Chapter 613: Troublemakers
Chapter 613: Chapter 613: Troublemakers
By the time the three of them left the space and returned to the main square, it was already dawn.
Evelyn Ford found Ethan Dawson and Quincy, sent them back into the space, and then went to the medical tent with Wendy.
Ronan Kendrick went to find Rhys Chase. Meanwhile, inside Rhys’s tent, all the senior staff were gathered, their expressions grim as they stared at the nuclear radiation detection data.
"Everyone will evacuate back toward the southeast within five days."
Rhys Chase gave the final order. Everyone stood up and replied in unison, "Yes, sir."
The meeting ended, and the staff left to arrange the evacuation. Ronan Kendrick entered from outside. On the table lay reports analyzing the nuclear radiation and contamination. He picked one up, glanced at it, and asked about the plan.
Rhys Chase said they would first head back to Oakhaven. Only after they were clear of the radiation and contamination could they decide on their next move.
He had Liam Sterling and Ryan Rowe inform all the residents about the nuclear radiation and contamination. Those who had originally planned to stay were immediately swayed. No one was unafraid of nuclear radiation. Once the black water reached the base’s perimeter, the entire area would be blanketed by it.
In the middle of the main square, Liam Sterling used a megaphone to explain the dangers of nuclear radiation over and over. When he was done, Ryan Rowe took his place.
Ryan Rowe told the crowd that evacuating to the southeast would lead them to Oakhaven. The Northwest, the north, the central region, and the Southwest had no nuclear power plants. He warned any residents planning to leave on their own that they must not, under any circumstances, head south or toward the Rocksea Region.
At nine in the morning, they made contact with Arden Base. Yarrow had been quiet for a long time after the last siege on their base. Arden Base’s Commander reported that a small nuclear power plant in Yarrow, near Frelia, had exploded. Yarrow’s Divine River Water was contaminated, and people were already starting to mutate.
Arden Base was preparing to migrate south, departing tomorrow.
After reading the telegraph message, Rhys Chase sat in his chair, silent for a long time.
’Exploding nuclear power plants, tectonic shifts causing earthquakes... the world has become a scene of utter devastation.’
Rhys Chase sent a reply, informing the Arden Base Commander that the south had suffered a cataclysm years ago where mountains sank and oceans flooded the land. Besides, the south was home to many nuclear power plants, making it a terrible destination for an evacuation.
There was still no word from the Central Base in Gryphold. ’If we can’t go south, where can we go?’
Rhys Chase looked at Ronan Kendrick, his eyes suddenly brightening. "Ronan, you traveled all the way from Rivenia to Frelia. On your journey, did you come across any places suitable for a sanctuary?"
Ronan Kendrick’s expression was impassive. "If there were, would we have needed to come to Frelia?"
Rhys Chase was speechless. ’I can’t believe I asked such a stupid question.’
"What do you think of Serena?"
"Never been."
Rhys Chase was surprised. "You didn’t pass through Serena?"
Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "On the road, a man traveled with us for several months. His home was in Serena, but we parted ways in Crystell City. He went back to Serena, and we entered Varden. From there, we made our way to Frelia."
Rhys Chase pondered for a few seconds before asking, "Is Varden habitable?"
Ronan Kendrick said nothing. The two men stared at each other blankly for a long moment until Liam Sterling came in, at which point they both looked away.
"Mr. Chase, there’s trouble outside. Some people have taken all the orphans hostage. They have guns and explosive packs and are demanding we hand over the base’s food reserves."
Rhys Chase’s expression darkened. "Let’s go take a look."
Evelyn Ford was changing the dressing for a woman with an injured arm when a commotion suddenly erupted outside. She could faintly make out two words: "Give food." Guessing what was happening, Evelyn finished bandaging the woman’s arm, then stood up and left the tent.
The shouting was mixed with the sound of crying. Evelyn pushed through the crowd and saw the troublemakers. They had tied up ten children, who had crude explosive packs hanging from their bodies. These were the orphans who had lost their parents in the earthquake. They had been living in a large tent together; the oldest was twelve, and the youngest was just two months old.
The agitators had the tent completely surrounded, each holding a homemade pack of explosives. Machetes were held to the necks of the ten children being used as hostages.
The other residents backed away in fear. Some tried to reason with them, telling them not to act rashly, but the agitators just repeated the same two words.
"Give food."
They wanted the base’s reserve food supply.
If they didn’t get the food, they would take the orphans’ lives.
Rhys Chase arrived quickly, followed by a large group of people. Ronan Kendrick spotted Evelyn Ford and pushed through the crowd to her side.
Liam Sterling and Ryan Rowe tried to evacuate the crowd to negotiate, but the agitators gave them no chance. One of them raised a gun and fired twice into the air. The residents screamed in terror, dropping to the ground and covering their heads.
"Don’t move! I’ll shoot anyone who tries to leave!"
Liam Sterling recognized the leader of the group. It was Chester Warren, Harry Caldwell’s cousin. ’No wonder he has a gun and can make so many explosives.’ Before the apocalypse, Chester had worked at a research institute for two years. He had been a top science scholar, won multiple patent awards, and was said to be an academic genius, albeit with a paranoid personality that made him extremely difficult to deal with.
"Chester Warren, if you want food, you can come talk to us. There’s no need to harm these children."
Chester Warren’s face twisted. He glared at Rhys Chase. "Rhys Chase, don’t think I’m a fool! You’re the one who sent people to kill Harry Caldwell and Lynn Ellison."
Rhys Chase blinked. "Who’s Lynn Ellison?"
Liam Sterling quickly filled him in: Lynn Ellison was the woman who had raised crocodiles and venomous snakes for Harry Caldwell. Ryan Rowe had killed them both. They had all assumed the matter was closed, but it turned out Harry’s cousin had been secretly plotting revenge for them.
"You want revenge for Harry Caldwell?"
"Bah! Who cares about getting revenge for him? I’m avenging Lynn Ellison!" Chester Warren’s eyes were bloodshot with fury. Seeing his expression, Rhys Chase understood. ’Looks like there’s some sordid drama here I’ve missed.’
"I’ve buried two hundred packs of explosives around this place, Rhys Chase. Kneel and repent to Lynn Ellison, then cut yourself ten times, and I’ll let these people live."
The corner of Rhys Chase’s mouth twitched into a mocking smile. ’Make me kneel and repent? Such a brazen demand is something I’ve never heard before.’
"Let the children go first. Whether you want food or for me to kneel and repent for Lynn Ellison, let’s step aside and talk. I’ll give you a satisfactory answer either way."
Chester Warren suddenly shrieked, "Rhys Chase, don’t try to fool me! You had Lynn Ellison killed! You’ll die a horrible death for it!"
Chester Warren completely lost control. He grabbed a child standing next to him and stared at Rhys Chase, his eyes blood-red.
"Lynn was carrying my child! You sent your people to kill them—to kill Lynn and my baby!"
Rhys Chase pinched the bridge of his nose. ’I can’t believe we have a psycho like this at the base.’
"Are you sure it was your child?" Ryan Rowe asked, his expression deadpan. "That woman was with her brother-in-law before, and then she got with Harry Caldwell. The two of them were in bed together right before they died. Are you really sure that baby was yours?" He delivered the crushing blow with a completely straight face.