This type of platoon radio generally has a communication range of about 10-30 kiloters when short antennas are used, and the distance can reach about 200 kiloters with long antennas.
Under normal circumstances, they should be able to contact the troops of the Revolutionary Guard Special Brigade in Awaz, and it would be a success as long as they could hear their call.
Opportunity knocks but once.
Song Heping quickly got into the passenger seat, glanced at the radio, and to his surprise, found it turned off.
He hurriedly switched on the power.
However, after turning it on, he discovered that the power light was not on.
"Don't tell it's out of battery..."
A cold sweat broke out on Song Heping's forehead.
"Having diarrhea at a critical mont... It can't be..."
He quickly checked the battery and realized that it wasn't a battery issue, but that there were two bullet holes on one side of the radio, clearly damaged by bullets.
The only explanation was Rabbani.
The guy had just emptied a whole magazine by continuously pulling the trigger, and with the imitation AK's automatic firing shooting wildly, the bullets had no precision, many hitting the vehicle, resulting in the radio inside also being hit twice.
That's why old soldiers hate it when new recruits recklessly fire in full auto. Semicontrolled burst fire not only conserves bullets but also prevents friendly fire incidents.
He then assessed the damage.
In the end, Song Heping gave up on the radio in despair.
The damage was very severe, beyond repair.
The radio was totaled.
He didn't linger any longer, imdiately got out of the vehicle, and said to Mist and Rabbani, "Go, go, go! Retreat!"
"What?! Did you make contact?"
Mist, still unaware of what had happened, was under the illusion that Song Heping had acted quickly.
Song Heping said with a dark expression, "The radio's broken."
"Broken?!"
Mist almost jumped up in shock.
"How did it break?"
Song Heping replied, "It was hit by a stray bullet."
Mist was stunned.
But he quickly ca to himself and leaped out of the vehicle.
"Then let's make a run for it! Otherwise, are we just going to wait here for death?!"
The three of them started running northward, not daring to stop even for a mont, quickly disappearing into the vastness of the highland.
...
Above the Persian Plateau.
The cook sat on the edge of the helicopter, using binoculars to search the ground.
Unfortunately, he found nothing.
The sky was slowly darkening, as the sun settled beyond distant mountains.
"We're running low on fuel, we need to head back!"
The pilot turned his head and shouted to the rcenaries in the cabin.
Upon hearing this, Grey Wolf sighed, "It's already the third day..."
He thought better of it and swallowed the rest of his sentence.
The cook's complexion wasn't great, the setting sun casting his face in an eerie mix of gold and shadow.
Suddenly, he said, "If we switch places, and we're Song, and Song is in the helicopter now, what do you think he would do?"
After speaking, he turned to look at his brothers.
The others inside the cabin were caught off guard by the cook's question and were montarily at a loss, exchanging glances, unsure of how to answer.
Hunter said, "Cook, aren't you putting us in a tough spot? We're no good at tactics, that's Song's forte."
The cook shot him a disdainful look and turned toward White Bear, "White Bear, tell , what would you do if you were in this situation?"
White Bear looked astounded, pointed to his nose, and said, "You're asking ?"
The cook cursed, "No shit!"
White Bear rolled his eyes and thought for a while before pointing at Queen, "You might as well ask Yuliy!"
Upon hearing this, Yuliy elbowed White Bear hard in the arm and said, "Andre! Don't make trouble for if you have nothing better to do!"
Clearly, Queen Julia was also at a loss for ideas.
Seeing this, Grey Wolf could not help but say, "Cook, we're all very anxious, but we've been patrolling this area with helicopters every day. We can't possibly scour the entire highland, nor can it be done. Patrolling between Awaz and Istand Mountain was the plan Song gave when he left, and I have no better idea than that..."
The cook stared at the setting sun in the distance and said, "He set the plan, that's true, but since he hasn't shown up on this route, it ans he's run into trouble on his end..."
With that, he fell silent for a mont before adding, "I think... we need to make a call ourselves this ti. Otherwise, if we can't manage without Song, what kind of rcenaries are we?"
Grey Wolf asked, "Then do you have any good ideas? We'll follow your lead."
The cook still didn't speak, his gaze lingering on the distant mountainside.
At that mont, only a sliver of sunlight remained on the edge of the mountains, and it was about to be completely dark.
"We're going down."
Suddenly, he muttered a sentence.
Grey Wolf was shocked and thought he had misheard, "What did you say?"
The cook said, "Go down! We have to descend! Only by going down do we have a chance to find them. We can capture a few from the Revolutionary Brigade and force them to tell us whether they've seen Disaster Star these days! If Disaster Star is in the highland region, then they must have had firefights and contact with the Revolutionary Brigade, and they must know sothing!"
"Are you crazy?!" Grey Wolf pointed to the ground and said, "Avanti said that the highland area near the border is all active zone of the Revolutionary Brigade. They are hiding between the mountains of the highland, with an estimated force of over a thousand. Going down there with our few guns, wouldn't that be suicide?!"
The cook turned his head and looked around at everyone, his gaze sharp as a knife before finally landing on Grey Wolf's face.
Grey Wolf felt a bit shaky under his stare and couldn't help but look down.
"If Disaster Star were on the plane, and any one of us were down there running for our lives, I believe he wouldn't think this proposal was crazy."
Every word the cook spoke fell heavily on everyone's conscience.
"Afraid of death?! Being rcenaries and afraid of death? When it was ti to share the gold and wealth, where was this fear? Now when it's ti to take a risk, you say it's crazy?"
His words made everyone's faces flush with sha, each feeling as if their faces were scalded as though slapped several tis.
"I agree with the cook's suggestion," Yuliya was the first to speak up. "Suka! To death then, I'm not afraid. I've earned enough in these past six months, now I'm putting my life on the line not for money! Disaster Star is a good guy, and I don't want to fly around in a helicopter every day only to fin out eventually that he's dead!"
Seeing this, White Bear imdiately raised his hand, "Count in! I'm going too!"
Then ca Hunter, "I'll go! Don't leave behind."
Disaster Star said, "Wherever Hunter goes, I go."
Lastly, Grey Wolf, "Cook, I feel ashad, but I'll go too..."
The cook extended a hand, "Co on, let's all go find Disaster Star!"
The rest of the hands joined in, piling on top of one another.
The cook shouted to the pilot, "Lieutenant, we need to land. Find us a spot to land here!"
...
Kandahar, ISA Headquarters.
Everyone in the work area pretended to be busy, heads buried in front of their computers.
The room was so quiet that the buzzing of a mosquito's wings could be heard.
"Are you all very busy?!"
Niki, who had been pacing the office area, finally couldn't take it anymore. She stopped in her tracks and roared at everyone present, "Three days! Isn't there one person who can find out where Song He and Mist have gone?! Satellites, drones! And scouts! I've given you all these resources, but not one of you can find their trail!? "
No one answered.
Still silence.
At last, Thom spoke up hesitantly, "Major, we've now confird that Adrian and two other mbers have been killed, this intelligence has been verified, implying that the twoso's mission has been completed..."
"Thom! Are you implying that as long as the mission is completed, we don't need to worry about the lives of those two n?! Forget about the rcenary, one of them is our Seal Team mber!"
Niki rudely cut Thom off.
"Damn it! Would it be the sa for you one day? If you're on a mission and it's completed, can I also disregard whether you live or die?!"
Thom was so frightened he quickly shut up.
Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang.
Thom picked up the receiver and his face grew increasingly grim as he listened.
When he finished, he looked up at Niki, struggling to speak.
"Spit it out!"
Niki was losing her patience.
Thom opened his mouth with difficulty and finally said, "The rapid reaction unit just captured a Revolutionary Brigade soldier near Hanix. They've obtained intelligence from him. After questioning, the man confessed that the twoso along with the contact person Lanier crossed the border and have entered Persia. The Revolutionary Brigade has mobilized all their forces on the northwest side of Afghan and the Persian Plateau; they've been searching there for three days..."
"What!? Persia?!"
Niki was shocked, freezing in place.
Persia...
That place was off-limits.
Since the Delta Force's "Eagle Claw" operation ended in failure in 1980, the US Special Forces never set foot on Persian soil again. They only dared to conduct close reconnaissance in the Persian Gulf, never stepping foot on the mainland.
If the intel obtained by the rapid reaction unit near Hanix was accurate, even if they knew the exact location of the three-mber team on the Persian Plateau, they couldn't go to rescue them. They would have to report to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon would probably have to send the docunts to the White House, with the approval authority resting in the President's hands.
By the ti the back-and-forth was done, not to ntion the ti delay, the President would also be unlikely to approve such an action.
To risk war with Persia to save one Seal and a rcenary was simply not worth it.
She grew more agitated, pacing back and forth in the room.
Once more, everyone lowered their heads, pretending to be busy.
About five minutes passed, and Niki stopped pacing.
"Thom, get the rapid reaction unit to further collect more information. Utilize all resources to start deploying towards the border area of the Persian Plateau. All operatives on our side are to be redirected there. Have the drones fly along the border between Afghan and Persia. Also, contact the Air Force; we need a reconnaissance plane to aid in our search. We must find their exact location!"
Thom jotted everything down, then suddenly looked up and asked, "What if we do find out their location? Should we make a plan to report and request higher command approval for action?"
"Request approval,"
Niki scoffed, "By the ti those bureaucrats approve, the bodies of the three-mber team will have gone cold."
Thom was startled and blurted out, "You're planning to dispatch the rapid reaction unit to cross the border and rescue them on their own?!"
In fact, Thom had half a sentence he didn't say aloud—"Are you insane?!"
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