Chapter 249: The Operation Begins Tomorrow (2)
Morning in Africa began with blinding sunlight and a heat that was out to get everyone.
Waking up at dawn, Kang Chan left the barracks in shorts and a simple tee. He wanted to go for a run before the blazing sun came up.
The member of the Foreign Legion’s special forces standing guard saluted Kang Chan with just his index and middle fingers because Kang Chan wasn’t in formal uniform. It was also an indication of how much friendlier they had become.
The track seemed to be approximately six hundred meters. Running any further than that would make them a target, getting themselves killed.
“Haah, haah,” Kang Chan panted.
He had only taken a break in Mongolia for a few days, but he was already having trouble running. Kang Chan refused to rest.
No matter the job, one was bound to reach their limit if they didn’t train for it enough. There would be times when he would need to be smart and take a break, but he had no reason to stop running. This was something he had always done.
Kang Chan would continue to push through. Perhaps this could be the saving grace of his men at the last minute.
Kang Chan steadily picked up the pace.
He kicked up a cloud of dust with each step on dry ground. By the time he covered ten kilometers, he was already drenched in sweat. This was enough for today.
Kang Chan panted and huffed. He then stretched again.
Crunch, crunch.
Upon returning to the base, Kang Chan immediately went inside the barracks to take a shower. He was more than grateful for getting to use as much water as he wanted.
He dried his hair off with a towel as he left the bathroom. At the same time, Seok Kang-Ho came up to him.
“Just finished working out?”
“Yup,” Kang Chan replied.
Seok Kang-Ho held out a mug to him.
Kang Chan grinned. He was returning to the ways of his past life in Africa.
“Let’s head out. A cigarette tastes the best after a sweaty workout, doesn’t it?” Seok Kang-Ho asked with a grin.
“You didn’t work out, though?” Kang Chan retorted.
“I sweated while I was making coffee.”
It was strange. Whenever he was with Seok Kang-Ho, he always found himself laughing.
“All right, fine. Let’s go.”
Kang Chan changed into a new pair of military pants and a light cotton shirt before heading to the benches. The soldiers were all standing in front of their barracks, having just woken up.
“Is anything bothering you?” Seok Kang-Ho suddenly asked.
“Me?” Kang Chan asked as he lowered his head to the lighter that Seok Kang-Ho held out for him, aligning his cigarette to the flame.
Click! Click!
“Hoo. When I went to Mongolia, I met my father from my past life.”
“What?”
Seok Kang-Ho stopped halfway through lighting his cigarette. He quickly whipped to Kang Chan.
“Ow! That’s hot!” he yelped.
Kang Chan found it impossible to have a serious conversation with this asshole.
Click! Click!
“So? What happened?”
Kang Chan gave a summary of his encounter with Kang Chul-Gyu.
“Whoa! So you were born with that kind of blood in you!” Seok Kang-Ho excitedly exclaimed.
“Fuck that! Damn the blood!” Kang Chan swore in annoyance.
“Well, you made the right choice, at least. How did the surgery go?”
“All I’ve been told is that he hasn’t woken up yet.”
Seok Kang-Ho grinned. “So that’s the reason behind the gloomy face, huh?”
Kang Chan wordlessly sipped his coffee. Seok Kang-Ho was probably the only one who could notice these things.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Seok Kang-Ho reassured him as he flicked the end of his cigarette with his index finger.
Amid their conversation, Gérard leisurely walked over to Kang Chan.
“Captain!” he greeted.
“Where’s the army interpreter?” Seok Kang-Ho asked, scanning his surroundings. Not long after, the soldier rushed over to his side.
“What are you doing? We’re only going to be saying good morning,” Kang Chan chided.
“Oh, really?” Seok Kang-Ho replied, then turned to the soldier. “Sorry. Get some rest.”
The agent read the mood before cautiously returning to where he came from.
“The atmosphere’s a lot warmer now that you’re here, Captain,” Gérard said. He then turned toward the Korean team and made a drinking gesture. Caucasian people didn’t find it awkward at all to express their friendliness this way.
“Did you get some rest?” Gérard asked.
“I slept like a rock,” Kang Chan joked.
A soldier brought them coffee, momentarily interrupting their conversation.
“Thank you so much,” Gérard said in awkward Korean, making Kang Chan and the soldier laugh.
Spending time together like this was comforting for their nerves, especially since they didn’t know who could return to the base dead this evening.
Kang Chan interpreted for Gérard and Seok Kang-Ho as they joked around with each other. Not long after, breakfast was served.
The US special forces team came in with pistols, bayonets, and vests. Everyone else was dressed in comfortable clothes.
Special forces soldiers felt a strange bond during moments like this. The fact that they would all soon go from eating together in this mess hall to being under fire on a battlefield overflowing with blood and death connected them.
When the US special forces team walked inside, the soldiers standing in line all took a step back so they could eat first.
Clunk, clunk.
The US soldiers loaded their plates, their weapons and equipment clattering. They then nodded at the soldiers who yielded their spots in line, expressing their appreciation.
Cha Dong-Gyun quietly exhaled to suppress how touched he felt.
He could never experience something like this in joint training exercises. After all, such a scene was only possible when out in the field. This couldn’t have happened if Kang Chan didn’t clear up the hierarchy.
Now, no one in the mess hall was being snarky or confrontational.
The US special forces team nodded at the South Koreans as they passed by, thanking them for taking a step back.
Cha Dong-Gyu genuinely and desperately hoped that Choi Seong-Geon was watching them right now.
Tap, tap!
At that moment, he felt a comforting pat on his back. When he turned around, he found Park Chul-Su smiling. His eyes were still swollen, and his nose was plastered with gauze.
“I’m sure the General is watching. That’s the kind of man he is. I bet he would get angry if his successor gets emotional over something like this, though” Park Chul-Su joked.
“Understood, sir,” Cha Dong-Gyun replied.
“Let’s go. We should eat as well.”
Park Chul-Su stood in front of Cha Dong-Gyun.
One of the Spetsnaz soldiers holding a plate in line also had a gauze taped to his just-as-bruised face.
Park Chul-Su put a large piece of meat onto his plate. “If that man didn’t come, we would still be having a battle of nerves, wouldn’t we? We wouldn’t even be able to eat properly.”
Cha Dong-Gyun turned to Kang Chan, Seok Kang-Ho, and Gérard, who were eating together.
If it wasn’t for Kang Chan, the Spetsnaz and the SBS, which had it out for the South Korean special forces team, wouldn’t be so well-behaved right now. Without him, Seok Kang-Ho would have likely ended up fighting the Spetsnaz, and Cha Dong-Gyun would have been the one to deal with the SBS after that.
“Learn, grow, lead the team, and teach your juniors. I will take responsibility for whatever happens afterward if that’s what has to be done for us to join another joint training operation,” Park Chul-Su quietly told him while he put some salad on his tray.
Clatter.
“Yes, sir,” Cha Dong-Gyun firmly replied as he took the tongs that Park Chul-Su handed him.
It was strange.
Lunch yesterday had been rough, and dinner had been horrible. However, today’s breakfast was proceeding a lot smoother. Having met the same soldiers thrice now, they were starting to recognize a few of them as well.
Today, the mess hall was filled with random chatter and occasional laughter.
Park Chul-Su and Cha Dong-Gyun sat down next to Kwak Cheol-Ho.
Click.
Soon, a member of the French special forces team put down his plate next to Kwak Cheol-Ho and looked at the two of them. Cha Dong-Gyun pointed at the chair opposite of them, and the man grinned and sat on the opposite side.
“Kwak!” the man said with strange pronunciation. “Afghanistan!”
He then pointed at himself with his right index finger. He was probably trying to say that he was in the operation in Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan!” Kwak Cheol-Ho replied as held out his hand. The man took it and pound-hugged him.
Tap!
With happiness evident in his expression, the man ate some mashed potatoes.
“Kwak!” Park Chul-Su called this time, imitating the man. “It’s a nice name to use.”
Cha Dong-Gyu laughed so hard that he almost cried. This was the first time he laughed since coming to the mess hall.
“Doesn’t it seem like the others are also adjusting well?” Seok Kang-Ho asked as he stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth. He looked at Kang Chan, a bit of sauce dribbling down his chip.
Unlike the first day, the soldiers seemed to have shaken off all the tension.
“They definitely don’t lag behind the other teams when it comes to skills. With one or two more experiences like this, I’m sure we’ll become a truly fearsome special forces team,” Kang Chan said with certainty.
Seok Kang-Ho nodded in agreement as he chewed some meat.
After breakfast, Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho took a break on the benches. Kang Chan was telling Seok Kang-Ho about Kang Chul-Gyu and Mongolia when they were suddenly interrupted by a cacophonous sound.
Weeoo! Weeoo! Weeoo!
A shrill siren blared throughout the base.
Swoosh!
Nearly all the men inside the barracks ran out and gathered at the front of the base. Although a bit confused, the South Korean special forces team followed suit.
Clunk! Clank! Clank!
The American special forces teams came out with weapons in hand.
“Good luck!”
Some soldiers wished them luck, and others gave them a thumbs up.
Kang Chan, Seok Kang-Ho, Gérard, Andrei, and even Tyler were all outside as well.
The distinctive sound engine of the Humvee roared, and the American special forces team drove off, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
Cha Dong-Gyun and Kwak Cheol-Ho didn’t expect soldiers to have send-offs like this. They learned something new again.
“Captain! I’m going to go to the command center for a bit,” Gérard said.
“All right, do what you need to do,” Kang Chan replied, parting ways with Gérard at the entrance of the base. He returned to their barracks.
“We will also be arming ourselves with basic weapons before resting,” Kang Chan ordered.
At his command, everyone put on their full military uniforms and equipped themselves with two pistols and a bayonet. With this much preparation, they would be ready to go at any time since they would only have to pick up their rifles and wear their vests and helmets.
“I’ll take Team One with me. Choi Jong-Il, you will be my second. Seok Kang-Ho, you’re leading Team Two with Kwak Cheol-Ho as your second,” Kang Chan instructed. “The same goes for you with Team Three, Cha Dong-Gyun. Your second will be Woo Hee-Seung.”
“Yes, sir,” the men replied.
Kang Chan slowly looked at them.
“I don’t know if we’ll be called out or not, but if another team is ordered to mobilize or until the clock reaches zero-nine-hundred, we will remain on standby.”
Since this was their first time out in the field like this, it was more important for them to learn the unspoken rules and traditions than the actual combat.
When the South Korean special forces team came outside, they saw soldiers from the other special forces team all standing by in their uniforms as well.
“Is this customary?” Choi Jong-Il cautiously asked Kang Chan from the side.
“If it was a normal operation, the sirens wouldn’t have gone off in such a hurry. We don’t gather at the entrance to see teams off when they leave for normal search operations either. That’s why we have to be prepared to leave at any time.”
Choi Jong-Il and Cha Dong-Gyun nodded, finally making sense of the situation.
They had something similar in the DMZ. All the men in their unit would come out to cheer them on and applaud them when they returned.
“Even if they run out there, it’s more common for them to return without accomplishing anything. You might come across an enemy, but unlike what you’ve experienced before, there’s a chance you’ll just find yourself returning to base from a boring standoff.”
Kang Chan glanced at Cha Dong-Gyun, then turned toward the entrance again.
“There are also times when the distinction between government and rebel forces blurs. They wear similar clothes and carry similar weapons, so it’s hard to tell them apart at a glance. That’s when it’s especially dangerous.”
In the middle of his explanation, he smirked at Choi Jong-Il.
“Teaching these to you won’t do you any good, though. You have to encounter these situations to learn about them, so keep your guard up,” Kang Chan ordered. “You have to be prepared to respond to the situation as it comes.”
“Yes, sir,” the men replied, then finally relaxed.
“It’s about time for that punk to show up,” Seok Kang-Ho remarked, craning his neck around. As if on cue, Gérard walked over.
“Nobility, my ass,” Seok Kang-Ho grumbled as Gérard quickly approached Kang Chan.
“Captain, it seems like we’re going to be called out,” Gérard said.
The army interpreter quickly relayed it to Seok Kang-Ho, allowing the soldiers nearby to understand what Gérard said as well.
“The SSIS is sieging the Somalis, and things aren’t looking too great,” Gérard added. His eyes were uncharacteristically sharp. “They are unexpectedly well armed, and to make things worse, there are a lot of them.”
“They got little kids involved again, didn’t they?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
Gérard glanced at the interpreter at the question before nodding.
“They say an Islamic insurgent group of teenagers started an ambush, and several Somalis are among them. That’s the strange part,” Gérard said. He then turned toward Kang Chan, seemingly asking for his opinion.
Such a large-scale tribal war was unusual.
“Somalia is already under UN and US military control. Since it was colonized by the British and Italians, it’s strange that there are so many Islamist insurgents. The majority of the people are Somalis and speak Somali, which should mean they’re very tight-knit. I don’t understand why they would attack the Somalis.”
“What about the US special forces?” Kang Chan asked.
“I don’t think they’ve arrived yet. The situation is adjacent to Mount Surdkad in the Alpha region.”
“So there hasn’t even been an engagement yet?” Seok Kang-Ho grumbled.
The men looked back and forth between Gérard and the army interpreter.
“According to the command center, there are too many rebels for the US military to control alone,” Gérard answered.
“Yet they still only deployed the US team?” Kang Chan asked.
“Yes. Many things about this operation are puzzling.”
“We can’t just go out there on our own without a call for backup from the command, can we?” Seok Kang-Ho abruptly asked.
Gérard smiled mysteriously. Only Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho, who were familiar with the battlefields of Africa, could recognize the meaning behind it.
The power of Islamist teenage rebels shouldn’t be underestimated. Moreover, considering their numbers, the US special forces wouldn’t be able to handle them. Not with just twenty-four men.
“How well-armed are the Somalis?” Kang Chan asked.
“I’m not sure,” Gérard answered.
“How many are there?”
“Six hundred.”
Kang Chan sighed heavily.
It was difficult for men over the age of twenty to get by here, so the population was mostly women, children, and the elderly. To conserve ammunition and instill fear, tribal warfare was always brutal. The soldiers could end up with six hundred brutally murdered Somalis if things were to go south.
“Let’s wait and see for now,” Kang Chan said.
“Understood. I’ll be with my men,” Gérard responded. He returned to his barracks with a grim expression.
It was hard to understand why they only sent the American special forces to a tribal war. Every hour that passed by without success meant more gruesome corpses.
A rifle shot to the face would usually blow off a cheekbone and turn the entire face in that direction. In the worst cases, Kang Chan had seen bodies with their mouths where their ears should be. There were also times when they threw gasoline on their victims and lit them on fire or impaled children together on a long wooden spear.
They would even spear a live child strapped with a bomb through the shoulder. The moment they tried to save the child or the child squirmed to be rescued, the bomb would explode.
Their deployment itself was strange, too. The UN had never directly requested a special forces team before and never on such short notice. The request for a special forces team from South Korea was also suspiciously rushed through, as was the motion to deploy.
And now the Islamist insurgent forces had started a tribal war? Not just against a few dozen people but against six hundred?
What are these bastards thinking?
Kang Chan slowly turned to look at the Russian and the English special forces soldiers sitting on the benches. Were they also aware of it? Or did they just follow the decisions of their higher-ups because they were supposed to?
Thinking about it wouldn’t get him answers. Kang Chan couldn’t help but admit that this operation was different from what he had seen and experienced in Africa before.
Kang Chan turned back to his men.
He had no idea what the hell was going on, but it didn’t change the fact that they were all going to return together.
“Fuck! Why does everything always have to be so hard?” Seok Kang-Ho complained, his eyes glinting. He pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He then turned to Kang Chan. “Want one?”
Weeoo! Weeoo! Weeoo!
Before Kang Chan could answer, sirens tore through their break.
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