The violent stream of fire burst out in all directions, and my mind went blank. The shock wave swept me away brutally like a gust of autumn wind blowing away fallen leaves. I felt an irresistible force pushing me from behind, forcing me to roll on the ground. I didn't stop until I had made countless circular motions.
What happened?
I got up shakily. There was something sweet and salty in my mouth. When I wiped it, dark blood was printed on my glove. Not far away, a fire was burning fiercely, and sparks were flying with the turbid air. In the flames, a tail fin stood out, with the white letters "SFAAF02" on it.
The unpleasant smell rushed straight into my nostrils from the air. I knelt down, supporting myself with my right hand on the ground, coughing continuously. Someone grabbed my arm. Ivan's bearded face came into view as my vision turned: "Are you okay, Gu? Sukablyat, I think we should leave here as quickly as possible."
I said hoarsely, "Daniel..."
"He's gone. We have to get to the position quickly. Let's go — Sukablyat, artillery fire!" Ivan's face changed drastically. He tried to pull me down to take cover. The gas cylinder trailing black smoke exploded with a loud bang when it was still some distance away from us. I had to raise my hand to shield my eyes from the fire.
"What are you still standing there for!" Hedwig put down her gun. "Run!"
The gas cylinders kept exploding in the air. The jihadists were using earthen gas cylinder mortars that appeared in Syria and Libya around 2018. Compared to conventional weapons, its lethality was greatly increased. However, due to its large size and overly obvious trajectory, there were opportunities for interception by machine gunners, advancing shooters, and snipers alike.
Moreover, this kind of mortar was easily detected by high-altitude units. According to the "3F law" of modern warfare (Find—Fix—Finish, that is, discover—lock—kill)…
"The mortar position has been locked. Commence the strike." The operator's ordinary voice always sounded like the sound of nature. On the other end of the screen, he pressed the button, and the payload was released. The mortar was reduced to ashes. The thick black smoke formed a mushroom cloud as tall as a building, standing out prominently against the sandy yellow background.
To avoid the artillery fire, the remaining three Black Hawks all chose to take off urgently. The iron giants distanced themselves from the position to prevent being destroyed. After a while, the pilot reported: "Insufficient fuel..."
"Then go back first." Hedwig seemed to have much more command authority than Aron. "Shit, I should have sent the others back when we came here..." She was full of remorse.
"It's not your fault." Dongfang Muxue comforted her. "That's the original plan. Say less swear words. You're not a sailor."
"This is probably the difference between me and Guderian."
Naturally, I, who finally arrived at the battlefield, couldn't hear these words. Unfortunately, we lost Daniel and Jem. Fortunately, for now, we've only lost them. I climbed over the front line, got up, and lay prone on the soft soil mound, taking aim.
Through the advanced optical sight, I found a new target. The running figure was so vulnerable that just one bullet could bring him down. In the slow and precise semi-automatic shooting, I gradually found my rhythm.
After emptying the magazine, I crouched and moved around. I still had to find my own team. Lucas, whom I met along the way, wanted to greet me, but before he could even raise his hand, he was knocked down by a series of bullets. He lay on the ground, his life hanging in the balance. His teammates rushed forward.
The pull ring landed on the ground quietly. My arm swung in a full circle the moment my muscles tensed. The small ball was thrown in a high arc into the distance, turning into a shower of fragments. I changed my shooting position again, constantly switching between short sprints and aiming: "Someone's approaching. Everyone, be on the alert!"
"Report, Captain!" Zhuge Yu called. "Our position is too far forward. The enemy is about to complete the encirclement!"
"Stay inside and protect yourself! I'll come to rescue you right away!"
"Us too!" Jiang Li and Lu Wanqing, who had changed to assault rifles, rushed out from the sniper position. "We're beside that guy surnamed Gu! Tmmd, where did all these people come from!"
From time to time, jihadists emerged from the withered forest. As soon as they showed their heads, they were killed by a hail of bullets. This was the first time I had fought side by side with them at close range. The girls showed the cruel coldness of a fighting machine. They naturally took me as the core of the team and advanced at high speed, which was clearly the result of their long-term habit of operating in three-person combat teams.
But since the first time I saw them, the two of them had always been an inseparable two-person sniper team. So who was this third person…
"Reached the high point!" Lu Wanqing reported. Jiang Li changed back to a sniper rifle. "You, surnamed Gu, go ahead. We'll cover you! Damn it, why are there so many people? They really can breed!"
Their position was also on a small hill. I rushed to the foot of the slope and took out three infantrymen who were climbing up. I turned on my headset. "I'm at your — southwest." Taking the opportunity when no one was around, I quickly glanced at my watch. "Cover is in position."
The figure of the first assault soldier appeared in the trees. Ji Ling stumbled downwards. Because of the dry and slippery ground, he had to control his descending speed to prevent falling. The dappled light in the forest suddenly split into unexpected figures. In a hurry, I didn't even have time to aim. I just launched attacks as quickly as possible. Ji Ling stared wide-eyed at the enemy. Three weapons let out similar yet distinct roars. The moment the third person fell, a pale spark burst out where the bullet hit the bulletproof plate on Ji Ling's chest. The young man rolled down. His camouflage clothes scraped against the sharp branches, and a little dim scarlet appeared at the end of the bushes.
I tried to use my body to block Ji Ling, but as a result, both of us fell to the ground. So when Luo Luobing, who arrived next, simply put her backpack under her small butt and slid down. Standing up, I checked Ji Ling's injuries. The shooter used an old version of the UZI. The Parabellum bullet failed to penetrate the bulletproof vest, but the impact force, even though it was dispersed, was still real. Ji Ling was unable to get up for a while. I could only choose to drag him behind the nearest cover.
Jiang Li and Lu Wanqing were highly combat-effective, that was a fact. But that was based on a certain distance, not in a situation like this where it was almost close enough to engage in bayonet fighting. After settling Ji Ling down, I had just rushed out a short two meters when I was sent flying by a blast wave. My shoulder hurt, and warm liquid seeped out from inside. I once again embraced the ground intimately, and a stinging pain swirled in the palm of my hand.
Dizziness, uncontrollable flipping. My previously injured shoulder hurt terribly. An instinctive shiver warned me with my trembling body that this way was blocked. Reason also gave a dissuasion. The best option was to turn around and run.
People have always been emotional beings. Otherwise, why would I be here? My whole body expanded and contracted with my breath. Watching the sweat sink into the cracked soil in the shadow I created myself, I struggled to lift my head and met those amber eyes.
Ji Han and I looked at each other. Her gaze was so pure and flawless that it made the sounds of war and gunfire seem to fade away. Between heaven and earth, there were only you and me. In this eternal gaze, we remained unshaken until the end of time…
The momentary tranquility was broken by a sudden explosion. A huge ripple of dust rose behind Ji Han. At that moment, the color drained from her eyes. Her whole body was sent flying by the impact force, her long hair fluttering wildly, and the curly lines were chaotic and disorderly, a completely ruthless creation of the Creator. That butterfly just flew and flew, disappearing into a place I couldn't see.
?
What happened?
I stood there.
. Ji... Han.
Ji Han.
Where was Ji Han?
Where was she?
I stood there, at a loss.
My heart... felt empty. There was a pain, pulsating in my empty body, corroding my internal organs like sulfuric acid. Burning with pain along the nerves, it drove me almost crazy.
No, no, no, no, no! The roar echoed in my mind.
My legs ran desperately. I was so impulsive that I stumbled as soon as I got up. My tongue twitched restlessly, hitting my lips and teeth frantically, making me realize what it wanted to express. I opened my mouth, and the name blurted out naturally: "Ji Han!"
Where was she? I had to go there!
I had already lost Gu Rou. I couldn't afford to lose anyone else!
The physical pressure caused by physical exertion had long since disappeared. Under the scorching sun that drove people crazy, I sprinted like crazy. I knew very well that I had lost my mind and was just dragging myself along. In a state of being both awake and on the verge of collapse, someone once tried to hold me back, but I broke free savagely, leaving only a fleeting touch.
The further I rushed forward, the more enemies came into view. I raised my rifle. They won't let me pass, I thought. But they will let me pass. This wasn't courage; it was fear. More than my life and death today, I was terrified of the desolation of tomorrow. What scared me was not only the unpredictability of the future but also the past. The hysteria on the verge of the sea of despair in my memory was overwhelming like a tide. I was afraid of death, but even more afraid of falling into the pitch darkness without light again!
"Get out of my way!" I let out a hysterical, paranoid roar. The light weapons trembled, and bullets traced white streaks like meteors in the air. Their purpose was to kill. I didn't want to kill, but I even less wanted to see the people I cared about being killed!
So goodbye! After emptying the magazine, I let go of the M4, allowing it to slide down naturally along the gun strap. The grip safety of the M1911 made a slight sound the moment I picked it up, as if responding to me.
The heavy and sharp bullets penetrated the bulletproof vest and hit my body, mixing in my chest and making it hard to breathe. I stubbornly raised my head, and the world in my eyes was tinged with a faint scarlet. Something spurted out of my mouth. I didn't know if it was saliva or blood.
Maybe it was both. My mouth and nostrils were filled with the smell of rust. It seemed like a sharp knife slid quickly and smoothly across my thigh. At first, it just left a cold, snow-like thin mark, which quickly turned into an unbearable, spreading pain. In the huge impact, I was dazed and numbly fell to the ground.
... I can't stop.
"I can't stop," I said to myself, hoarse, tired, and full of unwillingness. I glanced at the hammer. The pistol still had bullets. At least it could support me to move forward. I used my entire left forearm as support. The ground rubbed against me through the fabric and skin. The damaged bulletproof vest made a dissatisfied rustling sound as I moved forward. After surviving this round of gunfire, the ceramic plates inside the bulletproof insert were completely shattered.
Faster... The sense of despair hit me, urging me on. The sun was high in the sky, but I was shivering all over. It welled up from the bottom of my heart and quietly wrapped me up. Was this what it felt like to sink to the bottom of the sea? I struggled desperately to avoid falling into darkness again.
People lose their courage in the face of the unknown, but that didn't mean I had the courage to face the same experiences as in the past again... I didn't dare to imagine anymore. I could only keep pushing myself, letting my mind be filled with only one thought.
Closer, closer!
If I was any slower, it might be too late...
My hand was scraped, my elbow hurt as if it was broken, and my thigh felt like it would separate from my body and turn to dust at any moment.
"Don't stop, Xiaoyao." When my mind went blank, I heard Gu Rou whispering in my ear, "Don't stop. Use all your strength. At least, you won't regret it."
"Sister... will always be watching you."
Ji Han!
I desperately grabbed the rock with my free left hand. My shoulder was shaking. The palm of my tactical glove had been worn out at some point, revealing patches of raw red. I tried to pull myself forward. There was a slope behind it, and Ji Han was down there.
The strength of one hand wasn't enough. I inserted the m1911 back into the quick-draw holster and, like doing a pull-up, slowly lifted my body. Although my vision was blurry, I saw Ji Han at a glance. She was lying quietly on the yellowish grass, as serene as a sleeping beauty. No one else noticed her except me. All the disputes on this land had nothing to do with her at this moment.
Suddenly, a source of strength welled up in my exhausted body. I climbed over the slope, rolled into the grass, and quickly crawled over, pushing aside the vegetation: "Ji Han? Ji Han?"
"Um..." The girl let out a dreamy murmur. She wasn't injured. I pressed my forehead against hers. She had just fainted. I hugged Ji Han and giggled, tears streaming down my face and falling on hers.
"Ugh..." Ji Han frowned her delicate eyebrows but didn't wake up. "Mom..."
Taking the opportunity when no one was around, I quickly changed the magazine, simply tightened the bandage on the wound, and picked up Ji Han with my left hand, whispering gently: "Let's go. I'll take you home."
With the addition of one more person, the load increased greatly. Coupled with the previous outburst, my physical strength was already exhausted. I gritted my teeth and moved forward bit by bit. Sweat flowed into my eyes, and in the end, I couldn't tell whether it was tears or sweat squeezing in my small eye sockets.
The safest route was to go around from below... Although it would consume a lot of physical strength, I still decided to do so. The sun seemed to mock me. The figures on the ground, as tired and clumsily advancing as I was, were reflected in my blurry vision. Actually, I was already very tired. Why didn't I give up? I tried to persuade myself. Why not find a way to make myself more comfortable?
But I just couldn't convince myself.
"I should lose some weight..." I heard myself say softly to the girl in my arms. She sniffed like a kitten but still didn't wake up. While moving forward, I observed the front through the ACOG. There were no enemies, but a strange humming sound came from above!
What was that — I raised my gun the moment my whole body was soaked in a cool sensation, only to find a very familiar little thing circling overhead.
Was this... Zhuge Yu's drone? What was it doing? Why didn't they just call me?
I lowered my head and realized that the radio had been turned off by me at some point. I turned on the communication again. As the drone rose, Zhuge Yu said helplessly: "Captain, you really are..."
Lu Wanqing was not so polite: "What the hell are you trying to do? Give us a straight answer, okay? Do you know you're the commander!"
"You're really alike in this regard."
Jiang Li didn't participate in the conversation. She seemed to be talking to herself, and her voice was faintly transmitted through Lu Wanqing's side.
"Anyway, the three of us are in a safe place. Don't worry about us." Zhuge Yu continued. "But just now, we used up all the shells to cover you. There are no weapons left on the UU for now."
"We're approaching you." Liang Dong said. "Protect yourself."
"And Luobing." Ji Ling added.
Luobing finished with the last sentence: "Almost there."
The first assault soldier, the machine gunner, and the demolition man — this was almost the best assault lineup a team could put together. I looked around. After gently placing Ji Han behind a rock, I set up my rifle.
"Captain, the situation is not good." It was still Zhuge Yu. "There's a three-person enemy group on your east side. We can't provide support from a distance."
"Right." I looked at the figures in the sight. The grenade launcher made a "bang" sound. The fragmentation grenade only took out one person. The remaining two quickly made tactical dives to avoid the attack and then quickly found cover to fire back.
Ordinarily, it would be easy to deal with them, but — I realized that I had forgotten to get grenades at the supply point.
This was a disaster.