novelraw Chapter 168: Wolf Pack, Bratty Kid
Chapter 168: Wolf Pack, Bratty Kid
Over the next few days, wolf tracks appeared more and more frequently, but they never entered the safe zone, so everyone let their guard down.
Sweet potatoes had been planted over a large area in the safe zone, and Taylor Vance had organized everyone to dig a few more cellars. The work had officially begun.
Evelyn Ford now had five sheep. Her daily life was quite peaceful—herding her sheep, tending to her vegetables, cutting grass to feed the rabbits, and occasionally gathering pinecones.
The two camellia trees she had planted two years ago were now two meters tall. She wasn’t sure if she had bought a grafted variety, but they somehow bloomed all year round without fail.
The cactus she had brought from Corinth had also grown larger, and Evelyn Ford had transplanted it outside her small courtyard.
Ordinarily, it should have been late autumn, but the temperature just kept rising, showing no sign of winter’s approach. Evelyn Ford looked at the date on her calendar, her brow furrowing slightly.
’I have a feeling this temperature is going to break all-time records.’
Evelyn Ford’s suspicion wasn’t unfounded. The next day, the temperature rose by another degree.
While Evelyn Ford was washing clothes in her courtyard, she faintly heard a scream in the distance. A moment later, a group of people came rushing out, tools in hand.
Evelyn Ford guessed the wolves had come. ’But it’s daytime,’ she wondered. ’Why would the pack suddenly show up?’
"Evelyn! Evelyn!" Officer Graham came running from outside the courtyard. Seeing she was home, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Where’s your crossbow? Quick, let me borrow it."
"What happened?"
Officer Graham looked pale. "Taylor Vance had those kids patrolling the perimeter. They spotted some wolves that had come to scavenge a pheasant caught on the barbed-wire fence. But those reckless kids were bold enough to try and drive them off with rocks. The wolves got angry, and one of them snatched a child."
Hearing this, Evelyn Ford went back inside and grabbed the crossbow and some crossbow arrows for Officer Graham. "Do you need help?"
"No, they said it was just four small wolves." Officer Graham took the crossbow and left immediately without another word.
The child who was taken was an orphan, so none of the other residents were willing to risk their lives. But Officer Graham couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. He took the crossbow and, together with Zion Lowell, followed the wolf tracks in pursuit.
After finishing her laundry, Evelyn Ford also went out to the perimeter to take a look. The child hadn’t been rescued yet, and Zion Lowell and Officer Graham had already been gone for half an hour.
"It’s hopeless. The kid’s chances are slim. Are wolves something you can just provoke like that?"
"You don’t think something happened to Mr. Graham and Mr. Lowell, do you? Now that we’ve angered the pack, will they come back for revenge?"
Evelyn Ford, on the other hand, wasn’t too worried. ’Zion Lowell and Officer Graham are both skilled fighters, and Officer Graham has the crossbow.’
’Whether the snatched child could be brought back in one piece, however, was another matter.’
Evelyn Ford went out for a look around but saw no signs of blood. Outside the safe zone, the wind and sand were so intense that you couldn’t open your eyes without a face covering. A smaller person wouldn’t even be able to stand firm and might be swept away by the gale.
After another half an hour, Officer Graham and the others still hadn’t returned. Evelyn Ford decided to go look for them.
She put on a mask and goggles, took her trekking pole, and had just gotten partway there when she heard a rustling from a patch of grass. Cautiously approaching, she saw Officer Graham and a child lying in the grass. The boy had bite marks on all four limbs but was fortunately still conscious. When he saw Evelyn Ford, he couldn’t help but start crying.
Officer Graham had hit his head on a rock and was unconscious. He also had a severe bite on his thigh where a large chunk of flesh had been torn away. The crossbow and arrows were nowhere near him. Evelyn Ford rolled him over and shook him a few times, but he didn’t wake up. She slapped him hard across the face twice.
"Mr. Graham?"
Officer Graham groggily opened his eyes. "Mr. Lowell lured the pack away to save us. Evelyn, I have to go save him."
"I’ll stop the bleeding for you two first. If you can walk, head back to the safe zone. I’ll go find Mr. Lowell."
Officer Graham grew anxious. "No, you can’t! You didn’t bring anything with you. Don’t take the risk. There were more than just four small wolves."
"Don’t worry, I can handle it. Don’t mind me, just get back. His injuries are serious, and you can’t stay here in case those wolves circle back."
The boy whimpered beside them, too afraid to speak. He knew he had caused a huge disaster. Evelyn Ford didn’t comfort him. ’Being young isn’t an excuse to evade responsibility. At a time like this, it’s even more important for him to learn the price of recklessness.’
Evelyn Ford hastily bandaged their wounds and left at once. She had no idea where Zion Lowell was. For three kilometers outside the safe zone, the ground had been sown with grass seed, and the tall Four Seasons Green obscured her vision. She could only search blindly, relying on her instincts.
About ten minutes later, Evelyn Ford spotted a few drops of blood on the ground. Instantly on high alert, she pulled a long blade from her space and gripped it tightly.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from behind her, and Evelyn Ford sensed the grass shaking. She spun around, swinging the long blade down. A wolf’s head was split nearly in half. It wasn’t dead yet and fell to the ground, howling and shrieking. Evelyn Ford gave it no chance to escape, finishing it with a final strike.
’The wolves must be hiding nearby.’ Evelyn Ford stared at the grass, which was taller than her, and held her breath, listening intently for any sound in her surroundings.
Wolf packs were adept at hunting prey through coordinated attacks. Right now, Evelyn Ford was their prey.
Then, another faint stir from behind. They were fast, lunging with their mouths wide open. Their teeth were razor-sharp; a single bite would leave you either dead or maimed.
But Evelyn Ford was no pushover. This kind of close-quarters combat was actually to her advantage. She was just as fast, never hesitating. With every swift, decisive strike of her blade, blood sprayed onto her goggles. Evelyn Ford didn’t even bother to wipe it away as she pulled her blade free and delivered another finishing blow.
Evelyn Ford stabbed her blade into the dirt, panting heavily. ’Speed is the most crucial thing when fighting wolves. The moment your speed falters, you lose the initiative. Wolves are incredibly intelligent animals; you can’t show the slightest hint of fear in front of them.’
Just as Evelyn Ford killed the third wolf, Ronan Kendrick arrived.
Without a word, Evelyn Ford tossed him a long blade. Ronan Kendrick caught it and began to fight alongside her.
"Did you finish gathering the pinecones?"
"Finished."
Evelyn Ford pressed her lips into a smile. Ronan Kendrick’s arrival gave her a moment to breathe. She collected the dead wolves on the ground into her space, then took out a whistle and blew a pattern of three short blasts followed by one long one several times.
A moment later, rustling sounds erupted from all around. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick exchanged a look, nodding in perfect understanding. Evelyn Ford took out her crossbow and fired directly toward the sounds.
Half an hour later, the last wolf fell.
Evelyn Ford immediately began searching for any sign of Zion Lowell, but after a long search, she found nothing.
Just then, a large group of people appeared in the distance. Evelyn Ford squinted and saw that it was the residents from the safe zone.
"It’s Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick! Where’s Zion Lowell?"
Secretary Hawthorne came limping over. He had broken his foot a few days ago and had been resting ever since.
"We haven’t found him yet. Why are you all here?"
"Zion Lowell and the others hadn’t come back, so everyone got worried and came out to search. We just ran into Chester Graham and the boy. They told us you went to find Zion Lowell by yourself."