Chapter 9 Entering the City (1)
Surrounding the village was a tall, sparse forest with some signs of burns. The charred remains of trees lay on the grass, some of which were covered with a layer of dark green ferns.
Irene's gaze passed over the tall pine tree covered with vines and fell on the limping boy.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was having difficulty following. Leo leaned sideways, his messy short golden hair was wet with cold sweat, and strands of it stuck to his forehead like a bunch of water grass.
But who could have thought that such a young man would actually shoot and kill John just now.
Until now, Irene is still impressed by what happened just now.
Before leaving, Leo suddenly turned around, aimed at John's forehead, and killed John without hesitation.
The speed was so fast that Irene didn't have time to react. She only saw the spurting white liquid and the exploded flesh and blood.
She was frozen, the impact of John's death in front of her far greater than Booker's.
What was even more terrifying was Leo, who grabbed her wrist with his fingers that still smelled of gunpowder and dragged her out of the attic as if nothing had happened - yes, her legs were so weak that she had to rely on the support of an injured person.
Leo treated her as if the person he had killed was not her nominal father.
He didn't seem to worry about her anger at all, but this was revenge for his father's murder.
Unless, there is no normal parental love in Leo's heart at all.
Perhaps in his view, the killing between father and son is not a big deal, just like an untamed beast that can devour the parents of its companions for nutrition.
He doesn't even care about his parents' blood relationship, so naturally he won't be bound by morality.
In Irene's impression, this kind of people have almost only been seen in movies and TV dramas - those extremely vicious criminals who kill people as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.
Irene shuddered unconsciously and swallowed. Her throat was so dry and painful from the tension, as if she had swallowed sand.
But the fact that Leo did not kill the black slaves who came to beat him except John also shows that he was not that bad. After all, the black slaves were just following orders, so he only killed John.
And he let her go twice.
If she really was the kind of thug who killed people without blinking an eye, she would have died long ago.
Irene shuddered unconsciously. Even if he had no intention of killing her now, there was no guarantee that he would suddenly pull out a gun and shoot her through like he did to John.
He seemed to notice her gaze, and somehow, he seemed to grit his teeth and took bigger steps.
If she hadn't sewed his wounds herself, given his walking speed, who would have thought that he had so many wounds on his legs that were deep enough to see the bone.
Or should I carry him on my back by force?
No, Irene rejected the idea immediately. What if he thought she was teasing him again? She would have to shoot him again.
She was tired of the thrilling experience of looking up and seeing a gun point at her.
Moreover, the two letters on the notebook that were so large that they almost covered the entire paper also highlighted the boy's opinion.
He absolutely did not want to be cared for like a weak patient.
I don’t know what kind of family can raise such a stubborn child.
Irene slowed down her pace and Leo followed her closely.
She glanced back.
The boy was limping more severely than when he ran out just now, and his dirty pants seemed to have become even darker from being soaked in blood.
Irene gritted her teeth. She had finally rescued him, and she couldn't just watch him ruin himself just for a little bit of dignity.
She looked around and, relying on her years of experience in the wild, she picked up a fairly straight branch and handed it to Leo.
"Use this as a crutch to save some effort. We are still some distance from the Flint River."
They would travel overnight, cross the Flint River to the next town, try to reach Mobile as early as possible, and buy the earliest boat ticket tomorrow and head straight to New Orleans.
Leo was not so stubborn now. Maybe he could accept using crutches more than being held by Irene.
He reached out to take the makeshift crutch and supported his body, but the dirt road was uneven, with potholes popping up from time to time, and the crutch would slip if he wasn't careful.
Irene saw clearly that Leo's fingers were turning white from gripping the crutch with such force that the tiny wooden spikes pierced into his already swollen and purple hands, leaving glaring red spots.
It seemed like he really didn't feel any pain.
Irene pursed her lips, feeling a little uncomfortable.
This is still a high school student.
She walked to Leo's side without saying a word, took advantage of his inconvenience in walking, held his arm tightly, and said in a muffled voice:
"This road is not good. There are mud pits everywhere. I heard there are small swamps. If you don't step carefully, you might fall into it. Let's walk together so that at least we can look after each other. If I fall into it, you can pull me up."
They said they were supporting each other, but the woman's intention was obviously to take care of him. She held up most of his body, so he didn't have to use any strength on his injured leg, and the pain was obviously reduced a lot.
Irene's face showed fatigue, but the arm she was holding on to was steady, supporting his body.
Accepting help is a once in a lifetime thing.
Leo was silent for a while, but in the end he said nothing.
"We have to leave quickly, otherwise we'll be finished if they finish cleaning up and find out we've run away," Irene muttered, exerting more force with her hands.
Indeed, they had to walk faster, and he could walk much faster with Irene supporting him than he could on his own.
Leo thought so in his heart. He clenched his hands on Irene's shoulders into fists and turned his chest awkwardly to the side, trying to avoid direct contact with Irene.
But no matter how hard he tried, the posture of the two of them walking together supporting each other would still inevitably lead to some touching.
The boy's neck and ears were covered in a large red area, his forehead was hot, and he was sweating all over.
He must have a fever, Leo thought dizzily.
"Miss--"
The girl's suppressed excitement sounded.
Leo's body swayed, he raised his eyelids and looked at Hannah with an unfriendly look.
Why is there another person here? He frowned tightly.
Hannah waited for Irene for a long time at the agreed place. She went from being extremely confident to being extremely anxious. She had even made up her mind that if she didn't see anyone, she would rush back to the manor.
The joyful expression on the girl's face froze when she saw Leo half-hugging and half-embracing Irene.
Especially since Irene's clothes were tattered and wrapped around her waist, and Leo's face was surprisingly red, both of them were panting and sweating profusely.
The young lady was obviously tired, but the man was unpredictable. Hannah rushed over aggressively and wrapped Irene in a piece of clothing, saying in a worried tone, "It's windy at night, what if the young lady catches a cold?"
As he said this, he pushed Leo away.
Irene was indeed freezing. Although Leo was thin, he was still a 17-year-old boy after all. His body alone was not light enough for her, not to mention that she had to support him as they walked such a long section of the mountain road. She was sweating and exposed to the wind, and she was shivering with cold.
She wrapped her clothes tightly, not even bothering to tighten the straps, "Get in the car first, let's go quickly. There's no smoke coming out of the manor, they will probably find out that we've run away."
Hannah was driving the carriage, and the two horses were running very fast. Irene huddled in the semi-enclosed compartment at the back, feeling her head buzzing from the wind.
This carriage was the one that pulled Leo here. It was a single-person carriage, and the cage was placed on it, fixed to the carriage by several ropes.
It didn't seem dangerous when she was outside, but now that she was sitting on it, Irene realized that Leo was really lucky.
The carriages of this era had no shock-absorbing measures, so the passengers could at least hold on to the handrails, but Leo in the cage could only rely on the kindness of the coachman.
If the carriage accidentally flew over a big bump, Leo would be in the cage and it would be like turning the boxes upside down, and at least half of his teeth would be knocked out.
He is so lucky to have survived unscathed.
However, they will be able to separate from Leo soon. When Irene thought about it, she almost danced with excitement.
I will never have a gun pointed at my head again!
Irene held onto the handrail, tilted her head in the strong wind, and asked Leo subtly, "After we cross the river, we'll reach Mobile in a little while. We'll take the water route to New Orleans tomorrow."
The voice stopped abruptly, and anyone who could understand what people were saying would have understood and continued: "Then we should just separate in Mobile."
Although Leo can't speak, he can write the same thing.
Irene looked at Leo expectantly.
The young man, however, acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He stood stiffly and stared straight ahead.
Is Irene inviting him to New Orleans?
My chest felt numb as if it had been scratched by a cat's tail.
Leo naturally thought that "we" meant him and Irene, and naturally ignored Hannah who was driving.
He nodded, ever so slightly but enough for Erin to see.
Irene:? What do you mean?
Are you sure her line is OK?
Before she could ask, a gust of evil wind roared up, choking Irene's mouth with dust and making her throat hurt, so she refused to say a word.
Forget it, it’s the same to talk about it when we get there. They have plenty of time anyway.
But the wind was really cold, but Hannah and Leo looked like they were used to it. Only she was shivering and huddled together - because the carriage was too narrow, she sat alone on the soft seat, while Leo sat on a low stool on the side, with their legs pressed together.
Damn it, she didn’t feel it this cold when she traveled to the United States in her previous life.
As expected, no matter what you do, it has to be original. She, an alien species, is almost frozen to death.
Irene sneezed angrily, hugged the package in her arms tightly, and unconsciously squeezed closer to Leo again.
Leo was really warm, even his exposed calves were hot.
As expected, she was still a child. She was also warm when Hannah first held her.
Damn it, she is only twenty-four years old!
This is the age when you can eat, drink and sleep for seventeen hours a night!
Leo heard her sneeze, and the boy pulled out a blanket from the inside of the car roof like a magic trick.
Irene's eyes lit up, and just as she was about to say thank you, he shook out the wool felt and wrapped it around her, then spread her legs and picked her up horizontally, letting her sit between his legs with her back against his chest.
Irene was so shocked that she didn't have time to question him.
Suddenly, everything went dark in front of my eyes - the shed on the top of the carriage suddenly collapsed, and a piece of something like a curtain fell down.
The wind was blocked, but the space inside the car became extremely small. Even if she sat on Leo's lap, the two of them had to stick close together to avoid touching the sunken roof.
Leo moved back again, trying to make more space for her. She was held in his arms like a child in a car. After she was seated firmly, Leo let go.
The two people were pressed together in a strange posture.
Irene was extremely embarrassed. After all, in her previous life, she had to rely on big data friendship push to appreciate handsome guys, and she had to rely on paid models in sketching classes to touch their muscles - the kind where she had to pay extra for touching them.
It's really awkward to sit in Leo's arms, otherwise let her hug him. Anyway, she is studying for a Ph.D. and he is in high school, and she is willing to be treated as an elder.
Irene wrapped herself in the blanket tightly and yawned as she thought about something else.
The carriage got on the bridge and finally stabilized. The woolen felt wrapped around her body gave off a warm feeling. Irene, who had not slept all night, swayed and finally fell asleep leaning against the carriage.
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