18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 364

Stella paused, her senses on high alert. Something was moving in the fog, shifting uneasily. She pulled out her flashlight, slicing through the mist with a beam of light. A pair of eyes stared back at her, blinking.

Half-hidden behind a rock, she could see a head and ears twitching slightly. Stella adjusted the flashlight, confirming it was indeed a pair of eyes. Eyes that were not human. They were filled with wariness, confusion, exhaustion, and a stubborn will.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered, "Cooper?"

The head in the fog moved, and a shaky body stepped out from behind the rock, whimpering softly. It started walking, then broke into a run, stumbling into Stella’s arms.

The creature was emaciated, skin stretched over bones, its head barely holding on. Limping and weak, its body oozed pus from multiple wounds. If it weren't for those familiar eyes, Stella wouldn't have recognized it even up close. Its belly had a long gash that had been stitched up, scabbed over but still raw. Clearly, it had been through a lot.

Who else could have stitched those wounds but Jasper?

Stella broke down, hugging Cooper and sobbing uncontrollably, "Cooper, where's Jasper? Tell me, where is he?"

Cooper cried into her embrace, too weak to even struggle. Its paws were torn and bleeding, yet it had somehow found the strength to find her. It must have been the fireworks that led it to her.

After crying, Cooper bit down on her clothes and dragged her, whining desperately. Ignoring the searing pain from its festering paws and its wobbly body, it led the way with a stubborn determination. Stella, feeling a lump in her throat, picked up Cooper, asking, "Show me, where can we find Jasper?"

Years of training had made Cooper understand human speech, and it pointed the way with its paw. Left, then straight.

Stella hurried along with Cooper on her back, feeding it hot meat pies and its favorite drumsticks. Cooper ate while rubbing its eyes with its paws, the mournful sound growing louder. Stella knew Jasper was in danger.

Her heart pounded with urgency, her steps quickening. At a crossroads, she hesitated, unsure of the direction. Cooper leaped down, determined to lead despite its injured paws, running faster and faster.

A sandstorm had buried the path, and flash floods had reshaped the landscape. Cooper trudged through the mud, crossing murky and dangerous streams. After navigating through several areas affected by landslides, nearly two hours later, they arrived at a crude cave entrance.

Around the cave lay a dozen bodies, many decomposed and stinking, but a few still recognizable despite the bite marks and torn throats. The fresh ones were Cooper's doing. The older wounds were likely Jasper's handiwork. They had been protecting each other.

Standing outside the cave, Stella's heart raced. She didn't dare enter, afraid of what she might find. Cooper grew anxious, "Woof!"