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."

to look like she and Jasper had just survived a brutal fight against marauding pirates. She walked to

closer, they were surprised to

the

climbing up eagerly, asked, "How'd

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

of pirates, everyone instinctively drew their guns. "Are you both

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

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

anxiously, "Sis, the boss is in trouble. I came out here under the guise of a patrol to find you. You and bro-in-law

beat. "What's

severe lung infection, and he's been unconscious

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

footing,

her, "You go back

as it wasn't from Kindle Chest, the base wouldn't

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

wind whipping past Stella's face,

stiffly, her lips

been a

lung infection and fallen into

to severe, but causing unconsciousness

her hand, finding

shore was only forty minutes away

if not for Jasper's quick reflexes, Stella might

the car, "Stella, don't worry too

and she sat silently

at the

Vanessa and the hospital director were discussing Daniel's

reddened when she

lips trembled. "What

been waiting for

with no medication available at the hospital, the antibiotics Stella had left

was a miracle he had

medicine, it

on vigil for days, both her body

she couldn't hold back

face set as she walked

Jasper stepped ahead, "Stella wants to be

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