18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 311

Regrettably, to the raiders, it was like scratching an itch through a boot. They had not even left a mark. Their bullets couldn’t pierce the glass, so in a fit of rage, they aimed at the tires.

"Damn it," they cursed, "can’t even shoot through a tire. Where are my armor-piercing rounds? Where the hell are they?”

Stella didn’t give a damn about their impotent fury; she just revved up her engine and roared away.

Some foolhardy thug, with more guts than brains, raised his gun and charged. Poor guy didn’t even value his own life—who else would?

Stella plowed straight into him and blasted through the wall, crunching over the broken bricks and debris with a fearless drive.

No obstacle was truly an obstacle; she raced through the darkness with reckless abandon. It was a rush like no other.

As they cruised through the old town, things felt a lot safer, although now and then, some thug would jump out only to lose his nerve at the sight of the marauder’s massive vehicle.

They made it to the outskirts of Newtown unimpeded and switched cars. Flying in and driving back would be too showy.

Dressed in bulletproof vests and steel helmets, they rode their trusty scooters home. Only after a little excursion did they realize that Newtown had been cracking down in the past few days, and no thugs dared cause trouble. Stella had anticipated this; otherwise, she wouldn’t dare ride a scooter.

The military police had cleared out the hideout. They would surely strike while the iron was hot to interrogate the three injured men, uncovering their ties to the city’s gangs. Then, they took them down with a thunderous force.

After a heavy crackdown, who would dare to run into the line of fire?

Anyone foolhardy enough to do so would end up at the waste-to-energy plant. Their remains would light up the eternal night—and never let the light dim!

Stella didn’t rush to collect fuel after hiding the helicopter. It was too soon and would draw attention, possibly allowing the Porras family to deduce their route and location. This would be troublesome if they sent trackers.

One truckload a day, it took four days to complete the collection.

Sure enough, as soon as they left the neighborhood, someone followed but was led on a wild goose chase and stealthily eliminated.

The Porras family didn't make any big moves. It was just small-time thugs trying to scavenge around the villas. The thugs didn't get any spoils. Instead, they paid with their lives.

Once everything was secured, Stella could finally relax. She was now a proud owner of her own aircraft. It was time to divvy up the loot back in Arcadia.

Stella grabbed the radio and called Lukas, telling him and the others to come over. They arrived quickly, all with smiles on their faces.

Stella brought out the ledger. "I’ve taken stock of the supplies and noted the quantities here. Does everything look correct to you?"

When life and death hung on supplies, and you'd been scrapping through the apocalypse, nobody was a fool. They all knew what was at stake. A quick glance, and they knew the score.

Stella was straightforward. "The helicopter and 100 tons of fuel from the Porras family are in our hands. Do you want to split it or trade for supplies?"

Cody pondered for a moment. "What are you thinking, Stella?"

"The helicopter, I'm keeping for sure. If you want a share, we can all use it together. It might just save our skins if we ever face an inescapable disaster. If not, I'll find a way to trade for equivalent goods for you."