Chapter 167

In the end, I agreed to the woman's plan.

Dorothy nodded and then asked, "What's my name?"

I was a bit taken aback. Of all times, she was worried about this now?

"Dorothy," I replied, playing along.

Dorothy raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected me to remember her name from our casual conversation earlier.

She patted my shoulder and said, "Your memory's pretty good, remembering my name like that."

"And what's your name?" Dorothy continued.

I glanced at her, not really wanting to answer.

Dorothy noticed my impatience and frowned. "If we're gonna pretend to be a couple, we need to know each other's names, or we'll blow our cover."

"Fine," I interrupted her. "Kevin."

Dorothy was momentarily stunned but quickly smiled.

"Do you think I can blend in?" I asked.

I was genuinely curious. How could a stranger suddenly show up and be trusted?

Dorothy understood my concern. "Don't worry. I'll say you're a relative of the Johnson family. They won't suspect a thing."

Hearing this, I felt a bit relieved. So, they were indeed connected to Emily's lineage.

"How long do I need to keep up this act before I can rescue her?" I asked.

The most important thing now was to save her.

"About three or four days. And remember, this isn't just an act. You need to believe you are who you say you are," Dorothy replied.

Her eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief. "My mother is very suspicious. Fooling her won't be easy."

Hearing it would take that long, I was reluctant, but I suppressed the urge to walk away. Once I was in, it would be much easier.

"Alright, what do I do now?" I asked.

Dorothy stared at me for a moment before saying, "I'll go get you some clothes. Wait here and don't wander off."

With that, Dorothy hurried off through the bushes, heading towards the village.

Once she was gone, I took a few steps forward and found Kurt. I told him about Dorothy's plan.

Kurt frowned, clearly not in favor of the idea.

I understood his concerns and said, "This is the best option we have right now."

"Even if we get into the village, we don't know where Laura is being held," I continued.

Kurt hesitated but nodded. He knew I was right. Even if we got in, finding Laura would be difficult.

He agreed with my plan.

"Alright, be careful. I'll support you from outside the village," Kurt said.

But I shook my head. "You need to go back."

Kurt frowned, not expecting me to say that.

"You'll be easily spotted here. I'll get you out and restore the area to its original state. I'm worried about Helen and the others," I explained.

Hearing this, Kurt sighed in relief. He thought I was planning to go solo again.

"Isn't Emily at the camp?" Kurt asked.

I shook my head, looking serious. "Emily didn't say, but I know she's injured. I'm also worried Hubert and his men might attack the camp."

"You think Hubert will go after Helen and the others while we're away?" Kurt asked.

I nodded.

"Alright, I'll head back. But what about you?" Kurt asked, concerned.

"I'm safe for now. Trust me," I assured him.

Kurt trusted me. If I said I could handle it, he believed me.

In the end, Kurt agreed to my plan.

He knew someone had to go back. The cabin was too important to leave unguarded.

I carefully led Kurt through the bushes, avoiding any potential dangers, and got him to a relatively safe spot.

Kurt retraced his steps back.

Then, I quickly returned and restored the bushes to their original state, ensuring no traces were left behind.

I knew the next few days would require extreme caution. Any small mistake could ruin the entire plan.

When I returned to the agreed spot, Dorothy was already there, looking impatient. But her eyes showed a hint of anxiety.

Seeing me approach, she asked, "Where'd you go?"

"I waited for you but didn't see you, so I went looking and got lost," I lied, out of breath and sweating from the rush, making my story more believable.

Dorothy didn't press further and tossed me a set of clothes. I quickly changed. The clothes had a strange emblem, one I had seen before in Emily's old place. I guessed it was a unique symbol of the Johnson family. The headpiece looked odd and traditional.

I wasn't surprised Dorothy managed to get these clothes. After all, there were still Johnson family members around.

Once dressed, we were ready to leave. Dorothy suddenly stopped and looked at a mud pit. "Roll in it," she said.

I understood her intention—to disguise my identity. So, I didn't refuse and rolled in the mud, smearing some on my face.

Dorothy scrutinized me for a while, then suddenly reached out. "Lend me your dagger."

"No," I refused outright. The dagger was my only weapon. I couldn't just hand it over.

"What do you need it for?" I asked.

Dorothy explained, "I need to make some cuts on you to make your identity more believable."

Reluctantly, I handed over the dagger, wrapping it in cloth to hide its markings. Dorothy took the dagger and, without hesitation, made cuts on my shoulder, arm, back, and thigh. Blood oozed out.

If it weren't for Dorothy's sincere expression, I would have thought she was torturing me on purpose. Already weakened from previous injuries, I almost couldn't stand after these cuts. Luckily, Dorothy supported me.

"Are you a man or not? Can't handle a few cuts?" Dorothy taunted.

"Why don't you try?" I gritted out, eyes flashing with annoyance.

Dorothy remained calm. "These wounds look serious but are just superficial. They won't affect your movement. Next, I need to create some bruises for realism."

"What else do you need to do?" I asked, exasperated. I feared that if this continued, I might collapse before finding Laura.

But Dorothy was a doer. Without answering, she swung a punch at my face. Instinctively, I dodged.

"Why are you dodging?" Dorothy stomped her foot in frustration.

It was a reflex. I didn't mean to. But I couldn't say that. Otherwise, she'd be on guard.

"Don't hit the face. It's a rule," I made up an excuse.

"Rule? Here, I make the rules," Dorothy retorted, swinging again. This time, I tried to brace myself to take the hit. But instinctively, I dodged again.

"Kevin! Are you doing this on purpose?" Dorothy fumed.

"Again," I said quietly.

Dorothy rolled her eyes but swung again. This time, I relaxed my guard, letting her punch land solidly.

Half an hour later, I had taken over a dozen punches. Dorothy finally nodded in satisfaction. But my face remained untouched.

"Look over there, is that Laura?" Dorothy suddenly shouted, pointing.

I instinctively turned, seeing nothing. Then I felt a punch from the side. I knew it was Dorothy, so I pretended to be fooled. Turning back, I let her punch land on the side of my eye.

"Fuck!" I cursed.

Before I could say more, Dorothy chopped my neck. I felt dizzy and fell to the ground.

Dorothy stood over me, clapping her hands in satisfaction. "Perfect," she muttered.

Lying on the ground, pretending to be unconscious, the cold earth made me frown.