Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 164

Chapter 164: Empty
After trying the code once more, Dillon took a step back.

“Glad I was smart enough not to rely on a woman,” he mumbled.

Turning to Cal, he looked at the hatch and ordered him to blow it open.

“Prepare the explosives. We’re going to blow our way in. Everyone, prepare yourselves to fight as soon as we breach the entrance,” he commanded.

Cal quickly took out the packed explosives he carried in his backpack and began setting them up on top of the hatch door.

The rest of the men, including Dillon, made their way deeper into the forest to avoid being impacted by the explosion.

A few minutes later, Cal came over holding the detonator. After receiving the nod to go ahead, he clicked the handle, remotely setting off the charge.

BOOM!

The earth shook, and the trees rattled from the strong explosion. Tree branches littered the ground along with piles of dirt and snow.

The explosion flung the surrounding snow, clearing the area around the hatch.

Dillon walked over to the hatch, expecting to see a giant hole in its place, but instead, he found that the hatch was still attached.

Luckily, the hinges that kept it locked down were blown off, giving him hope that the hatch could be opened.

“Quick, try to pry the hatch door off,” ordered Dillon. He stood close by, watching everyone try to lift the heavy metal door.

It took the entire team of men to finally be able to nudge the hatch door off to the side, exposing the entry ladder into the bunker.

Everyone pulled out their weapons and slid down the ladder, ready for a shootout as soon as they entered.

Dillon was the last one to enter and quickly surveyed the surrounding area. Everything was dark and eerily quiet. Not a single sound could be heard.

“Move out, shoot anything that isn’t us and Julian Barclay!” he ordered.

The trained men quickly pushed forward, checking every room on the way.

Dillon walked behind like an entitled lord, frowning.

All of the rooms were empty. Not a single chair or table was seen.

The entire bunker felt lifeless, as if they were the first people to discover its existence.

“Boss, something feels off. There’s nothing here, not even a sign of anyone ever being here,” said Cal.

Dillon walked forward, examining each room with his own eyes. He was looking for signs of hidden rooms or anything else that would give him a clue as to what happened.

Jess had told him about every major room on each level of the bunker, and in great detail. However, the reality was that everything was empty.

As he entered what was supposed to be the kitchen, he noticed that even the cabinets on the walls were gone.

“They must have known we were coming,” Dillon said finally. Anger consumed him as he felt the urge to punch the wall.

This was supposed to be a surprise mission, catching them off guard. He envisioned capturing Julian and taking all of the weapons he had hidden here back to their base.

“Is there a mole among us?” asked Cal, wide-eyed.

Dillon shook his head. “No, we only just planned this out. There wouldn’t be enough time for a mole to give us away. They knew beforehand,” he explained.

It seemed that this Julian was a lot more resourceful than he initially thought. They must have already realized something was off when they found no signs of Jess.

“Okay, finish searching every nook and cranny. I doubt we will find anything, but keep looking!” he ordered.

Dillon continued to walk around room to room. He was impressed at how well they had cleaned the place out. Even the sinks and toilets were missing, leaving only the exposed pipes where the plumbing had been.

It didn’t make sense to him. Why would they put in so much effort to pull these items out? It wasn’t like they could just install them anywhere they pleased.

Also, carrying all of these items must have been difficult. This bunker was not accessible by car, so he was curious how they managed to transport everything.

A while later, Cal came over to find him.

“Boss, we finished checking every room. Everything is empty, no signs of anyone living here,” he reported.

Dillon expected this and nodded. “Okay, gather everyone and let’s head back.”

The men went back outside into the freezing cold and began their hike back to the cars. The walk back was slightly faster since they knew where they were going.

When they finally made it back to the city, it was already dark out. Dillon dismissed the trained men and walked with Cal to discuss their next course of action.

“Boss, what do we do now? The bunker was empty and there was no sign of the CEO or REN Corporation,” asked Cal.

“Plan B is to locate his family. I’ve been told that they’re hiding in a secure area somewhere nearby,” said Dillon.

Cal’s face lit up with understanding. “Oh! So we capture his family and threaten them so that he comes out of hiding?”

Dillon shook his head. “It would be nice if that worked, but I heard their relationship is very strained. Instead of capturing them, we will inform them that he’s alive and use them to lead Julian to us.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant!” said Cal.

Dillon thought for a minute, then turned to Cal. “I need you to find me a female operative. Someone who has clean, innocent features, if possible. It will help us gain trust with his family.”

Cal accepted the orders and planned to go around to the various departments to look for someone who fit their requirements.

After the meeting, Dillon went back to his apartment.

As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by Krissy, who was wearing a new set of lingerie, waiting for him to come home.

“Baby! You’re back! I missed you so much!” she called out.

While Dillon enjoyed the sight, he had made a promise to Jess to spend the night with only her, so he turned to Krissy. “Hey. Go get dressed, go out, and have some fun with your friends tonight.”

Krissy’s face fell. “What? Why…” she asked. She had obtained this new set of lingerie with great difficulty, thinking that it would win her some favor.

“I’ve got plans with Jess tonight,” Dillon said bluntly. He didn’t care about beating around the bush or upsetting her.

To him, both of these women were just momentary stand-ins, catering to his physical needs until he reunited with Rayne.

Krissy did her best to hold back her tears, but everything inside of her was screaming. Ever since Jess came around, she felt like a secondary woman, constantly having to go above and beyond just to get some of Dillon’s attention.

Her only saving grace was that Dillon hadn’t uttered the ‘I love you’ phrase to Jess yet, meaning she still held the higher spot in his heart.

Dillon didn’t care to watch Krissy process her emotions and walked past her, heading toward the bathroom to shower.

As he entered the bathroom, he found Jess waiting for him in the shower. “Come, let me wash your back,” she said in a seductive tone.

Dillon let her undress him, and they both got into the shower together.

Krissy dug her fingernails into her palm. She swore that she would get rid of Jess one way or another.