Chapter 32
1219 Words
"How could this happen?" Zoe looked at the empty cave in disbelief. "Why would Quinn do something like this?"
"She's just as rotten as Leo. There's nothing they wouldn't do," Mandy said angrily.
My face was grim, and I clenched my fist tightly. "It's my fault for being kind. I shouldn’t have let her come back!"
Stella snapped out of her anger and, remembering that she had pleaded for Quinn before, felt deeply ashamed. "I trusted Quinn blindly. I'm sorry, everyone." Stella's eyes were red as she bit her lip and apologized to everyone.
I didn't expect Stella, who was always proud, to apologize. I couldn't bring myself to reproach her. Instead, I patted her shoulder and comforted her softly, "Now is not the time for self-blame."
After the initial shock and pain, my mind was filled with questions. The more I thought about it, the weirder it got.
We had a lot of supplies in our cave. Just the preserved meat alone weighed at least 200 to 400 pounds. How could Quinn, a woman, have the strength to move all of it?
Moreover, the preserved meat would eventually run out. Quinn didn't have great survival skills, and she wasn't stupid. How could she survive alone on this desolate island after betraying us?
Winter was coming. How could she make it through alone? She knew we were trying to build a raft to leave the island. Wasn't she looking forward to that? What was she thinking?
"This is very strange. There might be others on this island." I shook my head and shared my thoughts with the disheartened group.
"Could Quinn have been coerced?" Zoe asked, frowning in confusion.
"No," Mandy shook her head. "Thinking back, Quinn was acting very suspiciously these past few days. She was often dazed and went out frequently for walks alone."
"I thought she was just in a bad mood, but now it seems she was secretly meeting someone," Mandy's words confirmed Quinn's guilt.
"She was useless in the camp, but we still treated her so well. I can't believe she's such an ingrate!" Eva said angrily.
Although Eva had joined us last, she had shared hardships with us and contributed to our accumulated supplies.
Everyone was extremely angry, especially Stella and me.
I considered myself quite sentimental. Even though Quinn and I could never reconcile, I never treated her poorly in the cave. As long as she did her part, she never went without food or drink. Quinn not only failed to appreciate it but also stabbed us in the back!
This woman had betrayed me before. I thought my generosity might change her, but now it seemed I was too naive!
'This woman stole all our supplies! Winter is approaching. We’re doomed!' I took a deep breath, my heart filled with hatred for Quinn.
'Next time I see her, I'll send her to hell with Leo!' The thought startled me. Ever since I pushed Leo off the cliff, I had become much more indifferent to human life.
'But this is what she deserves! I won't go soft again!'
"Did Quinn run away with someone? Maybe the indigenous people on the island?" Zoe, thinking of something, spoke fearfully. She had heard many terrifying tales about indigenous people, like cannibals.
I comforted her by stroking her smooth hair and said, "Don't worry too much. We don't know who Quinn collaborated with, but they can't be stronger than us. Otherwise, they would have just robbed us directly. Let's search around and see if we can find any traces of them." Seeing the group's low spirits, I quickly gave them tasks to lift their morale.
The loss of our supplies was a huge blow. I was very worried about everyone's mental state. Being stranded on a deserted island, sometimes our greatest enemy was ourselves.
Seeing me remain calm, everyone pulled themselves together a bit and started searching around the cave. We found some footprints and small pieces of meat in the grass. Following these traces northwest for about 2,000 feet, the trail grew fainter.
Luckily, I was familiar with the surrounding terrain from hunting. I remembered that the area to the west had a pine forest suitable for human habitation.
"This matter won't be settled just like this. We must get back what was stolen, and we must avenge this betrayal!" I said coldly.
"In the coming days, I'll hunt in that direction and search along the way. I don't believe I can't find them!" I clenched my gun tightly.
"When you catch Quinn, let me deal with her! I want to teach that b*tch a lesson!" Seeing that we couldn't find Quinn immediately, Mandy put her hands on her hips and shouted angrily.
Eva quickly chimed in, "Me too! I want to thrash her!"
Although Eva and Mandy had always been at odds, at this moment, they found a common ground. They held hands and chatted happily, their newfound camaraderie making them forget their previous conflicts.
By now, it was dark. We were exhausted and starving after a whole day's work, and with our food stolen, our spirits were even lower.
"Let's go pick some vegetables. We can't starve." Zoe forced a smile and pulled Mandy to the cave entrance.
I quickly set down the metal plates I was holding. "Let's all go together. Now that they know where we live, it's safer for us to stick together."
The girls agreed quickly. Knowing dangerous people were lurking, everyone was worried.
We went into the forest and split up to work.
Some picked fruits, while others dug vegetables.
I patrolled the area, hoping to get lucky and catch some prey for meat.
"Zack!" Stella's scream pierced the night.
I immediately looked in her direction and saw Stella staring into the forest, terrified.
In the darkness, several pairs of glowing green eyes stared back at us, sending chills down my spine.
"Wolves! Wolves are coming! Help!" Stella screamed in fear.
I nearly choked in frustration. 'What is she screaming for? Does she want to die sooner?'
The wolves, hearing Stella's scream, crouched low and advanced towards her. Stella, never having seen such a sight, was paralyzed with fear.
Without thinking, I rushed over and scooped Stella into my arms, carrying her to a nearby cave I had found earlier while hunting. I clamped my hand over her mouth, fearing she might scream again and attract the wolves. I had a gun and could handle the wolves, but I couldn't guarantee Stella's safety in a fight.
The wolves reached the spot where Stella had screamed, which was only about 100 feet from our hiding place. Holding my breath, I lay on the ground with Stella, trying to stay hidden. Stella huddled in my arms, too scared to make a sound.
Fortunately, the wolves circled the area and then ran off. Only when the smell of the beasts was completely gone did I finally relax.
"Stella!" I growled through gritted teeth.
Stella, snapping out of her fear, glared at me with teary eyes. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" I laughed angrily, grabbing her waist and pulling her onto my lap.
"Zack! What are you doing?" Stella struggled, but her strength was nothing to me.
I raised my hand and smacked her butt hard. "That's for screaming!"
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