The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 148: Ch : I’ll not get Involved- Part 1

Selene was still seated on the couch, flipping absentmindedly through TV channels, when her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen—an unknown number. But she had a feeling she had seen this number before.

Her brows furrowed as she debated ignoring it, but something told her this wasn’t just some random call. With a sigh, she answered.

"Hello?"

A tense male voice came through the line.

"Miss Shadow? I’m sorry for calling from an unknown number, but my phone got damaged, so I had to get a new one. I am so glad that you picked up my call."

Selene immediately recognized it. The government official who had contacted her before.

"What is it? What do you want this time?"

She asked, already feeling the weight of whatever was coming next.

"Do you know anything about the new drug that’s been appearing on the market? We’ve had multiple incidents—people taking it and going berserk. We have no idea where it’s coming from, and it’s spreading fast. We were hoping that you would be able to help-"

His voice was tight, as if he’d been dealing with non-stop problems for the past few days.

Selene leaned back, tapping her fingers against her knee.

She wasn’t surprised. This was how it started in her past life, too. And soon, this would become a big headache for the government.

"I don’t know much. But I do know where the next attack is going to be."

She admitted, though she had her suspicions.

There was a pause on the other end.

"...You do? Where?"

The tension in his voice eased, but only slightly.

Selene debated whether she should just hand over the information now, but something told her it would be better to meet in person. She didn’t trust phones for things like this.

"I’ll tell you, but not over the phone. We should not risk anyone else listening on in this conversation."

She said.

The official exhaled heavily, as if he had expected this response but still didn’t like it.

"Understood. Then let’s meet."

A few seconds later, her phone chimed with a notification—coordinates.

"This is a secure location. Please come quickly. We will be waiting for you."

He continued.

Selene stared at the screen, memorizing the location.

"Got it."

She was about to hang up when the official spoke again, this time sounding less like a government representative and more like a man at his limit.

"...And, Miss Shadow?"

"What?"

"I know you don’t owe us anything, but...If you have any other information—anything that can help us contain this—please, let me know. The situation is getting out of hand."

He sighed.

Selene was quiet for a moment. She could hear the strain in his voice.

"...I’ll see what I can do."

She said, before hanging up.

She set her phone down and exhaled slowly.

’This is going to be a long day.’

______

The air was tense as Selene and her team arrived at the meeting point—a discreet, high-security facility tucked away from the public eye.

Armed guards flanked the entrance, their eyes sharp with suspicion until one of them recognized Selene and her group.

The moment they stepped inside, a tired-looking man in a suit rushed toward them. His face lit up with relief when he saw Selene.

"Miss Shadow!"

He greeted, his voice betraying just how desperate he was.

Selene gave him a small nod.

"You look like hell."

The man let out a tired chuckle.

"That’s because things are going to hell. We’re dealing with mass panic, growing unrest, and an increasing number of these drug-induced incidents. People are terrified, and—"

He admitted, running a hand down his face.

Selene held up a hand, cutting him off.

"That’s not what I asked."

The government official blinked, startled. Then, realizing what she meant, he forced himself to calm down and straightened his posture.

"...Right. We’re here to exchange information. Let’s go in now."

He muttered, trying to refocus.

Selene nodded.

"So, let’s get to it."

The man inhaled deeply before lowering his voice.

"You said you knew where the next incident was going to be."

Without another word, Selene pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.

He took it with eager hands and unfolded it quickly, his eyes scanning the list of locations she had written down.

"...This! How do you—"

he murmured, his eyes widening. He looked up at her.

"I have my ways. Just make sure you get people there before things spiral out of control."

Selene said flatly.

The official clenched his jaw and gave a firm nod.

"Understood."

For a moment, it seemed like the conversation was over, but then the official hesitated. His fingers tightened around the paper before he spoke again, his tone cautious.

"Miss Shadow... we could use your help."

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"I already gave you the locations."

"I know. and we’re grateful for that. But the situation is bigger than just a few incidents—we need someone like you on our side. Someone who can act when we can’t. If you agreed to work with us, even temporarily—"

He said quickly, Selene shook her head before he could even finish.

"No."

The man blinked.

"...No?"

"I won’t get more involved than I already have. This is your mess, and your government needs to handle it."

She said firmly.

His expression tensed.

"But—"

"No buts! I’ve already done more than most would. You have my intel. Now do your job."

Selene interrupted.

There was a long silence. The official looked like he wanted to argue, but when he saw the unwavering look in Selene’s eyes, he sighed in defeat.

"...I see. Then I’ll make sure this information doesn’t go to waste."

He ran a hand through his hair.

Selene nodded once.

"Good."

With that, she turned on her heel and motioned for her team to leave. As they exited, Ethan glanced at her.

"Cold." freewebnøvel.com

He muttered.

Selene shot him a side glance.

"Realistic."

Ethan smirked, but there was something thoughtful in his gaze as he followed her out.