18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 393

Stella didn't waste a second. She hopped into her truck and drove off under the cover of night, the small, forgotten town disappearing in her rearview mirror.

Upon reaching Mount Murray, she quickly traded two truckloads of coal. Then, she used ether to knock out her captives again, ensuring they wouldn't wake up before noon the next day. Jasper tied the captives up like hogs ready for slaughter, gagged them with rags, and hid them among a pile of stones.

They found a secluded spot and, in no time, the three of them, along with their loyal dog, had their tent pitched and were cozily wrapped in their sleeping bags.

A little after seven, they woke up and ate their campfire breakfast, enjoying the crisp mountain breeze.

Around ten, Rosie, who was on lookout, whistled down to them, "Sis, they're coming."

Two rickety off-road vehicles were making their way towards Mount Murray, bouncing along the rough path.

Everything was going according to plan. The trio readied their rifles, while Cooper, who wasn't handy with weapons, paced nervously.

Minutes later, the vehicles came to a halt at the foot of the mountain. Along with the thugs from the previous night, seven or eight more men stepped out.

Two of them looked vaguely familiar, as if they had once tried to schmooze their way into the gang, showcasing the old tricks of the Whirlwind crew.

"Black Dog, where's your boss?" a portly man, dressed sharper than the rest and with a cigarette dangling from his lips, surveyed the surroundings warily. "You better not be playing games with me."

"Mr. Ty, you jest," Black Dog said with a groveling smile. "We depend on you for our bread and butter. Wouldn't dare cross you, not for all the tea in China."

"Your suspicions about them offing your guys were right. They put up quite the fight, and we lost a few men capturing them. The boss is personally keeping watch over them, ensuring no tricks." "They're stashed in a cave. I'll lead you there. Mr. Ty, we lost a lot of good men. Two hundred pounds of grain ain't cutting it. Any chance for a top-up?"

Mr. Ty played coy, "Let's see the merchandise first."

Once these two were dealt with, none of the Whirlwind could be left standing.

Thinking of the points Stella and Jasper were about to score, Mr. Ty was itching to get his hands on the card and the passcode. Life would be worry-free after that.

And with their heads as proof, he'd walk the base like he owned the place.

His mind swam with delight, and he was about to take a drag of his cigarette when a muffled 'pop' sounded, and his bodyguard dropped dead beside him, a neat hole in his forehead. "What the hell, you double-cross me?" Mr. Ty roared, drawing his gun to exact revenge on Black Dog. But a searing pain shot through his arm, and his weapon clattered to the ground. Black Dog was just as shocked and quickly surrendered, "Don't shoot, don't shoot, I did what you told me."

Several bullets later, aside from Mr. Ty, the rest of the Whirlwind crew lay dispatched on the ground.

Mr. Ty was furious and shocked, and he tried to flee in his vehicle.

Rosie pulled the trigger, not only blowing out the tires but also sending a couple of rounds into Mr. Ty's thigh.

With multiple bullet wounds, Mr. Ty couldn't stand and was left crawling on the ground.

Not just him, even two of Black Dog's men had been neutralized, leaving Black Dog trembling in fear, cursing Mr. Ty's ancestors.

Damn it all, if he'd known how dangerous this mission was, he wouldn't have taken it for all the gold in Fort Knox.

Not only had he earned not a single grain, but his own hideout had been uprooted.

Truly, he felt like crying.

Stella, Jasper, Cooper, and the dog emerged from their hiding spot and slowly approached Mr. Ty, who was struggling in a pool of his own blood. Mr. Ty glared at Stella with hatred.

Stella didn't appreciate his gaze, and she stepped on his chest. "Keep staring, and I'll gouge those eyes out."

She pressed hard, forcing the air out of his lungs, and Mr. Ty felt as if his ribs were breaking. "What... what do you want?"

Stella smirked at him. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Mr. Ty, having mixed it up at the base for years, knew the fate of the vanquished, but who doesn't fear death when it stares them in the face?

He spoke through gritted teeth, bearing the pain. "If I tell you, can we let bygones be bygones?"

"We'll see," Stella said, pointing the gun at his head. "Speak now, or I'll send you off."

Mr. Ty's face was a picture of misery. He clenched his jaw but said nothing.

Stella didn't resort to torture. Instead, she offered a choice. "I'm a fair person. Give up the mastermind, and I'll tell you where your men are."

Excitement flared in Mr. Ty. "What have you done with them?"

Stella just smiled, firing another shot into his leg. "You might not know this, but I was a surgeon before the catastrophe. I can shoot you full of holes without killing you. Want to try me?" She held the power and wasn't about to haggle.

The second shot...

The third shot...

Mr. Ty's screams filled the air, but there was no one to answer his calls.

Damn it, this woman was playing dirty!

"I'll talk, I'll talk!" Mr. Ty was in agony, wishing she'd just put him out of his misery.

But then, the dog started digging at his wounds with its paw, and the pain was unbearable.

"I can't take this anymore!" he screamed.

He spilled everything, gasping for breath. "Some big shot's family member ordered the hit on you."

Stella fired another round into his leg. "Lying even on the brink of death!"

Mr. Ty was on the verge of passing out, yet her shots were expertly placed, always avoiding vital areas.

His leg had indeed become a sieve.

The dog, unamused by his silence, dug even deeper into the bullet holes, eliciting screams that could wake the dead.

"Alright, alright!" Mr. Ty couldn't endure the torture, admitting, "I have a recording!"

To survive in the base, one needed leverage. When that person approached him, brash yet refusing to pay, Mr. Ty became suspicious and covertly made a recording.

Nine years post-disaster, who would have thought he'd carry a tiny voice recorder?

It wasn't that Mr. Ty was paranoid; it was that this person was cloaked head-to-toe, speaking in a deliberately hushed tone, clearly hiding something.

He played hard to get, trying to squeeze out more information.

Losing patience, they claimed to be related to a big shot, promising that if the Whirlwind took care of this, he could strut around the base like a king. Thinking to get something for nothing?

Sorry, Mr. Ty had the same idea.

After some back-and-forth, Mr. Ty agreed to the hit but insisted that they provide the details of Stella and Jasper's movements.

He was skeptical until they revealed the two were currently training in the submarine division, promising to send the details when the time was right. Mr. Ty believed it then.

Once they left, he sent his men to follow, confirming they entered the A-zone military family compound as if they owned the place.

"Interesting," Mr. Ty muttered as he replayed the recording. "Very interesting."

He spent days investigating, and though he couldn't pinpoint their identity, anyone living in the military compound was no small fry.

As long as I've got dirt on her, what's stopping me from reaching the top?

Besides, a bunch of our guys have gone missing from the crew, and there's no way Stella and Jasper aren't involved. Might as well use this chance to take them out of the picture.

So, when word got around that the two of them were heading to the coal yard, I didn't hesitate to make my move.

But damn if I didn't see the ambush coming - ended up capsizing in the gutter, just when I thought I was the cunning one. The hunter gets hunted, classic!