Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 220

Chapter 220 Tell Him Rent Isn’t Free

Finished

Joanna and her crew teleported back to the property with an hour to spare before Briggs and the convoy arrived. She immediately so the crew to work clearing the yard, while Jolie headed underground to tidy the bunker. Ryan and her team would still face days of heavy cleaning ahead, but it would be good enough for now to keep everyone warm and comfortable.

One brilliant feature Joanna had included when designing the underground bunkers was a modular, building-block system. Because they lacked the time to excavate a new pit, Joanna placed the second bunker directly on top of the underground one. With a few quick adjustments, she connected its bottom hatch to the lower unit’s ceiling. The modification instantly expanded their living space and doubled their capacity for supply storage.

With the structures secured, the rest of the yard took shape rapidly. She stacked the metal storage containers to form four thick walls of extra protection, centering the bunker inside the perimeter. Reaching into the inventory from her early-apocalypse raids, Joanna pulled out generators, household appliances, and water tanks so the troops could finish the setup while she was away.

Just as Jake and Julian began hooking up the generators, Briggs’s convoy finally rolled through the gates. The trucks looked significantly worse for wear than when they had departed that afternoon.

“What happened to you guys?” Joanna asked, her brow furrowing.

Will climbed out of the lead vehicle looking completely haggard. “Boss, the zombies have evolved. Level- two variants were everywhere. We almost got pinned down twice.”

“I cleared most of the highway on my way here,” Joanna said, genuinely confused. “How did they catch you? Why didn’t you just drive through them?”

Briggs walked up to join the conversation, his expression grim. “I know you cleared the abandoned cars, but someone or something-had dragged several vehicles back onto the asphalt to block the road. The moment we slowed down, we hit two separate ambushes. The zombies are getting smarter.”

He paused, taking a breath. “Luckily, they aren’t fully organized yet. RJ managed to pick up the signature of a zombie telepath in the area. The creature wasn’t very strong yet, so she was able to break its mental control right as we arrived. Once the horde lost its coordination, we eliminated the threat.”

Joanna’s gaze turned wary. She had never heard of level-two zombies displaying tactical coordination or using blockades. “Where did this happen?”

“I pinged the coordinates to the group chat,” Briggs replied, nodding. “Anyone traveling by car needs to be hyper-vigilant. The main convoy will be routing through Westridge, so they should be safe. But you, me, and the strike team have to pass right back through that ambush zone to reach Tech Valley.”

Joanna nodded, absorbing the danger, before shifting focus to the immediate priority. “We will deal with tomorrow. For tonight, get everyone inside and let them rest. The troops can finish hooking up the equipment in the morning before we move out.”

Briggs smiled at Joanna, relieved to finally be off the road. Taking out her radio, Joanna sent a quick blast to the group chat: Wrap it up in an hour. Everyone needs to be in bed for a solid night’s rest.

As the team acknowledged the message and hurried their pace, Joanna turned on her heel. She caught the

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10:43 am

Chapter 220 Tell Him Rent Isn’t Free

Finished

eyes of Raven, Jolie, and Allen, gesturing for them to follow. Without a word, she led the trio toward the dark, shadowed corner of the inner courtyard.

Stopping near the base of the perimeter wall, Joanna looked up at the barrier. She didn’t like the security here. Not one bit. Maybe it was the lingering adrenaline from her recent run-in with Eric, but a deep, knotting paranoia had taken root in her chest. She could no longer afford the luxury of believing her base would remain hidden. The world was shrinking, and the threats were getting smarter. Worse still, the women they had just rescued was a walking wildcard; sooner or later, they would likely break and share their coordinates with someone.

“We need eyes in the sky, 24/7,” Joanna said, her voice low as the others gathered around. She looked at Allen, then toward the corner. “I want the pigeons on a constant, rotating patrol schedule while I’m away. No blind spots, no gaps in coverage. If a blade of grass moves outside these walls, I want you to know about it. This time lets build a nice nesting area inside the base courtyard so Dante and his birds can lay eggs in peace. Keep some in stock in case you get attacked. By putting them here, access to the eggs will be easier.”

Raven spoke up, breaking the heavy silence. “Dante arrived a little while ago. He’s waiting for you just outside the perimeter.”

Joanna nodded, the knot in her chest easing at the news. Leaving Allen and Jolie to build the nesting coop, she led Raven and Titan through the gate. Her lantern cast an amber circle on the packed earth. Nearby branches groaned under shifting weight, followed by the heavy beat of massive wings. Giant mutated pigeons dropped from the canopy, landing heavily around them.

Before the dust could even settle, a particularly massive bird launched itself forward. Dante landed squarely on Joanna’s shoulder, his sheer weight nearly throwing off her balance. He immediately began cooing loudly, puffing out his iridescent chest feathers and aggressively nuzzling her neck.

Joanna sighed deeply, thoroughly exasperated by the clingy affection of the self-appointed President of the Pigeon Federation. She tilted her neck sharply to the side, trying to escape the barrage of giant feathers and a very enthusiastic beak.

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