The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 420

Chapter 420

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With that, Zeph jumped.

Nicole’s heart lurched into her throat. They were suspended over open air. If he missed, it would be a straight drop into a fissure dozens of feet deep.

Fortunately, he landed cleanly on the rock. The moment his weight settled, Zeph felt it shift under him.

He drew a breath and steadied himself before saying to Nicole, “The rock’s not stable. Close the hatch.”

“Okay. Be careful. Don’t push it.”

Once she saw him hold, Nicole went back to her seat and buckled in, unease settling in her chest. She could only hope nothing went wrong.

The soil was loose and hard to grip, but Zeph had experience with high-angle climbing and rescue work. Using his spiked shoes and pickaxe, he worked his way up with careful, measured movements.

He was halfway up when something cracked beneath his feet.

Nicole’s gaze followed him, and then the drop hit.

The rock gave way. The pod plunged again.

“Zeph!” Poppy cried.

The pod fell more than 30 feet before catching again.

Nicole forced her voice to stay steady. “It’s okay, Poppy. He’ll be fine.”

All she could see through the glass was dirt and rock pouring past.

Zeph heard the collapse and glanced down. When he saw the pod drop, something tightened in his chest, but he didn’t stop.

The pod could take the impact. It would hold, at least for now.

What mattered was getting them out.

The rope suddenly slackened. The anchor point was giving way.

Zeph reacted without thinking. He drove off the wall, reached up, and caught the edge. Using his core, he pulled himself over and onto solid ground.

The edge crumbled behind him, dirt sliding into the fissure, but he kept moving until he reached stable footing. He drove a piton into the ground, secured the rope, then went back to the edge and dropped it down.

The shifting light caught Nicole’s attention. She looked toward the hatch and saw the rope swinging outside.

She moved quickly, strapping Poppy into the harness. “Don’t be scared. Don’t look down. He’s got you.”

“What about you?”

“You go first. I’ll be right behind you.”

Nicole opened the hatch, hooked the rope, and clipped it to the harness.

Poppy hung in the air, looking up as Zeph pulled her higher under the harsh sun. Without warning, tears slipped

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down her face.

He got her up safely. Cola went next, hauled up just as fast.

“Get behind me and help pull,” Zeph called.

The two of them did what they could, Poppy pulling with both hands, Cola gripping the rope with his teeth.

The moment Nicole lifted off, she stored the pod away.

It was close to 100 feet up. Not trusting them to hold her weight the whole way, she braced her hands and feet against the dirt wall and climbed as she went. It took effort, but she made it.

Zeph pulled her in. “You okay?”

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