Chapter 723 - 13: Everything Is Ready but the East Wind

Chapter 723: Chapter 13: Everything Is Ready but the East Wind

York came up and asked what this meant.

Shen Xin suppressed his excitement. "Brigitte, I think it might know about the wolfhound we’re looking for."

’It’s not certain yet. After all, I couldn’t hear its thoughts, and there wasn’t even a favorability icon. It’s all just a guess. But judging by the Wolf King’s reaction, it’s as if it knows.’

"Fuck, are you sure?" York exclaimed, so excited he swore.

He had always firmly believed that finding this wolfhound would lead them to the killer.

And this was a killer the FBI had been hunting for a full seventeen years.

Just like any such cold case, seventeen years meant two generations of agents had come and gone, and many had been transferred to other departments.

Even he wasn’t the agent who had originally taken on the case.

Seeing his strong reaction, Shen Xin quickly told him to calm down, reminding him it was still just a guess.

"Whether it’s true or not, it’s better than having no hope at all. Besides, I have a strong gut feeling we’re about to find this guy," York said, shaking his head repeatedly.

He desperately wanted to know who this person was and just how many people had died at his hands.

For so many years, this question had tormented him, and he longed for an answer.

While he was still caught up in his excitement, Blake, gun in hand, had already started following wordlessly at a quick pace.

Right then, a few people were left behind to watch the "hostages."

Shen Xin’s group of four immediately set out on foot to follow the Wolf King.

The path was difficult, making it impossible to drive.

The Wolf King headed generally to the west.

The group followed it for about two kilometers before they couldn’t go on.

This wasn’t like running on flat ground. They sank in with every step, the terrain was complex, and it was draining their stamina too quickly.

York was getting older and couldn’t quite keep up. Without a word, he pulled out a satellite phone to call for a helicopter.

At a time like this, who cared about the expense?

They gritted their teeth and followed for a bit longer until the helicopter arrived with a ROAR.

The Wolf King wasn’t afraid. The powerful gusts whipped its fur about, but it just narrowed its eyes, coldly watching Shen Xin and the others board the helicopter.

Once the helicopter was airborne, it took off again, bolting forward at a full sprint.

This time, it went all out.

Before, it had been matching their pace, starting and stopping, but now it was finally running freely.

This area was a transition zone between grassland and forest.

The terrain was mostly rolling hills. The Wolf King moved with an agile grace and had incredible stamina, easily covering more than ten kilometers.

It crossed the southern part of Highway 191, heading diagonally toward the Southwest.

Ten-odd kilometers was still within its normal range of activity.

"Shen, I have a theory."

On the helicopter, York held a tablet, zooming in on the map to show Shen Xin.

"From our current direction, we’re heading Southwest, almost parallel to the southern part of Highway 191. Over there is the Bridger-Teton National Forest."

This whole area is a protected national forest. It’s sparsely populated, with a pristine ecosystem, and it’s part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—the southernmost part of it.

"Look to the north."

He pointed north on the map.

The southern section of Highway 191 veers north and passes through an important town, Jackson.

It’s a major hub for tourists visiting Grand Teton National Park.

"This whole region is a paradise for outdoor sports."

York circled the area north of Jackson Town with his hand and continued, "There’s skiing, wildlife viewing, and hiking—especially hiking."

"You might not know this, but there’s a trail here called the Teton Peak Trail. It’s a household name in the American outdoor community."

The trail runs from south to north, crossing forests, lakes, grasslands, and glaciers. The scenery is incredible, and it was named the best trail of all time by *Backpacker* magazine.

"At the same time, look south of Jackson. See this mountain range? It’s called the Wyoming Mountain Range, and its highest point is Wyoming Peak, at an elevation of 3,470 meters."

"There are multiple peaks over three thousand meters high here, making it a target for climbing enthusiasts."

"Likewise, there are also hiking trails that follow the mountain range, several of them. So that got me thinking."

"If the killer isn’t keeping this killer hound with him and wants to hide it, the Bridger-Teton National Forest is an excellent choice. With its high mountains and dense forests, no one would notice one animal."

"However, the killer needs to train it and feed it, so I don’t think the distance between them would be too great."

He drew a rough line on the map. From Jackson Town, it was nearly twenty kilometers to the edge of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Farther south lay the Wyoming Mountain Range, stretching for hundreds of kilometers.

"Shen Xin, do you see what I’m getting at?" York asked.

Shen Xin did understand. "You’re saying the killer is likely in this area."

Shen Xin circled the entire region on the map.

He included Grand Teton and the Bridger area in his circle.

"And more specifically, a service worker in the tourism or outdoor industry in this region."

This region didn’t have many permanent residents; on the contrary, it had far more service personnel for outdoor sports facilities.

As he said this, another point suddenly occurred to Shen Xin that could support York’s theory.

"Brigitte, do you think it’s possible that because the killer is a service worker for an outdoor facility, he has a way to learn about the victims, or rather, to select his victims?"

The BAU’s psychological profile suggested the killer was very smart, possessed excellent social skills, and might even be married and employed.

This analysis didn’t really fit the profile of a long-haul truck driver killing randomly on the road.

Shen Xin had considered that if that were the case, the killer would have to keep the wolfhound in his truck. Over the course of more than a decade, someone at a service station along the long highways surely would have noticed something unusual about him.