Chapter 741: Chapter 741: The Lookout Tower

Evelyn Ford rode her horse deep into Mount Grol, while Ronan Kendrick flew his helicopter into the sky. They exchanged a glance from a distance before heading toward their respective destinations.

The lookout tower was on the highest peak of Mount Grol. The only way up was on foot. There used to be a cable car here, but after so many years of neglect, it had become a pile of scrap metal.

When Evelyn Ford reached the foot of the mountain, she stored her horse away in her dimension. She took out her trekking poles and began the ascent.

The helicopter had already flown far away. Evelyn Ford used her binoculars to search for Ronan Kendrick’s position. Several high mountains stood between them, and though she could hear a faint sound, she couldn’t see any sign of the aircraft.

Although the mountain was covered in thick snow, the climb was relatively smooth. Over an hour later, Evelyn Ford reached the lookout tower at the summit. The building was dilapidated. The iron gate had rusted and corroded until it was extremely fragile. With a gentle push from Evelyn, the gate collapsed.

The main purpose of the Mount Grol lookout tower was to watch for fires. If a forest fire broke out, it would be clearly visible for dozens of kilometers around. All the facilities inside were damaged, and dead grass even grew from the floor. Evelyn Ford walked to the highest point, took out her binoculars, and began scanning for the possible locations where the people might be trapped.

The wind at the summit was fierce. Even dressed in thermal clothing and wrapped up tightly, Evelyn Ford still felt cold. It was a chill that seeped up from the soles of her feet. She stomped her feet; her toes were already starting to go numb. Evelyn took some wood and a flint from her dimension and started a fire in a nearby clearing. That was finally a bit warmer. Thick smoke billowed out from the broken windows and doorway, rising into the sky. Ronan Kendrick would see it and know she was safe.

She scanned in several directions but didn’t see any red cloth. High-powered binoculars could see for twenty kilometers, but the ordinary pair she owned could only see about five kilometers out. Evelyn Ford sighed. She was now pinning her hopes on Ronan Kendrick. ’I hope he can find them.’

Meanwhile, in mid-air, Ronan Kendrick was facing sudden danger. The wind was too strong, making it impossible for the helicopter to fly normally and difficult to land. To stay safe, he had no choice but to hold his position. The fierce wind SLAMMED against the windshield, causing the aircraft to shake violently. Ronan Kendrick frowned. ’This is worse than I thought.’ Seeing the thick smoke rising from a distant mountaintop, he knew Evelyn Ford had started a fire. Ronan counted down from thirty. Half a minute later, the helicopter gradually stabilized. He was safe.

After circling Mount Grol, Ronan Kendrick spotted a speck of red in a deep valley to the Southwest. He took out his binoculars and confirmed it was a piece of red cloth partially covered by snow. Ronan immediately flew back to the foot of the mountain with the lookout tower. After landing the helicopter, he fired two flares. Worried about Evelyn Ford, he didn’t wait there but started up the mountain instead.

The two reunited halfway up the mountain. Evelyn Ford was stumbling and slipping, exhausted and out of breath. "Did you find them?"

"I didn’t see anyone, just a piece of red cloth. It’s to the Southwest. Should we head over now?"

Evelyn Ford’s eyes lit up. "You’re amazing. Let’s go. We’ll head over right now. This rescue can’t wait. I searched in several directions from up there and found nothing. It might be because my binoculars have such a limited range. Besides, the wind on the summit was insane. I was freezing to death."

Before heading down, Evelyn Ford extinguished the fire. Even though it was the dead of winter, there were trees in the mountains. If they caught fire, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The path down the mountain was extremely slippery. Evelyn Ford was thankful she was tough; she had tumbled all the way down without getting killed. Still, if she had hit a rock, she would have lost a layer of skin, if not her life.

Ronan Kendrick couldn’t bear to watch. He took her hand and led her steadily down the rest of the way. With him in front of her, Evelyn Ford felt completely safe. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, it was already noon. They ate a quick bite, then continued on their way, riding their horses toward the Southwest.

When they reached the valley, Ronan Kendrick told Evelyn Ford to wait while he went ahead to scout the path. A few minutes later, Evelyn heard a whistle and rode in.

"What’s the situation?"

"They abandoned their vehicles and left."

The snow in the valley was very deep. Dozens of vehicles were stuck, unable to move forward or back. It looked like there had been a landslide ahead, which had destroyed the road. The trucks were still loaded with salt ore. Everything inside the dozens of vehicles was gone, including the gasoline.

After inspecting the area, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick split up to collect all the vehicles and the salt ore into her dimension. Evelyn took out a megaphone and recorded a message, which she played on a loop in the valley all afternoon. She suspected the people had gone into the mountains to take shelter from the snowstorm. The megaphone was extremely loud and could be heard for ten kilometers around. If they were in the mountains, they should have come out to meet them.

"Still no sign of them, Ronan. Should we go into the mountains to look? I just don’t think they would have run away. They’re soldiers."

Ronan Kendrick scanned the surrounding mountains with his binoculars. After a long moment, he pointed to a high mountain on their left.

"Let’s check that mountain first."

Only after they entered the mountains did Evelyn Ford understand why Ronan Kendrick had singled out this one. There were some broken branches along the path. Footprints would have been covered by the heavy snow, but the broken trees were evidence that someone had passed this way.

Evelyn Ford was thrilled. "They must be in the mountains."

"If you were them, where would you choose to hide?"

Without a second thought, Evelyn Ford answered, "A cave, sheltered from the wind."

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Caves are usually found halfway up a mountain. If they really went into the mountains, we should be able to find them there."

Evelyn Ford took out the megaphone again and continued to play the message she had recorded. If they heard the sound, they should come out.

The snow inside the forest wasn’t too deep, as the trees blocked most of it. But the ground beneath was covered in ice. One careless slip could lead to a sprained back at best, or a broken bone at worst.

"Ouch!" Evelyn Ford slipped and fell again. Even though she was wearing her most slip-resistant hiking boots, the ice on the ground was just too slick. The moment she stepped on it, she went down.

When Ronan Kendrick reached to pull her up, she brought him down with her. They tumbled into a heap together, and Evelyn Ford couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"We’re like a couple of clumsy bears."

"I think you’re more like a fat penguin," Ronan Kendrick said, looking at her with a smile. The clothes Evelyn Ford was wearing that day happened to be black and white. And because she was wearing so many layers, she looked like a round ball, waddling unsteadily just like a penguin.

Evelyn Ford threw herself on top of him and playfully nudged his neck with her head in retaliation.

"You’re the penguin."

"Yes, I’m the penguin’s husband." Ronan Kendrick gave a smug little eyebrow wag, then pulled Evelyn Ford to her feet.

"Come on, we’re almost halfway up the mountain. The ground is cold, don’t lie on it."

Evelyn Ford got up, brushing the ice chips off her clothes, and the two of them slowly continued their way up.

There was indeed a cave in a recess halfway up the mountain. The entrance was blocked with rocks. Ronan Kendrick pushed the rocks over and shone a flashlight inside.

"There are people in here."

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