The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 193 Terrified
"Honey?"

Tifa sensed something and looked at Eric, who was observing the car's rearview window.

She was so engrossed in the atmosphere of the dense forest that she hadn't noticed the off-road vehicle, but she did sense Eric's unusual behavior.

“It’s nothing,” Eric said, shaking his head. The SUV didn’t follow; instead, it drove straight into the town.

For some reason, Eric felt that the couple was heading to the same destination as him.

Tifa tilted her head, but didn't seem to care. Looking at the scene through the windshield, she grabbed the handrail and laughed, "Honey, you've driven into the wilderness. There's no road ahead, is there?"

In her eyes, the trees on both sides of the road had dense branches that almost reached the middle of the road, and the sunlight was cut into small spots that danced on the windshield and hood.

The air instantly became cool and moist, and the unique scent of soil, decaying leaves, and pine needles filled the half-open car window.

The car suddenly jolted violently.

"Wow!" Tifa exclaimed softly.

"Hold on tight, this is just the beginning." Eric's lips curled up slightly, and he looked at the windshield with some interest in his eyes.

The path he turned onto was clearly in disrepair, covered with gravel, and occasionally had deep gullies eroded by rainwater.

Others might hesitate, but for Eric, who has mastered level 4 skills, this stretch of road is actually quite interesting.

The bumps became more and more noticeable, and the car swayed from side to side with the undulations of the road.

This also means that the road conditions on this path are becoming increasingly worse and more complicated.

As she gazed at the primeval scenery rushing past the window, Tifa instinctively gripped the overhead handrail, her face showing not panic, but rather a hint of excitement:
Are you sure this big thing can handle it?

"Trust me." Eric's tone was calm, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, his foot moving with perfect coordination between the accelerator and brake.

A steep, short slope came into view, its surface covered with slippery fallen leaves and exposed tree roots.

Eric shifted into low-speed four-wheel drive and kept the throttle steady.

The engine roared with a deep, powerful sound, and the RV, like a giant beast awakening, climbed steadily and forcefully upwards.

The wheels occasionally slipped, kicking up mud and decaying leaves, but the powerful torque and Eric's precise steering corrections kept it moving forward.

"Cool!" Tifa couldn't help but exclaim, suddenly realizing that just like this was quite fun.

"Look over there."

Tifa then pointed to the depths of the woods on the right, where a path worn by animals could be vaguely seen.

"This place is really wild."

“That means we’ve found the right place,” Eric laughed, glancing at the map before adding, “We should be there soon after driving a little further.”

Tifa nodded, a sense of anticipation rising within her.

Before long, the woods ahead suddenly thinned out, and bright light shone through.

Then, after Eric made a turn, the view suddenly opened up before him.

A vast and tranquil lake instantly filled the entire field of vision, giving the impression of a huge sapphire embedded among the mountains and valleys.

The lake shimmered in the dim afternoon sunlight, its crystal-clear surface reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding rolling green hills.

The lake shoreline is winding and beautiful, covered with lush forests, stretching all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.

The air was so fresh it felt like it could cleanse the soul, carrying the unique damp coolness of the lake and the fragrance of grass and trees.

"My God..." Tifa involuntarily held her breath, her eyes wide open, her face filled with pure amazement and joy.

"This...this is so beautiful! Darling!" She unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed to the car window to look at the stunning view.

"Now I know why you came here."

Eric shrugged and drove slowly along the surrounding area. His assessment was that reality was indeed much more beautiful than the photos; at least, the experience of being there in person was far superior to any picture.

Seeing a relatively flat and open area by the lake, Eric drove the car over and brought it to a steady stop.

This is clearly a natural campsite, with soft grass covering the ground connecting to a small stretch of sand, and several huge, smooth rocks washed by the lake.

Eric turned off the engine, looked at Tifa looking around like someone who had never seen the world before, and laughed.

"How about it? I told you you'd be satisfied."

Tifa's eyes gleamed with satisfaction and admiration: "This is far beyond my expectations! I love it here, it's like paradise! Shall we stay here tonight?"

As she spoke, she eagerly pushed open the car door, and the fresh air mixed with the coolness of the lake water instantly rushed into the car.

Seeing Tifa's excited expression, Eric couldn't help but chuckle. He then got out of the car as well, stretched, and loosened his slightly tense shoulders.

They subconsciously looked around, but there was no one else by the lake except for them, which indicated that the place was quite remote.

Thinking of something, Eric casually took out his phone to check the signal strength.

Having lived in America for so many years, he has a deep understanding of American infrastructure; the infrastructure of China in his previous life was truly remarkable.

In this magical land beneath our feet, losing signal in the remote wilderness is nothing new, just as common as sunrise and sunset.

The logic behind this is quite straightforward: if this land can't generate a steady stream of US dollars, then those telecommunications companies won't bother to go through the trouble of laying out base station networks for you.

Signal? It doesn't exist.

"As expected." Eric watched as the signal bars on his phone kept changing intermittently.

This means you can roughly make a phone call, but whether you can clearly convey your message to the other party depends on fate.

I double-checked the time.

It's already 3:30 without me even realizing it.

Putting away his phone, Eric saw that Tifa had already run to the beach ahead. He smiled, walked to the back of the vehicle, opened the storage compartment, and prepared to unload the camping equipment.

They'll camp here tonight and then set off tomorrow.

-

An SUV entered the town of Crowbrook on the map and eventually stopped in front of a bar.

It was Steve and Jenny who decided to buy some beer and food at the bar in preparation for their camping trip that night.

But as soon as Jenny arrived, looking at the scene outside the bar and listening to the piercing screams, she felt a surge of irritation for some reason.

In her eyes, the bar was filled with tables and chairs, and although it wasn't evening yet, it was already half full of people, both men and women.

The piercing noises came from children running around nearby, making loud, screeching noises and screams.

The fact that there are so many people at this time suggests that this bar is probably the only place for entertainment in this small town.

Meanwhile, their unfamiliar SUV attracted the attention of the people on the other side.

The gazes were all different, but what they had in common was scrutiny, surprise, and even some that she found utterly disgusting. The figures of those gazes reminded her of the two men in the coffee shop.

The focused gazes were like those of a hunter eyeing two rabbits. Jenny tensed up, looking at Steve with displeasure in her eyes.

Her frustration was about to explode; she shouldn't have agreed to come to this desolate place with Steve.

"Okay." Steve also felt that there seemed to be something wrong with these people. After understanding Jenny's meaning, he took a deep breath, pressed down the accelerator, and slowly drove away.

“The way those men, including those boys, looked at me was disgusting.” Jenny’s face darkened.

“Steve, I don’t like this place. Honestly, we can still go back now.”

Steve didn't answer, his heart pounding.

In fact, he sensed it too.

The gazes of the people at the bar entrance, whether adults or children, were unrestrained and unreasonable. Being surrounded by such gazes made them feel like two cute rabbits jumping into a cage.

But looking at the quiet town, a thought suddenly occurred to Steve: "Since we're already here..."

So, he blurted out, "We're almost there, Jenny. Really, trust me, you'll be very satisfied."

Upon hearing this, Jenny stared at Steve, pursed her lips, and finally let out a soft sigh before turning her head away from Steve's ingratiating smile.

Just like Steve said, if the destination doesn't work, then Steve won't get through this easily; she'll definitely be very angry.

Jenny didn't know how long they drove, but when the SUV reached a road lined with trees on both sides, clearly having left the town's boundaries, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. The atmosphere in that town was just too oppressive.

Steve's excited voice suddenly rang out: "Look, we just need to turn left and we'll be there."

Jenny subconsciously looked up and saw a small road appear on the left side of the highway, with a road sign standing at the intersection.

The SUV stopped, and Steve looked at the upright road sign, finally finding an outlet for his emotions:
"Fuck, we're finally here."

“Eden Lake, Slapton Hunting Grounds.” Jenny looked at the text below and said, “A fenced area?”

“They’re afraid of everyone here,” Steve said.

Jenny began to relax at this point. Hearing Steve's complaints, she forced a smile and nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Steve stepped on the gas and drove onto the side road, continuing deeper into the area. The environment began to change, with the trees on both sides growing taller and resembling a dense forest.

When they arrived at what looked like an abandoned construction site, Steve didn't forget to show it off to Jenny.

“This used to be a public park, look over there.”

Jenny nodded, indicating that she understood, and her expression finally softened.

My mood gradually improved as I started off-roading.

As the view opened up, Steve said, "We're here."

At this moment, Jenny opened her eyes wide and looked at everything in front of her, only then realizing why Steve insisted on coming to this place.

From a high vantage point, the vast lake, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, was absolutely breathtaking.

Because this was a sight she, a city dweller, had never seen before.

"That's great!" Jenny kissed Steve on the lips, trying to change the somber atmosphere.

Steve then smiled. Seeing that there was no road ahead, he had no choice but to park the car near the edge of the woods. He then took Jenny and carried the camping equipment down through the gaps in the dense forest.

As the two of them walked down the path carrying their bags, they discovered a boy of about twelve years old sitting in the woods, drawing. There was also a bicycle next to him.

The two exchanged a glance, and Steve asked curiously, "You came here alone by bicycle? Where are your parents?"

The boy didn't answer, or even look up; he just kept drawing in silence.

Steve shook his head.

"What are you drawing?" Jenny walked over and looked curiously at what the boy was drawing, but as soon as she saw it, her heart sank and a chill ran down her spine.

The drawing depicted a huge and gloomy hall.

At the center of the hall is a distorted six-pointed star pattern.

In the very center of the six-pointed star, a human figure is clearly visible, with its limbs outstretched, like a sacrificial lamb.

Surrounding the central offering were countless human figures in distorted poses, all raising their hands high with frenzied and bizarre movements, as if they were cheering or praying.

What terrified Jenny even more was that the lines of the six-pointed star and the area around the offering were covered with lively, licking shapes painted by the boy in deep red and orange crayons.

It's like a raging fire enveloping the human figure in the center.

Steve noticed Jenny's unusual behavior. He frowned and walked over, ready to see what kind of painting could make Jenny's expression so unpleasant.

But before he could get over, the boy seemed to sense something, abruptly folded the drawing paper, and quickly stuffed it into his pocket.

He looked up, his eyes staring straight at him and Jenny, devoid of any childlike innocence or curiosity, instead filled with an unsettling emptiness and scrutiny.

That wasn't just simple vigilance; it was more like a cold, inhuman scrutiny.

"You," Steve frowned, as if wanting to ask something.

But the boy got up, picked up the bicycle from the ground, and said something devoid of any emotion.

“My mom said, don’t talk to strangers.” After saying that, he pushed his bicycle past Steve and left silently.

“Okay, your mother is right.” Steve shrugged, watching the boy leave, then leaned closer to the pale-faced Jenny and said:

"Are you OK?"

Jenny suddenly realized what was happening, stared at Steve, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired all of a sudden."

She didn't want to talk about these things, lest it spoil Steve's good mood.

Steve couldn't tell what was going on. He reached out and took the backpack off Jenny's shoulder, apologizing, "You must be tired. Here, let me carry it."

"Ah."

Jenny nodded and silently followed behind Steve, but her mind was in turmoil.

At that moment, she finally realized what was happening.

That painting is a perfect depiction of a horrific scene of a cult's blood sacrifice.

Those people with their hands raised clearly resembled fanatical believers suffering from mass hysteria, and what they were doing was a cruel ritual of burning living people!
The more Jenny thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She didn't even realize that the environment in front of her had changed. But when she suddenly saw Steve stop and say something that felt like a shot of adrenaline, she belatedly looked up.

"Look, look what I see! It turns out their destination is the same as ours. If we had known, we would have gone with them."

"what?"

Jenny looked in the direction Steve pointed out and saw a motorhome parked on the opposite side of the wide lake, with two people busy working underneath it.

A look of surprise and astonishment appeared in her eyes.
(End of this chapter)