18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 324

The air was heavy with smog as the officers cautiously approached the mysterious black bag. Upon opening it, they found it to be full of herbs. Baffled glances were exchanged - what could this possibly mean?

Nobody took the situation lightly; for all they knew, the herbs could be a smokescreen for something more sinister, like a bomb. Calling in an off-duty colleague, they meticulously checked each package.

The incident was so bizarre it quickly caught the attention of Detective Evan, who was awakened in the dead of night to find the precinct's yard overflowing with the mysterious herbal haul, leaving him utterly flabbergasted.

With a moment's thought, Evan instructed, "Get an expert from the Institute of Herbal Medicine over here, pronto."

The officers wasted no time and drove through the night to fetch the expert.

Back in his office, Evan inquired, "Did anyone get a good look at the people who dropped off the herbs?"

"No luck," admitted an officer on duty. "The visibility was poor, and the smog didn't help. They stayed in their vehicle and were pretty much unrecognizable."

The officer paused, then added, "They were wearing gas masks though, looked almost like skulls at first glance. Gave me quite a scare, I thought we were under some sort of biochemical attack."

Evan shot him a look. "You've been watching too many movies, haven't you?"

"Evan, I'm dead serious. People are on edge; lashing out at society is becoming all too common. If this smog virus turns into an epidemic, who knows how many might become carriers. We need to be ready."

Evan's gaze was sharp. "Mask up."

The officer clutched his mask tighter, "Evan, should we track down those trucks?"

Evan pondered over the two letters that had almost worn thin in his hands over the years. What use was there in tracking down trucks, only to lock them up?

After a long pause, he decided, "No, let's wait for the expert's verdict on these herbs first."

The smog had everyone on edge, especially this new, more ominous version. Stella, unsurprisingly, had another nightmare, this time envisioning Jasper coughing up his lungs into a basin until it overflowed. Not just him, but Cooper was also afflicted in her dream, clawing at his mouth and gasping, "Human, I can't breathe. Give me your lungs."

She woke with a start, only to be met by Jasper turning on the bedside lamp, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Just a bad dream," Stella patted her chest, reassuring herself.

The calm was short-lived as Austin’s voice crackled urgently through the intercom. "Stella, Dylan's got a fever with a cough, his breathing is rapid and he's all hot and cold, is it an infection?"

Stella commanded over the intercom, "How high is the fever?"

"Almost 40."

"Did he take the pills to lower his fever?"

Dressed in her protective gear, she bravely set out in broad daylight. As she stepped out, she decided to drop off a large batch of herbs at Austin's villa. She instructed the father-son duo to try brewing it. Furthermore, she also left supplies for Cody, Lukas and Monkey. This was a contactless delivery, designed to maintain distance and avoid contact.

The herbs, finely chopped and mixed, could only be identified by an expert. After her deliveries, Stella visited her purchased apartments, now spacious with Monkey and others having moved out. Friendly agreements had been made; everyone was looking out for each other in these trying times.

Next door, Samuel’s family was alerted by the noise and emerged, knife in hand. Upon recognizing Stella, relief washed over Samuel. "Is that you, Stella? How have you and Mr. Jasper been?"

The things that had happened during the eternal night and its aftermath had reached them, leaving a mix of relief and complex emotions. The community had endured much, but the bond between them had only grown stronger.

Actually, the security chief was pretty decent to them. Whenever the homeowners threw their weight around, he was often the first to step up. If it hadn't been for their increasing demands, that tragedy might never have happened.

You could say the chief was a smooth operator who knew how to play the game, but in the end, he let them go with their full pay and benefits. It was fair to say that any cruelty he showed was brought on by a string of calamities and misfortunes.

"It's alright, I just came to check on the house."

The air was thick with smog, but hoer concern was noted, so no more needed to be said.

Cody and Lukas had lived here for a while, and they left the place pretty spick and span.

Stella stood by the window of apartment 302, which offered a view of the police station entrance, although the haze made it difficult to see clearly. She took out her binoculars and peered through them intently.