```
The ICDC soldiers didn't need to be searched for.
They came back.
As soon as the shelling stopped, they were back at the scene, driving Humvees, wielding old AK47s, and putting on a show more dedicated than anyone else.
The chef lost his temper again, scolding them for being both cowardly and unprofessional.
Yet, the ICDC commander justified himself righteously, saying that when the air raid alarm went off, of course they had to find cover. Otherwise, what could they do? Use their bodies to resist bombs?
His retort even left the chef speechless.
In truth, one couldn't expect much from the ICDC. They were officially known as the Illiguo Civil Defense Force, a makeshift army cobbled together through recruitment.
This army consisted of a small number of defected former government soldiers, reservists, and military personnel from tribal armed forces.
The situation in Illiguo was such that after Sadam's fall, armed forces, anti-government armed forces, tribal forces, and even gangsters and other criminals, all emerged to take the stage of history.
As the locals say, when one Sadam falls, a thousand rise in his place.
Each local force is a new political power, each one eager to secure a spot in the newly-formed provisional management committee. Only with such a position could they get their share of the reconstruction funds, but to win a seat, they must have their own guns.
So, everyone is racing to establish their own Armed Organization.
To balance and gain the allegiance of these various armed groups, Country M would distribute some of the "cake" to satisfy their appetites.
The simplest way to distribute the cake was to offer them administrative positions in the provisional management committee and the newly formed Civil Defense Force.
Nowadays, Illiguo's local forces are filled with different factions, and to strengthen their armed forces and secure more US Dollars from the US Army's special funds, leaders of various factions are all eager to plant their people in forces like the ICDC.
After all, the United States provides the guns, and the military expenses, so why not take them? If you don't take them, you're a fool.
Isn't it delightful to take from the rich and feed on the rich?
Aren't those colorful bills beautiful?
What democracy? What oil?
Damn democracy and oil!
They are nothing but a sham.
Dollar!
Only the Dollar matters!
Thus, it's not surprising that a force like the ICDC had no real combat capability and would scatter like birds and beasts at the first sign of trouble.
What truly made Song Heping envious of the ICDC was their Humvees, looking at his own Opel and Rover, then at the second-hand, genuine US-manufactured Humvees they had.
Song Heping felt that even the pseudo-army here was better off than a bottom-tier mercenary like himself.
The convoy now had four vehicles, two Humvees from the ICDC, an Opel, and a Rover off-road vehicle.
Song Heping had thought the chef would assign the Humvees the tasks of leading and tailing the convoy, with the two civilian vehicles in the middle.
But to his utter surprise, the chef directed both of the ICDC's Humvees to take point.
"You two Humvees go ahead! We'll follow behind," the chef said.
"Okay," responded the Captain of the ICDC, who didn't sense anything amiss, and got going without further ado.
Watching the two Humvees depart, Song Heping felt puzzled by the chef's arrangement.
According to common convoy protection principles, the vehicles with the best protective features should be at the front and the rear.
After all, the "Musician" Mercenary Group's two civilian vehicles had no bulletproof capabilities, and putting them at the back ran the risk of high casualties in the event of an ambush.
Watching the two Humvees distance themselves, with the Opel Car yet to receive the go-ahead, Song Heping couldn't resist asking Grey Wolf, "What's with this setup? Allowing all the Humvees to go upfront?"
Grey Wolf sneered, "Heh, he just sent the ICDC to be the cannon fodder."
Song Heping was taken aback, and it finally dawned on him, almost bursting into Zhang Xueyou's song "You're Really Hurtful" right there and then.
While civilian vehicles are indeed not bulletproof, they are also less conspicuous than a Humvee.
In a place like Baghdad, driving a US Army vehicle is akin to putting on a vest labeled—I am with the US Army!
That would absolutely make it the first choice as a target for a Resistance Organization or loyalists of Sadam's Suicide Squad looking to attack.
Civilian cars, however, are different.
There are plenty of civilian cars on the streets of Baghdad. As long as you wind up the windows, without opening them or stopping en route, the risk is much lower.
Putting the two civilian vehicles in the middle of the convoy is effectively placing oneself in greater danger.
The chef's arrangement was to have the ICDC clear the path, taking on the role of cannon fodder.
Song Heping had been baffled as to why someone like the chef, who had never even been a soldier, could make a few proud paratroopers submit to him.
Now, he vaguely understood the reason: to be a leader, what matters most isn't superb fighting skills but, more importantly, a brain that is sharp and useful.
The chef was definitely crafty.
The ICDC Captain had previously insulted them as "Muscovites," probably because he bore a grudge.
Now he saw a chance for revenge, and he took it without waiting even for a night to pass.
The convoy soon left the airport, heading towards the northwest of the city.
"BW0, BW0—BW55 calling, BW55 calling."
```
Song Heping heard a call from the cook over the radio.
This wasn't a call to him and Grey Wolf, but to Blackwater International's central station.
In Illiguo, Blackwater International's call sign was BW0, with BW as the prefix and 0 as the sequence number. There were at least 60 small private military contractor squads employed by Blackwater International, each using a sequence number from 1 to 6X to identify and communicate with each other for easy recognition and contact.
The call sign for the cook and Song Heping's squad was BW55.
Each major PMC company here had a complete command system. As a large international contractor, these wealthy moguls had enough financial resources to establish a communication and command network that rivaled that of an army.
"BW0 received, go ahead."
"BW55 reporting, mission code P23, VIP acquired, en route back to the Green Zone. Route has been sent, please check. Over."
"BW55, this is BW0, message received, maintain communication, good luck! Over!"
After reporting the situation to Blackwater International's central station, the cook started to contact the Opel station wagon patrolling up ahead.
"Grey Wolf, Grey Wolf, this is the cook, make sure to keep your distance from the ICDC, just enough to see the tail of their car is fine."
"Understood, Grey Wolf. Maintaining a safe distance."
He then turned to Song Heping and asked, "Have you ever been on a PSD mission before?"
Song Heping shook his head and said, "This is my first time as a mercenary."
Grey Wolf replied, "Then learn this, you're in charge of observing the road conditions, and report anything that happens to the cook at all times. You can't count on those idiots from the ICDC for this."
Reporting?
Song Heping quickly asked, "How do I report?"
"Observe both sides of the highway, as well as the terrain and facilities, then tell the cook anything you see that you think must be reported so he can be prepared. The VIP is in his car; he's the priority," Grey Wolf instructed.
Song Heping picked up the radio and glanced outside. For a moment, he felt clueless about where to start.
"Have you studied reconnaissance?" Grey Wolf inquired.
"I have," Song Heping answered.
"Good," Grey Wolf said, "Imagine yourself as a vanguard, then you'll understand."
Song Heping got the point instantly and began to immerse himself in the role with the radio.
"An abandoned vehicle to the left front..."
"A pile of garbage 100 meters ahead on the right, possible sniper hideout..."
"Two hundred meters ahead, there's a broken overpass, on top of the bridge..."
As he spoke, Song Heping squinted and looked toward the overpass.
The Opel car was heading west, and the sunlight was somewhat blinding.
Before he could get a clear view, a truck suddenly sped past the Opel at a high speed, whooshing by.
"Are these people in a hurry to be reincarnated or what..."
In such a place, driving that fast, if it wasn't rushing to be reincarnated, then what was it?
Song Heping couldn't help but murmur to himself.
No sooner had his voice faded than the high-speed truck, which had overtaken them, continued to charge forward at full throttle, with no intent to slow down.
A bad premonition surged in Song Heping's heart.
Seeing the truck continue to accelerate and getting very close to the ICDC's rear vehicle, he pressed the talk button on the radio to start calling out.
"Vehicle 2, be advised, vehicle 2, be advised, there's a truck approaching at high speed from the right, it looks like it's heading for you!"
Vehicle 2 was the ICDC's second Humvee armored vehicle, which was second in the convoy formation.
"What truck?"
The ICDC soldier on Vehicle 2 seemed confused.
With only a few seconds of hesitation, the truck had reached the back of the Humvee. The driver shifted into top gear and kept flooring the accelerator...
"Vehicle 2, be alert! Attack warning!"
Before he could finish speaking, the speeding rogue truck had already brutally hit the Humvee from the rear-left with the front-right corner of the truck, at a skillful and tricky angle.
The Humvee, though sturdy, was hit so unexpectedly that it lost balance and, after a bit of teetering, simply flipped over, landing upside down on the side of the road.
At almost the same moment, Song Heping saw several sneaky figures suddenly appear on the overpass ahead.
One of them was carrying something on their shoulder.
Whoosh—
A ball of fire erupted, and a rocket-propelled grenade, trailing a meter-long tail of flames with its distinctive trajectory, targeted the Humvee at the front of the convoy.
"RPG! RPG!"
Song Heping shouted into the radio.
But it all seemed too late...