Chapter 4 third quarter

Jaeger flew into the Republic of South Africa and then flew non-stop from Johannesburg to Cape Town.Here in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are turning to midsummer.Jaeger boarded the car sent by the local Zeta Security private military company to pick him up at the airport, and drove towards a training base outside Cape Town. The country is home to private military companies.This business of gratuity for military service has had some success in ending civil wars across the continent.But the victorious side seized the mineral resources of other countries, resulting in another ugly situation: the bloodthirsty mercenary group seized the mineral resources of the civil war country by force.The South African government enacted the "Anti-Mercenary Act" to prohibit the provision of military services to foreign countries, but in the name of aiding Iraq's recovery, new companies have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.One of them is Zeta Security, which is said to have a subcontract relationship with Jaeger's employer, West Shield.

The car travels from the city to the suburbs.Through the car window, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful coastline, vast vineyards and rolling mountains.Jaeger sat in the back of the van, wondering if he had made the right choice. In Baghdad, he thought about rejecting the offer of West Shield and going to Lisbon, where his wife lives.However, through phone calls with his wife and Grad, he learned that in order to prolong his son's life, he had to pay high medical bills.In the past four years, Justin has been receiving advanced medical treatment abroad, and his bank card has been overdrawn to the limit.I have to make money, even if it means losing precious time with my son.

For now, Dr. Glad was his last resort.Children with alveolar epithelial sclerosis seldom die before the age of six, and no patient survives to the age of nine.As one of the few world-class authorities on the disease, Dr. Glad used all treatments to prolong Justin's life until he was eight years old.Although he had only one month to live after the onset of terminal symptoms, Jaeger hoped that the doctor would give his son a few more months to live.In this case, after this job is completed, he will have time to go back and accompany his son through the last journey of his life. However, if Justin died, what should I do?What choice will Lydia make?

Jaeger's marriage to Lydia has been on the verge of breaking up several times.When Justin was two years old, he suddenly had difficulty breathing. After finding out the cause, the Army Hospital mentioned the term "single gene genetic disease" and explained that "everyone has a set of genes from both parents. Even if there is a problem with one gene, as long as The other partner is fine. But occasionally, if both parents have the same genetic problem, the child will have the disease. Unfortunately, this is the case with your child, a locus of the gene that determines the development of its lungs There is a mutation that prevents the lungs from getting oxygen properly."

Jaeger felt guilty, and Lydia probably felt the same way.Maybe the doctor saw through their minds and added: "It's not anyone's fault. If you have to say it, you can only blame bad luck. Everyone has abnormal genes to some extent, it's just that you two happen to be in the same place." There's something wrong with the location." However, Jaeger has a hard time accepting the term "bad luck".If Lydia were not married, the child would not be terminally ill.Lydia had the same complaints about her husband.The two blame each other endlessly, only to end up hurting each other.Although both parties know that doing so will not help.

Just when the family was on the verge of breaking up, they heard about Dr. Antonio Grad of the Hospital of the Lisbon Medical University in Portugal, but Jaeger's military insurance was not available overseas.Moreover, the accommodation expenses of his wife in Portugal and the medical expenses of his son are not something that Sergeant Jaeger, whose pay grade is E-8, can bear. One day, when Jaeger returned home from a long-term mission, another quarrel broke out between the husband and wife, and Jaeger finally filed for divorce.But Lydia didn't agree.She unexpectedly suggested that both parties should endure for another three years.Lydia wept bitterly as usual and said, "Justin was sick before he knew anything, and has been suffering from it all the time. He has never enjoyed a day of happiness. If we divorce, it will only make the child more miserable, won't it?"

Jaeger, who grew up in a divorced family, certainly understands why.After a short vacation, he returned to the army.While navigating air strikes as part of Special Forces in Afghanistan, he met employees of the private military companies that fought.The man, who turned out to be a Navy SEAL, told Jaeger he could introduce him if Jaeger wanted to join the company. This is really a dream opportunity.Although there are no benefits or pensions for joining a private military company, the annual income is more than three times that of the Army, at least $150,000.Jaeger waited for the temporary lifting of the "stop loss rule" that prohibits the transfer and discharge of soldiers, left the military, and then moved his wife to Portugal.

Lydia said to wait another three years, and with the efforts of Dr. Glad, this period was extended to five years.However, now that Justin has alveolar hemorrhage, he has only a few dozen days at most. Jaeger had to keep the family together until his son was called into heaven by God, but after that it was all over.Most likely, I will die alone, no longer a soldier defending the motherland, but a mercenary fighting for money. "Here we are at the company headquarters." A reminder from the driver brought Jaeger back to his senses.Looking at my watch, it has been more than an hour since I left the airport.The four-wheel drive vehicle of Zeta Security Company passed through the gate of the guard post and entered the interior of the company.Here is a dry hilly area, surrounded by a large wall of land, built the company headquarters building, training base, and an airport for transport aircraft to take off and land.

The company headquarters building they were heading to had three floors. It was a Mediterranean-style building with a large building area. The light yellow outer wall of the building completely covered up the gunpowder smell emanating from the private military company.Just looking at this building, anyone would think that this is a gorgeous hotel. Jaeger switched his mind to work as he got out of the car.Time to forget about the sad reality and start another show. Jaeger entered the foyer with a backpack and gym bag containing his personal belongings, and was greeted by a tall man with a moustache.He was dressed in a khaki suit, and his eyes were stern, as if he couldn't smile at all.The man who was obviously from the army spoke English with an South African accent: "I am Minister of War Mike Singleton. Your friend has arrived. Let me take you into the house."

Jaeger followed Singleton and entered the building.The doors on either side of the labyrinth of corridors had house numbers on them.Singleton knocked on the door of Room 109, then opened the door and entered. This is a dormitory.When he was a mercenary before, Jaeger was used to living in this kind of small room-there were bunk beds on both sides of the room, and their own lockers in the front.The only difference is that there is an extra small desk here. "Everyone," Singleton said, "I have brought a new colleague, Jonathan 'Falcon' Jaeger." The three men who were chatting raised their heads and looked towards the door.It could be seen that the three of them were not familiar with each other, and there was a trace of tension in the conversation.They are about to become comrades in arms through life and death.

"At five o'clock in the afternoon, gather in the conference room on the second floor." After speaking, Singleton left the room. "Falcon, I'm Scott 'Blanket' Miles." The first person who spoke was a thin man with a calm expression, probably only in his twenties, and he was young among the mercenaries.The self-introduction on this occasion is generally sorted according to the cheerfulness of the personality. Jaeger smiled and shook hands with "Blanket": "It's a pleasure to meet you." Then a man about Jaeger's age stretched out his hand: "Warren Garrett, I don't have a nickname." Garrett has the appearance of a foresight and foresight staff member, seemingly inconspicuous, but he must be the mainstay in times of crisis. Miles and Garrett are white and both appear to be American.The third is an Asian, short in stature, but extremely muscular from neck to shoulders, obviously taking steroid drugs. "Kashiwahara Mikhiro." The Asian introduced himself. "What... public?" Jaeger asked back, and Miles and Garrett laughed. "Nobody could pronounce his name right," Garrett said. "Japanese names are so complicated." Miles asked, "What did you call yourself at your old place of work? Was it 'dry'?" "No, it's 'Mick'." The Japanese said impatiently, apparently he didn't like the title. "Okay, then Mick," Garrett said. In this line, the Japanese are quite rare.Jaeger's interest was aroused, "Can I ask, what did you do before entering this industry?" "French Foreign Legion." Mick replied in English with a strong accent, "Before that, I was in the Japanese Self-Defense Force." Here comes the problem.Traditionally, private military companies tend to group members of the same origin.Even if they belong to the U.S. military, the tactics and equipment of the Army and Marine Corps are different. If they are not properly arranged, the lives of all members will be put in danger.Therefore, the mercenaries of private military companies usually continue the establishment of the army. "I'm in the U.S. Army Special Forces," Jaeger said, and turned his questioning gaze to the remaining two. Myers said, "I'm on the U.S. Air Force Parachute Rescue Team." The U.S. Air Force Parachute Rescue Team has a high level of medical technology and combat capabilities, and is a special force responsible for rescue.Their slogan is: For the life beyond me.Among mercenaries, very few people have such a resume. Finally, Garrett said, "I'm in the Armed Reconnaissance Unit of the Marine Corps." It seems that this is a patchwork team, and the lingo and gestures used in battle must be confirmed in advance, Jaeger thought.Also, attention must be paid to Mick, the only Asian on the team, lest he feel isolated. The conference room is small and has no windows.Slender tables are arranged in parallel, opposite whiteboards that stand against the wall. Singleton showed up exactly at five o'clock.Upon seeing the notepad Miles was holding, the chief of operations said, "Don't take any notes for the next meeting. Keep all the information in your head." Miles obediently put away the notebook. "Everyone may not know each other very well, so I will introduce you here and assign tasks to you. First of all, you are all qualified for airborne. This time, Jaeger is the captain, responsible for weapons and sniping. You can speak English and Arabic And Pashto, right?" "Yes." Jaeger replied. "But this mission should not use your professional skills and Pashto." Singleton went on to say to the next one, "Myers' mission is medical treatment. Do you know other languages ​​besides English?" ?” "No." The young man who was assigned to be a health soldier said, "If I have to say something, I can speak some medical terms." Singleton glanced at Miles with drooping eyelids.The Minister of Operations was probably a general of the South African Regular Army before. "Next, Garrett, you're in charge of communications. You speak English, French, and Arabic, right?" Garrett nodded silently. "Finally, Kashiwahara," Singleton pronounced cautiously, "you are in charge of the blasting. You usually use Japanese and French. English is okay, right?" "Okay." Mick replied. This vague answer made Singleton dissatisfied, but he continued: "Let's discuss the schedule." During the preparation period, in addition to basic training such as long-distance marching and shooting with a 40-kilogram load every other day, you also need to learn Swahili and receive vaccinations against infectious diseases such as yellow fever. "Let's introduce the combat area." Singleton went to the projector and opened the slides.First up is a map of the African continent.Pointing at the center of the continent with a laser pointer, Singleton said, "You're going to parachute into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which used to be called Zaire." Located in the middle of the continent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a vast country straddling the equator.From east to west, the land narrows along the Congo River, and finally connects with the Atlantic Ocean. The capital Kinshasa is on the west corner.Judging from the color map, the African tropical rainforest is concentrated in the Congo.It can be said that this is a country covered by forests. "You will sneak into the rainforest in the east in the opposite direction from the capital Kinshasa, and carry out search and extermination missions. You will disguise yourself as an animal protection organization, so you must grow your hair longer. The main weapons are AK47 and hunting shotguns. Carry squad support weapons. Other equipment, I will introduce later.” Singleton said to the former Air Force Parachute Rescue Team member, “Miles, do you know anything about Ebola hemorrhagic fever?” "learn." "Because it is related to the mission, please introduce this disease to everyone." Miles looked confused, but he still began to say to his comrades: "Ebola hemorrhagic fever is the most virulent viral disease known so far. After the virus enters the body, it will infect all cells including brain cells, and To wreak havoc on it. When a person still possesses physical characteristics, internal organs and muscles melt. The infected person’s ears, nose, mouth, anus, and even pores will flow out the body fluid infected by the virus, and finally the seven orifices will bleed to death. The Ebola-Zaire virus has a 90 percent fatality rate." The mercenaries listened to the explanation with expressionless faces.Miles stood up, pointed at the map of Congo on the screen, and continued: "The eastern part of Congo we entered is surrounded by areas where the Ebola virus is endemic. The Ebola River Basin in the west, Sudan in the northeast, and the east Ebola subspecies have been found near the border between Kenya and Uganda.” Jaeger raised his hand and asked, "Is there a cure for this disease?" "No. Once infected, you can only pray to God." Then Garrett asked, "You said the fatality rate is 90 percent, what about the remaining 10 percent?" "The body's immunity won, and finally survived." "Oh!" Garrett sighed. Singleton continued: "Although you go where the virus is outside the epidemic area, you still have to be extremely careful. Because the virus host is likely to be a bat, so don't be bitten by a bat, or come into contact with bat droppings. And , this virus can also infect primates other than humans, so you should also stay away from chimpanzees, gorillas and small primates." Jaeger asked again: "What are the symptoms after infection?" "Fever, vomiting, and initial symptoms are similar to malaria. However, Ebola virus especially likes to attack the eyeballs and testicles." Hearing this, the team members frowned for the first time. "So, if someone has red eyes, there's a chance they have Ebola." "I don't want to check other people's testicles." Miles said that everyone was amused. Mick, who had been silent all the time, asked in broken English: "Why hasn't this disease spread around the world like AIDS?" "Good question." Miles praised Mick. "The incubation period of this disease is very short, and the onset occurs about seven days after infection. That is to say, the patient died before he had time to infect more people." "I see." Singleton asked all the team members: "You all understand how terrible the Ebola virus is?" The four nodded.Although no one asked, a question popped into everyone's mind and they all knew the answer to it.What should I do if a teammate is infected with Ebola virus during the mission?With no rescue helicopter, syringes and morphine were distributed to the infected teammate, who was dumped in the rainforest.This is the fate of battlefield mercenaries.In order to obtain high rewards, Jaeger and others have become pawns that can be discarded at will. "Let's move on to today's topic: the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo." Singleton operated the slideshow, and the next piece of information appeared on the screen.The team members were taken aback by the tragic scene that suddenly came into view.On the muddy road, the corpses of men, women and children were piled up scatteredly. Some had their hands tied behind their backs, and some had their heads cut off and only their torsos remained. "Genocide," said Singleton. "Right now, Congo is in the midst of the so-called 'First African War'. The death toll has reached the highest value since World War II: four million. The armistice agreement has been broken many times, and it is still unseen. Hope until the end of the war." Seeing the doubts on the faces of the four, Singleton explained: "It's true, but it's not reported in newspapers or on TV. This is the so-called 'reporting gap'. News organizations in developed countries don't care how many Africans died. People. They’re more likely to write about the killing of seven gorillas than about the massacre. But then again, Africans aren’t endangered.” Singleton's stiff expression turned into a sneer.The South African must have been a supporter of apartheid. "The root cause of the frequent civil strife in the Congo is colonial rule. The national policy of the suzerain country Belgium is to create hostility between the ethnic groups that originally coexisted, that is, the Tutsis and the Hutus. It was designated as an outstanding ethnic group and given preferential treatment, which aroused the resentment of the Hutus. The hatred between the two ethnic groups accumulated day by day, and finally the Rwandan massacre broke out.” Jaeger was quite familiar with the riot.The plane of the Hutu president was shot down, which became the fuse of the massacre.The Hutus turned into thugs one after another and attacked the Tutsis.Instigated by the broadcast, many citizens armed with machetes and clubs went out to kill their neighbors.In order to eradicate the Tutsis, the spearhead of the attack was first aimed at women and children.Massacre groups were formed quickly, intensifying ethnic antagonism.The Hutu feared that the Tutsis would retaliate, so they were even more ruthless.There are also rumors that killing the Tutsi will get the farm.The killings intensified, and some of the victims even offered money to beg to be shot in the head with a gun to avoid being chopped into flesh with blunt knives.In addition, many Hutus were mistakenly killed as Tutsis. One hundred days after the genocide began, the Tutsi organized troops abroad to launch a counterattack, finally calming down the situation.But by then one-tenth of the country's population, or at least 800,000 people, had been killed. "Rwanda established the Tutsi regime and regained peace. As a result, historical revisionists appeared, trying to deny the existence of the Holocaust." Singleton continued with a sneer, "That's all the world knows. However, the tragic disaster It was not over. This massacre was again the trigger for the First African War." The slideshow changes to a zoomed-in map of the surrounding Congo.The dot of the laser pointer in Singleton's hand sweeps back and forth between Rwanda and Congo to the west. "Some of the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide fled into neighboring Congo and launched cross-border attacks. The Congolese government acquiesced to this behavior, which angered Rwanda. So far, the two opposing parties have evolved into Rwanda and Congo. Uganda set out to overthrow the Congolese dictatorship, providing military support to anti-government guerrillas in eastern Congo and inciting them to launch an armed rebellion. This plan has achieved great success. The rebels quickly captured the capital in the west, drove out the dictator, and established A new regime was established. The new president was the leader of the rebel army backed by Rwanda. But instead of being settled, the matter fell into a quagmire." The slideshow switches again, this time to three side-by-side maps of the same region, showing the evolution of armed separatists across the Congo. "The new president erased the puppet camouflage on himself, betrayed the Tutsis who supported him, and colluded with the Hutu armed groups remaining in eastern Congo. Needless to say, Rwanda was once again angered, so it joined forces with Uganda and Burundi to invade Congo, Trying to bring down the new dictator. The desperate new regime in Congo sought help from neighboring countries and formed an alliance with Chad and other neighboring countries. Thus, in 1998, a war broke out on the African continent in which more than a dozen countries participated.” Seeing that Singleton stopped, Jaeger raised his hand and spoke: "Do the participating countries have sufficient financial resources to sustain such a large-scale war?" Singleton sneered again: "This is a war with sponsors. Soon after the war started, its true purpose was exposed, which was the rich resources underground in Congo: diamonds, gold, rare metals used on computers Metals and oil fields. The countries that invaded Congo fought bloody battles for the possession of mineral resources, followed by nearly a hundred companies in Europe and Asia. Mining companies provided military expenses to the party that plundered resources, taking a share of the pie. Rwanda Minerals were exported in excess of their own production, and developed countries bought them in large quantities knowing that these items were looted. Hundreds of thousands of Congolese were killed in order to obtain the coltan needed to make mobile phones. The United States, Russia and other major powers ostensibly Support the Congolese government, but secretly provide financial assistance to Rwanda and Uganda. In this way, no matter which side wins, they can ensure their rights to obtain underground resources. If you consider the flow of funds, this war can be called a world war. The major powers It's pretty much all involved." "What about human resources?" Garrett asked, "How can we ensure a sufficient supply of troops for such a large-scale war?" "In the beginning, the conscription was targeted at the unemployed, and then expanded to the poor. As long as you join the army, you can at least have enough to eat. However, there is still a shortage of troops, and now even children are kidnapped to serve as soldiers. It can be said that this is no longer an inter-country relationship. There is a war, and most of the citizens of Congo do not support this stupid armed conflict. However, a small number of rogues always exist, for example, 200 armed men can kidnap a large group of children and form an army of 10,000 people. The dictator leads They raided and plundered their own villages and killed their own people.” Singleton pointed at the map again and said, “Right now, Congo is ruled by government forces from west to south, but the north and east are still in chaos. Among them. Rwanda and Uganda, which were originally allies, broke up in order to compete for underground resources, so that the situation was out of control. In the eastern region you will sneak into, there are more than 20 armed groups fighting. The participants in the war can’t handle it themselves Understand who is the enemy. So, the status quo in Congo today is that ethnic hatred is high and genocide is everywhere. Although the UN peacekeeping force is also dispatched there, it is impossible for them to take care of every corner of the vast rainforest.” "So which side are we fighting for? The United Nations peacekeepers?" Jaeger asked. "You don't join either side. You hide from the eyes and ears of the militants and sneak into the interior of the rainforest. Your mission has nothing to do with this war." "What is the specific task?" "I can't tell you the details yet. At present, your task is to train without distraction." Jaeger recalled the days of the Army. Once recruits entered the army, recruits would be forcibly instilled with a rule, that is, "don't ask questions." "The Congo has no sophisticated weapons and equipment, nor does it have the crisp tactics of targeted bombing. There is no righteousness, no ideology, and no patriotism. There is only a naked war without all pretense, which is a scramble for underground resources. , inter-ethnic hatred, and fighting with machetes and light weapons." Singleton resumed his cold and stiff expression, and ended the meeting with one sentence, "After sneaking into the combat area, if you don't want to see hell, just Never touch humans."