The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 544

Chapter 544

The moment Jeremy and Hughie heard the voice, they jumped to their feet and stood at attention.

“Chief Anderson.”

Just their luck. The one person they least wanted to see had shown up.

Jasper loomed over them like a bad omen. Nicole froze, a piece of grilled bacon halfway to her mouth.

Jasper nodded. “You’re…Nicole?”

Nicole smiled. “Hi, Chief Anderson. I didn’t expect to run into you again.”

After exchanging greetings, Jasper stayed right where he was, smiling with no sign of leaving.

What were they supposed to do when their boss clearly expected an invitation?

Jeremy caught on quickly and pulled over a chair. “Have a seat, Chief. We’re just having dinner with an old friend. Join us for some food and drinks.”

“I wouldn’t be intruding, would I?”

Jeremy certainly wasn’t going to tell him the truth. “Not at all.”

“Alright, then. Don’t mind if I do.”

Jasper waved over a server and ordered another round of food.

Jeremy found Jasper a glass and poured him some beer. Jasper raised the beer to his nose and gave it a sniff.

“This is good beer. I’m surprised it’s still drinkable after three years of disasters.”

“Marcus gave it to me as an apology.” Nicole nearly had a heart attack, but her expression remained perfectly calm. “I have no idea how the Robinsons stored it, but it kept remarkably well.”

Jasper smiled. “Beer from the Robinsons? Then it must be good. I’ll have to try it.”

Jeremy caught the brief flicker of unease on Nicole’s face and quickly changed the subject. “Chief Anderson, try the food.”

The food had gotten a little soggy inside the insulated container and cooled quickly once Nicole took it out, but it still tasted good.

Jasper ate while praising it. “This is excellent. Whoever made this was better than most late-night takeout places before the disasters.”

“Nicole made it,” Jeremy said, doing his best to keep their boss entertained.

“She’s always been the most capable of the three of us. She used to work in restaurants, diners, and bakeries. She’s incredible in the kitchen. Her food is every bit as good as anything you’d get from a five-star chef.”

Jasper nodded approvingly. “She certainly is capable. She’s even better at fighting than most people.”

“Tell me about it! When we were kids at the orphanage, someone picked on her, so she grabbed a brick and chased them around the building five times.”

Jeremy wasn’t embarrassed in the least. “Hughie and I were idiots back then and got on her bad side, too. She knocked out a couple of our teeth.”

1/2

+15 Bonus

Nicole smiled. “That’s how we became friends.”

“Exactly. After that beating, Hughie and I started following her everywhere.”

The server brought over the food they had ordered, and the difference in both the ingredients and the cooking was obvious. Every bite was tough and full of scraps.

The potato noodles were decent, though. The cold-resistant potatoes were high in starch, which gave the noodles a nice chew. Aside from the price, there was nothing to complain about.

Nicole made a mental note to try making them at home. She had plenty of time, and they’d be perfect in a hearty

soup.

As they ate and talked, Jasper asked, “How have things been in the neighborhood lately? No one’s been giving you, any more trouble, have they?”

“Thanks for asking.” Nicole sounded genuinely grateful. “Ever since you showed up with your men, they’ve been behaving themselves. No one has dared give us any more trouble.”

Jeremy and Hughie exchanged confused looks.

Someone had actually been giving Nicole trouble? That was hard to believe. She was usually the one everyone else knew better than to mess with.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify