18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 205

After they had finished moving, night had already fallen. Jasper and Stella ventured out one more time to return the rental truck.

As the darkness set in, the temperature started to drop, offering a much-needed respite from the heat.

They had disassembled two fire exit doors and, working together, they installed them at the entrance of their unit, locking them with a sturdy chain.

Jasper installed an alarm system, designed to emit a piercing sound if anyone tried to tamper with the lock. The hallway was transformed into a makeshift garage, barely large enough to accommodate their Hummer.

They hadn’t figured out the character of the residents of Eastwood Eden, and with the vigilant Mark present, it would be risky to take any chances before understanding the situation thoroughly.

They didn’t park the Hummer inside Arcadia, but they did drain the gas tank.

Jasper was a hard worker, and he spent the night installing a stainless-steel door on the staircase of the apartment. This door was also electrified, adding an extra level of security.

Despite it being at night, it was still hot. Cooper was sprawled on the ground, too exhausted to even lift his tongue. Rosie was no exception, sweating profusely even in front of the air fan.

Out of necessity, they spent the night installing air conditioning to keep them cool.

They hadn't installed the stainless-steel railing on the balcony yet, and without it, the curtains would billow with the breeze from the air conditioning.

They resigned themselves to the task, spending several hours installing a stainless-steel railing and bulletproof glass, before finally installing the air conditioning unit.

By the time they finished, it was already past four in the morning. Before long, dawn would break.

After a shower and with the cool breeze of the air conditioner on her skin, Stella fell into an exhausted sleep. Jasper tucked her in with a thin blanket, turned off the light, and lay down.

When they awoke, it was nearly noon. The three of them, along with Cooper, sat down in their modest dining area for a brunch.

Rosie did not forget her chores, washing the dishes and wiping the table before taking some hay to the neighboring apartment to feed the rabbits.

Stella continued tidying up the apartment, but there wasn’t much left to do, thanks to Jasper’s industriousness. He even fetched water from the well located near building number 2.

The well was usually locked. Each building had a designated time to draw water due to the well’s slow output.

When it was Jasper’s turn, perhaps due to his local celebrity status, the workers inadvertently filled his bucket more than usual, although it was still less than half full and the water was murky.

"The heat is killing us, and the water level is dropping," complained one of the workers. He showed Jasper how to filter the water, using a Mason jar filled with clean sand for filtration.

Fearing that Jasper might not be able to do it, the worker offered him a homemade filter, but Jasper politely declined, taking his bucket of water back to building number 5.

While the well water wasn't clean, getting access to it was not easy.

The remaining water tanks were struggling to keep up, but the speed of drilling couldn’t keep pace with the depletion of the fresh water supply. The murky water was a reminder that the water level in Eastwood Eden had dropped again.

Arcadia did have water, but water was a precious resource. Instead of dumping the well water, Jasper called Rosie over and showed her how to survive in these tough conditions. He showed her how to let the dirty water settle, how to make a filter, how to filter the water, and how to boil it.