The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress

Chapter 1072: Chapter 1072 Marking Signal

Hearing his words, Dave adjusted the captain’s vest and lifted his shirt to check his side. Sure enough, dark purple bruises were already blooming along his ribs and spreading across other parts of his torso. The captain had sprayed a coolant spray over the area, but it was clearly not enough.

Dave pressed gently, testing for fractures. Each time his fingers applied even the slightest pressure, the captain sucked in a sharp breath, his body going rigid as a low, pained grunt escaped him. He held his breath instinctively, as if bracing himself against the pain.

"This is serious," Dave said, his brow knitting into a deep frown. "You need to see a doctor now. We can’t risk leaving this unchecked."

He stopped the captain from shifting, pressing him back before he could move. Any unnecessary motion could worsen the injury and cause further complications.

Meanwhile, Luke moved to the captain’s other side and checked his head for visible swelling, running his fingers carefully along the scalp. The dizziness could be from a blow to the head, but if it wasn’t, then it might be something far more dangerous. Shortness of breath could lead to reduced of oxygen reaching the brain, which was causing his dizziness, or worse, it might be caused by damage to the lungs themselves.

Either way, it wasn’t something they could afford to guess right now.

"I see a bump on his head," Luke said, his voice calm but precise. "He may have sustained a concussion from the impact. That rules out a punctured lung... for now. But a deeper inspection is necessary, something only a doctor could handle. We really should’ve brought a field medic with us."

He then moved cautiously to check the captain’s ears, looking for any signs of bleeding or other injuries they might have missed.

While Dave and Luke checked on the captain, the other soldiers finished assembling the makeshift stretcher. By the time the two who had been examining the captain completed their assessment, they concluded that his condition consisted of a mild concussion, three broken ribs, and extensive bruising, but he was still under close observation. Knowing they needed to move quickly, no one hesitated.

The captain was carefully laid on the stretcher, and another layer of coolant spray was applied to his body. Once that was done, the team took their positions according to the formation they had devised. The scout had already run ahead to secure the path, while Dave collected a few magazines from the enemy. The rest of the team also grabbed whatever remaining ammunition they could find, preparing themselves for the dangerous journey ahead.

Once preparations were complete and the scout had already moved a few meters ahead, Dave looked back and used hand signals to instruct the team to follow closely, maintaining full vigilance. He then led them along an alternate path no one had taken before, but they are still heading toward the likely location of the enemy’s parked vehicles.

Since his own comms were broken, Dave now used the captain’s device to communicate with the rest of the team. As soon as he activated it, he checked in with the second and third teams to confirm their positions, carefully avoiding revealing his own location, as their formation was still tentative and could change at any moment. Any premature movement from the other teams could compromise their safety.

Earlier, while putting on the comms, the soldiers briefed Dave on the extraction plan that they and the captain had devised to ensure his safe exit. With the captain now incapacitated and Dave taking over his role, it was crucial for him to understand the plan. This way, the other two teams waiting ahead would know how to proceed and be prepared to adapt if any changes arose.

Dave didn’t want the other teams to move from their current positions. There was a strong possibility they were being tailed, and if they converged on him, they might lead the enemy straight to his location. If that happened, everyone’s lives would be at risk.

Instead, Dave needed the other two teams to hold their ground, secure some alternate routes, and act as decoys for the time being. That would give Dave and his group a chance to move toward the extraction vehicle without exposing their position.

With no certainty that their comms weren’t compromised, whether by bugs or interception, he wasn’t willing to take any chances. Dave wanted to be absolutely sure.

"Alright, everyone, we’re moving out. Stay in position and be ready to assist when the opportunity arises," Dave said into the comms.

He then pushed through the tall grass, advancing slowly, every step measured. This was guerrilla warfare now. They were outnumbered, and brute force wasn’t an option. If they wanted to get out alive, they had to outsmart the enemy, use the terrain, exploit blind spots, and strike only when necessary.

Right now, strategy was their only way out. And that meant Dave had to stay sharp, alert to every sound, every shift in the grass, every shadow that didn’t belong.

"Understood, sir." The representatives of the two teams responded simultaneously over the comms. Dave didn’t answer. His attention was fully on the terrain.

He crouched and scanned the ground, spotting the faint, deliberate traces left by the scout he’d sent ahead. Only their team knew these marking signals. The scout had moved with precision, weaving through the tall grass without leaving a footprint, ensuring no enemy would detect his presence until Dave and the others arrived.

This was exactly the kind of skill a scout needed: silent, invisible, and precise. Dave nodded in satisfaction, crouching lower to examine a small formation of stones arranged in a triangle.

At first glance, they would have seemed ordinary, just part of the scattered rocks on the ground. Only with careful inspection would one reveal their significance, and only someone trained to notice such subtle cues, like Dave, would understand they were the scout’s markers.

Only after confirming that the stones before him were indeed the markings left by his scout did Dave signal for the team to move forward. The scout had a system of signals.

The first one was three small stones forming a triangle, which meant the path ahead was clear and safe.

The second one would be a large stone with three smaller ones beneath, indicating that the people following the scout’s markers needed to be cautious, as the path was usable but might hide dangers, such as animals or enemy activity.

While the third one would be three large stones with pointed edges pointing in different directions, it is a marking indicating that the path ahead was a no-go zone. If the scout had to change course, he would place an extra small stone at the end of one of the markers to indicate the new path the people behind needed to follow.

Now, seeing three small stones arranged correctly, Dave knew the way ahead was clear. He gave the signal, and the team cautiously continued forward.

As they moved, Dave carefully scanned the ground for the scout’s next marking. Each marker was placed roughly five meters apart, always in inconspicuous locations, so he had to remain mindful of the distance. When he reached about five meters from the previous marker, he began searching for the ideal hiding spot for the next one.

Then he saw the three small stones arranged in a triangle beneath a larger rock. The bigger rock’s uneven coloration suggested it had been partially buried for a long time and had only recently been turned over, and in the darkness of the night, no one would be able to notice this small detail.

But how could he see all this in the dark? The answer was the captain’s night-vision goggles on his head and a small flashlight from the captain’s waist pouch, which he used sparingly to avoid detection.

Dave systematically scanned the area, inspecting potential spots one by one until he found the perfect hiding place, and there it was, exactly what he had been looking for.

"Smart..." Dave murmured, though no one could tell whether he was complimenting the scout or himself. Luckily, Luke didn’t hear him, or he would have been met with a scoff and mocking grin for thinking so highly of himself.

Once he confirmed that the path ahead was clear, Dave resumed leading the team, keeping a steady pace while staying highly vigilant of their surroundings.

Dave pressed forward, twenty meters, thirty meters... until they reached the hundred-meter mark. He crouched, scanning the ground for the scout’s marking. His brow furrowed. No matter where he looked, it was nowhere to be found. His mind raced, leaping to grim conclusions that the scout could have been ambushed... or worse.

He signaled for everyone to stop and drop into a crouch, their bodies tense, eyes darting across the darkened field. The night breeze rustled through the tall grass, carrying a soft, almost sinister whisper. Every ear perked, straining to detect any sound above the wind.

Rustle...

Rustle...