18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 367

Tom's punch landed hard, and the young boy's lip split, blood trickling down as his head spun in confusion and pain.

Facing his father's blazing eyes, he clutched his cheek, too terrified to say another word in his defense.

Tom took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself, before bowing deeply to the crowd. "Everyone, I'm truly sorry. It seems I've failed as a father, causing all this trouble. Please accept my deepest apologies."

The crowd's anger simmered, but they knew the fault lay with the spoiled brat, not the refugee camp that had saved so many lives, including theirs. The camp leader had always been at the forefront of rescue efforts, even braving the rain to offer comfort. He was a good man; it was just his son who had gone astray. After a moment's thought, and despite their grievances, no one wanted to escalate things further.

Stella wasn't looking for a fight, especially since the camp was filled with Tom's people. Picking a real fight would only put her at a disadvantage due to their numbers.

She turned to Rosie, "Did they hurt you?"

Rosie shook her head, "No."

Stella relented, "Alright, for the sake of my sister-in-law being unharmed, I'll let this slide. But if there's a next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Tom thanked her, then turned to his son and slapped him twice more. "You ungrateful brat, apologize now!"

Under his father's stern gaze, Hunter braced himself and muttered, "I'm sorry."

Stella responded coldly, "I can't hear you. Say it louder."

he repeated, though his eyes still burned with

it, allowing

sigh of

shook her head, her

be okay. He's probably just delayed

outside the city. It took a while to fix, and then

throwing stones and attempting to overturn it, all to force them out. Kitty, in desperation, floored the gas pedal, hoping to break through, but the engine failed to start again. As their windows shattered, Cody fired shots, taking down a

had. Then, suddenly, a sandstorm hit. Cody and Lukas, being closer to the car, scrambled inside to seek shelter from the storm. The vehicle was flipped, and they clung on

to keep their supplies and managed to survive. After the sandstorm abated, they sought each other out, despite their pain.

they eventually reunited. Now, only Jasper and Cooper were unaccounted for. The camp had disbanded, but their search could continue. They were determined to find Jasper and Cooper. Despite his injured ankle, Cody was resolute. "Yeah, together we're stronger. We'll split up and cover more ground.

solidarity but couldn't share the harsh truth. Jasper's injuries were severe; he needed the best care, and traveling with the group would only

them. "You're all hurt and should be resting, not worrying about

"Stella, are you

retorted with a playful eye roll. "Look at yourselves. 'It takes a hundred days to recover from a bone injury.' If I let you go out there all battered and bruised, you might end up in worse shape than when we started." Angela

rumor that survivors saw someone resembling Jasper heading west. I'm not sure if it's true or why he'd go that way, but I want to take Rosie and see if we can find him and Cooper. Luckily, I found a bike on the road. I'll ride with Rosie to chase the lead. It'll be a

of hardship, every one of them was frail and couldn't afford more strain. Yet the thought of Stella scouring the earth for Jasper while they could offer no help was a bitter pill to

today. That's more than enough help. Look after yourselves; we

reuniting after a separation was a luxury. Stella looked at her

heavy, they embraced her in farewell. "Stella, whether or