Now all hope rested on Angel's shoulders.
Song Heping was fuming with anger.
He was a man of profound pride, always considering himself strong and independent.
Never did he expect to fall to a point where he had to rely on a woman.
This was just...damn it...
Only now did he understand.
It wasn't just about being strong, independent, hardworking, or capable in this world; often, one also needed luck, background, connections, and opportunities.
As the saying goes, success relies on fate, but planning is a man's duty.
The wisdom of the ancestors was full of worldly insight.
Boom—
Boom—
Boom—
Before he could finish his reflection, a series of loud explosions suddenly echoed.
The entire cave shook, with pebbles and dirt cascading down.
"Bombing!"
Song Heping imdiately found a recess to hide in.
Morins quickly burrowed over as well.
"What's happening?!" Morins looked at Song Heping in shock.
"Enemy planes bombing!" Song Heping looked up at the cave ceiling, "Can't you see? We've been exposed!"
Boom—
Boom—
The explosions continued.
The command post had totally lost its command function, with staff and soldiers scrambling to find cover.
After listening to the explosions for a while, Song Heping made a judgnt, "At least it's not ground penetrating bombs. Otherwise, we'd both be done for here."
A chill spread down his spine, and sweat broke out on his back.
The Colombian Air Force didn't have very advanced ground attack munitions, and their bombers couldn't carry large ground penetrating bombs. If they were like the high-yield bombs used by the US Army when he had cooperated with them in Mosul against the Resistance Army, no one in the cave would have survived, and all would be on their way to et King Yama.
"How did they find us?!" Morins was astounded.
He personally chose this spot for its secrecy, hiding directly in a mountain cave, yet it had still been targeted.
"Radio."
Song Heping's gaze fell on the radio.
"There must be a US Army technical unit assisting them."
"An Arican technical unit?" Morins gritted his teeth, "Damn it, to think they went to such lengths just to deal with my small anti-governnt ard forces!"
Song Heping said, "It's probably electronic surveillance aircraft. As long as such planes are nearby, they can capture the signal source. We have been maintaining frequent communication with the troops below, and they were able to pin down our position with that data."
"Damn it, they're taking advantage of us not having anti-aircraft weapons!" Morins cursed helplessly.
"Morins, I have already asked soone to continue to exert public opinion pressure within the United States, but it really takes ti, and I myself don't know how long until it takes effect. So now, we must evacuate here imdiately, the cave is no longer safe."
Song Heping continued to speak while listening to the bombing, "This bombing is substantial. They don't have ground penetrating bombs, so they're most certainly bombing the guard troops outside the cave..."
Suddenly, he abruptly thought of sothing.
"Quick! Send a secret telegram imdiately, notify the command posts of both the northern and southern defense zones, inform them that from now on, they should only power on the radio once every hour to communicate. Don't keep the radio on to contact us at all tis. Be radio silent at other tis! Also, order everyone to destroy any secret docunts and take maps and anything else that can be taken with us. Prepare to evacuate imdiately after the bombing."
"Now?"
"Yes, right now!"
After speaking, Song Heping, regardless of the ongoing bombing, left his hiding place, rushed to the table, stuffed his computer and other equipnt into his backpack, then slung it over his back, and told the others, "Don't be scared! They're not ground penetrating bombs; we won't die. They're not here to bomb us; they're bombing the guard troops outside. Pack up and be ready to evacuate imdiately after the bombing ends! Their Special Forces will definitely airdrop here after the bombing!"
Seeing Song Heping co out, others also hurriedly started packing their things.
Morins asked, "Where to evacuate? Into the mountains? Or across the border?"
Their current location was also very close to the Venezuelan border.
Crossing the border would undoubtedly ensure safety.
Neither the Colombian Governnt Army's planes nor their troops would dare to cross the border, causing an international dispute.
In the past, when the ELN ard forces faced desperate situations, they also used this tactic, escaping into Venezuela, which was why Morins asked this question.
"Into the mountains!" Song Heping decided without hesitation.
Going into the mountains ant staying within Colombian territory.
Once such a strategy was adopted, it ant there was no way back.
For the Colombian Special Forces would certainly not give command personnel the chance to enter Venezuela.
Morins realized that Song Heping had determined their side would win, which was why he dared to make such a choice.
Now that the command post was exposed, it ant deep involvent by the US Army.
Previously, it was thought they were just sending military advisors.
Now it seed, in addition to dispatching military advisors, they had also sent a technical unit to provide battlefield support.
Fighting against AUC, Morins was not afraid.
Battling the governnt army, at worst, they could hide in the jungles.
But facing the addition of the US Army, Morins didn't think they could win.
Ten minutes later, the bombing stopped, and everyone hurriedly left the cave.
Everywhere his gaze landed, Song Heping gasped in cold air.
All around the cave, the forest and the guard unit's defense area were engulfed in flas.
The A-37 bombers had dropped White Phosphorus Bombs this ti!
Faintly, Song Heping heard screams coming from the forest.
White phosphorus, a substance prohibited for use, is classified as a weapon banned under the chemical weapons convention.
To deal with the ELN, they actually resorted to using such a weapon!
At this mont, Song Heping's heart was bristling with dread.
Only then did he realize, the two ambushes he had organized earlier must have infuriated the Arican advisors.
Otherwise, the governnt army would not resort to such extre asures, and the Aricans wouldn't even bother to send electronic surveillance planes to deal with the ELN.
"Joey!"
Morins shouted out the guard company commander's na towards the front.
"Joey!"
After several shouts, several figures with ashy faces and singed hair, "charcoal heads," erged from the trees.
"Boss... Lieutenant Joey is dead..."
Morins finally recognized the leader of the group as his own guard platoon leader, Bruce.
"Bruce, how many are left in the guard company?!"
"I don't know, I just looked around and found only five of us."
Bruce looked very dejected, entirely devoid of fighting spirit, his body trembling.
Song Heping understood his state of mind at that mont.
White phosphorus is a perverse substance that can burn holes even in steel, and once it cos into contact with flesh, unless it is swiftly and skillfully removed by cutting off the contaminated flesh, it continues to burn on the body, with no other extinguishing thods being effective.
"Let's go! There's no one left."
Song Heping said to Morins, "If we don't leave now, the Special Forces will arrive. They are coming specifically for you."
Morins gritted his teeth and gave the order, "Retreat!"
At this point, searching for survivors was aningless.
With area bombing and White Phosphorus Bombs, very few could have survived.
Even if there were a few, choosing to look for survivors at the expense of delaying the evacuation to the point where the command post was wiped out would be an idiotic decision.
In the command post, out of twelve people, along with the five outside, plus Song Heping and Morins, the ELN's command center had been reduced to these 19 people, not even enough to form a platoon, and most of them were communications soldiers with a few staff from the command post.
Such was the combat strength, tragically weak.
Song Heping could only order everyone to imdiately retreat deep into the forests of Tbilisi.
Only the dense woods and towering mountains were the keys to survival.
"Ah— Ah—"
They hadn't gone far, just less than a hundred ters from the command post cave, when the cries from the roadside forest attracted everyone's attention.
Morins stopped, listening carefully.
"It's Leidun!"
He quickly left the narrow path and rushed towards the direction of the screaming.
Song Heping could only follow with his gun.
Several of them found the deputy commander of the guard company, Leidun, on the slope.
Song Heping frowned at a single glance.
Leidun was rolling on the ground, emitting pitiful screams.
His body had five or six points where the White Phosphorus was igniting.
Smoke rose all over his body.
A living person, emitting smoke all over, still moving.
This was a truly hellish spectacle.
Leidun seed to also hear the sound and got up.
But he could no longer see.
His eyes were burned blind.
Flailing his arms, he desperately shouted, "Save ! Brothers, save !"
The White Phosphorus continued its unique effect, sizzling as it burned through Leidun's flesh.
Morins wanted to step forward, but Song Heping grabbed him.
"If it gets on you, I'll have to cut your flesh off with a knife."
Morins looked at Song Heping in despair. "How can we save him?!"
Song Heping drew his Glock Pistol and fired a shot at Leidun.
His aim was excellent, a clean headshot.
Leidun's body fell stiff to the ground, motionless.
Song Heping sighed, "That's helping him."
Morins stood there, stunned.
Song Heping said, "This way, there's no pain at all, better than being painfully burnt for half an hour until death."
Just then, the roar of propellers ca from the sky.
Song Heping looked up.
Several black dots appeared in the distant sky, growing larger and larger.
"It's the military's helicopters, they've arrived."
Song Heping waved his hand, "We retreat, into the mountains!"
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