18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 76

Cooper was steady as a rock, moving with a shocking agility that had his pursuers spinning in circles.

It wasn't just the dog they were after; they were so ruthless they were even after Stella. But Stella didn't dodge it. Instead, she sped up, and was charging at them.

She was fast on her ice skates, and the men armed with metal pipes, despite their feet slipping on the snow-clad ground in their snow boots, were relentless in their pursuit.

Stella streaked past them, not waiting for the man to raise his pipe. She was like a bolt of lightning.

With a resounding "thump," the man was knocked off his feet. His thick beanie was no match for Stella's golf club. He collapsed on the ground, and his eyes were wide open. Blood was pouring from his mouth, and his breaths quickly fading away.

Stella didn't hesitate. Whether they were after her or Cooper, her response was the same, a golf club to the face. They were all highwaymen, living only to rob others.

She knocked a few more skulls before the others realized something was wrong. By then, the girl in the red snowsuit had disappeared from sight.

They thought those had slipped and fallen, only to find out their teammates were dead when they got closer for a look.

How was a young girl so ruthless?

Surprise and shock were fleeting. The onlookers immediately started stripping the dead of their warm clothing, not minding the lingering body heat.

The remaining people were starving, and their looks towards the dead were complicated. Saliva was pooling in their mouths, yet, they managed to resist their basest instincts and walked away. As for how long they could hold out, even they didn't know.

Cooper was getting more and more excited, and his tongue was lolling out of his mouth.

He looked at the relentless Stella and suddenly hit the brakes. It was almost as if he was saying, come on, come chase me! Just as Stella was about to catch up, he bolted again.

Stella and Cooper chased each other, soon returning to the Sunrise Sanctuary.

After the walk, Cooper was full of energy, and his muscles were sleek and shining. Stella rewarded him with a piece of jerky, packing up her things to go upstairs.

On the 12th floor, a tottering figure suddenly rushed out. Stella almost swung her club before realizing it was Amanda.

Her face was as white as chalk, like she'd been dusted with flour. Stella knew at a glance, Amanda didn't have long to live. She was devoid of any signs of life.

Was it because Hector was good at sweet-talking her, or because she thought the food she got for having sex was easy money? She had ruined her body for one pound of food an hour, half of which was taken by Drew, and the rest used to support Hector and the others.

Stella didn't understand, perhaps that was the symptom of being hopelessly in love. Even if she had to live it all over again, she was glad she had woken up in time. Otherwise, she might have ended up worse off than Amanda.

"Stella, save me. Please save me." Amanda's voice was hoarse, and her body was swaying. The light in her eyes was dimming.

Stella asked, "How do I save you?"

"I... I can't stop the bleeding, and I have a fever. Can you give me some medicine? I don't want to die..." Amanda was unsteady, leaning on the staircase for support.

"Why come to me?" Stella was expressionless. "I didn't get a single grain of the food you earned. Whoever ate your food, go to them for help. Even if I had medicine, I wouldn't give it to you. Why should I? Because you're pitiful, or because you're stubborn? I'm not your parent, and I haven't taken anything from you. Whoever made you like this, go to them. Playing the victim won't work with me."

With that, she continued up the stairs.