There were no signs of human presence in this desolate and frightening space. Josephine’s heart kept beating faster. When she noticed the increasing number of snowmobiles on the roadside, her chest tightened, and tears started swirling in her eyes. She couldn’t calm down when her heart. was filled with fear, unease, and even hopelessness. Just then, Josephine heard someone asking right ahead. “Which car is Miss Jacobson in?”
Looking over, she saw a familiar face. Jacques had received a call from Donna who instructed him to take good care of Josephine. So, upon hearing that Josephine was in the rescue team, he approached the people to ask about her whereabouts.
“Jacques, Josephine greeted when she stepped out of the car. Jacques rushed up to her. ‘Miss Jacobson, you have finally arrived safely.” He looked at her with eyes that expressed comfort. “Please don’t be disheartened. We must have faith in Mr. Ethan.”
“Please take me to where it happened.” Josephine grabbed his arm, pleading. Jacques nodded and led Josephine toward the concealed site of the accident. All they could see there was snow piled up after the avalanche. It clearly wasn’t something humans alone could solve. Even if they wanted to dig, they had no idea how long it would take.
Humanity appeared minuscule in the face of nature. Josephine gazed at the endless expanse of snow before her, her heart growing colder by the second. She asked, “Where is the entrance?”
Jacques pointed to a general area. “The entrance is in this area. There was an exposed entrance nearly two kilometers long before the avalanche, but we can’t find the exact location of the entrance now.”
Suddenly swaying, Josephine fell on the snowy ground on her knees. The tears she had been holding in instantly broke free as she covered her face, desperately trying to control her sobs.
The accident she had imagined and the scene she witnessed were completely different. She thought the entrance was merely covered by snow and could be excavated. However, what she was seeing was utter hopelessness!
“Miss Jacobson….” Influenced by her sobs, Jacques also took off his glasses and wiped his moist eyes. He sensed Josephine’s despair. Everyone who came here shared the same. sentiment-desperation and helplessness. The rescue efforts seemed impossible.
“Please don’t be pessimistic, Miss Jacobson. We have opened up a new rescue passage that reaches the rescue area through the mine where the incident occurred. We are currently assessing the conditions inside, and once we confirm the feasibility of the rescue, we will immediately initiate it,” Jacques reassured her. A strong sense of hope appeared in Josephine’s teary eyes. She asked, filled with excitement, “Really?”
“Yes, there is still a great possibility for rescue. The reason Mr. Ethan went into the cave was to rescue our employees. Based on our investigation, there is a possibility of a route between the caves in the front and back mountains. So, let’s hold onto hope and wait! There will be good news.”
Josephine then followed Jacques to a tent, where she saw an elderly man exuding an aura of dignity standing in the middle. Jacques introduced him, “This is Mr. Edward Quarles who is overseeing the rescue operation.”
Now that Josephine was seeing Ethan’s father for the first time, she finally understood where the mixed-race genes in Ethan came from. The noble aura emanating from the older man was like that of a centuries-old aristocrat..
Although Edward was worried about his son’s safety, he remained composed as he attentively listened to the opinions of the rescue team members to make decisions.
Josephine soon arrived at the front of the mine where the dark atmosphere overwhelmed her as she stood there. For her to feel the chills down her spine even just by standing here, she couldn’t begin to imagine how helpless the people trapped inside would feel.
Ethan, you must live, Josephine prayed in her heart. The first rescue team descended into the mine early the next morning. After conducting a risk assessment, they decided to proceed with the rescue operation.
The shadow of death loomed within the cave. Miraculously, everyone in Ethan’s group survived the earthquake. Although some of them were injured by falling rocks, their wounds had been bandaged.
Ethan himself was fortunately unharmed. He actively encouraged his subordinates to find ways to save themselves because he knew how challenging the rescue would be from the outside.
“We’re going to die here, for sure. We can’t get out at all,” one distraught employee shrieked. Consumed by the fear of death for too long, he had already lost his sanity.
His words affected everyone in the cave, instantly shattering their already fragile morale. The will to survive was at an all-time low, and fear had completely wiped off any trace of hope from their faces.
Ethan approached and crouched down, supporting his distressed subordinate. With a determined gaze, he assured everyone, “Don’t worry. We will be rescued. The Quarles Family can gather the best rescue forces from around the world. All of us will make it out safely.”
These words were meant for both his subordinate and himself. Ethan didn’t want to die here, and he refused to abandon the hope of survival.
He had a lover and family waiting for him outside. At this moment, he was sure that his family had arrived on this snowy mountain. He hoped that his subordinates hadn’t told Josephine about this incident, at least not until he was out of there safely. He didn’t want her to worry.
Josephine, I will definitely make it out alive to see you, Ethan vowed. Even if he was on his last breath, and he had to crawl out of the cave, he would do everything in his power to see the light of day again.
