The rainforest in the early morning carried a hint of chill.
The most annoying part was the dampness, making one's whole body feel sticky and uncomfortable.
Song Heping left the hollow tree, slowly making his way toward the river along the sa path he had taken the past two days.
About a hundred ters from the tree hollow, there was a river.
The reason for choosing this location was that the river served as a natural barrier.
To approach the tree hollow from the north, one would have to cross the river.
Unlike the jungle and shrubbery areas where one could hide, it was easier to spot the enemy's approach by the river.
All of this, he had learned from seasoned soldiers.
Back in the day, an instructor had told him that not only was a river a natural barrier, but it also provided a water source.
When choosing a hiding spot in the jungle, it was best to stay close to a water source for the sake of water supply, and because aquatic life could be an important source of food.
Now, Song Heping was putting that knowledge to good use and found it quite advantageous.
More importantly, although the river was not wide, its current was extrely rapid, with oddly shaped rocks in the water. Anyone falling in would quickly be swept away, and about 1 kiloter downstream, there was a waterfall with a drop of more than thirty ters.
If the search team wanted to cross the river, they had only two choices—
One was to use ropes to ford the river.
The other was to take the only log bridge here.
This log bridge was not man-made, but rather a tree trunk about 30 centiters wide that had naturally fallen across the river, possibly after being struck by lightning, and was overgrown with vines and moss, untouched for many years.
One could say that if the enemy ca from the north, Song Heping needed only to guard the riverside, and it would be as secure as a guarded pass that no one could open. Each enemy who ca would et his demise.
However, Song Heping left this advantageous position to Morins for surveillance and was responsible for watching for enemies from the other three directions.
In the past two days, he had set up so traps in all four directions.
Given the choice, he would have preferred to use land mines, but as he didn't have any, he had to make do with handmade traps.
Being alone, the traps Song Heping could set were rather simple yet practical, and he made sure to rember their locations on the map to avoid harming himself.
The purpose of the traps was not just to inflict injury or death on the enemy, but also to serve as an early warning system.
After checking around, Song Heping saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Damn, they sure are patient..."
The absence of the Special Forces from the governnt army was making Song Heping a bit restless himself.
It wasn't that he couldn't hold out here, but he had estimated that the Colombian Governnt Army couldn't afford to wait more than three or four days without taking action, as ti was not on their side. The dia would expose the situation if they delayed for too long, and once the ELN heard that Morins was not dead, they would surely stir up trouble in various places within the country, which would put the military in a disadvantageous position.
Yet the third day arrived, and no one had co.
He even had the fleeting illusion in his mind: what if the spot he had chosen was too well-hidden and the enemy couldn't find it?
But he quickly dismissed that notion.
After all, this location was very close to the Tbilisi Mountain Range, and continuing northwest for less than twenty kiloters, one could enter the mountainous region, which was the territory of the ELN ard forces.
Previously, Song Heping had discovered that two enemy groups had positioned themselves on the roads leading to the mountain range, which was why he had retreated and hidden in the tree hollow.
If the Colombian Special Forces initiated a search for him, they would pass through this area in two to three hours.
Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard two clear bird calls coming from the direction of the river.
That was the signal he and Morins had agreed on.
"There's activity!"
Song Heping imdiately perked up.
He quickly moved closer to Morins's position.
Morins was behind a relatively high mound of earth on the opposite side of the river, with a large tree that provided a view of the log bridge over the river.
Soon, he found Morins, who was panting slightly, pointed in the direction of the river, and said "There are people on the other side, and it looks like they want to cross the river!"
Song Heping said, "It seems they can't wait any longer. Our chance has co."
As he spoke, he lay down on the ground like a snake and started to crawl forward.
He did not choose to peek from the side of the tree trunk.
That would run the risk of being spotted.
After all, if he were the Commander of the search team, he would establish a covering position on the opposite bank before crossing the river. Usually, this task would be assigned to a sniper who would find a high point to control a certain area of the river and the opposite bank.
Because crossing the river was when one was most vulnerable, whether walking on the bridge or using ropes for a tethered crossing, it would be difficult even to return fire if attacked.
Only with a sniper in control could safety be ensured.
Song Heping didn't have binoculars or anything similar, but Morins had a telescope, a standard issue item for any leader of his caliber, an Arican military product, model Mk30, which was already an outdated World War II era model.
Old as it was, its performance and magnification were quite reliable.
Cautiously burrowing behind so bushes, he found a position that effectively concealed his body.
He searched for a gap in the bushes, carefully lifted the telescope to his eye, and began to adjust the magnification as he ticulously observed the opposite bank and the jungle there.
The search priority was simple: start with the high points.
In the jungle, a sniper rifle's effectiveness would be limited by elents like trees blocking the line of sight.
To maintain control, finding a high point was essential.
His current position naturally had the tactical advantage as the terrain was already elevated.
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