Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1032 Towering Fire
This message from the Moroccan North Africa intelligence station was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples in the CIA's encrypted communication network and rushing to the top of the decision-making chain with the highest priority.

However, when this deadly warning crossed the organizational barriers and reached the fortified command center of Jebtti Lemonnier's camp, it struck a thick wall.

At night, 22:14.

Major Campbell, the intelligence officer on duty, was idly flipping through a weekly report on the activities of Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

When the message marked "CIA Highest Priority - Potential Attack Warning on the Marlin" flashed on the terminal screen in front of him, he subconsciously frowned, a hint of annoyance at being disturbed flashing across his face.

He slowly picked up the slightly cool coffee on the table, took a sip, and then leisurely clicked on the details.

"Is this just another one of those CIA charlatans' delusions?"

Campbell muttered under his breath, his tone filled with undisguised contempt.

The keywords "Desert Blade," "vegetable truck," and "ship heart" on the screen seemed absurd to him.

"Right under the nose of the Lemonnil base? In our port? Bombing ships with vegetable delivery trucks? Ha!"

He chuckled and leaned back in his comfortable chair.

"Have they eaten too much sand in Morocco and it's clogging their brains? Do they really think our Marines are just for show? Or are they trying to give us something to do so they don't look like they're just sitting around doing nothing?"

He moved the mouse, the cursor hovering over the information, but the sense of urgency stemming from the life-or-death situation was completely filtered out by the cold electronic screen.

Campbell even felt that the intelligence was an insult to his professional judgment.

He slowly picked up the internal phone, dialed his superior's number, and spoke with a hint of businesslike perfunctoriness and barely perceptible mockery: "Sir, excuse me. The CIA's Africa station just sent over some 'interesting' intelligence... um, it's about the 'Marlin.' They believe that extremists may have disguised themselves as vegetable delivery workers and boarded the ship with the intention of attacking the ammunition depot... Yes, sounds like a fantasy, right?... Okay, I'll immediately prepare a brief report for you to review... I might need your signature to confirm the recommendations for further action... Okay, understood."

Time relentlessly slipped away as Campbell leisurely drafted the inevitably delayed report and awaited his boss's signature.

The hourglass is deadly; the sand in the upper half is rapidly flowing into the abyss below.

The supply truck came to a stop in the huge hold of the "Marlin" and the engine went out.

A suffocating silence instantly enveloped the carriage.

Samini and the other three assassins moved swiftly and silently, like vipers that had broken free of their restraints.

They quickly pulled out several unusually heavy "vegetables" from the cabbage basket beneath them and hugged them tightly to their chests.

The icy touch, penetrating the thin work clothes, was the key to destruction.

At the same time, they quietly pulled out the sharp curved knives hidden in their work pants, the cold metal touching their skin.

"action!"

Samini gave a hoarse command in a guttural voice, the last trace of human emotion in his eyes completely extinguished, leaving only a martyr-like fanaticism and death wish.

The four men suddenly pushed open the partition of the carriage and pounced out like ghosts!

In the dead of night, there were only a few patrolling sailors and a second mate in the cabin to oversee the unloading.

"Hey! You guys, hurry up! Move the vegetables..."

An old sailor in greasy work clothes, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, grumbled at the group of people who had jumped off the vehicle. Before he could finish speaking, his pupils suddenly contracted!
What he saw was no longer the groveling dockworkers, but several pairs of eyes that gleamed with the ferocity of wild beasts in the darkness!

A cold glint flashed before his eyes! Samini's scimitar, like a viper's tongue, precisely sliced ​​across the old sailor's throat.

Scalding hot blood spurted out under the stark white light of the searchlight, staining the cold deck red.

The old sailor stared in disbelief, then collapsed with a thud, his cigarette butt falling into the pool of blood with a soft "sizzle".

"Enemy attack——!"

Another young sailor's terrified scream shattered the harbor's tranquility, but before he could utter a full cry, another extremist lunged at him and stabbed him in the abdomen with a knife. His scream abruptly ceased, turning into a painful whimper.

Chaos erupted instantly!

"Bang! Bang!"

A sharp gunshot suddenly rang out.

A ship's guard who was on guard near the truck reacted very quickly, drawing his M9 pistol the instant the attack occurred and firing two shots at the extremists who were lunging at the sailors!

One shot hit his shoulder, the other missed, the bullet struck the cabin wall, leaving a trail of sparks.

The wounded extremist staggered, letting out a beast-like howl. Instead of falling, he became even more frantic, clutching the "cabbage" in his arms and lunging towards the cabin entrance!
"Stop them!"

The ship's guard who fired the shot screamed, trying to find cover while yelling into the radio: "'Red Eagle'! 'Red Eagle'! Dock! Supply depot! Armed attack! Repeat, militants boarding! Target cargo hold! Requesting immediate support! Immediate support!"

Gunshots and sirens rang out like thunder, instantly shattering the tranquility of Jebuty Port.

On the shore, a piercing alarm blared mournfully!
The searchlights swung wildly, their crisscrossing beams illuminating the Marlin as if it were daytime.

Sharp whistles and the cacophony of Marines running and shouting surged from the direction of the dock.

The armored Humvee's engine roared to life, and the heavy machine gunner on the roof pulled back the bolt with a clatter, the dark muzzle of the gun suddenly turning towards the giant wheel!

"Go! Go! Go! Move! Move!"

The commander of the U.S. Army emergency response team on the dock roared into the radio.

Six fully armed Marines, wearing tactical vests, shot off like arrows, rushing at top speed toward the steel gangway connecting the shore and the ship.

The heavy military boots pounded on the metal steps, producing a dense, drum-like rumble, each step pressing on the taut string of time.

Their M4A1 assault rifles were already loaded, and their muzzles quickly searched for any moving shadows on the ship with their sharp eyes.

Samini and his two other still-mobile companions, like cornered beasts, paid no heed to the approaching pursuers and the deafening alarms on the dock.

They had only one burning thought in their minds—the cargo hold! That abyss filled with powder kegs!
"Over here! Quickly!"

Samini roared, having already memorized the ship's structural diagrams.

Clutching the deadly "cabbage," he smashed open a heavy fire door and rushed into a narrow, oily, and rusty interior passageway.

The emergency lights at the top of the passageway emitted a pale green glow, stretching and twisting their shadows against the cold metal walls, like demons fleeing from hell.

Blood dripped from the wounded comrade onto the passageway floor, leaving a discontinuous, glaring dark red trail.

Heavy footsteps and urgent tactical commands were approaching the fire door!
"Clear left!"

"Covering!"

The Marines' shouts came clearly, cold and professional.

"boom!"

The fire door was kicked open violently.

Two Marines stormed into the passage with standard tactical maneuvers. One crouched down, pointing his gun at the end of the passage on the left, while the other quickly moved his gun to the right!
"Target spotted! 10 o'clock! Moving!"

The team members on the right instantly spotted a figure flashing past at the end of the passage.

"Fire! Suppress the fire!"

The crouching soldier pulled the trigger without hesitation! "Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!"

The crisp, short bursts of fire exploded within the narrow metal tunnel!
Bullets struck the bulkhead with a "thud," and ricochets flew everywhere with a piercing whistle!

Hot shell casings clattered and rolled onto the deck.

Samini felt a hot stream of air brush against his cheek!

He pressed his body tightly against the cold cabin wall at the corner of the passageway, his heart pounding wildly.

His injured companion was a beat slower, and with two muffled "thuds," his body jolted violently, and two bursts of blood erupted from his back!
The "cabbage" in his hand flew out and rolled in the passageway.

He let out a bloodcurdling scream, but with his last strength, he grabbed the vegetable and threw it towards the faintly visible staircase leading to the next deck deep in the passage.

At the same time, he twisted his body and lunged towards the pursuers, trying to use his mangled body to block them!

For Allah—!

The frantic howls echoed through the passageway.

"A grenade?!"

The Marines at the front saw something rolling towards them, their pupils contracted sharply, and they hissed a warning! The two of them swiftly retreated into cover!
The expected explosion did not occur.

It was just an ordinary cabbage. But that momentary delay bought Samini and his last remaining companion precious few seconds!

They scrambled and stumbled towards the steep stairs leading to the cargo hold area!

"Frag out!"

A Marine reacted extremely quickly, tearing an M84 stun grenade from his tactical vest, pulling out the safety pin, and after a one-second delay, hurling it forcefully into the blind spot below the stairs!

"boom--!"

The stun grenade exploded violently in the narrow space beneath the stairs! A blinding flash of light and a terrifying roar exceeding 170 decibels instantly engulfed the entire area!

Even from the corner of the stairs, Samini felt as if he had been hit hard on the head with a heavy hammer. He instantly went deaf, his vision went white, and the excruciating pain, along with intense dizziness and nausea, shot straight to his brain!

His companion let out a short scream, was so shocked that he collapsed to the ground, lost consciousness, and the "cabbage" in his arms rolled to the side.

With sheer willpower, Samini bit his tongue hard, and the excruciating pain helped him regain a sliver of clarity from his dizziness.

His blurry vision caught sight of a heavy, watertight door at the end of the stairs below, painted with a huge yellow danger sign and the words "No Smoking"—the cargo hold entrance!
God bless!

He scrambled and stumbled, almost falling, until he reached the door.

The door was unlocked; the internal passage usually only locked the main door. The heavy doorknob turned in his sweat- and blood-stained hands!

"Bang!"

The door was pushed open a crack!
A strong, unique, cold smell, a mixture of steel, paint, and unopened weapons, and the salty tang of seawater hit me!

The enormous cargo hold was like the belly of a steel behemoth, deep and dark, with only a few dim work lights emitting a faint glow, vaguely illuminating the outlines of the massive military containers stacked layer upon layer and covered with waterproof tarpaulins, like countless silent tombstones.

Target!

Right in front of you!

A terrifying light flashed in Samini's eyes as he struggled, using all his strength to try and squeeze in!

Now, all you have to do is stuff the "cabbage" in your arms into any gap in the pile of goods, and then press the detonator...

"Drop the weapon! Hands up! NOW!"

A thunderous roar exploded above the stairs! The blinding beam of a tactical flashlight instantly locked onto Samini's figure!

Two Marines stormed in less than three seconds after the stun grenade exploded.

They moved with the speed of cheetahs, their gun barrels locked on their targets, their fingers gripping the triggers, and a chilling killing intent enveloped them.

Samini's body froze at the crack in the door.

He was only half a step away from the gates of hell, yet he was pinned to the spot by the cold muzzle of a gun.

He slowly, extremely slowly, turned around, his back against the cold, iron cargo door.

The blinding flashlight beam made him squint, but there was no fear on his face. Instead, a strange calm, almost liberated, appeared, even with a hint of mockery.

His right hand was tightly gripping a small black plastic box—an electric detonator! His thumb rested on the deadly red button!

"Put down the detonator! Final warning!"

The Marine Corps Sergeant Blake, who was leading the team, roared, his voice trembling slightly from the intense tension, but his gun barrel remained as steady as a rock.

The guns of the teammates behind him were also firmly locked on Samini's head and heart.

The air in the cramped space was as solid as cement, and the stench of death was so thick it was impossible to breathe. One of the container doors had been opened, revealing boxes of ammunition marked as 120mm mortar shells.

Sergeant Blake felt his hair stand on end.

He saw that a square object was mounted on those ammunition boxes.

Dynamite!

And the detonator has already been inserted!
If an explosion happens here...

Not only people want to go to heaven, but ships want to go to heaven too!

The entire ship was filled with weapons; it was practically a medium-sized ammunition depot!

Samini's gaze swept past the dark muzzles of the guns, across the tense faces of the Marines, and over their advanced equipment.

His lips twitched, as if he were smiling, or perhaps crying.

He slowly and clearly uttered a string of Arabic words, his voice hoarse yet unusually high-pitched, filled with the fervor of a martyr and a hysterical sense of satisfaction:
“Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah! Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu Allah! (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah! I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!)”

"Allahu Akbar! (God is the greatest!)"

The moment the last syllable fell, all the emotions in Samini's eyes—ecstasy, relief, madness, and deep-seated hatred—froze.

He stared into Blake's horrified eyes, and with the last ounce of strength in his body, pressed down with his thumb without hesitation or resolute determination!

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Blake saw the movement of that thumb; it was a resolute action that surpassed the limits of human reaction.

Almost instinctively, before his mind could process it, he roared and pulled the trigger!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three bursts of fire were fired at close range! The bullets, carrying intense kinetic energy, instantly tore through Samini's chest!
Blood blossomed tragically under the powerful flashlight beam!

However, it was too late!

Just as Samini's body was thrown backward by the immense force of the bullet, slamming heavily onto the ammunition box behind him before sliding softly to the ground—

boom--! ! !
A pure white light, indescribable and seemingly emanating from the heart of hell, suddenly burst forth from where Samini had fallen!
The light instantly engulfed the beam of the flashlight, the figures of the marines, and everything in the stairwell!
It expands silently, like the first ray of light at the birth of the universe, yet it contains terrifying energy capable of destroying the world!
Immediately following was a deafening sound.

That was an unimaginable force; the violent shockwave, like an invisible tsunami, burst forth from the small gap in the cargo hold at a terrifying speed exceeding the speed of sound!

It tore through steel like shredded paper! The heavy watertight cargo door was violently flung away, twisted, and melted like a withered leaf! The scorching blast wave carried with it fragments of steel, human remains, unexploded ordnance, burning tarpaulins...

It swept out with the force of annihilation!

Sergeant Blake and another team member were the first to be hit.

They didn't even have time to feel the pain before their bodies were instantly vaporized and torn apart by the shockwave exceeding the limits of human endurance and the flames reaching thousands of degrees Celsius! The tough tactical vests, the bulletproof plates, the M4 rifles in their hands…

All the achievements of modern technology are as fragile as children's toys in the face of the immense power of the primal explosion, instantly turning into nothingness!

The flames from the explosion instantly expanded into a huge orange-red fireball tens of meters in diameter, billowing up from the middle of the Marlin's hull with thick black smoke!
The massive steel body of the giant ship snapped in two!

click-

Crack——!!!
The terrifying roar of the massive metal structure breaking and twisting even drowned out the explosion!
The entire ship suddenly arched upwards!
The keel emitted a mournful cry, unable to bear the weight any longer!
The structures on the deck were tossed into the air like building blocks!

Orange-red flames and thick smoke gushed from the fracture, like a giant firework being lit, turning the night sky of Jebuti Port into a scene of purgatory!

The shockwave began to sweep across the entire dock.

The Marines who had just rushed to the gangway on the shore were thrown out as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, screaming in agony!
The armored Humvee was pushed sideways for several meters by the shockwave, and its windows shattered instantly!

Further away, the glass curtain wall of the warehouse shattered as if it had been hit by hail, with fragments raining down like a storm!

boom! boom! boom! boom--! ! !
The first earth-shattering explosion was just the beginning! Like lighting a fuse to ignite death, the mountains of ammunition piled up in the cargo hold were detonated in a chain reaction!
Rockets, artillery shells, bullets, high explosives...

Seawater surged wildly into the huge, gaping wound in the ship's hull.

This steel behemoth, carrying ambition and destruction, began to tilt and sink irreversibly amidst earth-shattering explosions and raging flames.

The broken bow and stern were slowly swallowed by the cold, dark Mediterranean Sea.

The churning seawater mixed with the burning fuel oil, forming raging seas of fire on the surface, turning the night into an eerie crimson glow.

The piercing sirens, desperate cries, and the mournful wail of fire trucks and ambulances in the distance...

All the noise and clamor of the human world was completely drowned out by this destructive roar.

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(End of this chapter)