Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Apocalypse Survival Manual: Kabanata 431 - Kabanata 440

Alex let out a short, bitter laugh. He knew there was no point in saying no."All we can do is cooperate and try to push for better terms," Zeph said.Having been through it himself, he pointed Alex in the right direction. "We've got eight buildings in the complex."Buildings 1 through 3 were fully finished. Buildings 4 and 5 had their exteriors done. Buildings 6 through 8 were newly completed shells."If they just need shelter, we can put them in 6 through 8. We'll build a wall in between as a buffer. If things go bad and they rush over, we'll at least have some time to respond."If the government was stepping in, they would probably be resettling a large number of refugees. Food, water, sanitation, everything would become an issue. Alex should insist that they assign personnel to manage the site and preferably station troops there to keep the peace.If the refugees caused trouble, the authorities would be the ones responsible for handling it. It all depended on how Alex neg

Nicole sat in the shade, cooling off with a portable fan as she finished a popsicle and two ice creams. By the time she looked up again, a pickup was creeping into view at the far end of the road.She raised her binoculars and confirmed it was Weasel and his people.There were four or five of them, all alert, scanning their surroundings and listening for anything out of place.Once she was sure they hadn't been followed, Nicole went downstairs and brought the water tanker out.A few minutes later, the pickup pulled up in front of the cracked building.Weasel hopped out. "Hey."Nicole let him wait a moment before stepping out from behind the truck.He wiped the sweat off his face, muttering, "You burned through every favor I had."Still, he had gotten it done. The spray unit had been successfully modified.They unloaded the equipment and walked her through how to put it together, how to start it, and how it ran.Nicole nodded along as if she understood. "Yeah. Got it."At the

There were elderly people and children, but most were adults in their prime. There were women as well, though fewer. Their clothes hung in tatters, and they watched one another with guarded, wary eyes.Even with a wall between them, Nicole couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.Zeph sensed it as well. "There are too many of them. We need to be careful."Being careful wouldn't change much. The contrast was too stark. Life in Oakhaven Gardens was difficult, but people still had homes and families. Out in the open, there were still traces of recent harvests.To people on the verge of starvation, it might as well have been a feast laid out in front of them.Nicole woke up several times that night to the faint sound of movement in the living room.Even Cola was restless.In the morning, she opened the door and found him curled up right outside. The dog had been guarding her again.Nicole crouched and ran her hand over his head.Zeph stayed in the study all morning, then wen

The attackers kept cursing at Nicole, but no one dared charge again, wary that the burning torch might come down at any moment.The crowd quickly fell back, putting distance between themselves and Building 5.The leaders reacted fast, shifting their focus to the other buildings.Buildings 1 through 3 were occupied. People stood on the terraces with weapons in hand, watching Building 5, nerves tight.They had binoculars. They had heard the shouting about gasoline.Seeing the attackers hold back told them everything.No one had expected Zeph and Nicole to have fuel stockpiled, much less use it to drive off a crowd this way.Alex moved at once. "Quick, make torches!"Anyone with firewood grabbed dry branches, tying and lighting them. One by one, flames rose across Buildings 1 through 3.The attackers were soaked. One spark would be enough.Alex's voice came through the radio. "Don't panic. If they rush the buildings, we throw."The thugs were still human. Many had only joined i

Molly wouldn't leave Cola alone. She trailed after him all day, every day, and nothing could scare her off. It was driving him crazy.Nicole laughed. "Looks like you've got yourself an admirer."If it had been another dog, maybe it wouldn't have been a problem. But Molly was a poodle, full of restless energy.Nicole glanced at Zeph. "What if we set Cola up with Molly?""Woof!" Cola reacted instantly, dropping to the ground and turning his head away, the refusal obvious.Zeph, more measured as always, said, "She's probably not his type."Nicole didn't need an explanation. One look at Cola's expression said enough. "Alright, alright. I'm kidding. Don't get mad."Times like these didn't leave much room for companionship, but if Cola wasn't interested, she wouldn't push."He might think he's human," Zeph added, almost offhandedly. Poppy crouched beside Cola. "He's just like us.""Woof!"-The massive earthquake had reshaped the land. Finding water had become even harder.The