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.

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

naturally the next day, she found Jasper had already

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

groups did come by after, each filled with hope at the sight of the RV, only

scout around for a spot to settle, but at the sight of the wind-dried skeletons, they'd

the highland was harsh; the sun's ultraviolet rays were intense, the air dry and thick with dust, necessitating the constant use of humidifiers and air purifiers. The land was sinking, wooden stakes drove easily into

endlessly, its sinking land unmistakable. Sometimes, a jolt would awaken them in the night, a

sensed it, patrolling daily on her electric bike over the stony, arid terrain. Initially, the rough ride left her sore, but now, the

on a green sprout among the

season, yet

and brought it back

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

nodded, "We

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

but only sprout in the highland basin at the end

they were, sprouting in

the soil was damp

beneath, releasing a steady

the soil wet just thirty

later, Stella noticed a faint stench in the

chill tinged with the scent

that smell from her time living by the ocean in Swan Hill;

the entire basin reeked of the

inspect the RV, noting how

signs pointed to one thing: they couldn't afford to

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

set up a tent, taking turns keeping watch by day and sheltering in

restlessness couldn't be soothed, even by his favorite treat. He was nudging the ground with his nose,