Chapter 699 - 640: A Captive

The population of Hexiye Village is not large, only over thirty households.

In its heyday, there used to be more than a hundred households living here.

However, after the fall of Sadam, the place didn't become more "free"; on the contrary, even basic security couldn't be guaranteed anymore.

Over the years, those who could flee did, and now only these thirty-some households remain.

The air of the village is suffused with the stench of blood.

In front of a small house, three armed personnel enter to search, with one guarding the door and two going inside.

After searching the house, one of them gets impatient, throws his hands in frustration and complains: "I don't know what the boss is thinking. Hasn't this place been searched before? Everyone was driven to the open space in the middle of the village; it has been searched twice already, where could anyone be?"

Another warns him: "Keep your voice down. If you're heard, you won't be able to save your own life."

The one grumbling wanted to say more but in the end, he didn't dare utter a word.

He walks to the table with a belly full of anger that he can't vent.

Dragged out here in the dead of night, a whole bunch of people killed, and now they still have to search each house for survivors.

So annoying.

He just wants to get back to base and sleep.

As he passes by the table, he kicks it, unable to hold back his fury.

The table flies out, slamming into the wall with a loud crash.

The armed personnel outside keeping watch thinks something happened and rushes in, gun ready.

Seeing it was just a comrade venting, he starts cursing: "Sudani! What are you doing? You scared the hell out of me!"

"It's nothing..."

Sudani, who kicked the table, knows he's done something wrong, but still acts nonchalant as he says: "I accidentally tripped over the table..."

He hadn't finished explaining when he suddenly stops short: "Huh?"

There used to be an old, torn, and filthy blanket under the kicked-away table.

Because the corner of the table was inadvertently lifted by the kick, something dark underneath became visible.

"Bring the flashlight."

He squats down, calling his comrade over.

"Abdulla! Hurry up! There seems to be something here."

He feels around the dark item that had been exposed, realizing it's a wooden board.

"There seems to be something here!"

Sudani shouts excitedly.

Soon, the flashlight is brought and shone on the ground.

Everything becomes clear.

It is indeed a wooden board that seems to have some age, its surface blackened.

"There's definitely something underneath!"

Sudani, an experienced soldier, certainly understands what suddenly revealing a board like this on the ground means.

For safety's sake, he doesn't dare to get too close but carefully prods the edge of the board with his rifle's muzzle, trying to lift it.

However, the board is stuck tight and seems to be fastened to something inside.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Sudani stands up and, in annoyance, fires several shots at the board.

Bang bang bang—

After three shots, a scream comes from beneath the board.

"Come out! Come out quickly! Or I'll shoot!"

No need to ask anymore.

The sound of screaming means there are people hiding below.

An underground tunnel.

These are not uncommon in the villages of the northwest region.

That's why the commander of this small squad insisted his men search carefully.

"If you don't come out, I'll kill you all!"

As he speaks, the impatient Sudani can no longer hold back, firing several more shots into the tunnel entrance.

"Don't shoot, we're coming out, we're coming out."

A woman's voice comes from underneath the board.

Soon, the board covering the tunnel entrance is pushed open.

Then, a terrified woman with her hands raised emerges from below.

And then another...

Two...

Three...

In the end, there turned out to be four women and two children hidden inside.

Sudani seemed to be rejuvenated by capturing these few living people.

He excitedly waved the AKM assault rifle in his hand, almost pressing the muzzle against the woman's body.

The women, having never seen such a scene, screamed in terror like antelopes surrounded and hunted by lions.

"Out! Get out!"

Sudani signaled for the women and children to leave.

This time, having found so many people, the boss would certainly be happy.

With that thought, he couldn't help but grin.

Around the corner of a house not far from the door, Song Heping quietly pulled back his head.

"Hunter, you take care of the lookout at the door, Disaster Star is responsible for the one at the back; the one with the gun is mine."

"Understood."

"Understood!"

Just as Sudani was herding a group of women and children out of the door onto the open space in front, suddenly a strange whooshing sound filled the air.

Crack——

A 7.62mm warhead pierced through the head of the lookout at the doorway.

His skull was effortlessly shattered, a clump of brain matter mixed with blood sprayed against the dirt wall behind him, and he immediately collapsed like a toy that had lost power.

The armed man on his left had not figured out what had happened when his comrade suddenly fell to the ground.

Little did he expect, a tall dark figure emerged from behind the house on his right, the silenced pistol in hand firing twice.

Chit chit——

Both shots hit the head—accurate and swift.

Sudani was still reveling in the joy of having captured living people.

Two companions at his side fell one after the other.

But he didn't hear any gunshots.

However, he saw Disaster Star coming from the right.

The distance between them was only about fifteen meters.

Sudani quickly turned his gun barrel around while opening his mouth intending to call out.

Chit chit——

As he spun around, he suddenly felt a violent jolt in his hand.

Then, uncontrollably, his gun fell to the ground.

Sudani looked down in horror to see what was happening, only to discover two bullet holes in his hand.

One in the palm went through and hit the AKM rifle stock, which shook the assault rifle out of his grasp.

The other bullet, shot precisely into the elbow joint, seemed to be lodged inside, causing such severe pain when he tried to move his arm that he had no control over it.

He wanted to shout for help.

His comrades were just over a hundred meters away in the village center.

A shout would surely be heard by them.

But when he opened his mouth, he realized something was wrong.

A dark figure darted out from behind him like lightning, executing a wrestling move—lifting him by the legs and hoisting him up.

Sudani face-planted directly onto the ground, his mouth fouled with yellow sand and mud.

Song Heping came up to lock his throat while Jiang Feng and others embraced arms and legs; someone also stuffed a field scarf into Sudani's mouth.

In less than five seconds, Sudani had been carried into the room.

He was completely bewildered; the men in front of him didn't look like the US Army.

But their tactical gear clearly indicated they were professional military personnel.

"You go take care of the women and children, keep them from shouting. If they want to live, they have to listen to us."

"Okay!"

After Jiang Feng turned and left, Song Heping had Sudani dragged into the furthest room and then closed the door.

He asked Sudani, who was sitting on the ground, already so scared that his pants were damp: "Who are you guys? What are you doing here?"

Sudani hadn't yet replied, hasn't even considered what means the other party would employ against him when Song Heping laid it all out.

The pistol pressed against Sudani's kneecap, then the trigger was pulled.

The feeling as if the meniscus was directly shattered was almost worse than death.

Sudani screamed like a slaughtering pig, but with his mouth stuffed so firmly, he was deprived of the privilege to yell; all that came out were muffled "woo woo" sounds.

This time, Song Heping's gun barrel moved upward, pressing against Sudani's forehead.

"I'm going to remove what's in your mouth now. You have only one chance to answer me, remember, just one. If you don't answer honestly, you die; if you shout and scream, you die, understand?"

Sudani nodded repeatedly, large beads of sweat falling from his forehead with a plop.

Song Heping reached in and pulled the field scarf out of Sudani's mouth.

"Speak, tell me the answer."