Los Angeles defector

Escape

Martin, this kid, not only has long legs, but also good insight and a lively mind. After spending these days with Jason and listening to him talk about everything under the sun with Emily, in Martin's eyes, Jason is definitely not a mere talker. So, he believes Jason's words.

However, unlike Emily's blind trust, Martin's trust is well-founded. He spends his days mingling in the camp and often hears news from the battlefields of North America and California, where things are said to be dire. He knows that Jason escorted Isabella from California, and even if Jason is a deserter, he has seen big scenes before, at least he's a seasoned soldier who has crawled through piles of dead bodies. Martin believes that when it comes to matters of life and death on the battlefield, listening to a veteran is always the right choice.

Furthermore, when it comes to the arrival of vampires, it's better to believe they exist rather than dismiss the possibility. Even if Jason has misjudged the situation, at worst, everyone will have exerted themselves for nothing. But if it turns out to be true, it could be a disaster of catastrophic proportions. This reasoning is crystal clear to Martin as soon as he thinks about it.

Seeing Second Lieutenant Slashmaster leave without making a decision, leaving Jason, Emily, and himself hanging, Martin felt genuinely anxious. Unable to contain his emotions, he instinctively treated Jason as the leader and grabbed Jason's sleeve, saying, "Brother, look at him, this... this. Please, come up with a plan quickly, will you?"

"I've said all that needs to be said. I'm not the one in charge, so what can I do?" Jason's current thought was, "Even if Second Lieutenant Slashmaster goes to the ends of the earth, it's not my concern. The task given to me by the regimental chief of staff is to escort the child. I don't care about the rest. Should I just lead the little girl and leave the village now and figure things out later?"

Jason and Second Lieutenant Slashmaster had a feud, and Martin was well aware of this. However, Martin didn't believe that Jason was indecisive. "Brother, let's forget about what's happening with Second Lieutenant Slashmaster. Right now, Martin is listening to you. You've got to come up with a plan for me, right?"

Jason looked at Martin. He had liked this kid's attitude since their first meeting and couldn't let everyone be delayed just because of his dislike for Slashmaster. Acting on his own, assuming command without authority—both were serious breaches of discipline, right? Putting that aside for now, since he was already in deep trouble, he made up his mind and said to Martin, "You're from the regimental headquarters, and everyone trusts your word. Right now, you need to immediately inform all the villagers to evacuate. It's an emergency, so leave everything behind except food. Tell everyone to cross over the western mountain, head west, scatter into the mountains, and the farther, the better. Then, return to the regimental headquarters, burn everything with writing on it, and meet me at the top of the eastern mountain. It needs to be done quickly!"

"Yes!" Martin instinctively saluted Jason, but suddenly realized it was inappropriate to salute him. Feeling a bit embarrassed, his face turned red, and he quickly turned around and ran off.

Emily, who didn't notice these details, listened to Jason's instructions to Martin and asked with wide eyes, "Fox, you're saying we should go to the eastern mountain? Why not follow the villagers and head west together?"

Jason's judgment was that the unnamed village was situated in a north-south valley, making it likely for vampires to block both ends. He instructed the villagers to head west because the western mountain was relatively gentle and easier to climb. Furthermore, he believed the vampires most likely approached from the east, so where else could they run if not west? Additionally, the eastern mountain was steep; how many of the elderly and infirm in the village could make it over there?

Why didn't Jason go west with the villagers? Jason had his own considerations. Firstly, Jason didn't know how many vampire offspring had arrived or what combat measures the Second Brigade would take. If there were a lot of vampires and the Second Brigade collapsed quickly, the vampires would then likely pursue westward. It was estimated that there wouldn't be much chance of escape.

Secondly, if the Second Brigade could hold out for a period of time, it would give the villagers more time to evacuate. Once the vampires entered the village, the villagers' fleeing tracks would inevitably be exposed. The vampires would still pursue westward, which was a slightly better scenario than the previous one. However, they would still be pursued, and whether they could run far enough, hide successfully, and survive would ultimately come down to fate.

The two previous scenarios were not optimal for Jason, so Jason wanted to strive for a decisive solution. Since the vampires were coming from the east, the best course of action was to head east directly. It would be easy for two or three people to conceal themselves, and as long as they could use the terrain of the mountains to evade the vampires' attack route, there would be no more worries. Then, they could figure out a way to turn north to find the troops. Therefore, Jason decided to head to the eastern mountain.

Jason responded to Emily in a commanding tone, "No need for so many 'whys,' just follow me."

Even though Emily has a childlike nature, she is aware that the vampires are coming and that Jason wants to take her away. Without delving into further concepts, she stopped asking questions. Blinking her big eyes, she then said, "Um, Fox, wait for me here for a moment. I'll be right back." Without waiting for Jason to respond, she dashed off.

Jason was taken aback. This troublesome little girl, what is she up to now? What act is she putting on? He wanted to stop her, but she was already far away. Well, he would just have to wait for this little lady.

Martin sprinted with long strides, running like the wind, carrying a broken gong and banging it all the way through the village, shouting and mobilizing everyone to evacuate. People of all ages came out of their homes, holding hands and rushing towards the western mountain, creating chaos in the village. Seeing that the evacuation was complete, Martin threw away the broken gong and turned back, running towards the camp, where he ran into Sandy Sniffles head-on.

"Hey, Martin, didn't Captain Alan say we should wait for confirmation from the scouts? Why are you now shouting for everyone to run? Aren't you spreading false information?" Sandy Sniffles asked bluntly, carrying a rifle with only one bullet left on her back.

Breathing heavily, Martin's voice was a bit hoarse as he replied, "Jason saw the vampires up on the eastern mountain. We had to run early to get away. Besides, Captain Alan didn't say we couldn't give early notice."

Sandy Sniffles' face turned serious. "Martin, don't try to be evasive. Don't think I don't know. You're always cozying up to that deserter. Can we trust his words? How many of his own men has he harmed in his madness? Are you genuinely foolish or just pretending? Tell me, is it him..."

Seeing Sandy Sniffles' demeanor, Martin thought to himself, "You're a real troublemaker, a true crybaby reincarnated. If even the Captain and the Chief of Staff can't handle you, I definitely can't. Better make a quick exit." He quickly interrupted her, "Alright, Sergeant Sandy, Captain Sandy, you're busy, I have urgent matters to attend to." With that, he dashed off towards the headquarters, disappearing at a speed akin to avoiding the plague.

With his hands in his pockets, Jason paced by the edge of the parade ground. Emily hadn't arrived yet, but Sandy Sniffles appeared before him. Jason couldn't help but feel exasperated. What did it mean for someone to grace your presence? This was it. The melancholic man who seemed to live with the sun, never seen for centuries, suddenly showed up at a critical moment. Just looking at his face was irritating.

"Jason, did you instruct Martin to make the people run?"

"Yeah, it was me. What about it?"

"I knew it was you all along. You've not only lied about the military situation but also disregarded military discipline. I bet your next move is to become a deserter, isn't it?"

"Yes. That's right. Go on."

"What more is there to say? I'm going to put you in confinement now, awaiting further action from higher authorities."

Jason chuckled, "Confine me? On what grounds?"

"Just because I'm the Class Nine monitor."

Jason walked up to Sandy Sniffles, standing so close that their noses were almost touching. "I asked you 'On what grounds,' not whether you're a class monitor or a platoon leader!"

Looking at the broad chest in front of him, the sturdy shoulders, and the narrow eyes so close, seemingly emitting a dangerous glint, Sandy Sniffles suddenly recalled the fate of Second Company. Startled, he finally came to his senses. Why would he want to reason with me? He's mocking my lack of support. Backing away hastily to create some distance, he said, "Jason, you deserter, you're planning a rebellion! You're planning to defect and join the enemy! Believe me, I'll execute you on behalf of the higher-ups!" As he spoke, Sandy Sniffles took the g*n off his shoulder and aimed it.

Jason, looking at Sandy Sniffles' behavior, couldn't contain his anger. What kind of person was this, a troublemaker with a thick skull who could only create chaos? A rookie who couldn't do anything besides causing trouble. Without showing him some authority, he wouldn't understand who he was dealing with. Lifting his foot, Jason kicked Sandy Sniffles, who hadn't even c****d his g*n, causing him to fall flat on his back. "Snot-nosed, today I'll show you what a 'deserter' really means."

Emily ran into the small house in the backyard of the headquarters—it was her living quarters. Once inside, she went straight to the corner, lifted a square tile from the floor, and pulled out a small canvas bag from the hole underneath. She gave it a shake, making a rustling sound. Tying the bag tightly with a thin rope to make it smaller and quieter, she then stuffed it into her canvas satchel behind her, making it bulge. Clapping her hands and scanning the surroundings, she didn't need to bring anything else. She turned around and headed out to find Jason.

In her haste as she turned around the corner, Emily was taken aback. Jason stood by the ditch at the edge of the playground, hands in his pockets, kicking and stepping on something in the ditch. He muttered, "Oh, you're really stubborn. Didn't expect that. You've got some guts. Still dare to speak? I'll make you speak..."

From the ditch came waves of wails: "Ah... Oh... Deserter... Deserter... I represent the organization... Oh my..."

"What are you doing, Fox?"

Jason turned around, and Emily, with a round bulging shoulder bag slung over her shoulder, stood in the corner. He quickly retracted his foot, realizing it was not good for the little girl to see this. She ran over in a few steps, grabbed Emily's arm, and said, "It's okay, you're finally back. Let's go quickly."

Although Slashmaster was somewhat skeptical of Jason's words, he did not dare to be careless. He led a team to the southern outpost, ordered them to prepare defenses on the spot just in case, and was busy directing them back and forth. Suddenly, they heard the clanging of gongs and drums from the village, followed by villagers running chaotically towards the western mountain. Before Slashmaster could order an evacuation, what's going on here? Who gave the order? With the intention of returning to the village to see what was happening, a soldier beside him suddenly spoke, "Captain, the reconnaissance team is back!"

So fast? Didn't I ask them to go five miles out? How did they return so quickly? Looking back to the south, the reconnaissance team of more than ten people, panting and already close, began shouting towards this side from afar, "Vampires! Vampires are coming! Captain, there are vampires everywhere..."