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."

hailing, Stella staged the scene to look like she and Jasper had just survived a brutal fight against marauding pirates. She walked to the bow and

the patrol boat got closer, they were surprised to recognize

Bran saw who was on the

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

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

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

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

remnants of a gasoline fire and bullet holes on the deck, confirming a fierce battle had

could ask more, Bran pulled 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 bro-in-law need to hurry back; you might still make

a beat. "What's wrong with

sick, a severe lung infection, and he's been

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

nearly losing her footing, but

her, "You go back immediately; I'll

wasn't from Kindle Chest, the

his soldiers to escort the couple back, then to send for a few who

the wind whipping

her

health hadn't been

to a lung infection and

from mild to severe, but causing unconsciousness was

her hand, finding it icy

forty minutes away at full

disembarked, if not for Jasper's

don't worry

and she sat silently

arrived quickly at the

hospital director were discussing Daniel's

when she saw Stella. "Stella,

trembled.

been waiting for

condition was dire, and with no medication available at the hospital, the antibiotics Stella had left

said it was a miracle he had held on for

the right medicine, it would've been

had been on vigil for days, both her body and spirit on

return, she couldn't hold back her

her face set as she walked to the

Jasper stepped ahead, "Stella wants

his complexion ashen and lifeless, his frame