Chapter 1397
The Enraged High-Ranking Officials
Chapter 1397 The Enraged High-Ranking Officials
Thirty seconds before the video connection was established, Lamont stood in front of the camera calibration point in the communications room and wiped his cheeks one last time with a damp towel.
He even ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair—though it would soon stick back to his forehead.
This is an unconscious habit.
At all times, when facing superiors or the camera, one's appearance must be impeccable.
This is not only about respect, but also about attitude.
No matter how bad the situation is, maintain control of the situation.
But when he looked at the three split-screen images on the screen, Lamont knew that his appearance was no longer important.
National Security Advisor Walter Simmons sat in the central seat, with the long oak table of the White House Situation Room extending behind him, and a huge electronic map on the wall displaying real-time intelligence on global hotspots.
In the split screen on the left, Hillary Clinton sits in a well-decorated study.
A dark walnut bookshelf filled the entire wall, displaying beautifully bound books and framed photos. One photo, showing her shaking hands with Obama, was placed in a position where it could be seen by the camera.
She wore a dark blue suit jacket over a white silk shirt, and her pearl necklace gleamed warmly under the light.
Her makeup was impeccable, her short blonde hair was perfectly styled, but her lips were pressed into a tight, straight line.
On the right is William Miller, Deputy Secretary of Defense; the background of the Pentagon's conference room appears rather simple.
"Report the situation, Lamont."
Walter's voice came through an encrypted satellite link.
Lamont spent five minutes explaining the current situation in the most concise way possible.
He didn't embellish or exaggerate; he simply stated the facts that he and his more than one hundred subordinates were facing.
The encirclement of four thousand people, the coordinates of the artillery positions, the deployment of the air defense system, Song Heping's three conditions, and the political tsunami that could be caused if the evidence were made public.
He specifically emphasized the last point: "According to the intelligence we have, Song Heping possesses at least 70% of the encrypted files on the 'Sower' program and the 'Witness' department's operations in Iligo and Celia over the past decade. These include materials that may involve war crimes."
Hillary Clinton's face remained ashen throughout the video.
After Lamont finished speaking, she rested her chin on her right thumb, index, and middle fingers, staring coldly at the screen—a habitual gesture she made when extremely angry, known to almost everyone in Washington's political circles.
"This one……"
Her voice was filled with anger.
"Who does this mercenary leader, this bastard from Dongda University, think he is? Daring to threaten the government of the United States?"
The light in the study cast a sharp shadow on her face, making her blue eyes look even colder.
“Madam, he has evidence.” Remont carefully chose his words: “If it’s made public, it will not only damage the ‘Witness’ department, but it could also affect the entire intelligence community, and even impact—”
“Then let him make it public!” Hillary slammed her hand on the table.
boom!
The dull thud was clearly transmitted through the high-quality microphone, even spilling a few drops of water from the glass next to her.
Although she was thousands of miles away in New York's Upper East Side, the action was perfectly captured by a 1080p high-definition camera.
The shrugging of the shoulders, the tension in the arm muscles, and the slight backward lean of the upper body when the palms are slapped on the solid wood table.
"I'd like to see which media outlet dares to publish material that endangers U.S. national security!"
Her voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and that sharp tone that had once made generals sweat at congressional hearings reappeared.
"The New York Times? The Washington Post? CNN? If they dare to publish this, I'll replace their entire board of directors next year!"
She turned to Walter's split screen, her finger hovering in the air as if it could poke through the screen and reach his face:
"Walter, contact the air force base in Kuwait immediately and have them scramble their fighter jets! I need the most advanced F-16s, loaded with precision-guided bombs, to blast those rebels surrounding the base to smithereens! Now! Immediately!"
Walter did not respond immediately.
He picked up the water glass beside him, took a slow sip, and the action lasted for a full five seconds.
Clearly, he hesitated.
Then he looked at the split screen on the right: "Miller, military assessment? How long will it take us?"
William Miller pulled up a newly updated document and answered in a steady voice:
"An F-16C/D Block 50 taking off from Kuwait's Ali Salim Air Base, carrying two GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), two AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Standoff Weapons), and AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles for self-defense, will take 55 minutes to reach the target area in Mosul. Including pre-flight mission briefing, weapons loading, and pre-flight checks, the total time required is at least 75 minutes."
He switched to the file page.
"If F-15E Strike Eagles stationed at Incherlik Air Base are used, the time can be reduced to 45 minutes. However, it requires Turkish approval for airspace passage and base access—based on data from the past twelve months, the average processing time for such approvals is 2 to 4 hours. And considering the current state of Turkish-US relations..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
“More importantly…” Miller zoomed in on several red dots on the map: “The 10th Division’s air defense system is deployed very professionally. They are on a completely different level of combat compared to the average Iligo government forces, and their equipment is also much superior. According to reconnaissance data, they have at least four Pantsir-S1 gun-missile systems, two Tor-M2 systems, and a large number of man-portable air defense systems. These systems form an overlapping air defense network, covering altitudes from 15 meters to 12000 meters.”
He raised his head and said solemnly:
"We are certainly 100% confident in destroying them, but it will take time for electronic suppression and coordinated attacks. For example, using an EA-18G 'Growler' electronic warfare aircraft would require first disabling their radar before an F/A-18 or F-35 can safely enter to drop bombs. Initial assessments indicate that clearing all threat targets will take 30 minutes of air combat time, not including target identification and damage assessment."
“In other words…” Walter concluded, “it will take at least 90 minutes from when we give the order until effective air support reaches Lamont. That’s the most optimistic estimate.”
“Yes,” Miller nodded. “If Turkey delays, or if there’s bad weather, it will take even longer. Also…”
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "If the enemy launches an attack before our planes arrive, then when air support arrives, it may only be able to carry out a retaliatory strike, rather than a rescue."
Hillary interjected, "Then let Lamont hold out for 90 minutes! Over a hundred Delta Force members, all elites selected from across the army, can't even hold out for 90 minutes? Was all that training they received at Fort Benning and Fort Bragg just for picnics?"
Lemont took a deep breath.
He felt that the shirt under his combat uniform was soaked with cold sweat, and the feeling of it sticking to his back was nauseating.
“Madam,” he tried to persuade her, “the other side has a complete artillery battalion, equipped with 152mm howitzers, all of which are original Soviet-made. These guns have a maximum range of 24.7 kilometers, and a rapid six-round burst can cover an area equivalent to two football fields.”
He pulled up the base structure diagram and marked the key points with a laser pointer.
"More importantly, the base was a temporarily requisitioned abandoned factory area, and most of the buildings were light industrial factory buildings built in the 1970s. The structural strength can only withstand small arms and mortars. 152mm high-explosive shells can easily penetrate the roof and walls. The killing effect of an indoor explosion is three to five times that of an open explosion."
The red laser dot moves across the map.
"The command center is here, the barracks are here, and the hangar is here. In the first salvo, if the enemy uses an airburst fuse, we will lose at least 30% of our manpower and 50% of our command and control capabilities. After the second salvo, organized resistance will collapse. According to drone surveillance, the enemy artillery has already completed its firing data. I saw their shells piled up next to the gun positions. They can fire their first salvo within three minutes."
Hillary's face contorted for a moment on the screen.
It was an extremely subtle change in expression; the corners of his mouth twitched downwards, and his nostrils flared slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
It was too fast, so fast it felt unnatural.
“Then let them fire!” she practically shouted. “Once they fire, we’ll have a reason to retaliate in full force! Wipe the 10th Division out of the Iligo army’s ranks! Court-martial Samir and all his officers! Put that mercenary leader on a global wanted list with a bounty of ten million, no, twenty million dollars!”
She leaned forward, her hands resting on the table, a posture that made her appear even more imposing in front of the camera.
“Walter, I’ll handle the political consequences! My team knows how to manipulate public opinion. A story of ‘a crazy former contractor attacking a U.S. military base,’ a story of ‘heroic Delta Force fighters fighting to the death,’ a story of ‘the U.S. government resolutely fighting back to protect its citizens’—my team can write all of these, and make every American believe them!”
Walter rubbed his temples; he was under immense pressure.
"Madam, this isn't just a matter of media manipulation. If things really escalate to that point, we need to consider: how will the Iligian government react? Will Russia and the East Asian Federation seize the opportunity to intervene? What about our entire strategic layout in the Middle East—"
"We must now demonstrate our strength!"
Hillary interrupted him coldly.
"If we compromise on this, tomorrow every warlord, every terrorist, and every general from a third-rate country will feel they can blackmail the United States! All our operations in Afghanistan, Syria, and Africa will be challenged! This isn't about the lives of a hundred or so soldiers; it's about the fundamental question of America's global deterrence!"
She turned off-screen and spoke to someone not in the frame, her voice clear and authoritative:
"Get me the Prime Minister of Iligo! And the Minister of Defense! And that Kurd, Massoud! I want to speak to them personally. Tell them that if they don't immediately order Samir to withdraw his troops, the United States will reconsider all military aid, all economic support, all political endorsement! Including support for the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum!" She turned back and stared at Lamont's split screen.
"Lymont, you hold the line. 90 minutes. That's an order."
The video conference was temporarily interrupted, and the screen displayed a message saying "Signal interrupted - Encryption reconnection in progress".
Lemont stared at the spinning loading icon, feeling a ridiculous dizziness.
Ryan handed him a cup of coffee.
Cheap instant coffee, piping hot, and sickeningly sweet.
Lemont took it, but didn't drink it; he simply felt the warmth emanating from the paper cup.
“She’s betting…” Ryan said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the now-black screen: “betting that Song Heping won’t actually fire. Betting that the evidence can be controlled. Betting that sacrificing over a hundred of us will give her more campaign capital.”
Lemont placed the coffee cup on the control panel, the bottom of the cup making a slight sound as it struck the metal surface.
“But she made the wrong bet.” His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
He looked at the digital clock on the wall.
The red number is flashing: 23:41.
Nineteen minutes remain until the ultimatum is issued.
“Song Heping is not afraid of any bounty list at all. Moreover, judging from his past behavior, he doesn’t care about the gains or losses of a single city or town. If he dares to surround the base, he is prepared to fight to the death.”
Lemont spoke as if he were talking to himself.
“We cornered him, cut off all his escape routes, hunted down all his companions, and detained all his men… Now he either has to climb over the wall and escape, or he has to push the wall down and crush us.”
He paused, then added, "He definitely chose the latter."
The air in the communications room seemed to freeze.
Only the low hum of the cooling fan of the encryption device and the faint sound of soldiers running in the distance could be heard.
Five minutes later, the video reconnected.
Walter's face grew even uglier.
If before it was exhaustion, now it's almost utter despair.
“The Prime Minister of Iligo…” Walter’s voice was strained: “He expressed ‘serious concern’ and promised an ‘immediate investigation,’ but said that General Samir is the ‘commander of the theater of operations’ and, according to Article 44 of the Iligo provisional constitution, has ‘the power of discretion’ during a ‘state of emergency security.’ He cannot directly order a frontline general to cease combat operations, especially in the event of ‘potential terrorist infiltration.’”
He glanced at the notes beside him.
Defense Minister Fadil was slightly more conciliatory, promising to "issue the order immediately," but implied that the 10th Division's funding had been suspended since last week due to a "budget audit," and that he "could not force orders on a general who might have already spiraled out of control." His exact words were: "If Samir had listened to me, he wouldn't be there."
Hillary's face tightened on the screen.
Lamont could see the slight twitching of her jaw muscles, a physiological response that people use to control their expressions when they are extremely angry.
“Where is Masoud?” she asked.
“It’s even worse where the Kolds are,” Walter said. “Masood’s son answered the phone and said his father was ‘inspecting a remote area’ and communications were bad, so it might take several hours to get in touch. But he ‘assured’ that he would contact General Abuyu immediately, even though we all know that Abuyu only listens to Massoud himself, and his son has no real power in the family.”
He paused, then added, "In addition, we intercepted an encrypted satellite phone call made fifteen minutes before the communications jamming at Masood's residence was activated. The recipient was a mobile terminal in the Mosul region. The call lasted 47 seconds, and the content could not be deciphered, but the timing was very subtle."
“These ungrateful bastards…” Hillary cursed a string of profanities, some of which Remont had never even heard of; they were pure political slang.
Her face flushed for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
That ability to quickly switch between emotions has allowed her to survive countless political crises.
"Then let's execute Plan B."
Her voice suddenly became clear and steady.
"Walter, get the air force taking off. Use Kuwaiti F-16s, no need to wait for Turkey. Miller, authorize the use of all necessary means to eliminate the threat, including but not limited to the 10th Division command system, artillery positions, air defense units, and any Irianian military units that dare to fire."
She turned to Lamont's split screen, her eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Lamont, hold out for reinforcements. 90 minutes. This is an order. To reiterate, this is a direct order from the Government of the United States of America."
Lemont stared at the face on the screen.
Her hair was meticulously styled, her makeup impeccable, her pearl necklace expensive, and the cold light in her blue eyes.
He suddenly recalled a speech Hillary Clinton gave when she visited CIA headquarters as Secretary of State.
She said at the time, "Our intelligence personnel are the nation's most valuable asset, and we must protect them as we would our own eyes."
Now, these "eyes" are about to be dug out and thrown into a fire pit.
"lady……"
Lamont made one last attempt, even though he knew it was pointless.
"If the shelling begins, we could be wiped out. The 170 people at the base, including 43 civilian agents, some recent college graduates, some with wives and children… and that evidence—if Song Heping reveals it before he dies—"
"If you sacrifice yourselves."
Hillary interrupted him, her voice suddenly becoming unusually gentle, but that gentleness was even more chilling than her previous roar: "You are heroes. Heroes who died for their country. I will personally attend your memorial services, personally award medals of honor to your families, and personally ensure that your deeds are written into history textbooks."
She straightened her posture, a posture that made her appear more focused and genuine in front of the camera—if one ignored the complete lack of emotion in her eyes.
"And the mercenary who killed the American hero will become the target of a global manhunt. Evidence against him? Nobody cares about evidence of a dead body. The media will only report a fascinating story: a former contractor who was fired and took revenge on society because of his twisted mentality, attacking American soldiers who bravely defended freedom. We will find 'evidence' to prove that he had long been colluding with terrorists, that he was mentally unstable, and that all of this was his personal act of madness."
She paused, a faint smile even appearing on her lips.
"As for the 'Witness' department? It's just an intelligence unit that's unfortunately been targeted by a madman. We'll conduct a 'thorough investigation,' we'll 'restructure,' we'll 'strengthen oversight'—these are standard procedures. Three months later, nobody will remember the details. Six months later, it'll be a case study in a political science course. A year later, it'll just be a Wikipedia entry."
Lamont felt a chill rise up his spine and spread along his nerves to every inch of his skin.
He recalled the oath he took when he joined the CIA twenty years ago, the words about honor, responsibility, and country, and everything he had believed in.
On the other side of the screen, this woman, who could become the next president of the United States, was calmly calculating the political value of 170 lives and concluding that the dead were more useful than the living.
The dead cannot defend themselves, cannot leak secrets, and cannot say the wrong thing at a congressional hearing.
The dead can be molded into any image needed, used to advance any agenda needed, and used as bargaining chips to exchange for any political capital needed.
"Is the command confirmed?"
Lamont asked the last question.
His voice was so steady that even he was surprised.
“Confirmed,” Hillary said. “Hold the line and wait for reinforcements. God bless America.”
She didn't even say "God bless you".
The video has stopped.
Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)