Chapter 533 Falling into the Tiger's Mouth
When Reese and Louis got to the village, it was deserted and had a creepy vibe. Louis tugged on Reese's sleeve.
"Reese, could this be a ghost town? I'm already imagining all sorts of spooky stuff," Louis said.
"What are you scared of? If it's people, we can handle them. If it's ghosts, even better," Reese replied confidently.
"I'm terrified of ghosts, Reese. Don't let my tough act fool you; I can't even watch horror movies. I'd rather face people. One-on-one, sure; two at once, bring it on."
Louis had a childhood scare in a haunted house with his cousin, which left him petrified of anything spooky. It was a lingering fear from his past.
"Don't worry. I'm here, and I'll protect you," Reese said, holding Louis's hand as they walked further in.
She also found the village odd. It was surrounded by thick woods, yet there wasn't a single person around, and it was easy to get lost. Plus, there was no signal, which made it even creepier.
Louis suddenly started humming a song.
Reese almost lost it and nearly covered his mouth. "Stop singing, you're giving me the creeps."
She had heard the song before and always felt uneasy when she did. She wasn't scared, but it would be awkward if they actually encountered something.
Louis nodded. "Alright. But Reese, if there's any danger, you have to hide behind me. I'll protect you."
Reese gave Louis a skeptical look. "Yeah, right. If we see a ghost, I bet you'll run faster than me."
"No way! I'd risk my life to protect you. Otherwise, Ryan and the others would kill me when we get back," Louis said sincerely.
Their banter lightened the mood.
As they walked further in, things felt more off, more sinister. Louis looked around nervously. "Reese, do you think anyone actually lives here?"
"Since Calvin came here, there must be people. Let's go a bit further," replied Reese.
"Alright, for Calvin, I'll stick it out."
Finally, they found a house with people inside. Reese and Louis went in and found a couple living there.
"Hi, have you seen this person?" Reese showed the couple a picture on her phone.
"Sorry, we haven't seen him. Our village is mostly long-term residents, no strangers. You saw it when you came in; there aren't many people here."
Reese had noticed that, but the woman's claim that there were no outsiders was suspicious.
In a village like this, everyone would know if there was a stranger. Yet, the woman said there had been no outsiders recently. That was clearly a red flag.
Reese glanced at the darkening sky outside, took some cash from her bag, and laid it on the table. "We're looking for a friend and it's getting late. We were hoping to stay the night. Money's not an issue; it's just that we're far from the city, which makes things tricky."
The couple exchanged a quick look. No one would turn down that kind of money, especially the generous amount Reese had just offered.
The man grabbed the cash. "No problem. Just know our village isn't in the best shape."
Reese nodded. "That's fine. I grew up in the countryside."
Louis pulled out a cigarette and offered it. "What's your name, man?"
"I'm Otis Patterson, and this is my wife, Carol Patterson."
Otis took the cigarette from Louis, who noticed something odd about Otis's hand but quickly hid his reaction.
Reese stepped forward to shake Carol's hand. "Hi, Mrs. Patterson. I'm Reese. Sorry to intrude."
Carol didn't extend her hand, making things awkward. Otis quickly smoothed it over. "Sorry, my wife is a bit shy. We've been here so long we don't see many outsiders. It's pretty remote, and it's easy to get lost if you're not familiar."
Reese had noticed that. Everything looked the same. Without a good sense of direction, getting in and out was tough.
No wonder the police closed the case quickly. Who'd want to investigate such a place like this?
Otis continued, "Carol, go tidy up a room for them and make more food tonight."
"Alright, I'll get to it," Carol responded.
Reese quickly said, "Let me help you." Without waiting for Carol's consent, Reese followed her in.
Carol started looking around the room. Reese noticed and asked, "Mrs. Patterson, having trouble finding the blankets?"
"Oh, my husband usually misplaces things. I usually keep them in this cabinet."
Reese saw a large cloth bag on the bed and pointed. "Mrs. Patterson, is it up there?"
Carol followed Reese's gaze and clapped her hands. "You're right. Let me get it down." She pulled over a wobbly chair that looked old but stood on it steadily without needing support.
Reese complimented her, "Mrs. Patterson, your balance is impressive. If it were me, I'd need someone to hold me, or I'd fall."
Carol smiled awkwardly. "You get used to it. I used to fall a lot, but not anymore."
"Why not get a better chair?" Reese thought a chair wouldn't cost much.
"We're used to it. Besides, this chair has been with us for a long time. We can't bear to part with it. In the countryside, we don't fuss over such things," Carol replied with a fine excuse.
Reese didn't push it, helping Carol make the bed and then starting to cook.
Louis and Reese moved aside, pretending to enjoy the view while exchanging information.
"Reese, these two are pretty suspicious."
"I noticed. When Otis took your cigarette, his hands were smooth."
If he'd lived in the village for half his life, how could his hands be so smooth? This place was quite backward; they had to grow their own vegetables.
Louis hadn't noticed as much as Reese. "Reese, what else did you find?" he asked.
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