"Are we just going to leave them like this?" Julie waited patiently for Jack to finish his work. Seeing that he had no intention of releasing the two assassins, but was instead preparing to take her away, she pressed the issue.
"Although they were ordered to do so, two HPD officers were killed by them. So, let's leave their rescue to the HPD. Hopefully, they'll arrive in time."
Jack felt he had been quite "kind." After all, hanging upside down from a tree for an hour or two wouldn't kill anyone.
Whether the assassins' struggles led them into a fire ant nest and they were stung to death, or if the HPD officers were lost and delayed for a few hours, that was none of his concern.
His priority was witness protection, and without a partner, subduing two armed gunmen with a sneak attack was already a significant feat.
Restraining the two assassins and leaving them there to await rescue wouldn't be a problem, even if it were written into the report.
What fire ant nest?
He had no idea. Why would a psychologist need to understand natural science? It was just a small mound of dirt with what looked like a few ants in it.
After hearing Jack's pretentious explanation, Julie's initial uneasiness subsided. This girl wasn't asking these questions out of some chaste conscience; she was simply worried that the FBI agent who had saved her would get into trouble.
"I thought you FBI agents were all stern, old-fashioned people like Frick. When he was with me, he talked most about how he would spend time with his family after retirement."
Julie's eyes gleamed with a strange glint. Finally, unable to hold back, she took advantage of someone's concentration on clearing the way and grabbed his arm, kissing him gently on the cheek.
Jack was caught off guard. While he could have dodged, he said, "I'll take it as a token of gratitude."
Julie chuckled, but said nothing more, her steps becoming much lighter.
The two quickly crested the last hill and came into view a winding forest path. While it was still a dirt road—neither concrete nor asphalt, but simply a hand-rolled, paved path—it was still enough to bring joy. The
ruts in the dirt road seemed to announce that, after a brief but thrilling jungle adventure, they had returned to civilization.
"There's the sound of a car!" Julie, following behind Jack, cried out in surprise. She was about to run toward the dirt road, but Jack, quick-witted and quick-handed, pulled her back.
Caught off guard, Julie spun half a circle and collided hard with Jack's chest. Despite the impact, she couldn't help but cry out in pain.
Meanwhile, an old red Toyota pickup truck was speeding towards them. The occupants had clearly noticed the noise, and the next moment, a submachine gun was thrust out of the window.
"Damn it!" Almost as the gunshot rang out, Jack, holding Julie, rolled down the hillside into a ditch naturally formed by rainwater.
The bullets splattered a stream of water and mud around the two men, interspersed with a striking red spray of blood.
The gunfire paused, and the pickup truck stopped far away. The driver leaned out the window and fired two more bursts. Seeing no movement in the ditch, he unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed open the door to get out. Suddenly, Jack, who was in the mud, leaped up and opened fire with his Sig Sauer P320-XTen.
Bullets pierced the thin door, sending the driver trembling and spraying blood. Jack slowly stood up and walked towards him, continuing to fire as he approached the car. The driver's upper body was a bloody mess. His right hand, clutching the submachine gun, dangled out the window, but he was no longer able to pull the trigger.
"Damn it!" Jack walked up to him and fired the last bullet into the man's head.
He was truly furious. He hadn't been hurt in ages, yet he'd come to Hawaii for a vacation, and little Karami had broken his undefeated streak, leaving him in such a state of disgrace.
"Jack! You're hurt!" Julie, also drenched in mud, tumbled to Jack's side, sobbing as she watched the blood oozing from his lower back, looking bewildered.
Jack pointed to his backpack, which he'd left in the ditch, indicating that the first aid kit was inside. While the girl was reaching for her bag, he quickly checked the wound and breathed a sigh of relief.
A bullet had entered his left ribcage, glancing through it. His kidney was fine, a minor flesh wound, not even requiring medical attention.
The blare of police sirens approached from afar. A Ford F-150, lights flashing, pulled up nearby. Danny and Cheng Hao jumped out, guns drawn, nervously.
They rushed here directly after receiving Jack's call, but they were still a step too late. Apparently, the third killer had chosen the same rendezvous point as them.
It was a coincidence. Apparently, the other two killers had notified Jack and Julie by satellite phone when they tracked them down, and as a result, both parties had chosen this nearest forest road as their rendezvous point.
"Are you all okay?" Danny was terrified to see the two men sitting on the side of the road, covered in mud and water, Julie sobbing as she cleaned Jack's wounds with a water bottle.
Cheng Hao was calmer than him. He first examined the bodies and then checked the inside of the Toyota pickup truck. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and put away his pistol.
Jack's water bottle contained Eau de Vie mixed with lemon juice. This time, he had brought it upon himself. He was grimacing in pain, and when he saw Danny approaching with concern, he quickly waved him off.
"It's just a minor injury."
He took the bandage and expertly wrapped it around his waist twice. Then, with Julie's help, he stood up and forced a smile at her. "We should still have time to get to the courthouse."
Julie looked at her bulletproof vest, then at the blood-stained bandage around Jack's waist. She held back her tears and nodded vigorously.
Perhaps because he had seen Jack's first aid skills before, Danny chose to trust his judgment. He quickly ran to the F150 and patted the hood.
"We still have an hour. I'll contact HPD to direct traffic. We should still have time."
The F150 turned around and got back on the road. Danny, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Jack in the back seat, confirming he was okay, and picked up the satellite phone.
"This is State Police Special Sergeant Danny Williams. Witness Julie Master is safe, and we are escorting her to the courthouse.
I request that all intersections along the way remain clear and that there be sufficient police presence around the courthouse. There is a potential killer who has yet to be identified."
(End of Chapter)