As rainwater seeped into his military boots, each squelching step he took echoed like a drumbeat in her heart.

Josephine Bennet had been silently confined in this place for half a month.

Lifting her dark eyes to the damp cave ceiling, she tuned into the sounds from outside.

Her cracked lips slowly curved into a smile - a rarity, given she hadn't seen sunlight in what felt like forever.

Someone had arrived! Someone she had been waiting for!

Instantly, her slender fingers tapped urgently against the cave wall.

The series of three long and three short taps - a Morse code distress signal.

Meanwhile, on the ground...

A rescue mission focused on women and children was nearing completion.

"Site cleared, no one left behind. Ruby Fox Squad requests withdrawal."

"Approved. Proceed with withdrawal," came the deep-voiced reply from a man with dark eyes, his gaze fixed on the sky.

He was dressed in black, clean and neat. With straight long legs clad in rain-soaked black trousers, the pant legs were tucked into military boots, tightly secured.

He exuded wildness, fierceness, and an unbelievably handsome appearance.

With hot blood running through his veins, Chester Ruiz withdrew his gaze from the night sky, preparing to retreat. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he took off his earphones.

Moments later...

Chester shone his flashlight and bent down to enter the cave.

The basement hatch was lifted, and rainwater poured in with the sound of the wind.

The place was small, only allowing one person to pass through. The air inside had poor ventilation, with a musty smell that made it uncomfortable.

There was no light inside. When the flashlight shone, it revealed a little girl chained like a kitten... She was thin and frail, dressed in tattered clothes, and with disheveled hair. Her pale lips were tightly pressed together, and her eyes were captivating, intense, and challenging to understand or control.

Upon closer look, the girl's eyes, initially wild and intense, reveal a serene and pure beauty, resembling the clarity of crystal.

Due to the prolonged absence of light, her eyes experienced a momentary discomfort but quickly widened. Then, softening, she revealed a faint smile and spoke hoarsely, appearing very obedient, "Brother... Are you here to save me?"

Chester became silent...

A sudden throbbing pain surged in his heart as if it had been struck by a heavy object, causing immense discomfort.

How could such a little girl be treated like this?

He approached with the flashlight and tried to soften his voice as he asked, "Were you also kidnapped? What's your name?"

"Josephine Bennet..." the little girl murmured, her eyes alight with a desperate hope for survival. "Are you a policeman, brother?"

Chester replied, "No."

The spark in the little girl's eyes flickered but quickly reignited.

Clinging onto hope, she said, "But since you're here... could you save me and take me out of here?"

Chester noticed the glimmer in her eyes, a beacon symbolizing her will to live and her longing for freedom... and he was her beacon, her only chance at escaping this place.

"I will."

Chester pushed aside the dull ache in his heart and responded with certainty.

He reached out and gripped the iron chain around her waist. "I don't have the key to unlock it... but I do have a gun. You're brave, aren't you, Josephine? I'm going to use the gun to break the chain. So, don't be scared, okay?"

The little girl obediently nodded. "Okay, I'm not scared."

"Good girl, Josie," Chester praised.

Disregarding her grubby appearance, he gently cradled her dirt-streaked head in his arms and covered her ears with one hand.

Bang!

A gunshot echoed, and the iron chain shattered.

Chester removed the chain from her waist.

Josephine, now free but unsteady, collapsed into his arms and whispered, "Brother, I'm too weak..."