Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1172 The Shadow Hunt of Taramira

"Since everything is arranged, let's not waste any more time."

Petrovsky took out a military tablet, placed it on the hood, turned it on, and brought up a map.

The others and members of the "Sand Fox" team immediately gathered around.

Petrovsky's index finger landed precisely on a red circle on the map.

"Target, Orwell. The White Helmets' leader in the Latamira region, the organizer responsible for coordinating the smuggling of dirty bomb materials into Syria in preparation for a chemical weapons attack. Now, he's holed up here—"

He tapped the spot heavily with his fingertips.

"A two-story detached house with a yard and a wall, located three kilometers outside of Latamila. Intelligence indicates that it is guarded by about a squad of soldiers with eight to twelve guns, mainly AKs, and possibly one or two RPGs for show."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Song Heping, Jiang Feng, and Naxin.

"The fighting on the Mannier side has turned into a meat grinder, drawing away the elite troops of the Kolde and 1515, leaving this side to be the blind spot, with very lax defenses."

"Hawkeye" Alexei, who was in charge of reconnaissance and intelligence, said: "According to the latest intelligence, there is only one main entrance and exit here, there is a gunman pacing around on the roof, and there is a fire in the yard at night. That bastard Orwell spends most of his time hiding in the room on the east side of the second floor, like a rat that can't be seen in the light."

Major Petrovsky turned to Song Heping: "Song, the plan you mentioned to me earlier seems fine. But it's only a little past nine in the morning, and we'll arrive there at least past ten. Are we really going to take action in broad daylight?"

He raised his wrist and pointed to a watch that didn't exist.

"The sun is right above us, and the visibility is too good, which is an advantage for us, and also for those on guard in the yard. Any unexpected event, even if the firefight is prolonged by just thirty seconds, could cause the gunfire to be heard for several kilometers, enough to attract the attention of nearby patrols."

He moved his finger to the location of the Gunai Mountains on the map. "I know there's a war going on in Manier, but here..."

His fingertips landed on Latamila. "After all, this is Kold's territory, not a no-man's land. Operating during the day is too risky."

Song Heping wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Operating during the day is indeed unconventional. But that's precisely why the White Helmets' guards are less vigilant, making it easier to succeed. Bullets are flying everywhere in the Gunai Mountains right now. American air support, Kold's ground troops, and the madmen of 1515 are all mixed up together. The Kold's armed personnel in Latamila have definitely been transferred away. The White Helmets left there will feel that this is a safe rear area, and their vigilance will naturally be at its lowest. What we need to exploit is this psychological gap."

Petrovsky stared at Song Heping for a few seconds, seemingly weighing every word in his words.

Finally, he slowly nodded: "That makes sense. Exploit the enemy's blind spots. Okay, you're in charge of this operation, I'll listen to you."

"it is good."

Song Heping stopped talking and quickly moved his finger across the map.

"We split into three pickup trucks, plus two 'Desert Fox' vehicles, a total of five vehicles, all disguised as the dilapidated vehicles of local armed groups, and took the predetermined route to approach the outskirts of Latamila. Remember, in this depression two kilometers from the target."

He pointed to a spot and poked it hard.

"Here, everyone abandons their vehicles and approaches on foot to minimize the risk of exposure."

He then assigned specific tasks: "My command post will be set up here—on this hillside to the northwest of the target, where the best view is available and you can overlook the entire area. Major Petrovsky, you will lead the SSO assault team to sneak in from the south side of the yard. Your mission is to clear the interior and finally capture Orwell."

His gaze shifted to the two taciturn snipers: "'Hunter,' 'Cold Blade,' you two, go to that isolated hill to the east and establish a two-person sniper observation point. 'Hunter,' your SV-98 will handle long-range precision elimination, and 'Cold Blade,' your VSS will handle mid-range silenced sniping. The sentries on the rooftop and any RPG operators who might appear in the courtyard are your top priorities. Also, keep a close watch on the east and north sides of the building; act as eyes for the assault team."

"Eagle Eye"

Song Heping looked at the SSO team members carrying the drone control box.

"Before launching your bird attack, you must provide a panoramic real-time view of the target area, focusing on whether there are any outposts or suddenly appearing reinforcements. Once the attack begins, raise the drone's altitude to monitor a wider area, and report any unusual activity immediately."

Finally, he looked at Nassin: "Nassin, your 'Desert Fox' squad is responsible for occupying this hillside on the flank and establishing a fire support position. Place that AGS-17 grenade launcher on the reverse slope of the hillside behind the position. If any foolish reinforcements try to join the fray, use your PKMs to block the exit of the courtyard, while simultaneously providing cover with a barrage of grenades to suppress the enemy. Understand?"

Nassin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Don't worry, Mr. Song. My lads will make sure the yard is riddled with holes; not a single fly will be able to get in, let alone get out."

"All units, use encrypted channel number one. Before launching the attack, maintain radio silence, don't utter a single word."

Song Heping's voice and gaze swept over everyone present.

"Once I give the attack order, 'Hunter' or 'Cold Blade,' whoever has the chance, take out the sentry on the rooftop. The gunshot is the signal, Major. When you hear the attack order, your assault teams rush in immediately! The requirements are just three words: fast! accurate! ruthless! Before they can react, completely crush their resistance! Do you all understand?"

"clear!"

"understand!"

"Roger that!"

"Check your equipment, we're leaving in ten minutes!"

The team members immediately dispersed to do a final check of their weapons.

The SSO team members all use the Czech-made V-AR 5.56mm assault rifle, which combines the accuracy of the AR platform with the ruggedness of the AK series. With its advanced suppressor and holographic diffraction sight, it is a formidable weapon in close-quarters indoor CQB environments.

They expertly inspected the firearms, spare magazines, grenades on their tactical vests, flexible breaching cords for breaching doors, and night vision goggles as backup—even though it was daytime.

The "Desert Fox" team members were mainly checking their AK-103 assault rifles and the PKM general-purpose machine gun, which required two people to operate, and the bright yellow ammunition belts were carefully combed and arranged.

"Iron Hammer" and a strong "Desert Fox" team member together huffed and puffed as they carried the heavy AGS-17 "Flame" 30mm automatic grenade launcher and several heavy drum magazines filled with 30 grenades each onto the back of a pickup truck.

Song Heping and Jiang Feng walked to the side behind a broken cement pillar.

Jiang Feng handed over a piece of chewing gum and whispered, "Old squad leader, I just got through the border. Samir's 'Liberation Forces' and Ayub's brigade are all arranged. As long as you succeed, they can provide support at the border at any time. The route is absolutely safe."

Song Heping took the chewing gum, popped it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and said, "You've worked hard. Hurry up and finish this mess here. I also want to go back to the Persian Plateau to rest for a few days. That damn cook, he never does me any good things."

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

The roar of engines rose one after another, and five vehicles covered in thick dust, disguised as armed pickup trucks of local militants, bumped and drove out of the ruins of the repair shop and disappeared into the endless wilderness on the outskirts of Kubai town.

The convoy maintained a loose yet orderly formation, meandering along the indistinct paths worn into the Gobi Desert by the wheels of vehicles.

As they passed a potential observation point, and as they brushed past a few local vans or donkey carts, the "armed men" in the back of the vehicles, their faces mostly covered by headscarves with only their cold eyes showing, would have their fingers almost imperceptibly resting on the trigger guards.

Fortunately, their disguise did not attract any extra attention.

The faint sound of artillery fire coming from the direction of Manier seemed to provide them with the best cover.

When they were about five kilometers from the target area, the lead pickup truck turned on its turn signal, and the convoy slowly drove into a low-lying area behind a patch of low bushes.

"We've arrived! Attention everyone, disembark and proceed on foot!" Song Heping's voice rang out in the encrypted channel, clear and concise.

The team members, like well-trained hunting dogs, jumped off the train car silently.

Unnecessary loads were quickly unloaded and hidden inside the vehicle, leaving two "Desert Fox" team members to guard it.

"Eagle Eye, release the small birds," Song Heping ordered.

A small multi-rotor drone rose gracefully from "Eagle Eye's" hand, emitting an almost inaudible buzzing sound, like a real desert insect, and flew quickly toward the outskirts of Latamila.

The real-time video feed was transmitted back stably from the control terminal and shared on Song Heping and Petrovsky's portable terminals.

"Set off."

Without any further orders, the troops, in a dispersed tactical formation, silently and swiftly disappeared into the vast and scorching wilderness, like water droplets seeping into sand.

The midday heat of the Gobi Desert quickly left everyone drenched in sweat. The heavy combat uniforms clung tightly to their skin, and apart from heavy breathing and the slight scraping sound of boots treading on the sand and gravel, there was no other noise.

After a full halfway through the trek, the team arrived at the designated rendezvous point—the back of a rocky hillside about 600 meters northwest of the target building.

"Halt. All groups, move into position as planned."

Song Heping crouched low and carefully climbed to the top of the hillside, then squatted behind a huge rock, raised his binoculars, and spoke in a very low voice.

In the distance, the two-story, earthen-yellow building appeared somewhat distorted in the sweltering heat, but its outline remained clear.

The gate to the courtyard was tightly shut, and inside parked a dilapidated jeep of an indeterminate model. On the rooftop, a small figure seemed to be moving slowly.

“‘Eagle Eye,’ move the drone closer so we can see clearly,” Song Heping said into the microphone.

"Understood, approaching."

Hawkeye responded, his finger making subtle movements on the joystick.

The image on the terminal screen gradually zoomed in and became clearer: there was indeed a sentry on the rooftop holding an AK rifle, leaning listlessly against the railing, occasionally raising his hand to wipe away sweat.

In the courtyard, three armed men were dozing against the wall in a small patch of shadow cast by the house, their rifles casually placed beside them.

All the doors and windows on the first floor were closed, and a window on the east side of the second floor had thick curtains drawn, but the edge of the curtains would occasionally be lifted, and a shadowy figure could be vaguely seen moving behind it.

"One fixed sentry on the roof and three people in the courtyard have been confirmed, all of them are dozing off. No patrol personnel were found on the perimeter. There are signs of activity in the room on the east side of the second floor, which is highly suspected to be the location of the target." "Eagle Eye" calmly reported the observation results.

"Sniper team, received. Moving to the eastern high ground, expected to be in position within five minutes."

The Hunter's voice came through the channel. He and Cold Blade, like two agile ibex, silently crawled towards their designated sniping position, using the rocks as cover.

"Fire support team received. Moving to the flank of the command post."

Nassin also reported on the progress.

His "Desert Fox" squad, carrying AGS-17s and machine guns, was moving along a dry gully toward a relatively flat area on the other side of the hillside.

Song Heping, Petrovsky, and the other members of the assault team remained at the assembly point to make final preparations.

Petrovsky walked up to each of his team members, his voice barely a whisper: "Listen, once inside, switch all guns to semi-automatic, prioritize using suppressors. 'Hammer' and 'Frost', you're on the left; 'Thor' and 'Angel', on the right; 'Shadow', you stay with me and control the middle and the stairs. Clear the first floor as quickly as possible, then head straight to the second floor. Remember, Orwell needs to be alive, don't fucking get carried away and riddle him with bullets!"

Song Heping then used binoculars and footage transmitted back from the drone to conduct a final, meticulous analysis of every detail of the building—the thickness of the walls, the location of the windows, possible firing ports, the best approach route and entry point for the assault team.

A few minutes later, the sound came through the channel again.

"'Hunter' reports: Sniper position established. Good visibility, covering the rooftop sentry, most of the courtyard, and the east side of the building. No other anomalies detected."

"Fire support team in position, PKM and AGS-17 deployed, ammunition ready, ready to fire at any time," Nassin's voice followed.

"Command post in place."

Song Heping confirmed it for the last time. He adjusted the focus of his binoculars, and the crosshairs steadily captured the sentry on the roof who was still yawning.

Now, only Petrovsky's assault team remains, and they need to move to the final attack launch position.

"Assault team, advance to the final starting position."

Petrovsky took a deep breath and gave the order.

Six SSO members, dressed in camouflage and with their faces painted, moved silently across the hillside like ghosts emerging from the shadows of the rocks. With their guns held low, they used every tiny undulation on the ground and the vegetation for cover, forming two three-man arrow-shaped teams that took turns providing cover as they rapidly and silently advanced toward the shallow ditch south of the target building.

Their movements were fluid and coordinated; the muzzles of their silenced V-AR rifles constantly pointed in the direction of potential threats as they moved, reflecting a dull luster in the scorching sunlight.

Through his binoculars, Song Heping closely followed every moving figure.

They were like an axe already raised, silently approaching the target's neck.

The assault team successfully reached the designated attack launch position—a shallow natural ditch about thirty meters from the south wall of the courtyard.

The team members quickly crouched down, trying to catch their breath, which was a little rapid.

Petrovsky peered through the gaps in the weeds at the yard, then raised his clenched fist and gestured toward the command post—ready.

Everyone's nerves were on edge.

The encrypted channel was deathly silent, save for the occasional hissing of a microcurrent.

Song Heping licked his slightly dry lips, his gaze sweeping across the entire target area to confirm that every step was perfectly in place and there were no unexpected issues.

He calmly pressed the microphone button pressed against his throat, and his voice traveled clearly through the airwaves to the ears of every team member:

"The action begins!"

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)