Chapter 830: Painful Muffled Groan

Preston Vance’s aim wasn’t nearly as sharp. His shot went wide, the bullet burying itself directly into the tree trunk beside his target. The sudden impact instantly alerted the man, who scrambled into cover.

Filled with remorse, Preston’s face fell. "Sorry..."

Chloe Reed’s expression remained deadpan; now was not the time for apologies. She swiftly locked onto the enemy, waiting for a clear window to secure a headshot. If they let him hunker down, he would undoubtedly radio his accomplices. Once reinforcements arrived, their situation would become infinitely more dire.

However, the pitch-black night severely limited her vision. With the man completely obscured behind the thick trunk, even Chloe’s elite marksmanship was useless. A layer of cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

Preston lowered his voice. "How about I go out and act as a target? You should be able to take him down before he can fire, right?"

"No." Chloe rejected his proposal without a second of hesitation.

She would never gamble with a friend’s life. It was a wager she simply couldn’t afford to lose!

Preston’s eyes flickered with a complex array of emotions before an idea struck him. He shrugged off the jacket he had scavenged earlier, grabbed a stray branch, and draped the fabric over it. He looked back at Chloe.

Meeting his gaze, Chloe instantly understood his plan. She nodded, impressed by his quick thinking. They could use this decoy to draw the enemy’s fire, giving her the split-second window she needed to eliminate the threat.

Preston’s expression hardened. The hand gripping the branch trembled ever so slightly as he slowly inched toward the edge of the stable. Taking a deep breath, he hoisted the makeshift decoy into the open.

Chloe kept her eyes glued to the tree trunk, her finger hovering over the trigger. The moment the enemy poked his head out, she would end him.

From a distance in the dark of night, the jacket draped over the branch looked exactly like a person stepping out of the shadows.

Instantly, the barrel of a gun thrust out from behind the trunk, aimed dead at the decoy. BANG!

At that exact moment, Chloe squeezed her trigger. Her bullet tore through the air, sinking directly into the man’s arm!

But a split second later, another distinct gunshot rang out. The man hidden behind the trunk slumped to the ground!

Chloe’s pupils contracted sharply at the sight. Her mind immediately flashed back to earlier, when they were hunting down the lone mercenaries. Someone hiding in the shadows had stepped in to help them, gunning down two enemies.

"Is it the same person this time?" she wondered. "Who is secretly helping me?"

Her heart hammering against her ribs, Chloe dashed out of cover without a second thought. She snatched the earpiece from one of the downed men and pressed it to her ear. Hearing the frantic chatter of men already rushing toward their coordinates, her expression darkened.

It was too late. Her position had been compromised!

She quickly stripped the mercenary of his rifle, slinging it over her own shoulder. Just as she knelt down to pat him down for extra weapons, Preston’s panicked voice rang out behind her.

"Chloe, behind you!"

Startled, she whipped around. But before she could even process the threat, Preston was already lunging at her. He tackled her into a tight embrace, shielding her body with his own back!

The mercenary whose temple had only been grazed by her earlier bullet had unexpectedly regained consciousness. Seeing Chloe crouched right beside him, he had drawn his combat knife and lunged, intending to end her life!

Preston had arrived just in time to see the ambush. Without a single thought for his own safety, he threw himself into the line of fire to protect her.

SHLICK!

The sickening sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh tore through the air, followed by Preston’s muffled groan of agony.