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.

can't gather intel on the inside if

shared in real-time. You'd be sitting ducks if they decided to use you as leverage against us." Stella shared the details

such a large stronghold, they could probably grab a lookout for questioning and get the lowdown on the cave's interior before sealing off the

agreed to cooperate fully with

less than 24 hours to Shane's ransom drop, Stella suggested they head out early to scope out the

Rosie, she would have

a kid. Even in her disappointment, she managed a smile. "Take care, guys. I'll be waiting for your safe return."

was safely settled next door, the team set off

knew their Hummer wouldn't carry much.

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

a suburban junction while Stella and Jasper went to retrieve the

the headlights off to avoid detection, they stopped a few

led the way as they trekked into the mountains, each

navigating several peaks in the dark, they edged closer

avoiding any likely encounters. Kitty was silently impressed. She had taken several trips to

early for the scheduled trade, and

taking over two hours to sneak within two hundred meters of the

entrance. Stella observed the mountainous terrain, speculating on where the other entrances and exits

Stella suggested, "You guys keep watch here.

"Just Cooper, Stella, and

were all capable 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 wait for