Chapter 56: High Temperature, an Old Acquaintance

At three in the morning, Evelyn Ford hurried out of the clubhouse. Yellow sand filled the sky, and she kept her head down as she rushed along. The wind was so strong that every so often, she had to squat and wait for a gust to pass before getting up again. The way forward remained treacherous. Evelyn wiped the sand from her goggles, humming an off-key tune to herself.

"You think you can fucking run? Go on, run! Why’ve you stopped? I’ll beat you to death! You, get the stuff he’s holding. And break his legs."

"Yes, Mr. Chase."

Evelyn tripped. As she started to get up, she heard noises coming from around the corner ahead. She held her breath, listening intently, and faintly made out the sound of pained groans.

"Mr. Chase, he’s got quite a haul. No idea where he got it. We really lucked out, stumbling on such a fat sheep."

"Alright, bring the stuff here. And finish him off, quickly."

"Don’t... don’t kill me. You can have everything. Just spare my life." His desperate pleas were met only with more brutal beatings and mockery.

Evelyn frowned. ’That voice... I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.’

"I’m begging you, let me go. I don’t want the stuff anymore..."

Evelyn’s eyes widened. ’Isn’t that the guy I met at the pharmaceutical company? What was his name again? Qui... Quincy?’

"Let you go? Haha, in your dreams! I told you to leave the stuff, but you just had to run. Even made me take a fall. You! Beat him to death! Put some muscle into it!"

The man’s subordinate grunted in acknowledgment and raised his foot to kick Quincy in the stomach. A cold glint appeared in Evelyn’s eyes. She picked up a nearby rock and threw it, smashing it directly into the subordinate’s head. The man’s skull split open, and he collapsed in a torrent of blood, not getting back up.

"Who’s there? Show yourself! Who the fuck hit my man? Hey, get up! You’re a fucking weakling."

The man glanced around nervously, still cursing under his breath. Evelyn got up, brushed the sand from her clothes, and walked toward him step by step.

"Who are you looking for?"

Evelyn held another rock in her hand. Covered in sand and with her features obscured by her gear, she was unrecognizable. Perhaps because she hadn’t spoken in a while, her voice came out low and hoarse.

"Was it you who hit him with that rock?"

Evelyn glanced at the motionless man lying in the sand and shrugged.

"Who else would it be?"

The man’s eyes widened in fury. He snatched the knife off the ground and charged at Evelyn. She threw the rock in her hand with perfect aim, hitting him squarely on the head. He swayed for a moment before collapsing like a log.

"What are you doing here?" Quincy asked, struggling to his feet. The words had barely left his mouth when he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered twice, and collapsed again.

"You recognize me?" Evelyn asked, a little surprised.

"I’m a researcher. I have a keen sense of smell, and my hearing is just as good."

"Fine. I’m leaving. You should get going, too. Those two aren’t dead."

As capable as Evelyn was, she couldn’t kill people with just a rock. She’d only knocked them unconscious.

"Wait." Quincy crawled over to his bag, clutching it to his chest as he staggered to his feet once more.

Evelyn saw that his face and body were covered in blood—a truly ghastly sight.

"What is it?"

"Heroine, this is the second time you’ve saved me, and I still don’t even know your name."

Evelyn’s mouth twitched as she looked at his battered and bloodied face. "My name is Evelyn Ford."

"Evelyn Ford. Good. I’ll remember that. Do you remember my name? I’m Quincy."

Evelyn nodded. "I remember. You didn’t go to the base?"

Quincy spat out another mouthful of blood. Clutching his chest, he said with difficulty, "I didn’t want to go."

Evelyn remembered he had a cat. ’But seeing his state, he can barely fend for himself,’ she thought. ’The cat’s probably gone.’

"My cat died back in June," he said, as if sensing her unspoken question.

Evelyn looked into his weary eyes, unsure of what to say. An awkward silence fell between them.

Just then, Quincy suddenly grabbed one of the robbers’ knives and slit the throats of the two unconscious men. He then stripped one of them and pulled the dead man’s clothes on over his own. Watching all of this, Evelyn quietly took a step back.

She whispered a "goodbye" and hurried away. Five minutes later, Evelyn glanced back and saw Quincy trailing about five or six meters behind her, much to her exasperation.

"Why are you following me? Planning to repay my kindness with a knife in the back?"

"I have nowhere else to go."

"I’m not taking you in," Evelyn said, her tone turning cold.

"You don’t have to. I won’t be a bother. I just... could you tell me where you live?"

Evelyn walked up to him and looked him up and down.

"No."

"Let me stay nearby, and I’ll tell you a secret."

Evelyn let out a frustrated laugh. "And you think your secret is so valuable?"

"Yes. It’s very valuable. The vice president of my company went abroad before the apocalypse and never came back. I know where she lives, and she has a safe room. It’s full of supplies."

Evelyn kept her scrutinizing gaze fixed on Quincy, who calmly met her eyes. After a minute, she let out a soft chuckle.

"Not interested."

"Years ago, she married an American to get a green card. She got a firearms license abroad and bought a lot of weapons. I know where the safe room is, but I can’t get it open."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "How do you know all that?"

Quincy fell silent. Evelyn scoffed and turned to leave, but he blurted out in a panic.

"She... was interested in me. She tricked me into going to her house, saying it was for work. That’s when I discovered it."

Evelyn paused. ’Am I supposed to be hearing this?’

"You look like you’re in your thirties, though. And you’re so skinny... and not that tall. Your face... Are you sure you’re not pulling my leg?"

Quincy was so incensed he spat out another mouthful of blood, startling Evelyn into taking two quick steps back to avoid the spray.

"I’m twenty-nine! I was only twenty-six when she made a move on me! And I’m five-foot-ten! And I’m not ugly!" He seemed to roar the words out.

The air once again fell into an awkward silence. After a moment, Evelyn coughed and rubbed her ear in embarrassment.

"Alright, I get it! Keep your voice down. You want to attract more trouble?"

Quincy sounded wounded. "That was a personal attack."

Evelyn coughed again.

After a long pause, Evelyn couldn’t resist asking, her eyes gleaming with gossip, "So... did she get what she wanted?" Quincy clutched his chest, looking like he was about to vomit more blood.

"No! How could I sell myself out like that? She was almost fifty! Anyway, I’ve laid all my cards on the table. So tell me, are you taking the deal or not?"

Evelyn considered it for a few seconds, then agreed.

"If you’re lying to me, or if you try anything funny, I’ll kill you."

Quincy raised his right hand. "I swear on my face and my height. If I lie to you or try to harm you, may I become hideously ugly and shrink by eight inches."

Evelyn stared at him, at a loss for words.

"Actually... your face is already ruined."