Chapter 89 Entering Danger Again
Over the following days, Zoey sent Charles many more photos.
Like how Matilda treated her snow boots with such care, wiping them down thoroughly every time she came home, then placing them by the window to air dry—treasuring them completely.
Like how when Matilda went on medical calls, she'd be escorted by soldiers or local police officers. Sometimes Zoey noticed Wentworth was there too, though he sat in the back seat out of sight—you had to look carefully to spot him.
Besides these updates, Zoey also sent Charles photos of flowers and scenery.
[Charles, look how the snow here is almost melted, and there are wildflowers blooming on the grass. Don't they look like stubborn little me?]
[Charles, look at this snow-capped mountain—half pristine white, half all bumpy, but the trees below are growing so lush. Doesn't it remind you of someone who seems cold on the surface but is actually bursting with spring fever inside?]
She got blocked immediately.
She quickly sent another picture message showing evidence of Matilda's lingering feelings for Wentworth, and was re-added.
Zoey couldn't stay in Stoneford Town much longer—school was starting soon, and she had to return.
Before leaving, she was incredibly reluctant to part with Matilda, so she had tons of supplies air-shipped to the county seat, then contacted Danny to go pick them up together.
There were coats, hats, snacks, and various heating gadgets, plus all sorts of small appliances—electric griddles, egg cookers, blenders, juicers, and more.
The one thing she didn't buy was snow boots—she'd let Matilda keep wearing the ones Wentworth gave her.
...
After Zoey left, another two months passed without notice.
Spring arrived, snow melted at the foot of the mountains, streams began flowing, and the nomadic herders returned with their cattle and sheep. The land around Stoneford Town came alive with vitality.
She and Wentworth occasionally ran into each other at the small restaurant. She maintained her lukewarm attitude while he stayed restrained, though his gaze remained intensely focused on her.
Several times, she wanted to go over and hug him, but the words died on her lips every time.
At the end of March, Matilda received an emergency call from a man shouting urgently, "Someone's injured here. Please come quickly!"
Matilda asked, "What kind of injury?"
"Cut himself on a knife while slicing fruit—total accident."
That careless?
She asked for the address—it was a nomadic family about eight miles from town.
She quickly gathered her supplies and told Sarah where she was headed.
Sarah promptly contacted the base, and they said they'd send someone to protect Matilda.
Matilda drove the SUV to the herder's home.
Getting out of the vehicle, she vaguely sensed something wasn't right.
Logically, if someone in the family was seriously ill or injured, several people should be waiting anxiously at the entrance to greet her. But only one man came out to meet her.
Not only that, but there was another mud-covered SUV parked behind the herder's house.
She asked, "Who's injured?"
"Come inside and you'll see," the man said.
His accent wasn't local.
Sensing danger, Matilda said, "Please wait a moment. I have a colleague coming who forgot to bring his medical kit."
She was turning back toward her car when a cold knife blade pressed against her neck from behind.
"Cut the crap and get inside now!"
Matilda's scalp prickled as she realized she'd encountered criminals again.
She couldn't help wondering whether this was just bad luck or if she had some kind of constitution that attracted trouble.
Maybe God was giving her an important mission, so he was testing her spirit and body first.
Would she escape danger again this time?
Once inside the herder's house, her answer was a definitive no.
Six or seven men filled the room. Two were injured, with one bleeding severely from what looked like serious wounds.
These men clearly weren't locals—they all had vicious faces. In the corner, the herder family was tied up with rope, mouths gagged with cloth, looking at her with pitiful, terrified eyes.
From this, Matilda deduced she'd encountered escaped bandits!
They'd fled to the herder's house, taken over their home, and kidnapped the family to keep them from going out for help.
"Hurry up and save him!" The criminal who'd forced her inside shoved her roughly. "If you don't heal him, you're not leaving here alive today!"
Maybe because she'd experienced this kind of thing before, despite her fear, Matilda's brain maintained a thread of rational thinking.
A man with knife wounds lay on the ground.
She had to save him, but she couldn't heal him too quickly, or her own life would be in danger.
She approached the severely injured man, first stopping the bleeding, then applying medicine before taking out needle and thread to suture the wound.
Seeing their companion about to be saved, the criminals all relaxed a bit.
But before she could finish suturing, she called out helplessly, "Sorry, I've run out of thread."
The gang leader roared, "Don't mess with me!"
"I really don't have any more." Matilda said. "It wasn't intentional."
"You trying to die or what?" One of the criminals grabbed her hair.
Her scalp felt like it was being torn apart—the pain brought tears to her eyes.
Trembling, she said, "I really don't have any more. Search my medical kit if you don't believe me. When I left, I didn't expect the injury to be this deep. You weren't clear about it on the phone either."
"So what now? You thinking about calling back for help? I'm warning you—if you try that, you and everyone in this house dies."
Matilda glanced at the herders in the corner. They'd been tied up for who knows how long, and the woman of the house looked deathly pale, like she might not hold out much longer.
Matilda said, "Catgut suture will work. This is a herder's house—they should have that kind of thread."
One criminal immediately went to ask the herders, "Where's the catgut?"
The terrified herders couldn't speak.
Matilda clutched her water bottle tightly.
She'd gotten used to bringing it on medical calls. Her own thermos was too small, but Wentworth's military-issue bottle was just right and kept things warm perfectly.
Steeling her courage, she continued, "Let me ask them."
One of the criminals blocked her. "Don't try anything clever."
"You've got me trapped here—what could I possibly try?" she asked.
The criminal didn't give her any more trouble.
She walked over to the herders, first giving the woman a few sips of water, then asking, "Catgut thread—you must have some. Where is it?"
The woman pointed toward a basket under the bed.
Matilda went over and found a sewing basket containing scissors and various threads. With the criminals watching her, she only dared take the thread.
Just then, the lookout came running back in. He walked up to the leader: "There's a military truck outside. What do we do?"
Everyone immediately went on high alert.
They all rushed to the door.
Matilda was also seized—clearly the criminals planned to use her as a human shield if necessary.
The sound of a truck could indeed be heard outside, and it lingered for a while.
Matilda's heart leaped to her throat. It had to be soldiers!
Usually when she went on calls, one or two people would come to protect her, but against a whole house full of criminals, that might not be enough.
The criminals were now preparing for battle.
The leader pulled a pistol from inside his jacket, while the other criminals drew their knives.