Chapter 416: Plans

Chapter 416: Plans

“The zombies are evolving nonstop! If you keep dragging your feet like this, we’ll never be able to fight them off!” Sophia said, her voice sharp and full of righteous anger.

Nathan, as usual, looked completely unfazed. “And if you keep pushing like this, you’re just gonna repeat the same mistakes you made before.”

“I—” Sophia’s face flushed red with fury.

Nathan’s meaning couldn’t have been clearer—he was throwing the fall of Sophia’s last base right in her face.

Realizing she couldn’t win the argument, Sophia fumed silently. “Hmph! If you won’t send anyone, I will!”

“You? Send someone? With what squad?” Nathan sneered. “Whatever. Knock yourself out.”

Sophia whipped her arm in frustration and stormed out of the office, stomping down the hallway, her whole body practically vibrating with anger.

The truth was, she barely had anyone left under her command. Just one real fighter—Jacob, one of the Bernardino Four Riders.

And speak of the devil—Jacob was walking toward her from the other end of the hall.

“Whoa, Sophia, you look pissed. What happened?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Perfect timing,” Sophia snapped. “I just asked Nathan to send a team to scout the zombie nests, and guess what? The guy flat-out refused. He’s just sitting on his ass, doing nothing. At this rate, he’s gonna drag us all down.”

Jacob gave an awkward chuckle. “Maybe… Mr. Nathan has his own plans?”

“Plans? Please.” Sophia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If he had any real plans, pigs would fly. Since he won’t do it, you go. Check out the two big nests, see if there’s any movement.”

“Uh…” Jacob hesitated, scratching the back of his head. After a moment, he said carefully, “Sophia, Nathan’s the one in charge now. We should probably stick to his orders.”

“???” Sophia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Was she hearing this right? Even Jacob—her most loyal guy—was siding with Nathan now?

Talk about a fall from grace.

Sophia had officially become a nobody in the company—no power, no influence. She was no longer the badass leader she used to be. No wonder she couldn’t get anyone to listen to her anymore.

“Fine! I see how it is! Men—you’re all the same!” she snapped.

“Sophia, wait—” Jacob started, but she wasn’t having it. She brushed past him without a second glance.

BAM!

She slammed the door to her room shut, fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white, veins bulging along her arms. She was shaking with rage.

“Tables turn, fortunes change. Don’t you dare look down on me now,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

Right now, she felt like a fallen hero—once at the top, now treated like trash. But she swore to herself: one day, she’d rise again.

There was no way she could stay here under Nathan’s thumb. It was a dead end, and she knew it.

Jaw tight, she made up her mind and pulled out her phone, dialing Richard, the regional director.

The line rang a few times—brrr, brrr, brrr—

Then Richard picked up. “Sophia? What’s up?”

“I want out of L.A.,” Sophia said bluntly. “I’m requesting a transfer to another branch.”

Richard wasn’t surprised. He knew Sophia and Nathan had been butting heads forever. Disputes between subordinates were nothing new—usually, they just tried to smooth things over.

“Sophia, listen,” Richard said in his usual oily tone. “I know you and Nathan are both very capable. It’s normal to have different opinions. You just need to work through it, find a way to cooperate for the good of the company.”

“Wait, wait—Nathan? Capable?” Sophia almost laughed out loud. That lazy bastard? But she didn’t bother arguing. She had one goal today.

“Richard, whatever. I’m not staying here. I don’t care which branch—just find me a spot.”

Richard sighed. “All the other branches are full. Just stick it out in L.A. for now. Once things settle down and we wipe out the zombie nests, you could even go back to San Bernardino as the head of operations.”

Sophia wasn’t stupid. She knew a corporate brush-off when she heard one. Empty promises, nothing more.

“Richard, I—”

“Alright, gotta run. Headquarters meeting starting. Talk later,” Richard cut her off and hung up.

Sophia sat frozen in her chair, the dial tone buzzing in her ear like a slap to the face.

Clearly, that door was slammed shut too.

Once the idea of leaving took root, it was impossible to shake. After getting stonewalled by Nathan, betrayed by Jacob, and brushed off by Richard, Sophia felt like she could barely breathe.

Every second she stayed here felt like sitting on a bed of nails.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Sophia sat there, mind racing. If she bailed without permission, she’d lose everything—and in a world like this, surviving on her own would be damn near impossible.

Worse yet, the company would come after her. As a former high-ranking officer, she knew way too many secrets. They’d never just let her walk away.

But Richard had shut down her transfer request. Staying here meant no future, no chance to climb back up.

It felt like a mountain was crushing her chest, suffocating her.

Sophia slumped back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, like her soul had just up and left her body. For over two hours, she sat there, lost in thought, desperately trying to figure out a way forward.

Finally, she straightened up slowly, a new idea flickering to life in her mind.

The Black Hand Legion.

…

By evening, the sky was ablaze with streaks of crimson, the last fiery breath of the setting sun. Night was creeping in fast.

The atmosphere inside the shelter was as grim as ever. To prevent any risk of mutation, the bodies of those who’d fallen in today’s battles were tossed into the incineration pit and set ablaze, reduced to ash.

The flickering flames cast long, dancing shadows across the faces of Mia and the others, their expressions somber. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning flesh.

Off to the side, Robert crouched low, cranking a small generator by hand to charge his Bluetooth headset. His movements were steady, unhurried.

“One of San Diego’s Four War Generals—the Falseword Zombie King—can hypnotize people using sound. If we can block out his voice, we might stand a chance against him,” Robert explained, his voice calm but heavy.

“Then there’s the second—Hellhound Zombie King. Bone manipulation powers, insanely tough body, and a sense of smell so sharp that once he locks onto you, you’re screwed. No escape. He’s basically the ultimate predator.”

“The third—Daisy Zombie King. She uses pollen to create hallucinations…”

Robert went on, listing each of San Diego’s Four War Generals and their terrifying abilities—knowledge paid for with countless human lives.

These past few days, they’d been attacking the shelter relentlessly, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.

As the fire crackled and popped, Robert glanced up at the horizon. The last sliver of sunlight was fading, swallowed by the night.

His headset finally blinked full charge. He stood up slowly, his eyes gleaming like stars in the firelight.

“Everyone got that memorized?”

Sean, ever the smartass, raised a hand. “Uh, not really. Could you run through it one more time?”

Chris immediately cut him off. “Forget it, Sean. You don’t need to know.”

Mia swung her long Tachi sword onto her back with a practiced flick.

“Move out!” she ordered, her voice slicing through the heavy night air.

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: