Chapter 250: It’s difficult to understand (1)
As soon as the siren blared, everyone made a run for their respective barracks.
Zip! Clunk! Click!
The soldiers put on their vests and picked up their weapons. They then sprinted out of the building, grabbing their helmets on the way.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The rifles, magazines, and equipment on the soldiers clanked and clattered as they ran. Kang Chan hopped into a Humvee with Park Chul-Su, and Seok Kang-Ho took charge of the truck.
Vroom! Rrrrr!
They left immediately.
The French were the first to go, followed by the Russians and then the English. It was such a close race that it was hard to tell how skilled they were based on speed.
The wheels of their vehicles left trails of dust clouds as they drove.
Clunk! Clunk, clunk!
Chk!
“This is to inform you that American troops are surrounded. Our objectives for this operation are to rescue them and then protect the Somalis,” the UN agent in the command vehicle, which was leading their formation, said in French over the radio. The army interpreter immediately relayed it in Korean.
At the same time, they heard the jumbled babble of interpreters explaining the situation in English and Russian. The teams could set up their frequencies for private communications and messages, but their radio was set on the common frequency of the joint forces right now.
As they left the base, they were met with a ridge that blocked their way and view. To their right was a mountain.
Vroooom! Clunk! Clunk!
Lee Doo-Hee swerved to one side to avoid the storm of dust up ahead.
“Colonel, I’ve divided our team into three squads. Please bring up our rear!” Kang Chan requested.
“Understood! I will join the third squad and support you from there. Please lead our men with confidence!” Park Chul-Su responded. A layer of dust had settled on the gauze on his nose.
There was a hint of nervousness in his eye—the kind that came with being on a mission like this for the first time.
‘The men will be all right, won’t they?’ Park Chul-Su’s eyes seemed to ask.
Pft.
Kang Chan made his signature smirk as he turned to Lee Doo-Hee.
“These soldiers have been through North Korea, China, and Afghanistan! Most special forces teams won’t even be able to step up to the plate against these men. You can be confident in them, sir!”
The corners of Lee Doo-Hee’s lips curved into a smile. At the same time, the Humvee roughly bobbed up into the air.
“Hey!” Kang Chan protested.
Lee Doo-Hee grinned as he swerved back. His relaxed demeanor showed that something like this no longer fazed him as much as it used to.
Park Chul-Su looked at Lee Doo-Hee, surprised that he was displaying the same ease that he had during their collaborative joint training with the special forces from other countries.
In the past, the South Korean special forces had to practically beg to be a part of joint training. In emergencies or mock operations, the other special forces always had a leisurely attitude to them. They also seemed to constantly look down on and disregard the South Korean team, which always moved with stiff determination and nervousness.
Unlike the South Koreans, they were noticeably more relaxed even during actual performances. It made Park Chul-Su feel the painstaking difference in their experience.
‘I bet those bastards are just as nervous out in the field!’ Park Chul-Su reassured himself at the time.
Now, Lee Doo-Hee was showing that same relaxed demeanor in this field operation. Kang Chan, who was in the vehicle in front of them, felt tense as well, but he was driving with a grin on his face.
‘When did these punks get so good?’
The Korean soldiers drove alongside the French Foreign Legion’s special forces team, Russia’s Spetsnaz, and the English SBS, which was composed of the SAS’ best elites.
Lee Doo-Hee deftly drove through an opening between the clouds of dust and dirt.
Vrooom! Clunk! Clunk, clunk!
While the Humvee vehemently tossed up and down, Park Chul-Su sneaked a glance inside the truck.
To be quite frank, he was bewildered and taken aback when he saw the glint in his men’s eyes while they were putting on their vests and picking up their rifles.
He knew that the soldiers’ eyes and attitudes changed when Kang Chan arrived. However, he didn’t imagine the team would perform at the same level as the foreign special teams that he envied so much.
Park Chul-Su glanced at Kang Chan again.
Thank you.
His vision blurred, thinking that Choi Song-Geon could be watching this scene with him.
General! Do you see this? The South Korean special forces team is just right behind the UN command vehicle and in the very center of our formation. To our left is the Spetsnaz, and to our right is the French special forces team.
We always had to chase after the other teams during our past joint training missions. Look at where we are now! Can you see Lee Doo-Hee and the others keeping an eye out on our vicinity from the trucks? Do you see their attitudes and the looks in their eyes?
Get yourself together!
Yes, sir!
Park Chul-Su quietly exhaled to calm his emotions down. When he turned around, his eyes met Kang Chan’s.
Pft.
Park Chul-Su smiled through his nervousness. Others would probably find Kang Chan’s smirk extremely, but it was very encouraging to those on his side.
You’ve got nothing to worry about. You have me!
That was kind of how it made them feel.
Clunk! Vroooom!
Lee Doo-Hee suddenly swerved away, bringing Park Chul-Su back to his senses.
He could hear gunfire and see small sparks coming from inside the mountain.
Chk.
“Gérard! Go around the outside from the right! We’ll take the front!” Kang Chan ordered.
Chk.
“Got it, Cap!” Gérard responded. On the radio, Kang Chan heard him instruct his men to immediately turn right.
Chk.
“Andrei, I’ll take the center! I want you to take the ridge on the left and join the American team there!” Kang Chan suddenly added.
Before he knew it, their interpreter had delivered his order in Korean, allowing the entire South Korean team to understand his command.
Chk.
“Oui, Monsieur Kang!” Andrei responded. His answer required no interpretation.
Park Chul-Su burst out laughing, flabbergasted by how comfortable Kang Chan seemed in issuing orders.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice came over the radio.
Chk!
“What do you want us to do?”
Chk.
“Gentlemen, I need you to provide rear support and handle the enemy’s heavy weaponry. Don’t let the RPGs get to us,” Kang Chan instructed.
Chk.
“Copy that,” the man responded.
Having given the British team an order as well, Kang Chan immediately pressed the radio button on his helmet again.
Chk.
“As soon as we get off the vehicles, we’re going to rush straight to the US team’s position. I’ll be in the front with Cha Dong-Gyun on my left and Seok Kang-Ho on my right,” Kang Chan informed his team.
Vroooom!
As if in response to the order, Lee Doo-Hee revved the engine.
Bang, bang, bang! Du du du du! Du du du!
The gunshots were now getting closer, the bullets causing the dirt around the vehicles to splatter.
Peww! Ping, ping, ping! Pew! Bang, bang, bang, bang!
The soldiers fired back from the moving trucks.
Chk.
“This is the Green Berets! We heard your comms on the radio! Five of our men are critically wounded! I repeat! We have five critically wounded!”
It was in French again.
The army interpreter delivered it in Korean for the South Korean team perhaps because Seok Kang-Ho was staring at him silently.
Chk.
“Understood, Green Berets. We’ll do our best to clear the way and get to you,” Kang Chan responded.
Chk.
“Thank you.”
Creak!
The Humvees and trucks screeched to a halt in an area hidden by the ridge of the mountain.
Swoosh! Click! Clank!
The soldiers dashed forward and hid themselves behind the vehicles.
Du du du! Pew! Peew! Pew! Bang, bang, bang! Baang!
At the same time, the vehicles of the Russian and French teams swerved to the left and right respectively, and the SBS positioned themselves behind the South Korean team.
Chk.
“Prepare to cover us, SBS!” Kang Chan ordered.
Chk.
“Roger.”
Chk.
“As soon as the SBS starts covering fire, we’re going to run straight to the bottom of the mountain,” Kang Chan radioed for everyone.
The gruff men who behaved so harshly in the mess hall were all moving as one team now.
Isn’t it too far?
Park Chul-Su quickly scanned their surroundings, estimating the distance from the vehicle to the ridge to be at least seventy meters. They wouldn’t have anything that could hide them from the people aiming at them from the top of the mountain either.
Chk.
“Now!”
Chk.
“Covering fire!” the SBS team member responded.
Peeew! Clunk! Clunk! Peeeeew!
White smoke began to rise and fly toward the mountain, leaving a trail of white line behind.
Du du du du du du du du du du! Du du du du du!
“Let’s go!” Kang Chan ordered. Leading his men, he charged onward.
Swoosh!
Clunk! Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!
Seok Kang-Ho and Cha Dong-Gyun sprinted beside Kang Chan. Park Chul-Su began to run as well.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
In the meantime, Kang Chan, Seok Kang-Ho, and Cha Dong-Gyun shot in the direction of the enemy.
Peeeew! Peeeew! Clunk! Clunk!
Du du du du du du! Du du du du du du!
This was how they were being supported from the rear? The tremendous show of power felt more like an annihilation to Park Chul-Su.
“Haah! Haah!” Park Chul-Su gasped for air. He was in disbelief.
Did Kang Chan know that the SBS possessed heavy weaponry? Was that why the SBS obediently agreed to follow his command? If so, then did the Spetsnaz and French special forces team also follow his orders because he was asking them to do what they were best at?
Seeing the faces of the soldiers running with him, Park Chul-Su felt a bit embarrassed. Not a single one of them looked like they were even the tiniest bit panicking or scared. He gritted his teeth when he saw the determination and glint in their eyes.
“Haah! Haah!”
He was desperately out of breath, but an unknown strength began to run through his veins.
Peeeew! Pew! Thud! Thud!
Swoosh! Whoosh! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Finally reaching their target location, the soldiers took cover behind boulders and returned fire.
Haah, haah.
Kang Chan looked at the top of the mountain from where he was. He then pointed his index and middle finger at Cha Dong-Gyun and Seok Kang-Ho. The two nodded in response.
Kang Chan then pointed three fingers at Choi Jong-Il, Kwak Cheol-Ho, and Woo Hee-Seung. The three nodded as well.
“Now!” Kang Chan shouted.
Pew! Pew! Peew! Pew!
Gunfire immediately followed his order, providing them with suppressive fire. At the same time, Kang Chan dashed up the mountain.
Thud thud thud! Pow pow pow! Du du! Pew! Thud!
He could hear the distinctive sound of AK rifles, but he didn’t hesitate to shoot back.
The enemies were wearing black clothes and dark bandanas over their heads, a typical attire of Africa’s Islamic rebels.
They were lean and almost as tall as Kang Chan, but behind their bandanas, they looked like teenagers.
Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Du du du! Du du du du du!
Shot in the forehead, one of their enemies fell over, managing to fire one last time into the air. No matter their age, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say those who had joined the Islamic rebels had lost their humanity—even more so the ones who fought in tribal wars.
These people had developed a taste for killing. Having no room for even a bit of sympathy, they found killing people in non-brutal ways a shame.
Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!
Every time Kang Chan pulled his trigger, a black-clad man fell to the ground.
These bastards had no professional military training. They were just kids who jumped right into the line of fire after getting to fire a few AK rounds. They weren’t even aware of how dangerous it was to peek out of cover to aim or that it made their foreheads stick out in the open. They had probably never even worn a helmet in their entire lives. All they knew was how to kill those who were too weak to fight back.
Kang Chan gritted his teeth as he shot at the hostiles. Unless they killed all the bastards who demonized these kids and gave them rifles, wars like this would never end.
Every now and then, someone would stand up to try to gun them down. If it was just Kang Chan who was running up the mountain, they would have likely gotten lucky enough to at least get a chance to shoot. However, Seok Kang-Ho and Cha Dong-Gyun, who were completely in sync with him, supported him from the back. He also had Woo Hee-Seung, Lee Doo-Hee, and the other soldiers shooting toward them like snipers from below.
Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!
As Kang Chan ran and returned fire, enemies wearing black bandanas flinched and fell down.
Swoosh!
He soon threw himself behind a boulder in the middle of the mountain. Seok Kang-Ho and Cha Dong-Gyu followed after him.
Chk.
“Green Berets! Do you see us?” Kang Chan asked.
Chk.
“We do. We’re located thirty meters above you. The enemy is hiding and waiting for you in between us.”
Chk.
“Copy that, Green Berets.”
Clank!
Kang Chan reloaded his rifle.
Chk.
“SBS! Do you see us?” Kang Chan asked.
Chk.
“We have eyes on you.”
Chk.
“Unleash hell over the area twenty meters above me.”
Chk,
“That could result in friendly fire.”
Chk.
“The wounded are running out of time! Hurry!” Kang Chan insisted.
Chk.
“Understood.”
When Kang Chan was done giving commands on the radio, someone else spoke up.
Chk.
“This is Andrei. We have joined the US team.”
Chk.
“Andrei! As soon as an Igla is shot at you, make a push for the bottom of the mountain! We’re on our way up to you!” Kang Chan ordered.
Chk.
“Copy!”
Kang Chan looked back at Seok Kang-Ho and Cha Dong-Gyun.
Peeeew! Peeeew!
White smoke began to rise from the bottom.
Swoosh!
Kang Chan pressed against the boulder and wrapped his hands around his head. A moment later, the ground rumbled.
Crash! Boooom!
Swoosh!
Without missing a beat, Kang Chan continued his run up the mountain.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The US special forces team and the Spetsnaz fired in rapid succession.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Seok Kang-Ho opened fire as well, and Cha Dong-Gyun followed right after.
They found no reason to be cautious when providing cover. The two just had to aim for anything that looked suspicious. If there was a target, Kang Chan would take care of it. It wasn’t easy to find a team that worked such perfect coordination.
Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!
An enemy holding an RPG-7 fell over. Had he been waiting here all this time just to launch a missile at them?
Du du du! Du du! Pew! Pew! Peeeew!
At that moment, a series of gunshots came from the right, where Gérard was.
Haah, haah. Clank! Click!
Kang Chan quickly scanned his vicinity with his gun to check for any hiding enemies.
Chk.
“Green Berets! Come down now!” Kang Chan shouted.
Chk.
“Got it!”
A fight had broken out on their right flank. To keep the team at least somewhat safer, Kang Chan headed further to the right.
Rustle! Clunk! Clunk!
The US team and the Spetsnaz, who were covering them, soon came into view. Kang Chan gestured to the bottom of the mountain with his head.
The American team had their wounded on their backs. They had ruptured knees and thighs, and one of them had blood all over his chest. None of their injuries were from bullets. They either got caught off guard on the way up by the RPG-7 or hit with a bomb.
Du du du du! Du du! Peeeew! Pew!
Gunshots were still echoing from their right. Why did so many of the rebel forces come over?
Thanks to Kang Chan and the Spetsnaz’s suppressive fire, the US team managed to safely reach the bottom of the mountain.
Chk.
“Captain! There are too many civilians over here!” Gérard shouted into the radio, urgency in his voice.
Chk!
“The US team is almost at the bottom. Hang on a little longer!” Kang Chan responded.
Chk!
“Understood!” Gérard grimly replied.
Kang Chan looked below him, finding the Americans now loading their wounded into a Humvee. He raised his index finger in the air, spun it in a big circle, and pointed ahead.
Swoosh!
The soldiers waiting on standby sprinted up the mountain.
Chk!
SBS, escort the wounded back to the base. Andrei, head to our right flank and support the French team!” Kang Chan ordered.
Chk.
“Copy!” Andrei responded gruffly but firmly.
Clunk! Clunk! Clunk, clunk!
A few more gunshots echoed from their right as the soldiers ran over to Kang Chan.
Du du du! Peeeew! Pew! Pow! Peeew!
“We’re going to move forward in groups, taking the enemies out as we go!” Kang Chan shouted. “Make sure you have good cover at all times!”
The soldiers nodded.
“If you see any kids or suspicious people, leave them to me or Seok Kang-Ho!” Kang Chan added. The soldiers who had already experienced something similar in Afghanistan looked back at him in understanding.
Soon, Kang Chan and his team moved out.
Haah, haah.
His lack of information about the kind of danger Gérard could be in worsened his sense of urgency. However, he didn’t let it rush him. After all, one could never be too sure in a situation like this.
The mountain had a shape that rounded off on the left.
Rustle! Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!
Cha Dong-Gyun, who was ahead of them, spun his index finger once in a circle before pointing ahead.
Kang Chan immediately began to head forward.
Choi Jong-Il swiveled the muzzle of his gun to the right, and Seok Kang-Ho moved past him.
Clank! Clunk!
Haah, haah.
Kang Chan’s senses were on edge.
Du du du! Du du du du! Boom!
They heard a couple of gunshots followed by an explosion, the tremors it created reaching their location.
Damn it!
Boom!
They felt another vibration.
Kang Chan quickly raised his left hand to his helmet.
Chk.
“Gérard! Talk to me!” he ordered.
There was no response.
Chk.
“Gérard! Status report!” Kang Chan frantically repeated.
Chhk.
“Captain! It looks like the Somalis are trapped!” Gérard finally replied.
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