Willie nodded and gently lifted his HK416 assault rifle, aiming in the direction of the path.

The donkey team was large; it took more than ten minutes for everyone to pass.

Song Heping counted them - there were over thirty donkeys. This meant that the armed unit had over thirty people.

Thankfully…

He silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

As long as we aren't discovered, there shouldn't be any problems.

Even if we are discovered, we still have a chance to escape.

The number of enemies is not too many.

Shortly after the donkey team had passed, the two quickly left their hiding spot and hurried back to their planned escape route to continue marching.

Although it was unclear why armed personnel appeared here, it wasn't surprising.

After all, Ba Country lacks control over its remote regions due to historical reasons, leading to rampant security issues and separatist forces in some areas.

There are more than ten armed organizations in their remote territories alone, each with their own territory and living space.

Not far off, just as they climbed halfway up the hillside, the two heard the sound of helicopter rotors in the air.

"Hide!"

Song Heping immediately dove into the nearby bushes.

Willie also found a bunch of grass and crawled into it.

A minute later, the helicopter roared past overhead.

Under the moonlight, Song Heping recognized it as a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter.

It was generally the Ba Military that used such helicopters, as they had purchase records.

"That's odd," Song Heping felt a bad premonition: "Why would the Ba Military appear here!?"

He couldn't figure it out.

"They might be here to deal with those armed villagers."

Willie's explanation sounded plausible.

Unidentified armed organization members appear in the border mountain area, and the Bafang intelligence department receives intelligence and dispatches Special Forces to surround and annihilate them.

It makes sense.

But, only two helicopters deployed?

"Impossible." Although he was reluctant, Song Heping had to face reality: "They're most likely here for us."

Willie's expression darkened, although the night hid his nearly blackened face, the emotion exuding from him couldn't be concealed.

He fell silent.

Song Heping knew Willie couldn't accept this reality.

After all, the two had infiltrated another country to kill a US Army traitor; Willie, as an ISA operative, might have been awarded a medal.

Instead, they ended up being hunted down.

Anyone would feel bitter.

Song Heping felt he must confront him with reality, so he continued, "The people who can mobilize the Ba Military belong to the upper echelons of the US Army, if not them who else would it be? Willie, my words might not be absolute, it may not be your military, but someone within your ranks definitely wants us dead."

Song Heping said this because he also harbored another layer of suspicion.

That is, he himself had many enemies.

Especially the Central Intelligence Agency.

Although they hadn't completely fallen out yet, after all, him being dead would be better than alive for them.

So it could be the Central Intelligence Agency, it might be against him, not Willie.

"Let's go, no matter what they're up to, we'll keep moving on our way, and once we get back to Afghan, I'll make sure to find out who's behind this. I want them utterly ruined!"

Willie's voice was low, but his raging fury could be felt.

Just as they were about to leave, Song Heping suddenly saw a shocking scene.

The helicopter landed near the entrance of the village, and the people who descended from it didn't look like Ba Country military personnel at all.

Although they were some distance away and the view through night vision goggles was not very clear, the wheel hubs definitely didn't belong to Ba Country military, and their outfits were wrong.

"Willie, use your recon device and look at the village entrance! Those people don't seem like Ba Country Special Forces!"

Willie quickly took out the recon device and aimed it towards the direction of the village entrance.

Because the recon device's clarity and parameters were much finer than the individual night vision device, Willie soon saw those people clearly.

His hand trembled slightly.

Song Heping asked, "Who are they?"

"Just like last night..." Willie didn't continue, merely silently handing over the recon device.

Song Heping took it and saw.

Just as expected.

Those people were fully equipped in American gear, each tall and robust, definitely not members of the Ba Country Special Forces.

"Things are getting more interesting."

At the entrance of the village, the local armed squad that just arrived riding on donkeys surprisingly had several people coming out to greet them.

After meeting, they even shook hands briefly and then conversed on the spot.

As for what they discussed, I have no idea.

But one thing is certain.

Is this damn thing a collusion between the cat and the mouse?

"Right, Willie, you are with the ISA, have you guys supported any armed forces around here?"

"No…" Willie denied: "At least I don't know, or maybe my rank is too low, not high enough."

Song Heping watched with great interest as if enjoying a blockbuster movie, continuing to say, "But what we see now is a squad that might be from your US Army Special Forces and a group of Ba Country separatist armed members talking, and they even came here on Ba Military's aircraft. Isn't that something?"

Willie said resentfully, "It's too surreal."

Suddenly, Song Heping remembered something and asked, "Willie, are you sure your ISA hasn't supported any forces here? Haven't the Green Berets infiltrated and provided them support?"

"Absolutely not." Willie was certain: "At least from what I see, no, otherwise why wouldn't we use that support to help us eliminate the Bata Organization here?"

Song Heping said, "Your agency is also an intelligence department but independent from the military, you haven't supported forces here, do you think the CIA might have supported forces here?"

Willie was slightly shocked inwardly, his mouth moved, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Song Heping then directed his suspicion towards the CIA, which also involved his own considerations.

Eventually, Will said, "There's a rumor within our ranks that the CIA had already acquired intelligence before this counter-terrorism war began. They indeed have their own intelligence collection system here, including in the Middle East, and they have fostered many people, so whether they are affiliated with the local armed organizations here, we don't know."

While they were talking, those Special Soldiers who arrived by helicopter turned around and got back on the helicopter, quickly leaving the village.

"They left?"

Willie was utterly confused.

Song Heping didn't respond, just watched as the two helicopters quickly turned away in the sky.

Suddenly, he noticed something and said quickly: "Willie, do you believe our whereabouts have been exposed again?"

Willie exclaimed, "What?!"

Song Heping said, "It's not that our current position is exposed, but rather that my plan to head north and then west into Afghan might have been leaked."

"How is that possible?! This plan was devised by you, just between the two of us! We haven't told anyone! How could they possibly know? If they knew, they would have sent someone to intercept us on the road, wasn't everything fine a few days ago?"

Willie felt that Song Heping's speculation was too far-fetched.

Song Heping pointed toward the direction the helicopter left: "That way is northwest, right toward the northern part near the Afghan border, they did not come from there, they came from the south, meaning this Special Forces squad came from near the firefight location where we killed Curtis four days ago, according to our original plan, we were to cross the border from there, they suddenly were called here today, and so precisely deployed to this location, don't you think we've been exposed?"

Willie had no words: "Maybe… you could be right… but I still think it's impossible…"

Song Heping said: "Possible or not, let's be cautious later. When we get near the Lezi Valley, let's not cross yet, let's scout around first to confirm whether my guess is right."

"Okay." Willie thought about it, still couldn't help saying, "I think you're overthinking, it's really impossible! Maybe they just guessed."

He still insisted on his view.

This is ridiculous.

The new evacuation plan was discussed only between the two of them, with no third parties present, and communication was also severed, not reported anywhere.

No one intercepted us a few days ago, but today they suddenly know which way we are going? Who would believe that?

Willie was now very stubborn.

But three hours later, when the two arrived at Lezi Valley and did not enter but scouted the perimeter, Willie was silent.

Lezi Valley, connected to the Aba border, is a narrow valley with mountains on both sides, and the entire area is mountainous.

Walking along the valley would save physical strength as it's relatively flat, and there is the Maler River on the other side, where they could replenish water after passing through the mountains to the border.

"FUCK!"

Atop a hill, Willie put down the recon device and punched the ground hard.

"It's all their people!"

Song Heping set up his M24 sniper rifle, and through the high magnification scope, he also spotted people positioned here.

These people's camouflage was as well done as those from last night, and it would have been very difficult to spot them if they hadn't been already suspicious.

These two groups are undoubtedly from the same military unit.

"What do we do now?" Willie asked.

His resolve wavered.

It took four days to get here, and just when they were about to cross the border, they were blocked.

Continuing like this, not to mention water, even the food supply would be hard to ensure.

"There's always a way out."

Although Song Heping was annoyed, annoyance wouldn't solve the problem.

"We really need support now."

"Support?" Willie pointed ahead: "Who do you think we should ask for help? If these people are from the military Special Forces, it means we can't get any support from the military or even from my intelligence department."

Song Heping thought for a moment, then tilted his head to look at Willie: "Have you forgotten what job I do?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com