Chapter 214: Something I’ve Always Dreamed About (2)

It didn’t take long for the military aircraft that departed from Osan to enter Chinese airspace.

In the plane, Kang Chan put on the military uniform, military boots, bandana, and helmet that Yoon Sang-Ki handed him. The military uniform was in a faded light gray color, and for the first time since he began joining South Korean operations, the national flag was sewn near the top of his left upper arm.

After wearing the appropriate gear, the soldiers split roles and started arming themselves to the teeth. As usual, Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho each took an MP5SD submachine gun, a rifle, a combat knife, and extra magazines. This time, they also put two grenades in the pockets of their vests.

Click. Click.

As Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho checked the breechblock on their rifles, the plane filled up with a new kind of tension.

“Gather ‘round,” Kang Chan ordered. In response, the soldiers rallied up at the center of the plane.

Kang Chan subtly smiled. Judging from the soldiers’ behavior and the look in their eyes, they seemed to be calm and relaxed. It was a stark difference from when they participated in their first operation, which was in France.

“This is a full picture of the town of Sangar, our target location, and this photo shows where we think the hostages are being held,” Kang Chan began. The soldiers concentrated on the map and photos that he was showing them.

Kang Chan then took out another map and pointed to one area on it with his index finger. “The plane will be dropping us off here at Kabul[1] Airport. From there, we’ll be taking a helicopter to Ghazni[2], where a local guide will help us get a truck to Sangar. This place will be our Point Alpha, and this will be Point Beta.”

The soldiers nodded. Kang Chan no longer had to explain things in detail for them to understand what he meant.

“I’ll be leading Team One. Woo Hee-Seung, you will be my second,” Kang Chan continued. Making eye contact with him, Woo Hee-Seung nodded.

“Seok Kang-Ho, you’re in charge of Team Two. Kwak Cheol-Ho, you will be his second,” Kang Chan added.

“Alright,” Seok Kang-Ho answered.

Kang Chan slowly looked at each of the soldiers. “The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the Shiite militia’s biggest characteristic. Since they believe that they’re fighting a holy war, they will be stopping at nothing. We have to be especially cautious of suicide bombing and hostages rigged with booby traps.”

Seok Kang-Ho softly exhaled.

“Even if you find the hostages, make sure you don’t just recklessly approach them. Daye!” Kang Chan called.

“Yes, sir.”

“If you find the hostages, make sure you guide the men through the procedure properly.”

“Roger that.”

Kang Chan’s gaze on the soldiers sharpened. They now worked well enough with each other that they started becoming more or less nervous depending on how he moved and behaved.

“You guys aren’t little chicks anymore. Honestly, you all look older than half-grown chicks to me now,” Kang Chan commented.

Tightly gritting their teeth, Kwak Cheol-Ho and the others put all their focus on Kang Chan.

“If I had to form a team to fight fifty of who you used to be when we had our live ammo training, I would only need to take five of you who are on this plane right now.”

As the soldiers’ eyes filled with pride, Kang Chan added, “However, let this serve as a warning to all of you. Do not recklessly run into battle. If any of you loses control of your emotions, overdo it, and run out, know that you’re going to get your fellow men shot in the forehead.”

Seok Kang-Ho watched Kang Chan and the soldiers with a grin. It was his first time seeing Kang Chan rambling like this, and he found it fascinating how the eyes and expressions of the soldiers changed every minute in response to what Kang Chan was saying.

“Our goal for this operation is to rescue all of the hostages. Any questions?” Kang Chan asked. Starting with Kwak Cheol-Ho, he slowly made eye contact with all of the soldiers. No one raised any concerns.

“Then get comfortable and some rest until we arrive,” Kang Chan said. The soldiers sat against the wall of the plane again.

“Want to have a cup of coffee?” Seok Kang-Ho asked Kang Chan.

“Sure.”

As Seok Kang-Ho stood up, a soldier quickly stood up as well and said, “Please stay seated. I’ll make the coffee.”

“Alright,” Seok Kang-Ho replied and sat beside Kang Chan again. It was as if he had been waiting for someone to say that.

“Judging from the look in their eyes, the men seem to be in great condition,” Seok Kang-Ho commented afterward, his own eyes glinting from excitement. When Kang Chan glanced at the soldiers, he continued, “It seems they have really become half-grown chicks.”

Before Seok Kang-Ho was done with what he was saying, the soldier from earlier brought over and handed them two paper cups of instant coffee.

Kang Chan took out a cigarette and put it in between his lips. He then held out a cigarette to Seok Kang-Ho.

“Here,” Seok Kang-Ho said, offering his lighter.

Click.

When Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho started smoking, the soldiers who were drinking coffee all began smoking as well.

“Phuhuhu,” Seok Kang-Ho laughed.

“Why are you laughing?” Kang Chan asked.

“The look in your eyes changed again.”

Kang Chan smirked, and Seok Kang-Ho grinned. They had done things like this countless times already.

***

After flying for seven hours straight, they finally landed at Kabul Airport, which looked deserted.

After the military aircraft stopped at one side of the airport, Kang Chan and his men immediately boarded the helicopter that was waiting for them.

Du-du-du-du-du-du-.

As they felt the winter air dig into their skin, they noticed clouds of dust and damaged buildings all over the area, which were things that informed them about where they were.

After getting about three hours of sleep and eating cup ramen and C-rations back in the plane, they were now going to spend another hour in the air on a helicopter to get to Ghaznir. Upon reaching their destination, they would secretly meet their guide and finally head to where the hostages were.

Kang Chan raised his left leg and sat back against the helicopter.

He was painfully aware of the difference between the soldiers, who now looked like mid-sized chickens, in front of him and the soldiers of France’s Foreign Legion, which was that he genuinely cared for all of these mid-sized chickens. The bizarre fact that they were willing to risk their lives for their country only made his heart swell even more.

After some time, even Kang Chan began to feel the spite in his eyes, which was his body’s way of informing him that they were getting closer to the operation site and that he was about to enter a new battle.

All operations were awful no matter the type.

They were hell—just pure living hell. Be it in the picturesque forest in France, an airport with the most modern facilities, or a deserted rocky mountain in North Korea, if they made even just one mistake, they could find themselves dying with a bullet in their foreheads, necks, or chests.

If we want to survive, we have to be relentless in neutralizing our enemies.

They had to see blood spray from their enemy’s forehead. Failure to accomplish that could lead to their colleagues near them dying. Even he wasn’t an exemption to death.

Like Lee Yoo-Seul, the soldiers in front of Kang Chan also had families that wouldn’t be able accept it if they died. Now, he also had Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook, who would be in more pain than having their flesh ripped apart if he died.

“I bought sushi…” Kang Dae-Kyung had said on Christmas when Kang Chan, who left early in the morning, called and told him that he wouldn’t be able to go home for a couple of days.

He knew that Kang Dae-Kyung was trying his best to smile and joke around, but he could still feel the worry and uneasiness in his words.

Still, he couldn’t stop.

What if I only sent these men in front of me to this operation? What if I only sent Seok Kang-Ho?

Kang Chan smirked as he shook his head. He was going to save all of the hostages. He would stop at nothing to rescue them and return with them.

When Kang Chan glanced at the soldiers, he noticed they now looked as if they already had a lot of experience.

About three hours before midnight local time, as the helicopter flew over a rough hill and a deserted field, Kang Chan began to feel on edge.

He fought the Shiite militia and the Sunni Muslims so many times back in Africa that he grew bored of them. However, he and his men were now in a place where they had no idea when or where a mistral or an igla would come flying toward them.

Among everyone here, only Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho were aware of how cruel they were.

That wasn’t all. In the past, he had even seen a nine-year-old child with big eyes firing an igla and a six-year-old girl with several dynamites wrapped around her chest.

Will the soldiers still be able to pull the trigger if they see the look in those children’s eyes?

That was how hell often unfolded.

After some time…

Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum.

Kang Chan’s heart suddenly began beating loudly.

Damn it!

He gritted his teeth.

Why do I always suddenly feel uneasy whenever we’re getting close to our target location on a helicopter?

As Kang Chan’s senses grew on edge, Seok Kang-Ho quickly looked at him.

‘Are we in danger?’

Kang Chan briefly shook his head.

‘I’m not sure yet.’

One igla was all it would take to end this entire operation.

What’s going on? What on earth is happening?

Kang Chan quickly scanned the area around the helicopter.

Ten minutes? No—they just had to fly for five more minutes.

In places like this, getting to where the hostages were was almost impossible if they failed to meet their guide.

Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum.

Kang Chan gritted his teeth as he continued to scan their surroundings.

Let’s go! We’re going to stay in the skies for five more minutes!

***

When Vasili entered the concrete barrack with cold, snake-like eyes, Ethan stood up and held out his hand.

“I’ve always known you were sly, but I didn’t expect that you would visit me like this,” Vasili said.

“Vasili, there’s a misunderstanding. At that time…”

“Ethan, stop talking shit and just tell me what you’re here to say.”

“You’re not even giving me tea?”

After side-eyeing Ethan, Vasili slowly turned around and filled a small glass with vodka. He then offered it to Ethan.

“Are you aware that Monsieur Kang is on his way to Afghanistan right now?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do this time, but you shouldn’t forget that the three Spetsnaz teams that we lost to him a while back were our best units.”

Moving the vodka glass with his finger, Ethan looked up. “Do you know that France’s DGSE is very unhappy about Monsieur Kang and Lanok? If you give me your support on this, I’ll have the subterranean shock device installed in Russia.”

Ethan remained firm even as Vasili looked at him suspiciously.

“If you help us, then France’s DGSE will also remove Anne,” Ethan added, making Vasili smirk. “After her, their next target will be Lanok. With his removal, you’ll become the chairperson of the European Union’s Intelligence Committee.”

“Continue.”

“The Foreign Legion’s special forces in Africa will leave for South Korea. Their target will obviously be Lanok. As soon as they arrive, they will head to the embassy and remove Lanok, which will only take more or less five minutes.”

When Vasili narrowed his eyes, Ethan immediately continued, “It’s impossible for Lanok to not know about an assassin from the DGSE taking action. That’s why as an alternative, we thought of using the Foreign Legion’s special forces instead.”

“How are you planning to get rid of Monsieur Kang?” Vasili asked.

“The United States will deploy three MQ-1 predators[3] and three satellites to live broadcast Monsieur Kang’s activities. Not only will CNN be putting it in the air, but the Taliban is bound to see it as well.”

“You’re going to put Monsieur Kang right before the whole world?”

“Monsieur Kang’s location will be shown on TV in real time. That will prevent him from ever leaving Afghanistan.”

Vasili pursed his lips and smiled, then frowned at Ethan. “You know what I think? I think you’ll find yourself in a very difficult situation if I tell Lanok what I just heard.”

Vasili’s blue eyes became as sharp as a snake’s, rendering Ethan speechless.

“A word of advice: if I were you, I would never mess with Monsieur Kang that way. Ethan, you lack experience in working with special forces teams, and that exposes your weakness too often,” Vasili said. He downed the vodka, then frowned again. “Even if you broadcast their location for all the world to see, three Spetsnaz units will still be able to get out of Afghanistan alive. Yet you expect Monsieur Kang, who basically wiped out those soldiers by himself, to die in the hands of mere irregulars? Haha.”

“Vasili…”

“You’re too late, Ethan. Lanok already called me before you arrived. You want to use the Foreign Legion’s special forces? Hahaha. Are you not aware that the person that they respect the most is the God of Blackfield?”

“They’ve only worked with him in one operation,” Ethan argued.

“You idiot!” Vasili exclaimed, which seemed to stun Ethan.

“The Foreign Legion only cares about two things—money and honor! And their idea of honor is different from the Spetsnaz or the SBS. It’s based on their endless respect for their remarkable commander. Do you really think they’ll betray the commander who gave them the best outcome since the establishment of the Foreign Legion?” Vasili asked, then sighed. “Do you know who the current chief commander of the Foreign Legion’s 13th special forcest regiment is?”

When Ethan didn’t answer, Vasili shook his head and frowned. “My god, you poor man! This is why they say you need lots of experience in the special forces to properly work as the Director of an intelligence bureau. Just so you’re aware, Gérard de Mermier is their chief commander. Do you understand now?”

Ethan looked as if he couldn’t understand what Vasili meant.

“Haha. This is appalling. That person is of French aristocratic lineage. Nevertheless, he applied to be transferred because the God of Blackfield is the French Foreign Legion’s most remarkable and respected special forces commander right now. That means the DGSE has been reporting your stupid plan to Lanok all along! Do you get it now?”

Click.

Vasili looked at the glass of vodka that Ethan dropped. Forcing a smile, he added, “If I were you, I would be running over right now to try to stop the United States from deploying their reconnaissance planes and satellites.”

“It’s too late. The United States has made and is already executing their own plan for this.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. In that case, you should be writing a proper will by now. If by any chance you’re lucky enough to survive, then you better start keeping one thing in mind.”

Ethan looked completely astounded.

“You should never mess with Lanok for as long as Monsieur Kang is behind him. Do you understand? Monsieur Kang is the assistant director of France’s DGSE and the assistant deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. Do you know what makes him even scarier?” Vasili asked as he looked at Ethan as if he felt pity for him. All Ethan could do was shake his head like an idiot.

“One word from the God of Blackfield is all it would take for South Korea’s terrifying special forces and France’s 13th special forces regiment to put their lives on the line and pounce on anyone. What will Monsieur Kang do if a soldier dies because of your stupid plan?”

“No matter how strong he is, he won’t be able to come into the UK!” Ethan exclaimed.

“I remember North Korea’s Jang Kwang-Taek saying something like that not long ago. He was shot right here.” Vasili pointed to Ethan’s forehead with his index finger.

“And here, and here.” He then pointed to his neck and heart in order. “Then he was shot here again.”

Vasili turned around and filled up his glass with vodka. “In Asia, I heard that they call people like Monsieur Kang the drakon. They advise people to never mess with a drakon’s Achilles heel[4]. Unfortunately, you really grabbed onto Monsieur Kang’s Achilles heel.”

Vasili leaned his head back and downed the vodka, his contempt-filled eyes remaining on Ethan.

***

“Anne! Call the Foreign Legion’s special forces immediately!” Lanok exclaimed.

- Yes, sir.

Lanok’s voice was unusually sharp. “Have you figured out the commander of this operation yet?”

- The DIA is the most likely to command it. According to our analysis, this could be their way of getting revenge for killing their spy Xavier. I’ve also received reports that state we can’t rule out the CIA either.

“Have you been able to contact Monsieur Kang?”

- He secretly met with our spy and left. I was told that the DGSE requires twenty hours to get into the DIA’s confidential information.

Lanok cocked his head. “Where’s Ethan?”

Anne didn’t answer. While looking at his watch, Lanok smiled, making it seem as if he just put on a mask.

“I didn’t expect another spy to dare two-time me. Anne.”

- Yes?

“Go to Niafles with Louis right now and stay with Pierre.”

- Alright.

“I love you,” Lanok said with a genuine smile under his ‘mask.’ He then hung up and pressed the button on his desk.

- Yes, Mr. Ambassador?

“Strengthen the embassy’s security to level 1.”

- Understood.

As soon as he got an answer, he removed his hand from the button and sat up.

“It’s going to be quite a long night,” Lanok told himself. He then held up the remote control on the desk and turned on the TV.

The wall in front of him went up, revealing a TV behind it. It was showing news from CNN.

***

Clank. Clunk.

The soldiers swayed along with the truck. Fortunately, even without headlights, the driver was still driving quite well.

Kang Chan had his upper body out of the car window and his rifle resting on the roof of the driver's seat. He put Kwak Cheol-Ho in charge of monitoring their left and assigned Seok Kang-Ho to their right.

The soldiers had also split into two groups and were pointing their guns in both directions, but they couldn’t really see anything since it was so dark outside.

They had to drive like this for two hours.

Even though it was already late in the evening, Kang Chan at least saw the dust that rose up behind the truck.

Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum.

His heart continued to warn him of danger.

1. Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. ☜

2. Ghazni is a city in Southeastern Afghanistan. ☜

3. An American remotely piloted aircraft. ☜

4. The raws were, ‘Never mess with a drakon’s reverse scale.’ The drakon is used to describe a powerful person, and the ‘reverse scale’ refers to their Achilles heel or weakness. Messing with their weakness will anger them so much that they would chase the person to the end of the earth to kill them. ☜