PFC Chapter 16 Sudden Event
Chapter 16 Sudden Event
The car door slammed shut, and the engine roared again.
Victor stepped on the gas, and the two transport trucks, fully loaded with supplies, continued to drive towards the 17th Cannon Fodder Battalion.
Along the way, the ease that had set off was gone from the channel.
Everyone remained in a suffocating silence.
Lu Ye took over Seryozha's position, crouching at the rear of the carriage. He parted the camouflage netting, revealing the barrel of his SVD outside the vehicle, his right eye pressed tightly against the scope, constantly monitoring his surroundings.
The convoy traveled for about forty minutes on the devastated road, encountering no further enemy ambushes except for the wreckage of a few completely burned Russian armored vehicles.
Just then, Anton, who had been fiddling with the radio in the corner of the carriage, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"Captain! We've made contact!" Anton's voice broke the long silence with a hint of excitement.
"Well done! Report our situation to Colonel Igor immediately." Dmitry's voice came from the front row, tinged with urgency. "Tell him we were ambushed by the Azov Battalion, killed their sniper, but Seryozha was killed and Peter was slightly wounded. Supplies are intact, and we expect to reach the 17th Cannon Fodder Battalion in about five kilometers."
"Understood!" Anton typed rapidly on the radio keyboard, but a few seconds later, his movements suddenly froze.
He slammed the earphones down on his ears, his face instantly turning extremely pale.
"Captain!" Anton looked up, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. "It wasn't Colonel Igor, it was the communications officer from the rear theater command. He ordered us to immediately stop sending any signals to the temporary camp and maintain radio silence!"
"Why?!" Alexei roared from the second vehicle.
"The temporary camp is being relocated." Anton swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "Intelligence has just issued an emergency order. The enemy has located the coordinates of the temporary camp and has deployed HIMARS rocket artillery systems, preparing for a saturation bombardment. The camp is completely exposed!"
The news struck like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the seven-man squad's channel.
Lu Ye felt a chill run down his spine as he immediately thought of the intelligence he had found on the enemy sniper earlier.
It turned out that it wasn't a coincidence; the Azov battalion's sniper was holding that position, probably to ensure the accuracy of the target coordinates.
"Why were you suddenly exposed?" Lu Ye asked with some suspicion.
Anton explained, "You probably don't know this, but the temporary camp is responsible for the transfer and transportation of some supplies to the front lines, so it has always been a key target for the enemy. However, the enemy has never known the exact coordinates, and now the coordinates have suddenly been exposed for some unknown reason."
"The intelligence department must have sensed something, so they promptly notified the camp to evacuate."
"Where are they moving them to? Did they give us the coordinates?" Dmitry demanded sharply.
"No!" Anton quickly replied, "The communications officer said that to prevent further leaks, the coordinates of the new camp are highly classified and temporarily kept secret from all deployed teams. They ordered us to either stay put or proceed to the nearest friendly airspace to await further instructions!"
"Fuck it! What about Seryozha? Where are we going to get him home?"
The sound of Alexei angrily smashing the car could be heard over the communication channel.
The temporary camp relocation meant they became an isolated army without any support.
They lost their supply lines, their medical support, and even their way back was cut off.
The convoy slowed down unconsciously.
Victor asked in the channel, "Captain, which way do we go now?"
Dmitri did not answer immediately.
Lu Ye could imagine the torment the scarred man sitting in the passenger seat was going through.
As the team leader, he cannot let his emotions cloud his judgment; he must be responsible for the rest of the team.
"Listen up, you all better pull yourselves together!"
Half a minute later, Dmitry's thunderous roar exploded in the channel.
"The camp has been moved, but our mission hasn't been canceled! The truck is loaded with supplies and ammunition for the 17th Cannon Fodder Battalion! They're still on the front lines, enduring enemy fire!"
Dmitry took a deep breath, his tone resolute: "Plan remains unchanged! Continue to Cannon Fodder Camp 17! Complete the supply handover! Until we receive new orders from the rear, our entire squad will remain stationed at Cannon Fodder Camp 17, awaiting further orders!"
"But," Anton hesitated before speaking.
"No buts!" Dmitry interrupted him. "The 17th Artillery Battalion is a forward position within the Russian army's organization. There are fortifications, a radio station, and most importantly, at least there we can have a place to stay, find a medic for Peter, and while we're at it, see if we can properly prepare Seryozha's body!"
"Victor, speed up! We must get there before nightfall!"
"Yes, Captain!" Victor stepped on the gas, and the convoy finally started moving forward at a fast pace again.
Lu Ye listened to the captain's instructions, silently withdrew his gaze, and refocused his eyes on the scope.
He knew better than anyone that the cannon fodder camp was the place where human life was worthless, and the officers there didn't treat mercenaries like human beings.
As the last rays of the sun were swallowed by the horizon, the temperature in the wilderness began to plummet, and the biting wind whipped up dust and smoke from the road.
About two kilometers away from the No. 17 cannon fodder camp, two transport vehicles fully loaded with supplies slowly stopped behind a sheltered area of ruins.
The headlights were not turned on, and even the engine noise was deliberately suppressed to a minimum.
"Attention, all personnel. Stand by and maintain absolute silence."
Dmitry's gruff voice rang out over the communication channel, carrying an undeniable chill: "Alexei, take Maxim and control the high ground on the right; Anton, guard the left flank. Victor, stay in the vehicle and be ready to provide support at any time."
"Captain, aren't we going straight to the camp?" Anton's deliberately lowered voice came through the earpiece, tinged with fatigue and confusion. "We're less than two kilometers away from the 17th Cannon Fodder Camp. We can even see the glow of their searchlights."
As Dmitry inspected the AK-74M assault rifle in his hand, he coldly lectured, "This forward position is surrounded by enemy scouts and sentries everywhere. The moment our vehicle lights come on, we're sitting ducks, understand?"
The channel fell silent instantly, and no one raised any further objections.
Dmitri pushed open the car door and leaped out of the carriage silently like a nimble black panther.
He reached behind his tactical vest and took a pair of military thermal imaging binoculars. After searching around in the darkness, he glanced at Lu Ye, who was crouching at the rear of the vehicle, holding an SVD sniper rifle.
"Lu, grab your gun and come with me." Dmitry tilted his head slightly. "We're going to clear out the 'rats' ahead."
"clear."
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Ye quickly flipped himself off the back of the carriage.
His left arm had been simply bandaged by Alexei when the abrasion was treated earlier, although he still experienced tearing pain when he made large movements.