18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 379

Stella was behind the wheel of her eighteen-wheeler, and Jasper was tearing up the road in his rugged SUV. They hadn't even left the base when they realized someone was tailing them. But they played it cool. Grabbing their walkie-talkies, they coordinated a plan and split in different directions.

Duke, the ringleader, was flabbergasted. "Split up! Chase 'em down! They can't get away," he barked.

Don't let the mud and grime fool you; those vehicles were beasts under the hood.

Stella, now decked out in a bulletproof vest and a steel helmet, floored it. She handled the big rig like a pro, quickly leaving their pursuers in the dust.

Taking a hidden detour through a ravine, she slipped her truck into the safety of Arcadia.

The ragtag pursuers, pushing their beat-up jalopies to the limit, arrived only to be left scratching their heads.

Where'd the trucks go?

Before they knew it, a loud bang echoed, sending them diving for cover.

Turned out, one of their tires had blown out.

"Damnation!" they cursed, scared out of their wits.

With no trace of their quarry, they had to slink back to base, tails between their legs.

Stella arrived at the base of Mount Murray to find Jasper and their canine companions already waiting. "Everything good?" he asked.

"Just a bunch of riff-raff," she replied.

Those who made it into the Kindle Society were usually tough, but this lot? They were smooth-talking slackers. Any edge they had was dulled by life's grind, reduced to conning newcomers into doing their dirty work. If real trouble came knocking, they'd probably run faster than anyone.

"And you?" Stella shot back at Jasper. "Any close calls?"

"None. Lost 'em easy," Jasper replied. His SUV was a beast and had left the pursuers in the dust.

"These guys will be tough to shake. They might set ambushes on the way

"We'll cross that bridge

to stir up trouble, but if trouble came knocking, she wouldn't hold

friend didn't wander aimlessly. They broke out the RV, taking care of all their needs

be napping in her room, but in reality,

enough to fill two big rigs, but Stella left some behind for

loaded, she covered everything with a

for a submarine and couldn't afford any mishaps. If they ran into highway robbers, the tarp would give them a chance

for two days, they judged the timing right and prepared to haul

afford to let their guard down either. They'd take a roundabout route just to be

them, they drove their clunkers back

vehicles that looked ready to fall apart at any moment, they slipped by the ambushers unnoticed.

a dozen strong, were spread out on both sides of the road, hunkered down in a no man's land just outside

they couldn't risk an open confrontation, so they had to deal

truck stopped out of sight in a dip by

attached a silencer to

helped, but Stella wanted to make it clean, and having Rosie around

to bring the previously hidden trucks to the rendezvous point when the time was

back to flank the ambushers, finding cover

the trucks into view from the opposite end

ambushers were instantly on high alert. "Boss,

forward, bulging with cargo

they'd have enough supplies

and morale low, the thought of imminent spoils

eyes glued to the approaching vehicle, completely

truth arrived, and both Jasper and Stella

"Thwip! Thwip!"

the

she didn't hold back. One by one,

started to warn his boss, "Boss, the driver's