Chapter 136
One of the two ogres carried a Remington M870 shotgun and swung a large machete to clear the path ahead. The other followed with a coil of barbed wire and a steel crossbow, seemingly arguing about something, occasionally shoving each other.
As they were about to pass by, Jessie suddenly stood up from the bushes. The ogre in the back instinctively looked towards her.
The next moment, Jessie's crossbow fired, and a bolt pierced the face of the nearest ogre with precision.
The heavy tungsten steel bolt carried immense kinetic energy, easily penetrating the facial bones, shattering the cerebellum and brainstem, and then continued through the back of the skull, leaving a large portion of the bolt exposed.
The body fell heavily to the ground. The other ogre roared and swung its machete, charging at Jessie.
"Piu"
A light sound echoed as a 7.5mm hollow point bullet exploded with unmatched power in its abdomen, creating a massive cavity and shattering its spine.
The ogre's lower body was paralyzed, and it collapsed to the ground. Though not immediately dead, it struggled to lift its upper body, trying to attack anyone approaching with its machete.
Fierce indeed, Jack stepped forward and stomped on its right hand, which held the machete.
"Hey, can you understand me?"
The only response was a series of incomprehensible curses.
"No communication, huh?" Jack took the military knife from Jessie and stabbed the back of the ogre's neck, severing its medulla.
As the creature fell silent, Jack wiped the knife on the ogre's dirty coat and handed it back to Jessie.
He flipped the bodies over, enduring the stench and the disturbing sight, and gave them a rough examination.
The good news was that these creatures were indeed human, not some supernatural beings. Due to environmental factors or inbreeding, or both, they exhibited congenital deformities like cleft lips, ear deformities, facial clefts, and widened eye distances.
Their bodies showed various hemangiomas, abnormal bone development, and skin covered in pustules and scar tissue.
The bad news was that these creatures seemed to have inherited a degree of insensitivity to pain or had a high pain threshold, with their bodies covered in scars, likely due to survival despite numerous injuries.
No wonder a few of them had previously taken bullets without flinching and fled. Jack figured those would likely die from blood loss and infection without proper surgical intervention.
Seeing him finish examining the bodies, Jessie, pale and trembling, clung to a tree for support.
"What are these monsters?"
"Degenerated wild men?" Jack shrugged. The vast, sparsely populated North American continent had its fair share of chemical spills, train derailments, and a government with a history of radiation and biological experiments on its citizens. Such creatures were not entirely surprising.
"Let's move; we have a long way to go."
Jack grabbed the barrel of the Remington M870 and smashed it on the ground, then cut the crossbow's string with his kukri, keeping only a bag of bolts. He tossed the rest along with the bodies into the bushes and continued forward with Jessie.
The previous dirt road, though rough, was at least drivable, making a round trip from the gas station to their original location in half an hour. Walking through the forest path, however, was arduous.
Jessie's stamina was impressive, but after two hours of strenuous trekking, she finally collapsed, sitting on the ground.
Seeing the familiar riverbank ahead, Jack took a bottle of water and two chocolate bars from his hiking bag.
"Eat something to regain your strength. We have two more hours until dark and a long way to go."
Jessie gulped down half the bottle of water, handed it back to Jack, and started eating the chocolate.
"Do you think we can find Francesca?"
Jack finished the remaining water in one gulp and looked at the rock stained with blood.
"If we follow the water source, we should find them. There are many of them, so they should leave plenty of tracks. It shouldn't be too hard, but..."
"I know. I won't cry again. If she's dead, I just want to kill more of those monsters to avenge her and Evan."
Jessie quickly finished the chocolate, wiped her hands with a nearby leaf, adapting remarkably fast.
"We'll see. They might not kill her immediately," Jack shared his speculation.
Seeing her puzzled look, he explained.
"The freezer was full, indicating they've had a recent 'harvest.' They might keep her alive for now."
Jessie's expression froze, unsure what to say.
Jack carefully sensed their surroundings, confirming no immediate threats, and whispered to her.
"I'm going to leave a mark on that rock. Wait here."
He took a bolt from the ogres and walked to the riverbank.
Evan's body was gone, but a large bloodstain and scattered internal organs remained by the rock, attracting swarms of flies. It seemed he had been dismembered and taken away in pieces.
Jack examined the blood trail, confirming it led upstream. He pointed the bolt's head in that direction and placed two small stones to hold it in place.
"Let's go. I hope we can find Francesca before dark."
Returning to Jessie, he pulled her up and led her along the riverbank, staying on the forest's edge.
Walking directly on the riverbank was too exposed, even with his heightened senses, and they could easily become targets.
After another arduous hour of hiking and crossing several small ridges, Jessie was exhausted, almost entirely relying on Jack to pull her along.
"How much further?" She asked, lightly massaging her sore calves.
"Not far now. I think we'll find something once we cross this hill." Jack squinted at a faint column of smoke rising in the distance.
The sun was setting, painting a beautiful sunset that contrasted starkly with the hidden horrors and crimes in the forest, creating a scene of bitter irony.
Jack didn't let her rest long, aware of the cannibal threat and predatory animals that would emerge after dark.
Sure enough, upon climbing the hill, they saw a clearing at the forest's edge, with a dilapidated wooden cabin near the riverbank.
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