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

the patrol boat got closer, they

Bran saw who was on the ship, he waved excitedly,

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

blood- stained sleeve. “Your brother-in-law and

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

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

climbed aboard and saw the remnants of a gasoline fire and bullet holes

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

beat.

lung infection, and he's been unconscious for two

public yet, but

her footing, but Jasper

go back immediately; I'll

the base wouldn't take a cut of the scavenger's

and Bran instructed his soldiers to escort the couple back, then to send for a

off, the wind whipping past

sat stiffly, her lips pressed tightly

left, Daniel's health hadn't been

succumbed to a lung infection and fallen into a

could range from mild to severe, but causing unconsciousness was never

held her hand,

was only forty minutes away at

disembarked, if not for Jasper's quick reflexes, Stella might have

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

was in turmoil, and she sat silently against the

arrived quickly at the

the hospital director were

when she saw Stella. "Stella, your

lips trembled.

been waiting

was dire, and with no medication available at the hospital,

said it was a miracle he had held on

medicine, it would've

on vigil for days, both her body and

Seeing Stella return, she

said nothing, her face set as she

followed, Jasper stepped ahead, "Stella wants to be alone

complexion ashen and lifeless, his frame having shed considerable