Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1144 - 1144 One Thousand One Hundred Twenty-Seven Entrusting

1144: Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Twenty-Seven: Entrusting 1144: Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Twenty-Seven: Entrusting The artillery fire started at noon, continuing until evening.

Lying on the rooftop, Gao Yang, who was eagerly looking for a breakthrough in the Rebel Army’s blockade, finally sighed helplessly and said, “I think we can’t wait for reinforcements anymore.”

Everyone was very disappointed.

Division 134 launched an attack at noon, but after an afternoon of combat, the front line had not advanced half a step.

The positions they had fought from were where they had to end, and there was a good chance they could be pushed back by the Rebel Army.

They had hoped to leave in a safer manner, but now it seemed that if they wanted to be prudent, they couldn’t rush, and if they wanted to rush, they had to take risks.

After sunset, the fighting would stop.

Glolov, with a dejected expression, shook his head and waved his hand, “Let’s go, let’s leave, it’s not possible today.”

Everyone’s mood was very downcast.

The defenders who had been trapped even longer than Gao Yang and his group were the most frustrated.

They watched as hope rushed up to them time and again, only to be constantly thwarted by the Rebel Army’s defense line, a blow they had already endured many times.

Saidev was the most disappointed of all, and he was also the one under the most pressure.

He knew very well that if Division 134 couldn’t break through the encirclement on the first try, no miracles were likely to happen next.

In silence, the group returned to their resting place, doing whatever they were supposed to do.

Normally, sunset was the most relaxed time of the day in the entire prison, because it was unlikely for the Rebel Army to launch an attack at night.

However, due to the once again shattered hopes, everyone’s mood was low, and they all looked listless.

Feeling downcast, it was even more necessary to watch some movies to unwind.

Jansen no longer showed movies at their living place because it was overcrowded.

After the chaos of the first few days, Gao Yang had set a rule: they had to be on guard during the day against Rebel Army attacks, so no movies could be shown.

But at night, Jansen could play a movie in a large vacant room for everyone’s enjoyment.

So, for those off duty, the first thing every day when darkness fell was to rush to the movie screening area.

Too many people and too small a screen, at least one hundred people crowding around a ten-inch tablet to watch a movie, the scene was truly horrifying.

Having been trapped in the prison for over a month, Jansen was now definitely the most popular person because he could play movies.

Everyone who saw Jansen would have a genuine smile emerge from the bottom of their hearts, then they would warmly greet him.

Gao Yang also returned to his bedroom.

He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, contemplating which of the several plans he had been considering might work.

It wasn’t long before he was alone that someone knocked on Gao Yang’s door.

Gao Yang opened his eyes and said loudly, “Come in.”

“General, are you asleep?”

Much to Gao Yang’s surprise, the one knocking was not one of Satan’s people, but Saidev.

Gao Yang quickly sat up from the bed, saying, “Major, please come in.

I haven’t gone to sleep yet.”

Saidev entered the room, and finding nowhere else to sit, Gao Yang moved over and pointed to the edge of the bed, speaking loudly, “Is there something you need?

Come, sit and talk.”

Saidev didn’t sit down but stood after entering, his voice solemn, “I have nothing in particular.

I just wanted to chat with you, General.

It’s pitch-black in here, can’t see anything.

Let’s go outside to talk.”

Gao Yang stood up and said loudly, “All right, wait for me a moment.”

The prison had no electricity, only a very limited supply of airdropped candles.

Except during critical moments of combat, candles could not be used sparingly, so after nightfall, the entire prison would plunge into darkness.

Chatting in such a pitch-dark place indeed felt awkward.

Even if Saidev hadn’t mentioned it, Gao Yang also wanted to suggest going outside.

Turning on his flashlight, he donned his full combat gear, shouldered his gun, and after leaving the room with Saidev, Gao Yang turned off the flashlight.

In silence, he walked with Saidev to an open space in the prison.

Talking in the open space was actually quite dangerous, because one never knew when the Rebel Army would fire a mortar shell their way.

However, to avoid the stuffiness, both Gao Yang and Saidev ignored this not-so-great risk.

There was a moon, and it was much brighter outside than inside the room.

There were two concrete slabs on the open ground, both of which had fallen from the building due to shelling by the Rebel Army.

One concrete slab was quite flat.

After Saidev invited Gao Yang to sit down, he himself sat on the other slab.

But that slab had some sharp edges, and after trying it and finding it uncomfortable, Saidev simply sat down on the ground.

Gao Yang thought Saidev wanted to discuss shooting techniques again.

But after Saidev sat down next to him on the ground and let out a long sigh, instead of sharing his thoughts on shooting as usual, he fiddled in his shirt pocket for a moment and pulled out a crushed pack of cigarettes.

“Come on, General, I’ve still got a few cigarettes stashed away here.

Have one,” he said.

Gao Yang waved his hand and chuckled, “I don’t smoke, you go ahead.”

Many of the prison guards smoked, so cigarettes were also considered military supplies.

After all, they were secondary to food and ammunition; therefore, their airdrop supply was sporadic.

That’s why cigarettes were always in short supply and not always available.

Lately, there hadn’t been any cigarette deliveries, and the smokers had long been without their fix.

Although Saidev was the highest commander in the prison, he never received more than half a pack more than anyone else.

Only Eileen would get the most whenever the cigarettes arrived.

Saidev opened the cigarette box, revealing the three remaining cigarettes inside.

He picked one up and offered it to Gao Yang with a smile, “Have one, I’ve seen you smoke before, this is all the good stuff I have left.”

People in the prison liked to use cigarettes as a token of goodwill.

Apart from cigarettes, they really had nothing else they could give.

Everyone had the same food and wore the same clothes; only cigarettes could be considered a rare item.

Otherwise, why would Eileen always receive cigarettes gifted to her?

It’s not like cigarettes would be treasured and given away like that anywhere else.

Gao Yang lit cigarettes for both himself and Saidev, and after silently smoking for a while, Saidev spoke up softly, “General, I would like to ask you a favor.”

“Speak,” said Gao Yang.

After a long silence, Saidev finally said in a low voice, “I guess I won’t be getting out of here.”

Saidev needed to set an example, to boost everyone’s morale, so he never let his disappointment show, no matter what he was actually thinking.

But today’s events had hit Saidev hard, and he finally began to reveal his inner thoughts.

Gao Yang shook his head and said solemnly, “Don’t jump to conclusions, we will definitely all get out.”

Saidev didn’t debate with Gao Yang but continued in a low voice, “General, I know you’re different from us, you’re bound to get out someday, and you’re sure to make it.

I’d like to ask for your help.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m married; I have a wife and two children, and my mother; they’re not in Aleppo, they’re all in Damascus.

I don’t even know how they are now.

My superior told me they are all protected, and I hope they are living well; but, I do not know if I’ll ever live to see the day I leave this prison.”

After a heavy sigh, Saidev continued in a low voice, “General, my duty is to defend this prison.

I have decided to stand or fall with it, but I’m worried about my family.

Could you please check on them after you leave the prison?”

Gao Yang nodded with a smile, “No problem, is that all?”

Saidev seemed a bit uneasy as he rubbed his hands together and said in a low voice, “I don’t know how to start…

well, I know my request is a bit excessive.

After all, we’ve only spent a short time together, and there’s a big gap in status and rank; we’re hardly even friends.

But, I know you’re a capable person.

If you get out, and if the situation in Damascus is dangerous, with the risk of it falling, could you possibly…

um, could you take my family out of Syria?”

After he finished, without waiting for Gao Yang to respond, Saidev, as if he had done something terribly wrong, suddenly blurted out anxiously, “No, my request is too much.

General, I’m sorry.

Pretend you didn’t hear anything, just consider it nonsense from my confused mind.”

Gao Yang held the agitated Saidev, shook his head, and smiled, “Buddy, you’re wrong; who said we can’t be friends?

Putting aside military ranks and such, don’t you consider me a friend?”

After patting Saidev on the shoulder, Gao Yang smiled and asked, “Where do you want your family to go?”

After a moment of stunned silence, Saidev replied excitedly, “I, I got a little too excited.

If I’m not dead, as long as Damascus doesn’t fall, I’d still want my family to stay in Syria.

But if I’m dead, I hope you can help get my family out of Syria to any place that’s peaceful and stable; anywhere is fine, but this requires money…”

Gao Yang patted Saidev’s shoulder again and smiled, “Brother, money is not an issue for me, and you should know that I’m actually very wealthy.

Give me your family address, and your wife’s name, make sure to write the information clearly.”

Saidev took out the family address he had written long ago, his hands trembling as he handed it to Gao Yang.

Gao Yang took it and looked; it was all in Arabic, which he couldn’t read, but that wasn’t a problem.

“Why don’t you give your family a call?

Is the telephone line down?” Gao Yang asked.

Saidev nodded, “Yes, the phone lines have been down for a while.”

Gao Yang shrugged, “Not necessarily, the phone lines in Damascus are intermittent; maybe you can get through this time.

Here, try making a call now, just enter the phone number and dial, give it a shot, maybe it’ll work this time.”

Gao Yang took out a satellite phone and after entering the international code for Damascus, handed the phone to Saidev, who took it with trembling hands, dialed a number, and pressed the call button.

After carefully placing the phone to his ear, Saidev quickly made a face at Gao Yang that was a mix of crying and laughing, and said with a trembling voice, “It’s connected, it’s connected.” (To be continued.

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