The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 343

Chapter 343

The toll for small vehicles was 20 pounds of food.

Nicole swallowed her frustration and reached for some potatoes when the man cut in, “Ten pounds of grain, ten pounds of meat.”

More than a dozen of them closed in, surrounding the Hummer. Some held knives, while others had guns.

The message was clear: refuse, and you die.

Nicole took a slow breath and gave them ten pounds of potatoes and ten pounds of dried seafood.

They paid their way through.

Less than ten minutes later, another checkpoint came into view. It was the same group of bald men from last time, the ones who had jacked up the price on the spot.

They rushed the vehicle again. This time, they didn’t ask for payment.

One of them kicked the door. “Out. Now.”

They all looked ready to kill. They pressed their weapons up against the windows, aimed straight at Zeph and

Nicole.

The two of them exchanged a glance and stepped out.

The rear door was yanked open. The men’s eyes lit up instantly when they saw a big, well-fed dog and a small, soft -looking girl.

“Out!”

Poppy’s eyes filled with fear. She tried to run to Zeph, but one of the men grabbed her by the collar and yanked her

back.

At the same time, several others circled Cola, their eyes greedy.

That dog alone could feed them for days!

Cola let out a low whine, his whole body trembling.

The leader stepped forward and pointed his gun at Zeph. “We’re taking the car. Leave the kid and the dog. You two can walk.”

Nicole frowned. These people hauled in truckloads of supplies every day. They weren’t short on food, so why insist on keeping Poppy?

The thought had barely formed when a tattooed man picked Poppy up, grinning in a way that made her skin crawl.

“Relax, kid. Come hang out with us. We’ve got food, games, whatever you want. We’ll even show you something fun. Sound good?”

Poppy’s voice shook. “I want to go home.”

The man laughed. “This is home now. We’ll take real good care of you.”

The others laughed with him, not even trying to hide it even with Zeph and Nicole standing right there.

Poppy turned her head and looked at Zeph.

1/2

だ

Nicole drew in a breath and forced a tight smile. “She’s just a kid. Let her go. We won’t make trouble.”

+15 Benus

Before coming here, she had disguised herself in worn clothes, with dulled skin and freckles. Zeph looked just as rough, like he wasn’t worth a second glance.

They hadn’t even bothered sizing them up. All their attention was on the girl and the dog.

“You deaf?” The leader pressed the gun against Zeph’s head. “Push me again, and I’ll drop both of you!”

Zeph didn’t respond. He only looked at Poppy.

The man holding her suddenly stumbled backward. His eyes bulged, and his mouth opened as he tried to breathe.

Then he dropped hard to the ground.

Blood spread across his chest. His hands clawed at his throat, eyes wide and fixed.

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