Once Kang Chan stepped in, Shan jerked his chin toward the table.
“We’ve been assigned an operation,” Shan said dryly once Kang Chan had sat down.
It didn’te as a surprise. Considering he had just taken his break, it had been a while since Kang Chan had been deployed.
“We are to neutralize the Imist rebels who have taken over Gorko, Chad. This is a big operation that involves two special forces teams and five Foreign Legionpanies in addition to the 11th unit. The 11th unit will be in charge of the first strike.”
Shan slid two maps toward Kang Chan.
“These are detailed maps of Gorko’s entire terrain and rebel bases. It’s a mountainous area, so we assume the enemy’s base is in a cave.”
“Do they have civilians?”
Shan shook his head.
“No, but I heard they use the ce to train rebels or deliver weapons to the rest of Chad. Beyond that, I don’t know.”“When do we depart?”
“Tomorrow morning at nine. You’ll take a ne to Yao, then a helicopter to Gorko.”
“Got it.”
Kang Chan took the two maps and left Shan’s barracks. The area being civilian-free made him feel as though a slight burden had been lifted off of his chest.
Before heading back to his barracks, Kang Chan looked for éiric first.
“éiric! We’re leaving at 0900 tomorrow morning.”
“Oui!”
That was enough of an order for the troops. The rest, as always, would be better issued on the ne.
“Mazani!” Kang Chan called the Algerian. He then moved to the table.
Dayeru was still at the table with a mug of cold coffee in front of him.
As Kang Chan sat down and picked up a cigarette and lighter, Mazani approached him.
“Tell Daye that we’re leaving at 0900 for tomorrow’s operation. And tell him to stay behind me no matter what happens once the operation starts.”
Mazani interpreted Kang Chan’s message into Arabic for Dayeru.
Due to thenguage barrier, Dayeru still couldn’tmunicate with his teammates even though they were already about to embark on a dangerous mission. It was absurd.
If it weren’t for the DGSE, he couldn’t have gotten anywhere near the Foreign Legion; he wouldn’t even be hired as a staff member. Well, he would probably rather die than be a regr employee, so it didn’t really matter anyway.
“Captain,” Dayeru called, speaking for the first time. He then began to speak rapid Arabic, which made Kang Chan think the bastard was really good at it.
“The ones who killed my mother and sister spoke French. I’ve hated thenguage since,” Mazani quickly interpreted. “He says if you tell him to, he’ll start learning it.”
Kang Chan looked Daye straight in the eye.
One shouldn’t have to live a life that they didn’t want, especially in a ce where they could die at any moment.
Kang Chan didn’t fully understand Dayeru’s hostility toward the men who had killed his mother and sister, but he knew what it felt like to be angry upon seeing a mangled corpse. ????ΒêＳ
“Tell him he doesn’t have to.”
Mazani looked at Kang Chan in surprise and confusion. However, he soon snapped out of it and turned to Dayeru to ry what Kang Chan had said.
“Remind him to stay behind me, though.”
After Mazani did as instructed, Dayeru replied with, “Oui.”
“He has to answer me seriously when I call him Daye too.”
“Oui,” Dayeru repeated.
“Crazy asshole.”
Kang Chanughed. Dayeru followed suit.
***
The next morning, the men woke up to therge rats screeching behind the barracks as snakes snapped them up.
Mornings in Kilima always felt the same.
Kang Chan found the people here quitezy, but perhaps that was due to the pitiful screams of rats that he heard every morning. The early risers here were often eaten first by those who had been hungry all night. Moreover, the eagles that flew the highest were thest to descend on carcasses, causing them to miss out on some meals.
He woke up at dawn and ran around the perimeter of the base.
Why would anyone be diligent in this part of the world when early-rising rats were eaten and soaring eagles went hungry here? It didn’t really matter to Kang Chan, though. He was neither a rat nor an eagle.
After his long run, Kang Chan opened a stic bottle, drank water to refresh himself, and washed up.
Since Dayeru had joined Kang Chan’s unit, he had been waiting for Kang Chan at the table every mealtime. Kang Chan didn’t say anything about it.
Their breakfast was essentially just canned food dumped onto a te. Still, Dayeru ate a lot.
Kang Chan watched the ridiculouslyrge Algerian as they ate. Somehow, they seemed simr.
He exuded the aura of someone who had spent most of his life alone. Kang Chan didn’t need words to know that, and it wasn’t like he would understand if Dayeru told him anyway.
They finished breakfast without a word of conversation.
<em>Should I teach him Korean?</em>
Unaware of Kang Chan’s thoughts, Dayeru picked up the tes and went back to his barracks.
It was time to prepare for the mission ahead.
Kang Chan entered his barracks and put on a different military uniform than usual. He also wore a helmet and a bulletproof vest that had lots of pockets for arge-scale battle.
Next, he strapped on his weapons one by one.
<em>Click, click. </em>
When Kang Chan stepped outside, his men were already ready and waiting for him at the table. They remained quiet during oddly tense moments like these.
Kang Chan looked at éiric and gestured toward the entrance.
<em>Click, click. </em>
They would be moving in pairs, two meters apart. Depending on the situation, Kang Chan could adjust the distance between the front and back.
The truck immediately spewed out thick smoke when it saw them. The rumbling of the engine and the smell of burning diesel fuel signaled the start of the operation.
<em>Click! Click!</em>
éiric and another soldier stood guard at the entrance of the truckbed as the others climbed in. Their new sniper, Montechelle, climbed into the back of the truck and hung his CheyTac from the roof of the cab. That was enough for everyone to know that he was a veteran.
After confirming that éiric had climbed in with the rest of the unit, Kang Chan walked to the passenger seat. Once he was inside, the truck hit the road.
<em>Vroom!</em>
<em>Clunk! Clunk!</em>
There were times when he wished he could drive down a well-paced road in a luxury sedan instead of the barrenndscape of Africa. He wondered what it would be like to sit on a street full of buildings, sipping sweet coffee and smoking a cigarette. People in neat suits, form-fitting dresses, and the like would walk by.
But what would he do in such a ce? Be an office worker? That was a terrible idea.
A pork cutlets restaurant owner? He’d likely end up hitting customers in the head with the tes, which would be too troublesome to deal with.
“<em>Haah</em>.”
Perhaps this was how Enzo and Gillot felt. They wanted to soar in the sky, but they couldn’t leave the lifestyle behind.
<em>Vroom! Clunk! Clunk!</em>
The truck continued to zoom off noisily.
All operations started the same way. Unfortunately, the same could be said about how they ended; some of the soldiers departing today wouldn’te back.
The 11th unit received special treatment, but that was only because their missions were harder and always required sacrifices from the soldiers.
Kang Chan tried not to think about it.
He could never get used to seeing his men covered in blood, coughing, and then dying with a pale face. It didn’t matter how many times he experienced it.
However, just as how water flowed through cracks, éiric and Mazani seeped through his walls, and he couldn’t help but have a soft spot for Dayeru, who struggled so hard toe to him.
Just like Reznov, Haller, and Foreman.
<em>Vroom!</em>
The truck swerved around a bend, and an airne came into view. This was it.
Kang Chan sighed quietly and shook off his emotions.
<em>nk! nk!</em>
As always, éiric guarded the entrance, and the men climbed into the ne in single file.
The tarmac was bare and well-paved.
<em>Urrrrng!</em>
The aircraft’s engines slowly grew louder in preparation for the uing flight.
As the cargo door of the ne closed, the rms red and the green lights shed rang three times.
The airne then hit the runway.
<em>Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!</em>
As usual, the shudder of the nes told Kang Chan and his men how the runway curved.
<em>Vrooooom! Creak! Clunk! </em>
Unleashing a flurry of noises, it continued to pick up the pace.
<em>Rooooar!</em>
As the cockpit rose, everyone naturally sagged downward. The men all tilted toward the ground.
<em>Urrrrng!</em>
Finally, the aircraft took to the skies.
“Gather ‘round,” Kang Chan ordered, pulling out the maps. “We’re taking out the Imic rebels who have taken over Gorko. We’ll fly to Yao, where we’ll take a helicopter to Gorko. From there, it’s about a three-hour ride through the mountains.”
Kang Chan pointed to the route with his index finger.
“This is Point Alpha, this is Point Bravo. If we’re forced to retreat, we’ll regroup here. Questions?”
Only Mazani spoke, quietly interpreting Kang Chan’s instructions into Arabic under his breath.
“Alright. Get some rest for now,” Kang Chan finished. He folded up the map, stuffed it in his pocket, and flopped down on the bunk against the wall of the ne.
The men settled in, each finding afortable spot.
They were on their way to an operation, where they never knew when they were going to get sleep. Getting as much rest as they could right now would increase their chances ofing back alive.
***
The engines’ roars changed as the ne tilted wildly.
Waking up, Kang Chan pushed himself up and sat up in his bunk.
Dayeru got up and stretched. “<em>Hnnngggh</em>!”
Meanwhile, Kang Chan headed to the back and picked up a bottle of water. He opened it, downed half of the water, and then used the rest to wash his face.
The enemy could attack them at any moment once they were out of the ne.
The men checked their weapons despite not being told to.
<em>Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!</em>
<em>Rooooooar!</em>
Soon, the ne made a roughnding on the runway. Once it had stopped, its cargo door opened.
<em>Du du du du du du du du!</em>
“éiric!”
Kang Chan pointed with his index and middle finger, and éiric ran out.
The helicopter was twenty meters away from the ne.
éiric raised his arms and waved them twice.
“Move!” Kang Chan shouted.
Asmanded, the men ran out.
“Daye!” he called.
Dayeru quickly followed him to the helicopter. éiric and the other soldier then stepped in.
<em>Du du du du du du du du du!</em>
The helicopter shot up straight to the sky.
The sound of the helicopter in their ears, the wind rushing in and out of their faces, and the familiar smell that came from their target locations—missions in Africa were all like this.
Kang Chan sharply scanned the area below them.
The mountainous regions from Yao to Gorko were uncharacteristically green for Africa. They were also made up of peaks of varying heights and depths, which likely made them hard to trek.
Some people would likely think Kang Chan was just sightseeing, but scanning the terrain in advance could sometimes unexpectedly help them.
<em>Du du du du du du du!</em>
When he turned to his side, he saw Dayeru looking at him.
The moment their eyes met, the punk forced augh. “<em>Phuhuhu</em>!”
<em>Ha, acting tough, are we?</em>
He was probablyughing to get over his nerves now, but he would definitelyugh genuinely once he had swallowed all his anxiety. Before he could achieve that, though, he had to go on a few more missions like this first.
It wasn’t something that could be taught. They were born with it.
<em>Du du du du du du du du!</em>
After about an hour in the sky, the helicopter began to dip down.
“éiric! Lead! Mazani! Rear!”
The two men shouted affirmatively.
As the wind whipped around the area, the helicopter tumbled down into a depression in the middle of a mountain.
<em>Thud!</em>
It was a roughnding.
“éiric!” Kang Chan called.
éiric immediately ran with one of his men to the foot of the mountain. Once he was around ten meters away, Kang Chan shouted, “Daye!”
He and Dayeru jumped off the helicopter together.
<em>Click, click. </em>
They were about forty meters away from a good hiding spot. Fortunately, Dayeru followed him pretty well.
<em>Click! Click!</em>
Kang Chan huddled close to the foot of the mountain, and Dayeru hunkered down next to him.
<em>Du du du du du du du!</em>
When Mazani finally reached their position, the helicopter had already lifted off and was heading back the way it came.
The men waited for Kang Chan’s instructions.
However, Kang Chan decided to wait. They would only move once their ears, which the helicopter had desensitized, could pick up on the movement around them.
<em>Swoosh! Rustle! Rustle!</em>
After ten minutes or so, Kang Chan finally began hearing the faint sounds of the forest.
Kang Chan looked at éiric and pointed twice deeper into the mountain with his index and middle fingers, signaling that they would move in pairs, two meters apart.
éiric left first with another soldier.
“Daye.”
Right behind him, Kang Chan walked with Daye.
The other men followed in the order that they had exited the helicopter.
<em>Click. Click. </em>n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
They could use the trees to hide, but that was also true for the enemies. They also had to be careful of natives showing up unexpectedly. Some could being into the mountains looking for wild game, and others could be bringing their goats with them. Either way, they would run back to the rebels and tell them what they had seen.
The soldiers walked with a keen awareness of their surroundings. Most of them kept their rifles slung in front of them, their left hand pressing down the muzzle and their right index finger hanging over the trigger guard.
Around two hours in, Kang Chan found a spot with a clear view of the area below.
<em>Fsssssss</em><em>, </em><em>fsssssss</em><em>!</em>
He whistled through his teeth, signaling éiric to stop.
“I want eight men guarding the perimeter. We’ll stop for food and take a twenty-minute break.”
They stopped just a little after five in the afternoon.
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