Chapter 252.1: Let’s Not Overdo It (1)

The blazing sun was slowly making its way above their heads. Hot winds blew past them, causing heat to rise from the ground and the hostages’ repulsive smell to rush to the soldiers.

“Cha Dong-Gyun! Have our snipers and men stand guard at the top of the cave and the path down! Assign five soldiers here as well!” Kang Chan ordered.

Cha Dong-Gyun answered affirmatively, then radioed in his orders. Meanwhile, the hostages anxious examined their surroundings.

Kan Chan raised his hand to his helmet again.

Chk.

“Gérard! Position your men at the back, then head down here.”

Chk.

“Yes, sir.”

Everyone, including the ones waiting for them in the UN command vehicle at the foot of the mountain, could hear what was being said on the radio. Hence, Kang Chan decided not to say anything else through the radio for now.

“What are you planning to do ?” Andrei asked as he approached Kang Chan. He had his gun pointed to the ground.

“They’re ordering us to leave them here to die even though we just rescued them. Don’t you find this weird?” Kang Chan asked.

“We’ll be in deep trouble if we don’t follow the orders of the command center—”

“Andrei,” Kang Chan interrupted. He looked him in the eye. “I won’t stop you from following your orders as a soldier. But look over there.”

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Andrei looked to where Kang Chan was staring, finding the Somalis who were sitting on the ground.

Kang Chan continued, “If we leave them behind, they will either die or get taken hostage again. However, we’ve made their deaths inevitable by rescuing them. If we’re just going to abandon them, it would’ve been much better if we didn’t rescue them in the first place. I won’t abandon these people unless we’ve come up with a countermeasure against the two fates waiting for them right now.”

Andrei looked at Kang Chan as if he couldn’t understand what Kang Chan was saying.

However, Kang Chan didn’t tell him all of this with the hope that a dumbass like Andrei would be able to do something about it.

Soon, Gérard and another soldier stopped in front of Kang Chan.

“Did you hear what I said on the radio?” Kang Chan asked Gérard.

“I did. By the way, this guy knows how to speak Somali, Captain.”

The soldier with him briefly saluted Kang Chan. “Roberre, sir.”

Kang Chan nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to Gérard. “Have the men secure the perimeter. We’ll hold this place and protect the hostages here for now.”

“They need some food and supplies.”

“Then let’s have six of your men and six of mine bring over our rations, blankets, and other necessary supplies from the base.”

“Captain,” Gérard called.

Kang Chan already knew what he was about to say but chose not to because Andrei was around.

The army interpreter next to Seok Kang-Ho quickly delivered what they were talking about in Korean.

“If this becomes a problem later on, just say I used my rank as the DGSE’s Deputy Director-General to make you obey my orders.”

Gérard’s eyes showed mixed emotions. However, Kang Chan being the Deputy Director-General seemed to have surprised him the most.

“I can just retire if things go south. Will you really be okay, though?” Gérard asked. He felt conflicted, but he didn’t easily back down.

“Gérard! If I had looked the other way during moments like this in the past, I would be a General by now.”

Rendered speechless, Gérard could only softly exhale.

“All right. Please designate which soldiers from the South Korean team will be going to the base with us,” Gérard said afterward.

Kang Chan looked around him for Cha Dong-Gyun.

“Team Three, I need you to head back to base with the Foreign Legion’s special forces team and bring us our worth of lunch, dinner, rations, and basic bedding,” Kang Chan ordered.

“Copy, sir.”

Cha Dong-Gyun—who had been listening to the conversation through the army interpreter until now—gathered the soldiers to the front.

“What was your name again?” Kang Chan asked.

“Roberre, sir.”

Kang Chan turned to the Somalis.

“Roberre, tell these people that we’re going to keep them safe in this place for now. Make them go back into the cave and mention that we’re going to hand them food and blankets as soon as the soldiers get back with supplies.”

As ordered, Roberre loudly spoke in Somali.

“I can’t believe you really went back to Africa,” Gérard commented. Finally giving in, he shook his head as he smiled. “Should we prepare a campfire?”

“Yes. We have to keep our guests warm.”

Seok Kang-Ho grinned after the army interpreter finished interpreting their conversation.

When Roberre stopped talking, they heard the hostages’ immediate replies.

“They said they need medical supplies for their children and first aid for festering wounds,” Roberre said.

“Gérard, you know what to do,” Kang Chan replied.

“Of course! I’m not a newbie at this anymore,” Gérard answered.

As Gérard walked off with Cha Dong-Gyun, Roberre quickly told the hostages what was happening.

“Should I tell them to go into the cave now?” he asked Kang Chan afterward.

“Yes. That would be for the best.”

“That’s true,” Roberre answered as he looked at the sun. It had already reached its peak.

He spoke in Somali again, the hostages rushed inside the cave.

“Seok Kang-Ho, assign two soldiers to the entrance of the cave,” Kang Chan said.

“All right.”

Seok Kang-Ho called over two of their men and gave them a briefing about the things they would have to watch out for.

The hostages were obeying them right now, but they had been in situations where hostages protested, argued, and even used violence against other hostages. In such situations, the soldiers would have to scare them by firing into the air and separating and isolating them if needed.

Kang Chan approached Park Chul-Su, who was looking at their surroundings.

“Colonel, This is a direct violation of the UN command center’s orders. If this becomes a problem, just say that you couldn’t defy the orders of the National Intelligence Service’s Assistant Director.”

Park Chul-Su looked at Kang Chan the same way Gérard did earlier. The gauze on his nose was so dirty that it could infect his wound.

“No, I’ll take responsibility for this. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do this if I was in command, but I don’t see anything wrong with what we’re doing right now. Please proceed with whatever you’re planning,” Park Chul-Su responded.

Hearing that made Kang Chan feel much more at ease.

“We’ll withdraw for now,” Andrei grimly said.

Kang Chan just nodded in response.

Clunk. Clunk.

The Spetsnaz headed down the mountain, their rifles and equipment clanking against each other.

“Let’s have some smoke over there,” Seok Kang-Ho suggested.

He slung his rifle over his back and searched through his pockets.

Now that Kang Chan thought about it, they didn’t have any reason to stay under Africa’s intense sun anymore. Hence, he led his men to sit in the shade created by some boulders.

“Here you go,” Seok Kang-Ho said, offering a cigarette to Kang Chan.

Chk chk! Swoosh!

“Hey!” Kang Chan exclaimed in alarm.

The lighter spewed out flames like a flame thrower when Seok Kang-Ho flicked it on. This was why they had to mix oil into gasoline in Africa.

“

Phuhu

. I completely forgot!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed. He laughed cheekily. He then weakened the lighter’s fire.

Chk chk! Chk chk!

“

Huu

!” Kang Chan exhaled the cigarette smoke. Smoking made him thirsty and crave for sweet instant coffee.

After a while, Gérard walked over to them. “Daye! Give me a cigarette as well.”

“For some strange reason, this fucker has changed so much!” Seok Kang-Ho complained.

Every now and then, they would understand each other without needing anyone to interpret for them.

Seok Kang-Ho handed Gérard a cigarette. He then lit it up for him.

This scene was so familiar to Kang Chan that he mistakenly wondered if he actually just went on a short trip to South Korea before ultimately returning to Africa.

“

Huu

!”

Kang Chan blew out the cigarette smoke. He felt as if the nauseating smell had disappeared.

The smell of Africa depended on the time of the day. It was different in the morning, the afternoon, when the sun was high in the air, and right after sunset. That was why they never had time to get used to the unpleasant scent irritating their nose. Fortunately, a week was enough for people to get used to it enough for it to no longer bother them as much.

They spent about an hour lazing around in the shade.

Chk.

“The soldiers who were sent to the base are coming back,” someone radioed.

Kang Chan walked over to an area that gave him a clear view of the bottom of the mountain. He then leaned forward. Although it looked as if it would be amazing to climb up the boulder next to him and look down and at the distance from there, he chose to just lean forward a little instead since he could end up getting himself killed otherwise.

Kang Chan didn’t know when and where hostiles would try to shoot him. It would be nonsensical to risk his life by going up the boulder and leaning down just to get a better view.

In the distance, he could see three Humvees and three trucks speeding toward them.

“Send some people down. Have them help the others bring the supplies over,” Kang Chan said.

“Got it.” Seok Kang-Ho, who was sitting on a rock, stood up and went down the mountain.

A moment later, Cha Dong-Gyun, the Foreign Legion’s special forces team, and the soldiers who had gone down to help them reached their camp. They were carrying a mountain of goods.

Gérard and Seok Kang-Ho took out the supplies and food that the soldiers were going to use first, then sorted through the ones they would give to the hostages.

“How do you have so much supplies?” Kang Chan asked.

“About half of these are from the United States’ Green Berets. We accepted them just in case.”

Kang Chan nodded in understanding. It would have been weirder not to take the help that the Green Berets offered them.

Gérard, Seok Kang-Ho, and a couple of other soldiers carried the supplies into the cave.

The hostages murmured as the soldiers entered. Soon, they started yelling at each other.

Pew! Pew!

When Gunshots rang out and sparks flew from the cave, the noise immediately died down.

The hostages would get used to this soon. They would learn to wait for their turn once they realized that they would all receive food at every meal.