The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58

+15 Bonus

Chapter 58

Before the attackers could react, Cola launched himself forward, leaping straight at the incoming raft.

Belgian Malinois were built for this. He slammed into one of them hard, knocking the man flat.

In just a few exchanges, three people had already been thrown into the water, and two were bleeding from bites.

One of them pulled out a knife and drove it straight toward Cola.

Nicole cut in fast, slamming her motorboat into the raft and flipping it over. She spun the wheel hard, swinging back around.

“Cola!”

Cola pushed off with all four legs. His thin body flew ten feet through the air before landing cleanly on the boat.

The engine roared. Water sprayed high behind them as they tore away. By the time the others scrambled back onto their raft, the boat was already gone.

The sky was dark, heavy with clouds. They hadn’t even gotten a good look at Nicole’s face.

No dog meat stew for them today. They suffered a bunch of injuries for nothing. They cursed their bad luck under their breath, frustration boiling over.

Nicole drove straight into the complex and stopped at the base of her building. Rain blurred her vision as she reached out, eager to pull Cola into her arms, but he backed away.

His eyes were sharp, guarded, full of suspicion.

He looked terrible. Blood stained his mouth. Half his fur was gone, and his body was covered in scars.

This wasn’t the first time he had been hunted like that.

In a world like this, people would do anything to survive. Stray dogs didn’t stand a chance.

Even before the storm, plenty of residents here had pets. Some treated them better than themselves.

But now, none of them were around.

Nicole didn’t want to think about what Cola had been through to make it this far.

“Cola, it’s okay,” she said softly, trying to calm him. “Stick with me. As long as I eat, you eat. You won’t go hungry.

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Cola didn’t move closer. He still kept his distance, tense and ready to bolt.

Nicole couldn’t even get near him, let alone touch him. After a moment, she reached into her bag and pulled out a hot dog. She tore it open and tossed it toward him.

Even starving, Cola stayed cautious. He crept forward, sniffed it, then gulped it down in one bite.

He kept watching her.

She fed him ten hot dogs before he finally let her reach out and touch his head.

Even then, when she tried to coax him to stay, he hesitated. His body angled toward the flood, as if he was ready to jump back in and disappear.

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Chapter 58

+15 Bonus

Stray dogs weren’t just wary; they were smart.

Cola knew this was human territory. Step too close, and he could end up in a pot. He had seen it happen.

Nicole wasn’t about to let him go. She quickly pulled out a chicken drumstick, then dug through her bag and showed him the kibble.

“Stay with me. I promise you’ll never go hungry again.”

The kibble was something she had grabbed from a grocery store during the flood, just sweeping up whatever she could. She only noticed it later while sorting through supplies.

She hadn’t thrown it away, as she figured she might use it someday.

As it turned out, it had been waiting for him.

Cola’s eyes locked onto the bag. Something shifted in his gaze, like he was remembering.

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