"Let's go, let's get out of here first—"
After the cabin was completely engulfed in flames, Mike, carrying his package, signaled for the others to leave.
This "rescue" was very fruitful for Mike; besides obtaining three characteristic light clusters, he also gained a large bag of jewelry.
These valuable items, normally used by people for decoration, had been discarded by the cannibals in a corner like trash.
Clearly, with the intelligence of these cannibals, they probably wouldn't think to collect such valuables.
Behind this, it was very likely that someone was directing the cannibals to collect valuable items.
The weight of Mike's package also indicated that someone had likely been to the cabin before and taken away valuables, including paper money.
In front of the cabin, Jessie and the others found a large crane used by the cannibals to tow vehicles in a pile of abandoned cars nearby.
This was a crane converted from a heavy semi-trailer, with a very large claw-shaped hook at the back.
It was precisely because of this hook that all the towed cars were crushed into scrap metal.
The group had no choice but to drive the semi-trailer crane, which reeked of blood and rust, back to the main road.
About ten minutes later, the four people, back on the main road, saw the pickup truck parked halfway down the road.
"Let's rest for a bit; I have food there…" Mike jumped off the semi-trailer, carrying his package.
Walking to his pickup truck, he first threw the package onto the passenger seat. Then he went to the back of the truck bed and took out some food and drinks.
Jessie and the two others, having experienced continuous great escapes, had not eaten all day.
At this moment, they didn't stand on ceremony with Mike; after taking the food and water, they devoured it ravenously.
Emergency rations, chocolate, and small bottles of purified water—these most ordinary foods were eaten by Jessie and the two others as if they were delicacies.
As the food went down, the three, having replenished their nutrition, felt truly alive again.
At the same time, a tangible and complex emotion of surviving a disaster welled up in their hearts.
Carly, who had escaped death several times, even started to cry softly.
Everything that had happened this day felt like a nightmare.
Fortunately, everything was now over.
"Next, you all should go to the nearest town to rest. I still have something to do…"
Mike, who had drunk some water and was leaning against the pickup truck, saw that the three had eaten and their emotions had stabilized, then began to arrange their itinerary: "Oh, Chris. Before you go, give me back that photo."
Upon hearing this, Chris, who took out the photo, seemed to realize something and suggested, "Let me go with you."
The intelligence of the cannibals indicated that they were purely savage beasts who ate raw meat and drank blood.
Under these circumstances, where did their weapons, cranes, and daily necessities come from? And where did they learn to set traps and hunt?
Eliminating all impossibilities, there was only one truth!
Someone else was behind the cannibals.
And Chris was different from Mike; his choice to take this forest path was due to a map and deliberate guidance from others.
Yes, Chris, who had been in a hurry to travel, had asked for directions from the owner of the inn at the intersection.
Connecting the dots, as long as one wasn't stupid, The identity of the person behind the cannibals was obvious.
"I can handle this kind of thing alone; you three should still go find a place to rest." Mike took the photo but did not agree to Chris's request.
It wasn't like going out for dinner; there was no need for so many people.
Moreover, if Mike's conjecture was correct, there might be bloody scenes later.
It was better to keep things like silencing witnesses a secret.
"Where are you going? I'll go with you…" Carly, feeling that Mike was about to leave alone, immediately clung to him.
After being saved by Mike once, this girl seemed to have developed a different kind of dependence on him.
Jessie, looking over from behind, did not speak. However, the expression on her face also indicated that she was very worried about Mike.
Facts proved that being too popular was also a kind of trouble.
"Be good, you all find a place to rest first. After I'm done, maybe we can meet again…" Mike patted Carly, who was clinging to him, then turned to Chris, who was deep in thought, and said, "The rest of the journey, I'm entrusting the two of them to you."
Compared to women, men have stronger stress acceptance capabilities.
Chris, on his side, seemed to have guessed Mike's thoughts. He pulled out a business card and said, "Contact me anytime if you need anything…"
Chris Flynn
Rhode Island Stock Exchange / Business Manager.
Although he was just a small employee of a securities company, Chris's identity was enough for him to solve some unnecessary troubles.
"OK, I'll call you if I need anything." More friends, more paths; Mike accepted the business card.
Moreover, in his opinion, Mr. Chris was a "smart person."
Among the three rescued, perhaps only Chris knew what was in Mike's package.
However, he wisely did not mention it.
He completely treated it as Mike's personal "trophy."
The two sides seemed to have a preliminary understanding, which was also why Mike was willing to continue interacting with him.
"Let's go too. I don't know how much further it is until we see a town." After watching the pickup truck drive away, Chris, as the only man present, planned their itinerary.
"Not far; the nearest town is only a little over an hour's drive from here…" Jessie and the others' adventure team had come to Texas for an adventure from another place.
The path they took was exactly opposite to Chris's.
Therefore, Jessie also knew the situation at the other end of the small road.
"An hour's drive? Good! I'm going to take a hot shower and then sleep comfortably. To hell with work—!" The reason Chris took a shortcut this time was ultimately because the company wanted him to return in three hours.
This was an impossible task to begin with.
And because of this task, the small employee, who had suffered a great crisis, was also full of resentment towards work.
Work? Compared to one's life, what was it?
Beside him, Jessie, who didn't know why Chris was suddenly acting crazy standing still, pulled Carly away from the man.
On the other side, Mike, eager to confirm his suspicions, drove the used pickup truck at top speed on the way back.
With his Level 4 professional race car driver skills, driving at high speed at night was nothing.
In less than two hours, the pickup truck returned to the inn at the corner of the small road.
It was almost midnight.
The small inn was still lit, and amidst several intertwined figures, waves of seductive sounds emanated.
"Playing so perversely—!"
Mike, who glanced at the scene inside through the door crack, looked as if he had eaten a bug.
His eyes had been defiled; he needed to wash them thoroughly.
That white-haired man chopping meat was clearly the father.
No wonder he could raise monsters and cannibals—
This family, having broken through the bottom line of human ethics, was deeply sinful to the max.
"Thump Thump Thump—"
To avoid further polluting his eyes, Mike, standing outside the door, politely knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
After some rustling sounds of dressing, a woman's voice asked from inside.
Alright, there should be nothing left that shouldn't be seen.
"Bang—!"
After giving the people in motion enough time to tidy up, Mike again used his forceful door-breaking method.
Violent and direct.
The woman inside, who had simply covered her vital parts, was first startled by the huge noise.
When she clearly saw who had come, she swayed her "headlights" and seductively said, "The cowboy from earlier? Want to join us?"
Disgusting!
"Do you recognize the monster in this photo?" Mike took out the photo and asked with a cold face.
As he walked into the small inn, his white shirt had specks of dark red bloodstains, coupled with his grim expression, he clearly did not come with good intentions.
The game of the people inside had been interrupted, and they had been on guard.
Upon seeing the photo, the woman knew that what her family had done had been exposed. So, she shrieked ferociously, "Kill him!!!"
The first to rush forward were the two irritable deformed brothers.
Next were the white-haired man and the skinny car mechanic.
As for the woman, under the cover of the others, she stealthily moved towards the counter.
In the hall, roars were accompanied by the sound of bones breaking, finally turning into wails.
Mike, in a very bad mood, did not hold back much. Seizing the opportunity, he delivered four high roundhouse kicks, repelling the four people who rushed at him.
Under the immense force, the four who flew out each suffered terribly and had already lost the ability to resist.
During the series of attacks, Mike also deliberately did not use his hands.
If you ask why?
It was probably because he was a clean freak.