18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 599

Five days into the submarine's voyage, just as twilight began to paint the sky, the crew caught sight of a new landmass through their remote periscope.

After a detailed survey, Cole's face turned serious. "The submarine's detected a bunch of movable obstacles. Looks like a port."

In a world torn apart by disaster, the ability to keep a port running was no small feat. This wasn't some private setup; it had to be a national base.

Afraid of getting caught, the submarine kept its distance, making their observations a bit sketchy. But the salvage team was seasoned.

Analysis of the sonar data showed the port had more than just submarines. There were large transport vessels and even aircraft carriers.

Cole turned the data into images. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's either China or a China-led alliance."

They were on a mission for the Kindle Chest, and unless they had no other choice, the special ops team wasn't looking to pick a fight with China.

They decided quickly to change their landing site.

Time to scram—if China even got a whiff of them, given their notorious shoot-first-ask-later attitude, they'd be toast.

So, the submarine dove deeper, taking an extra half day to find another entry point.

The new continent was massive, and the coordinates for the Kindle Chest's crash site were still a long hike away. They estimated it would take around 20 days on foot, through who knows what kind of dangers.

After a quick huddle, everyone disembarked.

Stella glanced at Arcadia, reluctantly stowing the submarine away, and the 14-person team boarded two inflatable dinghies, heading for the shore.

The wasteland stretched out endlessly, with sand and dust whipping around so fiercely it was hard to keep your eyes open.

The environment was brutal; the wind was so strong it could blow a person away. In no time, their faces were caked with sand, making walking impossible.

Considering they might be on China's turf, they needed to blend in and move fast.

Stella pulled out two top-notch military Humvees, eagle-emblazoned uniforms, weapons, and camo face paint.

From head to toe, they transformed into Chinese soldiers.

Jake and the others were stunned. "Stella, you're like a walking armory!"

The armored Humvees had automated weapon stations on the roof, capable of mowing down any threats nearby.

Everyone smeared on camo paint, donned sunglasses, and grabbed their rifles.

Yep, they were the spitting image of Chinese troops.

Time to roll out!

The two desert beasts, their Humvees, plowed through the violent dust storms across the rolling wasteland.

Stella thought of Bran. This mad dash across the desert would’ve been his ultimate joyride. He would've died happy.

They couldn't afford to be discreet, but they stayed alert.

Drivers and lookouts took their positions.

"This weather sucks. Griffith’s got nothing on this," one of them grumbled.

"Tell me about it. When we get back, I bet the greenery will have spread even more."

Perspective is everything, they thought, feeling like Griffith was paradise compared to this.

As night fell, they set up tents to brave the storm.

The wind howled all night, and by morning, the tent entrances were buried in sand.

The weather cleared, and a scorching sun beat down on the desolate brown earth.

It was both beautiful and brutal, the line between glory and gore blurred.

As they got closer to the coordinates, the desert's sandy terrain softened, slowing the Humvees.

Around midday, they took a break.