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."

a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had a cruel sense of

room left in the cab, so Bran had to settle for sitting on a pile of

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

of garbage, numb to the jostling of the vehicle,

and drove up to the recycling

trading, and cashing in

dirty steel took the workers some time to clean, and after

could sustain a family for

casual attitude meant no prying questions about

went straight to

pods, these ten packs could

of a real-life Robinson Crusoe situation,

up and buy a whole load at once, for the day when it might

aside from a submarine, Stella had

road, the family was eager

without a word, probably

a deep breath inwardly, not sure

then, on the way back to their private compound, they crossed

while

was taken aback, not expecting the usually covetous

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

probably head out scavenging again after a short

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

address to the compound and exchanging goodbyes without much

away, feeling his heart, already battered

the trio and their dog enjoyed a

home-cooked food after

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

all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters,

his prideful nature, asking him to do hard

to scavenging, a dangerous

luxury, now reduced to a pitiful