Chapter 625 Battle in the Forest
Zhang Heng had the hunter’s hut in his sights. Other than that, he also saw a few more tents being set up around it.
At that time, Cook Gang had just finished supper. There was nothing else for them to do in this barren mountain, and except for the guards, most chose to sleep right after they ate. After all, they needed all their energy for the tough fight that would ensue in two days.
The county seat of Lincoln County differed from other small towns. Manpower was never a problem for them. Although they did not have enough law enforcement officers, many ranches were nearby. The local ranchers and cowboys possessed the caliber for basic combat, and even the brutal and ruthless Cook Gang made sure to not take them lightly.
Zhang Heng, too had gone to lie down for a while. Too bad the Filter Lens didn’t possess the function of seeing through obstacles, or he would have used it to locate Cook. If he guessed right, Cook should be resting in the hunter’s cabin, the most comfortable spot in this forest. Unfortunately, Cook did not walk out of the house while he was watching the hunter hut. Otherwise, the battle would have ended in seconds. Since he had no idea how often the guards changed shifts, Zhang Heng didn’t want to wait too long. He nodded at the sheriff, and everyone started to utilize the light coming from the hunter’s cabin to attack Cook Gang.
It was unclear if Zhang Heng or the sheriff fired the first shot. At least two bullets hit a robber that came out to pee, and at the same time, Deputy Sheriff Joseph’s excitement could be heard. “I hit the target!”
The thug fell to the ground as soon as he took out his penis. The first shot had broken the calm and quiet night. In the first attack, at least six or seven people from Zhang Heng’s side shot the only thug standing outside the hut. But in the end, only two bullets landed on the target, the rest either missing or landing on the corpse. The sheriff then shouted hastily, “Aim at the tent.”
The marksmanship of these farmers and miners was average. Coupled with their inexperience and frayed nerves, it was unrealistic to expect each one of them to accurately hit the target. Even though the tents were relatively large, it was impossible that they miss their mark so long as they could shoot decently. Of course, whether the bullet would hit the person inside was another matter.
The bandits who were used to risking their lives everyday reacted very quickly, instantly waking up from their slumber the moment they got attacked. They picked up their weapons without putting on their clothes, and some even rushed out from the tent naked. While looking for cover, they started to fight back.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Heng raised his Winchester rifle in his hand and killed the naked thug. At this time, most of the thugs from the tents were killed off by the farmers and miners. Fortunately, they did not have time to figure out where the enemy came from, merely firing wildly in all directions. The people in the hut quickly realized something had gone wrong. Promptly, they killed the kerosene lamp, leaving the hut in complete darkness.
No one injured from Zhang Heng’s side got injured save for an unfortunate miner whose arm was struck by a bullet.
Suddenly, the sheriff’s heart sank. The Cook Gang’s combat ability was definitely more substantial than the farmers and miners. Once the initial period of panic had subsided, and the situation calmed down, Cook Gang would be the final winner.
The dark of the night had limited the Cook Gang’s combat effectiveness. Otherwise, Zhang Heng’s side would have suffered more casualties. The sheriff hadn’t yet come up with a good solution for their shortcomings, and although he was an excellent marksman in his own right, the restrictions he faced in that situation were too significant for him to bear. Right now, he could only place his hope on Zhang Heng.
The latter had promised that he would handle the situation. However, when the sheriff asked Zhang Heng what exactly he should do right now, Zhang Heng simply told him to kill every single enemy.
Hence, the sheriff was eager to see how Zhang Heng eliminated their enemies.
After Zhang Heng fired the first two shots, there were no more movements from the enemy’s side. Using the short window he had, he memorized each Cook member’s location outside the wooden hut. After figuring out everyone’s location, he swiftly picked up his rifle again.
It was then that the sheriff saw the most memorable scene of his life. Zhang Heng constantly switched between firing and reloading. Whenever a bullet escaped his rifle, a life from the enemy’s side would be harvested.
The sheriff did not know how Zhang Heng pulled it off. On a night where visibility was so low, Zhang Heng managed to hit all his targets accurately. Once he emptied the rifle, Zhang Heng replaced it with another one.
At the same time, the Cook Gang finally started to retaliate. Seeing their allies getting picked off by one, the thugs who had gone through all kinds of bloody fights began to feel panic. Zhang Heng’s side then took the opportunity to move closer to the hut. At the same time, Zhang Heng took out another two enemies.
Meanwhile, Cook’s casualties had finally exceeded double digits. And the battle had just begun not too long ago. The sheriff didn’t just stand by and watch Zhang Heng make all the killings. Seeing that the rest of the thugs retreated to the wooden hut, he immediately led his men to shout outside the hut. He told Cook and others that they were surrounded by the military and asked them to lay down their weapons and surrender.
After that, “Major Wade” came forward and began to persuade them to surrender, promising that their lives would be spared as long as they handed over their weapons. Instead of being killed, they would be brought back for a fair trial.
The sheriff knew that it was impossible for Cook to take the deal. Hence, they did not surround them. Instead, they left an opening for the gang to escape, and Zhang Heng would be there waiting for Cook to show up.
The sheriff shouted for a while, but there was no movement in the wooden house. Just when he began to doubt whether their identities were exposed, the hut’s door and windows all flew open simultaneously. Cook gang members who were still nestled inside flocked out and started looking for their horses, preparing to break through the encirclement.
Zhang Heng resisted the temptation to shoot and quickly searched for Cook and Matthew inside the hut.
Soon he found a man who he suspected to be the leader, with his face covered. He was lowering down his body and being guarded by the thugs around him. However, Zhang Heng did not see Matthew among them.
Although they were in retreat, the Cook gang members showed a considerable degree of organization and did not appear to flee in chaos. Even Zhang Heng had to admit that Cook had his men and horses trained well. Even though they were merely a band of thugs, their discipline surpassed that of the regular army.
The opportunity was fading, and Zhang Heng was running out of time to search for Matthew. He started firing at Cook’s position, where he managed to kill the two thugs guarding Cook. After that, Zhang Heng seized the golden opportunity and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The bullet landed on Cook accurately. Zhang Heng could see Cook staggered for a while, but the men next to him quickly helped him get on his horse. Quickly, they rode deeper into the forest.
