The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress

Chapter 1074: Chapter 1074 Their Escape

"Alright, let’s do it," Dave said grimly. "We’re out of time. Once those hunting dogs pick up a scent, it won’t matter whose it is; they’ll lead the enemy straight to us. They’re already too close, so we move. Now."

He motioned for the scout to come over and quickly whispered the plan into his ear before sending him back.

With an injured man in tow, they couldn’t commit everyone. The soldiers carrying the captain’s stretcher would stay hidden, while the others should focus on securing the road ahead, and the one with the captain should wait for extraction once the exit vehicle arrived. The rest would follow Dave and Luke, drawing the enemy’s attention by turning the checkpoint into chaos.

Once the first shots were fired, there would be no turning back. From that moment on, all Dave and Luke could do was trust that Team Two and Team Three would read the battlefield correctly and seize the opening to complete their missions.

After the scout returned to the group and relayed Dave’s plan, understanding settled quickly among the team. Most of the soldiers emerged from the tall grass, leaving only two behind to carry the captain on a stretcher, with one more assigned to guard them and provide cover if needed.

The rest moved to Dave’s side. When the handler crouched and let the hunting dog sniff the scrap of cloth in his hand, Dave gave a subtle nod. At once, Luke led several men in a wide arc, splitting off to flank the enemy from at least two directions so their enemy’s firepower wouldn’t be focused solely on Dave’s position. All Dave had to do now was wait for Luke’s team to get into place.

It didn’t take long. Luke and two other soldiers slipped into position without drawing attention and without sending a signal. The moment they were ready, Luke fired.

The handler dropped instantly, killed with a single shot.

The shot instantly alerted the enemy. They snapped their heads toward its origin and, without checking their targets, opened fire. Bullets rained down on Luke’s position.

Fortunately, the moment Luke secured the kill, he and his men dropped flat, letting the gunfire tear through the space above them. They didn’t return fire; doing so would only waste ammunition since their position is already exposed.

Instead, Dave and the others on the opposite flank moved. They opened fire in controlled bursts, cutting down every enemy that crossed into their line of sight, buying Luke’s team the breathing room they needed.

"What—?! They’re behind us, too! Fire!" one of the enemies shouted.

Dave’s team answered immediately. Their gunfire cut down two unsuspecting men, but in doing so, they exposed their position. That was exactly the point.

The moment Luke’s location was revealed, Dave and the soldiers with him opened fire as well. Shots erupted from multiple directions, overlapping and echoing through the field. For a split second, the enemies hesitated as they felt confused, unsure whether they were being surrounded or if reinforcements had arrived.

That moment of doubt was all Dave and Luke needed. The enemy formation wavered, panic creeping in as their rhythm collapsed. Orders overlapped, movements faltered, and in that brief opening, Dave’s and Luke’s teams struck again, precise and relentless.

They gave the enemy no time to breathe. Ammunition concerns were cast aside as rounds were poured downrange, pressing the assault until the remaining enemies dropped, one after another, before they even realized the fight was already lost.

"Open a path," Dave ordered, firing as he advanced, forcing the enemy back step by step. The team moved with him in tight formation, capitalizing on the element of surprise. Caught off guard, the enemies reacted too slowly and were cut down one after another.

But the gunfire didn’t go unnoticed. Reinforcements searching for Dave and Luke from other sectors began converging on the sound.

The moment the last enemy fell, Dave and Luke’s people moved fast. They stripped the enemy’s bodies of full magazines and usable weapons, replenishing their own supplies without hesitation. Then they relocated, abandoning their original position for better cover, one that offered concealment, angles, and control of the road ahead.

When the enemies arrived in waves, Dave and Luke’s team met them head-on. Precise shots rang out as they held their ground, cutting down each attacker before they could mount a coordinated assault.

They didn’t need to win the battlefield, only to secure the road and hold it long enough for their extraction vehicle to arrive.

"Fire! Shoot them down, now! Damn it!" the enemy leader on the opposite flank shouted, kicking his men into motion when they continued to cower behind cover instead of returning fire.

The moment he shoved one of them forward, the man’s head snapped back, blood trickling down from his forehead as a hole passed through his skull, Dave’s shot killing him instantly with a headshot.

Rage flared through the leader. Any trace of caution vanished. Without thinking, he yanked up his primary weapon and locked onto Dave’s position, intent on emptying every round he had.

Dave leaned out just enough to snipe another shot, then froze.

The enemy had hauled out his main weapon. The barrel assembly spun as it leveled straight at him.

"Holy shit... that’s a Gatling gun!"

Dave didn’t hesitate. He bolted and dove hard, hitting the ground as the weapon roared to life. The air screamed.

The spot he’d been using for cover was shredded in an instant, dirt and debris exploding as the stream of bullets chewed through it.

He rolled to a stop, heart pounding. One second slower, and he would’ve been nothing but torn flesh and metal.

"Grenades, throw the grenades." Dave mouthed the words at Luke across the other side.

Luke caught it instantly. He yanked three pins in rapid succession and hurled the blast grenades toward the enemy’s position.

Clink.

Clang.

Clang.

Boom! Boom! Bang!

Dave grinned as the explosions tore through the other side. He shifted positions, peering out to check the damage.

The Gatling gun lay abandoned on the ground, its barrel smoking and warped from the heat. Around it were shattered bodies from the blast, nothing left intact.

But Dave’s grin faded.

The gunner wasn’t there.

He ducked back into cover and flashed a quick signal at Luke to tell him to stay sharp.

The leader on the other side was slippery as a loach. Even with Luke timing the blast grenades perfectly, leaving only five seconds before detonation so they’d explode on impact, the gunner still managed to escape unscathed.

Luke had calculated the distance, the timing, everything down to the second, yet the enemy still slipped through. That was the mark of someone truly dangerous who is meticulous, skilled, and deadly.

Luke signaled back, mouthing, "I’ll take the left. You take the right."

Dave nodded. They counted silently to three.

On three, they broke off at the same time, sprinting in opposite directions to close in on the enemy’s hiding spot. The plan was simple: hit him from both sides, cut off his escape, and end it here. If they succeeded, there’d be no need to wait for Team Two or Team Three for extraction.

But when they reached the position they were certain the gunner had taken, Luke and Dave came to a halt, facing each other from opposite sides.

The spot was empty.

"Where did he go?" Dave muttered in disbelief as he immediately dropped low, scanning their surroundings.

Beep... Beep!

"Captain! We’re here! Get in!"

Team Two and Team Three arrived simultaneously, bringing three SUVs they had hijacked from the enemy. Dave and Luke didn’t have time to wonder where the gunner had disappeared; they sprinted straight for the vehicles.

Team Two stayed on high alert, covering Team One’s retreat as bullets ripped past them.

Bang! Bang!

The remaining enemy forces weren’t as many as the first wave, so Team Two quickly took them down with just a few gunshots. As soon as Dave, Luke, and their team climbed into the SUVs, the drivers plowed through the checkpoint, smashing past the barrier the enemy had set up on the road.

Since Dave and Luke had been chasing the enemy gunner, they were farther behind, so they rode in the last SUV. The lead vehicle rammed through the barrier, drove a few more meters, and came to a stop.

Not long after, three soldiers sprinted out from the tall grass carrying the captain’s stretcher. While they loaded him into the SUV, Team Two maintained a defensive perimeter, keeping the approaching enemies pinned down with precise fire from the rear.

"Hurry, hurry! They’re coming again!" one of Team Two’s soldiers shouted, firing at the approaching enemies.

"Go, go!" The last soldier leapt into the SUV, slamming the door shut.

Clang... clang...

Bullets scraped across the side of the vehicle, forcing everyone to duck. The driver slammed the accelerator to the floor, and the SUV shot forward, darting away from the danger.