Four kilometers upstream from the previous firefight there is a mountain peak, which is the highest commanding height in comparison to the surrounding terrain.
Song Heping's "taking a gamble" referred to going to the top of this mountain peak and then turning on his cell phone to search for a signal.
In the dense primeval rainforest, the mobile signal can be interrupted by the terrain and the trees, leading to "dropped connections".
This mountain is only about 30 kilometers away from Tame; Song Heping didn't know what the mobile network coverage was like in Colombia, so he could only "bet" on it.
But he was also well aware of the consequences that would result as soon as he connected to the network.
That would be signals being captured and then tracked.
All cell phones have a unique code that can be tracked once the device is switched on using technical means.
Of course, the Colombian Military wouldn't lack such capabilities, so turning on the phone entailed great risk. If there happened to be a search squad nearby the mountain peak, it was very likely that they could be caught in a crossfire and unable to escape.
Having slaughtered an entire special forces squad of the Colombian government army before, they would have certainly reinforced their troop deployment in the vicinity, which significantly increased the risk of such a move.
But without doing so, the two of them had absolutely no other way out.
It was still pouring heavily with rain.
This made Song Heping feel slightly relieved.
The torrential rain would increase the difficulty of the government army's search efforts, as the water would wash away footprints making it hard for them to track him based on these marks.
However, what the rain brought with it was the loss of body heat.
Even though this is South America, the temperature in the rainforest isn't high, especially during the rainy season. Once it rains heavily, the temperature can drop below 10 degrees. The continuous wetness can lead to a sustained loss of body heat.
It's broad daylight now, and Song Heping decided not to rush to the mountains to look for a signal right away. Instead, he decided to find a place to hide first.
After the previous firefight, the jungle was surely full of search patrols. A careless encounter could bring big trouble.
But hiding in the forest wasn't safe either…
The tree hollow he hid in before would definitely be discovered. As a result, during the search, every tree hollow would be thoroughly inspected.
If he chose to hide in a tree hollow again, he would definitely be caught.
"Do you know of any places nearby where we can hide?"
Song Heping had no choice but to seek the help of Morins, a local.
To his constant disappointment, Morins simply shook his head and said, "I'm not familiar with this area."
"Fuck, are you even a local?! And you dare to call yourself the boss of an armed organization, how can you not have any real skills? I thought you knew the jungle like the back of your hand, just like your own home."
Song Heping couldn't help but berate the leader of the ELN armed forces.
"I used to be active in the north, I don't come to this side often." Morins explained, "Before I became the boss, I led several armed forces in the northern region. It was after our old boss died in a government army airstrike that I was elected as the boss."
"Then why do you live in a camp on this side?" Song Heping asked.
Morins replied, "After I became the boss, with the government army putting a bounty on me and ramping up the roundup in the northern region, everyone decided to move me here for my safety. This was meant to be secret; even the government forces didn't expect I would hide so close to Tame. I didn't think that kid Rash would sell me out."
This explanation could account for the situation.
Song Heping could only accept the reality.
"We can't stay here any longer."
He looked around; they were in a certain spot in the rainforest, amidst a large expanse of bushes.
Such places might seem concealed, but a search squad passing through would definitely focus on checking these spots.
It wasn't safe at all.
"Let's go to the river bank."
"The river bank?"
"Yes," Song Heping said, "I took a look at the river you guys have here; there should be places along the bank where we can hide. It's not safe hiding in the forest. They have night vision equipment, and even if we hide in the bushes, we can easily be spotted."
He was referring to body heat and infrared radiation.
Now, with heavy rain and cloudy skies, the jungle was as dark as it would be at four or five in the morning, and the light was very dim. If he were a member of the search squad, he would also use night vision goggles.
Using infrared thermal imaging mode, hiding in the forest wouldn't be very effective; the only option would be to hide in a hole.
Which hole would be the safest?
Of course not one on land, but one by the water.
In mountainous rivers, there are often recessed rock caves, and riverbank vegetation is very dense. As long as they found a suitable spot, it would surely be very safe.
The other party would certainly not expect him and Morins to choose to hide in a water cave.
The two of them acted without delay.
Before the government army's net could tighten, they walked upstream along the river bank and actually found a natural stone cave by the river.
To call it a stone cave, it was actually just a recess about three meters deep. However, the plants along the bank concealed the entrance, and with a rocky L-shaped structure, once inside and hidden deep, it was impossible to tell from the outside.
Once the two of them crawled into the cave, Song Heping suddenly realized he had made a mistake.
The water was too cold!
"So... so cold..."
It wasn't long before Morins's teeth started chattering.
He looked at his watch; it was only just after nine o'clock.
It would be at least ten hours until it got dark.
They were really about to freeze to death in here...
"Come and sit over here."
Song Heping pointed to the far end of the cave where there was a stone stump.
Morins shakily climbed up, grimacing as he shifted his buttocks onto the stump.
Perched atop the stone stump, one's legs would be only half-submerged in the water, but that was already a great relief.
Meanwhile, Song Heping was still seated in the water, the level reaching up to his chest.
Morins felt a warmth inside him, touched by Song Heping's care.
If it weren't for this man in front of him, he probably would have long since perished.
"I say... Boss Song..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Did you serve in the army before?"
"Hmm."
"So how did you start dealing in arms?"
"To make money."
Song Heping was sparing with his words and seemed uninterested in Morins' questions.
"Boss Song, rest assured, if I, Morins, make it out alive, you'll have an exclusive deal for all of ELN's arms..."
Morins was speaking from the heart.
This caught Song Heping's attention. He turned his head to look at the leader of the Armed Organization and asked with a smile, "Really?!"
"Really!" Morins said. "Not only will I direct my organization to buy weapons from you, I will also have the FARC buy your arms. They have more members, and the money they spend on arms each year is no small amount."
Hearing Morins talk about the arms deals, Song Heping became interested and inquired, "By the way, I've heard that the arms market in South America is all run by the CIA's people?"
"That's right. At least, only those certified by them are qualified to buy," said Morins.
Song Heping asked, "What happens to those who aren't with them?"
"You still need to ask me that?" Morins replied with a sly smile. "Haven't you experienced it firsthand? Getting robbed is just a minor inconvenience. In recent years, the Russians have been trying to regain control of the arms market here. Each one that comes ends up dead. The CIA has a strong influence here. Isn't there a saying? South America is America's backyard, and that's no boast."
Song Heping asked, "There's something I don't understand. According to what you've said, the arms you previously used were also purchased from those dealers controlled by the CIA?"
"Hmm," Morins replied. "The guy who used to supply us was named Wade. We called him Poison Snake. They were the ones supplying us."
Song Heping laughed, "Aren't you a leftist organization? I remember the Americans have listed you as a terrorist organization, haven't they? How could they supply arms to you?"
"Hmph!" Morins said. "You don't understand. It's not as simple as you see on the surface. Boss Song, what do you think keeps us anti-government armed forces and so many drug cartels alive or even existing? The relationship between South America's drug cartels, armed forces, and the Americans isn't static; we're not always enemies. When they need us, we're friends. When they're on good terms with the government, we become the enemies. Whether it's drug cartels or anti-government armed forces, we're all just instruments, geopolitical tools for the Americans to control South America."
Morins's words flowed until he suddenly fell silent.
Song Heping could see the sorrow cross this man's face.
"Those organizations and groups that don't listen to the Americans are wiped out. Whoever complies gets a pass, even drug trafficking is overlooked. Those who don't comply are labeled as terrorist organizations. When the government was on bad terms with the Americans, we were the Justice League. But in recent years, the new president took office, visited the United States, reached agreements, and just like that, the Americans changed their tune and labeled us as terrorists again. Are we really terrorists?"
Morins couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"Do you really believe in that American list?"
Remembering all the insider information about Illiguo, Song Heping couldn't help but nod, "You're right."
Morins said, "The world isn't just black and white. To many, I'm a devil, but do you believe that to those mountain villagers, I'm an angel? If we can get out, I'll take you to the mountain villages one day, and you'll understand."
Just as Song Heping was about to reply, he suddenly heard noises outside.
He immediately raised his index finger to his lips, signaling Morins to be silent.
Rustle—
Rustle—
It was unmistakably the sound of footsteps.
Song Heping slowly raised his gun; now he couldn't let the water touch it again.
Snag-trigger-enabling guns, if soaked for too long before firing, could easily explode.
Rustle—
Rustle—
The footsteps grew closer.
Soon, he could hear people talking above.
But it was Spanish.
Song Heping didn't understand.
However, seeing Morins's complexion, he knew things were dire.
The man's face was almost as pale as paper, whether from cold or fear.
Morins gestured towards the cave entrance, making hand signals.
Song Heping didn't understand; it wasn't military sign language.
"Government forces..."
Morins wanted to speak but didn't dare; he could only mouth the words in English.
Song Heping finally understood; he pressed himself against the cave wall, edging closer to the entrance.
If the other party came down to search, he'd have to strike first to gain the upper hand and break out...
It might still be a death sentence.
But at least it wouldn't be a pathetic death.