Location: Summit of Wushan Mountain Pass, Hubei, China
Time: September 2025, 01:15 AM
POV: Tan
The two-lane road outside was pitch black, as if bathed in an indelible ink that would never fade. Only the murky yellow beams from the convoy’s headlights pierced through the dark. The path wound along the steep and treacherous cliffs of the western valley.
I could feel the vibration of the steering wheel transmitting exhaustion through my wrists after battling the route for several hours. Then, my heart skipped a beat. Several pairs of round headlights suddenly appeared in the darkness.
A group of cars sped through the dead silence at an unusual speed, soaring up until they precariously flanked the left side of the trailer convoy.
"Vrooooom!!" The roar of engines pushed to their absolute limit tore through the silence of the mountains.
This stretch of road was devoid of any sign of humanity. There wasn't even a flicker of streetlight or moonlight to guide the way. The atmosphere was dark and chilling, as if the gargantuan shadow of the Grim Reaper was creeping over us, waiting for the right moment to swallow us whole. A thick premonition warned me to grip the steering wheel tighter until sweat dampened my palms.
"Vrooooom!!" I glanced down at the road to the left for a fleeting moment. The light from the headlights of the cars overtaking us revealed an identity I remembered all too well.
One of them was a red car adorned with a yellow dragon pattern—the very same ones we had faced just a few hours ago. But it was more terrifying now; they weren't alone anymore.
Gemini said
The entire fleet of cars accelerated, quickly overtaking our trailer trucks before rounding the curve of the black mountain shoulder and vanishing into the darkness ahead. They left behind only fading echoes and a silence even more suffocating than before.
“Bro! There’s a whole bunch of them!” I turned to look at my brother, who sat there tapping his fingers as if calculating something in his head.
“Tan... are you scared?” He smiled as if there were no grave danger awaiting us, looking at me with a gentle gaze.
It was a look that told me not to worry.
“I’m a bit shaken, yes,” I replied. I was just a law student, far removed from being a warrior. Usually, if there’s even a verbal argument, I’d look for a way to settle it to end the violence.
Our truck convoy slowed down significantly as we began to climb an incline that grew increasingly steep. The engines roared with a heavy strain, sending vibrations through the floor and into the seats.
“We might have a problem. Everyone, stay sharp,” Sawn’s voice broke through the radio. His tone was chillingly calm.
“Huh! What’s happening?” The bob-haired girl woke up with a start, her eyes wide.
“It’s nothing. We can handle it,” I reassured both her and myself.
“Any high-risk spots ahead, Sawn?” Yusuf Khan’s voice cut in through the frequency.
I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles ached. I had only heard whispers that they were former warriors. Today, I was about to witness a struggle that existed far outside the pages of any law book. My heart was a chaotic mix of anxiety and an indescribable thrill. This was my first near-death experience, one that would change my life forever.
“Can I ask something?” The bob-haired girl looked restless. Bro turned to look at her with a stern gaze...
“Didn't you say you’d sit quietly?”
“Yes! But can I change my mind?”
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Yusuf Khan’s voice crackled in again....
“We need to swap vehicle positions. Tan and Sawn, pull up behind me. Ali Ram and Sisamorn, go back and secure the rear.” He issued commands with the expertise of a man seasoned in Convoy Defense tactics.
Sawn predicted the situation ahead. “Past this next curve is a steep incline. Our trucks are going to slow down even more. They’ll definitely be waiting to hit us right there.”
As we drew closer to that deadly curve, my heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest. There wasn't a single flicker of light on either side of the road—only the gargantuan shadows of the mountains, looking as if they were about to collapse and crush us.
“Our position is at a severe disadvantage. Does everyone have their weapons ready?” The former Taliban warrior’s voice asked one last time before silence reclaimed the air.
I glanced beside me. Bro began to stretch, cracking his neck. The playful glint that used to be in his eyes was gone, replaced by a gaze so hard and cold he looked like a robot primed for the kill.
“I’m ready. What about you, Bro?” Sawn asked through the radio, his tone as flat as if he were asking about the weather.
“Jetdoe... what a stroke of luck. Just in time to test out the gun,” Bro replied with a smirk unlike any I had ever seen before.
He turned to meet my eyes with a serious expression. “Tan! Do not get out of the truck.”
After giving the order, he turned to the two girls trembling in the back. “Hey, you! Reach down and pull up that floor mat.” He pointed to the carpet beneath her feet.
The sound of the floor mat fibers tearing apart echoed in the cab.
“Unlock it there! There! And over there! Now lift that black cover up,” he barked out a series of commands.
The bob-haired girl followed his orders frantically, her hands shaking so much that the metal clattered together before she managed to muster the strength to lift the cover…
“Aiyaya!” she shrieked, letting go. The cover slammed back down.
She lunged backward, huddling against the long-haired girl who was curled up in the corner.
I turned to look at the floor of the truck, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. A cold chill raced down my spine.
“Whoa! Am I driving an arsenal here? I had no idea!”
Inside that secret compartment, various types of guns were lined up. I couldn’t distinguish which was which, but the surge of excitement and fear clashed violently in my chest.
Bro reached down and picked up a submachine gun, checking it with practiced ease. “An Uzi. Israeli military issue. Very light and accurate.”
He grabbed two or three long magazines, slapped one into the grip of the gun, and stuffed the rest into his back pockets.
I had only ever seen this kind of weapon in Hollywood movies; I never imagined that one day it would be right here, in front of me, at point-blank range.
My heart hammered so hard it felt like it would burst. My hands on the steering wheel began to go numb and lose all feeling. Cold sweat broke out, leaving the steering wheel soaking wet.
As for my brother… he had completely transformed into a different person. The gaze he fixed on the rear of the truck ahead of us sparkled like a mischievous child waiting for a new toy.
He began to warm up his body, tilting his neck side to side and cracking his knuckles until the bones popped. That faint smile gracing his sharp features today… it was truly terrifying.
Our convoy wound through left and right curves along the edge of the black mountain, descending into the dark slopes before slowly tilting upward, climbing a steep incline that strained the engines.
A roadside sign indicated that the summit was only 250 meters away.
Suddenly, a flash of light burst from a car waiting at the top of the hill. It flickered just once and then went dark, leaving the area swallowed by shadows once again.
“....................” I held my breath until I nearly lost consciousness.
A moment later, pale blue neon lights beneath the cars flared to life, revealing four vehicles completely blocking the road. The silhouettes of dozens of people standing around the cars came into view.
I calculated in my head. If there were five people per car, that meant nearly fifty people were waiting to ambush us up ahead!
I looked around frantically, left and right, my heart thumping so hard it pained my chest. Our truck continued to crawl closer with every passing second. The moment of death was unfolding in mere heartbeats. I truly couldn't catch my breath.
“Tan! Keep an eye on these two. If they act up, shoot them,” Bro ordered in a stern voice before reaching down to pick up a shiny, silver short-magazine pistol and handing it to me.
I reached out with a trembling hand to take it, feeling uncertain. The weight of the steel in my hand felt strangely heavy.
“Ever fired a gun?” he pressed. I could only shake my head in response.
“Watch! Disengage the safety here... then pull!” Bro shifted a small lever on the side of the grip and racked the slide to chamber a round. The sound of clashing steel echoed loudly in the silent cabin.
“That’s it! Aim and shoot. It’s an automatic, keep it steady.” He slammed his hand down hard on my shoulder, his confident smile like a coach sending an athlete into a match.
He turned to the two girls with a deadpan stare and gave a low threat... “If you two cause any trouble, it means you no longer wish to breathe.”
After the threat, he turned back to me with a grim expression. “Tan, shoot for the stomach.”
“Huh?!” I froze, the gun in my hand feeling like an immovable weight. I couldn't tell if he was serious or just bluffing, but all I knew was that I had never seen that look in his eyes before.
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