New Gods of North America.

Chapter 592 Unexpected
Even Lina was a little taken aback when she saw that what they had taken out of the crate was actually firearms.

The reason is simple: any organization capable of tinkering with this stuff on a large scale, regardless of its origins, is unlikely to be a "vegetarian."

Wayne actually looked even closer; these lever-action rifles, judging from their workmanship, should have been produced by a "major manufacturer," yet they didn't have any brand names on them.
Many firearms in the West come from state army or militia organizations—including those that town mayors get for sheriffs and some townspeople—and often have manufacturer's nameplates, some even with additional military markings. The same applies to commercial firearms; they are never so "unmarked."

This shipment looks a bit strange; I wonder what kind of covert operation it's for.

After searching for a while longer, the two of them each took a lever-action rifle and some bullets from another type of box, then quickly slipped through the hole and made their escape.

Having satisfied his curiosity, he also needed to confirm whether Connor and the others had actually been left behind.

So, starting from the "big house," the two made their way toward the "iron-railed house," acting more cautiously than before—police or government employees usually go through a "warning" or "arrest" process when they encounter bad guys, but the military might not do that.

With Peter the Spider around, many things became much easier.

The security on this side of the iron-barred house was much tighter than on the side of the big house, but decent people usually can't even keep cockroaches out of their homes, let alone a big spider like Peter.

Unfortunately, those staying at this arms base were clearly not all decent people. The giant spider hadn't been inside for more than ten minutes when a deep, yet surprisingly penetrating, drumbeat began to sound:
"Thump thump thump thump thump—"

At first it was in mono, but soon a response of horn sounds came from the valley.
One becomes two, two become many, and the sound becomes "stereo". Accompanied by background sound effects, lights quickly and gradually light up in various places, making the valley at night seem like a nest of fireflies have been awakened.

"Should we go save Peter?" Wayne asked Lina while charging a rock.

Lina tilted her head back and remained silent for a moment before pointing in a direction. "They probably haven't been caught. Let's retreat that way, circle around halfway, and pick it up along the way."

By this time, guards had begun running along the road. There weren't many of them, about five or six people in each group, and there seemed to be three or four groups in total, both near and far.
Without further ado, the detective agency had already prepared for some things. Wayne threw the stone in the opposite direction, and Lina had already stuck the extended seal-tipped firework diagonally into the ground, aiming at other locations she didn't intend to go.

Compared to when he was still in the West, Wayne now has a much more abundant amount of spiritual power in his body. He can basically reserve "two lives" for himself. As for the rest, he feels that he can't advance to the next level anyway, so there is no need to be so frugal.

The sound of stones hitting the ground was inaudible, but after the fireworks burst into the air with a "whoosh," a burst of gunfire followed.
There were "bang bang bang bang" sounds coming from near and far. After Wayne moved a little further away, he detonated a rock, making a "bang" sound, and then the noise became even louder.

Nighttime truly lives up to its reputation as the golden time for nefarious deeds, both ancient and modern. With Wayne's minimalist camera and the guards carrying nightlights to indicate their location, the two deliberately slipped into dark, shadowy areas, managing to avoid being caught for the first time.

When Peter the spider returned, Lina watched him use sign language for a while, then turned to her and said, "Peter didn't have time to check all the rooms, but he didn't see Connor either. Most of the rooms are empty. Shall we leave?"

"Hmm." Wayne nodded, and casually tossed the newly charged stone he had prepared onto the roadside.

Judging from the other party's reaction, these people were clearly not friendly towards the intruders.

If Connor and his group were to get into trouble here, the chances of them "collecting their corpses" seemed greater than "being imprisoned." Since the situation was already confirmed, it seemed best to call it a day and bring more people if necessary. Then another chaotic scene ensued. Besides the ordinary guards, there were clearly other extraordinary individuals present.
Although Wayne and his team used various tactics, such as feints and diversions, their pursuit was never too slow; they were only a few beats behind.

Considering the other party's possible identity, and knowing it wasn't appropriate for Wayne to take the initiative to kill, lest a protracted investigation follow, any shooting would likely be limited to "aiming to wound, avoiding fatality."

So the two of them ran a marathon through this small "block," feeling like they were playing a "prop race" in a racing game, with the route twisting and turning and accompanied by all sorts of strange sound effects.

Inessa wasn't idle either; when the two arrived, several traps had already been set up on the hillside.

If Wayne hadn't been able to see in the dark, he probably would have been the first one tripped up by the rope and "taught a lesson."

Then they regrouped, ran away, crawled through barbed wire, and mounted their horses.
Instead of heading directly towards the workshop, the three of them took a strange, continuous winding path, crossing several rivers and railways along the way. They even waited for a while behind a small hill, intending to give their pursuers a "surprise" and tell them something like, "You can't mess with the people from Cohen Pharmaceuticals."

Unfortunately, they didn't give Wayne that chance. It seems that once he was outside the barbed wire fence, they stopped pursuing him.
Lina earned $20 as a result, and the three of them went to the workshop while reviewing their performance.

"I didn't expect it to be an arms depot. Many of the previous clues now make a lot of sense. Perhaps it was because of transportation needs that they had to build the secret facility next to the steam train line. It's a bit of a pity, though, that we couldn't confirm Connor's situation."

“We can consider sending owls, peregrine falcons, or crows to scout ahead tomorrow. However, there are extraordinary individuals among the guards, and there’s no shortage of firearms here, so there’s a high chance of casualties. The Beaton family seems to have some connections with the military, so I might be able to ask Vidok Beaton for help.”

“It’s a pity Liam went to the First Office. Even if ‘Chameleon’ goes on a solo reconnaissance mission, it might not be safe… Peter, how were you discovered just now? Did you run into someone or something?… Hmm? Did you come into contact with the aura of the ‘Death’ domain?”

Upon hearing this, Wayne and Inessa both turned to look at them.
Inessa seemed slightly puzzled. "Are there extraordinary individuals in the 'death' realm within the American military? Given the extent of the Holy Spirit Church's infiltration into all sectors of American society, I thought they wouldn't be able to hold positions in the military."

Wayne had initially thought that the materials from the "Death" realm could be used to make an injection for Inessa to unseal her, but after hearing what she said, his attention drifted elsewhere:

"That doesn't seem quite right... None of the guns had nameplates, and when they gave the warning, they used drums instead of bugles. It doesn't seem like a regular army or militia."

The three chatted as they walked. They'd already alerted the enemy tonight. While a surprise attack wasn't out of the question, there were so many guards, and Peter, the scout, was being held back. They couldn't just barge in without any real grudge—and what if they found Connor and the others weren't inside? That would be a dark joke.
While still figuring out how to carry out the second "infiltration reconnaissance," the three of them returned to the workshop and found that the wooden hut used as a kitchen was brightly lit. They went over to take a look.

As it turned out, Chef Parker was busy, while Doug and Damon McCready sat at the table watching Connor and a few others enjoy their meal...

No, wait...

Before Wayne could even react, Lina blurted out, "Connell, why did you come back all by yourself?!"

Connor looked a little confused: "Huh?"

(End of this chapter)