18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 47

After receiving a sweet kiss from his owner, Cooper was so elated that he started spinning in circles, nearly wetting himself in excitement.

Rosie, not to be outdone, clung to her arm, "Stella, it's so scary outside. There's water everywhere. It's flooding the houses, but Rosie isn't scared."

"That's my brave girl."

Rewarding the two with a piece of candy each, Stella headed downstairs to assist in carrying firewood. The water tank was massive, and it took the strength of three men to hoist it up to the roof.

After securing the inflatable boat and rubber raft upstairs, Angela unzipped her large backpack to reveal a plastic bag containing a snake and two wild rabbits.

"We had to travel far, to Ivywood Estates. The place is almost entirely submerged underwater. The water tank was Jasper's idea. We planned to head straight back after getting it but Cooper dashed off into the hills."

Fearing for Cooper's safety, they hurriedly pursued him, only to find him engaged in a battle with a snake. With quick reflexes, Jasper managed to decapitate the snake with a military shovel.

The group was thrilled about the extra food brought in by the snake, but Cooper was still not ready to leave.

Unable to argue with the dog, they continued to collect firewood as they ventured deeper into the hills, where Cooper found a rabbit burrow.

"Stella, you’ve struck gold. This isn't just a dog. It's practically a godsend."

Stella chuckled, "Cooper has spent years surviving on the streets. He’s much stronger than us."

Angela was amazed, "I've never seen a dog so smart. He even climbed trees. If it hadn't been for Jasper, we wouldn't have been able to control him. He was so unwilling to return home even after dark."

Greed was a dog's nature; only a dog that had experienced hunger would have the desperate urge to hoard food. Thinking back to the pig they hunted last time, it was no wonder Cooper was reluctant to come back.

Stella didn't go out, but she contributed by guarding the home, and her dog was a great hunter, so they agreed to share the spoils equally. She didn't want to take advantage of the situation, but Angela and the others insisted, "Cooper is one of us. He's contributed as much as any of us have. If you feel bad, then take charge of the cooking. We'll assist."

In the end, Stella didn't cook, instead, she guided Jasper in the kitchen.

The snake was skinned and gutted, then stewed with a bowl of black beans in the pressure cooker. The two plump rabbits were prepared two ways: one braised, and the other grilled. They also had a stir-fry of fresh vegetables and a bowl of mixed grain rice. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied.

"Stella, we're planning to head out again tomorrow," Cody asked, "Would you like to join us?"

The wealthy residents of the villa had already relocated, so there wouldn't be any food left, but much of the furniture was made of solid wood and could be chopped into firewood.

In addition, the water tower on the roof was a great asset, and they planned to bring back a couple more. Each household could then have one, eliminating the need to collect rainwater from the balcony.

Jasper suddenly suggested, "There are quite a few water towers over there. Why don't we bring back more? Even if the rain stops, the water supply won't resume immediately. We need to plan for water storage."

Cody and the others were taken aback, but soon agreed with his proposal. Jasper and Stella both had strong survival skills; it wouldn't hurt to listen and follow their advice.

Stella had no objections, "Angela, we need to leave one person behind. Who do you think would be best?"

Angela was restless staying at home all day, "I'll go, but we have to bring Cooper."

"Woof!" Cooper agreed.

"I'll go too," Rosie eagerly raised her hand, "I can help collect firewood."

Jasper wanted her to experience the outside world, "Alright, but no crying."

"I won't cry," Rosie rubbed her bottom, "I fell today and didn't cry."

So, it was decided that Stella would stay behind at base camp, and Cooper would fight on her behalf.

In the middle of the night, a loud noise suddenly came from downstairs. The noise continued for a while without stopping. Stella was awakened by the noise, but seeing Cooper lying in his doghouse motionless, she rolled over and went back to sleep.

In the morning, she was still in bed, but Cooper already excitedly pulled at her blanket. It was time for the Stella to clean up after him. They had work to do.

Stella got up, yawning, and fed him chicken breast mixed with dog food. She applied some ointment to his skin rash, put on his raincoat, and packed a simple lunch of cereal and dog food in a thermos for him.

Cooper grabbed the bag and opened the door, not forgetting to look back at her. It was as if he was saying: Hey, I'm going out to earn our keep. You stay home and behave.

Stella laughed and gave him a hug, "Alright, be careful and don’t overdo it."

The door to Jasper's room opened, and Rosie came out in her raincoat, "Stella, I want a hug too."

Jasper must have talked to her, as the little girl was becoming more confident in expressing her feelings. She greeted Angela and the others one by one, a stark contrast to the shy and scared little girl they first met.

Cooper was the last to leave, glancing back at her with a hint of reluctance. The only difference was that after training with Jasper, he seemed to carry an additional sense of responsibility.

Stella closed the door and walked to the balcony. After a while, she saw the group paddling away in the inflatable boat.

No sooner had they left, Drew's team followed in their rubber raft. Not only Drew, but Hector and others also followed, along with residents from other buildings.

Unknowingly, the 18th floor had become a beacon. They were all puzzled. They were all going out to find supplies, so why was it that the 18th floor always managed to return with a bounty, while they couldn't even find firewood?

How could there be such a gap between people?

Well, if they couldn't beat them or join them, they would just have to try to keep up.

Stella counted the rafts; there were quite a few who were secretly following.

Although they were being watched, she wasn't worried. Jasper would be able to shake them off.

After breakfast, she continued to read medical books. Around ten o'clock, Katie came up for acupuncture. After several days of treatment, her back pain had significantly improved, and she no longer needed help climbing the stairs.

Katie was in a good mood, holding Stella's hand, "Stella, the woman’s house was broken into last night. It's karma."

She was talking about the same woman who had come to Stella for medicine, causing a scene. Her house was broken into in the middle of the night. She was knocked unconscious with a heavy blow, and all the food in her house was taken.

She was hysterical when she woke up and went to complain to Drew in the morning, demanding that each household open their doors for her to search.

How would Drew agree to her demand and organize a search? Especially when he heard how much food she had lost, he almost fainted.

She had over 200 pounds of grain, not to mention the oil, meat, pickles, and other items.

"Most likely she exaggerated. Who would hoard so much food at home?"

Katie shook her head repeatedly, "Those who kindly lent her food are furious. They rushed up to fight, saying she's the heartless one. She deserves to have her door pried open."

Stella cautioned, "You gotta be careful too."

Katie was sharp, "My pantry is bare too. These days, I just get by with lunch. That barely fills up a quarter of my stomach."

It was soon noon and the group had not returned. Fetching water from the tower shouldn't take this long. Stella was worried sick about Cooper and was itching to give him a call, but there was no signal. Every fifteen minutes, she found herself standing on the balcony, scanning the horizon.

Finally, at three in the afternoon, she spotted Jasper.

She quickly counted the heads – everyone was there, and their dog was standing proudly at the head of the inflatable boat, like a triumphant warrior sailing home.

She went downstairs to lend a hand, but as the boat neared, Stella sensed something was off.