Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 256

Chapter 256 Do You Like What You See Joanna?

26:48:89

Finished

Without wasting a single second, Joanna grabbed both RJ and Briggs by the shoulders and folded reality, executing a rapid, dizzying jump to the second point of the tactical triangle.

They materialized on a lower vantage point just in time to see a strikingly similar scene unfolding below. The second wave of explosive-rigged zombies was already pushing into the northern warehouse perimeter, drawing out the screaming guards and a fresh pack of snarling, mutated infected.

Joanna didn’t wait for the aberrations to make a move this time. She reached into her space, pulled out the second detonator, and flipped the switch.

BOOM!

Another colossal explosion tore through the night, a violent shockwave of white-hot heat and concussive force that vaporized the remaining Blood Fang structures in a blinding flash. The secondary fuel lines ignited instantly, linking the two blast zones into a roaring, inescapable sea of fire that completely illuminated the late-night snow.

Panicked screams cut through the heat as the final stronghold collapsed. Joanna appeared on the last roof, her face lit by the inferno below. At the street barrier, aberrant zombies tore into her rigged infected. She smiled, pressed the final detonator.

A white flash erased the barrier. The shockwave buckled asphalt, shattered concrete into shrapnel. The aberrations vaporized. The blast ripped upward, tearing the roof off the main building and hurling a fireball hundreds of feet into the sky. The three blasts merged into a perfect triangle of fire, scorching the map clean of Blood Fang.

The burning triangle glowed against the night. Joanna pulled Briggs and RJ close on the snowy edge to watch. With no water to fight it, the firestorm would consume the city within days.

Joanna looked over at her enforcer, the flickering orange light dancing across his rugged features. “Are you ok?”

Briggs looked back at her, his tough exterior softening just a fraction. “If I say I am not, would you give me a hug?”

Joanna smiled, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him anyway. “Thanks for your help, Mr. Sparkles.”

Briggs grunted in theatrical annoyance at the nickname, but he hugged her back tight, his heavy grip warm against the biting, snowy wind.

Releasing him, Joanna turned and pulled RJ into a warm embrace. “You too, Ms. Phantom. Your mind control is getting next-level scary.”

It was already four in the morning, the freezing pre-dawn air thick with the smell of smoke and ash.

Joanna shifted into command mode. “RJ-mental text to Caleb. Brandon’s arriving at that address; have him collected.” She nodded toward Briggs. “You can fill the team in on him.”

She glanced between the two of them, reinforcing the warning. “Tell Caleb I am taking Brandon to his cousin, Fletcher, and to just keep him at arm’s length until then.”

1/3

Chapter 256 Do You Like What You See Joanna?

26:47:16

Finished

With her final orders delivered, Joanna pulled everyone into her pocket dimension. Inside the quiet void, paused, looking back through a localized rift at the towering flames for a few quiet minutes, watching the end of the Blood Fang’s district. Satisfied, she closed the tear, shifted her spatial coordinates, and disappeared completely, teleporting the team safely back to Julian’s place.

Before leaving her pocket dimension, she gave her team a firm look. “Shower. Get the smell of gasoline and dead bodies off of you.”

They hurried inside to wash off the night. After a quick shower, Joanna pulled on sweats and found RJ in the kitchen. The spatial jumps had drained her; she’d moved tons of supplies. Needing energy, they sat at the island with a steaming bowl of pasta.

They were halfway through the bowl when Commander Briggs strolled into the kitchen. He had bypassed the indoor showers entirely, opting for the natural hot springs located outside. The steam from the thermal water still radiated off his skin. He was wearing absolutely nothing but a loose pair of dark athletic shorts. leaving his massive, broad, rock-hard torso completely on display.

He walked in casually toweling off his damp hair.

Both women stopped mid-bite. Their forks froze halfway to their mouths, their eyes widening in unison at the sheer, unfiltered view.

Noticing the absolute silence in the kitchen, Briggs paused directly in front of them. A slow, knowing smirk spread across his face, his chest flexing slightly. He didn’t say a word. Instead, he bent down, smoothly slipped the fork right out of Joanna’s paralyzed fingers, and took a bite of her pasta-all while keeping his dark eyes locked intently onto hers.

Am I about to get an actual nosebleed right now? Joanna wondered, her brain completely short-circuiting as she stared up at him.

Joanna was the first to recover, though her voice still came out slightly breathless. “Jeesh, Briggs… you need a permit before strutting around like that.”

He chewed slowly, deliberately taking his time before swallowing the pasta. He gently set her fork back down on the counter. “Do you like what you see, Joanna?”

His voice dropped low, rich and highly suggestive in the quiet kitchen.

Ok, how on earth does this ice-cold, deadly man flirt so well? Joanna wondered to herself, her heart beating a little faster against her ribs. She was an elite survivor with a pocket dimension, but she was only human after all.

RJ sat entirely frozen next to her, completely wide-eyed, trying to blend into the kitchen stool to avoid interrupting the heavy static of tension charging the air between the two of them.

He turned to walk away and said calmly over his shoulder, “Just say the word. I am only waiting for that spousal invitation.”

He sauntered upstairs with a smooth, completely unbothered stride, leaving the heavy silence of his departure lingering in the kitchen.

Joanna and RJ sat frozen for a fraction of a second, staring at the empty doorway. Then, they looked at each other and instantly burst into a fit of giggles. The absolute absurdity of a battle-hardened, terrifying commander delivering a line like that in nothing but athletic shorts was just too much to handle.

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