After ending the call with Major General Duke, Song Heping did not place the satellite phone back on the table.
All information fragnts were quickly pieced together, reorganized, analyzed in his mind, and the only feasible course of action was determined.
The US Army can't intervene directly, and the CIA's forces are insufficient, and the internal situation in the Kurds is unclear and ambiguous.
To stop this impending, familial coup that's enough to ignite the entire Northern Illigo, he must personally step in and use the most core force to execute a precision rescue.
But first, he needs to move from Baghdad to the tactical frontier close to the area of operation as quickly as possible.
Ti is the most luxurious yet the most pressing resource at this mont.
He did not hesitate and picked up the satellite phone again.
The call was quickly answered.
Duke's voice ca through: "Song? What's up?"
Song Heping seed a bit surprised at calling again right after hanging up.
"I need to get to Hulmatu imdiately, this matter needs to be handled personally. I must arrive within an hour, can it be arranged?"
"No problem, all the resources you need, as long as I have them, will be unreservedly provided."
Duke showed no hesitation.
"An MH-60M 'Pave Hawk', a 'grey' crew from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regint, will be at the north corner helipad of the Green Zone in fifteen minutes."
"Tell the crew, I'll be there on ti."
"Understood. I'll coordinate. They will be waiting for you at the H1 Landing Pad. Good luck, Song."
"Leave it to ."
After ending this brief but information-packed call, Song Heping imdiately began packing his few belongings.
A tactical backpack, containing a portable command terminal, multi-band encrypted radio, spare batteries, a basic personal survival kit, and a Glock 19 pistol with a silencer.
Just as he zipped up the backpack, the door knocked rhythmically — three short, one long.
It was one of their own.
Song Heping went to open the door.
The door slid open, and Samir's figure appeared at the entrance.
"Boss."
Samir entered, shut the door behind him, and lowered his voice.
"Outside... the atmosphere seems off. The US Army's communication center is brightly lit, and patrol frequency has increased. I heard over at Elbil..."
He paused, not finishing his sentence because he saw the backpack on Song Heping's bed.
"Barzani is about to act against Masood, or is about to."
Song Heping did not conceal it, returning to the bed, as he stuffed the last piece of equipnt into the backpack, he inford Samir of the situation in the simplest terms.
"The coup is today. The location is in a hilly area near Kirkuk on Highway 1."
Samir inhaled sharply, imdiately realizing the gravity of the situation.
"If Masood dies..."
"The Kurds will be in civil war, Kirkuk will beco a sea of fire, and the restructuring plan for you and your troops will be indefinitely postponed, or even beco the scapegoat."
Song Heping picked up where he left off.
"Therefore, he cannot die. I need to go to Kirkuk to handle this personally."
"You're going personally? It's too dangerous! Barzani must have heavy troops in that area..."
"Precisely because he has heavy troops, a large-scale mobilization would alert them. I need a small, precise 'scalpel' to remove the malignant tumor before anyone reacts."
Song Heping shouldered his backpack, walked up to Samir, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Samir, after I leave, Baghdad will rely on you alone. Stay steady as if nothing happened. Continue to deal with Yusuf and the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, pushing your restructuring agenda. Be particularly mindful of those fence-sitters in Congress. If... I an if, I'm successful there, Masood is safe, then your biggest political obstacle here will no longer exist, and the likelihood of your Lieutenant General rank and incorporation of the 'Liberation Forces' being approved by the Congress of Iligo Country will greatly increase."
Samir straightened up, eyes brimming with gratitude.
"I understand, Boss. Here in Baghdad, I'll hold the fort. Please... be careful. Do I need to contact Abu You in advance?"
"No need. I'll contact Jiang Feng directly. Your current task is to play your role as the 'commander of local ard forces about to be incorporated' well. Don't have any unconventional contact with Kirkuk to avoid raising suspicion."
Song Heping glanced at his watch.
"It's ti. You drive to the H1 Landing Pad."
Fifteen minutes later.
Baghdad Green Zone, H1 Landing Pad.
This is one of the few hardened zones within the Green Zone that can accommodate dium-sized helicopters, primarily used for the rapid transfer of senior officials from the Alliance Army.
At this mont, most of the lights at the site edges are off, with only a few low-intensity runway edge lights providing barely enough dim yellow light to see the ground.
The night wind carries the moisture of the Tigris River and the chill of the desert, blowing by.
A black Chevrolet Suburban SUV without any markings silently glided to a stop at the edge of the landing site.
Song Heping and Samir got off one after another.
Soon, a black silhouette almost rging into the night appeared at a low altitude.
It was an MH-60M "Pave Hawk" special operations helicopter.
It skillfully sidled into the field, hovering steadily a few ters above the ground, and then gently landed at a designated helipad.
The downdraft from the rotors stirred up a cloud of sand and dust, making it almost impossible to keep one's eyes open.
This "Pave Hawk" was matte black throughout, with short wings on both sides of the fuselage, and weapon mounts clearly visible though not loaded.
The multi-mode radar under the nose and the array of antennas on various parts of the fuselage signified that it was no ordinary transport helicopter.
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