Kapitel 219: Chapter 221
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At the Aldecaldos camp.
Inside the tent.
Panam and the other members of the tribe gathered together, looking anxious after receiving news about Saul. He had been kidnapped by the Raffen Shiv.
The situation stemmed from Saul taking the initiative to approach Biotechnica to discuss a partnership. Biotechnica tasked Saul with retrieving an item from the Raffen Shiv, by theft or trade, as long as the item was delivered intact.
Saul agreed to Biotechnica's request and decided to first talk with the Raffen Shiv.
Once the Raffen Shiv agreed, Saul set out to meet them, bringing few people to show good faith.
However, the Raffen Shiv proved utterly untrustworthy. As soon as Saul arrived at the designated place, he was kidnapped, and his current status was unknown.
Panam, visibly frustrated, said, "How could Saul trust those guys? Biotechnica is unreliable enough, and yet he doesn't learn and tries negotiating with the Raffen Shiv? Those guys have had their eyes on our tribe for a long time!"
Though she cursed, her concern for Saul's safety was evident as she continued, "Regardless, we need to act fast and rescue Saul. The longer he stays with the Raffen Shiv, the more dangerous it gets."
She turned to ask a member by her side, Carol, "What's the situation look like in the camp? People, weapons, equipment... we can't skimp on anything for this rescue operation."
Hearing Panam bring up the camp's logistics, Carol responded with frustration, "Panam, you're often away from the camp. Since the last few clashes with the Raffen Shiv, our numbers have been halved."
"Now the Raffen Shiv is closely watching us. Our supply lines are cut off, and we can't move goods. As for the equipment... it infuriates me to even talk about it. Everything's outdated."
"Many in the camp still lack proper cyber prosthetics; forget about going out to fight, even daily life is..."
As Carol spoke, all her pent-up frustration poured out.
The strength of the Aldecaldos was indeed superior in manpower, equipment quality, and unity compared to surrounding tribes, making them a significant power in this harsh environment.
However, the key issue was that even a strong tribe could not endure the constant toll of prolonged warfare.
In the eyes of the Raffen Shiv, the Aldecaldos were both a major threat blocking their dominance over the Badlands and a rich target ripe for the taking.
Initially, the Aldecaldos could counter the Raffen Shiv's provocations, engaging in several battles that caused heavy losses on both sides. A period of calm followed with no large-scale conflicts.
However, as time passed, the Raffen Shiv's ranks grew, filled with the most brutal and unruly scum from various tribes, young and aggressively expansionist.
In contrast, the Aldecaldos' replenishment of personnel was much slower, effectively losing one member for every one that fell.
Gradually, Saul realized that continuing this way would lead to a major disaster and considered negotiating with the Raffen Shiv, hoping to leverage corporate power to stem the Raffen Shiv's growth.
"Who in the tribe doesn't have a grudge against the Raffen Shiv? Everyone wants to hit them hard, but the reality is, these guys are impossible to wipe out."
"Yes, and now they haven't found where the tribe is planning to move. If the Raffen Shiv catches wind of it, it'll be trouble trying to shake them off..."
Panam fell silent, seeing the morale drop every time the Raffen Shiv was mentioned.
"Damn it, the Raffen Shiv is like a tumor. As long as they're here, we won't have any good days!"
No one responded; they all understood the truth but were powerless, swallowing their grievances silently.
Scorpion reminded, "Panam, now's not the time for this. Let's focus on a plan to rescue Saul."
Panam nodded, tempering her anger to formulate a battle plan despite the dire circumstances.
At that moment, Mitch entered the tent, his voice grave, "We've located the Raffen Shiv's stronghold, in an abandoned cement factory."
"The good news is Saul's car is inside, so he's likely there too."
"The bad part is, they've fortified it with advanced smart weapons and heavy artillery. And there's a lot of security, it seems they plan to stay."
Panam quickly grasped the implications. A direct assault would result in heavy casualties. She cursed again, "Even those scumbags have better equipment than us, easy access to supplies, definitely the corporations' doing."
After venting, she focused her gaze on the topographical map spread across the table, her mind racing to devise a plan swiftly.
Scorpion had already marked all the newly gathered intelligence on the map.
After a few moments of thought, Panam spoke low, "This operation we must rely on stealth, not force. The fewer people, the better to avoid detection. Ideally, we can sneak in and pull Saul out."
Scorpion agreed, "That's a good plan. Too many people could backfire."
Carol couldn't help but worry, "If you're discovered, getting out alive will be difficult. Dakota mentioned the Raffen Shiv made demands—either send over a million eurodollars or..."
Carol paused midway.
Panam turned towards her, serious, "Go on, Carol. No one believes those guys would keep their word anyway."
Carol looked hesitantly at Panam but finally suggested, "Maybe you can exchange Sol..."
Panam laughed off the suggestion. "Ha! Sure, as long as those bastards dare to let me in, I'll make sure they won't regret it."
Carol hadn't actually considered letting Panam exchange Sol but mentioned preparing a million Euros. If they couldn't rescue him, they could use the money to ransom him as a backup plan.
Panam outright rejected the idea. Not to mention whether they could gather a million Euros, even if they did, giving the money to the Raffens would be like feeding wolves, only making them stronger and leaving the entire Aldecaldos tribe in peril.
Panam concluded that the Raffens didn't actually want a million Euros or her in exchange for Sol; they were more likely trying to extract information about the tribe for a major hunt.
Seeing Panam's firm stance, Carol didn't press further, understanding that gathering a million Euros wasn't feasible at the moment.
"I suspect the Raffens won't be able to pry any useful information out of Sol. It could be a trap, so you all need to be very cautious when you act."
Panam decided immediately: "Mitch, Scorpion, the three of us will go together, just like old times, night ops. Mitch will handle tech support from a distance, Scorpion as backup, and I'll sneak into the cement factory to rescue Sol and get out."
"If our operation gets blown... don't worry about me, just make sure you escape on time, and don't let the Raffens trace you."
Before Mitch and Scorpion could object, Panam had them prepare their gear as she did the same.
Before leaving, Carol asked Panam if she needed any more support. Panam waved it off, indicating she'd handle it all.
Not long after, Mitch returned to Panam's tent, pushing the curtain aside, "Panam, Scorpion's ready. Can we... Panam, you're not seriously planning on bringing him along, are you?"
Seeing Panam packing a strangely charred corpse, Mitch swallowed hard, feeling suddenly anxious.
He even began to suspect that Panam was under some evil influence, turning into a willing 'puppet,' the thought chilling him.
Panam packed essentials like heart stimulants, suppressants, basic ammunition, high explosive grenades, and micro EMP devices.
After packing, she hauled the corpse onto her back. Noting Mitch's frightened look, she teased, "Of course I'm bringing it, wouldn't feel safe otherwise. Scared, are we? Like I said, you must've been seeing things last night. How could a burnt body like this get up and walk around, let alone urinate?"
Carrying the charred body, Panam stepped out of the tent, warning, "Don't play those silly pranks with Scorpion to scare me again. Always be prepared when you're out at night."
Mitch could only watch Panam leave, his gaze filled with worry and helplessness. "You're human, but what you're carrying might not be..."
He figured they'd have to wait for Sol to return to properly discuss and persuade her; a body should be laid to rest.
To avoid drawing attention from the Raffens, Panam decided to stake out in a modified van first.
The van was outfitted with counter-surveillance devices and cloaking technology, making it difficult to detect remotely.
With daylight fading, they parked near the abandoned cement factory, ready to sneak in under the cover of darkness.
Scorpion, already in the driver's seat, saw Panam lugging the body into the van and quipped, "What, bringing him along to scare the Raffens? Think it might kill them?"
After securing Tang Yu in the van, Panam climbed inside, shut the door, and instructed, "You and Mitch, stop fussing. Don't spook ourselves instead of the Raffens. Just drive."
Knowing Panam's determination, Scorpion didn't argue further and started the engine, speeding towards their destination.
Along the way, Scorpion glanced in the rearview mirror to see Panam caring attentively for the charred body, even moistening her lips to give it water, worried it might dehydrate.
This brought to mind what Mitch had said the other night about the corpse wandering off to urinate.
Despite not being afraid of such eerie or strange occurrences, Scorpion was curious about the origin of the charred body and why Panam insisted on keeping it close.
"So many days have passed, it's neither woken up nor decayed. Despite the dry climate of the Badlands, any normal body would start to decompose in a few days, but there seems to be no smell anymore."
A body left for days would usually stink in such an enclosed space like a van.
Hearing Scorpion mention this, Panam took a deep sniff; it seemed there truly was no smell. She had thought she'd just gotten used to it.
The face of the corpse, once youthful and handsome, was now unrecognizable, severely disfigured.
What a fate, probably couldn't get much worse than this.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein