Chapter 526
“But Mom, I promise that whenever you miss us, I’ll set up a video call for you p>
Given the current circumstances, the only option was to stall.
Even though she knew she couldn’t stall forever, Camilla had no other choice.
The call that had everyone on edge finally ended. Tanner let out a long sigh of relief and turned to Camilla. “Camilla, did you ask Dr. Magee again? Is there really no other way?
“A year is just too long. I can see your mom has lost a lot of weight, and she looks so pale. I p>
“Dad, we all want you to get better as quickly as possible. If there were another way, Dr. Magee wouldn’t keep it a secret.
“Your only job right now is to focus on resting. Stop worrying about everything else.
“The faster you recover, the sooner you’ll see Mom. Don’t you know that by now?” Camilla said.
Tanner finally yielded.
Camilla reminded him to get some rest, and everyone quietly exited the room.
Dahlia had originally come to the hospital to visit Magee, so seeing that Camilla had everything under control, she took her leave.
In the starkly quiet corridor, Carol spoke up. “Camilla, I’ll be heading back to Cabinda soon. I’ll make sure to visit Elise often.
“If anything comes up on your end, you must call me. Don’t worry about being a bother.
“Also, Mahoney asked me to tell you that your intel was incredibly helpful. They investigated the remote fishing village, and Barnard’s group was indeed spotted nearby.
“The police are following the trail. I’m sure they’ll be caught soon, so you don’t have to live in fear anymore p>
“I’m glad the tip helped. Barnard has completely lost his humanity. Let’s hope he’s brought to justice quickly,” Camilla sighed.
Meanwhile, on a remote, isolated island.
The air was thick with the salty, fishy stench of the sea.
Barnard and the other two were crammed into a run-down shack. Their clothes were soaking wet, as if they had just been fished out of the water.
The moment Barnard realized things were going south, he transferred all his liquid assets into an offshore account, keeping only a small amount of cash on hand.
They had hired a fisherman’s boat from the coastal village, but halfway through the journey, Barnard led Davina and Laura to jump ship into the ocean.
He had taken professional swimming lessons in the past, so losing his legs didn’t hinder his swimming ability.
Laura had taken plenty of swimming classes with her socialite friends, and while Davina hadn’t received formal training, she had grown up swimming in rivers, so she could hold her own.
This entire escape route and their current predicament were perfectly orchestrated by Barnard.
Jumping ship midway was the ultimate way to sever their trail.
As for this remote island, Barnard had thoroughly scouted it back when he was sourcing live test subjects for Clement.
The power grid here was unstable, resulting in frequent blackouts.
The only people left on the island were the elderly, the weak, and the disabled. They were barely literate and didn’t know how to use smartphones. No one here would recognize him, making it a perfect temporary hideout.
Once the heat died down, he would alter his appearance and find a boat to the main port.
The plan had gone off without a hitch. Even the shack they were staying in belonged to a former test subject Barnard had snatched.
It was located in the most secluded part of the island. The original owner was an old widower with no children. After he was quietly dragged away to be a test subject, the house was left completely abandoned. No one ever came around.
Of course, their arrival couldn’t be hidden from everyone on the island. Barnard had quickly spun a tragic sob story.
He claimed his business had gone bankrupt, his house was mortgaged, and he had lost everything. With debt collectors breathing down his neck, he decided to try his luck at sea, only for their boat to capsize. He said they barely escaped with their lives.
The simple-minded villagers didn’t suspect a thing. A kind woman even brought them some freshly baked bread.
Even their short-term food supply was sorted.
All that was left of Barnard’s plan was to find an opportunity to head to the port. Surviving such an ordeal should have been a cause for celebration, but Davina’s endless complaints quickly soured the mood.
From the moment they stepped into the run-down shack, Davina’s mouth hadn’t stopped moving.
“How can a place this rundown even exist? It’s worse than my hometown! Barnard, are we really sleeping here tonight p>
“Don’t we have money? Why don’t we find a nicer house? Or at least rent one!
“There are bugs everywhere, and the wind is freezing! How is anyone supposed to live in this p>
“And this food! This isn’t fit for human consumption!
“Barnard, didn’t you say I’d live in luxury if I followed you? I lived better than this before I met you!
“Are we really going to spend the rest of our lives hiding like rats p>
The complaints flowed endlessly, giving Barnard a splitting headache.