18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 621

Stella wasn't one for conspiracy theories, but let's be real – there were only so many prize catches in the sea, and Poppy had a hawk's eye for them. She really liked the girl, but men... well, they had a knack for capsizing the friendship boat with the ladies.

Rosie was the polar opposite of Poppy, but the two sisters got along great. Friends were hard to come by, and Stella just wanted Rosie to be happy.

“I got it, sis,” Rosie said, knowing all too well about those who played the field. If a guy couldn't get a date with one girl, he'd swing over to Poppy's side. Sure, Rosie was sheltered, but she wasn't naive. Apart from her brother and sister-in-law, she wasn't one to wear her heart on her sleeve.

It wasn't that the guys were fickle-hearted, but with the male-to-female ratio being what it was, settling for second best was only logical.

Stella handed Rosie a new dress, and the sisters-in-law posed for some ritzy photos, flaunting gems traded from the town's top dog breeders. Jasper, feeling invisible in the midst of this, could only sigh.

New Year's Day was greeted with the town square's festive music. Anticipating a slew of visitors, Vanessa came over bright and early to help heat up the holiday feast. The well-wishers were non-stop – military brass followed by government officials. Jasper and Stella worked the room, welcoming guests with the grace of seasoned hosts, much to Daniel's pride.

Reagan's family was the highlight. After some time to recuperate, Vera looked much brighter. Though offered a cushy government job, she turned it down, craving the simple life on a farm. Her husband didn't push; if the farm brought her peace, they'd take it slow.

Nicholas, on the other hand, looked like he'd lost weight, his face weary but his spirit unyielding. Mark and Evan made a late entrance with the government entourage, and by then, the place was buzzing.

Just as the military guests were about to depart, an ear-piercing siren blared – it was an air raid alert, the most urgent kind. Panic spread across faces, especially among the defense chiefs.

Daniel's study housed a secure military line. Nicholas, in a frenzy, contacted the coast guard, “What's going on?”

Before he could even finish, the roar of jet engines thundered overhead. Stella, quick on her feet, grabbed binoculars from the porch. The jets were too fast to catch a glimpse.

The urgent reply came, “Reporting to Nicholas, two Chinese aircraft carriers and a nuclear submarine are closing in, fighters have breached our airspace.”

The carriers were within 200 nautical miles of Griffith, and three jets launched from their decks. If those jets were armed, and they hit Griffith...

Nicholas's face turned ashen, “Activate emergency protocols, take them down...”

Daniel, stone-faced, issued a chilling command, “Shoot them out of the sky!”

Griffith wasn't a pushover, and such moves would only lead to mutual destruction. As the encrypted military channel buzzed, the brass huddled, strategizing over China's brazen airspace intrusion. The incident with the Chinese open-pit oil field was already on the military's radar. It was first discovered by Australian survivors, and by the principle of first-come-first-served, China was the aggressor. Even if we stepped back, the current coordinates were historically Australian territory, supported by historical and archaeological evidence.

Listening to Nicholas's impassioned speech, Stella almost couldn't keep a straight face. They stayed vigilant, weighing their options. Two hours flew by. China, having lost three jets, called for talks.

The Chinese military spat blood – the damn rabbits were serious! They'd come with great fanfare, but only to reclaim what was theirs, to seek justice for their fallen.

Now, the encampment buzzed with the question: what was China really after? The whole shebang was just a power play, a move to rattle the other side and grab the upper hand in the negotiations. But who would've thought... they actually opened fire!

Damn kangaroos, those Aussies with no sense of fair play. They never dared before, but now, the audacity! How dare they!!!

Our jets blown to smithereens, and here I am, smack dab in the crosshairs of an electromagnetic railgun, missiles swarming, and locked in the sights of an anti-missile system. China is on the brink of losing its cool. Never have they suffered such an indignity. Not even Ocean Point Naval Station would go this far. What gives Griffith the right!

Among the top brass from China leading the charge, one clutched his chest in agony, a heart attack seizing him on the spot, gasping out a pained, “F-FUCK!”