However, when the convoy came to a complete stop and planned to encircle according to Eddie's orders, the attackers' gunfire ceased.
Suddenly, it just stopped.
"Hmm?"
The terrifying silence and dark night made Eddie sitting in the car feel a tremor and uneasy.
"Vanguard Team! What's going on!? The gunfire stopped?"
He picked up the radio transmitter and issued an inquiry.
After a dozen seconds of silence, the leader of the Vanguard Team finally responded.
"Chief, the attackers have fled!"
"Fled!? What did you say? Fled?!"
Eddie could hardly believe his ears.
Such a brief engagement?!
What's happening?!
"Did anyone see the attackers?!"
"Report to Chief, they really fled, I saw their car! They're retreating south! Should we pursue or not?!"
"South?!"
A map of Illiguo's Northwest Region immediately appeared in Eddie's mind.
"They're trying to divert us! Ignore them!"
Eddie felt very confident.
He thought this was just a petty trick.
A sudden quick raid followed by a retreat.
And then letting oneself chase?!
South?!
Mosul is to the east right now!
These self-righteous heretics!
He cursed inwardly through gritted teeth, but outwardly he issued what he considered the most rational and correct order: "Ignore them, immediately regroup the convoy, continue to advance towards Mosul at the fastest speed! They are deliberately delaying our time!"
The convoy began to slowly regroup.
Because of the many scattered vehicles earlier, regrouping took time.
A full five thousand troops, more than two hundred various vehicles, exploded like an anthill when stepped on, now needed time to regroup.
A full half hour later, the convoy returned to normal, all back on the highway.
"Depart! There's no time to waste!"
Eddie was anxious.
He glanced at the gold watch on his wrist—looted from the corpse of a senior officer in the Illiguo Government Army.
The time pointed to one in the morning.
No matter the speed, Mosul is still over a hundred kilometers away.
At this rate, not even daylight would make it to Mosul.
Even if he arrived then, the bodies in the city would probably have gone cold.
The convoy roared again, raising a yellow dust dragon, advancing towards Mosul direction at the fastest speed.
Upon passing the previous ambush spot, Eddie saw the overturned BPM-1 armored vehicle outside the car, and dozens of scattered corpses lying around.
The equipment on the corpses had been taken, but there was simply no time to collect the bodies right now.
Leave them for now!
He thought.
Those damned heretics!
Once he takes back Mosul, he would sweep across all regions, killing all heretics in Nineveh Province!
Ten minutes later, the convoy entered the 7th Highway 3221 marker point.
Only a few kilometers from the previous ambush spot.
This was a sharp bend carved along the mountain terrain, where the highway was forced into a nearly 90-degree turn, the inside being steep rock walls, the outside a deep dried riverbed.
As the convoy cautiously drove into the bend, most vehicles were still jammed at the bend entrance——
"Detonate!"
In a well-camouflaged observation point about 300 meters across the riverbed, the militia responsible for this segment of engagement pressed down hard on the detonator.
BOOM!!!