Chapter 470: Stick Close and Don't Ever Leave (1)

Kang Chan and his men drove along a rough road for an hour. Sitting in the truck's passenger seat, Kang Chan glared sharply at the two jeeps driving ahead.

The civil war in Congo was raging, and no one knew when or where a rebel could appear and demand a toll. Some really troublesome ones could even just start firing an AK-47 out of nowhere and then rummage through the pockets of the dead. If it weren’t for Montechelle, who had a sniper rifle mounted on the truck’s roof, and Éiric, who sat beside him with a rifle in hand, Kang Chan would never have let the jeeps lead the way.

Thud! Clunk!

The truck jolted violently, shaking Kang Chan along with it. First, they had been tasked to reclaim the runway in Congo, and now, out of the blue, they were ordered to protect some researchers.

This was the kind of mission that would’ve been better suited for a Foreign Legion company rather than a special forces team. They clearly had a plan hidden up their sleeves.

Regardless, Kang Chan saw no need to ask about their actual destination.

For now, I’ll just keep an eye on them.

Kang Chan scanned the jeeps and their surroundings once again. Something felt off; it was as if something sticky was clinging to him.

Vroom! Rumble! Vrooom!

The truck groaned, seemingly squeezing out every bit of power it had to climb the hill. It was already four hours past noon. Soon, the sun would set behind the mountains.

Where are these people planning to go?

Kang Chan pulled out a map from his pocket and checked the route they had been following. Judging by their gear and supplies, they didn’t seem to have any intention of camping.

There was a fork in the road up ahead on the map. If they were to go right, they’d be heading to the end of the forest and would soon reach Abala. If they kept going in the eleven o'clock direction, they’d be skirting around the mountainous terrain.

Vrooom! Vroooom!

The truck struggled up another steep incline on the dirty road, trying to avoid slowing down. If it lost speed, it would take even more effort to regain it, and even then, the truck would only crawl along at a snail’s pace, barely faster than walking.

Clunk! Clatter!

They passed over stones and potholes without slowing down, making Kang Chan bounce with the truck’s movements. The driver glanced at Kang Chan, gauging his reaction, but Kang Chan didn’t really have anything to say about this.

After another twenty minutes of driving, they reached the fork in the road.

‘Left.’

Kang Chan watched with interest as the jeeps drove straight, veering away from the right path. They drove for another forty minutes along the mountain road surrounded by trees.

Screeech!

Finally, the jeeps came to a stop on the side of the road. Kang Chan got out of the truck and moved to the rear.

"Éiric! Secure those two areas!" Kang Chan ordered.

"Oui!"

Clunk. Clunk.

Kang Chan walked over to the jeeps. The researchers were standing next to it, brushing the dust off their clothes.

"We’re going to have dinner here and then head into the mountains," Morrison said. He had a long nose and an exhausted expression.

"We should lead the way from here.”

"We still can’t tell you our destination."

"We’ll find out once we get there anyway."

Morrison remained firm. "There’s a chance we’ll just turn back."

"We don’t know when the rebels will show up once we’re in the mountain. For your safety, it’s better if my men go ahead."

The two jeep drivers, the two male researchers, and the only female researcher just watched them. After glancing at them, Morrison turned back to Kang Chan, seemingly having made up his mind.

"I’ve heard you’re the best field commander in the entire Foreign Legion. That’s why they’ve entrusted you with this mission," said Morrison.

Kang Chan didn’t realize the DGSE held him in such high regard.

"They did warn us not to provoke you, though.

Hmmm.

Alright. Come over here for a moment."

Morrison walked toward the mountains and pulled a map out of his jacket pocket.

By now, the sun had already half-set. He turned the map toward the remaining sunlight so that Kang Chan could see it clearly.

"This is where we are," Morrison explained. He pointed to a spot on the map, the shadow from his index finger and palm darkening the area. "And this is where we’re headed."

Kang Chan confirmed the location Morrison had indicated and pulled out his own map. They were still quite far from their destination.

"Have you ever done a nighttime mountain trek before?"

"A long time ago—about fifteen years."

"At this rate, we’ll arrive by dawn."

"The DGSE estimated that it would take about five to six hours," Morrison commented.

Kang Chan chuckled softly, which seemed to irritate Morrison.

"All right. We’ll leave after dinner, but I suggest you expect us to reach our destination by six tomorrow morning."

After delivering the message, Kang Chan returned to the truck where his men were waiting.

"We’ll leave after dinner," he announced.

It was a mission, so Kang Chan made the announcement brief; no further explanation was necessary. The researchers were already pulling out bread, jam, and canned food from the jeep, preparing dinner.

This wasn’t going to be a simple walk along a mountain path. It could take five to six hours, but they’d probably be begging for a break after just three, their legs shaking. After that, they’d be pleading to rest every thirty minutes, and by the four-hour mark, they might not even be able to walk properly.

They were walking through a mountain no one had ever set foot before. If they came across a tribal village or a cave used by rebels along the way, they’d have to take a detour. That was what would make this so difficult.

Mazani and Dayeru returned with C-rations, and Gérard squeezed into the group. Starting with Kang Chan, the team sat down and began eating their rations. Kang Chan finished his meal in five minutes and called the men together.

"It looks like we’re heading this way," he said. He drew a straight line with his finger from their current location to their destination.

"This is Point Alpha, and this is Point Beta."

Mazani quickly explained the details in Arabic to Dayeru.

"Éiric, pair up with Montechelle. We’ll be moving at night, and we have researchers with us, so take your time and scout ahead carefully."

After both men responded, Kang Chan continued, “Same goes for the rear, Mazani. Be more vigilant than usual and stay sharp. Take Dayeru with you."

"Oui."

"Gérard, stick close to the researchers with Bricks. Don’t leave their side under any circumstances."

Kang Chan’s orders were slightly different from usual, and his men responded with keen looks in their eyes. He was using the dark and the researchers as an excuse, but if he were being honest, he would’ve just told them to be cautious because he had a bad feeling about all this.

After giving the orders, Kang Chan spent his time inspecting his weapons and memorizing the terrain.

Thirty minutes passed. When the sun had fully set and darkness had fallen, Morrison walked over to Kang Chan with the researchers.

"Let’s get going," Morrison said.

"Yes, sir," Kang Chan responded.

There was no reason to object, but there was something he had to say.

"Gérard!"

Kang Chan called for Gérard and then turned his attention to the researchers.

"Once we enter the mountains, please avoid speaking as much as possible. We’ll rest at an appropriate location, and you can talk then. If you need anything or have a reason to stop, inform this man first," Kang Chan announced.

The researchers glanced at Gérard and then turned their eyes back to Kang Chan.

"If we encounter a rebel base or a tribal village, from that point on, you are to follow hand signals."

"Understood."

Morrison looked as if he was just listening to safety instructions on a Viking ride at an amusement park. If he still had that expression once this mission was over, that would be for the best.

"Éiric!" Kang Chan called.

Éiric met Kang Chan’s gaze. When Kang Chan pointed ahead with his index and middle fingers, Éiric set off with Montechelle.

Kang Chan followed them with Morrison, the researchers, Gérard, Bricks, and the rest of the team moving in the designated order behind him.

***

Miguel frowned as he reviewed the DGSE’s orders. First, they had them reclaim a useless runway, and now they were tasked with guarding some random energy development researchers. DGSE’s first order, which was to not investigate their purpose, was laughable.

Should I just go ahead and check it anyway?

Miguel tossed the yellow pencil he was holding onto the desk. Doing something the DGSE had explicitly forbidden could end with him being found dead one morning, like a victim of a robbery.

What are they hiding in Abala? Not even the Congolese government could control that place.

Miguel’s instincts, honed through years working with the DGSE, were telling him that this was all too suspicious. It piqued his curiosity.

“Damn it!”

He stood up and grabbed his jacket, having decided to head to the bar right in front of him to shake off this unnecessary curiosity.

***

Sharlan clasped his hands together on the table, staring seriously at the radio in front of him. The order had come out of nowhere. There was definitely something going on, but he had no way to contact the British intelligence bureau.

It even crossed his mind that the DGSE had assigned him this mission just to observe his actions. The British intelligence bureau never operated carelessly. Still, they had given no hint about this operation.

‘This must be the DGSE’s doing.’

Sharlan nodded to himself. The DGSE was known for being an organization even their own soldiers didn’t fully understand. Their budget, structure, personnel—none of it had ever been clearly revealed.

“

Hmm

.”

Sharlan let out a quiet sigh.

It was dangerous to act recklessly. For now, he had to rely on gathering information from Smithen after the mission.

Those idiots! How could they deploy three sniper teams, a mortar squad, and so many fucking rebels only to be completely wiped out?

Sharlan glanced over at his rifle resting on the side. With it, he could take down anyone in the world with a single shot.

Kang Chan then quickly came to mind. As soon as the bastard decided to retire, that Asian commander would either be recruited by the DGSE or offered an officer position in the Foreign Legion.

There were already rumors among the men about his operational prowess, which even the DGSE supposedly acknowledged. Kang Chan would definitely surpass him and climb to the top.

Will I be reporting to General Kang Chan one day?

Sharlan gritted his teeth. The operational success of the 11th unit should not be because of that damned Kang Chan; it should be because of Sharlan’s leadership.

However, the more that damned Asian commander succeeded, the more high-profile missions the 11th unit was assigned. To make matters worse, the commander received medals every time.

Why did he keep getting medals like they were coupons, while Sharlan, the one overseeing it all, received nothing?

Sharlan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the rising anger burning like wildfire inside him.

***

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

Telling the researchers to be quiet did nothing to quiet down their footsteps. Nevertheless, Kang Chan silently continued walking.

“

Huff, huff

!”

They hadn’t even been walking for an hour, but the researchers were already panting like bulls. No one pointed it out, but they seemed to be using a giant speaker to broadcast to the whole world that they were crossing this mountain at night.

The soldiers carried their usual bags on their backs, which were filled with food, water, spare ammunition, and other necessary supplies. The researchers, it seemed, were carrying similar loads. From time to time, their heavy backpacks would clink.

They couldn’t have packed canned food, could they?

A loud noise came from behind them, and something moved quickly through the forest.

Click!

Gérard raised his rifle but lowered it cautiously when he caught Kang Chan’s gaze. Right now, they could only rely on Éiric and Montechelle.

“

Huff, huff

!”

He had expected them to last at least three hours—but after just one hour, they were already panting like that.

‘Maybe I should become a tour guide in Africa once I retire?’

If he catered to Koreans, he could probably make some decent money. Kang Chan chuckled softly as he scanned his surroundings.

Tourists would probably get their heads bashed in with travel guides or passports while walking through forests like this. Maybe he’d get sued for snapping the neck of a rebel harassing the locals.

“

Huff, huff

!”

The researchers’ damn panting was making him think all sorts of useless thoughts. Kang Chan shook his head, refocusing on the surroundings.

“Captain,” Morrison called out.

If this were a tour and Kang Chan was a guide, he would’ve probably hit Morrison for not following orders.

Kang Chan’s glare made Morrison flinch. It wasn’t intentional—being in this unfamiliar forest naturally made Kang Chan sharper.

“Let’s take a short break.”

Morrison gestured toward one of the researchers standing beside him.