9 TYGER

[Mall] [A few hours later]

Angelica went back to report the incident after taking care of the bloody mess. Only four of her men survived, but they weren't in any condition to fight anymore, thanks to their severed limbs. In a zombie apocalypse, those who can't fight or are unable to fight are nothing but liabilities, and sooner or later, death is what awaits them. Besides, if you can't work or earn your keep, what is the point in keeping them alive? They will just take up extra space, medicines, and food.

So, Tyger ordered Jax to send them off swiftly and burn them.

"Don't bullshit me, Angelica!" Tyger snarled. Her usual cool demeanor and mocking smile were replaced with an irritated face, something rare to witness. "A boy around eighteen or nineteen took down everyone, including the scout team? Does that make even any sense?"

"That was indeed the truth," Jax, their second-in-command stepped forward to confirm. "I've checked the wounds on their bodies and truth be told, it was brutal. Perfect shots in pressure points and... Well, he sliced off their limbs and cut two of them in half. He took down each of them with just a single strike. And from what I can tell, he's a pro. He is used to killing, I mean, yeah, everyone is used to killing by now, but this guy is different."

"It's rare for you to sing someone's praise, Jax. So, tell me, how different is this guy?" Tyger leaned closer, still unconvinced. She clasped her fingers and placed her hand under her chin.

"We have found the scout team. He shot the carotid arteries around those two guards' necks and shot the girl's knees. Her bodyguards turned zombies and ate her up. Then, he avoided Ange's shots, and you know, she doesn't miss. So, now we know that our mysterious guy is capable of calculating bullet trajectories before the shooting even started. You must be thinking that's impossible, but some can do that just by glancing at the shine of the sniper rifle's scope, which means this guy is a professional," Jax explained as he walked around the room, trying to visualize the situation in his mind.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Then he took down fifteen armed men. He didn't outright kill them, but severed their limbs and left them bleed to death in agony. He clearly didn't want us to underestimate his skills. As for her..." He looked toward Angelica, "The only reason he left her alive is to send us a warning. He's telling us to get the fuck out of his territory. Oh, and not to forget that our mystery guy is a mutant who can summon two short swords. Now, the question is, is he alone or is he a part of a group?"

"My guess would be a part of a group and probably bigger than ours. Or why else would he leave her alive? No one would risk their safety by letting the enemy live and inform their base about what just happened," Tyger wondered, massaging her forehead in frustration.

"He is telling us that if he wanted he could have taken us down, and the ones he killed there are just a warning, but he doesn't want to do any more unnecessary bloodshed. Besides, ain't we the ones who trespassed into their territory and even attacked him first? Tell us, Ange, what did the scout team do and why did you shoot him first?" Jax probed her for more information, something that he and Tyger didn't know.

"Oh... Sandra's team just hunted two deer and I took the shot because I noticed some movements in the bushes," Angelica told them the truth.

"Well, we took their food source by killing the deer. And to make things worse, she took the shot. So, yeah. This situation is kinda fucked up. We need to tighten the security around the mall till the second team arrives. As for what to do next, you are the boss," Jax added and finished. He had nothing else to add since the fault lay solely on their side.

In this dying world, every place is someone's territory. No place can be said to be abandoned. If you think you're in a safe area, then just watch. There is no safe area or safe location in this dying world, there's always danger. It's either the zombies' resting area or the humans' territory. Now, when some outsiders set foot in that area and try to set up their outpost and hunt their food source, can the other party simply leave things as it is and sit on its ass or flee to save themselves?

Of course not!

This is a direct announcement of a territorial war.

Tyger rubbed her nose as she bit her pink bottom lip in deep thought. It was rare for her to think so deeply because most of the time she liked going with the flow and improvising. She glanced at Angelica who gave her some eye signs, telling her to speak in secret.

"Do it, Jax. Tighten the security till the reinforcement arrives. Then, I'll decide what to do next," Tyger commanded.

"Boss! Don't tell me you are considering staying in this goddamn area..." Jax sighed in anger before adding, "That guy's warning is very clear. I may not be as smart as you, but even a child could understand this. We can not fight an army of professionals. We can handle one if we throw everyone at him, but what if his group is bigger and surrounds us?"

"We don't have enough resources to make another long trip. So, we'll just stay here. I'll have a proper conversation with their leader before deciding what to do next. And should things get worse, I'll allow your team to use MGH pills. Now, go," Tyger ordered, shooing Jax.

Jax, still holding on to that look of disappointment, left the room while shaking his head and muttering, "What a waste."

After sending off the sub-commander, Tyger turned her attention to Angelica, "Our mysterious guy left a message?" She smirked, asking.

"Yeah. He called you an old friend and told me to inform you that he'll soon pay you a visit for a chat about two bullets," Ange spoke casually as if it wasn't her who got her ass kicked and was almost dead earlier in the day.

"Fuck!" Tyger cussed as she slammed her head on the desk.

"Uumm... Old friend?" Ange chuckled at the woman in front of her. It was amusing to watch the usual confident woman lose her composure.

"Nope. Just a simping coward who doesn't have the balls to come up and talk. Fuck! To think he became this strong. If he's still holding a grudge about that incident, then he might just come for my head," Tyger muttered as she clutched her fists, sighing heavily.

"Boss," Ange said seriously this time as she saw Tyger looking a bit sad. This was the first time, she had seen her boss make such an expression and those flushed cheeks were telling a completely different story. "Why do I sense a lovers quarrel?"

"Hahaha... Lovers quarrel? Oh, no... Nothing like that. But I'm alive thanks to him. His name is Karl and he took two bullets for me," Tyger finally explained as a shadow flickered past her beautiful face. She raised her hand in the air before clenching her fist, remembering his smile.

She still remembers those good old college days when she had some peace, even though it was just for a few years, but she had peace. She remembered how all the boys and a few girls were attracted to her and wanted to date her or even spend a few moments of their lives by her side, just because they had feelings toward her. And what about this Karl, a somewhat chubby male, with a dad bod, who would always look at her from a distance but never approached her or looked at her with bad intentions or lust like those fakers around her?

Until a day came when he jumped in to save her from assassins sent by her own family and took two bullets in the process. 'Just what kind of an idiot is that?' She always wondered. 'Why put your life on the line just to save a girl whom you have never even had a proper conversation with?'

She killed the assassins on the spot and paid a passerby to call the ambulance, before running away to avoid the cops and other assassins. She didn't want that boy to be the assassin's target and get dragged in and ruin his peaceful days. Even though her eyes, mind, and body told her to walk away, something inside her heart made her stop and turn her head to glance at his bleeding and dying body lying on the ground.

But, Tyger ended up running as two more assassins chased after her.

Later, when she heard that Karl survived and was in critical condition with a 50:50 chance to make it out alive, and the fact that his family didn't have enough money to give him the treatment required, Tyger did something she had never done before—something against her pride as an heir of an ancient and rich lineage. She hired the best surgeons and doctors and helped Karl's family from the shadows. After that, when she heard that Karl survived, she never looked back again and continued her iron rule over her crime family.

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AN: Yeah, I'm late. I'm working on something new, with a less dark theme that I picked up from the piles of unreleased ffs that Xcalibur_Xc got. Got 20 chs in stock. Still need to improvise some things, so I'll let you know the time of release. 

For now, hope you enjoy this one.