Stronghold In The Apocalypse

Chapter 247: I might burn you into crisp.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

Leo looked at Bella who's beside him, who stared at him with a question mark floating above her head.

"Those were a lot of food, they certainly don't look like your people"

Bella couldn't help but get curious, and even though she's now an inactive navy officer. This doesn't stop her from caring about them, but at the same time, she was also curious about why Leo is helping them when he's clearly not US Citizen.

"You'll know soon enough"

'Heh, this woman has clearly grown comfortable with me. Was it because we were acquainted before that she's not even that afraid of me anymore even when she had witnessed what I can do?'

Bella's eyes slowly widened when she quickly realized something that shook her.

"No way, you're planning to rope them in, don't you?"

'Hmm, isn't she quite perceptive?'

With a slight smile, Leo raised an eyebrow towards her and thought.

"I see, but I think that idea is not good though. After all, looking at the current shape of the ship. It's barely surviving, it probably hasn't had any repairs or maintenance in the last couple of months. So it's probably just a shell of its former glory, but if you find a better ship, then they're worth it"

Bella realized that her hunch was right, and sincerely gave her opinions to him, as she once served as a part of the engineering team in the navy.

So she knows the condition of the ship best just from looking at its outer appearance.

And at the same time, she also wants to elevate her value to Leo with her skills as she's still not sure what will happen to them once they arrive at his so-called survivor base.

It's all because she wanted to look more favorable and impressive to Leo, as she didn't want her future career there to be as bleak as the future of this world.

"You'll see. I have plans for the ship. Besides, I just need to know it can still run even with how battered it already is. I can have someone fix it" said Leo with a slight smile on his face.

"Suit yourself then, and hope that it's only the outer appearance that looks battered and not the important parts inside" replied Bella after thinking for a couple of seconds.

Leo just smiled at her, while others tried to send eye signals to Bella to stop talking to him, in fear that he might get irritated and kick them out.

But the latter just ignored them and kept saying things to Leo, who surprisingly answered them patiently, which surprised them as he always has this cold attitude when he's talking to them.

'Is it because she's a woman and single?'

Darius's wife, Jana, had that thought in her mind, but when she remembered that Mina also has the same marital status as Bella, she quickly erased that thought.

After that short episode between Bella and Leo.

The place descended into silence as Griff even started dozing off while Mina had already fallen asleep peacefully due to exhaustion, and the relief that they don't need to endanger themselves anymore.

Half an hour later.

"This...is your base?"

Bella and the others looked at the scenery in front of them with astonishment as this wasn't what they were expecting at all!

Not an island!

"We...this island. I certainly remember that there's no such island in this place" said Bella, realizing that the position of this island wasn't on the map during her time in the navy.

In fact, she had been living almost all her life in the State of Hawaii and she's sure that there's no such island located here.

Leo looked at the astonished looks on their faces and laughed, "Hahaha! Of course, this isn't our main base. I just discovered this island a couple of days ago. And yes, what Bella said was right, I've looked through the maps, even the old ones, and this island hadn't existed until now. In fact, the only explanation I could up with are movement of the tectonic plates"

"But aren't you amazed at my idea that I decided to make this island part of the survivor base?"

"Why?" asked Griff in curiosity, as he and the group stood on the beach, while being watched curiously by the kids standing a distance away from them.

Bella, Jana and Darius thought of something but didn't say anything as they wanted to hear what Leo wanted to say.

"I want to turn this place into a military port, just like Pearl Harbor. It's makes invading and providing reinforcements to my troops easier in the near future"

'I knew it, he's not so simple after all'

Bella's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and thought to herself. She also noticed Darius looking at her, and both of them just revealed a slight smile of understanding before looking away.

What can they do anyway? Report it to their commanding officer who they didn't even know if they are alive or not?

There's not even a working government anymore now that all the largest countries have fallen into decay, much less the weaker ones.

"Anyway, you can follow Min and follow her instructions. If you don't want to stay here, you guys can hitch a ride back to Manchester when the others arrive here. Of course, that is only after we're done with the things we needed to do here and if you guys do a good job while you guys are here"

"So, don't slack off now, yeah?"

Leo had just a couple of steps away from them before he suddenly turned around as he had forgotten to say something.

"Right, if you don't want to die. Don't do something stupid or Min will kill you. Don't look at me like I'm crazy, Min is a mutant, she had killed a few before, and I don't mean zombies. So...behave, yeah?"

After that, he walked away as he laughed in satisfaction seeing their frightened expressions like they had just seen a ghost.

Bella and the others looked at Leo who's walking away, then turned their attention to Min who's grinning at them evilly.

"You heard what he said, right? If you don't listen to my instructions"

Crackle! Boom!

A streak of lightning suddenly zapped past Griff's head and struck the sea waves behind them, causing a small explosion on the water!

"I might accidentally burn you into crisp"

Thud!

"I...Okay"

Griff and Mina fell down on the ground on their butts, and could only nod obediently at her.

After that, this group of adults could only follow after her obediently without complaint, especially Griff, who had an unwilling expression on his face, but could only do it because he's afraid that she might really kill him if he starts causing trouble here the moment they arrive.

In fact, Min probably wouldn't even need to dirty her hands if that happens, as Bella or the others would do it themselves if he really tried to.

Then Min led them in front of a small shed, where multiple tools are stored.

"So, who wants to do gardening or go fishing instead? And do any of you know how to cook?"