Chapter 477: Remember the Movements (3)

The wind was still strong even when their break ended.

“Let’s go,” Kang Chan commanded.

As ordered, the Bantu Unit opened the path. Vigilance in these conditions took experience. Although they were probably tired of taking point, they had to stay in formation until they reached the road. Since Pygmy and Zulu had to keep moving toward their targets, Bantu didn’t complain.

After four hours of walking, one of the soldiers who had been walking at the front waved his left hand from side to side and bent down.

Kang Chan approached the 9th unit’s commander, who was holding up a map.

“This is the beginning of the path,” the 9th unit commander said.

Kang Chan nodded.

The stars hung high above them, flickering and seemingly swaying in the wind.

Words were unnecessary in times like this.

Kang Chan maintained eye contact and nodded. The Bantu soldiers tapped the helmets of the Pygmy and the Zulu soldiers as they set off down the road.

They left without any break. This time, Pygmy led the way.

It was hard work, but no one here would give up just because of that.

Despite the strong winds, they had to stay hidden. It would be much wiser to take a break at the second target destination, where they could keep a tight perimeter around them.

The Pygmy Unit stopped after two more hours of walking. When Kang Chan approached, the Pygmy Unit commander pointed ahead.

Damn it!

The map couldn’t have been more different from reality.

Seeing Mangala’s Point Beta, Kang Chan recalled a martial arts novel he had read in the past.

Over a kilometer away from them, a two-story building stood tall and proud. It was surrounded by ramshackle houses made of brick and earth.

Kang Chan gestured to Montechelle.

“What do you think? Can you set up here? Take the wind into consideration.”

Montechelle shook his head. “My accuracy will drop. I’d have to get at least two hundred meters closer before I could get a good shot.”

If that was what the sniper said, that was what they’d do.

Kang Chan called up the Pygmy Unit commander and pointed at a location.

“Arrange your men in front over there and on the other side, where the rocks are. Keep your sniper here to take care of their machine gunners as we retreat.”

“Oui,” the unit commander and his men replied with sharp eyes.

“We’ll go live at 0430. I’ll leave the perimeter to you until then.”

Kang Chan then turned his gaze to the side.

“Éiric, have the men sleep. We’ll be up at 0400, eat, and get going.”

“Oui.”

Pygmy took over guard duty. Meanwhile, Kang Chan’s crew hunkered down in various parts of the forest to sleep.

Swish! Rustle! Rustle!

As the wind blew, Kang Chan watched the perimeter with the Pygmy sniper. Sure enough, there were enemy sentries at the entrance of the village, two points in the middle, in front of the buildings, and on the rooftops.

They would rush in before dawn.

Having formulated a plan, Kang Chan stepped back and found a comfortable spot.

The sticky, unpleasant feeling hadn’t completely worn off yet.

Looking back at the men on the ground, Kang Chan pressed his helmet to his head and crouched down as well.

Swiiiish!

Their unit was made of a bunch of lonely, wounded men.

They fought for France, but they shouted the motto, “The unit is my motherland!”

Moreover, they took that motto to heart as they lived together.

They all had dreams of what they’d do once they had gotten out of the army. However, most of them were empty dreams, like having the world’s most beautiful woman for a wife.

It was time to sleep. He’d have to step into hell once he woke up, and who knew who would be taken from him there?

Kang Chan soon fell asleep.

***

Kang Chan woke up to someone tapping him.

When he looked up sharply, Pygmy’s commander nodded, signaling him that the time had come.

Kang Chan slowly sat up.

Dayeru approached with a rustle and held out a bottle of water. Kang Chan took a sip and poured some into his palm to wipe his face.

The wind had died down to a light ruffling of his collar.

Rustle! Rustle!

The men gathered around him. Thanks to the Pygmy soldiers, who were standing guard, they could have a briefing in peace.

Kang Chan wanted to bring all these men back alive.

He tore open a C-ration. Afterward, he lifted it to his mouth and poured the contents in.

A chill of tension traveled through the crew as they ate. It was as if ice water had been poured over their chests.

After finishing their meal in five minutes, they drank water and checked their weapons one last time.

“Gather ‘round.”

This would be their last briefing for this operation.

“We’re moving in twos. Mont, find a good vantage point. On my signal, take out the guards on the roofs.”

“Oui.”

Kang Chan turned to Smithen.

“Smithen, take the other side of the building you can see from here.”

“Oui.”

“Éiric, Mazani, Date, and I will be heading in. Mazani and Daye, take the first floor. Éiric and I will take the second. Any questions?”

The men exchanged glances with each other, but no one spoke up.

“During engagement, fall back at your discretion. Stalling will put Pygmy and Bantu in danger as well.”

Once all instructions had been issued, everyone pulled their hoods over their faces.

“Let’s go.”

Kang Chan led the men onward.

No words were spoken. Instead, members of the 9th unit reached out and tapped Kang Chan and his men on their helmets.

They were still quite far from the village. However, with the Pygmy soldiers providing cover, they didn’t have to slow down.

As long as they didn’t make too much noise, everything would be fine.

Moving quickly down the mountain, Kang Chan pointed to a spot ahead with his index and middle fingers.

Éiric and his partner used the darkness to get into position. Kang Chan then took cover across from Éiric with Gérard.

Next, Mazani and Dayeru moved past Kang Chan and Éiric, while Montchelle and Smithen took up positions even further ahead.

Montchelle raised his index and middle fingers and pointed forward.

With his gun raised, Kang Chan moved first. Gérard followed him, keeping a wary eye on the far side.

Haah. Haah.

The first guard was only thirty meters away from them now.

The rebel guards didn’t really pose a threat to them. Still, Kang Chan waited for Éiric to take up position and then nodded.

Shing! Kashing!

With his rifle cocked backward and his bayonet unsheathed, Kang Chan stepped out of the shadows and approached the sentries.

There were two of them.

The Pygmy Unit was targeting the guards in the distance while Mazani and Dayeru watched the perimeter.

As Kang Chan moved along the wall, the guards looked around. They seemed bored and weary.

Swiish!

The wind blew, muffling all noises, and the darkness hid their movements.

The problem was the distance.

Kang Chan was seven meters away from the guards. He could run, but the distance would still allow for a split-second trigger pull or muffled scream.

Haah. Haah.

It was also hard to circle around and shoot them in the back . There were more guards about fifty meters behind the targeted sentries.

With his back to the wall, Kang Chan moved toward Éiric. Then, he gripped his bayonet backward and nodded at Éiric.

Éiric nodded back, and Kang Chan returned to his original spot.

A guard looked from side to side, frowning at where the wind came from. He was in a one-piece garb, a brown vest, and had a scraggly beard that covered half his face.

The pride of being part of the largest rebel base in Africa was evident in the man’s demeanor.

Kang Chan had no personal grudge against him. Unfortunately, the unilateral boundaries drawn by Europe had forced warring tribes to live in the same place, tearing alliances apart and starting an ignorant and brutal massacre.

Haah. Haah.

The rebels were even worse. They outright annihilated the tribes to stay in power. They were sanguineous. After all, violence was more effective than persuading the other side.

Absala of Mangala had killed more than five thousand natives to create this base.

Unaware of Kang Chan’s glare, the guard turned his head, squinting his eyes at the wind.

Kang Chan held the tip of his bayonet and threw it at the enemy.

Swoosh!

The guard twitched. The bayonet had stabbed into his neck.

Swish! Jab!

Éiric threw his bayonet as well, piercing the neck of the guard next to the one Kang Chan had killed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kang Chan and Éiric dashed forward.

Thud!

Kang Chan caught one of the guards as they fell, but Éiric missed.

Crack! Crack!

Though their enemies were already dying, the two still twisted their enemies’ necks. After all, they could make gargled screams or instinctively shoot before they succumbed to their deaths.

Kang Chan stayed still for ten seconds.

The sound was drowned out by the wind, but there was a chance the enemies heard the fallen guards’ AK rifles clanking as they went down.

Fortunately, nothing unusual happened.

Kang Chan turned around. Gérard and Éiric’s partner then stepped forward, followed by Dayeru and Mazani.

Kang Chan and Éiric drew their bayonets, wiped them across the enemy’s bodies, and sheathed them at their hips.

They moved to the next target.

Dayeru and Mazani pushed ahead, and Montchelle and Smithen followed them. Kang Chan and Éiric then passed the two again.

As they had expected, two guards now stood in their way.

Kang Chan pointed toward Dayeru and Mazani, who were at his flanks.

If they went back through the side alley, they’d be close enough to attack them from behind.

Kang Chan eyed the guards up ahead and their surroundings. A moment later, Dayeru and Mazani appeared behind the guards with their bayonets out.

The darkness was still thick.

Dayeru, his eyes glinting, glared at his target.

Swoosh! Shing!

Dayeru struck first, and Mazani quickly followed. They clamped the mouth and nose of their targets shut before twisting their necks.

Dayeru and Mazani waited another ten seconds before crouching down and slowly lowering their enemies to the ground.

The dead men were probably not happy, but everything was going smoothly.

Haah. Haah.

Kang Chan glanced at Éiric.

He had to get past Dayeru and Mazani and into the next alley. Hence, he quickly leaned against the wall and cautiously walked toward the target building.

Kang Chan then gave them a hand signal, making them continue the sequence they’d been following toward the building. After taking down the next guards, they’d be able to enter the building where Absala supposedly was.

Rustle! Rustle!

They moved quickly and precisely.

The last guards were finally in front of them.

From here, Montchelle would target the sniper on the rooftop, while Kang Chan and the rest of the team would run into the building.

Kang Chan glared at the guard ahead and drew his bayonet with Éiric.

As Gérard and one of the men took aim and prepared to cover fire, Kang Chan and Éiric scaled the wall, moving toward the guards.

It wasn’t that tall, but the walls blocked the view of the guards on the roof.

Swish!

The winds were also on their side.

Kang Chan poked his head around a bend in the wall and caught a glimpse of the guard’s side profile. He gazed forward.

Gérard nodded to tell Kang Chan and Éiric that he had them covered.

‘One, two!’

Dash! Shing!

With his left hand, Kang Chan grabbed the man under the chin and slit his throat with his bayonet. He then pressed the enemy’s nose and mouth against the inside of his left forearm. He had to hold this position for about five seconds.

Éiric held the other guard in a similar fashion.

Eventually, their targets went limp.

Haah. Haah.

Slowly and quietly, Kang Chan lowered the enemy’s body to the ground and turned where Gérard was.

Rustle! Rustle!

Montchelle and Smithen got into position again, and Dayeru and Mazani passed by Kang Chan with their partners.

The building was huge.

They had to move in quickly and complete the mission as soon as possible.

There were guards in the other three cardinal directions, and there was no telling how many would rush in if something happened.

There were also guards looking down from the roof and two enemies on either side of the entrance door.

It wasn’t possible to avoid getting caught by the guards on the roof.

Kang Chan looked to his left and right.

Éiric, Mazani, and Dayeru nodded.

The moment Montchelle opened fire, their situation would be decided based on how fast they could take out their targets and get out.

It would take five minutes for the troops on the outskirts to reach them. Within that time, they had to eliminate Absala and run into the mountains.

Swiiiiish!

When the wind picked up, Kang Chan raised his left hand and gestured forward. Then, he aimed at the enemy at the door.

A suffocating tension flowed through the darkness around him.

A moment later, Montchelle and his partner took out their targets.

Pew! Thud! Pew! Thud!

Kang Chan ran forward, imbedding bullets into the foreheads of the enemies at the door. Gérard, Éiric, Mazani, and Dayeru followed closely behind.

Haah. Haah.

Upon reaching the building, Kang Chan leaped straight for the door, his rifle at the ready.