Chapter 2 first quarter

In the sky full of dust, three GMC Suburbans converted into armored vehicles are speeding.The rear doors of the final large SUV were open, and a sofa with its legs missing was sitting on the cargo platform, facing the rear.Jonathan "Falcon" Jaeger was sitting on this makeshift shooting platform, watching the rear with piercing eyes. There are still five minutes before arriving at the dormitory in a safe area.The three-month work in Baghdad is finally coming to an end. All assigned by the employer, Xidun, is to protect visitors.The American reporting team, the director of BP who inspected the progress of the post-war recovery, the embassy staff of small Asian countries--important figures from all over the world visited like a lantern, and Jaeger and his colleagues ensured their safety.

When I started my conservation mission, the sun seemed to pierce my muscles, but now it's much milder.In the evening, even wearing body armor and heavy tactical gear, it can feel a bit chilly.As the temperature drops, the city of gray and black low-rise buildings looks more desolate.It will be a month-long vacation starting tomorrow, but Jaeger is not happy.He wanted to stay in Baghdad.It's not as peaceful as a civilized city, but for Jaeger, it's a virtual playground. Helicopters flying over the roofs of houses at low altitude, the sound of mortar shells piercing the silence of the night, the wreckage of chariots abandoned in the desert, and the Tigris River, where corpses are always floating...

As the birthplace of human civilization, it has experienced wars for 5,200 years.Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, it has been invaded by new enemies.Although the invading alien civilization is in the name of politics, the real purpose is undoubtedly the rich oil resources buried deep in the ground. Jaeger also understood that there was no justice in this war.Justice, though, has nothing to do with him.The important thing is that there are jobs here that make money.If he returns to his family, he will face a more cruel reality than the battlefield.As long as he stays in Baghdad, even if he can't accompany his only son, he can use "must complete the tasks assigned to him" to justify himself.

There were sporadic gunshots in the distance, from the US military's M16 assault rifle.However, the gunfire of the enemy's AK47 was not heard, so there should be no real battle. Jaeger looked back and saw a small car galloping out of the convoy behind.Through the sunglasses, Jaeger made out that it was an old Japanese car.The vehicle is common in Baghdad and favored by suicide bombers because it goes unnoticed until it rams into its target. Under the effect of adrenaline, Jaeger's vision gradually focused. The main road the Suburban convoy took was the so-called "kill zone", which was warned at a meeting held before the departure.Over the past 30 days, the targets of the militants have shifted, from U.S. soldiers to private military company employees.On this short road of several kilometers, more than ten guards have been killed.

The voice of the convoy's driving car came from the radio communicator: "An unidentified vehicle was found on the right side of the road, parked under the overpass. There was no car there in the morning." It was most likely a vehicle carrying an improvised bomb.The militants must have been monitoring the main road from a distance, with their fingers on the remote detonation device.Although it is an improvised bomb, once it explodes, it can still overturn the armored vehicle. "What should I do? Go back?" "Wait," Jaeger said into the wireless microphone near his mouth, "There's a small car approaching from behind."

The Japanese car was only fifty meters away from them. "Get out of the car!" Jaeger raised the M4 carbine in his right hand and waved his left arm, gesturing to the tracking car.But instead of slowing down, the small car sped up and caught up. "Start the jamming radio wave." The guard captain Mike Ferson ordered.Terrorists usually use mobile phones to detonate remotely, and as long as they send interference waves, they can stop the explosion. "Cross right interferes with radio wave emission." The leading vehicle replied. Mike Fossen instructed: "Go straight ahead and drive the following cars away!"

"Understood." Jaeger replied, and then ordered the Japanese car to back up again with a loud voice. The other party fell on deaf ears.Behind the dust-covered windshield, the hostile face of the Iraqi driver was revealed.According to the rules of engagement of private military company security personnel, Jaeger immediately opened fire.Four bullets fired hit the ground in front of the bumper of the Japanese car, sending cement fragments flying everywhere. Despite the warning shots, the speed of the car did not slow down in the slightest.Jaeger raised the muzzle of his gun and pointed it at the hood.

"Watch out for IEDs!" As soon as Fossen's roar came from the radio, the car body trembled with the low explosion.It wasn't the overpass in front that exploded, but the rear road hundreds of meters away from Jaeger's gunpoint.The lonely date palm trees standing by the roadside were enveloped by rising black smoke.Yet another death of a man of strong belief and hatred was a familiar sight in Baghdad.If the same thing happened to the car behind, Jaeger would be instantly blown to pieces. Jaeger omitted the second-stage warning shot, pointing the muzzle of the M4 at the driver.In the sight, the red dot drifted near the base of the Iraqi's nose.

Don't close your eyes!Jaeger mentally yelled at the driver.Don't let me see the tragic expression of the terrorist just before he blew himself up, or I will shoot. For the first time, terror flashed across the Iraqi driver's face.Is he planning to commit suicide?Jaeger tightened his grip on the trigger, and the man in the sight suddenly shrank.The car finally slowed down. Suddenly, darkness covered the road. The Suburban convoy passed under the overpass, and unidentified vehicles parked under the bridge did not explode. After the following vehicle changed direction, Jaeger reported: "The rear is safe."

"Understood." Mike Fossen replied from the second car in front, "Back to the base." Jaeger thought, isn't the car driver a terrorist, just provoking our ordinary citizens?The car under the overpass didn't have a bomb either, it just happened to be turned off and parked there? None of this is known.The only thing that was certain was that he was terrified of being held with a fierce hatred, and that he had the idea of ​​killing someone he had never spoken to. The three armored Suburbans were inspected at the US military checkpoint and entered the safety zone through a detour designed to prevent vehicles with bombs from entering.This is the center of the capital and used to be the palace of the dictator who ruled the country.

The residence of Xidun Company is on the side of the road, not far from the palace. It is a two-story building made of cement and bricks, and the outer paint has peeled off.The building is surprisingly roomy, and no one knows what it was used for before it was leased to a private military company, perhaps a government agency or a school dormitory. The convoy stopped in the forecourt, and six members of the Guard got out of the car.All members, including Jaeger, are from the U.S. Army Special Forces, the "Green Berets".Everyone boxed each other to celebrate the completion of the task.The maintenance team members who ran to the side of the car found that the side of the leading car had been hit by a high-performance sniper rifle, but they didn't care.Such situations are commonplace for them. "'Falcon,'" Mike Ferson called to Jaeger, who was walking towards the dormitory, "no need to write a report explaining why you shot. Have a party on the roof tonight." "Understood." Jaeger grinned to show his thanks.Mike Fossen is throwing a party to send himself off, right?After tomorrow's replacement arrives, I will leave the team alone.The rule in this line is to work for three months and take one month off.When I return to the team next time, maybe I will not be working with the current group of people.If hit by a bullet that doesn't have long eyes, maybe Yin and Yang will be separated forever. "How do you plan to take a vacation? Going back to China?" "No, to Lisbon." Mike Fossen knew why Jaeger went to Portugal, so he nodded slightly and said, "Come on!" "it is good." Jaeger returned to the four-person room on the second floor, put the M4 carbine on the bunk bed, unloaded the combat equipment, and put it in the cabinet.The weapons and ammunition issued to him must stay here.When moving, only a few personal items should be packed in a backpack. Jaeger stopped packing his bags suddenly, and he saw the family photos pasted on the cabinet door.That was taken six years ago when the family was in the midst of happiness, at their North Carolina home.Jaeger sat on a bench in the living room with his wife Lydia and son Justin, smiling for the camera.Justin, who was sitting on Jaeger's lap, was still very small. Even with his arms outstretched, he was not as wide as his father.He inherited his father's brown hair and his mother's blue eyes. His innocent smile resembles his mother's, and when he loses his temper, he is exactly the same as his father who was born in the special forces.The couple often discuss who the child will be more like in the future. Jaeger tucked the photos into a half-read paperback, then pulled out his phone to call his wife in Lisbon.There is a three hour time difference between the two places.It should have been just after lunch time there, but he knew that Lydia in the hospital couldn't be found with one phone call, so he left a message in the voice mail and asked his wife to call back after hearing it.He quickly finished the maintenance of the M4 carbine, and returned to the first floor of the dormitory with his mobile phone and laptop. The entertainment room was buzzing with excitement.In the small room, there are old TVs, sofas, coffee machines, and computers that can be used freely.Instead of mingling with co-workers who chat and laugh while surfing the Internet, he connects his computer to the high-speed Internet.He knew that what was waiting for him was disappointment, but he still opened the academic paper search website. Sure enough, there is still nothing today.Can't find a single article online about a breakthrough in the treatment of "alveolar epithelial sclerosis". "Jaeger," Al Stefano, the dormitory manager, beckoned at the door, "Come to my office, a guest is looking for you." "Looking for me?" Jaeger guessed who was coming, and followed Stefano out of the entertainment room to the management office next to the stairs. Opening the door, the middle-aged man sitting on the reception sofa stood up.He is 1.8 meters tall, similar to Jaeger.He was dressed in the same short-sleeved T-shirt and overalls as the security guards, but he was two rounds older than Jaeger, in his fifties.Despite the seriousness of his expression, there was still a smile on the corner of his mouth, revealing the unique shrewdness of a soldier.The man held out his hand to Jaeger. Stefano introduced: "This is William Levine, director of West Shield." Jaeger had heard the name.The private military company that employs Jaeger was founded by former members of the Delta Force, known as the strongest force in the army, and Levin is the company's number two.The rapid growth of the company's performance is entirely dependent on the close relationship between the management and the military.William Levine is also a veteran of many battles. Like other people from special forces, he is by no means a rigid bureaucrat. There should be no need to be cautious when dealing with this kind of person.While Jaeger thought so, he shook hands with Levine. "Hello, Mr. Levine." Jaeger said calmly, "I'm Jonathan Jaeger." "Is there a nickname?" Levin asked immediately. "Falcon." "Okay, Falcon, sit down and talk." Levine asked Jaeger to sit on the sofa and said to Stefano, "Shall we talk alone?" "Well, of course." Stefano replied, leaving his office. When there were only two people left, Levin looked around the room and asked, as if he had just reacted, "Is the security device in this room reliable?" "Unless Stefano puts his ear to the door." Levin didn't smile: "It doesn't matter, let's get to the point. Can you postpone the vacation starting tomorrow?" "What's the meaning?" "Can you work for the company for another month?" Jaeger imagined what Lydia would say if he postponed his trip to Lisbon. "The treatment is good, with a daily salary of fifteen hundred dollars." The salary was several times higher than it is now, but Jaeger was not happy about it, but was wary.Why would the No. 2 person of Xidun Company personally arrange work for himself? "To Al Sheila?" "what?" Yeager was referring to the most heavily fought area in Iraq, "Is that the job in the Al Sheila area?" "No, the place of work is not there, you are going to another country. You will be given 20 days to prepare, and you are required to complete the task within 10 days. It is estimated that it can be completed in 5 days, but no matter how many days, you will be paid for 30 days .” Forty-five thousand dollars a month is indeed a good proposition.The Jaeger family desperately needs money right now. "What is the specific content of the job?" "It is not convenient to explain now. I can only disclose three points. First, the contracting party for this work is one of the NATO member countries including France, not Russia or China, let alone North Korea; second, this work It is not very dangerous, at least it is safer than in Baghdad; third, this work serves all mankind and has nothing to do with the interests of a specific country." Although Jaeger was completely confused about the content of the job, at least he understood that he would not be in too much danger. "In this case, why is the daily salary so high?" Levin's wrinkled eyes showed a trace of disgust: "I thought you understood what I said. In short, the job you want to do is shameful." After hearing the words, Jaeger finally understood that what he was going to do was dirty work, probably an assassination mission.However, Levine said that it has nothing to do with the interests of a particular country.If not a political assassination, what kind of assassination would there be? "If you accept the mission, first sign the letter of guarantee, and then enter the preparation stage. Then you will know the specific content of the mission. However, if you sign the letter of guarantee, it means that after you know the content of the job, you must not be halfway quit." "Are you worried that I will leak confidential information? There is no need for this. I have the qualifications to have access to top-secret information." The military intelligence of the United States is divided into three levels according to the degree of secrecy: secret, classified and top secret.To qualify for access to all levels of intelligence, one must pass a rigorous identity check, including taking a polygraph test.Since leaving the Army, Jaeger has been renewing his top-secret intelligence credentials because otherwise he would be barred from doing work contracted to private military companies by the U.S. Department of Defense. "Of course, I know that you are from the special forces and you are trustworthy. But we still want to strengthen the confidentiality measures, just in case." Seeing that Levine was so vague, Jaeger had a new guess.Perhaps, the mission assigned to him by the director of the Delta Special Forces has a higher level of confidentiality than "top secret" and belongs to "top secret special intelligence" or "top secret special intelligence".Judging from the tone of the other party, could it be an assassination mission led by the White House, the so-called "specially approved contact plan"?This type of mission imposes the strictest restrictions on access to intelligence.But that doesn't make sense, because that's usually the role of Delta Force or the Navy's SEAL Team 6, not private military companies. Levine urged: "How about it? Do you want to do it?" A strange feeling welled up in Jaeger's heart.When he was only twelve or thirteen years old, his divorced parents asked him who he wanted to be with, and the feeling at this moment is similar to that at that time.He also experienced this hesitant anxiety when deciding to enlist in the military on a college scholarship on the eve of high school graduation.He knew that he was standing at a fork in the road of fate at this moment.To the left or to the right, the choice is different, and the future life will be very different. "If you have any questions, just ask, and I will try my best to tell you." "Is there really no danger?" "As long as you don't make mistakes." "Just me?" "No, there are four people, including you, who will form a team." Four people is the minimum establishment of special forces. "Other conditions of employment are the same as before. We will issue you a calibrated weapon, and if you die in the course of your mission, we will pay your survivors $64,000 under the National Defense Basic Law." "Can you show me the guarantee letter?" Levin smiled with satisfaction, and took out a document from the military briefcase. "Don't hesitate anymore, trust your luck! You are a person with a bright star." "Me?" A self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of Jaeger's mouth, "I think I'm an unfortunate person." "No, you are already a lucky survivor." Levin put away his smile, "Actually, there were six candidates for this job, but they were attacked by militants one after another and all died. I heard that Even the security personnel of private military companies are targeted, aren't they?" Jaeger nodded. "So, I was finally able to speak face-to-face with the candidates today." Jaeger used numbers to dispel the ominous feeling in his heart.Forty-five thousand dollars a month, what reason is there to refuse?So what if it's dirty work?I am nothing more than a disposable tool, like a pistol.Whoever it kills, it's not the gun's fault.The guilty one is the one who shot, the one who gave the order to kill. Jaeger read through the letter of guarantee and found nothing more than the oral explanation just now.Then just make up your mind to sign. Levine hands over a pen.Just as Jaeger was about to take it, the phone in his jacket pocket vibrated, so he withdrew his hand. "Sorry." Jaeger took out his phone and glanced at the screen.It was Lydia, Lisbon's wife. "Before signing, I want to discuss with my wife. It was originally agreed to see her tomorrow." Levin looked at Jaeger with the eyes of a hunter looking at a prey that has been caught: "Go!" Jaeger pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.Before he could speak, he heard Lydia's soft voice.He had heard this voice full of despair and anxiety many times. "John? It's me. Something happened." "What's wrong?" Lydia sobbed for a moment, then continued: "Justin was sent to the intensive care unit." It's going to cost money again, Jaeger thought.Looks like I have to sign the letter of commitment. "Calm down, didn't you survive before?" "It's different this time, there's blood in the sputum." Hearing that his son's illness had advanced symptoms, Jaeger couldn't help but feel chills down his back.Levin made a farewell gesture and left the office.On the stairs next to the corridor, there was the noisy footsteps of off-duty guards. "real?" "I saw it with my own eyes. There are red lines, like thread ends." "Red line..." Jaeger murmured and repeated, remembering the name of the Portuguese doctor in charge, who is a world authority on alveolar epithelial cell sclerosis, "What did Dr. Grad say?" Lydia choked up, and Jaeger couldn't make out what she said.He seemed to see his wife wiping her tears with her hands. "What did Mr. Glad say?" "The doctor said that the child's heart and liver have problems...I'm afraid it won't last long." Jaeger desperately turned his nearly stagnant brain to search for knowledge about this terminal illness.If the alveoli start to bleed, then there is only one month left to live. Lydia begged, "Can you come tomorrow?" I must fly to my son at once, Jaeger thought.But what about the treatment fee?Jaeger stared at the closed door of the office.I have been insisting on it, and now I can't hold it anymore.His consciousness gradually blurred. Why am I standing in the hallway of a dirty dormitory in Iraq right now, clutching my phone?Why are you here now? "John?" His wife's crying came to his ears. "Are you there? John?"