Chương 65: PRECIOUS ASSET ESCORT
The 2 armoured vehicles came to a stop near the broken down motorcade. Above them flew a drone that Xiao Tian had called to provide overwatch.
Xiao Tian and Nanami disembarked, walking over towards General Yashar and her aide, Colonel Ismail Al-Sayed. The rest of Team Zero formed a security perimeter around the area. Sean staying on the armoured vehicle he is on, scanning the area alertly with his monocular.
"We have enough room?" asked Nanami, seeing the situation they have.
The motorcade managed to get a bulletproof sedan up and running. After some discussion, General Yashar ordered most of their security detail to remain at the site and wait for rescue. She, Ismail, the High Commissioner, and 4 UN personnel, lead by Captain Ori Yashar, Naomi's younger brother, will be escorted by Team Zero back.
"Merely 3 vehicles and 15 combatants," said Xiao Tian, "that feels too little."
"No worries," said Ori. "We have also notified the Australian contingent guarding the checkpoint ahead of us, they are sending 3 armoured vehicles over, and a helicopter to bring rest of the boys back to the UNAME office."
Xiao Tian nodded, ordering them to set off.
Soon, the vehicles are back on the road. The bulletproof sedan led the motorcade, manned by 3 UN personnel.
Xiao Tian's armoured vehicle followed behind, carrying Nanami, Sean, Frederica, General Yahsar, Ori, Ismail and the High Commissioner.
"First time in the big 8 wheel," commented the High Commissioner, referring to the nickname given to the type of armoured vehicle they are on.
"How do you feel?" asked Sean.
"Very protected!" replied the High Commissioner.
"Of course sir," said Ori. "You are our most precious asset!"
"Hey there, no need to be so stressed, relax and say something!" said General Yashar at Frederica, who remained silent, checking her equipment.
"Forgive her Ma'am," said Sean. "She is the quiet type."
Everyone in the passenger compartment laughed. Meanwhile, Nanami and Xiao Tian are in the driver and commander hatches respectively. Nanami is letting the autopilot do the driving, nonetheless, she still kept her eyes fixated on the external video feed on the headset's HUD carefully, ready to take over manually should something happen.
Xiao Tian did the same on the screens in his hatch, radioing the other vehicles and the drone above them regularly. To his right is the remote weapon station that controlled the 30mm autocannon mounted on a turret on the top of the vehicle.
"The Australians are arriving," said the drone operator. "They are moving and forming up."
On cue, the 3 4-wheeled armoured vehicles manned by personnel from the Australian contingent drove in, lining up in front of the bulletproof sedan, leading the way to the high school.
"Eagle 2, how are we looking?" radioed Xiao Tian.
"Zero 1, all clear. Nothing but the desert."
"Zero 1, this is Bravo 3," radioed the Australians.
"Go," said Xiao Tian.
"Just got word that there is a traffic accident up ahead involving 2 big container trucks, road's been closed, we are detouring to the backup route," he said.
Xiao Tian verified the information, then looked at the map of the area. "Copy that, that's a dirt path, be careful."
"Of course," replied Barvo 3.
The motorcade changed course, driving onto the dirt road, soon sand is thrown up around the vehicles, obstructing their vision.
"Can't see sh*t," cursed Nanami, activating the thermal sights on the cameras. "Better."
"Activate your thermals," reminded Xiao Tian.
"Understood," replied Xu Qing in the second other armoured vehicle, checking on Santos to make sure he did.
"The Aussies are speeding up," frowned Nanami, seeing the sedan in front also increasing its speed, throwing more dirt and sand back.
"No one likes the dirt road," commented Santos on the radio. "They aren't stupid, they will know if they outrun us too much."
Sean looked nervously at the sand and dirt blowing outside the vehicle, he could not help but to feel nervous, the same can be said for Nanami and Frederica.
After all, they still have a vivid memory of the troubles the sandstorm back in Spain had gave them.
"How are we looking?" radioed Xiao Tian.
"All clear," reported the drone operator.
They drove forward. 10 minutes later an urgent call from the drone operator broke the silence.
"BLOODY HELL, INCOMING ON YOUR RIGHT!" warned the operator.
"I don't see anything?" radioed the alarmed Bravo 3.
"CONTACT RIGHT!"
"Where—OH F***K!" cursed Xiao Tian in Chinese when the Australian armoured vehicle closest to them suddenly turned its .50 BMG machine gun behind, opening fire with armoured penetrating rounds, ripping through the sedan like paper, killing its occupants, and then firing on Xiao Tian's armoured vehicle.
Nanami ducked down instinctively, while Ismail in the passenger compartment immediately pinned down the High Commissioner.
In the exact same instant, a cluster of rockets shot out from the right side, blasting the leading Australian armoured vehicle into the air.
"AHHH!" the screams of Bravo 3 resonated in Xiao Tian's headset.
The second Australian armoured vehicle too turned its guns back, shooting at Team Zero's vehicles.
Xiao Tian grunted, grabbing the remote weapon station to override the fire control AI that still identified the Australian vehicles as friendly, while calling for the drones to take out the enemy rocket positions.
A few "whooshes" later, explosions resonated around the road, signalling that the enemy rocket launchers are wiped out.
"Zero 1, you are all clear."
"Solid copy," replied Xiao Tian
Just then, an Australian soldier fired a missile from his MANPAD, shooting down the drone.
Xiao Tian sighed, grabbing the remote firing controls, opening fire with the 30mm autocannon, quickly disabling the 2. 50 BMG machine guns, killing the machine gunners.
Nanami opened the top hatch, shutting down the electric motors as she did, firing with her AK-19 rifle at the remaining Australian soldiers. Xiao Tian ordered everyone to disembark, with Xu Qing's group to tend to the casualties.
Sean and Frederica opened the exit ramp, while General Yahsar and Ismail loaded their pistols. Ori asked Sean if they need him. Sean declined, asking him to protect the High commissioner and the 2 commanding officers.
He and Frederica disembarked, opening fire on the Australian position. The rest of Team Zero converged around them, opening fire at the 2 Australian armoured vehicles, soon wiping out all of the enemies.
They advanced to the vehicles, checking the bodies on the ground carefully to make sure that they are dead.
Phineas and Louis rushed over to Bravo 3, dismayed to find out that none of them have survived.
Louis looked at their charred remains, almost retching in shock and disgust. Phineas patted him on the back, comforting him.
"All clear!" reported Santos.
"Bang!" a gunshot rang out from behind, startling them.
They turned around. Xiao Tian reloaded his custom QBZ-97, ordering them to spread out as they examined where that came from.
They rushed back to the armoured vehicles, shocked to witness the following scene:
Ori has his Jericho 941 pistol in his right hand pointed directly at the head of the High Commsioner, his left hand holding onto a suicide vest detonator, carefully using the High Commisoner as a meat shield. Next to him is Ismail lying in a pool of blood, shot through his femoral artery, his Browning Hi Power pistol kicked out of reach by Ori.
General Yashar shakily pointed her Jericho 941 pistol at her brother, still in disbelief over what just happened.
Team Zero immediately trained their weapons on Ori, surrounding him.
"STAY BACK, OR I WILL PRESS THE DETONATOR!" warned Ori, stopping them when they are 50m away from him, careful to ensure he is out of the range of Sellardraxian ranged magic attacks.
Xiao Tian ordered them to stop, still aiming their guns at Ori alertly.
Frederica and Sean tried to find a sniper position to take out Ori, only to find out that he had used the High Commissioner well as a meat shield, unable to find any angle where they can make a shot without hurting the High Commissioner.
"Brother, why are you doing this?!" asked Genera Yashar.
Ori laughed coldly. "For our people to return to our promised sovereign land, obviously."
"You are a Zionist," said General Yashar spitefully.
"Now, don't speak of us like that," said Ori. "You're a Jew and yet you sound like those Anti-Semites," he sneered, glancing at the dying Ismail on the floor.
"You're living on your promised land," retorted Xiao Tian. "You are standing on the soils of Jerusalem as a free citizen."
Ori laughed. "But I have to share my land with these filthy Arabs!" he retorted. "If not for these pesky Palestanians, Israel would be the superpower of the Middle East!"
"The area has never been inhabited exclusively by the Jews," retorted Sean. "You don't have the right to kick them out!"
"Say that to the radical Islamists!" fumed Ori.
"What makes you think we don't?" laughed Sean. "And their actions don't happen in a vacuum."
"NAZI!" yelled Ori at Sean. "How dare you justify anti-semit…"
"SHUT UP!" yelled General Yashar. She looked at her brother with tears in her eyes.
"Our ancestors did not survive Auschwitz to see us oppress another race the same way the Nazis oppressed us!" she yelled.
"Your bullsh*t is the very reason why this land is soaked in blood. We had the chance to fix everything in 1993 and embark on a normal relationship with our Arabian neighbors and maintain peace. But we threw that away because we arrogantly believed we can forever crush the Arabians under our thumb, and how did that turn out? Now we finally have an opportunity to end this mindless violence for good, for the sake of everyone, is this not a grander objective than Zionism?!"
Ori looked away, unable to refute his sister's statements.
He shot Ismail again in his body armour.
"So what if you can talk sis," sneered Ori. "I am giving you all a choice, let me and my "asset" leave safely, or I blow the 3 of us up."
A rocket suddenly hit the second armoured vehicle behind him, disabling it.
Sean looked into his LPVO, seeing that several pickups carrying armed militants and flying the former flag of Israel pulling up.
"Oh correction, you all will also die in option 2," he chuckled.
Ariel gulped, realizing that they are both outmanned and outgunned.
General Yashar bit her lips. In order to ensure the safety of the High Commisoner and her men, she has no choice.
"Alright, we will back down."
She turned to Xiao Tian. "Follow your orders, Lieutenant Colonel."
Xiao Tian nodded, understanding that she did so to absolve him and Team Zero of the responsibility.
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