No Second Chances Apocalypse

| September 22, 2023 - 9:02 PM

Lucas Fang was waiting for her when she stepped out of the elevator.

Leaning against the black SUV, arms crossed, looking like he hadn't moved in an hour.

Lin paused, adjusting the strap of her bag. She had almost forgotten how unreadable he once was.

"You look like you need sleep," Lucas said.

Lin rolled her shoulders. "You look like you need a hobby."

Lucas smirked. "Driving you around is my hobby now."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "I'm honored."

Lucas gestured to the car. "Get in, Zhang."

She slid into the passenger seat, and Lucas pulled into traffic without a word.

The low hum of the engine filled the silence. Lin watched the city pass by—glass towers, streetlights, people who had no idea their lives had an expiration date.

Lucas adjusted the rearview mirror. "So, what's this about?"

Lin glanced at him. "The guns?"

"No," Lucas said, giving her a side-eye. "The fact that you're acting like a woman on a mission. You're weirdly intense this week."

Lin tapped her fingers against her thigh. Right. He doesn't know what's coming.

She shrugged. "I just like to be prepared."

Lucas snorted. "For what, war?"

Lin smiled faintly. "Something like that."

Lucas shook his head. "You sure this isn't a boyfriend problem?"

Lin let out a short laugh. "If it was, would you be taking me to buy guns?"

Lucas smirked. "Fair point."

She glanced at him. "What about you?"

Lucas kept his eyes on the road. "What about me?"

Lin tilted her head. "You still working insane hours for Zhao?"

Lucas exhaled sharply. "Unfortunately."

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Pay's good. But the job? Let's just say I'm counting the days."

Lin hummed. "And Jake?"

That got a reaction.

Lucas's shoulders relaxed slightly. "He's good. Smart for a four-year-old. Too smart, actually."

Lin smiled. She remembered Jake—quiet, stubborn, too observant for his own good. He had clung to his dad like a lifeline.

She leaned back. "I still can't believe you left him with me for a week."

Lucas chuckled. "Six days. And I was desperate."

Back in March, Lucas had gotten stuck on a job with the boss across the country, and Lin had somehow ended up babysitting his kid.

Jake had refused to talk to her for the first two days. By the third, he was following her everywhere. By the sixth, he had declared her his favorite adult.

Lucas smirked. "He still asks about you, by the way."

Lin blinked. "Really?"

Lucas nodded. "Thinks you're cool."

Lin snorted. "Well, he has excellent taste."

Lucas chuckled. "Don't let it get to your head."

| September 22, 2023 - 8:37 PM

The SUV slowed, pulling into an empty lot near an old warehouse. The building was worn down, metal siding rusted at the edges, the kind of place people pretended not to notice.

Lin recognized it immediately. It wasn't exactly a legal business, but it wasn't the worst place to get what she needed.

Lucas shifted the car into park and turned to her. "Look, I don't usually do favors."

Lin unbuckled her seatbelt. "I know."

He studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

They stepped out of the car. The night air was cool, thick with the faint scent of oil and gunpowder. A single bulb flickered above the warehouse entrance, casting long shadows against the cracked pavement.

Lucas walked ahead, knocking twice on the steel door.

A small slot slid open, revealing a pair of sharp, suspicious eyes.

Lucas leaned slightly against the frame, his tone calm, steady. "Tell Don it's Fang."

The slot snapped shut. A second later, the heavy metal door creaked open.

Lin followed Lucas inside.

| September 22, 2023 - 8:43 PM

The warehouse was organized chaos—racks of military surplus, crates stacked high, and the unmistakable gleam of black-market firepower.

A bald man in his late fifties, wearing a grease-stained vest, was cleaning a disassembled rifle at a workbench. His expression remained neutral as he glanced up.

"Lucas Fang," he said, voice gravelly. "Didn't think I'd see you back here."

Lucas shrugged. "I need a favor, Don."

Don's gaze flickered to Lin. "She yours?"

Lin didn't flinch.

Lucas smirked. "Not exactly."

Don wiped his hands with a rag. "If this is about that Zhao mess—"

"It's not," Lucas cut in. "She just needs a few pieces. Quick sale."

Don's eyes lingered on Lin for a second longer before he sighed and waved them over. "Alright. What are we looking for?"

Lin didn't hesitate.

"Handgun. Something reliable. A shotgun, pump-action. And an AR-15 if you have it."

Don's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Not messing around, huh?"

Lin met his gaze without blinking. "I don't waste time."

Don let out a short chuckle. "Alright, sweetheart. Let's see what we've got."

| September 22, 2023 - 9:12 PM

Lin ran her fingers over the matte black surface of the pistol—a Glock 19X. Lightweight, durable. Easily concealed.

The shotgun—a Mossberg 590A1—was heavier, built for defense.

And the AR-15? A beauty. It had a custom rail system, a collapsible stock, and a red dot sight.

Lucas stood beside her, arms crossed. "You know how to use all that?"

Lin clicked the Glock's magazine into place. "I'll figure it out."

Lucas sighed. "Dangerous words."

Don smirked. "She's got the attitude for it. What about ammo?"

Lin glanced at Lucas.

He gave her a look. "You're really going all in, huh?"

Lin's expression didn't change. "Wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

Lucas shook his head and turned back to Don. "Enough for practice and storage. Keep it reasonable."

Don grunted, grabbing a few boxes of 9mm, 12-gauge shells, and .223 rounds.

Lin pulled out a thick envelope from her bag. "This should cover it."

Don counted the bills, nodding in approval. "Pleasure doing business."

Lucas tapped the counter. "Appreciate it."

Don looked at him. "You still got that old SIG, or did you finally upgrade?"

Lucas smirked. "You know me."

Don chuckled. "Still stubborn, I see."

Lin slung the duffel bag over her shoulder. "Let's go."

Lucas led the way back to the SUV, the weight of her new arsenal settling comfortably in her hands.

She felt something she hadn't felt in two years.

Prepared.

| September 22, 2023 - 9:34 PM

The SUV pulled up outside Lin's apartment building—a worn but well-maintained complex, still quiet at this hour. Most of the residents were families or retirees.

Lucas idled the engine, glancing at her as she reached for the door handle.

"You really gonna be okay with all that?" he asked.

Lin smirked. "You're the one who got it for me."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, and I don't know if that was a great idea."

She turned to him, voice lowering slightly. "I know you think I'm being paranoid. That I've got some… boyfriend problem or whatever."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"

Lin hesitated.

Then she shook her head. "You'll figure it out eventually."

Lucas let out a dry laugh. "You are so weird."

She just shrugged. "Thanks, Fang."

Lucas watched her for a second longer, then leaned back in his seat. "Yeah, yeah. Go sleep, Zhang."

She grabbed her bag and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

| September 22, 2023 - 9:36 PM

The SUV's headlights faded as Lucas drove off.

Lin adjusted the strap on her duffel and headed inside.

She had what she needed.

Now it was time to move.