Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Long Queues
Julian walked around the SUV, nodding his head in approval.

“Sweet ride you have here. I haven’t seen too many of these cars out on the streets before. How did you manage to get it?” he asked.

Rayne smiled. “Ah, I bought it thanks to the generous amount of money you paid me!”

Julian smiled and shook his head. “Well, I’m happy to see that you spent the money on good-quality things.”

Before entering the SUV, Rayne went to open the trunk of the car. She wanted to place a number of boxes of supplies inside to make it appear as though they had come with supplies. This way, if she needed to take something out of her system, she could pretend she was taking it out of her car.

Julian watched as boxes and bags of random supplies appeared out of thin air, filling the trunk of the vehicle. It only took Rayne a few seconds to finish her task before getting into the driver’s seat of her car.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” asked Julian as he got into the passenger seat.

Rayne looked over at him as she started the car. “I’m quite sure! I’ve missed my car very much! I’m a good driver too, so don’t worry.”

“I’m at your mercy,” Julian laughed, buckling his seatbelt.

They drove off toward the highway that led to the resort that had been converted into the government base. While it was relatively close to the bunker, the winding road made the trip a good bit longer.

When they finally arrived at the entrance checkpoint of the base, the sun had already risen. Rayne joined the long queue of cars trying to get in.

“It seems like we won’t get in anytime soon,” she said, mentally counting the number of cars in front of her. Outside of the cars, there were even a few groups of people walking along the side of the highway.

Julian observed the long queue and pulled his backpack up from the floor between his legs. Unzipping it, he pulled out a small thermos and a pair of metal cups.

Rayne watched him, curious about what was inside. Soon, the pleasant scent of coffee wafted throughout the car.

“Here, for you,” Julian handed Rayne the first cup of coffee. He then proceeded to fill the second cup for himself.

Rayne gratefully accepted the cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. The hot drink warmed her body, blissfully relaxing her.

They quietly sipped their coffee while occasionally engaging in small talk. A few hours later, it was finally their turn to pass through the entrance checkpoint.

The guard on duty looked at the rugged SUV, which appeared to be in very good shape, and walked over. Rayne lowered her window to greet the approaching guard, but before she could say anything, the guard spoke first.

“What’s your purpose for coming here?” he said sternly.

Rayne was taken aback slightly by his hostile tone. Even Julian leaned over to make his presence known.

“We heard about the government base and would like to move in,” stated Rayne. She wasn’t sure if it was the guard’s personality or if they had done something wrong, but this certainly was not a warm welcome.

The guard stood silently, observing Rayne and Julian. He was looking for any signs of malice or deceit.

“Please open your trunk. We would like to do an inspection,” he said after a few moments.

Rayne looked over at Julian, seeing him nod. She pushed the button that opened the trunk, allowing the guards to take a look inside.

Through the rearview mirror, Rayne watched as the guard rummaged through the boxes and bags of supplies. She wasn’t sure whether he was looking for weapons or proof that they were refugees, but she was glad she had taken the time to fill the car with random supplies.

It would have been a little strange if they had traveled empty-handed, which could have put them under even more suspicion.

The guard finally finished his search and walked back to the driver’s side window.

“Okay, thank you for complying. Please pull forward to that parking lot, where you can begin the resident registration process,” he said, pointing toward the large parking lot.

Rayne nodded curtly, not wanting to smile after his cold attitude, and drove off to the designated parking lot.

The parking lot had a good number of cars, and the line to the registration counter was incredibly long.

“Looks like another long line. I guess it’s to be expected,” Rayne mumbled as she pulled into an open parking spot.

“Why don’t I queue up while you take a nap in the car?” suggested Julian. He didn’t want Rayne to stand in the cooler weather for a long time if she didn’t have to.

“No, I’ll go with you,” she said resolutely. While she felt very happy on the inside for his consideration, she knew that it was about time she toughened up. She had plenty of jackets and hand warmers in her system, so standing in slightly cooler weather wasn’t something she couldn’t overcome.

Julian saw her resolute gaze and didn’t dissuade her further. He respected her desire to get stronger, both physically and mentally.

“Very well, let me know if you get cold, and I’ll warm you up in my arms,” he said with a flirty tone. He noticed Rayne’s cheeks flush pink, making him want to lean in to kiss her.

Resisting his urges, he quickly got out of the car, making sure to bring his backpack, and walked over to queue up in the massive line with Rayne.

Many of the people in line noticed Rayne’s car and began whispering among themselves.

“Looks like some big shots arrived,” said one woman to the group of people she had arrived with. They had been traveling for a few days on foot to get here and didn’t feel that it was fair that others had access to such nice vehicles.

“Why do they even need to come here? Clearly, they’re living a normal life, unlike us, refugees,” commented another woman.

The men in the group stared at the car with jealousy in their eyes. The only thoughts in their minds were how to obtain it.