Chapter 495 Martin's Uncertain Fate
Lassie Robinson was a well-educated and refined woman, the epitome of marriage material. Since her marriage to Carter, they had treated each other with mutual respect. Their relationship was not of passionate love but companionship.
Patricia and Lassie had yet to meet, their encountered too few for the chance to arise. When they saw each other at the airport, they nodded in greeting.
The emergency had struck without warning, and with no commercial flights in sight, Ryan took the initiative to arrange a private jet to Country M.
During the flight, Patricia opened up to Lassie, expressing her regret over Carter's involvement. "I'm sorry, this is our responsibility."
Lassie, far from holding Patricia accountable, offered her comfort and reassurance. "There's no need for apologies. This situation was unforeseen, and now, with Mr. Langley also missing, our focus should be on joining forces to locate them."
Patricia was touched by Lassie's kindness.
Ryan said, "Patricia, we're facing a flight of over ten hours. There won't be much downtime once we arrive, so take this chance to rest and conserve your energy."
How could Patricia sleep, knowing Martin's whereabouts were a mystery? Yet, she had to admit Ryan made sense. What awaited them overseas was anyone's guess. If she didn't get some sleep now, she might collapse during the search for Martin, becoming more of a hindrance than a help. So, she shut her eyes, trying to coax herself into slumber.
Maybe it was the prolonged tension or the power of suggestion, but she fell asleep before long.
Ryan observed Patricia's peaceful state and tenderly covered her with a blanket. Lassie, on the other hand, maintained her composure amidst the chaos, a contrast to Patricia's visible distress. Heeding Ryan's advice, she too sought rest.
The cabin fell into deep silence.
Ryan, gazing out through the window for a while, also drifted off before he knew it.
Thirteen hours later, the plane touched down smoothly on the runway. Patricia had been awake for a while, unable to sleep, but she kept her eyes closed, feigning rest until after landing. She finally opened her eyes, folded the blanket, and handed it to the flight attendant.
Despite being a private jet, it had all the essentials, just in smaller quantities than a commercial flight.
They stepped out into the predawn darkness. Nathan, the local head of the Moore Group, had been waiting outside. He waved at them and opened the car's back door as they approached. The trio bent down and slid into the back seat.
From the passenger seat, Nathan asked as the driver set off, "Shall we go straight there or find a place to rest and head out at dawn?"
Patricia's initial impulse was to proceed immediately, but Ryan, ever the pragmatist, suggested moving out after sunrise would be safer and more practical. She realized he was right and agreed to his plan. However, instead of seeking a hotel, they drove directly to the small village. Arriving at the small village, the group didn't rush to go inside but sat in the car waiting for daylight.
Patricia had never found time so agonizing. Every minute felt like an eternity.
Outside, the silence was eerie. The intermittent chirping of insects pierced the silence, filtering through the car windows. Ryan and Nathan were discussing things in low voices, not intending to exclude Lassie and Patricia.
Seconds and minutes ticked by. The first rays of dawn pierced the layer of clouds, casting the first light on the dark land.
Patricia had been sitting motionless in the cramped car for hours, her bones feeling as stiff as rusted screws. As soon as it was light out, she couldn't wait to open the car door to stretch her limbs and neck. The other three followed suit.
Nathan spread out a map they had prepared earlier and pointed to a spot marked in red. "This is where Mr. Watson mentioned earlier. The road's rough, so let's be careful."
Patricia and the others nodded then followed Nathan into a sparse grove of trees.
It was more of a wasteland than a forest. It had a few scattered trees because it had yet to be cultivated. Though the path was rough, it was still passable during the day, allowing them to move faster than at night. In less than half an hour, they reached the village.
The village was unnaturally quiet. Generally, at this time, the villagers would be up and working, but not a single person was in sight; every door was firmly shut. It seemed as if everyone was hiding from something. While the group found this strange, they didn't dwell on it for long. Nathan quickly led them to the last house in the previous row, an old, mudbrick dwelling.
Before they even entered, a pungent smell of blood hit them. The foursome exchanged alarmed glances and hurried towards the mudbrick house. When they reached the doorway, they were stunned by the sight before them.
The ground at the entrance was soaked with blood, which had seeped into the mud, leaving only large dark red stains visible. The bloodstains on the rocks in the muddy ground, however, were vividly apparent.
At the sight of the blood, Patricia's vision went dark, and her legs almost gave out from under her.
Thankfully, Ryan was quick to catch her from behind. "Do you want to take a break outside while Nathan and I head in?"
Patricia shook her head, mustering her strength to push past Ryan, her feet feeling like they weighed a ton as she trudged into the mudbrick house. The scene inside was even worse than outside. The earthen floor was covered with dark red stains stretching from the doorway to the back room. The walls were splattered, too. Blood spots of varying sizes had dried in place.
The house was in complete disarray. Everything that could be overturned was, and anything that could be broken had been. Against the wall, there was the bloody imprint of a body; clearly, someone gravely injured had lain there.
The disquiet that had been haunting Patricia all day exploded within her at the sight of the blood. She steadied her trembling body by leaning on the wall with her right hand.
Lassie didn't look much better. Though not as weak-kneed as Patricia, ready to faint, her lips were pale, and her hands shook uncontrollably.
Ryan and Nathan, while also shaken, kept their composure a bit better. They moved in unison to inspect the back room.
As they entered, Ryan let out a startled gasp.
Patricia and Lassie exchanged a glance before quickly gathering their wits and rushing to the back room.
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