Muted footsteps echoed in the street as the team advanced. Jack's mind was racing, constantly considering ways to avoid the hurricane's eye.
Obviously, it's unwise to act rashly in this situation, especially without a weapon in hand. Even if he had one, he wouldn't dare act impulsively.
Most people around them weren't calm or ordinary; many would pull out weapons and open fire.
They were mostly well-trained soldiers, and even Jack couldn't handle them, let alone Emma and the other soldier behind him.
As he glanced toward the checkpoint ahead, Jack's eyes flickered. He noticed a group of civilians walking on the opposite side, already paying attention to everything that was happening.
The team carrying Jack and the others moved through the crowd on both sides and soon arrived at the checkpoint, stopping at the fence gate.
This situation was bad; they knew they were being treated as enemies. Jack, who was leading, signaled the others to hold back while the soldier who had initially pushed Jack stepped forward to check their information.
Jack knew that once he entered this refuge, the chances of getting out would be slim, so he subtly adjusted his body to its best condition. He looked up and saw a soldier patrolling at the far end, near a port by the inspection area. He reached out and tapped a wall nearby.
Tap-tap-tap!
The sound wasn't loud, and the soldiers in front of them only looked ahead, not paying attention.
But when Emma and the soldier heard those encrypted knocks, their expressions changed simultaneously. They looked at Jack's back with eyes full of astonishment and confusion, while their faces showed signs of inner turmoil and struggle.
They understood Jack's concern, as it was theirs too. However, no matter how bad the situation, they couldn't act now. They knew this place was guarded by armed soldiers.
Sweat dripped down the sides of their faces, unsure whether to cooperate with Jack and take the risk or prioritize their own safety.
Jack was unaware of the doubts of those behind him, and even if he knew, it likely wouldn't have changed his mind.
Seeing the soldiers ahead confirming their identities and about to open the gate, Jack eyed the rifle in the hands of the soldier standing to his right and subtly shifted his body to the side, intentionally or not.
Boom!
Just as Jack was about to make a move, a loud noise suddenly erupted in the surrounding area, possibly coming from a great distance.
Such a commotion was rare these days. Everyone turned in the direction of the explosion, shocked and clueless about what had happened.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As everyone was stunned, dozens of people suddenly appeared in the windows of the buildings on both sides, wielding weapons and wildly shooting at the crowd below.
Immediately after, the door below them was kicked open with a loud bang, and countless people rushed out. They all carried different weapons, their faces filled with excitement.
"Rebels!"
"Enemy attack!"
"The wolves are here!"
…
The sudden gunfire and the crowd pouring out of the building caught the soldiers off guard, instinctively seeking cover from the bullets.
However, only a few of these rebels were attacking the soldiers on the street; most were rushing toward the checkpoint!
Seeing this, the soldiers at the checkpoint quickly raised their weapons and fired at the advancing rebels.
Amidst the sudden chaos, Jack didn't wait around to die. He turned to the right side of the checkpoint, trying to escape.
"Don't move!"
But who would have known? When the soldiers escorting Jack saw him move suddenly, they immediately pointed their weapons at him, warning him not to act rashly.
"Arrogant idiots!"
Seeing that they were still intent on detaining them despite the situation, Jack cursed under his breath, grabbed the nearest soldier, used him as a shield, and seized the rifle.
The soldiers were shocked by Jack's boldness, not expecting him to ignore their warnings entirely.
This thought barely crossed their minds before their fingers instinctively tightened on the triggers.
But as their attention was on Jack, how could Emma and the other soldier not take decisive action?
Previously, they had hesitated, fearing to act in a way that might endanger them, but now that the soldiers had no time to worry about others, they had nothing to fear.
The soldiers were caught off guard by the sudden attack and were quickly subdued, left stunned.
"Grab their weapons and let's get out of here!"
The soldier Jack had grabbed was also knocked unconscious. Jack snatched his rifle and suddenly noticed two non-military vehicles heading toward the fence gate. He quickly signaled the others to retreat.
Without hesitation, everyone followed Jack, running after him while glancing back to see what was happening.
Jack saw many armed people getting out of the vehicles, appearing similar to those attacking the area.
They attacked the soldiers still guarding the checkpoint without hesitation, seemingly waiting for the rebels on the other side to open the gate for them.
"They're trying to take over the checkpoint!"
Seeing this, the thought flashed through their minds.
Emma couldn't help but ask Jack, who was running ahead, "Captain, what's happening? What should we do in this situation?"
"I don't know the answer to that question either!"
Bang!
Shooting and killing a rebel who suddenly appeared from around the corner, Brian shouted, "We can't waste any more time! We need to get out of here and report to the central base!"
As he spoke, Jack yelled at Emma, "Given the timing, our car, which we didn't leave far, should still be there. We could grab a vehicle and then find ours. Is the key still in the car?"
"It might be!"
Emma responded as she continued firing behind her to cover the others, "Innocent people are dying."
"There's nothing we can do about it. We need to notify the central group to send reinforcements."
With those words, Jack kicked open a nearby closed door and rushed into a building.
This building seemed to be significant and might have what they were looking for.
But at that moment, there were indeed loud gunshots and blood-curdling screams, indicating that rebels were already inside.
Jack entered through the back door; aside from a few things and corpses that had fallen to the ground, there were no other rebels for the moment.
"Captain, why did you bring us here? Aren't we going to the parking lot?" The soldier stepped forward, looking at the messy room and questioning Jack with distrust.
"There are too many enemies who could easily mistake us for the enemy. Neither the people here nor those attacking us know us. We need to find a way out through here."
With a confident smile, Jack laughed as he saw a few others. "Trust me, when have I ever lied to you?"
Jack wasn't lying about this; he had personally gathered a lot of information that would help them get out of this place.
After following Jack through the door, the group found themselves in a large hall.
Torn papers and documents littered the floor, and terrified people ran like headless chickens, constantly trampling over the bodies.
The rebels had entered the building through various entrances, their faces twisted in horrid grins as their weapons continued firing at the crowd.
The remaining soldiers in the building naturally fought back tenaciously. They knew that even if they surrendered, they would die. The fear of death unleashed their potential.
Unfortunately, as the number of rebels increased, they were easily overwhelmed and had to retreat upstairs.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After rushing out of the room, Jack aimed his weapon at several rebels who were leaving civilians behind and fired, taking their lives instantly.
The rebels, who were about to chase the fleeing soldiers up the stairs, heard the shots behind them and all turned around.
"No, Dany!"
One of them, obviously the leader, saw his companion's body on the ground, his eyes turning red. He pointed angrily at Jack and the others who had suddenly appeared and shouted furiously:
"Damn it, kill them all!"