18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 455

Justice frantically rummaged through his pockets until he found the vial, which, to his dismay, was empty.

“Damn, I’m out of meds.”

In desperation, he shouted, “Does anyone have some nitroglycerin or anything?”

His cries echoed, but after a decade of catastrophe, who would still have such medicine?

Panic ensued. “Quick, turn back to the hospital!”

The commander, Staff Chief, halted everyone, gasping for air, “I’m fine, just need to rest. The hospital’s out of supplies, don’t bother them. We’ve got more important work to do today.”

Just listen to him—out of medicine and he didn’t say a word.

He didn’t want to go back, but others insisted out of concern.

Stella watched the Staff Chief, whose age wasn’t far from Daniel’s.

After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and said, “I have some.”

It was true. She had kept a few vials for herself when concocting pills for Daniel, just in case.

She pulled out a vial from her bag and handed it over.

The bottle was unmarked except for a label that read: “Nitroglycerin.”

Given the leader’s life was at stake, Justice was skeptical, “Are these really nitro pills?”

Stella retrieved the vial, “They’re from South Base Pharmaceutical. If you don’t trust it, give it back.”

Justice, desperate, snatched it back, “Just asking, I trust you.”

They all lived on the base, and her husband worked in Area A; she wouldn’t mess around.

He sniffed the bottle’s contents, which seemed to match the usual medicine the commander took.

The other officers were also concerned about safety, but the urgency of the situation left little room for doubt, and there was no guarantee that making it to the hospital would be timely.

It was worth a shot.

Justice doled out four pills and instructed the Staff Chief to place them under his tongue.

Everyone held their breath until, five minutes later, the Staff Chief’s color improved, and they let out a collective sigh of relief.

Justice felt a weight lift off his shoulders and sat next to Stella in the corner, “Stella, I was out of line earlier in the panic. I apologize, and I can’t thank you enough for today.”

“It was nothing.” Stella extended her hand, “The medicine?”

Justice grinned shrewdly and pocketed the vial without letting go, “You and your hubby are young and healthy; you don’t need this. How about you sell it to me?”

“Not for sale.”

“Name your price.”

“I said not for sale.”

“Anything within my power, just ask.”

Justice’s smile widened, “Even if I can’t pull it off, I have connections higher up.”

Stella remained firm, “Not for sale.”

“South Base used to be part of the Southern Military Command, headquartered at Swan Hill before the disaster. The Staff Chief served there in his younger days before moving to East Base, and you’re from the South too, right? What a coincidence. He has life-saving ties with the powers at South Base. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-tier pagoda. You must have received favors at the South Base, right? Consider this a way to repay them.”

Trust a bureaucrat to turn coal into diamonds with his words.

Stella didn’t get it, just looked at Justice without a word.

Justice’s eyes twinkled with cunning, “Without special approval, could you have gotten a submarine?”

He knew the military rules like the back of his hand; submarines were strategic resources, off-limits without top-level authorization.

After thinking, Stella spoke softly, “My request is simple. Three more rooms.”