Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son-Chapter 223

The cold concrete beneath her boots echoed faintly as Zara stepped down from the truck. The dim lighting of Leo’s space gave the place a surreal quality.

Zara pulled her jacket closer, eyes scanning the warehouse. "Ima. Marcus," she called over her shoulder. "Grab whatever else you think we might need. We’re leaving now."

Ima, crouched by a stack of canned goods, gave a curt nod. "On it," she said, brushing dust from her jeans as she stood.

Marcus grunted his acknowledgment, already hoisting a crate of bandages and antibiotics.

Zara turned away from them, her boots clicking softly as she walked into the rows.

The air was still in here, heavy like time didn’t move right in Leo’s space. She could almost imagine that outside the warehouse, the world hadn’t ended.

The shelves creaked as she passed, her eyes flicking across rows of items: food, gear, weapons. Her fingers trailed over plastic bins, until something caught her eye.

A bundle of fabric, half-hanging from one of the lower racks.

Her breath hitched.

A coat.

It was thick canvas, once olive green but now dulled with grime. Dirt streaked the front, the hem was frayed, and the sleeves had begun to split at the seams.

Stitched patches in uneven thread bore the signs of desperate repair. Her fingers trembled as she reached out, lifting it gently.

Her breath caught as memories surged: a sunlit kitchen before the fall, her husband’s arms wrapped around her, that crooked smile he never lost—no matter how bad things got.

Then, later, the same coat wrapped around a shivering Leo, her arms curling protectively around him while the wasteland howled around them. It had shielded their son through rainstorms, bitter winds, and nights lit by fire and fear.

She turned it over reverently, brushing away the dust. The scent was long gone, replaced by time, but the weight of it in her hands was grounding. She pulled it to her chest, clutching it like something sacred.

"I thought you were gone," she whispered.

A faint smile touched her lips.

She held the coat there for a long moment, eyes closed, heart full. The past had a way of lingering, of leaving its fingerprints on the present.

But she wasn’t about to discard something that had once protected her son—something that had been her husband’s second skin. She’d mend it. Somehow.

Looking around for something to carry it in, she started down another aisle—and paused. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Voices floated through the cracked silence.

Zara’s steps slowed, head tilting toward the far back where the shelves dipped into a half-collapsed aisle. She followed the murmurs, careful not to startle. Rounding the edge of a broken unit, she stopped short.

There, half-sitting on a makeshift bench of crates, were Miles and Naomi. Miles had one arm wrapped around Naomi, whose shoulders trembled as she buried her face in his chest. His hand rubbed her back in gentle, slow circles.

"...I should’ve seen it coming," Naomi whispered, voice breaking. "I should’ve—should’ve grabbed him sooner. I hesitated. I was—God, I was so scared—"

"You did everything right," Miles murmured. "Everything."

Naomi shook her head, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. "Aren’s arm is broken, Miles. Our baby broke his arm, and we—we couldn’t do anything. What if it had been worse? What if we were seconds too late?"

"He’s alive." Miles’s voice was calm but firm. "He’s hurting, yeah. But he’s here. And he’s strong—like you."

Naomi let out a soft sob and leaned into him further. "We can’t keep doing this. Running, hiding... every night I wonder if this is the one we don’t come back from. The one where they take one of the kids. Or one of us."

Zara’s heart clenched.

She knew that fear.

Knew it too well.

Leo was the reason she breathed. The reason she kept walking, kept fighting, kept bleeding.

The thought of him injured—really injured—made her stomach lurch and her vision blur.

She swallowed hard.

Miles pressed a kiss to Naomi’s temple.

"We’ve done all we can to keep them safe. As safe as we can in this shitty world. And we’ve kept them innocent, too, for as long as we could. That’s no small feat."

Naomi sniffled. "It’s not enough."

"It’s everything," he said softly. "We protect them. We get smarter. We make sure this—today—never happens again."

There was a pause, quiet but intimate.

Zara decided then to clear her throat loudly, announcing her presence.

Naomi jolted upright, quickly swiping at her face. "Zara—sorry. We didn’t know you were—"

"It’s fine," Zara said gently. She held up the coat. "Found something. Thought it was gone."

Miles offered a small smile. Naomi turned her face slightly away, avoiding eye contact.

"We’re heading out," Zara added. "I came to find you two."

"We’ll be there," Miles replied, nodding. Naomi murmured her agreement but didn’t look up.

Zara turned to go, then paused.

She looked back at Naomi, her expression softening. "Didn’t mean to intrude. Just... as a mom, I get it."

Naomi glanced up, eyes red but attentive.

Zara took a breath. "Every time it seemed like Leo’d get hurt felt like the end of the world." She almost snorted at the irony. "Seeing him in danger? I can’t breathe. But you’re doing good, Naomi. Better than good."

Naomi blinked in surprise.

Zara continued, her voice steady. "You’re a good mom. You’re allowed to cry. To be scared. That doesn’t mean you failed. It just means you love them enough to feel it this deeply."

Naomi stared at her for a long beat — then gave a slow, watery nod.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Miles gave Zara a quiet, grateful glance.

Zara nodded in return, then turned away, the old coat tucked under her arm like a secret — a small piece of the past she refused to let go.

She walked back the way she came, heart heavy, but lighter somehow. A shared pain, a shared purpose.

By the time she reached the truck, the group was loading up the last of the supplies. Bags of dry food, canned goods, and a large crate of medicine had been tucked beneath seats and into corners.

Zara’s eyes swept over the group.

Leo was still in Winter’s arms, but awake now, his small face nestled against his shoulder, gaze flickering around with quiet curiosity.

The moment he saw Zara, his eyes lit up. But he didn’t move, just blinked slowly like he was still unsure.

Zara smiled, climbing into the back and settling beside them.

"Hey, baby," she whispered, brushing his hair back. "Feeling okay?"

He nodded slightly, his fingers clenching Winter’s jacket.

Winter shifted, trying to pass him over. "Here, let’s get you to your mom—"

But Leo whimpered and clung tighter.

Zara held up her hands. "It’s fine. Let him stay."

Ima and Marcus climbed in next, carrying Richard between them. He groaned slightly in his sleep but didn’t wake. They laid him down gently, then took the bench in front, seating themselves beside Aren and Lila.

The kids looked exhausted, but safe. Aren clutched his splinted arm protectively but gave Zara a small nod when their eyes met.

"You okay?" Ima asked Zara over her shoulder.

Zara gave her a weary nod. "Yeah."

From the front of the truck, a sudden loud whoop made them all jump.

Mike stood outside, grinning like a madman as he slammed the hood shut. "She lives!" he yelled, triumphant.

Marcus snorted. "Looks like he got the engine going."

"Damn right I did," Mike jumped into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The truck stuttered, coughed twice—but then roared to life. He beamed, twisting in his seat to look at them all. "Told you I could bring anything back."

Sam, lounging beside him, raised an eyebrow. "Should we test that theory by tossing you to the undead?"

Mike sputtered, eyes wide. "Hey now—let’s not be hasty—"

The whole truck burst into laughter.

Naomi and Miles entered next. No one commented on Naomi’s red eyes. They just made space.

Naomi immediately leaned over to check on Aren and Lila. The little girl had wandered to the back and was now staring at Leo, head tilted.

"He’s so small," she whispered to Zara.

Zara chuckled. "So we’re you once upon a time."

Lila’s brows furrowed. "Nuh uh."

"Yes, you were." Aren’s voice floated over and Zara was happy to see the small teasing light in his eyes. The medicine he’d received must have helped a lot.

With the doors shut and the engine humming beneath them, all eyes turned to the back.

To Zara. And Leo.

Zara leaned forward and cupped her son’s cheek gently.

"Sweetheart," she whispered. "The scary things are gone. You can take us back outside now."

Leo frowned. "You’re sure?"

"I’m pinky promising," she said solemnly.

Leo considered. Then slowly, he lifted his hand and linked his tiny pinky with hers.

"Okay," he murmured, closing his eyes.

The world shifted.

Everyone instinctively braced themselves.

But instead of the usual gut-wrenching feeling — like being pulled through a straw — there was only a soft hum in the air, a fuzzy warmth that swept over them.

The space around them shimmered. A high-pitched ring tickled the edges of their hearing.

Then light.

Real light.

The warehouse was gone.

They were parked on the cracked highway again, under the washed-out blue of a cold sky. The bridge ahead, where they had been ambushed, was crumbled—nothing but twisted rebar and shattered concrete. The road was empty. Not even a footprint marred the dust.

Time had passed. Maybe days. Maybe longer.

The creatures were gone.

"Did we—did we make it?" Ima asked, leaning to look out the window.

"We’re back," Marcus confirmed.

"Holy crap," Miles muttered. "Leo did it."

"Good job, buddy," Mike called to the back.

"Yeah, that was amazing," Sam added, glancing at him.

Leo blushed, hiding his face in Winter’s coat.

Zara smiled, seeing the tension bleed out of his little shoulders. Out here, in the real world, he could breathe again.

"Let’s not waste time," Sam said from the front. "We drive until the sun’s low."

"And if we run out of road?" Marcus asked.

"Then we’ll find a new one," Zara said softly.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She wasn’t sure where the words had come from — only that, in this moment, surrounded by the people she loved, hope didn’t seem so impossible.

Leo peeked up at her.

Zara took his hand and squeezed.

"We’ll be okay," she whispered.

And for the first time in a long while, she believed it.

The truck rumbled to life beneath them, tires crunching over gravel as they pulled away from the broken bridge — and whatever hell they’d left behind.