Chapter 500: The Return Journey

The mastermind had now become an important witness. As long as they could take him back, even if the Mexican side tried to shift blame, they likely wouldn't be too blatant about it.

"Now, let's play a game. You hide, I seek. See that pile of rocks in the distance? Once I turn around, find a chance to sneak into it. I'll come find you later," Jack whispered into Isabelle's ear.

The young girl looked puzzled, as if Jack were treating her like a three-year-old.

"Unless you really want to marry 'Machete' Juan, you'd better listen to me." After spending a few days together, Jack had figured out that this girl wasn't dumb.

Sure enough, after hearing this, although she didn't understand exactly what he was planning, Isabelle chose to trust this FBI agent who had treated her decently over the past few days.

Nervously, she took two steps back and hid behind the front of the Suburban. When Jack turned around, she darted off the dirt road like a rabbit, heading toward the pile of rocks.

A PMC saw this and instinctively raised his gun, but Alessandro, who had been watching, pressed down on his shoulder. "You didn't see anything, understand?"

The PMC looked at Jack, who just smiled and said nothing. The contractor shrugged indifferently, as if nothing had happened. These guys followed orders and knew when to stay silent. Curiosity, especially in situations like this, could easily get you killed.

Besides, Jack had just saved everyone on-site and performed emergency care on the wounded. Repaying that favor was only right.

Jack put away the LG5A grenade launcher, tossing it into the Suburban's trunk. He then removed his tactical vest and body armor, changing into a set of civilian clothes he had prepared earlier.

"Are you sure about this?" Alessandro asked meaningfully, clearly understanding Jack's intentions.

"What other choice do I have? I can't count on the higher-ups to be merciful." Jack picked up an AR rifle, checked that it was undamaged, and stuffed a few magazines into his backpack.

Taking Isabelle back with them was too risky. The moment they got out of the car, someone might take her away, and she'd disappear without a trace. The best plan was for her to vanish now and resurface when the dust had settled.

Jack's original plan was for Matt to drop her and old Carlos off in the Matamoros gang's territory, after which Jack would follow them, acting as needed. Whether he took out Doyle after tracking him or took advantage of the chaos between the two sides, Jack was confident he could escape with his gear in the Suburban's trunk, maybe even saving Isabelle along the way.

But now, old Carlos hadn't died where he was supposed to, the plan had fallen apart, and Matt was dead. The joint task force might dissolve, and while taking little Carlos back could be useful, the biggest risk was Isabelle being silenced.

In fact, it wasn't just her—there was also a real possibility they could all be blown up before reaching the border. The CIA was notoriously ruthless when it came to covering their tracks.

Jack didn't want to gamble. Without being able to contact Rossi for help, he had to make the safest plan he could.

So, he arranged for the wounded to be evacuated first, sent the others off with their comrades' bodies, and then took Isabelle on his own. Splitting into three groups was better than being wiped out all at once.

He had a ready excuse: Isabelle had fled during the chaos, and with enemies in pursuit, he had to act quickly to find her, leaving the others to carry the bodies and retreat first. No one could argue with that.

There were drones overhead, but they didn't have audio. As long as they put on a show, it would be easy to fool the watchers. The PMCs had no reason to question it, and Alessandro had already been unhappy with Matt's insistence on putting Isabelle in danger.

"I could..." Alessandro began, but Jack cut him off.

"Only I can. That was always the plan. Besides, I've already arranged for someone to meet us at the border, and only I know the contact details and the escape route. Your job is to get the others back safely and wait for my signal."

Jack winked at him, hoping Alessandro would get the hint.

"Alright, if you insist." Alessandro rattled off a phone number. "Once you find a phone, call this number. Let it ring once, then hang up. I'll call you back when the time is right."

Jack repeated the number to make sure it was correct, then slung several water bottles over his shoulder and gathered the remaining PMCs.

"A key witness just disappeared, but the Mexican police are closing in. You guys take the bodies and retreat first. We can't leave our fallen comrades behind, and I'll search for the witness on my own."

The PMCs exchanged glances, clearly not buying it, but no one said anything. If not for the somber atmosphere after losing their teammates, someone might have laughed.

"Alright, everyone, get in the vehicles." Alessandro clapped Jack on the shoulder in a farewell gesture, then loudly called the others.

They had arrived with four vehicles, but only the Humvee and the bullet-riddled Suburban were still drivable. The two vehicles turned around and headed back the way they had come, one behind the other.

Isabelle peeked out from behind the pile of rocks, checking to see if Jack was really staying behind. When she saw that he hadn't left with the convoy, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go. We've got a long way to travel." A few minutes later, Jack approached her, ruffling her hair and helping her out of her heavy body armor.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the U.S., of course—to help you find freedom." Jack couldn't help but cringe at his own cliché line.

They were still far from the border. To avoid any potential searches, Jack chose a remote route, steering clear of any populated areas. Naturally, there was no cell signal out here. Though Jack had hidden a prepaid phone, this wasn't the time to turn it on.

Using a paper map and a compass, they hiked for the rest of the day until nightfall.

On the Gobi Desert, the temperature dropped rapidly. The sand, scorching hot under the sun, turned freezing cold after sunset. Jack hadn't brought a tent, but he did have a small sleeping bag and an emergency blanket in his backpack. He found a wind-sheltered rock, gathered some dry shrubs, and lit a fire using kerosene.

Seeing the girl struggle to fill her stomach with compressed biscuits and chocolate, Jack smiled and handed her a small bottle of mouthwash.

"You came well-prepared," Isabelle remarked casually.

"If you've got questions, just ask," Jack said, knowing she was full of them. For someone her age, she had been remarkably patient.

"Who kidnapped me?" she asked.

"You already know the answer, don't you?"

Jack told her what he could, explaining it in a way she would understand. While the CIA's plan was classified and of little relevance to her, he could talk about the Dallas bombing, the exploding immigrants at the border, and the Reyes cartel's involvement.

"My father's dead. What will you do with my brother?" Isabelle asked, huddled in her emergency blanket and holding her hands close to the fire. Her tone was cold.

"Strictly speaking, that's up to them. I'm just a small-time FBI agent." Jack stretched lazily and used a stick to toss a sneaky scorpion into the fire, which popped with a crisp crack.

"But chances are, they'll lock him up for life."

"What about me? Are you going to imprison me?" she asked. The moment the words left her mouth, Jack shot her a look like she was being ridiculous.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" he retorted, taking back the mouthwash she handed him and gargling noisily.

"Why are you helping me? Do you want me to be your woman?" she asked bluntly.

Jack nearly choked, spraying water everywhere.

While it was true that some states in the U.S., including California, had no minimum age for marriage, he knew full well that pursuing such an idea would get this story canceled. 

"I don't need a woman, especially not a kid. Stop overthinking it," Jack said, pausing as he realized her deeper concerns. "Don't worry. I've already arranged for someone to take care of you. They're good people. You'll like them."

After what felt like an eternity, Jack finally coaxed the girl into the sleeping bag, and she fell asleep. He sighed in relief. Dealing with this kid was more exhausting than a firefight with drug traffickers.

Jack felt compelled to help her. She had somehow remained untainted by the horrors around her, and he couldn't leave her to the mercy of the CIA. He also trusted his own escape plan more than anyone else's. If even Rossi couldn't smooth things over, Jack knew he'd need a backup plan.

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