I Stocked Up, Scum Couple Begs for Mercy

Chapter 4

As the final hour ticked down before the bitter cold descended, the television erupted with an urgent alert. The news anchor appeared visibly rattled, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Emergency Alert! A freezing wave has descended. Temperatures are set to drop drastically. Alongside, an unknown virus is spreading. The city is now under an immediate lockdown. Residents are advised to stay home and avoid venturing outside!"

Tension gripped the air as chaos unfolded in the streets. People raced frantically to hoard supplies, their shouts mingling with the wail of sirens in a symphony of chaos.

I stood at the window, observing the pandemonium with surprising tranquillity. The moment I had been waiting for had arrived.

I drove over to the warehouse that Jason assumed was his private sanctuary. As I swung open the door, I was met with emptiness, save for the rows of decoy boxes I had meticulously arranged, identical in shape and meticulously labeled, precisely as he had envisioned.

I placed a note conspicuously on a shelf, the words inscribed with deliberate, frosty precision.

Thanks for the ID collateral and for the supplies you so carefully amassed. Yours truly. Lyle.

Locking the warehouse door, I turned and strode away.

Glancing skyward, I saw a fragile snowflake drifting down from the murky sky, coming to rest lightly upon my eyelash.

The first snowflake had fallen. In this southern city, where snow was a rare visitor, the season's first snowflake had made its appearance.

The foretold apocalypse had arrived right on cue.

The wind roared mercilessly as the temperature nosedived, enveloping the city in a harsh coat of ice and snow. Utilities were completely shut down, and zombies crept out from the shadows, meandering through the icy streets, turning the world into a frozen nightmare.

Meanwhile, across town, Jason and Mia could barely contain their thrill. Racing against the storm's full arrival, they dashed to their warehouse on the outskirts. Bundled in brand-new, thick jackets, their faces were plastered with self-satisfied grins as they exchanged hushed whispers about how easily they had duped me, exploiting my trust to finance their stash with high-interest loans.

"Once we're holed up in the warehouse, we'll be well-stocked for a snug winter. As for that i***t Lyle, whether she makes it through or not doesn't concern us."

"Lucky she didn't end up pregnant. We're free of any scheming or negotiations, just left to enjoy ourselves."

With laughter and high hopes, they swung open the warehouse doors.

Inside, the cavernous space was lined with meticulously stacked boxes, promising a sense of much-needed relief. Eagerly, Jason rushed over and ripped open the nearest box.

In the blink of an eye, his grin vanished.

The box was utterly barren, containing nothing but a thin layer of scrap cardboard.

He stood momentarily stunned, holding onto the hope that the first box was just a fluke. Battling the rising tide of panic, he tore into several more packages. They were all the same, no tins, no snacks, no warm gear, utterly bare.

Mia's face was ashen, her extremities trembling as she feverishly ripped open more boxes. The entire warehouse, once brimming with promise, was filled with vacant shells.

Their carefully amassed supplies, funded by their life savings and my gullibility through high-interest loans, had vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but hollow cartons.

They stood there thunderstruck, immobilized by disbelief as the gravity of their predicament sank in. Their arrogant confidence and bright dreams shattered, giving way to a chaos of anger and fear.

"What on earth happened? Where are our supplies? Everything was here, stacked up. How could it all disappear overnight?"

In their frantic state, Mia's gaze landed on a note taped prominently on a shelf. She snatched it, her eyes raking over the writing and signature, shaking with fury.

"It's Lyle! This is her doing! She must've been reborn too, saw right through us, conned us into lending our IDs to secure those loans. She whisked away our supplies and left us with this cruel joke of empty boxes!"

Jason gripped the note tightly, his knuckles paling, while his face was a storm of rage and fear barely held in check. At last, he understood just how deeply they had fallen into the trap I had meticulously set.

In the expansive, frigid warehouse, Jason and Mia hurled a barrage of furious insults, branding me as devious and ungrateful.

Amid their meltdown, a deafening boom echoed as the warehouse's heavy steel door abruptly slammed shut.

The entire frame rattled fiercely as the enormous iron door locked with a formidable clang, immovable from inside.

The whir of machinery soon filled the air as thick alloy panels descended stealthily from hidden recesses, sealing off every exit, window, and vent with impeccable precision.

In moments, the warehouse morphed into an unbreakable fortress, devoid of any escape route.

The light dimmed dramatically, and an icy draft slipped through the seams, causing them to tremble uncontrollably. With no sustenance, warmth, or escape, they were trapped within a cage of cold steel.

This was a tailored nightmare I had designed specifically for them.

Frozen with fear, Jason and Mia pounded frantically on the iron door, their fists landing futilely against the metal.

Their screams and yells reverberated as they hurled their full weight into every kick and punch, but the unyielding door and panels were impervious, as immovable as despair itself.

As they succumbed to desperate sobs, frantically clawing for escape, the surveillance camera high above turned smoothly, and an icy, detached female voice echoed crisply through the warehouse speakers.

"Are you surprised, Jason, Mia?"