The morning sun rose higher from the horizon, transforming from a salted duck egg yolk to a blazing white.
Jack stood by the window, overlooking the forest from the high vantage point of the wooden lookout tower, feeling a sense of admiration. The structure was quite sturdy, with only slight creaking noises throughout the night.
One of his athletic skills had leveled up again, now reaching the proficiency level. It seemed that some skill upgrades had hidden conditions, including the number of 'heads.'
After using mouthwash to clean his mouth, Jack casually ate something and leaned against the window, quietly waiting for the agreed time to arrive.
Jessie was still sound asleep, her sweet smile in her dreams a testament to the effectiveness of her relaxation method, although it was quite taxing on the waist.
Suddenly, a slight vibration startled Jack. He instinctively pulled out his phone and, to his surprise, it had a signal. Moments later, a call from David Rossi came through.
"Hey, Jack, how was your night?"
Rossi's familiar, slightly Italian-accented voice came through, sounding as if he was greeting an old friend.
"Not bad, except for the annoying mosquitoes. How did you manage to get me a signal in this godforsaken place?" Jack was puzzled.
"There's a Rainbow drone equipped with a base station flying at 3,000 meters above you. It's a Celis model; I borrowed it from the USDA. Seems to be working well, the signal is very clear."
Well, the Americans are quite resourceful, Jack thought, momentarily unsure of what to say.
At this moment, Jessie woke up from the conversation, sitting up on the floor, looking a bit groggy. Seeing Jack on the phone, she seemed confused, not yet understanding what was happening.
Jack pointed to the mouthwash and breakfast beside her, indicating she could help herself.
"I'm currently on a plane to Albuquerque. The drone's launch point is quite far, so it can only hover above you for half an hour. Let's make this quick. Describe your situation there."
Rossi's tone was unhurried, despite his words suggesting urgency.
Jack first recounted Jessie's and her friends' experiences from the previous day, then focused on the interrogation of Sam Eugene.
Rossi remained silent throughout, the old man though experienced, had never heard of such horrific events. The only sound on the line was Jack's continuous narration.
"The ogre settlement, including the old and young, has about fifty to sixty people. At least half of them are skilled in hunting in the mountains. Along with the eight members of the Eugene family gathered in the mountain villa, I suggest you bring some strong reinforcements."
After relaying all the information, including the existence of the small gold mine, Jack made his suggestion.
"I think I underestimated your combat abilities. You even dare to take a girl and hunt those 'Wendigos'?" Rossi couldn't help but exclaim, finding it hard to believe.
"It's not as dangerous as you think. Strictly speaking, these ogres are disabled people with various physiological defects. Apart from the initial visual impact, they're not too difficult to deal with. But to capture them all, we need a solid plan."
By now, Jessie had finished her breakfast and walked over to Jack, silently wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest, listening to his conversation with Rossi.
Rossi sighed, "This is a bit troublesome. I need to report directly to the director. After I land, I'll coordinate with the USFSLEI (United States Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations, also known as Forest Police) agents for action."
He paused, then continued, "But don't worry about reinforcements. The Navy has a DEVGRU team originally scheduled for routine mountain training in the Rio Grande National Forest. They're currently on a Black Hawk helicopter heading to meet you. We'll plan further actions after I report to the higher-ups."
Jack thought he misheard, "The Navy's what? DEVGRU? Since when can the FBI mobilize SEAL Team Six? Aren't they usually only deployed overseas?"
Rossi's tone carried a hint of irritation at being underestimated, "The FBI has always had a good relationship with the military. While our Behavioral Analysis Unit doesn't interact much with them, I have many old friends in the International Division."
Feeling reassured, Jack solidified his resolve to follow Rossi. However, considering the notorious reputation of American soldiers, he felt a bit uneasy and thought it best to clarify some things in advance.
"Uh, Rossi, there's something I need to clarify."
"What is it? We don't have much time left. The Black Hawk will arrive in about 20 minutes. You'll need to provide signal indicators and a landing spot."
Rossi sounded tired, and Jack could almost picture him rubbing his temples in frustration.
"The signal indicators and landing spot aren't a problem. But about the gold mine, will it bring me any trouble?"
Jack bluntly expressed his concern. Even SEAL Team Six had been involved in civilian massacres in the past, and he didn't want to be killed for gold.
Rossi paused, seemingly not having considered this angle, "There shouldn't be any problems. The team leader, Master Sergeant Jason Hayes, is a good man. He has a cousin, Seeley Booth, who works in our FBI's Major Crimes Division. I've mentioned him before, the one handling Dr. Brennan's case."
Inwardly, Jack quipped that these cousins must look like twins. Hearing that the team leader was named Jason, he felt reassured. If the SEALs coming were as righteous as the ones in the show "SEAL Team," he had nothing to worry about.
"Then I have no problems. I'll light a wooden cabin as a signal in 20 minutes. There's enough space for the Black Hawk to land."
"But they mustn't be late. The ogres' mine is less than 20 miles from here. Once the smoke rises, they'll see it too. If the SEALs are late, they'll only be collecting our corpses."
Jack could handle a sneak attack, but facing dozens of opponents head-on with just a rifle was a job for Rambo.
"Okay, leave it to me. I'll coordinate everything. Stay safe and wait for further instructions after meeting the SEALs. Looks like I have a lot of calls to make."
After hanging up, Jack met Jessie's bright eyes.
"Your phone should still have some battery left. The signal will last a few more minutes. Do you want to call your family?"
Jessie shook her head, "They don't know I'm out here. Let's wait until everything is over. I don't want them to worry."
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