I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!-Chapter 217: What the Bandits Do Not Know?

The daughter of the bandit leader, Mei, would have had to be well-versed in the activities of the Hartwell family in order to carry out such a planned attack on them

To know Lucy’s schedule sufficiently to time the attack. To create a distractive attack on Nathan and the estate at the same time. To convey instructions on giving up attempts that had little chance of success.

She had used our own security systems against them with ruthless efficiency.

Alex was able to see the brilliance in the tactics. She attacked three targets at the same time to overwhelm their defensive forces.

The attacks against Nathan and Senior Hartwell were never going to be successful. They were well-guarded targets and were only bound to attract the attention of the security guards.

Meanwhile, her best attack effort focused on the most likely to succeed target, Lucy, protected by her sparse covering of three guards so even if something happens; there will be no reinforcements and the plan was a sure success.

The woman understood Lucy’s value to Alex, not merely as a member of the Hartwell family. This implied either prolonged observation of the target or inside information.

It was definitely the brain of a master tactician. Unfortunately, that brain belonged to my enemy.

"Boss," Jacob spoke slowly while choosing his words carefully, "I think I have some idea what you must be thinking right now. You can’t go in there by yourself. Clearly, this message is a trap tailored specifically for you. That would be suicidal."

"Of course, it is a trap," agreed Alex calmly as he reread her message. "She wants to isolate me so that she can either capture or eliminate me with the help of her guards and soldiers. But she made several key mistakes in pulling off her trap."

"What mistakes?" Jacob asked, not noticing any mistakes in the strategy that the enemy had.

Alex fixed his gaze on Jacob. "She believes I am a common person who might have gotten the best of her by chance, learning about her hideout. However, she does not really realize what I am truly able to accomplish." He took a deliberate pause. "Now, tell me, Jacob. Just how much do the bandits really know about me personally?"

This was a complex question, but Jacob thought carefully to get his answer right. "To tell you the truth, Boss, few people know much about you. The average person, as well as the outlaws, know only rumors. They know you were instrumental in Miss Evelyn’s identification of the location of the bandit’s cave. However, they do not know your identity, your history, or your skills."

"So Mei has limited intelligence," Alex pondered, analyzing what it all meant. "She knows I am connected to the family of McCoy. She knows their hidden lair in the mountains was found not long after my arrival in Ironhold. For anything beyond that, however, she knows nothing about my capabilities."

"That’s what I think, too, Boss. She’s already making strategic moves with less information about her real opponent."

Good. That ignorance gave him a big tactical advantage.

"What about Miss Evelyn?" Alex asked, changing the subject. "Has she been told about the kidnapping?"

"Yes," Dick replied from where he stood. "The Hartwell family has gotten in touch with her right after the attack. She has also been busy organizing search parties consisting of local militia men and her troops of the family.

However, the mountains are so extensive, and the terrain is tough. Without knowing where the bandits have relocated the location of their hideout following the destruction of the original one, finding them is literally no longer possible."

Alex nodded thoughtfully as he weighed the circumstances. Since their mountain base had been wrecked in the government raid, the bandits must have scattered to begin with, only to reunite in a different area. Without the benefit of modern surveillance equipment, it would be next to impossible to track them down in such rough terrain.

He had the aerial surveillance ability virtue of his drone equipped with thermal cameras. And night vision goggles and other advanced technology that would give him a huge edge.

But it was not a matter of availability of weapons; it was a matter of execution of them.

Coming in alone with high-tech gear was certainly feasible from a technical point of view.

But it was also extremely dangerous. Even with superior technology, he was only one guy against at least a dozen seasoned fighters who knew the terrain of this mountain like the back of their hands.

If he failed or was caught, there would be dire consequences waiting for Lucy.

Alex’s mind calculated several possibilities with a calculating mind.

If he was to infiltrate alone with those equipment, it would be a sixty percent call, maybe better.

Decent odds, sure. But unacceptable when it came to Lucy’s survival.

No. He needed more than technology.

He required trained personnel for this task. A person with real combat experience.

He required professional military assistance. He needed someone with skills in rescue missions and combat.

Alex’s hand raised instinctively to the security uniform hidden beneath his top shirt. The recent upgrade went through his mind. He could now travel between worlds accompanied by one additional person.

He had not expected to use that skill so soon. But he had no other option.

"Jacob," Alex said slowly, "I need some time to think through this situation, prepare some resources, and then address it accordingly.

Tell the Hartwell family, however, that I am fully aware of what is taking place, putting all my efforts into resolving it for them.

Tell them, in particular, not to take any thoughtless action or launch any further searches in the mountains at present; it would only serve to increase Lucy’s predicament."

"Boss, what exactly are you planning?" Jacob asked apprehensively.

"I am going to get Lucy back safely," Alex said matter-of-factly but with the utmost belief. "But I need to prepare properly first. Give me until tonight to arrange things."

Jacob looked very troubled but nodded his head in acceptance. "I will convey your message to the family," he said. "But Boss, please listen to me," he said, his voice full of worry. "Do not go up this mountain alone. It would be suicide going up against that many men."

"I do not plan to go alone," Alex continued, which was, in fact, entirely true. "Now, off you go to deliver my message. I have work to attend to."

After Jacob and the syndicate members left, Alex was left alone in the dim warehouse with his mind.

His mind was racing through the various possibilities and complications.

The most obvious course was to import someone from the modern world. A person who had actual professional, combat-level training in rescue operations in a hostile environment. However, this option presented a multitude of problems that could not be overlooked.

Bringing someone back from the modern world was extremely dangerous. Whoever he decided to bring with, they would be aware of the process of the time traveling. They would know his secret. This made them a potential danger to his future concerns.

"Unless they never knew the truth."

Unless he could control what they saw, what they experienced, what they remembered about the incident.

Just one person. That was his limitation at the moment, as far as the system was concerned. But one trained person might be sufficient for this particular operation.

In particular, the question became, "Who could he invite?" And even more importantly, "How could he invite them without blowing the time-travel secret wide open?"

Alex paced back and forth in the warehouse, analyzing his options slowly.

He required a person with expert combat training. Someone very adept in using modern forearms and strategies. Someone who would not raise too many awkward queries if there was something peculiar about a given set of circumstances.

And he had to have a good cover story. A plausible justification for their whereabouts that did not include time travel.

The solution to this knowledge problem was clearly sedatives.

If he drugged the person before making the transition between the worlds, the person would be asleep throughout the transition process. They would wake up in the ancient world with no idea of how the process happened.

He could tell them anything.

Like he will be given sedatives, like they are were in a very rural area that was so isolated that people there lived the old-fashioned way or something else.

"Wait...I know exactly what to do." Suddenly an idea flashed in Alex’s mind at that time, in this way both goals will be achieved.

Once his new idea worked well, he will be in this world, then all the next part are easy.

It was definitely manipulative. It was definitely deceptive, definitely not ethical. But it kept his time travel secret completely hidden while giving him exactly what he needed in terms of expertise for his mission.

It was a solid plan. All he needed now was the right person to involve and a flawless execution.

With his plan already taking shape in his mind, Alex did not waste any more time.

It was necessary to return to the modern world at once, to start preparations. The time was running out. Lucy was held captive for three days now.

Each passing hour brought with it greater peril for her.

So, he looked around for a bit; seeing no one, he tried to travel just outside the warehouse, that was a big mistake on his part, white light enveloped his body, increasing with intensity every second.

Then, in an instant, he was gone from the ancient world altogether.

But what he did not know that his haste has exposed him to the eyes of someone who was lurking nearby.

Because the person who just saw him diappearing was none other than Jacob, because he thought Alex might do something foolish, so he has come to prevent him form doing so.

But what he saw left his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.