Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 157: Hunt in the Flooded Night

Were they under attack? But how? They hadn't heard a single sound. No one had felt themselves being carried out of the cabin either.

They hadn't fully awakened when they found themselves in the water. It was too bizarre.

Luckily, it was early fall. The water wasn't freezing, but it was still cold enough to leave the thugs confused and shivering for a while.

While they splashed around in panic, Mariella recovered her strength. She grabbed Chandler's hand and swam toward the next wooden boat.

She did the same thing again—take it, take it, take it.

With Chandler beside her, she didn't worry about running out of strength or passing out.

He stayed close and caught her whenever she needed help, making sure she didn't get pulled under by the current.

The gang had more than ten wooden boats. Those were reserved for Black Bear and his crew of hardened criminals.

As for the other survivors, guards, and hired muscle, they weren't allowed to use the wooden boats. They could only use inflatable boats or kayaks.

All the watercraft were docked in one place. They were too valuable to leave scattered around, in case someone stole them.

That made things easier for Mariella.

In a short time, she collected every single boat and stored them all in her storage space. She didn't even need to search for them.

...

Harvey had gone all in tonight. He was determined to get rid of Mariella.

He brought all his trusted men with him and even joined the mission himself.

Of course, he stayed in the back, letting Black Bear's men go in first.

This time, Big Nose was leading the team. Number Four had to guide the way, so he walked in front too.

His heart pounded the whole time, but he had no way to refuse.

"Mariella just left not long ago. She can't have gone far. She should be nearby."

"You sure she just left?" Big Nose asked suspiciously.

"I'm sure. I've got someone inside that villa. The information is solid."

But after circling the area near No. 98 for a long time, they still couldn't find any trace of Mariella.

Just as Big Nose was about to lose his temper at Number Four, the thug on the wooden boats called in.

"What? You're telling me you got thrown into the water while you were asleep and didn't even see who did it? And the boat's gone too?! Are you out of your mind?" Big Nose was so mad he nearly lost it. The whole thing sounded ridiculous.

He cursed them out, then narrowed his eyes. "Or did you stash the boats somewhere and plan to keep them for yourselves? If the boss finds out, you're dead."

"No! No way! We wouldn't pull something like that right under the boss's nose! We're telling the truth. Everyone can back us up! And it's not just us. All the boats we were guarding are gone! The kayaks and inflatable boats too!"

Big Nose froze, stunned. Then he rushed over with his men.

All the thugs who had been thrown into the water had already climbed ashore. Every one of them was soaked from head to toe.

After flailing in the water for a long time, they were wide awake now. No one looked sleepy anymore.

They stood there with pale faces, stumbling over their words as they described what had happened.

If it had been just one person saying this—or even one boat's crew—Big Nose would've thought they were lying.

But everyone said the same thing. They couldn't all be lying.

Some of them were members of a convict gang, men who had risked their lives together. There was no way they'd all suddenly betray Black Bear.

Big Nose kept asking questions, but the answers were just as confusing.

Every story matched. They saw no one. They heard nothing. They had been sleeping soundly when they were thrown into the water. They had no idea how the boats disappeared, or who took them. Not a single shadow, not even a hint of anyone.

Big Nose felt a chill crawl up his spine. He muttered under his breath, "What the hell! I can't believe this."

Standing nearby, Harvey felt his back turn cold. A memory hit him. "The yacht we rented last time... it disappeared the same way."

That incident had been even stranger.

That yacht had vanished right in front of a crowd.

Harvey hadn't been there himself, but Connor, along with the killers and bodyguards hiding inside the yacht, had all lived through it.

Their stories matched too. No one came to take the yacht. No sound, no warning. They were suddenly thrown into the water by some unseen force. The yacht just... vanished. No one knew how. No one saw who did it. They saw nothing.

Back then, Harvey had brushed it off as something supernatural.

He had suspected Mariella, but he had no proof.

Now the same strange thing had happened again. And he had heard that Mariella went out tonight.

His mind drifted back to that night when the flash flood hit. He had seen with his own eyes as Mariella was swallowed by the rushing water. He was sure she was dead. But not long after, she showed up again—perfectly fine. At the time, he thought he was seeing a ghost.