18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 24

Hearing about Cody's predicament, Angela was fuming. "Give him a beating and get him out of there!"

Sure, Cody had made a mistake, but he'd stockpiled all of Stella's needed medicine – not only was it all there, but he'd saved her both money and hassle. As a friend, Stella couldn't just stand by. After all, Cody had taken a beating for her when they were kids.

Without hesitation, Angela kicked the door in, shouting, "Listen up, you've got one minute to clear out. If you don't, you don’t want to know what will happen next!"

However, the only response was silence.

Stella handed Angela a crowbar from her bag. Angela, with her brute strength, started prying at the door.

"Who are you?" A voice suddenly echoed from behind them.

A couple in their sixties were walking up the stairs with a young girl who looked no older than nine. They were carrying a hefty bag containing what looked like an inflatable boat. Spotting the bag, Stella immediately recognized it as the one she had anonymously bought for Cody.

The brand was a professional one, not the sort an average person would choose to buy. In other words, these people were not only leeching off of Cody, but they were also hoarding the supplies she had bought.

Stella dragged the young girl by the collar to the door. "If you don't open this door, I won't hesitate to hurt your parents and your daughter."

She even pulled out a knife, scaring the girl into tears. "Mommy, mommy..."

The parents rushed in, stomping and shouting, "Murder! Murder!"

"Go ahead and scream. Let the whole building know that you've taken over someone else's home and pushed them to the brink."

It wasn't possible for a single woman to kick Cody out, this had to be a collective effort! Despite the girl being only nine, she was mature beyond her years.

In a world as ruthless as this, a child could be smiling at you one moment, and plunging a knife into your heart the next. The purer the smile, the darker the heart. Perhaps they didn't want to, but when hunger struck, it forced people to make choices.

Stella knew this all too well. She'd experienced it!

The door finally opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with a sallow complexion who barked at them, "What are you doing? We've told you we don't know Cody. If you keep causing trouble, I'll call the police!"

Angela threw a punch. "Screw you."

The woman was knocked to the ground, and her face was bloodied. Several teeth were missing. A boy from inside the house screamed and threw a cup of water at them.

The interior of the house, the clothes in the closet, everything belonged to Cody.

The boy charged at them fiercely. Stella slapped him and pushed him hard against the wall. Regardless of what the adults did, the two children were well taken care of. But their survival was completely dependent on Cody’s resources. They not only showed no gratitude, but they also forced the owner of the house out just to save themselves the effort of preparing meals.

When the boy came at them, his face was fierce and remorseless. What did that mean? He knew what was going on; he was even a part of it, and he had no shame.

The woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, and the couple was wailing and crying, putting on a show. But it was all pointless. Everyone else was half-starved and had no time to concern themselves with the fate of others.

Angela was a skilled fighter and knew where to hit to cause pain without risking a life. A few punches left the woman unable to scream, and she was thrown out of the house like a dead dog.

Angela glared at the couple. "I don't hit the elderly, but if anything happens to Cody, I'll make sure your entire family pays!"

The house was a mess. The supplies Stella had sent were down to a few pounds of rice and two packets of salt. The oil didn't seem to be touched. Lukas packed everything into a bag, along with some of Cody's clothes and other necessary items.

The elderly woman, relying on the fact that she was female, fearlessly tried to wrestle the bag from Lukas. Stella kicked her down. "He doesn't hit the elderly, but I do."

They searched the couple for the keys and found them. Lukas then proceeded to lock the door. He also took the inflatable raft. Without the raft, there was no chance of survival. The old man didn't let go until Stella pulled out a bloody butcher's knife.

The family finally showed fear. Their faces turned pale, and they huddled in a corner, trembling.

Stella glared at the middle-aged woman. "You're a real black widow, aren't you?"

With that, she dragged her up by the collar and threw her out the window.

"Ah!!!"

Both Lukas and Angela were shocked.

The elderly couple clung to the child, howling, and screaming. Stella didn't blink an eye as she walked down the stairs and left. They rowed away in the inflatable raft, leaving the black widow struggling to swim not far away. What a pity, she could actually swim.

As for how to deal with her, that was up to Cody. If Cody continued to be foolish then there was no need to save him. Even as friends, there was not much they could do. It was the end of the world, and everyone had to prioritize their own survival.

Lukas and Angela discussed, deciding to heading to the Griffith Hotel to look for Cody. Stella was torn, but remembering the beating Cody had taken on her behalf, she agreed. By the time they reached the Griffith Hotel, it was full to bursting. The staff was overwhelmed by the hordes of refugees.

The city's systems had collapsed, and the water was littered with garbage. The refugees were starving. There was no hot water, and food was scarce, leaving a nauseating smell hanging in the air.

Lukas fought his way through the crowd, finally emerging half an hour later, panting heavily. "The accommodation is divided by area, Cody should be on the 14th floor."

They couldn't get any more specific information. After all, the hotel was housing thousands of people, and both the internet and power systems were down. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Stella's ears were ringing from the noise. "Let's just try and find him."

The hotel was massive, with dozens of rooms on each floor. Without any light, the hallways were especially dark. But even in the darkness, each floor was crowded with people. A careless step could easily result in tripping over someone or something.

By the time they reached the 14th floor, Stella took out her flashlight. She thought that cramming five or six people into a room was already too much, but she was shocked to find that some rooms were crammed with over a dozen people. The sheets and blankets were dirtier than rags, and the air was thick with a foul smell.

It was so filthy that Angela almost threw up. "This is just too much."

Despite the poor conditions, the authorities were already doing their best. There were thousands of people in the low-rise buildings and factories that needs to be rescued.

They thought they'd have to knock on each door, but the rooms were so crowded and stuffy that all the doors were open, and many people were even out in the hallways for fresh air.

As soon as they arrived, they could feel countless eyes on them. Despite the darkness, Stella could sense a lot of hostility. If it weren't for the military maintaining order downstairs and dealing with the troublemakers in the shelter, they wouldn't have dared to enter.

Even so, they couldn't afford to let their guard down. They searched room by room, seeing many faces devoid of life. Angela was filled with sorrow, but all she could do was sigh in her heart.

After searching over twenty rooms, they finally found Cody. He stood by the window, transfixed by the rain outside, lost in thought. He was already thin to begin with, but now he seemed even more gaunt, and his clothes were so dirty that their original color was indistinguishable.

Lukas recognized him instantly - after all, they'd grown up together and shared the same pair of jeans. "Cody," he called out.

It took a few moments before the man by the window turned around, staring blankly at the figure in the doorway. Cody looked at the trio. His lips were struggling to form a smile that looked more

painful than a cry. The state he was in was quite disheartening – he had a grubby face and a grease-stained body.