Regarding the political situation in Lyria, the UN maintains a neutral stance. The primary mission of the peacekeeping forces is to protect civilians, assist in rebuilding war-torn areas, and facilitate the evacuation of expatriates. However, due to the rebels' loose discipline and extreme actions, the peacekeeping forces are far more likely to clash with the rebels than with the government forces. The rebels are highly dissatisfied with this, and after their last attack on the camp, they publicly demanded the withdrawal of the peacekeeping forces from Lyria.
The market was only a dozen kilometers from the camp. If discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. And more importantly... Dallas glanced at Averi; she was still there.
No one knew why the rebels targeted three foreign nationals after attacking the general's residence that day. Were they just looking to seize a few international visitors as bargaining chips, or had they somehow discovered her identity, aiming for a high-stakes abduction and ransom?
Whichever the case, he could not let those people see her.
Leon suggested, "They didn't notice me just now. We should make it back to camp in time."
Dallas immediately vetoed the idea. "The risk is too high. If we draw their attention, we'd be leading them right to us."
"What do we do then?"
After a moment's thought, Dallas asked, "Did you see which direction they went?"
Leon pointed northwest. "That way."
"Leon, do you have your tracker with you today?"
"Yes."
"Good," Dallas nodded. "Turn it on. I'll lead them away. Leon, you take her and find a place to hide. Don't return to the camp. Once you confirm safety, stay put and wait for backup. I'll find a way back to the car to inform the others to come and pick you up."
Leon cast a quick glance at Averi. "Or was it me—"
"You're a military doctor," Dallas cut him off. "Combat and tracking aren't exactly your strengths."
With everything in place, Dallas looked at her intently, a faint smile finally forming on his lips. "Averi, you once said you trusted me to keep you safe. Stick close to Leon—I'll be back soon." Without giving her a moment to respond, he slipped away, disappearing swiftly into the crowd.
As soon as he left, Leon grabbed her shoulder and led her in the opposite direction.
"Averi, keep up. Don't waste the time Dallas risked his life to buy for us."
"His life?" Averi's heartbeat faltered.
Wasn't he just going to distract them? Why would his life be at risk?
Leon realized he had misspoken and fell silent.
His silence only made Averi more uneasy. She wanted to stop and ask him to explain, but her rational side told her she couldn't. Keeping pace with Leon, she spoke in the calmest voice she could muster, "Leon, I'll keep up. I know I'm a burden, and following orders is the best contribution I can make, so please tell me the truth. Wasn't he just going to distract them? How could he—"
Leon had intended to brush her off, but seeing those deep, dark eyes, he changed his mind. This woman was bold—she dared to pull a gun on Jackson back at the camp. She wasn't someone who could be fooled by a weak excuse.
In that case, she deserved to know.
"Averi, Jackson talks a lot of crap, but he was right about one thing. Rebels never shout 'hands up' before they draw. Their method with suspects is to shoot first, disable them. If they need someone alive, they'll leave just enough breath to drag them back for slow interrogation. You know, it's better to take your own life than be captured by them—it spares you some suffering."
"Dallas wouldn't want me telling you this, but honestly, without you, he and I would have a much better chance. Worst-case scenario, if he were captured, I could at least make it quick for him." Leon guided her through the crowd. "Averi, I'm not saying this to upset you. Since Dallas entrusted you to me, I'll do everything I can to protect you. I just want you to understand the risk he's taking for your safety."
Averi watched Leon's lips move numbly, her heart pounding wildly. His voice felt like thousands of needles stabbing into her mind. "If the worst happens… I hope you'll remember him. Dallas has no family; besides you, no one will remember him."
Their sacrifice would never be made public, nor would it be honored. Remembrance belonged to soldiers, not to mercenaries who came for money. Dying here was simply a matter of risking lives for pay, nothing more.
Air rushed into her lungs, stinging her throat with a choking ache, but Averi couldn't find her voice.
*
Leon led her into a wooded area on the edge of the market, veering off the main path and deeper into the forest. Only after ensuring they weren't being followed did he dare to stop for a rest.
The air was stifling, their heartbeats rapid, and both were drenched in sweat.
They waited what felt like an eternity as the sky grew dim, but the pickup crew never arrived, nor did Dallas.
Averi tried to push the thoughts from her mind, clinging to denial.
As the sky darkened, Leon grew worried too and took out the locator. Bluewater equipped its employees with mini locators, which were easy to conceal but had less stable signals than larger ones.
Leon couldn't make anything of it and hesitated before saying, "Averi, stay here and don't move. I'll walk out a bit. It might be a signal issue—they may not have our exact location."
Averi stood up. "I'll go with you." Dallas had instructed her to stick with Leon.
Leon thought it over and nodded in agreement.
The two moved one after the other toward the main road, Leon keeping track of the general direction. They progressed smoothly for a few hundred meters when Averi's shoelace came loose. She knelt to tie it, taking only ten seconds or so. When she stood up, she noticed Leon standing a few steps ahead, in a strange, rigid posture.
"Leon?" she called, just about to step closer, when Leon's sharp voice stopped her, "Don't move! Averi, stay where you are! Don't come any closer!"
Averi froze, too startled to move. "What's going on?"
"Averi, I stepped on something."
"What?" Averi didn't catch on immediately.
"It might be a bomb, or it might not be. I can't check right now, so I can't be sure."
A bomb?
Averi's eyelid twitched, and Leon's previous words echoed in her mind—Sarlo's leftover homemade bombs.
Even in a moment like this, Leon had the nerve to joke, "I should buy a lottery ticket today—if Lyria even has them."
"Averi, how tall are you?"
"Five foot six."
Leon did a quick calculation and said, "The blast radius of this thing is usually around three meters, which means you need to keep at least five steps away from me. The path we just walked on is safe, so now retrace your steps ten paces back."
"Leon."
"Averi, I can't maintain my balance forever, hurry —" He suddenly stopped speaking, his fingers twitching slightly, signaling Averi to pay attention to the left.
Averi, on high alert, listened carefully and only then did she hear rustling sounds coming from the woods; her tension immediately peaked. As the sounds grew closer, a black figure leaped out.
"Averi?"
It was Dallas.
Averi's eyes welled up with tears, but she couldn't afford to be distracted now. She hurriedly warned, "Dallas, Leon stepped on a bomb."
Leon, with his back to them, only realized who had arrived when he heard Averi call his name. He feigned lightness, saying, "Hey, Dallas, looks like I hit the jackpot."
