Chapter 104
"I've already checked; there are no unusual exit records," John said.
Nathan nodded. This was pretty much what he expected.
"There are a bunch of villages near the border, and the locals know all the secret routes. In some spots, you just need to wade through a river to cross into another country. Sure, there are barbed wire fences, but a lot of the border is falling apart. As long as you dodge the patrols, crossing isn't that hard. The locals know these paths like the back of their hand," John explained.
"Find a local, offer a good price, and have him guide us across the border," Nathan ordered.
"Mr. Kennedy, illegal border crossing is super risky, and there are armed conflicts over there."
Nathan waved his hand to cut John off, saying firmly, "Just do it."
"Yes, Mr. Kennedy."
An hour later, a lean, dark-skinned local stood in front of Nathan.
Nathan showed him a photo of Caroline and asked, "Have you seen her?"
The man shook his head. "No, I haven't."
Given Caroline's unforgettable beauty, if he said he hadn't seen her, it was probably true.
"We need to cross the border. You lead the way and name your price," John said directly.
The local looked Nathan up and down, figuring he must be loaded, and quoted a high price.
"Six hundred dollars," the local said.
Nathan had expected at least a few thousand, maybe even tens of thousands, so he was surprised it was only six hundred!
"A safe route for multiple people that stays under the radar," Nathan demanded.
"That would need a remote route. In that case, two thousand dollars."
Even then, it was still surprisingly cheap.
John was skeptical. "Is it reliable?"
"Of course, lots of goods go that way," the local assured confidently.
"Alright," Nathan decided.
"When do we leave? It has to be at night, after 1 AM. Pay half now, and the other half after crossing," the local proposed.
"Deal." John handed him a thousand dollars.
Nathan checked his watch; it was just past 10 PM, still early.
John took out a cigarette and offered one to the local. "Can you find out if anyone else is crossing the border recently? Maybe your friends in this line of work have some info."
"I'll ask around. If I get any news, it'll cost extra," the local replied.
"No problem."
The man stepped aside and made several phone calls.
"No," he finally said, looking disappointed.
"Keep asking. If you get any news, let us know right away. Money's not an issue," John said.
"Don't worry. In our line of work, we all keep in touch. We warn each other when border checks are tight to help each other stay safe. If there's any news, I'll find out," the local assured confidently.
"Good, keep at it."
"So, when are you leaving?"
John looked at Nathan; this decision was up to him.
"No rush," Nathan said calmly.
"When we decide to leave, we'll contact you," John said.
"Alright, I'll be going then." The local left, satisfied after receiving the money.
"Mr. Kennedy, why don't you rest for a while?" John suggested with concern.
Nathan nodded slightly.
John left the room, closing the door gently, and signaled his men to stand guard outside.
Nathan leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes, trying to rest. But sleep eluded him as thoughts of Ryan, Sophie, and the cunning, irritating Caroline kept flooding his mind.
Although he speculated that they might have crossed the border, it was just a guess. Whether they really did was still unknown.
If they had crossed the border, which route they took was another major question.
Therefore, Nathan couldn't cross the border prematurely. If he chose the wrong route, he would end up in a jungle, making the search difficult.
If he crossed the border first and they changed their route and didn't cross, it would be equally troublesome.
At the moment, there seemed to be no good way to quickly find Caroline and her group. He could only wait.
And waiting was often the most excruciating thing in the world.
Just then, Nick called. Nathan answered, and Nick's voice was hoarse, "Any news?"
"Not yet."
"So what do we do now? I'm worried sick," Nick said anxiously.
"There's no use in worrying. Let's wait and see."
"My kids better be okay. I just reunited with them."
"Alright, let's wait for news."
Nathan didn't want to hear Nick crying, so he irritably hung up the phone. Just as he did, another call came in from Aiden. "Grandpa, you're still awake?"
"Any news about Ryan and Sophie?"
"A little, but we haven't found them yet. Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll handle this," Nathan reassured.
"Nathan, let others handle this. How can you go personally? You're the head of the group. It's too dangerous for you to go to the border."
"It'll be fine, Grandpa. Don't worry, we'll come back safely," Nathan said firmly.
"Make sure you stay safe and bring Ryan and Sophie back."
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