“Will you come with us?” Willow asked him. “We’ll talk after we’re off the ship.” All the team members disembarked the ship, followed by Jasper, who held Willow’s hand as he led her along with the rest. For the time being, the ship had become the bodyguards’ battleground, used to chase away the approaching pirate ship.
At the same time, a meeting was being held on the pirate ship, led by a middle-aged man with a scarred face. He had received intel that an archeology team’s vessel had headed their way, and the resources they carried onboard were extremely ample and worth making plunder for.
“We haven’t been making any money for a long time. Everyone, get your spirits up. We’ll be hitting the jackpot soon!” “Boss, that ship might even be carrying some artifacts. If we sell any of them, it’ll be enough money for us to spend for months.”
“We just don’t know what kind of men are on the ship and whether they’ll make things easy for us.” “We’ll start attacking once we get close. We have to take this ship down today. We might even get something out of it.” “It’s been a long time since we had any fun. We can thoroughly enjoy ourselves tonight.”
The ship’s crew consisted of fugitives and criminals from around the world, each harsh and ruthless. Without any means to enter the private ocean, they could only make a living by ransacking passing ships. Hence, their eyes lit up with greed at the prospect of a wealthy vessel.
Now that they discovered the ship was filled with abundant ancient artifacts, it was as if someone had left a pile of irresistible gold coins before them.
Meanwhile, Jasper headed to Winston once they were on the island and instructed, “Take all of the team members and hide in the cave. where the ancient tomb is. I’ll stay here and protect the island.”
“Should I leave some male team members behind to help you?” Winston hurriedly offered, afraid to leave Jasper all by himself. “No need for that. I can handle this.” Jasper refused because he did not need any companions. To him, they would only get in his way.
“In that case, Commissioner Wyatt, take care of yourself. Contact us if you need any help,” Winston conceded. He could tell that Jasper was not just any ordinary man.
Next to them, Willow had been eavesdropping on their conversation and immediately approached him once Winston left. “Jasper, you have to come with us.”
“I must stay behind to stop the pirates from getting on the island,” Jasper insisted firmly.
“But…”
His gaze turned strict and sharp. “Willow, listen to me.” Taken aback by his serious demeanor, she found her eyes welling up with tears. She bit her red lip, knowing there were times when she could be willful and moments she had to be obedient. If she did not listen to him now, it would only bring him trouble.
The sight of her teary eyes sent a pang of pain to Jasper’s heart, but he could not afford to succumb to his emotions at a time like this. Protecting the island also meant that he would protect the safety of everyone on the team.
Now, Willow was not the only one he had to protect, as her team members needed to be looked after as well. After all, she would feel guilty if anything were to happen to them, and he did not wish for such a thing to occur. At that moment, Winston walked over and began to persuade her, “Willow, we should head up now!”
“Miss Presgrave, allow me to protect you for the time being!” Johanna joined in as well. Suddenly, Willow pounced forward and pulled Jasper into an embrace, without any regard for the onlookers behind them. Tightening her grip around him, she said, “Tomorrow morning, I want to see you safe and sound.”
“Okay,” he replied in a low voice. It was only after hearing the reply that she released him and reluctantly followed Winston up the island, with Johanna trailing behind them, in charge of providing close protection by Willow’s side.
As they were familiar with the paths on the island, their journey up the mountain was swift. However, with every step she took, Willow glanced behind her, gradually losing sight of the direction Jasper was in. She pressed forward with a tightly wound nerve.
Just then, an explosion sounded from the bottom of the mountain where the shore was, followed by an exchange of gunfire that reverberated in the air.
“They’re fighting!” a few of their team members yelped uncontrollably. “Everyone, hurry up!” Winston roared, determined to ensure the safety of his team members.
