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."

of a wealthy family, now reduced to a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had

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

true. But what could he do? He climbed aboard,

rich kid sat atop a pile of garbage, numb to the jostling of the vehicle, his eyes void of any

base and drove up

trading, and cashing in

clean, and after weighing, they earned 3000 credits minus

sustain a family for a

questions about where the steel came from, which eased Stella's

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

ten packs could last for

Crusoe situation,

coal for sale but decided to save up and buy a whole load at once, for

aside from a submarine, Stella had almost everything she

days on the road, the family was eager to return home and

left without a word, probably a matter of

took a deep breath inwardly, not sure what

way back to their private compound, they crossed paths

head out, "Hey, Bran. You left some meds with me a while back. With things as chaotic as they are, I can't keep them safe anymore. When do you want

was taken aback, not expecting the usually covetous Stella to

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

by soon. We'll probably head out scavenging again after a short break. Wouldn't want you to make a wasted

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

giving him the address to the compound and

feeling his heart, already battered by the disasters,

their dog enjoyed

the comfort of home-cooked food after days on the

satellite? Bran gave us a lot of meds as thanks. I think he added extra as a

all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters, looking after

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

necessity, he had turned to scavenging, a dangerous

reduced to a pitiful state, it