Chapter 655 - 597 The "Truth" of the Action

Song Heping looked toward the screen following the sound.

About forty-plus heat sources were still visible on the image.

Each of these points represented a person, and a rough human shape could be seen on the screen.

And Dax was referring to a group of about a dozen people.

This group appeared somewhat odd.

It seemed that some individuals were escorting others.

From their movements, it was evident that a few were moving sluggishly while the others around them were pushing and shoving them.

"Something's gone wrong..."

Song Heping instantly realized that there might have been a problem with the bombing.

"Willie, is it because the bombs your folks make haven't been used in a while, are they expired? Who's in charge of maintenance?"

Even though his words were joking in nature.

Willie couldn't take it as a joke.

Now it was pretty obvious that Song Heping had been correct.

The might of the Mother of Bombs was clearly not as formidable as imagined.

In Afghan, where mountains are everywhere, the Air Force's bunch of technical bureaucrats had discussed this when deciding on the munitions to be used for the attack plan before the bombing.

It's just that their information was incomplete; after all, other than the British who had once toured there under the pretense of exploration and obtained some geographical materials, conflict had always been ongoing, and there had never been any mountain surveying or detailed soil and rock data collection, relying only on 3D imaging for analysis.

Bombing underground bunkers is a matter of precision, and a slight error could lead to a huge mistake.

Clearly, this mission had been botched by them.

"They also have an independent communication channel..."

Jiang Feng whispered to Song Heping: "There's definitely something fishy."

Song Heping said, "No matter, let them kill whoever they want. Our accompanying them here is actually just a facade for them; this matter is too sensitive, and they were afraid of mishaps, so they didn't dare to dispatch Special Forces to handle it formally."

Jiang Feng understood what Song Heping meant.

After all, killing one's own people would be lethal if word got out.

If something happened to the PMC personnel, then it would just be a PMC incident.

"Song, can we talk?"

"Of course, I think you must have something to say to me right now."

The two men walked aside, and Willie seemed to be pondering how to begin as he bowed his head.

Song Heping looked at him for a while, then sneered: "I reckon they will be here soon. You should have started by being honest with me about what exactly this operation is for?"

Willie glanced in the direction of Main God Mountain, appearing to have made up his mind: "Actually, this operation's secondary objective was the rescue; the primary goal is to eliminate Lieutenant Curtis."

"WTF?! "

Even Song Heping couldn't keep his composure.

"Eliminate Curtis?! Aren't we here to rescue him? Isn't he one of your own?"

"Actually..."

Willie scratched his chin again.

"He used to be one of us, but now he's a terrorist."

Song Heping was completely dumbfounded!

A US Army Lieutenant and the son of a Congressman is a terrorist?

What kind of international joke is this?!?

"What in the world is going on?" Song Heping felt the world had become surreal. What the hell is this scenario about?

"Lieutenant Curtis is indeed the son of Congressman Curtis, and he was certainly a Lieutenant in our Army before, but something's wrong with this guy's head..."

Willie gestured to his own head.

"Who knows when he became infatuated with extremist cults, then converted in secret, and even volunteered for deployment to Afghan. Now, ISA has confirmed that as soon as he entered Afghan, he had been supplying the Ata Organization with intelligence about us, up until the start of Operation Absolute Isolation, where he took advantage of the third division's deployment in Maruf's direction to defect to the Ata Organization with classified documents..."

"F*ck!"

Song Heping's mood at this moment could only be described as inconceivable.

This could make a Hollywood movie or serve as material for a novel.

"Are you certain he defected rather than was captured?"

Willie nodded: "Absolutely certain he defected."

Song Heping: "..."

What else can I say?

So that's how it is!

Thinking back on Miles's expression before, now I finally understand.

This is a downright scandal!

The congressman's son falls for extremist ideologies and ultimately joins Ata, converting to become a follower?

If this insider story breaks, American domestic news would explode the very next day for sure.

Especially during this sensitive period after 9/11, with the war on terror thunderously unfolding worldwide, the US standing on the moral high ground as the leader against terrorism and receiving support from many countries, some even ceding their sovereign interests, like Kyrgyzstan's Manas Air Force Base, and even Da Mao facilitating the US in their Afghan war on terror by yielding air corridor resources within their traditional sphere of influence in Central Asia.

If this news hit the headlines, and if Lieutenant Curtis made a video opposing the war or granted an interview to an independent journalist, the consequences could be catastrophic...

"At first, we did not know, and we even deployed an ODA team to rescue him, resulting in total annihilation. In the final communication, we came to know that Curtis had become a traitor to our country!"

"Alright..." Song Heping was at a loss for words.

What else is there to say?

"Then let's quickly prepare, soon we will do our best to help you save those comrades who are still alive, as for how to deal with Curtis, that's your affair, I don't want to be involved, consider I didn't see it!"

"Thanks for understanding."

Willie said: "To be honest, I didn't want to come to carry out this mission, to save that congressman's brat, for that traitor we lost so many people, yet the higher-ups still insist we continue this mission for the sake of appearance. Actually, the White House intends not for us to kill Curtis, but to bring him back alive because his father is a congressman, with a powerful family at home and very close ties to the current big boss in the White House. So not only do we need to bring him back but also shape him into a hero, claiming he was captured unyielding in action."

"What?!"

Song Heping was once again so shocked his soul nearly left his body.

"So what's your intention now? Is killing him your own idea?"

"You could say, it's the idea of some of us in the military," Willie said. "Our military has its way of doing things, we have to save face for the White House, but if Lieutenant Curtis unfortunately dies, that would also count as an accident."

"So you're willing to sacrifice your fellow comrades as well?" Song Heping countered.

Willie clenched his teeth: "This matter can't have the slightest hint of exposure, it must be buried underground."

"They've arrived!"

As the two were discussing, Dax, who had been monitoring the screen, softly alerted them.

"They're less than eight hundred meters away, they will soon enter the valley!"

"So..."

Willie extended his hand.

"Are we agreed?"

Song Heping looked at that hand, then at Willie, and in the end still shook it.

"Agreed."

He knew clearly, these were the US military's own "family issues."

And it's better for him to know these secrets.

After all, the military is willing to exchange a highly profitable military contract for such an outcome.

That is what he wants as well.

If the interests align, then there's no reason not to cooperate.

"Pleasure doing business!"

Their hands joined together.

However, just at that moment, Song Heping's eyelid suddenly twitched again.

"Fuck!"

He couldn't help rubbing his eyes, as a bad premonition suddenly overshadowed his heart.