Chapter 111:
The afternoon sun was heavy against Zara’s back as she walked beside Winter, adjusting the sling that held Leo close to her chest.
Even with the dome protecting the base, the heat was stinging. That meant the weather had done another one of its weird things where it was extreme.
They were looking for the lab.
It wasn’t as simple as finding a sign that read Top-Secret Facility This Way. The base was sprawling, it was quite literally blocks of buildings and streets that had walls built around them during the start of the apocalypse.
People walked with purpose, some in pairs, others alone, their faces tired but resigned. Government officials—identifiable by their crisp uniforms and ever-present clipboards—watched from various posts, their gazes impassive as they monitored the civilians. There were checkpoints at intersections, each manned by at least two officers. Large signs designated different sections of the base—living quarters, rations centre, and medical bay amongst others.
But no signs pointed to a lab.
Zara adjusted the sling around her chest, her hand instinctively brushing over Leo’s small back. He was still fast asleep, his little face peaceful despite the controlled tension that hung over the settlement. Winter walked beside her, hands shoved in his pockets, his expression one of mild curiosity as if he were just another newcomer getting the lay of the land.
"Where do you think they keep the lab?" she murmured, keeping her voice low.
Winter exhaled through his nose, scanning the area as they strolled past a ration station where a line of people waited for their daily provisions. "If I were running this place? Underground or tucked behind the high-security zones."
Zara glanced at the buildings ahead. Most looked like repurposed warehouses, old structures reinforced with additional barriers. Some were guarded more heavily than others. "Then we should see where security is the tightest."
Winter nodded, angling their walk toward the busier parts of the base.