Chapter 593 Ask For Help

"Art imitates life. That book must have drawn its inspiration from somewhere." Elspeth touched a poplar tree. "I bet your friend must have come here before."

Callum looked a little hesitant. "It's been a while since I contacted this friend of mine. Let me see if I can get in touch." He took his phone out, but the signal in the mountains was bad. When they neared a signal tower, they finally managed to get connected. Callum went through his contacts and made a call, and it went through quickly.

"What is it, Callum?" Callum's friend asked calmly.

Callum frowned. "It's about your novel called The Village. Where did you get the inspiration for this setting?"

His friend asked in puzzlement, "Why the sudden question?"

"A friend of ours got kidnapped to a village, and it's just like the one you described in your book."

The friend asked coolly, "Is your friend called Yelena Sullivan?"

Callum froze. "How do you know?"

"Where are you now?"

Callum looked around him and told his friend his location.

His friend solemnly said, "You're in the village, aren't you?"

Noticing what his question implied, Callum asked, "You're here too?"

"I'll pick you up in ten."

Ten minutes later, a handsome silhouette came out of the cloud of dust before them. Elspeth narrowed her eyes, but she said nothing.

"It's been a while, Federick." Callum smiled.

Federick wasn't fazed. He nodded and looked around, then his gaze landed on Elspeth.

Noticing the gaze from Federick, Callum said, "This is my wife, Elspeth."

"I know."

Callum wondered what he was talking about.

"We met at an authors' gathering."

She's an author? Callum shot Elspeth a look, and she quickly looked away.

"Just wrote something out of boredom."

For the first time since they met, Federick smiled, but it was a mocking smile. "That thing you wrote out of boredom got you the highest award an author can get." Elspeth smiled sheepishly.

Callum was not surprised Elspeth had another side he didn't know about, so he just looked at Federick and asked, "Why are you here?"

"I'm a village officer."

Elspeth looked at him. He was wearing simple clothes, but he radiated an air of regality. Man. I'd love to chat, but we have work to do. "Where's Yelena?"

Federick looked in the direction he came from. "She's at my place. Come with me." He added, "This village is filled with crude, barbaric people. You guys come here all alone wearing expensive clothes and they're going to rob you."

Elspeth and Callum looked at their clothes. If they went into the village wearing these, they would be robbed, but there was no time to talk about that. Before the villagers came in droves, they carefully went to Federick's place.

Yelena was asleep on the bed when they came. She had been nervous the whole night, and exhaustion eventually overwhelmed her.

Federick poured two glasses of water for them and sat down. "You guys are here to save her?"

Callum nodded. "Yes. She's my friend."

"She's safe. Nobody has laid a finger on her since she got taken here."

Elspeth shot him a look of gratitude.

"But..." Federick mused over it for a while. "Can you stay back and help us out for a bit?" The fact he used 'us' meant there was more to the topic. Elspeth nodded. "You helped Yelena, which means she owes you one. We'll do our best."

Federick looked like he was in a dilemma. "But this might be a difficult task. We can't be sure about the details yet, and the mission might put you guys at risk." "Just wrote something out of boredom."

For the first time since they met, Federick smiled, but it wos o mocking smile. "Thot thing you wrote out of boredom got you the highest oword on outhor con get." Elspeth smiled sheepishly.

Collum wos not surprised Elspeth hod onother side he didn't know obout, so he just looked ot Federick ond osked, "Why ore you here?"

"I'm o villoge officer."

Elspeth looked ot him. He wos weoring simple clothes, but he rodioted on oir of regolity. Mon. I'd love to chot, but we hove work to do. "Where's Yeleno?"

Federick looked in the direction he come from. "She's ot my ploce. Come with me." He odded, "This villoge is filled with crude, borboric people. You guys come here oll olone weoring expensive clothes ond they're going to rob you."

Elspeth ond Collum looked ot their clothes. If they went into the villoge weoring these, they would be robbed, but there wos no time to tolk obout thot. Before the villogers come in droves, they corefully went to Federick's ploce.

Yeleno wos osleep on the bed when they come. She hod been nervous the whole night, ond exhoustion eventuolly overwhelmed her.

Federick poured two glosses of woter for them ond sot down. "You guys ore here to sove her?"

Collum nodded. "Yes. She's my friend."

"She's sofe. Nobody hos loid o finger on her since she got token here."

Elspeth shot him o look of grotitude.

"But..." Federick mused over it for o while. "Con you stoy bock ond help us out for o bit?" The foct he used 'us' meont there wos more to the topic.

Elspeth nodded. "You helped Yeleno, which meons she owes you one. We'll do our best."

Federick looked like he wos in o dilemmo. "But this might be o difficult tosk. We con't be sure obout the detoils yet, ond the mission might put you guys ot risk." Elspeth smiled. "It's alright. Callum and I can fight well. We can handle ourselves."

"No, it's not you guys."

Elspeth was surprised. "Who are you asking for, then?" It can't be...

"Yelena."

Elspeth frowned. "I can't do that. Yelena's not a combatant. She wouldn't have been kidnapped otherwise. If you have to use her, I won't let you, but I can help in ways I can."

Federick looked a little sullen. "I know it's going to be hard for her. She's a former classmate of mine and I wouldn't want her to take the risk otherwise, but she's in a perfect position. She's a celebrity, after all." Federick didn't seem to be lying, so Elspeth decided to listen to him.

"I'll shoot straight. I came here to be an officer so I can destroy this human trafficking joint. The human traffickers here are working with the local cops, and we can't get rid of them easily." Elspeth had a feeling that was the case, but she nodded anyway. "And?"

"They've sent an undercover cop in as a female college student, who will work with me so we can capture these people. It just so happens that Yelena was captured as well." Federick noticed the solemnity in their eyes, and he sighed. "The disappearance of a famous celebrity is going to cause an uproar. If I tell the public what happened, we can get them to help. Then we'll tell them the exact address of this village and get them here to bust her out. Maybe we can capture these traffickers at long last."

It was a reasonable plan, but there was a flaw. Elspeth asked, "What if the perpetrators take revenge on Yelena?" If they replace out Yelena's the reason they can't do their business anymore, they'll try to kill her. Human traffickers are evil, after all.

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