Doomsday Revenge: Payback Time (Josie) novel Chapter 87

“As for the rest of you, it’s your call. But if you choose to follow him, get your heads straight. Starting today, we aren’t soldiers anymore. We aren’t fighting for the people. We’re fighting for ourselves.”

The other guys traded looks, the silence heavy between them.

After talking it over, about forty men decided to stick with Zane.

Most of them lived too far away. Trying to make it back on foot was a suicide mission.

The rest either had no one left to go back to, or they already knew what they’d find and were too scared to face the truth. The other dozen or so? They couldn’t wait. They had families out there and were desperate to find them.

A day later.

Zane finally tracked down Josie again.

Josie was genuinely curious. “Okay, I’ve gotta ask. Tate’s been looking for me like a total dumbass and hasn’t found shit. How did you find me? I’m actually impressed.”

Zane didn’t play games this time. He pointed to the spot behind her ear. “The jammer I gave you. There’s a chip inside. I have the override code. I can unlock it whenever I want and force it to ping a signal.”

“The satellites are trashed, but I can still get a general lock on the direction. From there, it was just a matter of narrowing it down. It took me a full day and night to finally pin you to this spot.”

Josie’s face darkened. “You were tracking me.”

“No. I wouldn’t dare,” Zane said, his face pale and defeated. “I’ve been kicked out of the military. I’m a criminal now. Why would I want to get on the bad side of a hidden powerhouse like you?”

“I handed you a literal arsenal,” Zane said. “I had to know where you were taking it.”

“I might be a risk–taker, but I’m not that reckless.”

“Relax. I’m the only one who knows how to trigger the chip. And it’s a one–time thing.”

“That jammer can ghost military satellites. Keeping Tate and his goons off your tail? That’s child’s play. If you still trust me, keep using it. But once the battery hits zero, it’s just scrap metal.”

Josie arched an eyebrow. “So, you tracked me down to take your weapons back?”

“No,” Zane said. “I actually need you to keep holding onto them for me.”

“Then why are you here?” Josie stared at him, confused.

“Let’s do a proper introduction. My name is Zane. I’m twenty-five. Former Captain of the Blue Owl Squad, Special Forces. Rank: Major. As of now, Blue Owl has been burned and officially disbanded. I’ve only got a few dozen brothers left, just trying to survive.” Zane locked eyes with her, his expression dead serious. “Josie, you want to team up with us one more time?”

“I’m listening,” Josie said, her face unreadable.

“My team is elite. Not a single weak link in the bunch. You bankroll the squad, we do your dirty work,” Zane said. “I’m not asking for a handout, either. I’ve got a massive stash hidden where no one will ever find it. Once we pull it, it’s all yours.”

“What’s in it?” Josie asked, her interest finally piqued.

“Military rations, MREs, meds, gas, diesel, even aviation fuel,” Zane listed them off. “It’s a lot. More than enough to cover your fees.”

“If you’ve got that many supplies, why not just feed them yourself? Why come to me?” Josie challenged him.

TOR 49

< Chapter 87

“It’s too much gear. I can’t exactly lug a mountain of supplies around on my back, Zane countered. But more importantly, I’m worried someone else will stumble onto it. If that happens, all my hard work goes down the drain

“Giving it to you changes the game. You’ve got your space. I can just grab what I need, when I need it, Zane said, completely upfront. Paying a little storage fee is a hell of a lot better than getting cleaned out by scavengers.”

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