18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 24

Hearing about Cody's predicament, Angela was fuming. "Give him a beating and get him out of there!"

Sure, Cody had made a mistake, but he'd stockpiled all of Stella's needed medicine – not only was it all there, but he'd saved her both money and hassle. As a friend, Stella couldn't just stand by. After all, Cody had taken a beating for her when they were kids.

Without hesitation, Angela kicked the door in, shouting, "Listen up, you've got one minute to clear out. If you don't, you don’t want to know what will happen next!"

However, the only response was silence.

Stella handed Angela a crowbar from her bag. Angela, with her brute strength, started prying at the door.

"Who are you?" A voice suddenly echoed from behind them.

A couple in their sixties were walking up the stairs with a young girl who looked no older than nine. They were carrying a hefty bag containing what looked like an inflatable boat. Spotting the bag, Stella immediately recognized it as the one she had anonymously bought for Cody.

The brand was a professional one, not the sort an average person would choose to buy. In other words, these people were not only leeching off of Cody, but they were also hoarding the supplies she had bought.

Stella dragged the young girl by the collar to the door. "If you don't open this door, I won't hesitate to hurt your parents and your daughter."

She even pulled out a knife, scaring the girl into tears. "Mommy, mommy..."

The parents rushed in, stomping and shouting, "Murder! Murder!"

"Go ahead and scream. Let the whole building know that you've taken over someone else's home and pushed them to the brink."

It wasn't possible for a single woman to kick Cody out, this had to be a collective effort! Despite the girl being only nine, she was mature beyond her years.

In a world as ruthless as this, a child could be smiling at you one moment, and plunging a knife into your heart the next. The purer the smile, the darker the heart. Perhaps they didn't want to, but when hunger struck, it forced people to make choices.

Stella knew this all too well. She'd experienced it!

The door finally opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with a sallow complexion who barked at them, "What are you doing? We've told you we don't know Cody. If you keep causing trouble, I'll call the police!"

Angela threw a punch. "Screw you."

The woman was knocked to the ground, and her face was bloodied. Several teeth were missing. A boy from inside the house screamed and threw a cup of water at them.

The interior of the house, the clothes in the closet, everything belonged to Cody.

The boy charged at them fiercely. Stella slapped him and pushed him hard against the wall. Regardless of what the adults did, the two children were well taken care of. But their survival was completely dependent on Cody’s resources. They not only showed no gratitude, but they also forced the owner of the house out just to save themselves the effort of preparing meals.

When the boy came at them, his face was fierce and remorseless. What did that mean? He knew what was going on; he was even a part of it, and he had no shame.

The woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, and the couple was wailing and crying, putting on a show. But it was all pointless. Everyone else was half-starved and had no time to concern themselves with the fate of others.

Angela was a skilled fighter and knew where to hit to cause pain without risking a life. A few punches left the woman unable to scream, and she was thrown out of the house like a dead dog.

Angela glared at the couple. "I don't hit the elderly, but if anything happens to Cody, I'll make sure your entire family pays!"