Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 92:

Chapter 92: 92:

As they waited for their clearance, the gates creaked open once more. A wave of refugees approached, desperate and dishevelled. The cries of infants and the low murmurs of frightened adults filled the air.

Suddenly, a man near the back of the group collapsed. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, and the guards reacted instantly, raising their weapons.

"Stay back!" one of them barked, stepping forward.

The man groaned, struggling to his feet, but his movements were erratic. Zara tensed as the man stumbled toward a soldier, his arms outstretched. Before he could get any closer, two guards grabbed him, wrestling him to the ground.

"He’s infected!" someone shouted from the group of refugees, panic spreading like wildfire.

The man thrashed and screamed as the guards dragged him away, ignoring the protests of those around him. The sight sent a chill through Winter, who instinctively stepped closer to Zara and Leo.

The guards shouted at the refugees to "stay in line" or risk being turned away. The brutal efficiency of it all left an uneasy silence in its wake.

"How had they even let him get past?" Mike mumbled under his breath.

Zara wondered the same thing. Werent they extremely strict with their procedures or had the man not been infected till he came in?

Both options felt horrible to think about.

The group was split up once again for registration, each led to separate stations. Zara sat on a metal chair with Leo in her lap, doing her best to comfort him. His small hands gripped her jacket as he buried his face against her neck, his soft whimpers breaking her heart. "It’s okay, baby," she whispered, brushing a hand through his hair. "We’re just answering questions, and then we’ll be together again."

A soldier approached, clipboard in hand. "Name?"

"Zara Ashford," she answered, keeping her tone steady for Leo’s sake.

"Relation to the child?"

"Mother."

The soldier’s eyes lingered on her and Leo for a moment before continuing with the questions—age, hometown, occupation before the collapse. Zara answered robotically, all the while murmuring to Leo to distract him.

She could hear the muffled voices of soldiers outside, barking orders. The tight security, the endless questions—none of it felt like safety to her. She glanced toward the other tents, wondering how Winter was holding up.

Before she could linger on it, Leo’s grip on her tightened. She shifted her focus back to her son, brushing her lips against his forehead and whispering, "Almost done, sweetheart. You’re doing so well."

When the medic finished, she handed Zara a small packet of supplies. "Take this to the next checkpoint. They’ll direct you from there."

Zara nodded, hoisting Leo onto her hip. As she walked out, she caught sight of Winter through the tent flap. He was hunched over the clipboard, his shoulders rigid. Her heart clenched. Something was eating away at him, and whatever it was, it was only getting worse.

Meanwhile, Winter sat alone at another station. A blank form was placed in front of him, along with a pen. "Fill this out," the soldier instructed, his voice gruff.

Winter stared at the paper, his eyes scanning the boxes for name, age, and skills. His pen hovered, but his mind wandered, a weight settling on his chest. His comrades’ faces flashed in his mind—Liam, who had always kept the morale high, and Ima, who had been like a sister to him. Were they still alive? Had they made it somewhere safe, or had they become casualties like so many others?

The soldier cleared his throat impatiently, snapping Winter out of his thoughts. He gripped the pen tighter, scribbling down answers, though his hand trembled slightly. The tension in his shoulders grew with each question.

"What skills do you bring to the base?" the soldier asked, leaning forward.

Winter’s jaw tightened. "Combat training. Tactical planning. Survival expertise."

The soldier gave a sharp nod and jotted it down. "Noted. Next."

When the group finally regrouped,

a soldier entered the room, motioning for them to follow.

"Briefing’s starting," the soldier said curtly, ushering them toward a large hall.

As they entered, Zara couldn’t help but feel small. he hall was vast, the walls lined with maps and posters outlining the rules of the base. A woman in uniform stood at the front, a stack of papers in her hand, her voice projecting clearly.

"Welcome to City H. Please listen closely to the base’s rules and procedures."

Zara stood near the back, her hand instinctively tightening around Leo’s small, trembling fingers. She could feel the unease rippling through her group, the others fidgeting, shifting uncomfortably.

"Strict curfews are enforced. Everyone must remain in their assigned quarters after sundown. No exceptions." The woman’s tone was sharp.

Zara’s mind immediately went to Leo, who had been such a handful during the long nights on the road. The thought of being confined to a room with him all night wasn’t comforting.

"Work assignments will be given based on your registration. Adults must contribute to the upkeep of the base, from farming to defence. Each family or individual will be registered and tagged. We can’t afford anyone pretending to be something they’re not." She paused, letting the words sink in.

It made sense in a way, a base this large would need a lot of hands to keep working smoothly. She just wondered how she would be able to work with Leo hanging around, she wasn’t even sure if she should be able to fall into a rhythm after so long.

"Infection protocols are non-negotiable," the woman continued, her eyes hardening. "Any sign of illness or injury must be reported immediately. Failure to do so results in removal."

Zara swallowed hard, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as her gaze flicked nervously to Leo. Removal. It wasn’t hard to guess what that meant in a place like this. The memory of the man outside the gates earlier—delirious and fighting—flashed through her mind. Was this what they’d have to look forward to every time someone fell sick?

"Now, some good news," the woman said, her voice lightening briefly. "We have food supplies, medical facilities, and relative safety here. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we can offer. The government is still working hard to make things go back to normal."

Once the briefing ended, they were escorted through a maze of hallways.

The atmosphere shifted subtly—cleaner, more organized, but also colder. Zara’s eyes scanned the surroundings, noting the mix of temporary shelters and sturdier buildings. Survivors bustled around, going about their duties as if they had all the time in the world.

Zara watched them, some laughing, some talking, while others moved quickly.

The sounds of normalcy felt almost foreign to her now. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt anything close to this.

The soldiers guiding them spoke as they walked. "This section here is for newcomers, temporary living spaces," one of them said, gesturing to a row of trailers. "We have surveillance across the entire base, built by the government in the early days. It’s all still functional. Most of the buildings here are intact."

Zara hummed at the mention of the government. She remembered the helicopter broadcasts during the early days of the apocalypse—those calm voices urging people not to panic, promising safety. She had believed them, once. But when she needed them most, no one had come for her and Leo. To think that most of these people didn’t know the truth about the outside world made her angry.

A knot of resentment twisted in her stomach, jealousy and guilt fighting for dominance. Some of these people had no idea what the world had become outside the walls of this base. They hadn’t seen what Zara had seen. They didn’t know the loss, the pain, the hopelessness. But as quickly as the anger flared, it was smothered by guilt. They couldn’t help it. It wasn’t their fault they’d been spared.

The sight of working generators and electricity felt almost surreal after so long in the wasteland.

Leo’s wide eyes took in everything with childlike wonder, previous fear momentarily forgotten. "Mommy, look! Lights!" he exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

Zara managed a small smile, her heart aching at his innocence. "Yeah, baby. Lights."

Winter’s gaze, however, lingered on a wall plastered with missing persons posters. Faces stared back at him, some worn and faded, others freshly added. His chest tightened as he scanned the photos, searching for anything familiar.

"Winter?" Zara’s voice was soft as she stepped beside him. "You okay?"

He hesitated, his jaw working. "Yeah," he said finally, but his tone lacked conviction.

Zara studied him, concern etched on her face. Before she could press further, Richard’s voice cut through. "Let’s stay focused. We’re not out of the woods yet."

"This place spans most of City H," a soldier explained as they moved, his voice cold and businesslike. "Surveillance everywhere, strict borders, and multiple sectors. If you have complaints or need something, each section is governed by a separate group. They’ll handle issues as they arise."

Zara’s thoughts spun as she walked, her mind lingering on the word governed. People who still had power here, who still held control.

The soldier led them to a small building at the far end of the base. The sign above the door read "Living Quarters." The interior was surprisingly clean—basic, but safe.

The soldier gave them a brief tour of the base’s sections and facilities, finally directing them toward their quarters. Zara’s heart clenched when she realized they were being shown to separate rooms, but she was relieved when the soldier hesitated for a moment, then added, "You three can stay together. For now."

"We’ve assigned you a space," the soldier said. "It’s not much, but it’s yours. You’ll find food, blankets, and fresh clothes inside."

Zara nodded absently, her mind still spinning. Leo was quiet now, clinging to her side as they walked into the small room.

Sam and Mike were given a room to share while Richard seemed to have been lumped with a family of sorts.

Once inside, Zara set Leo down on one of the makeshift beds, her legs too tired to keep standing. She collapsed into a chair with a heavy sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. "I didn’t think I’d ever feel this relieved again," she muttered, her voice shaky.

Winter entered the room quietly, looking around the small space. His eyes were distant, his mind clearly elsewhere. Zara could feel the tension in him, even without looking. He was still preoccupied, lost in thoughts she couldn’t reach.

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. "You ready to talk now?"

Winter opened his mouth to respond, but just as the words formed, a sudden commotion outside their room broke the silence.

Boots pounded down the hall, and soldiers shouted to each other. "Containment breach on the west side!" one of them yelled.

Winter’s body tensed, his hand already moving toward the rifle slung over his shoulder. Zara’s breath caught in her throat as she instinctively pulled Leo closer, his small body pressed against her chest.

What was happening now.