Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 141

Chapter 141 The living dead were now part of the geography

Tillusion of asleeping city shattered as the convoy entered the central district. One week was all it took for Aurora to transform into a sprawling concrete tomb.

Kailee slowed the van, keeping a tight formation behind the three military trucks. The headlights cut through the pitch black, illuminating the frozen chaos of the collapse. Abandoned cars choked the lanes. many scorched black from early fires. The power grid was dead; the only light came from the convoy and the flickering orange glow of a ruptured gas line in a distant alley. Smashed storefronts were spray-painted with desperate, fading messages: HELP INSIDE. NO FOOD.

Past a collapsed overpass, the smell of diesel gave way to a suffocating wave of rot. A week of bodies baking in the stagnant air had turned the city into an open-air morgue. In the back seat, Rachel choked back a gag, pressing her sleeve to her nose as Julian handed her a jar of menthol rub.

The living dead were now part of the geography. Dozens of infected wandered the sidewalks, turning blindly toward the rumble of the diesel engines. A small cluster stumbled off the curb, hurling themselves against the lead truck. The heavy armor swatted them down, leaving dark smears before crushing them beneath massive tires. Looking up at the high-rises, Joanna saw pale, bloody hands smearing the upper windows. She threw her are outside the window, casually moving cores out of the corpses and sucking them into her space.

The destruction was catastrophic, but Joanna’s mind focused on the tactical map. This sector was a bottleneck. With Jax pulling out tonight, the perimeter would collapse by morning. And somewhere ahead, a man named Galen was riding shotgun.

The military truck’s brake lights flared a warning red. Joanna’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.

“Keep your distance from that tailgate, Kailee,” Joanna commanded quietly, scanning the dark alleyways. “If things go sideways, don’t get trapped in their blind spot. If they stop, you swerve and keep moving.”

The trip to the Pharmatec plant was grueling. Every two blocks, the convoy ground to a halt. Soldiers spilled out into the headlights, using axes and chains to clear wreckage while fighting off waves of groaning zombies.

Joanna did nothing to help them. She stayed inside the van, keeping her eyes moving and collecting the glowing zombie cores left behind in the wake of the military’s efficiency.

Turning in her seat, she looked back at her crew. “Getting out of Aurora is going to take several hours,” she said, pulling a heavy leather satchel from her tactical gear. It rattled with the sharp clink of harvested cores. “Julian, we can get you to level two if you want. Rachel, you have to increase your level one as well.”

She handed the bag toward the back seat. “Take these. Julian, go over how to absorb them with Rachel. Me and Kailee can hold the front down for now.”

Rachel’s eyes went wide, a sudden spark of adrenaline cutting through her fear. “Finally! I can build my mental telepathy!”

Joanna laughed quietly at her excitement, nodding in approval. “Do it safely.”

She turned her attention back to the driver’s seat. Kailee was staring intently through the windshield, her hands steady on the wheel. She had only recently joined the team, but as she listened to Joanna distribute

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Chapter 141 The living dead were now part of the geography

Finished

the valuable cores, a realization hit her. Joanna didn’t just see them as extra muscle or liabilities. She genuinely cared for her and Caleb’s survival, treating them like true equals from the very beginning-far better than Kailee had ever expected from a group leader in this new world.

“Once we clear Aurora, the convoy will probably rest and try to scavenge a bit,” Joanna told her softly. breaking Kailee from her thoughts. “We’ll switch drivers then and let you absorb some cores as well.”

Kailee blinked, a rare, appreciative smile cracking her tough exterior as she looked over at Joanna. “Thanks, Boss,” she said, her voice carrying a newfound warmth. “I’ll hold the line until then.”

Behind them, a low, pulsing hum of energy began as Julian and Rachel started the absorption process.

The low, rhythmic hum of energy vibrated from the back seat as Julian and Rachel focused on absorbing the cores. Up front, the dashboard lights cast a faint glow over Joanna and Kailee. The stop-and-go pace of the convoy gave them a rare, quiet pocket of time amidst the surrounding ruin.

“You’re good at this, Kailee,” Joanna said softly, breaking the silence. “Steering through this mess without breaking a sweat.”

Kailee offered a small, self-deprecating smile, her eyes never leaving the brake lights of the military truck ahead. “I’m used to carrying the weight. But honestly, Boss? I’m still surprised by you. You really don’t have to share those cores with me.”

Joanna turned to her, her expression serious and steady. “Honestly, we are a team now, and I have your back. Even though you guys are on probation, I know we have to lean on each other to make it through this. So you have to get stronger.”

Kailee blinked, a rare, appreciative smile cracking her tough exterior at Joanna’s blunt honesty. “Fair enough, Boss. I can respect that.” She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel, her voice softening as her mind drifted. “Caleb’s been my rock since we were kids. Most people just see the quiet, skinny guy who keeps to himself, but he saved me. Back when we were young, I was a prime target for bullies. Especially my cousin, Megan Foster.”

Joanna tilted her head, listening intently. “Her husband hated her when we spoke to him so I am not surprised.”

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