Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



I was woken up by Wang Chao when Liu Wei got back. I think they got the point about including me in on stuff because they hadn't even opened any of the maps laid out on the dining room table. Pulling out my trusty paper and pens, I sat down at the head of the table and officially started this 'meeting'.

"Do you have any idea what route they are taking?" I asked, opening up a map of the east side of Country K. It was more detailed than a map of the whole country, but at the same time allowing me to see what actually stood between City A and City H.

I knew that after the apocalypse, it would take roughly 6 months to travel from City A to City H, but because it would take so long, I never bothered to learn much about it. At least if Liu Wei's family is heading up here, we should be able to meet them halfway. If they weren't idiots… the jury was still out on that.

"I don't. I have been trying to get a hold of Yu Zeng to try and see where they would go, but I haven't been able to contact him," said Liu Wei, studying the maps intently in front of him.

"And his phone GPS? Shouldn't you be able to track him that way?" I asked, seeing the dazed look on his face. From what I could see, the shortest route would have them going through 7 major cities, and the longest route could take them through the whole fucking country.

"Because of the… sensitivity… of some of our businesses, Yu Zeng felt that they should turn off the GPS on all systems so no one could track them," replied Liu Wei, still studying the map. I was beginning to think that he was less studying the map and more refusing to look at me.

"Unless you are in the fucking mob, I don't think that anyone's businesses are too sensitive to not have a GPS on them."

Silence greeted me at that statement and I had to close my eyes. "Are you guys part of the mob?"

"I wouldn't say part of it," said Liu Wei, the most defensive that I had ever seen him to be.

"I would say that here, in Country K, they are it," chimed in Wang Chao in the most unhelpful way possible.

Liu Wei just turned and glared at him, refusing to admit anything. I sighed, willing to put it on the back burner. Once November 1st came, the mob, organized crime, or whatever they wanted to call themselves was no longer really a thing. The services they supplied were no longer in demand, and with zombies and the rogue Asymptomatics, there was really no place for them to be. They just carved out their own territory like the rest of us and stayed put.

I didn't know if I should tell him that or later… but judging from the look on Wang Chao's face, I would not have to be the one to tell him. Some days it sucked to be a spirit user, I am sure.

Wang Chao nodded his head in agreement. Agreement for what? I didn't know… and frankly, I didn't care.

"Ok… then are there any cities or territories that are giving your brother problems or that they would be required to visit if passing through the area?" I asked, trying to put what I learned from the criminology classes to work. The best part of being a social worker was that if you took a wide variety of courses at university, the more likely you were to be successful when you applied for a job in the future. Criminology, Psychology, Sociology… let's just say I took a lot of the ologies.

Liu Wei froze for an instant as he processed my words. "Since they were leaving City H, the only option for them to go would be through City G. There is really nothing for us to worry about in that city as we control most of it… so there would be two options from there. City B is more important to us than City C as City B is more coastal, so a lot of the imports come through there if they didn't come through City H."

"So, what you are saying is that there is a better chance of them going to City B than City C," I said, marking the two routes in two different colors. "How long would they have to stay in City B? Is it like just a drive-through? Or would they have 'business' to deal with?" I said business like I was a wise guy from a movie that I had seen one too many times. I chuckled when neither one of them caught the reference.

We spent at least an hour mapping out the two most likely routes that they could take, and then, just as the boyos were feeling comfortable with their game plan… I threw a wrench in it.

"Great! Now that we have what highway routes they took… what backroad ways would they have gone without a car?" I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. When the two men looked at me like I had gone crazy I very, very politely reminded them, "An EMP goes off in 2 days, give or take, they will not have any vehicles working after that point and every major highway will be congested with cars that will not be able to move. You do remember that… right?"

Apparently, they did not, because it took them another 2 hours to figure out what walking routes they might have taken. I didn't add that they might get lost a few times seeing as they would not have any maps on them or compasses to guide the way.

By the time morning rolled around and there were two days left until the EMP struck, I was pretty sure that I had the guys rethinking their heroic rescue. When they stuffed Hades and me into one of the middle RVs, I realized that they hadn't and they were in for a very rude reality check.

Hopefully, Yu Zeng would call in and give us some idea of a location. With more than 2,500km between City A and City H, and not knowing the route that they took, this was like looking for a zombie in a cornfield.

But, at the end of the day, a small part of me (very, very small part) admired their dedication to family. The much larger part was trying to figure out my own routes and strategies to ensure that me and mine made it through this little adventure with all of our heads and limbs attached.