18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 245

Thankfully, the glass was bulletproof, or Stella would've met her maker right then and there.

Collin and the others were scared out of their wits, but Jasper kept his cool and focused on driving. He was impressively calm under pressure.

The vehicle was heavily modified. Not only was the glass bulletproof, but the tires were puncture-proof as well.

Of course, if it wasn't for Collin and the others, Stella would've probably insisted on stopping and making sure those robbers were sent straight to hell. The criminal gang was everywhere, but the researchers and their medicine were more important. No need to stir up unnecessary trouble.

When they arrived in Swan Hill, this once bustling metropolis, all that remained were a handful of sturdy buildings amidst a sea of broken ruins and the blinding glare of sunlight reflecting off shards of glass. Its tragic history was even more harrowing than that of Griffith. Words and images could hardly do it justice.

Desolation, sorrow, and utter despair.

Buildings had crumbled, walls had fallen, but there were still survivors holding on. They either lived in makeshift shelters or dug holes beneath the rubble. Stella turned away, not wanting to see any more of this tragedy.

Guided by Collin, the Hummer pulled up to a building not far from the city center. The research institute had collapsed, and this was a temporary replacement they had found.

As they returned safely, several staff members emerged from the building, "Did you replace anything?"

"We did, but it was extremely dangerous. We were lucky that some kind-hearted people helped us, or we would've been done for in Mount Greenwood."

Collin thanked them again, making sure to tell Jasper which areas of Swan Hill were particularly dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.

Jasper simply nodded, turned the vehicle around and drove off.

Compared to Griffith, Swan Hill was relatively safer. It was not only home to the military headquarters but also had a larger number of troops maintaining order. Due to numerous roadblocks, it took them an hour to leave the city and replace the road leading to Lincoln.

Stella didn't want Jasper to be tired out, so she took over driving.

During the extreme heat, nearby cities would travel to the military base in Lincoln for water. The road was well-maintained and much smoother than within the city. In the back seat, Cooper and Rosie were snacking and messing around.

While they were with Collin and his team, they didn't dare to eat even basic toast, let alone a hamburger or a hot dog. And even then, their food was rationed. Jasper was enjoying a meat sandwich, making sure to hand Stella one so she wouldn't go hungry.

"Arf!"

"Jasper, I want one too."

Jasper couldn't help but laugh. There was never a dull moment with these two.

As Stella savored the sandwich, she turned on the car's music and took a sip of her iced tea.

Before she could swallow, Jasper suddenly warned, "Watch out!"

Thankfully they were accustomed to such surprises, or Stella would've sprayed her mouthful of iced tea all over the place.

There was a sharp turn up ahead, and something seemed to be on the road. Jasper's expression turned grave, "It's a spike strip."

No need to guess, they had run into professional robbers.

These were unavoidable on the road to the military and official bases. It was a survivor's hell and a robber's paradise.

Every day, numerous survivors and vehicles would pass by. These robbers could easily make a killing.

Of course, they didn't dare to target the water convoys from various cities, fearing reprisal from the military base.

Actually, the military base did send troops to suppress the bandits, but these bandits were a frequent occurrence.

Many of them were survivors who wanted to seek refuge in the base. However, either they were robbed on their way, or they couldn't hold on without any food. As a result, they grouped together and became bandits themselves, turning their weapons towards other survivors who were in the same predicament as they were.

Stella slammed on the brakes and took out her binoculars. Sure enough, a spike strip, more than three meters long and covered with sharp steel spikes, lay across the road. There wasn't a speck of rust on it, indicating its frequent use. "Bang!"

A sharp impact sound echoed, and a bullet mark appeared on the side window. It seemed they were not dealing with ordinary robbers.

Stella's temper flared, and she took out her weapon and explosives from Arcadia. Since they didn't want to give her a chance to be a good person, she would show them what she was capable of.

But despite her anger, she remained rational and stayed in the car.

Rosie was also on edge, pulling out the gun Jasper had given her.

She stayed in the car for 20 minutes, just testing their patience. If they were so confident in their spike strip, they could try to get Stella out of the vehicle. Eventually, the other side lost their patience. From around the corner, over twenty people emerged from behind a mound of dirt by the roadside.

Men and women, armed with knives, steel pipes, and baseball bats. Their faces were cold, and their eyes were filled with malice.

The leader, holding a homemade gun, walked towards the Hummer with a grim face.

Jasper, with his eagle-like eyes, observed, "Apart from the leader, the others don't have lethal weapons."

A ragtag bunch!

For the people in the car, perhaps, but the people outside didn't think so. Their numerous successes had made them arrogant.

Since they had started their operation, they had never caught a fish as big as this one. The leader was particularly excited.

A Hummer, the ultimate post-apocalypse vehicle, and it was bulletproof. With this, he would have nothing to fear. He could even take over other bases and grow stronger.

Rosie was on high alert, "Jasper, there are people behind us too."

Jasper turned around and saw another group of about sixteen or seventeen people armed with cold weapons about 50 meters behind them. Judging by their mutual wariness, these were two separate groups targeting the same prey. Great, they were sandwiched between two groups of robbers.

Stella didn't expect even a road robbery to turn out like a competition. Could those countless people heading to the base really make it there safely?

The group in front, emboldened by the gun in their possession, didn't think much of their competition. He waved his gun at Stella, threateningly, "Leave the vehicle and your food, and I might just spare your lives."

The vehicle and supplies would be theirs, and the people inside would be left to the group behind them.

"What did you say?"

Stella wasn't sure if they were just too used to pushing people around or if the people they had encountered before were just too weak, but their tone was incredibly arrogant. Suppressing her laughter, Stella rolled down the window, "I can't hear you. You're too far away." Encouraged by their numbers, they weren't scared at all and walked another ten meters closer. In an attempt to intimidate them, they even formed a line, "Today's your lucky day, I..."

Before he could finish, Stella rolled down the window quickly and fired a round at him. With Jasper's guidance, she had become a better shot. The bullet hit him right between the eyes.

At the same time, Jasper lit the fuse on the explosive and threw it towards the group.

Just as they were shocked by their leader's sudden death, the explosive landed at their feet. The turn of events happened too fast. Their minds couldn't keep up, and all they could see was the steadily burning fuse.