Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1052 I don't trust your people!

Crossing the border, which was more symbolic than defensive, and stepping into the dry, hilly region of Persia, Song Heping felt no sense of security whatsoever.

Lei's reminder kept echoing in my ears.

The situation in Persia is too complicated.

Not a moment of safety is possible without entering the safe haven that Afanti has provided for him.

He found a large rock and hid in the shadows.

Although they had temporarily escaped the death stare of the "Grim Reaper" drone, the invisible noose seemed to tighten even more.

The missile control officer in Nevada, Vincent in the Langley command center, and the distorted faces of the American soldiers he executed one by one...

He knew that this live-streamed killing had completely ignited a powder keg.

The immense shadow of the CIA, the Pentagon, and even the entire American war machine must be like an enraged swarm of bees, mobilizing all resources—satellites, drones, undercover agents, and even diplomatic pressure—with the highest priority, just to wipe him completely off the face of the earth.

"The traitor..."

Song Heping licked his dry, bleeding lips, the salty, fishy taste filling his mouth.

He took out his water bottle, took a sip, and turned to look at the border region of Iligor that had just experienced blood and fire.

His whereabouts were precisely tracked, and the two deadly ambushes were no coincidence.

Within Afanti's sphere of influence, there must be malignant tumors infiltrated by the CIA.

If this malignant tumor is not removed, the so-called "safe zone" is just a piece of paper soaked in gasoline, which can be ignited at any time.

He took out his satellite phone and dialed that highly confidential number.

"Song!"

Afanti's voice came immediately, carrying a hint of urgency and concern, "My men should be arriving soon! Where are you? How are things?"

"Still alive for now."

Song Heping's voice was hoarse and low: "Afanti, how's the internal investigation you promised me going?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Afanti's resolute voice: "We're already investigating! My men are monitoring every aspect that might be related to the last intelligence leak, 24/7. Currently, a captain in the armory is highly suspicious; there have been large, unexplained transactions in his account recently, and the people he's been in contact with are also suspicious. But I haven't taken action against him yet. I'm playing the long game; I want to uncover the bigger, deeper roots behind him!"

"Playing the long game?"

Song Heping's tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm: "Good strategy. But didn't you consider that if the fishing line is too long, the bait might be swallowed whole by an even bigger fish?"

He paused, lowering his voice even further, with an almost cruel sense of prophecy, "Believe it or not, this 'trusted bodyguard team' that's coming to pick me up later will also send my whereabouts to the Americans' screens in real time?"

"what?!"

Afanti's voice suddenly rose, filled with shock and disbelief.

“Song, this is impossible! The man sent to pick you up, Kavvan, is the commander of my ‘Shahrban’ guard! His men are all loyal warriors who have been tested countless times! If even they have problems…”

Afanti's voice abruptly stopped, the unspoken consequences of which were heavy enough to crush any defense.

That means his core strength, upon which he depends for survival, has been infiltrated, and he himself is constantly under deadly threat.

"Nothing is impossible. Loyalty is as fragile as glass in the face of enough temptation."

Song Heping interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Listen, don't send me helicopters! Those things are sitting ducks in the air. Use a convoy, a ground convoy. Keep a low profile and spread the risk."

Afanti remained silent for a few seconds; only his heavy breathing could be heard on the phone.

He knew Song Heping well, and knew that this man from the East had a keen and accurate sense of danger; otherwise, he would have done it eight hundred times already.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and replied in a deep voice, "Understood. Do as you say. The convoy will be supported on the ground. Kavvan will lead the team personally, and he will choose the route on the spot. I will have him report directly to you. Song... be careful."

"Ah."

Song Heping hung up the phone, stuffed the satellite phone back into his pocket, and shrank deeper into the shadow of the rocks. He then took out his medical kit again and began to bandage his wounds to stop the bleeding.

Now, he needs to conserve every ounce of his strength to deal with the deadly threat that could strike at any moment.

Time ticked by in anxious waiting.

After one hour.

The roar of an engine came from afar, growing louder as it approached.

A convoy of several Toyota Land Cruisers, camouflaged and painted in desert tan, kicked up clouds of dust and sped swiftly and nimbly toward the designated rendezvous point, like hyenas flying close to the ground.

The convoy came to an abrupt stop a few dozen meters in front of the rock where Song Heping was hiding, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The door of the lead car opened, and a stocky, middle-aged officer with a thick beard nimbly jumped out. He had sharp eyes and efficient movements; he was none other than Captain Kavvan, whom Afanti had mentioned.

Song Heping slowly walked out of the shadow of the rocks, his right hand never leaving the grip of the Glock 17 pistol.

Kavvan's gaze finally fell on Song Heping, a barely perceptible look of astonishment flashing in his eyes—clearly, Song Heping's blood-soaked and gruesome appearance was extremely impactful.

"Mr. Song!"

Kafwan strode forward and spoke in English with a Persian accent, his tone crisp like a soldier's and conveying absolute obedience to orders, "By order of General Afanti, I am here to escort you to a safe location! Please get in the vehicle!"

He gestured for Song Heping to get into the modified bulletproof off-road vehicle in the middle.

Song Heping did not move, but coldly sized up Kavvan and the guards behind him.

These soldiers had alert eyes, were well-equipped, and their movements exuded an aura of elite skill.

However, Song Heping saw no trust, only scrutiny.

"I'll ride the last train with you."

Song Heping's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight.

Kafwan was taken aback, his thick eyebrows furrowing: "The last one? Mr. Song, this doesn't comply with security regulations! VIPs should be in the core protected position of the convoy; the last car is the most vulnerable to attack!"

His tone was filled with confusion and a hint of professional objection.

"Just do it."

Song Heping's answer was only two words, cold and brief, his gaze fixed on Kavvan, carrying an invisible pressure.

Kavvan's expression turned somewhat grim. Just as he was about to speak again, the encrypted satellite phone at his waist suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at the caller ID, his expression turned serious, and he answered immediately.

"General!...Yes!...Understood!...Absolute obedience!...Yes!"

The call was brief.

Kavvan put down the phone and looked at Song Heping again, his expression much more complicated.

The previous opposition completely disappeared, leaving only the soldiers' unconditional obedience to orders.

He straightened his body and said in a deep voice, "The general commands that everything be done according to your arrangements. Please proceed."

He stepped aside to make way for Song Heping to proceed to the last car.

Song Heping did not set off immediately, his gaze sweeping over the convoy: "Route map."

Despite his deep doubts, Kavvan immediately took a military tablet from his adjutant, pulled up the travel itinerary, and showed it to Song Heping.

The route winds its way through barren mountains and dried-up riverbeds, eventually leading to a hidden military base 300 kilometers away.

Song Heping's gaze swept quickly across the screen, his fingertips lingering briefly on several key points and potential ambush areas. The entire process took less than twenty seconds.

His face was expressionless. After reading it, he simply said, "Understood." Then, without looking at anyone else, he dragged his injured leg toward the Land Cruiser at the end of the convoy, which was also modified to be bulletproof.

He opened the car door and climbed into the back seat.

Kavvan watched as Song Heping got into the last vehicle, his brow furrowed, and then he turned to his team members and made a quick hand gesture.

All team members quickly boarded the vehicle, and the engine roared back to life.

Kavvan then climbed into the rear vehicle and sat in the passenger seat.

The convoy kicked up dust as it drove along the planned route toward its destination.

Half an hour later, they had traveled approximately forty kilometers.

The convoy's lights illuminated a tunnel entrance.

Song Heping's eyes lit up slightly.

Soon, the thick shadows of the tunnel poured down like ice water, instantly engulfing the bulletproof SUV.

Suddenly, a cold gun barrel was pressed against Kavvan's temple, and Song Heping's icy and unquestionable voice rang in his ears: "Tell the driver to stop the car!"

The air suddenly became thick.

The driver turned to look at Song Heping in astonishment, completely bewildered.

"Mr. Song..."

"Have the driver stop the car immediately!"

Song Heping pressed down hard on the muzzle of his gun, and Kavvan instantly felt the coldness emanating from the muzzle, causing him to involuntarily shiver.

He knew very well who the person he was escorting was.

A distinguished guest of Afanti, a demon king from hell.

The Americans offered a bounty for him for years, but still couldn't take his life.

Just now at the border, he single-handedly took down two US military aircraft and two special forces teams.

Just one person!

Even movies wouldn't dare to film like this!

"parking!"

Kavvan instinctively obeyed Song Heping's orders.

The driver slammed on the brakes, and the tires screeched as they rubbed against the wet, slippery concrete.

After the engine's muffled roar faded away, the tunnel seemed to sink into the deep sea.

The convoy ahead seemed unaware that the last car had stopped and continued driving at high speed along the planned route, soon disappearing at the end of the tunnel.

Kavvan slowly turned his head, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, his eyes filled with incomprehensible shock.

"Mr. Song! What exactly are you trying to do? The convoy is your cover! Without them, we cannot guarantee your safety!"

His rapid breathing could be clearly heard in the cramped carriage.

Song Heping did not answer Kavvan immediately, but calmly watched the convoy ahead disappear from sight.

"Safety?"

His voice was full of sarcasm.

“Captain Kavvan, there’s a mole among you. This mole has been there ever since my whereabouts were first sold to the Americans.”

He paused, seemingly observing Kavvan's reaction.

“General Afanti is investigating, but before the ghost is found, anyone or any convoy he sends could be a direct route to hell for me. Including you.”

"impossible!"

Kavvan's voice suddenly rose as if he had been stung by a scorpion.

He instinctively straightened his back, his face a mixture of military honor, humiliation at being questioned, and disbelief at this insane accusation. "I am from General Shahrban's guard! My men have served the general for many years..."

"loyalty?"

Song Heping sneered, "Faced with enough dollars and promises from the CIA, loyalty is like dust in this tunnel, easily blown away by the wind. Tell me, besides you and the general, who else knows the rendezvous point and route? The duty officer at command post? The person in charge of liaison at the communications center? Or some orderly who passed by when you assembled the team before you set off?"

Kavvan opened his mouth, but all his words of explanation were suddenly stuck in his throat.

Before departure, the lights were on in the command post's operations room, where the duty officer recorded his mission briefing and route; the communications center was responsible for maintaining contact with the convoy; and when the guards assembled at the barracks, people from other units did indeed peek out curiously...

At every stage, there may be eyes and ears.

A chill, even more intense than the cold air in the tunnel, crept silently up his spine, sending a shiver down his spine.

He subconsciously reached for the encrypted communicator at his waist, his fingertips touching the cold plastic casing.

"Don't touch it."

Song Heping's voice was as cold as ice, carrying an unquestionable tone of command.

“Now, any signal transmission is a message to the hunter. Turn off all active signal sources in the vehicle, radios, positioning terminals, all of them.”

Kavvan's hand froze in mid-air.

He looked at Song Heping's hand resting on the gun handle; the hand had distinct knuckles and was covered in blackened bloodstains, yet it was terrifyingly steady.

He had no doubt that if he disobeyed the order, the bullet would be fired the next second.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, before finally letting go of his hand in despair. He stiffly leaned over and fumbled to turn off the power switches for the car radio and GPS positioning terminal on the center console.

A few faint indicator lights flickered reluctantly a few times before going out completely.

The carriage fell into deeper darkness and silence, with only the suppressed breathing of the three people remaining.

"Then... shall we wait here?"

Kavvan asked in confusion.

"wait?"

Song Heping shook his head slightly, took a breath, and said, "We're waiting for them to make a move. Only when they make a move will they reveal a flaw. This tunnel has two ends and a maintenance branch in the middle. It's a good coffin, or it could be a trap."

He tilted his head slightly, gesturing towards the other end of the tunnel's dark entrance. "Keep an eye on that, Captain. Wake your men up and prepare for battle."

Kavvan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

He grabbed the tactical radio beside him—active transmission was disabled, but the internal communication channels were still usable—and lowered his voice to issue orders quickly and clearly in Persian: "Attention all personnel, this is 'Mountain Eagle'! Maintain absolute silence, shut down all active signal sources! Repeat, shut down all signal sources! Enter Level One alert! Continue advancing along the original route! Keep the channels clear, no communication except in emergencies! Over!"

The command was instantly transmitted to every vehicle in the convoy via an encrypted channel.

Kafka could imagine the shock and confusion of the other team members in the other vehicles, but he had no choice.

He put down the radio and stared intently at the blurry outline of the tunnel entrance in the distance, illuminated by the faint light. His eyes were fixed on the spot, and his body was taut, like a fully drawn bow.

Song Heping's almost absurd judgment left him somewhat at a loss.

Is this person really a madman?

　Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)