Chapter 75 He Can Find Her Quickly
Before heading to the mess hall, Matilda still had to help the military medical center supervisor move examination equipment to their storage facility and complete inventory.
The storage facility was located behind the mess hall—a large warehouse filled with military equipment: medical devices, training gear, emergency supplies—all arranged in perfect order. The floor was so clean it reflected light, carrying an atmosphere of discipline that commanded respect.
The supervisor instructed her, "Just inventory the equipment. Don't wander around, and absolutely no photos."
Matilda replied, "I didn't bring my phone inside."
She'd seen the warning sign before entering—No Cell Phones Beyond This Point—so she'd locked her phone in the van outside.
Soon, the supervisor was called away for other business, leaving Matilda alone in the storage facility checking items against the inventory list.
She worked methodically, verifying each item until she'd logged the last entry.
Just as she was about to leave, a gust of wind blew in from outside, and the heavy iron door slammed shut.
Once the door closed, the automatic lighting system immediately cut out, plunging the entire space into darkness.
Matilda's heart jumped. She pounded on the door, trying to get someone's attention outside.
But the iron door was as thick as a blast door—no matter how hard she hit it, barely any sound came through. Without her phone, she had no way to contact anyone outside.
She started to panic.
If this were an ordinary warehouse, she wouldn't be so nervous. But this was a restricted area on a military base—what if someone mistook her for an intruder?
She pounded for several minutes with no response from outside.
She could only grope around in the darkness, hoping to find a switch. But after feeling along the entire right wall, she found no buttons.
She remembered there was a flashlight on the registration desk and felt her way toward it.
Finally, she found the flashlight. When she turned it on, the weak beam of light gave her some comfort.
Meanwhile, dinner service had started at the mess hall.
This border outpost didn't have many soldiers, and the dining hall was small—you could see everyone at a glance.
When Wentworth didn't see Matilda, he asked Danny, who was sitting beside him, "Where's Dr. Spencer? Isn't she coming to eat?"
Danny thought to himself: 'Why do you care about her?'
But he was curious too—she'd clearly come to assist with physicals, so why wasn't she joining them for dinner?
So Danny went to ask the military medical center supervisor, "Where's Dr. Spencer, the one who helped with physicals today?"
The supervisor looked around and didn't see Matilda. "Did she leave already? I remember her saying she wanted to head back after finishing up."
Danny returned to Wentworth to report, "She probably already left."
Wentworth didn't respond, just silently finished the food on his plate.
But when he stepped outside, he saw Matilda's van still parked in the base parking area.
No one was in the vehicle—so where could she be?
At that moment, Matilda was sitting on the storage facility's cold concrete floor, playing with the flashlight.
She calculated in her mind: 'The van's still outside. If Wentworth and the others notice I haven't left, they should come looking for me.'
As long as she didn't touch any equipment here, she wouldn't be considered suspicious.
So she leaned against a support column behind her and closed her eyes to rest.
She'd gotten up too early that morning, worked all day, and was tired, hungry, and sleepy.
Just as she was drowsily about to fall asleep, a hand suddenly touched her shoulder.
She jerked awake in alarm, instinctively using the self-defense moves Wentworth had taught her—but her fist was caught firmly before it could land.
She tried another move, only to have her arm pinned down forcefully.
Her whole body was pressed against the column.
"You..." She looked up to see Wentworth's face with a hint of amusement.
"Not bad. Looks like you haven't forgotten what I taught you," Wentworth said.
Seeing it was him, Matilda felt relieved—at least she wouldn't be mistaken for an intruder.
But he was still restraining her tightly, and once again she was pressed against his solid chest.
"Wentworth, let me go."
Instead, he raised her hands and pressed them against the column. "This is a restricted area. Do you know what the consequences are for unauthorized entry?"
"I didn't enter unauthorized," Matilda protested. "Your supervisor brought me in. I'm here to help. If that still has consequences, then I won't come anymore. Besides, this door is too heavy—it closes without checking if anyone's inside. Really unfriendly design. Didn't you work on new life detection equipment? Why not add detection functionality to the door? Let everyone exit before it closes."
Getting agitated, she talked more and more, even spraying saliva on his face.
The corner of Wentworth's mouth lifted slightly, but he still didn't release her.
With her hands restrained and her waist pressed against his, the position was as intimate as a movie scene.
"What? Are you addicted to being pressed against me, or are you going to drag me off for interrogation? Then hurry up and interrogate—I still have work to do after this." As she spoke, her stomach growled in protest.
Wentworth finally released her and walked to the left wall to press a button—the iron door opened instantly.
The switch had been on the left, while she'd been feeling around on the right the whole time.
After leaving the storage facility, Wentworth asked, "The mess hall still has food. Do you want to eat?"
"Of course," Matilda said. "I came here to work—you can't expect me to go back and pay for my own meal."
Wentworth led her to the dining hall.
Danny and Rick were stunned to see her appear with Wentworth—so she hadn't left, and the Major had found her with suspicious speed.
Wentworth had her sit down while he went to the service window, swiped his card, and brought back a hearty American meal—grilled steak, mashed potatoes, cornbread, green bean salad, and iced tea.
Matilda didn't stand on ceremony and immediately picked up her fork to dig in.
Wentworth sat across from her, quietly watching her eat.
The nearby soldiers couldn't help exchanging glances—when had the Major ever been so good to a woman?
Danny was especially uneasy: 'The Major's a married man—is something really going to happen? Should I say something? But I have no proof. If I don't say something, I'm afraid he'll do something impulsive.' After thinking it over, he decided against it.
After dinner, Matilda drove the van away by herself.
In her rearview mirror, she saw a military Jeep following behind—when she sped up, it sped up; when she slowed down, it slowed down, maintaining a distance of about 650 feet.
Who else could it be but Wentworth?
Was he protecting her?
Several times Matilda wanted to stop the car and ask him directly what he meant—was he unable to let go, or was he deliberately toying with her?
As they neared Stoneford Town, the Jeep stopped following.
Thinking about how he'd pressed against her in the storage facility and watched her eat in the dining hall, her heart fluttered like a startled deer.
Half a month later, Matilda was still incredibly busy—sometimes seeing patients at the clinic, sometimes making house calls to remote areas, sometimes participating in community outreach.
She and Wentworth hadn't seen each other during this time, and her heart gradually calmed down.
Today, she had to go to a small mountain village 20 miles away—a child there had accidentally ingested detergent and might need their stomach pumped.
She grabbed her emergency kit and rushed out in the van.
This village had only a dozen or so households, with houses scattered along the mountainside. She'd need to ask for directions to find the child's home.
At the village entrance, she saw two young men in worn leather jackets with a somewhat thuggish air. When they spotted her, they flashed smiles with a hint of provocation.