Chapter 170 - 170 - Loosing Control

The pipes shattered into pieces.

"Shit..." eyes wide, Hary glanced up at them.

Fan Xui swiftly leaned over until his torso was hanging down and grabbed hold of the back of his hazmat suit tightly. "Pull him up!"

Yue and Prisitsky hurriedly jumped into action.

One hand Yue held onto Fan Xui's back. "Hold out your hand," he leaned down and took a hold of Hary's outstretched hands.

They pulled him up over the raised wall and onto the roof. "Oh my god, Hary are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Yue hurriedly checked him.

Contrary to his expectation, he let out a loud, boisterous laughter. "That was fun."

"Seriously. I don't understand the definition of your fun. God darn it..." Yue panted, sitting tiredly in front of him. "That was too risky... we should never climb down pipes,"

"I told you the pipes won't hold," a small voice whispered from beside them. Everyone just gave Prisitsky a look. "Sorry, just stating the fact,"

Just then, Tian rushed over. "What happened I heard loud shouts?"

"Nothing much." Hary stood up and tore apart the hazmat suit.

Yue and the other did too, but Tian was the only one still in her suit.

No one asked her why and she did not bother explaining herself either.

The two scientists went about bickering scientific terms. Tian already looked like she had given up on them. She sat next to Hary, leaning her head on his shoulders.

Watching them all, Yue smiled broadly. "We survived..... I can't believe we even made it this far."

Fan Xui plopped down next to him. His hands hesitantly reached out and took his palm ever so carefully.

"Ahem...." Yue shyly retrieved his hand. "All we have to do is wait...."

"Yes.." Fan Xui looked up at the sky. Late evening golden sunlight lit his face, making his black eyes seem more golden brown. They appeared more soft and joyful. "Waiting Is the hardest part.."

Yue smilingly gazed up at him. Even though he really wanted to hold his hands, he held himself back. The words Hary uttered came to his mind. He wanted to get to know Fan Xui completely before they could be in a relationship. 'Waiting until then is going to be very very hard....'

"It is the hardest part," he whispered. "But it will be all so worth it,"

Fan Xui curiously looked at him.

Yue did not explain himself. He just smiled, glancing at the sunlight.

*****

In the settlement, the military barracks,

Wen glared at the hundred or so soldiers standing in front of them. All of them had their head lowered, refusing to look up.

"so no one is willing to fly....."

The pin drop silence already conveyed their strong opinion.

No one was willing to fly up to the hospital. After the previous team's failure, none of the soldiers were ready to leave the settlement.

He tightly clenched the small slip of paper in his hand. "Rescuing them could mean the end to all this,"

One of the soldiers glanced up with a look of contempt. "Sir, sorry to offend you, but we don't wish to risk our lives to save your son. Our families need us too."

Wen gritted his teeth loudly. He could not force them.

What can he do? An old man who had already lost most of the control in the settlement.

He was just a figurehead.

Rather, the one who spoke up to him was the one leading them all. A fire ability user. Powerful enough to defeat even fifteen men. Everyone flocked around him.

The soldiers were slowly starting to divide themselves into groups.

The one who spoke up had a sneer on his face firmly printed, but he hid it so well by lowering his head.

Wen sighed. 'that's why they say, when one lowers their head no one can guess his loyalty. These men..... sigh... what will I do... Yue and the others are waiting... I need to find someone else.'

"If no one is willing to go, then so is it," he glared at them all intently. "The Wen family will not be supplying food for anyone."

"sir!" the young soldiers glared up at him.

"What? You expect me to be selfless sharing my supplies, but you will be selfish enough to not even take up an order." He scoffed, watching all of them pant in frustration. "I don't care if all of you starve to death. If my children do not live, no one does!"

He stormed away in a rage. His assistant followed after him, trying to calm him down.

"Find me a retired officer. Anyone who knows how to fly. Send out a word that I will be gifting him a portion of the farmlands, a military position and a house,"

"sir...." his assistant paused "you could have offered that to our soldiers. They would have been willing to..."

"no! I was going to reward them handsomely. But they don't wish to risk their lives. They might even give me a false report. I can't risk that. Find me someone trustworthy soon." he walked into his study and banged the door close.

He tiredly plopped onto his chair, holding his aching head. 'Things are not going as per plan.... those young soldiers will definitely rebel soon. I can't hold down the position by myself.'

He waited and waited and waited. After half an hour, his assistant ran back. "I found a man." he glanced out the door and gestured for him to come on.

A tall dark skinned man walked in. "sir," his posture was straight and full of confidence. Unlike the cowardly soldiers, this man looked him directly in, his eyes never covering.

"You fly?"

"Yes, sir,"

"Can you fly out to the city? I need you to save someone. Can you do that?"

The man paused for a while. "okay, but I need something in return."

"what might taht be?" Wen peered at him through his narrowed eyes.

"I need... a burial spot for my mother..." the man said with a frozen look in his dark eyes.

"I can arrange that? Is that all?"

"I heard about the reward from your friend. Please do keep your part."

Wen glanced at the man intensely. The young man's steady gaze was enough to convince him. "I give you my word,"

"That's great," the man gave him a sideways smirk.

"What is your name, young man?" Wen curiously looked at him.

"Bohai sir, call me Hai,"

"Bohai, I have the chopper ready and waiting in the hangar. Go direct to the G city hospital. You know where that is right"

"Yeah I do,"

"My children will be waiting.. Pick them up,"

Bohai nodded, but still stood unmoving.

"What else?"

"I need a co-pilot....." Bohai awkwardly glanced at them both. "if it's a rescue mission, I also need a lot of emergency gear. I can't do this alone...."

Wen stood up. "I'll come along,"

They both briskly walked over to the hangar.

Many soldiers still gave him the dirty look but Wen just kept his head straight and walked over to the chopper.

Bohai hopped into the driver's seat and started to press a few buttons. "We are ready to fly,"

"Get there as fast as you can..." Wen worriedly looked at the setting sun. They did not have much time because the blanket of darkness can't hide the sinister zombies that crave the blood.

No one is safe at night.

******

Yue anxiously gazed at the setting sun. The anxiety in his heart resurfaced. "Do you think they saw our message?"

"They must have..." Qian calmly whispered. "Yue, trust my old man. He will do anything to get you out of here. He doesn't care much about me, but he cares about you a lot,"

Yue dazedly bit his bottom lips.

A finger gently pulled at his chin, releasing the lip that was bruised.

Yue worriedly smiled at him.

Tian moved closer to him and held his trembling hand. She gently massaged his cold hands, bringing some warmth. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Um Yue, how much hour do we have?" Hary suddenly whispered.

Yue leaned over and glanced at him. "I don't know. The screen was shattered. I only saw the trajectory. It can hit us in an hour or maybe a few hours later,"

"The second meteor," Fan Xui whispered.

Yue looked his way. "yes.... the second one...."

Suddenly, a loud noise disrupted them. It was the annoying sound of nails scrapping against the doors.

Tian vigilantly glanced at the doors. The rooftop only had three entryways. She had soldered and sealed the doors with her fire power.

That seal won't hold for a very long time.

Yue took a hold of Fan Xui's hand and Tian's hand. "We shall fight till the last minute. Never give up. Even if... if we have to die. Let's die fighting gloriously,"

Hary smirked. "After a few days of rest I am really carving for some fight."

"Crazy man," Tian chuckled. "Ready your sword Yue,"

They all stood up holding each other's hand. Qian glanced at Prisitsky. "I still think you are a fucking annoying bastard. But I will miss you, man."

"I miss you too, Qian. Ahhh I wish us should have done research together,"

Yue glanced at them both. "We are not going to die,"

"Yue, if you survive... tell Peng Peng I love him... also tell him sorry that I could not meet him on our first date,"

One of the door banged open and a whole horde of zombie gushed out like bees.

Yue braced himself.

"Swish!!!!!!" a loud sound was heard behind them.

The blazing winds pulled up all the dust and made a mess of his long hair.

"They are here!" ecstatic Yue glanced back.

A chopper appeared from nowhere and was hovering right by the building.

Uncle Wen threw open the door. "Jump in!"

Yue swiftly lifted Prisitsky and Fan lifted Qian. They both jumped in, followed by Tian and Hary.

"All in?"

"Yes!"

"Bohai, take us up!"

Some of the zombies tried to jump in. But Tian and Hary shot them down.

The chopper slowly flew up, leaving behind the hungry horde of zombies clawing at them.