Chapter 1390
Duke is dead
Chapter 1390 Duke is dead
Song Heping's unexpected words sent chills down Blake's spine.
Looking at the mercenary leader's serious expression, he suddenly realized that this guy would actually do it.
Joseph and his men tortured me just now, but that's nothing to me.
After all, the anti-interrogation training wasn't for nothing.
die?
Don't be afraid!
pain?
I can endure it!
But what if you die in the desert like an abandoned stray dog, or are shot dead by "your own" people and cleared away like trash?
That won't work!
Blake's breathing became heavy, and beads of sweat slid down his forehead.
His arrogant face now looked as if it had been hit hard with a hook punch, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.
“Desert…” he murmured, his voice dry like sandpaper scraping, “I can’t… I can’t die like that.”
Song Heping sat down opposite him, his hands folded in front of his chest.
He did not urge him on, nor did he show any triumphant air.
On the contrary, his eyes remained calm and still, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.
This is not an exaggeration, and it doesn't even qualify as intimidation.
He was merely explaining the real-world consequences to him, reminding this former "witness" of the department's action agents.
This calmness only made Blake more uneasy.
This person is not interrogating based on emotions, but on something deeper.
“Let’s talk about the ‘Witness,’” Song Heping asked coldly. “How did it come about?”
“Actually, it was earlier than you think…” Blake swallowed, his throat bobbing.
"2004."
He began to speak, and his voice gradually regained some rhythm.
"After the Abu Ghraib incident, there was a top-secret meeting at the Pentagon. At that time, the Assistant Under Secretary of Defense, who is now the White House National Security Advisor, Craig Wolter, proposed an idea..."
Outside the interrogation room, Milos observed everything through a one-way mirror.
The Eastern European mercenary deputy commander's hands involuntarily clenched.
Although the conversation inside couldn't be heard, Blake's changes in body language said it all.
The tough guy in front of me is breaking down.
"They said they needed a force that was completely unbound by the Geneva Conventions."
Blake continued, his eyes beginning to unfocus, as if lost in memories.
"An operations unit capable of operating in the gray area without leaving any official records. This was the prototype of the 'Witness' unit."
"Why is it called 'Witness'?" Song Heping asked.
Blake gave a bitter smile: "Because our mission is to 'witness' the threats that need to be eliminated, and then make sure they disappear. We witness, we execute, we clean up. No records are left, no witnesses are left."
He paused, as if weighing something, before continuing, “It started as a small task force, handling some…sensitive prisoners. But it expanded later. In 2006, as the situation in Iligo deteriorated, Operation Sower was put into action.”
Song Heping raised his eyebrows slightly.
"The Seeder Project?"
"A plan to plant long-term informants in various factions in Iligo, a plan to overthrow the regime of another country through various black operations."
Blake explained, “The people we planted weren’t ordinary informants; they were high-level assets that could penetrate deep into the organization’s core and even guide its direction. Maisour was one of them; he was our most successful ‘seed’ among the 1515 armed forces in Seria.”
“Until he decided to turn against us,” Song Heping said.
“He disappeared for over two years; the department had already put him on the missing persons list.” Blake nodded. “But three months ago, he started sending messages through clandestine channels, threatening to expose the entire ‘Sower’ program, to expose our actions in Syria—using chemical weapons to attack a coalition NGO and frame the Hafez regime, and conducting a series of new biological and chemical weapons experiments in Syria. If he really did that, it would cause an international scandal, which is unacceptable to the White House. More importantly, it involves the current Democratic candidate, the former Secretary of State…”
"So who ordered his elimination?"
Blake took a deep breath, hesitated for a few seconds as if making up his mind, and said slowly and deliberately, "To be precise, besides the people you know, there's one more..."
"Who?" Song Heping frowned.
“President…” Blake uttered the word, and another bead of sweat slid down his forehead.
His words sent chills down the spines of those present—they were names from the top echelons of Washington power, including the current National Security Advisor, senior Defense Department officials, and a heavyweight senator who frequently appeared on television news.
These are not the most important ones.
The most important one is the president, Obama.
"What role did Hillary play in this assassination plot?" Song Heping asked.
“She was actually just a coordinator, and of course, a stakeholder,” Blake said. “They bypassed the formal decision-making process and decided Maisour’s fate directly in the security meeting on Friday night.”
"And mine too?" Song Heping pressed.
Blake's eyes flickered.
“You were an accident. The original purge list only included Maxour and his direct contact. But you showed up in the wrong place at the wrong time and demonstrated… disturbing capabilities. Especially since Lamont submitted a report assessing you as a potential risk.”
Song Heping listened quietly, his face showing no change in expression.
But those who know him well will notice that his eyes have become sharper.
"And what about Major General Duke?" Song Heping asked. "What role does he play in this play?"
A complex expression flashed across Blake's face.
"Duke... he's actually an idealist, or rather, he used to be. By the way, you've talked to him?"
"We talked about it," Song Heping said without hiding anything.
At this point, it seemed unnecessary to hide his relationship with Duke.
"He leaked the files, saying that he didn't want to get involved in the scandal and wanted to stay out of it and retire safely."
“Heh.” Blake suddenly laughed, a hint of mockery in his smile: “You’ve been played by him.”
"Did they play a trick on me?" A sense of unease rose in Song Heping's heart.
Blake nodded: "When the 'Sower' program was being carried out in Celia, he was working at the Pentagon and was one of the people who knew about this chemical weapons attack framing plot."
Song Heping froze for a moment, then instinctively cursed, "Holy shit!"
Blake continued, "Of course, his initial motivation for supporting the 'Sower' program was the belief that it could reduce the violence that could overthrow Hafez's regime and thus reduce military bloodshed. But when he discovered that the program was being used to conduct experiments on new biological and chemical weapons, he began to question it."
"You've had a change of heart?" Song Heping sneered. "That's why you leaked the files to me so I could expose them and use you as a scapegoat."
“Yes. Because he sensed danger too.” Blake admitted, “Two weeks ago, parts of the ‘Sower’ files appeared on an encrypted leak site. Although they were quickly removed, they had already raised an internal alarm. Director Ryan, who is also the head of our Witness department, immediately launched an investigation. Everyone who might have had access to the files was investigated. Duke’s access logs show that he accessed the entire database three times in the 48 hours before the files were leaked.”
Song Heping tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"So he told me he was in danger too, and it seems he wasn't lying. Unless Ryan and the forces behind him collapse, he will die as well."
"I'm afraid danger has already arrived."
Blake lowered his voice: "Before the operation yesterday, I overheard Ryan and Lymont talking. They said, 'The Eagles need a permanent rest.'"
"'Eagle' is Duke's code name?" Song Heping was taken aback.
Blake nodded.
A brief silence fell over the cave.
"Who is in charge of the Witness Department now?" Song Heping asked.
"Ryan. Former Delta Force commander, officially retired in 2002, and then went directly to the 'Witness' unit as operations director. He has the highest level of security clearance, enabling him to bypass the regular chain of command and contact the White House Situation Room directly."
Song Heping asked, "Where is he now?"
Blake shook his head: “I don’t know. But according to standard procedure, if there is a significant risk of a leak, he will personally clean up the mess. I guess… he might already be on his way to Iligo.”
Song Heping stood up, paced back and forth a few times, and finally stopped.
“Tell me everything about Ryan. His habits, his weaknesses, his patterns of action.”
"Why?" Blake asked warily. "You want to deal with him?"
“I want to live.” Song Heping turned around, his eyes as sharp as ice picks. “And you have to help me to live. Now, start talking.”
Blake closed his eyes, seemingly trying to organize his thoughts.
“Ryan… around fifty years old, about six feet one inch tall, lean but muscular. His left pinky finger was permanently bent in a training accident. He smokes a pipe, a meerschaum pipe, the old-fashioned kind. His catchphrase is ‘Chaos is the excuse of the weak.’” Song Heping continued, “Psychological characteristics?”
"Control freak. Obsessive-compulsive. He has three backup plans for every action. He doesn't trust electronic communications; important orders are always given face-to-face. He despises bureaucratic procedures but is adept at exploiting loopholes in the rules."
Black paused for a moment and then said, "He has a weakness—overconfidence. He believes he will always be one step ahead of his opponents."
Where is your team?
“I’m not entirely sure. The Witnesses were designed with a decentralized structure, with the groups isolated from each other. But I know there are at least two tactical groups permanently stationed in the Middle East, one in Qatar and one in Kuwait. Each group has six to eight people, all of whom are retired special forces personnel with combat experience.”
Song Heping nodded and walked towards the door.
“Joseph, take him to write his testimony. Record everything he knows in detail: the time, place, people, and details of the operation, including the complete structure of the ‘Sower’ program, all the informant code names he knows, and every illegal operation the Witness Department has been involved in.”
Joseph came over, glanced at Blake, and asked Song Heping, "Is he willing to cooperate?"
“He has no choice now,” Song Heping said, then turned to Blake: “After you finish your testimony, I need you to provide all the physical evidence you can get your hands on. Email records, screenshots of communications, anything that can prove what you’ve said.”
Blake gave a wry smile: "You think they would leave behind something like that? All records are verbal, or transmitted using one-time encrypted devices and then immediately destroyed."
“There will always be traces.” Song Heping insisted: “Operational funding transfer records, travel documents, weapons procurement lists. Think about it.”
Blake paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, “I’ve also prepared a backup plan. I have a safe house in Dubai. There are my personal records there, including the flow of funds from several operations, and some encrypted meeting minutes. But I need to retrieve them in person; the safe requires my retina and fingerprints.”
Song Heping asked, "Location?"
“The basement of a private villa in the Jumeirah Beach area,” Blake stated the specific address and method of entry.
Song Heping noted down the information, then gestured for Joseph to take Blake away.
Afterwards, he found a corner to sit down by himself and began to think about the information he had just obtained.
Is something wrong with Duke?
This is the first unexpected turn of events he needs to process.
This reminded him of the phone calls he had made to Duke that went unanswered before.
If that's the case, then you're not safe either.
To take it a step further, what if the guy who promised to give me a reward after the deed was done is now a corpse lying in the morgue...
This means that their deal has been voided.
Hey!
Like an assassin who takes on a mission to kill.
The man was killed, but the employer died first.
This is fucking awful!
I wasn't prepared for this.
paralysis.
Even a major general isn't safe in the US...
Worse still, the evidence Song Heping now possesses may have lost most of its value.
Originally intended for exposure, this evidence has now become a death warrant for the employer's death.
Those people in Washington will not allow this information to leak; they will do anything to eliminate anyone who knows about it.
But he still has Maisul.
And Blake.
These two are now living witnesses to the "sower" program throughout the entire game.
It may still have value, or it may just be another target that needs to be eliminated.
Song Heping walked to a corner, took out the encrypted satellite phone he used to contact Duke from his backpack, removed the battery, and turned it off completely.
Then he took out another encrypted satellite phone.
He needed to contact Simon to confirm Duke's death and assess the current situation.
Simon.
The current CIA director is also his own informant.
The only person who can still provide intelligence to himself within the American community.
He found a relatively secluded spot.
I dialed the number only after confirming that no one else was around.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
“Song?” Simon’s voice was tense and low, with the sound of continuous keyboard typing in the background.
This guy is obviously in his office.
"You shouldn't have contacted me at this time."
"Is Duke dead?" Song Heping went straight to the point.
There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone.
"how do you know?"
"Source of the news. Is it true?"
Simon sighed, his voice filled with exhaustion.
"He was taken to the military hospital in the Green Zone last night. The official explanation is that he suffered a sudden myocardial infarction, but the body has already been cremated and no autopsy was performed."
"Cremated?" Song Heping frowned. "Fuck, so fast?"
"They say it was at the request of the family, supposedly Duke's will," Simon said sarcastically. "How absurd."
"Was it done by the Witness Department?" Song Heping asked. "Do you have detailed information about them?"
“I have no evidence that that department exists,” Simon said cautiously. “But I know that Duke has been investigating some…sensitive matters recently. He contacted me last week to ask about something in Lymont, saying that the operation had gone a little ‘off track’.”
Did he mention the 'Sower' program?
Simon's breathing became noticeable over the phone.
“Song, I told you, you’re in big trouble this time. Twenty-four hours before Duke died, all of his security clearances were suspended on the grounds of ‘alleged unauthorized access to classified information’.”
"So he was purged because he intended to expose everything."
“Or perhaps it’s because he’s already exposed some of it, exposed it to you, hasn’t he? You think no one else knows?” Simon said. “Listen, Song, the situation is very dangerous right now. If you have any…sensitive material, the best thing to do is destroy it. Then disappear, escape back to your territory in Africa. The farther the better.”
Song Heping asked, "What about Maisuer?"
“I don’t recognize that name,” Simon said curtly. “I don’t want to either. Song, I’m serious. This game is beyond your level, even beyond mine. Some forces… are beyond our ability to contend with.”
"So I should just give up??" Song Heping sneered. "I took on a job, the client died, and I'm stuck with a hot potato. How can you expect me to give up? Wait to die? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"
“Duke died of a heart attack,” Simon emphasized. “That’s the official conclusion. Any other claim requires solid evidence, and even if you have evidence, there’s nowhere to submit it. Believe me, I’ve seen this happen. Someone discovers something they shouldn’t have, and then… there’s an ‘accident.’”
Song Heping looked out at the distant desert.
The night was as dark as ink, with only a few stars twinkling through the gaps in the clouds.
"What if I had enough evidence to blow up half of Washington?"
“That’s like having a grenade with the pin already pulled,” Simon said. “It will only blow you up in the end. Song, you’re not an idealist, you’re a realist. Think like a realist—survival first, don’t get involved in things you shouldn’t.”
“Sometimes survival requires fighting back,” Song Heping replied.
“A counterattack needs a target!” Simon raised his voice. “But you’re not facing an individual, not a department, but a system, a party. A system that can cause heart attacks, car crashes, and terrorist attacks to cover up the truth. You don’t even know where the real enemy is!”
Song Heping remained silent.
Simon is telling the truth.
He was not facing a specific target that could be aimed and eliminated, but an invisible net, where every node was protected and every action was difficult to track.
"Then tell me, Simon, what is the best strategy for me to protect myself?"
The sound of a chair being dragged could be heard from the other end of the phone; Simon seemed to be adjusting his position.
Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)