Fight, Flight, or Freeze: The Healer's Story
Chapter 110: Should We Up The Ante?

Chapter 110: Should We Up The Ante?

"You’re back," smiled Si Dong from where he sat at the kitchen table, playing a round of poker with the other guys.

"Very astute," grumbled Fan Teng Fei as he glared out the window of the living room. On the balcony railing sat the same fucking crow from before. The stupid thing had followed him all the way back to the base, refusing to go away for even a second. He shuddered at the memory of just how the crow had followed him home. If the guys had seen it, they would never let him live it down.

"Did you not get what you went for?" asked Cheng Bo Jing, cocking his head to the side as he ignored the cards in his hand.

"I did," admitted Fan Teng Fei, "Plus a few other supplies." He shrugged like it was not a big deal, but he might have gone a little crazy at the bath and home store. And by a little crazy, he discovered that the entire contents of the store could fit into his space.

The monk was initially not happy with what had appeared, but they made a deal. While he was out in public, he would carry the monk staff as a way of keeping up traditions. But then the fucking crow decided that the metal rings at the end of the staff would make the perfect perch, so the fucker sat on top of his staff the entire journey home, only to fly off as soon as they got within eyesight of the gate.

Fan Teng Fei refused to use the front door, just in case the guard there had noticed him walking up, and decided to just jump over the fence a little ways away.

He had never been more embarrassed in his life.

Fucking bird.

"A meeting was called this morning," said Bai Long Qiang, breaking Fan Teng Fei out of his thoughts. "It was pretty much bullshit, but there seems to be a miscommunication on the number of zombies expected." The man smirked as he looked down at his cards and threw some chips into the center of the table.

"So, I take it I didn’t miss much?"

"A bit of bitching... then a lot of bitching... an almost catfight, plans to build traps, and that chick of Wang Chao’s deciding what everyone needed to do," answered Ye Yao Zu from where he sat beside Bai Long Qiang. He, too, checked his cards before throwing some more chips into the center.

"Huh, and that’s coming from you. Maybe I should be glad that I missed it," snickered Fan Teng Fei, putting on the familiar mask. He walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, watching the other four. "I am going to assume that we are going to do the exact opposite of what is demanded of us?"

"We were delegated to protect the teams digging holes and building traps," shrugged Si Dong as he folded his cards in front of him and pushed away from the table.

"Sounds riveting," sneered Fan Teng Fei.

"It actually wasn’t too bad. There were some scouts around that we fought. Hell, we ended up making twice as many zombies with other people watching. It was great," chuckled the other man as he went to stand beside Fan Teng Fei. "We are heroes for fighting zombies... if only they knew... huh?"

"Our general would shit a brick if he knew how easily you disregard a military order," laughed Ye Yao Zu as he looked up at Cheng Bo Jing with a smirk of his own.

Cheng Bo Jing simply raised an eyebrow and raised the stakes, tossing the chips into the pool like it was nothing.

"After this hand, we’ll split up and go around the base," said Bai Long Qiang softly as he raised Cheng Bo Jing’s bet. "I am sure the civilians would love to know that there are almost 6,000 zombies on their way."

"Six thousand?" asked Fan Teng Fei, cocking his head to the side. Maybe this would really lead to everyone’s deaths, whether they wanted it or not. Luckily for him, he had a space he could disappear into until the dust settled. Then he could have his woman all to himself...

"The Major General said that the last number he heard, the tide was around 2,000. Wang Chao’s group countered at 3,000, and I figured we might as well double the biggest number and really give the civies something to talk about." The smile on Bai Long Qiang’s face was something only seen in a horror movie, his dead eyes conveying just how much anarchy he was looking to create.

Fan Teng Fei nodded his head.

"Should we up the ante?" asked Si Dong with a smile, causing the other men to turn around and look at him. "If we want to create chaos, we need to do more than just increase the numbers. How can we lure zombies into the base itself? A war fought on more than one front is likely to be lost quickly."

Cheng Bo Jing finally folded his cards and stared at Si Dong. "A cage full of humans would probably work," he said slowly. "But I don’t want it traced back to us."

"Could we sabotage the traps somehow?" mused Ye Yao Zu as he, too, put down his cards.

The five men took the night to brainstorm as to how to effectively make the City Y base fight a multi-front war without it being traced back to them.

-----

A knock on the door of the apartment startled the guys at 10 o’clock the next morning. Cheng Bo Jing rose for his seat at the table and walked over to the door, quickly glancing over his shoulder to make sure that any paper on the table was well hidden.

"Yes?" he said, opening the door. Outside of it was a soldier in army fatigues.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sir," saluted the man, his eyes trained on Cheng Bo Jing’s shoulder.

"Kong Ze Dong," smiled Cheng Bo Jing, recognizing the man in front of him. "You are here."

"Yes, Sir," replied the man with a nod of his head.

"Anything interesting happening?"

The man looked around the hall behind him before turning his attention back to his commander. "No, Sir. Only word about a zombie tide coming in a few days. Most people are talking about leaving through a hole in one of the side gates if things get too bad."

"There is a hole in one of the side gates? Does the Major General know?" asked Cheng Bo Jing, a slight smile perking up one side of his lips. "That seems negligent."

"To the best of my knowledge, he is unaware of the breach in his perimeter," shrugged the soldier, not seemingly upset over that. "But I am here to let you know that there is going to be another meeting in 30 minutes."

"Of course, private. Thank you for delivering the message," smiled Cheng Bo Jing just as a couple of people passed behind the soldier, heading toward the stairwell at the end of the hall.

The soldier didn’t say anything else, just saluted and turned around to leave.

"Oh, Kong Ze Dong, if you get the chance... spread the word that taking the unmarked exits would be a good idea," suggested Cheng Bo Jing as he lowered his voice so only the other man could hear him.

"Understood." Spinning around on his heels, the man quickly disappeared down the hallway.

Turning back to the men at the table, the smile on Cheng Bo Jing’s face widened. "We might not have to make a move after all," he chuckled.