Chapter 261: Inside and Outside Cooperation
Emily reminded them, "I'm just one person, and I still need to find people. There's no way I can take you all with me while completely avoiding the bad guys. So your best choice is the second option. Also, just wait - maybe it won't be long before real rescuers show up. Our side has already found people to try to contact the law enforcement team!"
In the end, they made their decision and chose the second option.
Only then did Emily go wake up the person she had just knocked out.
Compared to people coming from outside, keeping this person under control and creating the illusion that someone was still on guard would be more beneficial for this group of women and children.
That's right - besides women, there were also children.
However, the children were locked in another room. Emily woke up the person she had just knocked out, hypnotized them directly, and only then opened the children's room.
But naturally, she couldn't let these children make choices, so Emily didn't let them escape. She just told them to be good and wait for the real rescuers to appear.
After doing all this, Emily walked out.
The guard at the door immediately came up to her.
"How is it? This batch of goods?"
Emily smiled lightly and even patted his shoulder. A silver needle went in as she said, "Very good, and I got something nice too. Take a close look at it, will you?"
As the guard was startled by the needle prick, Emily dangled the pendant before his unguarded eyes, swinging it back and forth. Soon his gaze became dazed.
"Guard them well. If anyone comes, don't let them in easily or take this batch of goods away. Wait until I come back, understand?"
"Yes!"
The guard responded.
Only then was Emily satisfied.
She went back to find the person who had brought her and had him lead the way to where the men were being sent.
This place was much more hidden and heavily guarded than where the women and children were held.
Emily also knew that her identity probably wouldn't be very useful here.
She wasn't foolish enough to just show up directly.
When she got to this place, Emily felt the guide was no longer useful, so she knocked him out with a needle to make sure he wouldn't cause trouble.
She carefully avoided people and tried to get inside to check the situation first.
The situation was much better than she expected.
York was indeed Daniel's capable assistant. After getting in, he quickly exchanged secret signals with the people inside and also contacted Atticus.
Emily took out one person and temporarily got a clear view of the situation inside, but the guards were stricter inside, and she couldn't guarantee she could root out everyone.
Just as she was hesitating about what to do, she made eye contact with York.
He silently mouthed: Satellite signal, contact Daniel.
Emily understood what he meant.
She sent a signal to Daniel's side.
On this end, she thought about taking out as many people as possible when they were caught off guard and alone.
How to do it silently?
Emily thought of the sleeping smoke made from herbs.
So she quickly left again and went back up the mountain along that separate small path.
Emily found the herbs she needed, then gathered dry firewood and lit a fire.
She let the smoke from those burning herbs drift toward the mountain village.
With the night sky, the thick smoke rising didn't attract anyone's attention.
Except for those on patrol, everyone else fell into a deep sleep.
And the patrol guards, as the sleeping smoke gradually penetrated and spread, also started to feel dizzy.
Emily's figure appeared like a ghost.
After she dealt with the patrol group and released York, she said to him, "You find a way to tie up the patrol guards who passed out. I'll go deal with those sleeping people in the village."
Especially, she had to go deal with Yosef and Everett.
But Emily forgot one important thing.
That is, the guard watching those captured women had mentioned they had a new task.
She didn't expect that group of people would drive back in the middle of the night.
Emily had dealt with most of the people but was now facing even more opponents.
She was already engaged with them now, and even if she wanted to retreat, there was no chance.
Yosef knew this was a big deal. Tonight he was waiting for that group to dispose of the goods and bring back the money.
So he hadn't gone to sleep.
When the two of them sensed something was wrong, they quickly hid.
They were very alert and weren't sure how many people were on Emily's side, so they didn't dare come out until they heard the commotion and knew their men had returned. Only then did they dare to come out.
When Yosef saw that the person being surrounded was Emily, after his initial shock, he suddenly laughed.
He said to Everett, "Dad, this woman is something. I like her. With proper training, she could become a great asset."
In their line of work, living on the edge, they naturally needed women with guts. Weak women weren't worthy of him at all.
Everett was also surprised. He thought Emily was just a pretty vase, but she turned out to be quite capable. If such a person became their ally, it would indeed be good.
"If she can be trained well, that could work."
Everett didn't refuse Yosef's request.
Yosef immediately grinned perversely, running his tongue over his back teeth, and ordered his men, "Be careful, capture her, but try not to hurt her badly. I've taken a liking to this woman, and I haven't had her yet!"
Although he wanted to train Emily to become his woman, his words still showed no respect whatsoever.
However, because of his order, those fighting Emily became somewhat restrained.
But Emily showed no such restraint, and instead fought more smoothly.
Until!
"Stop! Don't you want to save this man?"
Yosef suddenly grabbed a man by the hair and shouted at Emily.
Emily's movements paused, and she got cut.
The dagger in her hand seemed to come alive as she spun it in a circle and slashed the hand tendon of the person who had injured her.
She took the opportunity to retreat backward, breaking out of the encirclement, gripping her dagger warily as she faced off against the people opposite her.
"What do you want?"
When she saw clearly that the captured person was York, she hadn't expected it.
York hadn't expected so many people to suddenly appear.
He had been injured and captured while protecting Emily's Atticus.
As for Emily's Atticus and the others, they had already mostly escaped up the mountain along the small path Emily had indicated.
"Ms. Johnson, don't worry about me, you need to find a way to leave quickly."
When York became Daniel's subordinate, he had already anticipated possible danger.
So at this moment, even facing danger, he was fearless.
York was someone she had brought. In her view, even if not a subordinate, he was at least a friend fighting alongside her. How could she possibly leave him behind?
"Shut up!"
Yosef kicked York hard, then turned to Emily with a wild laugh, "It's simple - you come over, and I'll let this man go and let him leave!"
In his view, the guy was already injured anyway, plus he still had plenty of men, so they could definitely recapture him. So right now, he was happy to play the generous guy.
"Ms. Johnson, don't listen to him. He won't really let me go. You need to escape quickly, go back and tell Mr. Smith that I didn't fail Mr. Smith's instructions - I protected Ms. Johnson with my life."
York said with a pale face.
"Okay!"
But Emily didn't listen to York's words and actually agreed outright.
This made even Yosef pause for a moment, then burst into laughter, looking at Emily with amazement.
This woman - he had to have her!