Chapter Eighty-four: The Soviet Ambush

  Karina ran breathlessly, her chest heaving up and down, while Muhammad stared at Karina without stopping, which caused dissatisfaction among several Panjshir guerrillas present.

  Muhammad keenly noticed that when Karina saw him, there was a clear look of surprise and panic in her eyes, which soon returned to calmness, and she tried to avoid eye contact with him.

  "Karina, how's the situation on the mountain side?" Masood asked.

  "Everything is normal." Karina said: "Captain, on my way here, I found some Soviet people moving towards the mountain pass. They are probably going to block our mountain pass. If the Soviets block the mountain pass, it will be difficult for us to get through again."

  Masood felt relieved upon hearing this, and at the same time, he was satisfied with Mukhamed's analysis and judgment. The Soviets indeed wanted to block their mountain pass, and they had already taken action!

  However, in the mountainous areas, the Soviet troops' movements were completely unrestricted, and they could move as fast as they wanted, and the Soviets couldn't stop them at all.

  "Karina, the Soviets are moving towards the mountain pass, and you're coming from that direction. Didn't the Soviets stop you?" Muhammad asked Karina.

  Upon hearing Muhammad's question, Karina immediately said: "Of course not, I came by a small path."

  "The Soviets are as stupid as a donkey, only knowing how to walk on the main road." Muhammad's words were laced with cold laughter.

  "What do you mean, Mr. Muhammad?" Fahim asked.

  "Mr. Masood, I must remind you that this Karina has a problem." Muhammad said: "I am sure that the Soviet side has been occupied by the Soviets and set up an ambush circle. If we go over there, we will fall into the Soviet ambush."

  "Mr. Muhammad, you say Karina is a traitor of our guerrilla team?" Hearing Muhammad's words, Fahim said discontentedly: "You just saw Karina for the first time, why are you so sure?"

  It's all intuition, the Soviets came suddenly and will draw lessons from last year's siege. First occupy the mountain passes, then besiege later, the guerrillas have nowhere to escape. And this Karina in front of us makes Mukhamad even more vigilant.

  If in normal times, Mohammad would never say such a thing about an opponent's warrior without solid evidence. It was obviously inappropriate. But now, if he didn't speak out, he would watch helplessly as Masood's men fell into the Soviet encirclement and were annihilated, and the anti-Soviet resistance would lose some of its strength, which was not what Mohammad wanted to see.

  "Captain, we must hurry. If we delay any further, until the Soviets have complete control of the pass, we will really be unable to leave." Karina didn't care about Mukhamad's accusations and continued speaking to Masood.

  Masood stood up and said: "Order, all team members advance to the mountain pass immediately!"

  "Masud Sahib!" Muhammad exclaimed: "That's a trap!"

  Masood walked past Muhammad, and when the two were closest, Masood turned to Muhammad and said: "Mr. Muhammad, it is our honor to fight side by side with you. Now, I hope your troops can retreat with us together. When the Soviets are done wandering in the mountains, we will come back and kill them again. Also, let me introduce you, Karina, she is my wife, and she will not betray me."

  Wife? Muhammad had a dazed feeling at this moment, could it be that he misjudged? This woman was Masud's wife, and naturally she wouldn't betray Masud. But why did he have such a familiar feeling? It seemed as if this woman was someone he knew. Maybe he was overthinking? Maybe his memory was confused?

  Hundreds of Panjshiri guerrillas, led by Massoud, began to move into the mountains along the rugged mountain road, where only Mohammad's troops remained.

  "Sir, what shall we do?" Durrani asked Muhhamad.

  Mohammad suspected Masood's wife, which made the Panjshir guerrillas somewhat dissatisfied. As Masood took his men and left, the unity that had just been won was about to be broken again.

  Looking out at the azure sky outside, the sun has already slid to the west, and the sky is about to darken.

  "Let's go, we'll follow behind and keep a distance of five kilometers," Muhammad said.

  Everything is one's own judgment, perhaps it is one's own misjudgment. Muhammad can only think so in his heart, keeping a distance from Masood's guerrilla team, and rushing to rescue when Masood falls into danger, without getting trapped with Masood's men in the Soviet encirclement.

  Muhammad once again recalled Karina's eyes, which had a maturity and composure that didn't match her age, especially her figure, which was wrapped in a long robe but still exuded sensuality and elegance. How could he feel so familiar with this Karina? She should have always stayed in the Panjshir Valley.

  Under his feet was a barren mountain terrain, in his arms he held an AK-74 rifle, Masood walked quietly.

  Karina followed closely beside Masud, occasionally glancing at his face.

  "Shah, are you angry?" Karina asked Masood.

  Masud turned his head and said to Karina, "Of course not, I trust you. Last year, we rescued you from the valley when you almost died at the hands of the Soviets. How could you possibly be a traitor to our guerrilla team?"

  Masood recalled that last year, this Karina passed through the valley and happened to meet a Soviet transportation team. Those Soviets saw that Karina was somewhat attractive and actually wanted to take her by force. Fortunately, Masood led the guerrilla squad to ambush the convoy and rescued Karina.

  Karina narrowly escaped death, was grateful to Masood, later became Masood's wife, obeyed Masood in everything, and learned to use a gun, becoming a steadfast fighter like Masood.

  Was it all just a play last year? No way, the Soviet people's price was too high, Masood quickly threw away this idea in his heart. It must be that Muhammad judged incorrectly! Rather than believing an outsider who had just fought with himself, Masood would rather believe his own wife.

  Muhammad worried too much, the Soviets just wanted to control the mountain pass, but in the mountains, the Soviet troops couldn't keep up with their own guerrilla forces, those armored vehicles took the main road, without realizing that their own forces could take the smaller roads faster.

  "Hurry up, hurry up." Masood looked at the sun in the west, which had already fallen behind the mountain. It would be dark soon.

  After crossing the two mountains in front, I entered that narrow mountain pass. The cliffs were on both sides, and only the middle of the mountain pass could be passed through. Once you have crossed that mountain pass, there are continuous mountains opposite, where you can hide at will.

  Let the Soviets wander around in these mountains for now. The principle of guerrilla warfare is not to engage in direct confrontation with the Soviets. Last time's ambush on Soviet tanks was a violation of that principle, and we can't afford to make the same mistake again.

  Masood looked back and did not see Muhammad's troops. Once the Soviets had blocked the mountain pass, it would be difficult for Muhammad's men to get out.

  Masood stopped here and said to Fahim on the side: "Fahim, take two team members back to guide Muhammad. Anyway, we are all guerrillas fighting against the Soviet Union."

  Masood is a man who knows how to take care of himself. He has Muhammad's guerrilla force, and if he were to be eliminated here, he would also feel guilty towards Muhammad.

  "Yes." Fahim led two guerrillas back in the direction they had come from.

  The sky quickly darkened, the cold wind whistled by, and the guerrilla fighters walked with sweat all over their bodies. Looking at the mountain pass shrouded in the night ahead, they were filled with strength.

  "Come on, once we get over the pass, we can rest." Masood said as he walked up to a guerrilla fighter carrying a machine gun and said: "Here, let me help you carry it for a while."

  The guerrilla handed the machine gun on his shoulder to Masood, and as soon as he saw that it was the captain, he said: "Captain, I'm not tired, give it to me."

  Masood had already shouldered the machine gun and said, "Let's go."

  This is the M1938 DShK heavy machine gun, although it has been disassembled from its tripod, it is still cumbersome. One person carries it on his shoulder, and it feels heavy. The guerrilla fighter's shoulder had already started bleeding, as the heavy machine gun kept grinding against his shoulder during the march, and the thick callus on his shoulder was worn through again.

  Masood carried a heavy machine gun and walked a few steps before suddenly asking: "Where's Karina?"

  At some point, Karina had vanished into thin air.

  The mountain road here, Karina has walked many times and it's absolutely impossible to get lost. Before dark, Karina was still by her side, where did she go now?

  In an instant, Masood recalled Muhammad's words: Karina has a problem! There is an ambush of Soviet people on the mountain pass!

  "Halt!" Masud shouted: "Krit, take a few men and go check out the pass."

  Going forward is a completely open area, if you are ambushed there, you can't retreat.

  "Bang." At this moment, a gunshot suddenly rang out from the mountain pass ahead.

  Masood ducked down and the bullet grazed his scalp, flying onto the hillside behind him.

  "Rat-a-tat-a..." This was the sound of an RPK light machine gun firing, and then gunfire erupted from all sides of the mountain slope.

  This is terrible, we've been surrounded! It's a Soviet ambush after all!

  "Fall back! Fall back quickly!" Masood shouted, putting down the heavy machine gun he was carrying and setting it up on a rock: "Quickly retreat, I'll cover you!"

  After finishing speaking, the heavy machine gun in his hand spat out a tongue of flame towards the opposite mountain top.

  "Boom, boom." The roar of the engine came from behind, countless infantry fighting vehicles emerged from one side of the valley, and completely blocked the gap behind them.

  The encirclement has been closed!