18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 205

After they had finished moving, night had already fallen. Jasper and Stella ventured out one more time to return the rental truck.

As the darkness set in, the temperature started to drop, offering a much-needed respite from the heat.

They had disassembled two fire exit doors and, working together, they installed them at the entrance of their unit, locking them with a sturdy chain.

Jasper installed an alarm system, designed to emit a piercing sound if anyone tried to tamper with the lock. The hallway was transformed into a makeshift garage, barely large enough to accommodate their Hummer.

They hadn't figured out the character of the residents of Eastwood Eden, and with the vigilant Mark present, it would be risky to take any chances before understanding the situation thoroughly. They didn't park the Hummer inside Arcadia, but they did drain the gas tank.

Jasper was a hard worker, and he spent the night installing a stainless-steel door on the staircase of the apartment. This door was also electrified, adding an extra level of security.

Despite it being at night, it was still hot. Cooper was sprawled on the ground, too exhausted to even lift his tongue. Rosie was no exception, sweating profusely even in front of the air fan. Out of necessity, they spent the night installing air conditioning to keep them cool.

They hadn't installed the stainless-steel railing on the balcony yet, and without it, the curtains would billow with the breeze from the air conditioning.

They resigned themselves to the task, spending several hours installing a stainless-steel railing and bulletproof glass, before finally installing the air conditioning unit.

By the time they finished, it was already past four in the morning. Before long, dawn would break.

After a shower and with the cool breeze of the air conditioner on her skin, Stella fell into an exhausted sleep. Jasper tucked her in with a thin blanket, turned off the light, and lay down. When they awoke, it was nearly noon. The three of them, along with Cooper, sat down in their modest dining area for a brunch.

Rosie did not forget her chores, washing the dishes and wiping the table before taking some hay to the neighboring apartment to feed the rabbits.

Stella continued tidying up the apartment, but there wasn't much left to do, thanks to Jasper's industriousness. He even fetched water from the well located near building number 2. The well was usually locked. Each building had a designated time to draw water due to the well's slow output.

When it was Jasper's turn, perhaps due to his local celebrity status, the workers inadvertently filled his bucket more than usual, although it was still less than half full and the water was murky.

"The heat is killing us, and the water level is dropping," complained one of the workers. He showed Jasper how to filter the water, using a Mason jar filled with clean sand for filtration.

Fearing that Jasper might not be able to do it, the worker offered him a homemade filter, but Jasper politely declined, taking his bucket of water back to building number 5.

While the well water wasn't clean, getting access to it was not easy.

The remaining water tanks were struggling to keep up, but the speed of drilling couldn't keep pace with the depletion of the fresh water supply. The murky water was a reminder that the water level in Eastwood Eden had dropped again.

Arcadia did have water, but water was a precious resource. Instead of dumping the well water, Jasper called Rosie over and showed her how to survive in these tough conditions. He showed her how to let the dirty water settle, how to make a filter, how to filter the water, and how to boil it.

Jasper was a patient teacher, ensuring that Rosie would have the skills to survive, should she ever need to.

Despite a comfortable lifestyle, Rosie was not spoiled. She took her lessons seriously, practicing again and again.

Stella planned to use two empty rooms, one for storage and one as a library. She had collected a large number of books before and after the disaster, and had acquired two large bookcases from Bryce. Stella sorted through all the books.

Medical books, psychology books, skill manuals, children's literature, classic novels, romance magazines, and some adult content that was not suitable for children. Bryce really had some unique tastes.

At dinner, they received news from the city council. Two private gangs, at the border of Griffith and Swan Hill, had clashed over territory, resulting in mutual annihilation. The police had rescued 48 women and 9 children who had been subjected to abuse for a long time. The city council promised to provide proper shelter for them, while the investigation into the case continued.

In addition, the police had seized over 60,000 pounds of food and other supplies from the gangs, and were still taking inventory.

The authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and be able to identify criminal bases, and not to blindly join private bases and become accomplices to criminals.

Rosie was thrilled. "Stella, they really were rescued by the police."

"Yes, they were saved," Stella reassured her, stroking her hair. "You played a big part in this, Rosie. You're a real hero."

Rosie blushed and said, "You guys are even more amazing."

Cooper, who hadn't received any praise, whined and fussed.

"Cooper is also amazing," said Jasper, acknowledging the dog's contribution. "Not many dogs could carry explosives and blow up a bunker."

Indeed, without Cooper and Rosie, it would have been much harder to bring down the gangs.

While eating and chatting, Stella curiously asked, "Evan is no fool. He would have noticed that there was a third force involved in the demise of the two bases. Why did the city council's report make it sound so simple?"

"The city council needs to maintain stability," Jasper explained. "They only need to share the good news with the public. If they reported everything as it was, it could easily lead to panic and speculation."

While they didn't say it out loud, they were sure the investigation would continue.

Stella was a little worried. "Are we in danger?"

"No," Jasper reassured her. "Firstly, the police are short on manpower, and modern communication technology has been destroyed, so a thorough investigation is impossible. Secondly, the people at Silver Asylum were reduced to ashes in the fire. Identifying them would be impossible. Even if they could get a description from the survivors, it would be just speculation. Besides, we were disguised."

The police had more urgent matters to attend to. In this post-apocalyptic world, as long as you didn't commit a major crime that threatened the public, they didn't have the manpower or the energy to pursue you.

After dinner, with no entertainment to speak of, Stella continued reading her medical books, Jasper taught Rosie how to read, and Cooper went out for his daily exercise of running up and down the stairs. It was a simple, quiet life, but in this post-apocalyptic world, it was a rare blessing.

Since they got up late, they didn't feel sleepy at night. Stella led Jasper into Arcadia, where she showed him three safes she had found in Bryce's bedroom. "What do you think is inside?"

Jasper smiled. "Did you lure me in here to crack these safes?"

Lure? If there was something valuable inside, she would definitely share it with him.

Jasper had no choice but to pry with his tools.