Chapter 169: Escape

The arrival of Merle, the crimson gunner, and two of his redneck companions, Boyd and Ruth, surprised Alan.

"How do you know I am here?" Alan asked with a mix of disbelief and gratitude.

Merle didn't respond immediately. Instead, he set up a small plastic explosive on the cell door, handling it with the confidence of someone who had done this before. With a glance towards Alan, he said, "Get back now, I don't want to bring you home in pieces."

KABBBOOMM!

The explosion, while not massive, sent shockwaves through the dungeon, and the door was propelled into the opposite wall, creating a gaping opening. As the dust settled, Merle looked at Alan, who now bore the loss of his right arm, and remarked with a wry smile, "Damn... that Frenchman knows how to make you look prettier."

Alan, maintaining his sense of humor in the direst of circumstances, replied, "Yes, you should stay then. They will fix you up nicely."

As they exited the dungeon, dozens of Roman soldiers were already converging upon them. Zencher was among them, yelling, "Halt! You have nowhere to go! Stop right now!"

Alan realized that, although this group of 30 something Roman soldiers might not be enough to stop the fully armed Merle, they had no time to spare. Reinforcements would arrive shortly, and they needed to make their escape swiftly.

"Are you planning to shoot our way out of this place?" Alan inquired, concerned about crazy gunner plan.

Merle responded with a sly grin. "Yes, but we'll do it with a bit of style." As soon as he spoke, Ruth, the young girl in their group, place fingers to her lips and emitted a loud, piercing whistle. In response, the distant sound of approaching horses became more distinct.

Russ and Wyatt galloped in on horseback, each leading an additional horse for their escape. The thundering hooves of the steeds echoed through the dungeon, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere.

"Don't even think about leaving! Stop them!" Zencher's voice echoed through the yard, and several of the incoming reinforcements were players from the Paris server. They quickly drew their firearms, ready to open fire.

However, the redneck trio was well-prepared for the confrontation. Ruth, the young girl, showed remarkable dexterity, wielding two revolvers, one in each hand. She unleashed a rapid-fire skill, and the echoing shots from her revolvers filled the air. Boyd, the mustached man, unleashed a hail of bullets from his machine gun, adding substantial firepower to their defense. The cacophony of gunshots, the pungent smell of gunpowder, and the flashes of muzzle fire created a chaotic battleground.

In the midst of the firefight, Merle coolly tossed a smoke grenade into the mix, creating a dense cloud of smoke that obscured the vision of their opponents. Zencher's shouts grew muffled as the smoke spread, and the situation grew chaotic and disorienting.

"Can you ride a horse with that arm?" Merle asked

Alan responded "Yes," and, with a quick and fluid motion, he mounted one of the unoccupied horses. The others followed suit, leaping onto their steeds with practiced skill.

"Go! Go! Go!" Merle urged as they spurred their horses into a fast escape, exiting trough the Roman city.

They thundered through the unprepared ranks of Roman soldiers, leaving confusion and chaos in their wake as they passed through a gate and continued their escape. But it didn't take long for Alan to notice a dozen horsemen following closely behind them, a mix of Roman cavalry and players.

Merle, who deliberately rode behind Wyatt, swiftly turned and began picking off their pursuers with precise shots from his Crimson M16. Ruth, the sassy female member of the group, mimicked his actions with her revolver, each shot finding its mark. Yet, more and more riders continued to give chase.

"This is more exciting than a car chase!" Ruth shouted with exhilaration as she kept up her relentless fire.

As they approached the city gate, they were met with the sight of a dozen soldiers stationed there, ready to prevent their escape. Behind them, another dozen soldiers were closing in, giving chase.

"Do not let them close the gate!" Alan urgently called out.

Merle responded confidently, "Don't worry, your girl has it under control."

To Alan's surprise, the guards at the gate continued to drop one by one, each felled by a single, precise shot. He frantically scanned the area to locate the source of these well-aimed shots and soon spotted a red-haired woman perched on top of the Roman houses. She wielded a sniper rifle with expertise.

"Rose!" Alan exclaimed, both relieved and amazed.

Rose managed to pick off a few of the riders who had been pursuing them before making a graceful leap and landing securely on Alan's horseback. With the gate still open, they were able to make a swift escape, riding into the dense forest to cover their tracks.

Having ridden deep into the thick jungle for approximately 30 minutes, they decided it was time to take a well-deserved break.

Merle couldn't contain his excitement. "We made it out! This is a huge success!" he shouted, and the other rednecks joined in with enthusiastic cheers.

Expressing his gratitude to the group, Alan said, "Thank you, everyone." Merle took the opportunity to remind Alan of the favor he now owed.

Then, Alan turned to Rose, who had been tightly clutching onto him from behind. "Thank you, Rose." Alan's gratitude was evident.

The girl didn't respond immediately. Instead, her arms trembled slightly as she felt the absence of Alan's missing arm.

"Who... who did this..." she began, her voice carrying a noticeable undercurrent of anger.

Alan was somewhat taken aback by the emotional intensity in her voice, and he assured her, "Don't worry; It will grow back soon enough."

Observing the redneck group, Alan inquired, "So, how did you know I was kept there? Did you guys run into Bill?"

"You can ask your girl there; she was the one leading us to you," said Merle.

Once again, Alan was surprised by Rose's mysterious capabilities but noted from her gesture that she didn't seem inclined to offer an answer.

Merle, eager to move forward, suggested, "You can sort things out back at the basecamp. Let's go before they track us down."

Alan, however, hesitated, taking into account the time and their current location. "I can't return just yet... I need to go to the wall."

"The wall?" Merle was taken aback. "No, no! There's a huge battle going on there. They might have already started."

With only a few hours until dawn, Alan held onto the hope that he could somehow prevent disaster.