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 a cruel sense of

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

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

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

entered the base and drove

trading, and cashing in

some time to clean, and

truckload of steel could sustain

attitude meant no prying questions about where the steel

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

for escape pods, these ten packs could

Crusoe

sale but decided to save up and

for other supplies, aside from a submarine, Stella had almost everything she

family was eager to return home

a word, probably

inwardly,

on the way back to their private compound,

and 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 keep them

expecting the usually covetous Stella to

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

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

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

the compound and exchanging

away, feeling his heart, already battered by

the trio and their dog enjoyed a luxurious meal after their refreshing

the comfort of home-cooked food after

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

had left in a hurry, probably all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all

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

to scavenging, a dangerous and

beauty and luxury, now reduced to a pitiful