The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 703

Nicole stopped and stared into the fog, instantly on guard.

Whatever was out there stayed hidden, shifting slightly every few seconds.

Nicole pulled out a flashlight and aimed it toward the movement.

A pair of eyes stared back at her. Most of its body was hidden behind a rock, with only half its head sticking out. One ear twitched slightly.

Nicole adjusted the flashlight and looked again.

They weren't human eyes. They looked wary and confused, exhausted but stubbornly alert.

Tears instantly filled Nicole's eyes, and her voice caught in her throat.

"Cola…?"

The head moved. A moment later, Cola slowly stepped out from behind the rock, his whole body trembling. He let out a weak whine.

At first, he walked toward her. Then he broke into a run and stumbled straight into Nicole's arms.

He was painfully thin, almost nothing but skin and bones. He looked so weak that even his head seemed too heavy for his body.

Cola was weak and limping, with several wounds still oozing pus.

If not for those familiar eyes, Nicole wouldn't have recognized him even if he were standing right in front of her.

A long gash ran across his belly. Someone had stitched it shut, and although the wound had already scabbed over, the stitches were still there.

It was clear he had been badly hurt.

Zeph was the only one who could've stitched him up.

Nicole finally broke down. She pulled Cola into her arms, struggling to hold back her sobs.

"Where's Zeph? Tell me where he is!"

Cola whimpered and pressed himself against her, too weak to do much else.

His paws were cut open, bleeding and infected. Nicole had no idea what had kept him going long enough to find her.

Then she understood.

The fireworks.

He saw the fireworks.

After a while, Cola grabbed her clothes in his teeth and tugged desperately, letting out low, mournful whines. He ignored the terrible pain in his infected paws, even though he looked ready to collapse at any moment.

Watching him limp forward with such determination made Nicole's chest ache. She hurried after him, lifted him onto her back, and said, "Show me where Zeph is."

After years of training with Zeph, Cola understood her perfectly. He was smart enough to point the way with his paw.

Nicole stood outside the cave with her heart pounding. For a moment, she couldn't make herself go in, terrified of what she might find.

Cola barked anxiously. "Woof!"

Nicole took a deep breath, crouched down, and crawled inside.

The cave was pitch-black. As she felt her way forward, her hand brushed against an empty first-aid kit.

Farther in, the passage became so narrow that she couldn't even lift her head.

There was no way Zeph could've crawled this far on his own while injured. Cola must've dragged or guided him deeper into the cave.

Cola crawled forward on his belly, grabbed a piece of Zeph's clothing in his teeth, and tugged with all his strength.

Then Nicole's hand touched something. A cold hand.

Her heart sank.

She didn't dare move him, afraid he was so weak that she might hurt him.

Nicole reached farther in and felt Zeph's face. He was nothing but skin and bones. His forehead burned with fever, while his hands and feet were ice-cold.

Tears instantly blurred her vision.