Leon injected Jordan with a sedative, and she quickly fell asleep, leaving Averi and Karter awake to face a truck full of unfamiliar faces.
Besides Leon and Dallas, there was also a Black driver and another White soldier in the truck. Leon subtly sensed the delicate atmosphere between Dallas and Averi and whispered to Dallas, "Do you know her?"
Dallas didn't answer.
Ever since Averi told him she wasn't the one injured, his gaze hadn't landed on her again.
Leon wanted to ask Averi, but when he caught sight of her composed expression, he stopped himself. She looked so calm, so untouched by the conversation, that any words he had died on his lips. He turned away, silence pressing down on him like a weight.
To be able to pretend not to understand English and trick him in that kind of situation was clearly not something an ordinary person could do, so asking would be pointless.
Karter couldn't hold his anxiety any longer; his gaze darted rapidly between Dallas and Leon before finally settling on Leon: "Thank you. If it weren't for your timely arrival, we would have been in real trouble today."
Leon smiled in response: "You're welcome."
His demeanor was casual, which encouraged Karter to ask more freely: "Are you part of the peacekeeping forces? How did you know we were here?"
"Not exactly, we are mercenaries currently employed by the United Nations to assist peacekeeping operations in Lyria. It was just by chance," Leon said. "Our team was on patrol nearby when we heard the news of the rebel attack. We rushed over to protect the local civilians. The moment we arrived, we heard those rebels shouting about looking for three foreigners. It was obvious something serious was going on." He pointed at Dallas. "You couldn't just stand by and watch them take his people. Isn't that right, Dallas?"
Dallas didn't respond, but Leon wasn't bothered by the silence.
"Do you speak the language here?"
Leon shook his head: "No, Dallas does. He's the one who understood them. What about you guys? Why come to Lyria at this time when everyone else is trying to leave?"
Karter glanced sideways at Averi, pulling at the corner of his mouth as he mumbled: "We've got some business matters to attend to."
David whistled, giving him a thumbs up: "Impressive."
Dallas, feeling annoyed by the conversation, turned his head to look out the window.
They were stationed near the peacekeeping force camp, separated by a vast desert.
On the other side lay pure light, while here, everything was shrouded in an ambiguous gray zone.
Hiring mercenaries meant they needed someone to handle situations too risky or inappropriate for the peacekeeping forces to get involved in.
Justice was never free. It wasn't always pure, either. That's why he had so much money.
Averi felt a bit suffocated.
There were about a dozen men in the camp, and Dallas was the only Asian among them. One of the bald men seemed unhappy with their arrival, pulling Dallas aside for a whispered conversation. Whatever Dallas said, the bald man showed a look of frustration, cursing under his breath as he stormed off.
Leon took Jordan to the peacekeeping force camp where the medical facilities were better equipped, and there were other military doctors to assist with surgery. Averi and Karter were assigned to rest in a temporary prefab cabin.
The room was sparse and unwelcoming. Its walls were nothing more than four slabs of corrugated metal, giving it the claustrophobic feel of a shipping container. The only furnishings were a narrow bed, a worn-out table with a mismatched chair, and an old electric fan that hummed like a tired insect. Basic necessities like eating, drinking, and even using the bathroom had to be managed in the communal area outside, leaving little comfort or privacy for its occupant.
Averi sat for a long time, taking deep breaths to calm himself down before lifting his shirt and pulling out a crumpled contract.
Before long, there came a knock on the thin door panel.
"Come in."
Dallas walked in, carrying a medical kit in his hand.
He gave her a brief glance, devoid of extra emotion, and walked straight to her, saying, "I'll take care of your injuries. There are no female soldiers here, but if you need to, you can also go to the peacekeeping force's medical room for treatment."
"Thank you, but no need, I'm not injured."
Dallas frowned, his gaze falling on her feet.
Averi looked down as well, only then realizing how battered her feet were: her high heels were covered in a layer of dirt and stained with someone's blood, the exposed ankles and tops of her feet crisscrossed with wounds that looked unbearable.
Dallas squatted in front of her, holding her ankle and gently removing one of her shoes.
Averi gasped.
The skin on her heel was broken and bleeding; the dried blood had glued the skin to the shoe, so taking off the shoe was like peeling off a scab.
Dallas immediately stopped his action.
Averi adjusted her breathing, looking down at his prominent brow ridge, "It's fine, I wasn't prepared just now, go ahead and take it off."
The shoe had to come off; the longer it was delayed, the more painful it would be.
Dallas's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he muttered, "Hang in there."
"Hmm."
A sharp pain shot up from his foot, and Averi clenched his teeth, refusing to make a sound. But despite his resolve, his toes curled involuntarily.
Her toes were in worse condition than her heels; the blood blisters had burst, revealing tender red flesh.
He held onto her foot until she relaxed.
"Let's clean the wounds first."
"Hmm"
"I'm going to pour alcohol on them."
"Hmm"
"Next, I'm going to apply some medicine."
"Okay."
He informed her of every step before proceeding, waiting for her to be ready before moving on to the next.
By the time all the wounds and blisters were treated, both of them were covered in sweat.
Averi had a few scrapes on her arms and forehead as well, and Dallas treated those too.
As he applied the antiseptic, he suddenly spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"Signing a contract with Salo," Averi didn't hide anything, telling him all about the oil field and the background leading up to it.
The calmer she was, the more his anger boiled over.
Did she even know what kind of place this was? Or who Salo really was?
Dallas asked coldly, "Averi, do you have a death wish?"
Averi's brow twitched, but his voice remained calm. "Fortune favors the bold."
Ah, so risking it all for glory, huh? Classic move.
Dallas almost laughed.
After packing everything back into the medical kit, Dallas spoke with his back to her. "I just contacted the Chinese embassy. There's an evacuation flight tomorrow, and they can make room for three more. I'll take you there in the morning."
"The Forbes family's plane is still at Frankfurt Airport. I need to get to Germany."
"Countries are prioritizing evacuating their own citizens. You're not German citizens, so you won't get on an evacuation flight anytime soon. Plus, we don't know if the airport's been attacked yet. Even if it hasn't, there are very few flights from Lyria to Europe, and the next flight to Germany could be a week away."
Averi said indifferently, "I can wait."
Anger surged in him, and Dallas's eyes darkened as he finally turned to face her. "Don't think it's safe here. The rebels attacked the peacekeepers' camp just last month."
Averi looked at him, her words deliberate. "I trust you won't let anything happen to me."
Dallas let out a bitter laugh, his gaze icy. "Aren't you a bit too confident?"
Averi pressed her lips together, her attitude softening. "I'm sorry, I didn't explain myself clearly. What I mean is that I have great confidence in your abilities and sense of responsibility." She recalled the word Leon had used, paused for a moment, then adopted it as well: "I believe you will protect any of our compatriots."
Compatriot—that was all they had left.
She was polite and gentle, as if it were their first meeting.
Dallas remained silent for a long time before turning and leaving.
