Chapter 155 A transfer of aggression

Chapter 155: Chapter 155 A transfer of aggression

Back inside the cells of the safe zone, Madison was completely exasperated. She paced back and forth, her mind racing through every possible way out, but every path seemed to lead to another dead end.

She had underestimated the gravity of the danger her son was in. This wasn’t just about Thomas witnessing something he shouldn’t have seen. Mr. Davis knew him too. He had been working directly with the President on the experiments, and there was no way he wouldn’t know about the General’s family. If Mr. Davis had already learned that Thomas knew about the experiments, then there was a possibility that the President knew too.

And if the President knew... Then Thomas wasn’t simply a prisoner. He was a loose end.

Madison pressed both hands against her face. "Why does it have to go this way?" Her voice trembled. "Why didn’t you tell me before? I would have told you not to associate with them. I would have warned you, Thomas. Why?"

Thomas couldn’t answer. He was already crying. His body shook as he sat there, watching his mother’s expression crumble before him. He had never seen her look so helpless. And that frightened him more than the prison itself.

He could see it clearly. His mother didn’t know how to save him. And for the first time, Thomas began to wonder if they were actually going to escape.

"There is still something you two can do."

A weak voice suddenly echoed through the cell.

Madison and Thomas turned.

John Allen was still sitting on the floor. He looked terrible. His body was frail, his face pale, and the wounds he had suffered over the past weeks had left him barely able to move. But his eyes were still alert.

"There is a secret passage," Allen continued.

Madison immediately crouched beside him. "Where?"

Allen slowly raised one trembling hand and pointed toward the far corner of the cell block. "Right beneath that corner."

Madison followed his finger.

"It leads toward the main gate."

Thomas’s eyes widened. "But how?"

"Me and my men discovered it a long time ago." Allen swallowed. "It was supposed to be an emergency route, but it can only be accessed from inside the safe zone. It doesn’t give you a way in from outside." He looked at Madison. "But you’re already inside."

Madison’s eyes brightened slightly. "Then we can use it to escape."

"Maybe." Allen’s voice remained cautious. "But there’s a problem."

"What?"

Allen glanced toward Madison’s clothes. "You’re dressed for an important function."

Madison looked down at herself. The festival. She had completely forgotten about it in the middle of everything that had happened.

"The President is holding some kind of important event right now," Allen continued. "That means there will probably be more security around the main gate than usual." He paused to catch his breath. "If you can create enough distraction to pull the guards away and get your son out, you might have a chance."

Madison fell silent.

The moment he said that, another thought struck her. Her husband. And her daughter. They were both still inside the festival. Her daughter was waiting for her, surrounded by people who had no idea how far the people in charge were willing to go in the name of humanity. Her husband was also trapped. He was sick, bedridden, and alone in their house.

Madison’s chest tightened. "So if I do this..." Her voice cracked. "I can only do it now." She looked toward the door. "And it means saying goodbye to my daughter and my husband."

The words came out like a burst of flames. Madison began trembling. "I can’t do that." She shook her head. "I can’t do that to my baby." Her eyes filled with tears. "I didn’t become that evil. I can’t just abandon my daughter."

Thomas watched her helplessly. His own body was shaking. The entire atmosphere inside the cell had become suffocating. Mother and son were trapped inside a crisis that could destroy their family forever.

Then—voices came from outside. Loud. Deep. Dangerously authoritative.

"What happened here?"

A man’s baritone voice echoed through the corridor.

Madison froze.

Another man answered. "Don’t know. Looks like we have a traitor, a runaway, or an intruder around here."

Madison’s entire body turned rigid. Her heart dropped. The guards. She had completely forgotten about the bodies outside. If she had known more soldiers were coming, she would have hidden them. Of course they would come looking. The President had personally sent them to retrieve Thomas. How could she have been so careless?

She cursed silently. What had she been thinking?

Another voice came closer. "I think we should search around." The sound of boots approached. "The person might still be inside the cells."

Madison’s eyes darted around. She desperately searched for another option. Anything. A window. A second entrance. A broken wall. Something.

She rushed toward the far side of the cell block and searched the walls. Nothing. She checked another section. Still nothing. Her eyes scanned higher. No window.

She almost stepped into something on the floor, but barely noticed. At this point, she didn’t care. Her life and her son’s life were in far greater danger.

John Allen watched her desperately searching. Thomas also moved around, looking for something that could help.

But Allen already knew. They were trapped. The moment they had stayed too long, their chances of escaping had disappeared. The secret passage was no longer useful if they couldn’t reach it. There was no window. No alternate exit. No hidden door they could reach in time. And now there were guards outside.

This place had become a cage.

Allen slowly shook his head. "Give up."

Thomas looked at him. "What?"

"Go out and beg for mercy before they catch you themselves."

Thomas’s face twisted with anger. "No." He shook his head. "I refuse to believe that." He walked toward Allen. "You did this on purpose, didn’t you?"

Allen frowned. "What?"

"You made us waste time talking to you." Thomas pointed at him. "You knew we were in danger, but you kept us here talking. You were distracting us, weren’t you?"

Allen stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Thomas stepped closer. "You wanted to use us as leverage."

Allen shook his head. "You know I didn’t do anything." His voice was weak but angry. "You were too invested in talking with your mother to notice what was happening around you." He gestured toward the corridor. "How exactly is that my fault?"

Thomas’s breathing became heavier. "You should have told me!"

"I did."

"No, you didn’t!"

"I warned you."

Thomas clenched his fists. "You should have told me everything that was happening around here!"

Allen stared at him. "You know what? Maybe you could have warned me earlier. Maybe you could have helped us do something differently." Thomas’s voice cracked. "You had the experience. You were a commander. You could have made yourself useful."

Allen’s expression hardened. "But instead, look at what’s happening now."

Thomas dragged a hand through his hair. "I’m going to die, right?"

Allen didn’t answer.

Thomas laughed bitterly. "I know I am." He looked down at him. "But you are going to die too."

Allen’s eyes narrowed.

"Maybe this whole thing was your plan." Thomas pointed at him. "Maybe you were trying to use us as leverage to get yourself out of this prison."

Allen stared at him. "You think I’d do that?"

"I don’t know what to think anymore!" Thomas shouted. "You’ve been sitting here waiting to die, so maybe you’re willing to do anything to get out."

Allen struggled to stand. His body barely responded. He pushed himself up with one hand. "I tried to warn you."

Blood suddenly trickled from his nose. Allen stopped. His breathing became heavier. Blood appeared around his lips as well.

Thomas stared at him. But his anger had already taken over. "You wasted our time!" He kicked Allen hard in the stomach.

Allen gasped. His body folded before he crashed back onto the floor.

"Thomas!" Madison rushed toward them. But it was already too late.

Allen lay there, struggling for breath. His ears were ringing. Blood ran from his nose and mouth. His chest burned. His heart pounded painfully against his ribs. He could barely breathe.

I’m going to die.

The thought entered his mind with frightening clarity. Is this how it ends? Not in battle. Not while protecting someone. Not while fighting the deadly apocalypse. But on a dirty prison floor after being beaten by a frightened young man who didn’t know where else to put his anger.

Allen’s vision blurred.

Thomas stood over him. "You’re finally going to die." His voice was cold. "Maybe I’m doing you a favor."

Madison stared at her son. "Thomas, stop!"

But Thomas didn’t listen. He struck Allen again. The blow landed against his jaw. Allen’s neck twisted violently. One of his teeth flew from his mouth. His body fell flat against the floor. Blood quickly spread beneath his head.

For several seconds, everything became silent.

Thomas stood there breathing heavily. Then the reality of what he had done slowly reached him.

Madison rushed forward. She stared at Allen. His body was completely still. His eyes were barely open. His breathing came in weak, shallow gasps. His life was slipping away.

Madison slowly turned toward her son. "What have you done?"

Her voice was quiet. But the question felt heavier than a scream.

Thomas stared back at her. His anger began to disappear. Fear replaced it. "Mom..."

Madison shook her head. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. John Allen—the former commander who had once saved her and Ava from zombies—was now lying on the prison floor in a pool of his own blood. His eyes slowly lost focus. His final breaths escaped his lips.

Then his body went still.

John Allen was dead.

Before either of them could react—the prison door suddenly opened. Everyone froze. Several armed soldiers stood outside. Behind them stood a figure whose presence alone made the corridor feel colder.

A deep, furious baritone voice echoed through the cells. "Take them both." The soldiers stepped forward. The voice continued. "Take them both to be beheaded this moment!"