Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 109 - 99 Coming

Chapter 109: Chapter 99 Coming

July 9, 2017.

Baghdad.

The target was most likely hiding in Baghdad, so the first stop had to be Baghdad.

The main challenge of this mission was not the assassination itself, but how to find the target. Thus, this task could be considered more of a search mission than an assassin’s job.

So, not being able to carry weapons wasn’t too much of a problem—as long as Saibu could be found, buying a gun in Baghdad on the spot was feasible. Besides, for Gao Yi, he didn’t really need a gun anyway.

"It’s so hot..."

As soon as he stepped off the plane and was directly exposed to the scorching air of Baghdad, Gao Yi felt like he was being roasted in a frying pan.

Dry and hot, it was just too hot.

After years of war, Baghdad had suffered significant damage, but after a few years of recovery, the current state of Baghdad wasn’t so bad—at least, it looked relatively decent near the airport.

Gao Yi looked at Luca, Luca looked at Lin Xianghua, and Lin Xianghua looked back at Gao Yi.

Just yesterday they were in Los Angeles, and today they had arrived in Baghdad, their approach being simply to act on the fly.

But if you asked if they had any plan, the answer was no.

Gao Yi thought that having been a middleman for so long, Luca ought to know what to do after arriving in Baghdad.

Luca felt that as a mercenary and having been to the Middle East before, Lin Xianghua should have some idea of what to do once they got there.

Lin Xianghua made it simple—he listened to Gao Yi.

Overall, it was a trio consisting of an amateur, a half-baked player, and a greenhorn.

"Let’s find a cool place first, to eat!"

As the boss, Gao Yi made a decision that could not go wrong. Luca visibly relaxed, while Lin Xianghua just silently nodded in agreement.

Gao Yi looked at Lin Xianghua, "You’ve been here, where’s a good place to go?"

Lin Xianghua hesitated.

Impatient, Gao Yi said, "Speak up if you know, why act so meek like an aggrieved little wife?"

In a low voice, Lin Xianghua said, "Last time I was here, I followed a Mercenary Group. And though it was a Mercenary Group, it was nominally an American PMC company. Upon arriving in Baghdad, we were taken care of. We would eat and then sleep, several people crammed into one room. We would stay for a day then head straight to Mosul, fight a few battles, then withdraw. Back in Baghdad it was just eating, sleeping, and waiting for the flight back to the United States."

After finishing, Lin Xianghua looked unconfident as he added, "So, I don’t really know Baghdad."

Gao Yi wiped the sweat from his face with his hand, then realized that despite the heat, there wasn’t much sweat because it evaporated as soon as it emerged.

What an unreliable bunch.

Gao Yi stepped out of the shade, waving his hand and shouting towards a line of cars ahead, "Taxi! Taxi! Is there a taxi available?"

Immediately, a man in a robe got out of a car and, propping the door open, beckoned and shouted, "Boss, here... here!"

That the man driving an unlicensed cab spoke Chinese was all Gao Yi needed to decide to use his car.

The three men quickly made their way to a Toyota Corolla. Once inside, with Gao Yi sitting in the passenger seat, he took a deep breath and relaxed, relishing the lifesaving cool air from the air conditioner, and remarked, "Bless this air conditioning."

The driver seemed honest. In an accented but fluent Mandarin, he asked, "Boss, where would you like to go?"

There was a certain familiarity, a sense of comfort.

Has Mandarin become so universal? Whether it’s a small town in the rainforests of Africa or war-torn Baghdad, there are drivers waiting for fares, speaking fluent Mandarin.

Gao Yi looked at the driver, gave him a once-over, and asked, "I’ll rent your car for the day, how much is it?"

The driver, surprised and elated, saw a long-term meal ticket in front of him. After a brief hesitation, he carefully, yet firmly, based on his experience dealing with Chinese people, said, "Two hundred forty US Dollars per day, boss, and I’ll cover the gas."

It was expensive, but the driver had left room to bargain. Gao Yi thought two hundred dollars a day would suffice.

Without hesitation, Gao Yi said, "I’ll give you three hundred dollars a day, but that includes the night. You must be on call."

The driver’s eyes widened in surprise, before he quickly said, "No problem!"

Luca, who didn’t understand the conversation, noticed the driver’s overly joyous expression after the chat with Gao Yi. His exceptional intuition immediately sensed something was off.

"What are you guys talking about? Did you overpay?"

Gao Yi replied to Luca, "He asked for two forty; I offered three hundred."

Luca’s eyes bulged, incredulously saying, "Are you crazy?"

The driver suddenly switched to English, "No, three hundred includes the night. It’s a reasonable price."

Luca and Gao Yi were speechless, then both nodded.

A taxi driver who spoke three languages was worth the price.

The car started moving, and Gao Yi asked the driver, "What’s your name?"

"Ali."

It seemed these drivers had no other names. An easy, approachable name like Ali had become their standard moniker.

Gao Yi exhaled and said, "Ali, we’re... first-timers in Baghdad. Where should we stay and where should we go for food?"

"Safer to go to the Green Zone, but hotels there are much more expensive. I have a permit for the Green Zone. Even if you stay there, it won’t be a problem. If you prefer something more economical, you could stay outside the Green Zone. Baghdad isn’t that dangerous now. I know a nice hotel with air conditioning and a generator, so you’ll have AC even if there’s a power outage."

As Ali spoke knowledgeably, he smiled, "If you just want to eat, anywhere will do. But if you want to drink alcohol, it’s only available in the Green Zone, and the only issue is that it’s expensive."

That settled it.

At this moment, Gao Yi’s satellite phone in his bag rang.

It wasn’t a cell phone but a satellite phone. Gao Yi fumbled to open the small bag, pulled out the phone, briefly hesitated whether to answer in front of Ali as he saw the phone number.

Martin had provided this satellite phone so that Gao Yi could make calls from any corner of the globe. Additionally, this satellite phone could also use mobile network for calls, so Gao Yi didn’t need to search for satellites before making or receiving calls.

Having just met and established a close partnership, if Gao Yi was coming to Baghdad, how could he not give Martin a heads up?

Before undertaking anything, finding connections was not only in Gao Yi’s style but an instinct for most Chinese people.

When Ali saw the satellite phone Gao Yi took out, his face briefly froze, then he addressed Gao Yi, "I’ve become deaf now, but if you don’t trust me, I can pull over. You can take the call once I leave."

Gao Yi liked clever people; even in tough times, someone like Ali could find a way to thrive.

Gao Yi answered the phone, "Hi, we’ve arrived."

"I know, that’s why I called. How’s everything, smooth so far?"

"We’ve rented a car," Gao Yi replied coolly, "and we’re planning to head to the Green Zone. How about it, found the right person?"

That was the thing. Martin worked in the intelligence division of the FBI, which typically dealt only with domestic U.S. matters. But Gao Yi figured, since Martin was in intelligence, there was a chance he knew someone in Baghdad.

One person vouching for another could lead to a helpful contact.

Since Martin could obtain an FBI-exclusive satellite phone and sell it to Gao Yi at the extremely low price of twenty thousand dollars, he could likely also make a connection.

There was no loss in trying. If Martin couldn’t find anyone, it would only show his limitations. Gao Yi wouldn’t suffer any loss, right?

"I’ve found someone," Martin explained. "He’s been transferred from the FBI to the Department of Homeland Security, and from there to the Defense Clandestine Service of the Pentagon. But I don’t know if he’ll be willing to help because I haven’t had the chance to contact him yet. I still need to find his contact information, and since I could check his current posting, it means his rank is low, so he might not be of much use. That’s what I wanted to tell you."

Gao Yi wasn’t familiar with corporate or governmental hierarchies, so he didn’t fully grasp the implications of Martin’s words.

But what Gao Yi did know was that under the right conditions, using money to influence people was often the simplest and quickest method.

After briefly pondering, Gao Yi spoke softly, "Alright, make contact. As long as he’s willing to help, we can talk numbers. You know what I mean."

"Got it. I’ll get back to you. Settle into the Green Zone first, and I’ll quickly make contact."

As the call ended, Gao Yi sighed and said, "Satellite phones really are convenient. No need to hunt for WiFi like last time."

Luca nodded, and Lin Xianghua couldn’t resist saying, "It’s just a bit pricey; the one I use costs only one thousand."

Laughing, Gao Yi said, "But this one doesn’t need a plan. Calls always come through, can’t lose out. Besides, this number is a sign of status, a demonstration of power."

Luca coughed lightly and said, "Alright, let’s not talk about that. Let’s find a place to settle down and rest for the day. Tomorrow we’ll go... Ali."

The driver instantly responded, "Sir, what do you need?"

Luca said evenly, "We want to go to Suaila. Can you take us? If not, we’ll just find another car."

Taking a breath, the driver said, "Suaila? I can go! But can we discuss a surcharge? Leaving Baghdad is a bit risky. Is that okay?"

Without hesitation, Gao Yi said, "It’s okay. What should we be aware of going to Suaila? Speak up, whatever you know."

The driver seemed uncertain for a moment, then finally said, "It might be best to hire some guards; Suaila isn’t very safe. But apart from hiring protection, there’s not much else to worry about. ISIS has left, but there will be many checkpoints on the way. You better prepare some small change. That’s all."

Having a local person was convenient. Spending a few extra hundred dollars to avoid trouble was naturally the best option. Gao Yi had no further questions and said, "I’ll give you five hundred dollars when we leave Baghdad. Also, for your own sake, think carefully about how to ensure safety."