The Endgame Chronicles (by Hugh White) novel Chapter 848

Chapter 848

Whitney froze for a second, then her face shifted between shock, relief, and lingering fear.

“Ben, how could you do something like that? That was way too dangerous.”

“Hey, he did something big today. Say something nice,” Clark cut in.

“I didn’t,” Ben said quietly. “Just stop.”

The tone in his voice made Whitney’s heart drop.

“Ben, what’s wrong? Did you get hurt? Tell me if something’s off. You really surprised me today. I’m proud of you.”

“Enough,” Ben said, even lower this time.

A clear, steady female voice cut through the moment. “I underestimated you. You’re not completely useless.”

Hayley stood there with her arms crossed, looking at them.

Ben went still the second he heard her.

Hayley only gave him a brief glance before turning to Clark. “Mr. Kinsman, we’re heading out.”

“You’re leaving already? Stay. Have a meal before you go.”

“Not this time. We’ve got somewhere to be.”

She turned and walked toward her helicopter. Griffin was already onboard.

“If anything comes up, reach out. I’ll have the supplies sent over soon.”

“Thank you, Ms. Reid.” Clark gave her a sharp, grateful salute.

Hayley returned it. As she stepped up to board, she glanced at June and the others.

Before she could speak, June blurted out, “I wanna go with you!”

Hayley looked over the group. “Sure. If you’re coming, get on.”

Their eyes lit up instantly, excitement flashing through all of them.

They didn’t have anywhere left to go, anyway. They had already been curious about Hayley’s league.

Now, they had their chance.

Fiona, though, chose to stay.

Her family was here. She couldn’t leave.

No one tried to change her mind. They split the supplies, said their goodbyes properly, and promised to stay in touch.

June stored her vehicle in her inventory, and the rest climbed aboard Hayley’s helicopter. 2

“Come back anytime!” Clark stood with his people, waving them off.

Ben stood beside him, watching the helicopter rise into the sky. For the first time since everything ended, something lit up in his eyes.

“Clark, I’m going with you on missions from now on. Every single one.”

“It’s dangerous out there,” Whitney said.

+15 Bonus

“Hey, don’t keep saying that,” Clark cut in. “He’s a man. He needs to get out there and grow. You can’t keep him locked inside forever. Ben, you’ve got my support.”

“Clark!”

Clark pulled Whitney into his arms. “Come on. You’ve got two men protecting you now. That’s not a bad deal, right?”

Whitney opened her mouth to argue, then stopped She looked over toward the training grounds, where Ben had already gone without a word.

A soft sigh slipped out. “Feels like he grew up overnight.”

Clark smiled. “That’s how it goes. Happens in a second.” 1

The helicopter lifted away from Clark Base and flew north.

They passed over cities big and small, all reduced to ruins and scattered remains, heading toward the eastern coastline.

As they crossed into the territory of Brookville and Crestford, June suddenly leaned forward, staring down.

“Hey, look. That city looks empty.”

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