Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 141

Chapter 141: 141

The group sat in stiff silence, tension humming between them. The air in the so-called park—more of a concrete slab with a few scraggly trees—felt heavier now, thick with unspoken words on what they’d just seen.

A few feet away, the spot where the civilian had been dragged away was already clean, like nothing had happened. Like he had never existed.

Zara scooped a spoonful of food and brought it to Leo’s lips, her other hand resting protectively against his back. "Come on, baby. Eat a little." Her voice was soft, but inside, her mind was a battlefield.

Leo, nestled against her side, shook his head stubbornly. His curls bounced with the movement, his lower lip jutting out in the beginnings of a pout. "Not hungry."

She sighed, brushing his curls away from his face. "Just a few bites."

He hesitated before taking the spoon into his mouth, chewing slowly.

She sighed, setting the spoon back into the container and staring down at the food. The mashed grains, the protein strips, the pale vegetable slop. It didn’t smell bad, but something about it made her uneasy. Was it safe? She had already eaten some, already fed Leo a few bites, but now doubt slithered into her mind like a viper coiling around her thoughts.

What if they were drugging people?

What if this was how they controlled the civilians?

Across from them, Winter was barely touching his food. He poked at it once or twice before tossing his spoon onto the tray. "We shouldn’t even be eating this crap," he muttered. "Who knows what’s in it?"

Zara exhaled sharply through her nose. "Don’t say that while I’m feeding my kid."

Winter exhaled through his nose, pushing his meal away slightly. He wasn’t about to test fate.

While he had been repeating her sentiments, it still worried her to hear out loud. They were probably spoiled for choice because they had alternative food sources, but the things they had seen so far didn’t give them much of a reason to dismiss foul play.

Mike wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes flicking around to make sure no one was listening. "He’s not wrong, though," he said quietly. "Think about it. People are disappearing, and you think they wouldn’t resort to drugging the food? Could be something to keep us weak. Keep us compliant."

Richard grunted, crossing his arms. "Could be worse than that," he murmured. "Experimentation, execution, brainwashing—hell, it could be all of the above. We don’t know anything."

Zara clenched her jaw, her stomach twisting. They had done all they could to reach City H, thinking it was a haven.

They had fought their way through hell just to reach the gates, only to find themselves swallowed by another kind of nightmare—a colder one.

Now, they were deeper in it, swallowed whole, and there was no clear way out.

Zara swallowed past the lump in her throat and forced her voice to be steady. "We need to get out of here."

Mike let out a humourless laugh, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. "No shit."

Richard exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "It’s not that simple. You saw what they did to that guy. We can’t just make a run for it without knowing where the hell we’re going."

"Or what we’re up against," Sam added, voice low. His fingers tightened around his untouched meal.

Winter leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "We need more intel before we start throwing ourselves into danger," he said, keeping his voice low. "Rushing a plan now will get us all killed. We watch. We listen. We figure out exactly what the hell is happening to those people before we make a move."

No one argued. What else could they do? That seemed to be the most logical decision they could take right now.

And then—

A shadow loomed over them.

A soldier.

Zara didn’t even hear him approach, but there he was, standing with his arms crossed, the hard edges of his vest catching the dim light. His expression—what little of it they could see under the visor—was unreadable.

"You done eating?" His voice was rough like he chewed on gravel for breakfast. "Then break up the chit-chat and get back to your designated areas."

Zara tightened her grip on Leo, forcing a neutral expression. "We’re almost finished."

The soldier scoffed, his gaze sweeping over each of them like he was memorizing their faces. "Finish faster."

Winter held his tongue, but Zara saw the way his fingers curled into a fist.

The soldier lingered for a second longer, then turned on his heel and strode off, his heavy boots crunching against the pavement.

A collective breath of relief passed between them.

Mike muttered, "Jesus. Can’t even eat without getting watched like criminals."

Richard shook his head. "This place is a goddamn prison."

Winter exhaled sharply. "We meet another day. We need to find out where everyone’s staying in this hellhole."

Zara looked down at Leo, at his large eyes and the way his small fingers clung to her. No bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Not yet.

But she would find one.

Even if she had to tear through the darkness herself.

"Where do you guys live?"

Sam adjusted his glasses. "Barracks near the medical ward."

"West housing unit," Mike said, cracking his neck. "Lucky me."

Richard smirked. "Same as Mike. Different floor."

Winter glanced at Zara. "We’ll find a way to keep in touch."

"Let’s keep our eyes and ears open for anything unusual. We can meet here in a week. How does that sound?"

"Seems good enough," Richard stood stretching. "That’s a lot of time to hopefully find something."

"Not sure about meeting here though," Sam said, subtly nodding at the soldier from before who was still eyeing them from across the park. "He might not let us sit together again."

*****

The path back to their apartment was quieter than usual, both lost in their thoughts.

Boots scuffed against the pavement, the occasional flicker of a distant patrol light casting long shadows along the cracked sidewalks.

"They’re hiding something," Zara murmured, barely moving her lips as she spoke.

Winter didn’t react outwardly, but she knew he was listening.

"The lab," she continued, keeping her voice low. "I found files—redacted ones. Entire pages blacked out. Those were things we had discovered in the main base. I don’t want to think they would mistakenly remove them from the files. They have to be planning something."

His jaw tightened. "Now we just have to figure out what kind of ’something’?"

"Right, all this talk about disappearances is making me think people are being sorted."

Winter’s brows furrowed. "Sorted how?"

She shook her head. "I don’t know. But it’s not just civilians. Some of the soldiers too. The ones with higher clearance—people who ask too many questions."

Zara adjusted Leo in her arms, his small head resting against her shoulder. His breathing was soft and even—half-asleep but still clinging to her.

Winter walked beside her, hands stuffed into his pockets, his gaze sharp and scanning their surroundings.

"Want me to carry him?" he asked, holding out a hand.

"Nah, we’re almost at our space," she smiled at him.

They both looked up at the dome overhead. The base in City H was massive—large enough to house three separate sectors, with another one right beyond the area they were in. Zara couldn’t help but wonder: how long had it taken them to construct all of this? To gather the proper equipment while the hordes attacked?

A pause.

Then, quieter, she added, "I think the higher-ups know more than they’re letting on. They’re not just maintaining order. They’re planning something."

Winter let out a slow breath, his fingers twitching at his side. "And you weren’t caught?"

"No," she said, but she didn’t sound convinced. "At least, I don’t think so. But... Winter, there was a name I—"

She hesitated, glancing around before lowering her voice even further. "Before you came back, I found something. A file on human experimentation."

Winter’s entire body went still.

Zara pressed on. "It talked about people inside the base—subjects. The responses to whatever they were doing to them... some survived, some didn’t. The data was different from what we saw in the old base. None of this information is in the new base’s database. They hid it."

Winter’s gaze sharpened. "Why?"

"I don’t know. It’s like... not all the higher-ups are in on it."

"You think someone is pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes here?" Winter asked, tilting his head at the idea of someone having the power to pull something so large scale.

"No," she said, but she didn’t sound convinced. "At least, I don’t think so. But... Winter, there was a name I—"

A sudden force slammed into Winter from behind.

Zara barely had time to react before a bright voice rang out—

"Winter!"

Her heart jumped as she instinctively stepped back, gripping Leo tighter.

Winter stiffened, his entire body going rigid as a pair of arms wrapped around his torso.

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