"Boss, what?" The camp's former leader looked at A.D. with a mix of fear and disbelief. "You want me to go there with you?"
"I know you're afraid of death," A.D. stated, his voice unwavering. "You have to come and get me into the place, then you can leave from there."
The boss, trapped between a rock and a hard place, conceded. "Okay."
Chapter Forty-Nine: A Heavy Farewell
A.D. emerged from the room and approached Jane and Polly. "I have to go somewhere," he announced.
"Where?" Jane asked immediately, her hand reaching for his arm. "I'll come wherever you go."
"No, you can't," A.D. replied firmly. "It's a place where you can't go. It's too dangerous."
"So why are you going there?" Jane's voice rose, edged with panic. "If something happens to you, how will I live?"
"I have to meet someone there," A.D. explained.
"Who?" Polly interjected. "And what is that place?"
"His name is David," A.D. began. "He was with me before I met Jane. He was a lab assistant. The place where I'm going has a big research lab and a large machine that can spread the antidote into the air, and then the virus will be gone."
"I don't know," Jane insisted, tears welling in her eyes. "I will come with you."
"No, you can't," A.D. repeated. "You'll have to stay here. Gather the engineers among our people and build a machine here. If I don't come back, you'll have to do it from here."
"Okay," Jane whispered, but the tears still streamed down her face.
A.D. collected the necessary supplies. As he was leaving, Jane rushed forward, hugging him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. "Don't cry," A.D. murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "This game will be over."
He gently disengaged, taking a few steps. Then he stopped and called out to Polly. When Polly approached, A.D. said, "Please, take care of Jane. If I don't come back, you'll have to encourage her and stop this deadly virus."
"Why are you saying these things?" Polly asked, concern etched on her face.
"Because the chance of my life is very low," A.D. replied, his gaze distant.
"Then why don't you leave?" Polly questioned. "We can build our machine and do it from here."
"No," A.D. countered. "Because we don't know how much time it will take. And if it goes well or not. Now I have a man there, so I have to take a risk." He looked at Polly, a silent plea in his eyes. "So please, take care of her."
Then, A.D. left with the boss, walking away from the new, precarious sanctuary. Jane sank to the floor, crying. Tears also blurred A.D.'s vision, but he didn't turn around.