Soon, they arrived at a wooded area near a beach. Nixon spotted a flicker of light from a cave not far away. So, he immediately shielded Shirley and whispered, “Miss Lloyd, there’s someone in that cave. I’ll scout the area up ahead.” He immediately turned around to get a visual on her. Yet, Shirley was gone.
She had already moved ahead.
“Hey! Miss Lloyd, be careful.” Nixon waved, and his men swiftly followed.
Shirley was extremely anxious at this moment. She could tell that something was wrong on this island as time passed. All her devices were malfunctioning. Why would someone go through all this effort just to jam the signals within this island? Just what clandestine agenda were they plotting?
Her mind already had an inkling of what the answer was.
They wanted to deal with someone. Someone of significant status-Zacharias.
She trod the difficult path ahead effortlessly. Although the terrain was challenging, her movements were swift and agile. It was as if she was a ghost gliding through all her obstacles. When her companions saw that, they had to acknowledge that the child personally trained by their leader truly possessed exceptional skills.
Sure enough, Shirley was soon near the cave. She crouched beside a rock while peering through a pair of binoculars, intending to observe the situation from a safe distance. Suddenly, someone emerged from the cave. She couldn’t see the person’s face clearly. Still, she could recognize the person from his silhouette.
It was Roy.
Her heart surged with excitement and joy. She turned to Nixon. “That should be where Zacharias is hiding, Mr. Nixon. I’m going there now, and you can join me in a bit.”
“Miss Lloyd…” Nixon hadn’t even finished his sentence when Shirley rushed to the cave.
“Lord! It’s tiring to keep an eye on kids.” Nixon sighed as he signaled for his four men to follow.
Shirley swiftly arrived near the cave entrance. At this moment, she knew that she could not afford to enter rashly as it could spark a misunderstanding. Since the situation was dire, Zacharias’ men had no way of differentiating allies apart from enemies. Thus, she had to move cautiously to prevent a needless conflict from sparking.
She threw a stone to knock against the wall. Soon, a figure carefully emerged from the cave to inspect the noise. Shirley recognized him as one of Roy’s men. So, she immediately seized his gun, covered his mouth, and dragged him into the shadows.
“I’m Shirley Lloyd,” she whispered into his ear.
The man dropped his guard upon hearing her name and turned to confirm her identity. He was pleasantly surprised. “Miss Lloyd, what are you doing here?”
“Where’s Mr. Flintstone?”
“He’s inside.”
“Is he injured?” Shirley’s heart clenched.
“Mr. Flintstone isn’t injured, but Roy is. We’ve also lost two men before we managed to retreat here.”
Shirley called out, “Mr. Nixon, come out! They are Zacharias’ men.”
After that, she made her way briskly into the cave. She had only taken a few steps into the cave when she found a group of people either sitting or standing. Meanwhile, Zacharias was leaning against the wall. His suit was undone, and his tie was missing. She took a good look at him and soon saw that his dark hair was also slightly disheveled. Nevertheless, his authoritative presence remained undiminished.
He spotted the girl rushing in and was unsure whether to be glad or concerned. He was overjoyed that she brought reinforcement with her but worried as he would rather that she not be here in the first place.
“Miss Lloyd, you’re here!” Roy exclaimed as he felt his tense nerves relax slightly. Even Freddie breathed a sigh of relief; reinforcements had finally arrived to their aid. Shirley’s gaze was fixed on Zacharias. Although she hadn’t spoken, it was clear that she was checking whether he had sustained any injuries.
Zacharias’ tall figure moved past his men before grabbing hold of Shirley and pulling her toward a side cave. She was led several meters inside and pushed against the wall. His voice was firm, as if he was issuing a command, saying sternly, “Return to where you came from. Stop meddling. It’s dangerous out here.”
Since Shirley had already begged her father to bring her here, she wouldn’t leave without at least dragging Zacharias back with her. So, she pushed his hand away and arched her eyebrows. “Mr. Zacharias, the only identity that matters the moment I stepped into this cave is being your bodyguard. I’m here to ensure your safety and do my job.”
Zacharias’ eyebrows furrowed, and his voice was hoarse. “Listen to me. It’s dangerous here. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Do you think that I could possibly live a peaceful life if you’re hurt or, worse, killed?” She raised her chin, and her eyes were shining bright. “Or do you think that I can marry someone else after losing you?”
