LOGINOver the next few days, Zeph didn't go anywhere. He trained Cola and Poppy and sparred with Nicole.Meals showed up on time, three times a day.When boredom hit, they played cards. Figuring Poppy might struggle, they paired her up with Cola.Unless someone from the base came looking, the four of them didn't step outside at all.Before the apocalypse, that kind of isolation would've driven anyone insane. After two years of disasters, it barely registered.These days, staying inside was the real advantage.Meanwhile, the conflict between Ironvale and Drakehold Base kept heating up.Felix played it cautious, unwilling to risk what he had built. Drakehold, on the other hand, was aggressive and ruthless, pushing harder every day.It was easy to get used to comfort, but hard to give it up.They used to bring in truckloads of supplies every day. Life had been easy.Now, with the fighting, they barely managed half a truck. The people below were starting to feel it.These were men wh
Felix cared too much about appearances, and Zeph's words left him with no good way to respond. He forced a smile. "You might not know this, but they rolled out an armored vehicle today. Flattened our checkpoint and barricades. If they didn't have backing, there's no way they'd get something like that.""An armored vehicle?" Zeph said. "Who actually saw it?"Anthony stepped in right away, trying to smooth it over. "One of our guys made it back alive and reported it.""From what I know, military and police equipment is tightly controlled. There's no way an armored vehicle just ends up out there. Are you sure he didn't panic or start seeing things from heatstroke?"That didn't sit well with Anthony. "Come on. We sent people to check. The damage wasn't something a normal vehicle could do."Zeph only smiled and said nothing.Anthony felt the irritation creeping up. They had gone all out to host him, not to watch him act above it all.He held it back. "Then tell us, do you have a be
The whole roasted lamb had been done just right, the heat perfect. Nicole didn't hold back and dug in.She only had one sheep left in her storage space, and that wouldn't last long. When there was good food, you ate your fill.As she ate, she said casually to Felix, "Fresh meat like this isn't easy to come by these days. Especially lamb.""Yeah, it's not easy out there," Felix said, "but in Ironvale Base, if you've got the ability, you eat well."Anthony jumped in right away. "Exactly. Stick with Felix, and you won't just have lamb. Beef's no problem, either."Nicole chewed slowly. "This tastes like northern-style lamb. You don't get this kind of flavor from coastal stock.""Good eye," Anthony said with a grin. "Came in from the northwest."Nicole raised a brow. "The south went through extreme cold before this heat. The northwest should've been worse. Hard to believe livestock made it through."Anthony seemed pleased with himself. "There's a lot you don't know. While we're deal
Poppy might be young, but she picked up on things adults missed. She edged back behind Zeph, clearly uneasy.That left Felix looking a little awkward.Zeph said, "She's shy around strangers.""It's fine. Kids are like that. Come on, have a seat."Felix took the head of the table and sighed. "I owe you an apology. You just got here. I should've given you a proper welcome. Instead, Drakehold came looking for trouble and ruined things for all of us."Even in the apocalypse, there should be rules. First come, first served. But Drakehold acts like they answer to no one. They rolled in with an armored vehicle and wiped out our people like it was nothing."He spoke with growing intensity, his voice tight with anger.Zeph listened without saying a word.The silence stretched.Anthony stepped in. "Exactly. Some of our guys already took people to settle the score. They'll be back later. Hope you understand."Nicole smiled faintly. "With you in charge, Felix, I'm sure Ironvale will co
After leaving the storage space, Nicole and Zeph kept tidying up, making small talk as they went.Before long, it was noon, and someone came by with lunch.It was a spread of meat and vegetables, along with a bottle of strong liquor."I don't drink. Should we send it back or keep it?""It's Felix's gesture. We'll keep it. Cola likes a sip now and then.""Woof." The little drunk circled Nicole, clearly excited."See that? Just hearing the word gets him going."They kept talking, but Nicole had no intention of touching the base's food. The chances of it being poisoned were low for now, but it still didn't sit right with her.She stored it away and pulled out their own supplies.Poppy put on a show, poking at her food. "Zeph, this cured meat tastes weird. It's not as good as Nicole's.""Don't waste food. There are people out there chewing bark just to stay alive. When we get the chance, Nicole can cook for you again."After they finished eating, they pulled all the curtains shu
There were no surveillance cameras in the apartment, probably because Ironvale Base didn't have the equipment or the people to run them.They gave the smaller room to Poppy. Nicole crouched down and said, "Cola, you're in charge of watching her.""Woof!" Cola took the assignment without hesitation.Nicole and Zeph took the master bedroom and started getting settled.Using the bathroom as an excuse, they slipped into the storage space. Zeph spoke first. "What do you think of Felix?"Nicole let out a cold laugh. "All flash, no substance."Just another ruthless thug, using the apocalypse to build power, trying to dress himself up as something above the street muscle, and ending up looking like a joke."They've got no humanity left. We need to keep Poppy safe."Nicole had suspected it before, but today confirmed it. A man who could hand out girls barely in their teens like that wasn't just corrupt. He was rotten to the core.Zeph looked at her. "Were they pretty?"Nicole blinke
Since Sven had put it that way, Nicole laid out the plan she and Zeph had worked out. "We won't have any direct contact with Seaborn Base. You'll handle the transfers in batches. The cruiser has to be anchored at the designated waters, and someone will take it over when the time comes. Also, we wa
Nicole shook her head. "We don't know how to fish. A fishing boat wouldn't do much for us."What she actually wanted was a cruiser, and Seaborn Base happened to have one. From what she had seen, it was in good condition and fairly new.Zeph frowned. "We already have a yacht."Growing up in an orp
Other than medicine, Nicole couldn't think of anything important enough for Sven to come in person."It's medicine," Sven said, "but not for Jake this time. It's for the director of Seaborn Base."Nicole frowned. Seaborn Base had never seemed trustworthy to her. "You're helping them find medicine?
By the time they stepped out of the storage space, it was already full dark.Zeph eased the yacht closer to shore, but he didn't let Nicole stash it right away.They were well away from the fishing village and the pier. No one should be out here at night, but they didn't take chances anymore. They







