The Contractor

After Ernesto was captured, the following days were relaxed for Deng Shiyang, as he was not involved in the interrogation of the prisoner. This allowed him time to do some light exercises to get himself back in shape. For security reasons, he abandoned the idea of jogging around the farm and opted for indoor physical training, such as push-ups and sit-ups in the barn.

Three days passed quickly.

At breakfast, Keith solemnly announced that all contractors involved in the operation should gather in the meeting room at 10 a.m. with pen and paper. Deng Shiyang sensed that the rescue plan was about to be officially set in motion.

Sure enough, when everyone was seated in the meeting room, Harrowby entered with a middle-aged Caucasian man.

The man looked about fifty and was in good shape. He was lean, with a straight posture and a somewhat formal demeanor. He wore an immaculately pressed white shirt, a neatly tailored dark gray suit, and a tie, making him stand out in stark contrast to the casually dressed crowd in the meeting room.

Harrowby glanced at everyone and introduced, "This is Mr. Anthony Manlinson, from the Crisis Management Team of S&M Company, responsible for K&R services."

S&M, officially known as "Shulberger & Marchem International Consultants," is headquartered in London. The company primarily provides security consulting and risk assessment services for the insurance giant MMC. The "Crisis Management Team" is a special department that handles various emergencies. "K&R," as Harrowby mentioned, stands for "Kidnap and Ransom," and Manlinson is a negotiation expert for kidnapping cases, assigned to Bolivia to rescue Peter Bowman. In short, he is the employer for this mission, and Harrowby's plan would ultimately need his approval.

Manlinson greeted everyone, "Please, don't be formal. We all share the same goal here; we want this to succeed." He then took a seat against the wall and remained silent.

After the meeting began, Harrowby spoke first, "Gentlemen, thanks to the outstanding actions during the last operation, we obtained a lot of valuable information."

"On the surface, Ernesto appears to be an import-export trader, but secretly, he is a drug dealer. He uses his connections to smuggle weapons into the country and trades them with the ELN for cocaine, which he then ships to North America for sale. In addition to this, he is a middleman in ransom negotiations, taking a commission from the ransom money."

"Based on the information we extracted from him, we've located the hostage." Harrowby said while pulling up Google Earth and entering a set of coordinates.

The projection screen displayed a satellite image of a mountainous area.

"The kidnappers belong to a faction of the ELN called the 'Santa Cruz Liberation Front.' Their base is located in the mountains near the border of Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca provinces, approximately seventy miles from Camiri, where Peter Bowman is being held."

As the image was zoomed in, the screen revealed a mountain hollow. It lay at the end of a canyon, shaped like a funnel, with the wider end slanting into the hills and the narrow end extending southwest, leading to a small trail out of the valley.

"We believe the hostage is being kept in one of the barracks, right here."

The cursor pointed to the "funnel mouth" of the hollow, where there was a clearing surrounded by about a dozen wooden huts arranged haphazardly, resembling a partially bitten bread ring. To the northeast of the huts, a small vegetable garden had been cleared at the foot of the slope, enclosed by a fence, with a shed that could be a pigsty or stable.

Harrowby gave Manlinson a questioning look, and the latter nodded slightly. Harrowby then gestured to Keith.

Keith stood up, walked to the wall, and wheeled the map-covered whiteboard in front of the group, saying, "Here's the plan: We depart in the evening, taking a helicopter east along the Parapetí River. Once we reach the provincial border, we'll descend to 500 feet, then turn north to avoid detection."

He pointed to a red circle labeled "1st LZ" on the map, "This is about seven miles from the guerrilla camp. We’ll land here before midnight and then enter the forest, trekking toward the camp." He moved his finger to another red circle labeled "2nd LZ," "After landing, the helicopter will circle the area. If anything goes wrong, we abort the mission and extract here."

Next, his finger traced through the forest to a red circle marked "Target Zone," "Upon arrival, we’ll spend a day surveilling the camp to gather as much intelligence as possible, and then launch the assault at noon the following day."

He pointed to a nearby hillside with a red circle labeled "1st Ext," saying, "This steep terrain is well-suited for defense. We’ll set directional mines around the camp and establish a firing position on the slope. Once we rescue the hostage, we’ll leave from here by helicopter."

He then pointed to another red circle not far away, labeled "2nd Ext," "If the situation changes, we’ll shift to the backup extraction point."

"That’s the plan."

Manlinson frowned and asked, "How do you plan to attack the camp?"

Keith glanced at Harrowby and asked for confirmation, "According to the intel, the camp has around a hundred people. Am I correct?"

"Yes, and most of them are combatants."

Manlinson looked astonished, "You’re going to rescue Peter Bowman from over a hundred men with just six people?"

"That's a suicide mission," someone murmured.

"Of course, six men alone wouldn't be enough, which is why I need you to do two things."

"What are they?"

"First, we know there is a coca plantation two miles from the camp. I need you to use your connections to have the government forces launch a small-scale raid there, drawing the main force of the guerrillas away."

Manlinson replied with a frown, "That might be tricky, but it should be doable. What's the other thing?"

"Second, I need armed helicopters from the government forces to provide air support."

Manlinson was taken aback, "How many?"

"At least two. One to hover and suppress, the other to destroy high-threat targets with rockets."

Manlinson’s frown deepened as he replied, "That can be arranged, but it involves many complications..." He paused and glanced at Harrowby, then asked, "How confident are you in this operation?"

As if reading his mind, Keith replied sternly, "You need to understand that this is the guerrilla's stronghold! I don’t intend to lead the team on a suicide mission. Without adequate air support to ensure a safe retreat, you'll not only lose six men but also waste your entire investment."

Manlinson pondered for a while before finally saying, "Alright, I agree to the plan."

"There are a few more things I need your help with."

"What are they?"

"First, find some experts in geography and biology who are familiar with the area. I need to know the vegetation conditions and any insects or diseases we need to be aware of."

"I can arrange that by the day after tomorrow."

"Second, I need detailed intelligence on the ELN—personnel, training, equipment, tactics, the more detailed, the better."

"No problem."

"Finally, I want the ELN to find out about the raid at the last possible moment, so they don’t have time to move the hostage."

"That can be arranged too."

"Thank you," Keith said, extending his hand.

Manlinson shook his hand, bid farewell to everyone, and left the meeting room with Harrowby.

After they departed, Keith began assigning tasks, "Jansen is responsible for communications, Du Preez and Rodin will infiltrate, Mark will establish the firing position, and JD will handle surveillance and fire support. List the equipment you need and submit it to me before nightfall."

Deng Shiyang stared at the camp photo on the screen and suddenly asked, "How far will I be from the camp?"

Keith thought for a moment, "The exact distance will need to be measured on-site, but it shouldn’t exceed 450 yards."

"Okay, that’ll do." Deng Shiyang picked up his pen and wrote a string of words and numbers in his notebook.