Carman must have sensed Joja's unease. He hesitated for a moment before sitting in the passenger seat and pointing toward the grassland. "Let's take a detour through the area and avoid a few spots where ambushes could be set up. It might take a bit longer, but if it eases your mind, it'll be worth it."
This is where Carman's expertise really shone through. Many people can navigate the grasslands, anyone with a pair of boots, a gun, and some insect repellent could venture into the area for a bit. But to truly understand the grasslands and find the correct path in the dark, Carman was undoubtedly one of the best.
The nighttime grasslands are not the kind of place where you can just rely on GPS to get through.
When Joja drove into the grasslands and, under Carman's guidance, wound his way around for nearly 30 kilometers before rejoining the main road, he was truly grateful for having hired Carman.
The old guy knew the grasslands so well that he could tell if there was a puddle ahead just by the smell, knew which areas were easier to drive through just by looking at the vegetation, and could tell what kind of animals were nearby just by listening to a few calls, guiding Joja to avoid them.
By the time Joja got back on the main road, nearly three hours had passed.
There are no streetlights in southern SD, and the roads built with aid funds don't have guardrails or anything like that either. Occasionally, animals would cross the road.
Given these conditions, Joja didn't dare to drive too fast, maintaining a speed of about 70 kilometers per hour.
After driving for nearly an hour and still 25 kilometers from reaching Wau, two pickup trucks suddenly appeared ahead, speeding toward them.
For safety, Joja steered slightly to the right. As his truck passed the oncoming pickups, he noticed that the driver and passengers were rare white men in southern SD, all wearing tactical vests.
Joja tried to stay calm, but when he saw through the rearview mirror that the two trucks were making U-turns and coming after him, he tensed up.
Carman immediately sensed something was wrong, but without Joja's orders, he didn't fire right away.
That brief hesitation of a minute or two cost them the upper hand.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Someone from one of the pursuing vehicles leaned out and fired a burst of shots at Joja's truck.
It's hard to hit a moving target accurately at high speeds, but the shooter was clearly skilled, with most of the bullets hitting the rear of Joja's truck, one even shattering the back window, sending shards of glass flying. Joja screamed and floored the gas pedal, trying to outrun them.
But he quickly realized it was useless; their vehicles were better and he didn't even have the chance to fight back.
Carman, a true veteran, swiftly unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his AK-74, bracing himself against the seat's headrest with his left arm to steady his aim, and said, "Keep it steady, keep it steady..."
Joja gripped the steering wheel tightly, not swerving wildly like they do in the movies because he knew that in this kind of chase, it's more important to fight back whenever possible. Taking out the enemy was the best way to protect themselves.
As the pursuing vehicle aligned almost perfectly with Joja's truck, Carman pulled the trigger, unloading a full magazine.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang..."
A series of loud bangs echoed in Joja's ears, the hot shell casings striking his face without him even noticing.
With Carman's barrage, the windshield of the following truck shattered completely. Joja wasn't sure if anyone inside was hit, but the truck lost control, veering off the road and crashing into the grasslands.
Just as Joja was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the second vehicle in pursuit fired a few more shots.
At the sound of gunfire, Joja felt the truck shudder, and the steering wheel suddenly lost all response, sending the vehicle careening into the grasslands.
Carman gripped the passenger handle tightly, shouting, "Sniper! Turn off the lights, turn off the lights!"
As the truck came to a stop, Carman rolled out of the door and, using a somewhat unorthodox technique, dropped to the ground and began firing at the pursuing vehicle, trying to keep them pinned on the road.
Joja quickly killed the engine and jumped out, crawling on the ground towards Carman's position. Just as he was about to speak, two bullets thudded into the grass beside him.
Carman, moving like a snake, slid back a few meters. As he neared Joja, he grabbed him, crouched low, and guided him deeper into the dark grasslands, swiftly widening the gap between them and their attackers by about 200 meters.
"Follow me. They can see us in the dark. Let's hope they don't have thermal imaging."
A bullet whizzed past, grazing Carman's shoulder and passing through the grass without reacting to the deliberately exaggerated movement. Joja, who had finally regained his composure, said helplessly, "It's a sniper with an infrared night scope. Luckily, they're shooting from the car, but we still need to be cautious."
As he spoke, Joja heard the sound of an engine roaring behind them. He gripped his HK416 and switched to the flip-up 4x magnifier, aligning it with the holographic sight, and said to Carman, "They've got vehicles and night vision. We can't outrun them in the grasslands. We need to counterattack and take them out."
Carman didn't make a sound as he moved quickly but turned to Joja and said, "Their vehicles won't be of use for much longer. Follow me. There's a small hill about 60 meters ahead. We can try to counterattack from there."
Joja had no idea what Carman was talking about, but within seconds, he heard the engine of the enemy's vehicle roaring, followed by the distinct screech of tires spinning in place—they were stuck.
Joja was now thoroughly impressed with Carman. The guy had deliberately taken a winding route, leading the enemy straight into a mud pit.
Now feeling a surge of confidence, Joja shook off his anxiety, choosing to fully trust Carman's judgment as they looped around a 20-meter-high hill, climbing to a vantage point on the other side.
Lying prone on the ground, Joja quickly pulled out a pair of tactical goggles with night vision and put them on, instantly brightening the surroundings. Unlike the grainy images in movies, Joja's view, though tinted green, was much clearer.
With the help of his scope, Joja saw the truck stuck in the mud. He aimed the black crosshairs at the driver's head and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
At a distance of less than 300 meters, there was no reason for Joja to miss. The driver's head jerked violently, and a large hole appeared on the left rear of his skull, splattering blood and brain matter across one of the windows.
The suppressed HK416 fired 5.56mm NATO rounds, and the sound wasn't too loud.
Noticing the surprised look from Carman beside him, Joja didn't bother explaining how advanced his tactical goggles were. Instead, he quickly adjusted his aim and emptied the magazine into the vehicle, killing three more targets inside.
The enemy's vehicle engine was still running, and the headlights allowed Carman to crouch and fire continuously at the truck, trying to eliminate the remaining enemies alongside Joja.
But soon, a bullet whizzed by, forcing Carman to duck. It was a stark reminder that the enemy sniper was still alive.
Carman pressed himself flat against the ground, using the vehicle's lights to observe for a moment before saying, "He's hiding behind the truck. We need to flank him and take him out. If their reinforcements arrive before we do, we're in trouble."
As he spoke, Carman cautiously began to slide backward, saying, "Boss, keep him pinned down with suppressing fire. I'll circle around and take him out."