One hour later.
Murphy's squad of eight, along with the external support Long Zhan, the intelligence team, the staff at the operations center, plus all the commanders at platoon level and above from the Quick Reaction Force,
altogether about seventy or eighty personnel from various operational units, had all gathered inside the large command tent at the operations center.
Before the mission briefing officially began, several video clips were played via projector, along with photos of the mission targets and their relevant personal information,
so that everyone participating in the operation could get a general understanding of the objectives.
Then, the briefing moved on to the main points.
An intelligence specialist stepped forward, holding a laser pointer, and placed a red dot on the screen over the headscarf and large beard of the man pictured, beginning the introduction of the mission target.
"Ahmed Shah — an extremely dangerous individual, a senior Taliban commander.
He was responsible for leading the attack against the Marine Corps in eastern Afghanistan previously. Our mission this time is to locate, confirm, and eliminate Ahmed Shah.
Shah has undergone some unknown ritual; his most distinctive feature is the absence of earlobes. Since his face is mostly covered by a scarf, this will be the best identifying marker."
The projection screen shifted to another image, a high-resolution photo taken by a drone.
"Talib, Shah's most trusted aide. All major operations are carried out by him on Shah's behalf. He is our secondary target."
After the intelligence specialist finished, he stepped aside and the major in command took over to assign the personnel for the mission.
"Before we deploy the QRF—Quick Reaction Force—to strike at Shah, we need to send a reconnaissance team to locate and confirm his position.
The recon team roster has been finalized. The following individuals will be responsible for the reconnaissance mission:
Captain Murphy will coordinate and command overall. Sergeant Marcus will serve as medic and secondary spotter. Sergeant Matt is assigned sniper observation. Radio communications go to Sergeant Deetz. Sergeant Long Zhan is responsible for covering fire and logistics."
Upon hearing the list announced by the commanding officer, those selected — Murphy, Marcus, and the others — exchanged looks. Calm and composed, no visible reaction.
Those not selected felt neither joy nor the anxiety that comes with the mission's difficulty.
Long Zhan's mood matched that of Murphy's squad — equally steady and unshaken. All necessary preparations had been made; negative emotions would only impair judgment during the operation.
Those who were left out, like Frank and Sean, became reserve personnel who could only stay at the base.
The veteran soldiers like Frank were fine with this — every operation had both primary and backup teams. This time, they were the backup, next time it could be the main force.
It was standard military protocol, something they had long grown accustomed to.
Only Sean, newly assigned to special forces and full of energy and anticipation to prove himself in this mission, showed a face full of regret and frustration.
Frustrated that his first mission in special forces would mean watching from the base instead of being in the field.
It was like accompanying a team to the NBA finals but being forced to sit on the bench watching while everyone else fought for the championship ring.
Extremely suffocating.
But no matter how frustrated Sean was, all he could do was stew silently.
Because he was still a rookie in special operations — it would be a long time before he got to participate in real missions.
"Now, I will explain the route."
With the personnel roster finalized, the major commander switched the screen to a satellite map.
"Our mission requires utmost stealth. The recon team cannot be airlifted directly by helicopter to the destination. Instead, you will land on the western outskirts of Asadabad village.
From there, proceed on foot over the mountain behind, stealthily bypassing the villages along the way, and ultimately reach Kataq village, where Shah is hiding.
I estimate it will take three to four hours. The terrain is all cursed shale, which makes progress very difficult. Make sure your shoelaces are tightly tied.
Also, a reminder to all operatives: the enemy you face is not just armed militants.
A few weeks ago, Marine Corps 8th Squad was patrolling that area. One member was bitten by a rattlesnake, nearly losing his life.
You probably wouldn't expect it, but there are many low poison oak bushes along the route.
Getting pricked won't be too bad physically, but be careful of your essentials — those toxins cannot be blocked."
The major commander cracked a dry joke, then said to another officer, "X, I'm handing the rest over to you."
"I'll introduce the operational procedure."
X stepped up to the mission board on the left and addressed everyone:
"This mountainous region has steep slopes and very limited radio signal coverage. There is a high chance of communication failure.
To ensure communication during the mission, the recon team will be equipped with a satellite phone, which will be held and operated by Commander Murphy.
A communication satellite passes overhead every two hours.
That means you will have a satellite communication window every two hours. If you miss more than two windows, you will have to find your own way.
But don't worry.
Satellite communication is only a backup. If radio comms work fine, the satellite phone is just a big piece of useless plastic."
To avoid the mood becoming too heavy, X used a humorous metaphor before continuing.
"Next, the recon team's route: to avoid exposing yourselves during the operation, you must follow the designated route exactly.
At each waypoint, you must report back so the command center can confirm your position.
There are four waypoints in total. 'Budweiser' is the codename for the first waypoint, 'Miller' for the second, 'Corona' the third, and 'Heineken' the fourth.
Then there is the first concealed observation post, codenamed 'Schlitz Malt.' If Shah is confirmed there, the subsequent operation codename will be 'Rick James.'"
All the waypoint and observation post names were listed on a whiteboard, arranged top to bottom.
At first glance, it seemed confusing — so many codenames, wondering what use they had.
But actually, it was quite straightforward.