18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 363

Seeing her stay silent, the young man grew even more arrogant. "Hey, sis, wanna hop on board for some fun? I've got food and drinks here," he boasted, shaking the beer can in his hand like it was a prize.

Stella acted as if he were invisible and kept walking.

Irritated by her indifference, the young man bristled with indignation. Women always clamored for his attention, and now that he made the first move, she snubbed him.

"Sir, maybe this isn't a good idea?" his lackey interjected with a sigh. "We snuck out, and getting caught wouldn't end well. We've already had a tour; maybe we should head back?"

"Dock the boat—I'm going to set her straight today!" the young master barked.

Reluctantly, the lackey steered the boat closer to the shore.

"Right now, immediately!" the young master demanded.

With no other option, the lackey moved to the nearest landing spot.

As the young man prepared to disembark, the inflatable boat wobbled unexpectedly, punctured by something sharp hidden beneath the murky waters. He stumbled, nearly falling overboard.

"Damn it, we're leaking air!" the lackey exclaimed.

The rapid escape of air from the compromised vessel was alarming, especially since the young man couldn't swim, and the water was filthy, strewn with debris—and worse.

Despite his usual bravado, he was quick-witted in a pinch. He grabbed a rope from the boat and threw it toward the shore, "Miss, do me a solid and pull me in, will you?"

The rope landed near Stella's feet.

Without a word, Stella kicked the coarse hemp back into the river.

Desperate, the young man pleaded, "Look, I'm sorry for before. My dad's the head honcho at Raven Port, and I'm here on a relief mission. Please, help me out—the boat's supplies are yours if you want them."

Stella didn't respond, just kept walking.

Even in a relief effort, his arrogance shone through. Why save someone who'd squander the resources? He'd probably revert to his old ways once out of danger.

The deflating boat spun helplessly, drifting farther and farther away.

The young man's pleas turned to anger, and then to a stream of expletives as despair set in.

Stella trekked through the rough terrain, encountering several stranded survivors.

To the kind-hearted, she gave directions to a nearby refugee camp.

To those who harbored ill intentions and attempted to rob her, Stella delivered swift justice with her knife.

As dusk fell, she stumbled upon a makeshift cave. Inside, a woman sat motionless, blood crusted at the corners of her mouth, beside a body with its thigh bone grotesquely exposed.

Without approaching, Stella took aim with her crossbow.

The clothes on the corpse weren't Jasper's, but she couldn't help but move closer.

The body was a stranger. After a moment's thought, Stella released the crossbow bolt.

The woman didn't scream; she just slumped to the ground.

Stella wanted to find a safe place to spend the night, but thoughts of Rosie back at the camp, and the possibility that Jasper might have been rescued, spurred her to return.

Late into the night, she finally made it back to the camp.

Upon arrival, she found Rosie volunteering, helping to welcome and settle the newly rescued survivors.

When Rosie saw Stella, her eyes lit up, but dimmed again at the sight of her sister-in-law alone.

"Sis," Rosie approached, handing Stella a thermos of hot water. "Drink some of this; it'll warm you up."

Stella couldn't hold back her worry. "Any news here?"

"None," Rosie replied.

Volunteering was Rosie's way of seeking news about her brother and Cooper, hoping against hope with each arrival, only to face disappointment.

Not wanting to add to Stella's sorrow, Rosie changed the subject. "Angela woke up around noon and went out to look for others. It's late, and she hasn't returned yet. Aki woke up this evening with a fever; I've given her medication."

Stella rested briefly at the entrance before sending Rosie back to take care of Kitty.