18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Stella had no patience for nonsense. "If our mere presence is such a curse, then do us a favor and get lost."

"Why should we move?" Korey's wife glared at her viciously. "Because of you, my son was kidnapped and my husband was hurt. This isn't over!" Stella was speechless. "What do you want?"

Korey held back his wife. His eyes were filled with pain as he looked at Stella and her group. "I'm sorry. I know I messed up. I shouldn't target you guys. But I was desperate. My son is only eight. If I don't do as they said, they will kill him. I know I brought this on myself, but my mistakes shouldn't affect my son. Can you help me save him?"

Stella was speechless. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to ask that.

If he stood with them, like the Moore family, and told them about the kidnappers' true intentions, she might offer to help him by providing the latest news about the gang. But he had chosen to hide, putting them in danger time and time again. And now he wanted them to risk their lives to save his son?

"You're dreaming," Stella snapped.

She ignored him and walked straight to room 1702, kicking at the door. "If you have any guts, stay in there and never come out."

Angela added a kick. "Listen up, if you don't come out now, I'll break down this door!"

But, the door of 1702 remained shut.

"Fine, be that way," Stella scoffed. "See if we ever come here again."

After that, she walked away, heading back upstairs. Angela and the others followed suit. No one wanted to be the sacrificial lamb anymore. They'd let the 17th floor deal with their mess.

Korey's wife wanted to confront Stella, but her husband held her back.

"Listen, I can't hold on much longer, Jane," he admitted.

"No, you won't die," she sobbed, holding him tightly.

"I failed to protect our son," he confessed. The cold seeped into his bones and the pain was unbearable. "Don't seek revenge on the 18th floor after I'm gone. The gang won't let go of them and the 18th floor won't compromise. You need to survive, for me and for Jacky." "I can't live without you," she cried.

"If the 18th floor wins, there's a chance our son could return. You need to leave now, find a safe place and don't get involved."

After saying that, Korey struggled with his bleeding body to the kitchen and grabbed a knife before heading downstairs. "I'll fight them, but you, you need to survive. You need to be there for Jacky when he comes back."

In the grief, his wife watched as he walked away, calling after him, "Wait, wait!"

But Korey didn't stop. With his last bit of strength, he made it to the seventh floor, but not much further. His body collapsed on the icy floor, and he didn't get up again.

When Stella returned home, her dog, Cooper, came bounding up to her, whimpering and pawing at her anxiously.

"It's okay, boy. I'm alright," she assured him, crouching down to scratch behind his ears.

Despite her reassurances, Cooper was still agitated. His paw accidentally punched her on the shoulder. Stella winced and the others watched in shock. They hadn't expected the dog to be so fierce, especially since he seemed to respect Stella. They thought it was best not to interfere, so they pretended they hadn't seen anything.

Cooper threw himself into Stella's arms, letting out continuous sobs. He felt rejected, not being allowed to help in the fight.

"Ah, Cooper is so strong. But their weapons are lethal. You would die if you were hit." Stella continued to comfort him, "Next time, you can join, okay?"

Cooper looked up at her. 'Was she really not fooling him?'

"Really." Stella confirmed, linking her finger with his paw in a 'pinky swear'.

Lukas and Cody looked on enviously. In truth, only Cooper had the courage to hit Stella. Anyone else would have been punished severely many times over.

In any case, they didn't have the guts. The lingering trauma from Stella's beatings in their childhood still hadn't faded.

When Jasper opened the door, Rosie also rushed over, her pout clearly expressing her resentment and teardrop circling her eyes restlessly. He gently stroked his sister's head, "Don't cry. I'm okay."

Rosie clung to him tightly, "I can do it too." Why was it that every time there's danger, he either tied her to a tree or locked her in a room?

Once things had settled, they gathered in room 1803. Cody and Lukas laid out the weapons they had found, wondering how they should be divided. Holding one of these would definitely boost their confidence. Stella was pleased to see this. Finally, everyone on the 18th floor would have a weapon.

Cooper, being clever, knew the importance of these weapons. Without hesitation, he picked one up and placed it in Stella's hand. Then he picked up another one and held it in his mouth.

The others were stunned by Cooper's actions. Stella laughed and took the second weapon from him, placing both back on the table.

Angela suggested, "How about one for each one?"

Cody and Lukas agreed, hoping that Stella and Jasper would agree too. This would give them more confidence when defending the building.

Jasper glanced at Stella before speaking. "I don't need one."

No? Right, he probably found this crude weapon to be beneath him and damaging his image.

Stella wanted it, but she already had one in her hands. It would be better to let the three of them have it for self-protection. And Stella agreed. "Neither do I."

Angela was surprised. "Stella, why not?"

Stella pretended to assess the gun. "Looks a bit crude. Are you sure it's safe?"

Jasper took it, breaking it down swiftly.

Both Lukas and Cody were shocked. "Damn, look at that speed! Incredible!"

He examined the parts. "It's privately made, but the materials used are decent. As long as you don't fire it continuously, there shouldn't be a risk of it blowing up."

"How many shots would be considered continuous fire?"

"No more than ten."

They felt reassured. They only had a total of 34 bullets, barely enough to fill a candy jar.

Jasper refused the gun, but Angela insisted on giving it to Stella. Stella knew that Jasper was giving her an out, so she played along. "This situation has already escalated, and it's going to make life more dangerous for us in the future. You guys need to have some real firepower if you're going to hold the fort."

"Things are messy out there now. I'll try to scout around these next few days. Maybe I can find another one.

"For now, you guys will have to make do with this. We'll see if there's a chance to get a better one in the future."