In moments of chaos and uncertainty, people often make poor decisions. Many who witnessed others being evacuated chose instead to stay in the temporary shelters they had set up in this place.
Have you ever heard that you shouldn't follow the crowd? Well, that's exactly what some were doing—and that was fine.
None of the soldiers would beg to be followed while leaving part of their own families behind. What they would do was explain their reasons and the chances of survival before leaving with those who did want to be saved by them.
The military were no angels—they were soldiers. Beyond protecting those in need, what mattered most to them was protecting their families, many of whom were now waiting in the provisional shelter as close as possible to the island they planned to retreat to.
Riya, who had boarded one of the helicopters, looked down at the chaos reigning over the first line of defense. Memories from the past—ones she might never experience again—and a life she never thought she'd lose overnight, faded from her mind.
John, now with his entire family, looked out the window. He didn't know exactly where they were headed, but the moment they saw what the world looked like outside their former safe zone, they understood everything.
The world as they knew it had changed. If they had chosen to stay behind, it might have been the worst decision of their lives.
Only a select few had access to that information—only a few were deemed worthy.
Now that the world had collapsed, it was up to them to rebuild it—or die in despair.
…
Provisional military base on the outskirts of the first line of defense, currently under evacuation.
At this point, all the military personnel had left by helicopter. Only trucks without fuel and cars that had been used to form barricades remained.
The Humvees had been airlifted by helicopters, and the last flight had just departed for the provisional base on the coast. Everyone understood that there was a real possibility the large cities of Texas would be bombed and burned on a massive scale by the navy, so this was the best available option.
Outside the base, Alan—his clothes stained with walker blood—looked at Levi and said, "I know your next orders will be to bomb the city. When you leave here, those are the orders you'll receive. I'm not here to argue or tell you what I think. I just ask that if there's any chance, don't carry out the bombings outside the city. That alone would make a big difference."
What Alan was trying to say was that damaging structures in the city center was one thing, but causing destruction across the outskirts was senseless.
If there was any chance to avoid the bombings, it would make it much easier for him to take control of Los Angeles in the future.
That was the initial intention—and afterward, he planned to seize as much military power as he could. Coastal bases were the priority—those who knew how to navigate the seas would be essential.
He also planned to bring in all the fishermen and their families still out at sea, waiting for things to calm down. Of course, before that, he would establish order and ensure that all refugees would be useful.
"You're too young to know all these things... How do you know it?" Levi turned his head toward Alan, who was wrapping fresh bandages around his hands after removing the blood-soaked ones.
He understood that if command failed to maintain control in the coming days, Operation Cobalt would begin—eliminating anything that moved outside the safe zones.
As the months passed, it would be determined which places were worth saving—and which had to be destroyed. Levi knew all of this because he was a brigade captain—the one who would execute those orders in specific zones.
Alan didn't know this man, but he could tell that, perhaps in the future, Levi could become a major force within FEDRA. If he was right, they might even end up as enemies.
"The infected are evolving. The worst part? There's no cure. The mutations are so varied that a cure is impossible. And bombs won't stop them. They'll still be here when everything is gone."
Levi was surprised by Alan's words. "Don't you want to come with me? FEDRA will try to relocate to another city and take control with whatever forces they have left."
"No. I have other plans..." Alan couldn't afford to make such a risky decision—not when his goal was to protect his own people under his own rules.
Levi didn't know what those plans were, but that was fine. Everyone was the leader of their own path, and he had already chosen his.
"The disarmed helicopter has enough fuel to get you back to your base. Good luck—and I hope we meet again someday." Alan wasn't being cruel. He was simply securing his own interests.
Stuart hadn't taken his eyes off Alan, who was now standing in the distance speaking with Levi. He had a feeling—and he knew he was right.
"I'll finish everything inside. We move in twenty minutes," Alan said, adjusting the time on his watch and giving orders to Stuart, who nodded in agreement.
Right now, Alan had something very important he couldn't afford to forget.