18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 543

Approaching the cockpit, the unmistakable sound of several voices mingling together reached their ears.

Stealthily moving closer, they discovered the door to the cockpit was ajar. Inside, about a dozen people sat or stood, covered in bloodstains, looking like they'd stepped right out of a horror movie.

Even the most charming guys, it seemed, weren’t immune to becoming butchers in this apocalyptic world. Judging by their blood-stained attire, they could barely be recognized as crew members. In other words, the crew had turned against the pirates.

The conversation was unintelligible, but they seemed deeply engrossed.

Stella pushed the door open with a grenade in her left hand and a submachine gun in her right. Leaning casually against the doorframe, she said in English with a smirk, “Excuse the intrusion.”

The crew was startled, some wielding cleavers, others guns. But then a man appeared behind the unexpected woman, brandishing a flamethrower. One wrong move would turn them into a deliciously roasted squab.

The grenades seemed real enough, and who knows if they’d set off a spectacular display? The clear superiority in firepower made the crew hesitate to act. But Stella wasn’t one for playing fair. She shot a crew member in the hand, causing him to drop his barely functional gun.

Smiling, Stella said, “If it’s out of bullets, why show it off? Drop all your weapons, or else I won’t be so polite!”

The captain spoke English. He feigned composure, masking his panic, “What do you want?”

“Don’t worry, we’re not after your lives,” Stella replied, still polite and cordial. “Just need you to change course and take us somewhere.”

“Where to?”

“You’ll know when we get there. But for now, you’ll need to do us a little favor.” Stella tossed a pile of ropes to them, “Tie each other up.”

Battling the pirates had drained them, and several were injured. The captain, seeking to negotiate, said, “We can take you, but we can’t be tied up. And you have to ensure our safety.”

Stella raised an eyebrow and aimed her gun higher, at his head, “You’re trying to bargain with me?”

Reluctantly, the captain complied, instructing the crew to bind each other back to back with secure knots. Jasper stepped forward to check the knots and frisk each crew member.

Stella’s guess was right; the battered guns were out of bullets, meant only to intimidate. All knives, clubs, and other weapons were confiscated. But Stella had another trick up her sleeve, using ether to knock out all the crew members.

“I’ve done as you asked,” the captain said angrily, shocked by her audacious move. “What exactly do you want?”

Stella shook the gun in her hand slightly and smiled, “Don’t rush. I just want to know why you’ve become what you are today?”