جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 478

They climbed out of the SUV and stretched until the post-meal sluggishness wore off. Then Zeph asked, "Head back to Westbridge?"Nicole thought it over for a moment. "We're not far from the military base. Why don't we stop by and see how Hughie and the others are doing?"Surviving was instinct. Caring about the people they loved fulfilled a different human need.Since they were already nearby, they might as well stop in and check on them. It would give her some peace of mind.Zeph had no objections.The four of them got back on the road. The highway leading to the military base was much broader, and they passed several battered vehicles heading the other way.Nicole guessed they belonged to base residents out scavenging for supplies to earn points.The imposing Hummer drew plenty of curious and envious glances, but no one dared make trouble this close to military territory. With the roads in good condition, they covered the 18-mile drive in no time.Before long, the military

By the time Nicole woke up on her own, it was already 10 a.m.After washing up and eating breakfast, she picked up "The Herbal Canon" again, but no matter how hard she looked, she still couldn't identify the two herbs they had brought back from Mount Cedar.What exactly were these plants? How could they be so mysterious?Unwilling to give up, she dug through the pharmacology references she had downloaded before the disasters, only to end up even more frustrated.Forget it. The important thing was keeping them alive. Sooner or later, she would find out what they were.Since she only had two specimens, Nicole treated them like priceless treasures and carefully transplanted them into the black soil garden.She also planted the 100-plus medicinal herbs they had collected from Mount Graypine, grouping them by type before recording each one's medicinal properties in her notebook.Collecting a large variety of herbs didn't mean they had every remedy they might need.Nicole made a list

There was a traitor. Someone had sold them out.A fourth shot rang out.Then a fifth.Only after the scavengers fell back to the distant ruins did the gunfire finally stop.For a beginner like Nicole, this was no easy assignment.Zeph lowered his rifle. "Let them catch their breath."Poppy and Cola had been watching from behind them. The little girl, especially, couldn't hide the envy in her eyes. "Zeph, I wanna shoot, too!"It wasn't that Zeph didn't want to teach her. Sniper rounds were limited, and she was still too small to handle the rifle properly. "No rush. Next time, I promise."The rifle was fitted with a suppressor, and the shots came from so far away that when the first man dropped, Alex hadn't even realized what had happened.Then a second fell. Then a third...By then, even an idiot would've figured it out.Watching the mob retreat for the time being, Alex couldn't help marveling. Once again, Zeph and Nicole had saved Oakhaven Gardens almost single-handedly.It

The residents had kept their word. Every potato was in good condition, and the sizes were remarkably consistent.Including the seed potatoes, Nicole and Zeph received a total of 2,000 pounds of fresh potatoes.After checking everything over, Nicole returned the solar generator to Oakhaven Gardens.Just as they were about to leave, Alex stopped them. "The villas in the new district are almost finished. I was at the work center yesterday handling the grain payment paperwork and happened to see some wealthy people quietly picking out their houses."There are only 50 villas in the first phase, and building materials are in short supply. No one knows when phase two will even start. You two should get over there and choose one as soon as possible."Nicole froze. She had been too naive, waiting for the government's official announcement.The government could build villas when construction materials were so scarce because it had confiscated factories, land, and supplies from wealthy fa