The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 824

Chapter 824

Nicole regretted leaving squickly that day. She should’ve examined the bodies before they left.

Her theory made Zeph chuckle. “You know people can train themselves to hold their breath underwater, right?”

Most people only managed a minute or two, but trained divers could stay under much longer. With their lives at stake, the attackers had plenty of reason to develop that skill.

Training could improve their swimming speed, too. Strong swimmers could cover a considerable distance before they needed to surface,

That made the Ardelonians’ underwater approach less mysterious than Nicole first thought.

Even after everything she witnessed, people still found ways to surprise her.

The ocean stretched to the horizon beneath sunset clouds that set half the sky ablaze. Tired of being cooped up in the submarine, the four of them stayed on deck for dinner in the evening breeze.

After days of bland packaged meals, barbecue sounded perfect.

They brought up a table and chairs, set out a portable gas grill, and prepared well-marbled beef and lamb, meatballs, mushrooms, sliced squash, and bell peppers. A bowl of salad rounded out the meal.

The meat sizzled as they brushed it with barbecue sauce, and the sea breeze carried the smoky aroma across the deck.

Zeph opened a bottle of red wine and poured some for himself and Nicole, while Poppy raised her glass of juice. Their three glasses clinked together.

“Cheers, Zeph! Cheers, Nicole!” Poppy said, beaming.

Beside them, Cola barked in protest. He clearly resented being left out.

He pawed at the deck and ignored his bowl of chicken. Then he turned away to sulk, staring out at the ocean while drool dripped from his mouth.

Nicole gave in and added a generous helping of freeze-dried treats to his bowl.

By the end of dinner, the heat from the food left them sweating, but Nicole felt better than she had all day. The last of her sadness faded as they ate.

A good barbecue did wonders for everyone’s mood. Full and content, they submerged the submarine, took showers, and went to bed.

Nicole slept until she was ready to get up,

When she slid back the cover over the viewing window, sunlight filtered through the still water outside. It looked like another calm, sunny day.

After Blue finished scratching itself against the hull, Nicole noticed how restless Cola was getting. She put the submarine into her storage space and brought out the yacht.

Poppy carried her flowers outside for some sun, while Cola raced up and down all three decks. Nicole pulled

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on a sun shirt and settled into a lounge chair.

After their last experience neither she nor Zeph wanted to take chances. Someone stayed on deck at all times to watch for changes in the weather. Conditions at sea could turn dangerous in minutes.

Around noon, the breeze picked up, though it remained gentle.

Poppy and Cola headed below for a nap. Nicole told Zeph to get some rest, too.

“Come take over in two hours.”

Once he left, she applied an expensive face mask and stretched out in her lounge chair. Every so often, she picked up the binoculars to scan the water.

She finished rinsing off the mask and reached for her skin care products when a foul smell caught her

attention.

Nicole sniffed. Something smelled like rotten fish.

For a moment, she wondered if a flying fish lay hidden somewhere on deck. But Zeph was meticulous when he cleaned. He checked every corner and crevice.

She grabbed the binoculars and swept them across the surrounding water.

A small boat came into view upwind, drifting slowly toward them. The stench seemed to be coming from it.

Nicole studied its outline, a flicker of recognition making her uneasy. A closer look confirmed it was the Savadian fishing boat.

The boat seemed to haunt them. They put more than 100 nautical miles between themselves and it, only for the current to carry it back their way.