18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 307

Facing Shane's inquiry, Stella was not about to spill the beans. "I have no clue, but I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't have some level of confidence," she replied with a nonchalant shrug.

As Stella parted ways, she didn't forget to leave Shane with a sharp reminder. "Mr. Shane, while rescuing Bran, don't forget to catch the mole."

He had two other sons, for heaven's sake. What if they decided to take turns getting into trouble? The mere thought made Shane's blood pressure spike. Once he got the ungrateful brat back, he was seriously considering cutting the cord on their father-son relationship. Leaving the Porras mansion, Stella and her quartet headed back to her villa, where she brought up the need for a plane and fuel.

The team looked at her in disbelief. "A plane? What for? Cool as it might be, we can't afford to maintain one."

Stella laid it out plainly. "Food and meat are easy to come by, but who knows what disasters lie ahead. If a more severe earthquake hits and there's nowhere left to run on land, we might just need to take to the skies."

Kitty didn't see an issue. "Owning a jet is pretty awesome. Fancy a trip, and you're off."

If they could pull this off, they'd be living the high life for quite some time.

This was an unexpected boon, and Cody and Lukas had no objections. It had been ages since they'd fought side-by-side with Stella and Jasper.

The memories of life on the 18th floor were resurfacing, but unfortunately, they were too inexperienced at the time. When danger arose, it was always Stella taking the lead, with Jasper covering the rear. Thinking back, it was quite embarrassing actually. They hoped that this time around they could tap into their full potential.

Jasper, once a SWAT officer, was unmatched when it came to tactical planning. He shot down Kitty's original plan. The kind of folks who could thrive in this post-apocalyptic world, subsisting on kidnapping and ransom, were not to be underestimated in their ruthlessness or capability.

Kitty and Angela, if caught, would be searched immediately, stripped of all weapons. A strong fist was no match for a loaded gun, and there was the looming threat of being drugged or worse at the hands of those men.

Too many risks were at play. Any resistance or slip-up could trigger their suspicions, possibly putting their lives on the line.

intel on the

in real-time. You'd be sitting ducks if they decided to use you as leverage against us." Stella shared the details of her deal with Shane. "The Porras

questioning and

and agreed to cooperate fully with

Stella suggested

Rosie, she

par with Cody and Lukas, but she's just a kid. Even in her disappointment, she managed a smile. "Take care, guys. I'll be waiting for your safe return." Jasper ruffled her hair reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll come back without a

next door, the team set off by

Hummer wouldn't carry much. Besides, making

"We've stashed a truck elsewhere. We'll park

behind at a suburban junction while Stella and Jasper went to

vehicle. Wearing night-vision goggles and keeping the headlights off to avoid detection, they stopped a few mountains away and hid the

led the way as they trekked into the mountains, each

in the dark, they edged closer to

any likely encounters.

It was still early for the scheduled trade, and if they took out the

taking over two hours to sneak within two hundred meters of the cave entrance.

side near the entrance. Stella observed the

with the area, Stella suggested, "You guys keep watch here. Jasper and I will scout

Stella, and I will do. More people might increase the risk

fighters, and they had Arcadia to fall back on if need be. Under the cover of night, the pair and the dog set out along the mountain's contours in search of alternative paths. Thankfully, the terrain wasn't too treacherous, or their task would have been significantly riskier. Stella instructed Cooper to sniff out any human scents. The dog weaved through the woods, pausing now and then to