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

found Jasper had already cleared the bodies, unceremoniously

varied wildly, and the fierce winds meant there was no worry of plagues. To any future survivors, this would stand as a dire

each filled with hope at the sight of the RV, only to be met by Stella's

scout around for a spot to settle, but at the sight of the

and thick with dust, necessitating the constant use of humidifiers and air purifiers. The land was sinking, wooden stakes drove easily into the ground,

land unmistakable. Sometimes, a jolt would

on her electric bike over the stony, arid terrain. Initially, the

a green

yet there was new

brought it back

the plant gravely, "Stella, this place is going

"We

rare high-altitude landscaping grass, combat desertification and conserve water

but only sprout in the highland basin at the end of spring, when melting snow

here they were, sprouting in the driest

was

releasing a steady

finding the soil wet just thirty

noticed a

had lessened, replaced by a chill tinged with the scent of the

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

the entire basin reeked of the sea, the sinking

noting how

to one thing:

pulled out the escape pod, along with four life jackets that they wore at all times, never to be removed. Cooper's unique physique meant his life jacket

their dog set up a tent, taking turns keeping watch by day and sheltering in the escape

even by his favorite treat. He was nudging the ground with