18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 435

Jasper was still reeling from Blue Blue's astonishing behavior. "Maybe," he muttered, half to himself.

Blue Blue, the Queen of the Ocean, knew these waters like the back of her fluke. Blue whales were not just massive; they were brilliant too, with memories that rivaled the best of us. And this one? She could hold a grudge like no other. The scars she bore were likely from a solo showdown with some thugs. She wasn't just after revenge for her calf; she remembered the exact aircraft that had attacked her. That's why she rammed it to smithereens. Capturing a blue whale wasn't something a couple of scrawny boats could pull off.

So, Blue Blue's vengeance quest had only just begun.

True to form, as the submarine tailed her, Blue Blue didn't glance back but moved forward at an unhurried pace.

Stella couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. "It saw us fighting those thugs yesterday. Is it coming to us today for an alliance?"

Jasper pondered. "If Blue Blue can really find their hideout, an alliance is definitely on the table."

Marine life never failed to amaze.

Sub 2688 trailed Blue Blue for hours. Stella noticed the currents shifting. Perhaps the unusual underwater terrain was causing the water to slow down. Soon, the sub's alarm system beeped, warning of the seabed getting shallower and the risk of running aground. No wonder the current slowed; a submarine mountain was redirecting the flow.

Blue Blue surfaced to breathe, showing no desire to go further. Had they arrived?

Stella and the crew observed from the ocean floor but saw no sign of the thugs' aircraft or human activity. She activated the periscope, quietly scanning the surface. The feedback was quick, and she zoomed in on the footage of the sea.

Far in the distance, dark dots resolved into a massive cargo ship. Nearby were two fishing boats, not particularly large but ominously occupied.

The thugs, armed and covered in unsightly lumps, were crawling all over the deck. Was this their hideout, or were they hijacking another ship?

"Big sis, that's one of our ships," Rosie exclaimed, pointing at the lettering on the cargo vessel.

Blue had slowed down;

the target locked, the periscope relayed the clearest image possible. The cargo ship held people with Eastern faces, all gaunt and emaciated. The thugs were herding everyone onto the deck, cursing and yelling. One person tried to negotiate but was met with

and grotesque, the thugs looked

screen, his expression growing darker. "They're our people, unarmed survivors," he said after a long pause. He was good

official base to have

the fishermen either became

of them and the dog fell

shook gently. Blue Blue was nudging them

second. "How many thugs are

was impeccable. "From what we can see, there are 23 on the two fishing

50 thugs to hijack a

many people are on that cargo

capable of carrying thousands, but with the tectonic disasters,

paused. "There should be a

to the thugs' lair, their fate was grim. They must have known, which was why the ship was moving slowly, probably looking

do you think? Should we take them all out at

them return to their den, they'd

conflicts should be resolved internally. Birds of a feather flock

many people-Mark, Collin, Dr. Garcia, Daniel, and the countless others who had sacrificed to keep survivors alive. And now, were

if Stella was cold-hearted, she couldn't stand

through the observatory window.

to formulate a

Arcadia's arsenal-explosives,

continued her vigil. "Brother, sister-in-law,