Chapter 518 - Rebel Troops (1/2)

KABOOM!

The lead jeep in the convoy suddenly swerved right as it was engulfed in a flash, sending out a deafening explosion and waves of extreme heat from soaring flames. The second vehicle, where Xiao Luo was in, had its entire windscreen shattered from the impact. Numerous glass shards and debris blew through the cabin like a raging tsunami hitting the driver, Kong Yunhong, Xiao Luo, and Jiang Zhiming in their faces.

It was fortunate that the driver was quick to react and had stepped on the brakes at the moment of explosion, and avoided being in the blast zone.

“Ahrrg!”

The shrill shrieks of the wounded pierced through the air, sounding like ghouls being tortured in hell. Two survivors scurried out of the lead vehicle, escaping from a sea of fire, but their entire bodies were engulfed in flames. It wasn’t long before they collapsed writhing on the ground and died an excruciating death from severe burns.

“Enemy! Enemy attacking…!”

Kong Hongyun was overwhelmed by fear and panic, and he screamed hysterically in a state of panic.

Jiang Zhiming got off the jeep immediately and dashed toward the two soldiers who had escaped the burning wreckage in front of him. He took off his clothes and use them to beat the flames out. The soldiers from the vehicles in the rear of the column were already approaching, and several were assisting Jiang Zhiming, while the others fanned out defensively to provide cover.

It did not take too long for the troops to smother the fire on the two bodies, and as expected, they had long lost their life. Some parts of their bodies were charred, and much of their exposed skin was covered in blisters. Their twisted faces were blackened and literally unrecognizable, and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air.

In the burning wreckage, the men in the front seats were killed instantly when the vehicle was struck. Their bodies were fused to the tangled frame of the wreck.

The Special Operations team was in shock, for even though they were trained soldiers, they had never actually been in combat and had never witnessed the horrors of actual war. Here in Libya, they were to experience it first-hand, and for them, it would be a tour to hell and back. It had never crossed their minds that they could be so close to death, for it was only moments ago that their comrades were joking with them, and now they laid on the ground, nothing but burnt corpses.

The realization hit them hard, and they felt a sense of anxiety and fear, but at the same time, their hearts wept for their dead compatriots.

“What’s going on? What the heck is going on? Where did the explosion come from? Wasn’t it a smooth ride? I didn’t see any enemy nearby either,” Kong Hongyun cried. He could not make sense of the situation as he kept questioning his colleagues, looking quite puzzled.

“It’s a landmine.”

Jiang Zhiming lifted his head and stared into the road ahead. He had some superficial injuries on his face from the shattered glass debris that flew into the cabin.

“The entire two kilometers of the road ahead is likely mined. We need to take a detour!”

Xiao Luo said as he walked up with his hands on his back. His constitution of King of Mercenaries helped him notice those nondescript symbols on the road earlier, and now he decrypted their meaning clearly. They would be meaningless to those unfamiliar with the territory, but he knew very well that they indicated the locations of landmines in this area. Those were likely buried by the rebel troops, and they had left those warning signs to alert their comrades.

“How… how did you know?” Kong Hongyun.

Although Jiang Zhiming was silent, his eyes also beckoned for answers. Xiao Luo’s order to halt coincided with the first explosion, and he was very sure that Xiao Luo had noticed something unusual. The question was, how did he detect the signs?

Xiao Luo sighed and did not plan to dwell on that topic. “Let’s take a detour,” he said.

He turned back to his jeep right after he spoke.

They had no choice but to take a detour. Jiang Zhiming did not bother him further but told his subordinates to throw the bodies into the flames as a symbolic cremation. They had no other options and could only settle with the most practical means.

After making a detour around the landmine zone, they continued their journey toward Stantine City. They soon left the burning wreck far behind, and many of the soldiers could not help staring back at it as it gradually disappeared from their sights. They pictured four heroic spirits saluting to them in the rising thick smokes.

******

******

They had lost four warriors before even reaching Stantine City, which affected every member of the Special Operation team. The fresh memory of the explosion served as a constant reminder that this was an actual war and not an exercise. Should any incidents occur, the only end for them was death itself. Everyone had to brace themselves for the worst, and they did not even dare to let their guard down.