Fatal Strike: Paladins Mercenary Road

Chapter 819: Dishonesty

The unexpected news greatly displeased Razer...

Kerry Cantona hadn't been telling the truth from the moment he called for help, and Cahun and his men, lured by the commission, entered the snow-capped mountains late at night with their luggage and supplies. Things were unfolding exactly as this guy had planned.

The snowmobile can only reach the outskirts of the area where this guy's family lives; they will then have to walk through a difficult stretch of dense forest.

Kahun and his team couldn't possibly rescue the people in two days, but the supplies and survival experience they brought could allow Kerry's family to survive.

Once the people looking for Kerry arrive, given the severity of his injuries, he will need to go to the hospital immediately, which will buy time for his family to be transferred.

To be honest, this guy wasn't too bad as a husband and father.

The harsh living conditions in the mountains forced him to make this choice...

He didn't want to die himself, nor did he want his family to die. So, apart from contacting the rescue team like walking into a trap, the only other option was to use himself as bait to buy his family a chance to be evacuated.

Compared to Razer's anger, Mountain Eagle seemed to understand Kree's predicament quite well...

The information Kate brought him indicated that the FBI had a very serious conflict with local forces while investigating the fighting in Alaska, and some agents had even faced personal threats.

Kate's arrival in Alaska was essentially a crisis-ridden appointment; she needed to use her wisdom and abilities to mediate the conflict between federal law enforcement agencies and powerful figures in the U.S. military.

The other party is a local strongman, but their status and position are not high enough to control everything. Therefore, they have to sacrifice a pawn to save the king and cut off an arm to survive. And this Kerry is the 'arm' that is to be cut off.

Kate told Mountain Eagle that before Kerry, there had been two other horrific massacres in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., in which the victims were all executives of companies affiliated with the Army Engineering Department, and their deaths were staged as home invasions.

If Kerry were to contact a rescue team in this situation, he would inevitably fall into the hands of Alaskan authorities, and he and his family would likely have no chance of survival.

In fact, the current situation is also very bad for him...

Choosing the Alaskan winter forests as a hiding place indicates that he was not prepared to flee and therefore wanted to go to a remote place to hide for a period of time.

Moreover, due to a lack of understanding of the Alaskan winter and insufficient preparation for their escape, his family was trapped in the frigid forests, facing imminent death.

In reality, he wasn't sincere at all when he shouted "$100 million." He just wanted to use Cahon and his gang to keep his family alive, and then gamble with the chips he had...

There are actually some illogical points here that the mountain eagle can't understand...

Looking at Kerry Cantona, whose face was ashen, he shook his head and said, "I don't understand why you did this?"
Even if you have evidence that could kill the other party, how can you be sure they will spare your family?

Kerry Cantona glanced at Razer, whose expression was grim, and said with a complicated look, "I'm not sure!"
All I know is that the evidence I have is extremely important to my former boss, and as long as I live, they won't dare to touch my family.

Because if anything happens to me or my family, my friends in Washington will hand over the evidence I have to the FBI and the media.

So they have to keep me and my family alive…

As he spoke, Kerry Cantona struggled to sit up, looking at his wretched body, and said bitterly, "I can't seek official help because if my family and I fall into their hands at the same time, I'll have no chance."

Therefore, it is essential to meet with the boss's person as soon as possible in order to make use of the leverage at hand.

I don't mean to deceive you. I don't actually have $100 million, but my wife has 80 euros in cash, which is enough to pay your commission.

My hunter's cabin was attacked by a pack of wolves, and we've been without food for two days. I really have no other choice..."

Since Kerry Cantona had already said all that, even if there were still some things he hadn't explained clearly, the Mountain Eagle felt there was no need to press him further.

He learned from Kate that this guy was sent out to take the hits, and he had to die or disappear in order to put an end to the missing arms case in Alaska.

Looking at this desperate guy, Mountain Eagle thought for a moment and then said to Tiffany and Lilith, "You two are responsible for keeping an eye on this guy and making him sign the contract. When Cahon and the others arrive at their location, make him call his wife."

"As long as Kahun and his team get the money, I'll treat this as a routine paid rescue operation, and the rest is none of our business."

After listening, Tiffany thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "So, are Cahon and his team conducting a simple rescue operation, or are they rescuing this guy's family while also ensuring their safety?"

Upon hearing this, Mountain Eagle smiled and shook his head, saying, "This is a very awkward situation. Even if we don't get the money in the end, can Kahun and the others just watch this guy's family die in the mountains?"

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle glanced at Kerry Cantona, whose eyes were slightly flickering, and shook his head slightly. He then said to Tiffany, "Ever since Cahon and the others set off, they've been on the defensive. I reckon it'll be very difficult for them to get all the money..."

"You stay here and observe the situation. Try your best to prevent trouble from reaching the village and us."

After saying that, Mountain Eagle walked over to Razer, patted his arm reassuringly, and said with a smile, "Brother, this isn't really a big deal for you. Even in the worst-case scenario, it's just that Cahon and the others were fooled by this guy. His family is still in your hands, and they can't renege on all their debts."

He's already decided to hand himself over to his former boss, so forcing him won't do any good!
I bet even if you call the state troopers or rescue teams right now, the people who come will still be the same people they're looking for.

Razer nodded irritably, opened the door and walked out, saying unhappily, "It's good to teach Cahon and the others a lesson..."

Mountain Eagle knew the old man was talking nonsense. Who would willingly suffer a loss? Who wouldn't want their son to do well?
Seeing the old man's increasingly rapid pace, Mountain Eagle nodded to Lilith to signal that Kerry Cantona should not die, then quickly caught up with Razer and said, "My son wants to go into the mountains today, do you want to come with us?"
"I might not be able to find the animal traps you set yesterday, especially since I have a child with me, and my son also wants to hunt a musk ox and a wolf..."

Razer paused slightly, sighed, nodded, and said, "I'll wait for you on the north side of the village. Remember to keep warm and take those wolves with you; we have a long way to go today."

………………

Just as Mountain Eagle returned to his lodgings and, with Yue Yi and Zack, prepared to follow Razer into the mountains, a helicopter landed on an open area near the town of Koyukuk...

Two state troopers, each on a snowmobile, waited near the open space. After the helicopter engine shut down and the snowflakes whipped up by the immense wind pressure gradually subsided, an older officer pulled off his mask and strode towards the helicopter with heavy steps…

As the thick fog of snow gradually dissipated, an eight-person team appeared before the veteran policeman...

Seeing the eight-man team, all dressed in civilian clothes but carrying automatic weapons, the veteran policeman stopped about ten meters away from them with practiced ease. He raised one hand to indicate that he was not an enemy, and then shouted, "I am Eldor. Which of you is Ryan Donovan?"

Among the group of eight, a middle-aged man with a round face, buzz cut, and gloomy eyes put on a hat, stepped forward, waved his hand, and said, "I am..."

After saying that, the man reached out and knocked on the helicopter's cockpit, gestured to the pilot inside, and then approached the old policeman, saying, "Arrange for someone to refuel my helicopter, and also someone familiar with the surrounding mountain terrain..."

The old policeman paused for a moment and said, "You want to go into the mountains?"

That's impossible!

The nighttime temperature in the mountains is very low now; neither people nor snowmobiles can withstand the long journey.

Ryan Donovan walked up to the old policeman, took out a map, pointed to the marked location, and said, "I'm looking for a hunter's hut, so I need someone familiar with the area to give me directions."

I have a helicopter; I don't need to make long journeys on the ground!

The old policeman took the map, squinted, and examined it closely. Then he pointed north and shook his head, saying, "The weather forecast indicates more snowfall today. Visibility will be very low for helicopters, and the turbulence in the mountains will pose even more unpredictable risks..."

"It's too dangerous to fly a helicopter into the mountains at this time!"

Ryan Donovan shook his head and said, "That's my problem. Just do as I say!"

Ryan Donovan then pointed to the helicopter behind him and said in a somber tone, "Refuel the helicopter, find me a guide familiar with the terrain, and I'll take care of the rest..."

"Also, could you help me find out about an Inuit village near a large lake north of Koyukuk?"

Looking at Ryan Donovan's serious expression, the old policeman thought for a moment and then shook his head, saying, "Refueling the helicopter is no problem, but I can't find a guide who's willing to risk his life."

"But I know about the Inuit villages you mentioned to the north. They're inhabited by old folks who firmly uphold traditional Inuit ways. The legendary Alaskan hunter, 'Razer,' lived there."

Ryan Donovan frowned upon hearing this and said, "Razer? The Razer that's said to have fought a black bear with a dagger?"

The old policeman nodded and said, "It's that Razer. He's been living there for the past few years..."

As he spoke, the old policeman glanced at the men with automatic rifles behind Ryan Donovan and said with some concern, "What are you going there to do?"
Razer holds a high position in the neighborhood; his eldest son is a senior executive at an energy group, and his eldest daughter teaches at the town's school—both are highly respected!

Ryan Donovan listened, pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "A legendary hunter must know the terrain of the mountains very well..."

I'm going there to pick up a friend whose family is stranded in the mountains. Perhaps that Razer would be willing to be my guide.

The old policeman glanced at the armed men around him, shook his head slightly, and said, "You'd better not get your sights on Razer. That old guy has a lot of influence around here, and I don't think you outsiders are capable of taking him on in Alaska..."

Ryan Donovan shook his head and said, "I'm here on business, I don't want to get into conflicts with anyone..."

However, I'm very good at persuading people to help, so you just need to tell me the exact location, and I'll take care of the rest.

Ryan Donovan glanced at the other policeman standing beside the snowmobile, shook his head at the older officer, and said, "I'll be leaving soon. I don't want anyone to know I was here..."

(End of this chapter)