Chapter 184
William Cooper was jolted awake by a sudden brake. Rubbing his eyes, he realized the vehicle had stopped.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
The relentless barking of dogs echoed from all directions, sending chills down his spine. William sat up straight and peered through the window to see over a dozen massive wolves circling the vehicle, their muscular frames towering over a grown man.
"Everyone out! We're here!"
The door was yanked open by a burly man with a menacing scowl. The passengers groggily grabbed their belongings and filed out. William followed behind Ethan Li, shivering as the cold wind hit him the moment he stepped outside.
Under the pale moonlight, William finally saw where they had been taken—a desolate stretch of land at the foot of a mountain. A dozen thugs armed with iron rods stood guard, while the wolves, though chained, strained violently against their restraints, making the metal links clatter.
"Where... where is this?" someone muttered under their breath.
William scanned the surroundings. There was no construction site in sight—only the dark silhouette of the mountain and the faint outline of a mine entrance in the distance. His stomach dropped as the realization hit him.
"I thought we were going to a construction site. Why are we at a mine?" a bold young man demanded.
The tattooed, bald leader smirked, rhythmically tapping an iron rod against his palm. "That's right. You're here to work. Room and board included, 200 a month—50 more than a construction site!"
The crowd stirred uneasily. William's heart pounded—this didn’t look like any legitimate job offer.
"Don’t panic," said a man called Brother Harold, stepping forward with a reassuring smile. "The work here is tough, but the pay’s good. Besides, work is work, right?"
His words calmed some, but William noticed the cold, calculating glint in the guards' eyes.
They were herded into a large stone shed. The moment the iron door slammed shut, the sound of a lock clicking into place followed. Moonlight filtered through a small window in the roof, revealing moldy straw scattered across the floor and a few disheveled miners huddled in the corners.
"William, something ain’t right," Ethan whispered nervously.
William didn’t respond. His eyes fixed on the heavy lock on the door, his dread deepening. This wasn’t employment—it was imprisonment.
Before dawn, banging erupted outside.
"Get up! Time to work!"
The miners lined up to receive helmets and headlamps. When it was William’s turn, Brother Harold suddenly stopped him. "You’re not going underground. Report to the kitchen."
Envious glances shot his way. William bowed his head in thanks, but his unease only grew.
"Brother Harold, is he family?" someone asked.
"Reminds me of my son. Couldn’t bear to send him down there," Harold exhaled a cloud of smoke. "With his build, he wouldn’t last a week in the mines."
As William was led toward the kitchen, he overheard Harold’s sigh behind him: "These days, who isn’t forced into something…?"
The mine entrance yawned like a monstrous maw, swallowing the line of workers. William glanced back, a chill running through him. A terrible certainty settled in his gut—he might never leave this mountain alive.