LOGIN"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
Zeph didn't actually know how to run a cruise ship.Either way, having it on hand couldn't hurt.Out of everything, Zeph was far more interested in the weapons.Everything Felix had stockpiled was top quality. He started checking them. "When we get a chance, I'll teach you how to use a sniper."With the AC running, they slept straight through until morning.Before 6 a.m., Zeph woke Nicole to pack up the RV, then carried the still-sleeping Poppy into the Hummer.Breakfast was simple, milk and waffles, but it came with a quiet sense of comfort.With Ironvale Base gone, things should settle down for a while.The sun climbed quickly. Even after a full night, the heat hadn't eased. Another day of relentless scorching began.Vegetation had withered without water, the ground cracked into dry ridges, and the wind blew hot like exhaust, carrying grit and dust that stung the eyes.This had once been fertile southern land, rich with rivers and fish farms. But now, the waterways were g
After leaving Ironvale Base, Nicole's group realized they had nowhere to go.They couldn't return to Crownview Residences, and they hadn't found a new place yet, so all they could do was keep moving through the night.After everything that had happened, they were exhausted and in desperate need of rest.Nicole had Zeph drive to a remote, empty stretch. Before Poppy got out, she pulled out a high-end RV worth a fortune.It was spacious and fully equipped, with two bedrooms and a living room. The built-in storage couldn't match a house, but for an RV, it was as good as it got.The only drawback was that she had found several keys and remotes inside, but not the ignition key. Even so, it was more than enough. They could use it as a place to stay and save fuel.To avoid drawing attention, she pulled all the blackout curtains closed.Despite everything earlier, they had barely eaten. Nicole brought out hot food and called the two little ones to the dining area.They had played a hug
It was Oliver again. This time, he had a few other men with him.Nicole didn't respond.Oliver kept knocking, muttering to the others beside him."Oliver, it's dead quiet up here. Do you think something happened to them last night?"The man's voice was hoarse; he was clearly sick from the cold.
"Don't cry," Zeph said to Poppy. "Your tears will freeze, and that'll leave scars on your face."Nicole poured him a cup, then hurried over and knocked on Hughie's door.Inside, the three of them were in complete chaos, fumbling to pull on layers and wrapping themselves in blankets.Even holding
Jeremy snapped at Nicole, but she just smiled without arguing.If she really had a jinx like that, she would rather the deep freeze never come at all.She kept an eye on Zeph. He was calm and unreadable as always, no hint of emotion on his face.Cola, on the other hand, was restless. Even after f
Poppy officially "retired" from kitchen duty and ran off to the living room to play with Cola.One pound of flour mixed with water made about a pound and a half of dough, and each pound of dough could turn out around 100 raviolis.With Hughie's group pitching in, they finally managed to crank out







