LOGINYeah, right. Cola wasn't buying it.The dog turned his head away, all attitude.Nicole peeled off her temperature-regulating socks to prove her point. "Here, try them yourself. They're slippery."She tossed them straight at the dog's face.Cola froze for a second, his mouth twitching.This human of his really acted like an animal sometimes. At least she didn't smell.Cola lunged at her, paws flying.Nicole caught him in a hug, rubbing his head. "You've got to be a good dog, okay? Tomorrow, you apologize to him. If he hadn't stepped in just now, I would've cracked my head open. And then you wouldn't have me anymore."Her voice dipped lower. "All the chicken, beef, and fish I've stored, you wouldn't get any of it. You'd be out there wandering again."Apologize? Not happening.Cola refused outright. He put on an innocent face and rested his paws on her shoulders while whining.This was his home now. He didn't want to go back to wandering.Nicole sighed. Teaching a dog to admit
It was Oliver again. This time, he had a few other men with him.Nicole didn't respond.Oliver kept knocking, muttering to the others beside him."Oliver, it's dead quiet up here. Do you think something happened to them last night?"The man's voice was hoarse; he was clearly sick from the cold.If something had happened to the people on the 18th floor, that would be perfect.That was what Oliver was really thinking, though he kept it to himself. Out loud, Oliver sighed like a decent person. "Don't say that. Nicole and the others are young and in good shape. They'll be fine. And even if something did happen, we should help out.""Come on, Oliver. You're too nice. Haven't you seen how they treat us?""We're all in the same building. Looking out for each other is the right thing to do.""Wait, I think I hear something. Guess they're not dead after all."There was a trace of disappointment in his voice. If the entire 18th floor had been wiped out, all those supplies would've be
Cola pawed at Nicole, trying to comfort her in his own way."I'm okay. And you will be, too."She stayed in bed until a little after 11 a.m. before finally dragging herself up and stepping into her storage space to brush her teeth and wash her face.Outside, she had to bundle up in layers just to stand it. Inside, the warmth made her sweat.She didn't stay long. Going back and forth between hot and cold like that was a good way to get sick.With the space heater running, her room felt like spring. The moment she cracked the door open, though, the cold sliced in like a blade.She couldn't bring the heater or battery pack outside, but she couldn't keep the rabbits cooped up in her room forever either.She checked on them again. One more baby had died.Nicole cleared out another room. She dragged in a beanbag chair, laid an electric blanket over it, and moved the rabbits there.Before leaving, she crouched down and pointed at Cola. "Watch them. No chewing wires, and no messing
Nicole wasn't the only one with an electric blanket. Cola got one, too.She picked a smaller one, spread it over the beanbag chair, and hooked it up to the battery pack. At the same time, she turned on both space heaters.The temperature in the room climbed fast.Ash and Snowy felt the warmth almost immediately. They scrambled out of the foam box and hopped onto the beanbag, trying to squeeze in next to Cola.For once, the dog didn't fight them off. He let them shove in close, bodies pressed together, sharing heat.Nicole checked the foam box again. Two of the adult rabbits had already died.They were probably scared to death.The others didn't look much better, sluggish and weak. Strangely enough, the newborn kits were fine, too young to even understand what was happening.Ash and Snowy had clearly been toughened up by Cola. Their nerves were stronger now, and with their thick fur and the extra layers Nicole had put on them, they hadn't panicked.They just weren't taking care
"Don't cry," Zeph said to Poppy. "Your tears will freeze, and that'll leave scars on your face."Nicole poured him a cup, then hurried over and knocked on Hughie's door.Inside, the three of them were in complete chaos, fumbling to pull on layers and wrapping themselves in blankets.Even holding the hot ginger tea, their hands shook uncontrollably.Jeremy had it the worst. His face had turned a frightening shade of purple.They threw on fur coats, piled on quilts, and wrapped themselves up until they looked like bundled packages. None of them were used to this kind of cold. Their bodies trembled violently, their chests tight and uncomfortable.Only after downing several cups of hot ginger tea did they finally start to come back to themselves."N-Nicole, you really jinxed it," Jeremy muttered while curled up on the couch, his teeth chattering. "If you hadn't picked up the 200 grand back then, we'd all be dead tonight."All those thick clothes and blankets had been bought just to
Jeremy snapped at Nicole, but she just smiled without arguing.If she really had a jinx like that, she would rather the deep freeze never come at all.She kept an eye on Zeph. He was calm and unreadable as always, no hint of emotion on his face.Cola, on the other hand, was restless. Even after four hours of training, the dog couldn't settle down. He kept letting out low, uneasy whines every now and then.Nicole had no idea when the cold would hit, and the sense of unease wouldn't leave her. She pulled out electric blankets, down comforters, and thick quilts in advance, stacking them within reach.That night, she deliberately changed into her temperature-regulating clothes before bed.After a full day of intense training, her body was drained. She had meant to stay up a bit longer, but sleep hit her hard, dragging her under before she even realized it.She didn't know how long she had been out when Cola's frantic barking snapped her awake. The walkie-talkie crackled with static.







