The soldier’s voice was sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argunt.
Suzy slowly raised both hands to show she carried no weapon.
"We don’t an any harm," she said calmly. "We just wanted to ask if we could trade for sothing."
The guard swept a cautious gaze over her, then past her toward Thomas and Leonard standing behind her. His eyes lingered on each of them before he finally asked, "Trade for what?"
"Cent," Suzy replied. "We need so cent. We can exchange supplies for it. Food, dicine, anything."
The guard’s expression did not change. He rely glanced back toward the factory grounds before shaking his head.
"No. All supplies here have been requisitioned. Nothing is available for trade. Leave imdiately."
Suzy refused to give up.
"We only need a little. Even a few bags would do. We can trade double the supplies in return..."
"I said no." The guard’s tone hardened further. "This is a military-controlled zone. There’s no room for negotiation. If you don’t leave now, we’ll take action."
Behind her, Leonard lowered his voice. "Suzy, forget it."
Suzy bit down hard on her lip, unwilling to accept it.
The factory was right there. It was so close. Everything she needed was practically within reach. Were they really supposed to leave empty-handed?
"Wait!" Just then, Jason’s voice rang out from behind them.
Suzy turned around and saw him slowly rising to his feet.
His face was still pale from injury, but his light brown eyes were fixed intensely on sothing deeper inside the factory grounds.
"Jason?" Suzy blinked. "What’s wrong?"
He did not answer her. His gaze remained locked on the sa direction.
Then he turned toward Thomas. "Thomas, can you move us a little closer? I think...I saw soone I know."
Thomas glanced at Suzy. After a brief mont of hesitation, she nodded.
The speedboat edged forward a few more ters before stopping again at a cautious distance.
Jason narrowed his eyes, staring at the guard by the gate for several seconds before shifting his attention toward the figures moving around inside the compound.
"Suzy..." His voice tightened. "I think I saw my cousin."
Suzy’s heartbeat skipped.
Without another word, Jason braced himself against the side of the boat and slowly stood up. His injured leg wobbled beneath him, and his body swayed dangerously before Leonard quickly reached out to steady him.
Jason shook his head, signaling that he was fine.
"Let talk to them."
By "them," he clearly ant the two ard guards at the entrance. For the first ti since arriving here, Suzy felt a flicker of hope.
The speedboat slowly approached the gate once more. The guards instantly beca even more alert. One of them actually raised his rifle higher.
"Stop right there! This is a military-controlled zone. No one is allowed to approach!"
The warning ca sharper than before.
Jason stood at the very front of the boat. Slowly, carefully, he lifted both hands to show he carried no weapon.
"I’m not here to cause trouble," he said. "I just want to ask one question."
The two guards exchanged a glance. One of them stepped forward half a pace, rifle still aid in their direction.
"What do you want?"
Jason looked past them again, toward the moving figures inside the compound. His throat bobbed slightly, as though he were trying to confirm sothing before speaking.
Then, he finally asked, "Is there soone here nad Robert Hunter?"
Both guards froze at the sa ti. They exchanged another look. This ti, the suspicion in their expressions shifted into visible confusion.
The guard on the left frowned. "What’s your relationship with him? Why are you looking for him?"
For a split second, Jason’s eyes lit up with hope.
But he did not answer imdiately. Instead, he drew in a deep breath, as if trying to steady the storm of emotions rising inside him.
His fingers trembled faintly, though his voice sounded much steadier than before.
"He’s my cousin. Could you help pass along a ssage? Just tell him Jason is at the gate."
The two guards did not respond right away. They looked him over from head to toe, suspicion and scrutiny filling their eyes.
The guard on the left stepped forward a little and studied Jason’s face carefully, as though searching his features for so trace of familiarity.
A mont later, he finally said, "Wait here."
Then he turned and ran back into the factory compound. The remaining guard still held his rifle, but his posture visibly relaxed.
He glanced at Jason, then toward Suzy and the others on the speedboat behind him.
"Where did you people co from?"
Jason answered absentmindedly, barely paying attention. His entire focus remained fixed on the factory grounds.
Not long afterward, hurried footsteps echoed from inside. A tall man ca striding out at almost a run.
Unlike the others, he wore a different camouflage jacket, and a small insignia was pinned near the collar. Behind him, the guard from earlier hurried to keep up.
The two quickly reached the gate.
The young man was Robert.
His gaze swept across the area before locking onto Jason’s face.
Jason’s lips parted, but before he could say anything, Robert had already stord over.
He grabbed Jason by the shoulders and looked him over repeatedly from head to toe. His eyes, strikingly similar to Jason’s, churned with overwhelming emotion.
His Adam’s apple bobbed several tis before he finally forced out a hoarse sentence.
"Where the hell have you been?!" His voice was rough with strain.
Jason’s eyes instantly reddened. His lips trembled as he softly called out, "Robert..."
The very next second, the young man smacked him hard across the back with a loud thud, nearly knocking the breath straight out of him.
"Didn’t I tell you to stay at the plaza and wait for ? Where the hell did you run off to?! I almost thought you were dead!"
The touching reunion between brothers ended abruptly on the spot. That slap shattered the emotional reunion instantly.
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