Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 1034

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several shots rang out, and all eight men were executed on the spot.

Only then did Owen turn to York to explain. "These men are too dangerous. We might have them now, but they could easily be intercepted on the way back.

They hijack prison transports and break out of jails all the time. Did you really think we could successfully escort him all the way back to Mavaria?"

In dire situations, one had to adapt. Blindly following protocol wasn't always an option.

If this drug lord slipped through their fingers, their entire trip to the Balkan Underworld would have been for nothing, leading to endless trouble down the line.

York finally snapped out of it, turning to the soldiers behind him. "Remember, they were killed during a chaotic firefight."

It wasn't entirely York's fault. His training had ingrained a strict adherence to the rules.

But this wasn't Mavaria, and a drug lord was no ordinary criminal. They had too many tricks up their sleeves. Taking them out was the only safe bet.

York then called Dominic West to report the incident, after which the group began their trek back.

Per Dominic's instructions, they needed to bring the drug lord's body back for a DNA test. Nothing else mattered.

As they retraced their steps, the sound of gunfire suddenly echoed around them.

"See? The rescue squad is here."

"We're outnumbered. Let's take cover to avoid casualties," Mira suggested.

Now that Mishka and her father were dead, Mira had no desire to prolong the fight. Keeping her people safe was the priority.

They had passed a sizable hollow earlier, filled with thick bushes—the perfect hiding spot.

Director Whitlock quickly called his contact to request backup.

The approaching footsteps grew louder. Judging by the sound, there were hundreds of them. Good thing they hadn't brought the hostages along to slow them down.

Whitlock's backup hadn't arrived yet, and the armed forces nearby were conducting a grid search. Once they closed in, a brutal firefight was inevitable.

If they stayed clumped together, an enemy grenade would wipe them out.

That first wave of attacks only worked because they had caught the enemy off guard.

York might have lacked experience in certain rogue operations, but as a lieutenant, he was highly tactical in open combat.

The young man just needed a bit more field practice.

With half the enemy squad decimated by the explosives, Mira knew they would have to fight their way out the hard way.

They had to exploit the chaos caused by the snipers to push forward.

They were out in the open, and the enemy was widely dispersed. The gas would only be effective in close quarters.

Mira, Owen, and Master Ellis neutralized the threats nearby while seizing every opportunity to move upwind.

The enemy forces were still vast. A protracted shootout would only result in heavy casualties on their side. Taking the high ground upwind was the only way to deploy the knockout gas effectively against such a large force.