CHAPTER 40: 40: A WORLD OF SILENT FEARS

Three days had passed running around the inner city districts, trying to make their way out.

The snow crunched beneath Zara’s boots as she shifted Leo’s weight against her chest. The toddler had been restless that morning, squirming in her arms, but she refused to let him walk through the dense drifts.

The snow in this part of the city was treacherous, not just for its depth but for the dangers hidden beneath—holes, jagged debris, or worse. She had nearly twisted her ankle again earlier. She glanced ahead at Mia and Kit to make sure she was keeping pace.

Mia led the group as usual, the siblings were the ones who knew these alleys the best.

Kit trailed behind, his small form bounding excitedly between patches of clearer ground. He occasionally glanced back at Zara, his cheeks flushed from the cold but his grin wide and carefree.

"You’re too loud," Mia said, her voice low as she shot a glare at her younger brother.

Kit pouted but softened his steps. "Sorry," he mumbled, kicking at a chunk of ice before scurrying to keep pace with Mia.

Mia adjusted her pace to walk beside Zara, her expression grim. "This district... it used to be swarming with the infected. But ever since the gangs started their hunt for the cache, the streets have been quiet."

Zara frowned. "Is that so?"

Mia nodded, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Yeah, the gangs are tearing this place apart to find it."

"Gangs," Zara echoed, her stomach tightening. "You mentioned that earlier, tell me more about them."

"There are five major ones," Mia explained. "The top dogs are the Militia and the Second Wave. They’re not just brutes; they’ve got ability users too."

Zara’s chest tightened at the mention of ability users, though she kept her expression neutral. She had yet to tell Mia she could kind of see the future.

Mia continued, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "The Militia is brutal, all about control and order. The Second Wave... they’re different. More chaotic, but no less dangerous. I heard they were scavengers that joined up together you know? People say they’ve got someone who can bend shadows to their will. Creepy stuff."

Zara absorbed the information silently, her mind racing. This explained the eerily quiet streets and the absence of infected. The gangs had cleared them out, claiming the territory for themselves.

"Great," she muttered, tightening her grip on the wooden block at her side. "So we’re walking into gang territory crawling with powered lunatics. Fantastic."

"It’s not all bad," Mia offered with a shrug. "The smaller gangs don’t mess with us because they think we’re working for one of the big ones."

Something about Mia’s words didn’t sit right. Zara’s grip tightened protectively around Leo as she replayed the younger woman’s vague explanations. To move freely in a district like this, with such heavy gang presence, you needed connections. Protection. Did Mia and Kit have that? And if so, at what cost?

Zara stopped in her tracks and turned to face Mia. "Are you?"

"What?" Mia asked, the wind had gotten louder for a few minutes, carrying with it the words from Zara’s mouth.

"I said, are you?" Zara asked carefully. "How do you move around here without... attracting attention?"

Mia hesitated, her jaw tightening. "We’ve got our ways."

Zara’s eyes narrowed. Was that an admission?

Leo stirred against her chest, his small voice muffled. "Mama, cold."

Zara’s chest tightened at the word. She hoped he wasn’t falling ill. They had been lucky enough to go months without any sickness since the apocalypse started but this cold was starting to get worse.

"I know, baby," she murmured, adjusting the coat wrapped around him. "We’ll find somewhere warm soon."

"How far to the next shelter?" Zara asked Mia, her breath misting in front of her.

Mia glanced over her shoulder, her expression guarded. "Not far. Couple more blocks."

The wind picked up, howling through the skeletons of dilapidated buildings. Zara frowned, her instincts prickling. This area was too open, too exposed. They needed to move quickly.

Kit suddenly broke into a run, his laughter ringing out as he darted toward a half-buried object sticking out of the snow. Zara’s heart leapt into her throat.

"Kit!" Mia hissed, sprinting after him. Zara shifted Leo to her hip and quickened her pace, her eyes scanning the ground for any signs of danger.

They turned a corner and found Kit crouched by the object, brushing away snow to reveal a battered metal toolbox. "Look!" he exclaimed, lifting the lid to reveal a surprisingly intact set of tools. A small knife, a multi-tool, and even a roll of duct tape gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

Mia yanked him to his feet. "You can’t just run off like that!" she snapped, her voice shaking with anger—or was it fear? Zara couldn’t tell.

"But I found something useful!" Kit protested, holding up the toolbox like a prize.

Zara knelt to examine the toolbox. It was a good find, not necessarily something they needed right now, but a good find nonetheless. She glanced at Kit, her brow furrowing slightly. "Lucky," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

This wasn’t the first time the boy’s uncanny knack for finding seemingly invisible items had surfaced. Zara had noticed he had some sort of luck to him but chalked it up as a coincidence. Kit was surprisingly hyperactive in this cruel space, something Zara had yet to decide if it was a blessing or a curse. It was clearly stressing his older sister out.

Mia sighed, her expression softening as she ruffled his hair. "Just...stay close, okay?"

They continued their journey quietly, making sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Zara’s muscles ached from carrying Leo, but she refused to let him down.

Kit fell into step beside Zara, his small hand brushing against her coat as if seeking reassurance. She glanced down at him, her stern expression softening for a brief moment.

"Is Leo scared of the snow?" Kit asked, his voice curious but gentle.

Zara shook her head. "No, he’s just...small. It’s safer if I carry him."

"Oh," he seemed to consider her words for a moment then looked at Mia’s arms and down at himself.

Zara arched an eyebrow at the behaviour, was he expecting his sister to carry him? Mia probably would if the situation called for it, but they needed their arms unobstructed for when they needed to fight or evade capture.

’The poor baby,’ she thought, unconsciously patting his head.

She didn’t realize it, but her protective instincts had already begun to extend beyond her son. The siblings were gradually weaving themselves into her heart.

He looked at her in surprise for a second, his cheeks already flushed from the cold, and scampered ahead to join Mia.

"So cute," She mumbled, adjusting Leo to ease the strain on her arms. Maybe she should find a way to strap him to her chest like before.

Before she could think further, Kit’s excited shout broke through her thoughts. "Look! I found something!"

They turned to see Kit kneeling in the snow, brushing away the powder to reveal a small, intact metal box. Zara’s stomach clenched. The odds of finding something useful in this wasteland were slim, yet Kit managed it again.

In the span of a few hours.

This seemed too fishy.

"Careful," she warned, her voice sharper than intended. "It could be a trap."

"It’s not a trap," Kit insisted, his gloved fingers fumbling with the latch. He opened the box to reveal a stack of neatly wrapped protein bars. Again, in perfect condition.

Mia’s eyes widened. "Where the hell did you—?"

"I told you," Kit said smugly. "Treasure."

Zara exchanged a look with Mia. Something was unsettling about this boy’s luck.

They split the bars between them, Zara pocketing an extra for Leo. The toddler had fallen asleep against her chest, his face buried in her coat.

As they resumed their journey, Zara’s mind drifted back to Mia. The girl had been oddly tight-lipped about certain details, and Zara couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.

*****

As they approached the edge of the inner district, the snow grew deeper, the wind biting against their exposed skin. Zara adjusted her hold on Leo, her arms aching from the effort.

"We should find shelter soon," she said, her voice carrying over the wind. "The temperature’s dropping."

"There’s an old pharmacy up ahead," Mia said. "It’s not much, but it’ll give us cover for the night."

They pushed onward, the ruins of the pharmacy coming into view. It was a squat, dilapidated building, its windows boarded up and the roof sagging under the weight of the snow.

Inside, the air was musty but mercifully warmer. They cleared a space near the back, spreading out their meagre supplies. Kit busied himself with building a small, contained fire while Mia checked their rations.

Zara set Leo down on a makeshift bed of blankets, her heart twisting at the sight of his tiny, exhausted form. Kit crouched beside him, his expression softening as he reached out to touch Leo’s hand.

"Does he always sleep like this?" he whispered, brows furrowing.

"No," Zara bit her lip as she placed a palm on Leo’s forehead. It wasn’t too hot and he didn’t seem flushed, but that didn’t lessen her worry. If only she could get a thermometer or something, but the med kit was in Leo’s space.

The toddler stirred, his small hand reaching out. Kit shifted closer to him, taking his hand gently. "He’s cute when he’s asleep," he whispered.

Zara smiled despite her exhaustion. "Yeah, he is." But her smile didn’t last. What if he was coming down with something worse than a cold?

"Kit! Come here for a sec!" Mia called from across the room.

Zara’s gaze followed him as he scrambled away, the small moment of peace dissipating. Kit’s innocence was a balm in their harsh reality, but Zara couldn’t ignore the gnawing suspicion in her gut. Mia was hiding something—something important. She decided to press the girl for answers. If they were going to travel together she needed to know everything of importance, so they could plan ahead.

The siblings seemed to be talking about something serious. Mia’s voice was low, but her frustration was clear.

Kit suddenly shouted. "...but Raphael said we did a good job last time—"

"Kit!" Mia’s sharp tone silenced him immediately. Her gaze darted to Zara, who pretended not to have heard.

Zara’s heart quickened, her curiosity piqued. Who was Raphael? Kit has tried to mention his name once before but got stopped by Mia. And what kind of "job" had the siblings been involved in?

The wind howled outside, and Zara pushed the questions aside for now. Instead, she focused on tending to Leo, brushing a stray curl from his face as he slept. His small chest rose and fell steadily, but it wasn’t enough to soothe her fears.

"Uncle?" Leo mumbled, rubbing his eye with his fist.

"He’s not here sweetie," she hummed, taking his hand away from his eye and tucking it under the blankets.

She hummed softly under her breath, hoping to lull him back to sleep, but her gaze kept drifting toward the boarded-up windows. She wondered where Winter was now, would he have an idea on what was wrong with leo and how to help?

Zara smacked her face lightly, looking at Leo as he shifted again. She tucked the blankets around him tighter, her chest tight with worry. If he was getting sick, she needed to figure out what to do—and fast.