Chapter 1391
Running away is not my style
Chapter 1391 Running away is not my style
Although at his peak, Song Heping was at odds with the CIA, Mossad and MI6 at the same time, and was even listed as a terrorist leader by Vincent, the then director of the CIA, he had never faced an opponent like the one he was facing today.
Seeing that Song Heping remained silent, Simon assumed he had become afraid and continued, "Take my advice: release Masour, then act as if nothing happened, leave the Middle East, and go back to Africa. That's your only chance to survive."
In the end, he even said something from the bottom of his heart: "Song, you should know that if there is still one person in this world who doesn't want you to die, it must be me."
Simon's statement was sincere.
It wasn't that he had any special feelings for Song Heping.
The two weren't even friends; their relationship was purely one of mutual exploitation.
But Simon's dirty secrets are in Song Heping's hands.
Song Heping had made thorough preparations. If he died in an accident, Simon's scandals would be immediately sent to the internet and major media outlets.
She didn't want Song Heping to die, but she simply didn't want to die herself.
“Yes… what you said really touched me.” Song Heping suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly: “What you said seems to make a lot of sense.”
“That’s right.” Simon thought Song had compromised and happily continued, “Hurry up and leave. You still have a chance before the ‘witnesses’ arrive in Iligo.”
"Who said I was leaving?" Song Heping retorted. "Why would I leave?"
"SHIT!" Simon couldn't help but curse. "I'm telling you, Song, a smart person wouldn't choose a dead end, unless you're crazy!"
"Simon, we've known each other for so long, do you think I'm a normal person?" Song Heping teased.
Simon was speechless.
indeed.
Song Heping is not quite normal.
If things were normal, we wouldn't have offended the three major intelligence agencies at the same time back then.
Anyone with a modicum of normal logic wouldn't do that.
"Judging from your tone, it seems you're going against the White House?" Simon gasped. "You need to understand who's sitting in there! It's the president of the world's only superpower! And the entire Democratic Party, as well as all the big shots who participated in the plan back then!"
“Hmm…you seem to be right, but running away isn’t my style,” Song Heping said calmly. “That would be too challenging.”
He then changed the subject and asked, "If I really wanted your president to go against me, what advice could you give me?"
"you……"
Simon's expression changed.
This is insane...
He actually asked himself, how should a CIA director deal with his own country's president?
OH! FUCK!
How did I end up with such a madman, and he even got hold of my secrets!
"Time is running out. I need to end this conversation and leave before the new 'Witness's' assassination squad arrives. You don't want me to die, do you? Then hurry up and give me your advice. Don't think this is betrayal. You're not the first CIA director to betray the current president."
Song Heping spoke urgently, but his tone didn't sound tense at all.
Simon realized that he could no longer persuade Song Heping.
He knows this guy.
No one can stop someone from doing what they're set in mind.
This is all I can do to help him now.
After all, his life was tied to his own.
“Listen! I’ll only say this once! First, assume all regular communications are being monitored. Except for this encrypted phone you and I are using. Second, don’t trust anyone, especially those who offer help unsolicited. Finally, find a new protector, one that is powerful enough to have a conflict of interest with the existing power structure and forces.”
"for example?"
“I didn’t say anything,” Simon said cautiously. “Remember, in America, even the most powerful forces have opponents.”
"Hmm..." Song Heping seemed to understand: "It seems we can give it a try, it's better than sitting and waiting to die."
Simon sighed again.
“There’s a name. That’s all I can say. There’s a Russian named Ivanov. A month ago, he tried to contact Duke to ask about the ‘Informal American Action Group.’ Duke refused, but if someone comes to him now with valuable information…”
"Russians." A cold smile curled at the corner of Song Heping's lips. "Jumping from the American wolf's den into the Russian tiger's lair?"
“At least another beast,” Simon said. “And they might be willing to protect you as leverage against American influence. But that’s just theory; the reality could be quite different.”
Are there any other options?
“Your home country? France? Britain? They’re all interested, but they might not be willing to confront the US directly over this.” Simon paused for a moment. “Or you could try to get media exposure, but that wouldn’t do you much good, and you’d become a target of global manhunt.”
Song Heping pondered these options.
We may not have an ideal, but at least we have a direction.
“I need more information about Ryan. Background information on Ryan, the former Delta Commander, and the director who now leads the ‘Witness’ division.”
The sound of papers turning over came from the other end of the phone.
“Ryan…yes, it’s on record. He was wounded and discharged during the Iligo War, and received the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Afterwards, he founded a private security consulting firm called ‘Sentinel International,’ which provides services to the State Department. On the surface, it’s a contractor, but in reality, it’s a black glove that does the dirty work for those big shots. His company is registered in the Cayman Islands, and the shareholders are not transparent.”
"Where is he?" Song Heping asked. "Has he come to Iligo?"
“The last publicly recorded incident was two weeks ago at a defense industry conference in Washington. Private jet records show his Gulfstream G550 took off from Andrews Air Force Base three days ago, bound for Doha, Qatar.” Simon paused. “If he really is in the Middle East, then you’re right, he’s personally involved.”
Song Heping asked, "How long does it take to get from Qatar to Mosul?"
“If it’s by military transport plane, it’ll take a few hours,” Simon said. “Song, if he really comes, then you don’t have much time left. Ryan is known for his efficiency and thoroughness. He won’t leave any loose ends.”
Song Heping then asked, "Including Milos and his team who remained in the joint operations group?"
“Especially them. Mercenaries have no official status, making them the easiest to deal with.”
Simon's voice grew more serious: "Listen, I have to hang up now. This call has gone on for too long. One last piece of advice: don't go back to Mosul. It's not safe there anymore."
The phone was disconnected.
Song Heping stood at the cave entrance, letting the desert night wind caress his face. He needed to make a decision, and quickly.
Back at the hiding spot, they found Joseph supervising Blake as he wrote his testimony.
"We need to talk."
Song Heping gestured for Joseph to go aside and talk.
The two walked to a corner near the cave entrance and stepped into the shadows.
"How bad is the boss's situation?" Joseph asked directly.
“Duke is dead, officially reported as a heart attack,” Song Heping said. “Ryan, the head of the witness department, is probably on his way to Iligo. He will eliminate all witnesses, including Blake, including Massour, including us.”
Joseph's expression stiffened.
"So what do we do? Fight? Retreat?"
“We’ll split into two groups,” Song Heping said. “You take Blake and his testimony, along with Maisul, and move to backup location B. That’s our hideout in the Sinjar Mountains, remember?”
Joseph nodded: "I remember. It's much more desolate there than here."
“But it’s safe there, and not many people know about it,” Song Heping said. “I’ll go to Mosul to check things out. If possible, I’ll try to gather more evidence and then meet up with you.”
"You're going alone? That's too dangerous."
“A large number of people would actually draw attention,” Song Heping said. “And I need to confirm one thing: whether Ryan has really taken over the base, how many people he brought with him, and also, to find out what Milos’s current situation is.”
“Can’t we inform Milos now and have them leave?” Joseph asked.
Song Heping shook his head: "No, the signals from the base are being monitored. As long as we contact Milos, we'll be tracked here. I called Duke's encrypted satellite phone earlier, and I guess their technical department is tracking that now and will be here soon."
Joseph hesitated for a moment: "Boss, if things are really that bad... maybe we should evacuate together. Abandon the mission, leave Ilig, and go back to Africa. We have enough resources there to start over."
Song Heping looked at this loyal subordinate and saw the fear in his eyes.
This is not cowardice, but rationality—when faced with an invincible enemy, retreat is the only wise choice.
“I can’t,” Song Heping said. “Duke is dead. If we run away now, we’ll only be hunted down forever, which will do us no good. The Witness Division has global operational capabilities; we have nowhere to hide. Remember, the only way to survive against ruthless people is to be ruthlesser than them.”
Joseph asked with concern, "Even if we get all the irrefutable evidence, will we be safe?"
“At least we have leverage in negotiations,” Song Heping said. “A sufficiently substantial secret can be exchanged for a deal. The key is to find the right buyer.”
Joseph took a deep breath and accepted the decision.
"When to set off?"
“Now. Pack up the necessary equipment immediately and leave within an hour,” Song Heping said. “Take the mountain route, avoid the main roads, use the terrain to conceal your movements as much as possible, and be aware of drones and satellites. Maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary.”
"Communication protocol?"
"Same as always. Log in to our company's encrypted chat room on the dark web at 3 a.m. every day."
Joseph nodded: "Understood."
An hour later, two modified off-road vehicles drove out of the hiding place and disappeared into the desert night.
Song Heping watched them leave, then returned to the building to pack his equipment.
He opted for a light load: an HK416 rifle with a silencer, four magazines, a Glock 19 pistol, two grenades, a medical kit, a satellite phone, an encrypted laptop, and enough food and water.
All equipment was carefully inspected, and there were no traceable marks.
He got into the last SUV, started the engine, and drove into the darkness.
At the same time that Song Heping left his hideout, the Mosul Joint Operations Group base...
At four in the morning, the base was still immersed in the silence before dawn.
The searchlights on the watchtower swept across the surrounding area regularly, and two patrol teams walked along a fixed route inside the wall.
The lights in the command center were still on, but most of the soldiers were resting in their barracks.
Milos sat in his dormitory, a map and several reports spread out on the table in front of him.
As Song Heping's deputy commander remaining here, he awaits further instructions.
But his inner unease was growing.
Regular communication with Song Heping has been interrupted for thirty-six hours, which is unusual.
Whirring whirring--
Strange noises came from outside the door.
It sounds like the sound of a propeller cutting through the air.
And it wasn't just one helicopter, it was several.
"What happened?"
Milos, who was already somewhat uneasy, got up, opened the door, and went out into the corridor.
He quickly located the source of the sound.
Those were four Black Hawk helicopters.
They are flying in from the east, which is the direction of Bakda.
"Ok?"
A sense of doubt arose in Milos's mind.
Did Bakda send people over very early in the morning?
Duke suffered a sudden heart attack yesterday and was taken to Bactria.
Could it be that Duke is alright and has returned?
Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)