Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 184 Falling into a box
Flora, listening nearby, was bewildered: "Wait a minute, are they going to organize an airdrop? And possibly a nighttime airdrop? Do they have such highly skilled paratroopers?"

“Let’s just assume they have such highly skilled paratroopers—no matter how skilled they are, they’re still sitting ducks when they’re in the air.” Milton couldn’t hide his excitement. “Provided we have enough ammunition.”

Flora added, "It's not just about having enough ammunition. We also need to know the enemy's approximate location. If the enemy is airdropping at night, how do we pinpoint their location?"

With the land blocked, it's impossible to move a large radar over by air alone.

“Have you forgotten our AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar?” Milton said calmly. “That thing can be used as an air defense radar to some extent. The enemy certainly doesn’t have large transport planes and can only rely on helicopters for airdrops. This radar’s performance is sufficient.”

Flora nodded slightly, then asked, "The counter-battery radar isn't that big, but if we want to airlift it over, it still has to be disassembled and reassembled. Do we have enough technicians to do that?"

"Immediately relay my mobilization order." Milton had already forgotten about the word "cost." "Tapachula has an international airport, and airports must have radar, and radar maintenance technicians. Find them for me!"

"The port of Champelli should also have radar; find all the relevant personnel!"

“When we attacked the port before, the enemy had a radar station, which means they had relevant technical personnel inside. They questioned our POW camp and told them what constituted meritorious service.”

"This airborne operation must be coordinated with the enemy's river crossing. We don't have much time left. Our biggest enemy is not the enemy, but time!"

"While the enemy's air force is currently focused on its own destruction and has no time for reconnaissance, we must quickly reinforce all defensive positions."

"Deploy machine guns and cannons! Important defensive positions must be properly camouflaged, while unimportant or fake positions should be exposed to the enemy as much as possible."

"Let's all take action!"

"..."

No more sleep!
The enemy is making a foolish mistake. Instead of taking advantage of this safe window of opportunity to set up defenses, they're sleeping all night.

Flora yawned, took a sip of coffee, muttered "rubbish Americano" under her breath, and then followed Milton out of the camp.

"You mean they... have such a huge advantage on this battlefield, why are they doing all this weird stuff?"

Milton also reached for a cup of coffee: "You can't say that. Americans can experience the thrill of the battlefield in school, so why do they still join the army?"

"?" Flora spat out the coffee in her mouth. "'Tax collector,' I think I don't need to drink this coffee when I feel sleepy anymore. Just tell me some jokes, and I guarantee I'll wake up immediately."

"Enough with the nonsense." Milton put down his coffee cup, rinsed his mouth with the bitter coffee to shake off the last bit of drowsiness, and then got up and left the command post. "Let's go, let's go take a look ahead."

Not long after, Milton, wearing night vision equipment, took a look at the front line from a distance.

To be honest, the Seguala River that the enemy had to cross wasn't a big river, and crossing it wasn't particularly difficult.

But they managed to take it down in just a few attacks.

This was after several rounds of airstrikes had destroyed most of the fortifications the rebels had set up along the riverbank.

It's clear that the enemy soldiers are extremely afraid of dying.

Of course, the resistance fighters also had a very strong will to resist.

“It’s still not that easy to defend.” Flora chimed in from the side. “Lopez has brought at least 10 tanks, as well as amphibious infantry fighting vehicles, and he also has air superiority. With our individual anti-tank weapons alone, we may not be able to really stop him.”

The river is wide, and there will likely be more than one pontoon bridge, so cutting off the beginning and end of the project won't work.

If the enemy forces manage to cross the river and establish a bridgehead, there will be almost no need for further fighting.

In this matchup of 2000 against 10000, the advantage definitely lies with the opponent.

In this non-urban terrain, "anti-tank gymnastics" is not so easy to do.

Milton began, “Don’t forget, there are two battlefields – Lopez is attacking the rebels, and our troops in Champerico are also gathering, preparing to attack his Retalulleu.”

With the battlefield cleanup function on the panel, Milton's army assembled and attacked in much shorter time than Lopez had imagined.

“Indeed,” Flora agreed. “The rebels don’t necessarily have to defeat the enemy. If they can hold out until we capture Retaluleu and break through Quetzaltenango, that is also a victory.”

“No.” Milton extended his index finger and waved it gently. “We don’t need to take Xaltenango. We just need to take Retaluleu to our north, and we can declare Lopez’s army a complete failure.”

Flora was taken aback: "Why?"

Milton looked away and replied, "There's an airport next to Retalu Leu City, a real airport, though not very big, it's much better than our field airport."

That's an airport with a 1500-meter runway!

"Ah, the airport... so what?"

Flora still didn't quite understand—if you really need an airport, go to Tapachula in Mexico and ask the government to borrow Tapachula International Airport, wouldn't that work just the same?

Milton chuckled: "Your analysis was based on a very important premise: that the enemy has air superiority."

“If I can take over Retaluleu Airport, I will have a way to get some new planes. Once these planes arrive, Lopez’s air superiority will be completely gone.”

This is another informational advantage Milton has over Lopez.

Everyone, including allies, believed that López's strategic depth lay in the two cities—he would not fail until Quetzaltenango fell.

But in reality, he only possesses the strategic depth of one city.

Lopez can't afford to lose even one city.

If Milton gets a larger airport, he can immediately unlock more powerful aircraft, and Lopez's air superiority will be completely gone.

Regarding the issue of points, Milton recently seized assets in Champellico belonging to the Lopez Group, various gangs, and criminal organizations that they were unable to evacuate in time.

Furthermore, after conquering Retalu, there will be a lot of taxes that can be seized, which can be used to supplement tax revenue. Milton will definitely be able to find a way to accumulate enough points to buy a plane.

The misjudgment of its own strategic depth was the final straw that broke the back of the Lopez Group!
"Tsk, it's getting more and more mysterious..."

Milton looked at Juan and Lac, the two leaders of the resistance, and said, “There is only one way for you to win—hold the front line before Lopez collapses. You have held it many times before, this is the last time.”

"If we win, the resistance will turn from a defensive posture to an offensive posture."

"If we fail, all our previous efforts will be in vain... Well, not exactly all our previous efforts, but the capital of Vevetnango province will fall completely. You will only be able to escape to my territory with a small number of people by air, and then you will be in a hellish situation where you are surrounded by enemies on three or even four sides."

"The enemy you are about to face is stronger than ever before."

Lac and Juan looked serious: "We understand... victory is within reach, but this hurdle is extremely difficult."

“Of course, we will also increase our assistance to you,” Milton said. “Before the battle begins, we will send some TOW anti-tank missiles.”

“The enemy will have more than one howitzer. Although I can provide you with counter-battery radar, you also lack long-range strike capabilities, so you still need to send special forces or suicide squads to take out his howitzer.”

The 2nd Infantry Brigade was unaware that the enemy possessed counter-battery radar. Given that the rebels had always been forced to passively defend themselves against such attacks, they were unlikely to employ the "fire one shot and move on" tactic.

If it were Milton's troops, they would either directly bombard the enemy's artillery positions or send in aircraft to shoot them down.

But the resistance could only rely on its own "special forces," or suicide squads.

Juan reiterated his assurance: "As long as we know where the enemy is, as long as we can still reach them, I can guarantee that my men will complete the mission—and if necessary, I will personally carry it out."

Milton nodded slightly, watching the soldiers begin to bring over machine guns, cannons, and corresponding ammunition, and hide them on the spot.

“Very good… How’s your men’s marksmanship?” Milton stretched. “Tomorrow we’ll be shooting at targets in the air, flying around everywhere.”

"Don't worry, 'Hell Tax Collector'!" Juan laughed heartily. "We may not be good at other things, but we are definitely good at shooting, let alone using a machine gun to shoot a bunch of helpless moving targets?"

After inspecting the front lines, the group returned to the airport.

At this point, a Y-5 transport aircraft could be seen landing, and soldiers were urgently unloading cargo from the plane.

Taking advantage of the enemy's lack of air blockade capabilities, they once again chose the most dangerous route, avoiding the detour through Mexico.

Air freight time has been greatly reduced.

"For a suicide mission in the air, they actually lifted the blockade of the air routes. Really." Flora sighed as she watched this scene. "I actually suspect that Lopez's army not only has the Second Infantry Brigade and special forces, but may even have some mercenaries."

Milton asked calmly, "How did you determine that?"

“First of all, I don’t think those people in Guatemala would actually come up with and devise an airborne plan,” Flora replied. “It would have to be led by a unit that is highly proficient in this.”

"The Guatemalan special forces are called special forces, but there aren't many of them who can actually be airdropped."

"Besides... don't you find it strange that the Guatemalan army has launched general offensives against the rebel positions before, but each time the results were very poor. They mainly relied on attrition warfare to wear down the rebels and fight them to the death."

"But this time the government forces' equipment wasn't significantly superior to the rebels', so how come they're about to break through the position? I suspect there's a mastermind in the enemy camp, or even mercenaries directly participating in the attack."

"Lopez has spared no expense for this victory, willing to return all the money he has embezzled over the years, and even willing to take out loans... This amount of money is enough to hire a powerful mercenary group, or even a mercenary group with some connections."

Milton's eyes lit up: "Some connection?"

Flora nodded slightly: "Yes, for example, some former SADs start their own companies after retiring, and they end up having some connection with the CIA."

"In places where U.S. troops are stationed, this relationship might be with the Pentagon."

Milton frantically tapped the wall beside him with his fingers and said, "So, there's a guy sitting in the enemy camp who's connected to the local CIA, knows their movements, and could even be a former CIA colleague, right?"

"Yes... but not necessarily, we might only know if we catch them in the act."

“That possibility is enough. Who can guarantee 100% on the battlefield?” Milton shook his head. “We didn’t have time to let the CIA hiding there escape in Champellico. I don’t want to let the CIA in Quetzaltenango escape as well.”

"If I can obtain relevant intelligence from the enemy, I am very confident that I can catch the CIA there off guard!"

The reasoning is simple: the CIA will inevitably misjudge Lopez's strategic depth. Once Retarulleu falls, Lopez's frontline will suffer a major defeat, and the capture of Quetzaltenango will be much, much faster than anyone imagines.

At that time, the CIA might not have had time to evacuate.

“I haven’t settled the score with them for trying to poison me that time.” Milton held onto that grudge tightly. “Anyway, just don’t let me catch them.”

"You...you're really not afraid of the CIA. Any normal person would tremble at the mere mention of those three letters."

Milton also bluntly stated: "The CIA is like a regional power; it doesn't have that much power within the United States. Opposing the CIA doesn't mean directly raising the anti-American banner—there are plenty of instances of collaborating with the DEA or other organizations to target the CIA."

It will not provoke hostility from this country.

It's just that the timing is wrong. If it were in the 21st century, in 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Counterterrorism Act would have been passed, the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) would have been established, the CIA would have lost its coordinating power and would have had to divert resources, internal competition would have intensified, and its influence would have been greatly weakened.

Even some of the functions of SAD have been decentralized to NCTC (National Counterterrorism Center)!

To put it bluntly, he's just a powerful mercenary, a strong henchman. He's strong, but he's far from being "omnipotent" as portrayed in the movies.

Its influence domestically is severely limited.

Milton, who had a certain understanding with the DEA, had nothing to fear from it.

"That's true... You did the DEA a big favor, and by taking advantage of their hatred for the CIA, you could indeed take action against them if you found an excuse."

“Moreover, judging from the recent battle situation and Lopez’s performance, I have a feeling that Lopez is suddenly not short of money anymore.” Milton said thoughtfully, “Let’s find a way to severely damage or even eliminate him before he completely converts his money into combat power.”

Flora nodded slightly: "Indeed... his total assets should be able to hold up, the problem is that our raid time was too short, he probably won't have time to liquidate most of his assets. But Lopez not only maintained his current expenses, but even intensified his offensive, this cash flow is not right."

Milton added casually, "This shows that he must have obtained a huge cash flow in a short period of time."

Flora's usually nonchalant expression turned a little serious: "What do you think it is?"

"I do not know."

Milton actually knew, knew a general range.

Given Lopez's status and current situation, how can he quickly generate cash flow?

The war and the looming defeat would bankrupt Lopez's credit, making it very difficult for him to borrow money.

There's only one answer left.

Selling out the country.

But what exactly was sold is unknown and there's no way to know... Perhaps we'll only find out after we capture Xaltenango.

"Let's go." Milton watched the transport planes take off and land in an orderly manner, and nodded in satisfaction. "There shouldn't be anything else for us to do here. Let's go back to sleep."

Flora followed Milton back: "Hmm...you should still be directing our offensive against Retaluleu and Xeltenango, right? How long do you plan to stay with the rebels?"

It's not just about commanding the army; there are also various matters to handle in the rear.

First, there are all the necessary departments to form a regime, such as the administrative team, the staff team, and so on. Military occupation alone is definitely not enough.

The recruitment of various talents is giving Milton a headache.

For example, today, a few people who know a little about radar are all trying to launch some kind of "general mobilization" in their own territory and in the territory of their allies.

We must find a way to solve this problem.

“Let’s see how they perform in this youth version of Market Garden tomorrow night,” Milton said. “I need a reasonable assessment of our allies’ strength.”

That's perfect, it will take some time for Ciampelli's army to assemble and prepare for the next attack.

"Then I'll go to sleep... Sigh, I'll have to sleep on the sofa again."

Milton ignored her and went back to his temporary command post to sleep.

……

the next day.

The field helipad of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of Guatemala.

Ross, who slept very well yesterday, ate potato chips imported from the United States and drank Coca-Cola air-freighted from the United States, and then took a stroll around the tarmac.

The other members of the "Dark Wolf" mercenary group were basically the same—one of them was even eating a can of meat, making the other soldiers drool.

Although recently, for some reason, the supplies at the rear have improved significantly, and the quality of food has increased remarkably, it still can't compare to these Americans.

They even get to eat ice cream occasionally!
Ross looked at a Guatemalan special forces captain in charge of training and asked, "How did the training go last night?"

"Excellent!" The captain's face showed pride and satisfaction. "Only two people died in the fall, and one is missing!"

Ross: "..."

Even though he had witnessed many incredible things in the military camp during this time, Ross was still baffled by this one sentence.

After a while, he sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, what about the rest of the people?"

The captain looked puzzled: "The rest of them parachuted successfully. They'll definitely be able to complete the mission excellently."

Just give up already...

Ross cursed inwardly, then shook his head very slightly: "Yes, tonight, my mercenary group will be going with you, two in each helicopter. Just follow their orders."

"I've marked the exact drop location. It's a weak point in the defenses, so be sure to hide yourself when you parachute in, understand?"

"Do you all understand what missions you will be carrying out after landing? If you want to save your lives, don't ignore what I'm saying."

"We must act quickly. For this operation, we have relaxed our control over the air routes. We cannot let the rebels catch their breath."

The lieutenant's face remained obsequious, but his tone held a hint of impatience: "Understood...understood!"

"Very well, let's take a break then, and eat something." Ross finished the last sip of his cola and tossed it casually at his feet. "I'm waiting for your victory!"

The exhausted soldiers immediately dispersed and began eating, drinking, and using drugs to completely relax.

Soon, it was past midnight.

The officers began waking up the hastily assembled airborne company, making sure everyone had their parachutes on, checking their weapons, and then allowing them to board the plane in an orderly fashion.

To ensure sufficient firepower and self-defense capabilities upon landing, most soldiers in the space company carried AKMs and wore heavy body armor.

They even gave each of them some MRE rations so that they could replenish their energy in the event of logistical disruption.

Finally, Ross gave them a pep talk: "If you can successfully complete this mission, from now on, you will be the noble Air Force!"

Sure enough, this empty promise was more effective than a direct cash payment.

"take off!"

"Must win!!!"

"Charge! Let those country bumpkin Mayans experience our might!"

"I brought a whole box of ammunition, a whole box!"

"Hey, I also brought a small box, but it's filled with those Americans' MREs. I have to say, they really eat well."

beep...

While they were chatting, the helicopter took off and climbed to a very high altitude before heading towards the enemy position.

The soldiers of the airborne company began to look down—and in that one glance, they saw many faint but still visible rays of light.

"Hahaha... These ignorant Mayans, don't they know that we can see everything clearly from the sky?"

"This is the Air Force veteran!"

"Come on, we're almost there, time to jump!"

"..."

Soldiers began jumping off the helicopter one after another.

Wow!

Based on their training memories, they quickly deployed their parachutes and landed in what appeared to be their target location.

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared in what was originally pitch black, where nothing could be seen in the sky!
The flashes of gunfire!

Not long after the paratroopers were momentarily stunned, several flares, also with parachutes attached, slowly descended, but they burst into flames and emitted dazzling light, illuminating the entire night sky!

The next instant, those positions marked as weak points in the defenses, hidden in the darkness, opened fire.

The terrifying sound of heavy machine guns suddenly shattered the quiet night!

(End of this chapter)