Chapter 240 - 239: The Past 2

The team lying in wait behind the cabin was about to move in and capture Upton when they saw him heading their way. But then, a bullet struck him right between the eyes.

No one present had expected this to happen.

Even Scarface was stunned. ’Is a living Upton no longer enough to get their attention?’

The team members looked in the direction the shot came from but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

They exchanged glances, their expressions growing even more solemn.

Although they had the option to kill him if he refused to surrender, there was a third-party sniper in the rainforest. ’Is this a friendly, or someone sent to silence him?’

Besides, from that angle, the sniper would have clearly seen them.

’If it was a villain sent to silence him, why didn’t they take us out too?’

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. There was still someone else to arrest.

So, half the men stood guard while the others moved in to make the arrest.

But Scarface was one step ahead of them. He raised his hands and surrendered without a fight.

Yvonne Lowell shifted her sights to the other firefight. Upton’s men were still fighting a losing battle, so she decided to lend another hand.

In no time, the group was dealt with.

Aurelian Japyrians in combat gear swarmed forward to begin the final cleanup.

The scent of blood and the bodies would attract the rainforest’s carnivores. If the animals developed a taste for human flesh, they would start adding people to their regular diet—the consequences would be unthinkable.

Just then, another bullet whizzed in their direction.

’What the hell? They’re not a friendly after all?!’

As the Japyrians raised their weapons in alarm, Ivan Hayes—formerly Director Hawthorne—heard the clatter of metal hitting the ground behind him.

He turned and saw a corpse behind him, shot dead, a machete lying beside its hand.

The team that had just captured Scarface came over to join them and reported what had happened to Ivan Hayes.

"Lower your weapons."

Ivan Hayes gazed at a tree in the distance, his expression unreadable.

His lips moved, silently mouthing two words: "Thank you."

Yvonne Lowell saw it and understood. Beneath her mask, the corners of her lips curved up slightly. ’She’d always known these people were worth it.’

But this wasn’t the time for commendations; she still had a mission to finish. With that, she leaped down from the tree.

The sudden movement caused over fifty gun barrels to snap toward her simultaneously.

"Tsk. Could you maybe treat your savior with a little more respect?"

Yvonne Lowell walked toward them, unfazed. "I just came to take a picture of the results for my client. No need to get so worked up."

Ivan Hayes raised a hand, gesturing for his men to stand down. He was the first to walk toward her. "You fired those last few shots?"

"Who else?" Yvonne Lowell tilted her head. "See anyone else around?"

Ivan Hayes looked at the masked girl before him. She was nearly two heads shorter than him, and his expression was complex.

’Even with the voice changer, it was obvious she wasn’t very old. Have kids these days really evolved to this level?’

Seeing his continued silence, Yvonne Lowell was left a little speechless.

"So, can I take my picture now? I just need one of Upton’s body to show my client. I won’t get any of you in the shot."

"Go ahead." Ivan Hayes stepped aside, gesturing for her to pass.

"Boss, this..." his second-in-command began to object. "This is completely against protocol."

Ivan Hayes waved him off dismissively, telling him to be quiet.

’Never mind the huge favor she’d just done for the whole team. That last shot alone... if that machete had hit him, his hand would have been crippled.’

’He was already planning to transfer out of fieldwork, but a voluntary transfer was a completely different thing from a medical discharge.’

’It was a debt he had to repay.’

’He’d write it all up truthfully in his report. He wouldn’t complain, no matter the punishment.’

"Don’t worry, I’d never make an enemy of Aurelia. Otherwise, none of you would still be standing here unharmed."

Yvonne Lowell’s lips curved into a smirk. She pulled a small porcelain bottle from her pocket and tossed it to him. "Top-grade antiseptic medicine. A little thank-you gift."

Ivan Hayes opened the bottle, skeptical. A rich, herbal fragrance immediately hit him. He could tell just from the scent that this was a potent medicine.

After a moment’s thought, he pocketed the bottle. ’He’d get it tested once he was back in the country.’

Yvonne Lowell walked over to Upton’s corpse and took a few photos. Then, she casually handed the miniature camera to a nearby Japyrian.

"Go on, check it. If there are no problems, I’ll be taking it back."

The Japyrian glanced hesitantly at Ivan Hayes and only opened the camera’s gallery after receiving a nod.

"No issues. It’s just pictures of Upton’s body."

"Alrighty then. See you all around."

Yvonne Lowell took back the camera and turned to leave.

"Wait! You need to come with us," Ivan Hayes called out, stopping her.

Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. "And why is that? Don’t tell me you’re arresting me for murder."

Ivan Hayes cleared his throat. "No, we just need to take your statement."

’And while we’re at it, maybe Elder Clark can try to recruit this little powerhouse.’

’For now, though, he only dared to think it.’

"Then let’s get going. I’ve been in here all day, and I’m starving."

Yvonne Lowell shoved the gun case she was holding into the arms of the nearest soldier and started walking, taking the lead.

’She had nothing to fear. If she dared to go with them, it was because she was confident she could get away clean if they tried anything.’

The soldier she’d handed the case to: ’...Oh, you’re so high and mighty. So incredible. And I’m your pack mule.’

At Ivan Hayes’s command, the rest of the team proceeded toward the edge of the rainforest in an orderly formation.

"KREEE!"

A piercing eagle’s cry echoed from the sky. Everyone looked up to see a Philippine eagle circling high above them.

Yvonne Lowell waved at it. "Goodbye, Clown! Stay safe, and I hope you have lots of kids in this life!"

Her blessing was particularly heartfelt, considering Philippine eagles only lay one egg a year, and there’s no guarantee the chick will even survive.

She was the very definition of a kind and beautiful soul.

"KREEE!" ’Screw you!’

Clown followed them, keeping a slight distance, apparently intending to escort them out of the rainforest.

’Of course, its main focus was the nice-smelling but foul-mouthed biped. The others were just an afterthought.’

"That eagle... you know it?" Ivan Hayes asked tentatively.

"Yup. A new friend I made today. One of the locals."

Ivan Hayes’s mouth twitched. ’This kid was really something else, befriending a creature like that...’

’But it only strengthened his resolve to recruit her. If they succeeded, she would be a major asset to the organization.’

Ivan Hayes had already notified his superiors. So, when they emerged from the rainforest, two military trucks were already waiting for them at the exit.

Yvonne Lowell hopped on with the others, and the trucks drove off toward their rendezvous point.