Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 54: Before the Hunt

Even though she hadn't gone back to the office, Mariella had never left the company group chat. With Harvey getting arrested again and Jennifer taken into custody, no one even noticed she was still in there.

By now, the chat had completely exploded. Aside from desperate pleas for help, it was filled with complaints about the so-called experts and their useless advice.

"My place is about to flood. Somebody save me!"

"These damn experts only know how to talk. All that flood survival and mutual aid nonsense, but not a word about when relief supplies are coming. I never cook at home; I always order takeout. Now all I've got left in my fridge is bottled water."

"Does the company have any boats? Speedboats, inflatable rafts, anything? Someone from the company, please come get me!"

"I'm one of the security guards still at the office. The water's already up to the fourth floor. We've got no boats, no rafts, nothing. We searched the entire storage room and only found a dozen expired life vests. Please, God, don't let the water rise any higher."

"At least the office building has stronger windows, so we don't have to worry about them shattering in the storm. The windows at my place already blew out. I had to cling to the door handle with everything I had just to avoid getting sucked out. Please, just make the typhoon stop!"

...

The group chat was filled with wailing and panic. Most of them were ordinary workers crammed into old apartment blocks, the first to take the hit when the storm and floods came.

Compared to them, the people stuck inside the company office building were actually in a slightly better situation.

The problem was that, before the storm hit, there had been three straight days of extreme heat, and the government had ordered work and school to shut down. Most companies had given employees time off, and people had stayed home to escape the heat.

So when the flood struck, only a small number of staff and security guards were left in the office building.

After confirming the situation at Graham Group, Mariella quietly formed a plan.

She knew Harvey had a private stash.

In her past life, he'd once complained to her that all the gold bars and cash he'd hoarded had become worthless, no better than scrap paper, and that he should've stockpiled more food instead.

He'd also somehow gotten his hands on a batch of firearms, which proved incredibly useful in the post-disaster world.

Mariella guessed those weapons were hidden in that private stash.

She didn't know the exact location, but she was certain it wasn't far from his CEO's office.

For this operation, she decided to bring Lucky. With the dog's sharp sense of smell, finding that hidden vault would be much easier.

Tonight, she was going to clean out the Graham Group office building and Harvey's private stash.

After the disaster that was breakfast, the bodyguards had improved a lot by lunchtime.

Aside from their daily training, they spent the rest of their time studying recipes, completely eliminating mistakes like confusing salt for sugar or mixing up vinegar and soy sauce.

By dinner, their cooking was actually presentable.

Mariella smiled and praised them for being quick learners, leaving a group of grown men looking sheepish.

After dinner, Mariella noticed the typhoon had weakened a bit. She knew the first wave was almost over.

In the early stage of the flood, the typhoon had lasted for two days. Once it died down, the heavy rain would continue for over a month.

When the rain finally stopped, people would think the disaster was over, not realizing something even worse was coming.

It was almost as if the disaster had a mind of its own, playing a cruel game of hide and seek.

The moment people let their guard down and came out searching for food or trying to relocate, a devastating flash flood would strike.

That torrent had wiped out one-third of the buildings in Liraelith, leaving countless dead and injured.

People who had survived the extreme heat and the flood ended up dying in that sudden catastrophe.

Right now, the typhoon was beginning to ease. As the winds grew weaker, more and more people would start venturing out to look for supplies.

Mariella had to get what she wanted before the majority stepped outside.

She shot Chandler a look, and he gave a slight nod in return.

Knowing he was ready, she spoke immediately. "We move now. Everyone, get ready."

Chandler laid out the plan. First, everyone would line up at the ATMs to withdraw cash, then they'd split up and search nearby areas for supplies.

Mariella left a nail gun and a chainsaw with Matthew and Serena so they could guard the villa.

Lucky rode with Mariella in the pickup, while the other eleven piled into three Chevrolet vans loaded with equipment and drove out through the villa gates.

The typhoon hadn't fully stopped, but it was no longer as terrifying as before.

The rain was still pouring, but thanks to the elevated terrain of Celestine Ridge, the flooding wasn't too deep. The pickup and the vans had high enough clearance that it didn't affect them much.

As the convoy left the villa, Mariella drove the pickup toward the city with Lucky by her side.

Chandler took the other three vehicles to the nearby ATMs, lining up with the team to withdraw cash.

They split into two groups.

In the stormy night, a pair of cold, sinister eyes locked onto the lone pickup.