Chapter 79 The Final Farewell
Matilda knew better than to fight a losing battle—she could give them her contact info and just delete it later.
She pulled up the QR code on her phone and held it out the window with a steady expression, letting Pockmark scan and add her.
After he finished, she shoved her phone deep into her down jacket pocket and immediately started the van.
Seeing her move to leave, the two men fired up their snowmobiles to follow.
The gas station attendant could tell something was off. The moment they left, he immediately called the local Sheriff's Office.
Matilda was already pushing her speed, but Pockmark and Scarface kept pace easily—their rides were heavily modified snow machines. Within minutes, they'd caught up and were riding alongside her.
One shouted over the wind, "Hey, lady, why you driving so fast? This road's dangerous!"
The other laughed and called out, "We've been watching you for a while now! Don't be in such a rush—let's be friends!"
Matilda was done with their games. She slammed the pedal to the floor.
Luckily, the van had decent traction in the snow, and with the weather working in her favor, she managed to put some distance between them.
She didn't dare let up, keeping the gas pedal floored as she raced down the icy highway.
But just as she hit a steep downhill section, the van suddenly died like a deflated balloon. If she hadn't been gripping the steering wheel for dear life, she would have careened straight into the snow banks and rocks on the side of the road.
'Of all the times for this piece of junk to break down!'
She tried turning the key several times—the engine was completely dead.
She knew staying in the van was a death sentence.
The roar of snowmobiles echoed behind her. Without hesitation, she jumped out of the van and bolted toward the nearby hills.
The motorcycles stopped, then quickly started climbing the hillside after her—she suddenly remembered that snowmobiles could easily traverse this kind of terrain.
Fortunately, the area was full of dense hills. She could only try to head toward the most complicated terrain possible.
The snow was deep and the ground slippery. Her footprints left a clear trail in the snow. She cursed her own stupidity as she ran.
'This is bad. Really, really bad!' These two were obviously dangerous, and if they caught her out here in the middle of nowhere, she was as good as dead.
She felt her phone buzzing in her coat pocket and pulled it out while running.
She tried dialing 911—no signal.
Her strength was giving out fast. She could only duck behind the shadow of a hillside.
She wasn't kidding herself—her footprints in the snow would give away her position. Clutching her phone, her mind raced through all the important people in her life:
The parents she'd longed for as a child, though her heart had grown cold toward them long ago. Ethan, her teenage crush who'd vanished without explanation—she'd forgotten him after that. Colleagues from various jobs... And finally, Wentworth.
If she was really going to leave this world, Wentworth was the only person she wanted to confess to.
With trembling, nearly frozen fingers, she opened her phone's camera.
Snow fell around her, but for a moment she couldn't find her voice.
When she heard movement nearby, she finally pressed record. "...Wentworth, that day you asked if I'd ever had feelings for you? I said never, but I lied. Please forgive my cowardice. Living with you during that time—I felt completely safe. If there's another life, I promise I'll be brave for once."
She hid the phone in a concealed spot, keeping the camera recording—if something really happened, at least there would be evidence.
Soon enough, Pockmark and Scarface found her.
Pockmark grinned. "Hey, beauty, why'd you run?"
Matilda asked coldly, "What do you want?"
Scarface chuckled. "It's freezing out here. Come back to your car with us."
Matilda stood up without responding.
Pockmark reached for her shoulder, but the moment his hand made contact, she used her self-defense training to strike his abdomen.
She followed up with a kick.
Pockmark doubled over in the snow, groaning in pain.
Scarface swore. "This bitch has some fight in her? Fine, let me give it a try."
He charged at her swinging, and Matilda managed to block several strikes.
Pockmark recovered and joined the attack.
She was still a woman facing two large men—the strength difference was too much. She was quickly overwhelmed.
Pockmark raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face. Stars exploded across her vision and her ears rang.
Then each man grabbed one of her arms, dragging her toward the open area.
Pockmark got impatient. "Why don't we just do her right here?"
Scarface spat, "In weather this cold? You want to freeze your dick off?"
As they dragged her along, Matilda felt the world spinning. Despair crashed over her. She stared down at the snow, waiting for the inhuman torture that was coming.
But suddenly, both men stopped.
Pockmark snarled, "Who the hell are you?"
In the next instant, there was a sharp crack and Pockmark went down on her left side.
Matilda blinked in shock as the grip on her left arm loosened.
Then Scarface got kicked to the ground, and she fell face-first into the snow.
Someone rushed over to help her up—she saw Wentworth, snow clinging to his eyebrows, his face full of panic. In that moment, her nose stung with emotion. She wanted to call his name but couldn't make a sound.
Wentworth settled her safely to one side, then walked over to Pockmark and Scarface, delivering a brutal left-right combination that left them both writhing.
Soon, Danny and Rick arrived as backup.
Matilda's nerves finally relaxed, and she passed out.
When she woke up, she found herself back in her room at the Stoneford clinic.
The electric blanket under the bed was on, filling the room with warmth.
Her face throbbed with pain—Pockmark's slap had left it swollen, but she could smell antiseptic. Someone had obviously treated her injuries.
Voices drifted in from outside:
Levi's voice: "...I know. From now on, anytime she goes on a call, I'll notify you guys. This won't happen again."
Wentworth's voice followed: "Go home. I'll stay here and look after her."
"Are you sure? Should I call Sarah over instead?" Levi asked.
Wentworth said firmly, "I've got this."
Levi glanced at him, then at Matilda's door.
They were the ones who'd rescued her, and they'd helped the clinic plenty of times. They were trustworthy.
So Levi left with peace of mind.
A while later, Danny said, "Captain, why don't you head back too? You've been on patrol all day. I can stay here."
Wentworth shot him a look and said decisively, "I'm staying with her!"
Danny didn't dare argue further.
Then Matilda's door was pushed open.