18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 182

Almost simultaneously, Jasper made his move. The gang leader with the gun hadn't even seen him move before a blood dot appeared between his brows. When Jasper pulled the trigger, he made sure it was the end. His gun was silenced, and he emptied the clip. Seven bald men fell simultaneously.

Stella hadn't even pulled her trigger yet, and an entire gang had all been wiped out.

Jasper approached Rosie and gently wiped the blood off her face, "Don't be scared."

Rosie threw herself into her brother's arms, shaking uncontrollably.

Cooper was excited, circling Stella, seemingly looking for praise. Stella shooed him into the truck and walked towards the van parked on the side of the road.

The tsunami had swallowed everything, drastically reducing trade. They hadn't gathered much today, only about half a truckload of supplies - mostly dried seafood, rock salt, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other miscellaneous items. There was a group of survivors approaching from the distance, so Stella decided not to take the supplies from the truck.

The guardhouse had some cigarettes, alcohol, peanuts to accompany the drinks, and several barrels of clean water.

Stella left the water, but Jasper took their guns. The three of them, along with Cooper, quickly got into the truck and left before the group of survivors arrived.

They were now in Griffith. The sun was scorchingly hot, the land was dry and cracked, and the air was so hot it made one feel dizzy.

Jasper turned on the A/C.

Stella found a clean piece of clothing and asked the dazed Rosie to change into it.

Rosie was just a child, but even she had been forced to pick up a knife in this apocalyptic world. Cooper, being a dog, was more attuned to human emotions and gently nudged Rosie as a form of comfort.

In just a month, it felt like Griffith had become even more deserted. The same could be said for Sunrise Sanctuary. Many people had left, either heading for the base or the coast, in search of a place more suited for survival. The apartment block was eerily empty, with echoes reverberating.

Upon reaching the 18th floor, Stella took out a bathtub for Rosie and Cooper to clean themselves. While they were in the bathroom, she quickly took out some furniture and, with Jasper's help, hastily set up the room.

The heat in Griffith was worse than at the coast. Even with the fan on and wearing temperature-regulating clothes, they were still sweating, so they had to move the A/C outside.

For lunch, they had ribs, meatball soup, onion crab, and green vegetables. Rosie was a bit absent-minded, eating in silence with her head down and did not eat much.

After lunch, Stella sent Jasper away and called Rosie over, "Rosie, are you scared?"

Rosie fiddled with her clothes, looking down, "Stella, I killed someone."

Stella squatted down and patted her head, "First of all, we didn't provoke anyone, right?"

Rosie nodded.

"Now is different from before, staying alive is what's most important. We did nothing wrong, why should we be abused or lose our lives at the hands of bad people?" "Hmm."

"They were the ones who started it, and we only fought back in self-defense. If they hadn't died, they would have continued robbing and killing more people. So, not only did you not do anything wrong, you also helped rid the world of evil. You're a hero, Rosie." Rosie looked surprised, "Stella, I'm a hero?"

"Yes, many people will be grateful to you. So don't overthink it, you did nothing wrong."

Rosie finally relaxed, "Stella, you're the best."

"Promise me, Rosie, that you'll take good care of yourself and stay calm when something happens."

"Hmm." Rosie nodded vigorously.

Stella took out two ice creams from the fridge, "You and Cooper did great today, so here's a treat."

With her worries eased, Rosie happily ate her ice cream.

Almost all the units in the building were empty, so they didn't lock their doors and could come and go freely.

Jasper came in, closed the door and took a nap.

When they woke up from their nap, Stella took 20 pounds of rock salt and 10 pounds of dried seafood to the 17th floor.

Knowing that Stella returned safely, Katie was delighted, "Oh my, you guys are finally back! I heard about the tsunami at Swan Hill. The city council even sent a rescue team over."

"We were lucky. We left a few days ago and took a detour through Mount Barker before returning."

Stella handed over the salt and dried seafood, "I brought some for you. If it's not enough, let me know."

20 pounds of rock salt would last a long time. Katie was grateful, but 10 pounds of dried seafood was a lot. A pound of meat could be traded for several pounds of grain. She felt it was a bit much, but didn't want to reject Stella's kindness. Katie put the goods away, and took the key to the locker to get the grain. "Thank you, Stella."

Stella stopped her, "Katie, this is a gift."

"That won't do." Katie had her principles, "You've already helped by bringing it back, how can I let you suffer a loss?"

"You really don't have to." They had been neighbors for almost two years, and since Stella had offered, she had no intention of taking anything in return. "If you hadn't helped take care of the rabbits this month, we wouldn't have been able to travel. We've already earned back what we should have, so consider this a thank you gift. We might need your help again in the future."

Katie insisted on giving something back but eventually gave in to Stella, "Alright, if you need any help in the future, just let me know."

She told Stella about the situation with the rabbits, "After you guys left, the rabbits gave birth to a few more litters, and there are now over 20 more rabbits."

Stella was curious and went to 1702 to check on the rabbits.

The Moore family had taken good care of them. Smoky and Snowy hadn't lost any weight. After a month apart, they still recognized Stella and flocked towards her.

The rabbits remembered who fed them, but they were still not getting along with Cooper. Cooper put them in their place with a few swipes of his paw, making them submissive.

Stella counted the newborn rabbits, "Katie, can you handle raising them? If you can, I can give you a pair of rabbits."

Katie was tempted, "We should be able to manage."

In these times, many people longed to eat meat. If there was an opportunity, they had to seize it.

Thinking of this, she shared some news with Stella, "Stella, we're planning to move."

After the flood subsided, the research institute cleared out a few buildings to house the family members of the researchers. This allowed the families to reunite, avoiding the dangers of commuting, and also allowed the researchers to devote more time to work. Originally, they were supposed to move out together, but Katie stubbornly insisted on waiting for Stella to return, to hand over the bunnies to her.

Moving with so many bunnies would cause quite a stir in the apartment. If people started paying too much attention to the Moore family, what then?