Chapter 426: The Thunder of Artillery Gradually Faded into the Curtain of Rain

The thunder of artillery gradually faded into the curtain of rain.

The deputy commander's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the phone, receiving word that Adrian Stone was personally leading a team down the mountain. His eyes swept over the surveillance screens, which displayed the mountain road now scarred by shellfire.

"Organize reinforcements immediately!" he barked.

But everyone knew the mountain path had turned into a treacherous, muddy trail in this torrential downpour. The nearest backup wouldn’t arrive for at least two hours.

What chilled them more was the question—how had the enemy pinpointed their position so precisely in this storm?

No one noticed the enemy squad advancing silently through a distant ravine, using the rain as cover. They had originally planned to ambush a supply convoy, but the sudden storm had forced a change in tactics.

"The shelling stopped," Hank Miller whispered, rainwater dripping from the brim of his cap. Years of transport experience had made him intimately familiar with these mountains. "I spotted a platoon moving toward the high ground."

Adrian's gaze sharpened. He understood their plan at once—under the cover of night and rain, they were disguising themselves as a supply unit to infiltrate the high ground.

Elena Ward's hands were bloodied and raw. She had just brushed against Dr. Alice Monroe' icy fingers, hearing the woman’s faint plea: "Below… oxygen… someone’s unconscious…"

"Go," Elena gritted her teeth, tearing a strip from her sleeve to bandage her wound. "I’ll keep digging."

Adrian silently pressed his sidearm into her palm, his fingers lingering for a brief moment against hers. In that instant, he wasn’t her fiancé—he was a soldier.

"Remember—sight alignment," he murmured, his voice quiet but clear.

Deep in the forest, the enemy advanced swiftly through the rain. Unaware their movements had already been detected.

Adrian and his team vanished into the storm. Elena watched the direction they disappeared, tightening her grip on the gun. The shadow of the rocks swallowed her whole—only her eyes gleamed in the darkness.

The rain fell harder.