The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 917

Chapter 917

Chapter 917

Nicole pulled insulated boots, scarves, gloves, and the rest of their winter gear from her storage space.

The yacht wasn’t built for cold weather, and the partly enclosed deck was freezing. She set up a charcoal stove in an open area of the deck and lit it so they could warm themselves nearby. 15

She offered to take a turn at the helm so Zeph could rest, but he shook his head.

“No need. We can stop whenever I get tired.”

They still took their time over three meals a day and settled down for an afternoon nap. Two or three hours of travel each day was plenty.

They spent the rest of their time relaxing. Sometimes, they simply drifted with the current.

As they continued north, the ice grew thicker.

About three days later, the yacht struggled to push through it and burned much more fuel in the process.

It wasn’t an icebreaker. They couldn’t keep forcing it through.

Zeph secured a rope around himself and climbed down to check the ice. “Still too thin.”

He didn’t trust it to hold their weight.

Nicole wasn’t about to damage a perfectly good yacht. Instead, she brought out the fishing boat they picked up from the Savadians. She was much less concerned about putting that battered metal hull to

work.

The four of them changed boats, and Nicole put the yacht back in her storage space.

The fishing boat pushed through the ice for another half day before it finally ground to a halt.

They checked again. This time, the ice was thick enough to walk on.

Nicole still took precautions, tying them together with a rope.

Once everyone was on the ice, she put the fishing boat away. They adjusted their goggles and pulled up their windproof hoods, carrying only what they needed.

Snow kept falling, adding to the layer already covering the ice.

Their winter gear and trekking poles made the walk manageable. The wind and blowing snow were the hardest part.

The snow reached only to their ankles, so they made decent progress. Cola had a harder time with the cold air, which irritated his nose and sent him into repeated sneezing fits.

After more than an hour of trudging through the storm, Nicole brought out a Hummer. The four of them piled inside, grateful for a chance to sit down and rest.

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Chapter 917

They warmed up with hot water. Once Nicole could feel her fingers and toes again, she retrieved the mask she made for Cola from temperature-regulating fabric.

While stocking up on pet supplies for the cold, she bought a muzzle, covered it with the fabric, and added small openings for airflow.

Cola hated wearing anything that restricted his movements, but the freezing air was clearly bothering

him.

Nicole braced for a fight as she slipped the mask over his muzzle. “Leave it alone. No pawing it off. It’ll help with the cold.”

If he weren’t so stubborn about wearing boots, she would have put those on him, too.

Once they rested, they headed back out and continued their trek across the ice.

The wind this far north was fierce, whipping the snow around them and piling it into drifts. Some drifts froze into hard mounds that broke up the otherwise flat landscape.

Toward evening, Nicole picked a sheltered spot beside a snow-covered ridge. It would block the worst of the wind while they slept.

The ice was much thicker here, so she brought out the Marauder. The armored vehicle had plenty of room inside and offered protection if anyone tried to attack them during the night.

Between their temperature-regulating clothes and thick blankets, they stayed warm and slept comfortably.

By morning, the temperature outside dropped to -22 degrees. Their clothing helped keep them warm, but even it had limits in weather this severe.