18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 466

By the time Stella and her crew rushed to the scene, they saw about a dozen soldiers storming in like a whirlwind, quickly taking control of the situation.

"Darn, didn't even get a chance to show off," Bran grumbled, "I was hoping to earn some stripes today."

Stella, trying not to laugh, said, "You did your part at the hospital. Maybe you can ask Justice for a little reward later."

The hospital? Bran nearly face-palmed.

Oh well, it's not embarrassing in front of his sister and brother-in-law.

Monkey's eyes lit up as if greased. "Sis, do we get rewards for making a mark?"

"Not sure, but I think so."

"Great, I'll do the talking later, aim for a bit of glory and a prize."

With his gift of gab, he should manage just fine.

Over a hundred pirates, even when caught red-handed, still refused to confess, defiantly shouting, "We're civilians! What right do you have to treat us this way?"

This wasn't their first attempt to infiltrate the base by pretending to be compatriots, but the scale this time was unprecedented. Once inside, they would extend their black hands towards the unsuspecting survivors.

This time it was an organized pirate gang, with murder and looting on their minds. They had come prepared, taking advantage of the changing weather at sea—a cold-blooded act devoid of humanity.

The base had an interrogation department that wouldn't let them get away with their lies.

Justice had no interest in debating with them and ordered everyone to be detained, to be interrogated by the relevant departments the next day.

Upon seeing Stella and Jasper arrive, he immediately asked, "How'd it go on your end?"

"Brutal," Stella said bluntly. "Lucky we found out in time, or not only would our supplies have been at risk, but even the medical staff might not have been spared."

Same skin, same language. They had gathered some intel when the ship docked, but they hadn't anticipated such a comprehensive plan from the enemy.

If they had succeeded, it would have spelled disaster for the base.

Justice thanked them profusely. "You two really are brave and meticulous. You've definitely made a huge contribution this time. I'll file a report with the higher-ups..."

"Boss, this is more than just making a mark..."

When it comes to being thick-skinned, Bran is still a rookie compared to Monkey. He didn't care about recognition; a tangible reward was what mattered.

To make the life-and-death struggle seem more realistic, he even smeared his face with blood. "Boss, you have no idea how dangerous it was..."

Not wanting to be embarrassed, Stella deliberately walked away.

True to his nature as a middleman, Monkey held onto Justice for a good fifteen minutes and wouldn't let him go, spinning a tale of a narrow escape from death.

Justice promised repeatedly to apply for their recognition and rewards.

An old hand at administration, he was no match for a bottom-rung middleman.

Finally, Stella couldn't stand it any longer and cleared her throat. "Director Jiang has other matters to attend to."

Monkey let go then.

The pirates' corpses were cleared away, and the rest were taken away for detention.

The wind and waves grew stronger, chilling to the bone.

When they returned to the hospital, they found Miranda anxiously waiting with the children.

The bodies and bloodstains had been cleaned up, and the hospital staff, still in shock, were relieved to learn that the pirates had been captured. They didn't forget to heap praise on Stella and the others.

Stella got keys for two rooms from the accommodation manager and led Monkey and the others to rest.

Back in the room, they quickly added layers of clothing and drank hot water.

The trio and a dog went into Arcadia for a shower, and when they came out, they added an extra sofa bed and pulled out thick blankets to ward off the cold.

Life at the base was orderly, and it had been a long time since there had been any disturbances.

Tonight's incident would not be the last.