18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 410

They had grand plans, but before they could even act, the staccato of gunfire shattered the silence...

Bullets sprayed back and forth, relentless.

Blind in the darkness, they stood no chance against Stella and her crew, who were armed with night vision goggles, taking them down with deadly precision. They didn't even have time to draw their weapons before they fell, one by one.

Stella pushed open the electronic gate, her samurai sword gleaming as she stepped out.

Several lay writhing, begging in horror, "Lady, I ain't ready to die, please spare me!"

Under the cloak of night, Stella stood amidst the swirling dust, her cold laughter echoing like a harvester of souls.

No loose ends; she made sure of that with her blade, leaving no room for future threats.

She didn't return to the RV; instead, she headed for the camp a mile away.

Jasper walked alongside her in the dark.

They weren't far off, and even with the howling wind, the sound of gunfire had reached them.

Panic ensued at the camp, voices of men and women frantically blaming each other, "What do we do now? What the hell do we do?"

Stella had given them a chance, considering the survivors who'd made it through the Plate Tectonic Collision and the efforts of the official bases over the years. But they hadn't cherished it.

Strike once and be done; there would be no third chances.

From behind a tent, Stella opened fire, then lobbed an incendiary grenade...

The gasoline burned long into the night before it finally died down.

Stella counted heads, making sure no one was missing before she left.

back to wash off the day's grit and fall into a deep sleep in

the next day, she found Jasper had already cleared the bodies, unceremoniously dumping them back at their

was arid, day and night temperatures varied wildly, and the fierce winds meant there was no worry of plagues. To any

sight of the RV,

at the sight

ultraviolet rays were intense, the air dry and thick with dust, necessitating the constant use of humidifiers and air purifiers.

stretching endlessly, its sinking land unmistakable. Sometimes, a jolt would

over the stony,

stopped, her gaze landing on a green sprout among the

dry season, yet

sprout and brought it back

survival experience, examined the plant gravely, "Stella, this place is

"We

high-altitude landscaping grass, combat desertification and conserve water

highland basin at the end of spring, when melting snow provides a rare

sprouting

had fallen, but the soil was damp enough to germinate the withered

must be forming beneath, releasing a steady

dug into the earth, finding the soil wet just

a faint stench in the

had lessened, replaced by a chill tinged

time living by the ocean in Swan Hill; it was unmistakable. Today, the wind

basin reeked of the sea, the

crouched down to inspect the RV, noting how its weight had

signs pointed to one thing:

that they wore at all times, never to be removed. Cooper's unique physique meant his life jacket needed custom adjustments,

trio and their dog set up a tent, taking turns

couldn't be soothed, even by his favorite treat. He was nudging