Raven walked up to Momma Jean, as her eyes looked over the base, studying their makeshift setup and the worn edges of the chain link fence surrounding the old communications bunker. Raven paused, taking in the quiet scene, then looked at Momma Jean and said. "Momma Jean it looks like you managed to get set up here after leaving the mall. Hopefully, it didn't take you too long to get here… and you didn't lose any of your girls along the way?"
Momma Jean broke into a wide smile, her posture relaxed as cheese dust flew off her shirt. "Don't worry about that, Raven. We got here just fine, thanks to your advice about how to handle other people we ran into along the way. And on the way here, we even picked up a few women who wanted to join us. One of them claims to know you after I mentioned it was you who told us about this place and that nobody would bother coming here since it's been abandoned for decades."
Raven's brow furrowed, her head tilting slightly as she scrutinized Momma Jean. "Who said they know me?"
Momma Jean chuckled, because she was expecting this question. "Her name's Darlene Wexler. She told me that thanks to your warning about the world ending, she was able to save herself and her daughter. Darlene said you warned her about the apocalypse before anyone else even had an idea that it was going to happen. And now that I think about it… with all that COVID stuff and the lockdowns, the signs of the end are there if someone is paying close enough attention to them. Darlene mentioned this to me, and I realize now how lucky we were to run into you as well. We picked up Darlene and her daughter Cindy along the highway here as they were leaving New York. Darlene and Cindy have a bunch of first aid supplies. They gave us that have helped out a ton. We put them in charge of supply logistics. These two have a knack for organizing all of the supplies we have scavanged so far.
Raven's expression softened for a brief moment at the mention of Darlene's name. A subtle smile came to her face. She remembered Darlene the woman from the first aid store. She was the only person Raven tipped off about the apocalypse before it began. Anyone paying attention to the government's moves during COVID could see what was coming: the sudden lockdowns, the secrecy around nursing homes, no one being allowed to see the old and elderly. It doesn't take much to connect the dots if you really look.
Ending her internal reflection, Raven spoke to Momma Jean, her voice calm and approving. "Momma Jean COVID-19 caught everyone off guard, but the signs were there if you looked closely enough. It's good you picked up Darlene. I've worked with her before; she's extremely capable when it comes to logistics and inventory management. She will be perfect for managing the incoming supplies and organizing everything for this new base."
Raven moved on to her next topic as she said. "Let's go inside and start getting the hydroelectric generators back online. We can use the underground river here it also doubles as an independent water source thanks to the industrial water filters here. I will also set up a few high-powered solar panels in remote locations so they won't draw attention, providing the base with extra power. Eventually, I will also add geothermal generators. Once that's all set up, this place will be a fully self-sustaining underground community. We won't even need to open up the surface doors if we don't want to."
Raven paused for a moment, her gaze drifting off slightly before she continued. "In time, we'll even connect with the underground tunnel network running throughout New York. Believe me, underground bases and hidden communities are going to start popping up everywhere. People will learn that going underground is the safest move they can make.
Momma Jean frowned slightly, her eyebrows knitting together as she thought about Raven's words. "Raven do you really think there are going to be underground communities? I mean, I know about the subway tunnels and all, but… will people actually live down there?"
Raven smiled knowingly, her voice sure as she responded. "Trust me. In this new world, living underground is your safest bet. You'll understand in time as things on the surface slowly grow worse."
Momma Jean took a deep breath, then slowly nodded. She let out a short laugh. "I do trust you, Raven. You saved me and my girls by pointing us towards here. By the way… I heard from other survivors that after we left the mall, a bunch of Red Blood Raiders showed up. They wiped out everyone who were still using the mall. It seems like they are looking for you. Apparently, they're considering putting a bounty on your head."
Raven waved her hand dismissively, completely unfazed. "I already have a few bounties on my head. Another one won't make a difference. I plan to visit their main base in a few days and wipe them off the face of the earth. They won't be a problem after that. As for those other bounties… I'll deal with them in due time."
Join my patreon today to read up to chapter 216 in advance your support is my inspiration join for only 3 to 5$
patreon.com/everstone