After receiving the order, Kevin had no time to prepare before leaving for the rescue mission with the soldiers. Disembarking from the military aircraft, he saw that the disaster was more tragic than he could have imagined. There were collapsed houses and other evidence of the tsunami's devastation everywhere. Many victims were shocked and cried silently. This natural disaster irked him.
Without taking the time to calm down, he threw himself into the intense rescue efforts. In the aftermath of the tsunami, the cement of collapsed houses had solidified with the debris, which complicated rescue work. Moreover, they had to guard against the constant aftershocks.
Bad weather often presented a major obstacle to rescue efforts. Though he was a major general, Kevin wasn't a commander who hid behind the soldiers and did nothing. Instead, he worked with his men, removing big stones with shovels, and even at times with his bare hands.
"Major General, you will get injured if you continue in this way. Let me do it!" Lee pleaded with Kevin, worried. They were all wearing raincoats, but these didn't really work. In addition, the temperature in early spring was still very low, so their numb fingers weren't dexterous or quick in action.
"Never mind that. Our first priority is to rescue the people. Don't worry about me." Kevin took off his raincoat to facilitate more flexibility in his work. The soldiers quickly followed his example.
Aftershocks threatened every earthquake-stricken area from time to time, and it held true here. What was worse, compared with other earthquake-stricken areas, there was an additional risk here - tsunami.
The rescue operations couldn't be carried out on the streets where flooding had not receded, because they simply couldn't reach those areas to find out whether there were people still buried in the ruins.
It had been a day since their arrival. The aftershocks occurred occasionally, and they hadn't made much obvious progress. They had just escaped another aftershock, and adrenalin was running high.
"Protect yourselves during the rescue work. You must be very careful." Kevin was soaked to the skin. The wind picked up, and he could feel the chill in the air on his damp body. All the soldiers looked like drowned mice.
"Yes, Major General!" The soldiers answered loudly, despite their exhaustion.
Kevin took a deep breath. His handsome face was streaked with mud and rain, and his grimy eyes showed deep sadness. Many of the people they rescued had weak vital signs and perished before they could be taken to safety. This was devastating for the soldiers, b
t had not been injured, she could have climbed out using the rope. But she couldn't move now, so this wasn't an option.
"Okay. I see. I'll get everything ready right away!" Lee didn't dare to delay, and rushed to find what was necessary. Fortunately, it was an easy task, because many of the things he needed were at the ambulance station.
The waiting felt long, and the old granny was scared. Kevin spoke to her encouragingly while studying the debris around them.
"Major General, I've got everything ready. Now, I am going to push the board down carefully." Lee said as he began pushing down the board he had just made, but it was difficult for the board to make the descent. Kevin didn't wait idle; instead, he returned to the place with the big stone, that he had previously passed, and eased the board down.
"Grandma, I'll lift you onto the board and secure you with a rope. Then they can pull you out," Kevin explained to the old granny. He was afraid that she wouldn't understand and become panicked.
"Okay. That sounds like a good plan." The old granny had been buried for a long time, but she seemed to be mentally equipped, and had coped well with everything that had happened. She didn't object to Kevin's arrangements.
Kevin carefully lifted the old granny onto the board, and then tied her to it with the rope he had brought down with him. He was careful to tie her in such a way that she could grasp the rope for support.
"Okay, you can pull up!" Kevin commanded the soldiers on the ground above over his radio.
As the old granny was slowly pulled free, Kevin prepared to climb up. However, as he started his ascent, the ground suddenly began shaking violently. An aftershock at the critical moment of his escape!
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