18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 187

The two of them packed up overnight.

They took everything that could be transported into Arcadia, even the stainless steel doors.

They disassembled all of the doors from rooms 1801 and 1802, and the six doors from the stairwell. Two had been destroyed by the explosion, but the remaining four were taken with them, as they would be needed for their new home.

They didn't just stop at doors. They took shatterproof and bulletproof glass, door frames, glass cabinets, and even curtain rods.

Their eight rabbits were unharmed, but a few of the newborn bunnies, startled by the sound of the explosion, had died from stress. Stella packed them all into a cardboard box and stowed it in the trunk of their Hummer.

At five in the morning, they left the Sunrise Sanctuary, where they had lived for two years.

They stopped the car at the entrance to the University Town, the eastern sky tinged with the faint light of dawn. Stella sat in the passenger seat, deep in thought.

If Silver Asylum had attacked once, they would do so again. Hiding wasn't the answer, and it wasn't Stella and Jasper's style.

Jasper's gaze was intense. "We need to take them out."

It was better to throw the first punch than to receive a hundred. That was what Stella was thinking too. Running away wouldn't solve anything. The more they hid, the more brazen their enemies would become. However, taking on a base of over 200 people, armed with numerous weapons and explosives, would not be an easy task.

"Do you remember the first checkpoint we encountered when we were returning from Swan Hill?" Jasper asked.

Stella remembered. Jasper had mentioned that in his past life, the police forces of Swan Hill and Griffith had collaborated to take down two bases that had been causing trouble.

"You mean, have them fight among themselves?"

Stella suggested, "Should we send Rosie and Cooper to stay with the Moore family for a few days?"

Jasper looked at her seriously. "Stella, we need Cooper's help, and there will be risks."

Stella turned to Cooper. "Cooper, we have a mission, and it could be dangerous. Do you want to go to Katie's house or come with us?"

Without hesitation, Cooper chose to stay, clinging to Stella's clothes.

Rosie clung to her brother. "Jasper, don't leave me behind."

Jasper considered this. "Silver Asylum has done their research on us. If we leave Rosie behind, it might make them suspicious. They might even target the Moore family or kidnap Rosie to threaten us. What do you think?"

Stella felt a headache coming on. Fine, so be it. In these apocalyptic times, protecting her too much wouldn't help. She would have to face what was coming. It was fate.

Nevertheless, they made a trip to Katie's house to drop off Smoky and Snowy. If they didn't return, the rabbits would belong to the Moore family.

Katie was glad to see them and was more than willing to take in the rabbits. Stella brought over a bag of rice, but Katie refused to take it. "Stella, you've already done so much for us. I can't accept this."

"Katie, we need to go. If we stay too long, we might attract attention. Please go home."

With that, Katie finally accepted the rice and hurried home with the rabbits. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of them."

After leaving the research institute residence, they headed in the direction of Swan Hill. They heard that the waters there had calmed down and people were beginning to think about heading there to survive. Occasionally, they saw a few shadows on the road. When they were close to Silver Asylum, Jasper drove the car off the main road to a deserted side road.

After disguising themselves, they looked like typical rogues. Along with Rosie and Cooper, they bypassed Silver Asylum and headed straight to Alpha Outpost.

Armed with baseball bats, a tattooed man and his gang stopped them. "Hold it right there. Are you blind? We need 5 pounds of food from each of you."

Stella, with a cigarette hanging from her lips, retorted, "You want food from me? Why don't you take a good look at yourself first."

"What did you say? Say it again."

Stella pulled out her weapon and shot the man's head, killing him instantly.

Caught off guard, the rest of the gang charged at them. Stella and Jasper took them down one by one, sending them to meet their maker.

The last one was spared. Stella picked up a baseball bat and gave him a good beating before stepping on his head. "Go back and tell your boss to wash his neck and wait. If you dare to steal from us at Silver Asylum again, you're asking for death. Get lost!" Bleeding and bruised, the tattooed man scrambled to his feet and ran off, but not before threatening, "You Silver Asylum lot, just you wait!"

Stella and Jasper took their haul and loaded it into the Arcadia. They then brought out the Land Behemoth Paramount Marauder.

This 15-ton vehicle was not just a land tank, but also capable of withstanding the blast of anti-tank landmines. Even its undercarriage could endure the blast of 8 kilograms of TNT, and its bulletproof tires could still cover a distance of 200 kilometers even after being hit by armor-piercing bullets. In short, it could flatten any obstacle in its path. Even its seats were blast-resistant. Stella took the driver's seat. "Are you ready?"

Jasper buckled up silently.

With the Marauder started up, it felt as if the entire road was shaking. Stella floored the accelerator, and the heavy-duty off-roader zoomed off at full speed.

Silver Asylum was close. At full speed, it would only take a few minutes to get there. In the blink of an eye, the guard post came into view.

Hearing the rumbling noise, the guards were ecstatic. "Look, it's a big catch today!"

"This sounds powerful. Let's get this vehicle."

Two of the guards stood up, grabbed their clubs, and walked out. "Guys, get ready. It's showtime."

Just as they stepped out of the guard post, they saw a massive vehicle speeding towards them, showing no signs of stopping.

"Damn it, stop! What are you doing! Fuck..."

Before they could finish their sentence, they ran for their lives.

The Marauder blasted towards the guard booth, penetrating it in an instant, with bricks flying in all directions. The 20-square-meter booth was flattened as the Marauder drove straight through.

Two bald guys on the scene were stunned. At first, they thought it was a tank, but it turned out to be a heavy-duty off-roader.

One bald guy was thrown from the booth, landing a dozen or so meters away, while the rest were buried under the bricks.

Just a moment ago they were shooting the breeze over a bottle of bourbon, and in the blink of an eye, they were worlds apart. Who the hell were bold enough to do this?

The Marauder didn't hit the brakes but drifted on the spot, heading towards the two men again. They were scared out of their wits and took off running. One of them was a beat slow and got smashed by the raider into the barrier wall. The robust wall came crashing down, and he was sent flying to the heaven.