Police in Los Angeles

After starting the diesel generator on the first floor, not only did the room on the fourth floor regain wireless signal, but they also had access to clean water. There was a deep well next to the building, and once it was powered, clean underground water was continuously pumped into the water tank. Although they could only take a simple cold shower, it was enough to lift everyone's spirits.

"I've never missed the sunshine and beaches of California so much," Jack sighed as he walked out of the bathroom. He took a clean T-shirt handed to him by Jie Jie, ready to put it on, but she hugged him tightly instead. Neither spoke as he gently stroked her back, feeling the dampness on his chest. Jack knew what she was afraid of.

"Don't worry, everything will be over soon. The nightmare will end," he reassured her. As he felt her emotions stabilize, he released her from the embrace. It wasn't that he didn't understand how to be gentle or that he was trying to act serious; they simply didn't have time to spare. Both of them were incredibly busy.

Jie Jie had become the leader among the women in their small group. Not only did the two female college students look up to her, but the wives of the other couples had also gathered around her. The men were busy clearing buildings and constructing simple defenses, like blocking the windows on the first and second floors with wooden boards found in the mine. The women were responsible for washing clothes and had started a fire on the ground floor to dry them. They also assigned two women to help care for the four rescued girls.

Through Jie's patient communication, a girl named Nadine finally opened up. She was the oldest among them, at fifteen, and knew some basic English. She had been held captive for two years. The other girls had been there for no more than six months. Some of the previous captives had died from disease, some had taken their own lives, unable to bear the torment, and others had died from hemorrhage after miscarriages, like the body that had been carried downstairs.

Nadine had survived because she came from a relatively progressive merchant family. Her parents not only sent her to a girls' school but also bought her cosmetics, teaching her to groom herself from a young age. Before each video shoot, Nadine would become the "makeup artist" for the other girls. Although this skill hadn't spared her from being abused, compared to the other girls, at least the beasts used protection when assaulting her.

Jack was busy seeking external assistance. With the network signal restored, Captain Torrance contacted the airline. However, as he had expected, the Philippine government directly refused the airline's request, insisting that unless the U.S. government sent troops to help eliminate illegal armed forces on the island, their soldiers would not risk their lives.

Jack had previously contacted the BAU team, who were already aware of the plane crash. They were overjoyed to hear that he and Jie Jie were safe. Rossi had no intention of investigating the case further and was currently contacting various connections to rescue their two agents as quickly as possible.

Hannah had nearly lost her mind. Jack had a hard time calming her down, persuading her not to fly to Manila immediately but to seek help from Taylor Kelly. Using public pressure was the best option they could think of, and it was also a win-win situation, as the media would not pass up the chance to cover such a sensational story.

While Hannah contacted Taylor Kelly, Jack continued to organize. One of the two female college students, a pretty blonde named Bri Terry, who was fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged, was a minor internet celebrity. A tearful, pitifully beautiful girl and the heroic Captain Torrance, who saved everyone, were perfect elements for a sensational news story.

Soon, a live online broadcast featuring the crash survivors and Los Angeles Channel 8 News went live. The whole world saw a beautiful young woman, tearfully recounting how she and the passengers had narrowly escaped death, how the pilots had successfully landed the plane with calm and composure, and how brutal the local armed groups were, describing the dangerous situation they were in.

Before nightfall, the plane crash news had spread like wildfire, becoming a top story on social and news media. Not long before dark, the airline sent word that a five-man PMC team would parachute onto the island the following morning, bringing communication equipment and some supplies. Though a small PMC team wouldn't be enough to rescue everyone, further support was being arranged, reportedly to be handled directly by the military.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, although the airline executive's face in the video looked as if he'd eaten something unpleasant; no one cared—they had achieved their goal. As they say, the darkest hour is just before dawn, and similarly, the night before the rescue would be the most dangerous.

Despite some obfuscation, the outside world couldn't analyze their exact location from the video. Even their IP address had been masked by Garcia. However, there was always the risk that someone familiar with the island might guess they were hiding in the abandoned mine.

After dark, everyone quickly ate a little food and turned off the noisy generator. All their phones were fully charged, but except for a few rooms with completely blocked windows, all other areas were to remain dark. The women gathered on the fourth floor, the safest place, where there were some mosquito nets for a relatively comfortable night's sleep. The men, in pairs, took turns keeping watch.

Jack, bitten by mosquitoes, couldn't sleep and went to the roof to relieve Gaspare. The tropical rainforest at night was eerie and terrifying, with strange cries occasionally heard from the distance, from unknown creatures. The night sky was beautiful, though, with no full moon but many stars, just the kind of unpolluted night view loved by those nostalgic for a simpler time.

Jack leaned against the water tower on the roof, idly swatting mosquitoes that tried to feast on him. Soon, the ground around him was littered with the corpses of various insects. Suddenly, he sensed movement and turned to see Jie Jie climbing up the ladder to the roof.

"Why are you up so early? There's still a few hours until dawn," Jack asked.

"Everyone was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as it got dark. I don't sleep much usually, so I woke up early," Jie Jie replied, fumbling to pull a small bottle of repellent from her pocket and handing it to Jack before sitting down beside him. After shifting around to find a comfortable position, she eventually settled into his arms, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Jack thought to himself, "Is she trying to PUA me now?" There wasn't much repellent left in the bottle, so Jack decided to use it all on himself and the girl in his arms. This way, they wouldn't be disturbed by insects for a while.

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