?Chapter 1613:


    Brenna unzipped her own bag, checking the inventory with practiced eyes. Everything she’d ordered was there. With a sharp nod, she shed George a quick “OK” sign and then signaled Gary.


    Gary tossed the bag he had been holding to George.


    The bag was heavy with cash—their payment, as promised.


    George zipped it open and grinned. “Brenna, I’ll be waiting here for you. Give me a call if anything goes sideways. This jungle is no joke—animals, snakes, insects, and the air’s thick with poison in some ces. Keep your guard up. I prepared some gas masks for you in case you need them.”


    He then handed Brenna arge backpack and a big box.


    Gary hitched the new bag over his shoulder. Inside the box were the drones Brenna had requested before.


    Past that point, roads vanished. The trees grew too thick for vehicles. Everything ahead had to be crossed on foot.


    Before they started, Brenna made sure everyone was wearing their bulletproof vests. Any extrayer of protection meant a better shot at making it out alive.


    Every weapon—des and firearms alike—was slung within arm’s reach, never buried at the bottom of a pack.


    After a final check, the group set off into the woods.


    Taylor’s squad used Brenna’s hand-drawn map to split up, with half pressing forward to scout and the others guarding their rear.


    The southern stretch of Norview’s jungle stayed dense and green no matter the season, its floor scattered with tall grass and the asional animal skeleton. Not long into their trek, they came across newly dead bodies—some were adventurers dressed for a hike, but most wore the gear of mercenaries or private security.


    “If the bodies are this fresh, we’re on the right track,” Brenna said as she walked beside Thiago, her eyes scanning the ground. With each step, the body count rose. By the end of the first night, they’d tallied more than twenty—all killed within thest day or two.


    Worry creased Brenna’s forehead. Seeing so many different uniforms meant Ethan had enemies from various groups. She wondered how many of his people had survived.


    Thiago tried to ease her worry. “Don’t get too concerned. Ethan’s the toughest guy I know. If anyone can survive in here, it’s him.” He paused to study the corpses, noticing not all the deaths were from bullets. Snakebites had left ugly marks, and some bodies looked chewed by crocs near the streams.


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    The jungle offered up death in every form.


    Gary’s voice broke the uneasy silence. “Stay alert. Don’t let your guard down for a second.”


    Felix said, “Step carefully. Don’t touch anything thorny, and if you don’t recognize a nt, stay away. Some of these are deadly just from a scratch.”


    Taylor was a bit displeased. “This is more dangerous than I expected,” he growled to his crew. “Keep your eyes open. This ce is crawling with trouble.”


    Though mercenary work wasn’t new to them, most of Taylor’s men preferred security jobs in the city. Jungle operations were rare and never easy. Infrared goggles were…


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