126: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: This is a Deadly Crisis 126: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: This is a Deadly Crisis Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim said angrily, turned, and was about to leave when Gao Yang called out urgently, “Please wait a moment.
In consideration of the two months we’ve spent together, can you tell us who’s coming?”
Ibrahim stopped in his tracks and hesitated for a moment before answering in a low voice, “It’s General Hamis.”
Upon hearing the name Ibrahim mentioned, Gao Yang was stunned; then he lowered his voice and said, “Isn’t he supposed to be dead?”
Ibrahim shook his head and whispered, “The opposition has claimed he’s dead twice, the last time being not too long ago, but in fact, he’s alive and well, currently inside Building One.”
Gao Yang stepped closer to Ibrahim and lowered his voice even further, “You know we have a lot of money on us now.
Why don’t you consider taking a lot of money and living comfortably under an assumed identity?
You should know we have ways to get you out of Libya.”
A pained expression crossed Ibrahim’s face as he shook his head and said softly, “Don’t think too much.
I’m just a messenger.
I’m not from Sirte; I was kept only because I can speak English.
In fact, the money I distribute to you just passes through my hands, and all the power lies with Lieutenant Mu He.
Do you think I don’t want to leave?
Believe me, if I showed the slightest intention of fleeing or surrendering, those people from Sirte would kill me instantly.”
“Don’t you have any way out?”
Hearing Gao Yang’s question, Ibrahim said sorrowfully, “The palace is full of underground passages, extensive and interconnected.
I believe Hamis will soon leave through a hidden path, while you and I…
we can only stay here and wait for death.
Hamis trusts no one but his confidants, and he won’t take anyone with him.
To be honest, you’ve been forgotten a long time ago by both Gaddafi and Hamis; they don’t even remember there’s a group of mercenaries here.
Maybe he has discovered your presence by now, but I assure you, you’re not on his evacuation list.
He’d prefer to treat you and those brainwashed fools outside as cannon fodder.”
After speaking, Ibrahim gave a bitter smile to Gao Yang and said, “You guys are not too bad; I hope you can make it out alive.
Now, I want to tell you a secret: I hate Gaddafi and his sons just as much as you do, and I wish them dead more than anyone.
If only I had a chance, I would already be a qualified officer in the opposition.
That’s my biggest secret.
Now, I finally have the chance to say it, and it feels good.
Goodbye, no, farewell.”
After finishing his words, Ibrahim hunched his back and left.
Watching the back of Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim, Gelayev shrugged his shoulders and said, “Too bad, it looks like the Colonel won’t have the chance to join the opposition.”
Gao Yang let out a long sigh and said, “Just as we expected, the Colonel was assigned here only because he speaks English.
I had already realized that the real power in speaking here was with that lieutenant.
Now it’s just confirmed.
But this is indeed bad news, the Lieutenant and his soldiers are all from Sirte; they will fight to the death for Gaddafi.”
Having said that, Gao Yang sighed and continued, “Gelayev, would you say our situation qualifies as a normal mission for mercenaries?”
“Of course not.
Mercenaries must adhere to the contract, but our current contract is built on deception.
We’re not the National Defense Forces, nor are we volunteers; we’re just mercenaries fighting for money.
Which mercenary would accept a mission that’s certain death?
One must be alive to spend what he earns.
Mercenaries can handle high-risk jobs, but they must know the risks involved.
If a death mission is accepted under deception, mercenaries are free to leave at any time, and even attacking their employer would be considered normal.”
Gao Yang nodded and said with satisfaction, “Good, I understand all that you’ve said.
It’s just that we’ve taken two months’ worth of money, and now, turning against them feels a bit distasteful.
But having heard you, I feel much better, as we certainly have the right to turn against them, especially because they were the ones who deceived us.”
Li Jinfang said, “Brother Yang, are you planning to surrender on the spot or to fight your way out?”
Gao Yang looked at Li Jinfang with dissatisfaction and replied, “Why do you have to put it so unpleasantly?
What do you mean by ‘surrender on the spot’?
We’re simply going from darkness to light.
As for fighting our way out, don’t even think about it.
There are too many Libyans, and not all the mercenaries working together would make it.”
Li Jinfang said anxiously, “As a soldier, no, as a soldier no longer in active service, I really don’t want to surrender.
But thinking about being lured here to wait for death, I don’t feel like dying for Gaddafi either.
It’s truly vexing to contemplate.”
Cui Bo said with disdain, “Save it.
If we were really guarding Gaddafi and got killed, it would at least be honorable.
Taking money means we should do the job; dying is part of it and there’s nothing to complain about.
But what about our situation?
We were supposed to ensure someone’s safety, but nobody said our task was to be locked up in Azzizia Barracks, unable to leave until the opposition comes and kills us all.
This is a suicide mission, if not a trap!
In my opinion, if there must be fighting, it should be against those bastards who are screwing us over.”
Watching Frey sitting in a corner looking deathly pale and dazed, Gao Yang couldn’t help but sigh and said, “It’s too late for any words now.
Who could’ve expected Gaddafi to play such a hand?
Since we’re all brothers here, I won’t say much more.
It’s just that I feel sorry for Frey, as it’s his first time out with me, and he might end up buried here.”
Frey managed a weak smile and replied, “No, I don’t blame you.
In fact, I don’t blame anyone.
It was my choice to take this path.
If I die, it’s nobody’s fault but my own.
I just feel incredibly unlucky, having so much money on me without any way to take it home.
That’s what’s depressing me the most.”
Gao Yang chuckled bitterly and said, “Although the situation is tough, it’s not time to despair just yet.
Let’s just play it by ear.”
No sooner had Gao Yang finished speaking than a gunshot was heard.
“Where are the gunshots coming from!”
As the atmosphere had already become extremely tense, the sound of gunfire rang out.
Gao Yang and his group leapt to their shooting positions, but looking outside, everything still seemed calm, not like a battle had begun.
“They are executing prisoners, they’re carrying out executions at the entrance to the palace!”
After Cui Bo shouted, Gao Yang immediately went to the small door facing the direction of the palace.
He picked up the binoculars for a glance and saw a person lying at the entrance of the palace with their hands tied behind their back.
While Gao Yang was carefully observing, another person with their hands bound was pushed out from the palace.
Now, it seemed no one cared whether it was appropriate to execute prisoners at the entrance to Gaddafi’s palace.
The prisoner was just pushed out the door when an officer with a pistol shot the prisoner in the back of the head.
As for the bodies, they were simply left at the palace’s entrance, unattended.
Seeing the officer turn back and re-enter the palace, Gao Yang shook his head and said, “It looks like they’re rushing to execute the prisoners.
I guess Hamis will be leaving here soon.
He plans to quickly get rid of all those who ought to be shot before he leaves.”
“That must be it, but why are they pushing them out one by one?
Could they still be interrogating them?
Hey, Brother Yang, don’t you think Abdul could really be among these people?”
Gao Yang put down the binoculars and reached out a hand to viciously slap the top of Cui Bo’s head, who was crouching beside him, and angrily said, “Damn Rabbit, can’t you shut your crow mouth?
Do you know how accurate your stinking mouth is?
I’m going to hit you so hard…, damn it!”
After cursing, Gao Yang’s hand holding the binoculars quivered, and he almost dropped them.
Then he exclaimed in shock, “Abdul!”
Cui Bo went pale when he heard this and snatched the binoculars from Gao Yang’s hand.
After a glance, he cried out, “Damn, it really is Abdul, damn it, this is crazy!”
Another six people were pushed out from the grand doors of the palace, and Abdul was indeed among them.
Gao Yang rubbed his eyes, snatched back the binoculars from Cui Bo, and after taking a very careful look, confirmed that Abdul was among those prisoners with their hands bound behind their backs.
Gao Yang instinctively tossed the binoculars into Cui Bo’s hands and then raised his M1A, but peering through the scope at the officer with the raised pistol, Gao Yang did not know whether he should pull the trigger.
Either he watches Abdul get shot dead before his own eyes or he fires and gets killed by Gaddafi’s or rather Hamis’s loyalists who were close at hand.
Gao Yang’s hands began to tremble.
He watched the officer executing prisoners fire a shot into the head of the first person in line.
The only good news now was that Abdul was fifth in line, giving Gao Yang a few seconds to think.
The cabin fell into dead silence.
Li Jinfang, although he had never met Abdul, had heard of him from Gao Yang and the others, while Frey, unaware of what was happening, was just looking at Gao Yang in astonishment.
Glolov and Cui Bo also didn’t know what to do.
“Should we shoot or not!”
Listening to Gao Yang’s trembling voice, Glolov sighed and said, “He’s my friend, my choice is to shoot.”
Li Jinfang sighed and added, “Better to shoot, I understand you guys.
Anyway, we’re going to die sooner or later; it’s worth it to die for a friend.”
Cui Bo, tense, said, “Let’s shoot, it’s the third one now, shoot, I was on good terms with old A, I can’t just watch him die.
Wait, wait, Abdul is speaking, he’s shouting something, the officer’s put down the gun!”
Gao Yang could also see from the scope that Abdul was shouting something with his mouth wide open.
The officer who was about to shoot the fourth person suddenly lowered his pistol and walked from behind the fourth person to stand before Abdul.
With the crosshairs trained on the back of the officer’s head, Gao Yang was ready to pull the trigger as soon as the officer raised the pistol to aim at Abdul.
As for the consequences of firing, Gao Yang could no longer afford to think about them.