18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 367

Tom's punch landed hard, and the young boy's lip split, blood trickling down as his head spun in confusion and pain.

Facing his father's blazing eyes, he clutched his cheek, too terrified to say another word in his defense.

Tom took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself, before bowing deeply to the crowd. "Everyone, I'm truly sorry. It seems I've failed as a father, causing all this trouble. Please accept my deepest apologies."

The crowd's anger simmered, but they knew the fault lay with the spoiled brat, not the refugee camp that had saved so many lives, including theirs. The camp leader had always been at the forefront of rescue efforts, even braving the rain to offer comfort. He was a good man; it was just his son who had gone astray. After a moment's thought, and despite their grievances, no one wanted to escalate things further.

Stella wasn't looking for a fight, especially since the camp was filled with Tom's people. Picking a real fight would only put her at a disadvantage due to their numbers.

She turned to Rosie, "Did they hurt you?"

Rosie shook her head, "No."

Stella relented, "Alright, for the sake of my sister-in-law being unharmed, I'll let this slide. But if there's a next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Tom thanked her, then turned to his son and slapped him twice more. "You ungrateful brat, apologize now!"

Under his father's stern gaze, Hunter braced himself and muttered, "I'm sorry."

Stella responded coldly, "I can't hear you. Say it louder."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he repeated, though his eyes still burned with hatred.

Stella chose to ignore it, allowing Tom to take his son away.

When she returned, Angela and the others breathed a sigh of relief and asked with concern, "Did you replace Jasper?"

Stella shook her head, her expression complicated. "No."

"Don't worry, Stella," Lukas consoled her. "Jasper's tough; he'll be okay. He's probably just delayed because of injuries, same as us."

They drove out of Griffith, only for their car to break down just outside the city. It took a while to fix, and then they were back on the road.

When it rains, it pours; halfway through their journey, they were accosted by a group of desperate refugees blocking the road. The entire village had banded together for safety and surrounded their car, throwing stones and attempting to overturn it, all to force them out. Kitty, in desperation, floored the gas pedal, hoping to break through, but the engine failed to start again. As their windows shattered, Cody fired shots, taking down a few assailants, but they were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

Eventually, they were forced out and had to fight back with whatever weapons they had. Then, suddenly, a sandstorm hit. Cody and Lukas, being closer to the car, scrambled inside to seek shelter from the storm. The vehicle was flipped, and they clung on to their supplies for dear life, but were still mercilessly swept away.

Cody twisted his ankle and sustained multiple injuries. Lukas suffered a concussion from a flying rock. Separated, they were lucky to keep their supplies and managed to survive. After the sandstorm abated, they sought each other out, despite their pain. They found each other first, but then torrential rain brought mudslides, and they were trapped by a river, eventually straying further in the wrong direction.

Their tale was one of bitter hardship. But no matter the delays, they eventually reunited. Now, only Jasper and Cooper were unaccounted for. The camp had disbanded, but their search could continue. They were determined to replace Jasper and Cooper. Despite his injured ankle, Cody was resolute. "Yeah, together we're stronger. We'll split up and cover more ground. We'll replace them."

Stella was moved by their solidarity but couldn't share the harsh truth. Jasper's injuries were severe; he needed the best care, and traveling with the group would only worsen his condition.

"Thanks," Stella said, embracing them. "You're all hurt and should be resting, not worrying about us."

Lukas was baffled. "Stella, are you saying we're a burden?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she retorted with a playful eye roll. "Look at yourselves. 'It takes a hundred days to recover from a bone injury.' If I let you go out there all battered and bruised, you might end up in worse shape than when we started." Angela insisted, "Friends don't keep score. Besides, you and Jasper have done so much for us. How could we rest knowing he's missing?"

Stella appreciated their sentiment. "I've been out searching for days and heard a rumor that survivors saw someone resembling Jasper heading west. I'm not sure if it's true or why he'd go that way, but I want to take Rosie and see if we can replace him and Cooper. Luckily, I found a bike on the road. I'll ride with Rosie to chase the lead. It'll be a quick trip, and we won't be gone long. Your job is to take care of yourselves. Will you head to Lincoln with the majority, or replace a place to heal first?"

Lukas, still reeling from his concussion, struggled to stand without feeling dizzy or nauseous. After days of hardship, every one of them was frail and couldn't afford more strain. Yet the thought of Stella scouring the earth for Jasper while they could offer no help was a bitter pill to swallow.

Stella accepted their good intentions. "You saved Rosie earlier and protected her again today. That's more than enough help. Look after yourselves; we may cross paths again."

In a world ravaged by disaster, reuniting after a separation was a luxury. Stella looked at her lifelong friends, her eyes moist. "Take care."

Their hearts heavy, they embraced her in farewell. "Stella, whether or not we meet again, just survive."

Stella nodded, reminding them, "Keep an eye out for Hunter. He doesn't seem like the type to let things go."

"If that scumbag wants trouble, he can bring it on," they muttered, frustrated by the injustice of his privileged birth.

Stella pedaled away on the bike with Rosie in tow. Cody and the others stood on a hill, watching her silhouette vanish, their emotions tangled.

Kitty stood beside him. "Don't worry about Stella. She's capable. Wherever she goes, she'll fare better than most of us."

Angela looked at her injured friends. "No matter what the future holds, we too must survive."

Lukas spoke up. "Should we replace a place to lick our wounds, or head straight to Lincoln?"

"Let's hole up somewhere," Cody pondered. "Get a bit of rest. Once we're feeling better, we can hit the road to Lincoln and look for Jasper on the way."

The other two nodded in agreement, shouldering their gear and supporting each other as they left.

Stella was eager to get back, pedaling her bike like a woman possessed, almost sending Rosie, who was seated behind her, flying off.

Rosie, fighting off the discomfort, asked, "Sis, where are we headed now?"