Song Heping went to check on Rabbani.
The guy was half sprawled on the ground, butt propped up, trying to twist his head around to see the wound, but he couldn't make it out. The move looked absurdly awkward.
Seeing Song Heping co over, he hastily begged for help, "Song, I got shot, there's so much blood... Check out my ass for , it's not too serious, is it?"
While speaking, he even raised his blood-stained hand to show Song Heping.
Song Heping squatted down to take a look and discovered that the bullet had rely stripped a patch of flesh off Rabbani's buttock.
The buttock area has a lot of flesh, not particularly abundant blood vessels, and the nerves aren't very dense, so getting shot here is usually no big deal as long as it's a graze; the real fear is if it goes straight through the bone.
"No worries! Just a scratch!"
Once Song Heping confird that the guy wouldn't die, he was relieved.
Standing up, he said, "Hurry up, get up, we've got to keep moving!"
Rabbani complained with a pained expression, "Ah? Even in this state, I have to run..."
"If you don't run, stay here. I'm not stopping you. Rest assured, even if you don't run, I won't kill you now because we're only ten kiloters from the safe zone. Even if you get captured and snitch, I'm not afraid anymore."
The implication in Song Heping's words was blunt.
In essence, you're not a threat anymore. If you don't run, then just stay behind and fend for yourself.
Rabbani was a tough one, whining when there's nothing wrong, but imdiately pulling himself together when it mattered.
As soon as he heard Song Heping would leave him behind, he quickly stood up, enduring the pain.
"Hiss—"
After gasping in a sharp breath, he said, "I'm fine, don't leave behind."
"That's more like it!"
Song Heping gestured, "Lao Mi, let's run!"
The last ten kiloters, with the prospect of life right in front of them—although Rabbani was slightly injured, he actually ran faster than before.
But what they didn't realize was that a crisis was waiting for them right ahead.
The soldiers from the Revolutionary Brigade's search team had, just as Song Heping feared, sent out the information about the firefight before the radio operator was killed.
Kawasi was furious upon hearing that Song Heping and his n were spotted near Awaz.
He had an idea of Song Heping's general intent, but could predict only the beginning, not the end.
Considering the last location where Song Heping's group was sighted was near Salbic, Kawasi assud that Song Heping would leave the highlands in that direction.
What he had never anticipated was that Song Heping would actually choose to go dozens of kiloters north and break through near Awaz.
He quickly grabbed a map, then inquired about the current positions of each of the search squads over the radio.
His initial intention was to dispatch the closest search team to intercept them, hoping they might delay Song Heping's group even a bit—that would be considered a success.
To his surprise, after checking with everyone, he found that over a thousand of his troops had been, whether intentionally or unintentionally, restrained near the Salbic area thanks to Song Heping's maneuvers for the past two days. The search team closest to Song Heping was still at least thirty kiloters away.
"Thirty kiloters..."
He looked at the map.
From the current firefight location to Awaz, there were just over ten kiloters.
In the highlands, all search teams relied on foot; there were no motor vehicles because there weren't many places in this region where motor vehicles could be used.
By the ti the search teams arrived, it would be too late.
"Damn it! Bastard!"
He kicked a nearby tree in a fit of irrational anger.
An associate ca over to remind him, "Captain, they haven't left the highlands yet, but we do have our own people in Awaz. Have you forgotten? At tis like this, I think we can deploy them."
Casiva was stunned.
His eyes swiveled fiercely.
The phrase "we have our own people" from his associate served as a reminder.
"Right... we do have people..."
But Casiva hesitated.
Because the "own people" he had in Awaz were no ordinary folks.
Using them was possible, but these guys were notorious for being ruthless, and the risks were high.
He was hesitant about this matter.
"Captain, if you don't make a decision now, it will be too late," the associate reminded him from the side.
"Fine! Let's use our people there!" Casiva finally made up his mind, "Even if it ans using all connections and power, we cannot let them escape!"
...
"We've made it... we're here... no..."
Rabbani's tongue lolled out longer than a dog's under the sumr sun. Before he could finish speaking, he stumbled and face-planted into the dirt, mouth full of mud.
Song Heping looked back, pulled him up, and called over Mist, "Prop him up and run! There are only five more kiloters left."
Just five kiloters.
To Song Heping, it seed trivial.
But for Mist, who was already running on fus, it was already tough going, and now he had to support soone else, so he started swearing up a storm.
"Stuck with such a burden... such bad luck!"
He complained like this, but his actions were resolute.
After all, victory was in sight.
They had co this far; they couldn't let Rabbani die now that they were so close to safety, couldn't spoil the effort at the last mont.
It was five in the morning, and the sky was beginning to brighten.
The highlands in the early morning were not dry, and there was even a bit of mist.
They weren't sure how long they had been running, but they should be close to the agreed-upon place by then.
"There should be a dirt road up ahead. Follow it west, and we'll reach Awaz Town... My people should be waiting there for us. Push a little further, and we should be safe," said Song Heping.
After he finished speaking, Mist looked back to check behind them.
"No one's chasing us, hahaha! We've broken through!"
These words excited Rabbani as well, "Don't... don't support anymore, I can... I can do it myself..."
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