Chapter 724 - 13: Everything Is Ready but the East Wind (Part 2)

Chapter 724: Chapter 13: Everything Is Ready but the East Wind (Part 2)

There was one more point.

How could a long-haul driver so accurately select suitable targets?

Shen Xin considered the possibilities. Either the driver happened upon lone women on the road whose cars had broken down and needed help, or he spotted them by chance at service stations or in towns he passed through and then began to stalk them.

The first scenario was plausible for one or two incidents.

But for it to happen more than a dozen times over a decade, to find a suitable target every single time... he would have to be impossibly lucky.

As for the second scenario, he would have to cast a wide net and approach many women, which would inevitably draw attention.

That’s why Shen Xin eventually concluded that the possibility of a long-haul driver committing random murders during his routes was low.

He leaned more toward a suspect with a fixed residence who selected a target, stalked them, and then struck at the right time and place.

So that raised the question: how did he select suitable female targets?

Perhaps he picked them from places that serviced outdoor enthusiasts.

For example, someone there for a hike, or a tourist enjoying the scenery alone.

The victims might have left their information at one of these facilities, allowing the killer to identify them as lone travelers and wait for an opportunity to strike.

Shen Xin carefully explained his thoughts to York.

York nodded slightly. He thought it was a promising lead and quickly called Griffin, both to explain the situation and to ask him to arrange for people to look into it.

They would start with the victims, checking to see if they were into outdoor activities or tourism, and whether they had ever visited the Grand Teton area.

It would likely be difficult to confirm for victims from many years ago, but for the more recent ones, various social media platforms could aid the analysis.

In fact, a quick thought brought to mind two victims who were likely tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.

After all, people who drive through the Great Basin region are usually doing so for tourism.

However, this was all just speculation. For now, following the Wolf King was the priority.

After another stretch, the Wolf King crossed Highway 191 and, just as expected, headed for the Bridge-Teton National Forest.

Rolling hills stretched into the distance, covered in dense vegetation.

The helicopter skimmed the treetops, and from it, they could see the Wolf King racing through the mountain forest.

It ran for another seven or eight kilometers before reaching a valley.

Including the distance it had already covered, it had run for forty to fifty kilometers.

A stream flowed through the valley, a vista of magnificent natural scenery.

The Wolf King leaped onto a rock by the stream. It stopped, raised its head, tilted back its neck, and let out a long howl.

Shen Xin understood. ’This is the place.’ He quickly asked if the helicopter could land.

A small helicopter has less stringent requirements for takeoff and landing. It circled for a moment, found a clearing, and managed to set down.

Everyone hurried over. The Wolf King was still in the same spot. When Shen Xin drew near, it let out two low calls.

Shen Xin figured it meant they had arrived. The wolf-dog frequented this area, but as for where it was right now, the Wolf King didn’t know. Shen Xin would have to find it himself.

Lin Wei, who had come with them, said softly, "Shen Xin, this area has probably been searched already, right?"

Shen Xin nodded.

The area around Yellowstone National Park was all within the search perimeter.

But the Ravens were flying high above; they might have missed it by chance. Or perhaps the wolf-dog had a den and was inside a cave at the time.

"Good job."

Shen Xin first praised the Wolf King.

As a reward, he pulled a vacuum-sealed packet of raw beef from his bag, sliced it open, and tossed it in front of the Wolf King.

It glanced at the meat, unimpressed, its gaze turning cold and severe.

Its look seemed to say, ’You think I care about your handouts?’

The next moment, it leaped off the rock, turned, and vanished into the forest.

’So proud.’

’What a waste of good beef. If you weren’t going to eat it, you could have at least said so.’

But just as he had that thought, the Wolf King abruptly reappeared from the forest.

It strode right up to the beef and began to tear into it with gusto.

It even shot Shen Xin a sidelong glance.

Its gaze seemed to say, ’I ran all this way. I’ve earned this piece of meat from you.’

Shen Xin paid it no mind, instead focusing on how to find the wolf-dog.

The location was supposedly confirmed, meaning the Wolf King had likely seen the target here.

The problem was, he didn’t know *when* the Wolf King had seen it.

What if it was a long time ago?

In that case, the wolf-dog could be long gone.

So when York suggested organizing a search party, Shen Xin objected.

It would be a waste of manpower, and they were unlikely to find anything anyway.

This was a mountain range stretching for hundreds of kilometers. How many people would it take to search it even once?

So they had to rely on animals again.

Before, they were searching an area of over 200,000 square kilometers—a true needle in a haystack.

But now that they knew the approximate location, searching the entire Wyoming Mountain Range didn’t seem so daunting.

"And another thing—if we conduct a large-scale search, won’t we risk alerting the killer?"

"Furthermore, if we alert the killer before we find the wolf-dog and lock onto our target, won’t he destroy the evidence, making it impossible for you to convict him later?"

Getting a conviction in the United States wasn’t easy.

So just finding the man wasn’t enough; they had to find a way to send him to the electric chair.

Coincidentally, the four states where the crimes occurred all retained the death penalty.

"That’s right." York nodded in agreement. Finding the wolf-dog was just the beginning. For a case that spanned so many years, he couldn’t accept any outcome other than sending the killer to the electric chair.

With that decided, the group prepared to leave by helicopter to arrange the new search plan.

As they were boarding the helicopter, Shen Xin saw the Wolf King finishing its beef. On a sudden whim, he called out to it.

He pointed toward the helicopter.

He asked if it wanted a ride back, which would save it the trouble of running several dozen kilometers.

It was just a casual offer.

To his surprise, it actually understood him. After a moment’s hesitation, it followed.

Shen Xin himself was stunned for a moment.

’I didn’t really think about it, just a polite gesture. It’s a long run back, after all.’

He never expected the Wolf King to take him up on it so readily.

And now, they had to somehow stuff a gray wolf into the already cramped small helicopter.

A ferocious-looking gray wolf, no less, its muzzle still stained with blood from the beef.

Shen Xin instantly regretted it.

But he had already made the offer. And since the Wolf King had already jumped into the cabin on its own, it felt wrong to go back on his word.

Blake, a rather strapping fellow, was so scared he offered to walk back instead.

If something went wrong with that thing in the cramped cabin, there’d be nowhere to run. They’d probably all be wiped out.

Lin Wei shot Shen Xin a reproachful look, as if to say, ’Why did you have to be so polite?’

Even the pilot looked at Shen Xin, seemingly at a loss for words.

Steeling himself, Shen Xin gestured to the Wolf King again, signaling for it to get out.

"You’d better run back on your own after all."

Shen Xin waved his hand dismissively. ’You should get going. If you’re back late, your mate and pups will worry.’

The Wolf King glanced at Shen Xin.

In that moment, even without a favorability rating system, Shen Xin could clearly feel the Wolf King’s emotion.

’You have GOT to be kidding me!’

Making things worse, after everyone was aboard the helicopter, the wolf didn’t leave. It just stood there, staring, which made Shen Xin feel so awkward that he hurriedly signaled the pilot to take off.

「It was afternoon by the time they rendezvoused with the main team.」

The plan had completely changed.

Philips and his team packed up shop and relocated here.

To avoid exposure, they chose a small town called Bundilant, east of the Wyoming Mountain Range, and set up their base of operations at a borrowed farm.

It was far from Jackson Town, but the straight-line distance to the spot the Wolf King had led them to was just a little over twenty kilometers.

The location was very close; the Ravens could fly over to begin their search in minutes.

They rested that afternoon and formulated a search plan.

The next morning, as planned, the winged assets—the Ravens—and the Tian Kui teams were all dispatched. They began their search from the valley, fanning outwards.

The entire operation was directed remotely, with no personnel on site, to avoid alerting the killer.

The aerial search was straightforward. However, considering the high risk posed by numerous wild animals on the ground, they reorganized the Tian Kui teams.

They were divided into twenty groups of five dogs each.

With five dogs moving together, they could watch each other’s backs if they ran into danger.

At the same time, support forces were also put on standby. A special operations team was brought in to prepare for any unexpected situations.

For instance, if they unexpectedly found the killer, they could move in for an arrest at a moment’s notice.

Helicopters were also kept on standby, ready to provide immediate air support if the K-9 units encountered any danger.

They were afraid of the dogs getting injured.

By now, York, Griffin, and their team treasured these animals more and more; they couldn’t bear to suffer any losses.

The next morning, all the animals set out in a great, teeming mass.

Everything was in place. All they needed now was a lucky break.