Chapter 601 Seeking Shelter
"Mr. Watson, you..."
In a flash, the bodyguard realized why Lucas had gone to the trouble of extending the fuse so much.
Wet roads from the rain made driving riskier than usual. To ensure his safety, Lucas had deliberately lengthened the fuse.
"Thank you, Mr. Watson."
"No problem," Lucas waved it off. "My sister taught me that. Thank her if you want to thank anyone."
Respecting and honoring life had always been Natalie's mantra—she preached it and she practiced it.
"Ma'am..." The bodyguard momentarily lost for words, his gratitude to Natalie eventually condensed into a single heartfelt expression of thanks.
Before igniting the fuse, the bodyguard made contact with Oliver's team, instructing them to retreat to a safe distance.
"Lucas, what were you up to just now?" asked Lilian, her curiosity piqued as Lucas approached.
"Just setting up the explosives, making it easier for my sis and the rest to come through."
Lilian nodded with a couple of "ohs."
Lucas watched her.
"What's up?" Lilian asked, her brows knitting in bewilderment.
"That's it? No more words?" Lucas echoed her puzzlement.
"Should... should there be something else?" she replied.
Lucas opened his mouth but said nothing, turning his head away in a huff.
After a pause, he turned back, his tone serious. "Don’t you usually compliment me?"
"Yeah, it is," Lilian admitted solemnly, "but isn't it kind of dull to keep saying you did great every time?"
Lucas remained silent—it wasn't dull at all. Quite the opposite.
"I know you're smart. You don't need my flattery," Lilian continued. "Every time I praise you, I feel like you're internally calling me dumb. Well, I'm not—I've got dual degrees from a prestigious university!"
Once again, Lucas found himself in the familiar situation of "shooting himself in the foot."
Boom—a thunderous explosion echoed through the sky.
Stones shattered, and a mix of dust and earth spread through the pouring rain.
The blast echoed through the forest.
As the dust settled, a narrow gap just wide enough for one person appeared between the mountain and the boulder. The gap was the only visible change; the precision in the placement and amount of explosives used was astonishing.
Even Natalie, who had been prepared for the blast, was stunned.
"The Windsor family has some impressive bodyguards," Natalie mused, having seen Oliver on the phone earlier. Assuming only he could be in touch with his men, she never expected her own brother to be behind it.
Oliver glanced at his bodyguard and nodded without changing his expression.
Indeed, they are that impressive. He thought, with an internal smirk, perhaps it was time for Natalie to reconsider her role as Mrs. Windsor.
The bodyguard went ahead, testing the stability of the blasted area, ensuring it was safe before allowing Oliver and Natalie to pass through.
"Be careful, Miss Watson," Casey said, reaching out to assist Natalie.
Before Natalie could comprehend what was happening, Oliver swiftly hooked his arm around her waist and shot Casey a chilly, cautionary glance. "I've got this," he warned, his voice tinged with frost.
With a quick shift of his hands, Oliver moved Natalie aside. She could have walked on her own, but didn't get the chance to protest.
"Natalie!" Lilian greeted her with joy.
After making sure Natalie wasn't giving him a strange look, Lucas exchanged a relieved glance with Oliver, who had just stepped out from behind them.
"Sis!"
Natalie checked Lucas over. Ensuring he wasn't soaked and still wore his trench coat, she felt at ease.
She questioned Lucas about the situation with their party, making sure everyone was fine besides a bodyguard who had sustained a minor injury. "What happened out there? And what's going on with the car?"
"Miss Watson, when the rocks fell, they hit the hood and damaged the engine—it's inoperable," the driver explained.
"But you weren't supposed to be the last one in the convoy," Natalie said. The logistics vehicles had always brought up the rear.
"Yes," the driver replied, "we weren't originally at the back, but halfway through, we encountered an engine glitch. I slowed down, not wanting to risk it, so we ended up behind."
Casey narrowed his eyes, popped the hood open, and inspected the interior. His expression shifted subtly.
"Miss Watson, it appears the engine has been tampered with."
The group exchanged glances and hustled over.
Casey explained to Natalie, "Look here, this screw is loose, and there's a slight bend in this wire. It's easy to miss and normally wouldn't cause a major accident. However, this minor issue can affect engine performance, leading the driver to believe there's a major problem."
"Sabotage?" Natalie frowned. Though she asked, the answer seemed clear.
"Definitely. See how neat this bend is? Only pliers could manage that."
"It wasn't me! I swear I didn't do it!" The driver’s face went pale. His quick reflexes had saved everyone from the falling boulders; if not for him, they might all be dead.
His own death would have been cleaner, but with Lucas and Lilian's high stature, even his life wouldn't cover the loss.
"Calm down, you’re not under suspicion," Natalie soothed.
Gratefully, the driver exhaled, nearly collapsing if not for the support of a bodyguard at his side.
"It wasn't him," one of the bodyguards said after observing the driver's reaction and demeanor. This guard had specialized in criminal psychology.
The driver was overcome with panic. Had Miss Watson just admitted she'd had no suspicion he was a fake?
"Let's find a place to settle down first," said Oliver.
Casey led the way towards a farmhouse he had spotted earlier.
The rain made the roads slippery, and it took the group half an hour to reach their destination.
Unlike the cozy porches of Southern homes, this farmhouse featured a series of houses surrounding a large communal green. The farmhouse was welcoming, and an elderly man in his sixties sat on the porch swing, whittling a piece of wood.
Hearing the newcomers, the old man peered over his spectacles curiously. The sight of a dozen strangers, all well-dressed and seemingly out of place, took him aback.
"Who... who might y'all be looking for?" the old man asked with a Southern twang.
"Sir, we were just passing through, sightseeing, and our vehicle broke down on the highway. Might we stay for the night?" one of the bodyguards quickly adopted a friendly tone to build rapport.
Natalie was immediately impressed. Oliver's security team was not only professional but also adaptable.
The old man looked them over with a mix of suspicion and caution: “A sightseeing group? Don’t get many of those around these parts.”
The bodyguard took out a few bills and handed them to the old man, "Sir, this is for our stay and any trouble we might cause. It's pouring buckets out there, and we heard the bridge is washed out. The folks supposed to meet us can't get through, and we're in a bit of a pickle, you see?"
"I did catch word of the bridge trouble," the old man said, pausing before he softened. "Staying ain't a problem, but my home ain't a hotel. I've only got two guest rooms, and one's my craft room filled with my woodworking projects."
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