The morning sun leaped from the horizon, rising higher and higher, transforming from a bright orange to a blazing white.
Jack stood by the window, looking down at the forest from above, feeling a sense of awe. The wooden watchtower was quite sturdy; only a slight creaking sound had been heard half the night before.
A certain sports skill had leveled up again, now at the Proficiency level. Sure enough, so skill upgrades included hidden conditions such as kill counts.
Cleaning his mouth with mouthwash, Jack ate sothing casually, leaned against the window, and quietly waited for the agreed-upon ti to arrive.
Jessie was still fast asleep, her sweet smile in her dreams making it undeniable that her relaxation thod was indeed effective.
F*cking is always ditative.
Suddenly, a slight vibration sounded. Jack instinctively pulled out his phone; surprisingly, there was a signal! Imdiately afterward, David Rossi called.
"Hi, Jack, how was last night?"
Rossi's familiar, slightly Italian-accented voice ca through the phone, his tone relaxed as if greeting a long-lost friend.
"Not bad, but the mosquitoes are a bit annoying. How did you manage to send a signal in this place?" Jack asked, puzzled.
"There's a drone with a base station 3,000 ters above you. It sounds pretty good; the signal is very clear."
Jack, ever the go-to guy for anything, was montarily speechless.
Just then, Jessie was startled awake by the voice. She sat up from the floor, still a little dazed. Seeing Jack talking on his phone, she stared blankly, seemingly not quite understanding what was going on.
Jack pointed to the mouthwash and breakfast beside her, indicating she should help herself.
"I'm currently on a plane to Albuquerque. The drone took off from a rather far location and can only stay over you for half an hour. Let's get straight to the point and describe the situation on your end," Rossi said, his tone unhurried.
Jack first recounted Jessie and her friends' experiences the previous day, then focused on the interrogation of Sam Eugene.
Rossi remained silent on the other end of the phone. The old man, though experienced and knowledgeable, had never heard of such a horrific tragedy before. For a mont, only Jack was talking incessantly on the other end.
"This settlent, including the elderly and children, probably numbers fifty or sixty people. At least half are skilled in hunting in the mountains. Add to that the Eugene family, father and sons, gathered at the mountain villa — eight people in total. I suggest you find so strong enough helpers."
Having given all the information, including the existence of the small gold mine, Jack offered his suggestion.
"I think I underestimated your fighting ability. You actually dared to bring a girl to track and hunt those people?"
Hearing this, Rossi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, finding it sowhat unbelievable.
"It's not as dangerous as you think. Strictly speaking, these people have various physical defects. Apart from the strong visual impact when you first see them, they're not too difficult to deal with. However, to wipe them all out, we need a solid plan."
At this mont, Jessie had finished breakfast and quietly walked to Jack's side. Without saying a word, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest and listening to his conversation with Rossi.
Rossi sighed. "Things are a bit complicated. It seems I need to report directly to the director. After I land, I will work with forestry agents."
He paused and continued, "But don't worry about the helpers. A special operations team was originally scheduled to conduct routine mountain training. They are currently traveling to et you in a helicopter. The specific plan will be revised after I report to my superiors."
Jack wondered if he'd misheard. "When did the FBI get able to mobilize special forces teams?"
Rossi's tone carried a hint of displeasure at being looked down upon by this young man.
"The FBI has always had a good working relationship with the military. Although our Behavioral Analysis Unit doesn't have much contact with them, I have quite a few old friends in other divisions."
Jack was impressed; the legendary ability to mobilize special forces solidified his resolve to follow the boss.
However, the thought of their mannerisms suddenly made him uneasy. It was better to clarify so things beforehand.
"Uh, Rossi, there are so things I need to explain first."
"What else? We don't have much ti left on the call. The helicopter is expected to arrive in 20 minutes. You need to find a way to provide them with signal indication and landing points."
Rossi's tone was tired; Jack could almost picture him rubbing his temples in pain.
"Signal indication and landing site aren't a problem, but that gold mine… are you sure it won't cause any trouble?"
Jack expressed his concern without being too subtle.
Rossi on the other end of the phone paused, seemingly having overlooked this aspect.
"It should be fine. The team leader is a good guy. He also has a cousin who works in our FBI's Major Cris Unit. I've ntioned him to you before."
Those cousins must look like twins, Jack thought to himself. Hearing that the leader was soone trustworthy reassured him.
"I'm all set. I'll set fire to a cabin in 20 minutes as a signal; there'll be enough space for the helicopter to land."
"But tell them not to be late. The mine is less than 20 miles from here. Once the smoke rises, they'll see it too. If they're late, they'll just be collecting our corpses."
Jack's good at ambushes, but taking on dozens of enemies one-on-one with an FK 7.5mm that's been fitted with a stock — that's a job for soone else.
"OK, leave this to . I'll be in charge of command and coordination. Be careful. After rendezvous with the team, wait for further instructions. Looks like I'll have to make a lot of calls."
Hanging up, Jack t Jessie's bright eyes.
"Your phone should still have battery, right? The signal should last a few more minutes. Do you want to call your family?"
Jessie shook her head: "They don't know I'm out having fun. Let's wait until everything's over. I don't want them to worry."
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