Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Chapter 339: 339

We first came down to a gym that was much bigger than mine.

It was filled with all sorts of gym equipment anyone could imagine and the lights turned on the moment we stepped foot inside. Most of the equipment inside were the ones that do not consume electricity at all. The only thing that consumed any electricity from my initial glance were the clock, motion sensors, cameras, and the air filtration system.

Computing the area of this gym, it was only occupying about two-thirds the size of his whole house.

We were walking near the wall and we came upon several doors that were unmarked. However, he didn’t open any of them but instead, we made our way to the other side where a door for an elevator was located.

“I’m f.u.c.k.i.n.g jealous.” I thought to myself.

“Damn hermano! No reaction from this! You must be living somewhere similar or much better!” Mr. Cuervo exclaimed.

“Oh- haha… I was just speechless. This is f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome. I have a different setup at home.” I replied.

Mr. Cuervo pressed the button outside and the door to the elevators eventually opened. He went inside and motioned for me to follow him. The numbers at the panel were numbered up to B4 but there was a keypad under it. I was looking at the panel but he waved me over.

“Could you please turn around? I’m gonna withdraw money… pfft! Just kidding, but please do turn around.” Mr. Cuervo said.

I turned around and closed my eyes.

“Thank you. Ah- you even closed your eyes? You don’t have to.” Mr. Cuervo said.

“No, it’s okay.” I replied.

“Sure…” Mr. Cuervo trailed.

I felt him turning around and then I heard the keypad beeping for each press he made. The beeps were automatically registered in my head as he was doing that. I’d only need to hear each one first so I could identify which beep belong to which code.

“Okay, I hope this code works for going up as well…” I thought to myself.

“Okay, you can turn around now.” Mr. Cuervo said when the elevator started to move.

“You know, a separate room is enough for a private talk. You’re making me feel too special.” I joked.

“Hah! Well, you asked for somewhere private to talk so I obliged. I just have the place, it’s where I used to conduct business before. Do you also have something similar?” Mr. Cuervo replied.

“Yeah, but it’s by the poolside, not several floors underground.” I chuckled.

“Hahaha! Is that so? Hidden in plain sight eh? Well, that is a good idea, cheaper too! In my case, I can’t just openly stack that blue stuff outside.” Mr. Cuervo chuckled as well.

It was a few moments and then the elevator door opened. What I saw was a hallway with a single metal door at the end with a camera on the top currently recording. There was another panel awaiting input and I turned around once more to listen for the sounds. The locks of the door retracted and I saw that it was like a vault lock when I walked right past it.

What I saw was a medium-sized room with a long table with velvet designs. There were two doors at the other end where one was made out of metal and the other wood. There was a single ashtray at one end of the table and there were monitors at one wall and it seems that this place was some sort of meeting/ conference room.

“Is this the private place?” I asked, half-jokingly.

“Well, we could use this but let’s go to something more comfortable. Follow me. I promise it’s the last door.” Mr. Cuervo walked up to the metal door.

“How long?” I asked while I was turning my back.

“How long what?” Mr. Cuervo replied.

“Since you’ve been out.” I said.

“Ah, close to two decades now. Ah, here we are!” Mr. Cuervo replied.

The last door finally opened and what I saw was really the definition of f.u.c.k.i.n.g comfortable. Mr. Cuervo even unbuttoned his suit and removed his shoes. He threw it on the couch and he asked me to do the same. It was a literal mancave where anyone would wish to hole up in for a weekend to wind down. There was a bar filled with different kinds of liquor, a pool area, a large flat screen, game systems, a pole for strippers on the side, a nice kitchen, stocked refrigerator, and last but not least a separate motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g armory filled with all sorts of weapons and an indoor range.

“F.u.c.k.i.n.g shit, how much did he earn from selling that blue stuff?!” I thought to myself.

“You know, for someone you just met, you do trust me a lot eh?” Mr. Cuervo said while heading for the bar. He was now wearing comfy slippers and a silk robe.

“Hmm? Why do you think that?” I replied.

“Well, not to alarm you or anything but you literally turned your back against me three times! Three f.u.c.k.i.n.g times! You even closed your eyes for f.u.c.k’s sake! If that wasn’t trust, I don’t know what is. Thank you hermano. Come! Have this one!” Mr. Cuervo poured me a drink.

“Well, the same applies to you.” I chuckled.

“Hmm? Why do you think that?” Mr. Cuervo replied.

“Well, not to alarm you or anything but you literally were inside my range for the whole time! The whole f.u.c.k.i.n.g time! Well, you didn’t close your eyes but you didn’t even try to point your gun at me! If that wasn’t trust, I don’t know what is. Thank you as well.” I modified his words then I picked up the glass and stared at him.

The two of us were silent for a moment and then we started laughing.

“Nice one vato!” Mr. Cuervo downed his glass faster than me.

I finally finished my glass and I placed it back on the table. However, this time he didn’t refill our drinks and he was just staring at me.

“Okay hermano, what is it that you want to tell me alone?” Mr. Cuervo asked.

“Mr. Cuervo, I want this thing with you and my group to work. You are someone that I respect because I think that you decided on something that you want to do and you followed it without question, regardless of the feelings of everyone and even yourself. Calling you rare does not do it justice. I’ve met a lot of people and you are one of those that reached my extraordinary list.” I started.

“Well hermano, that is flattering, to say the least. Is this why you wanted to be alone with me or is there something more?” Mr. Cuervo smiled.

“Well, I don’t have a proper entry for this but this is where I decide if I will kill you or not.” my face lost all expression.

The temperature dropped several degrees and the warmth I felt from drinking alcohol completely dissipated.

“What did you just say hermano? Kill me? Why?” Mr. Cuervo’s bright expression changed to confusion.

“You see Mr. Cuervo, believe it or not, drugs changed my life, the same as you. You have this nice place, you have a beautiful wife, and from what I’ve heard, two blessed kids. The only difference with our relationship with drugs is that you gained something extremely positive while I gained the complete opposite. I couldn’t say that it was all bad but what I lost was too much.” I said without any emotion.

“Tell me, what happened to you hermano?” Mr. Cuervo said solemnly.

“If I tell you my story as to why we’re having this conversation, you would simply dismiss it as the victims just being weak because of your views. Don’t get me wrong, I respect your views and your rules. Trust me, I would follow them in this place of yours but there are some things that I couldn’t just let go easily. I almost lost the ability to feel any emotion and I don’t want that to happen again.” I said with a dark expression.

Mr. Cuervo was silently staring at me with a solemn expression.

“Mr. Cuervo, like I said earlier, I want this thing with you and my group to work. However, working with you while I’m seeing current ‘dealers’ in close proximity is impossible. Acting like it was nothing to me is equivalent to lying to myself. I could as easily kill them all after I wait for them to go outside but that feels like going behind your back. It would still go by your rules even if I do that but it wouldn’t be the same for me. Like you, I’m a curious man as well. I’m curious if this rule of yours has a limitation or not. Would you still abide by your rules if your wife murdered someone inside? Which are ironclad and which are not? Could you confirm that for me, Mr. Cuervo?” I stared back at him.

“Hermano, like I told you and everyone else, rules are rules. It applies to everyone inside even my wife and my kids. You could conduct your own business once you are outside my place but while you are here, my rules are absolute. The words that came out of my mouth is what I will follow to my death because I never turn back on my words. The moment I do, there would be no more point for me in living. I’ll kill myself the moment I do that. If you feel like you’re going behind my back if you kill my associates outside, don’t. I’d be happy to have someone who’s much more capable and wholly respects the views that I have.” Mr. Cuervo explained.

“Then I want you to answer this last question of mine. Your answer will decide what happens to everyone you know. Please tell me an honest answer and once you do, I’ll tell you everything that I know first before what happens, happens. What I know doesn’t guarantee the safety of your people but it would give you the fighting chance and even better ‘associates’ than what you currently have. Please don’t treat the way I talk as threatening you, I’m just stating the facts. Like what I said upstairs, you have no idea of what is coming and what I could do. With half of my team, I could have easily wiped this place clean while the party is still ongoing and no one would’ve seen it coming. The people that would be coming next week for your games would just see an empty Cuervo Heights. This is a professional courtesy because I want to work with someone like you.” I said.

Mr. Cuervo breathed deeply before saying, “Okay, what is this last question of yours hermano?”

“Getting out, why?” I looked at him with a solemn expression.