Stop Panicking! Miss Jacobs will Not Look Back!

Chapter 342: Chapter 342: Elias Langley Trembles All Over and Suddenly Turns Around

Juliana Jacobs’s whole body tensed up, and without time to think, her survival instinct made her turn and run.

But as soon as she took one step, a rough, large hand grabbed her collar like an iron clamp, pulling her back.

The man was very strong, and he rudely dragged her inside.

Dragged into the woodshed, she was brutally slammed onto the ground, hitting her head so hard her vision blackened.

"Oh, it really is you."

A woman squatted down, her sharp nails pinching Juliana’s chin, eyes full of calculation.

"Only been sold to the mountains for a few days, yet you’ve got the nerve to escape."

She released Juliana, turning to look at the man.

"Gary Gould, take her back to Mrs. Marshall at dawn."

The man didn’t immediately reply, he spat out the cigarette butt from his mouth, crushed it with his foot, and looked Juliana up and down as if appraising merchandise.

"Return her? We only got four grand from Dale for this deal, I’m feeling short-changed as it is, with her looks..."

He grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"...why not keep her here? No one outside will know. Sell her once for at least fifty, twenty men a day, and in a month that adds up."

The woman’s eyes suddenly lit up, "That’s a good idea, better than a one-time sale!"

Just then, a knock on the outer door rang out abruptly, its clarity striking in the predawn silence.

The woman spat impatiently, "Why is someone knocking again? This place is haunted tonight, no end to it!"

As she went to see, Gary caught her arm.

"I’ll get the door, you go fix her up, let her start taking johns tomorrow."

"Fine, I’ll find some clothes for her to change into."

The two of them left the musty woodshed in single file.

Darkness quickly enveloped Juliana.

The glimmer of chance just ignited was extinguished before seeing the light, and she had jumped from one hellhole into another, even slipping into a filthier, more desperate abyss.

Juliana once thought of ending her life.

But wouldn’t that just let those villains have their way?

No, she would not punish herself for others’ crimes.

If anyone should die, it should be those who pushed her into the abyss!

Outside the motel.

Caleb Donovan checked the time and quietly said to Elias Langley, "The intelligence is clear, a guy named ’Dale Gould’ just sold an out-of-town woman to this area a few days ago. Before we came, the guys at the bureau repeatedly warned us that this town and its neighboring villages are murky with corruption and too widespread for an easy fix. They told us to be extra careful, especially with this establishment..."

He listened closely to the sound inside, then continued, "It’s very likely a transit station. So they suggested we pose as mountain goods buyers, find the lady in the village tomorrow, and as soon as we confirm, get her out without startling anyone. If the whole area gets alerted, we might..."

Before Caleb could finish, Elias Langley, his face steely, gestured for him to stop.

Just then, the sound of slippers shuffling from afar approached from inside the door.

A man with a simple appearance opened the door, immediately casting a wary glance when he saw them.

Caleb flashed a sly smile befitting a businessman, "Brother, we’d like a room. Do you have any vacancies?"

Gary Gould looked them over cautiously and asked, "The last bus from the county stops at five in the afternoon. How did you get here?"

How did they get here?

After pinpointing Juliana’s likely location, they had taken a direct flight to the closest airport and then a private car drove them non-stop to the county town.

After that, Raine Kane took the lead, supplying a non-lethal virus to the clinic’s doctor.

Caleb said with a smile, "We caught a ride with an ambulance."

Seeing Gary’s disbelief, he pointed in the direction of the health center.

"Your town called for an ambulance, and we gave the driver a bit of money to bring us over. Brother, we’re here to buy mountain goods, you know, freshness is everything for these, a half-day delay makes a big price difference. We’re just staying the night, heading to the village at dawn, and once we’ve bought the goods, we’ve gotta leave immediately."

Local news was easy to glean, and there was no reason for the other side to lie.

Gary relaxed his vigilance, stepping aside to let them in, and smiled, "Ah, you’re here to buy mountain goods. Come on in, it’s cold outside. We have rooms, but they’re quite basic, hope you don’t mind."

The two followed Gary to a simple room on the second floor.

There were two beds inside, and after checking the room thoroughly and ensuring there was nothing wrong, Caleb acted like a regular guest asking the innkeeper for some hot water to freshen up.

Not long after, he returned with a bottle of hot water and spoke softly to Elias Langley, "I found out, they serve breakfast at five-thirty in the morning, but it’s extra."

Elias Langley sat on the edge of the bed, the dim lamp highlighting the slight fatigue on his face.

He nodded slightly at Caleb’s report, "We’ll head to the village after breakfast tomorrow."

To avoid raising suspicion, they didn’t converse much.

The room fell silent after the lights went out.

Gary watched quietly from the courtyard for a moment, and seeing no further movement from the second floor, he finally felt at ease and headed inside excitedly.

"Honey, we’ve got big clients, our business is about to start..."

The next day, before dawn, Gary brought two bowls of plain noodles upstairs.

Elias Langley and Caleb had already arisen, tidying their travel bags.

Setting down the bowls with a rub of his hands, Gary offered an unspoken smile between men.

"Gentlemen, it’s a long way to the village, and it’ll be tough to hire a car this early. Why not find some ’fun’ first? It’ll make your goods collection much smoother."

Such services at a small inn were not surprising.

Caleb chuckled, "Not this time, we’re pressing for time. Maybe next time, you can recommend some good ones for us."

Gary was persistent though, his smile growing more sleazy, taking on the guise of a market peddler.

"Don’t rush to decline. Though it’s not ’new goods,’ it’s guaranteed to be her first time ’servicing,’ clean, disease-free, and especially pretty, at a fair price of a hundred each. If both of you go together, I’ll offer a discount, just... one eighty."

Elias Langley raised his eyes, scanning Gary’s ingratiating face calmly.

He and Caleb understood that the ’goods’ he referred to must be another abducted woman.

After a moment’s pause, Elias responded, "Boss, 180 is cheap, but we’re decent people."

Seeing their firm refusal, Gary sighed and walked away.

Caleb shook his head helplessly, whispering, "Even if we find the lady, we can’t be sure of getting her out of here. We really can’t meddle in others’ business."

Elias didn’t respond, deep eyes pondering something.

After a moment, he resumed eating, lifting noodles from his bowl, calmly saying, "Finish your noodles and then find us a car, preferably not with the driver."

"Yes!"

Caleb, thinking Elias was eager to rescue someone, quickly finished his meal and left the inn.

Minutes later, the door opened again.

Sitting at the table, Elias knew the boss had forcibly delivered the "goods," yet his eyes didn’t stray that way, he spoke indifferently, "I won’t force you, but if you’re aggrieved, you can tell me."

But after his words faded, the person behind the door remained silent for a long while.

Just as Elias’s brow furrowed and a hint of caution crept into his heart, an extremely soft, repressed, yet inescapably piercing sob shattered the eerie silence.

Elias’s body jolted as he suddenly turned his head...