18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 544

Stella squinted in the direction he pointed, barely making out a patrol boat skimming the ocean's surface.

The crew seemed to be wearing uniforms from the Southern Base. Sure, there were patrols in these waters, but they were still over ten nautical miles from the dock. With fuel being so scarce, expanding the patrol area this much wasn't standard procedure.

Had something gone wrong?

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Gunshots echoed, and several crew members dropped into pools of their own blood.

One of them, clutching a sharpened ice pick, was lunging toward Stella's back...

Jasper fired his gun.

Stella spun around, quickly drawing her weapon, and took down the crew members scrambling toward the cockpit.

Did they really think they could pull one over on her? She had just let them dig their own graves.

The captain, terrified, stumbled backward, frantically trying to explain himself. Stella raised her gun and sent him to meet his maker.

The patrol boat was closing in, and if they got much closer, they'd spot the cargo ship.

Without hesitation, Jasper took over the controls to stop the ship, while Stella dashed to the hold, releasing all the packaged glass and camouflaging it properly.

Up on the third deck, she released other supplies: steel rods, plates, several hundred pounds of aged grain, and medications.

This was a scavenger's pirate ship; nothing was out of the ordinary.

After setting everything in place, she hurriedly slid down the rope and launched the fishing boat into the sea, struggling to hook the two vessels together with the cargo ship's large iron hook.

Climbing back aboard, she saw the patrol boat even closer, gradually slowing to a stop.

One of the patrol soldiers picked up binoculars and began to scrutinize the scene.

About ten minutes later, the patrol boat approached the freighter and started hailing through a megaphone.

"Attention to the folks on the cruise ship, you have entered Griffith Base's territorial waters. If you are not survivors from Australia, please leave immediately."

fight against marauding pirates. She walked to the

closer, they were surprised to recognize Bran

was on the ship, he waved

Bran, climbing up eagerly, asked, "How'd you manage to snag a cargo

forehead with her blood- stained sleeve. “Your brother-in-law and I went out scavenging for supplies. We stumbled upon pirates hijacking a ship

mention of pirates, everyone instinctively drew their guns. "Are

wounded more than half of them before we were captured. But

and bullet holes on the deck, confirming

I came out here under the guise of a patrol to find

beat. "What's

and he's been unconscious for

voice was urgent. "There's worry about chaos at the base. Aunt Shu hasn't made it public yet, but the hospital is out of the needed meds, and it's

mind buzzed, nearly losing her footing, but Jasper was

back immediately; I'll handle the

long as it wasn't from Kindle Chest, the base wouldn't take a cut of the scavenger's

her composure, Stella hopped onto the patrol boat, and Bran instructed his soldiers to escort the couple back, then to

boat sped off, the wind whipping

her lips pressed

been a major concern;

lung infection

to severe, but causing unconsciousness was never a good

her hand, finding it

forty minutes away at

not for Jasper's quick reflexes, Stella

the car, "Stella, don't worry too much. There will

turmoil, and she sat silently against the

quickly at the

hospital director

when she

lips trembled. "What

been waiting for

no medication available at

a miracle he had held on for so

right medicine, it

had been on vigil for days, both her

Seeing Stella return, she couldn't

set as she

stepped ahead, "Stella wants to be alone with

still comatose, his complexion ashen and lifeless, his frame having shed