Three men went up, and all three were shot dead! Soka and Mang Kai were among them. Their blood dripped down through the tunnel opening, splattering the faces of those below who wanted to climb out.
The remaining fellows in the tunnel were terrified. Some were even trembling from head to toe. Though they were all gunmen, and some had blood on their hands, watching others die or tormenting them to death could naturally make them feel exhilarated and reckless.
But when it was their own turn to die, their legs could turn to jelly.
Hearing faint sounds coming from the rear of the tunnel, likely the approaching pursuers, their expressions became grim.
"Damn it! Go! Fire out first, shoot in every direction, then climb out together and scatter! I only heard one gunman. If we're lucky, we can get away!" said someone who appeared to be a minor leader.
Going back meant death, and going up meant death too. But going up offered a chance to run away. Everyone knew which choice to make.
So once the minor leader spoke, everyone agreed loudly.
The tunnel entrance could not accommodate everyone firing at once; only four or five people could shoot out simultaneously. So those in the tunnel automatically split into groups of four. The four men extended their firearms out of the opening and fired wildly in every direction. They had no idea what they hit, and they could not see anything anyway.
Once a magazine was emptied, they replaced it and continued firing. When they felt it was about time, the four men climbed out of the tunnel entrance together, rolling close to the ground before preparing to lie down and assess the situation.
One of them even reached out, intending to pull Soka's body closer and put