Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Animal Mutation 4
Evelyn Ford understood that, too, but the cockroaches still had to be dealt with. They couldn’t be allowed to gnaw on the cabins.
The others were still chatting on their walkie-talkies, so Evelyn Ford had to remind them to save power.
"The walkie-talkies only have a two-day battery life. I have the generator, so I’ll collect them every two days to recharge them all at once."
Everyone quickly shut up.
"It’s quiet outside. Are all the cockroaches gone?"
"Ronan Kendrick just went out to deploy the Smoke Bombs. The cockroaches on the farm should all be dead. The toxic fog from the Smoke Bombs lasts for three to five hours, and after it dissipates, more cockroaches from outside will fly in. You can go outside to use the restroom during this window. However, I’d advise against it. The ground is covered in cockroach corpses, already piled up to your knees."
Evelyn Ford hadn’t even finished speaking when the door to the neighboring cabin opened. A moment later, she heard Quincy vomiting.
"It’s nothing but cockroach corpses! A huge, black, stinking mass... It’s disgusting."
Evelyn Ford was speechless. "Quincy, if you insist on going out, wear a mask. If you get poisoned, there’s no medicine to save you."
Hearing Evelyn Ford’s cold voice come through the walkie-talkie, Wyatt Vaughn quickly dragged Quincy back inside.
Evelyn Ford picked up her walkie-talkie and continued to warn everyone. "The cockroaches’ aggression level varies. During the day, they aren’t very aggressive or active. But at night, it’s like they’re equipped with radar. Their reflexes are lightning-fast, and they become much more dangerous."
Yunnis Denton sighed. "They say if you see one cockroach in a room, there are countless more in the corners you can’t see. But there are already so many outside... I can’t even imagine how many more there are in places we can’t see."
"Every night, Ronan Kendrick will go out to deploy Smoke Bombs. The rule still stands: do not open your doors and go outside unnecessarily. One more thing. A lot of people are living in these cabins. I don’t want to see any backstabbing, ostracizing, or fighting over food. The first person to start any of that nonsense will be thrown out of the farm to fend for themselves."
’After so many disasters, some people had developed a habit of hoarding food. Evelyn Ford could understand that. But now that they were all living together in a community, and she was the one in charge, she couldn’t allow it.’
After turning off her walkie-talkie, Evelyn Ford quickly poured herself a cup of hot water.
"Tomorrow, let’s bring the two dogs back to our cabin. Quincy and the others can’t control two German Shepherds."
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Alright."
"It’s finally quiet. It seems that as long as the sun returns to normal, the mutated cockroaches will die off. I just don’t know when that will be."
"If the cockroaches outside start to decompose, other bacteria might appear, or they’ll start breeding flies and maggots," Evelyn Ford said with a yawn.
"You should shower first."
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "Food first. I’m starving."
That night, Evelyn Ford dreamed of fending off cockroaches. She woke the next day to the sounds from outside, a dull ache already starting in her head.
"No wonder they say you can’t kill a cockroach."
"The toxic effects of the Smoke Bombs haven’t worn off yet, so there aren’t many cockroaches today. But there are a lot of eagles and crows foraging in the piles of corpses."
Ronan Kendrick slid the wooden plank back over the window. After getting up, Evelyn Ford did her morning exercises, then started making more Smoke Bombs.
Inhaling so much of the toxic gas was bad for their health. Everyone except Ronan Kendrick felt dizzy and groggy.
The entire farm looked like a mountain of cockroach corpses. If you opened your door, there wasn’t a single clear spot to step.
Ronan Kendrick had to wear rain boots whenever he went out to deploy the Smoke Bombs.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. Since the toxic fog over the farm never fully dissipated, fewer cockroaches were flying in.
But everyone was still too afraid to come out, except for the occasional trip to throw out the trash and chisel off some ice to take back.
Evelyn Ford pushed aside the plank covering the window to look at the sun. She suddenly noticed that the halo of light around it had darkened from red to black.
The temperature had been holding steady at one degree below zero. Cooped up for so many days, everyone was getting irritable.
Tensions also began to flare up among the short-term laborers. Aunt Crane, who had a penchant for tattling, immediately took her walkie-talkie into her room to report the situation to Evelyn Ford.
"They were all fighting last night, complaining about each other grinding their teeth, talking in their sleep, the bathroom smelling awful, stinky feet... And what’s more, Holden Turner and Henry Hansen are up to no good. One’s in his forties, the other his thirties—they’re grown men, but I’ve caught them touching Penelope Parker’s waist several times. Penelope is too timid to even tell her father."
’Holden Turner was one of the short-term laborers, supposedly a former pastry chef. He was tall and seemed introverted, but he was a very hard worker. Henry Hansen used to be an actor; Evelyn Ford had even seen a TV show he starred in.’
Evelyn Ford took this matter very seriously. She immediately put on her protective suit and rain boots and headed out the door.
When she found Penelope Parker, the young girl was terrified, thinking Evelyn Ford was about to kick her out. She was trembling all over.
"Leader, do I have to leave?"
Evelyn Ford didn’t say a word. Instead, she pulled her into the kitchen and had Aunt Crane stand guard outside. Aunt Crane, ever obedient to Evelyn Ford, picked up a kitchen cleaver and stood watch at the door.
"No, I just want to ask you a few questions. Aunt Crane told me that Holden Turner and Henry Hansen have been putting their hands on you. Is that true? You don’t need to be afraid. I’m in charge of this farm. Tell me the truth, and I will stand up for you."
Tears immediately streamed down Penelope Parker’s face. "They... they touched my waist. And they said a lot of weird things to me... that I’d be grown up soon and could find a husband here on the farm. They also said... that I have a big butt."
A coldness entered Evelyn Ford’s eyes.
"I understand. Starting today, you’re moving in with Wendy and Claire Moss. Once the cockroaches are dealt with, I’ll reassign the cabins."
Penelope Parker looked at her timidly. "Leader, so I don’t have to leave?"
"Of course not. Go pack your things."
Afterwards, Evelyn Ford had Aunt Crane bring Holden Turner and Henry Hansen to her.
"Leader, we were wrong," the two men admitted as soon as they entered. Evelyn Ford remained silent.
"We shouldn’t have been fighting."
Evelyn Ford sneered. "We’ll put that aside for a moment. You two like to make jokes, don’t you?"
Holden Turner still hadn’t caught on, but the color had already drained from Henry Hansen’s face.
"Go on. Make a joke with me. Everything you said to Penelope Parker, everything you did to her... do it to me."
Evelyn Ford watched them coldly, her hands stuffed in her pockets.
"What, you’ve gone mute? I thought you were great at making jokes."
When Holden Turner finally realized what was happening, he quickly lowered his head and admitted fault. He tried to offer an excuse, but Evelyn Ford sent him flying with a kick.
"Leader, I was wrong! I was just joking with Penelope Parker! I didn’t mean any harm by it! She’s just a kid; she didn’t even understand what I was saying. It’s all my fault. I’ll change, I promise."
Henry Hansen was so terrified his knees gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Having confirmed that the two men had sexually harassed a woman on her farm, Evelyn Ford pulled a pistol from her pocket.
The moment they saw the gun, the two men bolted for the door, only to be tackled to the ground by Paul Pence.
Paul Pence’s eyes were bloodshot. He rained punch after punch down on Holden Turner’s face.
"You touched my daughter? I’ll kill you!"
