Unfortunately—or perhaps inevitably—not just Patrick was undergoing a life-altering reckoning.
Vera stormed into the bunker with force. The place which was meant to house their people—the workers, the doctors, the trained fighters who had sworn loyalty to their cause — was empty.
Joseph was right behind her, having been the one to inform her of the situation at hand. He slowed down as soon as she stopped short.
Rows of narrow bunker beds lined the walls, metal frames bare except for rumpled sheets. Lockers, footlockers, bags —everything that was supposed to make the place feel occupied had vanished.
For a long moment, Vera didn't move. Her eyes swept the room intensely as if she expected the people to materialize if she stared hard enough.
"They left," she said finally, her voice flat with disbelief. "They all left."
