"Missile!"
On the helicopter, the machine gunner couldn't be bothered to continue firing. He turned back towards the cockpit and shouted in terror.
The co-pilot swiftly pressed the button to release the flares, while the main pilot jerked the joystick, causing the helicopter to frantically ascend and veer to the right in a steep maneuver, attempting to evade the impending deadly threat.
Unfortunately, the altitude was too low, and the distance was too short.
Everything was too late!
The man-portable air-defense missile traced a decisive and deadly arc in the sky, completely ignoring the crazy barrage of hot flares released by the Black Hawk Helicopter at the last mont.
Burning magnesium strips drew brief, enticing spots of light in the air but they were like stones cast into an abyss, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.
The missile resolutely headed towards the "Quick Blade 1-1", which had just completed a dive strafing and was in its most vulnerable turning posture!
Everyone who witnessed this scene, whether they were the rcenaries at the checkpoint desperately holding out behind crumbling walls or the swarming 1515 mbers on the ground, paused in unison for a split second.
The sound of gunfire seed to montarily thin out.
Every pair of eyes was fixed on that trajectory in the sky that foretold destruction.
The next second—
"Boom!!!"
A massive red fireball suddenly exploded near the junction of the tail boom and main rotor of "Quick Blade 1-1"!
The explosion rcilessly tore apart the relatively fragile fuselage structure of the Black Hawk Helicopter!
Visible shockwaves rapidly expanded in the night sky!
Having lost the stabilizing force provided by the tail rotor, the main rotor imdiately lost control, and "Quick Blade 1-1," like a giant bird with broken wings, howled with imnse inertia, spinning wildly into the pitch-black night sky!
The fuselage spun violently in the air, burning aviation fuel gushed from the ruptured fuel tank and lines, trailing long streaks of fire in the sky.
"No—!"
Inside the checkpoint, soone managed to squeeze out a desperate, distorted howl from their throat.
Under everybody's gaze, the burning helicopter wreckage, possibly still containing conscious pilots and machine gunners, brutally crashed toward a relatively open sandy patch less than a hundred ters outside the checkpoint!
"Boom rumble——!!!"
The impact sound and subsequent explosion were even more intense than when the missile hit!
An even brighter fireball soared into the sky from the crash site, instantly engulfing everything around it.
In the firelight reaching for the sky, the helicopter wreckage could be clearly seen shattering completely under the violent impact, larger fragnts tossed around like toys, while smaller parts quickly lted and deford in the extre heat beyond lting point.
The Black Hawk, had fallen.
Ti seed to freeze.
The checkpoint was plunged into deathly silence.
Only the increasingly fervent howls of the distant enemy, after realizing what had happened, broke the stillness.
Another "Quick Blade 1-2" rose in panic, turning and desperately fleeing this dangerous airspace.
"There are anti-air missiles on the ground, we must retreat, good luck to you all!"
The people on the helicopter no longer concerned themselves with their comrades on the ground, a brief farewell transmitted over the radio, and the helicopter vanished into the distant darkness.
Sanders stood frozen in place, his hand holding the binoculars dropped weakly.
"Shit! It's over!"
There was no expression on his face, only his pupils contracted violently.
A chilling coldness suddenly swept through his entire body from the soles of his feet, more deadly than any bullet or shrapnel wound.
Hope had arrived so fiercely; yet disappeared just as swiftly and cruelly.
In the sound of an explosion, everything turned to nothing.
Seconds later, Sanders grabbed the radio communicator:
"Thunder Command Center! Thunder Command Center! This is checkpoint number four! Ergency call! 'Quick Blade 1-1' has been shot down! Repeating, 'Quick Blade 1-1' has been shot down by a surface-to-air missile! Crashed approximately 100 ters southeast of our position! Personnel onboard... presud all perished! 'Quick Blade 1-2' has exited the battlefield! We've lost air support! Repeating, we have lost air support! The situation is extrely critical! We urgently need imdiate, effective support! Any form of support!"
He paused, almost through gritted teeth, spat out the ominous military phrase:
"——Black Hawk down, repeat, Black Hawk down."
There was a brief silence on the other side of the radio, with only the weak "zzz" sound of static to be heard.
Obviously, the staff on duty at the Thunder Defense Command in distant Baghdad were also shocked by this sudden bad news.
After a long while, a reply finally ca through the radio:
"…Checkpoint Four, received. Confirming… 'Black Hawk down'." Eventually, the voice coming through the radio lost its previous calm and composure, carrying a hint of barely noticeable tremor as if being choked, "Hold on, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is on the way. We'll do our best to coordinate... all available resources..."
A few minutes later, at the Hulmatu Command Center.
The calm here was unexpectedly in stark contrast to the inferno-like scene dozens of kiloters away.
Only the occasional scattered battle report transmitted over the radio served as a reminder of the fierce battle raging afar.
The sharp ringing of the dedicated line for the satellite phone abruptly pierced this tranquility.
Song Heping heard the ringing but did not answer imdiately. Instead, he leisurely picked up the enal mug with "Longevity without Boundaries" printed on it, took a sip of strong tea, and then glanced at the caller ID number.
"Hmph!"
A faint cold smile flashed across his lips.
He waited for three rings before slowly picking up the receiver and putting it to his ear.
"Song! What the hell are you doing!?"
Even without the speakerphone enabled, Colonel Kote's roar, filled with anger and anxiety, was enough to make others in the room turn their heads.
"Checkpoint Four is under massive attack! A Black Hawk from Thunder Defense was just shot down! Where are your n?! Where are your patrols?! Why is there a well-equipped 1515 Ard formation with anti-aircraft missiles appearing in Sector Four?! Did you purposely relax the patrol and vigilance in that area?! Do you want to see Sanders and his team get wiped out?!"
A torrent of questions, like a long-prepared barrage, ca crashing down with the rage of a bla-seeking general.
Song Heping held the receiver slightly away from his ear, maintaining an almost indifferent calm, patiently waiting for Kote's outburst, like a volcano eruption, to subside.
Then he responded in a steady voice, tinged with just the right amount of confusion and innocence:
"Colonel Kote, please calm down first. I completely understand your feelings at the mont, but there are certain facts we need to clarify first."
He paused, his tone still unhurried:
"Firstly, I rember very clearly that initially it was Thunder Defense that, citing 'unified command authority' and 'improving defense efficiency', insisted that the militia withdraw from Checkpoint Four, and unilaterally declared that your side would be solely responsible for all security affairs in that area. It was you who insisted on taking over Sector Four, viewing it as Thunder Company's 'private territory.' Now that there's a problem, experiencing a massive attack, yet blaming for not fulfilling a responsibility that shouldn't be mine in the first place? Colonel Kote, are you slapping your own face? That's not how things work in this world."
On the other end, Kote was choked by this clear and logical rebuttal, montarily at a loss for words to counter.
Song Heping didn't give the other party much ti to think and organize their words, continuing:
"Secondly, about the support issue. I believe I need to inform you that just over ten minutes ago, shortly after your checkpoint first ca under attack and sent out a distress signal, based on our remaining alliance and humanitarian spirit, I have already ordered my deputy Samir to urgently assemble and lead a fully manned battalion to rush to Checkpoint Four to support Captain Sanders."
"Then where are they?! Why hasn't anyone been seen yet?!"
Kote interrupted anxiously, his voice filled with suspicion and impatience.
"Regrettably,"
Song Heping's tone carried just the right amount of 'helplessness' and 'heaviness':
"According to the latest report just received from Samir, they encountered multiple small units pre-set by 1515 Ard about five kiloters outside of Hulmatu, and the road was severely damaged by suspected IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Although the firefight wasn't intense, it has significantly delayed their progress. Colonel Kote, the militia under my command, whether in terms of equipnt or training level, can't be compared to your US Army and Thunder Company's elite rcenaries. It indeed requires more ti to handle this kind of harassnt and disruption..."
On the other end of the phone, Kote almost ground his molars into dust, and his fingers holding the handset trembled slightly from excessive force.
He was 100% certain that the so-called "ambush encountered" and "road destruction" were excuses deliberately crafted by the sly Song Heping!
The aim was to stall for ti and watch as the Thunder Defense's forces at Checkpoint Four were slowly worn down by 1515 Ard!
But he didn't have any evidence to debunk this lie, and now the situation was dire, he was in need, so he could only force himself to suppress the impulse to curse this yellow-skinned monkey and his deceitful rhetoric with all his might.
"Song... Mr. Song,"
Kote's voice had no choice but to soften, attempting to switch to a pleading tone:
"I know... I know there might have been so… communication misunderstandings regarding the issue of Checkpoint Four's jurisdiction previously. But now is not the ti to discuss this! The situation is extrely critical! Sanders and his team are already running out of ammo, and personnel casualties are severe! They can't hold on for much longer! The follow-up air support won't reach that airspace for at least another forty minutes! I'm begging you, for the sake of our alliance, imdiately, now, and by any ans, save them! Whatever it takes!"
"Well, the ans..."
Song Heping deliberately dragged out his tone, as if really racking his brains, giving the other party the illusion that he was trying to find a solution earnestly.
"It's not that there aren't any..."
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