Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 180

Chapter 180: 180

Zara held Leo close in the backseat of the silent transport, her arms wrapped protectively around his trembling frame.

Leo clung to her like a lifeline, his small hands fisting the fabric of her shirt, his breath warm but uneven against her neck.

She hated how it reminded her of their life outside the "safe zones" and now they were no safer here with humans than they were with zombies outside.

Across from them sat Adrian.

Composed. Clean. Unrattled.

He looked like he had just stepped out of a boardroom rather than forced a woman and her child into a black van at gunpoint.

The silence stretched between them, taut and unnatural. His bright green eyes never strayed from Zara and Leo.

Leo also kept glancing at Adrian. Every time Adrian’s eyes flicked toward him, Leo flinched and buried his face deeper into Zara’s side.

"Is Uncle coming?" Leo’s voice was a whisper—fragile and hopeful.

Zara’s throat tightened. She smoothed her hand over his hair, fingers trembling. "I don’t know, baby. Just stay close, alright?"

Leo peeked up at Adrian through tear-clumped lashes and then turned to Zara. "Is uncle ok?"

Zara’s throat clenched. She didn’t know. God, she hoped. She gave Leo a gentle squeeze and whispered, "He’s smart, remember? Like you. He’s probably already somewhere safe."

Leo nodded but didn’t seem convinced. His face pressed back into her chest.

They arrived at an isolated safehouse tucked behind what looked like an abandoned section of the base. Zara couldn’t be sure.

The windows were tinted, and the drive had been winding and directionless. It might’ve been underground for all she knew.

The vehicle slowed, crunching over gravel, and finally stopped. Adrian stood, fixing the cuffs of his coat.

"We’re here," he said. "You’ll be safe. But I need you focused, Zara."

Zara met his gaze, her expression icy. She didn’t speak. What was there to say? She knew what he really meant.

He needs my foresight.

I’ll play along, she thought. For Leo. For now. Just keep breathing. Just keep moving till we find our way out of this madness.

She glanced down at her son. His small hand was still in hers, his eyes droopy with sleep as he took in the new space.

Please, let Winter be okay.

*****

The room was quiet. Too quiet. It wasn’t a cell, not technically, but it wasn’t far off. No windows. A single door. The walls were clean—sterile, almost glossy, and the faint hum of the overhead light buzzed against her ears like static.

Leo was asleep now, thumb in his mouth, curled against her like a kitten trying to disappear into her shadow.

Zara sat on the edge of the hard mattress, her shoulder throbbing. The bruise where one of Adrian’s lackeys had shoved her forward with the barrel of his gun throbbed dully with each breath.

She hadn’t cried.

Not yet.

She was afraid that if she started, she wouldn’t stop.

Still in the same clothes from the ambush, she felt like she was wearing someone else’s skin. Dirty. Wrong. She didn’t belong here—but then again, she didn’t belong anywhere anymore, did she?

The door clicked. Adrian walked in with a bright smile, like he wasn’t holding her hostage.

He carried a tray with two mugs and a paper bag. Croissants.

Where the hell did one even find these things in the apocalypse?

"Thought you might want something warm," he said, setting the tray down on a small table. "Coffee. Fresh, not instant."

Zara stared at him. "Is this a joke?"

Adrian offered a faint smile and sat down across from her. "No jokes. I simply want to talk."

Zara’s eyes narrowed.

He set the tray on the small metal table and gestured to the empty seat opposite him.

"Come. Sit. We need to talk."

She didn’t move.

Adrian’s smile was tight, too polished. "Zara. I know you’re angry. I would be too. But this doesn’t have to be unpleasant."

She stayed standing. "You threatened my son with a gun."

Adrian sighed. "Only because you weren’t cooperating. I don’t enjoy being the villain—but I will play the part if you force me to."

She finally sat. Not for him. For Leo. To keep his attention off the boy.

He leaned back in the chair, his hands folded elegantly. "Your gift has always been underutilized. You’ve spent time hiding it, suppressing it. But you were meant for more. You could be humanity’s savior, Zara. And I... I could help guide you there."

"You kidnapped us."

"I rescued you from mediocrity."

Zara’s lip curled. "You don’t want to unlock me. You want to control me."

Adrian chuckled. "Is there a difference? I want clarity, Zara. And you are clarity incarnate. Do you understand what that means? You see what others can’t. With your help, we can prevent uprisings. Predict betrayals. Choose the right paths before the wrong ones are even walked."

He leaned forward. "You can change the game."

Zara’s heart pounded. Her fingers curled into fists under the table. "And Leo? What exactly do you want from him?"

Adrian’s smile didn’t falter. "Your son is... fascinating. Even more than you, in some ways. His potential is unprecedented. Untouched. I believe that together—"

"You’re not going to experiment on him."

Adrian’s gaze sharpened. "Not unless he proves... unwilling to cooperate. But children are so adaptable, aren’t they? They learn quickly when they understand what’s at stake."

Zara stood so fast her chair scraped against the floor. "You touch him and I swear—"

"I don’t want to hurt him," Adrian said smoothly. "Or you. But I will, if it means preserving the future. That’s the burden of leadership. Sacrifice."

He stood too, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.

"I’ll give you time. Think it over."

And then he was gone.

Zara paced the moment the door shut. Leo remained asleep, unaware, his chest rising and falling with steady rhythm. She tried to breathe, to steady herself. But her heart was racing.

She didn’t know where she was. Didn’t know where Winter was—or even if he was.

Adrian’s words echoed in her ears.

She scanned the room. No visible cameras. But that didn’t mean anything. The place was too sanitized, too fake.

When Leo stirred and turned in the sheets, she waited until his breathing steadied again before slipping her boots on.

She moved to the door and cracked it open.

No guards outside, which meant there were most definitely cameras.

Could she risk it? Step outside knowing someone could potentially be watching her and this could be a trap to get her seperated from her baby?

She stepped into the hallway.

Cold. Echoing. Endless.

The house was bigger than she expected. The corridors felt like a maze. White walls. Stainless steel. No warmth anywhere. It was a facility dressed in the skin of a home.

She moved cautiously, staying close to the walls. After some seconds, she finally found the cameras.

Most corners had cameras—silent red lights blinking steadily. Watching. Always watching.

She found one blind spot in a narrow bathroom. A vent. Small.

Barely noticeable.

But it was something. Something that should fit her and Leo.

She memorized it.

No communication device with her. No landlines. No external comms.

There weren’t too many rooms in the building either and most of them were empty.

She opened drawers wherever she could, careful not to make noise. Most were locked.

One wasn’t.

Inside: syringes. Vials. One labeled "Abiliry Inc 7 – Neural Enh."

She didn’t know what it meant. Didn’t care. She slipped one into her boot.

Footsteps.

She froze, pressing herself against the wall.

Adrian’s voice carried down the corridor, cold and clipped.

"We lost it?"

Lost what? Zara’s brows furrowed.

Adrian exhaled a sharp laugh. "I guess I underestimated him."

Who was he talking about? Being left in the dark was killing her. Plus, if she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought that Adrian sounded frustrated.

The voice from the radio was too far and distorted for Zara to hear properly.

"Yes, obviously he has someone in command that feeding him information and equipment. Probably Bale."

Zara recognized that name. Winter had mentioned it. Was he talking about winter? Was he safe? She crawled closer to the door, wanting to hear properly.

"I need all able bodied operatives to scour the tunnel systems. Get me subject 17 in containment again."

Subject 17 was loose again? Was that why winter hadn’t returned? He went after it? Why take such a risk?

So many questions swirled through her head.

"We can’t move on Subject 17 until I have a stable projection from the Seer."

Pause.

A second voice crackled through his earpiece. "And Winter’s team?"

"Scrubbed. If they resurface, we track and terminate."

Zara’s breath caught. Scrubbed?

Heart slamming against her ribs, she ducked into a side hallway. Winter. Please, no. No. No.

She waited until the voices faded.

Then she ran.

Back to Leo.

Zara found him still asleep, safe—so far.

Leo stirred.

She rushed to him, kneeling beside the bed.

"Mama?" he mumbled.

"I’m here." She brushed his hair back, kissed his forehead. "Go back to sleep, baby."

But her mind was on fire.

Winter’s team. Scrubbed. Track and terminate.

She slid to the floor beside the bed, her hand trembling as she brushed a curl from his forehead.

They needed to get out.

Now.

Before it was too late.

And before she lost the only family she had left.

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