"Splitting up? Are you saying we're going our separate ways with them? Curtman asked.

"It's not us and them, it's you and them, and we go separately from you." John corrected.

"This... You mean you lead people away with you? And I took them quietly and left in the other direction? Curtman asked.

"Yes. That's it. John said, "This will make it easier for us to deal with each other, and you can get out relatively safely." It's night, and it's the right time to do that. ”

"How long can that be hidden?" Curtman asked, "What if you get caught?" When everyone separates, all they can do is for me and them to be restrained. ”

"How long? I can't answer that, I can only say that I can hide it for as long as I want, and it won't take long, and if it goes well, I think it's hard for them to see through it before dawn. And shouldn't we be there in the middle of the night today? Let's think of other ways then. John said.

"Okay... Curtman reluctantly agreed, he knew that running like this was definitely not the way, although John's method was very risky, but it was better than not having any way to do it himself. "But you'll have to give me one more person. I know that's a bit excessive, but I still want you to give me one. Otherwise, what trouble will you encounter... ”

"I'll arrange it." Before Curtman could finish speaking, John immediately said, "I'll let Pete follow you." He's the best of Hermet. Let him follow you in action. ”

Curtman looked back at Pete, hesitated for a moment, and said, "What are you going to do?" ”

"I'll turn around and hit them when I get the chance, and before that, you change direction or hide somewhere. We fought and retreated, continuing downstream to draw their attention. You can go west, get out of the woods on both sides of the river, and then it's up to you what you do. John said.

“。。。 All right... Curtman thought for a moment and said, "So when are you going to do it?" ”

"Let's go up a bit. It won't be too late, after all, you can't let them get too close, it's not good for you. After all, you're not going to be fast. John said as he looked at the woods on one side.

"I see." Curtman agreed, then explained to the woman in Russian, and then said, "Will we have to go our separate ways after that?" ”

"That's right. No one can help anyone. John said, "I will try to keep people away, you must act quickly, no matter what happens, get out of here as soon as possible, as long as you can escape from the confines of this city, your chances will be greatly increased." By midnight, our men will be able to arrive, and you and this woman will be safe at that point. ”

"Okay." As he spoke, Curtman looked in front of him, and saw a tall black shadow in front of him, which should be a dirt slope, so he only heard him say, "Is that one in front of you a dirt slope?" How about we go around there and hide? ”

John glanced at the place Curtman was talking about, nodded, and said, "That's it." Take them and Pete with them. As he spoke, he looked back at Pete, leaned over to him and said, "Pete, I've given you a mission." ”

"What?" Pete walked and noticed the movement in the woods behind him.

"You'll have to walk with Kirtman and the woman. I was in charge of getting them away with Thun and Matthew. John said.

"What?" Pete looked at John with some surprise, and although he couldn't see his face clearly in the night, he could still feel that he was resolute. Still, Pete asked, "Do you have a solution?" ”

"Now it's not a discussion, it's an order. Go over at once and protect them. Remember to leave the city as soon as possible. John gave Pete a push.

Pete staggered a few steps, then turned around and quickly chased after Curtman after him after him after John again. And after seeing Pete chase him out, John recruited Thun and Matthew to his side.

"How many bullets do you have left?" John asked.

"I only have about seventy or eighty bullets. There was also a Makarov pistol, two magazines. Thun said.

Matthew on the side also said, "Mine is about the same." If it's going to rob a bank, it should be enough, but if you want to fight the Russians... ”

"I see." John said as he pulled out two magazines from his vest and handed them to Thun and Matthew, "We'll fight and retreat." All you want is to attract them and run with them. As long as we go out for a certain distance, we can speed up and run on our own, and we will be very convenient without women and children. Even in this generation, it will be much more convenient. ”

"How long will it take?" Thun asked.

"At least get midnight, before twelve o'clock. Now the people who came to meet us are on their way, at least it will take so long to arrive. John said.

"So we're going to have to go around here for hours?" Thun asked.

"That's right. Get ready. John looked to the sides after seeing Curtman and Pete disappear with the woman and the child next to the breach, and said, "The three of us spread out a little bit, I'll shoot first, I won't let them get too close, we'll each hit two short points and then continue to walk back." Control the distance, neither too close nor too far. At least not too far before leaving this dirt slope. See what I mean? ”

"Understood." Thun and Matthew each responded.

"Good. Remember, try to be on time if you can. John gestured to both sides. Thun and Matthew then reached to the sides.

The figures of those who were chasing after them appeared in the woods in a few moments. John slowly raised his gun and aimed it at one that was more conspicuous because of his movements, and pulled the trigger when he was about a hundred meters away.

"Da-da." After one of John's short spots went out, Thun and Matthew on the left and right also locked onto their respective targets and started shooting. But in such light and terrain, it is basically impossible to hit accurately, and the greater effect is to scare and scare, as for whether to hit or not, it all depends on luck.

But even so, the Russians who were chasing after them immediately stopped, not only did not immediately counterattack, but even retreated. Now such a task makes the Russians also very depressed, after all, they have to catch alive, and in such a situation, they naturally can't shoot casually.

John saw that the group did not immediately fight back, as if they were watching, he was also entangled, and raised the gun again in the general direction of another short point. After the other two men had each fired, John looked back behind him and deliberately shouted, "Withdraw, go back, get out of here." ”

"Understood!" Thun and Matthew each said yes and then retreated first.

Pete, who was hiding behind the dirt slope about sixty or seventy meters away, quietly watched the situation in the woods. All he could do now was to watch, and watch the Russians chase after John before he could continue his action. This was very difficult for him, although his real purpose in Hermet was not to fight for the United States, but at this moment, John and the three of them were his closest comrades-in-arms, and watching them lure the Russians away in exchange for a chance to get out of the country, this was the last thing Pete wanted to face. is obviously an opponent, but often lives and dies together, and this distorted emotion always makes Pete very painful.

About five minutes later, a dozen or so dark shadows in the woods passed in front of the dirt slope. They didn't move forward too fast, probably because they were worried that John would shoot again, so they were very cautious, and the formation was relatively open, as if they were ready to fight at any time.

Pete didn't think much about it, he clenched the gun in his hand, watched quietly, and didn't even dare to come out, now he was most worried about the child, he was afraid that the child would suddenly cry, if that was the case, everything would be over. Even if it is close to the river, the river is flowing and the wind in the woods is loud enough, it is difficult to ensure that it will not be discovered by these people who are chasing after them, after all, these people are also good hands.

Pete watched as the men slowly disappeared from view, and after about five minutes, gunfire rang out again in the woods downstream, this time as short as the last time, and the Russians still didn't fight back. After a few gunshots, it fell silent again, and this time Pete, after looking in the direction he had seen, made sure that no one else was following, and immediately stepped back to a low-lying spot behind the dirt slope. After looking at Curtman, who had his eye sockets here, and the woman holding the child, Pete whispered to Curtman, "You can leave." Where do we go? ”

Curtman looked back and said, "Let's get out of the woods first." Then find the means of transportation, and then talk about what to do later. ”

Pete nodded and said, "Then let's go." You take him forward first, and I stare at the back. Don't go too fast, maybe there are Russians outside the woods. ”

"I know." Curtman said as he slowly pulled the woman west.

Pete waited in place, and at this moment there were still gunshots from the downstream direction from time to time, and the gunshots were very rhythmic, and there were no fierce firefights, just various short points, and each time it was only three or four short points and it ended, and after a while, it was another burst. Pete sighed slightly, and after glancing at the road again, he made sure that nothing was going on before quickly turning around and running out in the direction Curtman and the others had left.

Ashraf, who had rushed to intercept him, contacted the man in charge of the pursuit along the river when the first gunshot was heard, but received no response. This made him change his plans on the fly and head to the river instead. He knew that the people he had sent out before were probably finished, and apparently the Americans did not leave immediately after escaping from the wetland park, but boldly and quietly touched back, and did not take action against the most important of Baldachev, but suddenly appeared by the river, trying to take Baldachev's women and children.

After this situation arose, Ashraf reported the situation to Ivan as he rushed to the river. However, perhaps because of Baldachev's arrest, Ivan was already very satisfied, and he was busy talking with Bordashev, after all, the news of his arrest could not be concealed at all, and if he did not hurry up and those spies hiding in Russia and Belarus who had something to do with him would flee one after another, then his results would be greatly discounted. So at the moment, he didn't pay much attention to Ashraf's report, and simply asked Ashraf to capture the woman and child alive as much as possible, and then quickly ended the call.

But for Achraf, the matter is not simple. First of all, why didn't the people of this team go straight to Baldachev? Their purpose was clearly him, but they did not carry out the most direct action, and it should even be said that they missed the best opportunity.

Before, Ivan thought that this might be the other party's voice, but now, it doesn't look like that. It is likely that Bordashev did not communicate effectively with his upline, that he was where he should not have been, or that he should have left long ago but did not do so. There was a problem with the coordination between them, which was the main reason why I was able to catch him in a much easier way than I thought.

Secondly, there is still American eyeliner here, and there may be a lot of it. This made the Americans quickly aware of what was happening in Slonim, and that Bordachev was surrounded and could not be rescued, and that his wife and children had drifted away along the river. So they abandoned direct action against Baldachev and instead targeted women and children. Apparently the women and children were so important to Baldachev that he did not flee immediately when the most dangerous moment came, but returned to Slonim to take the women and children away, and chose to cover them when they could not get out. That is, in Baldachev's view, women and children are far more important than himself and his secrets, and they are much more important. In other words, whoever controls the woman and the child will effectively control Bordachev.

In the end, there are not too many Americans who have quietly come back. As his men had reported by the river before, there were seven or eight of them at most. In my own opinion, it is probably less, maybe just five people, and isolated.

But it is precisely because of this last point that new problems arise. What does it mean that they are retreating like this while firing a few shots from time to time? Shouldn't they run away as fast as they can? Now this group of people is always so unhurried and unhurried, whether it is always strange to shoot a few shots at their own people, it feels like a man with a stick, a carrot on a chain, all the time in front of a donkey's head, so that it can see but not eat, always luring him to keep moving forward.

Thinking of this, he slowed down and turned to one of the people beside him: "Ask them, did anyone hear a child crying?" Stop, let's go to the river, and let Vitaly look at the footprints of those people, and see how many of them there are now. ”