The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 598

Chapter 598

Unfortunately for the thugs, their bullets barely fazed the Marauder. They didn’t even leave a scratch. When the windows proved impossible to penetrate, they switched targets and opened fire on the tires.

No luck there either.

“Where are the armor-piercing rounds? Somebody get the damn armor-piercing rounds!”

Nicole ignored their furious shouting and floored it, the engine roaring as the Marauder surged forward.

One idiot with a death wish charged straight at them with his gun raised.

If he was that eager to die, Nicole wasn’t going to stop him.

She drove right through him and smashed into the wall behind him. The Marauder rolled over the shattered bricks and rubble without even slowing down.

At this point, nothing in front of them felt like much of an obstacle. Barreling through the darkness in an armored truck was almost exhilarating.

Once they were out of the old district, things became much safer.

A few raiders still tried their luck along the way, but the second they saw the Marauder bearing down on them, they lost their nerve.

Nicole and Zeph reached the edge of the new district without any trouble, then switched to a different vehicle. Flying out in a helicopter and coming back in a car would’ve drawn far too much attention.

Still wearing body armor and helmets, the two of them rode a small electric scooter the rest of the way home.

It wasn’t until later that they learned the new district had been under a major security crackdown for the past two days. For the time being, none of the raiders were willing to risk showing their faces.

Nicole expected as much. Otherwise, she never would’ve dared ride a scooter through the city.

After the military and police raided the cave hideout, they were bound to question the three injured men while the leads were still fresh, identify every gang in the city connected to them, and come down on them hard.

With that kind of pressure, only an idiot would’ve been stupid enough to make himself a target.

Anyone dumb enough to try could end up tossed into the waste-to-energy plant, burned along with the trash to help keep the lights on through the polar night. At least then they would finally be useful.

After stashing the helicopter, Nicole didn’t rush to collect the aviation fuel.

Taking it all at once would’ve been far too obvious. The Robinsons might be able to work out where they were going or where they were keeping everything, and the last thing Nicole wanted was someone sharp enough to track them.

Jeremy thought for a moment. “What are you planning to do, Nicole?”

“I’m definitely keeping the helicopter. If you want a share in it, we can all use it when necessary. If we ever run into a disaster with no other way out, it could give us one more chance to survive. If you don’t want a share, I’ll trade your portion for supplies of equal value.”

The four of them quickly did the math. Between the salt, alcohol, medicine, and other goods they could trade for food, plus the 1,500 pounds of unprocessed rice, they already had enough to live on for years.

They exchanged a look before Diana spoke for the group. “We don’t want a share of the helicopter.”

Nicole paused. “Alright. Then tell me what supplies you want, and I’ll find a way to trade for them.”

“We don’t want anything.” Diana’s voice was firm. “We seriously underestimated how well armed those people were. Without you and Zeph, forget the helicopter and the fuel. We probably wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

Even if they had survived, there was no way they would’ve gotten away without someone being badly hurt.

People liked to say friends should always help each other, but when survival was on the line, it was better to keep things fair and clear.

Besides, Nicole and Zeph had already helped them more times than they could count over the years. Without them, Beatrice and Diana might not even be alive today.