Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

"You seem pretty sure of yourself, Mister Andrei. We'll see who's going to be in trouble."

Pearl glanced sideways, and suddenly, about twelve strong-looking men in black appeared. "Grab them," she commanded.

The men rushed toward Andrei at her command.

Andrei, caught off guard by Pearl's backup, turned pale. "Where did these guys come from?"

"I left a trail on purpose. They've been tracking us for a few days, and now they've found us," Pearl said with a smirk. "Now it's your turn to face the music." Aside from looking much stronger, the men outnumbered Andrei's group, causing Andrei to plead, "This is all a big misunderstanding. I just came here to see you off." Esther burst out laughing.

"You're a terrible liar." Pearl raised her brows. "If you were really just seeing me off, you'd act like it."

Frantically, Andrei pulled out some hundred-dollar bills. "Will this cover it? It's all I have." Although it hurt him to part with the money, he thought it was worth it to save his skin.

Pearl instructed her men to take the money and then tossed it to the ground. "Who do you think you're trying to bribe? Money isn't what I want."

Andrei's heart ached to see his money thrown away like that.

Pearl then pointed at the mountains. "I want you to free all the people you've abducted."

Andrei felt trapped. "But they've

already been given to others. If we take them back, the villagers will be furious!" He shrugged, acting as though his hands were tied. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"If you can't do this, you shouldn't be the chief."

One of the men threatened Andrei with a knife.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it," Andrei said, hanging his head in defeat.

"Good. Esther, take Finnegan to the hospital, and I'll go with Richard to free the captives," Pearl decided.

"Got it," Esther replied, though she looked worried. "Just be careful."

After Esther left with Finnegan, Pearl and Richard headed back with Andrei in tow.

Along the way, Andrei kept looking around nervously, as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Pearl, sensing he was up to something, told Richard to keep an eye on him.

Many women had been forced to

stay with the villagers. Those who

were

want to leave, so Pearl offered them money.

nder or had children didn't

However, some villagers refused to let their women go, arguing they had paid for them.

"You can take her away over my

dead body," one man declared, lying down in protest. Knowing he was no match for Pearl's men, he resorted to this passive resistance,

"If you say so." Pearl took out a knife and threw it to the ground.