Chapter 9 Rescue

• Tina was too green to know that I was only extracting information from her. She bashfully admitted that she was still single.
• I pretended to be surprised. “How come? You’re pretty and you come from a good family. I’m sure many guys are after you.”
• Tina told me she grew up with strict parents and only attended all-girl schools. They added up to contribute to her lack of experience with men.
• In that sense, she was still an unworldly little baby. I must say, I was oddly intrigued. Then, I decided to kick it up a notch.
• “If we end up growing old on this island, wouldn’t it be a pity that you die without ever knowing what love is?”
• Tina stole a glance at me. Her cheeks looked heated. Motivated by that reaction, I intended to press on.
• “Zayn! Hurry!”
• Hailey sounded flustered. I bolted to the edge of the cliff to see Hailey standing below with messy hair and sweat-streaked face... or perhaps they were tears.
• “Yara... they got her.”
• I was nearly devastated. ‘They’ could only be Jude’s people.
• I had already given in by letting them take everything from us. It wasn’t out of fear but for the girls’ safety. But now this?
• I was ready to get my revenge once I had made a home out of the cave for the girls. To my dismay, I had to postpone the mission because of my sickness.
• I didn’t expect them to provoke us again before I got a chance to visit them.
• I supposed they must have gone through a drastic change to have acted out this way.
• I pulled Hailey up and had her elaborate on the incident.
• Bearing in mind that I forbade them to hunt in the jungle, they turned to the beach.
• It was late in the afternoon, so the tide had long subsided, making it hard to find food. Digging for shells instead, they unknowingly separated until Hailey heard Yara call for help.
• Hailey went after them with her axe. When she arrived at their camping ground, she met the men armed with clubs.
• Hailey thought fast on her feet. Knowing that they might capture her as well if she confronted them, she ran back to inform us.
• I snatched the axe from Hailey and staggered to the entrance. My unsteady steps reminded Hailey of my illness.
• “Are you sure?”
• I waved my hand while looking away. Then, I ordered in a stern tone, “Wait for me. Don’t leave, no matter what!”
• “But... you’re—”
• “Have I ever been dumb enough to throw myself into danger?”
• Hailey was speechless as I proceeded to climb down the ladder.
• Once I got down, I flashed a smirk at the cave.
• Ever since I was a little boy, I was known as a cunning and calculative character. I had only taken advantage of others, never the other way around. Not many people knew that pure zeal could also drive me, such as now. Despite my slim chance of winning, I had to go.
• From the moment Yara put her faith in me, I had considered myself her guardian.
• “Err...”
• I looked up to see Tina lying flat on her stomach. Popping her head out, she waved at me. “Promise me you’ll be back.”
• “Of course!” I waved back.
• “We can talk about the boyfriend thing when you’re back.”
• I almost tripped over myself. As she looked at me with bright eyes, her face was as red as a tomato.
• I answered, “Oh, that. Okay!”
• Sprinting forward, I felt ready for war.
• When I was too far to be seen, I stopped to catch my breath. The fever had weakened me significantly. My previously indifferent attitude was only an act to calm their minds.
• I used this moment to come up with a strategy. I was apparently outnumbered, so playing rough was my only option.
• They had built several big tents next to our previous dwelling spot. However, they had all been knocked down by the storm last night.
• This was an inevitable outcome for amateurs. The tents’ only function was to block the sun. They couldn’t shield the people from rain and wind.
• I fastened the axe on my lower back. Then, I approached them as I wielded the burning sticks in my hands.
• A man spotted me when he stepped out. He turned back straightaway to report my presence.
• Jude then emerged with four men. Just like last time, they were armed with clubs. Emboldened by their weapons, they lunged at me.
• “I’m here to fetch my woman!” I smiled at Jude.
• “Huh. She’s yours now? That was fast.” Stroking his chin, Jude looked into my eyes deviously. “If that’s the case, what will you trade her with?”
• “What do you need?” I showed them my torches. “My theory is that the rain last night quenched your fire.”
• Jude confessed without reservation, “That’s correct. We need you. You seem to be systematically trained. It would be a waste if you don’t share your skills.”
• I sneered, “So, you kidnaped my woman in exchange for my service?” Self-centered people like him were always stuck in a mindset that others existed to serve them.
• “It’s not about the method, but the outcome. You know.” Jude nodded, indirectly confirming my theory.
• I slowed down my words. “And if I don’t comply?”
• Jude smiled superficially, like always. “To be honest, we’re pretty low on food. So—”
• There was something off about his smile, like it was hinting at the unthinkable. I stepped back involuntarily.
• “You people did what?”
• Jude disclosed poignantly, “One of us passed away last night, which briefly relieved our food problem.”
• My stomach churned, triggering my throat to gag.
• I picked up on his subtext. They had reduced to cannibalism.
• Jude’s casual attitude was the most appalling of it all. This was a red flag, for he had thrown humanity out of the window. They had become animals whose only concern was their own survival.
• From our standoff, I could sense his prominent killer vibe. His upfront attitude sent chills down my spine.
• Taking a baby step back, I announced, “I agree to join you. Only after you prove that she’s still alive.”
• Two women hauled Yara out of a tent upon Jude’s whistle.
• Hands tied up behind her, Yara’s face was chalky white. She broke down into tears once she saw my face.
• “Zayn! They—”
• A chubby middle-aged woman on the left punched Yara in her abdomen. Yara’s sentence was cut off, and vomit replaced her words.
• That blow diminished the last bit of sympathy I had for them.
• “Jude. I’ll give you what you asked for!”
• Jude caught my face twitch and recognized my motive. He shouted, “Kill him!”
• The men scurried toward me from behind and started bashing me. I leaped forward and threw the torches in my hand.
• They flew in different directions before landing on the top of their tents. Seeing the rolling thick smoke, I whipped out my axe and raced to Yara.
• “Extinguish the fire!”
• “Kill him!”
• I zipped through the chaos by launching my axe on anything and anyone in my way.
• Despite my previous empathy for them, I had to remind myself that they were now out of their senses. From the moment they allowed themselves to chew on their fellow human’s flesh, they weren’t human anymore.
• The sound of the axe cutting into bodies, combined with the smell of blood splashing onto my face, brought me back to my olden days. My eyes were red-rimmed. I was in the zone, or more so in a frenzy. The last trace of fear left my mind. I let out a roaring growl as I made a path of blood, just like when I made a path in the forest.
• Those two women who dragged Yara out watched my bloodied body charge toward them. The one on the right fainted, whereas the one on the left screamed and pushed Yara my way.
• I wrapped my arm around Yara’s waist, then threw her up onto my shoulder. Next, I only had one mission—run.
• The men’s footsteps followed in a scurry. It became obvious to both parties that a deadly mess awaited.
• I was still feeble from the fever, so it didn’t take long for my legs to lose strength with Yara on my shoulder. I tripped over a small stone and rolled onto the ground. They seized the chance to beat the hell out of us. I heard Yara’s shriek.
• Before I could get up, I heard the sound of air moving, followed by a strong blow on my shoulder.
• The sharp pain made me let out a cry. I lost grip on my axe as the whacking continued. All I could hear was the dull thuds all over my body.
• They had entirely surrounded us. I flopped over to cover Yara’s body, shielding her from their beastly violence. I put up my arms around my head, but it wasn’t helping much.
• My vision became blurry, along with my consciousness. A club wedged between my arms to batter my head, causing me to slip into a coma.