Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 162

Chapter 162: 162

Winter’s boots barely made a sound as he walked down the dimly lit corridors of the base, but his mind was a storm. The conversation with Marcus and the rest was still fresh, their words ringing in Winter’s ears like a warning bell.

Human experimentation. The base not being safe for ability users. Something on the loose that even the soldiers were worried about...

What the fuck was running loose in the base?

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. If he let his emotions take over, he’d make mistakes. And mistakes got people killed. The hallways stretched ahead, metallic walls humming faintly with the vibrations of distant machinery. The air smelled of oil, sweat, and something stale—like secrets rotting in the dark.

As he approached Bale’s hideout, he double-checked his surroundings. The storage room was tucked away in an abandoned section of the barracks, away from prying eyes. He rapped his knuckles against the steel door—three short taps, a pause, then two more.

The door creaked open just a sliver before Bale pulled him inside and shut it quickly behind him.

The small room was a mess. Wires snaked across the floor, leading to multiple monitors that flickered with endless streams of encrypted data. Papers were scattered over the only desk, some with hastily scribbled notes, others with redacted reports that Bale had been desperately trying to piece together. The glow from the screens cast deep shadows on Bale’s face, emphasizing the exhaustion in his eyes.

"You look like shit," Winter muttered.

Bale huffed, rubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw. "Yeah, well, decrypting government-level encryption on a timer will do that to you." He gestured to the screen. "But I got something."

Winter leaned in. "Tell me."

Bale’s fingers tapped against the keyboard, pulling up a file filled with redacted paragraphs and ominous code names.

"They were running experiments," Bale said, voice tight. "On people with... abilities." He paused, looking up at Winter with something that resembled regret. "I had no fucking idea, Winter. This was happening right under my nose, and I didn’t know."

Winter studied him carefully. Bale was part of the top brass. He was supposed to be in the know. If he hadn’t been looped in, that meant someone high up had kept this buried deep.

"How long has this been going on?" Winter asked.

Bale shook his head. "Don’t know. But here’s the worst part—" He pulled up another decrypted section. "This isn’t just some passive study. They had a contingency plan in place."

Winter frowned. "What kind of contingency?"

"The kind where, if these ’subjects’ got out of control, they had methods to control them. Conditioning. Drugs. Other things I haven’t cracked yet."

A bitter taste settled in Winter’s mouth. This was worse than he expected.

Bale continued, eyes dark. "And then there’s this—’Subject 17.’ Whoever the hell that is, they escaped recently. They could still be in the base."

Winter clenched his jaw. "So that’s what the patrols are for."

Bale nodded. "They’re trying to contain this before it gets out. And if the higher-ups are scrambling like this, it means Subject 17 is dangerous."

Winter exhaled through his nose, his mind already making connections. He hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary yet, but the fact that Adrian Locke had come to him, of all people, meant he was already on their radar.

"I need to tell you something," Winter said.

Bale raised an eyebrow. "That’s never a good sign."

Winter crossed his arms. "Adrian Locke approached me. He wanted me to join him. Said my ability would be useful."

Bale went rigid. "...Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Wish I was."

Bale ran a hand through his hair, muttering a curse. "Adrian is one of us. He’s in the same damn meetings I am. If he’s involved, that means this goes even higher than I thought."

"You think the General knows?"

Bale’s lips pressed into a thin line. "I don’t know what the General knows anymore." He looked back at the screen, rubbing at his temple. "I need more time to break the rest of this encryption. But you—keep your head down. Keep investigating. We need more pieces before we can do anything about this."

Winter nodded. "Understood."

Bale sighed, rubbing his face again. "Get out of here before someone starts wondering why you’re sneaking around the barracks."

Winter gave him one last nod before slipping out.

*****

As soon as Winter stepped into the hallway, something was off.

The air was heavier. Tighter.

Then he saw them—four soldiers, walking in formation, scanning the area like bloodhounds.

They weren’t on routine patrol.

Winter kept his pace even, forcing himself to blend in. He was just another soldier walking through the base. No reason to stop him. No reason to question him.

Then—

"You there."

Shit.

Winter turned, his expression carefully neutral. The soldier who had spoken was tall, built like a wall, and his eyes were sharp.

"Haven’t seen you around this part of the base before."

Winter tilted his head, feigning mild annoyance. "I was looking for supplies. Didn’t realize wandering around was a crime."

The soldier narrowed his eyes. "Depends on what you’re looking for."

The tension crackled in the air. Winter could feel the weight of their suspicion pressing down on him.

They were looking for someone.

They were looking for Subject 17.

If they decided he was suspicious, they’d drag him in for questioning.

Then—

"Winter!"

A slurred, obnoxious voice broke through the air.

Winter turned just as Richard stumbled around the corner, grinning like a drunk idiot.

"There you are, man! We’re waitin’ for ya! Don’t tell me you were sneakin’ off without us?"

Winter barely missed a beat, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I’m coming."

The soldier gave Richard a once-over, then scoffed. "Get out of here."

Winter and Richard walked off, their pace steady but quick.

When they were out of earshot, Winter muttered, "You’re a terrible actor."

Richard smirked. "Saved your ass, though."

Winter forced his breathing to stay even as they walked, the tension from the encounter still tight in his chest. The patrols were getting more aggressive. That meant something had changed. The higher-ups were getting desperate.

Richard—formerly playing the part of a drunk idiot—was walking beside him now, his gait steady, sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit path ahead.

Winter had known Richard well enough to recognize that restless energy in his movements. He was wound up, not just from the run-in with the soldier but from something else.

Winter kept his voice low. "Where were you going when you bumped into me?"

Richard glanced at him, his smirk fading into something more serious. "Barracks. I was heading back when I saw you getting stopped."

Winter frowned. "You came to find me?"

Richard gave a small nod. "Yeah. I wanted to talk to you. But then I saw the way that guy was looking at you—knew something was up. I figured I had to step in before things went sideways."

Winter exhaled sharply, his mind racing. "And what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

Richard hesitated, his jaw clenching for a second before he spoke. "I found out some crazy shit while I was out in the main base today."

Winter tensed. His pulse, already running high, kicked up another notch. "What the hell were you doing in the main base?"

They kept walking, their pace relaxed, blending in with the few other civilians passing by. It was the only way to keep from drawing attention.

Richard shoved his hands into his pockets, keeping his tone casual despite the gravity of his words. "Recon. While your team was sent back for whatever reason, ours was sent out." He exhaled, glancing around before continuing. "Security’s doubled at the outer perimeter. More high-clearance personnel are walking around—people I’ve never seen before. Something big is happening, and they’re scrambling to contain it."

Winter clenched his jaw. "And you just decided to wander in and take a look?"

Richard smirked, but there was no real amusement in it. "Figured it was worth the risk. Turns out I was right."

Winter’s mind was already piecing together the implications. If security was tightening, it meant they were afraid of something—or someone. Subject 17. He had been kept in the dark before, but now, piece by piece, the truth was clawing its way out.

"What exactly did you find out?" Winter asked.

Richard’s expression darkened. "I overheard some officers talking near the command centre. They mentioned an operation—some classified shit. They’re moving people to the other bases, Winter. And not just the usual transfers. This is different." He hesitated before adding, "They’re relocating test subjects."

Winter nearly stopped in his tracks but forced himself to keep moving. His pulse thundered in his ears.

*****

By the time Winter made it back to the room where Zara and Leo were staying, his mind was still running circles around everything he had learned.

Zara was already watching him when he entered, arms crossed, eyes sharp. She knew something was wrong. She always did.

But she didn’t press—yet.

Instead, the moment was interrupted by a small giggle.

Leo.

The little boy toddled over to him, tiny hands grabbing onto his leg, beaming up at him as if the world wasn’t a fucking disaster.

Winter felt something in his chest loosen.

Kneeling down, he ruffled Leo’s hair. "Hey, kid."

Leo giggled again, throwing his arms around Winter’s neck in an excited hug.

Winter hesitated—then wrapped his arms around the boy, grounding himself in that warmth.

For a moment, just a moment, he let himself breathe.

But his mind never stopped.

Because out there, in the dark corners of this base—something dangerous was waiting.

And Winter wasn’t sure how much longer they had before it found them first.