Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1053 The Hunt Under the Cover of Night
Langley, Virginia, USA: Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters, Operations Command Center (OCC)
The giant curved screen is divided into dozens of images: satellite images of the Persian Gulf, surveillance footage of a Kuwaiti base, infrared scans of suspicious areas in Persia, and a scrolling stream of encrypted data.

The silent tension was like a high-voltage current.

Vincent paced back and forth in front of the command console like a restless, trapped beast, his gaze never leaving the faint, slowly moving dot on the main screen—Song Heping's last known location, which was moving along the mountain road toward the capital.

Have you made contact with 'Poison Needle'?

Vincent asked an agent with a hoarse voice.

"Poison Needle" is one of the highest-ranking informants within the Persian Revolutionary Guard.

The agent stared intently at the encrypted communication terminal, his fingers flying across the keyboard: "Secure link being established, but the other side is very cautious, using multiple layers of verification, which will take time."

"Time is running out!"

Vincent slammed his fist on the alloy command platform, the dull thud making the agent flinch.

"Song Heping is as slippery as an eel! Dig! Use every resource available in Persia! All the 'mole's,' 'spies,' and spies you can bribe! I need to know which road that damned convoy is on, where their next stop is, down to the meter!"

The commands cut through the busyness like a cold blade.

The encrypted telephone lights flashed wildly, sending commands via satellite and fiber optics to activate the intelligence dark web beneath Persian territory.

Money, threats, promises…

Tentacles spread from Langley, attempting to grasp the elusive target.

time flies.

The light spot on the screen is still moving, and its trajectory is blurred.

Vincent's face was grim, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

He needs a breakthrough.

His gaze swept across the edge of the screen to the code name—"Jerusalem".

“Receive Jerusalem!” Vincent decided immediately.

'Jerusalem' is the CIA's code name for Mossad.

"I want to speak directly with their Director Levin. Top encryption!"

Tel Aviv, Mossad Headquarters, Special Operations Assessment Room
The atmosphere was equally tense, but with an added touch of cold precision.

The screen on the wall displays a map of the Middle East, with key areas within Persia marked.

Chief Levin was holding a phone.

"Chief Vincent."

Levin's voice was steady and slightly detached.

“I understand your urgency. Song Heping is a common threat to us, that’s for sure. But the risks of his activities in Persia and direct intervention are clear to both of us.”

"Levin, now is not the time to haggle!"

Vincent's voice, suppressing his anger, came through.

"He has just crossed the border, and I expect the Revolutionary Guard will come to pick him up. This is our last chance! I need you to mobilize your 'assets' in Persia and provide the real-time location of the convoy! Share any electronic signal signatures!"

Levin remained silent for a few seconds, then turned his gaze to his assistant beside him.

The assistant pulled up the assessment report, silently shook his head, and mouthed: "Critical points...exposed risks...the cost is too high..."

“Vincent…”

Levin nodded slightly to his assistant.

This means that if they assist Vincent, Mossad's agents, whom they have planted in Persia for many years, will face enormous risks should the operation go wrong.

Although the Americans are the closest allies.

But the Hoopoe Kingdom's style is always "better to die for your fellow Daoists than for yourselves."

Protecting one's own interests is always the best option under any circumstances.

So he said calmly and in a formulaic tone, “We have assessed the operational information. First, the target convoy is on high alert, and there is a high probability that its active signal sources are turned off. Second, the mountainous terrain is complex, and our ground assets have limited coverage; forcibly activating them would easily expose critical nodes. Third, and most importantly…”

He paused, “With just a vaguely located convoy, we can’t confirm whether it’s inside. You know Song Heping’s consistent style is very cunning. If we use our valuable assets in the core area of ​​the Persian military and political system to gamble on an unconfirmed target, the losses will be catastrophic if we fail—the cost of exposure will far outweigh the potential gains. This doesn’t fit our risk assessment model.”

"Screw risk assessment!"

Vincent couldn't help but roar, "Levin! This is a golden opportunity to take him down! If he gets into Afanti's lair in Tehran, we'll be doomed! Just think of his destructive power! If this guy gets to Persia, he'll definitely help the Persians against us, and then we'll be in even more trouble!"

Levin's eyes remained unwavering: "It is precisely because of his immense destructive power that we must be cautious. A single misstep could not only cost us our lives but also trigger an unbearable diplomatic or even military conflict. The Persians are on edge. We cannot take that risk."

"Then let's just watch?"

Vincent's voice betrayed his frustration and anger.

"Watching him swagger away right under our noses?"

"As an ally, we can provide peripheral support."

Levin spoke calmly.

"We will provide access to data streams from some regional, low-sensitivity electronic listening stations for your analysis, including public radio and civilian signals. We will also share a summary report of suspicious moving targets in the area over the past 24 hours for cross-referencing. However, direct intervention to activate critical assets... We refuse. The risk-reward ratio is severely unbalanced. Good luck."

After saying that, he simply hung up the call.

Levin put down the microphone and said to his assistant, "Pack up the peripheral data and send it over. Note: Unverified, for reference only."

He rubbed his temples and muttered to himself, "The Americans are too hasty... Last time, their reckless advance in Tehran wiped out an entire station of ours... Haven't we learned our lesson in blood?"

Langley, Operations Command Center

Hearing the busy signal, Vincent's face turned ashen.

He slammed the encrypted communicator onto the table.

"Damn it!"

"Sir!"

The agent who had previously been in charge of contacting Persian spies sounded slightly excited.

"'Poison Needle' Reply! Highest Priority!"

Vincent got up and walked quickly to the computer.

The screen scrolls through the decrypted information:

[Target confirmed: Convoy current coordinates: 34°45'12.3"N, 48°30'18.7"E, moving southeast along National Highway 7, average speed 60 km/h. Core target is the second vehicle. Status: Wounded, highly alert. Expected to reach 'Eagle's Beak Gorge' in two hours. Convoy communications silent. Escort Commander: Kavvan. Information reliability: A+. Warning: Target extremely dangerous, abnormal perception. Over.]

Coordinates! Precise coordinates!

Song Heping's location and status!
It's like a beacon in the darkness!

"YES!"

Vincent clenched his fist and his eyes blazed with wild joy.

"Immediately send coordinates to the Air Force! Request that the 'Reaper' drones at the Ali Salim base in Kuwait take off immediately! Fully loaded with Hellfire drones! Authorize them to penetrate deep into Persian airspace to carry out the 'cleanup'! Objective: Destroy the transport convoy and ensure the core target is eliminated!"

The command was like a bullet being fired.

90 minute later.

Kuwait, Ali Salim Air Base, Ground Control Station (GCS)
The air conditioner hummed softly, and the keyboard clicked rapidly.

In front of two control consoles, operators wearing head-mounted displays and holding joysticks.

A giant screen displays images transmitted from a Reaper drone (MQ-9) high in the sky: the barren northwestern mountains of Persia, with winding roads appearing as thin gray lines.

"Control center, Death 01 calling, arrived at target airspace, altitude 7000, circling and waiting."

"Death 02 calling, in position, weapon warm-up complete, sensors locked on target area."

Langley's command came through the data link: "Reaper 01, 02. Target update: Coordinates synchronized. Armored Toyota Land Cruiser, desert camouflage, moving southeast along Highway 7. Core target: second vehicle, passenger seat. Authorized to use Hellfire missiles (AGM-114R9X) for precision elimination. Repeat: Core target cleared. Over."

"Death 01 received, coordinates confirmed, target feature scanning in progress..."

The main operator slides their finger across the touchscreen to zoom in and adjust the angle of the photoelectric/infrared (EO/IR) turret.

The high-magnification lens penetrates the thin clouds, revealing a clear view of the highway below.

That was a tunnel.

In infrared mode, several bright heat sources emerge from the tunnel entrance and are moving along the highway.

"Target vehicles detected, three vehicles, matching description. Thermal signature matched. Direction of travel confirmed," reported the co-operator and weapons officer.

"Lock onto the second vehicle. Laser ranging... Target point calibration."

The main operator's voice was steady.

The crosshairs were positioned over the front of the second Toyota's hood.

"Laser lock stable. Target speed: approximately 60 km/h. Wind direction: northwest, wind speed: 15 knots. Ballistic calculation complete. Reaper 01 ready."

"Death 02 is ready to provide additional strike and damage assessment."

"Control center, authorized to launch. Repeat: Execute clear."

"Death God 01 received, weapon release authorization confirmed. Hellfire missile... launch!"

The operator taps a virtual button.

above the sky.

Two MQ-9 Reaper aircraft hovered silently at high altitude, a flash of fire under their wings!
Two slender AGM-114R9X Hellfire missiles, their tails spewing blazing white flames like the lash of death in the sky, detached from their racks!
The warhead carries six high-speed rotating titanium alloy blades, designed to penetrate cover and strangle targets.

After separating, the missile fell due to inertia, and the rocket engine at the tail ignited violently!
boom!
The fiery tail flame elongated, and the powerful thrust accelerated the missile wildly! Like an enraged viper, the missile tore through the thin air, screaming as it broke the sound barrier, and swooped down at several times the speed of sound towards the three bright heat sources on the road below!
From launch to impact, it takes only a dozen seconds.

The ground seemed to have frozen.

The first Toyota's wheels had just rolled onto the gravel road leading to the tunnel.

Inside the second Toyota, a lieutenant repeatedly asked into the communicator, "The last car, I can't see you."

"You continue forward, don't worry about us, and be prepared for battle."

Kavvan's voice came through the radio.

The lieutenant hesitated for a moment, but immediately replied, "Understood. All guards, be on high alert..."

Suddenly, his gaze inadvertently drifted towards the sky.

Several bright spots were approaching at high speed, about two hundred meters above my head...

"accelerate!!!"

He roared, his voice torn apart by terror.

too late.

Time seemed to be stretched.

The first Hellfire, with devastating precision, tore through the air barrier!
The target is the second Toyota that carries the core objective!

Like a bolt of lightning, it cleaved through the darkness at high speed, pierced the leaden sky, and left a fleeting trail of burning in the lieutenant's pupils, which were dilated from his roar!

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

There was only one dull, heart-stopping impact!
Pfft——!
Like a giant hammer smashing into a bag of wet mud!

The roof of the second bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser looked as if it had been struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer!

The missile accurately hit the front of the engine hood, the area in front of the passenger seat, and the rear seat!
The R9X warhead unleashes terrifying kinetic energy!
Six high-speed rotating titanium alloy blades can tear, shred, and penetrate bulletproof hoods, reinforced steel plates, and bulletproof glass like a hot knife through butter within a thousandth of a second!
boom--!
After the dull impact, came the belated, sharp crack of metal fragments exploding violently.

The front half of the car was instantly crushed as if by an invisible giant hand! Steel twisted and tore apart, scattering bulletproof glass shards and plastic debris everywhere…

The enormous impact caused the heavy vehicle to lose control instantly. The front of the vehicle sank sharply, the rear wheels lifted off the ground, and the entire vehicle, like a spinning top being whipped, tumbled and twisted under inertia before crashing heavily into the steep mountainside beside the road!

The metal and rocks rubbed together violently, producing a piercing shriek and sparks flying everywhere!

The driver of the third Toyota following behind only saw a flash of light ahead. Before he could even react, the wreckage of the second car, which had rolled over, slammed into the front of his car like an out-of-control battering ram!

Boom——! !

The violent impact ignited the fuel tank, causing the ammunition to explode!
A mushroom cloud of black and red flames rose into the sky!

The scorching heatwave, carrying sharp metal fragments and human remains, was thrown into the sky!

The third Toyota was instantly engulfed, torn apart, and thrown into the air by the explosion.

When the driver of the first Toyota saw the car behind him hit and catch fire, he instinctively stepped on the brakes.

Just then, another R9X Hellfire missile accurately pierced through the roof of the vehicle.

Before the people in the car could even scream, they were already cut into pieces...

The vehicle instantly went out of control, veered off the road, and rolled down the hillside.

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)