Chapter 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."