Reborn Cave Queen of the End Times novel Chapter 159

Chapter 159 Gordon’s Empire

Chapter 159 Gordon’s Empire

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“Then why do you look this miserable?” Autumn asked again.

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“They forced the two of us to lead them there. Said if we refused, they’d kill us on the spot,” David said miserably. “My face swelled up from all the hits, and they kept trying to get their hands on Kayla. I had no choice but to fake agreement and lead them toward Karthmoor.

“They barely fed us anything. One tiny pancake a day, scraping down your throat on the way. We got so hungry we caught fish and ate them raw. Then my stomach gave out and I had diarrhea for two days and two nights straight.” As David spoke, real tears started falling, proof enough of what he’d endured.

Kayla sighed. “Thank god David was willing to sacrifice himself, make himself look half dead. That’s the only reason our watchers let their guard down. The second they weren’t looking, we dove into the water and ran. They were too rushed getting to Karthmoor to salvage supplies to bother chasing us. We just kept swimming and swimming until we found a piece of driftwood. Climbing onto it was the only reason we survived at all.”

“We spent a full day and night out there with no food or water. We were nearly done for when one of Scott’s rescue teams finally found us and pulled us out,” David said. “Autumn, I genuinely thought I’d never see you again. Boohoo. Life out there isn’t life at all.”

David and Kayla clung to one another as they sobbed.

Even crying, neither of them stopped eating their burgers.

They’d truly been starving.

“Slow down. There’s more to hear,” Autumn said. Watching the two of them look so haggard stirred pity in her, though something in her also wanted to laugh.

Once David finished crying, he asked Autumn for two sausages, handed one to Kayla, and only started eating his own after. Chewing, he said, “Autumn, the outside world’s a complete mess. From how those people talked, the central shelter doesn’t even function like anything official anymore. It’s basically one man’s private estate. Everyone living there counts as his personal property.”

Kayla added, “I saw it myself. Even a low ranking squad leader could beat and curse whoever he wanted whenever the mood struck, and no one dared say a word, even if someone got beaten to death. That tells you how rigid the hierarchy’s gotten there. They’ve regressed clean back to a slave society. At the very top sits Gordon, the man who seized the central shelter.

“Gordon used to be the wealthiest man around. Some of his fortune came from shady

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Chapter 159 Gordon’s Empire

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dealings, but he had connections above him and power in hand, so nobody dared dig into it. Even before the apocalypse, he already ruled like a local king. Because he paid his taxes generously, the people above turned a blind eye. Once the apocalypse hit and nothing kept him in check anymore, his true colors surfaced.

“I heard he rounded up a gang of criminals and raided the homes of the central shelter’s former leadership, carrying out a full massacre. In the beginning, the central shelter had genuinely run as an official operation. The people in charge back then were fairly responsible too, focused on saving lives first. But that obviously threatened Gordon’s interests. How could he possibly let others use his resources to save people and claim the credit for it?

“So Gordon staged a coup. Overnight, he killed over a thousand people and seized total control of the central shelter. Public became private, just like that,” Kayla continued. “We didn’t cross paths with many people, so what we gathered is limited. Hopefully some of it helps you.”

Autumn quickly passed Kayla a bottle of purified water. “It helps. Genuinely helps. You two have already done more than enough.”

Kayla, petite as she was, abandoned David the moment she heard that and threw herself into Autumn’s arms, sobbing. “I really thought I’d never see you again. Boohoo.”

David wanted comfort too, squeezing in on Autumn’s other side, bawling right along with her.

Autumn had no choice but to wrap an arm around each of them, soothing them both. “Okay, okay. No more running off. Just stay at the base from now on. Nothing’s going to happen to either of you again.”

Once David and Kayla were settled, Autumn turned and went straight to find Leonel, relaying everything Kayla had told her.

“My people turned up basically the same story. Turns out this Gordon actually has a tie to you,” Leonel said. “Remember those 50 tons of gold the richest man in Karthmoor stashed at his mistress’ place?”

“Don’t tell me that was his?” Autumn’s jaw dropped.

“It was,” Leonel said with a smile. “Beyond being the wealthiest man around, Gordon also headed a mafia operation. That gold was half a lifetime’s fortune built up over years. Which means since the very start of the apocalypse, you and Gordon have already been enemies.”

“Wow. What a coincidence.” Autumn looked awkward. “But there’s something I don’t get. If Gordon already controls the central shelter, why’s everyone still fighting over power?”

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