The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 434

Chapter 434

Ideas came fast from the residents, each one grounded and practical.

“Let’s scatter broken glass along the base of the wall. If anyone tries to climb, it’ll shred them.”

“And we need extra locks on the well. If that gets taken, we’re finished.”

They moved immediately, dividing the work of the spot. The objective was simple: get the barrier up before dawn and keep the danger on the other side.

No one sat out. Men, women, the elderly, and even kids who could carry something all worked through the heat. They drove stakes into the ground, hauled bricks, lugged cement, and tore down prefab panels.

Zeph worked alongside Alex, figuring out how to anchor the stakes so the structure would hold.

Nicole stayed upstairs, working in the dark.

Machines weren’t her strength. She replayed the recordings over and over, studying each step until she could piece it together. It took time, but she eventually got the sprayer assembled and tested it in her storage space.

It worked.

At least irrigation wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

The Oakhaven residents worked through the night. By the time the sky started to lighten, Oakhaven Gardens had been split in two, a barrier raised by sheer manpower.

Bricks, cement, and sandbags were stacked at the base. Whether it would be enough depended on the people who

came.

Everyone was exhausted, but no one stopped. They went back to reinforce each building, then carefully rationed the remaining well water.

Over breakfast, Nicole asked, “Should we run an electric grid along the lower levels?”

Zeph thought it through. “If things turn into a full rush, it won’t hold.”

Any resettlement site would take in thousands. An electric fence might slow a few people, but not a crowd. If they were determined, they would find a way through.

They could lose the fence without gaining anything.

In the best case, the military arrived soon. Otherwise, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Poppy was on the balcony watering the sweet potato seedlings when she suddenly froze.

“They’re here!”

Startled, she scrambled to gather the planters, trying to drag them inside.

Nicole stepped out onto the terrace.

In the distance, a line of people stretched across the road, winding farther than she could see.

They traveled on foot, thin as skeletons and caked in dust, their vacant expressions making them look like the living dead.

The Oakhaven residents were thin too, but the difference in their physical condition and spirit was unmistakable.

1/2

+15 Benus

It was an unsettling sight.

After the planters were cleared, Nicole called Poppy and Cola over. “From today on, no more going out on the terrace. Stay inside.”

The barrier was up, but Buildings 5 and 6 were still close; too close.

On one side stood a crowd on the brink of starvation. On the other, a kid and a dog. Anyone would be tempted.

Animals sensed danger faster than people. Cola stood rigid, his body tense and his eyes locked outward.

Zeph checked the stairwell again, making sure the stainless-steel doors downstairs were electrified.

Refugees kept pouring into the neighboring buildings. On their side, patrols were now armed, and the time between rounds had shortened. Most of the attention centered on Building 5.

Alex’s voice came through the radio.

“Zeph, keep a close watch on Building 5. If anything looks off, report it immediately.”

The planters and shade structures were all brought inside. Every room had privacy glass, now backed up with

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify