Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 169: Victory in Flames

Luckily, she was Mariella. Asking for her help wasn't too embarrassing.

...

Mariella gave orders in the group chat. She told several neighbors who lived closest to Villa 1 to help spray diesel using fuel pumps.

After the massive blackout, Celestine Ridge had been running fully on diesel generators. Every villa had stored large amounts of fuel and pumps. Now it was finally useful.

After losing two of his most trusted men, Black Bear sent out another loyal fighter, Big Boy. He led 50 convicts and over 200 recruited refugees, guards, and bodyguards to attack Villa No. 1.

He had already taken over two local supply companies and gotten plenty of resources. But he lacked proper transport.

If he could take down No. 1, he would get the helicopter. Even better, he could force the wealthy Hancocks to provide enough boats to solve his transport problem.

It was a solid plan. But the Hancocks refused to cooperate. That made Black Bear furious.

He gave Big Boy a direct order. "Forget the other houses. Focus and take down the Hancocks at any cost!"

All the attackers focused their fire on Villa No. 1. They didn't notice what was happening around them.

Suddenly, the rooftop of Villa No. 1 opened. But this time, it wasn't bodyguards with guns who appeared. It was a dark pipe.

A motor kicked on. Thick liquid sprayed out, hitting the attackers before they could react.

They stumbled back in shock. Then, almost at the same time, pipes popped out from rooftops all around them. From every direction, more liquid sprayed down, soaking them completely.

The attackers caught a sharp smell in the air. Some wiped a bit onto their hands and brought it to their noses. Their faces changed at once.

"Oh no—it's gasoline!"

Panic hit them. Right after that, Big Boy shouted, "Fall back! Now!"

Too late.

Fuel-soaked projectiles came raining down, bursting into flames. They hit the ground, and the attackers were already drenched in gasoline.

"Boom!" Fire burst out in a flash.

Hundreds of them were swallowed by flames in seconds. Screams tore through the air.

No one cared about attacking Villa No. 1 anymore. They rolled and crawled, trying to put out the fire on their bodies.

But gasoline had splashed all over the ground too. Fire was everywhere. The more they struggled, the worse it got. In no time, they were completely engulfed.

Flames roared. Thick smoke rose. Screams echoed. The smell of burned flesh filled the air. It felt like hell on earth.

Following Mariella's orders, Kieran had his bodyguards put on fireproof suits. They opened the villa doors and went out to collect weapons.

If they saw anyone still struggling and screaming, they walked up and finished them with a bullet.

Anyone with a buzz cut got an extra check. Most of them were from the convict gang and carried guns and ammo.

In this world, firearms were the most valuable things. You could never have too many.

Kieran turned defense into offense and won clean.

Excited, he sent Mariella a private message. "All the weapons we picked up are yours. Mariella, you've got to keep protecting us."

In the homeowners' group chat, people cheered. They praised Mariella for outstanding guidance.

"Mariella is awesome!"

"Mariella, we need your command!"

"Mariella, we need your protection!"

Mariella smiled a little. She was about to reply and boost morale when a message from an unknown number popped up.

"Mariella, I'm sorry. Take care of yourself from now on."

She narrowed her eyes. Who is this? This came out of nowhere.

A moment later, another message came. "I've regretted it for a long time. I should've treated you better. I'm sorry."

Then it hit her. Harvey.

Damn. He was trying to run.

Mariella didn't know why he suddenly sent those strange messages. But her instincts were sharp. He was planning to escape.

Right now, Black Bear was fully focused on Villa No. 1. The fight was intense. No one was paying attention to Harvey.

If he wanted to run, this was the perfect chance.

Mariella wasn't going to let that happen.

...

Harvey traded two helicopters for 10 slots at an official base.

Then he secretly hid the other two helicopters inside Villa No. 7. Those were spoils he took after capturing Villas No. 7, 8, 9, and 10. He kept them for himself.

At the time, Tigre had been busy going after revenge at No. 36. He had no idea the real valuables were the helicopters.

After getting them, Harvey didn't dare keep them at his own villa. He hid them in different places.

He had always been careful. Never put all his eggs in one basket.