Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 164

Chapter 164: 164

Days had passed, maybe weeks. It was hard to keep track when time inside the base blurred together into an endless cycle of routines and survival.

Winter kept his head down, moving like a shadow through the base, avoiding Adrian’s sharp gaze and keeping his ears open. The barracks were tense—whispers of unease slithered through the ranks, soldiers murmuring about an operation no one seemed to have the full details on.

Despite Bale’s efforts in keeping them out of the spotlight, they still got given duties.

Harlowe had been reassigned to wall sentry duty, which was practically a death sentence, leaving soldiers vulnerable, exposed to the mist that hung beyond the walls. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Winter had been thrown into a patrol shift. Patrols along the outskirts took days to complete.

Were they trying to silence him?

Meanwhile, Zara had been stuck inside. "Recovering." At least, that was what the officials thought. They had both decided she shouldn’t go back to the lab for now, though the information there would have been great for them.

She hated the stillness, hated the feeling of being watched. But she couldn’t risk stepping out of line.

If they came back for her under the pretense of quarantine, she might not be able to fight them off this time. And as much as it grated on her nerves, there was one thing she had enjoyed: the quiet moments with Leo.

Now, she sat in his space, sorting through their supplies.

A few battered boxes held instant noodles, ration bars, and, to her mild amusement, several brightly colored cereal boxes she hadn’t remembered taking. Leo had probably snatched them up, drawn to the vivid reds and blues.

There were extra clothes tucked neatly into a corner, folded with care: a few pairs of worn jeans, small sweaters for Leo, thick socks, and a spare jacket she’d stolen off a dead person during one of her lowest moments. Near the back, she kept a stash of weapons—knives, extra rounds for Winter’s rifle, an old handgun with only a few bullets left. She pushed them farther from Leo’s reach, making sure nothing was where he could accidentally hurt himself.

She could see the door in the corner of her eye. The one that would throw her out of this space if she so much as approached it.

She ignored it.

Right now she was actually a bit relaxed in this quiet space. She didn’t want to go back to the chaos outside.

Then, she heard it.

A low voice, distant at first, then clearer.

Winter.

Zara exhaled, brushing her fingers over a row of ration packs before finally standing. "Come on, baby," she murmured, reaching for Leo’s hand. "Winter’s back."

Leo, clutching a stuffed animal he had long since named Rocket, padded after her as they stepped out of the space.

Winter was dropping his rifle onto the makeshift table, rolling his shoulders with a quiet groan. His dark hair was damp with sweat, sticking slightly to his forehead, and his jacket was unzipped, revealing the dirt-streaked undershirt beneath. He looked exhausted.

"You’re back," Zara said, her voice soft and filled with concern.

Winter didn’t answer immediately, instead walking past her and stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah, well, I’m not gonna get any less stiff by standing around."

Zara narrowed her eyes. "You’re tense."

Winter gave a half-shrug, rolling his shoulders again. "I’m tired.

She nodded, understanding the exhaustion that weighed him down, the kind that went beyond physical. This wasn’t just about being on his feet for hours. It was the constant fear, the tightrope they were all walking.

And it was getting harder to keep that weight from crushing them. Zara walked toward him, hands reaching out instinctively. She pushed him gently toward the corner, urging him to sit down in the chair. He hesitated but didn’t resist.

Zara crouched down in front of him, her hands moving to his shoulders.

Slowly, she started massaging, working her fingers into the tight muscles of his back. He tensed again when her hands hit a particularly sore spot, but then his breath shuddered, and he leaned into the touch. Zara didn’t speak for a while, letting the silence settle between them, letting him breathe.

Winter exhaled a long breath as Zara’s fingers pressed into his shoulders, working out the tension with slow, deliberate strokes. The pain was sharp at first, but it melted quickly under the warmth of her touch. He hadn’t realized just how tight his muscles were until now, how much strain he’d been carrying these past few weeks.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath as she found another knot near his shoulder blade. His head tilted slightly, eyes half-lidded. "You’ve got magic hands."

Zara hummed in response, focused on kneading the tension away.

Winter’s lips curled into a smirk, voice dropping just a little lower. "Kinda makes me wonder what else those hands could do."

Zara’s hands froze for a split second. Her breath hitched—so quick and quiet that if Winter wasn’t already hyperaware of her, he might’ve missed it. Heat crawled up her neck, but she masked it with a scoff, rolling her eyes even as her fingers twitched against his skin.

"Leo is right there, you perv," she hissed, her voice low but sharp.

Winter chuckled, completely unrepentant, rubbing the spot she’d smacked as he glanced toward the little boy across the room. Leo was too busy stacking cans into an unsteady tower, completely oblivious to the exchange.

"Relax," Winter said with a lazy grin. "The kid’s in his own world."

Zara shook her head, trying to will away the heat rising to her cheeks, but her fingers—traitorous as they were—resumed their work, a little firmer, a little more precise. Maybe to make him suffer just a bit. But Winter only exhaled again, settling deeper into the touch like he hadn’t just flustered her beyond reason.

She should’ve just left him to deal with his own aching limbs, but damn it, she liked keeping her hands busy, and this was at least useful. The slow give of tense muscle beneath her fingers, the quiet way he sighed when she worked out a particularly stubborn knot—it was... oddly satisfying.

She cleared her throat again, forcing her thoughts to anywhere but where they were threatening to go.

"So," he murmured after a moment, voice still slightly amused, "what were you doing in Leo’s space?"

"Organizing," she muttered, thankful for the shift in conversation. "Since you mentioned it being a mess last time. Needed something to do before I lost my mind in boredom."

Winter hummed in acknowledgment. "Good call. The last thing we need is you going crazy in here."

"Already getting there," she muttered, still acutely aware of the heat lingering beneath her skin.

Winter’s lip twitched.

"I noticed a few things in the space."

"Like?"

She continued pressing into his shoulders, her voice thoughtful. "Our supplies are going to last for months, which is a good thing. Plus, I think Leo snuck in some bright-colored cereals because they looked fun."

Winter huffed a small laugh. "Kid’s got taste."

She smirked, but then her expression grew more serious. "I also noticed the weapons you mentioned. I pushed them further back. Just in case. He’s getting too curious."

Winter nodded slightly. "Good call."

"The supplies got me hoping that we move before we ran out of time."

Winter exhaled. "I know." His fingers drummed against his knee, his mind already running through possibilities. "But we also can’t just run blind. Not yet."

"And if we don’t get that chance?" Zara challenged, voice low. "If we wait too long?"

Winter didn’t answer right away. The truth was, they might not have a choice. He could already feel the noose tightening around them. Security increasing. Even if they had a possible ally on their side, there was no telling how many officials were in on this shit and what would be done to them if they were caught. They needed a plan.

"A real plan," he said finally.

Zara’s grip on Leo tightened, her fingers curling protectively over his small frame. "Even if we slip past security, then what? There’s still walls, the gates... and after that?" Her voice wavered. "City H is a graveyard and—" She swallowed hard.

Beyond these walls was nothing but ruins and the mist that turned people into mindless creatures. If they got past security—somehow—they’d have to fight their way through what remained of City H before even stepping foot into the wild, where the real horrors lurked.

The thought of dragging her three-year-old son back into that nightmare made her stomach churn.

Winter must have noticed the flicker of fear in her eyes because his hand found hers, fingers curling around hers in a steady grip.

Winter reached for her, squeezing her hand. "We’ll figure something out."

She swallowed, nodding once. His confidence was steady, grounding. Even if it felt like everything else was slipping out of their control.

A thought struck her, sudden and sharp. "What if I try?"

Winter frowned. "Try what?"

"To see something. Instead of waiting for the vision to come to me." She met his gaze, determination flickering behind the worry. "What if I force it?"