18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 611

Stella had to pull a shift, and when Jasper realized Vera was staying, he made himself scarce to avoid any awkwardness, bunking with Jake and the others instead.

Noticing Vera's unease, Stella reassured her, “Relax, he's crashing on the couch in the common room. It's no big deal.”

Before heading out, Stella gave a quick update to the survivor camp's coordinator, “Her fever's broken, but she's still a bit under the weather. She's out of danger and will be staying with me for a while. Let's keep it on the down-low.”

Stella wasn't looking for trouble. In a community with uneven resources, her act of kindness could easily backfire.

The coordinator nodded in understanding, “Thanks, Stella. Really appreciate it.”

After several days at sea, facing storms and rough waters, they arrived safely.

Only a couple hundred nautical miles from Griffith, the special ops team split up. Cole and a few others took a submarine ashore with the survivors, while Jasper, Stella, and the rest embarked on a new mission, tagging along with the transport ship that followed.

Before parting, Stella reminded Cole to look after Vera, as she was Reagan's daughter.

The crew was surprised, finally understanding why Stella had been so attentive.

They quickly promised to take good care of Vera—not a hair on her head would be harmed.

After all, she was the boss's daughter, and their evaluations and promotions were in his hands.

Stella chuckled, recalling a goofy dog in China, pampered and wagging its tail like there was no tomorrow. “And don't forget to bring that silly pooch back with you.”

Mentioning the dog perked everyone up—they'd brought back a new breed for the base.

Submerged in the submarine, Stella and her group departed on two inflatable boats.

Once in an uninhabited sea area, they released the transport ship.

They stretched their legs with a few laps around the deck, finally shaking off the confinement.

Feeling refreshed after working up a sweat, they all scrubbed down vigorously.

The transport ship was slow, and there was no rush to get back to Griffith. They caught up on sleep and played cards for a couple of days before meandering towards Griffith's harbor.

Though the journey was long, it was fruitful. With the ship overcrowded and safety a concern, Stella stored the valuable supplies they'd gathered in the Arcadia's warehouse to sort out later.

As they neared the dock, cheers erupted—they were thrilled to be home.

Jake, peering through his binoculars, was excited, “Hoover, Stella, the hills around Griffith look greener, don't they?”

“You bet. We've been away for over three months.”

Mulberry trees, honeysuckles, and other hardy plants were thriving, adding to the charm of the never-ending growth.

Compared to the barren wastelands, the greenery of Griffith felt like paradise.

After docking, they took a speedboat ashore, greeting the duty soldiers, “Any survivors arrive in the past few days?”

“Yes, in two groups. One of three or four hundred people, and another led by Captain Xu.”

Stella, eager to return, had barely set foot on the dock when Cooper, her loyal dog, pounced on her, clearly missing her after daily visits to the harbor in her absence.

Cooper was so excited, he couldn't stop peeing, desperately leaping onto Stella.

A white ball of fluff tumbled down the steps, followed by two brown and black pups. Cooper proudly presented his offspring to Stella.

The Hummer was parked out front, the house clean, the backyard garden thriving with vegetables, and even blooming mustard plants attracting benign moths.

Life was returning, and the ecosystem was recovering.

Inhaling the floral scent, Stella felt at peace.

“Jasper, do you think we've made it through?” she asked.

Jasper smiled, “Yeah.”

Who knows, right? But you gotta have hope to keep on living. Always look on the bright side – there's no harm in that.

After getting back home, she headed straight to Arcadia for a hot shower.

Came out, crashed, and by the time she woke up, it was already dusk.

Just about to whip up some dinner when Bran showed up.

Well, his timing for a free meal wasn't exactly spot-on.

But Bran was all smiles. “Sis, put the pots and pans away. I'm playing host tonight. Consider it a welcome-home feast.”

If he'd known she was coming back today, he wouldn't have offered.

Stella was taken aback. Was the sun rising from the west now?