18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 396

However, Julia, who prided herself on having every angle covered, had failed to account for one critical factor - herself.

The patrolling soldiers were just regular grunts, never getting the chance to even see the top brass, let alone their wives and daughters. In the many years since the catastrophe had reshaped the world, even the most secure stronghold like the Kindle Society saw its fair share of folks driven mad by the brutal conditions of survival. Some claimed they were fairy-tale characters; others believed they were gods. The most vocal were those who fancied themselves as the base commanders, the rulers of their little domains! A warning for such delusions was usually enough, but a repeat offense was treated as an assault on a soldier. Attempting to snatch a weapon? That was a cardinal sin!

The offended soldier showed no mercy, executing a clean judo throw that sent the emotionally compromised Julia crashing to the ground. With a smack that echoed the futile attempt of an egg against a rock - she shattered. Julia's eyes rolled back as she felt her insides churn from the impact, the pain nearly knocking her unconscious. Lillian fared no better. In an instant, she was pinned against the glass by a soldier, "Cool it, lady!"

Onlookers were stunned. How come the ones getting beaten were the ones caught by the soldiers? But it seemed to make sense - after all, they were the ones who had lost their minds and grabbed for the soldiers' weapons. It was like ruining a perfect hand in poker through sheer ignorance.

Lillian could never have imagined being manhandled by a rank-and-file soldier; she was the base commander's wife, for crying out loud! Were they blind and deaf? How dare they! How dare they indeed!

Stella watched with a wry smile, as if observing a monkey perform tricks. Ah, scheming - who wasn't capable of that?

Enraged and humiliated, Lillian struggled violently, her eyes blazing with hatred as she fixed her gaze on Stella, "I am the commander's wife! She's the murderer! We're the victims here!"

Seeing her frenzy, the soldier tightened his grip. A scream echoed as Lillian's arm was dislocated, limply hanging by her side. After subduing the two out-of-control survivors, one of the soldiers approached Stella, "What's the situation here? Who threw the first punch?" Stella admitted honestly, "I did."

The soldier's expression grew stern, "Why?"

Stella glanced toward Julia, "This woman has been colluding with the scavengers, the Whirlwind Crew, bribing thugs from outside to ambush us on coal transport routes. We were lucky to escape, and when we came back to confront her, she flatly denied everything. I lost my temper and that's why I struck her."

Disturbances at the base were categorized by severity. Minor brawls could get you expelled, but nothing serious enough to warrant immediate execution. Stella's move seemed impulsive, but in reality, it was a trap for Julia and her mother. With the submarine secured, Stella was willing to gamble with being expelled from the base to take down Julia and her mother - a bet well worth the risk. She was curious: would Daniel protect this viperous mother and daughter? If he did, she'd accept her loss without much damage. If he acted by the book, they'd be kicked out of the base, and she could deal with them later. Either way, Stella wouldn't lose out.

"Do you have any proof of her plotting to kill you?"

"I do. Witnesses are in the trunk of my car, all tied up and brought back," Stella said, pulling out a voice recorder. "This woman's gone off the deep end, threatening people to do her dirty work, and got recorded without realizing it."

Julia's fear flashed across her eyes at the sight of the recorder, but she quickly resumed her defiance, "I didn't do it. She's framing me!" What good was a recording? She'd disguised her voice in anticipation.

Just as the soldier was about to continue the interrogation, a man burst in, barking, "Who's Stella?" His voice boomed like a bell, his gun cocking with each word.

Jasper frowned, instinctively stepping in front of Stella. Recognizing the newcomer, Lillian's eyes lit up, "Sergeant Heath!"

Sergeant Heath was the head of the base's security patrol. Lillian often browsed the marketplace and had made it a point to greet Heath on several occasions. He knew she was the commander's wife and always spoke to her with politeness and respect. Had he arrived earlier, Lillian wouldn't have suffered such brutish treatment. These buffoons would pay!

With her arm hanging limp and in pain, Lillian's voice mingled displeasure with accusation, "Explain to them who I am."

Heath glanced at her, nodding slightly as a greeting, then repeated his question, "Who is Stella?"

Stella stepped forward, "That's me."

Seeing her face, Sergeant Heath's frown deepened, as if putting pieces together. Approaching Stella with his gun still in hand, Julia couldn't help but smirk - Stella was done for!

Heath, known as the "Mad Bull" for his fierce temper, was tough on his subordinates and protective of Lillian. Having once served under Daniel, he was deeply respectful toward the commander's wife, having been promoted thanks to Daniel's influence. One of Heath's men had once offended Julia, and without a second thought, he was ordered to run fifty kilometers - ever since then, he gave Julia a wide berth. With such protection, should Stella speak out of turn or resist, Heath just might end her on the spot.

Julia's voice quivered as she played the victim, "Be careful with her, Sergeant! She's crazy, she almost killed me and my mom."

Heath frowned but said nothing, instead standing in front of Stella, gasping like a bull, "Are you alright?"

God knows, he had been lounging at home on his day off when he suddenly received orders from above that not a hair on Stella's head was to be harmed, or his own head would roll. "Who's Stella?" They were clueless. It didn't matter who she was; an urgent command from the commander meant she was someone of utmost importance! Who would have thought that Heath, clad only in boxers while sleeping, would leap out of bed, throw on his pants and shirt, and sprint several kilometers at breakneck speed?

His lungs nearly burst from the effort. Thankfully, Stella was unharmed - otherwise, he'd be in deep trouble, "What happened?"

"Sergeant." The soldier saluted and explained the whole situation. Heath's brow knotted. On one side was the commander's wife and daughter; on the other was someone the commander himself ordered to keep safe at all costs. Despite his volatile nature, he was responsible for the safety of the base's core area, dealing with countless tricky situations daily. Without a sharp and savvy mind, he couldn't handle his position. Weighing the two sides, the choice was clear.

Heath holstered his weapon and took the voice recorder from Stella, pressing play. The clear sound of conversation filled the air. The difference between a recording and a real conversation was always evident, and considering Julia had gone the extra mile to disguise her voice, it was initially tough to tell them apart.

Julia was seething with indignation at Sergeant Heath's demeanor, and with the recording as her evidence, she retorted furiously, "Listen up, everyone, that's not my voice at all. This is Stella blatantly ignoring base protocol, viciously assaulting and framing a military family member. And those so-called eyewitnesses? They're just people she's bribed to turn against me."