Chapter 258 Threat and Lie
Before Reyes could give a reply, the call was abruptly terminated. Frustrated, he hurled the radio to the ground. It cracked sharply against the hard floor. Time was of the essence; they had only two hours left.
Instantly regaining his composure, Reyes understood that his outburst wouldn't alter their dire situation. His lieutenant, a man of unwavering loyalty, entered his office shortly after witnessing Reyes' rare display of anger.
"So what did you two talk about?" the Lieutenant inquired.
"We have been given an ultimatum," Reyes replied gravely. "In two hours, they'll drop a missile here if we don't vacate the palace and denounce our claim as the legitimate government."
"So the missile really came from them, and it might even be a drone," the Lieutenant deduced.
"Yes, which is why we need to fight back. We have anti-aircraft guns, correct?"
"We have the 9K38 Igla. You're thinking of shooting down the drone?"
Reyes nodded firmly. "Taking down their drone sends a clear message. We won't be intimidated by a faceless enemy. Prepare the Igla launchers."
"But, sir," the Lieutenant cautioned, "this could provoke them to attack us sooner. Are we certain about this course of action?"
Reyes nodded decisively. "If we don't stand by our principles, then our party deserves to perish. I won't repeat myself."
"Understood, sir," the Lieutenant saluted and promptly left the room to execute the orders.
***
Meanwhile, in the command center at New Clark City.
"I should have given them one hour," Richard said, looking at his staffers. "How long does an MQ-9 reaper last in the air again?"
"The MQ-9 Reaper is a high-endurance UAV with a flight time of up to 27 hours," Sara replied. "Why would you ask that? You think our drone can't fly long enough for the operation?"
"No, it's not about endurance. It's about keeping pressure on Reyes," Richard explained. "If he's aware that the drone can remain overhead indefinitely, it might discourage him from taking aggressive action."
Sara nodded, understanding the strategic importance. "The Reaper can stay airborne as long as we need it to. However, we should consider that Reyes might have some form of anti-air capabilities. They could potentially have shoulder-fired missiles or other anti-aircraft systems."
Richard agreed with a thoughtful nod. "Yes, that's a valid concern. We don't know exactly what they have, but we should assume they're not defenseless. Keep the Reaper at a safe altitude, out of the range of typical anti-aircraft weapons. But should they possess anti-aircraft weaponry, what defenses does the MQ-9 reaper have?"
"The MQ-9 Reaper is equipped with a self-protection pod, which includes electronic countermeasures to defend against radar-guided threats. It's designed to detect, identify, and counteract electronic warfare attacks. This system can jam enemy radar frequencies and mislead tracking systems, significantly reducing the risk of being targeted by anti-aircraft systems."
Richard nodded. "That's good to hear. So, even if Reyes has anti-aircraft capabilities, our Reaper has a layer of protection. Now, let's wait and see how they'll make their move—" he trailed off as he noticed movements on the grounds of the Malacanang Palace.
"It seems that they are moving now," Richard observed. "But is it to leave the premises or to set up defensive positions…"
"Judging by their movement, it seemed that they are setting up defensive positions," Mark chimed in, analyzing the live feed on the screen. "They're deploying troops around key points and appear to be positioning their anti-aircraft weapons. It looks like they're preparing for a standoff rather than evacuating."
Richard furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "Alright, keep monitoring their movements. Let's not make any hasty decisions. We need to see how this situation unfolds. Keep the Reaper out of their reach and maintain pressure. If they fire at us, then that'll make our job easy to blow them up. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!" the staffers acknowledged in unison.
***
On the ground of the Malacanang Palace, one of the men was carrying the 9K38 Igla. The 9K38 Igla is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) developed in the Soviet Union. It's a shoulder-fired missile that is designed to target low-flying aircraft, including helicopters and drones. The Igla uses an infrared homing seeker to lock onto the heat signature of its target, making it particularly effective against aircraft that don't have sophisticated countermeasures. It has a range of up to 5.2 kilometers and can reach altitudes of around 3.5 kilometers.
As one of Reyes' men shouldered the Igla, pointing it towards the sky, he scanned for any signs of the drones. However, due to the high operational altitude and advanced stealth capabilities of the Reaper, it would be challenging for the Igla's infrared seeker to acquire a lock on the drone.
Meanwhile, the MQ-9 Reaper, equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and detection systems, was capable of monitoring ground movements and identifying potential threats. The Reaper's sensors could detect the electronic emissions of the Igla's guidance system, alerting Sara.
"Sir, they have decided," Sara announced. "They wish to fight."
"I see, well that's pitiful. We are going to wipe the Malacanang off with communists."
"What's the target, sir?" Sara asked with a serious expression.
"Hmm…how about we fire at those men aiming their guns at us?" Richard proposed.
"Your words are our command, sir," Sara said, indicating that whatever target Richard chose, they were going to obliterate them.
"I don't want to destroy the Malacanang Palace so yeah, just attack the palace grounds."
"But the shockwave is going to destroy its facade, sir, are you sure?"
"That can be fixed," Richard replied with a steely resolve.
Back on the ground, Reyes and his team remained unaware of the imminent threat from above. The men with the Igla launchers continued their sweep in the sky, but they were not seeing anything nor were the sensors picking up anything.
One of them noticed something in the sky.
"What is that?" he said, pointing at the sky, moving his finger following the path of a bright object descending rapidly. Realizing it was a missile, he shouted, "Missile incoming! Take cover!"
But it was too late. The AGM-114 Hellfire, launched from the MQ-9 Reaper, was already on its final approach. The missile crashed into the palace grounds.?The explosion engulfed those within the blast radius, sending a shockwave that rattled the facade of the Malacanang Palace. Though the palace itself stood, the impact caused noticeable damage to its exterior.
"Get me in line with them again," Richard ordered as he watched the aftermath of the strike.
"Have them on the line now, sir," Sara said.
Richard picked up the receiver and spoke. "That's a bad decision from the leadership, sir. Now I'm going to give you one chance to reprimand you for your mistake. Leave the Malacanang Palace now and we won't harass you again."
After saying that, Mark tapped Richard on the shoulder, getting his attention.
"What?" Richard said, glancing over his shoulder.
"Are we really going to let them go?"
Richard shook his head as he covered the mouthpiece of the receiver. "Hell no, once they clear out the area we are going to obliterate them."
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