Everyone had seen the photo; the same kind of message had arrived for the "hookup guys" as well.
"You see? Told you there was nothing to worry about—they've gone off to find their happiness," Elikxil joked on the side, and the group finally began to relax.
Officer Brook walked them to the door. Just before they left, he casually asked, "Where are you all from?"
"California," Beth and the two pickup guys answered in unison.
So, they were all from the same place.
"That's quite a long way from home," Brook commented offhandedly.
But Owen couldn't help noticing the man's glance—it held something more, something faintly mocking.
Leaving the police station, the tension from earlier had completely lifted. The group laughed and joked with Elikxil on the way back to the inn. She said she'd take the girls to that beauty-enhancing hot spring soon.
But Owen pulled Monica aside, appearing like an affectionate couple stealing a moment together. In reality, he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Something's wrong. Lorna and the Icelandic guy—they're already dead."
Monica didn't seem surprised. Instead, she scanned her surroundings warily and answered just as quietly, "I know."
Owen blinked—so that's why she'd suddenly gone quiet earlier. She'd already realized something was off. It made sense—after all, she was SWAT. Maybe not a detective, but her instincts were far beyond the average person's.
"How'd you know?"
"Their bodies were wrong in the photo—too stiff."
Owen nodded. That had tipped him off too. In fact, any regular person could've noticed, but they hadn't paid enough attention—Elikxil had done a good job of diverting their focus.
"I suspect Elikxil, the inn, and the police are all in on it."
This time, Monica looked surprised—but only for a second. She quickly understood. After all, it had been Elikxil who suggested the hot spring in the first place, the inn she took them to, even the cop she introduced—everyone was somehow connected to her.
How could Elikxil not be involved?
But the more they thought about it, the scarier it became. If Owen's guess was right, then not just the cop and the inn—but everyone at that party, maybe even the whole town—was part of this.
It sounded unbelievable. But the more they considered it, the more the signs lined up.
Monica remembered the strange scene from last night's party—the way so many men had crowded around Beth, while the stunningly beautiful Elikxil had been oddly ignored. Not even a few words exchanged.
"Monica, Elikxil says she's taking us to the hot spring soon!"
Beth ran over, excited, wrapping her arms around Monica. Monica was about to warn her when Elikxil appeared too.
"Yes! First, we'll have a drink, then I'll take you all to the hot spring. The effect is so much better after a bit of wine…"
"That sounds amazing—I can't wait!" Whitney cheered from the side.
Elikxil stepped closer. With her so near, Monica couldn't warn Beth, so she simply said, "You go ahead. Owen and I need to grab something from the room. I'll come find you at the bar downstairs in a bit."
They split in the lobby. Owen and Monica returned to their room, while the others headed toward the downstairs bar.
Upstairs, Monica hesitated for a moment before calling Beth, wanting to come up with an excuse to get her away. But just as the call connected, it was Elikxil who answered.
"Hi Monica! Come down when you're ready—we're all waiting to go to the hot spring together."
"Okay, sure… Where's Beth?"
"She's changing into her swimsuit."
Monica hung up immediately. "They're in trouble."
Owen nodded. He'd been standing beside her the whole time. Beth wouldn't have left her phone behind, not even to change. If Elikxil had her phone, something was definitely wrong.
These people, whoever they were, clearly targeted foreign tourists. And by now, the others were almost certainly already in danger. That left just the two of them.
Owen led Monica out of their room, searching for a hiding spot. They quickly pried open a nearby empty room and left the door slightly ajar to observe the hallway.
Sure enough, moments later, three burly men walked down the corridor, heading straight for their room.
Finding it empty, the men began searching the surrounding area. Owen quietly closed the door, and Monica's phone started vibrating.
The caller ID said Beth—but they both knew it was Elikxil. Thankfully, Owen had insisted she set it to silent earlier, or the sound would have given them away.
The phone kept buzzing. The men were still patrolling the hall. Monica silently handed Owen a candleholder—the only object in the room that could be used as a weapon.
Luckily, the men eventually gave up and left, probably convinced the two were still somewhere inside the inn. Sweat drenched Owen's hand as he gripped the candleholder.
They weren't afraid of just three guys—either Owen or Monica could easily handle them. The real problem was that they didn't know how many enemies they were facing.
If Owen was right, and the whole town was involved—they had nowhere to run.
"What do we do now?" Monica whispered.
"We wait a little longer. Once they send people outside to search, we'll sneak to the front desk, grab our passports, and steal a car to get out of here…"
Owen didn't think the entire town was complicit. Most people probably just turned a blind eye. Controlling the minds of hundreds of townsfolk was nearly impossible.
Monica shook her head. "No—we have to save Beth and the others."
Owen suddenly grinned. He'd been thinking too narrowly. Monica wasn't like Amanda—she wasn't helpless. Monica was fully capable of protecting herself. He could stop holding back.
Back in Paris, he'd bottled up his rage. Saving Amanda had been the priority—he'd let the Albanian scum go.
This time, it was happening all over again. He didn't know exactly what they planned for Beth and the others, but it couldn't be anything good. He wasn't about to let them off the hook.
Owen pressed his ear to the door—silence. He'd expected them to send people outside when they didn't find them in the room. But now it seemed they were certain he and Monica were still in the building, and had begun searching each room one by one.
Taking advantage of the moment, Owen and Monica jumped from the hallway window to the exterior balcony, then leapt down to the ground outside.
They had no weapons—just a small folding knife. The enemy was many, and likely armed. Going back into the inn to retrieve their passports wasn't an option—yet.
They had just hidden behind a dirt wall outside when the side door opened. And who else stepped out—but Elikxil herself.
Around her neck hung a necklace—the same one that had once belonged to Beth.
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