Chapter 1915 - 1414: Thieves in the Night

The next day.

Night falls in Mosul, in the underground command center of the Tenth Division headquarters.

Samir's brow furrowed into a deep valley as he stared at the documents brought by Song Heping displayed on the tablet in front of him—warehouse transfer records, email screenshots, communications between Walker and "Black Water Consulting."

"Forty percent..." Samir sneered, "Equipment worth hundreds of millions of US dollars, they really dare to steal?"

On the electronic map in the command center, the military base northwest of Baghdad was marked in red, while a blue area was circled further north in the Amadiye Mountain Area.

Song Heping stood in front of the map, the laser pen's dot fell on a winding road in the mountains.

"Thompson's intelligence indicates that the transfer plan is in three days. The equipment will be shipped out from base Zone C-7, heading north along Route 1, then turn west of Mosul into the mountain paths, crossing the Kold Autonomous Region border, finally reaching Turkey's Silo Port."

"The route passes through the Amadiye Mountain Area segment." Samir tapped the screen with his thick finger, "The terrain here is complex, valleys are deep, making it an excellent ambush location. But the problem is, this is a no-man's land, where remnants of 1515, tribal armed forces, and smuggling groups are active. Large-scale troop movements are bound to attract attention."

"So we need speed, and even more, disguise." Song Heping turned to face Samir, "How many quick reaction forces can the Tenth Division mobilize?"

Samir brought up a troop deployment chart, "The border defense can't be moved, at least four thousand must stay in the city for stability. The mechanized forces I can extract... at most two thousand five hundred, and must secretly mobilize at night, return to their stations during the day to create the illusion of remaining in place."

"Two thousand five hundred is enough." Song Heping drew a line on the map, "Plus the two thousand from Abu You's Ninth Brigade, they are familiar with the mountain terrain and skilled in light infantry combat."

Samir nodded, "Then what's the specific plan?"

Song Heping began to elaborate:

"First stage, secret assembly. Your two thousand five hundred troops in three batches, named 'night exercise,' arrive at three preset assembly points on the southeast side of the Amadiye Mountain Area within 72 hours. All vehicles will have their markings removed, soldiers will wear combat uniforms without ranks, using encrypted communication channels."

"Second stage, coordinated deployment. Abu You's Ninth Brigade's two thousand troops enter the mountains from the northeast, seize the high ground and control both ends of the valley. Their task is to block the retreat, preventing the convoy from escaping or reinforcements from arriving."

"Third stage, execute ambush. According to Thompson's intelligence, the transport convoy will consist of fifty heavy trailers, eight armored personnel carriers, and four armed pickups, guarded by about two hundred troops, mainly mercenaries. We will place IEDs at the narrowest part of the valley to paralyze the lead and tail vehicles, then simultaneously open fire from both ridge sides."

"What about firepower arrangement?" Samir asked.

"Your troops will carry six 120mm mortars, eight 12.7mm heavy machine guns, twenty-four RPG-7s. Abu You's men will provide sniper teams and anti-tank missiles. Remember, our goal is to capture the equipment, not slaughter them. Firepower must be precise, first targeting escort vehicles and mercenaries, avoiding damage to the goods on the transport trucks as much as possible."

Samir quickly recorded on his tablet, "Time window?"

"Intelligence indicates the transport will begin at 2 AM the day after tomorrow, aiming to reach the Amadiye Mountain Area by 6 AM. We must complete all deployments by 4 AM, entering highest combat readiness by 5 AM."

"Command structure?"

"You will handle overall command; I will coordinate intelligence and logistics in Mosul. Battlefield specific commands will be handed over to your deputy division commander Colonel Abbas, directly coordinating with the Kurd people's Colonel Bashir."

Song Heping paused, glanced at the map, and continued, "There's another critical point. Walker's convoy will certainly be equipped with satellite communications and GPS systems. Take all your troops' jamming vehicles over; we need to implement full-spectrum jamming three minutes before the action begins."

Samir looked at the communications officer in the corner, "Can it be done?"

A lean technical officer stood up, "The 'Bush' electronic warfare system we imported from Russia was completed last week, with an effective jamming radius of fifteen kilometers, enough to cover the entire ambush area. However, jamming time must not exceed twenty minutes, or the US Army electronic reconnaissance station in Mosul will detect abnormalities."

"Fifteen minutes is enough." Song Heping said, "We must solve the battle from the first explosion to full control within ten minutes."

As the plan was finalized, the massive war machine began to quietly operate.

First midnight, Tenth Division station on the outskirts of Mosul City.

The camp was brightly lit; soldiers were informed that they would undergo a three-day 'anti-infiltration night exercise.'

Heavy trucks drove out of the garage, M113 armored personnel carriers and Hummer military vehicles queued for a long procession, diesel engine roars echoed in the night sky.

But with a closer look, abnormalities were found; all vehicle emblems were covered with canvas, number plates temporarily removed, all soldiers' patches and rank insignias stripped off.

Colonel Abbas stood by the command vehicle, looking at his watch: "First team, depart!"

A convoy of sixty various vehicles slowly left the camp, advancing north along the predetermined route.

They did not turn on the headlights, relying only on night vision equipment moving through the dark.

At the same time, the civilian warehouse district in east Mosul City.

Twenty container trucks without any markings quietly gathered.