Chapter 35: Burning Heaven -4

The train slowly stopped at the edge of the moon platform, and the colonel took off his woolen military uniform and put on a combat jacket. The lieutenant fastened his bulletproof helmet for him.

The car door slowly opened, and the colonel jumped down first, standing on the empty platform, facing this rudimentary temporary station. Behind him, the elite members of the Secret Service came out in line holding assault rifles. Years of cooperative training allowed them to form a defensive formation without stopping. The front row held bulletproof shields, while the back row soldiers held tactical weapons. They carried individual missiles and grenade launchers, capable of destroying an armored mobile unit. The light source on the weapon illuminated the station as brightly as daylight.

But there was no one in their sight except for their comrades, they were facing an empty station. The station is built with aluminum alloy sheets, as simple as a factory unloading workshop. A medium-sized gantry crane spans over their heads, and apart from that, there is only a solitary public telephone booth on the platform.

The soldiers looked at each other in surprise, and the colonel pushed away the bulletproof shield in front of him and walked out.

It's really an uncomfortable place, "the lieutenant followed closely behind him." This city is not on the map. The military map shows it as an area waiting to be developed, and a small satellite city will be built within two years

We didn't find the wrong place, "the colonel pointed to a high place." That sign says everything. This is our destination, and we arrived just in time

The lieutenant followed his fingers to look at the simple signboard above the station - "Fernaces City". Can this be considered a city? "The lieutenant looked around," It's like a factory or something. "" You can tell from the other side. "The colonel slowly walked out, and the forward defensive formation followed him forward.

They approached the aluminum alloy wall that was over ten meters high, and from the only window, not far away was a brightly lit city. The scale of this city seems not large, located in the center of a depression. From a distance, the structure is well-organized, and all the light sources in the city seem to be turned on. The bright ground light almost devours the starlight, making the city extremely unreal.

The lieutenant took a deep breath and his facial muscles twitched, "It's like a legendary ghost city

Everyone's feeling is the same, this brightly lit city is too quiet, so quiet that it's frightening, and there is no evidence to prove that anything alive exists here.

All units remain vigilant, contract formation and do not disperse, "the colonel whispered.

Is it an attack target? "The lieutenant lowered his voice." There doesn't seem to be anyone inside

Maybe they're all dead, "the colonel shook his head." We're waiting here for further orders

The lieutenant shook his head and said, "I've tried all the radio bands, but I can't establish contact with the outside world. There is a high-power full band radio communication interference here, and I don't know if it's man-made or if some kind of interference source is too strong

It's human made, a well disguised radio shielding system. We're sealed here, it seems they don't want any news to spread. "The colonel amplified his voice," Prepare gas masks, everyone

The wireless communication system is completely unusable here, and he wants his voice to be heard by 3000 people.

The faint sound of metal friction came from somewhere, and the defensive formation suddenly fluctuated. The vast majority of these well-trained soldiers have experienced life and death on the battlefield, and their training has enabled them to distinguish whether slight noises come from their teammates. All light sources turned in the same direction simultaneously, and hundreds of assault rifles also pointed in the same direction.

The colonel suddenly raised his hand, but did not lower it. The soldiers tightened the trigger, and their weapons were all with their safety on.

On the aluminum alloy protective wall, an extremely concealed door collapsed completely, splashing a faint amount of dust. The person hidden behind was exposed, with a bulletproof shield standing upright. Several gun barrels peeked out from above and to the left and right of the bulletproof shield, pointing towards the soldiers of the special forces of the Secret Bureau.

This is a completely disproportionate confrontation, with hundreds of guns on one side and only a few faint figures hiding behind shields on the other, while the dominant side has thousands of elite soldiers behind them.

However, the less common side is not panicked. Under such intense light sources, ordinary people simply cannot open their eyes. But the gun barrels around the shield remained motionless, and the person holding the gun was astonishing in both physical and psychological fitness.

The soldiers did not shoot, although the other side showed hostility, they immediately realized that the people holding the guns were just some children, and the bulletproof shields could not completely cover their immature bodies. They were about fourteen or fifteen years old, a few boys with alert eyes but also calm and indifferent, without any signs of panic.

Surrounded by those children, it was actually a 'slightly older young person'. He was the only person without a weapon, surrounded and protected by a group of children, with a look of fear and unease in his eyes. He covered his eyes with his arms and kept trying to squint his eyes to see the emblem of this army, but under the blazing light source, his efforts were completely ineffective.

Colonel Hasimodo, from the French Secret Service's First Regiment, who are you and why are you here? "The colonel tried to maintain a calm and gentle voice.

Confidentiality Bureau? Why did the army of the Confidentiality Bureau come here? "The young man surrounded by children hesitated and asked.

This is not the question you should ask. This is French territory, and I have been ordered to carry out the mission of the French military here. I have the right to demand that you quickly provide your identity. "The colonel coldly scrutinized these people. His gaze swept over the restless young man, followed by the blond boy holding an assault rifle beside him, while the boy in a half squat position appeared unusually strong. He was holding a one handed Uzi submachine gun, which required a lot of arm strength to operate and was not meant for children... Finally, the colonel and the child holding a bulletproof shield exchanged a glance, and he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. The thin boy looked like an Asian, with straight black short hair disheveled, and a pair of black eyes coldly staring at the colonel without any intention of backing down. In his hand was a Colt handgun, with bare arms that were thin and veins exposed. His muzzle was steadily pointed towards the center of the colonel's brow, and facing hundreds of assault rifles, he didn't seem worried about his weapon being at a disadvantage. On the contrary, the colonel felt an extremely terrifying confidence, as the child's gaze made him believe that if he ordered to shoot, the child would also shoot him in the forehead before being pierced by the stray gun. With just one bullet and one chance to pull the trigger, you will never lose your target.

The colonel felt as if the world had suddenly gone mad, from the unsettling operation orders of the Secret Service at night, to the mislabeled railway, to this ghost city like destination, and these boys holding standard weapons.

Your mission... isn't it to kill us? "The young man asked.

We are the military, not the Western Cowboys. Killing is not our responsibility, but you need to provide your own identification

Great, "the young man breathed a sigh of relief." Thank goodness we finally got you, even though it's already late

Put down your weapons, we are safe now, "he said to the children.

He snatched the bulletproof shield from the black haired child's hand and threw it on the ground, raising his hands above his head. "We have two people here who urgently need treatment. Do you have a doctor with you? Hurry up! One of the children is in poor health

The boys hesitated for a moment, then threw down their weapons and raised their hands. The colonel's gaze crossed over these people and saw two stretchers lying on the ground behind them, with two people lying on them.

The black haired boy didn't move, he still stared fixedly at the colonel, pointing his gun at his forehead. His eyes were full of vigilance and distrust, and the lines of his lips were tightly drawn, with a stubbornness as hard as stone.

It's a wild beast, "the colonel thought to himself.

Theo! Theo! Put down the gun! That's not an enemy! Eve and Irina need treatment, don't you understand? "The young man went up and grabbed the black haired child's hand.

The black haired child gave him a cold glance, but in the end, he didn't struggle and let the gun in his hand be taken away and thrown on the ground. But he just lightly shook his arm and got rid of the young man. It was obvious that with his strength and agility, the young man who looked much stronger than him could not control him.

The soldiers carefully surrounded them, first kicking away the guns, and then grabbed the children of unknown origin and the young man.

The colonel suddenly heard a sound, his cheek muscles twitched, and his expression suddenly became tense.

The roar of the engine approached rapidly from afar, and the huge shadow of the "Mountain Eagle" armed helicopter almost immediately appeared directly above the platform, hovering there and slowly descending. The individual missile and assault rifle were immediately pointed into the air, and the helicopter's origin was also unknown. There was no sign of the French Air Force visible on the dark fuselage, no radio communication, and no way to verify the identity of the visitor.

Stay alert! No shooting! "The colonel looked up at the air and ordered.

It should be the officer who is coordinating with us on the mission, "the lieutenant followed behind him.

Perhaps, but it shouldn't be that simple. Pay attention to the markings on the aircraft, "the colonel said coldly, squinting his eyes.

The sickle and hourglass? "The lieutenant saw clearly, and on the black body, there was a seemingly ancient emblem marked with a deep brown color that was very close to black.

Yes, this is the same pattern as the card I got, "the colonel pulled out the magnetic card from the pocket of his military uniform's jacket." The format of this thing is not from the Secret Service, I think it may come from a third party

The mountain eagle had just landed on the ground, and the double layered propeller was still rapidly rotating, creating a howling wind. A figure had already opened the cabin door and jumped out. He was tall and capable, dressed in a pure black medium length windbreaker, which fluttered in the strong wind. He copied one hand into his pocket and tightened his collar with the other to prevent the wind from entering, and walked towards the colonel with determination.

He approached and the colonel saw a middle-aged man with silver gray hair and pupils, his eyes shining like silver in the convergence of the lights.

Nathan Mann, L.M.A. privileged prosecutor. "The man extended his hand towards the colonel and asked, 'Colonel Hasimodo?'

Hasimodo Tomomi, "the colonel coldly glanced at the visitor and did not shake his hand." Your name has no meaning to me. Who are you? What kind of authorization do you come with? I have received an urgent order to lead four standard regiments of combat troops to gather here, and there is no instruction for me to meet a person named Nathan Mann. In this place where the radio is completely blocked, how can I trust you

The man withdrew his hand and didn't mind the colonel's indifference. 'We anticipated this issue. None of my credentials are convincing at this time, but radio shielding is not enough to isolate all external communication,' "he said

Is that so

We still have the telephone. Since Bell invented the first telephone, metal wires have been the most reliable medium for transmitting radio waves, and they cannot be shielded. When laying this railway, there was a set of copper wires buried under the tracks, "the man gestured." Colonel, please come with me

The man guided the colonel to the rudimentary public telephone booth.

Public telephone? "The colonel frowned.

There are twelve telephones licensed to use this set of copper wires in the entire Fernaces, and this one happens to be one of them because it is the only wired telephone on the railway platform. We thought it might be useful in emergency situations, and unfortunately, our concerns were fulfilled. "The man said, smiling but unable to give anyone any sense of joy," No need to put coins in

He took off the microphone and quickly entered an extremely complex password. After a brief silence, the colonel heard a preparatory beep coming from the phone.

The man slowly entered a number, seemingly deliberately trying to make the colonel see it clearly. The colonel did indeed see clearly that the number pointed to his direct superior - General Thompson of the Secret Service Special Forces, who also received the urgent order for this mission from General Thompson.

The man leaned the microphone close to his ear and said, "General, I am Nathan Mann. I have arrived and I am standing with Colonel Hasimodo now. I hope you can confirm this operation with him again

He handed the microphone to the colonel.

The colonel held the microphone, hesitated slightly, and pressed it against his ear.

Colonel, your task is to cooperate with Dr. Mann, and his instructions to you will be as effective as mine. In addition, we are authorized to fire on any target whose identity cannot be identified. "The person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, emphasizing," This instruction is very simple, I think you can understand what I mean, Colonel

The colonel is familiar with this voice. His habit of using words and word order is the same. It belongs to General Thomson. The only difference was that he could feel the usually calm general's obvious anxiety at this moment.

I understand, I only have one question, "the colonel whispered," who gave this authorization

You don't need to know who it is, I can only tell you that the President has signed the document I faxed to you, and I will personally guarantee that I am responsible for everything I say here

General, I hope you understand that this is not a time of war, and firing indiscriminately at targets is equivalent to murder! Even from a constitutional perspective, such behavior is not allowed, and the discipline of the Secret Service does not allow you to delegate command to any other agent, let alone the identity of this agent cannot be proven

This is the military, and the constitution does not take effect here, "the general fell silent for a moment and lowered his voice

The other party is a big shot, isn't he? "As the colonel spoke, he lifted his eyes and looked straight at the man across from him, who also looked back at him with an unwavering gaze.

Of course, he's a big shot. And he should be standing right in front of you now. Good luck, Colonel, "the general hung up the phone.

The colonel held the phone in silence for a long time and nodded at the man, "I understand my mission, Dr. Mann. I will obey you. You are a big shot, my boss told me so

Big shot? Is this a joke? "The man remained expressionless." Would a big shot be sent here to carry out a mission without a choice

The colonel hung up the microphone and said, "Please instruct us on the task

It's simple, defend this station and fight against anyone who tries to seize it, "the man whispered." They will definitely come because this is the biggest chance to escape from here

Are you saying there are still people in this city

Yes, but not many. The vast majority of people have already died, and we came too late

So, "the colonel asked," how many enemies do we have? There are four fully armed standard regiments here, totaling 3650 people, including me. I want to know how many enemies we have

250 people, or less, but definitely not more than this number

250 people? "The colonel didn't believe this number. It's a joke to mobilize so many troops to deal with an enemy with such a number.

But they are all real enemies, be prepared. For them, a torn defense line is like a slaughterhouse, "the man stared closely into the colonel's eyes." So please believe what I am saying now. The only strategy is to use heavy weapons to launch a crushing attack before the defense line is breached. Don't hesitate to use bullets, otherwise you won't hesitate to give up your own lives

Does that mean we can only choose between death and shooting

I think so

No wonder General Thompson said this is war

The man nodded slightly and said, "Please forgive my rudeness

He turned around to face the children, whose gaze never left him from the first moment he appeared. When both sides looked at each other, they coincidentally stood straight, and the soldiers surrounding them felt the seriousness in their eyes. In the glaring light, the children silently lined up from high to low. Some of them were wearing close fitting uniforms similar to military uniforms, while others were wearing bulletproof vests. The black haired Oriental boy was only wearing the white cotton jacket given to patients in the hospital. The wide robe covered him and was blown by the wind, revealing his emaciated figure under the robe. And each child held their heads high, looked straight ahead, and tightened their cheeks, which reminded the soldiers of the scene where they were being reviewed.

The man stood at attention suddenly and gave a powerful military salute, "You've worked hard

The children raised their hands neatly and responded with military salute, their strong and powerful movements making them look completely different from fourteen or fifteen year old children.

I'm genuinely happy to see you're still alive, "the man whispered.

The young people leading the children approached and said, "We tried our best, but only brought out these people. Two girls were injured. The others... they must have gone crazy

When I received the news, I had a general understanding of what had happened. I checked the surveillance footage set up in the city of Fernandes on the plane. It was not your negligence, because you had completed your mission. "The man went up and clenched his hand tightly.

The young man smiled weakly, 'But...'

An indescribable sadness took over his heart in an instant, as he lowered his head to cover his face and inserted his fingers into his hair.

Katayama, thank you. "The man went up and hugged his shoulder, patting his back hard.

He waved his hand and instructed the children to enter the cabin of the mountain eagle. The children lined up in pairs and boarded the plane with neat steps, with the black haired Oriental boy walking at the end, looking down at the ground. The colonel stared at him and saw thin lines of blood slowly flowing down from the cuffs of his robe, while the child seemed to feel no pain at all.

Theo, my child, "the man whispered as he brushed past him," are you okay

The boy suddenly stood at attention and looked ahead, "I'm fine, just a minor injury

I'm glad to see you're safe and sound, "the man smiled." There's a doctor on the plane, you should listen to him

Understood! "The boy replied clearly and powerfully," And Irina, she was also injured and passed out. When we rushed out together, she was hit by a large caliber bullet, thanks to wearing a bulletproof vest, but the impact was still too great

She'll be fine too, "the man paused slightly." Where's Eve

The boy's face twitched and he said, 'They... want to kill her.'

Did you protect her

The boy nodded.

The man smiled again and touched his head. "You are a good child, and I have always believed that you can do it, so I am not worried on the way here

The boy walked towards the cabin, with two stretchers following behind him. The colonel saw clearly that there were two girls of similar age on top, their faces pale like blood loss, quiet as if they were asleep. Their hair hangs softly on their forehead, which at first glance looks like a twin sisters.

The stretcher got on the plane, but the boy stopped. He turned around and said, 'They see us as enemies... why?'

The man let out a slight sigh and said, "Theo, being seen as an enemy is not a scary thing. Everyone has their own goals and chooses different paths, so they will definitely part ways at some fork in the road. It's just a matter of time. Keep your own beliefs, that's enough

Doctor

Theo, let's go. The rest is not something you can solve, "the man whispered.

He looked at the boy from a distance, remained silent for a long time, stood up straight, and saluted.

The boy also stood at attention and saluted, then turned around and walked towards the helicopter.

The young man stayed behind and walked up to the colonel side by side with the man in the black windbreaker. Three people formed a triangle and fell silent for a while.

Colonel, you have the right to shoot any target whose identity cannot be determined and protect this station, "the man said." The final confirmed target, is that clear

It's crystal clear

Katayama, come with me, "the man turned his head and said to the young man.

They walked to the side of the telephone booth together, and the man took off the microphone, inserted a black magnetic card, and entered the complex password again.

Looks like this is a terminal? "The colonel followed behind them.

Yes, actually it controls everything in this city, is it a mysterious design? "The man said.

But it looks very useful, "the colonel nodded.

The man's hand pressed the button "1", paused, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. The young man suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Doctor, are they still waiting for us to negotiate? "The young man hesitated slightly.

We can't negotiate, "the man opened his eyes and looked into them, his gaze irresistible." I haven't received such authorization

Well... let me do it, "the young man whispered," these things should have been done by technicians

The man nodded and stepped aside. The young man reached out his hand, his fingers trembling violently, and then fiercely pressed the "1" button on the phone. He pressed down all the way, and there was a faint commotion among the soldiers. Every time the young man pressed a button, a bright and daylight like city in the distance suddenly darkened, and from east to west, one area after another lost power supply.

Longbal felt his palms start to sweat as he groped his assault rifle to check the bolt. He had a strange feeling, an indescribable feeling he had gained on the battlefield, when the lights of this city went out, it suddenly came back to life. Longbal felt something rushing through the darkness and making a low cry.

But in fact, he didn't hear any sound, and the city lay quietly in the darkness, like a dead city.

The young man's hand hung down weakly, as if ten buttons had exhausted all his strength. "From zone one to zone ten, the power supply in each zone has been cut off, along with the water supply, gas, and emergency life support system. They should understand our intentions now

Very good, "the man turned to the colonel." Then please have your soldiers start laying several lines of defense. You just need to hold on until 6am, and by then the mission will be completed

Are those vampires inside? "The colonel asked," They lose their combat effectiveness as the sun rises

The sun cannot affect them, but their active cycle can only last until 6am, "the man said.

Very good, "the colonel nodded," then I wish you a smooth journey

No, "the man shook his head slowly," I won't leave. What's leaving is my assistant. As the privileged prosecutor of L.M.A., I have other tasks and I will fight alongside you here. "

Doctor... "The young man's face turned pale.

The man lowered his head and smiled, 'We still have the last card in our hands, don't we, Pianshan?'

He waved his hand and said, 'Let's board the plane. You'll land in Paris soon, and everything will be fine.'

The young man fell silent for a moment and saluted silently. It is obvious that he is not a well-trained soldier, and his hands are still shaking incessantly when saluting. Afterwards, he turned around and walked towards the plane.

The man smiled, unbuttoned a few buttons on his windbreaker, and reached in to take out his weapon, which was a large caliber Beretta military handgun.

Only carrying such equipment? "The colonel said lightly, as if with a hint of mockery.

The biggest use of a handgun is suicide, "the man laughed.

The young man suddenly turned around and walked back, 'Doctor, I can stay for you!'

The man paused for a moment, patted his shoulder, and said, "Katayama, you are a civil servant. And if this matter cannot be perfectly resolved, even if I return to Paris, I will have to face internal questioning. I don't want to see those people's faces

Doctor, "the young man whispered," don't we have great goals

Yes, we have great goals

I once read the Chinese historical classic 'New Book of Tang', which said that Li Shimin killed his brother who was hostile to him at Xuanwu Gate. He wanted to enter the palace to tell his father, who was the emperor, about this, but he was worried that his father would kill him in anger. At this time, his subordinate Mr. Weichi Jingde suggested that he should report it to the palace. At that time, Li Shimin's title was King of Qin, and Weichi Jingde said, 'I would rather die to respect virtue than die to become King of Qin.' The young man's fair face was full of solemnity.

The man frowned and said, "Katayama

The young man took a step forward, lowered his voice, and suddenly became full of energy, "Doctor, it's better to die for virtue than to die for the King of Qin! We still hold onto our great goal

The colonel silently watched the scene, suddenly wanting to smile bitterly. He felt that there were two lunatics in front of him, and the scene was like a comical stage play. But he couldn't laugh, there was a strong aura in the young man's brow, which was completely disproportionate to his weak appearance.

The following was a long silence, as the man looked down at his feet, holding a gun and the wind blowing his coat.

Yeah, "he finally looked up and smiled," we still have great goals

He went up and hugged the young man vigorously, "Katayama, looking forward to your safe return

I will do my best! "The young man replied.

The man walked towards the helicopter, and the hatch closed behind him. The propeller, which had not stopped spinning, suddenly accelerated, and the mountain eagle roared into the sky.

The colonel walked up to the young man and looked up at the helicopter disappearing into the night with him. 'Is the gentleman who left your boss? He's really a strict person.'

Actually, it may not be too strict, "the young man looked at him with a smile," just like me, we have unrealistic dreams

Let's start setting up defenses, "he said." The first wave of attacks won't keep us waiting for long, so it's better to keep some distance between the defenses

We are professionals in this, "the colonel said expressionlessly.