Weird combinations of clattering under the dark, rainy night, Ling Qingyu's group tried to hide the pursuers' hint of smell.
The gang members kept following, no matter how accurate Tang Ziyi's shots were or how Tang Ziyi completely suppressed her opponents in any engagement.
These men would flee whenever they saw their friends fall but were forced by the leader-like figures among the gang to carry on the attack.
They were treated as cannon fodder. Even if their instincts told them otherwise, they still gritted their teeth to fight.
After all, dying amidst the gunfire was a better option than being tortured and played to death to please their superior.
The young master died under their watch. None of them could escape the responsibility, even if he was so arrogant as to not evacuate when chaos got closer.
Of course, he wasn't so arrogant that his tail had straightened up like a scorpion; no one expected Ling Qingyu's and Tang Ziyi's movement to be so fast!
The leading figures had no other choice but to atone for the coming punishment to show that they were remedying to avenge the young master.
Compared to the sudden attacker, nobody believed the gang would dissolve and be buried soon. The attackers would definitely leave after their objectives, whatever they were, nobody knew.
So, every time Tang Ziyi scored several alarming headshots, the enemy's resistance dipped naturally, but they always bounced back. Natural fear under the reign of warlords had created hierarchies of slaves.
Though in the modern, peaceful world, people with separated classes were no different, here, there was no minimum guarantee of safety or rights.
Hence, Ling Qingyu's pursuers remained persistent in spite of the losses and weren't deterred. Particularly, when everybody began to comprehend that they were played around by merely two special operators.
Wouldn't it be an honor if they were able to participate in the chase to eliminate one? Word of mouth spread from one to ten to hundreds. Gradually, the size of the army chasing Ling Qingyu's group grew, and Tang Ziyi had headaches.
The commotion attracted eyes from the gang elsewhere. Those whose hands were free joined in the fun when messengers exchanged reports.
Ling Qingyu, who led the team, had to take several detours to avoid entrapment. She and Tang Ziyi wished to play a cat-and-mouse game, without pressure if they were alone.
Nonetheless, they were carrying extra weight, and these weights must be protected from harm.
Their caution was necessary when they couldn't control the probability of stray bullets. Whether morally or to preserve reputation, Tang Ziyi wouldn't allow anybody in the group to get hurt.
On the other hand, Ling Qingyu was in distress. Carrying another human while ensuring she fought, control of strength and mind put her to an ultimate test.
Fortunately, forewarnings owing to Athena's calculation of the enemies' movement and drone footage above helped share the pressure.
When they went quiet, they managed to surpass a patrol without a shot. When unavoidable, Ling Qingyu could aim before the enemies showed up in her vision. First sight, first shot, first kill.
Along with their skill level, they outmatched their opponents. In order to hide their tracks, Ling Qingyu equipped a suppressor on her handgun when she got a chance.
The man and two women followed without complaints, but their legs showed if they pressed on, they wouldn't be able to make it. Tang Ziyi and Ling Qingyu didn't have the slightest change in their breathing.
Cool composure, steadfast and methodical.
The man and Sophia, who were keenly observing the two, couldn't help but shrink their eyes, noticing their state. They had been running for more than fifteen minutes nonstop.
Especially Sophia, who couldn't fathom, with her extra weight, how on earth Ling Qingyu expressed nonchalance?
This was too unusual, right? She had contacts with special units and knew more in detail. At least, the breathing rhythm and the heartbeat must show signs of alteration, but no.
Were these two so strong? Stronger than men she worked with before, and females too? Not only did the man suffer confusion, but she did too.
Unbeknownst to Ling Qingyu, the two shared similar suspicions, but every time they dove deep, someone would interrupt.
Ling Qingyu brought her team to narrow alleys, avoiding obvious roads that would soon be filled with patrols and checkpoints.
She could have breached buildings nearby and attempted to stay incognito, but she couldn't risk the innocent civilians.
The gang might not care about collateral damage, but she and Tang Ziyi did. They would never be able to forgive themselves if an innocent, unrelated bystander got injured or died because they chose to hide inside someone's apartment.
As for the method of running on the street and breaching a particular room to reach another street, it was a myth and shining Hollywood scenes of spies.
The reality was totally in contrast. First, Ling Qingyu and Tang Ziyi had no idea about the architecture and culture of the environment.
They needed time and adjustment if they wanted to escape like in the movie scenes to avoid getting lost.
Second, who said that a building always contained two doors—front-door and back-door?
There were many without any extra door; some high-rise buildings even didn't have an emergency staircase according to the regulations.
What if the group intended to escape through one apartment but found out there was no back door?
The group would be trapped instead and cut off their road to escape by themselves. It was safer and preferable, in Ling Qingyu's and Tang Ziyi's opinion.
Besides, once they barricaded themselves, civilian harm became natural. Speeding up would drain the hostages' energy, unfavorable in a life-and-death scenario.
"How long before Kilo 7 arrives?" Ling Qingyu asked.
"10 mikes out," Tang Ziyi answered and looked behind as if she noticed something. Snapping her HK416, she fired two rounds at the fast-moving figure, which tumbled and drifted close to the body.
"Another dog?"
"Eh. They keep sending in hunting dogs," Tang Ziyi chuckled. "Do they consider us as helpless 'civilians' without any threats?"
"I don't think so," replied Ling Qingyu. "It's the manner they use dogs to chase, not to track us like professionals."
What Ling Qingyu said was correct. This was the sixth dog killed by Tang Ziyi. Ling Qingyu had shot two.
The enemies kept releasing dogs to hunt them down. Each time, the group fought against a small squad.
Ling Qingyu still didn't understand why they continued sending them in. Did the opponents really think that dogs would make the two panic?
Initially, there were one or two. As time went by, they sent in a group of canines. These dogs were troublesome, even for those with military experience.
Under the darkness, despite night vision aids, dogs moved too fast for the eyes to react and aiming difficulties increased, particularly when a group sprinted at the same time.
However, for Tang Ziyi, the menacing canines didn't cost a sweat. The good old double tap was all she needed to end what everyone regarded as a crisis.
Perhaps, their quick elimination frightened the enemies so much that they dared not send in further. Who knew there might be dogs with leashes chasing them?
Among the pursuers, as the size grew, there were a few targets with good skills. They made sure they were harder to hit, and Ling Qingyu and Tang Ziyi understood these might be mercenaries hired from abroad.
Face to face, the duo didn't bother to land an eye, but when they combined with the average gang, both practiced caution to ensure they didn't roll over.
Naturally, such was the reason why both never scratched the possibility of seeing a K-9 trainer.
"Mom, my advice is to roll into the building. You're now stuck. If you keep going, you'll be in an open field soon." Athena's warning changed Ling Qingyu's complexion.
Her eyes captured faint figures ahead, and she immediately changed direction. "Athena, mark me the closest main avenue. Easiest and fastest access for Kilo 7 to support."
"Roger. It's marked on your visor."
"Any advice?" Ling Qingyu asked.
Her voice puzzled Sophia and the rest. Yes, by now, the drugged female agent had regained consciousness and was able to move, barely.
The burden on the youthful spoiled lady decreased, but she still protested, panting. "I… I, we need to rest. I'm sorry… I…"
She was ashamed that she couldn't go on. The burning heat inside her chest wreaked panic trains of what-ifs.
The man wasn't any better, but his training merely kept him from embarrassing himself.
"No worries. We'll handle that. And don't be sorry. Just hang for a while; we'll let you rest," Ling Qingyu said.
"A standoff fight then," Tang Ziyi knew what Ling Qingyu had in mind.
"Yeah, you've got the knowledge and experience. Why don't you take control?"
"No need. You're already doing good. Carry on with your idea." Tang Ziyi smiled and prodded her chin.
"Let's move and find a secure position," Ling Qingyu asked Athena for a suggestion.
Defending inside a building sounded great, but once they got surrounded, grenades, RPGs, and others might kill them.
Safe yet their visibility decreased. With only the man and Tang Ziyi, fighting inside wouldn't cover too much. Hanging on till reinforcement arrived remained questionable.
Safe under rain was different than safe under the sun. What if the mob lit a fire or used gasoline? They would be trapped like a turtle inside a cage.
However, the situation changed again when gang members slammed out of several buildings.
Ling Qingyu's group trotted away, and the adrenaline forced the hostages to strive on. She knew the hostages might soon collapse and needed rest.
Ping-pongs rang behind. After a while, everybody got used to trusting Tang Ziyi's handlings.
Seeing concrete blocks on the T-shaped corner beside the main avenue, which the group was heading to, Ling Qingyu's eyes sparkled with delight.
Natural defensive positions plus a few vegetations to hide. She wondered if the location was the old checkpoint for the gang.
Sure enough, the concretes were set up for defensive postures in a circular formation. A perfect spot to rendezvous with Kilo 7 and escape rapidly.
"That's it. Take cover behind the concrete blocks!" Ling Qingyu shouted and pointed at the man. "You'll make sure they stay under cover and protect our flank."
Rapidly, the girl hobbling with the weak female agent fell as soon as her feet stood on the place Ling Qingyu indicated.
Emotion was everything. She relaxed the moment the obsession completed. The man also looked around worriedly and asked, "What's next?"
"We'll wait till our QRF arrives," Ling Qingyu said nothing more and laid down Sophia in a safe place. "I'll be leaving them in your hands."
Pang! Puff!
Shots landed everywhere. Some passed overhead. A few hit the concrete, drawing sparks and dust.
Tang Ziyi jumped over the block with one hand as support and took cover. Ling Qingyu assumed another angle, unslung her HK417 from behind, and anchored the C-grip against the structure for stability, then began firing.
Tang Ziyi lay prone backward and reloaded before crouching over again to return fire. Their action prevented further encroachment and halted the enemy's advance.
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For now, both sides fought to compete for suppression. Outnumbered but never outgunned, since every shot Ling Qingyu and Tang Ziyi released hit the targets or scared them to hide.
Every bullet counted. "Reloading!" Ling Qingyu stayed back and slapped another magazine in.
Both of their bodies shifted as they aimed at an extreme angle, pivoting the front part of the rifles on the blocks.
After a while, rounds came from another direction and surprised the duo a little. Even the drones didn't notice the enemies' movement. Obviously, the gang went through buildings and hid their presence from Athena.
However, the duo didn't say a word of blame for missing. Ling Qingyu immediately readjusted the formation and rushed for another block to cover the new angle.
They defended against two-pronged attacks. The firefight heated to an extreme. Ricochets, whiplashes, loud cracks, and thuds!
Two rifles against hundreds. The war to achieve suppression kept raging, albeit at a slight disadvantage for Ling Qingyu and Tang Ziyi. The battle was tilting in the enemy's favor, and the man with an AK joined the fight, crouching beside Tang Ziyi.
The latter just looked and didn't say anything. The man was relieved that he contributed and thanked his collecting behavior as he saved ammo from the dead enemies.
Suddenly, Tang Ziyi saw a rocket darting in her direction and pushed down the man with her elbow to the ground. "RPG!"
Ling Qingyu ducked upon Tang Ziyi's cry. Boom!
The impact fell short of their position, a few meters away, but the explosion and the quiver threw the group off-balance.
The gunfight quieted down for one-tenth of a second and resumed again. Meanwhile, the girl, female agent, and Sophia covered their heads in dismay. The former shook and cried.
The agent had luckily woken up to comfort the young teen. All she could do at best was to avoid adding chaos to the team and trust their rescuers.
Sophia sighed and felt a strong guilt. If not for her, the team might have moved much quicker, right?
…
"Athena, what's the ETA again?" Tang Ziyi asked.
"More than 5 mikes away."
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"Make it quick. 1 or 2 mikes, or you'll be collecting bodies. Tell them that," Tang Ziyi snapped.