All Chapters of The Apocalypse Survival Manual: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

"That's not how it works," Beatrice said firmly. "Without you, we wouldn't have gotten those supplies. And even if we had, we wouldn't have made it back with them."Hughie and Beatrice wouldn't back down. Nicole had no choice but to accept something.In the end, she took a couple of packs of pasta, some solid fuel tablets, and a bit of dried vegetables. No matter what they said, she refused to take anything more.After she left, Hughie turned to Beatrice. "The guy from 1801 might seem cold, but he's solid. People are watching us now. We need to stick together. And today, without him, we would've lost everything."Beatrice nodded. "Maybe we should bring them something. Make it official, you know? That way, we can look out for each other later."Hughie packed up five pounds of rice and went to knock on Zeph's door.Nicole stood on the balcony, watching the inflatable raft drift away from the building. Six men sat on it, each holding a stick like a weapon.People from nearby buildi

A modified nail gun appeared in Zeph's hand.The other boat started deflating right in front of them, fast.The tattooed men panicked, shouting as they lost their footing. A few slipped and fell straight into the water. The current was strong, and two of them were swept away almost instantly.The rest tried swimming toward Nicole. She raised her stick and brought it down hard on their heads."Damn it, you little tramp! You trying to kill me?""Help, I can't swim!"Zeph didn't stop at the boat. He fired at them, too.Cries filled the air. The boat collapsed, flooding fast, dragging the rest into the water.Nicole moved like she was playing a game, striking again and again without hesitation, cracking skulls as they surfaced.People like this were everywhere now, looting and killing. Whatever humanity they had left was long gone. Taking them out now meant someone else might get to live.In the chaos, someone grabbed Nicole's stick. A bald man surged toward her, face twisted wit

After the chaos yesterday, the authorities adjusted quickly. They brought in the military to stabilize things.Unlike the police, soldiers didn't hesitate to fire. Their job was to keep order, no matter what it took.Nicole remembered it from before.The military had stepped in then, too, cracking down hard on people causing trouble. That was what finally brought things back under control.She lifted her binoculars and scanned the water outside.Sure enough, she spotted soldiers in olive uniforms moving through the flooded streets in patrol boats, weapons ready. Gunshots echoed off and on through the morning.By noon, the world felt…quieter.The stoves they had pulled from the water wouldn't light.Hughie spent hours taking apart a portable camping stove, swapping out parts until he finally got it working again.He looked proud, like he had found a way to contribute. He even offered to fix Nicole and Zeph's camping stoves.That night, Hughie and Beatrice invited Nicole for di

When Beatrice thought about what Jeremy had gone through, her temper snapped. "We'll beat them up and throw them out!"Sure, Jeremy had been an idiot, but he had helped stock up all the meds Nicole needed. Not only was everything well-organized, but it also saved her a ton of money and hassle.As his friend, there was no way Nicole could just stand by. Besides, when they were kids getting into fights, Jeremy had once taken a brick for her.They didn't need to say much. Beatrice kicked the door hard and barked, "Everyone inside, listen up! You've got one minute. If you don't come out, I won't be nice!"Silence answered her.Nicole pulled a crowbar out of her bag and handed it over.Beatrice had the strength for it. The crowbar slammed against the door again and again, loud thuds echoing down the hall."Who are you people?"A voice came from behind them.A couple in their late fifties was coming up the stairs, holding the hand of a little girl, maybe eight or nine. The man was c

Men didn't really show their emotions the same way women did. So, Nicole and Beatrice didn't go inside and left Hughie to talk to Jeremy.Hughie didn't go into details. He only said they found out Jeremy was at the Westbridge Hotel after they got to the complex.The shelter conditions were awful. Hughie told him to move over to Crownview Residences instead. "We're living next door to Nicole now. It has three bedrooms. Come stay with us. We'll figure the rest out later."Nicole pulled Beatrice to the far end of the hallway, by the window. "What are you thinking?"Beatrice didn't really want an outsider moving in either, but times were different now. Friends had to help each other. If it weren't for Nicole, she and Hughie would still be stuck in that shelter, too."Hughie cares a lot about his friends. It's just you and Jeremy for him. And everyone hits rough patches. The flood's gotta go down eventually. Let him stay with us."They had enough food to last a couple of months. I