Chapter 1376
The Price of Victory
Chapter 1376 The Price of Victory
On the evening that Titrick fell, the sky was dyed a sickly orange-red.
This was not a gift from the setting sun, but rather the result of a mixture of poisonous clouds spreading at low altitudes.
Song Heping stood on the top observation platform of the mobile command center, the lens of his military binoculars reflecting the city that had just been captured.
Or rather, this city that has just been destroyed.
"The 17th and 21st Infantry Battalions report that they have taken control of the City Hall and Central Square area, but have encountered slight resistance."
The voice of the frontline commander came through the communication channel, but there was no joy in his tone.
"But... a high concentration of chemical agents was detected in the air."
Song Heping put down his binoculars, his face expressionless.
As the owner of a defense company, he had seen too many battlefields, but what he was seeing before him was still beyond the scope of conventional warfare.
The chemical weapons release system that the 1515 militants had pre-planted underground in Titrick was activated at the last moment before the city fell.
"Casualty report."
Song Heping's voice was as calm as if he were asking about the weather.
"Preliminary statistics indicate that approximately 870 soldiers died directly from the gas attack, and over 900 others showed obvious symptoms of poisoning. Final figures are not yet available, and the number is expected to rise further..."
Jiang Feng handed over the data panel; the numbers flashing on the screen were particularly glaring in the evening light.
"Civilian casualties are impossible to count, but according to drone thermal imaging, there are still a large number of vital signs in the city's core area. They may survive longer in enclosed spaces, but it is only a matter of time."
Song Heping took the data tablet and slid his fingertips across the cold screen.
The 1515 militants launched their final suicide plan, and now Titrick can be said to have been captured in a sense, but the cost seems to be too high.
The number of casualties from the gas attack alone is so high; if you add the wounded and killed in action, the number is probably over three thousand.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on the name "Abuyu".
This pawn, whom he had nurtured year after year with countless resources, was also one of the joint commanders in this attack on Titrick.
His armored convoy encountered a pre-buried chemical weapons storage tank explosion as it advanced into the city center; it was one of three carefully planned release points.
Analysis by technical officers revealed that the tanks were connected by an underground network of pipes, and the sequence of explosions was carefully calculated to maximize the use of the "canyon effect" of city streets to spread the toxic gas.
"Where is Abuyu's convoy?" Song Heping asked instinctively.
Jiang Feng replied, "The chemical defense team has been dispatched, but there are no new updates yet..."
Everyone's attention was drawn to it.
Everyone knows Abuyu's value to Song Heping.
This Kolde is one of the key pivots in Song Heping's strategic layout throughout northern Iligo.
If Abuyu dies in Titrick, all the previous investments will be greatly diminished.
"Command center, this is the northern medical station! We have received Commander Abuyu's convoy! Repeat, Commander Abuyu is alive! He is currently receiving emergency treatment!"
The communications officer, who had been sitting in front of the radio, suddenly turned around and reported some incredibly good news.
Song Heping quickly grabbed the communicator: "What's Abuyu's situation?"
From the other end of the channel came rapid breathing and the beeping of medical equipment:
"He inhaled poison gas, has signs of lung burns, and is intermittently unconscious... We are administering atropine and pralidoxime to him, but we need more specialized chemical medical equipment. Sir, his condition... is not good."
"Do everything you can to save them."
Song Heping immediately ordered, "Get whatever equipment you need from the emergency reserves. If you need a helicopter to take you to the green zone for treatment, I can arrange it right away. Listen, you must save my life."
"understand!"
Song Heping put down the communicator, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little.
Abuyu is still alive.
This is good news.
"Commander Samir requests video communication," the communications officer reported again.
"Take it."
The screen switches, and Samir's dusty face appears on the screen.
In the background, soldiers wearing simple protective suits can be seen carrying wounded people on stretchers.
The exposed skin of the wounded was covered with terrible blisters, some of which had ruptured and were oozing yellowish-white pus.
"Samir, how's the situation over there?"
"Boss, my troops lost 267 men in the gas attack, and several hundred more were affected and need to be observed and treated, but the medical station's resources are probably insufficient to cope with this situation."
Samir cut to the chase, his voice brimming with suppressed rage that seemed to burst through the screen.
"I need medical support, professional chemical defense medical support, right now."
"Don't worry, the medical team is on its way," Song Heping said. "But I have to be honest, our capacity to handle casualties from large-scale chemical weapons attacks is limited. We can handle mild cases, but severe cases..."
"I know."
Samir interrupted him, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the camera.
“Those critically ill soldiers… if they don’t receive an antidote within three hours, even if they survive, they will suffer permanent nerve damage. We don’t have that many antidotes, nor that many professional chemical defense doctors.”
A heavy silence fell between them.
Inside the command center, everyone was waiting for Song Heping's response.
On the screen, the drone was still transmitting live footage of Titrick.
Yellow smoke has covered nearly 20 percent of the city center and is still spreading.
Meteorological data indicates that tonight's winds will blow these poisonous clouds southeast, where several newly established civilian camps are located.
"US military..."
Song Heping suddenly muttered something out of the blue.
Samir was taken aback: "What?"
“The U.S. military must have the relevant resources. Although they have withdrawn most of their troops from Iligo, their logistics base is still there. I think we can talk to them. Moreover, Major General Duke is currently at a civilian evacuation point, and I can ask him to provide some resources.”
Samir paused, stunned. "Duke's at the civilian evacuation point? And at this time—"
“They’re looking for someone. They say he was a messenger sent by Bakdadi to Titrick, who may have escaped by blending in with the civilians,” Song Heping said.
Upon hearing this, Samir narrowed his eyes.
His years of war experience allowed him to immediately sense something unusual.
"So they knew all along that Zarqawi had chemical weapons? They knew what was going to happen today?"
“I’m not sure,” Song Heping said, “but the timing of their appearance was too ‘coincidental.’ Moreover, Duke presented a strategic cooperation agreement, saying that the Iligo government was aware of and had approved their actions.”
"What a fucking coincidence."
Samir punched the outer shell of the armored vehicle next to him.
"My soldiers were gassed to death in the city, while the Americans were safely hunting their high-value targets in the rear. Those sons of bitches!"
“Anger is useless, Samir,” Song Heping said. “Now, I need you to do something.”
"What is it?" "Gather as much evidence as possible of a chemical weapons attack. Drone footage, ground force reports, descriptions of symptoms from the casualties, samples of shrapnel and debris—everything."
Song Heping's eyes turned fierce.
"If the Americans knew Zarqawi had chemical weapons all along but didn't warn us, I need solid evidence. Not just speculation, but irrefutable proof that can be put on the negotiating table."
Samir nodded slowly, his expression shifting from anger to calm: "Understood. I will personally lead the collection. The remains of those chemical weapons storage tanks, fragments of the detonating devices, and... if there are any bodies, I will have the medics conduct detailed autopsy reports."
"Be careful, there may still be residual toxic agents in those areas."
"Don't worry, I know how to deal with these filthy things."
After saying that, Samir cut off the communication.
The screen went dark, switching back to the drone view.
Song Heping turned to his staff: “Reassess the situation. What is the extent of the chemical weapons' impact? How long will it take for them to dissipate to a safe level? How many of our troops can remain combat-ready?”
The staff officers got busy.
The map was laid out again, the sound of calculators clicking filled the air, and radio communications went off one after another.
The entire command center was like a rapidly functioning brain, trying to sort things out amidst the disaster.
The technical officer retrieved the latest meteorological data and chemical sensor readings:
"Based on the current wind direction and speed, the toxic cloud will cover 40 percent of the city center within three hours, although the concentration will be diluted. The problem is that some of the agent will remain on the ground, walls, and ruins, causing persistent pollution. According to sensor data, the ground concentration of mustard gas in some streets has reached 300 milligrams per square meter—three times the lethal dose. Without specialized chemical decontamination equipment, even if we capture the city, we will not be able to safely enter the core area for at least two weeks."
"In other words, the battle for Titrick is effectively over," Song Heping said.
"From a military perspective, yes."
The technical officer's tone was somber: "Zarqawi's 'mutual destruction' plan made this city uncaptureable for the foreseeable future, sacrificing themselves and innocent civilians. And..."
He hesitated.
"Based on drone sensor data, the distribution of chemical weapon release sites... is very regular."
He pulled up a city map, which marked all the areas where high concentrations of toxic gas had been detected in red.
The seventeen red dots are not randomly distributed, but form a precise grid.
The three main release points form an equilateral triangle, covering the city center; the remaining fourteen secondary release points are distributed along the main streets and strategic points, like the nodes of a chessboard.
"Look, the selection of these locations is very professional."
The technical officer zoomed in on the buildings near one of the release points.
"These chemical weapons storage containers were placed in the basements of buildings and underground bunkers, connected by ventilation systems and underground pipes. The explosions were not only to release poison gas, but also to create airflow so that the poison gas could spread to the maximum extent. This requires fluid dynamics calculations, chemical engineering knowledge, and precise explosives techniques, none of which terrorists can do casually."
Song Heping stared at the map, his eyes narrowing into slits: "The 1515 group in Titrick City doesn't have this level of craftsmanship; they have a master to guide them..."
"Notify all troops." After a moment of silence, he ordered, "Establish a ten-kilometer blockade around Titrick, and do not allow anyone to enter or leave. Especially on the northern route leading to the evacuation point, set up double checkpoints at every intersection. If anyone attempts to force their way through... fire warning shots."
"Sir, do you think the messenger might still be in the city?"
“No,” Song Heping said, his gaze fixed on the yellow smoke clouds on the screen. “I think he’s already out, and the Americans know that too. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be rushing to the civilian evacuation points looking for him.”
Just then, my phone vibrated.
Song Heping took it out and saw that it was Duke's number.
"General, do you have any new questions?"
Song Heping harbored a burning anger towards Duke.
The Americans probably had intelligence warnings long ago, but they didn't share them with us.
It was obvious they were afraid of interfering with the arrest operation.
He was also worried that if he knew there was a messenger in the city, he might make some shady deal with 1515, or even seize the messenger and use him as a bargaining chip.
Although the two sides are currently in a cooperative relationship on the surface, the Ansas still do not believe in themselves deep down.
If they're calling now, they must want something from me.
This is Song Heping's guess.
If so, then they should be made to pay a heavy price.
And it just so happens that I need the help of Americans right now.
The conversation with Duke that followed was very important.
"Song, can we meet?" Duke seemed to have no time for beating around the bush and went straight to the point: "I have urgent business to discuss."
"Can't we say it over the phone?"
"No, the matter is highly classified and urgent."
"Okay, I'll meet you at the evacuation point in twenty minutes."
"OK, I'll wait for you!"
After hanging up the call, Jiang Feng cautiously asked, "Old squad leader, are you going to the evacuation point to see Duke?"
"Ah."
Song Heping drew his gun, checked the magazine, and put it back in the holster.
"But there's something more important to do now, intelligence officer. Get me a summary of all the intelligence from the past year regarding the use of chemical weapons by the 1515 militants in Iraq and Syria."
The intelligence officer quickly accessed the database.
The screen was divided into multiple windows, displaying a series of events from August 2015 to June 2016:
In August 2015, 1515 used mustard gas shells to attack Kurdish forces in Hasakah, Syria. That same month, the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) confirmed that it had collected evidence of 1515 using mustard gas against Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.
In October 2015, the Iligord regional government announced that it had fired mustard gas-filled mortar shells at Peshmega forces.
2016年3月8日，1515向基尔库克以南的塔扎村发射了24枚含有“有毒物质”的迫击炮弹和火箭弹，造成40人受伤。当地官员称恐怖分子使用了氯气。
On June 9, 2016, U.S. DOD officials anonymously revealed that U.S. special forces had captured a "key figure in the 1515 chemical weapons program" in Iligo.
"The timeline has been connected."
Song Heping sighed and swiped his finger across the screen.
"1515's chemical weapons capabilities are steadily improving, from simple chlorine attacks to more sophisticated mustard gas weapons. The Americans have been tracking this program, and they've even apprehended key figures. So the question is: why didn't they issue a public warning? Why didn't they alert us to the possibility of chemical weapons defenses before we attacked Titrick?"
Jiang Feng, who was standing next to him, couldn't answer and could only shake his head awkwardly.
Song Heping turned off the intelligence summary and stood up: "Jiang Feng, you come with me to the evacuation point. The rest of you, continue monitoring the city's situation and update the gas diffusion model every half hour. If there are any changes, remember, any changes, notify me immediately."
"Yes, boss."
As Song Heping walked out of the command center, the sun had completely sunk below the horizon, but the yellow haze over Titrick was still churning, distorting the last rays of sunlight into a sickly halo.
Armored vehicles are already waiting.
Before getting into the car, Song Heping took one last look in the direction of Teterrick.
The war has seemingly come to a halt, but some scores still need to be settled.
Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)