✔ Far Cry | JJK x OC

Chapter 61 // Crossroad

Leah was breathing heavily trying to keep up with Jungkook's pace. They weren't running, but their step was quick as they advanced through the thick of the jungle.

She could understand why he wanted to be swift — his friends would be running blindly and there was no telling what dangers they could encounter. From venomous animals or poisonous food to predators, including the cartel; anything could get to them first and ruin everything. The way he was breathing and advancing rapidly, careless if he broke a tree branch or stepped on a nest told her as much — desperation moved him because finding his friends was the core of everything.

The best case scenario was finding them before nightfall — before they had to stop and hide, try to find food or water, and possibly make a mistake. But as the sweat ran down her forehead, making her wipe it off her eyes, she doubted it would be that easy.

Even if they were going the right way, which was impossible to tell after the rain wiped off any tracks, the jungle, cartel or Rakyat could have gotten them at any point. Jungkook had no way to show the others what they looked like, all they had were names, and his friends wouldn't know to ask for him. They probably had no idea where he was, or if he was alive. They would just be blindly running, and that was a problem.

As it stood, finding them was worse than finding a needle in a haystack, as Lamar had said, because at least the needle would stay still. She knew why Jungkook needed to move, it was the only thing keeping him from breaking down. But the further they went blindly, the more she was convinced that it was probably not the best option. They needed a plan, she just didn't know what it was. And as long as she didn't, she didn't dare to tell him to stop.

She cursed mutely when her foot broke a tree branch, making birds fly away in reaction. Jungkook glanced at her, instantly noting she was fine and kept going. They had been going for hours. He was exhausted so he could only imagine how she felt, though she wasn't complaining. But he couldn't stop, even if it killed him. If he stopped, he would have to admit he failed. He would be defeated and ashamed, it just couldn't happen. He had to find them.

Suddenly the jungle opened in front of him into a road and he stopped harshly in his tracks, exposed. Leah pulled him back behind the jungle line by his backpack and he lost balance, falling clumsily on his butt. He glanced at her with in annoyance but she was already peeking between the foliage, safely hidden, so he got up and joined her.

There were walls atop the hill that screamed cartel presence. To top it off, they could hear the yells and noise coming from inside the town where houses stood tall with at least one or two floors behind the walls. And yet Leah couldn't see any people standing watch, which was pretty nonsensical.

"This must be Turani," Jungkook whispered.

She nodded, "They sound alarmed."

"They probably heard about the base attack."

"Then shouldn't they be protecting the place?"

"Maybe they're getting ready to retaliate," Jungkook mused with a low tone. His right hand twitched.

"Maybe," she agreed, thinking it still made little sense. "But if they're clever they'll just hold their position. It's a pretty defensible place—"

"We could take it."

"What?" She turned her wide eyes to him in her bafflement.

He faced her too, "We could take them. They're distracted, only two guys by the gate," he said, and she instantly turned to check again that indeed, two guys seemed distractedly smoking in between shouts to whoever was speaking to them from within the village. "No one on the balconies or rooftops," he continued. "We could go in and just..." Leah raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to finish. "Just..."