18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 315

Kitty gazed at Cody with genuine admiration. “I envy you, you know? After all these years of natural disasters, your faith in friendship remains unshaken, and the pals you’ve got are rock solid.”

Truth be told, Cody, who worked in sales, was no stranger to deceit. He had seen plenty of it among colleagues and clients, but his true friends had always been Lukas and Stella. Looking back on the past twenty years, apart from being taken for a ride in romantic relationships more times than he cared to admit, he hadn’t made many mistakes.

Kitty often teased that Cody was naïve. He had once offered to help a stranger in need without even knowing if she was a friend or a foe. He never argued and just chuckled in response. Kitty had once been hurt badly, and as a result, she had locked her heart away.

Over the years, many had wanted to join forces with Cody and Lukas, but without exception, they were turned down. The two had seen too much of the good and bad in human nature while growing up in the orphanage, which made them cautious. They wouldn't team up with anyone unless they really understood their soul.

But Kitty was different. She had grown up in a warm family and was capable in her own right. She had learned the hard way that sticking together for survival often led to betrayal.

Cody, however, had grown up under different circumstances. He knew when to be strong and when to show vulnerability. If he didn't have emotional weakness, he'd be craftier than a fox, though he knew how to hide his shrewdness.

Everyone had their secrets. Lukas had his, Angela had hers, Jasper had his, and Stella certainly had hers. But they hadn't harmed each other. In fact, they'd shown kindness, so why not embrace it?

They carefully stashed away their supplies and took tea, cigarettes, liquor, and smoked ham to the official trading hall in exchange for a simple generator.

Cody and Lukas stood watch, while Kitty and Angela worked the generator at home. With a patrol team outside, their neighborhood's safety was somewhat assured. It was the soundest sleep they'd had since leaving the official base.

During their watch, Stella bumped into Austin, who asked with a grin, "Stella, think Bran would cut me a deal if I rented a villa?"

Stella laughed. "Austin, you planning to rent one for Dylan and the crew?"

Austin pondered, "I was thinking of getting one for Monkey and the guys, but I'm not sure if the community would welcome them."

No wonder he had been so eager to discuss the rent with Cody and Lukas. He was paving the way for Monkey and the others to move into the villas. The man had more tricks up his sleeve than a street vendor.

But since Monkey and his crew had had run-ins with the community security, Stella didn't dare offer an opinion. "That's for the homeowners' association to decide."

Austin, slick as ever, went straight to Bran. Somehow, he got Bran to rent out two larger villas at the same monthly rent of 20 pounds of grain.

Stella was surprised and brought it up with Jasper over dinner. "With wives and kids to feed, they couldn't afford that much grain even if they split the cost."

Jasper wasn't surprised. "Austin's probably covering for them."

Taking care of your crew was one thing, but blood was thicker than water, and rent would come out of future earnings. It secured the safety of his men, earning their gratitude and loyalty. Plus, adding dozens of his own people to the community meant the wealthy would think twice before crossing him.

Jasper’s guess was spot on; that was exactly what Austin had done.

The other wealthy folks internally disagreed but had no choice but to consent, given the circumstances.

As the eternal night fell and looters started raiding, they truly felt the scourge of disaster. Life was tough. Hunger and cold were constant, and the lack of sunlight deteriorated their health. Austin seized their desperation, striking a deal to rent two villas in exchange for male patrol duty.

He paid with the grain in advance and was planning to deduct it from his men's share after the darkness lifted.

The police station's vicinity was safe, but crammed living was unbearable. These villas might be pricier, but they offered space for livestock and grain cultivation.

A shrewd dealer always knew a good deal, and who would refuse one? If times got tough, Austin wouldn't stand by and watch his crew starve.

With the dealers and the villa residents joining forces, the community shifted to a three-shift patrol system, lessening the burden by four hours per shift and giving everyone a much-needed break.

Bran hounded Stella. "Sis, when are you gonna treat me to a meal?"

Considering his help, Stella readily agreed, "How about tonight, OK?"

A proper meal invitation required proper hospitality. But Stella couldn't stand Bran's smugness, and with Jasper being a man of few words, she invited Austin and Dylan along for ambiance.

Neither father nor son were skilled in the kitchen, so they wouldn’t miss out on a feast.

Austin brought two of the largest fish. "Let's see your magic in the kitchen today."

Stella confidently asked, "Do you want fish stew or fried fish?" Arcadia had stored plenty of spices and side ingredients, and Jasper's fish filleting skills were top-notch.

Trusting her cooking, Austin didn't hesitate, "Either's fine."

Stella weighed the fish. “Raised from fry, right?”

Fish grown in the darkness didn’t differ much from those before the disaster, except they were slimmer and a bit paler.

“Exactly,” admitted Austin, a tad sheepishly. “We only got the fry shortly before the endless night. They’ve been a hassle to keep, and we are always tending to them with care. Raising a child was never this troublesome."

Dylan followed behind, politely greeting, "Hi, Stella."

Austin corrected him, "Don't be disrespectful, call her Auntie Stella."

But Dylan was more interested in finding Rosie. He took a thermos from his backpack. "Rosie, I just milked this, it's still warm. Try it." Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

"Dylan, sheep's milk is too precious. I can't accept it."

Dylan stubbornly handed it to her. "It's alright; I feed them every day so there's always more."

Like master, like pet. Bran showing up was one thing, but Buddy's skin was even thicker. Buddy brought a gift, a bone with meat still on it as a tribute to Cooper.

This was met with disdain from Cooper, who was used to feasting on meat and fish. Cooper promptly pushed the bone back, though he appreciated the gesture. After munching on a bone, Buddy became Cooper’s sparring partner, and the two mutts started roughhousing in the backyard.

Bran swiped a bottle of Shane's Scotch. "Stella, it's an '82, older than our own mother. Bet you've never seen anything like it, huh?"

Stella smiled. "Indeed, I haven't."

It was a Five Star brand in its glazed ceramic bottle, a relic from before the end times, and once worth a whopping $15,000 a bottle. Now, its price was sky-high. She had stashed away ten bottles in Arcadia, all pilfered from his cousin Bentley. She would take that secret to her grave.