The person who spotted Team B was a middle-aged man. After taking a quick glance at them, he immediately ducked back inside.
Long Zhan immediately sensed something was wrong. Jason and the other senior-level operatives also felt a tightening in their chests, realizing that the situation was far from normal.
As Team B ran past the house, they faintly heard voices coming from inside.
The speech was in a local dialect mixed with Liberian English. Although the strange accent made it hard to understand, they managed to piece together the general meaning.
Someone was making a phone call to warn others!
Jason instantly realized their movements had been exposed. It was highly likely that their presence would remain compromised until they left the town.
However, knowing this didn't mean there was a clear solution. They couldn't possibly go around shooting everyone who peered out at them.
First, such actions would take too much time. Every minute spent dealing with civilians meant the Lionheart King's troops would catch up to them sooner.
Second, killing unarmed civilians with no hostile intent was a serious violation of rules and laws.
If it were confirmed that they had slaughtered civilians, no amount of military contributions would save them. Even the might of American hegemony would not shield them from consequences.
The best-case scenario would be expulsion from the military, leaving them with the infamy of a massacre and no chance of finding a job in civilian life.
The only option Jason had was to lead his team out of the town as quickly as possible. Once they were outside, their danger level would drop by 50%.
Everyone in the team understood this and pushed themselves to run faster.
Yet, no matter how fast two legs could move, they were no match for four wheels.
Just under 100 meters from the edge of the alley, Ray, who had been temporarily away, rejoined the team. That's when Team B faced a major problem.
"Da-da-da-da…"
The roar of a DShK heavy machine gun shattered the silence of the night in the small town.
Although this Soviet-era relic had been in service for over 70 years, its destructive power remained formidable.
Mounted on the back of a pickup truck, the weapon's excessive recoil was no longer an issue.
The 12.7×108mm large-caliber bullets tore through the air, shrieking toward Team B from dozens of meters away. The devastation they caused was terrifying.
Even hollow brick walls over ten centimeters thick were easily pierced through.
A single burst of bullets left a row of fist-sized holes wherever they passed. If those bullets struck a human body, there'd be nothing left of the targeted area.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, and visibility was poor. Additionally, the vehicle's motion caused further inaccuracy.
The Lionheart King's soldier manning the heavy machine gun couldn't claim to have perfect aim, but the shots were far from hitting their targets.
The machine gun fire tore through the area, leaving behind a trail of bullet holes and the terrified screams of residents. Yet, none of the bullets hit Team B.
As for whether any locals were killed, only God would know.
Ten seconds later!
To evade the heavy machine gun's pursuit, Jason led his team into a small alley, temporarily escaping the firepower of the pickup truck's mounted weapon.
Without hesitation, he issued an order: "We must take out that armed pickup truck, or we'll never get out of here. Sonny, it's your task. Can you handle it?"
"Of course. I'll show them who the real machine gunner is," Sonny replied smugly.
"Long, assist Sonny."
"Understood!" Long Zhan nodded in response.
"Ray, get to the evacuation route ahead. Find a suitable vantage point to cover us during our retreat and provide intel."
"Got it. Leave it to me," Ray said with confidence, his expertise in this area unquestionable.
"The rest of you will stay with me to draw the pickup truck's fire and suppress the Lionheart King's troops, giving Sonny enough time to take down the truck.
"The situation is urgent, and time is short. We must regroup here in five minutes and retreat. Move out!"
Jason's plan was well-reasoned. Being chased by a pickup-mounted heavy machine gun was a grave threat. Even with poor aim, it posed a constant risk of casualties.
Taking the initiative to neutralize the lethal threat, though time-consuming, would significantly increase their chances of a successful retreat.
"Long, follow me. We're taking the upstairs position."
Sonny pointed to a two-story building not far away and sprinted toward it. Long Zhan, carrying a light machine gun, followed close behind.
As the saying goes, snipers are always solitary. Ray, like a venomous snake in the dark, slipped southeastward, disappearing into the shadows.
Following Jason's orders, Team B split into three groups in mere moments.
From seven members, the team was reduced to four. Yet, as Jason scanned his group, he realized there were only three left.
Clay was missing!
"Damn it! Where did that rookie foreign recruit go? Did anyone see him?"
Jason's face turned pale with anger. If Clay were in front of him now, there was no doubt Jason would have punched him squarely in the face.
Trent and Brock both shook their heads, indicating they had no idea where he had gone.
During the chaos of being chased by the heavy machine gun, everyone had been focused on their own survival. There was no time to look out for others, let alone a newly joined recruit with whom they had no rapport.
"Stupid idiot!"
Jason cursed and kicked the wall in frustration. He quickly activated his radio and called, "B7, this is B1. Respond immediately!"
Three seconds passed—no reply.
"B7, this is B1. Respond now!"
Jason called out again, but the team's channel remained silent, as though B7 didn't exist.
"Fuck!"
Jason swore loudly in anger.
"Forget him. You two, follow me."
With the urgent task of neutralizing the armed pickup truck at hand, Jason had no choice but to put Clay's situation aside for the time being.
He led Trent and Brock to the entrance of the alley, preparing to fend off the enemy's assault and provide cover for Sonny to take down the priority target.