The ground was composed of gray and sandy yellow in sequence. Looking down from a high altitude, the exposed rocks, the yellow soil that was cracked and not much different from sand, and the withered branches stretching towards the sky were the main landscapes of this valley. There wasn't a trace of white in the blue sky, only a few scrawny vultures. The sunlight fell on the ground, bringing waves of heat mixed with yellow sand.
This was Kreber, which meant "the hometown of the sun god" in the local dialect. The climate was so arid that the annual precipitation was only a tiny 230 mm, making the desert the dominant landscape here.
Carrying the T97NAR, which had been modified and equipped with a tactical rail, Yang Shixiu walked at the end of the team. He was 17 years old and came from the Chinese region, so naturally, he had a fondness for this gun from his hometown. Due to a shortage of personnel, he was pulled from Class 4 to Class 2 by his classmate in the medic course, Johnny Mathius, to participate in the mission temporarily.
Johnny Mathius was from the Danish region. His father had been a professional surgeon and was quite famous in the local area. Unfortunately, he died in a bomb attack on the local hospital two years ago. In order to avenge his father to some extent and inherit his father's will, Johnny came to Yitlan, picked up a gun, and became a medic.
The headquarters was worried that there might be casualties in Class 2's operation, so they ordered to temporarily transfer medics from other classes. The operation went smoothly, and the monitor of Class 2 then asked Yang Shixiu and Johnny to escort two armed personnel back to the base first, while they stayed to clean up the battlefield.
Although the Akria region was one of the earliest regions to join the World Government, only 36 percent of the area was in the hands of the local autonomous government, "Atak". The remaining areas were controlled by scattered arms dealers, local tribal militias, and the "World Revolutionary Army". These three groups didn't conflict with each other. It was worth mentioning that 80 percent of the world's drugs also came from this region, which was the main source of funds for the local rebel forces. It could be said that this region was now built on drugs just like the "Golden Triangle".
It was really hot. Yang Shixiu wiped the sweat off his face. Even though they were at the bottom of the valley, the valley wind couldn't relieve the intense heat. The two prisoners sandwiched between him and Johnny were having an even harder time. They still had hoods over their heads, and their hands were tied with thick hemp ropes. Yang Shixiu and Johnny each held one end of the ropes.
"Stop, stop!"
Johnny's voice came from the front, like a stone dropped into water, waking Yang Shixiu up from his daze. He pulled the hemp rope, and the two armed men stopped and stood still, looking like two obedient sheep.
Oh, it wasn't right to use the sheep as a metaphor, Yang Shixiu thought. There were no sheep in Akria. Only goats could survive in this terrain and climate. Sheep would have been roasted to death by their own wool long ago.
Thinking this, he quickly walked to the front of the team. There were three people in total, two men and a woman, dressed in the loose robes and headscarves commonly seen among the locals. The men all had long beards. Judging from their appearance, all three seemed to be civilians. Johnny raised his rifle and gave them a warning.
The woman made Yang Shixiu tense up in an instant. The local clothing was loose, and women wrapped themselves up like rice dumplings, leaving only their eyes exposed. This bulky clothing was an ideal choice for hiding weapons and bombs. In the past half month, the trainees in Yitlan had already suffered a lot in this regard.
So he opened the radio: "Command, this is T2 (temporary task groups use the T prefix, meaning temporary). We've encountered three unidentified people. No weapons have been found. They're most likely civilians."
"Received. Be careful when checking them, buddy. Good luck."
Johnny walked forward cautiously, holding his rifle level, with the muzzle slightly downward and tilted to one side. He quietly switched the fire selector to full auto where the other side couldn't see: "Listen, relax. We're just passing by. We won't hurt you, okay?"
The leading man, with graying temples, nodded repeatedly with a tense face, not daring to make a sound. Johnny continued to gesture: "I know your customs. I'll check you two men, and you can check her, okay?"
"Okay, okay..." The man's face showed a look of delight.
"Bang!"
A white flash appeared in the distance, and Johnny instantly fell backward onto the ground. The attacker didn't stop attacking. Bullets came one after another from a distance, kicking up a large amount of dust around them. Yang Shixiu immediately located the attacker's position and fired in quick bursts to suppress the fire while moving his legs continuously to approach Johnny.
"I'm okay!" Johnny got up from the ground and then switched to Arabic: "Get down, get down!"
It was hard to imagine that this guy had only first come into contact with Arabic half a month ago. Without him having to say much, the people around had already scattered like monkeys and were instinctively looking for cover.
"Command, this is T2," Yang Shixiu opened the communication device. "We've encountered an enemy attack. There's at least one attacker."
"T2, I need confirmation. Were they those passers-by just now?"
"No," Yang Shixiu looked up and observed for a while. "The enemy is on top of the valley."
"Received. Predator 5 is near you and will be there soon."
"Oh my God, I'm actually okay." Johnny was panting heavily beside him. "It must be Yi protecting me! I must go to her concert next time, get the VIP seat right in the front!"
Yang Shixiu ignored his little whim on the battlefield, leaned out to fire a few shots, and then replaced the magazine. "Machine gunner!"
The rocks serving as cover trembled slightly, and the gunshots, which were a bit deeper than those of the AK rifle, rang out like popping beans.
"Fuck!"
Johnny raised the barrel of his gun high and fired in a sweeping motion. The cartridge cases rolled on the ground, but there was no way he could hit the target at that angle. The first attacker was using an AK47 or AKM rifle. Due to the limitations of the gun's accuracy, he was forced to shoot semi-automatically. The single 7.62×39mm bullets didn't pose a threat to their bulletproof vests, but the RPK was a different story. The heavy barrel, the reduced recoil provided by the bipod, and its power allowed the shooter to fire without restraint.
At this moment, Yang Shixiu was a bit glad that he hadn't taken a shortcut to get close and shoot those two people just now. Otherwise, he would surely be covered in a white cloth tonight.
"Calling T2, this is Predator 5. Confirm that you're at the bottom of the valley?" An unfamiliar male voice came through the earpiece.
"Yes, shoot quickly!" Yang Shixiu almost shouted.
"Received."
The MQ - 1 drone flew over their heads. Two seconds later, the earth shook, and the armed men turned into brilliant fireworks. Yang Shixiu stood up and let out a sigh of relief, with beads of sweat all over his forehead. "Let's go."
However, Johnny strode towards the three people and pointed directly at the woman. "I'm going to check her."
"No!" The leading man got up in a panic. His ridiculously wide robe was swinging back and forth with his hands. His calves were still trembling slightly due to the battle just now. "She's my daughter. You can't touch her. You can't, you can't..."
"Enough, Johnny. Let them go!"
"Don't you think this is too coincidental?" Johnny pushed the man aside without looking back. "We just happened to stop here to check, and then the attack came! Terrorists don't care what means they use!"
"But..."
Suddenly, Yang Shixiu froze. He saw the woman nod almost imperceptibly at him. Her eyes under the cloth were black and shiny, like an ancient well reflecting the bright moon, making him involuntarily think of someone who also had the same eyes.
White smoke suddenly surrounded Johnny and the woman. Yang Shixiu fell to the ground. He couldn't hear anything, and only felt something buzzing in his head.
A few seconds later, he realized what it was and immediately pulled out his USP pistol and pointed it at the remaining two people. "Command, this is T2. We've encountered a human bomb and there are casualties. Repeat, there are casualties!"