Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 246 Double Gold
To the soldiers of Shuangzhi, the fleeing senior Zion officers were walking medals of honor.

Although it's impossible to immediately determine the exact military ranks of the people in the convoy ahead, judging from the tight security and their frantic escape, they are definitely a big fish.

"Load armor-piercing rounds!" The gunner quickly cranked the turret traverse mechanism, already aiming at the jeep at the back of the convoy.

The loader swiftly completed the loading, shouting, "Armor-piercing rounds, all set!"

Just as the gunner was about to press the firing button, Harry suddenly grabbed his shoulder: "Don't kill him! Keep him alive!"

He flung open the hatch, leaned half his body out of the turret, gripped the M2HB heavy machine gun handles with both hands, and began firing at the jeep's tires.

The 12.7mm machine gun immediately spewed out a tongue of fire half a meter long, and scorching shell casings rained down on the ground, filling the entire tank with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

The fleeing convoy immediately erupted into chaos.

Harry's clenched teeth went numb from the shock, and hot bullet casings rained down on his feet, but his arms remained firmly planted.

General Elizer saw the pursuing tanks through the rear window and was terrified.

But it was too late to turn back to the naval headquarters now; they had to find a way to shake off the relentless tank crew.

Bullets fired from behind whistled past their ears, striking the ground and walls on either side with a crackling sound.

The adjutant noticed that the tank's gun barrel remained at an elevated angle and realized, "General, they want to capture us alive!"

This can't go on!

Elize was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Just then, a stray bullet shattered the rearview mirror, and the driver instinctively jerked the steering wheel, the car scraping against the narrow alley wall and sending sparks flying.

Elizer's forehead slammed against the doorframe, but the swelling and pain gave him a sudden inspiration: "To the Fifth Army headquarters! Only Ortra can protect us now!"

"But we have a connection with the army command system..."

"We can't worry about that now!" Elizer patted the back of the driver's seat. "It's better than being captured. Let the other vehicles break out separately and draw their attention away!"

The order was executed immediately, and the convoy of jeeps, which had been maintaining its formation, suddenly scattered and fled like flowers in the sky.

Three of them deliberately slowed down, attempting to block the tank's path with their vehicles.

But the M60A1's diesel engine roared, and the fifty-ton steel behemoth did not slow down at all. A jeep that tried to block it was hit head-on by the tank, rolled twice in the air, and crashed into a roadside shop. Unfortunately, the fuel tank ruptured, causing a secondary explosion.

The gunner operated the coaxial machine gun and fired in bursts, hitting the engine compartment of another jeep. The out-of-control vehicle spun and crashed into a telephone pole. The door was deformed and cracked, and the Zion soldiers who crawled out raised their guns to return fire, but were quickly subdued by the following Twin Warriors infantry.

This sacrifice was not entirely in vain; taking advantage of the chaos, the command vehicle where Elizer was located made a sharp turn and sped into a narrow side road.

The tank had to slow down, and Harry, on the roof, watched the convoy of jeeps scatter and flee, then punched the turret armor.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

High in the sky, Lu Lin was surveying the battle situation in Haifa from the perspective of a hawk.

The expeditionary force has now advanced more than halfway through its advance into the city, with its vanguard seemingly drawing back the curtain of war, setting most of the city ablaze.

Countless tiny black dots weave through the spiderweb-like streets, occasionally catching sparks of light, while helicopters, like black crows, streak across the sky, and occasionally, artillery shells explode, sending up plumes of smoke.

Just then, a bright gold-edged mark flashed across the edge of my field of vision.

"The money was withdrawn?!"

The mark was so dazzling that Lu Lin's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately maneuvered Enzidu to descend, and only then could he see the full picture of the scene.

The M60A1, adorned with blue flags, was relentlessly pursuing the convoy, while ahead of it, a command vehicle bearing gold markings was fleeing for its life.

Upon seeing the jeep convoy begin to disperse and break through, Lu Lin immediately connected to the combat channel:
"Headquarters is calling on Hammerhead Battalion. All vehicle crews must report their positions immediately!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"They split up and ran away!"

Harry gritted his teeth as he watched the convoy disperse.

Just as he was about to give the order to use the main gun, a familiar voice suddenly came through his headset: "Thunder 1, head towards the 11 o'clock central square, regardless of life or death."

"marshal??"

The voice sent a shiver down Harry's spine. He turned to look at the crew: "Did they just call us?"

The driver nodded, somewhat bewildered.

The loader looked puzzled: "But could it be the marshal? After all, the marshal is in charge of the overall deployment, how could he directly command a single crew?"

“You don’t understand,” Harry said, his face flushed with excitement. “Two years ago, during the Battle of Canham, the Marshal commanded the entire combat unit by himself. His orders were precise down to every street and every person!”

What excited him even more was that the order he personally gave confirmed his intuition: the Zion soldiers were indeed guarding a priceless target!

"Let's give chase!" Harry patted the driver's helmet. "Loader, prepare the smoke bombs!"

The tank engine roared again, its tracks carving deep furrows in the ground, and it charged headlong toward the direction Amir had indicated.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Zion Fifth Army Front Command.

Commander Oltra is speaking with Haifa’s Deputy Mayor, Ilan Katsav.

In fact, after Haifa issued an emergency evacuation order, the Haifa government departments were in a state of semi-paralysis, but they did not completely stop operating.

Even as war clouds loomed, Haifa's top decision-makers, along with departments not directly involved in the war such as planning, finance, and personnel, were among the first to evacuate to the relatively safer Tel Aviv to coordinate support with the central government and prepare for post-war reconstruction of Haifa.

The medical, security, and fire departments were left behind and were led by a senior deputy mayor, Ilan Katsav, forming the "Civil Defense and Emergency Command." This command was responsible for maintaining the city's operation to a minimum during the war, implementing traffic control, assisting the military, and, if necessary, destroying roads, bridges, and broadcasting systems.

Looking at the burning city, Oltra said to the deputy mayor, "Deputy mayor, you have to go. Take your men and leave now."

His expression was quite solemn: "The Arabs' breakthrough speed is exceeding expectations... At this rate, we can only hold out until the day after tomorrow at the latest; Haifa will be impossible to hold."

However, Deputy Mayor Katsav shook his head, listening to the faint sounds of gunfire outside the window: "General, my duty is here, to live and die with this city. If the soldiers of the Fifth Army are to fight to the last, then my department and I will hold out to the last! This is our city, and this is our battlefield!"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion crossed Oltra's dim eyes.

There are truly few loyal and courageous people like them left.

He patted Katsav on the shoulder heavily and said with emotion, "Only at this final moment can I truly see who the real heroes of this country are! Those government officials who talk big all day long, but when it comes to stepping up in times of crisis, they all disappear. Ilan, you and your team are the real heroes of Haifa!"

Katsav smiled with a hint of sympathy and reached out to shake hands firmly with Ortra.

Unexpectedly, Oltra's expression fell. He grabbed the other man's hand and said to the guard beside him, "Escort the deputy mayor and his core members to safety immediately! That's an order!"

"Ortra! You can't—!"

Katsav was stunned. Before he could finish speaking, two burly soldiers "invited" him out, practically carrying him away from the bunker.

"Make sure the deputy mayor arrives safely at the rear!" Oltra shouted behind them.

After Katsav's voice faded into the distance, Oltra turned around, his eyes filled with determination and helplessness.

His staff officer, Abraham, approached him. The commander's tone was complex: "Do you see? If our government had more people like Ilan Katsav, instead of those empty-headed parasites, we wouldn't be in this situation..."

The young staff officer nodded in agreement: "Yes, these are the soldiers who should live to the end and rise to higher positions. I hope they return safely to the rear and play a more significant role in the future." Ortra watched the deputy mayor being escorted into the car and driving away into the distance, and said softly, "We are soldiers; dying on the battlefield is our duty. But some people are more valuable alive than fallen heroes."

The two men stood at the entrance of the command post, watching the military jeep carrying Katsav drive out of the dust and turn onto the main road ahead.

Just then, a car suddenly darted out from the side and crashed straight into the side of the jeep.

"boom--!"

With a loud crash, the Jeep rolled several times, its parts flying everywhere.

Katsav's figure was flung directly out of the shattered car window and crashed heavily into the rubble by the roadside, where he remained motionless.

Ortra: "..."

Abraham: "..."

Chaos erupted outside the command post in an instant, with soldiers shouting and rushing to gather around.

The front of the Jeep that caused the accident was completely crushed, and pungent white smoke was billowing from under the hood.

The rear door was pushed open with difficulty, and two people in military uniforms, who were dazed and confused from the impact, staggered out.

Oltra's eye twitched, but his gaze suddenly froze on the men's pristine white naval uniforms, and his expression instantly hardened.

Admiral Elizer saw Oltra and raised his hand in greeting.

Unexpectedly, the person who came was the Navy Commander, who was even one rank higher than him. Oltra's face turned ashen, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward to greet him.

General Elizer stated without hesitation, "General Oltra, I need to establish a joint command immediately..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of gunfire from very close range came from outside.

A shell hit a nearby building, causing sections of the wall to explode and then begin to collapse.

"what happened?!"

Elize took the opportunity to lie down behind the sandbag bunker: "I was caught by Shuangzhi's tank detachment when I came here, but for the Fifth Army, dealing with this trouble shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Ortra's temples bulged with veins. He had deliberately avoided placing the command post in a conspicuous location like the city hall building for concealment, but the enemy had been lured there instead.

"You idiot!!"

These four words were practically squeezed out from between their teeth, but before they could react, the low-altitude rapid-fire cannons near the command post began to roar.

The roar of propellers came from the distance overhead, a sound that pressed down from the sky like a demon, completely blocking out the sky above the nearby streets.

What's even more alarming is that the sounds of gunfire are no longer coming from just one direction, but from all directions.

The enemy troops seemed to have spotted them and surrounded them.

Altraton sensed something was terribly wrong. The guard company commander stumbled into the command post, his rifle sling slipping off his shoulder: "It's bad, Commander! Shuangzhi's troops have completely surrounded us!"

Upon hearing this news, Oltra felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He slammed his fist on the sandbag, looked at the admiral huddled behind the bunker, and then at the tightening encirclement outside the window, his eyes seemingly spitting fire.

Now no one can escape.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lu Lin's gaze remained fixed on the gold insignia representing General Elizer. He noticed that Harry's crew was slowing down due to barricades and sporadic resistance, but this was insignificant. In his overall view, the prey had nowhere to hide.

He soon noticed that the golden markers rushed into a dense area of ​​red markers, which meant that this usually corresponded to an enemy battalion or brigade command post, and there were still dozens of such units in Haifa.

But then, the golden mark seemed to collide with another unit representing a normal unit. A golden light briefly arced across the sky before disappearing instantly.

Lu Lin was stunned, thinking he was seeing things.

But the next second, right at the heart of that deep red area, two dazzling golden marks suddenly lit up, their light almost filling Enzidu's entire field of vision!
"Holy crap... we got two gold medals!"

Lu Lin couldn't help but gasp, an indescribable sense of excitement rushing to his head. It felt like being unlucky in a pay-to-win gacha game for years, always hitting the pity pull, only to suddenly pull two top-rarity "SSR" characters in a single draw when he was feeling utterly disheartened!
"Zion finally has generals who aren't cowering behind cover! And two of them have come to us at once!"

To express his sincerity regarding the rich spoils of war, Lu Lin no longer hesitated. He connected to the communication channels of all the troops involved in the encirclement and suppression, his voice resolute:
"Attention all artillery units, area E8, fire at full power, five salvos!"

He didn't want to use soldiers' lives to fill this solid command hub; he wanted to smash the heads of the Haifa defenders in the shortest time possible in the most violent and direct way.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The order was given with thunderous force.

A sharp whistling sound instantly tore through the city's hustle and bustle, and countless heavy artillery shells streaked across the sky, carrying a destructive intent, and accurately struck the Fifth Army Headquarters in Zion.

In an instant, the sky and the earth turned pale.

The series of explosions turned the entire area into a boiling furnace.

Flames shot into the sky one after another, and thick smoke billowed up like a giant mushroom cloud.

Bricks, steel bars, furniture, and even human remains were hurled into the air by the violent shockwave, then crashed down like hailstones. Solid buildings collapsed in the roar, like toppled blocks, burying everything beneath the rubble.

From the Fifth Army Headquarters, a few armored vehicles and soldiers attempted to break out through the smoke and chaos, but they were forced back by concentrated fire from the Shuangzhi ground forces that had been waiting in the perimeter.

The Cobra attack helicopters were also lurking overhead, and any unit attempting to conduct a rescue was ruthlessly shot down by missiles.

After five rounds of devastating artillery fire, the deafening roar finally subsided, leaving only the crackling of burning buildings and occasional secondary explosions.

Shuangzhi's infantry, under the cover of armored vehicles, began clearing the battlefield.

The bombed area was completely devoid of any remaining buildings, and there were hardly any Zion soldiers left standing on the ground. All vehicles had been reduced to burning wreckage.

Lieutenant General Oltra and Navy Commander Elizer hid in an underground air-raid shelter, their backs covered in a thick layer of dust. A wave of naval turmoil washed over them, and they felt dizzy.

Haifa's city walls are riddled with air-raid shelters, most of which were dug before the Six-Day War—when the Golan Heights were still in Surya's hands, and Haifa often had to take cover from shells falling from the sky.

But soon, the entrance to the air-raid shelter was discovered.

Then tear gas was thrown in, and the pungent smoke quickly filled the enclosed space. Caught off guard, Oltra and the others coughed violently, and tears and snot flowed uncontrollably from their eyes and noses.

As a result, the officers hiding in the air-raid shelter had to cover their mouths and noses and stagger out of the shelter in a disheveled state.

In an instant, more than a dozen cold gun barrels surrounded them.

All around were the corpses of Zion soldiers lying haphazardly among the rubble, long since dead.

Just then, the heavy sound of metal tracks crushing gravel grew louder as they approached. An M60A1 main battle tank slowly broke through the billowing dust and came to a stop in front of them.

Lieutenant General Oltra's vision was blurred, but through his faint light he could see the blue flag fluttering on the roof of the vehicle.

Immediately afterwards, a blurry figure emerged from the turret with the setting sun behind it.

This scene felt familiar, bringing a suffocating, almost destructive sense of oppression, as if it overlapped with the person in my memory.

Oltra gave a bitter smile: "You won, Amir."

Harry stepped forward, pinned his hands behind his back, and pressed them against the tank's front armor, muttering something.
“Tell us something we don’t know.”

(End of this chapter)