18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 310

"Dylan made some meatloaf for me." Rosie asked earnestly. "Uncle Austin's dough skills are a no-go, so I had to step in and help with the yeast. We've got the bacon-wrapped and the corned beef sauerkraut ones, but they just don't taste as good as the ones we make at home." Human nature could be a murky abyss, and Stella had learned to navigate its depths with added caution. "Rosie, did they ask you anything about our home situation?"

"Nope," Rosie muttered, her mouth full of the savory pot roast she was nibbling on. A frown suddenly creased her forehead. "While I was on lookout duty for Jasper, some folks made small talk, trying to weasel out what supplies we had stashed at home."

A ten-year-old kid might not be streetwise in times of peace, but Rosie had seen enough under Stella and Jasper's relentless tutelage to know the score. She might not have had a lifetime of experiences under her belt, but she was savvy beyond her years. She knew the score - who was a friend and who was foe.

Those snoopers hadn't managed to extract a single truth from her. Instead, Rosie had turned the tables on them, leaving no stone unturned.

Building 12, 19, and 23 - a trio of rotten apples. They'd do well to keep their distance from now on.

The little girl was sharp as a tack, her cherubic face belying the cunning within. Chances were, she'd be the one doing the conning in the future, which was oddly reassuring.

Jasper peeled a shrimp as a treat for Rosie, making her day.

"Woof!" came a demand from the side. Cooper wanted a double serving to be appeased.

Stella chuckled beside them. "Yeah, Cooper's the real MVP of this mission."

Cooper nudged his empty bowl forward with a look that said, "Feed me, human!"

After feasting to their hearts' content, it was lights out for a well-deserved rest.

Nestled in the cozy bedding, the temptation to laze the day away was strong, but Rosie was up with the lark, eager to let her brother and sister-in-law get some extra shut-eye by taking on the lookout duties herself.

Jasper agreed. The younger ones needed to learn independence if they were to survive in this harsh new world. He reminded his little sister to dress warmly and to be friendly but keep a wary distance from strangers. "I got it," Rosie affirmed, keenly aware of the stakes.

After a good night's sleep, Jasper tended to the poultry in the backyard while Stella surveyed their herb garden in Arcadia. She harvested what was ripe and propagated what was needed.

Food for man and beast wasn't in short supply for now, so Stella focused on expanding their medicinal herb garden, particularly those beneficial for liver and lung health.

Jasper sent a letter, and the authorities would likely prepare accordingly. But disasters had a butterfly effect, and the more survivors there were, the scarcer the resources. Illnesses needed specific remedies, and without actual cases, doctors couldn't research in advance. All Stella could do was plant as wide a variety of medicinal herbs as possible.

Once the garden was tended to, they locked the door behind them and began to inventory their stockpile from the cave.

Five years had taken their toll - most of the supplies were past their prime, some even spoiled. But in desperate times, even spoiled food could be a feast for those starving. A can of aged bacon might've cleared the intestines or, in the worst case, prompt an appointment with the Reaper over afternoon tea.

Stella was meticulous, even offering medical advice on what could still be consumed, but whether Cody and the others would heed her advice was another matter entirely.

The last items they hauled were sacks of rice - about 1500 pounds worth - a literal life-and-death gamble. The rice was still good, and luckily, Stella had hoarded a small milling machine, perfect for communal use.

After three days of rest, Derick knocked, saying Shane had requested their presence.

Upon entering the Porras estate, they spotted several trucks in the front yard. Their beds were stacked with metal drums that Stella guessed were helicopter fuel.

Invited into the study, Stella and Jasper found Shane looking weary but composed. He extended his hand to them, "I can't thank you enough for your help with this situation."

"No thanks necessary - we agreed on a reward," Stella said as she shook his hand. "How's Bran doing?"

"Let's not even mention that spoiled brat - it's bad for my blood pressure." Shane popped a blood pressure pill. "If there's a next time, he's done for."

The helicopter was ready on the rooftop, primed for a swift getaway.

Shane admired the young couple's resourcefulness. "Do you need someone to teach you how to fly it?"

"No need," Jasper politely declined. "I can fly."

Shane was taken aback, then laughed heartily. "Impressive, the younger generation is truly something else."

After the kidnapping ordeal, Shane was even more convinced of their extraordinary backgrounds. He probed, "Evan came by the other day, saying the military found a cave in the mountains with hostages, but my son wasn't among them. He asked how I managed to locate and rescue Bran." Stella was onto his game, "How did you respond?"

Shane, a seasoned player in the game of business, sensed a special connection between Evan and the couple, one that wasn't as straightforward as he'd previously thought. Evan seemed to be seeking confirmation of something.

Confused but cautious, Shane didn't reveal the truth, simply saying a team of bounty hunters had made the discovery. How they did it was their business, not his. They delivered and he paid - square and fair. Evan and Shane were old foxes, and neither gained an upper hand, leaving the matter to rest.

Sadly for Shane, he couldn't read anything revealing on the young couple's faces. With the conversation leading nowhere, Shane directed Derick to take them up to the rooftop. To his surprise, Jasper wasn't bluffing - he really could fly. Jasper familiarized himself with the controls, and the propellers roared to life.

This was undoubtedly Jasper's moment to shine. Stella mused, was this some kind of cosmic compensation?

The helicopter was no cheap buy from the Porras family, spacious enough for a dozen people and worth a couple hundred million at least.

"It's not cold-hearted to think this way," Stella thought. If Bran got kidnapped a few more times, she might just end up taking the top spot on the rich list.

The helicopter lifted off smoothly, vanishing into the dark night sky. Stella surveyed the ground below through her binoculars, while Jasper piloted the aircraft to their landing destination.

Acquiring the helicopter was one thing, but replaceing a place to keep it was another. "Let's head to that spot we used as a hideout during the last earthquake," Stella decided. It was spacious and remote, with a slim chance of encountering others.

Griffith wasn't large, and with the speed of the helicopter, they quickly reached their destination. Through her binoculars, Stella scanned the area while Jasper lowered the chopper with precision.

With a smooth touchdown, the duo didn't rush to stow their helicopter away. Instead, they peered through night-vision goggles, scanning the surroundings. Only when they were certain it was safe did they pack up their aircraft into the Arcadia, and park it atop a luxury cruise liner. Having the means to travel by sea, land, and air at their disposal brought an overwhelming sense of security. Setting out hadn't been an issue, but the return journey was rife with potential headaches.

For safety's sake, Stella whipped out her trusty "Land Behemoth," a hulking all-terrain vehicle known for bulldozing its way through anything in its path.

Concerned for Bran, who was still catching his breath and subscribing to the philosophy of "better safe than sorry," she donned a balaclava, ensuring not even her own mother could identify her.

Once the Behemoth roared to life, the ground trembled as if an earthquake was underway.

Stella's worries weren't unfounded-the old quarter had become a haven for the nefarious, a place where danger lurked in every shadow. Barely half an hour into their journey, bullets came hurtling towards the vehicle, pinging off the reinforced glass...