All Chapters of Warehouse of the Apocalypse: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Declan Mercer! What kind of garbage cherries did you send over yesterday? I bit into one, and it almost cracked my tooth! Did you do that on purpose?"Delilah Carrington’s sharp, entitled voice pierced through the phone, grating against my ears.I stared at the mountain of shipping orders piled in front of me, my irritation rising.Right before the holidays, the logistics hub was a war zone. As the manager, I wished I could split myself into eight just to keep up.I rubbed my temples and forced my tone into something gentler. "Sorry, alright? I’ll get you a fresh box today. Top-tier. Guaranteed sweetness.""That’s more like it." She snorted, then spent another ten minutes complaining about trivial things, like how her dog was in a bad mood today, before finally hanging up.I leaned back in my chair, exhausted, and casually unlocked my phone to check the weather.A breaking international headline popped up: "Unprecedented Decline in Solar Activity Triggers Sudden Flash Freezes A

A perfect start was ruined in an instant by a lovestruck idiot.I yanked my leg free from her grip without hesitation. "First, the doors are not opening again. Second, if you want to live, shut up and do as you’re told."And third," I added coldly, "don’t touch me again."I turned and walked away without another glance.Back in the office, I pointed out the window at the world now buried under frost and the bodies frozen solid like statues."Take a good look. The world’s changed. This is our fortress now. If you want to survive, follow my lead."Rhys nodded immediately. "Got it."Garrick followed, nodding hard.I didn’t take them to open packages. Instead, I headed to the break room and dragged out everything edible I could find, laying it all on the table: half a box of instant noodles, a few bottles of water, an opened bag of crackers, and a couple of shriveled apples.Garrick’s stomach growled. He stared at the meager pile, swallowing hard. "That’s it?""That’s everything

I had just picked up a slice of beef when Rhys walked over, his expression grim. "Boss, I checked the generator. We’re running low on backup diesel."Garrick froze. "How low?"Rhys lowered his voice, "Three days, at most. In three days, the heat’s gone. The cameras go dark. This place turns into a steel coffin."Silence fell over the office.I set my cutlery down. "Meeting."I gathered them in front of the surveillance screens and pointed at the dozens of semi-trucks stalled out in the snow."Those trucks?" I said, tapping the monitor. "They’re our fuel depot. We strip the tanks and bring the fuel back before the power cuts.""We've got to go outside?" Garrick’s face went pale. "It’s almost -100 out there! What if there are still people—"Rhys cut in, "At those temperatures, you’ve got minutes outside. Fifteen, tops.""Then we do it fast. And we do it hard." I looked at them. "We need weapons."We didn’t have guns.I had Garrick bring a few long pry bars to the loading dock.

"Now…" I looked down at her, my voice quiet but cold enough to cut. "Let’s talk about your problem."I dragged her to the second-floor window and forced her to look outside.On the street not far away, two survivors were fighting over a coat. They smashed bricks into each other’s heads again and again.Until one of them stopped moving.The other stripped him bare—everything, even his socks—then staggered off into the cold."See it clearly?" I pressed her head forward. "That’s the ‘order’ you were talking about. Those are the people you wanted to let in."What do you think they’d do for a warehouse full of supplies like ours? I’ll tell you, there’s nothing left out there. It’s all been taken."Tamsin stared, her body starting to shake uncontrollably.A sharp, sour smell filled the air. She’d lost control. Finally, she shut up. I let go and left her slumped in the chair.Heading downstairs, I looked at Garrick and Rhys."From today on, there’s only one rule in this warehouse."

I tossed the cigarettes and the letter into the safe together and locked it shut. "When you’ve calmed down, we can talk about what being comrades really means.""Dammit!" Garrick slammed his fist hard against the metal cabinet and stormed out.Late that night, I watched the monitors. Garrick hadn’t gone back to his room. He was pacing outside Tamsin’s storage room.Since the cigarette incident, Garrick’s resentment had been obvious.That same night, I kept watching. He pried open the food slot used to pass her meals, and the two of them whispered back and forth. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could see Tamsin’s expression. It was soft and persuasive.Garrick nodded along like a puppet."Boss." Rhys had come up behind me at some point, his expression dark.I turned off the monitor. "Tomorrow, install a backup camera on the roof ladder. Cover it with sheet metal."Rhys made a throat-slitting gesture.I shook my head. "No. Let him stick his own hand into the fire."