"Our situation isn't good," Shebeck said grimly to Jack.
They had captured a prisoner, but he didn't speak English, so a local girl nad Nadine temporarily acted as his translator.
According to the prisoner, Radulan Sahiron, one of the main leaders of the Abu Sayyaf organization on Jolo Island, was gathering his troops, targeting the passengers on the crash-landed airliner.
Radulan Sahiron was over 70 years old and had fought for a foreign power in Afghanistan, losing his right arm in the process.
After the Marawi War, the Abu Sayyaf organization lost several important leaders, and Radulan Sahiron beca the most senior and highest-ranking person on the island, currently commanding no fewer than 300 militants.
Junma, who died at Jack's hands, was one of his confidants and the successor he was grooming. The two hostages previously held by Junma were delivered to Radulan Sahiron that very night.
Radulan Sahiron was overjoyed to learn that there were still a dozen or so foreigners on the island and imdiately offered a huge reward, encouraging the island's civilians to provide clues.
Early this morning, almost at the sa ti the PMCs landed on the island, residents of Jolo Island who witnessed the transport plane and parachutes rushed to warn them.
Radulan Sahiron was relatively cautious; knowing that soone had airdropped to rescue them, he concentrated his ard forces while sending Junma and his n, who were closest, to investigate.
Their orders were only to prevent the PMCs from taking away the valuable hostages. The reason they were so badly defeated was partly due to underestimating the enemy and partly because Jack had killed their leader first.
The veterans, who ford the core of the force, feared Radulan Sahiron's wrath if they returned empty-handed, so they launched an attack, hoping to suppress the snipers and break into the small building, relying on their nurical advantage to win.
The result was a direct rout by precise firepower, with almost the entire force wiped out.
So, was this a case of killing the small group and getting the big ones in return? Over 300 militants, and that's just their direct subordinates — the sheer number is terrifying.
"Can we expedite the SEALs' deploynt?" Jack asked.
"We already did, but the earliest they'll be here is tomorrow morning. My concern is that if we're surrounded, the military might cancel the SEALs' airdrop." Shebeck's concerns weren't unfounded. The reason they were holding out in this abandoned mine, besides the sturdy little building that made it easy to defend, was the rare paved ground between the building and the mine.
If they lost this landing zone, or if the mine was completely surrounded and the landing zone was under fire, the SEALs would likely have to land on the nearest beach and then co on foot to provide support.
The island was covered in dense rainforest and hostile locals, inevitably reminding one of past military nightmares in similar tropical jungles. No one knew what they would encounter along the way.
After all, even elite special forces aren't invincible, and they certainly can't parachute over dense tropical rainforests. The military did this in the past, and the outco wasn't pleasant.
But regardless, they couldn't let themselves remain so passive; they needed to do sothing. With this thought in mind, they at least needed to delay the enemy's attack until nightfall. With this in mind, Jack found Gaspare.
"A raid on their assembly point?" Gaspare's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"With our small force, raiding a base with over 300 ard militants? Are you serious?"
Jack smiled and "comforted" him, "It's not just 'this' number of people, just you and . We need soone to guard this place and ambush us on the way to cover our retreat."
"Are you sure we still have a chance to retreat?" Gaspare thought this guy was crazy.
However, after hearing Jack's plan, everyone, including Shebeck, felt that although his plan sounded crazy, it wasn't impossible to succeed.
The premise was that he was as good as he boasted and had enough luck.
Half an hour later, a dilapidated Nissan pickup truck sped along the rainforest road.
This vehicle was the only heavy firepower of the previous group of militants, a modified pickup truck carrying a heavy machine gun.
Although the heavy machine gun on it had been damaged by Jack, the machine gun mount on the back of the truck, which could rotate 360 degrees, was still intact.
Jack mounted his heavy sniper rifle on it, took all the magazines, and Gaspare drove, speeding towards the "enemy camp."
Palang was once a well-known tourist town on Jolo Island, boasting beautiful beaches, bars, a hospital, a school, and even a shopping mall catering to tourists.
Now, all of that is gone. The once bustling cruise ship terminal is reduced to half, with a few scattered ard boats and even more dilapidated fishing vessels.
In the town center, beside a smashed fountain, an old man with a full head of white hair and a fierce face, shirtless and revealing his scarred chest, waves his remaining left arm, loudly giving a speech.
anwhile, less than two kiloters from the town, on a dirt road, Jack closed his military tablet. This drone was truly impressive; it could almost clearly capture faces from thousands of ters in the air.
Unfortunately, the air force base was too far away. To ensure sufficient loiter ti, the drone hadn't even brought missiles; otherwise, dropping one now would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.
"Are you sure we won't get riddled with bullets the mont we rush in?" Gaspare looked dejected. If Jack hadn't promised to clear his na, he really wouldn't want to risk his life with this person.
"When did I tell you to rush in?" Jack was startled.
"We're here to harass, not to die. Were you even listening when I gave you the instructions?"
"I still think your terrible idea is no different from suicide." Gaspare rolled his eyes.
"You shouldn't have destroyed that heavy machine gun. With that big guy around, our chances of survival would be much better."
Jack rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Don't count on that piece of scrap tal. I checked it before; it might be older than Captain Torrance's grandfather, and it hasn't been properly maintained for years. There are even dead insects in the receiver."
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