Mercenary's War

Gao Yang retreated, moving up to the second floor from the shop. The second floor was rather messy, with a lingering smell of tanned leather. Justin, carrying a paper bag in one hand, pushed open a door and ran into a room filled with tools. Looking down below the table, he said, "We can go down. I’ll find a rope or something."

Gao Yang pushed open the window and said to Justin, "Jump!"

Justin shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, it’s a bit high, buddy, it really is a bit high."

Gao Yang listened intently for sounds outside the door, suddenly rushed to the door, and fired several shots outside. Then he said to Justin, "Can you be normal and stop trying so hard to act like a burden? Guess what, if we’re trapped, would I put a bullet in your head and try to escape on my own?"

Justin took a breath, climbed onto the window, closed his eyes, and said, "I’ll break my leg."

"As soon as you hit the ground, roll. Jump!"

Steeling himself, Justin jumped down. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he immediately rolled forward. When he stood up, although his back, head, and legs hurt a lot, he certainly hadn’t broken his leg.

"Alright, come down quickly."

Gao Yang couldn’t just turn around and jump. The enemies had already reached the second floor. He needed to hold the door to prevent them from getting in while slowly inching closer to the window.

Just as Gao Yang was backing up, a grenade rolled in on the floor.

Tilting his head, Gao Yang ducked, rushed forward like a hurdler, and leapt out of the window.

He heard a huge explosion behind him, and broken glass and debris rained down on his head. The relentless training he’d undergone over the years proved to be crucial. Utilizing his strong core strength, Gao Yang adjusted his posture in mid-air, hit the ground with his feet, and rolled forward to absorb the impact, quickly getting up and firing a few shots at the window.

As Justin fired at the window with one hand on the paper bag and the other on the gun, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "It’s just like in the movies!"

Gao Yang threw his empty handgun into the paper bag Justin was holding and casually pulled out a fully loaded gun from Justin’s waist, saying, "Go!"

Justin turned and ran. Gao Yang took one look, then quietly said, "Wrong way!"

Justin was heading toward an exit of a residential area. However, that exit led back to the street they had just left, effectively running into the enemy’s line of fire.

Gao Yang shouted once, and Justin ran back. Gao Yang whispered, "Find cover. I’ll be right behind you."

Watching Justin run sideways into some bushes, which concealed his presence, Gao Yang quickly followed and caught up with the running Justin.

"It’s all houses, all interconnected. Which way do we run?"

Gao Yang glanced around and quietly said, "We’re surrounded, for sure."

"So we don’t run?"

"We run, but we need to observe first. Follow me."

Gao Yang took a quick look around, pushed Justin into a small path between houses.

Sprinting full speed, after running a bit, Gao Yang drew the empty 1911 from his back waist and tossed it onto the road, then grabbed Justin, dragging him towards a house in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing?"

"Hide. We can’t keep exchanging fire. The encirclement is getting smaller and smaller, and we’ll eventually be compressed until there’s no space left. I need to assess the situation."

Speaking in a low voice, Gao Yang looked at a house and pointed, saying, "That one."

They arrived at an old house that seemed to have a long history. Gao Yang quietly said, "Just say you’re the police. There was a gas pipeline explosion nearby, and they need to evacuate immediately. Speak urgently and fast..."

"Enough, I know what to do. You don’t have to teach me. Are you sure there’s someone inside?"

"The car’s parked at the door anyway."

Justin quickly knocked on the wooden door and shouted, "Is anyone there? Police, please open the door. Is anyone there? Quickly, open the door."

Soon, someone inside cautiously asked, "Who is it?"

"Police, ma’am, please evacuate immediately. Just bring your keys, phone, and such items. Evacuate right away. There was a gas pipeline explosion nearby..."

Before Justin could finish speaking, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman appeared behind it. Justin immediately squeezed through the door.

Even after entering, Justin continued, "This neighborhood needs to evacuate immediately, so please leave quickly. If there are elderly or children at home, we can help."

The woman stared blankly at Justin, noticing the gun in his hand, then said perplexedly, "Police?"

Justin tapped his forehead with the gun and said regretfully, "Sorry, slipped up. Alright, don’t move, don’t scream, sit quietly. We’ll leave soon."

The middle-aged woman finally reacted, taking a step back and opening her mouth wide. Gao Yang wasn’t sure if she was about to shout, so he quickly aimed his gun at her and loudly said, "Tell her not to scream! F**k, if I spoke Italian, there wouldn’t be this much hassle!"

Justin immediately said, "Ma’am, calm down, there’s no danger. We’re just on a mission. Some dangerous terrorists are here. Did you hear the explosion? They did that. We’re really the police."

The woman glanced at Gao Yang, then nervously said, "A, from Asia, police?"

Justin immediately responded, "He’s not; he’s a foreigner, a foreign cop. To be exact, an agent who came to track terrorists. It’s pretty obvious, right? You must have noticed. Now the terrorists are about to arrive. Stay calm; our large squad will be here soon, too. Rest assured, nothing will happen."

The middle-aged woman nodded but then asked, "But why is he pointing a gun at me?"

Justin gestured to Gao Yang, who lowered his gun.

The woman grumbled to Justin, "I’m very willing to cooperate with the police, but your colleague, no, your companion is too rude. Can I make a complaint? He scared me."

"You can’t; unfortunately, he’s a foreigner and not under our jurisdiction. I’m helpless too, but people who often face danger typically respond this way. Ma’am, I hope you understand. Is there anyone else in your house? I think it’s best if they stay hidden."

"My husband is at work, and the kids are not home."

Justin immediately said, "Great, please sit down. You were watching TV, right? Please continue and don’t look outside. It could be very dangerous."

The woman immediately sat on the sofa. Gao Yang looked curiously at Justin, asking, "What did you say to her? How did you say it?"

Justin whispered, "She’ll be very quiet. Still think I’m a burden now, hmm?"