18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 392

After Cody and his crew left, Stella sank into the couch, leaning quietly against Jasper's shoulder.

Jasper wrapped an arm around her. "What's up?"

"I'm just really happy, content," Stella said, hugging his neck. "Jasper, thank you."

He chuckled. "Thank me for what?"

"For everything." Stella smiled at him. "For meeting, getting to know each other, falling in love, being understanding, forgiving..."

Everything felt so perfect. She wanted it to last forever, to grow old together without parting.

Jasper held her close, his heart filled with contentment.

In the kitchen, Rosie pretended not to notice her brother and sister-in-law's intimacy as she washed the dishes. She saw nothing, knew nothing.

But Cooper, the rascal, was sneakily peeping from the doorway. Rosie dragged him back by his ear, "Not allowed."

The next day, waking up naturally, Stella savored Rosie's homemade oatmeal and chatted with Jasper. "We don't have much on today. How about we haul the coal back?"

The base was about fifty kilometers from the coal yard, and with many places needing coal, trucks made the trip regularly, which was relatively safe.

Jasper had no objections; it was better to bring it back early and store it in Arcadia to avoid any potential issues.

After their home had been tampered with, they couldn't take any chances. Anything of value needed to be secured.

Jasper plucked a few hairs and stuck them in the door jamb as they left.

The road to the coal yard was clear, but the muddy track was so rutted and bumpy from repeated use that it nearly shook their guts out.

Armed soldiers guarded the coal yard, which was operated by the Kindle Society, and all the office staff were military dependents.

to pay their debt through labor. If manpower was short, survivors from the base would also be drafted to work. The difference lay in the workload:

coal yard staff quickly arranged for the pickup. Machinery was scarce; they had to wait in line for manual

Loading seventy tons of coal wasn't a

loaded and ready

truck

there, night was falling

the radio,

leading the convoy, had spotted a shadowy figure on a nearby path in the dim light and quickly

frowned, "The Cyclone

Rosie kept watch. "Seems like

the outside world; she had no time to make

in bulletproof vests, helmets, and even the truck windows were swapped for bullet-resistant glass. The only real concern was the

whether it came to defending themselves or

the thugs were wary of the nearby military trucks also transporting coal or had

back to the base, Stella directed the

and as the military convoy split off, the pursuers

in the road, and Stella

along with Cooper, sat down for a

pitched a tent. "Once we deliver the coal tomorrow, we can

be safe.

deep rumbling snore sounding as if not

but

saw nothing and dismissed it

tent flap again, only to feel the cold touch of metal

tent, her expression chilling in the dark as she toyed with a weapon. And pressing against his head was a gun. Beside her stood a muscular dog, drooling at the

tent, the snoring

realized then-it was a

so they'd brought extra men. Now, they were all

Jasper had used

gun aimed, her voice icy: