The two of them packed up overnight.
They took everything that could be transported into Arcadia, even the stainless steel doors.
They disassembled all of the doors from rooms 1801 and 1802, and the six doors from the stairwell. Two had been destroyed by the explosion, but the remaining four were taken with them, as they would be needed for their new home.
They didn't just stop at doors. They took shatterproof and bulletproof glass, door frames, glass cabinets, and even curtain rods.
Their eight rabbits were unharmed, but a few of the newborn bunnies, startled by the sound of the explosion, had died from stress. Stella packed them all into a cardboard box and stowed it in the trunk of their Hummer.
At five in the morning, they left the Sunrise Sanctuary, where they had lived for two years.
They stopped the car at the entrance to the University Town, the eastern sky tinged with the faint light of dawn. Stella sat in the passenger seat, deep in thought.
If Silver Asylum had attacked once, they would do so again. Hiding wasn't the answer, and it wasn't Stella and Jasper's style.
Jasper's gaze was intense. "We need to take them out."
It was better to throw the first punch than to receive a hundred. That was what Stella was thinking too. Running away wouldn't solve anything. The more they hid, the more brazen their enemies would become. However, taking on a base of over 200 people, armed with numerous weapons and explosives, would not be an easy task.
"Do you remember the first checkpoint we encountered when we were returning from Swan Hill?" Jasper asked.
Stella remembered. Jasper had mentioned that in his past life, the police forces of Swan Hill and Griffith had collaborated to take down two bases that had been causing trouble.
"You mean, have them fight among themselves?"
Stella suggested, "Should we send Rosie and Cooper to stay with the Moore family for a few days?"
Jasper looked at her seriously. "Stella, we need Cooper's help, and there will be risks."
Stella turned to Cooper. "Cooper, we have a mission, and it could be dangerous. Do you want to go to Katie's house or come with us?"
Without hesitation, Cooper chose to stay, clinging to Stella's clothes.
Rosie clung to her brother. "Jasper, don't leave me behind."
Jasper considered this. "Silver Asylum has done their research on us. If we leave Rosie behind, it might make them suspicious. They might even target the Moore family or kidnap Rosie to threaten us. What do you think?"
Stella felt a headache coming on. Fine, so be it. In these apocalyptic times, protecting her too much wouldn't help. She would have to face what was coming. It was fate.
Nevertheless, they made a trip to Katie's house to drop off Smoky and Snowy. If they didn't return, the rabbits would belong to the Moore family.
Katie was glad to see them and was more than willing to take in the rabbits. Stella brought over a bag of rice, but Katie refused to take it. "Stella, you've already done so much for us. I can't accept this."
"Katie, we need to go. If we stay too long, we might attract attention. Please go home."
With that, Katie finally accepted the rice and hurried home with the rabbits. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of them."
After leaving the research institute residence, they headed in the direction of Swan Hill. They heard that the waters there had calmed down and people were beginning to think about heading there to survive. Occasionally, they saw a few shadows on the road.
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