Doomsday survivalist: A Guide to Survive!
Rule 7 : Find Allies
Rayco's breath came out steady as he and Jake jogged along the quiet riverside path. Morning air still held that soft chill, the kind that wakes you up better than coffee. It should've been peaceful.
But Rayco felt the prickle at the back of his neck.
He didn't look back right away. He just shifted his eyes to the side, catching a glimpse of two men walking in perfect rhythm with their pace. Same distance. Same angle. Same unnatural consistency.
He clicked his tongue quietly.
Jake noticed the tiny stiffness in Rayco's shoulders. He followed his line of sight for half a second and saw them too. Two strangers pretending to enjoy the morning.
Jake didn't speak. He didn't have to.
Rayco glanced at him and gave a tiny wink.
Jake stretched his arms casually. "Man, I feel loose today. How about we take the long route?"
"Yeah," Rayco answered lightly. "Let's switch it up."
They veered off the main jogging path, heading toward the section of the riverside park where the trees grew thicker and the benches were mostly empty. The two men kept following, trying to look casual but failing miserably.
Jake scratched his head. "Too obvious," he muttered under his breath.
Rayco gave a small nod. "Let's split."
They exchanged a quick look—the kind built from years of trust—and then they suddenly burst into a sprint, splitting into two different paths like synchronized runners breaking formation.
Their stalkers panicked.
One man chased after Jake.
The other went for Rayco.
Perfect.
Rayco dodged behind a row of bike racks, moved silently, then slipped into a narrow maintenance path. The man chasing him rushed past, swearing under his breath when he lost sight.
Rayco stepped out behind him and hooked his arm around the man's throat, dragging him backward into the shade. A sharp twist of momentum, a sweep of his leg, and the man hit the ground with a grunt.
Rayco pressed his knee against his chest and locked his wrist behind his back.
"Quiet."
The man struggled once, then froze when Rayco applied just enough pressure to warn him.
On Jake's side, things were just as fast.
Jake hid behind a shed, waited for the man's footsteps to pass, then launched forward. He grabbed the stalker by the collar and slammed him into the wall, stunning him long enough to drag him into the bushes. A quick chokehold dropped the guy unconscious.
Jake dragged the limp body by the arms, glancing around. "Man, these amateurs…"
Rayco arrived moments later, still controlling his own captive, who was wide awake and sweating.
Jake dropped his unconscious one beside them. "Got mine."
Rayco tightened his grip on the awake one. "Talk."
The man gritted his teeth, refusing at first. His eyes darted around, calculating.
"You won't get anything from—"
Rayco leaned closer, voice low enough to shake the man's nerves.
"Try me."
Jake cracked his knuckles. "We can do this the easy way or the fun way."
The man swallowed hard.
Something broke inside him.
"Alright! Alright! We were ordered to follow you—just follow, not engage. Our boss said you're connected to something… something he wants."
Rayco exchanged a quick look with Jake.
"Who's your boss?" Rayco pressed.
The man hesitated—then flinched like he remembered something far more terrifying than the two boys holding him down.
"I don't know his name," he whispered. "Nobody does. They just call him… the Handler."
Rayco felt a cold spark in his chest. The title hit too close to his memories of the old timeline.
Jake's expression hardened. "Where is he?"
The man shook his head quickly. "I—I don't know. Only that he's sending more people. He wants you watched at all times."
Rayco's jaw tightened.
So someone had started moving against him earlier than expected.
"Let's take him with us," Jake said quietly. "We'll squeeze more out later."
Rayco nodded.
But even as they dragged the man deeper into the trees, both of them felt the same thing—
This wasn't random.
Someone out there knew something.
And they weren't going to stop.
Rayco and Jake didn't bother dragging the captured men anywhere. They knocked the air out of them, took their phones, wiped all data, then dumped the guys at the nearest police outpost and reported them as perverts trying to follow minors.
The officers didn't even hesitate.
By the time Rayco and Jake stepped outside, the two stalkers were already being processed—one crying about "misunderstanding," the other still confused why his pants had been pulled down halfway during Jake's "escape."
Rayco exhaled through his nose. "Alright… next part."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "We're really going to meet this guy? A dude who hires strangers to stalk us?"
"Yeah. If he's the guy I think he is, it might actually help us."
Rayco started walking, hands in his pockets. "If not, plan C."
Jake looked uneasy. "And plan C is basically ditching you and running away."
Rayco shrugged. "Then run fast."
Jake sighed. "You're insane."
"And yet you're still here," Rayco shot back.
THE OFFICE
The building wasn't flashy—just a plain commercial office block wedged between a pharmacy and a pawnshop. But the second Rayco saw the tinted glass door, something in him clicked.
He pushed the door open, but before stepping inside, he leaned toward Jake.
"If anything feels wrong, leave. Don't look back."
Jake swallowed once but nodded.
Inside, four men in black shirts greeted them politely but firmly. No weapons in sight, but the stiffness of their posture told Rayco everything. Professionals. Ex-military, probably.
They escorted the two through a clean hallway into an office with frosted windows and a single desk at the end.
A middle-aged man sat behind it.
Gray slacks. White sleeves rolled to the elbow. A clean haircut. A calm face that smiled too slowly.
Rayco froze for a heartbeat.
It's him.
Then a small grin formed on Rayco's face.
"Heh."
The man leaned back slightly. "I assume you know who I am, kid?"
"No," Rayco replied, voice steady. "But based on the way you dress, the posture of your guards, and the fact that you sent men to tail me? You're the boss. Or the Handler."
A pause.
Then Rayco added:
"Sir Michael Gonzalez. Boss Mike."
Mike's eyes narrowed with interest… then he chuckled.
"Well now. That's correct."
He motioned for them to sit. "So the rumors are true. You do know something."
"I might," Rayco said casually. "Or maybe I'm just a kid who's good at lying."
Jake almost choked.
Rayco leaned forward.
"Or maybe I'm a messiah from the future."
Mike burst into laughter. "Hahaha! These kids… I like your humor. Simon! Bring the cakes and drinks."
Rayco and Jake sat. The guards stood along the walls, stone-faced.
Jake didn't waste time. "Let's get to the point. What do you want from Rayco?"
Mike's smile faded, replaced by sharp curiosity.
"I want to know how you predicted the winning lotto numbers."
His tone deepened. "And how you knew about the creature in Antarctica."
Rayco sighed softly. "If I tell you anything, you need to swear to keep it contained. No leaks. And you'll protect us. We'll need a favor in the future. And resources."
Mike folded his hands. "And if I agree?"
"Then I tell you," Rayco answered.
Jake could feel the tension rise. Mike looked at Rayco, studying him carefully—not just the words, but the confidence behind them.
Finally, Mike nodded.
"Fine. I give you my word. You'll have protection. And I'll owe you a favor. Now talk."
Rayco leaned back, then told him everything.
Not the full truth—no reincarnation, no second life—but enough:
The future ice age.
The initial outbreak.
The evolve zombies.
The tyrant variants.
How governments fail to contain it.
The collapse.
The war for survival.
The creature under the ice.
And what it becomes.
Mike listened. The color drained from his face more and more as Rayco continued.
When Rayco finished, Mike rubbed his face with both hands.
"Holy hell… So we're going to have an ice age… a zombie outbreak… and monsters on top of it?"
He laughed dryly. "We're screwed. Absolutely, catastrophically screwed."
Jake chuckled awkwardly.
Mike finally leaned forward. "Kid… this is a nightmare. But if you're right—and all signs point that way—then we need to prepare."
"Exactly," Rayco said.
Mike took a breath. "Alright. What do you need from me?"
Rayco didn't hesitate.
"First, we need access cards to a facility in the countryside. You'll know which one when the time comes. We need entrance as 'emergency contractors.' And we need it ready before the outbreak."
Jake added, "And when the time comes, you'll pretend you don't know us."
"Done," Mike said immediately. "Anything else?"
Rayco nodded.
"Get us several secure containers. The kind used to transport classified materials. Empty. Durable. Cold-resistant."
"Why those?" Mike asked.
Rayco met his eyes.
"For samples."
Mike swallowed.
"Alright. Consider it done. You two may go. And… don't mess with the timeline too much. Stick to your plan so we don't all die."
Rayco grinned faintly.
"No promises."
Jake grabbed his arm. "Please. Promise."
Rayco laughed.
And the deal with the Handler was sealed.
Rayco and Jake reached the house before anyone else. The living room was quiet except for the dull hum of the electric fan and the ticking wall clock. Jake dropped onto the couch, still processing everything that happened at Boss Mike's office.
Rayco sat on the floor with his back against the couch, rubbing his temples like the weight of another lifetime was pressing down on him.
Jake watched him for a moment, then finally asked, "Alright, man… who is that guy? And how did you know him in the future?"
Rayco didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened. His eyes drifted to the floor.
Jake nudged him with his foot. "Dude. You said you 'think' you knew him. But the way you spoke back there? You already knew what he'd say before he opened his mouth."
Rayco exhaled slowly.
"Yeah… I knew him."
Jake leaned forward. "So? Tell me. What happened? Was he… dangerous?"
Rayco let out a tired, bitter laugh.
"In the future… Mike and I have history. A lot of it."
Jake frowned. "History like… enemies?"
"Something like that." Rayco's voice dipped lower. "Our settlements kept fighting. Not directly—more like… territory disputes. Supplies. It was survival. We kept crossing paths, and none of those encounters were friendly."
Jake blinked in surprise. "And now you just made a deal with him?"
Rayco shrugged. "This timeline, that timeline—it doesn't matter. Back then, I didn't trust him, and he didn't trust me."
Jake studied him quietly. Rayco looked older than his age for a second—tired, guarded, scarred somewhere deeper than skin.
Then Rayco continued, softer:
"I wanted to leave our settlement back then. I really did. Everything was falling apart. Supplies were running low, leadership was breaking down. But I stayed because of that bitch."
Jake didn't have to ask who.
Lisa.
Rayco's fists clenched. "She begged me not to leave. Said she couldn't survive without me. So I stayed."
Jake stayed quiet, letting him talk.
Rayco's voice carried an edge of bitterness—pain wrapped in something colder.
"One day, our settlement got attacked. A massive horde. Doors snapped. People screamed. Everything went to hell in minutes."
Jake swallowed. He'd seen the look in Rayco's eyes before—when Rayco talked about the worst nights, the ones that still haunted him.
"And then," Rayco continued, "Mike found us. He showed up with his people. Saved us. Took us into his settlement."
Jake breathed out. "So he was… a good guy?"
"He was strict," Rayco said. "Cold. No nonsense. But he was fair. He kept his people alive. And he saved ours."
Jake opened his mouth, relieved for a moment—then Rayco's expression shifted.
Harder. Darker.
"But then Lisa and Carlos ruined everything."
Jake stiffened. "What?"
Rayco's face twisted with memory.
"Greed. Power. Carlos started whispering to her about how they deserved more, how they should be in charge. They accused Mike of hoarding resources. Said he was planning to get rid of our group."
Jake stared.
Rayco continued, voice low and bitter:
"They called a meeting. A whole settlement meeting. Revealed every protocol, every stored weapon, every exit, every blind spot—everything Mike kept hidden to protect us."
Jake felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"And because of that stupidity," Rayco said, "Mike got killed in the chaos. And the settlement—his settlement—got overrun."
Silence swallowed the room for a long moment.
Jake finally murmured, "Damn…"
Rayco leaned his head back against the couch cushion, eyes closed.
"Yeah. Damn."
Jake waited for more, but Rayco didn't continue. Instead he said quietly:
"I'll tell the rest when the others get here."
Jake nodded.
Then he added, gently, "Ray… you okay?"
Rayco didn't open his eyes.
"No. But we don't have time to be."
Before Jake could say anything, the doorknob clicked—Elisia's voice calling from outside.
The others had arrived.
To be continued