The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 123

Chapter 123

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.

Nicole opened her eyes and instantly felt a cold so sharp that it was like needles piercing her skin.

At the same time, the rabbits started shrieking.

She grabbed a flashlight and turned it on.

More than 20 rabbits were crammed into Cola’s dog bed, huddled together, their bodies trembling violently from the cold.

“Nicole! Nicole!”

Zeph’s voice came through the walkie, urgent.

“I-I’m here…” Her teeth were chattering so hard that she could barely speak.

“The temperature dropped. Get dressed. Now.”

The air felt like blades slicing into her lungs. Even talking hurt.

Nicole didn’t hesitate. She scooped Cola and the entire nest of rabbits into her storage space.

The moment she stepped inside, warmth wrapped around her.

Her stiff limbs took a while to loosen again.

She quickly grabbed the clothes she had prepared earlier and started layering up. She put on thermal base layers, a wool sweater, a heavy fur coat, multiple pairs of socks, insulated snow boots, a scarf, and a thermal face covering.

Then she crouched down and dressed Cola the same way, with thermal layers, a wool sweater, and a fur

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Chapter 123

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coat.

Ash and Snowy came next, bundled until they looked like round little balls.

The rest of the rabbits went into a foam crate lined with several layers of blankets. Whether they would survive was up to fate now.

After everything was done, Nicole poured herself a big cup of hot ginger tea and drank it down. The heat burned all the way down her throat into her stomach.

Only then did she step out of her storage space. The second she returned, a loud pounding nearly blew her ears out.

“Nicole!”

The force was so strong that it sounded like the metal door might give way.

“I’m coming!”

The moment she stepped outside, the air cut like a blade. Each breath burned as it hit her chest.

Cola started coughing, pawing at his nose nonstop.

Nicole hurried to move the rabbits’ crate into her room, then rushed to open the door.

Zeph was outside, kicking it.

The moment it opened, his voice came fast. “Are you okay?”

Before she could answer, he wrapped a fur coat tightly around her.

Nicole froze for a second, staring at him.

He was wearing a military coat, standing there in the freezing air. For a split moment, her mind went

blank.

But she snapped out of it quickly. “I’m fine. I was just caught off guard. My ears felt kind of numb.”

“Good.”

Zeph fastened the coat around her, then immediately turned to pound on Hughie’s door.

They had already been woken by the noise and were scrambling to throw on whatever warm clothes they could find. “We’re up! We’re up!”

With two heavy coats on, Nicole felt like she had turned into a walking ball. 1

She must’ve looked a little out of it, because Zeph grabbed her shoulders and gave her a small shake, his expression serious. “Go back inside and start a fire.”

“Okay.”

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