Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1283: One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-Six: The Killer Calls

Chapter 1283: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-Six: The Killer Calls

The convoy moved smoothly through the city. Just after leaving the outskirts, Gao Yang ordered the convoy to stop. He took five minutes to have everyone change clothes and take out their weapons. Then, the convoy continued until it reached a road junction not far from Kiev, where it was stopped by a checkpoint.

A long line of cars was parked in front of the checkpoint. Several armed soldiers inspected each vehicle before letting it through, causing a significant traffic jam.

Glolov, sitting in the front vehicle, spoke in a low voice over the walkie-talkie: “Don’t stop. Drive straight to the front.”

The convoy kept moving forward and stopped at the mobile barrier. Two soldiers approached the vehicle where Glolov was seated.

Glolov leaned out of the window and shouted loudly, “Get someone to clear this road immediately!”

Seeing the major insignia on Glolov’s uniform, the two soldiers simply saluted, then quickly signaled for a truck undergoing inspection to leave. They also ordered the cars behind not to move, clearing a pathway.

Glolov didn’t present any orders; he simply yelled, and the convoy was able to proceed without issue.

The smooth passage through the checkpoint justified Gao Yang’s elaborate arrangements. However, what worried him was the alliance between Iron Madonna and the current Ukraine Government. If they took a plane or helicopter to rush over, there was no way they could catch up.

The distance from Kiev to Crimea was significant. Even if everything went smoothly, they’d likely arrive by nightfall. There was also the possibility of an immediate battle upon arrival. Thus, the drivers had to rotate frequently to ensure everyone remained in peak condition.

After issuing a command for driver shifts every two hours, Gao Yang thought for a moment before speaking over the walkie-talkie in a deep voice: “Skunk, don’t drive. Rest up on the way.”

Rafael was the blaster and the main player in this mission. Four hundred kilograms of C4 had been prepared specifically for him. The task was heavy, and demolition work required precision. Resting sufficiently was essential.

Just after issuing the command via the walkie-talkie, Gao Yang received a call from Krulney.

“Bad news. The entirety of Iron Madonna is airborne and heading to Nikolayev. They’ll arrive in at most two hours.”

Gao Yang sighed deeply in frustration. Although Iron Madonna couldn’t fly directly to Crimea due to the lack of airports nearby, Nikolayev was still closer to Crimea than Kiev was. Even if they switched to vehicles in Nikolayev to continue to Crimea, they’d likely beat his team by several hours.

Gao Yang exhaled and said quietly, “Understood. That is indeed bad news. We’ll have to take one step at a time.”

After hanging up the phone, Gao Yang immediately spoke over the walkie-talkie: “Speed up! Those damned bastards are on a plane!”

Iron Madonna had the support of the newly formed government. Although the new government hadn’t yet fully controlled the military and was still in the adjustment phase, Iron Madonna could still rely on its backing. Meanwhile, Satan’s crew had no relationship with the new government and could only watch helplessly.

No matter how anxious they felt, there was nothing they could do besides moving forward as quickly as possible.

The Satan crew didn’t stop except for essential refueling. They bypassed rest breaks entirely.

The military uniforms and forged orders were put to good use. Along the way, they encountered seven checkpoints, but the convoy typically stopped only briefly for a few words before proceeding. The forged orders were utilized only once; most of the time, they didn’t even need to show them.

By the time darkness fell, Gao Yang’s team had reached Melitopol, not far from Crimea. Considering Ukraine’s road conditions, their speed was impressive.

Although they’d agreed to touch base after reaching Crimea, Gao Yang couldn’t resist calling Nate Schumacher. Once Nate answered, Gao Yang spoke in a deep voice: “We’re about to reach Crimea. Where are you?”

Nate replied in frustration: “On the road, just reaching the vicinity of Dnipropetrovsk. F**k, there are checkpoints everywhere, and passing through them is a nightmare.”

“Alright. We should arrive ahead of you. Once we’re there, we’ll contact you again.”

“If you get the chance, don’t wait for us to act first. Hell knows how long it’ll take us to get to Crimea. If an opportunity arises, call me. I’ll immediately signal Iron Madonna to take the bait. That’s all!”

Nate hung up abruptly, evidently in a foul mood. This was understandable; Ukraine was in a state of impending turmoil, yet not fully chaotic. With the new government just coming to power and still working to gain control, a mercenary convoy attempting to traverse Ukraine unhindered faced considerable obstacles.

After contacting Nate, Gao Yang turned his attention to Krulney next.

Krulney maintained steady contact with Iron Madonna. If not for concerns that his actions might raise Iron Madonna’s suspicions—especially post-operation—Krulney might have been able to monitor Iron Madonna’s movements entirely.

Gao Yang felt it was time to ask about their latest status. But just before he could make the call, his phone rang first.

An unknown number. Upon answering, he heard a familiar voice say, “It’s Number Thirteen. I’m in Athens. I’m safe.”

It hadn’t even been ten days, yet Number Thirteen had finally reached out. Gao Yang was both surprised and delighted. He shouted, “Number Thirteen! You bastard, you’re finally okay!”

Number Thirteen chuckled lightly: “I forgive you for calling me a bastard. Also, thank you!”

Gao Yang laughed heartily and asked, “How are you? Is your recovery going well?”

“I’ve recovered well. I had surgery in Abu Dhabi, and today we arrived in Athens. We originally considered going elsewhere, but Yake said he had a safe haven here, so we came to Athens. Although I think safety is secondary—the real reason is that Yake wanted to meet his girlfriend here.”

From the background, Yake’s voice called out loudly, “Hey, you better be respectful to her! You should still be bedridden right now!”

Gao Yang chuckled and asked, “Have you traced Karima’s whereabouts yet?”

“No, you know how it is with places like Saudi Arabia—women are treated as dispensable appendages with almost no records. I could only try gathering information from servants and such, but I still can’t confirm whether Karima is among the deceased girls. It’s too difficult to investigate a missing woman in Saudi Arabia. It’s genuinely daunting.”

Number Thirteen’s tone was both despondent and helpless. Still, the outcome wasn’t entirely bad. Gao Yang had feared hearing news of Karima’s death, and although the answer wasn’t definitive, at least there was still some hope.

Gao Yang exhaled in relief and said, “Listen, focus on recovering. I’m in Ukraine right now. When I return, I’ll need your help with a big project. Give me a number so I can contact you anytime, then just wait for my call.” (To be continued. If you liked this work, please support it on Qidian by voting for recommendations or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to access the full text.)