Chapter 84

Khalina ran out of breath, her chest heaving, while Muhammad kept staring at her, which caused several members of the Panjshir guerrillas to become dissatisfied.

Muhammad keenly noticed that when Khalina saw him, there was a clear look of surprise and panic in her eyes, which she quickly recovered from and tried to avoid making eye contact with him.

"Khalina, how is the situation at the mountain pass?" Masood asked.

"Everything is normal," Khalina replied. "Captain, on my way here, I noticed some Soviets moving towards the mountain pass. They are likely planning to seal it off. If the Soviets manage to block the pass, it will be difficult for us to leave."

Upon hearing this, Masood was immediately reassured and was satisfied with Muhammad's analysis. The Soviets indeed intended to seal off their mountain pass and had already begun their operation!

However, in the mountains, the Soviet troops moved much slower than their own. If they wanted to leave, the Soviets would not be able to stop them.

"Khalina, if the Soviets are moving towards the mountain pass and you came from that direction, why didn't they stop you?" Muhammad asked Khalina.

Hearing Muhammad's question, Khalina immediately replied, "Of course not, I took a small path."

"So, the Soviets are as stupid as donkeys, only knowing to take the main road," Muhammad said with a cold laugh.

"Mr. Muhammad, what do you mean by that?" Fazim asked.

"Mr. Masood, I must warn you. There is something wrong with Khalina," Muhammad said. "I am certain that the mountain pass has already been occupied by the Soviets and a trap has been set. If we go there, we will fall right into their trap."

"Mr. Muhammad, are you saying that Khalina is a traitor to our guerrillas?" Fazim said, dissatisfied. "You just met her for the first time, why are you so sure?"

All of this was based on intuition. The Soviets had come suddenly and would have learned from last year's mistakes. They would first occupy the mountain pass and then encircle the guerrillas, leaving them with no place to run. The Khalina in front of him made Muhammad even more cautious.

Under normal circumstances, Muhammad would not have said anything without concrete evidence. It would be inappropriate to accuse a fellow fighter. But now, if he did not speak up, he would watch Masood's people fall into the Soviet trap and be completely annihilated, which would weaken the resistance against the Soviets. This was not what Muhammad wanted to see.

"Captain, we must hurry. If we delay any longer, the Soviets will completely control the mountain pass, and we will be trapped," Khalina said, ignoring Muhammad's accusations, and continued to urge Masood.

Masood stood up and said, "Order all the members to immediately head towards the mountain pass!"

"Mr. Masood!" Muhammad said, "It's a trap!"

Masood walked past Muhammad. When they were closest, Masood turned to Muhammad and said, "Mr. Muhammad, it is an honor to fight alongside you. Now, I hope your unit can retreat with us. Once the Soviets have had their fill in the mountains, we will strike back. Also, let me introduce you to Khalina, my wife. She would never betray me."

Wife? Muhammad felt a moment of confusion. Could he have been wrong? This woman is Masood's wife, so she would not betray him. But why did he have such a familiar feeling? It seemed like this woman was someone he knew. Maybe he was overthinking? Maybe his memory was confused?

Hundreds of Panjshir guerrillas, led by Masood, began to move along the rugged mountain path, leaving only Muhammad's unit behind.

"Trainer, what should we do?" Durani asked Muhammad.

Muhammad's suspicion of Masood's wife made the Panjshir guerrillas somewhat dissatisfied. With Masood leading his people away, the unity they had just achieved was about to be broken.

Looking at the clear blue sky, the sun had already slid to the west, and it was getting dark.

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

Everything was based on his judgment, perhaps he was wrong. Muhammad could only think this in his heart. Keeping a distance from Masood's guerrillas would allow him to come to their aid if they fell into danger without getting caught in the Soviet encirclement.

Muhammad thought of Khalina's eyes again, which carried a maturity and sophistication that did not match her age. Even though she was wrapped in a long robe, her posture still exuded a sense of sensuality and grace. Why did she seem so familiar? This Khalina should have always been in the Panjshir Valley.

Stepping on the barren mountain, holding an AK-74 rifle, Masood walked quietly.

Next to Masood, Khalina closely followed, occasionally looking at his face.

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

Masood turned his head and said to Khalina, "Of course not, I trust you. Last year, I saved you from the valley, and you almost died at the hands of the Soviets. How could you be a traitor to our guerrillas?"

Masood remembered last year when Khalina was passing through the valley and encountered a Soviet transport convoy. The Soviets, seeing her beauty, tried to rape her. Masood and his guerrillas ambushed the convoy and saved her.

Khalina, having narrowly escaped death, was grateful to Masood. Later, she became his wife, obedient to him in every way, and learned to use a gun, becoming a determined fighter like Masood.

Could last year have been a setup? No, the cost for the Soviets would have been too high. Masood quickly dismissed this thought. It must be that Muhammad was wrong! Masood trusted his wife more than a stranger he had just fought alongside.

Muhammad was overthinking. The Soviets intended to control the mountain pass, but in the mountains, the Soviet troops moved much slower than the guerrillas. The armored vehicles on the main road were no match for the guerrillas taking the small paths.

"Quick, speed up," Masood looked at the sun, which had already set behind the mountains, and night was falling fast.

After crossing the next two mountains, they would enter the narrow mountain pass. On both sides were cliffs, and only the pass in the middle could be crossed. Once they passed the pass, they would be in a vast mountain range where they could easily hide.

Let the Soviets wander in the mountains. The principle of guerrilla warfare was not to engage the Soviets directly. The last ambush on Soviet tanks was a violation of this principle, and they could not make the same mistake again.

Masood looked behind him and saw no sign of Muhammad's unit. If the Soviets sealed off the pass, it would be difficult for Muhammad's people to get out.

Thinking of this, Masood stopped and said to Fazim, "Fazim, take two members and go back to guide Muhammad. No matter what, we are all guerrillas fighting the Soviets."

Masood was a big-picture thinker. If Muhammad's guerrillas were eliminated here, he would feel responsible.

"Yes," Fazim took two guerrillas and headed back.

Night quickly fell, and the cold wind blew. The guerrillas, sweating from the climb, looked at the mountain pass ahead, which was shrouded in darkness, and felt a surge of energy.

"Push harder, once we pass the pass, we will rest," Masood said. He walked up to a guerrilla carrying a machine gun and said, "Here, let me help you carry it for a while."

The guerrilla, just as he handed the machine gun to Masood, realized it was the captain and said, "Captain, I'm not tired, give it back to me."

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

This was an M1938 DShKM heavy machine gun. Even with the tripod removed, it was still heavy. The guerrilla's shoulder had already bled from the weight, and the thick calluses on his shoulder had been worn through during the journey.

Masood carried the heavy machine gun for a few steps and suddenly asked, "Where is Khalina?"

Khalina had disappeared at some point. She had walked this path many times and could not have gotten lost. She was by his side before it got dark. Where could she have gone?

In an instant, Masood remembered Muhammad's words: Khalina was a problem! There was a Soviet ambush at the pass!

"Stop advancing," Masood shouted. "Kreit, take a few people and check the pass."

Moving forward would lead them into an open area. If they were ambushed there, they would have no way to retreat.

"Bang." At that moment, gunshots rang out from the pass ahead.

Masood ducked, and a bullet grazed his scalp, flying to the hill behind him.

"Bang, bang, bang..." It was the sound of an RPK light machine gun, followed by gunfire from all sides of the hills.

We're surrounded! It is indeed a Soviet ambush!

"Retreat, quickly retreat!" Masood shouted, setting down the heavy machine gun and placing it on a rock. "Quickly retreat, I will cover you!"

He fired the machine gun at the hill opposite.

"Boom, boom, boom." The sound of engines roared behind them as numerous infantry fighting vehicles emerged from the side of the valley, completely blocking the exit.

The encirclement was complete! (To be continued)