had ordered the entire menu as take-out over the course of the month to add to her system. Now, she was able to enjoy the delicious sushi whenever she wanted.


    She finally put the drawing pen down and lifted her arms to stretch. Looking over the finished blueprint, Rayne felt very proud of herself.


    This project was the most demanding and intense project she''d ever worked on. It was hard to believe that it was completed by a team of only two people.


    Secretary Mathews proved to be a massive help to Rayne throughout the entire process. He provided critical feedback and always answered any questions she had.


    Rayne packed up and crawled into bed. Tomorrow would be the final review of the design, marking the completion of her contract!

 Chapter 27 Contract Completed

    Rayne woke up the next morning feeling excited. Today would be the day that Secretary Mathews critiqued the final version of the design. If everything went well, she would walk out a billionaire!


    She quickly took a shower and got dressed while looking through the food options on her system screen.


    She chose an iced coffee and a small pastry, grabbed her bag, and headed out. Since she no longer had the rental car, she had to leave earlier to compensate for the new travel time.


    She promised herself that after this project finished, she would reward herself with a new car! Money would no longer be much of an issue, so she wouldn''t hold back and would buy the best of the best.


    As Rayne sat inside the taxi, she mentally went over the design multiple times to ensure that she didn''t miss even the slightest detail.


    She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn''t even notice when the taxi stopped at her destination.


    "Ahhhh~!"


    Rayne snapped out of her trance after hearing a group of women squealing. She looked outside the taxi window and realized that she had already arrived!


    After apologizing and paying the driver, she stepped out, trying to make it inside the elevator as quickly as possible.


    Over the last month, Rayne had witnessed this scene multiple times. A large group of female office workers would wait outside the office building to watch as the ''hot'' male workers arrived at work.


    The most popular one was, of course, the president. However, in the month that Rayne worked at REN Corp, she hadn''t seen him once.


    Today, the women squealed because of Secretary Mathews, with Katie being the loudest one.


    Rayne carefully walked around the group of women, trying her best not to be noticed¡ªespecially by Katie.


    Katie''s hostility toward Rayne had grown with each passing day. She even once complained to Secretary Mathews that Rayne was spending most of her time in the lounge room, slacking off.


    Unfortunately for Katie, Rayne was a diligent worker and had proved her work ethic on her very first day. So instead of Secretary Mathews scolding Rayne, he turned to scold Katie for trying to start workplace drama. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since that event, Katie could only use small petty tricks to annoy Rayne. She would wait until she saw Rayne walking toward the elevator before quickly hopping inside and closing the doors, making Rayne wait a few minutes for the elevator to come back.


    Rayne, although annoyed, didn''t bother with Katie''s antics. She was fully focused on her work and didn''t have the time or energy to fight with petty, jealous women.


    She quickly walked through the lobby and into the empty elevator. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Noah''s hand grabbed the door, and he jumped inside.


    He looked at Rayne, signaling her to quickly use her keycard and send the elevator up.


    "I really need to speak to HR about the amount of loitering outside of the buildings in the morning," he said, exasperated.


    Rayne let out a soft chuckle. "You seem to be very popular, Secretary Mathews."


    Noah rolled his eyes at her comment. The real Mr. Popular is Julian, but he gets here much earlier than everyone else.


    The elevator doors opened, revealing the hallway of the top floor.


    "Let me drop my things off in my office, and then I will come over to your office to begin the review," said Noah.


    Rayne nodded and walked into her office, preparing the stack of finished blueprints.


    A few minutes later, Noah knocked on her office door and stepped inside. Rayne invited him over to begin the final review.


    She spent the entire day, even past regular office hours, going over every little detail of the design document with Noah.


    They only made a few very small tweaks, such as moving an electrical outlet to the other side of the wall.


    Noah was very satisfied with the end result. It was better than what he imagined it could be, and he knew that Julian would think the same.


    Finally finished, Rayne stood up and stretched her legs.


    "Miss Weston, I must say that you have done an exceptional job. Your skill in this field is truly above even those who call themselves ''top designers.'' I will make sure you receive the promised compensation today."


    Rayne blushed at the generous compliment. "Thank you for the kind words, Secretary Mathews. I am glad that I was able to deliver an acceptable design."


    They then shook hands, signifying the fulfilled contract.


    "Miss Weston, I''m sure I don''t need to say this, but please allow me to stress once more how secretive this design and project are. I hope that you can help us keep it a secret."


    Rayne looked up at Noah. "I give you my word."


    Noah stood up, carefully collecting the blueprints. He was going to bring them to Julian to get the final stamp of approval before he could begin the initial construction.


    Rayne packed up her things and lightly cleaned the office. Since she was finished with her contract, she would not be coming back here anymore.


    Ah! I am finally free again!


    She smiled, thinking of all the fun things she could do now! She made a mental note to do some more research for ''bucket list'' items.


    As Rayne walked out of the large office building, she felt her stomach growl. She had skipped lunch today and was starving.


    She looked around the area to see if there were any restaurants nearby where she could grab delicious take-out!


    A delicious scent wafted through the air.


    Rayne scrunched her nose, trying to pick up on its trail, and before long, she found herself in front of a small stall that sold all flavors of crispy fried chicken!


    Rayne felt the drool begin to pool inside her mouth. Fried chicken was one of her favorite foods, and she could tell that the owner of this stall was very successful.


    She waited about 10 minutes in a long line, constantly teased by the delicious scent, until it was finally her turn.


    The owner of the stall was slightly surprised when Rayne ordered a family tray of every flavor of chicken he offered!


    Seeing that he had such a generous customer, he made sure to pick out the best pieces of chicken and even threw in a few extra dipping sauces for free!


    "Here you go, Missy! I hope your family enjoys dinner!" said the owner happily.


    Rayne laughed inwardly at his comment.


    Sir, this chicken is all for me!

 Chapter 28 Countdown

    Rayne carefully picked up the three large bags of packaged chicken. She carried them as if they were priceless objects while looking for a secluded corner where she could store them in her system.


    The quicker she stored the chicken, the fresher it would be!


    Rayne finally spotted a small alleyway and quickly ran over to it. She opened the bags and pretended to be looking for a specific item, but in reality, she was quickly storing each box of chicken.


    The chicken was very hot and fresh. It released a heavenly aroma, causing Rayne''s stomach to growl again.


    She quickly hurried to flag down a taxi and rushed home to enjoy the feast waiting for her!


    By the time she got home, the chicken she had been carrying for show had already cooled down, making it slightly less appetizing. She quickly threw it into the ''trash bin'' in her system and took out a copy of the hot, freshly packed chicken she had stored earlier.


    The whole kitchen table was filled with boxes of different flavored chicken, along with various dipping sauces.


    Rayne wasn''t worried about wasting food since she could make infinite copies of it whenever she wanted, so she made it a point to try a piece of every flavor!


    By the time she finished sampling the last flavor, she was already stuffed! Her stomach was happily digesting the delicious food, making Rayne feel sleepy.


    Now that Rayne was finished with her design, she was no longer on any kind of schedule, allowing her to be flexible with her sleep schedule.


    She decided that tomorrow she would go car shopping when she woke up.


    Rayne quickly cleaned off the table, tossing all the leftovers into the ''trash bin'' in her system, and got ready for bed.


    Today''s accomplishments, along with the satisfying meal, put Rayne in a really good mood, making her fall asleep quickly.


    Once Rayne fell asleep, she recognized her surroundings as the nightmare she had experienced a few times before.


    This time, she saw images of strong men covered in tattoos, holding guns and weapons. These men walked menacingly through a small neighborhood, kicking down doors and stealing people''s supplies.


    Some men even grabbed women to take back with them.


    Rayne heard screams and cries around her. People were on their knees, begging to be left alone, stating they had no food left.


    The group of men ignored the pleas, smashing windows and destroying everything in their path. They laughed while doing this, enjoying the feeling of superiority over the poor people who were trying their best to survive.


    "Haha! Boss will be happy with today''s harvest! Not only did we manage to find a good amount of supplies, but we even got a few decent-looking women too!" said a man who appeared to be the leader.


    The other men joined in on the laughter, while the rest of the people were left crying and hopeless.


    "Listen up, vermin! Our boss is a very caring man. If you join us and contribute, you will be guaranteed one meal a day and a roof over your head. All interested, follow me!"


    A few people stood up at the promise of food. They hadn''t eaten anything in over a week and figured they would most likely die if they didn''t join.


    A man holding a gun saw an old man trying to get up and walk toward where the people were gathering.


    He lifted his leg and kicked the old man, sending him flying back into a pile of trash.


    "What makes you think you could contribute to our boss with your frail body?" yelled the man.


    Rayne''s eyes began to water as she witnessed such cruelty toward the helpless people.


    She tried running over to the old man, but like in her previous nightmares, she couldn''t move.


    "Please make it stop!" she yelled. She didn''t know why she kept seeing such horrible scenes, but she didn''t want to continue watching.


    Unfortunately for Rayne, the scenes kept flashing before her, continuously becoming more and more horrific.


    -------------------------


    Rayne woke up with an increased heart rate, drenched in sweat. No matter how hard she tried to wake herself up during the nightmare, she couldn''t. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat up in bed, but before she could calm herself from the nightmare, her eyes widened and her body shook.


    The system screen floated in front of her, but this time, with a new message:


    [Countdown to the Apocalypse: 1 year, 1 day, 03:28:14]


    Rayne held her breath, watching the seconds timer tick down.


    Once the seconds counter reached 0 and the minutes counter went to 27, Rayne released her held breath.


    What did this mean? Could this message be related to the nightmares?


    Rayne''s mind raced, thinking of different possibilities as to why the system would display such a message.


    But after a few minutes of thinking, she realized that it didn''t matter why it appeared. The reality of the situation was that something bad was going to happen.


    Rayne forcefully calmed herself, focusing on what she needed to do while she still had time left. This system was a miraculous thing and had already helped her out in so many different ways.


    She knew that her survival was closely linked to the system.


    "If I can maximize the use of my system now, I should be able to continue to live comfortably in the future, even helping the less fortunate people around me," she mumbled.


    Rayne thought of the helpless, starving people she had seen in her nightmare. If she were able to help them in any way, she would do so.


    The thought of helping those people brought a sense of determination to Rayne. Now she just needed to store as many things as possible before the timer ran out!


    Rayne dismissed the system screen and picked up her cell phone. She logged into her bank account and saw the long string of zeros.


    She smiled at the enormous number. Yesterday, she had planned to spend this money to live a carefree life of luxury, with flashy sports cars and designer purses.


    But after today, she wanted to buy military-grade vehicles and generators.

 Chapter 29 Dealership

    Rayne put her phone away and quickly got out of bed. She still felt the adrenaline coursing through her, making her feel rushed in all of her movements.


    She took a quick shower and pulled out a bagel from her toaster to eat as she made her way to the table.


    Opening the laptop that was already on the table, she began to make a long list of necessary items she would need for survival. The internet was a great tool, as she found posts from people discussing hypothetical apocalyptic situations and how to counter them.


    Opening a text editor, she began typing out her list, starting with major categories:


    Hydration


    Food and Cooking


    Shelter and Warmth


    Medicine and Hygiene


    Tools and Gear


    Security and Protection


    Navigation and Communication


    Miscellaneous and Entertainment Items


    She looked at her list and decided to start from the top. Today, she would begin to tackle the hydration category, but first, she needed a vehicle.


    Closing the laptop, Rayne felt a lot better after having a game plan and stood up to get ready.


    She picked her outfit carefully, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible while choosing clothing that would provide more coverage.


    Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was happy with her choice. She wore black leggings with a matching black top and a long trench coat made of a lighter material. This coat would help her block any line of sight if she bent over slightly.


    She put on her white sneakers and an all-black baseball cap before grabbing her keys and purse.


    --------------------


    When she arrived at Deal Street, the day was only just starting. Rayne saw many shop owners and businesses putting out their signs and turning on their "welcome" lights.


    The reason she chose to come to Deal Street was that it had the largest car dealership location in all of the surrounding cities. There were more than 100 car dealerships packed into this long street, allowing Rayne to find exactly what she wanted.


    She leisurely walked down the street, allowing the workers time to set up their stores for the day''s business.


    When Rayne passed the dealership that specialized in luxury sports cars, she couldn''t help but slow her steps. But after admiring the sleek design of the shiny sports cars, she turned her head and continued to walk.


    Her destination was the dealership that sold rugged, off-road, and durable vehicles. After about 15 minutes of walking, she finally arrived at her location.


    Rayne walked through the large parking lot that displayed shiny new cars and trucks. They all looked very rugged¡ªwith large wheels and steel frames.


    "Hello, welcome to Duke''s," said a younger-looking man behind the counter.


    Rayne smiled and greeted him. "Hello, I''m here to buy a vehicle. I''m looking for something top-of-the-line with off-road capabilities. Price is not an issue."


    The young man behind the counter beamed at Rayne''s words. He had just recently been hired as a salesperson and, due to his low seniority, rarely got high-paying customers. His monthly commission had always been the lowest at the dealership because of this.


    If it weren''t for his passion for off-road vehicles, he would have left to work for another dealership.


    "Awesome! Let me show you a few vehicles I think you would like!" he said enthusiastically as he walked out from behind the counter.


    Rayne followed him into the parking lot, listening to his tour of the different kinds of cars as they made their way all the way back to a large warehouse.


    The man explained that this was where they kept all of the top-of-the-line vehicles.


    The moment they entered the warehouse, a strong scent of cigarettes assaulted Rayne''s nose, making her wave her hand in front of her face.


    The young salesman saw Rayne''s reaction and quickly apologized. "I''m sorry, Miss! This warehouse is one of the only places without cameras, and a lot of the guys take advantage of it, secretly smoking here."


    Rayne lifted an eyebrow at this information. A warehouse with no cameras could be beneficial for her! sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She walked around the large warehouse, looking at the various trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, quads, and even snowmobiles.


    Rayne''s mind went into overdrive, coming up with ways she could take advantage of the lack of cameras and store some of these vehicles.


    "Here we are! This SUV here is the one I personally recommend! It''s this year''s model and has already broken all the records for off-road capabilities! It can easily drive over rocks and other obstacles, as well as deep water!"


    Rayne listened carefully while inspecting the car. It was rather large, with big, durable tires. The frame was somewhat boxy, but that seemed typical of off-road vehicles.


    The salesman opened the door to reveal a black leather interior.


    "Now here is why I think this is the best option that money can buy! You see these screens? While this one is your standard feature like radio/music/GPS... this other one is a sonar location radar! This is the only car that has this, so if you''re in the woods hunting, any larger animals will show up on the radar! Isn''t that cool?"


    Rayne was surprised! A sonar for large animals could be very useful in the apocalypse.


    "Would humans be picked up on the sonar as well?" Rayne asked.


    The young man nodded. "Yes, anything larger than an average-sized dog will be picked up. Of course, there are always some exceptions."


    He continued to explain the features of the SUV in great detail until Rayne cut him off.


    "I''ll take it," she said.


    The young salesman was shocked at how quickly she made her decision.


    "Are you sure, Miss? We haven''t even discussed the price... and I''ll be honest, it''s very expensive."


    Rayne smiled at the man''s honesty. "Yes, I''ll take it at asking price."


    His face bloomed into a huge smile! This sale alone would bring him to the top of this month''s commission, granting him a huge bonus to his pay.


    "Okay, if you can follow me back to the main office, we can begin the paperwork," he said.


    Rayne looked at him calmly. "Would you mind bringing the paperwork here? I wish to look at the car a bit more while you prepare everything."


    Scared to lose this huge sale, the young man agreed right away. "Yes, sure thing. If you wait for me here, I will be back in about 15 minutes!"


    Rayne nodded and pretended to continue checking out the car, waiting until he left the warehouse.

 Chapter 30 Dealership 2

    As soon as Rayne saw the door to the warehouse close, she walked over to where the smaller vehicles were.


    She knew that she wouldn''t be able to store any of the larger SUVs or cars, but she wanted to try storing the smaller motorcycles, quads, and snowmobiles.


    She walked over to the smallest snowmobile. It was all white, with a compact design, making it smaller than the other snowmobiles around it.


    Placing her hand on the snowmobile, Rayne began to feel a little nervous. The last large item she stored was her TV, and that had caused her to lose consciousness.


    "Well, it''s either now or never," she mumbled and began focusing on storing the snowmobile.


    Moments later, the familiar sharp pain spread throughout her head, but Rayne continued to focus, taking deep breaths.


    After about a minute of painful focusing, Rayne opened her eyes to see that she had successfully stored the snowmobile.


    She quickly placed a copy in the empty spot and continued on to store the next one. Even though she was still tired and feeling weak, she was determined to get these items.


    The reason she didn''t buy them, even though she had the money, was because she had no place to store them. Also, buying this many vehicles at once would be really suspicious.


    Rayne walked over to the next snowmobile. This one was slightly larger. Once again, she closed her eyes and began to focus.


    Thankfully, the pain was a lot more bearable this time around, hastening the process.


    Rayne went around and stored all of the small vehicles in the warehouse. Just as she finished, the young salesman came back with a stack of paperwork.


    He noticed Rayne''s pale face and figured that the strong cigarette smell must have made her feel woozy, so he propped open the door to the warehouse to let in some fresh air.


    Rayne met him at the small desk that was in the corner of the warehouse and began the paperwork process.


    Just as she was about to finish signing the papers, another salesman walked in.


    "Hey Timmy, go deal with that customer in the main showroom, I''ll take care of this one."


    This salesman was older, around his early 40s, with a large stomach and beady eyes. Rayne frowned as she saw him approach her, the greed oozing from his body.


    "Oh, but Randy, she''s my customer...we''re almost finished with the paperwork," said Timmy, the young salesman, meekly.


    "Scram, I''ve already brought the box of keys for the warehouse vehicles. I''ll take it from here," he said aggressively.


    Rayne looked up at Timmy, feeling bad for the way his coworkers treated him. "Go call your manager," she whispered.


    Timmy looked at Rayne, surprised, but understood that she would stand up for him. He quickly got up and left the warehouse.


    Randy walked over and placed a medium-sized metal box on the desk in front of Rayne.


    "Hello, Miss, I''m Randy, and I''ll be the one finishing up your sale."


    He sat down where Timmy had sat and glanced over at the paperwork. When he noticed that Timmy had already signed his name on the form, he scowled.


    "Ah, give me a moment to bring over the correct paperwork," he said nervously and got up to leave.


    Rayne smiled, Well, thank you for saving me the trouble of finding the keys to all of these vehicles.


    "Sure, go ahead, I''ll wait here," she replied.


    As soon as Randy left, Rayne stored the box of keys in her space. Although it was locked, she didn''t think breaking through a small tin box would be too difficult.


    Before Randy came back with the new paperwork, Timmy returned with a stern-looking woman.


    "This is the manager of this dealership, Mrs. Kay," Timmy introduced.


    Rayne stood up to shake her hand. "Hello, Mrs. Kay."


    Mrs. Kay politely returned the greeting and said, "Timmy here says that you are interested in purchasing the SS model of SUV today. I hope that the buying process was smooth and informative."


    "Yes, Timmy did a great job explaining every feature in great detail. In fact, it was his great enthusiasm that sold me on this SUV," said Rayne.


    Mrs. Kay looked over at Timmy, nodding in approval.


    Just then, Randy walked into the warehouse and spotted Timmy standing next to Rayne. Manager Kay was standing behind one of the large trucks and wasn''t in Randy''s line of sight.


    "Timmy, I thought I told you to scram! This sale is mine! Do you want me to go tell the manager you pissed off a customer, making them walk away?"


    When Mrs. Kay heard Randy''s words, she stepped out from behind the truck to face Randy.


    "How dare you cause a scene! Especially right in front of a customer! Follow me to my office right now!" she said angrily. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before she left, she turned to Rayne and apologized profusely, offering Rayne a small discount for the trouble.


    Timmy quickly helped Rayne complete the paperwork, and then handed her the keys once the payment processed.


    "Thank you for your purchase, Miss! If you need any other outdoor vehicles in the future, come find me!" Timmy cheerfully said.


    He carefully drove the SUV out of the warehouse, making it easier for Rayne to get in.


    Rayne got inside her newly purchased SUV and smiled. Hopefully, this car would be useful in the future, and hopefully, she could store it before the apocalypse comes.


    She turned the car on and left to begin her next order of business¡ªall things water!


    Rayne drove out of the dealership and towards a small business that specialized in water filtration. She had read online that they offered a variety of products, including water filters, water purification tablets, collapsible water containers, and rainwater collection systems!


    As she drove, she couldn''t help but marvel at how nice her new car was. It drove smoothly and quietly, and the plush leather seats were very comfortable. The interior was very roomy, and the open trunk area was very spacious.


    Rayne felt that this was the perfect vehicle for the apocalypse.


    -----------------------


    Beep... beep... beep...


    [Sorry the caller cannot be reached at this time..]


    Dillon nearly threw his phone at the wall. He had been trying to call Rayne for a month now, every time ending up in voicemail.


    She was like a plague in his head, constantly existing. It got to a point to where if he wasn''t thinking about her he wouldn''t be able to enjoy any kind of sexual activities.


    Even with Krissy''s ever increasing enthusiasm, dressing up and offering to try new positions, he only wanted to picture Rayne.


    The sexual frustration continued to slowly build up day by day, driving him mad.


    "You can''t run from me forever. I told you that you are my woman!", he yelled, looking at the blank screen of his cell phone.


    It''s about time I pay you a visit.

 Chapter 31 Surprise Visit

    Rayne arrived at the water filtration store. Although it was labeled a "small business," the store itself was very large, displaying all sorts of water tanks and filtration systems.


    Rayne walked through the aisles looking for the smaller items first. She marveled at how many different types of water purification tablets there were, not to mention other items!


    She quickly got down to business, discreetly adding one of every type to her system, replacing the missing item along the way.


    After storing all of the tablets, Rayne moved on to the next section. The display shelves were filled with different kinds of water bottles and pitchers with built-in filters. Once again, she bent over slightly and used her trench coat as cover, then began to store one of everything that was on display.


    She continued throughout the store until she had stored every water filter, purification tablet, and water container that was available. The only things she didn''t add were the jumbo water tanks the size of a small house, but she didn''t mind skipping those.


    Along the back corner of the store was a small variety of rainwater collection barrels. These barrels were designed to work independently, without the use of a complex water collection system.


    Unfortunately, they were rather large, about the size of Rayne, so she wasn''t able to store them discreetly. After thinking for a while, she decided that she would buy one of the barrels. She picked out one of the smaller ones, knowing it would fit in the back of her new SUV, and went to find an employee.


    The employee was very efficient, quickly loading the rainwater collection barrel into Rayne''s SUV. After paying, Rayne went on her way, trying to decide whether she should go home or stop by the supermarket first.


    "Since I''m out and about already, I''ll stop by the supermarket and stock up on as much as I can. That way, I can cook different foods in my spare time until the apocalypse comes," she said to herself and drove towards the top supermarket in the area.


    As Rayne pulled into the parking lot of the high-end supermarket, she noticed that all of the cars parked here were luxury vehicles.


    "Seems like this place really is as expensive as they say. Only the rich can afford to shop here."


    Rayne parked her car and entered the store. When she entered, she realized how different a luxury supermarket was from a normal one.


    Everything was clean and organized; all of the fruits and vegetables were the best of the best with no pesticides or chemicals. The prices also reflected their "luxury" status, with a small head of cabbage selling for almost $10!


    Rayne felt that even with her new billionaire status, this store was too expensive! She calmed herself with the existence of her system, or else she would go broke shopping here today.


    She began in the vast vegetable section. There were vegetables from all over the world on display, and all of them looked perfectly ripe. Walking over to where the cucumbers lay, Rayne pretended to pick a few up and inspect them while secretly stashing one in her system.


    She walked around the entire section, repeating this process, making sure to store multiple of every vegetable. Before long, her system gained many new vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, radishes, kale, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, avocados, etc.


    She stored every variety of every vegetable available, some she''d never seen before.


    To prevent suspicion, Rayne walked around with a shopping cart and occasionally placed a vegetable inside.


    Rayne continued to the fruit section, adding apples, oranges, limes, lemons, kiwis, bananas, guava, pomegranates, melons, grapes, pears, peaches, etc. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had stored over twenty different kinds of apples alone!


    Walking past the produce department, Rayne spotted a small stand with beautiful fresh cut flowers. Although they would not serve much purpose in the apocalypse, she still wanted to store them in her system. Flowers had the ability to improve one''s mood, and that feature alone made them important.


    The next section was the meat and seafood market, where Rayne stored two of everything available: chicken breasts, chicken thighs, ground chicken, pork chops, ground pork, steaks and ground beef, white fish, pink fish, oysters, clams, crabs, turkey, bacon, ham, duck, etc.


    The reason she chose to store two of everything was in case one of the packages was bad, although that was unlikely.


    She weaved through the aisles, storing pantry items, canned goods, cereals, grains, biscuits, sugar, salt, spices, bread, granola, all types of snacks, candy, sodas, etc.


    Even the items in her cart started to form a small pile, making Rayne nervous to see what the bill would be by the time she was done.


    The supermarket even had a prepared food section that had salads, soups, pizza, sandwiches, chicken, fruit, and cultural foods from different countries! Rayne, of course, stored everything possible. Prepared foods would no doubt become a lifesaver in situations where cooking was impossible.


    By the time Rayne finished "shopping," it was already dark outside. Running around all day had left her hungry and exhausted.


    As soon as she got back to her car, Rayne took out a sandwich she had found appetizing in the supermarket earlier. It was a simple turkey breast, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, but it was large in size, filling her empty stomach.


    Once she finished eating, she went straight home. While there was a lot left for her to do, she knew she shouldn''t push herself too much. Rest was important to keep her mind sharp.


    ---


    Rayne slowly walked up to her apartment and unlocked the door.


    "Yo."


    Rayne jerked her head towards the voice and saw a shadowy figure sitting on her couch.


    She froze, staring at the figure until he spoke once more.


    "Aw babe, you don''t recognize me? You don''t know how sad I was seeing that all the photos of us are gone."


    "Dillon?" asked Rayne, relaxing slightly.


    She went over and turned on the light, revealing Dillon. He looked up at her and smiled, not hiding the pent-up desire in his eyes.


    "Dillon, what are you doing here? I thought I changed the door lock..." asked Rayne.


    "Ah, you see, I picked up a rather handy skill from my new boss, but that''s beside the point. You''ve been out for a while; I''ve been waiting here for hours," said Dillon.


    Rayne''s eyes grew cold hearing him talk about his new "boss." She pictured the sketchy-looking man from the bar.


    "What do you want from me? If it''s about the money, forget it. Take it as an advanced wedding gift from me to you and Krissy," she said.


    While Rayne was still angry that he took so much of her money, she was now a billionaire, and a measly $30,000 wouldn''t affect her in any way. She only wanted Dillon to leave her alone, especially now that he''s clearly involved with some bad people.


    Dillon''s expression stiffened at her words. "Rayne, I''m here to see you. I think we should start over. I know I was dumb before and hurt you, but I really can''t stop thinking about you."

 Chapter 32 Kicked Out

    "You must be delusional!", said Rayne angerly.


    She placed the bags she was carrying on the ground and walked over to Dillon.


    "Let me say this for the last time. Dillon we are over! There is nothing you can do to change my mind."


    Dillon''s blood boiled at the harshness of Rayne''s words. He was so angry that his mental snapped and he began to laugh hysterically.


    He stood up from the couch and walked over towards Rayne, placing his hands on her shoulders.


    Bending over to her ear he said, "Tonight, I will really make you my woman".


    Hearing his disgusting words Rayne wiggled her body to break free from his grasp. But Dillon was one step ahead, grabbing hear arms and holding them behind her.


    He laughed as he held her from behind, her back facing him.


    "Be good now", he said as excitement washed over him.


    Rayne took a deep breath and stayed calm. She never expected that Dillon would be the first person she would used her self defense moves on.


    The position that Dillon was restraining her in was one of the common ones, as Brent explained in one of their lessons. He had Rayne practice breaking out of it until she mastered it.


    As Dillon forcefully pushed Rayne towards her bedroom, she suddenly whipped her body around, skillfully breaking out of his grasp.


    Using the element of surprise, Rayne then kicked Dillon directly on his manhood, causing him to fall over in extreme pain.


    She ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up an empty wine bottle and came back to threaten him.


    "If you don''t leave right now, I will make sure your despicable ass will stay in jail for the rest of your life!", she yelled.


    Dillon saw her clenching the neck of the wine bottle, ready to strike if she needed. He was in so much pain from her kick that beads of sweat rolled down his face.


    He was furious, but he knew that she was serious about sending him to jail. One of the requirements to work for this new boss was that he needed a clean record. He got paid really well and didn''t want to lose this job.


    He remembered hearing from his ''coworker'' that the boss would even use beautiful women as rewards for handling tough jobs. Maybe he could ask about subduing Rayne. Whether by force or by drugs, Dillon was more determined than ever to dominate this woman.


    He slowly got up off the ground and made his way towards the entry door. Looking back he saw Rayne watching him closely, with the wine bottle in hand.


    "This isn''t over. You will always belong to me".


    Dillon then walked out, closing the door behind him.


    As soon as the door closed, Rayne fell to the floor. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and her body started to shake.


    She was incredibly thankful to Brent for teaching her this specific set of moves, else she would''ve ended up in a horrifying predicament.


    Rayne was also deeply saddened by Dillon''s drastic personality shift. He used to be kind and caring, always respectful of her. Now he''s changed into someone who would go as far as taking someone against their will. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fact that he broke into her apartment, even after Rayne changed the lock left her feeling nervous. If he''s done it once, he can do it again. The only solution would be to move someplace new.


    Although Rayne really liked her current apartment, she had been entertaining the idea of moving someplace else. She wanted to chose a place that had better construction along with a better location, to serve as a starting point for when the apocalypse started.


    She sat on the floor making plans to find a new place as early as tomorrow. She wanted to be gone before Dillon came back.


    Rayne slowly got up off the ground. She was exhausted; all she wanted to do was take a quick shower and go to sleep.


    Before she called it a night, she went over to the entry door and locked it. Looking at the door, Rayne wasn''t happy that she still didn''t feel safe. She opened her system panel and looked through to see if she could block her door with something heavy.


    Her eyes landed on one of the snowmobiles that she stored earlier today. This snowmobile was made from quality materials and had a solid metal frame, making it really heavy.


    Moments later a sleek snowmobile sat in front of the entry way door, blocking anyone from opening the door, even if the lock was picked.


    Although this solution wasn''t perfect, it was better than nothing. Rayne had already planned to go visit a realtor tomorrow morning in hopes of moving out quickly.


    After taking a quick shower, Rayne quickly fell asleep.


    The next morning, she woke up later than usual. She would have continued to sleep even longer if her stomach hadn''t protested in hunger.


    Entering the kitchen, Rayne opened the refrigerator to find it completely empty.


    "Why did I even look?" she mumbled as she opened her system screen. Moments later, an iced coffee and a bagel appeared on the table.


    Rayne quickly ate and went to get changed so she could head out to find a suitable realtor. Online, Rayne found a realtor who specialized in luxury housing, with the added bonus that it was on the other side of town¡ªaway from her and Dillon''s apartments.


    Grabbing her keys, she headed out, and before long, she stepped into a small, glass building. As Rayne walked in, an older woman came over to politely greet her.


    "Hello, welcome to X Realty. My name is Nadia. How can I help you?"


    "Hello Nadia, I''m Rayne! I''m here today to hopefully buy a house," replied Rayne.


    Nadia smiled and led Rayne over to sit at her desk.


    "Now, can you tell me a little about what you''re looking for?" asked Nadia as she turned to her computer.


    "I''m looking for a condo, not a single-family detached house. I want it to be of relatively new construction, on this side of town, and it must have good security," stated Rayne.


    Nadia nodded as she typed. "And what is your price range?"


    Rayne smiled. "I don''t have one."

 Chapter 33 House

    Nadia glanced at Rayne when she heard her say there was no price limit, wondering if she was rich or just na?ve.


    "Very well, miss, we have a number of options available. Please take a look."


    Rayne looked over at the computer screen as Nadia scrolled through a list of available options. Most of the houses were in the center of downtown, which Rayne wanted to avoid.


    She felt that living in such a congested area when the apocalypse begins would only put her in more danger.


    "Could we look at a few options that are a bit farther out?" asked Rayne.


    Nadia quickly filtered the search to display only the houses on the edge of the city, leaving only a handful of options.


    Rayne studied the location of each one before looking at the floorplans. There were two houses that were in a good location, both on opposite ends of the city. The first one was a newly constructed building that was nestled closely to a large state park. The second one was on the coast with gorgeous views of the ocean.


    Taking a minute to think, Rayne pointed to the one near the forest of the state park. Nadia wrote down the address and then drove Rayne to the location of the house.


    After about 45 minutes of driving, they arrived in front of a gorgeous building. The exterior looked like a modern take on a French country aesthetic. Each floor had a number of balconies, some larger than others. Climbing ivy was planted around the building, allowing it to creep up, adding greenery to the structure.


    The parking lot was surrounded by a white brick wall, matching the white exterior of the building.


    Nadia led Rayne into the lobby, and the first thing Rayne noticed was the level of security. To access the front doors to the lobby, you had to either swipe your keycard or ring the buzzer that would call a security officer to let you in.


    There were no houses on the first level, only the main lobby, mailboxes, gym, and indoor pool area.


    There were two elevators, one on each side of the concierge desk, and a single main stairwell that also served as an emergency exit.


    Since the building was new, there were a lot of available units to choose from, all with different floor plans and overall sizes.


    "Here are the different floorplans for all of the available units. Let me know which ones you wish to tour," said Nadia as she handed over a sheet of paper.


    Rayne looked over the paper, her eyes immediately landing on the penthouse. It was the largest condominium in the building, but the best feature was the rooftop access. Rayne felt that having this rooftop would be very beneficial in the apocalypse for things like using solar panels or starting a garden.


    She pointed toward the penthouse. "I would like to tour this unit, please."


    Nadia was once again surprised; Rayne chose the most expensive unit without batting an eye.


    "Sure thing, miss, I''ll grab the keys and we can head on over," she said.


    Once they arrived, what greeted Rayne was a beautiful French interior. The white walls were covered in beautiful molding, and the hardwood floors brought warmth to the space.


    There was a large, open-concept kitchen/living room that had all of the top-of-the-line appliances.


    "This unit has three additional bedrooms to the master suite. Each has its own ensuite and can be easily converted to an office to suit your needs," explained Nadia.


    Rayne continued to explore the house, entering the large master bedroom. It was at least double the size of her current bedroom, with access to a small outdoor balcony. The windows and French doors allowed a lot of natural light in, creating a very warm atmosphere.


    The bathrooms were designed beautifully, with large marble tiles and golden fixtures. The more Rayne walked around, the more she liked it.


    The last place to tour was the rooftop area. It was a wide-open space surrounded by a thick glass fence. The glass was tinted on one side so that people looking from the outside could not see in, but if standing on the inside, there were unobstructed views all the way around.


    Rayne really liked this design, which focused on privacy. This way, she would be able to use her system freely, even up on the rooftop.


    There was a small but luxurious outdoor kitchen, equipped with a grill and gas stove. The last feature on the rooftop was the large built-in fire pit.


    Before Rayne even turned to leave the rooftop area, she turned to Nadia and said, "I''ll take it!"


    Nadia was shocked! "Are you sure? There are other places we can tour. This is a big decision!"


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, this place has all of the features I wanted, and the location is suitable."


    "Very well then! Let''s head back to begin the process. Since this is a brand-new unit with no previous owners, the buying process should be even quicker than normal," said Nadia.


    Rayne was really happy to hear this. She wanted to move out today, if possible. She wasn''t sure if she could sleep at night knowing that Dillon might come back.


    As they walked out of the building, Nadia pointed toward the backside of the building.


    "Oh, I forgot to mention! Since you are purchasing the penthouse, you also own a large 3-car garage as an additional feature!"


    Rayne was surprised to hear this. A personal garage is indeed a really nice feature!


    They walked over to quickly check it out, greeted by a large heavy garage door.


    "They built this garage with luxury vehicles in mind, ensuring top security," explained Nadia.


    As they walked inside the garage, Rayne looked up, noticing the tall ceilings. She figured that she would even be able to fit a large RV in this space!


    After they concluded the tour, Nadia drove Rayne back to the realty office. As they sat down around Nadia''s desk, she said, "Here is all of the paperwork you need to fill out. And here is the cost of the penthouse unit."


    Nadia looked over at Rayne, trying to read her expression as she saw the price. Rayne glanced down to see the price and was surprised to see that it was cheaper than what she had expected!


    Rayne thought it would cost her 10 million at a minimum, but it was only just under 7 million!


    Nadia saw Rayne''s surprised expression and couldn''t help but shake her head internally. Kids these days don''t have a clue about the real world.


    Just as Nadia was about to suggest looking at a cheaper option, Rayne picked up the pen and signed her name on the document. She then handed over her bank card and said, "Would it be possible to move in today?"


    Nadia was still shocked but took the card to process the payment. "If everything goes through without issues right now, I can hand over the keys before you leave today."


    Rayne smiled, feeling relieved that she was able to secure a new place to live. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was also not worried about the moving process. She could easily just store everything in her space and take out what she needed in the new house!

 Chapter 34 Moving

    Nadia quickly finished processing the paperwork, handing Rayne the completed deed in her name.


    "Congratulations, Miss Weston, on the purchase of your new home! Here are your keys and access badges. You are free to move in whenever you like!" Nadia said happily.


    "Thank you! I appreciate your help in finding this house!" Rayne replied.


    After everything was taken care of, Rayne drove back to her apartment and began storing everything into her system. She started with the smaller items, such as clothes, dishes, toiletries, towels, blankets, books, etc.


    Only a few minutes later, her cozy apartment was emptied, with only larger pieces of furniture left.


    Rayne walked over to her couch and began to focus, preparing to store it. She was a little nervous because it was a large couch, and she wasn''t sure if she would pass out from the mental exhaustion.


    To her surprise, the couch stored very quickly and without any pain or discomfort!


    "I wonder if all the storing I''ve been doing recently has made it easier for me to use my system?" she asked out loud as she walked over to the dining table.


    Once again, she gave the mental command to store the table, and moments later, it disappeared! Rayne was really happy with this discovery! She could now try storing even larger items!


    Her goal was to be able to store cars, trucks, and RVs before the apocalypse.


    Rayne walked around, storing the rest of the large furniture until the entire apartment was empty.


    She then walked down to the leasing office of her apartment to turn in the keys and give the property managers notice that she was leaving.


    Since she had only just given them notice, they said she would need to pay a fee to break the lease. Rayne expected this and paid with no issues. Her only request was to keep her move a secret if anyone were to ask. She even went as far as giving a fake address when she was asked where she was moving.


    Rayne arrived back at the building of her new house. She used the key card to open the garage and parked her SUV inside.


    Stepping through the door of her new house, Rayne smiled. She really loved the new open floor plan and the French country feel.


    She walked over and opened a few windows to let in some fresh air. She took out a chair she had stored from her old apartment and placed it in a sunny spot by the open window.


    The cool breeze and gentle sunlight washed over Rayne, causing her to lean back with her eyes closed to enjoy the moment.


    Rayne hoped that she could experience moments like this in the future, even after the world turned upside down.


    It was already mid-afternoon, and Rayne decided to celebrate the purchase of her new house with a good meal.


    She knew exactly what she wanted, pulling out the juicy steak from the steakhouse she had gone to shortly after she got discharged from the hospital.


    It was still sizzling after she took it out of her system, releasing a delicious aroma! Rayne ate with relish, enjoying every bite! She was so happy that she had stored this steak and could eat it whenever she wanted.


    As she ate, she looked around the empty house and realized that her previous furniture would look really awkward in this new space. She knew that she would somehow need to get new furniture.


    Rayne opened her laptop and began online shopping. She figured that going to a furniture gallery and storing all the items she wanted would be impossible without drawing attention. The items were too big to hide, and there were usually a lot of people.


    She decided to order her furniture online and have it delivered directly to her new house. All of the items Rayne purchased were of high quality and craftsmanship. Although they were expensive, Rayne was very happy with how they looked and was excited for their arrival.


    Rayne placed some of her old furniture in the new house until the new items came in. She lounged on her couch with her laptop, continuing to make her doomsday list.


    She had a straightforward plan for obtaining most of the items she still needed. Things like cooking utensils, pots and pans, can openers, containers, buckets, bags, all types of clothing (for all sizes and genders), hygiene items, sanitation supplies, cleaning supplies and disinfectants, tools, etc.¡ªshe would go to a store and put them in her system manually.


    The items Rayne knew she needed but that would be difficult to obtain were things like weapons and advanced medicines.


    She couldn''t just walk into a hospitals pharmacy openly store the medicines, and she definitely couldn''t find a convenient store that openly sold guns and weapons out in the open.


    As she continued to think about it she came across an online advertisement for a shooting range that was recently built in her city. Rayne eyes lit up! Although she wouldn''t be able to find super advanced weapons at a shooting range, she would be able to at least store a variety of handguns, maybe even a marksman rifle!


    And to top it all off, she would learn how to use them properly! Rayne quickly sat up and dialed the number of the shooting range. She spoke to a woman on the phone who quickly helped Rayne register as a member.


    After hanging up, Rayne opened her phone to add the shooting/marksmanship training classes to her calendar. She now had two more appointments a week in addition to the self-defense classes she continued to take.


    The first marksmanship class was set for tomorrow, and Rayne was really excited to get started. The only thing left was to figure out a way to get her hands on advanced medicines.


    Since there was still plenty of time left, Rayne decided to take a trip to her local library to begin storing books¡ªespecially the ones containing knowledge on how to do things.


    Rayne wasn''t sure how bad things would be in the apocalypse or how long it would last, so she wanted to have important textbooks that could explain even the basics of things like gardening, plant identification, construction techniques, first aid, and medicine, etc.


    She would also store books for entertainment, along with children''s books. The probability of losing electricity would be high, and methods of entertainment like reading would be helpful in relieving stress in this new, stressful environment.


    The library was huge, with tens of thousands of books. Rayne hung her head, feeling overwhelmed by the task in front of her. She knew this would be a multi-day process, but looking at the reality of the situation, she knew she would be spending a very large chunk of her free time here. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She began in the gardening section, storing every book and replacing it. The pace at which she stored the books was very fast! She could store and replace a book as fast as she could blink, letting her blaze through the first few shelves of books.


    She continued for a few hours, fully storing everything in the gardening and cookbook sections. Deciding to stop there, she left the library and went to find a place to have dinner.

 Chapter 35 Shooting Range

    Rayne arrived at a popular restaurant that specialized in pasta dishes. She ordered a pasta dish with different kinds of seafood in a white wine sauce. It was so delicious that Rayne did a small happy dance as she ate.


    What Rayne wasn''t aware of was that Julian saw this small performance from his table. He was surprised to see the beautiful woman from the steakhouse a few weeks ago, but he enjoyed seeing the pure joy she had while eating.


    Noah, who was accompanying Julian for dinner, noticed the smile on Julian''s face and turned to look at what he was smiling at.


    Surprised at the sight, he said, "Oh! That''s Miss Weston, Dr. Weston''s daughter! Looks like she''s also a pasta lover."


    "Wait, that''s Dr. Weston''s daughter? The one who designed the blueprint?" asked Julian, not expecting her to be so... beautiful!


    "No way, boss. She spent an entire month in our company right under your nose, and you never once saw her?" laughed Noah.


    Julian gave Noah an unimpressed look, but deep down, he felt a pang of regret. He looked back over at Rayne. I must be feeling this way because I admired Dr. Weston. Rayne had just put a forkful of pasta in her mouth, her eyes turning into small crescents.


    Julian''s heart raced, seeing her adorable cat-like expression. He placed his hand over his chest, thinking he needed to work out more; he must be getting out of shape.


    "Do you want to go over and say hello?" asked Noah, who was oblivious to Julian''s struggling thoughts.


    "No!" replied Julian rather quickly.


    Hearing Julian''s immediate response, Noah laughed. "You know, boss, you''ll have to get over your fear of women someday."


    "I''m not afraid of women, they''re just annoying. They can''t sit still for one minute before throwing themselves at me," replied Julian.


    Noah shook his head, laughing. He knew what Julian said was true because he''d seen it firsthand. Many of the top families had tried roping him in by sending their daughters into his bed.


    Unfortunately for them, Julian had dealings with underground organizations and, therefore, was always cautious.


    "How''s the progress for the bunker going?" asked Julian.


    "It''s good, boss. Our men found the location you mentioned. It''s deep in the valley with nothing but wilderness for miles. I believe the initial construction team is out there today," replied Noah.


    Julian nodded. "Good. This project is very important. I won''t be able to execute my plan of getting Damien out without it. Please oversee this matter personally."


    Noah''s face turned serious as he replied, "Yes, boss, I understand."


    Julian turned to look toward Rayne again, watching a waitress deliver a decadent-looking slice of cheesecake topped with fresh fruit. Rayne''s face lit up as she saw the cake, making Julian smile subconsciously.


    Then he noticed her pick up her purse and place it on the table, covering the sight of the cheesecake for a minute, before moving the purse back off the table.


    The cheesecake was still sitting on the table, confusing Julian as to why she moved her purse in the first place. Maybe she wanted to take a photo discreetly?


    While Julian contemplated her actions, Rayne was busy enjoying the most delicious cheesecake she''d ever had. In fact, this restaurant was very good in general! When the waitress came by to deliver the cheesecake, Rayne placed a to-go order for all of their signature dishes.


    Rayne ate happily but slowly, savoring every bite. She was completely oblivious to the fact she was being watched.


    When she finished, the waitress came over with her bill and two large paper bags of well-packed to-go boxes of freshly prepared food. As soon as the waitress left, Rayne stuck her hand in each bag and stored the boxes into her system.


    Humming happily due to her full stomach, Rayne walked out of the restaurant and went home.


    Once home, Rayne decided to relax for the rest of the evening. She downloaded a few movies and TV shows on her laptop and watched a few episodes while enjoying a bowl of popcorn.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up early, excited for her marksmanship lesson. She got out of bed, which was way too small for the large bedroom, and went to take a shower in her new bathroom.


    She once again noted the convenience of the system, which allowed her to take out all of her shampoos, soaps, and skincare products mid-shower.


    After eating a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, Rayne set off to the shooting range.


    It was a brand new facility that had both indoor and outdoor ranges, as well as an armory and small shop. Rayne walked inside the main lobby where the reception desk was.


    Behind the desk were walls of offered services: firearm rentals, range time, training classes and private lessons, safety courses, certification courses, gun cleaning and maintenance, and even archery.


    "Hello! Welcome to The South Valley Shooting Range. How may I help you?" greeted a young woman behind the reception desk.


    "Hi! My name is Rayne Weston. I signed up for beginner private lessons."


    The receptionist nodded and checked her computer. "Perfect! I see you here to meet with Instructor Yasmin Rodriguez. I will let her know you are here. Feel free to take a seat." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne thanked the receptionist and sat down in the waiting area. A few minutes later, a beautiful woman with tanned skin and long black hair walked over to Rayne and reached out to shake her hand.


    "Hello! My name is Yasmin Rodriguez, and I''ll be your instructor. Please just call me Yasmin."


    "Hi, I''m Rayne. I''m looking forward to learning from you, Yasmin!" replied Rayne, shaking her hand.


    "So tell me, Rayne, do you have any experience with firearms?" asked Yasmin.


    Rayne shook her head. "No, I''ve never even touched one."


    Yasmin motioned for Rayne to follow her as she continued talking. "No problem! Most of my students start from zero."


    They walked down a flight of stairs and through a few hallways until they reached a small indoor range geared for beginners. They walked into a small room with a table and sat down.


    "First off, I''m going to simply have you hold a gun in your hands so you can familiarize yourself with how it feels. Don''t worry, it''s completely empty," said Yasmin as she handed a small pistol over to Rayne.


    Rayne held the gun, feeling its slight heft. She turned it a few times to inspect it as Yasmin pointed to certain parts to explain their function.


    Yasmin was a good instructor, explaining everything clearly and concisely. They spent the majority of the lesson discussing gun safety and handling.


    Rayne had a sharp mind and was able to remember everything Yasmin said easily. By the end of the lesson, she was able to name all the parts of the gun and the type of ammo it used.


    Yasmin praised Rayne, telling her that in the next lesson, they would begin the practical exercises. She told Rayne they would begin by shooting still targets, learning how to aim accurately.


    After the lesson, Rayne didn''t go home but went straight to Brent''s gym for her self-defense lessons.

 Chapter 36 Princess Dress

    Brent went over all of the self-defense moves he''d taught Rayne so far.


    "Good, you''re learning well. You even remembered the technique to break free from full-body restraint," praised Brent.


    Rayne was on the ground catching her breath. She had just successfully released herself from his grip.


    "Instructor Brent, I wish to learn hand-to-hand combat. Or even knife combat, if possible," said Rayne, looking serious.


    She already had a good grasp on how to break free and run away, but she knew that in the future, she would need to stand her ground and fight.


    Brent looked at her curiously. "Well, I don''t technically offer these classes. Why do you want to learn these combat techniques?"


    "I have a feeling that something really bad will happen in the future," said Rayne. She wasn''t sure how else she could explain that the apocalypse would be starting.


    Brent thought for a moment. Ian had told him about the threat one of Damien''s men made while being interrogated. The man had told the boss that "something big" was going to happen.


    Maybe this girl has really sharp instincts?


    "Very well, I will teach you combat and knife skills under the guise of self-defense. Please don''t spread the word around," replied Brent after a long thought.


    Rayne stood up and thanked him! She didn''t expect him to agree to her request so easily and without demanding more of an explanation!


    For the last twenty minutes of the lesson, Brent spent explaining and demonstrating different stances for hand-to-hand combat. Rayne watched and listened intently, knowing that these moves would most likely save her life one day.


    After the lesson, Rayne drove home to take a shower before heading out to a textile store. She had driven by one on the way over to the shooting range that morning and figured stocking up on different kinds of fabrics and textiles would be useful in the future.


    Rayne entered the store, which looked more like a large warehouse. There were shelves upon shelves of every kind of fabric imaginable. They were all neatly rolled into bolts, allowing for easy access.


    As she weaved through the aisles, marveling at the sheer amount of different fabrics available, Rayne realized she had never dealt with fabrics outside of a basic sewing class she had taken in school during her earlier years, so she didn''t really know what to look for.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she decided she would just store as much as she could.


    Rayne had just finished storing all of the fabrics in the aisle she was currently in when a mother with a young daughter walked by.


    "Mommy, my princess dress needs to be pink! Princesses only wear pink, don''t you know?" the young girl enthusiastically explained to her mother.


    "Yes, yes! Let''s find the perfect pink fabric for your dress," smiled her mother. They walked the shelves until the little girl''s eyes lit up.


    "Mommy! I found it! I want this one!" she shouted happily.


    Her mother walked over and looked at the fabric. It was indeed a really suitable fabric for the dress; however, there wasn''t enough fabric left on the roll.


    "I''m sorry, sweetie, but there''s not enough fabric left to make your dress. Let''s look for another one," she said gently.


    Rayne saw the little girl do her best to hold back her tears, hanging her head low. She looked at the fabric the mother was holding in her hands while searching for a suitable replacement.


    Rayne walked to an empty aisle and looked through her system panel to find that exact fabric. It was relatively easy to find since there weren''t many pink fabrics, and she quickly took a copy out of her system.


    She walked back toward the mother and daughter, holding the bolt of pink fabric.


    "Hello, I couldn''t help but overhear you were looking for more of this pink fabric. I found this in the next aisle; I believe someone must''ve misplaced it," said Rayne, approaching the mother.


    The little girl beamed at Rayne''s words. "Mommy, look! There''s more fabric for my dress! I can be a princess now!"


    "Oh, thank you so much! This helps us out very much!" the mother thanked her, accepting the bolt of pink cloth.


    Rayne nodded and excused herself, feeling happy that she could help. There were only a few more aisles of cloth left, so she got back to business, storing them.


    When Rayne arrived back home, she sat down on her old couch and opened her system panel to organize the items she had stored today.


    She created new folders and subfolders, trying her best to organize the bolts of cloth by material. Outside of the bolts of fabric, Rayne was also able to store sewing machines, needles, threads of every color, along with other sewing supplies.


    The textile store also had a small section of quality blankets filled with soft materials. Rayne managed to store a good amount of the blankets as well.


    After she finished organizing, Rayne realized it was getting late and she was hungry. She decided to cook today instead of pulling something out of her system for a change. She wanted to make use of her new, fancy kitchen. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She pulled out a cookbook that she had stored in the library, finding a recipe for pork dumplings.


    She took out all of the necessary ingredients listed from her system: shepherd''s purse, chives, ground pork, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper, and some pre-made dumpling wrappers.


    Thankfully, the luxury supermarket she had ''looted'' earlier had all of these ingredients, in their highest quality versions.


    Rayne mixed all of the ingredients together as instructed and began wrapping the dumplings based on the photos provided in the cookbook. Her first couple of dumplings came out looking very sloppy, but she quickly got the hang of it and wrapped the rest of them neatly.


    Rayne enjoyed cooking and had a lot of fun trying a new recipe from a cookbook! She decided that she would try to make more new dishes while she still had the time.


    Before she cooked the newly made dumplings, she decided to store them in her system. This way, she could enjoy them boiled or pan-fried in the future, depending on her mood!


    While the dumplings cooked, Rayne thought about what she should do tomorrow. She had a free day without anything planned and wanted to maximize her productivity.


    She decided that she would go back to the mall she had visited when she first left the hospital. At that point, she had very little mastery over her system and had only managed to store a few different outfits from several stores.


    This time, she wanted to maximize her ability and store as much as possible¡ªnot just items suitable for her alone.


    Her heart ached for the people who suffered in her nightmares, and she wanted to be able to help as many people as possible.


    The dumplings were finally cooked and had a beautiful brown and crispy bottom, while the tops were white and chewy.


    Rayne ate them with relish, proud of her successful handiwork! The dumplings came out juicy and flavorful, her inner foodie was left very satisfied!

 Chapter 37 Panty Thief

    The next morning, Rayne woke up and made a vegetable omelette for breakfast. She was full of energy and ready to tackle the mall, hoping to fill her system with all sorts of clothing and shoes.


    When she finally arrived at the mall, she went straight toward the largest department store. It was four levels tall and had everything from baby clothes to power tools. It was the perfect place for Rayne to stock up on a large variety of items.


    Her main focus today was clothing and shoes, but she wouldn''t pass up other useful items on the way.


    Riding the escalator up to the fourth floor, Rayne decided to start from the top and make her way down.


    This floor of the store contained infant and children''s clothing, along with other baby items (diapers, changing stations, formula, bottles, etc.). Although Rayne had no use for these items, she wasn''t sure what would happen in the future or if she might meet someone who might need them.


    She walked around, storing all sorts of baby clothing and accessories, admiring their cuteness along the way.


    Across from the baby section was the women''s intimates (underwear, lingerie, bras) where Krissy was currently shopping.


    "Ugh, why are all of these styles for lingerie so boring? Dillon won''t like these," Krissy said, feeling frustrated.


    Dillon had recently been more and more generous with his money, giving Krissy ample funds to go shopping with. She was in desperate need of more sexy lingerie so that she could keep Dillon''s attention.


    From the corner of her eye, she saw a beautiful woman who reminded her of the one Dillon had been with that time at the bar. She craned her neck to see if she could get a clear look at the woman, but the woman was wearing a baseball cap and was turned slightly away.


    Krissy felt angry, being reminded of that vixen. But she assumed that this woman was not her, as she was intently going through the baby aisles.


    ---


    Rayne was oblivious to the fact that Krissy had somewhat noticed her and was busy storing as many baby, toddler, and children''s items as she could. Thankfully, this department was emptier than the others, allowing her to work quickly.


    By the time Rayne made her way toward the other side of the store, the women''s intimates section, Krissy had already left. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She began to once again store everything in her view: bras, panties, socks, nightgowns, even lingerie. She didn''t just store items of her size, but of all sizes and colors.


    Once she finished storing everything on the fourth floor, she took the escalator down to the third floor, where the men''s clothing and shoes were.


    It was her first time in a men''s department since buying her father a tie for his birthday years ago, and she felt a little lost on where to start.


    She walked to the section where the men''s shoes were and began to store them in all sizes and styles: sneakers, boots, dress shoes, sandals, flip-flops, hiking boots, work boots, etc.


    She then made her way into the casual clothing section, storing things like shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatpants, shorts, jeans, athletic clothing, etc.


    There was a large selection of items, so Rayne ended up spending a lot more time on this floor than she had on the fourth floor.


    She continued on to the dress clothing section, where the professional suits, ties, and jackets were, storing every style, color, and size.


    Rayne paused for a moment, laughing to herself. "Who is going to wear a suit and tie in the apocalypse?" She shook her head but continued to store them in her system. Just because she couldn''t imagine a situation didn''t mean it couldn''t happen.


    The final section was the men''s intimates. Rayne slowly stepped in, feeling a little embarrassed. There were rows of male mannequins with all types of men''s underwear on display, making Rayne want to turn her head to look at the floor.


    She had never been intimate with a man in her life and had never actually seen a man''s ''manhood'' in person before.


    After a few long, awkward minutes of just standing in the aisle, Rayne focused. "The faster I do this, the faster I can leave! Just pretend you''re married, Rayne!" she told herself.


    She quickly began to store everything in her vicinity without really looking at the items she was storing.


    One man saw her from the neighboring aisle and shook his head. In his perspective, it looked like Rayne was walking around, touching every pair of underwear and running away... like a female version of a panty thief.


    He made a mental note to tell his son to be careful around unfamiliar women...


    Rayne blazed through the rest of the men''s intimates and quickly made her way to the second floor. This was the women''s clothing section, allowing Rayne to finally be at peace.


    She took her time, admiring the pretty clothing as she stored them. This department store carried many high-end brands, ensuring the quality of the clothing.


    Rayne went from section to section, storing shirts, t-shirts, dresses, sweaters, hoodies, skirts, shorts, athletic wear, swimsuits of all styles and sizes.


    She did the same in the women''s shoes section, storing heels, boots, sandals, sneakers, slippers, etc.


    There was also a section with accessories such as purses and jewelry, but most of the quality items were locked behind display cases. Rayne stored only a few of these available items, not really worrying about accessories right now.


    The final level had basic household items such as bedding, pillows, small kitchen appliances, dishes, pots and pans, small d¨¦cor, tools, gardening supplies, etc.


    This floor was filled with a little bit of everything, and Rayne had a hard time passing it up, so she went around storing everything. She really made a point to store as many blankets as possible. If the apocalypse was anything like her nightmare, then people would suffer greatly in the bone-chilling cold; these blankets could save lives.


    By the time Rayne finished with the department store, only a few hours had passed. She was really impressed with how quickly she could now store things into her system!


    Since she still had a lot of time left, she decided to check out some of the other stores in the mall.


    The first store she walked into was a designer handbag store. It was so high-end that there was a security guard at the entrance, opening doors for potential customers.


    Rayne walked in, marveling at the beautiful displays and the shiny leather bags. She had never bought a designer purse before and wanted to have this experience at least once before the apocalypse.


    She had more than enough money to buy whatever she wanted now, so she walked around and picked out a few bags that she liked.


    Just as Rayne was about to have the store worker pack up the purses she had chosen, she heard a loud shrieking noise.


    She turned her head to find the source of the awful sound, only to see Krissy glaring angrily at her!


    A/N: Hi! If you''re enjoying the story, please take a minute to rate it~ It will help me out a lot <3

 Chapter 38 Accusations

    Krissy looked at Rayne with jealous fire in her eyes.


    "You vixen! How dare you spend my man''s money!", she yelled, causing everyone in the small store to look over.


    Krissy stared at the multiple bags Rayne was about to purchase and fumed! There was no way she would be able to afford those on her own, she thought. The only explanation was that she was using her dirty tricks on Dillon to get that money!


    "You bitch! I told you to stay away from Dillon! He''s my man!", she screamed, pointing her finger at Rayne like a shrew.


    Rayne was momentarily stunned from both the loud unpleasant noise and the wild accusation Krissy was making.


    She turned to face Krissy with a dumfounded look on her face.


    "Are you talking to me?", she asked just to verify that Krissy was indeed accusing her.


    "Who the hell else? You''re the one using my man''s money to buy yourself those bags! There''s no way you would be able to afford it otherwise!", accused Krissy. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne wanted to laugh at Krissy''s lack of brain cells.


    "What does me buying these bags have anything to do with your man?", asked Rayne, folding her arms over her chest.


    "You dumb bitch! Like I said, you''re spending Dillon''s money to buy them! And Dillon is MY man!", she said, almost hysterically.


    Rayne''s patience was running low, "Listen carefully since you clearly didn''t hear what I said last time. I don''t want anything to do with Dillon, he''s all yours. This money that I''m spending, is MY money, that I earned. Now go away before you embarrass yourself further."


    Rayne went to turn around to quickly finish her purchase so that she could leave this psycho woman. However just as she turned, Krissy finally realized that Rayne was the woman she saw earlier in the baby section of the department store!


    Krissy''s mind blew up with assumptions and she became even more furious!


    "Not only are you hooking up with him behind my back, you also got yourself pregnant to try and take my place!", she yelled!


    Rayne was even more confused now! Since when was she pregnant?!


    "What do you mean I''m pregnant? You''re just as delusional as Dillon is!", she said.


    "Don''t bother hiding it from me! I know it''s true! Let me tell you this, Dillon is my man and nothing will change that, even if you''re pregnant with his bastard!", she yelled threateningly.


    Rayne truly couldn''t understand the words Krissy was spewing, but she was angry nonetheless.


    "I don''t know where you''re getting your crazy ideas from, but if you''re so hung up on your man, you should keep a tighter leash on him so that he doesn''t come find me at my house anymore!", replied Rayne.


    She was tired of being accused of nothing, and still had lingering anger from the day Dillon broke into her house.


    Krissy quieted down immediately upon hearing that Dillon had gone to find Rayne at her house. Her biggest fear right now was losing Dillon''s money.


    If Dillon truly was going out of his way to find this vixen, then she needed to step up her plan. Her mind raced, trying to come up with better ways of holding on to her golden goose (Dillon).


    Krissy looked up at Rayne and pretended to be unfazed by her words, but failed. She pointed her shaking finger at Rayne. "Lies! You''re full of lies! I''m warning you. Stay away from my man, or I''ll come deal with you myself!"


    She then stomped her foot angrily and ran away.


    Rayne stood there speechless, and thankful that the lunatic had finally left. She was screaming so loudly in her fake, high-pitched voice that Rayne was beginning to get a headache.


    She turned to the saleswoman to finalize the purchase of her purses and left the store. Unfortunately, Krissy managed to ruin her first luxury item purchase, but Rayne still felt happy to finally own a designer product.


    Rayne calmly walked around the mall, going from store to store. She even went inside a store that specialized in candles, storing a large variety in her system.


    She continued to walk around until she came across a very unique store that had just recently opened. It was called "Minus Zero" and specialized in clothing for extreme temperatures.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up, thinking that this would be very useful in the future. She walked in without hesitation!


    "Hello, welcome to Minus Zero. Let me know if you have any questions!" a young man greeted.


    Rayne returned the greeting and asked the man about the specifics of the clothing. She learned that this brand was one of REN Corp.''s subsidiary companies that focused on material research.


    All of the clothing was made from special technology nanofibers that could regulate body heat hundreds of times more effectively than standard clothing. There were different variants of this material, some specializing in heat insulation and others in heat dispersion.


    The salesman also mentioned that most of their clients were researchers, scuba divers, and hikers¡ªpeople who frequented places with extreme temperatures.


    As Rayne listened, the more excited she became. Who knew what kind of natural disaster would come? Having such protective clothing would be a very good thing to have!


    Rayne quickly turned around, pretending to look through the shelves, and stored everything they had available.


    She then picked out two different shirts, one for cold resistance and one for heat resistance, and went over to the sales counter to purchase the shirts. The salesman seemed very happy to finally have a customer, as many people felt there was no reason to buy such an expensive piece of clothing without any immediate need.


    Rayne then raided a few more stores on the way to the food court. She decided to buy a little bit of everything to increase the amount of prepared food she had in her system, so she walked around ordering everything from a slice of pizza to beef noodles.


    She got a few odd looks as people watched her go from counter to counter ordering a large amount of food, but she ignored it.


    She quickly left the food court to find a secluded spot to store the food. She walked down the hallway toward one of the less popular entrances and bent down to store her food discreetly.


    Unfortunately, it would be too suspicious if she left the food in her system, so she took the large bag of food and lugged it over to her car.


    As soon as Rayne closed her car door, she put everything in her system (or the system trash bin). She then drove home while sipping on a recently purchased iced green tea. The drive home was peaceful, and she felt like her time at the mall had been very successful today. She was excited to go home and swap to one of her new designer purses.


    When she got home, she heard her phone ding, indicating that she had received a text message. Rayne opened her phone and saw that it was a notification from the furniture delivery company, saying that her furniture was scheduled to arrive tomorrow.


    Excited by this news, Rayne put away all of her temporary ''old'' furniture, leaving only the small couch in the living room and her bed in the bedroom.

 Chapter 39 Pregnant?!

    Rayne spent the rest of the day downloading and watching movies and TV shows. She wanted to get a head start on stockpiling all sorts of entertainment for the future.


    The next morning, Rayne showered and got dressed, ready to meet with the delivery men. She placed the couch and bed into her system, leaving the apartment completely empty.


    About thirty minutes later, the delivery truck arrived, and the workers began to carry the new furniture into the house.


    Rayne ordered everything from new sofas, armchairs, bar stools, bed frames, mattresses, outdoor furniture, rugs, to small d¨¦cor items.


    A few hours later, her empty house became beautifully furnished with quality furniture. The overall design followed the ''French country'' theme, with lots of neutral colors and a few pops of color.


    Part of the small d¨¦cor items Rayne had ordered included beautiful porcelain vases. There were a few of these vases spread around the house in various sizes, and Rayne had filled them with fresh-cut flowers.


    The atmosphere in her house was now very calming and cheerful.


    Before Rayne did anything crazy, she went around and stored all of the new items into her system. This way, if she spilled a glass of red wine on her new linen couch, she could easily replace it without worry.


    -----


    Krissy rushed home from the mall angrily. She was feeling very territorial about Dillon and couldn''t get the image of Rayne shopping in the baby section out of her head.


    "I need to find a way to deal with her before that baby is born," she said menacingly.


    She entered Dillon''s apartment, unlocking it with a spare key he had given her. Looking around the apartment, she realized that he wasn''t home, most likely out at a bar with his buddies.


    She placed her shopping bags on the ground and sat down to think about how to keep Dillon with her.


    "I need to prevent him from going out to look for that vixen," she thought. She spent a few minutes thinking, but only one solution came to mind.


    "I know the thing Dillon hates the most is being lied to, and that woman clearly lied about being on birth control. Even with me, he''s very strict when it comes to taking the pill on time! That''s it!! He must not know she''s pregnant!!" she muttered to herself.


    Krissy picked up her purse and pulled out her cell phone to text Dillon.


    [Hey babe! I''m back from the mall. Where are you? I want to come hang out kissy face]


    A few minutes later, her phone buzzed.


    [I''m at the usual spot, come meet me]


    Smiling at Dillon''s quick reply, Krissy grabbed her keys and left for the bar where Dillon normally spent time.


    When she entered the bar, she spotted Dillon right away. The bar was somewhat empty since it was still early, with only a few people sitting around.


    Krissy noticed that the person Dillon was hanging out with was one of his newer ''friends.'' She frowned when she saw them together. There was something about these new friends that made her feel very uneasy.


    Still, Krissy was determined to expose Rayne''s schemes to Dillon, so she walked over and sat down beside him.


    Dillon was already slightly drunk by the time Krissy made it over, and couldn''t help but stare at her chest. Krissy purposely wore a very low cut shirt, knowing that Dillon enjoyed looking at her melons.


    "Hey babe, you''ll never guess who I ran into at the mall today.", said Krissy, trying her best to sound seductive.


    Dillon glanced over to her, "Who?".


    "That dirty slut who was pestering you at that bar downtown a few weeks ago".


    Dillon''s attention was now fully on Krissy. He knew she was referring to Rayne! His eyes darkened, remembering how she threatened him when he broke into her apartment.


    "Was she there with anyone?", he asked, probing to see if she was seeing someone else.


    Krissy saw his dark expression and was elated! "No, she was there alone. But I found out a big secret!".


    Dillon stared at Krissy waiting for her to explain.


    "She''s pregnant! She must''ve lied to you about being on birth control and wants to secretly give birth to your child so that she could extort you for money in the future!", exclaimed Krissy excitedly!


    Dillon''s mind went blank!


    Rayne is pregnant? I told her that she''s my woman...HOW DARE SHE SLEEP WITH ANOTHER MAN!


    Dillon''s blood boiled with fury! She dare do something like that behind his back?


    "I''m going to teach her a lesson!", he fumed.


    Krissy was in heaven seeing Dillon''s furious expression. She was completely convinced that Dillon was angry because Rayne lied about being on birth control!


    Ha! Serves you right! Too bad your little scheme will no longer work!


    Dillon was so angry that he was clenching his jaw.


    Looks like I''ll have to pay you another visit sooner or later. And when I do, I''ll make you regret sleeping around with other men!


    -----


    A few weeks went by very quickly. Rayne was busy with her self-defense and marksmanship classes, excelling in both. She had also made multiple trips to the library to continue chipping away at storing the books. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She now had around half of the library''s books in her space. Another thing that was slowly stockpiling was the downloads for various movies, TV shows, music, and video games that could be played offline.


    She had acquired a number of high-capacity external hard drives and used them to hold the movies, music, and TV shows. This way, she could make copies if she ever needed to.


    Some of the other items Rayne managed to store included luxury skincare, makeup, hand soaps, household cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products, and basic medical supplies.


    The medical supplies were obtained at her local pharmacy. They were all basic over-the-counter items, such as bandages, pain reliever pills, fever reducer pills, common antibiotics, burn creams, pregnancy tests, eye drops, various stomach relief medicines, etc.


    Although Rayne had already begun the shooting part of her marksmanship training, she had only managed to store a single bullet.


    Yasmin was a very good instructor and was constantly watching Rayne, making sure she was handling the firearm carefully and in the proper stance. This made it difficult for Rayne to store the pistol in her system, but she was patient, knowing that the right time would come eventually.


    Rayne had also met up with Ella a few times. They mostly went out to eat at new restaurants while discussing various aspects of their lives. Of course, Rayne took advantage of each new restaurant and always ordered to-go boxes. Ella even made fun of her, calling her a glutton ¡ª which Rayne couldn''t refute!


    Ella was still passionately designing the office building for REN Corp. and kept mentioning how wonderful the project manager on her team was. Although Rayne didn''t say anything, she felt like a romance was blossoming soon.


    Rayne was happy to have a good friend like Ella! She enjoyed having a friend to go out with occasionally and gossip. The more time they spent together, the more they got along!

 Chapter 40 Pistol Acquired

    (A/N: Thank you corazonmio for all of the golden tickets! This chapter is dedicated to you!)


    Rayne was getting ready to leave for her marksmanship class when she noticed moving trucks parked outside her building.


    She walked out into the hallway and noticed that someone was moving into the unit next door to her. She lingered in the hallway for a few minutes, trying to see who her new neighbor was so that she could introduce herself, but it was hard to tell with all of the movers going back and forth.


    Rayne decided to try again after her lesson, as she was already running a little late.


    She quickly ate a banana for breakfast while driving over to the shooting range, hoping that would be enough to prevent her stomach from growling.


    During her previous lesson, she hadn''t eaten anything, and the entire time, her stomach made loud growling noises, making her feel very embarrassed.


    She walked into the lobby and noticed that her instructor, Yasmin, was already waiting for her.


    "Good morning, Rayne! Ready for today''s lesson? Today should mark the completion of the basic course!" greeted Yasmin.


    "Good morning, Yasmin! Yes, I''m excited to move on in my training!" replied Rayne. Once she completed the basic course, a lot more freedom would be granted to her. She would gain access to the beginner ranges where she could practice on her own, with limited supervision.


    The two young women made their way down the staircase to their usual spot, the small side room with the desk.


    "Okay, Rayne, let''s start from the basics. Show me your stance," she said, handing her an unloaded pistol.


    Rayne grabbed the pistol and turned toward the wall, where a practice target was painted. She adjusted her body so that her feet were shoulder-width apart and her legs were slightly bent.


    Lifting the gun in her hands, she aimed at the painted target, keeping her arms straight and elbows slightly bent.


    "Good, your posture is perfect," said Yasmin, lightly clapping. "I think we can move on over to the shooting lane and do some dry firing before we start live firing."


    Rayne lowered the pistol, nodding. "Okay, sounds great!" she replied and followed Yasmin out of the small side room and toward a firing lane.


    Rayne put on her protective gear and resumed her stance in the firing lane.


    "Go ahead and pull the trigger, focus on sight alignment," instructed Yasmin.


    Rayne stood still, focusing on aiming. She pulled the trigger only when she was confident that she would hit the target.


    Yasmin watched her carefully from the side, helping with slight adjustments.


    "Okay, great! I think it''s time to fire some real shots. Wait here, I will go get the ammo!" said Yasmin.


    Rayne nodded, secretly excited for a moment alone with the pistol. Just as Yasmin turned to leave, she carefully placed her hand on the pistol and stored it in her system!


    Her heart was thumping loudly due to her excitement. Of course, she hoped that she would never have to use it, but based on her nightmares, it was very likely.


    As soon as the pistol was stored, Rayne patiently waited for Yasmin to come back.


    "Okay, I''m back! I''ll let you load the magazine. Do it like I taught you earlier," Yasmin instructed.


    Rayne carefully loaded the magazine, albeit a little slower than she would have liked. Yasmin nodded and gave a few instructions on live shooting.


    For the rest of the class, Rayne was given time to shoot still targets in the shooting lane. Yasmin encouraged her as well as pointed out a few things she needed to fix.


    By the time class ended, Rayne felt comfortable with the gun. She no longer flinched from the recoil, marking a successful transition out of the beginner level.


    "Great work today, Rayne! Next class, we will start with live-fire practice and go from there! You''ll be a sharpshooter in no time!" praised Yasmin.


    ----


    Rayne went home to take a quick shower. She tried seeing if her new neighbor would show up since the movers were gone, but there was still no one there.


    "I guess I''ll give them some time to settle in," she shrugged as she unlocked her door.


    She went inside, rinsed off quickly in the shower, then headed over to the kitchen. Although the banana helped her keep her stomach quiet during the lesson, she was very hungry now.


    She was craving a large Cobb salad, so she opened her system and began to take out the needed ingredients.


    She pulled out: lettuce, spinach, various microgreens, tomato, cucumber, green onion, avocado, as well as bacon, an egg, and a chicken breast.


    Walking over to the stove, she pulled out a new pot and began to boil the egg. Then she took out a stainless steel frying pan to sear the chicken breast and bacon.


    While those items were cooking, she quickly washed all of the remaining ingredients and began to chop them into small cubes.


    She diced up the egg, chicken, and bacon once it was finished cooking and added it to the large bowl with the vegetables. The last step was to pour some dressing on top and enjoy!


    She was so hungry that she almost forgot to add the prepared salad to her system.


    The salad was made from fresh organic ingredients and was very flavorful! The lettuce and cucumber created a very satisfying crunch with every bite. Rayne thoroughly enjoyed her filling lunch.


    "Ah and the best part after such a delicious meal is that I don''t need to do dishes afterwards!", exclaimed Rayne as she tossed all of the used dishes and utensils into the trash bin of the system.


    --------


    Later that night Dillon found himself standing in front of Rayne''s apartment door. He paced in front of the door for a few minutes, trying to calm himself down from his anger.


    He took a deep breath, "Okay, I''ll give you one last chance to submit to me Rayne, else don''t blame me for being rough".


    He knocked on the door. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ....


    Dillon felt annoyed that Rayne wasn''t home again. "Maybe she got a job or something, I''ll wait".


    Dillon waited for about twenty minutes before he gave in and decided to pick the lock.


    Click. The door opened but what greeted him was a completely empty apartment. Not even a crumb was left in the corner.


    Dillon flared up with anger! "Good, good. You got me good this time Rayne. You can run but you can''t hide forever", he muttered.


    He was so angry that he stood in the empty apartment and began to laugh maniacally, losing his rationality.

 Chapter 41 Fish Market

    Dillon stayed inside the empty apartment for a long time until he cooled off. Instead of feeling discouraged, the desire to make Rayne his woman grew even stronger. He felt as if they were playing a cat-and-mouse game, one chasing while the other ran away.


    When Dillon finally left the apartment, he noticed an older lady sitting on the bench by the entrance.


    "Good evening, ma''am. I''m looking for an old friend of mine. I heard she lived here, but no one is answering. Her name is Rayne Weston. Do you happen to know her?" Dillon asked in his best ''good boy'' voice.


    Old Lady Barton looked over at Dillon, seeing a handsome young man. "Oh... you''re looking for that rude girl? Yeah, she moved out a few weeks ago. She didn''t tell anyone, nor do I remember seeing any moving trucks."


    Dillon was surprised! If Rayne moved out a few weeks ago, then she must''ve moved shortly after his first visit!


    "Thank you for the information. I''m guessing there''s no one who would know where she went then?" Dillon probed.


    Old Lady Barton looked at him and frowned. "I suggest you forget about her. She may look sweet on the outside, but she''s rotten on the inside. Never met such a rude girl before. She probably keeps a lot of men on the side too..."


    Dillon''s eyes darkened slightly at the mention of men, but he quickly hid his emotions.


    "I''ll be honest with you, ma''am. She actually owes me a lot of money, so I''m trying to find her," he lied, trying to squeeze out any kind of information.


    "Haha! Oh, you should''ve said so earlier! See, I knew that girl was no good! Although I don''t know where she went, the main office should keep a record of it," laughed Old Lady Barton.


    She was excited to finally get her hands on some gossip and couldn''t wait to share it with the other ladies in the building.


    "Thank you so much for your help, ma''am!" Dillon thanked her politely.


    He turned to walk toward the main office, smiling evilly.


    Dillon finally left the main office of Rayne''s old apartment building. He was there for almost an hour, trying to convince the staff in charge of leasing to give him the address Rayne left when she moved.


    The staff member was stubborn, refusing to give out any information until Dillon pulled out a wad of cash. As soon as the money was on the table, the staff member quickly pulled out the paper that Rayne filled out when she moved out.


    Dillon quickly took a picture of the address she wrote and left, feeling victorious.


    "You can''t hide from me, Rayne," he said, walking out into the dark night.


    ----


    A few days later...


    Rayne grabbed an iced coffee out of her system and hopped into her car. Today was the day of her planned road trip to gather more items. Seafood was currently in season, and Rayne wanted to capitalize on that.


    She also decided to visit a number of farms along the way to try and store fresh meat, produce, and seeds/gardening supplies.


    She planned to be gone for a few days, so she prepped for a few days of travel. Her system was very convenient for this, as she didn''t need to pack. She simply tossed a few random shirts into a larger bag to avoid suspicion and set off.


    After driving for a few hours, she arrived at one of the largest fishing ports. She timed her arrival so that the sun had just begun to rise, and the first fishing boats had just finished docking.


    As she got out of her car, the strong smell of fish and salt made her scrunch her nose. There was a large warehouse-like building right in front of the boat docks that acted as a fish market. Many people wearing raincoats stood huddled in front.


    Although it was still relatively warm out, the intense sea breeze made it feel very cold, so most people came prepared, wearing coats or jackets.


    Rayne realized she was very underdressed as soon as she stepped out of the car, rubbing her arms with her hands.


    She quickly got back inside her car and pulled out a waterproof long jacket. It was a thinner material than a winter coat but was perfect for protection against the wind.


    She walked over toward the group of people who were waiting for the fish market to open. The majority of the people there were wearing chef uniforms or jackets branded with a restaurant''s logo.


    "I hope they caught more tuna today; there wasn''t enough last week," said an older man.


    "There wasn''t enough because that new sushi restaurant bought most of it," replied a fierce-looking woman.


    Rayne listened in on all of the small talk, waiting for the market to open.


    Before long, a dock worker came out and opened the door. "Okay! Come on in, everyone!"


    Rayne let the chefs and restaurant workers flood in first so she could avoid being trampled. Inside the warehouse market, there were many stalls with hundreds of freshly caught fish laying on top of ice.


    Many workers were busy cleaning and cutting fish into filets. Rayne walked around, admiring the vast amount of fresh fish and seafood on display. Despite the strong fishy smell, her eyes twinkled once she noticed the king crabs and juicy lobsters.


    Rayne queued up and bought a little of every item. She realized that she was once again unprepared, her hands running out of space to hold more seafood.


    Rayne quickly walked back to her car, storing the seafood she just purchased, and took out a large cooler on wheels. It was at least double the capacity of a standard cooler, and she remembered thinking how silly it was to make a cooler this size when she first stored it at the camping store.


    But now, this cooler came in very handy, allowing Rayne to walk from stall to stall and buy a little bit of everything.


    Thankfully, the sight of Rayne going around buying everything was not uncommon, and many of the people there just assumed she was a private chef preparing for a seafood feast.


    By the time she finished, the massive cooler was stuffed with every kind of fish fillet, smaller whole fishes, oysters, clams, various crabs, lobsters, urchin, many different types of roe, etc. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her inner foodie was extremely delighted at the bountiful seafood harvest. To maximize freshness, Rayne stored the cooler with all of the contents directly, deciding that she would take the time to store every seafood item individually later.


    The sun was shining brightly, and the warm air was creating a pleasant breeze throughout the car, pushing out the residual fishy smell. Rayne had been driving for a few hours toward her next destination, a large cattle ranch.


    -----


    Remote valley.


    Sounds of large construction vehicles mixed with other power tools sounded through the area. Julian had just arrived, stepping out of his off-road jeep.


    "Boss, you''re here!" greeted Noah, quickly approaching.


    Julian nodded and quietly observed the construction site before speaking.


    "How''s the bunker construction going? Have we encountered any setbacks?"


    "There were a few small issues that have now been solved. We are still on track to meet your deadline," replied Noah.


    Julian let Noah walk him around the entire construction site, comparing the progress to the blueprints he was holding.

 Chapter 42 Inspection

    Julian was more and more impressed with how ingenious the bunker design was when seeing it in person.


    Looking at the construction site, you wouldn''t even know anything was being built there if it weren''t for the large vehicles scattered around. The large hill was currently being hollowed out from the top, creating minimal disturbances in the surrounding nature.


    "This is much better than I initially expected. Money well spent," commented Julian.


    "Yes! Indeed, the design is very meticulous. I have yet to come across a problem," said Noah.


    The first two floors of the bunker were already hollowed out and framed, allowing Julian to take a look inside.


    "...and this room here is the armory, which is adjacent to the mini laboratory," said Noah, pointing to a few empty spaces as they walked through.


    Julian looked around, happy with the size and height of the rooms. "Good, the laboratory feels a lot bigger than it looks on the blueprint. I was worried it would be too small."


    "I want to make sure that I have access to all the newly researched weapons. Damien''s inevitable attack will be something big, and I need to be ready for it," he added.


    Once they finished the inner tour of the bunker, Julian wanted to take a look around the surrounding area.


    Noah brought him over to a small dirt bike and handed over the keys. "Here you go, boss! Be careful on the west side; there''s a small river over there."


    "Thanks, Noah. I''ll call you if anything," said Julian as he drove off into the valley.


    The nature in the surrounding area was beautiful. The valley was surrounded by dense forest with lush vegetation and wildlife. There was a nice open clearing beside a small stream near where the bunker was being built. The entire area was picturesque, surrounded by tall mountains, making it feel like a mystical realm.


    Julian enjoyed the scenic drive and fresh air. It had been a long time since he''d been out in the wilderness like this. Most of his time in recent years had been spent in his office or in the underground interrogation rooms.


    "At least I''ll be surrounded by nature soon," mumbled Julian as he quietly observed the surrounding area. If only I could be enjoying this under different circumstances.


    Julian sat there, thinking about alternatives to this crazy plan that would go into effect in mere months, but no other solution came to mind. Damien''s threat was too big, and only he had the ability to stop him. The toughest part was making Damien come out of hiding.


    For the past few years, Julian had tried everything in his power to locate Damien, but no matter how many of his men he captured, there was no sign of where Damien could be.


    This bunker project was a crazy plan designed to get Damien out of hiding.


    "I''ll see you soon, old friend," whispered Julian, with a mixture of hatred and melancholy in his eyes.


    ---


    Rayne finally arrived at the first farm. It was enormous, with multiple fields filled with grazing cattle. Behind the central barn was a huge field with several chicken coops and multicolored chickens.


    Rayne walked up towards the central barn, smiling at all the cute animals. The barn had been converted into a shop space where people could walk in and buy all sorts of farm products, like fresh eggs, milk, cheese, bread, butter, and cream, as well as a butcher''s corner that offered fresh beef and chicken products.


    She quickly walked in and purchased one of every item available, then asked around for a good local vegetable farm.


    The owners of the cattle ranch were very kind and recommended a smaller fruit and vegetable farm that was just a bit further up the street.


    Rayne thanked the owners and made her way over.


    Although they described it as a small farm, in reality, it was very large. There were multiple greenhouses and fields full of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Rayne''s purpose in visiting the farm was mainly to obtain high-quality seeds and fertilizer. However, after seeing the beautiful fruits and vegetables, she felt like she couldn''t pass them up and purchased them as well.


    The purchase went quickly since the farmers had already prepared the seeds and fertilizer for sale, saving Rayne from having to come up with a reason for her purchase.


    She continued this trend, going from farm to farm and storing all sorts of specialty products over several days. Rayne would have continued her road trip to even farther places, but she didn''t want to miss a single self-defense or marksmanship class.


    It was late into the night when she finally made it back home, and she was exhausted from all the nonstop driving. She quickly took a shower and went to bed, falling asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.


    ---


    Dillon stepped out of his car and stood in front of a run down brick building in the outskirts of town. This was the address Rayne left when she declared that she was moving to the leasing office of her previous apartment.


    SMASH!


    In a fit of anger Dillon smashed one of the already broken windows, causing his hand to start bleeding from the broken shards of glass.


    "You really got me good. This is the second time now Rayne", he muttered angerly. He reached into his coat pocket with his bloody hand and pulled out his cell phone.


    A few days ago, the small time boss he was running jobs for formally invited him to join their group officially. He didn''t give out too many specifics but the benefits were very attractive. The only reason Dillon had yet to accept was the last shred of morality he had left. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew that the jobs he was doing were most likely illegal, but the money was worth it. However joining this gang would most likely mean a lifetime commitment. Even the small time leader he was in contact with told him to think it over before accepting.


    Now that Rayne had hurt his fragile ego, he only wanted one thing -- to prove to her that she belonged to him.


    While he failed to get what he wanted, there now was a second option available to him.


    Dillon dialed a number on his phone, slowing bringing it up to his ear...


    "Hey, it''s me....I''ve made up my mind. I''m in".

 Chapter 43 Imminent Arrival

    After returning home from her lessons, Rayne sat down with a plate of fried chicken for lunch, trying to figure out what she wanted to do for the rest of the day.


    Recently, one thing had been occupying her thoughts: the possibility of storing a vehicle in her system. It had been a few weeks since she''d started storing objects nonstop, and she felt ready to tackle something as large as a vehicle.


    She walked down to her private garage, where her large SUV was parked. She wished she had a smaller sedan to test first, but unfortunately, that wasn''t an option.


    "Okay, let me at least kneel in case I pass out from this," she muttered, crouching down in front of the SUV. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Placing her hand on the vehicle, she closed her eyes and focused. Almost immediately, sharp pain hit, followed by tremors and cold sweat. But Rayne stayed determined, pushing through the mental anguish, focusing all her energy on the task.


    Every second felt like an eternity until her mind went blank, and everything turned to black.


    A few hours later, Rayne opened her eyes to find herself lying on the concrete floor. She slowly looked up, hoping to see her SUV stored in her system, but it was still there, untouched.


    "It looks like I failed," she thought, pushing herself up. "At least I had the sense to kneel. I would have bruised myself if I''d fallen normally on this concrete."


    Frustration and anger bubbled inside her. After enduring all that pain, she hadn''t been able to store the SUV. However, there was a silver lining¡ªshe''d learned something valuable. During the intense focus, she''d felt a familiar, pleasant warmth in her navel. She had felt this sensation before, each time an item was successfully stored, but it had always been so brief that she hadn''t really noticed it.


    It was like a small bubble of warmth that burst when the item was stored. This time, she felt it clearly, but the ''bubble'' never burst. She had been so close.


    Rayne''s resolve hardened. She was sure that the SUV''s size was just slightly beyond her capacity, but a normal-sized car should be within reach.


    Then, an unexpected thought crossed her mind. "What if I go out in the middle of the night and store random smaller cars?"


    She chuckled to herself, feeling mischievous. Part of her was excited. She''d never done anything ''bad'' before, and while this wasn''t technically a crime since no cars would actually be missing, it still made her feel like a little thief.


    Later that night, Rayne dressed in all black and went out to see if she could try her luck at storing a smaller car.


    She walked around the parking lot of her building, but there were too many cameras and streetlights, making it impossible to avoid getting caught. After thinking about where she should go, she hopped in her car and drove to the street where all of the car dealerships were.


    Many of the car dealerships had large amounts of cars parked in their lots, and most of them weren''t fenced in. She parked her car along the side of the road and walked down the street to look for the dealership with the least amount of security.


    Interestingly, Rayne noticed that the dealerships that sold cheaper cars had much tighter security than the luxury dealerships. The ones that sold high-end luxury cars typically had a large showroom with their newest and most expensive cars on display, while the slightly cheaper cars were left outside with only a few security cameras.


    Rayne walked up to a dealership that sold foreign luxury cars and took her time observing the locations of all the security cameras. She noticed that there were only four cameras, attached to the light posts in each of the four quadrants of the parking lot.


    She carefully calculated their range of detection and noted that the two rows of cars between each quadrant weren''t actually seen by any of the cameras!


    Rayne stealthily walked around the perimeter of the parking lot and crouched behind a row of cars to get to the ones outside the cameras'' line of sight. She moved slowly and carefully, even crawling at certain points, until she reached the right spot.


    Quickly, she placed her hands on the 2-door sports car and began to focus on storing it. This time, there was a dull pain accompanied by the warm bubble sensation she had been looking for. She continued to focus until the bubble burst, indicating her success!


    Rayne worked quickly, placing the car back in its original spot and then continuing to store the next car in line. It only took her three cars to fully master storing vehicles. By the fourth car, she no longer experienced any pain or discomfort.


    She went from dealership to dealership, storing a variety of cars, making a mental note of which ones she liked best so she could return in the future to "test drive" them in order to store the keys.


    Even the cars that would remain keyless could serve a purpose with their spare parts. She was also sure that hotwiring cars would become commonplace in the future.


    Rayne finally made it home as the first rays of light pierced the night sky and quickly went to bed.


    ---


    A few months later.


    Rayne woke up and checked the timer on her system screen:


    [Countdown to the Apocalypse: 0 years, 1 month, 1 day, 05:08:02]


    With only a month left on the timer, Rayne was starting to feel the weight of impending doom. Over the months, she had collected thousands upon thousands of items, from food to fuel, in preparation for the apocalypse.


    She didn''t know what the apocalypse would entail, so every item was precious in her eyes. She had finished storing all the books in the library and had built a significant collection of movies, music, and games.


    Since the day she stored the cars at the dealership, she had stored her SUV along with other larger vehicles such as Jeeps, SUVs, trucks, campers, trailers, and even boats.


    She had also managed to acquire barrels of gasoline, oil, diesel, propane, etc.¡ªfuel would surely become a valuable resource.


    She had reached a point where all she could do was wait for the day to arrive.

 Chapter 44 Shot!

    Julian sat down in the back of his luxury car, adjusting his suit slightly. His facial expression was neutral but the tension in the car was high.


    "Boss, are you sure you need to do this?", asked Noah from the drivers seat, turning on the ignition.


    Julian made eye contact with Noah through the mirror, "Unless you have a better idea, then yes". His voice was quiet and had a slightly teasing tone.


    Noah lowered his head, unable to reply. He''s been trying to think of different ways to go about luring Damien out of his hiding place, but nothing came to mind. The last few months had taken a toll on him, making him feel useless for not being able to help Julian more.


    Julian saw the sullen expression on Noah''s face and smiled.


    "Don''t be too hard on yourself. It''s not like I''m actually going to die", he said.


    Noah showed a small self deprecating smile, "But you''ll have to spend years if not the rest of your life in hiding!"


    "Not if we get Damien quickly. As soon as he''s out of the picture and his gang falls apart, then I can make a comeback. You can even post my face on the cover of every magazine at that point", chuckled Julian.


    "Plus, that bunker is actually really nice, it''ll be like a much deserved vacation", he added.


    The two men drove up to a luxurious building. This was the location for the much anticipated underground auction, and the starting point for Julian''s plan to lure Damien out of hiding.


    Julian stepped out of the car and walked into the beautiful building followed by Noah. There were many elites and undercover bosses gathered here today, everyone dressed extravagantly to show off their wealth.


    Julian made his way over to the previously reserved booth where he met Ian.


    "Boss, you''re here". Ian was dressed in an all black suit, looking extra fearsome due to his serious facial expression.


    "Yes, I hope everything is in order?", asked Julian as he looked around the auction hall.


    Ian nodded, "Yes, everything is prepared to go as planned. Just before the last items auction you will get shot from across the hall. The perfect body double has already been prepared".


    One of the recent developments in REN Corp.''s research facilities was this synthetic body double. Using advanced technology it can be formed to look, feel, bleed, and even smell like a specific person, in this case Julian.


    "The escape vehicle is also ready and waiting", added Ian. He had an ear piece so that he could communicate with the other security detail.


    Julian nodded and sat down, his eyes glued to the stage to appear invested in the auction.


    As the evening went on, the skillful auctioneer presented many precious items that only a few people could afford.


    Julian placed a few bids here and there to seem normal, winning a bid for a vintage 8 carat flawless diamond ring that was a one-of-a-kind design by world renown jeweler. The ring cost him over 10 million dollars, causing many people in the crowd to speculate why he bought it.


    Julian was happy with this outcome, because the more eyes on him tonight, the better the operation would go.


    "..And here we are! Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to unveil our final item!.."


    Bang!


    A shot was fired straight at Julian, followed by screams!


    "Oh my god! He''s dead! Someone just killed the CEO of REN Corp.!!"


    The entire hall was sent into chaos, people were screaming while trying to leave the hall, running into each other.


    "Team A move out, prepare the route", said Ian over his headpiece.


    Julian quickly left the scene wearing a mask while Noah and Ian stood over the synthetic body double that was shot and bleeding. Soon the ambulance came to move ''Julian'' to the hospital, even the paramedics could not tell that it was not a real body.


    Noah and Ian had to play their part, acting outraged and sad!


    Amidst all of the chaos, nobody noticed the very plain looking vehicle that drove off out of the city.


    Brent was the one driving the car, "Sir, are you alright?".


    Julian took a deep breath, "Yes, I''m fine. The plan was executed perfectly". He took out the beautiful velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing the diamond ring. He wasn''t sure what to do with it, as he bought it on a whim.


    "I guess it can serve as a memento or something", he thought, placing it back into his pocket.


    A few hours later, Brent pulled over to a small rest stop on the side of a road. "Sir, we have a prepared a small dirt bike to go the rest of the way. I shall accompany you".


    Julian got out of the car and put on a leather jacket and followed Brent. Brent led him deep into the forest until he spotted a small clearing with two dirt bike parked. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here we are boss, the drive over to the bunker is about a 40 minute ride from here. Please be careful as there is no trail and we''ll be driving through a dense forest".


    Julian nodded and motioned to Brent to lead the way. The drove off into the forest, carefully weaving in between large rocks and trees. Julian was glad to see that the path to the bunker wasn''t the easiest, hoping that it would deter others from venturing in.


    After about an hour they had finally arrived and the bunker. There were a number of fallen trees and large branches making Julian and Brent have to take extra detours while driving.


    Julian stepped off of his dirt bike and shined his flashlight. If he didn''t know better he would never have believed that he was currently standing on top of a multi-level bunker. The environment had fully grown out since the construction phase, leaving a completely natural looking environment. The hill that the bunker was built into had grass and small trees growing out of it. In fact, none of the environment was touched during the construction phase.


    With a click of a small key, a tiny hatch opened up beside a large bush, granting Julian entry into his new home.

 Chapter 45 Breaking News

    The following day, Rayne woke up to find the world in chaos.


    [CEO of REN Corp. Proclaimed Dead!]


    [REN Corp.''s CEO Shot at Auction Event!]


    [Executive Secretary Noah Mathews Named New CEO of REN Corp.]


    Rayne read the many news articles in complete shock. How did something like this happen? Although she had never had a chance to meet the CEO, he had helped her out a lot financially.


    She closed her eyes, saying a short silent prayer for him, thanking him for inadvertently helping her in times of need.


    The other interesting fact was that Secretary Mathews was named the next CEO. Typically, it would be a family member who would be next in line, but it seemed that Secretary Mathews was the one explicitly named in the will.


    Rayne continued to scroll through, reading all of the news articles about the tragedy and future funeral plans.


    "Seems like REN Corp.''s CEO was an important person. His passing has received so much publicity," mumbled Rayne.


    She finally got out of bed and got dressed. Her plans for the remaining time before the start of the apocalypse were to cook as many dishes as possible and search for secluded natural environments to move to once things got bad.


    The last few weeks, Rayne had spent a good amount of time looking at topography maps, searching for areas with good natural resources. In her nightmares, people turned on each other once they began to run out of resources, resorting to stealing and even killing.


    Places such as densely populated cities would most likely be the least safe, so she wanted to at least have a general idea of where to run to. One of the places that caught her attention was a relatively remote resort area that had been recently built. It was located near a nature preserve and was surrounded by mountains. The nature preserve was a good area as well due to a naturally formed valley with a river running through it.


    Rayne thought about Ella as she began cooking. "I still haven''t found a way to tell her about the apocalypse. But I don''t want her to suffer," she thought.


    She had been thinking about how to tell her friend for a while now but was worried she would sound crazy since there was no logical proof.


    Just as she finished dicing the chicken, she got an idea! "What if I pretend to have bought too many random camping supplies and just dump them at her house?"


    She thought that if she forcefully brought random supplies like solar panel generators, canned food, propane stoves, and other supplies, that would at least ensure that Ella would have a slight head start. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The worst Ella would do is think that Rayne was crazy for having spent so much money on random camping gear! It wasn''t the perfect solution, but it helped ease Rayne''s worries.


    She continued to cook, making delicious hot meals until evening, filling her system with more fresh, nutritious, home-cooked food.


    Looking at the time, she estimated that Ella would be home soon, so she prepared to go visit her at her house.


    [Hey Ella, it''s Rayne. I went a little crazy shopping today and would like to share some of my purchases with you. Mind if I swing by in about 30 minutes?]


    A few minutes later, Rayne got a reply:


    [Yes, come on over! I''m looking forward to seeing what crazy items you bought this time!]


    Rayne smiled while reading the enthusiastic reply and walked down to her garage to prepare. She opened the trunk of her SUV and sat down on the edge of the vehicle, opening her system screen.


    She scrolled through, taking out copies of anything she felt would be really useful. Before long, the entire SUV was stuffed with random items such as tents, sleeping bags, solar panels, propane and propane stoves, medical kits, dried and canned foods, a few nanofiber shirts, a few large bags of rice, and even a few military knives.


    Rayne wanted to give her much more, but her SUV couldn''t fit anything else. The last thing she took out was a few fresh king crabs that she got at the fish market to use as a gift.


    Since Ella''s family owned PRISMA, they lived in a large villa just outside downtown. Rayne had been there a few times before, so she was familiar with the area. The security guard at the entrance recognized Rayne by her large SUV and let her in without any problems.


    By the time Rayne parked, Ella was already waiting for her at the entrance of her family''s villa.


    "Yay! Rayne, you''re here!" she ran out excitedly.


    "Hi Ella! Come help me carry these things inside! I went overboard on the shopping today," said Rayne.


    When Ella walked over and saw the stuffed SUV filled with random items, she couldn''t help but laugh! "Hahaha! Oh my goodness!! Rayne!!! Hahah...you''re really something! I was thinking like clothes and shoes... but what''s this? A propane grill?? Hahah!!"


    Rayne smiled at her friend''s antics, "Hey! I did bring a few shirts and shoes!!" She lifted a bag of the thermal clothes with nanofibers and a pair of high-quality hiking boots to show Ella.


    This only made Ella laugh even more! "Oh my!! I can''t breathe, I''m laughing so much! Hahahaha!"


    Rayne shook her head, smiling. "Come now, help me carry this stuff or we''ll be here all night!"


    Ella took a few deep breaths and patted her chest. Her eyes were filled with tears from all the laughter. "Okay, okay!"


    A few minutes later, a large pile of supplies was formed on the floor in the living room. Ella was looking through all of the items, shaking her head.


    "Did you buy out an entire camping store or something? These items are so random!" asked Ella, giggling.


    Rayne scratched the side of her head, "Well, something like that... Oh! I almost forgot the best part!!" Rayne ran back out to her car and brought in the box of fresh king crabs.


    "Look! Aren''t you excited for dinner tonight?" smiled Rayne, presenting the crab to Ella.


    Ella''s face lit up. "Wow! Where did you get such amazing king crab? It looks like it was just caught!" she rejoiced. She took the crab from Rayne and brought it over to the kitchen so that the chefs could add it to tonight''s dinner.

 Chapter 46 It Begins

    The girls chatted happily as they sorted out the items that Rayne brought. Ella was speechless as she looked through the high-quality equipment.


    "I don''t even know what to do with any of this. Maybe we should plan a camping trip once I''m finished with my contract... Oh my goodness! Did you see the news about the CEO?!" exclaimed Ella.


    Rayne nodded, and the two girls began discussing the news. After a while, a delicious smell wafted out from the kitchen, making Rayne''s stomach growl.


    "Haha! Rayne, you are the biggest foodie I''ve ever met!" laughed Ella. They both then entered the dining room, excited for dinner.


    "Will your parents join us for dinner?" asked Rayne.


    "Nope. They''re at some event for Dad''s company. They''ll probably be home very late today," replied Ella as she motioned for the kitchen staff to begin serving the food.


    A few minutes later, the table was covered in delectable dishes, including the cooked king crab. Rayne looked at all of the food on the table and immediately felt regret that she couldn''t openly store any of it since Ella was there.


    "Oh! I need to take my medicine before I eat. One second!" said Ella as she hurriedly left the room. Rayne was speechless; just as she wished she could store the food, an opportunity presented itself! She quickly stored the most appetizing-looking plates, thanking the gods for the opportunity in the process.


    Ella came back very quickly, and they both began to eat. The most popular dish was the crab, but the other dishes were also very flavorful and delicious.


    "Mmm! Rayne, this is the best crab I''ve ever had. Thank you for such a treat!" exclaimed Ella. Rayne''s mouth was filled with food, so she replied with a simple nod.


    When Rayne finally got home, it was already getting late. She had a really fun time hanging out with Ella and was glad that she was able to drop off at least a few supplies. Before she left, she made Ella promise that she would not throw anything away, ensuring that Ella would be at least somewhat prepared when the apocalypse came.


    -----


    1 Month Later.


    Rayne woke up to the sounds of alarms and the ground shaking. The earthquake was so fierce that she could hear all of her smaller decorations, like vases, falling and smashing.


    She quickly got out of bed and went out on the balcony to see what was going on. The sight in front of her was frightening. Many taller buildings were falling down, and giant sinkholes appeared in the middle of the street, sucking in cars and houses.


    Rayne was shaking, looking at what was happening. She didn''t expect such a drastic start to the apocalypse! She had initially hoped to live in her house a little longer, but with how strong these earthquakes were, she knew that her building wouldn''t be safe for much longer.


    She quickly ran to take a quick shower, unsure of when the next time she would be able to afford such a luxury would be, and got dressed.


    She stuffed her kitchen cabinets with a variety of non-perishable food and bottles of water, hoping that these supplies could help whoever might come looting her house in the future.


    As Rayne left her house, she ran into her neighbor in the hallway. This was the first time seeing her neighbor, and she was surprised to see that it was an elderly woman.


    "Miss, what''s happening outside? I keep feeling earthquakes?" she asked, looking frightened.


    Rayne felt bad for the elderly lady. "Hello, it''s not looking good outside. Many of the taller buildings have fallen over. Do you live here alone?"


    "No, I live here with my grandson, but he''s not home right now," she replied.


    Rayne felt a little better knowing that the elderly woman wasn''t completely alone. "Here is the key to my house. I need to leave to go be with my family, so I most likely won''t be back for a while. Please feel free to use anything and everything in my house. I''m not sure how long these earthquakes will last, but I know that things will be rough for a while." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne reached over and placed a copy of her house keys in the elderly woman''s hands. Before the woman could reply, Rayne quickly left, heading toward her car.


    As soon as Rayne sat down in her SUV, she felt the earth shake once more. The dust from the shaking building fell on her windshield, causing Rayne to slightly panic. Although this building wasn''t that tall and still looked sturdy, Rayne wasn''t sure how much longer it would stand.


    She quickly drove out of the garage and onto the highway, heading toward the remote valley area she researched earlier.


    Skrrrrt.


    Rayne slammed on the brakes as soon as she saw a giant sinkhole appear in the middle of the highway. Thankfully, she stopped in time and avoided what would have been her death.


    She had the radio on in the car with the emergency broadcast playing. The message kept telling people to stay away from tall buildings or any loose objects, as they may get injured. So far, no one was able to pinpoint where these earthquakes came from; even scientists were unaware.


    She stepped out of the car and carefully walked over to look inside the sinkhole. It was a massive crater-shaped hole that was deep enough to swallow a building. Rayne felt a chill go up her spine, thinking that she could have ended up at the bottom of that hole just now if she didn''t react as quickly as she had.


    She got back into the car and drove off the main road into the small field adjacent to the highway. Thankfully, the car was equipped with satellite GPS, allowing her to locate herself properly.


    It took her a few hours of driving to finally get to the start of the nature preserve. Unfortunately, it was a very heavily wooded area, so driving her SUV was no longer an option. She drove her SUV in as far as she could before she stepped out.


    It was now early morning, so Rayne took some extra time to make sure no one was watching her before she stored her SUV into her system.

 Chapter 47 Setting Up A Home

    Rayne decided to walk through the forest for a bit before taking out a small motorcycle to avoid leaving tracks on the ground. She wanted to hide away for a few months until the world had time to stabilize after such a transition.


    As she walked, she took her time enjoying the forest environment around her. She watched as a pair of squirrels ran around each other and climbed a tree once she got close. She even spotted a fawn walking around with its mother, scavenging for food along the forest floor.


    This environment almost made Rayne forget about the horrors that were happening all around her, until she felt another massive earthquake. Running toward a large tree, she threw her body against it, using the trunk for support until the earthquake ended. Even the animals were frantically running around, some even falling.


    "I really hope these earthquakes end soon. This is already too much, and the apocalypse has just begun," said Rayne as she observed the environment around her.


    The earthquake lasted a few minutes, shaking the leaves off many trees in the process. When it finally ended, Rayne decided it was time to take out the motorcycle. She had been walking for over an hour now and felt she was deep enough in the forest where her tracks wouldn''t be easily discovered .


    She pulled out a small white motorcycle that she had stored at the dealership where she purchased her SUV. She was able to open the small metal box that held all of the keys to the vehicles stored in that warehouse, granting her easy access to the many vehicles she stored from there.


    As she tried to start the motorcycle, she realized it was out of gas, so she pulled out a red gasoline container from her system and filled up the gas tank.


    "This came in handy sooner than I thought it would," she thought as she placed the gasoline container back into the system.


    She decided to make another copy of this gas container to keep alongside the original one. Her reasoning was that if she needed to hand out gas to people later on, it might be suspicious that she had full gas containers.


    After she sorted out the gas situation, she hopped on the motorcycle and carefully drove it further into the forest. She drove for about another hour until she reached a picturesque valley with a river running through the center. The morning light reflected off the water''s surface, making it seem as if it were sparkling.


    Rayne walked around, taking in all of the beautiful sights. She noticed there were plenty of fish in the river and a number of wild fruits and herbs scattered throughout the valley. She felt like she had walked into a different dimension.


    There was a very large maple tree in the middle of the valley, its trunk at least three times the diameter of a standard tree. Rayne decided that she would set up her new temporary home under this tree.


    She walked over and opened her system panel. She had a few different options for campers, ranging from small, compact ones to giant, tour bus-style ones. After comparing the different models, she ended up choosing a middle option.


    It was a large pull-out style camper that came fully equipped with a small kitchenette, bathroom, and bedroom. There was even a small area with a couch and table, making it feel very cozy. The small couch folded out to make a secondary bed if needed.


    What Rayne liked about this model of camper was the option for an outdoor shower. It had hookups for a small water tank and even a propane water heater, allowing for hot showers if desired.


    Rayne placed the camper right under the large maple tree and secured it to the ground. Another reason she chose this camper was the added supports it came with, allowing it to be anchored to the ground. Rayne thought about the recent earthquakes and felt that this would be the safest option.


    After setting up the supports, Rayne went inside to make the camper feel more like home. She placed fresh sheets and bedding on the bed, with a whole pile of fluffy pillows. In the kitchen, she placed a few basic pots and pans, plates, bowls, cups, and utensils, making it feel cozy and lived in. She added blankets and pillows to the fold-out couch and even a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the small table.


    She stocked the small bathroom with towels, soaps, shampoos, toilet paper, and other necessities. Outside, she set up a small picnic table that she had gotten from the camping store, along with a few potted flowers to decorate the outdoor area. She parked her white motorcycle near the camper and went inside to fill the remaining cabinets with various non-perishable foods and water.


    All of the walking and setup made Rayne feel a little sweaty, so she decided to take her first outdoor shower. She walked around to the back of the camper where the showerhead was and placed her towel on a wooden stool that she had set up earlier. Then, she slowly began to undress, unaware that someone had spotted her.


    ---


    Julian had been living in the bunker for a month now, waiting for Damien to lower his guard and come out of hiding. Damien was very cautious by nature, so Julian knew it would take a while before they saw any movement from his side.


    That morning, Julian woke up to the ground shaking. He quickly got out of bed and ran toward the command center room, where he had communications to the outside world.


    "Ian, what''s happening? I''m feeling massive earthquakes," asked Julian, calling Ian''s phone.


    "Boss! I''m glad you''re safe! It''s a disaster here. The massive earthquakes have toppled many buildings in the city, and many people have died!" replied Ian, his voice tinged with panic.


    Julian sat for a moment, feeling like this was only the beginning of something big. Over the years, his instincts had let him overcome even the most impossible odds, so he trusted them immensely.


    "Ian, listen to me. You need to gather our men and tell them to get to safety. Tell everyone close to you to gather as many supplies as possible. I feel like this will be the start of a societal collapse!" ordered Julian.


    "Also, after you settle those affairs, I want you and Noah to move into the bunker with me. Bring Alpha Team with you. As for your family, send them to the shelter where my family is. There''s more than enough space."


    "Got it, boss. I''ll keep you updated on my progress," replied Ian.


    After the call, Julian grabbed a pistol and his satellite phone, deciding to take a walk around the perimeter of his bunker to see if there were any changes in the environment.


    As he walked through the dense forest, he noticed small tire tread marks in the dirt. He quickly became alert and pulled out his pistol.


    Julian followed the tracks carefully until he walked into the small clearing in the valley.


    When Julian looked into the clearing, he noticed a beautiful woman with long golden hair showering behind a luxury camper. The water glistened as it ran down her smooth skin, making her look ethereal, like a fairy.


    Crunch! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian stepped on a twig, causing it to snap and making him slightly panic. He tried to turn around, but his foot landed on a mossy rock, causing him to twist his ankle as he fell.

 Chapter 48 Internal Struggles

    Julian''s heart raced as he watched her, unable to pull his eyes away, until he stepped on a branch. He noticed the woman become alerted to his location due to the sound, and just as he was about to turn and run away, he slipped and twisted his ankle.


    He fell straight into a small mud pile, covering his face in dirt.


    Laying on the ground he watched the beautiful woman turn around, her breasts bouncing due to her panicked movements.


    Julian felt a his body heat up, with his blood rushing down to his manhood.


    He was shocked to feel such a strong effect. It was a pretty common thing for women to throw themselves at him, trying to gain his favor. But in all of those times, he''s never had a physical reaction, especially one so strong.


    The woman ran around like a startled deer, making him chuckle. Her silly antics helped distract him from the pain from twisting his ankle.


    She cautiously walked up to him, "Hello? Are you okay?", she asked softly, her words slightly shaky from nervousness.


    Julian closed his eyes as she approached him.


    "Umm...Miss, would you mind putting some clothes on first?", he asked. He knew that if he were to open his eyes now, his mind would most likely go blank.


    He heard her stiffen at his request, followed by quick footstep back towards her camper.


    She came back a few minutes later wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe, her hair still wet from the interrupted shower.


    "Umm, are you okay? Do you need help?", she asked again.


    Julian opened his eyes again to see a pair of large green eye staring at him with worry.


    Here I was peeping at her, and she''s worried about me!


    Julian looked at her until he realized it was the same woman from the restaurant! "This is Dr. Weston''s daughter!!", he thought to himself with shock!


    Rayne looked over at the tall man who was covered in mud. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. She noticed the swollen ankle and realized he must have twisted it.


    "Here, grab onto my arm. I''ll walk you over to the picnic table over there," she said, pointing to the picnic table beside her camper.


    Julian wasn''t really sure what he should do, but he reached out to grab her extended arm.


    She helped lift him off the ground, unfazed by the mud he was covered in. Poor guy must have been running for his life.


    She carefully led him over to the picnic table, allowing him to use her as support as he hopped over on one leg.


    "Thank you very much, miss," said Julian as he finally sat down on the bench. He looked around and marveled at the cozy setup she had. He was surprised to see potted flowers and small decorations that brought a lot of charm to this little mobile setup.


    Rayne brought over a basin of warm, soapy water and a small rag so that Julian could wash some of the mud off of him.


    Julian accepted the basin and began to clean his face. Meanwhile, Rayne went inside the camper, tossed the mud-stained robe into the trash bin of her system, and took out a white t-shirt and denim shorts to change into.


    When she walked out of the camper, she saw Julian''s handsome face! "Wow, this man is extremely handsome. I don''t think any of the current celebrities can match his looks!" thought Rayne as she walked over.


    Although he had managed to clean off the mud from his face, his hair and the rest of his body were still covered in dirt. Rayne frowned, feeling bad for the handsome man.


    She quickly ran back inside the camper and opened her system screen. Rayne remembered that she had stored a foldable pair of crutches at a pharmacy when she stocked up on basic medical supplies. She pulled out the crutches along with a first aid kit that contained an appropriate bandage.


    Before she came out of the camper, she also pulled out a men''s black t-shirt and a pair of men''s shorts, roughly guessing the man''s size.


    She walked out carrying the stack of items in her hands.


    "Hi, umm, if you''d like, you can rinse off in the outdoor shower over there. I don''t know if it''s your size, but you can use these clothes while yours get cleaned," said Rayne, placing the first aid kit and crutches on the picnic table.


    Julian looked at her with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, I would love to rinse off." He picked up one of the crutches and walked over to the outdoor shower.


    Rayne followed him to place a towel and the clothes she picked out on the wooden stool beside him.


    She shyly looked at him, noticing that he had already taken his shirt off, exposing his muscular upper body.


    "Um, feel free to use any of the soaps and shampoos over there. I''ll go wait inside the camper until you''re finished," said Rayne as she quickly turned around and hurried away.


    Julian let out a small chuckle after seeing Rayne''s flustered expression. "She''s adorable," he thought. A part of him was really happy to have twisted his ankle, allowing him to spend some time with her.


    He didn''t think that living ''alone'' in the bunker would take a toll on him, but now that he''d had a small conversation, he realized that maybe it had.


    Julian carefully continued to undress, revealing his half-erect member. "I really need to get myself under control; I guess it''s been a while since I''ve last done the ''deed''," he thought as he turned the water on.


    The initial stream of cold water helped him cool down, focusing on washing his body. He noticed that the shampoo Rayne left out for him was a luxury brand with a very pleasant scent. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I wonder what she''s doing out here alone," he thought. It didn''t seem like she was running away, but this location was also not a legal campsite. Actually, if this were anyone else, Julian would have taken action to get them removed, since it was in such close proximity to his bunker.


    While Julian showered, Rayne sat on her bed with her hands covering her flushed face.


    "How can my mind become so dirty all of a sudden? I never had such thoughts while dating Dillon!" she thought. She placed a pillow over her head and squealed internally.


    "I don''t even know why I''m comparing him to Dillon. They''re not even in the same league!" she mumbled quietly into her pillow. While Dillon was considered a handsome guy, he was like a boring brown paper bag in comparison to this man.


    She laid on her bed, listening to the sound of running water. She felt like she was going crazy, picturing the water flowing down the man''s body.


    Julian was unaware of Rayne''s internal struggle and took his time washing the dirt off his body. While he wasn''t a ''clean freak,'' he did not enjoy the feeling of dirt or grime. The outdoor shower was also a novelty for him, since it was his first time experiencing one! There was something special about showering surrounded by nature¡ªnothing could quite compare!


    When he finished his shower he dried his body with a fluffy white towel that Rayne left for him, then reached for the clothes.


    He noticed that the clothes were brand new, with the tags still on them, "Hmm, I wonder why she has men''s clothes if she''s here by herself", he thought.

 Chapter 49 Introductions

    Rayne finally got up from her bed when she heard the water stop running, bringing her back to reality.


    She felt bad for the man because of how badly swollen his foot was. She knew that it must be very painful for him, even though he didn''t show it at all. She waited a few minutes inside the camper to give him time to get dressed before she walked out.


    "Hey, thank you for letting me shower, and for the clothes!" said Julian, smiling at her. He was seated at the picnic table, wearing the new clothes she had picked out for him.


    Rayne was glad to see that the clothing fit, but she couldn''t help but admire his handsomeness now that he was cleaned up.


    His messy brown hair curled up slightly at the ends due to being wet, and his blemish-free skin provided a delicate touch to his muscular physique. What drew Rayne in the most were his ice-blue eyes. She felt like those eyes had seen many difficult moments, giving her a subconscious desire to go up to the man and hold him.


    She snapped out of her thoughts as she sat down next to him.


    "You''re welcome. I''m glad the clothes fit you," she said shyly as she reached over to grab the first aid kit.


    "Sorry, I''m not professionally medically trained, but I do know how to bandage up your swollen ankle," she added.


    Julian watched as she took the large compression bandage from the first aid kit and squatted in front of him, carefully bandaging his ankle.


    Flustered, Julian quietly thanked Rayne. "Oh... um... thank you, you didn''t have to do so much for me... I mean, of course, I''m grateful!" Julian was horrified at the stuttered words that came out of his mouth! He''d interrogated criminals and negotiated multi-billion dollar contracts, and never once had he stuttered!


    Maybe I need to ask Noah to bring a doctor with him to make sure my brain is still functioning properly! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne took her time bandaging his ankle, adjusting the tightness as needed along the way. It took her a few minutes to finish, and just as she stood up, her stomach growled!


    She froze at the sound, her face turning red from the embarrassment! She just realized that since she left her house this morning, she hadn''t had a bite to eat all day! It was already past lunchtime, and her stomach was reminding her to eat.


    Julian laughed at her cute embarrassed expression. "Haha, my stomach has been growling too, don''t worry." He only said this because he wanted to help ease her embarrassment. However, moments later, his stomach growled even louder than Rayne''s!


    They both stood still, looking at each other, then burst out into laughter together.


    "Haha! I''ll go make us something to eat, I''ll be right back!" said Rayne, laughing at the situation. She walked inside and made her way over to the small kitchenette. This camper was a luxury model and had a double-burner stove along with a mini-fridge included, allowing Rayne to prepare hot dishes.


    However, she was really hungry and didn''t want to waste a lot of time cooking, so she opened up her system panel instead.


    She scrolled through the various prepared foods that she had collected over time, carefully deciding what to choose. She couldn''t choose anything too flashy like king crab or sushi, but she didn''t want to resort to something basic like a sandwich either.


    She decided to go with a creamy pasta dish with chicken and a side salad. She figured that pasta was relatively quick to cook, so she didn''t need to spend a lot of time pretending to cook inside the camper.


    She spent about 15 minutes playing a game on her phone before she took out some nice plates and the two copies of the creamy chicken pasta. She took the pasta out of the takeout boxes and arranged it neatly on the plate, leaving some room for the side salad.


    Scrolling through her ''Salad'' tab, she found a nice dark leafy green salad and split it between the two plates. She made sure to throw all the takeout boxes into her system trash bin before walking out of the camper.


    Julian was sitting quietly on the bench of the picnic table, admiring the beautiful view of the river. He felt that Rayne really picked out a good spot to camp at, even though he still wasn''t sure what brought her here.


    After a while, he heard the door to the camper open and saw Rayne carrying two large plates of food. He was surprised to see the delicious pasta on the plate when she placed it in front of him.


    He saw her quickly run back inside and bring out two glasses of water and the utensils before she sat down across from him.


    "Wow, this looks so good! Thank you for treating me to such a nice meal," said Julian. He''d been living off of pre-packaged meals mixed with his terrible cooking for over a month now, and seeing this restaurant-quality meal felt like a blessing!


    "By the way, I''m Julian. I feel like you''ve helped me out so much today, yet I haven''t even introduced myself."


    Rayne looked over at him, slightly flustered. "How rude of me! I''m Rayne, nice to meet you, Julian! And you''re welcome, I''m glad I could help!"


    "Nice to meet you, Rayne," replied Julian. So I was right! It really is Dr. Weston''s daughter!


    Although he confirmed her identity, Julian still decided to pretend like he didn''t know her, which, in a sense, was true. He knew her father, but this really was the first time they''d met.


    They chatted occasionally as they ate.


    "So, what brings you out here? I don''t think this is a campsite, right?" asked Julian, feigning ignorance.


    Rayne stayed silent for a minute while she thought of an appropriate answer.


    "Well, I''m sure you saw it too. All of the disaster happening in the city. Most of the taller buildings have collapsed, killing thousands, I''m sure... I felt like coming somewhere remote, such as here, would be the safest option. I don''t think things will get any better anytime soon. What about you?"


    Julian was surprised to hear her answer. What she said was what his instincts had told him earlier today when he was on the phone with Ian.


    He wasn''t really sure how to answer her. "Well, I guess my reasoning is similar to yours, but you''re clearly a lot more prepared."


    "Yes, I''m lucky in that regard. I was actually planning on going on a camping trip with my friend, which allowed me to leave with this whole setup early this morning."


    When Julian heard her say that she left this morning, he was a little surprised. At least from the outside of the camper, it looked like she''d been living here for a little while.


    "If you don''t mind sleeping on the fold-out couch, you''re welcome to stay with me until your ankle heals," offered Rayne. Although she didn''t know what kind of person Julian was, she felt comfortable around him and decided to let him stay for at least a little while.

 Chapter 50 Getting to Know You

    Julian was surprised by her invitation. He felt that Rayne was too kind for her own good. If he were a man with no morals, she would have invited disaster into her home. Julian felt a pang of unease; he didn''t like the thought of her getting into danger because of her kindness.


    "I will graciously accept your kindness," he said, thanking her for the trouble. He still had time to kill before Damien made his move, so he figured, why not spend some time with Rayne? He was curious about her; something felt a little different about her.


    She seemed very prepared, almost as if she had planned her trip here in advance. Either way, he wanted to make sure she was safe for as long as he could.


    After their late lunch, Rayne cleaned up the table, pretending to bring the dirty dishes inside to wash them. As soon as she stepped through the door, she tossed them into the trash bin of her system.


    Rayne looked out the window and observed Julian for a few minutes. She noticed that he looked like he was in pain. He must have been putting on a brave face in front of me, she thought. She opened her system and took out a small bottle of extra-strength painkillers and a bottle of water.


    She walked over to Julian and presented the pills and water to him. "I''m guessing your twisted ankle must be causing you a lot of pain. Here''s a bottle of basic painkillers; hopefully, it can help ease your pain."


    Julian looked at her worried face and felt really warm inside. It had been a while since he''d felt someone''s genuine concern for him, causing him to let out a small smile. He accepted the painkillers, swallowing two pills right away.


    "Thank you for these. I''m sure they''ll help with the pain," he said, motioning for Rayne to sit with him.


    "So, tell me a little about yourself, Rayne."


    She looked at him and smiled. She was worried they would just sit there awkwardly, but it seemed that Julian had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation.


    "Well, let''s see. I''m 24 years old. I like to cook... well, I guess it would be more accurate to say I enjoy eating good food."


    Julian nodded, remembering her blissful face at the restaurant that one time.


    "...I am an architect! Just recently, I got to work on a big contract with REN Corporation!"


    Julian looked up at her. "Oh! I''ve heard of REN Corp! What sort of project did you work on?" he asked curiously. A part of him wanted to test her to see if she would disclose information about the bunker.


    Rayne smiled. "Oh, it was an interesting project indeed! I got to design the president''s newest vacation home! I heard that he purchased a private island somewhere to have it built!"


    Julian''s smile grew upon hearing her answer.


    "Oh, that''s exciting indeed!" he said.


    Rayne frowned immediately after. "Well, it''s unfortunate that he will probably never see it. I''m sure you''ve seen the news all around; he passed away about a month ago." She felt bad that they had hired her for such a top-secret project, but it seemed like it was all for nothing. Even with her short design deadline, she felt that it would''ve been impossible to finish the bunker construction before the president''s passing.


    Julian tried not to give himself away with his smile. He lowered his gaze, looking at the table. "Yes, I heard about that. Unfortunate that he was killed like that."


    "Yes, I agree. I heard that the killer was immediately arrested. It seems like the president''s family is really pushing to get him life in prison," said Rayne.


    "Well, enough about him. I want to hear more about you," said Julian. He didn''t realize how flirtatious his words sounded.


    The tips of Rayne''s ears turned red. She wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination, but she started to feel a little hot.


    "Umm, where was I? Oh, my hobbies... Well, I''m into the boring stuff. Reading, music, watching TV, playing games on my phone, cooking. Actually, a new hobby of mine used to be marksmanship. I used to attend classes at a shooting range and enjoyed it a lot."


    Julian listened to her attentively, genuinely interested in all of her interests. "Oh, I''m surprised about the marksmanship hobby. I feel like many women tend to shy away from firearms. Maybe one day we can go shooting together."


    Rayne looked over at him, slightly surprised. "Oh, you know how to shoot as well then?" Rayne felt that Julian didn''t look like the type to be into guns.


    "Oh yeah, I have a master''s certification across all weapons. Actually, I worked as a weapons researcher for a bit," replied Julian.


    "Oh, wow! I''ve only just finished the intermediate certification course! Maybe you can teach me a thing or two while you''re here!" said Rayne excitedly. It wasn''t every day she could come across someone with such high-level skills!


    If she remembered correctly, Yasmin didn''t even have a master''s certification! Rayne wanted to take advantage of Julian''s expertise to improve her own skills.


    Julian was really happy that she took the initiative to ask to learn from him. He wanted to repay her for all that she had done for him in this short period of time.


    "Of course, I''d be more than happy to teach you. Do you have a firearm with you?" he asked curiously. There were strong gun laws in this country, and he knew that in order to own one, you would need either government approval or some sort of underground involvement.


    Rayne thought about how she should answer. She was worried that he would think she was involved in something illegal if she told him she had a gun, but her desire to improve her skills was greater than her worry.


    "Yes, I have a basic pistol," she replied calmly.


    Julian looked over, slightly surprised. Seems like she''s quite resourceful. He didn''t show any shock, nor did he ask her where she got it. "Okay, perfect! This is a relatively remote location, so we can start as early as today if you''d like!"


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. She was happy that he didn''t probe. Without wasting a moment, she ran back inside the camper and opened her system panel.


    She had managed to store three different pistols from the shooting range. Only one of them had a suppressor attached, and naturally, Rayne chose that one. Even though they were in a very remote location, she wanted to avoid drawing attention.


    She pulled out the pistol from her system, along with a box of appropriate ammo, then walked back outside.


    Julian noticed the silenced pistol and quickly recognized it as a standard model used in shooting ranges. Interesting... I wonder if she somehow managed to snag it from the shooting range, he thought. He was becoming increasingly more interested in Rayne and what she was capable of. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne quickly set up a few empty soda cans as targets at a decent distance from the picnic table.


    She stood up, in her practiced stance, and shot three times. She hit one of the cans clearly off the tree stump and another can on its side. She missed her mark on the third can.


    She looked over happily, seeing that she had managed to land a good hit on one of the cans!


    (A/N: Hey all! Little update~ Once the book reaches 10 reviews I''ll be doing a mini mass release as a thank you! Please leave a review if you''re enjoying the story so far, it''ll help me out a lot <3)

 Chapter 51 Show Off

    Julian looked at her smiling face and clapped excitedly to cheer her on. Overall, he was indeed impressed that she managed to hit the target from such a distance.


    Rayne walked over and handed Julian the gun, then ran off to reset the tin cans.


    Julian looked at the loaded gun in his hand and shook his head. This girl is way too trusting.


    She ran back to the picnic table and looked smugly at Julian. "Okay, Mr. Master Marksman, let''s see what you can do!" she teased.


    Julian''s competitive spirit ignited at her "prove yourself" tone. He rarely felt the need to show off, but for some reason, he wanted to be a little extra in front of Rayne.


    Julian stayed sitting on the bench and lifted his arm, holding the gun up. He held his position for a few seconds, then...


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    He shot three consecutive shots without any delay, hitting each can cleanly off the tree stump.


    Rayne watched his fluid movements with awe! She felt that he looked cooler than any actor in an action movie!


    "Wow! Julian, you really weren''t kidding about being skilled!" she exclaimed, complimenting him on his shots.


    Julian''s face blushed slightly at her nonstop praise. He realized that he liked this feeling of being praised for something. Maybe it''s because I can tell she''s being genuine, unlike those other women in the past.


    Julian motioned for Rayne to come over so that he could give her a few tips.


    "So, your overall stance is very good; however, it''ll only take you so far. If you only plan to shoot at a range, then you should be all set, but shooting in the real world is a little different."


    He continued to give Rayne detailed explanations on how she could improve, along with praise for the things she''d already mastered.


    Rayne listened closely, soaking up all the new information. She didn''t get upset or discouraged when Julian pointed out a mistake. She knew he was trying to help her improve, and this information could give her the upper hand in the future.


    They spent the rest of the day practicing shooting. Rayne had to go and "retrieve" a few more boxes of ammo throughout the process.


    They only stopped once the sun started to set, making it too dark to see the soda cans in the distance.


    "Oh wow, we''ve been at this for a long time. I''m sorry to have taken up so much of your time!" said Rayne. She was so in the zone that she hardly realized how much time had passed!


    "Haha, no worries. I was having a really enjoyable time, so don''t feel bad," replied Julian.


    Rayne still felt slightly guilty, so she decided to treat Julian to an extra-special dinner. "It''s probably close to dinner time. Allow me to cook something delicious to make it up to you!"


    Julian smiled, shaking his head. "You don''t owe me anything, but I''ll gratefully enjoy anything you make."


    Rayne smiled and ran back inside the camper. She felt bad leaving Julian to just sit outside on his own, so she picked up her laptop and brought it over to the picnic table.


    Just as she placed it on the table, the earth began to shake again.


    "Oh, it''s another earthquake!" said Rayne, with subtle panic. This earthquake was stronger than the ones this morning, causing her to almost fall over.


    Julian quickly stood up, ignoring the pain from his twisted ankle, to help stabilize Rayne. He stood there holding her until the earthquake finally ended.


    Rayne shyly pulled herself away, her cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, how''s your ankle? You shouldn''t have stood up!" she exclaimed with worry.


    Julian smiled and said, "Don''t worry, my ankle is fine. I''ll just take a few more painkillers with dinner."


    Rayne frowned; she wanted to help but wasn''t sure what she could do. She turned her attention to the laptop on the table.


    "I brought you this. Normally, I like to watch a TV show while I eat. I just started this new show and am on episode 2. I figured I could put on the first episode for you to watch while I cook!" she said happily.


    Julian smiled. He wasn''t sure when the last time he watched a TV show was, but since he had nothing better to do, he didn''t refuse.


    Seeing that he didn''t refuse, Rayne felt even more excited! "It''s called 100 Days Without You and it''s somewhat of a romance drama, but there are action scenes!" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She put on the episode and hurried into the camper. She felt like today was a really good day and wanted to celebrate with good food!


    She decided she would cook a soup herself while taking out other food from the system. She remembered the fried chicken she had from that one street vendor with a long line and couldn''t get it out of her head.


    "Fried chicken it is!" she decided and began to pull out a variety of vegetables from her system for the soup.


    Once the soup finished, she quickly poured it into bowls and brought it out to the picnic table. Rayne noticed how dark it had gotten and went back inside to pull out a propane camping light. Once she placed it on the table, the surrounding area immediately lit up in a nice bright light.


    Julian saw Rayne bring out two bowls of delicious-looking vegetable soup, excited for the freshly made dinner. But when Rayne ran off back inside her camper instead of sitting down, he was a little surprised.


    A few moments later, she walked out holding a bright camp light in one hand and a large plate of perfectly fried chicken in the other. Julian''s eyes lit up at the sight of fried chicken! He had already felt the vegetable soup was a big treat, but the fried chicken was well out of his expectations.


    "Wow! I must admit I am very surprised to see such delectable fried chicken! I feel like it''s my birthday," laughed Julian.


    If any of his subordinates were here, they would be convinced that their boss was possessed due to how cheerful he had been this whole time. Julian had laughed more today than he had in the past few years combined!


    "I said that I would treat you to a nice dinner in return for your shooting lessons today! I hope it''s to your taste!" said Rayne cheerfully. She then turned and ran back into the camper to grab plates and silverware, along with two cans of cold beer.


    Once she got back to the picnic table, she sat down, put on episode 2 of the show, and the two of them began to eat.


    "Wow, everything tastes so good! This chicken reminds me of a place I used to order from!" complimented Julian, taking a bite of chicken and a sip of cold beer.


    He felt like he was on a camping vacation trip. The only thing off about this day was the pain from his twisted ankle. Everything else was incredible.


    Rayne lowered her eyes to hide the guilt of claiming to have cooked the chicken herself. She secretly thanked the man at the fried chicken stall for his aromatic chicken.

 Chapter 52 Earthquake in the Night

    After dinner, Rayne quickly cleaned up the dirty dishes using her favorite method: the system trash bin.


    She thoroughly enjoyed the dinner, and Julian proved to be great company. The more they talked, the more she enjoyed his presence. She was glad that she had offered to let him stay with her while he healed his twisted ankle.


    As it was getting closer to night time, Rayne began to fold up the table in the living room of the camper so that she could fold out the couch into a bed. She would let Julian sleep on the fold-out bed, while she slept in her bedroom.


    She felt a little shy since there was no door between her room and the living room, making her feel like they were sleeping in the same room.


    She shook her head, trying to avoid thinking about it, and opened her system panel to bring out a few more pillows and blankets for Julian. Once she finished setting everything up, she invited Julian inside her camper.


    Julian looked over at the beautiful woman as she invited him to head inside her camper. He felt like he was on the set of a teenage romance movie, with the soft light illuminating her pretty face and fireflies lighting up the dark sky.


    He smiled, shaking his head as he stood up and slowly made his way over to the camper. As he reached the door, he saw Rayne extend her soft hand to help him up the stairs. He felt his heart race as he reached out to make contact with her hand. It felt like such a magical moment that even time seemed to slow down.


    Rayne looked down at the handsome man who had a slight smile on his face. She felt the tips of her ears heat up as she held his hand, helping him up the stairs.


    She really wanted to know more about this man. Just from their short conversations today, she could tell that he was someone who had already seen a lot of the world.


    "Welcome inside my little home. This is where you''ll be sleeping. Let me know if there''s anything else you need! Oh! The bathroom is right around the corner over there," she said, pointing down the hall.


    Julian looked around the cozy interior of the camper. There were small stuffed animals and potted plants placed all around, creating a cute and warm environment. There was a string of fairy lights lighting up both the living room and her bedroom.


    He felt like he had just walked into a college girl''s dorm room. He noticed that the sheets and blankets that were laid out for him were clean and comfortable. Smiling, he felt that Rayne''s setup was much cozier than what he had in his bunker, even though he had a lot more room.


    Once Julian laid down, Rayne handed him a small stack of men''s clothes along with a laptop filled with movies and TV shows.


    "Here''s some more clothes I found, feel free to use them. And this is a spare laptop I have that''s filled with movies and TV shows. Unfortunately, there''s no internet here, but I also have a good number of books if you prefer that!"


    Julian took the small stack of folded clothes as well as the small silver laptop. "Thank you. If you ran a hotel, I''d be sure to leave a 5-star review for your hospitality," he joked.


    "Well, thank you for your kind review!" she joked back, then excused herself and went to her room.


    She decided to read a book until she fell asleep but realized she couldn''t stay focused. Her eyes continued to wander toward the living room. This was Rayne''s first time sleeping so close to a man. Even during the years she dated Dillon, they never spent the night at each other''s houses.


    Now, the only thing separating her from Julian was a thin wall. She could even see his legs through the doorway.


    She wasn''t sure why she was feeling so shy. It''s not like they were sleeping on the same bed. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, all she could picture was him lying next to her.


    Julian heard Rayne tossing and turning in her bed on the other side of the wall. I wonder if she''s feeling uncomfortable.


    He, on the other hand, was very comfortable; the bedding and blankets were all very soft. The only thing was that he felt a little hot. It was still warm outside, and there was minimal airflow inside the camper. He figured Rayne would fall asleep soon, so he took his shirt off, feeling a lot more comfortable.


    What he didn''t expect was that there would be another earthquake.


    The camper shook, knocking a few small items off the counter. Rayne quickly got out of bed and ran out to the living room to make sure Julian was okay.


    Her face quickly turned red as she saw Julian lying on the fold-out bed, shirtless. But before she could run away, the ground shook once more, causing her to lose her balance. Julian saw her stumbling and reached over to catch her.


    Rayne felt his strong arms around her and his muscular body pressed against hers. She resisted the urge to poke his six-pack with her finger, but she really wanted to know how it felt. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the earthquake stopped, Julian loosened his grip around her.


    "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard things falling," she said, speaking quickly. She wanted to explain herself so that Julian didn''t think she was trying to spy on him.


    Julian laid back down on his bed, looking like a perfectly sculpted statue. He rested his head on his hand and smiled at Rayne as she frantically looked for something other than him to look at.


    "Are you okay? You didn''t get hurt, did you?" he asked with a deep voice, interrupting her frenzied chatter.


    Rayne snapped out of her nervous talking, finally looking over at the smiling Julian. She nodded her head, "Yes, I''m okay," she said shyly, her face flushing pink.

 Chapter 53 Shower Thoughts

    "Good, I''m glad you aren''t injured. It seems that the frequency between the earthquakes is getting longer, so that''s a good sign," said Julian.


    Rayne thought about it and realized that he was right. Compared to when she first left her house in the city, the frequency between the earthquakes had indeed gotten longer.


    "Yes, you''re right. Even their duration has gotten a little shorter. Hopefully, this means they''ll end soon," she replied with a thoughtful expression.


    "Yeah, I hope so. They''ve caused a lot of damage already," said Julian, yawning.


    Rayne noticed his sleepy expression. "I''ll be going to sleep now. Goodnight."


    "Sleep well," said Julian as he watched Rayne walk back to her bedroom.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up with dark circles under her eyes. She couldn''t get her mind off Julian''s attractive physique.


    "When did I become such a perv?" she mumbled, rolling over in her bed. The morning sun was beaming down on her bed through the window. She had felt hot last night while sleeping and woke up with a few beads of sweat.


    She got up, preparing to take a shower, when she noticed Julian doing morning pushups outside. The sweat glistened on his back, highlighting the curves of his large muscles.


    Julian heard the door to the camper open and noticed Rayne looking over at him.


    "Good morning. Hope you slept well," he greeted.


    "Ah, good morning! I slept okay, how about you?" asked Rayne, averting her gaze.


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I slept very well. The bed was comfortable. Thank you." He stood up from his push-up position, using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.


    "Here, let me grab you a clean towel so that you can rinse off if you want. I just refilled the water tank," said Rayne as she walked back inside and pulled out a towel from her system.


    "Here''s your towel. I''ll go shower inside," she said, placing the towel down on the table beside him.


    "Thanks, I''ll rinse off out here right now," replied Julian.


    Rayne nodded and walked back inside to shower in the small bathroom in the camper. While she was washing her body, she heard the running water outside.


    "I really need to chill. This is getting ridiculous," she said to herself as she grabbed the bottle of shampoo. Her thoughts were getting dirtier and dirtier, and it was only the second day Julian had been there.


    Julian was having similar thoughts outside. He could also hear the water running inside the camper, along with the floral scent of Rayne''s shampoo. He felt his member perk up slightly at the thought of her in the shower, as the images from her shower yesterday flooded his mind.


    "Looks like I''ll have to find an opportunity to excuse myself to clear my mind," he muttered to himself.


    After they both finished showering, Rayne prepared a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast, along with a hot cup of coffee.


    Julian ate it happily, thinking that the food was very delicious and the ingredients were very fresh.


    When Rayne went inside to "wash" the dishes, Julian pulled out his satellite phone to read the message he had just received from Ian.


    [Hey boss, just giving a quick update. All of our men have been moved out to the resort shelter in the mountains. Your family is also safe and doing well. Noah and I will be there with Alpha Team either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.]


    Julian looked around, feeling reluctant to leave. He hit the reply button and sent a message back to Ian:


    [Good work. You have access to enter the bunker. I''m going to be out for a few days. Keep me updated here.]


    --


    Ian read the message from Julian and looked over at his brother. "Noah, the boss just messaged back. He said he''s going to be out for a few days...where do you think he went?"


    Noah shrugged his shoulders. Their boss had always had a strange temperament, and he had learned to just go with the flow.


    --


    Rayne came back outside, holding the pistol in her hand. "I was thinking we could continue the lessons?" she half asked, half suggested.


    Julian smiled at her eager attitude and agreed. "Of course, let''s pick up from yesterday. Set the targets a little farther back today." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They spent the rest of the day shooting at the empty soda cans. Rayne felt like her skills had already improved just after these two days.


    ---


    While Rayne and Julian were enjoying each other''s company in the wilderness, the rest of the world was going up in flames.


    The earthquakes destroyed city after city, leaving rubble and half-broken buildings in their place. Only a handful of places still had power, mainly important government buildings that had backup generators.


    Thousands of people died from the collapsing buildings, causing the functioning hospitals to have lines out the door. Grocery stores and restaurants were either closed or destroyed, causing a new kind of chaos to spread.


    More and more people slowly made their way out of the city towards the rural areas, which were still relatively safe.


    Ella''s family was one of the families that made the decision to move out. Although her house was not in a multistory building, they lived in a rich neighborhood. Due to grocery stores being unavailable, the rich areas would soon be targeted for raids.


    Unfamiliar faces had already been spotted outside her house, and it had only been a day. So her father made the call to move to one of their vacation homes out in the countryside.


    As Ella packed, she noticed the pile of camping gear that Rayne had gifted her that one day. Her eyes lit up as she noticed the solar generator and other fancy supplies. She quickly called her father over and showed him the items.


    "You said Rayne gifted you this?" he asked with surprise. If he didn''t know any better, he''d think she could predict the future.


    "Yeah, she came over one night and said she bought too much. I laughed at her for the odd choice of items back then. But now, looking at them, they all seem so useful."


    Her father looked at them again and nodded. "Yes, quickly pack all of this into the car!"

 Chapter 54 Fishing Contest

    With the power cut out in most places and cell phone towers down, Rayne no longer had access to what was going on around her. She knew that there was chaos, as she had seen glimpses of it as she left the city, but she really had no way of knowing exactly what was happening.


    She was currently eating a scrumptious meal made with the homemade dumplings she had made herself.


    "Wow, Rayne, these are amazing!" Julian exclaimed, savoring another bite. "These are even better than the fried chicken!"


    "Haha, thank you! I wasn''t kidding when I said that I liked to cook!" replied Rayne happily. They both ate until they were full.


    Julian wanted to get up to do the dishes, but Rayne stood up faster and didn''t let him. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You need to focus on recovering. Don''t worry about the dishes, although I appreciate the offer," she smiled.


    Julian sat back down, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks to that ice pack you gave me earlier, the swelling''s gone down a lot."


    Rayne nodded, happy to hear that the ice pack had helped. She quickly gathered all of the dirty dishes and walked them into the camper.


    Before she walked back outside, she pulled out two fishing poles along with a tackle box of different lures. She noticed that the river they were next to had a lot of fish and felt that fishing would be a fun way to pass the time.


    She walked toward Julian with the two fishing poles. "Hey, Mr. Master Marksman, how good are you at catching fish?"


    Julian looked at the two fishing poles she was holding, wondering where she kept pulling these items from.


    He decided to ignore it for now and smiled. "Well, I can''t say I''ve ever gone fishing, but I''m confident I can catch a few fish!"


    "Haha, perfect! Let''s have a little contest to see who can catch the most fish today!" declared Rayne, laughing.


    She brought out two fold-out chairs and placed them at the edge of the river while Julian slowly made his way over.


    The weather was perfect, sunny with a slight breeze, and so far there hadn''t been a single earthquake today.


    Rayne filled a bucket with some river water to place the caught fish in and cast her line out.


    Her movements were fluid, looking like a seasoned fisherman.


    "How often did you go fishing? You look like a pro," asked Julian, watching her graceful movements.


    Rayne grinned. "Actually, this is my first time. I''ve just watched a decent amount of fishing videos before. I''m actually not sure if I''m doing this right, haha."


    Julian, eager to impress, lifted his rod and tried to mimic her. But when he cast the line, he put too much force behind it. The hook caught in the grass behind him instead of landing in the water.


    Rayne burst out laughing, her amusement infectious. "Hahah! Maybe try again?"


    Julian laughed with her. "Hey, hey, I''m just getting warmed up!" He pulled the hook out of the grass and set up his fishing rod to try again.


    This time, he managed to get the hook and lure in the water, but the force from the cast sent it straight to the bottom of the river.


    "Oh, I feel something tugging!" exclaimed Julian excitedly.


    Rayne placed her fishing rod down and quickly walked over to Julian''s side, excitedly watching the water.


    Julian reeled in the line with vigor, convinced he''d hooked a giant fish.


    "Wow, it feels like a massive fish!" he exclaimed as he continued to reel.


    "Ah, how exciting!" Rayne stood by the edge of the water with a fish net, ready to help Julian once the fish jumped out.


    After a few more minutes of intense reeling, Julian exclaimed, "Here it comes now!"


    Swoosh!


    A large shadow ripped from under the water''s surface, flying upwards and landing behind Julian.


    Rayne ran over to see it, while Julian quickly turned around to face it.


    "Hahaha, oh... my... goodness! Hahah!" Rayne nearly fell on the ground laughing so hard.


    Julian looked down to see a large clump of grass mixed with twigs on the ground.


    His face was full of disbelief. "How!? I felt it move! I swear I felt it move and fight back!" he exclaimed, utterly baffled.


    Rayne clutched her sides, tears streaming from her eyes as she laughed uncontrollably. She couldn''t remember the last time she laughed to the point of tears.


    Julian continued to look at the bundle of grass, unable to wrap his head around how all of that tugging and pulling had been caused by a bundle of grass!


    He shook his head and smiled; he felt that Rayne''s laughter was even better than catching a fish.


    "Okay, this time I''ll catch something for sure!" he smiled and said as he went to untangle his lure from the grass.


    Rayne wiped the tears from her eyes, calming down a little bit, and nodded her head.


    "Yes, I believe you! Maybe I can get lucky enough one day to be your student," she joked, smiling brightly.


    Julian shook his head and put on a very serious-looking expression. "Hmm, I''m not sure about that. I''ll have to get my assistant to get back to you on that... but you do look like a promising fisherman, so maybe I can squeeze you into my schedule," he stated jokingly.


    Rayne clasped her hands together, pretending to pray. "Ah, I''m so lucky! The almighty Pro fisherman Julian will grace me with his immense fishing skill!"


    Julian chuckled and waved her off. "Alright, alright. Now go, my pupil. Show me what you''ve got!"


    Rayne gave him a salute and went over to pick up her fishing rod.


    She gracefully cast her line, her lure landing on the surface of the water right in the center of the river.


    She gave her lure a few moments to sink down and began to slowly reel it in.


    A few seconds later, she felt something bite, and she quickly jerked the rod, snagging whatever it was that her lure caught.


    She continued to reel in, her heart racing!


    Julian watched the water''s surface intently, and before long, Rayne pulled out a long silver fish!


    "Wow! Oh my goodness! I caught one!" she cheered, showing the squirming fish to Julian.


    "Well, looks like my student learns fast!" he joked while clapping at her success.


    She pulled the fish into the bucket of water and watched it swim around.


    Seeing that Rayne caught a fish, Julian''s competitive spirit kicked in! He didn''t want to be unable to catch a fish, so he tried his best to mimic Rayne''s movements.


    For the rest of the afternoon, the two cast their lines, the peacefulness of the moment only broken by the occasional laughter and playful teasing. They didn''t stop until Rayne''s stomach growled, signaling it was time to call it a day.

 Chapter 55 Teamwork

    The bucket had five fish swimming around inside. Rayne smiled at her success, while Julian couldn''t understand how he didn''t manage to hook a single fish!


    "You must''ve given me a faulty lure!" announced Julian, trying to come up with any kind of excuse for his failure in catching anything other than clumps of grass.


    "Hahah, but you even made me trade fishing rods with you. That doesn''t make sense," laughed Rayne.


    Rayne picked up the bucket of fish. "Let''s call it here and make dinner! I''m thinking grilled fish."


    Julian stood up and grabbed the bucket from her hands. "I may not be able to catch a fish, but I do know how to clean one. Let me clean these here while you get set up."


    "Oh, thank you! I''ll let you handle the cleaning then!" said Rayne as she walked back to the camper.


    Once she was alone, she opened her system screen to see what kind of options she had for grills. She felt that grilled fish over a coal/wood fire would be more delicious than gas-grilled fish, so she took out a small tabletop version of the coal grill.


    She also found a small bag of charcoal, fire starter, and a lighter, bringing all of these items to the picnic table.


    She then went back inside to bring out various spices and dipping sauces suitable for grilled fish.


    Julian worked quickly, removing the scales from the fish and gutting them. By the time Rayne set up the table with the grill and spices, he had already finished cleaning the fish.


    He slowly walked the bucket of cleaned fish over to the table, marveling at the amount of seasonings and sauces she had prepared! She really has an impressive stash of items and seems prepared for every situation.


    Rayne was currently inside the camper steaming a small pot of rice while chopping some fresh vegetables to serve as a side dish.


    She noticed that Julian was finished with his task and walked out to prep the fish for grilling.


    She opened the cavity of the cleaned fish and seasoned it with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Then she stuffed it with green onion, oil, rosemary, and lemon slices, closing the cavity with small toothpicks.


    Julian watched her precise movements with interest. He''d never really been around people when they cooked, and his own cooking abilities were abysmal. To him, Rayne''s actions seemed like magic, transforming a simple fish into an appetizing meal.


    "Could you start the fire in the grill? I need to go back inside and check on the rice," said Rayne.


    "Yeah, leave it to me," answered Julian as he got up to start setting up the fire in the small grill.


    Rayne walked back inside to finish chopping the vegetables. Once the rice finished, she stored it in her system, then brought the entire pot out and placed it on the table.


    The coals in the grill were glowing red, indicating that the grill had reached the appropriate temperature. Rayne placed two prepped fish on the grill, hearing the nice sizzling sound.


    A little while later, only the sounds of eating could be heard.


    Julian ate with relish, enjoying the taste of freshly caught fish. This was a very novel experience for him, and one he would remember for a long time.


    "Thank you for the meal, Rayne. Not only did you cook everything so well, but you were also the one who caught all of the fish. I feel like that useless live-in husband who relies on his wife for everything," said Julian.


    Rayne blushed at the comparison of being a wife and answered, "Don''t feel like that. You helped clean the fish, which is my least favorite part. You also started the fire, not to mention your shooting lessons!"


    "Haha, well when you put it that way, it sounds like we make a good team."


    She smiled, "Yes, I think we do!"


    They both chatted happily, enjoying each other''s company for the rest of the evening.


    --- S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah and Ian finally met up at their previously agreed-upon location.


    "Were you able to salvage anything from the lab?" asked Ian as he approached Noah.


    Noah nodded. "Yes, although a lot of the lab was destroyed from the building''s collapse, we managed to salvage most of the prototypes."


    Ian nodded and sent a message to Alpha Team to gather the prototypes and move them to the bunker.


    They then walked out of the small building owned by REN Corp, which was located on a small hillside at the outskirts of the city.


    They saw the rubble from the toppled buildings, along with smoke from burning buildings and cars. Alarms and sirens from emergency vehicles were blaring nonstop all day, drowning out the cries of the people.


    Ian paused, taking in the sight. "I''ve never seen a disaster this big, and I feel like even the government won''t be able to control the chaos. I''ve heard that similar situations are happening in every city around the world."


    Noah frowned, hearing that they weren''t the only city affected. "Is this the start of the apocalypse? If society collapses, Damien is going to have a field day," he said.


    Ian shook his head. "I just hope it doesn''t get to that point. Let''s go, I told the boss we''d be there by tomorrow morning."


    They walked down toward the large off-road vehicle that was parked on the street below them and drove off toward the bunker.


    -----


    "How''s your ankle feeling today?" asked Rayne after she greeted Julian the following morning.


    Julian had just finished his set of morning push-ups and got up. "It''s getting better and better, all thanks to your attentive care," he replied, flashing a bright smile.


    Rayne''s cheeks flushed. "I didn''t do anything. I''m glad it''s getting better. I''ve been wanting to take a walk around the area soon and was wondering if you''d like to join me?"


    Julian was surprised, yet happy, at her invitation. "Sure, I''d love to take a walk around with you. I remember seeing a nice scenic spot a bit higher up in the mountains. If you''d like, we could go there tomorrow. I think I should be okay to walk then."


    Rayne''s eyes lit up hearing his response. "Mhm! I''d love to check it out with you!" she smiled.

 Chapter 56 Most Beautiful View

    "It was very nice of your boss to move us into this underground stronghold", said Krissy as she quickly stripped by the door.


    Dillon just came back from a meeting with his direct superior.


    Ever since he officially accepted being part of the ''gang'' he''s had more jobs lined, up keeping him relatively busy.


    The day after the announcement of the death of the CEO or REN Corporation was announced, he received an invitation to move into a large underground facility where most of Damien''s men lived and worked.


    Krissy was first very reluctant to move because Dillon''s co workers made her feel unsettled, but with Dillon''s authoritative command she had little choice in the matter. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now since the earthquake disaster happened she was really happy. This was one of the few places that still had electricity and wasn''t a pile of concrete rubble.


    Dillon walked over to the couch and sat down, allowing Krissy to perform her daily ritual as she unzipped his pants.


    Since moving here Krissy basically became a stay at home girlfriend, with the sole responsibility of keeping Dillon satisfied. Every time he came back from his meeting she would greet him while taking off her clothes, ready to allow Dillon have his way with her.


    Dillon came back more tired than usual today and simply allowed Krissy to please him with her mouth.


    Today he was told that the big boss would be trying to set up a new home base around here in the near future. The idea was to recruit as many able people as possible during this period of chaos.


    Dillon was promised a large promotion in the ranks if he worked hard at this. Not only would he become a small time boss within the organization, he would also be able to put in a few personal requests here and there.


    He pointed his head towards the ceiling and closed his eyes while Krissy''s lips moved along his shaft.


    Rayne I will find you, I hope you''re prepared.


    ----


    Rayne woke up early the following morning, accidentally walking in on the shirtless Julian, who had just woken up himself.


    "Ah, sorry! Good morning!" she mumbled quickly, her face flushed as she hurried toward the bathroom to brush her teeth.


    Julian watched her run off like a frightened rabbit and smiled. She''s so adorable when she''s shy, he thought, feeling a warmth spread in his chest. He got up off the bed and carefully walked outside to begin his daily morning exercises. The swelling in his ankle had gotten a lot better, allowing him to walk slowly.


    His morning routine consisted of 200 sit-ups and push-ups. If he were back in his bunker, he would also do weightlifting and light cardio in addition to the sit-ups and push-ups.


    By the time he finished, Rayne had come out of the camper with damp hair, indicating she had just finished showering.


    She was holding a towel as she walked over toward him. "Here, I brought you a fresh towel in case you want to rinse off," she said, smiling at him sweetly.


    Julian''s heart swelled at her kindness. The past few days with Rayne had been some of the happiest he''d ever known, and it wasn''t just because of her hospitality. There was something about their connection that felt effortless, a bond he hadn''t expected but had grown to cherish deeply.


    "Thanks, I''ll go shower now," he said, accepting the fresh towel. He wondered how many towels she had, since he''d never seen her do laundry since arriving. He couldn''t help but feel something was a little unusual about the amount of supplies she had.


    "Okay, I''ll go inside and read while you shower," said Rayne as she walked back inside the camper.


    She came back out when she knew he was dressed and ready, holding her black backpack, which was filled with water bottles and snacks.


    "Well, are you ready for that walk?" she asked, eyeing his ankle.


    Julian hung the towel in his hand over the wooden stool and walked toward Rayne, nodding.


    "Yeah! We will have to take it slow, but I''m ready to get going!" he replied.


    The two of them set off into the forest toward the small mountain, walking while casually chatting. They took their time walking to enjoy the undisturbed nature and to avoid aggravating Julian''s injury.


    Rayne walked alongside Julian, really enjoying his company. At first, she had been a little worried when she saw him in the forest, but now she felt that having someone to socialize with was very nice. Julian''s company was a pleasant surprise to her; she felt that his personality and sense of humor complemented her own.


    After a few hours of walking, with short breaks in between, they made it to the spot that Julian had first suggested.


    It was a small cliffside that overlooked a small valley. Rayne could clearly see the river that cut through, as well as the small clearing in the forest where she had set up her camper.


    Everything looked so peaceful and serene that she had a hard time believing the apocalypse had started.


    Julian stood beside Rayne, looking at her mesmerized expression. He felt that she was much more beautiful than the view and took his time watching her enjoy the scenery.


    The slight breeze caused her long blonde hair to gently flow behind her, curling at the ends. The sun shone brightly, illuminating her smooth skin.


    Julian felt his heart race. He felt like he was looking at the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment. His mind went back to the moment he saw the radiant woman at the mall, realizing it had been Rayne all along.


    A part of him kept telling him to walk up and pull her into his embrace, but he was worried that would only scare her away.


    Rayne turned her head to look at Julian, noticing that he was already looking at her. Her face flushed slightly as she smiled brightly at him.


    "Julian," she said softly, her voice full of gratitude. "Thank you for bringing me here. This is probably the most beautiful view I''ve ever seen."


    Julian''s gaze lingered on her, unable to tear himself away. "Yeah... it''s beautiful," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper.


    But it wasn''t just the view that took his breath away. It was her.

 Chapter 57 Difficult Goodbyes

    When they returned to the camper, it was already dinner time. Rayne felt a little tired from the long walk, so she went inside and pulled out a simple meal from her system.


    She took out a pot of the homemade soup she had made earlier, along with a fresh baguette from the fancy supermarket.


    Julian saw Rayne bringing out the food and felt a little surprised. "You can sure cook quickly! This must be the difference between skilled and unskilled cooks."


    Rayne averted her gaze. "Mhm," she responded quietly. She regretted being too hasty in bringing out the food. Now, all she could do was pretend that she had cooked it quickly.


    Julian noticed her internal struggle and decided not to push the topic.


    "Thank you, as usual. Everything you''ve made so far has been very good."


    Rayne smiled at his compliment. "Thank you! I''m glad you enjoy my cooking."


    After dinner, they cleaned up and watched an episode of the TV show Rayne had started, then got ready for bed.


    Julian waited for Rayne to settle into bed before taking out his satellite phone. He noticed that he had received a message earlier but didn''t want to expose having the phone, so he waited until now to look.


    [Boss, we''ve arrived at the bunker. Team Alpha is here as well. We''ve managed to transport all of the prototype weapons from the main lab. Our men have also let me know that Damien''s men have started moving.]


    Julian read the message. He was glad that the prototype weapons were salvaged because they could be dangerous in the wrong hands.


    When he read the part about Damien''s men being on the move, he knew he would have to return to the base soon.


    [Got it. I''ll be back sometime tomorrow.]


    After sending a message back, he laid down and stared at the ceiling.


    "Why am I feeling so reluctant to leave?" he whispered. He was experiencing a flood of unfamiliar emotions and wasn''t sure how to deal with them.


    Closing his eyes, he kept convincing himself that dealing with Damien was more important than anything else.


    ---


    When Rayne woke up the following morning, she saw Julian sitting outside on the bench of the picnic table. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, no morning exercises today? Or did you already do them?" she asked, smiling.


    "Ah, no. I haven''t done them yet. I was actually waiting for you," he replied, trying to appear cheerful.


    Rayne felt like something was off and walked over to sit down across from him.


    "Is something wrong? Did your ankle flare up from the walk yesterday?" she asked with heavy concern.


    Julian shook his head. Her attentiveness and kindness made it hard for him to say what he wanted to, but he forced the words out anyway.


    "I wanted to let you know that I''m leaving. My foot has healed enough for me to walk, and I need to meet up with my people."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "Rayne, thank you for your kindness. These last few days have been really wonderful. I will remember them for a long time."


    Rayne sat there, shocked. She didn''t expect him to leave so soon.


    "Ah, no need to thank me. You''ve been really nice company, and you''ve helped me improve my shooting skills. If it''s because I said you could stay until you''re healed... that was because I didn''t know you. You''re welcome to stay as long as you''d like!" she said, looking hopeful.


    Julian looked at her hopeful expression and felt his heart break. He could tell that she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers. He felt that a young woman living alone in the wilderness found comfort in having someone with her.


    As much as he wanted to stay, or even bring her with him, he felt it would be very unfair to drag her into his war with Damien.


    He took a deep breath. "I appreciate your invitation; however, I can''t leave the people who are waiting for me."


    Rayne''s mind raced... Ah, he must have a girlfriend or wife and is anxious to get back to her.


    While she felt a sharp sting in her heart, she put on a brave face. "In that case, let me at least give you a backpack with a few supplies. The walk out of the forest is long."


    Without waiting for his reply, she ran back inside the camper and flopped onto her bed.


    "You knew this would happen. Why are you getting so upset now?" she mumbled into her pillow.


    After a few minutes and a few deep breaths, she sat up and opened her system panel. She pulled out a copy of her black backpack along with a few water bottles, a pack of beef jerky, a packaged turkey sandwich, some painkillers, and an external hard drive that contained the TV show they were watching together these past few days.


    She looked inside the backpack and thought for a minute. If he was heading back toward where people were, she wasn''t sure if he would encounter any danger.


    She took out a copy of her silenced pistol along with a small box of ammo and placed it in the backpack. Hopefully, he doesn''t run into any trouble, and hopefully this can help him if he does.


    A few minutes later, Rayne walked out of the camper holding the backpack. She walked over to stand beside Julian and did her best to smile.


    "Here. It''s just a few supplies like water and snacks. I also made a turkey sandwich, so eat that today when you get hungry. I hope you have a safe journey."


    She handed the backpack to Julian. "Oh! Um... be careful around other people. I think when there''s a lot of chaos and disaster, humans can be worse than rabid animals..."


    She wanted to warn him more about the apocalypse but didn''t know how to phrase it.


    Julian accepted the backpack as he listened to her words. He felt her deep concern for him and felt even more reluctant to leave.


    Looking up to meet her eyes, he smiled. "Thank you, Rayne. I''ll return your kindness one day." Carefully getting up from the bench, he turned to leave.


    Rayne watched him leave and waved when he turned to look back. She felt lonely already but tried not to let it get to her.


    "Julian, you''re always welcome to come back anytime!" she yelled, hoping that he could hear her.


    Julian heard her words and waved back, acknowledging that he had heard her.


    Shaking his head, he continued forward, his steps feeling heavy, as if his legs were made out of lead.


    Rayne, you''re not making this any easier for me.

 Chapter 58 Parting gifts

    The next few days felt like a blur to Rayne. She spent her days practicing shooting, watching TV shows, and aimlessly walking around.


    She felt that even the food didn''t taste as good when eating alone.


    "Girl, you need to snap out of it. He''s most likely already got someone he likes, and there''s no point in suffering over someone you only knew for a few days!" she told herself, snapping back to reality. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She felt like she had gotten too comfortable in her little outdoor paradise and needed a reminder of the reality she was living in. The world around her was slowly changing, and the apocalypse had already begun.


    She closed her eyes and replayed the scenes from her nightmare in her head. This was the reality that awaited her, and she didn''t want to waste her time feeling sad that someone she only knew for a few days had left.


    "Okay, Rayne, it''s time to get back into the swing of things!" she announced. It had been some time since she had last practiced any of the close combat moves she learned from Brent.


    She took a few steps away from the picnic table to give herself some space and began to practice some move sets.


    About 30 minutes later, Julian arrived at the hill that contained his bunker. He walked over to the secret entrance, unlocked the door, and entered to meet Ian and Noah.


    "Boss! You''re back!" exclaimed Noah.


    Ian walked over and noticed Julian''s slight limp. "Boss, are you hurt?"


    Only after Ian said something did Noah realize that something was wrong.


    Julian greeted his two friends. "Hey, guys, I''m back. And I''m fine, just twisted my ankle, I think. I''ll ask Anna to check it out later."


    Noah and Ian both wanted to ask where Julian had been these past few days, but since he didn''t bring it up, they decided not to ask.


    "I''m going to get settled. I''ll call you in for a meeting later," said Julian as he walked toward his room.


    The bunker was designed to have a few different living quarters in different areas. There were a few dorm-style rooms with bunk beds, where the people from Alpha Team resided.


    Further down in the bunker was a ''residential'' wing, where there were a few apartment-style rooms designed to mimic studio apartments. Each room had a bed, a small living room area, and a decent-sized bathroom.


    Down the hall opposite the apartment-style rooms was a large communal living area with a fully equipped kitchen.


    Julian walked to his room, the largest one at the end of the hall. He sat down on his bed and opened the backpack Rayne had given him.


    He carefully pulled out the water bottles and snacks, treating them as if they were made of gold. He pulled out the carefully packaged turkey sandwich and smiled.


    "I''m almost too reluctant to eat this," he chuckled.


    Reaching in once more, he felt a heavy object. When he pulled his hand out, he realized it was her silenced pistol!


    He frowned, looking at the gun in his hands. She must''ve been really worried about my safety.


    He held the gun, feeling its weight. While he was incredibly touched by her intentions, he was now worried about her safety. This was the only gun they used when practicing, and he knew that obtaining firearms was extremely difficult.


    "I swear, if she gave this to me and left herself defenseless..." he muttered under his breath, slightly frustrated.


    A few weeks went by since Julian left, and Rayne''s life normalized a little bit.


    She distracted herself with constant shooting and close combat practice, only resting in the evenings.


    She had taken out a training dummy that was commonly used by fighters and boxers and used it to help her with close combat training. While it couldn''t fight back, it still provided a place for Rayne to land her kicks and punches.


    One thing Rayne was happy about was that the earthquakes seemed to have stopped. The day Julian left was the last time she felt an earthquake, and it was very short in duration compared to the previous ones.


    She felt that, in the world''s current state, things should still be recoverable. A part of her wanted to venture back into the city to see how bad things really were.


    She didn''t have much of a plan staying in this valley. While she could probably live here for the rest of her life, she wasn''t sure if she wanted to live so isolated without any socialization.


    Rayne was currently watering a small vegetable patch she had planted two days ago. While she didn''t need to grow anything to survive, she found it a fun and calming activity to pass the time.


    Just as she finished watering, she felt a few drops of rain fall on her arms.


    "Looks like it''s going to rain," she said, looking up at the dark storm clouds in the sky.


    Rayne quickly walked around, gathering any small, loose items that would get wet, and walked inside the camper.


    After Julian left, she folded his bed back into a couch, giving her a sitting space in the living area.


    Shortly after entering, she began to hear the soft patter of raindrops on the camper. She pulled out a book from her system and curled up on the couch, reading to pass the time.


    As time passed, the rain got heavier and heavier, mixing with the strong gusts of wind. Rayne felt the camper shake due to the intense winds and began to feel a little unsettled.


    Thankfully, the extra supports kept the camper in place, even through the biggest wind gusts.


    When it was time for bed, Rayne decided that she would sleep on the couch because it was the central point of the camper. Every time the camper shook, Rayne tensed up, feeling worried that it could topple or even get blown away.


    By the time she finally fell asleep, it was already very late into the night. The howling wind and the shaking camper kept her awake. She was only able to fall asleep from pure exhaustion.

 Chapter 59 Hurricane Disaster

    The wind picked up once more after Rayne fell asleep. What had started as a strong gust now escalated into a full-blown hurricane, shaking the trees with great force, causing branches to get torn off.


    The old maple tree that sheltered Rayne''s camper did its best to fight the fierce winds but ultimately couldn''t hold out.


    A large branch, the size of a small tree, snapped off and fell directly on top of Rayne''s camper, caving in the roof.


    Rayne, caught entirely by surprise, was struck by the impact, her body slamming against the broken interior, knocking her unconscious. The jagged edges of broken metal and glass tore into her arm, causing her to bleed from different parts of her body.


    The caved-in roof of the camper allowed the fierce rain inside, soaking everything. The picnic table outside had long been blown away.


    If it weren''t for the large tree branch pinning the camper down, it would have also been blown away in the fierce hurricane winds.


    ---


    Julian was currently sitting in the mini laboratory in the bunker, engrossed in his work. He was tinkering with a prototype of an advanced pistol, making a few final adjustments. He wanted to improve it so that he could give it to Rayne as a thank-you gift.


    He had spent the last three days practically locked in the lab and was unaware of the environmental changes happening outside.


    When his stomach finally growled in protest, Julian decided to set the pistol down and go find something to eat. On his way to the communal kitchen, he ran into Noah, who was making a fresh cup of coffee.


    "Hey, boss! Up late today again? How''s the progress going on that pistol?" asked Noah curiously.


    "Yeah, it''s almost done. I''m on the final tweaks, and it should be finished. Any news from Damien''s side?" asked Julian as he opened the refrigerator to pull out a yogurt.


    "Nothing from Damien''s side due to the hurricane that''s been going on for a few days," replied Noah nonchalantly. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No news yet. There''s been a strong hurricane going on for a few days, so we haven''t heard from him," Noah replied casually, sipping his coffee.


    Julian froze, then whipped his head over to face Noah.


    "What? A hurricane? Why didn''t anyone tell me?" His voice was sharp, with a mix of confusion and rising panic.


    Noah blinked in surprise, not expecting such a strong response from Julian. "You''ve been so absorbed in that lab of yours, we didn''t want to bother you."


    Without another word, Julian tossed the yogurt onto the counter and sprinted toward his room, his heart pounding in his chest. His body moved on instinct, as he grabbed his raincoat in a frantic rush.


    Startled and curious about Julian''s agitation, Noah followed him, feeling uneasy.


    Julian ignored Noah and ran out of the bunker into the fierce winds of the hurricane. Ian noticed the two of them running out with panicked steps and quickly followed suit.


    When Julian stepped outside and saw how bad things were, his heart raced. The only thing he could think about was if Rayne was okay. He wasn''t sure if her small camper would be able to brave the storm.


    He increased his pace, running as fast as he could while avoiding flying twigs and leaves. Noah and Ian were confused as to why their boss ran as if he were possessed, but they quietly followed him anyway.


    Julian ran for what felt like a lifetime. His panicked heart was beating out of his chest from the anxiety.


    "Please be okay," Julian muttered over and over under his breath, his pace quickening. He barely noticed Noah and Ian struggling to keep up, too absorbed in his fear to slow down.


    Finally, he reached the clearing where Rayne''s camper had been. His breath caught in his throat as he came to a sudden stop. The sight that greeted him was worse than he had feared, making his body go cold.


    The camper, once standing proudly, was now a crumpled mess of twisted metal and broken wood. The massive tree branch lay on top of it, pinning the structure to the ground. His heart dropped to his stomach as he saw a familiar figure beneath the wreckage. Her pale face was barely visible, her body limp, trapped under the debris.


    "Rayne!" Julian''s voice cracked with desperation as he rushed toward her, his hands trembling as he began to push the wreckage away. His mind raced, fighting to stay focused. "Stay with me, Rayne!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.


    Noah and Ian looked at each other with surprise in their eyes. They had no idea that someone was camping out here, so close to their bunker. They were also shocked to see how distressed Julian was upon seeing what remained of the camper.


    "Rayne! I''m here... Stay with me, Rayne!!" Julian continued to yell, hoping that she would hear him and wake up.


    Noah and Ian walked over and began to help Julian. The three of them were strong and were able to quickly move the tree branch and collapsed roof, exposing a cold, pale Rayne underneath.


    Julian''s breath caught as he saw the blood staining her clothes and the bruises on her skin. His anger flared at his own stupidity. Scooping her up in his arms, he felt angry and guilty for leaving her out here on her own.


    Ian grabbed her arm to try and look for a pulse. He was the only one of the three with medical training.


    Julian was doing his best to read Ian''s facial expression, praying that she was still okay.


    "She''s alive, but her pulse is very weak. She must have lost a lot of blood. We need to treat her as soon as possible," said Ian, replying to Julian''s silent stare.


    Julian felt relieved knowing that she was still alive.


    "Hold on, Rayne, everything will be okay," he said as he began to run back to the bunker, carrying Rayne in his arms.


    "Hang on, Rayne. Please, just hang on," he whispered, clutching her closer as he started to run back toward the bunker. His legs burned with exhaustion, but he couldn''t slow down¡ªnot now.


    Noah took off with Julian while Ian stayed back to see if he could salvage anything from the camper to bring back with him.


    Julian ran without stopping, ignoring the fatigue of his body. Noah tried his best to keep up but still lagged behind Julian a little bit.


    Once they made it to the bunker, Julian brought Rayne straight to the small medical ward and laid her down on the bed.


    "Get Anna down here now!" yelled Julian, ordering Noah. Noah nodded and turned to find Anna, the medic from Alpha Team.


    A few minutes later, Julian heard hurried steps, and Anna walked in, followed by Noah.


    "Please save her," ordered Julian, his voice laced with concern.


    Anna nodded and turned to examine Rayne with a serious expression. She began by connecting Rayne to an IV drip to restore some of the lost fluids.


    "I''m going to need to do a blood transfusion. She''s lost a lot of blood. I''m guessing she''s been in this state for a few days," Anna said, walking over toward the back of the medical ward to grab a blood test kit.


    Julian nodded. He didn''t want to leave Rayne''s side until he was sure she was out of danger.

 Chapter 60 Witch Who Can See the Future

    Anna worked quickly and diligently, doing her best to treat Rayne as quickly as possible. Everyone present understood Julian''s feelings for the girl lying on the bed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah didn''t realize earlier, due to the blood and debris covering Rayne, but now that her face was wiped clean, he discovered that it was Rayne Weston!


    He wanted to ask his boss why she was camping out there of all places, and how he knew she was there! Looking over at Julian''s tense expression, he decided to probe him another time. What mattered now was getting Rayne out of life-threatening danger.


    Anna worked hard into the next morning. The clock on the wall read that it was already past 6 a.m.


    Anna finally placed her stethoscope down and looked at Julian. "Boss, she''s finally stabilized. I won''t sugarcoat it; I''m very shocked that she made it."


    Julian clenched his hand into a fist upon hearing her words. However, he was ultimately happy that Rayne had made it through the most difficult part.


    "Thank you, Anna. You''ve worked so hard... let me know if there''s something you want as compensation," Julian thanked her.


    Anna took off her latex gloves and shook her head, smiling. "There''s no need for all of this, boss. I''m a doctor, and it''s my duty to help. I''ll relax for a little bit first, then come back for periodic check-ups, so you can rest easy."


    Julian nodded. "Thank you."


    He observed Rayne for a few more minutes before he got up to take a shower and get some rest.


    On his way to his room, he ran into Ian, who was holding a large box of random items.


    "Oh hey, boss, I was able to scavenge a few items from her camper. Mainly some clothes and smaller items. Where should I place the box?" he asked.


    Julian looked at Ian with a grateful expression. "Thank you, Ian. I can place it in my room for now. Once she wakes up, I''ll let her choose one of the empty rooms." He then reached out and grabbed the box from Ian, carrying it into his room.


    The situation outside was quickly getting worse and worse. Many survivors who had lost their homes in the city were now dealing with the winds and rain from the hurricane, many getting swept away.


    This time, the people living in rural areas were also included in the disaster. Many roofs and even whole houses were swept away, exposing the concrete foundations.


    Luckily, most houses in the suburbs and rural areas had basements, giving families a place to hide from the storm.


    Ella''s family was currently in this exact predicament. They had been happily living in their countryside ''farm'' home, feeling like they had avoided the bulk of the disaster from the previous earthquakes. But once the wind and rain came with the hurricane, their house was one of the first to have its roof swept away.


    Now, they were huddled up in the basement of what was left of their house.


    "Ella, it was so smart of you to bring this small propane heater," her mother gratefully said as she huddled closer to the heater.


    Ella poked her head out from under the thick blankets. "You need to thank Rayne, Mom. She''s the one who dumped most of this stuff onto me before the earthquakes started."


    "Yes, you''ve mentioned that before. It''s just that the timing for your camping trip was so perfect; it''s saved us from a lot of difficult situations already, like this heater, for example," her mother replied.


    Ella''s dad sat in the corner and listened to the conversation, glancing at the pile of supplies Ella had received from Rayne.


    There was even a box of non-perishable food, which made him feel like something was off about it being just for a camping trip.


    Ella noticed her dad''s thoughtful expression as he looked at the box of food.


    "Dad, are you doubting Rayne again? I already told you, she said she went to some camping store, and they were having a big sale on these non-perishable foods, and she bought some. I know Rayne, I promise she''s not some witch who can see the future."


    Ella''s mom laughed. "That''s right, honey, we''ve met the girl a number of times. If anything, she''s been a blessing to our family. If we cross paths with her in the future, we need to be sure to thank her."


    He snapped out of his thoughts at his wife''s words.


    "Mmm, yes. When you put it that way, she really has blessed our family indirectly," he said. After settling the matter about Rayne, he turned to his wife and daughter and frowned.


    "I don''t mean to sound like an alarmist, but we''re going to need to go out to find food sooner rather than later. Even though we''re lucky we managed to bring the hens inside in time before the hurricane, we can''t just live off chicken eggs forever."


    Both women quieted down at his words, understanding the severity of the situation. Ella quietly eyed the box of food Rayne had given her.


    Her father noticed her gaze on the box. "That box will last us maybe three months if we ration it well, but ideally, I would like to save it as a last resort. Once this storm passes, I''ll go out and see if I can find any more supplies."


    Ella nodded, but her mother laughed at his serious expression.


    "Honey, you''re joking, right? While I acknowledge that we''re experiencing a natural disaster, rationing food to make it last three months is a little ridiculous, don''t you think?" she laughed.


    Ella hung her head, looking at the floor while her father shook his head, looking at his lovely wife.


    He got up and sat down next to her, bringing her into his embrace. "Honey, unfortunately, I really do believe this is only the start, and in the future, our lives will only get more difficult. We''re going to have to learn to adapt to this new life."

 Chapter 61 Re-Introductions

    Three days later, Rayne slowly drifted back to consciousness. Her body felt as though it had been crushed beneath a heavy weight, each muscle aching and sore. She was also burning with a high fever, making it difficult to breathe.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake," a woman with a long black ponytail greeted her.


    "Where am I?" Rayne asked with difficulty.


    Anna wasn''t sure if she was the right person to reveal the base, so she just said, "You''re in a small medical ward. You''re safe now. We found you outside in the hurricane; you lost a lot of blood."


    Rayne hummed in reply. She looked around the room quietly, glancing at the familiar medical equipment. She remembered the strong gusts of wind that shook her camper, but nothing after she fell asleep.


    Anna came over and adjusted the IV drip. "Rest and recover. I''ll let the boss know you''re awake," she said before walking out of the room.


    Rayne felt awful; every part of her body was in pain. She closed her eyes and laid on the bed for a few minutes until she heard a few hurried footsteps.


    "Rayne! You''re awake! How are you feeling?" a familiar voice asked, full of concern.


    "Julian?" she asked quietly, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Julian walked over to the side of the bed and sat down on the stool beside it. He looked at her pale face and bruised arms.


    "I''m so sorry I didn''t come sooner," he said quietly, his voice thick with guilt.


    Rayne tried shaking her head to disagree, but it was too painful. "It''s not your fault... unless you can control the weather," she said slowly, smiling slightly.


    Julian felt a lump in his throat. He was so happy to see her awake. He had started to get worried when she hadn''t woken up in three days. Anna had to repeatedly remind him that Rayne was okay, she just needed time to recover.


    As much as he wanted to sit and chat with Rayne, he knew that she needed to rest now. After saying a few more words, he got up to leave, leaving her to rest.


    "Get some sleep. You''re safe now, I promise," he said with a slight smile.


    "Mmhm," she replied, smiling back.


    Anna witnessed this scene and raised an eyebrow. This was the first time she''d seen her boss so friendly with another woman. He even seemed to barely tolerate his own sister.


    She gave Rayne another look, nodding in approval. She felt that, if anything, Rayne was definitely beautiful. I''ll have to tell Jess to let go of her fantasies about the boss...


    After finishing a few more check-ups, she left to go back to the female communal room, where the women of Alpha Team resided. While Alpha Team was made up mostly of men, there were a handful of women on the team.


    "Hi, Anna! How''s the patient?" Jess asked, probing. When word got out that there was a rescued person in the med ward, everyone was curious about who it could be. This bunker was a top-secret location, and everyone felt that whoever was rescued had to be of high status.


    Anna looked at Jess with a knowing look. While most of the women on the team had a crush on their boss at one point or another, they had all gotten over it¡ªexcept Jess.


    "She''s fine. She finally woke up today... Jess, let me give you advice as your senior sister: give up on your fantasy. I think the boss has someone he cares for, if you get what I mean," said Anna.


    Jess''s eyes widened, but she quickly adjusted her expression.


    "Ah, Anna, you know I''m over that... but are you implying the patient girl is someone the boss is interested in?" she asked curiously.


    Anna saw through her excuses but didn''t say anything. "I''m not implying anything. I''m just reminding you that the boss is a ruthless person... don''t get on his bad side." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jess frowned. Just because the boss never showed you any special attention, don''t cut my chances.


    After Anna said her piece, she walked over to her bed to rest, while Jess continued to sit on her bed, lost in thought. She found it hard to believe that the boss, who had never shown any kind of interest in women, would start caring for one now.


    She looked over at Anna. Maybe she''s just using this patient as an excuse to lecture me. She knows I''m the most likely one to get close to the boss. Jealous bitch.


    ---


    Rayne spent another week in the medical ward.


    Julian made time every day to visit her to chat and see how she was feeling. Rayne was grateful for his visits because, as she began to feel better, she started feeling bored just lying in bed all day.


    "How''s the weather been recently?" she asked.


    "Same, if not worse. I''ve heard many people died this time around. The government has opened up underground shelters, but they acted a little late," replied Julian.


    Rayne frowned. She never expected a hurricane, especially one that lasted this long. The reality of the apocalypse finally set in, causing her to feel worried.


    She had stocked up on countless supplies, feeling prepared for the apocalypse, but just a few weeks in, she came dangerously close to losing her life.


    Noticing the troubled look on her face, Julian leaned closer, his brow furrowing with concern. "What''s wrong? Are you in pain?" he asked, his voice soft yet full of care.


    "Oh no, I''m okay. I''m just thinking about what I could''ve done differently to have been okay in that situation," she said quietly.


    "There''s no way anyone could have predicted a hurricane on this scale. Don''t beat yourself up over it. You''re safe now, and that''s what matters," he said, trying to cheer her up.


    Rayne met his gaze, her lips curling into a small, grateful smile. "Yes, you''re right," she agreed, though the lingering worry in her eyes didn''t entirely fade. "But now that I''m feeling better, I''ve been meaning to ask... where exactly am I, Julian?"


    He looked at her and fiddled with his hands. "Well, I guess I should reintroduce myself. My name is Julian Barclay, I''m 28 years old, and I am the CEO of REN Corporation. You are currently in the underground bunker you designed for me."


    Rayne''s eyes widened in shock, "What?!"

 Chapter 62 Return Gift

    "But the CEO of REN Corp. died! We even talked about it!" cried Rayne.


    "Yeah, it''s a long story, but I basically ran into a situation where I had to fake my own death," said Julian.


    Rayne was speechless. She wasn''t sure what kind of situation would force someone to fake their own death, but she didn''t push the topic, waiting for Julian to explain when he felt ready.


    "Wow. Well, no wonder this room felt oddly familiar. It''s one that I designed," she laughed. Ever since waking up, she had practically lived in this room, only leaving to shower or use the restroom.


    Julian smiled. "Anna said that tomorrow you can safely be discharged from the medical ward."


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. She was so bored here. She was also feeling much better recently, so she''d been waiting patiently until Anna gave her the green light to go.


    "Here, I have something for you," said Julian suddenly, pulling out a shiny silver pistol from a small case he had brought in. "It''s a prototype I just finished recently. It''s one of our REN Corp. designs!"


    Rayne picked up the gun with awe! Besides looking new and feeling lighter than a standard pistol, Rayne couldn''t tell too much about what was different.


    Julian watched her play around with the gun, inspecting it closely.


    "What''s special about this gun is that it''s completely silent. It uses a strong magnetic field to propel the special bullet forward instead of the traditional method of gunpowder or gas," he said proudly. REN Corp. had been working on this new design for a few years now, and it was finally finished!


    Rayne couldn''t fathom how such a thing could work, but she was very happy with the gift!


    "Here are the special bullets. They''re a bit heavier than standard ones, and be mindful if you use them because there''s only a handful available," he added as he handed her a small box.


    Rayne opened the box and noticed that these bullets were much heavier as well as darker in color than what she was used to. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you so much, I really like this," she said happily! She wasn''t concerned about the lack of bullets one bit, as she could make infinite copies using her system!


    The next morning, Anna came in to do her final set of checkups.


    "Everything is looking good," she smiled as she removed a few sensors from Rayne''s body.


    "Just remember to take it easy. While you''re healed enough to leave the medical ward, you''re still recovering," she kindly reminded Rayne, smiling.


    Rayne nodded. She was bubbling with excitement to explore the bunker that she had poured her heart into designing! She couldn''t believe they had managed to construct something so complex in such a short amount of time.


    Just as Rayne got off the bed, ready to leave, Julian walked in.


    "Hey, looks like you''re all set! Come, let me show you to your new room," he said, acting like a butler.


    Anna''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at seeing her boss joke around. She''d been part of Alpha team since college when she was first recruited and had hardly ever seen her boss smile! She quickly turned around and busied herself by organizing her medical equipment.


    Rayne giggled at Julian''s silly actions. "Did you forget that I was the one who designed this place? I know every nook and cranny!"


    Julian froze, then laughed. "Haha, you''re right! I did forget that. Still, allow me to accompany you."


    Rayne pretended to think about it for a minute. "Hmmm, well I guess I could let you," she giggled and walked out, following Julian.


    "Here are the empty rooms. Feel free to choose whichever one you like best... although they''re all identical," he said, pointing at a few doors.


    "Oh, my room is over there, at the end of the hall. And these two are Noah''s and Ian''s," he said, pointing at the rooms farther down the hall.


    Rayne took a moment to look at the empty rooms and chose one closer to the communal living area, leaving a few empty rooms between her room and Noah''s/Ian''s.


    "This one! Thank you for letting me stay here," she said, pointing at a door. She wasn''t sure what her future had in store or how long she would be here, but she decided to take things one day at a time.


    "No problem at all, glad to have you part of the team. I''ll give you some time to get settled. Let me know if there''s anything you need, and I''ll see if I can get it for you," he said.


    He was planning on having a meeting with the team leaders about going out to find more supplies soon. Although the bunker was well-supplied, it had been a while since a supply shipment arrived, and eventually, things would begin to run out.


    Rayne nodded and walked in to inspect her new room. It was a pretty standard square layout with a wall dividing the bedroom area from the living area. There was a door across from the bedroom area where the bathroom was.


    While it had all of the basic necessities, Rayne felt that the room was very cold and prison-like. The floors and walls were made of concrete, and the furniture was all very basic. Even the mattress felt a little hard for Rayne''s preferences.


    She wondered how much she could swap out and add from her system before it became too obvious.


    She walked over to the bedroom area and quickly stored the basic bed and mattress, leaving a completely empty area. Since the bedroom was behind a wall and out of direct line of sight, she felt that it would be safe enough to personalize this small area.


    The bedroom area was just large enough to fit a queen-size bed, and Rayne pulled out a pretty, carved wooden bed frame she had stored from a furniture superstore. It was all still packaged in a box, so Rayne had to manually assemble everything.


    Rayne spent a few hours setting up the bedroom area. When she was finished, the cold, prison-like feeling was replaced with a cozy, college-dorm room vibe.


    She placed a small, fuzzy area rug under the bed and soft, fluffy blankets and sheets on top of the replaced mattress. Using heavy-duty stick-on hooks, she hung some pretty sheets of fabric mixed with fairy lights, covering the cold concrete walls.


    Looking at the finished product, Rayne felt a lot more cozy and comfortable in her new sleeping area.

 Chapter 63 Suspicions

    The next place she decided to redecorate was the bathroom.


    She walked in, happy to see that there was at least a basic white subway tile covering the concrete walls.


    While there wasn''t much she could do in terms of furniture, she picked out a pretty floral shower curtain and hung it up on the curtain rod. She also picked out a few bath mats that complemented the shower curtain''s color and placed them on the floor.


    Lastly, she put down a small shelf in the corner and filled it with fluffy towels, skincare items, makeup, and soaps.


    The redecorated bathroom now looked a lot more cheerful with all of the different floral colors and accents. Rayne smiled at the big improvement and got ready to take a shower.


    After she finished showering, she heard a small knock on her door.


    "Hey, Rayne, are you awake?" she heard Julian''s voice on the other side of the door.


    "Coming!" she yelled, wrapping a towel around her damp hair. She was in a hurry to open the door and didn''t think about putting on less suspicious clothing.


    "Hey, what''s up?" she said, greeting Julian.


    Julian looked at the freshly showered Rayne and immediately noticed that she was wearing the fluffy pink bathrobe that she wore the first day they met.


    Where did she get that robe from? She even smells like the expensive shampoo and body wash she always uses.


    He discreetly looked her up and down but didn''t want to scare her by asking directly.


    "I have a box of things that Ian managed to salvage from your camper the night we found you. Sorry there''s not a lot, but at least there should be a few usable things left," he said.


    Rayne froze, realizing that she technically didn''t have anything with her anymore. She panicked, noticing he had already seen her in her robe, and criticized herself for not being more careful!


    How did I forget that I''m supposed to be empty-handed?! I can tell he''s suspicious already.


    She took a deep breath and invited him inside. "Thank you so much for bringing me what was left of my things. Feel free to place the box anywhere on the floor."


    Julian stepped inside her room, noticing that everything looked like a standard room setup. However, the smell from the shower told him that she had definitely somehow used her own shampoo and body wash.


    When did she have time to get shampoo? I know for a fact we don''t have this brand anywhere in the bunker... I''ll casually ask Anna if maybe she lent it to her.


    Rayne stood nervously, hoping that Julian wouldn''t ask her where she got the robe from. She watched him place the large box on the floor behind the small couch.


    "I plan to meet with my team tomorrow to discuss going out for a supply run. The state the world is in is very bad, and all production chains have ceased operation. I''m worried that we''ll run out of supplies soon if we don''t go out and scavenge," he said in a slightly more serious tone.


    "Yes, I think that''s a very smart idea. After these back-to-back natural disasters, I don''t think society will rebuild itself for a while. And we don''t even know if this is the end of the disasters... something''s telling me things are only just getting started," replied Rayne.


    She was happy to finally have some proof to her words, able to somewhat speak her mind about the start of the apocalypse.


    Julian listened to her attentively, feeling that she was correct. He''d recently gotten word that the satellite teams stationed outside had lost communication. This meant that the situation in the cities was very bad, and the fierce rains hadn''t even stopped yet.


    "I''d like to go with you when you do go out. I''ve been wanting to see the damage with my own eyes," she said resolutely.


    Julian frowned. If it were up to him, he wouldn''t want her going anywhere dangerous. However, he knew that she was her own person and could make her own decisions. If anything, keeping her by his side would give him a sense of relief, knowing he could look out for her.


    After thinking it through, he nodded.


    "Very well, you''ll go with us when the time comes. I still need to discuss the specifics with the team. We''ll most likely go once the winds die down a little bit," he said.


    Julian then turned to leave the room.


    "Oh, Julian! Before you leave..." exclaimed Rayne. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He turned around to face her from the hallway.


    "I''d like to make dinner for you, Ian, Noah, and Anna today... as a thank you for saving my life. Would that be okay?" she asked.


    Julian smiled. "I''ll let everyone know. I''m sure they''ll all be ecstatic to have your delicious food; I know I am."


    Rayne nodded happily. She hoped that they had a decent variety of ingredients to work with so that she could use them as cover when she cooks using her system''s ingredients.


    After Julian left, Rayne went back to dry her hair and change into her clothing. This time, she picked something that looked like it was from the box of salvaged things. She kept reminding herself to be more careful.


    Noah had just met with Julian and Ian to discuss preparations for going out once the hurricane eases up. He was also pleasantly surprised to hear about Rayne''s invitation to dinner and was on his way to the Alpha Team barracks to pass along the invitation to Anna.


    Jess''s bed was closest to the door, so when Noah knocked, she was the one to answer.


    "Ah, Secretary Mathews! What brings you down here?" asked Jess with stars in her eyes. While her ultimate goal was Julian, she was the type who liked to keep her options open.


    "I''d like to speak to Anna. Would you mind calling her over for me?" asked Noah politely.


    "Sure, one sec... Anna! It''s for you!" she yelled into the large dormitory room.

 Chapter 64 Dinner Party

    Anna walked over to Noah, her expression polite yet curious.


    "Ah, hello, Secretary Mathews! What can I do for you?" she asked, thinking the he was in need of her medical expertise.


    Noah didn''t feel like the invitation was important enough to find a secluded room to discuss, so he quickly passed along Rayne''s message. "Rayne is inviting us to a home-cooked dinner tonight and asked me to pass along her invitation. Meet us in our communal kitchen at 6 tonight if you''d like to join."


    Anna''s face lit up with a warm smile. "That''s very kind of her; I''ll definitely be there."


    When Noah left, Anna turned around to see Jess staring at her with an unreadable expression.


    Jess had heard the entire conversation and flared up with jealousy and anger.


    She was jealous because of the rare opportunity that Anna got¡ªgetting to share a meal with the boss and Secretary Mathews! At the same time, she was angry that this new girl not only got to live in the same area as the boss, but she was also trying to show off in front of him with her cooking skills!


    Anna glanced at Jess, then quietly walked back to her bunk. She had already gone out of her way to remind Jess not to get on the boss''s bad side, but whether or not Jess listened wasn''t her problem.


    Jess sat down on her bed, her mind racing with ideas on how to get in on this dinner. She wanted to see what this new girl was all about.


    After a few minutes of thinking, she came up with a plan. Her eyes lit up as she went to the small Alpha Team kitchen and began to brainstorm on what she wanted to cook!


    ----


    Back in the communal kitchen, Rayne was currently looking through the refrigerator and pantry to see what sort of ingredients were available.


    She frowned upon seeing that most of the vegetables were lifeless and close to wilting. There were also very few eggs and meats left in the fridge and freezer.


    Rayne looked around the room, making sure no one was watching her, and secretly added a few fresh vegetables to the basket, as well as a few eggs and different proteins to supplement the current stock.


    She practiced restraint, carefully keeping her actions subtle so no one would catch on to the fact that she was replenishing their supplies, but just enough to make a difference. She didn''t want to risk drawing suspicion by overdoing it.


    The pantry, on the other hand, was an easier task. Most of the items she added were ones she already had access to through her system¡ªthings like dried spices, canned goods, and grains. She noticed that the instant noodles seemed to be the most popular item in the kitchen and shook her head. It seemed none of the men here had much of a cooking skill and relied on these easy meals, like instant noodles, to get by.


    She carefully added a few more packets of noodles, deciding to spend more time in the kitchen making prepared foods. Cooked food seemed to be what they lacked the most in the base, and she was more than happy to fill that role while she lived here.


    Not only would it give her something to do, but she would also feel better about staying here if she contributed.


    Since the dinner she planned on making tonight was a "thank you" dinner, she decided to make it a little fancy.


    She took out a large chunk of beef, deciding to make a nice hot pot roast. It was a warm, nutritious meal¡ªa perfect counter to the cold, wet weather outside.


    Thankfully, the kitchen was fully supplied with pots, pans, and utensils, so she didn''t need to worry about being questioned about where everything came from later on.


    She carefully seared the chunk of beef on all sides until it had a nice golden color, then placed it in a Dutch oven to roast in the oven for a few hours.


    As the beef cooked, Rayne took her time preparing the rest of the vegetables. She peeled and chopped carrots, potatoes, and celery with care, making sure she had enough potatoes to make creamy mashed potatoes to accompany the roast.


    Once everything was prepared, she added the carrots and celery to the pot with the beef, along with a variety of herbs and spices. She poured in three cups of rich beef broth, the scent of the spices mixing with the savory broth as it all came together. She returned the pot to the oven, where it would cook slowly for another 2-3 hours.


    ----


    Three hours later, Julian emerged from the lab, his nose catching a fragrant, mouthwatering scent wafting from the communal kitchen. This was the first time something smelled good while being cooked in the bunker. Most of the time, it was just them making a packet of instant noodles or burning something.


    On his way back to his room, he stopped to take a peek at the situation in the kitchen. He saw Rayne working diligently, chopping and stirring. Smiling at the scene, he took a few more minutes to enjoy the appetizing aroma in the kitchen before turning to head back to his room.


    By the time he finished showering and getting dressed, Rayne had finished setting the table. Julian came over and marveled at the delicious-looking food, making his stomach growl.


    Rayne glanced over at him and giggled, her smile warm and gentle as she heard his stomach growl. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come on over and take a seat; I''ll pull out the main dish from the oven once everyone is here!" she said enthusiastically. She enjoyed cooking, but she found that cooking for others was even more enjoyable!


    As Julian took a seat, both Ian and Noah walked in, looking impressed at the appetizing food.


    "Wow! Ms. Weston, I wasn''t aware you had such culinary talents," said Noah happily. He quickly took a seat to the left of Julian.


    "Ah, please call me Rayne!" said Rayne as she opened the oven door.


    Noah nodded. "Then please call me Noah, and this here is my older brother Ian!"


    Ian nodded in response and took a seat next to Noah, his eyes glued to the food on the table.


    Just as Rayne brought the Dutch oven to the table, Anna entered and sat down beside Ian, inhaling deeply.


    "Ah, it smells so good! Everyone in the dorm was wondering where such an appetizing smell was coming from!" she said, laughing.

 Chapter 65 Dinner Party 2

    Rayne placed the Dutch oven on the table and opened the lid, revealing the perfectly cooked roast.


    Everyone around the table leaned in, looking at it with awe.


    "Wow, Rayne! You''re very talented at cooking if you can pull something like this off!" complimented Anna. She was feeling extra happy to have been invited for something so decadent.


    "Aw! Thank you. Cooking is something I''ve always enjoyed, being a foodie," laughed Rayne as she went over to sit by Julian.


    Just as they were about to dig in...


    "Oh, what a surprise! I was coming to greet our new member, sorry if I walked in on something," announced Jess in a fake high-pitched voice.


    She was dressed in a super tight black dress and heels, looking completely out of place from the rest of them, who were all dressed casually.


    Anna turned her head to look at Jess, signaling with her eyes for her to stop before she started anything.


    Jess saw Anna''s look but brushed it off. Why would I give up such an opportunity?


    She walked over to Rayne. "Hi, I''m Jessica, call me Jess. I''m on Alpha Team and came over to welcome you. I''ve made this little dish for you; I hope you can accept it."


    Rayne stood up happily, pulling up another chair beside her. "Ah, thank you for the kind gesture, Jess. Please join us!"


    Julian frowned but didn''t say anything, as Rayne had already invited her. He felt that Jess''s actions were as inappropriate as what she was wearing.


    Jess, who was oblivious to everyone else''s slightly sour mood, happily sat down. She pushed aside all of Rayne''s dishes and placed the one she brought in the center of the table while sneaking peeks at Julian.


    The dish Jess brought was a salad of some sort, but no one wanted to eat it because of the half-wilted lettuce and tomatoes. It looked like it had been sitting out for a few days before being brought over here.


    Rayne frowned slightly, feeling that the salad was making her lose her appetite, but she didn''t want to be rude, so she did her best to ignore it.


    "Thank you, everyone, for gathering tonight. Without you, I would most likely not have made it through the storm. Please accept this as a small token of appreciation," announced Rayne, looking at everyone at the table with a grateful expression.


    She sat back down and motioned for everyone to dig in. The room soon filled with the quiet clatter of silverware, everyone filling their plates with the appetizing food.


    Jess looked around and noticed how everyone avoided her salad while making happy faces at Rayne''s dishes, making her feel sour.


    She scooped up a generous amount of mashed potatoes and a very large piece of roast and began eating it with relish!


    After finishing almost everything, she remembered that she wasn''t supposed to enjoy the food! Dropping her fork and knife, she put on a disappointed look on her face and turned to Rayne.


    Jess had barely finished her meal when she dropped her fork and knife dramatically, looking at Rayne with a feigned, disappointed expression.


    "Ah, the meat is so tough, my jaw hurts from chewing it. I would have kept it cooking longer," she said, all while pretending to massage her cheek.


    Rayne, who was quietly savoring the last bite of her meal, gave Jess a puzzled look. Her piece of roast had been so tender it practically melted in her mouth. Before she could respond, Anna, sitting across from Jess, raised an eyebrow and couldn''t help but interject with a smirk.


    "Wow, Jess, I''m really impressed. I mean, not only did you snag the biggest piece of roast, but you ate it faster than anyone else! Must have been so tough that you had to gulp it down," Anna teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I guess we''ll just have to feel sorry for your poor jaw!"


    Jess''s face flushed as everyone else chuckled. Julian shot her a look of disdain while Rayne, who was trying to hold back a smile, felt a bit relieved by the sudden turn of events. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian then looked over at Noah, conveying his anger and disappointment with a single look.


    Noah was used to this form of communication and understood immediately. He gave Julian a slight nod, indicating that he would have a serious talk with Jess afterward.


    Julian then turned to face Rayne and smiled. "Rayne, this is one of the best pot roasts I''ve ever had. Thank you for preparing something so good." He wasn''t just saying that; he truly felt that this pot roast was extremely delicious.


    Even Ian, who rarely talked, chimed in, "This is better than the pub I used to always go to."


    Rayne smiled gratefully at their kind words, feeling a bit better. Meanwhile, Jess was fuming internally. She had tried to gain some attention from Julian, but thanks to Anna, it all backfired.


    While Jess was busy racking her brains on how to drag Rayne down, the rest of the table shifted into a pleasant conversation. Noah was telling a few funny stories from his time at REN Corp, causing everyone to burst out in occasional laughter.


    As the conversation drifted toward lighter topics, Jess saw her opening. She straightened up, adjusting her posture, and tried to appear casual. She looked directly at Julian, then glanced at the group, making sure everyone was listening.


    "So, Julian," she said with a sly smile, "I don''t know if you''ve heard, but I''m actually quite the chef myself."


    Anna shook her head at Jess''s desperation. She had told her to give up so that she could avoid this exact situation. Clearly, she wasn''t even thinking clearly anymore, saying such cringe-worthy things.


    Julian didn''t react right away, instead focused on finishing the food on his plate. His expression unreadable. "Mmm? Yeah, I can tell," he said as his eyes flickered to the untouched salad she brought.


    Jess didn''t pick up on the sarcasm in his voice and leaned forward, trying to sound as alluring as possible. "Yeah, I''d love to cook something for you sometime, Julian. You know, just for you... I think you''d really love it."


    Rayne leaned back, feeling amused by this indirect proclamation of love that Jess was making. She wasn''t sure what was happening since it was her first time meeting her, but she could see by Julian''s stiff expression that he wasn''t happy.


    Julian looked up, giving Jess a cold glance without saying anything. He was doing his best to restrain his cold aura to prevent dampening the dinner.

 Chapter 66 Dinner Party 3

    Jess was committed to her attempt and misinterpreted Julian''s silence as interest. "Oh, come on, Julian. You can''t tell me you wouldn''t appreciate a little variety."


    She leaned forward even more, trying to catch his attention. "I mean, I could make something a little more exciting for you. Just imagine¡ª"


    Julian''s eyes hardened, and he cut her off mid-sentence. "I''m not interested, Jess," he said, his voice cold and firm.


    The room fell into an awkward silence. Jess''s face turned red in embarrassment, finally snapping out of her delusions.


    "I see," she muttered quietly. She then stood up and excused herself from the table, unable to tolerate the awkward atmosphere any longer.


    Julian watched her leave without a word, his expression cold as ice.


    He turned back to Rayne, his gaze softening slightly as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don''t mind her," he said quietly. "The roast was amazing. Really."


    Rayne smiled back at Julian, happy to hear he had enjoyed her cooking. She tried not to think about the situation with Jess too much, shrugging it off as infatuated jealousy.


    The rest of dinner went well, filled with smiles and laughter.


    Julian turned to face Rayne. "By the way, we''ve made plans to head into the city once the weather gets a little better. Based on the way things have been going, we''ve noticed a downward trend in hurricane severity recently. If things continue this way, we should be safe to go out in a few days."


    Rayne''s expression turned serious, nodding. "Sounds good, I''ll be ready."


    After everyone finished eating, Julian offered to wash the dishes, but Rayne politely declined his offer, saying that making him clean would defeat the purpose of the ''thank you'' dinner.


    Everyone thanked Rayne again for the delicious food and left, going back to rest for the remainder of the evening.


    Rayne remained in the kitchen, washing the dishes, pot, and utensils before retiring to her room for the night. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She spent a lot of effort and energy cooking and was feeling tired. After taking a quick shower, she laid down on her comfortable and fluffy bed, falling asleep right away.


    The next morning, she woke up and got busy in her new self-proclaimed role of kitchen staff.


    She walked over to the kitchen early in the morning and began making some quick, easy-to-reheat breakfast meals so that the guys could easily grab a portion and quickly heat it up at their own convenience.


    This kitchen area was empty, giving Rayne freedom to use her system freely. Using the fresh ingredients and seasonings from her system, she made a stack of breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos before moving on to lunch options.


    She continued with the sandwich trend, making turkey, tuna, egg salad, ham, and chicken salad sandwiches. Individually wrapping each portion for convenience.


    Beside the sandwiches, she made a few different salads and a classic chicken noodle soup, packaging each serving before placing everything into the large refrigerator.


    She quickly ate the leftover salad and turned to head back to her room to relax. She felt good being able to contribute and hoped that the guys would find these pre-made meals helpful.


    ---


    Noah walked into the kitchen to make his daily coffee and bowl of instant noodles, but when he opened the refrigerator to get the creamer for his coffee, he was shocked!


    The empty shelves were now filled with different types of sandwiches, soup, and salads! Everything was cleanly packed and clearly labeled.


    He quickly went back to the pantry and placed the unopened package of instant noodles back where he got it. He opened the fridge once more and chose a ham, egg, and cheese breakfast bagel, placing it in the countertop toaster oven to heat up.


    By the time his coffee finished, the breakfast bagel was also done, allowing Noah to save time and enjoy a hearty breakfast.


    "This must be Rayne''s doing. I''ll have to tell Ian so he can stop owing Alpha team favors in return for cooked meals," he mumbled, heading over to find Ian.


    Julian had a similar experience, throwing the packet of instant noodles back inside the pantry after he discovered the prepared meals.


    Smiling, he turned to look at the door to Rayne''s room. "I''ll have to thank her, this is a pleasant surprise."


    At dinnertime, Rayne decided to provide a hot food option. She made a large chicken pot pie, leaving it on top of the stove for everyone to enjoy if they wanted.


    The pot pie was completely devoured minutes after she left it on the stove, causing her to giggle at how fierce these men could be when it came to food!


    She continued this trend of restocking meals in the fridge while occasionally serving hot meals, usually for lunch or dinner. Julian, Noah, and Ian were all very happy with the new arrangement, feeling like their quality of life had improved significantly with the new meals.


    Four days later, Julian met Rayne in the communal kitchen while she was preparing to make a beef stir-fry for dinner.


    "Hey, Rayne. Wow, that smells so good," he said, walking over to see what she was making.


    Rayne smiled. "Tonight it''s beef stir-fry, it will be done soon!" She skillfully tossed the beef with the vegetables inside the wok, causing them to fly up briefly.


    Julian watched with interest. "I can''t wait. I''ll have a double portion today!" he said excitedly.


    Rayne giggled. "Just like every other night, got it!"


    "Oh, come on, it''s so good I can''t help but eat a larger portion!" he laughed, trying to explain himself.


    They laughed at each other, creating a warm atmosphere inside the kitchen.


    "Actually, I came over to let you know that the weather has gotten better and that we''re going to head out to the city tomorrow morning," he informed.


    Rayne turned off the gas burner and plated the stir-fry on a large plate. "Okay, sounds good. I''ll be ready! I''ve been itching to get out for a while now."


    Julian quickly picked up a clean plate and scooped himself a very generous amount of rice and stir-fry.


    Just as he sat down, Noah and Ian came running down the hall. "Boss!! I hope you left enough for us!" shouted Noah.


    "Last time I barely got any," complained Ian, quickly picking up a plate and filling it with the freshly cooked food.


    Rayne shook her head, smiling. The plate was picked clean before the wok even had a chance to cool down. This had been the usual sight at dinner these days!

 Chapter 67 Into the City

    Meanwhile in the city:


    The once vibrant communities have now become quiet ghost towns, with many homes destroyed. Scenic parks and tree-lined streets have turned into an unrecognizable landscape, with uprooted trees and fallen power lines.


    The survivors have taken shelter in half-broken buildings or underground metro stations, trying to seek refuge from the strong winds outside.


    Stores have long been closed, and people are slowly suffering from starvation. While the slightly braver ones went out to scavenge, most of the people are too afraid to leave their shelters.


    The building where Rayne lived was one of the few still standing, as it was located in a more remote area and was newly constructed. The residents here were relatively lucky compared to others, as it was still a relatively secure area.


    While there was no electricity, making the elevators unusable, the stairwell had a manual key lock, which every registered resident had access to. This prevented outsiders from flooding in... at least for now.


    "We are so lucky that nice young lady allowed us to use what she left behind in her house," said the elderly lady who lived next door to Rayne.


    Her grandson nodded while opening a can of shelf-stable soup. "Yeah, we would have run out of food and water a while ago. I still feel bad taking her things. Are you sure she said we could take them?" he asked guiltily.


    "Yes, I''m sure. She told me that she won''t be back for a while and that we were free to use anything and everything we could find," answered the elderly lady.


    They were heating up the can of soup on a small camping stove they found in Rayne''s apartment.


    "Still, don''t you think it''s a little strange that she had every cabinet stuffed with canned and shelf-stable food? There''s probably enough to last us half a year if we ration properly," said the grandson.


    He had made it back home from a business trip the night of the initial earthquake. He was glad to see that his grandmother, his only living relative, was okay. They had been holed up inside their house ever since.


    The food they had was quickly used up, but just as they reached a point of starvation, his grandmother pulled out a key that their neighbor had given her. He quickly went next door to find the house fully stocked with camping supplies, non-perishable food, and water.


    The two of them were so grateful to Rayne for these items, wishing her a lifetime of blessings.


    ------ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up extra early to get ready for the trip back to the city. She needed to see what things were like after the back-to-back natural disasters.


    After showering, she got dressed, putting on one of the thermal shirts she had in her system. Although the winds and rains had lessened, they were not fully gone.


    She fished out her black backpack from the box of things Ian managed to salvage, giving her a cover if she needed to use her system later, and headed out to meet up with everyone.


    "Hey, you''re up early," greeted Julian from the communal kitchen.


    Rayne walked over and greeted him. "Morning! Yeah! I wanted to make sure you weren''t waiting on me." She watched as he poured himself a coffee while toasting a breakfast sandwich.


    A few minutes later, Noah walked in. "Good morning. Ian is briefing those who will be joining us from Alpha team right now. I expect we''ll be ready to go momentarily."


    "Good, we''ll head over once I''m finished eating," said Julian, sitting down at the table.


    Rayne didn''t have much of an appetite right now, so she just packed herself a water and a pack of crackers to eat later.


    Ten minutes later, Julian, Rayne, and Noah met up with Ian and the members of Alpha Team in the entry hall of the bunker.


    "Okay, is everyone ready? Remember to stick with your assigned team at all times. Keep your radios on you at all times and report anything important. The purpose of this outing is to assess the situation outside while securing supplies," said Julian in his usual authoritative voice.


    "Yes, sir!" replied Alpha Team in unison. Ian opened the hatch and exited the bunker first, followed by everyone else.


    This was the first time Rayne had been outside since she was rescued. She took in a big, deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh, cold air.


    Julian saw her actions and smiled. "Nothing beats fresh air, huh?"


    Rayne smiled back and nodded. Although the air in the bunker was filtered and circulated by a state-of-the-art air filtration system, it still lacked the freshness of the outside air.


    The group walked through the forest, occasionally having to scale fallen trees. There was still a light drizzle and occasional gusts of wind, but it seemed that the hurricane was finally at its end stages.


    They walked for a few hours due to the rough terrain until they reached the open field on the other side of the forest. From there, they had just a short walk to a hidden garage where they could jump into a jeep and drive into the city.


    They split into smaller teams of four, taking three cars total into the city. Rayne was on the team with Julian, Noah, and Ian, while the other two teams were made up of Alpha Team members.


    After a few hours of careful driving, they finally made it to the edge of the city. Rayne looked out of the window in shock. The once massive and modern city was now a large pile of fallen buildings. Almost all of the buildings with more than four floors had been affected, toppled to the ground.


    The strong winds from the hurricane blew smaller debris around, shattering windows and flipping cars. She couldn''t see anyone walking the streets, giving a sense of quiet despair.


    The jeeps made it as far into the city as they could before encountering a full roadblock caused by a fallen building. Ian parked the car and got out to signal the other cars behind him.


    Rayne hopped out, following everyone else toward an empty gas station that was still standing. All of its windows were blown out, but the building was still standing strong.


    Once they entered, they noticed that all of the shelves had been cleaned out, leaving nothing but a few candy wrappers on the floor.


    "Okay, we will split into teams of two and search for anything useful. If you encounter anyone who is in need of help, assist to the best of your ability. We''ll meet back here in three hours. Radio in if anything comes up," said Julian.


    (A/N: thank you all who left a review so far! We have reached 10, and as promised I will be gearing up for a mini mass release. I''ll do my best to squeeze it in between Christmas and New Years but if not, it will be the start of January! Thank you all again, and hope you all have a good holiday!)

 Chapter 68 Into the City 2

    (A/N: Big THANK YOU to Chibi_Wolf38 for the Dragon and all of your support so far! I dedicate this chapter to you!)


    After he finished talking, everyone split into pairs and walked out of the gas station, heading in different directions.


    Rayne paired up with Julian, while Noah went with Ian. The remainder of Alpha Team split into pairs and went on their way.


    "Okay, looks like our direction is east. Let''s find a way around this gas station," said Julian as he looked around, watching the other teams choose their directions.


    "Okay, I''ll be right out," replied Rayne. She walked around inside the gas station building while Julian went outside. After making sure he wasn''t in her line of sight, she quickly took out a bunch of random non-perishable food items and water bottles, throwing them into some of the empty display shelves.


    She planned on continuing this trend as she walked around the city, hoping those in need would come across the supplies.


    After she finished tossing supplies around in less obvious places, she hurried outside to meet up with Julian.


    "I think I found a path through the rubble," he said as she walked over. Their direction was past the toppled building, which was blocking the road. "We''ll have to do a little bit of climbing, but it looks doable."


    Rayne stood beside him and looked at the path in front of her. They would have to climb up some of the broken concrete slabs from the building and through a window. Once inside, they just needed to make their way through the tight path and out the window on the other side.


    Rayne nodded and began to climb up the side of the toppled building, with Julian following right behind her.


    "Watch your head, there''s an iron bar sticking through the ceiling," Julian quickly pointed out before Rayne climbed into the window.


    "Ah, thank you. It''s pretty dark, so I didn''t see it," she thanked him gratefully.


    Julian scanned ahead to see if there were any more hidden objects that could hurt her before he let her continue. They made their way through the tight openings left between the chunks of concrete, even crawling on the floor at one point.


    It took them about 15 minutes to make it through the fallen building. Rayne was fully covered in dust by the time she saw the light from the other window. Carefully, she climbed out and began to dust herself off when her feet finally touched the flat ground.


    Julian followed her lead, wiping the dirt off his arms before continuing down the street.


    They continued to explore the empty street, looking for anything of interest until they came across a relatively intact street.


    This was the oldest part of town and had the shortest buildings, allowing it to somewhat withstand the earthquakes. Most of the windows looked like they had been blown out from the hurricane or by scavengers trying to get inside.


    The pair walked into what used to be a small corner store to see if there was anything left inside. Most of the shelves were empty, with only a handful of rotten fruits still lying on the front counter. Julian walked toward the back of the store and picked up a small lighter.


    "Well, at least we won''t go back empty-handed now," he joked, showing off his find to Rayne. She rolled her eyes at his jokes and walked toward a part of the store that had the most rubble. Bending down, she pretended to flip over a cardboard box while throwing random snacks on the ground.


    "Ah, look! There''s some snacks here!" she announced, trying to sound cheerful. Julian walked over and saw the small pile of chips, crackers, and jerky lying on the ground.


    "Oh wow, great find!" He bent down and picked out a sturdy cardboard box, filling it with the snacks Rayne found. Julian carried the box out of the store. "I think I see an electronics store across the street. Let''s check it out."


    Rayne quickly threw a few more bags of snacks around the store on her way out. "Okay, coming!"


    The electronics store was relatively untouched. Only the big-ticket items like laptops were gone, leaving all sorts of random PC parts and accessories.


    Rayne watched Julian grab a few different cables, hard drives, batteries, and even a DVD player off the shelves, placing them inside the cardboard box with the snacks.


    They continued to look through the shelves until Rayne saw a figure run by from the corner of her eye. Turning around, she noticed a little girl run into the corner store she had just been in.


    "Hey, Julian, I think I saw a child run into the corner store just now. I''ll go check it out," said Rayne as she quickly jogged across the street.


    Julian watched her jog across the street and shook his head. This girl can run headfirst into danger and not know it.


    He carefully placed the cardboard box on a flat shelf and walked across the street to the corner store.


    Meanwhile, Rayne caught up with the child. She looked like she was around 10-12 years old and was covered in dirt. She was currently rummaging through the toppled boxes, collecting some of the snacks Rayne had thrown around earlier.


    When Rayne walked in, the little girl hid behind a shelf and tried to be as quiet as possible. Rayne felt sad that this young child was so frightened and slowly walked over.


    "Hi, my name is Rayne. What''s your name?" she asked, standing on the other side of the shelf that the little girl was hiding behind.


    The girl didn''t answer right away, but Rayne could hear small shuffling movements. Rayne pulled out a large chocolate bar from her system and held it over the shelf.


    "I have this big chocolate bar. Can I share it with you?" she said sweetly. A few minutes later, the little girl walked out from behind the shelf, standing right in front of Rayne.


    She looked so pitiful that Rayne wished she could just dump all sorts of toys and goods into her hands right then and there. She handed the large chocolate bar to the girl, squatting down to meet her at eye level. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here you go. Now can I know your name?" she asked, smiling.


    Just as the girl was about to open her mouth to introduce herself, Julian walked in. The little girl was quickly startled and ran behind the shelf to hide once again.


    Julian noticed that it was indeed just a child and that he had scared her. He turned to Rayne and said, "Um, I''ll be outside. Yell if you need anything."


    "Okay, sounds good," smiled Rayne, then turned to the shelf where the girl was hiding.


    "He''s gone. You can come out," she whispered.

 Chapter 69 Helping Hand

    The little girl took her time but eventually walked back to face Rayne, clutching the large chocolate bar in her hands.


    "I''m Lily. Thank you for the chocolate," she kept her eyes locked on the chocolate bar in her hands.


    Rayne smiled. "You''re welcome. Are you alone, Lily? Where are you living?" Rayne tried to appear as sweet and kind as possible, hoping not to frighten the little girl.


    Lily shook her head. "No, I''m not alone. I live with Mommy and Grandpa... oh, and my brother too."


    Rayne was happy to hear that at least the little girl wasn''t all alone. "Where are they? Why are you here alone?"


    "They''re at home, well, Grandpa''s home. Our home is gone now," she said, looking sad. Before Rayne could ask, she continued, "Mommy''s leg is hurt, and Grandpa has a hard time walking, so I came out looking for food."


    Rayne''s hands trembled slightly. She felt her heart break for Lily and her family. "Can you bring me to your mom? Maybe I can help her," she offered.


    The little girl''s eyes lit up as she looked up at Rayne. "Really? You can help Mommy? I''ll take you there!" she said excitedly.


    Rayne nodded and followed Lily outside. As she walked past Julian, he nodded at her, telling her she could go and that he would be close by in case anything were to happen.


    Rayne followed the excited Lily a little further down the street and down into an alley. Thankfully, the building they entered was still mostly intact, with only some windows broken. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily led Rayne to a door on the second floor, knocking on it lightly.


    "Mommy, it''s me," whispered Lily.


    The door quietly opened, revealing a young boy, even younger than Lily. He was also covered in dust and looked on the thinner side.


    "Lily! Who''s that?" he asked curiously.


    "Lily? What''s going on?" a concerned woman''s voice rang from inside the apartment.


    Lily walked in, holding her brother''s small hand. "Mommy, I found this kind lady who gave me a big chocolate! She said she can help you," she called out excitedly.


    Rayne stepped into the apartment behind Lily. She noticed that the apartment was in rough shape but still livable. Some of the windows were boarded up to prevent the wind and rain from pouring inside.


    There was a middle-aged woman lying on the couch. Her leg had a large glass shard poking out. She looked like she was in a lot of pain but appeared very wary of Rayne.


    "Hello, I''m Rayne. I ran into Lily at the corner store just now and heard you might be in need of help," she greeted the woman.


    The woman relaxed slightly, seeing that Rayne looked like a kind person. "Hello, please come in. Sorry, but we don''t have anything to offer you," she said calmly.


    Rayne walked over and took a better look at her leg. It looked like the shard of glass was embedded very deep.


    The woman noticed Rayne looking at her injury. "A few days ago, a big gust of wind flung a rock or something into that window," she pointed. "It shattered the window, digging this shard into my leg.


    "Unfortunately, we ran out of all of our supplies, including bandages. I was worried that if I were to pull this large shard out, I could potentially bleed out without any proper bandaging."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with the woman. "If you don''t mind, I can try to help. I don''t have much medical experience, just some basic first aid," she said, taking off her backpack.


    The woman looked at Rayne for a few minutes, then nodded. "Lily, ask your grandpa to come here. Then take your brother and split the chocolate bar the nice lady gave you in the other room."


    Rayne began to take out a few medical supplies from her system, using the backpack as cover. She took out rubbing alcohol, bandages, painkillers, gauze, and tweezers. Just as she finished, an elderly man walked out of a bedroom using a large walking stick.


    "Dad, this lady here said she will kindly help me with the glass. Can you help her?" asked the woman lying on the couch.


    She turned to face Rayne, shocked to see all the medical supplies on the floor. "Miss, I am so grateful for these supplies! I don''t know how I can ever repay you." To her, these supplies were worth more than gold.


    Her daughter had been leaving the house alone for hours at a time to look for them, causing her to worry endlessly for her daughter''s safety.


    "This is my father. He used to be a firefighter and has some medical skills as well. Please allow him to help you," said the woman, introducing the old man to Rayne.


    Rayne generously poured the disinfectant around the wound, causing the woman to flinch from the pain. She then prepared the gauze and bandages, while the elderly man carefully gripped the glass shard using a glove that Rayne gave him.


    "Okay, on 3, I will pull it out. Be ready to stop the bleeding," said the old man.


    Rayne nodded and focused on the wound.


    "3... 2... 1... Okay!" he said as he pulled the glass shard out in one single motion. The woman''s body tensed as she did her best to muffle her scream.


    Rayne quickly placed the bandage on the wound, applying pressure while the old man wrapped the gauze around it. She then handed the woman a bottle of extra-strength painkillers and fever reducers with a bottle of water.


    The woman gratefully accepted, doing her best to deal with the pain.


    "My name is Walter. Miss, thank you for your help. I''ve been hesitant to remove this shard on my own without a clean bandage," he shook her hand, feeling very grateful.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m Rayne, nice to meet you. And don''t mention it, I''m just happy to help."


    She noticed they had a few barrels of dirt by the windows that still had the glass intact. "Are you planning on growing something?"


    Walter nodded. "Yes, I set these up before the disaster started, but never got around to buying any seeds. I wanted to teach my grandkids the fun of growing food."


    Rayne quickly unzipped the front pocket of her backpack. "It turns out I found a big box of new seeds while I was out today. Please allow me to share some of these with you." She took out about 10 packets of seeds for lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and a few herbs from her system.


    Walter''s eyes widened!

 Chapter 70 Resupplying

    His hands trembled slightly. "Are you sure we can have these, miss?"


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, of course. I have little use for them right now! I''m more than happy to give them to someone who can use them!"


    Walter thanked Rayne a few more times before letting her out. Lily''s mother had passed out from the pain, but both Rayne and Walter knew that the real danger had already passed. Rayne left them with extra bandages and medical supplies so they could change the bandages regularly to avoid infection.


    When Rayne walked into the hallway of the building, she found a secluded spot in the stairwell and opened her system to leave a whole large pallet of supplies.


    There were many cases of water bottles, first aid kits, canned soups, canned processed meats, canned tuna, bags of rice, and even sacks of potatoes. She also added a smaller basket of apples on top, thinking that the kids would enjoy them.


    The large amount of supplies quickly filled the stairwell, making it a little difficult to walk through.


    As Rayne turned to leave, she met Julian''s curious gaze. Her body froze in place. "Hi... I... was just about to come out," she said nervously.


    Julian looked at the huge amount of supplies in the stairwell and then back at Rayne. Her nervousness was written all over her face, so he took a deep breath and decided to ignore it for now.


    "How did it go?" he asked. He wasn''t sure exactly what had happened inside, but he had heard the little girl say that her mom was injured.


    "It should be good now. There was a large shard of glass buried deep inside her leg. We got it out and bandaged it," Rayne replied, giving him an update.


    Julian nodded and waited for Rayne to make her way down so they could set off together. "I tried searching around the nearby area, and it''s pretty much all empty. That electronics store is the best-stocked store so far."


    Hearing his words, Rayne frowned. If everything was already empty, that meant the survivors would soon starve. She wasn''t sure how many people were left alive in the city, but she was sure there were at least a few people, like Lily''s family, trying to survive each day.


    "Let''s try looking for a warehouse or a superstore. I''d like to see if there are any supplies there," said Rayne.


    Julian looked at his watch and saw that they still had a good amount of time before they needed to head back, so he agreed. "Okay, if I remember correctly, there should be one in the next neighborhood."


    "Okay, sounds good! Lead the way," said Rayne, thankful he agreed to her request. She wasn''t interested in taking supplies, but finding a large superstore would allow her to hide the origin of the supplies in her system.


    She also wanted to see how much food was left for the people of this city, planning to restock the store if needed.


    The journey to the warehouse superstore proved to be more difficult than anticipated. As they moved farther from the historic part of town, the towering remains of collapsed buildings loomed overhead, casting long shadows across their path.


    The streets were a maze of rubble, with jagged shards of glass and twisted iron scattered across the ground.


    Rayne and Julian carefully navigated the difficult terrain, climbing over piles of broken brick and concrete slabs. They had to pay attention to every step they made to avoid injury.


    It took them a lot longer than anticipated, but they finally reached the large warehouse superstore.


    Julian took the lead, carefully walking inside to make sure the area was safe. While they hadn''t encountered any danger yet, disaster could strike at any time.


    Rayne waited outside until Julian came back out to give her the all-clear. She followed him back inside and noticed the mess the store had turned into. There were toppled shelves and broken signs, while boxes mixed with trash covered the floors. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stepped through carefully, walking around to assess the situation.


    While many of the shelves had been emptied, there was still a decent amount of goods left in the store. Things like food and toilet paper were mostly gone, leaving only empty spaces where they once stood. However, trash bags, detergents, spices, cleaning supplies, and animal food were still commonly found around the store.


    Rayne quietly made her way around the store, occasionally adding things to shelves and filling some of the empty spaces.


    She focused on essential items like food, water, and first aid, trying to place these items in random spots around the store. Her secondary focus was baby items like formula, diapers, and medicines. She couldn''t imagine how difficult it was for new mothers to take care of their recently born babies in this time period, where the world had been flipped upside down.


    Rayne walked around for a while until she heard Julian call for her. She quickly stuffed her backpack with random items from her system to appear as if she had found a decent haul and walked over to find Julian.


    He stood at the front of the store, holding a small cardboard box. He had managed to fill it with random items he found, some of which Rayne noticed were the ones she had placed around the store.


    He smiled as he saw her approach with a full backpack. "Find anything interesting? I was happy to find a few decent food and medical items," he said, tilting the cardboard box to show Rayne the first aid kit she had placed around the store.


    "Oh! Nice haul! I just found some random items, nothing crazy," she replied, appearing excited for his finds.


    "I guess we can make our way back now. The walk back might be a bit more challenging with these items," he said as he adjusted the cardboard box to sit more comfortably in his hands.


    Just as they made their way out of the store, they heard a few gunshots nearby. Julian dropped the cardboard box he was holding and grabbed Rayne by the hand, pulling her into a small broken building across the street from the superstore.

 Chapter 71 Explosion

    They huddled in the corner of what appeared to be a small post office, peeking out of the window to find the source of gunshots.


    They saw a small group of men walking down the street, dragging two women behind them. The men were laughing as they shot the space between the women, causing them to cry out in fright.


    "Hahaha! Listen to them crying out like bitches!", one of the men laughed. The rest of the group laughed along with him until, what appeared to be the leader, stepped in.


    "Okay, enough fun. The boss won''t like them as much if they shit themselves on the way there", he said frowning. He was promised a nice reward if they managed to secure a few beautiful women to present to the boss.


    He was worried that if the woman appeared too disheveled it would mask their pretty appearance and make him lose out on the reward.


    Rayne watched this scene with horror, it was just like the nightmares she had. She turned to face Julian, who''s gaze was ice cold, watching the scene.


    "Julian, we have to help those women. I can''t go back to the bunker knowing what awaits them if we leave them be", pleaded Rayne.


    He looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation and desire to help. Nodding his head, "Don''t worry, we''ll help them...but I can''t guarantee we can avoid bloodshed. Are you okay with that?".


    While he wanted to help the women, he was also concerned that Rayne wouldn''t be able to handle the sight of him shooting to kill.


    If it was the previous Rayne who did not experience the nightmares, she may not have been okay with killing the men...even with their evil nature. She would have argued to call the police and let the legal system take over.


    However, there was no police or justice system anymore, and letting men like this run wild would ruin the lives of many more women. She knew that if they let these men walk free after releasing the two women, they would just go find two more..."


    "I''m prepared. As much as I don''t like the thought of killing anyone, these men will only continue doing these horrible things!", she said resolutely, pulling out the silver pistol Julian gifted her.


    He nodded. "Okay, then let me handle it", he said, not wanting her to feel the guilt of killing if she didn''t have to.


    Rayne felt warm knowing that he was wanting to shoulder the burden. She knew that she couldn''t avoid it forever, especially as time went on and lawlessness increased.


    She placed the gun in his hands while secretly holding on to an extra magazine she copied with her system earlier.


    While she knew that Julian''s skills were cream of the crop, she knew that anything could happen, and having the ability to reload quickly was vital.


    Julian accepted the gun, choosing to use it over his own due to its silent firing ability.


    "I''d like to try and get up higher if possible, it would give me a better angle", he said quietly. Rayne nodded and followed him towards the back of the post office where the stairwell to the upper floors was.


    The building they were in was only partially collapsed, exposing only the support beams of the upper floors.


    They quickly made their way up the metal staircase to the second floor, which was still intact. Julian found a window which was partially broken, and took aim.


    The men on the street had just begun to move towards the back side of the supermarket, dragging the crying women with them.


    Rayne panicked slightly, unsure of if Julian will have enough time to shoot before they found cover behind the building. She watched him as he focused his breathing, aiming steadily, then..


    Click, click, click, click!


    All she heard was the soft clicking sound from the trigger.


    "Shit!", muttered Julian. He managed to cleanly hit four out of the five men, allowing the leader of the group to run behind the supermarket. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The gun wasn''t fully loaded, I didn''t realize it until just now", he said, looking slightly frustrated.


    Rayne widened her eyes! That was her fault! She was playing with the gun last night, practicing loading and unloading it, and didn''t load it fully.


    "I''m so sorry, that''s my fault!", she said, feeling horrible about her mistake.


    Julian shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "No it''s not your fault, I should have checked how many bullets there were before I shot".


    The two women on the ground ran away, terrified of the shooting and dead bodies around them. They were frightened, but grateful for the opportunity to escape, running as fast as they could.


    "Fucking hell!", yelled the leader of the group of men. He watched the two women run away, stepping over the dead bodies of his men.


    He could tell that his men were clearly shot, but he didn''t hear any shots go off, making him feel slightly creeped out. He peeked his head out from behind the building, quickly glancing around to see if he could spot the shooter.


    He noticed the cardboard box of items Julian dropped laying in the middle of the street, then made a guess that there really was someone out there. The leader was relatively smart, else he would not have been promoted to a small-time leader, and guessed that whoever it was...was inside the old post office building.


    Before Julian could pull up the freshly reloaded gun, the bandit leader reached into his pocket and threw a grenade straight into the first floor window of the post office.


    Julian grabbed Rayne and forcefully threw her towards the back of the building, jumping in the same direction to avoid getting hit by the imminent explosion from the grenade which landed directly below them.


    "Get fucked, that''s what you get for making me lose out on my reward", yelled the bandit leader as he made his way back to base.


    He didn''t care much about his men getting killed, he felt they were all stupid anyways.


    BOOOM!


    He heard the large explosion from his grenade go off behind him.


    "Ugh, boss Dillon is gonna be pissed at me", he grunted as he ran.

 Chapter 72 Caved In

    The explosion from the grenade went off, causing the already slightly damaged building to shake.


    Rayne landed on the ground, hitting her head against the back wall as she fell over. She opened her eyes to see Julian landing on top of her, shielding her from any debris that fell from the building as it shook and fell apart.


    The walls crumbled first, followed by the floors. Julian held onto Rayne as the floor beneath them collapsed.


    They landed with a forceful impact in the mailroom of the post office. Rayne watched in horror as the ceiling from the upper floors came crashing down on top of them.


    Just as she thought they would be smashed by the crumbling building, one part of the concrete slab caught on the metal mailboxes, keeping it from falling further.


    Julian was still hit by some smaller chunks of brick and concrete, causing him to bleed from a few open wounds on his back.


    Rayne felt her heart tighten as she watched Julian absorb the full force of the crumbling building''s debris, his body hunched protectively over hers.


    "Julian, are you okay?!" she shouted as he collapsed on top of her. His back was covered in deep cuts and pierced shards, causing his shirt to quickly get soaked with his blood.


    The crumbling finally stopped after a few minutes, and Rayne realized they were trapped inside layers of rubble. Thankfully, the larger pieces had created small pockets, about the size of a hand, to the outside, allowing air and some light to enter.


    Rayne carefully stood up, wincing in pain from the fall. She ignored her pain as she rested Julian on his side, taking out a small mattress from her system before moving him onto it. She laid him on his side and took out a pair of scissors, which she used to cut his shirt off.


    Working quickly, she pulled many small shards of rock and glass that were sticking out of his skin while disinfecting the wounds with alcohol.


    Julian lay unconscious and did not react to the stinging pain from the rubbing alcohol.


    She meticulously patched up each cut, using multiple rolls of gauze and bandages until his entire back was covered.


    She then sat at the corner of the mattress to address her own cuts, mainly on her legs and thighs. Her hands began to shake from the adrenaline as she began to feel the panic settle in.


    Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at the unconscious Julian. The near-death experience had shaken her, making her feel truly frightened. She found it difficult to express the way she felt when Julian shielded her from the falling debris with his own body.


    "Please be okay," she cried softly as she placed her hand on top of his. His selfless actions moved her immensely, making it even more difficult to see him in such a horrible state.


    She took out a small blanket from her system and covered Julian with it, protecting his exposed upper body from the cold and residual dust. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat in silence for a long time, dazed, continuously replaying the events that led up to this point. Her sadness turned into anger as she came up with ways she could have prevented Julian''s injuries, starting with the reloaded gun.


    "If only I had fully reloaded it," she murmured. "He would have definitely gotten the shot off on the leader..."


    Self deprecating thoughts spiraled in her mind continuously, causing her to blame herself for the situation they were in. She realized that she was still very weak for this new world and that continuously relying on Julian would only put him in more danger.


    She continued to sit at the corner of the mattress until her stomach growled, snapping her out of her racing thoughts.


    Looking out of the small hole, she noticed that the sky had turned orange, indicating that it was already evening.


    "I wonder if the others are looking for us," she whispered as she opened up her system panel to look for something to eat.


    She tried using the advanced radio she found in Julian''s pocket to contact the others for help, but it was locked behind a passcode that she couldn''t guess. This led her to simply wait until either Julian woke up or someone found them.


    Rayne pulled out a fast-food burger meal and began to eat it slowly, watching the sky change color through the small hole in the wall.


    Julian slowly regained consciousness, smelling a very appetizing aroma.


    When he woke up he felt like his entire back was on fire, causing him to clench his jaw from the pain.


    He slowly opened his eyes, trying to find Rayne to make sure she was okay, but quickly realized that something was off. While his surroundings were the broken mailroom of the post office, he noticed that he was lying down on a very comfortable mattress, and was covered with a clean blanket.


    He turned his head slightly and noticed that Rayne was sitting on the corner of the mattress, eating what looked like a cheeseburger from a famous fast-food restaurant. It smelled so good, as if it had just been freshly cooked!


    He lay there silently for a few minutes, watching Rayne quietly eating. She had just finished the burger when he saw her fingers move through the air in a strange way until, all of a sudden, a can of soda appeared in her hands!


    His eyes widened. Julian continued to stare, making sure he wasn''t dreaming.


    How in the world... Looks like she has a big secret. This would explain where she got the robe from back at the bunker.


    Rayne quickly opened the soda can, causing it to make a loud pop. She quickly turned around to make sure Julian was still okay, only to meet his wide eyes.


    "Julian! You''re awake!" she cried out, startled. Of course, she was very happy to see him awake, but she didn''t know how long he had been up or how much he had seen.


    "Mhm, I am. Are you okay? Did you get hurt from the fall?" he asked gently, making sure she was okay before letting his curiosity get the best of him.


    Rayne bit her lip trying to suppress her emotions, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, I''m perfectly okay... thanks to you." She couldn''t hold back any longer and threw herself into his embrace as he finally sat up.


    "Thank you, Julian, truly... I have no words for the care you''ve shown me," she cried in his arms. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, on to Julian''s muscular chest.


    Julian smiled, wrapping his strong arms around her. "I''m glad you''re safe, Rayne."

 Chapter 73 Stairwell Surprise

    "Mommy, I''m going to look for food! The corner store had snacks earlier today," Lily shouted as she ran out the door.


    Her mother was still lying on the couch, waiting for her injury to heal, but she was already in a much better state than before.


    She only had time to yell, "Be careful and come back soon!" before her daughter ran out the door.


    When Lily finally reached the staircase after running down the hallway, she couldn''t believe her eyes! The staircase was filled with so many new supplies!


    She noticed the basket with fresh red apples on top of the many cases of water and quickly reached over to grab it.


    She used to not care much for apples, but now she looked at them with a sparkle in her eyes.


    Grabbing the whole basket, she ran back home, startling her mom.


    "What is it, Lily? Did something happen? You''re back so quickly?" her mom asked with worry. She looked over Lily a few times, making sure she was uninjured.


    Lily moved the basket from behind her, showing off the fresh red apples. "Look, Mommy! I found these in the stairwell!" she said proudly, showing off her rare finds.


    Her mom stared at the apples in the basket in disbelief. "Lily, where did you say you found these again?"


    "In the stairwell! Just down the hall! Oh, there are so many more items there; it''s almost blocking the way downstairs," replied Lily, grinning.


    "There''s more? Lily, quickly call your brother and grandpa over to take a look with you!" she said. She wanted to go look for herself but knew that if she moved now, it would only agitate the wound, causing even more problems.


    Although her father was old and had difficulty walking, going down the hall shouldn''t be a problem for him.


    Lily quickly ran to her grandfather''s room, where her little brother was playing.


    "Grandpa! Mommy wants you to come look at the supplies I found in the stairwell!" she announced as she walked into the room.


    Walter looked at Lily with surprise. "Oh, you found some supplies in our stairwell?" He was surprised to hear this but slowly lifted himself off of his chair and followed Lily out.


    Lily''s brother was also curious about what it was that Lily had found and dropped his toy, following them into the hallway.


    When Walter finally arrived at the stairwell and saw the huge amount of supplies, his mind immediately went to Rayne.


    "It must have been that kind lady who left us these supplies," he said, patting Lily on the head.


    She smiled and nodded. "Yes! She gave me a big chocolate bar. She''s the nicest!"


    Walter made his way over to inspect what was there with his trembling hands. He was so happy that tears formed in his eyes.


    Turning to Lily and her brother, he said, "Okay, you two, help your grandpa carry some of this inside." He then handed some of the lighter items, such as crackers, to Lily''s brother while tasking Lily with some of the heavier items.


    When they brought in the supplies and placed them down on the living room floor, Lily''s mom was in shock!


    There were cases of water, many different canned goods, first aid kits, grains, sacks of flour, oil, and even a camping stove with propane tanks.


    Lily carried in a puffy new blanket; it was so big that even when she held it over her head, it drooped down to the floor.


    Walter finally walked in and sat down. "There are many more items, but I don''t feel right taking everything. We''ve already taken more than half, and these items will last us a long time. I say we leave them in the hall for the others to take."


    Lily''s mom nodded, agreeing with him. Their small living room was now filled to the brim with supplies, easing many of her current worries.


    She wiped the tears from her eyes, happy that she could finally cook her children a proper meal after weeks of going hungry.


    ----


    In the rural countryside...


    "Hey, Dad, the weather has gotten better today," said Ella, running down the basement stairs. She had just gone upstairs to see the situation outside and noticed that the wind and rain had lessened significantly.


    "Oh good, that means I can go out and look for supplies. I feel bad about already tapping into the canned food that Rayne gifted you," he replied as he walked over to lift an old bicycle that was stored in the basement.


    "Dad, I want to come with you," said Ella. She felt cooped up inside, especially since they lived in the basement now after the hurricane took their roof. She also wanted to see how the rest of the world was.


    He was about to shake his head when his wife spoke out, "Reggie, let her go with you. I''ll be okay here alone. I''m more worried about you. It''ll make me feel better knowing you can look out for each other."


    Ella walked over. "See? Please let me come with you. Plus, I''ll be there to carry more supplies if we do find something."


    Reginald looked at his beautiful wife, not wanting to leave her home alone. However, after both of them continued to persuade him, he finally agreed.


    "Fine, Ella, you can come, but we won''t go far," he said resolutely.


    She nodded and went to find her old duffel bag, which was mixed with the random sports equipment stored in the basement closet. She used to come to this home often as a child, and many of her childhood items were kept there.


    Reginald walked over to hug his wife. "I''ll be back soon. Don''t leave the basement. I love you, honey."


    "I love you too," she smiled. Her husband loved her dearly, so much so that many of her friends were envious of their loving relationship. It was common for successful businessmen to have mistresses on the side, but Reginald loved her dearly since the day they met and stayed fiercely loyal.


    "Okay, Dad, I''m ready!" said Ella, walking in on her parents'' romantic moment. She rolled her eyes at her dad. "We''re only going around the neighborhood. You''re making it seem like we''re flying to a different planet!"


    Her mom giggled at her words. She patted her husband affectionately on the back. "Go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you''ll come back."


    Reginald nodded, stood up, and carried his bike up the basement stairs. Ella did the same with her bike, along with two sports duffel bags. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 74 Countryside Haul

    The father-daughter duo set off, riding their old bicycles toward the small shopping strip on the other side of town. It took them over thirty minutes of nonstop biking to finally reach the small shopping plaza.


    When they arrived, they noticed that they weren''t the only ones out looking for food today.


    "Heya! You folks looking for food too? Seems like a number of us are out today doing the same thing," an older man said as he saw Ella pull up with her dad.


    "Yeah, the weather''s finally gotten better, so it''s possible to come out and look for supplies," replied Reginald, sounding casual.


    While these people seemed nice on the outside, his keen businessman instincts told him that he shouldn''t trust them.


    He turned to Ella, whispering, "Avoid as many people as you can and stick close to me."


    Ella thought her dad was being overprotective but listened to him anyway. "Got it."


    They entered the supermarket first, noticing that many items had already been looted or blown away in the storm. Reginald quickly walked through the aisles with Ella, grabbing anything that could be useful.


    They managed to get a decent amount of food and water: mainly biscuits, crackers, a small bag of rice, some flour, pasta sauces, and spices, along with a few other items.


    Ella even found a pitcher with a water filter built in, quickly putting it in her duffel bag. She continued to follow her father around the store until more people flooded in.


    "Let''s go to the next store; I want to try to get your mother some warmer clothes," he said quietly as he watched people begin to fight over a bag of bread.


    Ella watched them fight with horror. It was just a bag of stale bread, yet people were fighting over it as if it were a precious diamond.


    She quickly followed her father out before people could take notice of their filled duffel bags and try to attack them.


    The store next door to the grocery store was a basic, cheap clothing brand. It was Ella''s first time inside, and she frowned as she looked around at all the poorly designed clothes. The store was practically untouched, as the majority of people focused on looting food and more expensive items.


    Reginald noticed his daughter''s displeased look. "We can''t be picky now. It''s less about looking good and more about staying warm. The summer months are coming to an end soon, and when it gets cold, we won''t be able to find even the ugliest warm clothes."


    Ella nodded. She understood this but still wasn''t pleased with the looks or the quality. She followed her father around once more, occasionally picking out some warm sweaters, pants, and socks.


    She also picked out a good amount of underwear for her and her mother, since they hadn''t been able to bring much from their city villa.


    She watched her father pick out a large amount of warm clothes for her mom and barely anything for himself, so she took the liberty of walking over to the men''s section to pick out some items for him.


    Once both of their duffel bags were stuffed, they quickly left the store to head home. While there were a few more stores left in the small shopping plaza, Reginald didn''t feel comfortable staying with the influx of people.


    They walked out behind the grocery store, where they had hidden their bikes in the bushes.


    "Dad, they''re gone! Someone stole our bikes!" exclaimed Ella as she looked around the area.


    Her dad frowned, searching alongside her. "Yes, it seems someone was watching us as soon as we arrived. Let''s go, we need to move quickly. I have a bad feeling," he said sternly.


    They ran up the hill, back toward the direction of their house, trying to stay hidden between the trees.


    What they didn''t notice was that a group of men was watching them from the shadows.


    "You. Go follow them from a distance and take note of which house they''re from. I can tell they must have some decent things since they don''t look like they''ve been suffering too much," said the leader of the group.


    The man he pointed to quickly stood up and ran after them, keeping a good distance from Ella and her father.


    Once they got out of the neighborhood near the shopping plaza, they both slowed down to catch their breath.


    "It''s going to take us a few hours to get home. I hope Mom doesn''t get too worried," said Ella as she bent over, panting.


    Reginald frowned. He didn''t want his wife to worry, and he also didn''t want to spend so much time away from her.


    "Let''s push ourselves to get home as soon as possible. We can relax once we''re there," he said as he walked off with a small jog.


    Ella grunted, feeling the lack of physical activity over the years catching up to her quickly, and followed her father, doing her best to keep up.


    It took them a few hours of jogging and walking to finally make it back home.


    The man who was following them fell to the ground after seeing which house they walked into. "Those people are animals to be able to jog like that for so long." He leaned against a tree, taking a moment to relax before making his journey back to report to his boss.


    Ella flopped down to the ground the moment she got back to the basement. Her father followed her down the stairs, carrying both of their stuffed duffel bags to present to his wife.


    He felt like a hunter bringing home his caught prey to present to his wife. As he placed the bags beside her, he immediately leaned in for a kiss. "Are you okay? Did you miss me? Are you proud of my haul today?" he kept asking questions, waiting for his wife''s praise.


    She giggled. "Yes, I''m okay. Yes, I missed you terribly. And yes, I am incredibly proud of my capable man, bringing home so many items." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She leaned over and patted him gently before turning her attention to the two duffel bags.

 Chapter 75 Secrets Explained

    She was happy to find a large variety of items inside. She went through Reginald''s duffel bag first, admiring the warm clothes one by one.


    "Oh, I also picked out this sweater because I thought it would complement your eyes," he explained. They went through each clothing item together, with Reginald explaining his reason for every article of clothing he had picked out for her.


    "Ah, darling, you''re so sweet. You know me so well," she complimented him back. Ella looked over and could practically see the hearts in the air surrounding them.


    She was too exhausted to care about their over-the-top display of affection, so she just laid on her bed quietly to recover from her exhaustion.


    Ella''s mother continued to sort through the items, pulling out the food and water from the bags. "Wow, you guys got so many good things! This bag of rice alone will make for a number of good meals!" she said cheerfully.


    Overall, with all the new items, they easily doubled their existing food supply. The clothing was also a nice extra for the coming colder months.


    "Honey, what are we going to do about the winter months? I''m afraid we won''t survive if we continue living here in this cold basement," she said worriedly.


    Reginald frowned. "You''re right. We''ll have to find someplace new to live through the winter months. I''m surprised the government hasn''t opened up a shelter or a base yet."


    "Maybe they have, and we just don''t know about it yet," Ella said, sitting up and replying to her father.


    He sat still, mulling over Ella''s words. He felt that she could be correct. With most of the power out, it would be difficult to spread the word. Living in the basement wasn''t a long-term solution, and he felt it was worth going out to see if there was indeed such a place.


    "You could be right. I think it''s worth looking into. We don''t have that much time before the colder weather sets in. It would be nice to move somewhere more comfortable," he said.


    With this new idea, he began making plans for relocation.


    -----


    At the broken post office building...


    Rayne continued to cry in Julian''s arms until she let out all of her overwhelming emotions. She slowly pulled away, wiping her red, swollen eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know what came over me," she said quietly, looking at the wetness on his chest from her tears.


    Julian looked her in the eyes and flashed a reassuring smile. "Rayne, you don''t need to apologize. It''s important to let your emotions out; it''s a normal thing."


    She nodded, wiping her eyes some more.


    "So how are you? I did my best to bandage your back. Do you need painkillers?" she asked with concern.


    "Thank you for your care. I can handle this kind of pain, so no worries," he replied as he reached out and gently wiped a tear off her cheek.


    Rayne blushed at his gesture. She could feel her face heating up.


    Julian watched her turn away to hide her flushed cheeks and smiled. He felt that Rayne had gotten more and more beautiful with each passing day.


    The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes until Julian finally broke the silence. "Rayne, I hope I''m not overstepping, but I am curious about this mattress and blanket..."


    She turned to look him in the eyes, seeing his gentle expression. "Ah... Well... I don''t know what to say..." she mumbled, fidgeting with her shirt.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust Julian, but she was worried he would think she was a freak if he knew about her system. Today, she finally realized that he was someone very important to her and that perhaps she had developed feelings for him. She didn''t want him to push her away due to this abnormality.


    Julian saw the hesitance in her eyes; he could tell she was worried about something.


    "Rayne, you can trust me. I swear on my life that I won''t tell anyone," he said, doing his best to reassure her.


    She quickly shook her head. "No, no! It''s not that I don''t trust you, because I do... It''s just... I''m worried you''ll think... that I''m... weird," she finally said, her words getting quieter and quieter, reaching a low whisper.


    Rayne kept her eyes pointed downward, scared to see how Julian would react. She waited for his reply, but no words came. Just as she felt her stomach knot from the anxiety, she felt his arms wrap around her. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian was surprised to hear that she wasn''t worried he would share her secret with others, but instead was worried that he would think she was weird.


    He felt his heart warm, and he leaned over to pull her into his arms. He pulled her over so that she was nestled up against him, holding her firmly.


    "Rayne, nothing will make me think that you''re weird or freakish. And even if it turns out to be something extremely outlandish, I like that," he said gently, his eyes looking down at her.


    He lifted his hand slowly and ran his fingers through her long blonde hair, making Rayne blush even more. She felt her heartbeat ringing in her ears, his words playing on repeat.


    After hearing his words, she didn''t hesitate any longer and rested her head against his chest.


    "Well, where do I start? I guess the day I woke up from my coma..." she said, retelling her experience.


    "So now I have this multiplier system bound to me, allowing me to make infinite copies of anything I store inside of it," she said as she opened her system panel and pulled out two more cans of soda, handing one of them over to Julian.


    Julian couldn''t believe his ears! Something like this was beyond his wildest dreams! Every part of his logical brain wanted to brush it off as a joke, but seeing it firsthand provided him with solid evidence.


    "So this mattress and blanket are also items you''ve stored?" he asked with amazement, opening the can of soda to see if it was real.


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded. "Yep! Actually, it''s also thanks to this system that I knew about the apocalypse!"


    "The apocalypse?" Julian asked. "You''re saying that these natural disasters are the start of the apocalypse?"


    Rayne nodded once more. "Yes, I got the notification over a year ago."


    Julian thought to himself for a minute, then said, "Wow, I would have had a hard time believing it if it were me."


    "Well, even before the apocalypse, I started having these horrible nightmares. They were all about people suffering from either cold or starvation. Families went as far as killing each other over scraps of food. It was horrible. So when the notification appeared one morning, I quickly accepted it as fact," explained Rayne.


    Julian squeezed her closer as she explained the contents of her nightmares, hoping to bring her a sense of security.


    "I''m sorry you had to experience those nightmares. It must have been difficult knowing that something this catastrophic was going to happen," he said.


    Just as he was about to ask her another question, his stomach growled. Since Rayne was lying against him, she heard it loud and clear.


    Giggling, she turned around. "Haha! My bad, I should have offered you something to eat earlier. Let''s see, what would you like?" She opened her system panel and started scrolling through the prepared food section.

 Chapter 76 Purple Shirt

    "We''ve got everything from sushi to fast food. There''s steak... oh! The fried chicken from earlier! As well as various soups, salads, and sandwiches. Pretty much anything you can think of," she said happily as she scrolled.


    Julian watched her tap and move her fingers in the air. "Are you clicking on something?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    "Hmm? Oh right, you can''t see it. Yeah, it''s basically like a holographic screen filled with icons of all the things I''ve stored," replied Rayne.


    "Damn, that''s so cool," muttered Julian as he watched her finger move up and down. "Umm, how about that burger you had? It smelled so good."


    "Sure thing! Coming right up!" she replied cheerfully, clicking on the icon of the burger meal.


    A moment later, a paper bag with fries and a burger appeared in her hands, the smell wafting from inside the bag.


    "Wow, this is incredible!" he exclaimed, accepting the paper bag. He took out the burger, feeling the warmth through the wrapper. Even the fries were still perfectly crispy!


    Rayne watched him happily. "It took me several trips to the fast food restaurant to get those perfectly crispy fries!"


    "You know? This place used to be my guilty pleasure. I would sometimes sneak away from Noah''s gaze and treat myself to a burger just like this one," he said, sharing one of his own secrets.


    "Haha, well now you can have it whenever you want!" giggled Rayne. "Oh, and I promise not to tell Noah either!"


    Julian ate the burger while Rayne continued to scroll through her system, giving him an idea of the types of items she had stored over the past year.


    As she scrolled through her miscellaneous folder, she came across the small black box that she took from Dillon the night she met him in the club. She tried opening it, but it wouldn''t budge, so she gave up and forgot about it.


    "Hmm, I still don''t know what this is," she said, looking at the icon of the small box.


    Julian ate a few more fries, then turned to look at her. "What is it? Maybe I can help."


    Rayne took out a copy of the box and showed it to Julian. "I''ve tried opening it a while back, but the lock seems special. The material of the box is also unique. I was unable to break it."


    Julian took the small box from her hands and inspected it closely. It reminded him of something he had seen before, but he couldn''t remember what.


    "I feel like I''ve seen something similar a long time ago. Once we get back to the bunker, I''ll tinker with it to see if I can get it open," he said, handing the box back to Rayne.


    She threw it away via the system trash bin and opened up the folder with the men''s shirts. She had cut open Julian''s shirt earlier and wanted to find him a new one.


    "Pick a color," she said playfully.


    "A color for what?" asked Julian, noticing her playful smile.


    "It''s a surprise. Just pick a color!" she said again.


    Julian looked at her curiously. "Hmmm, I pick purple!"


    Rayne giggled at his choice. "Okay, one minute!" She scrolled through the thousands of men''s shirt options, pulling out a short-sleeve purple t-shirt with an image of a cat on it.


    "Here, it suits you perfectly," she giggled, handing him the shirt.


    Julian looked at the lazy white fluffy cat and the deep purple color of the shirt. "If I had known it was for a shirt, I would have said black or grey!"


    "Sorry! You made your choice! Plus, I think the cat is cute," answered Rayne.


    Before he resigned to fate and put the shirt on, Rayne walked over to make sure the bandages on his back were still okay.


    "Okay, it looks good. Nothing''s bled through," she said with a sigh of relief.


    "By the way, shouldn''t we radio the team to let them know we''re okay?" Rayne reminded him. It had been well over the 3-hour mark they agreed to meet back up in.


    Julian quickly fished out his special phone/radio and typed in the password. Soon, a number of messages flooded his screen.


    [Boss, where are you? Is everything okay?]


    [We''re coming to look for you. Please reply if you''re okay.]


    ...


    Julian quickly glanced over the numerous messages from Ian and Noah, then pushed the radio call button to call Noah via satellite.


    "Hey Noah, it''s me. I''m okay. Had a small incident with a local gang of some sort. The building we were in collapsed around us, so we''re stuck."


    Julian explained the situation in more detail, telling him where they were located. Once he finished, he hung up the call and put his phone away.


    "Noah and Ian are on their way now. I told them our location. We just need to sit tight," he told Rayne.


    She smiled, happy that they were finally going to get out of this predicament. "Well, while we wait, is there anything you''d like to do? I can pull out a laptop and we can watch a movie or something."


    Julian laughed. "You really are something! Here we are, stuck in a fallen building without a care in the world! Yes, let''s watch something until they get here."


    Rayne pulled out her laptop and an external hard drive, pulling up a random movie. She sat comfortably in Julian''s embrace, watching the movie together with him.


    It took Noah and Ian about an hour to arrive with the members of Alpha Team.


    When Rayne heard their voices approaching, she quickly stood up with Julian and put away all of the extra things she had taken out of her system earlier.


    "Boss, are you there?" Noah''s voice sounded from the street. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian walked over to the small hole in the wall. "Yes, we''re in here. I think we can try to move some of the debris on the backside of the building to make a safe clearing."


    Hearing Julian''s orders, the Alpha Team members quickly walked to the back of the building and got to work moving bricks and building chunks.


    Rayne assessed the situation from the inside, pointing out places they should avoid touching in order to prevent the building from falling apart more. She was very familiar with weight distribution and building integrity, allowing her to easily spot the places with the most weight-bearing loads.


    "Avoid moving anything next to this pillar. It could cause this whole back wall to collapse," she said, pointing to a spot in the middle.

 Chapter 77 Bodies

    The team worked nonstop, digging them out. When most of the outer debris was cleared, Rayne helped move things inside to speed up the process.


    Julian tried to help but was quickly scolded by Rayne, who told him he was injured and should not put any strain on his back.


    It was already dark by the time they were finally freed from the cave-in.


    "Thank you for your hard work," said Julian to Alpha Team.


    "Boss, where did you find such an... interesting shirt?" asked Noah. He couldn''t believe his eyes. His very particular boss was wearing a loud purple shirt with a picture of a fluffy white cat on it.


    Julian looked down at his shirt, then glanced at Rayne. "Well, we found it in that store across the street, and I thought it was pretty cool," he said matter-of-factly.


    Noah felt like his longtime friend had turned into a different person, but he also noticed how much more cheerful Julian had been since the day he went out to save Rayne from the hurricane.


    "Boss, I''m glad you''re okay. Do you want me to look into those guys over there?" Ian asked, pointing at the dead bodies. He had noticed them as soon as they came into the area and understood what had happened.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, I want to know if they''re just a small-time local gang or if they''re somehow related to Damien."


    Rayne listened with curiosity; this was the first time she had heard about this Damien.


    Ian looked around and walked over to the bodies to inspect them further. He noticed that all of the men had strange, bulging veins on different parts of their bodies, mainly around the chest area.


    He had seen many dead bodies in the past, and this was the first time he''d seen this strange phenomenon.


    "Boss, come take a look at this," he yelled for Julian.


    Julian heard Ian''s call and made his way over. Rayne wanted to take this opportunity to spend time around dead bodies so that she could be a little less nervous around them in the future and followed behind Julian.


    "Look at this. I''ve never seen anything like this," Ian pointed to the areas with the abnormally protruding veins on each of the men''s bodies.


    Julian bent over and looked at them closely. "They all have it. Could it be a disease of some sort? Maybe a drug?"


    "I''ve seen many people on different kinds of drugs; none of them have caused this kind of symptom," replied Ian. He took care of the underground organization for Julian and was in regular contact with all sorts of arms and drug dealers.


    Ian needed to get in with some of these shady figures in order to gather information, so seeing all sorts of illegal drugs was fairly common for him.


    "Then could it be a disease?" Julian asked. His mind flashed to Rayne''s conversation about it being an ''apocalypse.''


    "I''m not sure. Should we bring back a body for Anna to study?" suggested Ian. He wasn''t medically trained, so he wasn''t able to assess if this was caused by a disease.


    "No, I don''t want to bring it into the bunker in case it spreads. I''ll have Anna come out here with Alpha Team so she can take a look," he said. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne stood by the side, looking at the dead bodies. She felt uncomfortable around them but forced herself to stay.


    Listening in on Julian''s and Ian''s conversation, she curiously looked at the bodies, noticing the spots with the abnormalities. It looked as if all of the major veins in the body had been enlarged and were popping out from under the skin. It was very grotesque, making her shudder.


    Julian spent a few more minutes studying the strangeness on the dead bodies alongside Ian.


    "Okay, have this body moved to a remote location. Anna will come out and study it, hopefully tomorrow. Let''s head back to base with our scavenged supplies now."


    The group moved the body Julian chose and went back toward the gas station where the jeeps were parked.


    The way back was easier to walk because Ian, along with Noah and the Alpha Team, had cleared out a small path on their way over. Julian picked up his cardboard box from the middle of the street, which contained the supplies he looted from the warehouse store and electronics store.


    Although he now knew that Rayne could easily resupply the entire base with a wave of her hand if she wanted to, he still wanted to cover for her, helping her guard such a big secret.


    The group reached the cars without any issues and set off to make their way back to the bunker.


    It was very late into the night when they finally arrived, and everyone quickly retired to their respective rooms to rest for the night.


    Anna was called to check on Julian''s injuries before he went to bed. "They look good. Rayne did a good job disinfecting and bandaging the deep cuts. I''ll come by in the morning to redress the wounds."


    As soon as Rayne got back to her room, she went straight for the bathroom, taking a nice hot shower. The bunker got its water from the large river that cut through the valley, so Rayne felt like she could indulge in a longer shower every once in a while.


    After drying off, she applied a medical cream to all the places with cuts and bruises on her body, then put on a set of warm cotton pajamas.


    So much had happened today, leaving her exhausted. While she had another life-threatening encounter, the fact that she was able to share her secret about the system with Julian left her feeling happy.


    She quickly fell asleep in her soft, warm bed, with thoughts of Julian''s strong arms embracing her.


    The next morning, she woke up later than usual. By the time she came out of her room, the guys had already finished breakfast, and Anna had time to change Julian''s bandages. She was getting ready to go out with the rest of Alpha Team to inspect the body that was left in the city.


    Rayne walked into the kitchen, still half asleep.


    "Good morning. Sleep well?" she heard Julian''s voice behind her.

 Chapter 78 First Date

    (A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, as promised this chapter is part of the mini mass release as a thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review!)


    "Yes, I slept very deeply last night. What about you? How are your injuries?" she asked, yawning. Her eyes were still watery from just waking up.


    Julian chuckled, seeing her drowsy state. "I slept great, fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed, although the mattress at the post office was nicer."


    He walked over and began brewing a pot of coffee. "Go sit down. What do you want to eat? There''s still one bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich left. Let me heat it up for you."


    Rayne walked over to sit at the table in a daze, but her cheeks still flushed from his kind gesture. "Thank you, it''s been a long time since someone made breakfast for me," she said shyly.


    Julian shook his head while placing the frozen breakfast sandwich into the toaster oven. "Well, the most I''m doing really is heating it up for you, so I can''t take all the credit. But this coffee will be amazing, just watch."


    Rayne giggled, thinking he was really adorable when he joked around like this.


    When the coffee finished, he poured some into two mugs, then retrieved the toasted breakfast sandwich from the toaster oven and brought it to the table. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here, be careful; it''s hot," he said as he placed the coffee and sandwich in front of Rayne.


    She smiled. "Thank you. It smells so good." She carefully took a sip of the coffee, savoring the addictive, bitter taste of freshly brewed coffee.


    Julian watched her eat, then suddenly asked, "Are you busy tonight?"


    She placed the mug down and looked at him questioningly. "Am I busy? No, why?" She wasn''t sure what she could be busy with.


    "So... I was wondering... if you wanted to watch a movie with me tonight," Julian asked, lightly fidgeting with his cup of coffee, feeling a little nervous.


    Rayne felt her face flush slightly as her heart pounded. Nodding, she replied, "Yes, I''d love to."


    Julian smiled, feeling relieved. "Awesome. So how about dinner time? We can eat in my room while we watch a movie; I have one picked out!"


    "Okay! Sounds good, I''ll make something nice for dinner then," replied Rayne happily. She had not expected Julian to take the initiative to invite her over, but felt very happy inside.


    She had just recently realized that she had feelings for him and wanted to see where they would lead.


    Once Rayne finished eating, Julian stood up and cleaned her plate for her. As he washed the dirty dishes, he turned his head toward Rayne. "Oh, can you give me that black box from yesterday? I''m gonna bring it down to the lab and see if I can get it open."


    "Oh, sure, here you go," said Rayne as she quickly opened her system panel and pressed the icon of the box, making it appear in her hand.


    Julian watched the box appear out of thin air, feeling like he would never get used to such an incredible sight. He finished cleaning the dishes, dried his hands, and grabbed the box out of Rayne''s hands.


    "Okay, I''ll head down to the lab to see if I can get this open. I look forward to tonight," he said, smiling.


    "Please let me know if you open it. I''m curious about what could be inside. And... I''m also looking forward to tonight," said Rayne.


    After Julian walked away with the box, Rayne returned to her room to brainstorm how to prepare for her first date. She was so excited and slightly nervous. She had only ever been on dates with Dillon previously, and he mostly just brought her around to run errands.


    She flopped down on her bed and opened up her system panel, scrolling through the clothing folder. She wanted to wear something special for this first informal date. Rayne scrolled through various dresses, feeling that most of them were too much for just a movie.


    She came across a cute pair of jeans and decided to wear them with a cute top. The top she picked out was a green off-the-shoulder top with long sleeves. The material was very light and soft, making it breathable and comfortable to wear.


    Rayne set aside the outfit as well as some jewelry to put on later and got up to do some work. She left her room and went to restock the fridge with supplies from her system as well as some prepared foods.


    The communal kitchen and living room were also getting dirty, with dust building up on the floors from the constant traffic, so Rayne took it upon herself to clean these rooms.


    Hours passed quickly, and Rayne finally went back to her room to get ready for the movie date with Julian. After taking a shower, she got dressed and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked cute and fresh, and the green color of the shirt highlighted the green in her eyes, making them pop.


    Rayne lightly did her makeup and styled her hair down in cascading curls. Her heart was beating strongly from excitement.


    Walking down the hall, she stopped in front of Julian''s door and knocked lightly. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Julian with nothing but a towel around his waist.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I thought the knock was from Noah! Please give me a few minutes to get dressed. Make yourself comfortable in the meantime," said Julian as he walked back inside.


    Rayne stepped in and noticed that his room was larger than hers and also had a separate room with a door to his bedroom. Although there was more space, aside from a single desk in the corner, the furniture was the same as what her room had.


    "Looks like they didn''t put much thought into interior design when they were making the finishing touches," she mumbled as she sat down on the small couch.


    Julian was in the bathroom drying off and getting dressed. He glanced at the clean set of clothes on the counter and felt that they were too plain.


    When he opened the door and saw Rayne, he was nearly taken aback by how beautiful she was. He could tell she had put a lot of thought into her appearance for today''s hangout, and he felt touched.


    He slid his fingers through his thick hair and looked at himself in the mirror, wanting to look good for her too.

 Chapter 79 First Date 2

    (A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, as promised this chapter is part of the mini mass release as a thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review!)


    Julian walked into his bedroom from the bathroom and opened his dresser. He pulled out a sleek black t-shirt with a deep V-neck and a pair of black pants. He even walked over and sprayed two spritz of his favorite musky cologne.


    "Okay, you got this," he mumbled, giving himself a little pep talk before walking out.


    He saw Rayne sitting quietly on the couch, deep in thought. "Hey, what are you thinking about so seriously?" he asked curiously.


    Rayne snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Julian. She noticed his slightly different attire and felt her heart race.


    Oh my goodness. He''s so good-looking!


    "I was just thinking about redecorating your room... if you''re interested!" she said happily, the tips of her ears turning pink.


    Julian widened his eyes and looked around his room. He had never really paid attention to it before, but it did look rather barren and cold.


    "I would love for you to help me make this place more homey," he said, looking back at her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"


    Rayne stood up excitedly. "Umm, could you take any of your important belongings out of the drawers? Other than that, do you have any particular style?" she asked as she looked around the room, coming up with a design plan.


    "Nope, you have full freedom! Well... please don''t make it princess pink or something," he laughed and went to collect his things.


    Rayne got to work excitedly and began to store the existing furniture. A few minutes later, the room was left completely empty.


    Opening the system panel, Rayne navigated to where the furniture was and picked out a number of items.


    She chose a large leather L-shaped sofa, complementing the larger room. Before placing it down, she first laid out a grey, chevron-patterned rug, covering the cold concrete floors.


    Rayne then placed a large, solid wood coffee table in front of the sofa and a matching console table to hold the TV.


    She replaced the small flatscreen TV with a larger one and added smaller decor items like pillows, throws, vases, and books to the empty surfaces.


    When Julian finally left his room after he finished emptying the dresser, he was shocked! The room looked unrecognizable¡ªsleek and stylish.


    He noticed that Rayne had picked out leather and wood elements, making it feel industrial and slightly more masculine.


    There was even a faux tree in the corner that added some greenery.


    "Wow! It looks incredible! Thank you, Rayne!" he exclaimed happily.


    Rayne smiled at him, happy with how the room turned out. "Okay, if you don''t mind, let me redecorate your bedroom."


    Julian stood at the door to his bedroom and motioned for her to come in. "Yes, of course!"


    He stood in the doorway and watched as Rayne placed her hand on each piece of furniture before it vanished.


    It only took her a few moments to completely empty the bedroom.


    "Wow, what a handy ability..." Julian couldn''t help but comment.


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. "It really is! When I moved a few months back, I didn''t even need to hire a moving company! It was very convenient!"


    She picked out a leather bedframe to continue with the industrial style. It was a large, king-size bed, but like her own, it needed to be put together first.


    "Here, would you mind helping with the bedframe? It should be fairly straightforward to put together," she said as she handed him a power tool.


    "Sure thing!" he said, quickly getting to work.


    While he was setting up the bedframe, Rayne laid out another rug and placed a dresser down along with two nightstands on each side of where the bed would be.


    She also pulled out a large, full-length mirror to place against the wall across from the dresser, along with smaller decor items.


    Julian was almost finished with the bedframe, and she walked over to help with the final steps. The two of them worked quickly, and a few minutes later, the frame was finished.


    After they pushed it into place, Rayne took out a king-size luxury mattress along with a few sets of sheets, pillows, and blankets.


    The room was completely transformed, making it feel relaxing and moody.


    "I must say, your sense of style is very good," complimented Julian. He was very happy to now live in such a comfortable and relaxing space.


    He walked over to Rayne and pulled her into his arms, hugging her.


    "Thank you, Rayne. I love it."


    Rayne felt her heart race and her face flush. She could smell the musky cologne on him, making all her senses tingle.


    She felt like time stopped as she let him hold her in his embrace. They stood like that for a few moments, enjoying the moment together.


    Julian slowly released her from his arms and gently led her over to the new leather sofa, holding her by the hand.


    "Let''s get that movie going. I''ve been excited to watch it since I saw it on your external hard drive you packed for me," said Julian.


    Rayne sat down, smiling. She was curious about what movie Julian had chosen; he seemed so excited. There were hundreds of different movies she had downloaded, most of which were titles she''d never even heard of.


    Excitedly, she looked over at Julian, who had just finished connecting his laptop to the TV, waiting for him to pull up the movie.


    "Well? Are you excited to see what I picked?" he asked mysteriously.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes. I''m very curious what kind of movies the CEO of REN Corporation is into."


    Julian smiled, showing his perfect, white teeth. "Tah-dah!"


    [A Hundred Ways to Catch a Fish]


    Rayne read the title over and over until she burst out into laughter!


    "Hahaha! Julian, oh my goodness, really?" she laughed.


    He laughed with her. "What?! You think I''m just going to let you be the only one who can catch a fish? No way, I''m determined!"


    Rayne laughed to the point of tears, remembering their previous fishing outing. Julian only managed to catch clumps of grass the entire day.


    "Okay, okay. Let''s watch this. I''m curious to see how much you can improve from it," she giggled. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian watched Rayne laugh her heart out and felt warm inside. He really loved her smiles and laughs, wishing he could see them every day.


    "Oh, before we start the movie, what would you like for dinner? If I may offer a suggestion, I recommend this steak," she said, quickly pulling up her system screen once more.


    She was so busy laughing that she nearly forgot about dinner!


    "Oh, steak sounds great! It''s been so long since I''ve had it!" he said, quickly accepting her recommendation.


    After hearing his reply, Rayne quickly took out two steaks, placing them on the coffee table. She also pulled out a pair of wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.


    "I''ve never been much of a wine drinker, so I don''t really know what''s good or not. But if I remember correctly, this bottle was expensive... not that I paid for it," she said shyly.


    Julian widened his eyes dramatically. "Ms. Weston?! Shoplifting?? I better go turn you in right now!" He took the bottle from her hands and turned it over to look at the label.


    "Oh wow, this indeed is a good bottle. This brand of Cabernet Sauvignon is indeed an expensive one, aged too," he said. He was pleasantly surprised that she even got ahold of something as nice as this.

 Chapter 80 First Date 3

    She smiled upon hearing that it was indeed a good bottle. "Well, let''s enjoy it to our heart''s content since we''ve got an endless supply of it!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian opened the bottle of wine with the opener Rayne had handed him and poured the red wine into their glasses.


    While Julian was dealing with the wine, Rayne took out the silverware and a few sides. There was a small basket of freshly baked dinner rolls and butter, as well as two plates of a delicious Mediterranean-style salad.


    The plate of steak already had a small side of mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, making it a well-rounded dinner.


    Once everything was situated, they turned off the main lights, leaving only a lamp on in the corner for some dim lighting, and started the movie.


    They ate while watching the movie, laughing at the funny scenes.


    To Rayne''s surprise, although the movie title was about catching fish, it was actually a comedic action film about a pro fisherman who fishes up an old relic and gets caught up in a mafia war over it. The only way he was able to make it out of difficult situations was by catching fish and hiding the relic in the fish''s bodies.


    They finished eating about halfway through the movie, when Julian subtly scooted Rayne closer toward him so they were almost cuddling.


    Rayne was so invested in the movie that she didn''t even notice she was curled up on Julian!


    He looked down at her, noticing how comfortable she was around him, and smiled internally. The feeling of having her by his side was very nice, and he hoped they could spend more time like this in the future.


    "Ah! Can you believe he got away with that?! I mean, it was so obvious that the relic was right there!" Rayne nearly jumped out of the sofa.


    Chuckling, Julian shook his head. "I think they did it on purpose. It''s supposed to be a comedy."


    Rayne quickly sat down, feeling slightly embarrassed. She also just realized how close she had been sitting to Julian, and her heart began racing.


    To break her nervousness, she looked over at Julian and asked, "So, were you able to open the box? I''m really curious what''s inside."


    "No, so far I haven''t fully figured out the mechanism, but I think I''m close. Tomorrow, I will spend more time on it. I''m also curious about what could be inside something so securely locked. By the way, where did you find it?" replied Julian.


    Rayne leaned back against the sofa. "Well, it''s a long story, but I saw my ex at a bar, and he looked like he was dealing with some sketchy-looking guy. They seemed really interested in the box, so I walked over, made a scene, and stashed the box amidst the chaos."


    Julian looked at her with an indescribable expression. "God, you''re so hot." He didn''t even realize that he had said what he was thinking out loud until Rayne turned beet red.


    Instead of apologizing for his words, he moved closer to Rayne and put his arm around her. "I want to know more about you. Tell me some more of the things you like or don''t like. I can be anything."


    Feeling a little shy at first, her words came out quietly. "I like iced coffee and sunny days..." After a few rounds of back and forth, she got more comfortable being held and answered with more emotion.


    "OH! And Ella, my friend, the one who won second place at the design contest, is hilarious. I''ve always seen her as a quiet, studious type, but after getting to know her more, she''s a little crazy..." she said, talking happily about her friend.


    After finishing her story about Ella, Rayne frowned slightly. "I hope she''s holding up okay. I made sure to drop off a lot of random supplies that could be helpful to her before the apocalypse started, but I feel like I should have done more."


    Julian listened, happy to hear that Rayne had such a good friend. He had a vague impression of Ella, being Reginald''s daughter, but he had never dealt with her personally.


    "Don''t worry. I know Reginald, her father, quite well. He''s very astute and excels at decision-making. I''m sure he''s gotten his family to a safe place. If we run across them in the future, we can help them out more."


    Rayne nodded, silently praying that Ella and her family were doing okay and that they could someday meet up once more. She missed having Ella around but knew that, at the time, it would have been difficult to explain how she knew about the disaster.


    "Oh, I heard news that the government is finally opening a few bases for survivors to move to. If the information we got was correct, then one of the planned bases is the mountain resort relatively close by," added Julian.


    "Oh, that''s interesting! It''ll be convenient to visit there if that''s the case," said Rayne happily. She would be able to visit and contribute resources to the base, helping out the people secretly!


    Julian saw her sparkling eyes, feeling that she really was too kind. He would have to keep a close eye on her so that she didn''t get into unnecessary trouble.


    The two of them continued to chat while practically cuddling on the comfortable leather sofa. Rayne found that talking to him was even easier now than when he stayed with her. She attributed this to her finally having revealed her secret about the system and the apocalypse to him, feeling like she didn''t need to hold back on the things she said.


    Soon, the topics changed, pivoting toward Julian.


    "So, do you have a family? You seem to know my father well, but I know nothing about yours," asked Rayne curiously.


    When she did her research on REN Corporation, very few things showed up about Julian, and even less about his personal life and family.


    "Ah, yes, I do have a family, although I am not very close with any of them. Other than my mother and father, I also have a younger sister about your age," he said openly.


    Rayne listened. "Oh, what is she like?" She would''ve never guessed that he had a sister and tried to picture what she looked like in her head.


    "She''s just an entitled leech... Actually, all of my family members are like that," smiled Julian before continuing, "Growing up, I had minimal support. I remember my father refusing to fund any of my schooling, even though I was top of my class, and he had more than enough money.


    While we weren''t extremely rich back then, my father still had a good salary from being a manager at an insurance company. I guess they were just always extremely greedy," he shrugged.


    (A/N: Happy New Years to everyone! I will only be releasing 1 chapter today and tomorrow as I''m celebrating the holidays. Will be back to the usual 2chapters/day after! Thank you!)

 Chapter 81 New Recruits

    (A/N: R18 scene ahead)


    "Now the three of them won''t get off my back, constantly asking for more and more money. The funny part is that the argument my parents make is that if it wasn''t for them, I wouldn''t have made it to where I am," laughed Julian.


    His childhood had been really difficult, being ignored and rarely shown any affection. "One of the best days of my life was when I turned 18 and moved out," he added.


    Rayne''s heart hurt for him. She never expected that the country''s most successful businessman and researcher would have had such a difficult childhood.


    Rayne leaned over and put her arms around his waist, giving him a hug. "I''m sorry you had such a hard childhood. I am proud of your success. Being able to take hold of your future like that takes a lot of strength."


    Julian felt warm from her hug. He lifted her so that she was now sitting on his lap and placed his arms around her. "Thank you, Rayne. Your words mean a lot to me."


    The two of them continued to sit in each other''s embrace, talking until the early hours of the morning.


    -------


    Hidden base.


    The leader of the gang had finally made it back to base and went over to report his status to Dillon.


    Knock! Knock!


    He listened to the sounds of moaning from the other side of the door. His boss was very sexually active so this was nothing new to him.


    "Come in!", Dillon''s voice rang from inside.


    The man quickly walked in, turning his gaze down to the ground. Dillon was currently balls deep inside of Krissy, holding her from behind.


    "Well, did you find them?", asked Dillon as he continued to thrust.


    The man knelt on the ground, "Boss, we found two pretty women and were in the process of bringing them over, however half way we were attacked. I am the only survivor from the team, and the two women got away.


    "Tsk!", Dillon thrusted more aggressively taking his anger out on Krissy, making her yell out. "Useless, you can''t even secure a decent looking bitch".


    The man shook, worried Dillon might get angry enough to kill him. "Boss, I''ve dealt with the person who killed my men. I threw a grenade into the building they were hiding, I watched it collapse with my own eyes".


    Dillon remained silent, continuing his rhythmic movements with Krissy. "Anything else?", asked Dillon after a few more moments of silence.


    "Ah...Well maybe one thing, whoever the person was had a completely silent weapon. From where they were located, even with the best silencer, I would have still been able to hear the gun shot. But there was nothing, not a single sound".


    Dillon finally glanced at the man, pausing his thrusts for a moment, "And you didn''t think to investigate? How fucking useless are you?"


    "Ahh....Sorry boss, I''ll head back immediately", he said, scrambling off the ground. Before he had a chance to fully stand up he heard Dillon speak once more.


    "Wait, go and gather up another small team. Get four men from the new recruits and take them with you tomorrow. This is your last chance...".


    The man stood up and bowed, listening to Krissy''s moans as Dillon rammed inside her once more.


    "Understood, thank you boss!", he said and quickly scurried out of the room. Dillon continued to take his frustrations out on Krissy, her voice ringing out loudly.


    The man quickly made his way over to where the new recruits were staying and quickly looked at the group of men who were blissful to be able to have escaped the homelessness and starvation of the outside world.


    Changing his demeanor from the meek and frightened person he just was in front of Dillon, he strutted inside like he owned the place.


    "Listen up. Today is your lucky day! Four of you will have the opportunity to prove yourself and rise into the the ranks. As you can imagine, the more you prove yourself, the better quality of life you can enjoy. So who wants to have a chance at a better life?", he announced in a boisterous voice.


    Most of the men stood up instantly, with a sparkle in their eye. "Boss, chose me! I''m strong", a few yelled out, trying to gain an advantage to get chosen.


    All of these men have recently escaped starvation. Some were sick, and were promised medicine if they joined. They were all eager for a better life, and quickly volunteered to be chosen.


    The man carefully looked through the eager men, sizing them up. Unfortunately most of them were skinny from the weeks of starvation, but he ended up choosing four men.


    "You, you, and you come here. Also you in the back with the blue shirt. Congratulations, you''ve been chosen. I''m your leader for this assignment, you can call me Leader Ace".


    The four men walked over happily, "Thank you Leader Ace!", they chimed out.


    Ace looked at their submissive attitude and felt happy on the inside. "Good, meet me here tomorrow at 8 am, we''ll set off then". He then walked back to his own living quarters.


    ----


    Alpha Team finally arrived at the place where they hid one of the bodies for Anna to examine. Anna walked over and cut off the clothing off of the dead man''s body. She noticed the bulging veins that Julian and Ian briefed her on and quickly went over to do a full medical examination.


    "Could someone bring me my medical bag? I need to take a blood sample", she yelled out to her team.


    Jess was the one standing closest to where Anna''s belongings were but pretended she couldn''t hear her. She now had a deep resentment towards Anna after the humiliating dinner party and couldn''t be bother running errands for her.


    A different member of the team saw this and shook his head, he walked over and brought Anna her things. Jess''s behavior was increasingly more unprofessional, and most of the members of Alpha Team have picked up on it.


    Anna was too busy to notice Jess''s poor attitude. "Thank you", she said to her teammate who brought her the bag, and got to work after pulling out a syringe.


    S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 82 Vanishing Pancakes

    When Anna began to draw blood, she noticed that the color was off from what you would normally expect. Typically, the blood would have a bluish-purple tinge, but the blood in this body was bright red¡ª even brighter than a living person''s.


    "This is unlike anything I''ve ever seen," she mumbled to herself. She knew there was certainly something off about this.


    "Can you show me where the other bodies are? I want to examine them as well," she asked one of the members of Alpha Team who had come here earlier.


    He led Anna to the street in front of the warehouse store, where the other bodies lay. Anna bent down and inspected the other three bodies, finding similarities between them all.


    "This is certainly something. I won''t know for sure until we get back and I can run a few blood tests, but this doesn''t seem like a disease," she stated, giving her initial opinion. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once Anna finished, she, along with the rest of the members of Alpha Team, packed up and set off back to the base.


    ---


    Rayne woke up late the next morning. It was already early morning when she finally left Julian''s room and went to sleep.


    Laying on her bed, she smiled brightly, thinking about her time with Julian yesterday. They had so many different topics to talk about, and she felt like she had learned a lot more about him.


    She got dressed after taking a shower and got to work, busying herself in the communal kitchen area. Today, she decided to make a large amount of pancakes¡ª some for herself and extras to freeze and reheat later.


    As she finished mixing the batter and pouring it carefully on the hot griddle, she realized that it had been oddly quiet this morning. Usually, Noah would have come by for his third cup of coffee by now, but she didn''t see or hear anyone.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to focus on cooking, and a while later, she had a few tall stacks of pancakes. Walking over to the table, she sat down to eat her portion while it was still hot. She took this time to allow the other pancakes to cool down so that she could package them properly and place them in the freezer for later use.


    "Oh, I forgot the syrup!" she said and quickly looked around before opening up her system to take out a bottle of natural maple syrup.


    Just as she began to eat, Julian, Noah, and Ian came running into the kitchen.


    "What smells so good?!" asked Noah, sniffing the air. Ian looked around the kitchen, spotting the steaming stacks of pancakes, and quickly walked over to fill his plate.


    Julian saw Rayne sitting at the table and came over to sit beside her. "Good morning! Wow, these look amazing. We practically ran up from the lab once we smelled the delicious scent."


    "Good morning!" smiled Rayne. "So you were all holed up in the lab! I was wondering where everyone went."


    "Yeah, Anna came back from the city with blood samples, and we were in the lab running tests. I also have made progress on the box. I''m pretty sure I will be able to open it today," said Julian. Once Noah and Ian filled their plates, Julian stood up to get a plate for himself.


    Everyone joined Rayne at the table, passing around the maple syrup and enjoying the food.


    "Hopefully Anna will be able to isolate the anomaly in the blood sample," said Ian. He was very interested in what could have caused this strange change in the bodies.


    "She said she was almost done. I''m sure she''ll have news once we''re back," chimed in Noah. He looked over at Julian to see if he had anything to say but noticed that Julian was too busy enjoying the pancakes.


    He looked over at Rayne and smiled. "You probably already know this, but he''s a total foodie. Whenever we had business meetings, I always had to make sure that wherever the meeting was held had good-tasting food."


    Rayne looked over at Julian and smiled, holding back a laugh. "Oh, really? I knew he enjoyed good food, but now I''m picturing a whole different picture."


    "Oh, and don''t even get me started on the poor waitresses who fled the room as if it was about to explode. Julian always had a knack for scaring them away," laughed Noah.


    Julian lifted his head and frowned. "Hey, I didn''t do anything! It was the waitresses who just stood there and stared at me after delivering my food! If I was into having people watch me eat, I''d be a mukbang content creator!"


    Rayne couldn''t hold back and started laughing, infecting everyone with her cheerful mood. Even Ian laughed, picturing his boss as an internet mukbang sensation.


    After Rayne finished eating, she went over to wash her plate and utensils before dealing with the extra pancakes she made to freeze. Looking over at the plate, she realized there were no pancakes left! The three of them ended up eating every single one!


    Shaking her head, she resigned herself to her fate and made a double portion for later.


    "Hey Rayne, would you like to come down to the lab with us?" asked Julian as he got up to wash his plate.


    "Oh, sure! I''m very curious about what the findings are," she said, happy to have been invited down. This would be her first time venturing down into the lower levels of the bunker, and she was excited to see it.


    After Ian and Noah cleaned up, the four of them set off to the laboratory in the lower floors. On their way over, they walked by the armories and utility rooms. Rayne excitedly looked around, eager to see more of her design in the flesh.


    When they arrived in the laboratory, Rayne spotted Anna hunched over, looking into a microscope.


    "Well, any discoveries?" asked Ian. He walked over to Anna''s side and watched her as she examined the sample under the microscope.


    Without looking away from the microscope, Anna answered, "Yes, I''ve basically confirmed that this is a synthetic substance, so that rules out a natural disease. It''s most likely some sort of drug, but I still haven''t identified what the drug does to the body. I also can''t isolate the substance from the rest of the blood sample due to how it lodges itself into the blood cells directly."

 Chapter 83 The Box

    Julian''s expression turned serious. If this truly was a synthetic drug, he could almost guarantee that this was somehow tied to Damien. He was the only one that Julian knew who could develop a new drug with such a strong reaction in the body that it fused itself into the cells.


    Ian looked over at Julian and saw his thoughtful expression. "Boss, I think this is somehow linked to Damien."


    Julian nodded. "I''m almost certain it is. The real question now is: What exactly does it do?" He stood there, quietly thinking of all the possible things this drug could do. It clearly affected the body heavily, but the effects could be anything.


    Rayne was also deep in thought. She wondered if this drug had anything to do with the apocalypse and was also curious about its effects. For some reason, her mind kept going back to the box she took from Dillon. Her gut was telling her that it was somehow related.


    "Julian, how about we try to open the box? I don''t know why, but I feel that it''s somehow related to this," she said quietly, trying not to disturb Anna.


    Julian looked over at Rayne curiously. He wasn''t sure how the two could be related, but he was close to opening the box anyway. "Sure, let''s go see if I can get it open."


    They walked over to the other side of the lab where Julian usually tinkered with new weapon prototypes. Rayne noticed the box surrounded by various tools on his workbench.


    Julian sat down and picked up a small tool that reminded Rayne of a long metal toothpick and began to tinker with the lock. Rayne sat down on the small stool beside Julian and watched him work quietly.


    Although she couldn''t tell if any progress was being made just by watching, she heard Julian''s mumbles saying that he had almost got it open.


    He worked quickly and efficiently, and about twenty minutes later, Rayne heard a soft click!


    "It''s open!" announced Julian, happy with his work.


    Rayne leaned over and looked inside, noticing a small glass vial that was securely fastened inside the box. It held a crimson red, powder-like substance that was so vibrant that it gave off a soft glow.


    Julian carefully picked up the vial and inspected the sand-like powder inside. The color alone made him feel like Rayne was correct about it being related to the anomaly found on the bodies.


    "I think you''re right. This might be the substance that caused the change in those men. If this truly is the drug, you have helped progress the investigation hundred-fold."


    Rayne had mixed feelings. She was glad that the box could possibly solve the issue of figuring out what caused such a change in the men''s bodies, but she was also worried about the effects of the drug. She also couldn''t understand why Dillon would get involved in such an illegal business.


    Julian handed the vial over to Rayne and leaned in to whisper, "Could you step out and store this? I want to begin running tests, but the sample amount is so little that there might not be enough."


    He felt a little wrong asking her to use her ability for him, but this could possibly reveal what Damien had been working on these past few years. He desperately wanted this information.


    Rayne noticed his pleading look as he asked her and wondered why he seemed so desperate. She, of course, didn''t mind storing this small vial at all. If anything, she was very happy that she could be useful!


    She nodded and gave him a small thumbs-up, carefully taking the vial from his hands. While he asked her to step outside, Rayne was confident that she could store such a small item in the blink of an eye.


    She turned her body so that only Julian could see the vial in her hands and quickly gave the mental command to store and take out the vial. It happened so quickly that even Julian, who was watching the vial in Rayne''s hands, didn''t notice that it vanished for a split second.


    "Here," she said, handing the vial back to him. She noticed his confused expression, wondering why she didn''t go out to store it and just handed it back to him.


    Giggling lightly, she took her other hand and handed him a second vial, showing him that the task was already done.


    Julian was even more surprised to see her pull out a copy. "So fast?!" he said quietly, not believing his eyes. He was sure that he was watching the vial in her hands intently, but even so, she was able to store it so quickly!


    Rayne nodded happily. She found the feeling of surprising Julian a lot of fun, proud of her mental ability.


    Julian took the two vials and walked over to the other side of the lab where Anna and the others were. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Anna, I believe I may have found the substance in its pure form. Are you able to run some tests on it?" asked Julian, presenting the two vials of red powder.


    "Boss! How did you find this?" asked Ian with wide eyes. He never would have expected his boss to be so resourceful.


    Julian didn''t want to involve Rayne too much, so he just shrugged off Ian''s question. "That''s not important right now. We need to figure out if this is indeed what''s responsible and what it does."


    Anna looked over, studying the vial intently. "Boss, I can try my best, but at the end of the day, I''m a doctor, not a chemist. If we can, I would highly recommend that we find a chemist to run the tests." While she had extensive medical knowledge, she was not someone who dabbled in synthetic drug production and wasn''t very familiar with the process.


    Julian frowned, but knew what she said was true. He couldn''t expect her to be able to do all of this on her own, and finding a chemist would be the best option. The only question left was where to find them.

 Chapter 84 Prepping to Leave

    Anna still took the vials from Julian. "I can at least try to study them to the best of my ability in the meantime. Just no promises on any groundbreaking discoveries."


    "Thank you, Anna. Just be careful; I don''t want this substance to affect you in any way," said Julian.


    She nodded. "Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to wear the proper protective equipment." Anna then turned her attention back to the microscope to continue studying the blood sample.


    Julian turned to Noah. "We''re going to need to find a suitable chemist, the sooner the better. I heard that the government opened up a base nearby in the resort area. Can you send a few from the scouting team to check it out?"


    "Yes, of course. I''ll make arrangements right away," said Noah, walking away.


    Ian decided to stay with Anna and help her out in the lab. He was very interested in figuring out what his drug was about and enjoyed Anna''s company.


    Rayne made her way back up to the living quarters with Julian, chatting along the way.


    "So you said your ex-fianc¨¦ was holding this box and then passed it along to a sketchy man one night at a bar?" asked Julian. He was even more interested in figuring out the origins of this box and how closely related it was to Damien.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, it was exactly that. It was the night of the PRISMA gala, actually. I went to the bar with Ella; we both witnessed it." She felt a little weird talking about Dillon to Julian, but she noticed how serious Julian was about the box.


    When they reached the communal living space, Julian placed his arms around her, hugging her tightly.


    "Thank you, Rayne. You''ve helped me out so much already. You''re my lucky star," he said in a low, masculine voice.


    Rayne was a little surprised by the sudden hug but was very happy on the inside. She felt the hidden emotions behind Julian''s words. Although he hadn''t explained who Damien was, she knew that he felt strongly about this person.


    Turning around, she placed her arms around his waist, hugging him back. "Don''t worry, we''ll find the chemist and get to the bottom of it," she said resolutely.


    Julian felt very comforted by her embrace and words. Bending down, he rested his head against hers, giving her a big squeeze. "Mhm, we will."


    ----


    In the countryside.


    "Hey, welcome back, Dad! Were you able to find any information?" asked Ella. Reginald had been out for over 20 hours looking for information on the government shelters.


    "Yes, I''ve finally obtained reliable information. We can head over tomorrow morning," he said as he took off his jacket. It was still raining sporadically outside, and he wore a jacket to protect himself from the rain.


    "Oh, that''s lovely, honey! I''ll begin packing our things," said Ella''s mom, standing up to begin packing. Ella stood up to help her mom and began to fold the clothing and blankets.


    Reginald walked over to the chair he brought down from the main house and sat down to relax. He had been walking non-stop for almost an entire day and was exhausted. Watching his wife and daughter working diligently to pack their things, he was happy that he was able to find a relatively safe base location for his family. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Once you finish packing the items, I''ll move them into the car. Try to fit as many things as you can. I heard that there is an entry fee to get into the base. It seems that supplies are the new currency," said Reginald, sharing what he had discovered today.


    "Where did you end up going, Dad?" asked Ella as she packed her things into plastic boxes.


    "So, the neighboring town has a small antiques store. I met an elderly man there who pulled out a hand-crank radio, and he kindly played the message for me," he replied.


    "Oh, you should''ve bought the radio from him," said Ella.


    Reginald nodded. "Yes, I tried, but the man said that this was his only entertainment and wasn''t willing to part with it. I don''t blame him; hearing the radio brought me a sense of comfort, even if it was just an emergency broadcast."


    The two women worked diligently, packing everything very tightly into boxes and bags. Reginald also stood up to help once he felt a little rested. The family worked quickly together, loading up their large car to the brim, leaving only the items they needed for the night.


    "Dad, I packed the small gas can from the lawnmower too. Hopefully, we''ll have enough gas to make it over to the shelter," said Ella as she walked back into the basement.


    "Yes, I hope so too. We can try stopping by the more remote gas stations on the way to see if we can find more fuel," he replied. The exhaustion was written all over his face. After a full day of walking, packing, and now worrying about the upcoming trip, Reginald was ready to call it a night.


    "Here, honey, go rest. We''ll take care of the rest; there''s not much left," said his sweet wife, placing a blanket over him. Her heart ached for her husband; she knew how much effort he had been putting in making sure she and their daughter were taken care of.


    Reginald quickly fell asleep under his wife''s gentle care, while the ladies continued to finish the last of their packing. Ella made sure to run into the house and store an album of childhood family photos along with any of her and her mother''s precious jewelry.


    Ever since her father said there would be an entrance fee, her mind was racing with what sort of goods she could bring to make their future life a little more comfortable.


    As she was making her way back to the basement, she walked past the dining room. Since this room was on the first floor, it was still relatively intact. She walked in, looking around for anything that could be salvaged when she spotted the wine cabinet in the corner of the room.


    Ella''s eyes lit up! While wine was not a practical resource in the current economy, it would still be considered a luxury resource! Perhaps the value would go up even more with time. She quickly walked over and carefully placed the unopened bottles in a box, then placed them inside the car.


    As she turned to head back inside the house, she spotted shadowy figures approaching from down the street. It was already night time, so she couldn''t make out who they were, but she noticed there was a whole group.


    Ella quickly ran back inside, running down the stairs to wake her father up.


    "Ella! What are you doing? Let your father rest!" scolded her mother.


    Ella continued to shake her father and turned to look at her mom. "Mom, get ready. We need to leave now. There''s a whole mob of people making their way over here right now!"


    Reginald woke up, hearing Ella''s words. "What?! Hurry up, get in the car now!" He sprang out of bed and ran upstairs to start the car.


    Ella looked over and saw her mom trying to fold the blankets to bring with them. She ran up to her side and grabbed her by the arm to drag her up the stairs.


    "Mom, leave it! We need to leave now! They''ll be here any moment!" urged Ella. Her mother listened to her words, dropped the blanket, and followed Ella up the stairs and into the car.

 Chapter 85 Late Night Attack

    "Hey, are you sure you''re leading us to the right place?" asked one of the thugs. "We''ve been walking forever."


    "Yes, it''s just up the road. I know for sure; I followed them here myself," replied the tall, skinny man.


    The leader of the group listened to the skinny man''s words and continued to walk. "Shut up and keep walking. Once we are there, we can loot the whole house. They had nice bikes we already stole; they must have many more good items."


    "Yes, boss!" the men said as they picked up their pace. They had been looting many houses over the last few days, gaining many good things. Their boss had said that he had spotted a rich-looking family a few days back at the shopping plaza, and today was the chosen day to loot them.


    The skinny man walked in front of the group, leading them to the house, but as he got closer, he noticed movement coming from the house.


    "Boss! Bad news, I think they spotted us and are trying to flee!" he shouted.


    "What! Hurry up, we need to stop them from taking their goods with them!" shouted the boss, ordering his men to sprint full speed ahead.


    Reginald noticed the sea of people running toward them at full speed and quickly yelled at Ella and his wife to hurry up.


    "Hurry, get in! They''re almost here!" he shouted as he began to back the car out of the driveway. Ella and her mother sprinted to the car, getting in just as the faster thugs entered their property.


    Ella turned to look out of the car window, seeing the men approaching their vehicle. Her dad pressed his foot on the gas pedal, aggressively driving onto the street.


    "Shit, if only we had a gun to blow out their tires", yelled the leader of thugs. He watched the large SUV vehicle leave with a small trailer hitch attached behind. He knew most of the valuables must have been taken with them.


    "Go! Search the house, the couldn''t have left everything!", he ordered.


    The group of thugs swarmed into the house, stripping it completely bare. Even the half broken vases and tableware were taken, leaving the house looking as if it hadn''t been lived in.


    The leader looked through the pile of items, frowning slightly. Although many of the items they got were of good quality, very little of it was useful for their current situation.


    He clenched his fist as he walked over to the skinny man who was the scout and began bashing him in the face. "You fool! You must have been spotted when I told you to tail them! You cost us so many good things!", he yelled with extreme anger. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The skinny man flew to the ground from the impact, blood seeping down from his broken nose. "Boss, I swear they didn''t see me! I made sure of it!", he yelled, begging for mercy.


    The leader didn''t believe that they would simply pack and leave without a reason in such a short period of time.


    "Don''t lie, scum! Today you''re going to pay for this mistake with your life!", he yelled, continuing to beat the skinny man. The rest of the gang members watched, feeling frightened at the sight. They all vowed not to get on their leaders bad side so they could live to see another day.


    After the leader vented his anger on the skinny man he turned to face the other men, "What are you looking at, hurry up and pack all of this shit up, we''re bringing it all back with us".


    Ella''s nerves finally relaxed a little as they drove further away from the house. She looked over and saw her mom still frozen in shock.


    "Mom, it''s okay now. We''re safe," she said gently. She always knew her mother was a very delicate woman. She had grown up in a wealthy family and was always pampered, never having to experience any difficulty. Even after she married Reginald, he made sure to always take care of her every need.


    Her mother looked up at Ella''s worried expression and snapped back to reality. "What were those people going to do? Why were they swarming our house?"


    Ella frowned and looked over at her father, who was driving silently. She wasn''t sure how to answer her mother''s questions and decided to pass that task over to her father.


    Reginald sighed at his wife''s ignorance. It was a trait he loved about her, but the way the world was now, remaining ignorant could mean death.


    "Honey, the world is different now. People are struggling to survive, and others are taking advantage of the current lawless world to steal and gain benefits from others. Those people were probably there to rob us of our things."


    He did his best to speak gently but realistically. He loved his wife dearly and wanted to spend many more years with her, meaning he needed to make sure she understood the severity of the situation.


    He looked back in the rearview mirror and saw his wife sitting quietly with tears running down her face. His heart ached seeing her in such a sad and distraught state, but right now he couldn''t do much to comfort her.


    Ella turned around and looked at her mother. "Mom, it''s going to be okay. We''re heading to a government-established base where there will be rules and regulations. No one is going to hurt us there, and everything will be okay."


    Her mother turned to look at Ella and nodded, trying to force a smile. "Yes, dear. It will be okay..."


    They continued to drive toward the resort where the base was. Thankfully, Reginald had been there once before for a business retreat and had a vague idea of where to go. Still, the drive was difficult due to road obstructions and broken bridges that had fallen during the earthquakes.


    "I''m going to stop at this gas station over here and see if we can get more gas. Ella, take a look around for anything useful; we still have a little bit of space left in the car," said Reginald.


    There was a gas station in sight that looked like it had been untouched. Its location was very remote, and very few people lived out this way. If it hadn''t been for a broken bridge, they would never have taken such a remote road.


    He pulled the car up to one of the gas pumps and got out.


    "Ella, go inside and see if there are any empty gas cans. This pump still has gas!" he said happily, and began refueling their SUV.


    Ella walked inside the small gas station store and was surprised to see it completely untouched! Everything was still neatly arranged on the shelves as if it was just another normal day. She would have even thought it had been recently restocked if it weren''t for the coat of dust that lay on top of the various items.

 Chapter 86 Gas Station

    She walked around, looking for a gas can first before taking other things off the shelf. After walking through most of the aisles, she finally found the one that had basic car accessories, including cans of motor oil and empty gas cans.


    Quickly, she picked up three of the bright red containers and brought them out to her father.


    "Dad, I found some! They''re not the large ones, but it''s better than nothing. I''ll go back inside and grab more items. The store is fully stocked!" she said, running over.


    After handing off the gas cans to her father, she went back inside and began swiping the shelves for items. She walked over to the register and grabbed a number of plastic bags, filling them with all sorts of random items.


    She filled three full bags with snacks¡ªchips, crackers, candy, chocolate, and jerky¡ªbefore heading to the next aisle. There, she filled a number of bags with different kinds of sodas, water, juices, and teas, moving cases of water to the entrance for easier transportation.


    Reginald came over after filling up the car and gas cans and helped Ella move all the items into the car and trailer. He was surprised to see a completely untouched store like this and happily got to work.


    The father and daughter worked well together, Ella filling the bags with items while Reginald packed them into the car.


    About 15 minutes later, Reginald turned to Ella. "Is there anything else? We''re pretty much at max capacity right now."


    "I think that''s it, Dad. Let me take another quick look to make sure we didn''t miss anything," she said and entered the store once more.


    While there were still a few items left here and there after her looting, most of the important things like medicine, first aid, and hygiene items were completely wiped clean off the shelves. Especially items like toilet paper and feminine hygiene products were prioritized because they''re less common to come by.


    She continued to look around the store when the wall of cigars and cigarettes caught her eye. No one in her family smoked, but Ella felt that these items would be important to those who did. She figured that once they got to the government base, they could most likely be traded for useful goods like food and water.


    She quickly picked up another plastic bag and stuffed it with as many packs of cigarettes and cigars as she could, filling a second bag with matches and lighters.


    Once she was finished, she went back out to the car and got into the passenger seat. Reginald looked over to see what was inside the bags that Ella brought over and noticed the cigarettes. At first, he was surprised because he knew that Ella wasn''t a smoker, but after a few seconds of thinking, he came to the same conclusion she had while inside the store.


    Nodding his head in approval, he was happy to see that his daughter had such good foresight.


    Thankfully, one of the items that Reginald found inside the gas station store was a printed map of the area, making his job of navigating to the government base a lot easier.


    They ended up driving for another five hours before they finally arrived at the base''s location. It was very early in the morning, and the three of them were exhausted.


    At the entrance of the converted base was a military checkpoint, inspecting all of the vehicles entering and leaving the premises. Guards with weapons and armor walked around, ensuring that no unsavory characters were infiltrating the base. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hello. Please state your business," said one of the guards sternly.


    Reginald lowered the window. "Hello. We are refugees, hoping to move here." He looked at the guard calmly, waiting for further instructions.


    The guard looked him over and peered inside the car, noticing Ella and her mother.


    "Very well, pull up to that counter and pay the entrance fee. They will provide you with more information," he said after jotting down the vehicle''s plate number.


    "Thank you, sir," replied Reginald. He then proceeded to drive over to one of the parking lots that had the sign for registration. After parking the car, he got out with Ella and walked over to what looked like a repurposed toll booth hut.


    Even though it was very early in the morning, the line for registration was very long, winding deep around the parking lot. As they waited in line, a small family was walking back to their car with sullen expressions.


    "Do we really need to give up all of the food we brought just to become registered residents?" asked one woman in disbelief.


    Her husband looked over. "Unfortunately, the registration fee is steep. We should have put in more effort to find more things. In the grand scheme of things, it''s just because our items are of low value that we needed to trade off so many."


    Reginald frowned after hearing this conversation.


    "Dad, how steep do you think the fee is?" whispered Ella. She had also heard the conversation between the husband and wife and was now wondering how bad it was.


    "I''m not sure, but it sounds like it''s not a small amount," he replied. The two of them waited in line for over an hour, and by the time they reached the registration desk, the sun was already making its way up into the sky.


    "Welcome, are you here to register as members of the base?" asked the administrative woman.


    "Yes, our family of three. This is my daughter, and my wife is in the car," replied Reginald.


    The woman nodded. "Okay, here are the three forms you need to fill out. One for each of you. And here is a list of accepted items to pay the registration fee. Please keep in mind that the fee is per person, and there are discounts for experienced professionals in certain fields. All of the information is on the back of this paper."


    Reginald accepted the papers and moved over to the side to read them. "It seems like the entry fee is about a month''s supply of food per person. Certain foods hold more weight than others based on shelf life and rarity," he said to Ella.


    "What about the discounts? You and I are architects, maybe we can be eligible for a discount," she asked.


    "Hmm, unfortunately, I don''t see that as one of the needed professions. It''s mostly medical professionals, with a few farmers and livestock keepers," he answered.


    She frowned but somewhat expected this answer. "It''s okay. We have enough, and we can always go out to get more. Plus, Mom will be safe and happier here."


    Reginald nodded. "Okay, go back to the car and bring enough to register the three of us. I''ll stay here and fill out the forms."

 Chapter 87 Registration

    Ella nodded and went back to the car. Her mother greeted her as she got back, "Ella, honey! How did it go? Are we all set?"


    "Almost, we just need to pay the registration fee. I''m here for the items now," she replied as she began to rifle through the boxes. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, is it a lot?" she asked worriedly. She knew it had taken both her daughter and husband a lot of effort to secure many of these supplies and hoped they wouldn''t be losing too many.


    Ella pulled out a few small bags of rice and a few cans of tuna and corn. "It''s a little pricey, but not too bad for us. It''s about a month''s supply of food per person," she explained as she looked for a few other items they had a decent amount of.


    Her mother watched her dig through various bags and boxes, pulling out different packets and cans of food. "Tell me what you''re looking for. Let me help you," she said. She had finally begun to come to terms with the world around her and felt a little useless compared to her husband and daughter.


    "Thanks, Mom! Can you help me find the small bags of flour?" asked Ella, happy that her mother seemed more cheerful.


    About 10 minutes later, Ella came back to her father''s side with a rather large bag filled with food. "Hey, Dad, this should be enough," she said, placing the bag on the desk.


    Reginald quickly took a peek through the bags and nodded, agreeing with Ella''s choices. "Yes, this looks good."


    He took the bag of food and the three filled-out forms and walked back to the registration counter, but queued in the second line, which was much shorter.


    He only had to wait for about five minutes before he was greeted by a different administrative assistant.


    "Hi, please hand me your filled-out forms," he greeted.


    Reginald handed the three forms over and watched as the man looked through them, adding the provided information to his computer.


    "Do you have an ID on you to verify your identity?" he asked calmly, looking up from his computer.


    Reginald fished out his wallet from his pant pocket and handed over his driver''s license. The administrative assistant took the ID and scanned it into the computer.


    "Thank you, your identity has been verified. You will be registered as the head of the household, and it will be your responsibility to care for anyone under your care... in this case, your wife and daughter. In the future, they will be able to set up their own households if needed."


    Reginald nodded while placing his driver''s license back into his wallet.


    "As for the registration fees, it will be roughly a month''s supply of food per person," he said. Just as he was about to continue explaining that the details were written on the paper, Reginald placed the large bag of food on the counter.


    "Please look through this. According to the information written on the paper, this amount should be enough," he said, cutting off the administrative assistant.


    The admin took the bag and sorted through it, placing the non-canned items on a scale. After recording each item into the computer, he looked up and smiled. "Yes, thank you. This is enough for you and the two others registered with you. Here are your resident cards. Please do not lose them; everything is tied to these cards here."


    Reginald listened closely, storing the three resident cards safely in his pocket. "So where do we go now?" he asked the admin.


    "You can pull in further into the base. Your resident card will let you in. Once inside, you can visit the housing office and see if you can rent or purchase a room. Just giving you a heads-up, space is limited, and it''s quite pricey," answered the admin.


    Reginald frowned but thanked the administrative assistant for the help. Ella ran up to him as he walked away from the counter.


    "How did it go, Dad? Did we have enough food?" she asked quickly.


    "Yes, it was enough to get registered. I have our residency cards. Let''s get back to the car, and I''ll explain more," he said.


    They quickly walked back to the car, noticing the line for registration had nearly doubled in length. Once they both sat down inside the car, Ella turned to look at her father to hear what the next course of action would be.


    "Here are our residency cards. These are going to be extremely important inside the base, so do not lose them no matter what," he said while handing Ella her card.


    "I''ll hold on to mine and your mother''s cards," he continued. "Now we can enter the base as residents, and from there, we will need to find the housing office to either rent or buy a room. The admin just now said that it''s expensive, so I''d like to see exactly what it will cost us."


    Ella nodded, excited to finally be in a place with some sort of societal structure, and quickly urged her father to drive.


    "Let''s head straight for the housing office! Since space is limited, we need to get there before the rest of these people make it over!" she said.


    They quickly drove out of the parking lot and into the base. There was another checkpoint to get inside the base, requiring anyone wanting to get inside to scan their residency card.


    After Reginald scanned his card, they were allowed to drive inside, taking in the sights of their new home.


    The first thing they noticed was the large number of tents set up in the large field in front of the resort building. Ella frowned. "It seems either all the rooms are accounted for, or they''re too expensive."


    They continued to drive until they found the main parking lot for the base. Thankfully, there were still plenty of spaces available, so they found a spot very quickly.


    "I think that main lobby area is where we can find the housing office," said Reginald. This time, all three of them went inside, excited to find their new home.


    The lobby of the resort had been converted into many different department offices for the base, each labeled clearly for easy navigation. It only took Ella a few seconds to spot the bright red sign that read Housing Office.


    "Dad, over there!" she said, pointing to the sign.

 Chapter 88 Base Housing

    They walked toward the sign, entering through the door just below it.


    Inside, it was fairly empty, with only a few people wearing sad or angry expressions.


    "What do you mean?! How can you charge so much for a single room? How are we supposed to survive?!" yelled a woman. She was hysterical, crying and yelling. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ma''am, I''m sorry, but these are the rules of the base. Once the contribution points system becomes available, you will be able to rent a room with contribution points. Please wait patiently; it should be implemented very soon," explained the woman on the other side of the desk.


    The hysterical woman continued to make a scene, crying and screaming until a fully armored guard showed up holding a gun.


    "Ma''am, I''m only going to ask you once¡ªplease leave. Don''t make me forcefully remove you," he said in a stern voice.


    The woman quickly quieted down, intimidated by the weapon in his hand. "Okay, I''ll leave. No need to use force," she quickly muttered, running out of the housing office.


    The guard nodded at the office administrator and walked out to ensure the hysterical woman didn''t cause any more trouble. The room finally quieted down, replacing the chaotic atmosphere with a calm one.


    Reginald walked over to the woman at the desk and greeted her politely. "Hello, I am here to inquire about either purchasing or renting a place to live with my family," he said.


    The woman nodded. "Hello. You''ve come to the right place. I will be honest with you, it is fairly pricey, but we do have a good amount of available rooms left. How many bedrooms are you looking for?"


    Reginald looked over at his dainty wife. "I would like three bedrooms, two at the minimum," he stated.


    The woman shook her head at his request. "Very well, we do have both 2- and 3-bedroom options available. Would you like to take a look at them?"


    "Yes, please. I would like to see the available rooms for both options. The more private the location, the better," said Reginald resolutely.


    The woman behind the desk smiled and stood up, walking around from behind the desk. "Please follow me," she said.


    Ella followed the woman, along with her father and mother, walking to the back of the main building toward the back end of the resort.


    "Both the two- and three-bedroom units are located along the back mountain, slightly further out. Each building has a small parking lot available to its residents," explained the housing administrator.


    They continued to walk along the winding paths, picturing the beautiful landscape that was once here. After a 15-minute walk, they finally ended up in front of a large building, housing many living spaces.


    The building looked to be in really good shape, thanks to the mountains covering most of the harsh wind gusts from the hurricane. There was also no visible sign of the earthquakes, making this place even better looking than most of the neighborhoods in the countryside.


    "There are a few different floor plans available here, and all of the units in this building are either two or three bedrooms. The first one we will look at is here on the first floor, and it''s a three-bedroom unit," said the housing administrator.


    She unlocked the door with her master key and allowed them to enter before her.


    Ella stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised. The windows and walls were intact, and the rooms were more spacious than expected. While there was plenty of dust all over the place, it could easily be cleaned.


    The floorplan was rather basic: a decent living room and a small hallway that connected the three smaller bedrooms and a small bathroom. Ella and her mom walked around happily, loving the space, but Reginald stayed quiet, frowning.


    He already did not like that this unit was on the first floor. The windows could easily be broken at any time, exposing them to robbers or, even worse, other dangers.


    During the registration process, he noticed that his family was much better off in terms of supplies than the majority of refugees, and surely there were some people who had already targeted them.


    "Thank you, but would you mind showing us a unit on the upper floors, please?" he asked mid-tour, causing Ella and her mother to freeze and look over at him.


    The housing administrator wasn''t sure why he didn''t like this unit but quickly complied.


    "Sure, the next unit is a two-bedroom, and it''s on the third floor, which is the topmost level," she said as she followed them back outside.


    They walked up using the concrete staircase until they reached the last unit at the very end of the building. Unlocking the door, she said, "Here we are. This is our most spacious two-bedroom unit. Since it''s on the corner, the living space is slightly larger than the standard two-bedroom units."


    Ella walked in and noticed the nice lighting right away, giving the room a brighter feeling. The living room was about the same size as the previous units, with an additional nook that looked like it used to be for a kitchenette. The bedrooms were also separated similarly, with a small hallway from the living space.


    The difference was only the number of rooms. The bathroom in this unit was also slightly larger than in the three-bedroom.


    "Is the bathroom usable?" asked Ella as she peered inside, spotting the toilet and shower.


    "Yes, running water is available. However, there is no heating or hot water. Electricity can also be added on a monthly basis, but it is extremely expensive currently," said the housing administrator.


    Ella was surprised. "Electricity! That''s so great!" she exclaimed happily. It felt like it had been years since she had benefited from electricity, and she missed it very much.


    Reginald walked around, focusing on the state of the windows. He was looking for any potential break-in points that could put his family in danger.


    After walking around and inspecting every corner, he walked over to meet up with his wife and daughter.


    "What do the two of you think? I think it''s a good choice. The location is good, and it''s on a higher floor. Even the lighting and views are not bad," he said, giving his opinion.


    "Yes, I like it! Even though it has one less room, I like the larger bathroom," agreed Ella. She then turned to look at her mother for her opinion.


    Her mother smiled gently. "Yes, I quite like it here. The surrounding pine trees give off a nice scent, and we have a nice view of the mountain valley from the windows."


    Reginald smiled, happy that he could please his wife. "Very well then, I think it''s settled. Let''s talk numbers," he said, turning to the housing administrator.


    She smiled. "Sure, let''s head back to the office where we can discuss the payment."


    They all went back to the housing office and sat down at the desk across from the administrator. She pulled up her computer to look up the cost. "Okay, so it''s 400 points a month to rent, and 6,000 points to purchase. If you want to add electricity, it''s 50 points a month," she explained.


    Reginald was already calculating in his head, realizing that it was much more cost-efficient to purchase if it''s in the long run. The only question left was what the exchange rate for goods to points was.

 Chapter 89 Purchase Complete

    As if reading Reginald''s thoughts, the housing administrator pulled up a document listing items with their point values.


    "Here is the current exchange rate for items. We accept supplies in any category, not just food, if that helps. Please take a look," she said, turning the monitor toward the family.


    Ella quickly looked at the screen and noticed that a can of food was worth between 4 and 6 points, depending on the type of food. Other items, such as basic medical supplies, were between 8 and 12 points, depending on the specific item.


    Reginald also glanced at the list and then asked the housing admin, "Is this a set list, or can the values change?"


    The housing administrator nodded. "The values can change weekly, depending on the needs of the base. Items in demand will naturally be worth more than those we have a large supply of."


    He nodded, thinking this method made sense. Still, it opened his eyes to how expensive renting a room was. He would need to pay for 100 canned food items a month if he wanted to live there, and right now, that was an astronomical price.


    Ella noticed the pensive and worried expression on her father''s face and knew he was concerned about the cost. She looked through the rest of the list and noticed that only common items like food, medicine, and fuel were listed.


    Looking at the housing admin, she asked curiously, "Do you have a separate list for rarer items, like luxury goods?"


    The housing admin looked a little surprised but quickly pulled up a different page. "Yes, there is. These are the current exchange rates for luxury goods."


    Ella looked through the new list and froze when she saw that a single pack of new cigarettes was worth 100 points! This meant that they could buy the housing unit for 60 packs of cigarettes, and she was sure that she took more than that from the gas station.


    Most of the boxes she grabbed had ten packs of cigarettes per box, and she had a whole bag full!


    She quickly pointed to the screen. "Dad! Look!" she said excitedly.


    Reginald''s eyes widened when he saw the worth of cigarettes! He really had to thank his daughter this time! It was entirely her forward thinking that allowed them to afford a place to live with minimal losses.


    Without stalling too long, Reginald turned to face the housing admin and said, "Okay. Before we agree to purchase, I would like to know if the rental cost of 400 points a month is set in stone."


    If the 400 points a month was guaranteed, he would consider renting. But if not, he would agree to purchase the unit without hesitation.


    "Unfortunately, no. Due to the volatile situation the world is in, nothing is really set in stone. I expect that rent will go up in the future as more and more people come flooding in," she said.


    Reginald nodded, agreeing with her prediction. "Thank you. In that case, we will purchase it for the 6,000."


    The housing admin looked a little surprised at his statement. She felt that the family in front of her were big shots. Ever since she started working as the housing administrator, only a handful of people could afford to rent a unit, and even fewer had actually purchased one.


    Smiling politely, she turned back toward her computer. "Very well then, I will get started on the paperwork. Please bring the goods you will use as payment."


    Ella quickly got up without her father asking and walked out toward the car. She quickly picked up the large plastic bag containing cartons of cigarettes and ran back to the housing office.


    By the time Ella came back, the housing admin had just finished finalizing the paperwork. The previous forms that Reginald filled out for the residency cards stored all of his important information, making the housing purchase much more streamlined.


    "Here you go, Dad," she said, handing him the large bag. "There should be more than enough... Can we get electricity?" she asked with a hopeful gaze. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald shook his head resolutely. "No, not yet at least. The cost of 50 points per month is still quite high, and we don''t have anything that will benefit from electricity right now. If we find appliances or space heaters in the future, I''ll consider it."


    Ella frowned but knew her father was right. They hadn''t brought any appliances with them, so there was little use for electricity currently. Thankfully, they still had the camping stove and equipment, allowing them to cook and boil water.


    Reginald opened the bag and began to stack the cartons of cigarettes on the table in front of the housing administrator. After placing six cartons on the table, he looked over and said, "Here are sixty packs of cigarettes. According to the exchange rate, this should be worth exactly 6,000 points."


    The housing administrator''s eyes lit up! "Wow, so many! This will be great! A lot of the men on the guard team smoke, and upper management uses these as incentives and rewards. We''ve been running really low on supply, so that''s why the exchange rate is currently so high."


    She quickly inspected every carton, making sure that nothing was opened or missing, and quickly called over a guard to transport the goods.


    Turning to Reginald, she smiled and said, "Perfect! I have verified the payment and approved it! Congratulations on owning unit 310 in the East Mountain building! Please feel free to stop by with any questions or if you want to purchase electricity in the future."


    She then made a copy of the signed paperwork and handed Reginald a copy, along with two sets of keys.


    Ella and her mother were very happy, as if it was their first house purchase ever. Ella walked over to her father happily. "Thank you for bringing us here, Dad. I feel safer already. We can afford to relax a little bit and hunt for more supplies."


    She was more than eager to get her hands on some basic appliances. As a city girl who grew up with TV shows and social media, having spent so much time without these entertainment options left her feeling bored.


    Before, when they were busy surviving in the countryside, she didn''t really have time to be bored. But now that they had started to settle down a little bit, she couldn''t help but want some entertainment.

 Chapter 90 Investigating

    Damien''s Base


    Leader Ace woke up early to meet his new recruits. He wanted to set out early so that he could bring back any useful information to his boss, Dillon, making up for his mistake.


    As he approached the new recruit housing area, he was pleased to see that the men he picked out were all standing outside, eagerly waiting to prove themselves.


    "Okay, good. You''re all here. Let''s move out. I''ll tell you what you need to do when we get there," he said in a commanding tone.


    The men all stood up straight, wanting to appear more capable in front of him. "Yes, sir!" they shouted.


    Ace then motioned for them to follow him as he walked out of the hidden base. They walked for a while before they finally reached the street where the warehouse store was located.


    "Okay, our mission today is to investigate and retrieve any weapons. There was a shootout here earlier, and I need to know what sort of weapon was used to kill. Two of you will search the bodies over there and bring back any evidence. The rest of you will follow me into that broken building."


    The men quickly split up and began doing their tasks. Ace walked over to the old post office building where he had previously thrown the grenade and looked around.


    He was certain that the person who shot his men was hiding inside this building, but after carefully searching for any signs of someone being there, he didn''t find anything.


    "Hey, boss, we found these strange bullets in each of the dead bodies," said one of the men. He had a little bit of firearm experience, which is why he could tell that something about the bullets was off.


    Ace turned around and looked at the three dark bullets in his hand. "Why are there only three? There should be four."


    "Sir, there were only three bodies in the street. Each man was shot once. I can tell by the wound," he replied, confused.


    Ace frowned. "There should be four bodies, not three. Take a look around and see if you can find anything else."


    The man left after handing over the three bullets. Ace looked down at his hand, feeling the abnormal weight of the bullets. "I''ll have to bring this to Boss Dillon."


    As he was examining the bullets, another one of his men came over. "Leader, we can''t find any signs of a dead person. There should be at least blood, but there''s nothing around. We even moved the heavy debris to look underneath."


    Just as Ace was going to reply, another man walked over. "Leader, we found the fourth body behind this broken building. The clothes were cut off the same way as the other bodies."


    "Bring me to it," he replied, wanting to verify the identity of the body. The man led Ace behind the building, where he found the body that Anna had inspected earlier.


    Kneeling down, Ace carefully looked over the naked body. He noticed the needle marks on its arm. "It looks like someone was drawing blood. I''ll need to report this as soon as possible."


    Since Ace was low in the rankings of Damien''s gang, he wasn''t sure why someone would be interested in taking blood from a dead body, but he felt it was strange enough to report.


    Ace spent a few more hours combing through the collapsed post office building, making sure he didn''t miss anything before he turned his attention to his second task¡ªwomen.


    "Okay, last task of the day, and we get to go back," he said, rounding up his men. "We need to find at least one sexy woman to bring back. Make sure she has nice big tits and a curvy body."


    One of the new recruits hesitated, while the others had a look of excitement on their faces. The one who hesitated looked over. "Leader, what do you plan to do with the woman? It feels a little wrong taking them by force."


    Leader Ace looked over and smirked. "What do you mean? You think bringing a woman over to have a better life is wrong? Isn''t your life much better now than it was when you were out on the streets?"


    The recruit lowered his head. "Yes, it''s indeed much better. I have a roof over my head and three hot meals a day."


    "See, you''re practically doing a saint''s job. Helping a beautiful woman live a more comfortable life. Hey, she might be so grateful to you that she''d pay you back for saving her...if you get what I mean," said Ace with a cheeky grin. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he knew that if the woman was truly beautiful, even he wouldn''t get a taste of her until she lost the upper boss'' favor. Even up until now, he had only gotten a taste of one woman, but it was an experience he would never forget.


    The recruit was no longer as hesitant as before after listening to Ace''s words. He still had a slight gut feeling that it was wrong, but the possibility of being ''thanked'' by a beautiful woman was too alluring.


    "Come now, I know there should be at least two women around here. If it weren''t for this mystery shooter, they''d be living a glamorous life by now," laughed Ace as he walked toward where the previous two women were originally found.


    Three hours later, Ace finally noticed a woman run around the corner. She looked like she was looking for supplies but was very wary of her surroundings.


    Ace had his men stationed inside an old parking garage, observing the surroundings. This area had a lot of shops, making it a popular spot for looters to visit.


    "Hey, look. That one over there is good. She''s alone too," he said, alerting his men to her position.


    One of the recruits observed her and frowned. "But leader, she doesn''t look very pretty. Look, her face is covered in dirt."


    "Moron, look at her body. She''s got all the curves! Plus, many of the prettier ones like to mask their beauty with mud or dirt to avoid unwanted attention," explained Ace.


    The man looked over again and agreed that her body shape was indeed very sexy.


    "Okay, so here''s the plan. We quietly follow her to one of the stores and wait outside. When she leaves the store, we quickly tie her up and bring her with us. I even brought tape this time to shut her mouth. Otherwise, they make too much noise," said Ace.


    The four men nodded and followed their leader out of the parking garage.

 Chapter 91 Hunting for Information

    They waited in a shady alleyway, observing which store the woman would go to. As soon as she walked into one of the stores, Ace lifted his hand, giving the signal to move out. The men hid themselves around the entrance of the store and waited for her to come out.


    A short period of time later, she finally came back out. The minute she stepped through the doorway, they pounced on her, restraining her.


    Ace placed the tape over her mouth, muting her screams. "Don''t worry, lass, you''ll be thanking us for bringing you to a better place later."


    After fully securing the woman, Ace gave the orders to head back to base.


    The trip back was uneventful and without any obstructions. Once they got back, Ace had the men take the woman over to the women''s quarters to get cleaned up while Ace made his way over to report to Dillon.


    Dillon was currently getting ready to meet the higher-ups of the gang when he heard a knock on his door.


    "Come in," he said casually while he buttoned up his shirt.


    Ace opened the door and carefully walked in, trying to assess his boss''s mood. "Hello, boss, we just came back from our mission," he said.


    "And? Did you find the weapon?" asked Dillon without turning his head to look at Ace.


    Ace clammed up, hoping that Dillon''s anger wouldn''t flare up. "No, unfortunately it seems like whoever the shooter was got away... but I do have some interesting information!" he said quickly. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his palms were clammy.


    Ever since Dillon got promoted in the ranks of the gang, the power quickly went to his head, and he began to act more and more ruthless. Even his own girlfriend was treated more like an item than a human.


    Dillon frowned but was too curious to blow up in anger. "What information?" he asked quickly. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We found these bullets inside the dead bodies. They''re very different from any bullet I''ve ever seen, and also very heavy," Ace quickly said and held out the three cleaned black bullets in his hand for Dillon to see.


    Dillon finished buttoning up his shirt and began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt while looking at himself in the mirror. Only after he was finished did he turn to look at the bullets in Ace''s hand.


    While he was no weapons expert, he did feel that these bullets were a bit unusual. He picked one up, feeling its heft in his hand.


    "You said that at the time of shooting, there was not a single sound?" he asked while studying the bullet.


    "Yes, boss! The shooter was only across the street from us. There was no sound at all, I swear on it!" Ace quickly replied, clenching his sweaty palm.


    Dillon nodded and took the other two bullets out of his hand, placing them into his pocket. "Is there anything else to add?"


    "Yes! We discovered that the dead corpses had their clothing cut off, and one of the bodies had been moved. The moved body had needle marks on its arm as if blood was drawn," he answered.


    Dillon looked over at Ace quickly. "Oh really? This is indeed good information. Good work."


    Ace was shocked by Dillon''s compliment. He felt like this piece of information would be considered useless and almost didn''t report it. So when he heard Dillon''s compliment, he felt like he could finally breathe.


    "Thank you, boss! Also, we managed to secure a woman this time!" he quickly bowed, saving the best news for last.


    Dillon nodded. "Good. I''ll go visit the women''s quarters after my meeting to check her out. Now go, I need to attend a meeting with the higher-ups. I have a feeling we''ll have more missions passed over to us."


    "Yes, boss! You can count on me," said Ace, trying to sound enthusiastic. He was ready to work hard to get a promotion in the future. With every rank, the perks got better and better, and he wanted to know what living like a king felt like.


    After Ace left, Dillon stepped out of his room and walked further into the base where all of the higher-level bosses lived. Today, he was having a rare meeting with all of the big shots, and he hoped to prove himself in front of them.


    There was a large room that served as a conference room in one of the lower-level rooms of the base. Dillon walked in quietly, trying not to aggravate anyone around him. While he was a small-time boss, in the grand scheme of the gang, he was still considered a small fry.


    The room quickly filled up with people. All of the big shots sat in the seats around the conference table while the small fries like Dillon stood around the room.


    There were many faces that he didn''t recognize but realized they must be so high up the chain that someone like him wouldn''t ever need to cross paths with them.


    "Okay, let''s begin," said one of the men seated at the table. He was a scholarly man who wore glasses and gave off a cold aura.


    "Outside of the usual updates, we are here to gather information from the teams that have taken up many of the missions that were off base and in the city. We would like to hear about anything out of the ordinary or any information that was gathered about the government," he said.


    After the scholarly man sat down, Dillon got a peek at the man who sat at the center of the table. This man was about the same age as him but was very good-looking and aloof. He was sitting leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head.


    It looked like he was enjoying a nap instead of attending a meeting. Dillon lowered his eyes instinctively. Even though this man looked so carefree, Dillon still felt a very dangerous aura coming from him.


    The scholarly man began calling on the people who were standing around the room to give their updates, one by one. He opened his notebook, ready to jot down anything important.

 Chapter 92 Meeting with the Bigshots

    The first person to give their report was a tall woman with bright purple hair. She wore a woman''s suit, which made her give off the feeling that she was either a lawyer, a dominatrix, or somewhere in between.


    She bowed politely and quickly introduced herself. "Hello, I''m Mai, leader of Team Summit. Recently, I have taken on many supply and scouting missions. A week ago, I caught wind of the government setting up a base at a newly built mountain resort. I have already sent a team of men over and just recently received confirmation that they have settled into the base and are ready to pass along any needed information."


    The scholarly man nodded, fixing his glasses with his finger. "Very good. I will see you after the meeting with further instructions."


    Mai smiled. "Thank you, sir."


    After she finished, the man continued to go around the room, occasionally writing down bits of information from each team.


    The man at the center of the table continued to lay back with his eyes closed while everyone took their turns giving their updates.


    Dillon was at the end of the line and was the last to go. When the scholarly man finally looked over at him, signaling him to speak, Dillon stepped forward.


    "Hello, I''m Dillon, leader of Team Runner," he said, bowing politely. "Recently, my team was attacked, which ended with four of my men dead. The only survivor of the team reported that the weapon used produced no sound at all..."


    Dillon then reached into his pocket, pulled out the three black bullets, and walked over to the corner of the conference table, placing them on the table.


    "These were the bullets that were retrieved from the dead bodies," he said.


    The scholarly man reached out to pick one of the bullets up, noticing its abnormality. "Grant, take a look," he said as he slid the bullet toward a serious-looking, buff man who was sitting on the other side of the table.


    Grant picked up the bullet and inspected it closely. "Hmm, this is very unique indeed. As an expert in firearms, I can confidently state that there is no other bullet in the world like this."


    Dillon noticed that the man who had kept his eyes closed the whole time finally opened them, looking at the bullet on the table.


    The scholarly man picked up another bullet and placed it in front of the man at the center of the table, allowing him to get a better look.


    Grant looked over at the man in the middle of the table and said, "Boss, I''ll take this bullet apart when I get back. But just looking at it, I can say it smells like REN Corporation."


    The man in the middle didn''t reply, only nodded his head.


    The scholarly man turned back to Dillon. "Is there anything else?"


    Dillon nodded. "Yes, one more discovery. It looked like someone was inspecting the dead bodies. There were signs of blood being drawn and their clothing was carefully cut off. I will also add that these men were originally part of the experimental team."


    As soon as Dillon finished talking, the man in the middle of the room began to laugh. "Haha! You sneaky rat! I had a feeling you were still alive!". Dillon wasn''t sure about what he was referring to, but decided not to ask.


    The man looked over at Dillon and tapped on the table, giving the scholarly man a subtle message that Dillon had caught his eye.


    The scholarly man looked up at Dillon. "Good work, you''ve provided valuable information. I will be contacting you shortly."


    Dillon nodded, maintaining a serious expression, but inside, he was ecstatic. He had successfully managed to make an impression on the big shots, meaning he might get opportunities for promotion in the future.


    The room quieted down once more, and the scholarly man stood up again. "New missions will be assigned at the start of next week. Continue recruitment efforts and supply runs in the meantime. Everyone is dismissed."


    All of the small-time leaders bowed in unison and quickly made their way out of the conference room, leaving the big-shot leaders to continue their meeting.


    "Grant," said the man in the middle.


    "Yes, boss!" replied Grant respectfully.


    "I need you to make researching this bullet a priority. As soon as you confirm that it''s a REN Corporation design, let me know. Julian is still alive, I can feel it" he said, smiling with a bloodthirsty expression.


    Grant nodded. "Yes, boss. I''ll get started right away."


    The man then turned to the scholarly man sitting beside him. "Tristan, keep an eye on Mai and Dillon. They have potential for the inner circle."


    Tristan fixed his glasses again. "Yes, boss. I''ll look into their information more when I get back. I need to give a few instructions to Mai first."


    The man laughed and patted Tristan on the back roughly. "Tristan, when will you stop calling me ''boss''? I''ve told you many times to just call me Damien. You know you''re like a brother to me."


    Tristan rolled his eyes. "I prefer to remain professional, thank you." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Damien laughed once more. He was long used to Tristan''s overly professional personality.


    ----


    Dillon stopped by the women''s quarters on his way back to his room. He stood in front of the one-way mirror, peering inside the large room where the recently ''recruited'' woman stayed. The guard on duty walked over to Dillon, greeting him with a smile.


    "Which one is the one brought in today from Team Runner?" asked Dillon, watching one of the women as she changed her clothes.


    The guard looked into the room and pointed with his finger. "That one over there. It took a long time for her to calm down, but Penny worked her magic and helped her ease into her new life here."


    Penny was the leader who was in charge of taking care of the newly found women. She was very good in human psychology and was able to sway them into accepting their new roles on the base. Penny was also in charge of making sure these women stayed beautiful, like flowers.


    She would provide them with sexy clothing and makeup, dolling them up to help attract the many leaders within the gang.


    Dillon looked at the woman closely, inspecting every part of her body. "Not bad, she''s sexy. I''m sure she''ll catch the attention of one of the big shots soon."


    After looking around a bit more, Dillon quickly became aroused from seeing all the attractive women and hurried back to his room, where Krissy was waiting for him.


    As he walked back, his horny mind couldn''t help but begin to picture Rayne. After today''s meeting, he felt even more excited because if he proved himself to any of the big shots, they would surely fulfill his request to find Rayne for him.


    Once she was found, he would be sure to have his fun with her. He felt his blood rush downward at the thought and quickened his pace back to his room.

 Chapter 93 Chopsticks

    A few days later, Dillon received a message from Tristan. It was a mission with the promise of a promotion once completed. The mission was to investigate the remains of the REN Corp. laboratory and retrieve anything useful. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Dillon performed well on this mission, he would get promoted, granting him many more benefits to enjoy.


    Dillon was ecstatic and quickly went to make preparations for his mission.


    ---


    At the bunker...


    A few weeks had passed since Julian opened the box. During this time, Rayne had asked Julian to help her train in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat skills.


    They trained for a few hours every day, which greatly accelerated Rayne''s improvement. She felt much more confident holding a combat knife and believed she could hold her own in a tough situation.


    Rayne was currently sitting on the floor of the small gymnasium, catching her breath.


    Julian walked over and handed her a bottle of water. "Here, drink this." Rayne accepted the water with a smile and quickly took several large gulps.


    "Ah, thank you. Who knew water could be so delicious!" she exclaimed. Today, Julian had decided to test her, going all out in his mock fight with her.


    He smiled. "You did really well today. It''s kind of crazy how quickly you''ve improved!"


    "Thank you. It''s all thanks to your great teaching," she said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a small towel she pulled out from her system.


    Julian shook his head. "We both know it''s all because of your hard work." He then opened a fresh water bottle, taking a few sips.


    "Has Anna made any progress in figuring out what the red substance in the vial is?" asked Rayne curiously. It had been some time, and she hadn''t heard much from that side.


    "No. Unfortunately, the only thing she came up with was that it was highly reactive to the human body," replied Julian.


    "I''m going to need to look for a suitable chemist at this rate. I''ve already begun discussing this topic with the team. I''ve been thinking of finally making a trip over to the government base to see if we can get lucky and find a chemist there," he continued.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up! She''d been itching to visit the government base for a while now. She wanted to see the state of the world and see if she could find any of her acquaintances.


    "Please take me with you! I really want to go," she said, looking up at Julian with a hopeful expression.


    "Haha, trust me, I know you want to! You''ve been talking about this for a while now," he laughed. "Yes, you can come with me... actually, I''d love it if you would come with me."


    Rayne''s eyes shone with excitement. "Yay! When do we set out?" She was so excited to go that she quickly forgot about her tired and sore muscles, springing up from the ground.


    "Soon. I was thinking the day after tomorrow. Does that work for you?" he asked.


    "Yes, of course! Who will be going?" she asked curiously. She wanted to make sure she made preparations in case they would be traveling with others, so she wouldn''t expose her system.


    Julian looked over at her and grinned. "It''ll be just us! The others have a long list of other tasks they''re working on. And I feel that going to the base in a smaller group would be less conspicuous than going with a large one."


    Rayne''s face flushed slightly as she nodded. "Okay! I''ll be sure to stock the fridge and freezer with extra food for the guys."


    "Thank you. Be sure to prepare yourself; we will most likely be there for a while," he said. Something told him that finding a chemist wouldn''t be as easy as a simple walk in the park, and it would likely take some time.


    Rayne was a little surprised to hear this. All of their excursions thus far had been day trips, but now he was telling her to prepare to be there for a while.


    "Okay! Oh, and let me know if you need me to store any of your belongings. It''ll be easier to transport if anything," she offered.


    Julian walked over and placed his arms around her, hugging her. "Thank you, Rayne," he whispered. Just knowing that she would be beside him made him incredibly happy. Her positive personality and caring nature were what he loved about her the most.


    "Julian, I''m all sweaty!" she said, feeling a little embarrassed to be embraced in this state. She still hadn''t gotten used to Julian''s spontaneous embraces that made her heart beat quickly.


    "Mhm, I am too," he teased, then let her go. "Come on, let''s go up and get some dinner before it gets too late."


    "You make it sound like I can''t just bring out a freshly cooked meal in the blink of an eye. I''m going to shower first! I''ll come over after and bring you something to eat," she giggled and ran up to her room.


    After arriving in her room, she immediately jumped in the shower, scrubbing herself clean. She felt very refreshed afterward, but her stomach had already begun its protest.


    She quickly put on a pair of pajamas and ran over to Julian''s room, knocking on the door.


    When Julian heard the soft knock on his door, he walked over to be greeted by a wet-haired Rayne.


    He had just gotten out of the shower and didn''t expect her to come by so quickly. Looking at her eager expression, he realized what was going on.


    "Haha, hungry? Come on in," he said, smiling. He figured she must have been really hungry if she came over so quickly, not bothering to dry her hair.


    "What''s on the menu today?" he asked as he walked over to his room to grab a clean towel. He returned to the sofa where Rayne was sitting and gently wrapped the towel around her hair, squeezing the water out.


    Rayne didn''t expect him to help her dry her hair, her ears turning red. "Oh, you don''t have to do this for me," she said shyly.


    "It''s no problem at all. Allow me to do this for you," he replied quickly. She had beautiful hair, and he didn''t want to miss such a rare opportunity to run his hands through it.


    Rayne felt her scalp tingle from his gentle movements, sending her into a blissful trance. The two of them were immersed in their own pleasures for a few minutes until both of their stomachs growled in unison.


    Both quickly snapped back into reality, laughing heartily.


    "What are you in the mood for today?" asked Rayne after she finished laughing.


    Julian finished drying her hair to the best of his ability and turned to put the damp towel away. "Hmm, how about seafood?"


    "Oh, good idea! How does sushi sound? I''ve been craving it recently!" Rayne asked, pulling up her system panel.


    "Sushi sounds great! It''s been a while!" he said, sitting down next to her on the sofa.


    Rayne quickly pulled out a few different plates of fresh sushi, filling the small coffee table with different cuts of fish and sushi rolls. She then took out various sauces, such as soy sauce, and two plates, handing one over to Julian.


    "Do you know how to use chopsticks?" she asked, curiously. They had only eaten Western-style dishes up until this point, and she wasn''t sure if he knew how to use them.


    Julian picked them up skillfully, showing her his mastery. "Yes! I learned to use them during my university days. One of my dormmates taught me how," he explained.


    Rayne nodded. "That''s great! I find them very novel to use!"


    They quickly began to eat, enjoying the large assortment of high-quality fish and seafood. Rayne had eaten this sushi a few times in the past, but for some reason, she felt that it was much more delicious today.

 Chapter 94 Heading Out

    The next morning, Rayne woke up extra early to get cooking. She decided to fill the fridge and freezer with as many easy-to-heat meals as possible, so that Noah and Ian could continue to eat nutritious food while she was gone.


    She also filled a few baskets and drawers with fresh fruits and vegetables, providing even more nutritious snacking options.


    After she finished prepping all of the meals and restocking, she went back to her room and filled a large wooden crate with fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat. She wanted to leave this crate with Alpha Team, who lived on a different level of the bunker, to ensure their nutritional needs were met.


    That evening, Rayne went over to knock on Julian''s door to see if he needed to store any of his items before they set off early the next morning.


    "Oh hey! What''s up?" he asked happily, seeing that it was Rayne.


    "Hi! I''m here to see if you need anything stored before we set off tomorrow," she said in a low voice.


    Julian motioned for her to come inside. "Sure, I have a few different weapons and firearms here, as well as some everyday items like clothing."


    Rayne looked at the spread of high-tech weapons laid out on the table with awe. She had never seen so many different types of guns, knives, and grenades before.


    "Wow, I never realized you had so many weapons! How did you get so many?" she asked excitedly.


    Julian laughed at her dazzled expression and walked over to the table. "Well, it pays to be in the weapons development business. That, and government ties gave me a few special benefits."


    "Oh, I see. Are you sure you''re okay with me having these weapons?" she asked once more before she stored them. Once stored, she would also have access to these items.


    "Yes, of course. Why? Do you plan to build an army and hunt me down?" he joked, gently patting her on the head.


    Rayne crossed her arms. "Hmm, well, maybe I am!" She held her serious pose for a few seconds before her lips began to twitch into a smile.


    Julian watched her serious expression begin to crack and let out a laugh. "Mmm, I see. Looks like I''ll have to keep an eye on you."


    Rayne smiled, then turned her attention to the weapons on the table. She quickly stored each one, leaving the table empty.


    Once she finished storing the weapons, Julian walked over with a small basket. "These are a few of my daily items, if you don''t mind."


    Rayne quickly reached over and stored the basket, bringing a copy back out for him to keep here. She turned around to face him. "Done! Anything else?"


    Julian shook his head. "No, but I''m thinking about how we should travel to the base. I''m not sure if taking one of the jeeps from Alpha Team would be a good idea."


    Rayne smiled. "Ah, don''t worry about that. I have a vehicle we can use." It had been a while since she drove her SUV, and she felt excited at the opportunity.


    "Wait, don''t tell me you can store vehicles too?!" asked Julian, very surprised. For some reason, he felt like her ability was limited to small items only.


    "Yep! Remember the camper? I''ve got that too, and many more vehicles... although some of them don''t have keys."


    "Wow, Rayne, you never cease to amaze me!" he said. He was truly impressed with her skill and foresight in acquiring all of the items she did.


    They chatted for a few more minutes before Rayne went back to her room to get some early rest. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up very early. They agreed to head out before 6 a.m. so they could arrive at the government base earlier in the day.


    Julian wanted to get settled in as quickly as possible so they could focus on information gathering as soon as possible.


    After getting out of bed, she got dressed in all black athletic wear, slinging her trusty black backpack over her shoulder. She walked out of her room with plans to wait for Julian in the common area, but when she arrived, she noticed that he was waiting for her.


    "Morning, you ready to set off?" he asked with a gentle smile.


    "Good morning! And yes, I''m quite excited," she replied.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, noticing his messy hair from having just woken up. Feeling bold, she placed her hand on his head and ruffled his hair, making it even messier.


    "C''mon, you goose, let''s head out," Julian laughed, enjoying the attention he was receiving.


    They walked out of the bunker together and into the dark forest outside. Thankfully, the weather had been fairly stable with no natural disasters, making the walk in the forest somewhat more enjoyable.


    Rayne zipped up her jacket as the cool autumn air felt a little chilly, then looked over at Julian.


    "Do you need a jacket? It''s a bit chilly out here without the sun," she asked. She noticed that Julian was dressed simply, with just a black long-sleeve shirt and some jeans.


    Julian looked over at her, admiring her rosy cheeks from the cool air. "Thanks, but I''m good for now. I''m one of those hot-blooded people who always feel warm. This cool air feels refreshing to me."


    "Okay. Let me know if you change your mind," she said. She knew what he was talking about. Every time he placed his arms around her, she could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. She always enjoyed it because she was the opposite type of person who was always cold.


    They walked through the forest along the usual path they took when they did their excursions into the city. A few hours later, they reached the field on the other side of the forest, which led to the major highway they needed to get on.


    Rayne found a discreet spot and pulled out her SUV from her space.


    "Tah-dah!" she said, presenting her lovely SUV to Julian.

 Chapter 95 Long Queues

    Julian walked around the SUV, nodding his head in approval.


    "Sweet ride you have here. I haven''t seen too many of these cars out on the streets before. How did you manage to get it?" he asked.


    Rayne smiled. "Ah, I bought it thanks to the generous amount of money you paid me!"


    Julian smiled and shook his head. "Well, I''m happy to see that you spent the money on good-quality things."


    Before entering the SUV, Rayne went to open the trunk of the car. She wanted to place a number of boxes of supplies inside to make it appear as though they had come with supplies. This way, if she needed to take something out of her system, she could pretend she was taking it out of her car.


    Julian watched as boxes and bags of random supplies appeared out of thin air, filling the trunk of the vehicle. It only took Rayne a few seconds to finish her task before getting into the driver''s seat of her car.


    "Are you sure you don''t want me to drive?" asked Julian as he got into the passenger seat.


    Rayne looked over at him as she started the car. "I''m quite sure! I''ve missed my car very much! I''m a good driver too, so don''t worry."


    "I''m at your mercy," Julian laughed, buckling his seatbelt.


    They drove off toward the highway that led to the resort that had been converted into the government base. While it was relatively close to the bunker, the winding road made the trip a good bit longer.


    When they finally arrived at the entrance checkpoint of the base, the sun had already risen. Rayne joined the long queue of cars trying to get in.


    "It seems like we won''t get in anytime soon," she said, mentally counting the number of cars in front of her. Outside of the cars, there were even a few groups of people walking along the side of the highway.


    Julian observed the long queue and pulled his backpack up from the floor between his legs. Unzipping it, he pulled out a small thermos and a pair of metal cups.


    Rayne watched him, curious about what was inside. Soon, the pleasant scent of coffee wafted throughout the car.


    "Here, for you," Julian handed Rayne the first cup of coffee. He then proceeded to fill the second cup for himself.


    Rayne gratefully accepted the cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. The hot drink warmed her body, blissfully relaxing her.


    They quietly sipped their coffee while occasionally engaging in small talk. A few hours later, it was finally their turn to pass through the entrance checkpoint.


    The guard on duty looked at the rugged SUV, which appeared to be in very good shape, and walked over. Rayne lowered her window to greet the approaching guard, but before she could say anything, the guard spoke first.


    "What''s your purpose for coming here?" he said sternly.


    Rayne was taken aback slightly by his hostile tone. Even Julian leaned over to make his presence known.


    "We heard about the government base and would like to move in," stated Rayne. She wasn''t sure if it was the guard''s personality or if they had done something wrong, but this certainly was not a warm welcome.


    The guard stood silently, observing Rayne and Julian. He was looking for any signs of malice or deceit.


    "Please open your trunk. We would like to do an inspection," he said after a few moments.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, seeing him nod. She pushed the button that opened the trunk, allowing the guards to take a look inside.


    Through the rearview mirror, Rayne watched as the guard rummaged through the boxes and bags of supplies. She wasn''t sure whether he was looking for weapons or proof that they were refugees, but she was glad she had taken the time to fill the car with random supplies.


    It would have been a little strange if they had traveled empty-handed, which could have put them under even more suspicion.


    The guard finally finished his search and walked back to the driver''s side window.


    "Okay, thank you for complying. Please pull forward to that parking lot, where you can begin the resident registration process," he said, pointing toward the large parking lot.


    Rayne nodded curtly, not wanting to smile after his cold attitude, and drove off to the designated parking lot.


    The parking lot had a good number of cars, and the line to the registration counter was incredibly long.


    "Looks like another long line. I guess it''s to be expected," Rayne mumbled as she pulled into an open parking spot.


    "Why don''t I queue up while you take a nap in the car?" suggested Julian. He didn''t want Rayne to stand in the cooler weather for a long time if she didn''t have to.


    "No, I''ll go with you," she said resolutely. While she felt very happy on the inside for his consideration, she knew that it was about time she toughened up. She had plenty of jackets and hand warmers in her system, so standing in slightly cooler weather wasn''t something she couldn''t overcome. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian saw her resolute gaze and didn''t dissuade her further. He respected her desire to get stronger, both physically and mentally.


    "Very well, let me know if you get cold, and I''ll warm you up in my arms," he said with a flirty tone. He noticed Rayne''s cheeks flush pink, making him want to lean in to kiss her.


    Resisting his urges, he quickly got out of the car, making sure to bring his backpack, and walked over to queue up in the massive line with Rayne.


    Many of the people in line noticed Rayne''s car and began whispering among themselves.


    "Looks like some big shots arrived," said one woman to the group of people she had arrived with. They had been traveling for a few days on foot to get here and didn''t feel that it was fair that others had access to such nice vehicles.


    "Why do they even need to come here? Clearly, they''re living a normal life, unlike us, refugees," commented another woman.


    The men in the group stared at the car with jealousy in their eyes. The only thoughts in their minds were how to obtain it.

 Chapter 96 Unwanted Attention

    Rayne listened to the gossip on her way to the end of the line and frowned. She knew her car would stand out a little, but she didn''t expect this much attention.


    "Don''t worry about them; they''re just jealous. Even if we arrived in a half-broken junk car, someone would still be pointing at us saying the same thing," said Julian after noticing her unhappy expression.


    Rayne stood silently beside him, thinking about his words. She felt he was correct; there will always be someone coveting another person''s things.


    "At least now we can drive around without worry since everyone knows about the vehicle. It''ll also be harder for people to steal it, since I doubt anyone else has the same model," added Julian.


    "Yes, you''re right. Even in the worst case, it''s not like we can''t get another one," she smiled, whispering quietly.


    The rest of the time was uneventful, just the typical occasional crying by those who could not afford the registration fee.


    There was a small tent city forming just outside the base, consisting of those who had been turned away. These people felt that at least living in close proximity to the base would be better than nothing.


    After waiting in line for about three hours, Rayne started to feel hungry. They still had a long line ahead of them, so she would have to make do with eating something small for now.


    Using her backpack as cover, Rayne opened her system and pulled out a small grilled chicken wrap, handing a second one to Julian.


    As she quietly ate the wrap, she spotted two young children from the family in front of them peeking over at her. They looked to be around 10 years old and appeared very thin and dirty, their eyes not leaving the chicken wrap in Rayne''s hand.


    Rayne instantly felt sorry for them and pretended to open her backpack once more to pull out two more chicken wraps. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly handed the food to the two children.


    Their eyes lit up once they realized she was giving it to them, and they quickly accepted the wraps, biting into them.


    Their mother noticed the commotion and looked over to see her two children eating.


    "Where did you two get this?! Quickly, tell me!" she asked in a hushed tone. She was worried that they may have stolen the food from someone in line.


    Before the children could answer, she turned to look around and noticed the same chicken wrap as the ones her children were eating in Rayne''s hands.


    "Miss, did my children steal this food from you? Please forgive them. I will do my best to pay you back as soon as possible! Unfortunately, I don''t have many supplies on me right now," she said, beginning to apologize profusely. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne quickly went to stop her. "No, it''s okay! I gave it to them. They were adorable, and I wanted to give them a small gift," explained Rayne.


    The woman''s eyes began to tear up. "Thank you, miss. This is the first real meal they''ve had in weeks. We had to pay most of our supplies in exchange for a car ride here."


    "It''s no problem at all," said Rayne quietly, restraining herself from handing over more food. As much as she wanted to help this family, there were too many people around, and she had already garnered unwanted attention.


    The woman quickly bowed her head in thanks. "I wish you and your husband many blessings." She then turned around, directing her attention to her two children.


    Rayne''s face flushed at her comment, but she was too late to correct her.


    Julian stood silently next to Rayne, pretending to observe the surroundings. He had heard the entire conversation and was particularly happy about the woman''s comment about him being Rayne''s husband.


    What this woman didn''t know was that she had quickly found herself on Julian''s good side.


    After a few more hours of waiting, the queue seemed to speed up. Julian looked around and noticed they had opened a second line for the registration counter, speeding up the process.


    The second line sped up the queue by a good amount, and soon it was finally their turn.


    "Hello, if you are here to register, please fill out this form¡ªone per person. If you have an ID, it will help speed up the process," said the administrator at the counter.


    Julian looked to Rayne and picked up a form for each of them.


    "Would you mind if we register you as head of household? And if you don''t mind... may I register under your last name?" he asked Rayne quietly. He wasn''t sure how secure the base''s database was and didn''t want to expose his identity in case Damien''s people were already here.


    Rayne nodded, understanding a little bit of why he would ask this. He had mentioned earlier that he had to go as far as faking his death, so his request made sense.


    They quickly filled out the forms, making Rayne the head of household and designating Julian as her husband. Even though she knew it was to conceal Julian''s identity, she still felt her heart race.


    After filling out the forms, the administrator explained the entrance fee and what items were eligible for payment. She pointed to a second counter where they would accept the payment and finalize the registration.


    As Rayne walked over to the second counter with Julian, she overheard the mother of the two children who had been queued in front of them, pleading with one of the administrators.


    "Please, we''re only missing a little bit. We''ve starved ourselves for days just to make it here. Is there anything you can do to help us?" she cried out.


    "I''m so sorry, ma''am. However, if we make an exception for you, we would have to make an exception for everyone. Please understand that we cannot do this," apologized the administrator.


    The woman hung her head in defeat. She understood the concept but had a hard time coming to terms with the outcome. She had sacrificed so much to get her children here safely, but now she realized she was just shy of a few supplies to gain entry.


    Rayne turned to look at Julian, pleading with her eyes. She wanted to help that woman out but wanted to hear Julian''s opinion first.


    When he smiled and nodded, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She quickly reached into her backpack and pulled out a plastic bag, pretending to transfer supplies over from her backpack.


    She filled the bag as much as she could without it being too suspicious, added some canned food, and a few bags of rice. These items were worth the most points, so Rayne hoped they could help offset the cost, allowing the woman to keep a few supplies for herself.

 Chapter 97 Increased Prices

    After filling the bag, Rayne quickly walked over to the woman and directly placed the handles of the bag into her hands. She didn''t wait for the woman to thank her and walked back to Julian''s side to take care of her own payment.


    The woman didn''t realize what had happened until Rayne disappeared from her view. She looked down at the plastic bag in her hands, noticing the generous amount of supplies inside.


    She turned her head to look around to find Rayne but couldn''t spot her in the large crowd. Walking over to the counter once more, she placed the goods on the table. "Hi, will this be enough to register me and my children?"


    The administrator looked at the high-quality goods in the bag, inspecting each one. "Oh, why didn''t you bring this earlier? This is more than enough!" she said happily.


    She even returned a bag of rice and a few cans of vegetables. "Here you are. I''ve finished processing your registration. Here are your resident cards¡ªdon''t lose them!"


    The mother accepted the resident cards with shaking hands. She felt so lucky and grateful. The journey had finally been worth it. Now she could relax a little, knowing her kids would be safer here than on the streets.


    Rayne and Julian had also just finished their registration and received their residency cards. They were registered as a married couple, under the last name of Weston.


    "Well, we finally managed to register as residents. I guess now we need to secure a place to live," said Rayne as they walked back to her SUV.


    "Yes, we need to be quick about it before all these other people beat us to it. Although this resort is huge, the number of refugees is even greater," agreed Julian.


    They quickly got off at the base, driving through the second checkpoint entrance. As they drove in, Rayne was shocked to see the sea of tents set up in every available corner of the base. Only major walkways and parking lots were enforced to not allow any tents, leaving only a few free areas.


    Rayne parked her car in the main parking lot and walked over to the main lobby area with Julian. They quickly found the housing office and walked inside, squeezing in like sardines.


    Julian frowned at how many people there were. "I hope we''re not too late. I''m not sure if there will be any free rooms left."


    Thankfully for them, they quickly learned that the cost of renting was astronomically high. The line in front of them dwindled quickly after everyone learned of the cost.


    The administrator saw the chaos inside the office and stood up, making an announcement. "Hello, everyone. To save time, I would like to announce that the cheapest room to rent is currently 600 points. Based on the current conversion chart, that''s over 100 cans of food a month."


    The room quickly erupted into an uproar. "What? I was just here two weeks ago and the cost was 450 points! The cost went up again!"


    Another person yelled out, "Yeah! I was here just three days ago and it was 500 points! Why is the cost skyrocketing so much?!"


    The administrator felt flustered. "Hello, the cost fluctuates with supply and demand. We don''t have many rooms available. I''m sorry for any inconvenience."


    The room got even more chaotic at the knowledge of the low availability of rooms. Some people, who knew they didn''t have a chance to come up with that many points, left quietly with their heads lowered.


    Those who were on the edge ran out to see if they could borrow a few supplies from friends and family.


    A guard finally showed up, making those who wanted to yell and complain quiet down and leave. After a few minutes, only Rayne and Julian were left in the housing office.


    The administrator looked over, doing her best to appear happy and polite. "Hello, are you interested in renting the room?" she asked quickly.


    Rayne walked over to the desk with Julian. "Yes, we would like to take it." While the cost was high, it naturally meant nothing to Rayne, who had an unlimited amount of supplies.


    The administrator nodded and presented them with a list of goods along with their point values. "This is a list of common items and their values. While this over here is a list of in-demand items, which are worth more," she said, handing over two pieces of paper.


    Rayne looked over both lists, gaining more insight on the value of certain items. She focused more on the ''in-demand'' items since they were what the base was currently in need of the most.


    While Rayne and Julian looked through the item exchange sheets, the administrator continued. "I will be honest with you, we only have one unit available. If you can make a payment today, it''s yours. I''ll take you to see it afterward." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne looked over at Julian and saw him nodding. She then turned to the administrator and agreed. "Yes, we will definitely take it today."


    Some of the in-demand items this month were basic medical supplies and personal hygiene items like soaps and feminine care. Shockingly, even condoms were on the list, worth 100 points a box.


    "I''ll be right back with the payment. Luckily, we just recently obtained a number of these items," explained Rayne as she pretended to go back to the car. In reality, she left the housing office, leaving Julian to stay in her place, and walked into a remote corner of the lobby.


    She put her hand inside her backpack and began to fill it with a variety of medical supplies and hygiene items, including a few boxes of condoms of varying sizes. She waited outside for a few minutes before walking back inside the housing office with a full backpack.


    "Here are the items, please take a look," she said to the housing administrator as she placed her backpack on the desk.


    The housing administrator quickly got to work, inspecting every item and noting down its value. "You have way over the needed amount. Would you like to add electricity to your room? It''s an additional 50 points a month."


    Rayne quickly nodded. "Yes, please. I believe there should be enough for four months of rent with the electricity included." She initially took out enough items for five months of rent, but with the added cost of electricity, she would have enough for four months.


    "Let me quickly add up the cost... Yes, looks like you are all set for four months with electricity!" she said happily. She handed over the keys to Rayne and motioned for them to follow her to the unit.

 Chapter 98 Making a House a Home

    Rayne and Julian followed the housing administrator to the west side of the base, where the lodgings overlooked the river valley.


    "Here we are. It''s a bit far from the center of the base, but it''s quieter around here too," she explained, leading them up to the third floor.


    "Yours is the room on the edge over here," she pointed with her hand. "Please feel free to let me know if there are any issues in the future." Then, she quickly turned around and left to return to the office.


    Rayne walked up to the door and unlocked it with the key she had been given. As they walked inside, Rayne quickly realized that it was a one-bedroom unit. She turned to look at Julian, wanting to gauge his reaction, but all she was met with was a bright smile.


    "This place looks nice and cozy, just needs a good clean. If you wouldn''t mind giving me a few cleaning supplies, I''ll get started," he said happily. The moment he realized it was a one-bedroom unit, he felt ecstatic. He would get to experience what it felt like living together with Rayne, his heart racing with excitement.


    Rayne blushed at his excited expression and turned to open her system panel. She took out brooms, mops, different cleaning solutions, rags, buckets, and a variety of other cleaning supplies.


    They both quickly got to work, cleaning every little corner of the unit until it was sparkling clean. A faint lemon scent lingered inside from the soaps and disinfectants.


    Julian picked up the buckets of dirty mop water and turned to Rayne. "I''ll go dump this outside. Feel free to decorate and make this place comfortable as you see fit. We''ll be staying here for a while, and there''s no need to shortchange ourselves on comfort."


    After he left, Rayne opened her system panel and looked through to see what items she had that could be used for improvements. One of the first things she wanted to do was secure the place.


    Since more and more people were continuing to flood into the base to seek refuge, there was bound to be some sort of conflict. Rayne wanted to at least ensure that the place they slept at night would be secure.


    She looked through the ''security'' folder and pulled out a new door that was originally advertised as being able to withstand bullets and explosives. She chose this specific model because she could attach the unit''s original door to the front side, maintaining the original facade.


    Rayne also pulled out a new door lock. Although the master key was in the hands of the base''s administration, she chose not to trust that everyone there was upstanding or would not be bribed.


    After setting those items aside, she walked over to inspect the three windows in the unit. There were two in the living room and one in the bedroom, and thankfully, each one was in good shape.


    Julian came back with the two buckets, now empty, and noticed the sheet metal door along with the new door lock near the entrance.


    "Oh wow, this is a great idea! Let''s get this door installed right now," he said and began to remove the current door.


    Rayne came over and helped him, taking out any necessary tools along the way. They both worked quickly and efficiently, getting the new metal door installed in no time. Julian went ahead to install the new door lock while Rayne went around to furnish the new living space.


    She turned the small space near the entrance into a small kitchen area, placing a long and narrow wooden table against the wall. On top of the table, she set up an electric cooktop and a coffee maker, and placed a small mini fridge under the table, plugging it into the outlet.


    The items she chose for the living room were simple but comfortable. She chose the most basic-looking grey rug and grey sofa, hoping that it wouldn''t be too eye-catching. They had noticed a few trucks with various furniture when they first arrived, so she felt that having a few pieces of furniture out should be okay.


    The last piece of furniture Rayne added to the living room was a small coffee table, which would double as a dining table during mealtimes. She had a hard time finding one that looked really simple, so she settled for the one she had stored from her room in the bunker.


    The next order of business was curtains and blinds. Privacy was very important to her, and she didn''t want to leave the windows bare. She chose some basic wooden blinds and heavy linen curtains, providing privacy and adding warmth to the rooms.


    Julian helped her install the curtain rods and blinds, enjoying the process of decorating their home together. He noticed how she hesitated to decorate the only bedroom in the unit and smiled.


    "How''s it going? Are you concerned about something?" he asked, hugging her from behind.


    Rayne blushed at his embrace. "Umm, I''m just not sure how to set up the bedroom... since there''s only one." She was about to offer to sleep on the couch and give Julian the bedroom, but he beat her to it.


    "Why don''t you put two single beds here? One against each wall, with a nightstand in the middle," he quickly suggested. He had a feeling she was about to suggest sleeping in a different room, and he wanted to prevent that from happening.


    Deep down, what he truly would have wanted was to sleep together in the same bed, but he knew it was too early for that. Two beds in the same room would be a good opportunity for them to get even closer to one another, gradually progressing their relationship.


    Rayne thought about his suggestion for a few moments, feeling like it should be okay. "Are you sure you''re okay with that?" she asked.


    "Yes, of course. I even promise not to snore," he teased. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 99 Lurking Dangers

    Rayne broke free from his embrace and turned to face him. "You better not snore! I''ll throw endless amounts of pillows at you if you do!" she teased, causing them both to burst out laughing.


    She walked around the small bedroom and pulled out two identical twin bedframes. "Come, help me put these together," she invited him over, motioning to him with her hand.


    They spent the next hour assembling the bedframes, laughing and joking with each other in the process.


    "Ugh! We finally finished putting this one together. Let me just store it in my system and make a copy so we don''t have to spend another hour putting together the second one," Rayne said dramatically.


    She felt that this bedframe was incredibly annoying to put together. If she still had access to the internet, she would have even gone to write a bad review about it.


    Julian stood up, eagerly agreeing with her idea. The instructions were confusing, and none of the parts were labeled. They had to redo many steps just to get things to fit correctly.


    Rayne placed her hand on the assembled bedframe and gave the mental command to store it. She also took the unopened box for the second frame and placed it in her system trash bin, wanting to remove it from her sight before she got the urge to toss it through the window.


    Julian helped her wipe the floor once more, clearing away all the small dust and debris from the assembly process before Rayne took out the completed bedframes. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She placed the first one against the left wall and the other frame against the right wall. This left just enough space for a small nightstand beneath the window between the two beds.


    Once the hard part of setting up the bedframes was done, she went through her system to try out different mattresses.


    "Here, test out a few of these mattresses and choose the one you like the most," she said after laying a different one on each bed.


    Julian went over, and they took turns lying on different mattresses as Rayne rotated them out until they found their favorite ones.


    "I think it''s this one for me. I like the slightly firmer ones," Julian said, standing up off the bed.


    Rayne nodded. "I think I like this one the best as well." She laid out a copy of that mattress on each bed and removed all of the others.


    All that was left to do was lay out the bedsheets and blankets and add the pillows. She chose a set of soft linens and warm blankets while adding the finishing touches to the bedroom.


    Julian walked back into the bedroom and admired the finished room. "It looks so cozy. You did a great job. Thank you, Rayne."


    "Thank you. Did you finish the bathroom?" she asked cheerfully.


    "Yes! Installed the new showerhead, put up the new shower curtain, and placed all of the toiletries in their respective places!" he reported.


    Rayne smiled at him. "Thank you. I think we should have an extra special meal tonight to celebrate!" They had been either traveling or waiting in line for most of the day, only having a chance to eat a few bites in between.


    Now that they had finally settled, she wanted to take the opportunity to make something hearty and special.


    "I will never say no to your cooking. You should know that by now," Julian said with a cheeky grin. He truly loved her cooking, feeling that it was better than most of the top restaurants he had eaten at previously.


    "Okay, that settles it then! I''ll see what I can make in this small kitchenette," she answered, walking over to the designated kitchen area.


    Since the weather had gotten a little cooler, she decided that a nice hearty stew would be perfect to warm their bodies. To make her life easier, she decided to cook it in a slow cooker (crockpot) and pulled one out of her system.


    She also pulled out all the needed vegetables, spices, and meat, carefully chopping and dicing them.


    Before long, a wonderful scent spread throughout the house, making Julian antsy to eat. He was currently lying on the couch with Rayne, watching a TV show on her laptop.


    "How much longer? It smells way too good," he leaned over and asked. He had long been salivating due to the wonderful scent and couldn''t wait any longer.


    Rayne turned to poke him on the arm. "Patience! It should be done soon! The longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be!"


    She really loved how much of a foodie Julian was. She noticed that it was a side of him he only let loose around her. When the others were around, he seemed much more restrained.


    While the two of them were having fun teasing each other, the neighbors next door sat huddled on ripped blankets that were laid out on the cold floor.


    "Rico, do you smell that? It''s very faint, but my stomach won''t stop growling," said a pale, skinny man with blonde hair.


    "I wonder if it''s the new neighbors. I saw the housing administrator walking over earlier today with a pair of newlyweds," stated another man who had a large scar across his face.


    Rico walked over to the wall that separated their unit from the one Rayne and Julian moved into and sniffed around.


    "You''re right. I can smell the delicious scent of meat being cooked next door," he said with a slightly surprised tone.


    The pale, skinny man moved to sit against that wall so that he could admire the scent some more. "It doesn''t even smell like rotten meat. I wonder where they got fresh meat," he said curiously while drooling.


    Rico crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. The scent was tickling his extreme hunger, making him feel angry. He felt it wasn''t fair that they were here starving while their neighbors got to eat lavishly, even having meat.


    "It seems like our neighbors have a lot of good things. It would only be right if they shared some of their wealth with us, their neighbors," Rico said after a long pause.


    The other four men in the room perked up at hearing his words. Rico was the "big brother" figure in this group and usually acted as the leader.


    "Bro, what do we need to do? I''ll do anything!" the skinny man stood up with excitement.


    "Yeah, tell us! We''re all on board!" said the youngest man of the group.


    Rico nodded. "Yes, don''t worry. We will all have our part to play. The most important thing is not to rush into it. We need to observe them for a while first, learning their habits and routines. If we run in now, it will be us who is taken by surprise."


    "You''re so smart, bro. This is why you''re the leader," the skinny man said, nodding.

 Chapter 100 New Neighbors

    The other men in the room agreed. "Yes, bro. We trust your judgment," they said.


    Rico closed his eyes and began thinking of the best way to achieve their goal. "Ideally, it would be best if they let us inside¡ªat least one of us. I''m going to observe the girl, and maybe we can coax her into inviting us inside for a quick moment," he suggested.


    "For now, just observe them and act friendly," Rico ordered. The other men nodded. They were running low on supplies and weren''t sure if they''d be able to afford the payment for the next month.


    On the other side of the wall, Rayne was setting the table to enjoy the stew with Julian. When she brought over the slow cooker and opened the lid, a beautiful, hearty stew greeted her, filling the room with a comforting scent.


    Rayne frowned at the strong, appealing scent. "It seems like we''ll need to eat less fragrant food in the future, or rely on the food from the system. I didn''t expect the stew to give off such a strong scent."


    Julian looked over at her worried expression. "It''s okay. In the future, we''ll be more careful. Don''t worry."


    They ate their dinner quickly, and Rayne placed everything into her system to clean up. Both of them were exhausted from the long day and decided to go to bed early.


    The next morning, they woke up to a soft knock on the door. Julian went over to answer it, only cracking the door slightly.


    "How can I help you?" he asked coldly. While he didn''t want to come off as rude, he knew that being too kind and trusting right now would only invite leeches or trouble.


    "Hey, I''m just here to say hello. I''m your neighbor, Randy. Just wanted to introduce myself and let you in on some information!" said Randy.


    Julian observed the tall, skinny man, wondering what he wanted to share. "Well, go on," Julian said curtly.


    Randy smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Well, word on the street is that the base has finally begun to implement its contribution point system and the point store. They''ll be making an announcement about it in front of the main lobby area at noon."


    This was indeed news to Julian, and he decided that it would be good to hear what the announcement was all about.


    He looked at Randy and nodded. "Thank you for this information," he said, then quickly shut the door.


    Randy stared at the closed door, feeling awkward. "You could''ve at least given me your name," he mumbled and turned back to report to the others.


    "Who was it?" asked Rayne as Julian shut the door.


    "Some guy named Randy. He said he was our neighbor and came to give us information. Apparently, today at noon, the base will be doing a big announcement, and I think it''s worth checking out," stated Julian.


    "Oh! Yes, for sure, let''s check it out. Maybe we''ll gain some leads on finding a chemist," she said happily.


    Julian looked over at her smiling face and debated how he wanted to tell her about Damien. A part of him wanted to keep her out of the loop, but at this point, they were already bound too closely together.


    It was better to tell her about the hidden dangers of Damien''s underground organization so that she could at least understand what was happening if they ever found themselves face to face with them. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, Rayne, after we get back from the announcement, there''s something else I need to tell you. It explains why I needed to fake my own death, and the dangers you might run into if you continue to stay by my side," he said in a somber and slightly guilty tone.


    Rayne saw his expression and understood that it was a very serious topic. "Okay, that''s fine. I''m not worried about danger. I''ve realized that this new world will only continue to get increasingly dangerous, and running away from it will be impossible," she smiled.


    Over the last few weeks, she''d reflected on herself and her weaknesses. She understood how trusting and naive she had been at times, and was lucky that nothing too bad had happened as a result.


    The future would be even more uncertain, and filled with even more danger. It was about time for her to toughen up and face this reality.


    Meeting Julian was one of the luckiest things that had happened to her, right next to her miraculous system. While she was still shy and new to love (Dillon had been a poor example), she understood that she had real feelings for Julian, and wanted to remain at his side.


    Julian felt relieved seeing her smile. He firmly decided to tell her everything, not withholding any information. They were a team now, and he owed it to her.


    Changing the subject, he looked down at his watch. "We still have some time before the announcement at noon. Would you like to take a walk around the base and see what things are like?"


    "Yes! I''ve been wanting to look around. Let me get changed, and we can go," she said, running into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.


    A few minutes later, she came out in her usual all-black athletic wear and held a dirty-looking tan jacket in her arms.


    "Do you like it? I dripped motor oil and paint on it, then rubbed dirt into it to make it look less new," she said, showing off her creation.


    Julian looked at the jacket, which had a few rips and stains, and gave her a thumbs up. "Nice work. It actually looks naturally dirty, you did a good job!"


    Rayne put on the jacket and a plain black baseball cap, handing another one to Julian. She also gave him a pair of glasses with fake lenses, helping him somewhat cover up his appearance.


    Julian put on the items and said, "Now I feel very scholarly!"


    Once they were ready, they set off to explore the base. Rayne made sure to double-check that the front door was securely locked before they left and that everything was in order.


    "I''ve been thinking¡­ maybe we should set up a small camera outside our door. I have a few different models. One of these small cameras was even recommended to me to spy on my boyfriend by the store clerk," she laughed as they walked down the stairs.


    "Haha, I think that''s a great idea. It never hurts to be too careful. I''ll help you install it when we get back," agreed Julian. He was happy to hear her considering things like cameras and safety equipment.

 Chapter 101 Major Announcements

    They decided to first take a look around the area surrounding the building where they were living. The base had originally been designed to be a resort, so there were a number of winding paths meant to showcase all of the scenic areas.


    Even after the natural disasters, a few places, like the overlook of the valley, remained beautiful. Unfortunately, many of the smaller trees and flowers were destroyed in the hurricane, leaving behind barren strips of land.


    Rayne looked at the empty flower beds and vacant patches of land, and her mind was quickly filled with ideas for repurposing these spaces as small vegetable gardens. She had little experience with gardening but knew that with the help of some of the gardening books she had gotten from the library, she could probably grow at least something. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They continued walking around the base, heading closer toward the central area. The landscape quickly changed from empty scenic walkways to fields filled with tents and cardboard shelters.


    "It looks like this base will need to address the housing issue soon. There''s not nearly enough space for everyone, and winter is on its way," commented Julian as they walked.


    Rayne agreed, although she wasn''t sure what the base would be able to do to solve this. Building more apartment buildings would take a lot of time, equipment, and experienced personnel, and she wasn''t sure what kind of resources the base had.


    She hoped that at least something could be done because she felt bad for these people, especially the young children.


    By the time they arrived at the large clearing in front of the main lobby of the resort, many people had already gathered, all waiting for the announcement.


    Julian positioned himself so that he was standing directly behind Rayne, placing his arms around her. This position allowed him to shield Rayne from the people around them, as well as fulfill his selfish desire for physical touch.


    Any onlookers who saw them simply thought they were a loving couple¡ªnothing out of the ordinary. Rayne was also becoming more comfortable with his embraces, feeling at ease as she leaned against his chest.


    A few minutes later, a group of two men and two women walked out of the lobby. One of them was holding a megaphone, ready to begin the announcement.


    "Welcome, all residents... Today we are here to make a few announcements," said the older man of the group.


    The crowd quickly quieted down, eagerly listening for any useful information.


    "The first announcement is the implementation of the contribution points system. For the longevity of this base and an overall better quality of life, we will begin to employ our residents for various jobs both on and off base," he continued.


    The crowd quickly burst into quiet chatter. Most of the people were hopeful and excited by this announcement, while others wondered what the benefits would be.


    "Payment for these jobs will vary depending on the task, and will be made with contribution points. These points will be loaded onto your resident cards and can be spent at the base market," he announced.


    This time, even more people began to discuss their desire to get a job, happily speculating about what would be offered at the base market.


    Once the chatter quieted down, the man picked up his megaphone again to continue. "The base market will open tomorrow on the second floor of the main lobby building. We have just finished reconstructing the area to fit our needs.


    Items ranging from food to housing supplies will be sold there, with contribution points serving as currency. Another feature of the market is the ability to sell items to the base for contribution points."


    The crowd cheered. Having a store where they could buy food was very helpful to most people. Not everyone had the ability to go out and scavenge, so this store brought hope to many.


    Rayne was happy to hear about the ability to sell items. She felt this was a good way to contribute to the base''s supply stockpile indirectly. Based on what the housing administrator had explained earlier, the point value of items fluctuates based on supply and demand.


    If Rayne were to contribute a large amount of a single item, the price of that item would drop, benefiting the general public.


    The man handed the megaphone to the woman beside him and walked to stand with the others on the leadership team.


    The woman lifted the megaphone and continued with the announcements. "I would like to explain a bit more about the offered jobs. As mentioned earlier, they will be divided into on-base and off-base positions. The off-base jobs will mostly consist of scouting, scavenging, and the guard team.


    Scouting missions will involve tasks like surveying the cities and looking for people. Scavenging missions will focus on gathering specific supplies, and the guard team will be responsible for keeping the base safe from any outside threats."


    Most of the men in the crowd got excited about the prospect of these jobs. The guard team, in particular, was a popular topic among the crowd.


    "Some of the on-base jobs include administrative roles, the inner guard team, construction and maintenance, farming, and livestock¡ªamong many others, based on the needs of the base. We will be opening up sign-ups and interviews as early as tomorrow."


    The woman then handed the megaphone back to the previous speaker.


    "Our last announcement is to address the lack of available housing. We have made plans to build a large, dorm-style hall where the current sports field is located. We are accepting volunteers to help speed up the process. Volunteers will have priority for living there once the construction is complete."


    Rayne and Julian took a moment to listen to the chatter among the crowd, hearing the public''s reaction. So far, people felt excited and hopeful for a better life, happy with the announcements.


    There were, of course, a few people who were unhappy, feeling that the base should just provide everything to them for free. Thankfully, these people were a small minority and were mostly ignored by the rest of the crowd.


    Julian leaned over to whisper in Rayne''s ear. "Shall we head back?" he asked sweetly.


    Rayne lifted her head to look up at him. "Yeah, let''s head back. We still have a few things to discuss and lunch to eat."


    On the other side of the crowd:


    Ella watched as the crowd began to disperse, noticing a woman who closely resembled Rayne in the distance. Just as she was about to call out excitedly, she noticed a handsome man place his arms around the girl''s waist.


    She watched the couple smile at each other softly as they spoke, making Ella doubt that the woman was her best friend. The sea of people between her and the woman who looked like Rayne made it difficult for her to get any closer.


    She watched them walk away in the opposite direction and shook her head.


    "Ah, I miss you, Rayne. Hope you''re doing okay," she mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 102 Secret War

    Ella walked back to the east side of the base, where her new home was located. She felt very lucky to have bought the house when they did because word on the street was that the prices quickly increased.


    "Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom! I''m back!" she announced, walking inside.


    "Hey, how did it go? Learn anything interesting from the announcements?" asked her mother.


    Ella nodded. "Yeah, there were a number of good things, like new jobs, a new market, and a new building being built."


    "Oh, new jobs? Hopefully, there is something I can do. I feel useless sitting here all day doing nothing," her mom said.


    Reginald walked into the living room from his bedroom to join the conversation. "Leave the work to me, honey. I''ll find you a fun activity to do so that you won''t be bored," he chimed in dotingly.


    He then turned to Ella. "Tell me a bit more about these jobs, specifically the off-base scavenging ones."


    Ella proceeded to tell him everything she had heard at the announcement.


    "Good, tomorrow I''ll go to the sign-up and ask for more details. I want to go out and find a few things for our home. These fold-out chairs we brought from home don''t suit my old body," he said while rubbing the back of his aching shoulder.


    "Dad, let me go with you," said Ella. She didn''t want her father to go out alone, feeling that these scavenging missions could still be very dangerous.


    Reginald shook his head. "No, I want you to stay here with your mother. Go and sort through the items we brought and make a pile of non-essentials that we can sell to the market for points." The whole point of bringing his family here was to keep them safe, and he wasn''t about to make them go out and put themselves in danger.


    Ella frowned but knew that there was nothing she could say to change his mind.


    ----


    As Rayne and Julian made their way back to their unit, they ran into Rico, who was hanging out in front of his entrance.


    "Oh hey there, neighbors! Anything interesting at the announcement today?" he greeted, doing his best to appear genuine and friendly.


    "Hi. Yeah, a lot of good stuff," answered Julian casually. He didn''t want to engage in a lengthy conversation with him and continued to walk forward. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rico noticed their cold attitude and frowned. It seemed that buttering up his neighbors wouldn''t be as easy as he had hoped.


    "Hey, I didn''t catch your names," he called out to Rayne and Julian as they were about to step inside their house.


    Rayne pretended not to hear him and walked inside, while Julian turned to look at him with a cold stare before following Rayne in.


    "Tsk," Rico turned to head back inside. Their cold attitude pissed him off. "We''ll see who gets the last laugh," he muttered as he entered his room.


    After Rayne walked inside, she quickly pulled up her system panel and took out one of every kind of security camera she had stored.


    Julian walked over to see a small pile of security cameras and knelt down to look through them.


    "I agree, setting this up will be a good safety measure. Our neighbors seem a little too friendly, and my gut is telling me something is up," said Julian.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, I also feel that they''ve been too friendly. If it was before, I wouldn''t think anything of it, but now it''s rare to have people show such enthusiasm."


    Julian picked out a tiny pinhole camera that could be installed very discreetly. It was also battery-powered, so they didn''t need to worry about cable management or connecting it to a power source.


    "I''ll go put this one up outside. I''ll be right back," he said as he walked toward the door.


    "Okay, while you do that, I''ll set up a small monitor so that we can have the camera feed displayed indoors," said Rayne. She pulled out a small tablet that had Bluetooth capabilities and began the process of pairing the camera to the tablet.


    By the time Julian came back, Rayne had already paired everything and had a clear feed from the camera outside.


    "Great, it looks like it''s all set up. You picked a good spot; you can see a lot from this angle," said Rayne as she looked at the camera feed.


    Julian walked over and took a look, making sure there were no blind spots. "Okay, yeah, it looks good. We''ll just have to monitor the battery life every once in a while."


    Rayne cleaned up the rest of the cameras and walked over to have a seat on the living room sofa. She patted the seat next to her, inviting Julian to sit down beside her.


    "Come, tell me what it was you wanted to inform me about," she said, smiling.


    Julian walked over and took a seat, turning to face her. "Let''s see... For a few years now, I''ve been at war with someone I used to call a good friend, Damien. He now leads a large underground organization, doing many vile things through his lackeys."


    He adjusted his posture, then continued, "Damien and I have been at a standstill for the last few years. Just as I was about to get the upper hand, he disappeared into hiding, and no matter how many men I sent and how much information I gathered, I was not able to find him."


    Rayne placed her hand on his knee. She could feel the deep hurt and resentment in his words, even though he didn''t touch on the specifics of what exactly shattered their friendship. Although she was curious, she knew that he would explain more over time.


    "In order to get him out of hiding, I devised a plan to fake my own death. If Damien believed that I had died, he would finally drop his guard enough for my men to find him... but before any of that happened, these natural disasters occurred," sighed Julian.


    "So even now, Damien and his men are out there somewhere?" asked Rayne, trying to grasp the situation.


    "With his ability, I wouldn''t be surprised if his men were already stationed here in this very base," said Julian.


    "What? You really think so?" asked Rayne with wide eyes. She imagined Damien''s men would be more organized, like a military regiment.


    Julian nodded. "Yeah, I''m almost positive. Which is why I wanted to bring it to light. I am currently Damien''s number one enemy, and the only one who stands in his way. I just hope that Ian and Noah hear something soon."

 Chapter 103 Attempted Robbery

    Rayne''s expression turned serious as she met Julian''s eyes. "Then we need to be more careful. We also need to try and gather information on Damien, along with finding leads on a chemist."


    "Yes. I don''t want to jump to conclusions just yet, but I believe that Damien is connected to the strange symptoms of the dead men we saw in the city. I''m thinking those thugs were either Damien''s men or somehow related," said Julian.


    "Wow, to think we might have already been in contact with Damien''s men..." said Rayne, realizing that the situation may have been different than an encounter with just some local thugs.


    "Mmm, yeah. Just keep it in mind when you interact with people you''re not familiar with in the future," he said calmly. His only wish was for her to be safe; everything else he could handle.


    The two of them continued to chat for a while longer, moving on to other topics. "Let''s check out the job board tomorrow. Maybe there will be a lead to find a chemist from one of the scouting missions?" suggested Julian.


    "Yes! That''s a great idea. I also wanted to ''sell'' a few items to the newly opened market tomorrow," replied Rayne.


    Late that night.


    Rico huddled around with his ''brothers'' in the living room of their housing unit. "Okay, tonight we''re going to try and gather more information. Randy, you and Tee are going to climb through this back window and see if you can see anything from their windows. The rest of us are going to see if we can pick the lock on the front door."


    "You got it, bro!" the guys replied.


    "Remember, stay quiet and don''t get caught. Even if you can''t find anything, don''t test your luck and just come back," instructed Randy. The last thing he wanted was to get discovered before the plan even had a chance to be executed.


    Everyone nodded their heads, indicating that they understood. Randy and Tee stealthily walked over to the window and opened it before climbing out. They placed a small wooden plank on the windowsill, connecting their two windows together.


    Randy deftly jumped out onto the plank while Tee held it to provide additional support. Carefully, Randy walked across the plank over to the window of the neighboring unit.


    As Randy approached the first window, he noticed that there were a set of blinds and curtains blocking the view completely. Frowning, he made his way over to the second window.


    This time, he was able to catch a few tiny glimpses of the dark interior through the slightly opened blinds. After taking a few more peeks, he quickly made his way back inside.


    "Tee! You won''t believe it! They have a couch and a table inside!" Randy quietly exclaimed.


    "What? A couch! They really are big shots! Can you imagine what kind of other things they might have inside if they already have a couch?!" Tee chimed in. His mind was filled with the promise of meat and delicious cooking. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the front side of the building, Rico and his group were busy trying their luck at lockpicking the front door.


    "Why is it taking you so long? Didn''t you pick the lock to our unit many times when Tee forgot the keys?" asked Rico, slightly impatient.


    The man with the scar across his face frowned. "Yeah, our lock was a very standard design and is very straightforward. For some reason, this lock is very different, and I don''t understand it."


    Rico looked at the door carefully. "Well, the door and the doorknob look identical to ours and the other units in this building." He couldn''t understand why the lock here would be so different from everyone else''s.


    He felt a headache coming on. "Alright, let''s go back. I don''t want to get caught."


    The group packed up and went back inside to reconvene with Randy and Tee.


    "You guys have any luck?" asked Randy.


    "Nah, there''s something strange about the door lock. We couldn''t figure it out. How about you guys? Find anything interesting?" asked Rico.


    Randy sat down on the tattered blanket. "They have blinds and curtains installed, so I wasn''t able to see too much. However--"


    "Tell him about the couch!" interrupted Tee excitedly.


    Rico lifted his eyebrow. "Couch?"


    "Yeah, bro, I was able to peek into their living room and saw that they had a couch and a table!" Randy explained.


    "They must have so many nice items... like meat!" said Tee while drooling at the thought of eating a juicy steak.


    Rico was fairly surprised by this discovery. "Yeah, I agree. If they have the ability to obtain a couch, they must have many other useful items. I''m even more determined to break inside now," he said.


    The rest of the men nodded, following the same logic. "Just tell us what to do, we''ll do it!" they all exclaimed excitedly.


    "We will wait and see if they decide to go anywhere in the next few days. An opportunity might present itself," said Rico.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up early, excited to visit the newly opened market where she could sell a number of items.


    When Julian woke up, he found Rayne organizing boxes of supplies in the living room. She was so focused on her task that she didn''t realize he had walked into the room.


    After watching her for a while, he finally cleared his throat. "What are you so focused on so early in the morning?"


    Rayne jumped, startled at his sudden question. "Oh, morning! Sorry, I didn''t notice you were there. I''m deciding which supplies are best to sell to the base... I want to contribute as much as I can, but I don''t want to seem suspicious," she said thoughtfully.


    Julian walked over and looked at the various cans and dried food lying around. There was also a small pile of blankets and hygiene supplies.


    "Hmm, well, let''s start with what people would need the most right now. I would say food and water would be a top priority. The rest of these items are pretty good choices too, but we can wait to deliver them periodically, especially after we come back from ''scavenging runs,''" said Julian.


    "Good idea, then I will just focus on food and water today. Thank you for the suggestion," she said and began to fill a medium-sized box with various canned items, dry goods, and dry biscuits.

 Chapter 104 Selling Food

    Rayne finished packing up the box and got ready to head over to the market. "I''m going to head over to the market now. I''ll be right back."


    As she walked over to unlock the door to leave, she noticed that the lock felt a little tight. Something was telling her that there was something off about it.


    "Hey, Julian, can you come over here and check out the door lock? It seems a little off to me," she called out.


    Julian walked over and tested locking and unlocking the door. "Hmm, you''re right. It feels different than before," he said.


    Rayne placed the box of items on the floor and walked over to the tablet that was connected to a small camera outside. She slowly began rewinding the footage until she spotted their overly friendly neighbors trying to pick their door lock last night.


    "Haha! Julian, come take a look at this. Looks like our neighbors are so friendly and caring they were trying to break in last night," laughed Rayne. She was so glad that they had installed the new door and lock, or else they would have had to deal with some pests last night.


    Julian walked over and saw the camera feed. "I think we have to return the favor. I knew something was off when they were waiting for us yesterday. Don''t worry about these petty thieves. Go to the market and do your thing," he said.


    Rayne smiled and went over to pick up the box of items. "Okay, I''ll be back soon. See ya."


    Rayne quickly made it over to the second floor of the main lobby, which had been transformed into a small market area. The design was very different from a typical store with items sitting on shelves.


    This market was fully enclosed with chain-link fence walls, with space for a few small counters where the market staff stood behind. All of the items were locked up inside with the staff, and it seemed that people who wanted to buy an item would need to ask a staff member to retrieve it for them.


    Rayne walked over to the counter that had a sign that said "Sell Items Here" written over it and was greeted by a middle-aged woman.


    "Hello, are you here to sell some supplies?" she asked, noticing the box that Rayne was carrying.


    "Yes, I am. Here is a box of a few extra supplies my family managed to find on our way over. We''re hoping to get some contribution points to buy items we don''t have in the future," explained Rayne.


    The woman nodded, accepting the box. When she opened it, her eyes couldn''t believe what she saw! There were rows upon rows of shiny silver cans filled with chicken and tuna.


    Rayne chose these two food items because she felt that the most difficult things to find currently were meat and protein. She noticed that most people were eating stale bread, biscuits, or crackers.


    "Oh wow, these items will surely be top sellers. Thank you for deciding to sell them," she said happily. She treated Rayne with even more respect because she knew that the average person would not have given up this many high-quality food items, instead keeping them all for themselves.


    She also pulled out a few small bags of rice that Rayne had managed to stuff into the box, weighing them on a small scale.


    "Is there anything else you''d like to sell before I begin calculating the points for you?" she asked politely.


    Rayne was just about to say yes when another idea popped into her mind. "Ah, just one more thing," she said, taking off her backpack and pulling out a small sack of potatoes.


    "Here, I''d like to sell these as well," she said, handing the sack over to the shopkeeper.


    "Oh, how wonderful! Fresh potatoes. The base will most likely use these to cultivate in the farm area it''s planning on opening up soon," the lady said.


    Rayne smiled, happy to hear that upper management had begun to make plans to grow food. With production chains stopped, it''s only a matter of time before everything gets looted and people begin to starve.


    The shopkeeper quickly calculated the points for Rayne''s items. "You will receive 575 points for these items today! Since the items were in pristine condition, their value was a little higher than normal."


    Rayne smiled, trying to appear excited. In reality, she didn''t really care how many points she would be given, since her real desire was to help the base.


    "Please give me your resident card, and I''ll add the points for you," smiled the shopkeeper.


    Rayne pretended to fish out the card from her pocket, taking it out of her system, and handed it over to the woman.


    The shopkeeper swiped the card through a card reader and handed it back to Rayne. "Please feel free to look around before you leave," said the shopkeeper, motioning to the items behind her.


    Rayne walked around the market, looking at the available ''for sale'' items behind the chain-link fence. There weren''t many items available¡ªmostly a few buckets of mixed rice and a good amount of dried biscuits.


    There were also a few clothing items on display near a small stack of towels and bedding.


    "Do you have any hygiene items, like soap?" asked Rayne curiously. If there were no hygiene items available for a long time, disease might start to spread. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The shopkeeper shook her head. "No, all hygiene items have been sent to the medical ward. We don''t have enough supply yet to be able to sell them to the general public."


    Rayne was sad to hear that and made plans to sell hygiene items in her next sale.


    After walking around some more, she made her way back home, curious about what Julian had been up to.


    The air outside had gotten even colder than the previous day. Rayne warmed her fingers with her breath as she walked.


    When she finally made it back home, she saw Julian sleeping on the couch. The temperature inside was much better than outside, but it was still chilly.


    Rayne walked over to the couch, took a baby pink fuzzy blanket from her system, and covered Julian with it.


    She giggled to herself seeing him sleeping with the pink blanket. His sexy, manly physique clashed with the fuzzy pink blanket, creating an image of mismatched harmony.

 Chapter 105 Cans of Tuna

    Ella grabbed the bag of clothing items that she and her mother had sorted out to sell at the market and set off.


    "I''m heading to the market; I''ll be back soon!" she announced as she left the room.


    "Okay, be careful! Love you!" replied her mother from the living room.


    Ella carried the bag, skipping excitedly to the market. When she arrived, she noticed that a few people were slowly trickling in, and she quickly walked up to the counter.


    "Hello! I''d like to sell a few items!" said Ella cheerfully.


    The shopkeeper returned her greeting and took the bag of items to inspect. Nodding her head in approval, she said, "Good, these clothes seem to be in good shape, and we can accept them. We''ve had a few cases already of people trying to sell used, ripped clothing, who got angry when we turned them away."


    Ella smiled. All of the items they picked out were extras from the cheap clothing store that she looted with her father back when they lived in the countryside. All of the clothing was new, not worn, and in good shape.


    "I can give you 75 points for these items. Does that work for you?" asked the shopkeeper. Ella quickly calculated the cost per item and nodded.


    "Sure, that sounds about right," she said and handed over her resident card. The shopkeeper swiped the card and handed it back to Ella.


    "Feel free to look around before leaving. We just got a generous shipment earlier this morning from someone who sold a lot of canned meat and tuna," said the shopkeeper excitedly.


    Ella walked over to the chain-link fence wall and peered inside, noticing the neat stack of canned food the shopkeeper was talking about.


    Her eyes landed on the shiny can of tuna, and her mouth watered. It had been over a week since they''d had meat at home, and tuna was one of Ella''s favorites. She recognized the brand on the can as one of the high-end ones and decided to ask for the price.


    "How much is one can of the tuna?" she called out.


    "One can will cost 6 points," answered the shopkeeper.


    Ella nodded. While the price was a tiny bit high, it was cheaper than she thought it would be. "I''ll take two cans, please," she called out again and walked over to the counter.


    "That will be 12 points, please," said the shopkeeper.


    Ella quickly took out her resident card and handed it over so the shopkeeper could charge her card. Once the points were deducted, the shopkeeper handed Ella her card back along with the two cans of tuna.


    "Thank you," said Ella and turned to hurry back home so that she could treat her parents to her newly purchased tuna!


    "I''m back!" she announced, walking inside.


    "Welcome back, how did it go? Did they buy the items?" asked her mother.


    Ella walked over to stand beside her. "Yes! They said the items were new and of decent quality. They bought them all."


    "How much did they give you?" asked Reginald as he walked over.


    "75 points! I calculated it, and felt it was an acceptable price," answered Ella. She waited for her father to make it over before she surprised them with her purchase.


    "And look what I bought for us!" she exclaimed happily, pulling the two shiny cans of tuna out of her coat pocket.


    "Oh my! I know this brand; it''s a high-quality one!" said her mother, looking at the can of tuna in her hands.


    "How much did this cost?" asked Reginald quickly, worried that his daughter had spent all of her newly earned points.


    "It was 6 points a can, so I paid 12 for both," said Ella. She knew what her father was worried about, so she quickly explained.


    "The shopkeeper said that these cans had just been sold to the market earlier today. I didn''t think they''d last long, so I snagged two cans for us to enjoy!" she continued.


    Reginald smiled at his daughter''s thoughtfulness. He felt even more blessed to have such a loving family after witnessing other families fall apart and abandon each other.


    He felt the fire of desire to provide for his family light up inside. His wife and daughter deserved the best, and he wanted them to live a comfortable, happy life.


    "I''m going to head over to the job office and ask about some of these scavenging jobs," he announced.


    "Are you sure, honey? I feel like it could be dangerous," said his wife with a worried expression.


    "I''m only going to go and ask for now. You know me, I''ve always been cautious," he replied, patting her gently on the head.


    Ella smiled at him. "Don''t worry, Dad, we won''t eat these without you," she said, waving the cans of tuna around.


    "Haha, okay. I''ll be back soon," he said and set off.


    When he arrived at the job office, he noticed many people crowding around the counters set up around the room. Each counter had a sign above it stating whether it was an "on-base" or "off-base" job recruiter.


    Reginald was most interested in the scavenging missions, so he queued up in the appropriate line, waiting for his turn to speak with the mission recruiter.


    He didn''t have to wait too long, as most people were more interested in the "on-base" jobs.


    "Hello, which job are you interested in?" asked the recruiter quickly.


    "Hi. I''d like to get some more information on the scouting mission jobs," he asked, getting straight to the point.


    The recruiter looked him up and down and replied, "There are two types of scouting missions: independent and group. In the independent missions, we will assign you a resource, say gas, and give you a general location where it could be found.


    You go out on your own, or with your own group, and find that resource and bring it back. The base will pay you for anything you find, with bonuses if you deliver a certain amount."


    Reginald nodded and waited for him to continue.


    "The group missions involve an organized group of members from the base, led by an experienced guard. You will go out to a designated area and scavenge as much as you can. The base will buy any of the items you wish to sell at a better price," he explained.


    Reginald listened carefully, weighing the pros and cons of each type. They both sounded good, but for his situation, the group option was a lot more appealing since he didn''t have a private group to go with.


    He looked up at the recruiter. "When is the next organized group planning to set off?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The recruiter looked down at the schedule in front of him. "The next one with available space is at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Would you like to sign up?"


    Reginald closed his eyes for a few more minutes and thought about it.

 Chapter 106 Mission Start

    A few moments later, he opened his eyes and looked the recruiter straight in the eye. "Yes, sign me up, please."


    "Very well, please show me your resident card so that I can register you," he said.


    Reginald handed him his card and waited for him to finish the registration process.


    "Okay, sir, here you go," said the recruiter, handing back his card. "Please meet here tomorrow before 6 a.m. You are assigned to Team Blue, and you are scheduled to return by 6 p.m. tomorrow evening. Food and water are your responsibility while you''re out."


    Reginald committed all the information to memory and went back home.


    As he entered, Ella jumped up to greet him. "Hey, Dad, how did it go? Did you get any information?"


    "Yes, not only did I get information, but I also signed up for a scavenging mission. I leave tomorrow at 6 a.m. and will come back in the evening," he announced.


    His wife stood up abruptly. "Honey, are you sure it''s safe? Why don''t you stay home? I''ll find a job on base; we can get by that way."


    Reginald caressed his wife''s cheek with his hand. "It''s safe, honey, don''t worry. It''s going to be a group of us going, and a guard will be leading us. It''s only for a day, and I could potentially come back with many useful things," he coaxed.


    Her anxiety lessened when he mentioned that a guard would be accompanying them. "Okay, just be safe. Stay near the guard, okay?" she hugged him.


    "Mmm, everything will be okay. I''ll see you for dinner tomorrow," he hugged her back.


    The next morning, Reginald woke up early, making sure he wasn''t late. He arrived at the job office and noticed a large crowd.


    "Red Team, over here!" shouted a guard.


    "Yellow Team, with me!" yelled another one.


    Reginald continued to walk around until he heard a man shouting for Blue Team to gather around him. As he walked over, he sized up the man he assumed would be their leader for the day. He was a tall, large man who looked like he had prior military or police experience.


    The man was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a handgun strapped to his side, giving him an imposing aura.


    "Hello, I''m here for Blue Team," said Reginald, announcing his presence.


    The man looked at Reginald and gave him a curt nod. "Yep, you''re at the right place. You can call me Jason. I''ll be the leader for today''s outing."


    Jason continued to shout for Blue Team for a few more minutes until all five members assembled.


    "Okay, looks like everyone is here. Today, we will be going to a small town about an hour''s drive from here. We are assigned to look for medical supplies¡ªanything from bandages to pills. We got word that there''s a fairly intact hospital in this town, so our haul should be decent. Anything extra you find is yours."


    After the quick briefing, Jason led the team towards the base-owned van, motioning for everyone to get in.


    Reginald took a look back toward where his wife and daughter were and hopped in the van. They drove for a little over an hour until they finally reached the small town.


    Jason parked the van beside the local medical clinic, which was the target for today''s scavenging operation.


    "Listen up, everyone! We will be focusing on looting this medical building today. Bring any medical supplies back to the truck that you wish to sell to the base. If you want to keep anything for yourself, you must pack it in your own bags," he announced before getting out of the van.


    "What if we find too many items and they won''t all fit in the van?" asked one of the team members.


    "I have a radio, and I will call the base for an additional vehicle. These supplies are very important, so do your best to find as many usable ones as possible," Jason replied.


    After the briefing, everyone walked inside the medical center. Although it wasn''t as large as a hospital in the city, it was still quite large for a small town. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald followed the team inside and waited for the people in front of him to choose a direction before he chose his. As he walked down the west hallway, he peered into the rooms, noticing that they were mostly doctor''s offices, filled with medical books and standard office equipment.


    He continued down the hall until he reached a locked door that led to the internal pharmacy.


    "Jackpot!" he muttered as he looked at the neatly arranged medicines that lined the shelves through the glass window.


    ----


    Earlier that day, back at the base:


    Rayne and Julian had just woken up and decided to check out the job office for any leads on finding a chemist.


    "Do you think it''s too early to head over?" asked Rayne. She looked out the window and saw that the sun hadn''t even risen yet, and everything was dark.


    Julian peeked outside. "Yeah, let''s wait until the sun rises at least before we head over."


    They sat down on the small couch as Rayne opened her system panel to get breakfast. She took out two hot coffees and two breakfast bagels that she had stored after making them back at the bunker.


    "Do you want the one with sausage or bacon?" she asked, holding two different breakfast bagels in her hand.


    Julian thought for a moment. "I want the one with sausage today, please!"


    Rayne handed him the bagel in her left hand, then opened hers and began to eat. The warmth from the hot coffee spread throughout her body. "It feels like it''s been getting colder and colder by the day."


    Julian took a bite of his bagel and nodded. "Yeah, even I felt the chill this morning."


    After they finished eating, Rayne took another peek outside and noticed the start of the sunrise. Turning to Julian, she looked at him with a smile. "Would you like to take a walk around? The sun is about to rise, maybe we''ll get to see a pretty view."


    "Yes, of course! Let''s go!" agreed Julian.

 Chapter 107 Return Gift

    Rayne and Julian walked along the once scenic path in the less populated area of the base. They went to the spot they had discovered earlier that served as an overlook over the river valley below, watching as the sun rose behind the mountains.


    "It''s so beautiful!" smiled Rayne. "It''s almost as beautiful as that spot you took me to see the sunset!"


    Julian placed his arm around her, holding her by the waist. "Yes, it is beautiful. We should come here more often in the future," he agreed.


    They walked around some more, chatting and observing how the people in the tents lived until they reached the job offices.


    "I was expecting more people here for some reason," said Rayne, looking at the nearly empty job office.


    "You missed the crowd just now," commented an older man who was sitting on a bench nearby. "If you''d come just 15 minutes ago, you would''ve seen the many teams that had just set off for today''s missions."


    "Oh! I see. Looks like they set off earlier than I anticipated," commented Julian.


    "There should be another mission today. I guess there''s some scientist out there that needs a ride over to the base, so there''s a newly posted scouting mission," said the man.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. "Sir, do you know what kind of scientist?" she asked quickly. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man shook his head. "No, I have no idea. I''m just relaying what I''ve heard by sitting here since early morning."


    Rayne turned to Julian and saw him smiling at her. "Well, it''s the best lead we''ve had. Let''s sign up!"


    The two of them then walked over to the appropriate counter. "Hello, we''re here to sign up for the recent scouting mission. The one to retrieve the scientist," said Julian.


    The recruiter looked at him and Rayne. "Sure. We have exactly two spots available for this mission. You will be paid contribution points upon your successful arrival."


    They both nodded in understanding and handed him their resident cards to finalize the sign-up process.


    "This mission leaves at noon and is estimated to be an overnight mission due to how far away the target is. Please prepare accordingly. You will be under Team Star," explained the recruiter.


    "Let''s head back and prepare," said Rayne. They still had some time before they needed to leave, and she wanted to make sure she returned the favor to their ''lovely'' neighbors before they set out.


    Julian looked over at her curiously, wondering what kind of thing she had planned. He had seen that look before and knew she was up to something.


    When they made it back to their room, Rayne quickly walked over to the small electric cooktop and took out a small pot.


    "What are you up to? Are you hungry already?" asked Julian curiously as he watched her turn on the cooktop.


    "Oh no, I''m sending a small gift to our neighbors. They''ve been so attentive to us, I feel that we need to return the favor," she said, almost giggling.


    Julian stood beside her and watched as she took out bowl after bowl of water-looking soup.


    "This is one of the first things I ever stored in my system¡ªthe most bland soup you can ever imagine, straight from the hospital," she explained.


    A few minutes later, the counter was filled with dozens of identical bowls, their contents emptied into the small pot.


    Rayne then took out a pack of laxatives and crushed them into the soup, stirring it to dissolve it fully.


    Julian started laughing as he watched her, feeling like she could be very devious at times. It didn''t matter much to him; those neighbors were as good as dead in his eyes after their attempts at breaking in.


    Rayne finished heating up the soup and picked up the pot, ready to bring it over. "Would you like to come with me?" she asked.


    "I wouldn''t miss it," he smiled and opened the door for her.


    They walked over and knocked on their neighbor''s door, which was quickly answered by Tee.


    "Oh! Hey guys, how can I help you?" he asked fawningly, staring at the pot of soup in Rayne''s hands.


    Rayne walked forward and presented the small pot. "You''ve been so kind to us that we wanted to show a small token of our appreciation. I just made this soup. I hope you all like it."


    Tee broke out into a huge smile! He couldn''t remember the last time he had eaten a hot meal and accepted the pot quickly.


    "You''re so kind! We will enjoy this thoroughly! Thank you!" he said.


    After handing over the pot, Rayne and Julian went back to their house and locked the door.


    Meanwhile, next door, Tee brought the hot pot of soup to Rico. "Bro, look! You were right! We just needed to be friendly, and they would treat us to food!" he announced happily.


    Rico looked at the pot of soup, slightly surprised. Although there was no meat in this soup, the aroma from the few vegetables was enough to make his stomach growl. They had also felt the chill of the colder air, and this soup would help their bodies warm up.


    "Okay, we will all share this small pot of soup. Everyone will take two sips before passing it to the next person," Rico announced and quickly took the first two sips.


    The soup was finished very quickly, and everyone had a blissful expression on their face.


    Back in Rayne and Julian''s room, they were both getting ready for their excursion. Rayne made sure to fully supply Julian in case they were separated, giving him a copy of her special pistol, ammo, food, and water.


    She, on the other hand, dressed warmly and simply, keeping anything important in her system. They both carried large backpacks to act as cover if they needed to pull anything out of her system and set off to the job office once more.


    When they arrived at the job office, they noticed a few more people standing around, asking about available jobs.


    "Team Star, over here!" announced a fierce-looking woman. She was tall and had very muscular arms.


    Rayne walked over with Julian. "We''re here for the scouting mission," she said. The woman looked over at Rayne and frowned.


    "How did they let a pretty girl join? Listen, it''s going to be dangerous. You should stay here and plant flowers or something," said the fierce woman with a condescending expression.

 Chapter 108 Port City

    Before Julian could have a chance to flare up in anger, Rayne walked over and smiled.


    "Don''t worry about me, ma''am. I have taken hand-to-hand combat, self-defense, and even marksmanship courses. I assure you I can hold my own." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman looked her over again and grunted, "Fine. If you insist, I won''t say anything else. Just don''t whine to me later," the woman replied.


    Rayne walked over and stood beside the fuming Julian. Noticing his fierce expression, she smiled and reached out to hold his hand.


    "It''s okay, no need to get angry over something this small. Thank you, though," she whispered to him.


    Julian felt her soft, dainty hand hold his and immediately felt better. He took advantage of the situation and quickly adjusted his hand so that they were now holding hands with their fingers interlocked.


    After the last person showed up, the woman turned to the group of five and made an announcement. "Okay, we''re all here. My name is Kia, and I''m the leader for today''s group. We received an SOS from an important scientist, and it''s our job to go and bring him back. The general location is a city about three hours away."


    "Do we know anything about this scientist?" Julian asked.


    Kia turned to look at him. "I don''t know anything outside of him being a scientist and a middle-aged man."


    Julian expected this answer and nodded.


    Kia led the group to the parking lot to get into one of the few remaining available vans that belonged to the base.


    "Before we get in, I want to hear a general background on each of you. I don''t care about how many years of university you did or what bullshit degree you got. Tell me what skills you have that can help you from getting killed," she stated before letting anyone into the van.


    The first man to answer was a tall, burly man. "I''m Tyler, I used to be a small-time wrestler. I''m strong and know how to throw a punch."


    The next man was a shorter man with long black hair. "I''m Kenzo. I used to run a Judo gym with my father. I am also a fast runner."


    Next was Julian. "I''m Julian. I used to work as a bodyguard. I am strong and know how to use various weapons and combat techniques."


    When it was Rayne''s turn, she looked over and smiled. "Hi, I''m Rayne. I¡ª"


    "Yeah, pretty girl, you''ve taken self-defense," interrupted Kia, pointing at the last guy.


    Rayne took a step back and sighed inwardly, hoping that Kia would lighten up over the course of the trip. While she had patience, Rayne was worried that Julian would eventually explode and beat Kia up.


    The last man was a rather skinny, creepy-looking man. "Heyo. I''m Percy, and I just got out of jail," he smiled, showing a number of missing teeth. "You could say I have a lot of street smarts and life experience. I''m good at picking locks, stealing shit, and running away... yeah, lots of running away."


    Kia rolled her eyes at him. "Just don''t cause us any trouble, okay, Percy?"


    Percy smiled. "I wouldn''t dream of it, ma''am!"


    Kia stepped aside and let everyone get into the van, while getting into the driver''s seat herself.


    Rayne chose to sit with Julian in the very back, while the others spread out in the middle seats. The van was a decent size, so there was plenty of room for everyone and even room for supplies if they found anything.


    They drove for a few hours, realizing that the route would take longer than expected due to the many obstructions along the way. It was already approaching dinnertime, and most of the people took out their small rations of dried biscuits.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, opening her backpack to pretend to take out food. She handed him a small bag of beef jerky and a bottle of water and took out a copy of the same for herself.


    Percy leaned over, looking at the beef jerky in Rayne''s hands. "Wow, you guys are lucky! I haven''t had beef jerky since I was a young boy."


    Rayne noticed that he was the only one in the vehicle who wasn''t eating and figured he most likely didn''t have anything on him.


    She reached into her backpack and pulled out another packet and wordlessly handed it over to Percy. While he boldly admitted to being a criminal, Rayne still felt that giving him a bite to eat wasn''t going to hurt anyone.


    "Oh wow, thank you!" he smiled, showing his toothless grin and quickly went to open the packet.


    The rest of the trip was uneventful. Everyone just kept to themselves, maintaining the silence.


    They finally arrived in a small seaside city that Rayne had once visited in her youth. The proximity to the ocean made it a popular tourist destination in the summers.


    "We''re here," announced Kia as she parked the car.


    As Rayne exited the van, she immediately felt the salty air of the ocean. Everyone gathered around the van, waiting for Kia to give out instructions.


    "Well, there isn''t much more information I have to give you. We''re looking for a middle-aged man who''s a scientist. That''s all I know. So we''re going to split up into pairs and search the area. Prison boy, you''re with me," she said.


    Rayne quickly went over to stand by Julian, leaving Tyler and Kenzo to pair up. "Okay, we''ll meet here at sunset and continue in the morning. Feel free to loot while you''re out here and shout if you run into trouble," Kia said, then dragged Percy along with her.


    "Well, shall we go check out those buildings over there?" Julian pointed toward a small neighborhood by the coast.


    "Mhm, let''s go," answered Rayne, and they set off.


    The first building they entered was a supermarket that was still relatively intact. Rayne assumed that if there were survivors, they would most likely live near a food source like this supermarket.


    "Oh wow, why are there so many items still on the shelves? This is the most stocked store I''ve seen so far," exclaimed Rayne.


    "Hmm, it does seem rather unnatural that there are so many things still on the shelves. Even though this is a small port city, there should still be a good number of survivors," agreed Julian.


    They didn''t bother looting anything since Rayne already had everything and in much higher quality. Instead, they looked for signs of life.

 Chapter 109 Port City 2

    They walked around the store until Rayne spotted a few tracks leading toward the back of the store. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, Julian, look. Whoever it was seems like they might have been injured. I can see wrappers from the bandages along the way," said Rayne, pointing at the ground.


    "Good find. Let''s see how far we can follow them," smiled Julian. They followed the tracks to the loading area in the back of the supermarket and toward an apartment building that was still standing adjacent to the store.


    When Rayne stepped inside the apartment building, she noticed that it appeared to be in relatively good shape. Even most of the windows were still intact. Rayne marveled at the architect''s skill in designing such a building that still stood straight, even after back-to-back natural disasters.


    They walked inside, following the small blood trail on the ground until they reached the second floor.


    "The trail ends here," frowned Rayne.


    Julian looked around, searching for any additional clues as to where this injured person might have gone, but found none.


    "Looks like we''ll be doing this the old-fashioned way. Let''s go door to door," he said, walking toward the first door.


    He turned the handle, and surprisingly, the door swung open. "Oh, it''s open. Let''s take a look around," he said and stepped inside.


    When Rayne stepped inside, she realized that this building must have been a luxury apartment building. Even though the exterior was made from red brick and had an old-time charm, the interior was spacious and well-decorated.


    She walked around and admired the paintings and antiques displayed inside china cabinets and on shelves.


    "I''m really surprised that most of these delicate items are still intact. I figured the first earthquake would have destroyed them all," she commented as she picked up an antique teacup.


    Julian walked over. "You have a good eye. If I''m not mistaken, that''s a Victorian-era teacup and would have been worth a fortune before this disaster."


    Rayne''s eyes quickly lit up as she stored the teacup along with the other teapots, vases, and platters on display. She also stored the paintings and various pieces of furniture as they were all in very good shape, hoping to restore them one day.


    She explored the rest of the apartment, storing anything she found novel or interesting, but did not find any signs of people living there.


    "There''s even some food left in the cabinets. I''m surprised others haven''t moved in yet," said Julian from the kitchen.


    Rayne had just finished storing a vintage jewelry box filled with pearls and precious gems and walked out of the bedroom.


    "Yeah, everything seems very intact, nothing missing. I wonder where everyone is," she said, looking at the shelves full of food.


    After they finished looking through that apartment, they checked the doors of other apartments, knocking on the ones that were locked in case people were inside.


    After checking the whole second floor and finding no one, they went up to the third floor to continue searching.


    Most of the doors were locked, but on the second-to-last door on that floor, someone answered after Rayne knocked.


    A young man, between 18 and 20 years old, opened the door, cracking it open warily. "How can I help you?" he asked quietly.


    "Oh! Hello! We''re looking for someone. Would you be able to help us?" asked Rayne, smiling.


    The young man frowned. "Did anything follow you here?" he asked warily.


    Rayne looked around. "No, what would follow us?"


    The man looked a little surprised and opened the door. "Quickly, come inside and keep your voice down."


    Rayne walked in with Julian, while the young man quickly closed the door, making sure that he did it as quietly as possible.


    "What''s going on here? Where is everyone?" asked Julian.


    The young man sat down on his expensive-looking leather couch and motioned for Rayne and Julian to sit down across from him.


    "You guys must not be from around here if you''re asking that," he said while applying pressure to his side.


    "No, we''re not. We''ve come from the government base to look for a scientist in this area," explained Rayne.


    "Oh, the base? I thought that place was a lie. Listen, can you take me back with you? It isn''t safe here," he said.


    Julian looked at him sharply. "You still haven''t explained why it''s not safe."


    The man pressed against his side again, inhaling deeply. "Right. Well, you guys probably already know that this is one of the top tourist spots in the country."


    Both Rayne and Julian nodded, as they were both aware of this.


    "Well, just before the disaster, the city opened a new zoo. It was said to be the second-largest one in the country, featuring all sorts of exotic animals."


    The man stood up and peeked out of the window, observing the street below, and continued, "Well, after the initial earthquake, nearly all of the animals escaped. I''m sure you can imagine how fierce a family of lions can be when starved."


    Rayne''s eyes widened in shock. "You''re saying that right now there are lions loose on the streets?!"


    The man nodded. "Not just lions, but all sorts of animals, even reptiles. Even the smaller animals like monkeys are dangerous. I just recently got injured running away from one." He lifted his shirt to show a deep gash in his side.


    "Is that why there''s no one around? We noticed that most of the shelves were still stocked in the supermarket," asked Julian.


    The man nodded. "Yes, most of the people ran away once the animals were released. It happened pretty early on, so many people still had access to their vehicles... while others got eaten."


    The room fell into silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Rayne glanced over at the young man, focusing on his injury.


    "Do you need anything for your wound?" she asked. While she wasn''t a doctor, she did have an unlimited amount of basic first aid supplies.


    "I found a few smaller bandages in the supermarket earlier, but they''re not large enough for the size of this gash," he explained, looking down at his side.


    Rayne unzipped her backpack and pulled out a fresh first aid kit, handing it over to the young man. "Here, there should be a good variety of bandages and disinfectants in here," she said calmly.


    "Oh, thank you so much!" he said, lifting his shirt to clean his injury.

 Chapter 110 Knocked Out

    While the young man dressed his wounds, he asked, "So you guys said you were looking for a scientist? Do you know this person''s name or what he looks like?"


    Rayne shook her head. "Unfortunately, all we were told was that he was a middle-aged man who was an important scientist. I''m assuming he had some kind of ties to the government if they decided to look for him."


    The man was quiet for a few minutes, bandaging his gash. "Well, if he did have ties to the government, then he most likely worked at the government lab at the edge of town."


    Rayne stood up with Julian, happy to finally have some kind of direction as to where to look. "Thank you so much for this information!" she said.


    "Yeah, no problem. So can I go back to the government base with you?" he asked with a hopeful expression.


    "I don''t see why not. Although we aren''t the group leaders, there''s plenty of space in the car. I recommend you bring as many things as possible with you. The registration fees are quite steep," explained Rayne.


    "Oh, I have a vehicle here. I just don''t know the way. I''ll just be following you guys, if that''s cool," he said with a small grin.


    "Well, even better then. We will most likely be staying overnight, so prepare to leave sometime tomorrow," she replied.


    The young man nodded. "Oh, by the way, I''m Leonard, but just call me Lenny. If you guys need a place to stay tonight, you''re welcome to stay in my guest room. I''ll lay some clean sheets for you."


    Rayne looked over at Julian, asking for his opinion with her eyes. Julian looked over at Lenny, feeling he was a decent guy. "Sure, thanks Lenny! We''re going to meet up with the group here soon, then come back. I''ll let the leader know you''ll be following us back," he said. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After sorting out the details, Rayne and Julian left the apartment building to meet up with the rest of the team. Since they had arrived later in the day, they didn''t have much time to explore before it began to get dark.


    Now, with the looming danger of dangerous animals around, Rayne didn''t want to spend too much time out on the streets in the dark.


    They quickly made their way back to the van, waiting for the rest of the group to come back.


    ----


    Earlier that day...


    "Jackpot!" Reginald muttered as he looked at the neatly arranged medicines that lined the shelves through the glass window. He looked around and found a small pile of bricks from a fallen wall in one of the doctors'' offices he had looked through earlier.


    Standing a small distance away, he forcefully threw the brick into the large glass window, shattering it in the process.


    He picked up a second brick and walked over to the broken window, breaking more of the glass using the brick. Once all of the glass shards were cleanly broken and removed from the frame, he carefully stepped over to the pharmacy.


    Unzipping his duffel bag, he quickly swiped as many medicines as he could, searching for the specific one his daughter took.


    While Ella didn''t have any life-threatening diseases, she did suffer from a condition where her body didn''t produce enough stomach acid to properly digest food. This caused her a lot of discomfort whenever she ate if she didn''t have the medicine.


    Reginald weaved through the shelves, finally finding the familiar medication and stored it carefully inside his coat pocket. The rest of the medicine he piled into his duffel bag until there was no more space to fit anything else.


    He hopped through the broken window and went back to deposit the medicine he found into the designated box, then went back to repeat the process. It took him six trips back and forth to fully empty the pharmacy, filling the van with valuable medicines.


    Besides the medicine for his daughter, Reginald also kept a few common antibiotics and painkillers for his family to use in case of emergency.


    After emptying the pharmacy, he continued down the corridor, checking out each of the rooms along the way. There were small snacks in many of the drawers of the doctors'' offices, and Reginald happily took them all, placing them in his duffel bag.


    He took a few everyday items like pens, pencils, and notebooks for his wife to use, hoping it would cure a little bit of her boredom.


    The next room he walked into looked like a nurse''s station. There was a lot of basic equipment like stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors. Reginald thought about it for a minute and decided to bring these items along as well.


    He found a box of gauze and bandages and added them to his bag, then walked into the next room. This room was a supply room with all sorts of cleaning products, towels, and fleece hospital blankets.


    Reginald felt that these things would come in handy, especially in the colder months ahead. He tightly rolled up the blankets and stuffed as many as he could into his duffel bag.


    By the time he was finished, it was already evening, and he decided to head back to the van to wait for the others.


    After 20 minutes of waiting, he finally saw Jason approaching from inside the hospital.


    "Hey, could you give me a hand with that box? Just put it in the trunk," said Jason as he walked over. Reginald didn''t think anything of it and went to pick up the box, but the second he turned his back, Jason forcefully struck him on the head, knocking him out.


    "Finally, I had to wait long enough to get my hands on these supplies," muttered Jason as he dragged Reginald back inside the medical center.


    He noticed the stuffed duffel bag and unzipped it, only to be greeted by cheap fleece hospital blankets.


    "Ugh, what a letdown. This is what you wanted? Some shitty blankets?" Jason said, feeling annoyed. The other guys at least had some decent medical supplies, but this guy looted towels and blankets.


    Without waiting much longer, Jason hopped in the van and pulled out a handheld radio, switching the channel.


    "Hey, it''s Jason from Team Summit. Please let Leader Mai know I''ve secured the medical supplies and am en route," he said into the radio.

 Chapter 111 A Perfect Shot

    Back at the base, Ella kept checking her wristwatch while staring at the door.


    "He''s still not back, and it''s already 8 p.m.," she said worriedly to her mother. Her mother was also worried, unable to focus on anything else.


    "Maybe they ran into an unexpected delay, or the road was in worse condition than expected, like we experienced on our way here," she said, praying that was the case.


    They waited for another hour until Ella stood up. "I can''t take this anymore. I''m going to the job office to see if they know anything."


    Her mother nodded, agreeing with Ella''s suggestion. "Go, just don''t take too long."


    Ella quickly ran over to the job office, noticing that she wasn''t the only one there.


    "Where is my son? They were supposed to be back hours ago!" wailed an elderly woman.


    Ella quickly walked over. "Excuse me, ma''am, did your son go on a scavenging expedition this morning?"


    "Yes, yes. He left early this morning but still hasn''t come back. I''m worried sick!" she cried.


    Ella wasn''t sure if they were in the same group, but she felt her stomach sink. She ran over to the counter to find a recruiter. "Sir, please! Do you know the status of a scavenging group that left early this morning?"


    The recruiter looked at Ella with a frown. He noticed that, although she was worried, she still kept it together.


    "Don''t spread the word, or it will cause panic. We''ve lost contact with one of the groups that was sent to look for medical supplies. If we don''t hear back from them by tomorrow morning, then we will send out a scouting team to check," he said quietly.


    "Why wait so long? What if they''re in danger?" Ella said, doing her best to keep her voice lowered.


    "They should be okay. Each group leader is from the guard team and has a weapon and radio on them. They''re trained to radio in the moment any kind of danger appears so that we know. But we haven''t heard from them at all. The higher-ups decided to give them until tomorrow morning before expending more manpower and resources to go find them," he replied.


    Ella wasn''t sure what to feel. On one hand, it was good to know that there was a guard with the group, but on the other hand, it wasn''t impossible that they had met trouble and didn''t have enough time to radio in.


    She made her way back home to report the situation to her mother, lost in thought along the way. When she arrived back home, her mother quickly got up to greet her.


    "Ella, what did they say? Is your father okay?" she asked quickly.


    Ella smiled at her mom, not wanting to worry her too much. "They said that they''ll give it until tomorrow morning to see if they come back. Each team leader is from the guard team and has a weapon, they should be okay."


    Her mother nodded, unconvinced. "Right, right, maybe their radio broke or ran out of battery. They''re probably making their way over slowly as we speak," she said nervously.


    "Mom, if he doesn''t come back by sunrise tomorrow, I''m going to go look for him," Ella said resolutely.


    Her mom was about to stop her but decided not to. "Very well, go ahead. Take the car and be careful. Hopefully, it doesn''t come to that."


    ---


    Rayne and Julian finally made it to the van, quietly waiting for the rest of the group to show up while keeping an eye out for dangerous animals.


    A few minutes later, Kia showed up, dragging Percy behind her. "Hey, looks like we''re just waiting on the other two," she said.


    Rayne nodded while Julian gave her a cold glance. He was clearly still angry over the way Kia treated Rayne.


    Just as Kia was about to ask if they had any luck, Kenzo came running frantically, screaming.


    "Help! Help! It''s chasing me!" he yelled without looking back. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before anyone had time to react, a large lioness came running from the same direction as Kenzo. Just as the lioness was about to jump him, Rayne took out a regular pistol from her system and shot.


    The bullet flew right past Kenzo and straight into the lioness''s skull, killing her instantly. Kenzo fell to the floor, gasping for air.


    "Th-thank you!" he muttered, completely consumed by fear. He had come so close to being eaten, and if it hadn''t been for Rayne''s timely and accurate shot, he wouldn''t have lived to see another day.


    Rayne quickly ran over to him, along with the rest of the team, helping him off the ground.


    "Where''s Tyler?" asked Kia, looking at the dead lioness on the ground.


    Kenzo shook his head. "We were caught by surprise. Tyler was closer to the lion than I was, and unfortunately..." he didn''t continue.


    Kia nodded in understanding. "Why are there exotic animals on the loose around here?"


    Rayne helped Kenzo up and handed him a water bottle she pulled out of her backpack. "We heard from a local that the earthquake caused a lot of the animals to escape from the newly constructed zoo."


    "Jeez, the world really has gone to shit," muttered Kia. She looked over at Rayne, reevaluating her opinion of this ''pretty girl.''


    All things considered, Rayne really did save Kenzo''s life. Not only was she the first to react, but her shot was also very clean.


    "Good shot," Kia said while giving Rayne an approving gaze.


    Rayne still had the adrenaline coursing through her veins, so she only responded with a curt nod. This was Rayne''s first time seeing a lioness up close, and she was surprised at how large the animal really was.


    Julian walked over and reached out to grab Rayne''s hand. "You did incredibly well. Good job," he smiled.


    Rayne was happy to hear his praise and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.


    "So tell me about this local. Did you get any leads on the scientist?" asked Kia, while she stared at the two lovebirds.


    Rayne pulled away shyly, feeling slightly embarrassed. Julian smiled at her cuteness and turned to look at Kia.


    "The local lives in the apartment building behind the supermarket. He said we can spend the night there if we want. He just asks us to follow him back to the base when we head back," explained Julian.


    Kia turned to look at the apartment building, sizing it up. "Okay, that''s a good offer. Let''s head over now before more dangerous animals sneak up on us."


    The group followed Rayne and Julian into the supermarket on their way over to the apartment building and noticed how stocked the shelves were.


    "Wow, this is amazing!" shouted Percy as he ran over to one of the snack shelves, grabbing as many bags of chips as he could find.


    The others were more reserved but did the same, filling their bags and backpacks with different kinds of food and water.


    "We should fill the van with goods before we take off tomorrow, so only grab what you can carry right now," announced Kia. This made Percy and Kenzo relax slightly, picking up only the items they could eat right away.


    Rayne and Julian picked a few items as well, so they didn''t seem too out of place before continuing through the supermarket.

 Chapter 112 The Secret Stash

    When the group arrived at the entrance of the apartment building, they heard the howling of animals nearby.


    "Let''s hurry inside," said Percy as he scanned the street behind them.


    Rayne led the group inside, walking up to the second floor and to the empty room they had looted earlier.


    "Here''s an empty room we found earlier. It''ll work as a good place to spend the night. We''re going to stay with the local in room 309," said Julian. He didn''t want to be around Kia if he didn''t have to be.


    Kia looked around the luxury apartment and nodded. "This is quite nice indeed. Even the stove looks like a gas stove. Maybe we''ll be lucky, and the gas lines are still functional."


    As Kia, Percy, and Kenzo got settled, Rayne and Julian made their way up to the young man''s apartment.


    "Oh hey, you''re back!" he said, opening the door to let them in. Rayne walked in and noticed multiple boxes and suitcases scattered all over the floor.


    "Sorry about the mess, I''ve been busy packing ever since you guys left. Let me show you to your room," said Lenny as he hopped over a few suitcases to bring them to the guest bedroom.


    As they entered the guest room, Rayne noticed that the bed was made with clean sheets and smiled approvingly at the sight.


    "Let me know if there''s anything else you need. Oh, and I invite you to dinner today! It''s going to be just pasta with red sauce, but I hope you like it," said Lenny before running off to the kitchen.


    Rayne turned to look at Julian. "It''s very kind of him to invite us for dinner. I can''t imagine very many people are willing to share their food supplies with others these days."


    Julian closed the door and then walked over to lift Rayne off the floor.


    "Julian! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, blushing.


    He princess-carried her over to the bed, placing her down in the center. Then he climbed on and pulled her into his embrace to cuddle closely.


    "I''m willing to share everything I have with you," he said in a deep and seductive voice.


    Rayne''s heart raced at the implied meaning of his words. She rested her head on his chest while he played with her hair.


    "Oh yeah? Everything?" she said flirtatiously. While a part of her was still a little shy from Julian''s open display of affection, she had grown accustomed to it over the past few weeks and wanted to respond in a cheeky manner.


    Julian smiled at her flirty words. To him, she appeared like a little feisty kitten, absolutely adorable.


    "Mhm, everything. Why, what do you have in mind?" he asked as he continued to play with her long strands of golden hair.


    "You see, before we left the bunker, I happened to discover someone''s secret stash of chocolate," she said, making it sound like she uncovered a great secret.


    Julian played along, gasping in shock. "What?! How did you find it? I tried so hard to keep that hidden!"


    Rayne burst out in laughter. "Haha, you can''t back out on your words now! You said you''re willing to share everything, so when we make it back to the bunker, I''m heading straight for that secret stash!"


    They continued to laugh and joke around together on the bed until they heard a gentle knock on the door.


    "Hey, dinner is ready," Lenny said from the other side of the door, causing Rayne to freeze.


    Julian laughed at her startled expression and called out, "We''ll be right there!"


    Rayne quickly got off the bed and straightened out her hair from Julian''s teasing. Thankfully, he was careful not to mess it up too much this time, and they made their way to the kitchen.


    Lenny moved his suitcases and boxes to the corner of the living room, clearing a path to the kitchen. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne smelled a pleasant scent coming from the stove and was excited to eat.


    "Hey, come on over and take a seat. I''m about to plate the pasta now," said Lenny cheerfully. He used to entertain his friends and family often in the past, cooking elaborate dinners with festive themes.


    Although this dinner was nowhere near the fancy dinners he was used to making, he was still happy that he could have company over.


    Lenny quickly served the bowls of pasta and came over to join the two of them at the table. "Well, I was saving this for a special occasion, but I guess this will be as good as any," he said as he placed a beautiful bottle of wine on the table.


    Julian picked up the bottle and inspected the label. "Wow, what a treat! If I''m not wrong, less than ten bottles of this wine were produced!"


    "Ah, a man of culture," commented Lenny. "Yes, indeed, this is one of my most prized bottles in my collection. A shame I couldn''t serve it alongside something better than basic pasta."


    Julian looked over at Rayne and handed her the bottle. She quickly understood the hidden message and lowered the bottle so that it was hidden from Lenny''s view, then quickly stored it in her system.


    After successfully storing it and taking out a copy, she smiled at Lenny. "I must thank you in advance for pulling out something so precious for us to try."


    Lenny waved his hand before bringing over three crystal wine glasses. "No, no. I must thank you for joining me. I''m a social creature, and these many weeks of silence have slowly begun to take a toll on me. If it wasn''t for the lack of people and the influx of dangerous wildlife, I would''ve stayed here."


    Rayne looked around and agreed. This apartment was spacious and well-kept, furnished with many high-quality items. It seemed that the gas lines were still working since Lenny was able to boil pasta on his stove, making it a much better place to live than most.


    The three of them happily ate their meal and indulged themselves in a few glasses of the expensive wine, which warmed their bodies. They found Lenny''s company to be very pleasant as he was naturally a funny person and an experienced host, causing the conversation to flow.


    "Be prepared to live a much less comfortable life at the base. Last I heard, there were no more housing units available for people to rent. Most of the population lives in tents currently," said Julian, trying to convey the reality of what living at the base was like.


    Lenny sighed. "Ah, well, what can you do? If that''s the price I need to pay to not live in solitude, then so be it. Hopefully, I can find myself a hot daddy who''s willing to take me in."

 Chapter 113 The Most Difficult Fight

    Rayne giggled at Lenny''s comment but hoped he could indeed find someone to get along with at the base. She could tell Lenny was from a wealthy family and spent a lot of time socializing before the disaster, and people like that were less accustomed to being alone.


    "Well, just pack as many things as you can. With what you have around here, I can tell you''ll be one of the richer people on base. Be careful not to get robbed or scammed," Julian reminded him.


    Lenny nodded and thanked him for the reminder. "I may be relatively young, but I''m used to being around scheming people. I''ll be sure to keep my eyes open."


    After dinner, they retired to their rooms, where Rayne and Julian quickly came to the realization that there was only one bed.


    He walked over and hugged her from behind.


    "Feeling shy now? Weren''t we just lying here earlier?" Julian said teasingly. Ever since the first moment he saw her showering in the open field, he knew that she was innocent and a bit na?ve.


    He knew that it would take time and effort for her to get accustomed to being around him, which was why he tried to incorporate small forms of physical contact whenever he could.


    Rayne thought about it and realized that he was right. They were just having a good time lying together; why would sleeping be so much different?


    A part of her still felt a little shy after her thoughts wandered in a certain steamy direction.


    Julian looked down, noticing the pink tips of her small ears. "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll behave, I promise," he said as he hugged her tightly.


    Every part of him desired her, but for him, her presence was the most important. She was like a warm sunny day in the middle of a never ending storm, and he would wait as long as he had to.


    Rayne felt more relaxed after hearing his promise and decided to try it out. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to be around him; it was just all new to her. Her relationship with Dillon had been very formal, and she had minimal physical contact with him.


    "Okay, we can sleep together," she finally agreed after sorting out her nerves.


    Julian rested his head against her neck, feeling ecstatic. He was finally able to truly sleep beside the person he liked the most.


    Even though he stood behind her, Rayne could feel his happiness and excitement, making her giggle.


    "Okay, let me go and turn around so I can change out of these clothes," she said quickly.


    Julian did as he was told and faced the opposite wall, listening to the sound of her clothing falling to the ground.


    He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to stop his imagination from running wild, but unfortunately, his mind had its own thoughts and began painting vivid, seductive images anyway.


    They only intensified when he heard the sound of her stepping out of her pants, making the battle to stay turned away even more difficult.


    Rayne watched his back as she changed out of her clothes, wondering if he was having a hard time. She was still feeling feisty from earlier and couldn''t help but poke him a little.


    "Is it hard to look away?" she suddenly asked in a shy voice.


    Julian swallowed, causing his Adam''s apple to move. "Yes," he breathed out, feeling like something was stuck in his throat.


    Rayne was very happy to hear his strained reply, the excitement making her heart race. The wine from earlier coursed through her, giving her a burst of courage.


    She walked towards him, fully naked and pressed her body against his, hugging him from behind.


    When Julian felt her body press against his, he felt his mind go blank as all the blood in his body rushed to a certain spot.


    He knew she was naked and could feel her hard nipples poking through his thin t-shirt on his back.


    "What about now?", she asked, her voice laced with a newly discovered seductive tone. He body was giving of a natural allure that she wasn''t aware of, causing Julian''s internal struggle even more difficult.


    He couldn''t hold out any longer and turned around, keeping his eyes closed. He pressed his body against hers, hugging her back.


    Rayne felt his erection pressing against her as they held each other, causing her body to heat up.


    "This is how difficult it is for me. This is what you do to me Rayne", he whispered in her ear.


    Rayne''s head was in the clouds as she ran her fingers up his back underneath his shirt. She was being fully controlled by desire as her body reacted to his.


    Julian felt her fingers run up and down his back as she began to squirm, he knew that she had been consumed by desire. As badly as he wanted to have her here and now, he knew it wasn''t the right time and place.


    Battling against his own desires he finally opened his eyes and lifted Rayne on to the bed, and reached over to pick up her nightgown that was laying on the corner of the bed.


    He noticed as her eyes were glazed over, and her cheeks were flushed pink, making her look extremely attractive.


    "Looks like that wine got you good", he smiled, placing the nightgown over her head.


    Rayne protested, trying to wiggle out of the nightgown. "Juliaaann", she moaned. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian had to bite his tongue to stay rational. Her movements caused her breasts to bounce, adding an additional layer of difficulty.


    He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "Be good Rayne, you''re making it very difficult for me to be good. Let''s get changed and get into bed. I''ll play with your hair until you fall asleep, okay?".


    Rayne melted at his forehead kiss and quickly complied with his request. She let him help her get dressed and into bed.


    Thankfully, he had a spare change of clothes in his backpack because Rayne was still lost in the clouds. He changed his shirt, feeling the intense gaze coming from Rayne, and turned around.


    "Hey now. How come I had to turn around and close my eyes, while you get to stare?" he joked.


    Rayne was mesmerized by the sight of his muscular upper body. She had long wanted to feel his abs and reflexively reached her hand out, indicating that she wanted to touch him.


    Julian took a deep breath and resigned himself to fate, walking closer to the bed so she could get what she wanted.


    A few moments later he felt her soft fingertips travel down his abdomen, getting dangerously close to restrained erection.


    Just as her fingers were about to glide further down, he deftly caught her hand, looking her in the eyes. He was already doing his best to be good but if she got to touching a certain spot... he wasn''t sure if he could hold back.

 Chapter 114 The Search Continues

    After getting changed into a clean shirt and boxers, he climbed into bed to lay beside her.


    Rayne quickly shifted her body so that she was practically laying on top of him. She allowed her hands to wander across his body until the sleep finally took over.


    Julian watched her slowly begin to fall asleep as he played with her hair. A few minutes later he heard her quiet breathing, indicating that she had fallen asleep.


    He felt like he could finally relax after being so aroused. Although the situation was incredibly difficult for him, he was glad that they had made some progress.


    He continued to gently play with her hair until he felt his own heart rate return to normal. About an hour later he finally fell asleep, holding Rayne in his arms.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up with a dull headache, realizing that she was currently embraced by Julian''s strong arms.


    Scenes from the previous night flooded her mind, making her feel mortified by her behavior. She quickly turned around to see Julian''s sleeping face.


    She took a few minutes to enjoy his sleeping face and warm embrace. Her eyes traveled down his chest to where a part of his shirt was lifted up, exposing his lower abs.


    Unable to hold back, she carefully took her finger and poked him, not realizing that he had woken up.


    "Didn''t get enough of a feel last night?" Julian asked in a deep voice. He had woken up as soon as he felt her movements.


    "Julian!" she exclaimed. "I''m so sorry about last night. I don''t know what came over me. I''m¡ª"


    "Shh, you''re fine," he smiled, placing his hand gently on her face. "You didn''t do anything wrong. I''m not upset or hurt. If anything, I''m happy I got to see this new side of you."


    Rayne blushed, nodding. While she had the excuse of alcohol, she knew that her actions were her own. She wasn''t so drunk that she couldn''t control herself; she knew what she was doing.


    "Thank you, Julian. I know I must''ve made it hard for you," she said, looking up at him.


    Julian looked at her with a wide grin. "Yeah, you definitely made something hard."


    As Rayne was about to bury her head in the blankets, Julian leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.


    "No need to hide. You can do whatever you want to me. Come on, let''s get dressed. I think the others should be awake by now," he said, smiling.


    Rayne felt the warmth and happiness bubble inside of her. She quickly leaned over and pecked Julian on the cheek before jumping out of bed. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time, she didn''t order Julian to look away as she changed into an identical set of clothing to what she wore yesterday. Changing clothes too often would be suspicious, as many people only had a few sets of clothing in total.


    Julian who was frozen from the small kiss she left on his cheek was once again battling with his inner demons as he looked at Rayne''s naked back while she changed.


    "Girl, you''re going to drive me crazy, aren''t you", he groaned, feeling the stiffness between his legs return.


    Rayne quickly got dressed, giggling at Julian''s distress. "Here, I''ll give you a few minutes if you need them", she joked and ran out of the room.


    After Julian got dressed, he walked into the living room to see Rayne drinking a cup of coffee with Lenny.


    "Morning! Did you sleep okay?" asked Lenny, bringing over another cup of coffee for Julian.


    "Yeah, I slept great. Thank you for letting us spend the night," replied Julian, accepting the coffee.


    The three of them sat down in the living room, taking a moment to enjoy their coffee while waiting for the morning grogginess to pass.


    "So what''s on the agenda for today? You guys going to look for that scientist?" asked Lenny.


    Julian placed his mug down on the coffee table, making sure he used a coaster. "Yes, the group leader and the rest of the team are in an empty apartment on the second floor. I''m pretty sure the plan is to head over to that government lab you told us about to look around."


    "What if you don''t find him? Will you be staying longer?" asked Lenny.


    "No, I believe we''ll be going back to base regardless," answered Julian.


    Lenny nodded. "Okay. Then I''ll spend my time packing my things into the car. I know where the government lab is, so I''ll head over there to meet up with you in a little bit."


    "Okay, sounds good. See you then," replied Julian and got up to leave.


    A few minutes later, Rayne and Julian made it to the apartment where Kia and the others had spent the night.


    "Oh, good, you''re here. We need to get going," said Kia after opening the door.


    Rayne noticed that Percy and Kenzo were also awake and sitting in the living room.


    "Okay, everyone. We''re going to make our way back to the van the same way we came. On the way back, we will loot as many supplies as possible from the supermarket we cut through yesterday. After that, we''ll drive over to this government lab that these two suggested searching," announced Kia.


    The group quickly assembled and walked out. Kenzo nervously looked around the minute they stepped out of the apartment building, clearly still affected by what had happened yesterday.


    "Ah, it''ll be okay, man. We''ve got a scary, buff woman with us and another one who can shoot," said Percy as he placed his arm around Kenzo''s neck.


    Kia rolled her eyes at Percy''s comment and continued forward towards the back end of the supermarket.


    As soon as everyone entered, the nervous energy surrounding the group shifted to excitement. Percy, Kenzo, and even Kia quickly walked from shelf to shelf, filling their shopping carts with as many supplies as they could.


    Rayne walked around with Julian, placing anything she didn''t have into her system. Julian also pushed a shopping cart around so that they could fit in, but the items inside were mostly those that Rayne duplicated.


    Thirty minutes later, they all made their way to the van, filling it to the brim with supplies. Kia found a marker in the supermarket and labeled each person''s bags/boxes with their names.


    "Okay, let''s head over to the lab to find this guy. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get back," said Kia as she turned on the van.


    The way to the lab was straightforward. Lenny had given Rayne and Julian instructions on how to get there, saving the group time.


    The lab was a modern-looking concrete building that was surrounded by a large fence.


    Thankfully for them, the gate inside was left open, allowing Kia to drive right in. After parking the car right in front of the entrance, Kia was just about to open the door to get out when Percy jumped out of his seat and pointed at something on the ground below.


    "Holy shit, is that a python?!" he screamed, pointing at a massive snake on the ground.


    Kia hadn''t noticed it at first because of the way it was laying motionless in the shade, but after Percy pointed it out, her face paled.


    Rayne also buried her head into Julian''s arm. Although she couldn''t see the snake from where she was sitting in the van, she was still terrified. Snakes were one of her biggest fears, and she wanted nothing to do with them.

 Chapter 115 Government Lab

    Julian placed his arm around her, hugging her. "Don''t worry, I won''t let it anywhere near you," he whispered.


    Kia took the pistol out of the holster and slowly lowered her window. She aimed for the snake''s head, but when she finally shot, the bullet missed, hitting its body.


    The giant snake quickly reacted, coiling its body and hissing in anger. It shifted its body to move at very fast speed, ramming into the van.


    "Quick! Shoot it again! I don''t want that thing inside with me!" cried Percy. He was squatting on his seat, ready to jump out of the van if he had to.


    Kia lifted her pistol and aimed once more, this time trying to hit its body as many times as she could.


    Bam! Bam! Bam! sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She shot the pistol three consecutive times, hitting the snake''s body each time. Unfortunately, this didn''t kill the creature, but caused it to slither away into hiding.


    "No, it''s going inside the laboratory! Why couldn''t you aim better?" cried Percy. He didn''t want to go out knowing that an angry python could be lurking around any corner.


    Julian was also disappointed in the turn of events. He quickly realized that just because someone was on the guard team didn''t mean they were fully trained. Kia''s display of marksmanship was very poor, in his opinion.


    "Let''s go. The snake got hit a few times; it might bleed out to death," said Julian from the back seat.


    Kia and Kenzo got out of the van, followed by Julian and Rayne. Rayne wasn''t happy, knowing that the snake survived, and clung to Julian like a koala.


    Percy was so scared, he was practically crying. "No, no! I don''t want to get out of the van! I''m going to stay here!" he cried as Kia tried to pull him out of the car.


    "Fine, stay here. Just don''t regret it when it slithers back here for you," she said, turning away.


    "Okay! I''ll come! Okay! Just don''t leave me," he quickly hopped out of the van.


    The group slowly proceeded forward into the government lab. The entrance looked like any typical modern-day lobby area, with marble floors and a sleek, clean design. The only difference was that past the lobby, there was a checkpoint set up requiring a keycard to proceed further inside.


    "Great, how do we get past this chain-link fence? We don''t have keycards... not that they would help us now," cried out Percy.


    Rayne shook her head. When he first introduced himself, he seemed like a ruthless bad guy, but after spending some time with him, she felt like he was a bit of a pansy.


    She reached into her backpack and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters. "Well, looks like these finally came in handy!" she announced, acting like she''d had them the entire time.


    "Oh, you came prepared. Good job," said Kia, approvingly.


    Rayne walked over to the chain-link fence and began snipping the chains to cut out an opening. The bolt cutters were new and of good quality, making the process quick and easy.


    A few minutes later, she finished, making a decent-sized hole in the fence for them to walk through.


    "Let''s hope this guy is here so we can hurry up and head back," commented Kenzo. After his incident with the lioness, he became much less talkative and a lot more nervous. Rayne felt that if it weren''t for the large amount of supplies he''d acquired from the supermarket, he would have mentally snapped already.


    The group walked through the main corridor, checking the various rooms on the way. Rayne noticed that this lab was pretty much fully intact, just empty.


    As they made it to the end of the hall, they found themselves at a two-way intersection.


    "It looks like we''ll need to split up," said Kia. "Kenzo and prison boy, you''ll come with me. The lovebirds can go down the other hall."


    "No! I don''t want to go with you. You suck at shooting!" cried Percy, still wary of the potential lurking danger.


    "Shut up and start walking," Kia grabbed him by the arm and began walking down the hallway on the left.


    Seeing that Kia''s group chose the left corridor, Rayne and Julian turned to walk down the right corridor.


    "Should we really have split up like this?" asked Rayne nervously. She couldn''t shake her fear of the snake from earlier, feeling on edge.


    "It should be okay. Kia did enough damage to it that I don''t think it will show itself. But if it does, I''ll be ready," smiled Julian, showing her the pistol in his hand.


    They entered a large room that was filled with different kinds of fancy scientific equipment that Rayne didn''t recognize. She walked around, looking carefully.


    "Do you think I should store any of this? If we do find the chemist, will he or she have the proper equipment to analyze the substance?" asked Rayne.


    Julian thought about the small lab at the bunker and nodded, "Yes, it''ll probably be a good idea. I don''t think the lab at the bunker is equipped for chemistry experimentation."


    After hearing the okay, she walked around and began to store the various lab equipment around the room. They continued through the rooms until Julian lifted his hand, indicating Rayne to stop moving.


    "I smell something burning," he whispered and crept forward.


    Rayne focused on smelling the air, picking up the faint burning scent.


    They quietly proceeded down the hallway, following the burning scent.


    "It''s coming from inside this room," whispered Julian. He pulled up the pistol, ready to shoot if he had to.


    Taking a deep breath, he quickly pushed the door open and pointed his pistol inside.


    Cough! Cough!


    "Please don''t shoot me!" coughed a middle-aged man. He had just finished grilling a piece of meat and, just as he took a bite, Julian stormed in, startling him and causing him to choke on his food.


    Julian lowered the gun and stared at the man. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 116 Government Lab 2

    The middle-aged man cleared his throat and looked up at Julian and Rayne.


    "My name is Michael. I''m a research scientist here," he quickly introduced himself.


    "Are you the one who sent the rescue mission to the government base?" asked Rayne.


    Michael''s eyes lit up. "Yes! That''s me! Are you the ones the base sent?"


    Julian walked over. "Yes, we''re part of the scouting team in charge of finding you. But I''m curious as to why you''re the only one here? The rest of the lab seems deserted."


    Michael looked down at the small fire pit he had made inside a metal bucket. "Some of us died during the earthquakes, while others fled. By the time the hurricane came, there were only a few of us left. That''s when they came..."


    Julian looked at him, waiting for him to continue.


    "It was a small group of people. They came quickly and managed to kidnap my remaining colleagues in broad daylight. I was lucky because I decided to dig through the small supply closet, somehow managing to avoid detection," said Michael.


    "After that incident, I tried leaving the lab, but I was greeted with a group of lions, so I holed up in here until I managed to get a radio working... which was how I managed to contact the government base."


    Julian frowned upon hearing this. He somehow felt that the only person bold enough to kidnap scientists was Damien.


    "You wouldn''t happen to be a chemist, would you?" asked Julian.


    Michael shook his head. "No, I''m not. I specialize in plant science, but one of the people who was taken was a chemist, a really good one."


    Rayne was saddened to hear this news but was even more disturbed by the kidnappings. She couldn''t believe that people would resort to something so inhumane.


    "Well, is there anything you need to grab? We should head back soon."


    ---


    At the government base:


    Ella woke up and quickly ran to see if her father was back. She walked into the living room only to see her mother sitting on a fold-out chair with dark circles under her eyes.


    "He didn''t come back?" asked Ella, doing her best not to worry.


    Her mother looked over and quietly shook her head. She hadn''t slept all night and decided to sit in the living room the whole time. With every passing hour, her worry only got worse.


    "Mom, give me the car keys. I''m going to look for him after stopping by the job office," said Ella with determination. If the base wasn''t going to look for him, she would go herself.


    Her mother didn''t refute and quickly fished the car keys out of her coat pocket. "Here, please be careful, honey," she said quietly. The exhaustion was taking over her, causing her to slowly shut down.


    "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll be back soon. I''ll bring Dad home," said Ella, doing her best to stay positive.


    She took the car keys and stormed out of the room. Her first destination was the job office to see if they had any new information.


    As she walked inside the office, she noticed the same older woman who was wailing last night about her missing son. She was a lot quieter this morning, sitting silently in the corner.


    Ella walked over to the counter, noticing that it was the same recruiter she had spoken to last night.


    "Is there any news? Did the base send anyone out to look for them?" she asked impatiently.


    The man shook his head. "I''m sorry, miss, but we still haven''t heard anything. The higher-ups are currently discussing if we can afford to send another team out to find them."


    "You''re only just now discussing IF you can send someone?" she exclaimed, raising her voice.


    The recruiter sighed visibly. "Miss, I understand that you are concerned, but I''m only a small-time worker. I don''t make the decisions, so please spare me from your anger."


    Ella clenched her fist. "At least tell me where they went. I''m going to look for them myself."


    The recruiter was relieved she didn''t explode with anger and quickly gave her a printout of a small map, marking the location of the scavenging destination.


    Ella took the map without thanking him and ran to the car. Before driving out of the base, she looked at the map, plotting her route, trying to go via the shortest route possible.


    Once she had an idea of where to go, she quickly made her way off the base, driving full speed on the highway.


    ---


    On the other side of the base, Rico and his gang were nonstop fighting over the toilet. Tee even had to run out to the forest behind the building to relieve himself.


    "What the heck is happening? Why have we all been shitting ourselves all night?" cried out Randy, holding his hands over his sore butt.


    Rico glanced at the small pot of soup that Rayne brought over. "Looks like the soup we had wasn''t good."


    Randy frowned. "How was it not good? It was so delicious!" He couldn''t understand how something so good could be so bad for them.


    Rico was also slightly stumped. When he drank the soup earlier, he didn''t think anything was off. If anything, he was slightly surprised that the sparse amount of vegetables seemed very fresh. There wasn''t any meat in the soup either, so it''s not like they had something rotten.


    "It''s the only plausible explanation. It''s the only food we all ate together, and we are all suffering now," said Rico.


    "Tee, how much longer are you going to be in there? I need to shit!" yelled Randy, banging on the bathroom door. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rico frowned, feeling his stomach rumble. This really threw a wrench in his plans. He noticed that his neighbors were gone, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to break into their apartment.


    He felt like he had missed this golden opportunity thanks to a momentary indulgence in a hot bowl of soup. If he didn''t know any better, he would have thought that his neighbors planned this in advance, foreseeing his plan.


    He watched as everyone fought over who was going to use the bathroom next and shook his head. This whole situation had turned into such a headache.

 Chapter 117 Emergency Mission

    Government Lab


    After packing up a few essential items, Michael turned to Rayne and Julian. "I''m all set. The base promised to provide me with basic food and shelter for my work. They want me to oversee the agricultural division in the future."


    "Okay then, let''s head out and meet up with the rest of the team," said Julian, turning to leave the room.


    Rayne followed closely behind him while Michael trailed a few steps behind them.


    "Don''t stand too far away, there may or may not be a giant python lurking around here somewhere," said Julian, walking with his pistol out.


    The group had only taken a few steps down the hall when they heard a series of gunshots up ahead.


    "Let''s go, that sounds like Kia''s pistol," said Julian, jogging forward.


    Rayne and Michael followed behind, getting closer to the gunfire. As they approached the intersection where they split into teams, they saw Kia, Kenzo, and Percy running toward them.


    "It''s back! The snake is back!" cried Percy, running faster than the rest of the group.


    As soon as Julian saw Kia turn the corner and appear in front of them, he saw the head of the large python emerge from her direction.


    "I shot the damn thing three times and it''s still chasing us!" yelled Kia, spotting Julian and Rayne in the distance.


    "I told you! You suck at shooting!" yelled Percy. He had run so quickly that he had already made it behind Julian and Rayne.


    Julian lifted his pistol, taking aim at the fast-moving python. He waited for Kia to move to the side before taking a shot.


    Just as the snake caught up to Kia, she tripped over a protruding floor tile, giving Julian the perfect opportunity.


    Bang!


    Julian only needed to shoot a single bullet, hitting the snake directly in the head. Its enormous body immediately stopped moving, giving Kia a chance to get up and move away.


    "Is it dead?" asked Percy. He had jumped into an empty room as the snake got closer and only heard the single gunshot.


    "Yes, the snake is dead," answered Michael. He had witnessed this entire scene unfold in front of him. While he didn''t have a strong fear of snakes in general, seeing one so large and hostile was still disturbing.


    Kia caught her breath and walked over to Julian. "Thank you so much. I thought for sure that it would get me there."


    Julian nodded in reply and walked over to ensure that the snake was dead.


    He looked at the spot he shot¡ªthe head¡ªand noticed that the impact of the bullet had caused a small part of the snake to completely implode.


    "Yeah, it''s not recovering from this bullet," he said calmly and turned to face Kia once more. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We found the scientist," said Julian, pointing to Michael.


    Kia looked over at him. "So you''re the guy. Good, glad we finally found you. We can finally go home."


    The group slowly made its way back to the van and noticed another large, luxury SUV parked outside.


    "Hey, guys!" greeted Lenny, rolling down the window.


    Rayne smiled and waved. "Hey, Lenny, you''re just in time. We found the scientist and are ready to head back!"


    "Perfect, I''ll follow you guys. I made sure to fill up the car before I got here," smiled Lenny. He couldn''t wait to leave this place and find more people to socialize with.


    "Base to Leader Kia, do you copy?"


    Everyone looked over at Kia, hearing her special radio go off. It was the first time they had heard it in use, and even Kia was slightly startled.


    She unclipped the radio from her belt. "Kia here," she replied.


    "We have an emergency mission. Locate a missing scavenging team. Last known location was in Southern Grove Town."


    Kia frowned hearing the newly assigned task but didn''t dwell on it. "Copy, heading over now."


    The rest of the team, including Michael and Lenny, looked over at Kia, waiting to hear the plan.


    "You all heard it. Looks like we need to find more people. At least this town is on the way back, I''ve been there once before," announced Kia, motioning for everyone to get into the van.


    She turned to look at Lenny. "Sorry, kid, looks like you''ll have to follow us on a small detour."


    Lenny smiled, resigning to fate. "Looks like I have little choice. I''ll follow behind you."


    After sorting out the details, everyone hopped into the van, and the two cars hit the road. They drove for roughly an hour before arriving at the small town that Reginald and his team were assigned to loot.


    Kia parked the van on the side of the main road in the center of the small town, with Lenny parking his car behind them.


    Percy hopped out of the van and looked around. "Do you know what they were looting here? This place doesn''t look like it has much around."


    Kia shook her head, stepping out of the car. "I''m not sure. You heard as much as I did. At least it''s a small town, so there isn''t that much ground to cover. Okay team, let''s walk down this main strip together, and if we don''t find anything, we''ll split up."


    Following Kia''s instructions, the group walked down the main street, checking the more important buildings on the way.


    "Nothing in the Town Hall," said Kenzo, walking back toward the group. They continued going building to building, searching for any clues.


    The street had a steep upward slant, so when they finally reached the end of the street, Rayne was able to clearly see the surrounding area.


    "Julian, look over there. That building looks pretty large. What do you think it is?" said Rayne, pointing to a white building with large glass windows.


    Julian looked over to where she pointed. "Hmm, you wouldn''t happen to have brought the binoculars with you, have you?" he asked.


    Rayne quickly picked up on his meaning and opened her backpack. "Yep! I have them here," she said, pulling a pair of black binoculars out.


    Julian took them and used them to look over at the large white building. "Oh! It looks like a small hospital or medical facility of some sort. There''s a good chance that the missing team went there to scavenge."


    "Hey, guys, we spotted a medical facility down there. I think there''s a good chance that''s where they went," shouted Rayne, pointing toward the white building.


    Kia took a look. "Yeah, that''s a good place to look. Let''s get back to the van, and I''ll drive over."

 Chapter 118 Emergency Mission 2

    The group got back into the van and Lenny''s SUV and drove over to the entrance of the medical center.


    As soon as they got out of the car, Rayne felt that something was wrong.


    The entrance to the medical center showed many signs of looting, with loose bandages and scattered meds on the concrete floor.


    "I feel like they were definitely here," she said while looking around.


    The rest of the group walked over, feeling the same.


    "Okay, let''s go inside," said Kia with a serious expression. Seeing that this was an emergency mission, something must have happened. It was better to proceed with caution.


    The group carefully made their way inside, looking out for any lurking danger. Percy was so scared that he decided to slip away and hide in a nearby room.


    He quietly tiptoed to the back of the group and opened the door closest to him, deciding to hide there until further notice.


    He did his best to quietly open the door and stepped inside. The second he went to close the door behind him, he felt something strike him on the head, and his vision went black.


    Rayne and Julian quickly turned around when they heard the noise from the strike. The rest of the group turned around to follow them.


    Leading the way, Julian peered into the room and saw a man standing behind the unconscious Percy.


    "Reginald?" Julian asked in a surprised voice.


    Rayne''s eyes widened when she heard Julian''s voice, and she walked over.


    Sure enough, the man standing in front of her was Ella''s father!


    "Mr. Soto! What are you doing here?" she asked in a surprised voice.


    Reginald was surprised to see the famous CEO of REN Corporation, who had been reported dead months ago, standing in front of him.


    He had only just recently regained consciousness and found himself on the floor of a small supply closet. Just as he was about to exit the room, he heard the sound of cars pulling up to the building and decided to stay hidden in case it was an enemy.


    Unfortunately for Percy, when Reginald heard the knob to the door of his room open, he thought it was the traitor returning to finish him. He quickly found a small wooden plank and got into position to strike whoever entered.


    "Mr. Barclay? Is that really you?" Reginald asked in astonishment.


    Julian quickly walked over. "Yes, but please don''t announce it. I''m supposed to be dead," he whispered.


    Reginald wasn''t sure why, but he quickly agreed. "Of course, I understand," he nodded, then turned to face Rayne. "Miss Weston, is that you?"


    Rayne walked over and smiled. "I''m so happy to see you! Is Ella here? I''ve missed her so much!" Just as the words left her mouth, she noticed the dried blood in his hair.


    "Mr. Soto! What happened? You''re injured!" she gasped.


    Reginald brought his hand to the injury on the back of his head, feeling the tenderness around the wound. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Long story short, I came here on a scavenging mission, but once the van got filled with goods, the leader of our group knocked me out and dragged me here. I only just regained consciousness when you guys arrived. I''m not sure about the rest of the group," he explained.


    Kia walked over just in time to hear his explanation. "You''re saying that your group leader knocked you out and took off with the van and all of the supplies inside?"


    Reginald nodded at the burly woman. "Yes, that''s as much as I know."


    Julian turned to face Kia. "I know this man, and I trust his word. He wouldn''t lie about this."


    Kia looked at Julian, then sighed. "Very well, I trust you. I''ll have to report this to base. Give me a minute. The rest of you, search the rooms and see if we can find anyone else from the team."


    Reginald looked at the unconscious Percy on the floor. "I''m sorry I knocked him out. I''ll apologize to him later."


    "Don''t sweat it. I''ve wanted to do the same to him for a while now," said Kia before she walked outside to radio the base.


    Rayne walked over to assess Reginald''s injury, while Kenzo, Michael, and Lenny walked around the medical center to look for the others.


    "My wife and Ella must be really worried," Reginald sighed, letting Rayne bandage the wound on his head. "I''m not sure I have it in me to go on another base mission after what happened yesterday."


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Soto, we can go out on private missions together in the future," said Rayne. She was finally close to being reunited with her best friend and wished to stay close to the Soto family in the future.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, we will go out on supply missions together in the future. I have a few weapons with me, so we can protect ourselves."


    Reginald smiled, happy to have met familiar faces.


    "Guys! I found the rest of the team! I think one of them is heavily injured!" yelled Lenny from the hallway.


    Kia had just returned from giving an update to the base and rushed over to where Lenny was standing.


    Inside a small examination room, there were three people unconscious on the ground. One of them looked heavily injured, as though he had gotten into a knife fight. He had many open wounds all over his body, some still bleeding.


    "Quick, we need to bandage him and bring him back. Everyone, help me carry the others to the van," ordered Kia. Part of her guard training included basic first aid, so when Rayne handed her a roll of bandages from her backpack, Kia quickly got to work.


    While the two ladies were busy doing their best to save the man, the others carefully carried the other unconscious team members to the van.


    As Ella finally pulled up to the medical center, what greeted her was the sight of Kenzo and Michael carrying an unconscious man into a van.


    "Who are you people? What are you doing with those men?!" she shouted from inside her car.


    Kenzo looked over to see a petite woman with black hair glaring at them. He quickly realized that what they were doing could be seen as suspicious and quickly answered, "We were sent by the base to look for a missing team. We found them here unconscious. One of them is badly hurt, so we''re trying to get them back to base quickly."

 Chapter 119 Reunion

    Ella''s heart sank when she heard Kenzo''s words. She quickly jumped out of her car and ran forward. "Where is the injured man?!" she asked desperately.


    The man they were carrying was not her father, and her stomach couldn''t help but sink at the possibility that it was her father who was heavily injured.


    Michael saw the desperation in Ella''s eyes and answered her, "Run down the main hall, then take a left. He''s in one of the rooms being bandaged by our group leader."


    Ella ran inside as soon as she got the location, praying that her father was okay on the way.


    She saw a handsome man carrying another person out of the room and sprinted forward.


    "Dad! Dad?!" she cried, running into the room.


    Julian and Lenny saw Ella speed past them, unsure of who she was. They were on their way to the van, carrying another unconscious man.


    Ella walked into the room and gasped at the bloody sight. She saw that the floors and walls had many blood splatters, painting a picture of what had transpired here.


    She saw a burly woman carefully bandaging a man, making him look like a mummy due to the number of wounds he had.


    "Dad!" Ella cried out. She couldn''t see the man''s face clearly but assumed this was her father since he wasn''t one of the other two men who had been carried to the van.


    Tears began pouring down her cheeks as she began to sob.


    "Ella? Why are you here?" asked Reginald, seeing his daughter standing in the room, distressed.


    He had stepped out with Rayne to find more bandages when he saw his daughter crying in the room.


    Ella turned when she heard his familiar voice, seeing her dad standing in front of her. "Dad! You''re okay! I was so worried!" she ran into his arms and started to cry.


    Reginald hugged his daughter, patting her on the head like he had always done whenever she came to him crying since childhood.


    "I''m here, I''m okay. It''s all okay now," he whispered, trying to calm her down.


    "When I saw the bloody room and the man on the floor... I... I thought it was you," she cried, tightening her hug around him.


    "Everything is okay. That man will be okay too," said Reginald calmly as he continued to pat her gently.


    He had never expected that she would come looking for him, but the fact that she had made his heart warm.


    "Look who I found," he said, trying to cheer her up.


    Ella lifted her head from his chest and looked behind him, spotting another familiar figure.


    "Rayne! Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. The sight of her best friend helped her calm down almost instantly.


    "Ella! You came here alone?" asked Rayne. She was surprised by her friend''s bravery.


    Ella nodded as she wiped her eyes. "I wanted¡ª"


    "Hey, I need someone to help me carry this injured man to the van, find a stretcher if you can!" called out Kia from inside the room.


    The reunion was put on pause as everyone walked in to help carry the injured man. Unfortunately, there was no stretcher nearby, but the three of them quickly carried the man over to the van.


    Kia looked over at the group. "We need to head back right now. Everyone get in the car."


    Kenzo jumped into the passenger seat of the van, while Lenny and Michael entered Lenny''s SUV.


    Rayne looked to Kia. "We''ll head back with my friend. You guys go on without us."


    Kia nodded. "Okay, I''ll leave a note with the job office to transfer your payment when you get back. Be careful."


    They quickly drove off, trying to get back to base as quickly as possible.


    Rayne and Julian were left with Ella and Reginald, ready to continue the reunion.


    "So you guys were on a scouting mission and got called over on your way back?" Ella asked.


    "Yes, I never could have imagined running into your father here," replied Julian.


    While the girls chatted, Reginald turned to Julian. "She''s a nice girl," he said, looking at Rayne. He noticed the closeness between Rayne and Julian during this short span of time and immediately picked up on Julian''s feelings.


    Julian smiled. "Yeah, she really is. I''m incredibly happy that I ran into her."


    Reginald nodded, smiling. He had known Julian for a few years and heard many things about him, one of them being the number of women who were sent to seduce him and failed. He was happy that his daughter''s friend had caught the eye of someone as capable as Julian.


    "Well, since we''re already here, why not go around and find some things to bring back? I''d like to bring something nice for my wife as an apology for making her worry," said Reginald quietly.


    After Rayne and Ella finished catching up, they walked over to join the guys, hearing the proposal to scavenge for items.


    "Yes! That''s a great idea, Dad!" Ella said cheerfully. She was hoping to find some appliances, while her father wanted to find furniture items. He didn''t want his lovely wife to suffer sitting only in plastic fold-out chairs.


    "You did good leaving the trailer on. We can bring back some larger pieces of furniture now," said Reginald.


    The four of them walked to an apartment building across the street and began to look around. The building was only half intact but was fully abandoned.


    Rayne pretended to find a sledgehammer in an alleyway and used it to break into the locked apartments so that they could scavenge the items inside.


    The furniture was nowhere near as luxurious as it was in the building where Lenny lived, but some of the pieces were in good condition and made from solid wood.


    They all worked together to bring down as many pieces as they could fit on the trailer, quickly filling it with a small couch, a table, and a mini fridge Ella begged her dad to bring. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing her adorable pleading face, he couldn''t say no and finally agreed.


    He also found a number of paints, artist''s colored pencils, drawing paper, and canvas in an apartment that clearly belonged to an artist. He didn''t think twice before stuffing the vehicle with these supplies for his wife, using up most of the precious space.


    Rayne walked over to the car with a big box of food supplies, pretending to have gotten them from one of the small corner stores in the area. She wanted to make sure that her friend could at least eat her fill.

 Chapter 120 Extra Supplies

    "Wow, Rayne! You found so many good things! You''re so good at scavenging; most of the good items were found by you today," praised Ella as she looked at all the food in the box.


    Rayne smiled at her friend and shook her head. "No way, you found such a nice table. You have the good eye!"


    The girls giggled at each other, lifting the spirits of both men.


    "Okay, let''s check out this last apartment and head back. I''m worried my wife is suffering from worry," said Reginald.


    Ella quickly ran into the previous apartment, claiming that she wanted to check some of the clothing in one of the bedroom closets. Rayne walked over to the car, carrying the box of food.


    As she passed by Reginald and Julian, Reginald stopped her. "Rayne, do you mind bringing these items with you? It''s just a few medicines I found; one of them is for Ella," he asked, taking the medications out of his coat pocket.


    "Sure thing!" smiled Rayne. She waited for Reginald to place the pill bottle in the box, then walked over to the car.


    While no one was looking, she took the opportunity to store the medicine in her system. She knew about Ella''s digestive issue, as it was common for Ella to take a pill before eating whenever they went out in the past.


    After storing the pills, she took out another copy of them and opened the first bottle to fill it to the brim with pills from the second bottle. This way, Ella wouldn''t have to worry about them for a while longer, and when the time came, she could bring her a few more bottles, claiming to have found them while scavenging.


    Rayne went back inside the apartment building to help carry anything else they found back to the car. This time, the items were smaller¡ªmainly bedding, blankets, and warm clothes.


    The colder weather was setting in, and soon it would reach freezing temperatures during the night. While, based on historic trends, they should still have a few weeks of mild autumn weather, Rayne knew that nothing could be predicted anymore.


    "Look, Dad, I found this electric blanket next door!" said Ella, walking over with a folded electric blanket.


    Reginald nodded, approving of the find. He knew that eventually, they would need to buy electricity for the purpose of heating their room in the winter months.


    "I want to see if we can find an electric heater. I''m worried about the heating situation in the future," he said.


    Rayne overheard the conversation and walked to the room where Julian was. She opened a small closet and took out a high-quality electric heater, along with a few more heating blankets and warm clothes, scattering the items around the small bedroom.


    Rayne then walked out and over to Ella, who was in the kitchen of the same apartment unit.


    "Hey, leave this stuff to me. I''ll bring it to the car. Check out the bedrooms to see if there''s anything useful before we leave," said Rayne casually.


    "Okay, thanks!" replied Ella as she quickly skipped over to the bedroom.


    Rayne smiled, shaking her head at her friend''s excitement. She felt that Ella had truly embraced the looting lifestyle, even seeming excited to do so.


    It only took Ella a few minutes to find some of the scattered items Rayne had left around the room.


    "Dad! I found a space heater! It looks brand new, in a sealed box!" she shouted from inside the bedroom. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne smiled to herself as she backed the items Ella had set out from the kitchen cabinets into a small box.


    A few moments later, she saw Reginald walk into the bedroom to inspect the electric heater. Once everything passed his inspection, Ella quickly looked around the room, finding many more quality items, including the ones Rayne had left.


    After a few hours of looting and packing, they finally set off to head back to the government base. Ella drove, since Reginald was still injured and she had a better idea of how to get back. During the drive, it was mainly Ella and Rayne talking, while the men listened, relaxing.


    "Rayne, I''ve got to tell you. Those camping supplies you brought over really saved us! We''re using most of the items even now!" said Ella.


    Julian turned to give Rayne a knowing look but remained silent.


    Rayne smiled, happy that the items she left turned out to be helpful. "Oh, really?! That''s so great! Actually, I ended up using the ones I left for myself too! Crazy how my random shopping trip turned out to be useful in the end."


    While Rayne didn''t enjoy lying, especially to her best friend, she also didn''t want to reveal her ability. She noticed Reginald give her a curious look from the passenger seat and got nervous.


    But before Reginald could ask any questions, Ella changed the subject. "Ah, do you remember the king crab you brought over that one time? I''ve had dreams about it! Can you believe it? Dreams!" she said, practically drooling.


    Rayne laughed. "Haha! Here I thought I was the foodie! Don''t worry, I''ll find some more for you to indulge in," she smiled.


    Reginald rolled his eyes at Ella''s antics and at Rayne''s promise. Finding fresh king crab was nearly impossible unless she was willing to go out and catch them herself. Only Julian smirked, knowing that Rayne could easily snap her fingers and bring out an entire feast if she wanted to.


    A few hours later, they finally arrived at the first checkpoint of the government base. Rayne noticed that the line for the new people trying to register was even longer than when she and Julian first arrived.


    "Looks like everyone is trying to make it here before the weather gets colder," commented Reginald, staring at the long line.


    "I''m just happy that we don''t need to wait in it since we''re residents," said Ella as she pulled over to the second, much shorter line.


    It only took them a few minutes to arrive at the checkpoint, where everyone in the car just needed to show their resident cards.


    Ella drove directly to her building on the west side of the base, parking the car in front of her building.


    Ella quickly ran up the stairs to the third floor, rushing to tell her mother that everything was okay and that Reginald was back.


    Reginald made his way up behind her, followed by Rayne and Julian, who decided to tag along.


    "Mom! I''m back!" shouted Ella as she opened the door.

 Chapter 121 Declined Invitation

    Her mother was sitting in the same fold-out chair in the living room. She had a thin blanket wrapped around her and dark circles under her eyes.


    As soon as Ella burst through the door, she looked up at her daughter with tears in her eyes. "You''re finally back. I was so worried!" She stood up and walked over to Ella.


    "Mhm! And guess what! I found Dad!" said Ella cheerfully. As soon as she said that, Reginald walked into the room.


    "Hello, honey. I''m so sorry for making you worry," he said quietly, walking over to his wife. He noticed the dark circles and puffy eyes, which made his heart break.


    He watched as she ran over to him, hugging him while crying into his chest. "I was so scared that something bad happened. I thought you wouldn''t come back to me!" she cried.


    "I know, I know. I''m so sorry for making you worry," he said gently, wiping the tears from her face with his finger. He could tell that she hadn''t slept all night waiting for him to return.


    He bent over and kissed her on the cheek. "Everything is okay now. We even brought back many good things. I even found you a small surprise." He hoped that these items could cheer her up, at least a little bit.


    "You coming back to me is the biggest gift," she said, hugging him once more. But a small part of her was happy that he had thought of her while he was away.


    His heart warmed at her words. "Come, let''s go to the car so I can show you what we brought," he said and led her down.


    On the way out, they bumped into Rayne and Julian, who were waiting outside.


    "Rayne! Is that you? I''m so glad to see that you''re safe!" she exclaimed.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Soto. I''m very happy to have run into Ella and Mr. Soto outside," replied Rayne with a smile.


    The two chatted until they made it down to the car.


    "Wow, dear! So many nice things!" exclaimed his wife as Reginald walked her over to the small trailer attachment.


    Reginald smiled. "Yes, we found a number of decent items. Let''s talk about them once we get back inside. I don''t want prying eyes to know what we got."


    The group then got to work, carrying in all of the newly obtained items. Rayne and Julian helped carry most of the heavier items, while the rest of them brought in the smaller ones.


    Working as a team, they finished carrying everything in rather quickly, and the previously empty living room was now filled with many pieces of furniture and boxes of supplies.


    "Mom, we even found heating blankets and an electric heater!" Ella walked over and showed her mom.


    "Oh, great job! These items will be very useful to keep warm in the colder months," her mother replied, smiling. Her worries were gone since her family had come back safely, and she could now enjoy looking through all of the items that were brought back.


    Reginald walked over to the stack of boxes and dug around, looking for the art supplies he had found for her.


    "Honey, look. I found these for you. I hope they can ease your boredom," he said, walking over with a box of various paints, pencils, and sketchbooks.


    He saw her face blossom into a smile. She had always been a good artist and enjoyed painting. As a typical heiress from a wealthy family, she was brought up learning how to paint and play the piano, which she excelled at.


    "Thank you, dear. I really love it. I''ll paint something for us to hang up on the walls," she said, looking up at him happily.


    While Reginald was having a moment with his wife, Ella walked over towards Rayne. "Hey, let me show you my room. You can help me choose a good layout for the new furniture." She grabbed her by the arm and led her over to the smaller bedroom.


    When Rayne walked in, she frowned, seeing the bare room with a very simple mattress lying on the floor.


    The only other items in the room were a few cardboard boxes with some clothing. This made Rayne begin to think about how she could send more items over to Ella and her family.


    Ella misinterpreted Rayne''s shocked expression, thinking she was impressed by the setup. By current normal standards, simply having a mattress was already a rare thing.


    "We were lucky. When the first earthquakes began, Dad quickly made the decision to pack up and go to our countryside house. That''s why we had the trailer attachment. Before coming here, we loaded up as many items from that house, including these small mattresses, since they didn''t take up as much space as a traditional one," explained Ella.


    Julian had mentioned how Reginald was a resourceful man, but Ella''s explanation really painted the picture for her. Rayne felt that he was better mentally prepared for the apocalypse than she was, and she knew about it ahead of time!


    "Say, Rayne. Do you need a place to stay? Stay here with me!" said Ella.


    Rayne felt happy having such a nice friend, but she shook her head. She enjoyed having her own space with Julian, as well as the freedom to be able to use her system freely. If she moved in with Ella and her family, she wouldn''t be able to live as comfortably as she had been. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you for the invitation, but Julian and I have our own place on the other side of the base," Rayne replied.


    Julian walked in to hear Rayne''s words and smiled. "Hey now, don''t go poaching Rayne behind my back," he joked.


    Ella looked at Rayne, then at Julian, and giggled. "Girl, we need to talk! Since when are you living with a man?" She walked over and whispered.


    Rayne blushed but didn''t deny it. Although she and Julian weren''t in any formal relationship, things were certainly heading that route.

 Chapter 122 Friends Teasing

    Julian was called over to talk with Reginald, leaving Rayne alone with Ella in her room.


    "Spill it, Rayne! What''s the deal between you and him? He''s a super hottie!" said Ella with a knowing look.


    Rayne smiled at her friend''s antics. Although Ella was usually very reserved and quiet in public, she really loved drama and excitement.


    "You should know who he is," said Rayne, lifting her chin up.


    Ella thought about it but couldn''t figure out who he was. "I don''t know, who is he?" she asked curiously.


    "CEO of REN Corporation, Julian Barclay," smiled Rayne, dropping a bomb on Ella.


    "WHAT? How did you hook up with the CEO of REN Corporation?!" she gasped. Then her mind started racing. "Wait, wasn''t he pronounced dead a few months ago?"


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, it''s a long story, but he had to fake his own death. So don''t go around spreading the news."


    Ella felt her head spin. "This is all just so crazy. My best friend hooked up with the CEO of the richest man in the country..."


    Blushing, Rayne walked over to cover Ella''s mouth. "Shush! No one hooked up with anyone! We''re... just figuring it out..." she said shyly. She was worried Julian would overhear their conversation.


    Ella lightly bit Rayne''s hand, causing Rayne to pull her hand off Ella''s mouth.


    "Figuring it out, my ass! No wonder you don''t wanna move in with me. He''s probably sending you to the moon every night!" teased Ella. She was happy that Rayne had a love interest after everything she''d been through with Dillon.


    "Ella!!" cried Rayne, feeling embarrassed. "I swear nothing has happened... yet." Her mind kept going back to the previous night, making her even more embarrassed.


    "Fine, fine. I won''t tease you anymore. Just when you make babies, remember to make me the godparent!" she laughed.


    While the girls were teasing each other, Julian was having a private, serious talk with Reginald.


    "Very well, I promise not to spread the word of you being alive. Thank you for warning me about this matter," said Reginald with a serious expression.


    "Thank you. Let me know if there''s anything you need. I have a good amount of items, and here..." said Julian, reaching into his backpack. "Take this to protect yourself. If you need more ammo, just ask. I have a large supply."


    Julian pulled out the basic pistol he had and gave it to Reginald, along with a box of spare ammo.


    Reginald took the pistol. "Thank you, Mr. Barclay. I hope it doesn''t need to be used, but I will feel better about being able to protect my family."


    "Please, just call me Julian. Rayne and your daughter are best friends. I hope you all stay safe," replied Julian with a small smile.


    Julian then walked over to Ella''s bedroom to see if Rayne was ready to head home. As he entered, he heard Ella giggling and Rayne''s bright red face.


    "Seems like you ladies were having a good time in here," he smiled before turning to Rayne. "Are you ready to head back?"


    Rayne walked over to stand beside him. "Yes, I''m ready. What do you think if we invite the Sotos over for dinner tomorrow?" she said in a low voice.


    Julian smiled and placed his arm around her. "Of course, I think that''s a great idea."


    Ella watched the intimate actions between the two of them and couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Ella, we''re heading back now. I want to invite you and your parents over for dinner tomorrow. I was able to get my hands on some fresh meat and would like to enjoy it with you guys," Rayne said quickly, not giving Ella time to poke fun at her.


    "Oh, we''ll be there for sure! It''s been so long since we''ve had a good meal," smiled Ella.


    After saying their goodbyes and giving them the address of their house, Julian and Rayne walked home.


    Since their apartment was on the opposite side of the base, it took them almost twenty minutes to make it back.


    Julian took advantage of the situation and reached out to hold Rayne''s hand as they walked.


    "Would you like to swing by the job office on the way? That way we can get our contribution points for the mission," Julian suggested. They would be walking past the job office anyway, so it wouldn''t take too much time.


    "Sure, good idea," replied Rayne, and they walked over.


    The job office was filled with people looking to sign up for missions. Many people, especially those who lived in tents, were getting worried about the impending cold, wanting to get contribution points to buy warmer clothes and blankets. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne queued up in line with Julian when she heard some gossip.


    "Did you hear they brought back a young man from a mission earlier who was nearly dead? I heard he''s being treated in the medical ward now. I told my son to forget signing up for an off-base mission... it''s too dangerous," said an older woman to another.


    Rayne listened to their conversation and figured that they were talking about the man Kia drove back.


    Leaning over, she whispered to Julian, "Maybe we should pay him a visit. Maybe I can help provide some medicine that would help him recover?"


    Julian wrapped one arm around her, bringing her closer. "Sure, did you want to do that after we''re finished here? We''re in no rush."


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, let''s do that then."


    They waited a few more minutes in line before it was their turn to speak to the recruiter. Rayne explained that they were on the mission with Kia and had just come back.


    The recruiter pulled up the notes and saw that their story added up to what was written down. After handing over their resident cards, the recruiter swiped them through the card reader to add the points.


    "You''re all set, thank you for your help," said the recruiter, handing back the cards.


    After they left the job office, they looked for signs that pointed to the medical ward. It didn''t take too long to find it, as it occupied a large building.


    Although the entrance to the medical ward was heavily guarded with armed guards, they didn''t prevent Rayne and Julian from entering.


    The first room they entered was a makeshift lobby/waiting area. There were simple benches on either side of the room, with a small desk in the center where medical staff sat.


    There were only a few people sitting on the benches, keeping the lobby quieter than the job office had been.

 Chapter 123 Leader Mai

    The worker at the front desk was an older woman. She looked up and greeted Rayne and Julian as soon as they stepped inside.


    "Hello there, how may I help you?" she asked.


    Rayne smiled and walked over. "Hello, we''re wondering if we could visit the person who was transported here earlier today. We''re from the rescue mission team and just wanted to check on his condition."


    The older woman smiled. "Yes, I know who you''re talking about. That boy is in rough shape. He''s in the last room on the left. Just please keep your voices down."


    Rayne thanked the older woman and walked to the room she was told. When they entered, they saw the man lying on the small cot, bandaged like a mummy.


    Julian walked over to stand beside Rayne. "Poor guy. He did well trying to resist whatever happened. Hard to believe that the team leader of that group defected."


    Rayne stood around, unsure of what to do. She wasn''t medically trained, so beyond bandaging, she wasn''t sure what else could help him.


    A few minutes later, someone else walked into the room holding a small tray of medicine.


    "Nurse Judy? Is that you?" Rayne asked, surprised.


    Nurse Judy was initially startled by the visitors, but then noticed Rayne. "Miss Weston! Is that you?" she asked with her signature bubbly smile.


    "Yes! I''m surprised you remember me after all this time!" said Rayne. It''s been over a year since she was at the hospital, and she didn''t expect Nurse Judy to remember her.


    Nurse Judy smiled. "Of course! It''s not every day that one of your coma patients wakes up!"


    The two of them chatted briefly while Nurse Judy examined the young man.


    "It''s a shame we lack antibiotics. The mission his group was sent on was supposed to retrieve a large amount of medical supplies, but unfortunately, that fell through. Now this poor man is all cut up, and some of the cuts show signs of being infected," sighed Nurse Judy, beginning to rebandage a few cuts.


    Rayne opened her backpack. "I''m not sure if these are the right kind of antibiotics, but I found these when we went over to rescue him and his team."


    She handed Nurse Judy a few different pill bottles of mostly antibiotics she had stored from a small pharmacy.


    Nurse Judy''s eyes lit up. "Yes! While these aren''t as strong as the ones in the hospital, they''ll do the job for sure. Are you sure you want to part with these?"


    "Yes, of course," said Rayne without batting an eye. She knew this medicine would be in good hands with Nurse Judy and hoped it would help save lives.


    After handing over the pills, Rayne and Nurse Judy chatted for a while longer until Rayne started to feel hungry. Nurse Judy also had to excuse herself to see other patients but was very happy to see Rayne again.


    They promised to see each other again, and Rayne left the medical ward with Julian. They walked leisurely across the base, enjoying each other''s company.


    "I wonder how our lovely neighbors are doing," she giggled as they approached their building.


    Julian laughed, remembering Rayne''s special gift before they left. "I''m sure they were preoccupied for a long time."


    After entering their house, Rayne quickly opened her system panel to look for something to eat while Julian looked through the camera footage to see if they missed anything.


    "Well, looks like your soup kept them busy enough to not bother us," laughed Julian.


    "Haha, good! I have more where that came from if they decide to mess with us again," she laughed while laying on the couch.


    For dinner, she decided on spaghetti and meatballs, devouring an extra-large portion. They''d been eating very lightly these past two days, and she was really hungry.


    ---


    In the city.


    Jason finally made his way over to the underground base and met with his leader, Mai.


    "Boss, I''ve secured the medical supplies and took care of the randoms. One of them put up a fight, but I cut him up," reported Jason in a respectful manner.


    Mai smiled at him. "Good boy. I''ll have to spoil you tonight for your good work," she said, smiling devilishly.


    The tips of Jason''s ears turned red, but he remained respectful, looking at the ground.


    "Wait for me in my bed; I''ll be right over after I report to the higher-ups," she bent down and whispered in his ear before walking away.


    Jason stayed in the bowing position, listening to her 6-inch heels click farther away. His heart was racing as the blood was flowing downward. This was the ultimate reward for anyone on Leader Mai''s team. She would let them, her team, do whatever they wished with him all night.


    Once he could no longer hear the sound of her heels, he stood up and made his way over to his room to prepare to receive his reward, all sorts of ideas flashing through his mind.


    Although Mai was slightly older, she was still a very beautiful woman. She was also confident and fit the role of being in a position of power. Needless to say, the whole team was wrapped around her finger.


    Mai walked over to Tristan''s ''office,'' knocking on the door.


    "Come in," a very monotone voice said from the other side of the door.


    Mai carefully opened the door and stepped inside. "Sir, one of my men successfully secured a large shipment of medical supplies. They''re being sorted by the storage and supply team as we speak. I still have a few men stationed at the government base. I recently received word that they managed to bring back a scientist from the coastal city lab."


    Tristan listened without looking up. He was busy writing a document and only paused when he heard about the scientist.


    "It seems like they failed in bringing back every scientist. I''ll have to let the leaders know of this mistake," he said calmly.


    Mai bowed slightly, waiting for any instructions. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good work on obtaining the medical supplies. We were running low, so this is indeed a large contribution. You will be promoted for this... continue to report on anything from the government base," said Tristan, resuming his writing.


    Mai broke out into a large smile. "Thank you, sir!"


    Tristan finally looked up at her. "You''re dismissed."


    Mai quickly left the room, in an over-the-moon mood. Getting promoted up the ranks was very difficult after a certain point, but she managed to get it!


    "I''ll have to indulge Jason a little extra today," she giggled as she made her way to her room.

 Chapter 124 Scouting REN Corp.

    After Mai left, Tristan picked up his finished paperwork and left his office to see Damien. He walked down the corridor to the stairwell that led to the lower levels of the base.


    Multiple sets of guards were posted at every important intersection, ensuring that no one unauthorized would make it through.


    "Sir," they greeted Tristan respectfully. Everyone in the organization knew that this skinny, scholarly man was the leader''s right-hand man.


    Tristan nodded silently and continued to walk further down the hall until he reached a beautifully carved door.


    He lifted his hand and elegantly knocked on the door with his knuckles.


    "Come in," Damien''s voice sounded from inside.


    "Boss, I''ve finished drafting the documents. I also have a bit of news to share," said Tristan respectfully.


    "Take a seat, let''s hear it," Damien said casually, pointing to the chair in front of him. Tristan walked over and did as he was told.


    "Firstly, Mai came by today for an update. One of her members secured a very large supply of medical supplies, denying them to the government base," he said calmly.


    Damien nodded. "Good, from my understanding, we needed those supplies. Denying the government base is an added bonus."


    "I have promoted Mai. She will lead a second team to gather more information on the government''s movements," Tristan replied. "The next thing I wanted to update you on¡ªafter Grant confirmed the bullets to be a REN Corp. product, I sent Dillon to scavenge the fallen REN Corp. facility. He should be there today or tomorrow."


    "I knew Julian was a sneaky weasel," laughed Damien. "Good. I hope Dillon can find something useful there. Keep me updated on that situation."


    Tristan nodded and got up to leave, leaving Damien alone in his room once more.


    "Ah, Julian. Just wait until I find you. I have a special surprise just for you!" Damien smiled.


    --


    On the other side of Damien''s underground base, Dillon was getting ready for the mission Tristan had assigned to him a few days ago. He was supposed to go to one of REN Corp''s fallen facilities and bring back anything that could be of use.


    He knew that these facilities were where REN Corp. produced most of its high-tech weaponry, so finding even a small prototype could help propel Damien''s ambitions further.


    "Baby, are you sure you have to go? I''ll miss you so much," purred Krissy from the bed. Her life had only improved since moving here. Dillon was getting promoted, and she got to flaunt her status as his woman.


    Most of the women in the base ended up spending a lot of time together, and their favorite pastime was flaunting their man''s achievements and status to each other. Inside Krissy''s small circle, she had the highest ''status'' among the women and enjoyed the endless flattery and attention.


    Dillon didn''t even turn back to face her. "Yeah, if I do a good job here, I''ll get promoted even higher," he explained quickly. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Krissy''s eyes sparkled at his words. If Dillon were to get another promotion, they''d get to move to an even better apartment. She would also be one of the rare ''senior'' ladies in the base, garnering even more respect!


    "Please be careful. I''ll be waiting for you to return," she said in a seductive voice. She had quickly gotten used to her role as a ''pleaser'' for Dillon, even embracing it. Seeing how people lived outside the base, or even in the lower ranks of the new recruits, her life was one of luxury, and she didn''t want to lose it.


    Dillon grunted in reply and got up to meet with Ace and another leader under him named Cal. For this mission, he was going to bring as many people as he could, ensuring success.


    As he walked over to their designated meeting spot, he saw the two team leaders waiting for him.


    "Hello boss!", they both greeted respectfully.


    Dillon nodded, "You guys ready? Did you do what I asked and made sure your men are equipped with weapons?".


    "Yes, boss! We went to the armory like you asked," answered Ace, while Cal nodded.


    "Good, get ready to set out with everyone in twenty minutes. I''ll go secure the vehicles. Meet me up top."


    After confirming the details, they all split to do their tasks. Dillon went up to the team in charge of maintaining the vehicles.


    "Hey, I''m a grade five leader, Dillon from Team Runner. I have a request for three vehicles that was approved yesterday," he said to the man sitting at the desk by the garage entrance.


    "Yes, sir. I see you here. The vehicles are ready," the man said, looking up from his notebook. He proceeded to give Dillon three sets of keys to the corresponding vehicles. "Yours are in Bay 2 of the garage."


    Dillon quietly accepted the keys and made his way over to the general entrance to the garage, waiting for Ace and Cal to arrive.


    He didn''t wait long before a group of people arrived, with the two team leaders at the front.


    "We''re ready, boss," said Ace, walking over to Dillon.


    "Good, here are the keys. I''ll ride with Ace," Dillon said, handing over the keys to Ace and Cal.


    Cal took two sets and gave one to one of his men behind him. The men then split themselves between the three vehicles before hitting the road.


    The car with Ace and Dillon was at the front, followed by the one with Cal and the others. They drove out via a previously scouted route, allowing them to drive without running into any obstacles, such as blocked roads.


    The facility was on the edge of the city and had only been compromised because a tall office building from across the street fell on top of it during the violent earthquakes.


    They drove quickly, making their way over in under two hours.


    "Park behind the building. Leave some men here to watch the cars and tell them to be ready in case we need to retreat," ordered Dillon with a serious expression.


    Ace accepted the orders and parked where he was told. When they got out of the car, he went over to assign a few men to guard duty, while Dillon carefully observed the surroundings.


    Cal silently followed Dillon as he walked around the building, carefully inspecting something.


    After a few minutes, Dillon finally spoke. "I feel like someone was here recently... or might still be here," he said.


    Cal quickly unholstered his gun, ready to shoot if he had to. Ace also heard Dillon''s words and sent a signal to the men behind him to keep a look out for any movement. After a tense few minutes they still didn''t see any movement or signs of others.


    Dillon frowned but didn''t want to return empty-handed. Weighing the pros and cons, he finally gave the signal to move in.


    "Let''s go. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled. I don''t want anything to go wrong today!" he ordered.


    The men signaled that they understood and walked in with trained movements. The men that Ace and Cal had recruited for this mission were not from the fresh batch of new recruits, but men who had been around for a while and had been properly trained.


    Seeing the men enter without any issues, Dillon pulled out his own pistol and followed behind.

 Chapter 125 A New Desire

    After Julian and Rayne left for the government base, Noah and Ian assumed control of the bunker and Alpha Team missions.


    A few days ago, an Alpha Team scout from the city reported that there were people scouting around the fallen REN Corp. facility. These men were identified as most likely being Damien''s men, presenting Ian with an opportunity to gather information on the location of their base.


    "Ivan, I need to select a small team and head out to the old facility. We''ve gotten word that Damien''s men have been poking around. Get as much information as you can, and try to follow them back," instructed Ian.


    Ivan was one of the team leaders on Alpha Team and had the authority to hand-pick his own team.


    "Understood. We will set off immediately," replied Ivan respectfully before turning to head to the Alpha Team dormitory rooms.


    Word spread quickly among the other members, and everyone wanted to be chosen to go. Jess was one of these people. Ever since the dinner incident, she hadn''t been selected for any mission and was starting to feel very cooped up.


    The people she was close to now distanced themselves from her, adding to the feeling of isolation.


    So when she heard that Ivan was putting together a small team for a scouting/recon mission, she quickly got out of bed to find him.


    Ivan had already spoken to the four people he wanted to take when Jess approached him.


    "Hi, Leader Ivan. I was wondering if you could also take me along. I haven''t been on a mission in a while," she said, batting her eyelashes.


    While he never showed it, Ivan had always had a soft spot for Jess. They trained together when they were first brought onto Alpha Team, and Jess was a very beautiful woman. He often used training as an excuse to spend some time around her, even though he had rarely spoken to her.


    Seeing her pleading eyes, he sighed, giving in. "Fine, you can come along. Just make sure you''re a team player. I''ve gotten complaints recently..." he said.


    Jess nearly jumped for joy. "Of course! I was just in a bad mood that day. I''ll apologize to the team later. Thank you!"


    Ivan smiled slightly, then returned to his serious expression. "You have ten minutes to get ready. Don''t be late, or we''re leaving without you," he said as he walked away.


    Jess quickly ran back to her bed and began packing her special bag while changing into the specialized gear.


    After getting ready, she quickly met up with the rest of the team, making it just in time before they left.


    Ivan led the team through the forest and to the secret garage where the jeeps were stored. "We''ll all squeeze into one jeep today," he said, getting into the driver''s seat.


    After everyone got in, he quickly drove off to the fallen facility. Jess brazenly claimed the passenger seat while the four men had to squeeze into the back seat, making the rest of the team frown at her actions.


    Ivan noticed her actions but let it slide this time and focused on driving.


    Jess felt the atmosphere shift, making her feel even more displeased. Shouldn''t they offer the passenger seat to the only female anyway? Why is everyone so pissy?


    She tried striking up a conversation multiple times during the journey but was met with silence every time. This made her begin to bubble with anger and discontent.


    A few hours later, they finally arrived at the facility and spread out to see if they could find any enemy movement.


    Jess went to her assigned section near the entrance of the facility and hid herself in a small room that was unaffected by the broken building.


    She waited there, listening for any sounds of movement for almost an hour until she heard a few cars pull up.


    By the sounds of the footsteps, she could tell that there were about ten people in total. She heard one set of footsteps come close to the entrance before they stopped.


    Sitting silently, she did her best not to make any sound, even going so far as to control her breathing.


    A few moments later, she heard a deep voice say, "I feel like someone was here recently... or might still be here," and became more alert.


    When she heard the footsteps walk away, she moved toward the wall to peek out of a small crack. She saw a tall, handsome man with black hair. Although she couldn''t get a good look, he seemed strong and carried himself with an air of authority. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rest of the men trailed behind him, looking around vigilantly, searching for something.


    By all standard procedures, Jess was supposed to contact Ivan to let the team know that someone was spotted, but for some reason, she held back. Her thoughts were clouded with resentment for the rest of Alpha Team, and the rejection from the dinner incident was still fresh in her mind.


    "Why should I even help them? There''s nothing for me here," she muttered unhappily.


    She was curious about this man she had just seen and wanted to observe him a while longer. Her mind raced, coming up with a plan. She figured they were here to loot the place, so she quickly and quietly ran to another room a little farther away, where the facility initially stored all of its prototypes.


    Once she got into the room, she quickly jumped onto one of the metal shelves and climbed up onto the beams on the ceiling. If she stayed here motionless, she should be able to observe them a little better.


    The only thought on her mind was hoping that the others from Alpha Team wouldn''t discover them first.


    Her plan paid off because a little while later, she saw the man walk into the room. From her angle, she got a better look at him.


    He was tall and handsome¡­ maybe not as handsome as Julian¡­ with messy black hair. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, exposing his muscular chest.


    Jess watched him like a hawk, enjoying the view. Her heart raced as she instantly became overcome with desire.


    In that moment, she decided to throw away her entire past¡ªthe oaths she had sworn and the relationships she had with her team. The only thing on her mind was wanting to be with this man.

 Chapter 126 Traitor

    Dillon walked into the room focused on finding anything useful to bring back with him. He wasn''t aware of the passionate gaze he was getting from Jess who was sitting on the beam above him.


    He walked over to the cabinets against the back wall and began opening each one to see if anything was left inside. Unfortunately, everything was empty in here, just like the previous rooms he''d checked.


    "Damn, there should be at least something lying around", he cursed. He refused to go back empty-handed. This promotion was a very rare opportunity, and he wasn''t sure if another one would come up.


    Just as he was about to punch the metal cabinet door in frustration, Jess jumped off the beam and held his hand, "Don''t, they''ll hear you", she said quickly.


    Dillon reached out to pull his pistol out but Jess beat him to it. "I''m not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you", she said holding his pistol in her hand.


    Her reflexes were a lot better than his since she was trained by Alpha Team for many year now. Dillon frowned looking at the beautiful woman. "What do you want?", he grunted.


    Jess smiled, she was waiting for him to ask that.


    "You see, I''ve been fed up with that small group of losers for a while now. When I saw you, I could clearly tell who the more capable man was", she purred, trying to pour out every ounce of her seductive charm.


    "What can you do for me?", he asked wearily, but his eyes continued to check her out.


    "Well, for one, I can help you get rid of them. There are five others here beside me, and I know where they all are. If you promise to take me back with you, I''ll help you get rid of them", she smiled.


    Dillon looked at her silently for a few moments before asking, "How can I trust you?".


    Jess placed his pistol back into his hands and bent down to get on her knees in front of him. She deftly unzipped his pants and started working her magic on his shaft with her tongue.


    "Fuck", moaned Dillon. He didn''t expect this turn of events, especially in this place, but her skills were very good. She did a much better job hitting all the right spots than Krissy ever has, causing him to finish a lot sooner than expected.


    "Swallow it like a good girl", he said in a hoarse voice as he looked down at her.


    Jess complied, making a sound like it was the most delicious thing she''s ever tasted, and stuck out her tongue to show him that she did as she was told.


    Dillon was very satisfied with her performance and decided to allow her to follow him back. "If we kill your team members, I''ll let you come back with me", he said in a resolute tone.


    Jess smiled, "Yes, I''ll even kill the leader myself".


    The two of them left the room and went outside to the small wooded area just outside of the facility.


    "Two of them are over there", whispered Jess, pointing at two Alpha Team members in the distance. They were standing on the intact side of the roof, looking towards the back side of the building.


    Dillon nodded, seeing the two black hooded figures in the distance. He scanned the area to find the best route up to them.


    The broken part of the building made a makeshift ramp upwards, and after deciding on the route he signaled Ace from the side of the building.


    Ace saw the signal from the forest where he knew his boss went and quickly ran over.


    "I need you to take two men with you and kill those two on the roof over there", said Dillon pointing at the two Alpha Team members.


    Ace looked up and accepted the order, listening to how they should use the debris ramp to make it up there.


    "You need to wait three minutes before you take action, understand? And don''t get seen beforehand", ordered Dillon.


    Ace nodded and ran back to put the plan in motion. Once that was settled, Jess brought Dillon to the opposite side of the building where the other two members were.


    "They should be up in those trees", she said pointing upwards. They hid themselves behind a broken wall, not far from where Cal was.


    Dillon motioned for Cal to come over, and pointed at the tree line in front of them. "Kill the two men up there. Hurry, you have about a minute to get over there".


    Cal quickly waved to the men behind him and flanked around into the forest. Just as they entered the line of sight of the Alpha Team members in the trees, Ace''s team killed the men on the rooftop.


    The men in the trees noticed something happening on the rooftop and were about to radio over, but Cal and his men quickly shot them with suppressed bullets.


    While this was happening, Jess led Dillon inside the facility to where Ivan was waiting. He was responsible for patrolling the inside of the facility with Jess and took over the back half of the building.


    "Follow me and stay quiet. I''m not exactly sure where he is right now but if he sees you he will kill you", she whispered to Dillon.


    Dillon nodded and quietly followed Jess, doing his best to stay a safe distance behind her. Just as they entered what used to be the main production area of the facility, he saw Jess signal for him to stay put.


    He walked over to hide behind a broken wall, watching Jess from the small cracks.


    "Ivan, thank goodness you''re okay! I think something is wrong! I heard a gunshot just now", said Jess, distressed.


    Ivan hopped down from his hiding spot in a broken part of the ceiling. "Why didn''t you radio in sooner?", he frowned.


    "I tried but no one responded!", she lied, acting desperate.


    Ivan walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me where this gunshot was, let''s go together".


    "It was in front of the building, I ran to find you as soon as I heard it!", she said.


    Ivan nodded with a serious expression and turned to head to the front of the building, but just as he turned around he felt a knife stab him in the back.


    "Jess! Why?", he cried out, falling to the floor, "You made an oath!".


    S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 127 Promised Reward

    Jess smirked hearing Ivan''s words. "Oath my ass. I tried so hard to be a shining star and look where that got me. No one on this stupid team even wants to talk to me. I hate you all", he exclaimed.


    Dillon walked in from the other side of the wall, "Good job. Looks like you kept your word".


    Ivan, who was struggling to breathe heard Dillon''s voice and lifted his head with great difficulty. "Jess, you traitor!", he yelled before completely collapsing on the ground.


    Dillon walked over and pulled out his pistol, shooting a bullet through Ivan''s head. He didn''t like leaving loose ends and wanted to make sure Ivan wasn''t going to get out of there alive.


    "I''m guessing your name is Jess. I''m Dillon", said Dillon walking over to her side. "From now on, you''ll be one of my women".


    Jess bloomed into a smile and walked over to hold Dillon''s arm, "I''m so happy. Please take care of me in the future".


    Dillon grunted in reply, his mind still thinking about Rayne. All of these other women were just momentary muses for him until he could finally get ahold of the one he wanted the most.


    Jess didn''t pick up on his cold reply, thinking that it was just a part of his personality. To her a man who seemed a little uninterested made her want to try harder, so she didn''t mind.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. There''s a secret room here that should still have some things left. We didn''t have time to take everything out of here before the building fell, so we prioritized just the easily accessible items", said Jess happily.


    Dillon finally smiled. "If there are any worthy items found in this room, I will reward you handsomely when we get back to base", he promised. These items would secure him a promotion, and Jess''s involvement in finding them warranted a reward.


    Jess got even more excited hearing that there would be a reward. She was already happy knowing that she was useful to him, but now it was even better.


    "Come, follow me. I''ll bring you there now", she said while bending down to pull her knife from Ivan''s back.


    She led him back towards the entrance and into a room that he had checked earlier and deemed empty. Moving to the back wall of the room she walked over to one side of a large metal cabinet.


    "Mind giving me a hand?", she asked Dillon sweetly.


    He walked over and helped her push the cabinet off from the wall, revealing a secondary cabinet. Dillon went to try and open it but noticed that it was locked.


    Jess walked over seeing him struggle. "You''re in luck! I happen to know the code", she said, trying to flaunt her worth.


    Dillon watched as she entered a ten-digit code into the electric code lock, successfully opening the doors.


    When the locked doors opened, Dillon saw three prototype weapons inside, each looking like a futuristic gun.


    When Jess saw what was left she frowned slightly. "Aww, looks like only the most initial versions of the weapons were left here. Still, it should be enough to work off of". S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dillon called over Ace and Cal, telling them to carefully load the prototype weapons into the car.


    He watched as they carried them over, feeling like his promotion was right around the corner.


    He walked over to Jess and placed his arm around her waist, leading her to his car. "Come, let me take you home", he said happily. His elated mood had gotten aroused, and he was excited to have a taste of Jess.


    Everyone else got into their respective vehicles and began to make their way back.


    After getting back, Dillon led Jess to the registration office to register herself as his woman.


    This would allow her more privileges than a standard person, and would also expedite the approval process.


    The person in charge quickly got to work, filling out the appropriate forms and asking Jess personal questions.


    After he found out that Jess was part of an enemy faction, he frowned.


    "Sir, the standard procedure is to place anyone with ties to enemy factions into an observation. This is done to prevent spies from easily infiltrating our ranks", said the man at the registration office.


    Dillon gave him a fierce look, "I already told you, she''s with me. I saw her kill her leader with my own eyes".


    The man looked scared but didn''t back down, deciding to call over his boss. After explaining the situation the boss thought for a moment. He knew that Dillon''s rank in the organization was rather high, so he walked over with a proposition.


    "Sir, we can allow her to go through her observation period in your residence if you wish", said the leader of the registration office.


    Dillon frowned but accepted the offer, "Fine, let''s do that then. She''ll stay with me".


    After coming to an agreement and with the registration completed, Dillon led Jess back to his residence in the lower levels of the base.


    Jess looked around in awe, not believing that such a place existed if she didn''t see it herself.


    "Wow, it''s so big! To think something like this was in the city under our noses this entire time", she laughed.


    Alpha Team had been searching day and night for Damien''s base of operations for many years now, only for it to turn out to be located in their very own neighborhood.


    Dillon nodded, "Yes, the security here is top-notch. The man in charge is very good at what he does, ensuring secrecy even with the new influx of people"


    They walked through the long hallways, allowing Jess to take in the sheer size of this base. If she were to compare it to Julian''s bunker his would be a cardboard box while this would be an apartment building.


    Something of this scale must have taken a long time to build, especially without anyone knowing. It was like a whole city underground.


    After taking a few sightseeing detours they finally arrived at Dillon''s residence.

 Chapter 128 Reward Received

    (A/N: This chapter is a strong R18 chapter)


    Krissy was currently out with the other woman. The base had a few spots dedicated to women''s leisure, and they were at one that looked similar to a nightclub, with loud music and white leather couches.


    She was doing her new favorite activity of flaunting her status over everyone, listening to nonstop praises.


    "You''re so lucky you''re with Leader Dillon. He''s so capable, getting promoted so quickly", said one of the women.


    Another nodded and chimed in, "Yes, he''s definitely a catch, but we can''t forget that Krissy is one of the few women that joined along with him. She''s an original unlike most of us, who were brought in later from outside".


    Most of these women were ones forcibly brought from the streets but then acclimated to life here after getting favored by a small-time leader in the ranks. Seeing how much better their life was now than those on the outside, they quickly embraced their new lives.


    While Krissy was out with the other woman, Dillon had just arrived home with Jess. He was in a rare, extremely happy, mood and was ready to have his way with Jess.


    Jess was also getting hot and bothered. After servicing him earlier in the day, she, herself, felt turned on and wanted to cave into her desires which she had been holding back for years now.


    As soon as both of them entered, Dillon brought her inside and pointed to the bathroom. "Go take a shower first, we have a long night ahead of us".


    Jess smiled and did as he asked. In the bathroom, she noticed feminine products like floral shampoos and even skin care products.


    "Hmm, looks like he already had someone. Sorry girl, but I''m taking your man", she laughed, helping herself to all of the products while showering.


    When she finished she quickly dried her hair and walked out with nothing but a towel around her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dillon was happy that she was finished relatively quickly, Krissy always took hours in the bathroom and sometimes it was so long that he lost the mood by the time she got out.


    "Wait here, I''ll go rinse off", he said and took a quick shower before coming out, also with nothing but a white towel around his waist.


    Jess looked at his muscular upper body, admiring the view. Droplets of water from his wet hair flowing down his chest emphasized his abs, making her even more hot and bothered.


    Dillon''s eyes darkened with desire, he quickly walked over to Jess and pushed her down on the bed, pulling her towel off.


    "Here''s your reward for today", he said in a deep voice and climbed onto the bed, spreading her legs apart.


    Moments later Jess felt his tongue circle around her clit, causing her body to react with pleasure. She arched her back, giving him a better angle to continue his movements.


    "Fuck, Dillon. It feels so good!", she moaned, gripping the bedsheets with her fingernails.


    Hearing her moans, Dillon felt even more aroused. He moved his fingers in to alternate with his tongue, making Jess squirm.


    "You''re so wet already. Good", he said feeling her wetness with his fingers. This time he bent over again to suck on her clit, but this time he placed two fingers inside her, feeling around her warm insides.


    "Ah, Dillon. It feels so fucking good", she moaned. Her eyes were closed as she was doing her best to only focus on his movements.


    After a few minutes, Dillon pulled out his fingers which were dripping wet, "Good girl, you should be ready now".


    Jess was nearly at her first climax when he took his fingers out. But before she had a chance to open her eyes to see why he stopped, she felt his hard cock ram inside of her.


    "Oh fuck!", she exclaimed. Her head was in the clouds so she didn''t expect something larger than his fingers to enter her. She felt him begin to fill her, stretching her out as he thrust.


    "Fuck Jess, you''re so tight. You''re practically sucking me in", breathed Dillon as he continued to thrust.


    Jess moaned at his words. She enjoyed the feeling of his cock ramming inside of her. "I haven''t gotten fucked this good in years", she replied in between breaths.


    Dillon immersed himself in the feeling of getting milked but her tight pussy. He only now realized how loose Krissy was in comparison to Jess.


    "Tonight I''m going to mold your insides to the shape of my cock. Hope you don''t tire too easily", he said, as he continued to thrust even harder.


    Jess couldn''t find a moment to reply, her body bouncing with his movements.


    "Oh fuck Dillon, I''m going to cum", she moaned. His movements were relentless, pounding her deep in the womb.


    A few moments later Dillon felt her tighten around him, pulsating. "Good girl", he said, enjoying the sensation.


    After she finished he didn''t give her a chance to relax and flipped her over so that she was on her hands and knees. He forcefully pushed her head down on the bed and rammed himself inside of her at the same time, making her cry out in pleasure.


    The new angle allowed him to get even deeper than before, allowing his entire cock to slip inside.


    "Ah, Dillon! You''re...so deep!", yelled Jess. While she wasn''t a virgin, the last time she had sex was before she joined Alpha Team, and that was years ago.


    His movements were forceful and fast without any breaks. She felt like she finally met someone who could satisfy her to the degree that she wanted.


    "Yes! Don''t stop...you feel so fucking good", she cried out.


    Dillon silently complied with her request, gripping her by the waist to get more control so that he could thrust even faster.


    The entire apartment was soon filled with the sounds of clapping mixed with Jess''s loud moans.


    Krissy was walking back to Dillon''s residence when she heard the sounds of a woman calling out. She didn''t think much of it until she got closer and closer to his door.


    She stood in front of his door, fishing her keys out of her purse as quickly as possible. While the slightly muffled sounds were clearly coming from inside his room, she was still denying it in her head.


    "No, no, no. Dillon has me, it''s always just been me", she muttered as her hands shook. She finally managed to unlock the door and stepped inside to hear a woman moaning Dillon''s name from the bedroom.


    She ran over to the bedroom and swung the door open....

 Chapter 129 Introductions

    (A/N: R18 chapter continues)


    She ran over to the bedroom and swung the door open to find Dillon holding a blonde woman by the hair as he pounded her relentlessly. The room was full of sounds of pleasure, even Dillon was moaning.


    She stood at the entrance to the bedroom, frozen in shock, as she watched Dillon rail the woman.


    When she finally snapped out of her trance she took a step forward and cried out, "Dillon!?".


    Dillon turned his head and noticed Krissy standing in the doorway, "Oh hey, you''re back", he said casually.


    Jess also realized that Krissy arrived and moaned even harder.


    Dillon tugged on Jess''s hair with a smirk on his face. "You like being watched, don''t you? I could feel you instantly tighten up, you slut", and continued to thrust with even more fervor.


    Krissy watched with an unreadable expression. "Dillon, why?", she cried out.


    Dillon bent over, angling himself slightly over Jess, to get a better angle. He smiled even more after feeling Jess''s inside tighten around him.


    "Hold on Krissy, I''m almost done. I''ll introduce you two later", he said before taking one final forceful thrust and filling Jess with his cum.


    After he finished, he laid down on the bed with a satisfied expression. Jess proved to be very enjoyable for him and he did not regret bringing her back.


    Krissy walked over holding back her emotions. She wasn''t sure if she should cry or burst out in anger but seeing Dillon''s cum flowing out of this new girl made her scared. She felt threatened, her status that she flaunted and the perks she received by being his woman were all about to be snatched up!


    She couldn''t let that happen. She knew that if she were to make a scene now, Dillon wouldn''t hesitate to throw her out. Seeing the satisfied smile on his face, she knew that he enjoyed his time with this new girl.


    After catching his breath Dillon sat up and looked at Krissy. "Krissy, this is Jess. Jess, Krissy", he said motioning to both women.


    Jess rolled over and flashed a provocative smile at Krissy, "Nice to meet you". She had a slight air of superiority around her, feeling proud of her current position. Jess could tell that Krissy was fuming on the inside and that knowledge fed her ego.


    Krissy didn''t want to say anything, only nodded slightly to keep Dillon from getting angry.


    Seeing that the two women were getting along he got up to take another shower. Before he left he looked over at Jess who was still laying on the bed. "Stay right there, I''m not done with you", he said with a slight smirk.


    Jess blushed and smiled in response, then turned to face Krissy after Dillon closed the door to the bathroom.


    "Hey there. Seems like your man is mine now", she said with an air of authority.


    Krissy couldn''t hold back any longer, "You bitch! How dare you seduce my man? Dillon has been with only me since the very beginning, who do you think you are to step in the way?", she yelled furiously.


    Jess laughed, spreading her legs for Krissy to see, "As you can see, he chose me himself. Look, his cum is still pouring out of me".


    "Don''t get too comfortable. You''re just a temporary toy to him. Once he gets bored, he''ll toss you out!", yelled Krissy.


    "Oh, are you sure he''s not doing just that with you? I know you missed most of our performance, but we''ve been at it for hours now. You heard him yourself, he''s not done either", smiled Jess, feeling victorious.


    Krissy felt nothing but panic and anger. She hated Jess to the core! "Just wait and see who gets thrown out. Just when you finally get thrown out, don''t come crawling back crying!".


    Jess sat up, ignoring Krissy''s lame provocations, "Uhuh, whatever you say sis. Now if you don''t mind, please set out. Dillon will be back any minute and I''ve already given you enough of a free show".


    A few minutes later Dillon came out of the bathroom and walked straight towards Jess who was still on the bed, ignoring Krissy completely.


    "Hope I didn''t make you wait too long", he said inserting his hard cock back inside of Jess.


    Jess let out another moan, reading herself for the next pounding session.


    While the two of them immersed themselves in carnal pleasures, Krissy didn''t know what to do. She ran out of the bedroom, unable to watch the scene much longer.


    She sat down on the couch in the living room, listening to Jess''s moans and Dillon''s actions. Even the bed was creaking at their wild movements.


    Krissy was lost in thought. Fear consumed her, she didn''t want to lose her position to Jess. "No, I can''t let this happen. How do I get rid of her?", she muttered to herself like a madwoman.


    With every moan that Jess let out, Krissy felt the knot in her stomach tighten more and more. Her anxiety prevented her from thinking clearly and coming up with a counterattack. She sat on that couch for hours, listening as they continued to fuck like rabbits, taking short breaks in between.


    After a few minutes of silence, she heard the action starting up once more, Jess''s voice ringing out marking the beginning of a new session.


    After thinking all this time, Krissy finally couldn''t take it anymore. She needed to divert Dillon''s attention. She stood up, stripping all of her clothes, and walked into the bedroom, showing off her curvaceous body.


    "Hey baby, mind if I join the fun?", said Krissy in a seductive tone.


    Dillon looked over and saw the naked Krissy in the doorway to the bedroom. He had always wanted to fuck two girls at once and agreed to her request.


    "Come, there''s more than enough of me for the both of you", he said, pulling out after he felt Jess''s orgasm end.


    Krissy walked over and was quickly thrown to the bed.


    Dillon enjoyed himself to the fullest, switching from Jess to Krissy and then back to Jess. Towards the end of the session, he had both women on their hands and knees, taking turns thrusting his cock in each one.


    "Let''s see who the lucky one is that gets my load", he laughed, closing in on his climax.


    Both girls began to let out passionate moans, one trying to drown out the other, further fueling Dillon''s excitement.


    He continued to alternate until the long-awaited release came, filling Krissy up.


    Krissy felt elated that she was the one who got chosen in the end and flashed a provocative smile at Jess, trying to rub in the small victory.


    Jess rolled over, not caring about Krissy one bit. She got filled so many times today that one less time didn''t matter to her.


    Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 130 Late Night Intrusion

    Rayne and Julian decided to call it early and head to bed. They had spent most of the day moving heavy furniture from the apartments in the small town and up to Ella''s unit.


    After a quick shower, Rayne entered the bedroom and sat down on her bed. Although their beds were in close proximity, she felt that the distance was too great.


    After waking up in Julian''s arms, she realized just how much she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace.


    Shaking her head she tried to snap out of her thoughts. "Get a grip of yourself. You shared a bed once with him and now you want to make it permanent", she mumbled.


    She pulled out a night cream for her face while Julian was showering, waiting for him to finish.


    Just as Julian entered the bedroom he frowned seeing the two twin beds. "Hey, let''s upgrade our room. These two beds take up too much space. One larger bed would be much better", he grinned.


    Rayne laughed, happy that he felt the same way as she did. "Okay, let''s do as you suggested", she said, quickly jumping off her bed and storing everything in the room.


    This time she pulled out the bedframe that they had built for him back at the bunker to spare them from having to put together a new one.


    She also chose the same mattress he had chosen previously and quickly made the bed with fresh sheets and blankets. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The room felt bigger now with just one bed, but also more cozy. The added space also allowed her to place two nightstands, one on either side of the bed.


    She felt a lot less shy about sharing the bed with Julian, looking forward to him playing with her hair as she fell asleep.


    Julian was also ecstatic with this new progress they made. He did not expect her to comply with his request so easily, receiving a surprise.


    They spent the night happily in each other''s embrace, sleeping peacefully until they heard the living room window shatter.


    Rayne and Julian quickly jolted out of bed and leaned against the bedroom wall beside their door. Rayne took out two copies of the high-tech silver pistol and handed one of them to Julian.


    On the other side of the wall, Tee couldn''t help but exclaim at the things he saw, "Wow, look! This place looks better than my apartment did before everything went to shit!".


    "Shut up!", Rico hushed. They had finally decided to take action after being delayed day after day. Now he wanted to prevent the young couple from waking up, trying to get in, loot, and get out.


    Little did he know that ''the young couple'' was wide awake, and listening to their every movement.


    The whole group of men made it inside the apartment and spread to loot anything they could find.


    As soon as Julian heard their movements he pushed open the bedroom door and pointed his gun. Rayne followed behind him doing the same.


    "Drop everything and leave now and I''ll let you live", announced Julian. While he wasn''t happy with them breaking in, he didn''t want to kill if he didn''t have to.


    Rico motioned to Tee with his eyes and Tee quickly dropped what he was holding and dropped to his knees, "Don''t shoot, I''m so sorry!", he wailed.


    Julian frowned but slightly lowered his gun. In that moment Rico pulled out a metal crowbar he had behind his back and swung it right at Julian''s head.


    Julian was unprepared for his surprise attack, unable to react in time.


    As the crowbar quickly approached him, Rayne quickly aimed her pistol and shot Rico directly into his chest, killing him instantly.


    The crowbar lost momentum and fell to the ground, sparing Julian from getting hit.


    Tee and the rest of the guys were shocked at the development. They were convinced that the guns they were holding were fake only meant to scare them.


    However, instead of running away and begging for their life, they all got up and dashed towards Rayne and Julian, trying to avenge their leader.


    "We will kill you for harming our big bro!", yelled Tee as he ran towards Rayne, wanting to claw her eyes.


    Julian quickly recovered from the crowbar incident and took aim, shooting all of the men in quick succession before they approached Rayne.


    Soon the room fell into silence, with dead bodies littered all over the floor.


    Julian walked over to Rayne and hugged her. "Are you okay?", he whispered, observing her closely.


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded. "I was so worried he was going to hit you. My body reacted on its own", she said quickly.


    She felt Julian''s arms tighten around her, "Thank you, you saved me".


    They stood in the dark room holding each other until the cool breeze entered from the broken window, chilling them.


    Julian frowned looking down at the fresh corpses, "I''ll have to figure out where to drag their bodies. We can''t keep them here for too long".


    Rayne walked over, "Let me see if I can dispose of them. I''ve never tried using my system on humans...".


    She placed her hand on one of the corpses and gave the mental command to store. To her surprise, it worked! The body was no longer on the ground and a new icon appeared on the system panel.


    Not wanting to keep dead bodies in her system, she quickly dragged the icon over to the trash bin, deleting the icon permanently.


    She walked around doing the same with the rest of the bodies, and in a matter of a few minutes, the floor was clean except for a few blood splatters.


    Julian bent down to help her clean the remaining mess, "That ability of yours is very useful, you can delete evidence directly".


    Rayne hummed in response and continued cleaning. She felt a little weird about deleting a human body out of the plane of existence like that.


    Julian saw her ''lost in thought'' expression and walked over, "Here, give me the cleaning supplies and rinse off with a hot shower. I''ll finish cleaning here".


    After all of the cleaning was finished and they both rinsed off in case any blood got on to them, they curled up in bed.


    Julian temporarily taped a piece of cardboard to cover the smashed window, deciding to fix it in the morning.

 Chapter 131 Selling Supplies

    The next morning, Rayne woke up early. She had a hard time sleeping after what happened last night, only falling asleep thanks to Julian''s cuddles.


    Today''s to-do list included fixing the broken window, selling a few more items at the market, and preparing to host the Soto family for dinner.


    Julian woke up after hearing Rayne''s subtle movements. "Morning, did you manage to get any sleep?" he asked. Last night, he spent a while cuddling and playing with her hair before she was finally able to fall asleep.


    Rayne turned around and smiled. "Yes, I did. Thank you."


    "We might have to start using those electric heaters soon; it''s getting chilly," he said as he stepped out of the warm bed.


    "Yeah, the winter months are approaching. I hope it''s a mild winter so that those without heating or electricity can survive," said Rayne.


    The items she wanted to sell at the store today were all items to keep warm. She planned to sell a large amount of wool sweaters, thick blankets, and a few wood-burning stoves and electric heaters.


    Rayne walked into the living room and looked at the broken window. The first order of business was to fix the window.


    Julian came over just in time and helped her with removing the rest of the window. Rayne had all of the needed tools, making the process much easier.


    Thankfully, the windows used in the building when it was first built were a standard size, allowing Rayne to pull one out of her system to replace it.


    She was thankful that she had a desire to potentially build her own home before the apocalypse started. This desire led her to various home improvement and contractor stores, where she filled her system with a large amount of housebuilding materials. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It took them about an hour to install the new window along with some iron bars to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.


    After they finished, Rayne took out some classic pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast.


    "These are delicious! What restaurant were these from?" asked Julian. He never really cared for pancakes before, but these were great.


    "Oh, I made these back when I was living in my old apartment. I had a lot of free time and wanted to experiment with my system, so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and storing meals," said Rayne.


    "Ah, no wonder. Anything you make tastes amazing," he teased. Although his tone was lighthearted, he really did feel that the things she cooked were some of the best he''d ever had.


    After breakfast, Rayne turned to tell Julian about her plans.


    "I want to go to the market and sell warm clothes and heating equipment. It''s only going to get colder, and there are still many people living in tents," she said.


    "Okay, that''s a good idea. Before you leave, the store will have all of the furniture back in your system. I noticed that some blood had gotten on the sofa. Also, leave some cleaning supplies for me so I can do a deep clean while you''re out," said Julian.


    Rayne smiled and did as he asked. It was a good idea to do this so that when the Sotos arrive for dinner tonight, everything would be clean and sanitary.


    "Okay, I''ll be back soon," she said and left for the market.


    When she arrived at the market, she noticed many people lined up around the chain-link fence, looking at the items on display.


    The only shopkeeper who was free was the one standing at the counter where people could sell items. It was the same one who helped Rayne last time she came to sell things and quickly recognized her.


    "Hello, are you here to sell today?" she asked politely, looking at the stuffed black trash bags that Rayne was carrying in.


    Rayne walked over to the counter. "Hello! Yes, I just came back from a scavenging mission, and I picked up a lot of good things to sell."


    Rayne picked up one of the trash bags and placed it on the counter, letting the shopkeeper sort through it.


    "Oh wow! This is perfect! Many people have been asking for warmer clothing!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, when I was out, I ran across a clothing store that wasn''t looted. I knew that with the coming colder months, many people would most likely be in need of warmer clothes."


    The shopkeeper bought Rayne''s story and continued to pull out sweater after sweater. There were about 40 of them in total, all of various sizes.


    After the first bag was emptied, Rayne placed the second bag, which contained all sorts of blankets.


    "I have a few more items in the car, so I''ll be right back if that''s okay," said Rayne.


    The shopkeeper nodded, thinking that Rayne was very trusting. Most people watch her every movement when they come to sell items, fearing that she would cheat them out of the correct cost.


    Rayne didn''t care about contribution points much since she had any supply she needed. Her purpose here was to help the people of this base without being overly obvious about it. If she were to just give away items for free, people would begin to suspect her.


    Rayne took a few trips ''to her car,'' bringing back wood fire stoves, coal stoves, and electric heaters. The shopkeeper was ecstatic, treating Rayne like a goddess of wealth.


    After counting up all of the items Rayne brought, the shopkeeper finally gave her a total. "So for all of these items, we have decided to award you 2,000 points. This is about double the normal value, but since they were all in such good condition and in demand for the upcoming cold season, the higher-ups felt that they were worth more."


    Rayne smiled. "Thank you." She accepted her resident card with the newly added points and took a peek at what was offered for sale behind the chain-link fence wall.


    There were few items available, mostly just packs of biscuits and crackers. Even the canned food she sold a few days ago was all gone.


    "Looks like the base is still far from being able to meet the needs of the people," she mumbled to herself and turned to head back home.

 Chapter 132 A New Lead

    When Rayne came back home she noticed how sparkly clean all of the floors and walls were. She smiled thinking that Julian must have put in a lot of effort to erase any signs of the scuffle from last night.


    She walked towards the bedroom to look for Julian and found him fast asleep on the bed.


    He must''ve been worried about me last night and couldn''t sleep well.


    After making sure that he was covered with a blanket she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.


    She walked back into the living room and began to place the furniture back around the room. This time she also took out the most basic-looking dining room table since she was expecting guests over tonight for dinner.


    After everything was set up she took a seat on the couch to decide what to make for dinner. She wanted to treat the Soto''s to a nice meal, but she also wanted to keep it realistic.


    She thought about it for a few minutes and decided on a chicken and rice dish. Rice was a relatively common staple food right now since it has a long shelf life and she already told Ella that she managed to secure meat.


    Walking over to the small kitchen area, she took out a package of fresh chicken thighs from her system to marinade in spices.


    Just as she finished making preparations Julian woke up and walked out of the bedroom.


    "Oh hey, you''re back", he said groggily. He slowly made his way over to where Rayne was standing and peered over her shoulder to see what she was doing.


    "Mhm, sleep okay?", she asked as she rubbed the spices all over the chicken.


    "Yeah, I didn''t even realize I fell asleep. I just laid down after cleaning and the next thing I know I''m awake", he said yawning.


    Rayne smiled, "I''m glad you got some sleep. You did a great job with the cleaning, thank you".


    "What time will our guests be here?", he asked.


    "I told Ella around 5:30 pm, but said they were welcome to come a little earlier if they wanted", she replied.


    Julian nodded and went back to the bedroom to get changed.


    After Rayne finished she decided to go for a walk around the base. She was curious about the progress of the dormitory building and wanted to see if it would get finished anytime soon.


    She told Julian her plans and walked outside. The air was chilly making Rayne feel cold even when she stood in the sunny spots.


    She zipped up her jacket and continued to walk towards the sports field where the construction was said to happen.


    It took her about 20 minutes to arrive, and she noticed that most of the framing was already finished.


    Taking a closer look, she noticed that the quality of the construction was pretty bad, but it was still much better than living in a tent.


    There were many people huddled together in the sunny spots of the base, trying to keep warm.


    One man was trying to start a fire inside a metal barrel but seemed to lack matches or a lighter. He was rubbing two twigs together, hoping it would somehow catch fire.


    "Are you stupid? How is rubbing those two sticks together going to start a fire?", walked over another man, laughing.


    The man with the sticks paused and looked over, "But...but I saw them do this on TV before!".


    "Haha! You clearly weren''t watching. Just casually rubbing two sticks together isn''t going to do shit for you", he laughed once more.


    "But I don''t have any matches or a lighter. What should I do? I spent all morning collecting this wood from the nearby forest", he asked, feeling dejected.


    Rayne watched this scene and felt bad for the man. She put on a hat that covered most of her hair and wrapped a scarf around her face. "Hi, I have an extra box of matches", she said in a lower voice and tossed the man with the sticks the pack of matches.


    "Oh thank you! Thank you!", he said happily. Without waiting any longer he quickly lit the match and used it to light the kindling in the metal barrel.


    A few moments later a small fire could be seen glowing inside of the barrel.


    Many more people walked over to try to warm themselves and soon there was a small crowd surrounding the barrel.


    "Someone, go get more wood! We should keep this fire going around the clock!", someone suggested in the crowd.


    "Good idea! I''ll head over to the woods now!", another person replied. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This set off a small chain reaction where people would go into the forest and collect fallen branches to keep the fire going.


    Rayne stood quietly near the crowd, observing how the situation unfolded when she heard a bit of gossip that piqued her attention.


    "Karen, did your nephew ever make it over here?", asked an older woman with grey hair.


    The woman named Karen scoffed, "No, that useless boy knows nothing outside of his little science experiments. He wouldn''t survive a day out in the wilderness, I''d be shocked if he could even manage to make it out of that city".


    "Oh was he still in that northern city?", the other woman asked.


    "Yeah, ever since he left to attend university there he never once left. I haven''t seen him in years. I only got the usual monthly letter with money inside, everything else I didn''t care for", answered Karen.


    "Oh if he sent you money, he at least had a decent job right?", the other woman asked curiously.


    "Yeah, something like that. Last I heard he was working for that major pharmaceutical company, developing some new weight loss drug", said Karen dismissively.


    Rayne couldn''t help but butt into the conversation.


    "Excuse me, did you say your nephew was a chemist?", she asked politely.


    Karen turned to face her, "What''s it to you?", she asked with a frown.


    Rayne reached into her pockets and pulled out a small packet of hand warmers, handing it to both women.


    Karen smiled at the gift! "Yes, yes! He went to university for chemistry if I remember correctly", she quickly answered.


    "Ah thank you. And the northern city...was it City R by chance?", asked Rayne. The only university city she knew of that was in the north of the country was City R.


    "Yes, that''s the one! Are you familiar with it?", asked Karen.


    "Ah yes, I had a friend who lived up there. Thank you for the information", said Rayne before she turned to leave.


    Both older women were too preoccupied with the hand warmers to pay any more attention to Rayne, not noticing how overly excited Rayne was about the news of her nephew.

 Chapter 133 Hosting Dinner

    Rayne practically ran back to her house to tell Julian about her chance discovery. City R was definitely far away, at least a 2 or 3-day trip from here, but it was a good lead on finding a chemist.


    After bursting through the front door Rayne paused to catch her breath.


    Startled, Julian jumped up from the couch, "Are you okay? Did something happen?", he asked, running over to her side.


    "I...No...I''m okay!", she said, panting. She finally looked up at him after a few breaths.


    "I shouldn''t have sprinted back, haha. But I have news to share!", she said looking at him.


    "What is it?", asked Julian. He was still concerned, not sure why she was sprinting.


    "I have a lead on a chemist!", she announced happily.


    Julian smiled, "What? How did you find a lead, weren''t you just taking a walk?".


    "I''m just skilled like that", she joked, telling him the story of how she overheard the two women discussing the nephew.


    "Hmmm, so City R. That is a bit far away, but it''s worth going to. The sooner we learn about this substance, the better prepared we can be", he said in a more serious tone.


    Rayne agreed with him, wanting to know what that substance was. She''s never seen anything like it. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We can set off as early as tomorrow? I''ll ask Ella to keep an eye on this place while we''re gone!", Rayne said excitedly. She was feeling adventurous and figured the sooner they left the better chances they had of finding the chemist.


    Julian smiled at her enthusiasm but agreed with the proposal. "Yes, leaving early will be better. We''re not sure what the weather will be like but the sooner we leave the better".


    After discussing their future plans a bit more Rayne went over to the corner of the kitchen and began to place boxes of supplies around the house.


    Before she left she wanted to make sure that Ella and her family were in good condition and taken care of. She places a few boxes of panty items like rice, flour, dried peas, noodles, canned food, spices, jars of sauces, peanut butter, and cans of broth.


    She would tell Ella that they were more than welcome to take what they needed.


    She also went to their bedroom and added a few stacks of blankets, towels, and pillows in the corner of the room. The small closet was also filled with warm coats, boots, and clothing for males and females.


    "Why are you stocking up the house so much?", asked Julian. He could understand the food items if she planned on sharing some with Ella, but their closet too?


    "A few reasons. First, if Ella or her family find themselves in a position where they need these items. Second, If we ever get separated somehow I don''t want to leave you completely empty-handed", she replied seriously.


    She had realized while they were out on their trip that while she had permanent access to her system, that was not the case for Julian.


    Julian looked at her silently, but then eventually nodded. He hated the idea of them ever being separated and would do anything in his power to prevent that from happening, but the reality was that anything could happen.


    "Then I thank you for looking out for me", he smiled and walked over to hug her.


    Rayne smiled and proceeded to take out a large gun safe and placed it in their bedroom. Inside she placed a few guns that he let her copy back at the bunker, along with different types of ammo and even a few combat knives.


    Outside of weapons, she placed a copy of his resident card and a few small valuable items like rare cigars that could be sold or traded for a high amount if needed.


    She still had some time before having to start dinner so she joined Julian on the couch and watched a few episodes of the current TV show they were watching.


    A little over an hour before Ella and her family were supposed to come over Rayne got up to start cooking.


    While she would''ve loved to just pull things out of the system, she felt that actually cooking the meal would give a more personal touch, as well as make it less suspicious.


    She pulled out another electric cooktop and placed a pot of rice to start cooking. Meanwhile, she pulled out the chicken thighs she marinated earlier from the mini fridge under the counter.


    She reflexively went to place the chicken into her system after prepping it earlier but realized that the chicken wouldn''t benefit from the marinade since there was no flow of time in the system.


    As the rice was cooking, Rayne used the second cooktop to sear the chicken until the skin was a beautiful golden color. She lowered the heat so that it could cook through and went to set the table.


    She chose basic white plates and standard silverware.


    "What do you think we should do for drinks? I can pull out a standard wine so that it doesn''t seem too over the top?", she asked Julian.


    "Haha, this is already over the top, why stop now? Don''t worry, I''ve already talked to Reginald and told him that I have a very large stock of supplies, he won''t suspect you", replied Julian.


    "Ah really? That''s great then!", exclaimed Rayne and went to add a salad to the menu. If Julian said it was okay, she would really go all out.


    She pulled out a number of fresh vegetables and began chopping them into uniform pieces. Just as she finished the salad she heard a knock on the door.


    Julian walked over to open the door, "Hey, come on in. Thank you for coming".


    Ella ran in, looking around the apartment with interest! Behind her Reginald and his wife walked in elegantly.


    "Thank you for inviting us today", greeted Reginald.


    "Rayne! What smells so amazing?!", Ella ran over to Rayne''s side in the small kitchen area.


    "It''s just some chicken and rice", smiled Rayne.


    Ella''s mother walked over, "It really does smell amazing. We''re in for a real treat today".


    Reginald took a seat at the table and looked around the room. He noticed the various furniture and appliances, thinking that Julian was very capable.

 Chapter 134 Smashed Windows

    Julian took a seat beside Reginald while the girls were in the kitchen area.


    "You are very capable to be able to obtain this many good things", said Reginald with an impressed expression.


    Julian smiled, "Thank you, but this is only because I had long prepared to live off-grid. If I didn''t go through faking my own death and continued to live normally, I would have been just as unprepared as anyone else".


    Reginald didn''t reply but understood what Julian was saying. Still, it didn''t take away from how nice this apartment was.


    He thought that he was living really well with his family now that he had all of the new furniture they brought back recently. However, seeing Rayne and Julian''s place made his own feel very empty and cold.


    "Dad, they even have electricity! Isn''t it nice and warm with the space heaters?", said Ella from across the room.


    Reginald smiled at his silly daughter and shook his head. "We won''t get electricity until it''s very important. We''re still low on contribution points, and I want to save them for the very cold winter months". S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne turned to Ella and her mother, "Oh! I have a few extra blankets and pillows. Please take some back with you".


    Ella jumped to hug Rayne, "Ah Rayne, you''re my lucky star!! I''m so lucky to have a friend as generous as you are!".


    The rest of the room burst out in laughter, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.


    "Now, now. Everyone take a seat at the table. Dinner is ready!", announced Rayne, bringing over the rest of the food.


    Everyone quickly filled their plates with food, silently eating.


    After dinner, Ella leaned back in her chair, "This has got to be one of the best meals I''ve ever had!".


    Rayne giggled, "You''re just saying that because you''ve only had biscuits and dried food recently".


    Reginald turned to Rayne, "Thank you for treating us to this meal. I haven''t felt this full in so long".


    Rayne smiled, "No problem, I hope for many more dinners in the future", then she put on a more serious expression.


    "I want to ask you for a favor. Julian and I need to go to the north side of the country tomorrow to look for someone. Would you help us keep an eye on this place? You''re more than welcome to use anything here".


    Before Reginald had a chance to answer Ella shot up from her seat, "YES! Leave it to me!".


    Rayne''s place had electricity and Ella had been dying to use the precious flat iron she''s managed to sneak into her belongings from the initial move out of the city. Not to mention the laptop full of TV shows and movies that Rayne mentioned to her earlier.


    Ella''s mother shook her head, "Well there''s your answer. We will most definitely help you look after this place. How long do you plan on being gone?".


    Julian thought for a moment, "It really depends on how long it will take us to find the person we are looking for. The city is far away so we would need a few days alone for travel. I''m estimating at least a week, most likely two".


    Reginald nodded agreeing with Julian''s estimates, "Be safe while you''re out. Don''t trust people so easily, things are different now". The scene of his leader harming his team was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn''t help but give another reminder.


    After dinner, Rayne gave Ella a spare key she copied from her system to their apartment. "Feel free to hang out here while we''re gone, and use whatever you like, food included!", said Rayne.


    Ella smiled, "Be safe on your trip. I''ll come looking for you if you take too long!". She was worried for Rayne but seeing how capable she and Julian were, she felt that they should be able to handle themselves well.


    ---


    The next morning Rayne woke up early with Julian and got dressed to begin their journey north.


    They skipped breakfast since it was too early and they weren''t hungry yet, making their way to Raynes SUV.


    The surroundings were quiet although many people were awake. Rayne noticed many more makeshift fire barrels scattered around the tent communities with people standing huddled around them.


    When they finally made it to the parking lot Rayne and Julian spotted a few people dressed in all black walking from car to car, peeking through the windows.


    "Hey I suggest you get lost", yelled Julian trying to scare these people away. The threat worked and the small group of people scattered in different directions.


    Julian frowned noticing their actions. He clearly saw that they were holding bags and items.


    "Oh no, look at the car!", exclaimed Rayne as they approached her SUV. The windows were smashed but not broken.


    She walked over and noticed the many cracked veins in the glass that were clearly made by someone trying to smash the window with a brick or a rock.


    Julian walked over and frowned, he felt like letting those people off was too light of a punishment.


    "Look, all of these cars have their windows completely smashed", he said pointing to several cars in the vicinity.


    "Looks like more and more of the shady characters are emerging, people are getting desperate since the colder weather is kicking in", said Rayne.


    Thankfully it was only the side windows that were cracked, and the main windshield was still intact. "We just need to drive this car out of here and I can swap it out", she said. She couldn''t imagine how upset she would''ve been to see this if she didn''t have her system.


    "Let me drive first, we can swap later", suggested Julian.


    Rayne agreed to his request and they both hopped into the SUV. It was still very dark out so most people stayed off the roads, making the drive out of the government base quick.


    Julian drove for another 15 minutes before finding a small abandoned gas station that had a car wash bay. He drove into the bay and got out, "You can swap out the car here, there shouldn''t be anyone here".


    Rayne was grateful for the thought he put into finding a secluded area for her and swapped out the vehicle.


    Soon the SUV was replaced with a brand new shiny one with the added bonus of a full tank of gas (since it was full when Rayne stored it).


    "There, brand new! No need to even check the tire pressure", joked Rayne.


    After swapping out the car they got back inside and continued their drive north.

 Chapter 135 The Tunnel

    The drive north proved to be more annoying than anything. Rayne and Julian were both happy that Rayne''s SUV had very good off-road capabilities because many places on the main highway were either road-blocked by abandoned cars or destroyed by the earthquakes.


    The road north took them through the mountains and up ahead Rayne noticed a tunnel they needed to go through if they wanted to continue the journey.


    There were no alternate roads and if they wanted to go around, they would need to drive all the way back to the base and head west before heading north again.


    "Hopefully the tunnel isn''t blocked. I would hate to drive all the way back to go around", said Julian.


    Rayne looked over and smiled at him, "If there''s a path to walk through, I can just store the car and take it back out on the other side".


    Julian looked at her with a look of realization, he didn''t think of that option!


    They drove into the dark tunnel carefully, making it about halfway before meeting a roadblock.


    This time, however, the roadblock looked intentionally made, with cars piled one on top of another along with other random debris.


    Julian parked the car and stepped out. He spotted a small walkway on the left-hand side of the tunnel and frowned.


    "Looks like a bandit''s nest", he said to Rayne quietly.


    Rayne agreed with his observation. Everything was set up so that people would have to leave their cars and walk through that small walkway.


    She pulled out her high-tech pistol and handed another one over to Julian.


    "Looks like we have no other choice. We will have to go through the walkway", she said.


    They walked over to the small walkway, squeezing through the tight entrance.


    Just as they walked through to the other side three men jumped down from the roof of a bus that was partially used as a barricade. Two of them jumped directly on top of Julian, pinning him to the ground.


    The third man did the same to Rayne, restraining her hands from behind her back.


    "End Mother, we got them!", shouted the man who was holding Rayne down.


    A few moments later an elderly woman with painted markings on her face came over. "Welcome children! Embrace the end-mothers embrace and live with us in harmony!", she said in a croaky voice.


    Rayne looked around noticing the strangeness of these people. It felt like the early stages of some kind of religious cult.


    "And what if we don''t?", asked Julian.


    One of the men that was pinning him down pressed down on his back with his foot, "Show some respect when speaking to the End Mother!".


    The old woman walked over, "Why it''s very simple child. You either join us or offer yourselves to nourish our small family".


    Rayne''s eyes widened! She realized that these people were cannibals, looking to eat everyone who passed through and didn''t join them.


    "I''ll ask you one more time. Would you like to join our family?", she croaked with a twisted smile.


    Rayne felt the man''s grip on her arms loosen for a second and she quickly twisted her body to take advantage of the situation.


    She quickly rolled onto her back, escaping the startled man''s restraint. Reaching into her jacket she pulled out another pistol from her system and shot the man in the head.


    "Get her!", yelled the old woman, pointing her finger at Rayne.


    But before the men could reach Rayne, she shot the two men who were pinning Julian to the ground, freeing him.


    He quickly jumped up from the ground and lifted his pistol, shooting the flood of oncoming people.


    These men and women held pitchforks and shovels, swinging them at Rayne and Julian.


    Rayne could see the hatred in their eyes, fueling their fierce movements. She wondered how long this ''family'' existed for them to be brainwashed to this extent.


    Since they were all cannibals, Rayne didn''t spare anyone, shooting both men and women who approached her.


    One woman rushed in with a shovel in her hand screaming, "I sacrificed my only son to be here! I won''t let you harm the End Mother!".


    Rayne couldn''t believe that a mother would allow her only son to be eaten so that she could be a part of this twisted cult.


    She felt angry, angry that a mother could throw away her own child''s life to eat another day.


    She lifted her gun, aiming at the oncoming woman, "This is for your son!", pulling the trigger.


    Rayne and Julian did their best to deal with the ferocious people who came running at them as if they were livestock. There were hundreds of people, all with some sort of makeshift weapon in hand.


    Just as Rayne was reloading she got hit in the arm by a man with a large stick.


    "Fuck!", she shouted and rolled to the side to avoid the follow-up attack. She stored the gun back into her system and pulled out a large combat knife.


    As the man lifted the large stick to swing at her again, she deftly swung her knife, cutting his stomach.


    "You bitch! When did you get a knife?!", the man yelled, falling over to apply pressure to his open wound.


    Rayne stood up and pulled out a fresh copy of her pistol aiming at the man. She shot him in the head, causing him to fall over completely. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without stopping she pulled up her gun once more and began shooting the rest of the people.


    Whenever her gun ran out of bullets she just pulled out another copy from her system, bypassing the need to reload.


    The old woman watched in horror as her cult members dropped like flies. She put in a lot of effort to brainwash this many people, but now they were almost all gone.


    As Julian and Rayne made their way through the rest of the people, Rayne noticed the old woman running away from the corner of her eye.


    "No you don''t", she muttered and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew to the end of the tunnel where the old woman currently was and struck her right in the chest.


    Julian noticed Rayne''s skilled long-distance shot and couldn''t help but comment. "Wow, that was quite the shot, great job!".

 Chapter 136 MidnightSun 3600

    Julian quickly cleaned up the rest of the people, leaving the tunnel in a state of bloody carnage.


    Rayne squatted down, trying to catch her breath, rubbing her already bruised arm from where the stick struck her.


    "Does it hurt?", Julian squatted beside her and looked at the large blue bruise on her pale skin. While he wished that she never got hit, he was happy that it was only a bruise.


    "I''m okay. I''ll ice it when we get back in the car", she shook her head.


    After a few more moments of rest, Rayne stood up and walked back to her car, storing it back into her system.


    While she would be pulling out a fresh copy either way, she didn''t want to leave evidence of them traveling through here in case Damien''s men were already on their trail.


    They slowly walked to the other side of the tunnel where they saw a beautiful view of the mountains overlooking a small evergreen forest.


    "I''ve only been this far north a few times", said Rayne, taking in the view.


    Julian placed his arm around her, "It''s beautiful".


    She turned to look at him and then at herself. "We''re gross and covered in blood. How do you feel about taking a shower?", she asked.


    "Shower? How are we going to take a shower here?", asked Julian looking around. Outside of the winding road in front of there, everything else was just tall mountains.


    "Hehe, just watch!", said Rayne as she walked over to a large stretch of free road space.


    Julian watched as an enormous, tour bus-looking, luxury RV appeared in front of him. It was a double-decker design and was longer and wider than a standard bus.


    "This is the MidnightSun 3600! It even has built-in solar panels!", announced Rayne with a smile.


    She paid more for this RV than she did for her luxury penthouse apartment back in the city. While it was a luxury model, it had rugged features with off-road capabilities.


    "I''ve been a billionaire for the majority of my adult life, and I''ve never seen something this grand", laughed Julian. He was never interested in RV''s so he never came across such high-end models before.


    "Come, everything should be set up already. I''ll just need to start it so that the solar panels can power the water heater!", said Rayne. She had another RV model that even had a rooftop jacuzzi, but she felt that was too over the top for her current needs.


    Julian walked inside and noticed the beautiful white interior. "Why are we even renting a room when we can live inside of this beauty?!", he asked with an indescribable expression.


    Rayne giggled as she started the RV in standby mode. They only needed to wait 8 minutes before the hot water would be ready.


    "I wanted to initially live in something like this back at the river valley where we met, but it would''ve been hard to explain", she said.


    Julian heavily agreed with her, "Yes, if I found you living in this thing back then, I would have been very suspicious of you".


    A few minutes later the water heater finished heating up and Rayne quickly went to go shower. The shower inside of this luxury RV had a rainfall showerhead and was very spacious in size.


    Rayne quickly got undressed and jumped in, soaking herself in hot water. She realized that she hadn''t previously stocked the shower with shampoos and soaps so she opened her system panel while showering and retrieved the necessary items. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Rayne was showering, Julian was observing the inside of the RV while trying not to get anything dirty.


    The kitchen was fully equipped with high-end appliances and even an island. The countertops were made from expensive granite complementing the neutral pallet of the interior decor.


    Much like Rayne''s smaller camper, the living room was adjacent to the kitchen but the TV on this RV was the size of the entire wall.


    There were small steps that led to the second floor where there was a large bedroom with a king-size bed.


    Opposite from the bedroom was a smaller sitting area with a high-end fold-out sofa and a table.


    After Rayne finished showering she came out of the bathroom fully dressed, feeling refreshed.


    "Hey, it''s your turn. I left you a clean towel and a change of clothes in the bathroom", said Rayne happily.


    As Julian went to shower, Rayne busied herself by stocking every part of the RV. She filled the kitchen with pots, pans, utensils, plates, and bowls. She stocked the full-size refrigerator with fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurts, snaking items, and a variety of beverages.


    She opted to keep all of the ''cooking'' ingredients in her system and only put things in the fridge that she or Julian could quickly access and eat without cooking.


    She went upstairs and made the bed with fresh linens, choosing the warmer ones since it was getting cold. She also filled the closet with as many of Julian''s clothing and personal items as she could.


    A little while later they reconvened in the living room.


    "Wow, that shower is really nice. It''s much nicer than the one we have in the base", said Julian. He was dressed and trying his hair with the towel.


    "Isn''t it? This whole RV is nicer than most of the places I''ve stayed at, even before the apocalypse", smiled Rayne.


    "''Well, this will definitely make our journey north a lot more comfortable", said Julian. He walked over to the driver''s cabin and took a seat in the plush drivers seat.


    Rayne walked over and joined him in the passenger seat and they quickly set off.


    The next stretch of roads was through the mountains, resulting in a long winding journey. Thankfully since this road was a less commonly used one, there were no roadblocks or hazards along the way.


    Rayne leaned back in her passenger seat and turned on the massage function that was built into the seat. She felt her tense muscles relax making her hungry.


    "Would you like a burger? I''m craving fast food right now", she said asking Julian.


    "Oh yea, a burger sounds really good", agreed Julian.


    They ate as they continued to drive, only exiting the mountain road late in the night.

 Chapter 137 Cold Snap

    Julian kept driving until he found a secluded area right off the road. Turning to Rayne he yawned, "How do you feel about calling it here for the night? We can continue driving tomorrow morning".


    Rayne had long wanted to go to sleep so she quickly agreed.


    They locked up the car and went up to the second floor to get some sleep.


    Laying down, Rayne felt the surroundings fall into silence. The sounds of wolves howling sounded from the mountains.


    A few hours later, she woke up abruptly, feeling a deep chill run through her body. Even Julian''s usually hot body felt cold.


    "Julian! Wake up!", she shook him, waking him up.


    As soon as he woke up he realized something was wrong. "Why is it so cold? I''ve never felt this kind of chill before", he said quickly.


    Rayne pulled out a basic thermometer to check the temperature. "Oh my god! It''s -30 degrees C!", she cried out.


    While their country experienced colder winters, it usually stayed around -5 degrees C, so this cold snap was a new record.


    Rayne quickly pulled out the clothes made from nanofibers from her system and handed a set to Julian.


    "Here, put this on. It will help with regulating body temperature", she said and quickly changed in front of Julian. The situation was dire so she didn''t have time to be shy.


    Julian did the same and looked over to see her blue lips.


    "If you hadn''t woken up, I don''t know if we would''ve made it until morning," said Julian. He could see his breath as he spoke and pulled Rayne over to wrap himself around her.


    Rayne sat in his embrace feeling slightly better. She could already feel the positive effects of the nanofiber clothing, bringing feeling back into her hands and feet.


    She was scrolling through her system, trying to find a way to heat the room. She pulled out a mini electric space heater and a coal stove.


    "Here, can you plug this in behind you? I''ll get this stove lit", she said handing him the electric space heater.


    She pulled out a small metal table that was just large enough to support the coal stove. She set up the exhaust pipe to go out of the small hatch that was in the ceiling so that the fumes could escape.


    After insulating the rest of the hatch to prevent the cold air from flowing in she turned her attention to lighting the stove.


    She pulled out a box of the best-quality anthracite coal and placed it into the stove. This coal was rated best for its high-temperature output while producing fewer fumes than standard coal.


    The small bedroom finally felt a little warmer thanks to both heaters.


    "We need to start the engine as quickly as possible. These cold temperatures can prevent the ignition from starting", said Julian as he quickly got out of bed to head down to the driver''s cabin.


    Sure enough, the engine choked a few times as Julian attempted to start it. Thankfully after a few more tries it finally worked and the RV came to life.


    He ran back to the bedroom, wanting to escape the bitter cold as quickly as possible.


    "Did it start?", asked Rayne. She felt the cold air rush in as Julian opened the bedroom door to enter. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, only after a number of tries", he said as he jumped under the many layers of fluffy blankets.


    Rayne shifted over to cuddle with him and felt his icy body. He had only been gone for a few minutes but it felt like he was encased in an iceberg for years.


    As they both huddled together in their warm bed fatigue finally washed over them, putting them to sleep once more.


    ---


    Earlier at the government base.


    Ella was eating her usual meal of dried biscuits and daydreaming about the meal she ate yesterday at Raynes.


    "Mom, I want to stay the night at Rayne''s tonight!", she announced. She wanted to use her flat iron as well as see if there were any delicious snacks at her friend''s place.


    Her mother shook her head smiling. "They only just left earlier today. Are you sure you want to go over there already?".


    "Mom! They have electricity!", urged Ella. She couldn''t understand why her parents didn''t seem to care about not having electricity.


    Reginald walked into the room and saw the two of them chatting, "Hey Ella, I''m going to swing by the market to see what they have in stock, do you want to come with?".


    Ella quickly jumped in excitement, "Yes, I''ll go!". Her cute antics made her mother burst out in laughter, "You guys go ahead, I''ll stay here and organize the paint supplies".


    Reginald and Ella quickly made their way over to the market and noticed a crowd of people looking at some newly added items with desire.


    "Look, is that a coal stove?", someone pointed through the chain link fence. The rest of the crowd burst out in soft discussion, talking amongst themselves to see if they could afford to buy it.


    Reginald also noticed the coal stove and went up to the counter to inquire about its cost.


    "The stove is going for 200 points due to it''s high demand. There are only 2 left", said the shopkeeper.


    Reginald felt that 200 was a huge price and fell into deep thought. While he was thinking, Ella was looking through the other items.


    "Dad! Look, there are wool sweaters over here too", she called him over. She recognized the brand of the sweater by the small dove embroidery on the sleeve.


    "It''s even a high-end sweater!", she exclaimed happily.


    Reginald walked over to take a closer look and noticed the high-quality material. Nodding he said, "This is a good find, I''ll have to buy your mother one of these".


    Ella looked at him with puppy dog eyes, "What about me?".


    Reginald smiled at his daughter, "Don''t you have your own contribution points? You can buy it yourself".


    Ella pouted, feeling like she wasn''t even his biological daughter! He only had her mother in his heart!


    After picking out their items they went over to the counter to purchase them. Ella was happy to find out that they had her exact size in the sweater that she wanted.


    "That will be 20 points please", said the shopkeeper. These sweaters were a hot ticket item today and only a handful were left.


    Ella quickly paid and put on her new purchase. "It''s so warm!", she said to her father, showing off her new item.


    Reginald patted her on the head, "Looks great on you". He then walked over to the counter and purchased the same sweater for him and his wife.


    "Is there a wood burning stove for sale? I noticed the coal burning one, but coal can be tricky to get", asked Reginald.


    The shopkeeper shook her head, "Unfortunately the last wood burning stove was sold earlier today, I''m sorry".


    Reginald sighed but wasn''t too disappointed. He wanted to try out the electric space heater he brought back recently.


    "You mentioned that you''re going to Rayne''s place today?", he asked Ella.


    "Yep! I want to! Why?", she asked curiously. She didn''t think he would care if she went.


    Reginald thought silently to himself for a minute, he didn''t feel comfortable leaving Ella alone in that apartment over night and he also wanted to test the space heaters...


    "I''ll go with you tonight, actually let''s go as a family", he said, not wanting to leave his precious wife alone.

 Chapter 138 Cold Snap 2

    Ella was startled at his suggestion. "You want to plug in the space heaters at Rayne''s to test them?", she asked. She didn''t mind her parents tagging along, she just wanted to use the flat iron and watch TV shows.


    After securing the new matching sweaters, Ella went home with her father to prepare for the sleepover at Raynes.


    She burst through the door and skipped over to her mother''s side, "Mom! Guess what? We''re going to have a sleepover at Raynes tonight!", she announced before running to her room to find her flat iron.


    Her mother looked over at Reginald in confusion, "You let her go?".


    Reginald walked over to sit beside his wife, "Only because we''re going with her". He then pulled out the sweater he bought for her and handed it over lovingly.


    "Look what I bought for you", he smiled.


    She took the sweater from his hands and immediately noticed the high-quality wool that it was made out of. Inspecting it further she found the discrete logo on the sleeve and gasped!


    "Honey! This is a very well-known high-end brand! How did you get this?", she looked at him with a surprised expression.


    "We got lucky, the market was selling them. We bought one for each of us", he said happy that his wife liked it.


    At this moment Ella came out of her room, "Hmph! He made me buy mine myself! He only cares about you Mom!".


    Her mom smiled and pretended to scold her father, "Reggie! How could you? She''s our only baby, we need to spoil her".


    Reginald folded immediately in front of his wife''s complaints, "Yes, you''re right honey, I''m sorry".


    Ella rolled her eyes at her father. Her mother had him completely wrapped around her finger. She carried a small duffel bag of things over excited to head over to Rayne''s.


    "Are you ready? Let''s go!", she urged her parents.


    Her mother stood up and packed some of her art supplies. She had just started sketching a landscape to use as a reference for a future painting. "Give me one-second sunshine, I''ll be done shortly".


    Reginald went to his bedroom closet to retrieve the space heater that he wanted to test. He also packed a small bag of clothing items and went back to the living room to meet up with the ladies.


    "Okay, we''re all set. Let''s lock this place up and head over", he said.


    The walk over was quiet, many people were walking down to the forested area to pick up sticks and twigs to light fires which left the main walkway areas feeling deserted.


    When Ella finally arrived in front of Rayne''s door she pulled out the small key that Rayne gave her. After placing the key in the lock, Ella realized that there was a lot more heft to the lock than their door. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s odd. The door looks exactly the same as ours, but the lock feels very different", she said and opened the door.


    The door itself also felt a lot heavier but Ella shrugged it off thinking it was just due to the uniqueness of this building. She walked inside seeing the clean and familiar interior and ran straight over to the sofa, sprawling out on it.


    "Ah its so comfortable! Dad we need to try and find a sofa like this!", she said happily.


    Reginald didn''t reply but took this request to heart.


    Ella''s mother walked in and felt a little awkward being in someone else''s home without the owners being there. Reginald noticed her behavior and nudged her forward.


    "It''s okay dear. They asked us to be here, we''re doing them a favor", he said lovingly. She smiled and felt slightly better, walking to sit down on the sofa beside Ella.


    While Ella was fiddling with Rayne''s laptop, trying to pull up a TV show, Reginald was unpacking the space heater he brought over to test.


    After taking out all of the packaging he plugged it into an outlet and soon a gentle warmth could be felt coming out of the heater.


    He clicked through the settings, turning on the highest one and felt a very strong heat begin to come out.


    "Nice, looks like it works great", he said happily. He put it back on a medium heat setting and went over to join his wife and daughter on the sofa.


    Since the sofa was on the smaller side, the three of them huddled together while watching the TV show that Ella picked out.


    They binged watched until late into the night. Ella walked into Rayne''s bedroom to grab some of the blankets that Rayne offered earlier and brought them back.


    During this time Reginald readjusted the sofa into a pull out bed, setting it up for his family to sleep on for the night. Once Ella came back with a stack of pillows and blankets they all huddled together and fell asleep.


    Later that night Ella woke up to the sounds of screaming coming from the outside. As soon as she woke up she felt that something was off, it was freezing.


    She quickly leaned over and shook her mother and father awake. "Mom, dad!! Hurry wake up", she yelled.


    Reginald woke up right away but her mother was still sleeping. Ella noticed her mothers pale skin and blueish lips and began to panic.


    "Mom! Mom! Wake up!", she shook her more vigorously, only stopping when her mom finally opened her eyes.


    Reginald quickly jumped out of the bed and pulled the space heater closer to them, putting it on the highest setting.


    "Dad, that''s not enough. Check their bedroom to see if they have another heater!", urged Ella, shivering under the covers.


    Her mother leaned over and hugged her. Ella could feel the icy skin of her mothers body, making her frown even more.


    "Mom, here, get under more covers, you''re too cold", said Ella, placing majority of her blanket over her mother.


    Ella got out of bed and put on as many layers as she could before putting on her warmest winter coat.


    The people outside were still screaming and crying, making Ella curious enough to poke her head outside to see what was going on.


    Many people froze to death in their sleep. Most of the people who were in their tents were the first to die, sparing only those who were huddled around the fires.


    Even those who lived inside of the apartment units weren''t spared as majority of those people only had blankets to keep them warm.


    The base''s leaders realized that that the temperatures dropped to record breaking numbers and sounded an alarm throughout the entire base, hoping to wake up as many sleeping people as possible.


    Unfortunately, it was already mainly too late, as those who were asleep, froze to death in their sleep already.

 Chapter 139 Cold Snap 3

    While the people who were huddled by the fires were still alive, many had begun to show early signs of frostbite on their fingers and toes.


    Ella walked back inside to the noticeably warmer interior. She saw her father pull out another electric space heater, plugging it in on the other side of the sofa bed.


    The color was gradually starting to return to her mother''s face, which made her feel relieved.


    "How''s the situation outside?" asked Reginald. He had also heard the screams and cries, understanding what must have happened.


    "Not good. Many people were found frozen to death inside their tents. The people screaming must be relatives of those who died," reported Ella with a sad expression.


    No one could have predicted such a steep temperature drop over just a few hours. It''s also unfortunate that it happened while most people were sleeping.


    Reginald sat down beside his wife, placing his arms around her to warm her with his own body heat. "It seems that we will have to stay here for the time being. I can''t imagine what would''ve happened to us if we had been in our apartment last night," he said solemnly.


    Ella lowered her head, agreeing with his statement. They had no electricity and no heaters. Even the few blankets they did have wouldn''t have been enough for them to survive.


    "Looks like Rayne indirectly saved us again," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood a little.


    Ella walked over to the kitchen area and filled the tea kettle with water from one of the many jugs that Rayne left.


    Even the water that poured out was slushy, filled with chunks of ice. She placed the tea kettle on the electric cooktop and let it come to a boil.


    While the water was boiling, she poked through the crates and boxes nearby, gasping at the amount of high-quality food. "Wow, they really have a lot! We won''t be going hungry anytime soon!" she rejoiced.


    Her mom frowned. "Are you sure we should be using their supplies like this? In the current world, food items are worth more than gold."


    Reginald gently patted her shoulders with both of his hands. "Don''t worry, dear. Before we left, I had a talk with Julian. He reassured me that he has even more supplies than these stored away in a hidden location. He stressed that we were welcome to use anything as we pleased."


    She still didn''t feel right using these items freely, but nodded her head.


    Ella found a few packets of ramen in one of the boxes and decided to cook them. She found a pot and started boiling some water in it, dumping the seasoning packet along with the dried noodles into the pot.


    She found three bowls, divided the instant ramen between each, and brought them over to the sofa.


    Her parents readjusted the sofa while she was cooking, folding the bed back inside.


    The three of them quickly ate the hot ramen before it cooled down completely. Soon, warmth spread through their bodies, making them feel warm and full.


    ---


    In the bunker:


    Noah and Ian were safe from the cold snap due to the advanced heating and insulation technology used when the bunker was built. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had 24/7 temperature monitors inside and outside, informing them of any sharp changes.


    Ian was in a conference room with the remaining members of Alpha Team.


    "Ivan''s group has still not come back, and all communication has been severed with them. The only explanation is that they were ambushed by Damien''s men at the REN Corp. lab facility.


    We have some insulating gear left. I want to send a small team out to see if we can get information on what happened over there," said Ian.


    One of the senior members of Alpha Team clenched his fist. Ivan was one of his good friends within the organization, almost like a brother. He knew Ivan''s skills were top-notch, so whatever happened must have taken him by surprise.


    "Sir, I would like to go investigate," he said resolutely.


    Ian looked over at him and nodded. "Very well, Deondre. You will lead this team. Pick one more member to accompany you and head out. Remember, I need you to come back alive. Look out for traps or ambushes before getting too close."


    Deondre nodded. "Yes, sir!" He then turned around and looked behind him. "Who would like to come with me?"


    After a momentary silence, a few people stepped forward. Deondre looked at each member who stepped forward before pointing at a younger man.


    "Mark, you will come with me. You''ve always excelled at scouting, so your skills will be the most useful here."


    Mark walked over and shook Deondre''s hand. "Let''s find them, brother."


    The two men went down to the armory to gear up, putting on the best thermal insulating clothing they could find, along with other useful tools and supplies.


    When they stepped outside, the freezing cold air assaulted them. Ian had told them that the temperatures outside were freezing, but feeling it was a whole new level of understanding.


    "We will jog as long as we can to maintain body temperature. If we keep a good pace, we can make it to the facility by morning," ordered Deondre.


    Mark nodded and began to jog into the forest alongside Deondre.


    The jogging helped raise their internal body temperature, and the high-tech insulating clothing helped retain that heat. They continued forward until they reached the hidden garage where the Jeeps were kept.


    After trying to start each of the Jeeps, Deondre frowned. "Looks like it''s too cold to start them. Let''s try the motorcycles," he suggested.


    Thankfully, after a few tries, both motorcycles started, and the two men continued their journey to the city perimeter.


    As they approached the location of the facility, Deondre ordered them to park the motorcycles in a hidden spot a few blocks away. They made too much noise and would easily give away their position if they drove them closer.


    They carefully walked toward the building, staying hidden in the shadows. So far, there was no sign of anyone in the area.


    Deondre observed the surrounding area, trying to assess how Ivan would have set up the team to scout.


    He spotted the tree line on the side of the facility and pointed to Mark. "Over there. Ivan would have posted someone in those trees for sure. Let''s check it out."

 Chapter 140 Missing Scout

    As the two men approached the trees, Mark pointed at an arm hanging out of a bush.


    They used hand signals to communicate in order to minimize the amount of noise they made.


    Deondre walked over to the bush and carefully pushed the leaves and branches aside, exposing a familiar face.


    Mark looked angry upon seeing his teammate dead. Deondre had to signal for him to calm down.


    Deondre was also very angry and hurt that someone he called a brother was dead, but he knew that he needed to stay calm to deal with whatever dangers lurked in the vicinity.


    He quickly looted the usable items and radio still on the body, then quietly moved it out of the bush.


    When they got back from this mission, he would ask Ian if he could lead a team to bury the bodies.


    The second body was found dead in a tree. It was a clear bullet wound that killed him.


    Deondre signaled to Mark, stating that they were ambushed from behind due to the angle of the bullet.


    They continued around the building, trying to find the rest of the team and mark their locations.


    When they finally made it to the roof of the building, Deondre signaled where two more of the bodies were lying. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Doing the same as with the others, they carefully took all of the valuable items off of them and laid them out carefully so that they were on their backs.


    The freezing temperatures kept the bodies frozen and preserved, giving them time to come back at a later date to bury them properly.


    Deondre wrote down their location in his notebook and signaled to Mark, saying there were two more members that they still needed to find.


    After thoroughly searching the entire perimeter, they entered inside. They took their time walking through, listening, and observing before pushing forward to avoid traps or ambushes.


    They made it through the first half of the building and into the back end, where Deondre finally spotted Ivan''s body.


    Before rushing forward, he quietly observed the surroundings. He checked the ceiling rafters and any other hidden spots before finally moving over to Ivan''s body, which was lying in the middle of the room.


    He felt tears well up as he inspected his good friend''s body, noticing the deep gash through his back.


    This injury didn''t kill Ivan instantly; instead, it made him suffer great pain before he died from blood loss.


    Wiping away his tears, Deondre said a small prayer for Ivan, promising to avenge him. With Mark''s help, he moved Ivan''s body to a hidden corner and marked the location in his notebook.


    After Ivan was taken care of, the last person they needed to find was Jess. They carefully combed through the rest of the building but were unable to find any traces of Jess.


    Deondre thought long and hard about where Ivan would have stationed her, and the only logical place was inside the building with him.


    He signaled to Mark to recheck the front rooms of the building to make sure they hadn''t missed anything. A few minutes later, Mark came over to find Deondre and signaled for him to follow.


    Mark led him to the room where the prototypes were locked up and pointed to the open closet.


    Deondre''s eyes widened. There was no sign of tampering on the lock, and all of the prototypes were missing.


    The only explanation was that someone entered the pin code to unlock the cabinet... and only members of Alpha Team knew the code.


    His mind raced, coming up with possibilities. Jess was missing along with the prototypes. His stomach knotted up, his gut telling him that Jess was the cause of his dead brothers.


    However, without any proof, accusing a team member was a grave offense. The other option was that she was captured and forced to open the lock at gunpoint. This was what Mark was currently thinking.


    He signaled to Deondre that they needed to hurry back and report the situation. He was worried that Jess was being tortured and they needed to come up with a plan to rescue her.


    Little did they know that Jess was being happily "tortured" in a totally different way and that she desired no rescue.


    ---


    When Rayne woke up again, the first Rays of sunlight were already peaking over the horizon. The small bedroom felt warm from both of the heaters, making a comfortable environment.


    Julian woke up from her small movements and quickly pulled her into his embrace before she had time to get out of bed.


    "Lay here for a little while longer with me. It''s so cozy with you", he said in his sleepy voice.


    Rayne''s face flushed but she complied, enjoying their closeness. She shifted her body back a little so that she was the little spoon while Julian was the big spoon.


    "Whoa! Careful there. You''re gonna wake up the little guy with those kinds of movements", said Julian, feeling Rayne''s butt shift back right into his crotch area.


    A few moments later Rayne felt something poking from behind, her making her blush even harder. Certainly not little.


    Julian pulled her in closer so that she wouldn''t run away. "Don''t run, you''ll be feeling it more in the future", he breathed into her ear.


    Her heart began to race and her body began to tingle all over. There was a desire deep inside of her that wanted to feel more of it right now, but she wasn''t sure if right now was a good time.


    Julian closed his eyes, fighting back his desire. Rayne turned to face him, showing him her misty eyes.


    Julian didn''t think twice before leaning in and kissing her passionately on the lips.


    The kiss lasted a long time since neither one of them wanted to let go. This added to Julian''s fervor and he continued to kiss her more and more.


    Rayne felt the electricity run down through her as the rest of her body heated up. Julian shifted over so that he was bent over on top of her.


    He continued to kiss her passionately only giving her brief moments to catch her breath in between.


    Rayne wrapped her hands around his neck, bringing him in closer. They continued to kiss as their desires intensified even more.


    Rayne felt him poke her even more from this position, causing her body to squirm on its own accord.


    "God Rayne, I want you so--"

 Chapter 141 Horribly Timed Explosion

    Boom!


    A large explosion startled them awake from their moment of passion. Julian quickly pulled away and ran down to the living room to see what had caused such an explosion.


    In the distance, he could see a small smoke stack rising beyond the forest.


    Rayne came down to see what was happening. "Do you see anything?" she asked curiously.


    Julian pointed toward the pillar of smoke in the distance. "Looks like something blew up over there. Should we go check it out?"


    Rayne nodded and brought over another small space heater to use in the driver''s cabin while Julian started the RV.


    He drove the RV down the winding mountain road, careful to avoid frozen sections. It took them a few hours to fully descend from the mountains and reach the first small village where the smoke pillar was coming from. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian drove through the center of the town while Rayne held on to her pistol, ready to shoot if there was any danger.


    He parked in a small, empty parking lot not far from where the smoke was. "Get dressed, let''s go check it out," he said quietly.


    Rayne was already dressed in many layers and only took another thick winter coat from her system to put on. She then gave a similar men''s coat, hat, and gloves to Julian.


    After they were fully bundled up and armed, they carefully made their way over to the area where the explosion had happened.


    "It looks like the smoke is coming from inside that brick building," said Rayne quietly. She then looked around before proceeding forward.


    As they got closer, they heard voices coming from inside. "Did everyone make it out safe? Is anyone in critical condition?" asked an older man''s voice.


    "Everyone seems to be doing okay. We brought everyone back to the ranch," replied a younger man.


    Just then, the two men walked out of the brick building, only to be met with Rayne and Julian pointing their pistols at them.


    "Whoa! Whoa! We don''t want any trouble," said the older man, quickly raising his hands above his head. The younger man followed his movements, visibly scared.


    "We just paid our tribute. Why are you back already?" asked the young man angrily.


    Rayne lowered her gun and took a step forward. Julian kept his gun aimed and ready in case of any signs of danger.


    "Who are you guys? What happened here?" asked Rayne. Her voice was slightly muffled by the scarf she was wearing.


    "We''re locals of this town. Some of us are from the city. One of our youngsters tried to start this old generator in the shop, but he wasn''t careful and ended up blowing the place up instead," explained the old man.


    He then looked up at her and then at Julian. "I don''t recognize you folks. Are you from the city?"


    "We''re from the south. We''re on our way to the city just up ahead to look for someone," replied Rayne.


    The old man shook his head. "No, I don''t recommend you go there. That city has always had gang issues since it was a university town, and now it''s only gotten worse since there''s no police to stop them anymore. The whole city has basically been taken over."


    Julian finally lowered his weapon and walked over to stand beside Rayne. "They''re telling the truth. I can tell by his microexpressions."


    "How can a gang take over a whole city? If I remember correctly, City R is a larger city too," asked Rayne.


    The old man shook his head again. "No, it''s not just one gang. There are multiple. The whole city is like a warzone, each one fighting against the others."


    Rayne couldn''t believe it. She felt the world was already plunged into chaos with the natural disasters. She couldn''t understand why so many people fought against each other instead of banding together.


    "Who are you guys looking for anyway?" asked the old man.


    "A chemist. We got a lead that there was a talented one here, working for the big pharmaceuticals company," explained Rayne.


    The old man lowered his hands. "Well, if you''d like, you''re welcome to come back with us. There might be someone at the house who knows something about your friend. We''ve recently taken in some folks from the city."


    "Leader! Are you sur--"


    "Yes. These people aren''t here to hurt us," said the older man. He turned to greet Rayne and Julian. "I''m Fred, by the way. I''m the elected leader of this small town settlement."


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Rayne, and this is Julian," answered Rayne, motioning to Julian.


    Fred smiled. "Nice to meet you. Now, if you don''t mind, let''s head over before we freeze to death out here."


    Rayne felt a little guilty. While she felt the cold air outside, she was dressed in many layers and nanofibers, while these two men were wearing only a sweater and a coat.


    "Yes, let''s go," she said quickly.


    She followed Fred down the street and toward a large open field. Fred pointed to a large white farmhouse. "That''s it over there. Our little home."


    As they continued to walk down the long driveway, Fred pointed out a few areas of interest on the ranch.


    "That over there is where we keep the cattle. It''s not a large herd, but enough to continue breeding and milking," explained Fred.


    Rayne listened as he told them how the majority of the residents were currently in the barn, ensuring that the animals survived the cold. Outside of cows, they also raised chickens and goats.


    "Most of us grew up on a ranch or a farm, so we know a lot about it. The city folk mainly help us out with other tasks, like cooking and laundry," he continued.


    When they finally approached the entrance of the house, Rayne spotted a lot of movement inside the white farmhouse.


    "Hey, Leader. How''s the generator looking?" asked a robust woman with a long red braid. Her face was rosy, and she was holding a large wooden bucket of grain.


    Fred greeted her. "Hey, Rita. No, unfortunately, it looks like the generator is done for. I''ll ask Sky to take a look at it later, but I''m doubtful anything can be done."


    "Aw, that''s unfortunate. It would''ve been helpful," she said, looking over at Rayne and Julian. "Oh, who are these two?"


    "Rayne and Julian. I found them outside the machine shop with the generator," said Fred, leading them inside.

 Chapter 142 The Ranch

    The originally spacious interior felt a little cramped due to the number of people inside. Rayne watched as everyone quietly went about doing their jobs.


    She felt that this community was tight-knit and a good example of how, when people band together, they can overcome disaster.


    There were many wood-burning stoves placed around the house, keeping it relatively warm.


    Frank noticed Rayne eyeing the stoves and chuckled. "We collected all the stoves from the surrounding houses and brought them over. You wouldn''t believe the amount of wood we''ve burned through already."


    Rayne nodded but stayed silent. Her nature wanted to help these people out, but she knew she needed to reign in that feeling. She decided to observe them a little more and see if there was a way to help them. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Frank led them into the kitchen, where it was slightly less crowded. Only Rita and a shy teenage girl with curly brown hair were inside, working their various jobs.


    "This is Molly. She''s one of our newest members from the city. It was a miracle that she made it out," Frank introduced.


    Molly quietly looked over to see Rayne, Julian, and Frank looking at her.


    "Hi," she peeped out quietly and continued to peel the potatoes in the bucket in front of her.


    "Haha! Don''t mind her. She''s a little shy, but she might be able to help you on your search for the chemist you''re looking for," laughed Frank.


    He excused himself, stating that he needed to check on the cattle and other animals.


    Rayne walked over to Molly. "Hello, my name is Rayne, and this is Julian. We''ve come from the south to look for a younger man who works as a chemist. Do you know anyone like this?"


    Molly silently continued to peel the potato in her hand, and after a few minutes, she finally nodded. "I''ve met someone who said they were a chemist. He helped me out of the city."


    Rayne couldn''t believe her luck! "Could you tell us where he is? We would like to talk to him!" she asked excitedly.


    Molly''s face visibly dropped, and her eyes began to water. She shook her head. "I don''t know exactly, but he let himself get caught so that I could run away. He''s most likely at the Bloody Skull gang, the biggest one on the west side of the city."


    Rayne frowned at the news. If he was captive behind one of the biggest gangs in the city, getting him out would be more difficult than she had anticipated.


    Julian walked over and held her hand. "We should try it at the very least. I think if we''re careful, we have a decent chance of getting him out."


    Rayne smiled, agreeing with his view.


    Molly finally looked up from the potato in her hand with an astonished expression. "You mean you''re still going to go in to find him? That''s suicide! Those people kill for fun! It''s like a sport to them!" she cried out.


    Rayne walked over and hugged the girl. She felt the guilt and hopelessness coming from her and wanted to help her release the pent-up emotions.


    Molly began to cry her heart out, sobbing in Rayne''s embrace.


    After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and looked up at Rayne with a determined expression.


    "Please let me help you. I may not be skilled in much, but I do know the city well," she said, hoping to be of use.


    Rayne smiled. "Thank you. We would love to have you helping us."


    They set a time to talk after dinner, allowing Molly to resume her duty of peeling the potatoes and helping Rita in the kitchen.


    This left Rayne and Julian free to wander around. Rayne wanted to see the animals, so they set off to the large barn that Fred had pointed out earlier.


    When they arrived at the barn, they spotted a group of people surrounding a cow. Fred turned around, noticing them.


    "Oh hey! Come on over. Ever seen a calf being born?" he called out joyfully. A new calf meant a higher chance of survival for the small settlement, so everyone around had a big smile on their face.


    Rayne walked over just in time to see the cute calf come out. The experienced ranchers were ready to get it cleaned up and taken care of, as well as ensure that the mother was doing well.


    The barn felt relatively warm due to the pellet stoves inside. Rayne could tell that these people were willing to spend more resources on keeping the animals healthy than keeping themselves comfortable.


    After the calf was taken care of, Fred walked over to Rayne and Julian. "I''m not sure what your future plans are, but you''re both more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. Also, please join us for dinner tonight. We''re celebrating the birth of the new calf."


    Rayne and Julian accepted Fred''s offer since they were waiting for Molly to free up from her duties so that they could talk more about the situation inside.


    "We came in an RV. Would it be okay if we parked it nearby?" asked Rayne.


    Fred laughed. "Haha, of course! Not a problem at all! Come on over."


    With Fred''s permission, Rayne and Julian walked back to their RV, planning to drive it closer to the small settlement.


    "They seem very nice. I''m happy to see people banding together like this... especially after our last encounter with the cannibals," said Rayne as they entered the RV.


    "Yes, they all seem like nice people. They''re doing the right thing by taking care of the livestock. I believe this small settlement will only grow in the future. I just hope these gangs don''t come to cause them trouble," replied Julian.


    Rayne agreed. She remembered the other man beside Fred mention giving a tribute. They must be paying a heavy fee to keep the peace.


    "I just hope we can do something about these gangs. It sounds like a lot of innocent people are getting caught up in these gang wars," said Rayne.


    They quickly got into the cold RV. Rayne lit the coal-burning stove and plugged in the small space heaters while Julian went to start the engine.


    They waited a few minutes for the engine to heat up before driving over to the ranch.

 Chapter 143 The Ranch 2

    Julian drove the luxury RV down the long driveway, parking it a healthy distance away from the farmhouse.


    Rayne noticed many of the people inside poke their heads out, checking out the shiny RV.


    Fred even came out of the house with an awed expression. "Wow, looks like we''re in the presence of some big shots! Haha!" he laughed heartily.


    Rayne and Julian got out of the RV and smiled, happy that no one looked jealous or overly envious.


    "Ah, thank you. We just got lucky that we managed to secure this beauty early on," replied Julian.


    The next few minutes consisted of a small tour of the inside of the RV since Fred was dying to see it.


    "Wow, you would never find something like this in these rural parts. I appreciate you opening my eyes to the existence of something this grand! Haha!" laughed Fred. This RV would be a conversation starter for many years to come.


    A few hours later, it was finally time for dinner. Rayne was curious about how they fed so many people and walked inside the crowded house to take a look.


    She noticed that everyone looked happy, and most of the people were discussing the birth of the new calf.


    The smell from the kitchen was very pleasant, which was a big contrast to what she had seen before. These rural country people seemed more resilient to the disasters than the city people she''d mostly been around.


    As the line continued to move forward, she finally spotted what they made for dinner. There was an enormous cast iron pot filled with potato soup. Next to it was a large platter of freshly made flatbreads.


    When it was finally Rayne''s turn to get her portion, Rita happily handed her a large bowl of soup and a piece of flatbread.


    "It''s not anything special, dear, but I threw in a few extra pieces of chicken for you," she said in a low voice.


    Rayne felt warm at the generosity they all displayed to newcomers like her and Julian. Being treated to free food in the current times was a very generous action. This made Rayne want to do something for this community.


    She sat down at a small table with Julian and Fred, eating the delicious homemade meal while casually chatting with Fred.


    They told him a little bit about their travels and the government base they were from. Fred seemed uninterested in moving down, as most of the people who lived here had deep roots, including him.


    In return, Fred told them about the delicate relationship their small settlement had with the big gangs inside the city. He explained that they paid a tribute of eggs, chicken meat, and milk in return for being spared from looting and other sticky situations.


    The gang they paid tribute to called themselves the Ice Tigers, and it was the major rival gang to the Blood Skulls. Fred explained that the Ice Tigers seemed to be the most humane of the gangs he''d dealt with before, and he was happy that their territory was the closest to their settlement.


    After dinner, Rayne invited Molly over to their RV for tea and to talk more about the situation inside the city.


    Molly entered wide-eyed, taking in all of the beautiful sights of the interior of the RV.


    Rayne had the heaters running, which made the interior a comfortably warm temperature.


    "Come on in and take a seat," said Rayne, pointing to the white leather couch in the living space.


    As Molly took a seat, Rayne finished pouring the boiling water into three mugs and placed them on the small table in front of the couch.


    She brought over a box of various teas and a few pastries that she pretended to take out of the fridge.


    Molly gasped at the sight of the delicate pastries. "Wow, I haven''t seen a pastry like this in so long!" she exclaimed.


    Rayne smiled and sat down beside her. "Have as many as you like, just keep it between us." Molly nodded and took a big bite.


    Julian came over to join them and sat down in a chair opposite Molly.


    "So, what can you tell us about the layout of the city and more about the Blood Skulls?" asked Rayne after a few minutes.


    Molly put down the third pastry and quickly answered, "So, the city is taken over mainly by the two major gangs, the Blood Skulls and the Ice Tigers. There''s a third gang called Toxxic that''s smaller in size, but they''re just as messed up as the Blood Skulls."


    She took a sip of tea and continued, "The base of the Blood Skulls is the large pharmaceutical company that I think the chemist you''re looking for worked in," she said with a frown.


    Rayne sighed. "It seems that there''s no easy way around this. We''ll have to infiltrate their base, it seems."


    She had expected it to be complicated, but hearing that the gang made the entire pharmaceutical building part of their main base added even more difficulty to their mission.


    "If you still plan on going in, I recommend entering the city from the east side, Ice Tiger territory. While they''re still a gang, they''re more humane and will most likely accept a deal of safe passage for a trade of some sort," she said.


    Molly continued to explain the various territories and particularly dangerous areas using landmarks and street names.


    This gave Rayne and Julian a good insight into the inner workings of the city. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Molly left, Rayne pulled out a map of City R and used a highlighter to circle the various territory areas that Molly described in great detail. This gave them a good visual map of the area and a better idea of how to enter.


    Rayne circled the large pharmaceutical company on the west side of the city and dropped the highlighter on the table.


    "I think going through the Ice Tiger territory, like Molly suggested, would be the best course of action. These dangerous central areas should also be a bit safer now due to the cold snap that just happened," said Rayne.


    "You''re right. Let''s go with that plan. Let''s leave tomorrow morning to avoid having to travel in the even colder temperatures at night," said Julian.


    They decided to call it a night and go to bed, but before they did, Rayne suggested placing a few hidden cameras around the RV.


    While these people showed a lot of kindness, and Rayne truly felt they were decent people, she just wanted to ensure her own safety. These cameras would give her peace of mind when sleeping.

 Chapter 144 Ice Tigers

    The following morning, Rayne and Julian woke up early to set off on their journey into the city. Rayne took out a whole set of clean, new clothes made from nanofibers and handed them to Julian.


    This would save time by not having to wash the previous clothing they wore. Rayne had long gotten used to this handy feature of her system.


    "These nanofibers really work well. The temperature difference when I''m not wearing them is night and day," said Julian after getting dressed.


    While Julian was getting dressed, Rayne was checking the footage from the cameras. She was happy to see that no one came out or approached the RV.


    "Ready?" she asked Julian.


    "Ready," he smiled.


    They both exited the RV and noticed that there was already movement inside the farmhouse. Fred walked outside and noticed that Rayne and Julian were also awake.


    "You all wake up early too, huh?" he said cheerfully. After a short greeting, he walked off toward the barn, stating that the animals started their day even earlier.


    Rayne told him that they planned on going into the city and would be gone for an unknown amount of time, asking for him to help watch over their RV.


    After everything was settled, the two of them set off toward the city.


    City R was a relatively new city and had a standard grid layout. The path that Molly suggested was over a small bridge leading straight into Ice Tiger territory.


    The bridge was a decent distance away, so after they walked a good way from the ranch, Rayne pulled out a pair of white motorcycles.


    "Oh, I remember this motorcycle from when I first met you in the valley," said Julian. He smiled, remembering the fun moments they had together.


    They hopped on the motorcycles and drove off toward the bridge, but as they made it a little over halfway down the bridge, a group of armed men walked over to stop them.


    "Halt!" shouted the man leading the group.


    Rayne and Julian parked their motorcycles and raised their hands above their heads.


    "We''re here to request a deal for passage into the city," stated Julian.


    The man looked at them for a moment and saw their motorcycles. "Fine, follow me. Bring your motorcycles."


    Rayne and Julian complied and wheeled their motorcycles over to the group of men, who then led them across the bridge.


    They stopped in front of a large office building. Rayne looked up and realized that this must have been a bank office previously, but now it was one of the few tall buildings that still stood.


    "Leave the motorcycles here. I''ll bring you to meet the boss," said the man coldly. Before they stepped further inside, two men walked over and patted Rayne and Julian down, looking for any hidden weapons.


    They checked through Rayne''s backpack, noticing that it was pretty empty with only a water bottle inside.


    After passing the check, the leader of the group led them into a stairwell and brought them up to one of the top floors.


    "Boss, I have people here wishing to make a deal with us," said the man.


    Rayne expected to see an older man sitting in the executive office chair, but instead, it was a woman... and a young one.


    She looked like she was in her early 20s, and Rayne thought that she must have been a university student here before the apocalypse began.


    "Welcome to the Ice Tiger territory. I hear you want to make a deal, let''s hear it," she asked in an authoritative voice.


    Rayne was impressed that someone so young had turned out to be a successful leader, though she was still a gang leader.


    "We would like to request passage through your territory into the city," said Rayne.


    Initially, she had thoughts of offering rare goods that she felt a gang would want, like cigarettes, condoms, alcohol, etc., but after seeing the leader, she left it open-ended.


    The leader looked at Rayne and raised an eyebrow. "And what are you offering?"


    Rayne thought for a minute, then answered, "We''ve come from the south and brought a variety of items with us. Is there anything you have a need for currently? I might be able to provide."


    The leader leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, that''s a very lucrative offer. Let''s see... With the freezing temperatures recently, staying warm has been a problem. Bring me something that can help me and my people stay warm."


    Rayne nodded. "Very well, I accept."


    The man who brought them in escorted them back outside to where their motorcycles were parked.


    Rayne was impressed that they didn''t take the motorcycles as additional payment, thinking that so far, these people seemed normal.


    "We will wait for you on the bridge, don''t take too long," he said and turned to stand back at his post.


    Rayne drove back across the bridge and found an abandoned mechanic''s shop.


    Julian parked beside her. "What are you thinking of bringing over?"


    "I''m thinking of bringing a wood-burning stove and a pile of warm clothing. That should be enough. What do you think?" she said.


    "Hmm, it couldn''t hurt to give a little extra. Let''s add a second stove," he said after thinking for a minute.


    Rayne followed his suggestion and took out two wood-burning stoves and a variety of warm clothes.


    The stoves were heavy and couldn''t be carried by hand, so Rayne also pulled out a small handcart. She placed the two stoves along with a few bags filled with random warm clothes. Before moving out, she also added a big bundle of firewood. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, let''s go back," she said after loading the handcart.


    Julian did the honors of pushing the cart while Rayne walked beside him. Since they had no way to pull the cart with the motorcycles, she decided to store them and walk to the bridge.


    "Oh good, you''re finally back," said the man who met them earlier and led them back toward the tall building.


    This time, the leader of the Ice Tigers came out of the building along with a large number of their members.


    "Oh good, you brought the items. Let me see," she said and stepped forward.


    Rayne observed the surroundings, mentally counting the number of people that were present. She made it to over a hundred before her attention turned back to the leader.


    "Wow, you really proved your sincerity! Very well, I agree to let you enter and exit the city through our territory. The only condition is that you are not to harm any members of the Ice Tigers," she finally stated.


    "We don''t plan to cause trouble," Rayne replied.

 Chapter 145 Red vs Blue

    After settling the trade deal, Rayne and Julian followed another member of the Ice Tigers towards the city. They walked a few blocks down the road when their escort stopped.


    "This is where our territory ends. When you''re ready to leave, come back this way, and we will walk you back out. Oh... and one last thing, be careful if you run into the Blood Skulls, there''s something wrong with them," said the man before walking back.


    Rayne pulled out her map and marked their current location so they could find it more easily later. Turning to Julian, she asked, "What do you think he meant by that?"


    Julian shook his head. "It could be anything; the only way is to head over and find out."


    They began to make their way to the west side of the city, where the Blood Skulls were located.


    Rayne kept Molly''s warnings in mind and tried to avoid the central area where most of the conflict seemed to happen. They pushed forward down the streets, which were littered with toppled buildings and abandoned vehicles.


    There was an eerie silence in the city, making it feel even colder than it really was.


    "It seems too quiet; it''s giving me goosebumps," said Rayne quietly. Something was telling her that it wasn''t safe here.


    Julian was also tense, constantly observing the surroundings. They ran from building to building, doing their best to stay in the shadows of the broken structures.


    The route they chose circled around the center of the city, avoiding the direct middle.


    They entered what used to be a large parking garage and climbed the broken concrete slabs up to the second floor. From here, they had a slightly better look at the large area around them. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne pulled out her map once more and then pointed toward a building in the west. "That over there must be the pharmaceuticals building."


    She pulled out two pairs of binoculars and handed one over to Julian. She carefully scanned the surrounding area to see if she could spot anything of interest.


    "Look there, farther down the road," said Julian quickly.


    Rayne looked over and noticed a scuffle. She counted eight men locked in a temporary deadlock¡ªfour of them had a blue armband, and the other four wore a red one.


    She assumed that the people with the red armbands belonged to the Blood Skulls, while the others were Ice Tigers.


    "There might be more than just the eight on the ground. It''s most likely why one side didn''t attack full-out yet," analyzed Julian.


    Rayne continued to observe them with her binoculars. They all held cold weapons, mainly daggers and knives. It looked like they were arguing with each other, but she was too far away to hear what was being said.


    Just then, something must have happened because the eight men on the ground began to fight. They fought fiercely, aiming to kill. Rayne watched as they swung their knives at each other while continuing to argue.


    "Who do you think will win?" she asked Julian.


    He was also watching the fight and assessed the situation. "The blue team seems to be a lot more organized and proficient with their knife skills. However, there''s something strange about the movements of the red guys..."


    Rayne continued to watch, trying to pick up on what was strange. She noticed that all of the men on the red team were very physically buff. They all looked like longtime boxers and even seemed less affected by the freezing cold temperatures.


    Another oddity she noticed was that they seemed to ignore pain very well. Whenever someone on the blue team would land a hit, cutting a man on the red team, the injured red team member would act as if nothing had happened and continue to push forward.


    "It''s almost as if they ate a whole bunch of painkillers before the fight," said Rayne in confusion.


    Due to this strange phenomenon, the blue team, which originally had the upper hand, was now close to losing.


    "Should we do something?" asked Rayne. She wasn''t sure if it was smart to intervene since she wasn''t sure whose side to take.


    Julian continued to observe the fight, noticing that the blue side was slowly being pushed back. It seemed like they were trying to retreat while the red team did their best to cut them off.


    "Can you take out my sniper?" he finally asked.


    Rayne was stunned at first but quickly did as he asked. She watched Julian quickly set up the sleek sniper rifle with a long zoom scope attached.


    She did her best to minimize her presence so that he could fully concentrate on the shot, and a few moments later, she heard the soft sound of the bullet being fired.


    Lifting her binoculars to her eyes once more, she noticed that the bullet cleanly hit one of the red guys, causing the rest of the red team to scatter.


    She tried to follow their movements before Julian yelled, "Drop down!"


    Her body moved on its own as she fell to the ground, only to hear a bullet whizz by.


    "Fuck, they found us! How? We''re so far away, and the gun had a silencer!" said Rayne. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins, causing her heart to beat quickly.


    Julian was in a similar state on the ground under the sniper rifle. "We need to quickly get out of here before they catch up. We would be at a major disadvantage if we had to fight head to head with a group of them."


    Rayne crawled over and stored the sniper back into her system, then crawled down to the ground floor of the parking garage with Julian.


    As soon as they made it behind cover, they quickly ran to a new location. As soon as they made it inside the adjacent building, they heard movement in the parking garage they had just been in.


    Rayne couldn''t believe that they had already made it to the parking garage. She continued to climb through the broken buildings with Julian, heading toward the pharmaceutical building.


    Their pursuers were still hot on their trail simply due to the number of people searching for them.


    After they noticed that Rayne and Julian were no longer in the parking garage, they all spread out and began combing through the vicinity.


    Luckily, they assumed that Rayne and Julian would run further away from the Blood Skull territory and sent most of their people to search outward.

 Chapter 146 Spotted

    It only took Rayne and Julian a short while to reach the location where the fight between the red and blue teams had occurred.


    They took a few minutes to catch their breath and rest before setting off again.


    "So much for avoiding the center of the city," whispered Rayne. She still couldn''t believe they were spotted from such a great distance, forcing them to take a completely different route than they originally planned.


    Julian agreed, then pointed over to the body he had shot, which was lying a short distance away.


    "Can you take out the binoculars again? There''s something off about it, but I can''t see it clearly from here," whispered Julian.


    Rayne quickly handed him a pair of binoculars and took out another pair for herself. When she looked over at the body of the fallen red member, she nearly gasped.


    "It''s the same as the bodies we found in the city! Their veins are bulging the exact same way!" she said, keeping her voice down.


    Julian observed a while longer. "Yeah, it''s exactly the same. It seems there''s more at play here than just simple gang culture."


    Rayne couldn''t help but think of Damien, whom Julian had mentioned earlier. If this was truly related to Damien, as Julian suspected, that would mean his reach was a lot further than she initially thought.


    Before continuing their journey, they took the time to observe their surroundings.


    "It''s almost evening. Maybe it''s best we wait until it gets dark before we infiltrate the pharmaceutical building," suggested Rayne. She had night vision goggles in her system, courtesy of Julian, and they would give them a significant advantage.


    Julian looked around and agreed but made another suggestion. "Let''s move further into their territory now, while most of their people are out looking for us throughout the city."


    Rayne nodded, and they moved out.


    The building they decided to hide in until nighttime was a small, mostly broken structure across the street from the large pharmaceutical building. It was barely large enough for the two of them to fit inside, but it provided good cover from every angle.


    They huddled together to wait for the sun to set, using this time to refuel themselves with food and water.


    Rayne was feeling chilly from being out in the freezing temperatures all day and wanted to eat something warm, so she pulled out a bowl of wonton soup that she had made earlier.


    They quickly slurped the soup and wontons down, eating it before it turned cold. She then pulled out two small thermos bottles filled with hot tea she had prepared earlier and quietly sipped it to keep warm.


    Time seemed to go by very slowly, and Rayne began to feel even colder. She pulled out a large armchair, which barely fit inside the space, for her and Julian to sit on together. She then covered them with a small blanket and another small electric blanket, which she plugged into a small portable power bank.


    This made the wait much more bearable, even slightly enjoyable. Rayne leaned over to rest her head on Julian''s shoulder, happily sharing a moment with him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They sat in each other''s embrace like this until nightfall, occasionally getting up to check their surroundings through the small hole in the cracks.


    As the sun began to set, they heard the sounds of people walking by, heading towards the pharmaceutical company''s building.


    Rayne and Julian quietly watched, getting an idea of how many people they were dealing with. Rayne thought it was strange that those men had been out for such a long time but didn''t appear to be very cold.


    The temperatures were still extremely low, and those men weren''t dressed in excessively warm clothing, so this raised another question about how they managed to stay warm.


    Her mind flashed to the scene of the bulging veins on the dead body. Could it be that these two things were somehow related?


    They waited until all of the people went inside, clearing the surrounding area. Using the binoculars, they looked around, trying to find all of the places where the night patrol was stationed.


    Either due to the cold weather or blind trust that no one would dare come close to their territory, Rayne and Julian only found a small handful of guards.


    "They have a lot of openings into the building. Basically, any route inside other than the front door should be safe for us to use," he said quietly.


    Most of the guards looked bored, not really focused on scanning the surroundings. This gave Rayne and Julian a perfect opportunity to slip inside.


    Rayne just hoped that things would be as easy once they got inside, but considering the number of people she watched walk in, that was unlikely to be the case.


    They waited a little longer before packing up all their things and moving forward to infiltrate the large building.


    "Let''s go through the side entrance over there," Julian pointed. He had spent a good amount of time watching the night patrol and calculated that this entrance would be the safest route.


    They walked out of the small, broken building and put on the night vision goggles that Rayne had pulled out of her system. The once pitch-black night turned into a bright hue of green, illuminating everything in the vicinity.


    The night vision made their short journey to the side entrance very easy, and they quickly found themselves inside.


    Once they were inside, they quickly walked down the hall to find the staircase to the upper floors. None of the rooms on the lower floors had anyone inside, so they continued to make their way upward.


    On the third floor, they finally saw some movement. There was a barrel fire in what used to be a conference room, along with a few gang members.


    They were sitting in conference chairs, eating some dry rations while chatting about the fight from earlier.


    "You should have seen those Ice Tigers run like pansies! They''ll certainly think twice before challenging us again!" one of the men laughed.


    "It''s just unfortunate that Big Mark died. Cheap move by the Ice Tigers to have a hidden sniper sitting far away," said another man.


    They continued to discuss the fight, mentioning that the sniper was never found.


    After eavesdropping for a while, Rayne and Julian pulled out their silent pistols and quickly made their way into the room, shooting everyone in sight.


    After clearing the room, they pushed forward, killing the remaining gang members on the third floor.


    Rayne looked down at the bodies, noticing the familiar scene of bulging veins on each of the bodies.

 Chapter 147 Blood Skulls

    The fourth floor was a little more active. There were many more people here, and seemingly, not all of them were gang members.


    The first room they entered had two gang members inside, which Rayne quickly disposed of. The room next door, however, was filled with captives.


    The room itself was smaller than an average conference room but was filled with over 30 people. There were women and children, along with just regular civilian men. Rayne didn''t understand what the gang needed these people for.


    She quietly entered the room and saw everyone huddled together to stay warm. Everyone''s face was full of fear or hopelessness.


    "Why have they captured you?" asked Rayne. She wanted to know the motives behind such actions.


    One of the older women looked over at Rayne. "I''m not exactly sure. They didn''t tell us directly. But I did overhear some of them talking. They made it sound like they''re transporting us somewhere."


    Rayne frowned. She felt even more resolved to get rid of this entire gang if they were acting like slave traders.


    "Hang tight. We''ll be back to free you guys. Just be ready when the time comes," Rayne announced in a quiet voice.


    The people looked at her with hope, and one young girl even walked up to her.


    "Please, free my dad! They took him away. I don''t know where they took him!" she cried.


    One of the other women quickly came over and hugged the girl, patting her on the back. Rayne looked at the crying girl and knelt down. "Don''t worry. We''ll find your dad and bring him back."


    The little girl wiped her tears and smiled, hearing the promise.


    Rayne looked at the rest of the people in the room. They were all freezing and starving, so she quickly pretended to leave the room, then walked back in, carrying two big bags.


    One of the bags was filled with a variety of snacks and water, while the other bag was filled with blankets, hats, scarves, and coats.


    "Here, please distribute this amongst yourselves. We''ll be back to lead you out once the rest of the gang members are taken care of," said Rayne.


    Everyone quickly scrambled to the bags, excited to see food and warm clothing. While they spread the items around, Rayne walked out of the room with Julian.


    They quickly killed the remaining gang members on this floor and headed upstairs to the fifth floor.


    This floor was where the laboratory was. It was split into two different areas with a small passageway in between.


    The section closest to the stairs was empty, but Rayne could see light coming from the other section. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She and Julian quietly walked into the empty section and crouch-walked toward the connecting point to peek at what was going on.


    The first thing she saw was a number of scientists working with various chemistry equipment with fear in their eyes.


    There was a very tall and lanky man sitting on one of the tables with a crazy expression on his face.


    "Tell me again how you failed to find the person who killed Big Mark!" he said with a frightening smile on his face.


    "Leader, please spare me! I will lead a team out to find them!" cried one of the members. He was on his hands and knees on the floor.


    The leader picked up the dagger that was lying on the table next to him and threw it into the air a couple of times, catching it carefully by the blade each time.


    After a few rounds of tossing it and catching it, he threw the dagger right into the prostrating man''s shoulder.


    "Ahh!" screamed the man, blood beginning to pour down his arm and back.


    "If you''re so useless, why should I waste my time with you?" laughed the leader, ripping the dagger out of his shoulder, only to throw it at him once more.


    The next thing the leader did had Rayne widen her eyes. He pulled a small glass vial of a familiar red powder and poured it all into his mouth.


    Instantly, his skin turned a light shade of red as the blood vessels in his body expanded.


    Julian watched the man carefully, trying to determine the effect of the substance on the body. Besides the flushed skin and visibly enlarged veins, there was no other noticeable change.


    Just as Rayne and Julian made eye contact, signaling to go in, a large man appeared behind them and pinned Julian to the ground, pushing Rayne forward into the laboratory.


    Just as she was about to fall, the leader caught her in his arms, holding her while smiling.


    "I thought I smelled something feminine in the room. Forgive me, I wasn''t expecting guests," he said with a chilling smile.


    The man holding Julian down nodded at the leader. "I have something to report: all of our men on the lower floors are dead."


    The leader''s eyes constricted as he dug his nails into the skin on Rayne''s arms. "Oh? Are our guests that capable?" he said in a high-pitched voice.


    Rayne stared at Julian, who was forcefully being pressed into the ground. She could see his head turn red from the pressure.


    The leader ripped off the scarf from Rayne, exposing her pretty face.


    "Tell me, little beauty, how should I punish you for walking into MY territory and killing MY men?" he asked angrily, holding her chin up with the blade of his dagger.


    "Please..." whispered Rayne. Her only thoughts were on how to get Julian out of here alive.


    Julian tried lifting his head to see if Rayne was okay, but as soon as he tried, the man stepped on his head, shoving it back into the ground, causing him to bleed from his ear.


    "It was all me. I forced her to come with me," said Julian with a labored voice.


    The leader looked at Rayne, then back at Julian. "Is that so? Let''s check this beauty to see if she has anything fun on her," said the leader as he began to move his hand around her body, feeling her up while checking for any hidden weapons.


    "Looks like you''re telling the truth," said the leader. He noticed the concerned look Rayne had as she stared at Julian and frowned.

 Chapter 148 Confessions

    "Look at me, princess. It''s me you need to please, not him," he said forcefully, turning Rayne''s head to face him.


    Rayne tried to struggle out of his grip, but for some reason, she couldn''t break free. It felt like she was being held by iron chains instead of human hands.


    The gang leader laughed at her attempts. "Looks like you know a thing or two about breaking free, but unfortunately, I''m currently too strong for that."


    He pulled out another vial of the red, sand-like substance and shook it in front of her.


    "You see, I came across this magic. It makes me really strong...every part of my body. And there''s a certain thing I haven''t tried yet that I''ve been wanting to", he said as he looked up and down, lustfully checking out her body.


    Julian clenched his fist and continued to try to struggle against the man who was pinning him down.


    "Don''t you touch her!", he roared angrily. Rayne was his bottom line, and he would do anything to keep her out of danger even if he had to rip his own arms and legs off.


    The gang leader frowned and threw the dagger into his shoulder, causing Julian to cry out in pain.


    "Shut up! Can''t you see I''m trying to have a moment with the pretty lady?", the gang leader yelled.


    Rayne''s eyes watered seeing Julian in such pain, she struggled even harder, going through all of the various techniques she learned in her self-defense classes, but none of them worked.


    "If you continue to struggle, I''ll kill him right here. Initially, I wanted him to watch while we had our fun together, but if you want I can just kill him first", he said with a sadistic smile.


    Rayne immediately stopped struggling. Her obedience made the gang leader smile even more, "Good girl, now let''s take a peek at what''s hiding under all of these clothes".


    He proceeded to pick up another dagger from the table and used it to rip through her layers of clothing, exposing her bare chest for everyone to see.


    "Oh! What a pleasant surprise! Truly a beauty! I''m getting excited already!", he said and rubbed himself against her so that she could feel the erection in his pants.


    Rayne''s mind was non-stop thinking about how to get out of this situation. If she could free her hands somehow, she would be able to do something about getting out of this situation.


    Finally, an idea came to her.


    As the gang leader continued to dry hump her while massaging one of her breasts, Rayne quickly pretended to get all hot and bothered.


    She started moving her body and letting out fake moans. Her movements worked wonders because the gang leader seemed to get even more excited.


    "Oh you''re a little slut aren''t you?", he said, ignoring the rest of the room and focusing his attention on Rayne.


    She continued to move her body, slowly getting closer to him. She continued to pretend to enjoy his touch and even took the initiative to rub her thigh against his erection.


    When she felt that he was buying her act, she slowly bent down in front of him, making it seem like she wanted to please him with her mouth.


    "Oh good girl! You''ve been trained well!", he said excitedly, finally letting go of her hands.


    She continued to bend down slowly until she got on her knees, then slowly brought her hands over to pretend to unzip his pants.


    Just as one of her hand touched the zipper of his jeans, she looked up to see his lustful and excited gaze then gave the mental command to take out a pistol with her other hand.


    Before anyone had any time to react she shot a bullet straight through the leaders head, then turned and did the same to the man who was pinning Julian to the floor.


    This left only the one injured gang member who was still groveling on the ground. Rayne turned and shot him before he had a chance to lift his head and see what had just happened. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian quicky got up off the ground and ran over to Rayne, kissing her on the lips.


    "I never felt so useless before. I''m so sorry you had to go through that", he whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    He took his jacket off and draped it around her, covering her exposed upper body.


    Their loving moment only lasted a few moments before the three scientists who were forced to work, looked over awkwardly with hopeful expressions.


    The youngest scientist of the group cleared his throat and looked at the couple, "Please don''t kill us. We''re not with the gang, we were forced to work here at gunpoint".


    Julian looked over, "Don''t worry, we''re here to release you".


    The three scientists looked exceptionally happy. One of the older men stepped forward, "They have others captive. I got separated from my daughter...", he called out.


    "Don''t worry, the others are safe, we''ve met them on the way over", smiled Rayne.


    She and Julian excused themselves for a minute so that Rayne could put on some clothing in the other section of the lab.


    As soon as they were alone Julian wrapped his arms around her once more and kissed her passionately.


    He experienced so many emotions just a short while ago and wasn''t even sure if he would be able to hold her in his arms ever again.


    Rayne let him vent his emotions, insecurities and frustrations with his actions. Each kiss was full of feeling, conveying his deepest emotions wordlessly.


    When they finally pulled away, Rayne noticed his misty eyes. She placed her hand on his cheek quietly comforting him.


    Julian rubbed his cheek against her palm and looked her deep in the eyes. He leaned in once more for another deep, passionate kiss.


    "I love you Rayne".


    His words echoed in her mind, causing her to tear up. This time she took initiative and pressed her lips against his, responding with her actions.


    She felt him place his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Lifting her arms, she responded by wrapping them around his neck.


    The moment was filled with long held emotions. There was excitement, release and above all, pure bliss. It was one of those moments where even time stopped.


    After the long kiss, she looked at him with watery eyes and a smile on her face.


    "I love you too".

 Chapter 149 A Proper Payment

    A few moments later, they heard some sounds coming from the laboratory and decided to deal with the immediate situation first.


    Rayne pulled out another set of clothes and put them on, keeping Julian''s coat as cover so the scientists wouldn''t ask where the clothing came from.


    Julian held her for a moment longer. "You did wonderfully, Rayne. You''re incredibly brave."


    Rayne looked at him with a smile. She was happy that he understood her actions and wasn''t angry or upset with what she''d done earlier.


    "Let''s get out of here so we can take care of that wound on your head," she said softly.


    They walked back into the room where the scientists were quietly waiting in the corner.


    Julian motioned to them. "Come on, let''s get out of here. Stay behind us, and call out if you see anyone along the way."


    The three scientists quickly agreed and followed them back into the stairwell.


    Rayne and Julian made their way down to where the others were waiting on the floor below.


    "Daddy! You''re back!" cried out the young girl. She ran up to the older scientist and hugged him, tears in her eyes. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The father knelt down and hugged her. "I''m back, princess. We can finally leave this place." His wife and son had been killed in the initial earthquakes, leaving his daughter his only living relative.


    They did their best to lay low but eventually got captured when they went out to look for food and had been here ever since.


    The rest of the people stood up and waited for the signal that they could leave.


    "Listen up. Most of the gang members here have been dealt with, but there may still be some stationed outside. We also don''t know how the other gangs in the area will respond, but the plan is to leave the city through Ice Tiger territory," announced Julian.


    Everyone quietly listened, eager to take any risk to make it out of there safely. They felt that Rayne and Julian were very capable, having taken on this entire gang by themselves.


    As they began to file out of the building, Rayne turned to Julian.


    "I''ll be right back. There''s something I need to grab upstairs," she said, and ran back up to the fifth floor.


    Julian waited a few minutes for her to return but didn''t see her holding anything and assumed that she''d just found something she wanted to store in her system.


    "Okay, I''m ready. Let''s go," she smiled.


    The group made their way down to the ground floor, where Rayne and Julian told them to wait until they took care of the gang members still patrolling the area outside.


    Thankfully, they already had a good idea of where everyone was positioned, making it much easier to clear them out.


    A few minutes later, they returned to the hiding spot on the ground floor of the pharmaceutical building.


    "Okay, we''re going to try and make it to Ice Tiger territory as quickly as possible. Please stay close," said Rayne before walking out into the freezing outdoors.


    They moved quickly, going from building to building, making their way back to the east side of the city.


    When they finally reached the spot where the escort from the Ice Tiger gang had told them to meet up, they quickly found themselves surrounded.


    "Hands up! You''re trespassing on our territory!" yelled a familiar voice. It was the same man who had met Rayne and Julian on the bridge when they first entered.


    The frightened refugees quickly raised their hands, some even falling to their knees.


    Rayne and Julian took a step forward so the man could recognize them.


    "Oh, it''s you guys. I''m pretty sure the deal you made only included passage for the two of you," he said with a stern expression.


    Before Rayne had a chance to reply, she noticed a new group of people walk over.


    "Boss!" the man said respectfully.


    The leader of the Ice Tigers walked over, crossing her arms. "Well, well, what do we have here? Looks like there''s a party going on."


    Rayne looked up at her. "We¡ª"


    "Let me guess. You want me to agree to let everyone through," she said, cutting Rayne off.


    "Yes," replied Rayne.


    The young woman looked Rayne in the eye, seeing that she wasn''t joking, and burst out laughing.


    "Haha! No way! You''re being serious!" she laughed. "Okay, okay. What will you offer me this time? And let me be clear, I want a generous offer."


    Rayne quietly pulled her backpack off her back and unzipped it. She pulled out something bloody and tossed it on the ground in front of the leader, waiting for her reaction.


    When the leader looked down, she was momentarily confused until she recognized what she was looking at.


    "What!? How did you...?!", she exclaimed in shock.


    Kneeling, she examined it further. "You guys really are something. You really killed the leader of the Blood Skulls!"


    The item Rayne threw was the head of the leader she had "harvested" before they left.


    "I hope this is enough of a payment for all of us. The Blood Skulls have been completely wiped out," said Rayne.


    The Ice Tiger leader waved her hand, signaling two members to go verify if what Rayne said was true.


    "I just sent two of my runners out. If what you said is true, then I will let you all leave through our territory," she said.


    Rayne frowned and crossed her arms. "We have women and children here. Could we at least stand by the fire?"


    There was a clearing up ahead with a few barrel fires where the people stationed outside could warm themselves.


    The leader looked at the group of people, noticing their pitiful appearance.


    "Fine, I''ll allow it," she said. Killing the leader of her enemy faction was already enough payment for something this small.


    The group quickly gathered around the small fires, warming their hands. They only had to wait a short while when the two people who had been sent out returned.


    "Leader! It''s true. We walked right in, and everyone was dead! We even quickly walked through the building!" one of the men reported.


    The leader almost couldn''t believe it.


    "You two must be very capable to have single-handedly wiped out one of the top gangs in this city. You have my thanks. They''ve been getting more and more difficult to deal with recently," she said with a grateful expression.


    With the Blood Skulls gone, the Ice Tigers no longer had to worry about maintaining their status as the number one gang in the city.

 Chapter 150 Parting Gifts

    After everything was settled, Rayne led the group of people out of the city. They walked toward the ranch to see if Fred was willing to take any of them in.


    "Okay, everyone, please wait here. I''m going to talk to the leader of the ranch and see if they are willing to take you all in," said Rayne. They were currently at an old diner not far from the entrance to the ranch.


    Rayne and Julian set off to meet with Fred, along with an appointed leader of the group. They walked down the familiar long driveway, surrounded by pastures on each side.


    As they approached the white farmhouse, Fred had just stepped outside, noticing them from the porch.


    "Oh hey! You''re back!" greeted Fred in his signature happy way.


    "Hi, Fred. We made it out, and we have a group of refugees. We wanted to discuss whether you would be willing to take them in," said Julian.


    Fred smiled. "Well, we''re not ones to turn people away, but things are getting a little crowded here. I''ve been thinking for a while about clearing out the neighboring house to use as another living space. Maybe we can push those plans forward."


    The man chosen as a representative for the refugees almost burst into tears. "Thank you, sir. We''re all willing to work and help out."


    Fred followed them back to the diner to gauge the number of people who would be moving in. Meanwhile, Rayne and Julian finally approached the younger scientist of the three.


    "Hello, I''m Rayne, and this is Julian. We actually came all the way up here in search of a chemist after hearing that there was one here. We''re not sure if you''re the exact person we heard about, but we are in need of a chemist."


    The young man looked startled but greeted them back. "Hello, I''m Jonah. I am indeed a chemist. I''m curious, why do you need a chemist?"


    Rayne discreetly pulled out the vial containing the red, sand-like substance. "We found this and want to know more about it. From my encounter with the leader of the Blood Skulls, I can see that they got their hands on it too."


    Jonah''s eyes widened. "How did you get ahold of this? This is a very dangerous substance. I''m not exactly sure what it does, but from my short time working for the gang, I could tell it''s a very volatile substance."


    "That''s exactly why we''re looking for a chemist. We need to understand as much as we can about this substance," said Julian in a serious tone.


    Jonah looked at both of them and fell into thought. He was also concerned about the substance after seeing it for the first time.


    There was nothing really keeping him in City R. He had no family here and no home, so he thought that maybe going with them wouldn''t be such a bad idea.


    Rayne noticed how lost in thought he was and decided it might be good to give him some space. "Think about it today. Let us know tomorrow. If you have any questions in the meantime, please don''t hesitate to ask."


    Fred had just finished taking count and introducing himself to everyone. He was a capable leader and quickly organized the group into smaller sections based on their skills. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, everyone! Let''s head over to the house that needs to be cleaned up so we can get you all settled," announced Fred, leading them to a similar farmhouse across the pasture.


    While the refugees were getting settled, Rayne finally had some time to leave some gifts for the group.


    The ranch was self-sufficient in terms of food, but there were many items that could help make their lives more comfortable.


    Julian accompanied Rayne through the small town while she hid all sorts of supplies inside random buildings.


    The first place they entered looked like an old corner store, and Rayne quickly noticed that it had long been picked clean.


    She smiled at Julian and said, "Let''s restock this place."


    She placed boxes of canned food, completely filling one of the shelves. On the next shelf, she placed various water bottles and even water filters.


    The rest of the items were staple goods like sacks of rice, grains, flour, salt, and sugar. The once-empty corner store was now fully stocked with goods that should last this small settlement a long time.


    The next store they stopped by was a hardware store. Here, Rayne filled the shelves with seeds, gardening supplies, various tools, lumber, heaters, and even a few gas generators.


    She wasn''t too familiar with what would be useful in terms of animal supplies, but she placed a large number of sacks filled with chicken feed along with other animal-related products that she found.


    The last place she wanted to restock was a home goods store, and thankfully she found one nearby.


    She knew that with the new influx of people, they would need more bed linens, blankets, and pillows. She placed a variety of bedding in different colors and fabrics, along with a few bolts of fabric, which would allow them to make new items themselves in the future.


    In a different section of the store, she placed new sets of pots and pans, utensils, cups, bowls, and other kitchen items.


    The store was feeling a lot fuller with all of the added items. Rayne walked to the back of the store and made piles of clothing. One pile was for women''s clothing, containing everything from underwear to winter coats in every size. She made another pile for men''s clothing items.


    The last pile was for children''s clothing and shoes. She made a point to add more boots to the pile since that''s what she noticed most of them were wearing.


    With the town somewhat restocked, she had one final idea. She took out the handcart that she had used earlier and began to fill it with rare goods. She placed a few cases of wine, whiskey, and cognac inside, completely filling the bottom of the cart. On top, she placed a generous amount of cigars, cigarettes, and condoms, alongside some chocolates.


    She figured that these items would be a treat for times they had reason to celebrate, such as the birth of another calf.


    Beside the luxury items, she also placed a decently sized bag of basic medicine and first aid supplies. Working on a ranch, there were bound to be injuries, and she hoped these supplies would hold them over for a good amount of time.


    Once Rayne finished loading the cart, she and Julian pushed it back to the ranch, planning to gift it to the settlement as a thank-you for their hospitality.

 Chapter 151 Gifting the Gifts

    They quietly walked down the long driveway, pushing the handcart and enjoying each other''s presence.


    It was already evening, and the crystal-clear skies allowed the stars to twinkle like small diamonds.


    As Rayne walked, she pointed out various constellations to Julian as they happily chatted. Before long, they arrived back at the farmhouse just in time for Fred to make his way back from the second house that had just been set up for the newcomers.


    "Hey, what''s all this?" he asked, noticing the handcart covered with a small blanket.


    Rayne smiled. "This is a little thank-you gift from us for your hospitality. We''re planning on heading back tomorrow."


    "Oh, did you find the person you were looking for?" Fred asked.


    "Yes, we''ve had a chat with him. He''s still thinking things over, but hopefully, he agrees to come back with us," Rayne smiled.


    They chatted a little more until Rita came over with Molly. "Hey, guys, it''s almost dinner time. Come inside and warm up, it''s getting even colder out here," said Rita.


    Fred helped Rayne and Julian bring the handcart up the steps and onto the porch before he uncovered it to see what sort of gift they had prepared.


    As soon as the blanket was lifted, Fred, Rita, and Molly all gasped at the sight!


    Fred immediately reached for the high-end bottle of whisky, looking at it speechlessly.


    "How... What?? No, no! This is way too precious! We can''t accept this!" said Rita. Her words snapped Fred out of his daze, allowing him to join in.


    "She''s right! This is way too precious. I don''t even know how you got a hold of all of these items!" Fred cried out.


    Rayne smiled. "We travel a lot and have had the opportunity to loot a lot of places over time. Please accept this, as we have more where that came from."


    After a few more minutes of convincing, Rayne finally got Fred to accept the gifts on behalf of the settlement.


    Everyone on the ranch that evening was in good spirits. The refugees from the city were now eating the first hot meal they had had in weeks, which even brought some of them to tears. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dinner tonight was similar to what they had the previous night, just a little more watered down. Since there were now more people to feed, they needed to stretch their resources further.


    Rayne was happy to see that the original residents had accepted the new ones well, and there were no major arguments.


    Fred had already reorganized the task assignments to include the new residents, integrating them as quickly as possible.


    After dinner, Jonah approached Rayne and Julian before they retired back to their RV.


    "Hey! I just wanted to let you guys know that I''ve made up my mind. I''ll go back with you," he said with a determined expression.


    He spent the entire evening thinking about their proposal, and he realized that there was a part of him that was also fascinated with the red substance. As a once highly regarded chemist, his interest was piqued by this frightening new drug.


    Rayne smiled happily. "Awesome! We will leave tomorrow. Let us know if there''s anything you need. Since you''re part of our team now, feel free to ask for resources."


    Jonah thanked her and went back to the farmhouse, where he planned to spend the rest of the evening saying goodbye to his fellow scientists.


    Rayne offered to let him stay in the RV with them, but he declined, saying that he had already made his sleeping arrangements for the night.


    After discussing a few more details, Rayne and Julian went back inside their RV to spend some time together.


    After such an emotional confession, they didn''t have too much time to be alone since they had to worry about bringing the refugees back safely.


    Rayne lit the stoves and turned on the space heaters, making the interior of the RV nice and warm. She also turned on the water heater so they could enjoy a nice hot shower after spending the entire day out in the freezing cold.


    Once the water heater had time to warm up, Rayne was the first to jump in and shower. While she didn''t suffer any psychological trauma from being fondled by the Blood Skulls'' leader, she still felt gross and wanted to properly wash off any part of her body he touched.


    Only when the hot water hit her skin did she realize how cold she really was. Her whole body felt numb from the long exposure to the cold, and that was with her wearing clothing made from nanofibers.


    She stayed under the stream of hot water until the water heater began to run out of hot water. She quickly got out and dried herself before putting on a soft hoodie, sweatpants, and fuzzy socks.


    Julian was waiting in the living space for his turn to shower but was met with Rayne''s apologetic face.


    "I''m sorry. I used up all of the hot water. I''m going to refill the water tank now, so it will be a few minutes before the water is ready," she said, looking guilty.


    Julian shook his head, thinking that Rayne was the most adorable thing he''d ever seen. He didn''t mind waiting a few more minutes and was happy that she could enjoy a long, hot shower.


    A few minutes later, the water heater was ready, and Julian went to shower. He had already chosen some clean clothes from the closet that Rayne had previously filled with his things.


    While he was showering, Rayne was scrolling through her system panel while lying on the soft couch.


    She was looking for something comforting to eat. Although she felt that the dinner at the farmhouse was good, it wasn''t enough for her big appetite, especially after such a long and eventful day.


    She wanted something warming and delicious, and just as she found what she was looking for, Julian came out of the bathroom, letting out a cloud of steam with him.


    "Hey, would you like anything to eat? I found a chicken pot pie in here, and it''s calling my name!" she asked while looking over at him.


    Her thoughts were slightly distracted as her eyes couldn''t help but feast on the sight in front of her.


    Julian was wearing a fitted, long-sleeve black shirt and gray sweatpants. He was drying his wet hair with a towel as he walked over.


    Rayne felt her heart race as her cheeks flushed. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world that this handsome, caring, thoughtful, and loving man loved her.

 Chapter 152 A Sweet Release

    (A/N: a bit of spice)


    Julian noticed her staring at him with flushed cheeks and quickly went over to sit down beside her. He lifted her to position her so that she was sitting on his lap.


    He smelled the familiar scent of her shampoo and leaned in to kiss her neck.


    "Chicken pot pie sounds delicious. I would love some", he said leaning down to whisper in her ear.


    This made Rayne blush even harder, making Julian let out a soft laugh. He would never get bored of her cute reactions.


    To help her relax, he placed his arms around her and pulled her back so that she was comfortably lying against him.


    He picked up the TV remote and put on the TV series they had been watching recently.


    His gentle actions worked and Rayne quickly relaxed, nestling herself in his embrace. She lay comfortably, leaning against his chest, and scrolled through her system.


    Julian watched as she waved her finger in the air, knowing that she was most likely doing something in her system.


    A few moments later two plates and a large chicken pot pie appeared on the table next to them. The smell alone was intoxicating and the two foodies quickly sat up to enjoy their second dinner.


    After eating they finished the episode before making their way upstairs to the bedroom. Rayne quickly turned on the small space heaters and jumped under the covers with Julian.


    As Julian climbed in, he pulled Rayne into his embrace once more and started peppering her with small kisses.


    Rayne giggled and turned to face him, placing her hands around his head, and pulling him in for a deep kiss.


    After their emotional confession from earlier, Rayne found herself feeling a lot more comfortable with expressing her affections.


    Julian, of course, was delighted to receive her kisses and reciprocated with his own.


    Soon the atmosphere in the room heated up. Julian continued to kiss Rayne, slowly mixing in kisses on her neck and shoulders.


    "Julian", moaned Rayne.


    His kisses left a trail of fire across her upper body. Her eyes turned misty as her body began to crave more and more of his touch.


    Hearing her moan his name, Julian felt his heart race. He had long wanted to feel the softness of her skin against his.


    "Babe, I want to make you feel good", he breathed as he pulled the hoodie off of her, leaving her in a simple white tank top.


    She nodded at his request, wanting to feel more of his touch.


    Julian looked down at her, taking in her beauty. Through the small white tank top he saw her cute pink nipples poking out due to her arousal. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He carefully slipped his hands underneath her shirt and began to play with them, making Rayne let out gentle moans.


    After a few minutes, he pulled the small white tank top over her head, pulling it off completely. Now he had full access to her breasts and slowly began to trail kisses down her body.


    When he finally reached her breasts he began to suck on her nipples, gently using his tongue to draw circles around them.


    Rayne''s body began to move on its own from the pleasure that was shooting through her from his movements.


    "Oh my God...Julian", she cried out. Her breasts were getting increasingly sensitive and even his smallest movements sent her into a state of bliss.


    Julian had long been fully erect, but Rayne''s moans made him even more excited.


    After a few minutes, he continued to trail kisses down her body until he reached the waistband of her sweatpants.


    He pulled back and using both of his hands, he slowly pulled her sweatpants off, exposing her lacy white panties for him to see.


    Rayne lifted her body up to help him pull the pants off, feeling slightly embarrassed. Her body burned up in desire, and her heart raced with anticipation.


    "You''re so beautiful, Rayne. If only you knew the effect you have over me", he said, taking in the sight of her almost naked body.


    He pulled off his own shirt and leaned back down to kiss her on the lips once more, this time feeling her skin press against his.


    Rayne also felt his muscular chest press against her, sending her to the clouds.


    "Ah... Julian", she continued to moan. Her body craved his touch more and more with every passing moment.


    He continued to kiss her, his tongue invading her mouth. While he was kissing her, one of his hands made its way south between her legs.


    "Ah!", she moaned, gasping for air. She felt his fingers gently rubbing against her opening through the thin material of her panties.


    "Does it feel good?", he asked in a low voice. With his fingertips, he felt the wetness that was seeping through her panties.


    The wetness made him want to explore even more so he quickly slid the thin cloth to the side exposing her clit.


    As soon as his finger made contact, Rayne''s body reacted as if she was struck by lightning. The pleasure traveled through her entire body like electricity, melting her.


    "Oh fuck, oh fuck!", she gasped, never having expected such a deep pleasure from a simple touch.


    Her moans motivated Julian to continue and he continued to move his fingers around her entrance as he kissed her.


    Her body squirmed under his touch, trying to feel more and more of him. The combination of his fingers movements with his kisses sent her to the moon. All she could feel was the electricity running through her body.


    "God Rayne, you''re driving me crazy", he moaned. Just seeing how aroused she was made him gasp for air.


    Rayne arched her back, spreading her legs to give him a better angle.


    Julian took this opportunity to pull her panties off completely as they were only in the way. Bending over her, Julian moved down on the bed, kissing her all the way down her body.


    He kissed her inner thighs, while continuously working his fingers around and over her clit.


    Waves of pleasure pulsed through her body, signaling the oncoming orgasm. She got louder and louder with her moans and breathing.


    Julian took this opportunity to slip a finger inside, feeling the warm wetness.


    "Baby, you''re so wet. Fuck", he breathed. He loved how turned on she was, and eagerly anticipated her climax.


    It didn''t take long before he felt her body shudder as her insides tightened around his finger. She was so tight that he could feel her orgasm with his finger that was still inside of her.


    Rayne was in the clouds. Her body tensed as she climaxed, then melted enjoying the residual pleasure.


    Julian softly removed his finger and climbed up next to her. As badly as he wanted to take her there and now, he knew that he would get to taste her many times in the future and decided not to rush things.

 Chapter 153 Farmhouse Farewell

    (A/N: Thank you to Mindless_Reader for all of your support! This chapter is dedicated to you!)


    Julian moved up to lie beside Rayne, positioning her so that she was lying on his chest with his arm around her.


    The softness of her skin on top of him felt like heaven.


    As Rayne lay on his chest, she listened to his rapid heartbeat. She was surprised that he didn''t go all the way, but a part of her was happy that he decided to take things one step at a time.


    "Well, how was it?", he asked, smiling down at her as he played with her long golden hair.


    "I don''t even have words. Amazing? I didn''t know something like that could even happen", she replied.


    While she had experimented with pleasuring herself in the past, the feeling when Julian did it was night and day.


    "Good, this is only a little taste of what''s to come", he whispered and leaned over to kiss her again.


    Her lips were red and puffy from his passionate kisses, adding to her delicate appearance.


    "I love you", he said softly as he pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. He wished that time could stop so that they could stay like this forever.


    She ran her finger up and down his muscular chest then looked him in the eyes.


    "I never thought I would get so lucky", she lifted herself slightly to meet him face to face. Her eyes moved from his lips to his nose then up to meet his beautiful deep blue eyes.


    "Julian I love you", she said as she pressed her lips against his.


    They lay while cuddling with each other until Rayne fell asleep. Her body felt relaxed and light as a feather, putting her to sleep very quickly.


    Julian watched as the most important person in his life fell asleep in his arms, giving him a feeling he would never be able to put into words.


    He lay there in the darkness for a while longer listening to her soft breathing before finally falling asleep.


    The next morning they both woke up later than usual. Rayne was nestled up against him, basking in his warmth.


    "Good morning beautiful", he said after seeing her open her eyes.


    "Morning babe!", she said happily and leaned so that she was on top of him.


    Her new position gave Julian a perfect view of her beautiful breasts, sending all of his blood to a certain part of his body.


    Julian sat up to hug her, "You don''t even know what you''re doing to me do you?".


    In this new position, Rayne clearly felt a certain hardness in his pants that was pushing against her abdomen.


    She blushed slightly and placed her arms around his neck, leaning in to kiss him.


    After the kiss, she quickly got off the bed and ran downstairs to take another shower, leaving Julian alone in the bed.


    He laughed, shaking his head. "Who knew you could be such a tease?" he said out loud, then slowly got out of bed to get dressed.


    While Rayne was showering, he walked around to turn on the space heaters in the living room and the driver''s cabin, quickly heating up the interior of the RV.


    Rayne finally finished showering and came out of the bathroom fully dressed. If everything went according to plan, they were going to make their way back to the base today. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Could you check to see if Jonah is ready to head out? I want to stock the RV with more things so it''s more believable when I pull things out of my system," Rayne said.


    Jonah would be traveling back with them, so she would have to be more mindful when using her system. She wanted to take advantage of the situation and stock the fridge/freezer and shelves with various supplies before Jonah joined them.


    Julian quickly agreed and left the RV to find Jonah inside the farmhouse.


    About 15 minutes later, Julian, Jonah, Fred, and Rita walked out of the farmhouse. Rayne walked out of the RV to join them in saying goodbye.


    "I pray that you have a safe trip back home. You''re welcome back here anytime!" Fred said, giving Julian a pat on the shoulder.


    Rita walked over to Rayne and handed her two large glass jars and a small box. "Here is a small something from all of us here. These are two large jars of fresh milk, and inside this small box is a roll of freshly made butter."


    Rayne quickly accepted these precious gifts with a big smile. "Thank you so much. We will enjoy these products on the journey home!"


    After saying another round of goodbyes, Rayne, Julian, and Jonah entered the RV. Fred and Rita stayed on the porch, waving goodbye to the moving RV.


    Rayne pulled down the window and yelled, "Take a look around town! We found that there are still a lot of good supplies in some of the stores!"


    After saying her piece, she closed the window, and the RV drove out, down the long driveway.


    Fred and Rita looked at each other, slightly confused by Rayne''s words. They had combed through the small town when they first established this small community and already gathered all of the usable items.


    "Maybe it''s worth checking again? I don''t think she would say that without good reason," suggested Rita.


    Fred also wasn''t sure what they could have missed but agreed with Rita.


    "Okay, I''ll lead a small group out later today to take a look," he said. They walked back inside to get ready for the rest of today''s daily tasks.


    That afternoon, Fred chose two other men and went into town. The first few houses they entered were empty, as they remembered.


    "Leader, are you sure there are things we missed? So far, everything looks picked clean," said one of the men. He had just gone through another house and came out empty-handed, just like with the previous houses.


    Fred frowned. "Alright. Let''s just check the store across the street. If we don''t find anything there, we''ll call it and head back."


    He wasn''t sure why Rayne would lie about finding supplies, but so far, every place they checked was empty.


    They made their way across the street to the old corner store. Fred was the first person to walk inside, and when he did, he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    All of the shelves were filled to the brim with items. There were canned goods, water bottles, dry goods, and pantry staples.

 Chapter 154 Brought to Tears

    The three of them were frozen in shock for a moment. Fred turned to look at one of the men. "Quickly, go back and get more people out here. Bring some of the carts!"


    A few minutes later, the man returned with a whole group of people. Working together, they quickly transported all of the items from the store back to the farmhouse.


    Everyone had joyful expressions as they looked at the large amount of food that was quickly piling up in the farmhouse''s food cellar.


    After they finished clearing out the entire corner store, Fred led everyone to comb through town to see if there were any more supplies.


    "Leader! The home goods store over there has many items!" yelled one of the residents.


    Fred quickly made his way over with the rest of the group. As he entered, he could hardly believe it. There were shelves upon shelves of much-needed home goods.


    "Hurry! Begin loading the carts to transport these items! Careful not to break anything!" Fred called out.


    People quickly got to work, loading carts full of supplies and hauling them back to the farmhouse. From there, they would distribute the goods among themselves. There were more than enough supplies to go around, so everyone looked forward to using the new blankets and other items.


    Fred finally made his way to the back of the store where the massive piles of clothes were. He stopped trying to think about where all these items had come from because no matter how much he racked his brain, no logical answer came to mind.


    Most of the clothing was geared toward cold weather and was currently much needed. Most of the newcomers only had the clothes on their backs, so these clothes would really benefit them a lot.


    Rita walked over and began sorting through the clothing, noticing the children''s clothes. There were a few new children that had come over with the refugees, and her heart broke seeing them dressed in dirty, torn clothing.


    Now she would be able to dress them neatly and warmly. The shoes were also a huge hit, especially since they were mostly boots.


    Before Fred had the chance to clear out the store, a young man from the community ran up to find him.


    "Leader, you won''t believe it. We found generators in the hardware store!" he said, catching his breath.


    "What! You''re joking, right?" Fred asked with shaking hands.


    The thing that the community needed most right now was generators. They had plenty of fuel stocked up from the few local gas stations, but after their attempt to repair the last generator failed, they had lost hope of having one in the future.


    Fred quickly ran over to the hardware store to see if it was true. As soon as he entered, his hands began to shake, and tears welled up in his eyes.


    "God! Thank you!" he cried out.


    His eyes took in the sight of various equipment, tools, gardening supplies, and generators. All of these items were priceless resources that could change their way of living for the better.


    He went over to touch some of the tools to make sure he wasn''t dreaming. When his hand touched the first generator and felt the cold metal, he couldn''t hold it in any longer and broke down crying.


    These generators could provide the much-needed electricity to run many of their farming and animal tools and equipment. They could heat the nursery to hatch more chicks, among many other things.


    The few others who were in the hardware store with him also cried after seeing Fred''s emotional outburst.


    A few minutes later, Fred finally turned to begin organizing the transportation of the goods out of the store.


    That night, everyone on the ranch slept peacefully, under new warm blankets and with hope for the future.


    ---


    At the bunker:


    Ian and Noah were sitting at the dining room table, eating dinner while discussing the information that Deondre had come back with.


    "There''s no doubt about it. Damien''s men were there and managed to catch Ivan and the rest off guard," said Ian angrily.


    Before Deondre set off to scout for information, Ian had remained hopeful that Ivan was still alive.


    So when the news came back that they had all been found dead in their initial scouting positions, Ian felt frustrated, sad, and angry.


    The members of Alpha Team were like family to him, and knowing that they were all wiped out pained him.


    Noah listened to his brother as he presented the findings of the investigation. Although Noah usually handled the REN Corporation side of things for Julian, he had a sharp mind and a unique perspective.


    "What bothers me about all of this is that Jess was never found. This really only leaves a few logical explanations for her absence," he said quietly.


    Ian didn''t need him to explain any further, as he understood the underlying message.


    "You think Jess betrayed us?" Ian asked.


    Noah placed his fork down and looked up at his older brother. "I''m not sure I want to go as far as saying that''s what I think. However, I do believe it''s an idea we need to entertain, as it poses great consequences."


    Ian quietly lowered his head to think for a moment. If Jess truly did betray them, that would mean this bunker was a ticking time bomb. She could easily disclose the whereabouts of the bunker, and they could get swarmed with Damien''s men at any moment.


    Ian looked up at Noah with a sharp expression. "We need to start making plans to move out. This place is no longer safe."


    Noah stood up and sighed. "We also need to ensure nothing like this could happen in the future. I''ll send Julian a message to update him on what Deondre discovered, as well as our speculations." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ian continued to sit at the dinner table for a while longer.


    "For fuck''s sake," he finally yelled out, smashing his fist down on the table. If Jess truly did betray them, this oversight would be on him to take the blame. As the de facto leader of Alpha Team, Jess was technically his direct subordinate.

 Chapter 155 Promoted

    At Damien''s Base


    Dillon was quietly getting dressed to finally meet with the higher-ups, while Krissy and Jess were busy pretending to be the best of friends.


    "Ah, Jess, that dress looks so good on you! It''s like it was made for you," said Krissy in a fake, high-pitched voice.


    Jess didn''t reply but smiled in response. She didn''t understand why Dillon would still keep Krissy around now that he had her, but these last few days spent with Dillon had taught her that he hated nagging.


    Krissy absolutely loathed Jess in every possible way. She couldn''t stand how, no matter what she did or said, Jess wouldn''t lose her rationality like she wanted. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She kept trying to get under Jess''s skin so that Jess would finally have a huge outburst and yell at her or even fight her, so that she could run to Dillon and show him how abusive Jess was.


    But no matter how many times she tried, Jess simply smiled at her, totally unaffected.


    "Jess, you must tell me what you do to work your glutes out like that. Dillon loves smacking my ass--", Krissy continued until she was finally got cut off.


    "Can you just shut up for two minutes?!" Dillon finally snapped. Ever since Jess moved in, Krissy couldn''t seem to stop talking. Her high-pitched voice was ear-grating, and he was close to losing his patience with her.


    Krissy quickly clammed up, tears welling up in her eyes. Jess simply rolled her eyes at Krissy''s pathetic look. She was happy to finally have some peace and quiet.


    Jess stood up as Dillon finished getting ready and walked over to adjust the collar of his button-up shirt.


    "You look so sexy," she leaned over and purred in his ear.


    She knew that he had been called for an important meeting with the higher-ups, so she gave him a small kiss on the cheek and walked him to the door.


    Dillon glanced down at her. "Wait for me, I''ll be back soon." Then he walked out of the room and down to the lower floors.


    Jess smiled; that was his way of saying that he would be bedding her later.


    After the door closed, Krissy could no longer keep it in. "You bitch! You vixen! Dillon is my man!".


    Jess just turned to ignore her. Krissy would begin to scream and yell anytime the two of them were alone together.


    "Go spend some time with your girlies. I need to prepare for later, so please excuse me," said Jess as she walked toward the bathroom.


    ---


    Dillon finally arrived in front of the door to the designated meeting room and gently knocked.


    "Come in," a cold voice sounded from inside.


    Dillon entered and noticed two men. One of them was the scholarly man who had led the last meeting he attended, and the other man was the one who appeared to be asleep the whole time.


    "Ah, Dillon, you''re here. Let me finally introduce myself. I''m Tristan, and this is--"


    "My name is Damien," the other man cut in.


    Dillon bowed respectfully. While he wasn''t sure where exactly these two stood in the hierarchy of the organization, he knew they were leagues above him in status.


    "It''s a pleasure to be here," replied Dillon.


    Tristan adjusted his glasses and got to the point. "We called you here today because your recent contributions have warranted attention. We are officially promoting you to the inner circle."


    Dillon''s heart raced at these words. He had suspected that they would promote him, but he never expected he would be added to the inner circle!


    This meant that he would no longer be considered a "small-time" leader.


    Damien watched as Dillon''s face lit up at the news.


    "Along with this promotion, we''d like to offer you a reward. Is there anything you''d like?" Damien chimed in.


    A shiver went down Dillon''s back as the words he''d been dying to hear were finally spoken. He straightened his back and looked at the two men.


    "There''s a woman I''ve been looking for. I want her," he said with a certain dangerous glint in his eyes.


    Tristan sighed internally. "Are you sure? You could ask for a car, a new room, endless food or resources... anything, really."


    Dillon shook his head. "Yes, sir. She is absolutely the reward I want."


    Damien smiled, seeing the dark look in Dillon''s eyes. "Well, now I''m curious. What kind of woman is worth more than living like a king?"


    "Her name is Rayne Weston. She was my fianc¨¦e before the disasters. She has long blonde hair and is incredibly beautiful," said Dillon.


    Simply describing her to them got him excited. Finally, he would soon get to taste her himself. He swore to himself that he would keep her busy in bed for days on end.


    "How do you know that she''s still alive?" asked Tristan, jotting everything down in his notebook.


    "Oh, she has to be. Let''s call it intuition," replied Dillon. He knew she was alive¡ªshe didn''t have his permission to die.


    Tristan finished writing down her detailed description and last known location. "Very well. I will send out my personal team to begin the search."


    "When you find her, bring her over. I''m interested in meeting her. I''m curious if she''s truly as beautiful as you described her," laughed Damien.


    Dillon smiled, licking his lips. "Of course."


    Tristan then moved on to the next topic.


    "Since you are in the inner circle now, we want to shift you over to a new task. We have reason to believe that the CEO of REN Corporation is still alive, and we need to know where he''s hiding."


    He opened his notebook and looked down.


    "You will be assigned the task of slowly infiltrating the government base to gather information on his whereabouts. You will be reporting monthly with any useful information."


    Dillon bowed once more, accepting his new job. He now had access to many more resources and people, so this new role was very doable.


    After discussing the finer details, Dillon left the meeting room and made his way back to his room.


    "Ah, my sweet Rayne. You''ll be in my arms soon," he said as he walked. He could hardly contain his excitement.

 Chapter 156 Your Own Base

    Inside the RV


    Jonah took a seat on the couch, marveling at the luxurious interior of the RV. It was his first time seeing something this grand. He had gone camping in the past and had even used a common type of pop-out camper, but this RV was nicer than the apartment he lived in.


    Rayne walked over. "Feel free to take whatever you need. The fridge is fully stocked, and I left you some clothes in the bathroom if you want to take a shower. I''m not sure if they''re your exact size, but they''re all unused."


    "Ah¡­ Thank you!" he said shyly. It felt less like they were traveling through the apocalypse and more like he had joined a famous band on their tour bus.


    Before leaving, Rayne pointed to a small shelf near the couch. "There are a few different kinds of books over there. I''m not sure if you''re someone who likes to read, but the journey back will be a few days long."


    Jonah nodded and went over to look at what kind of books were available, opening a cabinet to see over 50 different types of books!


    These guys must be very capable. They have so many resources and good things. I need to get on their good side.


    Rayne went back to join Julian in the driver''s cabin.


    "Is he settling in okay?" asked Julian.


    "Yeah, I think he''s okay. He seems a little shy, so I''m giving him some space to get used to the place first," Rayne smiled.


    She sat down in the passenger seat and placed her hand on Julian''s thigh as he drove.


    "I got a message from Noah just now," he said in a low voice. Rayne looked over at him curiously, waiting for him to continue.


    "Ivan''s whole team was found dead, and Jess is missing. Ian and Noah suspect that Jess jumped ship and joined Damien''s faction," Julian said, his voice still low.


    Rayne gasped. If Jess truly did betray them... "The bunker?!" she called out.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, the bunker is most likely no longer safe. I just hope we make it back soon enough to give Jonah enough time to run his tests on the red substance before we need to run."


    Rayne sat in silence, lost in thought. Having that bunker was a peace of mind for her. It was a small safe haven, and now that it could potentially be lost, she felt a little lost.


    "What do we do? Can we fight them?" she asked Julian.


    He shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don''t have the manpower to go head-to-head with him. Even before the apocalypse started, Damien''s side had many more people. I can only imagine that he managed to recruit even more."


    "So the goal really is to find out where Damien is hiding and take care of him directly..." she said quietly.


    Julian hummed in response. Damien was the biggest thorn in his side, and he was only getting stronger.


    He knew that he couldn''t hide forever and that Damien was most likely already planting spies all over, looking for him.


    Julian looked over at Rayne. Her beautiful face was now slightly furrowed as she was still lost in thought. He thought she looked incredibly adorable.


    "How do you feel about creating your own base?" he asked, snapping Rayne out of her thoughts.


    "Me? What do you mean?" she asked, surprised. She had never considered starting her own base.


    Julian smiled. "Aren''t you the perfect person to do so? We could secure a large warehouse, fill it with supplies, strengthen our people, and give them hope for the future."


    Once their base was compromised, they would most likely head over to the government base. Julian wasn''t sure how long the government base would hold out if Damien decided to take over one day, so making their own might not be a bad idea.


    Rayne''s mind raced. She had access to infinite resources, so being able to support a large population was not a problem. She had many different campers, RVs, building materials, and tools... so building something was also within reason.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at Julian. "I think that idea is very possible! We just need to find a suitable location!"


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I think it would be helpful to everyone around. We can start planning things out, but this won''t be an overnight project, so don''t feel rushed."


    Something this big required a lot of pre-planning, and as an architect, Rayne understood this very well.


    "If we could find excavators and heavy machinery, I''ll need to copy them into my system," she said, then continued to brainstorm good location ideas.


    Having access to electricity would be important, so positioning in a place near a water generator or something similar would be ideal.


    Julian listened to all of her ideas while presenting some of his own. They were so lost in thought that it was already late into the night when Rayne''s stomach growled, bringing her back to reality.


    When she finally realized how late it was, she quickly jumped out of her seat! She had completely forgotten about Jonah!


    She walked back into the living room area and found Jonah engrossed in a book. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, sorry! Are you hungry? I''m about to make some food," she said, feeling guilty.


    Jonah looked up from his book with wide eyes. "Food? You guys eat more than once a day?" he asked, shocked.


    Rayne froze, then couldn''t help but laugh helplessly. "Yes, we usually eat all three meals unless something comes up. Is there anything you''re allergic to? Or any restrictions?"


    Jonah couldn''t believe his ears! To be able to eat three meals a day was something he hadn''t hoped for!


    "No! I can and will eat anything!" he said quickly. He used to be a picky eater, but after not being able to eat for weeks, all of that went out the window. He even felt that mushrooms were a delicacy, and he used to avoid them like the plague.


    Rayne nodded and stepped into the kitchen. She waited until Jonah went back to reading his book before she opened the fridge to see what she could make.


    After looking at the ingredients, she decided to make chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, and a side salad.

 Chapter 157 Snowfall

    She dug around the refrigerator to take out a few items while removing ingredients, like the chicken, from her system.


    She felt the RV come to a stop, and Julian came out of the driver''s cabin, stretching his arms. "It''s already late, so I found a good spot to spend the night."


    He sat down and chatted with Jonah while Rayne was cooking in the kitchen. The kitchen area was tight, so she was much more comfortable handling things by herself.


    A short while later, Rayne placed three plates on the table. Each plate had a beautiful, golden breaded chicken cutlet, a generous scoop of mashed potatoes, and a side salad with a variety of vegetables.


    Jonah couldn''t believe his eyes! He half-expected a packet of crackers or watered-down soup, like he had at the ranch.


    He looked down at his plate, unable to bring himself to eat something this delectable.


    "Is something wrong? Do you not like it?" asked Rayne. She was worried since he was the only one who hadn''t touched his food yet.


    Jonah snapped out of his trance, emotions welling up inside of him. "No, this is more than good. It''s so good that I''m having a hard time eating it."


    Julian smiled and nodded. "Don''t worry. Eat up, there''s more where that came from. If you stick with us, we''ll take care of you."


    Jonah finally picked up his fork and began to eat. The wonderful flavors burst in his mouth as he ate like it was his last meal, licking the plate clean.


    Rayne noticed his actions and got up to bring a plate of more chicken and mashed potatoes over to the table. Having been used to cooking for hungry grown men, she knew that cooking extras would never hurt.


    "Here, help yourself to more if you''d like," she said, placing the food on the table. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jonah quickly loaded his plate up with more food, digging in right away.


    Julian also went in for seconds while Rayne was still working on her first course. The room turned silent once more, with only the occasional sound of cutlery touching a plate.


    After dinner, Julian did the honors of washing the dishes and cleaning up while Rayne went upstairs to pretend to retrieve more bedding from the closet.


    "This sofa works as a pull-out bed. Here are some clean bedding and blankets. We''re going to head to bed, so let us know if there''s anything you need before we head up," said Rayne, placing all of the bedding on the sofa.


    Jonah looked at the soft bedding and pillows, running his hand over them. He could tell that these were all high-quality items that he didn''t even have before the disasters began.


    "No, this is all more than enough. I will take a quick shower and also head to bed," he said very gratefully.


    Rayne hummed and climbed upstairs to get ready for bed. Julian finished washing the dishes and also went up after bidding Jonah goodnight.


    As he made it into their bedroom, the sight of Rayne in her cute pajamas made his blood rush, but he restrained himself, knowing that Jonah would probably not enjoy it if they indulged themselves.


    Rayne noticed his heated gaze and something trying its best to poke through his pants. She motioned for him to join her in bed, giggling.


    She didn''t need to ask him twice, as Julian quickly got in and placed his lips on top of hers, giving her a deep kiss.


    "Hehe, you need to be good!" she giggled quietly.


    "How can you expect me to be good when you''re this sexy and adorable?" he asked jokingly.


    After kissing her a few more times, he pulled her into his embrace so that they could fall asleep.


    At first, Rayne thought she would have trouble sleeping with Jonah in the RV with them, but after Julian pulled her into his arms, she found that she felt very safe, quickly falling asleep.


    Downstairs, Jonah also quickly fell asleep after rinsing off in the shower. The soft bedding and the large amount of food he had just consumed put him to sleep almost immediately.


    Julian stayed up for a little while, ensuring that everything was safe until he finally fell asleep as well.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up as usual, wrapped up in Julian''s arms. After snuggling for a few minutes, they both got out of bed and got changed.


    As they came downstairs, the first thing Rayne noticed was light snow falling outside.


    "Oh! It''s snowing!" she announced and walked over to the window.


    Jonah, who was already awake, greeted them and walked over. "Yeah, it just started, maybe twenty minutes ago."


    Julian sat down at the table. "Well, let''s just hope we make it back before it causes any delays on the road."


    Rayne agreed, walking over to the kitchen to make breakfast.


    She made a simple breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast with coffee, quickly filling the room with a pleasant aroma.


    Jonah, much like yesterday, inhaled the food, saying it was the best thing he had ever had.


    After breakfast, they quickly got back to driving. Rayne volunteered to drive for a bit while the snow was still just falling, but a few hours later, the roads quickly became difficult to navigate.


    "Let me drive, you''ve been driving all morning," said Julian. He noticed how tense she was driving with all the snow on the ground.


    Rayne gratefully accepted his offer and parked the RV so that she could swap seats with Julian.


    Thankfully, the snow was still low enough that Julian was able to continue driving, but their pace slowed down significantly.


    Jonah turned out to be a real book nerd and engrossed himself in the various books that Rayne had casually laid out in the cabinet.


    For lunch, Rayne made a simple turkey sandwich for everyone, and thankfully Jonah didn''t bother asking where she got the fresh turkey breast.


    "Ah, thank you, babe," said Julian as Rayne handed him his sandwich. He was still driving but managed to eat the sandwich one-handed.


    This time, they drove the long way around because they knew that the tunnel pass through the mountains was blocked, and there would be no way of explaining how they managed to move the RV through.

 Chapter 158 Research Begins

    While the road around the mountains was much longer, it was also a lot less dangerous. Aside from the snow, which was now starting to become a small problem, they didn''t run into any cannibal cults or bandits.


    Rayne spent most of her time in the driver''s cabin with Julian, while Jonah was engrossed in reading.


    They mainly all met together during mealtimes, where Jonah would slowly tell them about his experience during the initial earthquakes.


    Rayne felt that Jonah was a decent guy and was more comfortable around him than she had been before, making the journey overall more pleasant.


    It took them four whole days to make it back to the valley where the bunker was located.


    Julian parked the RV on the side of the highway that was adjacent to the forest where the bunker was located. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah and Ian scouted the surrounding area regularly, ensuring that Damien''s men weren''t lying in ambush, and updated Julian on the situation.


    Before they got off, Julian sat down with Jonah to begin the oath-taking process. If Jonah was going to stick around with them and even visit the bunker, Julian needed to make sure he was officially part of their team.


    Jonah was a little nervous but happily accepted and took the oath, swearing loyalty and secrecy. These last few days he had spent with the couple had been refreshing, to say the least.


    All of his needs were met, and he even got to watch TV shows! He could tell that there were many benefits to joining up with them. Rayne and Julian were also very kind people; they went out of their way to save him from the gang and settle him into a new home.


    He had no regrets about joining their team and swore to work hard for them in the future.


    "So from here, we''re going to need to go on foot," said Julian, peering out of the window.


    Rayne walked over. "We do have two snowmobiles. Are you comfortable driving one of them?"


    Jonah nodded. "Yes, I''ve gone snowmobiling in the past. I should be able to handle it."


    "Okay, great. Then you will ride one, and I''ll ride with Julian. Just follow us and try not to hit any trees on the way," said Rayne.


    They bundled up as best as they could and met Rayne outside, who had already taken the snowmobiles out of a storage compartment on the RV.


    If Jonah looked closely, he would realize that the storage compartment wasn''t large enough to fit two snowmobiles, but thankfully he was too focused on the snowmobiles themselves to think it through.


    The snow was already knee-deep, so walking through the forest would have been very difficult.


    After Rayne climbed to sit behind Julian, placing her arms around his waist, the three of them drove off into the forest.


    The snowmobiles were the most recent models and were very easy to use. They quickly made their way through the dense forest, weaving through the large evergreen trees.


    A while later, they finally approached the area where the bunker was located. But just as they got close, a big group of hooded figures jumped down from the trees.


    "Stand down," Julian said, lifting his head.


    The hooded figures quickly raised their arms to their chests to salute him. "Boss!" These men were all that remained of Alpha Team and were currently monitoring the perimeter of the bunker, keeping an eye out for Damien''s men.


    Jonah was a little startled by the sight but stayed quiet, watching as they respectfully addressed Julian as "boss."


    Rayne got off the snowmobile and led Jonah inside, telling him to leave the keys in the ignition of the snowmobile. She knew that Julian would ask the members of Alpha Team to use these snowmobiles to patrol the forest and create false tracks in the snow to delay the inevitable discovery of the bunker.


    Rayne entered the much-missed bunker, greeting Noah and Ian as she entered.


    "Ms. Weston, welcome back," greeted Noah. He turned to Jonah and smiled. "You must be Jonah. Welcome. Unfortunately, time is of the essence right now, and we can''t afford a proper introduction."


    Ian simply gave his signature curt nod as a greeting and walked outside to meet with Julian.


    Rayne turned to Jonah. "Let me bring you down to the lab so that you can get started." Figuring out the substance was currently the highest priority.


    Rayne led him down to the lower levels, pointing out any points of interest along the way. When they finally made their way into the lab, Jonah couldn''t help himself and let out an astonished gasp!


    "Such an advanced laboratory! I thought I would be given a simple microscope and that''d be it!" he said happily.


    While the lab was not chemistry-oriented, it still contained most of the basic equipment that Jonah required for his testing.


    Rayne pulled a vial of the red substance out of her pocket and passed it over to Jonah. "Feel free to use anything you need in this lab. If there''s something you require, don''t hesitate to ask. I can''t guarantee we can provide everything, but we will do our best."


    Jonah accepted the bottle and quickly got to work after putting on some protective lab gear. Rayne took the time to slip out to the kitchen so that she could prepare more hot meals before they lost access to the bunker.


    After a while, Julian finally came down from his meeting with Noah and Ian.


    "We decided that we will begin making preparations to move out. I was hoping I could enlist your help with storing all of the sensitive items, such as the high-tech weapons and prototypes," said Julian. He placed his arms around her and kissed her gently on the forehead.


    Rayne could feel his exhaustion and defeat from having to move out and abandon this bunker. She hugged him back, trying to comfort him silently.


    "It''ll be okay. Don''t worry, I plan on storing everything. Damien won''t get his hands on a single crumb from this place," she whispered.


    Julian kept her company for a while longer, sampling all of the freshly cut fruit she was preparing before setting off to the lab to check on Jonah.


    That night, Rayne prepared a scrumptious dinner for everyone, even sending some over to the Alpha Team dining room for them to enjoy.


    She made a delicious, from-scratch lasagna with garlic bread and a fresh garden salad. Julian came up with an elaborate story about how they helped out an old farmer couple in the mountains, who rewarded them with a load of fresh fruits and vegetables they grew in their greenhouse.


    Thankfully, everyone bought the story, even complimenting Rayne and Julian on their heroism. Rayne could hardly keep it together and spent the entire time with her face pointed downwards so that she wouldn''t give it away.

 Chapter 159 The Red Substance

    After dinner, everyone returned to their jobs to maximize their time and efficiency while they still had access to the resources within the bunker.


    Noah focused on settling and preparing the logistics of moving to the government base, while Ian took care of security and matters related to Alpha Team.


    Jonah was busy in the lab, while Rayne busied herself in the kitchen. Everyone worked late into the night, only going to bed well after midnight. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up and found Jonah already in the lab, continuing his research from yesterday.


    "Hey. Have you discovered anything?" she asked after greeting him.


    "Well, there''s one thing I know for sure¡ªit''s a drug. I''m still trying to figure out what it does exactly," he replied, yawning.


    "Okay. I''ll bring you a coffee and some breakfast in a little bit. Thank you for your hard work," she smiled.


    After breakfast, Rayne continued working in the kitchen until Julian approached her. "Some of our scouts that were positioned in the city have reported sightings of Damien''s men. We can''t be sure they''re headed here, but we need to be ready."


    Rayne understood his underlying meaning. Today, she would need to go around and store as many things as she could into her system.


    "Okay, let me finish up here and I''ll come find you in a few minutes," she said, and turned to finish cooking.


    About twenty minutes later, she walked into Julian''s room and saw him laying out various weapons and parts on the table and floor.


    "Hey! So these are the most important items that I have. They are all the latest weapons that my company developed," said Julian, motioning to all of the items laying on the table.


    Rayne looked at all the high-tech-looking weapons with interest. Most of the weapons were guns, while some were cold weapons like knives and daggers.


    She couldn''t tell what was different about them from a simple glance, but she believed that whatever REN Corporation developed was extraordinary.


    She quickly stored everything, leaving behind only empty spaces. "Is there anything else you want me to store? Personal items? Clothes?" she asked Julian, looking around.


    Julian brought over a large plastic bin. "If you store this, will it store the items inside?"


    "Yes!" Rayne smiled. It was a handy feature that allowed her to get her hands on the red substance.


    She placed her hand on the bin and gave the mental command to store it. Within a blink of an eye, the bin vanished from sight.


    Rayne made her way around the room, storing the rest of the furniture that she had laid out for Julian, bringing back that cold, prison-like environment. She stored everything except for his bed.


    After finishing, she turned to leave. "I''m going to go store everything in my room since I''m staying with you anyway." Her cheeks flushed at her own words, but this was the reality. Last night, Julian wouldn''t let her sleep in her room, saying he wouldn''t be able to sleep if she wasn''t with him.


    "Sure, I''ll go tell Noah and Ian to pack their belongings in a bin so that you can store those later," replied Julian and left the room.


    Rayne quickly ran around her old room, storing everything. Even if it was a used bar of soap, she still stored it. She wasn''t going to leave anything behind for Damien''s men to use!


    After cleaning out her room, she made her way over to the kitchen, cleaning out all of the empty rooms on the way there.


    In the kitchen, she began storing the pantry items, pots, pans, utensils, and anything else she could get her hands on.


    Julian had already made an announcement that they were cleaning out the communal areas, so it wouldn''t seem strange if things were missing.


    By the time she finished, only the very large items, such as the refrigerator, were left. She kept these out in case someone wanted to cook something from now until they left. Julian planned to leave as soon as Jonah finished his research, which Rayne prayed would be soon.


    They lived very simply, only using basic items for two more days until Jonah finally made progress with the red substance.


    Julian called over Rayne, Noah, and Ian into a conference room on the upper level. It was Rayne''s first time there, and she took a seat beside Julian.


    Once everyone gathered, Julian turned to Jonah to present his findings on the red substance.


    "So from my tests, I''ve managed to gather that this red substance is indeed a drug meant for human consumption. I won''t get into technical details, but it basically alters the body to dull pain receptors to a very high degree, as well as increase blood circulation to give the illusion of more energy and greater strength," announced Jonah.


    Everyone listened quietly, trying to digest the new information. Rayne remembered the leader of the Blood Skulls and how difficult it was for her to break out of his grip, no matter how hard she tried.


    "Prolonged usage of this drug can synthetically alter the cellular structure of muscles, growing them artificially. This drug, however, has big downsides. First and foremost is that it''s completely irreversible¡ªonce you take it, there''s no way you can ever get it out of your system.


    Second, the drug can cause user dependency. It acts similar to caffeine in this regard, but widens the blood vessels instead of shrinking them. If a user doesn''t take the substance regularly, they begin to feel withdrawal symptoms such as aches, headaches, nausea, and increased irritability."


    The room went silent until Julian finally looked up. "So Damien is trying to build an army of altered humans. He''s trying to build numbers right now so that he can easily take over and establish himself as the leader.


    What Julian couldn''t figure out was if Damien somehow knew about the apocalypse happening ahead of time. He glanced over at Rayne. If he hadn''t met her, he wouldn''t even entertain this thought, but the reality was that anything was possible.


    "We will begin our move to the government base tomorrow," Julian finally said.

 Chapter 160 Leaving the Bunker

    The next morning, everyone woke up early to prepare to move their things over. Julian instructed that only the most important and personal items should be moved. He also ordered everyone to place their bins of important items in the communal dining room for "transport" purposes.


    In reality, Rayne simply stored everyone''s bins, marking which bin belonged to whom on her system panel.


    Julian made plans for everyone to move to the base in waves to avoid attracting too much attention.


    Rayne filled backpacks with food supplies so that everyone would have enough to pay the registration fees.


    After Rayne finished her tasks of storing everything, the bunker was left completely empty.


    Everyone was told to wait on the upper level by the exit so they wouldn''t discover that everything, including the stove and refrigerator, was missing.


    Noah broke everyone up into smaller teams and sent the first group to the government base. The first few teams were made up of Alpha Team members who traveled via the bunker''s jeeps.


    Julian told Noah and Ian to include Jonah on their team and that they should take the RV to the base. The RV would attract a lot of attention, so Julian felt it was best to let Ian and Noah handle it.


    Lastly, Rayne and Julian would arrive together. Since they were already registered residents, they wouldn''t have to wait in the registration lines like the rest of the team.


    They spaced the teams a few hours apart so Noah and Ian''s team would only arrive in the evening. Rayne and Julian waited in the bunker until everyone was gone before they set off themselves. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne pulled out two more snowmobiles to make it easier for them to get out of the forest and onto the highway.


    Thankfully, the snowfall lightened up considerably, keeping it at knee height. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to drive to the government base.


    When they reached the spot where Julian had parked the RV, Rayne stored the snowmobiles and took out her SUV. Since they had been seen driving this vehicle, it would have been strange if they came back in a different one.


    Rayne''s SUV handled the snow much better than the RV, so driving to the base was a lot easier for them. As they approached, they spotted Noah and Ian in the luxury RV, waiting in the long line to enter the base.


    Rayne drove past the line and to the entrance for registered residents. The checkpoint guard asked to see their resident cards and allowed them to enter once their identities were verified.


    As they drove to the parking lot closest to their building, Rayne noticed that many of the tents were gone.


    "I hope they moved somewhere..." she mumbled. The other option was that these people had died, which seemed more likely.


    Julian didn''t reply and continued to drive quietly, silently giving her his opinion.


    "I hope Ella and her family are okay," Rayne said. She wasn''t sure how they had handled the cold snap and was worried they hadn''t had enough time to prepare.


    When Rayne and Julian finally made it back to their room, they were greeted by the sight of the Soto family comfortably sitting on their couch, watching a TV show.


    The interior was warm with multiple space heaters plugged in, and there wasn''t an ounce of tension in the atmosphere.


    "Hey! You''re back!" Ella shot up from the couch and ran toward Rayne.


    Reginald and his wife quickly stood up and nodded, greeting Rayne and Julian.


    "We''re sorry; we basically moved in here ever since you left. We were here the night of the temperature drop, which basically saved us!" Ella''s mother explained.


    She still felt guilty intruding on their home like this, but the situation wouldn''t allow them to move back.


    Ella and Reginald had tried going to the housing office a few times to purchase electricity for their unit, but every time they went, the housing office was closed.


    "It''s not a problem at all! I''m just happy you guys are safe! Feel free to stay as long as you need," said Rayne.


    Julian eyed Rayne for a second but quickly agreed. His desires could be put on hold for a while longer, as kicking them out would likely mean their death.


    Reginald thanked them, promising to move out as soon as they could get electricity in their unit.


    Julian also told Reginald that more people from his side were coming to the base, and they would set up a small hub here in the future. The men discussed future endeavors while Rayne and Ella caught up.


    "So, did you find who you were looking for?" asked Ella. She knew that Rayne and Julian had gone north in search of someone.


    "Yep! It was quite the adventure, but thankfully it all worked out in the end," Rayne smiled. She then proceeded to tell Ella a little about the things she had seen on her trip to the north.


    She avoided mentioning the really bad parts, like getting ambushed by cannibals or the situation with the bandit leader.


    "What about you guys? Anything happen here while we were gone?" asked Rayne.


    Ella looked at the floor. "Well, the night of the cold snap, many people froze to death. Most of the people who stayed in the tents ended up dying that night."


    Rayne frowned. "Did the base not finish building the dormitory building?" She was sure they would have finished by now.


    "They did, only a day too late. What are the odds?" said Ella. She also felt bad for everyone who hadn''t made it. "I heard that the base plans on making rounds soon to check on the people who were renting rooms."


    "That''s a good idea. As horrible as it is, it will at least open up housing for new people to move into. I remember when we moved in, this was the only unit available," said Rayne.


    One of the things she worried about was where everyone from the bunker would settle when they moved over, but if housing opened up, it wouldn''t be a problem to rent more rooms.

 Chapter 161 New Room

    After chatting for most of the evening, Rayne and Julian retired to their bedroom to go to bed.


    In the living room, Ella and her family set up the fold-out bed, as they had done previously, and went to sleep.


    The members of Alpha Team finished the registration process very late into the night and ended up sleeping in their vehicles.


    Noah, Ian, and Jonah were the last ones to register. It was well into the early hours when they finally parked the very eye-catching RV in a remote spot of the main parking lot.


    Thankfully, the majority of the people were still sleeping, so although they still received a lot of attention, it wasn''t as much as it could have been.


    The next morning, Rayne and Julian woke up early to see if the housing office was finally open.


    Reginald woke up after hearing Rayne and Julian get out of bed and asked if he could go with them to the housing office after they told him their plans.


    Unfortunately, when they got there, there was a sign on the door stating the office was closed but would be open tomorrow.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure what to do with everyone who came from the bunker," said Julian, frowning. He had hoped the housing office would be open so they could rent a few more rooms.


    Rayne thought about it for a minute, then an idea came to mind. "Hey! I have a place for them!" she chimed.


    Julian looked at her, wanting to hear her suggestion.


    "Next door! I''m sure the ''neighbors'' wouldn''t mind," she giggled.


    Julian smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "God, you''re so smart! Of course!" he said. Ever since that night when they ''kindly'' removed their neighbors, the unit next door had been left empty.


    Rayne and Julian split off from Reginald, as he wanted to check in on his place, and headed to the neighboring unit.


    Picking the lock was relatively easy due to the very standard doors and locks that were used during construction, and after a few minutes, the door swung open.


    The unit was mostly empty except for a few ripped-up blankets scattered all over the floor. Rayne looked around and quickly got to work, cleaning and disinfecting every surface of the unit.


    Julian took on the task of cleaning and sanitizing the bathroom, which had been used and abused since the time Rayne had gifted them the soup.


    Rayne was very grateful that Julian volunteered to take on that task, as she wanted to gag just looking at the toilet and the surrounding area.


    It took them over an hour to get everything clean, but after they finished, the apartment sparkled with a faint scent of lavender.


    "Now I can fill the space with furniture. Unfortunately, this unit doesn''t have electricity, so I''ll have to set up a few pellet stoves," said Rayne, quickly getting to work.


    The bonus of this unit was that it was a two-bedroom, unlike their own unit. This would help them out because they had a large group of people to settle in.


    Starting with the two bedrooms, Rayne planned to place two sets of bunk beds in the larger bedroom, making space for four people. The smaller bedroom would have two single beds, similar to the ones that Rayne and Julian had when they first moved in.


    Julian helped her put together one of the bunk bed frames so she could store them and make copies later. The frame was of good quality and made from solid wood, so setting it up was relatively straightforward.


    A few hours later, the first bedroom was finished. Rayne laid out a deep blue rug and placed the bunk beds on either side of the room.


    Although it ended up being a little tight, it was still acceptable and cozy. In the small space left on the wall by the door, she placed a wooden cabinet made from the same wood as the bunk bed frames.


    Since the people who would be staying in this room were males, she chose blues and greens as the accent colors. She laid out clean bedding along with pillows and blankets, ensuring that everyone would be comfortable.


    The last thing she placed in the room was a small pellet stove, positioning it directly under the window so she could route the exhaust pipe outside. She carefully insulated the rest of the window so that no cold air would blow in, then moved on to furnish the next room.


    This bedroom was smaller, so she decided to put two single beds inside. The process was faster because she simply used the already made bed frames that she and Julian had put together for themselves earlier.


    This time, she placed a neutral rug down and kept the color palette more natural in the room. She kept Noah and Ian in mind when designing this room because they would most likely be the ones staying here.


    Much like in the previous room, Rayne placed a pellet stove in this one as well. She also added a dresser and a large cabinet, giving the room more space for storage.


    "Hmm, this should be good," she mumbled, looking around to make sure she hadn''t missed anything.


    Before starting on the living room area, she held her breath as she walked into the bathroom. Thankfully, Julian had worked magic inside, cleaning it as if it were brand new.


    She left it fairly simple in the bathroom, only placing a shelf over the toilet that she filled with towels and bathing supplies, such as soaps, shampoos, washcloths, etc.


    The mirror was the type that opened into a small medicine cabinet, so she filled it with basic first aid supplies.


    Rayne finally made her way to the living room and quickly got to work. She placed a large, fluffy carpet, then went on to place a large sectional sofa and a few armchairs.


    The sofa was much too big for the space, making it look out of place, but for the number of people staying in the unit, she felt that it was important to have as much seating as possible.


    Keeping consistent with the bedrooms, she placed a pellet stove by the window, ensuring that none of the furniture would be in danger of getting caught on fire.


    There was a decent amount of free space on either side of the pellet stove, so she decided that this would be where they kept the pellets. She took out two metal trash bins and filled them with pellets.


    This would be enough to last them a very long time, and if they ever ran out, she could easily refill them.


    Next to the sectional, she chose a coffee table that had built-in storage, where she placed a few items meant for entertainment. She chose items like books, playing cards, and board games, along with notebooks, pens, and pencils.


    Stress relief was an important factor that she didn''t want to overlook, so lastly, she placed a tablet that had movies and shows on it.


    Although this unit did not have electricity now, they planned on purchasing it as soon as possible, so charging it would not be a problem.


    The second half of the main living space was dedicated to food and cooking. Much like most of the other units, this one did not have a dedicated kitchen space. Rayne decided to place a dining table large enough to seat everyone, taking up most of the space. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She placed multiple tall cabinets against the wall and began filling them with food, water, and cooking equipment.

 Chapter 162 Low Supplies

    The first cabinet was dedicated to water and other drinks, while the others were filled to the brim with canned foods, grains, and other commonly found non-perishable items.


    Rayne placed pots, pans, utensils, and dinnerware in the last cabinet, along with a camping gas cooktop and an electric cooktop.


    The last thing left to do was place the bins with everyone''s personal items. Since she wasn''t sure who exactly would be staying here, she decided to load up her SUV with everyone''s bins and have them go out to retrieve them from the car.


    This would create a story on how they transported them over, as well as provide everyone with their belongings.


    Each member of Alpha Team carried a handgun and a combat knife, so Rayne didn''t need to worry about supplying weapons.


    "Okay. I think I''m done," she finally announced and took a seat on the sectional.


    Julian walked over, admiring the transformed interior. "It''s perfect. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this."


    He walked over to sit beside her, pulling her into his arms.


    Rayne looked over at him. "Are you upset that Ella and her family are staying with us?" She noticed his momentary reluctance when she told Ella that they could stay as long as they needed.


    "Upset? No. Eager to spend alone time with you? Very much so," he smiled and kissed her.


    There were so many things happening ever since they came back from their trip to the north that, although they slept in the same bed, he felt that they hardly got to spend any time together.


    Rayne looked at him and noticed the longing in his eyes. Leaning over, she placed her lips on top of his and kissed him.


    "I''m looking forward to it as well. Once everything settles down a little bit, how about we take some time and dedicate it to us?" she suggested.


    Julian kissed her gently a few times. "Yes, I think that''s a perfect idea." His male brain was torn in half at this thought. One part of him wanted to be romantic and spend time doing cute things with her, while the other part wanted to keep her busy in bed the whole time.


    Rayne saw his face change expressions a few times but wasn''t sure what they meant. Thinking that he just really wanted a break from all the hustle and bustle, she hugged him tightly.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll get a day off here soon. Let''s just get everyone settled so that we can spend our alone time worry-free in the future," she said.


    Julian knew that she misread him but decided not to correct her. Her analysis still applied to him, and he was happy to receive the physical attention. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mhm, I know. We have the whole future ahead of us," he said, brushing a few strands of her hair with his fingers.


    They sat quietly together for a few minutes before they separated to go about their business. Rayne went back to hang out with Ella, while Julian went over to meet up with Noah and Ian to begin moving people into the apartment they just finished setting up.


    As soon as Rayne made it back, Ella ran up to her. "Rayneee! I''m starving! Can you make me something?"


    Rayne patted her friend on the back and smiled helplessly. "Haha, okay, okay. What would you like to eat?" asked Rayne.


    Ella placed a finger to her chin and thought carefully. "Hmm, something hot and delicious!" she finally called out, making Rayne laugh even more.


    "You did all that thinking only to come up with ''hot and delicious''," Rayne shook her head but walked over to the kitchen area.


    The first thing that came to mind was soup. It was easy to make, warming, and nourishing.


    Rayne quickly pulled out everything she needed from the cabinets and baskets around the small kitchen area.


    The soup was simple¡ªjust carrots, onions, potatoes, and a can of canned chicken. The noodles were dried egg noodles, and the soup came together very quickly.


    Rayne made enough for everyone to enjoy, and a few minutes later, only the sounds of slurping could be heard.


    "Tomorrow we will most likely move back home," said Ella. When Reginald came back from their apartment, he let them know that the housing office would be open tomorrow and that they could purchase electricity.


    "Okay, sounds good! Let me know if you need help moving or if you need additional heaters. We came back from the north with a big haul," said Rayne happily.


    She wished that she could break into their apartment right now and set it up much like she did with the neighboring one.


    Rayne looked over at Ella and promised to build them a warm, comfortable house one day when she finally established her own settlement.


    After the meal, the girls decided to go out and take a look at what was happening around the base.


    Ella wanted to check out the market to see if there were any new items. Rayne made sure to bundle up and gave Ella more clothing made from the nanofibers.


    Even after putting on multiple layers, Rayne still felt the freezing cold chilling her to the bone.


    Ella did a little dance to try and warm herself. "Let''s make this quick! I already want to turn around and run back inside!"


    Rayne very much agreed, and they quickly ran over to the main building on the base, where the market was located.


    As they made it up to the second floor, Rayne saw hundreds of people squeezed in together. Ella was also surprised to see so many people here.


    "I wonder why so many people are here," she said, loud enough for people around them to hear.


    "Ah, well, there are two main reasons. If you haven''t noticed, it''s warmer up here than anywhere else. Also, ever since the temperatures dropped, fewer people have been going out on missions, so supplies have dwindled significantly," said a middle-aged woman.


    Rayne squeezed through the crowd and noticed how empty all of the shelves were behind the chain-link fence.


    If things didn''t change soon, the whole base would face starvation. Compared to the ranch, things here were looking bleak.

 Chapter 163 Bunker Discovered

    Damien''s Base


    Dillon was sitting at a table with Ace and Cal, his two team leads, in his apartment.


    "We need to begin our mission to infiltrate the government base. Ace, you will take five men with you and begin to integrate yourself into the base," ordered Dillon.


    Ace bowed politely. "Yes, boss! We will set off tomorrow!"


    He already knew that he was going to be sent on this mission from a meeting with Dillon a few days ago, but it had been delayed due to the snowfall.


    Now that Dillon had been promoted to the very top, he also got to reap some of the benefits. Everyone on Dillon''s team had received a small promotion and now had access to many more supplies.


    Ace was now more motivated than ever to perform well in his duties and accepted the new mission with excitement.


    "I will take Cal for a slightly different mission, then meet up with you later," said Dillon. He wasn''t particularly excited to leave the comfort of Damien''s underground base, but it was something he couldn''t avoid.


    There was also the off chance he would run into Rayne there, and that was reason enough to venture out.


    After discussing a few more details, Ace left to make the final preparations before leading his team to the government base.


    As soon as Dillon was left alone, Jess walked over and wrapped her arms around his chest.


    "Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help," she murmured into his ear.


    Dillon frowned, not wanting to discuss details with a woman, but suddenly remembered that she worked for REN Corporation.


    "Wait. Did you know that the CEO of REN Corporation is still alive?" he asked her curiously. After thinking about it, he wasn''t sure what her role in that organization was.


    Jess''s eyes flashed with bitterness and longing as she pictured Julian''s face in her mind. A part of her still desired him, but she quickly snapped out of it. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was her life now, and she had already burned all the bridges back.


    "Yes, of course, I know. I worked for him directly," she smiled and began massaging his shoulders.


    Dillon perked up at this new discovery! He felt like Jess had just become a lot more useful to him.


    He allowed her to massage him a little while longer before he turned to face her, bringing her to sit on his lap.


    "I want to gift you something nice. Tell me, what would you like?" he asked her sweetly.


    Jess nearly melted at his sweetness, unaware he was simply using her for her body and knowledge.


    "Oh, baby, my only wish is to be beside you," she smiled blissfully.


    Dillon turned on his "lady killer" mode and continued to play the part of a loving and gentle boyfriend.


    He leaned in to kiss her gently. "You know you always will be. From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were special."


    His words worked wonders, and now Jess was seeing hearts everywhere, completely wrapped around his finger.


    After a few more minutes of sweet-talking and gentle kisses, Dillon finally turned to Jess. "One of my big missions is to find the CEO of REN Corporation. Would you be willing to help me out with this task? If you do, I''ll announce that you''re my main woman."


    Jess didn''t even wait for him to finish speaking before she agreed wholeheartedly. After hearing she would be presented as his main woman, she felt her skin tingle with excitement.


    "Will you spend the night with me today? Just me?" she asked with misty eyes.


    "Of course, babe. I''ll spoil you tonight," said Dillon, waiting for her to share any information she could about the CEO of REN Corp.


    A few minutes later, he finally got what he wanted to hear.


    "His name is Julian, and he''s staying in an underground bunker not too far away," she said, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.


    "Oh? So close?" asked Dillon. His interest was piqued. He could tell that the higher-ups were very interested in finding this person.


    Jess nodded coyly. "Yes, not only that, but even his family is stationed nearby, but they don''t have a good relationship at all. If you can''t find him, using them to lure him out might not be a bad idea."


    Dillon was thrilled at the amount of information he got from her. He was in a very rare ecstatic mood and picked up Jess, carrying her into the bedroom.


    After a long and heated session in the bedroom, he finally walked out feeling refreshed. He needed to make preparations to send a team to find this hidden bunker that Jess told him about, as well as locate Julian''s family.


    Dillon considered letting Tristan know about this newly acquired information, but he decided that it would be more of a wow factor if he was able to complete this mission from start to finish on his own.


    He walked around to the various departments where he was met with respect and recruited people to prepare supplies in order to infiltrate Julian''s secret bunker.


    After finishing the preplanning, he met with Cal, who would be joining him in infiltrating the bunker.


    They made plans to set off tomorrow, after everything was sorted.


    The Next Day


    Dillon woke up to meet up with Cal and the group of trained men he had previously requested.


    Everyone showed up armed and ready, and they all went over to the garage to check out some vehicles.


    Dillon sat in the passenger seat while Cal drove. He was dressed in warm clothes and a bulletproof vest, like everyone else.


    "I was told that the bunker is deep in the forest, so we''ll need to move on foot for a while," said Dillon, brainstorming the possible outcomes of this encounter.


    "Also, make sure everyone knows that we need Julian alive. The leaders want him alive for some reason," said Dillon authoritatively.


    "I''ll let them know, boss!" replied Cal.


    He just parked the car at the location Jess told Dillon about on the highway. Dillon looked around and spotted the very large evergreen tree that Jess used as a marker.


    "Looks like this is the spot," said Dillon and jumped into the knee-high snow. The others followed behind him, armed and ready to shoot if anything hostile came their way.


    They walked through the freezing cold, snow-ridden forest for hours before they finally found the hill that Jess described.


    "It''s here," said Dillon, kicking up the snow. He searched around for the hidden hatch, ordering the others to start digging.


    The cold quickly caught up to everyone, stiffening their bodies. Cal and the rest of the workers'' movements got slower and slower as the bitter cold seeped deep into their bodies.


    They dug around for about twenty minutes until Cal finally found what Dillon was looking for¡ªthe entry hatch that was hidden behind a bush.


    "B...boss! It''s here," called out Cal, his teeth chattering.


    Dillon walked over and entered the door code that Jess gave him.


    Beep, beep, beep! The keylock beeped three times, indicating that the wrong code was entered.


    "Stupid bitch can''t even remember the correct door code," grumbled Dillon with frustration.

 Chapter 164 Empty

    After trying the code once more, Dillon took a step back.


    "Glad I was smart enough not to rely on a woman," he mumbled.


    Turning to Cal, he looked at the hatch and ordered him to blow it open.


    "Prepare the explosives. We''re going to blow our way in. Everyone, prepare yourselves to fight as soon as we breach the entrance," he commanded.


    Cal quickly took out the packed explosives he carried in his backpack and began setting them up on top of the hatch door.


    The rest of the men, including Dillon, made their way deeper into the forest to avoid being impacted by the explosion.


    A few minutes later, Cal came over holding the detonator. After receiving the nod to go ahead, he clicked the handle, remotely setting off the charge.


    BOOM!


    The earth shook, and the trees rattled from the strong explosion. Tree branches littered the ground along with piles of dirt and snow.


    The explosion flung the surrounding snow, clearing the area around the hatch.


    Dillon walked over to the hatch, expecting to see a giant hole in its place, but instead, he found that the hatch was still attached.


    Luckily, the hinges that kept it locked down were blown off, giving him hope that the hatch could be opened.


    "Quick, try to pry the hatch door off," ordered Dillon. He stood close by, watching everyone try to lift the heavy metal door.


    It took the entire team of men to finally be able to nudge the hatch door off to the side, exposing the entry ladder into the bunker.


    Everyone pulled out their weapons and slid down the ladder, ready for a shootout as soon as they entered.


    Dillon was the last one to enter and quickly surveyed the surrounding area. Everything was dark and eerily quiet. Not a single sound could be heard.


    "Move out, shoot anything that isn''t us and Julian Barclay!" he ordered.


    The trained men quickly pushed forward, checking every room on the way.


    Dillon walked behind like an entitled lord, frowning.


    All of the rooms were empty. Not a single chair or table was seen.


    The entire bunker felt lifeless, as if they were the first people to discover its existence.


    "Boss, something feels off. There''s nothing here, not even a sign of anyone ever being here," said Cal.


    Dillon walked forward, examining each room with his own eyes. He was looking for signs of hidden rooms or anything else that would give him a clue as to what happened.


    Jess had told him about every major room on each level of the bunker, and in great detail. However, the reality was that everything was empty. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he entered what was supposed to be the kitchen, he noticed that even the cabinets on the walls were gone.


    "They must have known we were coming," Dillon said finally. Anger consumed him as he felt the urge to punch the wall.


    This was supposed to be a surprise mission, catching them off guard. He envisioned capturing Julian and taking all of the weapons he had hidden here back to their base.


    "Is there a mole among us?" asked Cal, wide-eyed.


    Dillon shook his head. "No, we only just planned this out. There wouldn''t be enough time for a mole to give us away. They knew beforehand," he explained.


    It seemed that this Julian was a lot more resourceful than he initially thought. They must have already realized something was off when they found no signs of Jess.


    "Okay, finish searching every nook and cranny. I doubt we will find anything, but keep looking!" he ordered.


    Dillon continued to walk around room to room. He was impressed at how well they had cleaned the place out. Even the sinks and toilets were missing, leaving only the exposed pipes where the plumbing had been.


    It didn''t make sense to him. Why would they put in so much effort to pull these items out? It wasn''t like they could just install them anywhere they pleased.


    Also, carrying all of these items must have been difficult. This bunker was not accessible by car, so he was curious how they managed to transport everything.


    A while later, Cal came over to find him.


    "Boss, we finished checking every room. Everything is empty, no signs of anyone living here," he reported.


    Dillon expected this and nodded. "Okay, gather everyone and let''s head back."


    The men went back outside into the freezing cold and began their hike back to the cars. The walk back was slightly faster since they knew where they were going.


    When they finally made it back to the city, it was already dark out. Dillon dismissed the trained men and walked with Cal to discuss their next course of action.


    "Boss, what do we do now? The bunker was empty and there was no sign of the CEO or REN Corporation," asked Cal.


    "Plan B is to locate his family. I''ve been told that they''re hiding in a secure area somewhere nearby," said Dillon.


    Cal''s face lit up with understanding. "Oh! So we capture his family and threaten them so that he comes out of hiding?"


    Dillon shook his head. "It would be nice if that worked, but I heard their relationship is very strained. Instead of capturing them, we will inform them that he''s alive and use them to lead Julian to us."


    "Oh, that''s brilliant!" said Cal.


    Dillon thought for a minute, then turned to Cal. "I need you to find me a female operative. Someone who has clean, innocent features, if possible. It will help us gain trust with his family."


    Cal accepted the orders and planned to go around to the various departments to look for someone who fit their requirements.


    After the meeting, Dillon went back to his apartment.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by Krissy, who was wearing a new set of lingerie, waiting for him to come home.


    "Baby! You''re back! I missed you so much!" she called out.


    While Dillon enjoyed the sight, he had made a promise to Jess to spend the night with only her, so he turned to Krissy. "Hey. Go get dressed, go out, and have some fun with your friends tonight."


    Krissy''s face fell. "What? Why..." she asked. She had obtained this new set of lingerie with great difficulty, thinking that it would win her some favor.


    "I''ve got plans with Jess tonight," Dillon said bluntly. He didn''t care about beating around the bush or upsetting her.


    To him, both of these women were just momentary stand-ins, catering to his physical needs until he reunited with Rayne.


    Krissy did her best to hold back her tears, but everything inside of her was screaming. Ever since Jess came around, she felt like a secondary woman, constantly having to go above and beyond just to get some of Dillon''s attention.


    Her only saving grace was that Dillon hadn''t uttered the ''I love you'' phrase to Jess yet, meaning she still held the higher spot in his heart.


    Dillon didn''t care to watch Krissy process her emotions and walked past her, heading toward the bathroom to shower.


    As he entered the bathroom, he found Jess waiting for him in the shower. "Come, let me wash your back," she said in a seductive tone.


    Dillon let her undress him, and they both got into the shower together.


    Krissy dug her fingernails into her palm. She swore that she would get rid of Jess one way or another.

 Chapter 165 Increased Prices...

    At the Government Base


    Today was the day the housing office had promised to be open, so Rayne and Julian loaded their backpacks with high-quality resources from her system and walked over to the housing office.


    They tried to get there early so they could have first pick of the available units.


    As they arrived at the housing office, they ran into Reginald, who had just finished purchasing electricity for his unit.


    "Rayne, Julian," he greeted politely.


    "Good morning, Mr. Soto! Were you able to make your purchase?" asked Rayne cheerfully.


    Reginald nodded. "Yes, thankfully there was no problem with that. We will move out today. Again, thank you for allowing us to stay in your home for so many days."


    "Not a problem! You guys are like family to me!" said Rayne, while Julian smiled.


    After exchanging a few more words, Reginald went back to their apartment to prepare for the move, while Rayne and Julian walked over to the counter.


    "Hello, how may I help you today?" asked the housing staff.


    Rayne smiled. "Hello, we''re interested in renting a few more units." She wanted to see if they could secure at least four rooms, and if they were in close proximity, that would be even better.


    The housing staff member quickly pulled up the list of available units and showed them to Rayne and Julian.


    Rayne looked at the list and was surprised to see that so many units were available! She scanned the long list and quickly asked about their locations.


    After the housing staff member explained the locations, Rayne picked out the neighboring unit first so she wouldn''t have to undo all of her setup efforts.


    The other units she chose were all three-bedroom units, which were spread out on different floors of a building near their building.


    In total, she chose five rooms, all with electricity.


    The housing staff member looked at Rayne with a surprised expression. "Are you sure you want all of these? I must add that the prices have gone up again."


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, please. I''d like all of these and with electricity. Let''s do a four-month deposit for now."


    The housing staff member couldn''t believe it and quickly calculated the cost for four three-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit.


    "That will be 5,050 points per month," she said matter-of-factly.


    Rayne was indeed surprised by how much the prices had gone up. If it was over 5,000 points, that meant the cost per unit was about 1,000 points a month!


    She wasn''t sure what kind of job on base paid someone enough points to rent an apartment. It seemed like the officials of the base didn''t care much about the welfare of its residents.


    Rayne pulled up her backpack and dumped the contents on the counter. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Could you calculate how many points these items are worth?" asked Rayne.


    The housing staff member''s eyes widened. She couldn''t believe the sight in front of her: cigars, medicines, hand warmers, canned meat, and clothing scattered across the counter.


    "Oh, these shirts are made from nanofiber and are excellent at insulating heat," said Rayne. She wanted to ensure the housing staff understood the value of the clothing.


    After closely inspecting every item, the housing staff member began calculating the values of all of the items.


    "The total for these items comes out to 18,500 points," she finally said.


    Rayne frowned. She felt that while the costs of items and housing went up, the value from selling continued to go down.


    She wondered if the administrators saw this as a problem. Why weren''t they doing something to help the people?


    Rayne finally took Julian''s backpack and dumped its contents on the table. "Here, it''s the exact same as the previous. Please inspect," said Rayne.


    Once again, the housing administrator closely inspected each item, and after verifying that the items were of similar quality and quantity, she nodded at Rayne.


    "Yep, same total¡ª18,500 points! Making the grand total 37,000 points," she said.


    Rayne nodded, and the transaction was completed. The housing administrator handed Rayne the keys to all five of the units she rented.


    "Electricity should already be turned on. Please come back if you have any additional questions," the housing staff smiled politely.


    Rayne wasn''t in the mood to be overly friendly, especially after learning how the prices continued to skyrocket.


    She simply waved and walked out with Julian, heading over to the first of the four remaining units she would need to furnish.


    The building they arrived in front of was only a short walk down a ''scenic'' path from the building where their apartment unit was.


    "Not a bad location. It''s not as far back as ours, but still feels tucked away," commented Julian.


    The building was also overall larger, as all of the units here were three-bedroom. Rayne looked at the numbers on her keys and noticed that she had gotten all of the units on the left side of the building, one on each floor.


    There were four floors in total, and only three units across, due to the size of each unit.


    "Let''s start with the bottom floor and work our way up," suggested Rayne. She walked over to the first unit and unlocked it with the given key.


    The size of this unit was indeed a lot larger, about twice the size of what they had. The materials used were also of higher quality.


    "They must have made this building for the wealthy. I can tell by just the stone they used for the countertops in the bathrooms that it''s a much more expensive material," commented Rayne.


    Julian looked around. "Did you want to move into one of these units?" he asked. He wanted to give Rayne the best of the best, even if it was a little over the top.


    Rayne giggled. "No! I like our cozy place right now!"


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I do too! It''s a good size for the two of us."


    They both quickly got to cleaning and disinfecting the entire interior before Rayne began her furnishing and decorating process.


    "Hey, give me the keys to the other units so that I can start cleaning them while you do your thing here. It''ll speed up the process," suggested Julian.


    Since he didn''t have a magical system that could make infinite copies of things, he wouldn''t be much help to Rayne unless she needed help putting something together.


    But since she had already made a copy of the bunk beds from the previous unit, he knew she would be fine on her own.


    Rayne thanked him and handed over additional cleaning supplies that she placed in a bucket for him to carry upstairs.


    Once she was alone, she rolled up her sleeves (figuratively) and got to work.

 Chapter 166 Would You Rather?

    She set up this room in a very similar way to how she set up the previous one. Each of the three bedrooms was large enough to hold two bunk beds, so she was able to comfortably fit twelve people per unit.


    The other change she made was using pull-out sofas in the living room for additional sleeping spaces instead of a large sectional.


    Since the unit had electricity, she swapped the pellet stoves in the bedrooms for electric space heaters, keeping only the pellet stove in the living room as a backup in case something happened to the electrical supply.


    The kitchen area was also a little different because the three-bedroom units had a dedicated kitchenette area. Rayne felt a little jealous of this kitchen because it had built-in countertops and a sink, which made cooking a lot easier.


    Just like the previous unit, she fully stocked the cabinets with food and water¡ªenough to last a few months.


    After finishing up the first-floor unit, Rayne made her way up to the next ones, repeating the same process.


    The only difference was that, in the third-floor unit, Julian told Rayne that this one was going to be where Ana and the other females on Alpha Team would stay.


    Rayne made sure to include feminine hygiene supplies, along with skincare and other female items.


    The bedding she chose was also a bit more on the feminine side, with a few floral patterns to liven up the space.


    She repeated the process until all of the rooms were finally finished, then made her way back home with Julian.


    When they got back, she noticed that Ella and her family were gone and had made sure to fully clean up the area they had lived in.


    Julian smiled at the empty room and led Rayne over to the bathroom. "Take a hot shower and relax. I''ll get a move started in the living room."


    Rayne perked up at the idea of having a relaxing evening with Julian and quickly jumped in the shower.


    The hot shower worked wonders, relaxing her stiff muscles from staying out in the cold for so long. She put on a very cozy set of oversized pajamas and walked over to the couch after drying her hair.


    Julian looked up at her, noticing the fuzzy pink bunny pajamas. She''s so adorable.


    Rayne quickly jumped onto the couch and snuggled up against him. They were finally alone in a comfortable space where they could both relax.


    Julian pulled her close and started the movie, but found that he couldn''t concentrate on anything but her.


    Rayne noticed that he was having a difficult time concentrating on the movie. "How about we play a little game?" she suggested.


    Julian raised an eyebrow. "What sort of game are you thinking?"


    Rayne smiled mischievously. "Would you rather?"


    Julian smiled knowingly and adjusted his posture so that he was facing Rayne on the couch. "Well, this sounds fun. I''m in," he grinned.


    Rayne also adjusted her posture and looked at him excitedly. "Hmm, okay. First question: Would you rather have an extra hour of sleep each night or an extra hour of free time each day?"


    Julian thought about it for a moment. "Hmmm. If it were before the apocalypse, I would definitely say an extra hour of free time each day. But now... I''m going to say an extra hour of sleep. What about you?"


    Rayne also thought about it for a moment. "I think I would also go with sleep, at least right now. It''s warmer under the covers, haha!"


    After laughing, she continued, "Okay, next question! Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or broccoli for eyebrows?"


    "What kind of question is that? Neither!" He looked at her with a confused expression.


    Rayne burst out laughing. "No! You need to pick one! Hahah!"


    "Okay, fine," he shook his head, unsure of which to choose. "I like my hair as it is, so I guess I would choose broccoli eyebrows."


    Rayne laughed once again, picturing his handsome face but with two big broccoli eyebrows! The image that formed in her mind was just too silly.


    Julian started laughing, infected by her joyous mood. "Well, what about you?"


    "Oh, spaghetti hair all day. Imagine¡ªinstead of going in for a haircut, you just snip it into a bowl and cover it with sauce... Tada! Dinner is served!" she giggled.


    Julian facepalmed. "Of course, the foodie would choose the spaghetti."


    "Hey! You''re just as much of a foodie as I am!" she pointed her finger at him, laughing.


    After she calmed down, "Okay, let see. Would you rather enjoy a steamy shower together or share a sensual massage session?".


    This question lit a small fire inside of them. Julian''s mind raced as he pictured her in a steamy shower with him, the water dripping down her body.


    He gulped before imagining a sensual massage where he covered her body in oil as his hands massaged her soft skin. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh I like this question. Both options are great but if I had to chose one, I would chose the sensual massage", he said in a deep voice.


    Rayne blushed at his response and her heart began to race.


    Julian pulled her in so that she was only a few inches away from his face. "Well, I''m looking forward to hearing your answer", he whispered in her ear.


    Rayne felt goosebumps all over her skin as her heart raced. She felt her body begin to heat up internally.


    "I..um...I would chose the steamy shower. I love hot showers", she said as her cheeks flushed.


    "Oh really? How about we enjoy a hot steamy shower together sometime?", he said, holding her by the waist.


    Rayne''s face flushed as she nodded. "What about you? Do you have a question?", she breathed.


    Julian pushed her down on the couch and leaned over so that he was on top of her. He bent down and brushed his lips against her soft skin.


    "Would you rather keep asking questions," he asked, his breath brushing against her ear, "or play a new game?" His mouth traced the outline of her jaw, peppering it with soft kisses.

 Chapter 167 My Entire World

    (A/N: Mature Content Warning)


    Rayne felt the fire spread throughout her body as Julian continued to trail kisses down her neck.


    A few moments later he paused, waiting for her reply. He already knew the answer from her body language alone, but he wanted to hear her say the words.


    Rayne looked up at him with misty eyes, "I..I want...I want the other...game", she breathed in almost a whisper.


    She felt Julian press down against her body, his erection pushing down into her lower abdomen. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her with an unrestrained desire.


    Rayne''s body moved on its own, wanting to feel more of him all over her.


    The room shifted into sensual silence where only their labored breathing could be heard as they gasped for air between kisses.


    Julian''s hand began to travel down her body until they found the entrance beneath her shirt. His hands trembled slightly as he lifted her shirt over her head.


    He watched as she arched her back, helping him take her top off, exposing her soft pale skin and pink nipples.


    The primal desire stirred inside of him as he dove down to taste the sweetness of her supple skin.


    His hand roamed around her body, going from her back and up to her perky breasts.


    Rayne moaned, feeling his tongue twirling and sucking around her hard nipples.


    "Julian, ahh!", she cried out from pleasure. She wanted more, she needed to feel him even more.


    His instincts kicked in as he ripped his shirt off, exposing his chest.


    Rayne lifted her arms and placed them around his neck, pulling him down towards her.


    As they kissed, Julian worked his hands around the waistband of her pants, pulling them off of her along with her panties.


    His movements were a little rough, driven by a deep hunger.


    After breaking away from the kiss he took a minute to appreciate her naked body. It was so alluring that his erection began to throb, begging to be released from the confines of his pants.


    "Julian, I want you. Please", she moaned with misty eyes.


    He couldn''t take it any longer and unzipped his pants, pulling them down along with his boxers.


    Rayne gasped at the sight of his huge cock. She knew that it was big from when he pressed against her earlier, but this was even more than she imagined.


    She felt a sensation similar to butterflies twist inside of her, causing her to ooze with her natural wetness.


    Julian bent over her body once more but this time the tip of his cock could feel the softness of her skin, sending waves of pleasure throughout his body.


    "I love you Rayne", he breathed out kissing her.


    She couldn''t reply as his lips were pressed against hers and his tongue was dancing with hers.


    As they were kissing he used one of his hands to support himself above her, while his other hand gripped his shaft, guiding it to her entrance.


    As he lowered himself between her legs, he felt the warm wetness that was flowing out of her, and without any delay, he thrust his cock deep inside of her.


    "Ahh!", she cried out. The pleasure of him stretching her out mixed with the small pain of losing her virginity.


    "Fuck Rayne, you''re so tight", he moaned. Her insides gripped around him, sucking him in deeper and deeper. The feeling of being inside of her was beyond any kind of pleasure he''d ever felt before.


    Tilting his head backward, he closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of his cock firmly filling her.


    He began to move his hips slowly to get her accustomed to the feeling, doing his best to hold himself back from tearing into her full force.


    She continued to moan, her nails slowly digging into his back. She finally understood what it meant to feel like when your head was in the clouds, with no other thoughts outside of Julian''s hard cock filling her deepest parts.


    After a few gentle movements, Julian looked down at her, "I''m going to start moving now", and began to pull himself out before thrusting back in.


    His thrusts were heavy, causing her breasts to bounce with each one.


    Rayne continued to cry out, "Ah! Julian!", only fueling his movements even more.


    Julian''s movements picked up pace as he desired to go even deeper. He lifted her up with his arms, supporting her by her thighs while she held herself up with her arms around his neck.


    Standing up, he now had a much deeper angle, bouncing her dainty frame on top of his cock.


    "Ahh! You''re so deep!", she cried out. She felt him stretch her out even more than before, hitting her womb directly.


    The muscles in his arms flexed every time he thrust inside of her, lifting her effortlessly. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne continued to bounce as his cock pounded her relentlessly, "Ah, Julia..an! You''re going...to..make me cum!", she moaned in between thrusts.


    Knowledge of her immanent climax only fueled him further, increasing his pace.


    "Be a good girl and cum for me", he said in a low voice. He watched as her face tensed up, readying for the first orgasm of the many that were to come.


    A few moments later he felt her nails dig into the skin on his back and her clamp down on his cock, pulsing.


    "Fuck Rayne, I could cum from this feeling alone", he muttered. She was so tight that her orgasm caused her to clamp down around him, pulling him in even more.


    The orgasm was so strong that Rayne almost screamed her moan out. Every inch of her body had waves of pleasure wash through over and over until it finally ended.


    Julian looked into her misty eyes, "Oh we''re not over yet sweetheart". He picked her up and kissed her as he carried her to the bedroom.


    As soon as he placed her down on the edge of the bed he plunged himself inside of her as he draped her legs over his shoulders.


    The sensation made his mind go blank as his instincts took over. He began to thrust rhythmically inside of her, increasing his pace ever so slightly.


    All he could hear was Rayne''s moans and gasps for air mixed in with his own, and after several thrusts, the feeling of his imminent orgasm spread through his veins.


    "Oh fuck, baby, I''m going to cum", he moaned, closing his eyes.


    Rayne heard his words and a new kind of excitement washed over her, something she had never experienced before.


    Every fiber of her being wanted him to cum inside of her, and thankfully it was a safe day.


    "Please, I want you to cum inside of me", she moaned with watery eyes. Her body was craving to know the feeling while her mind tingled with anticipation.


    Julian, who was initially hesitant, lost control of her pleading words and burst inside of her, filling her with his cum.


    The words choked up in his mouth and his mind went blank from the strongest orgasm he''s ever experienced.


    The feeling of him filling her made her go crazy, sending her body into another orgasm.


    A few moments later Julian finally pulled out and knelt over Rayne on the bed.


    "I love you Rayne, you are my entire world", he whispered as he gently caressed her cheek. The raw emotions flowed through him, all he wanted to do was give her the entire world.

 Chapter 168 Strong Instincts

    The next morning, Rayne woke up sore all over. Her whole body ached, and her legs felt like jelly.


    "Hey there, gorgeous," said Julian from the doorway. He had just finished showering and was drying his hair with a towel.


    Rayne smiled at him, stretching her arms above her head. "Good morning," she yawned, enjoying the view of his muscular upper body.


    "How are you feeling? Let me take care of you today; you must be really sore," he asked, walking over to the side of the bed.


    Rayne put on a brave front. "No, I''m totally fine. Let me go take a shower, and we can get to work." She moved her sore body out of the bed, but the moment she tried to stand up, her legs gave way, causing her to fall over.


    Julian quickly reached out and caught her, lifting her up into his arms.


    A part of him felt a little bad since he was the cause of her current state, but on the other hand, he felt a little satisfied that he had such an effect.


    "Let me help you," he smiled and carried her to the bathroom. He stayed with her while she showered, helping her whenever she needed it.


    They both took their time, enjoying the time they spent together.


    After the shower, Julian helped Rayne get dressed and carried her to the couch in the living room. Both of them were starving from the exercise they performed last night, so Rayne quickly opened up her system panel to find something to eat.


    "I don''t know about you, but I''m feeling a nice big slice of pizza," said Rayne. She was looking at the various pizza icons on the system panel, deciding which one she wanted.


    "Oh heck yes. Pizza sounds so good. Do you happen to have one with extra pepperoni?" asked Julian, sitting down beside her.


    Rayne scrolled through the dozens of pizza icons and found one that had extra pepperoni. "Here! Enjoy!" she said, handing him a paper plate with a steaming hot slice of pizza on it.


    After handing him the pizza, she finally made her choice, clicking on the icon of a classic Margherita pizza. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They ate happily while watching a TV show on her laptop.


    "So, what''s on the task list for today?" asked Rayne after finishing her slice.


    Julian looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "You? You''re staying home and relaxing. I plan on visiting Noah and Ian, as well as the rest of Alpha Team to see how they''re settling in. We still have a few scouts out in the city that Ian just recently contacted, so I want to hear the status on that."


    "Wha--?"


    "No, don''t even try to protest. You''re sitting your cute butt right here and resting! Don''t make me call Ella over," he said, cutting her off.


    Rayne blushed. "Oh no! Please don''t call Ella; she would have a field day teasing me!" This was the truth¡ªElla wouldn''t hesitate to ask Rayne about every single detail.


    Julian shook his head, laughing. "She''ll catch on sooner or later; she''s got sharp instincts, haha!"


    After tucking her into the couch with a few blankets and pillows, Julian got dressed in his warm outdoor clothes and left to make his rounds.


    Ella''s instincts proved to be very sharp because only a few minutes after Julian left, she came over for a visit.


    "Rayne! I''m coming in!" she announced from the outside and used the spare key to unlock the door.


    When she entered, the sight of Rayne bundled up on the couch with multiple fuzzy blankets greeted her.


    "Girl! You look like you just woke up! Did you catch a cold?" asked Ella as she came over to join Rayne on the couch.


    Rayne blushed but shook her head. "No, I didn''t catch a cold. What brings you here today?"


    Ella looked at her best friend''s blushing face, putting things together in her mind. "RAYNE! You''re no longer a virgin, are you?!"


    She jumped over to Rayne, pulling the blankets off of her.


    "Ella!!" cried Rayne. She clung to the last blanket like a shield, but her crimson cheeks gave her away.


    "Oh my goodness! Ahhh! My bestie is all grown up!" shouted Ella and giggled.


    Rayne hid her face in the blanket. "You make it sound like you''re not a virgin yourself!"


    Ella leaned over and tore the blanket away from Rayne, looking directly into her eyes. "Don''t go changing the subject now! You need to tell me E V E R Y T H I N G! Did it hurt? Is he big?? What does it feel like?"


    Rayne looked at Ella''s sparkling eyes and resigned herself to her fate of being interrogated. At first, she felt a little shy answering these personal questions, but Ella''s genuine curiosity soon made her feel a lot more comfortable.


    "Ella, I can''t even begin to describe it. The feeling is amazing," said Rayne. She tried her best to describe what happened, but when it came to how things felt, she found it difficult to find words outside of ''amazing.''


    The girls chatted nonstop for a few hours until Julian finally came back.


    He walked in to the sounds of giggling, only to see Ella sitting with Rayne on the couch.


    A knowing smile spread across his face as he walked over to make sure Rayne was doing okay. He silently sent her a signal with his eyes, asking if she wanted him to save her from Ella.


    Rayne smiled and shook her head. Ella''s company today was a lot of fun, and she wanted her to stay a while longer.


    "Do you ladies want some more time to chat? I can head over next door to hang out with Noah and Ian," he said.


    Just before Rayne could answer, they heard a knock on the door. Julian went over to answer it and found Noah standing at the entrance.


    "Oh hey Noah, come on in!" Rayne invited him inside so that Julian didn''t feel weird being the only male in the room.


    Julian led Noah inside, and they both took a seat on the armchairs across from the couch. Noah politely greeted Ella and Rayne before sitting down.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if it was because of their previous conversation, but she could swear she noticed an infatuated gaze on Ella''s face as she looked at Noah.

 Chapter 169 Bag of Bricks

    A few days later, at Damien''s base.


    "Boss! I found a woman who fits your description!" said Cal as he sat down at Dillon''s table.


    Dillon looked up and checked out the young woman who stood beside Cal. She had very soft features and crystal-clear eyes that made her look like a lost doe.


    "Good, she will work," Dillon replied before turning to the woman. "What''s your name?"


    The woman bowed respectfully. "Hello, my name is Katrina. I''m a level 3 leader from Leader Mai''s team."


    Dillon nodded; a level 3 leader meant that she had been part of the organization before the world went to hell.


    Dillon motioned for her to sit down so they could discuss the specifics of the upcoming mission.


    "So you just need me to go in, get on their good side, and convince them to look for their son?" Katrina asked once more to make sure she understood the scope of her job correctly.


    "Yes. You''ll go with Cal and pose as siblings/friends/whatever you want," said Dillon. All that mattered to him was that they find where Julian was hiding.


    They went over the plan once more and got up to attend to their business. Before everyone left, Dillon turned to Cal and Katrina. "Don''t rush things. Make sure they''re fully on your side."


    "Yes, Boss!" Cal called out, while Katrina bowed her head respectfully.


    Meanwhile, at the entrance of the government base...


    "Leader Ace, how much longer do you think we''ll have to wait in this line? We must''ve been here for at least half a day already," complained one of the men in Ace''s car.


    "How the hell am I supposed to know?" Ace snapped. He had been waiting in a long line for hours today, and there was still a long line of cars in front of them. At this rate, they''d be lucky to make it in today.


    One of the other men sighed, "Why can''t we just drive in. If anyone gives us trouble, we''ll just shoot them".


    Ace placed his hand on his forehead, I''m with a bunch of morons.


    "The mission is to blend in, not start a war, genius," he sighed, regretting his earlier decision to bring these guys with him.


    They waited in line for another three hours before they made it to the first checkpoint. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Listen up morons, I''m going to need to all to pretend to be mute. I''m the only one who''s going to do the talking", Ace said. He did not trust that they would not say something absolutely off the wall, resulting them a denied entry.


    The others in the car all bobbed their heads, not saying a word. The car pulled up and a guard walked over to their car.


    "What brings you here", he asked without much emotion.


    Ace took a deep breath and managed to squeeze a few tears out, "Oh sir! You wouldn''t believe it! My brothers and I are on a run! Bandits took over our home, killing and pillaging! Even my poor grandmother wasn''t spared and got taken as the bandit leaders woman!".


    He dramatically swept his hand across his face, acting as though he had just experienced the worst situation imaginable.


    The guard sensed that Ace was a little off and glanced at the rest of the men in the car.


    Seeing the guard look at them, they bobbed their heads once more and didn''t say a word.


    The guard scratched his head. This bunch looked like a group of baby birds waiting for their mother to come back and feed them.


    Ace continued weaving an elaborate, over-the-top story, even mentioning how he nearly lost his arm in a fight to make it here.


    The guard, exhausted from his twelve-hour shift, couldn''t be bothered to listen to more of the story.


    Passing them off as slightly "not right in the head," he cut Ace off mid-sentence. "You''re here to register as residents, right? Pull over into that parking lot and wait in line to get your resident cards."


    He pointed to the adjacent parking lot, which had an even longer line than the one they had just come through.


    Ace looked in horror, realizing there was yet another line they had to wait in. He quickly thanked the guard and drove the car over to the next parking lot.


    As soon as he pulled away, one of the men couldn''t help but say, "Leader Ace, I''m really sorry about your grandmother."


    Ace felt like pulling his hair out. He didn''t know where he found these guys. A bag of bricks would have been smarter than these guys combined.


    He silently pulled into a parking spot. "You guys take turns standing in line. I''m going to take a quick nap. Wake me up when it''s almost our turn."


    "Yes, Leader Ace," they said, bobbing their heads.


    Ace rolled over, closed his eyes, and the others played rock-paper-scissors to decide who had to wait first.


    Ten minutes went by, and they still couldn''t determine who lost and had to go first. Ace felt like punching a wall. He quickly sat up and pointed at each of them. "One, two, three, four, and five. Now go! Rotate every thirty minutes."


    After sorting that out, he turned back to try and sleep.


    After two hours he woke up, glad to see that they seemed to be following the order correctly. "How far in the line did you guys make it?", he asked and adjusted his seat in the car.


    The four of them looked at him with giant question marks. Ace could feel the blood vessels in his forehead popping. He aggressively opened the car door and stepped outside.


    He walked over to the middle of the line, trying to find the one guy who was holding their place in line.


    He slowly made his way down the line after not finding the familiar face. Frowning, he continued to walk farther and farther back.


    "Surely the line doesn''t move this slowly?" he mumbled to himself. It wasn''t until he reached the very end of the line that he realized what was going on.


    He approached the familiar man, doing his best to hold back his anger. "Why are you all the way back here?" he asked with a trembling voice.


    "Well, Number Three came over to the car and told me it was my turn to wait, so here I am. Is something wrong, Leader?" the man asked in a confused tone.


    "What''s wrong is that you guys are going to give me a brain aneurysm!" Ace shouted.


    The man frowned. "Is that painful?"


    Ace took his place in line. "Go back to the car and call everyone over. Make sure you lock the car and bring me the keys."


    Ace felt like if he didn''t specify the instructions in high detail, they''d end up locking the keys in the car.

 Chapter 170 Infiltrating the Government Base

    Ace ended up standing in the three-hour line with all five of his men. He forbade them from speaking because he felt like his mental state was already close to snapping.


    When they finally made it to the counter, Ace''s eyes bulged at the cost of getting a resident card.


    "But we just paid to get in; why do we need to pay again?" he cried out.


    The registration staff member sighed; she''d heard this question so many times today.


    "I apologize, sir, but these are the rules of the base," she said for the thousandth time that day.


    She handed him the paperwork and told him where to turn in the goods for payment.


    Ace calculated the cost with what they brought and frowned. They would need to pay half of the supplies they brought just to register!


    Grumbling, he made a note to complain that the information they were given by Leader Mai''s team was outdated.


    Ace was about to pass out the forms to the others for them to fill out but decided not to. "These guys probably don''t even know how to write," he said, massaging his temples.


    After filling out the forms and paying the registration fee, Ace and his group of baby birds went back to the car.


    "I''m going to hold on to your resident cards because I know you''ll lose them," said Ace, placing them in his coat pocket.


    They drove into the base, stopping at the parking lot outside the main lobby. Now that they had finally entered and registered, all that was left was to find a place to live.


    Ace directed his men over to the housing office, feeling hopeful about finding a nice place to live.


    "Welcome to the housing office. How may I help you?" asked the housing staff.


    Ace walked over to the counter. "Ah, hi. We''ve just arrived and are looking for a place to live."


    "Certainly, take a look at our available rooms," said the housing staff, pushing a piece of paper toward him.


    Ace looked at the sheet, and his eyes bulged when he saw the cost of renting each space for one month.


    It was 700 points for one month of renting the smallest room!


    "Is there a typo? These prices are insane!" he exclaimed. There was no way people were living comfortably here if the prices were so high. It was borderline extortion!


    The housing staff member looked at Ace and the five lost-looking men behind him, feeling bad. She could tell that they didn''t have much, and that the men in the back most likely had some issues.


    Lowering her voice, she looked at Ace. "Listen, I''m not supposed to mention this, but I feel bad for you having to take care of your brothers. We recently built a large dormitory-style building with many bunk beds. It''s only 20 points a month, so it''s a lot more affordable."


    Ace calculated in his head. If it was 20 points per month per person, that meant for his group it would be 120 points a month. This was indeed a lot cheaper than renting a room for 700.


    After thinking about it, Ace decided to go with the cheaper option. The weather was still bad, and he wasn''t sure how long he would be here for, so he felt the smarter thing to do would be to ration their supplies.


    "Thank you, we will take the cheaper option, please," said Ace.


    After finalizing the transaction, the housing staff quickly explained where to go to find the building.


    "You six will be assigned bunks 133-139," she said, handing him six tags. "Hang these over your bunks to indicate that you''ve purchased the bunks."


    After leaving the housing office, they got back into their car and drove over to where the sports field was supposed to be.


    It wasn''t difficult to find, so they arrived quickly. As soon as Ace approached the building, he frowned. There was trash littered all over the ground, and people were squatting to relieve themselves around the building.


    "Surely this building has a bathroom," he said unhappily. He couldn''t understand why the people here were so gross and unkempt. Even the new recruits enjoyed a better life back at their underground base. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as they entered, Ace had to cover his nose. A vile scent of feces mixed with body odor hung in the air.


    "Leader Ace, this place smells bad," complained one of the guys.


    "Yes, I have a nose too. I know it smells bad, but we don''t have a choice!" he hissed.


    Ace led the group down the hall, walking between a sea of bunk beds. Everyone here looked miserable and dirty. Not a single person had showered in weeks.


    When they finally arrived at their designated bunks, Ace felt like crying. The neighbors on either side of them were absolutely disgusting, and one of them even seemed sickly.


    The bunk beds were made of very shabby metal, causing them to sway at the lightest movement. Ace frowned and placed his duffel bag on the bottom bunk. There was no mattress, only a thin piece of plywood that was covered in a rag.


    He looked around, taking in all the sights. He couldn''t help but shake his head. No wonder it''s been so easy for us to recruit people to our side. Our promise of a better life is indeed the truth.


    The six of them settled into their bunks, doing their best not to breathe in due to the horrid smell. It took Ace a long time to fall asleep because he didn''t feel safe sleeping while being surrounded by hundreds of strangers.


    He finally couldn''t take it anymore and woke the rest of the team up to set up shifts for a night watch. They decided on two shifts per night and that they would all rotate throughout the week.


    After everything was sorted, Ace felt a little better and went to sleep. He was so exhausted from the long day of traveling and waiting in lines that he quickly passed out.


    He slept soundly throughout the night, even through all the noise in the building, only waking up the following morning.


    When he opened his eyes and looked around, he shot up, realizing the duffel bag and everything else they brought inside was gone!


    "Which one of you was on night watch last night?" he asked, angrily.


    One of the men raised his hand. "It was me, Leader Ace!" His voice was cheerful, as if there were no problems.


    "Did you do as you were told?" asked Ace, moments away from screaming.


    The man nodded his head. "Yes!"


    Ace took a long, deep breath, then asked in a slow and emphasized manner, "So why the FUCK are our things missing?"


    The man shrunk back and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn''t see anyone! I only closed my eyes for a few minutes. When I opened them, everything was already gone."


    "Keep it together, Ace, keep it together," muttered Ace. He felt like his mental state was hanging on by a very thin thread.


    "So you fell asleep during your shift? And you didn''t think to wake anyone up when you discovered that the things were missing?" asked Ace.


    "No, Leader, I didn''t fall asleep. I only closed my eyes for a little bit!" the man argued.


    Ace wanted to pull his hair out. Thankfully, he left most of their supplies in the car and the keys in an inner pocket of his jacket. Still, this loss of supplies was not a good way to start their mission.

 Chapter 171 The Barclays

    At a secondary safehouse in the City.


    "Mrs. Barclay, I apologize, but our reserve of fruits and vegetables is gone. Please try to understand," said a servant.


    He had just returned from the kitchen, where he was informed that the Madame''s breakfast order of fresh buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and freshly squeezed fruit juice could not be made because their food reserves had nearly been depleted.


    "Do you know who you''re speaking to? I don''t care where you need to go to find some fruit, but I expect you to find it!" yelled Mrs. Barclay.


    Ever since her son, Julian, had risen to the peak of the business empire, she had never heard the word ''no.'' Everything she ever wished for, she had, and today would not be an exception.


    "Madame, the world outside is not safe. There is also no guarantee that we would be able to find anything, even if we went out," the servant tried to explain.


    While Julian built this emergency shelter in the past for his family and others of high society, the stocked food was not an infinite resource.


    His family had moved into the shelter with some close family friends when the news of Julian''s death was announced.


    They were worried that the killer was going to go after them next, so they decided to lay low until the killer was caught.


    From the time of Julian''s death until the initial earthquake, food and other supplies were delivered on a regular basis. However, once everything went to shit, they had to make do with what they had. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mom! They just told me I can''t have my chocolate protein shake! Help me!" a girl about Rayne''s age came over crying.


    "There, there. I''ll make sure they give you what you want, princess, just wait a little bit," Mrs. Barclay said, patting her daughter sweetly.


    "Can you make sure they bring enough for Samantha too?" the girl said, wiping her tears.


    Her mother looked over at the beautiful girl behind her daughter. "Of course, sweetie. Samantha was always meant to be part of our family; she''s like a daughter to me."


    Samantha took a step forward. "Oh, please don''t worry about me. I''m already very grateful for you allowing me to stay here with you. It''s unfortunate... oh, I''m sorry." She turned her head to pretend to cry.


    "Aww, Samantha, are you thinking about my brother again?" asked her best friend.


    Samantha nodded. "I''m sorry, Layla. I just can''t help it. I miss him so much."


    Layla shook her head. "If he was still alive, I would strangle him for making you cry so many times!"


    "Please don''t say that. I''m okay with the way he is," Samantha said softly.


    Julian had always been her dream man, and ever since becoming friends with Layla, she had worked hard to get into the good graces of his family.


    Her plan worked wonders, and Julian''s family accepted her as their future daughter-in-law, even though Julian never once agreed to her advances.


    "Don''t worry, Samantha. No matter what, I consider you a part of the family. No one can take that from you," Mrs. Barclay smiled.


    The girls chatted for a while longer until another servant came over with news.


    "Madame, there are people at the entrance. They''re seeking an audience with you and the young miss," he said respectfully.


    Mrs. Barclay frowned, but before she could deny them, the servant added another piece of news, "The young lady said she was Miss Layla''s classmate."


    "Very well, let them in," said Mrs. Barclay. If it was her daughter''s classmate, that meant these people were from high society since the school she attended was meant for those of aristocratic families.


    A few minutes later, a delicate young lady with a slightly rough-looking young man walked inside. The lady held herself with grace, adding to Mrs. Barclay''s suspicions that she was from an important family.


    Layla looked at the girl with confusion. "Hmm, I don''t remember seeing you in school." As one of the most popular girls in school, thanks to her brother''s success, Layla was always the center of attention.


    She looked the girl up and down but couldn''t remember ever seeing her.


    "My name is Katrina, and this is my cousin Cal," Katrina said sweetly. "You might not remember me much because I was often sick due to my poor constitution, but I remember you. I''ve always been a big fan of yours."


    Layla shrugged but was happy to have a fan. She looked at Katrina''s dainty figure and slightly pale complexion, feeling like her words about being sick were true.


    "What brings you here?" asked Mrs. Barclay, respectfully. She saw Layla give her a nod, indicating that this girl was telling the truth.


    Katrina looked down pitifully, pretending to be very sad. "I''m sure you know that the world outside is very different now. Unfortunately, I was visiting my aunt''s family when everything happened initially and have been looking for my mother and father ever since."


    She took a deep breath and wiped a few tears away before continuing, "I remember my mother telling me about this bunker a while back and hoped that they might be here. But now I don''t know what to do!"


    She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Mrs. Barclay''s heart ached watching the pitiful girl cry her heart out. She thought of her own daughter and how this could have been her if they were separated.


    "Oh, don''t cry, sweetie. You can stay here with us. If your mother knew about this place, there''s a chance she might come here looking for you," she said, patting her gently.


    Cal stood silently, watching the show with his head down. Before they arrived here, Katrina had told him to simply stay quiet and let her do all of the talking.


    She made sure to dress him in whatever brand-name clothing she could find to help their story.


    Layla looked over at Cal. He wasn''t ugly or handsome, but something about him gave off a ''bad boy'' vibe that made her a bit curious about him.


    "So your name is Cal? I definitely don''t remember you from school," said Layla.


    Cal stiffened slightly but quickly adjusted. He had memorized his backstory on the way here and knew how to answer.


    "Yeah, I''m from City R. When Katrina insisted on coming down to search for her family, I didn''t feel comfortable letting her go alone, so I accompanied her here," he said quietly.


    Layla smiled. "I see, that''s very nice of you."

 Chapter 172 Hes Alive!

    Samantha watched from the sidelines, indifferent. She had a good look at Katrina and felt that, even though she was a cute girl, it wasn''t enough for Samantha to feel threatened.


    It didn''t matter to her whether they stayed or not, as long as they didn''t get in her way.


    After a few more minutes of discussion, Mrs. Barclay allowed Katrina and Cal to stay with them.


    Layla walked over to Katrina and invited her and Cal to spend time with her and Samantha. She would never turn down an opportunity to have more people fawn over her, and hearing Katrina''s words earlier, she was a big fan of hers.


    The group moved to a round table and sat around it, pouring some tea. Layla looked over at Cal, eager to start the conversation.


    Cal felt a little nervous, as he wasn''t used to pretending to be someone else. "So... umm... what does your family do?" he asked casually, feeling like this was an appropriate question.


    Katrina quickly kicked him under the table. "What do you mean? Do you live under a rock? This is the CEO of REN Corp''s only sister!" she shouted, pretending to be angry.


    Layla smiled. "It''s okay. City R is far away, so I don''t expect him to know everything." She still felt proud, enjoying the way Katrina had introduced her to Cal.


    "Then what about you? Are you also a relative of Layla''s?" asked Cal, looking at Samantha.


    Samantha blushed and hesitated to answer the question. Layla saw this and quickly answered for her.


    "She''s my brother''s wife, so yes, she''s part of the family," she quickly stated.


    Katrina smiled. "Oh, wow! Forgive me, I was unaware that the CEO of REN Corporation was married! I must be out of the loop." Her tone was apologetic, making her seem truly regretful for not knowing this information.


    Samantha blushed and pretended to wipe away her tears.


    Layla saw this and sighed. "Sorry, let''s not discuss my brother. Surely you''ve heard of his passing? It''s still very tough on Samantha." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Katrina looked at them with wide eyes. "Oh? But isn''t that old news?" she asked.


    Layla looked at her. "What do you mean old news?" She was curious but also felt that Katrina was being rude. Her brother had obviously been murdered months ago!


    "Well, when we were out... Never mind, forget I said anything," Katrina said quickly.


    Her ambiguous words made both girls demand to hear what she had originally been going to say. Layla nearly stood up. "Tell me! What is it?" she demanded.


    Katrina lowered her head, an evil smile forming on her lips that no one saw.


    "Well... we actually heard a few different rumors that your brother is alive and well. I heard that he''s someone who has stocked up on endless supplies, and that the common people even call him a god!" she said, lying through her teeth.


    While the rumors of Julian being alive were true, she added the extra details to spark a fire beneath the girls.


    Back at the base, Jess had told them what she knew about Julian''s family, and one of the recurring themes was their insatiable hunger for goods and luxuries.


    Her choice of words quickly worked, as Layla stood up in outrage. "He''s using our hard-earned items to give out to random people?!"


    Cal looked over at Layla, thinking it was just as Jess had said. Julian''s family didn''t care about him at all¡ªonly about the wealth and status he brought to them.


    If they were to capture these people, there would have been a very small chance of Julian coming out to save them.


    Boss Dillon truly is a visionary, understanding this ahead of time.


    Katrina nodded and began to spin made-up stories about how he had been giving away very high-quality items to those in need.


    "One person I spoke to even told me he gave them a luxury vehicle!" she said, adding fuel to the fire.


    Layla couldn''t take it anymore and stormed out to see her mother. Samantha snapped out of her stupor and followed Layla. If Julian was alive, that meant she still had a chance to become the young miss of the Barclay family!


    She needed to seize this opportunity, especially if the rumors of him having endless supplies were true! As his wife, she deserved all of the good things he had!


    The two young women rushed back to the small room where Mrs. Barclay stayed, Layla nearly kicking down the door.


    "Mom! That lying prick is still alive! And he''s been giving away OUR things!" raged Layla, a blazing fire in her eyes.


    Her mother immediately stood up, dropping her porcelain teacup on the floor. "WHAT? Julian has been alive this whole time?!"


    Her body shook with disbelief and anger. There wasn''t a shred of happiness at hearing her son was alive.


    "Tell me more, sweetie. What sort of items has he been giving out?" she pulled Layla over, demanding to hear more.


    Layla pointed at Katrina, who was standing in the corner. "She''s the one who told us! Ask her!"


    Katrina walked over respectfully and repeated everything she had just told Layla and Samantha earlier.


    Mrs. Barclay''s hands shook with anger. "We had to live in this dilapidated place for so long while he was prancing around outside?! Does this boy have no regard for his own parents?!"


    "Mom! We need to find him! I can''t bear the thought of him giving away my things to someone else! And what about Samantha? She''s been crying her heart out ever since the news of him being killed. He owes it to her to finally marry her!"


    Mrs. Barclay looked at the beautiful and pitiful-looking girl who was standing beside Layla with red eyes.


    "Oh, come here, Samantha! I swear I''ll get that boy to finally commit! He won''t run away from me this time!" she said, patting Samantha on her back.


    Samantha sniffled and nodded, happy to hear that she had the backing of Mrs. Barclay.


    Layla stomped her foot on the ground with frustration. "Mom, what do we do? We need to find him before he gives everything away!"


    Mrs. Barclay looked up with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Yes, we must find him!"


    Katrina noticed that they were all fired up and took the opportunity to make the final push. "Although I''m not sure where he is, I heard the government opened a base not far from this city. Actually, I was planning on going there to see if my parents ended up there."


    Mrs. Barclay thought for a moment. "Yes, let''s go there. Even if he''s not there, there must be someone there who knows where he is!"

 Chapter 173 Difficult Decisions

    At the Government Base


    A few days went by, and Rayne was now fully focused on developing her own base. From her observations over the past few days, the government base was not handling things well, and the situation was only getting worse.


    She had already made a few trips to the market to ''sell looted items'' just to stock the shelves a little bit. People were slowly starving, eating only once every other day.


    Even those with contribution points had a hard time filling their bellies, as there was nothing available to purchase.


    Even after days of unrest, no one from the base''s administration had come out to address any of the issues or try to pacify the residents.


    Unrest was growing as quickly as the prices. People were getting desperate, and theft, along with other petty crimes, spread throughout the base like wildfire.


    Every day, Rayne could hear people crying, either from starvation or from their items being stolen. She knew that things could not continue this way and that this base was a ticking time bomb.


    She was currently sitting on the couch, surrounded by laptops and tablets, looking through many preloaded maps in search of an area where she could develop her base.


    She had found a lot of inspiration from her trip to the north and her meeting with Fred. Their small community was a good example of how adaptable humans could be when people band together.


    She wished that the base she developed could inspire hope in the people who lived there.


    As she continued to look through the various topographical maps, she found it difficult to choose a suitable location.


    Every spot she considered had its own benefits, making the decision even more difficult.


    "If I choose this mountainous area, it will have a good amount of natural defenses, but it lacks fertile land... and I really wanted to make farming plots and greenhouses in the future," Rayne mumbled to herself, lost in thought.


    She circled another area that was similar to the forested area where Julian''s bunker was built. This would provide a lot of natural resources and wildlife, as well as fertile soil once the trees were cleared.


    She had a few different pinned locations¡ªsome were along the southern coast, while others were in the countryside, where established farms and ranches were located. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian came back from meeting with Noah and Ian and saw the frustrated look on Rayne''s face.


    "Still can''t decide on a spot?" he laughed, walking over to her.


    "No! There are so many things to consider! I just want someplace that''s easy to defend and can work as a farm!" she cried out.


    The clock was ticking, and the government base was only going downhill. There was also the looming threat of Damien''s men discovering them here at any moment, so she felt very pressured to pick something as quickly as possible.


    Only after she decided on a spot could she start looking for people to help her build it. All of these things took time, something she felt she had very little of.


    Julian lifted her and placed her to sit on his lap. "Don''t stress it, babe, it will work out. Maybe we should go check some of these places out. It might help you make a choice."


    Rayne took another look at the map where she had circled potential spots. Most of them were too far away, about a day''s trip.


    "That might really be a good idea. Shall we go now? I''m worried that taking our time will come back to bite us in the future," she said, looking up at him.


    "Sure, let''s go. Just be sure to tell Ella you''ll be leaving. I''m sure she''s going to try coming over to see you again today," joked Julian.


    Rayne rolled her eyes. "We both know she''s coming to see Noah, not me." Ever since the day Ella came over to ask about the details of Rayne''s love-making experience, Ella had been visiting every single day.


    Julian laughed. "I know, I know. Maybe I should ask Noah to move in here while we''re gone. That way, when Ella comes over, she''ll get what she wants."


    Rayne nodded and thought about her best friend with Noah. They seemed compatible, and Noah was a very responsible man. Maybe the two of them getting to know each other wouldn''t be so bad.


    After thinking it through, she nodded. "You know what? Let''s go ahead and do that. You tell Noah to move in for a few days, while I''ll change and prepare clean sheets and blankets for him."


    With a new plan in place, Julian went next door to speak with Noah while Rayne got ready for their trip.


    Twenty minutes later, everything was settled, and Julian met up with Rayne to head out. Noah did as Julian requested and moved next door to ''house sit'' while Rayne and Julian were out.


    The first place Rayne decided to visit was the mountain location. However, this time, the mountain location was to the west of their location, not north where City R was.


    According to the topographical maps she looked at earlier, there was a small plateau toward the top of the mountain.


    They drove out of the base in Rayne''s SUV, heading west toward the mountain range. It was still morning, so they had plenty of time to make it there before it got dark.


    Thankfully, there hadn''t been any additional snow these past few days; otherwise, the trip would have been nearly impossible.


    While Rayne''s SUV handled itself really well in the snow, the trip was still slower due to it.


    "Hey, let''s attach a plow attachment to the front of the SUV. This way, the road will be easier for us to maneuver, along with anyone else trying to get to/from the base," suggested Rayne.


    "You have a plow attachment?" asked Julian. He didn''t think she did since she hadn''t offered it when the snow fell initially.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, a few different kinds, in fact." She hadn''t offered it earlier because they were using the RV, and Jonah was with them, and a plow attachment was a strange thing to just keep on hand.


    Julian pulled over and hopped out of the SUV with Rayne. They both made their way to the front of the SUV, where Rayne took out the plow attachment.


    Thankfully, the SUV came with the proper hookups for the plow, making the installation process very simple.


    After they finished, they climbed back inside the car and continued on their journey.


    The plow made driving so much easier, except for the few times they snagged a larger tree branch that was hidden beneath the snow.

 Chapter 174 Surveying the Land

    It took them a little over four hours to arrive at the mountain that Rayne wanted to check out. They drove up as far as they could before the road ended, requiring them to walk the rest of the way.


    Rayne looked at the treacherous walk ahead of them and dismissed the idea right away. It was too far up, and even in better weather conditions, they would need to make major adjustments to be able to get people up there safely.


    "No, this isn''t going to work," she said decisively. She was glad they came to check the area out first because this was initially her first-choice location. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian turned the car around and slowly made his way down the mountain path. As they drove down, Rayne looked out the window and spotted an interesting formation at the base of the mountain.


    There was a large forest at the base of the mountain, but what was interesting was that the mountain came out in a crescent shape, almost circling the forest below.


    "Julian! Look! That looks perfect!" Rayne called out, pointing at the window. Julian parked the car and looked down into the valley below.


    He noticed the interesting formation as well as the small lake at the center of the forest. "Well, this is certainly a beautiful sight. Let''s see if we can get down there."


    They quickly got back into the car and drove down until they reached the forest. Julian parked the car on the side of the road and hopped out, while Rayne pulled out two snowmobiles from her system.


    They drove into the forest, surveying the area as best as they could. When they made it to the lake, Rayne couldn''t help but gasp at how beautiful this area was.


    "The biggest downside is that this place won''t have prebuilt electrical lines. We will need to rely on generators and solar power," Rayne said.


    Julian nodded. "True, but most of the other places you were looking at would have this same problem. Plus, look at Fred''s place for example. They were doing okay with just wood-burning stoves and candles."


    Rayne continued to look around, picturing how she would want to set everything up. She walked over to a giant tree and placed her hand on it. "I wonder if I''d be able to store something this tall," she said while looking up at the top of the tree.


    If she were able to store it, clearing out a good area wouldn''t be too difficult.


    Julian walked over. "Why don''t you try it?" He wasn''t aware of the toll it could take or how many times she passed out storing large items in the past.


    Rayne smiled and placed both hands on the tree trunk in front of her. Right before giving the mental command to store, she looked at Julian and quickly said, "If I pass out, don''t worry. I''ll wake up eventually."


    Before Julian could stop her, she closed her eyes and gave the mental command: store.


    Much like she expected, the familiar yet long-forgotten pain came back, consuming her. She did her best to pull through, while Julian was doing his best to convince her to stop.


    After hearing that she could pass out, he felt that it wasn''t worth it anymore! He would rather she gave him an axe so that he could chop it down himself.


    If he wasn''t worried he could somehow damage her by pulling her away from the tree, he would have. All he could do was stand behind her, holding her in his arms.


    He noticed the anguished expression on her face, making him regret suggesting she try storing it. After a few minutes of struggling, the tree vanished in front of him, while Rayne fell into his arms.


    "Rayne!" he shouted, holding her up.


    No matter how many times he called out to her, she wouldn''t wake up. If she hadn''t warned him about passing out, he would have lost his mind by now.


    He lifted her into a princess carry and sat her down on the snowmobile so that she was leaning against him in front.


    He carefully drove back through the forest and back to the parked SUV.


    He wasn''t sure how long she would be out for, and it was freezing outside, so bringing her back to where he could turn on the car''s heating was his first priority.


    He sat in the car with her for a few hours, constantly checking her pulse. These few hours were the most nerve-racking and stressful moments of his entire life.


    Rayne finally woke up as it got dark, feeling like she was being cooked alive in an oven.


    "Huh? Why is it so hot?" she asked, opening her eyes.


    "Sweetheart! You''re finally awake!" Julian''s trembling voice called out. He pulled her over, hugging her as best he could inside of the car.


    "Julian, I''m sweating. What happened?" she asked groggily. She felt sweaty and gross all over and didn''t know why.


    Julian quickly lowered the heat in the car. He had turned it up to maximum because he couldn''t tell if she was cold or not.


    His own anxiety made him feel cold, so he couldn''t tell that the heat in the car was that of a hot day on a tropical island.


    "Sorry, I was so worried that you were cold, I ended up turning the heat in the car to the highest setting," he quickly explained.


    Rayne looked out the window and noticed that it was late. She turned to look at Julian, reassuring him that she was okay.


    "I apologize for scaring you," she placed her hand on his lap. "Let me get the RV out so I can shower, and we can rest for the night."


    She walked out of the car with Julian and quickly pulled out another luxury RV. This one was different than the previous one they used when they were in the north; it was slightly smaller in size, but the shower and bedroom were larger.


    As soon as the RV appeared, Rayne jumped inside to start it so the water heater could turn on and the interior warm up.


    Julian walked inside as well, keeping an eye on Rayne. The residual anxiety from earlier was slowly starting to go away, but he still wanted to ensure that she was truly okay.


    It was only after Rayne came out of the shower with rosy cheeks that Julian finally felt like everything was okay.


    "Your turn! I made sure to save some hot water for you this time," she joked.


    Julian pulled her into his arms as she got close, kissing her on the lips. The kiss conveyed his emotions, the love he had for her along with the fear he experienced after she passed out.


    "I''m right here, babe," Rayne whispered. She hugged him back, comforting him.


    They stood like that for a few minutes until Rayne finally let go. "Go take a shower. I left you a change of clothes in the bathroom along with a fresh towel. The sooner you shower, the sooner we can cuddle in bed."


    Her words were very motivating, and Julian quickly left to take a shower. While waiting for him, Rayne made the bed and turned on the small space heater in the bedroom.


    After Julian finished showering, he quickly made his way over to the bedroom and lay down beside Rayne.


    They spent the evening cuddling and discussing the forest area as a potential future base location.

 Chapter 175 Unexpected Visitor

    At the government base, Noah was quietly sitting on the couch, reading a book. He was a little surprised when Julian came by asking him to house-sit while they were out, but he didn''t question it.


    They were neighbors, so it wasn''t a difficult task for him, and he quickly agreed. The peace and quiet were actually something he looked forward to.


    While sharing a room with his brother wasn''t bad, he missed having his own space.


    He indulged himself in reading the book when he was startled by a gentle knock on the door. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking it was Ian or someone from Alpha Team looking for him, he quickly got up to answer the door.


    "Oh! Hi... Umm, is Rayne there?" Ella asked shyly. She had come over looking for Rayne and didn''t expect Noah to answer the door.


    Noah looked down at Ella, noticing her rosy cheeks from the cold weather outside. "Come on in and warm up," he said, letting her in.


    Ella quickly entered and shut the door behind her. She looked around but didn''t see anyone else inside.


    "They''re out for a few days," said Noah, leading Ella to the living room where the heaters were. "I''m not sure how long they''ll be gone this time¡ªmaybe two days?"


    "Oh!" Ella said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Secretly, the real reason she wanted to visit tonight was to see Noah again, so she didn''t mind.


    They sat awkwardly in silence for a few minutes until Ella pulled over the backpack she had brought with her.


    "I initially brought this bottle of wine to share with Rayne, but since she''s not here, would you like to share it with me?" she asked Noah. Her heart was pounding, afraid of being rejected.


    Noah looked over at the bottle she was holding and recognized it as a good brand. Although he felt a little strange suddenly drinking with Rayne''s best friend, for some reason, he looked forward to it.


    "Sure, let me find some glasses," he replied and got up to check the cabinets in the small kitchen area.


    Ella felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her heart raced with excitement; she couldn''t believe this was happening.


    She placed the bottle of wine on the coffee table and waited for Noah to come over with the glasses.


    "Sorry, there weren''t any wine glasses, but I found these," he said, holding up two basic glass cups in his hands.


    "Oh, those will work perfectly fine! Thank you!" Ella quickly replied, giving away her nervousness.


    Noah was very astute and quickly picked up on it. Smiling, he placed the cups down and opened the wine bottle.


    All of his movements were graceful, making Ella curious about how many times he''d done this sort of thing in the past.


    Noah glanced over, reading her expression. He softly chuckled and explained, "Being Julian''s right-hand man, I have a lot of experience hosting famous businessmen. Let me tell you, there''s a lot of wine involved in a business meeting."


    "Oh right, that makes sense. It''s been so long, I nearly forgot you were the head secretary, Mathews!" exclaimed Ella.


    After the words escaped her mouth, she immediately felt embarrassed! She had even met with him back at REN Corp a few times!


    Noah laughed. "Yes, it does feel like it''s been a whole lifetime since I''ve had to worry about project timelines and squeezing people into Julian''s schedule."


    Both of them laughed, reminiscing about their lives before the disasters happened. Noah went over to pour the wine and handed one of the glasses to Ella before sitting down opposite her.


    "Do you think our life will ever go back to the way it was?" asked Ella.


    Noah looked at her. "Eventually it will, I''m just not sure if it will be in our lifetime."


    Ella nodded. "You''re probably right, but I do think things will get better. We will find a way to live comfortably!"


    Noah''s spirits were lifted by Ella''s positive outlook. It felt good being around someone who could stay positive even in such conditions.


    His brother, Ian, was the opposite. He constantly worried that danger was looming around every corner and that life would only get more and more difficult.


    While his outlook could be seen as ''realistic,'' it still dampened Noah''s spirits each time they talked about it.


    Hearing Ella''s hopeful and positive outlook was a welcome change for him.


    As the night continued, Ella and Noah happily chatted while drinking their wine. They finished the bottle Ella brought, and Noah went to find another one from the cabinet in the kitchen.


    "So, what about you? Do you have any tattoos?" asked Noah. Ella had just finished asking him this question and now directed it back to her.


    "Guess!" she said with a cheeky expression. The wine had taken effect, giving Ella a newfound confidence.


    Noah looked at her, determining if she had a tattoo or not. "Hmm, I think you do have one, but you''re keeping it hidden!"


    Ella''s jaw dropped. "How did you know?!" she asked. She looked at him as if he were all-knowing.


    "Haha," Noah chuckled. "After dealing with all sorts of people, you begin to see patterns. It was just a lucky guess after observing your body language."


    After taking another sip of wine, he looked at her with an amused expression. "Well, are you going to show me?"


    Ella quickly jumped up from the chair and lifted her shirt all the way up, exposing her bra. She was so excited to share her secret with someone that she didn''t even consider its location on her body.


    Noah felt the blood rush, causing an erection to form in his pants. For a petite girl, Ella was very curvy, and now her large breasts were nearly popping out of her bra.


    "See it''s here, isn''t it cute?", she said, pointing at her tattoo of two swallows right under her left breast.


    Noah''s gaze was fixed on Ella. His eyes took in the sights of her sexy body.


    Ella looked at him, waiting for his reply, but after standing there for a while she realized that he was distracted, with a certain aroused gaze.


    She finally realized what she was doing and pulled her shirt down, feeling shy.


    Noah finally snapped out of it after she moved her shirt, and seeing her embarrassed expression he decided to pretend nothing happened.


    "The tattoo was very cute. It suits you very much", he smiled, doing his best to act casual.


    Ella stood there for a moment, heat spreading throughout her body. She finally looked up at Noah with misty eyes and flushed cheeks.


    "Did you like what you saw?", she asked in a quiet voice.


    Noah looked at her, slightly surprised at the question, but after seeing her expression he knew what she meant.


    Desire filled him as he motioned to Ella to come over, "Come here", he said in a magnetic voice.


    Ella walked over and stood in front of him, waiting for his reply. Her heart felt like it was pounding through her chest.


    Noah took her small hand and moved it down between his legs. "This is how much I liked it", he whispered.


    Ella''s hand felt his hard erection beneath his pants and blushed. She looked up at him, noticing how his eyes were locked on to her.


    Instead of moving her hand away, she continued to explore, stroking the entire length of his member that was fighting to break free from his pants.


    "Ella", Noah breathed as she continued to touch him.

 Chapter 176 Captivated

    (A/N: Mature content ahead)


    (Also BIG THANK YOU to Dillonisahottie for the Castle!! This chapter is dedicated to you!! <3)


    Ella looked at Noah''s expression and felt the thrill of teasing him wash over her. She loved seeing his reactions to her hand''s movements and wanted even more.


    She moved her fingertips along his hidden shaft a few more times until she realized she wanted more.


    Her eyes locked on Noah''s as her fingers worked quickly to unzip his pants. Just as his erection was about to be released, Noah placed his hands on top of hers.


    "Ella, are you sure?", he asked. While he wanted nothing more than what she was doing, he wasn''t sure if he''d be able to control himself if things continued down this path.


    He wanted to make sure that this was truly what she wanted.


    Ella froze and moved her hands away from his. But just before the sinking feeling washed over him, Ella jumped on top of him, straddling him.


    "Yes, I''m sure. I think you''ve been the only one who hasn''t noticed the way I looked at you. In fact, I only came over here today in hopes of getting to see you", she said.


    After confessing her feelings, she pressed her lips against his.


    Noah returned the kiss with his own, only his was a lot more hungry.


    After a series of long kisses, Ella hopped off of his lap and knelt on the ground in front of him. Her fingers resumed the task of unzipping his pants to set his member free.


    Noah watched her as she pulled his pants down to his ankles and began to play with his cock. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Having fun?", he asked in a low voice.


    Ella smiled and ran her fingers up and down his shaft, "Mhm", she hummed.


    Her soft fingers felt so good against his skin, making him even more excited.


    "Don''t stop", he said between breaths. Her hand movements felt incredible, making him feel like he could cum from this feeling alone.


    Just as he got close, Ella suddenly stopped. He looked at her with an almost painful expression, "You''re quite devious aren''t you", he said trying to gather himself.


    Instead of answering Ella opened her mouth and licked the entire length of his shaft with her tongue.


    "Oh fuck!", he moaned. He did not expect Ella to do that and the sensation it brought was even better than before.


    "Sorry, it''s my first time doing this, so just bear with me", she said smiling.


    Noah tilted his head back, "Fuck, are you sure? This feels incredible".


    With a triumphant smile, Ella lowered herself once more, putting as much of his shaft in her mouth as she could.


    She clumsily swirled her tongue around, licking and sucking him.


    While her movements were a little awkward, to Noah they felt amazing. "Ella, you''re going to make me cum", he moaned.


    There was something about the softness of her lips and just the fact that it was her that made it feel so incredible.


    A few moments later the orgasm finally came, "Shit, Ella!", he called out.


    Before she had time to pull away she felt a warm and sticky fluid fill her mouth and throat.


    Cough, Cough! The feeling was new to her and she didn''t expect it.


    Noah leaned over to hand her the glass of wine from the coffee table, "Here, have a sip to clear your throat.


    After making sure she was okay, Noah pulled her up on the couch and into his arms.


    "You were incredible", he whispered into her ear and kissed her.


    Ella felt very satisfied with his praise. This experience was very new to her but she had a lot of fun.


    Noah pulled her over to sit on his lap, "Come, tell me more about yourself. I want to know everything".


    He kissed her gently on her cheek and neck as she happily chatted away. Her smile completely captivated him, feeling like it was something he had always needed in his life.


    ---


    The next morning Rayne woke up early. She turned to wake Julian up so that they could go back to scouting the forest area.


    "Hey wake up! Let''s go back to the forested area!", she smiled, tapping Julian''s arm.


    He rolled beneath the covers and pulled her in closer, "Hmm, how about you lay here with me a while longer?".


    Rayne giggled and kissed him on the cheek, but before she could pull away he looked at her.


    "No, over here too", he said pointing at his lips.


    "Haha! You can be such a silly goose sometimes", laughed Rayne. She leaned over and kissed him on his lips.


    Satisfied with her kiss, Julian finally got out of bed to get dressed. After getting dressed in warm clothing, they exited the RV so that Rayne could store it. She also went over to the SUV and stored it since it was already running low on gas.


    She pulled out two new copies of the snowmobile for the both of them, and they quickly made it back to the forest.


    From the distance, she noticed her previous snowmobile, and in front of it, and empty space with a hole in the ground.


    "Oh! I forgot to ask you if I succeeded in storing the tree! Looks like I did!", she said happily.


    Julian looked at her, "Wait, so you can go through all of that and fail to store something?". He couldn''t imagine how many times she must have gone through this painful process just to be able to store larger items.


    Rayne nodded, "Yeah, it''s not guaranteed. Usually I can gauge if I can store something or not, but maybe due to the cold temperature I didn''t have a good read on it yesterday".


    She walked over to look at the hole in the ground where the roots of the tree were, "It was most likely these deep roots that made it extra difficult".


    Julian walked over and nodded, "Indeed, the hole looks like it''s quite deep. Maybe you shouldn''t use your ability to store any more of these trees".


    Rayne smiled, "No, it should be okay. I specifically chose this tree because it seemed like the biggest and oldest. Once I store something of this size, everything similar or smaller becomes very easy".


    "Oh, that''s good then. Just promise me you''ll be careful?", he said in a worried tone.

 Chapter 177 Clearing the Land

    Rayne walked around, ''plucking'' trees from the ground. Her speed alone would put any forest clearing company to shame, clearing a huge area in only a few minutes.


    "It''s a bit hard to tell how big this area is. Would you mind flying the drone to get a better view?" asked Rayne. She was looking around at the space she had cleared but couldn''t tell if it would be large enough.


    She wanted to make sure that she cleared enough area before inviting anyone here so that she wouldn''t have to explain how the trees were cleared.


    Julian agreed and took the drone. It was an advanced model that could measure and take photos, making the planning process a lot easier.


    Julian flew the drone around while Rayne continued to clear trees along the perimeter of the lake. Once the drone footage was taken, Rayne walked over to take a look.


    "Okay, so I''ll just need to clear out this section behind the lake, and I think we''ll be good," she said.


    She had already cleared out a massive area in the forest, making room for a warehouse, housing, and even a section of farmland.


    "It''s a shame there''s so much snow on the ground right now. I would love to place a warehouse of sorts and start filling it with supplies," said Rayne.


    While the first step of securing and clearing the land was done, the snow really hindered any future progress.


    "We should go out and find a good-quality mobile home. If I can store it, it would save a lot of time and effort building housing in the early stages," said Rayne.


    She was looking through her system, and while she had any building material imaginable, the closest thing to a mobile home she had were the different kinds of RVs.


    Julian looked around, feeling that the landscape transformation was insane. Within an hour, the previously forested area had been cleared out completely.


    "We will also need to find some skilled people to help develop the area. While mobile homes are a great start, we''ll eventually need larger buildings," he chimed in.


    Rayne fully agreed. "Yes, finding skilled and honest people will be the most important. The thing I''m worried about the most is how to handle unrest within the settlement."


    Julian smiled. "You don''t need to worry about that. We can give that job to Noah and Ian. They happen to specialize in this area."


    Noah and Ian had been taking care of each side of Julian''s business for him. They were both well-versed in how to garner loyalty and maintain order. Assigning them to this task would be very beneficial to the future base.


    Rayne smiled but then frowned. "Would it be too much to assign them to this? The world is different now, and they have their own lives. What if they don''t want to step up to such a stressful role?"


    She didn''t want anyone to work against their will, especially those two who were close friends to Julian.


    He smiled, happy that she had such a caring heart. "Don''t worry about this. I grew up with them, and they need a sense of purpose to stay sane. All these years, I never forced them to stay by my side¡ªthey volunteered."


    Rayne was surprised to hear this! She assumed he kept them close because they were the few people he could trust.


    Now that she knew they did their work voluntarily, she felt a lot happier. "Well, in that case, I''ll pitch the idea when the time comes. If they don''t want to, we''ll figure something out."


    After finishing up in the forest clearing, they packed up and made their way back to the highway. Rayne cleared a few more trees along the way so that they could fit a vehicle through to the clearing in the future.


    Rayne pulled out a fresh copy of her SUV, which had a full tank of gas, as they got to the street.


    "Shall we take a drive through some rural areas to see if we can find those mobile homes?" offered Julian as he started the car.


    "Yes, I''d like to!" agreed Rayne cheerfully.


    On the way back to the government base, they took a few small detours in search of a good-condition, quality mobile home.


    Their journey took them through a few small towns until they finally found a community of mobile homes that appeared to be in decent condition.


    "It doesn''t seem like anyone is living in this area anymore. The snow on the surface hasn''t been touched," observed Rayne.


    It would be horrible if they just walked into someone''s home without warning.


    As they approached the first mobile home, Rayne looked at its exterior. It was a standard rectangular shape and the largest of the mobile homes in this community.


    "It looks nice from the outside. The owners must have taken great care of it. Hopefully, the same can be said for the inside," said Rayne, approvingly.


    She knocked on the door, ensuring that she was not encroaching on someone''s private property. After not hearing a reply, she pulled out a lockpicking tool from her system and began unlocking the door.


    She wanted to keep everything in as good of a condition as possible, so she opted for the lockpicking route instead of smashing a window. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they walked in, Julian took the lead to check every room before letting Rayne explore.


    The first thing she noticed was the old furniture.


    "An elderly couple must have lived here," said Rayne. The furniture was upholstered in a vintage flower-print fabric, and there were hand-crocheted blankets folded neatly in the corner.


    Outside of the thick layer of dust, the home seemed very organized and tidy.


    Rayne walked over to a side table where there were small picture frames. She looked down, realizing her assumptions were correct.


    In the photo, an elderly couple was holding a small child happily.


    "I hope they''re okay wherever they are right now," sighed Rayne.


    She continued to make her way through the house, looking for any potentially damaged areas. The house had three bedrooms and one bathroom, with a kitchen and living room.


    Rayne was impressed with how spacious the home felt inside since the exterior looked rather small.


    After finishing her interior inspection, she walked over to Julian, who was waiting for her in the living room.


    "Good?" he asked. From what he could tell, it was a charming home and would work well for their purposes.


    "Yes, it''s a lovely home. It''s also nice and spacious on the inside," said Rayne happily.


    Julian smiled and then walked over to hold her hand.


    "Babe, tell me the truth. This won''t hurt you, right? I mean, storing this¡­" he said worriedly.


    Rayne propped herself up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being concerned about me. This house should be within reason; I won''t pass out from it," she reassured him.


    He looked into her clear eyes, looking for any signs of hesitation. He saw her look directly into his eyes with a gentle gaze and sighed.


    "Okay, fine. I''m going to hold you just in case¡­" he finally agreed.


    They walked outside of the house, and Rayne walked up to the side of the house, placing her hand on it.


    Just like he promised, Julian placed his arms around her waist, silently praying that nothing happened to her.


    Rayne closed her eyes and gave the mental command: store.


    While she did end up feeling some discomfort, the pain was less than a typical dull headache. Julian squeezed her tightly until he saw the house vanish from sight, leaving only the dark dirt in the place where it once stood.


    "You did it!" announced Julian before Rayne had a chance to open her eyes.


    She turned around, smiling. "See! I told you I would be fine!"

 Chapter 178 Caught in the Act!

    After storing the first house, Rayne and Julian went to check out the others.


    Rayne made sure to place the house back in its original spot just in case the original owners came back one day and set off to check out the one next door.


    Unlike the first house, this one was in a much worse condition. The siding was peeling along the entire front section of the house.


    The parts that still had siding, had it covered in black mildew.


    "Nope, pass", said Rayne without sparing it another glance. She could already tell that parts of this house had completely rotted through.


    Julian agreed and walked with her to the next house. This one was a good bit smaller than the first one, but also in seemingly good shape.


    Rayne walked up and knocked on the door. After a few moments, she repeated the process of picking the lock with her special tool.


    "Huh, this is odd", she said as soon as she walked in.


    The entire interior was empty as if it was a newly purchased house. No furniture, no d¨¦cor, only the built-in essentials.


    "This might even be better for us. Fewer things to clear out", chimed in Julian.


    "That''s true. Let''s see if it''s in as good condition as it seems", said Rayne before walking in. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Same as last time, Julian walked ahead to ensure each room was safe. Rayne followed behind and paid close attention the the walls and floors, looking for signs of water damage.


    "This one seems to be in good shape. Let''s take it", she finally said. She liked the size of this mobile home even more than the previous one.


    It was a single bedroom with a single small bathroom, living room, and kitchen. Rayne felt it would be more suitable for couples or smaller families while taking up less space.


    They repeated the process of storing the house, which was much easier on Rayne this time around. The following houses were all in very poor shape and Rayne didn''t bother with storing any of them.


    "I''m happy with these two mobile homes. It will make the process of moving to the new base much quicker!", said Rayne happily.


    They walked back to the SUV and began their journey back home.


    The road was a lot easier to drive on thanks to them plowing the snow on the way over, making their journey back much faster.


    It was evening by the time they arrived back at the base. It felt more like a ghost town than ever before. There were only a handful of people outside, huddled around the barrel fires.


    All of the tents have been either torn down or blown away, creating large pockets of empty space. Rayne walked with Julian along the quiet walkways toward their building.


    "Hopefully Noah isn''t already asleep. I would feel bad if we woke him up", said Rayne. They were walking up the staircase to the third floor, almost at their door.


    "He''ll be fine. Even if we wake him up he won''t be bothered by it", replied Julian, he wasn''t worried about it.


    Rayne unlocked the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, but when she opened the door the sight made her gasp!


    On the couch was Ella straddling Noah, topless. They were making out and so absorbed into each other that they didn''t notice the door opening.


    Only when the cold air from the outside finally made it over to Ella did she look over.


    "Fuck! Rayne, oh my god!", she yelled, covering her chest with her arms.


    Noah, who was also shirtless shot up, looking over at the door.


    Julian chuckled, happy that his friend finally found a woman he liked. "We''ll wait outside. Just open the door when you''re dressed", he said pulling Rayne back outside.


    "Oh my!", said Rayne with a flushed face. She knew that Ella had the hots for Noah, but to make so much progress seemingly overnight was something else!


    Julian hugged her, "Don''t worry. Noah is a good person, I''m surprised they even made it to this stage. Usually, he''s very standoff-ish when it comes to women. Even in our youth, he denied dates and confessions left and right".


    Rayne remembered the times at REN Corp. when she witnessed Noah coldly dismissing the fawning horde of female employees.


    "Hmm, yeah. He''s always seemed like a nice person, I''m also happy for Ella. She''s the type to have crushes but never pursue them, so this is a nice change", said Rayne.


    They only waited outside for a few minutes when Noah finally opened the door, "Hey, umm....sorry about that", he said scratching his head.


    Julian placed his hand on Noah''s shoulder and smiled, "All good, just be smart".


    Noah rolled his eyes but didn''t say anything. He knew better than to get Ella pregnant, especially this early in their relationship.


    Julian read his expression, "Don''t worry, I''ll send you a gift later".


    They all walked back inside and Rayne noticed Ella sitting quietly on the couch, her face beet red. Rayne couldn''t help but walk over and poke her a little like she did to her.


    "Soooo, should I congratulate you now..or?", smiled Rayne.


    Ella looked up at Rayne, "Shh! Please! I''m already mortified as is! And no, we haven''t gone all the way yet!", she whispered.


    The girls chatted for a while before Ella decided to head home before her father got worried.


    "Rayne, please don''t tell my dad. He would skin me and Noah alive!", pleaded Ella. She had been telling her father that she was visiting Rayne these past two days when in reality she''s been seeing Noah.


    Rayne smiled, "Don''t worry. I won''t say a word, I promise". She wouldn''t rat out her friend like that. Plus, Ella was already an adult, she was old enough to make her own choices.


    As soon as Ella stepped outside, Noah excused himself and followed her outside.


    "Let me walk you back. It''s already dark out", said Noah as he reached out to hold Ella''s hand.


    Ella blushed and nodded, "Thank you, I''d like that very much".


    Noah walked Ella back to her door, holding her hand the entire time. When they finally arrived outside Ella''s door, he pulled her in and kissed her.


    "Have a good night", he whispered.

 Chapter 179 XXXL

    Back at Rayne and Julian''s apartment, Julian pulled Rayne into his embrace.


    "I promised Noah a small gift earlier. You wouldn''t happen to have a pack of condoms in that magical system of yours, would you?", he asked with a smile.


    Rayne giggled, "I sure do. What size?".


    Julian thought for a moment, "Hmm, let''s do a size smaller than mine!". He couldn''t have Rayne thinking that Noah was bigger than he was!


    Rayne burst out into laughter, "Okay, okay. One size smaller than XXXL, got it!", she teased.


    "You forgot one X on that", Julian said, pretending to be offended.


    The two of them laughed until they heard a knock on the door.


    "Here, give him this", said Rayne, handing him an unopened box of condoms. Julian walked over and opened the door.


    Before Noah had a chance to say anything, Julian tossed the box over at him, "Good night! Oh..and don''t bother me too early tomorrow morning", he said, giving him a certain look.


    Noah caught the box and looked to see that it was a box of condoms, "Hey are you sure you don''t need these for yourself?". He tried teasing Julian a little but it didn''t work.


    "Nah, she likes it raw", Julian flashed a victorious smile and turned to head back inside, leaving Noah standing there speechless.


    Back inside Rayne was already in the shower, getting ready for bed. She was very pleased with the progress they made and felt like she could now begin to brainstorm the details of the base.


    ----


    On the other side of the base, Ace was curled up on the rough plank of plywood he called a bed. His face was pale and wet from the sweat his sick body had been producing, despite the cold temperature.


    It only took him and his group two nights to catch whatever disease was going around in the building.


    In fact, almost all of the people who lived in this large, open building were sick and coughing.


    The extremely poor hygiene practices, combined with the freezing temperatures, created a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of bacterial infections and viruses.


    "Boss, we need to report our status today," coughed the man on the neighboring bunk.


    Ace''s head was pounding, and his body felt like it was on fire. He regretted volunteering for this job when Dillon had presented it to him and Cal.


    At the time, it had felt more exciting, like something out of an action spy movie, but now he realized it was nothing like he had imagined.


    "You go reply," Ace said, coughing. He couldn''t fathom moving right now, let alone getting up and driving for a few hours.


    To make things worse, all of them were equally as sick as he was, so he couldn''t even order them to go in his stead.


    "It''s fine. Hopefully, the boss will arrive soon," mumbled Ace, closing his eyes once more.


    ---


    At the safehouse...


    "Mom, are we finally leaving today?" Layla pouted. She''d been dying to go find her brother, who was rumored to have hoarded unrealistic amounts of supplies.


    Although her mother had promised they would go seek him out, starting from the government base, it had already been a few days, and they still hadn''t left.


    "Baby, you know that your father is concerned about the killer," her mother said, patting her gently.


    Layla rolled her eyes. "Mom, if he''s alive, that means there was no killer!"


    Mrs. Barclay''s eyes widened. "You''re right. What if he somehow knew? And pretended to be dead so he wouldn''t have to share his resources with us?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her hands trembled from anger. This son of hers never once put them first, going as far as faking his death to get away from them.


    A part of her wanted to strangle him! If he hadn''t become so successful overnight, she would have cut all ties with him long ago.


    "I''m going to speak with your father right now. Get yourself ready! We''re going to retrieve what''s rightfully ours!" she proclaimed and scurried off to the neighboring room to speak with her husband.


    Her husband was a quiet man who easily gave in to his wife''s requests.


    "Honey, we need to leave today! I just spoke to Layla, and she has a good point. Since Julian is alive, there''s no killer! He most likely faked this whole thing just to keep all the supplies to himself!" she cried out.


    "HE DID WHAT?!" Mr. Barclay shouted, slamming his fist on the table. His originally pale face turned red from anger.


    "I don''t know what I did wrong to deserve such an ungrateful son!" Mrs. Barclay cried, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    Her husband sat for a moment before suddenly standing up. "Yes, we need to find him! He dares ignore his family in these difficult times? I will teach that boy a lesson myself!"


    Mrs. Barclay quickly dried her eyes. "Yes! Yes! Let''s go and find him! Layla''s been going almost a week without her protein drink!" She hurried out of the room to get ready.


    Thankfully, their safehouse had ample supplies, including warm clothing. The family bundled up while the servants packed their essential items for the journey.


    Katrina looked at this scene and smirked. "They have no idea how nice they have it here. Julian must have taken extra care to ensure they could live like kings for a long time after his ''death''. I don''t know many other people who can still employ servants," she whispered to Cal.


    He watched silently, agreeing with her words. Not even his boss, Dillon, had a dedicated team of servants... and these people were calling their son useless and ungrateful.


    Layla walked over to the two of them. "I''m sure you''ve heard, but we''re planning on heading over to the government base. You''re welcome to join us if you want."


    Before Cal could say anything, Katrina smiled and shook her head. "Thank you for the invitation! I want to check a few more places in the city before heading there. We will meet up with you in a few days."


    Layla shrugged. Fewer people meant more space for her items in the car. "Suit yourself."

 Chapter 180 The Barclays Arrive

    As the vehicles filled with supplies left the safe house with the Barclays and Samantha, Katrina and Cal made their way back to the underground bunker.


    "Why didn''t we go with them?" asked Cal. From his understanding of the mission, he was supposed to stay with them until they found Julian.


    "What''s the rush? They''ll go there and raise havoc, and by the time we show up, they will have either found them or gotten a solid lead," replied Katrina with a smile. "Plus, you have no idea how big of a shit hole that base is."


    Cal''s eyes widened. "What do you mean? I heard the base was great?"


    "Haha! Great if you live on the streets!" she laughed. "You may not know, but I''m from Leader Mai''s team. We had a group of people stationed there until just recently... and you wouldn''t believe the horror stories!"


    Cal couldn''t believe it. All of the information he had heard made it seem like a great place in the mountains. There were supplies, running water, and even electricity. He couldn''t picture how bad it could really be.


    Katrina shook her head, seeing his bewildered expression. "Trust me, it''s not a great place. People are only barely surviving. I can''t imagine how much worse it''s gotten since the cold snap."


    Cal couldn''t help but think of his partner, Ace, who was currently stationed at the base. Initially, Cal had been slightly jealous that Ace got chosen for the mission at the base, but after hearing Katrina''s words, he suddenly felt like the lucky one.


    They quickly made their way back to the underground base to wait a few days before meeting up with the Barclays.


    Meanwhile, a few hours later, the train of cars finally made its way to the government base. The snowy roads made it difficult to drive, and only as they approached the base did they finally release their held breath. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re lucky you''ve been serving my family for years! Next time I''ll personally toss you out of this car if you drive like that again!" yelled Layla.


    The poor servant driving her car caught a hidden icy patch on the road, causing the vehicle to spin out of control.


    "I''m so sorry, Miss! I didn''t see the ice on the road¡ª"


    "I DON''T CARE! You nearly KILLED me!" she hissed, cutting him off.


    The entire trip so far had gone horribly, and Layla was ready to explode. Thankfully, they had approached the gates of the government base.


    The line was much shorter today than the previous few days, and they only needed to wait about ten minutes before it was finally their turn.


    Of course, for Layla and her mother, ten minutes felt like an eternity. After they finally made it through the checkpoint and were told to wait in yet another line, they lost it.


    "Do you even know who I am?!" shouted Mrs. Barclay.


    The guard on duty felt a headache coming on and sighed. "Ma''am, even if you were the queen of a foreign land, you would still need to wait in this line."


    She exploded at his rudeness. "Queen or not, my son is the CEO of REN Corporation! I demand to be treated with the respect I deserve!"


    The guard chuckled. "Haha! Ma''am, have you taken a look outside? Do you think the world cares who your son used to be before the disasters? People out here are only worried about surviving the day."


    He had run into all sorts of people since working this post, but this woman was something else. She must have been living a cushy life if she''s still flaunting her son''s status around.


    Mrs. Barclay''s mouth moved, but no sound came out. She didn''t know what else to say, so she finally turned her head angrily and instructed the servant to drive to the next parking lot.


    When they finally made it to the counter to purchase a resident card, Mrs. Barclay didn''t bat an eye when hearing the cost.


    "Madam, perhaps we should reconsider? They''re asking for a huge amount, and while we have a decent amount with us, this will really put a dent in our stocks," one of the servants came over to advise.


    "Nonsense, they''re just asking for some food. We''re not so poor that we need to think twice about something like that," she retorted with a snort.


    Seeing as her words fell on deaf ears, the servant nodded and quickly went to pay the required amount.


    Mrs. Barclay watched as the bags of food were piled onto the counter.


    Frowning slightly, she shrugged. "Well, I''ll just have Julian compensate me. It''s the least he could do," she said out loud.


    The servants who were unloading the goods kept quiet but internally shook their heads. They couldn''t understand how someone could be so oblivious to their own situation.


    Her son was the reason why she was living like a queen while the rest of the world starved to death.


    The registration process took a while due to the large number of people in their group. Outside of the main family and Samantha, there were also several servants who had joined them to take care of everyday needs.


    About an hour later, they were finally allowed inside the base.


    After parking their cars, Layla stepped outside with the rest of her family. She looked around, noticing the miserable expressions on everyone''s faces.


    "What kind of gross place is this? Mother, are you sure we made it to the right place?" she turned to look at her mother.


    Mrs. Barclay also frowned, looking around. Everyone looked dirty and sickly, making her want to cover her mouth with a handkerchief.


    "Let''s hurry and ask around for that stupid boy so we can get out of here as quickly as possible," she said, holding back her disgust.


    Mrs. Barclay went to join her husband back in the warm car, while the servants were ordered to begin their search for any clues about Julian''s whereabouts.


    "Mom, Dad, we''re going to take a walk around," said Layla. She and Samantha had been bored from sitting in the car all day and wanted to get out for a bit.


    Mrs. Barclay smiled. "Of course, sweeties, just be careful and don''t stay out too long!" She always allowed her daughter to do as she pleased, and today was no exception.


    Layla grabbed Samantha by the arm, and they set off to take in the sights.

 Chapter 181 Spotted

    "I heard this place was originally built to be a resort. Maybe we''ll find some nice views around the mountainside," suggested Samantha.


    Layla didn''t have any better options, so they followed Samantha''s plan. They had only taken a few steps when they heard some people mention a market.


    "Have you heard? New items finally arrived at the market. I quickly bought these two packs of biscuits before they were sold out. Now we can eat for the upcoming week," said a middle-aged man by one of the barrel fires.


    His wife smiled happily. "Really? You managed to get two packs this time?" She looked so happy that she could cry.


    Layla looked at Samantha with a frown. She couldn''t believe there were people who got excited over a pack of biscuits, but one thing did grab their attention: the market.


    "Let''s go check out this market. Maybe we can find a vintage designer bag," said Layla, pulling Samantha toward the main building.


    They walked inside the renovated lobby of the resort, looking through the various signs for the different departments.


    "Oh, look. They even have a housing department here," Samantha said, pointing to a sign above one of the doors.


    Layla rolled her eyes. "I don''t know who would want to live in this run-down place. They can''t even afford to heat the inside of this lobby."


    An elderly lady passing by overheard Layla''s comment. "Oh dear, if you''re looking for a place to warm up, the market upstairs has some heating," she smiled warmly at the two young ladies.


    Layla looked away in disgust. "Ew, don''t talk to me. I don''t need your germs." She quickly grabbed Samantha''s arm again and dragged her up the stairs where the elderly woman had said the market was.


    The elderly lady looked down at herself. Indeed, her clothes were ripped and dirty, making her look unkempt. She used to be a well-respected woman, but now she was nothing more than a simple woman trying to survive.


    Upset by the rude remark, she hung her head low and made her way back to meet with the few family members she had left.


    Layla couldn''t care less if her words upset the elderly woman; she only wanted to make it upstairs to see this ''market.''


    As they entered, a sea of people crowded the room, trying to take advantage of the heat coming from the wood-burning stove as they ''shopped.


    ''"Ew, why does no one here shower or wash their clothes? So disgusting!" Layla called out, not caring if anyone heard her.


    Of course, many people did hear her, but nobody bothered responding. Who here had access to washing machines? Even if they went down to the stream to wash their clothes, they''d freeze to death before anything got clean.


    As the two girls made their way to the chain-link fence, Samantha frowned. "How does this place call itself a market? There''s nothing here."


    Layla looked over and saw a few half-empty boxes of crackers and canned food. Other than that, most of the shelves were empty.


    A young boy looked at the clean and pretty girls. "This is better than it''s been in weeks. Since the cold snap, there have only been empty shelves. Only recently did they start putting a bit of food and warm clothes on the shelves."


    Samantha looked over to where the warm clothes were displayed. Only a few sweaters in kids'' sizes were left, but what caught her attention was the brand!


    "Layla, look! Isn''t that a DGM (a made-up luxury brand) sweater? It''s in perfect condition too!" Samantha pointed to the sweaters.


    Layla looked over, and sure enough, they were luxury brand sweaters. She couldn''t believe her eyes; before the disaster, these sweaters would have gone for thousands of dollars each!


    "It must be him. There''s no other explanation; my brother must have donated them!" she said with anger in her eyes.


    She couldn''t believe that anyone other than Julian would have the ability to simply sell such high-end items. Even worse, she felt like those things belonged to her!


    She stormed out, back down the stairs in anger, leaving Samantha to run after her.


    When Samantha finally caught up to Layla, she tried her best to pacify her. "Well, think about it this way: since those clothes are here, he must be nearby!"


    This was the first thing she thought of when she saw the sweaters. Her heart beat with anticipation; she couldn''t wait to see him again.


    Layla paused for a moment. "Yes, you''re right. He must be close by! Let''s take a look around before we head back to the car."


    Samantha quickly agreed. She wanted nothing more than to see Julian again. In her mind, they''d been married for years now, and he was her man! S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After leaving the main building, they set off to explore the rest of the base, choosing one of the main walkways.


    The walkway took them past various ''scenic'' areas that had once been filled with beautiful flowers and sculptures.


    They walked by a few smaller buildings, trying to gauge if there was anyone ''of importance'' around. Unfortunately, most of the units were empty. Even the ones with people inside stayed quietly locked.


    "It''s getting cold. We should head back soon," said Layla. They had been walking around for almost an hour, and the freezing cold was starting to get to her.


    Samantha couldn''t bear to give up just yet and tried to convince her to keep going. "Let''s just check that last area in the back, over there," she said, pointing to a somewhat secluded building.


    It was in a private area, and the building itself looked nicer than the others they''d seen so far.


    Layla frowned but agreed after seeing Samantha''s pleading expression. "Fine, but after this, let''s go back."


    "Yes! We''ll be quick!" smiled Samantha.


    They walked over to the building, enjoying the view of the valley as they approached. The building had a few large trees surrounding it, making it feel like it was part of the forest below."This is one of the few nice places left here," said Layla, approvingly. Unlike many of the other buildings that were more central, this one looked clean, and there wasn''t any trash lying around.


    Samantha walked forward, looking around for anyone to talk to so she could ask if they had seen or heard from Julian.


    She even walked up to one of the doors on the first floor, ready to knock and ask around, but before she made it that far, something on the top floor caught her eye.

 Chapter 182 Good Day Gone Bad

    Julian had just taken a shower and walked over to Rayne, who was winded on the bed.


    He just finished making passionate love with her and came over to help her over to the shower so that she could rinse off.


    "How are you? Is it really sore?", he asked with a concerned look.


    Once again he was taken over by how amazing it felt and lost control of his movements, being on the more rougher side.


    Rayne teasingly pouted, "You''re a bully! I''m going to end up bedridden for the rest of my life if I stay with you!".


    Julian scooped her up into his arms, "Hey, I wouldn''t complain. Don''t worry, I promise to take care of you", he smiled, cheekily.


    Rayne pretended to punch his shoulder, "You''re dangerous! I need to stay away!", she laughed.


    They had a fun time bantering as Julian carried her to the shower. The water was already on and at a perfect temperature, leaving Rayne to simply walk right in.


    Julian stayed in the bathroom and dried his hair while Rayne showered. Every once in a while he would take a peek behind the shower curtain, causing Rayne to splash water in his face.


    The apartment was filled with love and laughter making the atmosphere inside very warm and cozy.


    "Go invite Noah and Ian for a meal. I''m craving that fried chicken and I feel like it would be nice to enjoy it with some company!", said Rayne.


    She was getting dressed and was starving from all the earlier ''exercise'' they did.


    "Okay, not a bad idea! We haven''t had them over for a meal yet, I''m sure they''ll appreciate the good food! Oh take an extra portion of the spicy wings for me please!", he said as he walked over to the door to head next door.


    All of the units in the building faced the outdoors with a large balcony walkway that connected them all together.


    As soon as Julian walked outside he heard a loud gasp coming from below.


    "Julian?", Samantha''s voice called out softly.


    Julian looked down and immediately felt a headache come on. Below, on the walkway he saw his sister Layla standing next to another girl.


    A part of him knew he''d have to deal with his family sooner or later, but he was upset that now was the time.


    Their presence dampened the joyous mood he had all day.


    After taking a deep breath he turned to look at Layla, completely ignoring Samantha, "Why are you here?".


    Layla blew up in anger, "WHY AM I HERE? Maybe if it wasn''t for your selfish ass who has the audacity to give away MY stuff, I wouldn''t bother"


    She took a deep breath and looked at Samantha, who was standing beside her in a trance.


    "And HOW DARE YOU ditch your wife? Faking your death is one thing, but leaving her behind...Do you have no shame?!", she added.


    Upstairs, Rayne walked outside because she heard screaming and wanted to see what was happening. As soon as she walked out, she heard Layla''s words.


    She looked at Julian with a shocked expression, not expecting someone to show up claiming to be his wife!


    Samantha''s eyes were glued to Julian the whole time, staring at him with a deep longing. She felt like she had been given a second chance at life.


    After the news of his death spread, she wasn''t sure what to do. She had put in so much effort to get into the good graces of his family, and just before she got what she wanted, he was announced to be dead.


    Now, as she looked up at him, she felt a fire ignite inside. He was finally hers, and no one would stop that.


    Julian didn''t even know how to respond. First, his sister accused him of giving away her things, and now he had a wife he never even knew about!


    He looked over at Rayne, who had a shocked and somewhat worried expression. She was looking at him, silently asking for clarification with her eyes.


    He let out a deep sigh, then flashed a small smile at Rayne, telling her not to worry.


    His signal was well received, and Rayne quickly relaxed. She trusted him and knew he wasn''t the type who would have a secret wife somewhere.


    Rayne walked over and stood beside Julian, quietly supporting him with her presence. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Below Layla couldn''t stand his confused and annoyed expression.


    "What? Scared now that you''re being called out? Just wait until mom gets here!", she said angrily. Looking up she saw a beautiful woman emerge from one of the apartments and walk to stand beside Julian.


    Furious she pointed her finger at Rayne, "Who the fuck are you? Get away from my brother! He''s already married! Don''t make me claw your face!".


    Samantha also noticed Rayne and how close she seemed to be with Julian. She didn''t believe this pretty woman made it anywhere, only hung around to benefit from Julian''s generosity.


    "You''re no longer needed here, so hurry home. Julian and I have been engaged for many years, I''m his woman", she finally called out.


    She couldn''t stand these pretty flies constantly buzzing around him. The only comfort she had was that in the past she noticed that they never succeeded at getting close to him.


    Layla caught the eye of one of the servants they had sent out to search for clues about Julian, "Hey you! Go call Mom and Dad! Tell them their son has been hiding here while selling our things and keeping useless woman!"


    The servant quickly nodded and ran towards the car to convey the message.


    After the servant left, Layla took Samantha by the arm and led her upstairs. She wouldn''t leave today until Julian gave her all of the things she was owed.


    In the few moments while Layla and Samantha were heading upstairs Julian squeezed Rayne''s hand.


    "I''m sorry, looks like we''ll host dinner another time. Seems like trouble came to find me, and I apologize in advance for how horrible they are. I promise you Rayne, you''re my entire world", said Julian and walked her back home.


    Samantha saw their intimate actions and alarm bells sounded in her mind. In the past Julian had never once allowed a woman to touch him, not to mention taking initiative to hold hands!


    Layla also saw the scene and pushed forward, entering Rayne and Julian''s apartment right behind them.


    She looked around and noticed how cozy it was. The table was even set with crispy fried chicken and beers.


    "Wow, nice life you have here! I haven''t had meat for the last two days!", she spat.


    Samantha walked inside and eyed Rayne angrily While she had to admit that Rayne was very beautiful, she herself always prided herself in her looks.


    She walked over to Layla''s side and tugged her sleeve. Layla looked up and over to see Julian placing his arms around the beautiful blonde.


    Fury burned in her eyes. She swore that she wouldn''t let anyone take her man away from her.

 Chapter 183 Family Reunion

    "What are you doing? You''re finally reunited with your wife, quickly kick the bitch out", she yelled, pointing at Rayne.


    Julian''s expression turned dark. While he could tolerate the hatred from his family, he would not allow Rayne to be disrespected.


    "Watch your words, Layla. This is my final warning", he said in a very cold voice.


    Layla felt her body freeze from fright and she quickly clammed up. Her brother had always been cold to them ever since he left at 18.


    Before that, she remembered how he had always tried to be the good son their parents wanted. Back then she was a young girl and was always pampered, enjoying the attention.


    Julian looked over, meeting Samantha''s passionate gaze, "And let me make something else clear. The only person that I would ever agree to call my wife is Rayne".


    Samantha''s blood boiled. She looked at Rayne as if she killed her entire family. Instead of feeling discouraged, Samantha accepted the challenge.


    She had his entire family on her side, and she wanted to see how this nobody vixen would stand against all of them.


    Even if it angered Julian in the moment, she was confident that she could get him to fall for her with time.


    The room fell into an awkward silence. Layla was angrily staring at Julian while Samantha was running through a list of ways to kill Rayne.


    Knock! Knock!


    The sound of aggressive knocking pulled everyone out of their thoughts.


    "Layla! Julian! Are you in there?", Mrs. Barclay''s voice sounded from the other side of the door. Layla quickly turned to open the door.


    "In here Mom!", she said and let her mother, father, and the servants inside.


    The small living room was quickly filled to the brim with people, making it slightly uncomfortable. Julian didn''t bother greeting his parents, only staring at them with an angry expression.


    They''ve long been dead to him. He only sent them money previously so that they would leave him alone since it was the money they wanted anyway.


    "What''s this? Some whore you found on the streets?", Mrs. Barclay asked, looking at Rayne who was still in Julian''s embrace.


    Before Julian could retort, Layla smirked, "Don''t get him started, she''s got him by the balls".


    Without any warning, Mr. Barclay walked over and smacked Julian across the face. "How dare you? Not only are you disrespecting your mother, you''re disrespecting Samantha! She''s the only one I will acknowledge as your wife!".


    Rayne quickly turned around and gingerly placed her hand on Julian''s cheek. "Are you okay?", she asked worriedly.


    Julian had told her previously about his very strained relationship with his family but she never expected it to be this bad.


    Layla walked over and forcefully pulled Rayne away from Julian, "Get away from him, slut. Can''t you understand the situation? You''re not needed here anymore".


    The pull was so forceful that it caused Rayne to get flung across the room, tripping over a chair in the process.


    She landed on her side and felt her leg begin to bruise from getting caught on the corner of the wooden chair.


    "Rayne!", yelled Julian. He ran over to help her up, but his mother and father blocked his path.


    "I told you to forget about her!", shouted Mrs. Barclay, pulling Samantha over. "Look, this is your wife! I''ve been personally taking care of her all these years, she''s perfect in every aspect. And her looks are very elegant and refined!".


    Samantha lowered her head, acting coyly. She was happy to have Mrs. Barclay stand up for her.


    "Julian, I''ve truly loved you this whole time. Won''t you give me a chance?", she said in a very sweet voice.


    Layla walked over, "You have no idea, when news of your death spread, Samantha cried for three days straight! You owe her this!".


    Julian looked at his ''family'' as his blood began to boil.


    "I owe nothing! Get out of my way before I remove you all, permanently!", he hissed. Rayne was still on the ground and he needed to make sure she was okay.


    Mrs. Barclay was about to retort when her husband placed his hand on her shoulder, telling her to let it go for a moment.


    "Fine, play around with your slut. You''ll grow tired of her soon anyway!", she finally said and stepped aside.


    Julian ran up to Rayne, helping her off of the ground.


    "Are you hurt?", he asked, checking her body. As soon as his eyes landed on the large bruise on his leg he felt rage consume him.


    Rayne saw his frightening expression and placed her hand on his arm, patting him gently, "Don''t worry, I''m okay", she smiled.


    Her smile instantly helped calm him and after ensuring she was okay he finally turned to face his parents.


    "I''m not sure why you''re here, but please leave. Please pretend that I''m dead and don''t exist. Live your happy lives however you want, just let me live mine!", he said icily.


    "Ha! Pretend that you''re dead so that you can horde all our your supplies to yourself?", Mrs. Barclay scoffed! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wasn''t going to let him deceive her again!


    "Supplies? What supplies? Didn''t I already prepare an entire safe house for you all? There should be enough supplies in there to last you the rest of your lives!", said Julian angrily.


    He wasn''t sure what supplies there were after, but he really didn''t have much.


    Layla walked over, "Oh? Are you trying to deny it? Word around says that there''s a generous man giving away expensive cars and supplies to anyone who asks. Are you telling me that isn''t you?".


    Julian frowned, "Expensive cars? What next, and I also giving away designer bags and jewelry?".


    "Ha! Actually yes. Weren''t those DGM sweaters in the market you''re doing?", said Layla, placing her hand on her hip.


    Julian had no idea what they were talking about but his patience was wearing thin, "Just tell me what you want and leave".


    Layla was about to spew a list of items she''d been wanting but her mother stopped her, "What''s the rush. We''ll stay here for a few days. I''ll tell you what we want before we leave".


    Julian frowned but he knew that there was no convincing them. If they weren''t his biological parents, he would''ve gotten rid of them a long time ago.


    Just as Julian was brainstorming where to put them, Noah showed up. He heard a lot of shouting coming from Rayne and Julian''s apartment and decided to check in on them.


    The moment he saw Julian''s family standing inside he knew what was going on.


    Julian noticed Noah at the entrance, "Noah, please find them somewhere to stay for a few days", he said in a tired voice.


    Noah knew how difficult it was to deal with the Barclays and quickly agreed. One of the Alpha team three-bedroom units was mostly empty and could be temporarily given to his family to use.

 Chapter 184 Get Through This Together

    After Noah led the ''guests'' away, Julian picked up Rayne and brought her to the couch. "Let me look at your bruise," he said, gently placing her down.


    "Babe, I''m okay. I''ll just ice it for a few days. Let me look at your face," she said softly.


    The right side of Julian''s face was crimson red from where his father slapped him, and it was beginning to show signs of swelling.


    "We need to ice it before it gets worse," Rayne said sadly. She quickly opened her system panel and pulled out a frozen ice pack.


    Wrapping it in a thin cloth, she pressed the ice against his cheek.


    Julian looked at her with a guilty expression. "Rayne, I''m sorry about what they did and said. I regret not dealing with them earlier. I never expected them to randomly come seek me out like this."


    Rayne shook her head. "It''s okay. I''m sorry that your family is so cruel to you, even after everything you''ve done for them."


    He leaned in to kiss her. "I also don''t know how that woman magically became my wife. I just remember her hanging around my sister in the past."


    Before, he could easily ignore his family by tossing money at them. While he noticed Samantha whenever his sister came by, he never paid any attention to her.


    Rayne shook her head. "Hey, look at me," she said, locking eyes with him. "It''s okay. We''ll get through this together."


    Her words spread warmth through him. "Yes, you''re right. We''ll get through this together."


    They both rested and iced their bruises on the couch while discussing the purpose of his family''s surprise visit.


    "What sort of items do you think they want? As much as I don''t want to give anything to them, if it gets them off your case..." Rayne trailed off.


    "No. I don''t owe them anything. They should be living like royalty in the safe house I had prepared for them," Julian stated decisively.


    Rayne looked at him with a strange expression. "Are you sure you didn''t know about the apocalypse ahead of time? Preparing safehouses and the bunker seems a little... lucky."


    Julian smiled. "As much as I wish I had known, I wasn''t as lucky as you. It all just worked out well, timing-wise."


    Rayne shook her head, disagreeing. "See, to me, that seems even more lucky than my situation!"


    To get the timing so perfectly right without any prior knowledge was the definition of ''lucky'' in her book.


    "Well, if you put it that way, then yes, I am, in fact, the luckiest. Also because I met you!" he said, leaning over to kiss her.


    After a while, Noah came over to report to Julian. "I sent them to the first-floor unit of the adjacent building. The Alpha team members who were staying there temporarily moved to the units above."


    Julian nodded. "Thanks, Noah."


    Noah looked at Julian''s swollen face, "Boss, should we get rid of them?". He could see that were only here to cause a scene.


    Julian lowered his head. The scene of Rayne getting pushed replayed in his mind. "I want to know why they''re here. Once we find out, I''ll deal with them myself".


    His blood boiled from anger, no one was going to harm his woman, not even his own ''family''.


    Noah nodded, he just wanted to help his friend, but it looked like Julian had a plan.


    "Let''s see what they want first. Also, tell Ian to keep a close eye on them, I don''t want them to draw too much attention to us", ordered Julian.


    The next morning, a ferocious knock sounded on Rayne and Julian''s door.


    Rayne quickly got out of bed, thinking there was some kind of emergency, but when she opened the door, it was Layla''s smiling face she saw.


    "Oh good, at least you know how to open the door. You''re not totally useless," spat Layla. She pushed Rayne aside and waltzed inside.


    Looking around the table and kitchen, Layla frowned. "Well? Why haven''t you prepared breakfast yet? Oh, and let me tell you this in advance: I only eat organic."


    Rayne couldn''t take it anymore and laughed. "Haha, I''m sorry. But if you''re looking for a pity meal, you''ve come to the wrong place."


    She couldn''t believe how entitled someone could still be in the present day. The entire world was worried about staying alive, while this princess was expecting a full-course breakfast made with only organic products.


    "It''s the least you could do. You''ve been sticking to my brother like a leech long enough. At least show some respect to his family and do something to appear somewhat useful," replied Layla.


    Julian walked over with a frigid look. "Layla, watch your mouth!"


    Layla frowned. "What, your family finally comes to see you, and you can''t even treat them to a meal?"


    "If you want to discuss leeches, I think you should take a look in the mirror since you''re the biggest leech here. Talk to Rayne like that again and I''ll make sure you slowly freeze to death.", he said, walking over slowly with a dangerous aura.


    "Ugh, whatever. Mom and Dad are calling for you." Layla took a step back and walked out. She was always slightly intimidated by her brother, especially right now.


    She could tell that he was truly angry this time, so she quickly passed along the message and turned to head back before he could grab hold of her. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne walked over and patted Julian on the shoulder. "You weren''t kidding. Your sister really is something else."


    "Don''t get me started," sighed Julian. He just wanted to figure out why they were here. They weren''t the type of people to simply show up, something must have happened.


    After a few minutes, Julian finally collected himself and decided to pay his family a visit to get to the bottom of why they had come looking for him.


    "Do you want me to come with you?" asked Rayne. She was worried about him going there alone.


    Julian shook his head. "No. They''ll only make this difficult for you. It''ll be better if I go alone."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. If she were to go, her presence would only make things worse. They would surely say something unkind, getting Julian riled up.


    Before he left, she pulled out a medicated ointment and spread it on his cheek. It was designed to help with inflammation and could soothe the redness.


    "I love you", she said, lifting herself up on her tippy toes so that she could place a kiss on his lips.

 Chapter 185 Planning an Escape

    At the underground base.


    Dillon looked down at his watch and sighed.


    "Boss, maybe they ran into trouble?" said Cal. They had been waiting for Ace to show up for the previously scheduled meeting for a while now.


    Dillon tapped his fingers on the wooden table, thinking for a moment. "No, he should be fine. The more likely reason is that there was nothing to report. I''ll let him off this time."


    Cal was surprised to see Dillon in such a forgiving mood. He had half-expected Dillon to order an execution mission, calling Ace a deserter.


    What Cal didn''t know was that earlier that day, Dillon had received word that a mission to find the woman he requested had finally been approved by the higher-ups.


    For Dillon, this meant that Rayne was one step closer to being his.


    "You''ll be heading to the government base in a few days anyway. Just see what Ace has been up to while you''re there," said Dillon before getting up to leave.


    From Cal''s update, the plan with the Barclays seemed to be going very well, and hopefully, word of Julian''s whereabouts would soon come to light.


    ----


    At the government base


    Julian arrived at the apartment where his family was temporarily staying and walked inside. As soon as he stepped in, Samantha ran up to his side.


    "Julian! You''re here!" she said, reaching out to grab his arm. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian frowned and tried shaking her off, but she clung to him like a leech.


    "Get off me," he said coldly after she refused to let go. He pushed her away, causing her to stumble back and hit the back of the wall.


    "Julian!! What''s wrong with her touching you? She''s your wife, after all," Mrs. Barclay said from the table. She stood up, outraged at his forceful actions.


    The servants were buzzing around, doing their best to fulfill their master''s wishes.


    "She''s not my wife," Julian said, looking his mother directly in the eyes. "And next time you even say a word to Rayne I won''t let you off. I''ve given all of you too many chances, and consider this my last warning. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I swear I''ll kill you all myself!".


    Mrs. Barclay saw the sharp look in his eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. She wanted to continue to argue with him, demanding he take Samantha as his wife, but after hearing his warning she held back her words.


    "Tell me honestly, why are you here? I''m sure the safehouse I prepared for you is much more comfortable to live in than it is here.", he asked after a while.


    He really wanted to know what it was that made them come looking for him. It was really out of character for them to leave the comfort of their safehouse to simply look for him.


    Layla snorted. "That''s for sure. This place reeks."


    Mrs. Barclay looked at him with an evil glare. "Like I said earlier, we''re here for our things. Don''t think of scamming us either."


    "What kind of things? I truly don''t know what you''re talking about," Julian said, feeling exasperated. He didn''t know where they heard that he was giving away things left and right.


    If anything, he was taking things from Rayne! Even if he was still living in his bunker, there wouldn''t be many things for him to give them.


    "Clothes, bags, shoes, makeup... Oh! Don''t forget my car!" Layla called out, listing the things she wanted.


    She was still thinking of more things to add when Julian erupted into laughter.


    "This has got to be some kind of joke, right? Where am I supposed to find these things for you? Have you not looked outside? The world has been flipped upside down!"


    Layla snapped, "But Katrina told us herself! She said that many people were saying you''ve been giving out luxury vehicles and priceless items!"


    Julian turned to Layla. "Who''s Katrina?" Why would someone purposely spread nonsense to his family? He felt like something was off.


    "Katrina is a girl who attended the same school as your sister. She came looking for her family recently and informed us about you! She wouldn''t lie about this," Mrs. Barclay said quickly.


    Samantha lowered her voice and looked away. "Well, at least she claimed she was. Neither I nor Layla remember her from school."


    Julian looked down at her, hearing her mumble. "Wait, you don''t even know if this person was telling the truth, and you believed them? Where is this Katrina now?"


    Layla frowned. "She said she was looking for her family with her cousin. They will meet up with us here soon." She also wanted Katrina to meet up sooner so that she could back up their claims about the luxury items.


    Julian''s stomach turned. The more he listened, the more he felt like something was off, and he always trusted his gut feeling.


    "I need to head back," he suddenly announced, running toward the door.


    Mrs. Barclay tried calling out to stop him, but it was too late. Everyone stared at the shut door, bewildered.


    "What happened? Why did he run away like that?" asked Layla. Everyone just stared blankly, unsure how to answer.


    Julian ran back to his apartment to find Rayne. He needed to discuss the potential threat with her before going to discuss it with Noah and Ian.


    Rayne was startled when the door suddenly flung open. She noticed Julian''s panicked expression and quickly stood up from the couch.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked. Her first thought was that his family had hurt him again.


    Julian walked over and placed his hands on hers. "While I don''t have concrete evidence, I have suspicions that Damien somehow sent my family out to locate me!"


    Rayne''s eyes widened. "What! That means Damien''s men could show up any day!"


    Julian nodded. "We need to leave. Right now, we can''t afford to face him head-on. We don''t know how many men he has, but I know we''d be greatly outnumbered. And with the addition of the ''super'' drug, it would only be more difficult to get through them all."


    Rayne looked down, thinking about where they could go. The new base wasn''t ready, and she didn''t want to bring potential danger to Fred''s settlement.


    "What if I leave right now and try to clear an area in the new base to place enough RVs down for everyone to stay there temporarily?" she suggested.


    Julian thought for a moment. "That may be a good idea. However, let''s find a different spot for now. If we go to the forest clearing now, it would be much more difficult for you to use your system to set things up later."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with his point. "How about the small village north of the mountain where the new base will be? I know we haven''t scouted that area yet, but from my maps and research, it should be a fairly small village. I can park a few RVs over there for us to use temporarily."


    Julian nodded. Unfortunately, it was a race against time, and they didn''t have the luxury of scouting a new area.


    "Okay, take my satellite phone. The passcode is 09-34-55. I''ll send you a message on Noah''s phone later. Be careful," he said, leaning in and hugging her.


    He still couldn''t swallow his anger from how his family treated Rayne earlier, but he couldn''t ignore the looming threat of Damien''s forces potentially coming to find him.

 Chapter 186 The Quick Getaway

    Julian left to meet with Noah and Ian while Rayne walked around and stored all the important items in the apartment, like weapons, IDs, and anything related to Julian.


    She wanted to throw Damien off their trail as much as possible, so she removed anything related to him from the apartment while adding more feminine items around.


    After finishing inside the apartment, she got dressed and hurried out to her SUV.


    Downstairs, Samantha and Layla walked out in time to see Rayne quickly running away from Julian''s apartment.


    "Oh good, looks like my brother finally kicked her out. See, I told you everything would work out," smiled Layla.


    Samantha felt her heart flutter. She thought that Julian had had a change of heart after seeing her earlier.


    "Come on, let''s go back inside. I''m willing to bet that he''ll come back begging for forgiveness any minute," laughed Layla.


    The two girls went back inside where it was warm and waited for Julian to return.


    Julian was currently next door speaking with Noah and Ian. He told them about his suspicions that Damien was using his family to find him.


    "When you put it that way, it makes sense," said Ian. He also had his suspicions about why they would only now go out of their way to seek Julian.


    Julian told him about the plan to relocate, twisting the story so that when he and Rayne went out earlier, they found a bunch of new RVs in a rural town.


    Coupled with the RV they already had from their trip to City R, they should have enough temporary living spaces to hold everyone.


    While Julian and Ian discussed the details, Noah couldn''t help but think of Ella. He really didn''t want to leave her, especially if the danger from Damien''s men was approaching.


    Julian noticed his lost-in-thought expression and asked, "Noah, what''s wrong? You look troubled."


    Noah looked up and frowned. "Boss, can I bring Ella? I don''t feel right leaving her and her family behind."


    Julian smiled knowingly. If he were in Noah''s position, he wouldn''t be able to leave Rayne behind either.


    "Yes, go deliver a message to the Sotos. You can explain the situation to Reginald. He already has a basic understanding. Tell them to only bring the essentials. Rayne packed a lot, and we''ll be fine for the time being," instructed Julian.


    Noah quickly stood up with a small smile on his face. He wasn''t sure how Julian would feel about bringing extras with them when he initially asked, and was relieved when Julian agreed.


    "I''ll go now, excuse me," he said and ran over to Ella''s place to inform them of the situation.


    Julian turned to Ian. "Have everyone in Alpha team ready to leave in one hour." One hour would give Rayne enough time to set everything up in the rural town.


    He looked out the window, hoping nothing bad would happen to her on her journey. This would be the first time they split up, which made him feel a little uneasy.


    Rayne quickly made her way to her SUV and drove out of the base. Having just recently visited the mountain, she had a good idea of how to get there, making the trip easier.


    She was also thankful that they had plowed the main highway while they were driving previously. This made the roads much easier to navigate.


    A few hours later, she finally approached the mountain where their future base would be. She took a quick look out the window at the forest below.


    Although she had cleared a huge area of trees, she was happy to see that from this angled top-down view, it was still very difficult to tell that there were missing trees.


    The rest of the forest was thick with trees, hiding the clearing she made completely. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She continued to drive up and over the mountain along the main road until she reached the small town she was looking for.


    When she was initially looking for potential base locations, she had noticed that there was a small town not far from the mountain.


    This town was very rural, with only one main street where all of the shops and important buildings were. The rest of the streets were small residential areas, with a few small apartment buildings.


    Rayne looked around as she drove through the town, feeling like this town was very cute. She was looking for a good, hidden spot to begin placing the RVs.


    She drove down one of the small side streets until she found a small two-story motel. From the outside, it looked very old but well-maintained.


    "Skinner Mountain Motel," she said, reading the sign out loud before driving into its parking lot. It seemed this town was named after the nearby mountain, with many of the stores'' names including ''Skinner''.


    After parking, she stepped outside and walked over to the main reception building, looking to see if there was anyone around.


    The door was unlocked, so Rayne walked right in, holding her gun out for safety.


    She searched around thoroughly but found no signs of people living here.


    After walking around some more, she searched the reception desk to see if she could find the keys to the units.


    She searched the desk and all the nearby drawers but couldn''t find any keys. "I wonder if the owners took the keys with them when they left?" she mumbled.


    But just as she turned to leave the room, she found a small metal, wall-mounted key box. Her eyes lit up, and she opened her system panel to take out a small handheld cut-off tool.


    She carefully sawed through the metal, exposing the keys that were neatly hung on hooks in an organized manner.


    Each key was labeled with the room number and hung in ascending order. Rayne quickly reached out and pulled all of the keys off the hook, storing them into her system.


    She decided to quickly check out the motel rooms to see if they could work as lodgings. Having everyone stay in these rooms would be ideal so that she wouldn''t have to explain where all the high-end RVs came from.


    She entered the first room and was glad to see that everything looked to be in decent shape. The windows were intact, and there seemed to be no major structural damage.


    The only downside was the very outdated interior. All of the furniture and fixtures seemed to be original to the motel and looked very worn.


    She tried flipping the light switch out of habit, but unfortunately, there was no electricity. She walked over to the bathroom to check if there was running water, and to her surprise, there was!


    The water was freezing cold, so it would need to be manually heated for bathing, but at least the toilets could be flushed!

 Chapter 187 Skinner Mountain Motel

    Rayne quickly checked the rest of the rooms and found that only one was unusable due to a broken window.


    "This will be great then! I can still park one large RV outside in case of emergencies and use it as a cover for my supplies," Rayne said as she went back over to the first room.


    She looked around and then calculated the time. Julian should be approaching soon with Alpha Team, so she didn''t have enough time to clean everything.


    She placed a special pellet stove in each usable room. This stove had a built-in cooktop, which would allow the user to boil water and cook meals while staying warm.


    The only other big change she made was swapping out the bedframes in all of the rooms. There were only 19 usable rooms, and most of them only had one queen-size bed.


    This wouldn''t provide enough sleeping space for the number of people coming, so Rayne had to replace the beds with a few single beds to make the rooms more functional.


    She worked quickly, placing the stove, bags of pellets, beds, bed sheets, blankets, and other basic supplies like soap and toilet paper in each of the rooms.


    There wasn''t enough time to make the beds, so she just neatly stacked the bed sheets on top of each mattress. The residents of each unit would be able to make their own beds when they arrived.


    Just as Rayne made it to the last room, the satellite phone in her pocket buzzed. She quickly unlocked it and saw the message from Julian, sent from Noah''s phone.


    ["Hey Rayne, we are approaching the mountain now. Let me know where to go once in town. - Julian."]


    Rayne quickly replied, giving instructions to drive over to the motel.


    After replying, she quickly placed the phone back in her pocket and quickened her pace, setting up the last room.


    Before Julian and the others arrived, she quickly pulled out the largest RV she had in her space. It was long, shiny black with silver accents. It was about double the length of the previous RV she had used but equally as luxurious.


    The reason she chose this RV was simply for the added space for items. Since she didn''t have enough time to individually supply each room, having extras in this one place was the next best thing.


    She walked inside and quickly began dumping piles of supplies into every corner, not caring how messy it looked.


    This would serve as a central supply point for them as they got settled.


    Just as she walked out, she saw a small train of cars approaching. The first vehicle was the previous RV they drove from City R, with Julian as its driver.


    Quickly, the small parking lot filled with Jeeps and SUVs. Rayne turned to see a familiar car pulling in behind them.


    "Ella!!" she smiled, calling out to her friend.


    She secretly wanted to ask Ella to come with them but wasn''t sure if Julian would allow it. Thankfully, it seemed that Noah had taken care of that issue for her.


    She mentally gave him a thumbs-up, happy that he thought of Ella and her family amidst this crisis.


    Looks like Noah is serious about Ella.


    Julian walked over to her and looked around. "Did we arrive too soon?" he asked in a low voice. He only saw one RV in the parking lot and was worried that they hadn''t given Rayne enough time to set up.


    Rayne smiled and shook her head. "We''re going to be staying in there," she said, pointing to the motel rooms.


    Julian looked around and smiled. "This is even better! Great thinking." He felt that this was a much better setup than living inside a bunch of RV''s.


    Rayne pulled out the stack of keys from her system and walked over to the rest of the group with Julian. "The rooms even have running water", she said, telling Julian more about the layout of each room.


    "Sorry for the short notice, but this is where we''ll be staying for the time being. Rayne and I have been building up this place slowly, over time. It may not be the most comfortable place, but it will work for now," announced Julian.


    Everyone looked around and nodded. It looked like a quiet place, and no one minded that it was in the middle of nowhere.


    Even Ella''s family welcomed the change. They had slowly begun to lose faith in the government base, especially after the cold snap.


    The base did nothing to help its people stay warm and survive, only increasing prices daily.


    So when Noah came by, telling them about the potential dangers approaching the base, Reginald didn''t think long before quickly packing up all their belongings and joining the migration.


    Rayne was glad that she left two rooms with queen-sized beds. The first room was meant for her and Julian, while the other one was an extra.


    Now that Reginald and his wife were here, she felt her planning had been perfect.


    She eyed Ella and Noah, curious about how they were going to arrange themselves between the rooms. Rayne was certain that Ella had kept her relationship with Noah a secret from her parents, so they would most likely act as friends for now.


    Just as she expected, Reginald had Ella stay with them in their room.


    Rayne quickly told Ella that she was welcome to use the mattress from the RV if she needed it.


    Julian assigned the rest of the rooms to the other members of Alpha Team, allowing everyone to begin organizing their rooms.


    Everyone was happy to see the stove and clean sheets in their rooms. They weren''t expecting much when they arrived, but seeing that their basic needs were being met, they were all very happy.


    Even Reginald and his wife gasped when they walked into their room.


    "They even managed to get us a pellet stove!" called out Reginald''s wife as they walked into their room.


    Reginald looked around, noticing the blankets, sheets, and hygiene supplies. "Yes, it seems Noah wasn''t kidding when he said that Rayne packed a lot of items."


    They still managed to bring most of their things from the government base, so they weren''t worried about their survival for the time being.


    After everyone got settled into their rooms and set up the pellet stoves, Rayne went around announcing that the supplies in the large RV were free for everyone to use as they pleased.


    When Ella walked into the RV to find some food, her eyes widened. Inside, she found bags and piles of all sorts of snacks and food items. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even sacks of grain and rice filled an entire section of the kitchen area.


    She looked around a little more. "Potatoes?" she asked out loud, holding a large, fresh russet potato in her hand.


    The last time she saw a potato, it felt like ages ago. She quickly grabbed a handful of potatoes and sweet potatoes, thinking that roasting them in the stove would be delicious!

 Chapter 188 Almost Discovered

    Noah walked into the RV to witness Ella''s excitement.


    He walked over quietly and hugged her from behind. His sudden actions startled Ella so much the she nearly dropped all of the potatoes in her hands.


    "Noah! You scared me to death!", she cried out.


    "Shh, keep your voice down unless you want to be discovered", he said in a low voice, kissing her neck.


    When Julian went assigning rooms earlier, he had wanted to ask Ella to share a room with him, but when Reginald told Ella to stay with them, he knew it would be too soon. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella felt her body heat up from his kisses. The thought of being discovered was as thrilling as it was frightening for her.


    She knew her father would kill her and Noah if he found them messing around, but she couldn''t stop--Noah''s touch just felt so good.


    Noah kissed her while his hands explored her body until they heard Ella''s mother calling out to her from outside of the RV.


    "Ella! Are you inside? Did you get lost?" her mother asked, approaching the entrance to the RV.


    Noah quickly stepped away from Ella and adjusted himself, while Ella did the same.


    "Oh, Noah! You''re here too!" smiled Ella''s mother. She hadn''t expected to see him here with her daughter.


    Ella blushed. "Oh, hi, Mom. Noah was helping me with the potatoes. I thought these would be delicious roasted in the stove." Her voice cracked slightly, making her blush even more.


    "Thank you, Noah, for helping my silly daughter. I hope she hasn''t been too much of a burden to you," she smiled, walking over to help carry the potatoes.


    "Not at all, Mrs. Soto. I''m glad to help," replied Noah, very respectfully. While his face remained neutral, his heart was beating violently inside.


    After picking out a few more items, Mrs. Soto turned to leave with Ella. On her way out, Ella turned to flash Noah a charming smile, igniting a desire within him.


    Noah stood inside the RV, watching them leave. He had come so close to being discovered, and they had only just arrived here.


    His mind began to spin as he thought of other ways he could meet with Ella. At this point, outside of his responsibilities, it was Ella who occupied his thoughts the most.


    -----


    The following day, Katrina came over to find Cal at the underground base.


    "Are you ready? We should go check to see if anything came from the bait we set out," she said with a smile.


    Today, they planned to make it to the government base to see if the Barclays had managed to pull up any clues about Julian''s whereabouts.


    Cal nodded. "Yes, I''m ready. Are you sure I need to bring so many supplies? It seems excessive for such a short trip."


    Katrina told him to pack at least a full duffel bag of supplies, including canned food. Now his duffel bag was very heavy and difficult to carry around.


    "Haha! Yes, I''m very sure. By the time you actually make it inside the base, half your bag will be empty," she laughed.


    She knew about the entry and registration fees from her other team members and made sure to warn Cal.


    Cal frowned but figured it was better to be safe than sorry. He was also worried about Ace, still not having heard from him.


    The pair made their way over to the garage and checked out a car to make their way to the government base. A few hours later, they finally arrived.


    The line was long, but nothing like what it had been in the past, and they were in within a few hours.


    Cal looked at his now significantly lighter duffel bag in surprise. "You were right. They''re scamming people out of their supplies here. I don''t know how the average person is supposed to make it inside with these prices."


    Katrina nodded. "Yeah, the prices went up a lot since my team was here. I don''t think it''s worth it for people to come here. There''s no real benefit."


    They walked around, looking for signs of either Ace or the Barclays, until they heard yelling coming from one of the nearby buildings.


    "JULIAN, OPEN THE DOOR!" yelled a woman''s voice.


    Katrina looked over at Cal and quickly made their way over. When they arrived, they saw Layla and Mrs. Barclay furiously pounding on one of the doors on the third floor of a building.


    "I swear, you can''t hide in there forever!" Mrs. Barclay called out.


    Katrina walked over and put on her innocent girl expression. "Layla! Mrs. Barclay! What''s going on over there?"


    Layla looked over and saw Katrina standing beside Cal on the ground in front of their building.


    "Oh, you''re finally here. Did you find your parents?" asked Layla. She was both happy to see Katrina and frustrated that it had taken her so long to arrive.


    She needed Katrina to back them up when demanding that Julian hand over their items, so she invited her up warmly.


    As Katrina made her way up the stairs with Cal, she replied to Layla''s initial question, "No, we continued to search the city, but unfortunately, nothing came up."


    Katrina pretended to wipe away her tears, seemingly distraught.


    "Oh, I''m sure we''ll hear from them soon. Like how it happened with us, we managed to find my son as soon as we got here," said Mrs. Barclay warmly.


    Katrina raised her eyebrow, impressed by their luck. She pretended to be very excited for them. "Wow! How amazing! I''m so happy you were able to find him!"


    Layla frowned and turned to look at the door. "Unfortunately, he hasn''t left his room all day and refuses to answer the door."


    Katrina looked over curiously at the door. "Maybe he''s tired and sleeping?"


    "Yeah, Mom, he''s probably busy laying with that blonde. Let''s come back later. Now that we have Katrina here, he won''t be able to weasel his way out of giving us our items," said Layla, beginning to walk back downstairs.


    Mrs. Barclay''s face turned dark at the thought of Rayne, but she remembered Julian''s previous warning and kept silent.


    "Very well, let''s try again after dinner. I''d really like to leave this place sooner rather than later. There seems to be some sort of cold or flu going around," said Mrs. Barclay.


    Katrina went back with Layla and her mom, while Cal excused himself to search for Ace under the pretense of looking for clues about Katrina''s family.

 Chapter 189 Disease Spreads

    Walking over to the main lobby building, he began asking around if anyone had seen a group of people matching Ace''s description.


    Unfortunately for Cal, most of the people refused to answer him, while others swore they''d seen them but couldn''t remember where.


    After over an hour of searching, Cal bumped into a sick young man who looked to be around 18 years old.


    "If you''ve checked everywhere else, I recommend you look in either the infirmary or the group shelter. That''s where most of the people are these days¡ªsick or dying," he said in a hopeless voice.


    He himself was on his way to the infirmary to see if he could buy some medicine, even though he already knew it would be impossible.


    In the last few days, dozens of people had died from this illness, while the majority of others were bedridden, waiting to see if death would claim them too.


    Cal frowned at this news. He didn''t want to go to where the sick people were, worried that he might catch whatever disease was going around, but he had no other choice.


    Dillon had specifically told him to find where Ace was and why he hadn''t made it to the previous meeting. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He dug around in his duffel bag and pulled out a white t-shirt, which he ripped and wrapped around his mouth and nose.


    Hoping that the cloth would protect him from the illness, he walked into the infirmary wing of the base first.


    People lined the halls, coughing and sneezing. Some were even passed out on the ground. Cal was horrified by the sight and couldn''t believe that all of these people were so ill.


    He walked around, searching for Ace''s familiar face in the sea of people but couldn''t find him. The line at the reception desk was fairly long, but he had little choice and decided to wait.


    "I''m sorry, but we''re completely out of medicine. There''s nothing I can do for you," said the nurse at the reception desk.


    "But my son is dying! Can''t you see? He can''t even keep his eyes open!" yelled a woman holding a young boy in her arms.


    The nurse frowned. "I''m really sorry, Ma''am, but there''s truly nothing I can do besides advise you to let him rest naturally." Scenes like this were popping up all over the medical ward, but unfortunately, there were no medicines to give out.


    "What good is this base when you can''t even get basic help anywhere?! All I''ve done is starve and freeze here! I was better off at home!" the woman screamed and turned back, carrying her son.


    Cal watched this scene repeat itself as he waited in line, and by the time it was his turn, the nurse at the front desk was exhausted.


    "Sorry, we don''t have medicine," she stated bluntly before Cal had a chance to ask.


    "No, I''m here looking for someone. I''m wondering if you''ve seen someone by the name of Ace?" he asked.


    The nurse looked at him and laughed. "Haha, does this place look that organized to you? I have no idea what anyone''s name is here. Not to mention, we haven''t been able to take in any patients these last few days since we really have zero supplies."


    Cal looked around, and indeed, this medical ward was a disorganized mess. The only benefit this place offered was the slightly warm interior, thanks to a wood-burning stove inside.


    "Thank you," he said quietly and turned to leave.


    If Ace wasn''t here, he would check the last place¡ªthe group housing.


    Cal had his doubts that Ace would stay in a group housing unit but thought maybe it was to help gather information.


    As he arrived at the large, flimsy-built dorm-style housing, he couldn''t help but feel nauseous from the nasty smell.


    The entrance was littered with trash and other unidentifiable items, all contributing to the horrid stench.


    Cal quickly stepped inside to try and get away from the awful scent, but as he walked in, he realized that it was much worse inside.


    Very few people were walking or standing inside; everyone looked either dead or half-dead, lying on their shabby bunk beds.


    "There''s no way Ace is here," mumbled Cal as he began to walk down the narrow walkway.


    The farther in he walked, the more disgusted he felt. These people looked like they''d been laying on their beds for days on end, even soiling themselves right there on the bed.


    Cal couldn''t believe that the higher-ups at this base had not done anything about the situation. Their residents were dying left and right¡ªthey could at least try to procure some medicine.


    He continued to walk, looking at the faces of every person lying on the bunks until he got closer to the end of the building.


    There was a group of burly men who were coughing nonstop, and among them lay a familiar face.


    "Ace?! Is that you?" Cal called out, unsure if he was seeing things.


    The man resembled Ace but was incredibly pale and sallow.


    Ace was in and out of consciousness but heard Cal''s voice. He tried opening his eyes to look, but found the task too difficult.


    Cal waited for any response but didn''t get one, even after a few minutes of waiting. He bent down to take a closer look.


    Sure enough, the man on the bed was the Ace he''d been looking for this whole time.


    "That means these men are part of his team," Cal said, looking around at the nearby bunks.


    Each one of the men looked worse than the previous. Cal wasn''t sure how to help them either. He dug around in his duffel bag and found a small bottle of expired painkillers that he''d brought in case he got a headache.


    "I guess it''s better than nothing, right? But how do I get him to swallow it?" mumbled Cal, holding the small white pill.


    After thinking about it, he decided to simply pop the pill into Ace''s mouth. The rest, Ace would have to figure out.


    Ace felt someone pry something into his mouth as his body was burning alive. He wasn''t conscious enough to know what it was, but after a few seconds, he felt a very bitter taste spread through his mouth.


    His mouth was a bit dry from not having water these past few days, so the pill took a long time to dissolve, subjecting him to the bitter taste for a long time.


    Cal watched and waited, expecting to see some kind of miracle. But after ten minutes of waiting, there were still no signs of recovery from Ace.


    Cal scratched his head. "Well, I guess I''ll go back and report to boss Dillon now," he said and turned to leave the disease-infested building.

 Chapter 190 Unconvinced

    Before they separated, Katrina instructed Cal to report that Julian had been found. The main mission was to locate Julian so they needed to report back with the good news quickly. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cal took one final look at his partner and wished him luck to make it through the sickness.


    "If you hold out until I come back, I''ll bring back some medicine", he said quietly.


    Cal quickly made it back to the car that he and Katrina arrived in and set off back to the city.


    A few hours later he finally arrived in front of Dillon''s apartment, hearing the typical chorus of moans coming from inside.


    Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door a few times.


    "Come in!", yelled Dillon from the bedroom.


    Cal frowned, wishing that he would be told to wait or come back later, alas he slowly walked inside. The sounds of passionate lovemaking echoed throughout the apartment, uncaring about the new visitor.


    He slowly walked over to the bedroom, where the door was already wide open. The scene of two women tangled up on the bed with Dillon was what greeted him.


    Cal quickly averted his gaze and focused on breathing. He still hasn''t had a chance to taste a woman so the explicit environment left him struggling to exist.


    Dillon slightly turned his head to see Cal standing at the door.


    "Oh Cal, it''s you. I thought Ace finally showed up", he said without pausing his movements.


    "Boss, I came back from the government base to report", said Cal, but before he could continue Krissy''s voice called out.


    "Fuck, I''m going to cum!", she yelled, moaning at the top of her lungs.


    Dillon smirked then slapped her ass that was in front of him, "Shut up!", he yelled before continuing.


    Cal swallowed and continued to report.


    "I found Ace. He''s deathly ill, I''m not sure if he''ll make it before I get back", reported Cal, telling Dillon about the widespread illness that''s spread throughout the base.


    "The main thing, however, is we found Julian", he finally finished.


    Dillon paused, pulling out just before Krissy could climax, "You found him? He''s there at the government base?".


    "Yes, Boss!", replied Cal. He proceeded to tell Dillon the details of what he witnessed with the Barclays today.


    "Good, so Katrina is with them now. Go gather a large team, it''s time we take over the government base", smiled Dillon.


    He couldn''t believe how smoothly this mission to find Julian had gone. He expected it to take at least another month of searching after the previous setback.


    "To think he would run to the government base to seek refuge after running from his bunker!", laughed Dillon and went to get dressed, leaving the two women on the brink of tears from the orgasm denial.


    ----


    Later that evening at the government base...


    "Mom, he''s still refusing to answer the door. I just spent the last 10 minutes knocking," said Layla frustratedly.


    Mrs. Barclay stood up with an angry expression. "I swear that boy! Where''s Samantha? Maybe she could get him to open the door. Are you sure that blonde didn''t come back after running out yesterday?"


    "Yes, Mom, I''ve been watching his door like a hawk. She hasn''t come back," assured Layla. She wasn''t lying. Ever since they saw Rayne run out, she and Samantha had been keeping a close eye on Julian''s apartment.


    Katrina watched this spectacle from the table, quietly drinking tea.


    "To me, it sounds like they got into a fight and he''s just shut himself in," she finally gave her opinion.


    Layla looked over at her and thought about her words.


    "Yes! She did seem to be nervous or upset! That''s it!!" said Layla. It made perfect sense. They got into an argument, and now Julian was just locked inside, depressed or angry.


    Mrs. Barclay looked out the window. "Still, how long does he plan to sulk? I don''t plan to wait for him forever."


    Their thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sounds of gunfire.


    "What?! What''s happening?" cried out Mrs. Barclay. The loud shots sounded like they were coming from the entrance to the base.


    A few minutes later, a mass of people came running and screaming, "Attack! The base is under attack!"


    Katrina took another sip of her tea, and then put on a frightened expression. "Attack? We need to hide!! Close the windows and let''s lay low, maybe they won''t find us!"


    Everyone was equally as frazzled, so no one protested Katrina''s idea. Layla quickly closed the curtains and turned off all the lights.


    They all huddled together, listening as the gunfire got closer.


    At the entrance of the base, the few guards stationed there saw the large army of people approaching.


    Before they had a chance to ask what brought them here, the men all pulled out various weapons and began to shoot them down.


    For the first time in a long time, the higher-ups made an announcement. "Everyone grab whatever weapons you have and fight back! We must band together to fight back!"


    Unfortunately for them, their rallies fell on deaf ears. Most of the base''s population was sick, while the others were starving.


    Even the healthy ones ignored the announcement, having lost all hope in the administration after the cold snap.


    The base administrators looked around and noticed the people just gathering quietly to watch the shootout. Their eyes were hollow, not caring if they lived or died.


    "Why are you just standing there?! Fight back!" screamed one of the administrators.


    The deadpan expressions on the residents'' faces cracked for a short moment. "Why should we? It''s not like we''ll survive much longer anyway. Might as well die now than have to suffer a slow and gradual death."


    The administrator shook in fear. "What? Why!?" He was so busy enjoying the cushy life that he didn''t realize what was going on outside.


    When did everyone turn so hopeless? It''s only been a few weeks, and the bustling atmosphere of the base turned into a ghost town.


    No matter how many people he tried riling up to fight, he was met with the same attitude. No one cared about this base, hardly caring about their own lives.


    Not a single person was convinced to fight back.

 Chapter 191 Impenetrable Fortress

    At the entrance of the base, Dillon stood victoriously.


    The few armed guards were quickly dealt with, leaving the gate wide open.


    "Everyone, move in! If you''re met with any resistance, feel free to kill on sight!" he announced before motioning for them to flood into the base.


    The large group of men stormed in, securing every area of the base.


    Most of the residents didn''t even blink when they saw the armed men approach, making them question what was happening.


    "Isn''t it strange that no one is running or screaming? They''re all just standing by the fires, watching like nothing''s even happening," one of the armed men said to the others.


    Everyone nodded and continued securing the base.


    A few minutes later, only a handful of shots were heard. Dillon smiled. "Good, it''s easier when people comply. You guys, watch the entrance and ensure that no one gets out. We''re here to capture Julian."


    Dillon walked to the end of the base alongside Cal. Cal led the way to the building where the Barclays and Katrina were staying, taking the most direct path.


    Along the way, Dillon frowned, looking at how disgusting the surroundings were. "Why would anyone want to live here?" he asked.


    Having lived in Damien''s base since before the disasters, he had a skewed outlook on what life looked like outside.


    They made their way over to the building where Katrina was waiting. Cal walked over and knocked on the door a few times.


    "Katrina, it''s me. Are you there?" he called out. The curtains were drawn, and everything was quiet, making him wonder if they had gone somewhere.


    Inside, Katrina heard Cal call out after knocking. She was about to stand up and open the door when Layla pulled her down.


    "What are you doing? What if it''s someone dangerous?" she hissed.


    Katrina looked at her and smiled. "But Layla, it''s my cousin Cal! I can''t just leave him outside! Plus, if it were dangerous, he would tell me to hide. We can trust him."


    Layla was hesitant but let go of her arm. Katrina sprang up and quickly made her way to the door, unlocking it.


    As soon as the door opened, she saw Cal, and behind him was Leader Dillon. She quickly bowed her head respectfully. "Leader Dillon, come on in."


    Dillon walked in, looking at the huddled family on the floor. "Don''t worry, I''m not here to hurt you. I''m just looking for someone you''re familiar with."


    Layla saw the handsome man in front of her. "Who are you looking for?" she asked in a sweet voice.


    Dillon smiled. "You must be his sister. Truly, the genetics in your family are peak. I''m looking for your brother. Mind telling me where he is?"


    Layla felt her face heat up from the indirect compliment. "Ah, y-yes. I''ll bring you to his apartment." She scurried off the ground and put on her coat.


    "Please, follow me," she said and led him over to the adjacent building. "He''s on the third floor."


    They walked over to the last door on the third floor, and Layla walked up. "Julian! Open up, there''s a visitor for you!"


    After a few minutes of silence, Layla began to feel awkward. "Julian! It''s not the time to be sulking over that blonde woman! You have someone important visiting!" She continued to knock until Dillon stopped her.


    He was slowly beginning to lose patience and pushed Layla to the side. The push wasn''t forceful, but enough for her to feel a little scared.


    "You won''t mind if I break the door down, right?" he said with an evil smile.


    Layla shook her head. "No, not at all." She moved out of the way, leaving a generous amount of space between her and the door.


    Dillon looked at the door, then lifted his leg, forcefully slamming it into the wood.


    "FUCK!" he yelled. Instead of breaking the door like he expected, he felt as if he had kicked a block of iron.


    He looked at the door more carefully. "What the hell is wrong with this door? It looks just like any other standard wooden door."


    Even running his hand along the front of the door, he felt the grooves of the natural wood.


    "Cal! Get someone over here who specializes in lockpicking!" he yelled from the balcony.


    Cal, who was waiting below, quickly accepted the order and ran off to find someone who could pick the lock. He returned about ten minutes later with a lanky guy who had come with the rest of the ''army.''


    Dillon quickly motioned for him to begin picking the lock while rubbing his leg.


    The lanky man knelt down and opened his small pack of different-sized lockpicks, beginning his process. He expected this to be an easy job, as the locks here were all very standard. However, after twenty minutes of trying, he couldn''t even get past the initial layer.


    "Are you sure you even know what you''re doing?" asked Dillon, who was seconds from losing it. He had been standing out here for over an hour and was beginning to feel the cold seep through his clothing.


    "Sir, I assure you that I''ve been properly trained. There''s something off with this lock. It''s not the typical one that it appears to be," the lanky man replied.


    After trying for another twenty minutes, the lanky man finally gave up. "Forgive me, Boss. I don''t have the correct tools for this job."


    Dillon was angry. "I don''t care what you do. Blast it open for all I care! Just get it open!"


    "Yes, sir!" Cal called out and went to find a team to get the door open.


    Another ten minutes later, a group of men arrived with all sorts of tools: crowbars, hammers, blowtorches, and even explosives.


    The men quickly got to work, trying to open it with the sledgehammers. They beat the door relentlessly, but even after a few minutes of repetitive pounding, the door stood firmly, without signs of damage.


    "What the hell is this door made out of? Why is it so difficult to open?" said Dillon, angrily.


    The men moved to the blowtorches, trying to burn a hole in the door. They fired up their torches and slowly began to melt the door. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While they finally made visible progress, only the topmost layer had melted off.


    "Boss, we don''t have enough fuel for these blowtorches to get through. This would also take a few days," one of the men with the blowtorches said.


    "THEN BLOW IT UP!" yelled Dillon. He was freezing and aggravated by a stupid door. He wanted to leave and warm up somewhere but knew that he had to be there the moment the door opened.


    "Sir, I don''t think explosives will get through this door. It seems to be a very thick iron door, similar to bank vault doors," one of the other men chimed in.


    "Then what do you suggest?!" asked Dillon, ready to pull his hair out.


    The man thought for a moment and came up with a different idea. "We could smash through the window if we had a ladder."


    Dillon no longer cared. "Then go, do it! And hurry up!"

 Chapter 192 On Her Trail

    Another half hour later, they finally had the ladders they needed to break into the window.


    "Boss, there''s no one inside!" yelled Cal. He had just climbed through the smashed window and looked around the apartment.


    Layla heard his words and didn''t believe it. "Impossible! I''ve been watching this apartment ever since he left our place yesterday! I did not see him leave!"


    Dillon looked at Layla, noticing her genuinely surprised expression.


    It seemed Julian really was here at one point but managed to slip away without anyone noticing.


    "What happened while he was at your place yesterday?" asked Dillon coldly.


    Layla looked at him, surprised. "He came over and started asking us why we were here. We told him that we were here to take whatever items belonged to us back. He then started asking questions about where we got our information..."


    Dillon listened to her words and realized that Julian was already suspicious of the fact they had come to find him.


    "Looks like he''s got some brains after all. Did anything strange happen yesterday after he left your place? Did you see any movement from this building?" he asked.


    Layla shook her head. "Oh wait! That blonde slut ran away from his apartment."


    Dillon frowned. "Who was she? Describe her to me." He didn''t care about Julian''s kept women, but since she was the only lead they had, he was willing to hear more about her.


    "Oh, she''s just a nobody. Outside of being very beautiful, she was pretty useless. Unfortunately, my brother was completely smitten with her; he even threatened to kill us if we touched her," said Layla.


    She continued to describe Rayne''s physical appearance in detail, seeing as Dillon seemed interested.


    Dillon listened attentively, and as he pieced her appearance together in his mind, the vision of Rayne popped up.


    "Rayne?!" he said, wide-eyed.


    Layla paused. "How do you know her name?"


    At that moment, the front door finally clicked open. Cal and the others had managed to unlock the door so that Dillon could enter.


    Dillon walked inside the apartment and looked around. His heart was beating fast at the discovery that Rayne was here... and that she seemed to have some sort of relationship with Julian.


    "You better not have done anything stupid, Rayne. Remember, you''re my woman," he growled, walking around to find any clues about her or Julian.


    Cal searched around with him, looking through every cabinet and drawer.


    "Boss, there''s no sign of Julian here at all. In fact, there''s nothing indicating that a male lived here. All of the clothing and items are very female-oriented."


    Instead of getting angry, Dillon looked around curiously, even sniffing some of the clothing.


    "Ah, Rayne. To think you were hiding right under my nose this whole time. Don''t worry, I''ll be there soon to bring you home," he whispered, looking at the small pile of female clothing that was lying on the bed.


    While Dillon was busy plotting to find Rayne, the rest of his men finished securing the base. An announcement was made that they were now the leaders of the base, and that anyone who resisted would be killed.


    While a few people were frightened, most of the residents didn''t really care. It didn''t matter to them who ''led'' the base. Some even hoped that this new group would do a better job than the ''government'' before them.


    ---


    At the mountain motel, things were going well, and everyone had managed to settle in. The pellet stoves in each room kept everyone warm from the frigid winds howling outside.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if it was due to their new location at the top of the mountain or just the current weather, but intense winds howled outside.


    For the next few days, nobody went out unless it was to take food and supplies from the RV that was in the parking lot. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I hope the weather gets better soon. I''d like to go down the mountain and make some progress on the future base location," said Rayne.


    Sitting still felt wrong when she had so many things she needed to take care of.


    Julian, on the other hand, enjoyed this private ''vacation'' with Rayne. Days of uninterrupted time with her were something he had long wanted and took full advantage of.


    "The weather will get better eventually. Come, let me cure some of your boredom," he said, pulling her over to his side.


    Rayne blushed, accepting his kisses. The kisses quickly turned into something more, and before long, they were tangled in bed.


    After a passionate session of lovemaking, Rayne laid on her back, catching her breath.


    "What''s gotten into you? This is the third time today," she giggled.


    Julian leaned over and smiled. "Oh babe, I could go for another three sessions, easily."


    Rayne smiled. "Maybe you can, but I don''t know if I could handle another three sessions! My legs are already jelly!"


    They both burst out laughing and continued to cuddle for a little while longer.


    ---


    In the room next door, Noah was tossing and turning on his bed. Due to the poor weather, he hadn''t been able to see Ella at all and was trying to think of ways to see her.


    He was slightly scared of Reginald, and simply going to visit would be very awkward. He also didn''t think Reginald would allow Ella to visit him without asking questions.


    Yesterday, he had a plan of waiting in the RV for Ella to come by and get food, but after waiting an entire day, he didn''t see her once.


    Ian looked at his younger brother''s tortured expression and shook his head. "This is why I always told you to stay away from women. They somehow manage to wiggle their way into your head, and the next thing you know, you can''t even sleep peacefully at night."


    "Ugh! I just feel like I need to see her! I hate this!" sighed Noah. He hadn''t done anything, yet he felt exhausted.


    Ian laughed. While he felt bad that Noah was being tortured nonstop, he was glad that he found someone he cared for.


    Ella seemed like a nice girl, and he was all for Noah pursuing her. The only obstacle now was slowly getting Reginald to accept him so they could date openly, but from what he saw of Reginald, Noah had a lot of work to do.

 Chapter 193 Warmer Weather

    A few months later...


    Cal was standing still, holding his breath. He was scared to move a single step out of place and end up on Dillon''s bad side.


    "All this time, and you still haven''t found Julian or Rayne?! How useless can you be?" Dillon slammed his fist down on the table.


    His face was red with anger. It had been two whole months since they took over the government base, and there still hadn''t been any progress made.


    "Boss! The previous weather made it difficult to send anyone out to search. And with Ace''s passing, we had to train up a new team leader," said Cal with a pleading expression.


    Dillon was terrifying when angry. He had only a faint grip over his emotions, so when he was in a heightened state, anything was possible.


    "The weather has just recently gotten better, so I need you to go back to the government base and keep your eyes peeled for any information while carrying out this new mission," ordered Dillon.


    He had recently been assigned a new mission to begin spreading a new drug throughout the government base.


    It was less potent than the previous version but still needed testing. The higher-ups wanted to use the residents of the government base as test subjects before mass-producing it.


    One of the missions Dillon passed down to Cal was to begin spreading this drug under the pretense of it being medicine.


    Along with Ace, many of the people at the government base had died, and new people continued to get sick every day. A new ''medicine'' would be very well accepted, making it a relatively easy mission.


    "Yes, Boss!" Cal bowed slightly.


    The wind had finally calmed down these last few days, and the temperature even warmed up. Cal no longer had the excuse of poor weather to protect him from Dillon''s wrath.


    He would need to put in a lot of effort to locate Julian and Rayne.


    ---


    At the mountain motel, Rayne finally went outside and felt the warmth of the sun. While the air was still cold, it had a new kind of freshness to it.


    She walked over to the supply RV to take inventory and add any items that were missing. She was careful to only add a few, as a large amount would be suspicious.


    "I''m surprised we were able to survive off of this for so long. It''s all thanks to you that we haven''t starved these two months," said Julian.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just happy that everyone is in good health. With the weather getting warmer, we can start to make progress on the new base."


    Having this new base would be a turning point for them. It would serve as a supply and living place where Julian could recruit more talents to help combat Damien''s ever-growing force.


    It would also hopefully serve as a bastion of hope for those trying to survive. Rayne looked around the RV and thought how nice it would be to see people smiling and children running around¡ªmaybe even she would have a child of her own one day...


    "What are you thinking about? Your face is turning red," Julian asked, smiling at her from across the small kitchen area.


    Rayne shook her head. "No... nothing!!" She didn''t want to expose her thoughts of wanting children because she knew Julian would be more than willing to fulfill that here and now.


    Seeing her embarrassed smile, Julian decided to leave her alone and switched the subject.


    "If the weather continues to get better like it has been, the snow should start melting soon," said Julian, looking out the window.


    "Yeah, I hope it does get warmer. I''m tired of this cold. Plus, the warmer weather will make it easier for people to go out and find food," agreed Rayne.


    ---


    A few miles from the motel, a group of people huddled together in the basement of an old grocery store.


    "Mila! The weather has finally gotten better. We can leave soon to find supplies and food," a handsome man in his late 30s walked over to his wife.


    He had just taken a quick walk outside to gather any kind of wood to keep the small fire going.


    "Come warm yourself, honey. Tell me more about what you saw outside," his wife excitedly said, inviting him to stand beside her.


    Brandon walked over with a big smile on his face and a pile of broken wooden furniture in his arms.


    "Outside just now, the sun was shining, and the winds are gone. I think better weather is finally on its way, and the snow will finally melt!" he explained.


    They had been surviving in this basement for over three months now, and their supplies had been almost all used up.


    Mila looked at her husband with a big smile. "This is truly amazing news. This means we will finally be able to move from this place and find more food before we make our way to the government base!"


    Brandon hugged his wife. "Go tell Laura the good news! I''m sure this will lift her spirits! Also, give her my portion of today''s meal¡ªshe needs the nutrition."


    "Okay, sunshine, we can split my portion today," smiled Mila. She was happy that her husband was such a caring man.


    Unfortunately, their food supplies had gotten to alarmingly low amounts recently. This made them agree to ration what little they had left, only eating once a day or even once every other day.


    The only exception to this was Laura, who was recently discovered to be pregnant. The group felt bad for her and wanted the baby to develop properly, often giving up their meals to her.


    Mila walked over to the corner of the room where Laura was lying down.


    "Laura, guess what?" said Mila.


    "Oh, Mila, what is it?" smiled Laura, sitting up.


    Mila motioned for her to lay back down. "Brandon just came back from gathering wood outside. He told me that the weather is getting better and even suspects that the snow will melt soon." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She passed along the message, describing the changing environment she heard from her husband.


    Laura''s eyes sparkled at the news. "Oh, thank goodness! There is hope after all!"


    With every passing month, Laura became more and more nervous that she would have to give birth in this room or, worse, lose the baby.


    "Brandon said that he and some of the guys will go out tomorrow to see if the conditions are good enough to set out. There''s a small town a few miles away from here where we can search for supplies," said Mila.


    Laura nodded. "I''ll tell David to go with you. He''s been more worried about my pregnancy than I have. Maybe seeing the changes outside will ease his nerves."

 Chapter 194 Vote

    Mila stood up and smiled at Laura.


    "Very well, I''ll tell Brandon to include David in their outing tomorrow. Let me know if there''s anything you need," she assured her.


    Laura wiped away a few happy tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Mila. I don''t know where I would be without you."


    "Don''t mention it. We''re all a family here, and we all can''t wait to see the little bun. Now go get some rest; I''ll be right here if you need anything," Mila smiled and walked back beside the fire.


    Mila stood beside her husband and relayed Laura''s message.


    "Sure, I''d love to have David join us tomorrow. I''ll go talk to him about it now," said Brandon. He got up and went over to where the men were breaking apart larger pieces of wooden furniture to use as firewood.


    The next morning, Brandon, David, and a few more men woke up early to take a look around town.


    Signs of melting snow could be seen everywhere as small streams of water began to drip down and form small pools alongside the exterior walls.


    "Maybe I''m just used to the winter months, but doesn''t it feel like the sun is up too early today?" said David as he looked around.


    It had just turned 6 a.m., and the sun was already fully out, shining brightly.


    Brandon nodded. "Yes, if I remember correctly, it should only just now be sunrise based on previous years." Although the change was unexpected, everyone accepted it with a smile.


    "I don''t care how strange it is! I''m welcoming any kind of warmth!" one of the other men cheered. After months of permafrost, the warm sun was a reason to celebrate.


    The group of men walked around the small town they were in, searching for any usable supplies along the way.


    Due to the warmer weather and sunny day, they were able to venture out farther into town than they had before.


    Brandon led them to a small gas station on the edge of town.


    "Let''s search here and then head back. Although it''s getting warmer, it''s best not to stay out too long so that we don''t get sick," announced Brandon.


    Their group was on the larger side, with about twenty people, and even a small illness could quickly cause a disaster. His considerations had saved the group a lot of grief over the past few months.


    David walked into the small store along with the others and gasped. "Brandon! There''s food here! I don''t know how good it is, but I''m sure at least some of it is usable!"


    Everyone quickly spread out and began inspecting the items on the shelves. Their bags quickly filled with chips, crackers, sodas, and other small gas station snacks.


    David found the aisle where the first aid kits and medicine were. His hands trembled from joy as he picked up painkillers, acid reducers, and even fever medicine!


    He wasn''t sure if his wife would need any of these in the future, but he felt more comfortable having these few packets of medicine.


    After about ten minutes of searching and looting, Brandon finally made the call to head back.


    The group made their way back, walking with a spring in their step from the newfound items. They would all be able to eat a decent amount today.


    When they made it back, both Mila and Laura were waiting for them at the entrance.


    "Brandon! You''re finally back! I was starting to worry!" called out Mila.


    Brandon walked over with a big smile. "I''m sorry for making you worry. We decided to go out farther today to see if we could find anything. Look at this!" He pulled over his full duffel bag.


    The ladies both smiled brightly at the overflowing bag of supplies. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Where did you find all of this?" asked Laura. She couldn''t believe her eyes! In just a single trip, they were able to double their food supplies.


    Brandon greeted Laura warmly. "We made it out to the gas station on the north end of town. When we went inside, we saw that all the shelves were full!" He explained how they were all surprised and happy.


    David walked over to his wife''s side to show her the medicine and snacks he found.


    "Honey, I brought these for you. I remember you telling me you were craving something sweet. I found cookies, chocolate, and some fruit-flavored candy. Just eat it in moderation," he said, showing off the contents of his bag.


    Laura broke out into tears, happy that her husband thought of her so much.


    "Thank you, love. These are exactly what I''ve been craving," she said, wiping her face. The pregnancy made her overly emotional, so she often burst out crying, even over the simplest things.


    David hugged her, letting her cry out her feelings on his shoulder. He was relieved that this time, she cried from happiness.


    Everyone watched this heartwarming scene with a smile. They had suffered these past few months, but now a new kind of hope blossomed within them.


    Brandon walked over to the center of the room and faced everyone.


    "I''d like to make an announcement!" he said, taking a deep breath. "The snow is melting. I estimate that in two days'' time, enough should have melted to make traveling a lot easier. I want to take a vote on who agrees we should leave in two days."


    Everyone smiled brightly, especially those who hadn''t gone out recently. The news of the snow melting was almost like winning the lottery!


    Brandon waited a few minutes for everyone to think it through, as this was a major decision.


    "Okay, everyone in favor of moving in two days, please raise your hand. If you are unsure or do not agree, please keep your hand lowered," he finally asked.


    The room quickly quieted down as everyone voted.


    Brandon smiled, looking at everyone''s raised hands. Not a single person was in opposition or even hesitant.


    "That settles it! In two days'' time, we will begin our journey to the nearby town, then to the government base where we can finally settle down!" he announced.


    The room erupted with applause and cheering. Everyone was ready to leave this basement and build a new life for themselves!

 Chapter 195 Journey to the Mountain Town

    Two days later, everyone in Brandon''s group woke up early to begin their journey.


    Although it was still early¡ªbarely 6 a.m.¡ªthe sun was already out and shining. Just as Brandon had predicted, the snow began to melt, exposing parts of the paved road beneath.


    "Wow, I never thought I would miss seeing the asphalt!" said David. He was holding Laura''s hand, walking her out onto the ground.


    Laura took careful steps, making sure she didn''t lose her balance. Although she was only four months pregnant, her belly had already begun to show.


    The group of twenty slowly walked down the street, carrying all of their belongings on their backs. They didn''t have a vehicle, so they had to make the trip on foot.


    Brandon walked at the front with his wife, leading the others toward the small town that was closest to the mountain.


    "We should hopefully make it there before nightfall," said Brandon, trying to maintain a decent pace.


    Mila nodded and glanced back at Derek and Laura, making sure they were keeping up.


    While the walk was tiring, everyone was happy and chatting. People mainly commented on the ''warm breeze'' and how nice it was to see occasional patches of grass along the highway.


    A few hours later, David walked over to Brandon''s side. "Hey, do you mind if we rest for a minute? Laura''s having a hard time keeping up."


    Brandon nodded but looked up at the sky. He was worried that if they continued to take breaks this often, they wouldn''t be able to make it to the mountain town before dark.


    Mila patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "It will be okay. We''ve made it this far; we will make it to town."


    Brandon smiled and turned to face the rest of the group. "Okay, everyone! 15-minute break!"


    Laura leaned against the guardrail that ran along the highway they were walking on and exhaled. Her feet were aching, and her back was sore. She couldn''t imagine how bad it would be later on in her pregnancy.


    "I really hope we make it to the government base soon. I don''t know how long I can keep walking like this," she said to her husband.


    David bent down and massaged her calves with his fingers, hoping to relieve her of some of her pain.


    The rest of the people pulled out the few rations they had left and snacked on them until Brandon called to continue their journey.


    Fifteen minutes later, Brandon made the call to continue, and everyone packed up and started walking.


    They walked along the highway for hours, taking breaks whenever David requested them.


    It took them until well into the night to finally reach the outskirts of the mountain town.


    "Okay, everyone. We finally made it here. We just need to find someplace to spend the night before we set off for the government base tomorrow," he announced as they approached the town.


    It was very dark out, so it was hard to see the condition of the houses from a distance.


    Brandon led the group into the town, keeping an eye out for some sort of shelter where they could make camp.


    "Hey, honey, do you smell that? It smells like smoke," Mila said quietly, sniffing the air around her.


    Brandon smelled the air and, sure enough, he picked up on the faint scent of smoke.


    "Let''s head over there. Maybe they''ll let us stay the night with them?" he suggested.


    Mila nodded. "Let''s approach them cautiously first. It might be bandits." While she loved her husband to the bone, he was too trusting.


    Ever since they met, he had always fallen for various phone and email scams, costing them a good amount of money. No matter how many times she warned him to watch out for these scammers, he always continued to fall for their tricks.


    This time, however, the lives of others were at stake. She wouldn''t let him blindly lead their group into a trap.


    Brandon smiled. "Thank you, honey. I hadn''t thought of that." He was aware of his overly trusting nature, but he couldn''t help it. He didn''t have it in him to believe that humans could be so evil.


    They walked down the streets of the town, following the scent of smoke until they reached the street of the Skinner Mountain Motel.


    Brandon had everyone stay quiet as he and Mila observed the motel. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It looks like a large group. Almost every room has a faint light inside. Also, look¡ªthey have many vehicles and even an RV!" she pointed out.


    "Wow, and look, every room has its own heater! They must have a good amount of supplies," he agreed.


    Brandon walked back to the rest of the group and told them about what he saw.


    "What do you think we should do?" asked David. He was curious how people could live so well off that they had a heater in every room.


    Brandon thought silently for a few moments. "I think I should approach them and see if I can speak with their leader. The rest of you stay here. If I don''t come back, you''ll need to run."


    Mila shook at his words. "Honey, no! Surely there''s another way? What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?" She took a deep breath. "No, I''ll come with you. We either come back together or get captured together."


    Brandon was speechless at first, but then noticed the resolve in his wife''s eyes. "You know I can''t agree to this. What kind of man would I be if I allowed my wife to walk into danger?"


    Mila shook her head. "No, this is my choice. Please honor my wishes." She knew her husband loved her very much, but she wouldn''t let him go unless she went with him.


    After a few more back-and-forths, Brandon finally agreed to let her go with him.


    "Okay, David, you''re in charge until we''re back. Make sure to stay hidden until we''re back," instructed Brandon, and set off toward the motel, holding Mila''s hand.


    David nodded and watched the couple walk away. Laura walked over with a worried expression. "Do you think they''ll be okay?"


    "Yes, don''t worry. They''ll be okay," he said softly, trying to convince himself with his own words.

 Chapter 196 Friend or Foe?

    Mila walked alongside her husband, nervous about the kind of people they were about to encounter. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She said multiple prayers in her head as they entered the parking lot of the motel.


    Brandon felt his wife''s nervousness and gently squeezed her hand. "It will be okay," he smiled.


    Mila nodded back, feeling slightly better.


    "I hope they''re not all sleeping. It would be bad to disturb their rest and aggravate them," she said, wondering which door they should knock on.


    Brandon looked around. "Well, room number 1 is as good as any. Let''s start there."


    They quietly walked over to the door. Brandon lifted his hand and knocked, holding his breath.


    Inside the room, Rayne had just gotten changed into her pajamas when she heard a soft knock on the door.


    Thinking it was Ella or Noah, she quickly put on her robe and walked over to open the door. But when she opened it, she was greeted by an unfamiliar man and woman.


    They were roughly dressed in layers and looked very nervous. Rayne could see that they had been skipping meals for a long time by their sunken faces.


    "Hello. How may I help you?" asked Rayne curiously.


    Mila nudged Brandon''s arm, signaling him to do the talking.


    Brandon cleared his throat. "Oh, um... Hello. We were passing by and were hoping we could spend the night here. We promise to be out first thing in the morning," he said nervously.


    Rayne looked at them, feeling like they were decent people. "Hold on, let me ask the leader," she said, wanting to get Julian''s opinion before agreeing to anything.


    After seeing them nod, she walked back inside her room and over to the bathroom.


    "Julian, there are people at the door. They''re asking to stay the night. I want to let them, but I want your opinion first," she said through the door.


    Inside the bathroom, Julian was drying himself off with a towel after taking a quick rinse in the shower. He had used a bucket of hot water that Rayne prepared for him instead of the freezing cold water from the pipes.


    As soon as Rayne finished speaking, Julian came out of the bathroom fully dressed.


    "Visitors, you say? Let''s meet them," he said, walking over to the door.


    Rayne walked with him to the door to speak with the couple.


    Julian looked at them closely and nodded in greeting. "So, what brings you here?" he asked cautiously. He had to be very careful that these weren''t spies sent by Damien to locate him.


    Brandon greeted Julian. "We''ve come from a small town a few miles west of here. We lived there for the last few months, but recently all of our food and supplies ran out, so we''re on our way to the government base."


    Mila felt relieved seeing Rayne and Julian. She felt that these people were cautious but understanding, and she ruled out the possibility that they were bandits.


    Julian continued to ask specific questions until the topic of the government base came up.


    "You guys said you''re on your way to the government base?" asked Rayne.


    Mila nodded. "Yes, it''s our only option. The place we stayed at no longer has any supplies left. We even had to break down all of our furniture to keep the fires going."


    Rayne and Julian listened to their story while paying attention to their body language. Julian nodded to Rayne, signaling that they could be trusted.


    "So how many of you are there?" asked Rayne to get an idea of how large a room they needed. The only thing available here was the one room with the broken window or the main lobby/reception area.


    "There''s twenty of us," answered Mila, slightly nervous. She knew that even asking for a place for the two of them was a big ask, not to mention twenty of them.


    Rayne simply nodded and began to plan how she would set up the lobby area. "No problem. We have some supplies in the lobby area you can use while you stay there. Just give me a few minutes to move things around. Feel free to bring the rest over."


    Mila''s face went from shock to elation! She couldn''t believe that they agreed so easily, even offering them supplies!


    "Thank you so, so much!" said Brandon. He squeezed his wife''s hand, relaying his happiness through the small gesture.


    "We will get everyone gathered and head right over!" said Mila, pulling Brandon back down the stairs.


    Rayne smiled. "No problem. Meet me over by that door when you''re ready." She pointed to the door leading to the main lobby.


    Brandon and Mila thanked them again and set off to meet up with the rest of the group. Meanwhile, Rayne and Julian made their way to the lobby to prepare a few beds.


    "I''m going to stack a few mattresses here so that it seems like they''re extras we prepped beforehand. I''ll also place a few baskets of blankets," said Rayne before getting to work.


    She quickly cleared out all of the chairs in the waiting room and made a big stack of twin-size mattresses. She would let them settle everything themselves, so she didn''t bother with the details.


    Julian waited by the door, ensuring that nobody entered or saw Rayne using her system.


    "They''re entering the parking lot now," he said, letting her know she only had a few minutes to finish.


    Rayne quickly set the baskets of blankets and pillows down, then moved on to placing a pellet stove in the corner of the room.


    "Okay, just placing one last basket of food and I''ll be finished," she said.


    After finishing, she walked over to join Julian at the door.


    Mila walked over. "Hi, this is all of us. Thank you again. You''re very kind for doing this." She continued to thank Rayne and Julian at every opportunity.


    "Please come inside," said Rayne. "Sorry it''s not organized. This was a small stockpile room. Please feel free to use the mattresses, blankets, and everything else in the room. Over there is a basket of food as well if you need it."


    Brandon and Mila walked inside and gasped at the sight. So many high-quality items. "Thank you so much! This is truly so generous."


    Julian pointed at the pellet stove in the corner of the room. "It''s not set up, but please use it. The pellets are in the bag right next to it. While the temperatures have gotten warmer, it''s still freezing at night."


    Rayne watched as the people entered, looking for anyone who could be suspicious, but ended up spotting Laura, who was being held by David.


    "Is everything okay? Are you ill?" she asked, concerned.

 Chapter 197 The Soup

    David smiled slightly. "My wife is pregnant, and we''ve been walking all day. She''s very tired now," he explained. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne looked at the pale woman and instantly wanted to help somehow. "Is there anything I can do? Does she need any medicine?"


    David looked at Rayne with a surprised expression. She didn''t know them at all and was offering them her precious resources!


    "Um, I feel bad asking, but maybe some water or some food? We''ve only eaten once today, and it was a small bag of chips," he said quietly.


    At first, he didn''t want to ask, but he knew his wife needed the nutrition. Even though he felt embarrassed asking, for her, he would do anything.


    Rayne froze for a brief moment. These people had only eaten half a small bag of chips today? And they had walked all day?


    "Let me take a look and see what I can bring you guys. Please, lay her down on one of the mattresses," she said, pointing toward the wall.


    David gave Rayne a grateful expression and led his wife inside.


    Rayne walked over to Julian. "Hey, come with me to the RV for a second, please. I want to bring them some food. They just told me they split a small bag of chips as a meal, and one of the women is pregnant."


    Julian smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, let''s go." He knew Rayne had a kind heart, and she had an unlimited amount of food anyway. Doing a kind deed wouldn''t hurt them.


    Rayne walked into the RV with Julian and opened her system panel. "What should I offer? I''m leaning toward something nutritious like a soup or a stew. It will also warm them up a bit."


    "I think a soup or stew would be perfect," agreed Julian. Even without the warming effects, Rayne''s dishes were all delicious.


    Rayne scrolled for a minute, then took out the largest stockpot she could find. It was huge, almost as tall as her upper body!


    She placed it on the stove inside the RV and turned it on. She wanted to keep the soup as warm as possible, so she decided to warm the pot on the stove before pouring the soup inside.


    The soup she chose was similar to a chicken noodle soup, but the noodles were replaced with parmesan tortellini. The soup also had more substance with the addition of spinach, along with the typical vegetables.


    Julian watched as Rayne poured potfuls of soup into the giant stockpot. He could already smell the delicious aroma, which caused his stomach to growl.


    Rayne looked over at him after hearing the loud noise from his stomach and giggled. "Hungry? Want me to pour you a bowl?"


    The tips of Julian''s ears turned red, but he nodded. "Yes, please. It just smells too good!"


    Rayne smiled and quickly poured him a big bowl. "Here you go. Just be careful, it''s hot."


    Julian didn''t mind how hot it was and quickly began to eat it. While Julian ate, Rayne continued to fill the stockpot with soup.


    "Hmm, we will also need to bring bowls over, and water!" said Rayne.


    She left the task of carrying the large stockpot of soup to Julian and pulled out a basket to fill with bowls, spoons, and a ladle. She also took out two one-gallon jugs of water.


    "Okay, let''s deliver this and head to bed," she said. But before they left the RV, a thought came to her.


    "Hey, Julian. They said they''re trying to go to the government base to start a new life. Maybe they could join us? We know it''s not safe there, and we''re planning to start the base building tomorrow..." she said, looking at him.


    Julian thought for a moment. "Let me speak with their leader. If they''re willing to help out with the new base, I think having them will be a good idea. Maybe we can keep them here for a few days first to observe them."


    While they initially looked to be harmless, Julian needed to be sure. Keeping them close by for a while would help him see their true character and if they were hiding anything. And on the off chance they were Damien''s spies, keeping them here would also benefit him.


    After thinking it through, Julian walked outside with the pot. "Yes, I''ll talk to the leader to convince them to stay a while."


    Rayne smiled and followed him out of the RV. They quickly made their way to the lobby/reception area of the motel and noticed that Brandon''s group had finished laying out the mattresses.


    Mila walked over after seeing Rayne and Julian come back. "Oh, thank you, these blankets and beds are so nice and warm. We also got the pellet stove set up, thanks to Dave. He used to work as a general contractor, so he''s got a lot of experience with these things."


    Rayne lit up hearing that information. She really hoped that these people would be trustworthy.


    Julian set the pot of soup down and went to speak privately with Brandon while Rayne passed Mila the bowls and utensils.


    "Here, I made some soup. I hope it''s to everyone''s taste," she smiled.


    Mila couldn''t believe her eyes! When she opened the lid, an intoxicating aroma spread throughout the room, causing many people to glance over.


    "This is for us?" asked Mila. She was speechless and found it difficult to process Rayne''s kindness.


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, I heard you had a long journey today and didn''t get to eat. Please help yourself."


    Julian came back to Rayne''s side. "Okay, it''s all settled. We should head back now, it''s getting late." They had plans to go down to the forest clearing in the morning to see how much of the snow had melted.


    Rayne agreed and bid Mila a good night before following Julian back up to their room.


    Mila stood rooted in place, staring at the huge pot of soup in front of her. When Brandon came over, she looked up at him. "What did you talk about?"


    Brandon smiled. "Oh, he kindly invited us to stay here for a few days. When I said that I would feel bad, he insisted that we stay, so I finally agreed."


    Mila''s eyes widened. "Are they planning to do something to us? Why would they insist that we stay? What''s the benefit for them?"


    Her mind raced as images of them being killed in their sleep flashed through her mind. She couldn''t think of a logical reason for them to insist that twenty extra people stay with them.


    She looked down at the heavenly-looking soup and felt a shudder.


    It couldn''t be right? They wouldn''t go as far as poisoning the soup... right?

 Chapter 198 Overwhelming Emotions

    Brandon looked at the soup and smiled. "Wow, this looks so good. When was the last time we had a cooked meal? It''s even got meat!"


    He bent over to pour himself a bowl when his wife grabbed his wrist.


    "What''s wrong, honey?" he asked curiously. He could tell something was off by her expression.


    Mila opened and closed her mouth a few times, then looked around to make sure no one else would hear her.


    "I... I feel like this soup might be poisoned. I just don''t understand why they''re being so kind! And to insist that we stay here?" she whispered. Her hand started to shake as panic set in; she was truly frightened now.


    Brandon stood back up and placed his arm around her. "Sweetie, don''t overthink it. They don''t seem like evil people. I think they were genuinely worried about us."


    "You never watched crime documentaries! I have! And let me tell you, it''s usually the ones who appear the most innocent that do all the bad stuff!" she whispered, panic rising in her voice.


    Brandon frowned. "Well, how about this: I''ll try the soup, and we can wait. If I''m fine after a while, then it''s safe to eat. It''ll just be sad if we have to eat it cold."


    Mila looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. "Why do you always volunteer to do the dangerous tasks? Can''t you think of me for once?"


    Brandon smiled and patted his wife gently. "If I don''t do it, who will? This is the responsibility I signed up for when I was elected the leader of our small group."


    Mila''s eyes turned red, and she looked away. She saw the group looking eagerly at the pot of soup, hoping that they could eat a warm meal for the first time in months.


    Brandon didn''t wait any longer and poured himself a single ladleful of soup. Before Mila could protest, he quickly drank it directly from the bowl.


    "Why did you drink so much?!" cried Mila. She felt everything around her begin to spin. Thankfully, Brandon caught her before she fainted from stress.


    He carried his wife over to her bed and gently covered her with a blanket.


    Turning to the rest of the group, he cleared his throat. "If nothing happens to me in fifteen minutes, then we will begin to pass around the soup. For now, I will place the pot beside the pellet stove to keep it warm."


    The rest of the group''s eyes widened. They hadn''t even considered that there might be something wrong with the soup.


    Some were even jealous that Brandon got to drink it first, but after hearing his words, they quickly reflected on how selfish their thoughts had been.


    Fifteen minutes later, Brandon smiled. "It should be safe. I feel perfectly fine! Actually, I feel better than before."


    The rest of the group cheered at the good news and got up to pour themselves a bowl. There was enough soup for everyone to have two generous portions, so everyone patiently waited in line.


    The stove kept the soup hot, so everyone felt a lot warmer after only a few spoonfuls.


    David brought over a bowl to Laura, excited that she would finally be able to eat more nutritious food.


    "I tried to scoop out extra chicken and vegetables for you," he said quietly.


    Laura looked at her husband and felt warm inside. The soup looked so appetizing that she couldn''t wait and immediately took a sip, burning her tongue.


    "Oh, be careful! It''s still very hot," he said, handing her a cup of water.


    While everyone was quietly eating the soup, Mila finally woke up.


    "Brandon? Where is Brandon?! Is he okay?!" she jumped out of bed in a panic.


    Brandon walked over and hugged her. "I''m perfectly fine, my love. Here, have some soup." He handed her a bowl that he had poured for her earlier.


    Mila looked at him, then down at the bowl of soup. "You''re okay? The soup is safe?" she asked a few more times.


    "Yes, honey. We''ve all had some already. Now try it before it gets cold," smiled Brandon. While he could admit that his personality was a bit too trusting, his wife was the opposite. She easily overthought things, leading to a downward spiral.


    Mila looked around the room, noticing the empty or half-empty bowls in everyone''s hands and the happy smiles on their faces.


    One of the other women looked at Mila. "It was so delicious, I can''t believe I''m not dreaming!" she said, urging Mila to try it.


    Finally, after everyone''s convincing, she accepted the spoon that her husband held out for her and took her first sip of broth.


    The hot liquid traveled down into her stomach, warming her body almost immediately. She quickly took another sip, but this time with the tortellini and vegetables.


    "This is so good," she said quietly. Her eyes began to water from the overwhelming emotions she was feeling.


    How long has it been since I''ve had a warm meal? It feels like lifetimes ago... S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she continued to eat, tears flowed down her cheeks, causing the others to also get emotional. After the filling meal, everyone cleaned up and went to sleep.


    Mila laid beside her husband. "Maybe staying here wouldn''t be a bad thing after all," she whispered.


    Brandon pushed Mila''s hair out of her face and smiled. "I think they''re good people."


    In their room, Rayne and Julian were oblivious to the internal struggles that had transpired in the reception room.


    "They agreed to stay just like that?" asked Rayne.


    Julian had just finished telling her about how quickly he was able to convince their leader to have them stay for at least a few days.


    "Yeah, he was only a little hesitant at first. I feel like he was worried about inconveniencing us," replied Julian.


    Rayne agreed. She could see the nervousness in Mila''s eyes when they spoke earlier.


    "Hopefully they''re good people, and we can get along in the future," she finally said. She was excited to see the forest clearing tomorrow and begin the base-building process!


    With hopeful thoughts of the future, she fell asleep sweetly beside Julian.

 Chapter 199 Starting the New Base

    The next morning, Rayne woke up and got ready to head over to the forest clearing at the base of the mountain with Julian.


    Before they set out, she paid their visitors a visit while Julian went over to tell Noah and Ian about the newcomers.


    "Good morning, Mila. I hope everyone slept well," smiled Rayne. She wanted to make sure they were all settled before spending the whole day out.


    "Oh, it was very comfortable. I still can''t thank you enough for that delicious soup yesterday," she said, genuinely thankful.


    "Not a problem! I''m glad you all enjoyed it. I will be going out for most of the day today, so we will leave two others in charge in our stead. Julian is talking to them now so that there are no surprises," said Rayne.


    Brandon walked over and smiled. "Hey, sounds good. Please let us know if there''s anything you want us to do today. We have a number of able-bodied men here if anything."


    "Thank you for the offer, but today please just focus on recouping and relaxing. If you need anything, please don''t hesitate to ask Noah or Ian. We''ve been lucky and have a decent amount of supplies," said Rayne, stressing the point that they were free to ask.


    Brandon looked over gratefully. "Thank you again. We will ask if anything."


    "Hello, everyone," said Noah, glancing around the room. Julian walked in behind him and greeted Mila and Brandon.


    "This is Noah. I''m not sure if Rayne mentioned him," Julian said, introducing the redhead.


    Mila nodded. "Yes, she just finished telling us that he will be in charge while you''re out today." She felt that all of the people in their group were extremely good-looking.


    Maybe it''s a group of ex-movie stars?


    After introducing Noah to the group, Rayne and Julian got into her SUV and drove down the mountain and into the forest clearing.


    The mostly melted snow made it possible to drive through the forest, and Rayne was grateful that her SUV was equipped with off-road tires, allowing her to effortlessly drive through the muddy path.


    "Wow, it looks even more beautiful without the snow!" exclaimed Rayne. The more she looked around, the more she fell in love with this spot.


    Julian smiled, seeing her so happy. No matter how beautiful the environment was, it wouldn''t compare to a single strand of her hair.


    "It''s a little muddy, but it will work," said Rayne as she opened her system panel to find the large temporary garage shelter (picture in chapter comments).


    It was a self-assemble type of structure where you needed to build the frame and secure the weatherproof cover on top.


    Rayne pulled out the massive box and called Julian over to help her set it up. They chose a spot that was right up against the mountainside so that it was somewhat covered.


    Although the setup process was straightforward, it still took the two of them a couple of hours to assemble it. The hardest part was pulling the cover over the skeletal structure, but after a few tries and a couple of ladders, they finally finished it.


    "Wow, that was harder than I expected," she said while catching her breath. The sheer size of the tarp made it very heavy.


    Julian was also tired from pulling the covering but was satisfied with the final result.


    "We finally have a starting point! You can fill this new ''warehouse'' with tools and materials so that next time we can come with others to build this place up," he said happily.


    Rayne nodded and began filling the ''warehouse'' with wire shelves. Thankfully, she had these stored as already prebuilt shelves, so it saved them time by not having to put them together.


    Before she began filling the warehouse, she decided to take care of the residential area by placing a few copies of the mobile homes that she stored not long ago.


    She walked over to the east side of the clearing and placed the first copy of the older house.


    "Now I just need to remove all of the furniture, decorations, and anything else that would normally make this home feel unique. Can I ask you to help me paint the siding?" she said, turning to Julian.


    "Yes, of course. Just give me the paint and I''ll get to it!" said Julian happily.


    Rayne handed him various painting tools and exterior-specific white paint. She decided that white would be the best neutral color to go with for now, and in the future, it would work as a good base color if they wanted to change it.


    She walked inside and began storing everything she could into her system: picture frames, tables, lamps, plates, etc.


    By the time she was finished, the entire inside was empty, leaving only the built-in items like the countertops, vanity, and toilet.


    Another issue that Rayne needed to address was the plumbing and sewage. For now, she could use one of the holes in the ground to make an outhouse but considered making a basic septic system in the future.


    After emptying the house, she took her time and cleaned it thoroughly. The more she cleaned now, the less she would need to clean later when she made copies.


    Both she and Julian worked throughout the entire morning, only finishing after noon.


    The originally well-kept house transformed into a shiny, brand-new home! The fresh coat of paint made all the difference for the exterior.


    Even if someone were to look closely, they wouldn''t be able to tell that it wasn''t the original color. The interior was clean and like new! There were a few parts where Rayne had to touch up with some paint, but overall, everything was like new. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After they finished the house, Rayne stored it in and made a few copies, positioning the houses in a neat row, at an acceptable distance apart.


    She placed ten houses in a single row and was happy to see that there was still plenty of room for more, so she continued to place the copies until the row was completely filled.


    The end result was more houses than she would need for a while, but she knew that once people moved in, she wouldn''t be able to add more.


    Rayne made her way back over to the warehouse to begin stocking the shelves. She placed an entire hardware store''s worth of products on the shelf: tools, hardware, nails, light fixtures, gallons of paint, gardening supplies, sealants, drywall supplies, buckets, piles of precut wood and plywood, etc.

 Chapter 200 Filling the Warehouses

    Rayne continued to fill the shelves and floors of the warehouse with anything she could find that would be useful for construction.


    She added wheelbarrows, bags of dry cement, spools of wire, PVC and copper piping, and other smaller plumbing accessories to the back of the warehouse.


    Quickly, the once empty warehouse was filled with tons of various building supplies and tools. There were even a few large and small generators, providing the needed power to use the electric tools.


    Beside the generators, she placed tanks of gasoline, oil, and fire extinguishers before moving on to the residential houses.


    Initially, her idea was to individually furnish each house, but she decided that for the sake of appearances, it would be best if the occupants of each house furnished it themselves.


    "This would mean I need another warehouse for housing items and another for food," she mumbled, looking around the current warehouse.


    Wanting to keep all the supplies together, she chose the open spot adjacent to the current warehouse to place the other two.


    This process was a lot easier because she had made a copy of the assembled warehouse right after she and Julian put it together. She simply took it out of her system and placed it next to the other one.


    Similar to the first warehouse, she filled the inside with shelves so that she could organize everything better. This warehouse would be dedicated to housing items and clothing, while the next one over would be their food supply.


    In the future, she hoped to dig a root cellar to keep the produce fresher for longer when they could harvest their own crops, but for now, the tent-like warehouse would do.


    Inside the housing warehouse, she placed boxes of unbuilt bed frames, tables, dressers, chairs, and other simple furniture. Since the items were still inside their boxes, they took up little space, allowing Rayne to fit large amounts of each item.


    Beside the furniture, she added an entire section of bedding: blankets, sheets, pillows, and pillowcases. There were all sorts of blankets, from thick and warm ones to thin and breathable, and everything in between.


    The bedding alone took up a few shelves, but thankfully, there were plenty more for the other items.


    The next section was the largest one and was dedicated to kitchen items and cookware. Pots, pans, grills, utensils, plates, bowls, cups, small kitchen appliances, and knives filled the shelves.


    Rayne made sure to mix in a few different styles so that people had a slight option to choose from.


    After settling the important kitchen section, she filled an entire shelf with various candles, candle holders, battery lights, and lanterns, batteries, oil lamps, gas lamps, and a number of electric floor lamps and lights.


    Since electricity would only be available in areas near the generators, Rayne wanted to solve the immediate issue of lighting with alternatives. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had also placed solar panels in the first warehouse, hoping to utilize them on the mobile homes down the road, allowing people to have at least some access to electricity.


    The last section of the warehouse was dedicated to heating/cooling, clothing, and all the various small items like toothpaste, toilet paper, soaps, shampoos, first aid supplies, medicine, hairbrushes, mirrors, towels, etc.


    In the heating/cooling area, Rayne placed many of the pellet stoves that she had previously used, along with coal stoves, wood-burning stoves, electric heaters, heating blankets, air conditioning units, fans, etc.


    She made sure to place enough so that it wouldn''t be very noticeable if she secretly added a few more in the future.


    The clothing section was just a bunch of laundry baskets filled with clothes. Each basket was labeled with what size the clothes inside were and whether they were oriented toward males or females. This system would allow someone to quickly look through the options that fit them.


    She filled a few extra baskets with underwear and socks, as those items need to be switched out more often.


    Rayne followed the same example with the shoes, sorting them by size. She made sure to include anything from boots to slippers, providing a large variety.


    Julian walked over after she finished. "Wow, it looks like a department store in here!" He looked around at the neatly placed items and marveled at how amazing Rayne''s system was.


    While it was an obvious benefit from the start, seeing so many items in one place appear from nowhere was a new experience for him. The most he''d seen was her furnishing the apartments back at the government base.


    These ''warehouses'' were a whole new level, holding enough resources to open a store for an entire year.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just glad it''s finally happening. You were also smart to plant the seed of where these items came from even back at the government base."


    As soon as he suggested that she think about making her own base, he was quietly already telling Noah, Ian, and the other members of Alpha team that he had a secret location filled with various items and supplies.


    This way, when everyone finally arrived, there would be an established story of where everything came from.


    "Mhm. At this rate, we can have people moving in tomorrow!" he laughed. In his mind, they were here to build the tents and call it there, but the progress they (she) made was unreal.


    "I''ll need your help in the next tent warehouse. I plan to add a few deep freezers and refrigerators and would like your help with setting up this generator," said Rayne from inside the food warehouse.


    Julian walked inside and saw a very high-tech-looking generator in the corner. Rayne handed him a booklet of instructions on how to set it up.


    "I don''t even remember where I found this, but it''s supposedly a new kind of generator that combines the power of solar energy with gas. It''s quieter and uses a fourth of the gas it typically would due to the solar panels," she said, looking slightly confused.


    Julian looked at it and nodded. Something like this was not out of his expectations. Having worked with advanced weaponry for a while, he knew how far such technology could go.


    He quickly got to work, assembling the large generator while Rayne walked around to place the shelves, freezers, and refrigerators. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    She placed four deep freezers and two industrial-sized refrigerators right by where the generator would be and then walked over to the empty shelves to begin placing boxes of canned foods.

 Chapter 201 Filling the Warehouses 2

    She had so many different types of every canned good that, to save time, she needed to repackage the cans to make it easier.


    Many of the canned food items were single items, and placing them can by can to fill the shelf would take way too long.


    Rayne found a medium-sized box that could hold twenty cans of food when stacked properly and stored that into her system. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    This way, all she needed to do was take out copies of each box and quickly fill the shelves with the pre-filled boxes.


    Using this new method, the shelves were quickly filled with various cans of vegetables, meats, seafood, sauces, evaporated milk, condensed milk, fruits, and broths. All of these products were from the luxury market and were of very high quality.


    The next section was for grains and flour. She had commercial-size buckets of sealed rice, grains, beans, and flour of all varieties.


    "Hey Rayne, I got the generator all set up. I just plugged in the refrigerators and freezers; they should be cool in a few minutes," called out Julian from the other side of the warehouse.


    "Thank you, babe!" replied Rayne cheerfully. Setting all of these things up was so much fun for her. It was like playing her favorite farming game in real life!


    Julian walked over and helped her stock the shelves with dried pasta and noodles while Rayne placed the spices and seasonings. Salt was important for the human body and was used in food preservation, so she placed several large buckets of salt on the shelf in front of her.


    In the future, she hoped to make pickles and salted foods with the things they grew on the farmland she had planned by the lake.


    "Okay, looks like we can finally move on to the refrigerated and freezer items," she said after admiring the stocked shelves around her.


    "Yeah! After this, do you plan to work on the houses at all?" asked Julian curiously.


    Rayne nodded then shook her head. "After this, we feast!" she announced happily! Such a good day warranted a good meal, and since they skipped breakfast this morning, she wanted to have something extra filling!


    Julian nearly laughed out loud but was happy to hear the news because he was starting to feel very hungry.


    "Perfect! I can''t wait to see what we''re feasting on!" he said, walking over to help her fill the freezers.


    The first freezer was packed with vacuum-sealed cuts of meat of every kind. The second freezer was for frozen prepared foods like frozen dumplings, pizzas, pot pies, ice cream, and easy-to-make meals.


    The third freezer was fully dedicated to seafood: fish fillets, shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, and other seafood items.


    Rayne basically dumped everything she got from the seafood market into the freezer, filling it with the freshly caught, fresh products.


    The last freezer was dedicated to frozen fruits and vegetables. As fresh vegetables were currently very difficult to obtain, Rayne wanted to make use of frozen ones to supplement everyone''s nutrition.


    She couldn''t help but think of Laura and made a mental note to add baby products to the warehouses. The thought of a baby in the near future made her smile. The birth of a child was hope for the future of humanity, and in the current apocalyptic times, they needed hope the most.


    After finishing stocking the final ''warehouse,'' Rayne went outside and pulled out a basic table and chairs from her system.


    The weather outside was getting warmer, and coupled with the bright sun, it was actually nice to sit out in the fresh air.


    Julian sat down at the table and excitedly waited for Rayne to reveal their lunch. He didn''t have to wait long before a huge plate of king crab legs was placed on the table.


    These were the crab legs that the chefs at Ella''s house had cooked when Rayne brought over the various camping supplies before the apocalypse happened.


    She also placed bowls of rice and steamed vegetables as sides before gesturing to begin.


    "Wow, you''ve been holding out on me! This looks so amazing!" said Julian.


    "Mm, after filling the freezer with fresh seafood, I suddenly had a craving for it. Eat as much as you like; I have more," she smiled.


    Julian laughed at her small joke. "How generous of you, thank you."


    The two of them ate until their bellies were full and their hunger satiated. The sun and fresh air added to the good mood, making both of them very happy.


    "I plan to furnish our house today. The rest can be done by the others later," said Rayne. She decided to claim the house nearest to the warehouses for her and Julian so that they could keep a closer eye on them.


    "I''ve also been thinking about the bathroom issue. I think I will place two smaller RVs that have larger bathrooms over by the farm area. In the future, we can dig out a large hole and have the waste go into the ditch directly from the RV," she added.


    This way, they would still have a self-flushing toilet and shower that people could use. All they would need to do was refill the water tank occasionally. The built-in solar panels would also be enough to heat the water.


    Julian nodded, "That''s an excellent idea. I would have never thought of that!" That solution would make it comfortable to use the bathroom and shower without worrying about setting up an entire septic system.


    Rayne blushed, happy to hear his praise.


    "The only thing I''m not sure about is defense. I can provide you with as many weapons as you want; I''m just not sure how you want to distribute them all," she questioned. She wasn''t particularly fond of the idea of holding an armory that others could potentially steal from.


    However, defense was a very important matter. While their location was very well hidden, even from the top of the mountain, eventually, they would still be found.


    Julian thought for a moment. "All of the members of Alpha Team are fully trained in combat and shooting. They all carry a gun on them at all times."


    "Maybe adding a gun safe to the houses with Alpha Team members would work?" asked Rayne. She thought that adding a large gun safe where she could place larger guns and extra ammo would work.


    Julian nodded, "Let''s place the safe inside, but I will discuss it with Ian about how to handle this matter."


    Ian directly presided over all of the Alpha Team matters, and his input should be considered for such an important decision.


    Rayne nodded and stood up to clean up the table. The next order of business was to set up their new home.

 Chapter 202 Filling the Holes

    Rayne walked over to the first mobile home closest to the warehouses and stepped inside. The empty interior was refreshing to see, as it allowed her creativity to flow.


    The first thing she did was swap out the old appliances in the kitchen for new ones. She took the extra step of hooking their house up to a generator so that she could use the appliances and lights inside. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    She also replaced the boring, builder-grade circular lights with a more interesting room light. Next, she placed a deep forest green area rug on the floor in the living room.


    Her plan was to work with a neutral color palette accented by deep forest green. The sofa was a neutral linen color, brightening the room even more.


    The overall vibe was calm, serene, and earthy. She added large potted plants by the window and a few empty planters on the floor for future use.


    The coffee table and side tables were made from natural wood, adding to the earthy tones. Since there was no use for a television at the moment, she decided to hang a large mirror with a gold frame on the wall instead.


    The finishing touches in the living room were two solid wood bookshelves, which she filled with various fiction and nonfiction books.


    "Wow, I can''t believe this is the same room!" Julian said as he walked in. The space had transformed from an empty, cheap-looking area into a warm and serene home.


    He already pictured himself cuddling with Rayne on the couch, reading a book.


    Rayne turned around and smiled brightly. "I''m glad you like it!" She had tried her best to consider his taste as well and not turn the whole place into a pink paradise.


    The next room she tackled was the kitchen. It was an open-concept space, providing a direct line of sight into the living room.


    Rayne decided to use the same earthy tones and deep forest green accents in the kitchen to tie the spaces together.


    The cabinets were painted white, so she chose wooden bowls and utensils to decorate the counters.


    She also stocked the empty cabinets with plates, bowls, cups, and glasses, choosing handmade ones crafted by a local potter.


    While she organized the cabinets, Julian was assigned the task of replacing the existing cheap white knobs on the cabinets with engraved gold ones, tying in the gold color scheme from the living room.


    While the kitchen didn''t have as dramatic a transformation as the living room, it was still a major upgrade from before.


    Next, she moved on to the master bedroom, located at the very back of the home. One window faced the mountain, while another overlooked the warehouses.


    It was a decently large room, big enough to fit a king-size bed along with a dresser.


    Rayne had grown fond of the leather bed frame she had originally used in Julian''s room in the bunker, so she decided to use it here as well.


    The mattress was the same one from their bed at the government base, making the process quicker than choosing a new one.


    After making the bed with clean sheets and blankets, she filled the dresser and closet with Julian''s clothes, keeping only a small drawer for her own items for show.


    Since she had her system, she didn''t need to rely on a dresser or closet, which left more space for Julian to store his belongings.


    Rayne ignored the bathroom for now since the water and drainage weren''t hooked up. She wasn''t sure what to do with the other two bedrooms, so she left one empty and filled the other with gun safes.


    She wanted Julian to have access to his weapons and ammo in case something happened to her.


    While her system was a heaven-defying ability, she didn''t want it to become a hidden weak spot for them. It was better to leave a few things in Julian''s hands for emergencies.


    Julian followed Rayne around the house, listening to her explanations of where everything was located.


    When they reached the bedroom, Julian hugged her from behind. "So, when do we break in the bed?" he asked in a deep voice.


    Rayne quickly turned around. "Uh-uh! No way! I''m still mad at you for last night! You promised one time but kept me up half the night!"


    Julian laughed. "Sorry, babe. I just can''t help it. You''re just that enticing." He pulled her into a kiss, then motioned for her to continue the tour.


    Rayne shook her head, thinking that Julian was truly in his prime. But she liked it. She truly felt like a queen around him and was happy to spend her days by his side.


    After the tour, Rayne went to set up the RVs that would be used as bathrooms near the forest clearing on the opposite side.


    Although they were a little far from the houses, the distance was still acceptable.


    She tried to position the RVs over the deep holes left behind from when she had plucked the trees out.


    "I wonder what we should do with the rest of them," she said, looking around the area.


    She had removed many trees that day, and now that the snow had melted, the landscape looked like a minefield. Some of the holes were deeper than others and could be dangerous if people weren''t paying attention to where they walked.


    After thinking for a while, she decided to dump a large amount of rich soil in the future farming area. They could use this soil to fill the holes later, with the excess being used for the farms.


    Julian watched as magical truckloads of black soil fell from the sky. Within moments, an entire hill was formed, taller than the warehouses.


    On her way back to Julian, Rayne passed by a particularly deep hole.


    "Looks like soil alone won''t cut it for some of these," she said, frowning. Julian walked over and agreed.


    "Maybe we can fill it with rocks first, then put the soil over it," he suggested.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. "Yes! That''s a great idea!" she exclaimed and walked over to the mountainside to scout for rocks.


    She found a few good ones in different sizes and stored them in her system before heading back to the nearest hole.


    Rayne quickly made multiple copies of the rocks and filled the hole in no time. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is really easy! Good idea!" she called out and moved quickly from hole to hole, plugging them with stones.


    Julian followed her around like a lost puppy, unsure of what to do or how to help. He felt slightly frustrated that he was so useless compared to her.


    "Here, hop on," he said, bending down in front of her.


    Rayne was confused. "What do you mean? You want me to piggyback?"


    "Yeah, hop on. I''ll carry you from hole to hole," he smiled. If he couldn''t help with the rocks, he could at least help by carrying her around!


    Rayne laughed and hopped onto his back. She felt him wrap his arms around her legs and hoist her up into the air.


    Julian ran around from hole to hole while Rayne filled each one with stones.


    Their teamwork turned the menial task into a fun activity filled with laughter.

 Chapter 203 Move In Day

    At the Government Base


    Cal arrived with his small team. Since Dillon had taken over the base, he didn''t have to wait in any lines or pay any entrance fees.


    He also had access to the best rooms on the base. After Dillon returned from taking over, Leader Mai was placed in charge of managing the base while Dillon continued searching for Julian.


    Cal''s mission this time was to spread the experimental drug around the base and report any unusual behaviors.


    One of the men who had accompanied him was a laboratory assistant, responsible for closely monitoring the effects of the prototype drug.


    "Okay, guys, remember to start at the group house and advertise it as medicine. Don''t forget to wear face masks while you''re there, or you''ll get sick," Cal announced.


    He had brought a team of four "runners," who would be in charge of distribution.


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    "Yes, leader!" they all responded respectfully before turning to leave.


    "Oh, and be sure to make it seem like it''s in high demand. Only give out a few at a time so that others feel like they''re missing out," Cal instructed.


    They nodded and left, leaving Cal alone in the apartment.


    "Now, what do I do about those Barclays?" he muttered, feeling a headache coming on.


    They were still useful, having managed to locate Julian right away. But they had become more and more annoying as the days passed.


    ----


    Skinner Mountain Motel


    The next morning, Rayne woke up in a very good mood! She and Julian had made a lot of progress on their new base yesterday, and they could even begin bringing people over today.


    "Do you think it''s too early to start moving down the mountain?" Rayne asked with a hopeful expression.


    Julian chuckled. "No. In fact, I believe it''s better that we move sooner rather than later. The weather has acted as a shield for us, preventing Damien''s men from searching for us. Now that it''s gotten much warmer, they''ll find their way here sooner rather than later."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. "So, how about you lead everyone down to the new base and get them started on filling the holes with dirt while I stay here to store everything and put the original furniture back?"


    "Okay, that works. Let me go speak with Noah and Ian to tell them about our plans. I''ll have Noah sort out the housing for Alpha Team and the newcomers as well," Julian said before leaving the room.


    Rayne took the opportunity to store everything in sight and replace the old furniture, making the room feel untouched.


    Even the dust returned with the old furniture, so if someone were to come the next day, it would appear as if no one had stayed there for a while.


    In just a few short minutes, the once warm and comfortable room reverted to its previous lifeless state.


    Rayne walked outside and saw Julian and Noah heading toward the main lobby to talk to Brandon and Mila about the move.


    Meanwhile, Ian was instructing Alpha Team''s group leaders to begin packing their belongings and loading up the jeeps.


    Rayne walked over to Julian''s side just as he finished speaking with Brandon.


    "Hey, how did it go?" she asked.


    "Great. Everyone is excited to move somewhere they can finally call home. They''ve been living a nomadic life for a while now, so settling down is something they''ve been wanting," Julian replied.


    Brandon and Mila both happily agreed when Julian mentioned moving to a more permanent location.


    Julian also explained that, for security reasons, no one would be allowed to leave the new base area for a while, but everything they needed would be provided. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brandon didn''t see any issues with this arrangement and quickly agreed. Everyone was tired of moving, and as long as they had what they needed, people would focus on their daily tasks.


    Once the discussions were settled and everyone had packed, Julian hopped into a jeep with Noah and Ian and set off down the mountain.


    The newcomers squeezed into the large RV and followed them, leaving Rayne all alone at the motel.


    As soon as the vehicles disappeared from sight, she quickly got to work, storing all the stoves and furniture in each room.


    Just as she had done in her own room, she replaced the old, original furniture in its proper place.


    She also restored the lobby area since all the mattresses and supplies she had provided for the newcomers had been left behind.


    Even the snow in the parking lot had melted, hiding their tracks completely.


    It took Rayne a little over thirty minutes to store everything and return the motel to its previous state. Once she was finished, she hopped into her SUV and made her way to the new base.


    ---


    At the New Base


    When Rayne arrived, everyone was looking around in awe.


    Brandon''s group, in particular, was shocked by the neat row of mobile homes and the massive warehouses bursting with supplies.


    "You mean we can live here? Inside one of these homes?" Mila asked Noah, unable to believe her eyes.


    Noah smiled politely. "Yes, of course. This is our new home now. We want everyone to flourish, so please treat this place with respect and help us maintain it."


    Brandon nodded. "Of course. We''re all hardworking people. Many of us are skilled laborers, so we can definitely contribute to the base."


    Noah smiled, pleased to hear that they were willing to help. After discussing housing allocations, he mentioned the issue with the holes and warned them to be careful when walking.


    Brandon grinned. "Don''t worry. Just give us some shovels, and we''ll fill them in quickly. Whoever put the rocks in first did a good job."


    Rayne parked her car near the entrance, where the other vehicles were stationed, and walked over to the houses.


    Inside, people were busy assembling basic furniture from the warehouses and chatting happily.


    She spotted Laura in the housing warehouse, excitedly looking through the baby section.


    "Are you finding everything you need?" Rayne asked.


    Laura smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes¡ªmore than that. I can''t believe there are so many supplies for babies and children here. I feel like I can finally relax."


    She gently patted her stomach, eager to meet her future child.


    "I''ll have Anna take a look at you. While I don''t think she specialized in childbirth, she''s an excellent doctor," Rayne said.


    Laura''s eyes widened. "There''s even a doctor here? Yes, please, I beg you! Please let her check my baby. I want to make sure everything is okay."


    Rayne nodded and went to find Ian so she could ask for Anna.

 Chapter 204 Happy Faces

    Ian quickly agreed and told Rayne which house Anna was staying in. As the resident doctor, she was the leader of the female house.


    Rayne quickly spotted Anna in her room. She was in the process of building her bed frame and had a big smile on her face.


    "Oh, Rayne! Hello! Ah, I can''t believe such a wonderful place existed!" she exclaimed, welcoming Rayne inside. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, it''s wonderful indeed! Julian is a very resourceful man. To have such foresight and build this place in secret is a very impressive task!" agreed Rayne.


    This was the excuse they had both prepared. Julian had volunteered to take credit for this place under the guise of a future development project.


    Anna nodded. "So what brings you here?" she asked while eyeing Rayne, looking for any signs of injury.


    "I''m actually here on behalf of one of the newcomers, Laura. She''s a few months pregnant and hasn''t had any sort of consultation about her pregnancy. I was hoping you could give her a checkup?" said Rayne.


    "Oh? There''s a pregnant woman here? Yes, of course, I''ll examine her. I''m not an expert on women''s health or childbirth, but I did do a few months of post-grad in a maternity ward," she smiled.


    "Perfect! I will send her over after you''ve settled in. Let me know if you need any tools or medicines. I can try to keep an eye out for you when I go out next time."


    Anna smiled. "Thank you. I will give you a list. Ian gave me this entire house to myself so that I can set up the two bedrooms as medical wards. There are many things I wish I had brought from the bunker."


    Rayne nodded. She would have to pretend to go out on a supply run eventually and bring back some of these items for Anna. Health was a very important thing, and providing Anna with the right tools and medicines could save lives.


    When she left Anna''s house, she noticed that many people were already out, carrying dirt via wheelbarrows to fill in the holes.


    It was mostly people from Brandon''s crew, along with a few men from Alpha Team. Rayne spotted Deondre out with a few of the other Alpha Team members, and it seemed like they were getting along very well.


    "What are you looking at?" Julian''s voice sounded from behind her.


    Rayne turned around and smiled. "I''m just happy to see that people are getting along well."


    She watched as Ian walked over to Deondre, seriously talking to him about something in private.


    "What''s going on there? It looks important," asked Rayne.


    Julian laughed. "Ian always has a stern expression when talking to his subordinates. He''s most likely assigning a scouting mission. I asked him to get information about what''s happening at the government base." Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Oh, I see. Yes, the more we know, the better we will be. I hope he''s careful," she replied, looking slightly worried.


    Ever since Ivan''s team was pronounced dead and Jess was revealed to be a traitor, Rayne had been worried about future missions. She didn''t want to hear about more deaths.


    "Don''t worry. Deondre is our best scout; he knows what he''s doing," assured Julian.


    They watched the others explore their new environment with smiles on their faces. Rayne felt very gratified by this experience and was happy that her ability could help at least this many people.


    She hoped that this small settlement in the forest would one day grow to be one of many colonies in the future.


    ---


    A few weeks later...


    The weather had finally warmed up to the point of no longer needing to run the stoves and heaters at night.


    Even during the day, the sun shone so brightly that the daytime temperatures were considered hot.


    Everyone at the new base was settling in very well, and the once hollow faces were returning to their former round and full shapes.


    Laura was especially glowing these days. Anna had made it a point to check in on her regularly, and thankfully, the pregnancy was going well.


    Initially, a major concern was the severe lack of nutrition she had suffered from her poor diet, but ever since moving to the new base, she ate well, resolving that issue.


    Rayne was also able to "find" prenatal vitamins along with some of the basic medical equipment that Anna had asked for, further helping Laura get the nutrients she needed.


    Brandon''s group proved to be filled with eager, hard workers, already making good progress on the fields beside the lake.


    "Hey, babe, are you ready to head out?" asked Julian. Today, they were planning on going out on another "supply run," which, for Rayne and Julian, meant a getaway date.


    Julian, in particular, was looking forward to it because ever since they had moved into the new base, Rayne had been spending all of her free time working on various projects.


    Even at night, she was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed, leaving Julian with a brewing desire.


    Rayne looked over at Julian''s eager expression and laughed. "Yes, I''m ready. Let''s go!" She found this side of him very adorable.


    After leaving Noah in charge, they hopped into Rayne''s SUV and drove off. Today''s destination was another coastal town on the other side of the mountain.


    It was a place that used to be popular for its beaches, and Rayne had always wanted to go. It was about a five-hour drive from their base, so it would have to be at least an overnight trip.


    Since Julian offered to drive first, Rayne was looking over the small piece of paper that had people''s requests.


    Rayne, of course, already had all of these items in her system, so they weren''t actually going to go looking for anything.


    Even the medical equipment requests that Anna wrote down were already available in Rayne''s system since she had managed to store all of the medical equipment from the bunker before they moved out.


    Her mind wandered from thoughts of the bunker to Deondre, who was still on his scouting mission.


    "I hope Deondre comes back soon," she said. It had been a few weeks since he left, and there had been no news.


    Julian smiled. "It''s okay. These scouting missions take time¡ªit''s not just a run in and out. He''s integrating himself as one of the base''s residents to blend in. Gathering information is also a long process since you can''t find everything out in one day."


    Julian''s explanation made her feel better. In her mind, the scouting mission would take like three days, and he would be back, but she was clearly mistaken.


    "You should put more trust in him. I''m not joking when I say that he''s very skilled," said Julian, placing his hand on top of hers.

 Chapter 205 Vacation Getaway

    The journey went smoothly, and they only took a few breaks along the way to allow Rayne to replace the SUV with one that had a full tank of gas.


    The roads were also much easier to drive on since most of the snow had already melted.


    By the time they made it to the town, it was already mid-afternoon, and the sun was beaming down in full force.


    Rayne frowned. "I wonder what changes we''ll see with the sun acting the way it is. It''s been rising sooner and sooner¡ªnot to mention how hot it gets in the afternoons."


    The snow had only just recently melted, yet it already felt like the peak of summer during the day.


    Julian turned the AC on. "Yeah, it''s definitely odd. At least it''s a good time to visit the beach. I wonder if the water will still be really cold."


    Rayne burst out laughing, making Julian glance at her in confusion.


    "I just realized¡ªwe must be the only people in the world heading to the beach for a mini vacation right now," she said, shaking her head.


    Julian smiled. "Hey now, I didn''t want to tell you this, but I used my billionaire CEO status to reserve the entire beach just for you!" he joked. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Oh! Is this the legendary rich pampering they always showed on TV? How lucky of me!" she laughed.


    They chuckled together as Julian weaved through what remained of the coastal town. The hurricane had really done a number on the buildings, making it a bit challenging to get to the actual beach.


    When they finally arrived, Rayne jumped out of the car and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of the salty sea breeze.


    Julian walked up beside her. "Well, it certainly feels like a beach day. Let''s make the most of it while the sun is still out."


    Rayne agreed and quickly pulled an RV from her system. This was the one she had been looking forward to the most¡ªbecause it had a hot tub on the roof.


    She went inside and set it to standby mode so the built-in solar panels could begin drawing in energy.


    After setting everything up, she quickly changed into an all-black bikini and walked outside.


    "I left you some swim trunks inside if you want to change," she said, sliding a pair of black sunglasses over her eyes.


    Julian turned around to see Rayne standing there in an incredibly sexy black bikini. Immediately, he felt a twitch in his pants, followed by a rush of heat.


    Walking over, he couldn''t help but pull her into his arms. "You look so incredibly hot."


    The direct compliment made Rayne blush. She was thrilled to hear it¡ªshe had specifically chosen this swimsuit to look hot.


    In the past, she had only ever worn one-piece swimsuits with a cover on top, trying to hide herself as much as possible.


    But now, she wanted to show off her beautiful curves. She felt sexy, confident, and wanted to own it.


    Julian didn''t want to look away, but Rayne pushed him toward the RV. "Go get changed, then help me apply sunscreen!"


    The thought of rubbing sunscreen all over her body made him even harder than he already was. He quickly ran inside¡ªonly to stop dead in his tracks when he saw what was waiting for him on the table.


    A tiny black speedo.


    "WHAT IS THIS?" he yelled from inside the RV, making Rayne burst into laughter.


    "Hey, I just wanted us to match! What''s the problem?" she asked, giggling.


    Julian stared at the minuscule piece of fabric and shook his head. "Babe, if you wanted to see me naked, you could''ve just asked!"


    Still, he took off his clothes and slipped on the briefs. His erection was very visible, nearly poking out into view.


    "I... I''m not sure this will work," he muttered from inside the RV.


    Rayne, thinking he was just being shy, called back, "Oh, come on! Don''t worry¡ªno one will see you!"


    Julian shook his head with a grin. "Suit yourself!"


    As the RV door swung open, Rayne''s eyes were at the perfect level to come face-to-face with the monster that often tormented her at night.


    The elastic, waterproof material could barely keep it contained, especially as it was standing in attention.


    "Wh...aaa...W..?"


    Her face flushed red. She wasn''t expecting to see such a sight and only wanted to tease Julian a little bit.


    Julian smiled with a victorious grin, "Hey, you insisted! I warned you!". He jumped out of the RV, causing his erect member to bounce in the air.


    "Come, you said you needed help with the sunscreen", he said walking over towards the shocked Rayne.


    She was frozen in place when he placed his arm around her, "Why are you so shocked babe, it''s not like you''ve never seen it before."


    "Yeah, but I wasn''t expecting to see it...like that!", she said, pointing at the stiff erection.


    "Haha! What did you expect? You looking like that and me not react to it? Please!", he laughed. He walked her over to the part of the beach where she laid out a pair of towels.


    The sand beneath his feet felt hot so he lifted Rayne up and ran her over to the towel so she didn''t burn her feet walking.


    Once they got to their towels, Rayne pulled out a large beach umbrella and the sunscreen, handing it over to Julian.


    Another rush of blood went southward as he squirted the white sunscreen on to her back while she laid on the towel.


    "Hope you''re not ticklish", he smiled and began to rub the sunscreen all over her back.


    The application process quickly took a swift turn into a massage. Julian felt his body tingle as he rubbed his hands all over her body. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He decided that the thin straps tied around her back were in the way so he quickly lifted on end of the knot and untied the bikini top, causing it to fall off of her body.


    "Hey, what are you--", said Rayne, feeling the top loosen.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''m just applying the sunscreen. Just enjoy it", said Julian.


    Rayne felt her heart beat fast. Although there was no one around she was still out in the open.


    Having her top fall off made her feel exposed but also excited.

 Chapter 206 Beach Day

    Julian''s hand continued to glide up and down her back, occasionally touching her sides--which sent a tingle of pleasure through her body.


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    Rayne felt her mind go blank as she released a soft moan.


    Her moan snapped the last thread of restraint and Julian moved his hand south, down her body to her perky butt.


    Slipping his fingers under her bikini bottoms he continued to massage, cupping handfuls of her butt cheeks.


    The softness of her skin coupled with the natural bounce made Julian want to rip into her. After massaging her ass and legs he moved back upwards to her neck and shoulders.


    His hands slid down her sides and under her breasts, massaging the parts that weren''t pressed against the towel.


    "Julian", breathed Rayne. She could feel her body tingle as his hand explored her.


    Instead of answering he flipped her over so that she was now facing him, her breasts exposed in full view.


    He took the bottle of sunscreen and squirted a stream down her chest. The cold cream touched Rayne''s skin, causing her to squirm slightly.


    Julian took in the sight of her beautiful body, making eye contact with her beautiful green eyes.


    He then moved his hands on top of her once more, massaging the cream into her skin. His hands slid around her breasts and abdomen, feeling the softness of her skin once more. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne laid on the towel, feeling very aroused from being exposed outdoors. She felt like Julian''s hands were magic, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body.


    She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation his fingers brought to her as they massaged her body, moving further down toward her thighs.


    Her body became more sensitive the further down he got. When Julian finally reached her inner thighs she felt like jolts of electricity were skirting across her skin.


    Julian continued to massage her thighs, spreading her legs apart. His thumbs moved up and down the crease of her inner thigh, slightly moving her bikini bottoms in the process.


    Rayne was waiting for him to slip his fingers inside but instead felt his hands move farther down her thigh and toward her knees.


    Julian quietly continued to massage the sunscreen into her legs making his way down to her feet. Every few seconds he would glance up at her, taking in the view of her exposed upper body.


    It took him every bit of restraint to keep himself from pouncing her, taking her right there on the beach.


    Even Rayne was surprised when he finally lifted his hands off her.


    "There! You''re all coated in sunscreen", he grinned, pleased with his result.


    Rayne looked at him with an unreadable expression. She was still lying topless, her legs spread open.


    "Really? You suck!" she groaned, tilting her head back.


    Julian chuckled and bent over her, his lips practically touching hers.


    "Don''t worry, sweetheart. I''ll make you feel good all night. I figured you''d want to enjoy the sun for a while¡ªwe won''t have this opportunity tomorrow," he said softly.


    If it hadn''t been for their short time left to enjoy the beach, Julian would have happily used this time for other, more pleasurable things.


    After a few deep breaths, Rayne calmed herself and smiled. "Very well! But I''ll get you back for this! Just wait!" she said, pointing a finger upward.


    Julian smiled. "Oh, I''ll be waiting," he said, then reached down to kiss her.


    Afterward, he helped her put her bathing suit top back on before she helped him quickly apply sunscreen to his back.


    They spent the next few hours lying on the beach, tanning and reading. It was peaceful, with the sound of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls flying overhead.


    Rayne was completely immersed in her book, thoroughly enjoying her time on the beach. She felt as if she had gone back in time¡ªback when everything was normal.


    Even though it was already evening, the sun was still out. Feeling hungry, Rayne pulled two turkey sandwiches from her system and handed one to Julian.


    "I wonder what time it''ll start getting dark. It feels strange that it''s still so bright this late in the day," Rayne said between bites of her sandwich.


    Julian looked up at the sky, analyzing the sun''s position. "If I''m correct, it seems like we''re getting around two extra hours of daylight than normal."


    Rayne nodded. "Yeah, that feels about right. I was trying to time it yesterday, but I got distracted in the evening."


    After finishing their meal, Julian pulled Rayne off the ground. "Shall we see how the water is?" he asked, leading her toward the ocean.


    As they walked closer, the crashing waves reached their feet.


    "Oh my! The water is freezing!" Rayne yelped, jumping back. It felt like she had dipped her toes into ice water.


    Julian laughed as he watched her retreat in panic. He walked farther into the ocean until he was knee-deep.


    "Come on in, the water''s great," he said with a smile.


    Rayne took a step forward but hesitated. "No way, it''s freezing! You can''t fool me!"


    Julian bent down, scooped up cold water with both hands and threw it at her.


    "Ahh!!" Rayne shrieked as the freezing water splashed against her.


    She ran away before he could splash her again, making Julian burst out laughing.


    He stepped out of the water and chased after her, prompting her to run even faster.


    If anyone had been watching the beach, they would have seen two people running at full speed, laughing like children¡ªa sight that would bring a smile to anyone''s face.


    Julian finally caught up to Rayne, impressed by her speed and stamina. He scooped her off the ground and carried her back to the RV.


    "Can''t run from me now!" he grinned, bringing her inside.


    Once inside, they rinsed off in the shower, washing away the sand clinging to their bodies.


    Rayne walked over to the bed and pulled out her laptop. "I want to use the hot tub later when the sun sets," she told Julian while pulling up a new TV show.


    Julian lay down next to her, and the two of them happily watched until he pointed out that it was already dark.


    "Oh! Let''s go up and try out the hot tub! Hopefully, with the sun gone, the temperature won''t be as hot!" she said, getting off the bed.


    She went to the bathroom to change into a new bathing suit¡ªthis time, a pure white bikini.


    Julian looked at her and smirked. "Did you leave me a matching white Speedo too?"


    Rayne giggled and shook her head. "No, unfortunately, I didn''t store speedos of all colors back then. A big oversight on my part."


    Julian laughed and went into the bathroom, finding a pair of white swimming trunks on the counter. He looked at them and smiled.


    "I won''t be needing these for long."

 Chapter 207 Hot Tub Date Night

    Rayne went up to the rooftop of the RV, excited to turn on the hot tub. She had filled it with water when they arrived and now all that was left was to try to test it out.


    She pushed a button on the control panel and suddenly the entire rooftop of the RV lit up in neon colors.


    "Oh well now it''s a party!", said Julian. He had just arrived on the rooftop as the lights turned on, creating a festive atmosphere.


    Rayne smiled, "There are so many settings on for this hot tub I don''t even know which ones to choose!". She pressed another button and the jets inside of the hot tub turned on, causing the water to move.


    "Well, it looks like you chose the right one! I''ll get in and test the waters out", said Julian.


    He walked down the small steps into the hot tub, feeling the hot water bubbling around him.


    "Ahh, it''s perfect. Come on in".


    Rayne looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "If I remember correctly you said the same thing about the ocean water. Now I''m not sure if I can trust you".


    She was, of course, only teasing him and quickly stepped down into the hot tub, enjoying the heat of the water.


    "Ah! This feels so nice!", she said. The water from the jets gently massages her back and shoulders as the hot water seeped into her skin.


    Julian looked at her blissful face and felt jealous, "Wow, to think that all of my effort on the beach was beat by a jet of hot water". He sunk into the water, pouting.


    Rayne giggled at his jealous expression and walked over to sit on his lap. "Oh that''s not true and you know it. That ''message'' earlier had my head in the clouds!"


    Her coaxing finally made Julian smile and wrap his arms around her.


    "Are you saying you want another massage like earlier?", he asked in a low voice.


    Rayne felt her body heat up as the memories from earlier played in her mind.


    Julian reached around her, pulling her in for a kiss. It was long and passionate, leaving Rayne breathless.


    His hands explored her back, untying her bathing suit top in the process. Moments later Rayne''s upper body was exposed, and this time Julian didn''t hold back.


    The hot tub was soon filled with sounds of kissing, moaning, and splashing water.


    The next morning Rayne woke up with marks all over her body along with the usual soreness she experienced after Julian''s thorough poundings.


    "Come on babe, we should start heading back soon", said Julian, who was glowing from the amazing night he had.


    "Ten more minutes please", she replied, rolling over on the bed.


    Julian smiled and patted her gently on the back.


    "Let me carry you to the car where you can sleep longer. Just store the RV and we can set off", he said lifting her, along with her blanket off the bed.


    When they walked out of the RV, he stood near it so that she could simply reach over with her hand and store it.


    Julian then settled Rayne comfortably in the passenger seat of the SUV before getting into the driver''s seat and driving off.


    Rayne quickly fell back asleep from the gentle rocking of the car coupled with her exhaustion from earlier.


    Julian drove the entire way back only stopping a short distance away from their base so that Rayne could fill the car with the various items that were requested by the base.


    Among these items, a common thing that people asked for was entertainment items. While everyone spent most of the day working on the base or in the fields, they wanted something fun to do in the evenings.


    For this, Rayne chose a projector, playing cards, a box of various books, and a few sets of outdoor sports equipment.


    The other items were mainly medical equipment for Anna and smaller household things like sewing machines, bolts of cloth, and a few other items.


    The SUV quickly filled up with these items and a few extras, like canned food and a few more clothing items.


    When she finished Julian drove the SUV into the forest, to their base.


    As they pulled into the forest clearing Rayne was shocked at the progress everyone was making. A few houses were no longer pure white, having been painted in earthy tones like green and brown to match the surrounding forest.


    Another big difference was the farming area.


    When Rayne and Julian left, it was still mostly a large pile of dirt. Now the large pile of dirt was mostly flattened and spread across a huge rectangular field along the edge of the lake.


    As they parked, Mila and a few others came over to help move things into the warehouse.


    "Welcome back!", greeted Mila. "How was the trip out this time?"


    "It was very successful! We made our way further out, toward the coast, and found all of the items on the list!", said Rayne cheerfully.


    The others had big smiles on their faces as they unloaded the SUV and carried the items to their appropriate warehouses.


    "You guys really did a lot in the short time we were gone", said Rayne, looking around the base.


    Mila smiled, "Yes, we all have a lot of motivation to make this place feel like home. Two people in our group are also prior farmers, so we have a lot of experience in that area."


    Rayne''s eyes sparkled at the news! Not only did they have a general contractor, but they also had experienced farmers in the group!


    "It was also Ian''s suggestion to paint the houses earthy colors to blend them in with the environment", said Mila, pointing at the green and brown house.


    Julian walked over approvingly, "I think it''s a great idea, we should do this with our house too". He looked over at Rayne to see her opinion. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne nodded, fully agreeing with this. "Absolutely, not only with it blending in, but I also think it looks prettier than the plain white".


    Everyone was busy working, doing their best to get this place up and running.


    Rayne felt warm looking at the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere and wanted to do something nice for everyone.


    Looking at Mila, an idea came to her.


    "Let''s have a barbeque tonight! One of the things I found was a projector, we can even watch a movie!", she suggested.


    Mila smiled, "Wow, everyone would love that!". She was grateful that Rayne and Julian were kind and generous people. She never thought she would watch a movie again after seeing the current state of the world.


    Rayne went with Mila to find Ella and a few other volunteers to help prepare the food for the barbeque, while Julian was tasked with the movie setup.


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    A few hours later it was finally dinner time. Everyone went back home from the fields and other jobs they were working at all day to wash up.


    Rayne, Ella, and Mila led the cooking efforts, manning the four grills between the three of them.

 Chapter 208 Cookout

    The menu consisted of grilled chicken and steak for the mains and a few small side dishes.


    Laura volunteered to cook the rice, while a few of the other ladies made other sides with the canned vegetables.


    Rayne wanted to take out some fresh vegetables like corn and mushrooms to put on the grill, but she wouldn''t be able to explain their origins so she decided to wait.


    Soon, they would be growing their own produce which would make it easier for Rayne to bring out fresh produce.


    People set up a few fold-out tables outside and the party began.


    Everyone there was beaming from joy. The small party brought the community further together, allowing for both groups to mingle with each other in a more casual setting.


    The food was all perfectly seasoned, and everyone enjoyed it, even licking their plates clean.


    Appetites were large from working hard all day so there were no leftovers but everyone was rubbing their bellies with content.


    Over on Julian''s side, he and Noah just finished tying a large white sheet between two trees. This would act as the screen for the movie projector that was already set up and plugged into one of the smaller generators.


    The movie Rayne decided to show was a well known comedy. She wanted to promote the feeling of joy within the base and this movie had everyone laughing for the rest of the evening.


    Mila approached Rayne as they were cleaning up, "Thank you for hosting this fun event. We all enjoyed it very much."


    Rayne smiled, "I enjoyed it too. We will definitely be doing this more often in the future. Working hard is good, but we also need to find time to relax and have some fun!"


    She looked around and listened to the happy chatter between everyone around. Some people were quoting a few funny moments from the movie, while others were discussing what their favorite part of the dinner was.


    This was the scene she had always wished to see after the apocalypse started.


    The next morning Rayne heard a knock on the front door of their house.


    "I''ll go answer it", said Julian, getting up from the bed. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne was curious about who it was since it was rare for someone to come looking for them so early in the morning.


    She put on a robe and walked over to the living room where she saw Ian at the door.


    Julian motioned for her to come over, "Deondre is finally back from the government base, he will come over after he''s done with breakfast".


    "Oh! That''s great news! I''m so happy he''s back safely!", smiled Rayne.


    She let Julian speak with Noah while she went to the kitchen to boil a tea kettle of water. Since they were expecting guests she felt that it was only right to at least offer a cup of tea or coffee.


    Ten minutes later Julian, Deondre, Ian and Noah were all sitting on the sofa in their living room, discussing the happenings in the base.


    Rayne walked over with a tray of tea and coffee then sat down beside Julian.


    "Did you manage to secure a sample of this new drug?", asked Julian.


    Deondre shook his head, "Unfortunately not. It''s why I took so long before coming back. I even tried buying it off of someone else, but no one was willing".


    Ian folded his arms, "It must be very addictive if no one was willing to sell it to you even after you offered so much food and medicine".


    Deondre nodded, "Yes sir. People were going crazy for it, I''ve never seen anything like it. There were even a few cases were people even killed each other for it".


    Rayne widened her eyes, "Kill each other for it?! How are the people okay with taking something like this?"


    Deondre lowered his head, "The drug was advertised as medicine, and a LOT of people at that base are sick.".


    Rayne was a bit confused about this. She couldn''t understand why they would advertise this as a medicine, or why people would accept something so sketchy.


    "Also...about your family..", Deondre looked up at Julian. "They''ve also gotten hooked on the drug".


    Julian''s face remained unchanged. "This is the result of their own decision making. I no longer care about what happens to them".


    The room went silent for a few moments before Julian changed the topic to how they would deal with the people at the government base.


    "From what I''ve gathered, there are a few hundred people from Damien''s side overseeing the base. They haven''t changed many rules or processes yet--only introducing this new drug", said Deondre.


    The room fell into contemplation once again, but Julian''s next words surprised everyone.


    "Let''s wipe them out."


    Even Rayne turned her head to look at Julian. This was the first time he suggested taking an offensive stance. He had always tried to hide and wait for the golden opportunity.


    "We''ve been waiting long enough, and Damien still hasn''t shown his face anywhere. Thinning out his army is the best choice we have right now. A few hundred people is manageable for us with our skills and weapons", he continued.


    Ian quickly stood up and agreed. "This is the best option for us. If we just let them be, more innocent people will get caught up in the new drug problem. It will also provide Damien with a larger pool of people to recruit from, only making him stronger." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    "And if we''re lucky we can take out a few high ranking members of his ''team''", chimed in Noah.


    After a few more minutes of silent deliberation, Ian looked at Julian with a slight frown, "Boss, the only issue is the weapons and ammo. It would be best if we could use our newly engineered silent weapons, but if I remember correctly we only have a handful of bullets".


    Julian smiled ever so slightly, "Weapons and ammo are not an issue. I apologize for keeping this from you, but we indeed have more than you can imagine".


    Both Noah and Ian looked shocked to hear the news. Ian shook his head with a sense of understanding, "No Boss, what you did was right. It''s smart to withhold information sometimes. You never know who can betray you".


    Ian was still thinking about Jess and her betrayal. It was a big sore spot for him as a leader and something that even kept him up at night.


    Julian looked at him with a serious expression, "Ian, ready Alpha Team for this mission. We leave in two days."


    Ian stood up and gave Julian a respectful bow then left to gather Alpha Team with Deondre.


    Noah also left to make preparations for the rest of the base to avoid causing unrest. He would be staying back to oversee things while Julian and Rayne planned to join Alpha Team on the mission.

 Chapter 209 Preparations and Relaxation

    When Rayne was finally left alone with Julian, she looked at him.


    "Are you sure about this?"


    Julian smiled. "Yes. I estimate that most of Damien''s men at the base are small fries. It shouldn''t be hard to take them all out."


    His words eased Rayne''s nerves. "Maybe we can save a few innocent people in the process. Let me know how many copies of ammo and weapons you need. I''ll get them for you right away."


    Julian leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you, babe. We only stand a chance because of you."


    If it weren''t for her ability to multiply items, they wouldn''t have enough guns and ammo for five people, let alone the entire Alpha Team (~30 people).


    Rayne smiled and leaned against his shoulder. She felt that she was only doing her part in helping to fight back against these unruly people.


    Over time, she realized more and more that if Damien''s group was allowed to grow, there would be little hope for the innocent people who were just trying to survive.


    It was evident that human lives didn''t matter to them if they could simply use hundreds of people as guinea pigs in their sick experiments.


    "Are you sure you want to come?" Julian asked. He would much rather she stay safe here but would respect her wishes.


    "Of course! We could use all the help we can get. Plus, I want to see what''s happening there with my own eyes," she said resolutely.


    The following day, Rayne spent the entire day organizing and planning the upcoming mission with Julian.


    Including her and Julian, there would be twenty-two people coming along. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You said only three sniper rifles?" Rayne asked Julian.


    "Yes. Most of us will be infiltrating the base, while our three snipers will be sitting along the perimeter, taking Damien''s men out from a distance," Julian explained.


    He had just finished discussing formations and groupings with Ian, placing people in certain areas based on their strengths.


    "Deondre will lead the sniper team, while Ian will lead the majority of the forces inside. You and I will infiltrate from a distance, taking people out without being seen," he added.


    The floor of their spare bedroom was filled with various guns, knives, and ammo. Rayne had spent the last few hours organizing the supplies in the room, filling small packs with emergency medical supplies and painkillers.


    As she finished sorting through everything, Julian invited Ian over to begin distributing the weapons and supply packs to each member of the team who would be going tomorrow.


    Ian couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the room filled with high-tech guns from REN Corporation.


    "Wow, Boss, you really are something. Here I thought we only managed to make one copy of each weapon before the world flipped upside down," Ian said, marveling at the sight.


    Julian smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "What''s important is that we have the supplies. The silent shots will make everything go smoother. We will have the element of surprise on our side."


    After getting everything sorted out, Rayne decided to spend the rest of the day with Ella.


    Since moving to the new base, she and Ella would only really see each other in the early mornings or evenings for a walk.


    Recently, Ella had become very interested in gardening, so Rayne went over to bring her a few different gardening books.


    "Oh wow! Thank you, Rayne!" Ella said, looking at the small stack of books on the counter.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just ready to eat some fresh vegetables! I''m counting on you, okay?" she teased.


    She was happy that her friend had found a hobby she could work on.


    "Sooooo... how are things with Noah?" Rayne asked in a quiet voice.


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    Ella''s face turned red. "Good! But I''m still too scared to tell my parents." They had met up a few times in the surrounding forest under the guise of a "walk."


    Rayne giggled at Ella''s red face. "Well, hopefully, your father opens up to him soon. They''ve been working together a lot, right?"


    "Yes. Dad helps Noah with base management now, so they often spend time with each other. Honestly, I''m kind of jealous," Ella admitted.


    "But let me tell you what, Rayne. This whole keeping our relationship hidden¡­ is¡­ kinda hot. Like, it turns me on," she added, looking at Rayne with flushed cheeks.


    "Well damn, girl, look at you!" Rayne laughed. She was happy for Ella and happy that they could talk about this stuff.


    Romance was still relatively new for both of them, so being able to discuss details and experiences bonded them even more.


    Rayne also told Ella a little bit about the mission she was going on tomorrow, explaining how the government base had been taken over by bad guys.


    "Please be careful! I promise if something happens to you, I''m going to find you myself!" Ella declared, hugging Rayne tightly.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be okay," Rayne assured her, hugging her back.


    They both curled up on Ella''s couch, reading the books that Rayne had brought over while watching a recording of a reality TV show on her laptop.


    When Reginald finally got home, it was already evening. He saw his daughter and Rayne in the living room, laughing while watching a show.


    The sight made him smile, happy to see their carefree attitudes as they lounged around.


    If this were before the disasters, he would have scolded Ella, telling her to stop wasting her time on meaningless things. But now, it brought him a sense of joy and comfort.


    "Hey, Dad, welcome home!" Ella shouted from the living room.


    "Hello. Ignore me, I''m going to find your mother¡­ Don''t bother us," he said, turning to find his adorable wife.


    Ella rolled her eyes. "We might need to move to your place. My parents are still in their honeymoon phase."


    Rayne giggled. "Okay, let''s head over to mine. I think Noah is visiting Julian now anyway."


    Ella''s eyes lit up as she shot up from the ground. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s go now!"

 Chapter 210 Mission: Clear Out Government Base

    The next morning, Rayne, Julian, Ian, and the members of Alpha Team who were participating in the mission gathered in front of the houses.


    It was still early enough in the morning that it was dark out, but the sun would begin to rise any minute.


    "Okay, the plan is to make it to the outskirts of the government base and wait until nightfall. It will be a lot easier to execute our operation in the dark," announced Ian, bringing everyone onto the same page.


    After a few more detailed instructions, everyone loaded their weapons into the Jeeps and drove out to the government base.


    Rayne and Julian drove behind everyone in Rayne''s SUV. They had plenty of time before nightfall, so no one felt rushed or in a hurry.


    "So, where are we going to hide until nightfall?" asked Rayne. She hadn''t attended most of the meetings, so she was a little out of the loop.


    "There''s a forest across from the entrance. We will drive into it a good distance before reaching the base to cover our tracks and stay there until nightfall," he replied. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A few hours later, the group finally arrived at the forest that led to the base. They drove their vehicles as far in as they could before proceeding on foot.


    Since they were already relatively close, they only needed to walk for a little while before the checkpoint entrance came into view.


    Ian, along with a few members of Alpha Team, took out their binoculars to scout where the armed guards were positioned.


    Rayne was also curious, so she pretended to take out a pair from her backpack and took a look around.


    To her surprise, everything seemed normal on the surface. The process of people entering looked the same as usual, along with everything else.


    She had been expecting something closer to bandits¡ªlooters and pillagers who had forcefully taken over and were extorting the residents.


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    While that might have been true inside the base, from what she could tell, everything simply looked... normal.


    "You see anything interesting?" asked Julian from behind her.


    "No, not at all. Here, take a look," she said, handing over her binoculars.


    Julian took a look and noticed the same sense of normalcy. However, beyond that, he carefully scouted as much of the entrance area as he could, taking note of every guard''s position.


    "Seems like they''re trying to keep the base active and trap more flies for their experiments," he said, handing the binoculars back.


    Rayne frowned. She wanted to run over to the line of hopeful people and warn them that it was a trap, that they should run away.


    She also prayed that there were still sane people inside who hadn''t fallen for the false temptation of this new addictive drug.


    They all waited patiently in the forest for the entire day. Rayne provided everyone with a basic meal at lunchtime while the Alpha Team scouts continued to monitor Damien''s men across the street.


    When the sun finally set, everyone got ready to move out.


    Deondre and the other two snipers got into position in the forest, covering different angles. Meanwhile, Ian and the rest of Alpha Team strapped on their bulletproof vests and night vision gear, ready to begin the assault.


    Rayne and Julian also put on their protective gear and night vision goggles, preparing to follow Ian''s group inside.


    The tension was high, and Rayne felt her heart pounding. She prayed that no one on their team would get hurt and that they could save as many innocent people as possible from the clutches of Damien''s men.


    A few minutes later, Deondre fired the first shot from his sniper rifle. The bullet was completely silent and hit its target cleanly through the head.


    As the first guard dropped to the ground, Ian''s team rushed forward, firing their silent weapons, taking all of Damien''s guards at the entrance by surprise.


    There was a momentary silence as dozens of armed guards dropped to the floor. It was only when the people waiting in line to get into the base realized that there were dead bodies on the ground that panic erupted.


    However, due to it being nighttime and the lack of lighting outside, overall visibility was low.


    By the time Damien''s men further inside the base were notified that something was wrong, Ian''s men¡ªalong with Rayne and Julian¡ªhad already infiltrated the base.


    The challenge now was making sure they were only killing Damien''s men and not innocent people. However, the scene they encountered inside the base was alarming.


    People were openly clawing at each other and fighting like rabid animals. Their eyes held manic expressions as they frantically searched for the drug they craved.


    Ian ran over to one of these people and struck them on the back of the head, causing them to faint.


    "If you see anyone in this frenzied state, don''t hesitate¡ªrender them unconscious. Focus on taking out Damien''s men," Ian instructed.


    On the backside of the base, Cal stood at the window, watching the feral actions of the people after going three whole days without the drug.


    The scientist''s assistant sat nearby, furiously scribbling notes about their behavior.


    "This is kind of freaky," said Cal. He had heard rumors about the red drug around their underground base, but only a select few were chosen to take it.


    It was said that whoever took this drug would gain super strength, and he had always wished to be selected. But after witnessing the effects of this new "lesser" version of the drug, he felt lucky that he had never been chosen.


    The scientist''s assistant continued to write, his eyes glued to the window. "Oh, this is nothing. I''ve seen way crazier things happen back at the base. The earlier versions even caused humans to eat each other," he said quickly.


    Cal scratched his head but stayed silent. No matter what kind of super strength was promised, he did not want to become a flesh-eating cannibal.


    He continued to watch as one of Leader Mai''s men knocked on his door.


    "Come in," said Cal, turning to face the door.


    "Sir! I have an urgent message. We are under attack, but we are unsure who or where!" the messenger quickly announced.


    "What?!" Cal shouted in surprise. His immediate thought was that the drug had finally snapped the people''s rationality, and they were out for blood!

 Chapter 211 Mission: Clear Out Government Base 2

    He ran over to the scientist''s assistant. "What do we do if these people attack us in a horde? Is there a way to control them?"


    The scientist''s assistant looked up at him, frightened. "Control them? The only way we''ve controlled them back at the base was by killing them!"


    Cal''s face lost all its color. How many people was this drug given to? How many of their people were stationed here at this base?


    "We''re outnumbered, but at least we have guns," he mumbled out loud. "I need to see Leader Mai."


    Just as he walked over to the door, he paused. He began to feel the fear sinking in, unsure if he would get attacked as soon as he opened it.


    Looking over at the scientist''s assistant, he barked an order. "Come, we''re getting out of here!"


    The base was technically not his responsibility, and he had no desire to stay any longer. The scientist''s assistant would also vouch for him that the people on the drug were going crazy.


    Using the cover of the night, they quietly left their room and skirted around the edges of the base to their car. As soon as the car started, Cal whipped out of the parking lot and sped out of the base.


    Deondre noticed the car as it approached the exit but hesitated to shoot since he didn''t know if it was an innocent person running away in fear or not.


    After thinking it through for a while, he decided to shoot out one of the tires on the car.


    Cal had already made it a decent distance down the highway when he felt the car spin out of control.


    One of his tires popped, causing the car to ram into a guardrail.


    "Fuck!" he yelled, thinking he must have driven over a spike or something since the sniper bullet was completely silent.


    After making sure the scientist''s assistant was still okay, he got out of the car. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come on, let''s go! We need to get out of here before the cannibals come out!" yelled Cal. He sprinted forward on the highway, not caring that they would need to make this journey on foot.


    Through the scope of his sniper rifle, Deondre saw the two men abandon their car and run down the highway. From their hurried body language, he could tell that they were really frightened.


    "I don''t think Damien''s men are this spineless. They must be residents who got frightened," he mumbled and turned his attention back to the base.


    Inside, Leader Mai was in her room, giving out commands to various team leaders.


    "You''re telling me you don''t know who they are or where they''re shooting from?!" she yelled angrily.


    "Yes, ma''am, it''s dark out, so¡ª" replied one of the guard team members.


    "DARK OUT? You said they were shot! Do you not have ears to hear what direction they shot from?!" she stomped angrily.


    Everyone in the room clammed up, scared to tell her that there were no gunshot sounds at all. It was eerily quiet, like a silent plague spreading through the base.


    Just then, the door swung open. "Ma''am! Everyone at the entrance has been wiped out. Our men on both the eastern and western sides have also been taken out!"


    Mai was furious! She was tasked with overseeing this base and was given hundreds of men to keep it secure.


    Now she was being told that her men were dropping like flies, and no one knew where or what was killing them!


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    "Every last one of you needs to get your ass outside NOW! Don''t come back until you''ve either killed or captured whoever is responsible!" she ordered, slamming her hands down on the metal table.


    The various team leaders quickly nodded and ran out of the room, frightened of angering Leader Mai even more.


    Outside, Ian''s team made steady progress, slowly moving through the base and wiping out any of Damien''s men they could find.


    The real issue was dealing with the drug-starved innocent people. They seemed so far gone that they were no longer rational. Some even turned to attack him without being provoked!


    He had no choice but to continue to strike them down with his hand, leaving them unconscious on the ground.


    While Ian and his team were making their way towards the center of the base, Rayne and Julian were running around the edges, picking off the hidden guards in the back.


    They both had a good understanding of the general layout of the base and used it to their advantage to weave through the buildings.


    Their goal was to pick off any hidden dangers while gathering information on what was going on inside the base.


    Rayne watched in horror as the once-normal people ran around wildly in some kind of crazed state.


    "Is this the effect of the drug?!" she gasped in horror. She just witnessed a woman biting chunks of flesh off another woman.


    Julian covered her eyes. "Don''t look. But if I were to guess, this is most likely a withdrawal symptom. I don''t think Damien has any use for such mindless behavior."


    Rayne felt the blood in her body boil. These were normal, innocent people who were just trying to survive. She couldn''t forgive Damien or anyone on his side for toying with human life like this.


    "I hope they can wean off it and turn back to normal," she said, clenching her fists.


    Julian hummed in reply. "I hope so too..."


    There were so many people under the influence of this drug, and most of them were running around like feral animals.


    The frightening part was that those people who had their skin torn off in chunks didn''t even bat an eye. It was almost as if they didn''t feel that they were injured.


    "Well, it seems like the drug was successful in one aspect," mumbled Julian, observing the carnage happening in front of them.


    From the corner of her eye, Rayne spotted Layla and Samantha.


    "Julian, look!" she gasped, pointing over at the two women. It looked as if Samantha was trying to pull Layla away from the crowd.


    Julian watched in silence, seeing his sister act out with aggression as Samantha did her best to call out to her.


    "Shall we..."

 Chapter 212 Last Mercy

    (A/N: contains a few gruesome scenes)


    "Shall we..."


    "No," answered Julian resolutely. He had given his family too many chances. This was their fate now. He would not go out of his way to save them again, only to be backstabbed in the future.


    As Samantha pleaded with Layla to get back, she noticed a pair of cold eyes watching her. She wasn''t sure if it was just the effect of the ''medicine'' or what, but she saw the tall and handsome Julian watching them from a short distance away.


    "You! Is it really you?!" she called out.


    She let go and walked through the crowd, like a moth to a flame, not realizing that her arms were being torn from her body.


    Rayne watched in horror as Samantha continued to walk with a blissful expression, unfazed by the pain.


    Her expression continued to twist between blissful happiness and a deep hunger, full of evil intent.


    By the time she made it through the crowd, she was missing chunks of hair and had deep gashes along her arms and legs.


    Rayne watched as Julian lifted his pistol and aimed it at her head.


    "This is my last mercy to you," he said quietly and fired the bullet.


    The bullet pierced her heart, instantly killing her.


    Rayne reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "While I didn''t like her, I think you did the right thing."


    Julian shifted his gaze to Rayne, no longer caring about what happened to Samantha or his sister.


    He placed his hand on top of Rayne''s. "Let''s continue. We still haven''t found where the leader is hiding."


    Rayne smiled and nodded. "Let''s go."


    They continued moving from building to building until they reached the side entrance of the main lobby building.


    This was where all the important departments and offices were located. Both Rayne and Julian felt that this would also be where the new ''leader'' of this base was hiding.


    They had to take out several guards stationed around the building. There was more security here than at the entrance of the base, confirming their suspicions about the leader''s presence.


    It was much more difficult to move through the building unseen, as all the hallway lights were on. They went room to room, clearing out any armed men in the process. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, one of the doors at the end of the hallway opened, and a large group of people came flooding out.


    Rayne shot Julian a look, and he nodded. They both came to the conclusion that this was the room they were looking for.


    First, they needed to take care of the wave of armed men.


    Julian stepped out from his hiding spot and began shooting one by one.


    Rayne followed behind him, firing precise shots. Within seconds, most of the group had been picked off, leaving only three men in the back.


    One of the men dropped to his knees. "Please don''t kill me," he begged, while the other two pulled out their guns and aimed at Rayne and Julian.


    "Drop your guns!" one of them yelled. But before the words fully left his mouth, Julian silently pulled the trigger, taking both of them down in a breath''s time.


    The remaining man looked around in panic but secretly reached behind his back to pull out his pistol.


    Rayne smirked, seeing his obvious movements. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "If you were being honest, I would''ve spared you," she said, pulling the trigger.


    Inside the room, Mai had no idea what was happening just steps away in the hallway.


    Since no one had managed to fire a shot, the entire altercation was silent¡ªdue to Rayne''s and Julian''s suppressed weapons.


    Mai stared out the window, looking into the darkness. The only movement she saw was the occasional flashlight or a drugged person running wildly.


    She felt like pulling her own hair out. She had just recently been promoted, and this was a huge assignment where she could prove herself.


    Now, because of these unknown assailants, she was about to lose everything she had worked so hard for.


    "No! I won''t let them get away with this! I will skin them alive myself if I have to!" she yelled.


    At that moment, the door swung open, and Julian walked in with Rayne, pointing his pistol straight at her.


    "Who are you?! What do you want from us?!" Mai cried out.


    She was completely taken by surprise. Everyone had just left the room moments ago¡ªhow did these two make it through?


    Mai shifted her gaze to the hallway behind Rayne and Julian, noticing the string of bodies on the ground.


    Alarm bells rang in her mind. These two were far more dangerous than they initially appeared.


    Julian took a few steps forward. "I''ll give you one chance. Tell me where he is."


    Mai looked at him. "Who? I don''t know anyone."


    "Damien. Your leader."


    Her eyes widened. Only a select few knew their leader''s name, and she herself had only heard it in passing.


    Julian caught her surprised expression, confirming that she was part of Damien''s organization.


    "Choose your words wisely. You only have one chance," he said coldly.


    Mai opened and closed her mouth a few times. The reality of the situation was setting in. If she lied and said she didn''t know, she would die.


    Any answer but the truth would result in her death¡­ and she didn''t want to die. She was still young and in her prime!


    She began to visibly shake, her mind racing to find a way out of this mess.


    Julian held the gun, patiently waiting for her reply.


    "I don''t know where Damien is exactly¡ª"


    The silent bullet whirled through the air, hitting her chest. Mai fell to the ground, bitterness filling her thoughts.


    Would my life be different if I had never sold myself to that organization?


    Julian walked over to her, pointing his gun once more.


    It''s not fair. I didn''t want to die¡­ Why should I die while they live?


    Mai opened her eyes with great difficulty.


    "In... th..e... ci..ty..." she whispered before her body went limp.

 Chapter 213 Secret Meeting

    Back at the forest base, Noah had just finished his daily meeting with Reginald, discussing various tasks they needed to tackle.


    From the corner of his eye, he noticed Ella walking into one of the warehouses.


    "Then I will see you at the same time tomorrow," he said to Reginald respectfully.


    Reginald smiled and excused himself to find his wife.


    Noah quietly slipped over to the warehouse where he had seen Ella go. It was the housing items warehouse, and when he entered, he didn''t see anyone inside.


    Walking further in, he weaved through the various shelves, looking for the familiar woman. He finally spotted her rummaging through a basket in the clothing section.


    He glanced around the warehouse once more, ensuring that no one else was around, then snuck up behind her.


    To prevent Ella from screaming, he quickly reached around and placed his hand over her mouth.


    Ella jolted upright, startled that someone else was there with her.


    "Shhh, it''s just me, babe," Noah whispered, then moved his hand away.


    Ella quickly turned around to see the handsome redhead staring down at her.


    "Noah! What are you doing here?" she asked in a hushed voice, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just us," he smiled, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.


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    Ella''s body flushed with excitement, eagerly accepting his kiss. They didn''t get to see each other in private often, so these rare moments of intimacy were very special to her.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss even more.


    Noah pushed her back, pressing her against one of the shelves, causing a slight rattling sound.


    "Careful!" she giggled.


    Noah smiled and dove back in to kiss her. One of his hands held her head while the other trailed up and down her back.


    They continued kissing, thirsting for each other''s touch. Noah pulled the neckline of her shirt down and began kissing her collarbone and shoulders, leaving a trail of small marks.


    Ella placed a hand over her mouth to muffle the moans escaping her lips.


    She felt her body burn with desire.


    "I''ll go and bring you some shoes! You said size 7, right?" Mila''s voice sounded from the entrance of the warehouse.


    Noah quickly pulled away, allowing Ella to fix her shirt.


    Mila walked over with a warm smile. "Oh, hello there, Ella, Noah. What are you two doing here?"


    Noah nodded. "Hello, Mila, how are you? I''m here for... uh... socks! Yes, I need a new pair of socks," he quickly added.


    Ella''s face turned red. "Hi, Mila. I was looking for a new shirt. I''ve been wearing the same three shirts for a while now, so I decided to find something new," she said quietly.


    Mila nodded in understanding. "Well, I won''t hold you up. I just need to find some new shoes for Laura¡ªher feet are swelling, so hopefully, there''s something more comfortable here."


    She then walked over to the shoe section and began rummaging through. Ella kept looking at the ground while Noah grabbed a random pair of socks he didn''t need.


    On his way back, he stopped in front of Ella. "It was very nice seeing you today, Miss Soto."


    His words, coupled with his soft smile, made her blush. She quietly nodded in response and walked over to the shelf with the women''s shirts.


    Mila walked up beside her once Noah left. "He''s quite handsome, isn''t he?"


    Ella could barely show her flushed face. "Yes... yes, he is," she said quietly.


    "Haha, I''m just teasing you, girl. No need to get flustered," Mila laughed.


    Ella smiled and grabbed the first shirt she saw in the bin, running off with a flushed face. It was only when she got home that she realized she had picked an XXL men''s t-shirt.


    She sighed, looking at it. "Well, at least I can use it as a sleep shirt."


    Ella plopped down on her bed, thinking about the steamy encounter she had just had with Noah. Her heart fluttered from how passionately he had kissed her.


    She lifted her fingers and traced the places he had kissed along her collarbone and shoulders.


    Realizing that he might have left marks, she jolted up in bed. She didn''t have a mirror in her room, so she ran to one of the RVs to take a shower.


    In the bathroom, she undressed and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, the places where Noah had kissed her were marked with small red spots.


    She looked at them with a smile, tracing over them with her fingers.


    "At least he was smart enough to do it in places that would be hidden under my shirt," she mumbled, smiling.


    In the shower, she washed her body while thinking about Noah. She closed her eyes, pretending his hands were touching her instead.


    Her imagination ran wild, igniting her desire. Soon, her fingers found their way between her legs, touching the spot she wanted Noah to touch the most.


    The desire was so intense that, only a few minutes later, her legs became weak and shaky from the release she had just experienced.


    It took her an extra few minutes to dry off and get dressed. She could still feel that her body wanted more, unsatisfied with her own release.


    When she finally walked out of the RV, holding her dirty clothes, she found Noah standing right in front of her, waiting for the shower to free up.


    They silently stared at each other for a few moments, the air between them hot and heavy.


    Ella was still very much in the mood from her earlier actions in the shower. She walked over to Noah and pulled the collar of her shirt down, showing him the result of his kisses in the warehouse.


    She showed them off proudly, glancing at him with a flirty gaze. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without saying anything, she slipped her hand under the folded towel he was holding and walked away with a teasing smile.


    Noah watched her go, leaving him standing there alone with a strong erection. Taking a deep breath, he smiled and stepped inside the RV to shower.


    The bathroom was still foggy from Ella''s shower, making his imagination run wild.


    He lifted the towel to see what she had placed beneath it.


    "Fuck."


    He felt a strong throbbing sensation in his pants as he lifted a pair of black lacy panties from the pile.


    His mind went blank as he held them in his hand, his heart racing with excitement.


    "You''re such a little vixen," he smiled.

 Chapter 214 A Familiar Face

    Rayne looked at Julian, noticing his frown.


    "Do you think she was telling the truth? It seems a little unlikely that he would be so close," she said.


    Julian closed his eyes, thinking silently. There were many possibilities, but he couldn''t completely rule out the possibility that what she said was false.


    "Even if it turns out to be false, I believe that assuming she was telling the truth would be for the best in this situation," he replied.


    If Damien had been under his nose for so many years, he was far more capable than Julian had initially thought.


    "Let''s go. Ian should be cleaning up by now," he said, smiling gently at Rayne.


    As they walked out, the group of aggressive people only grew. Many more came out of their homes with maddened expressions.


    They were all hostile, running into the center of the green, fighting to the death with each other for no rhyme or reason.


    "Are there any people left who haven''t fallen under the influence of this drug?" Rayne asked, with sadness.


    Just as Julian was about to answer, something rustled the bushes behind them.


    Rayne and Julian quickly turned around, only to find a familiar face jumping from bush to bush with a small group of people.


    "Lenny?" Rayne asked, watching his poor attempt at stealthy movement.


    Lenny froze when he heard his name. He peeked out of the bush to see Rayne and Julian looking at him with confused expressions.


    Noticing them, he quickly motioned to them. "Hurry up and hide over here. Those crazies will eat you if they see you!" he whispered loudly.


    Rayne and Julian walked over to find a small group of about ten people huddled together behind a bush. Among them was Nurse Judy, holding a young child.


    "Nurse Judy, you''re here too!" Rayne exclaimed.


    "Miss Weston! I''m so happy to see you also denied the new medicine," she said with a small smile.


    Everyone in this small group looked normal¡ªfrightened, but normal.


    Lenny looked around before speaking. "Come with us, we''re getting the hell out of here!" When he first arrived, things were okay, but after the cold snap, things got more and more difficult. Now he had to hide from man-eating people!


    "Where are you guys headed?" Rayne asked, curious about their future plans.


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    Lenny shook his head. "Anywhere but here! I''d rather deal with escaped zoo animals than psycho humans!"


    Rayne looked at Julian, then turned to the small group. "Why don''t you guys come with us? We''ve recently started a small settlement of our own."


    She expected some hesitation, but Lenny didn''t even blink before agreeing.


    "Heck yeah, count me in. Anywhere but here!" he said nervously.


    Nurse Judy also nodded, happy to have any destination other than the wilderness.


    The rest of the group agreed, making things easy for Rayne.


    "Great! You guys can follow us. Don''t worry, we''re here with a group of people. Let''s make our way over to the entrance," Rayne said cheerfully.


    Her positive energy, along with her bright smile, helped the rest of the group relax. They all agreed and followed behind Rayne and Julian. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They slowly made their way toward the entrance. Lenny and the others were surprised at how quiet this side of the base was.


    They didn''t see any guards or even staff who were typically stationed at the front, directing traffic.


    "Why is there no one here? It''s kind of creepy," Lenny said in a low voice.


    A few steps later, someone gasped and pointed at the ground in front of them.


    Lenny looked down only to find a trail of dead bodies littering the street.


    "Wha... What?!" he yelled out in fear. "First human-eating psychos, now a trail of dead people?! This world is truly over," he cried.


    Rayne shook her head. "Don''t worry. These were all bad people. We cleared them out on our way inside."


    Lenny quickly perked up. "Oh! Well, if they''re bad people, then serves you right! Suckers!" he said, turning to one of the dead bodies. He lifted his hand and waved his middle finger around, flipping off the dead guys.


    His actions made Rayne burst out in laughter. She hadn''t met anyone who could change their tune so quickly!


    The others chuckled, their moods lifted thanks to Lenny''s little outburst.


    When they finally arrived at the forest entrance, Deondre walked over and greeted Julian.


    "Leader Ian and the others should be out shortly. I''ve been watching them from here, and it seems like everything has been taken care of," he reported.


    Julian nodded and led the new group of people toward where the vehicles were parked. Although they would need to squeeze in together, there would be no issue fitting everyone in.


    Rayne and Julian only needed to wait about ten more minutes before they saw Ian, along with Alpha Team, walking out of the government base.


    "Boss," Ian greeted, "I''ve done a sweep through the whole base. Everyone from Damien''s side has been taken care of. Only the drugged people are left. I wasn''t sure what you wanted to do with them."


    "Nothing. Unfortunately, I don''t believe they will survive the withdrawal symptoms. If anything, we will send another scout party in three days to assess the situation," Julian replied.


    This was the unfortunate, cold truth. He would not risk their base and put everyone in danger just to attempt to save these mindless, crazed people.


    Not to mention, there were so many of them that they certainly wouldn''t be able to take them all. It was much safer to observe from a distance to see if they could even be saved.


    Everyone squeezed into the jeeps and drove off back to the forest base. As they approached the forest entrance, Ian ordered Deondre and the other scouts to scan the perimeter to ensure they weren''t being followed.


    Only after confirming that they were in the clear did they drive the jeeps into the forest.


    It was still dark out, so Lenny and the newcomers were curious about where they were headed. All they could see was a vast and dense forest.


    The cars finally parked, and everyone got out. The newcomers looked around as best they could but could only see the nearby mobile homes.


    "Let''s get you guys temporarily situated for now. In the morning, we can officially set you up with a place to stay," Rayne said.

 Chapter 215 A Small Gift

    The next morning, Lenny and the rest of the new group of people were woken up by a gentle knock on the door.


    Due to the time of night, they made it back to base, there wasn''t enough time to set up beds and furniture, so Rayne simply passed out high-quality sleeping bags to everyone.


    They were all placed to sleep inside the same empty mobile home and would be assigned new homes today.


    Noah and Reginald walked over and introduced themselves as the settlement''s officers, in charge of logistics and everyday operations.


    "Good morning. Today, we will be settling you all into your new homes," explained Noah.


    Lenny quickly smiled and agreed. He was just happy to be out of that cesspool of infected, man-eating people.


    When the group walked outside, they collectively gasped at how breathtaking their new location was.


    Since it was late last night and dark, they didn''t get to see much of the surrounding area. Now, they looked at the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains in awe.


    Even the air felt fresher here than back at the government base.


    Lenny looked at the neat row of mobile homes that stretched the entire length of the forest clearing.


    As he looked around, Noah began assigning houses to them and explained the rules and how to access the resources inside each of the warehouses.


    Noah also explained the daily task list and what areas of the base needed attention currently. They were all given the whole day to settle in and put together their needed furniture.


    Nurse Judy was assigned to live with Anna since she was assigned to help with the medical clinic, while Lenny and the rest were sorted into the empty houses.


    The others came out to introduce themselves, offering a helping hand when needed before heading to do their tasks.


    Rayne came out and was happy to see that everyone had introduced themselves to the newcomers from last night, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


    Noah came over and greeted her, hoping to see Julian.


    "How are they settling in? Did you find anything off with anyone from this batch?" asked Rayne.


    The reason that Noah always did the introductions was that he was very skilled at reading people. If he felt that someone was suspicious or off, he would quickly report this person to her and Julian.


    It was an additional safeguard to keep their settlement safe, so Rayne really trusted his judgment.


    "Everything went well, and everyone passed the body language check. We even gained a few more skilled laborers," he reported.


    "Great! Thank you for doing this, Noah. If there''s anything you need, please let me know!" smiled Rayne.


    She really appreciated him stepping up to take the role of base manager, as it allowed for her and Julian to be free to do other things, knowing the base was in good hands.


    Noah smiled, "Well, maybe there''s something. I... I wish to gift something to Ella. Something small that she could wear, like a necklace or bracelet. I know it''s a difficult task, but if you come across something, please bring it back for me."


    Rayne perked up at this request! It was the first time Noah had ever asked for anything, and she happened to have a lot of jewelry options in her system!


    "Not a problem at all! I have a general idea of what Ella likes, so I will keep an eye out!" she said excitedly.


    Noah thanked her and quickly scurried off to find Julian.


    Rayne shook her head, smiling, and went to go check up on Anna and Nurse Judy. Having a new addition to the medical team was a big win for their settlement, and hopefully, it would take some stress off of Anna.


    Rayne walked up to the recently painted deep forest green house and knocked on the door.


    "Come in!" Anna''s voice sounded from inside.


    Rayne walked in and saw Anna and Judy building a bed in one of the spare bedrooms.


    "Hey, how are things going here? Do you need help with anything?" asked Rayne.


    Anna shook her head. "You found me the biggest help I could ask for. Having an experienced nurse by my side is like a dream come true!"


    "Oh, please! You make me sound like a saint. I''m just a standard nurse. You''re the real deal, Doctor," Judy replied, smiling.


    "Well, it seems like the two of you are getting along just fine!" laughed Rayne. She wasn''t sure how Anna would react to having a new addition to her team, but it seemed that everything was working out well.


    "I just want to say thank you so much for bringing us along. It''s only my first day here, and I''m completely smitten by the place. I never thought I would get to work with actual medical equipment again," said Judy.


    After working at the government base and relying on folk medicine to treat patients, she wasn''t sure if she would be able to help anyone. But now she saw how well-equipped the medical room was, with monitors and all of the basic equipment. She felt her confidence come back.


    Rayne smiled, "Did they finish hooking everything up to the generator I brought back?" One of the items Rayne ''found'' when she went out to the beach with Julian was another solar panel/generator combo.


    While the only house that had electricity hooked up was hers, she felt that the medical house needed it as a priority since there was vital equipment that required electricity. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Anna nodded. "Yes, some of the guys came over yesterday to finish setting it up. They attached the solar panels to the roof and tucked the generator itself behind the house so that it didn''t bother anyone."


    "Great! Well, as always, let me know if you need anything! The medical department always gets priority!" said Rayne before walking back home.


    On her way back, she glanced at the fields. From a distance, she could see that they were already planting seeds! Hopefully, soon they would see sprouts popping up from the ground.


    Another new addition was a built-up outdoor kitchen area. The structure looked similar to an outdoor gazebo with a wooden roof, and inside were large tables with propane cooktops.


    Rayne walked over to take a closer look. There were three tables placed in a U shape. The two tables across from each other had gas stove tops, while the table in the middle was where the cutting boards were.


    "Wow, very nice setup!" said Rayne. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was impressed that they were able to build something this nice in only a span of a day! This new communal kitchen area would allow everyone to have access to a stovetop to cook their own meals if they wished.

 Chapter 216 The Fate of the Barclays

    (A/N: a bit of a dark chapter, might be disturbing to some)


    At the government base, Mr. and Mrs. Barclay ran out of their apartment to find their daughter. She had started acting strangely and suddenly ran out in the middle of the night. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Samantha had followed behind her, saying she would bring her home, but it had been hours now, and no one had come back.


    "Layla! Layla, honey, where are you?!" they yelled, running around.


    Something felt off¡ªno one was outside, and there were hardly any sounds in the vicinity.


    "Where do you think she could have gone?" asked Mrs. Barclay, her voice filled with worry.


    Her husband thought for a moment. "Maybe she went to the market again? Let''s check there."


    Mrs. Barclay nodded. Her daughter loved shopping, so it was a good place to start.


    However, as they got closer to the center of the base, a horrifying scene unfolded before them.


    Hundreds of people, covered in blood, were clawing at each other, seemingly oblivious to the injuries on their own bodies.


    "What!? What is happening?!" screamed Mrs. Barclay.


    She could barely tolerate the sight of blood¡ªshe had even fainted once when she accidentally cut her finger.


    Mr. Barclay also froze in shock at the scene. How had everyone ended up like this?


    "Layla... where''s Layla?!" Mrs. Barclay screamed.


    Her cries attracted the attention of a few nearby people. They turned toward her, their eyes filled with a terrifying mix of hunger and hatred.


    Mrs. Barclay saw the menacing look in their eyes and took a few steps backward. Her body trembled with fear¡ªshe couldn''t understand what was happening or why everyone looked so... evil.


    As she continued to step back, she bumped into something. Turning around, she gasped¡ªa bloodied person with deep gashes all over their body was staring at her with hungry eyes.


    "Ahh!" she screamed in fright¡ªuntil she took a closer look.


    The bloodied person, the one with chunks of hair ripped out and deep wounds covering their body was her daughter.


    "Layla! What happened?! Are you okay?!" she screamed even louder.


    Mrs. Barclay grabbed her by the arm, trying to pull her away from the chaos, but Layla wouldn''t budge. She stood still, unmoving, like a statue.


    "Layla, we need to move!" pleaded Mrs. Barclay, still pulling on her daughter, all while keeping an eye on the others, who were slowly creeping closer.


    Mr. Barclay rushed over, using all his strength to drag his wife and Layla a few steps away.


    But something was wrong. Layla''s gaze was unsettling, almost inhuman. Mr. Barclay quickly let go.


    "She''s possessed! I don''t know what''s going on, but we need to get out of here!" he shouted.


    "No! I''m not leaving my precious daughter here alone! Look at her¡ªshe''s injured!" Mrs. Barclay screamed, refusing to abandon Layla.


    Her hesitation gave the approaching crowd more time to close in. When she finally realized the danger, she tried to turn and run back to their apartment¡ª


    But suddenly, Layla reached out and grabbed her.


    "Layla, honey! We need to run!" she pleaded.


    Mr. Barclay was also caught in Layla''s grasp, struggling desperately to break free.


    "Let go of me! Let go!" he yelled, but no matter how hard he fought, he couldn''t escape her grip.


    They were both trapped, as if chained to the ground, unable to take another step back.


    "Layla! Please, let go!" her mother screamed, tears streaming down her face.


    But deep down, she knew¡ªthis was the end.


    The surrounding people finally closed in, their ravenous eyes locked onto them.


    Mrs. Barclay looked up at the sky, cursing Julian in her mind. If it weren''t for him, they would still be safe in their shelter!


    If he hadn''t been handing out their supplies, they never would have come here looking for him!


    "I wish I never had you!" she screamed into the sky, pouring out all her resentment¡ª


    As Layla, along with the others, began tearing them apart.


    The screams quickly faded, leaving behind only the sounds of ripping flesh and shredded clothing.


    ---


    A few days later¡­


    Cal and the scientist''s assistant had barely made it back to the underground base. They were found by one of Damien''s scout teams and brought back as captives.


    "Hey! Get me out of here! I''m on Runner Team, led by Boss Dillon! I demand you let me out!" shouted Cal.


    He realized he must have passed out at some point¡ªeither from exhaustion or dehydration.


    The guard in charge of the captives laughed. "Haha, this guy''s pretty clever! There''s no way I''m letting you out, buddy."


    Cal kicked the cell bars in frustration¡ªonly to fall backward from the recoil.


    The guard burst out laughing, then left to tell his friends about the new idiot they had captured.


    The scientist''s assistant sat quietly in the corner, looking at Cal with a sorrowful expression.


    "I tried reasoning with them earlier," he said. "Told them I was part of the lab team on the lower floors. They just laughed in my face."


    Cal had never realized how unruly these people could be! He had clearly stated his team name and even his leader''s name¡ªthey should have at least checked before completely dismissing him.


    He looked around the cell, taking in the frightened faces of the other captives. They stared at him, their eyes filled with fear.


    One of the braver men glanced around, making sure no guards were nearby.


    "Hey, man, I get that you wanna get out of here, but at least come up with a more believable story," he whispered. "Last time someone lied to them, we all got no food for three days."


    Cal wanted to slam his head against the brick wall of the cell.


    "Why does no one ever believe me?!" he groaned.


    He had vital information to deliver¡ªyet now he was being held captive by his own team.


    Cal knew that Dillon would actually kill him if he delayed passing along this vital information. The government base had been taken over, and now crazed cannibals were free to roam.


    "Hey! Get me out of here! I need to relay important information!" he continued to shout and bang his hands against the cell.


    After a few minutes of nonstop ruckus, one of the guards finally came over. "Listen here, buddy. We heard you the first time. Now if you don''t shut up, we''ll shut you up ourselves."


    "Listen, I have really, really important information. I NEED to pass it along to my leader, I beg of you to at least verify my identity," begged Cal.


    The guard yawned. "No offense, but verifying that kind of stuff takes a lot of time and effort, and I happen to be really tired. So just keep your mouth shut, and maybe when I''m in a better mood, I''ll put in a good word for you."

 Chapter 217 A New Request

    At the forest base, Rayne and the others have been making good progress.


    Lenny and the rest have finally settled in and gotten used to their new routines, helping out wherever they can.


    Rayne walked over to the field that had been completely tilled and sown.


    "Julian, look! The greens have already begun to shoot out of the ground!", she said happily, pointing and the tiny little green stems that were poking out of the ground.


    "Yes, it seems like we will finally be able to eat some fresh produce here soon", he said smiling at her.


    The weather was quickly getting warmer and warmer. Everyone was now wearing shorts and t-shirts, trying to stay cool, especially during the day.


    The plants, however, loved this new level of sun and warmth. Thanks to the nearby lake, watering the fields was an easy task, and the growing seedlings were coming out very strong.


    Everyone who was assigned to work on the farmland had a big smile on their face. They were able to see the fruits of their hard work so quickly, granting them both relief and satisfaction.


    "I hope that we can enjoy many more days like this", said Rayne, looking around happily.


    Along with Lenny''s group, a young boy who was about 5 years old was also brought over. Nurse Judy was taking care of him initially, but when Laura laid eyes on him she fell in love.


    Every day she would spend hours with the young boy, playing and teaching him numbers. Everyone on the base already considered the boy to be part of her and Davids family.


    The young boy was very shy and scared at first, but after spending a few days with Laura he finally began to show the occasional smile.


    The biggest change for the newcomers was the availability of resources and food. Even people like Lenny who had arrived at the government base very prepared, suffered from extreme weight loss and muscle loss.


    They had eaten through their meager supply and were left to chew on stale bread and other preserved foods.


    Now, they all had access to many varieties of food, even frozen meat, and vegetables, allowing them to feel healthier even after just a few days.


    Julian continued his walk with Rayne, occasionally stopping to greet others. They made their way around the entire settlement when Rayne remembered Noah''s request.


    "Oh guess what?", she said with a smile.


    Julian looked at her gossipy expression and lifted an eyebrow, "What?"


    "Noah finally put in a request with me", she said, trying to build suspense.


    "Was it a new clipboard? He never goes anywhere without his", laughed Julian, taking a quick guess.


    Rayne laughed but shook her head, leaning in she whispered, "He asked for a small trinket to gift Ella. Something like a necklace or bracelet!"


    "Oh? Looks like he''s finally getting somewhere. I thought him working daily with Reginald would give him ample opportunities to court Ella openly, but I guess not", he shrugged.


    Rayne giggled, "Maybe they like it...hidden"


    Julian placed his arm around her waist, "Oh yeah? Maybe we should go hide somewhere, what do you think?"


    "Yeah we should so I can beat you up!", laughed Rayne, throwing a pretend punch at his arm.


    They laughed together as they continued to walk around the base. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well I suppose it is about time we went on another ''scavenging run''", said Julian.


    Rayne nodded, "Yes, and with the addition of the new people from the government base, I will most likely get new item requests."


    They made their way over to Noah, who was currently taking inventory inside of the warehouses.


    "Hey Noah, we are about to head out on another trip to scavenge for resources. Do you have a new list ready of requests?", asked Rayne.


    Noah greeted them both and pulled out a slip of paper from his clipboard, "Yes, I just recently finished going around and seeing what we are low on. There are also a few requests from the residents"


    Noah handed Rayne the slip of paper so that she could look it over.


    From the list, the clothing supply was getting low and people were requesting more summer clothes.


    There were also a few food items that were getting low, such as canned tuna and chicken.


    Rayne nodded, feeling like she had everything on the list until she reached the bottom.


    [I wish to put in a request for a chick or chickens. I used to have a small farm of chickens and feel like getting a fresh source of eggs and poultry would benefit the settlement]


    The person who requested the chickens was part of Brandon and Mila''s group.


    Rayne looked at the request and felt like it was such a good idea, however, she did not have live chickens or chicks in her system. She would need to go out and find them.


    Noah watched her read the list and waited for any feedback.


    "Most of these should be doable, the only thing is the live chickens. We will try to stop by some farms and see if we can catch any. I think it''s a great idea!", said Rayne, looking up from the paper.


    Noah nodded, "Very well. I will put in a request for the carpenters to begin making plans on building a chicken coop in the meantime"


    "Ah, that''s a good idea! I just hope we will be able to find the chickens to fill it", laughed Rayne. She was confident in everything else, but finding the animals would be a challenge.


    After settling the rest of their affairs at the base, Rayne and Julian began to make preparations to leave.


    Rayne was on the couch in their living room, looking at the pre-downloaded maps on her laptop. She was looking for places that used to operate as poultry farms.


    "Any luck?", asked Julian from the kitchen.


    "Umm, yes, but it seems all of the best places to search are on the opposite side of the city. It will most likely be at least a three-day trip", said Rayne, memorizing the best route over to the farms.


    Julian nodded, "Well that shouldn''t be an issue. In fact, it would be strange if we didn''t take a few days to search for everything."


    "You''re right. Either way, I''m not complaining! I look forward to our excursions!", she said, smiling brightly.


    "Oh, for sure. I definitely do, especially if they''re like the last one we went on", he teased and walked over to place a kiss on her forehead.


    Rayne blushed, remembering the scenes from the hot tub and everything afterward. "No hot tubs this time!", she quickly said, hiding under the blanket.


    "Mhm. Whatever you say", he laughed.

 Chapter 218 Losing Patience

    The next morning Rayne and Julian set off on their scavenging trip as usual.


    Everyone who was awake at the time wished them luck and a safe trip!


    The sun was only just now beginning to rise so the air still felt a little cool yet refreshing.


    "I''ll drive first and we can swap after a few hours?", suggested Rayne.


    Julian took the keys from her hands and smiled, "As if I''ll let you drive when you can barely keep your eyes open. You will get some rest, I''ll drive".


    Rayne was about to protest, saying she was fine, but ended up letting out a large yawn that made her eyes water. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    Julian gave her a look and proceeded to the driver''s side of the car while Rayne wobbled over to the passenger side.


    "You said on the opposite side of the city? Towards to the coast?", he asked.


    "Mhm, to the east of the city", Rayne mumbled. She pulled out a fluffy blanket and rolled over in her seat to take a nap.


    Julian shook his head, "And you wanted to drive".


    When Rayne finally woke up the sun was fully in the sky, beaming down with high intensity.


    "How long was I out for?", she asked, stretching her arms.


    "Umm, about three or four hours. We should be approaching the area of the government base here in a few minutes", said Julian.


    "Oh wow, I was out for a lot longer than I thought I would be! How''s the drive been so far? Need to swap?", she asked feeling a little guilty.


    Julian smiled, "No, I''m perfectly fine. The drive has been quiet and easy, no issues here".


    A few hours later they reached the city they once called home. Instead of driving through the city, they took the highway that went around it to avoid roadblocks.


    Rayne looked out of the window and into the city, "Do you think he''s in there somewhere?".


    Julian''s expression turned serious, "I''m not positive, but something tells me that he is".


    When Julian heard Mai''s last words, he had a gut feeling that what she said was true, Damien was hiding in the City this whole time.


    ---


    In the underground base.


    Tristan walked into Damien''s room, adjusting his glasses.


    "We''ve still not heard from Dillon or anyone at the government base. I still don''t have data on the effects of the drug", he said, straight to the point.


    Damien frowned, "Here I thought that new kid had potential. Did something happen?".


    Tristan shook his head, I am unsure. I''ve sent a team out to check on what''s going on at the government base, but they will only be back later this evening.


    "Send someone to summon Dillon here. I want to know why he hasn''t provided me with any updates yet. The weather has gotten much better, they should have found Julian by now", sighed Damien.


    He was beginning to feel frustrated. Julian was the only reason he cooped himself up in this underground base.


    He had long wanted to leave to see the world outside, to take rule over the new world. However, he couldn''t do that when Julian was waiting for him to poke his head out.


    Tristan could feel Damien''s anger and he quickly stepped out to have someone summon Dillon over.


    When Dillon received the summons, he was pacing back and forth inside his room, trying to figure out why he hadn''t heard from Cal these last few days.


    Cal was always very punctual, and the last time Ace didn''t show up, it was because he was on his deathbed.


    "That place is a fucking curse", yelled Dillon. His head was pulsing with a dull ache, draining him of his energy.


    Now he was being summoned by the big boss, "What am I going to tell them?".


    He sat down on the stool, placing both of his hands over his face. He slouched over, taking a deep breath.


    From the other side of the room, Jess and Krissy watched him shift from being angry to enveloped in despair. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were both smart enough to know not to approach him when his emotions were all over the place.


    After a few more deep breaths, Dillon finally stood up and left their apartment, slamming the door behind him.


    On his walk down to the lower levels, he swore that if Cal ever came back he would skin him alive.


    "Unreliable pricks. All of them!", he mumbled angrily, storming down the staircase.


    Only when he approached the designated room did he adjust his expression.


    "Come in", Tristan''s cold voice sounded from inside the room.


    Inside Damien was sitting in a leather armchair, waiting for Dillon to arrive. He was leaning his head against one of his hands, with his legs spread.


    "You''re finally here. If you would have been even a minute later I would have had someone come drag you over", he said in a very cold voice.


    Dillon trembled, feeling true fear. He knew that if he was dragged down here, there would be no coming back out.


    "So tell me, Dillon, why do you think I summoned you here", asked Damien with a slight smile that didn''t reach his eyes.


    Dillon stood frozen, his eyes staring down at the ground. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.


    He had never felt such pressure coming from anyone in his life as he did right now. It was like standing in front of a demon who was seconds from claiming his soul.


    "I...I.."


    "Speak up", Tristan''s voice sounded from behind him. This was a warning to him, he was already taking up too much time.


    "For an update about...Julian", Dillon finally choked out the words.


    Damien smiled, "Yes, exactly that. Now, let''s hear it. Where is Julian now?"


    This time Dillon didn''t know what to say. He was so close to capturing Julian, but no had no idea where he was!


    "S..sir, a few months ago we had almost captured him at the government base. It''s just--"


    "I know about that. Tell me something new. What have you been doing all of these months? Have you not found him?", asked Damien.


    Dillon stood there, feeling like he was one word from digging his own grave. He continually cursed Cal in his mind, blaming him for being useless.

 Chapter 219 Saved by the Bullet

    Just as Dillon opened his trembling mouth to answer Damien, there was a soft knock on the door.


    Tristan quickly excused himself to answer it and came back a few moments later.


    Dillon used these few additional minutes to figure out what to say, but his mind continued to blank.


    He could no longer use the weather as an excuse, and because he was so close to catching Julian previously, he couldn''t say that there was no trail.


    Tristan walked over to Damien and whispered something into his ear, then handed him a small object.


    Dillon was still nervously standing still, staring at the floor when he heard Damian chuckle in a deep voice.


    "Well, well. Today is your lucky day indeed. It seems like your men were being held in the holding cells with other captives. They brought back some news", smiled Damien.


    He lifted the object, holding it between his fingers.


    Dillon looked up and saw a familiar bullet. "This! Where is this from?", he asked with wide eyes.


    "Haha, your little underling brought it back with him. Along with the news that the government base has been wiped out", laughed Damien.


    He stood up from his chair and walked over to Dillon.


    "This is your last chance. You, yourself, will go out this time and find Julian. Don''t come back until you do!", he said grabbing Dillon by the collar of his shirt.


    Dillon held his breath, nodding his head. The sweat had already begun to seep through his clothes, creating dark spots on his back and underarm areas of his shirt.


    As soon as Damien let go of him, Dillon quickly scurried off to get ready to find Julian himself.


    "Pathetic dog", spat Damien.


    "Hopefully this time he will produce results. Your methods are as effective as always", said Tristan, walking over to stand beside Damien.


    "Ha! If only I could go out there myself! I hate relying on others...well except you. You''ve never once failed me", he grinned.


    Tristan looked at him expressionlessly, "You honor me. Now if you excuse me, I need to send vital data to the labs. It seems this version of the drug has bred cannibals"


    "Go. Tell them to stop being useless, I''m tired of these nonstop setbacks", sighed Damien. He was so close to achieving his goal.


    As soon as Julian''s head gets delivered on a silver platter, he will personally lead the charge to take over the country and lead the world into a new era.


    ---


    On the other side of town, Rayne and Julian were finally approaching the rural areas where most of the farming and agriculture was done.


    The once fertile fields were now overgrown with weeds, replacing the usual sight of seasonal vegetables.


    "The poultry farm should be right up this hill over here", pointed Rayne.


    They drove up the hill and pulled down a long gravel driveway. As they got closer to the barn, Rayne opened the window and heard the clucking sounds of chickens inside.


    "Oh my goodness! I think we''ve found them!", she called out happily.


    Julian parked the car in front of the barn and stepped out of the car, walking over to open Rayne''s door for her.


    "Thank you", she smiled and hopped out.


    They walked over to the entrance of the barn door, excited to reveal the chickens inside.


    "One more step and I''ll blow your heads off", a man''s voice called out from inside. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne and Julian both froze, they were so excited about the chickens that they didn''t realize that there was someone else there.


    "We apologize for intruding! We''re been looking for chickens for our settlement, and came out this way in hopes of finding them", said Rayne, trying to sound as friendly as possible.


    "Beat it missy, these chickens are ours, go find your own!", he shouted from inside.


    Rayne frowned, she could tell from all of the sounds inside that there were at least a hundred chickens.


    "Surely you can spare a few?", asked Rayne.


    The man laughed, "Now why would I give you any of these chickens that I worked so hard to raise? Now get out of here before my hand gets tired of holding this shotgun!"


    Rayne looked up at the door, "Please wait! We are not asking for you to give them over for free! We would love to trade for them! Please, we only ask for a few chickens"


    The man behind the door didn''t reply for a few minutes, leaving Rayne standing awkwardly in front of the barn.


    Julian walked over and placed his hand on Rayne''s head, "Come, we can try a different farm".


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded quietly.


    They walked back over to their car when the bard door finally opened, revealing a short man in overalls.


    "What kind of items do you have to trade?", he finally asked.


    Rayne quickly turned around and smiled. "We actually have a large variety of goods right now. Is there anything specific you''re looking for?"


    The short man looked over at her and the large SUV behind her.


    "Ya''ll got any cigarettes? I''ve been dying to smoke one", he said putting his gun down.


    Before Rayne could answer a young girl ran out of the barn, "Daddy no! We need medicine and food for the chickens!"


    Rayne looked down at the cute but messy girl and smiled.


    "Hi there, do your chickens like eating corn? I happen to have a few bags of dried corn", smiled Rayne, bending down to meet the girl at eye level.


    The girl hid behind the man''s leg and peeked out, nodding at Rayne.


    "Well well, I guess I can settle without a cigarette for a while longer. How many bags of corn do you have? We''ll take them all", said the man, patting the girl behind him.


    Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Rayne was happy that they seemed like nice people, even after such a rough greeting. She walked over to the trunk of her SUV and quickly filled it with sacks of dried corn, clothing, and canned food items.


    He looked at the girl who had dirt all over her face and decided to add soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene items.


    Julian walked over to the man, "Is it just the two of you here?". There were a lot of chickens here for just a father and daughter to handle.


    The man shook his head, "Nah, we''ve got a small group of people living here. Mostly the local farmers and their families".


    Julian nodded then looked back to see if Rayne was ready to present their ''goods'' for trading.

 Chapter 220 An Offer You Cant Refuse

    Rayne nodded and motioned for Julian to bring the man over to the back of the SUV to see the items that she had laid out.


    Receiving the signal, Julian turned to the man, "Here, come to take a look at what we have available, perhaps you will find something worth trading."


    The man nodded and walked over to see, "Go call your mother over, I don''t know if there''s something specific she needs", he said to his daughter.


    "Okay!", she said and ran into the barn.


    The man stood at the back of the car and looked into the trunk of Rayne''s car. His eyes widened as he looked at the various pristine items, unblinking.


    "What?! How did you get this stuff?", he couldn''t help but ask. Out in these parts, it was difficult to find nonagricultural resources, so these things were all considered precious to him.


    Rayne smiled, "We travel a lot and scavenge items. This is our most recent haul".


    "Wow, this is incredible!", he said. He wanted to look through the bins but hesitated, looking down at his dirty hands.


    Rayne noticed his struggle and handed him a bar of soap, "Here, take this as a small gift from us".


    The man didn''t reach out right away, but after a momentary thought, he accepted the gift.


    "Thank you, I will go wash my hands and I will be right back. Please don''t leave, I''ll be right back", he said and hurried back inside the barn.


    He intercepted his wife and daughter on the way inside, "Come with me, let''s wash our hands and faces", he said holding the bar of white soap.


    "Soap! Where did you find that?", his wife asked looking surprised!


    "They gifted it to us. I felt a little uncomfortable touching their items with my grimy hands. I think they noticed my hesitation so they gifted the soap", he explained.


    The family washed their hands with the soap, washing away all of the dirt that had accumulated over time.


    "Mom, smell my hands! They smell so nice!", the little girl called out. Her face was glowing as she happily waved her hands around.


    The man and his wife smiled as they looked at their cute daughter whose face and hands were cleaned up, revealing her bright and smooth skin.


    "Let''s go, I don''t want to keep them waiting for long", said the man. He led his family back over to the car and showed his wife the goods that were being offered for trade.


    The woman looked around, reaching out to touch the soft fabric of the clothes and blankets. "Honey, all of these items are so nice...and are much needed", she said in a low voice.


    The man understood her implied meaning and nodded, "Very well. I trust your judgment", he replied. He also felt that these supplies were too good to pass up. They had plenty of food here, but when it came to other resources, such as clothing and everyday items, it was a different story.


    He thought about how he should approach Rayne and Julian for the trade offer. They had many chickens and eggs, but he wasn''t sure if he would have enough to be able to trade for all of these things.


    Looking over at Rayne he cleared his throat, "So, um, how many chickens do you guys want?"


    Rayne did a little calculation, counting the number of people at their settlement.


    "Ideally we would like 20-30 chicks. And at least two of them would need to be roosters for breeding purposes", she replied.


    She wasn''t sure how many chicks they had, but she knew there were at least one hundred chickens here.


    The man looked at her with a surprised expression.


    "Is that too many? How many can you offer?", asked Rayne. She was a little nervous that she may have scared them off by asking for so many.


    The man''s wife answered, "Too many? Not at all, but are you sure? We''re trying to trade for everything you have here in the trunk".


    "Ah", said Rayne feeling relieved, "Don''t worry about that. I am willing to trade for all of these items!"


    The woman looked at her with a very happy expression, then turned to her husband, "Darling, go get the chicks ready! Pick out the healthiest-looking ones!"


    The man quickly scurried off into the barn to do what his wife requested of him. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Well thank you so much! We don''t have many places to look for everyday items like these in these parts, so this is very generous of you!", she said with a big smile.


    She noticed the bolts of cloth in the back and was excited to sew a few dresses for her daughter. However, it was the soaps and hygiene items that really made her happy.


    After they ran out, washing clothing became a lot more difficult for everyone, especially since they spent all day working on the farms or with the animals. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ten minutes later the man walked back holding a large tray of baby chicks. "Here you are, 30 female chicks and 3 males", he said with a big smile.


    Rayne reached out to take the tray from his hand, "Oh wow! They are so adorable!! Thank you!". She watched the fuzzy yellow balls squeak at her as he looked down at them.


    While Rayne was busy observing the baby chicks in a trance, Julian motioned for them to begin unloading the trunk, "We accept your trade, these items are all yours", he said with a small smile.


    He felt that Rayne was truly generous. If she didn''t have her system, this trade would have been very expensive for them.


    Thankfully she could simply wave her hand and make a whole truckload of supplies appear out of thin air if she wanted.


    The man called over some of the other guys from their group and they began carefully unloading everything from the truck.


    There were more items than he had initially thought there would be, making him feel like they really scammed the young couple.


    His wife watched as sacks of dried corn were unloaded from the car. "This is perfect! We will have more than enough feed for the upcoming year!", she exclaimed with a big smile.


    There were three big bolts of cloth, two were in a neutral linen and white color while the third was a bright red.


    She ran her fingers along the cloth, feeling its softness. "Even this cloth is of very high quality, better than most of the cloth our clothes are made of now", she mumbled to herself.


    When she was looking inside the trunk, she didn''t realize it, but there were three full boxes filled with bar soaps, detergents, toothpaste, shampoo, and even hand cream.


    Each of the boxes was thematically packed based on the scent of the products inside, with the exception of the toothpaste.


    She could hardly wait to take a bath and clean all of her clothes! They''ve been using an old-style washing board to wash their clothes, and now it would be even better thanks to the detergents.

 Chapter 221 Chickens Acquired

    After the trunk of the SUV was fully unloaded, both parties were very happy with the trade.


    "We hope you can come back in the future, it would be nice to see more people willing to trade around these parts", said the man.


    For them, this trade significantly increased their quality of life for a least the next year, and they were very grateful.


    "We will do our best to come back from time to time! Thank you for the chicks!", said Rayne. She placed the tray of chicks into the now-empty trunk of the SUV, closing the door. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Oh there''s one more thing I wanted to give you as a thank-you gift", she said and pretended to rummage through the backseat of the car.


    "Oh please, no more gifts! We''re already on the winning side of this trade, anything else would make it feel like we''re robbing you!", said the man''s wife.


    Rayne took a carton of cigarettes out of her system, pretending as if she fished it out of a box.


    "Here", she said, tossing it to the short man.


    The man instinctively reached out to catch it, only realizing what it was a few moments later. His hands shook as he looked down at the carton of cigarettes.


    Even his eyes began to water, "Wow, I can''t thank you enough for this! I will cherish these!", he said wiping the wetness from his eyes.


    After saying their goodbyes Rayne and Julian got back into her SUV to head back.


    "Have you ever tried storing animals in your system? Do you think it would work with the chicks?", asked Julian curiously.


    Rayne shook her head, "No, I''ve never tried storing a living thing before". A part of her was scared to try. It would be too heaven-defying if it worked. If she could store a living human and multiply them? Would they be the same person? Would they have a different soul?


    There were too many questions, so she never bothered trying it. She looked over at the baby chicks, "Well maybe I can try it with them?", she asked, unconvinced.


    "Only if you want to. I don''t want you to do anything you''re not comfortable with", he smiled. He agreed with her hesitation as it would be a morally grey area.


    Rayne reached to the back and scooped up a small, fluffy yellow chick. Holding it in her hands she used a finger to gently pet it a few times.


    As she was petting it, she was thinking about whether or not she wanted to try storing it.


    "Ugh, fine. It''s only a chick, at least I''ll know", she finally said, tired from the mental back and forth.


    She closed her eyes and cupped the chick in her hand, giving the mental command to store.


    Moments turned into minutes and nothing happened. There was no dull headache and no warm sensation in her navel.


    After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked into her hands. The fluffy yellow chick was chirping like it had been, totally unaffected.


    "Well, it seems I cannot. At least not right now? Maybe there''s a different technique? But from what I can tell, nothing happened", she said, filling Julian in on the details of the experiment.


    A part of her was relieved that she could not do this, while another part wished she could for the convenience of it.


    Doing something like repopulating endangered species would''ve also been pretty cool, but it seems she was not that ''gifted''.


    Julian listened to her then reached out to hold her hand, "Well, at least you know now. No harm in knowing more about your ability".


    "True, I am glad that I know now", she said, placing the chick back in the tray with the rest, "I hope these guys can tolerate the long trip".


    "We can stop and let them out every few hours if you''re worried", suggested Julian.


    Rayne smiled and nodded. They had a long drive ahead and she was worried the chicks would get sick from the long ride.


    "We got the chicks much faster than anticipated. I thought that finding them would take us at least a few days", said Julian. While he was happy they ended up finding them, a part of him wished that it would take them longer.


    Now that they had to hurry back to the base to get them situated, he would have less alone time with Rayne.


    Rayne picked up on his sulking and giggled, "How about I spend the whole day with you tomorrow?".


    Her words instantly changed his mood. He sat up straight in his chair and sped up. "It''s a promise, you can''t go back on your word!", he said, smiling brightly.


    "Haha! You look like a puppy who''s wagging its tail happily!", said Rayne, resisting the urge to pet him.


    The trip back to the base was even faster than the trip to the farms. Julian was motivated to get back as quickly as possible so that he could spend the rest of the night cuddling with Rayne.


    They only took a few breaks to let the chicks out and swap drivers so they were able to make the trip within a day.


    When they arrived it was already dark out and most of the people were in their homes relaxing before bed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne climbed into the back seat of the car and began stocking up the vehicle with the various requested items from the slip. She purposely left a few of them out to make the trip feel more realistic.


    If they managed to always bring a car full of supplies, meeting everyone''s requests every time they went out, it would seem a little too good to be true.


    So for this trip, she cut out all of the food-related requests since the warehouses were still stocked.


    Julian went to find Noah so that the person responsible for the chickens could come to situate the chicks.


    Rayne made sure to add a number of bags of chicken feed, making it seem like they acquired it with the chicks.


    A few minutes later, Julian, Noah, Brandon, and another man from Brandon''s team walked over to the car to help unload it.


    The man who was going to be in charge of the chickens quickly reached out to grab the tray. "Oh wow, you even have 3 roosters! This is perfect! They all look healthy too!"


    Rayne was impressed that he could tell which chicks were male and which were female! To her, they all looked the same!


    "Well it''s a good thing I had the carpenters work on building the coop today, looks like you two had a very successful haul", said Noah approvingly.


    Rayne looked at Noah, "Oh, come over tomorrow when you have some free time. There''s something I need to give you".

 Chapter 1 - 1: Awakening.

    Beep... Beep... Beep...


    Rayne woke up to the subtle rhythmic sounds coming from machines near her. A sharp antiseptic smell assaulted her nose, making her scrunch it like a rabbit''s. She tried opening her eyes but found it difficult; it felt like her eyes were glued shut.


    Suddenly, she heard a door open followed by fast-paced footsteps.


    "Oh my goodness! Ms. Weston, you''re awake!" exclaimed a female voice. "I''m Nurse Judy, and you''re at St. Mary''s Hospital. How do you feel? Are you thirsty? Oh! Let me go call the doctor to come and take a look!"


    Before Rayne could reply, she heard the door closing. What am I doing in a hospital? She tried opening her eyes again, this time successfully. Her eyes squinted, and all her blurry vision could make out was a bright light. It was painfully bright, so she shut her eyes again and opened them ever so slowly to give them time to adjust.


    After what felt like an eternity, her eyes finally adjusted enough to check out her surroundings. Rayne looked around and saw her standard-sized hospital room. It was all white, with a window on her right side, and filled with different kinds of hospital equipment. Aside from a small chair by the window, there were some generic paintings hung up on the wall. The room felt empty, but at least it was quiet and peaceful.


    Rayne tried lifting her hand to rub her eyes but found that moving even just her fingers was difficult. "What happened to me?" she groaned. She suddenly remembered walking home from her boyfriend''s apartment and getting pushed by someone behind her onto the street at a busy intersection. It seemed she must''ve gotten hit by a car.


    She looked down to see if she had any broken bones or deep wounds from the car accident, but surprisingly, she didn''t see anything.


    She even managed to pull the thin blanket that was draped over her legs aside to check. Shocked again, she didn''t see anything wrong¡ªno bruise or scratch.


    Surely if someone got hit by a vehicle, they would at least get a bruise or a scrape, she thought.


    The door clicked open, and she watched an older man in a white coat enter, being closely followed by an excited-looking young female in pink scrubs. Most likely the doctor and Nurse Judy.


    "Doctor Henson, I told you she woke up!" Judy enthusiastically motioned toward Rayne. She was practically jumping up and down.


    "Now, now, Judy, Ms. Weston just woke up. We don''t want to scare her." Dr. Henson slowly came over to Rayne and smiled at her. Judy nodded and started recording various readings from the different medical equipment while smiling brightly at Rayne.


    Dr. Henson took out a small flashlight and was about to shine the light into her eyes when he asked, "Ms. Weston, can you hear me? If you can, please blink once."


    Rayne opened her mouth and asked for water. Her throat was extremely dry, and when the words left her mouth, they were hoarse and very quiet.


    Dr. Henson stiffened, clearly surprised that Rayne could talk.


    Judy practically jumped up. "Doctor, did you hear that? She can talk already!"


    "Judy, please get Ms. Weston some water."


    Dr. Henson came over and performed a few basic examinations. To his surprise, everything was normal, and showed only signs of weakness and lack of physical activity, which wasn''t surprising.


    "Ms. Weston, I don''t mean to alarm you, but seeing that you are in full control of your cognitive abilities, I feel it''s okay to inform you that you''ve just woken up from a year-long coma."


    Rayne nearly choked on the water she was now drinking. A one-year coma? No wonder she did not see any bruises or scratches! They all would''ve already healed over the course of a year! She trembled slightly, holding the cup of water with both hands.


    She looked up and asked the doctor, "How is that possible, Doctor? How bad was my accident that it put me into a coma?"


    Dr. Henson shook his head slowly. "Honestly, yours is a strange case. I''ve been dealing with coma patients for the last ten years and have seen and studied injuries that lead to comas. Your case doesn''t fit into any of the categories. You did indeed have a car accident; however, the car was not moving at a very fast speed. Physically, your injuries only extended to a rib fracture and a few superficial wounds, such as bruises and scrapes."


    He adjusted his glasses and continued, "Honestly, looking at everything, including the brain scans, you should not have been close to getting put in a coma, especially one for so long. In my eyes, it''s a medical mystery, but of course, I''m glad you''re awake."


    Rayne sat up, trying to process everything she had just heard. Something didn''t feel right about this situation. Something was telling her that there was more to this than just a "medical mystery." The last time she had this feeling was when her parents died due to a "mechanical failure" in the car they were driving.


    Thankfully, she was resilient and able to digest the information better than the average person. Whatever the cause, she was going to get to the bottom of it, including finding the person who pushed her.


    Dr. Henson finished his examination and said, "Okay, looks like everything is recovering well. I will keep you here in observation for a little bit and see if we can get you started on rehab soon."


    He stood up and walked out of the room.


    Rayne sat still, lost in thought about the situation. Now that she''s awake, will her life be any different? Will her friends remember her? Dillon! Will Dillon be excited that she woke up? Did he miss her?


    Snapping back from her thoughts, Rayne looked up to see Nurse Judy refilling her cup of water on the small side table by the bed.


    She looked over at Rayne and said, "Ms. Weston, I am happy that you are awake! I will be your nurse on duty. Please let me know if there is anything you need or if you are feeling unwell anywhere. Press this button on the side of your bed, and I will come over to check on you." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nurse Judy, are any of my belongings still here after the accident? I remember I had a black backpack with me at the time of the accident," said Rayne, looking up at the cheerful young nurse.


    "Ah, yes, of course. There should be something stored over here," Judy walked over to the counter that had the hospital computer sitting on it.


    She bent down and opened the cabinet doors, picking up a paper bag. She brought the bag over to Rayne and gently placed it on the bed next to her.


    After handing her the bag, Nurse Judy said she still needed to check on her other patients and reminded Rayne to call her if she needed anything. Then, she turned to leave.


    Once Rayne was alone in the room, she slowly moved her arms to reveal her black canvas backpack inside the paper bag.


    She smiled, looking at the contents of the backpack, happy that nothing seemed to be broken. Her phone was still in good condition; however, the battery must be dead because it wouldn''t turn on. That did not bother Rayne too much. She knew no one would bother charging her cell phone while she was in a coma.


    Thankfully, she had a charger with her in the backpack and would ask Nurse Judy to help her plug it in the next time she got the chance.


    Her wallet was in place, and nothing seemed to be missing. Even the small chain necklace she was wearing that day was there in a small plastic bag.


    She also had a few books and stationery supplies that were still in good shape.


    Rayne was surprised to see that even her pencils did not break in the accident, leading her to feel that something was wrong about this whole situation.


    After looking around the backpack some more, Rayne realized that she was missing something! Something very important to her: the bracelet!


    Her grandmother had given her a family heirloom on her 10th birthday. She told Rayne that this bracelet was passed down through multiple generations to the women in the family and that it was now hers to take care of.


    Rayne cherished this bracelet very much because her grandmother used to tell her stories about how it was blessed by a fairy and would give the wearer good luck.


    The bracelet was also very beautiful, made up of large beads of jade. The most beautiful shades of pale green mutton jade, that almost glowed in the light.


    Unfortunately, Rayne''s grandmother died a few months after gifting her the bracelet, giving it even more sentimental value as a memento.


    Rayne never wore this bracelet since receiving it, instead keeping it safe in a locked jewelry box. But the day of her accident, she decided to wear it out because she wanted to choose a few accessories that would match it for her upcoming engagement party.


    In a panic, Rayne started digging through the backpack again, her muscles crying out in pain from the fast movements, but she ignored it.


    After searching through every pocket, she still could not find it anywhere.


    Rayne closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, feeling a warm sensation spread throughout her body.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rayne passed out.


    Nurse Judy came by an hour later and found Rayne sleeping, all the contents of her backpack laid out on the bed with her.


    "Poor girl must be exhausted," she said as she carefully placed Rayne''s items back in the backpack.


    She noticed her cell phone lying next to the charger and decided to plug it in for Rayne. After tidying up, she took out a strawberry-flavored candy and placed it on the table. She thought that it might cheer up Rayne later and left the room.


    A few minutes later, Rayne woke up, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a holographic screen that said, "CONGRATULATIONS ON ACTIVATING THE MULTIPLIER SYSTEM."

 Chapter 2 - 2: The Multiplier System

    CONGRATULATIONS ON ACTIVATING THE MULTIPLIER SYSTEM.


    Rayne sat up and looked down at the holographic screen in front of her.


    She read the bold words on the screen repeatedly, as if reading them one more time would change something.


    "Is this some sort of new technology?" Rayne mumbled to herself. She figured that surely, in just a year of coma, technology wouldn''t have advanced so much that mobile phones were replaced with this holographic screen.


    "What is a Multiplier System anyway?" Rayne questioned.


    She decided to try and touch the screen. Once her finger touched the holographic display, a new screen popped up, showing new words.


    Length of activation: 1 year, 3 days, 23 seconds...finalized.


    Rayne froze when she saw that. Isn''t that the exact length of time Dr. Henson said she''d been in a coma? Could her coma somehow be related to this system?


    Before Rayne could continue her thoughts, the door to her room opened again. Nurse Judy walked in, smiling and holding a tray with food.


    Rayne froze.


    How would she explain this holographic screen?


    But to her surprise, Nurse Judy walked over to the side of her bed and placed the tray down on the table.


    She looked over at Rayne and said, "Hi, how are you feeling? I noticed that you fell asleep earlier, so I decided to plug your phone in to charge. I also brought you some porridge. I know it''s a little bland, but we need to reintroduce foods slowly since you haven''t eaten normally for an entire year."


    Rayne looked at Nurse Judy, then down at the screen in front of her. It seemed like only she could see the screen.


    Rayne looked up at Nurse Judy and smiled. "Thank you for the food and for plugging in my phone to charge."


    Nurse Judy smiled in response and picked up the strawberry candy she had left on the table earlier. She handed the candy to Rayne, her hand passing through the holographic screen.


    "I brought you this candy earlier. I know your food is going to be a bit bland, so maybe this sweet candy will make it more bearable." She then turned and left the room, leaving Rayne alone once again.


    Rayne looked down and opened her hand, searching for the candy Nurse Judy had given her. But to her surprise, her hand was empty. The candy was gone.


    She looked around the bed and under the blanket to see if it had rolled out of her hand unnoticed, but she didn''t see it anywhere.


    While searching, she felt a slight headache, closer to a pressure behind her eyes, but it didn''t last long.


    Just then, something caught her eye!


    On the holographic screen, she spotted an image of the exact candy Nurse Judy had given her. She stared at the screen, her brain trying to make sense of what was happening.


    Rayne slowly pressed her finger on the picture, feeling curious. As soon as her finger touched the icon, a perfectly wrapped strawberry candy appeared in her hand.


    She took a second to study the newly appeared candy.


    "It looks and feels exactly like the one Nurse Judy gave me," Rayne mumbled as she began unwrapping the candy.


    She took a few more seconds to observe the pink candy before popping it in her mouth.


    Soon, a sweet taste washed over her mouth, and she couldn''t help but smile. After not being able to taste anything for over a year, her taste buds were practically jumping with joy!


    She leaned back to relish the feeling, closing her eyes.


    After a few blissful minutes, the candy was finished. Rayne opened her eyes, frowning slightly. Her inner foodie was not satisfied with how short-lived the sweet bliss lasted. She wanted more!


    Looking back at the screen, Rayne saw that the icon of the candy was still there. She gracefully extended her index finger to the screen and pressed the candy icon.


    However, she didn''t stop with one click. She continued to tap the icon until there was a small pile of strawberry candies in front of her.


    Rayne was thrilled. This meant that no matter where she was, she could have an unlimited supply of this strawberry candy!


    As a foodie, she valued being able to have a treat on demand.


    This thought led to many more. If she could store other items in this system, did that mean it would work in a similar way?


    Immediately, Rayne scanned the room with her eyes, looking for her next test subject. Her eyes jumped to the black backpack beside her.


    She could try using one of her drawing pencils.


    Rayne opened the backpack and reached in to grab her favorite drawing pencil. It was short from all of the previous sharpenings and showed signs of wear. There were dents and small scratches all over, the eraser was worn, and the golden logo was barely visible.


    She smiled, holding her trusted pencil, thinking of all the beautiful drawings and sketches she''d made with it in the past.


    She looked at the pencil in her hand, thinking about how to get it stored in the system. There were no buttons or prompts on the holographic screen, only the icon for the strawberry candy.


    Rayne took a moment to think. If the system was linked to her, then that meant it should respond to her commands.


    She looked at the pencil in her hand, focusing really hard, and gave the mental command: store.


    Rayne suddenly felt dizzy, and a dull pain spread throughout her head. It felt like the world was spinning, and soon beads of sweat formed on her forehead.


    The pain lasted for only a few minutes, and soon she was able to orient herself and open her eyes.


    Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at her now-empty hand. It worked!


    She looked over at the holographic screen and saw a new icon next to the one for the strawberry candy. It was her pencil, looking exactly as it had in real life, with the scratches and worn-out eraser.


    She clicked the new icon, and the pencil instantly materialized in her hand.


    Rayne looked down at the pencil. "This is still a bit unbelievable, but also incredibly exciting," she said.


    She inspected the pencil in her hand and noticed that even the dents and scratches were identical to the original.


    Rayne continued to click the pencil icon until she had a small pile of identical pencils. She could hardly contain her excitement. With this new system, she could live an extremely comfortable life!


    She quickly reached into her backpack once more, this time pulling out her wallet. She wasn''t rich, but she should still have some cash if she remembered correctly. Rayne opened her wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Holding the paper bill in her hand, she again gave the mental command to store.


    This time, there was no big headache, but she did experience some mental fatigue and dizziness. Rayne ignored it and quickly looked at the screen. Sure enough, a third icon appeared: the 20-dollar bill.


    Rayne was ecstatic! Before her finger even managed to touch the icon, a 20-dollar bill appeared in her hand. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She looked closely at the 20-dollar bill and realized that perhaps the system could be used to take the stored item "out" the same way it was stored. Rayne concentrated and visualized the icon of the 20-dollar bill.


    A moment later, another 20-dollar bill appeared in her hand, on top of the previous one.


    Rayne was ecstatic. This was an incredible and life-changing ability.


    Deep down, she knew she needed to be extra careful because this system, which could bring her wealth and good fortune, could also send her to a research lab where she would never know freedom again.


    Multiplying things like this 20-dollar bill would have to be done carefully, so she wouldn''t get caught. Each bill had a serial number, and it would be suspicious if someone found out there were hundreds of copies of the same exact 20-dollar bill.


    After contemplating for a few minutes, Rayne concluded that storing as many things as possible would still be very beneficial, and she would consider the risks before taking anything out.


    With her thoughts sorted, she lifted her head with a determined smile.


    "Now, what to do with this pile of drawing pencils?" She looked at the pile of identical pencils now piled up on her lap.


    "I guess I could just throw them all back into my backpack, but that could be inconvenient in the future if I accidentally took out too many of a larger item," she said to herself.


    While Rayne was contemplating a solution, she glanced over at the holographic screen.


    As if responding to her thoughts, a new icon appeared. This time, the icon was smaller than the others and located in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. There was also some text written under the icon in bold: Dematerialize.


    Rayne''s eyebrow raised at this. How interesting, and convenient.


    She picked up a pencil from the pile and clicked on the "Dematerialize" icon. The pencil that was in her hand vanished, as if it had never been there!


    Rayne was amazed and wondered how this system worked. It felt very magical!


    She continued to delete the rest of the pencils until only one remained, then tossed the last one back into her backpack.

 Chapter 3 - 3: Recovery 1

    Rayne laid back down on the hospital bed after dematerializing all of the extra pencils. Her body was still weak from the coma, and processing everything that had happened to her took a lot of mental energy. She felt the exhaustion catch up to her, and shortly after she closed her eyes she fell asleep.


    After sleeping for a few hours she woke up to the sound of someone opening the door. Nurse Judy walked in carrying a tray with medicine and water.


    "How soon before I can take a bath?", Rayne asked looking up at Nurse Judy.


    Nurse Judy smiled in understanding, "Hmmm, let''s see. I have you scheduled tomorrow morning for some medical tests to assess your current health and recovery. Once the tests come back, depending on the results I will come by to bring you to the shower room. Please bear with it for now. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nurse Judy then resumed her medical duties and left to report to the head doctor.


    Rayne sat up, feeling more refreshed after her nap. She realized that her arm muscles felt less sore, and overall she felt better. She stretched her arms and let out a sigh of relief.


    Rayne reached over to pick up the glass of water to drink but froze halfway. She couldn''t see the holographic screen of the multiplier system anymore! She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, I know I didn''t imagine it, there must be a way to open the screen again.


    She grabbed the water and took a few sips while thinking to herself, So far the system responded when I willed it to do something, maybe I can try a similar approach to opening the screen.


    Rayne closed her eyes and visualized the system screen. When she opened her eyes, the holographic screen was floating in front of her. She felt relief after seeing the familiar holographic screen. Rayne then closed her eyes once more and visualized it being gone. Opening her eyes, she was happy to see that the screen was gone once more.


    Rayne spent some time practicing opening and closing the holographic system screen. She got good enough to open and close it without much effort, and with her eyes open. Smiling happily, she was just about to open the screen again to try and store another item, when Nurse Judy walked in with a tray.


    "Ms. Weston, I brought you some dinner!", said Nurse Judy. She placed the tray on the table near the hospital bed. "The night staff will come to pick up the tray later when they come to clean the rooms. I hope you sleep well tonight, I will see you tomorrow morning!". She made sure everything was in order and left the room.


    Rayne moved the tray over to her lap and looked down. On the tray was a bowl of vegetable noodle soup. It was very watery, with only a few pieces of carrot and celery, and even less noodle. She sighed looking down at the sad-looking soup, her inner foodie was very unhappy.


    "Well food is food", she mumbled and grabbed the spoonful to try. The taste was very mild, with almost no salt or any kind of seasoning. This kind of soup isn''t even worth putting in the system but let''s try to anyway.


    Rayne gave the mental command to store the soup she was holding. A sharp pain spread through her head, and small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She felt like she had to focus with great difficulty but the next moment the bowl of soup vanished.


    Rayne opened the system screen and saw the newly added icon- the mediocre hospital soup. Wiping the sweat off her forehead she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. It seems like storing this bowl of soup was more taxing than storing the candy or pencil.


    Rayne decided to eat quickly and go to sleep. She clicked the icon of the soup and a bowl appeared in her hands. The warmth of the soup warmed her hands giving Rayne new information on her multiplier system.


    "Ah! It seems it even keeps the state of the item the same! This means I can store all of my favorite meals and eat them hot whenever I want!! I can save so much time not having to cook all the time!", she exclaimed. This new information left her in a very happy mood.


    Rayne quickly picked up her spoon and started eating the soup. Her good mood even made the bland soup taste better. After finishing her dinner, Rayne was hit with another wave of fatigue. She lay down and quickly fell asleep.


    Rayne slept so deeply that she didn''t wake up until Nurse Judy came over to wake her up. The entire morning Rayne was put through numerous medical examinations and only got back to her hospital room in the afternoon for lunch.


    Nurse Judy had spent the entire morning with Rayne, helping her in and out of the wheelchair.


    "We should know the results soon, but based on the cognitive and motor tests you seem to be recovering at an incredible pace. Perhaps you could even get that bath you wanted this afternoon!", she said while smiling brightly.


    "Fingers crossed!", said Rayne smiling back. She couldn''t wait to take a nice hot bath and wash her hair. While the nurses did wipe her down periodically during her year of coma, she still felt gross.


    While Rayne and Nurse Judy were chatting, a second nurse walked in with a tray.


    "Hello, I was sent to deliver Ms. Weston''s lunch", the new nurse said, putting down the tray on the small table.


    "Thank you, Anna! Could you check on the patient in room 301 with me?", said Nurse Judy. Anna nodded and waited for Nurse Judy by the door.


    "Ms. Weston, I need to go check on a different patient but once I am finished I will check and see if we can schedule you that bath", Nurse Judy said to Rayne after handing her the tray with food. She turned to leave the room with Anna.


    Rayne looked at the food in front of her. "This has to be a joke right?", she said out loud. The food was the same bland vegetable noodle soup from yesterday. Do they serve anything differently at hospitals?


    She stared blankly at the soup before convincing herself to eat it. She kept repeating the names of all of the delicacies she would eat after she got discharged from the hospital with every spoonful.


    Not long after Rayne finished Nurse Judy came back with good news, "Ms. Weston! The Doctor said that you are recovering incredibly fast and has approved your request for a bath! I can bring you there now if you would like."


    Hearing the good news Rayne nodded, smiling back at the nurse. "I am so excited! I would like to go now please."


    Nurse Judy then helped Rayne into a wheelchair and pushed her out to the shower rooms. When they arrived Rayne noticed that the shower rooms looked rather new.


    "You''re in luck, Ms. Weston! They just finished renovating the bathroom and shower areas in this wing of the hospital just recently. You are actually one of the first people using it", said Nurse Judy. She continued to push the wheelchair into the enclosed room where the bathtub was.


    The room felt rather sterile as expected of a hospital facility. The floors and walls were covered in a pure white tile, and there were railings and hand bars for patients who should need them. Rayne was happy because the room looked clean which was important for her.


    "Nurse Judy, could you help me to the bench? I can still stand and walk slowly, I should be able to take a bath on my own".


    "Hmm, well it is true that you have been recovering very well. I think it should be okay to let you bathe on your own. There''s a big red button on the wall near over there, push it if you need help later. The soap and shampoo are over there, and the towel is on the bench over here", said Nurse Judy, pointing at two places with her finger. She then helped Rayne out of the wheelchair and onto the bench, leaving the room right after.


    Rayne sat on the bench and started to undress slowly while the tub was filling with water. Across from her was a full-length mirror near the bench with the towels on it. Rayne froze when she saw her reflection.


    The first thing she noticed was her milky white skin. It was a bit on the pale side from the lack of sun exposure, but the texture was incredibly smooth.


    Rayne was surprised at this because her skin had always had small issues like acne or redness, which always made her feel unconfident. Her initial thoughts were perhaps the medication or eating through the feeding tube could have caused such a change, but after looking at her breasts she wasn''t sure anymore.


    They were much bigger than before! She reached out and touched them thinking maybe she had an accidental breast enlargement surgery while she was in a coma. They felt very natural and there were no signs of surgery, causing Rayne to stare at herself in disbelief. Well, I suppose if I can wake up with a magical system that can multiply items for free, then I guess I can also wake up with larger breasts?


    Rayne took note of other changes, her blonde hair that was usually thin and frizzy was now down to her waist and voluminous. It cascaded down her shoulders in beautiful waves even though it was a little greasy from not having been washed in a long time. Her body seemed to have curves in all the right places.


    If it wasn''t for her face having the same shape and structure, she would have thought she was occupying a different body!


    Overall she felt like a blooming lotus, becoming more beautiful than before. The only problem she noticed was that she felt like she was a little on the thin side. If she gained a little weight her curvy figure would be even more pronounced.

 Chapter 4 - 4: Recovery 2

    Rayne''s emerald green eyes stared back at her in the mirror. Even her eyelashes seemed to have gotten longer! She was radiating beauty, which was only enhanced with her bright smile!


    Having gotten another incredible surprise, Rayne was in a great mood. Humming softly she carefully entered the bathtub. The warm water felt incredible, and soon she found herself fully relaxed.


    She took her time washing and scrubbing every part of her body and hair. About 30 minutes later Nurse Judy knocked on the door. "Ms. Weston, how are you fairing? Do you need anything?".


    "Ah, no, no! I am doing great! I''ll be out in a few minutes!", exclaimed Rayne from the bathtub. She was enjoying herself so much she lost track of time.


    While bathing, Rayne didn''t forget to store the bar of soap and bottle of shampoo in her system. She noticed that storing the two new items was a lot easier than before. She also never experienced the headache that she normally got when storing an item in the system.


    Rayne finished up in the bath and slowly got out to dry herself. She put on the hospital-issued t-shirt and shorts and sat down in the wheelchair. Her muscles were still very stiff and walking was difficult and painful.


    She called in Nurse Judy when she was ready and they set off back to her room.


    When they got back to the hospital room Rayne noticed the dinner tray was already waiting for her on the small side table. Her eyes lit up when she noticed there was a small baked potato on the plate and a small cup of fresh fruit. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne thanked Nurse Judy and waited until she left the room before touching the food. She wasn''t going to let this opportunity go to waste and put both items in the system before taking them out to eat.


    She was in a great mood which gave her a big appetite. She ate the small baked potato and two cups of fruit, thanking the system for the extra portion.


    The next day Nurse Judy came by with news that physical therapy would start later that day and that this was the final step in her recovery. Once the physical therapy ended, Rayne would be able to get discharged from the hospital. Nurse Judy also mentioned that an administrative nurse would be visiting her soon to get some paperwork in order.


    With all of the recent changes and discoveries, Rayne completely forgot to check her phone since waking up. Having some time to herself, she reached out and grabbed her phone which was still plugged into the charger.


    She was expecting hundreds of messages, but looking at her phone she only saw a few messages from her bank confirming money transfers from her account. She quickly logged into her bank app and saw that she only had a little over 3,000 dollars left in her account. She looked through the transaction history and saw that there were all regular transfers made out of her account to a different one.


    Rayne quickly tapped the screen on her phone to see additional information about the transfers. When she saw the account number the money was transferred to her hand paused... it was Dillon''s account, her fianc¨¦.


    "Why would he take so much money out of my account", she whispered. She was trying to come up with reasons her fianc¨¦ would take over 30,000 dollars out of her account over the course of the one year she was in a coma. The most recent transfer was only a few days ago!


    She checked her messages once more to see if Dillon had contacted her, or messaged explaining what he needed all that money for. But she found nothing, no messages, no missed calls, nothing. She opened her social media account only to see an image of Dillon kissing another woman on the cheek while she was sitting coyly on his lap. She kept scrolling on his page, seeing many more photos of the couple posing intimately in various locations. She realized that the earliest photo of them together was only a month after her accident!


    Rayne felt her blood boil. She was angry, hurt, and in disbelief that Dillon would toss her aside so quickly. They were making plans for marriage! He didn''t even bother visiting her or calling her this whole time she was in the hospital!


    "This fucking asshole has the audacity to take my money while I''m in the hospital while seeing a new bitch! I cannot believe I wasted my time with such a lowlife!"


    She quickly changed her password to the account. "Thankfully I was smart enough to keep my savings account private", she muttered. She checked her savings account and saw that she still had a little over 80,000 dollars. This money was her entire life savings, and a bit of inheritance from her parents.


    Rayne took a few deep breaths to calm herself. This coma was becoming more and more of a blessing in disguise. I dodged a bullet. To think I was about to marry that asshole.


    Rayne was a little surprised to see that she wasn''t particularly heartbroken. While the situation felt really hurtful she didn''t feel like crying nor like her heart was ripping in two. She thought maybe she didn''t love Dillon as much as she thought she did. They met at university and dated for over 3 years, outside of him, Rayne didn''t have much experience in the dating scene.


    "Either way, karma''s a bitch", said Rayne looking down at her phone. She finished updating all of her passwords to accounts that Dillon might know of or have access to. No more freebies for you asshole.


    ----


    Meanwhile, in a high-end bar downtown, a group of people were sitting in a VIP lounge.


    "Hey Dillon, how about we buy a few more bottles of this champagne?", asked the blonde man in the lounge.


    "Yeah, of course, it''s on me today so keep the drinks coming", Dillon replied after downing his glass. Recently this bar has become his new hangout spot after he met these two wealthy friends. They would come here to discuss sports or hot women and spend the majority of their evenings drinking top-shelf alcohol.


    Dillon''s face warmed up after downing the entire glass of high-quality champagne. His eyes landed on his girlfriend''s pretty face, making him heat up a little more. He took his arm and pulled the girl over to his side so that she was practically sitting on him.


    "You got yourself a real hottie there Dillon", said the other man, shouting over the loud music.


    "Yeah she is, you jealous Chris?", Dillon shouted back laughing.


    A provocatively dressed waitress came over with a few more bottles of champagne. Smiling sweetly she asked, "You boys celebrating something today?".


    "Yeah! We''re celebrating your beauty!", replied Chris as he ran his hand up and down the back of the waitress''s short skirt. The waitress blushed in reply and wrote down her phone number on a napkin handing it to Chris, winking.


    Sitting on Dillon''s lap, Krissy saw the look on his face when the waitress came over, wearing very skimpy clothing. She felt a little jealous that he was giving another woman attention while she was right there. Thinking on how to get his attention back, she subtly pulled down her off-the-shoulder top exposing her very large breasts even more. Her little trick worked because shortly after she caught Dillon glancing over at her.


    Krissy was happy to receive the attention. Her two favorite things in the world were money and attention, and Dillon provided both. She met him almost a year ago, he was sitting depressed at a bar by himself. He was a decently good-looking guy, tall with a good figure. She approached him and soon they hit it off chatting. He mentioned his fianc¨¦ was hospitalized and was in a coma. He wasn''t sure when she would wake up, or if she would wake up.


    Krissy used this opportunity to flaunt her feminine allure, and with drinks added it wasn''t long before they ended up back at Dillon''s apartment fucking like rabbits.


    Since that day Krissy had Dillon wrapped around her finger. She had him buy her all sorts of expensive bags and jewelry, and take her out to fancy places on dates.


    Dillon quickly forgot about his fianc¨¦ and used all the money she had given him for the wedding on gifts for Krissy and entertainment. This lifestyle was exciting and he soon became addicted to it, even though it was very expensive.


    Dillon soon found his bank in the negative and his credit cards maxed out. That''s when he remembered that Rayne gave him the login to her bank account, letting him know he could use it for emergencies. At first, he felt a little guilty transferring her money over to his account, but as time went on he cared less and less. His new life was much more exciting now than when he was with Rayne.


    They dated for more than 3 years but he never slept with her and they never went crazy on the party scene. Rayne was always a bit shy and lacked confidence, she was a cute girl but lacked the curves and confidence that make a woman sexy.

 Chapter 5 - 5: Declined

    (A/N: Spicy scene ahead)


    Now Dillon had Krissy, who had sexy curves and large breasts. She wore sexy revealing clothing that made him lust over her whenever they were together. The best part was that she would also put out whenever he wanted, especially after he bought her something nice.


    Dillon was more than willing to do whatever he could to keep his current exciting lifestyle.


    After the waitress walked away Dillon looked down to see Krissy sitting on his lap looking very seductive. She wore a tight off-the-shoulder black top with long sleeves and a very short tight skirt.


    The top was very low cut and practically had all of her goods on display, making the blood rush to his lower regions. Her outfit along with her newly bleached hair made her look new, which kept it interesting for him.


    Soon his hands started wandering all over Krissy''s body. This wasn''t anything new to Dillon''s friends, they''d seen Dillon grope Krissy many times before.


    His hands reached under her shirt and worked their way upwards. After they slipped under her bra, he began to massage her breasts.


    Leaning over to Krissy''s ear he said, "I''m gonna fuck you so good tonight, mmm".


    Krissy started to squirm in his lap, feeling his hard erection.


    The night continued like this for hours until the final bill came.


    The same waitress came up to the table holding the bill in her hands.


    "Thank you for spending your time at our bar tonight! Here is the bill for today, I''ll come pick it up whenever you''re ready". S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aye! No need to come back, Dillon here said it was his treat tonight!", said Chris, finishing his last glass.


    "Haha! Daddy Dillon''s got you today!", laughed Dillon responding to Chris. He pulled one hand back out from Krissy''s shirt to grab the check.


    When he casually glanced at the total due, he almost dropped the check. It was over 2,000 dollars!! The champagne they drank all night was of high quality and was very expensive.


    Dillon quickly recovered from the shock trying not to embarrass himself. He pulled out his card and passed it to the waitress.


    Trying to impress everyone around him, he generously told the waitress to add on a 500-dollar tip. In reality, he was already making plans to transfer more money from Rayne''s account when he got home.


    The waitress happily took the card and ran off to run it. She returned shortly after with a frown and said, "Sorry but the card was declined".


    "What''s this? Daddy Dillon can''t even cover this small amount?" asked Chris, giving Dillon a look of superiority.


    Dillon immediately laughed it off, "Of course I can, how can I not? This isn''t the first time I''m treating you guys here. It must be an issue with the card or something".


    If you looked closely you could see the nervousness and embarrassment, but Dillon tried his best to hide it. Dillon pulled out his phone and quickly opened the banking app to log into Rayne''s account to transfer more money.


    "Sorry, the password you''ve entered is incorrect".


    Dillon''s hand shook as he attempted logging in time after time until the app locked him out for the unsuccessful attempts. What is going on, I''ve logged into this account many times with no issue. He comforted himself thinking he was too drunk to remember the password properly, and turned to Krissy who was looking at him.


    "Hey babe, could you cover this for me, and once we get back I''ll transfer you the money. The banking app isn''t working for me right now".


    Krissy wasn''t really bothered by this. She saw him log into this account many times and he''s always paid without any issues. She believed that it really was an issue with the bank, and helping him now might earn her a new purse!


    Krissy quickly pulled her card out of her purse and handed it to the waitress. "Think of this as Dillon paying, this money I''m using was given to me by him anyway", she said to the table, trying to butter Dillon up for that new purse.


    This worked very well and Dillon gave Krissy a grateful look. She helped him salvage his reputation in front of his friends today, he was sure to reward her later.


    After settling the bill Dillon and Krissy returned to his apartment. As they stepped through the door Dillon immediately pushed Krissy against the wall and started undressing her, ripping her shirt from the force.


    "Ah! Dillon, you''re ripping my clothes!", Krissy moaned coyly. She wasn''t worried, she knew this just meant a future shopping trip.


    Sure enough, Dillon replied, "Don''t worry baby, I''ll buy you whatever you want later to make up for it". He led her inside, kissing her down her neck and chest.


    They knocked over the books that were on the coffee table as Dillon pressed her down onto it and started fucking her. The couple''s moans could be heard from the hallway for the rest of the night. They made their way to the bedroom, not forgetting to fuck on the dining room table on the way there.


    The next morning Dillon woke up in a great mood after last night''s adventures across the apartment. Finally sober he went to the living room and picked his laptop off the ground. "Okay let''s figure out this bank issue", he mumbled as he pulled up the banking webpage to Rayne''s bank.


    He entered the password time after time for it to give him the same message as last night, "Sorry the password you''ve entered is incorrect". Dillon frowned but didn''t stop there. He clicked the password reset option because he knew the password to Rayne''s email. Opening the webpage to her email, he entered her information on the login page, but the same message as the bank popped up.


    Dillon sat up in a cold sweat. "There''s no way she''s awake!", he said. His heart rate increased from anxiety, how was he going to pay for his lifestyle now?!


    ---


    In the hospital, Rayne sat up in the bed looking at her phone which was filled with security messages from her bank. She raised her eyebrow when she saw the email log-in attempt, "Oh? Desperate are we?".


    Last night she did some investigating while looking through Krissy''s social media page. She found many posts and pictures showing off purses and jewelry, all of them thanking Dillon for the gifts and garnering compliments from her friends.


    Rayne didn''t need to think hard to figure out why Dillon needed her money. She knew how much he made working as an analyst at a manufacturing company, and there was no way he could afford all of these lavish gifts on his own.


    "Looks like you found yourself an expensive girlfriend Dillon, I hope she doesn''t dump your sorry ass the first moment she realizes you ran out of money", Rayne laughed out loud.


    She wasn''t too worried about the money that was spent, she would get back from him one way or another using her new system. All she needed to do now was focus on her recovery so that she could get discharged from the hospital sooner.


    Rayne spent the next couple of days in physical therapy getting her muscles back to their previous state. She also didn''t forget to store any new hospital food or medication in her system whenever she got the chance. She figured that these items might be useful one day in the future, and even if they weren''t, keeping them in the system didn''t hurt her.


    Rayne was looking through her buffet of bland hospital food on the holographic screen, looking for a snack, when she heard a knock on the door.


    "Come in!", she said sweetly, closing the system screen mentally.


    An older, stern-looking woman came in dressed in a fancy long-sleeve shirt and a modest pencil skirt. She carried a large leather tote bag that was filled with a bunch of files and other office supplies.


    "Hello Ms. Weston. My name is Margaret, and I am in charge of administrative paperwork and billing. I''m pleased to see you are recovering well". She came over to the side of the bed and pulled up a chair.


    She pulled out a folder from the tote bag and pulled out a few papers, placing them in front of Rayne. After adjusting her glasses she continued, "I have two matters to discuss with you, both related to the cost of staying at our hospital. On this first paper you can see an itemized bill for your treatment and stay". She pointed to the first paper, giving Rayne some time to look it over.


    Rayne glanced down at the paper, reading the treatments and their respective costs. By the time she got to the bottom of the page and saw the final cost Rayne nearly fell over. It was over 100,000 dollars! She didn''t have that kind of money! Even if she used up her entire savings she would not be able to cover the cost of this bill!


    Seeing the stiff expression on Rayne''s face, Margaret took the bill from Rayne''s hands and said, "The second matter I would like to discuss is that you were selected to be a recipient of the Mercy''s Angels charity group". She pulled out a different form handing it over to Rayne.


    Rayne was shocked! Reading the new document she realized that this charity was going to cover the entire cost of her hospitalization! I must have been a saint in my past life to receive such luck!


    Margaret looked at Rayne''s once again shocked expression and smiled. "You are very lucky Ms. Weston! This charity organization is very new, and you are its very first recipient!".


    After discussing a few more less important topics Margaret packed up her things and left. She left Rayne with a copy of all the important documentation for her safekeeping.

 Chapter 6 - 6: Personal Charity

    Rayne stored all of these important documents in the system and pulled out her phone to do some research on this charity.


    After searching online for a few hours Rayne found very little information on this charity group. What she did discover was that it was founded by the REN Corporation, which was a privately owned R&D company specializing in weapons and technology.


    Rayne remembered seeing this company in a few news articles and magazines, but it never really touched her area of interest. She was honestly surprised that such a company would even have a charity foundation, but either way, she was benefiting from it! The reason why Rayne was interested in the charity was because she was a grateful person! The least she could do was send a letter to the company expressing her thanks and how big of an impact their generosity has had on her life.


    After digging around on the internet Rayne finally managed to find an address. She planned on asking Nurse Judy to mail the letter once she finished writing it.


    ---


    One week later.


    The door opened to the best private room at City A''s most luxurious restaurant.


    The room was designed with opulence in mind. It had very tall ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling window that showed off the scenic city skyline. A large circular solid wood table stood in the center of the room surrounded by a half-circle booth-style bench. The bench was upholstered with high-quality black velvet giving it a unique softness. There was a modern-style golden chandelier producing comfortable ambient lighting and the walls were covered with tasteful priceless art.


    The waitress walked in gracefully with practiced movement holding a tray filled with exquisite finger foods. As she walked towards the table she couldn''t help but give the man at the center of the table a few looks. He was incredibly handsome!


    He had dark brown wavy messy hair that gave him a slight bad-boy vibe. His face was a work of art -a strong jawline, deep blue eyes, straight nose, and square chin. He was tall, over 6ft, and had a well-built body shape. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up, his well-defined muscles peeking through. What was most attractive about him was his powerful aura! He was around his late 20''s but had the aura of someone with great power.


    The waitress swallowed the droll that had accumulated in her mouth while placing the tray down on the table. Before she could greet the handsome yet aloof man...


    "Leave"


    A single word escaped the man''s mouth. It was said rather softly, but the power behind it made the waitress want to run out of the room at full speed.


    She bowed stiffly and turned to leave the room at the fastest acceptable speed.


    A few seconds after the waitress left a man walked in. He was tall and handsome, but with a leaner build than the one sitting down. His most striking feature was his messy ginger hair. He was dressed in a professional suit with the jacket folded over his arm.


    "Haha, hey Julian, why are you scaring the poor waitstaff?!", he walked in and sat down at the table.


    "Huh? I just told her to leave. She kept staring at me, and it was freaking me out", replied Julian. He reached out to grab one of the finger sandwiches that was on the tray.


    "Nothing new, my big boss makes all the ladies weak in the knees! Hahaha!", laughed the redhead.


    "You make the same joke every time we go anywhere. Be a little more creative Noah", Julian scoffed. "Where''s Ian? Didn''t he come with you?".


    Noah let out a big goofy grin. As Julian''s right-hand man he loved poking fun at the guy at any chance he got.


    "Yeah, he''ll be right up. I think he''s doing a quick smoke break outside", replied Noah. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah leaned back in his seat and watched Julian eat 3 more pieces off the tray. Smiling, he couldn''t help but make fun of Julian some more. "Haha! I''ll make sure my future sister-in-law knows how to cook! Who knew the big boss of REN Corp. is such a foodie!".


    Julian ignored him and continued to enjoy the food in front of him.


    The door opened once again and a big burly man walked in. He was tall and very buff and had a few similar facial features to Noah- including the hair color. Unlike the other two men he did not wear a suit but instead a black t-shirt and black pants, and gave off a slight gang boss feel.


    "Ian''s here!", Noah announced.


    "I still have eyes...", Julian looked at Noah with a speechless expression.


    "Hey there boss", said Ian to Julian.


    Julian nodded at Ian then leaned back in his seat and placed his hands on his lap. "Okay, now that we''re all here I want to hear your reports". The energy instantly shifted to a more serious tone.


    "Noah, you go first. I want to hear about the status of the improved assault rifle as well as the improved ammo. Then anything else that requires my attention at the company".


    Noah sat up appearing a lot more serious than before. "In general both projects are moving along smoothly. Our research department has even made a new breakthrough that should result in a significant upgrade from the initial prototype models."


    Julian listened carefully to the update, giving orders when needed.


    After Noah finished his update Julian turned to Ian, "Ian, it''s your turn. Please tell me that you''ve found him".


    Ian frowned, "Not yet. I''ve spent 2 weeks at the underground casino but there was no sign of Damian or his men. However, our informant told me that there will be an auction held in the underground auction house next month. He said there would be a large amount of illegal weapons up this time around. I plan to attend to see if this is related to Damian".


    Julian frowned but nodded. "Okay, keep me updated. I need to find that bastard as soon as possible".


    After a while the hot food arrived and the three men chatted casually while eating. The three of them were good friends who grew up together and once work-related matters were settled they were able to relax and enjoy their time together.


    "Oh! I forgot to mention that the Weston daughter woke up from her coma", said Noah. He cut a piece off his steak and continued, "The hospital also confirmed that she accepted the charity donation".


    He laughed, "The charity that was created for her, haha! How funny would it have been if she declined!".


    Julian looked over and said, "Dr. Weston was a good man. The least I could do was help out his only daughter".


    "Did the hospital say what caused the coma?", asked Julian.


    "Nah, it seems they have no idea. According to the doctors, she should''ve been hospitalized for a week tops", replied Noah.


    "Oh! She even wrote you a letter!", he added and pulled out an envelope from the pocket of his briefcase.


    Julian opened the letter and read the contents. He noticed the clean and elegant handwriting, but what caught his attention the most was how grateful she sounded. A small smile formed on his face, "Looks like Dr. Weston raised a good daughter. I''m not sure how many people would bother writing a thank you letter anymore".


    He folded the letter back up and placed it in his pocket then looked at Noah and Ian, "I''ll see you both at your father''s birthday celebration Friday".


    ---


    Rayne''s recovery was progressing at a very quick pace. After being checked up by the doctor she got the okay to be discharged.


    She was currently curled up on her bed playing a game on her phone. The doctor finally gave her the okay to get discharged and she was planning on going home first thing in the morning. She had already thanked the hospital staff for taking care of her, especially Nurse Judy.


    Rayne came to really enjoy Nurse Judy''s company. They were both in their mid-20s and had a lot of things in common. They both enjoyed similar music and Nurse Judy turned out to have a drawing hobby as well! They spent their free time sketching and laughing. Nurse Judy''s bright personality reminded Rayne of a sunflower swaying in the sunlight and made her time at the hospital less boring.


    "Judy, thank you again for taking care of me this whole time. I''m not exaggerating when I say I''ll miss your company", Rayne said smiling. "I hope that one day I will be able to repay your kindness".


    Nurse Judy smiled brightly, "Ah Rayne, I''ll miss you! I''m happy that I had the opportunity to be your nurse, and I hope we can see each other again in the future! I''ll come by and see you off tomorrow morning, wait for me".

 Chapter 7 - 7: Going Home

    The next morning Rayne woke up early and changed into normal clothes that were provided for her. Today was the day she was finally going to go home and start her new life! She was itching to put her system into full use.


    Nurse Judy came by as promised and the two said their goodbyes once again, promising to see each other again.


    Rayne finally finished her checkout procedures and walked out of the hospital. She had a long checklist of things to do, so she hailed a taxi and went straight to her apartment. She lived in a small 2 bedroom red brick apartment in a quiet area of town. She liked living here because it was further away from downtown making it a lot quieter and cleaner. Most of her neighbors were elderly couples or older single parents. The brick apartment building wasn''t very large, with only 4 floors, and 5 apartments per floor and there was a small community garden to the right of the building that was filled with growing flowers and vegetables.


    Rayne was happy to see that not much has changed in the community since she''s been away. The garden was thriving and the flowers were in bloom, putting Rayne in an even better mood! She walked up to the 3rd floor and opened her apartment door revealing her dusty apartment.


    She usually kept her apartment relatively clean and organized, but because she wasn''t around for an entire year a thick layer of dust formed on all of the surfaces.


    "Well first things first, I need to get this place cleaned up", she said, rolling up her sleeves. Rayne spent the entire morning dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning her apartment.


    Around noon she finally flopped down on the couch exhausted and hungry. Her empty stomach growled multiple times, getting her to cut her break short. She had thrown out all the food that was left in the apartment because it was all old or expired, she needed to go out and restock.


    Before she went out she rinsed off her sweaty body in the shower. Coming out of the bathroom Rayne went through her closet to find some clean clothes but ran into a small problem. All of her clothes were baggy and unflattering. She never realized how little confidence she had in herself before the accident. She always chose to wear loose-fitting and baggy clothing over styles that would''ve looked better on her. Even before her newly enhanced body she still had a good figure she just always kept it hidden behind loose clothing.


    "Looks like Dillon successfully got me in my head thinking I was ugly".


    Rayne sighed looking at the clothes in front of her, "Well, it seems like I get to go on a shopping spree! But better because of my new system!!".


    She ended up choosing a plain white T-shirt and blue denim shorts. Unfortunately, none of her bras fit her anymore so she had to squeeze into a sports bra to make do. She quickly dried her hair, grabbed her backpack, and went out to find some food first.


    Rayne was extremely hungry so she decided on a fast food restaurant that was close to the mall. She ordered a burger and fries meal and decided to get it to go so that she could add it to her system.


    She grabbed her food after paying for it in cash and went to sit on a bench outside where there were fewer people. She used her backpack as a cover to quickly store the food in her system, smiling after seeing the newly added icon. Taking the food back out of the system and backpack she began to eat, relishing the delicious tasting food.


    The birds were chirping and the sun was out making it a really nice day to be outside. Rayne cleaned up after finishing her meal and decided to walk to the mall which was about 20 minutes away. It was City A''s largest shopping center where you could find just about anything. They had department stores and luxury boutiques all the way to appliance stores and restaurants.


    Rayne marveled at how much the mall expanded in the year she spent in the hospital, there were so many new places she''d never seen. She walked around slowly while taking in all the sights until she found an undergarment boutique.


    Previously she would never shop at an expensive store like this for just some undergarments, but this time she decided to stop by and stock up on new bras and anything else that caught her eye.


    Rayne walked in and was immediately greeted by a worker in the store who went on to explain the current promotions. She continued in and quickly got to business! Walking over to the section that had the bras on display, Rayne picked a few options that she estimated would be her new size and went to the fitting room.


    In the fitting room, she tried on a few different options and was shocked to see that the D-cup bra fit her the best! Her previous bras were all B-cup, and the difference was quite noticeable.


    Leaving the fitting room Rayne went back to the bras and picked out every bra style the store had in her new size. As she walked back towards the fitting rooms she came across a few display mannequins with lingerie making her pause. Never in her life before has she worn anything even close to lingerie, but now her curiosity was piqued. She read that lingerie could help boost a woman''s confidence in her body image and she wanted to try it out.


    Rayne grabbed a few different sets, some lacy with a corset style, others with pink ribbons, and then headed back into the fitting room.


    In the fitting room, she first tried on all of the bra styles and added them all into her system! Her heart raced each time she saw a new icon pop up on the holographic screen.


    When Rayne put on the first set of lingerie she froze looking at her reflection in the mirror. She felt so gorgeous and sexy, like a supermodel! She stared at her reflection for a few minutes, admiring her smooth skin from every angle. She never knew that clothes could make a person feel so different!


    Without a second thought, she added both sets of lingerie to her system while telling herself to be more adventurous when picking out clothing in the future. Walking out of the fitting room she chose the cheapest bra, which was still a whopping 60 dollars, to go and purchase.


    She didn''t feel guilty storing the items in her system because she technically wasn''t stealing anything. When she put an item into the system, she would take out a copy to replace it, meaning the store wasn''t losing a product. She also wasn''t planning on opening a store to sell the copies of the goods she stored. But to avoid suspicion, she decided to play it safe and make at least a single purchase.


    After finishing up at the undergarment boutique Rayne went on to look for a trendy clothing store to get a few new outfits.


    ---


    A shiny black Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the mall causing many onlookers to pause and gossip amongst themselves.


    "Julian, I told you that you don''t have to get my dad", said Noah as he opened the car door for Julian. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course I do, he''s basically half a dad for me too", replied Julian as he gracefully got out of the backseat of the car.


    Seeing two handsome men in suits made some ladies in the crowd practically squeal. Others took their phones out to take some pictures-- some of the handsome men, others of the car.


    Julian and Noah walked into the mall heading toward a luxury jewelry store to pick up the gift that they previously ordered. Thankfully it was still early in the day and there weren''t too many people at the mall, or Julian would have gotten irritated from all the stares.


    As they walked down the hallway inside, Julian noticed a woman happily checking out the display cases of a popular female clothing brand. She was dressed simply in just a white t-shirt and denim shorts, but her radiance couldn''t be hidden. Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulder and back, making her look ethereal-- like an angel.


    Julian paused, looking at her radiant smile. He felt like time stopped, and everything else was just a backdrop for this woman.


    "What''s got you in such a good mood boss?", asked Noah, seeing the rare smile on Julian''s face.


    Julian snapped out of his momentary trance and adjusted his expression, "Ah nothing really, just saw something I liked". He then continued to walk over to the jewelry store with Noah following closely behind.


    Once the two men arrived at the store the store manager eagerly greeted them, "Welcome back Mr. Barclay! We have been expecting you!".


    Julian nodded to the store manager and said, "I hope the item I ordered is ready".


    "Of course! We have everything prepared to your standards!", replied the manager, bringing the two men over to the glass counter where a gorgeous diamond Rolex watch lay inside a velvet box.


    "What do you think Noah? Will this one be an okay replacement for the one your dad lost?", Julian asked looking over at Noah.


    Noah walked over and glanced at it. "I think he will like this one more than the old one, it''s very nice".


    Getting Noah''s confirmation Julian turned to the manager, "Please wrap it up, I''ll take it".

 Chapter 8 - 8: Shop Therapy

    Rayne was currently standing outside a popular fashion brands store. She was checking out the outfits displayed in the window, seeing if there was anything she liked.


    There was a cute summer dress on display that caught her eye. It had a blue checker print design with ruffles along the bottom. It came in two lengths, one down to the floor and the other was just above the knee.


    Rayne decided to go in and see if she could try it on, while looking for anything else she might like. She spent a good hour just walking around the store and grabbing anything she liked. The store associate who was helping out was running back and forth from Rayne to the reserved fitting room she requested, filling up the racks with clothes.


    Once Rayne was finally satisfied with her rather large selection she walked into the fitting room to begin trying on the clothes. Unlike how she was when she tried on the bras, Rayne decided to place all of the clothes into her system. She did this mainly to save time, she had picked out so many outfits to ''try on'' that she figured she would be in this fitting room until closing time if she actually tried them all on.


    She picked out only her favorite pieces to try on, loving them all! She happily twirled around in the fitting room, making the dress she tried on flutter. The next dress she tried on was an elegant evening gown. It was a beautiful forest green color and had a strapless top. The dress hugged her curves until about the lower thigh area, where it lightly flared out in a beautiful cascading ruffle design.


    Rayne hardly recognized herself! She wasn''t sure when she would use this dress but she knew she needed to have it!


    Rayne spent about 30 minutes trying on clothes until she heard her stomach growl. She looked at the time and realized that it was already past lunch time. She double checked her holographic system screen to make sure she didn''t miss adding any of the clothes, then picked out a few dresses to buy.


    One of the dresses she chose was a sage green chiffon maxi dress. It was long, down to the floor, with a big thigh slit. The color really complemented her skin tone and hair color, making her feel like a fairy.


    She chose to buy this dress because she wanted to change into it right away. There was an upscale steakhouse at this mall that she''s only ever been to once before, and wanted to go again. The restaurant had a dress code and what she was currently wearing would not be acceptable.


    After paying for the two dresses Rayne went over to the mall''s public restroom to change into the newly purchased dress. She even pulled out a pair of nude colored heels from her system that she had stored in the previous store.


    She walked out feeling great (and hungry) and made her way over to the steakhouse.


    Thankfully it was still early enough that the restaurant was not too busy, else she would have been required to make a reservation ahead of time. She requested to be seated in the corner of the restaurant where there were booth style seats, giving more privacy.


    After Rayne sat down and placed her order with the waiter, she looked around the restaurant enjoying the d¨¦cor and ambiance. What quickly caught her eye was a handsome man looking over at her from a table on the opposite side of the small hall she was in. He was one of two that were at that table, and it seemed like they had just finished eating their meals.


    Rayne gave the handsome man a shy smile and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. She was worried that he would misinterpret the situation thinking that she was checking him out. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What Rayne didn''t know what that Julian was looking at her from the moment she entered the restaurant. He immediately noticed her as the woman from earlier, even after she changed outfits. For him, it was her radiant aura that he couldn''t help but feel attracted to. Noticing the new dress she was wearing, he mentally gave her a compliment and said she had very good taste!


    Unfortunately, Noah once again snapped him back to reality.


    "Hey boss, we should probably head back to the company. There''s still a few things we need to take care of before the banquet tonight".


    Julian nodded and the two men stood up to leave. On the way out Julian couldn''t help but take one last look over, just in time to see the obvious joy in Raynes eyes as her food got delivered.


    The pure happiness her face depicted as she looked over the glistening steak made Julian chuckle as he walked out of the restaurant.


    Rayne was ecstatic looking at the well marbled steak in front of her. "This place really holds up to its reputation as a great steakhouse", she mumbled, gulping.


    She absolutely had to find a way to get this steak into her system! Luckily she asked for a rather private booth seat, so she only needed to figure out a way to block one viewpoint.


    She pulled up the decorative paper bag from the clothing store she had just visited, and placed it directly in front of her. Thankfully the bag was rather large due to her buying multiple dresses, and worked well to hide what she was about to do next.


    Rayne took a few seconds to look around, making sure no one was watching and gave the mental command to store the plate of steak that she was touching with her right hand. Moments later the food in front of her vanished and reappeared.


    If anyone were to see this, they would think their eyes played tricks on them because of how quickly it happened. This made Rayne happy! She felt like she was getting better at storing and taking out items much faster than previously.


    Having stored the food into the system, Rayne finally began to eat. The steak was cooked to perfection and the side dishes were very flavorful! She couldn''t help but compare this to the hospital food she lived off of for a whole month she was recovering.


    She took her time eating her meal, trying her best to savor every moment, making the people around her think she was being very elegant. But in head she was jumping for joy at the thought that she could now eat this whenever she wanted!!! And with the system ''delete'' option, she wouldn''t even need to worry about doing the dishes afterwards!


    After finishing her late lunch, Rayne swung by a few more clothing stores to try on and store more shirts, t-shirts, jeans, skirts, jackets, dresses and even swimwear!


    By the time she was finished the sun had already started to set. She walked out of the mall holding multiple bags, giving people the illusion that she bought a lot of things. Only Rayne knew that the things she bought were only a very, very small portion of what she had managed to store in her system.


    Rayne had one more stop before heading home for the day, she needed to get some groceries. While eating from the system was extremely convenient, Rayne enjoyed cooking every once in a while. She wanted to keep some ingredients on hand to be able to enjoy a home cooked meal whenever she was in the mood for it.


    Instead of going to a large supermarket, Rayne decided to go to a smaller corner store because it was closer to her home.


    She hailed a taxi which drove her to the street right before the one the corner store was on. She asked to be dropped off here because this was the street that typically had small food stalls and coffee shops, and she wanted to check it out.


    She walked down the street and a few peddlers called out to her.


    "Hey Miss! Come try these delicious lamb skewers!", called out a kind looking man.


    "No, No! My chicken street tacos are much better! Try these instead!", the man in the neighboring stall shouted.


    "Haha! Yes, don''t worry, I will try both of your stalls'' specialties!", laughed Rayne.


    Soon she was holding a tower of delicious street food. Rayne once again used her backpack as cover to place the newly purchased food into the system while it was still hot. She didn''t skimp out, and purchased whatever she found pleasing or novel.


    She finally made her way down the street to the corner store and walked in. It was already evening time and not many people were inside.


    Rayne only picked out a few staple items since she already had her hands full from the shopping bags from the mall. At one point Rayne decided to throw them away since the contents were already stored, but ended up deciding against it.

 Chapter 9 - 9: Nightmare

    Walking slowly through the aisles of the corner store, Rayne picked out some daily staple ingredients.


    She picked out a small carton of eggs, some milk, and a loaf of bread before walking over to the meat section. She didn''t really have a menu in mind so she decided to only pick up a small pack of chicken.


    While walking through the store, Rayne weighed the items in her hands and what she had in her shopping basket. Seeing that she could carry a few more things she went to the produce section and picked out an onion, two carrots, a tomato, and a cucumber. She figured she could make a few different things with these ingredients.


    Her initial idea of storing more food ingredients in her space fell through because the young man at the register couldn''t keep his eyes off her. She didn''t want to take any risks exposing her space, so she decided to just shop normally and store the things she bought once she got home.


    She knew she would have more opportunities to fill out her system with food ingredients in the future, so she wasn''t bothered by it.


    The poor man at the register was so nervous when Rayne came up to pay for the items that he barely mumbled a greeting.


    Rayne was surprised and rather flattered at such a reaction! She couldn''t help but want to tease him a little when she spotted his crimson ears!


    "Thank you sweetie!", smiled Rayne, winking at the man.


    "...You..re...welcome...miss..", the man replied, stuttering, his face turning completely red.


    Walking home Rayne realized she made a mistake. She knew the walk back home to her apartment would only be 15 to 20 minutes, but she didn''t take her heels into account. After only about 5 minutes of walking, her feet were blistering and in pain.


    Rayne walked over to a small public bench on the side of the street and sat down. She took her heels off discreetly and looked at the small red blisters that had formed on her soles.


    Rayne pretended to place her heels into her backpack while in fact, she placed them in the trash bin of her system (since she had a copy of them stored already).


    While she sat on the bench to allow her feet to get some rest, she decided to open her system''s holographic screen.


    While scrolling through the many icons on the screen, Rayne noticed that there seemed to be a new additional feature! She could now create a folder and labels for her icons! She was very happy to see this because she had spent the last few minutes endlessly scrolling searching for a more comfortable pair of shoes.


    She had stopped by a large shoe store at the mall and had stored dozens of pairs of shoes in her size. Some of the shoes she didn''t even look at. She simply opened the box just enough to fit her hand in, storing them in her system.


    This new folder system would let her organize her items within the system panel so that she could find the items she needed much quicker.


    Since she was already looking at shoes, Rayne decided to make her first folder labeled ''Shoes'', and placed any relevant shoe icons into the folder. She decided that once she got home she would create more folders for her other items, and take the time to fully organize her inventory.


    A few minutes later Rayne finally came across a comfortable pair of flat sandals. The material they were made from was very soft and they were designed more for comfort than beauty. Using the backpack once more as a cover, she took a copy of the shoes out of her system.


    Feeling refreshed and in more comfortable footwear, Rayne picked up all of her shopping bags and continued walking home. When she made it to the entrance of her apartment building she was greeted by two elderly women.


    "Ah Welcome back Rayne, we are so happy to hear that you''ve recovered well!", said one of the elderly women. She was seated on a small bench that was located under a big oak tree that was at the front of the apartment building.


    The other elderly lady eyed Rayne up and down a few times, looking at the many bags she was holding as well as the new dress she had on.


    "Hmph! Look at her beautiful face and figure! Are you certain she was in the hospital due to a car accident? To me, it seems like she went to see a cosmetic surgeon! I''ve never met a person who came back looking more beautiful after getting hit by a car!".


    The first elderly woman frowned hearing her friend say such a thing out loud. She knew Rayne for a few years now and knew her personality. She turned to her friend and said, "Well if you don''t believe Rayne, then believe my words! My niece is a nurse at the hospital, and she was the one who informed me of the accident!".


    Rayne walked over to the two ladies, "Good evening Mrs. Li, and Mrs. Barton. Are you finishing up your post-dinner walk?".


    Rayne then turned to the first grandma who spoke, "I''ve recovered very well Mrs. Li, thank you! I appreciate you keeping everyone informed of the truth on my behalf so that nasty rumors don''t get spread around".


    She turned to look at the other elderly woman, "I greatly appreciate your compliment, Mrs. Barton. My complexion has indeed improved noticeably since I''ve been hospitalized. The doctors and nurses at the hospital must have great skill to help me recover to a state that''s even better than before!".


    Rayne excused herself and walked inside.


    Mrs. Barton''s face turned sour but she couldn''t refute. She knew that Grandma Li''s niece did, in fact, work at the hospital, and knew that Grandma Li wouldn''t lie about the matter. Still, she thought that Rayne''s changes were too great. Rayne had become too beautiful, even her aura changed.


    Rayne took a deep breath entering her apartment. She knew that the elderly Mrs. Barton had always had a slightly more difficult personality, but she didn''t expect to get called out like that. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She decided not to dwell on it and went inside to place the food ingredients into the refrigerator as well as her system. She felt tired from all the walking and shopping she did today so she decided to relax for the rest of the evening.


    She went to take a hot shower and put on her favorite comfy pajamas before curling up on the couch.


    Rayne turned on the TV for some background noise and decided to take the time to organize her system. She first made a bunch of general folders--Food, Clothing, Bedding, Shoes, Stationary, Money, etc. Then inside the folders, she made more subfolders, for example inside the Food folder, she made subfolders called: Meats, Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Canned Food, Dairy, Prepared Food, etc.


    She spent a few hours making the folders and subfolders while organizing her current items to their respective locations.


    By the time she finished organizing, it was already very dark outside. She got up and stretched, happy about her newly organized system and a decent amount of items.


    She looked around her living room and realized that she hadn''t stored any of the items or furniture she already had! Up until now the largest item she had placed into her system was the long evening gown she purchased earlier today.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if the system had some sort of limit to the size of the items that could be stored.


    She walked around a few times looking for a good object to use as an experiment when her eyes landed on her large flat-screen TV. She walked up to the TV and placed one hand on the corner, concentrating really hard.


    She realized that it was a lot more difficult and her face paled. Rayne didn''t want to give up and continued to concentrate. A few moments later a sharp stabbing pain spread through her head. It was so painful that moments later she passed out, falling to the ground.


    That night Rayne spent the night on the floor in front of where her TV stood. She was currently experiencing a really bad nightmare--


    She was standing outside of her apartment building except there was chaos everywhere. Many of the widows were broken with glass shards covering the ground. She turned her head and saw a man slap his wife so hard she fell over only to turn and eat the last few biscuits that were in the small bag.


    Rayne tried to run over to the woman to help her up but realized she couldn''t move. She tried to yell at the man, but no one heard her.


    Different scenes kept flashing before her, and people were killing each other for a single piece of bread! A young man smashed through a window and robbed an elderly couple of all their food. Another scene showed children shoving handfuls of dirt in their mouths just to fill their bellies.


    She wasn''t sure what was happening and why the world was in chaos, but at that moment all she wanted to do was run and hide!


    Rayne woke up gasping! Realizing that she was on the cold living room floor only a few moments later.


    "What happened to me? I remember trying to store the TV and then a sharp pain made it difficult to concentrate... I must''ve passed out".


    Rayne got up off the floor and noticed the empty space where the TV was originally standing.


    "At least after all that effort I managed to store the TV..", she mumbled.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Bucket List

    Rayne was still a bit shaken from the nightmare and decided to go make a cup of herbal tea to help calm herself.


    The tea was hot and just after a few sips, Rayne felt a bit warmer and relaxed. She pushed the nightmare out of her thoughts, deciding not to dwell on something so horrific. She didn''t want to concern herself with something that wasn''t real anyway.


    She went back to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. After looking through her ingredients she decided on a simple omelet and a side of toast.


    Rayne played some upbeat music from her phone while she cooked. Soon a wonderful aroma spread through the apartment making Rayne do a little happy dance.


    After eating breakfast, Rayne was at a loss for what to do. She was currently jobless due to the year-long coma she was in, so she had a lot of free time.


    Previously, before her coma, Rayne worked as an architect at a design firm.


    She had a very strong portfolio and she was often requested by wealthy people wanting to build their luxury dream home, so she wasn''t worried about being unemployed for too long.


    She didn''t want to jump right back to working full-time right after getting her life back in order. She wanted to enjoy as much time as she could so that the year she lost didn''t feel like a total waste.


    She decided to do some of her long-time bucket list items, and first on her list was a self-defense class. She had long wanted to take a self-defense class for two reasons.


    First, it was a good form of exercise, and she felt that a class would be more interesting than just going to a gym to run on the treadmill.


    Second, she''s read too many news articles where girls were either getting kidnapped or robbed on the streets. She felt that if these classes could help her even just a little bit in a tough situation they were worth it.


    Rayne went over to the living room and took out a copy of the TV she barely managed to store.


    Thankfully, taking items out of the system was easy, and never caused her pain or fatigue.


    But she learned a bit more about how her system worked with this TV experiment. It seems that the larger the item the more mental energy it would take to store, progressively getting easier per item stored--similar to a level-up system.


    For example, if Rayne were to store another item with a similar size to the TV, it should be easier to store, getting exponentially easier with each item.


    She walked over to the couch and pulled out her phone to look for trainers who specialize in self-defense. After filtering out the places that were too far away, Rayne was left with only two choices.


    The first website had very flashy advertisements. The trainer looked like he was in his late 20s, showing off his big muscles in all of the photos.


    All of the promotional videos had young women fawning and swooning over him, making Rayne frown.


    The site also had images of his many certificates plastered all over, in between the pictures of his shirtless body.


    She wondered how a single trainer was able to teach self-defense to hundreds of these swooning females properly.


    The second advertisement was a lot simpler, simply a photo of the instructor and a bulleted list of the services he taught. There were no certificates listed nor any flashy photos of the trainers'' muscles.


    Rayne looked closer at the trainer''s photo. He looked to be in his mid-30s and had a good physique. He was wearing an army green t-shirt and didn''t smile in this photo.


    Just looking at the photo, Rayne felt like she was looking at someone who''s been in their fair share of fights.


    The cold glint in his eyes alone told her that he knew what real fights, and difficult situations, looked like.


    Making her choice, Rayne dialed the number on the website. A deep masculine voice answered after a few rings.


    "Hello?"


    Rayne felt a little intimidated but tried to not let it get to her, "Hello, I saw your advertisement for self-defense classes and was looking to sign up".


    "Hmm, okay. How soon do you want to start?", asked the deep voice on the other end of the phone.


    "I can start as early as today I guess", answered Rayne.


    "Good. Come today to the address on the website at 2 pm. Don''t be late".


    Rayne then heard a beep and looked at her phone, seeing the ''Call Ended'' notification. She shook her head seeing this, figuring the trainer was someone who didn''t enjoy talking much.


    Looking at the time Rayne saw that she still had a few hours to spend before heading out to her new class. She decided to take the time to find a few more bucket list items to do, while she had the time.


    Laying on the couch and thinking, the first thing that came to Rayne''s mind was camping! She''s always been very interested in camping and even watched a number of solo camping videos on the internet!


    The only issue with camping- at least the kind she wanted to do, was that all of the equipment needed was very costly. She couldn''t justify spending that amount on items that she would only use a few times a year at most.


    Now that she had her heaven-defying cheat system, she could go to a camping store and just make copies of any item she needed--for free!!!


    Rayne sat up excited at this! She immediately wrote down ''camping'' on her notepad, while thinking of the best places to go to get these camping items.


    There was a big camping and outdoor superstore in the neighboring city. It wasn''t too far away, only about 30-40 minutes by car.


    Rayne debated whether or not she wanted to make a trip there now, but she decided against the idea because she didn''t want to be pressed on time.


    Instead, Rayne did some research online about good camping spots in her area.


    She found a park that looked very pretty in the pictures that were posted online, along with great camping facilities.


    What really drew Rayne to this park was that it was somewhat mountainous, and had scenic trails that lead through a few waterfalls!


    Rayne decided on this spot and called up the park to book a campsite.


    Luckily, even though it was peak camping season, someone canceled and Rayne managed to get a 3-day 2 2-night reservation for this upcoming weekend.


    She decided that she would take a trip to the camping and outdoor superstore tomorrow to stock up on camping items. She wasn''t really sure what she would need outside of the basic tent and sleeping bag.


    But she figured she would just try and put as many things as possible into her space so that she would have what she needed when the time came.


    The day went by quickly, and it was already past noon. Rayne wasn''t in the mood to cook anything so she just searched her system for something pre-made.


    She ended up choosing the lamb kebab from the food stall, thinking that it really was delicious!


    While she was chewing on the lamb kebab Rayne was scrolling through her ''Clothing'' folder on the system screen. She was looking for a suitable outfit for her upcoming self-defense class. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What she found was an all-black pair of sports leggings and a matching sporty tank top. She also pulled out a pair of white sneakers and a white sports bra.


    After changing into her sports attire Rayne grabbed her phone, keys, and backpack and walked out. She ordered a taxi and gave the driver the address of the gym that was posted on the website.


    As she got closer to the location, Rayne was starting to feel a little nervous. She prayed that she wasn''t walking into some scam head first. Everything about the website felt fake and the instructor looked like he could be a criminal.


    Rayne took a deep breath while stepping out of the taxi. She looked up at the building where the gym was and she was surprised to see that it looked relatively new or renovated!


    The gym was on the second floor of the building across from a ballet studio. The location helped Rayne calm her nerves because she was initially picturing some dark back alley location.


    Rayne walked up to the second floor and stood in front of the entry to the gym. The sign was very minimalistic, just black text on a white background that read "Brent''s Gym".


    She walked in and looked at the space. There was a small washroom on the right side next to another room with a closed door. The rest of the space was just a large hall with different kinds of floor mats, with a few training dummies in the corner. There were large mirrors covering the walls on one side of the hall making the room feel a lot bigger.


    Rayne looked at the time and it was 1:45 pm, she arrived 15 minutes early. She decided to wait by the entrance, but a few seconds later the closed door opened and two men walked out. One of the men she recognized as Brent, the instructor, by his online photo.


    The other man was very big, buff, and somewhat intimidating. Initially, she felt that her instructor was very intimidating, however, compared to this other man he felt rather normal.

 Chapter 11 - 11: Self Defense

    Rayne looked over at the intimidating man, her eyes drawn to his red hair. He had a stern expression and was talking to Brent as if giving orders.


    "Boss wants to go to the underground auction that''s in a few weeks. I''m going to need you to be there as backup", said the large man.


    "I''ll be there Ian, don''t worry", replied Brent.


    Just as Ian was about to continue, he noticed Rayne standing at the entrance.


    "You never told me you got a girlfriend Brent!", said Ian while looking at Brent.


    "What? I don''t have a girlfriend. She must be the one who wanted to take self dense classes", replied Brent as he turned to look at Rayne.


    The two men walked over to where Rayne was standing. They both looked at her, scanning her up and down, when Brent frowned.


    "Hmm, you spent too much time sitting. Your muscles look even more underdeveloped than the average person".


    Instead of getting angry or upset Rayne laughed! "Yes, you''re quite correct! My muscles are indeed underdeveloped, but the reason is not because I spend my days sitting around. I actually just recently woke up from a year long coma".


    Brent looked a little awkward after hearing the explanation, he cleared his throat a few times to try and mask his embarrassment.


    "Ah I see, forgive me for assuming incorrectly".


    Ian looked over at Rayne after she mentioned being in a coma. His younger brother had just mentioned that Dr. Weston''s only daughter had just woken up from a coma not long ago. Ian doubted that this girl was the same person. He had received a photo of Dr. Weston''s daughter on the day of her accident, and the girl in the photo looked very weak, almost invisible. But the girl standing in front of him now was quite radiant, giving off a strong lively aura. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shrugging it off, Ian patted Brent''s shoulder saying, "Don''t forget about what we talked about earlier, I need you there". Then he pushed open the door and walked out of the gym.


    After Ian left, Rayne looked up at her instructor meeting his eyes.


    "Before we begin, let me ask you a few questions so I have a better understanding of how to teach you. First, what are you trying to gain by coming here?", questioned Brent.


    Rayne replied rather straightforwardly, "My main desire is to learn some self defense. I want to be able to protect myself if I were to ever find myself in a difficult situation".


    Brent nodded at her response, "Good, good. What I will teach you is something you can use in the real world, not flashy moves that look cool but are useless in a fight. However, we will have to start slowly to give your body time to rebuild some muscle".


    After the chat, Brent led Rayne to the section of the gym that had the floor mats and began instructing her on basic stances and positions.


    Rayne was surprised that even though these moves required very little movement, they were quite strenuous on her body. She was soon covered in sweat but she was feeling great!


    Brent was indeed a great instructor! He was able to see places that she struggled in and offered effective solutions.


    Soon the 2 hour session ended and Rayne was exhausted, laying on the floor trying to catch her breath.


    "You did very well today. To be honest I didn''t think you''d be able to hold up", laughed Brent, passing Rayne some water.


    "Thanks", replied Rayne. She was doing her best trying to try and catch her breath.


    "Since this is your first day of heavy physical activity, let''s schedule your next lesson next week to give your body time to rest. Afterwards we can plan lessons twice a week", said Brent.


    "Sure thing! I''ll see you at the same time next week!", replied Rayne happily. She was happy she gave Brent a chance. After the lesson today she knew for sure that she would gain a lot from his lessons.


    Rayne dragged her exhausted body back home and ran a hot bath to relax her aching muscles. While soaking in the bathtub, she mentally went over her to-do list for tomorrow. She planned on going to the outdoor camping superstore, but realized that it would be rather inconvenient traveling there if she relied on a taxi or public transportation. She decided that she would go and rent a car, she would need one for her camping trip this weekend anyway.


    After finishing her bath, she rinsed off and got ready for bed. She was so tired that she wasn''t even hungry, which was very rare. The moment she touched her bed she fell asleep, sleeping deeply through the night.


    ---


    In a dark underground room a handsome man sat staring at another man who was tied up, laying on the ground. There were men in black suits surrounding the man who was sitting on a wooden chair, armed with weapons.


    Julian slowly leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his thighs andi his fingers supporting his chin. There was no warmth in his eyes. His eye reflected a cold glint, conveying the deep hate he was currently feeling.


    "Enlighten me once more on how you ''didn''t mean'' to kill one of my men", Julian asked the man who was laying on the ground.


    The man on the ground shivered, replying meekly, "I...I really....It was an accident.. I swear! I thought he was the enemy!".


    "Hahaha!", Julian laughed loudly, sending a shiver down everyone''s spine. "Ian, could you show this poor man the surveillance footage, so that he could get his story right?".


    Ian opened the laptop that he was holding and placed it on the floor in front of the tied up man. The video was taken from a hidden angle, only a few people knew of this camera''s existence.


    In the video, the man who was currently tied up, walked up to another man and pointed towards a car that was parked in the parking garage they were both in. The man seemed surprised and ran up to the car, pulling out his gun. Just as he was going to peek inside the car, the first man sneaked up behind and stabbed him in the back with a large combat knife.


    The man kept stabbing until he was sure the man was dead, and ran away.


    After watching the video the man on the floor shook. He had no idea there was a secret camera! He made sure that all of the cameras in the parking garage were disabled, but didn''t think there were hidden ones!


    Julian let out a chilling smile seeing the man''s reaction. "Well I''m glad I could at least refresh your memory. Now, tell me where Damian is hiding and I might let you live".


    Hearing this the man snapped, "HA! Do you think you''re even worthy of seeing my boss? Go ahead and kill me! I will never tell you where he is!! But let me tell you, he has something big planned, and it''s going to change the world!! Hahahah!!!...ahh...".


    Julian put his gun back into the holster after shooting the man. His cold aura freezing everyone in place. Only Ian walked over to where Julian was sitting, placing his hand on his shoulder.


    "We will find him boss", said Ian resolutely.


    "Mmhm, and when we do I''ll be sure to kill him myself", replied Julian.


    ---


    The next morning Rayne woke up refreshed, even though her muscles were very sore. She was excited to go to the outdoor camping store and fill her system up with more items!


    She put on some comfortable clothes, grabbed her keys and wallet and left the house.


    She was craving coffee this morning and realized that she hasn''t stored any coffee in her system yet! One of Rayne''s favorite cafes was on the way to the car rental place and she decided to stop in on the way.


    Opening the door to the caf¨¦, a very pleasant scent greeted Rayne. She walked in and ordered all of her favorite drinks and pastries, making the girl at the counter think Rayne was buying coffee for her office.


    Rayne ended up ordering 10 different drinks, both hot and iced, as well as 6 different pastries. Thankfully the items were all packed neatly into two large paper bags, making it easy for Rayne to carry.


    Rayne left the caf¨¦ and walked a few steps down the road to a relatively secluded area. She placed the two bags down and squatted over them for some extra cover. Rayne then reached her hand into each bag and stored each drink and pastry into her system one by one. She replaced the contents back in the bag to avoid suspicion but she wasn''t in the mood to carry all these drinks around with her.


    Just then Rayne thought of the small homeless community that lived in the alley downtown and decided to give these two bags to them. She wished that she had stored some blankets in her system so that she could give those as well but unfortunately she did not.


    She pulled out another bag from her system and filled it with water bottles, street food, and even a few bars of soap she got at the hospital. She then went to deliver the three bags of goods to the small homeless community.


    "Hi, I have a few items I would like to gift you all. These two bags contain different kinds of coffee drinks and pastries, while this bag here has a couple of water bottles, street food and daily necessities. Please accept them!", said Rayne to the people who were sitting down on old blankets.


    The people looked at her with joy, "Oh thank you miss! We accept! We accept!".


    They then came over to the bags and passed around the items, thankfully there was more than enough for everyone so there weren''t any arguments.

 Chapter 12 - 12: Camp Supplies

    Rayne continued to the car rental location, feeling more determined to fill her system with items after her encounter with the homeless community. This experience gave her good insight on how she could be helpful to her community with the help of her system.


    The car rental location was inside of a large fancy hotel.


    Rayne walked through the grand lobby, taking in all of the beautiful art and architecture. Before long she found herself in front of the service counter.


    "Hello, I''m here to pick up a rental car. I made a reservation online", said Rayne to the older man behind the counter.


    "Sure thing miss! May I please see an ID?", replied the older man.


    Rayne gave him her ID and signed the relevant papers. A few minutes later she was standing in the parking garage with a set of keys in her hand.


    "Well it couldn''t hurt to put these into the system as well", said Rayne looking at the keys.


    The man at the service counter told Rayne that her rental car was in parking spot #308, so Rayne spent a few minutes walking around the garage.


    Having finally found the car, Rayne was pleasantly surprised! Online when she was booking the rental, it stated that she would be getting a smaller compact car. But the one in front of her was a larger SUV, and even had tinted windows!


    Rayne had previously owned a car, so she was a good driver.


    She decided to sell the car not long before her accident to save some money for her wedding, but now she was feeling a little regretful.


    Rayne sat down in the SUV and adjusted the seats and mirrors to her preference. She took advantage of the tinted windows to take out a copy of her favorite vanilla iced coffee. Taking a sip she felt energized and happy!


    The drive to the camping and outdoor superstore was very nice, and relatively quick. Soon she found herself in front of the store.


    "No wonder they call themselves a superstore, this place is massive!".


    She walked in with determination to store as many items as possible!


    Rayne made her way to the isle where the tents were, placing a box from every tent into her system. She did her best to choose a box that was further back on the self so that it would seem like she''s looking through the boxes.


    As usual, she replaced the item she stored immediately.


    She continued to the next aisle where there were tarps, tent hooks, covers and other tent related accessories.


    Continuing like this she made her way around storing different types of sleeping bags, coolers, blankets, weatherproof clothing, foldable tables and chairs, propane and electric lanterns, etc.


    By the time she made it over to the outdoor kitchen section she had already stored hundreds of items.


    In the kitchen supplies section she stored camping stoves, propane refill cylinders of every available size, pots, pans, knives, water packs, water purifiers etc.


    Rayne even found larger items such as wood stoves that were designed to use with certain tents. She was a little worried about storing such a large item, but tried it anyway.


    Soon a familiar dull pain spread through her head, but thankfully it went away after a few minutes. This gave Rayne the okay to store more items of larger sizes!


    She continued on storing full size and tabletop grills, different types of generators and even foldable solar panels!


    Rayne made her way around the store, storing everything. Her ability to use the system got better and better, and soon she no longer felt any pain when storing larger items.


    She stood in the final section of the store, the clothing and shoe section.


    Previously Rayne would only look for clothes in her size to store, but after her encounter with the homeless community she decided to store clothing in a variety of different sizes.


    She also had to be a lot more careful storing items because there were a lot of people shopping in the clothing department.


    After thinking for a moment Rayne went over to where the shopping carts were and grabbed one. She then walked around and filled the shopping cart with random clothing, creating a large messy pile inside her cart.


    Using the messy pile of clothing as cover, Rayne added a new clothing item, and stored one from the pile. This way she would keep the illusion of filling her shopping cart, without drawing attention to what she was actually doing.


    She walked from one clothing rack to another, storing clothing from tank tops to weatherproof winter coats. She went from the women''s section over to the men''s and repeated the process. She didn''t forget to work her way through the shoe section, adding many different kinds of boots.


    When Rayne finished she pushed her cart to the entrance of the fitting rooms and sneaked away.


    On her way out of the store, Rayne picked out a few small items to purchase. She spent a lot of time in the store and it would seem odd if she didn''t buy anything.


    She picked up a small set of thermos cups and soup containers (which she already had in her system), and made her way over to the registers, picking up a few bags of beef jerky on the way.


    After she paid, she walked back to her rental car and headed home.


    ---


    "Baaabeee, when are you going to pay me back?", Krissy pouted. She was trying to free herself from Dillon''s embrace.


    "Soon babe, I promise. The bank has already launched an investigation into my account and they promised to return my money soon", replied Dillon, calmly lying without a change of expression.


    He tightened his grip around Krissy, kissing her on her neck.


    "Once this whole issue gets solved, I have a nice surprise for you".


    Hearing his sweet talk, Krissy''s eyes lit up and she stopped struggling. "Don''t tell me you ordered the limited edition purse I''ve been talking about!", she exclaimed.


    "Now, now, it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if I were to tell you. Now would it?", whispered Dillon as he unzipped her dress.


    Dillon was no longer as worried about his lack of money because a few nights ago he ran into a guy who offered him a high paying job. The man told him that all he had to do was hold onto a package, then pass it to another man the following week. The man offered to pay Dillon 10,000 dollars, making Dillon excitedly accept the job.


    Now Dillon only had to wait a few more days, and he''ll have the money he needed to party again.


    Krissy, feeling excited about the surprise, gave in to Dillon''s desires and turned around to kiss him. "Just be quick, I''m already late for work", she moaned.


    Recently Dillon''s sexual urges increased to a whole new level, causing Krissy to have to endure his poundings more often.


    When they first started dating, Dillon was very gentle with her, and always made sure that she was enjoying sex. But now he was like a fiend, demanding more and caring less.


    Krissy was still okay with it because he was her ticket to getting new luxury purses and jewelry, which was all she really wanted.


    Soon sounds of moving furniture could be heard due to Dillon''s rough thrusts. He flipped Krissy over on the couch so that she would face him. He lifted both of her legs over his shoulders and thrusted his hard cock forcefully inside of her, driving her into the couch.


    Krissy cried out with every thrust making him only more excited, causing him to increase his pace.


    ---


    Before driving all the way home, Rayne decided to stop by the homeless community once more. She parked her car by the alley and began filling up a few hiking backpacks with blankets, warm clothes of varying sizes, warm socks, water bottles, and packets of beef jerky.


    It took Rayne a few trips back and forth from the car to deliver everything. Along with the filled backpacks, Rayne also passed out a few tents and other relevant items she felt they could use.


    She wished she could do more to help these people get off the streets, but for now hopefully what she passed out could at least make them slightly more comfortable.


    "Ah miss, its you again! Thank you so much, you are really so kind", an elderly lady said while wiping the tears from her eyes. She was getting older and it was difficult for her to move around much, so the few items she had were all torn and barely usable.


    Her tent had many holes in it, causing her to get wet when it rained. She also used a large men''s coat as a blanket because she didn''t have one. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne helped the old woman set up the new tent she brought. She also gave the lady extra sleeping bags to make sleeping a little bit more comfortable.


    When she finished, the old woman wouldn''t stop crying while thanking her.


    Rayne felt undeserving of the thanks because she didn''t really help them out of their homelessness, she only made it a tiny bit more comfortable.

 Chapter 13 - 13: Invitation

    Rayne walked into her living room and laid down on her couch. She was a little tired after all the walking she did at the camping store, but overall she was happy with todays ''harvest''.


    Her system was now filled with any kind of outdoor/camping item she could think of, making her even more excited for her solo camping trip!


    While she laid on the couch and organized her system via the holographic screen, she felt her phone vibrate.


    Sitting up, she looked at her phone seeing a text message from a girl she went to university with.


    Hey Rayne, it''s Ella from University! I hope you''re doing well. I''m contacting you because I would like to invite you to PRISMA''s architectural gala. I remember that you were always very talented in your designs and this event could help you establish a few strong connections in the industry. I believe REN Corp is planning on doing some sort of event there too.


    The event is next Tuesday at 7pm. Let me know if you''re interested!


    Rayne read the message a few times. She remembered Ella!


    Ella was the typical quiet girl in class who always sat by the window and kept to herself. She was even more introverted than Rayne at that time so everyone usually left her alone.


    Rayne had one day decided to stay late in her design class and accidentally stumbled upon Ella''s designs. They were very unique and creative, much better than the designs of the so-called ''top students'' who always flaunted their work.


    "This should be interesting, I should go", said Rayne as she tapped the reply button on her phone.


    Rayne spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. It had started raining outside, cooling down the hot summer heat. The rain was pitter pattering softly against the windows, creating a relaxing ambiance.


    After a few hours of watching outdoor camping videos and eating snacks from her system, Rayne finally succumbed to sleep.


    She found herself in the same nightmare she had earlier, the only difference was that this time she was aware she was in a dream.


    The scenes that played before her were just as awful as they were last time.


    People were huddled together around a small open fire. They were all desperate for the warmth coming from the fire, uncaring if their frostbitten hands got burned by the open flames.


    One mother was holding her young child while softly crying in the corner. There was no happiness, no hope, only suffering on the peoples faces.


    There was only a little snow on the ground, but the temperature was colder than Rayne had ever experienced before.


    The luckier people were huddled around an old wood burning stove and wrapped in worn out blankets. They were taking turns sipping on hot water they made by boiling the snow on the ground.


    All of the people around were covered in dirt or dried blood. The cold temperatures made everyone too scared to bathe or even wipe themselves, causing many to get sick for reasons other than the cold temperatures.


    Soft cries mixed with coughing could be heard within every group of people. The ones who weren''t sick kept their heads down, knowing that their turn would be coming up next.


    Rayne took in everyone''s hopeless expression and a chill ran down her.


    "What is happening? Why am I seeing these horrific scenes?!", yelled Rayne. She collapsed to the ground and started crying.


    Rayne woke up with a few small tears in her eyes. "Why do I keep having these horrible nightmares? I used to never really get nightmares". Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rain outside picked up in intensity turning into a storm. The streaks of lightning lit up the dark apartment in bright flashes and the thunder made it feel like the building was shaking.


    Rayne got up feeling a bit unnerved. She stood up rubbing her arms, feeling cold.


    Walking over to the kitchen, she decided to make a hot cup of tea. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a jar of chamomile tea. The tea released a very nice and calming aroma, helping Rayne ease her nerves.


    While the water boiled for the tea, Rayne decided to take a hot shower to help warm herself up. She couldn''t shake the cold feeling she felt in her nightmare, it chilled her down to the bone.


    The hot water poured over her body, making her delicate skin turn red. Rayne stood under the running water until she began to feel warm again.


    After the hot shower went back to the kitchen to drink the tea she prepared.


    Having warmed up and calmed down, Rayne finally felt her stomach growl. She pulled up the holographic system screen and looked through the ''Prepared Foods'' folder to see if she had anything warming.


    She scrolled through the list until she found the one thing she wanted, soup. Rayne frowned looking at the icon of the only soup she had stored, the hospital soup.


    "Nope! I''m not going to force myself to drink that again! Looks like I''ll have to add better soup options to my system.", said Rayne to herself as she walked over to the refrigerator.


    She pulled out some ground chicken, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, rice and chicken broth. First, she took a little bit of rice and cooked it to about half doneness. She took that half cooked rice and mixed it with the ground chicken, added spices, and formed small meatballs.


    In a pot she added some butter then threw in the diced onion, carrot, and celery that she prepped while the rice cooked. About 5 minutes later she poured in the chicken broth and waited until it came to a boil.


    Once the soup started boiling, she added the meatballs as well as some diced potatoes. The soup boiled for about 15 minutes before Rayne added the fresh chopped parsley.


    Before pouring herself a bowl, Rayne decided to add the pot of soup to her system first. She figured this could help her in the future if she ever had to cook for others.


    She poured herself a bowl and stored it once more, for convenience sake.


    The soup was hot and delicious! Made with simple ingredients and fresh herbs, it warmed the body and soothed the stomach. Rayne ate it with much relish, sipping even the last bits of broth.


    Having a full belly and time before heading to bed, Rayne decided to spend more time in the kitchen preparing various dishes to store in her system. She made dumplings, salads, pasta dishes and a few different baked desserts!


    Satisfied with her now better stocked system, Rayne went to bed.


    The next morning Rayne woke up early. She was happy to see that the rain had stopped, replaced by the bright summer sun.


    Soon various hiking backpacks could be seen being filled with clothing. Rayne spent about an hour preparing for her upcoming camping trip. She wanted to have enough items packed so that it wouldn''t be suspicious if she had to pull items out of her system.


    As Rayne walked out of the apartment building, carrying a large hiking backpack and a cooler, she heard a snark.


    "Looks like our pretty princess is still on vacation mode. Do tell us working folk, where are you heading off to now?", old Mrs. Barton sneered. She was enjoying the sun on the bench in front of the building, when she saw Rayne walk out with an expensive new cooler in her hand.


    As soon as she saw this cooler her jealousy took over! She had been wanting this cooler for a long time!


    Her husband used to work as a fisherman, and had always had a fondness for fish. Because he usually requests to eat fish a few times a week, she ends up taking long trips to the fish market in the neighboring city regularly.


    This cooler was designed for comfort, style and reliability. She could place many fish in it and not worry about transporting them over such a long distance.


    Because of this, she''s been asking her son to buy her this cooler. But after discovering the super high price, she knew her son wouldn''t spend that much on her.


    "Hello Mrs. Barton", replied Rayne calmly. "I am indeed going out for a few days. The doctor told me to take my time adjusting to society, and recommended that I spent more time surrounded by nature. Therefore, I''ve decided to go camping".


    "I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day", said Rayne as she continued on her way to the rental car.


    She wasn''t sure why she kept getting targeted by Old Lady Barton, but she made a mental note to try and avoid her in the future.


    Rayne finally made it over to her rental car that was parked in the parking lot beside her apartment building. She was glad that she decided to only bring down one backpack and cooler, else she felt her arms would fall off.


    She sat down in the driver''s seat and reached back to place some tents, tarps, and a grill on the back seat. With everything in order, she set her navigation system to the park!

 Chapter 14 - 14: Camping

    When Rayne finally made it over to the park, it was already midafternoon. Thankfully the sun was shining, drying up the puddles from the previous day''s rain.


    Rayne walked over to the service desk and was greeted by the park ranger.


    "Hello! Welcome to Three Falls Park! How may I help you today?", asked the park ranger. She was a middle aged woman with short brown hair. Her most notable feature was her great height!


    Rayne looked up at the woman thinking that she was at least 6ft tall!


    "Hello! I have a reservation for a campground. Here is my ID", said Rayne while placing her ID on the counter.


    "Oh perfect, let''s get you checked in!", replied the park ranger.


    "Lets see, we have you reserved for lot 48. It''s in a great spot, very close to one of the larger waterfalls in our park!", she said, smiling at Rayne.


    The park ranger handed over the receipt and the parking pass, along with a coupon to the small campground store.


    Lastly, she handed Rayne a small booklet, "Here is a booklet with our parks rules and regulations, as well as a fold out map of the park. Please enjoy your stay!".


    Rayne walked back to her car, opening the booklet to take a look at the park map. Her lot was on the east side of the park, on the outskirts of the designated camping area.


    She decided to stop by the small campground store on the way to her campsite. The store was indeed small, selling a mix of food items and small camping equipment like flashlights and batteries.


    Rayne walked through the store filling her cart with random snacks and items she didn''t have in her system. She grabbed a can of all her favorite sodas, ice cream bars, instant soup packets and of course items for smores!


    The mean looking lady at the register glanced at Rayne with a judgmental look when she saw how many items Rayne picked out. Without saying a greeting she began to scan the items, making the atmosphere a little stiff.


    Rayne got back to her rental car, holding a few bags of items she had just purchased. Sitting down in the driver''s seat, she pulled out the map once more and memorized the route to her campsite.


    She drove through the scenic forest admiring the beauty of the tall trees and small wildlife. A few fluffy rabbits scattered as they heard the car approach. Rayne was so excited to see the small, cute creatures and hoped to see more around her campsite!


    Before long she spotted a wooden pole with a sign on it that said "Campsite 48". Raye drove her car directly on to the campground and got out of the car.


    The campsite was larger than what she had expected! It was surrounded by very tall trees and small plants.


    She noticed a large stream flowing with crystal clear water just a few steps down from her campsite.


    After walking around her campsite she began to unpack and set up her tent. She looked around her system to see the different kinds of tent options she had stored. After clicking on the "Tents" folder she was shocked at how many different options she had!


    There were micro 1 person tents all the way to blow-up castle options!


    "Hmm, I should have looked through these before I got here", mumbled Rayne. Since Rayne stored the items with their packaging on, she could only go off of the small picture that was on each tent box.


    She scrolled some more before giving up. "I have no idea which one to choose! I guess I''ll just choose whatever the 12th tent is in the list!".


    Rayne scrolled down the list from the top, and counted until the 12th icon. Without even glancing at what kind of tent it was, she clicked the icon and began to set it up.


    Twenty minutes later Rayne began to regret her decision. The tent in front of her looked more like a house! It was an enormous, three room, inflatable glamping tent! The only benefit was that it was an inflatable type tent, making the set up very easy after the initial stage of spreading it out.


    She walked inside when it finished inflating and was stunned! She could easily stand inside this tent! She even reckoned that the tall park ranger who checked her in, could stand comfortably inside of this tent!


    As Rayne was marveling at the tent she randomly chose she heard some people talking outside.


    "Mom! Mom! Look at that tent!!! It''s like a house!", a young boy shouted excitedly.


    Rayne walked out of her tent and saw some people setting up in the neighboring lot. A young boy around 10 or 11 years old was staring at her tent excitedly.


    "Luke! Please don''t yell, we need to be respectful of our neighbors! Do you remember what I told you in the car? People come here to relax, and we need to keep our voices down", said a woman who was dragging a tent from her car.


    The woman placed the tent on the ground and walked over towards Rayne. She maintained a respectful distance and apologized for her son''s shouting. "I really apologize, I am camping here with three boys, and I will try my best to make sure they keep the shouting to a minimum.


    Rayne walked over smiling. "Hello, I''m Rayne, and I am solo camping. No worries about the noise, I can see the kids are excited to be here".


    "Oh where are my manners? I''m Natalie and my two sons are Luke and Isaac", Natalie said pointing at the boy who shouted, then another boy who was standing beside the car.


    "It''s Isaac''s birthday weekend, and he wanted to go camping with his friend Dave to celebrate", she said smiling then pointing to another boy who was standing next to Isaac.


    "Ah that sounds like so much fun! And happy birthday to your son!" replied Rayne.


    Natalie excused herself saying she needed to set up the tents, while the boys ran around exploring the campground.


    Rayne went back to continue setting up as well. She walked back inside the tent and pulled a number of items out of her system, since she had all this space in her tent.


    She first took out a king size inflatable mattress, followed by an inflatable couch.


    Rayne scratched her head while looking at the couch, she didn''t even know that such a thing existed!


    "Oh well, I guess I''ll just experience glamping", she laughed.


    When Rayne finished setting up her tent, she realized it looked more like a livable house. Her ''bedroom'' had a king size mattress, a super plush sleeping bag, blankets, and even a rug!


    The second room was converted into a mini kitchen with top of the line camping appliances. It had a propane stove that converted into a table, a sink that hooked up to a water reserve and could pump water, and a rack with cooking utensils!


    The ''living room'' felt like an actual living room. The inflatable couch was large enough for three people to sit comfortably, and was decorated with pillows and blankets. There was a collapsible coffee table in front of the couch, which was where Rayne planned on eating.


    The tent even had a collapsible screen that worked with a projector to act as a TV, but Rayne felt that was a little over the top and didn''t use it.


    She walked out of the tent and couldn''t help but look over at her neighbors campsite. Natalie had just finished setting up the second tent and was blowing up the air mattresses.


    The first tent was a very small old tent. It was a very faded yellow color, and a few spots looked like they were torn. The second tent was a bit bigger, looking to fit two or three adults. Rayne figured that the larger tent was for the boys, while Natalie would take the very small tent. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne noticed that they only had one air mattress, most likely for Dave since he was a guest. The rest of them pulled out three worn out sleeping bags from the trunk of their old car.


    Natalie went over back to the car and Rayne overheard the boys talking.


    "Isaac! You promised that I would get to sleep in a big tent! This tent is so small, the three of us will barely fit! If my dad was here, we would have a tent that big!!", Dave said to Isaac, unhappily, pointing to Raynes'' tent.


    "This is a big tent! Mom bought this big tent for us!", replied Isaac, keeping his head down.


    "Yeah! Mom saved a lot of money to buy this tent for us! Look, it''s big, I can stand up inside!", said Luke, standing up in the tent.


    Rayne frowned hearing this, she didn''t want to be the reason why these kids got into an argument. She was also unhappy with this boy! If he was a friend, why would he say such things to him?

 Chapter 15 - 15: Camping 2

    Rayne decided to ignore the situation for now. She felt that if she were to bring this up to Natalie, it might embarrass her. If she heard anything worse she would tell Natalie at that time.


    It was still light out so Rayne decided to take a short walk around before dinner.


    She went back inside her tent to grab the park map and to change into hiking boots.


    The trail Rayne chose was the one that was closest to her campsite. It was a small dirt path that led across the stream and into a wooded area. She checked the map and saw that this trail was the one that led to one of the waterfalls she wanted to go see.


    However it was a somewhat long walk and Rayne didn''t want to be in the woods after dark, so she decided to go see the waterfall tomorrow.


    As she walked she couldn''t help but marvel at how beautiful the nature in this park was. The large rocks and green trees felt like works of art! Feeling inspired Rayne discreetly took out a sketchbook and her trusted drawing pencil from her system. She found a rock that she could sit on comfortably and began to sketch her surroundings.


    There was a nice breeze, allowing the trees and plants to sway beautifully. Small critters ran around scavenging for food, and birds chirped.


    Rayne listened to the sounds of nature and felt very relaxed. She enjoyed sketching so much she found herself sketching designs for a forest cabin, which then turned into a rough set of architectural blueprints!


    She laughed at herself, "Looks like my brain always pivots to creating new designs even when I''m relaxing!".


    She looked up and noticed that the sun was starting to set, giving her the cue to head back to her campsite.


    As she entered the campsite she heard her neighbors sing happy birthday as Natalie held a small chocolate cake.


    Isaac was in the middle of the group smiling, waiting to blow out the candles. When the singing ended, Rayne joined in on the clapping and wished him a happy birthday.


    Feeling festive, Rayne wanted to gift Isaac something and walked back to her tent to see what she could pull out of her system.


    She remembered the tattered old sleeping bags they had and felt that it would be an appropriate gift! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne pulled out a new brand name sleeping bag from her system and walked over to the neighboring campsite. As she walked closer she saw Isaac opening a gift from his mother. It was a handheld gaming device that was popular with kids!


    "Wow! It''s the newest one! Thanks mom!!", Isaac cried out happily. Natalie smiled seeing how happy her son was with the gift. She had to work overtime for a few months to save up for this gaming device, but seeing her son so happy was worth it.


    Rayne came over smiling, "Happy birthday Isaac! I know it''s not anything too exciting but I''d like to give you a gift too".


    "Oh! Please Rayne, you really don''t have to", said Natalie, rejecting the gift.


    "I insist. It was something I had extra of and didn''t plan on using. Hearing that it''s your son''s birthday I felt that it must be fate, so please allow me to gift it to him", explained Rayne cheerfully.


    She handed Isaac the box and watched him open it.


    "Oh wow! It''s a brand new sleeping bag! Look how soft it is!", exclaimed Isaac.


    "Isaac, be sure to thank Miss Rayne for the gift, it was incredibly nice of her", said Natalie.


    Isaac turned to Rayne with a big smile on his face, "Thank you miss Rayne, I look forward to sleeping on this tonight!".


    Rayne smiled and nodded. The boys ran back into their tent to play with the new gaming console, and Natalie turned over to Rayne.


    "Thank you again for your gift, I can tell that the sleeping bag was not a cheap one. Could I invite you to join us for dinner tonight?", asked Natalie.


    Rayne thought about it, and felt that it might be fun and agreed. "Let me bring over a few ingredients. I bought way too many for myself anyways".


    Rayne stood up and jogged back to her tent before Natalie could stop her. She pulled up the holographic system screen and began to scroll through her food options.


    Natalie was grilling hotdogs, so Rayne decided to take out a few bags of chips, a few cans of soda, and a few fruit cups that she got from the hospital. She placed the items in a bag and brought them over to Natalie''s campsite.


    When Natalie saw all the things Rayne brought over she said, "Why did you bring so many things over? I invited you over, but here we are eating all of your food!".


    Rayne smiled, "Please, you are helping me out by eating it! How could I possibly finish all of these snacks on my own?". She placed the items out on the table for everyone to enjoy.


    The kids inside the tent heard the commotion and came over to the table. "Wow Mom! We got so many snacks!! This is the best birthday ever!", shouted Isaac. He reached over to grab a bag of chips and a soda. The other two boys followed his lead.


    Natalie saw this scene and smiled. She saw the boys run back into their tent with the snacks in their hands and yelled, "Boys make sure you leave room for dinner! You can''t just eat snacks, okay?".


    She then turned to Rayne and said, "Thank you. The boys are so happy today. I rarely buy snacks and drinks so this is really special".


    Rayne chatted with Natalie for the rest of the evening, discussing mostly topics about the park and nature.


    When the temperature cooled down, Rayne decided to head back to her tent. She turned on an oil lamp which instantly lit up the inside of her tent in a soft glow.


    She wasn''t tired yet so she pulled out a book she packed earlier and began to read it. Having got so absorbed into the book Rayne lost track of time.


    Crunch! Rayne quietly jumped up from the inflatable couch. She heard the sounds of leaves rustling and twigs crunching.


    She quietly walked out of the tent to take a look around, holding a knife in her hand. Thankfully the moon was out, allowing Rayne to observe her surroundings.


    She looked around and saw a boy walk out from a tent in the neighboring campsite. He walked over to the table, then went to sit by the stream.


    Rayne was worried for the boy''s safety and decided to quietly follow him. She walked over to the table he stopped by first and noticed the handheld gaming console that Isaac got as a present. She decided to pick it up and head over to the boy.


    She walked quietly, trying not to alert him. She wanted to know what he was doing up at this hour of the night.


    As Rayne got closer she realized that it was Dave and heard him mumble, "It''s so unfair that Isaac got the new console game before me. His family is so poor, they shouldn''t be able to afford it! Now all the people at school are going to want to hang out with him and not me".


    Dave then picked up a rock and tossed it into the stream.


    Rayne frowned when she heard him talk. She felt that this boy was not a good friend, and was curious how far he would go.


    Rayne looked at the game console in her hand and thought, Surely he wouldn''t go as far as stealing?


    She quietly walked back to the table and placed the game console on the table after making a copy of it in her system. Then she walked farther back behind a tree to observe the situation while staying hidden.


    Rayne watched Dave throw a few small pebbles into the stream. He looked extremely upset and was venting his emotions by throwing more and more rocks.


    After a few minutes Dave walked back up to the table and grabbed the console. He stood there looking at it with jealousy and hatred.


    What Rayne did not expect was that after Dave fiddled with the game console, he walked down to the stream and threw it right into the water.


    Rayne was so angry!


    "This boy needs to be taught a lesson, such an awful character at such a young age is really heartbreaking!".


    She watched Dave walk back to his tent. He was extra careful to be as quiet as possible, making Rayne frown even more.


    After Rayne was sure that Dave wouldn''t come out anymore she went back to her tent to sleep. She decided to tell Natalie about Dave''s unhealthy behavior.


    The next morning Rayne woke up to Isaacs cries, "I swear I left it right next to my pillow before I went to sleep last night! I can''t find it anywhere!".


    (A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the missed update days, I''ve had some personal matters come up. I''ve also been working on fine tuning the outline for the next arc of the story, which will help me get more chapters out (faster) in the future.


    I am also considering a few mass releases for the future.


    I appreciate your patience, and a big thank you for reading my novel! <3


    -Ophilliya


    )

 Chapter 16 - 16: Camping 3

    Rayne immediately knew what was going on. Isaac had woken up and realized that his game console was missing.


    She dressed up and left her tent, heading over to Natalie''s campground. She brought a paper bag with fruits, and a copy of Isaacs game console.


    As she walked over she saw Natalie helping Isaac and Luke dig through the tent, trying to find the game console.


    Isaac was in tears, frantically searching all over the tent. Natalie was trying to stay calm, and keep Isaac calm while searching through the sleeping bags.


    "Don''t worry Isaac, it''s somewhere here. I saw you bring it into the tent with you last night", said Natalie.


    "Dave you wanted to play with it last night, have you seen it?", Luke looked over to Dave and asked.


    Dave shook his head, "Nope, you guys wouldn''t let me play with it so I just went to bed". He just stood outside the tent, looking oddly happy.


    "Are you sure? I feel like I saw you playing it in the middle of the night", probed Luke.


    Dave got really angry. "Yes I''m sure! Are you saying that I stole it? Go ahead and check my stuff!! Some friends you are!", he shouted.


    "Calm down everyone! I don''t believe that it could have gone far. Dave if you don''t mind, let us check your bag, maybe it was misplaced.", said Natalie, looking at the three boys.


    Rayne walked over, and gave Dave a cold glance.


    "I couldn''t help but overhear that you''ve lost something. Last night I had a dream that a little thief was tossing things into the stream".


    Dave froze, looking up at Rayne. "Whhaat... what do you mean?".


    Natalie looked over at Dave and saw his frightened expression and her face darkened. But before she could say anything Rayne took the game console out of the paper bag and presented it to Isaac.


    "I woke up in the middle of the night to go use the bathroom, and noticed that this was sitting on the table outside. I was worried that it might rain so I decided to hold on to it until the morning for you".


    Isaac lit up, holding the console that Rayne handed over. "Thank you! I was worried that I was unlucky again! I''ve lost many cool things before which made me feel like I was an unlucky person. I will take care of this gift much better!".


    Rayne looked over at Dave and thought , I''m sure that your ''unluckiness'' is this boy you call a friend.


    After handing over the bag with fruit Rayne turned to walk back to her campsite, but realized that Natalie was following behind her.


    "Hey Rayne. I get the feeling that you know something about what happened, mind telling me?", Natalie walked over and asked Rayne.


    "Sure, I will tell you what I saw", replied Rayne, and continued, "Last night I saw Dave come out holding the game console. He placed it on the table before he went down to the stream and began throwing rocks.


    I overheard him complaining about how Isaac got this gift, and eventually jealousy overtook him. Once I realized that he had intentions to throw the console into the stream, I grabbed it off the table for safe keeping.


    I know it''s not my place to say this but I don''t believe that Dave is a good friend to your son", Rayne explained. Of course, she skipped the part where Dave actually threw the console into the water.


    Natalie looked horrified, "Thank you for telling me this. Once we are back home I will have to have a serious conversation with Isaac".


    When the two finished talking Rayne went back to her tent to freshen up. Today she planned to take full advantage of the sunlight to go hiking towards the waterfall she wanted to see yesterday.


    -----


    Dillon was sitting on his couch at his apartment feeling bored. He was recently fired from his job because he kept skipping days due to being hungover.


    Now he had little money, and fewer things to do. Krissy had work during the day and couldn''t keep him company. Dillon didn''t tell her about him losing his job because he didn''t want to lose his ''rich boy'' image.


    He glanced at the small sealed box that was sitting on the coffee table. He had finally heard back from the guy who gave it to him, saying that he needed to drop it off at 11pm on Tuesday at Club Solstice.


    "This guy better not rip me off, I need the cash bad", sighed Dillon.


    He turned off the TV since nothing interesting was playing and looked around the room. Looking at the clock he realized that Krissy wouldn''t be back for at least a few more hours.


    Leaning back against the couch, Dillon picked up his phone and opened his favorite porn site. Unzipping his pants, he figured he could relieve some of his boredom until Krissy came back.


    He repeated this process multiple times until Krissy finally came home. When she opened the apartment door, what greeted her was Dillon''s erection.


    She didn''t even get enough time to take her shoes off before Dillon led her to the bedroom and bent her over the bed. He hiked up her black pencil skirt and ripped the crotch area of her tights with his hands before he shoved his cock inside.


    He kept Krissy on the bed for hours before he was finally tired enough to relax.


    Krissy lay on the bed trying to catch her breath. "This surprise better be worth bullying me like this", she muttered, feeling exhausted.


    ---


    Rayne was walking along a dirt trail through the forest, enjoying the views of the forests and mountains. The sun was shining brightly, and there was a nice cool breeze helping Rayne with the summer heat.


    After walking along the trail for about 40 minutes, Rayne could finally hear the sounds of running water.


    She picked up her pace and before long she arrived in front of a large, beautiful waterfall. She went to stand on the bridge that was directly in front of the waterfall, and felt the water mist coming off the water on her skin.


    She stood there enjoying the view before taking out her phone and taking a few pictures. She would use these photos for drawing inspiration in the future!


    After she finished admiring the waterfall, Rayne decided to walk further up the trail. The park was large, and she didn''t encounter anyone else on the way.


    She hiked for most of the morning, and ended up in a higher part of the mountain. She heard someone talking a little farther up ahead, so she slowed down and lightened her steps.


    "Tell the boss that this location could potentially be suitable. The only issue is lack of flat land".


    A man who looked like a lawyer was talking on his phone. Rayne felt intimidated by him and wanted to turn around to walk back to her campsite.


    Just as Rayne was about to turn around, someone grabbed her by the shoulders from behind.


    "Oh who do we have here? A little eavesdropper?", said the man who was holding her.


    "Hey Tak, I found this young woman listening in on your phone call", shouted the man behind her.


    Rayne struggled to get out of his grip, but he didn''t let her.


    "Please, I was just walking along the trail, I wasn''t eavesdropping! I didn''t hear anything!", pleaded Rayne. She was very frightened, she felt like these men wouldn''t think twice before killing her.


    Tak, the lawyer looking man, finished his phone call and casually walked over towards Rayne. He glanced at her, seeing her hiking boots and the park map in her hand.


    "Let''s go, I''ve finished giving the status update. We need to head to the next location", he said casually.


    "What should we do with her? I can kill her if you want", said the man holding Rayne.


    "Don''t bother killing her, we don''t have time to clean it up", replied Tak. Then he turned around and began walking down the mountain.


    "It''s your lucky day lady! You get to keep your life!". The man then searched her and took her phone and park map and threw them down into a ravine. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then took a sack and placed it over Rayne''s head, and tied her to a tree.


    "Hahaha! Be a good girl and reflect upon yourself. It''s rude to eavesdrop, next time I won''t be so kind".


    Rayne then heard footsteps walk away. Her heart was racing, she''s never been in such a situation. She stood, leaning against the tree she was tied to, trying to calm herself.


    "I am alive, and I can get out of this. It''s going to be okay", she whispered to herself a few times.


    Rayne knew that panicking wouldn''t help her, she needed to be calm so that she could think clearly. She had her system, and knew it would be the ticket that would get her out of here.

 Chapter 17 - 17: Heading Home

    Rayne took a few minutes to think. First, she needed to free herself from the rope that was wrapped around her.


    She remembered the utility scissors she had bought from the outdoor camping store. She closed her eyes and visualized the scissors in her system.


    After a moment, the scissors appeared in her hand. She carefully wiggled her hand to position the scissors on the rope.


    Just as she felt she was about to cut through the rope, the scissors fell out of her hand.


    She repeated the process of retrieving the scissors from her system and tried again to cut the rope.


    This time, she managed to get the scissors into a better angle and cut the rope, freeing herself from the tree.


    Rayne took off the sack that had been placed over her head, restoring her vision.


    She looked around warily, hoping that no one was around, especially those two men. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thankfully, Rayne did not hear or see anyone in the area. She picked up the scissors she had dropped earlier and put them in the system trash bin.


    She reached into her pocket to get her cellphone, but she didn''t feel anything. Then she remembered that it had been tossed down into the ravine.


    Rayne opened her system screen and retrieved a copy of her phone. Unfortunately, all of the photos she had taken of the waterfall were gone, but Rayne wasn''t in the mood to worry about that.


    All she wanted to do was get back safely. She took out a water bottle from the system and drank it all before setting off back to her campsite.


    The walk back was uneventful. Rayne ran into a few small groups of hikers but quickly walked past them after giving a brief greeting.


    Normally, Rayne would have stopped to chat with the hikers, commenting on how pretty the scenery was. However, after her recent incident, she was much more on edge.


    Rayne finally made it back to her tent and sat down on the inflatable couch. She placed her hand over her eyes and started crying. The adrenaline wore off, and fear and sadness took over.


    She sat there quietly crying for a while, letting all of her emotions out.


    Her eyes were red and swollen after she finished crying. Streaks from where the tears had traveled were left on her face.


    Rayne finally stood up. She told herself that the only way she would get over feeling helpless was to improve herself. She was more determined than ever to learn from her self-defense instructor.


    It was no longer just an activity to make exercise more enjoyable; it was to gain the skills to save herself.


    Rayne walked outside to wash her face in the cold stream. On her way there, she noticed that Natalie''s campsite was empty. Rayne figured that after what happened with Dave, Natalie wouldn''t feel like entertaining him any longer.


    She squatted on the bank of the stream and splashed cold water over her face.


    The cold water felt very refreshing on her skin, helping her clear her thoughts.


    She stared at the flowing water, trying to figure out what she wanted to do next. Truthfully, she didn''t really want to stay another night. Camping gave a sense of adventure and excitement, but what Rayne wanted now was a feeling of security.


    She walked back to her tent and began packing everything up. This trip was meant for fun and relaxation, and if she was no longer getting those things, then there was no point in staying.


    The sun was still up, giving Rayne plenty of time to pack and hit the road before it got dark.


    The packing process was relatively easy. The high-quality design of the tent made it very simple to deflate and fold.


    Rayne didn''t bother putting the tent back in its packaging; she simply placed the roughly folded tent in the back of her car. Once all the other items were placed in the car, Rayne went around and put everything into the trash bin of her system. She only kept a few smaller items, like the cooler and hiking backpack, for show.


    Rayne drove toward the entrance of the park, stopping by the service counter. She was greeted by the tall female park ranger who helped her check in.


    "Oh, you know you still have one night left on your reservation?" said the park ranger, looking at the computer screen.


    "Ah, yes, I know. Unfortunately, something came up at home, and I need to leave earlier," Rayne lied. She decided not to tell the ranger about the two men because she knew that if she mentioned them, she would need to give a police statement.


    The man on the phone mentioned a "boss," and Rayne knew that they were more than just two thugs. She felt that if she got too involved, these people would find her, and she wasn''t ready for that.


    After she finished checking out, Rayne drove straight home, stopping only to refuel the car.


    While driving, she took out a sweet caramel iced coffee from her system, sipping it occasionally. The sweet taste lifted her mood little by little, allowing Rayne to arrive back home in a rather cheerful mood.


    She peeked around the corner before walking toward the entrance of the apartment building. Rayne let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that old Mrs. Barton was not there today and quickly walked into the building.


    After entering her apartment, Rayne ran to take a shower. She hadn''t showered while at the campground and felt a little gross.


    The warm water of the shower somewhat substituted for the warmth of a hug that she had been craving since the incident in the mountains, lifting her spirits.


    Rayne spent the rest of the day at home watching TV, reading, drawing, and cooking a few easy meals.


    She also did a little bit of research about the event that Ella invited her to. She found out that the event was quite formal. Many top figures in the design/architectural world would be there, along with many important companies looking for promising talent.


    "It seems like this event is quite exclusive. I''m honored that Ella invited me," Rayne said while reading more on the event.


    At the bottom of the event website was a special mention:


    [ Special Guest: REN Corp. will be hosting a design contest. The top three designs will win a contract with REN Corp. to design their next office buildings!


    Top prize: an exclusive contract for a secret project!


    This is an extremely rare opportunity to work with one of the most lucrative and elite corporations in the country! ]


    "REN Corp., huh? This might be interesting! I''d like to try and see if it''s fate that we work together!"


    Rayne went to her bedroom and opened the small safe in her closet. She kept all of her important documents there, along with a large leather folder containing her portfolio.


    All of her best designs were stored inside the portfolio, showcasing her best work. Rayne was always quite proud of her work because she put a lot of effort into each design, perfecting it.


    "Winning a contract could help me secure an income for a bit while working at my own pace," Rayne smiled as she carried her portfolio to the kitchen table.


    Before she began to organize the designs inside the folder, Rayne stored it in her system.


    She picked out the most recent design she had worked on before the coma. It was a multi-story hotel blueprint that was extremely unique and creative. The exterior architecture was very different from the interior, but the way Rayne designed it created a unique, cohesive synergy.


    Picking up the blueprint, Rayne studied the near-finished design and decided it was time to finish it. She felt that this hotel design could help her get a spot in the contest at the gala.


    She retrieved her pencil case with her specialty blueprint utensils and sat down, spending the rest of the night and the next day finishing the design.


    Tuesday morning, Rayne woke up a bit late but in good spirits.


    She stayed up late finishing the design to her perfect standard. Overall, she was very happy with the completed blueprint. This was probably one of the best works she''d ever created.


    Rayne placed the blueprints back into the portfolio folder and stored the updated portfolio in the system. She placed the portfolio back into her safe and got ready to attend her self-defense class.


    She had messaged Brent the day before and asked if they could meet earlier in the day since she needed time to get ready for the gala. He agreed, and they moved the lesson two hours earlier, allowing Rayne to schedule a hair and makeup appointment right after.


    She got dressed in her sports attire and ate a light breakfast, consisting of a hard-boiled egg and a cup of tea. She cheered herself up by telling herself that she would treat herself to something delicious after her lesson.

 Chapter 18 - 18: Getting Ready

    When Rayne arrived at the gym, Brent was doing warm-up stretches, followed by some basic fighting stances.


    Rayne watched in awe as he performed these movements with seemingly effortless precision.


    "Ah, Rayne, you''re here. Come on over, and let''s begin from where I left off last week," said Brent, waving Rayne over to him. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She put her whole heart into today''s lesson, engraving every movement and word Brent said into her memory.


    Brent looked over at her, noticing the seriousness she displayed. He could see the fire in her eyes; she seemed almost desperate to improve with every motion.


    "Hey, did something happen these last few days? You seem a bit different from last week."


    Rayne paused and looked up at him. Although this was just her second class, she considered Brent her teacher.


    She calmly recounted her experience on the mountain and how she narrowly escaped death.


    Hearing the story, Brent''s expression turned serious, even more so after he had Rayne describe what the two men looked like. She unfortunately never got a good look at the man who was restraining her, but she described the lawyer-looking man named Tek.


    Brent''s gaze turned cold. He knew this person. Tek was part of Damien''s group, and although he wasn''t someone high up in the rankings, he was still a small-time leader in the group.


    "Rayne, you were smart not to report this to the park rangers or the police. Such people have no morals, and if they found out you reported them, the only outcome would have been your death," said Brent.


    Rayne was a little surprised to hear this. Brent gave off a strong ex-military vibe, and she thought that he would have scolded her for not doing the "right" thing.


    After hearing about the close call Rayne experienced, Brent changed a few of the moves he had been teaching her. He was originally going to wait longer until her muscles were more adjusted, but seeing her determination, he began to teach her ways to protect herself.


    Rayne requested to learn how to break free from being held, so Brent spent the rest of the lesson demonstrating and teaching Rayne various ways of breaking free.


    After the self-defense lesson, Rayne left feeling a little sore but empowered. She successfully managed to break free from Brent''s grip, marking a success in having learned her first self-defense move.


    She quickly went home to shower before heading to the salon for her beauty appointment.


    Brent stepped into his office after Rayne left and called Ian.


    "Hey boss, I have some new information. My self-defense student ran into Damien''s men at Three Falls Park. Based on what little she heard, it seems like they''re scouting land for something."


    "Why would they scout land at a country-owned park? Something seems off," replied Ian over the phone.


    "I am also curious about this, but if Tek is involved, then we can assume it''s important," said Brent.


    "Hmm, thank you for telling me about this. I will let Julian know," said Ian before hanging up the phone.


    Ian grabbed the keys off the counter and left for REN Corp. headquarters.


    The moment he arrived at the large office building, the experienced secretary had already alerted Noah of Ian''s visit.


    Ian curtly nodded at the secretary and stepped into the president''s elevator, heading towards Julian''s office.


    Noah greeted his older brother as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Hey Ian, what brings you over today? It''s unlike you to simply visit," asked Noah.


    "I have some information for the boss. It seemed important, so I came here as soon as I got off the phone with Brent," replied Ian.


    "From Brent? Interesting how he came across some information we haven''t heard already," questioned Noah as he led Ian to Julian''s office.


    Julian was a little surprised to see Ian in his office but figured that only meant he had something important to discuss.


    "Noah, postpone the meeting for another 30 minutes. I want to hear what Ian has to say."


    Noah picked up his cell phone and stepped out to make a call, returning shortly after.


    "Boss, Brent called me just now with some interesting information. He has a new student at his gym, and she had an encounter with Tek over the weekend at Three Falls Park," said Ian.


    "How do we know it''s Damien''s Tek and not some other guy with the same name?" questioned Noah.


    "Brent asked the girl to give a description, and what she described was undoubtedly that Tek. The thing I am more curious about is what they were looking for up in those mountains?" said Ian, glancing over at Julian.


    The office was filled with silence for a few minutes while the men thought of reasons.


    Julian looked up and said, "I''m not totally convinced of this, but I think Damien is looking for a place to hide off the grid."


    He frowned and then continued, "Looks like our plan B will have to go into effect sooner than I thought. Noah, you will go to the PRISMA gala tonight and find the most talented and suitable architect to design the bunker. We need to begin construction as soon as possible."


    "Are you sure, boss? I was going to let Manager Ross handle the event. Don''t you need me at the business dinner with S Corp. tonight?" asked Noah.


    "I can handle the business dinner myself. It''s just that old greedy pig who keeps trying to win me over to get some funding. Finding the right architect for this job is very important, and I only trust you with this," replied Julian.


    He then turned to Ian, "I''m sure you already know what I''m going to say. Send your men out to locate and tail Tek. I also want people sent to Three Falls Park ASAP to see what they were looking at over there."


    "Got it, I''ll go take care of that right now," Ian nodded and walked out of the office.


    "I can''t help but feel like something world-shattering is going to happen soon," sighed Julian.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Rayne made it to the salon a few minutes before the time for her appointment. The salon was fairly new and not very well known, which allowed Rayne to make an appointment on short notice.


    The d¨¦cor was very earthy, with wood accents and green potted plants. It created a fresh and calming atmosphere that Rayne really enjoyed.


    She was soon greeted by a young man with pink hair and piercings. "Hey, gorgeous! Welcome to my salon! My name is Kellin, and I have the honor of being your stylist today."


    Rayne immediately fell in love with his fun personality and was very happy that he was her stylist!


    "Hello, Kellin, I''m Rayne. I am here today to get prettied up for a gala I will be attending tonight!"


    "Oh, how fancy! You brought your dress with you, right? Let''s have you put that on so that I can see what hair and makeup will suit you best!" said Kellin enthusiastically.


    He led Rayne toward the back of the salon to a dressing room.


    While Rayne carried a white paper bag with her, she actually forgot to pack the dress! She was so thankful to have the system once again and pulled out the forest green evening gown and black stiletto heels.


    She walked out of the room and heard Kellin gasp.


    "Wow, you are absolutely stunning! You will really make my job too easy!" exclaimed Kellin!


    He went over and examined her thoroughly, noting her face shape and skin tone.


    "Okay, love, I have the perfect hairstyle in mind for you! Go back and change into your normal clothes for now. We will start with a facial and massage first. Once we get to the hairstyling stage, I''ll have you change back into your dress," said Kellin.


    A little over two hours later, Rayne came out of the spa room with glowing skin. The esthetician was very knowledgeable and skilled in various techniques and massages.


    It was finally time for Kellin to take over with the hair and makeup, marking the final stretch of the beauty treatment.


    Rayne went back to the dressing room and changed into the evening gown, as Kellin instructed. Her heels clicked as she walked on the tiled floor toward the salon chair where Kellin was standing.


    As soon as she sat down, Kellin went to work, trimming and styling her long blonde hair.


    "Wow, I''ve never seen hair this beautiful before," marveled Kellin, picking up a small strand. "You must tell me what brand of shampoo you use."


    Rayne laughed as her mind immediately pictured the cheap bottle of shampoo from the hospital that she''d been using.


    Laughing nervously, she replied, "I don''t remember the name, but next time I will bring the bottle with me."


    An hour later, Kellin turned the chair to have Rayne face the mirror.


    "What do you think?" he asked, confident in his work.


    Rayne gasped! Her hair was meticulously styled into tight side-swept waves, cascading down her shoulders to her waist.


    "It''s gorgeous! How could this be my hair? I love it!" she exclaimed, turning her head side to side.


    "I was originally going to do an updo, but your hair is too good not to let down," explained Kellin.


    After giving Rayne some time to marvel at herself in the mirror, Kellin sat her down at the makeup counter.


    He applied makeup mostly to the eye area because Rayne''s skin was radiant and blemish-free. He chose to do a dark smokey eye, highlighting Rayne''s light green eyes.

 Chapter 19 - 19: Gala

    Rayne looked gorgeous, with hints of seductiveness, once everything was finished.


    Rayne thanked Kellin multiple times, complimenting him on his skills as an artist and stylist. After paying, she called a taxi and left for the location Ella had messaged her to meet at.


    They had agreed to meet at the hotel lobby where the gala was being hosted.


    When Rayne stepped through the glass doors of the hotel, everyone turned to look at her. A few women jealously tugged at their husbands'' arms so they wouldn''t stare at the beautiful woman.


    Others whispered amongst themselves, asking if she was a celebrity.


    Rayne, seemingly oblivious to the looks she was receiving, was busy scanning the lobby for Ella.


    She walked over to the small bar area in the corner, where she spotted a petite young woman with a brunette bob haircut. She was wearing a knee-length black cocktail dress, holding a small drink in one hand and a leather folder in the other.


    Rayne walked over to Ella and greeted her. "Hi Ella, it''s been a while! Thank you for inviting me tonight."


    Ella looked up and nearly spilled her drink.


    "Rayne? Is that you?!" Ella asked, looking surprised.


    "Haha, yes, it''s me!" Rayne laughed, enjoying the expression on Ella''s face.


    "Wow, you look beautiful! I barely recognized you... Oh, not that you weren''t beautiful before... um, sorry!" Ella mumbled shyly.


    "No worries! After getting my hair and makeup done, I hardly recognize myself!" Rayne joked.


    The two young women took a few minutes to catch up. They discussed life after university and the successes and failures of their first jobs.


    Ella''s post-university journey was a little different from the average graduate. Her father owned a rather successful design firm, and naturally, Ella went to work there right after graduating.


    The reason Ella was able to get Rayne an invitation to this gala was precisely because of her father''s business and connections.


    Ella wanted to use this gala as an opportunity to get Rayne to join her father''s company, and that was the main reason she invited her.


    As they chatted, the doors of the massive banquet hall opened, and the invited guests slowly trickled inside.


    As expected at a gala of this caliber, all of the guests were greeted by well-trained waitstaff, offering a variety of refreshments upon entrance.


    As Rayne stepped through the doors, she saw a sea of people. Thankfully, the banquet hall was very large, so it didn''t feel crowded.


    Most of the people there were holding leather folders, similar to the one Rayne had.


    "Looks like everyone here is trying to participate in REN Corp.''s event," Ella leaned over and said to Rayne.


    "Yeah, it sure does," Rayne replied.


    The two of them walked around for a bit until Ella excused herself for a moment to go find her father.


    Rayne stood by the refreshments table and observed her surroundings.


    A group of women came over and stood not too far from Rayne. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, did you hear? Head Secretary Mathews from REN Corp. is here personally!" one woman said in a hushed tone.


    "What? Isn''t he the CEO''s right-hand man? Why is he here?" another woman asked.


    "They must be serious about finding a talented designer. Can you imagine being chosen? If it were me, I''d make sure to include a big bedroom in the CEO''s office for some stress-relieving activities," the first woman giggled.


    "Don''t you read the news articles? The CEO of REN Corp. is known to be the cold bachelor. Apparently, he''s very handsome but has never been seen with a woman," the third woman pitched in.


    "You don''t think he''s...?" the second woman asked.


    "Shush, of course not. If he were, that would mean my dreamy Secretary Noah was off the market! And if you read April''s issue of Top Business Magazine, you''d know he''s into women! He said it in an interview!"


    Rayne listened to the women talk with interest. She had found very little information about the CEO of REN Corp. online when she looked earlier.


    These women must be very passionate if they managed to gather this much information, she thought.


    Rayne continued to listen to the gossip until Ella came back with her father.


    "Dad, this is Rayne, the one I told you about. Rayne, this is my father, Reginald, CEO of PRISMA," Ella introduced them.


    Rayne was shocked. PRISMA? Wasn''t that the host of today''s event?


    Reginald was equally shocked. He never expected the classmate his daughter always complimented to be such a stunning beauty!


    "Nice to meet you, sir!" Rayne greeted, giving a slight bow.


    "I''m glad you made it! My daughter often mentioned your work when she was in university! Are you going to participate in the REN Corp. audition?" Reginald asked.


    He was curious about her work and wanted to see her design process in person before he committed to trying to poach her to work for his company.


    After exchanging some more small talk, Reginald left to talk to the other executives present, leaving the two women alone.


    Rayne turned to Ella. "Ella! I had no idea your father was the president of PRISMA!"


    "Well, you never asked," joked Ella, laughing.


    The two of them walked around the banquet hall, greeting other designers along the way.


    After a while, the MC of the event picked up the microphone and made an announcement.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of PRISMA, thank you for taking the time to attend our gala."


    The crowd clapped, and the MC continued.


    "Now, I am sure that all of you know about our special guest, REN Corp.! I am excited to bring to the stage REN Corp.''s very own Secretary Mathews!"


    This time, the clapping was enthusiastic, and Rayne even heard a few people cheer.


    Noah walked up onto the stage and flashed his signature smile, making the ladies in the crowd blush.


    "Hello, all! First, I would like to thank PRISMA for inviting REN Corp. to this wonderful event where the top talents of our country in design and architecture could be found. I''m sure that some of you already know about the small contest that REN Corp. is about to host, but I will reiterate for those who don''t know..."


    Noah then went ahead and stated the purpose and rules for the competition. All of the people interested in competing for a contract needed to bring their best design to a panel with REN Corp.''s judges.


    The judges would then choose the top 100 people who they felt had the strongest designs for a chance to take part in the contest.


    "Another hall has been prepared where the chosen 100 designers will compete. The design subject will be announced at that time. I hope everyone can have fun and enjoy the festive competition!"


    Immediately, the hall exploded with chatter. People were asking their friends if they should enter the contest, while others were confidently boasting about how they would be the winner.


    Ella led Rayne over to the table with the assigned judges. As they waited in line, they both opened their portfolios and began to skim through their designs, finding the one they wanted to use for judging.


    Rayne was relatively calm, as Ella had mentioned this contest when she initially invited her to the event.


    She decided to choose the design she had just finished, as she felt it best displayed her creative and unique thought process.


    Ella, on the other hand, had a hard time choosing between two of her designs. They were very different from each other and highlighted a different creative aspect.


    She asked Rayne for her opinion, and Rayne pointed to the first design. This design was a bit simpler than the second one; however, the unique inverted building design was very bold and novel.


    It was finally their turn to present their designs to the judges.


    Rayne walked up and handed her design to an older man with grey hair. He wore glasses and had a scholarly air about him.


    He gave Rayne a small nod in greeting and took the design she held out for him to look at. The moment he saw her design, he was taken aback!


    It was bold, unique, but had such perfect synergy! He couldn''t help but look over it a little longer than normal. Being a designer himself and working in the field of architectural design for decades, this was the first time he felt so inspired by looking at someone else''s work.


    He glanced up at Rayne, giving her a mental kudos. He managed to retain a professional expression throughout the process but wrote her name down on the list of approved designers who would go on to the next round.


    Seeing her name on the list got Rayne excited! She wasn''t sure how she would fare against all of the other top designers here, and felt very validated knowing she passed!


    Ella walked over to Rayne after she finished with a different judge. "Well? How did it go? Did you make the list?"


    Rayne smiled and nodded. "Thankfully, I did! How about you?"


    Ella nodded. "Thank you for helping me choose the design. The judge seemed particularly interested in the uniqueness of my design. I may not have made the cut with the other one I wanted to present."

 Chapter 20 - 20: Design Contest

    (Dedicating this chapter to Diosa_De_Los_Deseo for all of the power stones and support<3)


    Both Rayne and Ella were chatting happily, discussing the reactions of the judges to their designs.


    "I managed to take a peek at a few other designs that passed the first stage. It seems like the judges have a preference for those people who can come up with unique, out-of-the-box designs," said Ella.


    "I wonder if it has to do with the first-place prize. I think I read that it was a contract for a secret building," replied Rayne.


    She felt that the first-place contract had a lot to do with why the judges were looking for specific elements in everyone''s designs.


    The judges were very efficient at looking through everyone''s designs, and about twenty minutes later, the MC got back on stage.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! The judges have concluded, and a list of those who will be competing for REN Corp.''s exclusive contracts will be posted! Everyone whose name is listed, please proceed to the next hall in 10 minutes. Good luck!"


    After the MC finished speaking, people rushed over to the results table to see if their name was on the list.


    Although Ella and Rayne knew they had passed, they still walked over to the table to check.


    Rayne noticed some happy smiles along with angry scowls.


    One of the guys who had been boasting in the crowd about how he was going to easily win was now yelling angrily about how incompetent the judges were at identifying talent.


    The people around him distanced themselves, throwing him pitiful looks.


    Rayne even saw Ella hold back a laugh.


    "Don''t you remember him? That''s Anthony from university," she said to Rayne.


    "Wait, the guy who never shut up?" Rayne turned to look at the man more closely. "How did someone like him end up at this event?"


    Ella let out a giggle. "True, he was mediocre at best. I guess some company believes his endless boasting and hired him."


    It was finally their turn to look at the list of names. As expected, both of them passed and would be competing.


    "Let''s make our way over to the contest hall," said Rayne.


    They slowly made their way over to the large double doors of the adjacent hall.


    Inside the hall, Rayne spotted the older man who had judged her design, talking to Secretary Mathews. She couldn''t hear what they were saying, but she saw the older man nodding a few times.


    There were 100 workstations set up in the contest hall, each equipped with a drawing desk, chair, paper, pencils, rulers, and any tool an architect would need to draw a blueprint.


    The hall was large enough that the desks were a comfortable distance apart from one another.


    As the contestants made their way inside, they were told that there was no assigned seating, and they were allowed to choose their own seats.


    Ella grabbed Rayne''s hand and pointed at a set of desks toward the front of the hall, next to the stage.


    "I see two open seats over there, let''s get them before they''re taken!" she said excitedly.


    They walked over quickly and claimed their seats. Rayne looked around the room, waiting for the rest of the contestants to get settled.


    After about 10 minutes, the hall quieted down as everyone was seated and waiting.


    Noah walked up on the small stage and addressed the contestants. "Congratulations on making it here! You will all have two hours to finish a rough design. Waitstaff will be walking around occasionally to bring refreshments for your convenience.


    The theme for this contest is... Off the Grid, Secret Bunker! The design should focus on sustainable, off-the-grid support. It should be large enough to house large vehicles and about 20-30 people comfortably.


    Begin!"


    Most of the contestants laughed at the "secret bunker" topic.


    "Haha, REN Corp. has a good sense of humor! This is a fun idea indeed!" one man laughed.


    Rayne, on the other hand, was surprised. The requirements seemed a bit specific for something that was meant to be a joke.


    The scene of Tek on the phone flashed in her mind. By what she had heard him say on the phone, it sounded like he was scouting for a suitable place...


    Rayne spent a good 15-20 minutes thinking about how she wanted to approach this design. Although Secretary Mathews didn''t say it, she felt that the bunker also needed to be hidden.


    She decided to go with a concept where the bunker would be built into a large hill. This way, she could design discreet entrances and exits, as well as ways of collecting rainwater to be filtered and used.


    Her mind kicked into full focus mode. The more she drew, the more complex her design became.


    She knew she wouldn''t have time to fully incorporate a lot of the details, so she simply drew in placeholders with explanations for the very complicated parts.


    Rayne only lifted her head when she heard the MC declare that time was up.


    Rayne signed her name on the bottom corner of her design and handed it over to the assigned staff member.


    She wished she had more time to continue drawing, but was happy with how much she was able to show.


    Once everyone handed in their rough designs, they were all escorted back to the main hall to enjoy the remaining festivities.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    On the other side of the double doors, Noah got off the stage to sit down at the head of the judges'' table.


    "Okay, everyone, you know what we are looking for. If you feel that you have come across a strong design, pass it over to me," he ordered.


    The first design that was passed over to him was a super-fortified-looking building. It had a triple protection layer and strong brutalist features.


    Noah frowned looking at this.


    Although he wasn''t a designer himself, he had experience with blueprints and could identify the main concepts easily.


    This bunker met the requirements he mentioned, and was very reinforced, but it stood out like a sore thumb.


    Noah placed the design into the "rejected" pile.


    The second design was slightly better. It was an interesting concept that focused on a coastal location. It featured flood-proof construction with high-impact glass and steel doors to resist storm surges. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were even mentions of water collection and filtration with storage tanks. But the most unique feature of this design was the built-in boat/submarine dock that could serve as an emergency escape route.


    Noah looked over this design a few times, thinking that it was quite nice. He looked down to see the name on the paper and saw Ella''s name.


    "Oh, this must be Reginald''s daughter. She is indeed talented," Noah said to himself, placing the design into the "accept" pile.


    The next few designs were very boring. They were mostly some variation of an underground tunnel, with little consideration for sustainability or long-term survival.


    Noah continued to flip through multiple designs, rejecting them all.


    He paused when he saw an interesting idea. It was a take on a modular prefabricated design. Since it was modular, it was portable, with easy-to-assemble reinforced steel walls.


    The design was tailored for quick construction, allowing the user to set it up in both remote and urban environments.


    It had a compact design, with fold-out beds and multipurpose furniture.


    Although this sort of design wasn''t exactly what Noah was looking for, he felt that the designer was very creative.


    He placed the design into the "accept" pile.


    Noah continued to flip through, his eyes glazing over. While some of these designs were interesting, they all lacked something.


    He only had a few more blueprints left in his pile, and he let out a sigh. He had really hoped for a better turnout, especially from a group of so-called "top talents."


    The next design he picked up sent a burst of energy through him. It was thorough, creative, and secretive!


    It was a combination of a mountain and underground bunker. The main focus was blending in with the surroundings. It was designed to be built into a hill, keeping the grass and foliage on top. (A/N: like a hobbit hut)


    The garage entrance was designed to look like a boulder, blending in with the surrounding environment.


    There were considerations for water harnessing and filtration, weapons storage rooms, and even large specially designed food storage rooms.


    It was a multi-level bunker with secret tunnels that could be used as escape routes on every floor.


    The living quarters were designed for long-term comfort, with rooms for bunk beds as well as larger single-person quarters.


    Noah even read through the placeholders that weren''t drawn in yet. They included complex ventilation systems with advanced air filtration that would handle biological and chemical threats, and various ways to harness electricity, like hidden solar panels and backup generators.


    He spent more time looking through this design than all of the others combined. He felt as if this designer knew that this contest topic wasn''t just a fun joke!


    After examining every little feature, he went to look at the name on the design.


    Rayne Weston.

 Chapter 21 - 21: Winners

    Noah did a double-take when he saw the name.


    "Rayne Weston, huh? What an interesting coincidence!" said Noah, almost laughing out loud.


    "Dr. Weston''s daughter has her father''s sharp and creative mind!" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah then placed Rayne''s design on top of the ''accept'' pile. He picked up the three winning designs and signaled to his assistant that he was ready to announce the results.


    ---------------------


    The guests gathered in the main hall, making predictions about who the winner would be.


    "I bet that Fabiano will win! He''s been featured in so many magazines this past year, and I hear that he''s been booked a year out to design company buildings!" gossiped a middle-aged man.


    "Yes, I agree. Fabiano is like a celebrity to us designers," replied a woman with sharp features.


    Rayne walked around the hall with Ella, listening in on everyone''s gossip.


    "Do you think you''ll win?" Rayne asked Ella as they reached the table with the drinks.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. I''ve never thought about designing a bunker, so I''m sure there were many aspects of the design I missed," she replied quietly.


    "Yeah, I was honestly expecting them to say the subject would be something like a hotel, or office building. Maybe even a hospital," replied Rayne.


    Rayne picked up a glass of champagne from the table, sipping on it slowly.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! I have the much-anticipated results for today''s fun competition!


    Allow me to reiterate that there will be three winners! Second and third place will both win an exclusive contract with REN Corp to design the next set of office buildings for their ever-growing company!


    And the lucrative first-place prize will be an exclusive contract for a top-secret project! I am sure this one will pay very well!" announced the MC.


    The chatter in the hall quieted down as everyone was excited to hear who the lucky three were.


    "Starting in third place! The third-place winner is Fabiano! The judges praised his creative modular approach!"


    The crowd clapped and cheered. Many people were shocked that Fabiano was only a third-place winner.


    "No way! How did Fabiano only get third place? I wonder who beat him!!" a few people whispered among themselves.


    "Next up, we have the second-place winner! The winner is... Ella Soto! The judges said that her design had a feature that no one else had," announced the MC.


    Once again, everyone in the room clapped. Ella''s father, Reginald, was being complimented by his old buddies on having such a talented daughter.


    A few of them even tried setting up a blind date with their sons.


    "Oh my goodness, Ella! You won second place!! You''re amazing!" Rayne said excitedly! She was very happy that her friend had won such an honor!


    Having this exclusive contract with REN Corp had just sent Ella from a low-key designer to someone the rest of the world would know!


    "I can''t believe it! I truly didn''t expect to win!" replied Ella. Tears of joy were welling up in her eyes.


    "Up next is the winner who takes first place!" said the MC.


    The hall immediately quieted down. Everyone was very eager to hear who the winner was.


    "And the winner is... Rayne Weston! Her design took every little situation into account. Not only were there creative elements, but she also designed a one-of-a-kind ventilation system that''s never been seen before!"


    The crowd clapped, but many people were wondering who she was.


    "Who is Rayne Weston? I don''t think I''ve ever heard of her before," one lady asked a group of women.


    Everyone shrugged, indicating that they also had never heard of her before.


    "Oh, I know her! We went to university together. I taught her everything she knows!" boasted the same man who was angry about not being selected for the competition.


    The crowd looked over at him, shaking their heads. How could someone who didn''t even pass the initial selection claim that they taught the winner of the competition?


    "Rayne!!!! Oh my goodness!!" squealed Ella! She jumped up to hug Rayne.


    Rayne stood frozen in place! She couldn''t believe that she had won! She was doing this just for fun, but she ended up winning the top prize!


    Ella dragged Rayne toward the stage to join Fabiano. As Rayne stood up, many people couldn''t help but comment on how beautiful she was:


    "Oh, so she''s Rayne Weston? She''s very elegant; just look at the way she carries herself."


    "I wonder what studio she works at?"


    Once they got to the stage, Fabiano moved over so that Rayne could stand in the middle. The three winners waved at the crowd, smiling.


    The MC walked over, followed by Noah.


    "Congratulations to the three of you. We were very impressed by the designs you came up with on such short notice and within the time limit. This should speak volumes about how talented each of you are," said Noah.


    He grabbed three golden envelopes from his assistant and handed them to each of the winners.


    "Here is a placeholder prize. It''s an invitation to our company headquarters where we will distribute the actual contracts. Congratulations one more time!" explained Noah.


    When he handed the envelope to Rayne, Noah couldn''t help but take a few more looks. She looked very different from the photo he had received from the hospital.


    He couldn''t help but feel like he''d seen her somewhere before, but couldn''t think of where.


    When Rayne reached out to accept the envelope, she looked up at Noah and said, "Hello, Secretary Mathews! I''m pretty sure you''ve never heard of me, but your company''s charity organization helped me out a lot after I was hospitalized."


    Noah looked at her and smiled. "Actually, I do know of you. Dr. Weston helped our research and development team a few times over the years."


    Rayne was surprised! She knew that her father was a research chemist, but she didn''t know he was involved with REN Corporation!


    ---------------------------------------


    Dillon had just gotten dressed in his typical ''playboy'' attire.


    Earlier in the day, he had received a text message from an unknown number telling him to meet at a bar to deliver the package he''d been holding on to.


    "Fucking finally, I didn''t think it would take this long," he complained as he got ready.


    The message said to meet at 11 pm, but Dillon was feeling impatient and left about an hour early.


    He''d been in a rather bad mood recently because Krissy had picked up overtime hours at work and hadn''t been to ''entertain'' him as often as he wanted.


    He was also broke and hadn''t been able to go out drinking, only adding to his bored and shitty mood.


    It was Dillon''s first time at this bar since it was downtown and farther from his apartment. He walked in and marveled at how nice it was.


    "This is definitely where the young masters of this city''s rich families come to hang out," mumbled Dillon while checking out the interior.


    He was greeted by a beautiful woman at the entrance. "Hello, sir, welcome in! Tonight, we are having a special event with exotic dancers! Feel free to sit anywhere you like."


    Dillon looked around and saw a stage set up with all sorts of vibrant fabrics hanging from the ceiling.


    The thought of seeing beautiful women got him excited! Maybe after he was paid tonight, he could have some much-needed fun.


    He found a seat that had a good view of the stage but was still slightly more private than a regular table.


    A few minutes later, a sexy woman wearing exotic clothing came over to him.


    Her top was like a bikini top made from gold chains and tassels. Her skirt was made from a sheer, see-through material, with tiny gold chains covering only the most important parts.


    She leaned over slightly, putting all of her goods on display in front of Dillon.


    "Hey there, you look a little thirsty. May I interest you in a bottle of champagne?" she said seductively.


    Dillon didn''t hesitate and immediately agreed, causing the woman to smile.


    -------------------------------


    After the awards were handed out, the closing events began while the guests slowly trickled out of the hall.


    Both Rayne and Ella were in a great mood and laughed while walking toward the exit.


    "How do you feel about going out to celebrate somewhere? I don''t normally go to bars or clubs, but I''m feeling like I need to celebrate our victory. Plus, we still have a lot to catch up on!" suggested Ella, holding Rayne''s arm.


    Rayne agreed without hesitation. "Yes! That''s a great idea!"


    "Okay, great! I believe there''s a decent bar across the street. Let''s go there!" said Ella.


    Rayne agreed, and they both made their way over to the bar.


    When they walked into the bar, they were greeted by a beautiful woman.


    "Hello, ladies, welcome in! Tonight, we are having an event with exotic dancers, please enjoy!"


    ---


    (A/N: Hi all! Thank you for reading up to this point!


    We are now 20 chapters in, and I would ask that if you are enjoying the story please rate my book or leave a comment.


    It would help me very much!


    Power stones and gifts are also always appreciated!!


    <3


    )

 Chapter 22 - 22: Meeting

    Rayne and Ella walked in and found a table in a somewhat private location.


    "This place looks pretty nice! I like what they did with the interior design", said Ella.


    The both of them sat at the table, sipping on the red wine they had ordered earlier.


    Rayne was telling Ella about how she got into a car accident and only recently woke up from a year long coma.


    "What?! How did I not know about this?"Ella asked, surprised!


    "Oh, but it gets even better! You remember Dillon? The guy I dated all throughout university?", asked Rayne.


    "Oh yea, the decent looking tall guy? Wasn''t he in accounting?", replied Ella.


    "Get this, we were weeks away from our engagement party, with the wedding not far off either. Then the accident happened and ''poof'' he''s gone.


    Not only did he not visit me in the hospital, when I woke up I found out that he''s been taking money out of my bank account!


    And the best part was that he spent MY money on his new bitch, buying her limited edition purses!".


    Rayne was retelling the whole situation to Ella, allowing her to finally vent some of the frustrations she''s been holding in.


    Ella proved to be a good friend, laughing and listening to Rayne''s retellings.


    As Ella listened to Rayne, her eyes wandered around the bar. She was admiring the design and layout, until her eyes landed on a man who was sitting near the stage.


    "Hey Rayne, I don''t mean to cut you off....but is that Dillon?", she asked, pointing at the man discreetly.


    Rayne turned around to look, and gasped!


    "Well well! Speak of the devil, it''s really him!", she replied then continued, "But damn, I barely recognize him. He looks like a total fuck boy now haha!".


    Ella nodded and said, "Yea, for real! Who wears such flashy shirts anymore?".


    Rayne looked over at him a bit more, noticing how his eyes were completely glued to the exotic dancers on the stage.


    "Ha! Looks like he''s turned into a real horn dog too", she laughed.


    Rayne noticed the small box sitting on the table next to Dillon, and got curious as to what that was.


    Just then a very sketchy looking man with tattoos walked in. As he walked by their table, Rayne smelt heavy tobacco mixed with other scents mixed in.


    Rayne watched the man walk around slowly until he spotted the box on Dillon''s table and walked over.


    He sat down and began to talk to Dillon. Unfortunately Rayne was too far away to hear over the loud music.


    She felt that something was wrong with this situation. She knew Dillon, and no matter how party-centric he''s gotten she was sure that he wouldn''t hang out with this kind of guy if he didn''t have to.


    "Hey, do you think something feels off about that guy next to Dillon?", she asked Ella.


    Ella nodded right away. She noticed the man the same time Rayne did and felt like he was not a good person.


    As Rayne watched the man and Dillon, she felt whatever in that box was very important.


    Just then, she watched the man stand up and walk towards the restrooms in the back of the bar.


    Rayne stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked towards Dillon, and the box that was still sitting on the table.


    Once she arrived at Dillon''s table, she picked up her purse and strategically placed it in front of the box.


    "Hey there handsome, I couldn''t help but notice you from across the bar", she said, using her best seductive voice.


    As she was talking, she used the hand that was not holding the purse to touch the box and store it in her system, placing it back on the table.


    Dillon looked over and saw the most gorgeous woman he''s ever seen standing before him, and motioned Rayne to sit down.


    Rayne laughed internally, realizing that he didn''t even recognize his ex-fianc¨¦, and decided to play along for a bit.


    She sat down and placed her purse on her lap, revealing the small box on the table.


    Seeing the box, Dillon quickly pulled it toward himself, and turned back to look at Rayne.


    "Hey gorgeous, you''re more than welcome to keep me company", he said, trying to act cool.


    Rayne nearly blew her cover by bursting out in laughter at his stupidity.


    "So tell me a little about yourself?" she asked flirtatiously.


    Just as Dillon was about to answer, the sketchy man came back to the table.


    "Ayeee! Look at you Dillon, getting a babe to come keep you company already", laughed the man.


    He looked at the box that was still on the table.


    "Excuse us for a moment miss", he said and turned toward Dillon.


    "Okay, I spoke to my boss and he told me to give you my number. We will have more jobs for you in the future", he said, placing a piece of paper with a phone number on the table.


    "And here''s your promised payment".


    The man took out a bundle of cash from the inner pocket of his jacket.


    Rayne was shocked to see the large wad of cash. She figured it had to be at least a few thousand dollars.


    Dillon''s eyes lit up at the cash. "Thanks boss!".


    The sketchy man then picked up the small box and walked out of the bar.


    Ella, who was watching Rayne the entire time finally relaxed a little bit when she saw the man leave.


    Dillon put the money into his pocket and looked over at Rayne, "Can I offer you a drink, gorgeous?"


    "Sure, I''ll have a glass of wine", replied Rayne, observing Dillon''s male hormones activate.


    Rayne leaned over and rested her chin on her hand.


    "So does a handsome man like yourself have a girlfriend?", Rayne asked while fluttering her eyelashes.


    Dillon looked at Rayne, doing his best to undress her in his mind. Her body was perfect, making the blood rush towards his manhood.


    "No, I don''t have a girlfriend. Why would you like to be mine?", he asked, already formulating a plan on how to get her in his bed.


    Rayne averted his gaze, her eyes turning sharp. But just before she was about to reply she heard a screech!


    "Dillon! What the fuck?! Who is she?", Krissy yelled!


    Dillon froze, not sure whose side to choose. Of the two, the woman in front of him was much hotter. As he frantically came to a decision to introduce Rayne as his new woman, he heard her speak up.


    "Ah, you must be the new girl", Rayne stood up, looking at Krissy with a small smile.


    "I''m not sure if you''ve heard of me but I''m Dillon''s fianc¨¦!"


    Dillion stood up, completely shocked.


    "Rayne?! Is that really you?!", he asked, gripping the side of the table.


    Krissy looked Rayne up and down, and felt inferior in terms of looks. Jealousy took over and she couldn''t help but make a scene.


    "Ha, I know that Dillon''s ex-fianc¨¦ is in a coma, laying in the hospital. You must be some vixen trying to claw your way towards Dillon''s money!", she shouted.


    Rayne laughed at this, showing her pretty teeth. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is that so? I''m the vixen trying to get his money? Are you sure that''s not you?".


    Dillon looked at both Rayne and Krissy, unsure of what to say. He knew that the reality was that he was the one who took Raynes money, and was scared that she would expose him.


    "Krissy it''s not like that. Calm down.". He tried convincing Krissy but that just set her off even more.


    "Bitch, you even have him standing up for you? Tell me how long you''ve been messing around with him before I claw your face!", screamed Krissy.


    "Hahahah! Dillon, you found yourself a psycho! A match made in heaven!


    Don''t worry love, he''s all yours. I give you both my blessing, but first I want my money back.", said Rayne, laughing to the point of tears.


    Dillon panicked! He never realized that Rayne was so beautiful, and knew that she was a pure woman. His horn dog instinct twisted his brain, telling him that she was his woman, and he needed to ''claim'' her.


    He also figured that if he could get back together with Rayne, she''d drop the topic of him owing her all that money he''s transferred.


    Making up his mind he walked over towards Rayne, trying to hold her hand.


    Smack! Rayne slapped his hand away, making him angry.


    "Don''t push your luck Rayne, you''re my woman. I won''t let you get away!", growled Dillon.


    "You''re delusional Dillon. I count my blessings every morning knowing I dodged a bullet not marrying you!", replied Rayne, angerly.


    "Oh and I will get my money back!".


    She then stepped over to meet up with Ella, who walked over when Krissy showed up.


    "Let''s go somewhere else, this bar has too much filth", she said, grabbing Ella''s hand, and walked out.

 Chapter 23 - 23: Frustrations

    (A/N; a bit of r18 content)


    Rayne left the bar alongside Ella with confidence. The ruckus that Krissy created attracted a lot of attention from the other guests of the bar.


    Dillon felt the mocking stares directed at him from everyone around the room. He grabbed Krissy by the hand and angrily stormed out of the bar.


    "Dillon! Let go! You''re hurting me!", yelled Krissy as she tried wiggling her arm out of his grip.


    Hearing her complaints, Dillon took a deep breath and loosened his grip but still continued to hold her arm.


    "We''re going home, don''t make a fuss", he said sternly.


    Krissy heard the anger in his tone, and stopped struggling. She was feeling very jealous and hurt, still believing that Rayne was there trying to seduce Dillon.


    As they walked she began formulating plans on how to keep Dillon on her side. She knew that Dillon had a soft side when he was sexually satisfied, and planned on exploiting this side of him once they got back.


    She shifted her stance so that instead of Dillon dragging her by the arm, they were now holding hands.


    Dillon noticed her behavior, but didn''t say anything, continuing toward the place they could flag down a taxi.


    When they got back to Dillon''s apartment, he stormed into the bedroom slamming the door. Laying on the bed all he could think of was Rayne. He didn''t want to admit it but he felt like he really fucked up by ditching her.


    She was so beautiful and sexy tonight, he couldn''t stop imagining what it would be like if he got to fuck her whenever he wanted.


    Soon the horny thoughts took over, making Dillon less angry and more in the mood.


    Click! The door opened, and a scantily dressed Krissy walked in wearing a set of extreme lingerie. The lingerie was closer to leather ropes than actual clothing.


    The leather was wrapped around her neck and torso, encircling her large breasts but not covering them. There was a crisscross pattern that covered her waist, with more leather wrapped around her thighs, leaving openings in all the needed places.


    She walked in and saw Dillon laying on the bed with a bulge in his pants. She smiled inwardly praising her choice of attire, thinking that Dillon''s erection was caused by her.


    Dillon, who was already in the mood from thinking about Rayne, noticed Krissy in her provocative attire. He felt his body heat up, and the pent up anger from what happened at the bar served as fuel.


    Dillon got up, taking his shirt off, and beckoned to Krissy to come over. After taking his pants off he sat down on the edge of the bed and ordered her to begin sucking him off.


    Krissy strutted over seductively, happy that her plan was working and did as he requested.


    However, although Dillon was horny, he was still angry with her, making his actions rough and punishing.


    While Krissy was sucking him off, he grabbed the back of her head and forced himself farther down her throat.


    Krissy''s eyes watered at the rough actions, but she was determined to show Dillon that she was better than that other woman.


    After Dillon was satisfied with the ''warm-up'' he pushed Krissy down on the bed and rammed into her from behind. He closed his eyes and imagined that it was Rayne beneath him, which made him enjoy the process so much more.


    Dillon continued to immerse himself in the fantasy. He leaned over and used his hands to feel up Krissy''s body, landing on her breasts.


    He pictured the beautiful breasts that were under the green evening gown Rayne wore, getting more and more excited.


    Krissy was secretly proud of herself, she''s never heard Dillon moan so much before and attributed his pleasure to her choice of outfit.


    Her ego flared up making her feel smug, Dillon is mine bitch!


    ---


    Meanwhile, Rayne celebrated her victory along side her newly found gratefulness for being single.


    "You should have seen the look on Krissy''s face when she first walked into the bar, seeing you with Dillon!!", laughed Ella.


    "Honestly, she and Dillon are a match made in heaven. One''s a jealous gold digger, the other is broke and horny. Haha!", said Rayne.


    They were having fun, recounting the events from earlier, at a different bar down the street.


    By the time Rayne got home there were only a few hours left before the sun came up. The exhaustion was hitting her hard, but she managed to power through enough to remove her makeup and take a shower.


    Her gown was left on the bathroom floor, leaving it as a later problem. Having the dress already stored, Rayne wasn''t worried about it getting ruined.


    The next morning Rayne woke up late. The time on the clock read 10 am, causing her to jump out of bed.


    Today she would be going to REN Corp. at noon to discuss the contract she won. Before she left the bar, she agreed to meet up at a caf¨¦ with Ella so that they could go together.


    Rayne had about an hour before she needed to leave the house, so she hopped into the shower, taking the time to scrub her body and shampoo her hair, since she had only rinsed off last night.


    After the shower she went to apply some light makeup, and walked over to her closet to see what options she had for office appropriate attire.


    Soon a pile of shirts, skirts, pants and dresses was formed on the floor next to the closet, almost toppling over.


    Rayne looked at the empty hangers in her closet and sighed.


    "Why did I even bother looking in here?".


    She eyed the mess she made and just pushed the messy pile of clothes into the closet, forcing the door shut.


    Sitting on her bed, she opened the system panel and opened the "Clothes" folder. It only took her a few minutes to find a suitable outfit.


    She put on a black V-neck shirt with long sleeves and a white, high waisted pencil skirt. Although it was still summer and relatively warm out, the long sleeve shirt had a very light and breathable material, keeping her cool.


    She put her hair up in a twist and secured it with a claw clip, allowing a few loose strands to frame her face.


    By the time she was ready, she realized that she was already running a little late. Thankfully, she still had the rental car for the rest of the week.


    She put on a pair of heels and ran to the rental car.


    Before she got out of the car to enter the caf¨¦ she pulled her portfolio out of the system.


    Ella had already arrived and was waiting for Rayne inside. The caf¨¦ was small, with only three tables, but the store was packed with people.


    Rayne almost bumped into three different people when she walked in.


    Ella was currently standing in the corner holding two coffees. When she spotted Rayne she carefully made her way through the sea of people to meet up with her.


    "Let''s get out of this place", said Ella as soon as she got to where Rayne was standing.


    "Yes please, I don''t know how they fit so many people in here", replied Rayne.


    The two of them left the caf¨¦ and walked down the street heading towards the main business district. This part of town was where all of the top businesses in the entire region built their headquarters.


    As Rayne walked, she marveled at the giant office buildings and hotels around her. Most of the buildings were uniquely designed, as if trying to outshine the neighboring buildings.


    Because this was the area where all the money gathered, the streets were very clean and upkept. There were street lamps and benches that were surrounded by flowers, as well as small shops and fancy restaurants. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it your first time here?", asked Ella, noticing Rayne''s interest.


    "It''s my first time walking through. I was here once before when I met one of the first clients I ever worked for", replied Rayne.


    Ella nodded, and pointed to a small restaurant across the street.


    "That''s my favorite sushi restaurant in the entire country!", she said excitedly.


    Rayne looked over and saw the cute artwork drawn on the large windows of the restaurant, depicting a small cat stealing a fish.


    Smiling, she said, "Let''s go there sometime! I love sushi!".


    After about 15 minutes of walking they arrived in front of a massive, all glass, office building. It towered over all of the other buildings surrounding it, giving off a slight oppressive aura.


    Rayne looked up and guessed there were at least 50 floors. The glass panes that covered the building were coated in a unique reflective coating, creating privacy for the workers inside, and an interesting design for the onlookers outside.


    Above the main entrance there was a large gold carving of a blooming lotus, and words underneath that read: "REN".


    "Looks like we made it!", Ella said enthusiastically.

 Chapter 24 - 24: The REN Corporation

    As they walked toward the entrance, they saw a beautiful woman with a high ponytail wearing a dress shirt and a pencil skirt.


    The shirt was a button-up style, but she had left most of the buttons unbuttoned¡ªshowing a large amount of cleavage.


    She walked around with her chin up, surrounded by other female office workers.


    "Katie, tell us! Is it true you get to see the president whenever you want?" one of the young female workers asked.


    Katie turned around, her breasts nearly popping out of her shirt, and faced the girl who had asked. She smiled sweetly, but her eyes had a cold glint.


    "Yes, of course. I''m very close to the president! Sometimes we even eat lunch together in his office!" she boasted.


    "Wow, how lucky! What if he likes you, Katie?" another office worker asked.


    Katie blushed. "Now now, don''t go around telling people."


    The female office workers felt like they had heard a big piece of news! Since Katie didn''t deny it, then it must be true! The president of REN Corp liked Katie!


    This meant that she had a high chance of being the future Mrs. of the company!


    The coworkers immediately began to fawn over Katie, giving her compliments and congratulations.


    Rayne and Ella watched this scene, feeling like something was a little off. Although Rayne had never met the president, she had had a chance to talk to Secretary Mathews.


    She felt that if the president was anything like the secretary, then he would not go after someone who tried to parade her cleavage around like that.


    Rayne shrugged it off. It didn''t matter to her who the president liked anyway; she just wanted to know more about the contract.


    She walked through the large glass double doors, following Ella to the main counter.


    "Hello, welcome to REN Corporation. How may I help you?" asked a very polite older woman.


    Ella turned to point toward Rayne and herself. "Hi, we are here to discuss a design contract."


    Ella placed the golden envelope on the counter and signaled Rayne to do the same.


    When the secretary saw the golden envelopes, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    "Hi, the two ladies with the golden tickets are here...yes...understood."


    She then pushed the golden envelopes back toward Rayne and Ella.


    "Please wait a moment, someone will be down to escort you," she said politely.


    After a few minutes, Noah stepped out of the elevator and walked toward Rayne and Ella.


    Katie walked in at this moment with the group of office workers and saw Noah personally escorting Rayne and Ella into the elevator.


    "Who do you think they are? Secretary Mathews personally came down to greet them?" one of the females asked.


    The others shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know who the two women were.


    "They were both very pretty, the woman with blonde hair has a really nice figure," another woman commented.


    Katie clenched her hands, digging her nails into her palm. She was the only woman allowed on the same floor as the president''s office, and she was supposed to have Secretary Mathews himself escort her!


    Ignoring the women''s gazes, she stormed off toward the elevator.


    Noah guided Rayne and Ella out of the elevator and into a comfortable-looking waiting room. There were a few leather sofas and a table with many kinds of refreshments.


    Rayne noticed Fabiano sitting on one of the sofas, drinking fancy mineral water.


    Noah walked forward and faced the three winners of yesterday''s contest.


    "Welcome to REN Corporation! Thank you all for coming!


    Ella. Fabiano. We have created a team for each of you to lead. These people are all familiar with the location, requirements, and timeline for each of the projects you will be working on. Use them as you need."


    A man and a woman, both dressed professionally, walked into the room on cue.


    Noah pointed and introduced them, "These are the project managers for your respective projects, and they will answer any questions you have."


    After a few more introductions, Ella left with the male project manager, while Fabiano left with the female one.


    Soon, only Rayne was left with Noah in the room.


    "Ms. Weston, the project you will be working on is a bit special in nature, so you will be working with me directly," said Noah, smiling at Rayne.


    Rayne was shocked! She was going to work with Secretary Mathews directly? She never would have guessed she would one day work so closely with the famous secretary of REN Corp!


    "Let''s head over to my office where we can begin," said Noah. He led Rayne back into the elevator, taking Rayne up to the top floor.


    When Rayne walked out of the elevator, she marveled! The top floor had a unique design with only a few offices. A small reception desk stood in front of the elevator entrance, followed by a large hallway.


    "The room to the right is a lounge that''s fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Feel free to enjoy them whenever you like.


    This door leads to the restrooms, and this one is the conference room."


    They continued to walk down the hallway until they reached a set of heavy wooden double doors. The doors were engraved with the company''s logo, the blooming lotus.


    "This is the president''s office. Please don''t go inside unless you are invited."


    Rayne nodded. She understood that someone like her would have no right to disturb the president.


    Seeing Rayne nodding her head, looking like a frightened animal, Noah chuckled.


    "If you follow me down here, this is my office."


    They walked down the small hall on the right side to another large wooden door. There was a small golden plaque on the wall that read "Secretary Mathews."


    "And this office across from me will be your office," he said, turning toward the wooden door opposite of them.


    "My office? I get an office up here?" Rayne asked in disbelief.


    Noah laughed, seeing her shocked expression. "Yes, since we will be working together, this is the most convenient way."


    He led Rayne into her new office. It was huge, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. There was a large office desk made of solid mahogany in the center of the room, with a computer on top.


    Behind the desk, there were two high-quality drawing desks along the back wall. Next to the drawing desks was a shelf with any drawing tools needed for architectural design. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne marveled at the amount of supplies that were on the large shelf. She noticed a number of items that she had never even used before.


    The rest of the office contained a small, leisurely sitting area with a large leather couch.


    "Okay, let''s head over to my office to get to the important part," said Noah.


    They walked into Noah''s office, which was even larger than the one assigned to Rayne. Noah motioned for Rayne to take a seat at his desk as he walked over to the other side.


    "Before we begin, I''m going to have to ask you to sign this NDA. It''s basically an agreement that you will not discuss this project with anyone, even close family members and friends."


    Rayne looked over the documents, reading the part that stated if she were to breach the agreement, she would need to pay the company more money than she could ever hope to make.


    Instead of feeling frightened, she was more curious about what it was they wanted her to work on that would warrant such an agreement.


    Noah watched her read through the document and was impressed that she could remain so calm after reading the frightening consequences. Instead, he watched her calmly read the entire document, then pick up a pen and sign it.


    He was shocked. Surely, she should have at least asked a question or thought about it before signing.


    "Secretary Mathews, I''ve signed it," she said, holding the signed document out toward Noah.


    Noah snapped out of his shock and resumed his professional expression.


    "Okay, great. Please allow me to stress the importance of keeping this project secret. In fact, the only other person who knows about this is the president himself."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing. She was getting more and more curious, until a thought came to mind.


    "Oh, Secretary Mathews, my only hope is that I''m not going to be involved in anything illegal or immoral," said Rayne hurriedly.


    Noah shook his head, smiling. "No, don''t worry. It''s perfectly legal, and nothing bad."


    Rayne let out a sigh of relief. She was worried that she would have to design an illegal torture chamber or something.


    "Okay, now that we''ve come to an agreement, I will tell you what you will be working on."


    Rayne sat up in her chair, listening carefully. She had a list of ideas in her head, such as a hotel or a new warehouse facility.


    "You will be designing a fully fleshed-out version of the bunker you designed at the contest."

 Chapter 25 - 25: The Bunker

    Rayne remained relatively calm when she heard that it would be a bunker. She had already had a small suspicion back during the contest, and now Noah proved her to be correct.


    Noah was once again surprised at how calm Rayne was. He expected her to be stunned, and ask questions. But she just sat there, calmly waiting for him to continue.


    "I know this will be a bit demanding, but we need the design completed as soon as possible. Preferably within the month".


    This time Rayne''s eyes widened! A timeline of just a month was a nearly impossible ask! Especially for a project this large in scale!


    "Secretary Mathews! I believe you are overestimating my capabilities! To design something this large, to completion is near impossible!", exclaimed Rayne.


    "Yes, it will be difficult and demanding, however I believe in your ability. I will also assist you around the clock, whenever you need. Please come to me with any questions or concerns", replied Noah.


    Rayne was still in disbelief, she would have to put in so much effort for this project that she wouldn''t be able to do much more outside of that.


    Noah picked up another document and handed it over to Rayne.


    "This will explain the compensation we have prepared for you".


    Rayne glanced over the paper and nearly jumped out of the chair! If she completed this contract she would never have to work again for the rest of her life! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The monetary compensation was over one billion dollars!


    She took a deep breath to calm herself and turned to look at Noah.


    "Okay, I accept".


    Noah smiled and stood up, collecting the signed documents.


    "Okay now that we got all of that out of the way, here is a list of mandatory requirements for the bunker. Feel free to add anything you see fit. I will be reviewing the initial design at the end of the week."


    Rayne looked at the list. Her design from the contest included most of these requirements already, she just needed to add a few additional features such as solar farms and advanced water filtration systems.


    There was also a detailed sketch of a micro laboratory that would need to be included in the bunker.


    "Some of these systems are fairly technical, and we already got our engineers and researchers to come up with design documents for the more advanced systems. These will be sent to your computer, for you to reference", explained Noah.


    Rayne returned to her office and quickly got to work. She pulled out her design from the contest to use as a reference, and started from scratch on a new blueprint.


    -------------


    While Rayne was busy working, Noah went to Julian''s office to give a status update.


    "Boss, the contest went smoothly and I have already sorted out the winners for their respective projects. Here are copies of the winners'' designs.


    Second and third place was Ella Soto and Fabiano. While the first place winner might surprise you! It''s Dr. Weston''s daughter, Rayne Weston!", said Noah.


    Julian raised his eyebrow, hearing Raynes name.


    "I wasn''t aware that his daughter was skilled in architectural design. This is indeed interesting, show me what she came up with for the contest".


    Noah handed over a copy of Rayne''s design.


    Julian carefully studied the blueprint, taking time to read all of the placeholder ideas Rayne wrote down. He was very impressed at the level of detail, and forward thinking Rayne had.


    "Noah, you did well choosing her as the winner. This is exactly the kind of bunker I want."


    Julian continued to study the design with interest. Seems like Dr. Weston''s daughter is as brilliant as her father.


    "Take a small team of trusted people and begin scouting a suitable location for this bunker. Choose a remote location. If I remember correctly there''s a large uninhabited forest valley a few hours away. It''s near the newly constructed nature retreat resort.", instructed Julian.


    "I''ll get it done", replied Noah.


    -------------


    Rayne spent the rest of the day absorbed in drawing the blueprint. She had managed to completely flesh out the entire shell of the bunker.


    She kept the initial design, only tweaking a few parts to accommodate more solar panels, and defense systems.


    Knock, Knock!


    Rayne snapped out of her trance and went over to open her office door.


    "Hello Miss Weston, I came by to deliver the second part of your contest winnings", said Noah.


    Rayne let him enter her office and they both sat down around her desk.


    Noah handed her a new document, "This is the small monetary bonus that was included with the contest winnings. Since you won first place, your prize was a bit higher than that of the other winners".


    Rayne looked at the paper seeing a document stating a transfer of 100,000 dollars to her account.


    Happily surprised she looked at Noah and said, "Wow! How generous, I wasn''t aware that there was a monetary prize as well!".


    "Yes, we decided not to publicize this for the sake of the winners", explained Noah.


    They chatted for a few more minutes while Rayne showed Noah the progress she made on the design.


    Noah was pleasantly surprised at how quickly Rayne worked. He felt like she would definitely be able to finish the design by the designated time, alleviating some stress of this shoulders.


    After they were done, Noah politely escorted Rayne to the elevator. As they passed the reception desk, Rayne noticed the arrogant woman from earlier sitting behind the desk.


    Katie saw Rayne walking with Secretary Mathews and was stunned! She was coming back from her lunch break when she saw the secretary escort Rayne, but she didn''t see the woman for the rest of the day. She figured the woman was just a regular worker, so when she saw her again her jealousy flared!


    How was it possible that this woman stayed up on this floor the whole day? Could it be that she was a guest of the president?!


    As Rayne and Noah passed Katie, Noah stopped to introduce them.


    "Miss Katherine, this is Miss Weston. She will be working on this floor from now on. Her office is across from mine, please help her out with whatever she asks", said Noah.


    His words made Katie even more angry! How on earth did this vixen climb her way to work so close to the secretary and president?! She was supposed to be the only woman on this floor!

 Chapter 26 - 26: Future Planning

    Rayne noticed the "less-than-welcoming" expression on Katie''s face and sighed internally. Why do all these office women get jealous so easily?


    Noah noticed the way Katie was dressed today, frowning.


    "Miss Katherine, please go to HR to receive a warning about your inappropriate attire," said Noah sternly.


    Katie''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    "Yes, sir, forgive me," she said meekly, getting up and entering the elevator.


    Noah pressed his fingers to his eyebrow. "Sorry about that, Miss Weston. Unfortunately, these things happen sometimes."


    Rayne gave a slight smile and nodded politely. As long as she was able to work in peace, she didn''t care about anything else at the company.


    Noah then gave Rayne a key card.


    "This key card is required for the elevator. This one specifically is needed to access this floor, so don''t lose it."


    After handing Rayne the key card and sorting out the plans for tomorrow, Noah walked back toward his office.


    Rayne pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive.


    On her way down to the lobby, Rayne took the opportunity to store the keycard in her system.


    In the lobby, Rayne ran into Ella, who was saying goodbye to the male project manager she had seen earlier.


    "Oh, Rayne! I was just about to send you a message! I wanted to see if you wanted to go to that sushi restaurant to celebrate our first day!" Ella said enthusiastically.


    Rayne was in a very good mood after receiving the additional monetary prize and agreed happily!


    They quickly arrived at the cozy sushi restaurant and placed their orders. Both of them were in a great mood and ordered everything they wanted, regardless of the cost.


    "You must''ve gotten the monetary reward too, right?" asked Ella.


    "Yes! I was pleasantly surprised!" replied Rayne.


    As they ate, Ella enthusiastically recounted her day, describing her new corner office and team members.


    "I can''t believe it! I have a team of 10 people working solely for me!" she exclaimed.


    Rayne was savoring the delicious food, making a mental note to come back here so she could add it to her system. The fish was fresh and high-quality, and the seasonings used were a unique combination that highlighted the fish''s flavor.


    "Say, Rayne! I''ve been meaning to ask you, what was the contract they offered you? They made it sound so secretive at the gala," asked Ella.


    Rayne smiled, thankful Noah had prepared an excuse for this kind of situation.


    "I''m actually designing a personal project for the president. It''s a vacation villa for one of his newly purchased private islands," answered Rayne.


    "WHAT! Oh my goodness! What an exciting project! I''m so jealous!" exclaimed Ella, jumping up from her chair.


    "Yes! It''s an exciting project, with a lot of creative freedom! The only thing is that the timeline is pretty tight. I''ll be working a lot of overtime on this project, so I won''t be able to go out much for the next month," added Rayne.


    -----------


    Later that night, in a secret underground casino.


    Julian sat down on the luxurious couch, facing Ian.


    "Do we have any updates on Damien or his men?" he asked.


    Ian took a seat across from Julian. He was dressed in opulent clothing, looking like a mafia boss. This underground casino was Julian''s underground HQ, led by Ian.


    "Yes, Team A just sent word that they located Tek scouting the coastline along the southern border of the country.


    Similar to what Brent told me before, it seems they are looking for a suitable location to build on. We''re not exactly sure what they want to build, but I''m guessing it''s either a weapons facility or a base of some sort," said Ian.


    Julian listened carefully, frowning.


    "Damien is planning something big, this much is obvious. However, I don''t know exactly what. Have Team A continue following Tek to gather information.


    The bunker design began today, and things are on schedule for our big plan. Seeing that Tek is still in the scouting phase, we still have some time left before Damien unleashes whatever it is he''s got planned."


    Ian noted Julian''s instructions.


    "Boss, are you sure you want to do this? What about your parents and family?" asked Ian.


    "I''ve already made plans for them. They''ll be fine. It''s about time they learned to stop relying on me for every little thing," sighed Julian. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ----------


    Rayne spent the next month working diligently on the design of the bunker. She worked all day in the office and even brought the blueprint home to work at night.


    Over the course of the month, the only time she went out was to attend her self-defense classes. Brent had praised her for the swift progress she''d been making, mastering most of the common anti-restraint moves.


    He told her that from the next class forward, he would begin teaching her offensive moves.


    Rayne was happy with the progress she was making. She felt her body get stronger and felt that if she were to experience the same situation as the one in the mountains, the outcome would''ve been different.


    She was currently drawing the finishing touches of the design on her kitchen table.


    It was late into the night, and Rayne''s light was the only one still on in the apartment building. Half-empty take-out boxes of sushi were scattered on the counter.


    Rayne had ordered the entire menu as take-out over the course of the month to add to her system. Now, she was able to enjoy the delicious sushi whenever she wanted.


    She finally put the drawing pen down and lifted her arms to stretch. Looking over the finished blueprint, Rayne felt very proud of herself.


    This project was the most demanding and intense project she''d ever worked on. It was hard to believe that it was completed by a team of only two people.


    Secretary Mathews proved to be a massive help to Rayne throughout the entire process. He provided critical feedback and always answered any questions she had.


    Rayne packed up and crawled into bed. Tomorrow would be the final review of the design, marking the completion of her contract!

 Chapter 27 - 27: Contract Completed

    Rayne woke up the next morning feeling excited. Today would be the day that Secretary Mathews critiqued the final version of the design. If everything went well, she would walk out a billionaire!


    She quickly took a shower and got dressed while looking through the food options on her system screen.


    She chose an iced coffee and a small pastry, grabbed her bag, and headed out. Since she no longer had the rental car, she had to leave earlier to compensate for the new travel time.


    She promised herself that after this project finished, she would reward herself with a new car! Money would no longer be much of an issue, so she wouldn''t hold back and would buy the best of the best.


    As Rayne sat inside the taxi, she mentally went over the design multiple times to ensure that she didn''t miss even the slightest detail.


    She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn''t even notice when the taxi stopped at her destination.


    "Ahhhh~!"


    Rayne snapped out of her trance after hearing a group of women squealing. She looked outside the taxi window and realized that she had already arrived! sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After apologizing and paying the driver, she stepped out, trying to make it inside the elevator as quickly as possible.


    Over the last month, Rayne had witnessed this scene multiple times. A large group of female office workers would wait outside the office building to watch as the ''hot'' male workers arrived at work.


    The most popular one was, of course, the president. However, in the month that Rayne worked at REN Corp, she hadn''t seen him once.


    Today, the women squealed because of Secretary Mathews, with Katie being the loudest one.


    Rayne carefully walked around the group of women, trying her best not to be noticed¡ªespecially by Katie.


    Katie''s hostility toward Rayne had grown with each passing day. She even once complained to Secretary Mathews that Rayne was spending most of her time in the lounge room, slacking off.


    Unfortunately for Katie, Rayne was a diligent worker and had proved her work ethic on her very first day. So instead of Secretary Mathews scolding Rayne, he turned to scold Katie for trying to start workplace drama.


    Since that event, Katie could only use small petty tricks to annoy Rayne. She would wait until she saw Rayne walking toward the elevator before quickly hopping inside and closing the doors, making Rayne wait a few minutes for the elevator to come back.


    Rayne, although annoyed, didn''t bother with Katie''s antics. She was fully focused on her work and didn''t have the time or energy to fight with petty, jealous women.


    She quickly walked through the lobby and into the empty elevator. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Noah''s hand grabbed the door, and he jumped inside.


    He looked at Rayne, signaling her to quickly use her keycard and send the elevator up.


    "I really need to speak to HR about the amount of loitering outside of the buildings in the morning," he said, exasperated.


    Rayne let out a soft chuckle. "You seem to be very popular, Secretary Mathews."


    Noah rolled his eyes at her comment. The real Mr. Popular is Julian, but he gets here much earlier than everyone else.


    The elevator doors opened, revealing the hallway of the top floor.


    "Let me drop my things off in my office, and then I will come over to your office to begin the review," said Noah.


    Rayne nodded and walked into her office, preparing the stack of finished blueprints.


    A few minutes later, Noah knocked on her office door and stepped inside. Rayne invited him over to begin the final review.


    She spent the entire day, even past regular office hours, going over every little detail of the design document with Noah.


    They only made a few very small tweaks, such as moving an electrical outlet to the other side of the wall.


    Noah was very satisfied with the end result. It was better than what he imagined it could be, and he knew that Julian would think the same.


    Finally finished, Rayne stood up and stretched her legs.


    "Miss Weston, I must say that you have done an exceptional job. Your skill in this field is truly above even those who call themselves ''top designers.'' I will make sure you receive the promised compensation today."


    Rayne blushed at the generous compliment. "Thank you for the kind words, Secretary Mathews. I am glad that I was able to deliver an acceptable design."


    They then shook hands, signifying the fulfilled contract.


    "Miss Weston, I''m sure I don''t need to say this, but please allow me to stress once more how secretive this design and project are. I hope that you can help us keep it a secret."


    Rayne looked up at Noah. "I give you my word."


    Noah stood up, carefully collecting the blueprints. He was going to bring them to Julian to get the final stamp of approval before he could begin the initial construction.


    Rayne packed up her things and lightly cleaned the office. Since she was finished with her contract, she would not be coming back here anymore.


    Ah! I am finally free again!


    She smiled, thinking of all the fun things she could do now! She made a mental note to do some more research for ''bucket list'' items.


    As Rayne walked out of the large office building, she felt her stomach growl. She had skipped lunch today and was starving.


    She looked around the area to see if there were any restaurants nearby where she could grab delicious take-out!


    A delicious scent wafted through the air.


    Rayne scrunched her nose, trying to pick up on its trail, and before long, she found herself in front of a small stall that sold all flavors of crispy fried chicken!


    Rayne felt the drool begin to pool inside her mouth. Fried chicken was one of her favorite foods, and she could tell that the owner of this stall was very successful.


    She waited about 10 minutes in a long line, constantly teased by the delicious scent, until it was finally her turn.


    The owner of the stall was slightly surprised when Rayne ordered a family tray of every flavor of chicken he offered!


    Seeing that he had such a generous customer, he made sure to pick out the best pieces of chicken and even threw in a few extra dipping sauces for free!


    "Here you go, Missy! I hope your family enjoys dinner!" said the owner happily.


    Rayne laughed inwardly at his comment.


    Sir, this chicken is all for me!

 Chapter 28 - 28: Countdown

    Rayne carefully picked up the three large bags of packaged chicken. She carried them as if they were priceless objects while looking for a secluded corner where she could store them in her system.


    The quicker she stored the chicken, the fresher it would be!


    Rayne finally spotted a small alleyway and quickly ran over to it. She opened the bags and pretended to be looking for a specific item, but in reality, she was quickly storing each box of chicken.


    The chicken was very hot and fresh. It released a heavenly aroma, causing Rayne''s stomach to growl again.


    She quickly hurried to flag down a taxi and rushed home to enjoy the feast waiting for her!


    By the time she got home, the chicken she had been carrying for show had already cooled down, making it slightly less appetizing. She quickly threw it into the ''trash bin'' in her system and took out a copy of the hot, freshly packed chicken she had stored earlier.


    The whole kitchen table was filled with boxes of different flavored chicken, along with various dipping sauces.


    Rayne wasn''t worried about wasting food since she could make infinite copies of it whenever she wanted, so she made it a point to try a piece of every flavor!


    By the time she finished sampling the last flavor, she was already stuffed! Her stomach was happily digesting the delicious food, making Rayne feel sleepy.


    Now that Rayne was finished with her design, she was no longer on any kind of schedule, allowing her to be flexible with her sleep schedule.


    She decided that tomorrow she would go car shopping when she woke up.


    Rayne quickly cleaned off the table, tossing all the leftovers into the ''trash bin'' in her system, and got ready for bed.


    Today''s accomplishments, along with the satisfying meal, put Rayne in a really good mood, making her fall asleep quickly.


    Once Rayne fell asleep, she recognized her surroundings as the nightmare she had experienced a few times before.


    This time, she saw images of strong men covered in tattoos, holding guns and weapons. These men walked menacingly through a small neighborhood, kicking down doors and stealing people''s supplies.


    Some men even grabbed women to take back with them.


    Rayne heard screams and cries around her. People were on their knees, begging to be left alone, stating they had no food left.


    The group of men ignored the pleas, smashing windows and destroying everything in their path. They laughed while doing this, enjoying the feeling of superiority over the poor people who were trying their best to survive.


    "Haha! Boss will be happy with today''s harvest! Not only did we manage to find a good amount of supplies, but we even got a few decent-looking women too!" said a man who appeared to be the leader.


    The other men joined in on the laughter, while the rest of the people were left crying and hopeless.


    "Listen up, vermin! Our boss is a very caring man. If you join us and contribute, you will be guaranteed one meal a day and a roof over your head. All interested, follow me!"


    A few people stood up at the promise of food. They hadn''t eaten anything in over a week and figured they would most likely die if they didn''t join.


    A man holding a gun saw an old man trying to get up and walk toward where the people were gathering.


    He lifted his leg and kicked the old man, sending him flying back into a pile of trash.


    "What makes you think you could contribute to our boss with your frail body?" yelled the man.


    Rayne''s eyes began to water as she witnessed such cruelty toward the helpless people.


    She tried running over to the old man, but like in her previous nightmares, she couldn''t move.


    "Please make it stop!" she yelled. She didn''t know why she kept seeing such horrible scenes, but she didn''t want to continue watching. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately for Rayne, the scenes kept flashing before her, continuously becoming more and more horrific.


    -------------------------


    Rayne woke up with an increased heart rate, drenched in sweat. No matter how hard she tried to wake herself up during the nightmare, she couldn''t.


    She sat up in bed, but before she could calm herself from the nightmare, her eyes widened and her body shook.


    The system screen floated in front of her, but this time, with a new message:


    [Countdown to the Apocalypse: 1 year, 1 day, 03:28:14]


    Rayne held her breath, watching the seconds timer tick down.


    Once the seconds counter reached 0 and the minutes counter went to 27, Rayne released her held breath.


    What did this mean? Could this message be related to the nightmares?


    Rayne''s mind raced, thinking of different possibilities as to why the system would display such a message.


    But after a few minutes of thinking, she realized that it didn''t matter why it appeared. The reality of the situation was that something bad was going to happen.


    Rayne forcefully calmed herself, focusing on what she needed to do while she still had time left. This system was a miraculous thing and had already helped her out in so many different ways.


    She knew that her survival was closely linked to the system.


    "If I can maximize the use of my system now, I should be able to continue to live comfortably in the future, even helping the less fortunate people around me," she mumbled.


    Rayne thought of the helpless, starving people she had seen in her nightmare. If she were able to help them in any way, she would do so.


    The thought of helping those people brought a sense of determination to Rayne. Now she just needed to store as many things as possible before the timer ran out!


    Rayne dismissed the system screen and picked up her cell phone. She logged into her bank account and saw the long string of zeros.


    She smiled at the enormous number. Yesterday, she had planned to spend this money to live a carefree life of luxury, with flashy sports cars and designer purses.


    But after today, she wanted to buy military-grade vehicles and generators.

 Chapter 29 - 29: Dealership

    Rayne put her phone away and quickly got out of bed. She still felt the adrenaline coursing through her, making her feel rushed in all of her movements.


    She took a quick shower and pulled out a bagel from her toaster to eat as she made her way to the table.


    Opening the laptop that was already on the table, she began to make a long list of necessary items she would need for survival. The internet was a great tool, as she found posts from people discussing hypothetical apocalyptic situations and how to counter them.


    Opening a text editor, she began typing out her list, starting with major categories:


    Hydration


    Food and Cooking


    Shelter and Warmth


    Medicine and Hygiene


    Tools and Gear


    Security and Protection


    Navigation and Communication


    Miscellaneous and Entertainment Items


    She looked at her list and decided to start from the top. Today, she would begin to tackle the hydration category, but first, she needed a vehicle.


    Closing the laptop, Rayne felt a lot better after having a game plan and stood up to get ready.


    She picked her outfit carefully, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible while choosing clothing that would provide more coverage.


    Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was happy with her choice. She wore black leggings with a matching black top and a long trench coat made of a lighter material. This coat would help her block any line of sight if she bent over slightly.


    She put on her white sneakers and an all-black baseball cap before grabbing her keys and purse.


    --------------------


    When she arrived at Deal Street, the day was only just starting. Rayne saw many shop owners and businesses putting out their signs and turning on their "welcome" lights.


    The reason she chose to come to Deal Street was that it had the largest car dealership location in all of the surrounding cities. There were more than 100 car dealerships packed into this long street, allowing Rayne to find exactly what she wanted.


    She leisurely walked down the street, allowing the workers time to set up their stores for the day''s business.


    When Rayne passed the dealership that specialized in luxury sports cars, she couldn''t help but slow her steps. But after admiring the sleek design of the shiny sports cars, she turned her head and continued to walk.


    Her destination was the dealership that sold rugged, off-road, and durable vehicles. After about 15 minutes of walking, she finally arrived at her location.


    Rayne walked through the large parking lot that displayed shiny new cars and trucks. They all looked very rugged¡ªwith large wheels and steel frames.


    "Hello, welcome to Duke''s," said a younger-looking man behind the counter.


    Rayne smiled and greeted him. "Hello, I''m here to buy a vehicle. I''m looking for something top-of-the-line with off-road capabilities. Price is not an issue."


    The young man behind the counter beamed at Rayne''s words. He had just recently been hired as a salesperson and, due to his low seniority, rarely got high-paying customers. His monthly commission had always been the lowest at the dealership because of this.


    If it weren''t for his passion for off-road vehicles, he would have left to work for another dealership. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Awesome! Let me show you a few vehicles I think you would like!" he said enthusiastically as he walked out from behind the counter.


    Rayne followed him into the parking lot, listening to his tour of the different kinds of cars as they made their way all the way back to a large warehouse.


    The man explained that this was where they kept all of the top-of-the-line vehicles.


    The moment they entered the warehouse, a strong scent of cigarettes assaulted Rayne''s nose, making her wave her hand in front of her face.


    The young salesman saw Rayne''s reaction and quickly apologized. "I''m sorry, Miss! This warehouse is one of the only places without cameras, and a lot of the guys take advantage of it, secretly smoking here."


    Rayne lifted an eyebrow at this information. A warehouse with no cameras could be beneficial for her!


    She walked around the large warehouse, looking at the various trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, quads, and even snowmobiles.


    Rayne''s mind went into overdrive, coming up with ways she could take advantage of the lack of cameras and store some of these vehicles.


    "Here we are! This SUV here is the one I personally recommend! It''s this year''s model and has already broken all the records for off-road capabilities! It can easily drive over rocks and other obstacles, as well as deep water!"


    Rayne listened carefully while inspecting the car. It was rather large, with big, durable tires. The frame was somewhat boxy, but that seemed typical of off-road vehicles.


    The salesman opened the door to reveal a black leather interior.


    "Now here is why I think this is the best option that money can buy! You see these screens? While this one is your standard feature like radio/music/GPS... this other one is a sonar location radar! This is the only car that has this, so if you''re in the woods hunting, any larger animals will show up on the radar! Isn''t that cool?"


    Rayne was surprised! A sonar for large animals could be very useful in the apocalypse.


    "Would humans be picked up on the sonar as well?" Rayne asked.


    The young man nodded. "Yes, anything larger than an average-sized dog will be picked up. Of course, there are always some exceptions."


    He continued to explain the features of the SUV in great detail until Rayne cut him off.


    "I''ll take it," she said.


    The young salesman was shocked at how quickly she made her decision.


    "Are you sure, Miss? We haven''t even discussed the price... and I''ll be honest, it''s very expensive."


    Rayne smiled at the man''s honesty. "Yes, I''ll take it at asking price."


    His face bloomed into a huge smile! This sale alone would bring him to the top of this month''s commission, granting him a huge bonus to his pay.


    "Okay, if you can follow me back to the main office, we can begin the paperwork," he said.


    Rayne looked at him calmly. "Would you mind bringing the paperwork here? I wish to look at the car a bit more while you prepare everything."


    Scared to lose this huge sale, the young man agreed right away. "Yes, sure thing. If you wait for me here, I will be back in about 15 minutes!"


    Rayne nodded and pretended to continue checking out the car, waiting until he left the warehouse.

 Chapter 30 - 30: Dealership 2

    As soon as Rayne saw the door to the warehouse close, she walked over to where the smaller vehicles were.


    She knew that she wouldn''t be able to store any of the larger SUVs or cars, but she wanted to try storing the smaller motorcycles, quads, and snowmobiles.


    She walked over to the smallest snowmobile. It was all white, with a compact design, making it smaller than the other snowmobiles around it.


    Placing her hand on the snowmobile, Rayne began to feel a little nervous. The last large item she stored was her TV, and that had caused her to lose consciousness.


    "Well, it''s either now or never," she mumbled and began focusing on storing the snowmobile.


    Moments later, the familiar sharp pain spread throughout her head, but Rayne continued to focus, taking deep breaths.


    After about a minute of painful focusing, Rayne opened her eyes to see that she had successfully stored the snowmobile.


    She quickly placed a copy in the empty spot and continued on to store the next one. Even though she was still tired and feeling weak, she was determined to get these items.


    The reason she didn''t buy them, even though she had the money, was because she had no place to store them. Also, buying this many vehicles at once would be really suspicious.


    Rayne walked over to the next snowmobile. This one was slightly larger. Once again, she closed her eyes and began to focus.


    Thankfully, the pain was a lot more bearable this time around, hastening the process.


    Rayne went around and stored all of the small vehicles in the warehouse. Just as she finished, the young salesman came back with a stack of paperwork.


    He noticed Rayne''s pale face and figured that the strong cigarette smell must have made her feel woozy, so he propped open the door to the warehouse to let in some fresh air.


    Rayne met him at the small desk that was in the corner of the warehouse and began the paperwork process.


    Just as she was about to finish signing the papers, another salesman walked in.


    "Hey Timmy, go deal with that customer in the main showroom, I''ll take care of this one."


    This salesman was older, around his early 40s, with a large stomach and beady eyes. Rayne frowned as she saw him approach her, the greed oozing from his body.


    "Oh, but Randy, she''s my customer...we''re almost finished with the paperwork," said Timmy, the young salesman, meekly.


    "Scram, I''ve already brought the box of keys for the warehouse vehicles. I''ll take it from here," he said aggressively.


    Rayne looked up at Timmy, feeling bad for the way his coworkers treated him. "Go call your manager," she whispered. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Timmy looked at Rayne, surprised, but understood that she would stand up for him. He quickly got up and left the warehouse.


    Randy walked over and placed a medium-sized metal box on the desk in front of Rayne.


    "Hello, Miss, I''m Randy, and I''ll be the one finishing up your sale."


    He sat down where Timmy had sat and glanced over at the paperwork. When he noticed that Timmy had already signed his name on the form, he scowled.


    "Ah, give me a moment to bring over the correct paperwork," he said nervously and got up to leave.


    Rayne smiled, Well, thank you for saving me the trouble of finding the keys to all of these vehicles.


    "Sure, go ahead, I''ll wait here," she replied.


    As soon as Randy left, Rayne stored the box of keys in her space. Although it was locked, she didn''t think breaking through a small tin box would be too difficult.


    Before Randy came back with the new paperwork, Timmy returned with a stern-looking woman.


    "This is the manager of this dealership, Mrs. Kay," Timmy introduced.


    Rayne stood up to shake her hand. "Hello, Mrs. Kay."


    Mrs. Kay politely returned the greeting and said, "Timmy here says that you are interested in purchasing the SS model of SUV today. I hope that the buying process was smooth and informative."


    "Yes, Timmy did a great job explaining every feature in great detail. In fact, it was his great enthusiasm that sold me on this SUV," said Rayne.


    Mrs. Kay looked over at Timmy, nodding in approval.


    Just then, Randy walked into the warehouse and spotted Timmy standing next to Rayne. Manager Kay was standing behind one of the large trucks and wasn''t in Randy''s line of sight.


    "Timmy, I thought I told you to scram! This sale is mine! Do you want me to go tell the manager you pissed off a customer, making them walk away?"


    When Mrs. Kay heard Randy''s words, she stepped out from behind the truck to face Randy.


    "How dare you cause a scene! Especially right in front of a customer! Follow me to my office right now!" she said angrily.


    Before she left, she turned to Rayne and apologized profusely, offering Rayne a small discount for the trouble.


    Timmy quickly helped Rayne complete the paperwork, and then handed her the keys once the payment processed.


    "Thank you for your purchase, Miss! If you need any other outdoor vehicles in the future, come find me!" Timmy cheerfully said.


    He carefully drove the SUV out of the warehouse, making it easier for Rayne to get in.


    Rayne got inside her newly purchased SUV and smiled. Hopefully, this car would be useful in the future, and hopefully, she could store it before the apocalypse comes.


    She turned the car on and left to begin her next order of business¡ªall things water!


    Rayne drove out of the dealership and towards a small business that specialized in water filtration. She had read online that they offered a variety of products, including water filters, water purification tablets, collapsible water containers, and rainwater collection systems!


    As she drove, she couldn''t help but marvel at how nice her new car was. It drove smoothly and quietly, and the plush leather seats were very comfortable. The interior was very roomy, and the open trunk area was very spacious.


    Rayne felt that this was the perfect vehicle for the apocalypse.


    -----------------------


    Beep... beep... beep...


    [Sorry the caller cannot be reached at this time..]


    Dillon nearly threw his phone at the wall. He had been trying to call Rayne for a month now, every time ending up in voicemail.


    She was like a plague in his head, constantly existing. It got to a point to where if he wasn''t thinking about her he wouldn''t be able to enjoy any kind of sexual activities.


    Even with Krissy''s ever increasing enthusiasm, dressing up and offering to try new positions, he only wanted to picture Rayne.


    The sexual frustration continued to slowly build up day by day, driving him mad.


    "You can''t run from me forever. I told you that you are my woman!", he yelled, looking at the blank screen of his cell phone.


    It''s about time I pay you a visit.

 Chapter 31 - 31: Surprise Visit

    Rayne arrived at the water filtration store. Although it was labeled a "small business," the store itself was very large, displaying all sorts of water tanks and filtration systems.


    Rayne walked through the aisles looking for the smaller items first. She marveled at how many different types of water purification tablets there were, not to mention other items!


    She quickly got down to business, discreetly adding one of every type to her system, replacing the missing item along the way.


    After storing all of the tablets, Rayne moved on to the next section. The display shelves were filled with different kinds of water bottles and pitchers with built-in filters. Once again, she bent over slightly and used her trench coat as cover, then began to store one of everything that was on display.


    She continued throughout the store until she had stored every water filter, purification tablet, and water container that was available. The only things she didn''t add were the jumbo water tanks the size of a small house, but she didn''t mind skipping those.


    Along the back corner of the store was a small variety of rainwater collection barrels. These barrels were designed to work independently, without the use of a complex water collection system.


    Unfortunately, they were rather large, about the size of Rayne, so she wasn''t able to store them discreetly. After thinking for a while, she decided that she would buy one of the barrels. She picked out one of the smaller ones, knowing it would fit in the back of her new SUV, and went to find an employee.


    The employee was very efficient, quickly loading the rainwater collection barrel into Rayne''s SUV. After paying, Rayne went on her way, trying to decide whether she should go home or stop by the supermarket first.


    "Since I''m out and about already, I''ll stop by the supermarket and stock up on as much as I can. That way, I can cook different foods in my spare time until the apocalypse comes," she said to herself and drove towards the top supermarket in the area.


    As Rayne pulled into the parking lot of the high-end supermarket, she noticed that all of the cars parked here were luxury vehicles.


    "Seems like this place really is as expensive as they say. Only the rich can afford to shop here."


    Rayne parked her car and entered the store. When she entered, she realized how different a luxury supermarket was from a normal one.


    Everything was clean and organized; all of the fruits and vegetables were the best of the best with no pesticides or chemicals. The prices also reflected their "luxury" status, with a small head of cabbage selling for almost $10!


    Rayne felt that even with her new billionaire status, this store was too expensive! She calmed herself with the existence of her system, or else she would go broke shopping here today.


    She began in the vast vegetable section. There were vegetables from all over the world on display, and all of them looked perfectly ripe. Walking over to where the cucumbers lay, Rayne pretended to pick a few up and inspect them while secretly stashing one in her system.


    She walked around the entire section, repeating this process, making sure to store multiple of every vegetable. Before long, her system gained many new vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, radishes, kale, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, avocados, etc.


    She stored every variety of every vegetable available, some she''d never seen before.


    To prevent suspicion, Rayne walked around with a shopping cart and occasionally placed a vegetable inside.


    Rayne continued to the fruit section, adding apples, oranges, limes, lemons, kiwis, bananas, guava, pomegranates, melons, grapes, pears, peaches, etc.


    She had stored over twenty different kinds of apples alone!


    Walking past the produce department, Rayne spotted a small stand with beautiful fresh cut flowers. Although they would not serve much purpose in the apocalypse, she still wanted to store them in her system. Flowers had the ability to improve one''s mood, and that feature alone made them important.


    The next section was the meat and seafood market, where Rayne stored two of everything available: chicken breasts, chicken thighs, ground chicken, pork chops, ground pork, steaks and ground beef, white fish, pink fish, oysters, clams, crabs, turkey, bacon, ham, duck, etc.


    The reason she chose to store two of everything was in case one of the packages was bad, although that was unlikely. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She weaved through the aisles, storing pantry items, canned goods, cereals, grains, biscuits, sugar, salt, spices, bread, granola, all types of snacks, candy, sodas, etc.


    Even the items in her cart started to form a small pile, making Rayne nervous to see what the bill would be by the time she was done.


    The supermarket even had a prepared food section that had salads, soups, pizza, sandwiches, chicken, fruit, and cultural foods from different countries! Rayne, of course, stored everything possible. Prepared foods would no doubt become a lifesaver in situations where cooking was impossible.


    By the time Rayne finished "shopping," it was already dark outside. Running around all day had left her hungry and exhausted.


    As soon as she got back to her car, Rayne took out a sandwich she had found appetizing in the supermarket earlier. It was a simple turkey breast, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, but it was large in size, filling her empty stomach.


    Once she finished eating, she went straight home. While there was a lot left for her to do, she knew she shouldn''t push herself too much. Rest was important to keep her mind sharp.


    ---


    Rayne slowly walked up to her apartment and unlocked the door.


    "Yo."


    Rayne jerked her head towards the voice and saw a shadowy figure sitting on her couch.


    She froze, staring at the figure until he spoke once more.


    "Aw babe, you don''t recognize me? You don''t know how sad I was seeing that all the photos of us are gone."


    "Dillon?" asked Rayne, relaxing slightly.


    She went over and turned on the light, revealing Dillon. He looked up at her and smiled, not hiding the pent-up desire in his eyes.


    "Dillon, what are you doing here? I thought I changed the door lock..." asked Rayne.


    "Ah, you see, I picked up a rather handy skill from my new boss, but that''s beside the point. You''ve been out for a while; I''ve been waiting here for hours," said Dillon.


    Rayne''s eyes grew cold hearing him talk about his new "boss." She pictured the sketchy-looking man from the bar.


    "What do you want from me? If it''s about the money, forget it. Take it as an advanced wedding gift from me to you and Krissy," she said.


    While Rayne was still angry that he took so much of her money, she was now a billionaire, and a measly $30,000 wouldn''t affect her in any way. She only wanted Dillon to leave her alone, especially now that he''s clearly involved with some bad people.


    Dillon''s expression stiffened at her words. "Rayne, I''m here to see you. I think we should start over. I know I was dumb before and hurt you, but I really can''t stop thinking about you."

 Chapter 32 - 32: Kicked Out

    "You must be delusional!", said Rayne angerly.


    She placed the bags she was carrying on the ground and walked over to Dillon.


    "Let me say this for the last time. Dillon we are over! There is nothing you can do to change my mind."


    Dillon''s blood boiled at the harshness of Rayne''s words. He was so angry that his mental snapped and he began to laugh hysterically.


    He stood up from the couch and walked over towards Rayne, placing his hands on her shoulders.


    Bending over to her ear he said, "Tonight, I will really make you my woman".


    Hearing his disgusting words Rayne wiggled her body to break free from his grasp. But Dillon was one step ahead, grabbing hear arms and holding them behind her.


    He laughed as he held her from behind, her back facing him.


    "Be good now", he said as excitement washed over him.


    Rayne took a deep breath and stayed calm. She never expected that Dillon would be the first person she would used her self defense moves on.


    The position that Dillon was restraining her in was one of the common ones, as Brent explained in one of their lessons. He had Rayne practice breaking out of it until she mastered it.


    As Dillon forcefully pushed Rayne towards her bedroom, she suddenly whipped her body around, skillfully breaking out of his grasp.


    Using the element of surprise, Rayne then kicked Dillon directly on his manhood, causing him to fall over in extreme pain.


    She ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up an empty wine bottle and came back to threaten him.


    "If you don''t leave right now, I will make sure your despicable ass will stay in jail for the rest of your life!", she yelled.


    Dillon saw her clenching the neck of the wine bottle, ready to strike if she needed. He was in so much pain from her kick that beads of sweat rolled down his face.


    He was furious, but he knew that she was serious about sending him to jail. One of the requirements to work for this new boss was that he needed a clean record. He got paid really well and didn''t want to lose this job.


    He remembered hearing from his ''coworker'' that the boss would even use beautiful women as rewards for handling tough jobs. Maybe he could ask about subduing Rayne. Whether by force or by drugs, Dillon was more determined than ever to dominate this woman.


    He slowly got up off the ground and made his way towards the entry door. Looking back he saw Rayne watching him closely, with the wine bottle in hand.


    "This isn''t over. You will always belong to me".


    Dillon then walked out, closing the door behind him.


    As soon as the door closed, Rayne fell to the floor. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and her body started to shake.


    She was incredibly thankful to Brent for teaching her this specific set of moves, else she would''ve ended up in a horrifying predicament.


    Rayne was also deeply saddened by Dillon''s drastic personality shift. He used to be kind and caring, always respectful of her. Now he''s changed into someone who would go as far as taking someone against their will.


    The fact that he broke into her apartment, even after Rayne changed the lock left her feeling nervous. If he''s done it once, he can do it again. The only solution would be to move someplace new.


    Although Rayne really liked her current apartment, she had been entertaining the idea of moving someplace else. She wanted to chose a place that had better construction along with a better location, to serve as a starting point for when the apocalypse started.


    She sat on the floor making plans to find a new place as early as tomorrow. She wanted to be gone before Dillon came back.


    Rayne slowly got up off the ground. She was exhausted; all she wanted to do was take a quick shower and go to sleep.


    Before she called it a night, she went over to the entry door and locked it. Looking at the door, Rayne wasn''t happy that she still didn''t feel safe. She opened her system panel and looked through to see if she could block her door with something heavy.


    Her eyes landed on one of the snowmobiles that she stored earlier today. This snowmobile was made from quality materials and had a solid metal frame, making it really heavy.


    Moments later a sleek snowmobile sat in front of the entry way door, blocking anyone from opening the door, even if the lock was picked.


    Although this solution wasn''t perfect, it was better than nothing. Rayne had already planned to go visit a realtor tomorrow morning in hopes of moving out quickly.


    After taking a quick shower, Rayne quickly fell asleep.


    The next morning, she woke up later than usual. She would have continued to sleep even longer if her stomach hadn''t protested in hunger.


    Entering the kitchen, Rayne opened the refrigerator to find it completely empty.


    "Why did I even look?" she mumbled as she opened her system screen. Moments later, an iced coffee and a bagel appeared on the table.


    Rayne quickly ate and went to get changed so she could head out to find a suitable realtor. Online, Rayne found a realtor who specialized in luxury housing, with the added bonus that it was on the other side of town¡ªaway from her and Dillon''s apartments.


    Grabbing her keys, she headed out, and before long, she stepped into a small, glass building. As Rayne walked in, an older woman came over to politely greet her.


    "Hello, welcome to X Realty. My name is Nadia. How can I help you?"


    "Hello Nadia, I''m Rayne! I''m here today to hopefully buy a house," replied Rayne.


    Nadia smiled and led Rayne over to sit at her desk.


    "Now, can you tell me a little about what you''re looking for?" asked Nadia as she turned to her computer.


    "I''m looking for a condo, not a single-family detached house. I want it to be of relatively new construction, on this side of town, and it must have good security," stated Rayne.


    Nadia nodded as she typed. "And what is your price range?"


    Rayne smiled. "I don''t have one."


    sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 33 - 33: House

    Nadia glanced at Rayne when she heard her say there was no price limit, wondering if she was rich or just na?ve.


    "Very well, miss, we have a number of options available. Please take a look."


    Rayne looked over at the computer screen as Nadia scrolled through a list of available options. Most of the houses were in the center of downtown, which Rayne wanted to avoid.


    She felt that living in such a congested area when the apocalypse begins would only put her in more danger.


    "Could we look at a few options that are a bit farther out?" asked Rayne.


    Nadia quickly filtered the search to display only the houses on the edge of the city, leaving only a handful of options.


    Rayne studied the location of each one before looking at the floorplans. There were two houses that were in a good location, both on opposite ends of the city. The first one was a newly constructed building that was nestled closely to a large state park. The second one was on the coast with gorgeous views of the ocean.


    Taking a minute to think, Rayne pointed to the one near the forest of the state park. Nadia wrote down the address and then drove Rayne to the location of the house.


    After about 45 minutes of driving, they arrived in front of a gorgeous building. The exterior looked like a modern take on a French country aesthetic. Each floor had a number of balconies, some larger than others. Climbing ivy was planted around the building, allowing it to creep up, adding greenery to the structure.


    The parking lot was surrounded by a white brick wall, matching the white exterior of the building.


    Nadia led Rayne into the lobby, and the first thing Rayne noticed was the level of security. To access the front doors to the lobby, you had to either swipe your keycard or ring the buzzer that would call a security officer to let you in.


    There were no houses on the first level, only the main lobby, mailboxes, gym, and indoor pool area.


    There were two elevators, one on each side of the concierge desk, and a single main stairwell that also served as an emergency exit.


    Since the building was new, there were a lot of available units to choose from, all with different floor plans and overall sizes.


    "Here are the different floorplans for all of the available units. Let me know which ones you wish to tour," said Nadia as she handed over a sheet of paper.


    Rayne looked over the paper, her eyes immediately landing on the penthouse. It was the largest condominium in the building, but the best feature was the rooftop access. Rayne felt that having this rooftop would be very beneficial in the apocalypse for things like using solar panels or starting a garden.


    She pointed toward the penthouse. "I would like to tour this unit, please."


    Nadia was once again surprised; Rayne chose the most expensive unit without batting an eye.


    "Sure thing, miss, I''ll grab the keys and we can head on over," she said.


    Once they arrived, what greeted Rayne was a beautiful French interior. The white walls were covered in beautiful molding, and the hardwood floors brought warmth to the space.


    There was a large, open-concept kitchen/living room that had all of the top-of-the-line appliances.


    "This unit has three additional bedrooms to the master suite. Each has its own ensuite and can be easily converted to an office to suit your needs," explained Nadia.


    Rayne continued to explore the house, entering the large master bedroom. It was at least double the size of her current bedroom, with access to a small outdoor balcony. The windows and French doors allowed a lot of natural light in, creating a very warm atmosphere.


    The bathrooms were designed beautifully, with large marble tiles and golden fixtures. The more Rayne walked around, the more she liked it.


    The last place to tour was the rooftop area. It was a wide-open space surrounded by a thick glass fence. The glass was tinted on one side so that people looking from the outside could not see in, but if standing on the inside, there were unobstructed views all the way around. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne really liked this design, which focused on privacy. This way, she would be able to use her system freely, even up on the rooftop.


    There was a small but luxurious outdoor kitchen, equipped with a grill and gas stove. The last feature on the rooftop was the large built-in fire pit.


    Before Rayne even turned to leave the rooftop area, she turned to Nadia and said, "I''ll take it!"


    Nadia was shocked! "Are you sure? There are other places we can tour. This is a big decision!"


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, this place has all of the features I wanted, and the location is suitable."


    "Very well then! Let''s head back to begin the process. Since this is a brand-new unit with no previous owners, the buying process should be even quicker than normal," said Nadia.


    Rayne was really happy to hear this. She wanted to move out today, if possible. She wasn''t sure if she could sleep at night knowing that Dillon might come back.


    As they walked out of the building, Nadia pointed toward the backside of the building.


    "Oh, I forgot to mention! Since you are purchasing the penthouse, you also own a large 3-car garage as an additional feature!"


    Rayne was surprised to hear this. A personal garage is indeed a really nice feature!


    They walked over to quickly check it out, greeted by a large heavy garage door.


    "They built this garage with luxury vehicles in mind, ensuring top security," explained Nadia.


    As they walked inside the garage, Rayne looked up, noticing the tall ceilings. She figured that she would even be able to fit a large RV in this space!


    After they concluded the tour, Nadia drove Rayne back to the realty office. As they sat down around Nadia''s desk, she said, "Here is all of the paperwork you need to fill out. And here is the cost of the penthouse unit."


    Nadia looked over at Rayne, trying to read her expression as she saw the price. Rayne glanced down to see the price and was surprised to see that it was cheaper than what she had expected!


    Rayne thought it would cost her 10 million at a minimum, but it was only just under 7 million!


    Nadia saw Rayne''s surprised expression and couldn''t help but shake her head internally. Kids these days don''t have a clue about the real world.


    Just as Nadia was about to suggest looking at a cheaper option, Rayne picked up the pen and signed her name on the document. She then handed over her bank card and said, "Would it be possible to move in today?"


    Nadia was still shocked but took the card to process the payment. "If everything goes through without issues right now, I can hand over the keys before you leave today."


    Rayne smiled, feeling relieved that she was able to secure a new place to live.


    She was also not worried about the moving process. She could easily just store everything in her space and take out what she needed in the new house!

 Chapter 34 - 34: Moving

    Nadia quickly finished processing the paperwork, handing Rayne the completed deed in her name.


    "Congratulations, Miss Weston, on the purchase of your new home! Here are your keys and access badges. You are free to move in whenever you like!" Nadia said happily.


    "Thank you! I appreciate your help in finding this house!" Rayne replied.


    After everything was taken care of, Rayne drove back to her apartment and began storing everything into her system. She started with the smaller items, such as clothes, dishes, toiletries, towels, blankets, books, etc.


    Only a few minutes later, her cozy apartment was emptied, with only larger pieces of furniture left.


    Rayne walked over to her couch and began to focus, preparing to store it. She was a little nervous because it was a large couch, and she wasn''t sure if she would pass out from the mental exhaustion.


    To her surprise, the couch stored very quickly and without any pain or discomfort!


    "I wonder if all the storing I''ve been doing recently has made it easier for me to use my system?" she asked out loud as she walked over to the dining table.


    Once again, she gave the mental command to store the table, and moments later, it disappeared! Rayne was really happy with this discovery! She could now try storing even larger items!


    Her goal was to be able to store cars, trucks, and RVs before the apocalypse.


    Rayne walked around, storing the rest of the large furniture until the entire apartment was empty.


    She then walked down to the leasing office of her apartment to turn in the keys and give the property managers notice that she was leaving.


    Since she had only just given them notice, they said she would need to pay a fee to break the lease. Rayne expected this and paid with no issues. Her only request was to keep her move a secret if anyone were to ask. She even went as far as giving a fake address when she was asked where she was moving.


    Rayne arrived back at the building of her new house. She used the key card to open the garage and parked her SUV inside.


    Stepping through the door of her new house, Rayne smiled. She really loved the new open floor plan and the French country feel.


    She walked over and opened a few windows to let in some fresh air. She took out a chair she had stored from her old apartment and placed it in a sunny spot by the open window.


    The cool breeze and gentle sunlight washed over Rayne, causing her to lean back with her eyes closed to enjoy the moment.


    Rayne hoped that she could experience moments like this in the future, even after the world turned upside down.


    It was already mid-afternoon, and Rayne decided to celebrate the purchase of her new house with a good meal.


    She knew exactly what she wanted, pulling out the juicy steak from the steakhouse she had gone to shortly after she got discharged from the hospital.


    It was still sizzling after she took it out of her system, releasing a delicious aroma! Rayne ate with relish, enjoying every bite! She was so happy that she had stored this steak and could eat it whenever she wanted.


    As she ate, she looked around the empty house and realized that her previous furniture would look really awkward in this new space. She knew that she would somehow need to get new furniture.


    Rayne opened her laptop and began online shopping. She figured that going to a furniture gallery and storing all the items she wanted would be impossible without drawing attention. The items were too big to hide, and there were usually a lot of people.


    She decided to order her furniture online and have it delivered directly to her new house. All of the items Rayne purchased were of high quality and craftsmanship. Although they were expensive, Rayne was very happy with how they looked and was excited for their arrival.


    Rayne placed some of her old furniture in the new house until the new items came in. She lounged on her couch with her laptop, continuing to make her doomsday list.


    She had a straightforward plan for obtaining most of the items she still needed. Things like cooking utensils, pots and pans, can openers, containers, buckets, bags, all types of clothing (for all sizes and genders), hygiene items, sanitation supplies, cleaning supplies and disinfectants, tools, etc.¡ªshe would go to a store and put them in her system manually.


    The items Rayne knew she needed but that would be difficult to obtain were things like weapons and advanced medicines.


    She couldn''t just walk into a hospitals pharmacy openly store the medicines, and she definitely couldn''t find a convenient store that openly sold guns and weapons out in the open.


    As she continued to think about it she came across an online advertisement for a shooting range that was recently built in her city. Rayne eyes lit up! Although she wouldn''t be able to find super advanced weapons at a shooting range, she would be able to at least store a variety of handguns, maybe even a marksman rifle!


    And to top it all off, she would learn how to use them properly! Rayne quickly sat up and dialed the number of the shooting range. She spoke to a woman on the phone who quickly helped Rayne register as a member.


    After hanging up, Rayne opened her phone to add the shooting/marksmanship training classes to her calendar. She now had two more appointments a week in addition to the self-defense classes she continued to take.


    The first marksmanship class was set for tomorrow, and Rayne was really excited to get started. The only thing left was to figure out a way to get her hands on advanced medicines.


    Since there was still plenty of time left, Rayne decided to take a trip to her local library to begin storing books¡ªespecially the ones containing knowledge on how to do things.


    Rayne wasn''t sure how bad things would be in the apocalypse or how long it would last, so she wanted to have important textbooks that could explain even the basics of things like gardening, plant identification, construction techniques, first aid, and medicine, etc. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She would also store books for entertainment, along with children''s books. The probability of losing electricity would be high, and methods of entertainment like reading would be helpful in relieving stress in this new, stressful environment.


    The library was huge, with tens of thousands of books. Rayne hung her head, feeling overwhelmed by the task in front of her. She knew this would be a multi-day process, but looking at the reality of the situation, she knew she would be spending a very large chunk of her free time here.


    She began in the gardening section, storing every book and replacing it. The pace at which she stored the books was very fast! She could store and replace a book as fast as she could blink, letting her blaze through the first few shelves of books.


    She continued for a few hours, fully storing everything in the gardening and cookbook sections. Deciding to stop there, she left the library and went to find a place to have dinner.

 Chapter 35 - 35: Shooting Range

    Rayne arrived at a popular restaurant that specialized in pasta dishes. She ordered a pasta dish with different kinds of seafood in a white wine sauce. It was so delicious that Rayne did a small happy dance as she ate.


    What Rayne wasn''t aware of was that Julian saw this small performance from his table. He was surprised to see the beautiful woman from the steakhouse a few weeks ago, but he enjoyed seeing the pure joy she had while eating. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah, who was accompanying Julian for dinner, noticed the smile on Julian''s face and turned to look at what he was smiling at.


    Surprised at the sight, he said, "Oh! That''s Miss Weston, Dr. Weston''s daughter! Looks like she''s also a pasta lover."


    "Wait, that''s Dr. Weston''s daughter? The one who designed the blueprint?" asked Julian, not expecting her to be so... beautiful!


    "No way, boss. She spent an entire month in our company right under your nose, and you never once saw her?" laughed Noah.


    Julian gave Noah an unimpressed look, but deep down, he felt a pang of regret. He looked back over at Rayne. I must be feeling this way because I admired Dr. Weston. Rayne had just put a forkful of pasta in her mouth, her eyes turning into small crescents.


    Julian''s heart raced, seeing her adorable cat-like expression. He placed his hand over his chest, thinking he needed to work out more; he must be getting out of shape.


    "Do you want to go over and say hello?" asked Noah, who was oblivious to Julian''s struggling thoughts.


    "No!" replied Julian rather quickly.


    Hearing Julian''s immediate response, Noah laughed. "You know, boss, you''ll have to get over your fear of women someday."


    "I''m not afraid of women, they''re just annoying. They can''t sit still for one minute before throwing themselves at me," replied Julian.


    Noah shook his head, laughing. He knew what Julian said was true because he''d seen it firsthand. Many of the top families had tried roping him in by sending their daughters into his bed.


    Unfortunately for them, Julian had dealings with underground organizations and, therefore, was always cautious.


    "How''s the progress for the bunker going?" asked Julian.


    "It''s good, boss. Our men found the location you mentioned. It''s deep in the valley with nothing but wilderness for miles. I believe the initial construction team is out there today," replied Noah.


    Julian nodded. "Good. This project is very important. I won''t be able to execute my plan of getting Damien out without it. Please oversee this matter personally."


    Noah''s face turned serious as he replied, "Yes, boss, I understand."


    Julian turned to look toward Rayne again, watching a waitress deliver a decadent-looking slice of cheesecake topped with fresh fruit. Rayne''s face lit up as she saw the cake, making Julian smile subconsciously.


    Then he noticed her pick up her purse and place it on the table, covering the sight of the cheesecake for a minute, before moving the purse back off the table.


    The cheesecake was still sitting on the table, confusing Julian as to why she moved her purse in the first place. Maybe she wanted to take a photo discreetly?


    While Julian contemplated her actions, Rayne was busy enjoying the most delicious cheesecake she''d ever had. In fact, this restaurant was very good in general! When the waitress came by to deliver the cheesecake, Rayne placed a to-go order for all of their signature dishes.


    Rayne ate happily but slowly, savoring every bite. She was completely oblivious to the fact she was being watched.


    When she finished, the waitress came over with her bill and two large paper bags of well-packed to-go boxes of freshly prepared food. As soon as the waitress left, Rayne stuck her hand in each bag and stored the boxes into her system.


    Humming happily due to her full stomach, Rayne walked out of the restaurant and went home.


    Once home, Rayne decided to relax for the rest of the evening. She downloaded a few movies and TV shows on her laptop and watched a few episodes while enjoying a bowl of popcorn.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up early, excited for her marksmanship lesson. She got out of bed, which was way too small for the large bedroom, and went to take a shower in her new bathroom.


    She once again noted the convenience of the system, which allowed her to take out all of her shampoos, soaps, and skincare products mid-shower.


    After eating a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, Rayne set off to the shooting range.


    It was a brand new facility that had both indoor and outdoor ranges, as well as an armory and small shop. Rayne walked inside the main lobby where the reception desk was.


    Behind the desk were walls of offered services: firearm rentals, range time, training classes and private lessons, safety courses, certification courses, gun cleaning and maintenance, and even archery.


    "Hello! Welcome to The South Valley Shooting Range. How may I help you?" greeted a young woman behind the reception desk.


    "Hi! My name is Rayne Weston. I signed up for beginner private lessons."


    The receptionist nodded and checked her computer. "Perfect! I see you here to meet with Instructor Yasmin Rodriguez. I will let her know you are here. Feel free to take a seat."


    Rayne thanked the receptionist and sat down in the waiting area. A few minutes later, a beautiful woman with tanned skin and long black hair walked over to Rayne and reached out to shake her hand.


    "Hello! My name is Yasmin Rodriguez, and I''ll be your instructor. Please just call me Yasmin."


    "Hi, I''m Rayne. I''m looking forward to learning from you, Yasmin!" replied Rayne, shaking her hand.


    "So tell me, Rayne, do you have any experience with firearms?" asked Yasmin.


    Rayne shook her head. "No, I''ve never even touched one."


    Yasmin motioned for Rayne to follow her as she continued talking. "No problem! Most of my students start from zero."


    They walked down a flight of stairs and through a few hallways until they reached a small indoor range geared for beginners. They walked into a small room with a table and sat down.


    "First off, I''m going to simply have you hold a gun in your hands so you can familiarize yourself with how it feels. Don''t worry, it''s completely empty," said Yasmin as she handed a small pistol over to Rayne.


    Rayne held the gun, feeling its slight heft. She turned it a few times to inspect it as Yasmin pointed to certain parts to explain their function.


    Yasmin was a good instructor, explaining everything clearly and concisely. They spent the majority of the lesson discussing gun safety and handling.


    Rayne had a sharp mind and was able to remember everything Yasmin said easily. By the end of the lesson, she was able to name all the parts of the gun and the type of ammo it used.


    Yasmin praised Rayne, telling her that in the next lesson, they would begin the practical exercises. She told Rayne they would begin by shooting still targets, learning how to aim accurately.


    After the lesson, Rayne didn''t go home but went straight to Brent''s gym for her self-defense lessons.

 Chapter 36 - 36: Princess Dress

    Brent went over all of the self-defense moves he''d taught Rayne so far.


    "Good, you''re learning well. You even remembered the technique to break free from full-body restraint," praised Brent.


    Rayne was on the ground catching her breath. She had just successfully released herself from his grip.


    "Instructor Brent, I wish to learn hand-to-hand combat. Or even knife combat, if possible," said Rayne, looking serious.


    She already had a good grasp on how to break free and run away, but she knew that in the future, she would need to stand her ground and fight.


    Brent looked at her curiously. "Well, I don''t technically offer these classes. Why do you want to learn these combat techniques?"


    "I have a feeling that something really bad will happen in the future," said Rayne. She wasn''t sure how else she could explain that the apocalypse would be starting.


    Brent thought for a moment. Ian had told him about the threat one of Damien''s men made while being interrogated. The man had told the boss that "something big" was going to happen.


    Maybe this girl has really sharp instincts?


    "Very well, I will teach you combat and knife skills under the guise of self-defense. Please don''t spread the word around," replied Brent after a long thought.


    Rayne stood up and thanked him! She didn''t expect him to agree to her request so easily and without demanding more of an explanation!


    For the last twenty minutes of the lesson, Brent spent explaining and demonstrating different stances for hand-to-hand combat. Rayne watched and listened intently, knowing that these moves would most likely save her life one day.


    After the lesson, Rayne drove home to take a shower before heading out to a textile store. She had driven by one on the way over to the shooting range that morning and figured stocking up on different kinds of fabrics and textiles would be useful in the future.


    Rayne entered the store, which looked more like a large warehouse. There were shelves upon shelves of every kind of fabric imaginable. They were all neatly rolled into bolts, allowing for easy access.


    As she weaved through the aisles, marveling at the sheer amount of different fabrics available, Rayne realized she had never dealt with fabrics outside of a basic sewing class she had taken in school during her earlier years, so she didn''t really know what to look for.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she decided she would just store as much as she could.


    Rayne had just finished storing all of the fabrics in the aisle she was currently in when a mother with a young daughter walked by.


    "Mommy, my princess dress needs to be pink! Princesses only wear pink, don''t you know?" the young girl enthusiastically explained to her mother.


    "Yes, yes! Let''s find the perfect pink fabric for your dress," smiled her mother. They walked the shelves until the little girl''s eyes lit up.


    "Mommy! I found it! I want this one!" she shouted happily.


    Her mother walked over and looked at the fabric. It was indeed a really suitable fabric for the dress; however, there wasn''t enough fabric left on the roll.


    "I''m sorry, sweetie, but there''s not enough fabric left to make your dress. Let''s look for another one," she said gently.


    Rayne saw the little girl do her best to hold back her tears, hanging her head low. She looked at the fabric the mother was holding in her hands while searching for a suitable replacement.


    Rayne walked to an empty aisle and looked through her system panel to find that exact fabric. It was relatively easy to find since there weren''t many pink fabrics, and she quickly took a copy out of her system.


    She walked back toward the mother and daughter, holding the bolt of pink fabric.


    "Hello, I couldn''t help but overhear you were looking for more of this pink fabric. I found this in the next aisle; I believe someone must''ve misplaced it," said Rayne, approaching the mother.


    The little girl beamed at Rayne''s words. "Mommy, look! There''s more fabric for my dress! I can be a princess now!"


    "Oh, thank you so much! This helps us out very much!" the mother thanked her, accepting the bolt of pink cloth.


    Rayne nodded and excused herself, feeling happy that she could help. There were only a few more aisles of cloth left, so she got back to business, storing them.


    When Rayne arrived back home, she sat down on her old couch and opened her system panel to organize the items she had stored today.


    She created new folders and subfolders, trying her best to organize the bolts of cloth by material. Outside of the bolts of fabric, Rayne was also able to store sewing machines, needles, threads of every color, along with other sewing supplies.


    The textile store also had a small section of quality blankets filled with soft materials. Rayne managed to store a good amount of the blankets as well.


    After she finished organizing, Rayne realized it was getting late and she was hungry. She decided to cook today instead of pulling something out of her system for a change. She wanted to make use of her new, fancy kitchen.


    She pulled out a cookbook that she had stored in the library, finding a recipe for pork dumplings.


    She took out all of the necessary ingredients listed from her system: shepherd''s purse, chives, ground pork, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper, and some pre-made dumpling wrappers.


    Thankfully, the luxury supermarket she had ''looted'' earlier had all of these ingredients, in their highest quality versions.


    Rayne mixed all of the ingredients together as instructed and began wrapping the dumplings based on the photos provided in the cookbook. Her first couple of dumplings came out looking very sloppy, but she quickly got the hang of it and wrapped the rest of them neatly.


    Rayne enjoyed cooking and had a lot of fun trying a new recipe from a cookbook! She decided that she would try to make more new dishes while she still had the time.


    Before she cooked the newly made dumplings, she decided to store them in her system. This way, she could enjoy them boiled or pan-fried in the future, depending on her mood!


    While the dumplings cooked, Rayne thought about what she should do tomorrow. She had a free day without anything planned and wanted to maximize her productivity. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She decided that she would go back to the mall she had visited when she first left the hospital. At that point, she had very little mastery over her system and had only managed to store a few different outfits from several stores.


    This time, she wanted to maximize her ability and store as much as possible¡ªnot just items suitable for her alone.


    Her heart ached for the people who suffered in her nightmares, and she wanted to be able to help as many people as possible.


    The dumplings were finally cooked and had a beautiful brown and crispy bottom, while the tops were white and chewy.


    Rayne ate them with relish, proud of her successful handiwork! The dumplings came out juicy and flavorful, her inner foodie was left very satisfied!

 Chapter 37 - 37: Panty Thief

    The next morning, Rayne woke up and made a vegetable omelette for breakfast. She was full of energy and ready to tackle the mall, hoping to fill her system with all sorts of clothing and shoes.


    When she finally arrived at the mall, she went straight toward the largest department store. It was four levels tall and had everything from baby clothes to power tools. It was the perfect place for Rayne to stock up on a large variety of items.


    Her main focus today was clothing and shoes, but she wouldn''t pass up other useful items on the way.


    Riding the escalator up to the fourth floor, Rayne decided to start from the top and make her way down.


    This floor of the store contained infant and children''s clothing, along with other baby items (diapers, changing stations, formula, bottles, etc.). Although Rayne had no use for these items, she wasn''t sure what would happen in the future or if she might meet someone who might need them. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She walked around, storing all sorts of baby clothing and accessories, admiring their cuteness along the way.


    Across from the baby section was the women''s intimates (underwear, lingerie, bras) where Krissy was currently shopping.


    "Ugh, why are all of these styles for lingerie so boring? Dillon won''t like these," Krissy said, feeling frustrated.


    Dillon had recently been more and more generous with his money, giving Krissy ample funds to go shopping with. She was in desperate need of more sexy lingerie so that she could keep Dillon''s attention.


    From the corner of her eye, she saw a beautiful woman who reminded her of the one Dillon had been with that time at the bar. She craned her neck to see if she could get a clear look at the woman, but the woman was wearing a baseball cap and was turned slightly away.


    Krissy felt angry, being reminded of that vixen. But she assumed that this woman was not her, as she was intently going through the baby aisles.


    ---


    Rayne was oblivious to the fact that Krissy had somewhat noticed her and was busy storing as many baby, toddler, and children''s items as she could. Thankfully, this department was emptier than the others, allowing her to work quickly.


    By the time Rayne made her way toward the other side of the store, the women''s intimates section, Krissy had already left.


    She began to once again store everything in her view: bras, panties, socks, nightgowns, even lingerie. She didn''t just store items of her size, but of all sizes and colors.


    Once she finished storing everything on the fourth floor, she took the escalator down to the third floor, where the men''s clothing and shoes were.


    It was her first time in a men''s department since buying her father a tie for his birthday years ago, and she felt a little lost on where to start.


    She walked to the section where the men''s shoes were and began to store them in all sizes and styles: sneakers, boots, dress shoes, sandals, flip-flops, hiking boots, work boots, etc.


    She then made her way into the casual clothing section, storing things like shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatpants, shorts, jeans, athletic clothing, etc.


    There was a large selection of items, so Rayne ended up spending a lot more time on this floor than she had on the fourth floor.


    She continued on to the dress clothing section, where the professional suits, ties, and jackets were, storing every style, color, and size.


    Rayne paused for a moment, laughing to herself. "Who is going to wear a suit and tie in the apocalypse?" She shook her head but continued to store them in her system. Just because she couldn''t imagine a situation didn''t mean it couldn''t happen.


    The final section was the men''s intimates. Rayne slowly stepped in, feeling a little embarrassed. There were rows of male mannequins with all types of men''s underwear on display, making Rayne want to turn her head to look at the floor.


    She had never been intimate with a man in her life and had never actually seen a man''s ''manhood'' in person before.


    After a few long, awkward minutes of just standing in the aisle, Rayne focused. "The faster I do this, the faster I can leave! Just pretend you''re married, Rayne!" she told herself.


    She quickly began to store everything in her vicinity without really looking at the items she was storing.


    One man saw her from the neighboring aisle and shook his head. In his perspective, it looked like Rayne was walking around, touching every pair of underwear and running away... like a female version of a panty thief.


    He made a mental note to tell his son to be careful around unfamiliar women...


    Rayne blazed through the rest of the men''s intimates and quickly made her way to the second floor. This was the women''s clothing section, allowing Rayne to finally be at peace.


    She took her time, admiring the pretty clothing as she stored them. This department store carried many high-end brands, ensuring the quality of the clothing.


    Rayne went from section to section, storing shirts, t-shirts, dresses, sweaters, hoodies, skirts, shorts, athletic wear, swimsuits of all styles and sizes.


    She did the same in the women''s shoes section, storing heels, boots, sandals, sneakers, slippers, etc.


    There was also a section with accessories such as purses and jewelry, but most of the quality items were locked behind display cases. Rayne stored only a few of these available items, not really worrying about accessories right now.


    The final level had basic household items such as bedding, pillows, small kitchen appliances, dishes, pots and pans, small d¨¦cor, tools, gardening supplies, etc.


    This floor was filled with a little bit of everything, and Rayne had a hard time passing it up, so she went around storing everything. She really made a point to store as many blankets as possible. If the apocalypse was anything like her nightmare, then people would suffer greatly in the bone-chilling cold; these blankets could save lives.


    By the time Rayne finished with the department store, only a few hours had passed. She was really impressed with how quickly she could now store things into her system!


    Since she still had a lot of time left, she decided to check out some of the other stores in the mall.


    The first store she walked into was a designer handbag store. It was so high-end that there was a security guard at the entrance, opening doors for potential customers.


    Rayne walked in, marveling at the beautiful displays and the shiny leather bags. She had never bought a designer purse before and wanted to have this experience at least once before the apocalypse.


    She had more than enough money to buy whatever she wanted now, so she walked around and picked out a few bags that she liked.


    Just as Rayne was about to have the store worker pack up the purses she had chosen, she heard a loud shrieking noise.


    She turned her head to find the source of the awful sound, only to see Krissy glaring angrily at her!


    A/N: Hi! If you''re enjoying the story, please take a minute to rate it~ It will help me out a lot <3

 Chapter 38 - 38: Accusations

    Krissy looked at Rayne with jealous fire in her eyes.


    "You vixen! How dare you spend my man''s money!", she yelled, causing everyone in the small store to look over.


    Krissy stared at the multiple bags Rayne was about to purchase and fumed! There was no way she would be able to afford those on her own, she thought. The only explanation was that she was using her dirty tricks on Dillon to get that money!


    "You bitch! I told you to stay away from Dillon! He''s my man!", she screamed, pointing her finger at Rayne like a shrew.


    Rayne was momentarily stunned from both the loud unpleasant noise and the wild accusation Krissy was making.


    She turned to face Krissy with a dumfounded look on her face.


    "Are you talking to me?", she asked just to verify that Krissy was indeed accusing her.


    "Who the hell else? You''re the one using my man''s money to buy yourself those bags! There''s no way you would be able to afford it otherwise!", accused Krissy.


    Rayne wanted to laugh at Krissy''s lack of brain cells.


    "What does me buying these bags have anything to do with your man?", asked Rayne, folding her arms over her chest.


    "You dumb bitch! Like I said, you''re spending Dillon''s money to buy them! And Dillon is MY man!", she said, almost hysterically.


    Rayne''s patience was running low, "Listen carefully since you clearly didn''t hear what I said last time. I don''t want anything to do with Dillon, he''s all yours. This money that I''m spending, is MY money, that I earned. Now go away before you embarrass yourself further."


    Rayne went to turn around to quickly finish her purchase so that she could leave this psycho woman. However just as she turned, Krissy finally realized that Rayne was the woman she saw earlier in the baby section of the department store!


    Krissy''s mind blew up with assumptions and she became even more furious!


    "Not only are you hooking up with him behind my back, you also got yourself pregnant to try and take my place!", she yelled!


    Rayne was even more confused now! Since when was she pregnant?!


    "What do you mean I''m pregnant? You''re just as delusional as Dillon is!", she said.


    "Don''t bother hiding it from me! I know it''s true! Let me tell you this, Dillon is my man and nothing will change that, even if you''re pregnant with his bastard!", she yelled threateningly.


    Rayne truly couldn''t understand the words Krissy was spewing, but she was angry nonetheless.


    "I don''t know where you''re getting your crazy ideas from, but if you''re so hung up on your man, you should keep a tighter leash on him so that he doesn''t come find me at my house anymore!", replied Rayne.


    She was tired of being accused of nothing, and still had lingering anger from the day Dillon broke into her house.


    Krissy quieted down immediately upon hearing that Dillon had gone to find Rayne at her house. Her biggest fear right now was losing Dillon''s money.


    If Dillon truly was going out of his way to find this vixen, then she needed to step up her plan. Her mind raced, trying to come up with better ways of holding on to her golden goose (Dillon).


    Krissy looked up at Rayne and pretended to be unfazed by her words, but failed. She pointed her shaking finger at Rayne. "Lies! You''re full of lies! I''m warning you. Stay away from my man, or I''ll come deal with you myself!"


    She then stomped her foot angrily and ran away.


    Rayne stood there speechless, and thankful that the lunatic had finally left. She was screaming so loudly in her fake, high-pitched voice that Rayne was beginning to get a headache.


    She turned to the saleswoman to finalize the purchase of her purses and left the store. Unfortunately, Krissy managed to ruin her first luxury item purchase, but Rayne still felt happy to finally own a designer product.


    Rayne calmly walked around the mall, going from store to store. She even went inside a store that specialized in candles, storing a large variety in her system.


    She continued to walk around until she came across a very unique store that had just recently opened. It was called "Minus Zero" and specialized in clothing for extreme temperatures.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up, thinking that this would be very useful in the future. She walked in without hesitation!


    "Hello, welcome to Minus Zero. Let me know if you have any questions!" a young man greeted.


    Rayne returned the greeting and asked the man about the specifics of the clothing. She learned that this brand was one of REN Corp.''s subsidiary companies that focused on material research.


    All of the clothing was made from special technology nanofibers that could regulate body heat hundreds of times more effectively than standard clothing. There were different variants of this material, some specializing in heat insulation and others in heat dispersion.


    The salesman also mentioned that most of their clients were researchers, scuba divers, and hikers¡ªpeople who frequented places with extreme temperatures.


    As Rayne listened, the more excited she became. Who knew what kind of natural disaster would come? Having such protective clothing would be a very good thing to have! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne quickly turned around, pretending to look through the shelves, and stored everything they had available.


    She then picked out two different shirts, one for cold resistance and one for heat resistance, and went over to the sales counter to purchase the shirts. The salesman seemed very happy to finally have a customer, as many people felt there was no reason to buy such an expensive piece of clothing without any immediate need.


    Rayne then raided a few more stores on the way to the food court. She decided to buy a little bit of everything to increase the amount of prepared food she had in her system, so she walked around ordering everything from a slice of pizza to beef noodles.


    She got a few odd looks as people watched her go from counter to counter ordering a large amount of food, but she ignored it.


    She quickly left the food court to find a secluded spot to store the food. She walked down the hallway toward one of the less popular entrances and bent down to store her food discreetly.


    Unfortunately, it would be too suspicious if she left the food in her system, so she took the large bag of food and lugged it over to her car.


    As soon as Rayne closed her car door, she put everything in her system (or the system trash bin). She then drove home while sipping on a recently purchased iced green tea. The drive home was peaceful, and she felt like her time at the mall had been very successful today. She was excited to go home and swap to one of her new designer purses.


    When she got home, she heard her phone ding, indicating that she had received a text message. Rayne opened her phone and saw that it was a notification from the furniture delivery company, saying that her furniture was scheduled to arrive tomorrow.


    Excited by this news, Rayne put away all of her temporary ''old'' furniture, leaving only the small couch in the living room and her bed in the bedroom.

 Chapter 39 - 39: Pregnant?!

    Rayne spent the rest of the day downloading and watching movies and TV shows. She wanted to get a head start on stockpiling all sorts of entertainment for the future.


    The next morning, Rayne showered and got dressed, ready to meet with the delivery men. She placed the couch and bed into her system, leaving the apartment completely empty.


    About thirty minutes later, the delivery truck arrived, and the workers began to carry the new furniture into the house.


    Rayne ordered everything from new sofas, armchairs, bar stools, bed frames, mattresses, outdoor furniture, rugs, to small d¨¦cor items.


    A few hours later, her empty house became beautifully furnished with quality furniture. The overall design followed the ''French country'' theme, with lots of neutral colors and a few pops of color. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Part of the small d¨¦cor items Rayne had ordered included beautiful porcelain vases. There were a few of these vases spread around the house in various sizes, and Rayne had filled them with fresh-cut flowers.


    The atmosphere in her house was now very calming and cheerful.


    Before Rayne did anything crazy, she went around and stored all of the new items into her system. This way, if she spilled a glass of red wine on her new linen couch, she could easily replace it without worry.


    -----


    Krissy rushed home from the mall angrily. She was feeling very territorial about Dillon and couldn''t get the image of Rayne shopping in the baby section out of her head.


    "I need to find a way to deal with her before that baby is born," she said menacingly.


    She entered Dillon''s apartment, unlocking it with a spare key he had given her. Looking around the apartment, she realized that he wasn''t home, most likely out at a bar with his buddies.


    She placed her shopping bags on the ground and sat down to think about how to keep Dillon with her.


    "I need to prevent him from going out to look for that vixen," she thought. She spent a few minutes thinking, but only one solution came to mind.


    "I know the thing Dillon hates the most is being lied to, and that woman clearly lied about being on birth control. Even with me, he''s very strict when it comes to taking the pill on time! That''s it!! He must not know she''s pregnant!!" she muttered to herself.


    Krissy picked up her purse and pulled out her cell phone to text Dillon.


    [Hey babe! I''m back from the mall. Where are you? I want to come hang out kissy face]


    A few minutes later, her phone buzzed.


    [I''m at the usual spot, come meet me]


    Smiling at Dillon''s quick reply, Krissy grabbed her keys and left for the bar where Dillon normally spent time.


    When she entered the bar, she spotted Dillon right away. The bar was somewhat empty since it was still early, with only a few people sitting around.


    Krissy noticed that the person Dillon was hanging out with was one of his newer ''friends.'' She frowned when she saw them together. There was something about these new friends that made her feel very uneasy.


    Still, Krissy was determined to expose Rayne''s schemes to Dillon, so she walked over and sat down beside him.


    Dillon was already slightly drunk by the time Krissy made it over, and couldn''t help but stare at her chest. Krissy purposely wore a very low cut shirt, knowing that Dillon enjoyed looking at her melons.


    "Hey babe, you''ll never guess who I ran into at the mall today.", said Krissy, trying her best to sound seductive.


    Dillon glanced over to her, "Who?".


    "That dirty slut who was pestering you at that bar downtown a few weeks ago".


    Dillon''s attention was now fully on Krissy. He knew she was referring to Rayne! His eyes darkened, remembering how she threatened him when he broke into her apartment.


    "Was she there with anyone?", he asked, probing to see if she was seeing someone else.


    Krissy saw his dark expression and was elated! "No, she was there alone. But I found out a big secret!".


    Dillon stared at Krissy waiting for her to explain.


    "She''s pregnant! She must''ve lied to you about being on birth control and wants to secretly give birth to your child so that she could extort you for money in the future!", exclaimed Krissy excitedly!


    Dillon''s mind went blank!


    Rayne is pregnant? I told her that she''s my woman...HOW DARE SHE SLEEP WITH ANOTHER MAN!


    Dillon''s blood boiled with fury! She dare do something like that behind his back?


    "I''m going to teach her a lesson!", he fumed.


    Krissy was in heaven seeing Dillon''s furious expression. She was completely convinced that Dillon was angry because Rayne lied about being on birth control!


    Ha! Serves you right! Too bad your little scheme will no longer work!


    Dillon was so angry that he was clenching his jaw.


    Looks like I''ll have to pay you another visit sooner or later. And when I do, I''ll make you regret sleeping around with other men!


    -----


    A few weeks went by very quickly. Rayne was busy with her self-defense and marksmanship classes, excelling in both. She had also made multiple trips to the library to continue chipping away at storing the books.


    She now had around half of the library''s books in her space. Another thing that was slowly stockpiling was the downloads for various movies, TV shows, music, and video games that could be played offline.


    She had acquired a number of high-capacity external hard drives and used them to hold the movies, music, and TV shows. This way, she could make copies if she ever needed to.


    Some of the other items Rayne managed to store included luxury skincare, makeup, hand soaps, household cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products, and basic medical supplies.


    The medical supplies were obtained at her local pharmacy. They were all basic over-the-counter items, such as bandages, pain reliever pills, fever reducer pills, common antibiotics, burn creams, pregnancy tests, eye drops, various stomach relief medicines, etc.


    Although Rayne had already begun the shooting part of her marksmanship training, she had only managed to store a single bullet.


    Yasmin was a very good instructor and was constantly watching Rayne, making sure she was handling the firearm carefully and in the proper stance. This made it difficult for Rayne to store the pistol in her system, but she was patient, knowing that the right time would come eventually.


    Rayne had also met up with Ella a few times. They mostly went out to eat at new restaurants while discussing various aspects of their lives. Of course, Rayne took advantage of each new restaurant and always ordered to-go boxes. Ella even made fun of her, calling her a glutton ¡ª which Rayne couldn''t refute!


    Ella was still passionately designing the office building for REN Corp. and kept mentioning how wonderful the project manager on her team was. Although Rayne didn''t say anything, she felt like a romance was blossoming soon.


    Rayne was happy to have a good friend like Ella! She enjoyed having a friend to go out with occasionally and gossip. The more time they spent together, the more they got along!

 Chapter 40 - 40: Pistol Acquired

    (A/N: Thank you corazonmio for all of the golden tickets! This chapter is dedicated to you!)


    Rayne was getting ready to leave for her marksmanship class when she noticed moving trucks parked outside her building.


    She walked out into the hallway and noticed that someone was moving into the unit next door to her. She lingered in the hallway for a few minutes, trying to see who her new neighbor was so that she could introduce herself, but it was hard to tell with all of the movers going back and forth.


    Rayne decided to try again after her lesson, as she was already running a little late.


    She quickly ate a banana for breakfast while driving over to the shooting range, hoping that would be enough to prevent her stomach from growling.


    During her previous lesson, she hadn''t eaten anything, and the entire time, her stomach made loud growling noises, making her feel very embarrassed.


    She walked into the lobby and noticed that her instructor, Yasmin, was already waiting for her.


    "Good morning, Rayne! Ready for today''s lesson? Today should mark the completion of the basic course!" greeted Yasmin.


    "Good morning, Yasmin! Yes, I''m excited to move on in my training!" replied Rayne. Once she completed the basic course, a lot more freedom would be granted to her. She would gain access to the beginner ranges where she could practice on her own, with limited supervision.


    The two young women made their way down the staircase to their usual spot, the small side room with the desk.


    "Okay, Rayne, let''s start from the basics. Show me your stance," she said, handing her an unloaded pistol.


    Rayne grabbed the pistol and turned toward the wall, where a practice target was painted. She adjusted her body so that her feet were shoulder-width apart and her legs were slightly bent.


    Lifting the gun in her hands, she aimed at the painted target, keeping her arms straight and elbows slightly bent.


    "Good, your posture is perfect," said Yasmin, lightly clapping. "I think we can move on over to the shooting lane and do some dry firing before we start live firing."


    Rayne lowered the pistol, nodding. "Okay, sounds great!" she replied and followed Yasmin out of the small side room and toward a firing lane.


    Rayne put on her protective gear and resumed her stance in the firing lane.


    "Go ahead and pull the trigger, focus on sight alignment," instructed Yasmin.


    Rayne stood still, focusing on aiming. She pulled the trigger only when she was confident that she would hit the target.


    Yasmin watched her carefully from the side, helping with slight adjustments.


    "Okay, great! I think it''s time to fire some real shots. Wait here, I will go get the ammo!" said Yasmin.


    Rayne nodded, secretly excited for a moment alone with the pistol. Just as Yasmin turned to leave, she carefully placed her hand on the pistol and stored it in her system!


    Her heart was thumping loudly due to her excitement. Of course, she hoped that she would never have to use it, but based on her nightmares, it was very likely.


    As soon as the pistol was stored, Rayne patiently waited for Yasmin to come back.


    "Okay, I''m back! I''ll let you load the magazine. Do it like I taught you earlier," Yasmin instructed.


    Rayne carefully loaded the magazine, albeit a little slower than she would have liked. Yasmin nodded and gave a few instructions on live shooting.


    For the rest of the class, Rayne was given time to shoot still targets in the shooting lane. Yasmin encouraged her as well as pointed out a few things she needed to fix.


    By the time class ended, Rayne felt comfortable with the gun. She no longer flinched from the recoil, marking a successful transition out of the beginner level.


    "Great work today, Rayne! Next class, we will start with live-fire practice and go from there! You''ll be a sharpshooter in no time!" praised Yasmin.


    ----


    Rayne went home to take a quick shower. She tried seeing if her new neighbor would show up since the movers were gone, but there was still no one there.


    "I guess I''ll give them some time to settle in," she shrugged as she unlocked her door.


    She went inside, rinsed off quickly in the shower, then headed over to the kitchen. Although the banana helped her keep her stomach quiet during the lesson, she was very hungry now.


    She was craving a large Cobb salad, so she opened her system and began to take out the needed ingredients.


    She pulled out: lettuce, spinach, various microgreens, tomato, cucumber, green onion, avocado, as well as bacon, an egg, and a chicken breast.


    Walking over to the stove, she pulled out a new pot and began to boil the egg. Then she took out a stainless steel frying pan to sear the chicken breast and bacon.


    While those items were cooking, she quickly washed all of the remaining ingredients and began to chop them into small cubes.


    She diced up the egg, chicken, and bacon once it was finished cooking and added it to the large bowl with the vegetables. The last step was to pour some dressing on top and enjoy!


    She was so hungry that she almost forgot to add the prepared salad to her system.


    The salad was made from fresh organic ingredients and was very flavorful! The lettuce and cucumber created a very satisfying crunch with every bite. Rayne thoroughly enjoyed her filling lunch.


    "Ah and the best part after such a delicious meal is that I don''t need to do dishes afterwards!", exclaimed Rayne as she tossed all of the used dishes and utensils into the trash bin of the system.


    --------


    Later that night Dillon found himself standing in front of Rayne''s apartment door. He paced in front of the door for a few minutes, trying to calm himself down from his anger. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He took a deep breath, "Okay, I''ll give you one last chance to submit to me Rayne, else don''t blame me for being rough".


    He knocked on the door.


    ....


    Dillon felt annoyed that Rayne wasn''t home again. "Maybe she got a job or something, I''ll wait".


    Dillon waited for about twenty minutes before he gave in and decided to pick the lock.


    Click. The door opened but what greeted him was a completely empty apartment. Not even a crumb was left in the corner.


    Dillon flared up with anger! "Good, good. You got me good this time Rayne. You can run but you can''t hide forever", he muttered.


    He was so angry that he stood in the empty apartment and began to laugh maniacally, losing his rationality.

 Chapter 41 - 41: Fish Market

    Dillon stayed inside the empty apartment for a long time until he cooled off. Instead of feeling discouraged, the desire to make Rayne his woman grew even stronger. He felt as if they were playing a cat-and-mouse game, one chasing while the other ran away.


    When Dillon finally left the apartment, he noticed an older lady sitting on the bench by the entrance.


    "Good evening, ma''am. I''m looking for an old friend of mine. I heard she lived here, but no one is answering. Her name is Rayne Weston. Do you happen to know her?" Dillon asked in his best ''good boy'' voice.


    Old Lady Barton looked over at Dillon, seeing a handsome young man. "Oh... you''re looking for that rude girl? Yeah, she moved out a few weeks ago. She didn''t tell anyone, nor do I remember seeing any moving trucks."


    Dillon was surprised! If Rayne moved out a few weeks ago, then she must''ve moved shortly after his first visit!


    "Thank you for the information. I''m guessing there''s no one who would know where she went then?" Dillon probed.


    Old Lady Barton looked at him and frowned. "I suggest you forget about her. She may look sweet on the outside, but she''s rotten on the inside. Never met such a rude girl before. She probably keeps a lot of men on the side too..."


    Dillon''s eyes darkened slightly at the mention of men, but he quickly hid his emotions.


    "I''ll be honest with you, ma''am. She actually owes me a lot of money, so I''m trying to find her," he lied, trying to squeeze out any kind of information.


    "Haha! Oh, you should''ve said so earlier! See, I knew that girl was no good! Although I don''t know where she went, the main office should keep a record of it," laughed Old Lady Barton.


    She was excited to finally get her hands on some gossip and couldn''t wait to share it with the other ladies in the building.


    "Thank you so much for your help, ma''am!" Dillon thanked her politely.


    He turned to walk toward the main office, smiling evilly.


    Dillon finally left the main office of Rayne''s old apartment building. He was there for almost an hour, trying to convince the staff in charge of leasing to give him the address Rayne left when she moved.


    The staff member was stubborn, refusing to give out any information until Dillon pulled out a wad of cash. As soon as the money was on the table, the staff member quickly pulled out the paper that Rayne filled out when she moved out.


    Dillon quickly took a picture of the address she wrote and left, feeling victorious.


    "You can''t hide from me, Rayne," he said, walking out into the dark night.


    ----


    A few days later...


    Rayne grabbed an iced coffee out of her system and hopped into her car. Today was the day of her planned road trip to gather more items. Seafood was currently in season, and Rayne wanted to capitalize on that.


    She also decided to visit a number of farms along the way to try and store fresh meat, produce, and seeds/gardening supplies.


    She planned to be gone for a few days, so she prepped for a few days of travel. Her system was very convenient for this, as she didn''t need to pack. She simply tossed a few random shirts into a larger bag to avoid suspicion and set off. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After driving for a few hours, she arrived at one of the largest fishing ports. She timed her arrival so that the sun had just begun to rise, and the first fishing boats had just finished docking.


    As she got out of her car, the strong smell of fish and salt made her scrunch her nose. There was a large warehouse-like building right in front of the boat docks that acted as a fish market. Many people wearing raincoats stood huddled in front.


    Although it was still relatively warm out, the intense sea breeze made it feel very cold, so most people came prepared, wearing coats or jackets.


    Rayne realized she was very underdressed as soon as she stepped out of the car, rubbing her arms with her hands.


    She quickly got back inside her car and pulled out a waterproof long jacket. It was a thinner material than a winter coat but was perfect for protection against the wind.


    She walked over toward the group of people who were waiting for the fish market to open. The majority of the people there were wearing chef uniforms or jackets branded with a restaurant''s logo.


    "I hope they caught more tuna today; there wasn''t enough last week," said an older man.


    "There wasn''t enough because that new sushi restaurant bought most of it," replied a fierce-looking woman.


    Rayne listened in on all of the small talk, waiting for the market to open.


    Before long, a dock worker came out and opened the door. "Okay! Come on in, everyone!"


    Rayne let the chefs and restaurant workers flood in first so she could avoid being trampled. Inside the warehouse market, there were many stalls with hundreds of freshly caught fish laying on top of ice.


    Many workers were busy cleaning and cutting fish into filets. Rayne walked around, admiring the vast amount of fresh fish and seafood on display. Despite the strong fishy smell, her eyes twinkled once she noticed the king crabs and juicy lobsters.


    Rayne queued up and bought a little of every item. She realized that she was once again unprepared, her hands running out of space to hold more seafood.


    Rayne quickly walked back to her car, storing the seafood she just purchased, and took out a large cooler on wheels. It was at least double the capacity of a standard cooler, and she remembered thinking how silly it was to make a cooler this size when she first stored it at the camping store.


    But now, this cooler came in very handy, allowing Rayne to walk from stall to stall and buy a little bit of everything.


    Thankfully, the sight of Rayne going around buying everything was not uncommon, and many of the people there just assumed she was a private chef preparing for a seafood feast.


    By the time she finished, the massive cooler was stuffed with every kind of fish fillet, smaller whole fishes, oysters, clams, various crabs, lobsters, urchin, many different types of roe, etc.


    Her inner foodie was extremely delighted at the bountiful seafood harvest. To maximize freshness, Rayne stored the cooler with all of the contents directly, deciding that she would take the time to store every seafood item individually later.


    The sun was shining brightly, and the warm air was creating a pleasant breeze throughout the car, pushing out the residual fishy smell. Rayne had been driving for a few hours toward her next destination, a large cattle ranch.


    -----


    Remote valley.


    Sounds of large construction vehicles mixed with other power tools sounded through the area. Julian had just arrived, stepping out of his off-road jeep.


    "Boss, you''re here!" greeted Noah, quickly approaching.


    Julian nodded and quietly observed the construction site before speaking.


    "How''s the bunker construction going? Have we encountered any setbacks?"


    "There were a few small issues that have now been solved. We are still on track to meet your deadline," replied Noah.


    Julian let Noah walk him around the entire construction site, comparing the progress to the blueprints he was holding.

 Chapter 42 - 42: Inspection

    Julian was more and more impressed with how ingenious the bunker design was when seeing it in person.


    Looking at the construction site, you wouldn''t even know anything was being built there if it weren''t for the large vehicles scattered around. The large hill was currently being hollowed out from the top, creating minimal disturbances in the surrounding nature. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is much better than I initially expected. Money well spent," commented Julian.


    "Yes! Indeed, the design is very meticulous. I have yet to come across a problem," said Noah.


    The first two floors of the bunker were already hollowed out and framed, allowing Julian to take a look inside.


    "...and this room here is the armory, which is adjacent to the mini laboratory," said Noah, pointing to a few empty spaces as they walked through.


    Julian looked around, happy with the size and height of the rooms. "Good, the laboratory feels a lot bigger than it looks on the blueprint. I was worried it would be too small."


    "I want to make sure that I have access to all the newly researched weapons. Damien''s inevitable attack will be something big, and I need to be ready for it," he added.


    Once they finished the inner tour of the bunker, Julian wanted to take a look around the surrounding area.


    Noah brought him over to a small dirt bike and handed over the keys. "Here you go, boss! Be careful on the west side; there''s a small river over there."


    "Thanks, Noah. I''ll call you if anything," said Julian as he drove off into the valley.


    The nature in the surrounding area was beautiful. The valley was surrounded by dense forest with lush vegetation and wildlife. There was a nice open clearing beside a small stream near where the bunker was being built. The entire area was picturesque, surrounded by tall mountains, making it feel like a mystical realm.


    Julian enjoyed the scenic drive and fresh air. It had been a long time since he''d been out in the wilderness like this. Most of his time in recent years had been spent in his office or in the underground interrogation rooms.


    "At least I''ll be surrounded by nature soon," mumbled Julian as he quietly observed the surrounding area. If only I could be enjoying this under different circumstances.


    Julian sat there, thinking about alternatives to this crazy plan that would go into effect in mere months, but no other solution came to mind. Damien''s threat was too big, and only he had the ability to stop him. The toughest part was making Damien come out of hiding.


    For the past few years, Julian had tried everything in his power to locate Damien, but no matter how many of his men he captured, there was no sign of where Damien could be.


    This bunker project was a crazy plan designed to get Damien out of hiding.


    "I''ll see you soon, old friend," whispered Julian, with a mixture of hatred and melancholy in his eyes.


    ---


    Rayne finally arrived at the first farm. It was enormous, with multiple fields filled with grazing cattle. Behind the central barn was a huge field with several chicken coops and multicolored chickens.


    Rayne walked up towards the central barn, smiling at all the cute animals. The barn had been converted into a shop space where people could walk in and buy all sorts of farm products, like fresh eggs, milk, cheese, bread, butter, and cream, as well as a butcher''s corner that offered fresh beef and chicken products.


    She quickly walked in and purchased one of every item available, then asked around for a good local vegetable farm.


    The owners of the cattle ranch were very kind and recommended a smaller fruit and vegetable farm that was just a bit further up the street.


    Rayne thanked the owners and made her way over.


    Although they described it as a small farm, in reality, it was very large. There were multiple greenhouses and fields full of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Rayne''s purpose in visiting the farm was mainly to obtain high-quality seeds and fertilizer. However, after seeing the beautiful fruits and vegetables, she felt like she couldn''t pass them up and purchased them as well.


    The purchase went quickly since the farmers had already prepared the seeds and fertilizer for sale, saving Rayne from having to come up with a reason for her purchase.


    She continued this trend, going from farm to farm and storing all sorts of specialty products over several days. Rayne would have continued her road trip to even farther places, but she didn''t want to miss a single self-defense or marksmanship class.


    It was late into the night when she finally made it back home, and she was exhausted from all the nonstop driving. She quickly took a shower and went to bed, falling asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.


    ---


    Dillon stepped out of his car and stood in front of a run down brick building in the outskirts of town. This was the address Rayne left when she declared that she was moving to the leasing office of her previous apartment.


    SMASH!


    In a fit of anger Dillon smashed one of the already broken windows, causing his hand to start bleeding from the broken shards of glass.


    "You really got me good. This is the second time now Rayne", he muttered angerly. He reached into his coat pocket with his bloody hand and pulled out his cell phone.


    A few days ago, the small time boss he was running jobs for formally invited him to join their group officially. He didn''t give out too many specifics but the benefits were very attractive. The only reason Dillon had yet to accept was the last shred of morality he had left.


    He knew that the jobs he was doing were most likely illegal, but the money was worth it. However joining this gang would most likely mean a lifetime commitment. Even the small time leader he was in contact with told him to think it over before accepting.


    Now that Rayne had hurt his fragile ego, he only wanted one thing -- to prove to her that she belonged to him.


    While he failed to get what he wanted, there now was a second option available to him.


    Dillon dialed a number on his phone, slowing bringing it up to his ear...


    "Hey, it''s me....I''ve made up my mind. I''m in".

 Chapter 43 - 43: Imminent Arrival

    After returning home from her lessons, Rayne sat down with a plate of fried chicken for lunch, trying to figure out what she wanted to do for the rest of the day.


    Recently, one thing had been occupying her thoughts: the possibility of storing a vehicle in her system. It had been a few weeks since she''d started storing objects nonstop, and she felt ready to tackle something as large as a vehicle.


    She walked down to her private garage, where her large SUV was parked. She wished she had a smaller sedan to test first, but unfortunately, that wasn''t an option.


    "Okay, let me at least kneel in case I pass out from this," she muttered, crouching down in front of the SUV.


    Placing her hand on the vehicle, she closed her eyes and focused. Almost immediately, sharp pain hit, followed by tremors and cold sweat. But Rayne stayed determined, pushing through the mental anguish, focusing all her energy on the task.


    Every second felt like an eternity until her mind went blank, and everything turned to black.


    A few hours later, Rayne opened her eyes to find herself lying on the concrete floor. She slowly looked up, hoping to see her SUV stored in her system, but it was still there, untouched.


    "It looks like I failed," she thought, pushing herself up. "At least I had the sense to kneel. I would have bruised myself if I''d fallen normally on this concrete."


    Frustration and anger bubbled inside her. After enduring all that pain, she hadn''t been able to store the SUV. However, there was a silver lining¡ªshe''d learned something valuable. During the intense focus, she''d felt a familiar, pleasant warmth in her navel. She had felt this sensation before, each time an item was successfully stored, but it had always been so brief that she hadn''t really noticed it.


    It was like a small bubble of warmth that burst when the item was stored. This time, she felt it clearly, but the ''bubble'' never burst. She had been so close.


    Rayne''s resolve hardened. She was sure that the SUV''s size was just slightly beyond her capacity, but a normal-sized car should be within reach.


    Then, an unexpected thought crossed her mind. "What if I go out in the middle of the night and store random smaller cars?"


    She chuckled to herself, feeling mischievous. Part of her was excited. She''d never done anything ''bad'' before, and while this wasn''t technically a crime since no cars would actually be missing, it still made her feel like a little thief.


    Later that night, Rayne dressed in all black and went out to see if she could try her luck at storing a smaller car.


    She walked around the parking lot of her building, but there were too many cameras and streetlights, making it impossible to avoid getting caught. After thinking about where she should go, she hopped in her car and drove to the street where all of the car dealerships were. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Many of the car dealerships had large amounts of cars parked in their lots, and most of them weren''t fenced in. She parked her car along the side of the road and walked down the street to look for the dealership with the least amount of security.


    Interestingly, Rayne noticed that the dealerships that sold cheaper cars had much tighter security than the luxury dealerships. The ones that sold high-end luxury cars typically had a large showroom with their newest and most expensive cars on display, while the slightly cheaper cars were left outside with only a few security cameras.


    Rayne walked up to a dealership that sold foreign luxury cars and took her time observing the locations of all the security cameras. She noticed that there were only four cameras, attached to the light posts in each of the four quadrants of the parking lot.


    She carefully calculated their range of detection and noted that the two rows of cars between each quadrant weren''t actually seen by any of the cameras!


    Rayne stealthily walked around the perimeter of the parking lot and crouched behind a row of cars to get to the ones outside the cameras'' line of sight. She moved slowly and carefully, even crawling at certain points, until she reached the right spot.


    Quickly, she placed her hands on the 2-door sports car and began to focus on storing it. This time, there was a dull pain accompanied by the warm bubble sensation she had been looking for. She continued to focus until the bubble burst, indicating her success!


    Rayne worked quickly, placing the car back in its original spot and then continuing to store the next car in line. It only took her three cars to fully master storing vehicles. By the fourth car, she no longer experienced any pain or discomfort.


    She went from dealership to dealership, storing a variety of cars, making a mental note of which ones she liked best so she could return in the future to "test drive" them in order to store the keys.


    Even the cars that would remain keyless could serve a purpose with their spare parts. She was also sure that hotwiring cars would become commonplace in the future.


    Rayne finally made it home as the first rays of light pierced the night sky and quickly went to bed.


    ---


    A few months later.


    Rayne woke up and checked the timer on her system screen:


    [Countdown to the Apocalypse: 0 years, 1 month, 1 day, 05:08:02]


    With only a month left on the timer, Rayne was starting to feel the weight of impending doom. Over the months, she had collected thousands upon thousands of items, from food to fuel, in preparation for the apocalypse.


    She didn''t know what the apocalypse would entail, so every item was precious in her eyes. She had finished storing all the books in the library and had built a significant collection of movies, music, and games.


    Since the day she stored the cars at the dealership, she had stored her SUV along with other larger vehicles such as Jeeps, SUVs, trucks, campers, trailers, and even boats.


    She had also managed to acquire barrels of gasoline, oil, diesel, propane, etc.¡ªfuel would surely become a valuable resource.


    She had reached a point where all she could do was wait for the day to arrive.

 Chapter 44 - 44: Shot!

    Julian sat down in the back of his luxury car, adjusting his suit slightly. His facial expression was neutral but the tension in the car was high.


    "Boss, are you sure you need to do this?", asked Noah from the drivers seat, turning on the ignition.


    Julian made eye contact with Noah through the mirror, "Unless you have a better idea, then yes". His voice was quiet and had a slightly teasing tone.


    Noah lowered his head, unable to reply. He''s been trying to think of different ways to go about luring Damien out of his hiding place, but nothing came to mind. The last few months had taken a toll on him, making him feel useless for not being able to help Julian more.


    Julian saw the sullen expression on Noah''s face and smiled.


    "Don''t be too hard on yourself. It''s not like I''m actually going to die", he said.


    Noah showed a small self deprecating smile, "But you''ll have to spend years if not the rest of your life in hiding!"


    "Not if we get Damien quickly. As soon as he''s out of the picture and his gang falls apart, then I can make a comeback. You can even post my face on the cover of every magazine at that point", chuckled Julian.


    "Plus, that bunker is actually really nice, it''ll be like a much deserved vacation", he added.


    The two men drove up to a luxurious building. This was the location for the much anticipated underground auction, and the starting point for Julian''s plan to lure Damien out of hiding.


    Julian stepped out of the car and walked into the beautiful building followed by Noah. There were many elites and undercover bosses gathered here today, everyone dressed extravagantly to show off their wealth.


    Julian made his way over to the previously reserved booth where he met Ian.


    "Boss, you''re here". Ian was dressed in an all black suit, looking extra fearsome due to his serious facial expression.


    "Yes, I hope everything is in order?", asked Julian as he looked around the auction hall.


    Ian nodded, "Yes, everything is prepared to go as planned. Just before the last items auction you will get shot from across the hall. The perfect body double has already been prepared".


    One of the recent developments in REN Corp.''s research facilities was this synthetic body double. Using advanced technology it can be formed to look, feel, bleed, and even smell like a specific person, in this case Julian.


    "The escape vehicle is also ready and waiting", added Ian. He had an ear piece so that he could communicate with the other security detail.


    Julian nodded and sat down, his eyes glued to the stage to appear invested in the auction.


    As the evening went on, the skillful auctioneer presented many precious items that only a few people could afford.


    Julian placed a few bids here and there to seem normal, winning a bid for a vintage 8 carat flawless diamond ring that was a one-of-a-kind design by world renown jeweler. The ring cost him over 10 million dollars, causing many people in the crowd to speculate why he bought it.


    Julian was happy with this outcome, because the more eyes on him tonight, the better the operation would go.


    "..And here we are! Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to unveil our final item!.."


    Bang!


    A shot was fired straight at Julian, followed by screams!


    "Oh my god! He''s dead! Someone just killed the CEO of REN Corp.!!"


    The entire hall was sent into chaos, people were screaming while trying to leave the hall, running into each other.


    "Team A move out, prepare the route", said Ian over his headpiece.


    Julian quickly left the scene wearing a mask while Noah and Ian stood over the synthetic body double that was shot and bleeding. Soon the ambulance came to move ''Julian'' to the hospital, even the paramedics could not tell that it was not a real body.


    Noah and Ian had to play their part, acting outraged and sad!


    Amidst all of the chaos, nobody noticed the very plain looking vehicle that drove off out of the city.


    Brent was the one driving the car, "Sir, are you alright?".


    Julian took a deep breath, "Yes, I''m fine. The plan was executed perfectly". He took out the beautiful velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing the diamond ring. He wasn''t sure what to do with it, as he bought it on a whim.


    "I guess it can serve as a memento or something", he thought, placing it back into his pocket.


    A few hours later, Brent pulled over to a small rest stop on the side of a road. "Sir, we have a prepared a small dirt bike to go the rest of the way. I shall accompany you".


    Julian got out of the car and put on a leather jacket and followed Brent. Brent led him deep into the forest until he spotted a small clearing with two dirt bike parked.


    "Here we are boss, the drive over to the bunker is about a 40 minute ride from here. Please be careful as there is no trail and we''ll be driving through a dense forest". S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian nodded and motioned to Brent to lead the way. The drove off into the forest, carefully weaving in between large rocks and trees. Julian was glad to see that the path to the bunker wasn''t the easiest, hoping that it would deter others from venturing in.


    After about an hour they had finally arrived and the bunker. There were a number of fallen trees and large branches making Julian and Brent have to take extra detours while driving.


    Julian stepped off of his dirt bike and shined his flashlight. If he didn''t know better he would never have believed that he was currently standing on top of a multi-level bunker. The environment had fully grown out since the construction phase, leaving a completely natural looking environment. The hill that the bunker was built into had grass and small trees growing out of it. In fact, none of the environment was touched during the construction phase.


    With a click of a small key, a tiny hatch opened up beside a large bush, granting Julian entry into his new home.

 Chapter 45 - 45: Breaking News

    The following day, Rayne woke up to find the world in chaos.


    [CEO of REN Corp. Proclaimed Dead!]


    [REN Corp.''s CEO Shot at Auction Event!]


    [Executive Secretary Noah Mathews Named New CEO of REN Corp.]


    Rayne read the many news articles in complete shock. How did something like this happen? Although she had never had a chance to meet the CEO, he had helped her out a lot financially.


    She closed her eyes, saying a short silent prayer for him, thanking him for inadvertently helping her in times of need. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other interesting fact was that Secretary Mathews was named the next CEO. Typically, it would be a family member who would be next in line, but it seemed that Secretary Mathews was the one explicitly named in the will.


    Rayne continued to scroll through, reading all of the news articles about the tragedy and future funeral plans.


    "Seems like REN Corp.''s CEO was an important person. His passing has received so much publicity," mumbled Rayne.


    She finally got out of bed and got dressed. Her plans for the remaining time before the start of the apocalypse were to cook as many dishes as possible and search for secluded natural environments to move to once things got bad.


    The last few weeks, Rayne had spent a good amount of time looking at topography maps, searching for areas with good natural resources. In her nightmares, people turned on each other once they began to run out of resources, resorting to stealing and even killing.


    Places such as densely populated cities would most likely be the least safe, so she wanted to at least have a general idea of where to run to. One of the places that caught her attention was a relatively remote resort area that had been recently built. It was located near a nature preserve and was surrounded by mountains. The nature preserve was a good area as well due to a naturally formed valley with a river running through it.


    Rayne thought about Ella as she began cooking. "I still haven''t found a way to tell her about the apocalypse. But I don''t want her to suffer," she thought.


    She had been thinking about how to tell her friend for a while now but was worried she would sound crazy since there was no logical proof.


    Just as she finished dicing the chicken, she got an idea! "What if I pretend to have bought too many random camping supplies and just dump them at her house?"


    She thought that if she forcefully brought random supplies like solar panel generators, canned food, propane stoves, and other supplies, that would at least ensure that Ella would have a slight head start.


    The worst Ella would do is think that Rayne was crazy for having spent so much money on random camping gear! It wasn''t the perfect solution, but it helped ease Rayne''s worries.


    She continued to cook, making delicious hot meals until evening, filling her system with more fresh, nutritious, home-cooked food.


    Looking at the time, she estimated that Ella would be home soon, so she prepared to go visit her at her house.


    [Hey Ella, it''s Rayne. I went a little crazy shopping today and would like to share some of my purchases with you. Mind if I swing by in about 30 minutes?]


    A few minutes later, Rayne got a reply:


    [Yes, come on over! I''m looking forward to seeing what crazy items you bought this time!]


    Rayne smiled while reading the enthusiastic reply and walked down to her garage to prepare. She opened the trunk of her SUV and sat down on the edge of the vehicle, opening her system screen.


    She scrolled through, taking out copies of anything she felt would be really useful. Before long, the entire SUV was stuffed with random items such as tents, sleeping bags, solar panels, propane and propane stoves, medical kits, dried and canned foods, a few nanofiber shirts, a few large bags of rice, and even a few military knives.


    Rayne wanted to give her much more, but her SUV couldn''t fit anything else. The last thing she took out was a few fresh king crabs that she got at the fish market to use as a gift.


    Since Ella''s family owned PRISMA, they lived in a large villa just outside downtown. Rayne had been there a few times before, so she was familiar with the area. The security guard at the entrance recognized Rayne by her large SUV and let her in without any problems.


    By the time Rayne parked, Ella was already waiting for her at the entrance of her family''s villa.


    "Yay! Rayne, you''re here!" she ran out excitedly.


    "Hi Ella! Come help me carry these things inside! I went overboard on the shopping today," said Rayne.


    When Ella walked over and saw the stuffed SUV filled with random items, she couldn''t help but laugh! "Hahaha! Oh my goodness!! Rayne!!! Hahah...you''re really something! I was thinking like clothes and shoes... but what''s this? A propane grill?? Hahah!!"


    Rayne smiled at her friend''s antics, "Hey! I did bring a few shirts and shoes!!" She lifted a bag of the thermal clothes with nanofibers and a pair of high-quality hiking boots to show Ella.


    This only made Ella laugh even more! "Oh my!! I can''t breathe, I''m laughing so much! Hahahaha!"


    Rayne shook her head, smiling. "Come now, help me carry this stuff or we''ll be here all night!"


    Ella took a few deep breaths and patted her chest. Her eyes were filled with tears from all the laughter. "Okay, okay!"


    A few minutes later, a large pile of supplies was formed on the floor in the living room. Ella was looking through all of the items, shaking her head.


    "Did you buy out an entire camping store or something? These items are so random!" asked Ella, giggling.


    Rayne scratched the side of her head, "Well, something like that... Oh! I almost forgot the best part!!" Rayne ran back out to her car and brought in the box of fresh king crabs.


    "Look! Aren''t you excited for dinner tonight?" smiled Rayne, presenting the crab to Ella.


    Ella''s face lit up. "Wow! Where did you get such amazing king crab? It looks like it was just caught!" she rejoiced. She took the crab from Rayne and brought it over to the kitchen so that the chefs could add it to tonight''s dinner.

 Chapter 46 - 46: It Begins

    The girls chatted happily as they sorted out the items that Rayne brought. Ella was speechless as she looked through the high-quality equipment.


    "I don''t even know what to do with any of this. Maybe we should plan a camping trip once I''m finished with my contract... Oh my goodness! Did you see the news about the CEO?!" exclaimed Ella.


    Rayne nodded, and the two girls began discussing the news. After a while, a delicious smell wafted out from the kitchen, making Rayne''s stomach growl.


    "Haha! Rayne, you are the biggest foodie I''ve ever met!" laughed Ella. They both then entered the dining room, excited for dinner.


    "Will your parents join us for dinner?" asked Rayne.


    "Nope. They''re at some event for Dad''s company. They''ll probably be home very late today," replied Ella as she motioned for the kitchen staff to begin serving the food.


    A few minutes later, the table was covered in delectable dishes, including the cooked king crab. Rayne looked at all of the food on the table and immediately felt regret that she couldn''t openly store any of it since Ella was there.


    "Oh! I need to take my medicine before I eat. One second!" said Ella as she hurriedly left the room. Rayne was speechless; just as she wished she could store the food, an opportunity presented itself! She quickly stored the most appetizing-looking plates, thanking the gods for the opportunity in the process.


    Ella came back very quickly, and they both began to eat. The most popular dish was the crab, but the other dishes were also very flavorful and delicious.


    "Mmm! Rayne, this is the best crab I''ve ever had. Thank you for such a treat!" exclaimed Ella. Rayne''s mouth was filled with food, so she replied with a simple nod.


    When Rayne finally got home, it was already getting late. She had a really fun time hanging out with Ella and was glad that she was able to drop off at least a few supplies. Before she left, she made Ella promise that she would not throw anything away, ensuring that Ella would be at least somewhat prepared when the apocalypse came.


    -----


    1 Month Later.


    Rayne woke up to the sounds of alarms and the ground shaking. The earthquake was so fierce that she could hear all of her smaller decorations, like vases, falling and smashing.


    She quickly got out of bed and went out on the balcony to see what was going on. The sight in front of her was frightening. Many taller buildings were falling down, and giant sinkholes appeared in the middle of the street, sucking in cars and houses.


    Rayne was shaking, looking at what was happening. She didn''t expect such a drastic start to the apocalypse! She had initially hoped to live in her house a little longer, but with how strong these earthquakes were, she knew that her building wouldn''t be safe for much longer.


    She quickly ran to take a quick shower, unsure of when the next time she would be able to afford such a luxury would be, and got dressed.


    She stuffed her kitchen cabinets with a variety of non-perishable food and bottles of water, hoping that these supplies could help whoever might come looting her house in the future.


    As Rayne left her house, she ran into her neighbor in the hallway. This was the first time seeing her neighbor, and she was surprised to see that it was an elderly woman.


    "Miss, what''s happening outside? I keep feeling earthquakes?" she asked, looking frightened.


    Rayne felt bad for the elderly lady. "Hello, it''s not looking good outside. Many of the taller buildings have fallen over. Do you live here alone?"


    "No, I live here with my grandson, but he''s not home right now," she replied.


    Rayne felt a little better knowing that the elderly woman wasn''t completely alone. "Here is the key to my house. I need to leave to go be with my family, so I most likely won''t be back for a while. Please feel free to use anything and everything in my house. I''m not sure how long these earthquakes will last, but I know that things will be rough for a while." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne reached over and placed a copy of her house keys in the elderly woman''s hands. Before the woman could reply, Rayne quickly left, heading toward her car.


    As soon as Rayne sat down in her SUV, she felt the earth shake once more. The dust from the shaking building fell on her windshield, causing Rayne to slightly panic. Although this building wasn''t that tall and still looked sturdy, Rayne wasn''t sure how much longer it would stand.


    She quickly drove out of the garage and onto the highway, heading toward the remote valley area she researched earlier.


    Skrrrrt.


    Rayne slammed on the brakes as soon as she saw a giant sinkhole appear in the middle of the highway. Thankfully, she stopped in time and avoided what would have been her death.


    She had the radio on in the car with the emergency broadcast playing. The message kept telling people to stay away from tall buildings or any loose objects, as they may get injured. So far, no one was able to pinpoint where these earthquakes came from; even scientists were unaware.


    She stepped out of the car and carefully walked over to look inside the sinkhole. It was a massive crater-shaped hole that was deep enough to swallow a building. Rayne felt a chill go up her spine, thinking that she could have ended up at the bottom of that hole just now if she didn''t react as quickly as she had.


    She got back into the car and drove off the main road into the small field adjacent to the highway. Thankfully, the car was equipped with satellite GPS, allowing her to locate herself properly.


    It took her a few hours of driving to finally get to the start of the nature preserve. Unfortunately, it was a very heavily wooded area, so driving her SUV was no longer an option. She drove her SUV in as far as she could before she stepped out.


    It was now early morning, so Rayne took some extra time to make sure no one was watching her before she stored her SUV into her system.

 Chapter 47 - 47: Setting Up A Home

    Rayne decided to walk through the forest for a bit before taking out a small motorcycle to avoid leaving tracks on the ground. She wanted to hide away for a few months until the world had time to stabilize after such a transition.


    As she walked, she took her time enjoying the forest environment around her. She watched as a pair of squirrels ran around each other and climbed a tree once she got close. She even spotted a fawn walking around with its mother, scavenging for food along the forest floor.


    This environment almost made Rayne forget about the horrors that were happening all around her, until she felt another massive earthquake. Running toward a large tree, she threw her body against it, using the trunk for support until the earthquake ended. Even the animals were frantically running around, some even falling.


    "I really hope these earthquakes end soon. This is already too much, and the apocalypse has just begun," said Rayne as she observed the environment around her.


    The earthquake lasted a few minutes, shaking the leaves off many trees in the process. When it finally ended, Rayne decided it was time to take out the motorcycle. She had been walking for over an hour now and felt she was deep enough in the forest where her tracks wouldn''t be easily discovered .


    She pulled out a small white motorcycle that she had stored at the dealership where she purchased her SUV. She was able to open the small metal box that held all of the keys to the vehicles stored in that warehouse, granting her easy access to the many vehicles she stored from there.


    As she tried to start the motorcycle, she realized it was out of gas, so she pulled out a red gasoline container from her system and filled up the gas tank.


    "This came in handy sooner than I thought it would," she thought as she placed the gasoline container back into the system.


    She decided to make another copy of this gas container to keep alongside the original one. Her reasoning was that if she needed to hand out gas to people later on, it might be suspicious that she had full gas containers. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After she sorted out the gas situation, she hopped on the motorcycle and carefully drove it further into the forest. She drove for about another hour until she reached a picturesque valley with a river running through the center. The morning light reflected off the water''s surface, making it seem as if it were sparkling.


    Rayne walked around, taking in all of the beautiful sights. She noticed there were plenty of fish in the river and a number of wild fruits and herbs scattered throughout the valley. She felt like she had walked into a different dimension.


    There was a very large maple tree in the middle of the valley, its trunk at least three times the diameter of a standard tree. Rayne decided that she would set up her new temporary home under this tree.


    She walked over and opened her system panel. She had a few different options for campers, ranging from small, compact ones to giant, tour bus-style ones. After comparing the different models, she ended up choosing a middle option.


    It was a large pull-out style camper that came fully equipped with a small kitchenette, bathroom, and bedroom. There was even a small area with a couch and table, making it feel very cozy. The small couch folded out to make a secondary bed if needed.


    What Rayne liked about this model of camper was the option for an outdoor shower. It had hookups for a small water tank and even a propane water heater, allowing for hot showers if desired.


    Rayne placed the camper right under the large maple tree and secured it to the ground. Another reason she chose this camper was the added supports it came with, allowing it to be anchored to the ground. Rayne thought about the recent earthquakes and felt that this would be the safest option.


    After setting up the supports, Rayne went inside to make the camper feel more like home. She placed fresh sheets and bedding on the bed, with a whole pile of fluffy pillows. In the kitchen, she placed a few basic pots and pans, plates, bowls, cups, and utensils, making it feel cozy and lived in. She added blankets and pillows to the fold-out couch and even a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the small table.


    She stocked the small bathroom with towels, soaps, shampoos, toilet paper, and other necessities. Outside, she set up a small picnic table that she had gotten from the camping store, along with a few potted flowers to decorate the outdoor area. She parked her white motorcycle near the camper and went inside to fill the remaining cabinets with various non-perishable foods and water.


    All of the walking and setup made Rayne feel a little sweaty, so she decided to take her first outdoor shower. She walked around to the back of the camper where the showerhead was and placed her towel on a wooden stool that she had set up earlier. Then, she slowly began to undress, unaware that someone had spotted her.


    ---


    Julian had been living in the bunker for a month now, waiting for Damien to lower his guard and come out of hiding. Damien was very cautious by nature, so Julian knew it would take a while before they saw any movement from his side.


    That morning, Julian woke up to the ground shaking. He quickly got out of bed and ran toward the command center room, where he had communications to the outside world.


    "Ian, what''s happening? I''m feeling massive earthquakes," asked Julian, calling Ian''s phone.


    "Boss! I''m glad you''re safe! It''s a disaster here. The massive earthquakes have toppled many buildings in the city, and many people have died!" replied Ian, his voice tinged with panic.


    Julian sat for a moment, feeling like this was only the beginning of something big. Over the years, his instincts had let him overcome even the most impossible odds, so he trusted them immensely.


    "Ian, listen to me. You need to gather our men and tell them to get to safety. Tell everyone close to you to gather as many supplies as possible. I feel like this will be the start of a societal collapse!" ordered Julian.


    "Also, after you settle those affairs, I want you and Noah to move into the bunker with me. Bring Alpha Team with you. As for your family, send them to the shelter where my family is. There''s more than enough space."


    "Got it, boss. I''ll keep you updated on my progress," replied Ian.


    After the call, Julian grabbed a pistol and his satellite phone, deciding to take a walk around the perimeter of his bunker to see if there were any changes in the environment.


    As he walked through the dense forest, he noticed small tire tread marks in the dirt. He quickly became alert and pulled out his pistol.


    Julian followed the tracks carefully until he walked into the small clearing in the valley.


    When Julian looked into the clearing, he noticed a beautiful woman with long golden hair showering behind a luxury camper. The water glistened as it ran down her smooth skin, making her look ethereal, like a fairy.


    Crunch!


    Julian stepped on a twig, causing it to snap and making him slightly panic. He tried to turn around, but his foot landed on a mossy rock, causing him to twist his ankle as he fell.

 Chapter 48 - 48: Internal Struggles

    Julian''s heart raced as he watched her, unable to pull his eyes away, until he stepped on a branch. He noticed the woman become alerted to his location due to the sound, and just as he was about to turn and run away, he slipped and twisted his ankle.


    He fell straight into a small mud pile, covering his face in dirt.


    Laying on the ground he watched the beautiful woman turn around, her breasts bouncing due to her panicked movements.


    Julian felt a his body heat up, with his blood rushing down to his manhood.


    He was shocked to feel such a strong effect. It was a pretty common thing for women to throw themselves at him, trying to gain his favor. But in all of those times, he''s never had a physical reaction, especially one so strong.


    The woman ran around like a startled deer, making him chuckle. Her silly antics helped distract him from the pain from twisting his ankle.


    She cautiously walked up to him, "Hello? Are you okay?", she asked softly, her words slightly shaky from nervousness.


    Julian closed his eyes as she approached him.


    "Umm...Miss, would you mind putting some clothes on first?", he asked. He knew that if he were to open his eyes now, his mind would most likely go blank.


    He heard her stiffen at his request, followed by quick footstep back towards her camper.


    She came back a few minutes later wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe, her hair still wet from the interrupted shower.


    "Umm, are you okay? Do you need help?", she asked again.


    Julian opened his eyes again to see a pair of large green eye staring at him with worry.


    Here I was peeping at her, and she''s worried about me!


    Julian looked at her until he realized it was the same woman from the restaurant! "This is Dr. Weston''s daughter!!", he thought to himself with shock!


    Rayne looked over at the tall man who was covered in mud. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. She noticed the swollen ankle and realized he must have twisted it.


    "Here, grab onto my arm. I''ll walk you over to the picnic table over there," she said, pointing to the picnic table beside her camper.


    Julian wasn''t really sure what he should do, but he reached out to grab her extended arm.


    She helped lift him off the ground, unfazed by the mud he was covered in. Poor guy must have been running for his life.


    She carefully led him over to the picnic table, allowing him to use her as support as he hopped over on one leg.


    "Thank you very much, miss," said Julian as he finally sat down on the bench. He looked around and marveled at the cozy setup she had. He was surprised to see potted flowers and small decorations that brought a lot of charm to this little mobile setup.


    Rayne brought over a basin of warm, soapy water and a small rag so that Julian could wash some of the mud off of him.


    Julian accepted the basin and began to clean his face. Meanwhile, Rayne went inside the camper, tossed the mud-stained robe into the trash bin of her system, and took out a white t-shirt and denim shorts to change into.


    When she walked out of the camper, she saw Julian''s handsome face! "Wow, this man is extremely handsome. I don''t think any of the current celebrities can match his looks!" thought Rayne as she walked over.


    Although he had managed to clean off the mud from his face, his hair and the rest of his body were still covered in dirt. Rayne frowned, feeling bad for the handsome man.


    She quickly ran back inside the camper and opened her system screen. Rayne remembered that she had stored a foldable pair of crutches at a pharmacy when she stocked up on basic medical supplies. She pulled out the crutches along with a first aid kit that contained an appropriate bandage.


    Before she came out of the camper, she also pulled out a men''s black t-shirt and a pair of men''s shorts, roughly guessing the man''s size. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She walked out carrying the stack of items in her hands.


    "Hi, umm, if you''d like, you can rinse off in the outdoor shower over there. I don''t know if it''s your size, but you can use these clothes while yours get cleaned," said Rayne, placing the first aid kit and crutches on the picnic table.


    Julian looked at her with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, I would love to rinse off." He picked up one of the crutches and walked over to the outdoor shower.


    Rayne followed him to place a towel and the clothes she picked out on the wooden stool beside him.


    She shyly looked at him, noticing that he had already taken his shirt off, exposing his muscular upper body.


    "Um, feel free to use any of the soaps and shampoos over there. I''ll go wait inside the camper until you''re finished," said Rayne as she quickly turned around and hurried away.


    Julian let out a small chuckle after seeing Rayne''s flustered expression. "She''s adorable," he thought. A part of him was really happy to have twisted his ankle, allowing him to spend some time with her.


    He didn''t think that living ''alone'' in the bunker would take a toll on him, but now that he''d had a small conversation, he realized that maybe it had.


    Julian carefully continued to undress, revealing his half-erect member. "I really need to get myself under control; I guess it''s been a while since I''ve last done the ''deed''," he thought as he turned the water on.


    The initial stream of cold water helped him cool down, focusing on washing his body. He noticed that the shampoo Rayne left out for him was a luxury brand with a very pleasant scent.


    "I wonder what she''s doing out here alone," he thought. It didn''t seem like she was running away, but this location was also not a legal campsite. Actually, if this were anyone else, Julian would have taken action to get them removed, since it was in such close proximity to his bunker.


    While Julian showered, Rayne sat on her bed with her hands covering her flushed face.


    "How can my mind become so dirty all of a sudden? I never had such thoughts while dating Dillon!" she thought. She placed a pillow over her head and squealed internally.


    "I don''t even know why I''m comparing him to Dillon. They''re not even in the same league!" she mumbled quietly into her pillow. While Dillon was considered a handsome guy, he was like a boring brown paper bag in comparison to this man.


    She laid on her bed, listening to the sound of running water. She felt like she was going crazy, picturing the water flowing down the man''s body.


    Julian was unaware of Rayne''s internal struggle and took his time washing the dirt off his body. While he wasn''t a ''clean freak,'' he did not enjoy the feeling of dirt or grime. The outdoor shower was also a novelty for him, since it was his first time experiencing one! There was something special about showering surrounded by nature¡ªnothing could quite compare!


    When he finished his shower he dried his body with a fluffy white towel that Rayne left for him, then reached for the clothes.


    He noticed that the clothes were brand new, with the tags still on them, "Hmm, I wonder why she has men''s clothes if she''s here by herself", he thought.

 Chapter 49 - 49: Introductions

    Rayne finally got up from her bed when she heard the water stop running, bringing her back to reality.


    She felt bad for the man because of how badly swollen his foot was. She knew that it must be very painful for him, even though he didn''t show it at all. She waited a few minutes inside the camper to give him time to get dressed before she walked out.


    "Hey, thank you for letting me shower, and for the clothes!" said Julian, smiling at her. He was seated at the picnic table, wearing the new clothes she had picked out for him.


    Rayne was glad to see that the clothing fit, but she couldn''t help but admire his handsomeness now that he was cleaned up.


    His messy brown hair curled up slightly at the ends due to being wet, and his blemish-free skin provided a delicate touch to his muscular physique. What drew Rayne in the most were his ice-blue eyes. She felt like those eyes had seen many difficult moments, giving her a subconscious desire to go up to the man and hold him.


    She snapped out of her thoughts as she sat down next to him.


    "You''re welcome. I''m glad the clothes fit you," she said shyly as she reached over to grab the first aid kit.


    "Sorry, I''m not professionally medically trained, but I do know how to bandage up your swollen ankle," she added.


    Julian watched as she took the large compression bandage from the first aid kit and squatted in front of him, carefully bandaging his ankle.


    Flustered, Julian quietly thanked Rayne. "Oh... um... thank you, you didn''t have to do so much for me... I mean, of course, I''m grateful!" Julian was horrified at the stuttered words that came out of his mouth! He''d interrogated criminals and negotiated multi-billion dollar contracts, and never once had he stuttered!


    Maybe I need to ask Noah to bring a doctor with him to make sure my brain is still functioning properly!


    Rayne took her time bandaging his ankle, adjusting the tightness as needed along the way. It took her a few minutes to finish, and just as she stood up, her stomach growled!


    She froze at the sound, her face turning red from the embarrassment! She just realized that since she left her house this morning, she hadn''t had a bite to eat all day! It was already past lunchtime, and her stomach was reminding her to eat.


    Julian laughed at her cute embarrassed expression. "Haha, my stomach has been growling too, don''t worry." He only said this because he wanted to help ease her embarrassment. However, moments later, his stomach growled even louder than Rayne''s!


    They both stood still, looking at each other, then burst out into laughter together.


    "Haha! I''ll go make us something to eat, I''ll be right back!" said Rayne, laughing at the situation. She walked inside and made her way over to the small kitchenette. This camper was a luxury model and had a double-burner stove along with a mini-fridge included, allowing Rayne to prepare hot dishes.


    However, she was really hungry and didn''t want to waste a lot of time cooking, so she opened up her system panel instead.


    She scrolled through the various prepared foods that she had collected over time, carefully deciding what to choose. She couldn''t choose anything too flashy like king crab or sushi, but she didn''t want to resort to something basic like a sandwich either.


    She decided to go with a creamy pasta dish with chicken and a side salad. She figured that pasta was relatively quick to cook, so she didn''t need to spend a lot of time pretending to cook inside the camper.


    She spent about 15 minutes playing a game on her phone before she took out some nice plates and the two copies of the creamy chicken pasta. She took the pasta out of the takeout boxes and arranged it neatly on the plate, leaving some room for the side salad.


    Scrolling through her ''Salad'' tab, she found a nice dark leafy green salad and split it between the two plates. She made sure to throw all the takeout boxes into her system trash bin before walking out of the camper.


    Julian was sitting quietly on the bench of the picnic table, admiring the beautiful view of the river. He felt that Rayne really picked out a good spot to camp at, even though he still wasn''t sure what brought her here.


    After a while, he heard the door to the camper open and saw Rayne carrying two large plates of food. He was surprised to see the delicious pasta on the plate when she placed it in front of him. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He saw her quickly run back inside and bring out two glasses of water and the utensils before she sat down across from him.


    "Wow, this looks so good! Thank you for treating me to such a nice meal," said Julian. He''d been living off of pre-packaged meals mixed with his terrible cooking for over a month now, and seeing this restaurant-quality meal felt like a blessing!


    "By the way, I''m Julian. I feel like you''ve helped me out so much today, yet I haven''t even introduced myself."


    Rayne looked over at him, slightly flustered. "How rude of me! I''m Rayne, nice to meet you, Julian! And you''re welcome, I''m glad I could help!"


    "Nice to meet you, Rayne," replied Julian. So I was right! It really is Dr. Weston''s daughter!


    Although he confirmed her identity, Julian still decided to pretend like he didn''t know her, which, in a sense, was true. He knew her father, but this really was the first time they''d met.


    They chatted occasionally as they ate.


    "So, what brings you out here? I don''t think this is a campsite, right?" asked Julian, feigning ignorance.


    Rayne stayed silent for a minute while she thought of an appropriate answer.


    "Well, I''m sure you saw it too. All of the disaster happening in the city. Most of the taller buildings have collapsed, killing thousands, I''m sure... I felt like coming somewhere remote, such as here, would be the safest option. I don''t think things will get any better anytime soon. What about you?"


    Julian was surprised to hear her answer. What she said was what his instincts had told him earlier today when he was on the phone with Ian.


    He wasn''t really sure how to answer her. "Well, I guess my reasoning is similar to yours, but you''re clearly a lot more prepared."


    "Yes, I''m lucky in that regard. I was actually planning on going on a camping trip with my friend, which allowed me to leave with this whole setup early this morning."


    When Julian heard her say that she left this morning, he was a little surprised. At least from the outside of the camper, it looked like she''d been living here for a little while.


    "If you don''t mind sleeping on the fold-out couch, you''re welcome to stay with me until your ankle heals," offered Rayne. Although she didn''t know what kind of person Julian was, she felt comfortable around him and decided to let him stay for at least a little while.

 Chapter 50 - 50: Getting to Know You

    Julian was surprised by her invitation. He felt that Rayne was too kind for her own good. If he were a man with no morals, she would have invited disaster into her home. Julian felt a pang of unease; he didn''t like the thought of her getting into danger because of her kindness.


    "I will graciously accept your kindness," he said, thanking her for the trouble. He still had time to kill before Damien made his move, so he figured, why not spend some time with Rayne? He was curious about her; something felt a little different about her.


    She seemed very prepared, almost as if she had planned her trip here in advance. Either way, he wanted to make sure she was safe for as long as he could.


    After their late lunch, Rayne cleaned up the table, pretending to bring the dirty dishes inside to wash them. As soon as she stepped through the door, she tossed them into the trash bin of her system.


    Rayne looked out the window and observed Julian for a few minutes. She noticed that he looked like he was in pain. He must have been putting on a brave face in front of me, she thought. She opened her system and took out a small bottle of extra-strength painkillers and a bottle of water.


    She walked over to Julian and presented the pills and water to him. "I''m guessing your twisted ankle must be causing you a lot of pain. Here''s a bottle of basic painkillers; hopefully, it can help ease your pain."


    Julian looked at her worried face and felt really warm inside. It had been a while since he''d felt someone''s genuine concern for him, causing him to let out a small smile. He accepted the painkillers, swallowing two pills right away.


    "Thank you for these. I''m sure they''ll help with the pain," he said, motioning for Rayne to sit with him.


    "So, tell me a little about yourself, Rayne."


    She looked at him and smiled. She was worried they would just sit there awkwardly, but it seemed that Julian had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation.


    "Well, let''s see. I''m 24 years old. I like to cook... well, I guess it would be more accurate to say I enjoy eating good food."


    Julian nodded, remembering her blissful face at the restaurant that one time.


    "...I am an architect! Just recently, I got to work on a big contract with REN Corporation!"


    Julian looked up at her. "Oh! I''ve heard of REN Corp! What sort of project did you work on?" he asked curiously. A part of him wanted to test her to see if she would disclose information about the bunker.


    Rayne smiled. "Oh, it was an interesting project indeed! I got to design the president''s newest vacation home! I heard that he purchased a private island somewhere to have it built!"


    Julian''s smile grew upon hearing her answer.


    "Oh, that''s exciting indeed!" he said.


    Rayne frowned immediately after. "Well, it''s unfortunate that he will probably never see it. I''m sure you''ve seen the news all around; he passed away about a month ago." She felt bad that they had hired her for such a top-secret project, but it seemed like it was all for nothing. Even with her short design deadline, she felt that it would''ve been impossible to finish the bunker construction before the president''s passing.


    Julian tried not to give himself away with his smile. He lowered his gaze, looking at the table. "Yes, I heard about that. Unfortunate that he was killed like that."


    "Yes, I agree. I heard that the killer was immediately arrested. It seems like the president''s family is really pushing to get him life in prison," said Rayne.


    "Well, enough about him. I want to hear more about you," said Julian. He didn''t realize how flirtatious his words sounded.


    The tips of Rayne''s ears turned red. She wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination, but she started to feel a little hot.


    "Umm, where was I? Oh, my hobbies... Well, I''m into the boring stuff. Reading, music, watching TV, playing games on my phone, cooking. Actually, a new hobby of mine used to be marksmanship. I used to attend classes at a shooting range and enjoyed it a lot."


    Julian listened to her attentively, genuinely interested in all of her interests. "Oh, I''m surprised about the marksmanship hobby. I feel like many women tend to shy away from firearms. Maybe one day we can go shooting together."


    Rayne looked over at him, slightly surprised. "Oh, you know how to shoot as well then?" Rayne felt that Julian didn''t look like the type to be into guns.


    "Oh yeah, I have a master''s certification across all weapons. Actually, I worked as a weapons researcher for a bit," replied Julian.


    "Oh, wow! I''ve only just finished the intermediate certification course! Maybe you can teach me a thing or two while you''re here!" said Rayne excitedly. It wasn''t every day she could come across someone with such high-level skills!


    If she remembered correctly, Yasmin didn''t even have a master''s certification! Rayne wanted to take advantage of Julian''s expertise to improve her own skills.


    Julian was really happy that she took the initiative to ask to learn from him. He wanted to repay her for all that she had done for him in this short period of time.


    "Of course, I''d be more than happy to teach you. Do you have a firearm with you?" he asked curiously. There were strong gun laws in this country, and he knew that in order to own one, you would need either government approval or some sort of underground involvement.


    Rayne thought about how she should answer. She was worried that he would think she was involved in something illegal if she told him she had a gun, but her desire to improve her skills was greater than her worry.


    "Yes, I have a basic pistol," she replied calmly.


    Julian looked over, slightly surprised. Seems like she''s quite resourceful. He didn''t show any shock, nor did he ask her where she got it. "Okay, perfect! This is a relatively remote location, so we can start as early as today if you''d like!"


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. She was happy that he didn''t probe. Without wasting a moment, she ran back inside the camper and opened her system panel.


    She had managed to store three different pistols from the shooting range. Only one of them had a suppressor attached, and naturally, Rayne chose that one. Even though they were in a very remote location, she wanted to avoid drawing attention.


    She pulled out the pistol from her system, along with a box of appropriate ammo, then walked back outside.


    Julian noticed the silenced pistol and quickly recognized it as a standard model used in shooting ranges. Interesting... I wonder if she somehow managed to snag it from the shooting range, he thought. He was becoming increasingly more interested in Rayne and what she was capable of. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne quickly set up a few empty soda cans as targets at a decent distance from the picnic table.


    She stood up, in her practiced stance, and shot three times. She hit one of the cans clearly off the tree stump and another can on its side. She missed her mark on the third can.


    She looked over happily, seeing that she had managed to land a good hit on one of the cans!


    (A/N: Hey all! Little update~ Once the book reaches 10 reviews I''ll be doing a mini mass release as a thank you! Please leave a review if you''re enjoying the story so far, it''ll help me out a lot <3)

 Chapter 51 - 51: Show Off

    Julian looked at her smiling face and clapped excitedly to cheer her on. Overall, he was indeed impressed that she managed to hit the target from such a distance.


    Rayne walked over and handed Julian the gun, then ran off to reset the tin cans.


    Julian looked at the loaded gun in his hand and shook his head. This girl is way too trusting.


    She ran back to the picnic table and looked smugly at Julian. "Okay, Mr. Master Marksman, let''s see what you can do!" she teased.


    Julian''s competitive spirit ignited at her "prove yourself" tone. He rarely felt the need to show off, but for some reason, he wanted to be a little extra in front of Rayne.


    Julian stayed sitting on the bench and lifted his arm, holding the gun up. He held his position for a few seconds, then...


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    He shot three consecutive shots without any delay, hitting each can cleanly off the tree stump.


    Rayne watched his fluid movements with awe! She felt that he looked cooler than any actor in an action movie!


    "Wow! Julian, you really weren''t kidding about being skilled!" she exclaimed, complimenting him on his shots.


    Julian''s face blushed slightly at her nonstop praise. He realized that he liked this feeling of being praised for something. Maybe it''s because I can tell she''s being genuine, unlike those other women in the past.


    Julian motioned for Rayne to come over so that he could give her a few tips.


    "So, your overall stance is very good; however, it''ll only take you so far. If you only plan to shoot at a range, then you should be all set, but shooting in the real world is a little different."


    He continued to give Rayne detailed explanations on how she could improve, along with praise for the things she''d already mastered.


    Rayne listened closely, soaking up all the new information. She didn''t get upset or discouraged when Julian pointed out a mistake. She knew he was trying to help her improve, and this information could give her the upper hand in the future.


    They spent the rest of the day practicing shooting. Rayne had to go and "retrieve" a few more boxes of ammo throughout the process.


    They only stopped once the sun started to set, making it too dark to see the soda cans in the distance.


    "Oh wow, we''ve been at this for a long time. I''m sorry to have taken up so much of your time!" said Rayne. She was so in the zone that she hardly realized how much time had passed!


    "Haha, no worries. I was having a really enjoyable time, so don''t feel bad," replied Julian.


    Rayne still felt slightly guilty, so she decided to treat Julian to an extra-special dinner. "It''s probably close to dinner time. Allow me to cook something delicious to make it up to you!" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian smiled, shaking his head. "You don''t owe me anything, but I''ll gratefully enjoy anything you make."


    Rayne smiled and ran back inside the camper. She felt bad leaving Julian to just sit outside on his own, so she picked up her laptop and brought it over to the picnic table.


    Just as she placed it on the table, the earth began to shake again.


    "Oh, it''s another earthquake!" said Rayne, with subtle panic. This earthquake was stronger than the ones this morning, causing her to almost fall over.


    Julian quickly stood up, ignoring the pain from his twisted ankle, to help stabilize Rayne. He stood there holding her until the earthquake finally ended.


    Rayne shyly pulled herself away, her cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, how''s your ankle? You shouldn''t have stood up!" she exclaimed with worry.


    Julian smiled and said, "Don''t worry, my ankle is fine. I''ll just take a few more painkillers with dinner."


    Rayne frowned; she wanted to help but wasn''t sure what she could do. She turned her attention to the laptop on the table.


    "I brought you this. Normally, I like to watch a TV show while I eat. I just started this new show and am on episode 2. I figured I could put on the first episode for you to watch while I cook!" she said happily.


    Julian smiled. He wasn''t sure when the last time he watched a TV show was, but since he had nothing better to do, he didn''t refuse.


    Seeing that he didn''t refuse, Rayne felt even more excited! "It''s called 100 Days Without You and it''s somewhat of a romance drama, but there are action scenes!"


    She put on the episode and hurried into the camper. She felt like today was a really good day and wanted to celebrate with good food!


    She decided she would cook a soup herself while taking out other food from the system. She remembered the fried chicken she had from that one street vendor with a long line and couldn''t get it out of her head.


    "Fried chicken it is!" she decided and began to pull out a variety of vegetables from her system for the soup.


    Once the soup finished, she quickly poured it into bowls and brought it out to the picnic table. Rayne noticed how dark it had gotten and went back inside to pull out a propane camping light. Once she placed it on the table, the surrounding area immediately lit up in a nice bright light.


    Julian saw Rayne bring out two bowls of delicious-looking vegetable soup, excited for the freshly made dinner. But when Rayne ran off back inside her camper instead of sitting down, he was a little surprised.


    A few moments later, she walked out holding a bright camp light in one hand and a large plate of perfectly fried chicken in the other. Julian''s eyes lit up at the sight of fried chicken! He had already felt the vegetable soup was a big treat, but the fried chicken was well out of his expectations.


    "Wow! I must admit I am very surprised to see such delectable fried chicken! I feel like it''s my birthday," laughed Julian.


    If any of his subordinates were here, they would be convinced that their boss was possessed due to how cheerful he had been this whole time. Julian had laughed more today than he had in the past few years combined!


    "I said that I would treat you to a nice dinner in return for your shooting lessons today! I hope it''s to your taste!" said Rayne cheerfully. She then turned and ran back into the camper to grab plates and silverware, along with two cans of cold beer.


    Once she got back to the picnic table, she sat down, put on episode 2 of the show, and the two of them began to eat.


    "Wow, everything tastes so good! This chicken reminds me of a place I used to order from!" complimented Julian, taking a bite of chicken and a sip of cold beer.


    He felt like he was on a camping vacation trip. The only thing off about this day was the pain from his twisted ankle. Everything else was incredible.


    Rayne lowered her eyes to hide the guilt of claiming to have cooked the chicken herself. She secretly thanked the man at the fried chicken stall for his aromatic chicken.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Earthquake in the Night

    After dinner, Rayne quickly cleaned up the dirty dishes using her favorite method: the system trash bin.


    She thoroughly enjoyed the dinner, and Julian proved to be great company. The more they talked, the more she enjoyed his presence. She was glad that she had offered to let him stay with her while he healed his twisted ankle.


    As it was getting closer to night time, Rayne began to fold up the table in the living room of the camper so that she could fold out the couch into a bed. She would let Julian sleep on the fold-out bed, while she slept in her bedroom.


    She felt a little shy since there was no door between her room and the living room, making her feel like they were sleeping in the same room.


    She shook her head, trying to avoid thinking about it, and opened her system panel to bring out a few more pillows and blankets for Julian. Once she finished setting everything up, she invited Julian inside her camper.


    Julian looked over at the beautiful woman as she invited him to head inside her camper. He felt like he was on the set of a teenage romance movie, with the soft light illuminating her pretty face and fireflies lighting up the dark sky. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He smiled, shaking his head as he stood up and slowly made his way over to the camper. As he reached the door, he saw Rayne extend her soft hand to help him up the stairs. He felt his heart race as he reached out to make contact with her hand. It felt like such a magical moment that even time seemed to slow down.


    Rayne looked down at the handsome man who had a slight smile on his face. She felt the tips of her ears heat up as she held his hand, helping him up the stairs.


    She really wanted to know more about this man. Just from their short conversations today, she could tell that he was someone who had already seen a lot of the world.


    "Welcome inside my little home. This is where you''ll be sleeping. Let me know if there''s anything else you need! Oh! The bathroom is right around the corner over there," she said, pointing down the hall.


    Julian looked around the cozy interior of the camper. There were small stuffed animals and potted plants placed all around, creating a cute and warm environment. There was a string of fairy lights lighting up both the living room and her bedroom.


    He felt like he had just walked into a college girl''s dorm room. He noticed that the sheets and blankets that were laid out for him were clean and comfortable. Smiling, he felt that Rayne''s setup was much cozier than what he had in his bunker, even though he had a lot more room.


    Once Julian laid down, Rayne handed him a small stack of men''s clothes along with a laptop filled with movies and TV shows.


    "Here''s some more clothes I found, feel free to use them. And this is a spare laptop I have that''s filled with movies and TV shows. Unfortunately, there''s no internet here, but I also have a good number of books if you prefer that!"


    Julian took the small stack of folded clothes as well as the small silver laptop. "Thank you. If you ran a hotel, I''d be sure to leave a 5-star review for your hospitality," he joked.


    "Well, thank you for your kind review!" she joked back, then excused herself and went to her room.


    She decided to read a book until she fell asleep but realized she couldn''t stay focused. Her eyes continued to wander toward the living room. This was Rayne''s first time sleeping so close to a man. Even during the years she dated Dillon, they never spent the night at each other''s houses.


    Now, the only thing separating her from Julian was a thin wall. She could even see his legs through the doorway.


    She wasn''t sure why she was feeling so shy. It''s not like they were sleeping on the same bed. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, all she could picture was him lying next to her.


    Julian heard Rayne tossing and turning in her bed on the other side of the wall. I wonder if she''s feeling uncomfortable.


    He, on the other hand, was very comfortable; the bedding and blankets were all very soft. The only thing was that he felt a little hot. It was still warm outside, and there was minimal airflow inside the camper. He figured Rayne would fall asleep soon, so he took his shirt off, feeling a lot more comfortable.


    What he didn''t expect was that there would be another earthquake.


    The camper shook, knocking a few small items off the counter. Rayne quickly got out of bed and ran out to the living room to make sure Julian was okay.


    Her face quickly turned red as she saw Julian lying on the fold-out bed, shirtless. But before she could run away, the ground shook once more, causing her to lose her balance. Julian saw her stumbling and reached over to catch her.


    Rayne felt his strong arms around her and his muscular body pressed against hers. She resisted the urge to poke his six-pack with her finger, but she really wanted to know how it felt.


    Once the earthquake stopped, Julian loosened his grip around her.


    "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard things falling," she said, speaking quickly. She wanted to explain herself so that Julian didn''t think she was trying to spy on him.


    Julian laid back down on his bed, looking like a perfectly sculpted statue. He rested his head on his hand and smiled at Rayne as she frantically looked for something other than him to look at.


    "Are you okay? You didn''t get hurt, did you?" he asked with a deep voice, interrupting her frenzied chatter.


    Rayne snapped out of her nervous talking, finally looking over at the smiling Julian. She nodded her head, "Yes, I''m okay," she said shyly, her face flushing pink.

 Chapter 53 - 53: Shower Thoughts

    "Good, I''m glad you aren''t injured. It seems that the frequency between the earthquakes is getting longer, so that''s a good sign," said Julian.


    Rayne thought about it and realized that he was right. Compared to when she first left her house in the city, the frequency between the earthquakes had indeed gotten longer.


    "Yes, you''re right. Even their duration has gotten a little shorter. Hopefully, this means they''ll end soon," she replied with a thoughtful expression.


    "Yeah, I hope so. They''ve caused a lot of damage already," said Julian, yawning.


    Rayne noticed his sleepy expression. "I''ll be going to sleep now. Goodnight."


    "Sleep well," said Julian as he watched Rayne walk back to her bedroom.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up with dark circles under her eyes. She couldn''t get her mind off Julian''s attractive physique.


    "When did I become such a perv?" she mumbled, rolling over in her bed. The morning sun was beaming down on her bed through the window. She had felt hot last night while sleeping and woke up with a few beads of sweat.


    She got up, preparing to take a shower, when she noticed Julian doing morning pushups outside. The sweat glistened on his back, highlighting the curves of his large muscles.


    Julian heard the door to the camper open and noticed Rayne looking over at him.


    "Good morning. Hope you slept well," he greeted.


    "Ah, good morning! I slept okay, how about you?" asked Rayne, averting her gaze.


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I slept very well. The bed was comfortable. Thank you." He stood up from his push-up position, using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.


    "Here, let me grab you a clean towel so that you can rinse off if you want. I just refilled the water tank," said Rayne as she walked back inside and pulled out a towel from her system.


    "Here''s your towel. I''ll go shower inside," she said, placing the towel down on the table beside him.


    "Thanks, I''ll rinse off out here right now," replied Julian.


    Rayne nodded and walked back inside to shower in the small bathroom in the camper. While she was washing her body, she heard the running water outside.


    "I really need to chill. This is getting ridiculous," she said to herself as she grabbed the bottle of shampoo. Her thoughts were getting dirtier and dirtier, and it was only the second day Julian had been there.


    Julian was having similar thoughts outside. He could also hear the water running inside the camper, along with the floral scent of Rayne''s shampoo. He felt his member perk up slightly at the thought of her in the shower, as the images from her shower yesterday flooded his mind. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looks like I''ll have to find an opportunity to excuse myself to clear my mind," he muttered to himself.


    After they both finished showering, Rayne prepared a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast, along with a hot cup of coffee.


    Julian ate it happily, thinking that the food was very delicious and the ingredients were very fresh.


    When Rayne went inside to "wash" the dishes, Julian pulled out his satellite phone to read the message he had just received from Ian.


    [Hey boss, just giving a quick update. All of our men have been moved out to the resort shelter in the mountains. Your family is also safe and doing well. Noah and I will be there with Alpha Team either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.]


    Julian looked around, feeling reluctant to leave. He hit the reply button and sent a message back to Ian:


    [Good work. You have access to enter the bunker. I''m going to be out for a few days. Keep me updated here.]


    --


    Ian read the message from Julian and looked over at his brother. "Noah, the boss just messaged back. He said he''s going to be out for a few days...where do you think he went?"


    Noah shrugged his shoulders. Their boss had always had a strange temperament, and he had learned to just go with the flow.


    --


    Rayne came back outside, holding the pistol in her hand. "I was thinking we could continue the lessons?" she half asked, half suggested.


    Julian smiled at her eager attitude and agreed. "Of course, let''s pick up from yesterday. Set the targets a little farther back today."


    They spent the rest of the day shooting at the empty soda cans. Rayne felt like her skills had already improved just after these two days.


    ---


    While Rayne and Julian were enjoying each other''s company in the wilderness, the rest of the world was going up in flames.


    The earthquakes destroyed city after city, leaving rubble and half-broken buildings in their place. Only a handful of places still had power, mainly important government buildings that had backup generators.


    Thousands of people died from the collapsing buildings, causing the functioning hospitals to have lines out the door. Grocery stores and restaurants were either closed or destroyed, causing a new kind of chaos to spread.


    More and more people slowly made their way out of the city towards the rural areas, which were still relatively safe.


    Ella''s family was one of the families that made the decision to move out. Although her house was not in a multistory building, they lived in a rich neighborhood. Due to grocery stores being unavailable, the rich areas would soon be targeted for raids.


    Unfamiliar faces had already been spotted outside her house, and it had only been a day. So her father made the call to move to one of their vacation homes out in the countryside.


    As Ella packed, she noticed the pile of camping gear that Rayne had gifted her that one day. Her eyes lit up as she noticed the solar generator and other fancy supplies. She quickly called her father over and showed him the items.


    "You said Rayne gifted you this?" he asked with surprise. If he didn''t know any better, he''d think she could predict the future.


    "Yeah, she came over one night and said she bought too much. I laughed at her for the odd choice of items back then. But now, looking at them, they all seem so useful."


    Her father looked at them again and nodded. "Yes, quickly pack all of this into the car!"

 Chapter 54 - 54: Fishing Contest

    With the power cut out in most places and cell phone towers down, Rayne no longer had access to what was going on around her. She knew that there was chaos, as she had seen glimpses of it as she left the city, but she really had no way of knowing exactly what was happening.


    She was currently eating a scrumptious meal made with the homemade dumplings she had made herself.


    "Wow, Rayne, these are amazing!" Julian exclaimed, savoring another bite. "These are even better than the fried chicken!"


    "Haha, thank you! I wasn''t kidding when I said that I liked to cook!" replied Rayne happily. They both ate until they were full.


    Julian wanted to get up to do the dishes, but Rayne stood up faster and didn''t let him.


    "You need to focus on recovering. Don''t worry about the dishes, although I appreciate the offer," she smiled.


    Julian sat back down, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks to that ice pack you gave me earlier, the swelling''s gone down a lot."


    Rayne nodded, happy to hear that the ice pack had helped. She quickly gathered all of the dirty dishes and walked them into the camper.


    Before she walked back outside, she pulled out two fishing poles along with a tackle box of different lures. She noticed that the river they were next to had a lot of fish and felt that fishing would be a fun way to pass the time.


    She walked toward Julian with the two fishing poles. "Hey, Mr. Master Marksman, how good are you at catching fish?"


    Julian looked at the two fishing poles she was holding, wondering where she kept pulling these items from.


    He decided to ignore it for now and smiled. "Well, I can''t say I''ve ever gone fishing, but I''m confident I can catch a few fish!"


    "Haha, perfect! Let''s have a little contest to see who can catch the most fish today!" declared Rayne, laughing.


    She brought out two fold-out chairs and placed them at the edge of the river while Julian slowly made his way over. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The weather was perfect, sunny with a slight breeze, and so far there hadn''t been a single earthquake today.


    Rayne filled a bucket with some river water to place the caught fish in and cast her line out.


    Her movements were fluid, looking like a seasoned fisherman.


    "How often did you go fishing? You look like a pro," asked Julian, watching her graceful movements.


    Rayne grinned. "Actually, this is my first time. I''ve just watched a decent amount of fishing videos before. I''m actually not sure if I''m doing this right, haha."


    Julian, eager to impress, lifted his rod and tried to mimic her. But when he cast the line, he put too much force behind it. The hook caught in the grass behind him instead of landing in the water.


    Rayne burst out laughing, her amusement infectious. "Hahah! Maybe try again?"


    Julian laughed with her. "Hey, hey, I''m just getting warmed up!" He pulled the hook out of the grass and set up his fishing rod to try again.


    This time, he managed to get the hook and lure in the water, but the force from the cast sent it straight to the bottom of the river.


    "Oh, I feel something tugging!" exclaimed Julian excitedly.


    Rayne placed her fishing rod down and quickly walked over to Julian''s side, excitedly watching the water.


    Julian reeled in the line with vigor, convinced he''d hooked a giant fish.


    "Wow, it feels like a massive fish!" he exclaimed as he continued to reel.


    "Ah, how exciting!" Rayne stood by the edge of the water with a fish net, ready to help Julian once the fish jumped out.


    After a few more minutes of intense reeling, Julian exclaimed, "Here it comes now!"


    Swoosh!


    A large shadow ripped from under the water''s surface, flying upwards and landing behind Julian.


    Rayne ran over to see it, while Julian quickly turned around to face it.


    "Hahaha, oh... my... goodness! Hahah!" Rayne nearly fell on the ground laughing so hard.


    Julian looked down to see a large clump of grass mixed with twigs on the ground.


    His face was full of disbelief. "How!? I felt it move! I swear I felt it move and fight back!" he exclaimed, utterly baffled.


    Rayne clutched her sides, tears streaming from her eyes as she laughed uncontrollably. She couldn''t remember the last time she laughed to the point of tears.


    Julian continued to look at the bundle of grass, unable to wrap his head around how all of that tugging and pulling had been caused by a bundle of grass!


    He shook his head and smiled; he felt that Rayne''s laughter was even better than catching a fish.


    "Okay, this time I''ll catch something for sure!" he smiled and said as he went to untangle his lure from the grass.


    Rayne wiped the tears from her eyes, calming down a little bit, and nodded her head.


    "Yes, I believe you! Maybe I can get lucky enough one day to be your student," she joked, smiling brightly.


    Julian shook his head and put on a very serious-looking expression. "Hmm, I''m not sure about that. I''ll have to get my assistant to get back to you on that... but you do look like a promising fisherman, so maybe I can squeeze you into my schedule," he stated jokingly.


    Rayne clasped her hands together, pretending to pray. "Ah, I''m so lucky! The almighty Pro fisherman Julian will grace me with his immense fishing skill!"


    Julian chuckled and waved her off. "Alright, alright. Now go, my pupil. Show me what you''ve got!"


    Rayne gave him a salute and went over to pick up her fishing rod.


    She gracefully cast her line, her lure landing on the surface of the water right in the center of the river.


    She gave her lure a few moments to sink down and began to slowly reel it in.


    A few seconds later, she felt something bite, and she quickly jerked the rod, snagging whatever it was that her lure caught.


    She continued to reel in, her heart racing!


    Julian watched the water''s surface intently, and before long, Rayne pulled out a long silver fish!


    "Wow! Oh my goodness! I caught one!" she cheered, showing the squirming fish to Julian.


    "Well, looks like my student learns fast!" he joked while clapping at her success.


    She pulled the fish into the bucket of water and watched it swim around.


    Seeing that Rayne caught a fish, Julian''s competitive spirit kicked in! He didn''t want to be unable to catch a fish, so he tried his best to mimic Rayne''s movements.


    For the rest of the afternoon, the two cast their lines, the peacefulness of the moment only broken by the occasional laughter and playful teasing. They didn''t stop until Rayne''s stomach growled, signaling it was time to call it a day.

 Chapter 55 - 55: Teamwork

    The bucket had five fish swimming around inside. Rayne smiled at her success, while Julian couldn''t understand how he didn''t manage to hook a single fish!


    "You must''ve given me a faulty lure!" announced Julian, trying to come up with any kind of excuse for his failure in catching anything other than clumps of grass.


    "Hahah, but you even made me trade fishing rods with you. That doesn''t make sense," laughed Rayne.


    Rayne picked up the bucket of fish. "Let''s call it here and make dinner! I''m thinking grilled fish."


    Julian stood up and grabbed the bucket from her hands. "I may not be able to catch a fish, but I do know how to clean one. Let me clean these here while you get set up."


    "Oh, thank you! I''ll let you handle the cleaning then!" said Rayne as she walked back to the camper.


    Once she was alone, she opened her system screen to see what kind of options she had for grills. She felt that grilled fish over a coal/wood fire would be more delicious than gas-grilled fish, so she took out a small tabletop version of the coal grill.


    She also found a small bag of charcoal, fire starter, and a lighter, bringing all of these items to the picnic table.


    She then went back inside to bring out various spices and dipping sauces suitable for grilled fish.


    Julian worked quickly, removing the scales from the fish and gutting them. By the time Rayne set up the table with the grill and spices, he had already finished cleaning the fish.


    He slowly walked the bucket of cleaned fish over to the table, marveling at the amount of seasonings and sauces she had prepared! She really has an impressive stash of items and seems prepared for every situation.


    Rayne was currently inside the camper steaming a small pot of rice while chopping some fresh vegetables to serve as a side dish.


    She noticed that Julian was finished with his task and walked out to prep the fish for grilling.


    She opened the cavity of the cleaned fish and seasoned it with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Then she stuffed it with green onion, oil, rosemary, and lemon slices, closing the cavity with small toothpicks.


    Julian watched her precise movements with interest. He''d never really been around people when they cooked, and his own cooking abilities were abysmal. To him, Rayne''s actions seemed like magic, transforming a simple fish into an appetizing meal.


    "Could you start the fire in the grill? I need to go back inside and check on the rice," said Rayne.


    "Yeah, leave it to me," answered Julian as he got up to start setting up the fire in the small grill.


    Rayne walked back inside to finish chopping the vegetables. Once the rice finished, she stored it in her system, then brought the entire pot out and placed it on the table.


    The coals in the grill were glowing red, indicating that the grill had reached the appropriate temperature. Rayne placed two prepped fish on the grill, hearing the nice sizzling sound.


    A little while later, only the sounds of eating could be heard.


    Julian ate with relish, enjoying the taste of freshly caught fish. This was a very novel experience for him, and one he would remember for a long time.


    "Thank you for the meal, Rayne. Not only did you cook everything so well, but you were also the one who caught all of the fish. I feel like that useless live-in husband who relies on his wife for everything," said Julian.


    Rayne blushed at the comparison of being a wife and answered, "Don''t feel like that. You helped clean the fish, which is my least favorite part. You also started the fire, not to mention your shooting lessons!"


    "Haha, well when you put it that way, it sounds like we make a good team."


    She smiled, "Yes, I think we do!"


    They both chatted happily, enjoying each other''s company for the rest of the evening.


    ---


    Noah and Ian finally met up at their previously agreed-upon location.


    "Were you able to salvage anything from the lab?" asked Ian as he approached Noah.


    Noah nodded. "Yes, although a lot of the lab was destroyed from the building''s collapse, we managed to salvage most of the prototypes."


    Ian nodded and sent a message to Alpha Team to gather the prototypes and move them to the bunker.


    They then walked out of the small building owned by REN Corp, which was located on a small hillside at the outskirts of the city.


    They saw the rubble from the toppled buildings, along with smoke from burning buildings and cars. Alarms and sirens from emergency vehicles were blaring nonstop all day, drowning out the cries of the people. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ian paused, taking in the sight. "I''ve never seen a disaster this big, and I feel like even the government won''t be able to control the chaos. I''ve heard that similar situations are happening in every city around the world."


    Noah frowned, hearing that they weren''t the only city affected. "Is this the start of the apocalypse? If society collapses, Damien is going to have a field day," he said.


    Ian shook his head. "I just hope it doesn''t get to that point. Let''s go, I told the boss we''d be there by tomorrow morning."


    They walked down toward the large off-road vehicle that was parked on the street below them and drove off toward the bunker.


    -----


    "How''s your ankle feeling today?" asked Rayne after she greeted Julian the following morning.


    Julian had just finished his set of morning push-ups and got up. "It''s getting better and better, all thanks to your attentive care," he replied, flashing a bright smile.


    Rayne''s cheeks flushed. "I didn''t do anything. I''m glad it''s getting better. I''ve been wanting to take a walk around the area soon and was wondering if you''d like to join me?"


    Julian was surprised, yet happy, at her invitation. "Sure, I''d love to take a walk around with you. I remember seeing a nice scenic spot a bit higher up in the mountains. If you''d like, we could go there tomorrow. I think I should be okay to walk then."


    Rayne''s eyes lit up hearing his response. "Mhm! I''d love to check it out with you!" she smiled.

 Chapter 56 - 56: Most Beautiful View

    "It was very nice of your boss to move us into this underground stronghold", said Krissy as she quickly stripped by the door.


    Dillon just came back from a meeting with his direct superior.


    Ever since he officially accepted being part of the ''gang'' he''s had more jobs lined, up keeping him relatively busy.


    The day after the announcement of the death of the CEO or REN Corporation was announced, he received an invitation to move into a large underground facility where most of Damien''s men lived and worked.


    Krissy was first very reluctant to move because Dillon''s co workers made her feel unsettled, but with Dillon''s authoritative command she had little choice in the matter.


    But now since the earthquake disaster happened she was really happy. This was one of the few places that still had electricity and wasn''t a pile of concrete rubble.


    Dillon walked over to the couch and sat down, allowing Krissy to perform her daily ritual as she unzipped his pants.


    Since moving here Krissy basically became a stay at home girlfriend, with the sole responsibility of keeping Dillon satisfied. Every time he came back from his meeting she would greet him while taking off her clothes, ready to allow Dillon have his way with her.


    Dillon came back more tired than usual today and simply allowed Krissy to please him with her mouth. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today he was told that the big boss would be trying to set up a new home base around here in the near future. The idea was to recruit as many able people as possible during this period of chaos.


    Dillon was promised a large promotion in the ranks if he worked hard at this. Not only would he become a small time boss within the organization, he would also be able to put in a few personal requests here and there.


    He pointed his head towards the ceiling and closed his eyes while Krissy''s lips moved along his shaft.


    Rayne I will find you, I hope you''re prepared.


    ----


    Rayne woke up early the following morning, accidentally walking in on the shirtless Julian, who had just woken up himself.


    "Ah, sorry! Good morning!" she mumbled quickly, her face flushed as she hurried toward the bathroom to brush her teeth.


    Julian watched her run off like a frightened rabbit and smiled. She''s so adorable when she''s shy, he thought, feeling a warmth spread in his chest. He got up off the bed and carefully walked outside to begin his daily morning exercises. The swelling in his ankle had gotten a lot better, allowing him to walk slowly.


    His morning routine consisted of 200 sit-ups and push-ups. If he were back in his bunker, he would also do weightlifting and light cardio in addition to the sit-ups and push-ups.


    By the time he finished, Rayne had come out of the camper with damp hair, indicating she had just finished showering.


    She was holding a towel as she walked over toward him. "Here, I brought you a fresh towel in case you want to rinse off," she said, smiling at him sweetly.


    Julian''s heart swelled at her kindness. The past few days with Rayne had been some of the happiest he''d ever known, and it wasn''t just because of her hospitality. There was something about their connection that felt effortless, a bond he hadn''t expected but had grown to cherish deeply.


    "Thanks, I''ll go shower now," he said, accepting the fresh towel. He wondered how many towels she had, since he''d never seen her do laundry since arriving. He couldn''t help but feel something was a little unusual about the amount of supplies she had.


    "Okay, I''ll go inside and read while you shower," said Rayne as she walked back inside the camper.


    She came back out when she knew he was dressed and ready, holding her black backpack, which was filled with water bottles and snacks.


    "Well, are you ready for that walk?" she asked, eyeing his ankle.


    Julian hung the towel in his hand over the wooden stool and walked toward Rayne, nodding.


    "Yeah! We will have to take it slow, but I''m ready to get going!" he replied.


    The two of them set off into the forest toward the small mountain, walking while casually chatting. They took their time walking to enjoy the undisturbed nature and to avoid aggravating Julian''s injury.


    Rayne walked alongside Julian, really enjoying his company. At first, she had been a little worried when she saw him in the forest, but now she felt that having someone to socialize with was very nice. Julian''s company was a pleasant surprise to her; she felt that his personality and sense of humor complemented her own.


    After a few hours of walking, with short breaks in between, they made it to the spot that Julian had first suggested.


    It was a small cliffside that overlooked a small valley. Rayne could clearly see the river that cut through, as well as the small clearing in the forest where she had set up her camper.


    Everything looked so peaceful and serene that she had a hard time believing the apocalypse had started.


    Julian stood beside Rayne, looking at her mesmerized expression. He felt that she was much more beautiful than the view and took his time watching her enjoy the scenery.


    The slight breeze caused her long blonde hair to gently flow behind her, curling at the ends. The sun shone brightly, illuminating her smooth skin.


    Julian felt his heart race. He felt like he was looking at the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment. His mind went back to the moment he saw the radiant woman at the mall, realizing it had been Rayne all along.


    A part of him kept telling him to walk up and pull her into his embrace, but he was worried that would only scare her away.


    Rayne turned her head to look at Julian, noticing that he was already looking at her. Her face flushed slightly as she smiled brightly at him.


    "Julian," she said softly, her voice full of gratitude. "Thank you for bringing me here. This is probably the most beautiful view I''ve ever seen."


    Julian''s gaze lingered on her, unable to tear himself away. "Yeah... it''s beautiful," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper.


    But it wasn''t just the view that took his breath away. It was her.

 Chapter 57 - 57: Difficult Goodbyes

    When they returned to the camper, it was already dinner time. Rayne felt a little tired from the long walk, so she went inside and pulled out a simple meal from her system.


    She took out a pot of the homemade soup she had made earlier, along with a fresh baguette from the fancy supermarket.


    Julian saw Rayne bringing out the food and felt a little surprised. "You can sure cook quickly! This must be the difference between skilled and unskilled cooks."


    Rayne averted her gaze. "Mhm," she responded quietly. She regretted being too hasty in bringing out the food. Now, all she could do was pretend that she had cooked it quickly.


    Julian noticed her internal struggle and decided not to push the topic.


    "Thank you, as usual. Everything you''ve made so far has been very good."


    Rayne smiled at his compliment. "Thank you! I''m glad you enjoy my cooking."


    After dinner, they cleaned up and watched an episode of the TV show Rayne had started, then got ready for bed.


    Julian waited for Rayne to settle into bed before taking out his satellite phone. He noticed that he had received a message earlier but didn''t want to expose having the phone, so he waited until now to look.


    [Boss, we''ve arrived at the bunker. Team Alpha is here as well. We''ve managed to transport all of the prototype weapons from the main lab. Our men have also let me know that Damien''s men have started moving.]


    Julian read the message. He was glad that the prototype weapons were salvaged because they could be dangerous in the wrong hands.


    When he read the part about Damien''s men being on the move, he knew he would have to return to the base soon.


    [Got it. I''ll be back sometime tomorrow.]


    After sending a message back, he laid down and stared at the ceiling.


    "Why am I feeling so reluctant to leave?" he whispered. He was experiencing a flood of unfamiliar emotions and wasn''t sure how to deal with them.


    Closing his eyes, he kept convincing himself that dealing with Damien was more important than anything else.


    ---


    When Rayne woke up the following morning, she saw Julian sitting outside on the bench of the picnic table.


    "Oh, no morning exercises today? Or did you already do them?" she asked, smiling.


    "Ah, no. I haven''t done them yet. I was actually waiting for you," he replied, trying to appear cheerful.


    Rayne felt like something was off and walked over to sit down across from him.


    "Is something wrong? Did your ankle flare up from the walk yesterday?" she asked with heavy concern. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian shook his head. Her attentiveness and kindness made it hard for him to say what he wanted to, but he forced the words out anyway.


    "I wanted to let you know that I''m leaving. My foot has healed enough for me to walk, and I need to meet up with my people."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "Rayne, thank you for your kindness. These last few days have been really wonderful. I will remember them for a long time."


    Rayne sat there, shocked. She didn''t expect him to leave so soon.


    "Ah, no need to thank me. You''ve been really nice company, and you''ve helped me improve my shooting skills. If it''s because I said you could stay until you''re healed... that was because I didn''t know you. You''re welcome to stay as long as you''d like!" she said, looking hopeful.


    Julian looked at her hopeful expression and felt his heart break. He could tell that she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers. He felt that a young woman living alone in the wilderness found comfort in having someone with her.


    As much as he wanted to stay, or even bring her with him, he felt it would be very unfair to drag her into his war with Damien.


    He took a deep breath. "I appreciate your invitation; however, I can''t leave the people who are waiting for me."


    Rayne''s mind raced... Ah, he must have a girlfriend or wife and is anxious to get back to her.


    While she felt a sharp sting in her heart, she put on a brave face. "In that case, let me at least give you a backpack with a few supplies. The walk out of the forest is long."


    Without waiting for his reply, she ran back inside the camper and flopped onto her bed.


    "You knew this would happen. Why are you getting so upset now?" she mumbled into her pillow.


    After a few minutes and a few deep breaths, she sat up and opened her system panel. She pulled out a copy of her black backpack along with a few water bottles, a pack of beef jerky, a packaged turkey sandwich, some painkillers, and an external hard drive that contained the TV show they were watching together these past few days.


    She looked inside the backpack and thought for a minute. If he was heading back toward where people were, she wasn''t sure if he would encounter any danger.


    She took out a copy of her silenced pistol along with a small box of ammo and placed it in the backpack. Hopefully, he doesn''t run into any trouble, and hopefully this can help him if he does.


    A few minutes later, Rayne walked out of the camper holding the backpack. She walked over to stand beside Julian and did her best to smile.


    "Here. It''s just a few supplies like water and snacks. I also made a turkey sandwich, so eat that today when you get hungry. I hope you have a safe journey."


    She handed the backpack to Julian. "Oh! Um... be careful around other people. I think when there''s a lot of chaos and disaster, humans can be worse than rabid animals..."


    She wanted to warn him more about the apocalypse but didn''t know how to phrase it.


    Julian accepted the backpack as he listened to her words. He felt her deep concern for him and felt even more reluctant to leave.


    Looking up to meet her eyes, he smiled. "Thank you, Rayne. I''ll return your kindness one day." Carefully getting up from the bench, he turned to leave.


    Rayne watched him leave and waved when he turned to look back. She felt lonely already but tried not to let it get to her.


    "Julian, you''re always welcome to come back anytime!" she yelled, hoping that he could hear her.


    Julian heard her words and waved back, acknowledging that he had heard her.


    Shaking his head, he continued forward, his steps feeling heavy, as if his legs were made out of lead.


    Rayne, you''re not making this any easier for me.

 Chapter 58 - 58: Parting gifts

    The next few days felt like a blur to Rayne. She spent her days practicing shooting, watching TV shows, and aimlessly walking around.


    She felt that even the food didn''t taste as good when eating alone.


    "Girl, you need to snap out of it. He''s most likely already got someone he likes, and there''s no point in suffering over someone you only knew for a few days!" she told herself, snapping back to reality.


    She felt like she had gotten too comfortable in her little outdoor paradise and needed a reminder of the reality she was living in. The world around her was slowly changing, and the apocalypse had already begun.


    She closed her eyes and replayed the scenes from her nightmare in her head. This was the reality that awaited her, and she didn''t want to waste her time feeling sad that someone she only knew for a few days had left.


    "Okay, Rayne, it''s time to get back into the swing of things!" she announced. It had been some time since she had last practiced any of the close combat moves she learned from Brent.


    She took a few steps away from the picnic table to give herself some space and began to practice some move sets.


    About 30 minutes later, Julian arrived at the hill that contained his bunker. He walked over to the secret entrance, unlocked the door, and entered to meet Ian and Noah.


    "Boss! You''re back!" exclaimed Noah.


    Ian walked over and noticed Julian''s slight limp. "Boss, are you hurt?"


    Only after Ian said something did Noah realize that something was wrong.


    Julian greeted his two friends. "Hey, guys, I''m back. And I''m fine, just twisted my ankle, I think. I''ll ask Anna to check it out later."


    Noah and Ian both wanted to ask where Julian had been these past few days, but since he didn''t bring it up, they decided not to ask.


    "I''m going to get settled. I''ll call you in for a meeting later," said Julian as he walked toward his room.


    The bunker was designed to have a few different living quarters in different areas. There were a few dorm-style rooms with bunk beds, where the people from Alpha Team resided.


    Further down in the bunker was a ''residential'' wing, where there were a few apartment-style rooms designed to mimic studio apartments. Each room had a bed, a small living room area, and a decent-sized bathroom.


    Down the hall opposite the apartment-style rooms was a large communal living area with a fully equipped kitchen.


    Julian walked to his room, the largest one at the end of the hall. He sat down on his bed and opened the backpack Rayne had given him.


    He carefully pulled out the water bottles and snacks, treating them as if they were made of gold. He pulled out the carefully packaged turkey sandwich and smiled.


    "I''m almost too reluctant to eat this," he chuckled.


    Reaching in once more, he felt a heavy object. When he pulled his hand out, he realized it was her silenced pistol!


    He frowned, looking at the gun in his hands. She must''ve been really worried about my safety.


    He held the gun, feeling its weight. While he was incredibly touched by her intentions, he was now worried about her safety. This was the only gun they used when practicing, and he knew that obtaining firearms was extremely difficult.


    "I swear, if she gave this to me and left herself defenseless..." he muttered under his breath, slightly frustrated.


    A few weeks went by since Julian left, and Rayne''s life normalized a little bit.


    She distracted herself with constant shooting and close combat practice, only resting in the evenings.


    She had taken out a training dummy that was commonly used by fighters and boxers and used it to help her with close combat training. While it couldn''t fight back, it still provided a place for Rayne to land her kicks and punches.


    One thing Rayne was happy about was that the earthquakes seemed to have stopped. The day Julian left was the last time she felt an earthquake, and it was very short in duration compared to the previous ones.


    She felt that, in the world''s current state, things should still be recoverable. A part of her wanted to venture back into the city to see how bad things really were.


    She didn''t have much of a plan staying in this valley. While she could probably live here for the rest of her life, she wasn''t sure if she wanted to live so isolated without any socialization.


    Rayne was currently watering a small vegetable patch she had planted two days ago. While she didn''t need to grow anything to survive, she found it a fun and calming activity to pass the time.


    Just as she finished watering, she felt a few drops of rain fall on her arms.


    "Looks like it''s going to rain," she said, looking up at the dark storm clouds in the sky.


    Rayne quickly walked around, gathering any small, loose items that would get wet, and walked inside the camper.


    After Julian left, she folded his bed back into a couch, giving her a sitting space in the living area.


    Shortly after entering, she began to hear the soft patter of raindrops on the camper. She pulled out a book from her system and curled up on the couch, reading to pass the time.


    As time passed, the rain got heavier and heavier, mixing with the strong gusts of wind. Rayne felt the camper shake due to the intense winds and began to feel a little unsettled. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thankfully, the extra supports kept the camper in place, even through the biggest wind gusts.


    When it was time for bed, Rayne decided that she would sleep on the couch because it was the central point of the camper. Every time the camper shook, Rayne tensed up, feeling worried that it could topple or even get blown away.


    By the time she finally fell asleep, it was already very late into the night. The howling wind and the shaking camper kept her awake. She was only able to fall asleep from pure exhaustion.

 Chapter 59 - 59: Hurricane Disaster

    The wind picked up once more after Rayne fell asleep. What had started as a strong gust now escalated into a full-blown hurricane, shaking the trees with great force, causing branches to get torn off.


    The old maple tree that sheltered Rayne''s camper did its best to fight the fierce winds but ultimately couldn''t hold out.


    A large branch, the size of a small tree, snapped off and fell directly on top of Rayne''s camper, caving in the roof.


    Rayne, caught entirely by surprise, was struck by the impact, her body slamming against the broken interior, knocking her unconscious. The jagged edges of broken metal and glass tore into her arm, causing her to bleed from different parts of her body.


    The caved-in roof of the camper allowed the fierce rain inside, soaking everything. The picnic table outside had long been blown away.


    If it weren''t for the large tree branch pinning the camper down, it would have also been blown away in the fierce hurricane winds.


    ---


    Julian was currently sitting in the mini laboratory in the bunker, engrossed in his work. He was tinkering with a prototype of an advanced pistol, making a few final adjustments. He wanted to improve it so that he could give it to Rayne as a thank-you gift.


    He had spent the last three days practically locked in the lab and was unaware of the environmental changes happening outside.


    When his stomach finally growled in protest, Julian decided to set the pistol down and go find something to eat. On his way to the communal kitchen, he ran into Noah, who was making a fresh cup of coffee.


    "Hey, boss! Up late today again? How''s the progress going on that pistol?" asked Noah curiously.


    "Yeah, it''s almost done. I''m on the final tweaks, and it should be finished. Any news from Damien''s side?" asked Julian as he opened the refrigerator to pull out a yogurt.


    "Nothing from Damien''s side due to the hurricane that''s been going on for a few days," replied Noah nonchalantly.


    "No news yet. There''s been a strong hurricane going on for a few days, so we haven''t heard from him," Noah replied casually, sipping his coffee.


    Julian froze, then whipped his head over to face Noah.


    "What? A hurricane? Why didn''t anyone tell me?" His voice was sharp, with a mix of confusion and rising panic.


    Noah blinked in surprise, not expecting such a strong response from Julian. "You''ve been so absorbed in that lab of yours, we didn''t want to bother you."


    Without another word, Julian tossed the yogurt onto the counter and sprinted toward his room, his heart pounding in his chest. His body moved on instinct, as he grabbed his raincoat in a frantic rush.


    Startled and curious about Julian''s agitation, Noah followed him, feeling uneasy.


    Julian ignored Noah and ran out of the bunker into the fierce winds of the hurricane. Ian noticed the two of them running out with panicked steps and quickly followed suit.


    When Julian stepped outside and saw how bad things were, his heart raced. The only thing he could think about was if Rayne was okay. He wasn''t sure if her small camper would be able to brave the storm.


    He increased his pace, running as fast as he could while avoiding flying twigs and leaves. Noah and Ian were confused as to why their boss ran as if he were possessed, but they quietly followed him anyway.


    Julian ran for what felt like a lifetime. His panicked heart was beating out of his chest from the anxiety.


    "Please be okay," Julian muttered over and over under his breath, his pace quickening. He barely noticed Noah and Ian struggling to keep up, too absorbed in his fear to slow down.


    Finally, he reached the clearing where Rayne''s camper had been. His breath caught in his throat as he came to a sudden stop. The sight that greeted him was worse than he had feared, making his body go cold.


    The camper, once standing proudly, was now a crumpled mess of twisted metal and broken wood. The massive tree branch lay on top of it, pinning the structure to the ground. His heart dropped to his stomach as he saw a familiar figure beneath the wreckage. Her pale face was barely visible, her body limp, trapped under the debris.


    "Rayne!" Julian''s voice cracked with desperation as he rushed toward her, his hands trembling as he began to push the wreckage away. His mind raced, fighting to stay focused. "Stay with me, Rayne!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.


    Noah and Ian looked at each other with surprise in their eyes. They had no idea that someone was camping out here, so close to their bunker. They were also shocked to see how distressed Julian was upon seeing what remained of the camper.


    "Rayne! I''m here... Stay with me, Rayne!!" Julian continued to yell, hoping that she would hear him and wake up.


    Noah and Ian walked over and began to help Julian. The three of them were strong and were able to quickly move the tree branch and collapsed roof, exposing a cold, pale Rayne underneath.


    Julian''s breath caught as he saw the blood staining her clothes and the bruises on her skin. His anger flared at his own stupidity. Scooping her up in his arms, he felt angry and guilty for leaving her out here on her own.


    Ian grabbed her arm to try and look for a pulse. He was the only one of the three with medical training.


    Julian was doing his best to read Ian''s facial expression, praying that she was still okay.


    "She''s alive, but her pulse is very weak. She must have lost a lot of blood. We need to treat her as soon as possible," said Ian, replying to Julian''s silent stare.


    Julian felt relieved knowing that she was still alive.


    "Hold on, Rayne, everything will be okay," he said as he began to run back to the bunker, carrying Rayne in his arms.


    "Hang on, Rayne. Please, just hang on," he whispered, clutching her closer as he started to run back toward the bunker. His legs burned with exhaustion, but he couldn''t slow down¡ªnot now.


    Noah took off with Julian while Ian stayed back to see if he could salvage anything from the camper to bring back with him.


    Julian ran without stopping, ignoring the fatigue of his body. Noah tried his best to keep up but still lagged behind Julian a little bit.


    Once they made it to the bunker, Julian brought Rayne straight to the small medical ward and laid her down on the bed.


    "Get Anna down here now!" yelled Julian, ordering Noah. Noah nodded and turned to find Anna, the medic from Alpha Team.


    A few minutes later, Julian heard hurried steps, and Anna walked in, followed by Noah.


    "Please save her," ordered Julian, his voice laced with concern.


    Anna nodded and turned to examine Rayne with a serious expression. She began by connecting Rayne to an IV drip to restore some of the lost fluids.


    "I''m going to need to do a blood transfusion. She''s lost a lot of blood. I''m guessing she''s been in this state for a few days," Anna said, walking over toward the back of the medical ward to grab a blood test kit. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian nodded. He didn''t want to leave Rayne''s side until he was sure she was out of danger.

 Chapter 60 - 60: Witch Who Can See the Future

    Anna worked quickly and diligently, doing her best to treat Rayne as quickly as possible. Everyone present understood Julian''s feelings for the girl lying on the bed.


    Noah didn''t realize earlier, due to the blood and debris covering Rayne, but now that her face was wiped clean, he discovered that it was Rayne Weston!


    He wanted to ask his boss why she was camping out there of all places, and how he knew she was there! Looking over at Julian''s tense expression, he decided to probe him another time. What mattered now was getting Rayne out of life-threatening danger.


    Anna worked hard into the next morning. The clock on the wall read that it was already past 6 a.m.


    Anna finally placed her stethoscope down and looked at Julian. "Boss, she''s finally stabilized. I won''t sugarcoat it; I''m very shocked that she made it."


    Julian clenched his hand into a fist upon hearing her words. However, he was ultimately happy that Rayne had made it through the most difficult part.


    "Thank you, Anna. You''ve worked so hard... let me know if there''s something you want as compensation," Julian thanked her.


    Anna took off her latex gloves and shook her head, smiling. "There''s no need for all of this, boss. I''m a doctor, and it''s my duty to help. I''ll relax for a little bit first, then come back for periodic check-ups, so you can rest easy."


    Julian nodded. "Thank you."


    He observed Rayne for a few more minutes before he got up to take a shower and get some rest.


    On his way to his room, he ran into Ian, who was holding a large box of random items.


    "Oh hey, boss, I was able to scavenge a few items from her camper. Mainly some clothes and smaller items. Where should I place the box?" he asked.


    Julian looked at Ian with a grateful expression. "Thank you, Ian. I can place it in my room for now. Once she wakes up, I''ll let her choose one of the empty rooms." He then reached out and grabbed the box from Ian, carrying it into his room.


    The situation outside was quickly getting worse and worse. Many survivors who had lost their homes in the city were now dealing with the winds and rain from the hurricane, many getting swept away.


    This time, the people living in rural areas were also included in the disaster. Many roofs and even whole houses were swept away, exposing the concrete foundations. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luckily, most houses in the suburbs and rural areas had basements, giving families a place to hide from the storm.


    Ella''s family was currently in this exact predicament. They had been happily living in their countryside ''farm'' home, feeling like they had avoided the bulk of the disaster from the previous earthquakes. But once the wind and rain came with the hurricane, their house was one of the first to have its roof swept away.


    Now, they were huddled up in the basement of what was left of their house.


    "Ella, it was so smart of you to bring this small propane heater," her mother gratefully said as she huddled closer to the heater.


    Ella poked her head out from under the thick blankets. "You need to thank Rayne, Mom. She''s the one who dumped most of this stuff onto me before the earthquakes started."


    "Yes, you''ve mentioned that before. It''s just that the timing for your camping trip was so perfect; it''s saved us from a lot of difficult situations already, like this heater, for example," her mother replied.


    Ella''s dad sat in the corner and listened to the conversation, glancing at the pile of supplies Ella had received from Rayne.


    There was even a box of non-perishable food, which made him feel like something was off about it being just for a camping trip.


    Ella noticed her dad''s thoughtful expression as he looked at the box of food.


    "Dad, are you doubting Rayne again? I already told you, she said she went to some camping store, and they were having a big sale on these non-perishable foods, and she bought some. I know Rayne, I promise she''s not some witch who can see the future."


    Ella''s mom laughed. "That''s right, honey, we''ve met the girl a number of times. If anything, she''s been a blessing to our family. If we cross paths with her in the future, we need to be sure to thank her."


    He snapped out of his thoughts at his wife''s words.


    "Mmm, yes. When you put it that way, she really has blessed our family indirectly," he said. After settling the matter about Rayne, he turned to his wife and daughter and frowned.


    "I don''t mean to sound like an alarmist, but we''re going to need to go out to find food sooner rather than later. Even though we''re lucky we managed to bring the hens inside in time before the hurricane, we can''t just live off chicken eggs forever."


    Both women quieted down at his words, understanding the severity of the situation. Ella quietly eyed the box of food Rayne had given her.


    Her father noticed her gaze on the box. "That box will last us maybe three months if we ration it well, but ideally, I would like to save it as a last resort. Once this storm passes, I''ll go out and see if I can find any more supplies."


    Ella nodded, but her mother laughed at his serious expression.


    "Honey, you''re joking, right? While I acknowledge that we''re experiencing a natural disaster, rationing food to make it last three months is a little ridiculous, don''t you think?" she laughed.


    Ella hung her head, looking at the floor while her father shook his head, looking at his lovely wife.


    He got up and sat down next to her, bringing her into his embrace. "Honey, unfortunately, I really do believe this is only the start, and in the future, our lives will only get more difficult. We''re going to have to learn to adapt to this new life."

 Chapter 61 - 61: Re-Introductions

    Three days later, Rayne slowly drifted back to consciousness. Her body felt as though it had been crushed beneath a heavy weight, each muscle aching and sore. She was also burning with a high fever, making it difficult to breathe. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake," a woman with a long black ponytail greeted her.


    "Where am I?" Rayne asked with difficulty.


    Anna wasn''t sure if she was the right person to reveal the base, so she just said, "You''re in a small medical ward. You''re safe now. We found you outside in the hurricane; you lost a lot of blood."


    Rayne hummed in reply. She looked around the room quietly, glancing at the familiar medical equipment. She remembered the strong gusts of wind that shook her camper, but nothing after she fell asleep.


    Anna came over and adjusted the IV drip. "Rest and recover. I''ll let the boss know you''re awake," she said before walking out of the room.


    Rayne felt awful; every part of her body was in pain. She closed her eyes and laid on the bed for a few minutes until she heard a few hurried footsteps.


    "Rayne! You''re awake! How are you feeling?" a familiar voice asked, full of concern.


    "Julian?" she asked quietly, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Julian walked over to the side of the bed and sat down on the stool beside it. He looked at her pale face and bruised arms.


    "I''m so sorry I didn''t come sooner," he said quietly, his voice thick with guilt.


    Rayne tried shaking her head to disagree, but it was too painful. "It''s not your fault... unless you can control the weather," she said slowly, smiling slightly.


    Julian felt a lump in his throat. He was so happy to see her awake. He had started to get worried when she hadn''t woken up in three days. Anna had to repeatedly remind him that Rayne was okay, she just needed time to recover.


    As much as he wanted to sit and chat with Rayne, he knew that she needed to rest now. After saying a few more words, he got up to leave, leaving her to rest.


    "Get some sleep. You''re safe now, I promise," he said with a slight smile.


    "Mmhm," she replied, smiling back.


    Anna witnessed this scene and raised an eyebrow. This was the first time she''d seen her boss so friendly with another woman. He even seemed to barely tolerate his own sister.


    She gave Rayne another look, nodding in approval. She felt that, if anything, Rayne was definitely beautiful. I''ll have to tell Jess to let go of her fantasies about the boss...


    After finishing a few more check-ups, she left to go back to the female communal room, where the women of Alpha Team resided. While Alpha Team was made up mostly of men, there were a handful of women on the team.


    "Hi, Anna! How''s the patient?" Jess asked, probing. When word got out that there was a rescued person in the med ward, everyone was curious about who it could be. This bunker was a top-secret location, and everyone felt that whoever was rescued had to be of high status.


    Anna looked at Jess with a knowing look. While most of the women on the team had a crush on their boss at one point or another, they had all gotten over it¡ªexcept Jess.


    "She''s fine. She finally woke up today... Jess, let me give you advice as your senior sister: give up on your fantasy. I think the boss has someone he cares for, if you get what I mean," said Anna.


    Jess''s eyes widened, but she quickly adjusted her expression.


    "Ah, Anna, you know I''m over that... but are you implying the patient girl is someone the boss is interested in?" she asked curiously.


    Anna saw through her excuses but didn''t say anything. "I''m not implying anything. I''m just reminding you that the boss is a ruthless person... don''t get on his bad side."


    Jess frowned. Just because the boss never showed you any special attention, don''t cut my chances.


    After Anna said her piece, she walked over to her bed to rest, while Jess continued to sit on her bed, lost in thought. She found it hard to believe that the boss, who had never shown any kind of interest in women, would start caring for one now.


    She looked over at Anna. Maybe she''s just using this patient as an excuse to lecture me. She knows I''m the most likely one to get close to the boss. Jealous bitch.


    ---


    Rayne spent another week in the medical ward.


    Julian made time every day to visit her to chat and see how she was feeling. Rayne was grateful for his visits because, as she began to feel better, she started feeling bored just lying in bed all day.


    "How''s the weather been recently?" she asked.


    "Same, if not worse. I''ve heard many people died this time around. The government has opened up underground shelters, but they acted a little late," replied Julian.


    Rayne frowned. She never expected a hurricane, especially one that lasted this long. The reality of the apocalypse finally set in, causing her to feel worried.


    She had stocked up on countless supplies, feeling prepared for the apocalypse, but just a few weeks in, she came dangerously close to losing her life.


    Noticing the troubled look on her face, Julian leaned closer, his brow furrowing with concern. "What''s wrong? Are you in pain?" he asked, his voice soft yet full of care.


    "Oh no, I''m okay. I''m just thinking about what I could''ve done differently to have been okay in that situation," she said quietly.


    "There''s no way anyone could have predicted a hurricane on this scale. Don''t beat yourself up over it. You''re safe now, and that''s what matters," he said, trying to cheer her up.


    Rayne met his gaze, her lips curling into a small, grateful smile. "Yes, you''re right," she agreed, though the lingering worry in her eyes didn''t entirely fade. "But now that I''m feeling better, I''ve been meaning to ask... where exactly am I, Julian?"


    He looked at her and fiddled with his hands. "Well, I guess I should reintroduce myself. My name is Julian Barclay, I''m 28 years old, and I am the CEO of REN Corporation. You are currently in the underground bunker you designed for me."


    Rayne''s eyes widened in shock, "What?!"

 Chapter 62 - 62: Return Gift

    "But the CEO of REN Corp. died! We even talked about it!" cried Rayne.


    "Yeah, it''s a long story, but I basically ran into a situation where I had to fake my own death," said Julian.


    Rayne was speechless. She wasn''t sure what kind of situation would force someone to fake their own death, but she didn''t push the topic, waiting for Julian to explain when he felt ready.


    "Wow. Well, no wonder this room felt oddly familiar. It''s one that I designed," she laughed. Ever since waking up, she had practically lived in this room, only leaving to shower or use the restroom.


    Julian smiled. "Anna said that tomorrow you can safely be discharged from the medical ward."


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. She was so bored here. She was also feeling much better recently, so she''d been waiting patiently until Anna gave her the green light to go.


    "Here, I have something for you," said Julian suddenly, pulling out a shiny silver pistol from a small case he had brought in. "It''s a prototype I just finished recently. It''s one of our REN Corp. designs!"


    Rayne picked up the gun with awe! Besides looking new and feeling lighter than a standard pistol, Rayne couldn''t tell too much about what was different.


    Julian watched her play around with the gun, inspecting it closely.


    "What''s special about this gun is that it''s completely silent. It uses a strong magnetic field to propel the special bullet forward instead of the traditional method of gunpowder or gas," he said proudly. REN Corp. had been working on this new design for a few years now, and it was finally finished!


    Rayne couldn''t fathom how such a thing could work, but she was very happy with the gift!


    "Here are the special bullets. They''re a bit heavier than standard ones, and be mindful if you use them because there''s only a handful available," he added as he handed her a small box. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne opened the box and noticed that these bullets were much heavier as well as darker in color than what she was used to.


    "Thank you so much, I really like this," she said happily! She wasn''t concerned about the lack of bullets one bit, as she could make infinite copies using her system!


    The next morning, Anna came in to do her final set of checkups.


    "Everything is looking good," she smiled as she removed a few sensors from Rayne''s body.


    "Just remember to take it easy. While you''re healed enough to leave the medical ward, you''re still recovering," she kindly reminded Rayne, smiling.


    Rayne nodded. She was bubbling with excitement to explore the bunker that she had poured her heart into designing! She couldn''t believe they had managed to construct something so complex in such a short amount of time.


    Just as Rayne got off the bed, ready to leave, Julian walked in.


    "Hey, looks like you''re all set! Come, let me show you to your new room," he said, acting like a butler.


    Anna''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at seeing her boss joke around. She''d been part of Alpha team since college when she was first recruited and had hardly ever seen her boss smile! She quickly turned around and busied herself by organizing her medical equipment.


    Rayne giggled at Julian''s silly actions. "Did you forget that I was the one who designed this place? I know every nook and cranny!"


    Julian froze, then laughed. "Haha, you''re right! I did forget that. Still, allow me to accompany you."


    Rayne pretended to think about it for a minute. "Hmmm, well I guess I could let you," she giggled and walked out, following Julian.


    "Here are the empty rooms. Feel free to choose whichever one you like best... although they''re all identical," he said, pointing at a few doors.


    "Oh, my room is over there, at the end of the hall. And these two are Noah''s and Ian''s," he said, pointing at the rooms farther down the hall.


    Rayne took a moment to look at the empty rooms and chose one closer to the communal living area, leaving a few empty rooms between her room and Noah''s/Ian''s.


    "This one! Thank you for letting me stay here," she said, pointing at a door. She wasn''t sure what her future had in store or how long she would be here, but she decided to take things one day at a time.


    "No problem at all, glad to have you part of the team. I''ll give you some time to get settled. Let me know if there''s anything you need, and I''ll see if I can get it for you," he said.


    He was planning on having a meeting with the team leaders about going out to find more supplies soon. Although the bunker was well-supplied, it had been a while since a supply shipment arrived, and eventually, things would begin to run out.


    Rayne nodded and walked in to inspect her new room. It was a pretty standard square layout with a wall dividing the bedroom area from the living area. There was a door across from the bedroom area where the bathroom was.


    While it had all of the basic necessities, Rayne felt that the room was very cold and prison-like. The floors and walls were made of concrete, and the furniture was all very basic. Even the mattress felt a little hard for Rayne''s preferences.


    She wondered how much she could swap out and add from her system before it became too obvious.


    She walked over to the bedroom area and quickly stored the basic bed and mattress, leaving a completely empty area. Since the bedroom was behind a wall and out of direct line of sight, she felt that it would be safe enough to personalize this small area.


    The bedroom area was just large enough to fit a queen-size bed, and Rayne pulled out a pretty, carved wooden bed frame she had stored from a furniture superstore. It was all still packaged in a box, so Rayne had to manually assemble everything.


    Rayne spent a few hours setting up the bedroom area. When she was finished, the cold, prison-like feeling was replaced with a cozy, college-dorm room vibe.


    She placed a small, fuzzy area rug under the bed and soft, fluffy blankets and sheets on top of the replaced mattress. Using heavy-duty stick-on hooks, she hung some pretty sheets of fabric mixed with fairy lights, covering the cold concrete walls.


    Looking at the finished product, Rayne felt a lot more cozy and comfortable in her new sleeping area.

 Chapter 63 - 63: Suspicions

    The next place she decided to redecorate was the bathroom.


    She walked in, happy to see that there was at least a basic white subway tile covering the concrete walls.


    While there wasn''t much she could do in terms of furniture, she picked out a pretty floral shower curtain and hung it up on the curtain rod. She also picked out a few bath mats that complemented the shower curtain''s color and placed them on the floor.


    Lastly, she put down a small shelf in the corner and filled it with fluffy towels, skincare items, makeup, and soaps.


    The redecorated bathroom now looked a lot more cheerful with all of the different floral colors and accents. Rayne smiled at the big improvement and got ready to take a shower.


    After she finished showering, she heard a small knock on her door.


    "Hey, Rayne, are you awake?" she heard Julian''s voice on the other side of the door.


    "Coming!" she yelled, wrapping a towel around her damp hair. She was in a hurry to open the door and didn''t think about putting on less suspicious clothing.


    "Hey, what''s up?" she said, greeting Julian.


    Julian looked at the freshly showered Rayne and immediately noticed that she was wearing the fluffy pink bathrobe that she wore the first day they met.


    Where did she get that robe from? She even smells like the expensive shampoo and body wash she always uses.


    He discreetly looked her up and down but didn''t want to scare her by asking directly.


    "I have a box of things that Ian managed to salvage from your camper the night we found you. Sorry there''s not a lot, but at least there should be a few usable things left," he said. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne froze, realizing that she technically didn''t have anything with her anymore. She panicked, noticing he had already seen her in her robe, and criticized herself for not being more careful!


    How did I forget that I''m supposed to be empty-handed?! I can tell he''s suspicious already.


    She took a deep breath and invited him inside. "Thank you so much for bringing me what was left of my things. Feel free to place the box anywhere on the floor."


    Julian stepped inside her room, noticing that everything looked like a standard room setup. However, the smell from the shower told him that she had definitely somehow used her own shampoo and body wash.


    When did she have time to get shampoo? I know for a fact we don''t have this brand anywhere in the bunker... I''ll casually ask Anna if maybe she lent it to her.


    Rayne stood nervously, hoping that Julian wouldn''t ask her where she got the robe from. She watched him place the large box on the floor behind the small couch.


    "I plan to meet with my team tomorrow to discuss going out for a supply run. The state the world is in is very bad, and all production chains have ceased operation. I''m worried that we''ll run out of supplies soon if we don''t go out and scavenge," he said in a slightly more serious tone.


    "Yes, I think that''s a very smart idea. After these back-to-back natural disasters, I don''t think society will rebuild itself for a while. And we don''t even know if this is the end of the disasters... something''s telling me things are only just getting started," replied Rayne.


    She was happy to finally have some proof to her words, able to somewhat speak her mind about the start of the apocalypse.


    Julian listened to her attentively, feeling that she was correct. He''d recently gotten word that the satellite teams stationed outside had lost communication. This meant that the situation in the cities was very bad, and the fierce rains hadn''t even stopped yet.


    "I''d like to go with you when you do go out. I''ve been wanting to see the damage with my own eyes," she said resolutely.


    Julian frowned. If it were up to him, he wouldn''t want her going anywhere dangerous. However, he knew that she was her own person and could make her own decisions. If anything, keeping her by his side would give him a sense of relief, knowing he could look out for her.


    After thinking it through, he nodded.


    "Very well, you''ll go with us when the time comes. I still need to discuss the specifics with the team. We''ll most likely go once the winds die down a little bit," he said.


    Julian then turned to leave the room.


    "Oh, Julian! Before you leave..." exclaimed Rayne.


    He turned around to face her from the hallway.


    "I''d like to make dinner for you, Ian, Noah, and Anna today... as a thank you for saving my life. Would that be okay?" she asked.


    Julian smiled. "I''ll let everyone know. I''m sure they''ll all be ecstatic to have your delicious food; I know I am."


    Rayne nodded happily. She hoped that they had a decent variety of ingredients to work with so that she could use them as cover when she cooks using her system''s ingredients.


    After Julian left, Rayne went back to dry her hair and change into her clothing. This time, she picked something that looked like it was from the box of salvaged things. She kept reminding herself to be more careful.


    Noah had just met with Julian and Ian to discuss preparations for going out once the hurricane eases up. He was also pleasantly surprised to hear about Rayne''s invitation to dinner and was on his way to the Alpha Team barracks to pass along the invitation to Anna.


    Jess''s bed was closest to the door, so when Noah knocked, she was the one to answer.


    "Ah, Secretary Mathews! What brings you down here?" asked Jess with stars in her eyes. While her ultimate goal was Julian, she was the type who liked to keep her options open.


    "I''d like to speak to Anna. Would you mind calling her over for me?" asked Noah politely.


    "Sure, one sec... Anna! It''s for you!" she yelled into the large dormitory room.

 Chapter 64 - 64: Dinner Party

    Anna walked over to Noah, her expression polite yet curious.


    "Ah, hello, Secretary Mathews! What can I do for you?" she asked, thinking the he was in need of her medical expertise. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah didn''t feel like the invitation was important enough to find a secluded room to discuss, so he quickly passed along Rayne''s message. "Rayne is inviting us to a home-cooked dinner tonight and asked me to pass along her invitation. Meet us in our communal kitchen at 6 tonight if you''d like to join."


    Anna''s face lit up with a warm smile. "That''s very kind of her; I''ll definitely be there."


    When Noah left, Anna turned around to see Jess staring at her with an unreadable expression.


    Jess had heard the entire conversation and flared up with jealousy and anger.


    She was jealous because of the rare opportunity that Anna got¡ªgetting to share a meal with the boss and Secretary Mathews! At the same time, she was angry that this new girl not only got to live in the same area as the boss, but she was also trying to show off in front of him with her cooking skills!


    Anna glanced at Jess, then quietly walked back to her bunk. She had already gone out of her way to remind Jess not to get on the boss''s bad side, but whether or not Jess listened wasn''t her problem.


    Jess sat down on her bed, her mind racing with ideas on how to get in on this dinner. She wanted to see what this new girl was all about.


    After a few minutes of thinking, she came up with a plan. Her eyes lit up as she went to the small Alpha Team kitchen and began to brainstorm on what she wanted to cook!


    ----


    Back in the communal kitchen, Rayne was currently looking through the refrigerator and pantry to see what sort of ingredients were available.


    She frowned upon seeing that most of the vegetables were lifeless and close to wilting. There were also very few eggs and meats left in the fridge and freezer.


    Rayne looked around the room, making sure no one was watching her, and secretly added a few fresh vegetables to the basket, as well as a few eggs and different proteins to supplement the current stock.


    She practiced restraint, carefully keeping her actions subtle so no one would catch on to the fact that she was replenishing their supplies, but just enough to make a difference. She didn''t want to risk drawing suspicion by overdoing it.


    The pantry, on the other hand, was an easier task. Most of the items she added were ones she already had access to through her system¡ªthings like dried spices, canned goods, and grains. She noticed that the instant noodles seemed to be the most popular item in the kitchen and shook her head. It seemed none of the men here had much of a cooking skill and relied on these easy meals, like instant noodles, to get by.


    She carefully added a few more packets of noodles, deciding to spend more time in the kitchen making prepared foods. Cooked food seemed to be what they lacked the most in the base, and she was more than happy to fill that role while she lived here.


    Not only would it give her something to do, but she would also feel better about staying here if she contributed.


    Since the dinner she planned on making tonight was a "thank you" dinner, she decided to make it a little fancy.


    She took out a large chunk of beef, deciding to make a nice hot pot roast. It was a warm, nutritious meal¡ªa perfect counter to the cold, wet weather outside.


    Thankfully, the kitchen was fully supplied with pots, pans, and utensils, so she didn''t need to worry about being questioned about where everything came from later on.


    She carefully seared the chunk of beef on all sides until it had a nice golden color, then placed it in a Dutch oven to roast in the oven for a few hours.


    As the beef cooked, Rayne took her time preparing the rest of the vegetables. She peeled and chopped carrots, potatoes, and celery with care, making sure she had enough potatoes to make creamy mashed potatoes to accompany the roast.


    Once everything was prepared, she added the carrots and celery to the pot with the beef, along with a variety of herbs and spices. She poured in three cups of rich beef broth, the scent of the spices mixing with the savory broth as it all came together. She returned the pot to the oven, where it would cook slowly for another 2-3 hours.


    ----


    Three hours later, Julian emerged from the lab, his nose catching a fragrant, mouthwatering scent wafting from the communal kitchen. This was the first time something smelled good while being cooked in the bunker. Most of the time, it was just them making a packet of instant noodles or burning something.


    On his way back to his room, he stopped to take a peek at the situation in the kitchen. He saw Rayne working diligently, chopping and stirring. Smiling at the scene, he took a few more minutes to enjoy the appetizing aroma in the kitchen before turning to head back to his room.


    By the time he finished showering and getting dressed, Rayne had finished setting the table. Julian came over and marveled at the delicious-looking food, making his stomach growl.


    Rayne glanced over at him and giggled, her smile warm and gentle as she heard his stomach growl.


    "Come on over and take a seat; I''ll pull out the main dish from the oven once everyone is here!" she said enthusiastically. She enjoyed cooking, but she found that cooking for others was even more enjoyable!


    As Julian took a seat, both Ian and Noah walked in, looking impressed at the appetizing food.


    "Wow! Ms. Weston, I wasn''t aware you had such culinary talents," said Noah happily. He quickly took a seat to the left of Julian.


    "Ah, please call me Rayne!" said Rayne as she opened the oven door.


    Noah nodded. "Then please call me Noah, and this here is my older brother Ian!"


    Ian nodded in response and took a seat next to Noah, his eyes glued to the food on the table.


    Just as Rayne brought the Dutch oven to the table, Anna entered and sat down beside Ian, inhaling deeply.


    "Ah, it smells so good! Everyone in the dorm was wondering where such an appetizing smell was coming from!" she said, laughing.

 Chapter 65 - 65: Dinner Party 2

    Rayne placed the Dutch oven on the table and opened the lid, revealing the perfectly cooked roast.


    Everyone around the table leaned in, looking at it with awe.


    "Wow, Rayne! You''re very talented at cooking if you can pull something like this off!" complimented Anna. She was feeling extra happy to have been invited for something so decadent.


    "Aw! Thank you. Cooking is something I''ve always enjoyed, being a foodie," laughed Rayne as she went over to sit by Julian.


    Just as they were about to dig in...


    "Oh, what a surprise! I was coming to greet our new member, sorry if I walked in on something," announced Jess in a fake high-pitched voice.


    She was dressed in a super tight black dress and heels, looking completely out of place from the rest of them, who were all dressed casually.


    Anna turned her head to look at Jess, signaling with her eyes for her to stop before she started anything.


    Jess saw Anna''s look but brushed it off. Why would I give up such an opportunity?


    She walked over to Rayne. "Hi, I''m Jessica, call me Jess. I''m on Alpha Team and came over to welcome you. I''ve made this little dish for you; I hope you can accept it."


    Rayne stood up happily, pulling up another chair beside her. "Ah, thank you for the kind gesture, Jess. Please join us!"


    Julian frowned but didn''t say anything, as Rayne had already invited her. He felt that Jess''s actions were as inappropriate as what she was wearing.


    Jess, who was oblivious to everyone else''s slightly sour mood, happily sat down. She pushed aside all of Rayne''s dishes and placed the one she brought in the center of the table while sneaking peeks at Julian.


    The dish Jess brought was a salad of some sort, but no one wanted to eat it because of the half-wilted lettuce and tomatoes. It looked like it had been sitting out for a few days before being brought over here.


    Rayne frowned slightly, feeling that the salad was making her lose her appetite, but she didn''t want to be rude, so she did her best to ignore it.


    "Thank you, everyone, for gathering tonight. Without you, I would most likely not have made it through the storm. Please accept this as a small token of appreciation," announced Rayne, looking at everyone at the table with a grateful expression.


    She sat back down and motioned for everyone to dig in. The room soon filled with the quiet clatter of silverware, everyone filling their plates with the appetizing food.


    Jess looked around and noticed how everyone avoided her salad while making happy faces at Rayne''s dishes, making her feel sour. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She scooped up a generous amount of mashed potatoes and a very large piece of roast and began eating it with relish!


    After finishing almost everything, she remembered that she wasn''t supposed to enjoy the food! Dropping her fork and knife, she put on a disappointed look on her face and turned to Rayne.


    Jess had barely finished her meal when she dropped her fork and knife dramatically, looking at Rayne with a feigned, disappointed expression.


    "Ah, the meat is so tough, my jaw hurts from chewing it. I would have kept it cooking longer," she said, all while pretending to massage her cheek.


    Rayne, who was quietly savoring the last bite of her meal, gave Jess a puzzled look. Her piece of roast had been so tender it practically melted in her mouth. Before she could respond, Anna, sitting across from Jess, raised an eyebrow and couldn''t help but interject with a smirk.


    "Wow, Jess, I''m really impressed. I mean, not only did you snag the biggest piece of roast, but you ate it faster than anyone else! Must have been so tough that you had to gulp it down," Anna teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I guess we''ll just have to feel sorry for your poor jaw!"


    Jess''s face flushed as everyone else chuckled. Julian shot her a look of disdain while Rayne, who was trying to hold back a smile, felt a bit relieved by the sudden turn of events.


    Julian then looked over at Noah, conveying his anger and disappointment with a single look.


    Noah was used to this form of communication and understood immediately. He gave Julian a slight nod, indicating that he would have a serious talk with Jess afterward.


    Julian then turned to face Rayne and smiled. "Rayne, this is one of the best pot roasts I''ve ever had. Thank you for preparing something so good." He wasn''t just saying that; he truly felt that this pot roast was extremely delicious.


    Even Ian, who rarely talked, chimed in, "This is better than the pub I used to always go to."


    Rayne smiled gratefully at their kind words, feeling a bit better. Meanwhile, Jess was fuming internally. She had tried to gain some attention from Julian, but thanks to Anna, it all backfired.


    While Jess was busy racking her brains on how to drag Rayne down, the rest of the table shifted into a pleasant conversation. Noah was telling a few funny stories from his time at REN Corp, causing everyone to burst out in occasional laughter.


    As the conversation drifted toward lighter topics, Jess saw her opening. She straightened up, adjusting her posture, and tried to appear casual. She looked directly at Julian, then glanced at the group, making sure everyone was listening.


    "So, Julian," she said with a sly smile, "I don''t know if you''ve heard, but I''m actually quite the chef myself."


    Anna shook her head at Jess''s desperation. She had told her to give up so that she could avoid this exact situation. Clearly, she wasn''t even thinking clearly anymore, saying such cringe-worthy things.


    Julian didn''t react right away, instead focused on finishing the food on his plate. His expression unreadable. "Mmm? Yeah, I can tell," he said as his eyes flickered to the untouched salad she brought.


    Jess didn''t pick up on the sarcasm in his voice and leaned forward, trying to sound as alluring as possible. "Yeah, I''d love to cook something for you sometime, Julian. You know, just for you... I think you''d really love it."


    Rayne leaned back, feeling amused by this indirect proclamation of love that Jess was making. She wasn''t sure what was happening since it was her first time meeting her, but she could see by Julian''s stiff expression that he wasn''t happy.


    Julian looked up, giving Jess a cold glance without saying anything. He was doing his best to restrain his cold aura to prevent dampening the dinner.

 Chapter 66 - 66: Dinner Party 3

    Jess was committed to her attempt and misinterpreted Julian''s silence as interest. "Oh, come on, Julian. You can''t tell me you wouldn''t appreciate a little variety."


    She leaned forward even more, trying to catch his attention. "I mean, I could make something a little more exciting for you. Just imagine¡ª" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian''s eyes hardened, and he cut her off mid-sentence. "I''m not interested, Jess," he said, his voice cold and firm.


    The room fell into an awkward silence. Jess''s face turned red in embarrassment, finally snapping out of her delusions.


    "I see," she muttered quietly. She then stood up and excused herself from the table, unable to tolerate the awkward atmosphere any longer.


    Julian watched her leave without a word, his expression cold as ice.


    He turned back to Rayne, his gaze softening slightly as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don''t mind her," he said quietly. "The roast was amazing. Really."


    Rayne smiled back at Julian, happy to hear he had enjoyed her cooking. She tried not to think about the situation with Jess too much, shrugging it off as infatuated jealousy.


    The rest of dinner went well, filled with smiles and laughter.


    Julian turned to face Rayne. "By the way, we''ve made plans to head into the city once the weather gets a little better. Based on the way things have been going, we''ve noticed a downward trend in hurricane severity recently. If things continue this way, we should be safe to go out in a few days."


    Rayne''s expression turned serious, nodding. "Sounds good, I''ll be ready."


    After everyone finished eating, Julian offered to wash the dishes, but Rayne politely declined his offer, saying that making him clean would defeat the purpose of the ''thank you'' dinner.


    Everyone thanked Rayne again for the delicious food and left, going back to rest for the remainder of the evening.


    Rayne remained in the kitchen, washing the dishes, pot, and utensils before retiring to her room for the night.


    She spent a lot of effort and energy cooking and was feeling tired. After taking a quick shower, she laid down on her comfortable and fluffy bed, falling asleep right away.


    The next morning, she woke up and got busy in her new self-proclaimed role of kitchen staff.


    She walked over to the kitchen early in the morning and began making some quick, easy-to-reheat breakfast meals so that the guys could easily grab a portion and quickly heat it up at their own convenience.


    This kitchen area was empty, giving Rayne freedom to use her system freely. Using the fresh ingredients and seasonings from her system, she made a stack of breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos before moving on to lunch options.


    She continued with the sandwich trend, making turkey, tuna, egg salad, ham, and chicken salad sandwiches. Individually wrapping each portion for convenience.


    Beside the sandwiches, she made a few different salads and a classic chicken noodle soup, packaging each serving before placing everything into the large refrigerator.


    She quickly ate the leftover salad and turned to head back to her room to relax. She felt good being able to contribute and hoped that the guys would find these pre-made meals helpful.


    ---


    Noah walked into the kitchen to make his daily coffee and bowl of instant noodles, but when he opened the refrigerator to get the creamer for his coffee, he was shocked!


    The empty shelves were now filled with different types of sandwiches, soup, and salads! Everything was cleanly packed and clearly labeled.


    He quickly went back to the pantry and placed the unopened package of instant noodles back where he got it. He opened the fridge once more and chose a ham, egg, and cheese breakfast bagel, placing it in the countertop toaster oven to heat up.


    By the time his coffee finished, the breakfast bagel was also done, allowing Noah to save time and enjoy a hearty breakfast.


    "This must be Rayne''s doing. I''ll have to tell Ian so he can stop owing Alpha team favors in return for cooked meals," he mumbled, heading over to find Ian.


    Julian had a similar experience, throwing the packet of instant noodles back inside the pantry after he discovered the prepared meals.


    Smiling, he turned to look at the door to Rayne''s room. "I''ll have to thank her, this is a pleasant surprise."


    At dinnertime, Rayne decided to provide a hot food option. She made a large chicken pot pie, leaving it on top of the stove for everyone to enjoy if they wanted.


    The pot pie was completely devoured minutes after she left it on the stove, causing her to giggle at how fierce these men could be when it came to food!


    She continued this trend of restocking meals in the fridge while occasionally serving hot meals, usually for lunch or dinner. Julian, Noah, and Ian were all very happy with the new arrangement, feeling like their quality of life had improved significantly with the new meals.


    Four days later, Julian met Rayne in the communal kitchen while she was preparing to make a beef stir-fry for dinner.


    "Hey, Rayne. Wow, that smells so good," he said, walking over to see what she was making.


    Rayne smiled. "Tonight it''s beef stir-fry, it will be done soon!" She skillfully tossed the beef with the vegetables inside the wok, causing them to fly up briefly.


    Julian watched with interest. "I can''t wait. I''ll have a double portion today!" he said excitedly.


    Rayne giggled. "Just like every other night, got it!"


    "Oh, come on, it''s so good I can''t help but eat a larger portion!" he laughed, trying to explain himself.


    They laughed at each other, creating a warm atmosphere inside the kitchen.


    "Actually, I came over to let you know that the weather has gotten better and that we''re going to head out to the city tomorrow morning," he informed.


    Rayne turned off the gas burner and plated the stir-fry on a large plate. "Okay, sounds good. I''ll be ready! I''ve been itching to get out for a while now."


    Julian quickly picked up a clean plate and scooped himself a very generous amount of rice and stir-fry.


    Just as he sat down, Noah and Ian came running down the hall. "Boss!! I hope you left enough for us!" shouted Noah.


    "Last time I barely got any," complained Ian, quickly picking up a plate and filling it with the freshly cooked food.


    Rayne shook her head, smiling. The plate was picked clean before the wok even had a chance to cool down. This had been the usual sight at dinner these days!

 Chapter 67 - 67: Into the City

    Meanwhile in the city:


    The once vibrant communities have now become quiet ghost towns, with many homes destroyed. Scenic parks and tree-lined streets have turned into an unrecognizable landscape, with uprooted trees and fallen power lines. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The survivors have taken shelter in half-broken buildings or underground metro stations, trying to seek refuge from the strong winds outside.


    Stores have long been closed, and people are slowly suffering from starvation. While the slightly braver ones went out to scavenge, most of the people are too afraid to leave their shelters.


    The building where Rayne lived was one of the few still standing, as it was located in a more remote area and was newly constructed. The residents here were relatively lucky compared to others, as it was still a relatively secure area.


    While there was no electricity, making the elevators unusable, the stairwell had a manual key lock, which every registered resident had access to. This prevented outsiders from flooding in... at least for now.


    "We are so lucky that nice young lady allowed us to use what she left behind in her house," said the elderly lady who lived next door to Rayne.


    Her grandson nodded while opening a can of shelf-stable soup. "Yeah, we would have run out of food and water a while ago. I still feel bad taking her things. Are you sure she said we could take them?" he asked guiltily.


    "Yes, I''m sure. She told me that she won''t be back for a while and that we were free to use anything and everything we could find," answered the elderly lady.


    They were heating up the can of soup on a small camping stove they found in Rayne''s apartment.


    "Still, don''t you think it''s a little strange that she had every cabinet stuffed with canned and shelf-stable food? There''s probably enough to last us half a year if we ration properly," said the grandson.


    He had made it back home from a business trip the night of the initial earthquake. He was glad to see that his grandmother, his only living relative, was okay. They had been holed up inside their house ever since.


    The food they had was quickly used up, but just as they reached a point of starvation, his grandmother pulled out a key that their neighbor had given her. He quickly went next door to find the house fully stocked with camping supplies, non-perishable food, and water.


    The two of them were so grateful to Rayne for these items, wishing her a lifetime of blessings.


    ------


    The next morning, Rayne woke up extra early to get ready for the trip back to the city. She needed to see what things were like after the back-to-back natural disasters.


    After showering, she got dressed, putting on one of the thermal shirts she had in her system. Although the winds and rains had lessened, they were not fully gone.


    She fished out her black backpack from the box of things Ian managed to salvage, giving her a cover if she needed to use her system later, and headed out to meet up with everyone.


    "Hey, you''re up early," greeted Julian from the communal kitchen.


    Rayne walked over and greeted him. "Morning! Yeah! I wanted to make sure you weren''t waiting on me." She watched as he poured himself a coffee while toasting a breakfast sandwich.


    A few minutes later, Noah walked in. "Good morning. Ian is briefing those who will be joining us from Alpha team right now. I expect we''ll be ready to go momentarily."


    "Good, we''ll head over once I''m finished eating," said Julian, sitting down at the table.


    Rayne didn''t have much of an appetite right now, so she just packed herself a water and a pack of crackers to eat later.


    Ten minutes later, Julian, Rayne, and Noah met up with Ian and the members of Alpha Team in the entry hall of the bunker.


    "Okay, is everyone ready? Remember to stick with your assigned team at all times. Keep your radios on you at all times and report anything important. The purpose of this outing is to assess the situation outside while securing supplies," said Julian in his usual authoritative voice.


    "Yes, sir!" replied Alpha Team in unison. Ian opened the hatch and exited the bunker first, followed by everyone else.


    This was the first time Rayne had been outside since she was rescued. She took in a big, deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh, cold air.


    Julian saw her actions and smiled. "Nothing beats fresh air, huh?"


    Rayne smiled back and nodded. Although the air in the bunker was filtered and circulated by a state-of-the-art air filtration system, it still lacked the freshness of the outside air.


    The group walked through the forest, occasionally having to scale fallen trees. There was still a light drizzle and occasional gusts of wind, but it seemed that the hurricane was finally at its end stages.


    They walked for a few hours due to the rough terrain until they reached the open field on the other side of the forest. From there, they had just a short walk to a hidden garage where they could jump into a jeep and drive into the city.


    They split into smaller teams of four, taking three cars total into the city. Rayne was on the team with Julian, Noah, and Ian, while the other two teams were made up of Alpha Team members.


    After a few hours of careful driving, they finally made it to the edge of the city. Rayne looked out of the window in shock. The once massive and modern city was now a large pile of fallen buildings. Almost all of the buildings with more than four floors had been affected, toppled to the ground.


    The strong winds from the hurricane blew smaller debris around, shattering windows and flipping cars. She couldn''t see anyone walking the streets, giving a sense of quiet despair.


    The jeeps made it as far into the city as they could before encountering a full roadblock caused by a fallen building. Ian parked the car and got out to signal the other cars behind him.


    Rayne hopped out, following everyone else toward an empty gas station that was still standing. All of its windows were blown out, but the building was still standing strong.


    Once they entered, they noticed that all of the shelves had been cleaned out, leaving nothing but a few candy wrappers on the floor.


    "Okay, we will split into teams of two and search for anything useful. If you encounter anyone who is in need of help, assist to the best of your ability. We''ll meet back here in three hours. Radio in if anything comes up," said Julian.


    (A/N: thank you all who left a review so far! We have reached 10, and as promised I will be gearing up for a mini mass release. I''ll do my best to squeeze it in between Christmas and New Years but if not, it will be the start of January! Thank you all again, and hope you all have a good holiday!)

 Chapter 68 - 68: Into the City 2

    (A/N: Big THANK YOU to Chibi_Wolf38 for the Dragon and all of your support so far! I dedicate this chapter to you!)


    After he finished talking, everyone split into pairs and walked out of the gas station, heading in different directions.


    Rayne paired up with Julian, while Noah went with Ian. The remainder of Alpha Team split into pairs and went on their way.


    "Okay, looks like our direction is east. Let''s find a way around this gas station," said Julian as he looked around, watching the other teams choose their directions.


    "Okay, I''ll be right out," replied Rayne. She walked around inside the gas station building while Julian went outside. After making sure he wasn''t in her line of sight, she quickly took out a bunch of random non-perishable food items and water bottles, throwing them into some of the empty display shelves.


    She planned on continuing this trend as she walked around the city, hoping those in need would come across the supplies.


    After she finished tossing supplies around in less obvious places, she hurried outside to meet up with Julian.


    "I think I found a path through the rubble," he said as she walked over. Their direction was past the toppled building, which was blocking the road. "We''ll have to do a little bit of climbing, but it looks doable."


    Rayne stood beside him and looked at the path in front of her. They would have to climb up some of the broken concrete slabs from the building and through a window. Once inside, they just needed to make their way through the tight path and out the window on the other side.


    Rayne nodded and began to climb up the side of the toppled building, with Julian following right behind her.


    "Watch your head, there''s an iron bar sticking through the ceiling," Julian quickly pointed out before Rayne climbed into the window.


    "Ah, thank you. It''s pretty dark, so I didn''t see it," she thanked him gratefully.


    Julian scanned ahead to see if there were any more hidden objects that could hurt her before he let her continue. They made their way through the tight openings left between the chunks of concrete, even crawling on the floor at one point.


    It took them about 15 minutes to make it through the fallen building. Rayne was fully covered in dust by the time she saw the light from the other window. Carefully, she climbed out and began to dust herself off when her feet finally touched the flat ground.


    Julian followed her lead, wiping the dirt off his arms before continuing down the street.


    They continued to explore the empty street, looking for anything of interest until they came across a relatively intact street.


    This was the oldest part of town and had the shortest buildings, allowing it to somewhat withstand the earthquakes. Most of the windows looked like they had been blown out from the hurricane or by scavengers trying to get inside.


    The pair walked into what used to be a small corner store to see if there was anything left inside. Most of the shelves were empty, with only a handful of rotten fruits still lying on the front counter. Julian walked toward the back of the store and picked up a small lighter. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, at least we won''t go back empty-handed now," he joked, showing off his find to Rayne. She rolled her eyes at his jokes and walked toward a part of the store that had the most rubble. Bending down, she pretended to flip over a cardboard box while throwing random snacks on the ground.


    "Ah, look! There''s some snacks here!" she announced, trying to sound cheerful. Julian walked over and saw the small pile of chips, crackers, and jerky lying on the ground.


    "Oh wow, great find!" He bent down and picked out a sturdy cardboard box, filling it with the snacks Rayne found. Julian carried the box out of the store. "I think I see an electronics store across the street. Let''s check it out."


    Rayne quickly threw a few more bags of snacks around the store on her way out. "Okay, coming!"


    The electronics store was relatively untouched. Only the big-ticket items like laptops were gone, leaving all sorts of random PC parts and accessories.


    Rayne watched Julian grab a few different cables, hard drives, batteries, and even a DVD player off the shelves, placing them inside the cardboard box with the snacks.


    They continued to look through the shelves until Rayne saw a figure run by from the corner of her eye. Turning around, she noticed a little girl run into the corner store she had just been in.


    "Hey, Julian, I think I saw a child run into the corner store just now. I''ll go check it out," said Rayne as she quickly jogged across the street.


    Julian watched her jog across the street and shook his head. This girl can run headfirst into danger and not know it.


    He carefully placed the cardboard box on a flat shelf and walked across the street to the corner store.


    Meanwhile, Rayne caught up with the child. She looked like she was around 10-12 years old and was covered in dirt. She was currently rummaging through the toppled boxes, collecting some of the snacks Rayne had thrown around earlier.


    When Rayne walked in, the little girl hid behind a shelf and tried to be as quiet as possible. Rayne felt sad that this young child was so frightened and slowly walked over.


    "Hi, my name is Rayne. What''s your name?" she asked, standing on the other side of the shelf that the little girl was hiding behind.


    The girl didn''t answer right away, but Rayne could hear small shuffling movements. Rayne pulled out a large chocolate bar from her system and held it over the shelf.


    "I have this big chocolate bar. Can I share it with you?" she said sweetly. A few minutes later, the little girl walked out from behind the shelf, standing right in front of Rayne.


    She looked so pitiful that Rayne wished she could just dump all sorts of toys and goods into her hands right then and there. She handed the large chocolate bar to the girl, squatting down to meet her at eye level.


    "Here you go. Now can I know your name?" she asked, smiling.


    Just as the girl was about to open her mouth to introduce herself, Julian walked in. The little girl was quickly startled and ran behind the shelf to hide once again.


    Julian noticed that it was indeed just a child and that he had scared her. He turned to Rayne and said, "Um, I''ll be outside. Yell if you need anything."


    "Okay, sounds good," smiled Rayne, then turned to the shelf where the girl was hiding.


    "He''s gone. You can come out," she whispered.

 Chapter 69 - 69: Helping Hand

    The little girl took her time but eventually walked back to face Rayne, clutching the large chocolate bar in her hands.


    "I''m Lily. Thank you for the chocolate," she kept her eyes locked on the chocolate bar in her hands.


    Rayne smiled. "You''re welcome. Are you alone, Lily? Where are you living?" Rayne tried to appear as sweet and kind as possible, hoping not to frighten the little girl.


    Lily shook her head. "No, I''m not alone. I live with Mommy and Grandpa... oh, and my brother too."


    Rayne was happy to hear that at least the little girl wasn''t all alone. "Where are they? Why are you here alone?"


    "They''re at home, well, Grandpa''s home. Our home is gone now," she said, looking sad. Before Rayne could ask, she continued, "Mommy''s leg is hurt, and Grandpa has a hard time walking, so I came out looking for food."


    Rayne''s hands trembled slightly. She felt her heart break for Lily and her family. "Can you bring me to your mom? Maybe I can help her," she offered.


    The little girl''s eyes lit up as she looked up at Rayne. "Really? You can help Mommy? I''ll take you there!" she said excitedly.


    Rayne nodded and followed Lily outside. As she walked past Julian, he nodded at her, telling her she could go and that he would be close by in case anything were to happen.


    Rayne followed the excited Lily a little further down the street and down into an alley. Thankfully, the building they entered was still mostly intact, with only some windows broken.


    Lily led Rayne to a door on the second floor, knocking on it lightly.


    "Mommy, it''s me," whispered Lily.


    The door quietly opened, revealing a young boy, even younger than Lily. He was also covered in dust and looked on the thinner side.


    "Lily! Who''s that?" he asked curiously.


    "Lily? What''s going on?" a concerned woman''s voice rang from inside the apartment.


    Lily walked in, holding her brother''s small hand. "Mommy, I found this kind lady who gave me a big chocolate! She said she can help you," she called out excitedly.


    Rayne stepped into the apartment behind Lily. She noticed that the apartment was in rough shape but still livable. Some of the windows were boarded up to prevent the wind and rain from pouring inside.


    There was a middle-aged woman lying on the couch. Her leg had a large glass shard poking out. She looked like she was in a lot of pain but appeared very wary of Rayne.


    "Hello, I''m Rayne. I ran into Lily at the corner store just now and heard you might be in need of help," she greeted the woman. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman relaxed slightly, seeing that Rayne looked like a kind person. "Hello, please come in. Sorry, but we don''t have anything to offer you," she said calmly.


    Rayne walked over and took a better look at her leg. It looked like the shard of glass was embedded very deep.


    The woman noticed Rayne looking at her injury. "A few days ago, a big gust of wind flung a rock or something into that window," she pointed. "It shattered the window, digging this shard into my leg.


    "Unfortunately, we ran out of all of our supplies, including bandages. I was worried that if I were to pull this large shard out, I could potentially bleed out without any proper bandaging."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with the woman. "If you don''t mind, I can try to help. I don''t have much medical experience, just some basic first aid," she said, taking off her backpack.


    The woman looked at Rayne for a few minutes, then nodded. "Lily, ask your grandpa to come here. Then take your brother and split the chocolate bar the nice lady gave you in the other room."


    Rayne began to take out a few medical supplies from her system, using the backpack as cover. She took out rubbing alcohol, bandages, painkillers, gauze, and tweezers. Just as she finished, an elderly man walked out of a bedroom using a large walking stick.


    "Dad, this lady here said she will kindly help me with the glass. Can you help her?" asked the woman lying on the couch.


    She turned to face Rayne, shocked to see all the medical supplies on the floor. "Miss, I am so grateful for these supplies! I don''t know how I can ever repay you." To her, these supplies were worth more than gold.


    Her daughter had been leaving the house alone for hours at a time to look for them, causing her to worry endlessly for her daughter''s safety.


    "This is my father. He used to be a firefighter and has some medical skills as well. Please allow him to help you," said the woman, introducing the old man to Rayne.


    Rayne generously poured the disinfectant around the wound, causing the woman to flinch from the pain. She then prepared the gauze and bandages, while the elderly man carefully gripped the glass shard using a glove that Rayne gave him.


    "Okay, on 3, I will pull it out. Be ready to stop the bleeding," said the old man.


    Rayne nodded and focused on the wound.


    "3... 2... 1... Okay!" he said as he pulled the glass shard out in one single motion. The woman''s body tensed as she did her best to muffle her scream.


    Rayne quickly placed the bandage on the wound, applying pressure while the old man wrapped the gauze around it. She then handed the woman a bottle of extra-strength painkillers and fever reducers with a bottle of water.


    The woman gratefully accepted, doing her best to deal with the pain.


    "My name is Walter. Miss, thank you for your help. I''ve been hesitant to remove this shard on my own without a clean bandage," he shook her hand, feeling very grateful.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m Rayne, nice to meet you. And don''t mention it, I''m just happy to help."


    She noticed they had a few barrels of dirt by the windows that still had the glass intact. "Are you planning on growing something?"


    Walter nodded. "Yes, I set these up before the disaster started, but never got around to buying any seeds. I wanted to teach my grandkids the fun of growing food."


    Rayne quickly unzipped the front pocket of her backpack. "It turns out I found a big box of new seeds while I was out today. Please allow me to share some of these with you." She took out about 10 packets of seeds for lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and a few herbs from her system.


    Walter''s eyes widened!

 Chapter 70 - 70: Resupplying

    His hands trembled slightly. "Are you sure we can have these, miss?"


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, of course. I have little use for them right now! I''m more than happy to give them to someone who can use them!"


    Walter thanked Rayne a few more times before letting her out. Lily''s mother had passed out from the pain, but both Rayne and Walter knew that the real danger had already passed. Rayne left them with extra bandages and medical supplies so they could change the bandages regularly to avoid infection.


    When Rayne walked into the hallway of the building, she found a secluded spot in the stairwell and opened her system to leave a whole large pallet of supplies.


    There were many cases of water bottles, first aid kits, canned soups, canned processed meats, canned tuna, bags of rice, and even sacks of potatoes. She also added a smaller basket of apples on top, thinking that the kids would enjoy them.


    The large amount of supplies quickly filled the stairwell, making it a little difficult to walk through. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Rayne turned to leave, she met Julian''s curious gaze. Her body froze in place. "Hi... I... was just about to come out," she said nervously.


    Julian looked at the huge amount of supplies in the stairwell and then back at Rayne. Her nervousness was written all over her face, so he took a deep breath and decided to ignore it for now.


    "How did it go?" he asked. He wasn''t sure exactly what had happened inside, but he had heard the little girl say that her mom was injured.


    "It should be good now. There was a large shard of glass buried deep inside her leg. We got it out and bandaged it," Rayne replied, giving him an update.


    Julian nodded and waited for Rayne to make her way down so they could set off together. "I tried searching around the nearby area, and it''s pretty much all empty. That electronics store is the best-stocked store so far."


    Hearing his words, Rayne frowned. If everything was already empty, that meant the survivors would soon starve. She wasn''t sure how many people were left alive in the city, but she was sure there were at least a few people, like Lily''s family, trying to survive each day.


    "Let''s try looking for a warehouse or a superstore. I''d like to see if there are any supplies there," said Rayne.


    Julian looked at his watch and saw that they still had a good amount of time before they needed to head back, so he agreed. "Okay, if I remember correctly, there should be one in the next neighborhood."


    "Okay, sounds good! Lead the way," said Rayne, thankful he agreed to her request. She wasn''t interested in taking supplies, but finding a large superstore would allow her to hide the origin of the supplies in her system.


    She also wanted to see how much food was left for the people of this city, planning to restock the store if needed.


    The journey to the warehouse superstore proved to be more difficult than anticipated. As they moved farther from the historic part of town, the towering remains of collapsed buildings loomed overhead, casting long shadows across their path.


    The streets were a maze of rubble, with jagged shards of glass and twisted iron scattered across the ground.


    Rayne and Julian carefully navigated the difficult terrain, climbing over piles of broken brick and concrete slabs. They had to pay attention to every step they made to avoid injury.


    It took them a lot longer than anticipated, but they finally reached the large warehouse superstore.


    Julian took the lead, carefully walking inside to make sure the area was safe. While they hadn''t encountered any danger yet, disaster could strike at any time.


    Rayne waited outside until Julian came back out to give her the all-clear. She followed him back inside and noticed the mess the store had turned into. There were toppled shelves and broken signs, while boxes mixed with trash covered the floors.


    She stepped through carefully, walking around to assess the situation.


    While many of the shelves had been emptied, there was still a decent amount of goods left in the store. Things like food and toilet paper were mostly gone, leaving only empty spaces where they once stood. However, trash bags, detergents, spices, cleaning supplies, and animal food were still commonly found around the store.


    Rayne quietly made her way around the store, occasionally adding things to shelves and filling some of the empty spaces.


    She focused on essential items like food, water, and first aid, trying to place these items in random spots around the store. Her secondary focus was baby items like formula, diapers, and medicines. She couldn''t imagine how difficult it was for new mothers to take care of their recently born babies in this time period, where the world had been flipped upside down.


    Rayne walked around for a while until she heard Julian call for her. She quickly stuffed her backpack with random items from her system to appear as if she had found a decent haul and walked over to find Julian.


    He stood at the front of the store, holding a small cardboard box. He had managed to fill it with random items he found, some of which Rayne noticed were the ones she had placed around the store.


    He smiled as he saw her approach with a full backpack. "Find anything interesting? I was happy to find a few decent food and medical items," he said, tilting the cardboard box to show Rayne the first aid kit she had placed around the store.


    "Oh! Nice haul! I just found some random items, nothing crazy," she replied, appearing excited for his finds.


    "I guess we can make our way back now. The walk back might be a bit more challenging with these items," he said as he adjusted the cardboard box to sit more comfortably in his hands.


    Just as they made their way out of the store, they heard a few gunshots nearby. Julian dropped the cardboard box he was holding and grabbed Rayne by the hand, pulling her into a small broken building across the street from the superstore.

 Chapter 71 - 71: Explosion

    They huddled in the corner of what appeared to be a small post office, peeking out of the window to find the source of gunshots.


    They saw a small group of men walking down the street, dragging two women behind them. The men were laughing as they shot the space between the women, causing them to cry out in fright.


    "Hahaha! Listen to them crying out like bitches!", one of the men laughed. The rest of the group laughed along with him until, what appeared to be the leader, stepped in.


    "Okay, enough fun. The boss won''t like them as much if they shit themselves on the way there", he said frowning. He was promised a nice reward if they managed to secure a few beautiful women to present to the boss.


    He was worried that if the woman appeared too disheveled it would mask their pretty appearance and make him lose out on the reward.


    Rayne watched this scene with horror, it was just like the nightmares she had. She turned to face Julian, who''s gaze was ice cold, watching the scene.


    "Julian, we have to help those women. I can''t go back to the bunker knowing what awaits them if we leave them be", pleaded Rayne.


    He looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation and desire to help. Nodding his head, "Don''t worry, we''ll help them...but I can''t guarantee we can avoid bloodshed. Are you okay with that?".


    While he wanted to help the women, he was also concerned that Rayne wouldn''t be able to handle the sight of him shooting to kill.


    If it was the previous Rayne who did not experience the nightmares, she may not have been okay with killing the men...even with their evil nature. She would have argued to call the police and let the legal system take over.


    However, there was no police or justice system anymore, and letting men like this run wild would ruin the lives of many more women. She knew that if they let these men walk free after releasing the two women, they would just go find two more..."


    "I''m prepared. As much as I don''t like the thought of killing anyone, these men will only continue doing these horrible things!", she said resolutely, pulling out the silver pistol Julian gifted her.


    He nodded. "Okay, then let me handle it", he said, not wanting her to feel the guilt of killing if she didn''t have to.


    Rayne felt warm knowing that he was wanting to shoulder the burden. She knew that she couldn''t avoid it forever, especially as time went on and lawlessness increased.


    She placed the gun in his hands while secretly holding on to an extra magazine she copied with her system earlier.


    While she knew that Julian''s skills were cream of the crop, she knew that anything could happen, and having the ability to reload quickly was vital.


    Julian accepted the gun, choosing to use it over his own due to its silent firing ability.


    "I''d like to try and get up higher if possible, it would give me a better angle", he said quietly. Rayne nodded and followed him towards the back of the post office where the stairwell to the upper floors was.


    The building they were in was only partially collapsed, exposing only the support beams of the upper floors.


    They quickly made their way up the metal staircase to the second floor, which was still intact. Julian found a window which was partially broken, and took aim.


    The men on the street had just begun to move towards the back side of the supermarket, dragging the crying women with them.


    Rayne panicked slightly, unsure of if Julian will have enough time to shoot before they found cover behind the building. She watched him as he focused his breathing, aiming steadily, then..


    Click, click, click, click!


    All she heard was the soft clicking sound from the trigger.


    "Shit!", muttered Julian. He managed to cleanly hit four out of the five men, allowing the leader of the group to run behind the supermarket.


    "The gun wasn''t fully loaded, I didn''t realize it until just now", he said, looking slightly frustrated.


    Rayne widened her eyes! That was her fault! She was playing with the gun last night, practicing loading and unloading it, and didn''t load it fully.


    "I''m so sorry, that''s my fault!", she said, feeling horrible about her mistake.


    Julian shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "No it''s not your fault, I should have checked how many bullets there were before I shot".


    The two women on the ground ran away, terrified of the shooting and dead bodies around them. They were frightened, but grateful for the opportunity to escape, running as fast as they could.


    "Fucking hell!", yelled the leader of the group of men. He watched the two women run away, stepping over the dead bodies of his men.


    He could tell that his men were clearly shot, but he didn''t hear any shots go off, making him feel slightly creeped out. He peeked his head out from behind the building, quickly glancing around to see if he could spot the shooter.


    He noticed the cardboard box of items Julian dropped laying in the middle of the street, then made a guess that there really was someone out there. The leader was relatively smart, else he would not have been promoted to a small-time leader, and guessed that whoever it was...was inside the old post office building.


    Before Julian could pull up the freshly reloaded gun, the bandit leader reached into his pocket and threw a grenade straight into the first floor window of the post office.


    Julian grabbed Rayne and forcefully threw her towards the back of the building, jumping in the same direction to avoid getting hit by the imminent explosion from the grenade which landed directly below them.


    "Get fucked, that''s what you get for making me lose out on my reward", yelled the bandit leader as he made his way back to base.


    He didn''t care much about his men getting killed, he felt they were all stupid anyways. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    BOOOM!


    He heard the large explosion from his grenade go off behind him.


    "Ugh, boss Dillon is gonna be pissed at me", he grunted as he ran.

 Chapter 72 - 72: Caved In

    The explosion from the grenade went off, causing the already slightly damaged building to shake.


    Rayne landed on the ground, hitting her head against the back wall as she fell over. She opened her eyes to see Julian landing on top of her, shielding her from any debris that fell from the building as it shook and fell apart.


    The walls crumbled first, followed by the floors. Julian held onto Rayne as the floor beneath them collapsed.


    They landed with a forceful impact in the mailroom of the post office. Rayne watched in horror as the ceiling from the upper floors came crashing down on top of them.


    Just as she thought they would be smashed by the crumbling building, one part of the concrete slab caught on the metal mailboxes, keeping it from falling further.


    Julian was still hit by some smaller chunks of brick and concrete, causing him to bleed from a few open wounds on his back.


    Rayne felt her heart tighten as she watched Julian absorb the full force of the crumbling building''s debris, his body hunched protectively over hers.


    "Julian, are you okay?!" she shouted as he collapsed on top of her. His back was covered in deep cuts and pierced shards, causing his shirt to quickly get soaked with his blood.


    The crumbling finally stopped after a few minutes, and Rayne realized they were trapped inside layers of rubble. Thankfully, the larger pieces had created small pockets, about the size of a hand, to the outside, allowing air and some light to enter.


    Rayne carefully stood up, wincing in pain from the fall. She ignored her pain as she rested Julian on his side, taking out a small mattress from her system before moving him onto it. She laid him on his side and took out a pair of scissors, which she used to cut his shirt off.


    Working quickly, she pulled many small shards of rock and glass that were sticking out of his skin while disinfecting the wounds with alcohol.


    Julian lay unconscious and did not react to the stinging pain from the rubbing alcohol.


    She meticulously patched up each cut, using multiple rolls of gauze and bandages until his entire back was covered.


    She then sat at the corner of the mattress to address her own cuts, mainly on her legs and thighs. Her hands began to shake from the adrenaline as she began to feel the panic settle in.


    Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at the unconscious Julian. The near-death experience had shaken her, making her feel truly frightened. She found it difficult to express the way she felt when Julian shielded her from the falling debris with his own body.


    "Please be okay," she cried softly as she placed her hand on top of his. His selfless actions moved her immensely, making it even more difficult to see him in such a horrible state.


    She took out a small blanket from her system and covered Julian with it, protecting his exposed upper body from the cold and residual dust.


    She sat in silence for a long time, dazed, continuously replaying the events that led up to this point. Her sadness turned into anger as she came up with ways she could have prevented Julian''s injuries, starting with the reloaded gun.


    "If only I had fully reloaded it," she murmured. "He would have definitely gotten the shot off on the leader..."


    Self deprecating thoughts spiraled in her mind continuously, causing her to blame herself for the situation they were in. She realized that she was still very weak for this new world and that continuously relying on Julian would only put him in more danger.


    She continued to sit at the corner of the mattress until her stomach growled, snapping her out of her racing thoughts.


    Looking out of the small hole, she noticed that the sky had turned orange, indicating that it was already evening.


    "I wonder if the others are looking for us," she whispered as she opened up her system panel to look for something to eat.


    She tried using the advanced radio she found in Julian''s pocket to contact the others for help, but it was locked behind a passcode that she couldn''t guess. This led her to simply wait until either Julian woke up or someone found them.


    Rayne pulled out a fast-food burger meal and began to eat it slowly, watching the sky change color through the small hole in the wall.


    Julian slowly regained consciousness, smelling a very appetizing aroma.


    When he woke up he felt like his entire back was on fire, causing him to clench his jaw from the pain.


    He slowly opened his eyes, trying to find Rayne to make sure she was okay, but quickly realized that something was off. While his surroundings were the broken mailroom of the post office, he noticed that he was lying down on a very comfortable mattress, and was covered with a clean blanket.


    He turned his head slightly and noticed that Rayne was sitting on the corner of the mattress, eating what looked like a cheeseburger from a famous fast-food restaurant. It smelled so good, as if it had just been freshly cooked!


    He lay there silently for a few minutes, watching Rayne quietly eating. She had just finished the burger when he saw her fingers move through the air in a strange way until, all of a sudden, a can of soda appeared in her hands!


    His eyes widened. Julian continued to stare, making sure he wasn''t dreaming.


    How in the world... Looks like she has a big secret. This would explain where she got the robe from back at the bunker.


    Rayne quickly opened the soda can, causing it to make a loud pop. She quickly turned around to make sure Julian was still okay, only to meet his wide eyes.


    "Julian! You''re awake!" she cried out, startled. Of course, she was very happy to see him awake, but she didn''t know how long he had been up or how much he had seen.


    "Mhm, I am. Are you okay? Did you get hurt from the fall?" he asked gently, making sure she was okay before letting his curiosity get the best of him. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne bit her lip trying to suppress her emotions, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, I''m perfectly okay... thanks to you." She couldn''t hold back any longer and threw herself into his embrace as he finally sat up.


    "Thank you, Julian, truly... I have no words for the care you''ve shown me," she cried in his arms. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, on to Julian''s muscular chest.


    Julian smiled, wrapping his strong arms around her. "I''m glad you''re safe, Rayne."

 Chapter 73 - 73: Stairwell Surprise

    "Mommy, I''m going to look for food! The corner store had snacks earlier today," Lily shouted as she ran out the door.


    Her mother was still lying on the couch, waiting for her injury to heal, but she was already in a much better state than before.


    She only had time to yell, "Be careful and come back soon!" before her daughter ran out the door.


    When Lily finally reached the staircase after running down the hallway, she couldn''t believe her eyes! The staircase was filled with so many new supplies!


    She noticed the basket with fresh red apples on top of the many cases of water and quickly reached over to grab it.


    She used to not care much for apples, but now she looked at them with a sparkle in her eyes.


    Grabbing the whole basket, she ran back home, startling her mom.


    "What is it, Lily? Did something happen? You''re back so quickly?" her mom asked with worry. She looked over Lily a few times, making sure she was uninjured.


    Lily moved the basket from behind her, showing off the fresh red apples. "Look, Mommy! I found these in the stairwell!" she said proudly, showing off her rare finds.


    Her mom stared at the apples in the basket in disbelief. "Lily, where did you say you found these again?"


    "In the stairwell! Just down the hall! Oh, there are so many more items there; it''s almost blocking the way downstairs," replied Lily, grinning.


    "There''s more? Lily, quickly call your brother and grandpa over to take a look with you!" she said. She wanted to go look for herself but knew that if she moved now, it would only agitate the wound, causing even more problems.


    Although her father was old and had difficulty walking, going down the hall shouldn''t be a problem for him.


    Lily quickly ran to her grandfather''s room, where her little brother was playing.


    "Grandpa! Mommy wants you to come look at the supplies I found in the stairwell!" she announced as she walked into the room.


    Walter looked at Lily with surprise. "Oh, you found some supplies in our stairwell?" He was surprised to hear this but slowly lifted himself off of his chair and followed Lily out.


    Lily''s brother was also curious about what it was that Lily had found and dropped his toy, following them into the hallway.


    When Walter finally arrived at the stairwell and saw the huge amount of supplies, his mind immediately went to Rayne.


    "It must have been that kind lady who left us these supplies," he said, patting Lily on the head.


    She smiled and nodded. "Yes! She gave me a big chocolate bar. She''s the nicest!"


    Walter made his way over to inspect what was there with his trembling hands. He was so happy that tears formed in his eyes.


    Turning to Lily and her brother, he said, "Okay, you two, help your grandpa carry some of this inside." He then handed some of the lighter items, such as crackers, to Lily''s brother while tasking Lily with some of the heavier items.


    When they brought in the supplies and placed them down on the living room floor, Lily''s mom was in shock!


    There were cases of water, many different canned goods, first aid kits, grains, sacks of flour, oil, and even a camping stove with propane tanks.


    Lily carried in a puffy new blanket; it was so big that even when she held it over her head, it drooped down to the floor.


    Walter finally walked in and sat down. "There are many more items, but I don''t feel right taking everything. We''ve already taken more than half, and these items will last us a long time. I say we leave them in the hall for the others to take."


    Lily''s mom nodded, agreeing with him. Their small living room was now filled to the brim with supplies, easing many of her current worries.


    She wiped the tears from her eyes, happy that she could finally cook her children a proper meal after weeks of going hungry.


    ----


    In the rural countryside...


    "Hey, Dad, the weather has gotten better today," said Ella, running down the basement stairs. She had just gone upstairs to see the situation outside and noticed that the wind and rain had lessened significantly.


    "Oh good, that means I can go out and look for supplies. I feel bad about already tapping into the canned food that Rayne gifted you," he replied as he walked over to lift an old bicycle that was stored in the basement.


    "Dad, I want to come with you," said Ella. She felt cooped up inside, especially since they lived in the basement now after the hurricane took their roof. She also wanted to see how the rest of the world was.


    He was about to shake his head when his wife spoke out, "Reggie, let her go with you. I''ll be okay here alone. I''m more worried about you. It''ll make me feel better knowing you can look out for each other." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella walked over. "See? Please let me come with you. Plus, I''ll be there to carry more supplies if we do find something."


    Reginald looked at his beautiful wife, not wanting to leave her home alone. However, after both of them continued to persuade him, he finally agreed.


    "Fine, Ella, you can come, but we won''t go far," he said resolutely.


    She nodded and went to find her old duffel bag, which was mixed with the random sports equipment stored in the basement closet. She used to come to this home often as a child, and many of her childhood items were kept there.


    Reginald walked over to hug his wife. "I''ll be back soon. Don''t leave the basement. I love you, honey."


    "I love you too," she smiled. Her husband loved her dearly, so much so that many of her friends were envious of their loving relationship. It was common for successful businessmen to have mistresses on the side, but Reginald loved her dearly since the day they met and stayed fiercely loyal.


    "Okay, Dad, I''m ready!" said Ella, walking in on her parents'' romantic moment. She rolled her eyes at her dad. "We''re only going around the neighborhood. You''re making it seem like we''re flying to a different planet!"


    Her mom giggled at her words. She patted her husband affectionately on the back. "Go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you''ll come back."


    Reginald nodded, stood up, and carried his bike up the basement stairs. Ella did the same with her bike, along with two sports duffel bags.

 Chapter 74 - 74: Countryside Haul

    The father-daughter duo set off, riding their old bicycles toward the small shopping strip on the other side of town. It took them over thirty minutes of nonstop biking to finally reach the small shopping plaza.


    When they arrived, they noticed that they weren''t the only ones out looking for food today.


    "Heya! You folks looking for food too? Seems like a number of us are out today doing the same thing," an older man said as he saw Ella pull up with her dad.


    "Yeah, the weather''s finally gotten better, so it''s possible to come out and look for supplies," replied Reginald, sounding casual.


    While these people seemed nice on the outside, his keen businessman instincts told him that he shouldn''t trust them.


    He turned to Ella, whispering, "Avoid as many people as you can and stick close to me."


    Ella thought her dad was being overprotective but listened to him anyway. "Got it."


    They entered the supermarket first, noticing that many items had already been looted or blown away in the storm. Reginald quickly walked through the aisles with Ella, grabbing anything that could be useful.


    They managed to get a decent amount of food and water: mainly biscuits, crackers, a small bag of rice, some flour, pasta sauces, and spices, along with a few other items.


    Ella even found a pitcher with a water filter built in, quickly putting it in her duffel bag. She continued to follow her father around the store until more people flooded in.


    "Let''s go to the next store; I want to try to get your mother some warmer clothes," he said quietly as he watched people begin to fight over a bag of bread.


    Ella watched them fight with horror. It was just a bag of stale bread, yet people were fighting over it as if it were a precious diamond.


    She quickly followed her father out before people could take notice of their filled duffel bags and try to attack them.


    The store next door to the grocery store was a basic, cheap clothing brand. It was Ella''s first time inside, and she frowned as she looked around at all the poorly designed clothes. The store was practically untouched, as the majority of people focused on looting food and more expensive items.


    Reginald noticed his daughter''s displeased look. "We can''t be picky now. It''s less about looking good and more about staying warm. The summer months are coming to an end soon, and when it gets cold, we won''t be able to find even the ugliest warm clothes."


    Ella nodded. She understood this but still wasn''t pleased with the looks or the quality. She followed her father around once more, occasionally picking out some warm sweaters, pants, and socks.


    She also picked out a good amount of underwear for her and her mother, since they hadn''t been able to bring much from their city villa.


    She watched her father pick out a large amount of warm clothes for her mom and barely anything for himself, so she took the liberty of walking over to the men''s section to pick out some items for him.


    Once both of their duffel bags were stuffed, they quickly left the store to head home. While there were a few more stores left in the small shopping plaza, Reginald didn''t feel comfortable staying with the influx of people.


    They walked out behind the grocery store, where they had hidden their bikes in the bushes.


    "Dad, they''re gone! Someone stole our bikes!" exclaimed Ella as she looked around the area.


    Her dad frowned, searching alongside her. "Yes, it seems someone was watching us as soon as we arrived. Let''s go, we need to move quickly. I have a bad feeling," he said sternly.


    They ran up the hill, back toward the direction of their house, trying to stay hidden between the trees.


    What they didn''t notice was that a group of men was watching them from the shadows. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You. Go follow them from a distance and take note of which house they''re from. I can tell they must have some decent things since they don''t look like they''ve been suffering too much," said the leader of the group.


    The man he pointed to quickly stood up and ran after them, keeping a good distance from Ella and her father.


    Once they got out of the neighborhood near the shopping plaza, they both slowed down to catch their breath.


    "It''s going to take us a few hours to get home. I hope Mom doesn''t get too worried," said Ella as she bent over, panting.


    Reginald frowned. He didn''t want his wife to worry, and he also didn''t want to spend so much time away from her.


    "Let''s push ourselves to get home as soon as possible. We can relax once we''re there," he said as he walked off with a small jog.


    Ella grunted, feeling the lack of physical activity over the years catching up to her quickly, and followed her father, doing her best to keep up.


    It took them a few hours of jogging and walking to finally make it back home.


    The man who was following them fell to the ground after seeing which house they walked into. "Those people are animals to be able to jog like that for so long." He leaned against a tree, taking a moment to relax before making his journey back to report to his boss.


    Ella flopped down to the ground the moment she got back to the basement. Her father followed her down the stairs, carrying both of their stuffed duffel bags to present to his wife.


    He felt like a hunter bringing home his caught prey to present to his wife. As he placed the bags beside her, he immediately leaned in for a kiss. "Are you okay? Did you miss me? Are you proud of my haul today?" he kept asking questions, waiting for his wife''s praise.


    She giggled. "Yes, I''m okay. Yes, I missed you terribly. And yes, I am incredibly proud of my capable man, bringing home so many items."


    She leaned over and patted him gently before turning her attention to the two duffel bags.

 Chapter 75 - 75: Secrets Explained

    She was happy to find a large variety of items inside. She went through Reginald''s duffel bag first, admiring the warm clothes one by one.


    "Oh, I also picked out this sweater because I thought it would complement your eyes," he explained. They went through each clothing item together, with Reginald explaining his reason for every article of clothing he had picked out for her.


    "Ah, darling, you''re so sweet. You know me so well," she complimented him back. Ella looked over and could practically see the hearts in the air surrounding them.


    She was too exhausted to care about their over-the-top display of affection, so she just laid on her bed quietly to recover from her exhaustion.


    Ella''s mother continued to sort through the items, pulling out the food and water from the bags. "Wow, you guys got so many good things! This bag of rice alone will make for a number of good meals!" she said cheerfully.


    Overall, with all the new items, they easily doubled their existing food supply. The clothing was also a nice extra for the coming colder months.


    "Honey, what are we going to do about the winter months? I''m afraid we won''t survive if we continue living here in this cold basement," she said worriedly. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald frowned. "You''re right. We''ll have to find someplace new to live through the winter months. I''m surprised the government hasn''t opened up a shelter or a base yet."


    "Maybe they have, and we just don''t know about it yet," Ella said, sitting up and replying to her father.


    He sat still, mulling over Ella''s words. He felt that she could be correct. With most of the power out, it would be difficult to spread the word. Living in the basement wasn''t a long-term solution, and he felt it was worth going out to see if there was indeed such a place.


    "You could be right. I think it''s worth looking into. We don''t have that much time before the colder weather sets in. It would be nice to move somewhere more comfortable," he said.


    With this new idea, he began making plans for relocation.


    -----


    At the broken post office building...


    Rayne continued to cry in Julian''s arms until she let out all of her overwhelming emotions. She slowly pulled away, wiping her red, swollen eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know what came over me," she said quietly, looking at the wetness on his chest from her tears.


    Julian looked her in the eyes and flashed a reassuring smile. "Rayne, you don''t need to apologize. It''s important to let your emotions out; it''s a normal thing."


    She nodded, wiping her eyes some more.


    "So how are you? I did my best to bandage your back. Do you need painkillers?" she asked with concern.


    "Thank you for your care. I can handle this kind of pain, so no worries," he replied as he reached out and gently wiped a tear off her cheek.


    Rayne blushed at his gesture. She could feel her face heating up.


    Julian watched her turn away to hide her flushed cheeks and smiled. He felt that Rayne had gotten more and more beautiful with each passing day.


    The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes until Julian finally broke the silence. "Rayne, I hope I''m not overstepping, but I am curious about this mattress and blanket..."


    She turned to look him in the eyes, seeing his gentle expression. "Ah... Well... I don''t know what to say..." she mumbled, fidgeting with her shirt.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust Julian, but she was worried he would think she was a freak if he knew about her system. Today, she finally realized that he was someone very important to her and that perhaps she had developed feelings for him. She didn''t want him to push her away due to this abnormality.


    Julian saw the hesitance in her eyes; he could tell she was worried about something.


    "Rayne, you can trust me. I swear on my life that I won''t tell anyone," he said, doing his best to reassure her.


    She quickly shook her head. "No, no! It''s not that I don''t trust you, because I do... It''s just... I''m worried you''ll think... that I''m... weird," she finally said, her words getting quieter and quieter, reaching a low whisper.


    Rayne kept her eyes pointed downward, scared to see how Julian would react. She waited for his reply, but no words came. Just as she felt her stomach knot from the anxiety, she felt his arms wrap around her.


    Julian was surprised to hear that she wasn''t worried he would share her secret with others, but instead was worried that he would think she was weird.


    He felt his heart warm, and he leaned over to pull her into his arms. He pulled her over so that she was nestled up against him, holding her firmly.


    "Rayne, nothing will make me think that you''re weird or freakish. And even if it turns out to be something extremely outlandish, I like that," he said gently, his eyes looking down at her.


    He lifted his hand slowly and ran his fingers through her long blonde hair, making Rayne blush even more. She felt her heartbeat ringing in her ears, his words playing on repeat.


    After hearing his words, she didn''t hesitate any longer and rested her head against his chest.


    "Well, where do I start? I guess the day I woke up from my coma..." she said, retelling her experience.


    "So now I have this multiplier system bound to me, allowing me to make infinite copies of anything I store inside of it," she said as she opened her system panel and pulled out two more cans of soda, handing one of them over to Julian.


    Julian couldn''t believe his ears! Something like this was beyond his wildest dreams! Every part of his logical brain wanted to brush it off as a joke, but seeing it firsthand provided him with solid evidence.


    "So this mattress and blanket are also items you''ve stored?" he asked with amazement, opening the can of soda to see if it was real.


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded. "Yep! Actually, it''s also thanks to this system that I knew about the apocalypse!"


    "The apocalypse?" Julian asked. "You''re saying that these natural disasters are the start of the apocalypse?"


    Rayne nodded once more. "Yes, I got the notification over a year ago."


    Julian thought to himself for a minute, then said, "Wow, I would have had a hard time believing it if it were me."


    "Well, even before the apocalypse, I started having these horrible nightmares. They were all about people suffering from either cold or starvation. Families went as far as killing each other over scraps of food. It was horrible. So when the notification appeared one morning, I quickly accepted it as fact," explained Rayne.


    Julian squeezed her closer as she explained the contents of her nightmares, hoping to bring her a sense of security.


    "I''m sorry you had to experience those nightmares. It must have been difficult knowing that something this catastrophic was going to happen," he said.


    Just as he was about to ask her another question, his stomach growled. Since Rayne was lying against him, she heard it loud and clear.


    Giggling, she turned around. "Haha! My bad, I should have offered you something to eat earlier. Let''s see, what would you like?" She opened her system panel and started scrolling through the prepared food section.

 Chapter 76 - 76: Purple Shirt

    "We''ve got everything from sushi to fast food. There''s steak... oh! The fried chicken from earlier! As well as various soups, salads, and sandwiches. Pretty much anything you can think of," she said happily as she scrolled.


    Julian watched her tap and move her fingers in the air. "Are you clicking on something?" he couldn''t help but ask. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm? Oh right, you can''t see it. Yeah, it''s basically like a holographic screen filled with icons of all the things I''ve stored," replied Rayne.


    "Damn, that''s so cool," muttered Julian as he watched her finger move up and down. "Umm, how about that burger you had? It smelled so good."


    "Sure thing! Coming right up!" she replied cheerfully, clicking on the icon of the burger meal.


    A moment later, a paper bag with fries and a burger appeared in her hands, the smell wafting from inside the bag.


    "Wow, this is incredible!" he exclaimed, accepting the paper bag. He took out the burger, feeling the warmth through the wrapper. Even the fries were still perfectly crispy!


    Rayne watched him happily. "It took me several trips to the fast food restaurant to get those perfectly crispy fries!"


    "You know? This place used to be my guilty pleasure. I would sometimes sneak away from Noah''s gaze and treat myself to a burger just like this one," he said, sharing one of his own secrets.


    "Haha, well now you can have it whenever you want!" giggled Rayne. "Oh, and I promise not to tell Noah either!"


    Julian ate the burger while Rayne continued to scroll through her system, giving him an idea of the types of items she had stored over the past year.


    As she scrolled through her miscellaneous folder, she came across the small black box that she took from Dillon the night she met him in the club. She tried opening it, but it wouldn''t budge, so she gave up and forgot about it.


    "Hmm, I still don''t know what this is," she said, looking at the icon of the small box.


    Julian ate a few more fries, then turned to look at her. "What is it? Maybe I can help."


    Rayne took out a copy of the box and showed it to Julian. "I''ve tried opening it a while back, but the lock seems special. The material of the box is also unique. I was unable to break it."


    Julian took the small box from her hands and inspected it closely. It reminded him of something he had seen before, but he couldn''t remember what.


    "I feel like I''ve seen something similar a long time ago. Once we get back to the bunker, I''ll tinker with it to see if I can get it open," he said, handing the box back to Rayne.


    She threw it away via the system trash bin and opened up the folder with the men''s shirts. She had cut open Julian''s shirt earlier and wanted to find him a new one.


    "Pick a color," she said playfully.


    "A color for what?" asked Julian, noticing her playful smile.


    "It''s a surprise. Just pick a color!" she said again.


    Julian looked at her curiously. "Hmmm, I pick purple!"


    Rayne giggled at his choice. "Okay, one minute!" She scrolled through the thousands of men''s shirt options, pulling out a short-sleeve purple t-shirt with an image of a cat on it.


    "Here, it suits you perfectly," she giggled, handing him the shirt.


    Julian looked at the lazy white fluffy cat and the deep purple color of the shirt. "If I had known it was for a shirt, I would have said black or grey!"


    "Sorry! You made your choice! Plus, I think the cat is cute," answered Rayne.


    Before he resigned to fate and put the shirt on, Rayne walked over to make sure the bandages on his back were still okay.


    "Okay, it looks good. Nothing''s bled through," she said with a sigh of relief.


    "By the way, shouldn''t we radio the team to let them know we''re okay?" Rayne reminded him. It had been well over the 3-hour mark they agreed to meet back up in.


    Julian quickly fished out his special phone/radio and typed in the password. Soon, a number of messages flooded his screen.


    [Boss, where are you? Is everything okay?]


    [We''re coming to look for you. Please reply if you''re okay.]


    ...


    Julian quickly glanced over the numerous messages from Ian and Noah, then pushed the radio call button to call Noah via satellite.


    "Hey Noah, it''s me. I''m okay. Had a small incident with a local gang of some sort. The building we were in collapsed around us, so we''re stuck."


    Julian explained the situation in more detail, telling him where they were located. Once he finished, he hung up the call and put his phone away.


    "Noah and Ian are on their way now. I told them our location. We just need to sit tight," he told Rayne.


    She smiled, happy that they were finally going to get out of this predicament. "Well, while we wait, is there anything you''d like to do? I can pull out a laptop and we can watch a movie or something."


    Julian laughed. "You really are something! Here we are, stuck in a fallen building without a care in the world! Yes, let''s watch something until they get here."


    Rayne pulled out her laptop and an external hard drive, pulling up a random movie. She sat comfortably in Julian''s embrace, watching the movie together with him.


    It took Noah and Ian about an hour to arrive with the members of Alpha Team.


    When Rayne heard their voices approaching, she quickly stood up with Julian and put away all of the extra things she had taken out of her system earlier.


    "Boss, are you there?" Noah''s voice sounded from the street.


    Julian walked over to the small hole in the wall. "Yes, we''re in here. I think we can try to move some of the debris on the backside of the building to make a safe clearing."


    Hearing Julian''s orders, the Alpha Team members quickly walked to the back of the building and got to work moving bricks and building chunks.


    Rayne assessed the situation from the inside, pointing out places they should avoid touching in order to prevent the building from falling apart more. She was very familiar with weight distribution and building integrity, allowing her to easily spot the places with the most weight-bearing loads.


    "Avoid moving anything next to this pillar. It could cause this whole back wall to collapse," she said, pointing to a spot in the middle.

 Chapter 77 - 77: Bodies

    The team worked nonstop, digging them out. When most of the outer debris was cleared, Rayne helped move things inside to speed up the process.


    Julian tried to help but was quickly scolded by Rayne, who told him he was injured and should not put any strain on his back.


    It was already dark by the time they were finally freed from the cave-in.


    "Thank you for your hard work," said Julian to Alpha Team.


    "Boss, where did you find such an... interesting shirt?" asked Noah. He couldn''t believe his eyes. His very particular boss was wearing a loud purple shirt with a picture of a fluffy white cat on it.


    Julian looked down at his shirt, then glanced at Rayne. "Well, we found it in that store across the street, and I thought it was pretty cool," he said matter-of-factly.


    Noah felt like his longtime friend had turned into a different person, but he also noticed how much more cheerful Julian had been since the day he went out to save Rayne from the hurricane.


    "Boss, I''m glad you''re okay. Do you want me to look into those guys over there?" Ian asked, pointing at the dead bodies. He had noticed them as soon as they came into the area and understood what had happened.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, I want to know if they''re just a small-time local gang or if they''re somehow related to Damien."


    Rayne listened with curiosity; this was the first time she had heard about this Damien.


    Ian looked around and walked over to the bodies to inspect them further. He noticed that all of the men had strange, bulging veins on different parts of their bodies, mainly around the chest area.


    He had seen many dead bodies in the past, and this was the first time he''d seen this strange phenomenon.


    "Boss, come take a look at this," he yelled for Julian.


    Julian heard Ian''s call and made his way over. Rayne wanted to take this opportunity to spend time around dead bodies so that she could be a little less nervous around them in the future and followed behind Julian.


    "Look at this. I''ve never seen anything like this," Ian pointed to the areas with the abnormally protruding veins on each of the men''s bodies.


    Julian bent over and looked at them closely. "They all have it. Could it be a disease of some sort? Maybe a drug?"


    "I''ve seen many people on different kinds of drugs; none of them have caused this kind of symptom," replied Ian. He took care of the underground organization for Julian and was in regular contact with all sorts of arms and drug dealers.


    Ian needed to get in with some of these shady figures in order to gather information, so seeing all sorts of illegal drugs was fairly common for him.


    "Then could it be a disease?" Julian asked. His mind flashed to Rayne''s conversation about it being an ''apocalypse.''


    "I''m not sure. Should we bring back a body for Anna to study?" suggested Ian. He wasn''t medically trained, so he wasn''t able to assess if this was caused by a disease.


    "No, I don''t want to bring it into the bunker in case it spreads. I''ll have Anna come out here with Alpha Team so she can take a look," he said.


    Rayne stood by the side, looking at the dead bodies. She felt uncomfortable around them but forced herself to stay.


    Listening in on Julian''s and Ian''s conversation, she curiously looked at the bodies, noticing the spots with the abnormalities. It looked as if all of the major veins in the body had been enlarged and were popping out from under the skin. It was very grotesque, making her shudder.


    Julian spent a few more minutes studying the strangeness on the dead bodies alongside Ian.


    "Okay, have this body moved to a remote location. Anna will come out and study it, hopefully tomorrow. Let''s head back to base with our scavenged supplies now."


    The group moved the body Julian chose and went back toward the gas station where the jeeps were parked.


    The way back was easier to walk because Ian, along with Noah and the Alpha Team, had cleared out a small path on their way over. Julian picked up his cardboard box from the middle of the street, which contained the supplies he looted from the warehouse store and electronics store.


    Although he now knew that Rayne could easily resupply the entire base with a wave of her hand if she wanted to, he still wanted to cover for her, helping her guard such a big secret.


    The group reached the cars without any issues and set off to make their way back to the bunker.


    It was very late into the night when they finally arrived, and everyone quickly retired to their respective rooms to rest for the night.


    Anna was called to check on Julian''s injuries before he went to bed. "They look good. Rayne did a good job disinfecting and bandaging the deep cuts. I''ll come by in the morning to redress the wounds."


    As soon as Rayne got back to her room, she went straight for the bathroom, taking a nice hot shower. The bunker got its water from the large river that cut through the valley, so Rayne felt like she could indulge in a longer shower every once in a while. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After drying off, she applied a medical cream to all the places with cuts and bruises on her body, then put on a set of warm cotton pajamas.


    So much had happened today, leaving her exhausted. While she had another life-threatening encounter, the fact that she was able to share her secret about the system with Julian left her feeling happy.


    She quickly fell asleep in her soft, warm bed, with thoughts of Julian''s strong arms embracing her.


    The next morning, she woke up later than usual. By the time she came out of her room, the guys had already finished breakfast, and Anna had time to change Julian''s bandages. She was getting ready to go out with the rest of Alpha Team to inspect the body that was left in the city.


    Rayne walked into the kitchen, still half asleep.


    "Good morning. Sleep well?" she heard Julian''s voice behind her.

 Chapter 78 - 78: First Date

    (A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, as promised this chapter is part of the mini mass release as a thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review!)


    "Yes, I slept very deeply last night. What about you? How are your injuries?" she asked, yawning. Her eyes were still watery from just waking up.


    Julian chuckled, seeing her drowsy state. "I slept great, fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed, although the mattress at the post office was nicer."


    He walked over and began brewing a pot of coffee. "Go sit down. What do you want to eat? There''s still one bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich left. Let me heat it up for you."


    Rayne walked over to sit at the table in a daze, but her cheeks still flushed from his kind gesture. "Thank you, it''s been a long time since someone made breakfast for me," she said shyly.


    Julian shook his head while placing the frozen breakfast sandwich into the toaster oven. "Well, the most I''m doing really is heating it up for you, so I can''t take all the credit. But this coffee will be amazing, just watch."


    Rayne giggled, thinking he was really adorable when he joked around like this.


    When the coffee finished, he poured some into two mugs, then retrieved the toasted breakfast sandwich from the toaster oven and brought it to the table.


    "Here, be careful; it''s hot," he said as he placed the coffee and sandwich in front of Rayne.


    She smiled. "Thank you. It smells so good." She carefully took a sip of the coffee, savoring the addictive, bitter taste of freshly brewed coffee.


    Julian watched her eat, then suddenly asked, "Are you busy tonight?"


    She placed the mug down and looked at him questioningly. "Am I busy? No, why?" She wasn''t sure what she could be busy with.


    "So... I was wondering... if you wanted to watch a movie with me tonight," Julian asked, lightly fidgeting with his cup of coffee, feeling a little nervous.


    Rayne felt her face flush slightly as her heart pounded. Nodding, she replied, "Yes, I''d love to." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian smiled, feeling relieved. "Awesome. So how about dinner time? We can eat in my room while we watch a movie; I have one picked out!"


    "Okay! Sounds good, I''ll make something nice for dinner then," replied Rayne happily. She had not expected Julian to take the initiative to invite her over, but felt very happy inside.


    She had just recently realized that she had feelings for him and wanted to see where they would lead.


    Once Rayne finished eating, Julian stood up and cleaned her plate for her. As he washed the dirty dishes, he turned his head toward Rayne. "Oh, can you give me that black box from yesterday? I''m gonna bring it down to the lab and see if I can get it open."


    "Oh, sure, here you go," said Rayne as she quickly opened her system panel and pressed the icon of the box, making it appear in her hand.


    Julian watched the box appear out of thin air, feeling like he would never get used to such an incredible sight. He finished cleaning the dishes, dried his hands, and grabbed the box out of Rayne''s hands.


    "Okay, I''ll head down to the lab to see if I can get this open. I look forward to tonight," he said, smiling.


    "Please let me know if you open it. I''m curious about what could be inside. And... I''m also looking forward to tonight," said Rayne.


    After Julian walked away with the box, Rayne returned to her room to brainstorm how to prepare for her first date. She was so excited and slightly nervous. She had only ever been on dates with Dillon previously, and he mostly just brought her around to run errands.


    She flopped down on her bed and opened up her system panel, scrolling through the clothing folder. She wanted to wear something special for this first informal date. Rayne scrolled through various dresses, feeling that most of them were too much for just a movie.


    She came across a cute pair of jeans and decided to wear them with a cute top. The top she picked out was a green off-the-shoulder top with long sleeves. The material was very light and soft, making it breathable and comfortable to wear.


    Rayne set aside the outfit as well as some jewelry to put on later and got up to do some work. She left her room and went to restock the fridge with supplies from her system as well as some prepared foods.


    The communal kitchen and living room were also getting dirty, with dust building up on the floors from the constant traffic, so Rayne took it upon herself to clean these rooms.


    Hours passed quickly, and Rayne finally went back to her room to get ready for the movie date with Julian. After taking a shower, she got dressed and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked cute and fresh, and the green color of the shirt highlighted the green in her eyes, making them pop.


    Rayne lightly did her makeup and styled her hair down in cascading curls. Her heart was beating strongly from excitement.


    Walking down the hall, she stopped in front of Julian''s door and knocked lightly. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Julian with nothing but a towel around his waist.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I thought the knock was from Noah! Please give me a few minutes to get dressed. Make yourself comfortable in the meantime," said Julian as he walked back inside.


    Rayne stepped in and noticed that his room was larger than hers and also had a separate room with a door to his bedroom. Although there was more space, aside from a single desk in the corner, the furniture was the same as what her room had.


    "Looks like they didn''t put much thought into interior design when they were making the finishing touches," she mumbled as she sat down on the small couch.


    Julian was in the bathroom drying off and getting dressed. He glanced at the clean set of clothes on the counter and felt that they were too plain.


    When he opened the door and saw Rayne, he was nearly taken aback by how beautiful she was. He could tell she had put a lot of thought into her appearance for today''s hangout, and he felt touched.


    He slid his fingers through his thick hair and looked at himself in the mirror, wanting to look good for her too.

 Chapter 79 - 79: First Date 2

    (A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews, as promised this chapter is part of the mini mass release as a thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review!)


    Julian walked into his bedroom from the bathroom and opened his dresser. He pulled out a sleek black t-shirt with a deep V-neck and a pair of black pants. He even walked over and sprayed two spritz of his favorite musky cologne.


    "Okay, you got this," he mumbled, giving himself a little pep talk before walking out.


    He saw Rayne sitting quietly on the couch, deep in thought. "Hey, what are you thinking about so seriously?" he asked curiously.


    Rayne snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Julian. She noticed his slightly different attire and felt her heart race.


    Oh my goodness. He''s so good-looking!


    "I was just thinking about redecorating your room... if you''re interested!" she said happily, the tips of her ears turning pink.


    Julian widened his eyes and looked around his room. He had never really paid attention to it before, but it did look rather barren and cold.


    "I would love for you to help me make this place more homey," he said, looking back at her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"


    Rayne stood up excitedly. "Umm, could you take any of your important belongings out of the drawers? Other than that, do you have any particular style?" she asked as she looked around the room, coming up with a design plan.


    "Nope, you have full freedom! Well... please don''t make it princess pink or something," he laughed and went to collect his things.


    Rayne got to work excitedly and began to store the existing furniture. A few minutes later, the room was left completely empty.


    Opening the system panel, Rayne navigated to where the furniture was and picked out a number of items.


    She chose a large leather L-shaped sofa, complementing the larger room. Before placing it down, she first laid out a grey, chevron-patterned rug, covering the cold concrete floors.


    Rayne then placed a large, solid wood coffee table in front of the sofa and a matching console table to hold the TV.


    She replaced the small flatscreen TV with a larger one and added smaller decor items like pillows, throws, vases, and books to the empty surfaces.


    When Julian finally left his room after he finished emptying the dresser, he was shocked! The room looked unrecognizable¡ªsleek and stylish.


    He noticed that Rayne had picked out leather and wood elements, making it feel industrial and slightly more masculine.


    There was even a faux tree in the corner that added some greenery.


    "Wow! It looks incredible! Thank you, Rayne!" he exclaimed happily.


    Rayne smiled at him, happy with how the room turned out. "Okay, if you don''t mind, let me redecorate your bedroom."


    Julian stood at the door to his bedroom and motioned for her to come in. "Yes, of course!"


    He stood in the doorway and watched as Rayne placed her hand on each piece of furniture before it vanished.


    It only took her a few moments to completely empty the bedroom.


    "Wow, what a handy ability..." Julian couldn''t help but comment.


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. "It really is! When I moved a few months back, I didn''t even need to hire a moving company! It was very convenient!"


    She picked out a leather bedframe to continue with the industrial style. It was a large, king-size bed, but like her own, it needed to be put together first.


    "Here, would you mind helping with the bedframe? It should be fairly straightforward to put together," she said as she handed him a power tool.


    "Sure thing!" he said, quickly getting to work.


    While he was setting up the bedframe, Rayne laid out another rug and placed a dresser down along with two nightstands on each side of where the bed would be.


    She also pulled out a large, full-length mirror to place against the wall across from the dresser, along with smaller decor items.


    Julian was almost finished with the bedframe, and she walked over to help with the final steps. The two of them worked quickly, and a few minutes later, the frame was finished.


    After they pushed it into place, Rayne took out a king-size luxury mattress along with a few sets of sheets, pillows, and blankets.


    The room was completely transformed, making it feel relaxing and moody.


    "I must say, your sense of style is very good," complimented Julian. He was very happy to now live in such a comfortable and relaxing space.


    He walked over to Rayne and pulled her into his arms, hugging her.


    "Thank you, Rayne. I love it."


    Rayne felt her heart race and her face flush. She could smell the musky cologne on him, making all her senses tingle.


    She felt like time stopped as she let him hold her in his embrace. They stood like that for a few moments, enjoying the moment together.


    Julian slowly released her from his arms and gently led her over to the new leather sofa, holding her by the hand.


    "Let''s get that movie going. I''ve been excited to watch it since I saw it on your external hard drive you packed for me," said Julian.


    Rayne sat down, smiling. She was curious about what movie Julian had chosen; he seemed so excited. There were hundreds of different movies she had downloaded, most of which were titles she''d never even heard of. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Excitedly, she looked over at Julian, who had just finished connecting his laptop to the TV, waiting for him to pull up the movie.


    "Well? Are you excited to see what I picked?" he asked mysteriously.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes. I''m very curious what kind of movies the CEO of REN Corporation is into."


    Julian smiled, showing his perfect, white teeth. "Tah-dah!"


    [A Hundred Ways to Catch a Fish]


    Rayne read the title over and over until she burst out into laughter!


    "Hahaha! Julian, oh my goodness, really?" she laughed.


    He laughed with her. "What?! You think I''m just going to let you be the only one who can catch a fish? No way, I''m determined!"


    Rayne laughed to the point of tears, remembering their previous fishing outing. Julian only managed to catch clumps of grass the entire day.


    "Okay, okay. Let''s watch this. I''m curious to see how much you can improve from it," she giggled.


    Julian watched Rayne laugh her heart out and felt warm inside. He really loved her smiles and laughs, wishing he could see them every day.


    "Oh, before we start the movie, what would you like for dinner? If I may offer a suggestion, I recommend this steak," she said, quickly pulling up her system screen once more.


    She was so busy laughing that she nearly forgot about dinner!


    "Oh, steak sounds great! It''s been so long since I''ve had it!" he said, quickly accepting her recommendation.


    After hearing his reply, Rayne quickly took out two steaks, placing them on the coffee table. She also pulled out a pair of wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.


    "I''ve never been much of a wine drinker, so I don''t really know what''s good or not. But if I remember correctly, this bottle was expensive... not that I paid for it," she said shyly.


    Julian widened his eyes dramatically. "Ms. Weston?! Shoplifting?? I better go turn you in right now!" He took the bottle from her hands and turned it over to look at the label.


    "Oh wow, this indeed is a good bottle. This brand of Cabernet Sauvignon is indeed an expensive one, aged too," he said. He was pleasantly surprised that she even got ahold of something as nice as this.

 Chapter 80 - 80: First Date 3

    She smiled upon hearing that it was indeed a good bottle. "Well, let''s enjoy it to our heart''s content since we''ve got an endless supply of it!"


    Julian opened the bottle of wine with the opener Rayne had handed him and poured the red wine into their glasses.


    While Julian was dealing with the wine, Rayne took out the silverware and a few sides. There was a small basket of freshly baked dinner rolls and butter, as well as two plates of a delicious Mediterranean-style salad.


    The plate of steak already had a small side of mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, making it a well-rounded dinner.


    Once everything was situated, they turned off the main lights, leaving only a lamp on in the corner for some dim lighting, and started the movie.


    They ate while watching the movie, laughing at the funny scenes.


    To Rayne''s surprise, although the movie title was about catching fish, it was actually a comedic action film about a pro fisherman who fishes up an old relic and gets caught up in a mafia war over it. The only way he was able to make it out of difficult situations was by catching fish and hiding the relic in the fish''s bodies.


    They finished eating about halfway through the movie, when Julian subtly scooted Rayne closer toward him so they were almost cuddling.


    Rayne was so invested in the movie that she didn''t even notice she was curled up on Julian!


    He looked down at her, noticing how comfortable she was around him, and smiled internally. The feeling of having her by his side was very nice, and he hoped they could spend more time like this in the future.


    "Ah! Can you believe he got away with that?! I mean, it was so obvious that the relic was right there!" Rayne nearly jumped out of the sofa.


    Chuckling, Julian shook his head. "I think they did it on purpose. It''s supposed to be a comedy."


    Rayne quickly sat down, feeling slightly embarrassed. She also just realized how close she had been sitting to Julian, and her heart began racing.


    To break her nervousness, she looked over at Julian and asked, "So, were you able to open the box? I''m really curious what''s inside." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, so far I haven''t fully figured out the mechanism, but I think I''m close. Tomorrow, I will spend more time on it. I''m also curious about what could be inside something so securely locked. By the way, where did you find it?" replied Julian.


    Rayne leaned back against the sofa. "Well, it''s a long story, but I saw my ex at a bar, and he looked like he was dealing with some sketchy-looking guy. They seemed really interested in the box, so I walked over, made a scene, and stashed the box amidst the chaos."


    Julian looked at her with an indescribable expression. "God, you''re so hot." He didn''t even realize that he had said what he was thinking out loud until Rayne turned beet red.


    Instead of apologizing for his words, he moved closer to Rayne and put his arm around her. "I want to know more about you. Tell me some more of the things you like or don''t like. I can be anything."


    Feeling a little shy at first, her words came out quietly. "I like iced coffee and sunny days..." After a few rounds of back and forth, she got more comfortable being held and answered with more emotion.


    "OH! And Ella, my friend, the one who won second place at the design contest, is hilarious. I''ve always seen her as a quiet, studious type, but after getting to know her more, she''s a little crazy..." she said, talking happily about her friend.


    After finishing her story about Ella, Rayne frowned slightly. "I hope she''s holding up okay. I made sure to drop off a lot of random supplies that could be helpful to her before the apocalypse started, but I feel like I should have done more."


    Julian listened, happy to hear that Rayne had such a good friend. He had a vague impression of Ella, being Reginald''s daughter, but he had never dealt with her personally.


    "Don''t worry. I know Reginald, her father, quite well. He''s very astute and excels at decision-making. I''m sure he''s gotten his family to a safe place. If we run across them in the future, we can help them out more."


    Rayne nodded, silently praying that Ella and her family were doing okay and that they could someday meet up once more. She missed having Ella around but knew that, at the time, it would have been difficult to explain how she knew about the disaster.


    "Oh, I heard news that the government is finally opening a few bases for survivors to move to. If the information we got was correct, then one of the planned bases is the mountain resort relatively close by," added Julian.


    "Oh, that''s interesting! It''ll be convenient to visit there if that''s the case," said Rayne happily. She would be able to visit and contribute resources to the base, helping out the people secretly!


    Julian saw her sparkling eyes, feeling that she really was too kind. He would have to keep a close eye on her so that she didn''t get into unnecessary trouble.


    The two of them continued to chat while practically cuddling on the comfortable leather sofa. Rayne found that talking to him was even easier now than when he stayed with her. She attributed this to her finally having revealed her secret about the system and the apocalypse to him, feeling like she didn''t need to hold back on the things she said.


    Soon, the topics changed, pivoting toward Julian.


    "So, do you have a family? You seem to know my father well, but I know nothing about yours," asked Rayne curiously.


    When she did her research on REN Corporation, very few things showed up about Julian, and even less about his personal life and family.


    "Ah, yes, I do have a family, although I am not very close with any of them. Other than my mother and father, I also have a younger sister about your age," he said openly.


    Rayne listened. "Oh, what is she like?" She would''ve never guessed that he had a sister and tried to picture what she looked like in her head.


    "She''s just an entitled leech... Actually, all of my family members are like that," smiled Julian before continuing, "Growing up, I had minimal support. I remember my father refusing to fund any of my schooling, even though I was top of my class, and he had more than enough money.


    While we weren''t extremely rich back then, my father still had a good salary from being a manager at an insurance company. I guess they were just always extremely greedy," he shrugged.


    (A/N: Happy New Years to everyone! I will only be releasing 1 chapter today and tomorrow as I''m celebrating the holidays. Will be back to the usual 2chapters/day after! Thank you!)

 Chapter 81 - 81: New Recruits

    (A/N: R18 scene ahead)


    "Now the three of them won''t get off my back, constantly asking for more and more money. The funny part is that the argument my parents make is that if it wasn''t for them, I wouldn''t have made it to where I am," laughed Julian.


    His childhood had been really difficult, being ignored and rarely shown any affection. "One of the best days of my life was when I turned 18 and moved out," he added.


    Rayne''s heart hurt for him. She never expected that the country''s most successful businessman and researcher would have had such a difficult childhood.


    Rayne leaned over and put her arms around his waist, giving him a hug. "I''m sorry you had such a hard childhood. I am proud of your success. Being able to take hold of your future like that takes a lot of strength."


    Julian felt warm from her hug. He lifted her so that she was now sitting on his lap and placed his arms around her. "Thank you, Rayne. Your words mean a lot to me."


    The two of them continued to sit in each other''s embrace, talking until the early hours of the morning.


    -------


    Hidden base.


    The leader of the gang had finally made it back to base and went over to report his status to Dillon.


    Knock! Knock!


    He listened to the sounds of moaning from the other side of the door. His boss was very sexually active so this was nothing new to him.


    "Come in!", Dillon''s voice rang from inside.


    The man quickly walked in, turning his gaze down to the ground. Dillon was currently balls deep inside of Krissy, holding her from behind. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, did you find them?", asked Dillon as he continued to thrust.


    The man knelt on the ground, "Boss, we found two pretty women and were in the process of bringing them over, however half way we were attacked. I am the only survivor from the team, and the two women got away.


    "Tsk!", Dillon thrusted more aggressively taking his anger out on Krissy, making her yell out. "Useless, you can''t even secure a decent looking bitch".


    The man shook, worried Dillon might get angry enough to kill him. "Boss, I''ve dealt with the person who killed my men. I threw a grenade into the building they were hiding, I watched it collapse with my own eyes".


    Dillon remained silent, continuing his rhythmic movements with Krissy. "Anything else?", asked Dillon after a few more moments of silence.


    "Ah...Well maybe one thing, whoever the person was had a completely silent weapon. From where they were located, even with the best silencer, I would have still been able to hear the gun shot. But there was nothing, not a single sound".


    Dillon finally glanced at the man, pausing his thrusts for a moment, "And you didn''t think to investigate? How fucking useless are you?"


    "Ahh....Sorry boss, I''ll head back immediately", he said, scrambling off the ground. Before he had a chance to fully stand up he heard Dillon speak once more.


    "Wait, go and gather up another small team. Get four men from the new recruits and take them with you tomorrow. This is your last chance...".


    The man stood up and bowed, listening to Krissy''s moans as Dillon rammed inside her once more.


    "Understood, thank you boss!", he said and quickly scurried out of the room. Dillon continued to take his frustrations out on Krissy, her voice ringing out loudly.


    The man quickly made his way over to where the new recruits were staying and quickly looked at the group of men who were blissful to be able to have escaped the homelessness and starvation of the outside world.


    Changing his demeanor from the meek and frightened person he just was in front of Dillon, he strutted inside like he owned the place.


    "Listen up. Today is your lucky day! Four of you will have the opportunity to prove yourself and rise into the the ranks. As you can imagine, the more you prove yourself, the better quality of life you can enjoy. So who wants to have a chance at a better life?", he announced in a boisterous voice.


    Most of the men stood up instantly, with a sparkle in their eye. "Boss, chose me! I''m strong", a few yelled out, trying to gain an advantage to get chosen.


    All of these men have recently escaped starvation. Some were sick, and were promised medicine if they joined. They were all eager for a better life, and quickly volunteered to be chosen.


    The man carefully looked through the eager men, sizing them up. Unfortunately most of them were skinny from the weeks of starvation, but he ended up choosing four men.


    "You, you, and you come here. Also you in the back with the blue shirt. Congratulations, you''ve been chosen. I''m your leader for this assignment, you can call me Leader Ace".


    The four men walked over happily, "Thank you Leader Ace!", they chimed out.


    Ace looked at their submissive attitude and felt happy on the inside. "Good, meet me here tomorrow at 8 am, we''ll set off then". He then walked back to his own living quarters.


    ----


    Alpha Team finally arrived at the place where they hid one of the bodies for Anna to examine. Anna walked over and cut off the clothing off of the dead man''s body. She noticed the bulging veins that Julian and Ian briefed her on and quickly went over to do a full medical examination.


    "Could someone bring me my medical bag? I need to take a blood sample", she yelled out to her team.


    Jess was the one standing closest to where Anna''s belongings were but pretended she couldn''t hear her. She now had a deep resentment towards Anna after the humiliating dinner party and couldn''t be bother running errands for her.


    A different member of the team saw this and shook his head, he walked over and brought Anna her things. Jess''s behavior was increasingly more unprofessional, and most of the members of Alpha Team have picked up on it.


    Anna was too busy to notice Jess''s poor attitude. "Thank you", she said to her teammate who brought her the bag, and got to work after pulling out a syringe.

 Chapter 82 - 82: Vanishing Pancakes

    When Anna began to draw blood, she noticed that the color was off from what you would normally expect. Typically, the blood would have a bluish-purple tinge, but the blood in this body was bright red¡ª even brighter than a living person''s.


    "This is unlike anything I''ve ever seen," she mumbled to herself. She knew there was certainly something off about this.


    "Can you show me where the other bodies are? I want to examine them as well," she asked one of the members of Alpha Team who had come here earlier.


    He led Anna to the street in front of the warehouse store, where the other bodies lay. Anna bent down and inspected the other three bodies, finding similarities between them all.


    "This is certainly something. I won''t know for sure until we get back and I can run a few blood tests, but this doesn''t seem like a disease," she stated, giving her initial opinion.


    Once Anna finished, she, along with the rest of the members of Alpha Team, packed up and set off back to the base.


    ---


    Rayne woke up late the next morning. It was already early morning when she finally left Julian''s room and went to sleep.


    Laying on her bed, she smiled brightly, thinking about her time with Julian yesterday. They had so many different topics to talk about, and she felt like she had learned a lot more about him.


    She got dressed after taking a shower and got to work, busying herself in the communal kitchen area. Today, she decided to make a large amount of pancakes¡ª some for herself and extras to freeze and reheat later.


    As she finished mixing the batter and pouring it carefully on the hot griddle, she realized that it had been oddly quiet this morning. Usually, Noah would have come by for his third cup of coffee by now, but she didn''t see or hear anyone.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to focus on cooking, and a while later, she had a few tall stacks of pancakes. Walking over to the table, she sat down to eat her portion while it was still hot. She took this time to allow the other pancakes to cool down so that she could package them properly and place them in the freezer for later use.


    "Oh, I forgot the syrup!" she said and quickly looked around before opening up her system to take out a bottle of natural maple syrup.


    Just as she began to eat, Julian, Noah, and Ian came running into the kitchen.


    "What smells so good?!" asked Noah, sniffing the air. Ian looked around the kitchen, spotting the steaming stacks of pancakes, and quickly walked over to fill his plate.


    Julian saw Rayne sitting at the table and came over to sit beside her. "Good morning! Wow, these look amazing. We practically ran up from the lab once we smelled the delicious scent."


    "Good morning!" smiled Rayne. "So you were all holed up in the lab! I was wondering where everyone went."


    "Yeah, Anna came back from the city with blood samples, and we were in the lab running tests. I also have made progress on the box. I''m pretty sure I will be able to open it today," said Julian. Once Noah and Ian filled their plates, Julian stood up to get a plate for himself.


    Everyone joined Rayne at the table, passing around the maple syrup and enjoying the food.


    "Hopefully Anna will be able to isolate the anomaly in the blood sample," said Ian. He was very interested in what could have caused this strange change in the bodies.


    "She said she was almost done. I''m sure she''ll have news once we''re back," chimed in Noah. He looked over at Julian to see if he had anything to say but noticed that Julian was too busy enjoying the pancakes.


    He looked over at Rayne and smiled. "You probably already know this, but he''s a total foodie. Whenever we had business meetings, I always had to make sure that wherever the meeting was held had good-tasting food."


    Rayne looked over at Julian and smiled, holding back a laugh. "Oh, really? I knew he enjoyed good food, but now I''m picturing a whole different picture."


    "Oh, and don''t even get me started on the poor waitresses who fled the room as if it was about to explode. Julian always had a knack for scaring them away," laughed Noah.


    Julian lifted his head and frowned. "Hey, I didn''t do anything! It was the waitresses who just stood there and stared at me after delivering my food! If I was into having people watch me eat, I''d be a mukbang content creator!"


    Rayne couldn''t hold back and started laughing, infecting everyone with her cheerful mood. Even Ian laughed, picturing his boss as an internet mukbang sensation.


    After Rayne finished eating, she went over to wash her plate and utensils before dealing with the extra pancakes she made to freeze. Looking over at the plate, she realized there were no pancakes left! The three of them ended up eating every single one!


    Shaking her head, she resigned herself to her fate and made a double portion for later.


    "Hey Rayne, would you like to come down to the lab with us?" asked Julian as he got up to wash his plate.


    "Oh, sure! I''m very curious about what the findings are," she said, happy to have been invited down. This would be her first time venturing down into the lower levels of the bunker, and she was excited to see it.


    After Ian and Noah cleaned up, the four of them set off to the laboratory in the lower floors. On their way over, they walked by the armories and utility rooms. Rayne excitedly looked around, eager to see more of her design in the flesh.


    When they arrived in the laboratory, Rayne spotted Anna hunched over, looking into a microscope.


    "Well, any discoveries?" asked Ian. He walked over to Anna''s side and watched her as she examined the sample under the microscope.


    Without looking away from the microscope, Anna answered, "Yes, I''ve basically confirmed that this is a synthetic substance, so that rules out a natural disease. It''s most likely some sort of drug, but I still haven''t identified what the drug does to the body. I also can''t isolate the substance from the rest of the blood sample due to how it lodges itself into the blood cells directly." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 83 - 83: The Box

    Julian''s expression turned serious. If this truly was a synthetic drug, he could almost guarantee that this was somehow tied to Damien. He was the only one that Julian knew who could develop a new drug with such a strong reaction in the body that it fused itself into the cells.


    Ian looked over at Julian and saw his thoughtful expression. "Boss, I think this is somehow linked to Damien."


    Julian nodded. "I''m almost certain it is. The real question now is: What exactly does it do?" He stood there, quietly thinking of all the possible things this drug could do. It clearly affected the body heavily, but the effects could be anything.


    Rayne was also deep in thought. She wondered if this drug had anything to do with the apocalypse and was also curious about its effects. For some reason, her mind kept going back to the box she took from Dillon. Her gut was telling her that it was somehow related.


    "Julian, how about we try to open the box? I don''t know why, but I feel that it''s somehow related to this," she said quietly, trying not to disturb Anna.


    Julian looked over at Rayne curiously. He wasn''t sure how the two could be related, but he was close to opening the box anyway. "Sure, let''s go see if I can get it open."


    They walked over to the other side of the lab where Julian usually tinkered with new weapon prototypes. Rayne noticed the box surrounded by various tools on his workbench.


    Julian sat down and picked up a small tool that reminded Rayne of a long metal toothpick and began to tinker with the lock. Rayne sat down on the small stool beside Julian and watched him work quietly.


    Although she couldn''t tell if any progress was being made just by watching, she heard Julian''s mumbles saying that he had almost got it open.


    He worked quickly and efficiently, and about twenty minutes later, Rayne heard a soft click!


    "It''s open!" announced Julian, happy with his work.


    Rayne leaned over and looked inside, noticing a small glass vial that was securely fastened inside the box. It held a crimson red, powder-like substance that was so vibrant that it gave off a soft glow.


    Julian carefully picked up the vial and inspected the sand-like powder inside. The color alone made him feel like Rayne was correct about it being related to the anomaly found on the bodies. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I think you''re right. This might be the substance that caused the change in those men. If this truly is the drug, you have helped progress the investigation hundred-fold."


    Rayne had mixed feelings. She was glad that the box could possibly solve the issue of figuring out what caused such a change in the men''s bodies, but she was also worried about the effects of the drug. She also couldn''t understand why Dillon would get involved in such an illegal business.


    Julian handed the vial over to Rayne and leaned in to whisper, "Could you step out and store this? I want to begin running tests, but the sample amount is so little that there might not be enough."


    He felt a little wrong asking her to use her ability for him, but this could possibly reveal what Damien had been working on these past few years. He desperately wanted this information.


    Rayne noticed his pleading look as he asked her and wondered why he seemed so desperate. She, of course, didn''t mind storing this small vial at all. If anything, she was very happy that she could be useful!


    She nodded and gave him a small thumbs-up, carefully taking the vial from his hands. While he asked her to step outside, Rayne was confident that she could store such a small item in the blink of an eye.


    She turned her body so that only Julian could see the vial in her hands and quickly gave the mental command to store and take out the vial. It happened so quickly that even Julian, who was watching the vial in Rayne''s hands, didn''t notice that it vanished for a split second.


    "Here," she said, handing the vial back to him. She noticed his confused expression, wondering why she didn''t go out to store it and just handed it back to him.


    Giggling lightly, she took her other hand and handed him a second vial, showing him that the task was already done.


    Julian was even more surprised to see her pull out a copy. "So fast?!" he said quietly, not believing his eyes. He was sure that he was watching the vial in her hands intently, but even so, she was able to store it so quickly!


    Rayne nodded happily. She found the feeling of surprising Julian a lot of fun, proud of her mental ability.


    Julian took the two vials and walked over to the other side of the lab where Anna and the others were.


    "Anna, I believe I may have found the substance in its pure form. Are you able to run some tests on it?" asked Julian, presenting the two vials of red powder.


    "Boss! How did you find this?" asked Ian with wide eyes. He never would have expected his boss to be so resourceful.


    Julian didn''t want to involve Rayne too much, so he just shrugged off Ian''s question. "That''s not important right now. We need to figure out if this is indeed what''s responsible and what it does."


    Anna looked over, studying the vial intently. "Boss, I can try my best, but at the end of the day, I''m a doctor, not a chemist. If we can, I would highly recommend that we find a chemist to run the tests." While she had extensive medical knowledge, she was not someone who dabbled in synthetic drug production and wasn''t very familiar with the process.


    Julian frowned, but knew what she said was true. He couldn''t expect her to be able to do all of this on her own, and finding a chemist would be the best option. The only question left was where to find them.

 Chapter 84 - 84: Prepping to Leave

    Anna still took the vials from Julian. "I can at least try to study them to the best of my ability in the meantime. Just no promises on any groundbreaking discoveries."


    "Thank you, Anna. Just be careful; I don''t want this substance to affect you in any way," said Julian.


    She nodded. "Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to wear the proper protective equipment." Anna then turned her attention back to the microscope to continue studying the blood sample.


    Julian turned to Noah. "We''re going to need to find a suitable chemist, the sooner the better. I heard that the government opened up a base nearby in the resort area. Can you send a few from the scouting team to check it out?"


    "Yes, of course. I''ll make arrangements right away," said Noah, walking away.


    Ian decided to stay with Anna and help her out in the lab. He was very interested in figuring out what his drug was about and enjoyed Anna''s company.


    Rayne made her way back up to the living quarters with Julian, chatting along the way.


    "So you said your ex-fianc¨¦ was holding this box and then passed it along to a sketchy man one night at a bar?" asked Julian. He was even more interested in figuring out the origins of this box and how closely related it was to Damien.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, it was exactly that. It was the night of the PRISMA gala, actually. I went to the bar with Ella; we both witnessed it." She felt a little weird talking about Dillon to Julian, but she noticed how serious Julian was about the box.


    When they reached the communal living space, Julian placed his arms around her, hugging her tightly.


    "Thank you, Rayne. You''ve helped me out so much already. You''re my lucky star," he said in a low, masculine voice.


    Rayne was a little surprised by the sudden hug but was very happy on the inside. She felt the hidden emotions behind Julian''s words. Although he hadn''t explained who Damien was, she knew that he felt strongly about this person.


    Turning around, she placed her arms around his waist, hugging him back. "Don''t worry, we''ll find the chemist and get to the bottom of it," she said resolutely.


    Julian felt very comforted by her embrace and words. Bending down, he rested his head against hers, giving her a big squeeze. "Mhm, we will."


    ----


    In the countryside.


    "Hey, welcome back, Dad! Were you able to find any information?" asked Ella. Reginald had been out for over 20 hours looking for information on the government shelters.


    "Yes, I''ve finally obtained reliable information. We can head over tomorrow morning," he said as he took off his jacket. It was still raining sporadically outside, and he wore a jacket to protect himself from the rain.


    "Oh, that''s lovely, honey! I''ll begin packing our things," said Ella''s mom, standing up to begin packing. Ella stood up to help her mom and began to fold the clothing and blankets.


    Reginald walked over to the chair he brought down from the main house and sat down to relax. He had been walking non-stop for almost an entire day and was exhausted. Watching his wife and daughter working diligently to pack their things, he was happy that he was able to find a relatively safe base location for his family.


    "Once you finish packing the items, I''ll move them into the car. Try to fit as many things as you can. I heard that there is an entry fee to get into the base. It seems that supplies are the new currency," said Reginald, sharing what he had discovered today.


    "Where did you end up going, Dad?" asked Ella as she packed her things into plastic boxes.


    "So, the neighboring town has a small antiques store. I met an elderly man there who pulled out a hand-crank radio, and he kindly played the message for me," he replied.


    "Oh, you should''ve bought the radio from him," said Ella. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald nodded. "Yes, I tried, but the man said that this was his only entertainment and wasn''t willing to part with it. I don''t blame him; hearing the radio brought me a sense of comfort, even if it was just an emergency broadcast."


    The two women worked diligently, packing everything very tightly into boxes and bags. Reginald also stood up to help once he felt a little rested. The family worked quickly together, loading up their large car to the brim, leaving only the items they needed for the night.


    "Dad, I packed the small gas can from the lawnmower too. Hopefully, we''ll have enough gas to make it over to the shelter," said Ella as she walked back into the basement.


    "Yes, I hope so too. We can try stopping by the more remote gas stations on the way to see if we can find more fuel," he replied. The exhaustion was written all over his face. After a full day of walking, packing, and now worrying about the upcoming trip, Reginald was ready to call it a night.


    "Here, honey, go rest. We''ll take care of the rest; there''s not much left," said his sweet wife, placing a blanket over him. Her heart ached for her husband; she knew how much effort he had been putting in making sure she and their daughter were taken care of.


    Reginald quickly fell asleep under his wife''s gentle care, while the ladies continued to finish the last of their packing. Ella made sure to run into the house and store an album of childhood family photos along with any of her and her mother''s precious jewelry.


    Ever since her father said there would be an entrance fee, her mind was racing with what sort of goods she could bring to make their future life a little more comfortable.


    As she was making her way back to the basement, she walked past the dining room. Since this room was on the first floor, it was still relatively intact. She walked in, looking around for anything that could be salvaged when she spotted the wine cabinet in the corner of the room.


    Ella''s eyes lit up! While wine was not a practical resource in the current economy, it would still be considered a luxury resource! Perhaps the value would go up even more with time. She quickly walked over and carefully placed the unopened bottles in a box, then placed them inside the car.


    As she turned to head back inside the house, she spotted shadowy figures approaching from down the street. It was already night time, so she couldn''t make out who they were, but she noticed there was a whole group.


    Ella quickly ran back inside, running down the stairs to wake her father up.


    "Ella! What are you doing? Let your father rest!" scolded her mother.


    Ella continued to shake her father and turned to look at her mom. "Mom, get ready. We need to leave now. There''s a whole mob of people making their way over here right now!"


    Reginald woke up, hearing Ella''s words. "What?! Hurry up, get in the car now!" He sprang out of bed and ran upstairs to start the car.


    Ella looked over and saw her mom trying to fold the blankets to bring with them. She ran up to her side and grabbed her by the arm to drag her up the stairs.


    "Mom, leave it! We need to leave now! They''ll be here any moment!" urged Ella. Her mother listened to her words, dropped the blanket, and followed Ella up the stairs and into the car.

 Chapter 85 - 85: Late Night Attack

    "Hey, are you sure you''re leading us to the right place?" asked one of the thugs. "We''ve been walking forever."


    "Yes, it''s just up the road. I know for sure; I followed them here myself," replied the tall, skinny man.


    The leader of the group listened to the skinny man''s words and continued to walk. "Shut up and keep walking. Once we are there, we can loot the whole house. They had nice bikes we already stole; they must have many more good items."


    "Yes, boss!" the men said as they picked up their pace. They had been looting many houses over the last few days, gaining many good things. Their boss had said that he had spotted a rich-looking family a few days back at the shopping plaza, and today was the chosen day to loot them.


    The skinny man walked in front of the group, leading them to the house, but as he got closer, he noticed movement coming from the house.


    "Boss! Bad news, I think they spotted us and are trying to flee!" he shouted.


    "What! Hurry up, we need to stop them from taking their goods with them!" shouted the boss, ordering his men to sprint full speed ahead.


    Reginald noticed the sea of people running toward them at full speed and quickly yelled at Ella and his wife to hurry up.


    "Hurry, get in! They''re almost here!" he shouted as he began to back the car out of the driveway. Ella and her mother sprinted to the car, getting in just as the faster thugs entered their property.


    Ella turned to look out of the car window, seeing the men approaching their vehicle. Her dad pressed his foot on the gas pedal, aggressively driving onto the street.


    "Shit, if only we had a gun to blow out their tires", yelled the leader of thugs. He watched the large SUV vehicle leave with a small trailer hitch attached behind. He knew most of the valuables must have been taken with them.


    "Go! Search the house, the couldn''t have left everything!", he ordered.


    The group of thugs swarmed into the house, stripping it completely bare. Even the half broken vases and tableware were taken, leaving the house looking as if it hadn''t been lived in.


    The leader looked through the pile of items, frowning slightly. Although many of the items they got were of good quality, very little of it was useful for their current situation.


    He clenched his fist as he walked over to the skinny man who was the scout and began bashing him in the face. "You fool! You must have been spotted when I told you to tail them! You cost us so many good things!", he yelled with extreme anger.


    The skinny man flew to the ground from the impact, blood seeping down from his broken nose. "Boss, I swear they didn''t see me! I made sure of it!", he yelled, begging for mercy.


    The leader didn''t believe that they would simply pack and leave without a reason in such a short period of time. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t lie, scum! Today you''re going to pay for this mistake with your life!", he yelled, continuing to beat the skinny man. The rest of the gang members watched, feeling frightened at the sight. They all vowed not to get on their leaders bad side so they could live to see another day.


    After the leader vented his anger on the skinny man he turned to face the other men, "What are you looking at, hurry up and pack all of this shit up, we''re bringing it all back with us".


    Ella''s nerves finally relaxed a little as they drove further away from the house. She looked over and saw her mom still frozen in shock.


    "Mom, it''s okay now. We''re safe," she said gently. She always knew her mother was a very delicate woman. She had grown up in a wealthy family and was always pampered, never having to experience any difficulty. Even after she married Reginald, he made sure to always take care of her every need.


    Her mother looked up at Ella''s worried expression and snapped back to reality. "What were those people going to do? Why were they swarming our house?"


    Ella frowned and looked over at her father, who was driving silently. She wasn''t sure how to answer her mother''s questions and decided to pass that task over to her father.


    Reginald sighed at his wife''s ignorance. It was a trait he loved about her, but the way the world was now, remaining ignorant could mean death.


    "Honey, the world is different now. People are struggling to survive, and others are taking advantage of the current lawless world to steal and gain benefits from others. Those people were probably there to rob us of our things."


    He did his best to speak gently but realistically. He loved his wife dearly and wanted to spend many more years with her, meaning he needed to make sure she understood the severity of the situation.


    He looked back in the rearview mirror and saw his wife sitting quietly with tears running down her face. His heart ached seeing her in such a sad and distraught state, but right now he couldn''t do much to comfort her.


    Ella turned around and looked at her mother. "Mom, it''s going to be okay. We''re heading to a government-established base where there will be rules and regulations. No one is going to hurt us there, and everything will be okay."


    Her mother turned to look at Ella and nodded, trying to force a smile. "Yes, dear. It will be okay..."


    They continued to drive toward the resort where the base was. Thankfully, Reginald had been there once before for a business retreat and had a vague idea of where to go. Still, the drive was difficult due to road obstructions and broken bridges that had fallen during the earthquakes.


    "I''m going to stop at this gas station over here and see if we can get more gas. Ella, take a look around for anything useful; we still have a little bit of space left in the car," said Reginald.


    There was a gas station in sight that looked like it had been untouched. Its location was very remote, and very few people lived out this way. If it hadn''t been for a broken bridge, they would never have taken such a remote road.


    He pulled the car up to one of the gas pumps and got out.


    "Ella, go inside and see if there are any empty gas cans. This pump still has gas!" he said happily, and began refueling their SUV.


    Ella walked inside the small gas station store and was surprised to see it completely untouched! Everything was still neatly arranged on the shelves as if it was just another normal day. She would have even thought it had been recently restocked if it weren''t for the coat of dust that lay on top of the various items.

 Chapter 86 - 86: Gas Station

    She walked around, looking for a gas can first before taking other things off the shelf. After walking through most of the aisles, she finally found the one that had basic car accessories, including cans of motor oil and empty gas cans.


    Quickly, she picked up three of the bright red containers and brought them out to her father.


    "Dad, I found some! They''re not the large ones, but it''s better than nothing. I''ll go back inside and grab more items. The store is fully stocked!" she said, running over.


    After handing off the gas cans to her father, she went back inside and began swiping the shelves for items. She walked over to the register and grabbed a number of plastic bags, filling them with all sorts of random items.


    She filled three full bags with snacks¡ªchips, crackers, candy, chocolate, and jerky¡ªbefore heading to the next aisle. There, she filled a number of bags with different kinds of sodas, water, juices, and teas, moving cases of water to the entrance for easier transportation.


    Reginald came over after filling up the car and gas cans and helped Ella move all the items into the car and trailer. He was surprised to see a completely untouched store like this and happily got to work.


    The father and daughter worked well together, Ella filling the bags with items while Reginald packed them into the car.


    About 15 minutes later, Reginald turned to Ella. "Is there anything else? We''re pretty much at max capacity right now."


    "I think that''s it, Dad. Let me take another quick look to make sure we didn''t miss anything," she said and entered the store once more.


    While there were still a few items left here and there after her looting, most of the important things like medicine, first aid, and hygiene items were completely wiped clean off the shelves. Especially items like toilet paper and feminine hygiene products were prioritized because they''re less common to come by.


    She continued to look around the store when the wall of cigars and cigarettes caught her eye. No one in her family smoked, but Ella felt that these items would be important to those who did. She figured that once they got to the government base, they could most likely be traded for useful goods like food and water.


    She quickly picked up another plastic bag and stuffed it with as many packs of cigarettes and cigars as she could, filling a second bag with matches and lighters.


    Once she was finished, she went back out to the car and got into the passenger seat. Reginald looked over to see what was inside the bags that Ella brought over and noticed the cigarettes. At first, he was surprised because he knew that Ella wasn''t a smoker, but after a few seconds of thinking, he came to the same conclusion she had while inside the store.


    Nodding his head in approval, he was happy to see that his daughter had such good foresight.


    Thankfully, one of the items that Reginald found inside the gas station store was a printed map of the area, making his job of navigating to the government base a lot easier.


    They ended up driving for another five hours before they finally arrived at the base''s location. It was very early in the morning, and the three of them were exhausted.


    At the entrance of the converted base was a military checkpoint, inspecting all of the vehicles entering and leaving the premises. Guards with weapons and armor walked around, ensuring that no unsavory characters were infiltrating the base.


    "Hello. Please state your business," said one of the guards sternly.


    Reginald lowered the window. "Hello. We are refugees, hoping to move here." He looked at the guard calmly, waiting for further instructions.


    The guard looked him over and peered inside the car, noticing Ella and her mother.


    "Very well, pull up to that counter and pay the entrance fee. They will provide you with more information," he said after jotting down the vehicle''s plate number.


    "Thank you, sir," replied Reginald. He then proceeded to drive over to one of the parking lots that had the sign for registration. After parking the car, he got out with Ella and walked over to what looked like a repurposed toll booth hut.


    Even though it was very early in the morning, the line for registration was very long, winding deep around the parking lot. As they waited in line, a small family was walking back to their car with sullen expressions.


    "Do we really need to give up all of the food we brought just to become registered residents?" asked one woman in disbelief.


    Her husband looked over. "Unfortunately, the registration fee is steep. We should have put in more effort to find more things. In the grand scheme of things, it''s just because our items are of low value that we needed to trade off so many."


    Reginald frowned after hearing this conversation.


    "Dad, how steep do you think the fee is?" whispered Ella. She had also heard the conversation between the husband and wife and was now wondering how bad it was.


    "I''m not sure, but it sounds like it''s not a small amount," he replied. The two of them waited in line for over an hour, and by the time they reached the registration desk, the sun was already making its way up into the sky. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Welcome, are you here to register as members of the base?" asked the administrative woman.


    "Yes, our family of three. This is my daughter, and my wife is in the car," replied Reginald.


    The woman nodded. "Okay, here are the three forms you need to fill out. One for each of you. And here is a list of accepted items to pay the registration fee. Please keep in mind that the fee is per person, and there are discounts for experienced professionals in certain fields. All of the information is on the back of this paper."


    Reginald accepted the papers and moved over to the side to read them. "It seems like the entry fee is about a month''s supply of food per person. Certain foods hold more weight than others based on shelf life and rarity," he said to Ella.


    "What about the discounts? You and I are architects, maybe we can be eligible for a discount," she asked.


    "Hmm, unfortunately, I don''t see that as one of the needed professions. It''s mostly medical professionals, with a few farmers and livestock keepers," he answered.


    She frowned but somewhat expected this answer. "It''s okay. We have enough, and we can always go out to get more. Plus, Mom will be safe and happier here."


    Reginald nodded. "Okay, go back to the car and bring enough to register the three of us. I''ll stay here and fill out the forms."

 Chapter 87 - 87: Registration

    Ella nodded and went back to the car. Her mother greeted her as she got back, "Ella, honey! How did it go? Are we all set?"


    "Almost, we just need to pay the registration fee. I''m here for the items now," she replied as she began to rifle through the boxes.


    "Oh, is it a lot?" she asked worriedly. She knew it had taken both her daughter and husband a lot of effort to secure many of these supplies and hoped they wouldn''t be losing too many. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella pulled out a few small bags of rice and a few cans of tuna and corn. "It''s a little pricey, but not too bad for us. It''s about a month''s supply of food per person," she explained as she looked for a few other items they had a decent amount of.


    Her mother watched her dig through various bags and boxes, pulling out different packets and cans of food. "Tell me what you''re looking for. Let me help you," she said. She had finally begun to come to terms with the world around her and felt a little useless compared to her husband and daughter.


    "Thanks, Mom! Can you help me find the small bags of flour?" asked Ella, happy that her mother seemed more cheerful.


    About 10 minutes later, Ella came back to her father''s side with a rather large bag filled with food. "Hey, Dad, this should be enough," she said, placing the bag on the desk.


    Reginald quickly took a peek through the bags and nodded, agreeing with Ella''s choices. "Yes, this looks good."


    He took the bag of food and the three filled-out forms and walked back to the registration counter, but queued in the second line, which was much shorter.


    He only had to wait for about five minutes before he was greeted by a different administrative assistant.


    "Hi, please hand me your filled-out forms," he greeted.


    Reginald handed the three forms over and watched as the man looked through them, adding the provided information to his computer.


    "Do you have an ID on you to verify your identity?" he asked calmly, looking up from his computer.


    Reginald fished out his wallet from his pant pocket and handed over his driver''s license. The administrative assistant took the ID and scanned it into the computer.


    "Thank you, your identity has been verified. You will be registered as the head of the household, and it will be your responsibility to care for anyone under your care... in this case, your wife and daughter. In the future, they will be able to set up their own households if needed."


    Reginald nodded while placing his driver''s license back into his wallet.


    "As for the registration fees, it will be roughly a month''s supply of food per person," he said. Just as he was about to continue explaining that the details were written on the paper, Reginald placed the large bag of food on the counter.


    "Please look through this. According to the information written on the paper, this amount should be enough," he said, cutting off the administrative assistant.


    The admin took the bag and sorted through it, placing the non-canned items on a scale. After recording each item into the computer, he looked up and smiled. "Yes, thank you. This is enough for you and the two others registered with you. Here are your resident cards. Please do not lose them; everything is tied to these cards here."


    Reginald listened closely, storing the three resident cards safely in his pocket. "So where do we go now?" he asked the admin.


    "You can pull in further into the base. Your resident card will let you in. Once inside, you can visit the housing office and see if you can rent or purchase a room. Just giving you a heads-up, space is limited, and it''s quite pricey," answered the admin.


    Reginald frowned but thanked the administrative assistant for the help. Ella ran up to him as he walked away from the counter.


    "How did it go, Dad? Did we have enough food?" she asked quickly.


    "Yes, it was enough to get registered. I have our residency cards. Let''s get back to the car, and I''ll explain more," he said.


    They quickly walked back to the car, noticing the line for registration had nearly doubled in length. Once they both sat down inside the car, Ella turned to look at her father to hear what the next course of action would be.


    "Here are our residency cards. These are going to be extremely important inside the base, so do not lose them no matter what," he said while handing Ella her card.


    "I''ll hold on to mine and your mother''s cards," he continued. "Now we can enter the base as residents, and from there, we will need to find the housing office to either rent or buy a room. The admin just now said that it''s expensive, so I''d like to see exactly what it will cost us."


    Ella nodded, excited to finally be in a place with some sort of societal structure, and quickly urged her father to drive.


    "Let''s head straight for the housing office! Since space is limited, we need to get there before the rest of these people make it over!" she said.


    They quickly drove out of the parking lot and into the base. There was another checkpoint to get inside the base, requiring anyone wanting to get inside to scan their residency card.


    After Reginald scanned his card, they were allowed to drive inside, taking in the sights of their new home.


    The first thing they noticed was the large number of tents set up in the large field in front of the resort building. Ella frowned. "It seems either all the rooms are accounted for, or they''re too expensive."


    They continued to drive until they found the main parking lot for the base. Thankfully, there were still plenty of spaces available, so they found a spot very quickly.


    "I think that main lobby area is where we can find the housing office," said Reginald. This time, all three of them went inside, excited to find their new home.


    The lobby of the resort had been converted into many different department offices for the base, each labeled clearly for easy navigation. It only took Ella a few seconds to spot the bright red sign that read Housing Office.


    "Dad, over there!" she said, pointing to the sign.

 Chapter 88 - 88: Base Housing

    They walked toward the sign, entering through the door just below it.


    Inside, it was fairly empty, with only a few people wearing sad or angry expressions.


    "What do you mean?! How can you charge so much for a single room? How are we supposed to survive?!" yelled a woman. She was hysterical, crying and yelling.


    "Ma''am, I''m sorry, but these are the rules of the base. Once the contribution points system becomes available, you will be able to rent a room with contribution points. Please wait patiently; it should be implemented very soon," explained the woman on the other side of the desk.


    The hysterical woman continued to make a scene, crying and screaming until a fully armored guard showed up holding a gun.


    "Ma''am, I''m only going to ask you once¡ªplease leave. Don''t make me forcefully remove you," he said in a stern voice.


    The woman quickly quieted down, intimidated by the weapon in his hand. "Okay, I''ll leave. No need to use force," she quickly muttered, running out of the housing office.


    The guard nodded at the office administrator and walked out to ensure the hysterical woman didn''t cause any more trouble. The room finally quieted down, replacing the chaotic atmosphere with a calm one.


    Reginald walked over to the woman at the desk and greeted her politely. "Hello, I am here to inquire about either purchasing or renting a place to live with my family," he said.


    The woman nodded. "Hello. You''ve come to the right place. I will be honest with you, it is fairly pricey, but we do have a good amount of available rooms left. How many bedrooms are you looking for?"


    Reginald looked over at his dainty wife. "I would like three bedrooms, two at the minimum," he stated.


    The woman shook her head at his request. "Very well, we do have both 2- and 3-bedroom options available. Would you like to take a look at them?"


    "Yes, please. I would like to see the available rooms for both options. The more private the location, the better," said Reginald resolutely.


    The woman behind the desk smiled and stood up, walking around from behind the desk. "Please follow me," she said.


    Ella followed the woman, along with her father and mother, walking to the back of the main building toward the back end of the resort.


    "Both the two- and three-bedroom units are located along the back mountain, slightly further out. Each building has a small parking lot available to its residents," explained the housing administrator.


    They continued to walk along the winding paths, picturing the beautiful landscape that was once here. After a 15-minute walk, they finally ended up in front of a large building, housing many living spaces.


    The building looked to be in really good shape, thanks to the mountains covering most of the harsh wind gusts from the hurricane. There was also no visible sign of the earthquakes, making this place even better looking than most of the neighborhoods in the countryside.


    "There are a few different floor plans available here, and all of the units in this building are either two or three bedrooms. The first one we will look at is here on the first floor, and it''s a three-bedroom unit," said the housing administrator.


    She unlocked the door with her master key and allowed them to enter before her.


    Ella stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised. The windows and walls were intact, and the rooms were more spacious than expected. While there was plenty of dust all over the place, it could easily be cleaned.


    The floorplan was rather basic: a decent living room and a small hallway that connected the three smaller bedrooms and a small bathroom. Ella and her mom walked around happily, loving the space, but Reginald stayed quiet, frowning.


    He already did not like that this unit was on the first floor. The windows could easily be broken at any time, exposing them to robbers or, even worse, other dangers.


    During the registration process, he noticed that his family was much better off in terms of supplies than the majority of refugees, and surely there were some people who had already targeted them.


    "Thank you, but would you mind showing us a unit on the upper floors, please?" he asked mid-tour, causing Ella and her mother to freeze and look over at him.


    The housing administrator wasn''t sure why he didn''t like this unit but quickly complied.


    "Sure, the next unit is a two-bedroom, and it''s on the third floor, which is the topmost level," she said as she followed them back outside.


    They walked up using the concrete staircase until they reached the last unit at the very end of the building. Unlocking the door, she said, "Here we are. This is our most spacious two-bedroom unit. Since it''s on the corner, the living space is slightly larger than the standard two-bedroom units."


    Ella walked in and noticed the nice lighting right away, giving the room a brighter feeling. The living room was about the same size as the previous units, with an additional nook that looked like it used to be for a kitchenette. The bedrooms were also separated similarly, with a small hallway from the living space.


    The difference was only the number of rooms. The bathroom in this unit was also slightly larger than in the three-bedroom.


    "Is the bathroom usable?" asked Ella as she peered inside, spotting the toilet and shower.


    "Yes, running water is available. However, there is no heating or hot water. Electricity can also be added on a monthly basis, but it is extremely expensive currently," said the housing administrator.


    Ella was surprised. "Electricity! That''s so great!" she exclaimed happily. It felt like it had been years since she had benefited from electricity, and she missed it very much.


    Reginald walked around, focusing on the state of the windows. He was looking for any potential break-in points that could put his family in danger.


    After walking around and inspecting every corner, he walked over to meet up with his wife and daughter.


    "What do the two of you think? I think it''s a good choice. The location is good, and it''s on a higher floor. Even the lighting and views are not bad," he said, giving his opinion.


    "Yes, I like it! Even though it has one less room, I like the larger bathroom," agreed Ella. She then turned to look at her mother for her opinion. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her mother smiled gently. "Yes, I quite like it here. The surrounding pine trees give off a nice scent, and we have a nice view of the mountain valley from the windows."


    Reginald smiled, happy that he could please his wife. "Very well then, I think it''s settled. Let''s talk numbers," he said, turning to the housing administrator.


    She smiled. "Sure, let''s head back to the office where we can discuss the payment."


    They all went back to the housing office and sat down at the desk across from the administrator. She pulled up her computer to look up the cost. "Okay, so it''s 400 points a month to rent, and 6,000 points to purchase. If you want to add electricity, it''s 50 points a month," she explained.


    Reginald was already calculating in his head, realizing that it was much more cost-efficient to purchase if it''s in the long run. The only question left was what the exchange rate for goods to points was.

 Chapter 89 - 89: Purchase Complete

    As if reading Reginald''s thoughts, the housing administrator pulled up a document listing items with their point values.


    "Here is the current exchange rate for items. We accept supplies in any category, not just food, if that helps. Please take a look," she said, turning the monitor toward the family.


    Ella quickly looked at the screen and noticed that a can of food was worth between 4 and 6 points, depending on the type of food. Other items, such as basic medical supplies, were between 8 and 12 points, depending on the specific item.


    Reginald also glanced at the list and then asked the housing admin, "Is this a set list, or can the values change?"


    The housing administrator nodded. "The values can change weekly, depending on the needs of the base. Items in demand will naturally be worth more than those we have a large supply of."


    He nodded, thinking this method made sense. Still, it opened his eyes to how expensive renting a room was. He would need to pay for 100 canned food items a month if he wanted to live there, and right now, that was an astronomical price.


    Ella noticed the pensive and worried expression on her father''s face and knew he was concerned about the cost. She looked through the rest of the list and noticed that only common items like food, medicine, and fuel were listed.


    Looking at the housing admin, she asked curiously, "Do you have a separate list for rarer items, like luxury goods?"


    The housing admin looked a little surprised but quickly pulled up a different page. "Yes, there is. These are the current exchange rates for luxury goods."


    Ella looked through the new list and froze when she saw that a single pack of new cigarettes was worth 100 points! This meant that they could buy the housing unit for 60 packs of cigarettes, and she was sure that she took more than that from the gas station.


    Most of the boxes she grabbed had ten packs of cigarettes per box, and she had a whole bag full!


    She quickly pointed to the screen. "Dad! Look!" she said excitedly.


    Reginald''s eyes widened when he saw the worth of cigarettes! He really had to thank his daughter this time! It was entirely her forward thinking that allowed them to afford a place to live with minimal losses.


    Without stalling too long, Reginald turned to face the housing admin and said, "Okay. Before we agree to purchase, I would like to know if the rental cost of 400 points a month is set in stone."


    If the 400 points a month was guaranteed, he would consider renting. But if not, he would agree to purchase the unit without hesitation.


    "Unfortunately, no. Due to the volatile situation the world is in, nothing is really set in stone. I expect that rent will go up in the future as more and more people come flooding in," she said.


    Reginald nodded, agreeing with her prediction. "Thank you. In that case, we will purchase it for the 6,000."


    The housing admin looked a little surprised at his statement. She felt that the family in front of her were big shots. Ever since she started working as the housing administrator, only a handful of people could afford to rent a unit, and even fewer had actually purchased one.


    Smiling politely, she turned back toward her computer. "Very well then, I will get started on the paperwork. Please bring the goods you will use as payment."


    Ella quickly got up without her father asking and walked out toward the car. She quickly picked up the large plastic bag containing cartons of cigarettes and ran back to the housing office.


    By the time Ella came back, the housing admin had just finished finalizing the paperwork. The previous forms that Reginald filled out for the residency cards stored all of his important information, making the housing purchase much more streamlined.


    "Here you go, Dad," she said, handing him the large bag. "There should be more than enough... Can we get electricity?" she asked with a hopeful gaze.


    Reginald shook his head resolutely. "No, not yet at least. The cost of 50 points per month is still quite high, and we don''t have anything that will benefit from electricity right now. If we find appliances or space heaters in the future, I''ll consider it."


    Ella frowned but knew her father was right. They hadn''t brought any appliances with them, so there was little use for electricity currently. Thankfully, they still had the camping stove and equipment, allowing them to cook and boil water.


    Reginald opened the bag and began to stack the cartons of cigarettes on the table in front of the housing administrator. After placing six cartons on the table, he looked over and said, "Here are sixty packs of cigarettes. According to the exchange rate, this should be worth exactly 6,000 points."


    The housing administrator''s eyes lit up! "Wow, so many! This will be great! A lot of the men on the guard team smoke, and upper management uses these as incentives and rewards. We''ve been running really low on supply, so that''s why the exchange rate is currently so high."


    She quickly inspected every carton, making sure that nothing was opened or missing, and quickly called over a guard to transport the goods.


    Turning to Reginald, she smiled and said, "Perfect! I have verified the payment and approved it! Congratulations on owning unit 310 in the East Mountain building! Please feel free to stop by with any questions or if you want to purchase electricity in the future."


    She then made a copy of the signed paperwork and handed Reginald a copy, along with two sets of keys. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella and her mother were very happy, as if it was their first house purchase ever. Ella walked over to her father happily. "Thank you for bringing us here, Dad. I feel safer already. We can afford to relax a little bit and hunt for more supplies."


    She was more than eager to get her hands on some basic appliances. As a city girl who grew up with TV shows and social media, having spent so much time without these entertainment options left her feeling bored.


    Before, when they were busy surviving in the countryside, she didn''t really have time to be bored. But now that they had started to settle down a little bit, she couldn''t help but want some entertainment.

 Chapter 90 - 90: Investigating

    Damien''s Base


    Leader Ace woke up early to meet his new recruits. He wanted to set out early so that he could bring back any useful information to his boss, Dillon, making up for his mistake.


    As he approached the new recruit housing area, he was pleased to see that the men he picked out were all standing outside, eagerly waiting to prove themselves.


    "Okay, good. You''re all here. Let''s move out. I''ll tell you what you need to do when we get there," he said in a commanding tone.


    The men all stood up straight, wanting to appear more capable in front of him. "Yes, sir!" they shouted.


    Ace then motioned for them to follow him as he walked out of the hidden base. They walked for a while before they finally reached the street where the warehouse store was located.


    "Okay, our mission today is to investigate and retrieve any weapons. There was a shootout here earlier, and I need to know what sort of weapon was used to kill. Two of you will search the bodies over there and bring back any evidence. The rest of you will follow me into that broken building."


    The men quickly split up and began doing their tasks. Ace walked over to the old post office building where he had previously thrown the grenade and looked around.


    He was certain that the person who shot his men was hiding inside this building, but after carefully searching for any signs of someone being there, he didn''t find anything.


    "Hey, boss, we found these strange bullets in each of the dead bodies," said one of the men. He had a little bit of firearm experience, which is why he could tell that something about the bullets was off.


    Ace turned around and looked at the three dark bullets in his hand. "Why are there only three? There should be four."


    "Sir, there were only three bodies in the street. Each man was shot once. I can tell by the wound," he replied, confused.


    Ace frowned. "There should be four bodies, not three. Take a look around and see if you can find anything else."


    The man left after handing over the three bullets. Ace looked down at his hand, feeling the abnormal weight of the bullets. "I''ll have to bring this to Boss Dillon."


    As he was examining the bullets, another one of his men came over. "Leader, we can''t find any signs of a dead person. There should be at least blood, but there''s nothing around. We even moved the heavy debris to look underneath."


    Just as Ace was going to reply, another man walked over. "Leader, we found the fourth body behind this broken building. The clothes were cut off the same way as the other bodies."


    "Bring me to it," he replied, wanting to verify the identity of the body. The man led Ace behind the building, where he found the body that Anna had inspected earlier.


    Kneeling down, Ace carefully looked over the naked body. He noticed the needle marks on its arm. "It looks like someone was drawing blood. I''ll need to report this as soon as possible."


    Since Ace was low in the rankings of Damien''s gang, he wasn''t sure why someone would be interested in taking blood from a dead body, but he felt it was strange enough to report.


    Ace spent a few more hours combing through the collapsed post office building, making sure he didn''t miss anything before he turned his attention to his second task¡ªwomen.


    "Okay, last task of the day, and we get to go back," he said, rounding up his men. "We need to find at least one sexy woman to bring back. Make sure she has nice big tits and a curvy body."


    One of the new recruits hesitated, while the others had a look of excitement on their faces. The one who hesitated looked over. "Leader, what do you plan to do with the woman? It feels a little wrong taking them by force."


    Leader Ace looked over and smirked. "What do you mean? You think bringing a woman over to have a better life is wrong? Isn''t your life much better now than it was when you were out on the streets?"


    The recruit lowered his head. "Yes, it''s indeed much better. I have a roof over my head and three hot meals a day."


    "See, you''re practically doing a saint''s job. Helping a beautiful woman live a more comfortable life. Hey, she might be so grateful to you that she''d pay you back for saving her...if you get what I mean," said Ace with a cheeky grin. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he knew that if the woman was truly beautiful, even he wouldn''t get a taste of her until she lost the upper boss'' favor. Even up until now, he had only gotten a taste of one woman, but it was an experience he would never forget.


    The recruit was no longer as hesitant as before after listening to Ace''s words. He still had a slight gut feeling that it was wrong, but the possibility of being ''thanked'' by a beautiful woman was too alluring.


    "Come now, I know there should be at least two women around here. If it weren''t for this mystery shooter, they''d be living a glamorous life by now," laughed Ace as he walked toward where the previous two women were originally found.


    Three hours later, Ace finally noticed a woman run around the corner. She looked like she was looking for supplies but was very wary of her surroundings.


    Ace had his men stationed inside an old parking garage, observing the surroundings. This area had a lot of shops, making it a popular spot for looters to visit.


    "Hey, look. That one over there is good. She''s alone too," he said, alerting his men to her position.


    One of the recruits observed her and frowned. "But leader, she doesn''t look very pretty. Look, her face is covered in dirt."


    "Moron, look at her body. She''s got all the curves! Plus, many of the prettier ones like to mask their beauty with mud or dirt to avoid unwanted attention," explained Ace.


    The man looked over again and agreed that her body shape was indeed very sexy.


    "Okay, so here''s the plan. We quietly follow her to one of the stores and wait outside. When she leaves the store, we quickly tie her up and bring her with us. I even brought tape this time to shut her mouth. Otherwise, they make too much noise," said Ace.


    The four men nodded and followed their leader out of the parking garage.

 Chapter 91 - 91: Hunting for Information

    They waited in a shady alleyway, observing which store the woman would go to. As soon as she walked into one of the stores, Ace lifted his hand, giving the signal to move out. The men hid themselves around the entrance of the store and waited for her to come out.


    A short period of time later, she finally came back out. The minute she stepped through the doorway, they pounced on her, restraining her.


    Ace placed the tape over her mouth, muting her screams. "Don''t worry, lass, you''ll be thanking us for bringing you to a better place later."


    After fully securing the woman, Ace gave the orders to head back to base.


    The trip back was uneventful and without any obstructions. Once they got back, Ace had the men take the woman over to the women''s quarters to get cleaned up while Ace made his way over to report to Dillon.


    Dillon was currently getting ready to meet the higher-ups of the gang when he heard a knock on his door.


    "Come in," he said casually while he buttoned up his shirt.


    Ace opened the door and carefully walked in, trying to assess his boss''s mood. "Hello, boss, we just came back from our mission," he said.


    "And? Did you find the weapon?" asked Dillon without turning his head to look at Ace.


    Ace clammed up, hoping that Dillon''s anger wouldn''t flare up. "No, unfortunately it seems like whoever the shooter was got away... but I do have some interesting information!" he said quickly. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his palms were clammy.


    Ever since Dillon got promoted in the ranks of the gang, the power quickly went to his head, and he began to act more and more ruthless. Even his own girlfriend was treated more like an item than a human.


    Dillon frowned but was too curious to blow up in anger. "What information?" he asked quickly.


    "We found these bullets inside the dead bodies. They''re very different from any bullet I''ve ever seen, and also very heavy," Ace quickly said and held out the three cleaned black bullets in his hand for Dillon to see.


    Dillon finished buttoning up his shirt and began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt while looking at himself in the mirror. Only after he was finished did he turn to look at the bullets in Ace''s hand.


    While he was no weapons expert, he did feel that these bullets were a bit unusual. He picked one up, feeling its heft in his hand.


    "You said that at the time of shooting, there was not a single sound?" he asked while studying the bullet.


    "Yes, boss! The shooter was only across the street from us. There was no sound at all, I swear on it!" Ace quickly replied, clenching his sweaty palm.


    Dillon nodded and took the other two bullets out of his hand, placing them into his pocket. "Is there anything else to add?"


    "Yes! We discovered that the dead corpses had their clothing cut off, and one of the bodies had been moved. The moved body had needle marks on its arm as if blood was drawn," he answered.


    Dillon looked over at Ace quickly. "Oh really? This is indeed good information. Good work."


    Ace was shocked by Dillon''s compliment. He felt like this piece of information would be considered useless and almost didn''t report it. So when he heard Dillon''s compliment, he felt like he could finally breathe.


    "Thank you, boss! Also, we managed to secure a woman this time!" he quickly bowed, saving the best news for last.


    Dillon nodded. "Good. I''ll go visit the women''s quarters after my meeting to check her out. Now go, I need to attend a meeting with the higher-ups. I have a feeling we''ll have more missions passed over to us."


    "Yes, boss! You can count on me," said Ace, trying to sound enthusiastic. He was ready to work hard to get a promotion in the future. With every rank, the perks got better and better, and he wanted to know what living like a king felt like.


    After Ace left, Dillon stepped out of his room and walked further into the base where all of the higher-level bosses lived. Today, he was having a rare meeting with all of the big shots, and he hoped to prove himself in front of them.


    There was a large room that served as a conference room in one of the lower-level rooms of the base. Dillon walked in quietly, trying not to aggravate anyone around him. While he was a small-time boss, in the grand scheme of the gang, he was still considered a small fry.


    The room quickly filled up with people. All of the big shots sat in the seats around the conference table while the small fries like Dillon stood around the room. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were many faces that he didn''t recognize but realized they must be so high up the chain that someone like him wouldn''t ever need to cross paths with them.


    "Okay, let''s begin," said one of the men seated at the table. He was a scholarly man who wore glasses and gave off a cold aura.


    "Outside of the usual updates, we are here to gather information from the teams that have taken up many of the missions that were off base and in the city. We would like to hear about anything out of the ordinary or any information that was gathered about the government," he said.


    After the scholarly man sat down, Dillon got a peek at the man who sat at the center of the table. This man was about the same age as him but was very good-looking and aloof. He was sitting leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head.


    It looked like he was enjoying a nap instead of attending a meeting. Dillon lowered his eyes instinctively. Even though this man looked so carefree, Dillon still felt a very dangerous aura coming from him.


    The scholarly man began calling on the people who were standing around the room to give their updates, one by one. He opened his notebook, ready to jot down anything important.

 Chapter 92 - 92: Meeting with the Bigshots

    The first person to give their report was a tall woman with bright purple hair. She wore a woman''s suit, which made her give off the feeling that she was either a lawyer, a dominatrix, or somewhere in between.


    She bowed politely and quickly introduced herself. "Hello, I''m Mai, leader of Team Summit. Recently, I have taken on many supply and scouting missions. A week ago, I caught wind of the government setting up a base at a newly built mountain resort. I have already sent a team of men over and just recently received confirmation that they have settled into the base and are ready to pass along any needed information."


    The scholarly man nodded, fixing his glasses with his finger. "Very good. I will see you after the meeting with further instructions."


    Mai smiled. "Thank you, sir."


    After she finished, the man continued to go around the room, occasionally writing down bits of information from each team.


    The man at the center of the table continued to lay back with his eyes closed while everyone took their turns giving their updates.


    Dillon was at the end of the line and was the last to go. When the scholarly man finally looked over at him, signaling him to speak, Dillon stepped forward.


    "Hello, I''m Dillon, leader of Team Runner," he said, bowing politely. "Recently, my team was attacked, which ended with four of my men dead. The only survivor of the team reported that the weapon used produced no sound at all..."


    Dillon then reached into his pocket, pulled out the three black bullets, and walked over to the corner of the conference table, placing them on the table.


    "These were the bullets that were retrieved from the dead bodies," he said.


    The scholarly man reached out to pick one of the bullets up, noticing its abnormality. "Grant, take a look," he said as he slid the bullet toward a serious-looking, buff man who was sitting on the other side of the table.


    Grant picked up the bullet and inspected it closely. "Hmm, this is very unique indeed. As an expert in firearms, I can confidently state that there is no other bullet in the world like this."


    Dillon noticed that the man who had kept his eyes closed the whole time finally opened them, looking at the bullet on the table.


    The scholarly man picked up another bullet and placed it in front of the man at the center of the table, allowing him to get a better look.


    Grant looked over at the man in the middle of the table and said, "Boss, I''ll take this bullet apart when I get back. But just looking at it, I can say it smells like REN Corporation."


    The man in the middle didn''t reply, only nodded his head.


    The scholarly man turned back to Dillon. "Is there anything else?"


    Dillon nodded. "Yes, one more discovery. It looked like someone was inspecting the dead bodies. There were signs of blood being drawn and their clothing was carefully cut off. I will also add that these men were originally part of the experimental team."


    As soon as Dillon finished talking, the man in the middle of the room began to laugh. "Haha! You sneaky rat! I had a feeling you were still alive!". Dillon wasn''t sure about what he was referring to, but decided not to ask.


    The man looked over at Dillon and tapped on the table, giving the scholarly man a subtle message that Dillon had caught his eye.


    The scholarly man looked up at Dillon. "Good work, you''ve provided valuable information. I will be contacting you shortly."


    Dillon nodded, maintaining a serious expression, but inside, he was ecstatic. He had successfully managed to make an impression on the big shots, meaning he might get opportunities for promotion in the future.


    The room quieted down once more, and the scholarly man stood up again. "New missions will be assigned at the start of next week. Continue recruitment efforts and supply runs in the meantime. Everyone is dismissed."


    All of the small-time leaders bowed in unison and quickly made their way out of the conference room, leaving the big-shot leaders to continue their meeting.


    "Grant," said the man in the middle.


    "Yes, boss!" replied Grant respectfully.


    "I need you to make researching this bullet a priority. As soon as you confirm that it''s a REN Corporation design, let me know. Julian is still alive, I can feel it" he said, smiling with a bloodthirsty expression.


    Grant nodded. "Yes, boss. I''ll get started right away."


    The man then turned to the scholarly man sitting beside him. "Tristan, keep an eye on Mai and Dillon. They have potential for the inner circle."


    Tristan fixed his glasses again. "Yes, boss. I''ll look into their information more when I get back. I need to give a few instructions to Mai first."


    The man laughed and patted Tristan on the back roughly. "Tristan, when will you stop calling me ''boss''? I''ve told you many times to just call me Damien. You know you''re like a brother to me."


    Tristan rolled his eyes. "I prefer to remain professional, thank you."


    Damien laughed once more. He was long used to Tristan''s overly professional personality.


    ----


    Dillon stopped by the women''s quarters on his way back to his room. He stood in front of the one-way mirror, peering inside the large room where the recently ''recruited'' woman stayed. The guard on duty walked over to Dillon, greeting him with a smile.


    "Which one is the one brought in today from Team Runner?" asked Dillon, watching one of the women as she changed her clothes.


    The guard looked into the room and pointed with his finger. "That one over there. It took a long time for her to calm down, but Penny worked her magic and helped her ease into her new life here."


    Penny was the leader who was in charge of taking care of the newly found women. She was very good in human psychology and was able to sway them into accepting their new roles on the base. Penny was also in charge of making sure these women stayed beautiful, like flowers.


    She would provide them with sexy clothing and makeup, dolling them up to help attract the many leaders within the gang.


    Dillon looked at the woman closely, inspecting every part of her body. "Not bad, she''s sexy. I''m sure she''ll catch the attention of one of the big shots soon."


    After looking around a bit more, Dillon quickly became aroused from seeing all the attractive women and hurried back to his room, where Krissy was waiting for him.


    As he walked back, his horny mind couldn''t help but begin to picture Rayne. After today''s meeting, he felt even more excited because if he proved himself to any of the big shots, they would surely fulfill his request to find Rayne for him.


    Once she was found, he would be sure to have his fun with her. He felt his blood rush downward at the thought and quickened his pace back to his room.


    sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 93 - 93: Chopsticks

    A few days later, Dillon received a message from Tristan. It was a mission with the promise of a promotion once completed. The mission was to investigate the remains of the REN Corp. laboratory and retrieve anything useful.


    If Dillon performed well on this mission, he would get promoted, granting him many more benefits to enjoy.


    Dillon was ecstatic and quickly went to make preparations for his mission.


    ---


    At the bunker...


    A few weeks had passed since Julian opened the box. During this time, Rayne had asked Julian to help her train in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat skills.


    They trained for a few hours every day, which greatly accelerated Rayne''s improvement. She felt much more confident holding a combat knife and believed she could hold her own in a tough situation.


    Rayne was currently sitting on the floor of the small gymnasium, catching her breath.


    Julian walked over and handed her a bottle of water. "Here, drink this." Rayne accepted the water with a smile and quickly took several large gulps.


    "Ah, thank you. Who knew water could be so delicious!" she exclaimed. Today, Julian had decided to test her, going all out in his mock fight with her.


    He smiled. "You did really well today. It''s kind of crazy how quickly you''ve improved!"


    "Thank you. It''s all thanks to your great teaching," she said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a small towel she pulled out from her system.


    Julian shook his head. "We both know it''s all because of your hard work." He then opened a fresh water bottle, taking a few sips.


    "Has Anna made any progress in figuring out what the red substance in the vial is?" asked Rayne curiously. It had been some time, and she hadn''t heard much from that side.


    "No. Unfortunately, the only thing she came up with was that it was highly reactive to the human body," replied Julian.


    "I''m going to need to look for a suitable chemist at this rate. I''ve already begun discussing this topic with the team. I''ve been thinking of finally making a trip over to the government base to see if we can get lucky and find a chemist there," he continued.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up! She''d been itching to visit the government base for a while now. She wanted to see the state of the world and see if she could find any of her acquaintances.


    "Please take me with you! I really want to go," she said, looking up at Julian with a hopeful expression.


    "Haha, trust me, I know you want to! You''ve been talking about this for a while now," he laughed. "Yes, you can come with me... actually, I''d love it if you would come with me."


    Rayne''s eyes shone with excitement. "Yay! When do we set out?" She was so excited to go that she quickly forgot about her tired and sore muscles, springing up from the ground.


    "Soon. I was thinking the day after tomorrow. Does that work for you?" he asked.


    "Yes, of course! Who will be going?" she asked curiously. She wanted to make sure she made preparations in case they would be traveling with others, so she wouldn''t expose her system.


    Julian looked over at her and grinned. "It''ll be just us! The others have a long list of other tasks they''re working on. And I feel that going to the base in a smaller group would be less conspicuous than going with a large one."


    Rayne''s face flushed slightly as she nodded. "Okay! I''ll be sure to stock the fridge and freezer with extra food for the guys."


    "Thank you. Be sure to prepare yourself; we will most likely be there for a while," he said. Something told him that finding a chemist wouldn''t be as easy as a simple walk in the park, and it would likely take some time.


    Rayne was a little surprised to hear this. All of their excursions thus far had been day trips, but now he was telling her to prepare to be there for a while.


    "Okay! Oh, and let me know if you need me to store any of your belongings. It''ll be easier to transport if anything," she offered.


    Julian walked over and placed his arms around her, hugging her. "Thank you, Rayne," he whispered. Just knowing that she would be beside him made him incredibly happy. Her positive personality and caring nature were what he loved about her the most.


    "Julian, I''m all sweaty!" she said, feeling a little embarrassed to be embraced in this state. She still hadn''t gotten used to Julian''s spontaneous embraces that made her heart beat quickly.


    "Mhm, I am too," he teased, then let her go. "Come on, let''s go up and get some dinner before it gets too late."


    "You make it sound like I can''t just bring out a freshly cooked meal in the blink of an eye. I''m going to shower first! I''ll come over after and bring you something to eat," she giggled and ran up to her room.


    After arriving in her room, she immediately jumped in the shower, scrubbing herself clean. She felt very refreshed afterward, but her stomach had already begun its protest.


    She quickly put on a pair of pajamas and ran over to Julian''s room, knocking on the door.


    When Julian heard the soft knock on his door, he walked over to be greeted by a wet-haired Rayne.


    He had just gotten out of the shower and didn''t expect her to come by so quickly. Looking at her eager expression, he realized what was going on.


    "Haha, hungry? Come on in," he said, smiling. He figured she must have been really hungry if she came over so quickly, not bothering to dry her hair.


    "What''s on the menu today?" he asked as he walked over to his room to grab a clean towel. He returned to the sofa where Rayne was sitting and gently wrapped the towel around her hair, squeezing the water out.


    Rayne didn''t expect him to help her dry her hair, her ears turning red. "Oh, you don''t have to do this for me," she said shyly.


    "It''s no problem at all. Allow me to do this for you," he replied quickly. She had beautiful hair, and he didn''t want to miss such a rare opportunity to run his hands through it.


    Rayne felt her scalp tingle from his gentle movements, sending her into a blissful trance. The two of them were immersed in their own pleasures for a few minutes until both of their stomachs growled in unison.


    Both quickly snapped back into reality, laughing heartily. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you in the mood for today?" asked Rayne after she finished laughing.


    Julian finished drying her hair to the best of his ability and turned to put the damp towel away. "Hmm, how about seafood?"


    "Oh, good idea! How does sushi sound? I''ve been craving it recently!" Rayne asked, pulling up her system panel.


    "Sushi sounds great! It''s been a while!" he said, sitting down next to her on the sofa.


    Rayne quickly pulled out a few different plates of fresh sushi, filling the small coffee table with different cuts of fish and sushi rolls. She then took out various sauces, such as soy sauce, and two plates, handing one over to Julian.


    "Do you know how to use chopsticks?" she asked, curiously. They had only eaten Western-style dishes up until this point, and she wasn''t sure if he knew how to use them.


    Julian picked them up skillfully, showing her his mastery. "Yes! I learned to use them during my university days. One of my dormmates taught me how," he explained.


    Rayne nodded. "That''s great! I find them very novel to use!"


    They quickly began to eat, enjoying the large assortment of high-quality fish and seafood. Rayne had eaten this sushi a few times in the past, but for some reason, she felt that it was much more delicious today.

 Chapter 94 - 94: Heading Out

    The next morning, Rayne woke up extra early to get cooking. She decided to fill the fridge and freezer with as many easy-to-heat meals as possible, so that Noah and Ian could continue to eat nutritious food while she was gone.


    She also filled a few baskets and drawers with fresh fruits and vegetables, providing even more nutritious snacking options.


    After she finished prepping all of the meals and restocking, she went back to her room and filled a large wooden crate with fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat. She wanted to leave this crate with Alpha Team, who lived on a different level of the bunker, to ensure their nutritional needs were met.


    That evening, Rayne went over to knock on Julian''s door to see if he needed to store any of his items before they set off early the next morning.


    "Oh hey! What''s up?" he asked happily, seeing that it was Rayne.


    "Hi! I''m here to see if you need anything stored before we set off tomorrow," she said in a low voice.


    Julian motioned for her to come inside. "Sure, I have a few different weapons and firearms here, as well as some everyday items like clothing."


    Rayne looked at the spread of high-tech weapons laid out on the table with awe. She had never seen so many different types of guns, knives, and grenades before.


    "Wow, I never realized you had so many weapons! How did you get so many?" she asked excitedly.


    Julian laughed at her dazzled expression and walked over to the table. "Well, it pays to be in the weapons development business. That, and government ties gave me a few special benefits."


    "Oh, I see. Are you sure you''re okay with me having these weapons?" she asked once more before she stored them. Once stored, she would also have access to these items.


    "Yes, of course. Why? Do you plan to build an army and hunt me down?" he joked, gently patting her on the head.


    Rayne crossed her arms. "Hmm, well, maybe I am!" She held her serious pose for a few seconds before her lips began to twitch into a smile.


    Julian watched her serious expression begin to crack and let out a laugh. "Mmm, I see. Looks like I''ll have to keep an eye on you."


    Rayne smiled, then turned her attention to the weapons on the table. She quickly stored each one, leaving the table empty.


    Once she finished storing the weapons, Julian walked over with a small basket. "These are a few of my daily items, if you don''t mind."


    Rayne quickly reached over and stored the basket, bringing a copy back out for him to keep here. She turned around to face him. "Done! Anything else?"


    Julian shook his head. "No, but I''m thinking about how we should travel to the base. I''m not sure if taking one of the jeeps from Alpha Team would be a good idea."


    Rayne smiled. "Ah, don''t worry about that. I have a vehicle we can use." It had been a while since she drove her SUV, and she felt excited at the opportunity.


    "Wait, don''t tell me you can store vehicles too?!" asked Julian, very surprised. For some reason, he felt like her ability was limited to small items only.


    "Yep! Remember the camper? I''ve got that too, and many more vehicles... although some of them don''t have keys."


    "Wow, Rayne, you never cease to amaze me!" he said. He was truly impressed with her skill and foresight in acquiring all of the items she did.


    They chatted for a few more minutes before Rayne went back to her room to get some early rest.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up very early. They agreed to head out before 6 a.m. so they could arrive at the government base earlier in the day.


    Julian wanted to get settled in as quickly as possible so they could focus on information gathering as soon as possible.


    After getting out of bed, she got dressed in all black athletic wear, slinging her trusty black backpack over her shoulder. She walked out of her room with plans to wait for Julian in the common area, but when she arrived, she noticed that he was waiting for her.


    "Morning, you ready to set off?" he asked with a gentle smile.


    "Good morning! And yes, I''m quite excited," she replied.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, noticing his messy hair from having just woken up. Feeling bold, she placed her hand on his head and ruffled his hair, making it even messier.


    "C''mon, you goose, let''s head out," Julian laughed, enjoying the attention he was receiving.


    They walked out of the bunker together and into the dark forest outside. Thankfully, the weather had been fairly stable with no natural disasters, making the walk in the forest somewhat more enjoyable.


    Rayne zipped up her jacket as the cool autumn air felt a little chilly, then looked over at Julian.


    "Do you need a jacket? It''s a bit chilly out here without the sun," she asked. She noticed that Julian was dressed simply, with just a black long-sleeve shirt and some jeans. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian looked over at her, admiring her rosy cheeks from the cool air. "Thanks, but I''m good for now. I''m one of those hot-blooded people who always feel warm. This cool air feels refreshing to me."


    "Okay. Let me know if you change your mind," she said. She knew what he was talking about. Every time he placed his arms around her, she could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. She always enjoyed it because she was the opposite type of person who was always cold.


    They walked through the forest along the usual path they took when they did their excursions into the city. A few hours later, they reached the field on the other side of the forest, which led to the major highway they needed to get on.


    Rayne found a discreet spot and pulled out her SUV from her space.


    "Tah-dah!" she said, presenting her lovely SUV to Julian.

 Chapter 95 - 95: Long Queues

    Julian walked around the SUV, nodding his head in approval.


    "Sweet ride you have here. I haven''t seen too many of these cars out on the streets before. How did you manage to get it?" he asked.


    Rayne smiled. "Ah, I bought it thanks to the generous amount of money you paid me!"


    Julian smiled and shook his head. "Well, I''m happy to see that you spent the money on good-quality things."


    Before entering the SUV, Rayne went to open the trunk of the car. She wanted to place a number of boxes of supplies inside to make it appear as though they had come with supplies. This way, if she needed to take something out of her system, she could pretend she was taking it out of her car.


    Julian watched as boxes and bags of random supplies appeared out of thin air, filling the trunk of the vehicle. It only took Rayne a few seconds to finish her task before getting into the driver''s seat of her car.


    "Are you sure you don''t want me to drive?" asked Julian as he got into the passenger seat. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne looked over at him as she started the car. "I''m quite sure! I''ve missed my car very much! I''m a good driver too, so don''t worry."


    "I''m at your mercy," Julian laughed, buckling his seatbelt.


    They drove off toward the highway that led to the resort that had been converted into the government base. While it was relatively close to the bunker, the winding road made the trip a good bit longer.


    When they finally arrived at the entrance checkpoint of the base, the sun had already risen. Rayne joined the long queue of cars trying to get in.


    "It seems like we won''t get in anytime soon," she said, mentally counting the number of cars in front of her. Outside of the cars, there were even a few groups of people walking along the side of the highway.


    Julian observed the long queue and pulled his backpack up from the floor between his legs. Unzipping it, he pulled out a small thermos and a pair of metal cups.


    Rayne watched him, curious about what was inside. Soon, the pleasant scent of coffee wafted throughout the car.


    "Here, for you," Julian handed Rayne the first cup of coffee. He then proceeded to fill the second cup for himself.


    Rayne gratefully accepted the cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. The hot drink warmed her body, blissfully relaxing her.


    They quietly sipped their coffee while occasionally engaging in small talk. A few hours later, it was finally their turn to pass through the entrance checkpoint.


    The guard on duty looked at the rugged SUV, which appeared to be in very good shape, and walked over. Rayne lowered her window to greet the approaching guard, but before she could say anything, the guard spoke first.


    "What''s your purpose for coming here?" he said sternly.


    Rayne was taken aback slightly by his hostile tone. Even Julian leaned over to make his presence known.


    "We heard about the government base and would like to move in," stated Rayne. She wasn''t sure if it was the guard''s personality or if they had done something wrong, but this certainly was not a warm welcome.


    The guard stood silently, observing Rayne and Julian. He was looking for any signs of malice or deceit.


    "Please open your trunk. We would like to do an inspection," he said after a few moments.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, seeing him nod. She pushed the button that opened the trunk, allowing the guards to take a look inside.


    Through the rearview mirror, Rayne watched as the guard rummaged through the boxes and bags of supplies. She wasn''t sure whether he was looking for weapons or proof that they were refugees, but she was glad she had taken the time to fill the car with random supplies.


    It would have been a little strange if they had traveled empty-handed, which could have put them under even more suspicion.


    The guard finally finished his search and walked back to the driver''s side window.


    "Okay, thank you for complying. Please pull forward to that parking lot, where you can begin the resident registration process," he said, pointing toward the large parking lot.


    Rayne nodded curtly, not wanting to smile after his cold attitude, and drove off to the designated parking lot.


    The parking lot had a good number of cars, and the line to the registration counter was incredibly long.


    "Looks like another long line. I guess it''s to be expected," Rayne mumbled as she pulled into an open parking spot.


    "Why don''t I queue up while you take a nap in the car?" suggested Julian. He didn''t want Rayne to stand in the cooler weather for a long time if she didn''t have to.


    "No, I''ll go with you," she said resolutely. While she felt very happy on the inside for his consideration, she knew that it was about time she toughened up. She had plenty of jackets and hand warmers in her system, so standing in slightly cooler weather wasn''t something she couldn''t overcome.


    Julian saw her resolute gaze and didn''t dissuade her further. He respected her desire to get stronger, both physically and mentally.


    "Very well, let me know if you get cold, and I''ll warm you up in my arms," he said with a flirty tone. He noticed Rayne''s cheeks flush pink, making him want to lean in to kiss her.


    Resisting his urges, he quickly got out of the car, making sure to bring his backpack, and walked over to queue up in the massive line with Rayne.


    Many of the people in line noticed Rayne''s car and began whispering among themselves.


    "Looks like some big shots arrived," said one woman to the group of people she had arrived with. They had been traveling for a few days on foot to get here and didn''t feel that it was fair that others had access to such nice vehicles.


    "Why do they even need to come here? Clearly, they''re living a normal life, unlike us, refugees," commented another woman.


    The men in the group stared at the car with jealousy in their eyes. The only thoughts in their minds were how to obtain it.

 Chapter 96 - 96: Unwanted Attention

    Rayne listened to the gossip on her way to the end of the line and frowned. She knew her car would stand out a little, but she didn''t expect this much attention.


    "Don''t worry about them; they''re just jealous. Even if we arrived in a half-broken junk car, someone would still be pointing at us saying the same thing," said Julian after noticing her unhappy expression.


    Rayne stood silently beside him, thinking about his words. She felt he was correct; there will always be someone coveting another person''s things.


    "At least now we can drive around without worry since everyone knows about the vehicle. It''ll also be harder for people to steal it, since I doubt anyone else has the same model," added Julian.


    "Yes, you''re right. Even in the worst case, it''s not like we can''t get another one," she smiled, whispering quietly.


    The rest of the time was uneventful, just the typical occasional crying by those who could not afford the registration fee.


    There was a small tent city forming just outside the base, consisting of those who had been turned away. These people felt that at least living in close proximity to the base would be better than nothing.


    After waiting in line for about three hours, Rayne started to feel hungry. They still had a long line ahead of them, so she would have to make do with eating something small for now.


    Using her backpack as cover, Rayne opened her system and pulled out a small grilled chicken wrap, handing a second one to Julian.


    As she quietly ate the wrap, she spotted two young children from the family in front of them peeking over at her. They looked to be around 10 years old and appeared very thin and dirty, their eyes not leaving the chicken wrap in Rayne''s hand.


    Rayne instantly felt sorry for them and pretended to open her backpack once more to pull out two more chicken wraps. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly handed the food to the two children.


    Their eyes lit up once they realized she was giving it to them, and they quickly accepted the wraps, biting into them.


    Their mother noticed the commotion and looked over to see her two children eating.


    "Where did you two get this?! Quickly, tell me!" she asked in a hushed tone. She was worried that they may have stolen the food from someone in line.


    Before the children could answer, she turned to look around and noticed the same chicken wrap as the ones her children were eating in Rayne''s hands.


    "Miss, did my children steal this food from you? Please forgive them. I will do my best to pay you back as soon as possible! Unfortunately, I don''t have many supplies on me right now," she said, beginning to apologize profusely.


    Rayne quickly went to stop her. "No, it''s okay! I gave it to them. They were adorable, and I wanted to give them a small gift," explained Rayne.


    The woman''s eyes began to tear up. "Thank you, miss. This is the first real meal they''ve had in weeks. We had to pay most of our supplies in exchange for a car ride here."


    "It''s no problem at all," said Rayne quietly, restraining herself from handing over more food. As much as she wanted to help this family, there were too many people around, and she had already garnered unwanted attention.


    The woman quickly bowed her head in thanks. "I wish you and your husband many blessings." She then turned around, directing her attention to her two children.


    Rayne''s face flushed at her comment, but she was too late to correct her.


    Julian stood silently next to Rayne, pretending to observe the surroundings. He had heard the entire conversation and was particularly happy about the woman''s comment about him being Rayne''s husband.


    What this woman didn''t know was that she had quickly found herself on Julian''s good side.


    After a few more hours of waiting, the queue seemed to speed up. Julian looked around and noticed they had opened a second line for the registration counter, speeding up the process.


    The second line sped up the queue by a good amount, and soon it was finally their turn.


    "Hello, if you are here to register, please fill out this form¡ªone per person. If you have an ID, it will help speed up the process," said the administrator at the counter.


    Julian looked to Rayne and picked up a form for each of them.


    "Would you mind if we register you as head of household? And if you don''t mind... may I register under your last name?" he asked Rayne quietly. He wasn''t sure how secure the base''s database was and didn''t want to expose his identity in case Damien''s people were already here.


    Rayne nodded, understanding a little bit of why he would ask this. He had mentioned earlier that he had to go as far as faking his death, so his request made sense.


    They quickly filled out the forms, making Rayne the head of household and designating Julian as her husband. Even though she knew it was to conceal Julian''s identity, she still felt her heart race.


    After filling out the forms, the administrator explained the entrance fee and what items were eligible for payment. She pointed to a second counter where they would accept the payment and finalize the registration.


    As Rayne walked over to the second counter with Julian, she overheard the mother of the two children who had been queued in front of them, pleading with one of the administrators.


    "Please, we''re only missing a little bit. We''ve starved ourselves for days just to make it here. Is there anything you can do to help us?" she cried out.


    "I''m so sorry, ma''am. However, if we make an exception for you, we would have to make an exception for everyone. Please understand that we cannot do this," apologized the administrator. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman hung her head in defeat. She understood the concept but had a hard time coming to terms with the outcome. She had sacrificed so much to get her children here safely, but now she realized she was just shy of a few supplies to gain entry.


    Rayne turned to look at Julian, pleading with her eyes. She wanted to help that woman out but wanted to hear Julian''s opinion first.


    When he smiled and nodded, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She quickly reached into her backpack and pulled out a plastic bag, pretending to transfer supplies over from her backpack.


    She filled the bag as much as she could without it being too suspicious, added some canned food, and a few bags of rice. These items were worth the most points, so Rayne hoped they could help offset the cost, allowing the woman to keep a few supplies for herself.

 Chapter 97 - 97: Increased Prices

    After filling the bag, Rayne quickly walked over to the woman and directly placed the handles of the bag into her hands. She didn''t wait for the woman to thank her and walked back to Julian''s side to take care of her own payment.


    The woman didn''t realize what had happened until Rayne disappeared from her view. She looked down at the plastic bag in her hands, noticing the generous amount of supplies inside.


    She turned her head to look around to find Rayne but couldn''t spot her in the large crowd. Walking over to the counter once more, she placed the goods on the table. "Hi, will this be enough to register me and my children?"


    The administrator looked at the high-quality goods in the bag, inspecting each one. "Oh, why didn''t you bring this earlier? This is more than enough!" she said happily.


    She even returned a bag of rice and a few cans of vegetables. "Here you are. I''ve finished processing your registration. Here are your resident cards¡ªdon''t lose them!"


    The mother accepted the resident cards with shaking hands. She felt so lucky and grateful. The journey had finally been worth it. Now she could relax a little, knowing her kids would be safer here than on the streets.


    Rayne and Julian had also just finished their registration and received their residency cards. They were registered as a married couple, under the last name of Weston.


    "Well, we finally managed to register as residents. I guess now we need to secure a place to live," said Rayne as they walked back to her SUV.


    "Yes, we need to be quick about it before all these other people beat us to it. Although this resort is huge, the number of refugees is even greater," agreed Julian.


    They quickly got off at the base, driving through the second checkpoint entrance. As they drove in, Rayne was shocked to see the sea of tents set up in every available corner of the base. Only major walkways and parking lots were enforced to not allow any tents, leaving only a few free areas.


    Rayne parked her car in the main parking lot and walked over to the main lobby area with Julian. They quickly found the housing office and walked inside, squeezing in like sardines. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian frowned at how many people there were. "I hope we''re not too late. I''m not sure if there will be any free rooms left."


    Thankfully for them, they quickly learned that the cost of renting was astronomically high. The line in front of them dwindled quickly after everyone learned of the cost.


    The administrator saw the chaos inside the office and stood up, making an announcement. "Hello, everyone. To save time, I would like to announce that the cheapest room to rent is currently 600 points. Based on the current conversion chart, that''s over 100 cans of food a month."


    The room quickly erupted into an uproar. "What? I was just here two weeks ago and the cost was 450 points! The cost went up again!"


    Another person yelled out, "Yeah! I was here just three days ago and it was 500 points! Why is the cost skyrocketing so much?!"


    The administrator felt flustered. "Hello, the cost fluctuates with supply and demand. We don''t have many rooms available. I''m sorry for any inconvenience."


    The room got even more chaotic at the knowledge of the low availability of rooms. Some people, who knew they didn''t have a chance to come up with that many points, left quietly with their heads lowered.


    Those who were on the edge ran out to see if they could borrow a few supplies from friends and family.


    A guard finally showed up, making those who wanted to yell and complain quiet down and leave. After a few minutes, only Rayne and Julian were left in the housing office.


    The administrator looked over, doing her best to appear happy and polite. "Hello, are you interested in renting the room?" she asked quickly.


    Rayne walked over to the desk with Julian. "Yes, we would like to take it." While the cost was high, it naturally meant nothing to Rayne, who had an unlimited amount of supplies.


    The administrator nodded and presented them with a list of goods along with their point values. "This is a list of common items and their values. While this over here is a list of in-demand items, which are worth more," she said, handing over two pieces of paper.


    Rayne looked over both lists, gaining more insight on the value of certain items. She focused more on the ''in-demand'' items since they were what the base was currently in need of the most.


    While Rayne and Julian looked through the item exchange sheets, the administrator continued. "I will be honest with you, we only have one unit available. If you can make a payment today, it''s yours. I''ll take you to see it afterward."


    Rayne looked over at Julian and saw him nodding. She then turned to the administrator and agreed. "Yes, we will definitely take it today."


    Some of the in-demand items this month were basic medical supplies and personal hygiene items like soaps and feminine care. Shockingly, even condoms were on the list, worth 100 points a box.


    "I''ll be right back with the payment. Luckily, we just recently obtained a number of these items," explained Rayne as she pretended to go back to the car. In reality, she left the housing office, leaving Julian to stay in her place, and walked into a remote corner of the lobby.


    She put her hand inside her backpack and began to fill it with a variety of medical supplies and hygiene items, including a few boxes of condoms of varying sizes. She waited outside for a few minutes before walking back inside the housing office with a full backpack.


    "Here are the items, please take a look," she said to the housing administrator as she placed her backpack on the desk.


    The housing administrator quickly got to work, inspecting every item and noting down its value. "You have way over the needed amount. Would you like to add electricity to your room? It''s an additional 50 points a month."


    Rayne quickly nodded. "Yes, please. I believe there should be enough for four months of rent with the electricity included." She initially took out enough items for five months of rent, but with the added cost of electricity, she would have enough for four months.


    "Let me quickly add up the cost... Yes, looks like you are all set for four months with electricity!" she said happily. She handed over the keys to Rayne and motioned for them to follow her to the unit.

 Chapter 98 - 98: Making a House a Home

    Rayne and Julian followed the housing administrator to the west side of the base, where the lodgings overlooked the river valley.


    "Here we are. It''s a bit far from the center of the base, but it''s quieter around here too," she explained, leading them up to the third floor.


    "Yours is the room on the edge over here," she pointed with her hand. "Please feel free to let me know if there are any issues in the future." Then, she quickly turned around and left to return to the office.


    Rayne walked up to the door and unlocked it with the key she had been given. As they walked inside, Rayne quickly realized that it was a one-bedroom unit. She turned to look at Julian, wanting to gauge his reaction, but all she was met with was a bright smile.


    "This place looks nice and cozy, just needs a good clean. If you wouldn''t mind giving me a few cleaning supplies, I''ll get started," he said happily. The moment he realized it was a one-bedroom unit, he felt ecstatic. He would get to experience what it felt like living together with Rayne, his heart racing with excitement.


    Rayne blushed at his excited expression and turned to open her system panel. She took out brooms, mops, different cleaning solutions, rags, buckets, and a variety of other cleaning supplies.


    They both quickly got to work, cleaning every little corner of the unit until it was sparkling clean. A faint lemon scent lingered inside from the soaps and disinfectants.


    Julian picked up the buckets of dirty mop water and turned to Rayne. "I''ll go dump this outside. Feel free to decorate and make this place comfortable as you see fit. We''ll be staying here for a while, and there''s no need to shortchange ourselves on comfort."


    After he left, Rayne opened her system panel and looked through to see what items she had that could be used for improvements. One of the first things she wanted to do was secure the place.


    Since more and more people were continuing to flood into the base to seek refuge, there was bound to be some sort of conflict. Rayne wanted to at least ensure that the place they slept at night would be secure.


    She looked through the ''security'' folder and pulled out a new door that was originally advertised as being able to withstand bullets and explosives. She chose this specific model because she could attach the unit''s original door to the front side, maintaining the original facade.


    Rayne also pulled out a new door lock. Although the master key was in the hands of the base''s administration, she chose not to trust that everyone there was upstanding or would not be bribed.


    After setting those items aside, she walked over to inspect the three windows in the unit. There were two in the living room and one in the bedroom, and thankfully, each one was in good shape.


    Julian came back with the two buckets, now empty, and noticed the sheet metal door along with the new door lock near the entrance.


    "Oh wow, this is a great idea! Let''s get this door installed right now," he said and began to remove the current door.


    Rayne came over and helped him, taking out any necessary tools along the way. They both worked quickly and efficiently, getting the new metal door installed in no time. Julian went ahead to install the new door lock while Rayne went around to furnish the new living space.


    She turned the small space near the entrance into a small kitchen area, placing a long and narrow wooden table against the wall. On top of the table, she set up an electric cooktop and a coffee maker, and placed a small mini fridge under the table, plugging it into the outlet.


    The items she chose for the living room were simple but comfortable. She chose the most basic-looking grey rug and grey sofa, hoping that it wouldn''t be too eye-catching. They had noticed a few trucks with various furniture when they first arrived, so she felt that having a few pieces of furniture out should be okay.


    The last piece of furniture Rayne added to the living room was a small coffee table, which would double as a dining table during mealtimes. She had a hard time finding one that looked really simple, so she settled for the one she had stored from her room in the bunker.


    The next order of business was curtains and blinds. Privacy was very important to her, and she didn''t want to leave the windows bare. She chose some basic wooden blinds and heavy linen curtains, providing privacy and adding warmth to the rooms.


    Julian helped her install the curtain rods and blinds, enjoying the process of decorating their home together. He noticed how she hesitated to decorate the only bedroom in the unit and smiled.


    "How''s it going? Are you concerned about something?" he asked, hugging her from behind.


    Rayne blushed at his embrace. "Umm, I''m just not sure how to set up the bedroom... since there''s only one." She was about to offer to sleep on the couch and give Julian the bedroom, but he beat her to it.


    "Why don''t you put two single beds here? One against each wall, with a nightstand in the middle," he quickly suggested. He had a feeling she was about to suggest sleeping in a different room, and he wanted to prevent that from happening. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Deep down, what he truly would have wanted was to sleep together in the same bed, but he knew it was too early for that. Two beds in the same room would be a good opportunity for them to get even closer to one another, gradually progressing their relationship.


    Rayne thought about his suggestion for a few moments, feeling like it should be okay. "Are you sure you''re okay with that?" she asked.


    "Yes, of course. I even promise not to snore," he teased.

 Chapter 99 - 99: Lurking Dangers

    Rayne broke free from his embrace and turned to face him. "You better not snore! I''ll throw endless amounts of pillows at you if you do!" she teased, causing them both to burst out laughing.


    She walked around the small bedroom and pulled out two identical twin bedframes. "Come, help me put these together," she invited him over, motioning to him with her hand.


    They spent the next hour assembling the bedframes, laughing and joking with each other in the process.


    "Ugh! We finally finished putting this one together. Let me just store it in my system and make a copy so we don''t have to spend another hour putting together the second one," Rayne said dramatically.


    She felt that this bedframe was incredibly annoying to put together. If she still had access to the internet, she would have even gone to write a bad review about it.


    Julian stood up, eagerly agreeing with her idea. The instructions were confusing, and none of the parts were labeled. They had to redo many steps just to get things to fit correctly.


    Rayne placed her hand on the assembled bedframe and gave the mental command to store it. She also took the unopened box for the second frame and placed it in her system trash bin, wanting to remove it from her sight before she got the urge to toss it through the window.


    Julian helped her wipe the floor once more, clearing away all the small dust and debris from the assembly process before Rayne took out the completed bedframes.


    She placed the first one against the left wall and the other frame against the right wall. This left just enough space for a small nightstand beneath the window between the two beds.


    Once the hard part of setting up the bedframes was done, she went through her system to try out different mattresses.


    "Here, test out a few of these mattresses and choose the one you like the most," she said after laying a different one on each bed.


    Julian went over, and they took turns lying on different mattresses as Rayne rotated them out until they found their favorite ones.


    "I think it''s this one for me. I like the slightly firmer ones," Julian said, standing up off the bed.


    Rayne nodded. "I think I like this one the best as well." She laid out a copy of that mattress on each bed and removed all of the others.


    All that was left to do was lay out the bedsheets and blankets and add the pillows. She chose a set of soft linens and warm blankets while adding the finishing touches to the bedroom.


    Julian walked back into the bedroom and admired the finished room. "It looks so cozy. You did a great job. Thank you, Rayne."


    "Thank you. Did you finish the bathroom?" she asked cheerfully.


    "Yes! Installed the new showerhead, put up the new shower curtain, and placed all of the toiletries in their respective places!" he reported.


    Rayne smiled at him. "Thank you. I think we should have an extra special meal tonight to celebrate!" They had been either traveling or waiting in line for most of the day, only having a chance to eat a few bites in between.


    Now that they had finally settled, she wanted to take the opportunity to make something hearty and special.


    "I will never say no to your cooking. You should know that by now," Julian said with a cheeky grin. He truly loved her cooking, feeling that it was better than most of the top restaurants he had eaten at previously.


    "Okay, that settles it then! I''ll see what I can make in this small kitchenette," she answered, walking over to the designated kitchen area.


    Since the weather had gotten a little cooler, she decided that a nice hearty stew would be perfect to warm their bodies. To make her life easier, she decided to cook it in a slow cooker (crockpot) and pulled one out of her system.


    She also pulled out all the needed vegetables, spices, and meat, carefully chopping and dicing them.


    Before long, a wonderful scent spread throughout the house, making Julian antsy to eat. He was currently lying on the couch with Rayne, watching a TV show on her laptop. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How much longer? It smells way too good," he leaned over and asked. He had long been salivating due to the wonderful scent and couldn''t wait any longer.


    Rayne turned to poke him on the arm. "Patience! It should be done soon! The longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be!"


    She really loved how much of a foodie Julian was. She noticed that it was a side of him he only let loose around her. When the others were around, he seemed much more restrained.


    While the two of them were having fun teasing each other, the neighbors next door sat huddled on ripped blankets that were laid out on the cold floor.


    "Rico, do you smell that? It''s very faint, but my stomach won''t stop growling," said a pale, skinny man with blonde hair.


    "I wonder if it''s the new neighbors. I saw the housing administrator walking over earlier today with a pair of newlyweds," stated another man who had a large scar across his face.


    Rico walked over to the wall that separated their unit from the one Rayne and Julian moved into and sniffed around.


    "You''re right. I can smell the delicious scent of meat being cooked next door," he said with a slightly surprised tone.


    The pale, skinny man moved to sit against that wall so that he could admire the scent some more. "It doesn''t even smell like rotten meat. I wonder where they got fresh meat," he said curiously while drooling.


    Rico crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. The scent was tickling his extreme hunger, making him feel angry. He felt it wasn''t fair that they were here starving while their neighbors got to eat lavishly, even having meat.


    "It seems like our neighbors have a lot of good things. It would only be right if they shared some of their wealth with us, their neighbors," Rico said after a long pause.


    The other four men in the room perked up at hearing his words. Rico was the "big brother" figure in this group and usually acted as the leader.


    "Bro, what do we need to do? I''ll do anything!" the skinny man stood up with excitement.


    "Yeah, tell us! We''re all on board!" said the youngest man of the group.


    Rico nodded. "Yes, don''t worry. We will all have our part to play. The most important thing is not to rush into it. We need to observe them for a while first, learning their habits and routines. If we run in now, it will be us who is taken by surprise."


    "You''re so smart, bro. This is why you''re the leader," the skinny man said, nodding.

 Chapter 100 - 100: New Neighbors

    The other men in the room agreed. "Yes, bro. We trust your judgment," they said.


    Rico closed his eyes and began thinking of the best way to achieve their goal. "Ideally, it would be best if they let us inside¡ªat least one of us. I''m going to observe the girl, and maybe we can coax her into inviting us inside for a quick moment," he suggested.


    "For now, just observe them and act friendly," Rico ordered. The other men nodded. They were running low on supplies and weren''t sure if they''d be able to afford the payment for the next month.


    On the other side of the wall, Rayne was setting the table to enjoy the stew with Julian. When she brought over the slow cooker and opened the lid, a beautiful, hearty stew greeted her, filling the room with a comforting scent.


    Rayne frowned at the strong, appealing scent. "It seems like we''ll need to eat less fragrant food in the future, or rely on the food from the system. I didn''t expect the stew to give off such a strong scent."


    Julian looked over at her worried expression. "It''s okay. In the future, we''ll be more careful. Don''t worry."


    They ate their dinner quickly, and Rayne placed everything into her system to clean up. Both of them were exhausted from the long day and decided to go to bed early.


    The next morning, they woke up to a soft knock on the door. Julian went over to answer it, only cracking the door slightly.


    "How can I help you?" he asked coldly. While he didn''t want to come off as rude, he knew that being too kind and trusting right now would only invite leeches or trouble.


    "Hey, I''m just here to say hello. I''m your neighbor, Randy. Just wanted to introduce myself and let you in on some information!" said Randy.


    Julian observed the tall, skinny man, wondering what he wanted to share. "Well, go on," Julian said curtly.


    Randy smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Well, word on the street is that the base has finally begun to implement its contribution point system and the point store. They''ll be making an announcement about it in front of the main lobby area at noon."


    This was indeed news to Julian, and he decided that it would be good to hear what the announcement was all about.


    He looked at Randy and nodded. "Thank you for this information," he said, then quickly shut the door.


    Randy stared at the closed door, feeling awkward. "You could''ve at least given me your name," he mumbled and turned back to report to the others.


    "Who was it?" asked Rayne as Julian shut the door.


    "Some guy named Randy. He said he was our neighbor and came to give us information. Apparently, today at noon, the base will be doing a big announcement, and I think it''s worth checking out," stated Julian.


    "Oh! Yes, for sure, let''s check it out. Maybe we''ll gain some leads on finding a chemist," she said happily.


    Julian looked over at her smiling face and debated how he wanted to tell her about Damien. A part of him wanted to keep her out of the loop, but at this point, they were already bound too closely together.


    It was better to tell her about the hidden dangers of Damien''s underground organization so that she could at least understand what was happening if they ever found themselves face to face with them.


    "Hey, Rayne, after we get back from the announcement, there''s something else I need to tell you. It explains why I needed to fake my own death, and the dangers you might run into if you continue to stay by my side," he said in a somber and slightly guilty tone.


    Rayne saw his expression and understood that it was a very serious topic. "Okay, that''s fine. I''m not worried about danger. I''ve realized that this new world will only continue to get increasingly dangerous, and running away from it will be impossible," she smiled.


    Over the last few weeks, she''d reflected on herself and her weaknesses. She understood how trusting and naive she had been at times, and was lucky that nothing too bad had happened as a result.


    The future would be even more uncertain, and filled with even more danger. It was about time for her to toughen up and face this reality.


    Meeting Julian was one of the luckiest things that had happened to her, right next to her miraculous system. While she was still shy and new to love (Dillon had been a poor example), she understood that she had real feelings for Julian, and wanted to remain at his side.


    Julian felt relieved seeing her smile. He firmly decided to tell her everything, not withholding any information. They were a team now, and he owed it to her.


    Changing the subject, he looked down at his watch. "We still have some time before the announcement at noon. Would you like to take a walk around the base and see what things are like?"


    "Yes! I''ve been wanting to look around. Let me get changed, and we can go," she said, running into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.


    A few minutes later, she came out in her usual all-black athletic wear and held a dirty-looking tan jacket in her arms.


    "Do you like it? I dripped motor oil and paint on it, then rubbed dirt into it to make it look less new," she said, showing off her creation. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian looked at the jacket, which had a few rips and stains, and gave her a thumbs up. "Nice work. It actually looks naturally dirty, you did a good job!"


    Rayne put on the jacket and a plain black baseball cap, handing another one to Julian. She also gave him a pair of glasses with fake lenses, helping him somewhat cover up his appearance.


    Julian put on the items and said, "Now I feel very scholarly!"


    Once they were ready, they set off to explore the base. Rayne made sure to double-check that the front door was securely locked before they left and that everything was in order.


    "I''ve been thinking¡­ maybe we should set up a small camera outside our door. I have a few different models. One of these small cameras was even recommended to me to spy on my boyfriend by the store clerk," she laughed as they walked down the stairs.


    "Haha, I think that''s a great idea. It never hurts to be too careful. I''ll help you install it when we get back," agreed Julian. He was happy to hear her considering things like cameras and safety equipment.

 Chapter 101 - 101: Major Announcements

    They decided to first take a look around the area surrounding the building where they were living. The base had originally been designed to be a resort, so there were a number of winding paths meant to showcase all of the scenic areas.


    Even after the natural disasters, a few places, like the overlook of the valley, remained beautiful. Unfortunately, many of the smaller trees and flowers were destroyed in the hurricane, leaving behind barren strips of land.


    Rayne looked at the empty flower beds and vacant patches of land, and her mind was quickly filled with ideas for repurposing these spaces as small vegetable gardens. She had little experience with gardening but knew that with the help of some of the gardening books she had gotten from the library, she could probably grow at least something.


    They continued walking around the base, heading closer toward the central area. The landscape quickly changed from empty scenic walkways to fields filled with tents and cardboard shelters.


    "It looks like this base will need to address the housing issue soon. There''s not nearly enough space for everyone, and winter is on its way," commented Julian as they walked.


    Rayne agreed, although she wasn''t sure what the base would be able to do to solve this. Building more apartment buildings would take a lot of time, equipment, and experienced personnel, and she wasn''t sure what kind of resources the base had.


    She hoped that at least something could be done because she felt bad for these people, especially the young children.


    By the time they arrived at the large clearing in front of the main lobby of the resort, many people had already gathered, all waiting for the announcement.


    Julian positioned himself so that he was standing directly behind Rayne, placing his arms around her. This position allowed him to shield Rayne from the people around them, as well as fulfill his selfish desire for physical touch.


    Any onlookers who saw them simply thought they were a loving couple¡ªnothing out of the ordinary. Rayne was also becoming more comfortable with his embraces, feeling at ease as she leaned against his chest.


    A few minutes later, a group of two men and two women walked out of the lobby. One of them was holding a megaphone, ready to begin the announcement.


    "Welcome, all residents... Today we are here to make a few announcements," said the older man of the group.


    The crowd quickly quieted down, eagerly listening for any useful information.


    "The first announcement is the implementation of the contribution points system. For the longevity of this base and an overall better quality of life, we will begin to employ our residents for various jobs both on and off base," he continued.


    The crowd quickly burst into quiet chatter. Most of the people were hopeful and excited by this announcement, while others wondered what the benefits would be.


    "Payment for these jobs will vary depending on the task, and will be made with contribution points. These points will be loaded onto your resident cards and can be spent at the base market," he announced. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time, even more people began to discuss their desire to get a job, happily speculating about what would be offered at the base market.


    Once the chatter quieted down, the man picked up his megaphone again to continue. "The base market will open tomorrow on the second floor of the main lobby building. We have just finished reconstructing the area to fit our needs.


    Items ranging from food to housing supplies will be sold there, with contribution points serving as currency. Another feature of the market is the ability to sell items to the base for contribution points."


    The crowd cheered. Having a store where they could buy food was very helpful to most people. Not everyone had the ability to go out and scavenge, so this store brought hope to many.


    Rayne was happy to hear about the ability to sell items. She felt this was a good way to contribute to the base''s supply stockpile indirectly. Based on what the housing administrator had explained earlier, the point value of items fluctuates based on supply and demand.


    If Rayne were to contribute a large amount of a single item, the price of that item would drop, benefiting the general public.


    The man handed the megaphone to the woman beside him and walked to stand with the others on the leadership team.


    The woman lifted the megaphone and continued with the announcements. "I would like to explain a bit more about the offered jobs. As mentioned earlier, they will be divided into on-base and off-base positions. The off-base jobs will mostly consist of scouting, scavenging, and the guard team.


    Scouting missions will involve tasks like surveying the cities and looking for people. Scavenging missions will focus on gathering specific supplies, and the guard team will be responsible for keeping the base safe from any outside threats."


    Most of the men in the crowd got excited about the prospect of these jobs. The guard team, in particular, was a popular topic among the crowd.


    "Some of the on-base jobs include administrative roles, the inner guard team, construction and maintenance, farming, and livestock¡ªamong many others, based on the needs of the base. We will be opening up sign-ups and interviews as early as tomorrow."


    The woman then handed the megaphone back to the previous speaker.


    "Our last announcement is to address the lack of available housing. We have made plans to build a large, dorm-style hall where the current sports field is located. We are accepting volunteers to help speed up the process. Volunteers will have priority for living there once the construction is complete."


    Rayne and Julian took a moment to listen to the chatter among the crowd, hearing the public''s reaction. So far, people felt excited and hopeful for a better life, happy with the announcements.


    There were, of course, a few people who were unhappy, feeling that the base should just provide everything to them for free. Thankfully, these people were a small minority and were mostly ignored by the rest of the crowd.


    Julian leaned over to whisper in Rayne''s ear. "Shall we head back?" he asked sweetly.


    Rayne lifted her head to look up at him. "Yeah, let''s head back. We still have a few things to discuss and lunch to eat."


    On the other side of the crowd:


    Ella watched as the crowd began to disperse, noticing a woman who closely resembled Rayne in the distance. Just as she was about to call out excitedly, she noticed a handsome man place his arms around the girl''s waist.


    She watched the couple smile at each other softly as they spoke, making Ella doubt that the woman was her best friend. The sea of people between her and the woman who looked like Rayne made it difficult for her to get any closer.


    She watched them walk away in the opposite direction and shook her head.


    "Ah, I miss you, Rayne. Hope you''re doing okay," she mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 102 - 102: Secret War

    Ella walked back to the east side of the base, where her new home was located. She felt very lucky to have bought the house when they did because word on the street was that the prices quickly increased.


    "Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom! I''m back!" she announced, walking inside.


    "Hey, how did it go? Learn anything interesting from the announcements?" asked her mother.


    Ella nodded. "Yeah, there were a number of good things, like new jobs, a new market, and a new building being built."


    "Oh, new jobs? Hopefully, there is something I can do. I feel useless sitting here all day doing nothing," her mom said.


    Reginald walked into the living room from his bedroom to join the conversation. "Leave the work to me, honey. I''ll find you a fun activity to do so that you won''t be bored," he chimed in dotingly.


    He then turned to Ella. "Tell me a bit more about these jobs, specifically the off-base scavenging ones."


    Ella proceeded to tell him everything she had heard at the announcement.


    "Good, tomorrow I''ll go to the sign-up and ask for more details. I want to go out and find a few things for our home. These fold-out chairs we brought from home don''t suit my old body," he said while rubbing the back of his aching shoulder.


    "Dad, let me go with you," said Ella. She didn''t want her father to go out alone, feeling that these scavenging missions could still be very dangerous.


    Reginald shook his head. "No, I want you to stay here with your mother. Go and sort through the items we brought and make a pile of non-essentials that we can sell to the market for points." The whole point of bringing his family here was to keep them safe, and he wasn''t about to make them go out and put themselves in danger.


    Ella frowned but knew that there was nothing she could say to change his mind.


    ----


    As Rayne and Julian made their way back to their unit, they ran into Rico, who was hanging out in front of his entrance.


    "Oh hey there, neighbors! Anything interesting at the announcement today?" he greeted, doing his best to appear genuine and friendly.


    "Hi. Yeah, a lot of good stuff," answered Julian casually. He didn''t want to engage in a lengthy conversation with him and continued to walk forward.


    Rico noticed their cold attitude and frowned. It seemed that buttering up his neighbors wouldn''t be as easy as he had hoped.


    "Hey, I didn''t catch your names," he called out to Rayne and Julian as they were about to step inside their house.


    Rayne pretended not to hear him and walked inside, while Julian turned to look at him with a cold stare before following Rayne in.


    "Tsk," Rico turned to head back inside. Their cold attitude pissed him off. "We''ll see who gets the last laugh," he muttered as he entered his room.


    After Rayne walked inside, she quickly pulled up her system panel and took out one of every kind of security camera she had stored.


    Julian walked over to see a small pile of security cameras and knelt down to look through them.


    "I agree, setting this up will be a good safety measure. Our neighbors seem a little too friendly, and my gut is telling me something is up," said Julian.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, I also feel that they''ve been too friendly. If it was before, I wouldn''t think anything of it, but now it''s rare to have people show such enthusiasm."


    Julian picked out a tiny pinhole camera that could be installed very discreetly. It was also battery-powered, so they didn''t need to worry about cable management or connecting it to a power source.


    "I''ll go put this one up outside. I''ll be right back," he said as he walked toward the door.


    "Okay, while you do that, I''ll set up a small monitor so that we can have the camera feed displayed indoors," said Rayne. She pulled out a small tablet that had Bluetooth capabilities and began the process of pairing the camera to the tablet.


    By the time Julian came back, Rayne had already paired everything and had a clear feed from the camera outside.


    "Great, it looks like it''s all set up. You picked a good spot; you can see a lot from this angle," said Rayne as she looked at the camera feed.


    Julian walked over and took a look, making sure there were no blind spots. "Okay, yeah, it looks good. We''ll just have to monitor the battery life every once in a while."


    Rayne cleaned up the rest of the cameras and walked over to have a seat on the living room sofa. She patted the seat next to her, inviting Julian to sit down beside her.


    "Come, tell me what it was you wanted to inform me about," she said, smiling.


    Julian walked over and took a seat, turning to face her. "Let''s see... For a few years now, I''ve been at war with someone I used to call a good friend, Damien. He now leads a large underground organization, doing many vile things through his lackeys."


    He adjusted his posture, then continued, "Damien and I have been at a standstill for the last few years. Just as I was about to get the upper hand, he disappeared into hiding, and no matter how many men I sent and how much information I gathered, I was not able to find him."


    Rayne placed her hand on his knee. She could feel the deep hurt and resentment in his words, even though he didn''t touch on the specifics of what exactly shattered their friendship. Although she was curious, she knew that he would explain more over time.


    "In order to get him out of hiding, I devised a plan to fake my own death. If Damien believed that I had died, he would finally drop his guard enough for my men to find him... but before any of that happened, these natural disasters occurred," sighed Julian.


    "So even now, Damien and his men are out there somewhere?" asked Rayne, trying to grasp the situation.


    "With his ability, I wouldn''t be surprised if his men were already stationed here in this very base," said Julian.


    "What? You really think so?" asked Rayne with wide eyes. She imagined Damien''s men would be more organized, like a military regiment.


    Julian nodded. "Yeah, I''m almost positive. Which is why I wanted to bring it to light. I am currently Damien''s number one enemy, and the only one who stands in his way. I just hope that Ian and Noah hear something soon." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 103 - 103: Attempted Robbery

    Rayne''s expression turned serious as she met Julian''s eyes. "Then we need to be more careful. We also need to try and gather information on Damien, along with finding leads on a chemist."


    "Yes. I don''t want to jump to conclusions just yet, but I believe that Damien is connected to the strange symptoms of the dead men we saw in the city. I''m thinking those thugs were either Damien''s men or somehow related," said Julian.


    "Wow, to think we might have already been in contact with Damien''s men..." said Rayne, realizing that the situation may have been different than an encounter with just some local thugs.


    "Mmm, yeah. Just keep it in mind when you interact with people you''re not familiar with in the future," he said calmly. His only wish was for her to be safe; everything else he could handle.


    The two of them continued to chat for a while longer, moving on to other topics. "Let''s check out the job board tomorrow. Maybe there will be a lead to find a chemist from one of the scouting missions?" suggested Julian.


    "Yes! That''s a great idea. I also wanted to ''sell'' a few items to the newly opened market tomorrow," replied Rayne. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Late that night.


    Rico huddled around with his ''brothers'' in the living room of their housing unit. "Okay, tonight we''re going to try and gather more information. Randy, you and Tee are going to climb through this back window and see if you can see anything from their windows. The rest of us are going to see if we can pick the lock on the front door."


    "You got it, bro!" the guys replied.


    "Remember, stay quiet and don''t get caught. Even if you can''t find anything, don''t test your luck and just come back," instructed Randy. The last thing he wanted was to get discovered before the plan even had a chance to be executed.


    Everyone nodded their heads, indicating that they understood. Randy and Tee stealthily walked over to the window and opened it before climbing out. They placed a small wooden plank on the windowsill, connecting their two windows together.


    Randy deftly jumped out onto the plank while Tee held it to provide additional support. Carefully, Randy walked across the plank over to the window of the neighboring unit.


    As Randy approached the first window, he noticed that there were a set of blinds and curtains blocking the view completely. Frowning, he made his way over to the second window.


    This time, he was able to catch a few tiny glimpses of the dark interior through the slightly opened blinds. After taking a few more peeks, he quickly made his way back inside.


    "Tee! You won''t believe it! They have a couch and a table inside!" Randy quietly exclaimed.


    "What? A couch! They really are big shots! Can you imagine what kind of other things they might have inside if they already have a couch?!" Tee chimed in. His mind was filled with the promise of meat and delicious cooking.


    On the front side of the building, Rico and his group were busy trying their luck at lockpicking the front door.


    "Why is it taking you so long? Didn''t you pick the lock to our unit many times when Tee forgot the keys?" asked Rico, slightly impatient.


    The man with the scar across his face frowned. "Yeah, our lock was a very standard design and is very straightforward. For some reason, this lock is very different, and I don''t understand it."


    Rico looked at the door carefully. "Well, the door and the doorknob look identical to ours and the other units in this building." He couldn''t understand why the lock here would be so different from everyone else''s.


    He felt a headache coming on. "Alright, let''s go back. I don''t want to get caught."


    The group packed up and went back inside to reconvene with Randy and Tee.


    "You guys have any luck?" asked Randy.


    "Nah, there''s something strange about the door lock. We couldn''t figure it out. How about you guys? Find anything interesting?" asked Rico.


    Randy sat down on the tattered blanket. "They have blinds and curtains installed, so I wasn''t able to see too much. However--"


    "Tell him about the couch!" interrupted Tee excitedly.


    Rico lifted his eyebrow. "Couch?"


    "Yeah, bro, I was able to peek into their living room and saw that they had a couch and a table!" Randy explained.


    "They must have so many nice items... like meat!" said Tee while drooling at the thought of eating a juicy steak.


    Rico was fairly surprised by this discovery. "Yeah, I agree. If they have the ability to obtain a couch, they must have many other useful items. I''m even more determined to break inside now," he said.


    The rest of the men nodded, following the same logic. "Just tell us what to do, we''ll do it!" they all exclaimed excitedly.


    "We will wait and see if they decide to go anywhere in the next few days. An opportunity might present itself," said Rico.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up early, excited to visit the newly opened market where she could sell a number of items.


    When Julian woke up, he found Rayne organizing boxes of supplies in the living room. She was so focused on her task that she didn''t realize he had walked into the room.


    After watching her for a while, he finally cleared his throat. "What are you so focused on so early in the morning?"


    Rayne jumped, startled at his sudden question. "Oh, morning! Sorry, I didn''t notice you were there. I''m deciding which supplies are best to sell to the base... I want to contribute as much as I can, but I don''t want to seem suspicious," she said thoughtfully.


    Julian walked over and looked at the various cans and dried food lying around. There was also a small pile of blankets and hygiene supplies.


    "Hmm, well, let''s start with what people would need the most right now. I would say food and water would be a top priority. The rest of these items are pretty good choices too, but we can wait to deliver them periodically, especially after we come back from ''scavenging runs,''" said Julian.


    "Good idea, then I will just focus on food and water today. Thank you for the suggestion," she said and began to fill a medium-sized box with various canned items, dry goods, and dry biscuits.

 Chapter 104 - 104: Selling Food

    Rayne finished packing up the box and got ready to head over to the market. "I''m going to head over to the market now. I''ll be right back."


    As she walked over to unlock the door to leave, she noticed that the lock felt a little tight. Something was telling her that there was something off about it.


    "Hey, Julian, can you come over here and check out the door lock? It seems a little off to me," she called out.


    Julian walked over and tested locking and unlocking the door. "Hmm, you''re right. It feels different than before," he said.


    Rayne placed the box of items on the floor and walked over to the tablet that was connected to a small camera outside. She slowly began rewinding the footage until she spotted their overly friendly neighbors trying to pick their door lock last night.


    "Haha! Julian, come take a look at this. Looks like our neighbors are so friendly and caring they were trying to break in last night," laughed Rayne. She was so glad that they had installed the new door and lock, or else they would have had to deal with some pests last night.


    Julian walked over and saw the camera feed. "I think we have to return the favor. I knew something was off when they were waiting for us yesterday. Don''t worry about these petty thieves. Go to the market and do your thing," he said.


    Rayne smiled and went over to pick up the box of items. "Okay, I''ll be back soon. See ya."


    Rayne quickly made it over to the second floor of the main lobby, which had been transformed into a small market area. The design was very different from a typical store with items sitting on shelves.


    This market was fully enclosed with chain-link fence walls, with space for a few small counters where the market staff stood behind. All of the items were locked up inside with the staff, and it seemed that people who wanted to buy an item would need to ask a staff member to retrieve it for them.


    Rayne walked over to the counter that had a sign that said "Sell Items Here" written over it and was greeted by a middle-aged woman.


    "Hello, are you here to sell some supplies?" she asked, noticing the box that Rayne was carrying.


    "Yes, I am. Here is a box of a few extra supplies my family managed to find on our way over. We''re hoping to get some contribution points to buy items we don''t have in the future," explained Rayne.


    The woman nodded, accepting the box. When she opened it, her eyes couldn''t believe what she saw! There were rows upon rows of shiny silver cans filled with chicken and tuna.


    Rayne chose these two food items because she felt that the most difficult things to find currently were meat and protein. She noticed that most people were eating stale bread, biscuits, or crackers.


    "Oh wow, these items will surely be top sellers. Thank you for deciding to sell them," she said happily. She treated Rayne with even more respect because she knew that the average person would not have given up this many high-quality food items, instead keeping them all for themselves.


    She also pulled out a few small bags of rice that Rayne had managed to stuff into the box, weighing them on a small scale.


    "Is there anything else you''d like to sell before I begin calculating the points for you?" she asked politely.


    Rayne was just about to say yes when another idea popped into her mind. "Ah, just one more thing," she said, taking off her backpack and pulling out a small sack of potatoes.


    "Here, I''d like to sell these as well," she said, handing the sack over to the shopkeeper.


    "Oh, how wonderful! Fresh potatoes. The base will most likely use these to cultivate in the farm area it''s planning on opening up soon," the lady said.


    Rayne smiled, happy to hear that upper management had begun to make plans to grow food. With production chains stopped, it''s only a matter of time before everything gets looted and people begin to starve.


    The shopkeeper quickly calculated the points for Rayne''s items. "You will receive 575 points for these items today! Since the items were in pristine condition, their value was a little higher than normal."


    Rayne smiled, trying to appear excited. In reality, she didn''t really care how many points she would be given, since her real desire was to help the base.


    "Please give me your resident card, and I''ll add the points for you," smiled the shopkeeper.


    Rayne pretended to fish out the card from her pocket, taking it out of her system, and handed it over to the woman.


    The shopkeeper swiped the card through a card reader and handed it back to Rayne. "Please feel free to look around before you leave," said the shopkeeper, motioning to the items behind her.


    Rayne walked around the market, looking at the available ''for sale'' items behind the chain-link fence. There weren''t many items available¡ªmostly a few buckets of mixed rice and a good amount of dried biscuits.


    There were also a few clothing items on display near a small stack of towels and bedding.


    "Do you have any hygiene items, like soap?" asked Rayne curiously. If there were no hygiene items available for a long time, disease might start to spread.


    The shopkeeper shook her head. "No, all hygiene items have been sent to the medical ward. We don''t have enough supply yet to be able to sell them to the general public."


    Rayne was sad to hear that and made plans to sell hygiene items in her next sale.


    After walking around some more, she made her way back home, curious about what Julian had been up to.


    The air outside had gotten even colder than the previous day. Rayne warmed her fingers with her breath as she walked.


    When she finally made it back home, she saw Julian sleeping on the couch. The temperature inside was much better than outside, but it was still chilly.


    Rayne walked over to the couch, took a baby pink fuzzy blanket from her system, and covered Julian with it.


    She giggled to herself seeing him sleeping with the pink blanket. His sexy, manly physique clashed with the fuzzy pink blanket, creating an image of mismatched harmony. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 105 - 105: Cans of Tuna

    Ella grabbed the bag of clothing items that she and her mother had sorted out to sell at the market and set off.


    "I''m heading to the market; I''ll be back soon!" she announced as she left the room.


    "Okay, be careful! Love you!" replied her mother from the living room.


    Ella carried the bag, skipping excitedly to the market. When she arrived, she noticed that a few people were slowly trickling in, and she quickly walked up to the counter.


    "Hello! I''d like to sell a few items!" said Ella cheerfully.


    The shopkeeper returned her greeting and took the bag of items to inspect. Nodding her head in approval, she said, "Good, these clothes seem to be in good shape, and we can accept them. We''ve had a few cases already of people trying to sell used, ripped clothing, who got angry when we turned them away."


    Ella smiled. All of the items they picked out were extras from the cheap clothing store that she looted with her father back when they lived in the countryside. All of the clothing was new, not worn, and in good shape.


    "I can give you 75 points for these items. Does that work for you?" asked the shopkeeper. Ella quickly calculated the cost per item and nodded.


    "Sure, that sounds about right," she said and handed over her resident card. The shopkeeper swiped the card and handed it back to Ella.


    "Feel free to look around before leaving. We just got a generous shipment earlier this morning from someone who sold a lot of canned meat and tuna," said the shopkeeper excitedly.


    Ella walked over to the chain-link fence wall and peered inside, noticing the neat stack of canned food the shopkeeper was talking about.


    Her eyes landed on the shiny can of tuna, and her mouth watered. It had been over a week since they''d had meat at home, and tuna was one of Ella''s favorites. She recognized the brand on the can as one of the high-end ones and decided to ask for the price.


    "How much is one can of the tuna?" she called out.


    "One can will cost 6 points," answered the shopkeeper.


    Ella nodded. While the price was a tiny bit high, it was cheaper than she thought it would be. "I''ll take two cans, please," she called out again and walked over to the counter.


    "That will be 12 points, please," said the shopkeeper.


    Ella quickly took out her resident card and handed it over so the shopkeeper could charge her card. Once the points were deducted, the shopkeeper handed Ella her card back along with the two cans of tuna.


    "Thank you," said Ella and turned to hurry back home so that she could treat her parents to her newly purchased tuna!


    "I''m back!" she announced, walking inside.


    "Welcome back, how did it go? Did they buy the items?" asked her mother.


    Ella walked over to stand beside her. "Yes! They said the items were new and of decent quality. They bought them all."


    "How much did they give you?" asked Reginald as he walked over.


    "75 points! I calculated it, and felt it was an acceptable price," answered Ella. She waited for her father to make it over before she surprised them with her purchase.


    "And look what I bought for us!" she exclaimed happily, pulling the two shiny cans of tuna out of her coat pocket.


    "Oh my! I know this brand; it''s a high-quality one!" said her mother, looking at the can of tuna in her hands.


    "How much did this cost?" asked Reginald quickly, worried that his daughter had spent all of her newly earned points.


    "It was 6 points a can, so I paid 12 for both," said Ella. She knew what her father was worried about, so she quickly explained.


    "The shopkeeper said that these cans had just been sold to the market earlier today. I didn''t think they''d last long, so I snagged two cans for us to enjoy!" she continued.


    Reginald smiled at his daughter''s thoughtfulness. He felt even more blessed to have such a loving family after witnessing other families fall apart and abandon each other.


    He felt the fire of desire to provide for his family light up inside. His wife and daughter deserved the best, and he wanted them to live a comfortable, happy life.


    "I''m going to head over to the job office and ask about some of these scavenging jobs," he announced.


    "Are you sure, honey? I feel like it could be dangerous," said his wife with a worried expression.


    "I''m only going to go and ask for now. You know me, I''ve always been cautious," he replied, patting her gently on the head.


    Ella smiled at him. "Don''t worry, Dad, we won''t eat these without you," she said, waving the cans of tuna around.


    "Haha, okay. I''ll be back soon," he said and set off.


    When he arrived at the job office, he noticed many people crowding around the counters set up around the room. Each counter had a sign above it stating whether it was an "on-base" or "off-base" job recruiter.


    Reginald was most interested in the scavenging missions, so he queued up in the appropriate line, waiting for his turn to speak with the mission recruiter.


    He didn''t have to wait too long, as most people were more interested in the "on-base" jobs.


    "Hello, which job are you interested in?" asked the recruiter quickly.


    "Hi. I''d like to get some more information on the scouting mission jobs," he asked, getting straight to the point.


    The recruiter looked him up and down and replied, "There are two types of scouting missions: independent and group. In the independent missions, we will assign you a resource, say gas, and give you a general location where it could be found.


    You go out on your own, or with your own group, and find that resource and bring it back. The base will pay you for anything you find, with bonuses if you deliver a certain amount."


    Reginald nodded and waited for him to continue.


    "The group missions involve an organized group of members from the base, led by an experienced guard. You will go out to a designated area and scavenge as much as you can. The base will buy any of the items you wish to sell at a better price," he explained. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald listened carefully, weighing the pros and cons of each type. They both sounded good, but for his situation, the group option was a lot more appealing since he didn''t have a private group to go with.


    He looked up at the recruiter. "When is the next organized group planning to set off?"


    The recruiter looked down at the schedule in front of him. "The next one with available space is at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Would you like to sign up?"


    Reginald closed his eyes for a few more minutes and thought about it.

 Chapter 106 - 106: Mission Start

    A few moments later, he opened his eyes and looked the recruiter straight in the eye. "Yes, sign me up, please."


    "Very well, please show me your resident card so that I can register you," he said.


    Reginald handed him his card and waited for him to finish the registration process.


    "Okay, sir, here you go," said the recruiter, handing back his card. "Please meet here tomorrow before 6 a.m. You are assigned to Team Blue, and you are scheduled to return by 6 p.m. tomorrow evening. Food and water are your responsibility while you''re out."


    Reginald committed all the information to memory and went back home.


    As he entered, Ella jumped up to greet him. "Hey, Dad, how did it go? Did you get any information?"


    "Yes, not only did I get information, but I also signed up for a scavenging mission. I leave tomorrow at 6 a.m. and will come back in the evening," he announced.


    His wife stood up abruptly. "Honey, are you sure it''s safe? Why don''t you stay home? I''ll find a job on base; we can get by that way."


    Reginald caressed his wife''s cheek with his hand. "It''s safe, honey, don''t worry. It''s going to be a group of us going, and a guard will be leading us. It''s only for a day, and I could potentially come back with many useful things," he coaxed.


    Her anxiety lessened when he mentioned that a guard would be accompanying them. "Okay, just be safe. Stay near the guard, okay?" she hugged him.


    "Mmm, everything will be okay. I''ll see you for dinner tomorrow," he hugged her back.


    The next morning, Reginald woke up early, making sure he wasn''t late. He arrived at the job office and noticed a large crowd. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Red Team, over here!" shouted a guard.


    "Yellow Team, with me!" yelled another one.


    Reginald continued to walk around until he heard a man shouting for Blue Team to gather around him. As he walked over, he sized up the man he assumed would be their leader for the day. He was a tall, large man who looked like he had prior military or police experience.


    The man was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a handgun strapped to his side, giving him an imposing aura.


    "Hello, I''m here for Blue Team," said Reginald, announcing his presence.


    The man looked at Reginald and gave him a curt nod. "Yep, you''re at the right place. You can call me Jason. I''ll be the leader for today''s outing."


    Jason continued to shout for Blue Team for a few more minutes until all five members assembled.


    "Okay, looks like everyone is here. Today, we will be going to a small town about an hour''s drive from here. We are assigned to look for medical supplies¡ªanything from bandages to pills. We got word that there''s a fairly intact hospital in this town, so our haul should be decent. Anything extra you find is yours."


    After the quick briefing, Jason led the team towards the base-owned van, motioning for everyone to get in.


    Reginald took a look back toward where his wife and daughter were and hopped in the van. They drove for a little over an hour until they finally reached the small town.


    Jason parked the van beside the local medical clinic, which was the target for today''s scavenging operation.


    "Listen up, everyone! We will be focusing on looting this medical building today. Bring any medical supplies back to the truck that you wish to sell to the base. If you want to keep anything for yourself, you must pack it in your own bags," he announced before getting out of the van.


    "What if we find too many items and they won''t all fit in the van?" asked one of the team members.


    "I have a radio, and I will call the base for an additional vehicle. These supplies are very important, so do your best to find as many usable ones as possible," Jason replied.


    After the briefing, everyone walked inside the medical center. Although it wasn''t as large as a hospital in the city, it was still quite large for a small town.


    Reginald followed the team inside and waited for the people in front of him to choose a direction before he chose his. As he walked down the west hallway, he peered into the rooms, noticing that they were mostly doctor''s offices, filled with medical books and standard office equipment.


    He continued down the hall until he reached a locked door that led to the internal pharmacy.


    "Jackpot!" he muttered as he looked at the neatly arranged medicines that lined the shelves through the glass window.


    ----


    Earlier that day, back at the base:


    Rayne and Julian had just woken up and decided to check out the job office for any leads on finding a chemist.


    "Do you think it''s too early to head over?" asked Rayne. She looked out the window and saw that the sun hadn''t even risen yet, and everything was dark.


    Julian peeked outside. "Yeah, let''s wait until the sun rises at least before we head over."


    They sat down on the small couch as Rayne opened her system panel to get breakfast. She took out two hot coffees and two breakfast bagels that she had stored after making them back at the bunker.


    "Do you want the one with sausage or bacon?" she asked, holding two different breakfast bagels in her hand.


    Julian thought for a moment. "I want the one with sausage today, please!"


    Rayne handed him the bagel in her left hand, then opened hers and began to eat. The warmth from the hot coffee spread throughout her body. "It feels like it''s been getting colder and colder by the day."


    Julian took a bite of his bagel and nodded. "Yeah, even I felt the chill this morning."


    After they finished eating, Rayne took another peek outside and noticed the start of the sunrise. Turning to Julian, she looked at him with a smile. "Would you like to take a walk around? The sun is about to rise, maybe we''ll get to see a pretty view."


    "Yes, of course! Let''s go!" agreed Julian.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Return Gift

    Rayne and Julian walked along the once scenic path in the less populated area of the base. They went to the spot they had discovered earlier that served as an overlook over the river valley below, watching as the sun rose behind the mountains.


    "It''s so beautiful!" smiled Rayne. "It''s almost as beautiful as that spot you took me to see the sunset!"


    Julian placed his arm around her, holding her by the waist. "Yes, it is beautiful. We should come here more often in the future," he agreed.


    They walked around some more, chatting and observing how the people in the tents lived until they reached the job offices.


    "I was expecting more people here for some reason," said Rayne, looking at the nearly empty job office.


    "You missed the crowd just now," commented an older man who was sitting on a bench nearby. "If you''d come just 15 minutes ago, you would''ve seen the many teams that had just set off for today''s missions."


    "Oh! I see. Looks like they set off earlier than I anticipated," commented Julian.


    "There should be another mission today. I guess there''s some scientist out there that needs a ride over to the base, so there''s a newly posted scouting mission," said the man.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. "Sir, do you know what kind of scientist?" she asked quickly.


    The man shook his head. "No, I have no idea. I''m just relaying what I''ve heard by sitting here since early morning."


    Rayne turned to Julian and saw him smiling at her. "Well, it''s the best lead we''ve had. Let''s sign up!"


    The two of them then walked over to the appropriate counter. "Hello, we''re here to sign up for the recent scouting mission. The one to retrieve the scientist," said Julian.


    The recruiter looked at him and Rayne. "Sure. We have exactly two spots available for this mission. You will be paid contribution points upon your successful arrival."


    They both nodded in understanding and handed him their resident cards to finalize the sign-up process.


    "This mission leaves at noon and is estimated to be an overnight mission due to how far away the target is. Please prepare accordingly. You will be under Team Star," explained the recruiter.


    "Let''s head back and prepare," said Rayne. They still had some time before they needed to leave, and she wanted to make sure she returned the favor to their ''lovely'' neighbors before they set out.


    Julian looked over at her curiously, wondering what kind of thing she had planned. He had seen that look before and knew she was up to something.


    When they made it back to their room, Rayne quickly walked over to the small electric cooktop and took out a small pot.


    "What are you up to? Are you hungry already?" asked Julian curiously as he watched her turn on the cooktop.


    "Oh no, I''m sending a small gift to our neighbors. They''ve been so attentive to us, I feel that we need to return the favor," she said, almost giggling. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian stood beside her and watched as she took out bowl after bowl of water-looking soup.


    "This is one of the first things I ever stored in my system¡ªthe most bland soup you can ever imagine, straight from the hospital," she explained.


    A few minutes later, the counter was filled with dozens of identical bowls, their contents emptied into the small pot.


    Rayne then took out a pack of laxatives and crushed them into the soup, stirring it to dissolve it fully.


    Julian started laughing as he watched her, feeling like she could be very devious at times. It didn''t matter much to him; those neighbors were as good as dead in his eyes after their attempts at breaking in.


    Rayne finished heating up the soup and picked up the pot, ready to bring it over. "Would you like to come with me?" she asked.


    "I wouldn''t miss it," he smiled and opened the door for her.


    They walked over and knocked on their neighbor''s door, which was quickly answered by Tee.


    "Oh! Hey guys, how can I help you?" he asked fawningly, staring at the pot of soup in Rayne''s hands.


    Rayne walked forward and presented the small pot. "You''ve been so kind to us that we wanted to show a small token of our appreciation. I just made this soup. I hope you all like it."


    Tee broke out into a huge smile! He couldn''t remember the last time he had eaten a hot meal and accepted the pot quickly.


    "You''re so kind! We will enjoy this thoroughly! Thank you!" he said.


    After handing over the pot, Rayne and Julian went back to their house and locked the door.


    Meanwhile, next door, Tee brought the hot pot of soup to Rico. "Bro, look! You were right! We just needed to be friendly, and they would treat us to food!" he announced happily.


    Rico looked at the pot of soup, slightly surprised. Although there was no meat in this soup, the aroma from the few vegetables was enough to make his stomach growl. They had also felt the chill of the colder air, and this soup would help their bodies warm up.


    "Okay, we will all share this small pot of soup. Everyone will take two sips before passing it to the next person," Rico announced and quickly took the first two sips.


    The soup was finished very quickly, and everyone had a blissful expression on their face.


    Back in Rayne and Julian''s room, they were both getting ready for their excursion. Rayne made sure to fully supply Julian in case they were separated, giving him a copy of her special pistol, ammo, food, and water.


    She, on the other hand, dressed warmly and simply, keeping anything important in her system. They both carried large backpacks to act as cover if they needed to pull anything out of her system and set off to the job office once more.


    When they arrived at the job office, they noticed a few more people standing around, asking about available jobs.


    "Team Star, over here!" announced a fierce-looking woman. She was tall and had very muscular arms.


    Rayne walked over with Julian. "We''re here for the scouting mission," she said. The woman looked over at Rayne and frowned.


    "How did they let a pretty girl join? Listen, it''s going to be dangerous. You should stay here and plant flowers or something," said the fierce woman with a condescending expression.

 Chapter 108 - 108: Port City

    Before Julian could have a chance to flare up in anger, Rayne walked over and smiled.


    "Don''t worry about me, ma''am. I have taken hand-to-hand combat, self-defense, and even marksmanship courses. I assure you I can hold my own."


    The woman looked her over again and grunted, "Fine. If you insist, I won''t say anything else. Just don''t whine to me later," the woman replied.


    Rayne walked over and stood beside the fuming Julian. Noticing his fierce expression, she smiled and reached out to hold his hand.


    "It''s okay, no need to get angry over something this small. Thank you, though," she whispered to him.


    Julian felt her soft, dainty hand hold his and immediately felt better. He took advantage of the situation and quickly adjusted his hand so that they were now holding hands with their fingers interlocked.


    After the last person showed up, the woman turned to the group of five and made an announcement. "Okay, we''re all here. My name is Kia, and I''m the leader for today''s group. We received an SOS from an important scientist, and it''s our job to go and bring him back. The general location is a city about three hours away."


    "Do we know anything about this scientist?" Julian asked.


    Kia turned to look at him. "I don''t know anything outside of him being a scientist and a middle-aged man."


    Julian expected this answer and nodded.


    Kia led the group to the parking lot to get into one of the few remaining available vans that belonged to the base.


    "Before we get in, I want to hear a general background on each of you. I don''t care about how many years of university you did or what bullshit degree you got. Tell me what skills you have that can help you from getting killed," she stated before letting anyone into the van.


    The first man to answer was a tall, burly man. "I''m Tyler, I used to be a small-time wrestler. I''m strong and know how to throw a punch."


    The next man was a shorter man with long black hair. "I''m Kenzo. I used to run a Judo gym with my father. I am also a fast runner."


    Next was Julian. "I''m Julian. I used to work as a bodyguard. I am strong and know how to use various weapons and combat techniques." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When it was Rayne''s turn, she looked over and smiled. "Hi, I''m Rayne. I¡ª"


    "Yeah, pretty girl, you''ve taken self-defense," interrupted Kia, pointing at the last guy.


    Rayne took a step back and sighed inwardly, hoping that Kia would lighten up over the course of the trip. While she had patience, Rayne was worried that Julian would eventually explode and beat Kia up.


    The last man was a rather skinny, creepy-looking man. "Heyo. I''m Percy, and I just got out of jail," he smiled, showing a number of missing teeth. "You could say I have a lot of street smarts and life experience. I''m good at picking locks, stealing shit, and running away... yeah, lots of running away."


    Kia rolled her eyes at him. "Just don''t cause us any trouble, okay, Percy?"


    Percy smiled. "I wouldn''t dream of it, ma''am!"


    Kia stepped aside and let everyone get into the van, while getting into the driver''s seat herself.


    Rayne chose to sit with Julian in the very back, while the others spread out in the middle seats. The van was a decent size, so there was plenty of room for everyone and even room for supplies if they found anything.


    They drove for a few hours, realizing that the route would take longer than expected due to the many obstructions along the way. It was already approaching dinnertime, and most of the people took out their small rations of dried biscuits.


    Rayne looked over at Julian, opening her backpack to pretend to take out food. She handed him a small bag of beef jerky and a bottle of water and took out a copy of the same for herself.


    Percy leaned over, looking at the beef jerky in Rayne''s hands. "Wow, you guys are lucky! I haven''t had beef jerky since I was a young boy."


    Rayne noticed that he was the only one in the vehicle who wasn''t eating and figured he most likely didn''t have anything on him.


    She reached into her backpack and pulled out another packet and wordlessly handed it over to Percy. While he boldly admitted to being a criminal, Rayne still felt that giving him a bite to eat wasn''t going to hurt anyone.


    "Oh wow, thank you!" he smiled, showing his toothless grin and quickly went to open the packet.


    The rest of the trip was uneventful. Everyone just kept to themselves, maintaining the silence.


    They finally arrived in a small seaside city that Rayne had once visited in her youth. The proximity to the ocean made it a popular tourist destination in the summers.


    "We''re here," announced Kia as she parked the car.


    As Rayne exited the van, she immediately felt the salty air of the ocean. Everyone gathered around the van, waiting for Kia to give out instructions.


    "Well, there isn''t much more information I have to give you. We''re looking for a middle-aged man who''s a scientist. That''s all I know. So we''re going to split up into pairs and search the area. Prison boy, you''re with me," she said.


    Rayne quickly went over to stand by Julian, leaving Tyler and Kenzo to pair up. "Okay, we''ll meet here at sunset and continue in the morning. Feel free to loot while you''re out here and shout if you run into trouble," Kia said, then dragged Percy along with her.


    "Well, shall we go check out those buildings over there?" Julian pointed toward a small neighborhood by the coast.


    "Mhm, let''s go," answered Rayne, and they set off.


    The first building they entered was a supermarket that was still relatively intact. Rayne assumed that if there were survivors, they would most likely live near a food source like this supermarket.


    "Oh wow, why are there so many items still on the shelves? This is the most stocked store I''ve seen so far," exclaimed Rayne.


    "Hmm, it does seem rather unnatural that there are so many things still on the shelves. Even though this is a small port city, there should still be a good number of survivors," agreed Julian.


    They didn''t bother looting anything since Rayne already had everything and in much higher quality. Instead, they looked for signs of life.

 Chapter 109 - 109: Port City 2

    They walked around the store until Rayne spotted a few tracks leading toward the back of the store.


    "Hey, Julian, look. Whoever it was seems like they might have been injured. I can see wrappers from the bandages along the way," said Rayne, pointing at the ground.


    "Good find. Let''s see how far we can follow them," smiled Julian. They followed the tracks to the loading area in the back of the supermarket and toward an apartment building that was still standing adjacent to the store.


    When Rayne stepped inside the apartment building, she noticed that it appeared to be in relatively good shape. Even most of the windows were still intact. Rayne marveled at the architect''s skill in designing such a building that still stood straight, even after back-to-back natural disasters.


    They walked inside, following the small blood trail on the ground until they reached the second floor.


    "The trail ends here," frowned Rayne.


    Julian looked around, searching for any additional clues as to where this injured person might have gone, but found none.


    "Looks like we''ll be doing this the old-fashioned way. Let''s go door to door," he said, walking toward the first door.


    He turned the handle, and surprisingly, the door swung open. "Oh, it''s open. Let''s take a look around," he said and stepped inside.


    When Rayne stepped inside, she realized that this building must have been a luxury apartment building. Even though the exterior was made from red brick and had an old-time charm, the interior was spacious and well-decorated.


    She walked around and admired the paintings and antiques displayed inside china cabinets and on shelves.


    "I''m really surprised that most of these delicate items are still intact. I figured the first earthquake would have destroyed them all," she commented as she picked up an antique teacup.


    Julian walked over. "You have a good eye. If I''m not mistaken, that''s a Victorian-era teacup and would have been worth a fortune before this disaster."


    Rayne''s eyes quickly lit up as she stored the teacup along with the other teapots, vases, and platters on display. She also stored the paintings and various pieces of furniture as they were all in very good shape, hoping to restore them one day.


    She explored the rest of the apartment, storing anything she found novel or interesting, but did not find any signs of people living there.


    "There''s even some food left in the cabinets. I''m surprised others haven''t moved in yet," said Julian from the kitchen.


    Rayne had just finished storing a vintage jewelry box filled with pearls and precious gems and walked out of the bedroom.


    "Yeah, everything seems very intact, nothing missing. I wonder where everyone is," she said, looking at the shelves full of food.


    After they finished looking through that apartment, they checked the doors of other apartments, knocking on the ones that were locked in case people were inside.


    After checking the whole second floor and finding no one, they went up to the third floor to continue searching.


    Most of the doors were locked, but on the second-to-last door on that floor, someone answered after Rayne knocked.


    A young man, between 18 and 20 years old, opened the door, cracking it open warily. "How can I help you?" he asked quietly.


    "Oh! Hello! We''re looking for someone. Would you be able to help us?" asked Rayne, smiling.


    The young man frowned. "Did anything follow you here?" he asked warily.


    Rayne looked around. "No, what would follow us?"


    The man looked a little surprised and opened the door. "Quickly, come inside and keep your voice down."


    Rayne walked in with Julian, while the young man quickly closed the door, making sure that he did it as quietly as possible.


    "What''s going on here? Where is everyone?" asked Julian.


    The young man sat down on his expensive-looking leather couch and motioned for Rayne and Julian to sit down across from him.


    "You guys must not be from around here if you''re asking that," he said while applying pressure to his side.


    "No, we''re not. We''ve come from the government base to look for a scientist in this area," explained Rayne.


    "Oh, the base? I thought that place was a lie. Listen, can you take me back with you? It isn''t safe here," he said. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian looked at him sharply. "You still haven''t explained why it''s not safe."


    The man pressed against his side again, inhaling deeply. "Right. Well, you guys probably already know that this is one of the top tourist spots in the country."


    Both Rayne and Julian nodded, as they were both aware of this.


    "Well, just before the disaster, the city opened a new zoo. It was said to be the second-largest one in the country, featuring all sorts of exotic animals."


    The man stood up and peeked out of the window, observing the street below, and continued, "Well, after the initial earthquake, nearly all of the animals escaped. I''m sure you can imagine how fierce a family of lions can be when starved."


    Rayne''s eyes widened in shock. "You''re saying that right now there are lions loose on the streets?!"


    The man nodded. "Not just lions, but all sorts of animals, even reptiles. Even the smaller animals like monkeys are dangerous. I just recently got injured running away from one." He lifted his shirt to show a deep gash in his side.


    "Is that why there''s no one around? We noticed that most of the shelves were still stocked in the supermarket," asked Julian.


    The man nodded. "Yes, most of the people ran away once the animals were released. It happened pretty early on, so many people still had access to their vehicles... while others got eaten."


    The room fell into silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Rayne glanced over at the young man, focusing on his injury.


    "Do you need anything for your wound?" she asked. While she wasn''t a doctor, she did have an unlimited amount of basic first aid supplies.


    "I found a few smaller bandages in the supermarket earlier, but they''re not large enough for the size of this gash," he explained, looking down at his side.


    Rayne unzipped her backpack and pulled out a fresh first aid kit, handing it over to the young man. "Here, there should be a good variety of bandages and disinfectants in here," she said calmly.


    "Oh, thank you so much!" he said, lifting his shirt to clean his injury.

 Chapter 110 - 110: Knocked Out

    While the young man dressed his wounds, he asked, "So you guys said you were looking for a scientist? Do you know this person''s name or what he looks like?"


    Rayne shook her head. "Unfortunately, all we were told was that he was a middle-aged man who was an important scientist. I''m assuming he had some kind of ties to the government if they decided to look for him."


    The man was quiet for a few minutes, bandaging his gash. "Well, if he did have ties to the government, then he most likely worked at the government lab at the edge of town."


    Rayne stood up with Julian, happy to finally have some kind of direction as to where to look. "Thank you so much for this information!" she said.


    "Yeah, no problem. So can I go back to the government base with you?" he asked with a hopeful expression.


    "I don''t see why not. Although we aren''t the group leaders, there''s plenty of space in the car. I recommend you bring as many things as possible with you. The registration fees are quite steep," explained Rayne.


    "Oh, I have a vehicle here. I just don''t know the way. I''ll just be following you guys, if that''s cool," he said with a small grin.


    "Well, even better then. We will most likely be staying overnight, so prepare to leave sometime tomorrow," she replied.


    The young man nodded. "Oh, by the way, I''m Leonard, but just call me Lenny. If you guys need a place to stay tonight, you''re welcome to stay in my guest room. I''ll lay some clean sheets for you."


    Rayne looked over at Julian, asking for his opinion with her eyes. Julian looked over at Lenny, feeling he was a decent guy. "Sure, thanks Lenny! We''re going to meet up with the group here soon, then come back. I''ll let the leader know you''ll be following us back," he said.


    After sorting out the details, Rayne and Julian left the apartment building to meet up with the rest of the team. Since they had arrived later in the day, they didn''t have much time to explore before it began to get dark.


    Now, with the looming danger of dangerous animals around, Rayne didn''t want to spend too much time out on the streets in the dark.


    They quickly made their way back to the van, waiting for the rest of the group to come back.


    ---- S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Earlier that day...


    "Jackpot!" Reginald muttered as he looked at the neatly arranged medicines that lined the shelves through the glass window. He looked around and found a small pile of bricks from a fallen wall in one of the doctors'' offices he had looked through earlier.


    Standing a small distance away, he forcefully threw the brick into the large glass window, shattering it in the process.


    He picked up a second brick and walked over to the broken window, breaking more of the glass using the brick. Once all of the glass shards were cleanly broken and removed from the frame, he carefully stepped over to the pharmacy.


    Unzipping his duffel bag, he quickly swiped as many medicines as he could, searching for the specific one his daughter took.


    While Ella didn''t have any life-threatening diseases, she did suffer from a condition where her body didn''t produce enough stomach acid to properly digest food. This caused her a lot of discomfort whenever she ate if she didn''t have the medicine.


    Reginald weaved through the shelves, finally finding the familiar medication and stored it carefully inside his coat pocket. The rest of the medicine he piled into his duffel bag until there was no more space to fit anything else.


    He hopped through the broken window and went back to deposit the medicine he found into the designated box, then went back to repeat the process. It took him six trips back and forth to fully empty the pharmacy, filling the van with valuable medicines.


    Besides the medicine for his daughter, Reginald also kept a few common antibiotics and painkillers for his family to use in case of emergency.


    After emptying the pharmacy, he continued down the corridor, checking out each of the rooms along the way. There were small snacks in many of the drawers of the doctors'' offices, and Reginald happily took them all, placing them in his duffel bag.


    He took a few everyday items like pens, pencils, and notebooks for his wife to use, hoping it would cure a little bit of her boredom.


    The next room he walked into looked like a nurse''s station. There was a lot of basic equipment like stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors. Reginald thought about it for a minute and decided to bring these items along as well.


    He found a box of gauze and bandages and added them to his bag, then walked into the next room. This room was a supply room with all sorts of cleaning products, towels, and fleece hospital blankets.


    Reginald felt that these things would come in handy, especially in the colder months ahead. He tightly rolled up the blankets and stuffed as many as he could into his duffel bag.


    By the time he was finished, it was already evening, and he decided to head back to the van to wait for the others.


    After 20 minutes of waiting, he finally saw Jason approaching from inside the hospital.


    "Hey, could you give me a hand with that box? Just put it in the trunk," said Jason as he walked over. Reginald didn''t think anything of it and went to pick up the box, but the second he turned his back, Jason forcefully struck him on the head, knocking him out.


    "Finally, I had to wait long enough to get my hands on these supplies," muttered Jason as he dragged Reginald back inside the medical center.


    He noticed the stuffed duffel bag and unzipped it, only to be greeted by cheap fleece hospital blankets.


    "Ugh, what a letdown. This is what you wanted? Some shitty blankets?" Jason said, feeling annoyed. The other guys at least had some decent medical supplies, but this guy looted towels and blankets.


    Without waiting much longer, Jason hopped in the van and pulled out a handheld radio, switching the channel.


    "Hey, it''s Jason from Team Summit. Please let Leader Mai know I''ve secured the medical supplies and am en route," he said into the radio.

 Chapter 111 - 111: A Perfect Shot

    Back at the base, Ella kept checking her wristwatch while staring at the door.


    "He''s still not back, and it''s already 8 p.m.," she said worriedly to her mother. Her mother was also worried, unable to focus on anything else.


    "Maybe they ran into an unexpected delay, or the road was in worse condition than expected, like we experienced on our way here," she said, praying that was the case.


    They waited for another hour until Ella stood up. "I can''t take this anymore. I''m going to the job office to see if they know anything."


    Her mother nodded, agreeing with Ella''s suggestion. "Go, just don''t take too long."


    Ella quickly ran over to the job office, noticing that she wasn''t the only one there.


    "Where is my son? They were supposed to be back hours ago!" wailed an elderly woman.


    Ella quickly walked over. "Excuse me, ma''am, did your son go on a scavenging expedition this morning?"


    "Yes, yes. He left early this morning but still hasn''t come back. I''m worried sick!" she cried.


    Ella wasn''t sure if they were in the same group, but she felt her stomach sink. She ran over to the counter to find a recruiter. "Sir, please! Do you know the status of a scavenging group that left early this morning?"


    The recruiter looked at Ella with a frown. He noticed that, although she was worried, she still kept it together.


    "Don''t spread the word, or it will cause panic. We''ve lost contact with one of the groups that was sent to look for medical supplies. If we don''t hear back from them by tomorrow morning, then we will send out a scouting team to check," he said quietly.


    "Why wait so long? What if they''re in danger?" Ella said, doing her best to keep her voice lowered.


    "They should be okay. Each group leader is from the guard team and has a weapon and radio on them. They''re trained to radio in the moment any kind of danger appears so that we know. But we haven''t heard from them at all. The higher-ups decided to give them until tomorrow morning before expending more manpower and resources to go find them," he replied.


    Ella wasn''t sure what to feel. On one hand, it was good to know that there was a guard with the group, but on the other hand, it wasn''t impossible that they had met trouble and didn''t have enough time to radio in.


    She made her way back home to report the situation to her mother, lost in thought along the way. When she arrived back home, her mother quickly got up to greet her.


    "Ella, what did they say? Is your father okay?" she asked quickly.


    Ella smiled at her mom, not wanting to worry her too much. "They said that they''ll give it until tomorrow morning to see if they come back. Each team leader is from the guard team and has a weapon, they should be okay."


    Her mother nodded, unconvinced. "Right, right, maybe their radio broke or ran out of battery. They''re probably making their way over slowly as we speak," she said nervously.


    "Mom, if he doesn''t come back by sunrise tomorrow, I''m going to go look for him," Ella said resolutely.


    Her mom was about to stop her but decided not to. "Very well, go ahead. Take the car and be careful. Hopefully, it doesn''t come to that."


    ---


    Rayne and Julian finally made it to the van, quietly waiting for the rest of the group to show up while keeping an eye out for dangerous animals.


    A few minutes later, Kia showed up, dragging Percy behind her. "Hey, looks like we''re just waiting on the other two," she said.


    Rayne nodded while Julian gave her a cold glance. He was clearly still angry over the way Kia treated Rayne.


    Just as Kia was about to ask if they had any luck, Kenzo came running frantically, screaming.


    "Help! Help! It''s chasing me!" he yelled without looking back.


    Before anyone had time to react, a large lioness came running from the same direction as Kenzo. Just as the lioness was about to jump him, Rayne took out a regular pistol from her system and shot.


    The bullet flew right past Kenzo and straight into the lioness''s skull, killing her instantly. Kenzo fell to the floor, gasping for air.


    "Th-thank you!" he muttered, completely consumed by fear. He had come so close to being eaten, and if it hadn''t been for Rayne''s timely and accurate shot, he wouldn''t have lived to see another day.


    Rayne quickly ran over to him, along with the rest of the team, helping him off the ground.


    "Where''s Tyler?" asked Kia, looking at the dead lioness on the ground.


    Kenzo shook his head. "We were caught by surprise. Tyler was closer to the lion than I was, and unfortunately..." he didn''t continue.


    Kia nodded in understanding. "Why are there exotic animals on the loose around here?"


    Rayne helped Kenzo up and handed him a water bottle she pulled out of her backpack. "We heard from a local that the earthquake caused a lot of the animals to escape from the newly constructed zoo."


    "Jeez, the world really has gone to shit," muttered Kia. She looked over at Rayne, reevaluating her opinion of this ''pretty girl.''


    All things considered, Rayne really did save Kenzo''s life. Not only was she the first to react, but her shot was also very clean.


    "Good shot," Kia said while giving Rayne an approving gaze.


    Rayne still had the adrenaline coursing through her veins, so she only responded with a curt nod. This was Rayne''s first time seeing a lioness up close, and she was surprised at how large the animal really was.


    Julian walked over and reached out to grab Rayne''s hand. "You did incredibly well. Good job," he smiled.


    Rayne was happy to hear his praise and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.


    "So tell me about this local. Did you get any leads on the scientist?" asked Kia, while she stared at the two lovebirds. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne pulled away shyly, feeling slightly embarrassed. Julian smiled at her cuteness and turned to look at Kia.


    "The local lives in the apartment building behind the supermarket. He said we can spend the night there if we want. He just asks us to follow him back to the base when we head back," explained Julian.


    Kia turned to look at the apartment building, sizing it up. "Okay, that''s a good offer. Let''s head over now before more dangerous animals sneak up on us."


    The group followed Rayne and Julian into the supermarket on their way over to the apartment building and noticed how stocked the shelves were.


    "Wow, this is amazing!" shouted Percy as he ran over to one of the snack shelves, grabbing as many bags of chips as he could find.


    The others were more reserved but did the same, filling their bags and backpacks with different kinds of food and water.


    "We should fill the van with goods before we take off tomorrow, so only grab what you can carry right now," announced Kia. This made Percy and Kenzo relax slightly, picking up only the items they could eat right away.


    Rayne and Julian picked a few items as well, so they didn''t seem too out of place before continuing through the supermarket.

 Chapter 112 - 112: The Secret Stash

    When the group arrived at the entrance of the apartment building, they heard the howling of animals nearby.


    "Let''s hurry inside," said Percy as he scanned the street behind them.


    Rayne led the group inside, walking up to the second floor and to the empty room they had looted earlier.


    "Here''s an empty room we found earlier. It''ll work as a good place to spend the night. We''re going to stay with the local in room 309," said Julian. He didn''t want to be around Kia if he didn''t have to be.


    Kia looked around the luxury apartment and nodded. "This is quite nice indeed. Even the stove looks like a gas stove. Maybe we''ll be lucky, and the gas lines are still functional."


    As Kia, Percy, and Kenzo got settled, Rayne and Julian made their way up to the young man''s apartment.


    "Oh hey, you''re back!" he said, opening the door to let them in. Rayne walked in and noticed multiple boxes and suitcases scattered all over the floor.


    "Sorry about the mess, I''ve been busy packing ever since you guys left. Let me show you to your room," said Lenny as he hopped over a few suitcases to bring them to the guest bedroom.


    As they entered the guest room, Rayne noticed that the bed was made with clean sheets and smiled approvingly at the sight.


    "Let me know if there''s anything else you need. Oh, and I invite you to dinner today! It''s going to be just pasta with red sauce, but I hope you like it," said Lenny before running off to the kitchen.


    Rayne turned to look at Julian. "It''s very kind of him to invite us for dinner. I can''t imagine very many people are willing to share their food supplies with others these days."


    Julian closed the door and then walked over to lift Rayne off the floor.


    "Julian! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, blushing.


    He princess-carried her over to the bed, placing her down in the center. Then he climbed on and pulled her into his embrace to cuddle closely.


    "I''m willing to share everything I have with you," he said in a deep and seductive voice.


    Rayne''s heart raced at the implied meaning of his words. She rested her head on his chest while he played with her hair.


    "Oh yeah? Everything?" she said flirtatiously. While a part of her was still a little shy from Julian''s open display of affection, she had grown accustomed to it over the past few weeks and wanted to respond in a cheeky manner. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian smiled at her flirty words. To him, she appeared like a little feisty kitten, absolutely adorable.


    "Mhm, everything. Why, what do you have in mind?" he asked as he continued to play with her long strands of golden hair.


    "You see, before we left the bunker, I happened to discover someone''s secret stash of chocolate," she said, making it sound like she uncovered a great secret.


    Julian played along, gasping in shock. "What?! How did you find it? I tried so hard to keep that hidden!"


    Rayne burst out in laughter. "Haha, you can''t back out on your words now! You said you''re willing to share everything, so when we make it back to the bunker, I''m heading straight for that secret stash!"


    They continued to laugh and joke around together on the bed until they heard a gentle knock on the door.


    "Hey, dinner is ready," Lenny said from the other side of the door, causing Rayne to freeze.


    Julian laughed at her startled expression and called out, "We''ll be right there!"


    Rayne quickly got off the bed and straightened out her hair from Julian''s teasing. Thankfully, he was careful not to mess it up too much this time, and they made their way to the kitchen.


    Lenny moved his suitcases and boxes to the corner of the living room, clearing a path to the kitchen.


    Rayne smelled a pleasant scent coming from the stove and was excited to eat.


    "Hey, come on over and take a seat. I''m about to plate the pasta now," said Lenny cheerfully. He used to entertain his friends and family often in the past, cooking elaborate dinners with festive themes.


    Although this dinner was nowhere near the fancy dinners he was used to making, he was still happy that he could have company over.


    Lenny quickly served the bowls of pasta and came over to join the two of them at the table. "Well, I was saving this for a special occasion, but I guess this will be as good as any," he said as he placed a beautiful bottle of wine on the table.


    Julian picked up the bottle and inspected the label. "Wow, what a treat! If I''m not wrong, less than ten bottles of this wine were produced!"


    "Ah, a man of culture," commented Lenny. "Yes, indeed, this is one of my most prized bottles in my collection. A shame I couldn''t serve it alongside something better than basic pasta."


    Julian looked over at Rayne and handed her the bottle. She quickly understood the hidden message and lowered the bottle so that it was hidden from Lenny''s view, then quickly stored it in her system.


    After successfully storing it and taking out a copy, she smiled at Lenny. "I must thank you in advance for pulling out something so precious for us to try."


    Lenny waved his hand before bringing over three crystal wine glasses. "No, no. I must thank you for joining me. I''m a social creature, and these many weeks of silence have slowly begun to take a toll on me. If it wasn''t for the lack of people and the influx of dangerous wildlife, I would''ve stayed here."


    Rayne looked around and agreed. This apartment was spacious and well-kept, furnished with many high-quality items. It seemed that the gas lines were still working since Lenny was able to boil pasta on his stove, making it a much better place to live than most.


    The three of them happily ate their meal and indulged themselves in a few glasses of the expensive wine, which warmed their bodies. They found Lenny''s company to be very pleasant as he was naturally a funny person and an experienced host, causing the conversation to flow.


    "Be prepared to live a much less comfortable life at the base. Last I heard, there were no more housing units available for people to rent. Most of the population lives in tents currently," said Julian, trying to convey the reality of what living at the base was like.


    Lenny sighed. "Ah, well, what can you do? If that''s the price I need to pay to not live in solitude, then so be it. Hopefully, I can find myself a hot daddy who''s willing to take me in."

 Chapter 113 - 113: The Most Difficult Fight

    Rayne giggled at Lenny''s comment but hoped he could indeed find someone to get along with at the base. She could tell Lenny was from a wealthy family and spent a lot of time socializing before the disaster, and people like that were less accustomed to being alone.


    "Well, just pack as many things as you can. With what you have around here, I can tell you''ll be one of the richer people on base. Be careful not to get robbed or scammed," Julian reminded him.


    Lenny nodded and thanked him for the reminder. "I may be relatively young, but I''m used to being around scheming people. I''ll be sure to keep my eyes open."


    After dinner, they retired to their rooms, where Rayne and Julian quickly came to the realization that there was only one bed.


    He walked over and hugged her from behind.


    "Feeling shy now? Weren''t we just lying here earlier?" Julian said teasingly. Ever since the first moment he saw her showering in the open field, he knew that she was innocent and a bit na?ve.


    He knew that it would take time and effort for her to get accustomed to being around him, which was why he tried to incorporate small forms of physical contact whenever he could.


    Rayne thought about it and realized that he was right. They were just having a good time lying together; why would sleeping be so much different?


    A part of her still felt a little shy after her thoughts wandered in a certain steamy direction.


    Julian looked down, noticing the pink tips of her small ears. "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll behave, I promise," he said as he hugged her tightly.


    Every part of him desired her, but for him, her presence was the most important. She was like a warm sunny day in the middle of a never ending storm, and he would wait as long as he had to.


    Rayne felt more relaxed after hearing his promise and decided to try it out. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to be around him; it was just all new to her. Her relationship with Dillon had been very formal, and she had minimal physical contact with him.


    "Okay, we can sleep together," she finally agreed after sorting out her nerves.


    Julian rested his head against her neck, feeling ecstatic. He was finally able to truly sleep beside the person he liked the most.


    Even though he stood behind her, Rayne could feel his happiness and excitement, making her giggle.


    "Okay, let me go and turn around so I can change out of these clothes," she said quickly.


    Julian did as he was told and faced the opposite wall, listening to the sound of her clothing falling to the ground.


    He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to stop his imagination from running wild, but unfortunately, his mind had its own thoughts and began painting vivid, seductive images anyway.


    They only intensified when he heard the sound of her stepping out of her pants, making the battle to stay turned away even more difficult.


    Rayne watched his back as she changed out of her clothes, wondering if he was having a hard time. She was still feeling feisty from earlier and couldn''t help but poke him a little. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it hard to look away?" she suddenly asked in a shy voice.


    Julian swallowed, causing his Adam''s apple to move. "Yes," he breathed out, feeling like something was stuck in his throat.


    Rayne was very happy to hear his strained reply, the excitement making her heart race. The wine from earlier coursed through her, giving her a burst of courage.


    She walked towards him, fully naked and pressed her body against his, hugging him from behind.


    When Julian felt her body press against his, he felt his mind go blank as all the blood in his body rushed to a certain spot.


    He knew she was naked and could feel her hard nipples poking through his thin t-shirt on his back.


    "What about now?", she asked, her voice laced with a newly discovered seductive tone. He body was giving of a natural allure that she wasn''t aware of, causing Julian''s internal struggle even more difficult.


    He couldn''t hold out any longer and turned around, keeping his eyes closed. He pressed his body against hers, hugging her back.


    Rayne felt his erection pressing against her as they held each other, causing her body to heat up.


    "This is how difficult it is for me. This is what you do to me Rayne", he whispered in her ear.


    Rayne''s head was in the clouds as she ran her fingers up his back underneath his shirt. She was being fully controlled by desire as her body reacted to his.


    Julian felt her fingers run up and down his back as she began to squirm, he knew that she had been consumed by desire. As badly as he wanted to have her here and now, he knew it wasn''t the right time and place.


    Battling against his own desires he finally opened his eyes and lifted Rayne on to the bed, and reached over to pick up her nightgown that was laying on the corner of the bed.


    He noticed as her eyes were glazed over, and her cheeks were flushed pink, making her look extremely attractive.


    "Looks like that wine got you good", he smiled, placing the nightgown over her head.


    Rayne protested, trying to wiggle out of the nightgown. "Juliaaann", she moaned.


    Julian had to bite his tongue to stay rational. Her movements caused her breasts to bounce, adding an additional layer of difficulty.


    He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "Be good Rayne, you''re making it very difficult for me to be good. Let''s get changed and get into bed. I''ll play with your hair until you fall asleep, okay?".


    Rayne melted at his forehead kiss and quickly complied with his request. She let him help her get dressed and into bed.


    Thankfully, he had a spare change of clothes in his backpack because Rayne was still lost in the clouds. He changed his shirt, feeling the intense gaze coming from Rayne, and turned around.


    "Hey now. How come I had to turn around and close my eyes, while you get to stare?" he joked.


    Rayne was mesmerized by the sight of his muscular upper body. She had long wanted to feel his abs and reflexively reached her hand out, indicating that she wanted to touch him.


    Julian took a deep breath and resigned himself to fate, walking closer to the bed so she could get what she wanted.


    A few moments later he felt her soft fingertips travel down his abdomen, getting dangerously close to restrained erection.


    Just as her fingers were about to glide further down, he deftly caught her hand, looking her in the eyes. He was already doing his best to be good but if she got to touching a certain spot... he wasn''t sure if he could hold back.

 Chapter 114 - 114: The Search Continues

    After getting changed into a clean shirt and boxers, he climbed into bed to lay beside her.


    Rayne quickly shifted her body so that she was practically laying on top of him. She allowed her hands to wander across his body until the sleep finally took over.


    Julian watched her slowly begin to fall asleep as he played with her hair. A few minutes later he heard her quiet breathing, indicating that she had fallen asleep.


    He felt like he could finally relax after being so aroused. Although the situation was incredibly difficult for him, he was glad that they had made some progress.


    He continued to gently play with her hair until he felt his own heart rate return to normal. About an hour later he finally fell asleep, holding Rayne in his arms.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up with a dull headache, realizing that she was currently embraced by Julian''s strong arms.


    Scenes from the previous night flooded her mind, making her feel mortified by her behavior. She quickly turned around to see Julian''s sleeping face.


    She took a few minutes to enjoy his sleeping face and warm embrace. Her eyes traveled down his chest to where a part of his shirt was lifted up, exposing his lower abs.


    Unable to hold back, she carefully took her finger and poked him, not realizing that he had woken up.


    "Didn''t get enough of a feel last night?" Julian asked in a deep voice. He had woken up as soon as he felt her movements.


    "Julian!" she exclaimed. "I''m so sorry about last night. I don''t know what came over me. I''m¡ª"


    "Shh, you''re fine," he smiled, placing his hand gently on her face. "You didn''t do anything wrong. I''m not upset or hurt. If anything, I''m happy I got to see this new side of you."


    Rayne blushed, nodding. While she had the excuse of alcohol, she knew that her actions were her own. She wasn''t so drunk that she couldn''t control herself; she knew what she was doing.


    "Thank you, Julian. I know I must''ve made it hard for you," she said, looking up at him.


    Julian looked at her with a wide grin. "Yeah, you definitely made something hard."


    As Rayne was about to bury her head in the blankets, Julian leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.


    "No need to hide. You can do whatever you want to me. Come on, let''s get dressed. I think the others should be awake by now," he said, smiling.


    Rayne felt the warmth and happiness bubble inside of her. She quickly leaned over and pecked Julian on the cheek before jumping out of bed.


    This time, she didn''t order Julian to look away as she changed into an identical set of clothing to what she wore yesterday. Changing clothes too often would be suspicious, as many people only had a few sets of clothing in total.


    Julian who was frozen from the small kiss she left on his cheek was once again battling with his inner demons as he looked at Rayne''s naked back while she changed.


    "Girl, you''re going to drive me crazy, aren''t you", he groaned, feeling the stiffness between his legs return.


    Rayne quickly got dressed, giggling at Julian''s distress. "Here, I''ll give you a few minutes if you need them", she joked and ran out of the room.


    After Julian got dressed, he walked into the living room to see Rayne drinking a cup of coffee with Lenny.


    "Morning! Did you sleep okay?" asked Lenny, bringing over another cup of coffee for Julian.


    "Yeah, I slept great. Thank you for letting us spend the night," replied Julian, accepting the coffee.


    The three of them sat down in the living room, taking a moment to enjoy their coffee while waiting for the morning grogginess to pass.


    "So what''s on the agenda for today? You guys going to look for that scientist?" asked Lenny.


    Julian placed his mug down on the coffee table, making sure he used a coaster. "Yes, the group leader and the rest of the team are in an empty apartment on the second floor. I''m pretty sure the plan is to head over to that government lab you told us about to look around."


    "What if you don''t find him? Will you be staying longer?" asked Lenny.


    "No, I believe we''ll be going back to base regardless," answered Julian.


    Lenny nodded. "Okay. Then I''ll spend my time packing my things into the car. I know where the government lab is, so I''ll head over there to meet up with you in a little bit."


    "Okay, sounds good. See you then," replied Julian and got up to leave.


    A few minutes later, Rayne and Julian made it to the apartment where Kia and the others had spent the night.


    "Oh, good, you''re here. We need to get going," said Kia after opening the door.


    Rayne noticed that Percy and Kenzo were also awake and sitting in the living room.


    "Okay, everyone. We''re going to make our way back to the van the same way we came. On the way back, we will loot as many supplies as possible from the supermarket we cut through yesterday. After that, we''ll drive over to this government lab that these two suggested searching," announced Kia.


    The group quickly assembled and walked out. Kenzo nervously looked around the minute they stepped out of the apartment building, clearly still affected by what had happened yesterday.


    "Ah, it''ll be okay, man. We''ve got a scary, buff woman with us and another one who can shoot," said Percy as he placed his arm around Kenzo''s neck.


    Kia rolled her eyes at Percy''s comment and continued forward towards the back end of the supermarket.


    As soon as everyone entered, the nervous energy surrounding the group shifted to excitement. Percy, Kenzo, and even Kia quickly walked from shelf to shelf, filling their shopping carts with as many supplies as they could.


    Rayne walked around with Julian, placing anything she didn''t have into her system. Julian also pushed a shopping cart around so that they could fit in, but the items inside were mostly those that Rayne duplicated.


    Thirty minutes later, they all made their way to the van, filling it to the brim with supplies. Kia found a marker in the supermarket and labeled each person''s bags/boxes with their names.


    "Okay, let''s head over to the lab to find this guy. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get back," said Kia as she turned on the van.


    The way to the lab was straightforward. Lenny had given Rayne and Julian instructions on how to get there, saving the group time.


    The lab was a modern-looking concrete building that was surrounded by a large fence. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thankfully for them, the gate inside was left open, allowing Kia to drive right in. After parking the car right in front of the entrance, Kia was just about to open the door to get out when Percy jumped out of his seat and pointed at something on the ground below.


    "Holy shit, is that a python?!" he screamed, pointing at a massive snake on the ground.


    Kia hadn''t noticed it at first because of the way it was laying motionless in the shade, but after Percy pointed it out, her face paled.


    Rayne also buried her head into Julian''s arm. Although she couldn''t see the snake from where she was sitting in the van, she was still terrified. Snakes were one of her biggest fears, and she wanted nothing to do with them.

 Chapter 115 - 115: Government Lab

    Julian placed his arm around her, hugging her. "Don''t worry, I won''t let it anywhere near you," he whispered.


    Kia took the pistol out of the holster and slowly lowered her window. She aimed for the snake''s head, but when she finally shot, the bullet missed, hitting its body. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The giant snake quickly reacted, coiling its body and hissing in anger. It shifted its body to move at very fast speed, ramming into the van.


    "Quick! Shoot it again! I don''t want that thing inside with me!" cried Percy. He was squatting on his seat, ready to jump out of the van if he had to.


    Kia lifted her pistol and aimed once more, this time trying to hit its body as many times as she could.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    She shot the pistol three consecutive times, hitting the snake''s body each time. Unfortunately, this didn''t kill the creature, but caused it to slither away into hiding.


    "No, it''s going inside the laboratory! Why couldn''t you aim better?" cried Percy. He didn''t want to go out knowing that an angry python could be lurking around any corner.


    Julian was also disappointed in the turn of events. He quickly realized that just because someone was on the guard team didn''t mean they were fully trained. Kia''s display of marksmanship was very poor, in his opinion.


    "Let''s go. The snake got hit a few times; it might bleed out to death," said Julian from the back seat.


    Kia and Kenzo got out of the van, followed by Julian and Rayne. Rayne wasn''t happy, knowing that the snake survived, and clung to Julian like a koala.


    Percy was so scared, he was practically crying. "No, no! I don''t want to get out of the van! I''m going to stay here!" he cried as Kia tried to pull him out of the car.


    "Fine, stay here. Just don''t regret it when it slithers back here for you," she said, turning away.


    "Okay! I''ll come! Okay! Just don''t leave me," he quickly hopped out of the van.


    The group slowly proceeded forward into the government lab. The entrance looked like any typical modern-day lobby area, with marble floors and a sleek, clean design. The only difference was that past the lobby, there was a checkpoint set up requiring a keycard to proceed further inside.


    "Great, how do we get past this chain-link fence? We don''t have keycards... not that they would help us now," cried out Percy.


    Rayne shook her head. When he first introduced himself, he seemed like a ruthless bad guy, but after spending some time with him, she felt like he was a bit of a pansy.


    She reached into her backpack and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters. "Well, looks like these finally came in handy!" she announced, acting like she''d had them the entire time.


    "Oh, you came prepared. Good job," said Kia, approvingly.


    Rayne walked over to the chain-link fence and began snipping the chains to cut out an opening. The bolt cutters were new and of good quality, making the process quick and easy.


    A few minutes later, she finished, making a decent-sized hole in the fence for them to walk through.


    "Let''s hope this guy is here so we can hurry up and head back," commented Kenzo. After his incident with the lioness, he became much less talkative and a lot more nervous. Rayne felt that if it weren''t for the large amount of supplies he''d acquired from the supermarket, he would have mentally snapped already.


    The group walked through the main corridor, checking the various rooms on the way. Rayne noticed that this lab was pretty much fully intact, just empty.


    As they made it to the end of the hall, they found themselves at a two-way intersection.


    "It looks like we''ll need to split up," said Kia. "Kenzo and prison boy, you''ll come with me. The lovebirds can go down the other hall."


    "No! I don''t want to go with you. You suck at shooting!" cried Percy, still wary of the potential lurking danger.


    "Shut up and start walking," Kia grabbed him by the arm and began walking down the hallway on the left.


    Seeing that Kia''s group chose the left corridor, Rayne and Julian turned to walk down the right corridor.


    "Should we really have split up like this?" asked Rayne nervously. She couldn''t shake her fear of the snake from earlier, feeling on edge.


    "It should be okay. Kia did enough damage to it that I don''t think it will show itself. But if it does, I''ll be ready," smiled Julian, showing her the pistol in his hand.


    They entered a large room that was filled with different kinds of fancy scientific equipment that Rayne didn''t recognize. She walked around, looking carefully.


    "Do you think I should store any of this? If we do find the chemist, will he or she have the proper equipment to analyze the substance?" asked Rayne.


    Julian thought about the small lab at the bunker and nodded, "Yes, it''ll probably be a good idea. I don''t think the lab at the bunker is equipped for chemistry experimentation."


    After hearing the okay, she walked around and began to store the various lab equipment around the room. They continued through the rooms until Julian lifted his hand, indicating Rayne to stop moving.


    "I smell something burning," he whispered and crept forward.


    Rayne focused on smelling the air, picking up the faint burning scent.


    They quietly proceeded down the hallway, following the burning scent.


    "It''s coming from inside this room," whispered Julian. He pulled up the pistol, ready to shoot if he had to.


    Taking a deep breath, he quickly pushed the door open and pointed his pistol inside.


    Cough! Cough!


    "Please don''t shoot me!" coughed a middle-aged man. He had just finished grilling a piece of meat and, just as he took a bite, Julian stormed in, startling him and causing him to choke on his food.


    Julian lowered the gun and stared at the man. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 116 - 116: Government Lab 2

    The middle-aged man cleared his throat and looked up at Julian and Rayne.


    "My name is Michael. I''m a research scientist here," he quickly introduced himself.


    "Are you the one who sent the rescue mission to the government base?" asked Rayne.


    Michael''s eyes lit up. "Yes! That''s me! Are you the ones the base sent?"


    Julian walked over. "Yes, we''re part of the scouting team in charge of finding you. But I''m curious as to why you''re the only one here? The rest of the lab seems deserted."


    Michael looked down at the small fire pit he had made inside a metal bucket. "Some of us died during the earthquakes, while others fled. By the time the hurricane came, there were only a few of us left. That''s when they came..."


    Julian looked at him, waiting for him to continue.


    "It was a small group of people. They came quickly and managed to kidnap my remaining colleagues in broad daylight. I was lucky because I decided to dig through the small supply closet, somehow managing to avoid detection," said Michael.


    "After that incident, I tried leaving the lab, but I was greeted with a group of lions, so I holed up in here until I managed to get a radio working... which was how I managed to contact the government base."


    Julian frowned upon hearing this. He somehow felt that the only person bold enough to kidnap scientists was Damien.


    "You wouldn''t happen to be a chemist, would you?" asked Julian.


    Michael shook his head. "No, I''m not. I specialize in plant science, but one of the people who was taken was a chemist, a really good one." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne was saddened to hear this news but was even more disturbed by the kidnappings. She couldn''t believe that people would resort to something so inhumane.


    "Well, is there anything you need to grab? We should head back soon."


    ---


    At the government base:


    Ella woke up and quickly ran to see if her father was back. She walked into the living room only to see her mother sitting on a fold-out chair with dark circles under her eyes.


    "He didn''t come back?" asked Ella, doing her best not to worry.


    Her mother looked over and quietly shook her head. She hadn''t slept all night and decided to sit in the living room the whole time. With every passing hour, her worry only got worse.


    "Mom, give me the car keys. I''m going to look for him after stopping by the job office," said Ella with determination. If the base wasn''t going to look for him, she would go herself.


    Her mother didn''t refute and quickly fished the car keys out of her coat pocket. "Here, please be careful, honey," she said quietly. The exhaustion was taking over her, causing her to slowly shut down.


    "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll be back soon. I''ll bring Dad home," said Ella, doing her best to stay positive.


    She took the car keys and stormed out of the room. Her first destination was the job office to see if they had any new information.


    As she walked inside the office, she noticed the same older woman who was wailing last night about her missing son. She was a lot quieter this morning, sitting silently in the corner.


    Ella walked over to the counter, noticing that it was the same recruiter she had spoken to last night.


    "Is there any news? Did the base send anyone out to look for them?" she asked impatiently.


    The man shook his head. "I''m sorry, miss, but we still haven''t heard anything. The higher-ups are currently discussing if we can afford to send another team out to find them."


    "You''re only just now discussing IF you can send someone?" she exclaimed, raising her voice.


    The recruiter sighed visibly. "Miss, I understand that you are concerned, but I''m only a small-time worker. I don''t make the decisions, so please spare me from your anger."


    Ella clenched her fist. "At least tell me where they went. I''m going to look for them myself."


    The recruiter was relieved she didn''t explode with anger and quickly gave her a printout of a small map, marking the location of the scavenging destination.


    Ella took the map without thanking him and ran to the car. Before driving out of the base, she looked at the map, plotting her route, trying to go via the shortest route possible.


    Once she had an idea of where to go, she quickly made her way off the base, driving full speed on the highway.


    ---


    On the other side of the base, Rico and his gang were nonstop fighting over the toilet. Tee even had to run out to the forest behind the building to relieve himself.


    "What the heck is happening? Why have we all been shitting ourselves all night?" cried out Randy, holding his hands over his sore butt.


    Rico glanced at the small pot of soup that Rayne brought over. "Looks like the soup we had wasn''t good."


    Randy frowned. "How was it not good? It was so delicious!" He couldn''t understand how something so good could be so bad for them.


    Rico was also slightly stumped. When he drank the soup earlier, he didn''t think anything was off. If anything, he was slightly surprised that the sparse amount of vegetables seemed very fresh. There wasn''t any meat in the soup either, so it''s not like they had something rotten.


    "It''s the only plausible explanation. It''s the only food we all ate together, and we are all suffering now," said Rico.


    "Tee, how much longer are you going to be in there? I need to shit!" yelled Randy, banging on the bathroom door.


    Rico frowned, feeling his stomach rumble. This really threw a wrench in his plans. He noticed that his neighbors were gone, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to break into their apartment.


    He felt like he had missed this golden opportunity thanks to a momentary indulgence in a hot bowl of soup. If he didn''t know any better, he would have thought that his neighbors planned this in advance, foreseeing his plan.


    He watched as everyone fought over who was going to use the bathroom next and shook his head. This whole situation had turned into such a headache.

 Chapter 117 - 117: Emergency Mission

    Government Lab


    After packing up a few essential items, Michael turned to Rayne and Julian. "I''m all set. The base promised to provide me with basic food and shelter for my work. They want me to oversee the agricultural division in the future."


    "Okay then, let''s head out and meet up with the rest of the team," said Julian, turning to leave the room.


    Rayne followed closely behind him while Michael trailed a few steps behind them.


    "Don''t stand too far away, there may or may not be a giant python lurking around here somewhere," said Julian, walking with his pistol out.


    The group had only taken a few steps down the hall when they heard a series of gunshots up ahead.


    "Let''s go, that sounds like Kia''s pistol," said Julian, jogging forward.


    Rayne and Michael followed behind, getting closer to the gunfire. As they approached the intersection where they split into teams, they saw Kia, Kenzo, and Percy running toward them.


    "It''s back! The snake is back!" cried Percy, running faster than the rest of the group.


    As soon as Julian saw Kia turn the corner and appear in front of them, he saw the head of the large python emerge from her direction.


    "I shot the damn thing three times and it''s still chasing us!" yelled Kia, spotting Julian and Rayne in the distance.


    "I told you! You suck at shooting!" yelled Percy. He had run so quickly that he had already made it behind Julian and Rayne.


    Julian lifted his pistol, taking aim at the fast-moving python. He waited for Kia to move to the side before taking a shot.


    Just as the snake caught up to Kia, she tripped over a protruding floor tile, giving Julian the perfect opportunity.


    Bang!


    Julian only needed to shoot a single bullet, hitting the snake directly in the head. Its enormous body immediately stopped moving, giving Kia a chance to get up and move away.


    "Is it dead?" asked Percy. He had jumped into an empty room as the snake got closer and only heard the single gunshot.


    "Yes, the snake is dead," answered Michael. He had witnessed this entire scene unfold in front of him. While he didn''t have a strong fear of snakes in general, seeing one so large and hostile was still disturbing.


    Kia caught her breath and walked over to Julian. "Thank you so much. I thought for sure that it would get me there."


    Julian nodded in reply and walked over to ensure that the snake was dead.


    He looked at the spot he shot¡ªthe head¡ªand noticed that the impact of the bullet had caused a small part of the snake to completely implode.


    "Yeah, it''s not recovering from this bullet," he said calmly and turned to face Kia once more.


    "We found the scientist," said Julian, pointing to Michael.


    Kia looked over at him. "So you''re the guy. Good, glad we finally found you. We can finally go home."


    The group slowly made its way back to the van and noticed another large, luxury SUV parked outside.


    "Hey, guys!" greeted Lenny, rolling down the window.


    Rayne smiled and waved. "Hey, Lenny, you''re just in time. We found the scientist and are ready to head back!"


    "Perfect, I''ll follow you guys. I made sure to fill up the car before I got here," smiled Lenny. He couldn''t wait to leave this place and find more people to socialize with.


    "Base to Leader Kia, do you copy?"


    Everyone looked over at Kia, hearing her special radio go off. It was the first time they had heard it in use, and even Kia was slightly startled.


    She unclipped the radio from her belt. "Kia here," she replied.


    "We have an emergency mission. Locate a missing scavenging team. Last known location was in Southern Grove Town." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kia frowned hearing the newly assigned task but didn''t dwell on it. "Copy, heading over now."


    The rest of the team, including Michael and Lenny, looked over at Kia, waiting to hear the plan.


    "You all heard it. Looks like we need to find more people. At least this town is on the way back, I''ve been there once before," announced Kia, motioning for everyone to get into the van.


    She turned to look at Lenny. "Sorry, kid, looks like you''ll have to follow us on a small detour."


    Lenny smiled, resigning to fate. "Looks like I have little choice. I''ll follow behind you."


    After sorting out the details, everyone hopped into the van, and the two cars hit the road. They drove for roughly an hour before arriving at the small town that Reginald and his team were assigned to loot.


    Kia parked the van on the side of the main road in the center of the small town, with Lenny parking his car behind them.


    Percy hopped out of the van and looked around. "Do you know what they were looting here? This place doesn''t look like it has much around."


    Kia shook her head, stepping out of the car. "I''m not sure. You heard as much as I did. At least it''s a small town, so there isn''t that much ground to cover. Okay team, let''s walk down this main strip together, and if we don''t find anything, we''ll split up."


    Following Kia''s instructions, the group walked down the main street, checking the more important buildings on the way.


    "Nothing in the Town Hall," said Kenzo, walking back toward the group. They continued going building to building, searching for any clues.


    The street had a steep upward slant, so when they finally reached the end of the street, Rayne was able to clearly see the surrounding area.


    "Julian, look over there. That building looks pretty large. What do you think it is?" said Rayne, pointing to a white building with large glass windows.


    Julian looked over to where she pointed. "Hmm, you wouldn''t happen to have brought the binoculars with you, have you?" he asked.


    Rayne quickly picked up on his meaning and opened her backpack. "Yep! I have them here," she said, pulling a pair of black binoculars out.


    Julian took them and used them to look over at the large white building. "Oh! It looks like a small hospital or medical facility of some sort. There''s a good chance that the missing team went there to scavenge."


    "Hey, guys, we spotted a medical facility down there. I think there''s a good chance that''s where they went," shouted Rayne, pointing toward the white building.


    Kia took a look. "Yeah, that''s a good place to look. Let''s get back to the van, and I''ll drive over."

 Chapter 118 - 118: Emergency Mission 2

    The group got back into the van and Lenny''s SUV and drove over to the entrance of the medical center.


    As soon as they got out of the car, Rayne felt that something was wrong.


    The entrance to the medical center showed many signs of looting, with loose bandages and scattered meds on the concrete floor.


    "I feel like they were definitely here," she said while looking around.


    The rest of the group walked over, feeling the same.


    "Okay, let''s go inside," said Kia with a serious expression. Seeing that this was an emergency mission, something must have happened. It was better to proceed with caution.


    The group carefully made their way inside, looking out for any lurking danger. Percy was so scared that he decided to slip away and hide in a nearby room.


    He quietly tiptoed to the back of the group and opened the door closest to him, deciding to hide there until further notice.


    He did his best to quietly open the door and stepped inside. The second he went to close the door behind him, he felt something strike him on the head, and his vision went black.


    Rayne and Julian quickly turned around when they heard the noise from the strike. The rest of the group turned around to follow them.


    Leading the way, Julian peered into the room and saw a man standing behind the unconscious Percy.


    "Reginald?" Julian asked in a surprised voice.


    Rayne''s eyes widened when she heard Julian''s voice, and she walked over.


    Sure enough, the man standing in front of her was Ella''s father!


    "Mr. Soto! What are you doing here?" she asked in a surprised voice.


    Reginald was surprised to see the famous CEO of REN Corporation, who had been reported dead months ago, standing in front of him.


    He had only just recently regained consciousness and found himself on the floor of a small supply closet. Just as he was about to exit the room, he heard the sound of cars pulling up to the building and decided to stay hidden in case it was an enemy.


    Unfortunately for Percy, when Reginald heard the knob to the door of his room open, he thought it was the traitor returning to finish him. He quickly found a small wooden plank and got into position to strike whoever entered.


    "Mr. Barclay? Is that really you?" Reginald asked in astonishment.


    Julian quickly walked over. "Yes, but please don''t announce it. I''m supposed to be dead," he whispered.


    Reginald wasn''t sure why, but he quickly agreed. "Of course, I understand," he nodded, then turned to face Rayne. "Miss Weston, is that you?"


    Rayne walked over and smiled. "I''m so happy to see you! Is Ella here? I''ve missed her so much!" Just as the words left her mouth, she noticed the dried blood in his hair.


    "Mr. Soto! What happened? You''re injured!" she gasped.


    Reginald brought his hand to the injury on the back of his head, feeling the tenderness around the wound.


    "Long story short, I came here on a scavenging mission, but once the van got filled with goods, the leader of our group knocked me out and dragged me here. I only just regained consciousness when you guys arrived. I''m not sure about the rest of the group," he explained.


    Kia walked over just in time to hear his explanation. "You''re saying that your group leader knocked you out and took off with the van and all of the supplies inside?"


    Reginald nodded at the burly woman. "Yes, that''s as much as I know."


    Julian turned to face Kia. "I know this man, and I trust his word. He wouldn''t lie about this."


    Kia looked at Julian, then sighed. "Very well, I trust you. I''ll have to report this to base. Give me a minute. The rest of you, search the rooms and see if we can find anyone else from the team."


    Reginald looked at the unconscious Percy on the floor. "I''m sorry I knocked him out. I''ll apologize to him later."


    "Don''t sweat it. I''ve wanted to do the same to him for a while now," said Kia before she walked outside to radio the base.


    Rayne walked over to assess Reginald''s injury, while Kenzo, Michael, and Lenny walked around the medical center to look for the others.


    "My wife and Ella must be really worried," Reginald sighed, letting Rayne bandage the wound on his head. "I''m not sure I have it in me to go on another base mission after what happened yesterday."


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Soto, we can go out on private missions together in the future," said Rayne. She was finally close to being reunited with her best friend and wished to stay close to the Soto family in the future.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, we will go out on supply missions together in the future. I have a few weapons with me, so we can protect ourselves."


    Reginald smiled, happy to have met familiar faces. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Guys! I found the rest of the team! I think one of them is heavily injured!" yelled Lenny from the hallway.


    Kia had just returned from giving an update to the base and rushed over to where Lenny was standing.


    Inside a small examination room, there were three people unconscious on the ground. One of them looked heavily injured, as though he had gotten into a knife fight. He had many open wounds all over his body, some still bleeding.


    "Quick, we need to bandage him and bring him back. Everyone, help me carry the others to the van," ordered Kia. Part of her guard training included basic first aid, so when Rayne handed her a roll of bandages from her backpack, Kia quickly got to work.


    While the two ladies were busy doing their best to save the man, the others carefully carried the other unconscious team members to the van.


    As Ella finally pulled up to the medical center, what greeted her was the sight of Kenzo and Michael carrying an unconscious man into a van.


    "Who are you people? What are you doing with those men?!" she shouted from inside her car.


    Kenzo looked over to see a petite woman with black hair glaring at them. He quickly realized that what they were doing could be seen as suspicious and quickly answered, "We were sent by the base to look for a missing team. We found them here unconscious. One of them is badly hurt, so we''re trying to get them back to base quickly."

 Chapter 119 - 119: Reunion

    Ella''s heart sank when she heard Kenzo''s words. She quickly jumped out of her car and ran forward. "Where is the injured man?!" she asked desperately.


    The man they were carrying was not her father, and her stomach couldn''t help but sink at the possibility that it was her father who was heavily injured.


    Michael saw the desperation in Ella''s eyes and answered her, "Run down the main hall, then take a left. He''s in one of the rooms being bandaged by our group leader."


    Ella ran inside as soon as she got the location, praying that her father was okay on the way.


    She saw a handsome man carrying another person out of the room and sprinted forward.


    "Dad! Dad?!" she cried, running into the room.


    Julian and Lenny saw Ella speed past them, unsure of who she was. They were on their way to the van, carrying another unconscious man.


    Ella walked into the room and gasped at the bloody sight. She saw that the floors and walls had many blood splatters, painting a picture of what had transpired here.


    She saw a burly woman carefully bandaging a man, making him look like a mummy due to the number of wounds he had.


    "Dad!" Ella cried out. She couldn''t see the man''s face clearly but assumed this was her father since he wasn''t one of the other two men who had been carried to the van.


    Tears began pouring down her cheeks as she began to sob.


    "Ella? Why are you here?" asked Reginald, seeing his daughter standing in the room, distressed.


    He had stepped out with Rayne to find more bandages when he saw his daughter crying in the room.


    Ella turned when she heard his familiar voice, seeing her dad standing in front of her. "Dad! You''re okay! I was so worried!" she ran into his arms and started to cry.


    Reginald hugged his daughter, patting her on the head like he had always done whenever she came to him crying since childhood.


    "I''m here, I''m okay. It''s all okay now," he whispered, trying to calm her down.


    "When I saw the bloody room and the man on the floor... I... I thought it was you," she cried, tightening her hug around him.


    "Everything is okay. That man will be okay too," said Reginald calmly as he continued to pat her gently.


    He had never expected that she would come looking for him, but the fact that she had made his heart warm.


    "Look who I found," he said, trying to cheer her up.


    Ella lifted her head from his chest and looked behind him, spotting another familiar figure.


    "Rayne! Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. The sight of her best friend helped her calm down almost instantly.


    "Ella! You came here alone?" asked Rayne. She was surprised by her friend''s bravery.


    Ella nodded as she wiped her eyes. "I wanted¡ª"


    "Hey, I need someone to help me carry this injured man to the van, find a stretcher if you can!" called out Kia from inside the room.


    The reunion was put on pause as everyone walked in to help carry the injured man. Unfortunately, there was no stretcher nearby, but the three of them quickly carried the man over to the van.


    Kia looked over at the group. "We need to head back right now. Everyone get in the car."


    Kenzo jumped into the passenger seat of the van, while Lenny and Michael entered Lenny''s SUV.


    Rayne looked to Kia. "We''ll head back with my friend. You guys go on without us."


    Kia nodded. "Okay, I''ll leave a note with the job office to transfer your payment when you get back. Be careful."


    They quickly drove off, trying to get back to base as quickly as possible.


    Rayne and Julian were left with Ella and Reginald, ready to continue the reunion.


    "So you guys were on a scouting mission and got called over on your way back?" Ella asked.


    "Yes, I never could have imagined running into your father here," replied Julian.


    While the girls chatted, Reginald turned to Julian. "She''s a nice girl," he said, looking at Rayne. He noticed the closeness between Rayne and Julian during this short span of time and immediately picked up on Julian''s feelings.


    Julian smiled. "Yeah, she really is. I''m incredibly happy that I ran into her."


    Reginald nodded, smiling. He had known Julian for a few years and heard many things about him, one of them being the number of women who were sent to seduce him and failed. He was happy that his daughter''s friend had caught the eye of someone as capable as Julian.


    "Well, since we''re already here, why not go around and find some things to bring back? I''d like to bring something nice for my wife as an apology for making her worry," said Reginald quietly.


    After Rayne and Ella finished catching up, they walked over to join the guys, hearing the proposal to scavenge for items.


    "Yes! That''s a great idea, Dad!" Ella said cheerfully. She was hoping to find some appliances, while her father wanted to find furniture items. He didn''t want his lovely wife to suffer sitting only in plastic fold-out chairs.


    "You did good leaving the trailer on. We can bring back some larger pieces of furniture now," said Reginald.


    The four of them walked to an apartment building across the street and began to look around. The building was only half intact but was fully abandoned.


    Rayne pretended to find a sledgehammer in an alleyway and used it to break into the locked apartments so that they could scavenge the items inside.


    The furniture was nowhere near as luxurious as it was in the building where Lenny lived, but some of the pieces were in good condition and made from solid wood.


    They all worked together to bring down as many pieces as they could fit on the trailer, quickly filling it with a small couch, a table, and a mini fridge Ella begged her dad to bring.


    Seeing her adorable pleading face, he couldn''t say no and finally agreed.


    He also found a number of paints, artist''s colored pencils, drawing paper, and canvas in an apartment that clearly belonged to an artist. He didn''t think twice before stuffing the vehicle with these supplies for his wife, using up most of the precious space.


    Rayne walked over to the car with a big box of food supplies, pretending to have gotten them from one of the small corner stores in the area. She wanted to make sure that her friend could at least eat her fill.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 120 - 120: Extra Supplies

    "Wow, Rayne! You found so many good things! You''re so good at scavenging; most of the good items were found by you today," praised Ella as she looked at all the food in the box.


    Rayne smiled at her friend and shook her head. "No way, you found such a nice table. You have the good eye!"


    The girls giggled at each other, lifting the spirits of both men.


    "Okay, let''s check out this last apartment and head back. I''m worried my wife is suffering from worry," said Reginald.


    Ella quickly ran into the previous apartment, claiming that she wanted to check some of the clothing in one of the bedroom closets. Rayne walked over to the car, carrying the box of food.


    As she passed by Reginald and Julian, Reginald stopped her. "Rayne, do you mind bringing these items with you? It''s just a few medicines I found; one of them is for Ella," he asked, taking the medications out of his coat pocket.


    "Sure thing!" smiled Rayne. She waited for Reginald to place the pill bottle in the box, then walked over to the car.


    While no one was looking, she took the opportunity to store the medicine in her system. She knew about Ella''s digestive issue, as it was common for Ella to take a pill before eating whenever they went out in the past.


    After storing the pills, she took out another copy of them and opened the first bottle to fill it to the brim with pills from the second bottle. This way, Ella wouldn''t have to worry about them for a while longer, and when the time came, she could bring her a few more bottles, claiming to have found them while scavenging.


    Rayne went back inside the apartment building to help carry anything else they found back to the car. This time, the items were smaller¡ªmainly bedding, blankets, and warm clothes.


    The colder weather was setting in, and soon it would reach freezing temperatures during the night. While, based on historic trends, they should still have a few weeks of mild autumn weather, Rayne knew that nothing could be predicted anymore.


    "Look, Dad, I found this electric blanket next door!" said Ella, walking over with a folded electric blanket.


    Reginald nodded, approving of the find. He knew that eventually, they would need to buy electricity for the purpose of heating their room in the winter months.


    "I want to see if we can find an electric heater. I''m worried about the heating situation in the future," he said.


    Rayne overheard the conversation and walked to the room where Julian was. She opened a small closet and took out a high-quality electric heater, along with a few more heating blankets and warm clothes, scattering the items around the small bedroom.


    Rayne then walked out and over to Ella, who was in the kitchen of the same apartment unit.


    "Hey, leave this stuff to me. I''ll bring it to the car. Check out the bedrooms to see if there''s anything useful before we leave," said Rayne casually.


    "Okay, thanks!" replied Ella as she quickly skipped over to the bedroom.


    Rayne smiled, shaking her head at her friend''s excitement. She felt that Ella had truly embraced the looting lifestyle, even seeming excited to do so.


    It only took Ella a few minutes to find some of the scattered items Rayne had left around the room.


    "Dad! I found a space heater! It looks brand new, in a sealed box!" she shouted from inside the bedroom.


    Rayne smiled to herself as she backed the items Ella had set out from the kitchen cabinets into a small box.


    A few moments later, she saw Reginald walk into the bedroom to inspect the electric heater. Once everything passed his inspection, Ella quickly looked around the room, finding many more quality items, including the ones Rayne had left.


    After a few hours of looting and packing, they finally set off to head back to the government base. Ella drove, since Reginald was still injured and she had a better idea of how to get back. During the drive, it was mainly Ella and Rayne talking, while the men listened, relaxing.


    "Rayne, I''ve got to tell you. Those camping supplies you brought over really saved us! We''re using most of the items even now!" said Ella.


    Julian turned to give Rayne a knowing look but remained silent.


    Rayne smiled, happy that the items she left turned out to be helpful. "Oh, really?! That''s so great! Actually, I ended up using the ones I left for myself too! Crazy how my random shopping trip turned out to be useful in the end."


    While Rayne didn''t enjoy lying, especially to her best friend, she also didn''t want to reveal her ability. She noticed Reginald give her a curious look from the passenger seat and got nervous.


    But before Reginald could ask any questions, Ella changed the subject. "Ah, do you remember the king crab you brought over that one time? I''ve had dreams about it! Can you believe it? Dreams!" she said, practically drooling.


    Rayne laughed. "Haha! Here I thought I was the foodie! Don''t worry, I''ll find some more for you to indulge in," she smiled.


    Reginald rolled his eyes at Ella''s antics and at Rayne''s promise. Finding fresh king crab was nearly impossible unless she was willing to go out and catch them herself. Only Julian smirked, knowing that Rayne could easily snap her fingers and bring out an entire feast if she wanted to.


    A few hours later, they finally arrived at the first checkpoint of the government base. Rayne noticed that the line for the new people trying to register was even longer than when she and Julian first arrived.


    "Looks like everyone is trying to make it here before the weather gets colder," commented Reginald, staring at the long line. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m just happy that we don''t need to wait in it since we''re residents," said Ella as she pulled over to the second, much shorter line.


    It only took them a few minutes to arrive at the checkpoint, where everyone in the car just needed to show their resident cards.


    Ella drove directly to her building on the west side of the base, parking the car in front of her building.


    Ella quickly ran up the stairs to the third floor, rushing to tell her mother that everything was okay and that Reginald was back.


    Reginald made his way up behind her, followed by Rayne and Julian, who decided to tag along.


    "Mom! I''m back!" shouted Ella as she opened the door.

 Chapter 121 - 121: Declined Invitation

    Her mother was sitting in the same fold-out chair in the living room. She had a thin blanket wrapped around her and dark circles under her eyes.


    As soon as Ella burst through the door, she looked up at her daughter with tears in her eyes. "You''re finally back. I was so worried!" She stood up and walked over to Ella.


    "Mhm! And guess what! I found Dad!" said Ella cheerfully. As soon as she said that, Reginald walked into the room. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hello, honey. I''m so sorry for making you worry," he said quietly, walking over to his wife. He noticed the dark circles and puffy eyes, which made his heart break.


    He watched as she ran over to him, hugging him while crying into his chest. "I was so scared that something bad happened. I thought you wouldn''t come back to me!" she cried.


    "I know, I know. I''m so sorry for making you worry," he said gently, wiping the tears from her face with his finger. He could tell that she hadn''t slept all night waiting for him to return.


    He bent over and kissed her on the cheek. "Everything is okay now. We even brought back many good things. I even found you a small surprise." He hoped that these items could cheer her up, at least a little bit.


    "You coming back to me is the biggest gift," she said, hugging him once more. But a small part of her was happy that he had thought of her while he was away.


    His heart warmed at her words. "Come, let''s go to the car so I can show you what we brought," he said and led her down.


    On the way out, they bumped into Rayne and Julian, who were waiting outside.


    "Rayne! Is that you? I''m so glad to see that you''re safe!" she exclaimed.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Soto. I''m very happy to have run into Ella and Mr. Soto outside," replied Rayne with a smile.


    The two chatted until they made it down to the car.


    "Wow, dear! So many nice things!" exclaimed his wife as Reginald walked her over to the small trailer attachment.


    Reginald smiled. "Yes, we found a number of decent items. Let''s talk about them once we get back inside. I don''t want prying eyes to know what we got."


    The group then got to work, carrying in all of the newly obtained items. Rayne and Julian helped carry most of the heavier items, while the rest of them brought in the smaller ones.


    Working as a team, they finished carrying everything in rather quickly, and the previously empty living room was now filled with many pieces of furniture and boxes of supplies.


    "Mom, we even found heating blankets and an electric heater!" Ella walked over and showed her mom.


    "Oh, great job! These items will be very useful to keep warm in the colder months," her mother replied, smiling. Her worries were gone since her family had come back safely, and she could now enjoy looking through all of the items that were brought back.


    Reginald walked over to the stack of boxes and dug around, looking for the art supplies he had found for her.


    "Honey, look. I found these for you. I hope they can ease your boredom," he said, walking over with a box of various paints, pencils, and sketchbooks.


    He saw her face blossom into a smile. She had always been a good artist and enjoyed painting. As a typical heiress from a wealthy family, she was brought up learning how to paint and play the piano, which she excelled at.


    "Thank you, dear. I really love it. I''ll paint something for us to hang up on the walls," she said, looking up at him happily.


    While Reginald was having a moment with his wife, Ella walked over towards Rayne. "Hey, let me show you my room. You can help me choose a good layout for the new furniture." She grabbed her by the arm and led her over to the smaller bedroom.


    When Rayne walked in, she frowned, seeing the bare room with a very simple mattress lying on the floor.


    The only other items in the room were a few cardboard boxes with some clothing. This made Rayne begin to think about how she could send more items over to Ella and her family.


    Ella misinterpreted Rayne''s shocked expression, thinking she was impressed by the setup. By current normal standards, simply having a mattress was already a rare thing.


    "We were lucky. When the first earthquakes began, Dad quickly made the decision to pack up and go to our countryside house. That''s why we had the trailer attachment. Before coming here, we loaded up as many items from that house, including these small mattresses, since they didn''t take up as much space as a traditional one," explained Ella.


    Julian had mentioned how Reginald was a resourceful man, but Ella''s explanation really painted the picture for her. Rayne felt that he was better mentally prepared for the apocalypse than she was, and she knew about it ahead of time!


    "Say, Rayne. Do you need a place to stay? Stay here with me!" said Ella.


    Rayne felt happy having such a nice friend, but she shook her head. She enjoyed having her own space with Julian, as well as the freedom to be able to use her system freely. If she moved in with Ella and her family, she wouldn''t be able to live as comfortably as she had been.


    "Thank you for the invitation, but Julian and I have our own place on the other side of the base," Rayne replied.


    Julian walked in to hear Rayne''s words and smiled. "Hey now, don''t go poaching Rayne behind my back," he joked.


    Ella looked at Rayne, then at Julian, and giggled. "Girl, we need to talk! Since when are you living with a man?" She walked over and whispered.


    Rayne blushed but didn''t deny it. Although she and Julian weren''t in any formal relationship, things were certainly heading that route.

 Chapter 122 - 122: Friends Teasing

    Julian was called over to talk with Reginald, leaving Rayne alone with Ella in her room.


    "Spill it, Rayne! What''s the deal between you and him? He''s a super hottie!" said Ella with a knowing look.


    Rayne smiled at her friend''s antics. Although Ella was usually very reserved and quiet in public, she really loved drama and excitement.


    "You should know who he is," said Rayne, lifting her chin up.


    Ella thought about it but couldn''t figure out who he was. "I don''t know, who is he?" she asked curiously.


    "CEO of REN Corporation, Julian Barclay," smiled Rayne, dropping a bomb on Ella.


    "WHAT? How did you hook up with the CEO of REN Corporation?!" she gasped. Then her mind started racing. "Wait, wasn''t he pronounced dead a few months ago?"


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, it''s a long story, but he had to fake his own death. So don''t go around spreading the news."


    Ella felt her head spin. "This is all just so crazy. My best friend hooked up with the CEO of the richest man in the country..."


    Blushing, Rayne walked over to cover Ella''s mouth. "Shush! No one hooked up with anyone! We''re... just figuring it out..." she said shyly. She was worried Julian would overhear their conversation.


    Ella lightly bit Rayne''s hand, causing Rayne to pull her hand off Ella''s mouth.


    "Figuring it out, my ass! No wonder you don''t wanna move in with me. He''s probably sending you to the moon every night!" teased Ella. She was happy that Rayne had a love interest after everything she''d been through with Dillon.


    "Ella!!" cried Rayne, feeling embarrassed. "I swear nothing has happened... yet." Her mind kept going back to the previous night, making her even more embarrassed.


    "Fine, fine. I won''t tease you anymore. Just when you make babies, remember to make me the godparent!" she laughed.


    While the girls were teasing each other, Julian was having a private, serious talk with Reginald.


    "Very well, I promise not to spread the word of you being alive. Thank you for warning me about this matter," said Reginald with a serious expression.


    "Thank you. Let me know if there''s anything you need. I have a good amount of items, and here..." said Julian, reaching into his backpack. "Take this to protect yourself. If you need more ammo, just ask. I have a large supply."


    Julian pulled out the basic pistol he had and gave it to Reginald, along with a box of spare ammo.


    Reginald took the pistol. "Thank you, Mr. Barclay. I hope it doesn''t need to be used, but I will feel better about being able to protect my family."


    "Please, just call me Julian. Rayne and your daughter are best friends. I hope you all stay safe," replied Julian with a small smile.


    Julian then walked over to Ella''s bedroom to see if Rayne was ready to head home. As he entered, he heard Ella giggling and Rayne''s bright red face.


    "Seems like you ladies were having a good time in here," he smiled before turning to Rayne. "Are you ready to head back?"


    Rayne walked over to stand beside him. "Yes, I''m ready. What do you think if we invite the Sotos over for dinner tomorrow?" she said in a low voice. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian smiled and placed his arm around her. "Of course, I think that''s a great idea."


    Ella watched the intimate actions between the two of them and couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Ella, we''re heading back now. I want to invite you and your parents over for dinner tomorrow. I was able to get my hands on some fresh meat and would like to enjoy it with you guys," Rayne said quickly, not giving Ella time to poke fun at her.


    "Oh, we''ll be there for sure! It''s been so long since we''ve had a good meal," smiled Ella.


    After saying their goodbyes and giving them the address of their house, Julian and Rayne walked home.


    Since their apartment was on the opposite side of the base, it took them almost twenty minutes to make it back.


    Julian took advantage of the situation and reached out to hold Rayne''s hand as they walked.


    "Would you like to swing by the job office on the way? That way we can get our contribution points for the mission," Julian suggested. They would be walking past the job office anyway, so it wouldn''t take too much time.


    "Sure, good idea," replied Rayne, and they walked over.


    The job office was filled with people looking to sign up for missions. Many people, especially those who lived in tents, were getting worried about the impending cold, wanting to get contribution points to buy warmer clothes and blankets.


    Rayne queued up in line with Julian when she heard some gossip.


    "Did you hear they brought back a young man from a mission earlier who was nearly dead? I heard he''s being treated in the medical ward now. I told my son to forget signing up for an off-base mission... it''s too dangerous," said an older woman to another.


    Rayne listened to their conversation and figured that they were talking about the man Kia drove back.


    Leaning over, she whispered to Julian, "Maybe we should pay him a visit. Maybe I can help provide some medicine that would help him recover?"


    Julian wrapped one arm around her, bringing her closer. "Sure, did you want to do that after we''re finished here? We''re in no rush."


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, let''s do that then."


    They waited a few more minutes in line before it was their turn to speak to the recruiter. Rayne explained that they were on the mission with Kia and had just come back.


    The recruiter pulled up the notes and saw that their story added up to what was written down. After handing over their resident cards, the recruiter swiped them through the card reader to add the points.


    "You''re all set, thank you for your help," said the recruiter, handing back the cards.


    After they left the job office, they looked for signs that pointed to the medical ward. It didn''t take too long to find it, as it occupied a large building.


    Although the entrance to the medical ward was heavily guarded with armed guards, they didn''t prevent Rayne and Julian from entering.


    The first room they entered was a makeshift lobby/waiting area. There were simple benches on either side of the room, with a small desk in the center where medical staff sat.


    There were only a few people sitting on the benches, keeping the lobby quieter than the job office had been.

 Chapter 123 - 123: Leader Mai

    The worker at the front desk was an older woman. She looked up and greeted Rayne and Julian as soon as they stepped inside.


    "Hello there, how may I help you?" she asked.


    Rayne smiled and walked over. "Hello, we''re wondering if we could visit the person who was transported here earlier today. We''re from the rescue mission team and just wanted to check on his condition."


    The older woman smiled. "Yes, I know who you''re talking about. That boy is in rough shape. He''s in the last room on the left. Just please keep your voices down."


    Rayne thanked the older woman and walked to the room she was told. When they entered, they saw the man lying on the small cot, bandaged like a mummy.


    Julian walked over to stand beside Rayne. "Poor guy. He did well trying to resist whatever happened. Hard to believe that the team leader of that group defected."


    Rayne stood around, unsure of what to do. She wasn''t medically trained, so beyond bandaging, she wasn''t sure what else could help him.


    A few minutes later, someone else walked into the room holding a small tray of medicine.


    "Nurse Judy? Is that you?" Rayne asked, surprised.


    Nurse Judy was initially startled by the visitors, but then noticed Rayne. "Miss Weston! Is that you?" she asked with her signature bubbly smile.


    "Yes! I''m surprised you remember me after all this time!" said Rayne. It''s been over a year since she was at the hospital, and she didn''t expect Nurse Judy to remember her.


    Nurse Judy smiled. "Of course! It''s not every day that one of your coma patients wakes up!"


    The two of them chatted briefly while Nurse Judy examined the young man.


    "It''s a shame we lack antibiotics. The mission his group was sent on was supposed to retrieve a large amount of medical supplies, but unfortunately, that fell through. Now this poor man is all cut up, and some of the cuts show signs of being infected," sighed Nurse Judy, beginning to rebandage a few cuts.


    Rayne opened her backpack. "I''m not sure if these are the right kind of antibiotics, but I found these when we went over to rescue him and his team."


    She handed Nurse Judy a few different pill bottles of mostly antibiotics she had stored from a small pharmacy.


    Nurse Judy''s eyes lit up. "Yes! While these aren''t as strong as the ones in the hospital, they''ll do the job for sure. Are you sure you want to part with these?"


    "Yes, of course," said Rayne without batting an eye. She knew this medicine would be in good hands with Nurse Judy and hoped it would help save lives.


    After handing over the pills, Rayne and Nurse Judy chatted for a while longer until Rayne started to feel hungry. Nurse Judy also had to excuse herself to see other patients but was very happy to see Rayne again.


    They promised to see each other again, and Rayne left the medical ward with Julian. They walked leisurely across the base, enjoying each other''s company.


    "I wonder how our lovely neighbors are doing," she giggled as they approached their building.


    Julian laughed, remembering Rayne''s special gift before they left. "I''m sure they were preoccupied for a long time."


    After entering their house, Rayne quickly opened her system panel to look for something to eat while Julian looked through the camera footage to see if they missed anything.


    "Well, looks like your soup kept them busy enough to not bother us," laughed Julian.


    "Haha, good! I have more where that came from if they decide to mess with us again," she laughed while laying on the couch. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For dinner, she decided on spaghetti and meatballs, devouring an extra-large portion. They''d been eating very lightly these past two days, and she was really hungry.


    ---


    In the city.


    Jason finally made his way over to the underground base and met with his leader, Mai.


    "Boss, I''ve secured the medical supplies and took care of the randoms. One of them put up a fight, but I cut him up," reported Jason in a respectful manner.


    Mai smiled at him. "Good boy. I''ll have to spoil you tonight for your good work," she said, smiling devilishly.


    The tips of Jason''s ears turned red, but he remained respectful, looking at the ground.


    "Wait for me in my bed; I''ll be right over after I report to the higher-ups," she bent down and whispered in his ear before walking away.


    Jason stayed in the bowing position, listening to her 6-inch heels click farther away. His heart was racing as the blood was flowing downward. This was the ultimate reward for anyone on Leader Mai''s team. She would let them, her team, do whatever they wished with him all night.


    Once he could no longer hear the sound of her heels, he stood up and made his way over to his room to prepare to receive his reward, all sorts of ideas flashing through his mind.


    Although Mai was slightly older, she was still a very beautiful woman. She was also confident and fit the role of being in a position of power. Needless to say, the whole team was wrapped around her finger.


    Mai walked over to Tristan''s ''office,'' knocking on the door.


    "Come in," a very monotone voice said from the other side of the door.


    Mai carefully opened the door and stepped inside. "Sir, one of my men successfully secured a large shipment of medical supplies. They''re being sorted by the storage and supply team as we speak. I still have a few men stationed at the government base. I recently received word that they managed to bring back a scientist from the coastal city lab."


    Tristan listened without looking up. He was busy writing a document and only paused when he heard about the scientist.


    "It seems like they failed in bringing back every scientist. I''ll have to let the leaders know of this mistake," he said calmly.


    Mai bowed slightly, waiting for any instructions.


    "Good work on obtaining the medical supplies. We were running low, so this is indeed a large contribution. You will be promoted for this... continue to report on anything from the government base," said Tristan, resuming his writing.


    Mai broke out into a large smile. "Thank you, sir!"


    Tristan finally looked up at her. "You''re dismissed."


    Mai quickly left the room, in an over-the-moon mood. Getting promoted up the ranks was very difficult after a certain point, but she managed to get it!


    "I''ll have to indulge Jason a little extra today," she giggled as she made her way to her room.

 Chapter 124 - 124: Scouting REN Corp.

    After Mai left, Tristan picked up his finished paperwork and left his office to see Damien. He walked down the corridor to the stairwell that led to the lower levels of the base. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Multiple sets of guards were posted at every important intersection, ensuring that no one unauthorized would make it through.


    "Sir," they greeted Tristan respectfully. Everyone in the organization knew that this skinny, scholarly man was the leader''s right-hand man.


    Tristan nodded silently and continued to walk further down the hall until he reached a beautifully carved door.


    He lifted his hand and elegantly knocked on the door with his knuckles.


    "Come in," Damien''s voice sounded from inside.


    "Boss, I''ve finished drafting the documents. I also have a bit of news to share," said Tristan respectfully.


    "Take a seat, let''s hear it," Damien said casually, pointing to the chair in front of him. Tristan walked over and did as he was told.


    "Firstly, Mai came by today for an update. One of her members secured a very large supply of medical supplies, denying them to the government base," he said calmly.


    Damien nodded. "Good, from my understanding, we needed those supplies. Denying the government base is an added bonus."


    "I have promoted Mai. She will lead a second team to gather more information on the government''s movements," Tristan replied. "The next thing I wanted to update you on¡ªafter Grant confirmed the bullets to be a REN Corp. product, I sent Dillon to scavenge the fallen REN Corp. facility. He should be there today or tomorrow."


    "I knew Julian was a sneaky weasel," laughed Damien. "Good. I hope Dillon can find something useful there. Keep me updated on that situation."


    Tristan nodded and got up to leave, leaving Damien alone in his room once more.


    "Ah, Julian. Just wait until I find you. I have a special surprise just for you!" Damien smiled.


    --


    On the other side of Damien''s underground base, Dillon was getting ready for the mission Tristan had assigned to him a few days ago. He was supposed to go to one of REN Corp''s fallen facilities and bring back anything that could be of use.


    He knew that these facilities were where REN Corp. produced most of its high-tech weaponry, so finding even a small prototype could help propel Damien''s ambitions further.


    "Baby, are you sure you have to go? I''ll miss you so much," purred Krissy from the bed. Her life had only improved since moving here. Dillon was getting promoted, and she got to flaunt her status as his woman.


    Most of the women in the base ended up spending a lot of time together, and their favorite pastime was flaunting their man''s achievements and status to each other. Inside Krissy''s small circle, she had the highest ''status'' among the women and enjoyed the endless flattery and attention.


    Dillon didn''t even turn back to face her. "Yeah, if I do a good job here, I''ll get promoted even higher," he explained quickly.


    Krissy''s eyes sparkled at his words. If Dillon were to get another promotion, they''d get to move to an even better apartment. She would also be one of the rare ''senior'' ladies in the base, garnering even more respect!


    "Please be careful. I''ll be waiting for you to return," she said in a seductive voice. She had quickly gotten used to her role as a ''pleaser'' for Dillon, even embracing it. Seeing how people lived outside the base, or even in the lower ranks of the new recruits, her life was one of luxury, and she didn''t want to lose it.


    Dillon grunted in reply and got up to meet with Ace and another leader under him named Cal. For this mission, he was going to bring as many people as he could, ensuring success.


    As he walked over to their designated meeting spot, he saw the two team leaders waiting for him.


    "Hello boss!", they both greeted respectfully.


    Dillon nodded, "You guys ready? Did you do what I asked and made sure your men are equipped with weapons?".


    "Yes, boss! We went to the armory like you asked," answered Ace, while Cal nodded.


    "Good, get ready to set out with everyone in twenty minutes. I''ll go secure the vehicles. Meet me up top."


    After confirming the details, they all split to do their tasks. Dillon went up to the team in charge of maintaining the vehicles.


    "Hey, I''m a grade five leader, Dillon from Team Runner. I have a request for three vehicles that was approved yesterday," he said to the man sitting at the desk by the garage entrance.


    "Yes, sir. I see you here. The vehicles are ready," the man said, looking up from his notebook. He proceeded to give Dillon three sets of keys to the corresponding vehicles. "Yours are in Bay 2 of the garage."


    Dillon quietly accepted the keys and made his way over to the general entrance to the garage, waiting for Ace and Cal to arrive.


    He didn''t wait long before a group of people arrived, with the two team leaders at the front.


    "We''re ready, boss," said Ace, walking over to Dillon.


    "Good, here are the keys. I''ll ride with Ace," Dillon said, handing over the keys to Ace and Cal.


    Cal took two sets and gave one to one of his men behind him. The men then split themselves between the three vehicles before hitting the road.


    The car with Ace and Dillon was at the front, followed by the one with Cal and the others. They drove out via a previously scouted route, allowing them to drive without running into any obstacles, such as blocked roads.


    The facility was on the edge of the city and had only been compromised because a tall office building from across the street fell on top of it during the violent earthquakes.


    They drove quickly, making their way over in under two hours.


    "Park behind the building. Leave some men here to watch the cars and tell them to be ready in case we need to retreat," ordered Dillon with a serious expression.


    Ace accepted the orders and parked where he was told. When they got out of the car, he went over to assign a few men to guard duty, while Dillon carefully observed the surroundings.


    Cal silently followed Dillon as he walked around the building, carefully inspecting something.


    After a few minutes, Dillon finally spoke. "I feel like someone was here recently... or might still be here," he said.


    Cal quickly unholstered his gun, ready to shoot if he had to. Ace also heard Dillon''s words and sent a signal to the men behind him to keep a look out for any movement. After a tense few minutes they still didn''t see any movement or signs of others.


    Dillon frowned but didn''t want to return empty-handed. Weighing the pros and cons, he finally gave the signal to move in.


    "Let''s go. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled. I don''t want anything to go wrong today!" he ordered.


    The men signaled that they understood and walked in with trained movements. The men that Ace and Cal had recruited for this mission were not from the fresh batch of new recruits, but men who had been around for a while and had been properly trained.


    Seeing the men enter without any issues, Dillon pulled out his own pistol and followed behind.

 Chapter 125 - 125: A New Desire

    After Julian and Rayne left for the government base, Noah and Ian assumed control of the bunker and Alpha Team missions.


    A few days ago, an Alpha Team scout from the city reported that there were people scouting around the fallen REN Corp. facility. These men were identified as most likely being Damien''s men, presenting Ian with an opportunity to gather information on the location of their base.


    "Ivan, I need to select a small team and head out to the old facility. We''ve gotten word that Damien''s men have been poking around. Get as much information as you can, and try to follow them back," instructed Ian.


    Ivan was one of the team leaders on Alpha Team and had the authority to hand-pick his own team.


    "Understood. We will set off immediately," replied Ivan respectfully before turning to head to the Alpha Team dormitory rooms.


    Word spread quickly among the other members, and everyone wanted to be chosen to go. Jess was one of these people. Ever since the dinner incident, she hadn''t been selected for any mission and was starting to feel very cooped up.


    The people she was close to now distanced themselves from her, adding to the feeling of isolation.


    So when she heard that Ivan was putting together a small team for a scouting/recon mission, she quickly got out of bed to find him.


    Ivan had already spoken to the four people he wanted to take when Jess approached him.


    "Hi, Leader Ivan. I was wondering if you could also take me along. I haven''t been on a mission in a while," she said, batting her eyelashes.


    While he never showed it, Ivan had always had a soft spot for Jess. They trained together when they were first brought onto Alpha Team, and Jess was a very beautiful woman. He often used training as an excuse to spend some time around her, even though he had rarely spoken to her.


    Seeing her pleading eyes, he sighed, giving in. "Fine, you can come along. Just make sure you''re a team player. I''ve gotten complaints recently..." he said.


    Jess nearly jumped for joy. "Of course! I was just in a bad mood that day. I''ll apologize to the team later. Thank you!"


    Ivan smiled slightly, then returned to his serious expression. "You have ten minutes to get ready. Don''t be late, or we''re leaving without you," he said as he walked away.


    Jess quickly ran back to her bed and began packing her special bag while changing into the specialized gear.


    After getting ready, she quickly met up with the rest of the team, making it just in time before they left.


    Ivan led the team through the forest and to the secret garage where the jeeps were stored. "We''ll all squeeze into one jeep today," he said, getting into the driver''s seat.


    After everyone got in, he quickly drove off to the fallen facility. Jess brazenly claimed the passenger seat while the four men had to squeeze into the back seat, making the rest of the team frown at her actions.


    Ivan noticed her actions but let it slide this time and focused on driving.


    Jess felt the atmosphere shift, making her feel even more displeased. Shouldn''t they offer the passenger seat to the only female anyway? Why is everyone so pissy?


    She tried striking up a conversation multiple times during the journey but was met with silence every time. This made her begin to bubble with anger and discontent.


    A few hours later, they finally arrived at the facility and spread out to see if they could find any enemy movement.


    Jess went to her assigned section near the entrance of the facility and hid herself in a small room that was unaffected by the broken building.


    She waited there, listening for any sounds of movement for almost an hour until she heard a few cars pull up.


    By the sounds of the footsteps, she could tell that there were about ten people in total. She heard one set of footsteps come close to the entrance before they stopped.


    Sitting silently, she did her best not to make any sound, even going so far as to control her breathing.


    A few moments later, she heard a deep voice say, "I feel like someone was here recently... or might still be here," and became more alert.


    When she heard the footsteps walk away, she moved toward the wall to peek out of a small crack. She saw a tall, handsome man with black hair. Although she couldn''t get a good look, he seemed strong and carried himself with an air of authority.


    The rest of the men trailed behind him, looking around vigilantly, searching for something.


    By all standard procedures, Jess was supposed to contact Ivan to let the team know that someone was spotted, but for some reason, she held back. Her thoughts were clouded with resentment for the rest of Alpha Team, and the rejection from the dinner incident was still fresh in her mind.


    "Why should I even help them? There''s nothing for me here," she muttered unhappily.


    She was curious about this man she had just seen and wanted to observe him a while longer. Her mind raced, coming up with a plan. She figured they were here to loot the place, so she quickly and quietly ran to another room a little farther away, where the facility initially stored all of its prototypes. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once she got into the room, she quickly jumped onto one of the metal shelves and climbed up onto the beams on the ceiling. If she stayed here motionless, she should be able to observe them a little better.


    The only thought on her mind was hoping that the others from Alpha Team wouldn''t discover them first.


    Her plan paid off because a little while later, she saw the man walk into the room. From her angle, she got a better look at him.


    He was tall and handsome¡­ maybe not as handsome as Julian¡­ with messy black hair. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, exposing his muscular chest.


    Jess watched him like a hawk, enjoying the view. Her heart raced as she instantly became overcome with desire.


    In that moment, she decided to throw away her entire past¡ªthe oaths she had sworn and the relationships she had with her team. The only thing on her mind was wanting to be with this man.

 Chapter 126 - 126: Traitor

    Dillon walked into the room focused on finding anything useful to bring back with him. He wasn''t aware of the passionate gaze he was getting from Jess who was sitting on the beam above him.


    He walked over to the cabinets against the back wall and began opening each one to see if anything was left inside. Unfortunately, everything was empty in here, just like the previous rooms he''d checked.


    "Damn, there should be at least something lying around", he cursed. He refused to go back empty-handed. This promotion was a very rare opportunity, and he wasn''t sure if another one would come up.


    Just as he was about to punch the metal cabinet door in frustration, Jess jumped off the beam and held his hand, "Don''t, they''ll hear you", she said quickly.


    Dillon reached out to pull his pistol out but Jess beat him to it. "I''m not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you", she said holding his pistol in her hand.


    Her reflexes were a lot better than his since she was trained by Alpha Team for many year now. Dillon frowned looking at the beautiful woman. "What do you want?", he grunted.


    Jess smiled, she was waiting for him to ask that.


    "You see, I''ve been fed up with that small group of losers for a while now. When I saw you, I could clearly tell who the more capable man was", she purred, trying to pour out every ounce of her seductive charm.


    "What can you do for me?", he asked wearily, but his eyes continued to check her out.


    "Well, for one, I can help you get rid of them. There are five others here beside me, and I know where they all are. If you promise to take me back with you, I''ll help you get rid of them", she smiled. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dillon looked at her silently for a few moments before asking, "How can I trust you?".


    Jess placed his pistol back into his hands and bent down to get on her knees in front of him. She deftly unzipped his pants and started working her magic on his shaft with her tongue.


    "Fuck", moaned Dillon. He didn''t expect this turn of events, especially in this place, but her skills were very good. She did a much better job hitting all the right spots than Krissy ever has, causing him to finish a lot sooner than expected.


    "Swallow it like a good girl", he said in a hoarse voice as he looked down at her.


    Jess complied, making a sound like it was the most delicious thing she''s ever tasted, and stuck out her tongue to show him that she did as she was told.


    Dillon was very satisfied with her performance and decided to allow her to follow him back. "If we kill your team members, I''ll let you come back with me", he said in a resolute tone.


    Jess smiled, "Yes, I''ll even kill the leader myself".


    The two of them left the room and went outside to the small wooded area just outside of the facility.


    "Two of them are over there", whispered Jess, pointing at two Alpha Team members in the distance. They were standing on the intact side of the roof, looking towards the back side of the building.


    Dillon nodded, seeing the two black hooded figures in the distance. He scanned the area to find the best route up to them.


    The broken part of the building made a makeshift ramp upwards, and after deciding on the route he signaled Ace from the side of the building.


    Ace saw the signal from the forest where he knew his boss went and quickly ran over.


    "I need you to take two men with you and kill those two on the roof over there", said Dillon pointing at the two Alpha Team members.


    Ace looked up and accepted the order, listening to how they should use the debris ramp to make it up there.


    "You need to wait three minutes before you take action, understand? And don''t get seen beforehand", ordered Dillon.


    Ace nodded and ran back to put the plan in motion. Once that was settled, Jess brought Dillon to the opposite side of the building where the other two members were.


    "They should be up in those trees", she said pointing upwards. They hid themselves behind a broken wall, not far from where Cal was.


    Dillon motioned for Cal to come over, and pointed at the tree line in front of them. "Kill the two men up there. Hurry, you have about a minute to get over there".


    Cal quickly waved to the men behind him and flanked around into the forest. Just as they entered the line of sight of the Alpha Team members in the trees, Ace''s team killed the men on the rooftop.


    The men in the trees noticed something happening on the rooftop and were about to radio over, but Cal and his men quickly shot them with suppressed bullets.


    While this was happening, Jess led Dillon inside the facility to where Ivan was waiting. He was responsible for patrolling the inside of the facility with Jess and took over the back half of the building.


    "Follow me and stay quiet. I''m not exactly sure where he is right now but if he sees you he will kill you", she whispered to Dillon.


    Dillon nodded and quietly followed Jess, doing his best to stay a safe distance behind her. Just as they entered what used to be the main production area of the facility, he saw Jess signal for him to stay put.


    He walked over to hide behind a broken wall, watching Jess from the small cracks.


    "Ivan, thank goodness you''re okay! I think something is wrong! I heard a gunshot just now", said Jess, distressed.


    Ivan hopped down from his hiding spot in a broken part of the ceiling. "Why didn''t you radio in sooner?", he frowned.


    "I tried but no one responded!", she lied, acting desperate.


    Ivan walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me where this gunshot was, let''s go together".


    "It was in front of the building, I ran to find you as soon as I heard it!", she said.


    Ivan nodded with a serious expression and turned to head to the front of the building, but just as he turned around he felt a knife stab him in the back.


    "Jess! Why?", he cried out, falling to the floor, "You made an oath!".

 Chapter 127 - 127: Promised Reward

    Jess smirked hearing Ivan''s words. "Oath my ass. I tried so hard to be a shining star and look where that got me. No one on this stupid team even wants to talk to me. I hate you all", he exclaimed.


    Dillon walked in from the other side of the wall, "Good job. Looks like you kept your word".


    Ivan, who was struggling to breathe heard Dillon''s voice and lifted his head with great difficulty. "Jess, you traitor!", he yelled before completely collapsing on the ground.


    Dillon walked over and pulled out his pistol, shooting a bullet through Ivan''s head. He didn''t like leaving loose ends and wanted to make sure Ivan wasn''t going to get out of there alive.


    "I''m guessing your name is Jess. I''m Dillon", said Dillon walking over to her side. "From now on, you''ll be one of my women".


    Jess bloomed into a smile and walked over to hold Dillon''s arm, "I''m so happy. Please take care of me in the future".


    Dillon grunted in reply, his mind still thinking about Rayne. All of these other women were just momentary muses for him until he could finally get ahold of the one he wanted the most.


    Jess didn''t pick up on his cold reply, thinking that it was just a part of his personality. To her a man who seemed a little uninterested made her want to try harder, so she didn''t mind.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. There''s a secret room here that should still have some things left. We didn''t have time to take everything out of here before the building fell, so we prioritized just the easily accessible items", said Jess happily.


    Dillon finally smiled. "If there are any worthy items found in this room, I will reward you handsomely when we get back to base", he promised. These items would secure him a promotion, and Jess''s involvement in finding them warranted a reward.


    Jess got even more excited hearing that there would be a reward. She was already happy knowing that she was useful to him, but now it was even better.


    "Come, follow me. I''ll bring you there now", she said while bending down to pull her knife from Ivan''s back.


    She led him back towards the entrance and into a room that he had checked earlier and deemed empty. Moving to the back wall of the room she walked over to one side of a large metal cabinet.


    "Mind giving me a hand?", she asked Dillon sweetly.


    He walked over and helped her push the cabinet off from the wall, revealing a secondary cabinet. Dillon went to try and open it but noticed that it was locked.


    Jess walked over seeing him struggle. "You''re in luck! I happen to know the code", she said, trying to flaunt her worth.


    Dillon watched as she entered a ten-digit code into the electric code lock, successfully opening the doors.


    When the locked doors opened, Dillon saw three prototype weapons inside, each looking like a futuristic gun.


    When Jess saw what was left she frowned slightly. "Aww, looks like only the most initial versions of the weapons were left here. Still, it should be enough to work off of".


    Dillon called over Ace and Cal, telling them to carefully load the prototype weapons into the car.


    He watched as they carried them over, feeling like his promotion was right around the corner.


    He walked over to Jess and placed his arm around her waist, leading her to his car. "Come, let me take you home", he said happily. His elated mood had gotten aroused, and he was excited to have a taste of Jess.


    Everyone else got into their respective vehicles and began to make their way back.


    After getting back, Dillon led Jess to the registration office to register herself as his woman.


    This would allow her more privileges than a standard person, and would also expedite the approval process.


    The person in charge quickly got to work, filling out the appropriate forms and asking Jess personal questions.


    After he found out that Jess was part of an enemy faction, he frowned.


    "Sir, the standard procedure is to place anyone with ties to enemy factions into an observation. This is done to prevent spies from easily infiltrating our ranks", said the man at the registration office.


    Dillon gave him a fierce look, "I already told you, she''s with me. I saw her kill her leader with my own eyes".


    The man looked scared but didn''t back down, deciding to call over his boss. After explaining the situation the boss thought for a moment. He knew that Dillon''s rank in the organization was rather high, so he walked over with a proposition.


    "Sir, we can allow her to go through her observation period in your residence if you wish", said the leader of the registration office.


    Dillon frowned but accepted the offer, "Fine, let''s do that then. She''ll stay with me".


    After coming to an agreement and with the registration completed, Dillon led Jess back to his residence in the lower levels of the base.


    Jess looked around in awe, not believing that such a place existed if she didn''t see it herself.


    "Wow, it''s so big! To think something like this was in the city under our noses this entire time", she laughed.


    Alpha Team had been searching day and night for Damien''s base of operations for many years now, only for it to turn out to be located in their very own neighborhood.


    Dillon nodded, "Yes, the security here is top-notch. The man in charge is very good at what he does, ensuring secrecy even with the new influx of people"


    They walked through the long hallways, allowing Jess to take in the sheer size of this base. If she were to compare it to Julian''s bunker his would be a cardboard box while this would be an apartment building.


    Something of this scale must have taken a long time to build, especially without anyone knowing. It was like a whole city underground. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After taking a few sightseeing detours they finally arrived at Dillon''s residence.

 Chapter 128 - 128: Reward Received

    (A/N: This chapter is a strong R18 chapter)


    Krissy was currently out with the other woman. The base had a few spots dedicated to women''s leisure, and they were at one that looked similar to a nightclub, with loud music and white leather couches.


    She was doing her new favorite activity of flaunting her status over everyone, listening to nonstop praises.


    "You''re so lucky you''re with Leader Dillon. He''s so capable, getting promoted so quickly", said one of the women.


    Another nodded and chimed in, "Yes, he''s definitely a catch, but we can''t forget that Krissy is one of the few women that joined along with him. She''s an original unlike most of us, who were brought in later from outside".


    Most of these women were ones forcibly brought from the streets but then acclimated to life here after getting favored by a small-time leader in the ranks. Seeing how much better their life was now than those on the outside, they quickly embraced their new lives.


    While Krissy was out with the other woman, Dillon had just arrived home with Jess. He was in a rare, extremely happy, mood and was ready to have his way with Jess.


    Jess was also getting hot and bothered. After servicing him earlier in the day, she, herself, felt turned on and wanted to cave into her desires which she had been holding back for years now. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as both of them entered, Dillon brought her inside and pointed to the bathroom. "Go take a shower first, we have a long night ahead of us".


    Jess smiled and did as he asked. In the bathroom, she noticed feminine products like floral shampoos and even skin care products.


    "Hmm, looks like he already had someone. Sorry girl, but I''m taking your man", she laughed, helping herself to all of the products while showering.


    When she finished she quickly dried her hair and walked out with nothing but a towel around her.


    Dillon was happy that she was finished relatively quickly, Krissy always took hours in the bathroom and sometimes it was so long that he lost the mood by the time she got out.


    "Wait here, I''ll go rinse off", he said and took a quick shower before coming out, also with nothing but a white towel around his waist.


    Jess looked at his muscular upper body, admiring the view. Droplets of water from his wet hair flowing down his chest emphasized his abs, making her even more hot and bothered.


    Dillon''s eyes darkened with desire, he quickly walked over to Jess and pushed her down on the bed, pulling her towel off.


    "Here''s your reward for today", he said in a deep voice and climbed onto the bed, spreading her legs apart.


    Moments later Jess felt his tongue circle around her clit, causing her body to react with pleasure. She arched her back, giving him a better angle to continue his movements.


    "Fuck, Dillon. It feels so good!", she moaned, gripping the bedsheets with her fingernails.


    Hearing her moans, Dillon felt even more aroused. He moved his fingers in to alternate with his tongue, making Jess squirm.


    "You''re so wet already. Good", he said feeling her wetness with his fingers. This time he bent over again to suck on her clit, but this time he placed two fingers inside her, feeling around her warm insides.


    "Ah, Dillon. It feels so fucking good", she moaned. Her eyes were closed as she was doing her best to only focus on his movements.


    After a few minutes, Dillon pulled out his fingers which were dripping wet, "Good girl, you should be ready now".


    Jess was nearly at her first climax when he took his fingers out. But before she had a chance to open her eyes to see why he stopped, she felt his hard cock ram inside of her.


    "Oh fuck!", she exclaimed. Her head was in the clouds so she didn''t expect something larger than his fingers to enter her. She felt him begin to fill her, stretching her out as he thrust.


    "Fuck Jess, you''re so tight. You''re practically sucking me in", breathed Dillon as he continued to thrust.


    Jess moaned at his words. She enjoyed the feeling of his cock ramming inside of her. "I haven''t gotten fucked this good in years", she replied in between breaths.


    Dillon immersed himself in the feeling of getting milked but her tight pussy. He only now realized how loose Krissy was in comparison to Jess.


    "Tonight I''m going to mold your insides to the shape of my cock. Hope you don''t tire too easily", he said, as he continued to thrust even harder.


    Jess couldn''t find a moment to reply, her body bouncing with his movements.


    "Oh fuck Dillon, I''m going to cum", she moaned. His movements were relentless, pounding her deep in the womb.


    A few moments later Dillon felt her tighten around him, pulsating. "Good girl", he said, enjoying the sensation.


    After she finished he didn''t give her a chance to relax and flipped her over so that she was on her hands and knees. He forcefully pushed her head down on the bed and rammed himself inside of her at the same time, making her cry out in pleasure.


    The new angle allowed him to get even deeper than before, allowing his entire cock to slip inside.


    "Ah, Dillon! You''re...so deep!", yelled Jess. While she wasn''t a virgin, the last time she had sex was before she joined Alpha Team, and that was years ago.


    His movements were forceful and fast without any breaks. She felt like she finally met someone who could satisfy her to the degree that she wanted.


    "Yes! Don''t stop...you feel so fucking good", she cried out.


    Dillon silently complied with her request, gripping her by the waist to get more control so that he could thrust even faster.


    The entire apartment was soon filled with the sounds of clapping mixed with Jess''s loud moans.


    Krissy was walking back to Dillon''s residence when she heard the sounds of a woman calling out. She didn''t think much of it until she got closer and closer to his door.


    She stood in front of his door, fishing her keys out of her purse as quickly as possible. While the slightly muffled sounds were clearly coming from inside his room, she was still denying it in her head.


    "No, no, no. Dillon has me, it''s always just been me", she muttered as her hands shook. She finally managed to unlock the door and stepped inside to hear a woman moaning Dillon''s name from the bedroom.


    She ran over to the bedroom and swung the door open....

 Chapter 129 - 129: Introductions

    (A/N: R18 chapter continues)


    She ran over to the bedroom and swung the door open to find Dillon holding a blonde woman by the hair as he pounded her relentlessly. The room was full of sounds of pleasure, even Dillon was moaning.


    She stood at the entrance to the bedroom, frozen in shock, as she watched Dillon rail the woman.


    When she finally snapped out of her trance she took a step forward and cried out, "Dillon!?".


    Dillon turned his head and noticed Krissy standing in the doorway, "Oh hey, you''re back", he said casually.


    Jess also realized that Krissy arrived and moaned even harder.


    Dillon tugged on Jess''s hair with a smirk on his face. "You like being watched, don''t you? I could feel you instantly tighten up, you slut", and continued to thrust with even more fervor.


    Krissy watched with an unreadable expression. "Dillon, why?", she cried out.


    Dillon bent over, angling himself slightly over Jess, to get a better angle. He smiled even more after feeling Jess''s inside tighten around him.


    "Hold on Krissy, I''m almost done. I''ll introduce you two later", he said before taking one final forceful thrust and filling Jess with his cum.


    After he finished, he laid down on the bed with a satisfied expression. Jess proved to be very enjoyable for him and he did not regret bringing her back.


    Krissy walked over holding back her emotions. She wasn''t sure if she should cry or burst out in anger but seeing Dillon''s cum flowing out of this new girl made her scared. She felt threatened, her status that she flaunted and the perks she received by being his woman were all about to be snatched up!


    She couldn''t let that happen. She knew that if she were to make a scene now, Dillon wouldn''t hesitate to throw her out. Seeing the satisfied smile on his face, she knew that he enjoyed his time with this new girl.


    After catching his breath Dillon sat up and looked at Krissy. "Krissy, this is Jess. Jess, Krissy", he said motioning to both women.


    Jess rolled over and flashed a provocative smile at Krissy, "Nice to meet you". She had a slight air of superiority around her, feeling proud of her current position. Jess could tell that Krissy was fuming on the inside and that knowledge fed her ego.


    Krissy didn''t want to say anything, only nodded slightly to keep Dillon from getting angry.


    Seeing that the two women were getting along he got up to take another shower. Before he left he looked over at Jess who was still laying on the bed. "Stay right there, I''m not done with you", he said with a slight smirk.


    Jess blushed and smiled in response, then turned to face Krissy after Dillon closed the door to the bathroom.


    "Hey there. Seems like your man is mine now", she said with an air of authority.


    Krissy couldn''t hold back any longer, "You bitch! How dare you seduce my man? Dillon has been with only me since the very beginning, who do you think you are to step in the way?", she yelled furiously.


    Jess laughed, spreading her legs for Krissy to see, "As you can see, he chose me himself. Look, his cum is still pouring out of me".


    "Don''t get too comfortable. You''re just a temporary toy to him. Once he gets bored, he''ll toss you out!", yelled Krissy.


    "Oh, are you sure he''s not doing just that with you? I know you missed most of our performance, but we''ve been at it for hours now. You heard him yourself, he''s not done either", smiled Jess, feeling victorious.


    Krissy felt nothing but panic and anger. She hated Jess to the core! "Just wait and see who gets thrown out. Just when you finally get thrown out, don''t come crawling back crying!".


    Jess sat up, ignoring Krissy''s lame provocations, "Uhuh, whatever you say sis. Now if you don''t mind, please set out. Dillon will be back any minute and I''ve already given you enough of a free show".


    A few minutes later Dillon came out of the bathroom and walked straight towards Jess who was still on the bed, ignoring Krissy completely.


    "Hope I didn''t make you wait too long", he said inserting his hard cock back inside of Jess.


    Jess let out another moan, reading herself for the next pounding session.


    While the two of them immersed themselves in carnal pleasures, Krissy didn''t know what to do. She ran out of the bedroom, unable to watch the scene much longer.


    She sat down on the couch in the living room, listening to Jess''s moans and Dillon''s actions. Even the bed was creaking at their wild movements.


    Krissy was lost in thought. Fear consumed her, she didn''t want to lose her position to Jess. "No, I can''t let this happen. How do I get rid of her?", she muttered to herself like a madwoman.


    With every moan that Jess let out, Krissy felt the knot in her stomach tighten more and more. Her anxiety prevented her from thinking clearly and coming up with a counterattack. She sat on that couch for hours, listening as they continued to fuck like rabbits, taking short breaks in between.


    After a few minutes of silence, she heard the action starting up once more, Jess''s voice ringing out marking the beginning of a new session.


    After thinking all this time, Krissy finally couldn''t take it anymore. She needed to divert Dillon''s attention. She stood up, stripping all of her clothes, and walked into the bedroom, showing off her curvaceous body.


    "Hey baby, mind if I join the fun?", said Krissy in a seductive tone.


    Dillon looked over and saw the naked Krissy in the doorway to the bedroom. He had always wanted to fuck two girls at once and agreed to her request.


    "Come, there''s more than enough of me for the both of you", he said, pulling out after he felt Jess''s orgasm end.


    Krissy walked over and was quickly thrown to the bed.


    Dillon enjoyed himself to the fullest, switching from Jess to Krissy and then back to Jess. Towards the end of the session, he had both women on their hands and knees, taking turns thrusting his cock in each one.


    "Let''s see who the lucky one is that gets my load", he laughed, closing in on his climax. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both girls began to let out passionate moans, one trying to drown out the other, further fueling Dillon''s excitement.


    He continued to alternate until the long-awaited release came, filling Krissy up.


    Krissy felt elated that she was the one who got chosen in the end and flashed a provocative smile at Jess, trying to rub in the small victory.


    Jess rolled over, not caring about Krissy one bit. She got filled so many times today that one less time didn''t matter to her.

 Chapter 130 - 130: Late Night Intrusion

    Rayne and Julian decided to call it early and head to bed. They had spent most of the day moving heavy furniture from the apartments in the small town and up to Ella''s unit.


    After a quick shower, Rayne entered the bedroom and sat down on her bed. Although their beds were in close proximity, she felt that the distance was too great.


    After waking up in Julian''s arms, she realized just how much she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace.


    Shaking her head she tried to snap out of her thoughts. "Get a grip of yourself. You shared a bed once with him and now you want to make it permanent", she mumbled.


    She pulled out a night cream for her face while Julian was showering, waiting for him to finish.


    Just as Julian entered the bedroom he frowned seeing the two twin beds. "Hey, let''s upgrade our room. These two beds take up too much space. One larger bed would be much better", he grinned.


    Rayne laughed, happy that he felt the same way as she did. "Okay, let''s do as you suggested", she said, quickly jumping off her bed and storing everything in the room.


    This time she pulled out the bedframe that they had built for him back at the bunker to spare them from having to put together a new one.


    She also chose the same mattress he had chosen previously and quickly made the bed with fresh sheets and blankets.


    The room felt bigger now with just one bed, but also more cozy. The added space also allowed her to place two nightstands, one on either side of the bed.


    She felt a lot less shy about sharing the bed with Julian, looking forward to him playing with her hair as she fell asleep.


    Julian was also ecstatic with this new progress they made. He did not expect her to comply with his request so easily, receiving a surprise.


    They spent the night happily in each other''s embrace, sleeping peacefully until they heard the living room window shatter.


    Rayne and Julian quickly jolted out of bed and leaned against the bedroom wall beside their door. Rayne took out two copies of the high-tech silver pistol and handed one of them to Julian.


    On the other side of the wall, Tee couldn''t help but exclaim at the things he saw, "Wow, look! This place looks better than my apartment did before everything went to shit!".


    "Shut up!", Rico hushed. They had finally decided to take action after being delayed day after day. Now he wanted to prevent the young couple from waking up, trying to get in, loot, and get out.


    Little did he know that ''the young couple'' was wide awake, and listening to their every movement.


    The whole group of men made it inside the apartment and spread to loot anything they could find.


    As soon as Julian heard their movements he pushed open the bedroom door and pointed his gun. Rayne followed behind him doing the same.


    "Drop everything and leave now and I''ll let you live", announced Julian. While he wasn''t happy with them breaking in, he didn''t want to kill if he didn''t have to.


    Rico motioned to Tee with his eyes and Tee quickly dropped what he was holding and dropped to his knees, "Don''t shoot, I''m so sorry!", he wailed.


    Julian frowned but slightly lowered his gun. In that moment Rico pulled out a metal crowbar he had behind his back and swung it right at Julian''s head.


    Julian was unprepared for his surprise attack, unable to react in time.


    As the crowbar quickly approached him, Rayne quickly aimed her pistol and shot Rico directly into his chest, killing him instantly.


    The crowbar lost momentum and fell to the ground, sparing Julian from getting hit.


    Tee and the rest of the guys were shocked at the development. They were convinced that the guns they were holding were fake only meant to scare them.


    However, instead of running away and begging for their life, they all got up and dashed towards Rayne and Julian, trying to avenge their leader.


    "We will kill you for harming our big bro!", yelled Tee as he ran towards Rayne, wanting to claw her eyes.


    Julian quickly recovered from the crowbar incident and took aim, shooting all of the men in quick succession before they approached Rayne. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon the room fell into silence, with dead bodies littered all over the floor.


    Julian walked over to Rayne and hugged her. "Are you okay?", he whispered, observing her closely.


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded. "I was so worried he was going to hit you. My body reacted on its own", she said quickly.


    She felt Julian''s arms tighten around her, "Thank you, you saved me".


    They stood in the dark room holding each other until the cool breeze entered from the broken window, chilling them.


    Julian frowned looking down at the fresh corpses, "I''ll have to figure out where to drag their bodies. We can''t keep them here for too long".


    Rayne walked over, "Let me see if I can dispose of them. I''ve never tried using my system on humans...".


    She placed her hand on one of the corpses and gave the mental command to store. To her surprise, it worked! The body was no longer on the ground and a new icon appeared on the system panel.


    Not wanting to keep dead bodies in her system, she quickly dragged the icon over to the trash bin, deleting the icon permanently.


    She walked around doing the same with the rest of the bodies, and in a matter of a few minutes, the floor was clean except for a few blood splatters.


    Julian bent down to help her clean the remaining mess, "That ability of yours is very useful, you can delete evidence directly".


    Rayne hummed in response and continued cleaning. She felt a little weird about deleting a human body out of the plane of existence like that.


    Julian saw her ''lost in thought'' expression and walked over, "Here, give me the cleaning supplies and rinse off with a hot shower. I''ll finish cleaning here".


    After all of the cleaning was finished and they both rinsed off in case any blood got on to them, they curled up in bed.


    Julian temporarily taped a piece of cardboard to cover the smashed window, deciding to fix it in the morning.

 Chapter 131 - 131: Selling Supplies

    The next morning, Rayne woke up early. She had a hard time sleeping after what happened last night, only falling asleep thanks to Julian''s cuddles.


    Today''s to-do list included fixing the broken window, selling a few more items at the market, and preparing to host the Soto family for dinner.


    Julian woke up after hearing Rayne''s subtle movements. "Morning, did you manage to get any sleep?" he asked. Last night, he spent a while cuddling and playing with her hair before she was finally able to fall asleep.


    Rayne turned around and smiled. "Yes, I did. Thank you."


    "We might have to start using those electric heaters soon; it''s getting chilly," he said as he stepped out of the warm bed.


    "Yeah, the winter months are approaching. I hope it''s a mild winter so that those without heating or electricity can survive," said Rayne.


    The items she wanted to sell at the store today were all items to keep warm. She planned to sell a large amount of wool sweaters, thick blankets, and a few wood-burning stoves and electric heaters.


    Rayne walked into the living room and looked at the broken window. The first order of business was to fix the window.


    Julian came over just in time and helped her with removing the rest of the window. Rayne had all of the needed tools, making the process much easier.


    Thankfully, the windows used in the building when it was first built were a standard size, allowing Rayne to pull one out of her system to replace it.


    She was thankful that she had a desire to potentially build her own home before the apocalypse started. This desire led her to various home improvement and contractor stores, where she filled her system with a large amount of housebuilding materials.


    It took them about an hour to install the new window along with some iron bars to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.


    After they finished, Rayne took out some classic pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast.


    "These are delicious! What restaurant were these from?" asked Julian. He never really cared for pancakes before, but these were great.


    "Oh, I made these back when I was living in my old apartment. I had a lot of free time and wanted to experiment with my system, so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and storing meals," said Rayne.


    "Ah, no wonder. Anything you make tastes amazing," he teased. Although his tone was lighthearted, he really did feel that the things she cooked were some of the best he''d ever had.


    After breakfast, Rayne turned to tell Julian about her plans.


    "I want to go to the market and sell warm clothes and heating equipment. It''s only going to get colder, and there are still many people living in tents," she said.


    "Okay, that''s a good idea. Before you leave, the store will have all of the furniture back in your system. I noticed that some blood had gotten on the sofa. Also, leave some cleaning supplies for me so I can do a deep clean while you''re out," said Julian.


    Rayne smiled and did as he asked. It was a good idea to do this so that when the Sotos arrive for dinner tonight, everything would be clean and sanitary.


    "Okay, I''ll be back soon," she said and left for the market.


    When she arrived at the market, she noticed many people lined up around the chain-link fence, looking at the items on display.


    The only shopkeeper who was free was the one standing at the counter where people could sell items. It was the same one who helped Rayne last time she came to sell things and quickly recognized her.


    "Hello, are you here to sell today?" she asked politely, looking at the stuffed black trash bags that Rayne was carrying in.


    Rayne walked over to the counter. "Hello! Yes, I just came back from a scavenging mission, and I picked up a lot of good things to sell."


    Rayne picked up one of the trash bags and placed it on the counter, letting the shopkeeper sort through it.


    "Oh wow! This is perfect! Many people have been asking for warmer clothing!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, when I was out, I ran across a clothing store that wasn''t looted. I knew that with the coming colder months, many people would most likely be in need of warmer clothes."


    The shopkeeper bought Rayne''s story and continued to pull out sweater after sweater. There were about 40 of them in total, all of various sizes.


    After the first bag was emptied, Rayne placed the second bag, which contained all sorts of blankets.


    "I have a few more items in the car, so I''ll be right back if that''s okay," said Rayne.


    The shopkeeper nodded, thinking that Rayne was very trusting. Most people watch her every movement when they come to sell items, fearing that she would cheat them out of the correct cost.


    Rayne didn''t care about contribution points much since she had any supply she needed. Her purpose here was to help the people of this base without being overly obvious about it. If she were to just give away items for free, people would begin to suspect her.


    Rayne took a few trips ''to her car,'' bringing back wood fire stoves, coal stoves, and electric heaters. The shopkeeper was ecstatic, treating Rayne like a goddess of wealth.


    After counting up all of the items Rayne brought, the shopkeeper finally gave her a total. "So for all of these items, we have decided to award you 2,000 points. This is about double the normal value, but since they were all in such good condition and in demand for the upcoming cold season, the higher-ups felt that they were worth more."


    Rayne smiled. "Thank you." She accepted her resident card with the newly added points and took a peek at what was offered for sale behind the chain-link fence wall.


    There were few items available, mostly just packs of biscuits and crackers. Even the canned food she sold a few days ago was all gone. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looks like the base is still far from being able to meet the needs of the people," she mumbled to herself and turned to head back home.

 Chapter 132 - 132: A New Lead

    When Rayne came back home she noticed how sparkly clean all of the floors and walls were. She smiled thinking that Julian must have put in a lot of effort to erase any signs of the scuffle from last night.


    She walked towards the bedroom to look for Julian and found him fast asleep on the bed.


    He must''ve been worried about me last night and couldn''t sleep well.


    After making sure that he was covered with a blanket she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.


    She walked back into the living room and began to place the furniture back around the room. This time she also took out the most basic-looking dining room table since she was expecting guests over tonight for dinner.


    After everything was set up she took a seat on the couch to decide what to make for dinner. She wanted to treat the Soto''s to a nice meal, but she also wanted to keep it realistic.


    She thought about it for a few minutes and decided on a chicken and rice dish. Rice was a relatively common staple food right now since it has a long shelf life and she already told Ella that she managed to secure meat.


    Walking over to the small kitchen area, she took out a package of fresh chicken thighs from her system to marinade in spices.


    Just as she finished making preparations Julian woke up and walked out of the bedroom.


    "Oh hey, you''re back", he said groggily. He slowly made his way over to where Rayne was standing and peered over her shoulder to see what she was doing.


    "Mhm, sleep okay?", she asked as she rubbed the spices all over the chicken.


    "Yeah, I didn''t even realize I fell asleep. I just laid down after cleaning and the next thing I know I''m awake", he said yawning.


    Rayne smiled, "I''m glad you got some sleep. You did a great job with the cleaning, thank you".


    "What time will our guests be here?", he asked.


    "I told Ella around 5:30 pm, but said they were welcome to come a little earlier if they wanted", she replied.


    Julian nodded and went back to the bedroom to get changed.


    After Rayne finished she decided to go for a walk around the base. She was curious about the progress of the dormitory building and wanted to see if it would get finished anytime soon.


    She told Julian her plans and walked outside. The air was chilly making Rayne feel cold even when she stood in the sunny spots.


    She zipped up her jacket and continued to walk towards the sports field where the construction was said to happen.


    It took her about 20 minutes to arrive, and she noticed that most of the framing was already finished.


    Taking a closer look, she noticed that the quality of the construction was pretty bad, but it was still much better than living in a tent.


    There were many people huddled together in the sunny spots of the base, trying to keep warm.


    One man was trying to start a fire inside a metal barrel but seemed to lack matches or a lighter. He was rubbing two twigs together, hoping it would somehow catch fire.


    "Are you stupid? How is rubbing those two sticks together going to start a fire?", walked over another man, laughing.


    The man with the sticks paused and looked over, "But...but I saw them do this on TV before!". sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha! You clearly weren''t watching. Just casually rubbing two sticks together isn''t going to do shit for you", he laughed once more.


    "But I don''t have any matches or a lighter. What should I do? I spent all morning collecting this wood from the nearby forest", he asked, feeling dejected.


    Rayne watched this scene and felt bad for the man. She put on a hat that covered most of her hair and wrapped a scarf around her face. "Hi, I have an extra box of matches", she said in a lower voice and tossed the man with the sticks the pack of matches.


    "Oh thank you! Thank you!", he said happily. Without waiting any longer he quickly lit the match and used it to light the kindling in the metal barrel.


    A few moments later a small fire could be seen glowing inside of the barrel.


    Many more people walked over to try to warm themselves and soon there was a small crowd surrounding the barrel.


    "Someone, go get more wood! We should keep this fire going around the clock!", someone suggested in the crowd.


    "Good idea! I''ll head over to the woods now!", another person replied.


    This set off a small chain reaction where people would go into the forest and collect fallen branches to keep the fire going.


    Rayne stood quietly near the crowd, observing how the situation unfolded when she heard a bit of gossip that piqued her attention.


    "Karen, did your nephew ever make it over here?", asked an older woman with grey hair.


    The woman named Karen scoffed, "No, that useless boy knows nothing outside of his little science experiments. He wouldn''t survive a day out in the wilderness, I''d be shocked if he could even manage to make it out of that city".


    "Oh was he still in that northern city?", the other woman asked.


    "Yeah, ever since he left to attend university there he never once left. I haven''t seen him in years. I only got the usual monthly letter with money inside, everything else I didn''t care for", answered Karen.


    "Oh if he sent you money, he at least had a decent job right?", the other woman asked curiously.


    "Yeah, something like that. Last I heard he was working for that major pharmaceutical company, developing some new weight loss drug", said Karen dismissively.


    Rayne couldn''t help but butt into the conversation.


    "Excuse me, did you say your nephew was a chemist?", she asked politely.


    Karen turned to face her, "What''s it to you?", she asked with a frown.


    Rayne reached into her pockets and pulled out a small packet of hand warmers, handing it to both women.


    Karen smiled at the gift! "Yes, yes! He went to university for chemistry if I remember correctly", she quickly answered.


    "Ah thank you. And the northern city...was it City R by chance?", asked Rayne. The only university city she knew of that was in the north of the country was City R.


    "Yes, that''s the one! Are you familiar with it?", asked Karen.


    "Ah yes, I had a friend who lived up there. Thank you for the information", said Rayne before she turned to leave.


    Both older women were too preoccupied with the hand warmers to pay any more attention to Rayne, not noticing how overly excited Rayne was about the news of her nephew.

 Chapter 133 - 133: Hosting Dinner

    Rayne practically ran back to her house to tell Julian about her chance discovery. City R was definitely far away, at least a 2 or 3-day trip from here, but it was a good lead on finding a chemist.


    After bursting through the front door Rayne paused to catch her breath.


    Startled, Julian jumped up from the couch, "Are you okay? Did something happen?", he asked, running over to her side.


    "I...No...I''m okay!", she said, panting. She finally looked up at him after a few breaths.


    "I shouldn''t have sprinted back, haha. But I have news to share!", she said looking at him. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is it?", asked Julian. He was still concerned, not sure why she was sprinting.


    "I have a lead on a chemist!", she announced happily.


    Julian smiled, "What? How did you find a lead, weren''t you just taking a walk?".


    "I''m just skilled like that", she joked, telling him the story of how she overheard the two women discussing the nephew.


    "Hmmm, so City R. That is a bit far away, but it''s worth going to. The sooner we learn about this substance, the better prepared we can be", he said in a more serious tone.


    Rayne agreed with him, wanting to know what that substance was. She''s never seen anything like it.


    "We can set off as early as tomorrow? I''ll ask Ella to keep an eye on this place while we''re gone!", Rayne said excitedly. She was feeling adventurous and figured the sooner they left the better chances they had of finding the chemist.


    Julian smiled at her enthusiasm but agreed with the proposal. "Yes, leaving early will be better. We''re not sure what the weather will be like but the sooner we leave the better".


    After discussing their future plans a bit more Rayne went over to the corner of the kitchen and began to place boxes of supplies around the house.


    Before she left she wanted to make sure that Ella and her family were in good condition and taken care of. She places a few boxes of panty items like rice, flour, dried peas, noodles, canned food, spices, jars of sauces, peanut butter, and cans of broth.


    She would tell Ella that they were more than welcome to take what they needed.


    She also went to their bedroom and added a few stacks of blankets, towels, and pillows in the corner of the room. The small closet was also filled with warm coats, boots, and clothing for males and females.


    "Why are you stocking up the house so much?", asked Julian. He could understand the food items if she planned on sharing some with Ella, but their closet too?


    "A few reasons. First, if Ella or her family find themselves in a position where they need these items. Second, If we ever get separated somehow I don''t want to leave you completely empty-handed", she replied seriously.


    She had realized while they were out on their trip that while she had permanent access to her system, that was not the case for Julian.


    Julian looked at her silently, but then eventually nodded. He hated the idea of them ever being separated and would do anything in his power to prevent that from happening, but the reality was that anything could happen.


    "Then I thank you for looking out for me", he smiled and walked over to hug her.


    Rayne smiled and proceeded to take out a large gun safe and placed it in their bedroom. Inside she placed a few guns that he let her copy back at the bunker, along with different types of ammo and even a few combat knives.


    Outside of weapons, she placed a copy of his resident card and a few small valuable items like rare cigars that could be sold or traded for a high amount if needed.


    She still had some time before having to start dinner so she joined Julian on the couch and watched a few episodes of the current TV show they were watching.


    A little over an hour before Ella and her family were supposed to come over Rayne got up to start cooking.


    While she would''ve loved to just pull things out of the system, she felt that actually cooking the meal would give a more personal touch, as well as make it less suspicious.


    She pulled out another electric cooktop and placed a pot of rice to start cooking. Meanwhile, she pulled out the chicken thighs she marinated earlier from the mini fridge under the counter.


    She reflexively went to place the chicken into her system after prepping it earlier but realized that the chicken wouldn''t benefit from the marinade since there was no flow of time in the system.


    As the rice was cooking, Rayne used the second cooktop to sear the chicken until the skin was a beautiful golden color. She lowered the heat so that it could cook through and went to set the table.


    She chose basic white plates and standard silverware.


    "What do you think we should do for drinks? I can pull out a standard wine so that it doesn''t seem too over the top?", she asked Julian.


    "Haha, this is already over the top, why stop now? Don''t worry, I''ve already talked to Reginald and told him that I have a very large stock of supplies, he won''t suspect you", replied Julian.


    "Ah really? That''s great then!", exclaimed Rayne and went to add a salad to the menu. If Julian said it was okay, she would really go all out.


    She pulled out a number of fresh vegetables and began chopping them into uniform pieces. Just as she finished the salad she heard a knock on the door.


    Julian walked over to open the door, "Hey, come on in. Thank you for coming".


    Ella ran in, looking around the apartment with interest! Behind her Reginald and his wife walked in elegantly.


    "Thank you for inviting us today", greeted Reginald.


    "Rayne! What smells so amazing?!", Ella ran over to Rayne''s side in the small kitchen area.


    "It''s just some chicken and rice", smiled Rayne.


    Ella''s mother walked over, "It really does smell amazing. We''re in for a real treat today".


    Reginald took a seat at the table and looked around the room. He noticed the various furniture and appliances, thinking that Julian was very capable.

 Chapter 134 - 134: Smashed Windows

    Julian took a seat beside Reginald while the girls were in the kitchen area.


    "You are very capable to be able to obtain this many good things", said Reginald with an impressed expression.


    Julian smiled, "Thank you, but this is only because I had long prepared to live off-grid. If I didn''t go through faking my own death and continued to live normally, I would have been just as unprepared as anyone else".


    Reginald didn''t reply but understood what Julian was saying. Still, it didn''t take away from how nice this apartment was.


    He thought that he was living really well with his family now that he had all of the new furniture they brought back recently. However, seeing Rayne and Julian''s place made his own feel very empty and cold.


    "Dad, they even have electricity! Isn''t it nice and warm with the space heaters?", said Ella from across the room.


    Reginald smiled at his silly daughter and shook his head. "We won''t get electricity until it''s very important. We''re still low on contribution points, and I want to save them for the very cold winter months".


    Rayne turned to Ella and her mother, "Oh! I have a few extra blankets and pillows. Please take some back with you".


    Ella jumped to hug Rayne, "Ah Rayne, you''re my lucky star!! I''m so lucky to have a friend as generous as you are!".


    The rest of the room burst out in laughter, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.


    "Now, now. Everyone take a seat at the table. Dinner is ready!", announced Rayne, bringing over the rest of the food.


    Everyone quickly filled their plates with food, silently eating.


    After dinner, Ella leaned back in her chair, "This has got to be one of the best meals I''ve ever had!".


    Rayne giggled, "You''re just saying that because you''ve only had biscuits and dried food recently".


    Reginald turned to Rayne, "Thank you for treating us to this meal. I haven''t felt this full in so long".


    Rayne smiled, "No problem, I hope for many more dinners in the future", then she put on a more serious expression.


    "I want to ask you for a favor. Julian and I need to go to the north side of the country tomorrow to look for someone. Would you help us keep an eye on this place? You''re more than welcome to use anything here".


    Before Reginald had a chance to answer Ella shot up from her seat, "YES! Leave it to me!".


    Rayne''s place had electricity and Ella had been dying to use the precious flat iron she''s managed to sneak into her belongings from the initial move out of the city. Not to mention the laptop full of TV shows and movies that Rayne mentioned to her earlier.


    Ella''s mother shook her head, "Well there''s your answer. We will most definitely help you look after this place. How long do you plan on being gone?".


    Julian thought for a moment, "It really depends on how long it will take us to find the person we are looking for. The city is far away so we would need a few days alone for travel. I''m estimating at least a week, most likely two".


    Reginald nodded agreeing with Julian''s estimates, "Be safe while you''re out. Don''t trust people so easily, things are different now". The scene of his leader harming his team was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn''t help but give another reminder. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After dinner, Rayne gave Ella a spare key she copied from her system to their apartment. "Feel free to hang out here while we''re gone, and use whatever you like, food included!", said Rayne.


    Ella smiled, "Be safe on your trip. I''ll come looking for you if you take too long!". She was worried for Rayne but seeing how capable she and Julian were, she felt that they should be able to handle themselves well.


    ---


    The next morning Rayne woke up early with Julian and got dressed to begin their journey north.


    They skipped breakfast since it was too early and they weren''t hungry yet, making their way to Raynes SUV.


    The surroundings were quiet although many people were awake. Rayne noticed many more makeshift fire barrels scattered around the tent communities with people standing huddled around them.


    When they finally made it to the parking lot Rayne and Julian spotted a few people dressed in all black walking from car to car, peeking through the windows.


    "Hey I suggest you get lost", yelled Julian trying to scare these people away. The threat worked and the small group of people scattered in different directions.


    Julian frowned noticing their actions. He clearly saw that they were holding bags and items.


    "Oh no, look at the car!", exclaimed Rayne as they approached her SUV. The windows were smashed but not broken.


    She walked over and noticed the many cracked veins in the glass that were clearly made by someone trying to smash the window with a brick or a rock.


    Julian walked over and frowned, he felt like letting those people off was too light of a punishment.


    "Look, all of these cars have their windows completely smashed", he said pointing to several cars in the vicinity.


    "Looks like more and more of the shady characters are emerging, people are getting desperate since the colder weather is kicking in", said Rayne.


    Thankfully it was only the side windows that were cracked, and the main windshield was still intact. "We just need to drive this car out of here and I can swap it out", she said. She couldn''t imagine how upset she would''ve been to see this if she didn''t have her system.


    "Let me drive first, we can swap later", suggested Julian.


    Rayne agreed to his request and they both hopped into the SUV. It was still very dark out so most people stayed off the roads, making the drive out of the government base quick.


    Julian drove for another 15 minutes before finding a small abandoned gas station that had a car wash bay. He drove into the bay and got out, "You can swap out the car here, there shouldn''t be anyone here".


    Rayne was grateful for the thought he put into finding a secluded area for her and swapped out the vehicle.


    Soon the SUV was replaced with a brand new shiny one with the added bonus of a full tank of gas (since it was full when Rayne stored it).


    "There, brand new! No need to even check the tire pressure", joked Rayne.


    After swapping out the car they got back inside and continued their drive north.

 Chapter 135 - 135: The Tunnel

    The drive north proved to be more annoying than anything. Rayne and Julian were both happy that Rayne''s SUV had very good off-road capabilities because many places on the main highway were either road-blocked by abandoned cars or destroyed by the earthquakes.


    The road north took them through the mountains and up ahead Rayne noticed a tunnel they needed to go through if they wanted to continue the journey.


    There were no alternate roads and if they wanted to go around, they would need to drive all the way back to the base and head west before heading north again.


    "Hopefully the tunnel isn''t blocked. I would hate to drive all the way back to go around", said Julian.


    Rayne looked over and smiled at him, "If there''s a path to walk through, I can just store the car and take it back out on the other side".


    Julian looked at her with a look of realization, he didn''t think of that option!


    They drove into the dark tunnel carefully, making it about halfway before meeting a roadblock.


    This time, however, the roadblock looked intentionally made, with cars piled one on top of another along with other random debris.


    Julian parked the car and stepped out. He spotted a small walkway on the left-hand side of the tunnel and frowned.


    "Looks like a bandit''s nest", he said to Rayne quietly.


    Rayne agreed with his observation. Everything was set up so that people would have to leave their cars and walk through that small walkway.


    She pulled out her high-tech pistol and handed another one over to Julian.


    "Looks like we have no other choice. We will have to go through the walkway", she said.


    They walked over to the small walkway, squeezing through the tight entrance.


    Just as they walked through to the other side three men jumped down from the roof of a bus that was partially used as a barricade. Two of them jumped directly on top of Julian, pinning him to the ground.


    The third man did the same to Rayne, restraining her hands from behind her back.


    "End Mother, we got them!", shouted the man who was holding Rayne down.


    A few moments later an elderly woman with painted markings on her face came over. "Welcome children! Embrace the end-mothers embrace and live with us in harmony!", she said in a croaky voice.


    Rayne looked around noticing the strangeness of these people. It felt like the early stages of some kind of religious cult.


    "And what if we don''t?", asked Julian.


    One of the men that was pinning him down pressed down on his back with his foot, "Show some respect when speaking to the End Mother!". S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old woman walked over, "Why it''s very simple child. You either join us or offer yourselves to nourish our small family".


    Rayne''s eyes widened! She realized that these people were cannibals, looking to eat everyone who passed through and didn''t join them.


    "I''ll ask you one more time. Would you like to join our family?", she croaked with a twisted smile.


    Rayne felt the man''s grip on her arms loosen for a second and she quickly twisted her body to take advantage of the situation.


    She quickly rolled onto her back, escaping the startled man''s restraint. Reaching into her jacket she pulled out another pistol from her system and shot the man in the head.


    "Get her!", yelled the old woman, pointing her finger at Rayne.


    But before the men could reach Rayne, she shot the two men who were pinning Julian to the ground, freeing him.


    He quickly jumped up from the ground and lifted his pistol, shooting the flood of oncoming people.


    These men and women held pitchforks and shovels, swinging them at Rayne and Julian.


    Rayne could see the hatred in their eyes, fueling their fierce movements. She wondered how long this ''family'' existed for them to be brainwashed to this extent.


    Since they were all cannibals, Rayne didn''t spare anyone, shooting both men and women who approached her.


    One woman rushed in with a shovel in her hand screaming, "I sacrificed my only son to be here! I won''t let you harm the End Mother!".


    Rayne couldn''t believe that a mother would allow her only son to be eaten so that she could be a part of this twisted cult.


    She felt angry, angry that a mother could throw away her own child''s life to eat another day.


    She lifted her gun, aiming at the oncoming woman, "This is for your son!", pulling the trigger.


    Rayne and Julian did their best to deal with the ferocious people who came running at them as if they were livestock. There were hundreds of people, all with some sort of makeshift weapon in hand.


    Just as Rayne was reloading she got hit in the arm by a man with a large stick.


    "Fuck!", she shouted and rolled to the side to avoid the follow-up attack. She stored the gun back into her system and pulled out a large combat knife.


    As the man lifted the large stick to swing at her again, she deftly swung her knife, cutting his stomach.


    "You bitch! When did you get a knife?!", the man yelled, falling over to apply pressure to his open wound.


    Rayne stood up and pulled out a fresh copy of her pistol aiming at the man. She shot him in the head, causing him to fall over completely.


    Without stopping she pulled up her gun once more and began shooting the rest of the people.


    Whenever her gun ran out of bullets she just pulled out another copy from her system, bypassing the need to reload.


    The old woman watched in horror as her cult members dropped like flies. She put in a lot of effort to brainwash this many people, but now they were almost all gone.


    As Julian and Rayne made their way through the rest of the people, Rayne noticed the old woman running away from the corner of her eye.


    "No you don''t", she muttered and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew to the end of the tunnel where the old woman currently was and struck her right in the chest.


    Julian noticed Rayne''s skilled long-distance shot and couldn''t help but comment. "Wow, that was quite the shot, great job!".

 Chapter 136 - 136: MidnightSun 3600

    Julian quickly cleaned up the rest of the people, leaving the tunnel in a state of bloody carnage.


    Rayne squatted down, trying to catch her breath, rubbing her already bruised arm from where the stick struck her.


    "Does it hurt?", Julian squatted beside her and looked at the large blue bruise on her pale skin. While he wished that she never got hit, he was happy that it was only a bruise.


    "I''m okay. I''ll ice it when we get back in the car", she shook her head.


    After a few more moments of rest, Rayne stood up and walked back to her car, storing it back into her system.


    While she would be pulling out a fresh copy either way, she didn''t want to leave evidence of them traveling through here in case Damien''s men were already on their trail.


    They slowly walked to the other side of the tunnel where they saw a beautiful view of the mountains overlooking a small evergreen forest.


    "I''ve only been this far north a few times", said Rayne, taking in the view.


    Julian placed his arm around her, "It''s beautiful".


    She turned to look at him and then at herself. "We''re gross and covered in blood. How do you feel about taking a shower?", she asked.


    "Shower? How are we going to take a shower here?", asked Julian looking around. Outside of the winding road in front of there, everything else was just tall mountains.


    "Hehe, just watch!", said Rayne as she walked over to a large stretch of free road space.


    Julian watched as an enormous, tour bus-looking, luxury RV appeared in front of him. It was a double-decker design and was longer and wider than a standard bus.


    "This is the MidnightSun 3600! It even has built-in solar panels!", announced Rayne with a smile.


    She paid more for this RV than she did for her luxury penthouse apartment back in the city. While it was a luxury model, it had rugged features with off-road capabilities.


    "I''ve been a billionaire for the majority of my adult life, and I''ve never seen something this grand", laughed Julian. He was never interested in RV''s so he never came across such high-end models before.


    "Come, everything should be set up already. I''ll just need to start it so that the solar panels can power the water heater!", said Rayne. She had another RV model that even had a rooftop jacuzzi, but she felt that was too over the top for her current needs.


    Julian walked inside and noticed the beautiful white interior. "Why are we even renting a room when we can live inside of this beauty?!", he asked with an indescribable expression.


    Rayne giggled as she started the RV in standby mode. They only needed to wait 8 minutes before the hot water would be ready.


    "I wanted to initially live in something like this back at the river valley where we met, but it would''ve been hard to explain", she said.


    Julian heavily agreed with her, "Yes, if I found you living in this thing back then, I would have been very suspicious of you".


    A few minutes later the water heater finished heating up and Rayne quickly went to go shower. The shower inside of this luxury RV had a rainfall showerhead and was very spacious in size.


    Rayne quickly got undressed and jumped in, soaking herself in hot water. She realized that she hadn''t previously stocked the shower with shampoos and soaps so she opened her system panel while showering and retrieved the necessary items.


    While Rayne was showering, Julian was observing the inside of the RV while trying not to get anything dirty.


    The kitchen was fully equipped with high-end appliances and even an island. The countertops were made from expensive granite complementing the neutral pallet of the interior decor.


    Much like Rayne''s smaller camper, the living room was adjacent to the kitchen but the TV on this RV was the size of the entire wall.


    There were small steps that led to the second floor where there was a large bedroom with a king-size bed.


    Opposite from the bedroom was a smaller sitting area with a high-end fold-out sofa and a table.


    After Rayne finished showering she came out of the bathroom fully dressed, feeling refreshed.


    "Hey, it''s your turn. I left you a clean towel and a change of clothes in the bathroom", said Rayne happily.


    As Julian went to shower, Rayne busied herself by stocking every part of the RV. She filled the kitchen with pots, pans, utensils, plates, and bowls. She stocked the full-size refrigerator with fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurts, snaking items, and a variety of beverages.


    She opted to keep all of the ''cooking'' ingredients in her system and only put things in the fridge that she or Julian could quickly access and eat without cooking.


    She went upstairs and made the bed with fresh linens, choosing the warmer ones since it was getting cold. She also filled the closet with as many of Julian''s clothing and personal items as she could.


    A little while later they reconvened in the living room.


    "Wow, that shower is really nice. It''s much nicer than the one we have in the base", said Julian. He was dressed and trying his hair with the towel.


    "Isn''t it? This whole RV is nicer than most of the places I''ve stayed at, even before the apocalypse", smiled Rayne.


    "''Well, this will definitely make our journey north a lot more comfortable", said Julian. He walked over to the driver''s cabin and took a seat in the plush drivers seat. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne walked over and joined him in the passenger seat and they quickly set off.


    The next stretch of roads was through the mountains, resulting in a long winding journey. Thankfully since this road was a less commonly used one, there were no roadblocks or hazards along the way.


    Rayne leaned back in her passenger seat and turned on the massage function that was built into the seat. She felt her tense muscles relax making her hungry.


    "Would you like a burger? I''m craving fast food right now", she said asking Julian.


    "Oh yea, a burger sounds really good", agreed Julian.


    They ate as they continued to drive, only exiting the mountain road late in the night.

 Chapter 137 - 137: Cold Snap

    Julian kept driving until he found a secluded area right off the road. Turning to Rayne he yawned, "How do you feel about calling it here for the night? We can continue driving tomorrow morning".


    Rayne had long wanted to go to sleep so she quickly agreed.


    They locked up the car and went up to the second floor to get some sleep.


    Laying down, Rayne felt the surroundings fall into silence. The sounds of wolves howling sounded from the mountains.


    A few hours later, she woke up abruptly, feeling a deep chill run through her body. Even Julian''s usually hot body felt cold.


    "Julian! Wake up!", she shook him, waking him up.


    As soon as he woke up he realized something was wrong. "Why is it so cold? I''ve never felt this kind of chill before", he said quickly.


    Rayne pulled out a basic thermometer to check the temperature. "Oh my god! It''s -30 degrees C!", she cried out.


    While their country experienced colder winters, it usually stayed around -5 degrees C, so this cold snap was a new record.


    Rayne quickly pulled out the clothes made from nanofibers from her system and handed a set to Julian. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here, put this on. It will help with regulating body temperature", she said and quickly changed in front of Julian. The situation was dire so she didn''t have time to be shy.


    Julian did the same and looked over to see her blue lips.


    "If you hadn''t woken up, I don''t know if we would''ve made it until morning," said Julian. He could see his breath as he spoke and pulled Rayne over to wrap himself around her.


    Rayne sat in his embrace feeling slightly better. She could already feel the positive effects of the nanofiber clothing, bringing feeling back into her hands and feet.


    She was scrolling through her system, trying to find a way to heat the room. She pulled out a mini electric space heater and a coal stove.


    "Here, can you plug this in behind you? I''ll get this stove lit", she said handing him the electric space heater.


    She pulled out a small metal table that was just large enough to support the coal stove. She set up the exhaust pipe to go out of the small hatch that was in the ceiling so that the fumes could escape.


    After insulating the rest of the hatch to prevent the cold air from flowing in she turned her attention to lighting the stove.


    She pulled out a box of the best-quality anthracite coal and placed it into the stove. This coal was rated best for its high-temperature output while producing fewer fumes than standard coal.


    The small bedroom finally felt a little warmer thanks to both heaters.


    "We need to start the engine as quickly as possible. These cold temperatures can prevent the ignition from starting", said Julian as he quickly got out of bed to head down to the driver''s cabin.


    Sure enough, the engine choked a few times as Julian attempted to start it. Thankfully after a few more tries it finally worked and the RV came to life.


    He ran back to the bedroom, wanting to escape the bitter cold as quickly as possible.


    "Did it start?", asked Rayne. She felt the cold air rush in as Julian opened the bedroom door to enter.


    "Yes, only after a number of tries", he said as he jumped under the many layers of fluffy blankets.


    Rayne shifted over to cuddle with him and felt his icy body. He had only been gone for a few minutes but it felt like he was encased in an iceberg for years.


    As they both huddled together in their warm bed fatigue finally washed over them, putting them to sleep once more.


    ---


    Earlier at the government base.


    Ella was eating her usual meal of dried biscuits and daydreaming about the meal she ate yesterday at Raynes.


    "Mom, I want to stay the night at Rayne''s tonight!", she announced. She wanted to use her flat iron as well as see if there were any delicious snacks at her friend''s place.


    Her mother shook her head smiling. "They only just left earlier today. Are you sure you want to go over there already?".


    "Mom! They have electricity!", urged Ella. She couldn''t understand why her parents didn''t seem to care about not having electricity.


    Reginald walked into the room and saw the two of them chatting, "Hey Ella, I''m going to swing by the market to see what they have in stock, do you want to come with?".


    Ella quickly jumped in excitement, "Yes, I''ll go!". Her cute antics made her mother burst out in laughter, "You guys go ahead, I''ll stay here and organize the paint supplies".


    Reginald and Ella quickly made their way over to the market and noticed a crowd of people looking at some newly added items with desire.


    "Look, is that a coal stove?", someone pointed through the chain link fence. The rest of the crowd burst out in soft discussion, talking amongst themselves to see if they could afford to buy it.


    Reginald also noticed the coal stove and went up to the counter to inquire about its cost.


    "The stove is going for 200 points due to it''s high demand. There are only 2 left", said the shopkeeper.


    Reginald felt that 200 was a huge price and fell into deep thought. While he was thinking, Ella was looking through the other items.


    "Dad! Look, there are wool sweaters over here too", she called him over. She recognized the brand of the sweater by the small dove embroidery on the sleeve.


    "It''s even a high-end sweater!", she exclaimed happily.


    Reginald walked over to take a closer look and noticed the high-quality material. Nodding he said, "This is a good find, I''ll have to buy your mother one of these".


    Ella looked at him with puppy dog eyes, "What about me?".


    Reginald smiled at his daughter, "Don''t you have your own contribution points? You can buy it yourself".


    Ella pouted, feeling like she wasn''t even his biological daughter! He only had her mother in his heart!


    After picking out their items they went over to the counter to purchase them. Ella was happy to find out that they had her exact size in the sweater that she wanted.


    "That will be 20 points please", said the shopkeeper. These sweaters were a hot ticket item today and only a handful were left.


    Ella quickly paid and put on her new purchase. "It''s so warm!", she said to her father, showing off her new item.


    Reginald patted her on the head, "Looks great on you". He then walked over to the counter and purchased the same sweater for him and his wife.


    "Is there a wood burning stove for sale? I noticed the coal burning one, but coal can be tricky to get", asked Reginald.


    The shopkeeper shook her head, "Unfortunately the last wood burning stove was sold earlier today, I''m sorry".


    Reginald sighed but wasn''t too disappointed. He wanted to try out the electric space heater he brought back recently.


    "You mentioned that you''re going to Rayne''s place today?", he asked Ella.


    "Yep! I want to! Why?", she asked curiously. She didn''t think he would care if she went.


    Reginald thought silently to himself for a minute, he didn''t feel comfortable leaving Ella alone in that apartment over night and he also wanted to test the space heaters...


    "I''ll go with you tonight, actually let''s go as a family", he said, not wanting to leave his precious wife alone.

 Chapter 138 - 138: Cold Snap 2

    Ella was startled at his suggestion. "You want to plug in the space heaters at Rayne''s to test them?", she asked. She didn''t mind her parents tagging along, she just wanted to use the flat iron and watch TV shows.


    After securing the new matching sweaters, Ella went home with her father to prepare for the sleepover at Raynes.


    She burst through the door and skipped over to her mother''s side, "Mom! Guess what? We''re going to have a sleepover at Raynes tonight!", she announced before running to her room to find her flat iron.


    Her mother looked over at Reginald in confusion, "You let her go?".


    Reginald walked over to sit beside his wife, "Only because we''re going with her". He then pulled out the sweater he bought for her and handed it over lovingly.


    "Look what I bought for you", he smiled.


    She took the sweater from his hands and immediately noticed the high-quality wool that it was made out of. Inspecting it further she found the discrete logo on the sleeve and gasped!


    "Honey! This is a very well-known high-end brand! How did you get this?", she looked at him with a surprised expression.


    "We got lucky, the market was selling them. We bought one for each of us", he said happy that his wife liked it.


    At this moment Ella came out of her room, "Hmph! He made me buy mine myself! He only cares about you Mom!".


    Her mom smiled and pretended to scold her father, "Reggie! How could you? She''s our only baby, we need to spoil her".


    Reginald folded immediately in front of his wife''s complaints, "Yes, you''re right honey, I''m sorry".


    Ella rolled her eyes at her father. Her mother had him completely wrapped around her finger. She carried a small duffel bag of things over excited to head over to Rayne''s.


    "Are you ready? Let''s go!", she urged her parents.


    Her mother stood up and packed some of her art supplies. She had just started sketching a landscape to use as a reference for a future painting. "Give me one-second sunshine, I''ll be done shortly".


    Reginald went to his bedroom closet to retrieve the space heater that he wanted to test. He also packed a small bag of clothing items and went back to the living room to meet up with the ladies.


    "Okay, we''re all set. Let''s lock this place up and head over", he said.


    The walk over was quiet, many people were walking down to the forested area to pick up sticks and twigs to light fires which left the main walkway areas feeling deserted.


    When Ella finally arrived in front of Rayne''s door she pulled out the small key that Rayne gave her. After placing the key in the lock, Ella realized that there was a lot more heft to the lock than their door.


    "That''s odd. The door looks exactly the same as ours, but the lock feels very different", she said and opened the door.


    The door itself also felt a lot heavier but Ella shrugged it off thinking it was just due to the uniqueness of this building. She walked inside seeing the clean and familiar interior and ran straight over to the sofa, sprawling out on it.


    "Ah its so comfortable! Dad we need to try and find a sofa like this!", she said happily.


    Reginald didn''t reply but took this request to heart.


    Ella''s mother walked in and felt a little awkward being in someone else''s home without the owners being there. Reginald noticed her behavior and nudged her forward.


    "It''s okay dear. They asked us to be here, we''re doing them a favor", he said lovingly. She smiled and felt slightly better, walking to sit down on the sofa beside Ella.


    While Ella was fiddling with Rayne''s laptop, trying to pull up a TV show, Reginald was unpacking the space heater he brought over to test.


    After taking out all of the packaging he plugged it into an outlet and soon a gentle warmth could be felt coming out of the heater.


    He clicked through the settings, turning on the highest one and felt a very strong heat begin to come out.


    "Nice, looks like it works great", he said happily. He put it back on a medium heat setting and went over to join his wife and daughter on the sofa.


    Since the sofa was on the smaller side, the three of them huddled together while watching the TV show that Ella picked out.


    They binged watched until late into the night. Ella walked into Rayne''s bedroom to grab some of the blankets that Rayne offered earlier and brought them back.


    During this time Reginald readjusted the sofa into a pull out bed, setting it up for his family to sleep on for the night. Once Ella came back with a stack of pillows and blankets they all huddled together and fell asleep.


    Later that night Ella woke up to the sounds of screaming coming from the outside. As soon as she woke up she felt that something was off, it was freezing.


    She quickly leaned over and shook her mother and father awake. "Mom, dad!! Hurry wake up", she yelled.


    Reginald woke up right away but her mother was still sleeping. Ella noticed her mothers pale skin and blueish lips and began to panic.


    "Mom! Mom! Wake up!", she shook her more vigorously, only stopping when her mom finally opened her eyes.


    Reginald quickly jumped out of the bed and pulled the space heater closer to them, putting it on the highest setting.


    "Dad, that''s not enough. Check their bedroom to see if they have another heater!", urged Ella, shivering under the covers.


    Her mother leaned over and hugged her. Ella could feel the icy skin of her mothers body, making her frown even more.


    "Mom, here, get under more covers, you''re too cold", said Ella, placing majority of her blanket over her mother.


    Ella got out of bed and put on as many layers as she could before putting on her warmest winter coat.


    The people outside were still screaming and crying, making Ella curious enough to poke her head outside to see what was going on.


    Many people froze to death in their sleep. Most of the people who were in their tents were the first to die, sparing only those who were huddled around the fires.


    Even those who lived inside of the apartment units weren''t spared as majority of those people only had blankets to keep them warm.


    The base''s leaders realized that that the temperatures dropped to record breaking numbers and sounded an alarm throughout the entire base, hoping to wake up as many sleeping people as possible. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, it was already mainly too late, as those who were asleep, froze to death in their sleep already.

 Chapter 139 - 139: Cold Snap 3

    While the people who were huddled by the fires were still alive, many had begun to show early signs of frostbite on their fingers and toes.


    Ella walked back inside to the noticeably warmer interior. She saw her father pull out another electric space heater, plugging it in on the other side of the sofa bed.


    The color was gradually starting to return to her mother''s face, which made her feel relieved.


    "How''s the situation outside?" asked Reginald. He had also heard the screams and cries, understanding what must have happened.


    "Not good. Many people were found frozen to death inside their tents. The people screaming must be relatives of those who died," reported Ella with a sad expression.


    No one could have predicted such a steep temperature drop over just a few hours. It''s also unfortunate that it happened while most people were sleeping.


    Reginald sat down beside his wife, placing his arms around her to warm her with his own body heat. "It seems that we will have to stay here for the time being. I can''t imagine what would''ve happened to us if we had been in our apartment last night," he said solemnly.


    Ella lowered her head, agreeing with his statement. They had no electricity and no heaters. Even the few blankets they did have wouldn''t have been enough for them to survive.


    "Looks like Rayne indirectly saved us again," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood a little.


    Ella walked over to the kitchen area and filled the tea kettle with water from one of the many jugs that Rayne left.


    Even the water that poured out was slushy, filled with chunks of ice. She placed the tea kettle on the electric cooktop and let it come to a boil.


    While the water was boiling, she poked through the crates and boxes nearby, gasping at the amount of high-quality food. "Wow, they really have a lot! We won''t be going hungry anytime soon!" she rejoiced.


    Her mom frowned. "Are you sure we should be using their supplies like this? In the current world, food items are worth more than gold."


    Reginald gently patted her shoulders with both of his hands. "Don''t worry, dear. Before we left, I had a talk with Julian. He reassured me that he has even more supplies than these stored away in a hidden location. He stressed that we were welcome to use anything as we pleased."


    She still didn''t feel right using these items freely, but nodded her head.


    Ella found a few packets of ramen in one of the boxes and decided to cook them. She found a pot and started boiling some water in it, dumping the seasoning packet along with the dried noodles into the pot.


    She found three bowls, divided the instant ramen between each, and brought them over to the sofa.


    Her parents readjusted the sofa while she was cooking, folding the bed back inside.


    The three of them quickly ate the hot ramen before it cooled down completely. Soon, warmth spread through their bodies, making them feel warm and full.


    ---


    In the bunker:


    Noah and Ian were safe from the cold snap due to the advanced heating and insulation technology used when the bunker was built.


    They had 24/7 temperature monitors inside and outside, informing them of any sharp changes.


    Ian was in a conference room with the remaining members of Alpha Team.


    "Ivan''s group has still not come back, and all communication has been severed with them. The only explanation is that they were ambushed by Damien''s men at the REN Corp. lab facility.


    We have some insulating gear left. I want to send a small team out to see if we can get information on what happened over there," said Ian.


    One of the senior members of Alpha Team clenched his fist. Ivan was one of his good friends within the organization, almost like a brother. He knew Ivan''s skills were top-notch, so whatever happened must have taken him by surprise.


    "Sir, I would like to go investigate," he said resolutely.


    Ian looked over at him and nodded. "Very well, Deondre. You will lead this team. Pick one more member to accompany you and head out. Remember, I need you to come back alive. Look out for traps or ambushes before getting too close."


    Deondre nodded. "Yes, sir!" He then turned around and looked behind him. "Who would like to come with me?"


    After a momentary silence, a few people stepped forward. Deondre looked at each member who stepped forward before pointing at a younger man.


    "Mark, you will come with me. You''ve always excelled at scouting, so your skills will be the most useful here."


    Mark walked over and shook Deondre''s hand. "Let''s find them, brother."


    The two men went down to the armory to gear up, putting on the best thermal insulating clothing they could find, along with other useful tools and supplies.


    When they stepped outside, the freezing cold air assaulted them. Ian had told them that the temperatures outside were freezing, but feeling it was a whole new level of understanding.


    "We will jog as long as we can to maintain body temperature. If we keep a good pace, we can make it to the facility by morning," ordered Deondre.


    Mark nodded and began to jog into the forest alongside Deondre.


    The jogging helped raise their internal body temperature, and the high-tech insulating clothing helped retain that heat. They continued forward until they reached the hidden garage where the Jeeps were kept. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After trying to start each of the Jeeps, Deondre frowned. "Looks like it''s too cold to start them. Let''s try the motorcycles," he suggested.


    Thankfully, after a few tries, both motorcycles started, and the two men continued their journey to the city perimeter.


    As they approached the location of the facility, Deondre ordered them to park the motorcycles in a hidden spot a few blocks away. They made too much noise and would easily give away their position if they drove them closer.


    They carefully walked toward the building, staying hidden in the shadows. So far, there was no sign of anyone in the area.


    Deondre observed the surrounding area, trying to assess how Ivan would have set up the team to scout.


    He spotted the tree line on the side of the facility and pointed to Mark. "Over there. Ivan would have posted someone in those trees for sure. Let''s check it out."

 Chapter 140 - 140: Missing Scout

    As the two men approached the trees, Mark pointed at an arm hanging out of a bush.


    They used hand signals to communicate in order to minimize the amount of noise they made.


    Deondre walked over to the bush and carefully pushed the leaves and branches aside, exposing a familiar face.


    Mark looked angry upon seeing his teammate dead. Deondre had to signal for him to calm down.


    Deondre was also very angry and hurt that someone he called a brother was dead, but he knew that he needed to stay calm to deal with whatever dangers lurked in the vicinity.


    He quickly looted the usable items and radio still on the body, then quietly moved it out of the bush.


    When they got back from this mission, he would ask Ian if he could lead a team to bury the bodies.


    The second body was found dead in a tree. It was a clear bullet wound that killed him.


    Deondre signaled to Mark, stating that they were ambushed from behind due to the angle of the bullet.


    They continued around the building, trying to find the rest of the team and mark their locations.


    When they finally made it to the roof of the building, Deondre signaled where two more of the bodies were lying.


    Doing the same as with the others, they carefully took all of the valuable items off of them and laid them out carefully so that they were on their backs.


    The freezing temperatures kept the bodies frozen and preserved, giving them time to come back at a later date to bury them properly.


    Deondre wrote down their location in his notebook and signaled to Mark, saying there were two more members that they still needed to find.


    After thoroughly searching the entire perimeter, they entered inside. They took their time walking through, listening, and observing before pushing forward to avoid traps or ambushes.


    They made it through the first half of the building and into the back end, where Deondre finally spotted Ivan''s body.


    Before rushing forward, he quietly observed the surroundings. He checked the ceiling rafters and any other hidden spots before finally moving over to Ivan''s body, which was lying in the middle of the room.


    He felt tears well up as he inspected his good friend''s body, noticing the deep gash through his back.


    This injury didn''t kill Ivan instantly; instead, it made him suffer great pain before he died from blood loss.


    Wiping away his tears, Deondre said a small prayer for Ivan, promising to avenge him. With Mark''s help, he moved Ivan''s body to a hidden corner and marked the location in his notebook.


    After Ivan was taken care of, the last person they needed to find was Jess. They carefully combed through the rest of the building but were unable to find any traces of Jess.


    Deondre thought long and hard about where Ivan would have stationed her, and the only logical place was inside the building with him.


    He signaled to Mark to recheck the front rooms of the building to make sure they hadn''t missed anything. A few minutes later, Mark came over to find Deondre and signaled for him to follow.


    Mark led him to the room where the prototypes were locked up and pointed to the open closet.


    Deondre''s eyes widened. There was no sign of tampering on the lock, and all of the prototypes were missing.


    The only explanation was that someone entered the pin code to unlock the cabinet... and only members of Alpha Team knew the code. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His mind raced, coming up with possibilities. Jess was missing along with the prototypes. His stomach knotted up, his gut telling him that Jess was the cause of his dead brothers.


    However, without any proof, accusing a team member was a grave offense. The other option was that she was captured and forced to open the lock at gunpoint. This was what Mark was currently thinking.


    He signaled to Deondre that they needed to hurry back and report the situation. He was worried that Jess was being tortured and they needed to come up with a plan to rescue her.


    Little did they know that Jess was being happily "tortured" in a totally different way and that she desired no rescue.


    ---


    When Rayne woke up again, the first Rays of sunlight were already peaking over the horizon. The small bedroom felt warm from both of the heaters, making a comfortable environment.


    Julian woke up from her small movements and quickly pulled her into his embrace before she had time to get out of bed.


    "Lay here for a little while longer with me. It''s so cozy with you", he said in his sleepy voice.


    Rayne''s face flushed but she complied, enjoying their closeness. She shifted her body back a little so that she was the little spoon while Julian was the big spoon.


    "Whoa! Careful there. You''re gonna wake up the little guy with those kinds of movements", said Julian, feeling Rayne''s butt shift back right into his crotch area.


    A few moments later Rayne felt something poking from behind, her making her blush even harder. Certainly not little.


    Julian pulled her in closer so that she wouldn''t run away. "Don''t run, you''ll be feeling it more in the future", he breathed into her ear.


    Her heart began to race and her body began to tingle all over. There was a desire deep inside of her that wanted to feel more of it right now, but she wasn''t sure if right now was a good time.


    Julian closed his eyes, fighting back his desire. Rayne turned to face him, showing him her misty eyes.


    Julian didn''t think twice before leaning in and kissing her passionately on the lips.


    The kiss lasted a long time since neither one of them wanted to let go. This added to Julian''s fervor and he continued to kiss her more and more.


    Rayne felt the electricity run down through her as the rest of her body heated up. Julian shifted over so that he was bent over on top of her.


    He continued to kiss her passionately only giving her brief moments to catch her breath in between.


    Rayne wrapped her hands around his neck, bringing him in closer. They continued to kiss as their desires intensified even more.


    Rayne felt him poke her even more from this position, causing her body to squirm on its own accord.


    "God Rayne, I want you so--"

 Chapter 141 - 141: Horribly Timed Explosion

    Boom!


    A large explosion startled them awake from their moment of passion. Julian quickly pulled away and ran down to the living room to see what had caused such an explosion.


    In the distance, he could see a small smoke stack rising beyond the forest.


    Rayne came down to see what was happening. "Do you see anything?" she asked curiously.


    Julian pointed toward the pillar of smoke in the distance. "Looks like something blew up over there. Should we go check it out?"


    Rayne nodded and brought over another small space heater to use in the driver''s cabin while Julian started the RV.


    He drove the RV down the winding mountain road, careful to avoid frozen sections. It took them a few hours to fully descend from the mountains and reach the first small village where the smoke pillar was coming from.


    Julian drove through the center of the town while Rayne held on to her pistol, ready to shoot if there was any danger.


    He parked in a small, empty parking lot not far from where the smoke was. "Get dressed, let''s go check it out," he said quietly. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne was already dressed in many layers and only took another thick winter coat from her system to put on. She then gave a similar men''s coat, hat, and gloves to Julian.


    After they were fully bundled up and armed, they carefully made their way over to the area where the explosion had happened.


    "It looks like the smoke is coming from inside that brick building," said Rayne quietly. She then looked around before proceeding forward.


    As they got closer, they heard voices coming from inside. "Did everyone make it out safe? Is anyone in critical condition?" asked an older man''s voice.


    "Everyone seems to be doing okay. We brought everyone back to the ranch," replied a younger man.


    Just then, the two men walked out of the brick building, only to be met with Rayne and Julian pointing their pistols at them.


    "Whoa! Whoa! We don''t want any trouble," said the older man, quickly raising his hands above his head. The younger man followed his movements, visibly scared.


    "We just paid our tribute. Why are you back already?" asked the young man angrily.


    Rayne lowered her gun and took a step forward. Julian kept his gun aimed and ready in case of any signs of danger.


    "Who are you guys? What happened here?" asked Rayne. Her voice was slightly muffled by the scarf she was wearing.


    "We''re locals of this town. Some of us are from the city. One of our youngsters tried to start this old generator in the shop, but he wasn''t careful and ended up blowing the place up instead," explained the old man.


    He then looked up at her and then at Julian. "I don''t recognize you folks. Are you from the city?"


    "We''re from the south. We''re on our way to the city just up ahead to look for someone," replied Rayne.


    The old man shook his head. "No, I don''t recommend you go there. That city has always had gang issues since it was a university town, and now it''s only gotten worse since there''s no police to stop them anymore. The whole city has basically been taken over."


    Julian finally lowered his weapon and walked over to stand beside Rayne. "They''re telling the truth. I can tell by his microexpressions."


    "How can a gang take over a whole city? If I remember correctly, City R is a larger city too," asked Rayne.


    The old man shook his head again. "No, it''s not just one gang. There are multiple. The whole city is like a warzone, each one fighting against the others."


    Rayne couldn''t believe it. She felt the world was already plunged into chaos with the natural disasters. She couldn''t understand why so many people fought against each other instead of banding together.


    "Who are you guys looking for anyway?" asked the old man.


    "A chemist. We got a lead that there was a talented one here, working for the big pharmaceuticals company," explained Rayne.


    The old man lowered his hands. "Well, if you''d like, you''re welcome to come back with us. There might be someone at the house who knows something about your friend. We''ve recently taken in some folks from the city."


    "Leader! Are you sur--"


    "Yes. These people aren''t here to hurt us," said the older man. He turned to greet Rayne and Julian. "I''m Fred, by the way. I''m the elected leader of this small town settlement."


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Rayne, and this is Julian," answered Rayne, motioning to Julian.


    Fred smiled. "Nice to meet you. Now, if you don''t mind, let''s head over before we freeze to death out here."


    Rayne felt a little guilty. While she felt the cold air outside, she was dressed in many layers and nanofibers, while these two men were wearing only a sweater and a coat.


    "Yes, let''s go," she said quickly.


    She followed Fred down the street and toward a large open field. Fred pointed to a large white farmhouse. "That''s it over there. Our little home."


    As they continued to walk down the long driveway, Fred pointed out a few areas of interest on the ranch.


    "That over there is where we keep the cattle. It''s not a large herd, but enough to continue breeding and milking," explained Fred.


    Rayne listened as he told them how the majority of the residents were currently in the barn, ensuring that the animals survived the cold. Outside of cows, they also raised chickens and goats.


    "Most of us grew up on a ranch or a farm, so we know a lot about it. The city folk mainly help us out with other tasks, like cooking and laundry," he continued.


    When they finally approached the entrance of the house, Rayne spotted a lot of movement inside the white farmhouse.


    "Hey, Leader. How''s the generator looking?" asked a robust woman with a long red braid. Her face was rosy, and she was holding a large wooden bucket of grain.


    Fred greeted her. "Hey, Rita. No, unfortunately, it looks like the generator is done for. I''ll ask Sky to take a look at it later, but I''m doubtful anything can be done."


    "Aw, that''s unfortunate. It would''ve been helpful," she said, looking over at Rayne and Julian. "Oh, who are these two?"


    "Rayne and Julian. I found them outside the machine shop with the generator," said Fred, leading them inside.

 Chapter 142 - 142: The Ranch

    The originally spacious interior felt a little cramped due to the number of people inside. Rayne watched as everyone quietly went about doing their jobs.


    She felt that this community was tight-knit and a good example of how, when people band together, they can overcome disaster.


    There were many wood-burning stoves placed around the house, keeping it relatively warm.


    Frank noticed Rayne eyeing the stoves and chuckled. "We collected all the stoves from the surrounding houses and brought them over. You wouldn''t believe the amount of wood we''ve burned through already."


    Rayne nodded but stayed silent. Her nature wanted to help these people out, but she knew she needed to reign in that feeling. She decided to observe them a little more and see if there was a way to help them.


    Frank led them into the kitchen, where it was slightly less crowded. Only Rita and a shy teenage girl with curly brown hair were inside, working their various jobs. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is Molly. She''s one of our newest members from the city. It was a miracle that she made it out," Frank introduced.


    Molly quietly looked over to see Rayne, Julian, and Frank looking at her.


    "Hi," she peeped out quietly and continued to peel the potatoes in the bucket in front of her.


    "Haha! Don''t mind her. She''s a little shy, but she might be able to help you on your search for the chemist you''re looking for," laughed Frank.


    He excused himself, stating that he needed to check on the cattle and other animals.


    Rayne walked over to Molly. "Hello, my name is Rayne, and this is Julian. We''ve come from the south to look for a younger man who works as a chemist. Do you know anyone like this?"


    Molly silently continued to peel the potato in her hand, and after a few minutes, she finally nodded. "I''ve met someone who said they were a chemist. He helped me out of the city."


    Rayne couldn''t believe her luck! "Could you tell us where he is? We would like to talk to him!" she asked excitedly.


    Molly''s face visibly dropped, and her eyes began to water. She shook her head. "I don''t know exactly, but he let himself get caught so that I could run away. He''s most likely at the Bloody Skull gang, the biggest one on the west side of the city."


    Rayne frowned at the news. If he was captive behind one of the biggest gangs in the city, getting him out would be more difficult than she had anticipated.


    Julian walked over and held her hand. "We should try it at the very least. I think if we''re careful, we have a decent chance of getting him out."


    Rayne smiled, agreeing with his view.


    Molly finally looked up from the potato in her hand with an astonished expression. "You mean you''re still going to go in to find him? That''s suicide! Those people kill for fun! It''s like a sport to them!" she cried out.


    Rayne walked over and hugged the girl. She felt the guilt and hopelessness coming from her and wanted to help her release the pent-up emotions.


    Molly began to cry her heart out, sobbing in Rayne''s embrace.


    After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and looked up at Rayne with a determined expression.


    "Please let me help you. I may not be skilled in much, but I do know the city well," she said, hoping to be of use.


    Rayne smiled. "Thank you. We would love to have you helping us."


    They set a time to talk after dinner, allowing Molly to resume her duty of peeling the potatoes and helping Rita in the kitchen.


    This left Rayne and Julian free to wander around. Rayne wanted to see the animals, so they set off to the large barn that Fred had pointed out earlier.


    When they arrived at the barn, they spotted a group of people surrounding a cow. Fred turned around, noticing them.


    "Oh hey! Come on over. Ever seen a calf being born?" he called out joyfully. A new calf meant a higher chance of survival for the small settlement, so everyone around had a big smile on their face.


    Rayne walked over just in time to see the cute calf come out. The experienced ranchers were ready to get it cleaned up and taken care of, as well as ensure that the mother was doing well.


    The barn felt relatively warm due to the pellet stoves inside. Rayne could tell that these people were willing to spend more resources on keeping the animals healthy than keeping themselves comfortable.


    After the calf was taken care of, Fred walked over to Rayne and Julian. "I''m not sure what your future plans are, but you''re both more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. Also, please join us for dinner tonight. We''re celebrating the birth of the new calf."


    Rayne and Julian accepted Fred''s offer since they were waiting for Molly to free up from her duties so that they could talk more about the situation inside.


    "We came in an RV. Would it be okay if we parked it nearby?" asked Rayne.


    Fred laughed. "Haha, of course! Not a problem at all! Come on over."


    With Fred''s permission, Rayne and Julian walked back to their RV, planning to drive it closer to the small settlement.


    "They seem very nice. I''m happy to see people banding together like this... especially after our last encounter with the cannibals," said Rayne as they entered the RV.


    "Yes, they all seem like nice people. They''re doing the right thing by taking care of the livestock. I believe this small settlement will only grow in the future. I just hope these gangs don''t come to cause them trouble," replied Julian.


    Rayne agreed. She remembered the other man beside Fred mention giving a tribute. They must be paying a heavy fee to keep the peace.


    "I just hope we can do something about these gangs. It sounds like a lot of innocent people are getting caught up in these gang wars," said Rayne.


    They quickly got into the cold RV. Rayne lit the coal-burning stove and plugged in the small space heaters while Julian went to start the engine.


    They waited a few minutes for the engine to heat up before driving over to the ranch.

 Chapter 143 - 143: The Ranch 2

    Julian drove the luxury RV down the long driveway, parking it a healthy distance away from the farmhouse.


    Rayne noticed many of the people inside poke their heads out, checking out the shiny RV.


    Fred even came out of the house with an awed expression. "Wow, looks like we''re in the presence of some big shots! Haha!" he laughed heartily.


    Rayne and Julian got out of the RV and smiled, happy that no one looked jealous or overly envious.


    "Ah, thank you. We just got lucky that we managed to secure this beauty early on," replied Julian.


    The next few minutes consisted of a small tour of the inside of the RV since Fred was dying to see it.


    "Wow, you would never find something like this in these rural parts. I appreciate you opening my eyes to the existence of something this grand! Haha!" laughed Fred. This RV would be a conversation starter for many years to come.


    A few hours later, it was finally time for dinner. Rayne was curious about how they fed so many people and walked inside the crowded house to take a look.


    She noticed that everyone looked happy, and most of the people were discussing the birth of the new calf.


    The smell from the kitchen was very pleasant, which was a big contrast to what she had seen before. These rural country people seemed more resilient to the disasters than the city people she''d mostly been around.


    As the line continued to move forward, she finally spotted what they made for dinner. There was an enormous cast iron pot filled with potato soup. Next to it was a large platter of freshly made flatbreads.


    When it was finally Rayne''s turn to get her portion, Rita happily handed her a large bowl of soup and a piece of flatbread.


    "It''s not anything special, dear, but I threw in a few extra pieces of chicken for you," she said in a low voice.


    Rayne felt warm at the generosity they all displayed to newcomers like her and Julian. Being treated to free food in the current times was a very generous action. This made Rayne want to do something for this community.


    She sat down at a small table with Julian and Fred, eating the delicious homemade meal while casually chatting with Fred.


    They told him a little bit about their travels and the government base they were from. Fred seemed uninterested in moving down, as most of the people who lived here had deep roots, including him.


    In return, Fred told them about the delicate relationship their small settlement had with the big gangs inside the city. He explained that they paid a tribute of eggs, chicken meat, and milk in return for being spared from looting and other sticky situations.


    The gang they paid tribute to called themselves the Ice Tigers, and it was the major rival gang to the Blood Skulls. Fred explained that the Ice Tigers seemed to be the most humane of the gangs he''d dealt with before, and he was happy that their territory was the closest to their settlement.


    After dinner, Rayne invited Molly over to their RV for tea and to talk more about the situation inside the city.


    Molly entered wide-eyed, taking in all of the beautiful sights of the interior of the RV.


    Rayne had the heaters running, which made the interior a comfortably warm temperature.


    "Come on in and take a seat," said Rayne, pointing to the white leather couch in the living space.


    As Molly took a seat, Rayne finished pouring the boiling water into three mugs and placed them on the small table in front of the couch.


    She brought over a box of various teas and a few pastries that she pretended to take out of the fridge.


    Molly gasped at the sight of the delicate pastries. "Wow, I haven''t seen a pastry like this in so long!" she exclaimed.


    Rayne smiled and sat down beside her. "Have as many as you like, just keep it between us." Molly nodded and took a big bite.


    Julian came over to join them and sat down in a chair opposite Molly.


    "So, what can you tell us about the layout of the city and more about the Blood Skulls?" asked Rayne after a few minutes.


    Molly put down the third pastry and quickly answered, "So, the city is taken over mainly by the two major gangs, the Blood Skulls and the Ice Tigers. There''s a third gang called Toxxic that''s smaller in size, but they''re just as messed up as the Blood Skulls."


    She took a sip of tea and continued, "The base of the Blood Skulls is the large pharmaceutical company that I think the chemist you''re looking for worked in," she said with a frown.


    Rayne sighed. "It seems that there''s no easy way around this. We''ll have to infiltrate their base, it seems."


    She had expected it to be complicated, but hearing that the gang made the entire pharmaceutical building part of their main base added even more difficulty to their mission. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you still plan on going in, I recommend entering the city from the east side, Ice Tiger territory. While they''re still a gang, they''re more humane and will most likely accept a deal of safe passage for a trade of some sort," she said.


    Molly continued to explain the various territories and particularly dangerous areas using landmarks and street names.


    This gave Rayne and Julian a good insight into the inner workings of the city.


    After Molly left, Rayne pulled out a map of City R and used a highlighter to circle the various territory areas that Molly described in great detail. This gave them a good visual map of the area and a better idea of how to enter.


    Rayne circled the large pharmaceutical company on the west side of the city and dropped the highlighter on the table.


    "I think going through the Ice Tiger territory, like Molly suggested, would be the best course of action. These dangerous central areas should also be a bit safer now due to the cold snap that just happened," said Rayne.


    "You''re right. Let''s go with that plan. Let''s leave tomorrow morning to avoid having to travel in the even colder temperatures at night," said Julian.


    They decided to call it a night and go to bed, but before they did, Rayne suggested placing a few hidden cameras around the RV.


    While these people showed a lot of kindness, and Rayne truly felt they were decent people, she just wanted to ensure her own safety. These cameras would give her peace of mind when sleeping.

 Chapter 144 - 144: Ice Tigers

    The following morning, Rayne and Julian woke up early to set off on their journey into the city. Rayne took out a whole set of clean, new clothes made from nanofibers and handed them to Julian.


    This would save time by not having to wash the previous clothing they wore. Rayne had long gotten used to this handy feature of her system.


    "These nanofibers really work well. The temperature difference when I''m not wearing them is night and day," said Julian after getting dressed.


    While Julian was getting dressed, Rayne was checking the footage from the cameras. She was happy to see that no one came out or approached the RV.


    "Ready?" she asked Julian.


    "Ready," he smiled.


    They both exited the RV and noticed that there was already movement inside the farmhouse. Fred walked outside and noticed that Rayne and Julian were also awake.


    "You all wake up early too, huh?" he said cheerfully. After a short greeting, he walked off toward the barn, stating that the animals started their day even earlier.


    Rayne told him that they planned on going into the city and would be gone for an unknown amount of time, asking for him to help watch over their RV.


    After everything was settled, the two of them set off toward the city.


    City R was a relatively new city and had a standard grid layout. The path that Molly suggested was over a small bridge leading straight into Ice Tiger territory.


    The bridge was a decent distance away, so after they walked a good way from the ranch, Rayne pulled out a pair of white motorcycles.


    "Oh, I remember this motorcycle from when I first met you in the valley," said Julian. He smiled, remembering the fun moments they had together.


    They hopped on the motorcycles and drove off toward the bridge, but as they made it a little over halfway down the bridge, a group of armed men walked over to stop them.


    "Halt!" shouted the man leading the group.


    Rayne and Julian parked their motorcycles and raised their hands above their heads.


    "We''re here to request a deal for passage into the city," stated Julian.


    The man looked at them for a moment and saw their motorcycles. "Fine, follow me. Bring your motorcycles."


    Rayne and Julian complied and wheeled their motorcycles over to the group of men, who then led them across the bridge.


    They stopped in front of a large office building. Rayne looked up and realized that this must have been a bank office previously, but now it was one of the few tall buildings that still stood.


    "Leave the motorcycles here. I''ll bring you to meet the boss," said the man coldly. Before they stepped further inside, two men walked over and patted Rayne and Julian down, looking for any hidden weapons.


    They checked through Rayne''s backpack, noticing that it was pretty empty with only a water bottle inside.


    After passing the check, the leader of the group led them into a stairwell and brought them up to one of the top floors.


    "Boss, I have people here wishing to make a deal with us," said the man.


    Rayne expected to see an older man sitting in the executive office chair, but instead, it was a woman... and a young one.


    She looked like she was in her early 20s, and Rayne thought that she must have been a university student here before the apocalypse began.


    "Welcome to the Ice Tiger territory. I hear you want to make a deal, let''s hear it," she asked in an authoritative voice.


    Rayne was impressed that someone so young had turned out to be a successful leader, though she was still a gang leader.


    "We would like to request passage through your territory into the city," said Rayne.


    Initially, she had thoughts of offering rare goods that she felt a gang would want, like cigarettes, condoms, alcohol, etc., but after seeing the leader, she left it open-ended.


    The leader looked at Rayne and raised an eyebrow. "And what are you offering?"


    Rayne thought for a minute, then answered, "We''ve come from the south and brought a variety of items with us. Is there anything you have a need for currently? I might be able to provide."


    The leader leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, that''s a very lucrative offer. Let''s see... With the freezing temperatures recently, staying warm has been a problem. Bring me something that can help me and my people stay warm."


    Rayne nodded. "Very well, I accept."


    The man who brought them in escorted them back outside to where their motorcycles were parked.


    Rayne was impressed that they didn''t take the motorcycles as additional payment, thinking that so far, these people seemed normal.


    "We will wait for you on the bridge, don''t take too long," he said and turned to stand back at his post.


    Rayne drove back across the bridge and found an abandoned mechanic''s shop.


    Julian parked beside her. "What are you thinking of bringing over?"


    "I''m thinking of bringing a wood-burning stove and a pile of warm clothing. That should be enough. What do you think?" she said.


    "Hmm, it couldn''t hurt to give a little extra. Let''s add a second stove," he said after thinking for a minute.


    Rayne followed his suggestion and took out two wood-burning stoves and a variety of warm clothes.


    The stoves were heavy and couldn''t be carried by hand, so Rayne also pulled out a small handcart. She placed the two stoves along with a few bags filled with random warm clothes. Before moving out, she also added a big bundle of firewood.


    "Okay, let''s go back," she said after loading the handcart.


    Julian did the honors of pushing the cart while Rayne walked beside him. Since they had no way to pull the cart with the motorcycles, she decided to store them and walk to the bridge.


    "Oh good, you''re finally back," said the man who met them earlier and led them back toward the tall building.


    This time, the leader of the Ice Tigers came out of the building along with a large number of their members. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh good, you brought the items. Let me see," she said and stepped forward.


    Rayne observed the surroundings, mentally counting the number of people that were present. She made it to over a hundred before her attention turned back to the leader.


    "Wow, you really proved your sincerity! Very well, I agree to let you enter and exit the city through our territory. The only condition is that you are not to harm any members of the Ice Tigers," she finally stated.


    "We don''t plan to cause trouble," Rayne replied.

 Chapter 145 - 145: Red vs Blue

    After settling the trade deal, Rayne and Julian followed another member of the Ice Tigers towards the city. They walked a few blocks down the road when their escort stopped.


    "This is where our territory ends. When you''re ready to leave, come back this way, and we will walk you back out. Oh... and one last thing, be careful if you run into the Blood Skulls, there''s something wrong with them," said the man before walking back.


    Rayne pulled out her map and marked their current location so they could find it more easily later. Turning to Julian, she asked, "What do you think he meant by that?"


    Julian shook his head. "It could be anything; the only way is to head over and find out."


    They began to make their way to the west side of the city, where the Blood Skulls were located.


    Rayne kept Molly''s warnings in mind and tried to avoid the central area where most of the conflict seemed to happen. They pushed forward down the streets, which were littered with toppled buildings and abandoned vehicles.


    There was an eerie silence in the city, making it feel even colder than it really was.


    "It seems too quiet; it''s giving me goosebumps," said Rayne quietly. Something was telling her that it wasn''t safe here.


    Julian was also tense, constantly observing the surroundings. They ran from building to building, doing their best to stay in the shadows of the broken structures.


    The route they chose circled around the center of the city, avoiding the direct middle.


    They entered what used to be a large parking garage and climbed the broken concrete slabs up to the second floor. From here, they had a slightly better look at the large area around them.


    Rayne pulled out her map once more and then pointed toward a building in the west. "That over there must be the pharmaceuticals building."


    She pulled out two pairs of binoculars and handed one over to Julian. She carefully scanned the surrounding area to see if she could spot anything of interest.


    "Look there, farther down the road," said Julian quickly.


    Rayne looked over and noticed a scuffle. She counted eight men locked in a temporary deadlock¡ªfour of them had a blue armband, and the other four wore a red one.


    She assumed that the people with the red armbands belonged to the Blood Skulls, while the others were Ice Tigers.


    "There might be more than just the eight on the ground. It''s most likely why one side didn''t attack full-out yet," analyzed Julian.


    Rayne continued to observe them with her binoculars. They all held cold weapons, mainly daggers and knives. It looked like they were arguing with each other, but she was too far away to hear what was being said.


    Just then, something must have happened because the eight men on the ground began to fight. They fought fiercely, aiming to kill. Rayne watched as they swung their knives at each other while continuing to argue.


    "Who do you think will win?" she asked Julian.


    He was also watching the fight and assessed the situation. "The blue team seems to be a lot more organized and proficient with their knife skills. However, there''s something strange about the movements of the red guys..."


    Rayne continued to watch, trying to pick up on what was strange. She noticed that all of the men on the red team were very physically buff. They all looked like longtime boxers and even seemed less affected by the freezing cold temperatures.


    Another oddity she noticed was that they seemed to ignore pain very well. Whenever someone on the blue team would land a hit, cutting a man on the red team, the injured red team member would act as if nothing had happened and continue to push forward.


    "It''s almost as if they ate a whole bunch of painkillers before the fight," said Rayne in confusion.


    Due to this strange phenomenon, the blue team, which originally had the upper hand, was now close to losing.


    "Should we do something?" asked Rayne. She wasn''t sure if it was smart to intervene since she wasn''t sure whose side to take.


    Julian continued to observe the fight, noticing that the blue side was slowly being pushed back. It seemed like they were trying to retreat while the red team did their best to cut them off.


    "Can you take out my sniper?" he finally asked.


    Rayne was stunned at first but quickly did as he asked. She watched Julian quickly set up the sleek sniper rifle with a long zoom scope attached.


    She did her best to minimize her presence so that he could fully concentrate on the shot, and a few moments later, she heard the soft sound of the bullet being fired.


    Lifting her binoculars to her eyes once more, she noticed that the bullet cleanly hit one of the red guys, causing the rest of the red team to scatter.


    She tried to follow their movements before Julian yelled, "Drop down!"


    Her body moved on its own as she fell to the ground, only to hear a bullet whizz by.


    "Fuck, they found us! How? We''re so far away, and the gun had a silencer!" said Rayne. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins, causing her heart to beat quickly.


    Julian was in a similar state on the ground under the sniper rifle. "We need to quickly get out of here before they catch up. We would be at a major disadvantage if we had to fight head to head with a group of them."


    Rayne crawled over and stored the sniper back into her system, then crawled down to the ground floor of the parking garage with Julian.


    As soon as they made it behind cover, they quickly ran to a new location. As soon as they made it inside the adjacent building, they heard movement in the parking garage they had just been in.


    Rayne couldn''t believe that they had already made it to the parking garage. She continued to climb through the broken buildings with Julian, heading toward the pharmaceutical building. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their pursuers were still hot on their trail simply due to the number of people searching for them.


    After they noticed that Rayne and Julian were no longer in the parking garage, they all spread out and began combing through the vicinity.


    Luckily, they assumed that Rayne and Julian would run further away from the Blood Skull territory and sent most of their people to search outward.

 Chapter 146 - 146: Spotted

    It only took Rayne and Julian a short while to reach the location where the fight between the red and blue teams had occurred.


    They took a few minutes to catch their breath and rest before setting off again.


    "So much for avoiding the center of the city," whispered Rayne. She still couldn''t believe they were spotted from such a great distance, forcing them to take a completely different route than they originally planned.


    Julian agreed, then pointed over to the body he had shot, which was lying a short distance away.


    "Can you take out the binoculars again? There''s something off about it, but I can''t see it clearly from here," whispered Julian.


    Rayne quickly handed him a pair of binoculars and took out another pair for herself. When she looked over at the body of the fallen red member, she nearly gasped.


    "It''s the same as the bodies we found in the city! Their veins are bulging the exact same way!" she said, keeping her voice down.


    Julian observed a while longer. "Yeah, it''s exactly the same. It seems there''s more at play here than just simple gang culture."


    Rayne couldn''t help but think of Damien, whom Julian had mentioned earlier. If this was truly related to Damien, as Julian suspected, that would mean his reach was a lot further than she initially thought.


    Before continuing their journey, they took the time to observe their surroundings.


    "It''s almost evening. Maybe it''s best we wait until it gets dark before we infiltrate the pharmaceutical building," suggested Rayne. She had night vision goggles in her system, courtesy of Julian, and they would give them a significant advantage.


    Julian looked around and agreed but made another suggestion. "Let''s move further into their territory now, while most of their people are out looking for us throughout the city."


    Rayne nodded, and they moved out.


    The building they decided to hide in until nighttime was a small, mostly broken structure across the street from the large pharmaceutical building. It was barely large enough for the two of them to fit inside, but it provided good cover from every angle.


    They huddled together to wait for the sun to set, using this time to refuel themselves with food and water.


    Rayne was feeling chilly from being out in the freezing temperatures all day and wanted to eat something warm, so she pulled out a bowl of wonton soup that she had made earlier.


    They quickly slurped the soup and wontons down, eating it before it turned cold. She then pulled out two small thermos bottles filled with hot tea she had prepared earlier and quietly sipped it to keep warm.


    Time seemed to go by very slowly, and Rayne began to feel even colder. She pulled out a large armchair, which barely fit inside the space, for her and Julian to sit on together. She then covered them with a small blanket and another small electric blanket, which she plugged into a small portable power bank.


    This made the wait much more bearable, even slightly enjoyable. Rayne leaned over to rest her head on Julian''s shoulder, happily sharing a moment with him.


    They sat in each other''s embrace like this until nightfall, occasionally getting up to check their surroundings through the small hole in the cracks.


    As the sun began to set, they heard the sounds of people walking by, heading towards the pharmaceutical company''s building.


    Rayne and Julian quietly watched, getting an idea of how many people they were dealing with. Rayne thought it was strange that those men had been out for such a long time but didn''t appear to be very cold.


    The temperatures were still extremely low, and those men weren''t dressed in excessively warm clothing, so this raised another question about how they managed to stay warm.


    Her mind flashed to the scene of the bulging veins on the dead body. Could it be that these two things were somehow related?


    They waited until all of the people went inside, clearing the surrounding area. Using the binoculars, they looked around, trying to find all of the places where the night patrol was stationed.


    Either due to the cold weather or blind trust that no one would dare come close to their territory, Rayne and Julian only found a small handful of guards.


    "They have a lot of openings into the building. Basically, any route inside other than the front door should be safe for us to use," he said quietly.


    Most of the guards looked bored, not really focused on scanning the surroundings. This gave Rayne and Julian a perfect opportunity to slip inside.


    Rayne just hoped that things would be as easy once they got inside, but considering the number of people she watched walk in, that was unlikely to be the case.


    They waited a little longer before packing up all their things and moving forward to infiltrate the large building.


    "Let''s go through the side entrance over there," Julian pointed. He had spent a good amount of time watching the night patrol and calculated that this entrance would be the safest route.


    They walked out of the small, broken building and put on the night vision goggles that Rayne had pulled out of her system. The once pitch-black night turned into a bright hue of green, illuminating everything in the vicinity.


    The night vision made their short journey to the side entrance very easy, and they quickly found themselves inside.


    Once they were inside, they quickly walked down the hall to find the staircase to the upper floors. None of the rooms on the lower floors had anyone inside, so they continued to make their way upward. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the third floor, they finally saw some movement. There was a barrel fire in what used to be a conference room, along with a few gang members.


    They were sitting in conference chairs, eating some dry rations while chatting about the fight from earlier.


    "You should have seen those Ice Tigers run like pansies! They''ll certainly think twice before challenging us again!" one of the men laughed.


    "It''s just unfortunate that Big Mark died. Cheap move by the Ice Tigers to have a hidden sniper sitting far away," said another man.


    They continued to discuss the fight, mentioning that the sniper was never found.


    After eavesdropping for a while, Rayne and Julian pulled out their silent pistols and quickly made their way into the room, shooting everyone in sight.


    After clearing the room, they pushed forward, killing the remaining gang members on the third floor.


    Rayne looked down at the bodies, noticing the familiar scene of bulging veins on each of the bodies.

 Chapter 147 - 147: Blood Skulls

    The fourth floor was a little more active. There were many more people here, and seemingly, not all of them were gang members.


    The first room they entered had two gang members inside, which Rayne quickly disposed of. The room next door, however, was filled with captives.


    The room itself was smaller than an average conference room but was filled with over 30 people. There were women and children, along with just regular civilian men. Rayne didn''t understand what the gang needed these people for.


    She quietly entered the room and saw everyone huddled together to stay warm. Everyone''s face was full of fear or hopelessness.


    "Why have they captured you?" asked Rayne. She wanted to know the motives behind such actions.


    One of the older women looked over at Rayne. "I''m not exactly sure. They didn''t tell us directly. But I did overhear some of them talking. They made it sound like they''re transporting us somewhere."


    Rayne frowned. She felt even more resolved to get rid of this entire gang if they were acting like slave traders.


    "Hang tight. We''ll be back to free you guys. Just be ready when the time comes," Rayne announced in a quiet voice.


    The people looked at her with hope, and one young girl even walked up to her.


    "Please, free my dad! They took him away. I don''t know where they took him!" she cried.


    One of the other women quickly came over and hugged the girl, patting her on the back. Rayne looked at the crying girl and knelt down. "Don''t worry. We''ll find your dad and bring him back."


    The little girl wiped her tears and smiled, hearing the promise.


    Rayne looked at the rest of the people in the room. They were all freezing and starving, so she quickly pretended to leave the room, then walked back in, carrying two big bags.


    One of the bags was filled with a variety of snacks and water, while the other bag was filled with blankets, hats, scarves, and coats.


    "Here, please distribute this amongst yourselves. We''ll be back to lead you out once the rest of the gang members are taken care of," said Rayne.


    Everyone quickly scrambled to the bags, excited to see food and warm clothing. While they spread the items around, Rayne walked out of the room with Julian.


    They quickly killed the remaining gang members on this floor and headed upstairs to the fifth floor.


    This floor was where the laboratory was. It was split into two different areas with a small passageway in between.


    The section closest to the stairs was empty, but Rayne could see light coming from the other section.


    She and Julian quietly walked into the empty section and crouch-walked toward the connecting point to peek at what was going on.


    The first thing she saw was a number of scientists working with various chemistry equipment with fear in their eyes.


    There was a very tall and lanky man sitting on one of the tables with a crazy expression on his face.


    "Tell me again how you failed to find the person who killed Big Mark!" he said with a frightening smile on his face.


    "Leader, please spare me! I will lead a team out to find them!" cried one of the members. He was on his hands and knees on the floor.


    The leader picked up the dagger that was lying on the table next to him and threw it into the air a couple of times, catching it carefully by the blade each time.


    After a few rounds of tossing it and catching it, he threw the dagger right into the prostrating man''s shoulder.


    "Ahh!" screamed the man, blood beginning to pour down his arm and back.


    "If you''re so useless, why should I waste my time with you?" laughed the leader, ripping the dagger out of his shoulder, only to throw it at him once more.


    The next thing the leader did had Rayne widen her eyes. He pulled a small glass vial of a familiar red powder and poured it all into his mouth.


    Instantly, his skin turned a light shade of red as the blood vessels in his body expanded. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian watched the man carefully, trying to determine the effect of the substance on the body. Besides the flushed skin and visibly enlarged veins, there was no other noticeable change.


    Just as Rayne and Julian made eye contact, signaling to go in, a large man appeared behind them and pinned Julian to the ground, pushing Rayne forward into the laboratory.


    Just as she was about to fall, the leader caught her in his arms, holding her while smiling.


    "I thought I smelled something feminine in the room. Forgive me, I wasn''t expecting guests," he said with a chilling smile.


    The man holding Julian down nodded at the leader. "I have something to report: all of our men on the lower floors are dead."


    The leader''s eyes constricted as he dug his nails into the skin on Rayne''s arms. "Oh? Are our guests that capable?" he said in a high-pitched voice.


    Rayne stared at Julian, who was forcefully being pressed into the ground. She could see his head turn red from the pressure.


    The leader ripped off the scarf from Rayne, exposing her pretty face.


    "Tell me, little beauty, how should I punish you for walking into MY territory and killing MY men?" he asked angrily, holding her chin up with the blade of his dagger.


    "Please..." whispered Rayne. Her only thoughts were on how to get Julian out of here alive.


    Julian tried lifting his head to see if Rayne was okay, but as soon as he tried, the man stepped on his head, shoving it back into the ground, causing him to bleed from his ear.


    "It was all me. I forced her to come with me," said Julian with a labored voice.


    The leader looked at Rayne, then back at Julian. "Is that so? Let''s check this beauty to see if she has anything fun on her," said the leader as he began to move his hand around her body, feeling her up while checking for any hidden weapons.


    "Looks like you''re telling the truth," said the leader. He noticed the concerned look Rayne had as she stared at Julian and frowned.

 Chapter 148 - 148: Confessions

    "Look at me, princess. It''s me you need to please, not him," he said forcefully, turning Rayne''s head to face him.


    Rayne tried to struggle out of his grip, but for some reason, she couldn''t break free. It felt like she was being held by iron chains instead of human hands.


    The gang leader laughed at her attempts. "Looks like you know a thing or two about breaking free, but unfortunately, I''m currently too strong for that."


    He pulled out another vial of the red, sand-like substance and shook it in front of her.


    "You see, I came across this magic. It makes me really strong...every part of my body. And there''s a certain thing I haven''t tried yet that I''ve been wanting to", he said as he looked up and down, lustfully checking out her body.


    Julian clenched his fist and continued to try to struggle against the man who was pinning him down.


    "Don''t you touch her!", he roared angrily. Rayne was his bottom line, and he would do anything to keep her out of danger even if he had to rip his own arms and legs off.


    The gang leader frowned and threw the dagger into his shoulder, causing Julian to cry out in pain. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shut up! Can''t you see I''m trying to have a moment with the pretty lady?", the gang leader yelled.


    Rayne''s eyes watered seeing Julian in such pain, she struggled even harder, going through all of the various techniques she learned in her self-defense classes, but none of them worked.


    "If you continue to struggle, I''ll kill him right here. Initially, I wanted him to watch while we had our fun together, but if you want I can just kill him first", he said with a sadistic smile.


    Rayne immediately stopped struggling. Her obedience made the gang leader smile even more, "Good girl, now let''s take a peek at what''s hiding under all of these clothes".


    He proceeded to pick up another dagger from the table and used it to rip through her layers of clothing, exposing her bare chest for everyone to see.


    "Oh! What a pleasant surprise! Truly a beauty! I''m getting excited already!", he said and rubbed himself against her so that she could feel the erection in his pants.


    Rayne''s mind was non-stop thinking about how to get out of this situation. If she could free her hands somehow, she would be able to do something about getting out of this situation.


    Finally, an idea came to her.


    As the gang leader continued to dry hump her while massaging one of her breasts, Rayne quickly pretended to get all hot and bothered.


    She started moving her body and letting out fake moans. Her movements worked wonders because the gang leader seemed to get even more excited.


    "Oh you''re a little slut aren''t you?", he said, ignoring the rest of the room and focusing his attention on Rayne.


    She continued to move her body, slowly getting closer to him. She continued to pretend to enjoy his touch and even took the initiative to rub her thigh against his erection.


    When she felt that he was buying her act, she slowly bent down in front of him, making it seem like she wanted to please him with her mouth.


    "Oh good girl! You''ve been trained well!", he said excitedly, finally letting go of her hands.


    She continued to bend down slowly until she got on her knees, then slowly brought her hands over to pretend to unzip his pants.


    Just as one of her hand touched the zipper of his jeans, she looked up to see his lustful and excited gaze then gave the mental command to take out a pistol with her other hand.


    Before anyone had any time to react she shot a bullet straight through the leaders head, then turned and did the same to the man who was pinning Julian to the floor.


    This left only the one injured gang member who was still groveling on the ground. Rayne turned and shot him before he had a chance to lift his head and see what had just happened.


    Julian quicky got up off the ground and ran over to Rayne, kissing her on the lips.


    "I never felt so useless before. I''m so sorry you had to go through that", he whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    He took his jacket off and draped it around her, covering her exposed upper body.


    Their loving moment only lasted a few moments before the three scientists who were forced to work, looked over awkwardly with hopeful expressions.


    The youngest scientist of the group cleared his throat and looked at the couple, "Please don''t kill us. We''re not with the gang, we were forced to work here at gunpoint".


    Julian looked over, "Don''t worry, we''re here to release you".


    The three scientists looked exceptionally happy. One of the older men stepped forward, "They have others captive. I got separated from my daughter...", he called out.


    "Don''t worry, the others are safe, we''ve met them on the way over", smiled Rayne.


    She and Julian excused themselves for a minute so that Rayne could put on some clothing in the other section of the lab.


    As soon as they were alone Julian wrapped his arms around her once more and kissed her passionately.


    He experienced so many emotions just a short while ago and wasn''t even sure if he would be able to hold her in his arms ever again.


    Rayne let him vent his emotions, insecurities and frustrations with his actions. Each kiss was full of feeling, conveying his deepest emotions wordlessly.


    When they finally pulled away, Rayne noticed his misty eyes. She placed her hand on his cheek quietly comforting him.


    Julian rubbed his cheek against her palm and looked her deep in the eyes. He leaned in once more for another deep, passionate kiss.


    "I love you Rayne".


    His words echoed in her mind, causing her to tear up. This time she took initiative and pressed her lips against his, responding with her actions.


    She felt him place his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Lifting her arms, she responded by wrapping them around his neck.


    The moment was filled with long held emotions. There was excitement, release and above all, pure bliss. It was one of those moments where even time stopped.


    After the long kiss, she looked at him with watery eyes and a smile on her face.


    "I love you too".

 Chapter 149 - 149: A Proper Payment

    A few moments later, they heard some sounds coming from the laboratory and decided to deal with the immediate situation first.


    Rayne pulled out another set of clothes and put them on, keeping Julian''s coat as cover so the scientists wouldn''t ask where the clothing came from.


    Julian held her for a moment longer. "You did wonderfully, Rayne. You''re incredibly brave."


    Rayne looked at him with a smile. She was happy that he understood her actions and wasn''t angry or upset with what she''d done earlier.


    "Let''s get out of here so we can take care of that wound on your head," she said softly.


    They walked back into the room where the scientists were quietly waiting in the corner.


    Julian motioned to them. "Come on, let''s get out of here. Stay behind us, and call out if you see anyone along the way."


    The three scientists quickly agreed and followed them back into the stairwell.


    Rayne and Julian made their way down to where the others were waiting on the floor below.


    "Daddy! You''re back!" cried out the young girl. She ran up to the older scientist and hugged him, tears in her eyes.


    The father knelt down and hugged her. "I''m back, princess. We can finally leave this place." His wife and son had been killed in the initial earthquakes, leaving his daughter his only living relative.


    They did their best to lay low but eventually got captured when they went out to look for food and had been here ever since.


    The rest of the people stood up and waited for the signal that they could leave.


    "Listen up. Most of the gang members here have been dealt with, but there may still be some stationed outside. We also don''t know how the other gangs in the area will respond, but the plan is to leave the city through Ice Tiger territory," announced Julian.


    Everyone quietly listened, eager to take any risk to make it out of there safely. They felt that Rayne and Julian were very capable, having taken on this entire gang by themselves.


    As they began to file out of the building, Rayne turned to Julian.


    "I''ll be right back. There''s something I need to grab upstairs," she said, and ran back up to the fifth floor.


    Julian waited a few minutes for her to return but didn''t see her holding anything and assumed that she''d just found something she wanted to store in her system.


    "Okay, I''m ready. Let''s go," she smiled.


    The group made their way down to the ground floor, where Rayne and Julian told them to wait until they took care of the gang members still patrolling the area outside.


    Thankfully, they already had a good idea of where everyone was positioned, making it much easier to clear them out.


    A few minutes later, they returned to the hiding spot on the ground floor of the pharmaceutical building.


    "Okay, we''re going to try and make it to Ice Tiger territory as quickly as possible. Please stay close," said Rayne before walking out into the freezing outdoors.


    They moved quickly, going from building to building, making their way back to the east side of the city.


    When they finally reached the spot where the escort from the Ice Tiger gang had told them to meet up, they quickly found themselves surrounded.


    "Hands up! You''re trespassing on our territory!" yelled a familiar voice. It was the same man who had met Rayne and Julian on the bridge when they first entered.


    The frightened refugees quickly raised their hands, some even falling to their knees.


    Rayne and Julian took a step forward so the man could recognize them.


    "Oh, it''s you guys. I''m pretty sure the deal you made only included passage for the two of you," he said with a stern expression.


    Before Rayne had a chance to reply, she noticed a new group of people walk over.


    "Boss!" the man said respectfully.


    The leader of the Ice Tigers walked over, crossing her arms. "Well, well, what do we have here? Looks like there''s a party going on."


    Rayne looked up at her. "We¡ª"


    "Let me guess. You want me to agree to let everyone through," she said, cutting Rayne off.


    "Yes," replied Rayne.


    The young woman looked Rayne in the eye, seeing that she wasn''t joking, and burst out laughing.


    "Haha! No way! You''re being serious!" she laughed. "Okay, okay. What will you offer me this time? And let me be clear, I want a generous offer."


    Rayne quietly pulled her backpack off her back and unzipped it. She pulled out something bloody and tossed it on the ground in front of the leader, waiting for her reaction.


    When the leader looked down, she was momentarily confused until she recognized what she was looking at.


    "What!? How did you...?!", she exclaimed in shock.


    Kneeling, she examined it further. "You guys really are something. You really killed the leader of the Blood Skulls!"


    The item Rayne threw was the head of the leader she had "harvested" before they left. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I hope this is enough of a payment for all of us. The Blood Skulls have been completely wiped out," said Rayne.


    The Ice Tiger leader waved her hand, signaling two members to go verify if what Rayne said was true.


    "I just sent two of my runners out. If what you said is true, then I will let you all leave through our territory," she said.


    Rayne frowned and crossed her arms. "We have women and children here. Could we at least stand by the fire?"


    There was a clearing up ahead with a few barrel fires where the people stationed outside could warm themselves.


    The leader looked at the group of people, noticing their pitiful appearance.


    "Fine, I''ll allow it," she said. Killing the leader of her enemy faction was already enough payment for something this small.


    The group quickly gathered around the small fires, warming their hands. They only had to wait a short while when the two people who had been sent out returned.


    "Leader! It''s true. We walked right in, and everyone was dead! We even quickly walked through the building!" one of the men reported.


    The leader almost couldn''t believe it.


    "You two must be very capable to have single-handedly wiped out one of the top gangs in this city. You have my thanks. They''ve been getting more and more difficult to deal with recently," she said with a grateful expression.


    With the Blood Skulls gone, the Ice Tigers no longer had to worry about maintaining their status as the number one gang in the city.

 Chapter 150 - 150: Parting Gifts

    After everything was settled, Rayne led the group of people out of the city. They walked toward the ranch to see if Fred was willing to take any of them in.


    "Okay, everyone, please wait here. I''m going to talk to the leader of the ranch and see if they are willing to take you all in," said Rayne. They were currently at an old diner not far from the entrance to the ranch.


    Rayne and Julian set off to meet with Fred, along with an appointed leader of the group. They walked down the familiar long driveway, surrounded by pastures on each side.


    As they approached the white farmhouse, Fred had just stepped outside, noticing them from the porch.


    "Oh hey! You''re back!" greeted Fred in his signature happy way.


    "Hi, Fred. We made it out, and we have a group of refugees. We wanted to discuss whether you would be willing to take them in," said Julian.


    Fred smiled. "Well, we''re not ones to turn people away, but things are getting a little crowded here. I''ve been thinking for a while about clearing out the neighboring house to use as another living space. Maybe we can push those plans forward."


    The man chosen as a representative for the refugees almost burst into tears. "Thank you, sir. We''re all willing to work and help out."


    Fred followed them back to the diner to gauge the number of people who would be moving in. Meanwhile, Rayne and Julian finally approached the younger scientist of the three.


    "Hello, I''m Rayne, and this is Julian. We actually came all the way up here in search of a chemist after hearing that there was one here. We''re not sure if you''re the exact person we heard about, but we are in need of a chemist."


    The young man looked startled but greeted them back. "Hello, I''m Jonah. I am indeed a chemist. I''m curious, why do you need a chemist?"


    Rayne discreetly pulled out the vial containing the red, sand-like substance. "We found this and want to know more about it. From my encounter with the leader of the Blood Skulls, I can see that they got their hands on it too." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jonah''s eyes widened. "How did you get ahold of this? This is a very dangerous substance. I''m not exactly sure what it does, but from my short time working for the gang, I could tell it''s a very volatile substance."


    "That''s exactly why we''re looking for a chemist. We need to understand as much as we can about this substance," said Julian in a serious tone.


    Jonah looked at both of them and fell into thought. He was also concerned about the substance after seeing it for the first time.


    There was nothing really keeping him in City R. He had no family here and no home, so he thought that maybe going with them wouldn''t be such a bad idea.


    Rayne noticed how lost in thought he was and decided it might be good to give him some space. "Think about it today. Let us know tomorrow. If you have any questions in the meantime, please don''t hesitate to ask."


    Fred had just finished taking count and introducing himself to everyone. He was a capable leader and quickly organized the group into smaller sections based on their skills.


    "Okay, everyone! Let''s head over to the house that needs to be cleaned up so we can get you all settled," announced Fred, leading them to a similar farmhouse across the pasture.


    While the refugees were getting settled, Rayne finally had some time to leave some gifts for the group.


    The ranch was self-sufficient in terms of food, but there were many items that could help make their lives more comfortable.


    Julian accompanied Rayne through the small town while she hid all sorts of supplies inside random buildings.


    The first place they entered looked like an old corner store, and Rayne quickly noticed that it had long been picked clean.


    She smiled at Julian and said, "Let''s restock this place."


    She placed boxes of canned food, completely filling one of the shelves. On the next shelf, she placed various water bottles and even water filters.


    The rest of the items were staple goods like sacks of rice, grains, flour, salt, and sugar. The once-empty corner store was now fully stocked with goods that should last this small settlement a long time.


    The next store they stopped by was a hardware store. Here, Rayne filled the shelves with seeds, gardening supplies, various tools, lumber, heaters, and even a few gas generators.


    She wasn''t too familiar with what would be useful in terms of animal supplies, but she placed a large number of sacks filled with chicken feed along with other animal-related products that she found.


    The last place she wanted to restock was a home goods store, and thankfully she found one nearby.


    She knew that with the new influx of people, they would need more bed linens, blankets, and pillows. She placed a variety of bedding in different colors and fabrics, along with a few bolts of fabric, which would allow them to make new items themselves in the future.


    In a different section of the store, she placed new sets of pots and pans, utensils, cups, bowls, and other kitchen items.


    The store was feeling a lot fuller with all of the added items. Rayne walked to the back of the store and made piles of clothing. One pile was for women''s clothing, containing everything from underwear to winter coats in every size. She made another pile for men''s clothing items.


    The last pile was for children''s clothing and shoes. She made a point to add more boots to the pile since that''s what she noticed most of them were wearing.


    With the town somewhat restocked, she had one final idea. She took out the handcart that she had used earlier and began to fill it with rare goods. She placed a few cases of wine, whiskey, and cognac inside, completely filling the bottom of the cart. On top, she placed a generous amount of cigars, cigarettes, and condoms, alongside some chocolates.


    She figured that these items would be a treat for times they had reason to celebrate, such as the birth of another calf.


    Beside the luxury items, she also placed a decently sized bag of basic medicine and first aid supplies. Working on a ranch, there were bound to be injuries, and she hoped these supplies would hold them over for a good amount of time.


    Once Rayne finished loading the cart, she and Julian pushed it back to the ranch, planning to gift it to the settlement as a thank-you for their hospitality.

 Chapter 151 - 151: Gifting the Gifts

    They quietly walked down the long driveway, pushing the handcart and enjoying each other''s presence.


    It was already evening, and the crystal-clear skies allowed the stars to twinkle like small diamonds.


    As Rayne walked, she pointed out various constellations to Julian as they happily chatted. Before long, they arrived back at the farmhouse just in time for Fred to make his way back from the second house that had just been set up for the newcomers.


    "Hey, what''s all this?" he asked, noticing the handcart covered with a small blanket.


    Rayne smiled. "This is a little thank-you gift from us for your hospitality. We''re planning on heading back tomorrow."


    "Oh, did you find the person you were looking for?" Fred asked.


    "Yes, we''ve had a chat with him. He''s still thinking things over, but hopefully, he agrees to come back with us," Rayne smiled.


    They chatted a little more until Rita came over with Molly. "Hey, guys, it''s almost dinner time. Come inside and warm up, it''s getting even colder out here," said Rita.


    Fred helped Rayne and Julian bring the handcart up the steps and onto the porch before he uncovered it to see what sort of gift they had prepared.


    As soon as the blanket was lifted, Fred, Rita, and Molly all gasped at the sight!


    Fred immediately reached for the high-end bottle of whisky, looking at it speechlessly.


    "How... What?? No, no! This is way too precious! We can''t accept this!" said Rita. Her words snapped Fred out of his daze, allowing him to join in.


    "She''s right! This is way too precious. I don''t even know how you got a hold of all of these items!" Fred cried out.


    Rayne smiled. "We travel a lot and have had the opportunity to loot a lot of places over time. Please accept this, as we have more where that came from."


    After a few more minutes of convincing, Rayne finally got Fred to accept the gifts on behalf of the settlement.


    Everyone on the ranch that evening was in good spirits. The refugees from the city were now eating the first hot meal they had had in weeks, which even brought some of them to tears.


    The dinner tonight was similar to what they had the previous night, just a little more watered down. Since there were now more people to feed, they needed to stretch their resources further.


    Rayne was happy to see that the original residents had accepted the new ones well, and there were no major arguments.


    Fred had already reorganized the task assignments to include the new residents, integrating them as quickly as possible.


    After dinner, Jonah approached Rayne and Julian before they retired back to their RV.


    "Hey! I just wanted to let you guys know that I''ve made up my mind. I''ll go back with you," he said with a determined expression.


    He spent the entire evening thinking about their proposal, and he realized that there was a part of him that was also fascinated with the red substance. As a once highly regarded chemist, his interest was piqued by this frightening new drug.


    Rayne smiled happily. "Awesome! We will leave tomorrow. Let us know if there''s anything you need. Since you''re part of our team now, feel free to ask for resources."


    Jonah thanked her and went back to the farmhouse, where he planned to spend the rest of the evening saying goodbye to his fellow scientists.


    Rayne offered to let him stay in the RV with them, but he declined, saying that he had already made his sleeping arrangements for the night.


    After discussing a few more details, Rayne and Julian went back inside their RV to spend some time together.


    After such an emotional confession, they didn''t have too much time to be alone since they had to worry about bringing the refugees back safely.


    Rayne lit the stoves and turned on the space heaters, making the interior of the RV nice and warm. She also turned on the water heater so they could enjoy a nice hot shower after spending the entire day out in the freezing cold.


    Once the water heater had time to warm up, Rayne was the first to jump in and shower. While she didn''t suffer any psychological trauma from being fondled by the Blood Skulls'' leader, she still felt gross and wanted to properly wash off any part of her body he touched.


    Only when the hot water hit her skin did she realize how cold she really was. Her whole body felt numb from the long exposure to the cold, and that was with her wearing clothing made from nanofibers.


    She stayed under the stream of hot water until the water heater began to run out of hot water. She quickly got out and dried herself before putting on a soft hoodie, sweatpants, and fuzzy socks.


    Julian was waiting in the living space for his turn to shower but was met with Rayne''s apologetic face.


    "I''m sorry. I used up all of the hot water. I''m going to refill the water tank now, so it will be a few minutes before the water is ready," she said, looking guilty.


    Julian shook his head, thinking that Rayne was the most adorable thing he''d ever seen. He didn''t mind waiting a few more minutes and was happy that she could enjoy a long, hot shower.


    A few minutes later, the water heater was ready, and Julian went to shower. He had already chosen some clean clothes from the closet that Rayne had previously filled with his things.


    While he was showering, Rayne was scrolling through her system panel while lying on the soft couch.


    She was looking for something comforting to eat. Although she felt that the dinner at the farmhouse was good, it wasn''t enough for her big appetite, especially after such a long and eventful day. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wanted something warming and delicious, and just as she found what she was looking for, Julian came out of the bathroom, letting out a cloud of steam with him.


    "Hey, would you like anything to eat? I found a chicken pot pie in here, and it''s calling my name!" she asked while looking over at him.


    Her thoughts were slightly distracted as her eyes couldn''t help but feast on the sight in front of her.


    Julian was wearing a fitted, long-sleeve black shirt and gray sweatpants. He was drying his wet hair with a towel as he walked over.


    Rayne felt her heart race as her cheeks flushed. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world that this handsome, caring, thoughtful, and loving man loved her.

 Chapter 152 - 152: A Sweet Release

    (A/N: a bit of spice)


    Julian noticed her staring at him with flushed cheeks and quickly went over to sit down beside her. He lifted her to position her so that she was sitting on his lap.


    He smelled the familiar scent of her shampoo and leaned in to kiss her neck.


    "Chicken pot pie sounds delicious. I would love some", he said leaning down to whisper in her ear.


    This made Rayne blush even harder, making Julian let out a soft laugh. He would never get bored of her cute reactions. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To help her relax, he placed his arms around her and pulled her back so that she was comfortably lying against him.


    He picked up the TV remote and put on the TV series they had been watching recently.


    His gentle actions worked and Rayne quickly relaxed, nestling herself in his embrace. She lay comfortably, leaning against his chest, and scrolled through her system.


    Julian watched as she waved her finger in the air, knowing that she was most likely doing something in her system.


    A few moments later two plates and a large chicken pot pie appeared on the table next to them. The smell alone was intoxicating and the two foodies quickly sat up to enjoy their second dinner.


    After eating they finished the episode before making their way upstairs to the bedroom. Rayne quickly turned on the small space heaters and jumped under the covers with Julian.


    As Julian climbed in, he pulled Rayne into his embrace once more and started peppering her with small kisses.


    Rayne giggled and turned to face him, placing her hands around his head, and pulling him in for a deep kiss.


    After their emotional confession from earlier, Rayne found herself feeling a lot more comfortable with expressing her affections.


    Julian, of course, was delighted to receive her kisses and reciprocated with his own.


    Soon the atmosphere in the room heated up. Julian continued to kiss Rayne, slowly mixing in kisses on her neck and shoulders.


    "Julian", moaned Rayne.


    His kisses left a trail of fire across her upper body. Her eyes turned misty as her body began to crave more and more of his touch.


    Hearing her moan his name, Julian felt his heart race. He had long wanted to feel the softness of her skin against his.


    "Babe, I want to make you feel good", he breathed as he pulled the hoodie off of her, leaving her in a simple white tank top.


    She nodded at his request, wanting to feel more of his touch.


    Julian looked down at her, taking in her beauty. Through the small white tank top he saw her cute pink nipples poking out due to her arousal.


    He carefully slipped his hands underneath her shirt and began to play with them, making Rayne let out gentle moans.


    After a few minutes, he pulled the small white tank top over her head, pulling it off completely. Now he had full access to her breasts and slowly began to trail kisses down her body.


    When he finally reached her breasts he began to suck on her nipples, gently using his tongue to draw circles around them.


    Rayne''s body began to move on its own from the pleasure that was shooting through her from his movements.


    "Oh my God...Julian", she cried out. Her breasts were getting increasingly sensitive and even his smallest movements sent her into a state of bliss.


    Julian had long been fully erect, but Rayne''s moans made him even more excited.


    After a few minutes, he continued to trail kisses down her body until he reached the waistband of her sweatpants.


    He pulled back and using both of his hands, he slowly pulled her sweatpants off, exposing her lacy white panties for him to see.


    Rayne lifted her body up to help him pull the pants off, feeling slightly embarrassed. Her body burned up in desire, and her heart raced with anticipation.


    "You''re so beautiful, Rayne. If only you knew the effect you have over me", he said, taking in the sight of her almost naked body.


    He pulled off his own shirt and leaned back down to kiss her on the lips once more, this time feeling her skin press against his.


    Rayne also felt his muscular chest press against her, sending her to the clouds.


    "Ah... Julian", she continued to moan. Her body craved his touch more and more with every passing moment.


    He continued to kiss her, his tongue invading her mouth. While he was kissing her, one of his hands made its way south between her legs.


    "Ah!", she moaned, gasping for air. She felt his fingers gently rubbing against her opening through the thin material of her panties.


    "Does it feel good?", he asked in a low voice. With his fingertips, he felt the wetness that was seeping through her panties.


    The wetness made him want to explore even more so he quickly slid the thin cloth to the side exposing her clit.


    As soon as his finger made contact, Rayne''s body reacted as if she was struck by lightning. The pleasure traveled through her entire body like electricity, melting her.


    "Oh fuck, oh fuck!", she gasped, never having expected such a deep pleasure from a simple touch.


    Her moans motivated Julian to continue and he continued to move his fingers around her entrance as he kissed her.


    Her body squirmed under his touch, trying to feel more and more of him. The combination of his fingers movements with his kisses sent her to the moon. All she could feel was the electricity running through her body.


    "God Rayne, you''re driving me crazy", he moaned. Just seeing how aroused she was made him gasp for air.


    Rayne arched her back, spreading her legs to give him a better angle.


    Julian took this opportunity to pull her panties off completely as they were only in the way. Bending over her, Julian moved down on the bed, kissing her all the way down her body.


    He kissed her inner thighs, while continuously working his fingers around and over her clit.


    Waves of pleasure pulsed through her body, signaling the oncoming orgasm. She got louder and louder with her moans and breathing.


    Julian took this opportunity to slip a finger inside, feeling the warm wetness.


    "Baby, you''re so wet. Fuck", he breathed. He loved how turned on she was, and eagerly anticipated her climax.


    It didn''t take long before he felt her body shudder as her insides tightened around his finger. She was so tight that he could feel her orgasm with his finger that was still inside of her.


    Rayne was in the clouds. Her body tensed as she climaxed, then melted enjoying the residual pleasure.


    Julian softly removed his finger and climbed up next to her. As badly as he wanted to take her there and now, he knew that he would get to taste her many times in the future and decided not to rush things.

 Chapter 153 - 153: Farmhouse Farewell

    (A/N: Thank you to Mindless_Reader for all of your support! This chapter is dedicated to you!)


    Julian moved up to lie beside Rayne, positioning her so that she was lying on his chest with his arm around her.


    The softness of her skin on top of him felt like heaven.


    As Rayne lay on his chest, she listened to his rapid heartbeat. She was surprised that he didn''t go all the way, but a part of her was happy that he decided to take things one step at a time.


    "Well, how was it?", he asked, smiling down at her as he played with her long golden hair.


    "I don''t even have words. Amazing? I didn''t know something like that could even happen", she replied.


    While she had experimented with pleasuring herself in the past, the feeling when Julian did it was night and day.


    "Good, this is only a little taste of what''s to come", he whispered and leaned over to kiss her again.


    Her lips were red and puffy from his passionate kisses, adding to her delicate appearance.


    "I love you", he said softly as he pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. He wished that time could stop so that they could stay like this forever.


    She ran her finger up and down his muscular chest then looked him in the eyes.


    "I never thought I would get so lucky", she lifted herself slightly to meet him face to face. Her eyes moved from his lips to his nose then up to meet his beautiful deep blue eyes.


    "Julian I love you", she said as she pressed her lips against his.


    They lay while cuddling with each other until Rayne fell asleep. Her body felt relaxed and light as a feather, putting her to sleep very quickly.


    Julian watched as the most important person in his life fell asleep in his arms, giving him a feeling he would never be able to put into words.


    He lay there in the darkness for a while longer listening to her soft breathing before finally falling asleep.


    The next morning they both woke up later than usual. Rayne was nestled up against him, basking in his warmth.


    "Good morning beautiful", he said after seeing her open her eyes.


    "Morning babe!", she said happily and leaned so that she was on top of him.


    Her new position gave Julian a perfect view of her beautiful breasts, sending all of his blood to a certain part of his body.


    Julian sat up to hug her, "You don''t even know what you''re doing to me do you?".


    In this new position, Rayne clearly felt a certain hardness in his pants that was pushing against her abdomen.


    She blushed slightly and placed her arms around his neck, leaning in to kiss him.


    After the kiss, she quickly got off the bed and ran downstairs to take another shower, leaving Julian alone in the bed. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He laughed, shaking his head. "Who knew you could be such a tease?" he said out loud, then slowly got out of bed to get dressed.


    While Rayne was showering, he walked around to turn on the space heaters in the living room and the driver''s cabin, quickly heating up the interior of the RV.


    Rayne finally finished showering and came out of the bathroom fully dressed. If everything went according to plan, they were going to make their way back to the base today.


    "Could you check to see if Jonah is ready to head out? I want to stock the RV with more things so it''s more believable when I pull things out of my system," Rayne said.


    Jonah would be traveling back with them, so she would have to be more mindful when using her system. She wanted to take advantage of the situation and stock the fridge/freezer and shelves with various supplies before Jonah joined them.


    Julian quickly agreed and left the RV to find Jonah inside the farmhouse.


    About 15 minutes later, Julian, Jonah, Fred, and Rita walked out of the farmhouse. Rayne walked out of the RV to join them in saying goodbye.


    "I pray that you have a safe trip back home. You''re welcome back here anytime!" Fred said, giving Julian a pat on the shoulder.


    Rita walked over to Rayne and handed her two large glass jars and a small box. "Here is a small something from all of us here. These are two large jars of fresh milk, and inside this small box is a roll of freshly made butter."


    Rayne quickly accepted these precious gifts with a big smile. "Thank you so much. We will enjoy these products on the journey home!"


    After saying another round of goodbyes, Rayne, Julian, and Jonah entered the RV. Fred and Rita stayed on the porch, waving goodbye to the moving RV.


    Rayne pulled down the window and yelled, "Take a look around town! We found that there are still a lot of good supplies in some of the stores!"


    After saying her piece, she closed the window, and the RV drove out, down the long driveway.


    Fred and Rita looked at each other, slightly confused by Rayne''s words. They had combed through the small town when they first established this small community and already gathered all of the usable items.


    "Maybe it''s worth checking again? I don''t think she would say that without good reason," suggested Rita.


    Fred also wasn''t sure what they could have missed but agreed with Rita.


    "Okay, I''ll lead a small group out later today to take a look," he said. They walked back inside to get ready for the rest of today''s daily tasks.


    That afternoon, Fred chose two other men and went into town. The first few houses they entered were empty, as they remembered.


    "Leader, are you sure there are things we missed? So far, everything looks picked clean," said one of the men. He had just gone through another house and came out empty-handed, just like with the previous houses.


    Fred frowned. "Alright. Let''s just check the store across the street. If we don''t find anything there, we''ll call it and head back."


    He wasn''t sure why Rayne would lie about finding supplies, but so far, every place they checked was empty.


    They made their way across the street to the old corner store. Fred was the first person to walk inside, and when he did, he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    All of the shelves were filled to the brim with items. There were canned goods, water bottles, dry goods, and pantry staples.

 Chapter 154 - 154: Brought to Tears

    The three of them were frozen in shock for a moment. Fred turned to look at one of the men. "Quickly, go back and get more people out here. Bring some of the carts!"


    A few minutes later, the man returned with a whole group of people. Working together, they quickly transported all of the items from the store back to the farmhouse.


    Everyone had joyful expressions as they looked at the large amount of food that was quickly piling up in the farmhouse''s food cellar.


    After they finished clearing out the entire corner store, Fred led everyone to comb through town to see if there were any more supplies.


    "Leader! The home goods store over there has many items!" yelled one of the residents.


    Fred quickly made his way over with the rest of the group. As he entered, he could hardly believe it. There were shelves upon shelves of much-needed home goods.


    "Hurry! Begin loading the carts to transport these items! Careful not to break anything!" Fred called out.


    People quickly got to work, loading carts full of supplies and hauling them back to the farmhouse. From there, they would distribute the goods among themselves. There were more than enough supplies to go around, so everyone looked forward to using the new blankets and other items.


    Fred finally made his way to the back of the store where the massive piles of clothes were. He stopped trying to think about where all these items had come from because no matter how much he racked his brain, no logical answer came to mind.


    Most of the clothing was geared toward cold weather and was currently much needed. Most of the newcomers only had the clothes on their backs, so these clothes would really benefit them a lot.


    Rita walked over and began sorting through the clothing, noticing the children''s clothes. There were a few new children that had come over with the refugees, and her heart broke seeing them dressed in dirty, torn clothing.


    Now she would be able to dress them neatly and warmly. The shoes were also a huge hit, especially since they were mostly boots.


    Before Fred had the chance to clear out the store, a young man from the community ran up to find him.


    "Leader, you won''t believe it. We found generators in the hardware store!" he said, catching his breath.


    "What! You''re joking, right?" Fred asked with shaking hands.


    The thing that the community needed most right now was generators. They had plenty of fuel stocked up from the few local gas stations, but after their attempt to repair the last generator failed, they had lost hope of having one in the future.


    Fred quickly ran over to the hardware store to see if it was true. As soon as he entered, his hands began to shake, and tears welled up in his eyes.


    "God! Thank you!" he cried out.


    His eyes took in the sight of various equipment, tools, gardening supplies, and generators. All of these items were priceless resources that could change their way of living for the better.


    He went over to touch some of the tools to make sure he wasn''t dreaming. When his hand touched the first generator and felt the cold metal, he couldn''t hold it in any longer and broke down crying.


    These generators could provide the much-needed electricity to run many of their farming and animal tools and equipment. They could heat the nursery to hatch more chicks, among many other things.


    The few others who were in the hardware store with him also cried after seeing Fred''s emotional outburst.


    A few minutes later, Fred finally turned to begin organizing the transportation of the goods out of the store.


    That night, everyone on the ranch slept peacefully, under new warm blankets and with hope for the future.


    ---


    At the bunker:


    Ian and Noah were sitting at the dining room table, eating dinner while discussing the information that Deondre had come back with.


    "There''s no doubt about it. Damien''s men were there and managed to catch Ivan and the rest off guard," said Ian angrily.


    Before Deondre set off to scout for information, Ian had remained hopeful that Ivan was still alive.


    So when the news came back that they had all been found dead in their initial scouting positions, Ian felt frustrated, sad, and angry.


    The members of Alpha Team were like family to him, and knowing that they were all wiped out pained him.


    Noah listened to his brother as he presented the findings of the investigation. Although Noah usually handled the REN Corporation side of things for Julian, he had a sharp mind and a unique perspective.


    "What bothers me about all of this is that Jess was never found. This really only leaves a few logical explanations for her absence," he said quietly.


    Ian didn''t need him to explain any further, as he understood the underlying message.


    "You think Jess betrayed us?" Ian asked.


    Noah placed his fork down and looked up at his older brother. "I''m not sure I want to go as far as saying that''s what I think. However, I do believe it''s an idea we need to entertain, as it poses great consequences."


    Ian quietly lowered his head to think for a moment. If Jess truly did betray them, that would mean this bunker was a ticking time bomb. She could easily disclose the whereabouts of the bunker, and they could get swarmed with Damien''s men at any moment.


    Ian looked up at Noah with a sharp expression. "We need to start making plans to move out. This place is no longer safe." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah stood up and sighed. "We also need to ensure nothing like this could happen in the future. I''ll send Julian a message to update him on what Deondre discovered, as well as our speculations."


    Ian continued to sit at the dinner table for a while longer.


    "For fuck''s sake," he finally yelled out, smashing his fist down on the table. If Jess truly did betray them, this oversight would be on him to take the blame. As the de facto leader of Alpha Team, Jess was technically his direct subordinate.

 Chapter 155 - 155: Promoted

    At Damien''s Base


    Dillon was quietly getting dressed to finally meet with the higher-ups, while Krissy and Jess were busy pretending to be the best of friends.


    "Ah, Jess, that dress looks so good on you! It''s like it was made for you," said Krissy in a fake, high-pitched voice.


    Jess didn''t reply but smiled in response. She didn''t understand why Dillon would still keep Krissy around now that he had her, but these last few days spent with Dillon had taught her that he hated nagging. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Krissy absolutely loathed Jess in every possible way. She couldn''t stand how, no matter what she did or said, Jess wouldn''t lose her rationality like she wanted.


    She kept trying to get under Jess''s skin so that Jess would finally have a huge outburst and yell at her or even fight her, so that she could run to Dillon and show him how abusive Jess was.


    But no matter how many times she tried, Jess simply smiled at her, totally unaffected.


    "Jess, you must tell me what you do to work your glutes out like that. Dillon loves smacking my ass--", Krissy continued until she was finally got cut off.


    "Can you just shut up for two minutes?!" Dillon finally snapped. Ever since Jess moved in, Krissy couldn''t seem to stop talking. Her high-pitched voice was ear-grating, and he was close to losing his patience with her.


    Krissy quickly clammed up, tears welling up in her eyes. Jess simply rolled her eyes at Krissy''s pathetic look. She was happy to finally have some peace and quiet.


    Jess stood up as Dillon finished getting ready and walked over to adjust the collar of his button-up shirt.


    "You look so sexy," she leaned over and purred in his ear.


    She knew that he had been called for an important meeting with the higher-ups, so she gave him a small kiss on the cheek and walked him to the door.


    Dillon glanced down at her. "Wait for me, I''ll be back soon." Then he walked out of the room and down to the lower floors.


    Jess smiled; that was his way of saying that he would be bedding her later.


    After the door closed, Krissy could no longer keep it in. "You bitch! You vixen! Dillon is my man!".


    Jess just turned to ignore her. Krissy would begin to scream and yell anytime the two of them were alone together.


    "Go spend some time with your girlies. I need to prepare for later, so please excuse me," said Jess as she walked toward the bathroom.


    ---


    Dillon finally arrived in front of the door to the designated meeting room and gently knocked.


    "Come in," a cold voice sounded from inside.


    Dillon entered and noticed two men. One of them was the scholarly man who had led the last meeting he attended, and the other man was the one who appeared to be asleep the whole time.


    "Ah, Dillon, you''re here. Let me finally introduce myself. I''m Tristan, and this is--"


    "My name is Damien," the other man cut in.


    Dillon bowed respectfully. While he wasn''t sure where exactly these two stood in the hierarchy of the organization, he knew they were leagues above him in status.


    "It''s a pleasure to be here," replied Dillon.


    Tristan adjusted his glasses and got to the point. "We called you here today because your recent contributions have warranted attention. We are officially promoting you to the inner circle."


    Dillon''s heart raced at these words. He had suspected that they would promote him, but he never expected he would be added to the inner circle!


    This meant that he would no longer be considered a "small-time" leader.


    Damien watched as Dillon''s face lit up at the news.


    "Along with this promotion, we''d like to offer you a reward. Is there anything you''d like?" Damien chimed in.


    A shiver went down Dillon''s back as the words he''d been dying to hear were finally spoken. He straightened his back and looked at the two men.


    "There''s a woman I''ve been looking for. I want her," he said with a certain dangerous glint in his eyes.


    Tristan sighed internally. "Are you sure? You could ask for a car, a new room, endless food or resources... anything, really."


    Dillon shook his head. "Yes, sir. She is absolutely the reward I want."


    Damien smiled, seeing the dark look in Dillon''s eyes. "Well, now I''m curious. What kind of woman is worth more than living like a king?"


    "Her name is Rayne Weston. She was my fianc¨¦e before the disasters. She has long blonde hair and is incredibly beautiful," said Dillon.


    Simply describing her to them got him excited. Finally, he would soon get to taste her himself. He swore to himself that he would keep her busy in bed for days on end.


    "How do you know that she''s still alive?" asked Tristan, jotting everything down in his notebook.


    "Oh, she has to be. Let''s call it intuition," replied Dillon. He knew she was alive¡ªshe didn''t have his permission to die.


    Tristan finished writing down her detailed description and last known location. "Very well. I will send out my personal team to begin the search."


    "When you find her, bring her over. I''m interested in meeting her. I''m curious if she''s truly as beautiful as you described her," laughed Damien.


    Dillon smiled, licking his lips. "Of course."


    Tristan then moved on to the next topic.


    "Since you are in the inner circle now, we want to shift you over to a new task. We have reason to believe that the CEO of REN Corporation is still alive, and we need to know where he''s hiding."


    He opened his notebook and looked down.


    "You will be assigned the task of slowly infiltrating the government base to gather information on his whereabouts. You will be reporting monthly with any useful information."


    Dillon bowed once more, accepting his new job. He now had access to many more resources and people, so this new role was very doable.


    After discussing the finer details, Dillon left the meeting room and made his way back to his room.


    "Ah, my sweet Rayne. You''ll be in my arms soon," he said as he walked. He could hardly contain his excitement.

 Chapter 156 - 156: Your Own Base

    Inside the RV


    Jonah took a seat on the couch, marveling at the luxurious interior of the RV. It was his first time seeing something this grand. He had gone camping in the past and had even used a common type of pop-out camper, but this RV was nicer than the apartment he lived in.


    Rayne walked over. "Feel free to take whatever you need. The fridge is fully stocked, and I left you some clothes in the bathroom if you want to take a shower. I''m not sure if they''re your exact size, but they''re all unused."


    "Ah¡­ Thank you!" he said shyly. It felt less like they were traveling through the apocalypse and more like he had joined a famous band on their tour bus.


    Before leaving, Rayne pointed to a small shelf near the couch. "There are a few different kinds of books over there. I''m not sure if you''re someone who likes to read, but the journey back will be a few days long."


    Jonah nodded and went over to look at what kind of books were available, opening a cabinet to see over 50 different types of books!


    These guys must be very capable. They have so many resources and good things. I need to get on their good side.


    Rayne went back to join Julian in the driver''s cabin.


    "Is he settling in okay?" asked Julian.


    "Yeah, I think he''s okay. He seems a little shy, so I''m giving him some space to get used to the place first," Rayne smiled.


    She sat down in the passenger seat and placed her hand on Julian''s thigh as he drove.


    "I got a message from Noah just now," he said in a low voice. Rayne looked over at him curiously, waiting for him to continue.


    "Ivan''s whole team was found dead, and Jess is missing. Ian and Noah suspect that Jess jumped ship and joined Damien''s faction," Julian said, his voice still low.


    Rayne gasped. If Jess truly did betray them... "The bunker?!" she called out.


    Julian nodded. "Yes, the bunker is most likely no longer safe. I just hope we make it back soon enough to give Jonah enough time to run his tests on the red substance before we need to run." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne sat in silence, lost in thought. Having that bunker was a peace of mind for her. It was a small safe haven, and now that it could potentially be lost, she felt a little lost.


    "What do we do? Can we fight them?" she asked Julian.


    He shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don''t have the manpower to go head-to-head with him. Even before the apocalypse started, Damien''s side had many more people. I can only imagine that he managed to recruit even more."


    "So the goal really is to find out where Damien is hiding and take care of him directly..." she said quietly.


    Julian hummed in response. Damien was the biggest thorn in his side, and he was only getting stronger.


    He knew that he couldn''t hide forever and that Damien was most likely already planting spies all over, looking for him.


    Julian looked over at Rayne. Her beautiful face was now slightly furrowed as she was still lost in thought. He thought she looked incredibly adorable.


    "How do you feel about creating your own base?" he asked, snapping Rayne out of her thoughts.


    "Me? What do you mean?" she asked, surprised. She had never considered starting her own base.


    Julian smiled. "Aren''t you the perfect person to do so? We could secure a large warehouse, fill it with supplies, strengthen our people, and give them hope for the future."


    Once their base was compromised, they would most likely head over to the government base. Julian wasn''t sure how long the government base would hold out if Damien decided to take over one day, so making their own might not be a bad idea.


    Rayne''s mind raced. She had access to infinite resources, so being able to support a large population was not a problem. She had many different campers, RVs, building materials, and tools... so building something was also within reason.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at Julian. "I think that idea is very possible! We just need to find a suitable location!"


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I think it would be helpful to everyone around. We can start planning things out, but this won''t be an overnight project, so don''t feel rushed."


    Something this big required a lot of pre-planning, and as an architect, Rayne understood this very well.


    "If we could find excavators and heavy machinery, I''ll need to copy them into my system," she said, then continued to brainstorm good location ideas.


    Having access to electricity would be important, so positioning in a place near a water generator or something similar would be ideal.


    Julian listened to all of her ideas while presenting some of his own. They were so lost in thought that it was already late into the night when Rayne''s stomach growled, bringing her back to reality.


    When she finally realized how late it was, she quickly jumped out of her seat! She had completely forgotten about Jonah!


    She walked back into the living room area and found Jonah engrossed in a book.


    "Hey, sorry! Are you hungry? I''m about to make some food," she said, feeling guilty.


    Jonah looked up from his book with wide eyes. "Food? You guys eat more than once a day?" he asked, shocked.


    Rayne froze, then couldn''t help but laugh helplessly. "Yes, we usually eat all three meals unless something comes up. Is there anything you''re allergic to? Or any restrictions?"


    Jonah couldn''t believe his ears! To be able to eat three meals a day was something he hadn''t hoped for!


    "No! I can and will eat anything!" he said quickly. He used to be a picky eater, but after not being able to eat for weeks, all of that went out the window. He even felt that mushrooms were a delicacy, and he used to avoid them like the plague.


    Rayne nodded and stepped into the kitchen. She waited until Jonah went back to reading his book before she opened the fridge to see what she could make.


    After looking at the ingredients, she decided to make chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, and a side salad.

 Chapter 157 - 157: Snowfall

    She dug around the refrigerator to take out a few items while removing ingredients, like the chicken, from her system.


    She felt the RV come to a stop, and Julian came out of the driver''s cabin, stretching his arms. "It''s already late, so I found a good spot to spend the night."


    He sat down and chatted with Jonah while Rayne was cooking in the kitchen. The kitchen area was tight, so she was much more comfortable handling things by herself.


    A short while later, Rayne placed three plates on the table. Each plate had a beautiful, golden breaded chicken cutlet, a generous scoop of mashed potatoes, and a side salad with a variety of vegetables.


    Jonah couldn''t believe his eyes! He half-expected a packet of crackers or watered-down soup, like he had at the ranch.


    He looked down at his plate, unable to bring himself to eat something this delectable.


    "Is something wrong? Do you not like it?" asked Rayne. She was worried since he was the only one who hadn''t touched his food yet.


    Jonah snapped out of his trance, emotions welling up inside of him. "No, this is more than good. It''s so good that I''m having a hard time eating it."


    Julian smiled and nodded. "Don''t worry. Eat up, there''s more where that came from. If you stick with us, we''ll take care of you."


    Jonah finally picked up his fork and began to eat. The wonderful flavors burst in his mouth as he ate like it was his last meal, licking the plate clean.


    Rayne noticed his actions and got up to bring a plate of more chicken and mashed potatoes over to the table. Having been used to cooking for hungry grown men, she knew that cooking extras would never hurt.


    "Here, help yourself to more if you''d like," she said, placing the food on the table. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jonah quickly loaded his plate up with more food, digging in right away.


    Julian also went in for seconds while Rayne was still working on her first course. The room turned silent once more, with only the occasional sound of cutlery touching a plate.


    After dinner, Julian did the honors of washing the dishes and cleaning up while Rayne went upstairs to pretend to retrieve more bedding from the closet.


    "This sofa works as a pull-out bed. Here are some clean bedding and blankets. We''re going to head to bed, so let us know if there''s anything you need before we head up," said Rayne, placing all of the bedding on the sofa.


    Jonah looked at the soft bedding and pillows, running his hand over them. He could tell that these were all high-quality items that he didn''t even have before the disasters began.


    "No, this is all more than enough. I will take a quick shower and also head to bed," he said very gratefully.


    Rayne hummed and climbed upstairs to get ready for bed. Julian finished washing the dishes and also went up after bidding Jonah goodnight.


    As he made it into their bedroom, the sight of Rayne in her cute pajamas made his blood rush, but he restrained himself, knowing that Jonah would probably not enjoy it if they indulged themselves.


    Rayne noticed his heated gaze and something trying its best to poke through his pants. She motioned for him to join her in bed, giggling.


    She didn''t need to ask him twice, as Julian quickly got in and placed his lips on top of hers, giving her a deep kiss.


    "Hehe, you need to be good!" she giggled quietly.


    "How can you expect me to be good when you''re this sexy and adorable?" he asked jokingly.


    After kissing her a few more times, he pulled her into his embrace so that they could fall asleep.


    At first, Rayne thought she would have trouble sleeping with Jonah in the RV with them, but after Julian pulled her into his arms, she found that she felt very safe, quickly falling asleep.


    Downstairs, Jonah also quickly fell asleep after rinsing off in the shower. The soft bedding and the large amount of food he had just consumed put him to sleep almost immediately.


    Julian stayed up for a little while, ensuring that everything was safe until he finally fell asleep as well.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up as usual, wrapped up in Julian''s arms. After snuggling for a few minutes, they both got out of bed and got changed.


    As they came downstairs, the first thing Rayne noticed was light snow falling outside.


    "Oh! It''s snowing!" she announced and walked over to the window.


    Jonah, who was already awake, greeted them and walked over. "Yeah, it just started, maybe twenty minutes ago."


    Julian sat down at the table. "Well, let''s just hope we make it back before it causes any delays on the road."


    Rayne agreed, walking over to the kitchen to make breakfast.


    She made a simple breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast with coffee, quickly filling the room with a pleasant aroma.


    Jonah, much like yesterday, inhaled the food, saying it was the best thing he had ever had.


    After breakfast, they quickly got back to driving. Rayne volunteered to drive for a bit while the snow was still just falling, but a few hours later, the roads quickly became difficult to navigate.


    "Let me drive, you''ve been driving all morning," said Julian. He noticed how tense she was driving with all the snow on the ground.


    Rayne gratefully accepted his offer and parked the RV so that she could swap seats with Julian.


    Thankfully, the snow was still low enough that Julian was able to continue driving, but their pace slowed down significantly.


    Jonah turned out to be a real book nerd and engrossed himself in the various books that Rayne had casually laid out in the cabinet.


    For lunch, Rayne made a simple turkey sandwich for everyone, and thankfully Jonah didn''t bother asking where she got the fresh turkey breast.


    "Ah, thank you, babe," said Julian as Rayne handed him his sandwich. He was still driving but managed to eat the sandwich one-handed.


    This time, they drove the long way around because they knew that the tunnel pass through the mountains was blocked, and there would be no way of explaining how they managed to move the RV through.

 Chapter 158 - 158: Research Begins

    While the road around the mountains was much longer, it was also a lot less dangerous. Aside from the snow, which was now starting to become a small problem, they didn''t run into any cannibal cults or bandits. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne spent most of her time in the driver''s cabin with Julian, while Jonah was engrossed in reading.


    They mainly all met together during mealtimes, where Jonah would slowly tell them about his experience during the initial earthquakes.


    Rayne felt that Jonah was a decent guy and was more comfortable around him than she had been before, making the journey overall more pleasant.


    It took them four whole days to make it back to the valley where the bunker was located.


    Julian parked the RV on the side of the highway that was adjacent to the forest where the bunker was located.


    Noah and Ian scouted the surrounding area regularly, ensuring that Damien''s men weren''t lying in ambush, and updated Julian on the situation.


    Before they got off, Julian sat down with Jonah to begin the oath-taking process. If Jonah was going to stick around with them and even visit the bunker, Julian needed to make sure he was officially part of their team.


    Jonah was a little nervous but happily accepted and took the oath, swearing loyalty and secrecy. These last few days he had spent with the couple had been refreshing, to say the least.


    All of his needs were met, and he even got to watch TV shows! He could tell that there were many benefits to joining up with them. Rayne and Julian were also very kind people; they went out of their way to save him from the gang and settle him into a new home.


    He had no regrets about joining their team and swore to work hard for them in the future.


    "So from here, we''re going to need to go on foot," said Julian, peering out of the window.


    Rayne walked over. "We do have two snowmobiles. Are you comfortable driving one of them?"


    Jonah nodded. "Yes, I''ve gone snowmobiling in the past. I should be able to handle it."


    "Okay, great. Then you will ride one, and I''ll ride with Julian. Just follow us and try not to hit any trees on the way," said Rayne.


    They bundled up as best as they could and met Rayne outside, who had already taken the snowmobiles out of a storage compartment on the RV.


    If Jonah looked closely, he would realize that the storage compartment wasn''t large enough to fit two snowmobiles, but thankfully he was too focused on the snowmobiles themselves to think it through.


    The snow was already knee-deep, so walking through the forest would have been very difficult.


    After Rayne climbed to sit behind Julian, placing her arms around his waist, the three of them drove off into the forest.


    The snowmobiles were the most recent models and were very easy to use. They quickly made their way through the dense forest, weaving through the large evergreen trees.


    A while later, they finally approached the area where the bunker was located. But just as they got close, a big group of hooded figures jumped down from the trees.


    "Stand down," Julian said, lifting his head.


    The hooded figures quickly raised their arms to their chests to salute him. "Boss!" These men were all that remained of Alpha Team and were currently monitoring the perimeter of the bunker, keeping an eye out for Damien''s men.


    Jonah was a little startled by the sight but stayed quiet, watching as they respectfully addressed Julian as "boss."


    Rayne got off the snowmobile and led Jonah inside, telling him to leave the keys in the ignition of the snowmobile. She knew that Julian would ask the members of Alpha Team to use these snowmobiles to patrol the forest and create false tracks in the snow to delay the inevitable discovery of the bunker.


    Rayne entered the much-missed bunker, greeting Noah and Ian as she entered.


    "Ms. Weston, welcome back," greeted Noah. He turned to Jonah and smiled. "You must be Jonah. Welcome. Unfortunately, time is of the essence right now, and we can''t afford a proper introduction."


    Ian simply gave his signature curt nod as a greeting and walked outside to meet with Julian.


    Rayne turned to Jonah. "Let me bring you down to the lab so that you can get started." Figuring out the substance was currently the highest priority.


    Rayne led him down to the lower levels, pointing out any points of interest along the way. When they finally made their way into the lab, Jonah couldn''t help himself and let out an astonished gasp!


    "Such an advanced laboratory! I thought I would be given a simple microscope and that''d be it!" he said happily.


    While the lab was not chemistry-oriented, it still contained most of the basic equipment that Jonah required for his testing.


    Rayne pulled a vial of the red substance out of her pocket and passed it over to Jonah. "Feel free to use anything you need in this lab. If there''s something you require, don''t hesitate to ask. I can''t guarantee we can provide everything, but we will do our best."


    Jonah accepted the bottle and quickly got to work after putting on some protective lab gear. Rayne took the time to slip out to the kitchen so that she could prepare more hot meals before they lost access to the bunker.


    After a while, Julian finally came down from his meeting with Noah and Ian.


    "We decided that we will begin making preparations to move out. I was hoping I could enlist your help with storing all of the sensitive items, such as the high-tech weapons and prototypes," said Julian. He placed his arms around her and kissed her gently on the forehead.


    Rayne could feel his exhaustion and defeat from having to move out and abandon this bunker. She hugged him back, trying to comfort him silently.


    "It''ll be okay. Don''t worry, I plan on storing everything. Damien won''t get his hands on a single crumb from this place," she whispered.


    Julian kept her company for a while longer, sampling all of the freshly cut fruit she was preparing before setting off to the lab to check on Jonah.


    That night, Rayne prepared a scrumptious dinner for everyone, even sending some over to the Alpha Team dining room for them to enjoy.


    She made a delicious, from-scratch lasagna with garlic bread and a fresh garden salad. Julian came up with an elaborate story about how they helped out an old farmer couple in the mountains, who rewarded them with a load of fresh fruits and vegetables they grew in their greenhouse.


    Thankfully, everyone bought the story, even complimenting Rayne and Julian on their heroism. Rayne could hardly keep it together and spent the entire time with her face pointed downwards so that she wouldn''t give it away.

 Chapter 159 - 159: The Red Substance

    After dinner, everyone returned to their jobs to maximize their time and efficiency while they still had access to the resources within the bunker.


    Noah focused on settling and preparing the logistics of moving to the government base, while Ian took care of security and matters related to Alpha Team.


    Jonah was busy in the lab, while Rayne busied herself in the kitchen. Everyone worked late into the night, only going to bed well after midnight.


    The next morning, Rayne woke up and found Jonah already in the lab, continuing his research from yesterday.


    "Hey. Have you discovered anything?" she asked after greeting him.


    "Well, there''s one thing I know for sure¡ªit''s a drug. I''m still trying to figure out what it does exactly," he replied, yawning.


    "Okay. I''ll bring you a coffee and some breakfast in a little bit. Thank you for your hard work," she smiled.


    After breakfast, Rayne continued working in the kitchen until Julian approached her. "Some of our scouts that were positioned in the city have reported sightings of Damien''s men. We can''t be sure they''re headed here, but we need to be ready."


    Rayne understood his underlying meaning. Today, she would need to go around and store as many things as she could into her system.


    "Okay, let me finish up here and I''ll come find you in a few minutes," she said, and turned to finish cooking.


    About twenty minutes later, she walked into Julian''s room and saw him laying out various weapons and parts on the table and floor.


    "Hey! So these are the most important items that I have. They are all the latest weapons that my company developed," said Julian, motioning to all of the items laying on the table.


    Rayne looked at all the high-tech-looking weapons with interest. Most of the weapons were guns, while some were cold weapons like knives and daggers.


    She couldn''t tell what was different about them from a simple glance, but she believed that whatever REN Corporation developed was extraordinary.


    She quickly stored everything, leaving behind only empty spaces. "Is there anything else you want me to store? Personal items? Clothes?" she asked Julian, looking around.


    Julian brought over a large plastic bin. "If you store this, will it store the items inside?"


    "Yes!" Rayne smiled. It was a handy feature that allowed her to get her hands on the red substance.


    She placed her hand on the bin and gave the mental command to store it. Within a blink of an eye, the bin vanished from sight.


    Rayne made her way around the room, storing the rest of the furniture that she had laid out for Julian, bringing back that cold, prison-like environment. She stored everything except for his bed.


    After finishing, she turned to leave. "I''m going to go store everything in my room since I''m staying with you anyway." Her cheeks flushed at her own words, but this was the reality. Last night, Julian wouldn''t let her sleep in her room, saying he wouldn''t be able to sleep if she wasn''t with him.


    "Sure, I''ll go tell Noah and Ian to pack their belongings in a bin so that you can store those later," replied Julian and left the room.


    Rayne quickly ran around her old room, storing everything. Even if it was a used bar of soap, she still stored it. She wasn''t going to leave anything behind for Damien''s men to use!


    After cleaning out her room, she made her way over to the kitchen, cleaning out all of the empty rooms on the way there.


    In the kitchen, she began storing the pantry items, pots, pans, utensils, and anything else she could get her hands on.


    Julian had already made an announcement that they were cleaning out the communal areas, so it wouldn''t seem strange if things were missing.


    By the time she finished, only the very large items, such as the refrigerator, were left. She kept these out in case someone wanted to cook something from now until they left. Julian planned to leave as soon as Jonah finished his research, which Rayne prayed would be soon.


    They lived very simply, only using basic items for two more days until Jonah finally made progress with the red substance.


    Julian called over Rayne, Noah, and Ian into a conference room on the upper level. It was Rayne''s first time there, and she took a seat beside Julian.


    Once everyone gathered, Julian turned to Jonah to present his findings on the red substance.


    "So from my tests, I''ve managed to gather that this red substance is indeed a drug meant for human consumption. I won''t get into technical details, but it basically alters the body to dull pain receptors to a very high degree, as well as increase blood circulation to give the illusion of more energy and greater strength," announced Jonah.


    Everyone listened quietly, trying to digest the new information. Rayne remembered the leader of the Blood Skulls and how difficult it was for her to break out of his grip, no matter how hard she tried.


    "Prolonged usage of this drug can synthetically alter the cellular structure of muscles, growing them artificially. This drug, however, has big downsides. First and foremost is that it''s completely irreversible¡ªonce you take it, there''s no way you can ever get it out of your system.


    Second, the drug can cause user dependency. It acts similar to caffeine in this regard, but widens the blood vessels instead of shrinking them. If a user doesn''t take the substance regularly, they begin to feel withdrawal symptoms such as aches, headaches, nausea, and increased irritability."


    The room went silent until Julian finally looked up. "So Damien is trying to build an army of altered humans. He''s trying to build numbers right now so that he can easily take over and establish himself as the leader.


    What Julian couldn''t figure out was if Damien somehow knew about the apocalypse happening ahead of time. He glanced over at Rayne. If he hadn''t met her, he wouldn''t even entertain this thought, but the reality was that anything was possible. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We will begin our move to the government base tomorrow," Julian finally said.

 Chapter 160 - 160: Leaving the Bunker

    The next morning, everyone woke up early to prepare to move their things over. Julian instructed that only the most important and personal items should be moved. He also ordered everyone to place their bins of important items in the communal dining room for "transport" purposes.


    In reality, Rayne simply stored everyone''s bins, marking which bin belonged to whom on her system panel.


    Julian made plans for everyone to move to the base in waves to avoid attracting too much attention.


    Rayne filled backpacks with food supplies so that everyone would have enough to pay the registration fees.


    After Rayne finished her tasks of storing everything, the bunker was left completely empty.


    Everyone was told to wait on the upper level by the exit so they wouldn''t discover that everything, including the stove and refrigerator, was missing.


    Noah broke everyone up into smaller teams and sent the first group to the government base. The first few teams were made up of Alpha Team members who traveled via the bunker''s jeeps.


    Julian told Noah and Ian to include Jonah on their team and that they should take the RV to the base. The RV would attract a lot of attention, so Julian felt it was best to let Ian and Noah handle it.


    Lastly, Rayne and Julian would arrive together. Since they were already registered residents, they wouldn''t have to wait in the registration lines like the rest of the team.


    They spaced the teams a few hours apart so Noah and Ian''s team would only arrive in the evening. Rayne and Julian waited in the bunker until everyone was gone before they set off themselves.


    Rayne pulled out two more snowmobiles to make it easier for them to get out of the forest and onto the highway.


    Thankfully, the snowfall lightened up considerably, keeping it at knee height. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to drive to the government base.


    When they reached the spot where Julian had parked the RV, Rayne stored the snowmobiles and took out her SUV. Since they had been seen driving this vehicle, it would have been strange if they came back in a different one.


    Rayne''s SUV handled the snow much better than the RV, so driving to the base was a lot easier for them. As they approached, they spotted Noah and Ian in the luxury RV, waiting in the long line to enter the base.


    Rayne drove past the line and to the entrance for registered residents. The checkpoint guard asked to see their resident cards and allowed them to enter once their identities were verified. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they drove to the parking lot closest to their building, Rayne noticed that many of the tents were gone.


    "I hope they moved somewhere..." she mumbled. The other option was that these people had died, which seemed more likely.


    Julian didn''t reply and continued to drive quietly, silently giving her his opinion.


    "I hope Ella and her family are okay," Rayne said. She wasn''t sure how they had handled the cold snap and was worried they hadn''t had enough time to prepare.


    When Rayne and Julian finally made it back to their room, they were greeted by the sight of the Soto family comfortably sitting on their couch, watching a TV show.


    The interior was warm with multiple space heaters plugged in, and there wasn''t an ounce of tension in the atmosphere.


    "Hey! You''re back!" Ella shot up from the couch and ran toward Rayne.


    Reginald and his wife quickly stood up and nodded, greeting Rayne and Julian.


    "We''re sorry; we basically moved in here ever since you left. We were here the night of the temperature drop, which basically saved us!" Ella''s mother explained.


    She still felt guilty intruding on their home like this, but the situation wouldn''t allow them to move back.


    Ella and Reginald had tried going to the housing office a few times to purchase electricity for their unit, but every time they went, the housing office was closed.


    "It''s not a problem at all! I''m just happy you guys are safe! Feel free to stay as long as you need," said Rayne.


    Julian eyed Rayne for a second but quickly agreed. His desires could be put on hold for a while longer, as kicking them out would likely mean their death.


    Reginald thanked them, promising to move out as soon as they could get electricity in their unit.


    Julian also told Reginald that more people from his side were coming to the base, and they would set up a small hub here in the future. The men discussed future endeavors while Rayne and Ella caught up.


    "So, did you find who you were looking for?" asked Ella. She knew that Rayne and Julian had gone north in search of someone.


    "Yep! It was quite the adventure, but thankfully it all worked out in the end," Rayne smiled. She then proceeded to tell Ella a little about the things she had seen on her trip to the north.


    She avoided mentioning the really bad parts, like getting ambushed by cannibals or the situation with the bandit leader.


    "What about you guys? Anything happen here while we were gone?" asked Rayne.


    Ella looked at the floor. "Well, the night of the cold snap, many people froze to death. Most of the people who stayed in the tents ended up dying that night."


    Rayne frowned. "Did the base not finish building the dormitory building?" She was sure they would have finished by now.


    "They did, only a day too late. What are the odds?" said Ella. She also felt bad for everyone who hadn''t made it. "I heard that the base plans on making rounds soon to check on the people who were renting rooms."


    "That''s a good idea. As horrible as it is, it will at least open up housing for new people to move into. I remember when we moved in, this was the only unit available," said Rayne.


    One of the things she worried about was where everyone from the bunker would settle when they moved over, but if housing opened up, it wouldn''t be a problem to rent more rooms.

 Chapter 161 - 161: New Room

    After chatting for most of the evening, Rayne and Julian retired to their bedroom to go to bed.


    In the living room, Ella and her family set up the fold-out bed, as they had done previously, and went to sleep.


    The members of Alpha Team finished the registration process very late into the night and ended up sleeping in their vehicles.


    Noah, Ian, and Jonah were the last ones to register. It was well into the early hours when they finally parked the very eye-catching RV in a remote spot of the main parking lot.


    Thankfully, the majority of the people were still sleeping, so although they still received a lot of attention, it wasn''t as much as it could have been.


    The next morning, Rayne and Julian woke up early to see if the housing office was finally open.


    Reginald woke up after hearing Rayne and Julian get out of bed and asked if he could go with them to the housing office after they told him their plans.


    Unfortunately, when they got there, there was a sign on the door stating the office was closed but would be open tomorrow.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure what to do with everyone who came from the bunker," said Julian, frowning. He had hoped the housing office would be open so they could rent a few more rooms.


    Rayne thought about it for a minute, then an idea came to mind. "Hey! I have a place for them!" she chimed.


    Julian looked at her, wanting to hear her suggestion.


    "Next door! I''m sure the ''neighbors'' wouldn''t mind," she giggled.


    Julian smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "God, you''re so smart! Of course!" he said. Ever since that night when they ''kindly'' removed their neighbors, the unit next door had been left empty.


    Rayne and Julian split off from Reginald, as he wanted to check in on his place, and headed to the neighboring unit.


    Picking the lock was relatively easy due to the very standard doors and locks that were used during construction, and after a few minutes, the door swung open.


    The unit was mostly empty except for a few ripped-up blankets scattered all over the floor. Rayne looked around and quickly got to work, cleaning and disinfecting every surface of the unit.


    Julian took on the task of cleaning and sanitizing the bathroom, which had been used and abused since the time Rayne had gifted them the soup.


    Rayne was very grateful that Julian volunteered to take on that task, as she wanted to gag just looking at the toilet and the surrounding area.


    It took them over an hour to get everything clean, but after they finished, the apartment sparkled with a faint scent of lavender.


    "Now I can fill the space with furniture. Unfortunately, this unit doesn''t have electricity, so I''ll have to set up a few pellet stoves," said Rayne, quickly getting to work.


    The bonus of this unit was that it was a two-bedroom, unlike their own unit. This would help them out because they had a large group of people to settle in.


    Starting with the two bedrooms, Rayne planned to place two sets of bunk beds in the larger bedroom, making space for four people. The smaller bedroom would have two single beds, similar to the ones that Rayne and Julian had when they first moved in.


    Julian helped her put together one of the bunk bed frames so she could store them and make copies later. The frame was of good quality and made from solid wood, so setting it up was relatively straightforward.


    A few hours later, the first bedroom was finished. Rayne laid out a deep blue rug and placed the bunk beds on either side of the room.


    Although it ended up being a little tight, it was still acceptable and cozy. In the small space left on the wall by the door, she placed a wooden cabinet made from the same wood as the bunk bed frames.


    Since the people who would be staying in this room were males, she chose blues and greens as the accent colors. She laid out clean bedding along with pillows and blankets, ensuring that everyone would be comfortable.


    The last thing she placed in the room was a small pellet stove, positioning it directly under the window so she could route the exhaust pipe outside. She carefully insulated the rest of the window so that no cold air would blow in, then moved on to furnish the next room.


    This bedroom was smaller, so she decided to put two single beds inside. The process was faster because she simply used the already made bed frames that she and Julian had put together for themselves earlier.


    This time, she placed a neutral rug down and kept the color palette more natural in the room. She kept Noah and Ian in mind when designing this room because they would most likely be the ones staying here.


    Much like in the previous room, Rayne placed a pellet stove in this one as well. She also added a dresser and a large cabinet, giving the room more space for storage.


    "Hmm, this should be good," she mumbled, looking around to make sure she hadn''t missed anything.


    Before starting on the living room area, she held her breath as she walked into the bathroom. Thankfully, Julian had worked magic inside, cleaning it as if it were brand new.


    She left it fairly simple in the bathroom, only placing a shelf over the toilet that she filled with towels and bathing supplies, such as soaps, shampoos, washcloths, etc.


    The mirror was the type that opened into a small medicine cabinet, so she filled it with basic first aid supplies.


    Rayne finally made her way to the living room and quickly got to work. She placed a large, fluffy carpet, then went on to place a large sectional sofa and a few armchairs.


    The sofa was much too big for the space, making it look out of place, but for the number of people staying in the unit, she felt that it was important to have as much seating as possible.


    Keeping consistent with the bedrooms, she placed a pellet stove by the window, ensuring that none of the furniture would be in danger of getting caught on fire.


    There was a decent amount of free space on either side of the pellet stove, so she decided that this would be where they kept the pellets. She took out two metal trash bins and filled them with pellets.


    This would be enough to last them a very long time, and if they ever ran out, she could easily refill them.


    Next to the sectional, she chose a coffee table that had built-in storage, where she placed a few items meant for entertainment. She chose items like books, playing cards, and board games, along with notebooks, pens, and pencils.


    Stress relief was an important factor that she didn''t want to overlook, so lastly, she placed a tablet that had movies and shows on it.


    Although this unit did not have electricity now, they planned on purchasing it as soon as possible, so charging it would not be a problem.


    The second half of the main living space was dedicated to food and cooking. Much like most of the other units, this one did not have a dedicated kitchen space. Rayne decided to place a dining table large enough to seat everyone, taking up most of the space. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She placed multiple tall cabinets against the wall and began filling them with food, water, and cooking equipment.

 Chapter 162 - 162: Low Supplies

    The first cabinet was dedicated to water and other drinks, while the others were filled to the brim with canned foods, grains, and other commonly found non-perishable items.


    Rayne placed pots, pans, utensils, and dinnerware in the last cabinet, along with a camping gas cooktop and an electric cooktop.


    The last thing left to do was place the bins with everyone''s personal items. Since she wasn''t sure who exactly would be staying here, she decided to load up her SUV with everyone''s bins and have them go out to retrieve them from the car.


    This would create a story on how they transported them over, as well as provide everyone with their belongings. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Each member of Alpha Team carried a handgun and a combat knife, so Rayne didn''t need to worry about supplying weapons.


    "Okay. I think I''m done," she finally announced and took a seat on the sectional.


    Julian walked over, admiring the transformed interior. "It''s perfect. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this."


    He walked over to sit beside her, pulling her into his arms.


    Rayne looked over at him. "Are you upset that Ella and her family are staying with us?" She noticed his momentary reluctance when she told Ella that they could stay as long as they needed.


    "Upset? No. Eager to spend alone time with you? Very much so," he smiled and kissed her.


    There were so many things happening ever since they came back from their trip to the north that, although they slept in the same bed, he felt that they hardly got to spend any time together.


    Rayne looked at him and noticed the longing in his eyes. Leaning over, she placed her lips on top of his and kissed him.


    "I''m looking forward to it as well. Once everything settles down a little bit, how about we take some time and dedicate it to us?" she suggested.


    Julian kissed her gently a few times. "Yes, I think that''s a perfect idea." His male brain was torn in half at this thought. One part of him wanted to be romantic and spend time doing cute things with her, while the other part wanted to keep her busy in bed the whole time.


    Rayne saw his face change expressions a few times but wasn''t sure what they meant. Thinking that he just really wanted a break from all the hustle and bustle, she hugged him tightly.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll get a day off here soon. Let''s just get everyone settled so that we can spend our alone time worry-free in the future," she said.


    Julian knew that she misread him but decided not to correct her. Her analysis still applied to him, and he was happy to receive the physical attention.


    "Mhm, I know. We have the whole future ahead of us," he said, brushing a few strands of her hair with his fingers.


    They sat quietly together for a few minutes before they separated to go about their business. Rayne went back to hang out with Ella, while Julian went over to meet up with Noah and Ian to begin moving people into the apartment they just finished setting up.


    As soon as Rayne made it back, Ella ran up to her. "Rayneee! I''m starving! Can you make me something?"


    Rayne patted her friend on the back and smiled helplessly. "Haha, okay, okay. What would you like to eat?" asked Rayne.


    Ella placed a finger to her chin and thought carefully. "Hmm, something hot and delicious!" she finally called out, making Rayne laugh even more.


    "You did all that thinking only to come up with ''hot and delicious''," Rayne shook her head but walked over to the kitchen area.


    The first thing that came to mind was soup. It was easy to make, warming, and nourishing.


    Rayne quickly pulled out everything she needed from the cabinets and baskets around the small kitchen area.


    The soup was simple¡ªjust carrots, onions, potatoes, and a can of canned chicken. The noodles were dried egg noodles, and the soup came together very quickly.


    Rayne made enough for everyone to enjoy, and a few minutes later, only the sounds of slurping could be heard.


    "Tomorrow we will most likely move back home," said Ella. When Reginald came back from their apartment, he let them know that the housing office would be open tomorrow and that they could purchase electricity.


    "Okay, sounds good! Let me know if you need help moving or if you need additional heaters. We came back from the north with a big haul," said Rayne happily.


    She wished that she could break into their apartment right now and set it up much like she did with the neighboring one.


    Rayne looked over at Ella and promised to build them a warm, comfortable house one day when she finally established her own settlement.


    After the meal, the girls decided to go out and take a look at what was happening around the base.


    Ella wanted to check out the market to see if there were any new items. Rayne made sure to bundle up and gave Ella more clothing made from the nanofibers.


    Even after putting on multiple layers, Rayne still felt the freezing cold chilling her to the bone.


    Ella did a little dance to try and warm herself. "Let''s make this quick! I already want to turn around and run back inside!"


    Rayne very much agreed, and they quickly ran over to the main building on the base, where the market was located.


    As they made it up to the second floor, Rayne saw hundreds of people squeezed in together. Ella was also surprised to see so many people here.


    "I wonder why so many people are here," she said, loud enough for people around them to hear.


    "Ah, well, there are two main reasons. If you haven''t noticed, it''s warmer up here than anywhere else. Also, ever since the temperatures dropped, fewer people have been going out on missions, so supplies have dwindled significantly," said a middle-aged woman.


    Rayne squeezed through the crowd and noticed how empty all of the shelves were behind the chain-link fence.


    If things didn''t change soon, the whole base would face starvation. Compared to the ranch, things here were looking bleak.

 Chapter 163 - 163: Bunker Discovered

    Damien''s Base


    Dillon was sitting at a table with Ace and Cal, his two team leads, in his apartment.


    "We need to begin our mission to infiltrate the government base. Ace, you will take five men with you and begin to integrate yourself into the base," ordered Dillon.


    Ace bowed politely. "Yes, boss! We will set off tomorrow!"


    He already knew that he was going to be sent on this mission from a meeting with Dillon a few days ago, but it had been delayed due to the snowfall.


    Now that Dillon had been promoted to the very top, he also got to reap some of the benefits. Everyone on Dillon''s team had received a small promotion and now had access to many more supplies.


    Ace was now more motivated than ever to perform well in his duties and accepted the new mission with excitement.


    "I will take Cal for a slightly different mission, then meet up with you later," said Dillon. He wasn''t particularly excited to leave the comfort of Damien''s underground base, but it was something he couldn''t avoid.


    There was also the off chance he would run into Rayne there, and that was reason enough to venture out.


    After discussing a few more details, Ace left to make the final preparations before leading his team to the government base.


    As soon as Dillon was left alone, Jess walked over and wrapped her arms around his chest.


    "Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help," she murmured into his ear.


    Dillon frowned, not wanting to discuss details with a woman, but suddenly remembered that she worked for REN Corporation.


    "Wait. Did you know that the CEO of REN Corporation is still alive?" he asked her curiously. After thinking about it, he wasn''t sure what her role in that organization was.


    Jess''s eyes flashed with bitterness and longing as she pictured Julian''s face in her mind. A part of her still desired him, but she quickly snapped out of it.


    This was her life now, and she had already burned all the bridges back.


    "Yes, of course, I know. I worked for him directly," she smiled and began massaging his shoulders.


    Dillon perked up at this new discovery! He felt like Jess had just become a lot more useful to him.


    He allowed her to massage him a little while longer before he turned to face her, bringing her to sit on his lap.


    "I want to gift you something nice. Tell me, what would you like?" he asked her sweetly.


    Jess nearly melted at his sweetness, unaware he was simply using her for her body and knowledge.


    "Oh, baby, my only wish is to be beside you," she smiled blissfully.


    Dillon turned on his "lady killer" mode and continued to play the part of a loving and gentle boyfriend.


    He leaned in to kiss her gently. "You know you always will be. From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were special."


    His words worked wonders, and now Jess was seeing hearts everywhere, completely wrapped around his finger.


    After a few more minutes of sweet-talking and gentle kisses, Dillon finally turned to Jess. "One of my big missions is to find the CEO of REN Corporation. Would you be willing to help me out with this task? If you do, I''ll announce that you''re my main woman."


    Jess didn''t even wait for him to finish speaking before she agreed wholeheartedly. After hearing she would be presented as his main woman, she felt her skin tingle with excitement.


    "Will you spend the night with me today? Just me?" she asked with misty eyes.


    "Of course, babe. I''ll spoil you tonight," said Dillon, waiting for her to share any information she could about the CEO of REN Corp.


    A few minutes later, he finally got what he wanted to hear.


    "His name is Julian, and he''s staying in an underground bunker not too far away," she said, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.


    "Oh? So close?" asked Dillon. His interest was piqued. He could tell that the higher-ups were very interested in finding this person.


    Jess nodded coyly. "Yes, not only that, but even his family is stationed nearby, but they don''t have a good relationship at all. If you can''t find him, using them to lure him out might not be a bad idea."


    Dillon was thrilled at the amount of information he got from her. He was in a very rare ecstatic mood and picked up Jess, carrying her into the bedroom.


    After a long and heated session in the bedroom, he finally walked out feeling refreshed. He needed to make preparations to send a team to find this hidden bunker that Jess told him about, as well as locate Julian''s family.


    Dillon considered letting Tristan know about this newly acquired information, but he decided that it would be more of a wow factor if he was able to complete this mission from start to finish on his own.


    He walked around to the various departments where he was met with respect and recruited people to prepare supplies in order to infiltrate Julian''s secret bunker.


    After finishing the preplanning, he met with Cal, who would be joining him in infiltrating the bunker.


    They made plans to set off tomorrow, after everything was sorted.


    The Next Day


    Dillon woke up to meet up with Cal and the group of trained men he had previously requested.


    Everyone showed up armed and ready, and they all went over to the garage to check out some vehicles.


    Dillon sat in the passenger seat while Cal drove. He was dressed in warm clothes and a bulletproof vest, like everyone else.


    "I was told that the bunker is deep in the forest, so we''ll need to move on foot for a while," said Dillon, brainstorming the possible outcomes of this encounter.


    "Also, make sure everyone knows that we need Julian alive. The leaders want him alive for some reason," said Dillon authoritatively.


    "I''ll let them know, boss!" replied Cal.


    He just parked the car at the location Jess told Dillon about on the highway. Dillon looked around and spotted the very large evergreen tree that Jess used as a marker.


    "Looks like this is the spot," said Dillon and jumped into the knee-high snow. The others followed behind him, armed and ready to shoot if anything hostile came their way.


    They walked through the freezing cold, snow-ridden forest for hours before they finally found the hill that Jess described.


    "It''s here," said Dillon, kicking up the snow. He searched around for the hidden hatch, ordering the others to start digging.


    The cold quickly caught up to everyone, stiffening their bodies. Cal and the rest of the workers'' movements got slower and slower as the bitter cold seeped deep into their bodies.


    They dug around for about twenty minutes until Cal finally found what Dillon was looking for¡ªthe entry hatch that was hidden behind a bush.


    "B...boss! It''s here," called out Cal, his teeth chattering.


    Dillon walked over and entered the door code that Jess gave him. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beep, beep, beep! The keylock beeped three times, indicating that the wrong code was entered.


    "Stupid bitch can''t even remember the correct door code," grumbled Dillon with frustration.

 Chapter 164 - 164: Empty

    After trying the code once more, Dillon took a step back.


    "Glad I was smart enough not to rely on a woman," he mumbled.


    Turning to Cal, he looked at the hatch and ordered him to blow it open.


    "Prepare the explosives. We''re going to blow our way in. Everyone, prepare yourselves to fight as soon as we breach the entrance," he commanded.


    Cal quickly took out the packed explosives he carried in his backpack and began setting them up on top of the hatch door.


    The rest of the men, including Dillon, made their way deeper into the forest to avoid being impacted by the explosion.


    A few minutes later, Cal came over holding the detonator. After receiving the nod to go ahead, he clicked the handle, remotely setting off the charge.


    BOOM!


    The earth shook, and the trees rattled from the strong explosion. Tree branches littered the ground along with piles of dirt and snow.


    The explosion flung the surrounding snow, clearing the area around the hatch.


    Dillon walked over to the hatch, expecting to see a giant hole in its place, but instead, he found that the hatch was still attached.


    Luckily, the hinges that kept it locked down were blown off, giving him hope that the hatch could be opened.


    "Quick, try to pry the hatch door off," ordered Dillon. He stood close by, watching everyone try to lift the heavy metal door.


    It took the entire team of men to finally be able to nudge the hatch door off to the side, exposing the entry ladder into the bunker.


    Everyone pulled out their weapons and slid down the ladder, ready for a shootout as soon as they entered.


    Dillon was the last one to enter and quickly surveyed the surrounding area. Everything was dark and eerily quiet. Not a single sound could be heard.


    "Move out, shoot anything that isn''t us and Julian Barclay!" he ordered.


    The trained men quickly pushed forward, checking every room on the way.


    Dillon walked behind like an entitled lord, frowning.


    All of the rooms were empty. Not a single chair or table was seen.


    The entire bunker felt lifeless, as if they were the first people to discover its existence.


    "Boss, something feels off. There''s nothing here, not even a sign of anyone ever being here," said Cal.


    Dillon walked forward, examining each room with his own eyes. He was looking for signs of hidden rooms or anything else that would give him a clue as to what happened.


    Jess had told him about every major room on each level of the bunker, and in great detail. However, the reality was that everything was empty.


    As he entered what was supposed to be the kitchen, he noticed that even the cabinets on the walls were gone.


    "They must have known we were coming," Dillon said finally. Anger consumed him as he felt the urge to punch the wall. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was supposed to be a surprise mission, catching them off guard. He envisioned capturing Julian and taking all of the weapons he had hidden here back to their base.


    "Is there a mole among us?" asked Cal, wide-eyed.


    Dillon shook his head. "No, we only just planned this out. There wouldn''t be enough time for a mole to give us away. They knew beforehand," he explained.


    It seemed that this Julian was a lot more resourceful than he initially thought. They must have already realized something was off when they found no signs of Jess.


    "Okay, finish searching every nook and cranny. I doubt we will find anything, but keep looking!" he ordered.


    Dillon continued to walk around room to room. He was impressed at how well they had cleaned the place out. Even the sinks and toilets were missing, leaving only the exposed pipes where the plumbing had been.


    It didn''t make sense to him. Why would they put in so much effort to pull these items out? It wasn''t like they could just install them anywhere they pleased.


    Also, carrying all of these items must have been difficult. This bunker was not accessible by car, so he was curious how they managed to transport everything.


    A while later, Cal came over to find him.


    "Boss, we finished checking every room. Everything is empty, no signs of anyone living here," he reported.


    Dillon expected this and nodded. "Okay, gather everyone and let''s head back."


    The men went back outside into the freezing cold and began their hike back to the cars. The walk back was slightly faster since they knew where they were going.


    When they finally made it back to the city, it was already dark out. Dillon dismissed the trained men and walked with Cal to discuss their next course of action.


    "Boss, what do we do now? The bunker was empty and there was no sign of the CEO or REN Corporation," asked Cal.


    "Plan B is to locate his family. I''ve been told that they''re hiding in a secure area somewhere nearby," said Dillon.


    Cal''s face lit up with understanding. "Oh! So we capture his family and threaten them so that he comes out of hiding?"


    Dillon shook his head. "It would be nice if that worked, but I heard their relationship is very strained. Instead of capturing them, we will inform them that he''s alive and use them to lead Julian to us."


    "Oh, that''s brilliant!" said Cal.


    Dillon thought for a minute, then turned to Cal. "I need you to find me a female operative. Someone who has clean, innocent features, if possible. It will help us gain trust with his family."


    Cal accepted the orders and planned to go around to the various departments to look for someone who fit their requirements.


    After the meeting, Dillon went back to his apartment.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by Krissy, who was wearing a new set of lingerie, waiting for him to come home.


    "Baby! You''re back! I missed you so much!" she called out.


    While Dillon enjoyed the sight, he had made a promise to Jess to spend the night with only her, so he turned to Krissy. "Hey. Go get dressed, go out, and have some fun with your friends tonight."


    Krissy''s face fell. "What? Why..." she asked. She had obtained this new set of lingerie with great difficulty, thinking that it would win her some favor.


    "I''ve got plans with Jess tonight," Dillon said bluntly. He didn''t care about beating around the bush or upsetting her.


    To him, both of these women were just momentary stand-ins, catering to his physical needs until he reunited with Rayne.


    Krissy did her best to hold back her tears, but everything inside of her was screaming. Ever since Jess came around, she felt like a secondary woman, constantly having to go above and beyond just to get some of Dillon''s attention.


    Her only saving grace was that Dillon hadn''t uttered the ''I love you'' phrase to Jess yet, meaning she still held the higher spot in his heart.


    Dillon didn''t care to watch Krissy process her emotions and walked past her, heading toward the bathroom to shower.


    As he entered the bathroom, he found Jess waiting for him in the shower. "Come, let me wash your back," she said in a seductive tone.


    Dillon let her undress him, and they both got into the shower together.


    Krissy dug her fingernails into her palm. She swore that she would get rid of Jess one way or another.

 Chapter 165 - 165: Increased Prices...

    At the Government Base


    Today was the day the housing office had promised to be open, so Rayne and Julian loaded their backpacks with high-quality resources from her system and walked over to the housing office.


    They tried to get there early so they could have first pick of the available units.


    As they arrived at the housing office, they ran into Reginald, who had just finished purchasing electricity for his unit.


    "Rayne, Julian," he greeted politely.


    "Good morning, Mr. Soto! Were you able to make your purchase?" asked Rayne cheerfully.


    Reginald nodded. "Yes, thankfully there was no problem with that. We will move out today. Again, thank you for allowing us to stay in your home for so many days."


    "Not a problem! You guys are like family to me!" said Rayne, while Julian smiled.


    After exchanging a few more words, Reginald went back to their apartment to prepare for the move, while Rayne and Julian walked over to the counter.


    "Hello, how may I help you today?" asked the housing staff.


    Rayne smiled. "Hello, we''re interested in renting a few more units." She wanted to see if they could secure at least four rooms, and if they were in close proximity, that would be even better.


    The housing staff member quickly pulled up the list of available units and showed them to Rayne and Julian.


    Rayne looked at the list and was surprised to see that so many units were available! She scanned the long list and quickly asked about their locations.


    After the housing staff member explained the locations, Rayne picked out the neighboring unit first so she wouldn''t have to undo all of her setup efforts.


    The other units she chose were all three-bedroom units, which were spread out on different floors of a building near their building.


    In total, she chose five rooms, all with electricity.


    The housing staff member looked at Rayne with a surprised expression. "Are you sure you want all of these? I must add that the prices have gone up again."


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, please. I''d like all of these and with electricity. Let''s do a four-month deposit for now."


    The housing staff member couldn''t believe it and quickly calculated the cost for four three-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit.


    "That will be 5,050 points per month," she said matter-of-factly.


    Rayne was indeed surprised by how much the prices had gone up. If it was over 5,000 points, that meant the cost per unit was about 1,000 points a month!


    She wasn''t sure what kind of job on base paid someone enough points to rent an apartment. It seemed like the officials of the base didn''t care much about the welfare of its residents.


    Rayne pulled up her backpack and dumped the contents on the counter.


    "Could you calculate how many points these items are worth?" asked Rayne.


    The housing staff member''s eyes widened. She couldn''t believe the sight in front of her: cigars, medicines, hand warmers, canned meat, and clothing scattered across the counter.


    "Oh, these shirts are made from nanofiber and are excellent at insulating heat," said Rayne. She wanted to ensure the housing staff understood the value of the clothing.


    After closely inspecting every item, the housing staff member began calculating the values of all of the items.


    "The total for these items comes out to 18,500 points," she finally said.


    Rayne frowned. She felt that while the costs of items and housing went up, the value from selling continued to go down.


    She wondered if the administrators saw this as a problem. Why weren''t they doing something to help the people?


    Rayne finally took Julian''s backpack and dumped its contents on the table. "Here, it''s the exact same as the previous. Please inspect," said Rayne.


    Once again, the housing administrator closely inspected each item, and after verifying that the items were of similar quality and quantity, she nodded at Rayne.


    "Yep, same total¡ª18,500 points! Making the grand total 37,000 points," she said.


    Rayne nodded, and the transaction was completed. The housing administrator handed Rayne the keys to all five of the units she rented.


    "Electricity should already be turned on. Please come back if you have any additional questions," the housing staff smiled politely. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne wasn''t in the mood to be overly friendly, especially after learning how the prices continued to skyrocket.


    She simply waved and walked out with Julian, heading over to the first of the four remaining units she would need to furnish.


    The building they arrived in front of was only a short walk down a ''scenic'' path from the building where their apartment unit was.


    "Not a bad location. It''s not as far back as ours, but still feels tucked away," commented Julian.


    The building was also overall larger, as all of the units here were three-bedroom. Rayne looked at the numbers on her keys and noticed that she had gotten all of the units on the left side of the building, one on each floor.


    There were four floors in total, and only three units across, due to the size of each unit.


    "Let''s start with the bottom floor and work our way up," suggested Rayne. She walked over to the first unit and unlocked it with the given key.


    The size of this unit was indeed a lot larger, about twice the size of what they had. The materials used were also of higher quality.


    "They must have made this building for the wealthy. I can tell by just the stone they used for the countertops in the bathrooms that it''s a much more expensive material," commented Rayne.


    Julian looked around. "Did you want to move into one of these units?" he asked. He wanted to give Rayne the best of the best, even if it was a little over the top.


    Rayne giggled. "No! I like our cozy place right now!"


    Julian smiled. "Yes, I do too! It''s a good size for the two of us."


    They both quickly got to cleaning and disinfecting the entire interior before Rayne began her furnishing and decorating process.


    "Hey, give me the keys to the other units so that I can start cleaning them while you do your thing here. It''ll speed up the process," suggested Julian.


    Since he didn''t have a magical system that could make infinite copies of things, he wouldn''t be much help to Rayne unless she needed help putting something together.


    But since she had already made a copy of the bunk beds from the previous unit, he knew she would be fine on her own.


    Rayne thanked him and handed over additional cleaning supplies that she placed in a bucket for him to carry upstairs.


    Once she was alone, she rolled up her sleeves (figuratively) and got to work.

 Chapter 166 - 166: Would You Rather?

    She set up this room in a very similar way to how she set up the previous one. Each of the three bedrooms was large enough to hold two bunk beds, so she was able to comfortably fit twelve people per unit.


    The other change she made was using pull-out sofas in the living room for additional sleeping spaces instead of a large sectional.


    Since the unit had electricity, she swapped the pellet stoves in the bedrooms for electric space heaters, keeping only the pellet stove in the living room as a backup in case something happened to the electrical supply.


    The kitchen area was also a little different because the three-bedroom units had a dedicated kitchenette area. Rayne felt a little jealous of this kitchen because it had built-in countertops and a sink, which made cooking a lot easier.


    Just like the previous unit, she fully stocked the cabinets with food and water¡ªenough to last a few months.


    After finishing up the first-floor unit, Rayne made her way up to the next ones, repeating the same process.


    The only difference was that, in the third-floor unit, Julian told Rayne that this one was going to be where Ana and the other females on Alpha Team would stay.


    Rayne made sure to include feminine hygiene supplies, along with skincare and other female items.


    The bedding she chose was also a bit more on the feminine side, with a few floral patterns to liven up the space.


    She repeated the process until all of the rooms were finally finished, then made her way back home with Julian.


    When they got back, she noticed that Ella and her family were gone and had made sure to fully clean up the area they had lived in.


    Julian smiled at the empty room and led Rayne over to the bathroom. "Take a hot shower and relax. I''ll get a move started in the living room."


    Rayne perked up at the idea of having a relaxing evening with Julian and quickly jumped in the shower.


    The hot shower worked wonders, relaxing her stiff muscles from staying out in the cold for so long. She put on a very cozy set of oversized pajamas and walked over to the couch after drying her hair.


    Julian looked up at her, noticing the fuzzy pink bunny pajamas. She''s so adorable.


    Rayne quickly jumped onto the couch and snuggled up against him. They were finally alone in a comfortable space where they could both relax.


    Julian pulled her close and started the movie, but found that he couldn''t concentrate on anything but her.


    Rayne noticed that he was having a difficult time concentrating on the movie. "How about we play a little game?" she suggested.


    Julian raised an eyebrow. "What sort of game are you thinking?"


    Rayne smiled mischievously. "Would you rather?"


    Julian smiled knowingly and adjusted his posture so that he was facing Rayne on the couch. "Well, this sounds fun. I''m in," he grinned.


    Rayne also adjusted her posture and looked at him excitedly. "Hmm, okay. First question: Would you rather have an extra hour of sleep each night or an extra hour of free time each day?"


    Julian thought about it for a moment. "Hmmm. If it were before the apocalypse, I would definitely say an extra hour of free time each day. But now... I''m going to say an extra hour of sleep. What about you?"


    Rayne also thought about it for a moment. "I think I would also go with sleep, at least right now. It''s warmer under the covers, haha!"


    After laughing, she continued, "Okay, next question! Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or broccoli for eyebrows?"


    "What kind of question is that? Neither!" He looked at her with a confused expression.


    Rayne burst out laughing. "No! You need to pick one! Hahah!"


    "Okay, fine," he shook his head, unsure of which to choose. "I like my hair as it is, so I guess I would choose broccoli eyebrows."


    Rayne laughed once again, picturing his handsome face but with two big broccoli eyebrows! The image that formed in her mind was just too silly.


    Julian started laughing, infected by her joyous mood. "Well, what about you?"


    "Oh, spaghetti hair all day. Imagine¡ªinstead of going in for a haircut, you just snip it into a bowl and cover it with sauce... Tada! Dinner is served!" she giggled.


    Julian facepalmed. "Of course, the foodie would choose the spaghetti."


    "Hey! You''re just as much of a foodie as I am!" she pointed her finger at him, laughing.


    After she calmed down, "Okay, let see. Would you rather enjoy a steamy shower together or share a sensual massage session?".


    This question lit a small fire inside of them. Julian''s mind raced as he pictured her in a steamy shower with him, the water dripping down her body.


    He gulped before imagining a sensual massage where he covered her body in oil as his hands massaged her soft skin.


    "Oh I like this question. Both options are great but if I had to chose one, I would chose the sensual massage", he said in a deep voice.


    Rayne blushed at his response and her heart began to race.


    Julian pulled her in so that she was only a few inches away from his face. "Well, I''m looking forward to hearing your answer", he whispered in her ear.


    Rayne felt goosebumps all over her skin as her heart raced. She felt her body begin to heat up internally.


    "I..um...I would chose the steamy shower. I love hot showers", she said as her cheeks flushed.


    "Oh really? How about we enjoy a hot steamy shower together sometime?", he said, holding her by the waist.


    Rayne''s face flushed as she nodded. "What about you? Do you have a question?", she breathed.


    Julian pushed her down on the couch and leaned over so that he was on top of her. He bent down and brushed his lips against her soft skin.


    "Would you rather keep asking questions," he asked, his breath brushing against her ear, "or play a new game?" His mouth traced the outline of her jaw, peppering it with soft kisses.


    S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 167 - 167: My Entire World

    (A/N: Mature Content Warning)


    Rayne felt the fire spread throughout her body as Julian continued to trail kisses down her neck.


    A few moments later he paused, waiting for her reply. He already knew the answer from her body language alone, but he wanted to hear her say the words.


    Rayne looked up at him with misty eyes, "I..I want...I want the other...game", she breathed in almost a whisper.


    She felt Julian press down against her body, his erection pushing down into her lower abdomen. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her with an unrestrained desire.


    Rayne''s body moved on its own, wanting to feel more of him all over her.


    The room shifted into sensual silence where only their labored breathing could be heard as they gasped for air between kisses.


    Julian''s hand began to travel down her body until they found the entrance beneath her shirt. His hands trembled slightly as he lifted her shirt over her head.


    He watched as she arched her back, helping him take her top off, exposing her soft pale skin and pink nipples.


    The primal desire stirred inside of him as he dove down to taste the sweetness of her supple skin.


    His hand roamed around her body, going from her back and up to her perky breasts.


    Rayne moaned, feeling his tongue twirling and sucking around her hard nipples.


    "Julian, ahh!", she cried out from pleasure. She wanted more, she needed to feel him even more.


    His instincts kicked in as he ripped his shirt off, exposing his chest.


    Rayne lifted her arms and placed them around his neck, pulling him down towards her.


    As they kissed, Julian worked his hands around the waistband of her pants, pulling them off of her along with her panties.


    His movements were a little rough, driven by a deep hunger.


    After breaking away from the kiss he took a minute to appreciate her naked body. It was so alluring that his erection began to throb, begging to be released from the confines of his pants.


    "Julian, I want you. Please", she moaned with misty eyes.


    He couldn''t take it any longer and unzipped his pants, pulling them down along with his boxers.


    Rayne gasped at the sight of his huge cock. She knew that it was big from when he pressed against her earlier, but this was even more than she imagined.


    She felt a sensation similar to butterflies twist inside of her, causing her to ooze with her natural wetness.


    Julian bent over her body once more but this time the tip of his cock could feel the softness of her skin, sending waves of pleasure throughout his body.


    "I love you Rayne", he breathed out kissing her.


    She couldn''t reply as his lips were pressed against hers and his tongue was dancing with hers.


    As they were kissing he used one of his hands to support himself above her, while his other hand gripped his shaft, guiding it to her entrance.


    As he lowered himself between her legs, he felt the warm wetness that was flowing out of her, and without any delay, he thrust his cock deep inside of her.


    "Ahh!", she cried out. The pleasure of him stretching her out mixed with the small pain of losing her virginity.


    "Fuck Rayne, you''re so tight", he moaned. Her insides gripped around him, sucking him in deeper and deeper. The feeling of being inside of her was beyond any kind of pleasure he''d ever felt before.


    Tilting his head backward, he closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of his cock firmly filling her.


    He began to move his hips slowly to get her accustomed to the feeling, doing his best to hold himself back from tearing into her full force.


    She continued to moan, her nails slowly digging into his back. She finally understood what it meant to feel like when your head was in the clouds, with no other thoughts outside of Julian''s hard cock filling her deepest parts.


    After a few gentle movements, Julian looked down at her, "I''m going to start moving now", and began to pull himself out before thrusting back in.


    His thrusts were heavy, causing her breasts to bounce with each one.


    Rayne continued to cry out, "Ah! Julian!", only fueling his movements even more.


    Julian''s movements picked up pace as he desired to go even deeper. He lifted her up with his arms, supporting her by her thighs while she held herself up with her arms around his neck.


    Standing up, he now had a much deeper angle, bouncing her dainty frame on top of his cock.


    "Ahh! You''re so deep!", she cried out. She felt him stretch her out even more than before, hitting her womb directly.


    The muscles in his arms flexed every time he thrust inside of her, lifting her effortlessly.


    Rayne continued to bounce as his cock pounded her relentlessly, "Ah, Julia..an! You''re going...to..make me cum!", she moaned in between thrusts.


    Knowledge of her immanent climax only fueled him further, increasing his pace.


    "Be a good girl and cum for me", he said in a low voice. He watched as her face tensed up, readying for the first orgasm of the many that were to come.


    A few moments later he felt her nails dig into the skin on his back and her clamp down on his cock, pulsing.


    "Fuck Rayne, I could cum from this feeling alone", he muttered. She was so tight that her orgasm caused her to clamp down around him, pulling him in even more.


    The orgasm was so strong that Rayne almost screamed her moan out. Every inch of her body had waves of pleasure wash through over and over until it finally ended.


    Julian looked into her misty eyes, "Oh we''re not over yet sweetheart". He picked her up and kissed her as he carried her to the bedroom.


    As soon as he placed her down on the edge of the bed he plunged himself inside of her as he draped her legs over his shoulders.


    The sensation made his mind go blank as his instincts took over. He began to thrust rhythmically inside of her, increasing his pace ever so slightly.


    All he could hear was Rayne''s moans and gasps for air mixed in with his own, and after several thrusts, the feeling of his imminent orgasm spread through his veins.


    "Oh fuck, baby, I''m going to cum", he moaned, closing his eyes.


    Rayne heard his words and a new kind of excitement washed over her, something she had never experienced before.


    Every fiber of her being wanted him to cum inside of her, and thankfully it was a safe day.


    "Please, I want you to cum inside of me", she moaned with watery eyes. Her body was craving to know the feeling while her mind tingled with anticipation.


    Julian, who was initially hesitant, lost control of her pleading words and burst inside of her, filling her with his cum. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The words choked up in his mouth and his mind went blank from the strongest orgasm he''s ever experienced.


    The feeling of him filling her made her go crazy, sending her body into another orgasm.


    A few moments later Julian finally pulled out and knelt over Rayne on the bed.


    "I love you Rayne, you are my entire world", he whispered as he gently caressed her cheek. The raw emotions flowed through him, all he wanted to do was give her the entire world.

 Chapter 168 - 168: Strong Instincts

    The next morning, Rayne woke up sore all over. Her whole body ached, and her legs felt like jelly.


    "Hey there, gorgeous," said Julian from the doorway. He had just finished showering and was drying his hair with a towel.


    Rayne smiled at him, stretching her arms above her head. "Good morning," she yawned, enjoying the view of his muscular upper body.


    "How are you feeling? Let me take care of you today; you must be really sore," he asked, walking over to the side of the bed.


    Rayne put on a brave front. "No, I''m totally fine. Let me go take a shower, and we can get to work." She moved her sore body out of the bed, but the moment she tried to stand up, her legs gave way, causing her to fall over.


    Julian quickly reached out and caught her, lifting her up into his arms.


    A part of him felt a little bad since he was the cause of her current state, but on the other hand, he felt a little satisfied that he had such an effect.


    "Let me help you," he smiled and carried her to the bathroom. He stayed with her while she showered, helping her whenever she needed it.


    They both took their time, enjoying the time they spent together.


    After the shower, Julian helped Rayne get dressed and carried her to the couch in the living room. Both of them were starving from the exercise they performed last night, so Rayne quickly opened up her system panel to find something to eat.


    "I don''t know about you, but I''m feeling a nice big slice of pizza," said Rayne. She was looking at the various pizza icons on the system panel, deciding which one she wanted.


    "Oh heck yes. Pizza sounds so good. Do you happen to have one with extra pepperoni?" asked Julian, sitting down beside her.


    Rayne scrolled through the dozens of pizza icons and found one that had extra pepperoni. "Here! Enjoy!" she said, handing him a paper plate with a steaming hot slice of pizza on it.


    After handing him the pizza, she finally made her choice, clicking on the icon of a classic Margherita pizza.


    They ate happily while watching a TV show on her laptop.


    "So, what''s on the task list for today?" asked Rayne after finishing her slice.


    Julian looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "You? You''re staying home and relaxing. I plan on visiting Noah and Ian, as well as the rest of Alpha Team to see how they''re settling in. We still have a few scouts out in the city that Ian just recently contacted, so I want to hear the status on that."


    "Wha--?"


    "No, don''t even try to protest. You''re sitting your cute butt right here and resting! Don''t make me call Ella over," he said, cutting her off.


    Rayne blushed. "Oh no! Please don''t call Ella; she would have a field day teasing me!" This was the truth¡ªElla wouldn''t hesitate to ask Rayne about every single detail.


    Julian shook his head, laughing. "She''ll catch on sooner or later; she''s got sharp instincts, haha!"


    After tucking her into the couch with a few blankets and pillows, Julian got dressed in his warm outdoor clothes and left to make his rounds.


    Ella''s instincts proved to be very sharp because only a few minutes after Julian left, she came over for a visit.


    "Rayne! I''m coming in!" she announced from the outside and used the spare key to unlock the door.


    When she entered, the sight of Rayne bundled up on the couch with multiple fuzzy blankets greeted her.


    "Girl! You look like you just woke up! Did you catch a cold?" asked Ella as she came over to join Rayne on the couch.


    Rayne blushed but shook her head. "No, I didn''t catch a cold. What brings you here today?"


    Ella looked at her best friend''s blushing face, putting things together in her mind. "RAYNE! You''re no longer a virgin, are you?!"


    She jumped over to Rayne, pulling the blankets off of her.


    "Ella!!" cried Rayne. She clung to the last blanket like a shield, but her crimson cheeks gave her away.


    "Oh my goodness! Ahhh! My bestie is all grown up!" shouted Ella and giggled.


    Rayne hid her face in the blanket. "You make it sound like you''re not a virgin yourself!"


    Ella leaned over and tore the blanket away from Rayne, looking directly into her eyes. "Don''t go changing the subject now! You need to tell me E V E R Y T H I N G! Did it hurt? Is he big?? What does it feel like?"


    Rayne looked at Ella''s sparkling eyes and resigned herself to her fate of being interrogated. At first, she felt a little shy answering these personal questions, but Ella''s genuine curiosity soon made her feel a lot more comfortable.


    "Ella, I can''t even begin to describe it. The feeling is amazing," said Rayne. She tried her best to describe what happened, but when it came to how things felt, she found it difficult to find words outside of ''amazing.''


    The girls chatted nonstop for a few hours until Julian finally came back. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He walked in to the sounds of giggling, only to see Ella sitting with Rayne on the couch.


    A knowing smile spread across his face as he walked over to make sure Rayne was doing okay. He silently sent her a signal with his eyes, asking if she wanted him to save her from Ella.


    Rayne smiled and shook her head. Ella''s company today was a lot of fun, and she wanted her to stay a while longer.


    "Do you ladies want some more time to chat? I can head over next door to hang out with Noah and Ian," he said.


    Just before Rayne could answer, they heard a knock on the door. Julian went over to answer it and found Noah standing at the entrance.


    "Oh hey Noah, come on in!" Rayne invited him inside so that Julian didn''t feel weird being the only male in the room.


    Julian led Noah inside, and they both took a seat on the armchairs across from the couch. Noah politely greeted Ella and Rayne before sitting down.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if it was because of their previous conversation, but she could swear she noticed an infatuated gaze on Ella''s face as she looked at Noah.

 Chapter 169 - 169: Bag of Bricks

    A few days later, at Damien''s base.


    "Boss! I found a woman who fits your description!" said Cal as he sat down at Dillon''s table.


    Dillon looked up and checked out the young woman who stood beside Cal. She had very soft features and crystal-clear eyes that made her look like a lost doe.


    "Good, she will work," Dillon replied before turning to the woman. "What''s your name?"


    The woman bowed respectfully. "Hello, my name is Katrina. I''m a level 3 leader from Leader Mai''s team."


    Dillon nodded; a level 3 leader meant that she had been part of the organization before the world went to hell.


    Dillon motioned for her to sit down so they could discuss the specifics of the upcoming mission.


    "So you just need me to go in, get on their good side, and convince them to look for their son?" Katrina asked once more to make sure she understood the scope of her job correctly.


    "Yes. You''ll go with Cal and pose as siblings/friends/whatever you want," said Dillon. All that mattered to him was that they find where Julian was hiding.


    They went over the plan once more and got up to attend to their business. Before everyone left, Dillon turned to Cal and Katrina. "Don''t rush things. Make sure they''re fully on your side."


    "Yes, Boss!" Cal called out, while Katrina bowed her head respectfully.


    Meanwhile, at the entrance of the government base...


    "Leader Ace, how much longer do you think we''ll have to wait in this line? We must''ve been here for at least half a day already," complained one of the men in Ace''s car.


    "How the hell am I supposed to know?" Ace snapped. He had been waiting in a long line for hours today, and there was still a long line of cars in front of them. At this rate, they''d be lucky to make it in today.


    One of the other men sighed, "Why can''t we just drive in. If anyone gives us trouble, we''ll just shoot them".


    Ace placed his hand on his forehead, I''m with a bunch of morons.


    "The mission is to blend in, not start a war, genius," he sighed, regretting his earlier decision to bring these guys with him.


    They waited in line for another three hours before they made it to the first checkpoint.


    "Listen up morons, I''m going to need to all to pretend to be mute. I''m the only one who''s going to do the talking", Ace said. He did not trust that they would not say something absolutely off the wall, resulting them a denied entry.


    The others in the car all bobbed their heads, not saying a word. The car pulled up and a guard walked over to their car.


    "What brings you here", he asked without much emotion.


    Ace took a deep breath and managed to squeeze a few tears out, "Oh sir! You wouldn''t believe it! My brothers and I are on a run! Bandits took over our home, killing and pillaging! Even my poor grandmother wasn''t spared and got taken as the bandit leaders woman!".


    He dramatically swept his hand across his face, acting as though he had just experienced the worst situation imaginable.


    The guard sensed that Ace was a little off and glanced at the rest of the men in the car.


    Seeing the guard look at them, they bobbed their heads once more and didn''t say a word. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The guard scratched his head. This bunch looked like a group of baby birds waiting for their mother to come back and feed them.


    Ace continued weaving an elaborate, over-the-top story, even mentioning how he nearly lost his arm in a fight to make it here.


    The guard, exhausted from his twelve-hour shift, couldn''t be bothered to listen to more of the story.


    Passing them off as slightly "not right in the head," he cut Ace off mid-sentence. "You''re here to register as residents, right? Pull over into that parking lot and wait in line to get your resident cards."


    He pointed to the adjacent parking lot, which had an even longer line than the one they had just come through.


    Ace looked in horror, realizing there was yet another line they had to wait in. He quickly thanked the guard and drove the car over to the next parking lot.


    As soon as he pulled away, one of the men couldn''t help but say, "Leader Ace, I''m really sorry about your grandmother."


    Ace felt like pulling his hair out. He didn''t know where he found these guys. A bag of bricks would have been smarter than these guys combined.


    He silently pulled into a parking spot. "You guys take turns standing in line. I''m going to take a quick nap. Wake me up when it''s almost our turn."


    "Yes, Leader Ace," they said, bobbing their heads.


    Ace rolled over, closed his eyes, and the others played rock-paper-scissors to decide who had to wait first.


    Ten minutes went by, and they still couldn''t determine who lost and had to go first. Ace felt like punching a wall. He quickly sat up and pointed at each of them. "One, two, three, four, and five. Now go! Rotate every thirty minutes."


    After sorting that out, he turned back to try and sleep.


    After two hours he woke up, glad to see that they seemed to be following the order correctly. "How far in the line did you guys make it?", he asked and adjusted his seat in the car.


    The four of them looked at him with giant question marks. Ace could feel the blood vessels in his forehead popping. He aggressively opened the car door and stepped outside.


    He walked over to the middle of the line, trying to find the one guy who was holding their place in line.


    He slowly made his way down the line after not finding the familiar face. Frowning, he continued to walk farther and farther back.


    "Surely the line doesn''t move this slowly?" he mumbled to himself. It wasn''t until he reached the very end of the line that he realized what was going on.


    He approached the familiar man, doing his best to hold back his anger. "Why are you all the way back here?" he asked with a trembling voice.


    "Well, Number Three came over to the car and told me it was my turn to wait, so here I am. Is something wrong, Leader?" the man asked in a confused tone.


    "What''s wrong is that you guys are going to give me a brain aneurysm!" Ace shouted.


    The man frowned. "Is that painful?"


    Ace took his place in line. "Go back to the car and call everyone over. Make sure you lock the car and bring me the keys."


    Ace felt like if he didn''t specify the instructions in high detail, they''d end up locking the keys in the car.

 Chapter 170 - 170: Infiltrating the Government Base

    Ace ended up standing in the three-hour line with all five of his men. He forbade them from speaking because he felt like his mental state was already close to snapping.


    When they finally made it to the counter, Ace''s eyes bulged at the cost of getting a resident card.


    "But we just paid to get in; why do we need to pay again?" he cried out.


    The registration staff member sighed; she''d heard this question so many times today.


    "I apologize, sir, but these are the rules of the base," she said for the thousandth time that day.


    She handed him the paperwork and told him where to turn in the goods for payment.


    Ace calculated the cost with what they brought and frowned. They would need to pay half of the supplies they brought just to register!


    Grumbling, he made a note to complain that the information they were given by Leader Mai''s team was outdated.


    Ace was about to pass out the forms to the others for them to fill out but decided not to. "These guys probably don''t even know how to write," he said, massaging his temples.


    After filling out the forms and paying the registration fee, Ace and his group of baby birds went back to the car.


    "I''m going to hold on to your resident cards because I know you''ll lose them," said Ace, placing them in his coat pocket.


    They drove into the base, stopping at the parking lot outside the main lobby. Now that they had finally entered and registered, all that was left was to find a place to live.


    Ace directed his men over to the housing office, feeling hopeful about finding a nice place to live. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Welcome to the housing office. How may I help you?" asked the housing staff.


    Ace walked over to the counter. "Ah, hi. We''ve just arrived and are looking for a place to live."


    "Certainly, take a look at our available rooms," said the housing staff, pushing a piece of paper toward him.


    Ace looked at the sheet, and his eyes bulged when he saw the cost of renting each space for one month.


    It was 700 points for one month of renting the smallest room!


    "Is there a typo? These prices are insane!" he exclaimed. There was no way people were living comfortably here if the prices were so high. It was borderline extortion!


    The housing staff member looked at Ace and the five lost-looking men behind him, feeling bad. She could tell that they didn''t have much, and that the men in the back most likely had some issues.


    Lowering her voice, she looked at Ace. "Listen, I''m not supposed to mention this, but I feel bad for you having to take care of your brothers. We recently built a large dormitory-style building with many bunk beds. It''s only 20 points a month, so it''s a lot more affordable."


    Ace calculated in his head. If it was 20 points per month per person, that meant for his group it would be 120 points a month. This was indeed a lot cheaper than renting a room for 700.


    After thinking about it, Ace decided to go with the cheaper option. The weather was still bad, and he wasn''t sure how long he would be here for, so he felt the smarter thing to do would be to ration their supplies.


    "Thank you, we will take the cheaper option, please," said Ace.


    After finalizing the transaction, the housing staff quickly explained where to go to find the building.


    "You six will be assigned bunks 133-139," she said, handing him six tags. "Hang these over your bunks to indicate that you''ve purchased the bunks."


    After leaving the housing office, they got back into their car and drove over to where the sports field was supposed to be.


    It wasn''t difficult to find, so they arrived quickly. As soon as Ace approached the building, he frowned. There was trash littered all over the ground, and people were squatting to relieve themselves around the building.


    "Surely this building has a bathroom," he said unhappily. He couldn''t understand why the people here were so gross and unkempt. Even the new recruits enjoyed a better life back at their underground base.


    As soon as they entered, Ace had to cover his nose. A vile scent of feces mixed with body odor hung in the air.


    "Leader Ace, this place smells bad," complained one of the guys.


    "Yes, I have a nose too. I know it smells bad, but we don''t have a choice!" he hissed.


    Ace led the group down the hall, walking between a sea of bunk beds. Everyone here looked miserable and dirty. Not a single person had showered in weeks.


    When they finally arrived at their designated bunks, Ace felt like crying. The neighbors on either side of them were absolutely disgusting, and one of them even seemed sickly.


    The bunk beds were made of very shabby metal, causing them to sway at the lightest movement. Ace frowned and placed his duffel bag on the bottom bunk. There was no mattress, only a thin piece of plywood that was covered in a rag.


    He looked around, taking in all the sights. He couldn''t help but shake his head. No wonder it''s been so easy for us to recruit people to our side. Our promise of a better life is indeed the truth.


    The six of them settled into their bunks, doing their best not to breathe in due to the horrid smell. It took Ace a long time to fall asleep because he didn''t feel safe sleeping while being surrounded by hundreds of strangers.


    He finally couldn''t take it anymore and woke the rest of the team up to set up shifts for a night watch. They decided on two shifts per night and that they would all rotate throughout the week.


    After everything was sorted, Ace felt a little better and went to sleep. He was so exhausted from the long day of traveling and waiting in lines that he quickly passed out.


    He slept soundly throughout the night, even through all the noise in the building, only waking up the following morning.


    When he opened his eyes and looked around, he shot up, realizing the duffel bag and everything else they brought inside was gone!


    "Which one of you was on night watch last night?" he asked, angrily.


    One of the men raised his hand. "It was me, Leader Ace!" His voice was cheerful, as if there were no problems.


    "Did you do as you were told?" asked Ace, moments away from screaming.


    The man nodded his head. "Yes!"


    Ace took a long, deep breath, then asked in a slow and emphasized manner, "So why the FUCK are our things missing?"


    The man shrunk back and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn''t see anyone! I only closed my eyes for a few minutes. When I opened them, everything was already gone."


    "Keep it together, Ace, keep it together," muttered Ace. He felt like his mental state was hanging on by a very thin thread.


    "So you fell asleep during your shift? And you didn''t think to wake anyone up when you discovered that the things were missing?" asked Ace.


    "No, Leader, I didn''t fall asleep. I only closed my eyes for a little bit!" the man argued.


    Ace wanted to pull his hair out. Thankfully, he left most of their supplies in the car and the keys in an inner pocket of his jacket. Still, this loss of supplies was not a good way to start their mission.

 Chapter 171 - 171: The Barclays

    At a secondary safehouse in the City.


    "Mrs. Barclay, I apologize, but our reserve of fruits and vegetables is gone. Please try to understand," said a servant.


    He had just returned from the kitchen, where he was informed that the Madame''s breakfast order of fresh buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and freshly squeezed fruit juice could not be made because their food reserves had nearly been depleted.


    "Do you know who you''re speaking to? I don''t care where you need to go to find some fruit, but I expect you to find it!" yelled Mrs. Barclay.


    Ever since her son, Julian, had risen to the peak of the business empire, she had never heard the word ''no.'' Everything she ever wished for, she had, and today would not be an exception.


    "Madame, the world outside is not safe. There is also no guarantee that we would be able to find anything, even if we went out," the servant tried to explain.


    While Julian built this emergency shelter in the past for his family and others of high society, the stocked food was not an infinite resource.


    His family had moved into the shelter with some close family friends when the news of Julian''s death was announced. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were worried that the killer was going to go after them next, so they decided to lay low until the killer was caught.


    From the time of Julian''s death until the initial earthquake, food and other supplies were delivered on a regular basis. However, once everything went to shit, they had to make do with what they had.


    "Mom! They just told me I can''t have my chocolate protein shake! Help me!" a girl about Rayne''s age came over crying.


    "There, there. I''ll make sure they give you what you want, princess, just wait a little bit," Mrs. Barclay said, patting her daughter sweetly.


    "Can you make sure they bring enough for Samantha too?" the girl said, wiping her tears.


    Her mother looked over at the beautiful girl behind her daughter. "Of course, sweetie. Samantha was always meant to be part of our family; she''s like a daughter to me."


    Samantha took a step forward. "Oh, please don''t worry about me. I''m already very grateful for you allowing me to stay here with you. It''s unfortunate... oh, I''m sorry." She turned her head to pretend to cry.


    "Aww, Samantha, are you thinking about my brother again?" asked her best friend.


    Samantha nodded. "I''m sorry, Layla. I just can''t help it. I miss him so much."


    Layla shook her head. "If he was still alive, I would strangle him for making you cry so many times!"


    "Please don''t say that. I''m okay with the way he is," Samantha said softly.


    Julian had always been her dream man, and ever since becoming friends with Layla, she had worked hard to get into the good graces of his family.


    Her plan worked wonders, and Julian''s family accepted her as their future daughter-in-law, even though Julian never once agreed to her advances.


    "Don''t worry, Samantha. No matter what, I consider you a part of the family. No one can take that from you," Mrs. Barclay smiled.


    The girls chatted for a while longer until another servant came over with news.


    "Madame, there are people at the entrance. They''re seeking an audience with you and the young miss," he said respectfully.


    Mrs. Barclay frowned, but before she could deny them, the servant added another piece of news, "The young lady said she was Miss Layla''s classmate."


    "Very well, let them in," said Mrs. Barclay. If it was her daughter''s classmate, that meant these people were from high society since the school she attended was meant for those of aristocratic families.


    A few minutes later, a delicate young lady with a slightly rough-looking young man walked inside. The lady held herself with grace, adding to Mrs. Barclay''s suspicions that she was from an important family.


    Layla looked at the girl with confusion. "Hmm, I don''t remember seeing you in school." As one of the most popular girls in school, thanks to her brother''s success, Layla was always the center of attention.


    She looked the girl up and down but couldn''t remember ever seeing her.


    "My name is Katrina, and this is my cousin Cal," Katrina said sweetly. "You might not remember me much because I was often sick due to my poor constitution, but I remember you. I''ve always been a big fan of yours."


    Layla shrugged but was happy to have a fan. She looked at Katrina''s dainty figure and slightly pale complexion, feeling like her words about being sick were true.


    "What brings you here?" asked Mrs. Barclay, respectfully. She saw Layla give her a nod, indicating that this girl was telling the truth.


    Katrina looked down pitifully, pretending to be very sad. "I''m sure you know that the world outside is very different now. Unfortunately, I was visiting my aunt''s family when everything happened initially and have been looking for my mother and father ever since."


    She took a deep breath and wiped a few tears away before continuing, "I remember my mother telling me about this bunker a while back and hoped that they might be here. But now I don''t know what to do!"


    She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Mrs. Barclay''s heart ached watching the pitiful girl cry her heart out. She thought of her own daughter and how this could have been her if they were separated.


    "Oh, don''t cry, sweetie. You can stay here with us. If your mother knew about this place, there''s a chance she might come here looking for you," she said, patting her gently.


    Cal stood silently, watching the show with his head down. Before they arrived here, Katrina had told him to simply stay quiet and let her do all of the talking.


    She made sure to dress him in whatever brand-name clothing she could find to help their story.


    Layla looked over at Cal. He wasn''t ugly or handsome, but something about him gave off a ''bad boy'' vibe that made her a bit curious about him.


    "So your name is Cal? I definitely don''t remember you from school," said Layla.


    Cal stiffened slightly but quickly adjusted. He had memorized his backstory on the way here and knew how to answer.


    "Yeah, I''m from City R. When Katrina insisted on coming down to search for her family, I didn''t feel comfortable letting her go alone, so I accompanied her here," he said quietly.


    Layla smiled. "I see, that''s very nice of you."

 Chapter 172 - 172: Hes Alive!

    Samantha watched from the sidelines, indifferent. She had a good look at Katrina and felt that, even though she was a cute girl, it wasn''t enough for Samantha to feel threatened.


    It didn''t matter to her whether they stayed or not, as long as they didn''t get in her way.


    After a few more minutes of discussion, Mrs. Barclay allowed Katrina and Cal to stay with them.


    Layla walked over to Katrina and invited her and Cal to spend time with her and Samantha. She would never turn down an opportunity to have more people fawn over her, and hearing Katrina''s words earlier, she was a big fan of hers.


    The group moved to a round table and sat around it, pouring some tea. Layla looked over at Cal, eager to start the conversation.


    Cal felt a little nervous, as he wasn''t used to pretending to be someone else. "So... umm... what does your family do?" he asked casually, feeling like this was an appropriate question.


    Katrina quickly kicked him under the table. "What do you mean? Do you live under a rock? This is the CEO of REN Corp''s only sister!" she shouted, pretending to be angry.


    Layla smiled. "It''s okay. City R is far away, so I don''t expect him to know everything." She still felt proud, enjoying the way Katrina had introduced her to Cal.


    "Then what about you? Are you also a relative of Layla''s?" asked Cal, looking at Samantha.


    Samantha blushed and hesitated to answer the question. Layla saw this and quickly answered for her.


    "She''s my brother''s wife, so yes, she''s part of the family," she quickly stated.


    Katrina smiled. "Oh, wow! Forgive me, I was unaware that the CEO of REN Corporation was married! I must be out of the loop." Her tone was apologetic, making her seem truly regretful for not knowing this information.


    Samantha blushed and pretended to wipe away her tears.


    Layla saw this and sighed. "Sorry, let''s not discuss my brother. Surely you''ve heard of his passing? It''s still very tough on Samantha."


    Katrina looked at them with wide eyes. "Oh? But isn''t that old news?" she asked.


    Layla looked at her. "What do you mean old news?" She was curious but also felt that Katrina was being rude. Her brother had obviously been murdered months ago!


    "Well, when we were out... Never mind, forget I said anything," Katrina said quickly.


    Her ambiguous words made both girls demand to hear what she had originally been going to say. Layla nearly stood up. "Tell me! What is it?" she demanded.


    Katrina lowered her head, an evil smile forming on her lips that no one saw.


    "Well... we actually heard a few different rumors that your brother is alive and well. I heard that he''s someone who has stocked up on endless supplies, and that the common people even call him a god!" she said, lying through her teeth.


    While the rumors of Julian being alive were true, she added the extra details to spark a fire beneath the girls.


    Back at the base, Jess had told them what she knew about Julian''s family, and one of the recurring themes was their insatiable hunger for goods and luxuries.


    Her choice of words quickly worked, as Layla stood up in outrage. "He''s using our hard-earned items to give out to random people?!"


    Cal looked over at Layla, thinking it was just as Jess had said. Julian''s family didn''t care about him at all¡ªonly about the wealth and status he brought to them.


    If they were to capture these people, there would have been a very small chance of Julian coming out to save them.


    Boss Dillon truly is a visionary, understanding this ahead of time.


    Katrina nodded and began to spin made-up stories about how he had been giving away very high-quality items to those in need.


    "One person I spoke to even told me he gave them a luxury vehicle!" she said, adding fuel to the fire.


    Layla couldn''t take it anymore and stormed out to see her mother. Samantha snapped out of her stupor and followed Layla. If Julian was alive, that meant she still had a chance to become the young miss of the Barclay family! sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She needed to seize this opportunity, especially if the rumors of him having endless supplies were true! As his wife, she deserved all of the good things he had!


    The two young women rushed back to the small room where Mrs. Barclay stayed, Layla nearly kicking down the door.


    "Mom! That lying prick is still alive! And he''s been giving away OUR things!" raged Layla, a blazing fire in her eyes.


    Her mother immediately stood up, dropping her porcelain teacup on the floor. "WHAT? Julian has been alive this whole time?!"


    Her body shook with disbelief and anger. There wasn''t a shred of happiness at hearing her son was alive.


    "Tell me more, sweetie. What sort of items has he been giving out?" she pulled Layla over, demanding to hear more.


    Layla pointed at Katrina, who was standing in the corner. "She''s the one who told us! Ask her!"


    Katrina walked over respectfully and repeated everything she had just told Layla and Samantha earlier.


    Mrs. Barclay''s hands shook with anger. "We had to live in this dilapidated place for so long while he was prancing around outside?! Does this boy have no regard for his own parents?!"


    "Mom! We need to find him! I can''t bear the thought of him giving away my things to someone else! And what about Samantha? She''s been crying her heart out ever since the news of him being killed. He owes it to her to finally marry her!"


    Mrs. Barclay looked at the beautiful and pitiful-looking girl who was standing beside Layla with red eyes.


    "Oh, come here, Samantha! I swear I''ll get that boy to finally commit! He won''t run away from me this time!" she said, patting Samantha on her back.


    Samantha sniffled and nodded, happy to hear that she had the backing of Mrs. Barclay.


    Layla stomped her foot on the ground with frustration. "Mom, what do we do? We need to find him before he gives everything away!"


    Mrs. Barclay looked up with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Yes, we must find him!"


    Katrina noticed that they were all fired up and took the opportunity to make the final push. "Although I''m not sure where he is, I heard the government opened a base not far from this city. Actually, I was planning on going there to see if my parents ended up there."


    Mrs. Barclay thought for a moment. "Yes, let''s go there. Even if he''s not there, there must be someone there who knows where he is!"

 Chapter 173 - 173: Difficult Decisions

    At the Government Base


    A few days went by, and Rayne was now fully focused on developing her own base. From her observations over the past few days, the government base was not handling things well, and the situation was only getting worse.


    She had already made a few trips to the market to ''sell looted items'' just to stock the shelves a little bit. People were slowly starving, eating only once every other day.


    Even those with contribution points had a hard time filling their bellies, as there was nothing available to purchase. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even after days of unrest, no one from the base''s administration had come out to address any of the issues or try to pacify the residents.


    Unrest was growing as quickly as the prices. People were getting desperate, and theft, along with other petty crimes, spread throughout the base like wildfire.


    Every day, Rayne could hear people crying, either from starvation or from their items being stolen. She knew that things could not continue this way and that this base was a ticking time bomb.


    She was currently sitting on the couch, surrounded by laptops and tablets, looking through many preloaded maps in search of an area where she could develop her base.


    She had found a lot of inspiration from her trip to the north and her meeting with Fred. Their small community was a good example of how adaptable humans could be when people band together.


    She wished that the base she developed could inspire hope in the people who lived there.


    As she continued to look through the various topographical maps, she found it difficult to choose a suitable location.


    Every spot she considered had its own benefits, making the decision even more difficult.


    "If I choose this mountainous area, it will have a good amount of natural defenses, but it lacks fertile land... and I really wanted to make farming plots and greenhouses in the future," Rayne mumbled to herself, lost in thought.


    She circled another area that was similar to the forested area where Julian''s bunker was built. This would provide a lot of natural resources and wildlife, as well as fertile soil once the trees were cleared.


    She had a few different pinned locations¡ªsome were along the southern coast, while others were in the countryside, where established farms and ranches were located.


    Julian came back from meeting with Noah and Ian and saw the frustrated look on Rayne''s face.


    "Still can''t decide on a spot?" he laughed, walking over to her.


    "No! There are so many things to consider! I just want someplace that''s easy to defend and can work as a farm!" she cried out.


    The clock was ticking, and the government base was only going downhill. There was also the looming threat of Damien''s men discovering them here at any moment, so she felt very pressured to pick something as quickly as possible.


    Only after she decided on a spot could she start looking for people to help her build it. All of these things took time, something she felt she had very little of.


    Julian lifted her and placed her to sit on his lap. "Don''t stress it, babe, it will work out. Maybe we should go check some of these places out. It might help you make a choice."


    Rayne took another look at the map where she had circled potential spots. Most of them were too far away, about a day''s trip.


    "That might really be a good idea. Shall we go now? I''m worried that taking our time will come back to bite us in the future," she said, looking up at him.


    "Sure, let''s go. Just be sure to tell Ella you''ll be leaving. I''m sure she''s going to try coming over to see you again today," joked Julian.


    Rayne rolled her eyes. "We both know she''s coming to see Noah, not me." Ever since the day Ella came over to ask about the details of Rayne''s love-making experience, Ella had been visiting every single day.


    Julian laughed. "I know, I know. Maybe I should ask Noah to move in here while we''re gone. That way, when Ella comes over, she''ll get what she wants."


    Rayne nodded and thought about her best friend with Noah. They seemed compatible, and Noah was a very responsible man. Maybe the two of them getting to know each other wouldn''t be so bad.


    After thinking it through, she nodded. "You know what? Let''s go ahead and do that. You tell Noah to move in for a few days, while I''ll change and prepare clean sheets and blankets for him."


    With a new plan in place, Julian went next door to speak with Noah while Rayne got ready for their trip.


    Twenty minutes later, everything was settled, and Julian met up with Rayne to head out. Noah did as Julian requested and moved next door to ''house sit'' while Rayne and Julian were out.


    The first place Rayne decided to visit was the mountain location. However, this time, the mountain location was to the west of their location, not north where City R was.


    According to the topographical maps she looked at earlier, there was a small plateau toward the top of the mountain.


    They drove out of the base in Rayne''s SUV, heading west toward the mountain range. It was still morning, so they had plenty of time to make it there before it got dark.


    Thankfully, there hadn''t been any additional snow these past few days; otherwise, the trip would have been nearly impossible.


    While Rayne''s SUV handled itself really well in the snow, the trip was still slower due to it.


    "Hey, let''s attach a plow attachment to the front of the SUV. This way, the road will be easier for us to maneuver, along with anyone else trying to get to/from the base," suggested Rayne.


    "You have a plow attachment?" asked Julian. He didn''t think she did since she hadn''t offered it when the snow fell initially.


    Rayne nodded. "Yes, a few different kinds, in fact." She hadn''t offered it earlier because they were using the RV, and Jonah was with them, and a plow attachment was a strange thing to just keep on hand.


    Julian pulled over and hopped out of the SUV with Rayne. They both made their way to the front of the SUV, where Rayne took out the plow attachment.


    Thankfully, the SUV came with the proper hookups for the plow, making the installation process very simple.


    After they finished, they climbed back inside the car and continued on their journey.


    The plow made driving so much easier, except for the few times they snagged a larger tree branch that was hidden beneath the snow.

 Chapter 174 - 174: Surveying the Land

    It took them a little over four hours to arrive at the mountain that Rayne wanted to check out. They drove up as far as they could before the road ended, requiring them to walk the rest of the way.


    Rayne looked at the treacherous walk ahead of them and dismissed the idea right away. It was too far up, and even in better weather conditions, they would need to make major adjustments to be able to get people up there safely.


    "No, this isn''t going to work," she said decisively. She was glad they came to check the area out first because this was initially her first-choice location.


    Julian turned the car around and slowly made his way down the mountain path. As they drove down, Rayne looked out the window and spotted an interesting formation at the base of the mountain. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a large forest at the base of the mountain, but what was interesting was that the mountain came out in a crescent shape, almost circling the forest below.


    "Julian! Look! That looks perfect!" Rayne called out, pointing at the window. Julian parked the car and looked down into the valley below.


    He noticed the interesting formation as well as the small lake at the center of the forest. "Well, this is certainly a beautiful sight. Let''s see if we can get down there."


    They quickly got back into the car and drove down until they reached the forest. Julian parked the car on the side of the road and hopped out, while Rayne pulled out two snowmobiles from her system.


    They drove into the forest, surveying the area as best as they could. When they made it to the lake, Rayne couldn''t help but gasp at how beautiful this area was.


    "The biggest downside is that this place won''t have prebuilt electrical lines. We will need to rely on generators and solar power," Rayne said.


    Julian nodded. "True, but most of the other places you were looking at would have this same problem. Plus, look at Fred''s place for example. They were doing okay with just wood-burning stoves and candles."


    Rayne continued to look around, picturing how she would want to set everything up. She walked over to a giant tree and placed her hand on it. "I wonder if I''d be able to store something this tall," she said while looking up at the top of the tree.


    If she were able to store it, clearing out a good area wouldn''t be too difficult.


    Julian walked over. "Why don''t you try it?" He wasn''t aware of the toll it could take or how many times she passed out storing large items in the past.


    Rayne smiled and placed both hands on the tree trunk in front of her. Right before giving the mental command to store, she looked at Julian and quickly said, "If I pass out, don''t worry. I''ll wake up eventually."


    Before Julian could stop her, she closed her eyes and gave the mental command: store.


    Much like she expected, the familiar yet long-forgotten pain came back, consuming her. She did her best to pull through, while Julian was doing his best to convince her to stop.


    After hearing that she could pass out, he felt that it wasn''t worth it anymore! He would rather she gave him an axe so that he could chop it down himself.


    If he wasn''t worried he could somehow damage her by pulling her away from the tree, he would have. All he could do was stand behind her, holding her in his arms.


    He noticed the anguished expression on her face, making him regret suggesting she try storing it. After a few minutes of struggling, the tree vanished in front of him, while Rayne fell into his arms.


    "Rayne!" he shouted, holding her up.


    No matter how many times he called out to her, she wouldn''t wake up. If she hadn''t warned him about passing out, he would have lost his mind by now.


    He lifted her into a princess carry and sat her down on the snowmobile so that she was leaning against him in front.


    He carefully drove back through the forest and back to the parked SUV.


    He wasn''t sure how long she would be out for, and it was freezing outside, so bringing her back to where he could turn on the car''s heating was his first priority.


    He sat in the car with her for a few hours, constantly checking her pulse. These few hours were the most nerve-racking and stressful moments of his entire life.


    Rayne finally woke up as it got dark, feeling like she was being cooked alive in an oven.


    "Huh? Why is it so hot?" she asked, opening her eyes.


    "Sweetheart! You''re finally awake!" Julian''s trembling voice called out. He pulled her over, hugging her as best he could inside of the car.


    "Julian, I''m sweating. What happened?" she asked groggily. She felt sweaty and gross all over and didn''t know why.


    Julian quickly lowered the heat in the car. He had turned it up to maximum because he couldn''t tell if she was cold or not.


    His own anxiety made him feel cold, so he couldn''t tell that the heat in the car was that of a hot day on a tropical island.


    "Sorry, I was so worried that you were cold, I ended up turning the heat in the car to the highest setting," he quickly explained.


    Rayne looked out the window and noticed that it was late. She turned to look at Julian, reassuring him that she was okay.


    "I apologize for scaring you," she placed her hand on his lap. "Let me get the RV out so I can shower, and we can rest for the night."


    She walked out of the car with Julian and quickly pulled out another luxury RV. This one was different than the previous one they used when they were in the north; it was slightly smaller in size, but the shower and bedroom were larger.


    As soon as the RV appeared, Rayne jumped inside to start it so the water heater could turn on and the interior warm up.


    Julian walked inside as well, keeping an eye on Rayne. The residual anxiety from earlier was slowly starting to go away, but he still wanted to ensure that she was truly okay.


    It was only after Rayne came out of the shower with rosy cheeks that Julian finally felt like everything was okay.


    "Your turn! I made sure to save some hot water for you this time," she joked.


    Julian pulled her into his arms as she got close, kissing her on the lips. The kiss conveyed his emotions, the love he had for her along with the fear he experienced after she passed out.


    "I''m right here, babe," Rayne whispered. She hugged him back, comforting him.


    They stood like that for a few minutes until Rayne finally let go. "Go take a shower. I left you a change of clothes in the bathroom along with a fresh towel. The sooner you shower, the sooner we can cuddle in bed."


    Her words were very motivating, and Julian quickly left to take a shower. While waiting for him, Rayne made the bed and turned on the small space heater in the bedroom.


    After Julian finished showering, he quickly made his way over to the bedroom and lay down beside Rayne.


    They spent the evening cuddling and discussing the forest area as a potential future base location.

 Chapter 175 - 175: Unexpected Visitor

    At the government base, Noah was quietly sitting on the couch, reading a book. He was a little surprised when Julian came by asking him to house-sit while they were out, but he didn''t question it.


    They were neighbors, so it wasn''t a difficult task for him, and he quickly agreed. The peace and quiet were actually something he looked forward to.


    While sharing a room with his brother wasn''t bad, he missed having his own space.


    He indulged himself in reading the book when he was startled by a gentle knock on the door.


    Thinking it was Ian or someone from Alpha Team looking for him, he quickly got up to answer the door.


    "Oh! Hi... Umm, is Rayne there?" Ella asked shyly. She had come over looking for Rayne and didn''t expect Noah to answer the door.


    Noah looked down at Ella, noticing her rosy cheeks from the cold weather outside. "Come on in and warm up," he said, letting her in.


    Ella quickly entered and shut the door behind her. She looked around but didn''t see anyone else inside.


    "They''re out for a few days," said Noah, leading Ella to the living room where the heaters were. "I''m not sure how long they''ll be gone this time¡ªmaybe two days?"


    "Oh!" Ella said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Secretly, the real reason she wanted to visit tonight was to see Noah again, so she didn''t mind.


    They sat awkwardly in silence for a few minutes until Ella pulled over the backpack she had brought with her.


    "I initially brought this bottle of wine to share with Rayne, but since she''s not here, would you like to share it with me?" she asked Noah. Her heart was pounding, afraid of being rejected.


    Noah looked over at the bottle she was holding and recognized it as a good brand. Although he felt a little strange suddenly drinking with Rayne''s best friend, for some reason, he looked forward to it.


    "Sure, let me find some glasses," he replied and got up to check the cabinets in the small kitchen area.


    Ella felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her heart raced with excitement; she couldn''t believe this was happening.


    She placed the bottle of wine on the coffee table and waited for Noah to come over with the glasses.


    "Sorry, there weren''t any wine glasses, but I found these," he said, holding up two basic glass cups in his hands.


    "Oh, those will work perfectly fine! Thank you!" Ella quickly replied, giving away her nervousness.


    Noah was very astute and quickly picked up on it. Smiling, he placed the cups down and opened the wine bottle.


    All of his movements were graceful, making Ella curious about how many times he''d done this sort of thing in the past.


    Noah glanced over, reading her expression. He softly chuckled and explained, "Being Julian''s right-hand man, I have a lot of experience hosting famous businessmen. Let me tell you, there''s a lot of wine involved in a business meeting."


    "Oh right, that makes sense. It''s been so long, I nearly forgot you were the head secretary, Mathews!" exclaimed Ella.


    After the words escaped her mouth, she immediately felt embarrassed! She had even met with him back at REN Corp a few times!


    Noah laughed. "Yes, it does feel like it''s been a whole lifetime since I''ve had to worry about project timelines and squeezing people into Julian''s schedule."


    Both of them laughed, reminiscing about their lives before the disasters happened. Noah went over to pour the wine and handed one of the glasses to Ella before sitting down opposite her.


    "Do you think our life will ever go back to the way it was?" asked Ella.


    Noah looked at her. "Eventually it will, I''m just not sure if it will be in our lifetime."


    Ella nodded. "You''re probably right, but I do think things will get better. We will find a way to live comfortably!"


    Noah''s spirits were lifted by Ella''s positive outlook. It felt good being around someone who could stay positive even in such conditions.


    His brother, Ian, was the opposite. He constantly worried that danger was looming around every corner and that life would only get more and more difficult.


    While his outlook could be seen as ''realistic,'' it still dampened Noah''s spirits each time they talked about it.


    Hearing Ella''s hopeful and positive outlook was a welcome change for him.


    As the night continued, Ella and Noah happily chatted while drinking their wine. They finished the bottle Ella brought, and Noah went to find another one from the cabinet in the kitchen.


    "So, what about you? Do you have any tattoos?" asked Noah. Ella had just finished asking him this question and now directed it back to her.


    "Guess!" she said with a cheeky expression. The wine had taken effect, giving Ella a newfound confidence.


    Noah looked at her, determining if she had a tattoo or not. "Hmm, I think you do have one, but you''re keeping it hidden!"


    Ella''s jaw dropped. "How did you know?!" she asked. She looked at him as if he were all-knowing. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha," Noah chuckled. "After dealing with all sorts of people, you begin to see patterns. It was just a lucky guess after observing your body language."


    After taking another sip of wine, he looked at her with an amused expression. "Well, are you going to show me?"


    Ella quickly jumped up from the chair and lifted her shirt all the way up, exposing her bra. She was so excited to share her secret with someone that she didn''t even consider its location on her body.


    Noah felt the blood rush, causing an erection to form in his pants. For a petite girl, Ella was very curvy, and now her large breasts were nearly popping out of her bra.


    "See it''s here, isn''t it cute?", she said, pointing at her tattoo of two swallows right under her left breast.


    Noah''s gaze was fixed on Ella. His eyes took in the sights of her sexy body.


    Ella looked at him, waiting for his reply, but after standing there for a while she realized that he was distracted, with a certain aroused gaze.


    She finally realized what she was doing and pulled her shirt down, feeling shy.


    Noah finally snapped out of it after she moved her shirt, and seeing her embarrassed expression he decided to pretend nothing happened.


    "The tattoo was very cute. It suits you very much", he smiled, doing his best to act casual.


    Ella stood there for a moment, heat spreading throughout her body. She finally looked up at Noah with misty eyes and flushed cheeks.


    "Did you like what you saw?", she asked in a quiet voice.


    Noah looked at her, slightly surprised at the question, but after seeing her expression he knew what she meant.


    Desire filled him as he motioned to Ella to come over, "Come here", he said in a magnetic voice.


    Ella walked over and stood in front of him, waiting for his reply. Her heart felt like it was pounding through her chest.


    Noah took her small hand and moved it down between his legs. "This is how much I liked it", he whispered.


    Ella''s hand felt his hard erection beneath his pants and blushed. She looked up at him, noticing how his eyes were locked on to her.


    Instead of moving her hand away, she continued to explore, stroking the entire length of his member that was fighting to break free from his pants.


    "Ella", Noah breathed as she continued to touch him.

 Chapter 176 - 176: Captivated

    (A/N: Mature content ahead)


    (Also BIG THANK YOU to Dillonisahottie for the Castle!! This chapter is dedicated to you!! <3)


    Ella looked at Noah''s expression and felt the thrill of teasing him wash over her. She loved seeing his reactions to her hand''s movements and wanted even more.


    She moved her fingertips along his hidden shaft a few more times until she realized she wanted more.


    Her eyes locked on Noah''s as her fingers worked quickly to unzip his pants. Just as his erection was about to be released, Noah placed his hands on top of hers.


    "Ella, are you sure?", he asked. While he wanted nothing more than what she was doing, he wasn''t sure if he''d be able to control himself if things continued down this path.


    He wanted to make sure that this was truly what she wanted.


    Ella froze and moved her hands away from his. But just before the sinking feeling washed over him, Ella jumped on top of him, straddling him.


    "Yes, I''m sure. I think you''ve been the only one who hasn''t noticed the way I looked at you. In fact, I only came over here today in hopes of getting to see you", she said.


    After confessing her feelings, she pressed her lips against his.


    Noah returned the kiss with his own, only his was a lot more hungry.


    After a series of long kisses, Ella hopped off of his lap and knelt on the ground in front of him. Her fingers resumed the task of unzipping his pants to set his member free.


    Noah watched her as she pulled his pants down to his ankles and began to play with his cock.


    "Having fun?", he asked in a low voice.


    Ella smiled and ran her fingers up and down his shaft, "Mhm", she hummed.


    Her soft fingers felt so good against his skin, making him even more excited.


    "Don''t stop", he said between breaths. Her hand movements felt incredible, making him feel like he could cum from this feeling alone.


    Just as he got close, Ella suddenly stopped. He looked at her with an almost painful expression, "You''re quite devious aren''t you", he said trying to gather himself.


    Instead of answering Ella opened her mouth and licked the entire length of his shaft with her tongue.


    "Oh fuck!", he moaned. He did not expect Ella to do that and the sensation it brought was even better than before.


    "Sorry, it''s my first time doing this, so just bear with me", she said smiling.


    Noah tilted his head back, "Fuck, are you sure? This feels incredible".


    With a triumphant smile, Ella lowered herself once more, putting as much of his shaft in her mouth as she could.


    She clumsily swirled her tongue around, licking and sucking him.


    While her movements were a little awkward, to Noah they felt amazing. "Ella, you''re going to make me cum", he moaned.


    There was something about the softness of her lips and just the fact that it was her that made it feel so incredible.


    A few moments later the orgasm finally came, "Shit, Ella!", he called out.


    Before she had time to pull away she felt a warm and sticky fluid fill her mouth and throat.


    Cough, Cough! The feeling was new to her and she didn''t expect it.


    Noah leaned over to hand her the glass of wine from the coffee table, "Here, have a sip to clear your throat.


    After making sure she was okay, Noah pulled her up on the couch and into his arms.


    "You were incredible", he whispered into her ear and kissed her.


    Ella felt very satisfied with his praise. This experience was very new to her but she had a lot of fun.


    Noah pulled her over to sit on his lap, "Come, tell me more about yourself. I want to know everything".


    He kissed her gently on her cheek and neck as she happily chatted away. Her smile completely captivated him, feeling like it was something he had always needed in his life.


    --- Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning Rayne woke up early. She turned to wake Julian up so that they could go back to scouting the forest area.


    "Hey wake up! Let''s go back to the forested area!", she smiled, tapping Julian''s arm.


    He rolled beneath the covers and pulled her in closer, "Hmm, how about you lay here with me a while longer?".


    Rayne giggled and kissed him on the cheek, but before she could pull away he looked at her.


    "No, over here too", he said pointing at his lips.


    "Haha! You can be such a silly goose sometimes", laughed Rayne. She leaned over and kissed him on his lips.


    Satisfied with her kiss, Julian finally got out of bed to get dressed. After getting dressed in warm clothing, they exited the RV so that Rayne could store it. She also went over to the SUV and stored it since it was already running low on gas.


    She pulled out two new copies of the snowmobile for the both of them, and they quickly made it back to the forest.


    From the distance, she noticed her previous snowmobile, and in front of it, and empty space with a hole in the ground.


    "Oh! I forgot to ask you if I succeeded in storing the tree! Looks like I did!", she said happily.


    Julian looked at her, "Wait, so you can go through all of that and fail to store something?". He couldn''t imagine how many times she must have gone through this painful process just to be able to store larger items.


    Rayne nodded, "Yeah, it''s not guaranteed. Usually I can gauge if I can store something or not, but maybe due to the cold temperature I didn''t have a good read on it yesterday".


    She walked over to look at the hole in the ground where the roots of the tree were, "It was most likely these deep roots that made it extra difficult".


    Julian walked over and nodded, "Indeed, the hole looks like it''s quite deep. Maybe you shouldn''t use your ability to store any more of these trees".


    Rayne smiled, "No, it should be okay. I specifically chose this tree because it seemed like the biggest and oldest. Once I store something of this size, everything similar or smaller becomes very easy".


    "Oh, that''s good then. Just promise me you''ll be careful?", he said in a worried tone.

 Chapter 177 - 177: Clearing the Land

    Rayne walked around, ''plucking'' trees from the ground. Her speed alone would put any forest clearing company to shame, clearing a huge area in only a few minutes.


    "It''s a bit hard to tell how big this area is. Would you mind flying the drone to get a better view?" asked Rayne. She was looking around at the space she had cleared but couldn''t tell if it would be large enough.


    She wanted to make sure that she cleared enough area before inviting anyone here so that she wouldn''t have to explain how the trees were cleared.


    Julian agreed and took the drone. It was an advanced model that could measure and take photos, making the planning process a lot easier.


    Julian flew the drone around while Rayne continued to clear trees along the perimeter of the lake. Once the drone footage was taken, Rayne walked over to take a look.


    "Okay, so I''ll just need to clear out this section behind the lake, and I think we''ll be good," she said.


    She had already cleared out a massive area in the forest, making room for a warehouse, housing, and even a section of farmland.


    "It''s a shame there''s so much snow on the ground right now. I would love to place a warehouse of sorts and start filling it with supplies," said Rayne.


    While the first step of securing and clearing the land was done, the snow really hindered any future progress. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We should go out and find a good-quality mobile home. If I can store it, it would save a lot of time and effort building housing in the early stages," said Rayne.


    She was looking through her system, and while she had any building material imaginable, the closest thing to a mobile home she had were the different kinds of RVs.


    Julian looked around, feeling that the landscape transformation was insane. Within an hour, the previously forested area had been cleared out completely.


    "We will also need to find some skilled people to help develop the area. While mobile homes are a great start, we''ll eventually need larger buildings," he chimed in.


    Rayne fully agreed. "Yes, finding skilled and honest people will be the most important. The thing I''m worried about the most is how to handle unrest within the settlement."


    Julian smiled. "You don''t need to worry about that. We can give that job to Noah and Ian. They happen to specialize in this area."


    Noah and Ian had been taking care of each side of Julian''s business for him. They were both well-versed in how to garner loyalty and maintain order. Assigning them to this task would be very beneficial to the future base.


    Rayne smiled but then frowned. "Would it be too much to assign them to this? The world is different now, and they have their own lives. What if they don''t want to step up to such a stressful role?"


    She didn''t want anyone to work against their will, especially those two who were close friends to Julian.


    He smiled, happy that she had such a caring heart. "Don''t worry about this. I grew up with them, and they need a sense of purpose to stay sane. All these years, I never forced them to stay by my side¡ªthey volunteered."


    Rayne was surprised to hear this! She assumed he kept them close because they were the few people he could trust.


    Now that she knew they did their work voluntarily, she felt a lot happier. "Well, in that case, I''ll pitch the idea when the time comes. If they don''t want to, we''ll figure something out."


    After finishing up in the forest clearing, they packed up and made their way back to the highway. Rayne cleared a few more trees along the way so that they could fit a vehicle through to the clearing in the future.


    Rayne pulled out a fresh copy of her SUV, which had a full tank of gas, as they got to the street.


    "Shall we take a drive through some rural areas to see if we can find those mobile homes?" offered Julian as he started the car.


    "Yes, I''d like to!" agreed Rayne cheerfully.


    On the way back to the government base, they took a few small detours in search of a good-condition, quality mobile home.


    Their journey took them through a few small towns until they finally found a community of mobile homes that appeared to be in decent condition.


    "It doesn''t seem like anyone is living in this area anymore. The snow on the surface hasn''t been touched," observed Rayne.


    It would be horrible if they just walked into someone''s home without warning.


    As they approached the first mobile home, Rayne looked at its exterior. It was a standard rectangular shape and the largest of the mobile homes in this community.


    "It looks nice from the outside. The owners must have taken great care of it. Hopefully, the same can be said for the inside," said Rayne, approvingly.


    She knocked on the door, ensuring that she was not encroaching on someone''s private property. After not hearing a reply, she pulled out a lockpicking tool from her system and began unlocking the door.


    She wanted to keep everything in as good of a condition as possible, so she opted for the lockpicking route instead of smashing a window.


    As they walked in, Julian took the lead to check every room before letting Rayne explore.


    The first thing she noticed was the old furniture.


    "An elderly couple must have lived here," said Rayne. The furniture was upholstered in a vintage flower-print fabric, and there were hand-crocheted blankets folded neatly in the corner.


    Outside of the thick layer of dust, the home seemed very organized and tidy.


    Rayne walked over to a side table where there were small picture frames. She looked down, realizing her assumptions were correct.


    In the photo, an elderly couple was holding a small child happily.


    "I hope they''re okay wherever they are right now," sighed Rayne.


    She continued to make her way through the house, looking for any potentially damaged areas. The house had three bedrooms and one bathroom, with a kitchen and living room.


    Rayne was impressed with how spacious the home felt inside since the exterior looked rather small.


    After finishing her interior inspection, she walked over to Julian, who was waiting for her in the living room.


    "Good?" he asked. From what he could tell, it was a charming home and would work well for their purposes.


    "Yes, it''s a lovely home. It''s also nice and spacious on the inside," said Rayne happily.


    Julian smiled and then walked over to hold her hand.


    "Babe, tell me the truth. This won''t hurt you, right? I mean, storing this¡­" he said worriedly.


    Rayne propped herself up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being concerned about me. This house should be within reason; I won''t pass out from it," she reassured him.


    He looked into her clear eyes, looking for any signs of hesitation. He saw her look directly into his eyes with a gentle gaze and sighed.


    "Okay, fine. I''m going to hold you just in case¡­" he finally agreed.


    They walked outside of the house, and Rayne walked up to the side of the house, placing her hand on it.


    Just like he promised, Julian placed his arms around her waist, silently praying that nothing happened to her.


    Rayne closed her eyes and gave the mental command: store.


    While she did end up feeling some discomfort, the pain was less than a typical dull headache. Julian squeezed her tightly until he saw the house vanish from sight, leaving only the dark dirt in the place where it once stood.


    "You did it!" announced Julian before Rayne had a chance to open her eyes.


    She turned around, smiling. "See! I told you I would be fine!"

 Chapter 178 - 178: Caught in the Act!

    After storing the first house, Rayne and Julian went to check out the others.


    Rayne made sure to place the house back in its original spot just in case the original owners came back one day and set off to check out the one next door.


    Unlike the first house, this one was in a much worse condition. The siding was peeling along the entire front section of the house.


    The parts that still had siding, had it covered in black mildew.


    "Nope, pass", said Rayne without sparing it another glance. She could already tell that parts of this house had completely rotted through. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian agreed and walked with her to the next house. This one was a good bit smaller than the first one, but also in seemingly good shape.


    Rayne walked up and knocked on the door. After a few moments, she repeated the process of picking the lock with her special tool.


    "Huh, this is odd", she said as soon as she walked in.


    The entire interior was empty as if it was a newly purchased house. No furniture, no d¨¦cor, only the built-in essentials.


    "This might even be better for us. Fewer things to clear out", chimed in Julian.


    "That''s true. Let''s see if it''s in as good condition as it seems", said Rayne before walking in.


    Same as last time, Julian walked ahead to ensure each room was safe. Rayne followed behind and paid close attention the the walls and floors, looking for signs of water damage.


    "This one seems to be in good shape. Let''s take it", she finally said. She liked the size of this mobile home even more than the previous one.


    It was a single bedroom with a single small bathroom, living room, and kitchen. Rayne felt it would be more suitable for couples or smaller families while taking up less space.


    They repeated the process of storing the house, which was much easier on Rayne this time around. The following houses were all in very poor shape and Rayne didn''t bother with storing any of them.


    "I''m happy with these two mobile homes. It will make the process of moving to the new base much quicker!", said Rayne happily.


    They walked back to the SUV and began their journey back home.


    The road was a lot easier to drive on thanks to them plowing the snow on the way over, making their journey back much faster.


    It was evening by the time they arrived back at the base. It felt more like a ghost town than ever before. There were only a handful of people outside, huddled around the barrel fires.


    All of the tents have been either torn down or blown away, creating large pockets of empty space. Rayne walked with Julian along the quiet walkways toward their building.


    "Hopefully Noah isn''t already asleep. I would feel bad if we woke him up", said Rayne. They were walking up the staircase to the third floor, almost at their door.


    "He''ll be fine. Even if we wake him up he won''t be bothered by it", replied Julian, he wasn''t worried about it.


    Rayne unlocked the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, but when she opened the door the sight made her gasp!


    On the couch was Ella straddling Noah, topless. They were making out and so absorbed into each other that they didn''t notice the door opening.


    Only when the cold air from the outside finally made it over to Ella did she look over.


    "Fuck! Rayne, oh my god!", she yelled, covering her chest with her arms.


    Noah, who was also shirtless shot up, looking over at the door.


    Julian chuckled, happy that his friend finally found a woman he liked. "We''ll wait outside. Just open the door when you''re dressed", he said pulling Rayne back outside.


    "Oh my!", said Rayne with a flushed face. She knew that Ella had the hots for Noah, but to make so much progress seemingly overnight was something else!


    Julian hugged her, "Don''t worry. Noah is a good person, I''m surprised they even made it to this stage. Usually, he''s very standoff-ish when it comes to women. Even in our youth, he denied dates and confessions left and right".


    Rayne remembered the times at REN Corp. when she witnessed Noah coldly dismissing the fawning horde of female employees.


    "Hmm, yeah. He''s always seemed like a nice person, I''m also happy for Ella. She''s the type to have crushes but never pursue them, so this is a nice change", said Rayne.


    They only waited outside for a few minutes when Noah finally opened the door, "Hey, umm....sorry about that", he said scratching his head.


    Julian placed his hand on Noah''s shoulder and smiled, "All good, just be smart".


    Noah rolled his eyes but didn''t say anything. He knew better than to get Ella pregnant, especially this early in their relationship.


    Julian read his expression, "Don''t worry, I''ll send you a gift later".


    They all walked back inside and Rayne noticed Ella sitting quietly on the couch, her face beet red. Rayne couldn''t help but walk over and poke her a little like she did to her.


    "Soooo, should I congratulate you now..or?", smiled Rayne.


    Ella looked up at Rayne, "Shh! Please! I''m already mortified as is! And no, we haven''t gone all the way yet!", she whispered.


    The girls chatted for a while before Ella decided to head home before her father got worried.


    "Rayne, please don''t tell my dad. He would skin me and Noah alive!", pleaded Ella. She had been telling her father that she was visiting Rayne these past two days when in reality she''s been seeing Noah.


    Rayne smiled, "Don''t worry. I won''t say a word, I promise". She wouldn''t rat out her friend like that. Plus, Ella was already an adult, she was old enough to make her own choices.


    As soon as Ella stepped outside, Noah excused himself and followed her outside.


    "Let me walk you back. It''s already dark out", said Noah as he reached out to hold Ella''s hand.


    Ella blushed and nodded, "Thank you, I''d like that very much".


    Noah walked Ella back to her door, holding her hand the entire time. When they finally arrived outside Ella''s door, he pulled her in and kissed her.


    "Have a good night", he whispered.

 Chapter 179 - 179: XXXL

    Back at Rayne and Julian''s apartment, Julian pulled Rayne into his embrace.


    "I promised Noah a small gift earlier. You wouldn''t happen to have a pack of condoms in that magical system of yours, would you?", he asked with a smile.


    Rayne giggled, "I sure do. What size?".


    Julian thought for a moment, "Hmm, let''s do a size smaller than mine!". He couldn''t have Rayne thinking that Noah was bigger than he was!


    Rayne burst out into laughter, "Okay, okay. One size smaller than XXXL, got it!", she teased.


    "You forgot one X on that", Julian said, pretending to be offended.


    The two of them laughed until they heard a knock on the door.


    "Here, give him this", said Rayne, handing him an unopened box of condoms. Julian walked over and opened the door.


    Before Noah had a chance to say anything, Julian tossed the box over at him, "Good night! Oh..and don''t bother me too early tomorrow morning", he said, giving him a certain look.


    Noah caught the box and looked to see that it was a box of condoms, "Hey are you sure you don''t need these for yourself?". He tried teasing Julian a little but it didn''t work.


    "Nah, she likes it raw", Julian flashed a victorious smile and turned to head back inside, leaving Noah standing there speechless.


    Back inside Rayne was already in the shower, getting ready for bed. She was very pleased with the progress they made and felt like she could now begin to brainstorm the details of the base.


    ----


    On the other side of the base, Ace was curled up on the rough plank of plywood he called a bed. His face was pale and wet from the sweat his sick body had been producing, despite the cold temperature. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It only took him and his group two nights to catch whatever disease was going around in the building.


    In fact, almost all of the people who lived in this large, open building were sick and coughing.


    The extremely poor hygiene practices, combined with the freezing temperatures, created a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of bacterial infections and viruses.


    "Boss, we need to report our status today," coughed the man on the neighboring bunk.


    Ace''s head was pounding, and his body felt like it was on fire. He regretted volunteering for this job when Dillon had presented it to him and Cal.


    At the time, it had felt more exciting, like something out of an action spy movie, but now he realized it was nothing like he had imagined.


    "You go reply," Ace said, coughing. He couldn''t fathom moving right now, let alone getting up and driving for a few hours.


    To make things worse, all of them were equally as sick as he was, so he couldn''t even order them to go in his stead.


    "It''s fine. Hopefully, the boss will arrive soon," mumbled Ace, closing his eyes once more.


    ---


    At the safehouse...


    "Mom, are we finally leaving today?" Layla pouted. She''d been dying to go find her brother, who was rumored to have hoarded unrealistic amounts of supplies.


    Although her mother had promised they would go seek him out, starting from the government base, it had already been a few days, and they still hadn''t left.


    "Baby, you know that your father is concerned about the killer," her mother said, patting her gently.


    Layla rolled her eyes. "Mom, if he''s alive, that means there was no killer!"


    Mrs. Barclay''s eyes widened. "You''re right. What if he somehow knew? And pretended to be dead so he wouldn''t have to share his resources with us?"


    Her hands trembled from anger. This son of hers never once put them first, going as far as faking his death to get away from them.


    A part of her wanted to strangle him! If he hadn''t become so successful overnight, she would have cut all ties with him long ago.


    "I''m going to speak with your father right now. Get yourself ready! We''re going to retrieve what''s rightfully ours!" she proclaimed and scurried off to the neighboring room to speak with her husband.


    Her husband was a quiet man who easily gave in to his wife''s requests.


    "Honey, we need to leave today! I just spoke to Layla, and she has a good point. Since Julian is alive, there''s no killer! He most likely faked this whole thing just to keep all the supplies to himself!" she cried out.


    "HE DID WHAT?!" Mr. Barclay shouted, slamming his fist on the table. His originally pale face turned red from anger.


    "I don''t know what I did wrong to deserve such an ungrateful son!" Mrs. Barclay cried, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    Her husband sat for a moment before suddenly standing up. "Yes, we need to find him! He dares ignore his family in these difficult times? I will teach that boy a lesson myself!"


    Mrs. Barclay quickly dried her eyes. "Yes! Yes! Let''s go and find him! Layla''s been going almost a week without her protein drink!" She hurried out of the room to get ready.


    Thankfully, their safehouse had ample supplies, including warm clothing. The family bundled up while the servants packed their essential items for the journey.


    Katrina looked at this scene and smirked. "They have no idea how nice they have it here. Julian must have taken extra care to ensure they could live like kings for a long time after his ''death''. I don''t know many other people who can still employ servants," she whispered to Cal.


    He watched silently, agreeing with her words. Not even his boss, Dillon, had a dedicated team of servants... and these people were calling their son useless and ungrateful.


    Layla walked over to the two of them. "I''m sure you''ve heard, but we''re planning on heading over to the government base. You''re welcome to join us if you want."


    Before Cal could say anything, Katrina smiled and shook her head. "Thank you for the invitation! I want to check a few more places in the city before heading there. We will meet up with you in a few days."


    Layla shrugged. Fewer people meant more space for her items in the car. "Suit yourself."

 Chapter 180 - 180: The Barclays Arrive

    As the vehicles filled with supplies left the safe house with the Barclays and Samantha, Katrina and Cal made their way back to the underground bunker.


    "Why didn''t we go with them?" asked Cal. From his understanding of the mission, he was supposed to stay with them until they found Julian.


    "What''s the rush? They''ll go there and raise havoc, and by the time we show up, they will have either found them or gotten a solid lead," replied Katrina with a smile. "Plus, you have no idea how big of a shit hole that base is."


    Cal''s eyes widened. "What do you mean? I heard the base was great?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha! Great if you live on the streets!" she laughed. "You may not know, but I''m from Leader Mai''s team. We had a group of people stationed there until just recently... and you wouldn''t believe the horror stories!"


    Cal couldn''t believe it. All of the information he had heard made it seem like a great place in the mountains. There were supplies, running water, and even electricity. He couldn''t picture how bad it could really be.


    Katrina shook her head, seeing his bewildered expression. "Trust me, it''s not a great place. People are only barely surviving. I can''t imagine how much worse it''s gotten since the cold snap."


    Cal couldn''t help but think of his partner, Ace, who was currently stationed at the base. Initially, Cal had been slightly jealous that Ace got chosen for the mission at the base, but after hearing Katrina''s words, he suddenly felt like the lucky one.


    They quickly made their way back to the underground base to wait a few days before meeting up with the Barclays.


    Meanwhile, a few hours later, the train of cars finally made its way to the government base. The snowy roads made it difficult to drive, and only as they approached the base did they finally release their held breath.


    "You''re lucky you''ve been serving my family for years! Next time I''ll personally toss you out of this car if you drive like that again!" yelled Layla.


    The poor servant driving her car caught a hidden icy patch on the road, causing the vehicle to spin out of control.


    "I''m so sorry, Miss! I didn''t see the ice on the road¡ª"


    "I DON''T CARE! You nearly KILLED me!" she hissed, cutting him off.


    The entire trip so far had gone horribly, and Layla was ready to explode. Thankfully, they had approached the gates of the government base.


    The line was much shorter today than the previous few days, and they only needed to wait about ten minutes before it was finally their turn.


    Of course, for Layla and her mother, ten minutes felt like an eternity. After they finally made it through the checkpoint and were told to wait in yet another line, they lost it.


    "Do you even know who I am?!" shouted Mrs. Barclay.


    The guard on duty felt a headache coming on and sighed. "Ma''am, even if you were the queen of a foreign land, you would still need to wait in this line."


    She exploded at his rudeness. "Queen or not, my son is the CEO of REN Corporation! I demand to be treated with the respect I deserve!"


    The guard chuckled. "Haha! Ma''am, have you taken a look outside? Do you think the world cares who your son used to be before the disasters? People out here are only worried about surviving the day."


    He had run into all sorts of people since working this post, but this woman was something else. She must have been living a cushy life if she''s still flaunting her son''s status around.


    Mrs. Barclay''s mouth moved, but no sound came out. She didn''t know what else to say, so she finally turned her head angrily and instructed the servant to drive to the next parking lot.


    When they finally made it to the counter to purchase a resident card, Mrs. Barclay didn''t bat an eye when hearing the cost.


    "Madam, perhaps we should reconsider? They''re asking for a huge amount, and while we have a decent amount with us, this will really put a dent in our stocks," one of the servants came over to advise.


    "Nonsense, they''re just asking for some food. We''re not so poor that we need to think twice about something like that," she retorted with a snort.


    Seeing as her words fell on deaf ears, the servant nodded and quickly went to pay the required amount.


    Mrs. Barclay watched as the bags of food were piled onto the counter.


    Frowning slightly, she shrugged. "Well, I''ll just have Julian compensate me. It''s the least he could do," she said out loud.


    The servants who were unloading the goods kept quiet but internally shook their heads. They couldn''t understand how someone could be so oblivious to their own situation.


    Her son was the reason why she was living like a queen while the rest of the world starved to death.


    The registration process took a while due to the large number of people in their group. Outside of the main family and Samantha, there were also several servants who had joined them to take care of everyday needs.


    About an hour later, they were finally allowed inside the base.


    After parking their cars, Layla stepped outside with the rest of her family. She looked around, noticing the miserable expressions on everyone''s faces.


    "What kind of gross place is this? Mother, are you sure we made it to the right place?" she turned to look at her mother.


    Mrs. Barclay also frowned, looking around. Everyone looked dirty and sickly, making her want to cover her mouth with a handkerchief.


    "Let''s hurry and ask around for that stupid boy so we can get out of here as quickly as possible," she said, holding back her disgust.


    Mrs. Barclay went to join her husband back in the warm car, while the servants were ordered to begin their search for any clues about Julian''s whereabouts.


    "Mom, Dad, we''re going to take a walk around," said Layla. She and Samantha had been bored from sitting in the car all day and wanted to get out for a bit.


    Mrs. Barclay smiled. "Of course, sweeties, just be careful and don''t stay out too long!" She always allowed her daughter to do as she pleased, and today was no exception.


    Layla grabbed Samantha by the arm, and they set off to take in the sights.

 Chapter 181 - 181: Spotted

    "I heard this place was originally built to be a resort. Maybe we''ll find some nice views around the mountainside," suggested Samantha.


    Layla didn''t have any better options, so they followed Samantha''s plan. They had only taken a few steps when they heard some people mention a market.


    "Have you heard? New items finally arrived at the market. I quickly bought these two packs of biscuits before they were sold out. Now we can eat for the upcoming week," said a middle-aged man by one of the barrel fires.


    His wife smiled happily. "Really? You managed to get two packs this time?" She looked so happy that she could cry.


    Layla looked at Samantha with a frown. She couldn''t believe there were people who got excited over a pack of biscuits, but one thing did grab their attention: the market.


    "Let''s go check out this market. Maybe we can find a vintage designer bag," said Layla, pulling Samantha toward the main building.


    They walked inside the renovated lobby of the resort, looking through the various signs for the different departments.


    "Oh, look. They even have a housing department here," Samantha said, pointing to a sign above one of the doors.


    Layla rolled her eyes. "I don''t know who would want to live in this run-down place. They can''t even afford to heat the inside of this lobby."


    An elderly lady passing by overheard Layla''s comment. "Oh dear, if you''re looking for a place to warm up, the market upstairs has some heating," she smiled warmly at the two young ladies.


    Layla looked away in disgust. "Ew, don''t talk to me. I don''t need your germs." She quickly grabbed Samantha''s arm again and dragged her up the stairs where the elderly woman had said the market was.


    The elderly lady looked down at herself. Indeed, her clothes were ripped and dirty, making her look unkempt. She used to be a well-respected woman, but now she was nothing more than a simple woman trying to survive.


    Upset by the rude remark, she hung her head low and made her way back to meet with the few family members she had left.


    Layla couldn''t care less if her words upset the elderly woman; she only wanted to make it upstairs to see this ''market.''


    As they entered, a sea of people crowded the room, trying to take advantage of the heat coming from the wood-burning stove as they ''shopped.


    ''"Ew, why does no one here shower or wash their clothes? So disgusting!" Layla called out, not caring if anyone heard her.


    Of course, many people did hear her, but nobody bothered responding. Who here had access to washing machines? Even if they went down to the stream to wash their clothes, they''d freeze to death before anything got clean.


    As the two girls made their way to the chain-link fence, Samantha frowned. "How does this place call itself a market? There''s nothing here." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Layla looked over and saw a few half-empty boxes of crackers and canned food. Other than that, most of the shelves were empty.


    A young boy looked at the clean and pretty girls. "This is better than it''s been in weeks. Since the cold snap, there have only been empty shelves. Only recently did they start putting a bit of food and warm clothes on the shelves."


    Samantha looked over to where the warm clothes were displayed. Only a few sweaters in kids'' sizes were left, but what caught her attention was the brand!


    "Layla, look! Isn''t that a DGM (a made-up luxury brand) sweater? It''s in perfect condition too!" Samantha pointed to the sweaters.


    Layla looked over, and sure enough, they were luxury brand sweaters. She couldn''t believe her eyes; before the disaster, these sweaters would have gone for thousands of dollars each!


    "It must be him. There''s no other explanation; my brother must have donated them!" she said with anger in her eyes.


    She couldn''t believe that anyone other than Julian would have the ability to simply sell such high-end items. Even worse, she felt like those things belonged to her!


    She stormed out, back down the stairs in anger, leaving Samantha to run after her.


    When Samantha finally caught up to Layla, she tried her best to pacify her. "Well, think about it this way: since those clothes are here, he must be nearby!"


    This was the first thing she thought of when she saw the sweaters. Her heart beat with anticipation; she couldn''t wait to see him again.


    Layla paused for a moment. "Yes, you''re right. He must be close by! Let''s take a look around before we head back to the car."


    Samantha quickly agreed. She wanted nothing more than to see Julian again. In her mind, they''d been married for years now, and he was her man!


    After leaving the main building, they set off to explore the rest of the base, choosing one of the main walkways.


    The walkway took them past various ''scenic'' areas that had once been filled with beautiful flowers and sculptures.


    They walked by a few smaller buildings, trying to gauge if there was anyone ''of importance'' around. Unfortunately, most of the units were empty. Even the ones with people inside stayed quietly locked.


    "It''s getting cold. We should head back soon," said Layla. They had been walking around for almost an hour, and the freezing cold was starting to get to her.


    Samantha couldn''t bear to give up just yet and tried to convince her to keep going. "Let''s just check that last area in the back, over there," she said, pointing to a somewhat secluded building.


    It was in a private area, and the building itself looked nicer than the others they''d seen so far.


    Layla frowned but agreed after seeing Samantha''s pleading expression. "Fine, but after this, let''s go back."


    "Yes! We''ll be quick!" smiled Samantha.


    They walked over to the building, enjoying the view of the valley as they approached. The building had a few large trees surrounding it, making it feel like it was part of the forest below."This is one of the few nice places left here," said Layla, approvingly. Unlike many of the other buildings that were more central, this one looked clean, and there wasn''t any trash lying around.


    Samantha walked forward, looking around for anyone to talk to so she could ask if they had seen or heard from Julian.


    She even walked up to one of the doors on the first floor, ready to knock and ask around, but before she made it that far, something on the top floor caught her eye.

 Chapter 182 - 182: Good Day Gone Bad

    Julian had just taken a shower and walked over to Rayne, who was winded on the bed.


    He just finished making passionate love with her and came over to help her over to the shower so that she could rinse off.


    "How are you? Is it really sore?", he asked with a concerned look.


    Once again he was taken over by how amazing it felt and lost control of his movements, being on the more rougher side.


    Rayne teasingly pouted, "You''re a bully! I''m going to end up bedridden for the rest of my life if I stay with you!".


    Julian scooped her up into his arms, "Hey, I wouldn''t complain. Don''t worry, I promise to take care of you", he smiled, cheekily.


    Rayne pretended to punch his shoulder, "You''re dangerous! I need to stay away!", she laughed.


    They had a fun time bantering as Julian carried her to the shower. The water was already on and at a perfect temperature, leaving Rayne to simply walk right in.


    Julian stayed in the bathroom and dried his hair while Rayne showered. Every once in a while he would take a peek behind the shower curtain, causing Rayne to splash water in his face.


    The apartment was filled with love and laughter making the atmosphere inside very warm and cozy.


    "Go invite Noah and Ian for a meal. I''m craving that fried chicken and I feel like it would be nice to enjoy it with some company!", said Rayne.


    She was getting dressed and was starving from all the earlier ''exercise'' they did.


    "Okay, not a bad idea! We haven''t had them over for a meal yet, I''m sure they''ll appreciate the good food! Oh take an extra portion of the spicy wings for me please!", he said as he walked over to the door to head next door.


    All of the units in the building faced the outdoors with a large balcony walkway that connected them all together.


    As soon as Julian walked outside he heard a loud gasp coming from below.


    "Julian?", Samantha''s voice called out softly.


    Julian looked down and immediately felt a headache come on. Below, on the walkway he saw his sister Layla standing next to another girl.


    A part of him knew he''d have to deal with his family sooner or later, but he was upset that now was the time.


    Their presence dampened the joyous mood he had all day.


    After taking a deep breath he turned to look at Layla, completely ignoring Samantha, "Why are you here?".


    Layla blew up in anger, "WHY AM I HERE? Maybe if it wasn''t for your selfish ass who has the audacity to give away MY stuff, I wouldn''t bother"


    She took a deep breath and looked at Samantha, who was standing beside her in a trance.


    "And HOW DARE YOU ditch your wife? Faking your death is one thing, but leaving her behind...Do you have no shame?!", she added.


    Upstairs, Rayne walked outside because she heard screaming and wanted to see what was happening. As soon as she walked out, she heard Layla''s words.


    She looked at Julian with a shocked expression, not expecting someone to show up claiming to be his wife!


    Samantha''s eyes were glued to Julian the whole time, staring at him with a deep longing. She felt like she had been given a second chance at life. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the news of his death spread, she wasn''t sure what to do. She had put in so much effort to get into the good graces of his family, and just before she got what she wanted, he was announced to be dead.


    Now, as she looked up at him, she felt a fire ignite inside. He was finally hers, and no one would stop that.


    Julian didn''t even know how to respond. First, his sister accused him of giving away her things, and now he had a wife he never even knew about!


    He looked over at Rayne, who had a shocked and somewhat worried expression. She was looking at him, silently asking for clarification with her eyes.


    He let out a deep sigh, then flashed a small smile at Rayne, telling her not to worry.


    His signal was well received, and Rayne quickly relaxed. She trusted him and knew he wasn''t the type who would have a secret wife somewhere.


    Rayne walked over and stood beside Julian, quietly supporting him with her presence.


    Below Layla couldn''t stand his confused and annoyed expression.


    "What? Scared now that you''re being called out? Just wait until mom gets here!", she said angrily. Looking up she saw a beautiful woman emerge from one of the apartments and walk to stand beside Julian.


    Furious she pointed her finger at Rayne, "Who the fuck are you? Get away from my brother! He''s already married! Don''t make me claw your face!".


    Samantha also noticed Rayne and how close she seemed to be with Julian. She didn''t believe this pretty woman made it anywhere, only hung around to benefit from Julian''s generosity.


    "You''re no longer needed here, so hurry home. Julian and I have been engaged for many years, I''m his woman", she finally called out.


    She couldn''t stand these pretty flies constantly buzzing around him. The only comfort she had was that in the past she noticed that they never succeeded at getting close to him.


    Layla caught the eye of one of the servants they had sent out to search for clues about Julian, "Hey you! Go call Mom and Dad! Tell them their son has been hiding here while selling our things and keeping useless woman!"


    The servant quickly nodded and ran towards the car to convey the message.


    After the servant left, Layla took Samantha by the arm and led her upstairs. She wouldn''t leave today until Julian gave her all of the things she was owed.


    In the few moments while Layla and Samantha were heading upstairs Julian squeezed Rayne''s hand.


    "I''m sorry, looks like we''ll host dinner another time. Seems like trouble came to find me, and I apologize in advance for how horrible they are. I promise you Rayne, you''re my entire world", said Julian and walked her back home.


    Samantha saw their intimate actions and alarm bells sounded in her mind. In the past Julian had never once allowed a woman to touch him, not to mention taking initiative to hold hands!


    Layla also saw the scene and pushed forward, entering Rayne and Julian''s apartment right behind them.


    She looked around and noticed how cozy it was. The table was even set with crispy fried chicken and beers.


    "Wow, nice life you have here! I haven''t had meat for the last two days!", she spat.


    Samantha walked inside and eyed Rayne angrily While she had to admit that Rayne was very beautiful, she herself always prided herself in her looks.


    She walked over to Layla''s side and tugged her sleeve. Layla looked up and over to see Julian placing his arms around the beautiful blonde.


    Fury burned in her eyes. She swore that she wouldn''t let anyone take her man away from her.

 Chapter 183 - 183: Family Reunion

    "What are you doing? You''re finally reunited with your wife, quickly kick the bitch out", she yelled, pointing at Rayne.


    Julian''s expression turned dark. While he could tolerate the hatred from his family, he would not allow Rayne to be disrespected. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Watch your words, Layla. This is my final warning", he said in a very cold voice.


    Layla felt her body freeze from fright and she quickly clammed up. Her brother had always been cold to them ever since he left at 18.


    Before that, she remembered how he had always tried to be the good son their parents wanted. Back then she was a young girl and was always pampered, enjoying the attention.


    Julian looked over, meeting Samantha''s passionate gaze, "And let me make something else clear. The only person that I would ever agree to call my wife is Rayne".


    Samantha''s blood boiled. She looked at Rayne as if she killed her entire family. Instead of feeling discouraged, Samantha accepted the challenge.


    She had his entire family on her side, and she wanted to see how this nobody vixen would stand against all of them.


    Even if it angered Julian in the moment, she was confident that she could get him to fall for her with time.


    The room fell into an awkward silence. Layla was angrily staring at Julian while Samantha was running through a list of ways to kill Rayne.


    Knock! Knock!


    The sound of aggressive knocking pulled everyone out of their thoughts.


    "Layla! Julian! Are you in there?", Mrs. Barclay''s voice sounded from the other side of the door. Layla quickly turned to open the door.


    "In here Mom!", she said and let her mother, father, and the servants inside.


    The small living room was quickly filled to the brim with people, making it slightly uncomfortable. Julian didn''t bother greeting his parents, only staring at them with an angry expression.


    They''ve long been dead to him. He only sent them money previously so that they would leave him alone since it was the money they wanted anyway.


    "What''s this? Some whore you found on the streets?", Mrs. Barclay asked, looking at Rayne who was still in Julian''s embrace.


    Before Julian could retort, Layla smirked, "Don''t get him started, she''s got him by the balls".


    Without any warning, Mr. Barclay walked over and smacked Julian across the face. "How dare you? Not only are you disrespecting your mother, you''re disrespecting Samantha! She''s the only one I will acknowledge as your wife!".


    Rayne quickly turned around and gingerly placed her hand on Julian''s cheek. "Are you okay?", she asked worriedly.


    Julian had told her previously about his very strained relationship with his family but she never expected it to be this bad.


    Layla walked over and forcefully pulled Rayne away from Julian, "Get away from him, slut. Can''t you understand the situation? You''re not needed here anymore".


    The pull was so forceful that it caused Rayne to get flung across the room, tripping over a chair in the process.


    She landed on her side and felt her leg begin to bruise from getting caught on the corner of the wooden chair.


    "Rayne!", yelled Julian. He ran over to help her up, but his mother and father blocked his path.


    "I told you to forget about her!", shouted Mrs. Barclay, pulling Samantha over. "Look, this is your wife! I''ve been personally taking care of her all these years, she''s perfect in every aspect. And her looks are very elegant and refined!".


    Samantha lowered her head, acting coyly. She was happy to have Mrs. Barclay stand up for her.


    "Julian, I''ve truly loved you this whole time. Won''t you give me a chance?", she said in a very sweet voice.


    Layla walked over, "You have no idea, when news of your death spread, Samantha cried for three days straight! You owe her this!".


    Julian looked at his ''family'' as his blood began to boil.


    "I owe nothing! Get out of my way before I remove you all, permanently!", he hissed. Rayne was still on the ground and he needed to make sure she was okay.


    Mrs. Barclay was about to retort when her husband placed his hand on her shoulder, telling her to let it go for a moment.


    "Fine, play around with your slut. You''ll grow tired of her soon anyway!", she finally said and stepped aside.


    Julian ran up to Rayne, helping her off of the ground.


    "Are you hurt?", he asked, checking her body. As soon as his eyes landed on the large bruise on his leg he felt rage consume him.


    Rayne saw his frightening expression and placed her hand on his arm, patting him gently, "Don''t worry, I''m okay", she smiled.


    Her smile instantly helped calm him and after ensuring she was okay he finally turned to face his parents.


    "I''m not sure why you''re here, but please leave. Please pretend that I''m dead and don''t exist. Live your happy lives however you want, just let me live mine!", he said icily.


    "Ha! Pretend that you''re dead so that you can horde all our your supplies to yourself?", Mrs. Barclay scoffed!


    She wasn''t going to let him deceive her again!


    "Supplies? What supplies? Didn''t I already prepare an entire safe house for you all? There should be enough supplies in there to last you the rest of your lives!", said Julian angrily.


    He wasn''t sure what supplies there were after, but he really didn''t have much.


    Layla walked over, "Oh? Are you trying to deny it? Word around says that there''s a generous man giving away expensive cars and supplies to anyone who asks. Are you telling me that isn''t you?".


    Julian frowned, "Expensive cars? What next, and I also giving away designer bags and jewelry?".


    "Ha! Actually yes. Weren''t those DGM sweaters in the market you''re doing?", said Layla, placing her hand on her hip.


    Julian had no idea what they were talking about but his patience was wearing thin, "Just tell me what you want and leave".


    Layla was about to spew a list of items she''d been wanting but her mother stopped her, "What''s the rush. We''ll stay here for a few days. I''ll tell you what we want before we leave".


    Julian frowned but he knew that there was no convincing them. If they weren''t his biological parents, he would''ve gotten rid of them a long time ago.


    Just as Julian was brainstorming where to put them, Noah showed up. He heard a lot of shouting coming from Rayne and Julian''s apartment and decided to check in on them.


    The moment he saw Julian''s family standing inside he knew what was going on.


    Julian noticed Noah at the entrance, "Noah, please find them somewhere to stay for a few days", he said in a tired voice.


    Noah knew how difficult it was to deal with the Barclays and quickly agreed. One of the Alpha team three-bedroom units was mostly empty and could be temporarily given to his family to use.

 Chapter 184 - 184: Get Through This Together

    After Noah led the ''guests'' away, Julian picked up Rayne and brought her to the couch. "Let me look at your bruise," he said, gently placing her down.


    "Babe, I''m okay. I''ll just ice it for a few days. Let me look at your face," she said softly.


    The right side of Julian''s face was crimson red from where his father slapped him, and it was beginning to show signs of swelling.


    "We need to ice it before it gets worse," Rayne said sadly. She quickly opened her system panel and pulled out a frozen ice pack.


    Wrapping it in a thin cloth, she pressed the ice against his cheek.


    Julian looked at her with a guilty expression. "Rayne, I''m sorry about what they did and said. I regret not dealing with them earlier. I never expected them to randomly come seek me out like this."


    Rayne shook her head. "It''s okay. I''m sorry that your family is so cruel to you, even after everything you''ve done for them."


    He leaned in to kiss her. "I also don''t know how that woman magically became my wife. I just remember her hanging around my sister in the past."


    Before, he could easily ignore his family by tossing money at them. While he noticed Samantha whenever his sister came by, he never paid any attention to her.


    Rayne shook her head. "Hey, look at me," she said, locking eyes with him. "It''s okay. We''ll get through this together."


    Her words spread warmth through him. "Yes, you''re right. We''ll get through this together."


    They both rested and iced their bruises on the couch while discussing the purpose of his family''s surprise visit.


    "What sort of items do you think they want? As much as I don''t want to give anything to them, if it gets them off your case..." Rayne trailed off.


    "No. I don''t owe them anything. They should be living like royalty in the safe house I had prepared for them," Julian stated decisively.


    Rayne looked at him with a strange expression. "Are you sure you didn''t know about the apocalypse ahead of time? Preparing safehouses and the bunker seems a little... lucky."


    Julian smiled. "As much as I wish I had known, I wasn''t as lucky as you. It all just worked out well, timing-wise."


    Rayne shook her head, disagreeing. "See, to me, that seems even more lucky than my situation!"


    To get the timing so perfectly right without any prior knowledge was the definition of ''lucky'' in her book.


    "Well, if you put it that way, then yes, I am, in fact, the luckiest. Also because I met you!" he said, leaning over to kiss her.


    After a while, Noah came over to report to Julian. "I sent them to the first-floor unit of the adjacent building. The Alpha team members who were staying there temporarily moved to the units above."


    Julian nodded. "Thanks, Noah."


    Noah looked at Julian''s swollen face, "Boss, should we get rid of them?". He could see that were only here to cause a scene.


    Julian lowered his head. The scene of Rayne getting pushed replayed in his mind. "I want to know why they''re here. Once we find out, I''ll deal with them myself".


    His blood boiled from anger, no one was going to harm his woman, not even his own ''family''.


    Noah nodded, he just wanted to help his friend, but it looked like Julian had a plan.


    "Let''s see what they want first. Also, tell Ian to keep a close eye on them, I don''t want them to draw too much attention to us", ordered Julian.


    The next morning, a ferocious knock sounded on Rayne and Julian''s door.


    Rayne quickly got out of bed, thinking there was some kind of emergency, but when she opened the door, it was Layla''s smiling face she saw.


    "Oh good, at least you know how to open the door. You''re not totally useless," spat Layla. She pushed Rayne aside and waltzed inside.


    Looking around the table and kitchen, Layla frowned. "Well? Why haven''t you prepared breakfast yet? Oh, and let me tell you this in advance: I only eat organic."


    Rayne couldn''t take it anymore and laughed. "Haha, I''m sorry. But if you''re looking for a pity meal, you''ve come to the wrong place."


    She couldn''t believe how entitled someone could still be in the present day. The entire world was worried about staying alive, while this princess was expecting a full-course breakfast made with only organic products.


    "It''s the least you could do. You''ve been sticking to my brother like a leech long enough. At least show some respect to his family and do something to appear somewhat useful," replied Layla.


    Julian walked over with a frigid look. "Layla, watch your mouth!"


    Layla frowned. "What, your family finally comes to see you, and you can''t even treat them to a meal?"


    "If you want to discuss leeches, I think you should take a look in the mirror since you''re the biggest leech here. Talk to Rayne like that again and I''ll make sure you slowly freeze to death.", he said, walking over slowly with a dangerous aura.


    "Ugh, whatever. Mom and Dad are calling for you." Layla took a step back and walked out. She was always slightly intimidated by her brother, especially right now.


    She could tell that he was truly angry this time, so she quickly passed along the message and turned to head back before he could grab hold of her.


    Rayne walked over and patted Julian on the shoulder. "You weren''t kidding. Your sister really is something else." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t get me started," sighed Julian. He just wanted to figure out why they were here. They weren''t the type of people to simply show up, something must have happened.


    After a few minutes, Julian finally collected himself and decided to pay his family a visit to get to the bottom of why they had come looking for him.


    "Do you want me to come with you?" asked Rayne. She was worried about him going there alone.


    Julian shook his head. "No. They''ll only make this difficult for you. It''ll be better if I go alone."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. If she were to go, her presence would only make things worse. They would surely say something unkind, getting Julian riled up.


    Before he left, she pulled out a medicated ointment and spread it on his cheek. It was designed to help with inflammation and could soothe the redness.


    "I love you", she said, lifting herself up on her tippy toes so that she could place a kiss on his lips.

 Chapter 185 - 185: Planning an Escape

    At the underground base.


    Dillon looked down at his watch and sighed.


    "Boss, maybe they ran into trouble?" said Cal. They had been waiting for Ace to show up for the previously scheduled meeting for a while now.


    Dillon tapped his fingers on the wooden table, thinking for a moment. "No, he should be fine. The more likely reason is that there was nothing to report. I''ll let him off this time."


    Cal was surprised to see Dillon in such a forgiving mood. He had half-expected Dillon to order an execution mission, calling Ace a deserter.


    What Cal didn''t know was that earlier that day, Dillon had received word that a mission to find the woman he requested had finally been approved by the higher-ups.


    For Dillon, this meant that Rayne was one step closer to being his.


    "You''ll be heading to the government base in a few days anyway. Just see what Ace has been up to while you''re there," said Dillon before getting up to leave.


    From Cal''s update, the plan with the Barclays seemed to be going very well, and hopefully, word of Julian''s whereabouts would soon come to light.


    ----


    At the government base


    Julian arrived at the apartment where his family was temporarily staying and walked inside. As soon as he stepped in, Samantha ran up to his side.


    "Julian! You''re here!" she said, reaching out to grab his arm.


    Julian frowned and tried shaking her off, but she clung to him like a leech.


    "Get off me," he said coldly after she refused to let go. He pushed her away, causing her to stumble back and hit the back of the wall.


    "Julian!! What''s wrong with her touching you? She''s your wife, after all," Mrs. Barclay said from the table. She stood up, outraged at his forceful actions.


    The servants were buzzing around, doing their best to fulfill their master''s wishes.


    "She''s not my wife," Julian said, looking his mother directly in the eyes. "And next time you even say a word to Rayne I won''t let you off. I''ve given all of you too many chances, and consider this my last warning. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I swear I''ll kill you all myself!".


    Mrs. Barclay saw the sharp look in his eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. She wanted to continue to argue with him, demanding he take Samantha as his wife, but after hearing his warning she held back her words.


    "Tell me honestly, why are you here? I''m sure the safehouse I prepared for you is much more comfortable to live in than it is here.", he asked after a while.


    He really wanted to know what it was that made them come looking for him. It was really out of character for them to leave the comfort of their safehouse to simply look for him.


    Layla snorted. "That''s for sure. This place reeks."


    Mrs. Barclay looked at him with an evil glare. "Like I said earlier, we''re here for our things. Don''t think of scamming us either."


    "What kind of things? I truly don''t know what you''re talking about," Julian said, feeling exasperated. He didn''t know where they heard that he was giving away things left and right.


    If anything, he was taking things from Rayne! Even if he was still living in his bunker, there wouldn''t be many things for him to give them.


    "Clothes, bags, shoes, makeup... Oh! Don''t forget my car!" Layla called out, listing the things she wanted.


    She was still thinking of more things to add when Julian erupted into laughter.


    "This has got to be some kind of joke, right? Where am I supposed to find these things for you? Have you not looked outside? The world has been flipped upside down!"


    Layla snapped, "But Katrina told us herself! She said that many people were saying you''ve been giving out luxury vehicles and priceless items!"


    Julian turned to Layla. "Who''s Katrina?" Why would someone purposely spread nonsense to his family? He felt like something was off.


    "Katrina is a girl who attended the same school as your sister. She came looking for her family recently and informed us about you! She wouldn''t lie about this," Mrs. Barclay said quickly.


    Samantha lowered her voice and looked away. "Well, at least she claimed she was. Neither I nor Layla remember her from school."


    Julian looked down at her, hearing her mumble. "Wait, you don''t even know if this person was telling the truth, and you believed them? Where is this Katrina now?"


    Layla frowned. "She said she was looking for her family with her cousin. They will meet up with us here soon." She also wanted Katrina to meet up sooner so that she could back up their claims about the luxury items.


    Julian''s stomach turned. The more he listened, the more he felt like something was off, and he always trusted his gut feeling.


    "I need to head back," he suddenly announced, running toward the door.


    Mrs. Barclay tried calling out to stop him, but it was too late. Everyone stared at the shut door, bewildered.


    "What happened? Why did he run away like that?" asked Layla. Everyone just stared blankly, unsure how to answer.


    Julian ran back to his apartment to find Rayne. He needed to discuss the potential threat with her before going to discuss it with Noah and Ian.


    Rayne was startled when the door suddenly flung open. She noticed Julian''s panicked expression and quickly stood up from the couch.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked. Her first thought was that his family had hurt him again.


    Julian walked over and placed his hands on hers. "While I don''t have concrete evidence, I have suspicions that Damien somehow sent my family out to locate me!"


    Rayne''s eyes widened. "What! That means Damien''s men could show up any day!" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian nodded. "We need to leave. Right now, we can''t afford to face him head-on. We don''t know how many men he has, but I know we''d be greatly outnumbered. And with the addition of the ''super'' drug, it would only be more difficult to get through them all."


    Rayne looked down, thinking about where they could go. The new base wasn''t ready, and she didn''t want to bring potential danger to Fred''s settlement.


    "What if I leave right now and try to clear an area in the new base to place enough RVs down for everyone to stay there temporarily?" she suggested.


    Julian thought for a moment. "That may be a good idea. However, let''s find a different spot for now. If we go to the forest clearing now, it would be much more difficult for you to use your system to set things up later."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with his point. "How about the small village north of the mountain where the new base will be? I know we haven''t scouted that area yet, but from my maps and research, it should be a fairly small village. I can park a few RVs over there for us to use temporarily."


    Julian nodded. Unfortunately, it was a race against time, and they didn''t have the luxury of scouting a new area.


    "Okay, take my satellite phone. The passcode is 09-34-55. I''ll send you a message on Noah''s phone later. Be careful," he said, leaning in and hugging her.


    He still couldn''t swallow his anger from how his family treated Rayne earlier, but he couldn''t ignore the looming threat of Damien''s forces potentially coming to find him.

 Chapter 186 - 186: The Quick Getaway

    Julian left to meet with Noah and Ian while Rayne walked around and stored all the important items in the apartment, like weapons, IDs, and anything related to Julian.


    She wanted to throw Damien off their trail as much as possible, so she removed anything related to him from the apartment while adding more feminine items around.


    After finishing inside the apartment, she got dressed and hurried out to her SUV.


    Downstairs, Samantha and Layla walked out in time to see Rayne quickly running away from Julian''s apartment.


    "Oh good, looks like my brother finally kicked her out. See, I told you everything would work out," smiled Layla.


    Samantha felt her heart flutter. She thought that Julian had had a change of heart after seeing her earlier.


    "Come on, let''s go back inside. I''m willing to bet that he''ll come back begging for forgiveness any minute," laughed Layla.


    The two girls went back inside where it was warm and waited for Julian to return.


    Julian was currently next door speaking with Noah and Ian. He told them about his suspicions that Damien was using his family to find him.


    "When you put it that way, it makes sense," said Ian. He also had his suspicions about why they would only now go out of their way to seek Julian.


    Julian told him about the plan to relocate, twisting the story so that when he and Rayne went out earlier, they found a bunch of new RVs in a rural town.


    Coupled with the RV they already had from their trip to City R, they should have enough temporary living spaces to hold everyone.


    While Julian and Ian discussed the details, Noah couldn''t help but think of Ella. He really didn''t want to leave her, especially if the danger from Damien''s men was approaching.


    Julian noticed his lost-in-thought expression and asked, "Noah, what''s wrong? You look troubled."


    Noah looked up and frowned. "Boss, can I bring Ella? I don''t feel right leaving her and her family behind."


    Julian smiled knowingly. If he were in Noah''s position, he wouldn''t be able to leave Rayne behind either.


    "Yes, go deliver a message to the Sotos. You can explain the situation to Reginald. He already has a basic understanding. Tell them to only bring the essentials. Rayne packed a lot, and we''ll be fine for the time being," instructed Julian.


    Noah quickly stood up with a small smile on his face. He wasn''t sure how Julian would feel about bringing extras with them when he initially asked, and was relieved when Julian agreed.


    "I''ll go now, excuse me," he said and ran over to Ella''s place to inform them of the situation.


    Julian turned to Ian. "Have everyone in Alpha team ready to leave in one hour." One hour would give Rayne enough time to set everything up in the rural town.


    He looked out the window, hoping nothing bad would happen to her on her journey. This would be the first time they split up, which made him feel a little uneasy.


    Rayne quickly made her way to her SUV and drove out of the base. Having just recently visited the mountain, she had a good idea of how to get there, making the trip easier.


    She was also thankful that they had plowed the main highway while they were driving previously. This made the roads much easier to navigate.


    A few hours later, she finally approached the mountain where their future base would be. She took a quick look out the window at the forest below.


    Although she had cleared a huge area of trees, she was happy to see that from this angled top-down view, it was still very difficult to tell that there were missing trees.


    The rest of the forest was thick with trees, hiding the clearing she made completely.


    She continued to drive up and over the mountain along the main road until she reached the small town she was looking for.


    When she was initially looking for potential base locations, she had noticed that there was a small town not far from the mountain.


    This town was very rural, with only one main street where all of the shops and important buildings were. The rest of the streets were small residential areas, with a few small apartment buildings.


    Rayne looked around as she drove through the town, feeling like this town was very cute. She was looking for a good, hidden spot to begin placing the RVs.


    She drove down one of the small side streets until she found a small two-story motel. From the outside, it looked very old but well-maintained.


    "Skinner Mountain Motel," she said, reading the sign out loud before driving into its parking lot. It seemed this town was named after the nearby mountain, with many of the stores'' names including ''Skinner''.


    After parking, she stepped outside and walked over to the main reception building, looking to see if there was anyone around.


    The door was unlocked, so Rayne walked right in, holding her gun out for safety.


    She searched around thoroughly but found no signs of people living here.


    After walking around some more, she searched the reception desk to see if she could find the keys to the units. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She searched the desk and all the nearby drawers but couldn''t find any keys. "I wonder if the owners took the keys with them when they left?" she mumbled.


    But just as she turned to leave the room, she found a small metal, wall-mounted key box. Her eyes lit up, and she opened her system panel to take out a small handheld cut-off tool.


    She carefully sawed through the metal, exposing the keys that were neatly hung on hooks in an organized manner.


    Each key was labeled with the room number and hung in ascending order. Rayne quickly reached out and pulled all of the keys off the hook, storing them into her system.


    She decided to quickly check out the motel rooms to see if they could work as lodgings. Having everyone stay in these rooms would be ideal so that she wouldn''t have to explain where all the high-end RVs came from.


    She entered the first room and was glad to see that everything looked to be in decent shape. The windows were intact, and there seemed to be no major structural damage.


    The only downside was the very outdated interior. All of the furniture and fixtures seemed to be original to the motel and looked very worn.


    She tried flipping the light switch out of habit, but unfortunately, there was no electricity. She walked over to the bathroom to check if there was running water, and to her surprise, there was!


    The water was freezing cold, so it would need to be manually heated for bathing, but at least the toilets could be flushed!

 Chapter 187 - 187: Skinner Mountain Motel

    Rayne quickly checked the rest of the rooms and found that only one was unusable due to a broken window.


    "This will be great then! I can still park one large RV outside in case of emergencies and use it as a cover for my supplies," Rayne said as she went back over to the first room.


    She looked around and then calculated the time. Julian should be approaching soon with Alpha Team, so she didn''t have enough time to clean everything.


    She placed a special pellet stove in each usable room. This stove had a built-in cooktop, which would allow the user to boil water and cook meals while staying warm.


    The only other big change she made was swapping out the bedframes in all of the rooms. There were only 19 usable rooms, and most of them only had one queen-size bed.


    This wouldn''t provide enough sleeping space for the number of people coming, so Rayne had to replace the beds with a few single beds to make the rooms more functional.


    She worked quickly, placing the stove, bags of pellets, beds, bed sheets, blankets, and other basic supplies like soap and toilet paper in each of the rooms.


    There wasn''t enough time to make the beds, so she just neatly stacked the bed sheets on top of each mattress. The residents of each unit would be able to make their own beds when they arrived.


    Just as Rayne made it to the last room, the satellite phone in her pocket buzzed. She quickly unlocked it and saw the message from Julian, sent from Noah''s phone.


    ["Hey Rayne, we are approaching the mountain now. Let me know where to go once in town. - Julian."]


    Rayne quickly replied, giving instructions to drive over to the motel.


    After replying, she quickly placed the phone back in her pocket and quickened her pace, setting up the last room.


    Before Julian and the others arrived, she quickly pulled out the largest RV she had in her space. It was long, shiny black with silver accents. It was about double the length of the previous RV she had used but equally as luxurious.


    The reason she chose this RV was simply for the added space for items. Since she didn''t have enough time to individually supply each room, having extras in this one place was the next best thing.


    She walked inside and quickly began dumping piles of supplies into every corner, not caring how messy it looked.


    This would serve as a central supply point for them as they got settled.


    Just as she walked out, she saw a small train of cars approaching. The first vehicle was the previous RV they drove from City R, with Julian as its driver.


    Quickly, the small parking lot filled with Jeeps and SUVs. Rayne turned to see a familiar car pulling in behind them.


    "Ella!!" she smiled, calling out to her friend.


    She secretly wanted to ask Ella to come with them but wasn''t sure if Julian would allow it. Thankfully, it seemed that Noah had taken care of that issue for her.


    She mentally gave him a thumbs-up, happy that he thought of Ella and her family amidst this crisis.


    Looks like Noah is serious about Ella.


    Julian walked over to her and looked around. "Did we arrive too soon?" he asked in a low voice. He only saw one RV in the parking lot and was worried that they hadn''t given Rayne enough time to set up.


    Rayne smiled and shook her head. "We''re going to be staying in there," she said, pointing to the motel rooms.


    Julian looked around and smiled. "This is even better! Great thinking." He felt that this was a much better setup than living inside a bunch of RV''s.


    Rayne pulled out the stack of keys from her system and walked over to the rest of the group with Julian. "The rooms even have running water", she said, telling Julian more about the layout of each room.


    "Sorry for the short notice, but this is where we''ll be staying for the time being. Rayne and I have been building up this place slowly, over time. It may not be the most comfortable place, but it will work for now," announced Julian.


    Everyone looked around and nodded. It looked like a quiet place, and no one minded that it was in the middle of nowhere.


    Even Ella''s family welcomed the change. They had slowly begun to lose faith in the government base, especially after the cold snap.


    The base did nothing to help its people stay warm and survive, only increasing prices daily.


    So when Noah came by, telling them about the potential dangers approaching the base, Reginald didn''t think long before quickly packing up all their belongings and joining the migration.


    Rayne was glad that she left two rooms with queen-sized beds. The first room was meant for her and Julian, while the other one was an extra.


    Now that Reginald and his wife were here, she felt her planning had been perfect.


    She eyed Ella and Noah, curious about how they were going to arrange themselves between the rooms. Rayne was certain that Ella had kept her relationship with Noah a secret from her parents, so they would most likely act as friends for now.


    Just as she expected, Reginald had Ella stay with them in their room.


    Rayne quickly told Ella that she was welcome to use the mattress from the RV if she needed it.


    Julian assigned the rest of the rooms to the other members of Alpha Team, allowing everyone to begin organizing their rooms.


    Everyone was happy to see the stove and clean sheets in their rooms. They weren''t expecting much when they arrived, but seeing that their basic needs were being met, they were all very happy.


    Even Reginald and his wife gasped when they walked into their room.


    "They even managed to get us a pellet stove!" called out Reginald''s wife as they walked into their room. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reginald looked around, noticing the blankets, sheets, and hygiene supplies. "Yes, it seems Noah wasn''t kidding when he said that Rayne packed a lot of items."


    They still managed to bring most of their things from the government base, so they weren''t worried about their survival for the time being.


    After everyone got settled into their rooms and set up the pellet stoves, Rayne went around announcing that the supplies in the large RV were free for everyone to use as they pleased.


    When Ella walked into the RV to find some food, her eyes widened. Inside, she found bags and piles of all sorts of snacks and food items.


    Even sacks of grain and rice filled an entire section of the kitchen area.


    She looked around a little more. "Potatoes?" she asked out loud, holding a large, fresh russet potato in her hand.


    The last time she saw a potato, it felt like ages ago. She quickly grabbed a handful of potatoes and sweet potatoes, thinking that roasting them in the stove would be delicious!

 Chapter 188 - 188: Almost Discovered

    Noah walked into the RV to witness Ella''s excitement.


    He walked over quietly and hugged her from behind. His sudden actions startled Ella so much the she nearly dropped all of the potatoes in her hands.


    "Noah! You scared me to death!", she cried out.


    "Shh, keep your voice down unless you want to be discovered", he said in a low voice, kissing her neck.


    When Julian went assigning rooms earlier, he had wanted to ask Ella to share a room with him, but when Reginald told Ella to stay with them, he knew it would be too soon.


    Ella felt her body heat up from his kisses. The thought of being discovered was as thrilling as it was frightening for her.


    She knew her father would kill her and Noah if he found them messing around, but she couldn''t stop--Noah''s touch just felt so good.


    Noah kissed her while his hands explored her body until they heard Ella''s mother calling out to her from outside of the RV.


    "Ella! Are you inside? Did you get lost?" her mother asked, approaching the entrance to the RV.


    Noah quickly stepped away from Ella and adjusted himself, while Ella did the same.


    "Oh, Noah! You''re here too!" smiled Ella''s mother. She hadn''t expected to see him here with her daughter.


    Ella blushed. "Oh, hi, Mom. Noah was helping me with the potatoes. I thought these would be delicious roasted in the stove." Her voice cracked slightly, making her blush even more.


    "Thank you, Noah, for helping my silly daughter. I hope she hasn''t been too much of a burden to you," she smiled, walking over to help carry the potatoes.


    "Not at all, Mrs. Soto. I''m glad to help," replied Noah, very respectfully. While his face remained neutral, his heart was beating violently inside.


    After picking out a few more items, Mrs. Soto turned to leave with Ella. On her way out, Ella turned to flash Noah a charming smile, igniting a desire within him.


    Noah stood inside the RV, watching them leave. He had come so close to being discovered, and they had only just arrived here.


    His mind began to spin as he thought of other ways he could meet with Ella. At this point, outside of his responsibilities, it was Ella who occupied his thoughts the most.


    -----


    The following day, Katrina came over to find Cal at the underground base.


    "Are you ready? We should go check to see if anything came from the bait we set out," she said with a smile.


    Today, they planned to make it to the government base to see if the Barclays had managed to pull up any clues about Julian''s whereabouts.


    Cal nodded. "Yes, I''m ready. Are you sure I need to bring so many supplies? It seems excessive for such a short trip."


    Katrina told him to pack at least a full duffel bag of supplies, including canned food. Now his duffel bag was very heavy and difficult to carry around.


    "Haha! Yes, I''m very sure. By the time you actually make it inside the base, half your bag will be empty," she laughed.


    She knew about the entry and registration fees from her other team members and made sure to warn Cal.


    Cal frowned but figured it was better to be safe than sorry. He was also worried about Ace, still not having heard from him.


    The pair made their way over to the garage and checked out a car to make their way to the government base. A few hours later, they finally arrived.


    The line was long, but nothing like what it had been in the past, and they were in within a few hours.


    Cal looked at his now significantly lighter duffel bag in surprise. "You were right. They''re scamming people out of their supplies here. I don''t know how the average person is supposed to make it inside with these prices."


    Katrina nodded. "Yeah, the prices went up a lot since my team was here. I don''t think it''s worth it for people to come here. There''s no real benefit." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They walked around, looking for signs of either Ace or the Barclays, until they heard yelling coming from one of the nearby buildings.


    "JULIAN, OPEN THE DOOR!" yelled a woman''s voice.


    Katrina looked over at Cal and quickly made their way over. When they arrived, they saw Layla and Mrs. Barclay furiously pounding on one of the doors on the third floor of a building.


    "I swear, you can''t hide in there forever!" Mrs. Barclay called out.


    Katrina walked over and put on her innocent girl expression. "Layla! Mrs. Barclay! What''s going on over there?"


    Layla looked over and saw Katrina standing beside Cal on the ground in front of their building.


    "Oh, you''re finally here. Did you find your parents?" asked Layla. She was both happy to see Katrina and frustrated that it had taken her so long to arrive.


    She needed Katrina to back them up when demanding that Julian hand over their items, so she invited her up warmly.


    As Katrina made her way up the stairs with Cal, she replied to Layla''s initial question, "No, we continued to search the city, but unfortunately, nothing came up."


    Katrina pretended to wipe away her tears, seemingly distraught.


    "Oh, I''m sure we''ll hear from them soon. Like how it happened with us, we managed to find my son as soon as we got here," said Mrs. Barclay warmly.


    Katrina raised her eyebrow, impressed by their luck. She pretended to be very excited for them. "Wow! How amazing! I''m so happy you were able to find him!"


    Layla frowned and turned to look at the door. "Unfortunately, he hasn''t left his room all day and refuses to answer the door."


    Katrina looked over curiously at the door. "Maybe he''s tired and sleeping?"


    "Yeah, Mom, he''s probably busy laying with that blonde. Let''s come back later. Now that we have Katrina here, he won''t be able to weasel his way out of giving us our items," said Layla, beginning to walk back downstairs.


    Mrs. Barclay''s face turned dark at the thought of Rayne, but she remembered Julian''s previous warning and kept silent.


    "Very well, let''s try again after dinner. I''d really like to leave this place sooner rather than later. There seems to be some sort of cold or flu going around," said Mrs. Barclay.


    Katrina went back with Layla and her mom, while Cal excused himself to search for Ace under the pretense of looking for clues about Katrina''s family.

 Chapter 189 - 189: Disease Spreads

    Walking over to the main lobby building, he began asking around if anyone had seen a group of people matching Ace''s description.


    Unfortunately for Cal, most of the people refused to answer him, while others swore they''d seen them but couldn''t remember where.


    After over an hour of searching, Cal bumped into a sick young man who looked to be around 18 years old.


    "If you''ve checked everywhere else, I recommend you look in either the infirmary or the group shelter. That''s where most of the people are these days¡ªsick or dying," he said in a hopeless voice.


    He himself was on his way to the infirmary to see if he could buy some medicine, even though he already knew it would be impossible.


    In the last few days, dozens of people had died from this illness, while the majority of others were bedridden, waiting to see if death would claim them too.


    Cal frowned at this news. He didn''t want to go to where the sick people were, worried that he might catch whatever disease was going around, but he had no other choice.


    Dillon had specifically told him to find where Ace was and why he hadn''t made it to the previous meeting.


    He dug around in his duffel bag and pulled out a white t-shirt, which he ripped and wrapped around his mouth and nose.


    Hoping that the cloth would protect him from the illness, he walked into the infirmary wing of the base first.


    People lined the halls, coughing and sneezing. Some were even passed out on the ground. Cal was horrified by the sight and couldn''t believe that all of these people were so ill.


    He walked around, searching for Ace''s familiar face in the sea of people but couldn''t find him. The line at the reception desk was fairly long, but he had little choice and decided to wait.


    "I''m sorry, but we''re completely out of medicine. There''s nothing I can do for you," said the nurse at the reception desk.


    "But my son is dying! Can''t you see? He can''t even keep his eyes open!" yelled a woman holding a young boy in her arms.


    The nurse frowned. "I''m really sorry, Ma''am, but there''s truly nothing I can do besides advise you to let him rest naturally." Scenes like this were popping up all over the medical ward, but unfortunately, there were no medicines to give out.


    "What good is this base when you can''t even get basic help anywhere?! All I''ve done is starve and freeze here! I was better off at home!" the woman screamed and turned back, carrying her son.


    Cal watched this scene repeat itself as he waited in line, and by the time it was his turn, the nurse at the front desk was exhausted.


    "Sorry, we don''t have medicine," she stated bluntly before Cal had a chance to ask.


    "No, I''m here looking for someone. I''m wondering if you''ve seen someone by the name of Ace?" he asked.


    The nurse looked at him and laughed. "Haha, does this place look that organized to you? I have no idea what anyone''s name is here. Not to mention, we haven''t been able to take in any patients these last few days since we really have zero supplies."


    Cal looked around, and indeed, this medical ward was a disorganized mess. The only benefit this place offered was the slightly warm interior, thanks to a wood-burning stove inside.


    "Thank you," he said quietly and turned to leave.


    If Ace wasn''t here, he would check the last place¡ªthe group housing.


    Cal had his doubts that Ace would stay in a group housing unit but thought maybe it was to help gather information.


    As he arrived at the large, flimsy-built dorm-style housing, he couldn''t help but feel nauseous from the nasty smell.


    The entrance was littered with trash and other unidentifiable items, all contributing to the horrid stench.


    Cal quickly stepped inside to try and get away from the awful scent, but as he walked in, he realized that it was much worse inside.


    Very few people were walking or standing inside; everyone looked either dead or half-dead, lying on their shabby bunk beds.


    "There''s no way Ace is here," mumbled Cal as he began to walk down the narrow walkway.


    The farther in he walked, the more disgusted he felt. These people looked like they''d been laying on their beds for days on end, even soiling themselves right there on the bed.


    Cal couldn''t believe that the higher-ups at this base had not done anything about the situation. Their residents were dying left and right¡ªthey could at least try to procure some medicine.


    He continued to walk, looking at the faces of every person lying on the bunks until he got closer to the end of the building.


    There was a group of burly men who were coughing nonstop, and among them lay a familiar face.


    "Ace?! Is that you?" Cal called out, unsure if he was seeing things. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man resembled Ace but was incredibly pale and sallow.


    Ace was in and out of consciousness but heard Cal''s voice. He tried opening his eyes to look, but found the task too difficult.


    Cal waited for any response but didn''t get one, even after a few minutes of waiting. He bent down to take a closer look.


    Sure enough, the man on the bed was the Ace he''d been looking for this whole time.


    "That means these men are part of his team," Cal said, looking around at the nearby bunks.


    Each one of the men looked worse than the previous. Cal wasn''t sure how to help them either. He dug around in his duffel bag and found a small bottle of expired painkillers that he''d brought in case he got a headache.


    "I guess it''s better than nothing, right? But how do I get him to swallow it?" mumbled Cal, holding the small white pill.


    After thinking about it, he decided to simply pop the pill into Ace''s mouth. The rest, Ace would have to figure out.


    Ace felt someone pry something into his mouth as his body was burning alive. He wasn''t conscious enough to know what it was, but after a few seconds, he felt a very bitter taste spread through his mouth.


    His mouth was a bit dry from not having water these past few days, so the pill took a long time to dissolve, subjecting him to the bitter taste for a long time.


    Cal watched and waited, expecting to see some kind of miracle. But after ten minutes of waiting, there were still no signs of recovery from Ace.


    Cal scratched his head. "Well, I guess I''ll go back and report to boss Dillon now," he said and turned to leave the disease-infested building.

 Chapter 190 - 190: Unconvinced

    Before they separated, Katrina instructed Cal to report that Julian had been found. The main mission was to locate Julian so they needed to report back with the good news quickly.


    Cal took one final look at his partner and wished him luck to make it through the sickness.


    "If you hold out until I come back, I''ll bring back some medicine", he said quietly.


    Cal quickly made it back to the car that he and Katrina arrived in and set off back to the city.


    A few hours later he finally arrived in front of Dillon''s apartment, hearing the typical chorus of moans coming from inside.


    Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door a few times.


    "Come in!", yelled Dillon from the bedroom.


    Cal frowned, wishing that he would be told to wait or come back later, alas he slowly walked inside. The sounds of passionate lovemaking echoed throughout the apartment, uncaring about the new visitor.


    He slowly walked over to the bedroom, where the door was already wide open. The scene of two women tangled up on the bed with Dillon was what greeted him.


    Cal quickly averted his gaze and focused on breathing. He still hasn''t had a chance to taste a woman so the explicit environment left him struggling to exist.


    Dillon slightly turned his head to see Cal standing at the door.


    "Oh Cal, it''s you. I thought Ace finally showed up", he said without pausing his movements.


    "Boss, I came back from the government base to report", said Cal, but before he could continue Krissy''s voice called out.


    "Fuck, I''m going to cum!", she yelled, moaning at the top of her lungs.


    Dillon smirked then slapped her ass that was in front of him, "Shut up!", he yelled before continuing.


    Cal swallowed and continued to report.


    "I found Ace. He''s deathly ill, I''m not sure if he''ll make it before I get back", reported Cal, telling Dillon about the widespread illness that''s spread throughout the base.


    "The main thing, however, is we found Julian", he finally finished.


    Dillon paused, pulling out just before Krissy could climax, "You found him? He''s there at the government base?".


    "Yes, Boss!", replied Cal. He proceeded to tell Dillon the details of what he witnessed with the Barclays today.


    "Good, so Katrina is with them now. Go gather a large team, it''s time we take over the government base", smiled Dillon.


    He couldn''t believe how smoothly this mission to find Julian had gone. He expected it to take at least another month of searching after the previous setback.


    "To think he would run to the government base to seek refuge after running from his bunker!", laughed Dillon and went to get dressed, leaving the two women on the brink of tears from the orgasm denial.


    ----


    Later that evening at the government base...


    "Mom, he''s still refusing to answer the door. I just spent the last 10 minutes knocking," said Layla frustratedly.


    Mrs. Barclay stood up with an angry expression. "I swear that boy! Where''s Samantha? Maybe she could get him to open the door. Are you sure that blonde didn''t come back after running out yesterday?"


    "Yes, Mom, I''ve been watching his door like a hawk. She hasn''t come back," assured Layla. She wasn''t lying. Ever since they saw Rayne run out, she and Samantha had been keeping a close eye on Julian''s apartment.


    Katrina watched this spectacle from the table, quietly drinking tea.


    "To me, it sounds like they got into a fight and he''s just shut himself in," she finally gave her opinion.


    Layla looked over at her and thought about her words.


    "Yes! She did seem to be nervous or upset! That''s it!!" said Layla. It made perfect sense. They got into an argument, and now Julian was just locked inside, depressed or angry.


    Mrs. Barclay looked out the window. "Still, how long does he plan to sulk? I don''t plan to wait for him forever."


    Their thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sounds of gunfire.


    "What?! What''s happening?" cried out Mrs. Barclay. The loud shots sounded like they were coming from the entrance to the base.


    A few minutes later, a mass of people came running and screaming, "Attack! The base is under attack!"


    Katrina took another sip of her tea, and then put on a frightened expression. "Attack? We need to hide!! Close the windows and let''s lay low, maybe they won''t find us!"


    Everyone was equally as frazzled, so no one protested Katrina''s idea. Layla quickly closed the curtains and turned off all the lights.


    They all huddled together, listening as the gunfire got closer.


    At the entrance of the base, the few guards stationed there saw the large army of people approaching.


    Before they had a chance to ask what brought them here, the men all pulled out various weapons and began to shoot them down.


    For the first time in a long time, the higher-ups made an announcement. "Everyone grab whatever weapons you have and fight back! We must band together to fight back!"


    Unfortunately for them, their rallies fell on deaf ears. Most of the base''s population was sick, while the others were starving.


    Even the healthy ones ignored the announcement, having lost all hope in the administration after the cold snap.


    The base administrators looked around and noticed the people just gathering quietly to watch the shootout. Their eyes were hollow, not caring if they lived or died.


    "Why are you just standing there?! Fight back!" screamed one of the administrators.


    The deadpan expressions on the residents'' faces cracked for a short moment. "Why should we? It''s not like we''ll survive much longer anyway. Might as well die now than have to suffer a slow and gradual death."


    The administrator shook in fear. "What? Why!?" He was so busy enjoying the cushy life that he didn''t realize what was going on outside.


    When did everyone turn so hopeless? It''s only been a few weeks, and the bustling atmosphere of the base turned into a ghost town.


    No matter how many people he tried riling up to fight, he was met with the same attitude. No one cared about this base, hardly caring about their own lives.


    Not a single person was convinced to fight back.


    sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 191 - 191: Impenetrable Fortress

    At the entrance of the base, Dillon stood victoriously.


    The few armed guards were quickly dealt with, leaving the gate wide open.


    "Everyone, move in! If you''re met with any resistance, feel free to kill on sight!" he announced before motioning for them to flood into the base.


    The large group of men stormed in, securing every area of the base.


    Most of the residents didn''t even blink when they saw the armed men approach, making them question what was happening.


    "Isn''t it strange that no one is running or screaming? They''re all just standing by the fires, watching like nothing''s even happening," one of the armed men said to the others.


    Everyone nodded and continued securing the base.


    A few minutes later, only a handful of shots were heard. Dillon smiled. "Good, it''s easier when people comply. You guys, watch the entrance and ensure that no one gets out. We''re here to capture Julian."


    Dillon walked to the end of the base alongside Cal. Cal led the way to the building where the Barclays and Katrina were staying, taking the most direct path.


    Along the way, Dillon frowned, looking at how disgusting the surroundings were. "Why would anyone want to live here?" he asked.


    Having lived in Damien''s base since before the disasters, he had a skewed outlook on what life looked like outside.


    They made their way over to the building where Katrina was waiting. Cal walked over and knocked on the door a few times.


    "Katrina, it''s me. Are you there?" he called out. The curtains were drawn, and everything was quiet, making him wonder if they had gone somewhere.


    Inside, Katrina heard Cal call out after knocking. She was about to stand up and open the door when Layla pulled her down.


    "What are you doing? What if it''s someone dangerous?" she hissed.


    Katrina looked at her and smiled. "But Layla, it''s my cousin Cal! I can''t just leave him outside! Plus, if it were dangerous, he would tell me to hide. We can trust him."


    Layla was hesitant but let go of her arm. Katrina sprang up and quickly made her way to the door, unlocking it.


    As soon as the door opened, she saw Cal, and behind him was Leader Dillon. She quickly bowed her head respectfully. "Leader Dillon, come on in."


    Dillon walked in, looking at the huddled family on the floor. "Don''t worry, I''m not here to hurt you. I''m just looking for someone you''re familiar with."


    Layla saw the handsome man in front of her. "Who are you looking for?" she asked in a sweet voice.


    Dillon smiled. "You must be his sister. Truly, the genetics in your family are peak. I''m looking for your brother. Mind telling me where he is?"


    Layla felt her face heat up from the indirect compliment. "Ah, y-yes. I''ll bring you to his apartment." She scurried off the ground and put on her coat.


    "Please, follow me," she said and led him over to the adjacent building. "He''s on the third floor."


    They walked over to the last door on the third floor, and Layla walked up. "Julian! Open up, there''s a visitor for you!"


    After a few minutes of silence, Layla began to feel awkward. "Julian! It''s not the time to be sulking over that blonde woman! You have someone important visiting!" She continued to knock until Dillon stopped her.


    He was slowly beginning to lose patience and pushed Layla to the side. The push wasn''t forceful, but enough for her to feel a little scared.


    "You won''t mind if I break the door down, right?" he said with an evil smile.


    Layla shook her head. "No, not at all." She moved out of the way, leaving a generous amount of space between her and the door.


    Dillon looked at the door, then lifted his leg, forcefully slamming it into the wood.


    "FUCK!" he yelled. Instead of breaking the door like he expected, he felt as if he had kicked a block of iron.


    He looked at the door more carefully. "What the hell is wrong with this door? It looks just like any other standard wooden door."


    Even running his hand along the front of the door, he felt the grooves of the natural wood.


    "Cal! Get someone over here who specializes in lockpicking!" he yelled from the balcony.


    Cal, who was waiting below, quickly accepted the order and ran off to find someone who could pick the lock. He returned about ten minutes later with a lanky guy who had come with the rest of the ''army.''


    Dillon quickly motioned for him to begin picking the lock while rubbing his leg.


    The lanky man knelt down and opened his small pack of different-sized lockpicks, beginning his process. He expected this to be an easy job, as the locks here were all very standard. However, after twenty minutes of trying, he couldn''t even get past the initial layer.


    "Are you sure you even know what you''re doing?" asked Dillon, who was seconds from losing it. He had been standing out here for over an hour and was beginning to feel the cold seep through his clothing.


    "Sir, I assure you that I''ve been properly trained. There''s something off with this lock. It''s not the typical one that it appears to be," the lanky man replied. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After trying for another twenty minutes, the lanky man finally gave up. "Forgive me, Boss. I don''t have the correct tools for this job."


    Dillon was angry. "I don''t care what you do. Blast it open for all I care! Just get it open!"


    "Yes, sir!" Cal called out and went to find a team to get the door open.


    Another ten minutes later, a group of men arrived with all sorts of tools: crowbars, hammers, blowtorches, and even explosives.


    The men quickly got to work, trying to open it with the sledgehammers. They beat the door relentlessly, but even after a few minutes of repetitive pounding, the door stood firmly, without signs of damage.


    "What the hell is this door made out of? Why is it so difficult to open?" said Dillon, angrily.


    The men moved to the blowtorches, trying to burn a hole in the door. They fired up their torches and slowly began to melt the door.


    While they finally made visible progress, only the topmost layer had melted off.


    "Boss, we don''t have enough fuel for these blowtorches to get through. This would also take a few days," one of the men with the blowtorches said.


    "THEN BLOW IT UP!" yelled Dillon. He was freezing and aggravated by a stupid door. He wanted to leave and warm up somewhere but knew that he had to be there the moment the door opened.


    "Sir, I don''t think explosives will get through this door. It seems to be a very thick iron door, similar to bank vault doors," one of the other men chimed in.


    "Then what do you suggest?!" asked Dillon, ready to pull his hair out.


    The man thought for a moment and came up with a different idea. "We could smash through the window if we had a ladder."


    Dillon no longer cared. "Then go, do it! And hurry up!"

 Chapter 192 - 192: On Her Trail

    Another half hour later, they finally had the ladders they needed to break into the window.


    "Boss, there''s no one inside!" yelled Cal. He had just climbed through the smashed window and looked around the apartment.


    Layla heard his words and didn''t believe it. "Impossible! I''ve been watching this apartment ever since he left our place yesterday! I did not see him leave!"


    Dillon looked at Layla, noticing her genuinely surprised expression.


    It seemed Julian really was here at one point but managed to slip away without anyone noticing.


    "What happened while he was at your place yesterday?" asked Dillon coldly.


    Layla looked at him, surprised. "He came over and started asking us why we were here. We told him that we were here to take whatever items belonged to us back. He then started asking questions about where we got our information..."


    Dillon listened to her words and realized that Julian was already suspicious of the fact they had come to find him.


    "Looks like he''s got some brains after all. Did anything strange happen yesterday after he left your place? Did you see any movement from this building?" he asked.


    Layla shook her head. "Oh wait! That blonde slut ran away from his apartment."


    Dillon frowned. "Who was she? Describe her to me." He didn''t care about Julian''s kept women, but since she was the only lead they had, he was willing to hear more about her.


    "Oh, she''s just a nobody. Outside of being very beautiful, she was pretty useless. Unfortunately, my brother was completely smitten with her; he even threatened to kill us if we touched her," said Layla.


    She continued to describe Rayne''s physical appearance in detail, seeing as Dillon seemed interested.


    Dillon listened attentively, and as he pieced her appearance together in his mind, the vision of Rayne popped up.


    "Rayne?!" he said, wide-eyed.


    Layla paused. "How do you know her name?"


    At that moment, the front door finally clicked open. Cal and the others had managed to unlock the door so that Dillon could enter.


    Dillon walked inside the apartment and looked around. His heart was beating fast at the discovery that Rayne was here... and that she seemed to have some sort of relationship with Julian.


    "You better not have done anything stupid, Rayne. Remember, you''re my woman," he growled, walking around to find any clues about her or Julian.


    Cal searched around with him, looking through every cabinet and drawer.


    "Boss, there''s no sign of Julian here at all. In fact, there''s nothing indicating that a male lived here. All of the clothing and items are very female-oriented."


    Instead of getting angry, Dillon looked around curiously, even sniffing some of the clothing.


    "Ah, Rayne. To think you were hiding right under my nose this whole time. Don''t worry, I''ll be there soon to bring you home," he whispered, looking at the small pile of female clothing that was lying on the bed.


    While Dillon was busy plotting to find Rayne, the rest of his men finished securing the base. An announcement was made that they were now the leaders of the base, and that anyone who resisted would be killed.


    While a few people were frightened, most of the residents didn''t really care. It didn''t matter to them who ''led'' the base. Some even hoped that this new group would do a better job than the ''government'' before them.


    ---


    At the mountain motel, things were going well, and everyone had managed to settle in. The pellet stoves in each room kept everyone warm from the frigid winds howling outside.


    Rayne wasn''t sure if it was due to their new location at the top of the mountain or just the current weather, but intense winds howled outside.


    For the next few days, nobody went out unless it was to take food and supplies from the RV that was in the parking lot.


    "I hope the weather gets better soon. I''d like to go down the mountain and make some progress on the future base location," said Rayne.


    Sitting still felt wrong when she had so many things she needed to take care of.


    Julian, on the other hand, enjoyed this private ''vacation'' with Rayne. Days of uninterrupted time with her were something he had long wanted and took full advantage of.


    "The weather will get better eventually. Come, let me cure some of your boredom," he said, pulling her over to his side.


    Rayne blushed, accepting his kisses. The kisses quickly turned into something more, and before long, they were tangled in bed.


    After a passionate session of lovemaking, Rayne laid on her back, catching her breath.


    "What''s gotten into you? This is the third time today," she giggled.


    Julian leaned over and smiled. "Oh babe, I could go for another three sessions, easily."


    Rayne smiled. "Maybe you can, but I don''t know if I could handle another three sessions! My legs are already jelly!"


    They both burst out laughing and continued to cuddle for a little while longer.


    ---


    In the room next door, Noah was tossing and turning on his bed. Due to the poor weather, he hadn''t been able to see Ella at all and was trying to think of ways to see her. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was slightly scared of Reginald, and simply going to visit would be very awkward. He also didn''t think Reginald would allow Ella to visit him without asking questions.


    Yesterday, he had a plan of waiting in the RV for Ella to come by and get food, but after waiting an entire day, he didn''t see her once.


    Ian looked at his younger brother''s tortured expression and shook his head. "This is why I always told you to stay away from women. They somehow manage to wiggle their way into your head, and the next thing you know, you can''t even sleep peacefully at night."


    "Ugh! I just feel like I need to see her! I hate this!" sighed Noah. He hadn''t done anything, yet he felt exhausted.


    Ian laughed. While he felt bad that Noah was being tortured nonstop, he was glad that he found someone he cared for.


    Ella seemed like a nice girl, and he was all for Noah pursuing her. The only obstacle now was slowly getting Reginald to accept him so they could date openly, but from what he saw of Reginald, Noah had a lot of work to do.

 Chapter 193 - 193: Warmer Weather

    A few months later...


    Cal was standing still, holding his breath. He was scared to move a single step out of place and end up on Dillon''s bad side.


    "All this time, and you still haven''t found Julian or Rayne?! How useless can you be?" Dillon slammed his fist down on the table.


    His face was red with anger. It had been two whole months since they took over the government base, and there still hadn''t been any progress made.


    "Boss! The previous weather made it difficult to send anyone out to search. And with Ace''s passing, we had to train up a new team leader," said Cal with a pleading expression.


    Dillon was terrifying when angry. He had only a faint grip over his emotions, so when he was in a heightened state, anything was possible.


    "The weather has just recently gotten better, so I need you to go back to the government base and keep your eyes peeled for any information while carrying out this new mission," ordered Dillon.


    He had recently been assigned a new mission to begin spreading a new drug throughout the government base.


    It was less potent than the previous version but still needed testing. The higher-ups wanted to use the residents of the government base as test subjects before mass-producing it.


    One of the missions Dillon passed down to Cal was to begin spreading this drug under the pretense of it being medicine.


    Along with Ace, many of the people at the government base had died, and new people continued to get sick every day. A new ''medicine'' would be very well accepted, making it a relatively easy mission.


    "Yes, Boss!" Cal bowed slightly.


    The wind had finally calmed down these last few days, and the temperature even warmed up. Cal no longer had the excuse of poor weather to protect him from Dillon''s wrath.


    He would need to put in a lot of effort to locate Julian and Rayne.


    ---


    At the mountain motel, Rayne finally went outside and felt the warmth of the sun. While the air was still cold, it had a new kind of freshness to it.


    She walked over to the supply RV to take inventory and add any items that were missing. She was careful to only add a few, as a large amount would be suspicious.


    "I''m surprised we were able to survive off of this for so long. It''s all thanks to you that we haven''t starved these two months," said Julian.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just happy that everyone is in good health. With the weather getting warmer, we can start to make progress on the new base."


    Having this new base would be a turning point for them. It would serve as a supply and living place where Julian could recruit more talents to help combat Damien''s ever-growing force.


    It would also hopefully serve as a bastion of hope for those trying to survive. Rayne looked around the RV and thought how nice it would be to see people smiling and children running around¡ªmaybe even she would have a child of her own one day...


    "What are you thinking about? Your face is turning red," Julian asked, smiling at her from across the small kitchen area. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne shook her head. "No... nothing!!" She didn''t want to expose her thoughts of wanting children because she knew Julian would be more than willing to fulfill that here and now.


    Seeing her embarrassed smile, Julian decided to leave her alone and switched the subject.


    "If the weather continues to get better like it has been, the snow should start melting soon," said Julian, looking out the window.


    "Yeah, I hope it does get warmer. I''m tired of this cold. Plus, the warmer weather will make it easier for people to go out and find food," agreed Rayne.


    ---


    A few miles from the motel, a group of people huddled together in the basement of an old grocery store.


    "Mila! The weather has finally gotten better. We can leave soon to find supplies and food," a handsome man in his late 30s walked over to his wife.


    He had just taken a quick walk outside to gather any kind of wood to keep the small fire going.


    "Come warm yourself, honey. Tell me more about what you saw outside," his wife excitedly said, inviting him to stand beside her.


    Brandon walked over with a big smile on his face and a pile of broken wooden furniture in his arms.


    "Outside just now, the sun was shining, and the winds are gone. I think better weather is finally on its way, and the snow will finally melt!" he explained.


    They had been surviving in this basement for over three months now, and their supplies had been almost all used up.


    Mila looked at her husband with a big smile. "This is truly amazing news. This means we will finally be able to move from this place and find more food before we make our way to the government base!"


    Brandon hugged his wife. "Go tell Laura the good news! I''m sure this will lift her spirits! Also, give her my portion of today''s meal¡ªshe needs the nutrition."


    "Okay, sunshine, we can split my portion today," smiled Mila. She was happy that her husband was such a caring man.


    Unfortunately, their food supplies had gotten to alarmingly low amounts recently. This made them agree to ration what little they had left, only eating once a day or even once every other day.


    The only exception to this was Laura, who was recently discovered to be pregnant. The group felt bad for her and wanted the baby to develop properly, often giving up their meals to her.


    Mila walked over to the corner of the room where Laura was lying down.


    "Laura, guess what?" said Mila.


    "Oh, Mila, what is it?" smiled Laura, sitting up.


    Mila motioned for her to lay back down. "Brandon just came back from gathering wood outside. He told me that the weather is getting better and even suspects that the snow will melt soon."


    She passed along the message, describing the changing environment she heard from her husband.


    Laura''s eyes sparkled at the news. "Oh, thank goodness! There is hope after all!"


    With every passing month, Laura became more and more nervous that she would have to give birth in this room or, worse, lose the baby.


    "Brandon said that he and some of the guys will go out tomorrow to see if the conditions are good enough to set out. There''s a small town a few miles away from here where we can search for supplies," said Mila.


    Laura nodded. "I''ll tell David to go with you. He''s been more worried about my pregnancy than I have. Maybe seeing the changes outside will ease his nerves."

 Chapter 194 - 194: Vote

    Mila stood up and smiled at Laura.


    "Very well, I''ll tell Brandon to include David in their outing tomorrow. Let me know if there''s anything you need," she assured her.


    Laura wiped away a few happy tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Mila. I don''t know where I would be without you."


    "Don''t mention it. We''re all a family here, and we all can''t wait to see the little bun. Now go get some rest; I''ll be right here if you need anything," Mila smiled and walked back beside the fire.


    Mila stood beside her husband and relayed Laura''s message.


    "Sure, I''d love to have David join us tomorrow. I''ll go talk to him about it now," said Brandon. He got up and went over to where the men were breaking apart larger pieces of wooden furniture to use as firewood.


    The next morning, Brandon, David, and a few more men woke up early to take a look around town.


    Signs of melting snow could be seen everywhere as small streams of water began to drip down and form small pools alongside the exterior walls.


    "Maybe I''m just used to the winter months, but doesn''t it feel like the sun is up too early today?" said David as he looked around.


    It had just turned 6 a.m., and the sun was already fully out, shining brightly.


    Brandon nodded. "Yes, if I remember correctly, it should only just now be sunrise based on previous years." Although the change was unexpected, everyone accepted it with a smile.


    "I don''t care how strange it is! I''m welcoming any kind of warmth!" one of the other men cheered. After months of permafrost, the warm sun was a reason to celebrate.


    The group of men walked around the small town they were in, searching for any usable supplies along the way.


    Due to the warmer weather and sunny day, they were able to venture out farther into town than they had before.


    Brandon led them to a small gas station on the edge of town.


    "Let''s search here and then head back. Although it''s getting warmer, it''s best not to stay out too long so that we don''t get sick," announced Brandon.


    Their group was on the larger side, with about twenty people, and even a small illness could quickly cause a disaster. His considerations had saved the group a lot of grief over the past few months.


    David walked into the small store along with the others and gasped. "Brandon! There''s food here! I don''t know how good it is, but I''m sure at least some of it is usable!"


    Everyone quickly spread out and began inspecting the items on the shelves. Their bags quickly filled with chips, crackers, sodas, and other small gas station snacks.


    David found the aisle where the first aid kits and medicine were. His hands trembled from joy as he picked up painkillers, acid reducers, and even fever medicine!


    He wasn''t sure if his wife would need any of these in the future, but he felt more comfortable having these few packets of medicine.


    After about ten minutes of searching and looting, Brandon finally made the call to head back.


    The group made their way back, walking with a spring in their step from the newfound items. They would all be able to eat a decent amount today.


    When they made it back, both Mila and Laura were waiting for them at the entrance.


    "Brandon! You''re finally back! I was starting to worry!" called out Mila.


    Brandon walked over with a big smile. "I''m sorry for making you worry. We decided to go out farther today to see if we could find anything. Look at this!" He pulled over his full duffel bag.


    The ladies both smiled brightly at the overflowing bag of supplies.


    "Where did you find all of this?" asked Laura. She couldn''t believe her eyes! In just a single trip, they were able to double their food supplies.


    Brandon greeted Laura warmly. "We made it out to the gas station on the north end of town. When we went inside, we saw that all the shelves were full!" He explained how they were all surprised and happy.


    David walked over to his wife''s side to show her the medicine and snacks he found.


    "Honey, I brought these for you. I remember you telling me you were craving something sweet. I found cookies, chocolate, and some fruit-flavored candy. Just eat it in moderation," he said, showing off the contents of his bag.


    Laura broke out into tears, happy that her husband thought of her so much. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you, love. These are exactly what I''ve been craving," she said, wiping her face. The pregnancy made her overly emotional, so she often burst out crying, even over the simplest things.


    David hugged her, letting her cry out her feelings on his shoulder. He was relieved that this time, she cried from happiness.


    Everyone watched this heartwarming scene with a smile. They had suffered these past few months, but now a new kind of hope blossomed within them.


    Brandon walked over to the center of the room and faced everyone.


    "I''d like to make an announcement!" he said, taking a deep breath. "The snow is melting. I estimate that in two days'' time, enough should have melted to make traveling a lot easier. I want to take a vote on who agrees we should leave in two days."


    Everyone smiled brightly, especially those who hadn''t gone out recently. The news of the snow melting was almost like winning the lottery!


    Brandon waited a few minutes for everyone to think it through, as this was a major decision.


    "Okay, everyone in favor of moving in two days, please raise your hand. If you are unsure or do not agree, please keep your hand lowered," he finally asked.


    The room quickly quieted down as everyone voted.


    Brandon smiled, looking at everyone''s raised hands. Not a single person was in opposition or even hesitant.


    "That settles it! In two days'' time, we will begin our journey to the nearby town, then to the government base where we can finally settle down!" he announced.


    The room erupted with applause and cheering. Everyone was ready to leave this basement and build a new life for themselves!

 Chapter 195 - 195: Journey to the Mountain Town

    Two days later, everyone in Brandon''s group woke up early to begin their journey.


    Although it was still early¡ªbarely 6 a.m.¡ªthe sun was already out and shining. Just as Brandon had predicted, the snow began to melt, exposing parts of the paved road beneath.


    "Wow, I never thought I would miss seeing the asphalt!" said David. He was holding Laura''s hand, walking her out onto the ground.


    Laura took careful steps, making sure she didn''t lose her balance. Although she was only four months pregnant, her belly had already begun to show.


    The group of twenty slowly walked down the street, carrying all of their belongings on their backs. They didn''t have a vehicle, so they had to make the trip on foot.


    Brandon walked at the front with his wife, leading the others toward the small town that was closest to the mountain.


    "We should hopefully make it there before nightfall," said Brandon, trying to maintain a decent pace.


    Mila nodded and glanced back at Derek and Laura, making sure they were keeping up.


    While the walk was tiring, everyone was happy and chatting. People mainly commented on the ''warm breeze'' and how nice it was to see occasional patches of grass along the highway.


    A few hours later, David walked over to Brandon''s side. "Hey, do you mind if we rest for a minute? Laura''s having a hard time keeping up."


    Brandon nodded but looked up at the sky. He was worried that if they continued to take breaks this often, they wouldn''t be able to make it to the mountain town before dark.


    Mila patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "It will be okay. We''ve made it this far; we will make it to town."


    Brandon smiled and turned to face the rest of the group. "Okay, everyone! 15-minute break!"


    Laura leaned against the guardrail that ran along the highway they were walking on and exhaled. Her feet were aching, and her back was sore. She couldn''t imagine how bad it would be later on in her pregnancy.


    "I really hope we make it to the government base soon. I don''t know how long I can keep walking like this," she said to her husband.


    David bent down and massaged her calves with his fingers, hoping to relieve her of some of her pain.


    The rest of the people pulled out the few rations they had left and snacked on them until Brandon called to continue their journey.


    Fifteen minutes later, Brandon made the call to continue, and everyone packed up and started walking.


    They walked along the highway for hours, taking breaks whenever David requested them.


    It took them until well into the night to finally reach the outskirts of the mountain town.


    "Okay, everyone. We finally made it here. We just need to find someplace to spend the night before we set off for the government base tomorrow," he announced as they approached the town.


    It was very dark out, so it was hard to see the condition of the houses from a distance.


    Brandon led the group into the town, keeping an eye out for some sort of shelter where they could make camp.


    "Hey, honey, do you smell that? It smells like smoke," Mila said quietly, sniffing the air around her.


    Brandon smelled the air and, sure enough, he picked up on the faint scent of smoke.


    "Let''s head over there. Maybe they''ll let us stay the night with them?" he suggested.


    Mila nodded. "Let''s approach them cautiously first. It might be bandits." While she loved her husband to the bone, he was too trusting.


    Ever since they met, he had always fallen for various phone and email scams, costing them a good amount of money. No matter how many times she warned him to watch out for these scammers, he always continued to fall for their tricks.


    This time, however, the lives of others were at stake. She wouldn''t let him blindly lead their group into a trap.


    Brandon smiled. "Thank you, honey. I hadn''t thought of that." He was aware of his overly trusting nature, but he couldn''t help it. He didn''t have it in him to believe that humans could be so evil.


    They walked down the streets of the town, following the scent of smoke until they reached the street of the Skinner Mountain Motel.


    Brandon had everyone stay quiet as he and Mila observed the motel.


    "It looks like a large group. Almost every room has a faint light inside. Also, look¡ªthey have many vehicles and even an RV!" she pointed out.


    "Wow, and look, every room has its own heater! They must have a good amount of supplies," he agreed.


    Brandon walked back to the rest of the group and told them about what he saw.


    "What do you think we should do?" asked David. He was curious how people could live so well off that they had a heater in every room.


    Brandon thought silently for a few moments. "I think I should approach them and see if I can speak with their leader. The rest of you stay here. If I don''t come back, you''ll need to run."


    Mila shook at his words. "Honey, no! Surely there''s another way? What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?" She took a deep breath. "No, I''ll come with you. We either come back together or get captured together."


    Brandon was speechless at first, but then noticed the resolve in his wife''s eyes. "You know I can''t agree to this. What kind of man would I be if I allowed my wife to walk into danger?"


    Mila shook her head. "No, this is my choice. Please honor my wishes." She knew her husband loved her very much, but she wouldn''t let him go unless she went with him.


    After a few more back-and-forths, Brandon finally agreed to let her go with him.


    "Okay, David, you''re in charge until we''re back. Make sure to stay hidden until we''re back," instructed Brandon, and set off toward the motel, holding Mila''s hand.


    David nodded and watched the couple walk away. Laura walked over with a worried expression. "Do you think they''ll be okay?"


    "Yes, don''t worry. They''ll be okay," he said softly, trying to convince himself with his own words.


    S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 196 - 196: Friend or Foe?

    Mila walked alongside her husband, nervous about the kind of people they were about to encounter.


    She said multiple prayers in her head as they entered the parking lot of the motel.


    Brandon felt his wife''s nervousness and gently squeezed her hand. "It will be okay," he smiled.


    Mila nodded back, feeling slightly better.


    "I hope they''re not all sleeping. It would be bad to disturb their rest and aggravate them," she said, wondering which door they should knock on.


    Brandon looked around. "Well, room number 1 is as good as any. Let''s start there."


    They quietly walked over to the door. Brandon lifted his hand and knocked, holding his breath.


    Inside the room, Rayne had just gotten changed into her pajamas when she heard a soft knock on the door.


    Thinking it was Ella or Noah, she quickly put on her robe and walked over to open the door. But when she opened it, she was greeted by an unfamiliar man and woman.


    They were roughly dressed in layers and looked very nervous. Rayne could see that they had been skipping meals for a long time by their sunken faces.


    "Hello. How may I help you?" asked Rayne curiously.


    Mila nudged Brandon''s arm, signaling him to do the talking.


    Brandon cleared his throat. "Oh, um... Hello. We were passing by and were hoping we could spend the night here. We promise to be out first thing in the morning," he said nervously.


    Rayne looked at them, feeling like they were decent people. "Hold on, let me ask the leader," she said, wanting to get Julian''s opinion before agreeing to anything.


    After seeing them nod, she walked back inside her room and over to the bathroom.


    "Julian, there are people at the door. They''re asking to stay the night. I want to let them, but I want your opinion first," she said through the door.


    Inside the bathroom, Julian was drying himself off with a towel after taking a quick rinse in the shower. He had used a bucket of hot water that Rayne prepared for him instead of the freezing cold water from the pipes.


    As soon as Rayne finished speaking, Julian came out of the bathroom fully dressed.


    "Visitors, you say? Let''s meet them," he said, walking over to the door.


    Rayne walked with him to the door to speak with the couple.


    Julian looked at them closely and nodded in greeting. "So, what brings you here?" he asked cautiously. He had to be very careful that these weren''t spies sent by Damien to locate him.


    Brandon greeted Julian. "We''ve come from a small town a few miles west of here. We lived there for the last few months, but recently all of our food and supplies ran out, so we''re on our way to the government base."


    Mila felt relieved seeing Rayne and Julian. She felt that these people were cautious but understanding, and she ruled out the possibility that they were bandits.


    Julian continued to ask specific questions until the topic of the government base came up.


    "You guys said you''re on your way to the government base?" asked Rayne.


    Mila nodded. "Yes, it''s our only option. The place we stayed at no longer has any supplies left. We even had to break down all of our furniture to keep the fires going." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne and Julian listened to their story while paying attention to their body language. Julian nodded to Rayne, signaling that they could be trusted.


    "So how many of you are there?" asked Rayne to get an idea of how large a room they needed. The only thing available here was the one room with the broken window or the main lobby/reception area.


    "There''s twenty of us," answered Mila, slightly nervous. She knew that even asking for a place for the two of them was a big ask, not to mention twenty of them.


    Rayne simply nodded and began to plan how she would set up the lobby area. "No problem. We have some supplies in the lobby area you can use while you stay there. Just give me a few minutes to move things around. Feel free to bring the rest over."


    Mila''s face went from shock to elation! She couldn''t believe that they agreed so easily, even offering them supplies!


    "Thank you so, so much!" said Brandon. He squeezed his wife''s hand, relaying his happiness through the small gesture.


    "We will get everyone gathered and head right over!" said Mila, pulling Brandon back down the stairs.


    Rayne smiled. "No problem. Meet me over by that door when you''re ready." She pointed to the door leading to the main lobby.


    Brandon and Mila thanked them again and set off to meet up with the rest of the group. Meanwhile, Rayne and Julian made their way to the lobby to prepare a few beds.


    "I''m going to stack a few mattresses here so that it seems like they''re extras we prepped beforehand. I''ll also place a few baskets of blankets," said Rayne before getting to work.


    She quickly cleared out all of the chairs in the waiting room and made a big stack of twin-size mattresses. She would let them settle everything themselves, so she didn''t bother with the details.


    Julian waited by the door, ensuring that nobody entered or saw Rayne using her system.


    "They''re entering the parking lot now," he said, letting her know she only had a few minutes to finish.


    Rayne quickly set the baskets of blankets and pillows down, then moved on to placing a pellet stove in the corner of the room.


    "Okay, just placing one last basket of food and I''ll be finished," she said.


    After finishing, she walked over to join Julian at the door.


    Mila walked over. "Hi, this is all of us. Thank you again. You''re very kind for doing this." She continued to thank Rayne and Julian at every opportunity.


    "Please come inside," said Rayne. "Sorry it''s not organized. This was a small stockpile room. Please feel free to use the mattresses, blankets, and everything else in the room. Over there is a basket of food as well if you need it."


    Brandon and Mila walked inside and gasped at the sight. So many high-quality items. "Thank you so much! This is truly so generous."


    Julian pointed at the pellet stove in the corner of the room. "It''s not set up, but please use it. The pellets are in the bag right next to it. While the temperatures have gotten warmer, it''s still freezing at night."


    Rayne watched as the people entered, looking for anyone who could be suspicious, but ended up spotting Laura, who was being held by David.


    "Is everything okay? Are you ill?" she asked, concerned.

 Chapter 197 - 197: The Soup

    David smiled slightly. "My wife is pregnant, and we''ve been walking all day. She''s very tired now," he explained.


    Rayne looked at the pale woman and instantly wanted to help somehow. "Is there anything I can do? Does she need any medicine?"


    David looked at Rayne with a surprised expression. She didn''t know them at all and was offering them her precious resources!


    "Um, I feel bad asking, but maybe some water or some food? We''ve only eaten once today, and it was a small bag of chips," he said quietly.


    At first, he didn''t want to ask, but he knew his wife needed the nutrition. Even though he felt embarrassed asking, for her, he would do anything.


    Rayne froze for a brief moment. These people had only eaten half a small bag of chips today? And they had walked all day?


    "Let me take a look and see what I can bring you guys. Please, lay her down on one of the mattresses," she said, pointing toward the wall.


    David gave Rayne a grateful expression and led his wife inside.


    Rayne walked over to Julian. "Hey, come with me to the RV for a second, please. I want to bring them some food. They just told me they split a small bag of chips as a meal, and one of the women is pregnant."


    Julian smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, let''s go." He knew Rayne had a kind heart, and she had an unlimited amount of food anyway. Doing a kind deed wouldn''t hurt them.


    Rayne walked into the RV with Julian and opened her system panel. "What should I offer? I''m leaning toward something nutritious like a soup or a stew. It will also warm them up a bit."


    "I think a soup or stew would be perfect," agreed Julian. Even without the warming effects, Rayne''s dishes were all delicious.


    Rayne scrolled for a minute, then took out the largest stockpot she could find. It was huge, almost as tall as her upper body!


    She placed it on the stove inside the RV and turned it on. She wanted to keep the soup as warm as possible, so she decided to warm the pot on the stove before pouring the soup inside.


    The soup she chose was similar to a chicken noodle soup, but the noodles were replaced with parmesan tortellini. The soup also had more substance with the addition of spinach, along with the typical vegetables.


    Julian watched as Rayne poured potfuls of soup into the giant stockpot. He could already smell the delicious aroma, which caused his stomach to growl.


    Rayne looked over at him after hearing the loud noise from his stomach and giggled. "Hungry? Want me to pour you a bowl?"


    The tips of Julian''s ears turned red, but he nodded. "Yes, please. It just smells too good!"


    Rayne smiled and quickly poured him a big bowl. "Here you go. Just be careful, it''s hot."


    Julian didn''t mind how hot it was and quickly began to eat it. While Julian ate, Rayne continued to fill the stockpot with soup.


    "Hmm, we will also need to bring bowls over, and water!" said Rayne.


    She left the task of carrying the large stockpot of soup to Julian and pulled out a basket to fill with bowls, spoons, and a ladle. She also took out two one-gallon jugs of water.


    "Okay, let''s deliver this and head to bed," she said. But before they left the RV, a thought came to her.


    "Hey, Julian. They said they''re trying to go to the government base to start a new life. Maybe they could join us? We know it''s not safe there, and we''re planning to start the base building tomorrow..." she said, looking at him.


    Julian thought for a moment. "Let me speak with their leader. If they''re willing to help out with the new base, I think having them will be a good idea. Maybe we can keep them here for a few days first to observe them."


    While they initially looked to be harmless, Julian needed to be sure. Keeping them close by for a while would help him see their true character and if they were hiding anything. And on the off chance they were Damien''s spies, keeping them here would also benefit him. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After thinking it through, Julian walked outside with the pot. "Yes, I''ll talk to the leader to convince them to stay a while."


    Rayne smiled and followed him out of the RV. They quickly made their way to the lobby/reception area of the motel and noticed that Brandon''s group had finished laying out the mattresses.


    Mila walked over after seeing Rayne and Julian come back. "Oh, thank you, these blankets and beds are so nice and warm. We also got the pellet stove set up, thanks to Dave. He used to work as a general contractor, so he''s got a lot of experience with these things."


    Rayne lit up hearing that information. She really hoped that these people would be trustworthy.


    Julian set the pot of soup down and went to speak privately with Brandon while Rayne passed Mila the bowls and utensils.


    "Here, I made some soup. I hope it''s to everyone''s taste," she smiled.


    Mila couldn''t believe her eyes! When she opened the lid, an intoxicating aroma spread throughout the room, causing many people to glance over.


    "This is for us?" asked Mila. She was speechless and found it difficult to process Rayne''s kindness.


    Rayne smiled. "Yes, I heard you had a long journey today and didn''t get to eat. Please help yourself."


    Julian came back to Rayne''s side. "Okay, it''s all settled. We should head back now, it''s getting late." They had plans to go down to the forest clearing in the morning to see how much of the snow had melted.


    Rayne agreed and bid Mila a good night before following Julian back up to their room.


    Mila stood rooted in place, staring at the huge pot of soup in front of her. When Brandon came over, she looked up at him. "What did you talk about?"


    Brandon smiled. "Oh, he kindly invited us to stay here for a few days. When I said that I would feel bad, he insisted that we stay, so I finally agreed."


    Mila''s eyes widened. "Are they planning to do something to us? Why would they insist that we stay? What''s the benefit for them?"


    Her mind raced as images of them being killed in their sleep flashed through her mind. She couldn''t think of a logical reason for them to insist that twenty extra people stay with them.


    She looked down at the heavenly-looking soup and felt a shudder.


    It couldn''t be right? They wouldn''t go as far as poisoning the soup... right?

 Chapter 198 - 198: Overwhelming Emotions

    Brandon looked at the soup and smiled. "Wow, this looks so good. When was the last time we had a cooked meal? It''s even got meat!"


    He bent over to pour himself a bowl when his wife grabbed his wrist.


    "What''s wrong, honey?" he asked curiously. He could tell something was off by her expression.


    Mila opened and closed her mouth a few times, then looked around to make sure no one else would hear her.


    "I... I feel like this soup might be poisoned. I just don''t understand why they''re being so kind! And to insist that we stay here?" she whispered. Her hand started to shake as panic set in; she was truly frightened now.


    Brandon stood back up and placed his arm around her. "Sweetie, don''t overthink it. They don''t seem like evil people. I think they were genuinely worried about us."


    "You never watched crime documentaries! I have! And let me tell you, it''s usually the ones who appear the most innocent that do all the bad stuff!" she whispered, panic rising in her voice. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brandon frowned. "Well, how about this: I''ll try the soup, and we can wait. If I''m fine after a while, then it''s safe to eat. It''ll just be sad if we have to eat it cold."


    Mila looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. "Why do you always volunteer to do the dangerous tasks? Can''t you think of me for once?"


    Brandon smiled and patted his wife gently. "If I don''t do it, who will? This is the responsibility I signed up for when I was elected the leader of our small group."


    Mila''s eyes turned red, and she looked away. She saw the group looking eagerly at the pot of soup, hoping that they could eat a warm meal for the first time in months.


    Brandon didn''t wait any longer and poured himself a single ladleful of soup. Before Mila could protest, he quickly drank it directly from the bowl.


    "Why did you drink so much?!" cried Mila. She felt everything around her begin to spin. Thankfully, Brandon caught her before she fainted from stress.


    He carried his wife over to her bed and gently covered her with a blanket.


    Turning to the rest of the group, he cleared his throat. "If nothing happens to me in fifteen minutes, then we will begin to pass around the soup. For now, I will place the pot beside the pellet stove to keep it warm."


    The rest of the group''s eyes widened. They hadn''t even considered that there might be something wrong with the soup.


    Some were even jealous that Brandon got to drink it first, but after hearing his words, they quickly reflected on how selfish their thoughts had been.


    Fifteen minutes later, Brandon smiled. "It should be safe. I feel perfectly fine! Actually, I feel better than before."


    The rest of the group cheered at the good news and got up to pour themselves a bowl. There was enough soup for everyone to have two generous portions, so everyone patiently waited in line.


    The stove kept the soup hot, so everyone felt a lot warmer after only a few spoonfuls.


    David brought over a bowl to Laura, excited that she would finally be able to eat more nutritious food.


    "I tried to scoop out extra chicken and vegetables for you," he said quietly.


    Laura looked at her husband and felt warm inside. The soup looked so appetizing that she couldn''t wait and immediately took a sip, burning her tongue.


    "Oh, be careful! It''s still very hot," he said, handing her a cup of water.


    While everyone was quietly eating the soup, Mila finally woke up.


    "Brandon? Where is Brandon?! Is he okay?!" she jumped out of bed in a panic.


    Brandon walked over and hugged her. "I''m perfectly fine, my love. Here, have some soup." He handed her a bowl that he had poured for her earlier.


    Mila looked at him, then down at the bowl of soup. "You''re okay? The soup is safe?" she asked a few more times.


    "Yes, honey. We''ve all had some already. Now try it before it gets cold," smiled Brandon. While he could admit that his personality was a bit too trusting, his wife was the opposite. She easily overthought things, leading to a downward spiral.


    Mila looked around the room, noticing the empty or half-empty bowls in everyone''s hands and the happy smiles on their faces.


    One of the other women looked at Mila. "It was so delicious, I can''t believe I''m not dreaming!" she said, urging Mila to try it.


    Finally, after everyone''s convincing, she accepted the spoon that her husband held out for her and took her first sip of broth.


    The hot liquid traveled down into her stomach, warming her body almost immediately. She quickly took another sip, but this time with the tortellini and vegetables.


    "This is so good," she said quietly. Her eyes began to water from the overwhelming emotions she was feeling.


    How long has it been since I''ve had a warm meal? It feels like lifetimes ago...


    As she continued to eat, tears flowed down her cheeks, causing the others to also get emotional. After the filling meal, everyone cleaned up and went to sleep.


    Mila laid beside her husband. "Maybe staying here wouldn''t be a bad thing after all," she whispered.


    Brandon pushed Mila''s hair out of her face and smiled. "I think they''re good people."


    In their room, Rayne and Julian were oblivious to the internal struggles that had transpired in the reception room.


    "They agreed to stay just like that?" asked Rayne.


    Julian had just finished telling her about how quickly he was able to convince their leader to have them stay for at least a few days.


    "Yeah, he was only a little hesitant at first. I feel like he was worried about inconveniencing us," replied Julian.


    Rayne agreed. She could see the nervousness in Mila''s eyes when they spoke earlier.


    "Hopefully they''re good people, and we can get along in the future," she finally said. She was excited to see the forest clearing tomorrow and begin the base-building process!


    With hopeful thoughts of the future, she fell asleep sweetly beside Julian.

 Chapter 199 - 199: Starting the New Base

    The next morning, Rayne woke up and got ready to head over to the forest clearing at the base of the mountain with Julian.


    Before they set out, she paid their visitors a visit while Julian went over to tell Noah and Ian about the newcomers.


    "Good morning, Mila. I hope everyone slept well," smiled Rayne. She wanted to make sure they were all settled before spending the whole day out.


    "Oh, it was very comfortable. I still can''t thank you enough for that delicious soup yesterday," she said, genuinely thankful.


    "Not a problem! I''m glad you all enjoyed it. I will be going out for most of the day today, so we will leave two others in charge in our stead. Julian is talking to them now so that there are no surprises," said Rayne.


    Brandon walked over and smiled. "Hey, sounds good. Please let us know if there''s anything you want us to do today. We have a number of able-bodied men here if anything."


    "Thank you for the offer, but today please just focus on recouping and relaxing. If you need anything, please don''t hesitate to ask Noah or Ian. We''ve been lucky and have a decent amount of supplies," said Rayne, stressing the point that they were free to ask. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brandon looked over gratefully. "Thank you again. We will ask if anything."


    "Hello, everyone," said Noah, glancing around the room. Julian walked in behind him and greeted Mila and Brandon.


    "This is Noah. I''m not sure if Rayne mentioned him," Julian said, introducing the redhead.


    Mila nodded. "Yes, she just finished telling us that he will be in charge while you''re out today." She felt that all of the people in their group were extremely good-looking.


    Maybe it''s a group of ex-movie stars?


    After introducing Noah to the group, Rayne and Julian got into her SUV and drove down the mountain and into the forest clearing.


    The mostly melted snow made it possible to drive through the forest, and Rayne was grateful that her SUV was equipped with off-road tires, allowing her to effortlessly drive through the muddy path.


    "Wow, it looks even more beautiful without the snow!" exclaimed Rayne. The more she looked around, the more she fell in love with this spot.


    Julian smiled, seeing her so happy. No matter how beautiful the environment was, it wouldn''t compare to a single strand of her hair.


    "It''s a little muddy, but it will work," said Rayne as she opened her system panel to find the large temporary garage shelter (picture in chapter comments).


    It was a self-assemble type of structure where you needed to build the frame and secure the weatherproof cover on top.


    Rayne pulled out the massive box and called Julian over to help her set it up. They chose a spot that was right up against the mountainside so that it was somewhat covered.


    Although the setup process was straightforward, it still took the two of them a couple of hours to assemble it. The hardest part was pulling the cover over the skeletal structure, but after a few tries and a couple of ladders, they finally finished it.


    "Wow, that was harder than I expected," she said while catching her breath. The sheer size of the tarp made it very heavy.


    Julian was also tired from pulling the covering but was satisfied with the final result.


    "We finally have a starting point! You can fill this new ''warehouse'' with tools and materials so that next time we can come with others to build this place up," he said happily.


    Rayne nodded and began filling the ''warehouse'' with wire shelves. Thankfully, she had these stored as already prebuilt shelves, so it saved them time by not having to put them together.


    Before she began filling the warehouse, she decided to take care of the residential area by placing a few copies of the mobile homes that she stored not long ago.


    She walked over to the east side of the clearing and placed the first copy of the older house.


    "Now I just need to remove all of the furniture, decorations, and anything else that would normally make this home feel unique. Can I ask you to help me paint the siding?" she said, turning to Julian.


    "Yes, of course. Just give me the paint and I''ll get to it!" said Julian happily.


    Rayne handed him various painting tools and exterior-specific white paint. She decided that white would be the best neutral color to go with for now, and in the future, it would work as a good base color if they wanted to change it.


    She walked inside and began storing everything she could into her system: picture frames, tables, lamps, plates, etc.


    By the time she was finished, the entire inside was empty, leaving only the built-in items like the countertops, vanity, and toilet.


    Another issue that Rayne needed to address was the plumbing and sewage. For now, she could use one of the holes in the ground to make an outhouse but considered making a basic septic system in the future.


    After emptying the house, she took her time and cleaned it thoroughly. The more she cleaned now, the less she would need to clean later when she made copies.


    Both she and Julian worked throughout the entire morning, only finishing after noon.


    The originally well-kept house transformed into a shiny, brand-new home! The fresh coat of paint made all the difference for the exterior.


    Even if someone were to look closely, they wouldn''t be able to tell that it wasn''t the original color. The interior was clean and like new! There were a few parts where Rayne had to touch up with some paint, but overall, everything was like new.


    After they finished the house, Rayne stored it in and made a few copies, positioning the houses in a neat row, at an acceptable distance apart.


    She placed ten houses in a single row and was happy to see that there was still plenty of room for more, so she continued to place the copies until the row was completely filled.


    The end result was more houses than she would need for a while, but she knew that once people moved in, she wouldn''t be able to add more.


    Rayne made her way back over to the warehouse to begin stocking the shelves. She placed an entire hardware store''s worth of products on the shelf: tools, hardware, nails, light fixtures, gallons of paint, gardening supplies, sealants, drywall supplies, buckets, piles of precut wood and plywood, etc.

 Chapter 200 - 200: Filling the Warehouses

    Rayne continued to fill the shelves and floors of the warehouse with anything she could find that would be useful for construction.


    She added wheelbarrows, bags of dry cement, spools of wire, PVC and copper piping, and other smaller plumbing accessories to the back of the warehouse.


    Quickly, the once empty warehouse was filled with tons of various building supplies and tools. There were even a few large and small generators, providing the needed power to use the electric tools.


    Beside the generators, she placed tanks of gasoline, oil, and fire extinguishers before moving on to the residential houses.


    Initially, her idea was to individually furnish each house, but she decided that for the sake of appearances, it would be best if the occupants of each house furnished it themselves.


    "This would mean I need another warehouse for housing items and another for food," she mumbled, looking around the current warehouse.


    Wanting to keep all the supplies together, she chose the open spot adjacent to the current warehouse to place the other two. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This process was a lot easier because she had made a copy of the assembled warehouse right after she and Julian put it together. She simply took it out of her system and placed it next to the other one.


    Similar to the first warehouse, she filled the inside with shelves so that she could organize everything better. This warehouse would be dedicated to housing items and clothing, while the next one over would be their food supply.


    In the future, she hoped to dig a root cellar to keep the produce fresher for longer when they could harvest their own crops, but for now, the tent-like warehouse would do.


    Inside the housing warehouse, she placed boxes of unbuilt bed frames, tables, dressers, chairs, and other simple furniture. Since the items were still inside their boxes, they took up little space, allowing Rayne to fit large amounts of each item.


    Beside the furniture, she added an entire section of bedding: blankets, sheets, pillows, and pillowcases. There were all sorts of blankets, from thick and warm ones to thin and breathable, and everything in between.


    The bedding alone took up a few shelves, but thankfully, there were plenty more for the other items.


    The next section was the largest one and was dedicated to kitchen items and cookware. Pots, pans, grills, utensils, plates, bowls, cups, small kitchen appliances, and knives filled the shelves.


    Rayne made sure to mix in a few different styles so that people had a slight option to choose from.


    After settling the important kitchen section, she filled an entire shelf with various candles, candle holders, battery lights, and lanterns, batteries, oil lamps, gas lamps, and a number of electric floor lamps and lights.


    Since electricity would only be available in areas near the generators, Rayne wanted to solve the immediate issue of lighting with alternatives.


    She had also placed solar panels in the first warehouse, hoping to utilize them on the mobile homes down the road, allowing people to have at least some access to electricity.


    The last section of the warehouse was dedicated to heating/cooling, clothing, and all the various small items like toothpaste, toilet paper, soaps, shampoos, first aid supplies, medicine, hairbrushes, mirrors, towels, etc.


    In the heating/cooling area, Rayne placed many of the pellet stoves that she had previously used, along with coal stoves, wood-burning stoves, electric heaters, heating blankets, air conditioning units, fans, etc.


    She made sure to place enough so that it wouldn''t be very noticeable if she secretly added a few more in the future.


    The clothing section was just a bunch of laundry baskets filled with clothes. Each basket was labeled with what size the clothes inside were and whether they were oriented toward males or females. This system would allow someone to quickly look through the options that fit them.


    She filled a few extra baskets with underwear and socks, as those items need to be switched out more often.


    Rayne followed the same example with the shoes, sorting them by size. She made sure to include anything from boots to slippers, providing a large variety.


    Julian walked over after she finished. "Wow, it looks like a department store in here!" He looked around at the neatly placed items and marveled at how amazing Rayne''s system was.


    While it was an obvious benefit from the start, seeing so many items in one place appear from nowhere was a new experience for him. The most he''d seen was her furnishing the apartments back at the government base.


    These ''warehouses'' were a whole new level, holding enough resources to open a store for an entire year.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just glad it''s finally happening. You were also smart to plant the seed of where these items came from even back at the government base."


    As soon as he suggested that she think about making her own base, he was quietly already telling Noah, Ian, and the other members of Alpha team that he had a secret location filled with various items and supplies.


    This way, when everyone finally arrived, there would be an established story of where everything came from.


    "Mhm. At this rate, we can have people moving in tomorrow!" he laughed. In his mind, they were here to build the tents and call it there, but the progress they (she) made was unreal.


    "I''ll need your help in the next tent warehouse. I plan to add a few deep freezers and refrigerators and would like your help with setting up this generator," said Rayne from inside the food warehouse.


    Julian walked inside and saw a very high-tech-looking generator in the corner. Rayne handed him a booklet of instructions on how to set it up.


    "I don''t even remember where I found this, but it''s supposedly a new kind of generator that combines the power of solar energy with gas. It''s quieter and uses a fourth of the gas it typically would due to the solar panels," she said, looking slightly confused.


    Julian looked at it and nodded. Something like this was not out of his expectations. Having worked with advanced weaponry for a while, he knew how far such technology could go.


    He quickly got to work, assembling the large generator while Rayne walked around to place the shelves, freezers, and refrigerators.


    She placed four deep freezers and two industrial-sized refrigerators right by where the generator would be and then walked over to the empty shelves to begin placing boxes of canned foods.

 Chapter 201 - 201: Filling the Warehouses 2

    She had so many different types of every canned good that, to save time, she needed to repackage the cans to make it easier.


    Many of the canned food items were single items, and placing them can by can to fill the shelf would take way too long.


    Rayne found a medium-sized box that could hold twenty cans of food when stacked properly and stored that into her system.


    This way, all she needed to do was take out copies of each box and quickly fill the shelves with the pre-filled boxes.


    Using this new method, the shelves were quickly filled with various cans of vegetables, meats, seafood, sauces, evaporated milk, condensed milk, fruits, and broths. All of these products were from the luxury market and were of very high quality.


    The next section was for grains and flour. She had commercial-size buckets of sealed rice, grains, beans, and flour of all varieties.


    "Hey Rayne, I got the generator all set up. I just plugged in the refrigerators and freezers; they should be cool in a few minutes," called out Julian from the other side of the warehouse.


    "Thank you, babe!" replied Rayne cheerfully. Setting all of these things up was so much fun for her. It was like playing her favorite farming game in real life!


    Julian walked over and helped her stock the shelves with dried pasta and noodles while Rayne placed the spices and seasonings. Salt was important for the human body and was used in food preservation, so she placed several large buckets of salt on the shelf in front of her.


    In the future, she hoped to make pickles and salted foods with the things they grew on the farmland she had planned by the lake.


    "Okay, looks like we can finally move on to the refrigerated and freezer items," she said after admiring the stocked shelves around her.


    "Yeah! After this, do you plan to work on the houses at all?" asked Julian curiously.


    Rayne nodded then shook her head. "After this, we feast!" she announced happily! Such a good day warranted a good meal, and since they skipped breakfast this morning, she wanted to have something extra filling!


    Julian nearly laughed out loud but was happy to hear the news because he was starting to feel very hungry.


    "Perfect! I can''t wait to see what we''re feasting on!" he said, walking over to help her fill the freezers.


    The first freezer was packed with vacuum-sealed cuts of meat of every kind. The second freezer was for frozen prepared foods like frozen dumplings, pizzas, pot pies, ice cream, and easy-to-make meals.


    The third freezer was fully dedicated to seafood: fish fillets, shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, and other seafood items.


    Rayne basically dumped everything she got from the seafood market into the freezer, filling it with the freshly caught, fresh products.


    The last freezer was dedicated to frozen fruits and vegetables. As fresh vegetables were currently very difficult to obtain, Rayne wanted to make use of frozen ones to supplement everyone''s nutrition.


    She couldn''t help but think of Laura and made a mental note to add baby products to the warehouses. The thought of a baby in the near future made her smile. The birth of a child was hope for the future of humanity, and in the current apocalyptic times, they needed hope the most.


    After finishing stocking the final ''warehouse,'' Rayne went outside and pulled out a basic table and chairs from her system.


    The weather outside was getting warmer, and coupled with the bright sun, it was actually nice to sit out in the fresh air.


    Julian sat down at the table and excitedly waited for Rayne to reveal their lunch. He didn''t have to wait long before a huge plate of king crab legs was placed on the table.


    These were the crab legs that the chefs at Ella''s house had cooked when Rayne brought over the various camping supplies before the apocalypse happened.


    She also placed bowls of rice and steamed vegetables as sides before gesturing to begin.


    "Wow, you''ve been holding out on me! This looks so amazing!" said Julian.


    "Mm, after filling the freezer with fresh seafood, I suddenly had a craving for it. Eat as much as you like; I have more," she smiled.


    Julian laughed at her small joke. "How generous of you, thank you."


    The two of them ate until their bellies were full and their hunger satiated. The sun and fresh air added to the good mood, making both of them very happy.


    "I plan to furnish our house today. The rest can be done by the others later," said Rayne. She decided to claim the house nearest to the warehouses for her and Julian so that they could keep a closer eye on them.


    "I''ve also been thinking about the bathroom issue. I think I will place two smaller RVs that have larger bathrooms over by the farm area. In the future, we can dig out a large hole and have the waste go into the ditch directly from the RV," she added.


    This way, they would still have a self-flushing toilet and shower that people could use. All they would need to do was refill the water tank occasionally. The built-in solar panels would also be enough to heat the water.


    Julian nodded, "That''s an excellent idea. I would have never thought of that!" That solution would make it comfortable to use the bathroom and shower without worrying about setting up an entire septic system.


    Rayne blushed, happy to hear his praise.


    "The only thing I''m not sure about is defense. I can provide you with as many weapons as you want; I''m just not sure how you want to distribute them all," she questioned. She wasn''t particularly fond of the idea of holding an armory that others could potentially steal from.


    However, defense was a very important matter. While their location was very well hidden, even from the top of the mountain, eventually, they would still be found.


    Julian thought for a moment. "All of the members of Alpha Team are fully trained in combat and shooting. They all carry a gun on them at all times." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Maybe adding a gun safe to the houses with Alpha Team members would work?" asked Rayne. She thought that adding a large gun safe where she could place larger guns and extra ammo would work.


    Julian nodded, "Let''s place the safe inside, but I will discuss it with Ian about how to handle this matter."


    Ian directly presided over all of the Alpha Team matters, and his input should be considered for such an important decision.


    Rayne nodded and stood up to clean up the table. The next order of business was to set up their new home.

 Chapter 202 - 202: Filling the Holes

    Rayne walked over to the first mobile home closest to the warehouses and stepped inside. The empty interior was refreshing to see, as it allowed her creativity to flow.


    The first thing she did was swap out the old appliances in the kitchen for new ones. She took the extra step of hooking their house up to a generator so that she could use the appliances and lights inside.


    She also replaced the boring, builder-grade circular lights with a more interesting room light. Next, she placed a deep forest green area rug on the floor in the living room.


    Her plan was to work with a neutral color palette accented by deep forest green. The sofa was a neutral linen color, brightening the room even more.


    The overall vibe was calm, serene, and earthy. She added large potted plants by the window and a few empty planters on the floor for future use.


    The coffee table and side tables were made from natural wood, adding to the earthy tones. Since there was no use for a television at the moment, she decided to hang a large mirror with a gold frame on the wall instead.


    The finishing touches in the living room were two solid wood bookshelves, which she filled with various fiction and nonfiction books.


    "Wow, I can''t believe this is the same room!" Julian said as he walked in. The space had transformed from an empty, cheap-looking area into a warm and serene home.


    He already pictured himself cuddling with Rayne on the couch, reading a book.


    Rayne turned around and smiled brightly. "I''m glad you like it!" She had tried her best to consider his taste as well and not turn the whole place into a pink paradise.


    The next room she tackled was the kitchen. It was an open-concept space, providing a direct line of sight into the living room.


    Rayne decided to use the same earthy tones and deep forest green accents in the kitchen to tie the spaces together.


    The cabinets were painted white, so she chose wooden bowls and utensils to decorate the counters.


    She also stocked the empty cabinets with plates, bowls, cups, and glasses, choosing handmade ones crafted by a local potter.


    While she organized the cabinets, Julian was assigned the task of replacing the existing cheap white knobs on the cabinets with engraved gold ones, tying in the gold color scheme from the living room.


    While the kitchen didn''t have as dramatic a transformation as the living room, it was still a major upgrade from before.


    Next, she moved on to the master bedroom, located at the very back of the home. One window faced the mountain, while another overlooked the warehouses.


    It was a decently large room, big enough to fit a king-size bed along with a dresser.


    Rayne had grown fond of the leather bed frame she had originally used in Julian''s room in the bunker, so she decided to use it here as well. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mattress was the same one from their bed at the government base, making the process quicker than choosing a new one.


    After making the bed with clean sheets and blankets, she filled the dresser and closet with Julian''s clothes, keeping only a small drawer for her own items for show.


    Since she had her system, she didn''t need to rely on a dresser or closet, which left more space for Julian to store his belongings.


    Rayne ignored the bathroom for now since the water and drainage weren''t hooked up. She wasn''t sure what to do with the other two bedrooms, so she left one empty and filled the other with gun safes.


    She wanted Julian to have access to his weapons and ammo in case something happened to her.


    While her system was a heaven-defying ability, she didn''t want it to become a hidden weak spot for them. It was better to leave a few things in Julian''s hands for emergencies.


    Julian followed Rayne around the house, listening to her explanations of where everything was located.


    When they reached the bedroom, Julian hugged her from behind. "So, when do we break in the bed?" he asked in a deep voice.


    Rayne quickly turned around. "Uh-uh! No way! I''m still mad at you for last night! You promised one time but kept me up half the night!"


    Julian laughed. "Sorry, babe. I just can''t help it. You''re just that enticing." He pulled her into a kiss, then motioned for her to continue the tour.


    Rayne shook her head, thinking that Julian was truly in his prime. But she liked it. She truly felt like a queen around him and was happy to spend her days by his side.


    After the tour, Rayne went to set up the RVs that would be used as bathrooms near the forest clearing on the opposite side.


    Although they were a little far from the houses, the distance was still acceptable.


    She tried to position the RVs over the deep holes left behind from when she had plucked the trees out.


    "I wonder what we should do with the rest of them," she said, looking around the area.


    She had removed many trees that day, and now that the snow had melted, the landscape looked like a minefield. Some of the holes were deeper than others and could be dangerous if people weren''t paying attention to where they walked.


    After thinking for a while, she decided to dump a large amount of rich soil in the future farming area. They could use this soil to fill the holes later, with the excess being used for the farms.


    Julian watched as magical truckloads of black soil fell from the sky. Within moments, an entire hill was formed, taller than the warehouses.


    On her way back to Julian, Rayne passed by a particularly deep hole.


    "Looks like soil alone won''t cut it for some of these," she said, frowning. Julian walked over and agreed.


    "Maybe we can fill it with rocks first, then put the soil over it," he suggested.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. "Yes! That''s a great idea!" she exclaimed and walked over to the mountainside to scout for rocks.


    She found a few good ones in different sizes and stored them in her system before heading back to the nearest hole.


    Rayne quickly made multiple copies of the rocks and filled the hole in no time.


    "This is really easy! Good idea!" she called out and moved quickly from hole to hole, plugging them with stones.


    Julian followed her around like a lost puppy, unsure of what to do or how to help. He felt slightly frustrated that he was so useless compared to her.


    "Here, hop on," he said, bending down in front of her.


    Rayne was confused. "What do you mean? You want me to piggyback?"


    "Yeah, hop on. I''ll carry you from hole to hole," he smiled. If he couldn''t help with the rocks, he could at least help by carrying her around!


    Rayne laughed and hopped onto his back. She felt him wrap his arms around her legs and hoist her up into the air.


    Julian ran around from hole to hole while Rayne filled each one with stones.


    Their teamwork turned the menial task into a fun activity filled with laughter.

 Chapter 203 - 203: Move In Day

    At the Government Base


    Cal arrived with his small team. Since Dillon had taken over the base, he didn''t have to wait in any lines or pay any entrance fees.


    He also had access to the best rooms on the base. After Dillon returned from taking over, Leader Mai was placed in charge of managing the base while Dillon continued searching for Julian.


    Cal''s mission this time was to spread the experimental drug around the base and report any unusual behaviors.


    One of the men who had accompanied him was a laboratory assistant, responsible for closely monitoring the effects of the prototype drug.


    "Okay, guys, remember to start at the group house and advertise it as medicine. Don''t forget to wear face masks while you''re there, or you''ll get sick," Cal announced.


    He had brought a team of four "runners," who would be in charge of distribution.


    "Yes, leader!" they all responded respectfully before turning to leave.


    "Oh, and be sure to make it seem like it''s in high demand. Only give out a few at a time so that others feel like they''re missing out," Cal instructed.


    They nodded and left, leaving Cal alone in the apartment.


    "Now, what do I do about those Barclays?" he muttered, feeling a headache coming on.


    They were still useful, having managed to locate Julian right away. But they had become more and more annoying as the days passed.


    ----


    Skinner Mountain Motel


    The next morning, Rayne woke up in a very good mood! She and Julian had made a lot of progress on their new base yesterday, and they could even begin bringing people over today.


    "Do you think it''s too early to start moving down the mountain?" Rayne asked with a hopeful expression.


    Julian chuckled. "No. In fact, I believe it''s better that we move sooner rather than later. The weather has acted as a shield for us, preventing Damien''s men from searching for us. Now that it''s gotten much warmer, they''ll find their way here sooner rather than later."


    Rayne nodded, agreeing with him. "So, how about you lead everyone down to the new base and get them started on filling the holes with dirt while I stay here to store everything and put the original furniture back?"


    "Okay, that works. Let me go speak with Noah and Ian to tell them about our plans. I''ll have Noah sort out the housing for Alpha Team and the newcomers as well," Julian said before leaving the room.


    Rayne took the opportunity to store everything in sight and replace the old furniture, making the room feel untouched. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even the dust returned with the old furniture, so if someone were to come the next day, it would appear as if no one had stayed there for a while.


    In just a few short minutes, the once warm and comfortable room reverted to its previous lifeless state.


    Rayne walked outside and saw Julian and Noah heading toward the main lobby to talk to Brandon and Mila about the move.


    Meanwhile, Ian was instructing Alpha Team''s group leaders to begin packing their belongings and loading up the jeeps.


    Rayne walked over to Julian''s side just as he finished speaking with Brandon.


    "Hey, how did it go?" she asked.


    "Great. Everyone is excited to move somewhere they can finally call home. They''ve been living a nomadic life for a while now, so settling down is something they''ve been wanting," Julian replied.


    Brandon and Mila both happily agreed when Julian mentioned moving to a more permanent location.


    Julian also explained that, for security reasons, no one would be allowed to leave the new base area for a while, but everything they needed would be provided.


    Brandon didn''t see any issues with this arrangement and quickly agreed. Everyone was tired of moving, and as long as they had what they needed, people would focus on their daily tasks.


    Once the discussions were settled and everyone had packed, Julian hopped into a jeep with Noah and Ian and set off down the mountain.


    The newcomers squeezed into the large RV and followed them, leaving Rayne all alone at the motel.


    As soon as the vehicles disappeared from sight, she quickly got to work, storing all the stoves and furniture in each room.


    Just as she had done in her own room, she replaced the old, original furniture in its proper place.


    She also restored the lobby area since all the mattresses and supplies she had provided for the newcomers had been left behind.


    Even the snow in the parking lot had melted, hiding their tracks completely.


    It took Rayne a little over thirty minutes to store everything and return the motel to its previous state. Once she was finished, she hopped into her SUV and made her way to the new base.


    ---


    At the New Base


    When Rayne arrived, everyone was looking around in awe.


    Brandon''s group, in particular, was shocked by the neat row of mobile homes and the massive warehouses bursting with supplies.


    "You mean we can live here? Inside one of these homes?" Mila asked Noah, unable to believe her eyes.


    Noah smiled politely. "Yes, of course. This is our new home now. We want everyone to flourish, so please treat this place with respect and help us maintain it."


    Brandon nodded. "Of course. We''re all hardworking people. Many of us are skilled laborers, so we can definitely contribute to the base."


    Noah smiled, pleased to hear that they were willing to help. After discussing housing allocations, he mentioned the issue with the holes and warned them to be careful when walking.


    Brandon grinned. "Don''t worry. Just give us some shovels, and we''ll fill them in quickly. Whoever put the rocks in first did a good job."


    Rayne parked her car near the entrance, where the other vehicles were stationed, and walked over to the houses.


    Inside, people were busy assembling basic furniture from the warehouses and chatting happily.


    She spotted Laura in the housing warehouse, excitedly looking through the baby section.


    "Are you finding everything you need?" Rayne asked.


    Laura smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes¡ªmore than that. I can''t believe there are so many supplies for babies and children here. I feel like I can finally relax."


    She gently patted her stomach, eager to meet her future child.


    "I''ll have Anna take a look at you. While I don''t think she specialized in childbirth, she''s an excellent doctor," Rayne said.


    Laura''s eyes widened. "There''s even a doctor here? Yes, please, I beg you! Please let her check my baby. I want to make sure everything is okay."


    Rayne nodded and went to find Ian so she could ask for Anna.

 Chapter 204 - 204: Happy Faces

    Ian quickly agreed and told Rayne which house Anna was staying in. As the resident doctor, she was the leader of the female house.


    Rayne quickly spotted Anna in her room. She was in the process of building her bed frame and had a big smile on her face.


    "Oh, Rayne! Hello! Ah, I can''t believe such a wonderful place existed!" she exclaimed, welcoming Rayne inside.


    "Yes, it''s wonderful indeed! Julian is a very resourceful man. To have such foresight and build this place in secret is a very impressive task!" agreed Rayne.


    This was the excuse they had both prepared. Julian had volunteered to take credit for this place under the guise of a future development project.


    Anna nodded. "So what brings you here?" she asked while eyeing Rayne, looking for any signs of injury.


    "I''m actually here on behalf of one of the newcomers, Laura. She''s a few months pregnant and hasn''t had any sort of consultation about her pregnancy. I was hoping you could give her a checkup?" said Rayne.


    "Oh? There''s a pregnant woman here? Yes, of course, I''ll examine her. I''m not an expert on women''s health or childbirth, but I did do a few months of post-grad in a maternity ward," she smiled.


    "Perfect! I will send her over after you''ve settled in. Let me know if you need any tools or medicines. I can try to keep an eye out for you when I go out next time."


    Anna smiled. "Thank you. I will give you a list. Ian gave me this entire house to myself so that I can set up the two bedrooms as medical wards. There are many things I wish I had brought from the bunker."


    Rayne nodded. She would have to pretend to go out on a supply run eventually and bring back some of these items for Anna. Health was a very important thing, and providing Anna with the right tools and medicines could save lives.


    When she left Anna''s house, she noticed that many people were already out, carrying dirt via wheelbarrows to fill in the holes.


    It was mostly people from Brandon''s crew, along with a few men from Alpha Team. Rayne spotted Deondre out with a few of the other Alpha Team members, and it seemed like they were getting along very well.


    "What are you looking at?" Julian''s voice sounded from behind her.


    Rayne turned around and smiled. "I''m just happy to see that people are getting along well."


    She watched as Ian walked over to Deondre, seriously talking to him about something in private.


    "What''s going on there? It looks important," asked Rayne. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian laughed. "Ian always has a stern expression when talking to his subordinates. He''s most likely assigning a scouting mission. I asked him to get information about what''s happening at the government base."


    "Oh, I see. Yes, the more we know, the better we will be. I hope he''s careful," she replied, looking slightly worried.


    Ever since Ivan''s team was pronounced dead and Jess was revealed to be a traitor, Rayne had been worried about future missions. She didn''t want to hear about more deaths.


    "Don''t worry. Deondre is our best scout; he knows what he''s doing," assured Julian.


    They watched the others explore their new environment with smiles on their faces. Rayne felt very gratified by this experience and was happy that her ability could help at least this many people.


    She hoped that this small settlement in the forest would one day grow to be one of many colonies in the future.


    ---


    A few weeks later...


    The weather had finally warmed up to the point of no longer needing to run the stoves and heaters at night.


    Even during the day, the sun shone so brightly that the daytime temperatures were considered hot.


    Everyone at the new base was settling in very well, and the once hollow faces were returning to their former round and full shapes.


    Laura was especially glowing these days. Anna had made it a point to check in on her regularly, and thankfully, the pregnancy was going well.


    Initially, a major concern was the severe lack of nutrition she had suffered from her poor diet, but ever since moving to the new base, she ate well, resolving that issue.


    Rayne was also able to "find" prenatal vitamins along with some of the basic medical equipment that Anna had asked for, further helping Laura get the nutrients she needed.


    Brandon''s group proved to be filled with eager, hard workers, already making good progress on the fields beside the lake.


    "Hey, babe, are you ready to head out?" asked Julian. Today, they were planning on going out on another "supply run," which, for Rayne and Julian, meant a getaway date.


    Julian, in particular, was looking forward to it because ever since they had moved into the new base, Rayne had been spending all of her free time working on various projects.


    Even at night, she was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed, leaving Julian with a brewing desire.


    Rayne looked over at Julian''s eager expression and laughed. "Yes, I''m ready. Let''s go!" She found this side of him very adorable.


    After leaving Noah in charge, they hopped into Rayne''s SUV and drove off. Today''s destination was another coastal town on the other side of the mountain.


    It was a place that used to be popular for its beaches, and Rayne had always wanted to go. It was about a five-hour drive from their base, so it would have to be at least an overnight trip.


    Since Julian offered to drive first, Rayne was looking over the small piece of paper that had people''s requests.


    Rayne, of course, already had all of these items in her system, so they weren''t actually going to go looking for anything.


    Even the medical equipment requests that Anna wrote down were already available in Rayne''s system since she had managed to store all of the medical equipment from the bunker before they moved out.


    Her mind wandered from thoughts of the bunker to Deondre, who was still on his scouting mission.


    "I hope Deondre comes back soon," she said. It had been a few weeks since he left, and there had been no news.


    Julian smiled. "It''s okay. These scouting missions take time¡ªit''s not just a run in and out. He''s integrating himself as one of the base''s residents to blend in. Gathering information is also a long process since you can''t find everything out in one day."


    Julian''s explanation made her feel better. In her mind, the scouting mission would take like three days, and he would be back, but she was clearly mistaken.


    "You should put more trust in him. I''m not joking when I say that he''s very skilled," said Julian, placing his hand on top of hers.

 Chapter 205 - 205: Vacation Getaway

    The journey went smoothly, and they only took a few breaks along the way to allow Rayne to replace the SUV with one that had a full tank of gas. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The roads were also much easier to drive on since most of the snow had already melted.


    By the time they made it to the town, it was already mid-afternoon, and the sun was beaming down in full force.


    Rayne frowned. "I wonder what changes we''ll see with the sun acting the way it is. It''s been rising sooner and sooner¡ªnot to mention how hot it gets in the afternoons."


    The snow had only just recently melted, yet it already felt like the peak of summer during the day.


    Julian turned the AC on. "Yeah, it''s definitely odd. At least it''s a good time to visit the beach. I wonder if the water will still be really cold."


    Rayne burst out laughing, making Julian glance at her in confusion.


    "I just realized¡ªwe must be the only people in the world heading to the beach for a mini vacation right now," she said, shaking her head.


    Julian smiled. "Hey now, I didn''t want to tell you this, but I used my billionaire CEO status to reserve the entire beach just for you!" he joked.


    "Oh! Is this the legendary rich pampering they always showed on TV? How lucky of me!" she laughed.


    They chuckled together as Julian weaved through what remained of the coastal town. The hurricane had really done a number on the buildings, making it a bit challenging to get to the actual beach.


    When they finally arrived, Rayne jumped out of the car and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of the salty sea breeze.


    Julian walked up beside her. "Well, it certainly feels like a beach day. Let''s make the most of it while the sun is still out."


    Rayne agreed and quickly pulled an RV from her system. This was the one she had been looking forward to the most¡ªbecause it had a hot tub on the roof.


    She went inside and set it to standby mode so the built-in solar panels could begin drawing in energy.


    After setting everything up, she quickly changed into an all-black bikini and walked outside.


    "I left you some swim trunks inside if you want to change," she said, sliding a pair of black sunglasses over her eyes.


    Julian turned around to see Rayne standing there in an incredibly sexy black bikini. Immediately, he felt a twitch in his pants, followed by a rush of heat.


    Walking over, he couldn''t help but pull her into his arms. "You look so incredibly hot."


    The direct compliment made Rayne blush. She was thrilled to hear it¡ªshe had specifically chosen this swimsuit to look hot.


    In the past, she had only ever worn one-piece swimsuits with a cover on top, trying to hide herself as much as possible.


    But now, she wanted to show off her beautiful curves. She felt sexy, confident, and wanted to own it.


    Julian didn''t want to look away, but Rayne pushed him toward the RV. "Go get changed, then help me apply sunscreen!"


    The thought of rubbing sunscreen all over her body made him even harder than he already was. He quickly ran inside¡ªonly to stop dead in his tracks when he saw what was waiting for him on the table.


    A tiny black speedo.


    "WHAT IS THIS?" he yelled from inside the RV, making Rayne burst into laughter.


    "Hey, I just wanted us to match! What''s the problem?" she asked, giggling.


    Julian stared at the minuscule piece of fabric and shook his head. "Babe, if you wanted to see me naked, you could''ve just asked!"


    Still, he took off his clothes and slipped on the briefs. His erection was very visible, nearly poking out into view.


    "I... I''m not sure this will work," he muttered from inside the RV.


    Rayne, thinking he was just being shy, called back, "Oh, come on! Don''t worry¡ªno one will see you!"


    Julian shook his head with a grin. "Suit yourself!"


    As the RV door swung open, Rayne''s eyes were at the perfect level to come face-to-face with the monster that often tormented her at night.


    The elastic, waterproof material could barely keep it contained, especially as it was standing in attention.


    "Wh...aaa...W..?"


    Her face flushed red. She wasn''t expecting to see such a sight and only wanted to tease Julian a little bit.


    Julian smiled with a victorious grin, "Hey, you insisted! I warned you!". He jumped out of the RV, causing his erect member to bounce in the air.


    "Come, you said you needed help with the sunscreen", he said walking over towards the shocked Rayne.


    She was frozen in place when he placed his arm around her, "Why are you so shocked babe, it''s not like you''ve never seen it before."


    "Yeah, but I wasn''t expecting to see it...like that!", she said, pointing at the stiff erection.


    "Haha! What did you expect? You looking like that and me not react to it? Please!", he laughed. He walked her over to the part of the beach where she laid out a pair of towels.


    The sand beneath his feet felt hot so he lifted Rayne up and ran her over to the towel so she didn''t burn her feet walking.


    Once they got to their towels, Rayne pulled out a large beach umbrella and the sunscreen, handing it over to Julian.


    Another rush of blood went southward as he squirted the white sunscreen on to her back while she laid on the towel.


    "Hope you''re not ticklish", he smiled and began to rub the sunscreen all over her back.


    The application process quickly took a swift turn into a massage. Julian felt his body tingle as he rubbed his hands all over her body.


    He decided that the thin straps tied around her back were in the way so he quickly lifted on end of the knot and untied the bikini top, causing it to fall off of her body.


    "Hey, what are you--", said Rayne, feeling the top loosen.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''m just applying the sunscreen. Just enjoy it", said Julian.


    Rayne felt her heart beat fast. Although there was no one around she was still out in the open.


    Having her top fall off made her feel exposed but also excited.

 Chapter 206 - 206: Beach Day

    Julian''s hand continued to glide up and down her back, occasionally touching her sides--which sent a tingle of pleasure through her body.


    Rayne felt her mind go blank as she released a soft moan.


    Her moan snapped the last thread of restraint and Julian moved his hand south, down her body to her perky butt.


    Slipping his fingers under her bikini bottoms he continued to massage, cupping handfuls of her butt cheeks.


    The softness of her skin coupled with the natural bounce made Julian want to rip into her. After massaging her ass and legs he moved back upwards to her neck and shoulders.


    His hands slid down her sides and under her breasts, massaging the parts that weren''t pressed against the towel.


    "Julian", breathed Rayne. She could feel her body tingle as his hand explored her.


    Instead of answering he flipped her over so that she was now facing him, her breasts exposed in full view.


    He took the bottle of sunscreen and squirted a stream down her chest. The cold cream touched Rayne''s skin, causing her to squirm slightly.


    Julian took in the sight of her beautiful body, making eye contact with her beautiful green eyes.


    He then moved his hands on top of her once more, massaging the cream into her skin. His hands slid around her breasts and abdomen, feeling the softness of her skin once more.


    Rayne laid on the towel, feeling very aroused from being exposed outdoors. She felt like Julian''s hands were magic, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body.


    She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation his fingers brought to her as they massaged her body, moving further down toward her thighs.


    Her body became more sensitive the further down he got. When Julian finally reached her inner thighs she felt like jolts of electricity were skirting across her skin.


    Julian continued to massage her thighs, spreading her legs apart. His thumbs moved up and down the crease of her inner thigh, slightly moving her bikini bottoms in the process.


    Rayne was waiting for him to slip his fingers inside but instead felt his hands move farther down her thigh and toward her knees.


    Julian quietly continued to massage the sunscreen into her legs making his way down to her feet. Every few seconds he would glance up at her, taking in the view of her exposed upper body.


    It took him every bit of restraint to keep himself from pouncing her, taking her right there on the beach.


    Even Rayne was surprised when he finally lifted his hands off her.


    "There! You''re all coated in sunscreen", he grinned, pleased with his result.


    Rayne looked at him with an unreadable expression. She was still lying topless, her legs spread open.


    "Really? You suck!" she groaned, tilting her head back.


    Julian chuckled and bent over her, his lips practically touching hers.


    "Don''t worry, sweetheart. I''ll make you feel good all night. I figured you''d want to enjoy the sun for a while¡ªwe won''t have this opportunity tomorrow," he said softly.


    If it hadn''t been for their short time left to enjoy the beach, Julian would have happily used this time for other, more pleasurable things.


    After a few deep breaths, Rayne calmed herself and smiled. "Very well! But I''ll get you back for this! Just wait!" she said, pointing a finger upward.


    Julian smiled. "Oh, I''ll be waiting," he said, then reached down to kiss her.


    Afterward, he helped her put her bathing suit top back on before she helped him quickly apply sunscreen to his back.


    They spent the next few hours lying on the beach, tanning and reading. It was peaceful, with the sound of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls flying overhead.


    Rayne was completely immersed in her book, thoroughly enjoying her time on the beach. She felt as if she had gone back in time¡ªback when everything was normal.


    Even though it was already evening, the sun was still out. Feeling hungry, Rayne pulled two turkey sandwiches from her system and handed one to Julian.


    "I wonder what time it''ll start getting dark. It feels strange that it''s still so bright this late in the day," Rayne said between bites of her sandwich.


    Julian looked up at the sky, analyzing the sun''s position. "If I''m correct, it seems like we''re getting around two extra hours of daylight than normal."


    Rayne nodded. "Yeah, that feels about right. I was trying to time it yesterday, but I got distracted in the evening."


    After finishing their meal, Julian pulled Rayne off the ground. "Shall we see how the water is?" he asked, leading her toward the ocean. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they walked closer, the crashing waves reached their feet.


    "Oh my! The water is freezing!" Rayne yelped, jumping back. It felt like she had dipped her toes into ice water.


    Julian laughed as he watched her retreat in panic. He walked farther into the ocean until he was knee-deep.


    "Come on in, the water''s great," he said with a smile.


    Rayne took a step forward but hesitated. "No way, it''s freezing! You can''t fool me!"


    Julian bent down, scooped up cold water with both hands and threw it at her.


    "Ahh!!" Rayne shrieked as the freezing water splashed against her.


    She ran away before he could splash her again, making Julian burst out laughing.


    He stepped out of the water and chased after her, prompting her to run even faster.


    If anyone had been watching the beach, they would have seen two people running at full speed, laughing like children¡ªa sight that would bring a smile to anyone''s face.


    Julian finally caught up to Rayne, impressed by her speed and stamina. He scooped her off the ground and carried her back to the RV.


    "Can''t run from me now!" he grinned, bringing her inside.


    Once inside, they rinsed off in the shower, washing away the sand clinging to their bodies.


    Rayne walked over to the bed and pulled out her laptop. "I want to use the hot tub later when the sun sets," she told Julian while pulling up a new TV show.


    Julian lay down next to her, and the two of them happily watched until he pointed out that it was already dark.


    "Oh! Let''s go up and try out the hot tub! Hopefully, with the sun gone, the temperature won''t be as hot!" she said, getting off the bed.


    She went to the bathroom to change into a new bathing suit¡ªthis time, a pure white bikini.


    Julian looked at her and smirked. "Did you leave me a matching white Speedo too?"


    Rayne giggled and shook her head. "No, unfortunately, I didn''t store speedos of all colors back then. A big oversight on my part."


    Julian laughed and went into the bathroom, finding a pair of white swimming trunks on the counter. He looked at them and smiled.


    "I won''t be needing these for long."

 Chapter 207 - 207: Hot Tub Date Night

    Rayne went up to the rooftop of the RV, excited to turn on the hot tub. She had filled it with water when they arrived and now all that was left was to try to test it out.


    She pushed a button on the control panel and suddenly the entire rooftop of the RV lit up in neon colors.


    "Oh well now it''s a party!", said Julian. He had just arrived on the rooftop as the lights turned on, creating a festive atmosphere.


    Rayne smiled, "There are so many settings on for this hot tub I don''t even know which ones to choose!". She pressed another button and the jets inside of the hot tub turned on, causing the water to move.


    "Well, it looks like you chose the right one! I''ll get in and test the waters out", said Julian.


    He walked down the small steps into the hot tub, feeling the hot water bubbling around him.


    "Ahh, it''s perfect. Come on in".


    Rayne looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "If I remember correctly you said the same thing about the ocean water. Now I''m not sure if I can trust you".


    She was, of course, only teasing him and quickly stepped down into the hot tub, enjoying the heat of the water.


    "Ah! This feels so nice!", she said. The water from the jets gently massages her back and shoulders as the hot water seeped into her skin.


    Julian looked at her blissful face and felt jealous, "Wow, to think that all of my effort on the beach was beat by a jet of hot water". He sunk into the water, pouting.


    Rayne giggled at his jealous expression and walked over to sit on his lap. "Oh that''s not true and you know it. That ''message'' earlier had my head in the clouds!"


    Her coaxing finally made Julian smile and wrap his arms around her.


    "Are you saying you want another massage like earlier?", he asked in a low voice.


    Rayne felt her body heat up as the memories from earlier played in her mind.


    Julian reached around her, pulling her in for a kiss. It was long and passionate, leaving Rayne breathless.


    His hands explored her back, untying her bathing suit top in the process. Moments later Rayne''s upper body was exposed, and this time Julian didn''t hold back.


    The hot tub was soon filled with sounds of kissing, moaning, and splashing water.


    The next morning Rayne woke up with marks all over her body along with the usual soreness she experienced after Julian''s thorough poundings.


    "Come on babe, we should start heading back soon", said Julian, who was glowing from the amazing night he had.


    "Ten more minutes please", she replied, rolling over on the bed.


    Julian smiled and patted her gently on the back.


    "Let me carry you to the car where you can sleep longer. Just store the RV and we can set off", he said lifting her, along with her blanket off the bed.


    When they walked out of the RV, he stood near it so that she could simply reach over with her hand and store it.


    Julian then settled Rayne comfortably in the passenger seat of the SUV before getting into the driver''s seat and driving off.


    Rayne quickly fell back asleep from the gentle rocking of the car coupled with her exhaustion from earlier.


    Julian drove the entire way back only stopping a short distance away from their base so that Rayne could fill the car with the various items that were requested by the base.


    Among these items, a common thing that people asked for was entertainment items. While everyone spent most of the day working on the base or in the fields, they wanted something fun to do in the evenings.


    For this, Rayne chose a projector, playing cards, a box of various books, and a few sets of outdoor sports equipment.


    The other items were mainly medical equipment for Anna and smaller household things like sewing machines, bolts of cloth, and a few other items.


    The SUV quickly filled up with these items and a few extras, like canned food and a few more clothing items.


    When she finished Julian drove the SUV into the forest, to their base. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they pulled into the forest clearing Rayne was shocked at the progress everyone was making. A few houses were no longer pure white, having been painted in earthy tones like green and brown to match the surrounding forest.


    Another big difference was the farming area.


    When Rayne and Julian left, it was still mostly a large pile of dirt. Now the large pile of dirt was mostly flattened and spread across a huge rectangular field along the edge of the lake.


    As they parked, Mila and a few others came over to help move things into the warehouse.


    "Welcome back!", greeted Mila. "How was the trip out this time?"


    "It was very successful! We made our way further out, toward the coast, and found all of the items on the list!", said Rayne cheerfully.


    The others had big smiles on their faces as they unloaded the SUV and carried the items to their appropriate warehouses.


    "You guys really did a lot in the short time we were gone", said Rayne, looking around the base.


    Mila smiled, "Yes, we all have a lot of motivation to make this place feel like home. Two people in our group are also prior farmers, so we have a lot of experience in that area."


    Rayne''s eyes sparkled at the news! Not only did they have a general contractor, but they also had experienced farmers in the group!


    "It was also Ian''s suggestion to paint the houses earthy colors to blend them in with the environment", said Mila, pointing at the green and brown house.


    Julian walked over approvingly, "I think it''s a great idea, we should do this with our house too". He looked over at Rayne to see her opinion.


    Rayne nodded, fully agreeing with this. "Absolutely, not only with it blending in, but I also think it looks prettier than the plain white".


    Everyone was busy working, doing their best to get this place up and running.


    Rayne felt warm looking at the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere and wanted to do something nice for everyone.


    Looking at Mila, an idea came to her.


    "Let''s have a barbeque tonight! One of the things I found was a projector, we can even watch a movie!", she suggested.


    Mila smiled, "Wow, everyone would love that!". She was grateful that Rayne and Julian were kind and generous people. She never thought she would watch a movie again after seeing the current state of the world.


    Rayne went with Mila to find Ella and a few other volunteers to help prepare the food for the barbeque, while Julian was tasked with the movie setup.


    A few hours later it was finally dinner time. Everyone went back home from the fields and other jobs they were working at all day to wash up.


    Rayne, Ella, and Mila led the cooking efforts, manning the four grills between the three of them.

 Chapter 208 - 208: Cookout

    The menu consisted of grilled chicken and steak for the mains and a few small side dishes.


    Laura volunteered to cook the rice, while a few of the other ladies made other sides with the canned vegetables.


    Rayne wanted to take out some fresh vegetables like corn and mushrooms to put on the grill, but she wouldn''t be able to explain their origins so she decided to wait.


    Soon, they would be growing their own produce which would make it easier for Rayne to bring out fresh produce.


    People set up a few fold-out tables outside and the party began.


    Everyone there was beaming from joy. The small party brought the community further together, allowing for both groups to mingle with each other in a more casual setting.


    The food was all perfectly seasoned, and everyone enjoyed it, even licking their plates clean.


    Appetites were large from working hard all day so there were no leftovers but everyone was rubbing their bellies with content.


    Over on Julian''s side, he and Noah just finished tying a large white sheet between two trees. This would act as the screen for the movie projector that was already set up and plugged into one of the smaller generators.


    The movie Rayne decided to show was a well known comedy. She wanted to promote the feeling of joy within the base and this movie had everyone laughing for the rest of the evening.


    Mila approached Rayne as they were cleaning up, "Thank you for hosting this fun event. We all enjoyed it very much."


    Rayne smiled, "I enjoyed it too. We will definitely be doing this more often in the future. Working hard is good, but we also need to find time to relax and have some fun!"


    She looked around and listened to the happy chatter between everyone around. Some people were quoting a few funny moments from the movie, while others were discussing what their favorite part of the dinner was.


    This was the scene she had always wished to see after the apocalypse started.


    The next morning Rayne heard a knock on the front door of their house. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll go answer it", said Julian, getting up from the bed.


    Rayne was curious about who it was since it was rare for someone to come looking for them so early in the morning.


    She put on a robe and walked over to the living room where she saw Ian at the door.


    Julian motioned for her to come over, "Deondre is finally back from the government base, he will come over after he''s done with breakfast".


    "Oh! That''s great news! I''m so happy he''s back safely!", smiled Rayne.


    She let Julian speak with Noah while she went to the kitchen to boil a tea kettle of water. Since they were expecting guests she felt that it was only right to at least offer a cup of tea or coffee.


    Ten minutes later Julian, Deondre, Ian and Noah were all sitting on the sofa in their living room, discussing the happenings in the base.


    Rayne walked over with a tray of tea and coffee then sat down beside Julian.


    "Did you manage to secure a sample of this new drug?", asked Julian.


    Deondre shook his head, "Unfortunately not. It''s why I took so long before coming back. I even tried buying it off of someone else, but no one was willing".


    Ian folded his arms, "It must be very addictive if no one was willing to sell it to you even after you offered so much food and medicine".


    Deondre nodded, "Yes sir. People were going crazy for it, I''ve never seen anything like it. There were even a few cases were people even killed each other for it".


    Rayne widened her eyes, "Kill each other for it?! How are the people okay with taking something like this?"


    Deondre lowered his head, "The drug was advertised as medicine, and a LOT of people at that base are sick.".


    Rayne was a bit confused about this. She couldn''t understand why they would advertise this as a medicine, or why people would accept something so sketchy.


    "Also...about your family..", Deondre looked up at Julian. "They''ve also gotten hooked on the drug".


    Julian''s face remained unchanged. "This is the result of their own decision making. I no longer care about what happens to them".


    The room went silent for a few moments before Julian changed the topic to how they would deal with the people at the government base.


    "From what I''ve gathered, there are a few hundred people from Damien''s side overseeing the base. They haven''t changed many rules or processes yet--only introducing this new drug", said Deondre.


    The room fell into contemplation once again, but Julian''s next words surprised everyone.


    "Let''s wipe them out."


    Even Rayne turned her head to look at Julian. This was the first time he suggested taking an offensive stance. He had always tried to hide and wait for the golden opportunity.


    "We''ve been waiting long enough, and Damien still hasn''t shown his face anywhere. Thinning out his army is the best choice we have right now. A few hundred people is manageable for us with our skills and weapons", he continued.


    Ian quickly stood up and agreed. "This is the best option for us. If we just let them be, more innocent people will get caught up in the new drug problem. It will also provide Damien with a larger pool of people to recruit from, only making him stronger."


    "And if we''re lucky we can take out a few high ranking members of his ''team''", chimed in Noah.


    After a few more minutes of silent deliberation, Ian looked at Julian with a slight frown, "Boss, the only issue is the weapons and ammo. It would be best if we could use our newly engineered silent weapons, but if I remember correctly we only have a handful of bullets".


    Julian smiled ever so slightly, "Weapons and ammo are not an issue. I apologize for keeping this from you, but we indeed have more than you can imagine".


    Both Noah and Ian looked shocked to hear the news. Ian shook his head with a sense of understanding, "No Boss, what you did was right. It''s smart to withhold information sometimes. You never know who can betray you".


    Ian was still thinking about Jess and her betrayal. It was a big sore spot for him as a leader and something that even kept him up at night.


    Julian looked at him with a serious expression, "Ian, ready Alpha Team for this mission. We leave in two days."


    Ian stood up and gave Julian a respectful bow then left to gather Alpha Team with Deondre.


    Noah also left to make preparations for the rest of the base to avoid causing unrest. He would be staying back to oversee things while Julian and Rayne planned to join Alpha Team on the mission.

 Chapter 209 - 209: Preparations and Relaxation

    When Rayne was finally left alone with Julian, she looked at him.


    "Are you sure about this?"


    Julian smiled. "Yes. I estimate that most of Damien''s men at the base are small fries. It shouldn''t be hard to take them all out."


    His words eased Rayne''s nerves. "Maybe we can save a few innocent people in the process. Let me know how many copies of ammo and weapons you need. I''ll get them for you right away."


    Julian leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you, babe. We only stand a chance because of you."


    If it weren''t for her ability to multiply items, they wouldn''t have enough guns and ammo for five people, let alone the entire Alpha Team (~30 people).


    Rayne smiled and leaned against his shoulder. She felt that she was only doing her part in helping to fight back against these unruly people.


    Over time, she realized more and more that if Damien''s group was allowed to grow, there would be little hope for the innocent people who were just trying to survive.


    It was evident that human lives didn''t matter to them if they could simply use hundreds of people as guinea pigs in their sick experiments.


    "Are you sure you want to come?" Julian asked. He would much rather she stay safe here but would respect her wishes.


    "Of course! We could use all the help we can get. Plus, I want to see what''s happening there with my own eyes," she said resolutely.


    The following day, Rayne spent the entire day organizing and planning the upcoming mission with Julian.


    Including her and Julian, there would be twenty-two people coming along.


    "You said only three sniper rifles?" Rayne asked Julian.


    "Yes. Most of us will be infiltrating the base, while our three snipers will be sitting along the perimeter, taking Damien''s men out from a distance," Julian explained.


    He had just finished discussing formations and groupings with Ian, placing people in certain areas based on their strengths.


    "Deondre will lead the sniper team, while Ian will lead the majority of the forces inside. You and I will infiltrate from a distance, taking people out without being seen," he added.


    The floor of their spare bedroom was filled with various guns, knives, and ammo. Rayne had spent the last few hours organizing the supplies in the room, filling small packs with emergency medical supplies and painkillers.


    As she finished sorting through everything, Julian invited Ian over to begin distributing the weapons and supply packs to each member of the team who would be going tomorrow.


    Ian couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the room filled with high-tech guns from REN Corporation.


    "Wow, Boss, you really are something. Here I thought we only managed to make one copy of each weapon before the world flipped upside down," Ian said, marveling at the sight.


    Julian smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "What''s important is that we have the supplies. The silent shots will make everything go smoother. We will have the element of surprise on our side."


    After getting everything sorted out, Rayne decided to spend the rest of the day with Ella.


    Since moving to the new base, she and Ella would only really see each other in the early mornings or evenings for a walk.


    Recently, Ella had become very interested in gardening, so Rayne went over to bring her a few different gardening books. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh wow! Thank you, Rayne!" Ella said, looking at the small stack of books on the counter.


    Rayne smiled. "I''m just ready to eat some fresh vegetables! I''m counting on you, okay?" she teased.


    She was happy that her friend had found a hobby she could work on.


    "Sooooo... how are things with Noah?" Rayne asked in a quiet voice.


    Ella''s face turned red. "Good! But I''m still too scared to tell my parents." They had met up a few times in the surrounding forest under the guise of a "walk."


    Rayne giggled at Ella''s red face. "Well, hopefully, your father opens up to him soon. They''ve been working together a lot, right?"


    "Yes. Dad helps Noah with base management now, so they often spend time with each other. Honestly, I''m kind of jealous," Ella admitted.


    "But let me tell you what, Rayne. This whole keeping our relationship hidden¡­ is¡­ kinda hot. Like, it turns me on," she added, looking at Rayne with flushed cheeks.


    "Well damn, girl, look at you!" Rayne laughed. She was happy for Ella and happy that they could talk about this stuff.


    Romance was still relatively new for both of them, so being able to discuss details and experiences bonded them even more.


    Rayne also told Ella a little bit about the mission she was going on tomorrow, explaining how the government base had been taken over by bad guys.


    "Please be careful! I promise if something happens to you, I''m going to find you myself!" Ella declared, hugging Rayne tightly.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be okay," Rayne assured her, hugging her back.


    They both curled up on Ella''s couch, reading the books that Rayne had brought over while watching a recording of a reality TV show on her laptop.


    When Reginald finally got home, it was already evening. He saw his daughter and Rayne in the living room, laughing while watching a show.


    The sight made him smile, happy to see their carefree attitudes as they lounged around.


    If this were before the disasters, he would have scolded Ella, telling her to stop wasting her time on meaningless things. But now, it brought him a sense of joy and comfort.


    "Hey, Dad, welcome home!" Ella shouted from the living room.


    "Hello. Ignore me, I''m going to find your mother¡­ Don''t bother us," he said, turning to find his adorable wife.


    Ella rolled her eyes. "We might need to move to your place. My parents are still in their honeymoon phase."


    Rayne giggled. "Okay, let''s head over to mine. I think Noah is visiting Julian now anyway."


    Ella''s eyes lit up as she shot up from the ground. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s go now!"

 Chapter 210 - 210: Mission: Clear Out Government Base

    The next morning, Rayne, Julian, Ian, and the members of Alpha Team who were participating in the mission gathered in front of the houses.


    It was still early enough in the morning that it was dark out, but the sun would begin to rise any minute.


    "Okay, the plan is to make it to the outskirts of the government base and wait until nightfall. It will be a lot easier to execute our operation in the dark," announced Ian, bringing everyone onto the same page.


    After a few more detailed instructions, everyone loaded their weapons into the Jeeps and drove out to the government base.


    Rayne and Julian drove behind everyone in Rayne''s SUV. They had plenty of time before nightfall, so no one felt rushed or in a hurry.


    "So, where are we going to hide until nightfall?" asked Rayne. She hadn''t attended most of the meetings, so she was a little out of the loop.


    "There''s a forest across from the entrance. We will drive into it a good distance before reaching the base to cover our tracks and stay there until nightfall," he replied.


    A few hours later, the group finally arrived at the forest that led to the base. They drove their vehicles as far in as they could before proceeding on foot.


    Since they were already relatively close, they only needed to walk for a little while before the checkpoint entrance came into view.


    Ian, along with a few members of Alpha Team, took out their binoculars to scout where the armed guards were positioned.


    Rayne was also curious, so she pretended to take out a pair from her backpack and took a look around.


    To her surprise, everything seemed normal on the surface. The process of people entering looked the same as usual, along with everything else.


    She had been expecting something closer to bandits¡ªlooters and pillagers who had forcefully taken over and were extorting the residents.


    While that might have been true inside the base, from what she could tell, everything simply looked... normal.


    "You see anything interesting?" asked Julian from behind her.


    "No, not at all. Here, take a look," she said, handing over her binoculars.


    Julian took a look and noticed the same sense of normalcy. However, beyond that, he carefully scouted as much of the entrance area as he could, taking note of every guard''s position.


    "Seems like they''re trying to keep the base active and trap more flies for their experiments," he said, handing the binoculars back.


    Rayne frowned. She wanted to run over to the line of hopeful people and warn them that it was a trap, that they should run away.


    She also prayed that there were still sane people inside who hadn''t fallen for the false temptation of this new addictive drug.


    They all waited patiently in the forest for the entire day. Rayne provided everyone with a basic meal at lunchtime while the Alpha Team scouts continued to monitor Damien''s men across the street.


    When the sun finally set, everyone got ready to move out. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Deondre and the other two snipers got into position in the forest, covering different angles. Meanwhile, Ian and the rest of Alpha Team strapped on their bulletproof vests and night vision gear, ready to begin the assault.


    Rayne and Julian also put on their protective gear and night vision goggles, preparing to follow Ian''s group inside.


    The tension was high, and Rayne felt her heart pounding. She prayed that no one on their team would get hurt and that they could save as many innocent people as possible from the clutches of Damien''s men.


    A few minutes later, Deondre fired the first shot from his sniper rifle. The bullet was completely silent and hit its target cleanly through the head.


    As the first guard dropped to the ground, Ian''s team rushed forward, firing their silent weapons, taking all of Damien''s guards at the entrance by surprise.


    There was a momentary silence as dozens of armed guards dropped to the floor. It was only when the people waiting in line to get into the base realized that there were dead bodies on the ground that panic erupted.


    However, due to it being nighttime and the lack of lighting outside, overall visibility was low.


    By the time Damien''s men further inside the base were notified that something was wrong, Ian''s men¡ªalong with Rayne and Julian¡ªhad already infiltrated the base.


    The challenge now was making sure they were only killing Damien''s men and not innocent people. However, the scene they encountered inside the base was alarming.


    People were openly clawing at each other and fighting like rabid animals. Their eyes held manic expressions as they frantically searched for the drug they craved.


    Ian ran over to one of these people and struck them on the back of the head, causing them to faint.


    "If you see anyone in this frenzied state, don''t hesitate¡ªrender them unconscious. Focus on taking out Damien''s men," Ian instructed.


    On the backside of the base, Cal stood at the window, watching the feral actions of the people after going three whole days without the drug.


    The scientist''s assistant sat nearby, furiously scribbling notes about their behavior.


    "This is kind of freaky," said Cal. He had heard rumors about the red drug around their underground base, but only a select few were chosen to take it.


    It was said that whoever took this drug would gain super strength, and he had always wished to be selected. But after witnessing the effects of this new "lesser" version of the drug, he felt lucky that he had never been chosen.


    The scientist''s assistant continued to write, his eyes glued to the window. "Oh, this is nothing. I''ve seen way crazier things happen back at the base. The earlier versions even caused humans to eat each other," he said quickly.


    Cal scratched his head but stayed silent. No matter what kind of super strength was promised, he did not want to become a flesh-eating cannibal.


    He continued to watch as one of Leader Mai''s men knocked on his door.


    "Come in," said Cal, turning to face the door.


    "Sir! I have an urgent message. We are under attack, but we are unsure who or where!" the messenger quickly announced.


    "What?!" Cal shouted in surprise. His immediate thought was that the drug had finally snapped the people''s rationality, and they were out for blood!

 Chapter 211 - 211: Mission: Clear Out Government Base 2

    He ran over to the scientist''s assistant. "What do we do if these people attack us in a horde? Is there a way to control them?"


    The scientist''s assistant looked up at him, frightened. "Control them? The only way we''ve controlled them back at the base was by killing them!"


    Cal''s face lost all its color. How many people was this drug given to? How many of their people were stationed here at this base?


    "We''re outnumbered, but at least we have guns," he mumbled out loud. "I need to see Leader Mai."


    Just as he walked over to the door, he paused. He began to feel the fear sinking in, unsure if he would get attacked as soon as he opened it.


    Looking over at the scientist''s assistant, he barked an order. "Come, we''re getting out of here!"


    The base was technically not his responsibility, and he had no desire to stay any longer. The scientist''s assistant would also vouch for him that the people on the drug were going crazy.


    Using the cover of the night, they quietly left their room and skirted around the edges of the base to their car. As soon as the car started, Cal whipped out of the parking lot and sped out of the base.


    Deondre noticed the car as it approached the exit but hesitated to shoot since he didn''t know if it was an innocent person running away in fear or not.


    After thinking it through for a while, he decided to shoot out one of the tires on the car.


    Cal had already made it a decent distance down the highway when he felt the car spin out of control.


    One of his tires popped, causing the car to ram into a guardrail.


    "Fuck!" he yelled, thinking he must have driven over a spike or something since the sniper bullet was completely silent.


    After making sure the scientist''s assistant was still okay, he got out of the car.


    "Come on, let''s go! We need to get out of here before the cannibals come out!" yelled Cal. He sprinted forward on the highway, not caring that they would need to make this journey on foot.


    Through the scope of his sniper rifle, Deondre saw the two men abandon their car and run down the highway. From their hurried body language, he could tell that they were really frightened.


    "I don''t think Damien''s men are this spineless. They must be residents who got frightened," he mumbled and turned his attention back to the base.


    Inside, Leader Mai was in her room, giving out commands to various team leaders. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re telling me you don''t know who they are or where they''re shooting from?!" she yelled angrily.


    "Yes, ma''am, it''s dark out, so¡ª" replied one of the guard team members.


    "DARK OUT? You said they were shot! Do you not have ears to hear what direction they shot from?!" she stomped angrily.


    Everyone in the room clammed up, scared to tell her that there were no gunshot sounds at all. It was eerily quiet, like a silent plague spreading through the base.


    Just then, the door swung open. "Ma''am! Everyone at the entrance has been wiped out. Our men on both the eastern and western sides have also been taken out!"


    Mai was furious! She was tasked with overseeing this base and was given hundreds of men to keep it secure.


    Now she was being told that her men were dropping like flies, and no one knew where or what was killing them!


    "Every last one of you needs to get your ass outside NOW! Don''t come back until you''ve either killed or captured whoever is responsible!" she ordered, slamming her hands down on the metal table.


    The various team leaders quickly nodded and ran out of the room, frightened of angering Leader Mai even more.


    Outside, Ian''s team made steady progress, slowly moving through the base and wiping out any of Damien''s men they could find.


    The real issue was dealing with the drug-starved innocent people. They seemed so far gone that they were no longer rational. Some even turned to attack him without being provoked!


    He had no choice but to continue to strike them down with his hand, leaving them unconscious on the ground.


    While Ian and his team were making their way towards the center of the base, Rayne and Julian were running around the edges, picking off the hidden guards in the back.


    They both had a good understanding of the general layout of the base and used it to their advantage to weave through the buildings.


    Their goal was to pick off any hidden dangers while gathering information on what was going on inside the base.


    Rayne watched in horror as the once-normal people ran around wildly in some kind of crazed state.


    "Is this the effect of the drug?!" she gasped in horror. She just witnessed a woman biting chunks of flesh off another woman.


    Julian covered her eyes. "Don''t look. But if I were to guess, this is most likely a withdrawal symptom. I don''t think Damien has any use for such mindless behavior."


    Rayne felt the blood in her body boil. These were normal, innocent people who were just trying to survive. She couldn''t forgive Damien or anyone on his side for toying with human life like this.


    "I hope they can wean off it and turn back to normal," she said, clenching her fists.


    Julian hummed in reply. "I hope so too..."


    There were so many people under the influence of this drug, and most of them were running around like feral animals.


    The frightening part was that those people who had their skin torn off in chunks didn''t even bat an eye. It was almost as if they didn''t feel that they were injured.


    "Well, it seems like the drug was successful in one aspect," mumbled Julian, observing the carnage happening in front of them.


    From the corner of her eye, Rayne spotted Layla and Samantha.


    "Julian, look!" she gasped, pointing over at the two women. It looked as if Samantha was trying to pull Layla away from the crowd.


    Julian watched in silence, seeing his sister act out with aggression as Samantha did her best to call out to her.


    "Shall we..."

 Chapter 212 - 212: Last Mercy

    (A/N: contains a few gruesome scenes)


    "Shall we..."


    "No," answered Julian resolutely. He had given his family too many chances. This was their fate now. He would not go out of his way to save them again, only to be backstabbed in the future.


    As Samantha pleaded with Layla to get back, she noticed a pair of cold eyes watching her. She wasn''t sure if it was just the effect of the ''medicine'' or what, but she saw the tall and handsome Julian watching them from a short distance away.


    "You! Is it really you?!" she called out.


    She let go and walked through the crowd, like a moth to a flame, not realizing that her arms were being torn from her body.


    Rayne watched in horror as Samantha continued to walk with a blissful expression, unfazed by the pain.


    Her expression continued to twist between blissful happiness and a deep hunger, full of evil intent.


    By the time she made it through the crowd, she was missing chunks of hair and had deep gashes along her arms and legs.


    Rayne watched as Julian lifted his pistol and aimed it at her head.


    "This is my last mercy to you," he said quietly and fired the bullet.


    The bullet pierced her heart, instantly killing her.


    Rayne reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "While I didn''t like her, I think you did the right thing."


    Julian shifted his gaze to Rayne, no longer caring about what happened to Samantha or his sister.


    He placed his hand on top of Rayne''s. "Let''s continue. We still haven''t found where the leader is hiding."


    Rayne smiled and nodded. "Let''s go."


    They continued moving from building to building until they reached the side entrance of the main lobby building.


    This was where all the important departments and offices were located. Both Rayne and Julian felt that this would also be where the new ''leader'' of this base was hiding.


    They had to take out several guards stationed around the building. There was more security here than at the entrance of the base, confirming their suspicions about the leader''s presence.


    It was much more difficult to move through the building unseen, as all the hallway lights were on. They went room to room, clearing out any armed men in the process.


    Then, one of the doors at the end of the hallway opened, and a large group of people came flooding out.


    Rayne shot Julian a look, and he nodded. They both came to the conclusion that this was the room they were looking for.


    First, they needed to take care of the wave of armed men.


    Julian stepped out from his hiding spot and began shooting one by one.


    Rayne followed behind him, firing precise shots. Within seconds, most of the group had been picked off, leaving only three men in the back.


    One of the men dropped to his knees. "Please don''t kill me," he begged, while the other two pulled out their guns and aimed at Rayne and Julian.


    "Drop your guns!" one of them yelled. But before the words fully left his mouth, Julian silently pulled the trigger, taking both of them down in a breath''s time.


    The remaining man looked around in panic but secretly reached behind his back to pull out his pistol.


    Rayne smirked, seeing his obvious movements.


    "If you were being honest, I would''ve spared you," she said, pulling the trigger.


    Inside the room, Mai had no idea what was happening just steps away in the hallway.


    Since no one had managed to fire a shot, the entire altercation was silent¡ªdue to Rayne''s and Julian''s suppressed weapons.


    Mai stared out the window, looking into the darkness. The only movement she saw was the occasional flashlight or a drugged person running wildly.


    She felt like pulling her own hair out. She had just recently been promoted, and this was a huge assignment where she could prove herself.


    Now, because of these unknown assailants, she was about to lose everything she had worked so hard for.


    "No! I won''t let them get away with this! I will skin them alive myself if I have to!" she yelled.


    At that moment, the door swung open, and Julian walked in with Rayne, pointing his pistol straight at her.


    "Who are you?! What do you want from us?!" Mai cried out.


    She was completely taken by surprise. Everyone had just left the room moments ago¡ªhow did these two make it through?


    Mai shifted her gaze to the hallway behind Rayne and Julian, noticing the string of bodies on the ground.


    Alarm bells rang in her mind. These two were far more dangerous than they initially appeared.


    Julian took a few steps forward. "I''ll give you one chance. Tell me where he is."


    Mai looked at him. "Who? I don''t know anyone."


    "Damien. Your leader."


    Her eyes widened. Only a select few knew their leader''s name, and she herself had only heard it in passing.


    Julian caught her surprised expression, confirming that she was part of Damien''s organization.


    "Choose your words wisely. You only have one chance," he said coldly.


    Mai opened and closed her mouth a few times. The reality of the situation was setting in. If she lied and said she didn''t know, she would die.


    Any answer but the truth would result in her death¡­ and she didn''t want to die. She was still young and in her prime!


    She began to visibly shake, her mind racing to find a way out of this mess.


    Julian held the gun, patiently waiting for her reply.


    "I don''t know where Damien is exactly¡ª"


    The silent bullet whirled through the air, hitting her chest. Mai fell to the ground, bitterness filling her thoughts.


    Would my life be different if I had never sold myself to that organization?


    Julian walked over to her, pointing his gun once more. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s not fair. I didn''t want to die¡­ Why should I die while they live?


    Mai opened her eyes with great difficulty.


    "In... th..e... ci..ty..." she whispered before her body went limp.

 Chapter 213 - 213: Secret Meeting

    Back at the forest base, Noah had just finished his daily meeting with Reginald, discussing various tasks they needed to tackle.


    From the corner of his eye, he noticed Ella walking into one of the warehouses.


    "Then I will see you at the same time tomorrow," he said to Reginald respectfully.


    Reginald smiled and excused himself to find his wife.


    Noah quietly slipped over to the warehouse where he had seen Ella go. It was the housing items warehouse, and when he entered, he didn''t see anyone inside.


    Walking further in, he weaved through the various shelves, looking for the familiar woman. He finally spotted her rummaging through a basket in the clothing section.


    He glanced around the warehouse once more, ensuring that no one else was around, then snuck up behind her.


    To prevent Ella from screaming, he quickly reached around and placed his hand over her mouth.


    Ella jolted upright, startled that someone else was there with her.


    "Shhh, it''s just me, babe," Noah whispered, then moved his hand away.


    Ella quickly turned around to see the handsome redhead staring down at her.


    "Noah! What are you doing here?" she asked in a hushed voice, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just us," he smiled, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.


    Ella''s body flushed with excitement, eagerly accepting his kiss. They didn''t get to see each other in private often, so these rare moments of intimacy were very special to her.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss even more.


    Noah pushed her back, pressing her against one of the shelves, causing a slight rattling sound.


    "Careful!" she giggled.


    Noah smiled and dove back in to kiss her. One of his hands held her head while the other trailed up and down her back.


    They continued kissing, thirsting for each other''s touch. Noah pulled the neckline of her shirt down and began kissing her collarbone and shoulders, leaving a trail of small marks.


    Ella placed a hand over her mouth to muffle the moans escaping her lips.


    She felt her body burn with desire.


    "I''ll go and bring you some shoes! You said size 7, right?" Mila''s voice sounded from the entrance of the warehouse.


    Noah quickly pulled away, allowing Ella to fix her shirt.


    Mila walked over with a warm smile. "Oh, hello there, Ella, Noah. What are you two doing here?"


    Noah nodded. "Hello, Mila, how are you? I''m here for... uh... socks! Yes, I need a new pair of socks," he quickly added.


    Ella''s face turned red. "Hi, Mila. I was looking for a new shirt. I''ve been wearing the same three shirts for a while now, so I decided to find something new," she said quietly.


    Mila nodded in understanding. "Well, I won''t hold you up. I just need to find some new shoes for Laura¡ªher feet are swelling, so hopefully, there''s something more comfortable here."


    She then walked over to the shoe section and began rummaging through. Ella kept looking at the ground while Noah grabbed a random pair of socks he didn''t need.


    On his way back, he stopped in front of Ella. "It was very nice seeing you today, Miss Soto."


    His words, coupled with his soft smile, made her blush. She quietly nodded in response and walked over to the shelf with the women''s shirts.


    Mila walked up beside her once Noah left. "He''s quite handsome, isn''t he?"


    Ella could barely show her flushed face. "Yes... yes, he is," she said quietly.


    "Haha, I''m just teasing you, girl. No need to get flustered," Mila laughed.


    Ella smiled and grabbed the first shirt she saw in the bin, running off with a flushed face. It was only when she got home that she realized she had picked an XXL men''s t-shirt.


    She sighed, looking at it. "Well, at least I can use it as a sleep shirt."


    Ella plopped down on her bed, thinking about the steamy encounter she had just had with Noah. Her heart fluttered from how passionately he had kissed her.


    She lifted her fingers and traced the places he had kissed along her collarbone and shoulders.


    Realizing that he might have left marks, she jolted up in bed. She didn''t have a mirror in her room, so she ran to one of the RVs to take a shower.


    In the bathroom, she undressed and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, the places where Noah had kissed her were marked with small red spots.


    She looked at them with a smile, tracing over them with her fingers.


    "At least he was smart enough to do it in places that would be hidden under my shirt," she mumbled, smiling.


    In the shower, she washed her body while thinking about Noah. She closed her eyes, pretending his hands were touching her instead.


    Her imagination ran wild, igniting her desire. Soon, her fingers found their way between her legs, touching the spot she wanted Noah to touch the most.


    The desire was so intense that, only a few minutes later, her legs became weak and shaky from the release she had just experienced.


    It took her an extra few minutes to dry off and get dressed. She could still feel that her body wanted more, unsatisfied with her own release.


    When she finally walked out of the RV, holding her dirty clothes, she found Noah standing right in front of her, waiting for the shower to free up.


    They silently stared at each other for a few moments, the air between them hot and heavy. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella was still very much in the mood from her earlier actions in the shower. She walked over to Noah and pulled the collar of her shirt down, showing him the result of his kisses in the warehouse.


    She showed them off proudly, glancing at him with a flirty gaze.


    Without saying anything, she slipped her hand under the folded towel he was holding and walked away with a teasing smile.


    Noah watched her go, leaving him standing there alone with a strong erection. Taking a deep breath, he smiled and stepped inside the RV to shower.


    The bathroom was still foggy from Ella''s shower, making his imagination run wild.


    He lifted the towel to see what she had placed beneath it.


    "Fuck."


    He felt a strong throbbing sensation in his pants as he lifted a pair of black lacy panties from the pile.


    His mind went blank as he held them in his hand, his heart racing with excitement.


    "You''re such a little vixen," he smiled.

 Chapter 214 - 214: A Familiar Face

    Rayne looked at Julian, noticing his frown.


    "Do you think she was telling the truth? It seems a little unlikely that he would be so close," she said.


    Julian closed his eyes, thinking silently. There were many possibilities, but he couldn''t completely rule out the possibility that what she said was false.


    "Even if it turns out to be false, I believe that assuming she was telling the truth would be for the best in this situation," he replied.


    If Damien had been under his nose for so many years, he was far more capable than Julian had initially thought.


    "Let''s go. Ian should be cleaning up by now," he said, smiling gently at Rayne.


    As they walked out, the group of aggressive people only grew. Many more came out of their homes with maddened expressions.


    They were all hostile, running into the center of the green, fighting to the death with each other for no rhyme or reason.


    "Are there any people left who haven''t fallen under the influence of this drug?" Rayne asked, with sadness.


    Just as Julian was about to answer, something rustled the bushes behind them.


    Rayne and Julian quickly turned around, only to find a familiar face jumping from bush to bush with a small group of people.


    "Lenny?" Rayne asked, watching his poor attempt at stealthy movement.


    Lenny froze when he heard his name. He peeked out of the bush to see Rayne and Julian looking at him with confused expressions.


    Noticing them, he quickly motioned to them. "Hurry up and hide over here. Those crazies will eat you if they see you!" he whispered loudly.


    Rayne and Julian walked over to find a small group of about ten people huddled together behind a bush. Among them was Nurse Judy, holding a young child.


    "Nurse Judy, you''re here too!" Rayne exclaimed.


    "Miss Weston! I''m so happy to see you also denied the new medicine," she said with a small smile.


    Everyone in this small group looked normal¡ªfrightened, but normal.


    Lenny looked around before speaking. "Come with us, we''re getting the hell out of here!" When he first arrived, things were okay, but after the cold snap, things got more and more difficult. Now he had to hide from man-eating people!


    "Where are you guys headed?" Rayne asked, curious about their future plans.


    Lenny shook his head. "Anywhere but here! I''d rather deal with escaped zoo animals than psycho humans!"


    Rayne looked at Julian, then turned to the small group. "Why don''t you guys come with us? We''ve recently started a small settlement of our own."


    She expected some hesitation, but Lenny didn''t even blink before agreeing.


    "Heck yeah, count me in. Anywhere but here!" he said nervously.


    Nurse Judy also nodded, happy to have any destination other than the wilderness.


    The rest of the group agreed, making things easy for Rayne.


    "Great! You guys can follow us. Don''t worry, we''re here with a group of people. Let''s make our way over to the entrance," Rayne said cheerfully. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her positive energy, along with her bright smile, helped the rest of the group relax. They all agreed and followed behind Rayne and Julian.


    They slowly made their way toward the entrance. Lenny and the others were surprised at how quiet this side of the base was.


    They didn''t see any guards or even staff who were typically stationed at the front, directing traffic.


    "Why is there no one here? It''s kind of creepy," Lenny said in a low voice.


    A few steps later, someone gasped and pointed at the ground in front of them.


    Lenny looked down only to find a trail of dead bodies littering the street.


    "Wha... What?!" he yelled out in fear. "First human-eating psychos, now a trail of dead people?! This world is truly over," he cried.


    Rayne shook her head. "Don''t worry. These were all bad people. We cleared them out on our way inside."


    Lenny quickly perked up. "Oh! Well, if they''re bad people, then serves you right! Suckers!" he said, turning to one of the dead bodies. He lifted his hand and waved his middle finger around, flipping off the dead guys.


    His actions made Rayne burst out in laughter. She hadn''t met anyone who could change their tune so quickly!


    The others chuckled, their moods lifted thanks to Lenny''s little outburst.


    When they finally arrived at the forest entrance, Deondre walked over and greeted Julian.


    "Leader Ian and the others should be out shortly. I''ve been watching them from here, and it seems like everything has been taken care of," he reported.


    Julian nodded and led the new group of people toward where the vehicles were parked. Although they would need to squeeze in together, there would be no issue fitting everyone in.


    Rayne and Julian only needed to wait about ten more minutes before they saw Ian, along with Alpha Team, walking out of the government base.


    "Boss," Ian greeted, "I''ve done a sweep through the whole base. Everyone from Damien''s side has been taken care of. Only the drugged people are left. I wasn''t sure what you wanted to do with them."


    "Nothing. Unfortunately, I don''t believe they will survive the withdrawal symptoms. If anything, we will send another scout party in three days to assess the situation," Julian replied.


    This was the unfortunate, cold truth. He would not risk their base and put everyone in danger just to attempt to save these mindless, crazed people.


    Not to mention, there were so many of them that they certainly wouldn''t be able to take them all. It was much safer to observe from a distance to see if they could even be saved.


    Everyone squeezed into the jeeps and drove off back to the forest base. As they approached the forest entrance, Ian ordered Deondre and the other scouts to scan the perimeter to ensure they weren''t being followed.


    Only after confirming that they were in the clear did they drive the jeeps into the forest.


    It was still dark out, so Lenny and the newcomers were curious about where they were headed. All they could see was a vast and dense forest.


    The cars finally parked, and everyone got out. The newcomers looked around as best they could but could only see the nearby mobile homes.


    "Let''s get you guys temporarily situated for now. In the morning, we can officially set you up with a place to stay," Rayne said.

 Chapter 215 - 215: A Small Gift

    The next morning, Lenny and the rest of the new group of people were woken up by a gentle knock on the door.


    Due to the time of night, they made it back to base, there wasn''t enough time to set up beds and furniture, so Rayne simply passed out high-quality sleeping bags to everyone.


    They were all placed to sleep inside the same empty mobile home and would be assigned new homes today.


    Noah and Reginald walked over and introduced themselves as the settlement''s officers, in charge of logistics and everyday operations.


    "Good morning. Today, we will be settling you all into your new homes," explained Noah.


    Lenny quickly smiled and agreed. He was just happy to be out of that cesspool of infected, man-eating people.


    When the group walked outside, they collectively gasped at how breathtaking their new location was.


    Since it was late last night and dark, they didn''t get to see much of the surrounding area. Now, they looked at the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains in awe.


    Even the air felt fresher here than back at the government base.


    Lenny looked at the neat row of mobile homes that stretched the entire length of the forest clearing.


    As he looked around, Noah began assigning houses to them and explained the rules and how to access the resources inside each of the warehouses.


    Noah also explained the daily task list and what areas of the base needed attention currently. They were all given the whole day to settle in and put together their needed furniture.


    Nurse Judy was assigned to live with Anna since she was assigned to help with the medical clinic, while Lenny and the rest were sorted into the empty houses.


    The others came out to introduce themselves, offering a helping hand when needed before heading to do their tasks.


    Rayne came out and was happy to see that everyone had introduced themselves to the newcomers from last night, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


    Noah came over and greeted her, hoping to see Julian. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How are they settling in? Did you find anything off with anyone from this batch?" asked Rayne.


    The reason that Noah always did the introductions was that he was very skilled at reading people. If he felt that someone was suspicious or off, he would quickly report this person to her and Julian.


    It was an additional safeguard to keep their settlement safe, so Rayne really trusted his judgment.


    "Everything went well, and everyone passed the body language check. We even gained a few more skilled laborers," he reported.


    "Great! Thank you for doing this, Noah. If there''s anything you need, please let me know!" smiled Rayne.


    She really appreciated him stepping up to take the role of base manager, as it allowed for her and Julian to be free to do other things, knowing the base was in good hands.


    Noah smiled, "Well, maybe there''s something. I... I wish to gift something to Ella. Something small that she could wear, like a necklace or bracelet. I know it''s a difficult task, but if you come across something, please bring it back for me."


    Rayne perked up at this request! It was the first time Noah had ever asked for anything, and she happened to have a lot of jewelry options in her system!


    "Not a problem at all! I have a general idea of what Ella likes, so I will keep an eye out!" she said excitedly.


    Noah thanked her and quickly scurried off to find Julian.


    Rayne shook her head, smiling, and went to go check up on Anna and Nurse Judy. Having a new addition to the medical team was a big win for their settlement, and hopefully, it would take some stress off of Anna.


    Rayne walked up to the recently painted deep forest green house and knocked on the door.


    "Come in!" Anna''s voice sounded from inside.


    Rayne walked in and saw Anna and Judy building a bed in one of the spare bedrooms.


    "Hey, how are things going here? Do you need help with anything?" asked Rayne.


    Anna shook her head. "You found me the biggest help I could ask for. Having an experienced nurse by my side is like a dream come true!"


    "Oh, please! You make me sound like a saint. I''m just a standard nurse. You''re the real deal, Doctor," Judy replied, smiling.


    "Well, it seems like the two of you are getting along just fine!" laughed Rayne. She wasn''t sure how Anna would react to having a new addition to her team, but it seemed that everything was working out well.


    "I just want to say thank you so much for bringing us along. It''s only my first day here, and I''m completely smitten by the place. I never thought I would get to work with actual medical equipment again," said Judy.


    After working at the government base and relying on folk medicine to treat patients, she wasn''t sure if she would be able to help anyone. But now she saw how well-equipped the medical room was, with monitors and all of the basic equipment. She felt her confidence come back.


    Rayne smiled, "Did they finish hooking everything up to the generator I brought back?" One of the items Rayne ''found'' when she went out to the beach with Julian was another solar panel/generator combo.


    While the only house that had electricity hooked up was hers, she felt that the medical house needed it as a priority since there was vital equipment that required electricity.


    Anna nodded. "Yes, some of the guys came over yesterday to finish setting it up. They attached the solar panels to the roof and tucked the generator itself behind the house so that it didn''t bother anyone."


    "Great! Well, as always, let me know if you need anything! The medical department always gets priority!" said Rayne before walking back home.


    On her way back, she glanced at the fields. From a distance, she could see that they were already planting seeds! Hopefully, soon they would see sprouts popping up from the ground.


    Another new addition was a built-up outdoor kitchen area. The structure looked similar to an outdoor gazebo with a wooden roof, and inside were large tables with propane cooktops.


    Rayne walked over to take a closer look. There were three tables placed in a U shape. The two tables across from each other had gas stove tops, while the table in the middle was where the cutting boards were.


    "Wow, very nice setup!" said Rayne.


    She was impressed that they were able to build something this nice in only a span of a day! This new communal kitchen area would allow everyone to have access to a stovetop to cook their own meals if they wished.

 Chapter 216 - 216: The Fate of the Barclays

    (A/N: a bit of a dark chapter, might be disturbing to some)


    At the government base, Mr. and Mrs. Barclay ran out of their apartment to find their daughter. She had started acting strangely and suddenly ran out in the middle of the night.


    Samantha had followed behind her, saying she would bring her home, but it had been hours now, and no one had come back.


    "Layla! Layla, honey, where are you?!" they yelled, running around.


    Something felt off¡ªno one was outside, and there were hardly any sounds in the vicinity.


    "Where do you think she could have gone?" asked Mrs. Barclay, her voice filled with worry.


    Her husband thought for a moment. "Maybe she went to the market again? Let''s check there."


    Mrs. Barclay nodded. Her daughter loved shopping, so it was a good place to start.


    However, as they got closer to the center of the base, a horrifying scene unfolded before them.


    Hundreds of people, covered in blood, were clawing at each other, seemingly oblivious to the injuries on their own bodies.


    "What!? What is happening?!" screamed Mrs. Barclay.


    She could barely tolerate the sight of blood¡ªshe had even fainted once when she accidentally cut her finger.


    Mr. Barclay also froze in shock at the scene. How had everyone ended up like this?


    "Layla... where''s Layla?!" Mrs. Barclay screamed.


    Her cries attracted the attention of a few nearby people. They turned toward her, their eyes filled with a terrifying mix of hunger and hatred.


    Mrs. Barclay saw the menacing look in their eyes and took a few steps backward. Her body trembled with fear¡ªshe couldn''t understand what was happening or why everyone looked so... evil.


    As she continued to step back, she bumped into something. Turning around, she gasped¡ªa bloodied person with deep gashes all over their body was staring at her with hungry eyes.


    "Ahh!" she screamed in fright¡ªuntil she took a closer look.


    The bloodied person, the one with chunks of hair ripped out and deep wounds covering their body was her daughter.


    "Layla! What happened?! Are you okay?!" she screamed even louder.


    Mrs. Barclay grabbed her by the arm, trying to pull her away from the chaos, but Layla wouldn''t budge. She stood still, unmoving, like a statue.


    "Layla, we need to move!" pleaded Mrs. Barclay, still pulling on her daughter, all while keeping an eye on the others, who were slowly creeping closer.


    Mr. Barclay rushed over, using all his strength to drag his wife and Layla a few steps away.


    But something was wrong. Layla''s gaze was unsettling, almost inhuman. Mr. Barclay quickly let go.


    "She''s possessed! I don''t know what''s going on, but we need to get out of here!" he shouted.


    "No! I''m not leaving my precious daughter here alone! Look at her¡ªshe''s injured!" Mrs. Barclay screamed, refusing to abandon Layla.


    Her hesitation gave the approaching crowd more time to close in. When she finally realized the danger, she tried to turn and run back to their apartment¡ª


    But suddenly, Layla reached out and grabbed her.


    "Layla, honey! We need to run!" she pleaded. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Barclay was also caught in Layla''s grasp, struggling desperately to break free.


    "Let go of me! Let go!" he yelled, but no matter how hard he fought, he couldn''t escape her grip.


    They were both trapped, as if chained to the ground, unable to take another step back.


    "Layla! Please, let go!" her mother screamed, tears streaming down her face.


    But deep down, she knew¡ªthis was the end.


    The surrounding people finally closed in, their ravenous eyes locked onto them.


    Mrs. Barclay looked up at the sky, cursing Julian in her mind. If it weren''t for him, they would still be safe in their shelter!


    If he hadn''t been handing out their supplies, they never would have come here looking for him!


    "I wish I never had you!" she screamed into the sky, pouring out all her resentment¡ª


    As Layla, along with the others, began tearing them apart.


    The screams quickly faded, leaving behind only the sounds of ripping flesh and shredded clothing.


    ---


    A few days later¡­


    Cal and the scientist''s assistant had barely made it back to the underground base. They were found by one of Damien''s scout teams and brought back as captives.


    "Hey! Get me out of here! I''m on Runner Team, led by Boss Dillon! I demand you let me out!" shouted Cal.


    He realized he must have passed out at some point¡ªeither from exhaustion or dehydration.


    The guard in charge of the captives laughed. "Haha, this guy''s pretty clever! There''s no way I''m letting you out, buddy."


    Cal kicked the cell bars in frustration¡ªonly to fall backward from the recoil.


    The guard burst out laughing, then left to tell his friends about the new idiot they had captured.


    The scientist''s assistant sat quietly in the corner, looking at Cal with a sorrowful expression.


    "I tried reasoning with them earlier," he said. "Told them I was part of the lab team on the lower floors. They just laughed in my face."


    Cal had never realized how unruly these people could be! He had clearly stated his team name and even his leader''s name¡ªthey should have at least checked before completely dismissing him.


    He looked around the cell, taking in the frightened faces of the other captives. They stared at him, their eyes filled with fear.


    One of the braver men glanced around, making sure no guards were nearby.


    "Hey, man, I get that you wanna get out of here, but at least come up with a more believable story," he whispered. "Last time someone lied to them, we all got no food for three days."


    Cal wanted to slam his head against the brick wall of the cell.


    "Why does no one ever believe me?!" he groaned.


    He had vital information to deliver¡ªyet now he was being held captive by his own team.


    Cal knew that Dillon would actually kill him if he delayed passing along this vital information. The government base had been taken over, and now crazed cannibals were free to roam.


    "Hey! Get me out of here! I need to relay important information!" he continued to shout and bang his hands against the cell.


    After a few minutes of nonstop ruckus, one of the guards finally came over. "Listen here, buddy. We heard you the first time. Now if you don''t shut up, we''ll shut you up ourselves."


    "Listen, I have really, really important information. I NEED to pass it along to my leader, I beg of you to at least verify my identity," begged Cal.


    The guard yawned. "No offense, but verifying that kind of stuff takes a lot of time and effort, and I happen to be really tired. So just keep your mouth shut, and maybe when I''m in a better mood, I''ll put in a good word for you."

 Chapter 217 - 217: A New Request

    At the forest base, Rayne and the others have been making good progress.


    Lenny and the rest have finally settled in and gotten used to their new routines, helping out wherever they can.


    Rayne walked over to the field that had been completely tilled and sown.


    "Julian, look! The greens have already begun to shoot out of the ground!", she said happily, pointing and the tiny little green stems that were poking out of the ground.


    "Yes, it seems like we will finally be able to eat some fresh produce here soon", he said smiling at her.


    The weather was quickly getting warmer and warmer. Everyone was now wearing shorts and t-shirts, trying to stay cool, especially during the day.


    The plants, however, loved this new level of sun and warmth. Thanks to the nearby lake, watering the fields was an easy task, and the growing seedlings were coming out very strong.


    Everyone who was assigned to work on the farmland had a big smile on their face. They were able to see the fruits of their hard work so quickly, granting them both relief and satisfaction.


    "I hope that we can enjoy many more days like this", said Rayne, looking around happily.


    Along with Lenny''s group, a young boy who was about 5 years old was also brought over. Nurse Judy was taking care of him initially, but when Laura laid eyes on him she fell in love.


    Every day she would spend hours with the young boy, playing and teaching him numbers. Everyone on the base already considered the boy to be part of her and Davids family.


    The young boy was very shy and scared at first, but after spending a few days with Laura he finally began to show the occasional smile.


    The biggest change for the newcomers was the availability of resources and food. Even people like Lenny who had arrived at the government base very prepared, suffered from extreme weight loss and muscle loss.


    They had eaten through their meager supply and were left to chew on stale bread and other preserved foods.


    Now, they all had access to many varieties of food, even frozen meat, and vegetables, allowing them to feel healthier even after just a few days.


    Julian continued his walk with Rayne, occasionally stopping to greet others. They made their way around the entire settlement when Rayne remembered Noah''s request.


    "Oh guess what?", she said with a smile.


    Julian looked at her gossipy expression and lifted an eyebrow, "What?"


    "Noah finally put in a request with me", she said, trying to build suspense.


    "Was it a new clipboard? He never goes anywhere without his", laughed Julian, taking a quick guess.


    Rayne laughed but shook her head, leaning in she whispered, "He asked for a small trinket to gift Ella. Something like a necklace or bracelet!"


    "Oh? Looks like he''s finally getting somewhere. I thought him working daily with Reginald would give him ample opportunities to court Ella openly, but I guess not", he shrugged.


    Rayne giggled, "Maybe they like it...hidden"


    Julian placed his arm around her waist, "Oh yeah? Maybe we should go hide somewhere, what do you think?"


    "Yeah we should so I can beat you up!", laughed Rayne, throwing a pretend punch at his arm.


    They laughed together as they continued to walk around the base.


    "Well I suppose it is about time we went on another ''scavenging run''", said Julian.


    Rayne nodded, "Yes, and with the addition of the new people from the government base, I will most likely get new item requests."


    They made their way over to Noah, who was currently taking inventory inside of the warehouses.


    "Hey Noah, we are about to head out on another trip to scavenge for resources. Do you have a new list ready of requests?", asked Rayne.


    Noah greeted them both and pulled out a slip of paper from his clipboard, "Yes, I just recently finished going around and seeing what we are low on. There are also a few requests from the residents"


    Noah handed Rayne the slip of paper so that she could look it over.


    From the list, the clothing supply was getting low and people were requesting more summer clothes.


    There were also a few food items that were getting low, such as canned tuna and chicken.


    Rayne nodded, feeling like she had everything on the list until she reached the bottom.


    [I wish to put in a request for a chick or chickens. I used to have a small farm of chickens and feel like getting a fresh source of eggs and poultry would benefit the settlement]


    The person who requested the chickens was part of Brandon and Mila''s group.


    Rayne looked at the request and felt like it was such a good idea, however, she did not have live chickens or chicks in her system. She would need to go out and find them.


    Noah watched her read the list and waited for any feedback.


    "Most of these should be doable, the only thing is the live chickens. We will try to stop by some farms and see if we can catch any. I think it''s a great idea!", said Rayne, looking up from the paper.


    Noah nodded, "Very well. I will put in a request for the carpenters to begin making plans on building a chicken coop in the meantime"


    "Ah, that''s a good idea! I just hope we will be able to find the chickens to fill it", laughed Rayne. She was confident in everything else, but finding the animals would be a challenge.


    After settling the rest of their affairs at the base, Rayne and Julian began to make preparations to leave.


    Rayne was on the couch in their living room, looking at the pre-downloaded maps on her laptop. She was looking for places that used to operate as poultry farms.


    "Any luck?", asked Julian from the kitchen.


    "Umm, yes, but it seems all of the best places to search are on the opposite side of the city. It will most likely be at least a three-day trip", said Rayne, memorizing the best route over to the farms.


    Julian nodded, "Well that shouldn''t be an issue. In fact, it would be strange if we didn''t take a few days to search for everything."


    "You''re right. Either way, I''m not complaining! I look forward to our excursions!", she said, smiling brightly. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, for sure. I definitely do, especially if they''re like the last one we went on", he teased and walked over to place a kiss on her forehead.


    Rayne blushed, remembering the scenes from the hot tub and everything afterward. "No hot tubs this time!", she quickly said, hiding under the blanket.


    "Mhm. Whatever you say", he laughed.

 Chapter 218 - 218: Losing Patience

    The next morning Rayne and Julian set off on their scavenging trip as usual.


    Everyone who was awake at the time wished them luck and a safe trip!


    The sun was only just now beginning to rise so the air still felt a little cool yet refreshing.


    "I''ll drive first and we can swap after a few hours?", suggested Rayne.


    Julian took the keys from her hands and smiled, "As if I''ll let you drive when you can barely keep your eyes open. You will get some rest, I''ll drive".


    Rayne was about to protest, saying she was fine, but ended up letting out a large yawn that made her eyes water.


    Julian gave her a look and proceeded to the driver''s side of the car while Rayne wobbled over to the passenger side.


    "You said on the opposite side of the city? Towards to the coast?", he asked.


    "Mhm, to the east of the city", Rayne mumbled. She pulled out a fluffy blanket and rolled over in her seat to take a nap.


    Julian shook his head, "And you wanted to drive".


    When Rayne finally woke up the sun was fully in the sky, beaming down with high intensity.


    "How long was I out for?", she asked, stretching her arms.


    "Umm, about three or four hours. We should be approaching the area of the government base here in a few minutes", said Julian.


    "Oh wow, I was out for a lot longer than I thought I would be! How''s the drive been so far? Need to swap?", she asked feeling a little guilty.


    Julian smiled, "No, I''m perfectly fine. The drive has been quiet and easy, no issues here".


    A few hours later they reached the city they once called home. Instead of driving through the city, they took the highway that went around it to avoid roadblocks.


    Rayne looked out of the window and into the city, "Do you think he''s in there somewhere?".


    Julian''s expression turned serious, "I''m not positive, but something tells me that he is".


    When Julian heard Mai''s last words, he had a gut feeling that what she said was true, Damien was hiding in the City this whole time.


    ---


    In the underground base. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tristan walked into Damien''s room, adjusting his glasses.


    "We''ve still not heard from Dillon or anyone at the government base. I still don''t have data on the effects of the drug", he said, straight to the point.


    Damien frowned, "Here I thought that new kid had potential. Did something happen?".


    Tristan shook his head, I am unsure. I''ve sent a team out to check on what''s going on at the government base, but they will only be back later this evening.


    "Send someone to summon Dillon here. I want to know why he hasn''t provided me with any updates yet. The weather has gotten much better, they should have found Julian by now", sighed Damien.


    He was beginning to feel frustrated. Julian was the only reason he cooped himself up in this underground base.


    He had long wanted to leave to see the world outside, to take rule over the new world. However, he couldn''t do that when Julian was waiting for him to poke his head out.


    Tristan could feel Damien''s anger and he quickly stepped out to have someone summon Dillon over.


    When Dillon received the summons, he was pacing back and forth inside his room, trying to figure out why he hadn''t heard from Cal these last few days.


    Cal was always very punctual, and the last time Ace didn''t show up, it was because he was on his deathbed.


    "That place is a fucking curse", yelled Dillon. His head was pulsing with a dull ache, draining him of his energy.


    Now he was being summoned by the big boss, "What am I going to tell them?".


    He sat down on the stool, placing both of his hands over his face. He slouched over, taking a deep breath.


    From the other side of the room, Jess and Krissy watched him shift from being angry to enveloped in despair.


    They were both smart enough to know not to approach him when his emotions were all over the place.


    After a few more deep breaths, Dillon finally stood up and left their apartment, slamming the door behind him.


    On his walk down to the lower levels, he swore that if Cal ever came back he would skin him alive.


    "Unreliable pricks. All of them!", he mumbled angrily, storming down the staircase.


    Only when he approached the designated room did he adjust his expression.


    "Come in", Tristan''s cold voice sounded from inside the room.


    Inside Damien was sitting in a leather armchair, waiting for Dillon to arrive. He was leaning his head against one of his hands, with his legs spread.


    "You''re finally here. If you would have been even a minute later I would have had someone come drag you over", he said in a very cold voice.


    Dillon trembled, feeling true fear. He knew that if he was dragged down here, there would be no coming back out.


    "So tell me, Dillon, why do you think I summoned you here", asked Damien with a slight smile that didn''t reach his eyes.


    Dillon stood frozen, his eyes staring down at the ground. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.


    He had never felt such pressure coming from anyone in his life as he did right now. It was like standing in front of a demon who was seconds from claiming his soul.


    "I...I.."


    "Speak up", Tristan''s voice sounded from behind him. This was a warning to him, he was already taking up too much time.


    "For an update about...Julian", Dillon finally choked out the words.


    Damien smiled, "Yes, exactly that. Now, let''s hear it. Where is Julian now?"


    This time Dillon didn''t know what to say. He was so close to capturing Julian, but no had no idea where he was!


    "S..sir, a few months ago we had almost captured him at the government base. It''s just--"


    "I know about that. Tell me something new. What have you been doing all of these months? Have you not found him?", asked Damien.


    Dillon stood there, feeling like he was one word from digging his own grave. He continually cursed Cal in his mind, blaming him for being useless.

 Chapter 219 - 219: Saved by the Bullet

    Just as Dillon opened his trembling mouth to answer Damien, there was a soft knock on the door.


    Tristan quickly excused himself to answer it and came back a few moments later.


    Dillon used these few additional minutes to figure out what to say, but his mind continued to blank.


    He could no longer use the weather as an excuse, and because he was so close to catching Julian previously, he couldn''t say that there was no trail.


    Tristan walked over to Damien and whispered something into his ear, then handed him a small object.


    Dillon was still nervously standing still, staring at the floor when he heard Damian chuckle in a deep voice.


    "Well, well. Today is your lucky day indeed. It seems like your men were being held in the holding cells with other captives. They brought back some news", smiled Damien.


    He lifted the object, holding it between his fingers.


    Dillon looked up and saw a familiar bullet. "This! Where is this from?", he asked with wide eyes.


    "Haha, your little underling brought it back with him. Along with the news that the government base has been wiped out", laughed Damien.


    He stood up from his chair and walked over to Dillon.


    "This is your last chance. You, yourself, will go out this time and find Julian. Don''t come back until you do!", he said grabbing Dillon by the collar of his shirt.


    Dillon held his breath, nodding his head. The sweat had already begun to seep through his clothes, creating dark spots on his back and underarm areas of his shirt.


    As soon as Damien let go of him, Dillon quickly scurried off to get ready to find Julian himself.


    "Pathetic dog", spat Damien.


    "Hopefully this time he will produce results. Your methods are as effective as always", said Tristan, walking over to stand beside Damien.


    "Ha! If only I could go out there myself! I hate relying on others...well except you. You''ve never once failed me", he grinned.


    Tristan looked at him expressionlessly, "You honor me. Now if you excuse me, I need to send vital data to the labs. It seems this version of the drug has bred cannibals"


    "Go. Tell them to stop being useless, I''m tired of these nonstop setbacks", sighed Damien. He was so close to achieving his goal.


    As soon as Julian''s head gets delivered on a silver platter, he will personally lead the charge to take over the country and lead the world into a new era. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ---


    On the other side of town, Rayne and Julian were finally approaching the rural areas where most of the farming and agriculture was done.


    The once fertile fields were now overgrown with weeds, replacing the usual sight of seasonal vegetables.


    "The poultry farm should be right up this hill over here", pointed Rayne.


    They drove up the hill and pulled down a long gravel driveway. As they got closer to the barn, Rayne opened the window and heard the clucking sounds of chickens inside.


    "Oh my goodness! I think we''ve found them!", she called out happily.


    Julian parked the car in front of the barn and stepped out of the car, walking over to open Rayne''s door for her.


    "Thank you", she smiled and hopped out.


    They walked over to the entrance of the barn door, excited to reveal the chickens inside.


    "One more step and I''ll blow your heads off", a man''s voice called out from inside.


    Rayne and Julian both froze, they were so excited about the chickens that they didn''t realize that there was someone else there.


    "We apologize for intruding! We''re been looking for chickens for our settlement, and came out this way in hopes of finding them", said Rayne, trying to sound as friendly as possible.


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    "Beat it missy, these chickens are ours, go find your own!", he shouted from inside.


    Rayne frowned, she could tell from all of the sounds inside that there were at least a hundred chickens.


    "Surely you can spare a few?", asked Rayne.


    The man laughed, "Now why would I give you any of these chickens that I worked so hard to raise? Now get out of here before my hand gets tired of holding this shotgun!"


    Rayne looked up at the door, "Please wait! We are not asking for you to give them over for free! We would love to trade for them! Please, we only ask for a few chickens"


    The man behind the door didn''t reply for a few minutes, leaving Rayne standing awkwardly in front of the barn.


    Julian walked over and placed his hand on Rayne''s head, "Come, we can try a different farm".


    Rayne looked up at him and nodded quietly.


    They walked back over to their car when the bard door finally opened, revealing a short man in overalls.


    "What kind of items do you have to trade?", he finally asked.


    Rayne quickly turned around and smiled. "We actually have a large variety of goods right now. Is there anything specific you''re looking for?"


    The short man looked over at her and the large SUV behind her.


    "Ya''ll got any cigarettes? I''ve been dying to smoke one", he said putting his gun down.


    Before Rayne could answer a young girl ran out of the barn, "Daddy no! We need medicine and food for the chickens!"


    Rayne looked down at the cute but messy girl and smiled.


    "Hi there, do your chickens like eating corn? I happen to have a few bags of dried corn", smiled Rayne, bending down to meet the girl at eye level.


    The girl hid behind the man''s leg and peeked out, nodding at Rayne.


    "Well well, I guess I can settle without a cigarette for a while longer. How many bags of corn do you have? We''ll take them all", said the man, patting the girl behind him.


    Rayne was happy that they seemed like nice people, even after such a rough greeting. She walked over to the trunk of her SUV and quickly filled it with sacks of dried corn, clothing, and canned food items.


    He looked at the girl who had dirt all over her face and decided to add soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene items.


    Julian walked over to the man, "Is it just the two of you here?". There were a lot of chickens here for just a father and daughter to handle.


    The man shook his head, "Nah, we''ve got a small group of people living here. Mostly the local farmers and their families".


    Julian nodded then looked back to see if Rayne was ready to present their ''goods'' for trading.

 Chapter 220 - 220: An Offer You Cant Refuse

    Rayne nodded and motioned for Julian to bring the man over to the back of the SUV to see the items that she had laid out.


    Receiving the signal, Julian turned to the man, "Here, come to take a look at what we have available, perhaps you will find something worth trading."


    The man nodded and walked over to see, "Go call your mother over, I don''t know if there''s something specific she needs", he said to his daughter.


    "Okay!", she said and ran into the barn.


    The man stood at the back of the car and looked into the trunk of Rayne''s car. His eyes widened as he looked at the various pristine items, unblinking.


    "What?! How did you get this stuff?", he couldn''t help but ask. Out in these parts, it was difficult to find nonagricultural resources, so these things were all considered precious to him.


    Rayne smiled, "We travel a lot and scavenge items. This is our most recent haul".


    "Wow, this is incredible!", he said. He wanted to look through the bins but hesitated, looking down at his dirty hands.


    Rayne noticed his struggle and handed him a bar of soap, "Here, take this as a small gift from us".


    The man didn''t reach out right away, but after a momentary thought, he accepted the gift.


    "Thank you, I will go wash my hands and I will be right back. Please don''t leave, I''ll be right back", he said and hurried back inside the barn.


    He intercepted his wife and daughter on the way inside, "Come with me, let''s wash our hands and faces", he said holding the bar of white soap.


    "Soap! Where did you find that?", his wife asked looking surprised!


    "They gifted it to us. I felt a little uncomfortable touching their items with my grimy hands. I think they noticed my hesitation so they gifted the soap", he explained.


    The family washed their hands with the soap, washing away all of the dirt that had accumulated over time.


    "Mom, smell my hands! They smell so nice!", the little girl called out. Her face was glowing as she happily waved her hands around.


    The man and his wife smiled as they looked at their cute daughter whose face and hands were cleaned up, revealing her bright and smooth skin.


    "Let''s go, I don''t want to keep them waiting for long", said the man. He led his family back over to the car and showed his wife the goods that were being offered for trade.


    The woman looked around, reaching out to touch the soft fabric of the clothes and blankets. "Honey, all of these items are so nice...and are much needed", she said in a low voice.


    The man understood her implied meaning and nodded, "Very well. I trust your judgment", he replied. He also felt that these supplies were too good to pass up. They had plenty of food here, but when it came to other resources, such as clothing and everyday items, it was a different story.


    He thought about how he should approach Rayne and Julian for the trade offer. They had many chickens and eggs, but he wasn''t sure if he would have enough to be able to trade for all of these things.


    Looking over at Rayne he cleared his throat, "So, um, how many chickens do you guys want?"


    Rayne did a little calculation, counting the number of people at their settlement. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ideally we would like 20-30 chicks. And at least two of them would need to be roosters for breeding purposes", she replied.


    She wasn''t sure how many chicks they had, but she knew there were at least one hundred chickens here.


    The man looked at her with a surprised expression.


    "Is that too many? How many can you offer?", asked Rayne. She was a little nervous that she may have scared them off by asking for so many.


    The man''s wife answered, "Too many? Not at all, but are you sure? We''re trying to trade for everything you have here in the trunk".


    "Ah", said Rayne feeling relieved, "Don''t worry about that. I am willing to trade for all of these items!"


    The woman looked at her with a very happy expression, then turned to her husband, "Darling, go get the chicks ready! Pick out the healthiest-looking ones!"


    The man quickly scurried off into the barn to do what his wife requested of him. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Well thank you so much! We don''t have many places to look for everyday items like these in these parts, so this is very generous of you!", she said with a big smile.


    She noticed the bolts of cloth in the back and was excited to sew a few dresses for her daughter. However, it was the soaps and hygiene items that really made her happy.


    After they ran out, washing clothing became a lot more difficult for everyone, especially since they spent all day working on the farms or with the animals.


    Ten minutes later the man walked back holding a large tray of baby chicks. "Here you are, 30 female chicks and 3 males", he said with a big smile.


    Rayne reached out to take the tray from his hand, "Oh wow! They are so adorable!! Thank you!". She watched the fuzzy yellow balls squeak at her as he looked down at them.


    While Rayne was busy observing the baby chicks in a trance, Julian motioned for them to begin unloading the trunk, "We accept your trade, these items are all yours", he said with a small smile.


    He felt that Rayne was truly generous. If she didn''t have her system, this trade would have been very expensive for them.


    Thankfully she could simply wave her hand and make a whole truckload of supplies appear out of thin air if she wanted.


    The man called over some of the other guys from their group and they began carefully unloading everything from the truck.


    There were more items than he had initially thought there would be, making him feel like they really scammed the young couple.


    His wife watched as sacks of dried corn were unloaded from the car. "This is perfect! We will have more than enough feed for the upcoming year!", she exclaimed with a big smile.


    There were three big bolts of cloth, two were in a neutral linen and white color while the third was a bright red.


    She ran her fingers along the cloth, feeling its softness. "Even this cloth is of very high quality, better than most of the cloth our clothes are made of now", she mumbled to herself.


    When she was looking inside the trunk, she didn''t realize it, but there were three full boxes filled with bar soaps, detergents, toothpaste, shampoo, and even hand cream.


    Each of the boxes was thematically packed based on the scent of the products inside, with the exception of the toothpaste.


    She could hardly wait to take a bath and clean all of her clothes! They''ve been using an old-style washing board to wash their clothes, and now it would be even better thanks to the detergents.

 Chapter 221 - 221: Chickens Acquired

    After the trunk of the SUV was fully unloaded, both parties were very happy with the trade.


    "We hope you can come back in the future, it would be nice to see more people willing to trade around these parts", said the man.


    For them, this trade significantly increased their quality of life for a least the next year, and they were very grateful.


    "We will do our best to come back from time to time! Thank you for the chicks!", said Rayne. She placed the tray of chicks into the now-empty trunk of the SUV, closing the door. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Oh there''s one more thing I wanted to give you as a thank-you gift", she said and pretended to rummage through the backseat of the car.


    "Oh please, no more gifts! We''re already on the winning side of this trade, anything else would make it feel like we''re robbing you!", said the man''s wife.


    Rayne took a carton of cigarettes out of her system, pretending as if she fished it out of a box.


    "Here", she said, tossing it to the short man.


    The man instinctively reached out to catch it, only realizing what it was a few moments later. His hands shook as he looked down at the carton of cigarettes.


    Even his eyes began to water, "Wow, I can''t thank you enough for this! I will cherish these!", he said wiping the wetness from his eyes.


    After saying their goodbyes Rayne and Julian got back into her SUV to head back.


    "Have you ever tried storing animals in your system? Do you think it would work with the chicks?", asked Julian curiously.


    Rayne shook her head, "No, I''ve never tried storing a living thing before". A part of her was scared to try. It would be too heaven-defying if it worked. If she could store a living human and multiply them? Would they be the same person? Would they have a different soul?


    There were too many questions, so she never bothered trying it. She looked over at the baby chicks, "Well maybe I can try it with them?", she asked, unconvinced.


    "Only if you want to. I don''t want you to do anything you''re not comfortable with", he smiled. He agreed with her hesitation as it would be a morally grey area.


    Rayne reached to the back and scooped up a small, fluffy yellow chick. Holding it in her hands she used a finger to gently pet it a few times.


    As she was petting it, she was thinking about whether or not she wanted to try storing it.


    "Ugh, fine. It''s only a chick, at least I''ll know", she finally said, tired from the mental back and forth.


    She closed her eyes and cupped the chick in her hand, giving the mental command to store.


    Moments turned into minutes and nothing happened. There was no dull headache and no warm sensation in her navel.


    After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked into her hands. The fluffy yellow chick was chirping like it had been, totally unaffected.


    "Well, it seems I cannot. At least not right now? Maybe there''s a different technique? But from what I can tell, nothing happened", she said, filling Julian in on the details of the experiment.


    A part of her was relieved that she could not do this, while another part wished she could for the convenience of it.


    Doing something like repopulating endangered species would''ve also been pretty cool, but it seems she was not that ''gifted''.


    Julian listened to her then reached out to hold her hand, "Well, at least you know now. No harm in knowing more about your ability".


    "True, I am glad that I know now", she said, placing the chick back in the tray with the rest, "I hope these guys can tolerate the long trip".


    "We can stop and let them out every few hours if you''re worried", suggested Julian.


    Rayne smiled and nodded. They had a long drive ahead and she was worried the chicks would get sick from the long ride.


    "We got the chicks much faster than anticipated. I thought that finding them would take us at least a few days", said Julian. While he was happy they ended up finding them, a part of him wished that it would take them longer.


    Now that they had to hurry back to the base to get them situated, he would have less alone time with Rayne.


    Rayne picked up on his sulking and giggled, "How about I spend the whole day with you tomorrow?".


    Her words instantly changed his mood. He sat up straight in his chair and sped up. "It''s a promise, you can''t go back on your word!", he said, smiling brightly.


    "Haha! You look like a puppy who''s wagging its tail happily!", said Rayne, resisting the urge to pet him.


    The trip back to the base was even faster than the trip to the farms. Julian was motivated to get back as quickly as possible so that he could spend the rest of the night cuddling with Rayne.


    They only took a few breaks to let the chicks out and swap drivers so they were able to make the trip within a day.


    When they arrived it was already dark out and most of the people were in their homes relaxing before bed.


    Rayne climbed into the back seat of the car and began stocking up the vehicle with the various requested items from the slip. She purposely left a few of them out to make the trip feel more realistic.


    If they managed to always bring a car full of supplies, meeting everyone''s requests every time they went out, it would seem a little too good to be true. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So for this trip, she cut out all of the food-related requests since the warehouses were still stocked.


    Julian went to find Noah so that the person responsible for the chickens could come to situate the chicks.


    Rayne made sure to add a number of bags of chicken feed, making it seem like they acquired it with the chicks.


    A few minutes later, Julian, Noah, Brandon, and another man from Brandon''s team walked over to the car to help unload it.


    The man who was going to be in charge of the chickens quickly reached out to grab the tray. "Oh wow, you even have 3 roosters! This is perfect! They all look healthy too!"


    Rayne was impressed that he could tell which chicks were male and which were female! To her, they all looked the same!


    "Well it''s a good thing I had the carpenters work on building the coop today, looks like you two had a very successful haul", said Noah approvingly.


    Rayne looked at Noah, "Oh, come over tomorrow when you have some free time. There''s something I need to give you".

 Chapter 222 - 222: Pearls

    The next morning Rayne woke up to Julian''s arm around her.


    "Let''s just stay in bed today", he said, yawning.


    "Sure, sure", giggled Rayne, "Just let me pick out the necklace I promised Noah so that he could gift it to Ella"


    Julian grumbled and shifted to lay closer to Rayne.


    Rayne took this chance to open up her system panel to look through all of the jewelry options she had.


    Thankfully she managed to accumulate a lot from her many trips to the mall, most of which were all high-quality, luxury pieces.


    She paused when she saw a white bracelet made from large white pearls. She first saw it in the display case when she walked past the store, and couldn''t take her eyes off of it.


    She''d never seen such large natural pearls as the ones this bracelet had. She took it out of her system and played with the bracelet in her hand.


    In order to acquire this bracelet she practically begged the attendant to try it on. And even after finally getting the bracelet in her hand, she had to find a moment where the attendant looked away for a second to store it.


    Rayne laughed out loud thinking about the ridiculous situation she had to create just to give her a few seconds to store the bracelet.


    "Hmmm, what''s so funny?", asked Julian in a very sleepy voice.


    Rayne told him the story, getting to the point of how she diverted the attendant''s attention. "So the attendant was staring at my wrist like a hawk. She clearly didn''t trust me, haha. So I put on my best-entitled girl attitude and demanded that she bring me all the jewelry that matched this bracelet"


    Julian let out a low laugh, finding it hard to picture Rayne acting like an entitled snob.


    "But the best part is that it worked! As soon as my sass came out she quickly became so much more respectful towards me!", said Rayne, shaking her head.


    "So you managed to store the bracelet while she went around the store looking for matching pieces?", asked Julian.


    Rayne nodded, "Not only that, but she kindly delivered each item one by one so that I could store them as well! I must have gotten at least a million dollars worth of jewelry that day. I did feel bad so I ended up buying a ring I liked"


    She took out the other matching pearl jewelry from her system to show him.


    Julian laughed and patted Rayne, "Looks like I need to report you for theft. So many items".


    They both laughed together while cuddling harmoniously in the bed.


    "So which item are you going to give Noah?", asked Julian curiously.


    "I was thinking of a necklace initially, but I feel like this pearl bracelet would also be very appropriate. What do you think?", she asked, unsure of which option would be best.


    "Hmm, I think either the necklace or both", he said after a momentary pause.


    Rayne looked down in her hands, inspecting both pieces of jewelry. The bracelet felt opulent with the large string of pearls, while the necklace felt dainty. It was a small gold chain with a pearl pendant that matched the ones on the bracelet.


    "I think you''re right. If it was before the apocalypse I would say the bracelet for sure, but now, the more subtle necklace seems more fitting. I will give him both, he can gift them on two different occasions if he wants", she finally decided after a bit of brainstorming.


    She took out a new copy of the bracelet and necklace along with a jewelry box she had from a different set and arranged the pearl jewelry inside.


    The black box with black velvet made the white pearls pop even more, making them seem even brighter than they were.


    "Perfect!", Rayne said, smiling at the final result.


    Julian watched her eyes sparkle at the jewelry and his mind quickly jumped to the last purchase he had made before he ''died''.


    It was one of the only things he had managed to keep hidden from her this entire time. At first, he didn''t try to purposely hide it, but after they got closer he knew that she would be the one receiving the ring.


    Ever since then, he took extra care, ensuring that he kept it safe and well hidden.


    Rayne, who was oblivious to Julian''s internal thoughts, was busy smiling at the pearl jewelry.


    "Ella loves pearls the most. Whenever we went out in the past, she would always ask to stop to look at any pearl-related objects or jewelry", explained Rayne.


    Just as she finished recounting another story from her adventures with Ella, they heard a knock on their door.


    Julian rolled over in the bed, "I''ll answer it", he said while letting out a deep yawn.


    Rayne also got out of bed and put on a robe to follow Julian to the door. She had a small suspicion that it was Noah who had knocked.


    Julian opened the door to find Noah standing outside.


    "Hey, boss. I hope I didn''t disturb you guys", he greeted.


    "You did", grumbled Julian, rubbing his eyes. He could''ve stayed in bed with Rayne cuddling but thanks to Noah''s interruption, they were both up.


    "Don''t listen to him Noah, I was expecting you", said Rayne from behind. She was holding the black jewelry box in her hands, "Here this is what I wanted to give you".


    Noah opened the box and saw the beautiful pearl necklace and bracelet inside.


    "Wow, I can''t believe you found such a pristine and beautiful set. I can tell just by looking at them that this is a real set", said Noah.


    Rayne smiled, "Yes, we luckily encountered a large villa that was still intact in the countryside. The owners had a good amount of jewelry and this was among their collection. Pearls are Ella''s favorite".


    Noah looked up at Rayne with a soft smile, "Thank you for this. And thank you for letting me know about the pearls, I did not know that".


    After taking the black box he quickly excused himself before the grouchy Julian kicked him out.


    Julian placed his arm around Rayne, "Let''s go back to bed, we can still sleep for a few more hours", he said looking up at the dark sky.


    Rayne giggled, "Okay, I did promise to spend the entire day with you today".


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 Chapter 223 - 223: The Special Date

    When Noah left Rayne and Julian''s place he quickly made it back to his room.


    He took another look at the box, feeling very pleased with the items that Rayne picked out for him.


    "I hope you like it, Ella. I can''t wait to see you", he whispered, gliding his hands over the box.


    Today was a special day for him and Ella. Her parents were kicking her out of their house so that they could get some ''quality alone time'', which in return allowed him to spend a good portion of the day with Ella.


    They had planned to meet up by the lake and take a walk through the surrounding forest area for a picnic today and he couldn''t wait.


    "Why are you awake so early? The sun isn''t even up yet", said Ian, groggily. He heard movement in the kitchen and went to check on what it was.


    "Oh, my bad. I didn''t realize it was still so early in the morning. Oh, I''ll be out for a bit today", said Noah, looking at his brother with a guilty expression.


    Ian sent him a knowing look and rolled his eyes. "Love birds these days", he mumbled and went back to his room.


    Noah rested for a little while longer before standing up to get ready for his special outing. He picked out a pair of denim shorts and a clean T-shirt that he just picked out of the warehouse yesterday.


    He even sprayed a bit of his leftover cologne for today''s occasion, wanting to make sure he was at his best appearance.


    Meanwhile, at the Soto''s house, Ella had long been awake.


    She snuck out early in the morning to take a long shower then went over to one of the working generators. She plugged in her precious curling iron and spent the morning doing her hair properly.


    Her heart pounded as she thought of her upcoming date with Noah. She looked at her reflection in the small mirror she found inside the warehouse, noticing her flushed cheeks.


    She shyly looked away, her eyes landing on the mobile home where Noah lived with his brother.


    "Only a few hours left before I can see you", she whispered. She double-checked her hair in the mirror and packed up to go back home to change.


    She picked out a cute off-the-shoulder floral print summer dress for today''s occasion, wanting to look as cute as possible.


    It finally turned noon and Reginald finally kicked Ella out of the house.


    "Okay, go out and don''t come back until evening. I want to have a special date with your mother", said Reginald, waving her out of the door.


    Ella hopped out of the house cheerfully, "Okay, have fun! I''ll see you guys after dinner", and turned to leave.


    When the door finally closed, Reginald took a deep breath.


    "What''s wrong sunshine?", his wife''s voice sounded from behind him.


    Reginald turned around and faced his wife, "Our baby is all grown up. You should''ve seen how dolled up she was when she left".


    His wife reached over and gently patted his arm, "Yes, well she is at that age. At least it''s Noah, he seems like a very responsible man. I like him".


    Reginald pulled his wife closer, "Yeah, he''s a capable man. I just wish he manned up and formally asked my daughter to date him".


    "Haha, sweetheart, as if you weren''t the same way back then. Hiding it from our parents! Do you remember the excitement?", she laughed, remembering their youth.


    Reginald looked at his dainty wife, "Of course, I remember those days. How about we go and keep that excitement alive?". He placed his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground.


    Outside Ella made her way over to the lake. They agreed to meet by the forest edge near the lake.


    Ella spotted Noah from a distance. He was holding a picnic basket and a folded blanket, smiling at her.


    She took a look around, making sure no one was watching her before lifting the skirt of her dress and running towards him.


    "Hi, I hope I didn''t make you wait long", she said, smiling at him.


    Noah snapped out of his trance. When he saw her running towards him in her beautiful dress he felt like the world around them stopped.


    His heart raced, "You''re so beautiful", he said quietly.


    "Thank you", she blushed, "Shall we get going before someone spots us?"


    Noah nodded, "Yes, let''s go. I found a nice spot a little further in, beautiful wildflowers are blooming there now". He took her hand and led her into the forest.


    They walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the view of the plants and critters in the surrounding area.


    "Wow, it''s beautiful here! I always thought places like these only existed in movies!", exclaimed Ella. There was a very small circular clearing that was filled with small wildflowers.


    Noah smiled seeing her happy expression, "I''m glad you like it. We can stay here as long as you''d like. I''m free all day".


    He placed the basket on the ground and laid out the blanket on the grass. "For you, my lady", he smiled, motioning for her to get on the blanket.


    "Why thank you, good sir", said Ella, playing along.


    They both sat on the blanket and looked around, pointing out the occasional butterfly.


    "So did you like my gift last time?", said Ella, flirtatiously.


    She hadn''t really had a chance to speak with him since the incident where they met at the shower RV.


    Noah placed his hand around her and pulled her closer to him, "Oh, you have no idea. They kept me up all night that night", he grinned.


    Ella blushed, feeling excited.


    "Speaking of gifts, I have something for you", he said in a low voice.


    "A gift? For me?", Ella perked up, looking at him with bright eyes.


    Noah reached into the basket, pulling out the black box that Rayne handed to him earlier. "Here, it''s for you. I hope you like it".


    Ella accepted the box, opening it excitedly. She gasped seeing the beautiful pearl necklace and bracelet resting on top of the black velvet cushion inside.


    "Noah...this...this is so beautiful. I''m absolutely speechless! How did you find this?", she asked, running her fingers across the pearls.


    He smiled seeing her glowing expression, "I heard that pearls were your favorite. I wanted to gift you something nice". S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her eyes watered, "I love it. Thank you so much". She leaned over and hugged him.


    Noah accepted the hug, "Here, let me put the necklace on for you". Her dress today was beautiful, and somehow perfectly fit the daintiness of the gold chain and pearl pendant.


    Ella pulled back and turned around, letting him place the necklace around her.


    She felt his fingers tickle the nape of her neck as he clasped the two ends of the chain together, sending sparks down her body.


    "There, all done", he said softly.


    Ella looked down at the pearl that sat just above her cleavage, "Thank you, it''s so beautiful".


    "Not as beautiful as you", said Noah, leaning in for a kiss.

 Chapter 224 - 224: A Magical Date

    The kiss was deep and passionate.


    It sent shivers down Ella''s spine as she gasped for air.


    Noah pinned her down on the blanket, kneeling over on top of her. He looked down at her, noticing her beautiful hair spread across the blanket and the misty look in her eyes.


    "You''re so damn beautiful", he said before diving in for another kiss.


    Ella wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down against her body.


    "Noah, I want you", she moaned as they pulled away to catch their breath. Her body felt like it was engulfed in fire, as her desire spread throughout.


    Her hands moved quickly pulling his shirt off, exposing his defined upper body.


    Seeing him on top of her only made her want more. They had only been able to meet up with each other briefly, minutes at a time, until now.


    Noah bent over to kiss her again, this time his hands exploring the area underneath the skirt of her dress.


    Just as he pulled away from the kiss, his hands pulled her panties down her legs. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ella''s heart raced from his fingers'' close proximity to her lower regions. While they''ve made out before and she''s even gone down on him, this would be the first time he got so close to her.


    "Noah", she breathed. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at him with an almost pleading desire.


    He bent over, pulling her panties off completely and spreading her legs open.


    "Fuck Ella. You''re so hot", he said, feeling his cock get hard.


    He lifted the skirt of her dress over her knees, exposing the lower half of her naked body. The curves of her hips alone had his eyes deepen with an innate desire.


    He reached over with his hand, running his fingers along her inner thighs from side to side, gliding along her clit in the process.


    His actions sent blots of an electric sensation through the rest of her body, making Ella feel like she could cum from these movements alone.


    Her moans filled the area around them.


    Noah watched her closely, seeing her obvious reactions to his movements.


    "Good girl, do you like that?", he asked with a dark smile.


    "Mmmm mhm", Ella breathed out, closing her eyes to explore the sensation that was spreading through her body.


    Noah finally placed his thumb over her clit, gently circling around it. He watched as her body twitched from his movements. Her hips circled and her back arched with every rotation he made with his thumb.


    The rest of his fingers felt the wetness that was practically pouring out of her. He wanted to place his fingers inside but decided against it.


    "The first... and the only thing that will be put inside of here is me", he said as he slid his finger over her entrance, "you are my woman, Ella".


    His words made her shudder, releasing a deep moan.


    "Noah, please...I need..you", she whispered.


    Her pleading words caused his already stiff member to begin to throb, begging to feel the warmth inside of her.


    He finally stood up to remove the rest of his clothing.


    "Ella, I love you", he said. He bent back down, positioning himself on top of her.


    He leaned over to kiss her, and just as his lips touched her mouth, he pushed his hard cock inside of her.


    "Aaaah!", moaned Ella. The sensation of him entering her was something Ella had never before experienced.


    She felt like her mind was going blank as the rest of her body tingled with pleasure.


    Noah was also experiencing a similar sensation. He felt her wrap around the entire length of this cock, sucking him in.


    "You''re so...tight", he moaned, trying to keep himself from cumming so soon.


    He gradually sped up his movements after ensuring that Ella was comfortable with the new pace.


    They spent the entire afternoon wrapped in each other''s embrace, taking only short breaks in between.


    After a while, Ella took the initiative, pushing Noah to the ground and climbing on top. She circled her hips as she rode on top of him.


    "Fuck, Ella...you''re...going to make me cum", breathed Noah. Their current position allowed him to reach deeper inside, sending intense pleasure throughout his body.


    In the heat of the moment, Ella smiled. "Please, fill me up with your cum", she moaned, wanting to feel even more of him inside of her.


    Her pleading nearly sent the remaining shred of rationality out of his body. He grabbed her with his hands, flipping her over.


    "Baby, you know I want to..more than anything in the world. But I can''t risk getting you pregnant right now", he whispered.


    Lifting her legs up, he began to thrust deeply inside of her.


    "Oh fuck, Noah! I''m about to cum", she cried out.


    Noah also felt that he was close, and continued to thrust at an even faster.


    A few moments later he felt her insides clamp down around him, pulsing as she tilted her head all the way back.


    "Aahh!", she moaned, releasing her climax.


    Just as she finished her climax he felt his come through. He quickly pulled out, making it just in time before he shot his load around the entrance of her pussy.


    He used a small, clean hand towel to help her clean up before he laid down beside her.


    "You''re truly something else. You''re the only one who''s ever made me so uncontrollably horny", he said, looking over at her.


    Her hair was messy and her lips were red from all of their kissing. To him, she looked absolutely divine.


    Ella lay on the blanket, feeling like a blob of pudding. Her head was still in the clouds from the intense orgasm she had just experienced.


    She reached over to hold his hand, wanting to get closer.


    Noah understood what she wanted and scooped her up in his arms to reposition her so that she was lying against him, between his legs.


    They both quietly enjoyed the soft breeze while Noah told her a few stories from his childhood.


    The rest of the day was filled with laughter and love. Ella was in a state of pure bliss from the magical time they had spent together, wishing that the day would last forever.


    Her fingers reached up to touch the pearl pendant that was hanging around her neck and smiled.


    "Noah, I love you".

 Chapter 225 - 225: Harvest Day

    A few months later...


    Rayne woke up early. Today would be the base''s first harvest and it was a big occasion for everyone.


    All of the farmers were already up and working, even before the sun rose, getting everything ready for the harvest today.


    Rayne got ready and skipped to the farmland to help with all of the action.


    Many of the others woke up early as well, trying to be part of the action.


    Rayne looked at the fields and saw the beautiful and lush vegetables. There was lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, potatoes, onions, carrots, and many other beautiful vegetables.


    The farmers were setting up crates and baskets near each of the plots where they would be harvesting today.


    "Are these strawberries?!", exclaimed Rayne happily. She knew that there were plenty of vegetables that were planted, but she didn''t know they even had strawberries!


    One of the designated farmers walked over and washed a ripe strawberry in a bucket of water, handing it over to Rayne.


    "Yes! We managed to plant a few strawberry plants this time. We''re hoping to expand the farm to accommodate more berries to make jams and preserves in the future".


    Rayne accepted the big ripe strawberry, happily placing it in her mouth. Her eyes squinted from joy as the sweetness from the strawberry filled her mouth.


    "Wow, it''s the most delicious strawberry I''ve ever had!", she exclaimed after she finished eating it.


    The farmer smiled, "Thank you. They''re my pride and joy. I come from a family of farmers, and strawberries were always the plants I cared for the most. When the disasters happened, the first thing I packed was these seeds"


    Rayne''s eyes widened, "You mean these strawberries are from the seeds you brought?".


    She initially thought that all of the seeds they used for planting the fields were the ones that she provided from the warehouse.


    However, knowing that their settlement had such passionate people who were willing to plant their treasured seeds warmed her heart.


    The farmer smiled and nodded, "I''m just happy that I could continue this legacy. These seeds are a special and unique breed. Now they won''t be lost forever".


    Rayne looked at the thriving plants and thought about the other settlements she''d been to. While she left many seeds behind when she left Fred''s ranch, they were mostly staple vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.


    Even the chicken farm settlement seemed like they had a few fields. "It would be nice if we could set up some sort of trade route between our settlements", she mumbled to herself as she continued to walk around the fields.


    Trade had always been vital to growth by providing new goods that places didn''t have before.


    If she could set up a small trade caravan that went from place to place, she would be able to upkeep relations with the other settlements. It would provide the resources necessary for these settlements to grow and accept new refugees.


    About an hour later the entire settlement was up and congregating around the fields. Everyone was tasked with a small section of the field, harvesting all of the ripe vegetables from that area.


    Rayne joined in, harvesting various peppers from her section. They were all plump and juicy, shining brightly under the green leaves of the plant.


    "Our farmers are very skilled", she said to Julian who was harvesting cucumbers in the adjacent area.


    "They are indeed, I''m surprised at how much we were able to grow on this moderate size field", he smiled, throwing a cucumber at her.


    Rayne caught the cucumber and placed it in her basket, shaking her head at him.


    Just today''s harvest would fill the remaining empty shelves inside the food warehouse and refrigerators.


    Ella walked over with a full box of red tomatoes, "Rayne, at this rate we will need to throw a salad party or something! There''s more lettuce that I know what to do with"


    "Wait, that''s actually a great idea! I''ll find Mila and see if we can make something happen for this evening", clapped Rayne.


    They haven''t had a party in a few weeks, and today was definitely an occasion worth celebrating.


    Rayne quickly finished plucking the rest of the peppers and went to place the full basket at the edge of the field where the others were and set off to find Mila.


    Mila was in the outdoor kitchen gazebo, cleaning all of the surfaces for today''s use.


    "Hey Mila, what do you think of having a salad party today in celebration of today''s harvest? We have so many different vegetables and it would be great to eat them fresh!", asked Rayne cheerfully.


    Mila looked up from the table, "Well, that''s a wonderful idea! Let''s do that! I''ll get some loaves of bread baked as a side"


    "Perfect, let''s grill some chicken too!", suggested Rayne, thinking of eating her favorite chicken Caesar salad.


    Now that they had a steady supply of chickens, eating chicken meat and eggs was no longer reserved for special occasions.


    Just as Rayne was about to make her way over to the food warehouse to prep the chicken, she ran into Laura.


    "Oh hello Rayne! How''s the harvest today? I begged David to walk me over so that I could take a look", greeted Laura.


    Her belly was very round, and she was estimated to give birth any day now. David was carefully holding her by the arm, ensuring her safety as she wobbled over.


    "Honey, the farm is a long walk away, are you sure you want to go? How about I bring a chair over and you can sit in the shade", said David. His eyebrows were scrunched together as he spoke, giving away his nervousness.


    Laura waved her hand, "All I''ve been doing these days was sit. I want to be part of today''s fun!", she exclaimed, adamant about wanting to walk over.


    "Okay, okay. Let''s just take it slow", he said, conceding to his wife''s desires.


    Rayne smiled looking at the couple. Much like the rest of the settlement, Rayne couldn''t wait to meet the baby.


    Anna said that the pregnancy was going very well, and there shouldn''t be any problems. It was only after hearing her assessment that David finally managed to relax a little bit.


    He spent most of his time catering to Laura or putting together all of the necessary furniture for the baby.


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    Rayne continued to the food warehouse and brought back a few frozen chicken breasts from the freezer. She quickly threw a few more chicken breasts into the freezer to replenish the stock and walked back to the kitchen area.


    Ella came over a few minutes later, wearing her new necklace cheerfully.


    "How may I be of assistance?", she asked, walking into the kitchen area.


    Mila ordered the two girls around to fetch and wash the freshly harvested vegetables and began to prep for their cookout party.


    A few hours later, everyone in the fields finished up and made their way over to enjoy the fruits of their labor.


    Rayne and Ella just finished grilling the chicken when everyone came over to eat.


    The ingredients were all prepared individually, creating something similar to a massive salad bar. People could choose exactly what they wanted in their salads, while others simply took a bit of everything.


    It was a very bright and festive atmosphere where even the pickiest eaters were saying that these were the best-tasting vegetables they had ever had.

 Chapter 226 - 226: The Scent of Coffee

    After the party, Rayne found Julian, Noah, and Ian all talking by the warehouses.


    "Hey, what are you guys talking about?", she asked, joining them.


    Julian placed his arm around her, welcoming her to the group. "We were discussing how successful our harvest was today. I don''t think any of us were expecting it to be this good".


    Rayne smiled, "We''re lucky that we have such experienced farmers among us. I spoke to someone earlier who managed to bring their own special strawberry seeds"


    "Oh wow, that''s impressive. We really do have some passionate people here, we are very lucky", said Noah.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up. "I have an idea that I would like to pitch", she said suddenly.


    The three men looked over at her. "What sort of idea?", asked Julian curiously.


    "I got this idea earlier this morning when I was helping with the harvest. What if we set up a small trade caravan between the other settlements? Julian and I have already encountered two settlements that have their own strengths and weaknesses"


    Julian looked at her, surprised at the suggestion.


    "I think that''s a great idea", said Noah. Although he''s never been to any of these different settlements, he heard from Jonah a good bit about Fred''s ranch in the north.


    Julian thought about it quietly then agreed, "This really is a great idea. We could support each other and trade various resources to strengthen ourselves".


    Rayne nodded, this was exactly the train of thought she had earlier.


    "We would need at least one or two members of Alpha Team present to keep the caravan safe from outside dangers during the trip", Ian finally chimed in, giving his indirect approval.


    "Great! I''ll start making plans. Julian, let''s see if we can go find another RV from our usual spot to use as the caravan", said Rayne excitedly!


    "You guys and your amazing ability to find pristine condition RV''s", said Noah, shaking his head. He wasn''t sure how they were able to keep finding all of these good thing, but was happy they did.


    "Haha, well we certainly have been lucky!", laughed Julian. He was glad that no one seriously questioned them, demanding to know where they found all of the things they had.


    "Then while you two solve the issue with the method of transportation, I will go around to see if anyone would be interested in joining the trade caravan", said Noah, making a mental note.


    -


    Rayne and Julian went back to their house to discuss the setup of the trade caravan further.


    "What other smart ideas are you keeping from me?", smiled Julian.


    "Oh please, the thought just entered my mind this morning! But I truly hope that it works out. I would like to maintain relations with at least Fred''s ranch", she said.


    Julian pulled her into his arms as soon as they entered the house.


    "Sooo...Tell me, where is our ''usual spot''?", he whispered, placing a kiss on her neck.


    Rayne''s body heated up and her cheeks flushed pink, "Wherever you want it to be", she said in a barely audible voice.


    "I really like the beach, let''s go there again", he said, nibbling on her ear.


    -


    That evening Rayne set off with Julian to ''find another RV''. They drove off back to the beach they had visited before on Rayne''s SUV. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    The weather was a lot warmer than it was the last time they went and Rayne hoped that the water would be warm enough to swim in.


    "Is there anything else that we need to bring back for this Caravan? What sort of items are you thinking of trading?", asked Julian.


    "From my observations earlier, it seems that Fred''s settlement could use fresh produce and clothing items, while the chicken farm was in big need of everything outside of food", said Rayne, recalling what she witnessed at both places.


    Julian nodded, "I agree, let''s also bring back some of these items so that we don''t have to use our stock from the warehouses"


    "Okay!", smiled Rayne.


    -


    A few hours later they made it back to the familiar beach.


    Rayne quickly took out the RV with the hot tub, per Julian''s request, and got ready for bed. It was well into the night by the time they arrived and they were both tired.


    Julian walked into the bedroom and looked at Rayne. She was wearing one of his large grey t-shirts with an old band logo. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and her long legs were peaking out from under the blankets.


    "Now this is a sight I would love to see every day", he said, diving into bed with her.


    -


    The next morning they both woke up to the sun beaming through the slits of the curtains on the windows.


    "Wow, we sure slept in today", yawned Rayne.


    Before Julian had a chance to open his mouth, his stomach let out a long and loud growl.


    Rayne burst out in laughter, "Let''s treat ourselves to something good today! It''s been a while since we''ve had a full pancake breakfast!"


    Julian smiled and scooped Rayne off the bed, carrying her over to the kitchen area.


    "I don''t know if I''ve ever been so excited for breakfast before. I''ll make us some coffee", he said and quickly went to retrieve the small coffee maker from the cabinet.


    Rayne giggled, "I have any kind of coffee you could ever want in my system, silly goose!"


    "Yeah, but we need the scent of breakfast when we eat it. Trust me, it will make it that much more enjoyable!", he said looking at her.


    "Okay, I trust you", she giggled and began setting the table.


    She pulled out two plates full of fragrant pancakes covered in fresh-cut fruit and whipped cream. The scent of the pancakes with the freshly ground coffee filled the room.


    "You''re right. The scent of the coffee is almost more enjoyable than the coffee itself", she said smiling with her eyes closed. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian walked over and placed a large mug of black coffee in front of her, "Enjoy".


    They both ate their food with relish, enjoying the whole breakfast experience very much.


    "Let''s start grinding coffee at home from now on. It''s just such an uplifting scent", said Rayne, thinking about how many bags of coffee beans she should bring back to the base with them.

 Chapter 227 - 227: Emergency?

    "After spending a blissful day at the beach¡ªswimming and tanning¡ªRayne and Julian decided to start making plans to head back home."


    Rayne rested her head against her hand while scrolling through her system panel.


    "How big do you think the RV should be? Not too big right?", she asked Julian.


    "Yeah, I think something smaller and more compact would be less eye-catching and easier to drive. But also big enough to support the people traveling and storage for the goods", replied Julian.


    Rayne flipped between a few options. The first one was a very box-like shape. The thing she liked most about it was its 2 bedroom design. Instead of having one large bedroom with a single large bed, it had two smaller rooms with two twin beds each.


    The other option she was considering was a slightly larger RV that was fully equipped with solar panels and a lot of storage space. The downside was that it only had one very large bedroom.


    "If you can''t decide, why don''t you take them both out and look inside? It might give you a better picture", suggested Julian, seeing the struggle in her eyes.


    "Great idea!", her eyes sparkled and she gave him a grateful look.


    She stepped outside and took out a copy of both RV''s. Almost immediately she crossed off the box-looking RV.


    It looked like a futuristic van, with silver glass-like panels covering all sides.


    "Pfft! HAHA", laughed Julian as soon as he saw it, "I can''t believe something like this even existed. Where did you get this?!"


    Rayne looked away, "Well...I may have gone to one or two car shows....after hours"


    Julian nearly rolled over laughing. "Oh my goodness! Haha! This just keeps getting even better!".


    His hearty laughter caused Rayne to smile. She shook her head looking at him, "Come on, let''s check out this other one".


    She stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised at how spacious everything felt. The walkway space was very wide, wider than the hot tub RV they were currently staying in, even though it was smaller overall.


    "Oh I like this", said Julian as he stepped inside.


    He walked to the bedroom in the back and nodded, "I think this one will work perfectly. There are so many storage areas, it''s perfect for what we''re looking for".


    Rayne looked around, "You''re right. I''ll just swap out this huge beg for smaller ones. That way three people could easily sleep in here."


    Having settled on the RV, Rayne and Julian packed everything back up and hopped back into the SUV to head back to base.


    As they approached the mountain, Julian pulled over to a remote spot along the highway so that Rayne could hop out and prepare the RV.


    She took it out of her system and replaced the beds and a few other pieces of furniture with ones that made more sense for the caravan.


    She also took this chance to fill the interior with bags of various coffee beans, hygiene supplies, clothing, and a few other things.


    In the undercarriage storage compartment, she placed multiple large containers of gasoline. Since the caravan will spend most of the time on the road, keeping the car fueled was very important.


    After she finished, she took a seat in the driver''s seat and followed Julian down to the familiar forest path.


    As they pulled into the settlement, Rayne expected to be swarmed with people as usual, but she only saw people frantically running around the place.


    She quickly parked the RV and ran out, trying to figure out what was going on.


    Julian met her outside, "Do you know what is happening? Why is everyone running around?"


    "No, but I''m about to ask. I hope it''s nothing serious", said Rayne, walking towards the houses where most of the people were gathered.


    Rayne noticed that the house where everyone was standing around was Anna''s and Judy''s place. Her heart raced from the anxiety. She picked up her pace to see what had happened.


    Spotting Ella in the crowd she ran over, "What''s happening? Did someone get hurt?".


    "Oh you''re finally back!", said Ella, grabbing Rayne''s arm, "Laura went into labor! She''s inside now."


    Rayne''s anxiety shifted to excitement, "What? Really?! Oh, how exciting!"


    "What''s exciting? Is everyone okay?", asked Julian. He had just arrived and was curious about the crowd. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Laura''s having her baby!", smiled Rayne. She looked excitedly at the door. Nurse Judy asked that everyone wait outside so they didn''t crowd the house.


    Julian let out a sigh of relief, "Oh good. I thought someone got seriously injured. Hopefully we''ll meet the new addition to our settlement here soon. It will be nice to have multiple kids running around", he said looking down at Rayne with a certain kind of look.


    -


    Noah walked over after he found Julian in the crowd. "I was just coming over to fill you in on the situation, but it seems that Ella beat me to it".


    Ella smiled, reaching up to touch the pearl pendant of her necklace.


    "Yes, iit''sgreat news. We also came back with good news", said Julian, motioning to the new RV parked among the other vehicles.


    Noah grinned, "Good news indeed. Your luck is as good as ever".


    "What can I say? I''m simply blessed", boasted Julian. He secretly pinched Rayne''s butt, causing her to blush.


    "Mhm. Mr. Blessed, I also have good news. I found some more than eager volunteers for the caravan. One of them even used to be a door-to-door salesman. He said that he longed to travel", reported Noah.


    Rayne clapped, "Oh that''s wonderful! Things are moving along smoothly! It''s only a matter of time before they can set off!"


    Just then, the sounds of a screaming baby came from inside the house.


    "Oh my goodness! The baby arrived!", Ella cried out, turning her attention to the door.


    Rayne''s eyes lit up, "Yes, and by the strong screams, it sounds healthy!"


    A few minutes later Nurse Judy opened the door with a big smile.


    "The baby is born! It''s a healthy, beautiful baby boy! Both mother and child are in good condition!", she announced to the gathered crowd, "Please give the mother a few days of peace before visiting. Thank you for your consideration"


    The crowd cheered! Everyone was happy with the wonderful news. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Mila stood at the front, wiping the tears from her eyes. She felt like it was only yesterday when she gave up her portion of the meal so that Laura could sustain the baby.


    Hearing the wonderful news that everything went well and that they were both healthy made her overflow with emotions.


    Brandon placed his arm around Mila, "There is hope for us after all. A new generation is born".

 Chapter 228 - 228: The Hunt Begins

    In the underground base, Dillon finally set off to fulfill his promise to Damien. The only clue he currently had was that Julian and his men cleared out the government base.


    "Get everyone loaded into their vehicles, we''re setting off to the government base", he ordered.


    Cal frowned, he didn''t want to go back to that cursed place but had little choice.


    "Yes, boss", he said and set off to complete the order.


    Dillon requested a small group of around twenty men to assist him in his search for Julian. They all loaded their various supplies and boarded the cars, making their way over to the government base.


    "When I finally find that bastard I will rip him apart with my own two hands!", said Dillon.


    He sat in the passenger seat, scowling out the window, biting his thumbnail.


    Cal quietly glanced over with his eyes from the driver''s seat. His body froze as he tried his best to minimize his presence.


    When they finally arrived at the government base, Dillon told them to park in front of the entrance.


    He and all of his men walked out, armed and ready to fight, but as they took a few steps into the base they realized it had been turned into a ghost town.


    "Go, bring any survivors here for questioning. If they resist, kill them", ordered Dillon before walking in himself.


    He noticed the lack of life right away. The streets were quiet and littered with rotting bodies.


    Bending over he picked up a heavy silver bullet.


    "Looks like you really were here", he said, looking around.


    Many of the windows were smashed and doors were left open.


    Dillon followed the trail of bodies toward the center of the base and finally noticed some movement from the distance.


    Walking over, he lifted his gun, approaching the swaying figures.


    "Gross, what the fuck are you?", he said, covering his mouth and nose.


    The stench coming from these...people...was atrocious, like a mix of rotten flesh and feces. They didn''t seem to notice him and simply stood there swaying like trees on a windy day.


    Dillon watched them for a few minutes before walking over, "Tell me what you saw. Where is Julian?"


    Cal, who was a few steps behind Dillon, wanted to run and hide. He was there when these people initially turned crazy and knew they couldn''t be trusted.


    He watched in horror as Dillon began to shout, catching their attention. Their eyes hungered for blood as they slowly made their way towards Dillon.


    "Boss, I don''t think they''re rational. They look like they want to eat you", Cal cried out, taking a few steps back.


    Dillon frowned, watching them closely as they approached. They had dried blood all over their body, including around their mouth.


    "I''m only going to ask you one more time! Tell me what you know!", shouted Dillon. But as they got closer he too took a few steps back.


    Lifting his pistol he aimed at the closest crazed person, "Stay back! Or I''ll shoot!".


    His hands trembled slightly as he continued to aim the gun. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    The crazed people continued to walk towards them at the same slow pace, completely ignoring Dillon''s words.


    They made no sounds and no attempts at communication, only walking with a deep hunger.


    Dillon finally realized that these people wouldn''t be of any use to them and quickly lifted his gun, shooting all of them one by one.


    "Useless", he muttered, resuming his typical demeanor.


    He continued to make his way around with Cal, even entering some of the unlocked units in search of anyone who could give them clues on where to find Julian.


    -


    "This floor is empty too!", Cal called out from the third floor.


    Dillon slammed his fist into the door in front of him, causing it to violently swing open. They''d been searching the base for hours and besides the bullets on the ground, there was no other sign of Julian.


    Just as he was going to enter the apartment in front of him the door to the neighboring until cracked open, revealing a very disheveled man.


    "Sir...Is there anything I can help you with?", the man asked in a barely audible tone.


    Dillon quickly went over, happy to have finally found someone who could speak.


    "Yes, tell me about what happened here. Why are there so many dead bodies? What happened to the guards?", Dillon quickly got to the point.


    The disheveled man trembled, "I''m sorry sir, but I don''t know. It all happened at night and it was completely silent. I just remember waking up and seeing everyone dead.."


    Dillon listened carefully, looking for any useful clues from the man''s retelling.


    "Completely silent...", said Dillon in deep thought. Ace had told him the same thing months ago when his men were killed in the city.


    "Is there anything else you know?", asked Dillon.


    The man shook his head, "But sir, do you think I could go back with you? I''m a hard worker...It''s been days since I''ve eaten"


    Dillon looked down at him then smiled evilly, "Sure. Come on out".


    The man quickly hopped out of his apartment, looking at Dillon as if he were a kind savior.


    Dillon took one step forward then turned around and shot the man.


    "As if I have use for some as useless as you are"


    Cal watched the scene with horror. While he never claimed to be a good person, even he felt that what Dillon did was too sadistic.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go. The sooner we find this bastard the sooner we can go back home", Dillon called out from the staircase.


    Cal felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw Dillon looking at him. He felt like his boss was becoming scarier by the moment.


    "Coming!", he shouted and ran over to the staircase.


    They made their way back towards the entrance of the base to meet up with the rest of the team.


    "Report", ordered Dillon.


    Three men stepped forward.


    "Sir! We found no one besides a pair of crazed cannibals. We killed them both. We found a body we believe to be Leader Mai dead in one of the office rooms of the main lobby. The body was in bad condition so we could not confirm", one of the men stated.


    Dillon rolled his eyes, "Fine. We didn''t find anything either", he finally said. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sir. It''s getting dark, are we going to stay here?", asked Cal. He felt very creeped out and didn''t want to spend another moment in this area.


    Dillon shook his head. "No, we''re going to the bunker. It once belonged to Julian, maybe he''ll get homesick one of these days and come back"

 Chapter 229 - 229: Last Minute Volunteers

    They made their way down the mountain and into the forest where Julian''s empty bunker was. By the time they arrived, it was already very dark out, and they needed to rely on their flashlights to make it through the dark forest. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s over there! I recognize that bush", Cal pointed with his flashlight.


    Dillon nodded then turned to his men, "Go, investigate. Check for traps or ambushes"


    Only after his men came back did he enter the bunker himself.


    "Okay, everyone gets comfortable. This is going to be our new home for a while. If you want to go home before our supplies run out, put every effort into finding Julian!", he said in a threatening tone.


    Cal, along with the rest of the men spent the entire night lugging supplies from their cars, through the forest and into the bunker.


    By the time they finished, the sun was already starting to peek out from the horizon.


    Cal looked at Dillon with envy and anger.


    How nice it must be to sleep peacefully while everything does everything for you.


    ----


    At the forest base, Laura finally made a short appearance, introducing her son, Carter, to the rest of the settlement.


    Rayne even managed to ''find'' a few balloons in the warehouse to make the event more festive.


    Carter was a healthy, chunky baby boy who closely resembled Laura. Nurse Judy spent most of her time by Laura''s side, helping the new mother adjust to her role.


    At the entrance of the base, people were currently gathered around the new RV that Rayne and Julian just recently brought back.


    There were three volunteers from Brandon''s crew and two members of Alpha Team assigned to the caravan.


    They were all busy getting themselves settled in, filling the shelves and cabinets with their personal items.


    "Liam, is there anything else you need? I placed a few more notebooks and pens in the drawer like you asked", said Rayne.


    Liam was the salesman that Noah said volunteered for this caravan. His experience landed him the leadership role, in charge of the caravan and the trade deals.


    "No, I think everything is set. Where are the other two who are supposed to come with us?", he asked looking around.


    Just then Nurse Judy came over. Her face was slightly flustered and she came over running.


    "Hi, I''m sorry but I have some bad news. The two people who were supposed to come on this trip recently ate some unwashed vegetables and now they are suffering from an upset stomach. They won''t be able to make it this time", she explained.


    Liam frowned, "We''re supposed to leave today. I don''t really want to delay. Are there any other volunteers?"


    Rayne looked around and saw that no one stepped forward.


    "I can go!", she finally said. She didn''t mind the travel, and it worked out that she already had an established relationship with these bases. It would benefit the caravan as a whole if she went.


    A few minutes later another voice rang out from the crowd, "I''ll go too!".


    Rayne turned around and saw a familiar figure. Ella made her way through the crowd and stood beside Rayne.


    "I''d like to go! I haven''t seen much of the world since we left the city. I''d like to see what it''s turned into", she said with a fire burning in her eyes.


    Rayne looked at her, slightly surprised. The Ella she always knew was a homebody or someone who enjoyed a comfortable life.


    Traveling wasn''t the most comfortable thing in the world so Rayne wasn''t sure if Ella would be able to handle it.


    "Are you sure? The roads are bumpy and long. It will take an entire day to make it up to Fred''s settlement from here", said Rayne, laying out the reality of the situation.


    Ella smiled and nodded, "Thank you, but I understand that it won''t be an easy trip. However, I want to see the world for myself, I can''t always stay locked up in the settlement"


    Rayne squeezed Ella''s hand happily, "Okay, then! I''m excited for you to join!".


    Liam nodded accepting the two girls as substitutes for the sick people. "Very well! I''ll give you two an hour to pack some additional personal items before we set off!"


    Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rayne and Ella nodded and went back to their houses to pack some clothes and other small daily items.


    When Rayne made it back home she greeted Julian who was reading on the couch.


    "Oh hey, welcome back! How are things going with the caravan? Did they set off yet?", asked Julian with a smile.


    He placed his book down and motioned for her to come over and sit beside him.


    Rayne walked over, landing in his embrace.


    "Well, there was a small hiccup. Two of the people who were originally part of the crew got sick so they had to find new people to fill the slots", said Rayne.


    "Oh, who did they find? I can''t imagine many people would volunteer on such short notice", he said looking up at her.


    Rayne smiled and pointed at herself. "Me! Well, me and Ella!"


    Julian sat up in his seat, "Wait you''re going?! What about me?"


    He looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes.


    Rayne giggled, smiling at him. "I will only be gone for a few days, and out of anyone, bringing me along made most sense. Plus with Ella coming it will be like a short girls'' trip"


    Julian pulled Rayne into his arms for a big hug, "But I''ll miss you", he said in a whisper.


    Rayne patted him on the back, "It''ll be okay. I''ll be back before you know it! And when I come back I''ll spend the whole day with you".


    Julian squeezed her, "Okay, okay. You girls have fun and be safe". He let her go and smiled. As much as he would miss her he felt that it was only normal for her to want to spend some time with Ella.


    Her absence would also give him time to plan a surprise for her.


    Rayne quickly stuffed a large duffle bag with random items before walking around and restocking the house to ensure that Julian lived comfortably while she was gone.


    Julian walked her out to the caravan RV and ran into Noah walking alongside Ella.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be fine! You worry too much", Rayne heard Ella pacifying Noah from a distance.


    Rayne smiled, "Looks like you''re not the only one who is reluctant to see us go", she laughed, squeezing Julian''s hand.


    Julian shook his head, "Of course. You both mean the world to us. We can''t help but worry when you''re not around", he leaned over and kissed her.


    "Be safe and have fun. Tell Fred and the others I said hello"


    Rayne nodded and walked over to the RV where Liam and the two members of Alpha Team were waiting.


    Ella came over a few minutes later after promising Noah she would be safe and not do anything dangerous.


    Julian walked over to Noah''s side and placed his arm around him. "What are we to do when they spring something so sudden on us? They will be okay. Plus, I made sure Ian sent two of our best from Alpha Team along this time"


    Noah frowned, "I''m surprised you''re taking this as well as you are. I thought you would be the first to tie her up in the house"


    "Haha! Well, I certainly thought about it. But they''re adults and Rayne is capable. We''ve faced our fair share of dangers and she handled herself well. I want to believe that everything will be okay", laughed Julian.


    Noah sighed, shaking his head. "Looks like I need to get a grip on myself. I never thought I''d turn into this paranoid kind of boyfriend"


    "Nah, it just shows that you care. Plus, the girls like it when you take care of them, just don''t restrict their freedom", Julian patted his friend.


    The boys waved goodbye as the RV pulled out of the parking area and drove down the small forest path.

 Chapter 230 - 230: Arriving at The Ranch

    The caravan set off towards Fred''s Ranch in the north.


    Inside, Liam was driving while Rayne and the others were sitting in the living space.


    "Ah, I''m so excited. It''s like a small camping trip", said Ella. She occasionally looked out the window, checking out the surrounding area.


    Rayne looked up from the book she was reading, "I hope you keep this same energy on the way home too", she teased.


    "Is it weird that I already miss Julian?", she asked. This would be the first time they were going to spend so much time apart and it felt a little strange.


    "Nah, girl. I miss Noah too, but I guess it''s different since we can''t spend ALL of our time together like you two can", said Ella. Her hand subconsciously moved to touch the pearl pendant of her necklace.


    Rayne giggled, "The guys are probably having an even harder time right now. I can already imagine it"


    They both laughed for a while discussing their love lives and the birth of Laura''s son.


    Thanks to Rayne''s experience the trip up north was relatively smooth.


    -


    "We should be approaching the town soon!", said Rayne.


    She could see the familiar cityscape in the distance, meaning that Fred''s Ranch should be nearby. Ella, who was currently driving, smiled at the news.


    "That''s great! I''m ready to hop out and stretch my legs!", she said and sped up down the main road.


    Rayne had a map laid out in front of her in the passenger seat, ready to give directions when needed.


    They made their way through the small town and towards the large pastures.


    "Okay, let''s park here temporarily and greet them before we pull in with the RV. I''ll go in with Liam, the rest of you stay here to protect the caravan", said Rayne.


    Ella nodded, agreeing to her arrangement.


    Liam walked down the long gravel driveway to the farmhouse, marveling at all of the cattle in the pastures.


    Before they made it to the farmhouse, Fred walked over to greet them.


    "Well, well! If it isn''t out lucky star! It''s so good to see you, Rayne!", he said, reaching his arm out for a handshake.


    "Hi, Fred! How are you? I''m glad to see the farm looks like it''s doing well!", said Rayne, looking at all of the cattle around.


    "Yes, we''ve been doing very well! Ever since the weather got better, our cows have nearly doubled in size. Everyone is doing well here for the most part", said Fred.


    He looked over at Liam, raising an eyebrow. "Julian sure looks different from what I remember".


    Rayne giggled, "This is Liam, he''s in charge of trading at our settlement. We''ve recently decided to try and build a small trade network between friendly settlements, and you guys were first on the list"


    Fred''s eyes widened, "Wow, that''s amazing! Yes, yes, please we would love to see what items you have!"


    Liam smiled and walked over to give Ella the signal to drive the RV over.


    Fred noticed their polite actions of waiting to be invited over and smiled, "Next time just pull in. We will recognize you. You''re always welcome here".


    "Thank you very much", smiled Liam. He excused himself to get all of the goods ready for trading while Rayne continued to talk with Fred.


    He brought her around the ranch, showing her the progress they''ve made.


    The surrounding land of the original farmhouse was fully dedicated to the cattle. Rayne saw many people in the pastures heading and washing the cows.


    "Do you do any gardening?", asked Rayne. She didn''t see any vegetable plots in the area and thought it was odd for them to ignore farming altogether.


    "Oh we do, it''s just located in the neighboring lands, around the second farmhouse", laughed Fred, pointing to a white house in the distance.


    "It''s not as much as we would like, but it''s just enough for us. Next year, we''ll need to expand the farms", explained Fred.


    The last stop of the tour was the chicken coop. Rayne looked inside and saw three old hens.


    "What happened? I remember you had a lot of chickens before!", she asked, puzzled.


    Fred gingerly picked up one of the hens to reveal an egg beneath, "We did have a good amount of chickens. The moment the weather started getting better we hatched a new batch of chicks--dozens of them. But we miscalculated and that night a fierce cold wind came by. By the time we came out to save the chicks, it was already too late" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne felt bad for them. "It''s okay, we found a small settlement not too long ago that''s basically a huge chicken farm. It''s where we traded for our chickens", she explained, trying to cheer him up.


    "What? Truly?!", he asked with a big smile. This was great news to him.


    Rayne nodded, "You can talk to Laim and work out a deal. I''m sure he''d be willing to transport some new hens over".


    Fred placed the hen back into the coop and dusted his hands, "Well, what are we waiting for? I''m going to speak to him right now!"


    They walked back to Liam, who had already begun placing items out on the fold-out tables in front of the RV. Ella and the others were helping by moving boxes of prepared goods out of the storage compartments.


    Rayne walked over to help them while Fred walked over to Liam to discuss the matter with the chickens.


    The workday was coming to a close so more and more people were making their way back to the farmhouse.


    Many curious faces walked over to see the large display of quality items in front of the caravan.


    Fred was also among these people, making mental notes on which items he needed the most. He noticed that many of his residents were eyes the products.


    "Listen up everyone! I will leave a piece of paper on the table after tonight''s dinner. Everyone will be able to write down the item they need the most. I will use this list when deciding on what to trade for tomorrow!", Fred announced.


    Everyone''s eyes lit up, happy that their opinions were being taken into consideration.

 Chapter 231 - 231: Trade

    The next morning, Fred came over with a list in his hand. Liam had already been waiting for him early in the morning, so they quickly got started.


    Rayne watched from the sidelines as Fred nearly chose everything, leaving only the everyday hygiene items and clothing.


    She had filled up an entire store the last time she visited so they must still have a lot in stock, just as she predicted.


    "This is exciting isn''t it?", said Ella. She walked over to stand beside Rayne to watch the back and forth between Liam and Frank.


    Rayne smiled seeing Liam in action, he was a seasoned professional and maintained the upper hand in the negotiations the entire time.


    "It seems we will never be at a loss if Liam is the one negotiating", she said quietly to Ella.


    Ella nodded, "It reminds me of the times I would watch my father''s business meetings, definitely an art"


    -


    The deal ended and Liam managed to secure a very large amount of beef and milk products. Both, the fridge and freezer inside of the RV were filled to the brim.


    Fred also left very happy, carrying large boxes of clothing, canned food, bedding, books, and gardening items.


    Everyone at the ranch had happy smiles, and some of the residents even asked what life was like at their settlement.


    Noah made sure to drill it into the caravan team not to disclose the location of the settlement to anyone, even if they''re the friendliest and sweetest people in the world. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It would only take one accidental spill to bring chaos to them, especially with Damien actively hunting for Julian now.


    So when people were asked, they would beat around the bush and talk about only everyday things like farming and construction projects, being careful not to give away any special details.


    Liam and Rayne decided to stay the entire day and only set off to the chicken farm settlement that night.


    "Let''s go see the cows, I heard there were a few young calves", said Ella, pulling Rayne over to the barn.


    All of the calves were clean and well taken care of. Rayne fell in love with their big, round eyes and couldn''t help but want to take one home.


    "Do you think we will be able to support cattle eventually?", asked Ella.


    "I sure hope so! We would need to clear out more area for a large pasture and build a barn. Most importantly, we would need to find a settler who has experience with raising cattle", said Rayne.


    Ella nodded while petting a chestnut brown calf. It stuck its tongue out and licked her hand.


    "Haha! That tickles!", she laughed.


    They spent the rest of the day with the cows until it was time for dinner.


    Fred threw a big celebratory dinner in honor of their first trade, grilling freshly ground hamburgers on the grill.


    "Thank you for coming here to trade. These items will help us continue to grow and accept the steady stream of refugees from the city", he announced.


    Rayne smiled and clapped along with everyone else. Today was a big day and hopefully, the start of many other trade caravans, helping each other survive this new world.


    After dinner, Rayne met up with Fred privately.


    "Thank you for hosting us. I hope we will both be able to grow and flourish over time. This is something Julian asked me to give you. Safety is very important, and you guys are located so close to City R that we were both worried about potential threats"


    She opened her backpack and took out a small black case, handing it over to Fred.


    He accepted the box and opened it curiously, revealing a small black pistol. His eyes widened as he looked up at Rayne.


    "This...Are you sure?", he lifted the pistol, feeling its heft in his hand, "This is a priceless object, I don''t know if I can afford such a valuable gift"


    "Take it. We have more where that came from, so no worries. We want your settlement to stay safe", she smiled.


    Fred placed the pistol back in the case and wiped the tears from his eyes, "Thank you. You have helped us out so much"


    "Let''s continue to work together to bring hope back to this world", said Rayne.


    She handed him a few boxes of ammo before he walked her back over to the caravan.


    "We hope to see you again soon!", he waved from the driveway.


    Liam and the others waved back as they drove down the long driveway, making their way over to their next destination: The chicken farm.


    -


    "Next time we should bring more books and forms of entertainment over to trade. They are an established base and have basic resources, so they will most likely be more interested in these other things", said Liam.


    He was writing down notes from his observations and sales in a small notebook.


    "Now all I need is to see how much the chickens are worth in terms of trade goods. Fred offered a very good deal for the chickens", said Liam.


    His face was glowing from the recent business transaction. Rayne hadn''t seen him look this alive since he arrived with Brandon''s group.


    "We are lucky to have someone as experienced and motivated as you leading our caravan", said Rayne.


    She watched him scribble in his notebook in a trance ever since they left.


    Liam scratched the side of his head with a small smile.


    "It''s the only thing I''m good at, so I''m just happy to have a purpose again. I can''t farm or construct things. So I haven''t been useful until now, so I''m happy".


    Rayne nodded, understanding the feeling. If she wasn''t helping from the shadows, she too would feel a little useless compared to the others on base.


    -


    The drive from Fred''s ranch to the chicken farm was shorter than the trip from their settlement to Fred''s ranch.


    It took them a little longer than half a day so they decided to pull over and sleep until morning since they were only a few hours away from the chicken farm.

 Chapter 232 - 232: Trade for Chickens

    They woke up the next morning and continued their journey to the chicken farm.


    Rayne volunteered to drive while Ella kept her company in the driver''s cabin, allowing Liam to begin making preparations to meet his next clients.


    A few hours later Rayne pulled up to the familiar barn.


    She and Liam walked over to the barn doors and knocked a few times.


    "Y''all better leave before I blow your heads off!", a man''s voice called out from behind the barn door.


    Rayne smiled, "Hey, it''s me, Rayne".


    After a brief pause, the door cracked open and the familiar man poked his head out.


    "Oh it really is you!", he lowered his shotgun.


    "Yes! I''m here to introduce our trade caravan to you. This is Liam, the one in charge of the caravan", she said, motioning over to Liam.


    "Hello, I''m Liam, nice to meet you"


    The man nodded, peeking at the RV behind them. "I''m Jimmy, nice to meet you", he turned to look back inside the barn, "Hun! We''ve got visitors", he yelled.


    Jimmy walked out of the barn to stand in front of Liam and Rayne.


    Rayne was happy to see that he looked a lot cleaner than the last time she saw him, attributing this positive change to the soap they traded.


    "I hope y''all have more cigarettes. I''m fiending", he said.


    Rayne laughed, shaking her head, "Didn''t you say you were going to ration the pack I gave you last time? That wasn''t that long ago".


    "Missy, I tried. But the moment I had the first one, the rest vanished like hotcakes" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne smiled and turned to look at Liam. She made sure to add a few packs of cigarettes to the trade goods before they left.


    Liam got the signal and nodded, "You''re in luck, we recently came across a few packs. They''re in pristine condition too"


    Jimmy''s eyes sparkled. He let out a hearty laugh and walked over to Liam''s side, patting him on the back.


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s get this party started!"


    Liam led Jimmy over to the side of the RV, where the others were busy setting up the fold-out tables with the good Liam listed. Among these goods, there were a few beef and milk products they received from Fred''s ranch.


    "Well, well! You guys sure brought a lot of interesting things today", said Jimmy.


    Rayne watched from the side until Jimmy''s wife and daughter came out.


    "Hello there cutie!", greeted Rayne, smiling at the cute girl. She was wearing a clean dress that Rayne traded last time, looking exceptionally cute.


    Jimmy''s wife and daughter smiled and walked over to Jimmy''s side, looking at all of the cool items that were laid out on the table.


    "Honey, come take a look. They''re here to trade, and they have a lot of neat things. You know what we need more than I do. I just need those cigarettes over there.", he pointed to the three cartons of cigarettes.


    "You take a look, I''ll call the other families over", he added, then left back into the barn.


    His wife walked over and spotted the beef products, "Wow, how did you get this? Is it fresh?"


    Liam walked over donning his professional smile, "Yes, these products are all fresh, we just acquired them from a different settlement not long ago".


    "Oh really? Where at?", she asked.


    Liam gently shook his head, "I apologize, but as part of the agreement with the other settlement, we promised not to disclose their location"


    She picked up a jar of milk, opening it to smell the freshness. "I understand. Please do the same for our settlement"


    "Of course, not a problem at all", said Liam.


    She began picking out items, asking Liam to set them aside for her. There were so many good items that she wanted but she was worried they didn''t have enough to trade for it all.


    Their chicken farm only had chicken products and various fruits and vegetables. Most of the other settlements would also have set up farms, making their produce worth a lot less.


    Liam quickly picked up on her worried expression and used this as a gateway to secure live chickens for Fred''s ranch.


    Jimmy came back just in time to hear Liam''s pitch about wanting to sell live chickens and chicken products to the other settlements.


    "Well, I think it''s a good idea. What do you think, honey?", said Jimmy, turning to look at his wife.


    She turned her head to look at the other families standing behind them, if they could increase their production, they could have a steady source of much-needed resources.


    "Yes, I think we should accept this offer. It''s mutually beneficial", she said.


    -


    The trade concluded with over half of the beef and dairy products being traded to the chicken farm. Along with those items, the big sellers were clothing items.


    Jimmy and the others cleaned out the entire stock of clothing that the caravan had, even placing an order for future clothing and shoes.


    In return, Liam received a big batch of hens, roosters, chicks, and eggs.


    One of the women from the other families traded a good amount of homemade pickle products in exchange for common medicine and additional hygiene supplies.


    Liam tasted the pickles and felt that they would sell really well since they were delicious, accepting them all.


    Jimmy danced around with his freshly acquired cartons of cigarettes while his wife shook her head looking at him.


    "Thank you so much for stopping by our little settlement! You''re welcome anytime!", cheered Jimmy.


    He was on cloud nine from the new goods. "Today I am eating a steak and smoking a cigarette! What a life!"


    Rayne giggled. Seeing him so happy made her happy too.


    "Alright, let''s pack up and head home", said Liam. He was excited to get back and report on this successful journey, bringing back many new and useful goods.


    Rayne helped everyone pack the remaining goods and tables away. She had a really fun trip but was missing Julian.


    They were scheduled to arrive back home tomorrow and she couldn''t wait to tell him all about her adventures.


    Ella was also missing home. She found herself continuously playing with the pearl pendant whenever she had a free moment.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be back tomorrow and you love birds can get all lovey-dovey", teased Rayne.


    "You''re one to talk! You''ve been staring off into space half the day", said Ella, rolling her eyes.

 Chapter 233 - 233: Lucky Star

    The caravan finally set off from the chicken farm. Their route would take them around the city, past the government base, and back home.


    Rayne sat on the small sofa beside Ella and looked out the window.


    "You''re sleeping first, right? I''ll trade with you later", said Ella.


    Rayne nodded while yawning, "Yes, please"


    Liam and Ella were in charge of driving while the rest of the team slept. They all decided to split into two shifts so that they would make it home faster.


    The streets were quiet and the drive was peaceful. Liam was driving and Ella was navigating. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, so the government base should be coming up shortly and then it''s the home stretch!", said Ella. She had the map laid out in front of her with the route marked in pink highlighter.


    As they approached the road leading to the government base, Ella noticed a person leaning against the guard rail on the side of the road.


    "Look, someone is there. Should we stop?", she asked.


    Liam stayed quiet, thinking about whether they should stop or ignore the person. He slowed down as they got closer.


    "Oh, he looks injured", Ella frowned.


    It looked like he had a cut on his arm and was trying to tie his wound with a ripped shirt.


    Liam finally made the decision to pull over and offer assistance. He scanned the perimeter but didn''t see anyone else, feeling slightly better.


    Ella hopped out as soon as the RV stopped.


    "Hi, are you injured? Do you need help?", she said walking over to the man.


    He looked up at her with a surprised look, "Please don''t hurt me! I''m innocent".


    "It''s okay, you''re safe", said Ella.


    She took a few steps forward, trying not to startle the man.


    Liam also stepped out of the RV and quietly approached. He tried to asses the injury on the man''s arm but something didn''t look right.


    The wound didn''t seem to be all that bad, and he was starting to doubt if it even existed.


    "Ella! Get back!", yelled Liam.


    Ella turned to look at him, confused as to what was going on. The moment she turned her back, the ''injured'' man jumped up and grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth.


    Her eyes widened as she did her best to scream, trying to wake up the rest of the people in the RV.


    She watched in horror as unfamiliar men walked out of the RV, dragging Rayne and the others.


    -


    Rayne was startled awake by someone violently grabbing her. But before she had a chance to fight back she found herself restrained by a pair of arms, stronger than iron.


    Her body shook as she realized that these were Damien''s men.


    "Don''t worry beauty, my boss will be here soon. He likes the pretty ones", the man said with a sadistic laugh.


    The two members of Alpha Team were in a similar predicament, trying to break free from an inhumanly strong grasp. They regretted their decision to sleep at the same time, leaving the caravan vulnerable.


    They were all dragged out and gagged, waiting for the leader to arrive. The other men were quickly looting the inside of the RV, trying to stuff as much of their pockets as they could while they had the chance.


    Dillon walked out of the forest with an annoyed frown.


    "I swear if you called me over here to deal with random losers I won''t let you hear the end of it", he said.


    Cal trembled slightly, praying that there were some clues to Julian''s whereabouts in this ambush. They had been watching this road for days and nothing worth anything came of it.


    He knew that Dillon''s patience was wearing thin.


    Dillon walked over to the side of the RV, closely inspecting the faces of the captured caravan.


    He took a few steps forward, halting in front of Rayne.


    His eyes widened and a frightening smile bloomed on his face.


    "I finally found you"


    Rayne tried to fight the grip, sending Dillon an evil look as she thrashed around.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I''ve been searching for you this entire time", he said.


    His face twisted into a blissful smile that sent a shiver down her spine. Everything told her that he was even more dangerous than the last time she saw him.


    He walked over and ran his hands down her face, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.


    "Ah, the gods do have eyes! I''ve looked everywhere for you!", he laughed.


    Rayne tried to pull away from him, disgusted by his touch.


    She screamed but the cloth that was shoved into her mouth muffled the sounds.


    Dillon''s eyes sparkled as he reached over to pull the cloth out.


    "You''re right. How can I kiss you with this in the way?"


    "Get the fuck away from me", she roared as soon as the cloth was pulled out of her mouth.


    Dillon chuckled, "You''ve gotten even feistier! But I like it that way"


    He walked over looking at her as if she was the last drop of water in the middle of the desert.


    Rayne was just about to spit on him when a fierce strike knocked her unconscious.


    "Good, carry her back to the bunker", ordered Dillon, following closely behind.


    Ella tried her best to pull free. Tears were pouring down her face as she watched Rayne being taken away.


    "Sir, what do we do with the rest?", asked Cal.


    Dillon thought about the time when Layla mentioned that Rayne was Julian''s woman. A small smile appeared on his face.


    "Loot the caravan then let them go. Knock them out first", he said.


    Cal looked at Dillon, confused. He didn''t know why they were only capturing one of them, but since this is what Dillon wanted, that''s what he would do.


    Ella and the rest of the caravan team were knocked out and placed back inside the RV, with their hands and legs tied up.


    Meanwhile, the rest of Cal''s team unloaded boxes of supplies, one after another.


    While his men were busy carrying the supplies over to the base, Dillon sat beside the unconscious Rayne, gliding his fingers through her hair. Excitement was bubbling inside of him as he looked at her.


    "You really are my lucky star"

 Chapter 234 - 234: Captured

    When Ella woke up hours later she noticed that she was tied up inside the RV with the others.


    "Hey wake up!", she yelled while wiggling her body.


    Liam and the others slowly woke up, sitting up abruptly to see where they were.


    The inside of the RV was torn up and only the live chickens were left.


    Liam looked over at her, "Are you okay? Where is Rayne?!"


    Ella''s eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head. "We need to get back to base as soon as possible. I need to tell Julian!"


    The two members of Alpha Team managed to cut the rope that bound them all together, freeing them.


    Without further delay, one of the Alpha Team members got out of the RV.


    "I''ll hide in the forest. Hurry back and bring backup!"


    The other Alpha Team member nodded and got into the driver''s seat, speeding off towards the forest base.


    -


    When they finally arrived a few hours later, Julian and Noah were patiently waiting outside. Neither of them said anything but they couldn''t stop themselves from fidgeting with the small items in their hands.


    Noah let out a sigh, "I don''t know if I could bring myself to let her leave for this long again. I feel like I''m losing my mind"


    Julian smiled but in his mind, he was thinking the same thing. "Look at what''s gotten into us. Even Ian can''t recognize us anymore"


    They continued to sit outside for a while longer before the RV came speeding in, almost crashing into the other parked cars.


    "Whoa! Are they drunk or something?", Noah stood up abruptly, walking over to the RV.


    Julian frowned, his gut told him that something was wrong.


    As soon as the RV was parked, Ella ran out crying. She ran past Noah and landed on the ground in front of Julian.


    "They took her! I''m so sorry! We were all knocked out", she sobbed.


    Julian''s face turned cold.


    "Who took her? Where?"


    He looked up to see Liam and one of the members of Alpha Team running over.


    "Boss, we need reinforcements. We were attacked. My partner is on standby at the location now", he said, catching his breath.


    Noah helped Ella off the ground, trying to comfort her as she continued to sob.


    Julian felt his entire body turn cold.


    "Hurry and gather everyone who''s free. You have 5 minutes to get armed and ready"


    He turned to run back inside of his house to arm himself with the weapons that Rayne left for him and ran back to the parking area, hopping into the closest Jeep.


    I''m coming, Rayne. Please be okay!


    Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the old cold and ruthless side of him surfaced.


    Exactly five minutes later the remaining members of Alpha Team (outside of logistics) piled into the remaining Jeeps and drove off to where the caravan was attacked.


    Noah stayed behind to maintain order inside the settlement, comforting Ella in the process.


    "Don''t worry. Julian will bring her back"


    -


    Inside the bunker.


    When Rayne finally woke up she found herself in a dark concrete room. She was lying on a mattress and her arms and legs were shackled in chains.


    She shivered and looked down to see that her clothes were missing and that she only had her bra and underwear on.


    "Ugh, where am I? Why are my clothes missing?", she groaned.


    Her head was exploding and the spot where she was struck was very sore. She tried lifting her hand to rub the back of her head but realized that the chains around her wrists were very heavy, making it difficult to lift her arms.


    She opened her system panel to see what kind of tools she had to break herself free but at that moment the door swung open.


    "Ah, you''re finally awake. Don''t worry, I stayed by your side while you slept", said Dillon.


    He walked over to sit on the stool beside her, his eyes trailing down her body.


    "I hope you don''t mind. I couldn''t help myself and took the liberty of taking your clothes off. Don''t worry, I didn''t do anything indecent. If I can''t hear you moan I can''t get hard"


    Rayne''s gaze darkened.


    "You perverted freak! I regret letting you off when you broke into my apartment. I should have killed you there!", she yelled.


    "Oh sunshine, save that energy for later. Listen, the man I work for is very capable. You and I can live like royalty in this new world", he said.


    Rayne noticed how his eyes glazed over. His words piqued her interest, and she wanted to know more about Damien.


    Dillon knelt down and placed a hand on her thigh, drawing circles on it with his finger as he looked at her.


    "Listen. I''m pretty high up the ranks. If I ask for something, I will get it. And as my woman, I''ll make sure you live like a queen"


    Rayne''s stomach turned, disgusted by his touch.


    So you''re goody goody with Damian? Tell me more!


    She sucked in her disgust, "I like this area though. I don''t want to move far away".


    Her tone was still cold but she didn''t flail around anymore.


    Dillon smiled, perceiving her change of attitude as interest.


    "Oh don''t worry. The underground base is actually in the same city we used to live in! You''ll feel right at home"


    Rayne''s eyes flashed with surprise.


    They''ve been under our noses this whole time?


    "Well, what about your other girls? I''m sure you have a whole group of them!", she said, trying to keep him talking.


    Dillon laughed, "Haha, so you were jealous this whole time! I promise that once we get back, I will chase everyone away. It will be just you and I"


    He licked his lips at the thought of their alone time together. He looked at her nearly fully exposed figure, admiring it.


    His mind was racing with all of the different ways he wanted to take her, causing him to get hard. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you sure we would be safe? If your leader is as mighty as you say he is. Then why haven''t I seen or heard anything about him?", asked Rayne.


    She could see the lust in his eyes and the tent in his pants. She was hoping that in this moment of heightened emotion, he would let his guard down to spill more information.


    "I assure you", he said leaning in to whisper in her ear, "He''s very strong. There''s only one person keeping him from leashing out his full might and that''s Julian Barclay"

 Chapter 235 - 235: Captured 2

    "I assure you", he said leaning in to whisper in her ear, "He''s very strong. There''s only one person keeping him from leashing out his full might and that''s Julian Barclay"


    Rayne''s eyes widened. Julian had told her before about Damien''s strength, but she didn''t realize that Julian was acting as a barrier, preventing Damien from coming out at full force.


    Dillon pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "That''s why I''m going to capture him when he inevitably comes to save you. I''ll let him watch as I make your body squirm from pleasure".


    All the color from Rayne''s face drained. Her mind was spinning, trying to figure out how he knew about her relationship with Julian.


    -


    Dillon felt her tremble slightly and smiled.


    "Don''t worry my love. I''ll be sure to erase every place he''s ever touched you. You won''t remember he ever existed when I''m done.


    He was too excited to see the dark and loathing expression on Rayne''s face. All he could think about was finally having a taste of her after all of this time.


    His hands traveled around her body before he couldn''t take it any longer.


    "I''ll have to break my promise to Julian. I can''t hold it in anymore, I need to take you here and now"


    He pulled his shirt off, exposing his broad chest. While the chains added to his excitement, they would prevent him from going all out, flipping her seductive body into multiple positions.


    He reached down into his pant pocket and pulled out a small key.


    "As soon as I set you free I''ll make you feel good. Be good for me, okay?"


    Rayne stared at him coldly, waiting for him to free her hands. This was the moment she had been waiting for ever since she woke up.


    -


    Out in the forest perimeter, Julian and the members of team Alpha met up with the scout who stayed behind.


    "Sir, I believe they''ve taken over the bunker. I followed them as far as I could and the trail led straight there"


    Julian gave him a cold look and ran into the forest. He would be sure to punish these two members accordingly. If at least one of them had been awake at that time, Rayne would not have gotten captured.


    The rest of Alpha team followed with their guns out, ready to fire at Julian''s signal.


    Once they reached the entrance of the bunker, Ian walked forward with his team, taking out all of the surrounding guards.


    -


    Inside, Dillon was licking his lips as he slowly straddled over Rayne, ready to begin his feast.


    "Don''t be scared. I''ll try to be gentle", he said. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne was quietly looking through her system, debating on what the most satisfying way of killing him would be.


    She felt his disgusting hands touch her waist, cutting through her decision-making.


    Just as she felt his hands try to pull off her panties a sleek silver gun materialized in her hands.


    Dillon was so excited that he didn''t even realize what had happened until he felt the cold metal press against his forehead.


    Startled, he pushed back, "Whoa, what? Where did you find that gun?"


    He stripped her himself to ensure that she had no hidden weapons on her. Now she was holding a loaded gun to his forehead.


    "Please don''t shoot me. I love you Rayne, I''ve been looking for you for a long time", he pleaded.


    Rayne slowly sat up as he backed away, continuing to point the gun as she looked at him coldly.


    "You''ve disappointed me again and again. Last time I let you off for old time''s sake, but now you have no chances left"


    Dillon slowly kept walking backward until his back pressed against the concrete wall. His hands trembled slightly as he watched Rayne expressionlessly walk towards him with the silver gun pointed at him.


    "Please, let me go. I''ll tell you anything"


    "Where is the base? You said in the city, where exactly?", she asked.


    Dillon trembled. The gun was once again pressing against his head and he had no way to defend himself.


    "I...I...It''s a parking garage...In the middle of the city!", he stammered.


    Rayne looked at him once more.


    "Pathetic"


    She pulled the trigger, sending the silent bullet through his head.


    After she confirmed that he was dead she walked over to the chair and sat down.


    Her head was still pounding, making it difficult for her to concentrate.


    She lifted one hand to feel the large bump on the back of her head while the other hand was scrolling through the system panel for a fresh set of clothes.


    Although it was summer out, the room she was in was dark and cold.


    She pulled out a shirt and jeans, quickly getting dressed before she made her way out of the room.


    Before she walked out she took one last look at Dillon and decided that it was worth searching his body for anything that could be useful.


    He made a point to boast about being ''high ranking'' and felt that a key or keycard could come in handy.


    Frowning, she reached down to search his body.


    "Bingo"


    She lifted a small silver and something that resembled an ID card.


    Just as she stood up the door swung open. She quickly turned around and pointed her gun.


    "Thank God, you''re safe"


    Julian walked over, ignoring the pointed gun. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly.


    "Are you hurt anywhere? Did he do...anything?", he asked.


    His voice was laced with deep concern and his eyes watered. The whole way here he only had one wish: for her to be okay.


    Rayne dropped her gun and placed her arms around him.


    "I''m okay. Nothing happened. I only have a headache and a small bump on the back of my head"


    Her words soothed his nerves like a magic medicine.


    "Look, I even found this key and card. He confirmed that Damien''s base is in the city--a parking garage in the center"


    Julian pulled away and closely inspected her before looking at the two items she held out for him.


    "Come, let''s talk back at home. I want Anna to take a look at your wound"

 Chapter 236 - 236: Back Safe

    Julian held Rayne''s hand, walking her out of the bunker they once called home.


    "Here get on"


    Julian bent over and waited for Rayne to climb up on his back.


    "Julian, I can walk. There''s no need for you to carry me", giggled Rayne.


    "Just let me do this, please", he said.


    He looked back at her with a pleading look, asking her to let him do this with his eyes.


    Rayne giggled and hopped on his back, fulfilling his wishes.


    "If you get tired, place me down!", she said.


    Julian smiled and hummed in response. As they continued to walk, Rayne saw the dead bodies of Dillon''s men littered across the ground.


    "You guys took them out quick, I didn''t even hear any commotion", said Rayne.


    Ian walked over from one of the rooms and scoffed, "You guys? This was all Julian. He stormed inside like he had a death wish, taking out all of these guys on his own. We only took out a few stragglers outside".


    Rayne looked down at Julian, "Be careful in the future!", then leaned into his ear, "Thank you."


    -


    When Rayne and the others finally made it back to the settlement they were greeted by a very restless group of people.


    Word had spread about the Caravan being taken over and Rayne getting captured. No one was able to focus due to the worry they had.


    "Oh look! They''re back!", Mila sprang up from the fold-out chair she was sitting in. Brandon and a few others heard her words and stood up to look.


    Noah walked out of his house, ready to greet Julian and hopefully Rayne.


    They all waited in anticipation as the group of jeeps parked in the parking area.


    Julian walked over to the passenger side door, opening it for Rayne.


    "Thank you", she smiled and hopped out.


    Ella ran over and hugged her, crying violently into her shoulder.


    "Rayne, you''re back! I''m so sorry! If only I didn''t suggest stopping on the side of the road this would have never happened"


    Rayne smiled, and patted Ella on the head, "It''s okay, you could have never known. I would have done the same in your position. See? I''m okay."


    Ella only let go of Rayne when Noah came over and pulled her away, "Come, let her through. She must be very tired."


    "Oh, okay", said Ella. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve.


    Julian took Rayne by the hand and walked her over to Anna and Judy''s house so that they could examine her for any injuries.


    "Anna, please check her out. She has a few bruises on her arms and legs. Also, there''s a large bump on the back of her head", said Julian, pulling Rayne over.


    Rayne looked down on her arms and legs. She didn''t even notice that she was bruised in these spots.


    Anna quickly led Rayne to the medical room for her to get undressed.


    About thirty minutes later Rayne walked out with a few bandages wrapped around her head.


    "You can rest easy, all of the wounds are superficial and will heal naturally over time. I didn''t find anything that was of any concern".


    Anna assured Julian to ease his mind. While inside the room Rayne asked Anna to give Julian a full report because she knew he wouldn''t be able to relax otherwise.


    Julian finally visibly relaxed and thanked Anna for checking her out.


    They walked back home, greeting the others on the way over. With Rayne back at the base, everyone''s spirits were uplifted.


    -


    The next morning Rayne woke up feeling a lot better. She took a few painkillers to help with her headache before bed so that she could fall asleep.


    Today she woke up feeling good. Only the bump on her head was still a little sore, and she planned to take some time to ice it today.


    "Morning babe", Julian said, rolling over in the bed.


    "Morning!", she smiled.


    Julian felt like today was the best day. After not seeing her for a few days straight, then finding out she was captured he went through a rollercoaster of emotions.


    Now that he finally woke up with her beside him, he felt a lot more at peace.


    "I think we should hold a meeting with Ian and the others. I want to share the details of what Dillon told me before I forget them".


    Julian nodded, "Yes, we can do that. Thank you, Rayne."


    -


    They slowly got out of bed and Rayne took out an enormous breakfast. The table had everything from pancakes to soup to omelets. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian marveled at the table and at her appetite, "Are you going to be able to finish all of this?"


    "No, but you are!", she laughed.


    He laughed but couldn''t refute her words. He''s never been one to leave food on his plate, especially if it was something she made.


    -


    After breakfast Julian went out to call Ian, Noah, and the essential members of Alpha team, while Rayne sat on the couch, icing the bump on her head.


    "Hey, I''m glad you came back okay", said Noah.


    He was one of the first ones to arrive and noticed Rayne sitting on the couch.


    "Oh hi! Thank you, I''m glad everyone was okay. How''s Ella? She seems to feel very guilty", asked Rayne.


    Noah sighed, "Yes, she''s been crying nonstop. She''s finally asleep now, so hopefully when she wakes up and sees that you''re back and safe she will feel a little better".


    "I''ll visit her later", said Rayne.


    She didn''t want her friend to feel upset or guilty. If the roles were reversed, Rayne knew that Ella would also not put any blame on her in this situation.


    After Noah took a seat, the rest of the team walked in behind Julian. They all took their seats around the living room and looked over at Julian to begin the meeting.


    Julian gave everyone an introductory speech about the purpose of today''s meeting, then motioned for Rayne to tell everyone about what she heard from Dillon.


    Rayne explained what Dillon told her, and that he specifically mentioned that the entrance to Damien''s underground bunker was somewhere in the center of the city, via a parking garage.


    The room fell into silence as everyone tried to picture where this parking garage could be. The city was very large, and held many parking garages, so the possibilities were endless.


    "This is a very good start. With this information we can start at the very heart of the city and send scouts to monitor and mark every parking garage, working their way outwards", said Ian.


    Julian nodded, "Yes, this was the idea I had in mind. Even if this takes us some time, this will be the surefire way of finding Damien."


    "What if it was all a lie? What if the base isn''t in the City?", asked Noah.


    He seemed like it was impossible for Damien''s base to be in the city. They''ve been searching for years and couldn''t find so much as a clue.


    "No, it has to be true", said Rayne. "I heard that it was in the city from two different leaders. Not to mention, I just know Dillon didn''t lie to me. I know that sounds a little unreliable, but trust me on this".


    Julian looked over at her, and nodded, wholeheartedly believing in her words.


    "We''ll follow Ian''s plan. We will uproot that whole City if we have to", he said.

 Chapter 237 - 237: Secret No More

    A few days later Liam set off on another caravan trip. This time they traveled armed and the Alpha Team members were forbidden from sleeping at the same time. They would only do opposite shifts to ensure there were no more issues.


    Although the caravan was looted, Julian and Alpha Team were able to take back most of the stolen goods, minimizing the losses.


    -


    Noah left Rayne and Julian''s house and went over to see if Ella had woken up.


    He walked up to the front door of the house where the Soto''s were living, gently knocking on it.


    Ella''s mother answered the door, smiling at him.


    "Oh Noah, come on in. Are you here to see Reginald?", she asked.


    Noah looked around, for a moment before clearing his throat.


    "I''m here to see Ella..."


    "Oh! I''ll go see if she''s awake. Come, take a seat inside", she said, motioning him to come inside.


    "Thank you", said Noah and walked inside.


    Inside he saw Reginald sitting on a wooden chair, reading a book.


    "Ah, Noah. Come on over, what brings you here today?", he asked, closing his book.


    Noah looked down and fidgeted with his hands.


    "I''m here to see Ella."


    Reginald lifted his eyebrow, "Oh? So you''re here for my daughter."


    Noah nodded silently, looking up to meet Reginald''s stern expression. He opened his mouth to say something else but the words were stuck in his throat.


    "I...um---"


    "Oh, Noah. You were looking for me?"


    Noah turned his head to see Ella enter the room, following her mother. Her eyes were red and puffy but she had a small smile on her lips.


    He quickly stood up to face her, glad to see that she was doing okay.


    "Ella! I um...I"


    Noah glanced around the room, looking at everyone''s expectant gazes. He took a deep breath and looked straight at Ella.


    "Ella, I really like you. Would you be my girlfriend?"


    The room fell silent. Ella''s face heated up, making her cheeks rosy.


    Noah stood straight, his eyes glued to Ella as he waited for her response. He had long wanted to do this, but Reginald''s usually stoic demeanor caused him to hesitate.


    Ella glanced at her father''s and mother''s expressions before taking a step forward towards Noah.


    "I really like you too. Yes!"


    As Noah took a moment to let the happiness sink in, Reginald started clapping from his chair.


    "It''s about time you two came out in the open. I was starting to wonder if you would ever begin to openly date."


    Ella''s eyes widened, "Dad! Wha...what do you mean?"


    Her mother walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.


    "Did you really think we didn''t notice? We may be old, but we''re not totally oblivious to what''s been happening", she smiled.


    Noah walked over and hugged Ella. He felt like he was floating. While their secret meet-ups this whole time have been very hot, having a relationship where they didn''t need to hide was something he really longed for.


    Reginald cleared his throat, "Listen. I know you''re both adults, but I want to establish some ground rules. I don''t need to hear about any kind of pregnancy before talks of marriage, understood?"


    Ella''s face turned crimson, "Dad!"


    "Understood!", said Noah. He straightened his back and faced Reginald, giving him a respectful nod.


    Reginald returned the nod with his own, "Good. Now you two lovebirds get out of here and give me some alone time with my beautiful wife!"


    Ella''s face was still crimson when Noah pulled her out of the house after saying goodbye to her parents.


    After they left, Reginald looked over at his wife.


    "My baby girl. I won''t lie, even the best man in the world still doesn''t deserve her".


    His wife walked over and smiled. She sat down on his lap, placing her arms around him.


    "I remember my dad saying a similar thing after you proposed to me."


    Reginald looked into her eyes, "And he was right. I don''t deserve you."


    -


    Outside Noah led Ella to the lake, holding her hand.


    Many of the settlers outside looked at them with surprise.


    "Oh, is that Noah and Ella? When did they get together?"


    Brandon looked up from the box he was sorting, noticing the pair running while holding hands.


    Mila glanced over with a slight smile.


    "It''s about time. They''ve been together for a while now"


    "What? Really? How do you know?", asked Brandon. He looked at his wife with an astonished expression.


    "I ran into them in the warehouse a few times. You don''t need to be a rocket scientist to read the tension in the room", she laughed.


    Brandon scratched the side of his head, trying to remember what the atmosphere was like when he ran into them not too long ago.


    "Hmm, they said they were both there looking for a new shirt. I didn''t think anything of it"


    Mila looked at her gullible and trusting husband, shaking her head. She wished she could open his head to see what was going on inside.


    -


    When Noah finally made it over to the lake he was taking deep breaths, trying to catch his breath.


    Ella was also bent over, inhaling deeply, but with a big smile on her face.


    They both looked at each other and burst out into laughter.


    "Guess what?", asked Noah.


    "What? S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re my girlfriend."


    He smiled brightly, showing his white teeth.


    Ella smiled, her face flushing pink as she nodded.


    "Yes, I am. And I''m really happy to be."


    Noah placed his arms around her, bringing her into his embrace. His heart was racing from the happiness he was feeling. Ella was in his arms, in front of the entire settlement. He no longer had to hide his love for her.


    "So what would you like to do?", asked Noah.


    He placed a kiss on her cheek and looked down into her eyes. They were red and puffy, but they sparkled like the stars.


    "All I want to do is be beside you", she answered.


    They spent the rest of the day walking around, chatting happily about their dreams, their desires, and their future together.

 Chapter 238 - 238: Rising Temperatures

    A few days later Liam''s caravan came back from Fred''s Ranch, concluding another successful trade.


    "How did things go? Was Fred happy to see the chickens?", asked Rayne.


    Liam smiled and nodded.


    "Not only was he happy, but the whole settlement even threw a party in celebration!"


    Rayne laughed, feeling like that was exactly the type of response Fred and the Ranch would have.


    Liam looked up at the sky and wiped away a few beads of sweat from his forehead.


    "It seems like it''s gotten even hotter recently."


    Rayne looked up, "You''re right. It does feel that way."


    She turned to look at what the others were moving out of the RV and into the warehouse, smiling. There were many jars of milk, butter, and cream as well as steaks and ground beef and beef bones.


    Their warehouses were still very well stocked so there were no issues with continuing the trade route.


    -


    From the corner of her eye, Rayne saw Ella running towards her.


    "Rayne! Bad news!"


    Rayne walked over to meet her, curious about what was going on.


    Ella took a few deep breaths and looked up at Rayne with a slightly panicked expression.


    "The new seedlings, they''re all wilting. The farmers keep saying that the sun is too strong and that they''ll burn up if something isn''t done."


    Rayne''s brow furrowed. These crops were the hope of the settlement, they needed to figure out a way to save them.


    She looked up at the sky, feeling the blazing sun beaming down on her face. This sun was much more intense than she had ever felt before.


    Looks like we need to prepare for yet another disaster.


    "I''ll go find Julian and head over to the fields to discuss any potential solutions with the farmers. Thank you for letting me know."


    Ella nodded and went back to the fields to offer help to the farmers.


    -


    Rayne walked over to her house to find Julian. On the way there she observed her surroundings. The green grass had already begun to wither in the less shady areas, turning yellow and brittle.


    "Looks like the signs were already here. They were just so gradual we didn''t notice right away", she said.


    "What did we not notice?", asked Julian.


    He was sitting on the couch when Rayne walked in mumbling to herself.


    "Oh! You''re here. I was just looking for you. Ella just came to me because the farmers are worried about the crops. The sun''s gotten so intense that the recently planted seedlings are all wilting".


    Julian stood up, placing his book down on the coffee table.


    "Hmm, the temperatures have indeed been hotter recently. Let''s go take a look and see how we can help."


    They walked out together, heading towards the fields. On their way over Julian paused when they passed the lake, looking at it with a big frown.


    "The water level has gone down significantly. If this continues at this rate we will be in big trouble. This lake is the main source of water in our settlement, and without it, we won''t survive."


    His words caused Rayne to feel a bit of panic. She didn''t realize that the water level had gone down so much.


    She followed him over to the fields where a group of farmers were huddled around a small seedling.


    "This isn''t good. Even if we continue to water the plants at double the required amount they will still die", one of them said.


    "Maybe we can think of a way to cover them during the most intense daylight hours? From like noon to 3 pm?", another farmer suggested.


    Rayne walked over and listened in on their brainstorming.


    "What type of materials would you need to build this cover?", asked Rayne.


    She discretely scrolled through her system panel, looking at the different types of coves and tarps she had collected. All of these sheets were made from different materials for different purposes.


    One of the farmers tapped his foot while thinking, "Well, ideally something that would filter the UV rays. That way the plants can still benefit from the sun, but the intense UV rays won''t damage them."


    She nodded, listening to the requirements.


    "I will take a look in the warehouse to see if we have anything that fits that requirement. If not I think we could go find it."


    -


    Rayne walked over to the warehouse with Julian, pretending like they were looking for tarps and covers.


    "Do you have something that will work?", he asked.


    Rayne scrolled through her system panel, taking out a few different rolls of transparent and semi-transparent material. Most of them resembled clear plastic, but she knew that they were all a little different.


    "Here is what I think might work, but I''m not sure what each of them does. Some of these don''t have labels so I''m not exactly certain".


    Julian looked through the options, feeling each one with his fingers.


    "This will work. If anything we can just use the opaque tarps to completely block out the sun. Since it''s only for a few hours a day, it should work fine."


    Rayne nodded, eyeing the few greenhouse kits she had in her system. A part of her wished that she had made a few copies of them before everyone moved in. Farming was a big part of their settlement''s lifestyle so a greenhouse could have potentially prevented this issue altogether.


    "Next time we go on a loot run, remind me to bring back a greenhouse kit. We can assemble one or two around the lake."


    "Okay, I''ll do my best to remind you. Let me go call the farmers over to see if any of these covers will work!"


    He ran off back to the fields as Rayne quietly made her way over to the food warehouse. She was beginning to be concerned about the water supply.


    She checked the shelves and the bottled water was already half gone. There was still a decent amount of water left in the large vats, but she wasn''t sure how long that would last.


    She walked over to one of the freezers and opened it to find most of the ice already used up. There were a few recently filled ice cube trays sitting inside, waiting to freeze.


    "Looks like people are really feeling the heat. I''ll have to add more fans and air conditioners to the stockpile so that people can cool off", she mumbled.


    Fans and air conditioners would require electricity and currently beside her house and Anna''s medical house no one else had electricity.


    Her eyes shifted to the adjacent warehouse where she had placed large solar panels. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Look''s like we will need to start another big project soon.

 Chapter 239 - 239: Heatstroke

    When Rayne made her way back over to the warehouse where she left the tarps and covers, she found Julian along with the farmers huddled together, looking at each of the options.


    "This one here feels really familiar to the kind of translucent covering I had back at my previous farm", one of the farmers said.


    The others agreed, "Yeah, this looks like the standard material they use for greenhouses. The non-glass kind."


    Julian thought for a moment, "Why don''t we do an experiment? Let''s use all of these and see how the seedlings do under each one. We can section the farm up, and then see after a few days. There''s plenty of material."


    The group of farmers agreed and began carrying the rolls of transparent material over to the farm. Some of the others from the carpentry team came over to assist and build a small frame to support the covering.


    They worked for the entire day in the sweltering heat, to finish making the makeshift greenhouse over the fields.


    -


    On the other side of the base, there was another problem occurring.


    "Dr. Anna! Please help! My wife fainted!", yelled David from outside the house.


    He was holding Laura in his arms, carrying her over to the medical room.


    His body visibly shook as droplets of sweat rolled down his face.


    Anna quickly opened the door, letting him inside.


    "Quick, lay her on the bed in the medical room. I''ll examine her now", she said.


    David quickly put her down on the bed and then turned to leave.


    "I''m sorry Doctor but I need to get my son. I can''t leave him alone", he said, running back home.


    -


    By the time he came back, Anna had already made an initial assessment.


    "How is she, Doctor? What''s wrong with her?", David asked.


    He was holding his newborn son in his arms, looking worriedly at his wife.


    Anna shook her head by frowned, "She''s okay. It''s heat stroke and dehydration. I''m going to keep her here for a little while to make sure she gets enough fluids."


    Her eyes traveled to the small baby in his arms, "I think it''s best that the little one stays here for a while. I don''t want him to go through something similar. This heat is very bad."


    David shook at the thought of losing his son. He quickly nodded, agreeing to her proposal.


    "Thank yo,u Doctor, thank you."


    -


    About an hour later Laura finally woke up to the screams of her newborn son. She looked around, confused as to where she was.


    "Honey? Where am I?", she asked.


    She remembered feeling a little dizzy while cleaning. Now she woke up in a totally different place.


    David walked over with the screaming newborn, "Oh you''re finally awake! I was so worried!"


    He handed the baby over to her so she could feed him.


    "You passed out from heatstroke and dehydration. I was so scared when I found you on the floor", he said, sitting down beside her.


    "I''m sorry honey. I didn''t even realize it before I felt dizzy. I''ll be more careful in the future."


    "It''s not your fault. This heat has been very intense. I estimate that you won''t be the only one coming to see me for this issue", said Anna, walking in with a glass of water.


    David frowned, "We need to do something about this. We can''t have everyone passing out from heatstroke. That would be horrible."


    Anna gave the glass of water to Laura.


    "Yes, I think Noah and the others are working on this issue currently. I heard they were at the farms all morning trying to save the new batch of seedlings. The chickens have had a rough time too."


    -


    When Rayne heard about what happened to Laura she finally made up her mind. She walked over to find Noah, who was inside the food warehouse getting a drink of water.


    "Noah, I think we need to start putting up the solar panels on top of everyone''s house. We''re going to all need electricity to stay cool. Especially during the day."


    Noah took a sip of water and then looked down at her, "I''ll get started right away. I think one of the guys on the carpentry team knows how to install them."


    Rayne walked him over to the warehouse with the solar panels. They were very large, about the size of a large dining room table.


    "I hope we can install it on every other house since there aren''t enough for everyone. If we limit electrical use to fans and air conditioners, it should be enough for two houses to use. Later on, we can look into acquiring more."


    She once again regretted that she didn''t take out more of the solar panels when they originally set up the base.


    -


    Noah rounded up the carpentry team and made plans to set up the first few solar panels later that evening. After a few of the farmers almost passed out, everyone was encouraged to rest in the shade during the peak daytime hours.


    Most of the residents spread out around the forest perimeter, taking shelter from the sun beneath the trees.


    The heat made everyone sluggish, not wanting to make any extra movements that they didn''t have to.


    Rayne lay on the grass next to Julian, enjoying the occasional slight breeze. Her body felt sticky and hot, making her wish she could cool off at the beach.


    Julian looked over at her, reading her mind.


    "Do you want to go find more solar panels tomorrow? We can go to our usual spot." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne turned her head to look at him with a knowing smile. She loved how he could sometimes read her mind. Outside of getting a good swim to cool off, getting more solar panels, water, and heat reduction supplies would be very useful.


    She also wanted to bring back more hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and UV protection clothing tokeepp the residents safe from the intense sun.


    Julian smiled, "Perfect. Then I''ll let Noah know that we''ll be out tomorrow. He''s also been talking about setting up a scavenging team, but I think we can hold off until Alpha Team finished scouting the city."

 Chapter 240 - 240: Emergency Trades

    Rayne and Julian set off late that night, arriving at the beach in the early morning.


    The sun was already beaming down, even this early in the morning but it was still tolerable, any later and they would be burnt to a crisp.


    "Ah, the water feels so refreshing! We should have started our base around here", said Rayne.


    She was splashing the ocean water up around her. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julian also dove in, swimming to his heart''s content. After they had their fun swimming they both took cold, refreshing showers and made their way back to the settlement.


    As they made it back to the small mountain town not far from the settlement, Julian pulled over to allow Rayne to fill up the car.


    The solar panels were large, so she needed to take out a small trailer hitch before filling it up with solar panels.


    She filled the remaining space with the other items she wanted to bring back along with a big box of freeze pops, for everyone to enjoy and cool off.


    -


    When they made it back, Rayne hopped out of the car to get people to help move the items into the warehouse.


    However as she walked around, she realized that most of the residents were crammed inside of Anna''s medical house, trying to cool off in the airconditioned room.


    "More people were brought in due to heat exhaustion", said Mila, updating Rayne on what had happened.


    "Hopefully we can get these solar panels up and running so that everyone can air condition at least one room inside of their house", said Rayne.


    She invited a group of people to her house since hers was the only other house that had electricity and air conditioning.


    "Here, have some iced water", she said, passing out a few glasses of cold water.


    "Thank you!", said Liam. He was one of the people at her house, marveling at how nice the interior was.


    He took a small sip and a refreshing smile blossomed on his face, "Ice is really a luxury these days. I can''t believe I''m saying that after going through such a cold winter."


    The other around him agreed and happily enjoyed the refreshments as they cooled down.


    "Hopefully the solar panels will finish getting installed for everyone soon!", said Rayne. She was thankful that no one was upset that she had electricity while they didn''t.


    "I want to make another trip around to the settlements", said Liam.


    He placed the glass on the counter and looked at Rayne, "I was hoping that we could trade some water and sun protection. We''re lucky that we have the shade of the forest to hide in and a lake full of water. Fred ranch is out in the open, and I don''t know if they have a nearby water source."


    Rayne didn''t even need to think twice before agreeing.


    "Yes, that''s a very good idea! The main purpose of this caravan is to help other settlements survive. I hope we can find new ones soon."


    Liam nodded and took another sip, "Then, I''ll talk to Noah and the other to get ready for another trip. Thankfully the A/C in the RV works perfectly!"


    -


    Later that day Rayne helped Liam load up the RV with all sorts of sun protection, water, reusable ice packs, and emergency cooling patches.


    She wasn''t sure if the other settlements had medical personnel so she secretly added extra first aid supplies, focusing on treating heatstroke.


    "Let me know how they''re doing overall. I''m willing to trade them these items even if they can''t afford to trade for them. This is a dangerous time for everyone, we should help each other out if we can."


    Liam nodded, accepting the order, "Very well. I''ll make sure to give these out regardless if they can trade or not."


    Rayne actually wanted to go on this trip with him, but she knew that Julian would oppose it, saying that she was still not fully recovered from her injuries.


    -


    When Liam finally arrived at Fred''s Ranch the following day he watched as disaster unfolded.


    People were suffering from heat exhaustion, hiding in any shady location they could find. Even some of the cattle could be seen passed out in the pasture, while the other were crying for water.


    Fred walked over to Liam and the RV looking at him as if a savior finally arrived.


    "Liam, please tell me you have water to trade! I''m not sure how much longer we can survive!", he cried out.


    Liam quickly invited him inside the RV where he could cool off in the air conditioning.


    "Don''t worry, we brought water and emergency first aid for treating heat stroke. You can begin passing it out to anyone in need right now. I''ll unload the vats of water and water bottles."


    Fred looked at him with tears in his eyes. It felt like one day they were enjoying the sunny weather, and the next moment everything descended into chaos. They were unprepared for this type of weather shift.


    Liam ordered the rest of the crew to begin unloading the supplies while Fred went to find anyone who still had the strength to help out.


    The two groups worked together, passing out water, hats, sunscreen, and cooling pads to as many people as they could, prioritizing the people in worst condition.


    Fred looked around and saw his people slowly recovering. The healthiest people shifted over to helping the cattle cool down, by sending them to shady areas and ensuring they had access to water.


    They also installed fans inside of the barn to promote airflow, cooling the overall air temperature inside.


    Unfortunately, even after all of their effort to save all of the cattle, some of the older ones passed away.


    "I don''t know how we will survive. The supplies you have given us have saved us temporarily, but if we can''t find water soon, I don''t know how much longer we will be able to keep this up", said Fred.


    With the loss of some of the cattle, along with the heat exhaustion everyone was feeling, it was difficult for them to feel hopeful.


    Liam wasn''t sure how to answer this problem for them but made a note to try and visit often so that he could continue to bring them much-needed supplies.

 Chapter 241 - 241: Sneaky Midnight Watering

    When Liam returned back to the settlement he went directly to report to Noah, Rayne, and Julian on the situation at Fred''s base.


    "Oh no! That''s horrible, we need to think of a way to help them!", said Rayne.


    Julian and Noah both had their heads down, thinking of a solution.


    "Well..we still have a lot of free houses. We have an established relationship with them, maybe we can somehow invite them to live here with us? We can try to transport the cattle over too", Noah suggested.


    Julian thought for a moment, "Inviting them to live with us would double our population, but we can still support that. The only thing is that we would need to make space for the cattle and build a barn."


    Rayne looked at the forest beyond where the fields were. If they could clear out some of those trees, that would be a perfect area for a barn and pasture.


    She turned her head towards the houses, most of the able residents were on the roofs installing the solar panels.


    It''s a good thing I loaded up the trailer. At least we have extras if others move in.


    "I think it''s a good idea. We can at least offer the invitation. If they choose to decline then we will just help them the best we can", she finally said.


    The rest of the group agreed and went back to their various tasks.


    -


    Rayne walked with Julian along the forest perimeter on their way back home.


    "I''m worried about the water level in the lake", Julian said.


    Rayne looked over at the lake as they were passing by and noticed that the water level had gone down by a visible amount.


    "I wonder if we can somehow fill it artificially? Maybe I can scoop up the water into a large container, and multiply it a few times?"


    Julian paused, "Your ability might be what saves us once again. I''d like to thank you in advance on behalf of the residents."


    He felt that with her multiplying ability, she would be able to keep the lake water level up through even the biggest droughts.


    They continued to their house doing their best to stay out of the direct sunlight. Most of the surrounding grass had already died out, leaving patches of yellow throughout the forest clearing.


    Rayne looked up at the surrounding trees, "Well, at least the trees look okay for now. Hopefully, they don''t tie out."


    As she was speaking another problem donned on her-- if the trees dried out then this would create prime conditions for forest fires!


    She froze and looked over at Julian with wide eyes.


    We need to do something to prevent forest fires. We''re completely surrounded by trees here. If a fire starts then we''re going to lose everything!"


    Julian looked around. "You''re right. What can we do?"


    "I''ll check my system to see if I have anything for fire prevention. But in the meantime, the only thing that comes to mind is a lot of watering. I''ll go out at night to water the surrounding forest at night each night until we can come up with a better idea."


    She looked around at the vast forest in front of her and shook her head feeling overwhelmed.


    "I hope we can think of a solution sooner than later", she sighed.


    -


    Later that night while everyone was getting ready for bed, Rayne and Julian were getting ready for a late-night watering session.


    Rayne put on and all black outfit, even tying her hair up into a black scarf.


    "I feel like we''re going out to rob a bank. I haven''t felt this bad since I stored my first car off the street", she laughed. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be your alibi", smiled Julian.


    He was also getting dressed in all black so that they were less visible in the night.


    "Thankfully only a few places have electricity so there aren''t many lights out. In the future we will have to be even more careful when sneaking out like this.", said Rayne.


    -


    They both snuck out of their house and skirted around the perimeter of the base, taking cover behind the warehouses as they made their way into the forest.


    "I never thought I would be using night vision goggles to water trees in the forest", said Rayne.


    Julian grinned, "We''ll it''s the best option we have since using a flashlight would attract too much attention."


    They walked slightly farther in so that a thin tree line covered them from the rest of the base.


    "Okay, let''s start here", she said and opened up her system panel, taking out a large vat of water.


    Julian helped her tip the vat over to dump all of the water on the ground.


    Rayne felt that this was initially a very large amount of water, but when she watched it vanish into the ground like a dry sponge she frowned.


    "Look''s like we''ll be out here for a while", she said.


    "Let me do the dumping while you place the water tanks out. It''ll be a little faster this way", suggested Julian.


    Rayne agreed with this plan and continued forward, placing a vat of water every few steps. Julian trailed behind her tipping them over to water the nearby area.


    They did this for over an hour, getting a large section of the forest watered.


    On their way back, Rayne collected the empty watering vats.


    "We''re going to have to think of a better way. Although we got a decent size of the forest watered, it''s not enough. I''ll look through my system to see if there''s anything I can find that''s better than this."


    By the time they made it home, everyone around was already fast asleep. Rayne changed out of her clothes, putting on a set of thin pajamas, before flopping down on the bed.


    "Even working at night is exhausting. The heat makes me feel so sluggish, I don''t want to move", she said.


    "Haha, well at least we are lucky enough to have electricity and an air conditioner. I feel bad for everyone having to sleep out in this heat tonight", said Julian.


    Rayne rolled over in the bed, kicking the sheet off with her legs.


    "Yeah. Hopefully tomorrow we can some of those solar panels finally up and running so that others can cool off too."


    Julian rolled over and tried to pull Rayne closer beside him.


    "No way! You stay over there! Your body is like a natural furnace. Last night I woke up sweating!", she said.


    Julian pouted, internally cursing the heat. In his mind he was already plotting ways to crank up the A/C so that she would feel cold tomorrow night and want to curl up with him.

 Chapter 242 - 242: Small Upgrades

    The next morning the solar panel assembly team was up before sunrise, trying to quickly install as many solar panels as they could before the sun came up.


    More than ten people were on this team but due to the complicated systems, they only managed to get two houses done.


    -


    Brandon, who was leading the team, wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked up and saw the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon.


    "Look''s like we''re going to call it here until the evening. Everyone, stay cool", he said.


    The rest of the people who were on solar panel installation duty quickly finished up and got off the roof.


    Mila was waiting for Brandon on the ground.


    "How did it go? Did you get to finish installing any?"


    "Yeah, though only two houses. I was hoping for at least four today, but it''s a complicated system and takes time to wire properly."


    "Oh, well two houses are still much better than none!", she smiled.


    He took his work gloves off and nodded, "I''m glad we managed to do David and Laura''s house. They''ve been staying in the medical house with Anna so the little bean stays cool."


    "Oh good! I was just about to visit Laura now. I''ll see if they need help moving their things back home", smiled Mila.


    She was happy that they prioritized Laura''s place. They were the only ones with a small child besides the young boy who arrived with Nurse Judy. And this young boy was already practically adopted by Laura anyway.


    -


    Mila walked over to Anna''s house and saw David packing their things while Laura was feeding her son.


    "Are you getting ready to move back? Let me help you carry your things over"


    Laura smiled, "Yes, we were just informed that the A/C had been installed in our house. We''ve been imposing on Anna and Judy for too long."


    Mila waited until Laura finished feeding her baby before walking back over to their house.


    David was already inside setting up the baby''s crib in their bedroom. He turned on the newly installed A/C as soon as he arrived, filling the room with cool air.


    Laura walked over with a big smile, "Nothing beats your own home! As life-saving as it was staying with Anna, I still missed the comforts of my own home."


    Mila nodded, agreeing with her. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m just impressed that we can even afford this luxury. I don''t know if anyone else in this world has the opportunity to live in a nice home with electricity and air conditioning. We''re fortunate to have bumped into Rayne and Julian when we did."


    "I agree. I can''t imagine what it would have been like to live at the government base. I heard some horror stories from the others who fled from there", said Laura.


    While she stayed with Anna and Judy, Laura learned about how rough life was at the government base. Judy told her a few stories about how most of the people couldn''t afford to live in a room and had to set up a tent or cardboard box structure outside.


    She also told her about how sickness and disease quickly spread and that the government officials didn''t make any efforts to help prevent it.


    From that moment on she counted her blessings each day, feeling blessed to have followed everyone to this new base.


    -


    Rayne was lying on the couch in her living room, enjoying the breeze from the fan in front of her. She was scrolling through her system panel, looking for new methods of watering the surrounding forest.


    "Hey, how feasible do you think it is to set up an irrigation system? I have long hoses with sprinkler attachments. I would just need to connect the pump to a water source for it to work."


    Julian looked over from the other side of the couch, "I think the initial setup will take some time, but it would make watering very easy. I would say certainly worth it."


    Rayne pulled out one of the boxes that contained a segment of the sprinkler system and dug out the instruction manual. She wanted to learn the process now so that she wasn''t struggling in the dark to read and install at the same time.


    "Oh, this is a lot simpler than I thought. Basically, it''s like a snap-on system. All of these sections just snap together seamlessly", she said happily.


    With such a straightforward system, their time in the forest tonight would go by rather quickly.


    -


    After figuring out the ins and outs of the irrigation system, Rayne decided to go visit the farms to see if there were any improvements for the seedlings.


    She also wanted to see if the farmers would want to install an irrigation system throughout the fields.


    "Hey, any luck with the covers?", she asked.


    One of the farmers stood up and smiled, "Yes, all of them have shown improvements. We''re just monitoring now to see which cover had the best results. Once we have a winner we plan on putting a request to build a greenhouse from it."


    Rayne looked down at the seedlings. While they looked a lot better than before they still looked a little sad. Their leaves were flopped over, lacking the vigor she saw with the previous batch.


    The farmer noticed her worried expression and said, "Don''t worry. Although they don''t look too happy, after a few more days of consistent care, they should be back to their original state. As long as the lake doesn''t dry up, I don''t see us losing too much of the harvest."


    Rayne smiled at the reassuring news. Having someone experienced in these things was very helpful to her and the rest of the settlement.


    She glanced at the lake not far away and made a mental note to start refilling it soon.


    The water level had visibly gone down again today, so she would need to begin taking preventative measures sooner rather than later.


    -


    Her last stop was to visit the chicken coop.


    The person in charge of the coop was currently filling a small trough with water. The chickens looked okay, but also sluggish.


    Rayne''s mind traveled to the Chicken Farm settlement. Liam didn''t end up going there after visiting Fred''s Ranch so she wasn''t sure how they were fairing in this heat.


    She did remember that they did have a small stream nearby and hoped that it would be enough to prevent them from having disasters.


    "I''ll have to speak with Liam to see when he plans on heading over that way", she mumbled, heading over to speak with him on this matter.

 Chapter 243 - 243: Difficulties at the Ranch

    At Fred''s Ranch.


    While most of the residents somewhat recovered, they were eating through the supplies that Liam previously brought. It had been less than a week since his last visit and Fred was already starting to ration their remaining water supply.


    "Fred! Bad news! Another cow died, this time it was a young one", a short stubby woman said. She was part of the cattle herding crew and came over to report that they lost yet another cow.


    Fred shook. He wasn''t sure how much longer he would be able to keep it together before a full-blown-out panic would spread through their settlement.


    He took a deep breath, "Do the same as the other cows. Butcher it and take it to the smoker."


    Unless the cow died from disease they wouldn''t let it go to waste. These days the kitchen crew was working overtime, processing the meat into jerky, sausages, and other smoked meats. They tried to use as much as they could, even using the bones to make broth.


    The woman nodded and ran off to deliver the instructions. Fred took a seat on the steps of the front porch, trying to find a solution to this problem.


    -


    His family had lived on these lands for generations and they never had an instance where all of the wells dried out.


    While they were situated near the mountains, all of the streams were located on the opposite side. He had also tried to ask the Ice Tigers for a water trade but they came to him first asking the same thing.


    All of the water supply ran out in the city, causing the chaos to begin to spread outside. While the Ranch was still somewhat safe due to its deal with the leader of the Ice Tiger gang, he wasn''t sure how long that would last if they got desperate.


    -


    "I wish I knew what to do. Without water we won''t survive", he said.


    He was doing his best to keep himself together because he knew that the rest of them were relying on him. If he began to panic then everyone else would follow.


    As he sat there contemplating different solutions Rita came home to deliver even more bad news.


    "Molly is still in very bad condition. I''m not sure if she will make it", she said somberly.


    Fred stood up abruptly. He felt his hands shake as tears welled in his eyes.


    "I''ll go see her. Maybe we have something that will help? Let''s bring more water."


    His words were shaky as he desperately tried to offer any suggestion.


    Rita watched him shake as he walked forward. She placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from moving forward.


    "Fred. This isn''t your fault. You''ve done everything you possibly could for all of us."


    Her words caused him to break, releasing all of the worries and fears he''s been holding back since the disaster started.


    "Everyone is looking up to me. They voted for me to be the leader. They placed all of their trust in me! Now look at us. We''re barely holding on! If it wasn''t for Liam''s timely arrival I don''t even know where we would all be right now!"


    He broke down crying. He wasn''t sure if he would be able to live with himself if someone died. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rita shook her head, "Fred. Listen to me. No one''s expects you to wave your hand and summon rain out of the sky. We all already feel like you''ve done so much. You work harder than any of us, and we see that. Don''t blame anything but this new and unpredictable world we''re trying to survive in".


    She stood beside him quietly, letting him release all of the overwhelming emotions he had been holding back.


    After a few minutes, he finally calmed down and looked at her gratefully.


    "Thank you, Rita. Let me go dry my eyes and let''s go visit Molly. She''s a strong girl and I have faith that she will get through this."


    -


    A few minutes later they both arrived in a small room where Molly was lying on a small bed. There was another woman inside, trying to fan her with a small fold-out fan.


    As soon as they walked in Fred frowned. "It''s too hot in here. The air is stagnant too, we need to move her out of here."


    Rita looked over at him.


    "I agree it''s too hot, but where should we move her? All of the rooms in the house are like this".


    Fred thought for a second, "The root cellar. Let''s move a few things around and bring her down".


    Rita''s eyes widened! She hadn''t thought of that! While their root cellar was on the smaller side, fitting a person inside wouldn''t be an issue!


    "Yes! Good idea, I''ll run down there now to make space. You can bring her down slowly!", she said before running off.


    Fred carefully lifted Molly off of the bed and carried her down the staircase. The other woman in the room picked up a few thick blankets to place on the ground for her to lay on.


    As Fred made it all the way down, Rita had just finished moving canned food and other perishable items around to make space.


    "Here, give me the blankets I''ll lay them out", said Rita.


    She extended her arm to take the pile of blankets from the woman''s hands and laid them out neatly on the ground.


    Fred then placed Molly gently on the blankets.


    "It''s a lot cooler down here. It feels so good. Hopefully, she can recover after cooling off down here", he said.


    Rita nodded, "I''ll keep an eye on her periodically. We should leave now so that we don''t keep letting the hot air down in here".


    After ushering everyone out, Rita and the others went back to their tasks.


    -


    Later that evening Fred came down after dinner to check on Molly.


    "Her face seems to be a lot less red", said Rita from behind him.


    Fred knelt down and placed the back of his hand against her forehead.


    "Her temperature seems to be a lot better. I think she''s going to be okay", he said with a big sigh of relief.


    Rita clasped her hands together, relieved at the news.


    "Thank you, Fred! If it wasn''t for your quick thinking things might have been very different".

 Chapter 244 - 244: Setting Up Irrigation

    "Okay! I''m setting off now! I''ll let you know what Fred says about moving down here", said Liam.


    He was waving to the settlement that came to see him and the rest of the caravan crew off.


    Rayne nodded, "Yes, we look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a safe trip!"


    The caravan set off with more supplies, consisting of mostly water, back over to Fred''s ranch. Liam was also hoping to make it over to the Chicken farm, depending on what happened at the ranch.


    -


    After seeing Liam and the rest off, Rayne and the other returned to their homes. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the sun to set so that the solar panel crew could continue their work.


    Tonight was also the night that Rayne planned to go out and set the irrigation system up with Julian.


    She was also hoping to fill the lake with water since everyone in the settlement relied on it.


    With this checklist in mind, she relaxed in her home with Julian until the sun finally set. Just as it started to darken, the sounds of drills and other power tools could be heard.


    "Looks like they''re trying to install a few more solar panels before nightfall", said Rayne, looking out of the window.


    "Yeah, I''m going to go out and help them. Although my skill set does not include solar panels, I''m familiar with electrical systems", said Julian, heading towards the door.


    Rayne smiled, "Okay, sounds good. I''ll start making dinner so don''t stay out too late".


    -


    She walked over to the kitchen and opened her system panel to see what sort of dish she was going to make tonight.


    Most of what they ate recently was food from her system, but today Rayne was in the mood to cook something.


    Looking through the endless list of ingredients she finally settled on a homemade lasagna.


    She took out a small convection countertop oven and placed it where the working outlet was located on the counter.


    Next, she took out all of the ingredients she would need, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, egg, marinara sauce, ground beef, spices, and fresh herbs.


    While the noodles boiled, she mixed the rest of the ingredients and cooked the ground beef.


    After assembling everything she popped the dish into the oven. It didn''t take long for the smell to fill the room.


    "It feels good to cook after so long! And the best part is: no dishes!", she giggled to herself, as she stored all of the used pots and utensils into her system. (A/N: in this case, she just deleted the dirty dishes)


    -


    Rayne continued to read her book while she waited for Julian to come home.


    About twenty minutes later, Julian came back with a smile.


    "Phew, it''s hot outside even without the sun. Oh, wo,w it smells heavenly in here!", he said while taking his shoes off.


    "Welcome home! Did you guys manage to finish installing any panels?", asked Rayne as she walked over to check the oven.


    "Yeah, we managed to finish two houses this evening. Unfortunately, the sun is gone so they''ll have to wait until tomorrow to use them, but overall everyone was happy with the progress."


    Rayne nodded and sliced the lasagna into neat squares. She took out a small garden salad from her system to have as a side and walked over to set the table.


    "Wash up, the food is ready", she announced.


    Julian bolted to their bathroom where they had a large vat of water that they scooped to wash their hands and face.


    Although there was no plumbing installed outside of the house, the water from the sinks simply drained onto the ground outside of the house.


    When Julian came back the table was set and the food looked amazing. Rayne had even taken out a bottle of wine and a pair of wine glasses.


    The table was set with a single tall candle in the middle which helped create a moody atmosphere.


    "Oh, why do I feel like we''re having a special date tonight?", smiled Julian. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He walked over to the table and kissed Rayne before taking a seat across from her.


    "Oh you know, sometimes I get in the mood to be a little extra. Keeps it interesting", she smiled.


    One of her favorite things about Julian was his attention to detail. He always noticed if there was something new around her. He was also very vocal with his compliments, never letting the opportunity to praise her go by.


    "Wow! This has got to be the best lasagna I have ever had", he said after taking a bite.


    Rayne''s face flushed. She was happy to hear that he enjoyed it.


    "Be careful, it''s hot. I just pulled it out of the oven", she smiled as she took a few bites of her salad.


    -


    They took their time eating and drinking before they cleaned up to set off on their trip into the forest.


    Rayne had already explained how the irrigation system worked so they both had a good understanding of what to do today.


    As usual, they dressed themselves in all black and sneaked out of their house and into the forest. They walked back to the same spot as yesterday to begin.


    Rayne bent down and touched the soil with her fingers.


    "It''s so dry that it doesn''t even feel like we dumped hundreds of gallons of water here last night", she said.


    Julian looked further out and noticed that the grass beneath the trees was also beginning to wither.


    "I think the possibility of a forest fire gets higher and higher each day."


    They both took a moment to observe the trees and forest further out as best as they could before getting to work.


    "Well, let''s hope that this helps a little bit", she said.


    She took out multiple copies of each segment of the irrigation system and began snapping them together.


    Julian bent over and did the same thing and in a matter of minutes, they had one very long line of hose.


    Rayne took the opportunity to store this longer house in her system to save time later on.


    They both walked around the entire perimeter of the settlement, laying down this irrigation network, and trying to place it in harder-to-see areas.


    Rayne wasn''t worried if someone ended up seeing it since what they were doing was potentially life-saving. She didn''t think anyone would be more concerned about where the hoses came from than the potential danger they were trying to prevent.


    "Now that we have all of the hoses laid out all we need to do is find a place for the tank and pump", said Rayne.


    The tank was optional, but the pump was what pushed the water through the whole irrigation system. If she wanted to she could place the pump in the lake, but decided against it.


    She looked through her system and found a huge empty tank. It was a one thousand gallon tank and was designed to be able to be buried underground if needed.


    "Now, where to put this?"

 Chapter 245 - 245: Skinny Dipping

    Julian looked around the forest area with Rayne.


    "It would be nice if we could somehow stick it underground and just refill it or swap it out later", said Julian.


    Rayne looked down on the ground below her. She never tried storing a section of the ground before and wasn''t even sure if she could.


    She walked over to a small section of dirt between two trees and knelt down, placing her hands on the ground.


    Closing her eyes, she visualized a cube of the ground in front of her.


    Store!


    A few moments later she opened her eyes to see a palm-sized cube of soil missing right where her hand was.


    "Wow! Although it''s not the size I was hoping for, I was still able to store a section of the ground!", she exclaimed.


    Julian noticed the missing soil but looked closely at Rayne''s face to make sure she was okay. Every time she did something new with her ability he couldn''t help but worry.


    He smiled after ensuring that she looked healthy.


    "You''re amazing babe", he said softly.


    Rayne''s excitement was through the roof at her new discovery. She could use this to dig holes for additional infrastructure like septic tanks, allowing the homes to have useable toilets!


    She quickly reigned in her thoughts and placed her hands on the ground once more, trying to focus on visualizing the correct size that she wanted.


    This time her brow furrowed and small beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.


    It seems like visualizing the correct size is more difficult than I assumed.


    After giving another command to store, she opened her eyes to see the result.


    On the ground in front of her, a cube of dirt the size of a basketball was missing.


    "Oh! Look, you took out a larger chunk this time", said Julian.


    Rayne''s eyes sparkled, excited to see the progress she made in just a few minutes.


    "I''ll keep trying. If I can get a large enough hole then we can bury the tank!", she said, looking at Julian happily.


    "Just don''t overdo it", he said.


    Rayne nodded and continued to try to store a larger section of land. It ended up taking her almost an hour to finally achieve a decent result.


    "One more try and it should be large enough", she said, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.


    Julian looked at her worriedly, "Okay, once more but after that I''m carrying you home regardless of the result".


    Rayne smiled and placed her hands down. She began visualizing the cube again. She quieted her mind and focused purely on the size of the cube.


    When she finally felt like she had a good grasp on its size she gave the mental command to store.


    This time when she opened her eyes, she wanted to jump for joy. A large cube of dirt was missing in the exact size that she wanted!


    Julian walked over and placed his arms around her, hugging her tightly.


    "You did it, babe! Good job!"


    "Yay! Now we can bury the tank and get this irrigation system up and running!", she said happily.


    Without further delay, she pulled out the large tank and placed it in the perfectly cube-shaped hole. She filled the gaps with rocks and dirt, covering it almost completely.


    On the top of the tank was a small lid where the pump would connect to. It was also where she could check the water level and refill the tank if needed.


    Rayne filled the tank with water while Julian attached and connected the pump. When everything was finished Rayne turned the small knob on the pump, allowing it to begin pushing water through the system.


    She took a few steps forward to see if the water was flowing properly.


    "Yay! It''s working! There are small drops of water coming out of the hoses!", she exclaimed joyfully.


    "Hopefully this helps maintain the moisture in the soil enough to prevent a forest fire from happening. We will still need to keep an eye out in the future", said Julian.


    He then walked over and lifted her off of the ground.


    "Okay, home time?", he asked.


    "No, let''s go over to the lake so that I can fill it first", said Rayne.


    They both walked over to the lake, taking a look around first to make sure no one could see them. Thankfully it was late enough that everyone should be asleep.


    Rayne bent over the bank and stuck her hand in the lake.


    "Okay, this shouldn''t take too long", she said and began to fill the lake.


    Julian watched as the water level rose. Just before she was ready to take her hand out he walked over behind her the pushed her into the lake.


    "Ahhh!", she yelled, landing fully in the water.


    Julian burst out in laughter! "How''s the water?"


    Rayne laughed, "Julian Barclay! You''re so in trouble!"


    Worried that she would get too upset with him, he dove straight into the lake!


    Rayne splashed him with more water as soon as he surfaced, laughing nonstop.


    "Ah, the water is so refreshing!", he smiled, swimming over to her.


    He placed his arms around her and leaned in for a deep and passionate kiss.


    They wrapped their arms around each other, kissing each other in the water as if it were a scene from a romance movie.


    -


    On the other side of the settlement, Ella sneaked out of her room to meet up with Noah. Although they were now openly dating, it was still difficult for them to get any alone time for physical affection.


    "Noah, I''m over here", whispered Ella from behind a house.


    She walked over to meet him and noticed him staring at the lake from the distance. When he realized that she walked over he covered her eyes.


    "Look''s like we''re not the only ones having some fun tonight", he said in a low whisper.


    Ella pulled his hand down to look at the lake. She saw two figures intertwined in the late, kissing each other.


    Since it was very dark out the moon was the only thing lighting them up.


    "Who do you think that is?", asked Ella curiously. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah chuckled, "Who else could it be? Beside your parents there''s only one couple who is so...affectionate".


    "No way! Is that Rayne?", she asked, surprised! "Wait, are they skinny dipping?!"


    "Shhh! Lower your voice, you''ll give us away", said Noah with a smile, "Look''s like we''ll need to find a different spot tonight".


    She took Ella by the hand and led her to the forest on the opposite side, giving the two ''skinny dipping'' love birds some privacy.


    "Remind me not to drink the lake water", giggled Ella as they walked into the forest for their own escapades.

 Chapter 246 - 246: Important Decisions

    The next morning Liam arrived at Fred''s Ranch.


    Before he even had a chance to get out of the RV he noticed Fred running towards him.


    "Liam! I''m so happy you''re back!", he cried out.


    Liam walked out of the RV and greeted Fred, but then he noticed Fred''s shaking hands.


    "What''s wrong? If everything okay?"


    Fred nearly burst into tears. "We''ve run out of water and every day more and more cattle are dying. We are slowly beginning to suffer from dehydration."


    Liam was shocked at the news. By his previous estimation they should have had enough water to last at least another month.


    He turned to the rest of his team, sending them the signal to begin unloading the supplies.


    Liam turned to Fred, "It''s air conditioned and cool inside of the RV, if you have people who are suffering from heat exhaustion please send them to cool off in here".


    "Thank you! Thank you!", said Fred.


    He was eyeing the gallons and gallons of water that were being unloaded from the RV. He was amazed that these people were able to bring out so much water amidst such a disaster.


    I wonder if they live near a lake or river. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -


    After the goods were unloaded they were quickly distributed throughout the settlement. Everyone quickly drank their fill before hauling a portion of the remaining water over to the barn to give to all of the cattle.


    While the rest of the settlement was busy trying to save the animals Liam invited Fred inside of the RV for discussion.


    "What is it that you wanted to discuss?", asked Fred.


    He was worried that Liam would demand higher payments for the goods and water. If it was before the extreme heat, Fred would have no issue with paying more, but now they were in no place to offer anything extra.


    Liam picked up on Fred''s nervousness and shook his head, smiling.


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing bad. The leaders of our settlement wanted to extend an invitation for your settlement to move in with us, and merge into one larger group."


    Fred''s eyes widened!


    This was a major surprise to him! They were hardly able to support themselves and wouldn''t even consider accepting new members to their settlement at this time.


    However Liam''s settlement was offering for them to all move in with them.


    "Will you be able to support all of us? There''s a lot of us here...", he said, unconvinced.


    Liam nodded, "I assure you, we have enough space, housing and resources to support everyone."


    Fred sighed to himself. He never thought that his ranch was anything big but he never considered there were settlement that were much more well off than they were.


    "What about the cattle? I don''t have it in me to abandon them. They''ve been our way of live for generations", he asked.


    "Bring them with you!", answered Liam, "We''ve already considered this and I believe our carpenters have begun barn construction. I estimate that they should be done shortly."


    Fred couldn''t believe his ears, "Building a barn? You have tools and lumber?"


    "Yes, as I''ve said before, we have a very strong stockpile of resources. But as far as the invitation, feel free to discuss amongst yourselves, there''s no pressure. Just inform me of your decision before I leave please", said Liam.


    -


    After their discussion, Fred walked out of the RV with a lot on his mind. He looked at the farmhouse that his great-great grandfather built.


    Many childhood memories flooded his mind as he looked around. At the same time the pale faces of his residents came into view.


    "It seems like I will have to move past my nostalgia. What''s important now is survival", he said to himself.


    He planned to put up a vote at dinnertime tonight to see if people were on board with moving to a new location.


    He didn''t know where this settlement was located, only that it was further south.


    While the feeling of abandoning this ranch felt bitter, he knew that if they wanted to survive, moving would be the right choice.


    -


    At dinner that evening Fred stood up and cleared his throat.


    "Everyone. I have been offered a potential solution to our problems. I need everyone to listen carefully so that we can take a vote"


    The house quickly quieted down as everyone put down their forks.


    "As many of you know Liam is a trader from Rayne''s and Julian''s base. They are capable people and have managed to secure a location with a good water supply and other resources."


    He took a deep breath and looked around the room.


    "They have offered us a place in their settlement. They would like us to move down and merge with them", he finally stated.


    Everyone looked at him, surprised. The room quickly burst out in small chatter.


    "Please think this through carefully. We will be transporting the cattle with us. I apologize that I do not have detailed knowledge of where or what that area is like, but if they can keep bringing large amounts of water over, they must be well off".


    Fred then sat down to finish his meal, giving the rest of the settlement time to digest this new information and come up with an opinion.


    He told them that they had until 10 pm to decide so that he could give Liam an answer tomorrow morning.


    -


    A few hours later everyone gathered inside of the farmhouse. Fred waited for everyone to settle down before speaking.


    "Okay, I know there wasn''t a lot of time to digest this information, but we ourselves are on a deadline. Everyone who is for moving to the new base please raise your hand".


    He watched as many people in the room raised their hands. He didn''t even need to count to know that this was already the winning vote.


    Still, to be fair he had Rita walk around and count all of the ''yes'' votes.


    "Okay, everyone who is in favor of staying here, please raise your hands", he asked.


    A few people raised their hands, but there were less than a handful.


    "Okay, so as clearly shown, the winning vote is to move. Those of you who are not in favor of moving are under no pressure to follow us.


    Just know that if you decide to stay, I cannot guarantee that later down the road you will be allowed to join us", warned Fred.


    Moving in with the other would mean that he was no longer the leader of the settlement. Liam said that he would maintain a leadership position at the new settlement, but only when it came to smaller, personal matters over their group.


    If these people decided to stay and then a week later changed their minds, it would be up to Rayne and their leadership team''s decision to allow them.


    "Tomorrow morning I will inform Liam that we agreed. He will deliver our message to his base and begin preparations to move us. Please begin packing tonight".

 Chapter 247 - 247: Recreation Planning

    The next morning Fred met up with Liam to deliver his answer.


    "Last night we held a vote and the majority are in favor of moving. We will begin to pack, I''m just not sure how we will be transported. We do have trailers to move cattle but we only have one working truck"


    Now that the decision was made, Fred was unsure how they would actually make their way over.


    "Don''t worry, just begin packing. We will send over vehicles and help you transport them. We will most likely be back in three or four days.


    Fred nodded, "Okay, then we will work hard to get everything ready for transport. Thank you again for everything".


    -


    After getting a response from Fred, Liam packed up with the others and made their way over to the chicken farm.


    The chicken farm was in rough shape but still fared better than Fred''s Ranch due to the natural stream that they had nearby.


    Jimmy walked out as usual, happy to see Liam.


    "Boy, am I glad to see you!", he said, lowering his shotgun, "This heat has been driving us crazy".


    Liam greeted Jimmy and looked around.


    "How are you guys doing here? This heat has caused a few other places a lot of problems. Thankfully no deaths".


    Jimmy waved his hand, "Nah, it''s hotter than hell, but we''re alright. The stream is still doing okay so we have water. Crops are a bit sickly, but we hope to still have a harvest. Most importantly, chickens are fine".


    Liam was glad that they were holding up. He quickly set up his tables of trade items for Jimmy and the others to see.


    Jimmy ended up taking the filtered water and food items, while the others took the remaining stock of sun protection, sunglasses, and clothing.


    Liam received a few more live chickens as payment and set off on his way home.


    -


    Back at the forest settlement, Rayne went over to see the progress of the barn. She estimated that Fred would agree to relocate, and even if they didn''t she wanted to see if they could raise some cattle of their own.


    The many power tools and chainsaws allowed them to clear another section of the forest where they were building the barn and pasture.


    Although it would have been even quicker if Rayne simply stored all of the trees, they still completed the job quickly.


    -


    The main frame of the barn was almost set up and they would be able to move on to the later stages of construction later that day.


    Another good piece of news she got was that by the end of today, the rest of the solar panels should be attached to the houses.


    Once the barn was built, they planned to install a solar panel on there to keep the animals comfortable.


    While she was making her rounds around the settlement she decided to swing by the forest perimeter to see the irrigation system and how it was holding up.


    It didn''t take her long to find the small green hose that ran along the forest floor.


    The areas around the hose were damp and the plants and trees looked a lot happier than they did the last time she walked through this area.


    "Looks like our plan is working. Let''s just hope a fire doesn''t occur further out", she said to herself.


    By the time she made it back home it was already close to dinner time.


    Julian had been out all day helping with the solar panel installation. They decided to tough it out and work throughout the day so that they could finish up the rest of the houses.


    -


    After his long day setting up the remaining solar panels, Julian finally had the chance to take a shower and go home.


    He was covered in sweat and felt sticky and gross, but was happy that they finished setting up the solar panels on the remaining houses.


    After a quick refreshing shower he made his way back home, excited to see Rayne.


    As he entered the house, the smell from her cooking filled the house. He took in a deep breath with a big smile!


    "Ah, it smells amazing! What are we having tonight?", he asked, walking over to the kitchen. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne was chopping the final few vegetables for the salad and smiled.


    "We are having grilled chicken, rice and a salad", said Rayne.


    She motioned for Julian to follow her to the table. As they dug in the began discussing their days, and Rayne happily share the results of the irrigation system.


    After dinner Rayne sat down on the couch and picked up the book she was reading. She loved this part of the day where she could relax and do the things she loved.


    "Julian. I want to build a recreation building, or something like that. It could act as a library and people would go there to read, play board games, do art crafts and other fun activities."


    She also felt that since there were young children, they would need to think of a solution for schooling. This rec center would act as a multipurpose space.


    "Maybe people who are good at a craft, like Mrs. Soto with painting, could teach a course every once in a while. This way our skills will continue to spread down the line", she added.


    Julian sat down beside her, "You never cease to come up with wonderful ideas. Yes, I think its a much needed thing. Right now the main thing people do for entertainment is go for walks. We could add things like outdoor sports as well".


    They both continued to brainstorm ideas the would help fill everyone''s recreational and creative needs.


    By the end of the night they had a whole idea fleshed out and ready to pitch to Noah and the others.


    Since the carpentry team was busy with building the barn they still had time to work out the details.


    -


    "Do you think Liam will come back tomorrow? I''m curious if Fred''s settlement accepted our offer", asked Rayne.


    Julian thought for a moment, "Yes, based on how longs he''s been gone he should be back tomorrow. As far as Fred''s settlement, they most definitely accepted."


    Rayne looked at him curiously, "Why are you so sure? To me it seemed that Fred was very set on living there".


    "Because if they don''t move, they''ll most likely die", he said somberly. "When it comes down to it, they will prioritize their own survival over anything else, that''s human nature."

 Chapter 248 - 248: Journey North

    At the underground base, Damien was beginning to feel impatient.


    "Why is everyone so useless? You still haven''t heard back from Dillon?"


    Tristan shook his head, "No, there have been no communications with him or his team since he left".


    "Useless!", yelled Damien.


    He couldn''t believe that Julian still wasn''t found after all of this time.


    "He''s right under our noses and we can''t find him. How much longer am I supposed to stay here? I feel like I''ve lived half my life in this underground cave."


    Tristan opened his notebook and glanced down at the list of all recent updates.


    "Maybe he died? Outside right now is a major heat storm. Water reserves and plants are dying. A few of our own teams on the outside were reported to have died of heatstroke and dehydration."


    Damien sat quietly but his face said that he was still angry.


    "A heat storm, huh. How are they reacting to it?", he asked curiously.


    Tristan looked down at his notes, "The drug proves to be effective in the heat however, there have still been cases where those affected have still died due to dehydration."


    Before Damien had a chance to reply, Tristan added another piece of news.


    "The most urgent news is that our own water sources have begun to dry up. We won''t be able to sustain the base for more than a month if this weather continues."


    "And you''re only telling me this now?!", roared Damien.


    He was already in a horrible mood, but hearing that they were also affected by the heat sent him over the top.


    Tristan simply remained silent and waited for Damien to give an order.


    After a few minutes of grumbling Damien looked over, "First things first, we need to secure water. If we can''t get it naturally, we can find someone who has it"


    Tristan nodded, understanding the underlying order.


    "I''ll have a team sent out immediately."


    Damien glanced over, "Force them to submit to me, if they refuse kill them."


    He had long planned to rule this new world, and now he was finally fed up with being delayed due to Julian''s presence.


    This order would begin his plan while potentially bringing Julian out of hiding.


    Tristan simply nodded while making a note in his notebook, "I''ll see it done".


    ---


    At the forest settlement, Rayne was outside waiting for Liam''s caravan to pull in. She heard the engine of the RV and walked out to see him driving through the small clearing.


    Liam parked the RV in his designated parking spot and began the unloading procedures with the rest of his crew. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They delivered the live chickens to the coop and unloaded a few other items they got from Fred''s ranch.


    "Hey, how did it go? Are they doing okay?", asked Rayne.


    Liam placed the box he was carrying on the ground and turned to face her.


    "Fred agreed to merge with us. They''re not doing good at all. Many of their settlers have suffered from either heat stroke or dehydration. Even their cattle have been slowly dying off."


    "Oh no. We need to get them moved over here quickly!", said Rayne.


    Liam nodded, "I left enough water with them to last a few days. I said that we would come get them in three or four days. They''ve already begun packing."


    "Good. We should get ready for the move as well. The solar panels have been installed and the barn is making good progress. We''re going to bring the two large RV''s to transport the citizens, along with some of the Alpha Team Jeeps to transport items and cattle."


    -


    After Liam finished unloading everything the entire settlement had a group meeting by the lake to discuss the addition of Fred''s group.


    Everyone in the settlement was excited for their settlement to grow in size. New residents meant new friends and new skill sets that would help them survive.


    After the meeting, everyone worked collectively to prepare the settlement for new arrivals.


    Anyone who wasn''t working on building the barn was organizing the warehouses and cleaning the empty houses. Some of the women who were skilled in knitting were making blankets from the yarn they would in the warehouse to gift to the new families.


    Rayne was busy clearing out the large RVs to make room to fit as many people as they could. She even removed the beds to make more space for seating.


    -


    Everyone worked non-stop all day to get everything ready.


    The following morning everyone who was assigned to assist with the move woke up early and met in front of the RVs.


    Rayne walked over with Julian since they both volunteered to help with the move.


    "Looks like everyone is ready. And has been assigned to their own vehicle", said Rayne.


    "I''m glad that we found those ''extra'' trailer hitches. They''ll be very useful for moving supplies", said Julian.


    Last night he and Rayne went on a quick trip to the mountain town to ''look for trailers'' so that they had more than two for this move.


    Rayne walked up to her SUV and entered the driver''s seat, "I''m also glad that all of our vehicles are able to pull trailers because moving the cattle over will be essential."


    Julian nodded, getting into the passenger seat. Today would be a long day of driving, followed by a long day of packing and loading.


    It would be a lot of work for everyone involved but the result would be worth it. Their settlement would grow and they would potentially save people from dying.


    -


    The large train of cars and RVs set off with Liam driving at the front. He was the most familiar with the roads and volunteered to lead the way.


    Rayne and Julian were at the very end, ensuring that everything went smoothly. If someone were to break down or have any issues along the way, they would see it and pull over to help.


    -


    As they approached the halfway point, Liam signaled for everyone to pull over to the side of the road to have a short break.


    Those who were traveling via car were able to visit a nearby RV to use the restroom.


    Rayne took this opportunity to pass out sandwiches that she ''spent all night preparing''.


    "Oh wow! I never thought a sandwich could look so appetizing!", said Liam, thanking Rayne.


    Similar words were said by the rest of the crew, and everyone happily enjoyed their short break.


    An hour later everyone got back inside their vehicles and continued their journey north.

 Chapter 249 - 249: New Home

    As Rayne pulled up to the ranch, she saw Fred and the rest of the residents running around, carrying boxes around.


    There was a large pile of boxes stacked in front of the farmhouse ready to be loaded.


    "Hey! There you are! We''re almost ready, just getting the final things packed up now", said Fred, greeting Rayne and Julian.


    "Perfect, we''ll start getting things loaded on the trailers. We''ve reserved 3 Jeeps to transport the cattle", said Rayne, pointing to the three Alpha Team jeeps in the back.


    Fred looked at the huge RVs with wide eyes, "You guys are very capable. With all of this, moving will be very simple".


    He called over a group of people to coordinate with Rayne''s group and begin loading supplies.


    The two groups worked together to get everything loaded. They worked through the intense heat for the entire day, getting everything finished by the time the sunset.


    "Okay, all of the supplies and usable items have been loaded, the last thing is to load the cattle.", said Fred.


    He wanted to wait until the evening to load the cattle into the trailers so that they would tolerate the heat a little better.


    There were many herders and experienced ranchers so loading the cattle didn''t take long.


    While the cattle were being loaded on the trailers, Julian was helping the residents get situated inside the RVs and vehicles.


    The RVs were over max capacity, but there was enough room for everyone to sit comfortably. Once the cattle were loaded on the trailers, Fred and his group said their final goodbyes to the ranch and set off to their new home.


    Even now they had no idea where their new home was. Everyone eagerly looked out the window, observing what the world turned into.


    Most of the residents from Fred''s ranch were locals of that town and had never left that town. To them this trip was more than a simple transport, it was filled with excitement to see the rest of the country they''d never seen before.


    -


    The evening quickly turned into the night and most of the passengers fell asleep in their seats. At the halfway mark, the drivers swapped with their counterparts and continued the journey without delay.


    Rayne and the rest wanted to arrive home before the intense afternoon sun made an appearance. They were worried that the long drive, coupled with the heat would be dangerous for the cattle they were transporting.


    -


    A few hours later the early morning sun could be seen peeking over the horizon.


    Rayne woke up from her short nap and yawned.


    "We must be getting close", she said, looking at the somewhat familiar surroundings.


    Julian smiled and patted her thigh, "Good morning. Yes, we''re about an hour out."


    "Oh good! I''m really looking forward to getting everyone settled in. I hope they finished the barn so we have a place for the cows", she smiled.


    "I believe they should have. They were very far along when we left, an additional two days should have been plenty of time", he said, giving his opinion.


    Rayne''s eyes sparkled. If the barn was finished, that meant that they would be free to move on to the next project: the recreation center!


    -


    An hour later they found themselves at the base of the mountain.


    Liam, per Julian''s instructions, signaled for everyone to pull over for Alpha Team to scout the area, ensuring that no one was following them or spying.


    Only after the all-clear was given did Liam lead the others into the forest.


    The residents of the Ranch were shocked when their vehicle quickly turned into the forest, off of the beaten path.


    "In the woods?", asked Fred, surprised at the location. He was riding in Rayne and Julian''s car, and couldn''t help but ask as he looked out the window.


    "Yes, it''s deep in these woods, right up against the mountain. It''s a beautiful place, I''m sure you''ll like it", said Rayne happily.


    She''s grown attached to this place. It was peaceful and secluded. There were no broken buildings or other daily reminders of how the world has changed.


    Being surrounded by nature brought peace to her, helping with the stress and anxiety of surviving this apocalyptic world.


    -


    Each vehicle drove in one by one, parking in the large parking area at the entrance of the settlement.


    Those who stayed home came out of their houses to greet the newcomers.


    Mila and Brandon stood beside Noah and Reginald, ready to welcome everyone.


    Fred hopped out of Rayne''s SUV and looked around with wonder, the settlement was nothing like he had imagined. People were even given the luxury of having their own rooms. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rayne walked over to his side and began pointing out a few key features.


    "Towards the back are our main three warehouses. Anything from food to furniture could be found in one of those. We will be adding the supplies you packed with you to them."


    She pointed at the houses and gave a quick overview of where key people lived, like Anna and Judy.


    "Solar panels?! You have electricity!", exclaimed Fred as he looked at the roofs.


    "Yes, they were just recently installed, but now each of the houses has the ability to cool itself with fans and air conditioning", explained Rayne.


    She also gave him an overview of the RVs along the perimeter of the forest that served as mobile restrooms and showers.


    Fred took everything in with amazement. He couldn''t even imagine how they managed to get everything in here!


    -


    Lastly, Rayne walked him over to the lake and fields.


    "Here are our fields. We will most likely need to expand them soon in order to keep up with the new population demands.", she pointed.


    The fields were covered with a translucent plastic-like covering. Rayne took a peek inside and noticed that the seedlings were looking strong and healthy once again.


    Beyond the fields was what Rayne wanted to see the most. It was a large, wooden barn with a large fence.


    "Ah, yay! Looks like they finished the barn! We can move the cows over right away", she said happily.


    Fred looked at the freshly built, majestic barn and felt tears well up in his eyes.


    "It''s beautiful. The cows will love it here. Thank you so much", he whispered.


    Rayne smiled, "No need to thank us. This is your home now. We all work together to live a happy life".

 Chapter 250 - 250: News From the City

    Back at the entrance, everyone was working together to unload the goods, and delivering them to the warehouses. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noah went around with Fred, assigning houses to each of the families, and even after getting everyone situated, there were still empty houses left over.


    Rayne walked around, watching as everyone came together to build furniture and get settled into their new homes. There were smiling faces all around which greatly lifted her mood.


    She walked over to the kitchen area where Mila was showing Rita all of the available tools and how things worked.


    "Rayne! How are you?", asked Mila.


    Rayne took a peek at the chopped vegetables on the table and smiled.


    "What are you making? It looks good!"


    "Oh, just prepping the vegetables for a stir fry, feel free to come by and have some when it''s finished", said Mila.


    Rita watched happily from the side, amazed at the variety of produce that was available in the kitchen.


    "Setting up this kitchen house is such a good idea. It''s amazing! Look at all of these spices you have!", she exclaimed.


    While food was never a huge problem for them at the ranch due to the cattle, they certainly only have a very limited variety compared to here.


    Mila turned to look at her, "It''s all thanks to Rayne and Julian. They''re so skilled at finding all of these high-quality items when they go out scavenging.


    Rayne shook her head, "No, we''re just lucky. Most of the smaller towns we''ve visited were empty, allowing us to get a few useful things".


    "I don''t know. Before we joined you we had our own fair share of looking and scavenging, but we never had your kind of luck", said Mila.


    -


    Rayne walked over to the newly constructed barn where the majority of Fred''s group currently was. They were unloading the cattle into the new pasture.


    Rayne watched as the cows weakly limped out of the trailers, looking very weak and tired.


    "Are they okay?", asked Rayne.


    She walked over to Fred''s side where he was watching the process from.


    Fred frowned slightly, "They''re not great, but I believe that after a few days of settling down here, they''ll go back to their original healthy states."


    "Oh, that''s good to hear. Let me or Noah know if there is anything specific you need to help them get more comfortable here. We''ll try to find it for you", said Rayne.


    She wanted the cute cows to feel better and happy in their new home.


    Fred smiled, looking over at her. "Thank you, we brought everything they need. It should just be a matter of time."


    Rayne trusted his judgment. They were all cattle ranchers for generations and knew what they were doing.


    -


    On the other side of the base, Julian was meeting with Noah and a few people from the construction/carpentry team.


    "So the next project we would like to start is building a large structure that can be used as a recreation center. We want a place where people can enjoy fun activities such as reading, board games, and small crafts", said Julian.


    He was passing along Rayne''s ideas to the group of men, handing them an intricate blueprint that Rayne had come up with earlier.


    One of the men who was a general contractor by trade looked at the detailed design and marveled at it.


    "Wow, I haven''t seen such a well-drawn-out blueprint in ages. Whoever made it must have been a top architect."


    Julian smiled, "Yes, our settlement is lucky to have two skilled architects. This one in particular was drawn by Rayne".


    Everyone beside Noah looked up at him in shock.


    "Wait, you''re saying that Rayne drew this?", he asked, very surprised. He had always thought she was a model or beauty influencer, not expecting her to be such a skilled architect.


    "Yes, she and Ella both are quite skilled. If you have a need for a design in the future, I''m sure they would be happy to help", said Julian.


    He was feeling proud of Rayne''s skills and was happy that her talents were being recognized.


    The contractor accepted the blueprint and nodded, "Then we will work on this. Just let us know where you want it".


    Julian walked them over to a spot somewhat central in the settlement. It was opposite the lake and would be a good central focal point when the building was built.


    The contractors and carpenters quickly got to work right there, marking the designated area with spray paint and string.


    "Let me know if you need more lumber. I can make a trip over to the home improvement center and bring more", offered Julian.


    When Rayne was originally filling the warehouses, she dumped a huge pile of precut and pretreated wood to be used in construction projects. After building the barn and a few smaller things around the base, Julian wasn''t sure if they needed more.


    This rec center would be the most intricate building that they would be building so far, so he wanted to make sure that there were enough supplies.


    "Sounds good boss. By the looks of it, we have what we need, but I''ll let you know if we are missing something", said the contractor.


    -


    After setting the next project, Julian walked around to find Rayne so that he could tell her the good news.


    However just as he found her, Ian came running over.


    "Boss, we have an update from Alpha Team in the city. They believe they found the parking garage that we are looking for. Yesterday a huge group of people took off from there."


    "How many people? I want someone to follow them if possible. Also, tell them to keep an eye on that location. I need to be sure that we got the right one", said Julian, swapping over to his cold and serious demeanor.


    Rayne walked alongside him and reached out to hold his hand.


    Julian squeezed her hand a few times as they walked, subtly telling her that he was okay.


    The information that they may have finally found Damien after all of this time was huge news to everyone involved.


    "After confirming the location we will need to begin making plans on infiltrating their base", said Julian.


    Ian took note of everything Julian said and ran back to the Alpha Team house to pass along the instructions while Rayne walked home with Julian.

 Chapter 251 - 251: City Raids

    Once they got home Rayne walked over to Julian''s side and looked up at him.


    "This is good news, right? Once we get rid of him we can finally live with a focus on growing our settlement and finding more people", she said.


    Julian turned to face her and gently stroked her hair.


    "Yes, as soon as Damien is out of the picture we can focus on rebuilding, surviving, and thriving".


    He wanted nothing more than to spend his days with her, to start a family together, and enjoy life. But in order for them to do that he needed to get rid of Damien before he turned the world into even more chaos with his drug.


    Rayne smiled and nodded, "Then let''s focus all of our efforts on dealing with Damien."


    -


    In the city.


    A large group of men gathered in the parking garage and got into the cars.


    "Our mission is to secure resources, mainly water. Every person we run into must submit, or else we have orders to kill them", shouted the group leader.


    "Yes, sir!", the other''s replied.


    They quickly drove out, splitting into different directions.


    One of the groups quickly found a small shanty settlement on the edge of town.


    The leader of this group was a big man with a large scar across his chest. He walked around wearing a white tank top and cargo shorts.


    "Well hello there", he said kicking the door of a small building open.


    Inside was a group of people, huddled together behind a few boxes. When they heard the cars pull up they quickly made the decision to hide because they''d been robbed by bandits before.


    The group leader walked inside with a big grin.


    "Come out, I know you''re in here. It''s rude not to greet your guest!"


    We went over to the small table and sat on the wooden chair, placing his feet up on the table. His sharp senses knew exactly where they were hiding.


    "I''ll count to three. If you don''t come out by the time I get to three, don''t blame me for being rude"


    The people hiding behind the boxes all looked at each other with worry, trying to figure out what to do.


    "One"


    The oldest in the group was an elderly man in his early 70''s. He looked at the frightened expressions of everyone else who looked over at him. As the eldest in the group, they''ve looked up to him when making important decisions.


    "Two"


    The elderly man peeked through the boxes at the leader. He could tell just by the man''s cocky appearance that he wasn''t here for a friendly visit. If they didn''t show themselves, then something really bad could happen.


    "Thre--"


    The elderly man stood up.


    "Hello, sir. How may we help you?"


    "Ah, so you finally decided to show yourselves", the leader laughed.


    The elderly man watched him nervously without moving from his spot. He wanted to know why this man came barging in.


    Seeing the silent elderly man, the leader started laughing!


    "Not very hospitable are we? Very well, just give us all of your resources and we''ll leave you alone.


    The elderly man frowned. They had spent the past month tirelessly scavenging for the little supplies they managed to find.


    However, he knew that he had little choice. They had no weapons to defend themselves with, and this cocky man looked like he had a gun strapped to his side.


    With a deep sigh, the man finally took a step forward.


    "Very well, we don''t have a lot, but please--"


    "Grandpa! We can''t let them take our things! We won''t survive without it! It took us so long to find these items!", a teenage boy jumped up and pleaded.


    The elderly man quickly covered the boy''s mouth, afraid to anger the frightening man who was still lounging on their table, but it was too late.


    "Oh! Who''s this warrior? Come here boy, let me take a good look at you."


    The elderly man tried to hide the young man behind his back, but the boy walked over with his chest puffed out.


    "Good, good! You look like you have some strong bones. I''ll take you back with me", the leader smiled.


    "Please, no! Take all of our supplies, but please leave my grandson with me!", the elderly man walked forward, begging.


    The teenage boy was frightened and ran over to his grandfather''s side while eyeing the leader angrily.


    "I''m staying with my grandpa!", he announced with an angry voice.


    The leader laughed, "Ha! You''ve got some fire in you boy".


    He pulled out the pistol and aimed it at the elderly man.


    "I''ll give you a choice. You can come with me, or I''ll shoot your grandpa".


    His tone was serious, but his expression was amused. He was watching the young man struggle to make a decision.


    The elderly man had tears in his eyes. He knelt on the floor and cried to the leader.


    "Please, spare us. He''s the only family I have left. Please don''t take him away from me!"


    The teenage boy started crying alongside him. The others who were still hiding wanted to come out but were held back by a woman. She shook her head, knowing if more of these young men showed themselves, they might be taken away as well.


    "Hurry up boy, I don''t have all day.", the leader egged on.


    The boy finally stood up and walked over to the leader''s side, "I''ll go with you, please spare my grandpa."


    The leader lowered his gun, "Good. Don''t worry, you''ll be taken care of, you should be grateful".


    The elderly man started shaking as he cried. His only grandson was being dragged out of the house by the threatening man.


    As soon as they walked out a group of other buff men stormed in and began to move out all of the supplies they had around the house. Every last crumb was taken away, leaving the remaining group of people without anything. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, there were more people inside", reported one of the men.


    "You think I don''t know that?", asked the leader, "I purposely left them so that we can come by again later...if they survive".


    After they finished loading all of the items into their car, they set off to look for their next victims.


    The young man was thrown into the car. He continued to cry as he looked out the window where he watched his grandfather desperately try to follow the car.


    "Shut up, or we''ll get rid of you", the leader shouted.


    Initially, he enjoyed watching the anguish the young man was going through, but now that they were leaving, he got tired of listening to his sobs.