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."

proud son of a wealthy family, now reduced to a destitute beggar

was no room left in the cab, so Bran had to settle for sitting on a pile of muddy

he knew was a nightmare come true. But what could he do? He climbed aboard, the truck bouncing him all the way back

a pile of garbage, numb to the jostling of the

the base and drove up to the

and cashing in

the workers some time to clean, and after weighing, they

of steel could sustain a family for

no prying questions about where the steel came from, which

She went straight to the base's store

for escape pods, these ten packs

real-life Robinson Crusoe situation, it

sale but decided to save up and buy a whole load at once, for the day when it might

from a submarine, Stella had almost everything she

family was eager to return home and

without a word, probably

inwardly, not

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

stuck her head out, "Hey, Bran. You left some meds with me a while back. With things as chaotic as they are, I can't

aback, not expecting the usually covetous Stella to offer

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

"Alright, but try to come by soon. We'll probably head out scavenging again

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

compound and exchanging goodbyes without much

his heart, already

and their dog enjoyed a luxurious

beat the comfort of home-cooked food after days on

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 rock bottom, I'm thinking of

in a hurry, probably all in Goldbridge except

and his prideful nature, asking him to do hard labor for food was out of

to scavenging, a dangerous and unglamorous

a pitiful state, it was a