The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 326

Chapter 326

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 put on night-vision goggles and watched the shoreline for a long while, only moving once they were sure the area was clear.

They were still some distance from land. Not wanting the motorboat engine to draw attention, they switched to an inflatable raft and paddled the rest of the way in.

After landing, they still had to climb a slope to reach the coastal road. There was no trail, just brambles and tall grass that rose above their heads.

Zeph pulled out a machete and went ahead, cutting a path while keeping Nicole behind him. Only after he cleared and pressed the brush down did he let her move forward.

“Watch your step.”

It took them a while to make it up to the road.

Nicole took out their beat-up little car, slid into the driver’s seat, and turned on the headlights. “You good?”

Zeph was fine overall, but the grass and thorns had left thin cuts across his hands. They bled a little, nothing serious.

Nicole pulled out iodine, cleaned the cuts, and wrapped them with bandages.

In the dark, the worn-out car crept along the road. One drove while the other kept watch.

They made it back to the villa without trouble. In a good mood, Nicole pulled out several hearty dishes from storage to celebrate.

Now that they had a yacht, if they were ever forced out to sea, they would at least have something solid under them. That alone made her feel more secure.

The trip to the coast had been well worth it. They had stocked up on a large amount of dried goods, and with the 3,000 pounds they got today, they now had over 10,000 pounds of dried seafood.

Even if they ate it for the rest of their lives, it would last. And if they used it for trade later, they would still have plenty.

Dried seafood was great, but they couldn’t live on it. It was the kind of diet that would wreck your health, so they had to be careful about how they ate it.

Nicole figured it was time to start stocking fresh food.

After dinner, the three of them and the dog sat on the rooftop, eating watermelon under the moon and

stars.

1/3

+15 Bonus

Poppy rested her chin in her hands and looked up at the sky. “It’s so nice here. I wish we could stay

forever.”

Nicole liked it here, too. The environment and available resources were far better than Westbridge.

Once you got used to a big villa, it was hard to go back to a small apartment.

Living near wealthy households had its perks. Everyone’s living standards were close enough that they didn’t have to worry about drawing attention or jealousy all the time.

Even walking the dog was easier. Cola could run up and down the hillside on his own, getting plenty of

exercise.

Zeph didn’t object. “If you both like it, we can stay. We’ll bring the rabbits over when we get the chance.”

Nicole thought that made sense, but there was no rush.

She had left enough hay behind to feed them for two or three months. They could decide whether to stay or leave after building up more supplies.

There was no such thing as a truly safe place anymore. More refugees were gathering along the coast. If they were pushed far enough, this villa district would turn into easy prey. A handful of security guards wouldn’t stop a desperate crowd.

Over the next few days, they traded for 1,200 pounds of fresh seafood each day. It was almost unreal.

Shrimp, squid, crabs, salmon, oysters, shellfish, and plenty of things they didn’t even recognize.

When they weren’t trading, they focused on stocking cooked food.

With no shortage of ingredients, they made whatever they could and even flipped through cookbooks to

learn new dishes.

Before they knew it, nearly a month had passed. They had stored enough food to last for years. They might not even need to cook anymore.

That evening, they sat on the rooftop with the sea breeze drifting through, drinking beer and eating barbecue from storage.

They had only taken a few bites when Sven showed up again.

Poppy moved so fast that she was almost a blur, hiding things in seconds and even wiping Cola’s mouth clean.

His mouth was shiny with oil and smelled like barbecue. One look would give them away.

The kid was so quick that Nicole nearly laughed out loud.

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