Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Prepping to Leave
Anna still took the vials from Julian. “I can at least try to study them to the best of my ability in the meantime. Just no promises on any groundbreaking discoveries.”

“Thank you, Anna. Just be careful; I don’t want this substance to affect you in any way,” said Julian.

She nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to wear the proper protective equipment.” Anna then turned her attention back to the microscope to continue studying the blood sample.

Julian turned to Noah. “We’re going to need to find a suitable chemist, the sooner the better. I heard that the government opened up a base nearby in the resort area. Can you send a few from the scouting team to check it out?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll make arrangements right away,” said Noah, walking away.

Ian decided to stay with Anna and help her out in the lab. He was very interested in figuring out what his drug was about and enjoyed Anna’s company.

Rayne made her way back up to the living quarters with Julian, chatting along the way.

“So you said your ex-fiancé was holding this box and then passed it along to a sketchy man one night at a bar?” asked Julian. He was even more interested in figuring out the origins of this box and how closely related it was to Damien.

Rayne nodded. “Yes, it was exactly that. It was the night of the PRISMA gala, actually. I went to the bar with Ella; we both witnessed it.” She felt a little weird talking about Dillon to Julian, but she noticed how serious Julian was about the box.

When they reached the communal living space, Julian placed his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you, Rayne. You’ve helped me out so much already. You’re my lucky star,” he said in a low, masculine voice.

Rayne was a little surprised by the sudden hug but was very happy on the inside. She felt the hidden emotions behind Julian’s words. Although he hadn’t explained who Damien was, she knew that he felt strongly about this person.

Turning around, she placed her arms around his waist, hugging him back. “Don’t worry, we’ll find the chemist and get to the bottom of it,” she said resolutely.

Julian felt very comforted by her embrace and words. Bending down, he rested his head against hers, giving her a big squeeze. “Mhm, we will.”

—-

In the countryside.

“Hey, welcome back, Dad! Were you able to find any information?” asked Ella. Reginald had been out for over 20 hours looking for information on the government shelters.

“Yes, I’ve finally obtained reliable information. We can head over tomorrow morning,” he said as he took off his jacket. It was still raining sporadically outside, and he wore a jacket to protect himself from the rain.

“Oh, that’s lovely, honey! I’ll begin packing our things,” said Ella’s mom, standing up to begin packing. Ella stood up to help her mom and began to fold the clothing and blankets.

Reginald walked over to the chair he brought down from the main house and sat down to relax. He had been walking non-stop for almost an entire day and was exhausted. Watching his wife and daughter working diligently to pack their things, he was happy that he was able to find a relatively safe base location for his family.

“Once you finish packing the items, I’ll move them into the car. Try to fit as many things as you can. I heard that there is an entry fee to get into the base. It seems that supplies are the new currency,” said Reginald, sharing what he had discovered today.

“Where did you end up going, Dad?” asked Ella as she packed her things into plastic boxes.

“So, the neighboring town has a small antiques store. I met an elderly man there who pulled out a hand-crank radio, and he kindly played the message for me,” he replied.

“Oh, you should’ve bought the radio from him,” said Ella.

Reginald nodded. “Yes, I tried, but the man said that this was his only entertainment and wasn’t willing to part with it. I don’t blame him; hearing the radio brought me a sense of comfort, even if it was just an emergency broadcast.”

The two women worked diligently, packing everything very tightly into boxes and bags. Reginald also stood up to help once he felt a little rested. The family worked quickly together, loading up their large car to the brim, leaving only the items they needed for the night.

“Dad, I packed the small gas can from the lawnmower too. Hopefully, we’ll have enough gas to make it over to the shelter,” said Ella as she walked back into the basement.

“Yes, I hope so too. We can try stopping by the more remote gas stations on the way to see if we can find more fuel,” he replied. The exhaustion was written all over his face. After a full day of walking, packing, and now worrying about the upcoming trip, Reginald was ready to call it a night.

“Here, honey, go rest. We’ll take care of the rest; there’s not much left,” said his sweet wife, placing a blanket over him. Her heart ached for her husband; she knew how much effort he had been putting in making sure she and their daughter were taken care of.

Reginald quickly fell asleep under his wife’s gentle care, while the ladies continued to finish the last of their packing. Ella made sure to run into the house and store an album of childhood family photos along with any of her and her mother’s precious jewelry.

Ever since her father said there would be an entrance fee, her mind was racing with what sort of goods she could bring to make their future life a little more comfortable.

As she was making her way back to the basement, she walked past the dining room. Since this room was on the first floor, it was still relatively intact. She walked in, looking around for anything that could be salvaged when she spotted the wine cabinet in the corner of the room.

Ella’s eyes lit up! While wine was not a practical resource in the current economy, it would still be considered a luxury resource! Perhaps the value would go up even more with time. She quickly walked over and carefully placed the unopened bottles in a box, then placed them inside the car.

As she turned to head back inside the house, she spotted shadowy figures approaching from down the street. It was already night time, so she couldn’t make out who they were, but she noticed there was a whole group.

Ella quickly ran back inside, running down the stairs to wake her father up.

“Ella! What are you doing? Let your father rest!” scolded her mother.

Ella continued to shake her father and turned to look at her mom. “Mom, get ready. We need to leave now. There’s a whole mob of people making their way over here right now!”

Reginald woke up, hearing Ella’s words. “What?! Hurry up, get in the car now!” He sprang out of bed and ran upstairs to start the car.

Ella looked over and saw her mom trying to fold the blankets to bring with them. She ran up to her side and grabbed her by the arm to drag her up the stairs.

“Mom, leave it! We need to leave now! They’ll be here any moment!” urged Ella. Her mother listened to her words, dropped the blanket, and followed Ella up the stairs and into the car.