Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 25: A Private Talk

"Mm, you still want Number One to come over?" Chandler asked, his tone polite but cool.

Mariella named him instead. "You come this time. I want to talk to you alone."

She had been meaning to sit down and have a proper talk with Chandler.

But her schedule was too tight, so the only chance they had to talk alone had been last night.

She wasn't planning to head back to the club, so while she still had some downtime, this was a good chance to discuss the next step of the plan with Chandler.

Her car had just pulled out of the commercial street when movement stirred again in the shadows.

Looked like those people had been waiting. The moment she left the busy area, they were ready to make their move.

Chandler got out of the cab and waited at the agreed location.

"I'll drive," he said as he walked over.

Mariella waved him off and gestured for him to take the passenger seat.

Chandler didn't argue. He circled around and got into the front seat.

Mariella drove into a nearby mall parking lot and turned off the engine.

She scanned the area. The shadows had slipped out of sight again.

It looked like the Grahams and the Shepherds had failed too many times and taken enough losses to start being cautious. The moment they saw a bodyguard in her car, they backed off.

To Mariella, they were a bunch of small-time troublemakers. She wasn't afraid of them. She just didn't want them wasting her time.

She turned to Chandler and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I have," Chandler answered simply.

Mariella liked that about him. She smiled. "Give it to me."

Chandler sent over the chat logs he had collected and labeled each one with the corresponding number.

Mariella didn't open them right away. She counted the labels first and froze for a second. "Nine?"

Aside from Chandler, she had hired 15 bodyguards.

She paid them far above market rate. Her only real requirement was that they had no attachments.

No immediate family and being unmarried were non-negotiable. Not having a partner was strongly preferred.

That being said, even if they had been in a relationship, as long as they ended it right away, they still qualified.

They weren't monks, and they were at an age where having a relationship was normal.

But once the apocalypse hit, a partner would become a liability.

If they were willing to give up a relationship for the money, then that relationship clearly wasn't essential.

If they still kept in touch behind her back, it meant they couldn't truly cut ties.

When things fell apart, they might secretly abandon their post to try to rescue their partner, or act on their own without permission.

Mariella had limited time and resources. She could take care of her own team, but she couldn't take care of everyone they cared about.

That was why she offered salaries many times higher than the market rate to hire unattached bodyguards. Otherwise, bodyguards were easy to find. She wasn't throwing money away for no reason.

She had also required cameras in the dorms to confirm they really had no ties. Anyone constantly checking their phone was a key suspect.

Mariella didn't have time to review the footage herself, and it wasn't appropriate for her to monitor the male dorms anyway, so she handed that job to Chandler.

Chandler had secretly observed the surveillance for several days and had basically narrowed down the suspects. Today, he had done a surprise check of their phones and confirmed that nine of them were still secretly in contact with their partners.

Mariella thought for a moment, then made her decision. "Talk to them one-on-one tomorrow. If they can't let go, settle their pay and let them go."

"Got it."

After handling that, Mariella glanced at Chandler sitting rigidly beside her and couldn't help smiling. "We're just talking in the car. You don't have to sit like that."

Chandler stayed straight-backed as ever. "I'm used to it. Can't change it."

In the military, posture was drilled into you. Standing, sitting, everything had to follow a standard. It had long become muscle memory, and he couldn't just switch it off.

Mariella understood and respected that. Then she asked, "How's the work on modifying the diesel generator and the nail gun?"

"It's done." Chandler never disappointed her. He always got things done fast.

Mariella blinked in surprise. "Done already?"

It had only been one day. That speed was a little crazy.

Chandler seemed to take her reaction as doubt. He tapped the heavy canvas bag he was carrying. "The modified nail gun's in here. As for the diesel generator, the soundproofing setup needs to be installed back at the club. It's easier to show there."

...

Mariella brought Chandler to a nearby shooting range.

The modified nail gun had clearly improved in both speed and range, and she was very satisfied with the results.

Chandler watched her shoot without missing a single target, and a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

Her aim was good, and that surprised him.

Even though a nail gun wasn't a real firearm, the way she handled it looked practiced and controlled.

Mariella was more than pleased. She kept the modified nail gun as a weapon for self-defense.