บท 215: Chapter 215: New Toy, the Mi-24 Helicopter
As the sky darkened, William enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner on the spacious balcony, relishing the unique local flavors. After dinner, he stood at the edge of the balcony, sipping whiskey and enjoying the night view of the sea. During dinner, William received a call from Christmas, who reported that they had found the mining site, located in a circular valley 12 kilometers north of Solomon's village. Christmas and his team had observed the area closely before returning.
William also received a call from Yuri Orlov, who informed him that he had found a group willing to take on the task. A group of over 400 people was already moving towards Koro City, with Yuri joking that the price he paid was only 400 AK rifles and a supply of ammunition. Yuri had convinced them by promising to purchase diamonds from the occupied area at 10% above the market price and continually supply them with weapons. This deal quickly appealed to the power-hungry warlords with men but no guns, and several large tribes banded together to support Yuri's plans. Apart from the initial group of 400, more people were expected to arrive in the area within three days.
William was unconcerned about how much profit Yuri would make; he was only interested in depleting Jetfrobey's forces and ammunition. He didn't care about the lives of the mercenaries, believing that anyone who took up arms should be prepared to either kill or be killed.
With everything in place, William was just waiting for the man named Danny Archer to show up. The next morning at ten, William was awakened by a knock on the door. Opening it, he saw Barney and Antonov standing outside, looking worried.
"Boss, the rebels are only 10 kilometers away. We need to evacuate," Barney said urgently.
"Damn it," William cursed upon hearing the news. "Are our things packed?"
"We're packing now, Boss. We'll leave in half an hour," Barney replied.
"Okay, go do what you need to do. I'll be ready soon," William said, quickly getting dressed and packing his belongings. Fifteen minutes later, he headed downstairs and climbed into the Mercedes G55.
As the convoy approached the side gate, William rolled down the window and spotted Solomon standing by the hotel. William nodded at him, and Solomon responded with a nod of confirmation. Satisfied, William closed the window.
The convoy followed the route indicated by the Black Wind drone, avoiding checkpoints as they headed north. Five kilometers out of the city, Christmas, Caesar, Gunnar, and Road stayed behind to continue monitoring Freetown with the drone.
The equipment used by the Expendables, including the Black Wind drones, was kept secret from the Polar Bear Squad. William didn't want Antonov and his team to know that the drones could be controlled using the Devonshire One helmet. Every time the drones were deployed, it was done out of sight of the Polar Bear Squad.
An hour later, they arrived at the temporary base. William immediately headed towards the three Mi-24 helicopters, eager to fly them. These Mi-24s, model D, were advanced helicopters at the time and had been used in nearly all of Russia's military operations over the past 30 years.
As William climbed into the cockpit, he ignored the surprised looks from Antonov and his men. A Russian helicopter pilot gave him a half-hour briefing before William started the Mi-24.
Barney, concerned, shouted for the pilot to get into the weapons control seat. Once everything was ready, William lifted the helicopter off the ground, carefully flying a few laps around the base before landing smoothly on the helipad.
Afterwards, William had the pilot teach him how to use the weapons before switching seats. This time, without flying, William had the pilot take the helicopter to a nearby valley, where he excitedly fired several rockets and emptied the machine gun on a mountain. Satisfied, he had the pilot return to base.
Upon landing, William laughed at the disapproving looks from everyone, promising a grand outing after the mission. Despite their frustration, the crew was impressed by William's ability to land the helicopter smoothly on his first flight and reassured by his restraint in not performing any dangerous maneuvers.
After lunch, William took the pilot back up in the Mi-24, flying for over an hour before returning to base. He then spent half an hour discussing his flying techniques and performance with the pilot.
Barney then rushed into the meeting room, "Boss, the rebels have entered the city."
"Oh, tell Christmas to keep an eye on Solomon and follow him closely with all necessary equipment and solar chargers. Only intervene if there's a danger; otherwise, stay out of it," William replied absentmindedly, focusing on his discussion with the pilot. He had no interest in the city's affairs, as they had nothing to do with him. His only interest in Sierra Leone was the diamond and neutralizing Jetfrobey as a future threat.
Barney, seeing William's indifference, shook his head and left the meeting room, heading to the room where the Expendables kept their gear. Picking up the radio, he asked Christmas, who was five kilometers outside Freetown, monitoring the situation with the Black Wind drone, "What's the situation in the city?"
"It's hell on earth, Barney. Both sides are shooting indiscriminately, with no regard for civilian casualties. The rebels are almost at Solomon's hotel," Christmas reported, hesitating before asking, "Barney, what does the Boss want us to do? Shouldn't we do something? It's a massacre in there."
"No, remember our mission. We're just mercenaries. What happens in this country is none of our business," Barney replied, pausing before adding, "The Boss doesn't care about the city's situation. He's busy discussing flying techniques with the helicopter pilot. Just follow Solomon and intervene only if necessary. Avoid getting into trouble, got it?"
Hearing Barney's words, Christmas sighed, "Alright, I understand. It's not our place to intervene."
"Good, stay alert. And have you noticed anyone approaching Solomon?"
"Don't worry. Gunnar and Road are on guard, and Caesar and I have deployed two drones. I'm monitoring our surroundings, and Caesar is watching the hotel. I'll keep you posted," Christmas replied.
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