Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



I watched as a serious air fell onto everyone in the room. Those at the table sat up straighter while those along the walls were no longer leaning so casually. Everyone, it seemed, was holding their breath, waiting for the Major General's next words.

Well, everyone but us, that was. Chen Zi Han draped my favorite black fuzzy blanket over my lap as I brought out coffees for everyone. I was particularly happy with the mug I 'accidentally' poured my drink into. It read: 'Blood stains are red, ultraviolet lights are blue. I watch enough murder shows, they'll never find you.'

Taking a sip of my coffee and curling up in the chair beside Wang Chao, I finally felt like I was back to normal. I was not going to let this body dictate what I was feeling. Stretching my neck I took another sip and turned my attention to the ass at the head of the table who changed his tune in under 24 hours.

Surprising how that sometimes happens, wasn't it?

"What we had originally thought to be a horde of maybe 100 zombies has grown," said Deng Jun Hie as he looked around the room. His gaze settled on Wang Chao for a second, but then he quickly looked away.

"What are we looking at now?" asked Li Shoi Ming as he looked at the woman beside him. The two shared a look before turning their attention back to the Major General.

"A little over 2,000 zombies at last count," answered Deng Jun Hie, his voice somber as a nervous energy spread out from him. He was in way over his head and he knew it too.

I heard a choking sound from behind me and I looked back only to see Liu Wei beating the back of Liu Yu Zeng. "Is everything ok?" I asked looking at the two men in confusion. "All good, Sweetheart," said Liu Wei with a smile as he continued to pound on Liu Yu Zeng. "His coffee just went down the wrong pipe."

I gave them a weird look but simply nodded my head before I turned back to the Major General. His eyes had narrowed on my boys and I didn't appreciate his look.

"Want to be a bit more exact in the numbers? Just so we know what we are getting into?" I asked as I stared him down. If he had an issue with what was mine, he would have to go through me first. And that would be the last thing he would ever do.

You know, sometimes I wonder if there hadn't been an apocalypse, would I have turned into a serial killer or something? I seemed to be more and more bloodthirsty every time I died and came back.

"It would be more accurate to say; plan for 3,000 and prey we don't get that many, but that is just me," said Wang Chao as he stared back at the Major General. Now, as far as I was concerned, there was a big difference between 2,000 and 3,000. As in a whole 1,000. In my first life, I would have killed for $1,000. That amount of money would make a big difference to a lot of people. So to say that 3,000 is only a few more than 2,000 made me question how his brain worked.

"Do you want to run this meeting?" asked Deng Jun Hie through gritted teeth, looking like he would leap over the table and try to strangle Wang Chao.

"He might run it better," said my joker that loved to press buttons.  I took another sip of coffee just to hide my smile.

"Alright kids," I said as I put down my mug and looked at everyone at the table. I ignored Li Shoi Ming and his companion, but I managed to capture the attention of everyone. "I think we can all agree that another meeting like yesterday would not be productive, and as I would like to think that everyone here is enough of an adult to pick a single leader, I don't think that that is going to happen. So here is how things are going to go." 

I met the eyes of the Major General, not backing down in the slightest. "There are clearly five independent teams at this table so we will be dividing into five different groups. Each group would need about 50-100 people. Clearly the more people the better, but I will leave that up to the team leaders." I went around the room starting with the Major General and gave each team a number.I think you should take a look at

"Teams 1-3 are going to be responsible for laying out traps for the zombies. Make sure that the traps are more along the lines of caging them rather than trying to behead them or anything along those lines. We don't need to multiply almost 3,000 zombies simply because you guys can't follow directions." I opened my mouth to continue when someone cut me off.

"That is enough, Li Dai Lu. You don't know what you are talking about so you need to be quiet. I don't know why a person like Wang Chao even let you be in here in the first place, but it is not your place to be directing everyone," snarled Li Shoi Ming, a look of anger cracking through his nice guy façade.

I didn't have to say a word, my men spoke for me loud and clear. Each one of my guys had their personal 9mm pointed at the man across from me, the man that claimed to be my cousin. "And I don't think that you understand how this is going to work," I said as I took another sip of my coffee, not caring that my guys were ready for war.

"If you want to live, you do as I say. If you don't, then we will get up and leave you to your own devices," I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"That's funny, you said the same thing yesterday, and yet, you are still here," came a voice from the doorway. I turned my attention to them just in time to see Zhao Jia Li and her entourage entering into the conference room and taking their seats.

"Almost as funny as you being unable to make a meeting on time two days in a row. But I am pretty sure that you know what I am capable of. Or did you forget just how we managed to leave the Naval Base?" I asked as I took a sip from my cup. Not getting anything out of it, I looked down and frowned at it for being empty. These large mugs really didn't seem to hold as much coffee as they used to.

There was silence from Zhou Jia Li and her men, but not everyone was so quiet. "Li Dai Lu, you don't speak to someone like that. Apparently, my father will have to take you well in hand when I bring you back."

I had to swallow the bile that rose from my stomach at his words as my body broke out in cold sweat. That was the second time I had such a reaction at the mention of Li Shoi Ming's father.  There was something wrong there. But I would sort it out a different day.

"Let's see if you even make it back to tell your father anything," I said, maintaining my composure even as my stomach was trying to come out of my throat again. "Now, teams 4 and 5, you will be in charge of the security of teams 1, 2, and 3. They can't do their job fast and effectively if they have to keep looking over their shoulders. Team 6," I said as I turned my attention to Zhou Jia Li.

"We won't be doing anything," said Zhou Jia Li with a smirk on her face as she challenged me. "My job is to stay in the base and heal those that need me."

I smiled in return. "Even better," I said with a nod, causing her eyes to go wide when I agreed with her. "Then team 6. You can stay in the base and organize everything here. We will need a hospital set up; somewhere where injured people know to go to. We will also need someone to take account of the supplies. We don't need anyone taking advantage of the situation to take more supplies than they should have."

Major General Deng Jun Hie looked at me after I had finished giving my directions. "Didn't think about that, did you?" I asked with a smile. "This is not my first rodeo," I said, both to reassure him and to mock him at the same time. The only thing predictable about human nature was that we would do whatever we needed to do to survive.

"Li Dai Lu," said Li Shi Ming, his jaw clenching as he said my name. "Can I speak to you for a minute outside in the hall?"

I felt my men stiffen, not liking the idea, but I wanted to go. I needed to go.

So I nodded my head and stood up, leaving Wang Chao as the decision-maker for our group.