Chapter 224
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Chapter 224: The "Lapis Lazuli" Fortress
The fortress known locally as "Lapis Lazuli" was essentially a large-scale, specialized illegal mercenary group. They made a living by conducting hired attacks on non-military targets and engaging in acts of deliberate sabotage. Sometimes, they even took on the role of bandits, bullying nearby tribes who passed through while escaping the chaos of war.
“Our satellite positioning shows we’ve arrived. We just communicated with the First Squad through the laser communication device, and they are in position,” a young soldier quietly approached with the communication equipment on his back.
“Okay, got it. Inform the snipers to increase their vigilance and let the hunter team clear the mines quickly to open up our assault route. If there’s time, they can also help clear some mines for the First Squad.”
“Understood!”
The communications soldier was about to turn back to relay the orders of the Second Squad leader.
“Hold on, inform the Dragon Knight that we can take off.”
“Right away!” The faint whisper gradually faded away.
“Lin Mo, haven’t you taken off yet?”
Old Pan, who was moving equipment with his team, saw Lin Mo still sitting in the cockpit of the J-10 on the tarmac, waiting.
“Yeah, I’m still waiting. After all, I’m on standby—whether I’ll be needed is still unknown,” Lin Mo waved the tactical tablet in his hand. The standby mode hadn’t been lifted yet; he didn’t know if they were about to depart or if the mission would be canceled.
Although the target was a fortress, and even without cruise missiles, the H-10 stealth bomber could accomplish the task, it was puzzling why they were involved with the J-10.
But orders were orders, and Lin Mo could only follow them. Once the J-10 took off, it would rely on conformal fuel tanks for endurance. After the battle, they would be refueled by Pakistani aerial refueling aircraft and return to their homeland without lingering on Pakistani territory.
Beep!
Suddenly, Lin Mo’s tactical tablet buzzed to life.
“It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, Islamabad time. Launch the raid. Mission objective: rescue intelligence personnel operating in Afghanistan, codenamed ‘Cotton Flower,’ ‘Lapis Lazuli,’ along with five informants, and eliminate a traitor informant known as ‘Eight-Character Mustache.’ Ideally, we’d also eradicate the agents entering the fortress. The First and Second Squads are responsible for the rescue operations, while the Dragon Knight provides fire support and completely destroys the fortress.”
The intelligence operation was in jeopardy; there’s no impenetrable wall in this world. Even China was not exempt. It was essential to rescue their people first, or it would chill the hearts of those on the intelligence line, severely undermining morale.
Hopefully, the seven captured individuals would hold on until the two squads arrived.
Lin Mo examined the terrain map that had been sent via satellite. The Second Squad had reached their destination half an hour early, and their instant reconnaissance data marked the fortress’s location and its defensive situation.
Using the optical reconnaissance system from one of six South Dipper military satellites, the position of the First Squad was identified as well. While mapping seemed straightforward, drawing a straight line on paper was one thing; traversing it on foot involved countless obstacles.
To ensure that nothing would go wrong, the higher-ups sent ground troops for recovery to avoid the possibility of the opposing forces being secretly moved.
“The Dragon Knight is ready and has taken off. It will reach the destination in about 40 minutes.” Lin Mo smoothly piloted the J-10 into the cloud canopy above.
Surrounded by white mist, even with the Light Mirror Technique, he couldn’t fully assess the situation nearby. The only reliable system was radar. The Air Force and Air Traffic Control Bureau had provided a designated flight path for Lin Mo, and no aircraft would be flying through it in the next three hours. Even if there were civilian flights, they would alter their altitudes and positions to avoid overlap.
After all, it was a flight to another country, so it was best to keep a low profile.
Beneath the fuselage, a 500-kilogram cloud explosive bomb using liquid hydrogen was mounted, capable of obliterating the entire fortress in an instant. There were also two 250-kilogram air-to-ground submunitions and two ground-penetrating bombs to effectively target underground objectives.
Afghanistan had a lot of mountainous terrain with complicated geography. Three-fifths of the area was difficult to traverse, historically plagued by poverty and war. It was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1979, enduring a decade of conflict. In 2001, it faced a heavy blow from America, making it a country rife with disasters. A massive influx of refugees poured into Pakistan, and domestic turmoil persisted.
The complex terrain of the Afghan mountains caused headaches even for the U.S. military, and it was often more complicated than a cunning rabbit’s many burrows. The defeated Taliban organization still burned like wildfires, unquenchable, hiding within the hard-to-navigate mountains.
“We’ve entered a sparsely populated area. Prepare to lower altitude. Maintain 400 meters.” Lin Mo spoke in an encrypted channel, establishing communication with the "Night" Staff Group.
“Be careful; they have a lot of air defense capabilities,” the leader of the Staff Group said in place of the unreturned Captain Feng, acting as the overall commander of this operation.
“Roger that. I’ve switched to stealth and anti-infrared coatings.”
Lin Mo successfully acquired a barrel of stealth paint, rumored to be for the H-10 “Nemesis” stealth bomber. However, it was a one-time use product; it suffered significant wear after each flight. If long-term use was desired, he had to check and replace it before each takeoff.
This barrel of stealth paint was guaranteed for this mission alone. Due to the pressing demands of the gold giant dragon Gold Coin, he even made some sacrifices. There was no way he would pass up a material that could make him invisible to radar, especially after being terrified by missiles.
Muhammad Magee, the former head of the Holy War National Liberation Army, after his group was defeated, clung to the little savings he had left. In this fortress known as "Lapis Lazuli," he managed to become a squad leader. After finishing a not-so-bountiful dinner, he held a cup of warm red tea and walked to the edge of the fortress wall, engaging in his routine exercise.
Now, living in this newly found stability without the need to hide all the time, he felt that his previous life, running around with a price on his head, was nothing short of hell. Fortunately, an acquaintance had introduced him, and he spent nearly all his remaining savings to get in here, securing the position of a patrol squad leader.
Even though it was dry and resources were scarce, and there were others eyeing them greedily, this place had strong troops, plenty of ammunition, and tight defenses; ordinary bandits would be too afraid to target them.
“Oh, Harikhan! Good evening. Off to interrogate some prisoners?”
“Yeah! Damn it, these guys’ mouths are like they have nails in them; I can’t get them to talk. Today, I got something new to try; I heard it’s American-made. Let’s give it a shot, haha, it’s going to be fun!”
A burly man with a terrifyingly scarred face motioned to Muhammad Magee, revealing a three-foot metal whip adorned with thorns that occasionally sparked with electrical arcs, emitting a sizzling sound in the air, with a burnt smell lingering.
“This thing must have come from hell. May Allah forgive you, lost little sheep! I genuinely feel sorry for them,” Muhammad Magee shuddered at the sight of the vicious weapon. Being struck by it wouldn’t just tear away a chunk of flesh; it would be far worse.
“I’m just a little sheep! Haha, Magee, you’re a riot! Want to check it out? I’ll let you try it first; I think it’d be great for breaking in.”
Harikhan, a towering figure with a deadly appearance, grinned wide, exuding a rancid smell mixed with sheep and nasty tobacco, making it nauseating. He laughed heartily, cracking the whip against a nearby wall, leaving a nearly one-meter-deep scar.
“Play with it yourself! I can’t handle this bloody stuff; one bullet is enough. No need to waste effort.” Muhammad Magee shook his head, his face stiffening. Damn this freak; he didn’t know whether to categorize this dirty-smelling guy as an attacker or a receiver. Oh Allah, forgive my impure thoughts.
“Above said we can’t kill them; they still have some value alive. I don’t get it; these damned pests should be played to death by me, Harikhan!” Harikhan shook his head, his joints popping as he swung his new toy again, unintentionally striking an armed militant passing by.
The whip’s tip missed the person but struck the gun instead. The poor guy, holding an AK-47, was instantly stunned by the strong current transmitted through the weapon and collapsed to the ground, unable to scream, his body twitching and emitting smoke.
“Damn! Are you blind?” Harikhan glared, kicking the unfortunate soul away, sending him crashing into a pile of garbage.
“I’ll keep looking; you go ahead! I wish you a victorious night,” Muhammad Magee’s face turned a shade green, mentally cursing the freak but quickly silencing those thoughts, fearful of being discovered by this brutal giant. Even if he wanted to spare his life, he certainly wouldn’t escape being experimented on with this new toy. No matter how much help his acquaintance could provide, it wouldn’t matter.
Harikhan was the head of the fortress’s torture chamber. Despite his beefy stature, he was not just muscle without brains. Rumor had it he held dual master’s degrees in criminology and psychology from Switzerland. It was damn ironic that Allah would place a cunning heart in such a beastly body.
Muhammad Magee felt a shiver run down his spine but kept a smile on his face. Living under someone else’s roof, although comfortable, meant dealing with these fierce characters.
“Magee! Magee! Come help!”
At the base of the fortress walls, several figures were hauling large boxes and pushing carts filled with even larger boxes that could fit multiple people.
“Lila! What’s up, my brother?”
