Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56 A zombie ate my router

“So,” Jolie said, draping her legs across the backseat and resting her head on a soft duffel bag. “If the world is ending in six weeks, do we get to stop paying taxes now, or do we have to wait for the actual grid collapse? Because I have a very annoying internet bill due on Tuesday.”

“I think the collection agencies might be a little busy dealing with the flesh-eating virus and the undead, Jolie,” Joanna said from the front seat, her voice carrying a dry humor that made Jolie laugh.

“Shame,” Jolie sighed. “I was really looking forward to telling them a zombie ate my router.”

“Don’t worry,” Jake chimed in, eyeing her in the rearview mirror. “With your talking speed, you could probably bore the zombies to death before they even reach the router.”

“Hey! My talking speed is highly efficient and intellectually stimulating!” Jolie retorted, throwing a stray piece of crumpled paper at the back of his head. It bounced harmlessly off his shoulder. “Besides, if a zombie comes near me, I’m just sending you. Your face alone is a natural deterrent. Very intimidating. Very ‘get off my lawn.”

“It works,” Jake shrugged, a genuine grin breaking through his usual stoic mask.

Raven giggled, leaning against Jolie’s shoulder. “I can help you download more books tonight, Jolie. We can find a book about how to build a router out of tin foil.”

“You are a sweetheart, Raven,” Jolie said, squeezing the young girl’s shoulder. “But if the world ends, I think I’ll take a break from the internet. I’ll just sit in our underground palace and listen to whatever weird, classic rock Jake has downloaded.”

“It’s not weird,” Jake spoke up, his eyes never leaving the dark road. “It’s classic. There’s a difference.”

“He has three different live albums of a 70’s long dead rock band,” Jolie whispered loudly to Raven. “That is a cry for help.”

“They have great rhythm,” Jake muttered, though the fond, protective smile on his face was clear to everyone in the truck. He looked at Joanna through the corner of his eye. “How’s your energy holding up? Manifesting that much mass takes a toll.”

Joanna looked out the window, watching the shadows of the trees flicker by. She felt fine but the fact that he cared enough to ask touched her. She just shook her head. “I’m fine, Jake. My capacity expanded significantly after the last upgrade. I can handle the next two drops easily.”

Jake didn’t say anything, but he reached over and adjusted the truck’s heater, channeling a warm breeze directly toward her side. It was a small, silent gesture, but Joanna felt the deep, protective care behind it. She reached out, placing her hand briefly over his on the center

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Chapter 56 A zombie ate my router

console.

“Thank you, Jake,” she said softly.

:

59

ཐི

Finished

He gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze before returning his focus to the wheel. “Always.”

The second drop went as smoothly as the first, the team working like a well-oiled machine. By the time they arrived at the third and final property-a remote, rocky ridge the sky was beginning to turn a faint, pale gray at the horizon.

The physical fatigue was immense. Jolie’s lively banter had slowed to quiet, sleepy hums, and Raven was resting her head against the window, her eyelids heavy.

But as they stepped out into the crisp, biting morning air of the ridge, the sheer beauty of the landscape seemed to wake them up. The fog was rolling off below the ridge, draping the valley in a soft, ethereal shroud.

“This is the one,” Joanna said, her voice quiet in the morning stillness. “The final link in our chain. A mile back has sheer cliffs surrounding the valley on three sides. It should be easier to defend when the time comes.”

This crater was the most difficult of the three, dug deep into the rocky slate of the ridge. Joanna stepped to the edge, her heart pounding with a mix of exhaustion and adrenaline. She raised her hands, focusing on the empty trench and with a slight flick of her hand, the air hummed.

With a deep, resonant crack of displacing air, the final two customized containers materialized. They hovered, the steel gleaming in the early morning light, before settling perfectly into the rocky trench.

Jake immediately jumped into the bulldozer, the engine roaring to life one last time. He worked with a fierce, quiet intensity, pushing the heavy slate and gravel over the steel roofs, burying the final safe house beneath the mountain itself.

Jolie and Raven grabbed their shovels, working side-by-side with Joanna to scatter heavy rocks and wild brush over the site. When Jake finally shut off the bulldozer, Joanna swept the massive machine back into her pocket dimension.

The silence returned, absolute and beautiful.

They stood together at the edge of the ridge, looking out over the valley as the first golden rays of the sun broke through the heavy fog. They were covered in dirt, their muscles ached, and their hands were calloused-but they were standing. Together.

Jolie walked over to Joanna, sliding an arm around her waist and resting her chin on Joanna’s shoulder. “We actually did it,” she whispered, her usual lively energy replaced by a deep, emotional awe. “Six fortresses. We’re really going to survive this, aren’t we?”

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