Rabbani didn't want to linger here for a mont.
Because the trench was filled with a stench of blood so strong it was nauseating.
He had never seen so much blood even when slaughtering sheep.
Song Heping took the lead, and a few of them ran along the trench.
As they ran, Mist asked, "Song, we're heading west now, but roughly where can we et up with your people? Do you have any idea?"
Song Heping said, "Once we reach those mountains, then follow the base around to the west side, there will be a narrow valley. After passing through the valley and running for about ten kiloters, turn towards the north, and after more than thirty kiloters, we should be able to reach near Awaz."
Mist was surprised, "How do you manage to find your way without a map?"
Song Heping said, "Direction sense. Haven't you ever tried blind map navigation?"
Mist was stunned, "You guys train for that sort of thing?"
Song Heping sneered, "You don't train for it? Is GPS too convenient for you? We don't have such advanced gadgets. So, during our training, we had to do the most primitive manual operations, identifying and morizing maps as well as determining directions in different terrains."
He pointed to his head.
"The map's all in here."
Mist found it inconceivable, "How is that possible?"
In his view, even the most primitive manual thods needed at least a map and a compass, didn't they?
And Song Heping had morized the map in his brain?
How did he do that?
Suddenly, he thought Song Heping was rather incredible.
"Why is it impossible?" Song Heping said, "You're just too comfortable with relying on electronic devices, and besides, I said 'roughly reach a certain location,' not 'arrive precisely.'"
Mist was struck dumb, "Are you relying on luck?"
"A little bit of luck, a little bit of skill," Song Heping replied impatiently, "You have so many questions, why don't you lead the way?"
Mist imdiately shook his head.
In terms of map reading and morization, he admitted he was not as good as Song Heping.
To achieve this level, it wasn't just about training hard, but also a certain talent for direction sensing was needed, as well as an extraordinary mory.
Soon, the three of them had reached the end of the trench.
Indeed, there was a narrow valley entrance.
"Amazing..."
This ti Mist was convinced.
It was exactly as Song Heping had described.
There really was a valley here.
"Looks like we've escaped danger this ti... So, if we pass through the valley and walk a few dozen kiloters to Awaz, will you be able to find your people?"
Song Heping shook his head, "No, but I have arranged for the Persians to wait there, and my people will patrol the air non-stop. As long as they see a helicopter, we'll light so fires, and they'll notice."
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
Mist said, "Let's hurry up. I'm tired of this place and don't want to stay a mont longer."
Having said that, he took the lead and rushed towards the valley.
Perhaps because he was too excited, Mist had lost the caution he should have had at that mont.
No sooner had they rushed to the mouth of the valley than a pickup truck appeared before them.
An ard pickup truck.
This truck was parked just at the entrance of the valley, perfectly hidden from the view of the three n by the mountain.
Mist's rush had taken him right to the front of the valley.
There were people in the pickup, and people under it as well.
From their attire, they were all soldiers of the Revolutionary Brigade.
Perhaps neither side had expected to et in such a manner here.
After a brief mont of shock, Mist was the first to raise his gun and fire.
After all, it was impossible to hide or retreat now.
There was a distance to run back to the trench, and the machine gunner in the truck could swivel his gun and turn Mist into minceat.
Moreover, on the ridge over the trench, there was a patrol unit from the Revolutionary Brigade.
Retreating would only lead to being trapped in a pincer attack, and the outco would be even worse.
So, the only option was to confront them head-on, to fight to the death!
Crack crack—
Crack crack crack—
He aid at the machine gunner in the pickup's cargo bed and took the initiative.
Before the others could swing their gun barrels around, they had already been riddled with bullets and fell off the vehicle.
The remaining three militants raised their guns at Mist simultaneously.
It was too late for Mist to turn his gun and fire back.
"Song!"
He shouted loudly, seeking support from Song Heping as he rolled to the side, trying to dodge the incoming gunfire and find new cover.
Pop pop pop—
Pop pop pop—
Pop pop pop—
Ratatatatatatatat—
Rapid and burst gunfire ca from the other side.
Song Heping fired in quick bursts while Rabbani pressed the trigger and didn't let go.
The attention of the three Revolutionary Brigade soldiers was all on Mist, not expecting two enemies to rush out from the side.
Just as they opened fire but hadn't hit Mist, they were taken down by Song Heping and Rabbani.
"Where are we retreating to?!"
Mist got up from the ground, his body covered in yellow sand.
He looked around.
There were definitely more enemies inside the valley.
This pickup truck had likely co from a mountain road to this spot to stand guard at the valley entrance. Generally, where there were ard vehicles, there were likely to be others, with very high chances.
Therefore, making it through the valley and heading to Awaz as originally planned was no longer possible.
Behind them was a ditch.
There was a patrol squad on the ridge, so they couldn't retreat that way either.
Otherwise, they would face a fierce battle there. If the enemies from the valley ca out and sandwiched them from front and back, the three of them would surely perish.
"We'll head north! We'll start going north now!"
According to Song Heping's original route, they would have run ten kiloters after crossing the valley and then turned north.
But now they were forced to head north prematurely.
Although there was a ten-kiloter difference, it was still in the north, wasn't it?
They could possibly make it near to Awaz and maybe have a chance.
"Wait!"
Song Heping called out to Mist and Rabbani, who were about to flee for their lives.
He pointed at the pickup, his eyes brimming with excitent.
"A radio! Lao Mi, there's a vehicle-mounted radio in the truck!"
A radio?!
Mist felt a jolt in his heart and quickly turned to look at the pickup truck.
As expected, he saw a green antenna positioned at the A-pillar beside the pickup's windshield, extending more than a ter above the roof.
That style, unmistakably, was an antenna of an old radio.
Even though it was an old radio, it was still a radio!
With it, they could tune into the pre-agreed frequency, send out a distress ssage to Avanti's people, and have the cooks send a helicopter for pickup.
Even if they hadn't reached Awaz, it would not matter!
They were saved!
"We've got to take that radio with us!"
Though doing so was obviously dangerous, as staying even a second longer could be fatal,
Song Heping felt it was worth wasting a bit of ti for this opportunity!
"Let's go! We're getting that radio!"
Mist was equally thrilled.
The two were in complete agreent.
Having been stranded in the mountains for nearly two days, this was the first ti they had found communication equipnt. If anything, it was the fault of the Revolutionary Brigade soldiers for being so behind the tis; they didn't even carry cell phones!
Quickly, the three of them rushed to the pickup.
"Rabbani, you're in charge of watching the ridge direction. Lao Mi, you control the machine gun in the truck bed, keeping an eye on the valley. I'll use the radio to get in touch with the support squad!"
They imdiately split up to act.
Song Heping approached the pickup, glanced into the cab, and his heart blossod with joy!
There, lying quietly between the passenger and the driver's seat, was an old Soviet-style shortwave radio!
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