Chương 132: Chapter 132 Various Flags and the Protagonist's Efforts
Jack shrugged. His involvement wasn't purely out of a sense of justice; he had his own reasons. He wanted to test his high perception in a forest environment, see if acting like a vigilante outside his jurisdiction would gain him experience, and satisfy a bit of his curiosity.
He didn't believe in the saying "with great power comes great responsibility." Without the jump-scare music of horror movies, his courage had increased considerably. Plus, having a pretty girl by his side didn't hurt; her looks and figure were quite pleasing.
Still, he revealed his police identity and showed his badge to Jessie, which eased her anxiety a bit.
On the way back, Jack floored the gas pedal, but the old, broken-down tow truck couldn't go any faster. Despite Jessie's anxious expression, it took them as long as before to return to the accident scene.
"Carrie! Scott!"
Jessie didn't wait for the truck to stop; she jumped out and staggered to the roadside, shouting anxiously at the overturned SUV on the small slope.
"Francine! Evan!"
There was no response, only the rustling of leaves and the chirping of unknown insects.
Jessie was in tears, her cries filled with fear and panic.
Jack kept his hand on the gun under his arm. He could feel someone watching them but didn't sense any strong malice, just a reluctance to show themselves.
Seeing Jack standing still, Jessie didn't dare to jump down alone. Her cries grew more desperate, her emotions nearing collapse.
This girl was nothing like those horror movie characters who loved to get themselves killed. Could she be the heroine?
As Jack was pondering this and moving to go down and check, a man was kicked out from behind a tree. The girl named Carrie, wearing a blue top and a ponytail, also emerged.
"Scott, I told you this wasn't funny at all."
She complained while running towards Jessie, trying to comfort her.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Scott was just playing a prank on you guys."
Jessie sobbed as she recounted the terrifying scene they had encountered. Carrie turned pale, and even her usually carefree boyfriend Scott was scared.
"You two weren't trying to scare us? How is that possible?"
Jack, losing patience, pointed to the tow truck and said coldly, "Believe what you want. Get on the truck and see for yourselves. Don't waste time here. Where are your other two companions? We need to leave immediately."
Scott stammered, "Evan and Francine went to find water. They said they heard a stream nearby and wanted to..."
Before he could finish, a strange cry came from afar, startling the birds in the forest, causing them to circle above, making various noises.
"What was that?" Jessie instinctively moved closer to Jack, grabbing his arm.
Jack shook his head. "I don't know."
There were many animal calls in the wild, but this one didn't sound human.
They exchanged worried looks. Knowing that there were ogres around, they were all terrified.
"I'll go find them. You two get in the truck, keep the engine running, and stay alert. If I'm not back before dark, drive to the highway and flag down a passing truck. They usually have radios."
Scott, looking dazed, stared blankly at Jack.
"Hey, act like a man!"
Jack grabbed his collar and shouted in his ear.
In his previous life in the USA, this would have sparked a debate about political correctness.
"I get it, I get it."
Scott, snapped out of his daze by the shout, nodded repeatedly.
Jack didn't let him off easily, continuing to shout in his ear, "Repeat what I just said."
"Uh, keep the engine running, stay alert, if you're not back by dark, drive to the highway and seek help by radio."
Scott slapped himself. "Find a truck driver and ask for help."
Not bad, not a total liability. Jack sighed in relief and turned to head into the woods, but felt a small hand gripping his arm tightly.
"Hmm?"
Jack looked up into a pair of determined black eyes. Jessie looked at him with resolve.
"I'll go with you. Francine and Evan are my friends. I can't leave them."
Jack didn't mind. He was confident he could protect one person, as long as she didn't do anything reckless. He was surprised by her loyalty despite her earlier fear.
"Jessie, don't." Carrie, seeing her best friend wanting to take a risk, nudged her boyfriend.
"Uh, I'll go. I ran a marathon once; I'm pretty fast."
Scott, though still scared, stood up bravely with his girlfriend's 'encouragement,' earning Jack's respect.
"No need. Jack is a policeman, and we're all in this because of me. You and Carrie are about to get engaged, Scott, you need to protect her."
Jack, feeling a headache coming on, thought to himself that this girl was setting up too many flags for this couple. He helplessly patted the gun under his arm.
"It's fine. Let Jessie come with me. Leaving two girls here is more dangerous."
So, they stopped arguing. Given the flags set for the couple, Jack first helped them get some food and drinks from the SUV, picked up two thick sticks for defense, and repeatedly reminded them of a few key points.
1. Never run around.
2. Don't stand out in the open.
3. Keep the car running. If you see strangers, stay alert. If things go wrong, drive on, even if you hit someone. Do not stop to check.
With that, the four of them separated.
Though a lot had happened, only an hour had passed. It wasn't even 2 PM yet. Jack held Jessie's hand as they ventured into the woods.
Following the direction Scott pointed out, they cautiously moved forward. The dense forest had no proper paths, making it hard to navigate.
Jack noticed a minor drawback of his heightened perception. The forest environment was overwhelming. The constant small noises from birds, insects, and other animals made him overly sensitive. Sometimes, even a bug suddenly taking off would make him reflexively turn around.
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