18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 313

What Lindsay? There's not even a scrap left!

If the doctor hadn't diagnosed Bentley with delusional disorder, Bentley’s mum would've throttled him with her own hands.

She was a self-made woman, who had come up during the Golden era and was toughened by a world where only the strong survived. She'd been a bit neglectful of family in her early days and focused on her business, but Bentley, with his knack for commerce, made her proud. She retired early, handed the reins of the business to her son, and went globe-trotting.

Bentley was also a chip off the old block, taking the company to new heights. But then, he fell for a woman. The woman had been dead for years, and still, he couldn't shake her off. He was duped by a bodyguard turned bandit, who lured him away using a forged letter.

Bran tried to talk sense into him, but no dice. In a panic about his safety, Bran followed him out. Bran thought, with the Porras name holding weight in Griffith and cops patrolling their place, only a nutjob with a death wish would dare cross them. Looking back, Bran wondered where he got the nerve.

Bran was kidnapped in broad daylight, and the whole town knew. When Bentley’s mum found out the mess started with Bran’s cousin, she was livid. She slapped him silly and locked him up. "Try running again, and I'll break your legs!"

Stella was shocked. Who'd have thought Bentley would ever face such a day, and that it'd be his own mother who'd put him in line!

"He really has delusional disorder?"

"Who knows? Either way, they've got him on meds now."

Stuck with a cousin touched in the head, Bran felt cursed. Thankfully, Bentley’s mum took control, promising to compensate Shane with a new helicopter, or Bran would’ve been brainless by now.”

Stella would never give out what she took in. Out of respect, she offered a few comforting words, then had Buddy drag the mummy back home – out of sight, out of mind.

Annoyed as he was, Shane had her limits. He wasn't about to beat his son to death. After a week or so of care, Bran was bouncing around again.

This incident was embarrassing, and Bran was a lot more low-key after that.

When Stella had rested enough, she resumed her patrols. The three from Stella’s household took turns, each standing guard for four hours before rotating.

Other families looked on with envy and began to follow suit. Any kid that dared to object got a slap or was told to take a hike out of the gated community.

Tough times thinned the bonds of kinship. The once polite and refined, now in slippers and wielding brooms, chased their errant offspring, who ran ahead with their hair a mess.

Stella just watched and laughed.

Patrolling with her flashlight, she paused to gaze at the silent villas, lost in thought. She remembered No. 25 had a little poodle. The whole family was wiped out by the security team during that eternal night. The house still stood empty. It was a quality place, built with the best materials. Leaving it vacant seemed wasteful.

Cody and his gang had been looking for a safe house near the police station but found nothing. So they asked Monkey, who had no leads but reported it to Austin. Austin, a bit tipsy, let it slip to Stella.

Bran still wore the hat of the homeowners' association president and found himself talking to Stella in the shelter of a guard post.

"We've got six empty villas in the community. Got any ideas?"

Bran was instantly on guard. "What are you scheming now? Isn't one enough for you? You want a different one every day?" Ever since his heart got broken, he'd been reserved towards her.

Stella suggested, "They're empty anyway. Why not rent them out or sell them?"