At the southern base of Kindle Chest, no one could open it without sensors and the code, making it a useless treasure to outsiders, yet it was a civilization built with the blood, sweat, and tears of Australia. If they hadn't stumbled upon it, it would be one thing, but now that they had, Stella and Jasper were determined to secure it. Safety always comes first. They layered up with thermal clothing, strapped on bulletproof vests, and topped it with tattered jackets, smudging their faces to blend in.
As for their wolfish guile and dogged determination, well, some things just can't be hidden. It was a two to three-mile trek on foot. As they neared their target, caution painted their expressions. Snowflake was sly, circling with Cooper for a flank attack. Trusting this instinct, Stella had Jasper lead the animals on a detour while she and Rosie drew the attention head-on. Roles were set; places taken. Disguised as weary travelers, they trudged along sluggishly.
"Look, there seems to be a chest up ahead." They hurried over, Stella noting a scattering of footprints but nothing too unusual. Just as they approached, a man with a battered hat and a gun in hand burst from the side. "Hey, I found it first!"
He sounded fierce, but it was only a verbal threat; no shots fired. A foreigner, speaking English. Blond hair, a hawkish nose, a lean figure. Stella raised her hands, speaking in broken English, "Don't shoot, we mean no harm."
The man insisted, "I found it first; the chest is mine." No sooner had he spoken than Jasper knocked him down from behind with the butt of his gun. The man hit the ground with a thud, crying out in pain but not knocked out. Jasper picked up the man's empty gun. Now it was Stella's turn to aim at him, "You seem quite interested in this chest."
The man quickly raised his hands, his voice tinged with panic, "Don't kill me, we can split the reward." Stella was puzzled, "Reward?" At her confusion, the man explained, "I'm a bounty hunter, out here looking for the chest."
Stella's mind buzzed, "Who sent you to look for the chest?"
Could it be Ocean Point Naval Station? They were busy with land reclamation; did they even have time for this? And if they did, how would they transport it back over such a distance? "Griffith's offering a bounty, find the chest and get a load of food, or become a citizen of the base." Griffith? The trio was stunned. Stella lowered her weapon, taking a deep breath to calm herself, her voice softened, "Where's Griffith, and who's in charge?"
"We mean no harm." Seeing the man's confusion, she calmly explained, "We used to live in Griffith, Australia."
The man, regaining his bearings and rubbing his sore neck, said, "I don't know who leads Griffith, but it was established by the Australian military, about five hundred miles from here. It's mostly soldiers living there, and some regular survivors..."
Anyone who found a chest was rewarded with 300 pounds of dried fish cakes. Initially, outsiders tried their own luck at sea, but after falling ill and some deaths, they realized the factory's products were safe. Stella mused, "How many chests have the bounty hunters found?"
"Not many, maybe just over twenty in total. But we've been lucky; this is our second find." Rosie's eyes were wide with curiosity, "How on earth did they manage to get it all back?"
Kostas couldn't help but laugh through his exasperation, yet he was deeply impressed, "It's like a massive barn raising." Whenever a crate was located, Griffith would dispatch the troops, with the furthest being over a thousand kilometers away. Without half a year's commitment, there simply was no way to complete the round trip.
Rosie was astounded. The task that seemed so effortless for her sister-in-law to accomplish required an army and half a year for others. She reflected on her own journey over the past six months—whenever she felt tired, she could rest; whenever she was thirsty or hungry, a hot meal was at hand. In contrast, these soldiers had to shoulder the burden, marching through wind and rain across vast distances, sometimes even at the cost of their lives. If the military personnel had it this tough, what about the ordinary survivors?
Without thinking, Rosie's hand instinctively grasped Stella's, finding a touch that was delicate and warm, yet incredibly strong. After getting the full picture, Stella was ready to leave. "Aren't you afraid of others swooping in to plunder this place while you stand guard?" she asked.
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