Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 81

Finished

Chapter 81 Keep your distance from everyone

Asake turned the key and the engine rumbled to life, Joanna looked over at him. “Good eyes back there. Jake. You noticed him fast, before he could even sit down. That kind of awareness is one of my favorite things about you.”

Jake grunted, a tiny smirk showing for a second while shifting the van into drive and pulling out of the cracked asphalt lot. “Just doing my job, Boss. Where to next? Back to the house?”

Joanna shook her head, her gaze fixing on the dark road ahead. “Not yet. I want to make one final stop at the pet store before we head back.”

They arrived at the massive commercial pet store fifteen minutes later. During that short drive, the team’s group chat had been buzzing continuously—a total of six more infected individuals had been sighted across different parts of the city by Julian and the others. The virus was clearly tearing through the population at an exponential rate.

Joanna and Jake pushed through the automatic sliding doors of the store, the bright fluorescent lights humming overhead. The aisles were mostly deserted, though the sounds of barking dogs and chirping birds echoed from the back.

Joanna grabbed a cart and walked directly to the dog section. She picked out a durable, heavy-duty leash and a handful of squeaky toys for Titan, her beloved Corgi.

Jake stood beside her, his massive frame towering over a display of chew bones. He stared intensely at a row of professional training gear before looking over at Joanna. “We should train him to attack strangers,” he said, completely deadpan. “Good to have another sentry.”

Joanna froze, a dog toy shaped like a slice of pizza halfway to the cart. She was completely speechless. She pictured Titan-with his stubby little legs, fluffy round butt, and a habit of sneezing whenever he got too excited-trying to take down a full-grown intruder. He was many things, but a ferocious attack beast was definitely not one of them.

Jake looked at her expression, let out a low grumble, and walked down the next aisle without another word.

A minute later, he reappeared, holding a tiny, tactical black mesh vest designed for small dogs. He held it up with his massive, scarred hands, turning it around to show Joanna the side. Attached to the fabric was a bright pink velcro patch with little cartoon paws that read: FBI: FURRY BARK INVESTIGATOR.

Joanna broke into a genuine laugh, the heavy tension of the impending apocalypse lifting for a brief, fleeting moment. “Alright, Jake,” she said, taking the tiny vest from him and tossing it into the cart alongside the treats. “He might not be biting anyone’s ankles, but he can definitely look the part. Let’s grab some bulk food and get out of here.”

They pushed the cart up to the front registers, where a middle-aged woman with tired eyes and a visibly nervous demeanor was waiting. She stood behind the counter, her fingers tapping anxiously against the plastic edge of the scanner.

As she began ringing up the bulk dog food, the heavy leash, and the tiny tactical vest, she kept glancing toward the automatic exit doors. She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a soft, frantic murmur. “Did you folks hear about that virus that broke out in the last few days? The one on the news?”

Joanna kept her expression neutral but attentive. “We’ve heard a few things. Is it bad around here?”

…

ח

וה

27

|||

O

<

1/2

Chapter 81 Keep your distance from everyone

Finished

“It’s terrifying,” the woman whispered, shaking her head as she swiped the last item. “My manager was

ing up with a fever all evening. He looked so pale, almost gray, and he was completely sweating through his shirt. He just left a little while ago because he couldn’t even stand up straight anymore. You two should be careful out there tonight.”

“Thank you for the warning. We will,” Joanna said gently, tapping her card against the reader to complete the transaction.

Jake smoothly stepped in, his massive arms scooping up the heavy bags of bulk food and the rest of the supplies in one effortless motion. They nodded a final goodbye to the anxious clerk and walked out into the cool night air, the automatic doors sliding shut behind them.

As they walked back to the van, Joanna pulled out her phone. The grid was still holding, but the cracks were forming faster now. She opened the team’s group chat and sent a quick update.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify