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."

a brutal fight against marauding pirates. She walked to the bow and waved a red flag, signaling, "Friendly, hold

got closer, they were surprised to recognize Bran

Bran saw who was on the ship, he

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

grumbled, wiping sweat off her forehead with her blood- stained sleeve. “Your brother-in-law and I went out

instinctively drew their guns. "Are

more than half of them before we were captured. But they started infighting, giving us a

climbed aboard and saw the remnants of a gasoline fire and bullet holes on the deck, confirming a

here under the guise of a patrol to find you. You and bro-in-law need to hurry back; you might

beat. "What's wrong

and he's been unconscious for

it public yet, but the hospital is out

her footing, but Jasper was

assured her, "You go back

from Kindle Chest, the base wouldn't take

his soldiers to escort the couple back, then to send for

wind whipping past Stella's face, her hair

her lips pressed

been a major

a lung infection

infections could range from mild to severe, but

hand, finding it icy

shore was only forty minutes away at

not for Jasper's quick

worry

she sat silently against the

at

and the hospital director

she

lips trembled. "What

waiting for

dire, and with no medication available at

director said it was a miracle he had held

right medicine,

vigil for days, both her

Seeing Stella return, she

face set as she

Jasper stepped ahead, "Stella wants to be

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