The northern region of Apaltado was a mountainous region covered by tropical rainforest. The location was far away from highways and cities, with only an endless tropical rainforest that spanned the landscape. Other than a few villages scattered on the edge of the rainforest, there was not the slightest sign of human activity here.
The heavy rain in the past few days turned the already aged roads even muddier because of the water that washed down from the mountains. Even the most experienced explorers and travel companions would not choose to enter this rainforest at this time.
And at this moment, in the depths of this jungle, a group of soldiers armed to their teeth were marching in the direction of Turbo in an orderly manner.
“We’re almost there. We’ll get to Apaltado in 20 kilometers, which is the edge of this jungle! Then we will follow the highway to Turbo!” Andre shouted to the soldiers beside him. Andre, the captain of the South Colombian guerrilla, acted as the guide for Celestial Trade Army.
“Are you familiar with this area?” Gao Jian asked when he glanced at the satellite map on the holographic screen on his left arm.
“Of course,” there was a touch of pride that appeared from the corner of his mouth that was turned up, Andrew continued with his not-so-fluent Mandarin, “I grew up in this area. Even with my eyes closed, I can walk out of here.”
“It’s better to keep your eyes open,” Gao Jian looked around, “We are getting closer and closer to the enemy position.”
…
In the Turbo, the streets were empty without any civilians.
Because the location was close to the front line, the local residents were evacuated to the nearby city of Monteria by the North Colombian government forces. At this moment, port of Turbo was completely under the military control of the NATO Coalition Force. Not only were checkpoints set up at the main entrances, but soldiers wearing urban camouflage could occasionally be seen patrolling the streets.
Stationed here was the 27th Infantry Brigade and the legendary First Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment of the UA.
Although most supplies were transported from Monteria to the front lines, Turbo, as the front line of the war zone between North and South Colombia, possessed a strategic value that could not be underestimated. As the elite of the UA and the entire NATO Coalition Force, they were responsible for guarding the dead ends of the Coalition Force’s offensive front. Not only did they have to be on guard against South Colombia guerrillas from suddenly emerging from the rainforest and threatening the supply line, but they would also have to use their mobility advantage to launch a surprise attack against the South Colombia rear by directly mobilizing their troops through the rainforest.
This force could be described as a sharp blade hidden inside the sleeve of the NATO Coalition Force.
“Sh*t, I don’t know when this storm will end.” A young soldier from UA looked at the downpour outside the window cursed in annoyance. He sat by a checkpoint and waved his hand to get rid of the mosquitoes around him. “Compared to here, I would rather stay in the desert and feed the camels.”
It was raining, but there was not the slightest freshness in the air.
The air here was so humid all year round. It felt like breathing through a damp cloth. Coupled with the stalemate in the battle, all the soldiers from UA who looked forward to attacking the city inside a Hummer felt disappointed.
“It’s okay if it rains,” the shaggy veteran grinned. “It’s better than going to the frontline to die.”
“You’re kidding,” the soldier raised his eyebrows and said with disdain, “Against those apes that haven’t evolved?”
“The guerrillas in South Columbia are problematic, but they are not the threat.” The look in the veteran’s eyes turned into reminiscence, and after a pause, he continued, “Celestial Trade are different. They are not just a threat, but also deadly.”
As if he had heard something comical, the soldier pursed his lips and said in a half-joking tone.
“I do admit Celestial Trade are very strong, but don’t you think you look too highly of them? Our number is ten times as many as theirs. Our aircraft carrier battle group is cruising in the Caribbean, and their aircraft carrier? I almost forgot; they don’t even have one.”
There was a moment of silence before the veteran said.
“If you had participated in the Colombian Civil War last time, you wouldn’t have said that.”
“Really?” The soldier curled his lips again, then mocked in the same half-joking tone, “I think if we stood here last time, maybe this civil war would have ended last time.”
After the veteran heard his arrogant speech, he smiled and was about to refute. However, he felt alarmed.
He immediately reached for the rifle next to him, and just as he cautiously stood up, several short shots were fired simultaneously!
Pewpewpew!
The orange-yellow trajectories flickered, without the slightest warning and the soldiers from UA at the checkpoint collapsed into a pool of blood. The soldier who showed disdain prior was now on the ground. His pupils were dilated and it took a long time for the light in his eyes to diminish.
The thunder that exploded in the air covered up the gunshots that erupted at the checkpoint and no one was alerted.
The invisible boots stepped into the puddles, and the raindrops that dripped down outlined the kinetic skeleton. After they had confirmed that the entire checkpoint had been cleared, a dozen soldiers in K2 kinetic skeleton had assembled at the checkpoint while they gradually appeared under the rain.
The man in the front pressed his helmet and reported in a deep voice.
“Team B is in place. The checkpoint has been cleared.”
“Received. Attention all combat units, enter the town.”
“Roger!”
Like ghosts, a force covered by the jet-black kinetic skeleton appeared from the depth of shadows inside the rainforest. Pairs of iron boots stepped through the muddy road, and the heavily armed soldiers quickly passed through the emptied checkpoint and broke into the Port of Turbo controlled by the UA military.
The patrolling soldiers finally found these uninvited guests when the Celestial Trade soldiers infiltrated in.
“ENEMY ATTACK!”
With a loud roar, the attacked patrol team immediately buried their heads behind cover as they fired back with the rifle in their hands against the Celestial Trade soldiers. After a grenade launcher fired, it exploded at the door of a shop tens of meters away.
This explosion ignited the fierce confrontation between the two sides!
“Attention each unit, turn off the safety, fire freely! I repeat, fire freely!”
The whole town boiled.
The orange-yellow bullet trajectories weaved through the rain and intertwined into a giant net named death.
Gao Jian leaned against the cover, then quickly tapped on the holographic screen on his left arm a few times. The Hummingbird drone hovering in the air immediately rushed to the UA soldiers hiding behind cover, and the turret underneath immediately unleashed its fury.
The soldiers who were shot fell to the ground screaming; they were dragged into the bunker desperately by their uninjured comrades. Several light machine guns fired into the air, and soon two drones smashed down. However, their mission had already been completed.
Through the gap where the UA soldiers’ stopped firing back, Celestial Trade continued to advance forward rapidly.
Just as the UA soldiers stationed on the other side of the street responded in a hurry, the whistling sound of the propeller suddenly appeared above them. Cam, the commander of Company C of the First Ranger Battalion, who was in charge of the battle, suddenly looked up, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
“It’s our helicopter!”
The Apache gunship that suddenly appeared from among the buildings aimed with its turrets on both sides and the M230 cannon in the middle at the advancing Celestial Trade in the First Ranger Battalion’s position. However, Cam’s smile soon froze after merely two seconds.
A surface-to-air missile that dragged a white smoke column sprang up from the other side of the street. It had ignored all the flares in the air and directly slammed into the Apache!
With a loud bang, the Apache that had just appeared for two seconds plunged into the commercial street not far away and was surrounded by black smoke.
The burning launch tube scalded the raindrops into water mist. A “Crocodile” armored vehicle appeared from behind Celestial Trade and advanced onto the street. The machine gun in the center of the turret, which was as thick as a bowl, slowly stopped in the center. The armor reflected a pair of pupils that were gradually filled with fear…
Cam had only one thought in his mind.
How did their armored vehicles pass through that rainforest?
