Chapter 42

The commander ducked his head, and the bullet struck his helmet. He felt the helmet being violently impacted by the bullet, which pushed his entire head backward, almost tearing his cervical vertebrae in that instant.

The 7.62mm bullet fired from an SVD rifle was forcefully lodged in the helmet, failing to penetrate his skull.

"Dodge!" he shouted loudly. At this point, it was too late to retreat. The terrain here was very open, completely exposed to the enemy on the opposite hilltop. It would be very easy for them to shoot and kill.

Damn, there's something strange about that helmet! Muhammad watched as the bullet fired by Khwaja hit the other side but was blocked by their helmet. This was a 7.62mm sniper round! Even in the future, advanced aramid helmets could only stop 7.62mm ordinary rifle bullets, not sniper rounds. The steel helmets of this era could only withstand bomb fragments, not direct bullet impacts.

What kind of helmet is the other side using? I must get one to examine after the battle! Muhammad thought as he gave the order: "Open fire!"

Several PPK light machine guns poured fire towards the opposite side. Among the bullets were tracer rounds, making it visible when they flew over. Several Soviet soldiers who couldn't dodge in time were immediately hit.

The field of view was wide open, allowing for easy firing. Did the Soviets really not study the terrain before coming here? This place was a grave prepared specifically for them!

Muhammad watched as the bullets flew, several Soviet soldiers fell, and their machine gunner, crouching on the ground, began firing back.

Idiot, this is a suicidal move!

Khwaja, puzzled by his missed headshot, now saw the enemy machine gunner start firing. He continued to snipe without hesitation, this time aiming at the enemy's chest. A bullet flew over and entered the Soviet soldier's body, causing him to fall forward, and the machine gun fell to the ground.

The Soviet commander's face turned ashen. Their machine guns were completely unable to suppress the enemy. Seeing the firepower pouring down from the hilltop, it was only a matter of time before they were eliminated.

There was nowhere to hide. The only choice now was...

"Retreat to the cave!" the Soviet commander shouted.

Just now, the donkeys were frightened, and the Soviet commander clearly saw one of them panic and run into the cave without triggering any mines.

There couldn't be many mines at the cave entrance; there must be a passage in the middle! As long as they followed the donkey's footprints, they could enter the cave!

If they entered the cave, they could use it for cover and hold out for a while. Otherwise, their soldiers would be eliminated in no time.

A single piece of incorrect intelligence led to the destruction of their squad. The commander wished he could strangle the person who gave them the information.

The firepower was too intense. In an instant, they had lost most of their men. The commander had to abandon the idea of rescuing the wounded outside and led the remaining men to retreat towards the cave.

When they successfully entered the cave, the commander took a few breaths. During the battle, they had never left their wounded behind, but this time, he could hear the moans outside.

As long as they weren't hit in a vital spot, they wouldn't die immediately, but being wounded was more terrifying. Watching the blood flow continuously and feeling the body's temperature drop would fill the mind with immense fear.

A Soviet soldier watched as his intestines fell to the ground. A burst of bullets had opened a hole in his lower abdomen. He tried to push the intestines back in, but they just fell out again. His hands, covered in blood, trembled as he tried to push them back in again.

When he finally realized that the intestines couldn't be pushed back in, he stopped trying. His hands trembled and fell to his sides. He took one step, then another, trying to walk towards the cave, with his intestines trailing behind, forming a stream of blood.

After taking a dozen steps, his body slowly collapsed.

The Soviets in the cave watched their comrade fall but were powerless to help. They clenched their fists and glared with red eyes.

"Call the Hind," the commander of the SP special forces said. "Have the Hind flatten the hilltop opposite!"

They didn't carry heavy weapons and were forced into the cave due to the terrain. If they went out, they would be easily picked off on the exposed slope. Their only hope was for the Hind to come to their rescue.

"Yes," a soldier took out a handheld radio terminal and kept calling, but there was no response.

The terrain was complex, and the power of the handheld terminal was insufficient. They needed to get to the hilltop to get a signal.

"Lieutenant Muhammad, set off the explosives now, and we can blow up all the Soviets inside," James suggested kindly to Muhammad.

This ambush was brilliantly executed, especially the control of the terrain. Muhammad's use of it was outstanding. Originally, James thought they would stay in the cave, setting up layers of defense, making the Soviets pay a price as they climbed up the slope.

But Muhammad did something different. He withdrew everyone, leaving only the donkeys as bait to lure the Soviets into attacking. Once the Soviets climbed up the slope, their backs were completely exposed, making them easy targets.

Now, the Soviets were suppressed and forced into the cave. Besides planting jump mines at the cave entrance, they had also placed enough C4 in hidden spots on the cave ceiling, ready to be remotely detonated. Just pressing the button would collapse the cave entrance, burying everyone inside alive.

He's a genius at warfare! James was very impressed with Muhammad. By withdrawing from the cave, they had completely taken control. Now, the complete destruction of the Soviets was just a matter of pressing the button.

"No," Muhammad said. "Cease fire and wait. Soon, a fearless guy will come out and climb to the hilltop. Then we'll detonate."

A guy will come out? Climb to the hilltop? James didn't believe it. "Lieutenant Muhammad, how do you know?"

Muhammad didn't speak but slowly pulled out a Pamir cigarette, lay on the other side of the slope, and lit it, taking a slow drag.

His expression was so natural that James felt he had just asked a very stupid question.

The east began to turn slightly white, and it was about to dawn.

"Someone's coming out, a fearless guy is coming out," a guerrilla fighter whispered at that moment.

Coming out? James couldn't believe his eyes. He slowly crawled out and saw a Soviet soldier emerge from the cave entrance, then run up the slope, zigzagging to avoid bullets.

What is he doing? Why is only one guy running out? James still didn't understand, but he watched as the soldier reached the hilltop and pulled out a long, shiny object.

A radio antenna? He's calling for reinforcements!

"Snipe him!" James said.

The soldier seemed to know someone was trying to snipe him. He continued to run while calling for help.

No one followed James's order. Khwaja, holding the sniper rifle, kept aiming and looking for the movement pattern but didn't pull the trigger.

After waiting for about five or six seconds, Muhammad said, "Snipe him! Blow up the cave entrance!"

"Bang." A bullet flew from Khwaja's SVD rifle towards the hilltop, and at the same time, Durani pressed the button.

"Boom!" A fierce explosion occurred at the cave entrance. The Soviet soldiers who were aiming at the hilltop from the cave entrance were instantly torn apart by the explosion. Then, countless rocks fell, crushing their bodies into pulp.

The entire cave entrance was sealed by rocks.

The Soviet soldier on the hilltop felt the ground tremble and immediately sensed something. Just as he was about to flip to the other side of the hill, he heard the sound of a bullet slicing through the air, followed by a jolt in his chest.

The 7.62mm bullet entered his chest, and as it entered the soft body, the bullet began to tumble, stirring up more flesh and blood. Then, the skin on his back burst open, leaving a large hole.

Blood spurted from the hole, and his body fell. In his hand, he still held the radio, and through the headphones, he heard the pilot's response: "Received, arriving in ten minutes."

"Clean up the battlefield," Muhammad said. He threw away the cigarette butt, shouldered his AKM rifle, and charged towards the opposite side.

Muhammad was not interested in the Soviet weapons or the SP unit's designation. He was the first to rush over to the first fallen Soviet soldier, removing his helmet.

The outside was camouflaged fabric. When he peeled it off, Muhammad saw the metallic sheen inside and was immediately surprised.

Damn, isn't this a titanium alloy helmet? Amazing Soviets, they were already using titanium alloy helmets at this time!

Titanium is an excellent metal, low density, light weight, similar to aluminum, but with high strength, stiffness, and heat resistance. After the 1950s, its use became more widespread, especially in aviation engines and other components.

However, titanium extraction is not easy and is very expensive. Only the Soviets used titanium alloys extensively, such as for the hulls of nuclear submarines, allowing them to dive to depths of over a thousand meters. Using titanium alloy for helmets was something no other country, not even the wealthy United States, could afford.

A titanium alloy helmet would cost thousands of rubles. Those who could use such helmets were definitely elite Soviet special forces. "Remove all the helmets," Muhammad shouted.

In critical moments, this thing could save lives. Muhammad unceremoniously removed the towel from his head and put the helmet on. It was a bit too big, so he adjusted the inner straps.