Weeks of quiet searching ended in an instant when the coal mine owner returned. He was a burly man, his face weathered by years of labor and anger. News of his arrival spread through the settlement like wildfire, and soon the villagers gathered, their suspicion and frustration boiling over.
The owner stormed into the lodge, his boots pounding on the wooden floor. He glared at Jake and Mia, who sat at a corner table, trying to look inconspicuous.
"Who the hell are you?" he bellowed. "I never hired you! Who let you in?"
The villagers, already uneasy about the outsiders, closed in around them. Their faces were hard and unfriendly, eyes narrowed with distrust. Whispers spread through the crowd: "They're not miners," "They ask too many questions," "They could be cops."
The mood turned ugly. The owner grabbed Jake by the collar, shaking him. "You're not wanted here! You're bringing trouble!"
Mia tried to step in, but the crowd pushed her back. The villagers, emboldened by the owner's anger, started shouting, their voices rising in anger. Some threw bottles and rocks. The situation was spiraling out of control.
Jake and Mia knew they were in real danger. The mob was closing in, and there was no way to reason with them. They had one last card to play.
With a quick, practiced motion, Jake pulled out his service pistol and leveled it at the coal mine owner. The crowd gasped and backed away, their anger replaced by fear.
"Police," Jake announced, his voice steady. "We're undercover officers. We're here for Dirty Joy."
Silence fell over the crowd. The owner's face twisted in shock. The villagers looked at each other, unsure what to do.
"Where is he?" Mia demanded. "We know he's hiding here. Tell us now, or we'll take you all in for obstruction."
The mob hesitated, but the sight of the gun kept them at bay. Finally, a woman in the crowd spoke up, her voice trembling. "He's at the old storage shed, behind the brothel. Lila - his wife - she hides him there."
Jake and Mia exchanged a glance. They had their answer.
With the crowd watching warily, Jake and Mia moved toward the brothel, their guns still drawn. The villagers kept their distance, fear and curiosity warring in their eyes.
At last, after months of searching, they were closing in on Dirty Joy.