Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29 An investment for good luck in the future

སློ

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Outside the glass partition, Joanna leaned casually against the office doorframe, though she caught the low, rhythmic murmur of Jolie and Allen’s voices from within. Rachel leaned against the adjacent wall, crossing her arms.

“I’m still curious,” Rachel admitted, looking at the bricks of cash being counted. “What does a person do with millions of dollars of unrefined, raw stone? Most buyers won’t touch it until it’s cut and polished.”

Joanna smiled faintly, staring out into the empty warehouse. “Call it an investment for good luck in the future.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow, a skeptical amusement in her eyes. “You must be expecting some terrible luck to buy a mountain of jade for protection.”

Joanna cleared her throat and turned her full attention to Rachel. The warmth left her expression, replaced by a cold, absolute certainty.

“I believe everyone should be preparing right now,” Joanna said, her voice dropping to a quiet, unsettling whisper. “Because there is an entire world of bad luck headed our way very soon.”

The sheer conviction in Joanna’s tone was heavy, anchoring the air in the room. Rachel’s smile faded. She found herself slowly nodding, caught off guard by the gravity of the warning.

“Maybe you are the psychic one,” Rachel said, only half-joking.

“I’m not psychic,” Joanna said, offering a small, mysterious smile. “But like you, I am rarely wrong.”

Rachel let out a short, surprised laugh, though her eyes remained guarded. “Alright, Joanna. Is there anything else you’re doing to prepare for this world of bad luck?”

Joanna looked away for a brief second, calculating exactly how much to reveal. She needed Rachel alive and holding resources when the world ended. She looked back, her eyes boring into Rachel’s.

“I just handed you five million dollars. That should tell you exactly how serious I am,” Joanna said flatly. “So, I’m going to give you a piece of advice. If you follow it, in a few months, you’ll look back and realize it saved your life.”

Rachel straightened up, her posture becoming entirely alert. “Go on.”

“Prepare bug-out bags with essential tools, water, and non-perishable food,” Joanna instructed, her voice precise. “Go buy heavy metal baseball bats and sturdy steel shovels. Keep them locked in the back of an all-terrain vehicle. These things will cost you almost nothing right now, but

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11:26 Sat, Oct 3

Chapter 29 An investment for good luck in the future

very soon, they will be the only baseline between living and dying.”

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Finished

Rachel stared at her, the color draining slightly from her face. She looked genuinely unsettled, her mind clearly racing to find a logical reason for the wealthy young woman’s paranoia. Yet, looking at Joanna’s steady eyes, she couldn’t dismiss it.

Slowly, deliberately, Rachel gave a single, firm nod. “I’ll remember that.”

Rachel leaned heavily against the concrete wall, her eyes fixed on Joanna. The silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of Joanna’s warning.

“Usually, reading people is easy for me,” Rachel said, her voice dropping into a low, analytical cadence. “I always trust my gut. But with you? The only thing I can read is absolute sincerity covered in total mystery.”

Joanna didn’t offer an explanation. She simply kept her steady, knowing smile.

Rachel shifted her weight, checking her watch before looking back up. “Allen and I still have some family matters to untangle back in Aurora. We’ll be visiting over there in the next few months. If I happen to get my hands on more uncut jade, do you want me to reach out?”

“Absolutely,” Joanna said. She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and sent a message. “I just texted you our address in Aurora. That’s where Jolie and I are staying. When you’re in town, reach out to me. For the jade, or… for anything else.”

Before Rachel could parse the underlying gravity of that offer, the office door clicked open. Jolie walked out into the main warehouse floor, a slight bounce in her step and a subtle flush on her cheeks.

“Everything is done, boss,” Jolie said, looking at Joanna. “The count is perfect. I’m going to bring our van around to the back lot so we can load up the stones.” She offered a polite, surprisingly soft nod to Rachel. “Thank you for the business.”

“Of course,” Rachel replied, her eyes tracking Jolie as the younger girl turned on her heel.

Allen stepped out of the office right behind her, carrying the empty travel bag. His usual stoic, stone-faced guard had slipped just a fraction. There was a lingering attentiveness in his eyes as he followed Jolie out toward the front exit to help her move the vehicle.

Joanna and Rachel made their way back through the narrow side hallway to the rear courtyard, where the crates waited. Rachel looked pensive, her lips pressed into a thin line, completely lost in thought. They watched in silence as Allen and Jolie efficiently moved the heavy wooden crates into the back of the rented van, their movements synchronized, occasionally trading quiet words that didn’t reach the older adults.

Once the final crate was secured, Joanna turned to Rachel, extending a hand. “Thank you again for the jade, Rachel. Safe travels back from Felton.”

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