"Take it for self-defense," Scarlett said, seeing that Nina was hesitating, and then she shoved the item into Nina's hand. It felt cold and metallic.Nina had seen this item before, mostly on TV, and during the incident when Sawyer kidnapped her and Miranda. Other than that, Nash’s men, Felix and James, always kept such things out of her sight."I don’t know how to use this," Nina said, feeling the weight of the object as if it were a thousand pounds. She had never used one, and she worried that an accidental discharge might harm someone.Scarlett understood Nina’s concerns. But this wasn't like being in their home country. Without a weapon for self-defense, they could easily fall prey to local residents or violent groups."It doesn't matter if you don't know how to use it now," Scarlett said in a hoarse voice. "But you need to have it. Once we find a place to stay in Yaren, I'll teach you.""But for now, can you..." Nina started, but Scarlett interrupted her, "Just take it. I fou
These people were deliberately loitering around to target foreign tourists, exploiting their kindness to ask for food, money, or other items. Some more extreme refugees would lure tourists to remote places, drug them, and harvest their organs like kidneys and hearts to sell.Before coming here, Nina had researched Yaren and knew that the surrounding small countries were not very wealthy. Coupled with constant warfare, there were many poor refugees. She hadn’t encountered this before, but now that she had, she couldn't just ignore these children. Nina believed in helping all children in need regardless of where they were from. It wasn't a matter of having a savior complex, but she felt pity for these young and vulnerable children."I understand. I know that we don’t have much clothing and food with us too," Nina said, pursing her lips and giving Scarlett a look.Scarlett followed Nina’s lead. She was concerned about the children causing a commotion, so she displayed her gun. The ch
The woman froze the moment she saw the military vehicle. Nina held her breath. She stared at the military vehicle, hoping to see Nash’s face. She wished they could meet right then and there.To her disappointment, several unfamiliar, bronze-skinned faces emerged from the vehicle. They were foreign soldiers. The woman, clutching her child, started gesturing wildly and pointed at Nina, blaming her for everything.The men strode towards Nina with imposing presence, making her feel small in comparison."Do you have a weapon?" one of the men asked in broken English."I do, but I haven’t harmed anyone. The child choked on the bread I gave him, but I didn’t do anything malicious. If you want your child to live, you should step aside and let me help," Nina said calmly, meeting the man's gaze.She had merely pitied the child, but the murderous look in the woman’s eyes was clear in her memory. Initially, she had wanted to ensure the children were fed and clothed, and then ask Scarlett to ex
She was still talking.Nina, having once carried a child for ten months and briefly been a mother, understood the bond between a mother and her child. The woman had acted fiercely out of desperation for her child. The child was innocent.Nina couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She picked up the child and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Initially, there was no response, but then the child began to cough violently, and finally, the piece of bread causing the choking was expelled.The woman’s eyes filled with tears of joy. She clasped her hands together and said, "Thank you, thank you..." Even though Nina couldn’t understand, she felt the gratitude."I only did it for your child," Nina said flatly, with July translating for her.However, she hadn’t expected such a simple emergency procedure to attract the attention of the soldiers. They quickly surrounded Nina."Come with us," the soldier who spoke broken English commanded."No! You can't take her!" Scarlett jumped in front of Nina
This car was different from the military vehicle. It was an off-road vehicle. Covered in dust and mud, the front end was severely dented from a significant impact. The door opened.James got out first and went to the back seat to open the door. "Captain, we've arrived in Kiewarra. I found a hotel where we can stay. I'll send the address so they can meet us here.""Okay," Nash responded hoarsely.He attempted to get out of the car, his brows furrowed deeply. Seeing this, James quickly reached out to support him. With James's help, Nash got out of the car. In the sunlight, his face looked almost ghostly pale, with visible veins on his skin.Felix parked the car and caught up with them. At the front desk, James retrieved the room key, and Felix said, "I'll go buy some food and some hemostatic medicine. You guys wait in the room."They split up, not noticing that the previous occupants of the room were Nina and Scarlett.Twenty minutes later, Felix returned with the hemostatic medici
Nash ended the call, clutching his phone with a mix of hesitation and determination before dialing Nina's number. However, due to the ongoing movement of the vehicle Nina was in, there was no signal.When Nash tried calling, he was met with an automated message, "The number you have dialed is not in service. Please try again later…"The area was a war zone, chaotic and dangerous. A single misstep could result in being caught in the crossfire. How could Nina dare to venture here?"Captain, don't worry. I'll notify our contacts to find her. As soon as we have any information, we'll inform you immediately. You need to rest now. Otherwise, we can't coordinate with others, and the mission will be compromised," James, standing by Nash, overheard the call and saw Nash's worried expression. Nash was always composed, except when it came to Nina. James had seen him anxious only a few times, all involving Nina. Nash truly cared about her."We must act quickly," Nash insisted, wanting to sea
They were in the vast expanse of the desert, with no end in sight. The driver planned to go for help, but it was unclear how long that would take. Camels were the best means of transport in the desert.Nina had an idea, but before she could voice it, Moana suddenly waved and called out, her child mimicking her actions. July said, "She's calling for them."Nina remained silent, watching as a group of people on camels approached them. Moana gestured and pointed at Nina, and she could feel their scrutinizing gaze turn into suspicion.After negotiating with them for a couple of minutes, Moana ran back to Nina, excitedly saying a lot. July translated, "Miss Nina, she says these people are from her tribe. We can ride the camels to leave the desert.""Good," Nina agreed. She wanted to leave the desert and find a place to stay before continuing to Yaren.The driver, overhearing the conversation, said, "The car breaking down isn't my fault, but if you leave on the camels, I won't refund
Scarlett took the bottle and held Nina's cheeks, pouring the black liquid into her mouth.Nina coughed violently as the bitter, pungent taste hit her. It woke her up but leaving her weak and slumped over the camel’s hump. Scarlett, worried about her, called out, "Nina, are you okay? Can you hear me?""Yes," Nina replied weakly, feeling like a dying fish.Scarlett, fearing Nina might fall, kept her arm around her waist. Eventually, even Scarlett began to feel faint. She had also drunk the bitter tree juice, which had a strong and overwhelming taste. It was only thanks to July and Moana that they managed to make it out of the desert.As they emerged from the desert, they reached a barren land. The temperature difference between day and night was extreme. They set up camp, built a fire, and pitched their tents. While they had food, they had no water left.Gathered around the fire, warming themselves, Moana handed them a water bag. "We can’t go any further today. It’s another thre