Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 115:

Chapter 115: 115:

A dim yellow light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the room. Around a scratched wooden table sat five officers, their uniforms crisp and fitted. The air was thick with tension, but it was the man with piercing green eyes who held the most presence.

Dressed in a well-fitted military camouflage uniform, his demeanour was that of a man who thrived in uncertainty. The ghost of a smirk played at his lips as he leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the armrest. His name was Colonel Darren Wolfe, a man as cunning as he was dangerous.

He had more important things to do than waste time with these fools but he also enjoyed the benefits of being a top officer so he had no choice but to stay. He really wanted to search for his new toys.

"Let’s start with the mist," a broad-shouldered man, Captain Roderick Bale, spoke first. His voice was gruff, steady. "It’s getting thicker. Last night, patrols reported visibility dropping to nearly zero at some points."

"And the horde?" Darren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That’s the thing," Major Evelyn Carter, a woman with sharp features and tired eyes, leaned forward. "They come and go. One hour they’re closing in, the next, they vanish into the mist like they were never there."

"That’s not normal," muttered Lieutenant Hayden Park, the youngest at the table but one of the brightest minds. "Zombies don’t just appear and disappear. And they were more aggressive than before—coordinated, almost. It’s like they knew when to push forward and when to retreat."

"Coordinated?" Darren let out a low whistle. "What are you suggesting, Lieutenant? That someone’s controlling them?"

"I’m suggesting," Hayden said carefully, "that we don’t understand enough about them yet."

Darren chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that’s no help, is it?"Evelyn shot him a glare but didn’t rise to the bait. "We need to prepare for the worst. If the mist keeps spreading and we can’t track the horde properly, we’re sitting ducks."

"Agreed," Bale nodded. "We should allocate more resources to defense. Maybe pull some of our ability users to—"

"Speaking of them," Darren cut in smoothly. "Let’s talk about our little superhumans, shall we?"

There was a pause. The room always grew tense when the subject of ability users was brought up. They were the only real advantage humanity had left in this apocalypse, but they were also unpredictable.

"We have ten confirmed ability users in the base," Evelyn stated, pulling out a folder. "Each with unique skills."

"Go on," Darren urged, eyes gleaming with interest.

"The most useful in combat is Lucas Meyers, enhanced strength and reflexes. He’s been instrumental in securing supply runs. Then there’s Maria Li, who has some kind of heat-based ability—she can set things on fire with just a touch."

"Always handy," Darren murmured.

"And then there’s Jonah, who can sense movement over long distances. Helps with scouting and tracking."

"Fascinating," Darren drawled, noting Winter’s file on the table. The man hadn’t been able to go on many missions outside the base so he wasn’t under their radar yet. Good for him. "And how are we planning to use them to get more rations?"

Evelyn’s lips thinned. "We aren’t forcing them to do anything."

"That wasn’t my question," Darren said, his voice deceptively light. "I simply meant: are we maximizing our resources? The government’s breathing down our necks, after all. They want answers. They want a solution."

Bale exhaled sharply. "And we don’t have one yet. We’re still in contact with the main government, but their supplies are dwindling too. Other bases are struggling just as much as we are."

"And yet," Darren mused, "we’re still the ones expected to fix this mess." He tapped a finger against his chin. "Which is why we should be controlling what we can. The base itself, for instance. We need to keep order."

"The people deserve to know more," Hayden argued. "If we tell them what we know about the mist and the horde, they can prepare too. It’s their lives on the line, just as much as ours."

Darren let out a low laugh. "Tell them more? And how do you plan to do that, Lieutenant? With so many people? You think a public announcement will calm them?"

"The same way we’ve been handling things so far," Bale interjected. "With transparency. With truth. If we calmly explain things, people will listen."

Darren snorted. "Oh, sure. Like they listened yesterday, when they attacked the guards?"

Silence fell over the room."They’re restless," Darren continued, his tone smooth. "Because they aren’t being controlled properly. A tight leash keeps a dog from biting."

Hayden’s hands curled into fists. "They aren’t dogs, Colonel. They’re people."

"People," Darren echoed, tilting his head. "Who panicked and tried to break into the supply storage? What do you think happens when desperation wins over reason?"

"They panicked because they wanted answers," Evelyn said firmly. "Which is all the more reason to give them answers."

"Spoken like a true idealist," Darren said lazily. "I suppose you also think letting people keep their own rations was a good idea?"

"It was," Bale said, voice edged with steel. "Those with extra rations take the pressure off our main supply. More to go around for those who have nothing."

Darren leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "And what happens when they decide they don’t want to share anymore?"

Evelyn exhaled through her nose. "That’s why we maintain trust instead of ruling with fear."

Darren chuckled. "Trust. How quaint."

"You can’t control people like they’re caged animals," Hayden said, his glare sharp. "That’s how revolts start."

Revolts happen when people aren’t afraid enough to follow the rules," Darren countered smoothly.

"Or when they’re treated like criminals just for wanting to survive," Bale shot back.

A tense silence settled between them.

Evelyn leaned forward, tapping her pen against the table. "There’s another factor we haven’t discussed."

Darren arched a brow. "Oh?"

"The orb."The room went quiet. Even Darren’s smirk faded slightly.

"It’s getting closer," Evelyn continued, flipping through a report. "We’ve been monitoring its movements. The fluctuations in the mist, the increased aggression of the horde—it all correlates."

"We don’t know what it is yet," Hayden added, "but it’s affecting everything. The zombies are getting more erratic. The mist is thickening in bursts. And—" He hesitated.

"And?" Darren pressed.

"The readings suggest that whatever the orb is, it’s emitting some kind of energy. Something our scientists can’t yet explain."

Darren leaned back, his fingers drumming against the table. "So what you’re saying is, this floating little nightmare is making everything worse?"

"Yes," Evelyn confirmed. "And the closer it gets, the more unpredictable the horde becomes."

Bale sighed. "The government wants answers on that too. They’re pressuring all bases to study it. If we don’t, they’ll cut what little support they’re still giving us."

Darren laughed. "Classic. They want us to stop the apocalypse, but they won’t even give us the tools to do it."

"Either way," Evelyn said, setting down her report, "we need to prioritize understanding the orb. It might be the key to all of this."

"Or the final nail in our coffin," Darren said dryly. He stood, stretching lazily. "Well, I suppose we’ll just see whose approach works best in the end, won’t we?"A tense silence settled between them.

Evelyn was the first to break it. "Regardless of what anyone thinks, we need to focus. We have to be ready when the mist thickens again. We need our best people out there—ability users included. And we need the base to function without fear."

"Well," Darren drawled, standing up and stretching. "I suppose we’ll just see whose approach works best in the end, won’t we?"No one responded as he strolled toward the exit. The shadows clung to him like a second skin, his green eyes glinting in the dim light before he disappeared.

The moment he was gone, Hayden exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "That man is dangerous."

"We know," Bale said grimly. "And that’s what makes him a problem."Evelyn closed the folder in front of her. "We stay the course. No matter what he says."Bale exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "That bastard is getting bolder."

"No, he’s getting comfortable," Hayden corrected, voice tight with frustration.

"He thinks he can twist every situation to his advantage, and worse? People are starting to listen."

Evelyn, still gripping the folder, tapped her fingers against the cover. "Because fear is easy to sell. If things keep going south, desperate people will look for a strong hand, even if it’s the wrong one."

She hesitated, then said in a lower voice, "I think he’s after the ability users."

Bale’s eyes darkened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you noticed how he steers every conversation back to them? How he pushes for ways to ’use’ them? He’s testing the waters. Seeing what he can get away with."

"You think he wants control over them?" Hayden asked, his expression shifting from concern to alarm."I think he already has a plan for them," Evelyn murmured.

A heavy silence fell between them, the weight of her words sinking in.

Then, a sudden knock on the door made them all tense.

"Major Carter," a voice called from the hallway. "You need to see this. Now."

Evelyn exchanged a look with Bale and Hayden before rising. Whatever was waiting outside that door, they all had the same gut feeling—Darren was already three steps ahead.

A silent agreement passed between them.

The mist was growing thicker. The horde was getting smarter. And inside their walls, another battle was brewing.