Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 145

Chapter 145 Please tell me there is blackmail material

you… are you serious? Will stammered. He didn’t wait for a second invitation. He eagerly loaded a plate with a thick cut of ribeye and a mountain of potatoes. The moment the hot food hit his mouth, his eyes practically rolled back in his head. “Oh my god. This is hot. It’s fresh. How do you even have fresh avocado right now? This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

The entire table burst out laughing at his sheer, unadulterated ecstasy.

As the laughter died down, Kailee suddenly went very quiet. She rested her chin in her hands, her eyes locked entirely on Will as he enthusiastically dug into the meal. A bright, unmistakable blush crept up her cheeks. She was staring so intently that she didn’t notice Julian kicking her foot under the table.

Joanna noticed instantly. She loudly cleared her throat, breaking the sudden spell. Kailee snapped out of it. her face turning an even deeper shade of crimson as she suddenly found her lemonade incredibly interesting.

Turning her analytical gaze back to the soldier, Joanna dropped her voice, letting her tactical tone click back into place. “Will, let me ask you something. What do you know about Galen?”

Will stopped chewing, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in topic. He blinked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Galen? Honestly, not much. He just joined our unit three days ago as a transfer from the northern sector. High clearance, but he keeps to himself. No one really knows him. Why do you ask?”

“Just tracking the moving pieces.” Joanna replied smoothly, her expression unreadable. “Which one is he?”

Will turned his head slightly, nodding toward the second armored truck idling under the broken canopy. “See the guy standing by the rear passenger tire? The one leaning against the steel panel with his arms crossed, watching the road?”

Joanna’s eyes tracked his finger. In the dim, flickering shadows of the gas station, a soldier stood perfectly still. He was completely detached from the other men, his hand resting tightly on his sidearm, staring right back toward their van.

Joanna kept her eyes locked on Galen, her expression turning unreadable and cold.

“Keep an eye on him, Will,” Joanna murmured, her voice dropping low. “Watch your back around him.”

Will froze, his fork hovering in the air. He knew Joanna could sense things-danger, traps, and hidden motives-long before anyone else. Her warning wasn’t just a casual comment; it was a tactical red flag.

“What’s going on, Joanna?” Will asked, his voice tightening as he set his plate down. His relaxed demeanor vanished, replaced by the alert posture of a soldier on duty. He glanced back toward Galen. What do you know about him? Is he a threat to the unit?”

Joanna leaned back against the van, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. A smooth, neutral mask slid over her features as she dialed back the intensity.

“Just a gut feeling,” Joanna replied, brushing it off with a faint shrug. Transfers this late in the game are always wild cards. Just don’t let him behind you in a tight spot.”

Will studied her face for a long, quiet moment. He could tell she was holding back the full picture, but he trusted her judgment implicitly. If she said a man was a snake, he was going to treat him like a viper.

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Chapter 145 Please tell me there is blackmail material

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Finished

“Understood,” Will said grimly, giving her a sharp nod. He looked back at the second truck with newfound

picion. “I’ll make sure the squad keeps him on a short leash.”

With the tactical warning out of the way, the heavy mood dissolved right back into pure, ridiculous chaos. The magic of hot steak worked instantly. For a brief moment, the burning skyline and the distant zombie groans were forgotten, replaced by the beautiful sound of friends talking trash.

“Speaking of wild cards,” Will said, a mischievous grin breaking across his face. He leaned over the table. dropping his voice to a theatrical whisper. “You guys think Jake is this elite, hyper-disciplined soldier, right But back when we were stationed overseas in the military? The man absolutely lost his marbles because of

me.”

Julian paused mid-bite, his eyes lighting up. “Oh, thank god. Please tell me there is blackmail material.”

“The absolute best kind,” Will cackled. “We were stuck at this tiny, boring desert outpost. Jake was bragging about how nothing could break his military discipline. So, I double-dog dared him to do midnight tactical sprints across the sand dunes. But the catch was, he had to do them completely stark naked. Except for his combat boots and a pair of bulky night-vision goggles.”

Rachel choked on her chicken, letting out a loud gasp. “No way! He actually took the dare?”

“He was a young soldier, Rachel, he can’t turn down a dare!” Will wheezed, slapping the table. “He’s out there doing full-intensity tactical sprints across the sand dunes, completely bare to the wind. He thinks he’s a ghost in the night. But what he didn’t know was that the base commander was running a surprise perimeter sweep with thermal optics. Suddenly, the massive base searchlights snap on.”

Kailee gasped, her eyes wide.

“The light hits the dunes,” Will shouted, crying tears of laughter. “And there is Jake. Frozen mid-stride in a tactical crouch. He looks like a hairless desert creature. He had to stand perfectly at attention and give a crisp military salute to the commander-completely butt-naked, wearing nothing but plastic goggles and leather boots.”

The table erupted. Julian pounded the table so hard a stream of blue static popped off his hand and lightly zapped a piece of asparagus. Kailee hid her face in her hands, giggling uncontrollably, while Rachel nearly fell off her seat. Even Joanna’s icy mask completely shattered, a wide, genuine laugh escaping her lips. For a few seconds, they weren’t survivors in a graveyard city. They were just friends roasting a buddy.

Then, the universe remembered it was the apocalypse.

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