Chapter 107
"No way, I'm a boy. I'm not scared!" Ryan puffed out his chest.
"I'm not scared either, 'cause I have Mommy and Ryan," Sophie tried to sound brave, even though her heart was racing and her eyes were teary. She stubbornly held back her tears.
Nathan's hug made Sophie feel safer than she ever had before. He gently patted her head, "So brave. We'll get through tonight, and tomorrow we'll head home."
"Okay, Nathan," Sophie replied.
"Mr. Kennedy," John walked over.
"What's up?"
"The helicopter's satellite is completely wrecked. We can't contact anyone outside," John reported.
Nathan was quiet for a moment.
"One of our guys is hurt. I can handle it. The kidnappers left a tent; let the kids rest first," John suggested.
"Alright," Nathan agreed.
Caroline stepped forward and took Sophie.
"Nathan, are you gonna sleep with us?" Sophie suddenly asked.
Both Caroline and Nathan were caught off guard. Was Sophie saying this on purpose? Why ask such an awkward question?
"No," Nathan had to answer, not wanting to seem suspicious, so he gave a quick reply.
"Come on, Nathan, you're tired too," Sophie insisted.
"Really, it's fine. You go to sleep," Nathan persisted.
"Nathan has things to do. Be good and listen to Mommy. I'm sleeping with you, right?" Caroline coaxed.
Sophie looked at Nathan, and only after he nodded did she reluctantly let go of his neck.
"Okay then, Nathan, good night."
"Good night."
Caroline carried Sophie towards the tent, but Ryan didn't move.
"Go to the tent and sleep," Nathan told Ryan.
"What about you?" Ryan asked.
"I'm not sleepy," Nathan replied.
"Then I'll stay with you," Ryan insisted.
"No, it's cold at night, and there are poisonous bugs. You need to get in the tent. Don't worry, I'll be outside guarding you," Nathan reassured.
"Be careful," Ryan said seriously.
"I will," Nathan said, ruffling Ryan's hair.
Only then did Ryan head towards the tent.
Caroline lay down with Ryan and Sophie, and a wave of sleepiness hit her.
She had been tense before, but with Nathan's arrival, she finally relaxed, and all the fatigue caught up with her.
Sophie wanted to talk but saw Caroline was already asleep, and soon she too fell into a deep sleep. It was a sweet sleep, like they were in a five-star hotel instead of out in the wild.
In the morning, the birds' chirping woke Caroline.
She crawled out of the tent and almost bumped into Nathan, who was keeping watch at the entrance.
He must have been exhausted; he had slept all night sitting cross-legged, like a meditating monk.
Caroline wanted to call him into the tent to sleep but didn't want to disturb him. She thought, 'Forget it, let him rest a bit more.'
In the daylight, the scene from last night was shocking.
A large crater was blown into the ground, and the helicopter wreckage was scattered, completely destroyed.
John saluted. "Good morning, Mrs. Kennedy."
"I'm not!" Caroline quickly corrected.
"Not what?" John was puzzled.
"Don't call me that. My name is Caroline Rockefeller," Caroline explained hurriedly.
If Nathan heard, he might think she was self-proclaiming.
"Ms. Rockefeller, here's some compressed biscuits. This is all we have for breakfast, and the quantity is limited," John said.
"You guys eat. I'm not hungry," Caroline replied.
"You're not feeling up to eating, are you? The conditions here are tough, and we need to keep our strength up. You have to eat, don't be picky." Nathan had approached without her noticing.
Caroline was annoyed. Why did he always think the worst of her? She just wanted to save the limited food for others.
She had just started to think better of him last night, and now that good impression was gone.
"I'm not..."
"Eat something to keep your strength up," Nathan cut her off.
Caroline didn't bother to argue; reasoning with Nathan was pointless. So she ate.
After breakfast, John came over again. "Ms. Rockefeller, you take care of Ryan and Sophie. We need to bury someone. Don't let them see it; it might traumatize them."
"What? Someone died?" Caroline was shocked.
"One of the kidnappers tried to escape during the chaos and got caught in the explosion. We'll bury him properly, so he doesn't lie exposed in the wilderness," John said quietly.
"I understand," Caroline agreed.
She approached the tent and overheard Ryan and Sophie's conversation.
"Why doesn't Mommy like Nathan?" Sophie asked.
"I don't know," Ryan shook his head.
"Because Nathan isn't our daddy," Sophie said to herself.
Ryan was speechless. What kind of answer was that?
"Mommy doesn't like Daddy either," Sophie added.
"Yeah," Ryan agreed.
Sophie looked troubled. "Mommy doesn't like either of them."
"Why does Mommy have to like them?" Ryan asked.
"If Mommy likes them, she'll get married, and then we can live in a big house and eat delicious food every day!" Sophie dreamed.
Caroline felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.
"Mommy not getting married is good too," Ryan had a different opinion.
"What's good about it?" Sophie was puzzled.
"Mommy can choose freely," Ryan said mysteriously.
"Choose freely?" Sophie was confused.
Ryan just smiled.
Caroline cleared her throat to announce her presence.
"Mommy!" Sophie called sweetly.
Caroline entered the tent. "What are you talking about?"
"It's about who Mommy likes," Sophie answered.
"Mommy likes you the most, isn't that obvious?" Caroline laughed.
"Besides us?" Sophie asked with wide eyes.
"Still you. You are Mommy's whole world!" Caroline emphasized.
"I think Daddy is pretty good too," Sophie spoke up for Nick.
"Stop overthinking," Caroline said helplessly.
"I'm just thinking about Mommy's happiness!" Sophie pouted.
"Mommy doesn't need that. Alright, let's have breakfast first," Caroline handed over breakfast, and Ryan and Sophie ate with gusto, even though it was just compressed biscuits.
Caroline felt a mix of heartache and relief, thankful once again that Nathan had arrived just in time to prevent a disaster.
With everything arranged, it was time to head back.
The unexpected destruction of the helicopter forced the group to trek through the dense forest on foot.
However, a major problem quickly emerged: the guide who died in last night's explosion was the only one who knew the way back, leaving everyone lost.
They were in a remote, pristine forest, lacking any landmarks to navigate by. Even experienced guides could get lost, let alone without one. It was like being trapped in an endless maze, making escape seem nearly impossible.
They had two options: stay put and wait for rescue, or venture deeper into the forest to find a way out.
Everyone's eyes turned to Nathan, expecting him to make a decision.
Nathan thought carefully. This choice concerned everyone's safety, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake.
But no matter how he weighed it, it was a tough decision.
Without communication equipment, they couldn't contact the outside world. Whether the Kennedy Family had initiated a rescue was unknown.
Their supplies were limited. Even with rationing, they could only last a day.
If rescue didn't arrive in time and their food ran out, they might be too weak to leave.
On the other hand, wandering aimlessly through the uncharted forest offered slim hope.
Every decision felt like walking a tightrope.
"What do you think?" Nathan suddenly turned to Caroline.
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