18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 498

As they trudged forward, a foul stench assaulted their nostrils, growing stronger with each step.

They finally reached the innermost cell where two to three hundred people, of all races and genders, huddled together. Their clothes were in tatters, their faces smeared with grime, and their eyes vacant and lifeless.

When the prisoners noticed the newcomers - masked in balaclavas and gas masks, brandishing heavy-duty submachine guns - fear initially gripped them. But the unfamiliar attire of the strangers sparked a flicker of hope in some. They began to plead and sweet-talk in every language imaginable.

Among the cacophony, Stella's ears picked up her native tongue.

But freeing them now was a death wish. If she got out, she could consider their fate later.

After a full circuit, Stella emerged from the cell block. Just as she was puzzling over how to crack the quadruple smart locks, gunshots rang out from above.

She immediately grasped the situation - the Russians had arrived!

The Russians, long oppressed by the Union Base, had been keeping a close eye on their movements. They wouldn't miss such an opportune moment.

The base was too vast for just the two of them to tackle over two thousand enemies. Pursuing the escapees was out of the question. Having the Russians pick off the stragglers was fine by her.

Jasper frowned. "A lot of them got away. What if they spill your secrets?"

Stella didn't hesitate. "Anyone who knows, we'll just have to take care of them."

There were too many at Union Base to wipe out entirely in the underwater fortress. But even if they ran, they couldn't escape the Arctic. This wasn't the well-resourced Ocean Point Naval Station. It was the harsh, unforgiving Arctic. If she had to unleash her wrath, she wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

...

Outside the base, a fierce battle raged.

The Russians hadn't expected their chance for revenge to come so swiftly. The seemingly impregnable Union Base was now in ruins.

They split into teams, waiting outside, ready to kill anyone who emerged. They seized a batch of weapons, and their lost confidence surged back. "Ura..." they cheered in the darkness.

A Russian soldier dragged a bloodied base member forward. "Captain, we've got the situation," he reported. "He says two people with special abilities broke into the base..."

Special abilities? Two of them?

The leaders laughed heartily, executing the half-dead base member on the spot. "You believe these liars? How many times have they deceived us?"

Years of conflict had taught them never to trust the enemy's words. They were probably trying to lure them into a trap.

The captain gave his orders with a stern face, "Listen up, unless you fancy dying, don't give them a chance to squawk. Kill on sight!"