LOGINAfter about an hour of sleep, Nicole woke in the evening. The air outside still burned, and the sunlight was sharp enough to sting her eyes.Not wanting to leave Poppy and Cola alone, Nicole and Zeph brought them along. They drove out of Oakhaven Gardens and found a quiet, empty spot, leaving the two little ones in the car.Nicole pulled out a large truck they had taken from Ironvale Base and loaded it with steel doors, furniture, and kitchen supplies.Zeph drove the truck back to Oakhaven Gardens. Nicole followed behind in the Hummer with the two little ones.The guard at the gate hurried to open it. Seeing the truck roll in only confirmed what people already believed.Most people couldn't even get fuel. These two were driving a truck like it was nothing. Their capability was obvious, and so was their backing.With them in Oakhaven Gardens, things would only get safer.They had heard Alex say Zeph would be teaching self-defense. Some were already planning to send their kids.
Alex went through everything about Oakhaven Gardens in detail, even mentioning that Nicole and Zeph could claim a plot of land near Building Five for planting.Nicole pulled a bag of potatoes from the trunk, weighed out 20 pounds, and paid the rent.The four of them drove over to Building Five. The buildings were spread out, and with Building Four between them, they had enough privacy that no one would be watching their every move.Just thinking about it felt good."Poppy, Cola, we've got a new place. Are you happy?""Yeah!""Woof!"The entrance door had probably been wood. During the deep freeze, someone had torn it off for firewood.They parked downstairs and headed up.Nicole picked the fourth floor right away. Unit 401 had a terrace over 1,000 square feet, perfect for planting.It was the largest unit with four bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, two balconies, and two bathrooms. The interior living space was roughly 1,600 square feet. It had great light and good airf
"If they get their own water source, then things on our side will finally settle down, too. Don't you think?"Alex's answer caught Nicole off guard. After everything that had happened, he still chose restraint over force.It was the right approach. Those townspeople were just survivors scraping by, fighting over what little was left. You couldn't solve that by mowing people down like a gang.And when things got dangerous, Alex had stepped up himself instead of hiding behind his title.That was probably why the residents respected him.When Nicole and Zeph didn't answer, Alex assumed they were still deciding and continued, "I didn't expect you two to be this capable, and you helped us out today. How about this? I can lower the rent. Five pounds of grain a month. Sweet potatoes or regular potatoes are fine. What do you think?"That was already a low price. Oakhaven Gardens distributed a fixed amount of water every day, and they had found a solar generator earlier, so residents co
The townspeople had come in aggressively, but after seeing what the two of them could do, no one dared speak.Two of their own were already down.No one wanted to be next.Alex stepped forward. "Mr. Truman, I'll say this one more time. We dug that well ourselves. If anyone tries to take it, we'll fight to the last person. We're not backing down."Since the heat wave began, the two sides had clashed five or six times. Today the odds weren't in their favor, and staying would only cost them more. Patrick Truman didn't waste words. "Fine. We'll see how this plays out."His gaze settled on the two newcomers.If he wanted that water, they would have to be dealt with.They had come in force and left with their heads down. Another day without water.The residents had braced for a real fight, maybe even casualties, not expecting it to end so quickly. Looking at Zeph and Nicole now, their eyes were filled with gratitude and newfound respect.The man was composed, the woman sharp, and
"What do you mean, it's your land? If the developer hadn't paid you, would you have given it up? Give me a break," one of the residents of Oakhaven Gardens groaned."Cut the crap! The developer's gone, so what claim do you have left? And don't stand there acting like the victim. You never even paid for your place," the intruders yelled back.The shouting went back and forth, neither side backing down.The other side had the numbers, and once the alarm went out, residents of Oakhaven Gardens rushed over with whatever they could grab.Men, women, the elderly, and even kids showed up.They held iron bars, wooden sticks, hoes, bricks, kitchen knives… All crude weapons. Not a single firearm in sight.Gun control had always been strict. Ordinary people didn't get access to firearms. If not for everything they had been through, Nicole wouldn't have had any either.They had lost the last clash, and this time, the other side came prepared, fully protected. In both numbers and momentum, O
It had been over half a month since the interview. Alex had assumed Nicole and Zeph wouldn't come back, which left him a little disappointed.He could tell the two of them were capable, and the community was short on people like that.So when they showed up again, it caught him off guard.After they drove into the complex, Alex personally took them to see the available units."We've got plenty of empty places. In Phase One, two buildings are fully finished, but the lower floors are already occupied. For safety and to avoid conflicts, we keep one household per floor and seal the fire doors. The higher floors are empty, so they're quiet, just a bit hotter."Building Three in Phase Two was finished by us, so it's a little rough, but there are still units open on the lower floors. Want to take a look at all of them?"Nicole shook her head. "Mr. Landon, we have a dog. Living above or below other people isn't ideal. We'd prefer a place with some separation. Could we see Buildings Four
Nicole couldn't be bothered explaining all the reasons behind it. She grabbed the walkie-talkie instead. "Hang on. I've got something for you guys."She carried the clothes over to Hughie's apartment, making no effort to hide her generosity. "Made these myself. Hurry up and try them on."Jeremy
It was actual popcorn, warm and fragrant. Add a little caramel coating, and it would taste just like movie theater popcorn.Unlike those two idiots, though, Nicole and Beatrice couldn't laugh about it.Especially after hearing the latest radio broadcast.The city warned residents not to go outsid
Zeph analyzed the situation for Nicole. "Maybe they're also waiting for the ice to finish melting before coming back. If you miss each other, it'll only get more troublesome."He had a point, so Nicole decided to wait a little longer.After lunch, she went back for a nap. She placed large blocks o
That night, the two secretly drank under the blankets.The deep freeze was miserable, but at least people had gotten used to it. If only things could stay like this forever.For Jeremy and Hughie, this job meant more than food or status. It proved they weren't weak, sickly men anymore. It proved t







