Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 87:

Chapter 87: 87:

As the sedan hummed steadily down the empty streets of the city, Zara couldn’t shake the tightness in her chest. Her eyes darted from one shadowed building to the next, scanning the eerie silence around them.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the eerie message they had seen earlier.

What did it mean? Who were they referring to?

They were too far in now to turn back, yet every inch of the decaying city seemed to scream a warning. The remnants of human activity that had been scattered across their path over the past few miles only added to her anxiety.

There was something off. Zara could feel it in her bones.

She glanced out the window, noticing a flickering light through the grime-coated glass. A broken streetlamp, its bulb flickering intermittently as if trying to signal something.

She had been confused and a little freaked out at first, wondering how it was working, then she realised it was solar run and somehow still intact with all the weather mayhem that had happened and ruined most of the streetlamps around it.

The light’s faint glow seemed to cast a chilling ambience, illuminating faint tyre marks streaked across the road. It wasn’t old. It was recent. Her pulse quickened.

"I don’t like this," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the rumble of the engine.

Winter, who had been seated next to her, glanced at her with a raised brow. His eyes were sharp, scanning their surroundings as though attuned to the slightest movement. "What’s got you spooked?"

Zara chewed her bottom lip, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "It’s the little things. The tyre tracks—see them? They’re fresh. A group... they came this way not long ago."

Winter’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching. "You think it’s a trap?"

Zara swallowed hard. "I don’t know. But it feels like something’s waiting."

Mike, who was seated in the front beside Richard, glanced back at them from the rearview mirror. "We’re heading further in. What do we think those words meant—’not safe’?" His voice carried an edge of frustration.

Richard, who had been staring out the window with his usual stern expression, grunted in response. "Probably a warning, but from who? The more we dig into this city, the less I like it."

Winter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We’ve got to go deeper into City H before we can make any conclusions."

Zara’s stomach flipped at the thought. "You mean... deeper into the heart of the danger?"

"We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet," Winter said quietly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Let’s refrain from psyching ourselves out."

She nodded, but her chest tightened again. Leo’s little hand grasped hers, and she looked down at his trusting eyes with a sigh. He had slept through most of the day and she had been worried initially but it seemed he also felt the tension in the air since he kept quiet than usual.

She gently squeezed his hand.

Winter’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. "We’ll check this out, and if there’s nothing here, we’ll leave."

A silence settled over the car.

After some time, Winter shifted in his seat and turned to tap Richard on the shoulder. "Your turn," he said, motioning toward the driver’s seat.

Richard gave a slow nod, his tired eyes catching Winter’s as the seat belt clicked off. With a grunt, Winter slid into the back, then helped Zara and Leo make their way back before Mike crawled over to join Richard in front.

The seats creaked under the weight, but as they settled in, the car seemed to grow quieter. The dark stretches of the city were never so ominous as when you were alone, just a few people surrounded by shadows, barely visible through the windows.

Winter gave Zara a small, reassuring smile, his eyes flicking toward Leo, who was still clutching her hand. "It’ll be alright," he said, his voice soft but steady.

Zara, her stomach still knotting with unease, nodded in response. "I hope you’re right," she whispered, leaning back against the seat as Leo shifted next to her, resting his small head against her shoulder.

As they rolled down the streets in near-complete darkness, only the sound of tyres on asphalt cutting through the air, Zara couldn’t help but feel the tension building.

The sedan turned a corner, and Mike, from the front, spoke up. "Fresh tyre tracks. A group definitely passed through here. Could be recent, or it could be someone trying to lure us in. We need to be smart about this."

Winter’s hand instinctively reached for the rifle resting beside him, his fingers brushing the cool steel. Zara’s eyes followed the motion, her heart rate rising.

"Those don’t look like normal car tyres," he mumbled, following the trail with his eyes.

Zara couldn’t help but agree. She’d been in enough situations to know how quickly something could turn dangerous.

"We’ll check it out," Sam said decisively. "But we split up. We keep the car close as a fallback point."

Zara stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. "What do you mean, leave the car?" The words felt like a punch in the stomach. What happened to staying hidden? To waiting until the morning light?

"I know what Richard said," Sam continued, his voice calm but insistent. "But I feel like there’s something in this area. We’ve been parked here too long, and nothing’s moving. If we don’t check it out now, we’ll be sitting ducks tomorrow."

Zara shook her head, her gaze flicking to the darkened streets beyond the safety of the car. It didn’t make sense. Why would they risk stepping out of the car in the dead of night when the horde could be anywhere?

"You don’t understand," she said, voice rising. "We’re just—" She stopped herself, eyes darting nervously to Leo, still cradled in her arms. "We’re not risking—"

Mike interrupted her, his voice low and serious. "Zara, we’re not staying here forever. This place is too exposed. If we’re not careful, we’ll end up stuck here for good. We need to move, see what’s out there before we get any worse off. I’m not saying we go far, just a quick scout. But we need to be smart about it."

Richard, who’d been silent until now, nodded slowly, his gaze intense. "Mike’s right. We stay in the car, and it won’t be long before we’re surrounded, or worse. This might be our only shot at finding something that gives us an edge."

Zara hesitated, the fear gnawing at her. She opened her mouth to argue, but the look in their eyes told her they weren’t going to back down. They weren’t leaving the car because they wanted to. They were leaving because they had to.

"You think it’s worth it?" she asked, voice soft now.

Sam gave her a reassuring smile. "We won’t go far. If it gets bad, we’re back here in a minute. We’ll keep it tight."

Zara swallowed hard, but she knew he was right. They couldn’t stay in the car forever. If there was a chance to make their situation better, to be one step ahead, she had to take it.

With a sigh, she nodded. "Alright. But we keep it quick. And we stay close. Don’t risk anything more than we have to."

Winter frowned, clearly not onboard with all this. "We’ll be ready if anything goes wrong," he said quietly.

Zara nodded, though she didn’t like the thought of splitting up. It didn’t feel right. But they had little choice. If they didn’t investigate, they might miss an opportunity to find survivors—or worse, walk into a situation they couldn’t escape.

The group drove a little further, keeping their floodlights off, careful to avoid drawing attention. The vehicle came to a slow stop in front of an abandoned grocery store, its windows shattered and the door hanging ajar, almost as if it had been hastily abandoned.

Zara felt a jolt of unease. "This place is... strange. I don’t like it."

Winter glanced at her, his eyes hard but calm. "We need to be cautious."

He turned to Leo, who was still tightly clutching Zara’s hand. "Zara, take Leo. It’s not safe to leave him alone."

Zara hesitated. Her arms ached to hold him close, but the thought of leaving him behind was impossible. With a deep breath, she lifted Leo into her arms, holding him close.

The group split into two. Mike, Richard, and Sam would head in one direction to cover more ground. Winter, Zara, and Leo would head toward the rear of the building.

Zara held Leo protectively as she followed Winter into the store, her knife ready but not drawn. The air inside was cold, musty, a sharp contrast to the stifling heat outside. Shelves were overturned, cans scattered across the floor, and a strange silence clung to the place like a shroud.

Winter crouched by a small firepit, eyes scanning the charred logs that lay in the center. "Someone was here recently. Look at the half-burnt logs."

Zara stepped closer, frowning as she observed the abandoned campfire. She bent to touch the ashes, the warmth still lingering faintly. "They left in a hurry," she whispered. "Why?"

Winter pulled out a small, weathered backpack from the rubble nearby. The zipper was cracked, and inside, there were scattered items—a family photograph, a half-empty water bottle, and a journal. He flipped it open, scanning the pages quickly.

"Looks like a group of survivors passed through here," he murmured, "talking about a safe zone."

Zara’s eyes flicked to the photo. The faces of the family looked so hopeful, so full of life. It hit her harder than she expected. They had left this place, gone, and she didn’t know if they had found safety or if they had become part of the chaos that now dominated the city.

"Safe zone?" Zara asked softly. "Where?"

Winter’s eyes darkened as he read through the journal’s fragments. "Somewhere in the city. But where?" the last page seemed to be torn off, no doubt by the owner so they could fin their way.

A creaking sound echoed from the back of the store. Zara’s heart stopped. Footsteps, soft but unmistakable. She looked up sharply, her hand gripping Leo tighter.

Winter’s eyes met hers. "We’re not alone."

The soft shuffle of feet grew louder, closer. Zara’s breath hitched as the first shadow appeared, its shape grotesque and shambling. Winter quickly raised his rifle, his gaze locked on the growing number of zombies emerging from the dark corners of the store.

Suddenly, the chaos began.

Winter fired the first shot, the loud crack echoing off the walls. Richard, Mike, and Sam’s voices shouted from the other side as they too engaged in the fight. Zara’s heart pounded in her chest as the zombies surged forward, relentless in their hunger.

Winter grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the exit. "Move! Get to the car!"

Zara stumbled, nearly dropping Leo, but Winter’s grip tightened, and he hauled her forward. The sounds of growls and snarls filled the air as the undead closed in. Zara’s pulse thundered in her ears as she ran, Leo’s frightened sobs mixing with her own rapid breaths.

The moment the last of the zombies was in sight, Winter jumped into action, grabbing Zara by the arm and pulling her toward the car. "Move! Now!"

Zara’s heart pounded in her chest as she clutched Leo tighter, trying to keep her fear in check for his sake. Her eyes flicked nervously over her shoulder, the mass of undead creatures lumbering toward them with horrific speed. The air around them felt thick with the scent of death and decay.

Winter pushed her forward, his rifle slung across his chest, ready for anything. "Go, go, go!" He shouted again, almost desperate. Zara’s feet faltered as her breath came in sharp gasps, but she kept moving, staying close to Winter.

Where was the rest of the group? Were they ok?

Behind them, the ground seemed to tremble with the sound of relentless groaning, their footsteps muffled by the ever-growing mix of snarls and shrieks. Zara didn’t dare look back now, focusing on the car that was only a few feet away but felt like miles in that moment.

Zara stumbled, her feet catching on the uneven ground, but she kept moving. As she neared the sedan, she spotted Richard at the wheel, his face a mask of concentration, and Mike and Sam already at the passenger door. Their faces were streaked with sweat, their eyes wide with fear, and blood stained the side of Sam’s shirt.

Mike caught her gaze, eyes scanning the surroundings, his breath rapid. "Hurry! They’re close!"

Behind them, the low growl of the zombies intensified. Zara could already hear the thudding of feet on the pavement,

She stumbled slightly as she reached for the door handle, breath catching in her throat. The noise of approaching footsteps was deafening now. They were so close.

Winter yanked the door open, shoving her inside. Zara slid into the seat, trying desperately to buckle Leo into his seatbelt as her pulse thundered in her ears. Winter was already in, his hand slamming the door shut behind him, just as the first zombie’s hand hit the window. She could see it—a half-decayed face pressed up against the glass, its gaping maw opening in a grotesque snarl.

Richard gunned the engine, trying to move them out, but the car barely lurched forward before a dozen bodies slammed into the sides. Zara’s heart stopped. There was no way they were getting out of here that easily.

"Fuck!" Sam shouted, voice cracking with panic. "There’s too many!"

Mike’s hands were shaking as he gripped the seat, his eyes locked on the growing mass of zombies surrounding the car. "We’re not going anywhere, are we?" he asked, the panic rising in his voice despite his best efforts to stay calm.

The horde pressed closer, hundreds of hands now clawing at the glass, their pale faces distorting against the windows. Zara flinched at the sickening sight of their eyes, blank and empty, with no trace of humanity left. The sound of their claws scraping against the metal was enough to send a chill down her spine. She could almost feel them on the other side, waiting, hungry. Leo whimpered, his tiny body trembling with fear, and Zara’s heart shattered at the sound.

The smell hit her next—a mix of rotting meat, decay, and the faint odour of blood. It seemed to seep through the air, making her stomach turn. She fought the bile rising in her throat, holding Leo close to her chest as he whimpered in her arms.

The car jerked forward again, but it was like trying to push through a wall of flesh. The tyres spun uselessly, digging into the gore that covered the road. The zombie bodies crunched and popped beneath them, but the car was still trapped, the writhing mass of bodies too thick to escape.

Winter gritted his teeth, rifle raised, ready for anything. Sam’s voice broke through the chaos. "We need a plan, fast!"

"We need to clear them out—NOW!" Sam’s voice cracked, his teeth clenched in sheer frustration as he grabbed for his gun in the back seat.

Richard’s grip on the wheel tightened as he cursed under his breath. The engine roared in protest as he slammed his foot down on the gas again. The tyres screeched and caught, sending the car forward a few more feet, but they were barely moving.

Outside, the undead seemed to multiply by the second, more of them crawling out from nearby alleys, spilling into the street, blocking every exit. The windows rattled as they slammed against the reinforced glass, the pressure outside growing as if the car might buckle under the strain.

"Shit," Mike muttered, a tremor in his voice as he stared out the window. "There’s no way through... we’re surrounded."

The horde wasn’t just surrounding them; they were slowly dismantling the vehicle. Zara could hear the sounds of claws scraping against the glass, and feel the car shift as the zombies began to overwhelm them. It was only a matter of time before they broke through.

Zara’s chest tightened, her grip on Leo pulling him closer, trying to block out the horror unfolding outside. The car was indeed surrounded, covered in a writhing mass of rotting limbs, decaying flesh, and gaping mouths. The air inside the car felt heavy, suffocating with fear.

Just as the zombies began breaking through the car’s defences, a sudden, blinding light flooded the street. The air was pierced by the sharp sound of gunfire, and for a moment, everything froze.

Zara’s eyes widened. What now?