Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1304 The Pentagon's Anxiety

Washington, Pentagon.

The lights of the night could not dispel the anxiety and oppressive atmosphere that permeated the emergency operations center.

On the huge electronic screen, a real-time situation map of northern Iligo was displayed. The red arrow representing the 1515 armed forces, like a ferocious serpent, fiercely darted out from the Titrick point and rushed straight towards the blue symbol representing Hurmatu.

The blue defensive circle kept flashing and shrinking, and the numbers indicating the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves were alarming.

Lieutenant General Miller tugged at his tightly buttoned collar, feeling a little short of breath.

Before him lay a detailed battle report that had just been delivered, filled with jarring words such as "defeat," "collapse," "inability to establish an effective defensive line," and "Commander Colonel Kurt's suicide."

Several photos taken by high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft are even more telling: a long stretch of fleeing convoys on the highway, abandoned Humvees, armored vehicles and even artillery, and human-shaped black dots lying in the sand, never to rise again.

"Gentlemen,"

Miller's voice was a little hoarse as he looked around at his colleagues at the conference table, each with an increasingly grim expression—generals from the Army and Special Operations Command, as well as senior civilian officials from the CIA and the Department of Defense.

"Everyone has seen the situation. Titrick, we've lost him. Kort... died in the line of duty. Now, the main force of the extremist group 'Islamic State' is taking advantage of the euphoria brought by this victory and is frantically rushing towards Hurmatu. The small number of Thunder Defense mercenaries and some of the Kold 'Dare to Fight' in Hurmatu are currently demoralized and short of ammunition. According to frontline assessments, they can only hold out for a maximum of 48 hours, or even less."

The meeting room was silent, with only the low hum of the air conditioner vents.

Some people stared at the red arrows on the map, their brows furrowed; others flipped through reports, as if trying to find some miracle; still others simply lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with Miller.

"What about air support?"

An Air Force lieutenant general spoke first, “The B-52s are ready to go, and the fleet can take off from Qatar and the UAE at any time. We need authorization to conduct intensive, indiscriminate carpet bombing and turn the road to Hurmatu into a corridor of hellfire!”

"Bombing can solve part of the problem,"

A CIA regional director interjected cautiously, “But that depends on our ground forces being able to hold their ground, guide air strikes, and withstand the political pressure from potential civilian casualties. The problem now is that ground forces are in retreat, and effective guidance and reconnaissance are lacking. Blind bombing could injure retreating soldiers and civilians, and might not even stop the 1515 armed groups from infiltrating in small groups.”

"So we just stand by and watch Hurmatu fall?"

Another army general raised his voice, “We have invested a lot of resources there over the past few years! It is a vital foothold for us to demonstrate our presence in the north! If we lose Hurmatu, Erbil will be directly exposed to the threat, and the Kurds and the Iligo government will completely lose faith in us! The strategic balance in the entire northern Iligo region will be broken!”

Perhaps because the situation was too serious and there was no solution, everyone in the meeting room fell into a brief silence.

"Perhaps...we could consider urgently sending additional troops?"

A full half minute later, someone suddenly suggested in a low voice, "Should we send a Stryker brigade from Kuwait and quickly head north?"

"time!"

Miller slammed his fist on the table. “We don’t have time! Deployment, maneuvering, and establishing a defensive line will take at least a week! Hurmatu can’t wait a week! 1515 won’t give us a week either! Besides, we’ve only withdrawn our troops less than a year ago, and the president announced it to the world. Are we going to contradict ourselves so soon? Moreover, what about the funding? Will the men in Congress be willing to foot the bill?”

The meeting reached a stalemate once again.

Everyone was aware of the seriousness of the problem, but they all seemed helpless.

Conventional methods proved slow and cumbersome in the face of a rapidly deteriorating situation. Finally, Miller took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and slowly said, "Perhaps... we need to utilize some 'unconventional' forces. Forces that are already on the scene and capable of reacting quickly."

All eyes were on his face, and some people had already guessed what he was going to say, their expressions becoming complicated.

"You mean... 'musician'? Song Heping?"

The CIA's Middle East chief frowned deeply. "General, don't forget about Colonel Kurt. Although the investigation shows Kurt committed suicide, it's hard to say it wasn't related to his previous conflict with Song Heping. Song Heping's influence in Baiji has grown significantly, seriously affecting our operations and influence in the region. Asking him to intervene again would be like drinking poison to quench thirst. Even if Hurmatu is saved, won't it become a second Baiji, ultimately falling under his control?"

Anxiety spread through the meeting room.

Song Heping's name has long since transformed within the Pentagon and Langley from a mercenary leader who could be exploited into a potential strategic adversary that requires high vigilance and prevention.

This man is cunning, calm, and possesses an astonishing battlefield instinct and strategic vision. Furthermore, he maintains unsettlingly close relationships with the Persians and Russians.

"I acknowledge that there are risks,"

Miller did not shy away from the issue, “But now it’s time to choose the lesser of two evils. Gentlemen, please consider this: what would be the consequences if Hurmatu were captured by 1515? It would be that ISIS would declare another major victory over the United States and its allies! It would be that they would gain a strong strategic foothold in northern Iligo! It would be a major setback for our counterterrorism achievements over the past few years! It would be a complete questioning of our ability to protect us by our regional allies!”

“If Song Heping takes action, even if he has ulterior motives, at least Hurmatu will still be in the hands of ‘non-extremist forces.’ We will still have the opportunity to exert influence through political and diplomatic means in the future, or to find other balances.”

He paused, then emphasized, "No matter how difficult Song Heping is to deal with, he is still a rational opponent who can be communicated and negotiated with. But 1515... is a pure terrorist. I think everyone should know very well who is easier to deal with."

Voices of support and opposition murmured among themselves.

Some people think it's too risky, like making a deal with the devil; but others are gradually being convinced that, in the current desperate situation, it may be the only viable option.

"Is he capable of stopping 1515?"

A Marine Corps general questioned, "According to intelligence, his direct forces in Baij number only two battalions, even including the Persians..."

"He is capable."

Miller stated definitively, retrieving another intelligence summary: "He has a mobile force southeast of Titrick, and is supported by elite mercenaries and the Persian Holy City Brigade in Baigi. More importantly, he is cunning enough and a tactical mastermind. Kot lost because he underestimated him and was too eager for quick results. If we formally request his assistance in defending Hurmatu, and provide the necessary intelligence support and even limited air coordination, he may be able to delay or even thwart 1515's offensive. At the very least, it would buy Hurmatu valuable time, allowing us to mobilize other resources."

Ultimately, under the heavy pressure of reality, the voices of opposition gradually weakened.

Although everyone knew perfectly well that this was tantamount to admitting a local defeat for the official U.S. forces and handing more chips to that unsettling Easterner, they had no other choice.

"Then... let's contact him."

A deputy minister of defense rubbed his temples and said wearily, “Clearly stating our request, and… perhaps hinting at some possibilities for future cooperation. However, it must be emphasized that the initiative in the operation and ultimate control of Hurmatu must…”

“Sir,” Miller interrupted him, a bitter smile on his face, “at this point, we don’t have many hard bargaining chips left at the negotiating table. Dominance and control… are probably not things we can ‘emphasize.’ We are asking for help, not giving orders.”

He picked up the encrypted phone that connected to a specific satellite frequency band, paused for a moment on the keys, and then resolutely dialed the number stored in the confidential file.

　Second update!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)