Chapter 472: I’ll Pretend This Didn’t Happen (1)

Éiric, Dayeru, and Montechelle relentlessly provided cover fire.

Bang! Bang! Ratatatatat! Bang!

The enemies were behind cover, but they had the muzzles of their guns sticking out and pointed at Kang Chan and his men. Though the enemies didn’t have much vision, Kang Chan and Dayeru could still get shot.

Kang Chan quickly climbed up and threw himself toward where the soldiers were.

Combat had a rhythm to it.

Ratatatatat! Bang! Ratatatatat! Ratatat! Bang!

Taking advantage of the lull in the battle, the enemies pounced forward.

“Fall back!” Kang Chan ordered.

He then shot anyone who so much as peeked over their cover, sending them to the ground like dominoes.

Bang! Bang! Ratatatatat! Bang! Bang!

The enemies were pushed back.

Five minutes later, Kang Chan met up with Smithen and Gérard, who barely managed to clear a path.

“Éiric! Watch the rear!”

Kang Chan moved in front of Smithen.

There weren’t too many on this side.

Click! Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud!

He shot the rebels in the forehead, allowing his men to pick up the pace.

Ratatatat! Bang! Bang!

Twenty minutes passed. All they could hear now was the occasional burst of enemy gunfire.

“

Haah

!

Haah

!”

The enemy’s offense weakened, allowing Kang Chan to hear the researchers’ heavy breathing. They probably wanted to rest for even just five minutes—perhaps even just one.

If a student didn’t do their homework, it would end with a slap on the ass or a palm, but if these researchers stopped running here, they’d end up with bullets in them.

Thud!

A researcher tripped, but Gérard and Dayeru immediately grabbed and dragged him.

“

Haah

!

Haah

!”

Panting roughly, the researcher eventually got back on his feet.

The thick darkness, the enemies ducking out of Kang Chan’s sights, the sharp looks from the soldiers, the deafening gunshots, and the randomly exploding trees—all of these served as reasons for the researchers not to ask for a break even though they were panting their lungs out.

“

Kegh

!

Kegh

!”

A mixture of gasps and screams came out of the researchers' noses and mouths.

They probably didn’t expect to be in this situation. They didn’t understand the weight of the weapons that Kang Chan and the soldiers were carrying, and they didn’t know why the soldiers were communicating with their index and middle fingers rather than speaking earlier.

If they stopped running even for a moment because they no longer heard gunshots, death would quickly surround them.

“

Keegh

!

Keeegh

!”

Kang Chan grabbed the backs of the researchers who wobbled like they would collapse any minute. He then pushed onward.

Finally, they arrived at where the truck and jeeps were parked.

Click! Click!

The soldier driver raised his gun in surprise and quickly put it back down.

“Go! Hurry!”

Enemies who had crossed the mountains could be waiting on the road.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Vroom! Vroooom! Vroom!

The men jumped into the vehicles, which roared to life, and immediately hit the road.

Vroom! Clunk! Clunk!

Kang Chan climbed into the bed of the truck and propped down his gun on the roof of the cab.

“

Haah

!

Haah

!”

Breathing raggedly, the soldiers pointed their rifles outward.

From the bouncing bed of the truck, Kang Chan glared up ahead.

Some son of a bitch probably leaked information about the mission again.

This wasn’t right. He wouldn’t let this one slide.

Vroom! Clunk! Clunk!

They drove for about an hour. The mountains to Abara were now far enough away that Kang Chan didn’t have to worry about any immediate enemies.

Bang, bang!

Kang Chan slammed his hand on the roof of the driver’s seat.

“Pull aside!”

The truck stopped as commanded, and the two jeeps that had been following screeched to a halt closely behind.

Mazani met Kang Chan’s gaze and shook his head; their two injured men were both dead now.

“We’re leaving in five minutes. Montechelle! See if rebels are coming down from the mountains!”

Kang Chan stepped out of the bed and immediately headed for the jeep.

“Morrison!”

He had to confirm something before they gathered at the base again.

“Let’s chat for a bit.”

Kang Chan’s eyes made Morrison nervously get out of the jeep.

Click, click.

After walking about ten meters away, Kang Chan turned to face Morrison, who had lost his relaxed composure. He glanced at Kang Chan’s rifle.

Son of a bitch! You didn’t even know about this, yet you were so confident about saying we should go to Abara so late in the night?

Kang Chan suppressed his desire to punch him in the face by sighing instead. That wasn’t why he had called Morrison here.

“I don’t care why we’re going to Abara, but I have to know how many people know about it.”

Morrison met Kang Chan’s glare. He then looked at the pistol and bayonet attached to Kang Chan’s waist.

“Five of my men died. I want to know how rebels knew to wait for us at a location even I didn’t know about,” Kang Chan demanded.

“I was merely acting on the request of an informant, so if you want to know, you better check with the DGSE.”

Kang Chan quietly sighed. That was probably the best answer this man could give—if those really were the DGSE’s instructions.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?” Kang Chan asked.

Morrison swallowed hard, then answered clearly, “Yes.”

A brief silence followed—just enough time for Kang Chan to give him a look that said, “If you’re bullshitting me right now, you’re going to pay for it.”

“Understood. Let’s go.” Kang Chan started back for the trucks.

Click, click.

It took about an hour to reach the runway. It was already late, but the guards likely still reported their arrival. After all, Sharlan, the 9th Unit, and the Foreign Legion soldiers came out to greet them.

Considering the dead soldiers and the look on Morrison’s face, everyone likely already understood what happened.

Click, click.

Kang Chan walked over to Sharlan.

“En route, we were ambushed by the enemy. Five dead. None of the researchers were harmed.”

Sharlan looked at Kang Chan with deep, sunken eyes.

“I won’t say anything else about the snipers and the mortars that stopped us in our last operation. However, today, enemies were waiting for us at a location not even I knew we would go through.”

Sharlan, who had been glaring at Morrison sharply, looked back at Kang Chan.

“I also did not know about the destination. I’ll be sure to tell my superiors what you said.”

“Please give me the 9th Unit and the Foreign Legion soldiers.”

Sharlan tilted his head as if to ask the reason.

“I wish to search for my men who might still be alive,” Kang Chan explained.

“I’m sure you’re well aware that it’s already too late for that. Any movement into potentially hostile territory has to be authorized first, too.”

“Please ask for permission. I’ll be waiting.”

Kang Chan turned away from Sharlan and went back to the truck.

“Go stand by at your barracks,” he ordered the men. He then headed over to his fallen subordinates.

Click. Click.

They were soldiers. Soldiers who had volunteered to be a part of the special forces.

There was no guessing whose hand death would take every time they went on an operation. It was no different tonight.

Bricks, the two soldiers in front of him, and two missing soldiers were dead. A death far darker than darkness had extended its hand to them.

At some point, while Kang Chan was standing in front of the dead soldiers, other Foreign Legion soldiers began to surround him.

Click! Hiss!

Even as Kang Chan lit his cigarette, soldiers of the Foreign Legion circled him to show their respects.

Click, click.

Dayeru and Gérard walked up behind Kang Chan and stood in silence.

“

Hoo

.”

They had lost three men, including Bricks, in that ridiculous operation, and they couldn’t even confirm if the other two survived.

Kang Chan was halfway through his cigarette when Sharlan approached him from behind.

Click. Click.

“The higher-ups say that they won’t authorize the search request.”

“Yes, sir,” Kang Chan replied quietly. The operation was officially closed now.

***

The next day, Romain went through all the materials related to the mission from the beginning again. Based on his findings, the DGSE was desperately searching for something in Africa, and they wanted to know if there were any traitors in the process.

‘Scary people.’

It was a warning to anyone within the DGSE or the French intelligence bureau who might have other ideas.

The DGSE normally wouldn’t do this. They usually dealt with things quietly and then got rid of traitors as soon as they had solid evidence.

‘Blackheads.’

Romain grew increasingly convinced. The DGSE wanted a special Blackhead that was like the Eye of Ndulele. That was probably the reason Lanok had become such an important figure in the organization.

***

Sharlan had already heard a detailed report from Smithen.

He glanced at his radio. The DGSE could be watching him. Perhaps that was why they put the researchers and Kang Chan’s unit together—to see how he’d react.

It was wise not to radio anything sensitive.

The researchers had probably been looking for a Blackhead with special energy, which the French and English were dying to get their hands on.

Just as England had reached out to Sharlan, the DGSE had probably already made connections to administrators and higher-ups within British intelligence.

“

Hmm

.”

Sharlan looked at the 13th Foreign Legion Regiment’s special forces banner.

Kang Chan’s success was making other unit leaders sharper.

The atmosphere wasn’t too bad.

All that was left was to deal with the Asian who had the respect of both the regular soldiers and the special forces soldiers. If only Kang Chan would listen to him half as well as Smithen did...

With Kang Chan’s ability and unending faith and trust in the men he acknowledged to be on his side, Sharlan could have the Blackhead in no time.

‘Does he like men?’

Sharlan shook his head.

How on earth could a man live his life solely focused on his men and combat as if he were born a soldier?

***

After spending the next day on the tarmac, Kang Chan and the rest of the unit returned to Kilima.

They had to recruit new soldiers again. Fortunately, despite all the sacrifices, Kang Chan’s unit was never short of volunteers.

A unit returning with more than two hundred enemy kills, a legendary commander, and the rumors that the Foreign Legion soldiers spread were enough to make the blood of any aspiring special forces soldier boil.

“Captain.”

Dayeru came over with a mug that didn’t look right on his thick forearms. He set it in front of Kang Chan and sat down next to him on the left.

A moment later, Mazani, Gérard, Éiric, and Montechellesat down in a circle around him.

They drank coffee and smoked in silence.

It took a long time to fully accept the death of a comrade. Hence, only when the laughter was erased and they smelled the scent of the sweet or bitter coffee could they accept the newcomers.

They were lonely men whose eyes glinted in battle as they shot and stabbed enemies. Still, they found solace in Kang Chan’s company.

Kang Chan took a drag on his cigarette.

The world wasn’t fair. He knew that from the unfair death of the good, hardy native people.

Kang Chan lit another cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke.

He wanted to find the people responsible for this. He wanted to make sure they were punished.