Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



"Am I missing something?" I asked, confused. I thought we were just brainstorming potential ideas about how a remote that controlled the satellite weapons came to be underwater.

"There are only three people in the world with enough power to be able to have a remote like that," said Liu Wei slowly, as he pulled me off of my chair and onto his lap.

"The first is the Leader, obviously," he said, looking at me.

"Not possible. If something happened to the Leader, it would have been known within minutes," I said with a shake of my head. The Leader was unfathomable. There was no way something like that would happen.

"Not unless it was an assassination attempt by someone in government with enough power to be able to hide it," pointed out Liu Wei. Great, now we were back to a reborn Reaver trying to take over the world. I shook my head, no more willing to contemplate it the second time around as I was my first.

"Who are the other two?" I asked quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly, given the look on the men's faces.

"The second one is the Secretary," said Liu Wei. I shrugged my shoulders. At least I liked that idea a lot more than something happening to the Leader.

"And?"

"And Wang Chao's grandfather, who he hasn't spoken to since he moved out in October." There was silence after Liu Wei said that.

"It means nothing," I said with a shrug. I mean, I really didn't like the old goat, but I understood why Wang Chao would be upset. "We are just speculating at this moment. It could even be that someone stole the remote, stowed away aboard the submarine. The sub has orders not to resurface until the last possible moment, which is why no one knows what is happening."

I looked at the three men and then made sure that Wang Chao wasn't around before I said the next part. "I know the commander is friends with Wang Chao, but he also seems like enough of a dick to smile when breaking the news about his grandfather's death just to see a reaction."

"And that is probably the best reason to think that my grandfather is still alive," said Wang Chao as he leaned against the opening of the hut.

Oops, I guess I didn't look hard enough. "Sorry," I said, cringing a bit. I mean, it was a pretty bitchy thing to say about someone that he considers a friend.

"Given the fact that he is literally throwing me to the sharks, I think I am going to have to rethink our friendship."

"At least he isn't throwing you to the wolves," I said with a hopeful smile. "I mean, that has to count for something?"

"I would rather wolves," said Wang Chao, looking at me with amusement. Well, at least we managed to get him out of his upset mood. "If it were wolves, I would stand a better chance at getting out of it alive."

"I'm trying here," I said with a sigh.

"I know, and I appreciate it," he assured me as he came over and gave me a kiss on my forehead. "But I think it is bedtime for the Bonzo." I couldn't hold back my laughter when he said that. It was one of those things that a foster father told me every night. And to the day, in my head, I say that when I am ready for bed.

Who said Wang Chao wasn't reading my mind as much as he used to? Maybe he just stopped talking about it.

"Shotgun!" shouted Liu Yu Zeng as he bolted over to the bed and laid down in the middle. He patted his chest and looked at me. "Come on, Sweetness, let's get some sleep."

"I'll keep first watch," said Chen Zi Han as he gave me a gentle kiss on my lips.

"I'll take second," said Liu Wei as he laid down next to his brother.

"Third," grunted Wang Chao before he, too, laid down for the night.

"I guess that means I am fourth," said Liu Yu Zeng with a shrug. "Perfect!"

"Is there a fifth watch?" I asked, confused.

"Nope, you are just going to have to reward whoever is coming off watch by sleeping on them," replied Liu Yu Zeng as he pulled me down on top of him before pulling the covers up and over us.

"That somehow doesn't seem fair," I said with a smile. I mean, I am sure that I should have fought harder to get a watch shift and not leave it solely up to the guys, but as far as I was concerned, taking watch was for the birds. Give me a full night's sleep any night.

"It's not," agreed Liu Wei with a smile as he also gave me a kiss on my lips. "You are going to have to keep moving every two hours onto a new chest."

"Wait!" shouted Liu Yu Zeng in panic. "I thought that she would be sleeping on my chest all night long because I don't have to wake up until the fourth watch! I protest!"

"You don't get to hog her all night long," interjected Wang Chao as he took his bedtime kiss, too. I could practically feel my eyes closing. Letting out a jaw-breaking yawn, I snuggled down onto Liu Yu Zeng's chest and brought the blanket up under my chin.

I honestly didn't care that the boys were dying under the heavy blanket I needed to sleep. If they didn't like it, they could try sleeping in a different bed. I mean, I didn't recommend it, but they could try.

----

Chen Zi Han waited until Li Dai Lu had fallen asleep before they went to the opening and sat down on the top step. He listened to the rustling of the blankets behind him as the rest of the men joined his woman in sleep.

He then turned his attention back to the water feet from them. He used to think that listening to the sounds of water lapping the shoreline was one of the most soothing things possible. He had spent many nights laying on the docks in City H listening to that sound, letting it lull him to sleep.

  Now he didn't think that he would ever find the water nearly as peaceful.