18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 204

Mark detailed every aspect of Eastwood Eden's situation, assuring them that they could stake out a plot near Building 5 for cultivation.

Stella hauled a sack of potatoes from the car boot, weighing in at 20 pounds, which she used to pay the rent.

The trio, along with the dog, drove to Building 5. The distance between the buildings was substantial, and with Building 4 in between, they could enjoy their privacy. It did seem pretty good.

"Rosie, Cooper, we're gonna have a new home. Excited?"

"Yeah."

"Woof!"

The entrance door to Building 5 was probably made of wood and had been stripped away for firewood during the harsh winter.

Parking the car below the building, they made their way upstairs. Stella had her sights set on the fourth floor. Unit 401 had a large terrace of over 1000 square feet, perfect for farming.

Unit 401 was the largest, with four bedrooms, two living rooms, two balconies, and two bathrooms. It was estimated to be around 1500 square meters.

Its natural light and ventilation were excellent, but it had been water-damaged, so renovations would be a major project.

Units 402 and 403 were three-bedroom layouts, which could be cleaned up for rabbit farming.

Stella asked, "Should we stay on the fourth floor or move up further?"

Jasper thought the fourth floor was good. "We don't know when the earthquake will hit. Living too high up might be risky."

Actually the terrace wasn't safe, but at least they didn't have neighbors above them. They planned to install a sliding iron gate for the balcony.

Having settled on the fourth floor, they walked through all the floors, closing the windows in the hallways and securing the fire doors with collected steel wire.

The sixth floor was piled up with sand, cement, and lime used for construction. They could use the sand, but the cement and lime had hardened. Luckily, they had collected plenty in Arcadia.

While they weren't professionals in renovation, they could manage. The work might just not look as polished.

Returning to the fourth floor, they discussed the renovations. The renovation was a huge undertaking that was exhausting and time consuming. Stella suggested, "How about we rough it out for a while until we're in sync with the folks at Eastwood Eden before we start renovation?"

It would save them the effort of transforming the place only to move out if things didn't work out.

In contrast to the scattered and independent approach of Sunrise Sanctuary, Eastwood Eden was a cooperative community, with residents following Mark's command. If things didn't work out, it wouldn't be a conflict with one or two people, but with over a hundred.

Jasper had no objections, "I'll dismantle two fire doors and modify them to fit the entrance. Then, the Hummer can be parked inside."

They planned to install electrified stainless steel doors at the stairs on the third and fifth floors for added security.

Stella agreed, but insisted on doing things above board. They would make a trip at night, bringing in the necessary items in a truck so they wouldn’t be too suspicious.

But first, they needed to clean up the bare unit.

The place was filled with sand and cement chunks, which required a lot of effort. Entering the room, they brought out the cleaning tools and furniture, and fetched two buckets of water. The sunlight was blinding. Working together, they hung up the curtains to keep their privacy intact.

In the sweltering weather, even their thermal clothing was of no help. They were sweating buckets.

After hanging the curtains, they hurriedly brought out the air fan filled with ice cubes and recharged themselves with icy watermelon juice.

Rosie was a hard worker. After finishing her juice, she wiped her mouth and continued.

They sprayed water with a shower head to minimize the dust.