The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 747

Nicole never expected to run into someone she knew at the military base. It was Ethan.

He had just come in from outside and looked just as surprised to see them. His face immediately lit up.

Nicole stared at him. "You guys made it here?"

The excitement in Ethan's eyes faded a little. "Not all of us. Just me and a few others."

"What about Captain Landon and your dad?"

"Captain Landon led the Westbridge residents toward Jazenville. My dad and the others went with them. We just..."

Parents always thought about their children's future before their own.

Isaac didn't want to become a burden on his son, so he insisted that Ethan go to the military base.

Ethan wasn't the only one. The younger, more capable residents of Oakhaven Gardens were all encouraged to try their luck there.

Ethan and Isaac had relied on each other for years. Isaac was getting older, and with one disaster following another, no one knew how much longer he would make it.

Ethan refused at first, but Isaac had already made up his mind. If Ethan wouldn't leave, then he would stay in Westbridge and let the eruption take him.

Faced with a choice like that, Ethan finally gave in.

They had known each other for years, so Nicole wanted to know what happened to everyone.

"Did anything go wrong during the evacuation?"

Looking back, Ethan knew they had been incredibly lucky. Even now, the memory still made his blood run cold.

The satellite debris struck Mount Graypine without warning, and the evacuation order came just as suddenly. Most residents didn't want to leave, so getting everyone organized took hours, with one delay after another slowing them down.

They finally set out around noon. They hadn't gone far when Mount Graypine erupted, forcing the entire convoy to move faster.

By evening, after traveling for half the day, they were almost out of Grayport. Volcanic ash had already spread across the area, so everyone covered their mouths and noses and kept moving.

Then a massive sandstorm hit, the worst the region had seen in a century.

Fortunately, they were still inside the city. The buildings took some of the force out of the storm and gave everyone time to find shelter, so casualties were limited.

He had to survive. Otherwise, everything his father sacrificed for him would mean nothing. And as long as he stayed alive, there was still a chance they might see each other again.

Nicole felt a faint ache in her chest. "You'll see him again someday."

After talking a little longer, Ethan hurried off to buy the survival pod.

On the way back, Nicole suddenly slowed and glanced behind her.

Zeph looked over. "What's wrong?"

Nicole scanned the area. "I feel like someone's watching us."

Zeph had noticed people staring, too. "With that many points on your card, I'd be surprised if no one was watching."

"That's not it."

Nicole frowned. She couldn't explain it, but something about the feeling was different. It didn't seem like ordinary scavengers keeping an eye on them.

At that, Zeph immediately became more alert, but even he couldn't spot anything unusual.