Chapter 9 It’s Coming
Back at her hotel, Iris found the room piled high with goods.
She’d arranged with the staff earlier to leave the door unlocked for deliveries, and now every surface–tables, floors, even the bed–was covered.
Several orders of fried chicken were still steaming, their aroma lingering in the air.
With a casual wave of her hand, she stowed everything away in her spatial storage.
Iris would spend the night here before leaving at dawn–no sense wasting money she’d already shelled out.
Before bed, Iris pushed through three hours of grueling physical training, driving her body to the brink of exhaustion.
Only when every muscle burned did she shower, then check the surveillance feeds from her bunker and warehouse to ensure all was well before settling in for the night.
Both locations were secure. Using a video robot, she checked in with Summer, telling him to stand guard over the supplies and promising to return first thing in the morning.
Summer responded with a smart, affirming bark before curling
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up in his dog bed inside the warehouse, duty–bound.
Iris slept deeply until six the next morning, jolted awake by the piercing wail of police and ambulance sirens.
Her downtown hotel boasted excellent sound insulation, but she was hyper–sensitive–even the softest disturbance could rouse her from sleep.
The second the sirens hit her ears, she darted to the window.
Yanking back the curtains, Iris saw dozens of police cars and ambulances tearing back and forth below.
A dense cluster of bars and clubs lay just steps from the hotel, and all the emergency vehicles were converging there, their lights flashing frantically.
She watched as an ambulance pulled up to the bar she’d passed the night before, paramedics rushing out to carry several blood–drenched figures onto stretchers.
A cold dread coiled in her stomach.
Just then, hurried footsteps and urgent knocks thudded outside her door.
Iris grabbed a shovel from beside the door–her constant 299panion now–and peered through the peephole.
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A hotel staff member stood there, her face taut with anxiety but no sign of injury or blood, her complexion still normal.
“What’s wrong?” Iris asked through the door.
“Ma’am, this is Guest Services. We’ve had multiple guests report feeling faint and asking for help. Are you experiencing any issues?” the staff member called, her voice trembling slightly.
“I’m fine,” Iris said, still keeping the door closed.
“Please remain in your room for the time being. The hotel will extend your stay complimentary. We apologize for the inconvenience!”
With that, she hurried off to the next room.
A sharp chill raced down Iris‘ spine.
The apocalypse–had it come early?
I have to get out, now.
Grabbing her car keys, Iris headed out, snatching up all the free water, drinks, and toiletries from the room on her way.
As she pulled open her door, she saw the staff member reach the last room at the end of the hall.
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After several knocks met silence, she swiped her key card and stepped inside.
Seconds later, a panicked scream cut through the air.
“Sir! Sir, what’s wrong with you!
“Room 809! Guest unconscious! Need immediate backup!” she
shouted into her headset.
Iris strode toward the elevators. She slipped into an empty one heading down, and at that exact moment, the adjacent elevator dinged open.
A team of staff burst out, sprinting toward the far end of the hall.
As the doors of Iris‘ elevator slid shut, a blood–curdling scream sliced through the air–raw, terrified, and unmistakable.
“Ah!”
That sound. She’d heard it a thousand times before.
The zombie virus had erupted early!
Iris‘ gaze locked on the elevator panel; she slammed the button for the 5th floor.
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The 1st floor lobby was out of the question–too many people, too much chaos.
The hotel was connected to a mall, with floors B2 through 5 part of the shopping center she’d explored the day before.
It was six o’clock, and the mall was still closed.
The first employees wouldn’t arrive until eight, making this a true no–man’s land—exactly what she needed.
In the zombie apocalypse, crowds were a death sentence.
She had to get away from people, fast.
Stepping off the elevator on the 5th floor, Iris was met with total darkness.
But the second she entered the atrium, the faint wail of screams drifted in from outside, growing louder with each passing second.
Glancing out the window, she saw pandemonium unfolding on the streets.
A blood–soaked man stumbled out of a nearby bar, then lunged at a woman jogging past.
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He targeted her abdomen, tackling her to the concrete before sinking his teeth into her stomach.
The woman screamed, her hands flailing as she fought back, but it was useless. The man tore into her internal organs, his face glistening with blood as he gorged himself like a feral beast, ripping out her heart and lungs with his bare teeth.
“Ah! Ah!”
It was seven now, and the streets were still relatively quiet–only police cars and ambulances moved through the chaos.
One police car skidded to a stop, officers leaping out to pull the
man off the woman.
The woman lay in a pool of blood, motionless. When the officers‘ backs were turned, her limbs began to twitch–slow at first, then faster, more erratic—before stopping abruptly.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you alright?” one officer asked, kneeling
beside her.
The woman’s eyes snapped open–clouded, lifeless, and hungry.
She lunged at the officer, sinking her teeth into his arm.
Chaos erupted. The other officers drew their weapons, shouting gogmands as the infected woman tore at the officer’s sh. 17:00
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Iris watched from the 5th–floor window, her expression cold and
calm.
This was the apocalypse–her world, the one she’d survived for a decade.
It had come a full day early.
Welcome to the doomsday era.
Turning away from the window, Iris sprinted deeper into the 5th floor.
Her goal was the B2 parking garage, and she’d take the escalators–no elevators, too risky.
As she raced through the empty mall, rows of merchandise flashed by.
Supplies, endless supplies.
To pass by such a treasure trove empty–handed would be madness.
Just then, a voice echoed in her mind.
“Ding. Supreme Lord System activated!
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“Limited time: 2 hours. For every 10 thousand worth of supplies collected, you will be rewarded with 353 cubic feet of portable spatial storage!”
Iris‘ lips curled into a grin. “Perfect! This is a godsend!”
She slammed her baseball bat into a glass display case, shattering it into a thousand shards.
Rushing in, she stretched out her hands–everything her fingers touched vanished into thin air, sucked into her spatial storage.
Security cameras? She didn’t care.
It was the apocalypse. Who in the hell would waste time investigating stolen designer bags when the world was falling apart?
“Ding. Detected 279 pieces of women’s fashion, valued at 650 thousand dollars. Reward: 2289 cubic feet!
“Ding. Detected 144 pieces of men’s fashion, valued at 580 thousand dollars. Reward: 2049 cubic feet!
“Ding. Detected 489 wedding dresses, valued at 1.89 million dollars. Reward: 6673 cubic feet!”
Women’s wear, men’s wear, children’s clothes, underwear, shoes, bags, wedding gowns—she took it all.
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This raid was infinitely more satisfying than her first supply run.
No matter how thoroughly she’d cleaned out her old place, it paled in comparison to this. The rewards were astronomical!
Every store was worth hundreds of thousands, even millions.
She raided them one by one, leaving nothing but empty shelves and shattered glass in her wake.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
