Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 45: Heavy Rain

Chandler and Number One each carried a bag of cash, heavy enough to tell it wasn't a small amount.

Mariella nodded approvingly. Good, they know how to live frugally.

As they stepped out of the bank, a cool breeze suddenly swept past.

Someone shouted, "The wind's picking up. It's cooling down!"

The blazing sun finally slipped behind the clouds, and a gust of wind began to swirl.

A few scattered raindrops started to fall. It looked like it was about to rain.

"It's raining! Thank God, finally!"

It was the kind of news that lifted everyone's spirits.

One good rain would end this suffocating heatwave.

People who had been cooped up for days poured out of buildings, cheering as they welcomed the long-awaited rain.

Heavy drops began to pound down, scattering the crowd, but they just laughed and gathered under doorways instead of going inside.

After 3 days of relentless heat, they were sick of being stuck indoors with the AC. Finally, they could breathe again.

Everyone was smiling, except Mariella, whose expression grew darker by the second, like the sky above.

She remembered all too clearly how terrifying the rain had been after the heat in her previous life.

No one had expected that after surviving seven days of heat, so many people would drown in the floods that followed.

But this time, the storm had arrived after only three days. The floods were coming early.

"Notify everyone. Return to Celestine Ridge immediately!" Mariella ordered urgently.

Chandler didn't question her. He immediately relayed the command over the radio. "All units, regroup and head back to the villa now!"

The bodyguards came out of the bank one after another.

Each of them carried a bag of cash, whether it was all their savings or not. They had followed orders and withdrawn everything they could to keep on hand.

Three Chevrolet vans and one pickup truck, loaded with supplies, turned back toward Celestine Ridge.

...

The rain brought a sharp drop in temperature, sweeping away the unbearable heat.

People and cars flooded the streets, making it feel like a festival.

Traffic quickly became congested. Mariella's heart raced as she urged Number One to keep honking.

Number One leaned on the horn for a while, but the cars ahead didn't move at all.

Then the rain suddenly intensified, pouring down in sheets, the wind growing stronger by the second.

Even so, more cars kept pouring onto the road.

Most drivers had rolled down their windows, laughing wildly as they let the rain and wind wash over them. It felt incredible.

After three days of hellish heat, this rain was a blessing.

What was a little rain? What was a little wind? It wouldn't kill anyone. No one was going to get blown away.

They just wanted to enjoy it. Let the storm come harder.

Watching the rain grow heavier and the traffic worse, Mariella made a snap decision. "Cross the lines. Just keep moving. Ignore the traffic lights!"

Number One didn't hesitate for a second and carried out the order.

It wasn't his car anyway. Any fines or penalties would fall on the boss.

From the passenger seat, Chandler repeated the order over the radio. "All vehicles follow. Cross the lines, ignore traffic lights. Just keep moving!"

In peaceful times, people followed rules without question. Even in gridlock, no one dared to break traffic laws.

Mariella's pickup led the way, with the three vans right behind, taking paths no one else dared to take and finally breaking out of the traffic jam.

The rain grew even heavier. Even with the wipers at full speed, visibility through the windshield was still blurry.

The roads were completely flooded, stretching into endless pools of water. Driving felt like navigating a boat.

At this point, even the lane markings were gone beneath the water, but luckily, their convoy had already escaped the jam.

Mariella had Chandler tell the others to turn on their fog lights and stay close together so no one would get separated.

The downpour was overwhelming. The city's drainage system couldn't keep up, and water quickly accumulated on the streets.

Cars in low-lying areas stalled almost immediately.

Water rushed toward those low spots, forming small waterfalls that quickly turned into pools, then into entire flooded zones.

Luckily, Mariella's convoy was heading toward the higher ground of Celestine Ridge, so they weren't trapped.

As they passed an overpass, they saw that the underpass below was completely submerged. Only the tops of cars were visible.

Cars with sunroofs gave their occupants a chance to escape. Those without them... the drivers and passengers were trapped inside and drowned.

The team members' faces changed instantly, a chill running down their spines.

If their captain hadn't made that call, they might've ended up just like those cars under the bridge.

The rain was too heavy. Visibility ahead and behind was almost nonexistent.