"The other person should be his good friend, Don Caldwell."
Mason Morgan’s words surprised everyone present.
"You’re sure you’re not mistaken?"
"I’m not mistaken. Chad Lowell always wore this Jade Token. His face is a little swollen, but you can still make out his original features. Don Caldwell is missing two fingers on his left hand. I heard they were crushed during an earthquake."
Evelyn Ford took a flashlight and walked over to the other body. Sure enough, the ring and pinky fingers on its left hand were gone.
"Why would they be in the water? Could they have been murdered and dumped here too?" Quincy couldn’t figure it out. "Logically speaking, those two were part of the base’s upper class. Who could possibly kill them and dump their bodies?"
"They have a lot of injuries, but they don’t look like they’re from a beating. They look more like they’re from a fall."
Evelyn Ford continued, "It’s possible they got into an accident while racing, fell into the water, and were washed down here."
"If they were wearing seatbelts, they wouldn’t have been thrown from the vehicle."
Mason Morgan glanced at the others and said in a low voice, "Most of the time, they raced on motorcycles. People at the base called them the ’Ghost Riderz’."
Hearing the name "Ghost Riderz," Quincy and Ethan Dawson couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Evelyn, what should we do with these two bodies? Burn them or throw them back in the water?"
"Quincy, take Mason Morgan back first."
Quincy immediately understood and led the limping Mason Morgan back to the cabin.
Once the two were far enough away, Evelyn Ford took out two large bags. "Put the bodies in the bags. I’ll store them for now. Those two definitely crashed while racing, fell into the creek, and were washed downstream to us. The base will definitely send people to look for them since they’re missing. Everyone stay vigilant for the next couple of days."
"Understood."
Evelyn Ford glanced at the bank. "Camouflage the bank and this path. Don’t run the grain mill for the next couple of days. We’ll use the kerosene lamps for light."
Back at the cabin, Mason Morgan was still terrified and restless. When he saw Evelyn Ford, he looked like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"Something you want to say?"
Mason Morgan nodded. "Don Caldwell’s father is part of the base’s management. Don was his only son. He’ll definitely lead a search for him, and they’re sure to track him here."
He looked at everyone. "If they search this area, you’ll be in danger."
Evelyn Ford shrugged nonchalantly. "It’s not like we killed his son. What’s there to be afraid of? Still, you should just rest up in the woodshed for the next couple of days. Don’t come out."
Mason Morgan trembled with fear. "I won’t tip anyone off!"
Evelyn Ford just smiled and had Quincy take him away and lock him in the woodshed.
"Fucking idiots."
"Evelyn, who are you cursing at?" Quincy had just returned and heard Evelyn Ford muttering and cursing through clenched teeth.
"From now on, if you see any more bodies, don’t pull them out. Just push them downstream to avoid trouble."
Quincy nodded, then pointed toward the woodshed. "Were you just cursing out Mason Morgan?"
"You’re as dumb as a pig." Evelyn Ford was in a foul mood and had no patience for him. "Of course I was cursing those two unlucky bastards we just pulled out of the water. Rich playboys like them who do nothing but waste food... the world’s better off with more of them dead."
Quincy looked aggrieved. "I patrol diligently, and you still call me a pig. Wyatt, did you hear that?"
Wyatt Vaughn clapped from the side. "That was a great burn."
Quincy was speechless.
"Quincy is too stupid. From now on, Ethan Dawson can be in charge of bringing that man his food. You can go to the kitchen and shred radishes."
"But I can keep a secret! I didn’t say anything, and Mason Morgan didn’t ask about anything. He’s been pretty well-behaved."
Evelyn Ford gave a cold laugh. "I believe *he’ll* behave, but I don’t believe *you* can keep your mouth shut. You talk too much nonsense. Now go shred the radishes."
"Stop yelling at me, I’m going."
After Quincy left, Evelyn Ford picked up her teacup and took a sip.
"Don’t worry, everyone. We have lookouts outside. If anyone comes this way, I’ll put this cabin away and set out a smaller one to throw them off."
Evelyn Ford’s lookouts, of course, were her little spy birds outside. It was time to give them a new mission.
"The house can be put away?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Yes, but when I set it back out, it’ll need a new foundation."
"That’s not a problem. Once this blows over, that man should be on his way."
"Mhm. Once his leg is a bit better, we’ll have him leave."
The search party arrived faster than Evelyn Ford had expected. Four or five hours later, the sound of barking dogs, the beams of flashlights, and a massive crowd of searchers appeared on the creek bank a few kilometers away.
When the little bird came to report, Evelyn Ford was holding Zoe’s hand, inspecting the radishes Quincy had shredded.
"Stop shredding."
Quincy put down his cleaver and placed the shredded radishes into a nearby basin.
"Take a cup of water to Mason Morgan."
"Me? Didn’t you say Ethan Dawson was taking over for me?"
Evelyn Ford handed him a pill. "Put this in his water and have him drink it. It’s not poison, it’ll just make him sleep for a while."
Quincy had always been obedient to Evelyn Ford’s commands. ’She must have her reasons.’ He didn’t ask any more questions, took the pill, and went to the living room to pour a cup of tea for Mason Morgan.
Evelyn Ford put the wolfhounds and Mina into her space.
Soon, the second spy bird returned. It reported that the search party had reached the woods behind them.
’Hmm, about three kilometers away.’
Ronan Kendrick gave everyone a gun. When Quincy returned, he told Evelyn Ford that he’d gotten Mason Morgan to drink the water.
"Everyone change your clothes and get outside."
After changing into tattered clothes, everyone walked out of the cabin. Evelyn Ford put the cabin into her space, then set out the smaller version.
’As for Mason Morgan in the woodshed, I’ll hide him away for now.’
Inside the cramped cabin, only a single kerosene lamp was lit, and firewood was still burning in the fireplace. The dogs’ barking grew closer, along with the voices of the search party calling out for Chad Lowell and Don Caldwell.
Half an hour later, someone rowed past the small island. A few minutes after that, many people came ashore.
"They’re here."
Soon, there was a loud knock on the cabin door. Someone was leading a search dog around outside. Ethan Dawson got up to open the door. The moment he did, several people pushed their way inside.
"How long have you been living here? Are you natives or refugees? Have you seen two young men in the last couple of days?"
"No. It’s been dark, so we haven’t gone outside at all," Officer Graham replied in a small voice, "trembling in fear."
Inside, men and women, young and old, were huddled in a corner, silent. The cabin was tiny and held almost nothing. Besides the small structure itself, the family was dirt-poor. The wick in the kerosene lamp looked like it would only last a few more days.
The search dog barked wildly at the people in the cabin. The man in the lead sized up the cabin, his gaze finally landing on Ethan Dawson. After a few seconds, he entered the bedroom without a word and began to search.
The bedroom was filled with tattered bedding. The man searched everywhere but found nothing.
"Let’s go." With a wave of his hand, he led the group behind him out of the cabin.