Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 84: The World Keeps You On Your Toes

Chapter 84: 84: The World Keeps You On Your Toes

The modified sedan bumped along the rough, uneven road, its tyres crunching against gravel and the occasional patch of dry grass. The interior of the vehicle was filled with a tense, heavy silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the occasional murmur from Leo. Seated on Zara’s lap, Leo’s bright eyes darted from one person to the next, his small hands waving animatedly as he spoke.

"Do you know I can count all the way to ten now?" Leo announced proudly, his little chest puffed up with pride. Without waiting for an answer, he began, "One, two, three, four..." His small fingers ticked off each number, his gaze flicking between Winter, Zara, and Mike, searching for acknowledgement.

Mike grinned, leaning slightly toward the boy. "That’s impressive, Leo. You’re going to be a math genius in no time."

Leo beamed at the praise, his cheeks flushing with happiness. He twisted in Zara’s lap to face Winter, his next question tumbling out without hesitation. "Winter, did you hear me? I can count to ten! Wanna hear it again?"

Winter, seated stiffly beside Zara, managed a small smile, though his eyes remained on the road ahead. "I heard you, Leo. You did a great job."

Satisfied, Leo returned his attention to Mike, peppering him with questions about the various buttons and dials in the car. "What does this do? And what about that? Can you make it go beep?"

Mike, amused by the boy’s curiosity, played along, explaining each function with exaggerated gestures, drawing giggles from Leo. Zara smiled softly, her hand resting gently on Leo’s back as he squirmed with excitement.

Suddenly, the car lurched violently, a deep pothole sending it bouncing. Zara gasped as she was thrown sideways, her body colliding with Winter’s. His arms instinctively shot out, steadying her before she could hit the front seat. Their faces were inches apart, breaths mingling in the confined space.

For a moment, time seemed to slow. Zara’s hand pressed against Winter’s chest, her breathing shallow. Winter’s gaze dropped to her, their faces inches apart. His hands lingered on Zara’s waist, eyes searching hers. Zara’s heart raced, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.

"Why did the car jump like that?" Leo’s innocent voice starled them into reality. the little kid was smushed between them. "Mommy! you’re squishing me!" Zara and Winter quickly pulled away, the spell broken.

Zara straightened herself, cheeks flushed, while Winter turned his gaze back to the road, his jaw tightening.

Leo giggled, oblivious to the awkwardness. "It was fun! Let’s do that again!"

As the car crested a hill, a group of figures appeared in the distance. They were sprawled across the road, some standing, others lounging on makeshift barricades. Their worn clothes and menacing postures marked them as a threat long before they could be clearly seen.

Richard, who was driving, frowned, his hands tightening on the wheel.

"We need to decide fast," Sam muttered, his usually calm demeanor tense. "Do we drive through or try to talk?"

"They’re not here to talk," Winter said quietly, his voice cold and measured. "We should drive through."

Richard glanced at the others, his decision clear. "The car’s bulletproof, but we need to be smart. Everyone ready?"

The group nodded, preparing themselves for the potential confrontation. The car sped up, the engine roaring as Richard floored the gas. The hostile group ahead noticed and began shouting, some raising their weapons.

As the car barreled towards them, a sudden pop echoed—a sharp, jarring sound. The vehicle swerved violently, a tyre punctured by something hidden on the road.

"Damn it!" Richard cursed, fighting to control the car as it skidded to a halt. "Mike, spare tire?"

"Yeah, in the trunk," Mike responded quickly, his eyes wide with fear. "I can change it, but I’ll need time."

"We don’t have time," Zara whispered, glancing nervously at the rapidly approaching figures.

Richard didn’t hesitate. "Winter, you take point. Sam, Zara, protect Mike. The kid stays in the car."

The group sprang into action jumping out of the car. Zara leaned down to Leo, her voice soothing but firm. "Leo, stay here. Hide in your space until I call for you, okay?"

Leo nodded, his eyes wide with confusion at the current change in tone but still answered without question. In an instant, he vanished, disappearing into the hidden dimension.

Zara turned to find Winter staring at the now-empty seat, his brows furrowed in confusion and shock. Before he could voice his thoughts, the hostile group was upon them.

"Car trouble?" one of the men sneered, his greasy hair sticking to his forehead.

"Looks like you folks got lost," another one of the men sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "City H ain’t this way."

Richard’s eyes narrowed. "Who told you we were heading to City H?"

The man’s grin widened, his false friendliness dropping. "Just a lucky guess. You lot don’t look too bright."

Another man leered at Zara, his gaze sweeping over her with degrading intent. "She’s a looker. Bet she’s for all of you, huh?"

The crack of a rifle silenced him, Winter’s shot precise and lethal. The man crumpled, a bullet hole between his eyes. The rest of the group hesitated, momentarily stunned.

"Anyone else got something to say?" Winter’s voice was deadly calm, his rifle trained on the remaining men. He never understood why that was always the first thing that came out of their mouths whenever they saw Zara.

It was infuriating.

The leader chuckled, clearly not caring about his subordinate. "I take it she’s your woman then? Touchy subject?"

He dodged the bullet, letting it hit the man behind him and the road erupted into chaos. Winter froze as he kept his eye on the leader. The man was trouble if he was able to dodge that.

Winter and Richard moved as a unit, one would think they had known each other for a long time. Winter’s rifle barked again and again, each shot dropping a hostile at a time. Two more fell, clutching their chests, but the remaining attackers closed the gap fast. Blood spattered the ground, the scent of iron thick in the air.

"Sam, Zara, cover Mike!" Richard shouted as he swung his metal bat, the sickening crunch of bone echoed as it connected with a hostile’s jaw, sending him sprawling.

Zara’s heart raced. She pulled her knife from her belt, the blade gleaming in the harsh sunlight. A man lunged at her, swinging a rusted pipe. She sidestepped, her knife slicing across his arm. He howled, blood spraying as he staggered back.

"Watch your left!" Sam yelled, swinging his crowbar into another attacker’s side. The man crumpled with a groan, clutching his ribs.

Winter wondered at some point if they were just spawning out of nowhere. There seemed to be no end to them. Were they clones? He looked around, someone might be an ability user among them. That was probably why they dared attack people in broad daylight.

Winter fired another round, but the rifle clicked empty. Without missing a beat, he flipped it around, using the butt as a weapon. He smashed it into an attacker’s face, the crunch of cartilage and bone reverberating through the air. Blood splattered across his face, but Winter didn’t flinch, his eyes cold and calculating.

Richard grunted as he fended off two attackers, his bat swinging in wide arcs. One of them caught the edge of the bat on his arm and screamed in pain as it snapped, the bone protruding grotesquely through the skin.

Zara stayed close to Mike, her knife flashing as she fended off any who got too close. Sam used a length of pipe, swinging it with surprising agility, his blows landing with bone-crunching force.

One man slipped past the front line, lunging at Zara. She ducked, her knife flashing as she slashed across his thigh. Sam, wielding a crowbar, finished the job, the man’s body collapsing in a heap.

Mike worked furiously, his hands steady despite the chaos. "Just a few more minutes!" he yelled, glancing up at the fight.

Zara’s heart pounded as she dodged another attacker

Richard shouted a warning as more enemies surged forward. "They’re sending reinforcements!"

Winter reloaded swiftly, his gaze cold and calculating. "We hold the line."

"Mike, how’s it going?!" Zara called, slashing at an attacker. The warm gush of blood on her hand made her feel ill.

"Almost there!" Mike grunted, his hands a blur as he worked on the tyre.

"Zara, behind you!" Sam shouted. She spun just in time to see a man closing in, but Winter was there, his rifle came crashing down on the man’s shoulder, dislocating it with a sickening pop. The man screamed, dropping the axe as he fell to his knees. Winter’s foot lashed out, kicking him squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling backward.

Zara nodded her thanks, their eyes meeting briefly before they turned back to the fight.

Richard gritted his teeth, his bat dripping with blood. He swung at another hostile, this one armed with a machete. The two clashed, metal on metal, until Richard feinted left and slammed the bat into the man’s knee, dropping him to the ground. He followed up with a brutal swing to the head, the man’s skull caving in under the force.

"Tyre’s done!" Mike shouted, slamming the trunk shut. "Let’s go!"

"Back to the car!" Richard ordered.

The group fought their way back, covering each other as they retreated.

Zara called out for Leo, who reappeared, his head popping up cutely. "It’s safe now, right?"

"Stay down, Leo," Zara whispered, gently pushing him back into the car. "We’re leaving."

One man, consumed by desperation, lunged at Winter. Winter dodged and drove his rifle butt into the man’s face, the sound of his nose breaking echoing through the air. The man fell with a grunt, clutching his shattered face.

"Get in!" Richard ordered. The group piled into the car, Sam slamming the door shut just as he hit the gas. The sedan roared to life, tyres screeching as they sped away from the carnage.

The silence in the car was heavy once more, save for their heavy breathing and the purr of the engine. Zara adjusted Leo in her lap, her fingers brushing his hair. Her heart pounded, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She caught Winter’s eye. They were both making sure the other wasn’t hurt. His jaw was clenched, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple.

She exhaled, her fingers loosening their grip on Leo. Winter’s gaze softened, just for a second, before he looked away, his knuckles relaxing around his rifle. The silence stretched between them, heavy but not suffocating. He still hadn’t spoken to her, but she could tell he wasn’t angry anymore.

That made her finally relax in the car seat.

******

The sedan rattled along the uneven road, the group driving quickly but cautiously, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of danger. In the distance, the smoke from the battle still hung thick in the air, but it didn’t take long for them to reach a small stream winding through the overgrown terrain.

"This seems far enough. Let’s take a breather here." Richard slowed the car to a stop, the crunch of gravel under the tyres fading into a quieter hum. They stepped out

Zara’s boots sank into the soft earth as she made her way to the water’s edge, Leo still clutched to her side. She knelt beside the stream, watching as he immediately tried to splash his hands into the water.

"Hold on baby, we are not sure its safe," she trailed off, staring at the stream. The water sparkled, flowing smoothly over the rocks, and to her surprise—it was clean. Clear, even.

"That’s... unexpected," Zara murmured, dipping her fingers in tentatively. The stream was cool, its surface reflecting the surrounding area and the fading sky above.

Winter stepped forward, watching the water with narrowed eyes. "It’s too clean to be natural."

"Surprised the water’s still good," Sam remarked, crouching by the stream, cupping his hands to drink. He wiped his mouth and looked back toward the distance.

Mike crouched beside them, his brow furrowing. "City H lies just upstream from here," he said, glancing at the others. "Someone with a talent could be purifying it. A telekinetic or someone with control over the elements."

Zara’s fingers skimmed the surface, her mind turning over the possibility. "If that’s true..." she trailed off again. "That’s... a powerful ability."

Would there be more ability users in city H? Would she not have to worry about someone being suspicious of Leo?

Leo’s laughter broke through her thoughts as he dipped his hands into the water, flinging droplets in every direction. This child, she thought, shaking her head in amusement.

Zara allowed herself to smile at the sight.

Winter’s eyes narrowed, his gaze on her, no doubt also thinking about Leo’s ability.

Sam approached silently and stopped beside Winter. For a while, they simply stood there in companionable silence, watching Leo splash around while Zara tried to catch him.

Finally, Sam broke the silence. "You know, I wasn’t just talking for the sake of it that night."

Winter didn’t respond, his gaze still locked on Zara, who was now kneeling by the water, guiding Leo’s small hands as he tried to catch the glimmering stream in his palms.

Sam sighed softly, his eyes flicking to Winter. "You really should think about what I said. Guilt and regret—they eat at you when you get separated from someone you care about." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Whatever’s hanging between you and Zara, you need to sort it out. Especially if we’re heading to City H. There’ll be better options for her there. You know it. I know it. And you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who wants to lose her."

Winter’s jaw tightened, the muscle twitching ever so slightly.

The thought of Zara leaving, finding something—or someone—better in City H, wasn’t one he was ready to face. His hands curled into fists at his sides, the only outward sign of the turmoil Sam’s words stirred.

As if on cue, Zara, focused on Leo, looked up briefly, her eyes catching Winter’s for a second. But she quickly turned back to the little boy. Winter took a slow breath, feeling the cool breeze run through his hair. The calm didn’t settle on him the way it did for the others.

Sam let out a long, explosive sigh and clapped a hand on Winter’s arm. "Think it over, man. Whatever you’re feeling, now’s the time to act on it. Make your move before it’s too late."

With that, Sam gave Winter one last pat before stepping away, leaving him to wrestle with the thoughts swirling in his mind.

After a few minutes, Zara stood, brushing off the dirt from her knees. Leo tugged at her sleeve, eager to get in the sedan.

"I think it’s time we get moving," she said, glancing over at Richard and Mike, who were already packing their gear.

"Sure! Let’s get going!" Sam announced, clapping his hands.

Winter remained still for a moment, his thoughts tangled in a way that made it hard to focus on the task. This had gone on for too long.

He needed to talk to Zara now.

It was no use acting like high schoolers.

As the others turned to load up the car, Zara stood by the sedan, adjusting Leo’s shirt on his shoulders, when she felt a soft tug on her arm. Winter was beside her, his expression unreadable, his hand gently pulling her attention toward him.

"I need to speak with you."