Chapter 294

Chapter 294 No One Left Behind
Lucas had always been the decent type–calm, fair, and with a clear line of what should never be crossed.
Today, Mario had trampled all over that line. Blocking the way wasn’t just selfish. It was the kind of thing you only expected from an enemy.
Lucas didn’t waste sympathy on enemies.
He wasn’t bothered by what Theresa did either. She could be brutal when the situation called for it, yet she never spilled blood just for the thrill. If scaring someone was enough, that’s where she stopped Losing control simply wasn’t her way,
That was what Lucas admired most.
To him, strength only mattered if it had a leash. A strong person who stuck to their own rules was someone you could count on. One without limits? That was the kind of monster you prayed you’d never
meet.
Thankfully, Theresa was the former.
“Hey. Theresa, Lucas called, snapping out of his thoughts. “Bennie’s back on the line.”
Theresa turned to him, sharp–eyed. “About time. Let’s hear it.
The radio crackled, and Bennie’s voice came through, steady but tight with urgency. “Ms. Hall, storming Branford isn’t an option. Too many dead in the streets.
“We ran the numbers. Your best chance is tomorrow, in broad daylight. Theron will take a squad north and light the place up with charges to drag the horde away. By 11:30 a.m., the streets should be at their
thinnest.
“If you can get out before 12 p.m., Theron will be waiting at Ironspire Station to get you clear. Miss that window … Bennie’s voice dipped, heavy with warning. “You’ll have the horde on your heels all the way back
to camp.
A pause, then the final punch. “You’ll need to move fast.”
Silence followed
Theresa didn’t answer right away. She stood there, eyes fixed ahead, running through every piece of the plan in her head. Five minutes passed before she finally keyed the radio, “Understood.”
Ridgefall Mall to Ironspire Station was about two miles.
Normally, a healthy person could sprint it in fifteen minutes.
I be closer
Last time, they’d done it in 18 minutes–but that was underground, a straight shot with no–hstacles. This time, they’d be out in the open,/dodging debris and weaving through side streets. In reali to two and a half miles,
Half an hour. That was all they had.
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Chapter 294 No One Left Behind
Theresa rallied the camp and laid out the escape plan. Every child was paired with a strong adult The elderly each got someone to lean on. The men would take the heavy lifting while the women kept one another moving.
Come dawn, they would either all make it out or none of them would.
Once all was calmed, she distributed extra rations so everyone could eat their fill for once, told them to rest while they could, and suggested settling any grudges before sunrise.
As the noise died down, Theresa glanced up toward the third floor.
Eva stood her ground, arms folded tight. “Mario is gone, Malik. Nothing’s bringing him back. I took the food, so if you’re mad, be mad at me. Just stop making this worse.”
Malik’s roar rattled the walls. “Eva, don’t tell me to let it go! He was my brother!
His fists clenched until his knuckles went white, eyes burning red with grief and fury. You think this is about some d’mn food? That was my blood!”
Mario. That man.
Even before the apocalypse, he’d been nothing but trouble–running with the worst kind of people. picking fights, and laughing while his parents bled money to cover his mess. They spent half their lives cleaning up after him. There was even that time his recklessness landed them in a hospital bed. He never cared, not even once.
Yet for Malik, Mario was still his big brother–the reckless fool he’d defended since they were kids. He never fought him over the family business, never once demanded more than a simple, unspoken promise: look out for him, and he’d be content.
Now he was gone.
Eva’s gaze
hardened. “You want the truth, Malik? Your brother wasn’t a hero. He blocked the road, ignored my orders, and played games while people were dying out there. You know it. I know it. He wanted to watch those poor survivors get eaten.”
Malik’s jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.
Eva didn’t back down. “Every d’mn time someone came begging for help, he stalled on purpose. He wouldn’t tell me a thing, just sat there laughing while people got torn apart. He got exactly what he had coming.
“Shut up!” Malik roared, slamming the table with enough force to flip it.
Eva squared her shoulders, chin lifted in defiance. “I was the one who took the food. You want revenge? Take it out on me. Leave Ms. Hall out of it.”
“You think I won’t?” Malik’s voice cracked, raw with grief and rage.
Eva’s gaze didn’t waver. “Do it, then.”
He snapped. His hand shot up, ready to strike her down. This update ıs available on.net
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Chapter 294 No One Left Behind
For a split second, the air between them felt like it might tear apart.
Then, his hand stopped cold, hanging inches from her fare.
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