Natasha quickly realized that Jack was a novice. He even fumbled awkwardly while packing up his climbing rope. Being the helpful person she was, Natasha offered a few tips. As they chatted amiably, Natasha's younger sister successfully completed her climb and curiously joined their conversation.
Compared to Natasha, who seemed to be in her early twenties, Talia looked no older than eighteen. She had a few freckles on her face and seemed more innocent in character. The sisters were similarly built, both wearing tight sports vests, one in red and the other in yellow, which highlighted their long legs and slender waists.
As the sun began to set, Jack finished packing his things, bid the two Russian girls goodbye, and returned to the campsite, which was already dotted with numerous tents.
Jack stuffed his climbing gear into his Firebird sports car, put on his jacket, and started assembling his tent by following the instructions. Not having been a Boy Scout, he had no camping experience. Thankfully, this place was quite a popular tourist spot with decent internet. He quickly made a video call to Hannah for some online assistance.
By dusk, he finally managed to set up his sleeping arrangements. Jack used a folding shovel to dig a shallow trench around the tent and sprinkled sulfur powder in it to repel snakes and insects.
While he could keep a straight face in the morgue surrounded by decomposed bodies, the thought of Hannah's scary story about waking up with a cold, slimy snake in his sleeping bag made his skin crawl. After all, not everyone has the peculiar tastes of Xu Xian from the legend.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the desert temperature began to drop, Jack lit his alcohol stove. He pulled out two steaks from his cooler, ready to prepare dinner.
Although he wasn't particular about many things, when it came to food, he had become more like Chris. The Angus steaks from Texas were expertly aged and marinated, promising an excellent taste.
"Privet (a familiar Russian greeting for 'hello'), nice to see you again, Jack."
Jack had already sensed someone approaching as he sat on his waterproof mat, focused on cooking his steaks. He turned his head and smiled politely at the sound of the two Russian sisters' voices.
The sunset painted the western sky in hues of orange and pink. From Jack's perspective, the two stunning Russian girls were illuminated in the twilight, their long, smooth legs looking even more striking.
"Where are your companions?" Jack asked, glancing toward their dark red GMC-SIERRA pickup truck. Its robust appearance, paired with the two long-legged beauties and the stunning sunset behind them, looked like a scene straight out of a car commercial.
Talia, visibly upset, spat out, "Suka blyat, they tried to..."
"Shut up, Talia, no swearing!" Natasha interrupted her sister, then turned to Jack and explained in a calmer tone, "We had a bit of a conflict. We kicked them out."
Jack had noticed the unusual composition of their climbing team earlier, which included three men with diverse backgrounds—two Koreans and an Indian. When Natasha approached him for a chat, he sensed the unfriendly gazes from the three men and subtly revealed his identity to her.
"Why were you even with such people?" Jack probed.
Talia, with a guileless expression, vented her frustration. The general story was that the three men were from the same climbing club as them and had been hitting on them for a while. After their exams, the sisters decided to visit the renowned Hidden Valley for rock climbing. Concerned about the safety of two single women camping in the wild, they agreed to let the three men join them. But it turned out to be a mistake, as the men were more trouble than help.
Jack couldn't help but shake his head. Only Russian girls would be so nonchalant about this. Any other Asian girls would probably have been wary of the two Koreans and the Indian. EMMM, except for some with very particular tastes.
He pointed to his Firebird. "That's my car. Move your pickup over here and set up your tent nearby. You won't have any trouble."
Natasha nodded and went to move their vehicle while Talia circled Jack's Firebird, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Are all LA cops this rich?" she asked, then bombarded Jack with questions about car modifications. Jack was surprised by her knowledge. However, given the 100K truck they drove, they did seem like wealthy and idle rich kids.
Jack handed Talia a stainless steel plate with a steak, and she eagerly took a bite, her eyes closing in bliss.
Seeing that she devoured the steak quickly, Jack guessed she was pretty hungry. He pulled out two more steaks from his cooler. After all, they would be passing through Phoenix the next day and could restock then.
Natasha called Talia over to help set up their tent. Jack realized he wouldn't be much help with that and told them to join him for food once they were done.
The sisters were evidently proficient at this. By the time Jack finished cooking the steaks, their tent was already up.
Trouble came just as the three of them were enjoying their meal and chatting casually. Jack noticed a disturbance around them and stood up, turning to see the two Koreans and the Indian guy advancing with baseball bats and crowbars.
Other campers nearby also began to look over, obviously intrigued. Two pretty Russian girls naturally drew attention, and with Jack's Firebird and the striking red GMC-SIERRA, their spot had already attracted curious glances.
As Jack stood up suddenly, Natasha followed his gaze and saw the approaching men. Her face changed, and she set down her plate, calling out to her sister.
"Talia!"
Before Jack could step in, the two Russian girls ran to their pickup, pulled out a gun case, and revealed a pink AKM inside.
Holy crap, did you pull that from PUBG? Jack thought, his eye twitching slightly.
The approaching trio, blocked by the pickup's angle, hadn't seen this and assumed the girls were scared and trying to hide in their truck.
These Russian girls sure lived up to their reputation for being fierce.
Jack hurriedly intervened as they prepared to load the magazine. "Leave it to me. You'll get into serious trouble if you use that."
The sisters exchanged a hesitant glance. Even though they knew Jack claimed to be an LAPD officer and had seen his defined muscles, without the boost from a dark blue uniform, Jack—with his shy dimples—looked more like Clark Kent from an old TV show, someone who could easily be bullied.
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