18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 324

The air was heavy with smog as the officers cautiously approached the mysterious black bag. Upon opening it, they found it to be full of herbs. Baffled glances were exchanged - what could this possibly mean? Nobody took the situation lightly; for all they knew, the herbs could be a smokescreen for something more sinister, like a bomb. Calling in an off-duty colleague, they meticulously checked each package. The incident was so bizarre it quickly caught the attention of Detective Evan, who was awakened in the dead of night to find the precinct's yard overflowing with the mysterious herbal haul, leaving him utterly flabbergasted. With a moment's thought, Evan instructed, "Get an expert from the Institute of Herbal Medicine over here, pronto."

The officers wasted no time and drove through the night to fetch the expert.

Back in his office, Evan inquired, "Did anyone get a good look at the people who dropped off the herbs?"

"No luck," admitted an officer on duty. "The visibility was poor, and the smog didn't help. They stayed in their vehicle and were pretty much unrecognizable."

The officer paused, then added, "They were wearing gas masks though, looked almost like skulls at first glance. Gave me quite a scare, I thought we were under some sort of biochemical attack."

Evan shot him a look. "You've been watching too many movies, haven't you?"

"Evan, I'm dead serious. People are on edge; lashing out at society is becoming all too common. If this smog virus turns into an epidemic, who knows how many might become carriers. We need to be ready." Evan's gaze was sharp. "Mask up."

The officer clutched his mask tighter, "Evan, should we track down those trucks?"

Evan pondered over the two letters that had almost worn thin in his hands over the years. What use was there in tracking down trucks, only to lock them up?

"No, let's wait for the expert's verdict on these herbs

more ominous version. Stella, unsurprisingly, had another nightmare, this time envisioning Jasper coughing up his lungs into a basin until it overflowed. Not just him, but Cooper was

met by Jasper turning on the

dream," Stella patted her chest, reassuring

calm was short-lived as Austin's voice crackled urgently through the intercom. "Stella, Dylan's got a fever with a cough, his breathing is rapid and he's all hot

"Almost 40."

he take the pills

expired a couple years ago and he was afraid to give them to his son

lukewarm water," Stella instructed through the static. "Use

was sick too. It seemed to be no coincidence - the smog virus was spreading rapidly, and

with a grim look. "The

physical discomfort, but the risk was too high. After much deliberation, Stella made her decision, "We'll

containers in the Arcadia, sanitized and packed away in case of future necessity. The rabbits, however, seemed unaffected, chewing hay leisurely. With a heavy heart, Stella cleaned out the coop but left them with plenty of hay and

soon as the everlasting night was over. Once the smog rolled in, she thought, she could covertly drop off the

medicine being misappropriated. Secondly, she was worried that if a large amount of unidentified herbs suddenly appeared, they might alarm the Swan Hill Police Station. If an investigation

Evan. Evan, she believed, undeniably understood the purpose of the herbs and would also potentially assist in maintaining the deception. Given his acuity, she had a hunch he had inferred her intent but

research institute, Stella could not be at ease. She decided to undertake

in her protective gear, she bravely set out in broad daylight. As she stepped out, she decided to drop off a large batch of herbs at Austin's villa. She instructed