Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 146

Chapter 146: 146

Winter leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze locked on the officer across the room.

The man sat at the edge of the table, posture too casual. His fingers drummed lazily against the wooden surface, his expression impassive. But Winter saw the tells. The quick flick of his gaze toward Bale when the lieutenant spoke. The way his shoulders stiffened, then relaxed, as if consciously correcting himself.

He’s listening too closely. Choosing his reactions.

"...Our mission is straightforward," Bale announced, his voice carrying over the low murmur of soldiers. "We’re returning to the main base. We need to assess the damage, secure any supplies, and determine if it’s still inhabitable. If not, we strip it and burn the rest."

A ripple of tension passed through the gathered soldiers. They all remembered the last attack. The blood. The bodies.

Winter didn’t flinch.

Across the room, the officer finally spoke. His voice was smooth, casual. "And who’s leading the operation?"

Winter’s gaze sharpened. A carefully phrased question. Not how the mission would proceed. Not what they were up against. Who’s leading?

Bale didn’t hesitate. "Command is split. I’ll oversee the operation with Captain Reyes." He nodded toward Winter. "Winter, you and Harlow will investigate any remaining threats and possible infiltrator leads."

The officer exhaled, leaning back. "Mm. A good idea." His lips curled. "After all, if we do have a traitor, we wouldn’t want to be caught unaware."

Winter’s jaw clenched.

Bale’s gaze swept the room. "Let me be clear—if there’s an infiltrator, trust no one. Not even the man sitting next to you."

The room shifted. Soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.

Lieutenant Harlow broke the silence. "If we suspect infiltration, we should set traps. Reinforce weak points—"

Winter cut in. "Won’t matter."

Harlow frowned. "What?"

"If someone inside is working with them," Winter said, voice low, "they’ll already know where to avoid."

Silence.

Bale studied him. Considering.

The officer scoffed, shaking his head. "You’re always looking for shadows, Sergeant. Maybe you just don’t trust people."

Winter said nothing. He didn’t need to.

Bale exhaled. "Enough. Winter, Harlow, you’re leading a team into the main base. Make sure it’s clear. Look for anything useful. Investigate the infiltration theory."

Winter didn’t miss the way the officer’s fingers twitched.

Bale continued giving orders, but Winter wasn’t listening. He was watching the bastard across the room, noting the slight shift of his jaw. The tightness in his posture.

He didn’t like this.

Didn’t like him.

As the meeting ended and soldiers began dispersing, Winter stayed back. So did the officer.

Winter approached, slow and deliberate. The officer smirked.

"Something on your mind, Sergeant?"

Winter tilted his head. "You ask a lot of careful questions."

The officer chuckled. "Observation is a skill. You of all people should know that."

Winter held his gaze. "Funny thing about observation. You start noticing things."

The officer’s smirk didn’t waver. "Like what?"

"Like how you knew exactly what to ask."

The man exhaled dramatically, shaking his head. "You’re paranoid, Winter. A man like you—so wound up, so careful—it must be exhausting."

Then, lowering his voice just slightly, he added, "Maybe it’s because you have too much to lose these days."

Winter’s entire body tensed.

Zara. Leo.

His fingers twitched at his sides. He wouldn’t take the bait.

The officer studied him, his smirk widening. "You should consider my offer. You’re smart enough to know that power is everything. And so far, I’ve been very generous—I met Zara. I met the kid. And I haven’t said a word about their... interesting traits."

Winter’s vision darkened at the edges. His breath slowed. Controlled. Dangerous.

Then he moved.

His fist closed around the officer’s collar, yanking him forward, their faces inches apart. Soldiers turned, eyes widening. A few started to step in, but no one dared interfere just yet.

The officer smirked, completely unfazed. "You sure you want to do this? Solitary confinement isn’t fun, you know. And if you’re locked up... anything could happen to them."

Winter’s grip tightened. He could end it now. Just put all his strength into his fist and cave his smug face in.

But he didn’t.

Because if he was locked away, he couldn’t protect them.

With a slow exhale, he unclenched his fist and shoved the officer back.

The bastard grinned, adjusting his collar. "Good choice."

Winter said nothing.

As the officer walked away, something inside Winter twisted.

His gut told him he was right.

This man was involved in some shady shit.

*****

Winter’s boots thudded against the worn wooden floors as he made his way back to his quarters, his mind filled with tangled thoughts. The pieces weren’t fitting together yet, but the edges were sharpening. He needed something concrete—evidence, not just gut feelings.

If they could uncover enough, Bale would listen. He wasn’t the type to ignore facts, no matter how ugly they were.

But facts required proof.

And proof required risk.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

Stopping at his door, he hesitated.

Zara would still be upset. And she had every right to be. He hadn’t handled their last conversation well, hadn’t said what she probably needed to hear. But he also knew walking away now, without at least trying, would make it worse.

Winter pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Empty.

His jaw clenched.

Of course.

He scanned the room, noting the absence of her coat, her bag. Labs. She’d probably taken Leo with her, which—

His stomach twisted.

That wasn’t safe.

Leo, despite all his strangeness—his abilities—was still just a toddler. The labs weren’t a place for a kid, no matter how careful Zara was. Not to mention whatever experiments were still lurking beneath the surface.

Winter exhaled, pressing his fingers against his temples. Talk to her when you get back. He didn’t have time for this right now.

Shaking it off, he moved to his pack, double-checking his supplies. Knife, ammo, rations, extra canisters. His fingers brushed against the grip of his sidearm just as something grabbed his leg.

Winter’s body reacted instantly—muscles coiling, a hand flying to his gun—

"Uncle!"

His head snapped down, heart still hammering.

Leo clung to his leg, beaming up at him, small hands clutching his pants like he hadn’t just nearly gotten himself thrown across the room.

Winter let out a slow breath, tension easing slightly. Damn kid.

Crouching, he rested a steady hand on Leo’s tiny shoulder. "Where were you?"

Leo giggled, rocking on his heels. "My happy place."

Winter frowned. "Your what?"

Leo tilted his head, like it was obvious. He pointed vaguely at nothing in particular.

It took Winter a second. Then—

Oh.

The space.

The place where Leo disappeared to. The one that didn’t follow the rules of this world.

Winter stilled, studying him carefully, searching for any sign that something had changed. His clothes were fine, so were his features. He didnt seem tired or anything.

With all the madness that had bee happening around them, he hadnt been able to properly study leo’s space. He remembered zara saying that She had entered Leo’s space before.

He wanted to ask. How did it work? Could Leo control it? Did he understand it?

But there wasn’t time.

Winter exhaled, ruffling Leo’s hair. "Listen to me. I have to go." He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Stay here abd be good, ok? Your mom will be back soon."

"Will you come back?" Leo asked, pouting slightly.

"Of course kiddo. Tell your mom i went outside, you can do that right?"

Leo nodded quickly. "Okay!"

Then, just like that—

He vanished.

Winter froze, staring at the empty space where Leo had been just seconds ago.

No sound. No movement. Just... gone.

He lingered for a moment, wanting to call the kid out again.

Winter felt dumb as he passed his hand over the space the kid disappeared into. What had he been expecting?

He shook his head, straightening before finally forcing himself toward the door.

There were more pressing things to deal with.

And he had a mission to complete.

*****

AT SECTOR 2 - GATES

Winter adjusted his mask, the filters clicking into place with a faint hiss. The air was thick with the scent of reinforced steel and burnt ozone, a lingering reminder of past battles. The assembled soldiers stood in tight formation, their gear secured, their weapons loaded. They knew what they were walking into.

Harlow stood at Winter’s side, arms crossed over his chest. "Alright, listen up," he barked. "The objective is straightforward. We go in, clear the area. Anything still moving that shouldn’t be, put it down. Any human remains left behind, we tag and bag. Once that’s done, we assess structural damage and estimate how long it’ll take to get this place up and running again."

A few nods. No one spoke.

Winter’s voice cut through the silence. "Check your filters. Last thing you want is to breathe in whatever’s still lingering. If you get so much as a scratch, report it. We’re not taking any risks."

A soldier, Davis, adjusted the straps on his pack. "You think there’ll still be anything left standing?"

Harlow let out a dry laugh. "If there is, it’ll probably try to eat you."

Davis groaned. "Fantastic."

The group loaded into the trucks. Engines rumbled to life, headlights cutting through the early morning fog as they rolled out.

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