18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 376

Stella spotted him too-no doubt about it, he was a beggar. Dressed in tattered rags, barefoot, and wandering aimlessly. "Another soul driven mad by the apocalypse," she sighed to herself.

Just as she was reflecting, the sound of a car caught the beggar's attention. Surprisingly, he turned and waved frantically to flag it down. "Robbery tactics are getting more and more creative," she thought. "This guy could very well be a decoy for an ambush."

Stella cocked her gun, ready to take him down if he showed any sign of threat.

"Hey, stop the car, stop the car!" the beggar shouted.

Stella scanned the area but saw no sign of an ambush.

Jasper didn't hit the brakes and just drove past.

"Damn it, stop!" the beggar yelled, flipping them the bird.

Stella squinted, recognizing the figure in the rearview mirror.

"Stop the car," she commanded.

Seeing the truck pull over, the beggar's mood swung from irritation to hope. He limped over and asked, "Buddy, could you give me a lift?"

He hurried over but froze in shock when he got a better look.

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him in the dead of winter.

Without a word, he covered his face and turned to leave.

"Bran," Stella called out.

It was as if his heart had been pierced; his entire body stiffened.

His dignity, once guarded, now trampled into the mud.

But Stella didn't mock him or ask how he'd come to this. "Get in. We're still a good ten miles from the base. If you walk, your feet will be shredded."

to a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had a cruel

left in the cab, so Bran had to

nightmare come true. But what could he do? He climbed aboard, the truck bouncing

rich kid sat atop a pile of garbage, numb to the jostling of

base and drove

and

time to clean, and after

truckload of steel could sustain

casual attitude meant no prying questions about where the steel came from,

plan to keep the credits. She went straight to the base's store and

pods, these ten packs could last for

of a real-life Robinson Crusoe situation, it was

for sale but decided to save up and

aside from a submarine, Stella had almost

road, the family was eager to return home and

without a word,

inwardly,

back to their private compound, they

a while back. With things as chaotic

not expecting the usually covetous

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

head out scavenging again

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

him the address to the compound and exchanging goodbyes without much fuss, they parted

his heart, already battered

the compound, the trio and their dog enjoyed a luxurious meal after their

home-cooked

full and dishes cleared by Rosie, Stella sipped on juice while discussing with Jasper, "Remember when the Porras family's annex got hit by that satellite? Bran gave us a lot of meds as thanks. I think he added extra as a gesture of goodwill. Now that he's hit

family had left in a hurry, probably all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters, looking after

Bran's lack of military skills and his prideful nature, asking him to do hard labor

necessity, he had turned to

a pitiful state, it was a poignant reminder of