Chapter 379
2-in-1-chapter
Note: Hi, sorry for not uploading yesterday, as you might know, I am house hunting ( again), but this time I have got a lot less time. To keep a long story short, my landlord is/was a crazy woman. Anyway, in addition to that, I also got really sick and still did 10-hour shifts ( not fun).
But the good news is that all that moving has made my body feel better. So I am feeling a lot better ;)
Anyway, happy reading! And as usual you will get the chapters I missed yesterday.
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Sometimes, Mag-Lizard units would advance too far ahead, leaving infantry behind, and crash straight into enemy lines.
Other times, Medusa pilots couldn't even distinguish between friend and foe, and ended up unleashing firepower on their own troops.
Airstrikes were devastating—so when they hit the wrong targets, it was catastrophic. Government forces, suffering friendly fire, were routed by the insurgents in the aftermath.
This happened repeatedly, until commanders finally came up with a desperate solution.
They grounded the Scorpiontails, locking them away in hangars to avoid further damage.
If the flyers were more accurate at bombing friendlies than enemies, then it was better not to use them at all.
But what they didn't anticipate was that the Scorpiontails locked away in those hangars would be stolen by the very soldiers assigned to guard them—men who hadn't received wages in months.
Those soldiers sold the aircraft.
And the buyers were the insurgents.
Once the rebels got their hands on the Scorpiontails, their firepower surged. Unlike the government pilots, their operators seemed to know exactly how to use the machines—rarely hitting their own and consistently targeting government forces with lethal precision.
The government forces had grown increasingly unable to hold the line, and over the past year, their collapse had accelerated far more rapidly than in previous years.
Simply put, a few years ago, at least both sides were still equally weak—low-level skirmishes between poorly equipped forces. But a year ago, the government military upgraded its equipment, and then promptly lost it all—turning into little more than glorified transport couriers. The Mag-Lizard and Scorptail Lion systems were both captured by the insurgents, significantly boosting their strength and directly resulting in the government's cascading defeats.
As for why so many frontline soldiers surrendered, it wasn't just that the insurgents had grown stronger—the conduct of the government officers played a major role. While their soldiers fought and died, the officers remained in the rear, far from danger, issuing unrealistic orders through remote communication.
The frontline troops had finally had enough—and defected to the insurgents.
After hearing the Minister of Defense explain all this, Leo remained silent.
The situation was so absurd, so grotesquely mismanaged, that it bordered on the unbelievable. And yet, the insurgents had already reached the gates of the capital—proving everything the minister said to be true.
By now, the three had arrived in front of the elevator.
But the elevator was already full to capacity, with a growing crowd waiting outside.
Leo exchanged a glance with Goro Takemura.
Without hesitation, Takemura hoisted the Defense Minister over his shoulder like a sack of grain. The two men turned and sprinted toward the emergency stairwell.
"Where are you taking me?! We can't stay in the Presidential Palace—it's too dangerous! We need to get out of here!" the minister shouted.
Takemura ignored him and ran on.
Slung over Takemura's shoulder like luggage, the Defense Minister began to struggle violently.
"Shut up. Didn't you see how packed that elevator was? Even if we wait for the next one, we might not get in. Taking the stairs is faster."
While he spoke, they reached the stairwell.
Leo pushed open the fire door, setting off a sharp whee-oo, whee-oo from the alarm system. But at this point, no one had time to care.
Takemura ducked through the door, and all three of them began descending at tremendous speed
The Defense Minister, still bouncing on Takemura's shoulder, suddenly realized that despite taking the stairs, Leo and Takemura were moving incredibly fast. It wasn't much slower than the elevator. He gave up struggling.
While they descended, Leo asked another question.
"If we let you go, where would you go?"
"Out of the city," the minister answered immediately. "The insurgents are coming from the west—we can leave from the east. There's still enough time to get out before they arrive."
He spoke quickly, choosing "we" instead of "I."
"Mr. Leo, come with me. There's still time. The luxury and nightlife of the rich districts will distract the insurgents for a while. By the time they're done looting, we'll be long gone."
"Once we're outside the capital, we head straight east. We'll reach your company's territory in no time."
"The insurgents know how dangerous Aurora PMC is—they won't pursue us past your borders. If we make it out, we'll be safe."
"I have a secure account with Swiss Bank. As long as you escort me to your company's territory, I promise you'll be well compensated."
Leo didn't respond right away. He paused, then asked, "What about the others?"
The Defense Minister immediately snapped, "You think we have time to worry about anyone else right now?"
He opened his mouth to say more, but then his expression shifted. It was as if a realization hit him all at once. His face froze in shock.
"Mr. Leo… you're not seriously thinking of saving the city, are you?"
At that moment, the Minister recalled what Aurora PMC had done in eastern Bolivia—things like:
Paying miners in eurodollars, at wage levels comparable to the U.S., not in the worthless local currency;
Setting up medical aid stations in multiple regions, always treating patients before charging them—and even then, allowing people to repay in monthly installments, without interest or pressure;
Providing armed protection to towns and roads, responding to robberies and attacks—without asking for a single coin in return.
The Defense Minister was well aware of these facts.
So were the other ministers, the elites, and the wealthy class.
But they all viewed those actions as unnecessary. In their eyes, civilians were property—assets of the rich. And when disaster struck, people always saved themselves before their assets.
Yet now, having heard that insurgents were invading the capital, Leo didn't run. Instead, he had the nerve to ask, "What about the others?"
The Minister suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.
If the rumors were true… was Leo really planning to stay behind and protect the civilians who couldn't escape in time?
If so, the Minister would have to find a vehicle and escape on his own.
Leo didn't answer. Instead, he asked another question.
"If the insurgents take La Paz, what will they do?"
"Kill," the Minister said without hesitation. "They'll start with the government—ministers, staff, clerks, anyone involved. No one will be spared."
"The Presidential Palace is their primary target. They know the people here are the ones who've resisted them. They won't show mercy to a single soul."
"There won't be any trials. Just bullets. They don't believe in law—they use violence as their verdict. They act purely on rage."
"And after they kill us, the real nightmare begins."
"They'll ransack the entire city, go door-to-door searching. Anything valuable will be taken. Anyone who resists will be executed."
"Don't be fooled—these insurgents aren't fighting for the people. They were formed to oppose us, not to represent the public interest."
"And then, they'll begin abducting children."
"Almost no one joins the insurgents voluntarily, so their main recruitment base is children. They'll take them from their families."
"They'll force those kids to shoot adults. Those who refuse will be beaten, locked away. Those who comply will be rewarded. Children are easily manipulated—once one of them kills and gets something for it, the rest will follow without question."
The Defense Minister was speaking quickly, breath catching from the pace.
"Mr. Leo, I won't deny the strength of Aurora PMC. If your full force were here, I believe you could save the city. But right now, it's just the two of you. What could two men possibly do?"
"There's still time—before the insurgents arrive. We can still escape."
Leo nodded.
By this time, they had already forced their way out through the fire escape and emerged outside the presidential palace.
The street beyond was in turmoil, the crowds panicked, and the whole area was in chaos.
Leo gestured for Takemura to put the Minister of Defense down, and together the two of them walked toward the armored SUV they had arrived in.
The Minister of Defense felt a sense of relief, believing he had managed to persuade Leo.
But as Leo and Goro Takemura climbed into the vehicle one after the other, and the Minister of Defense moved to follow them inside, he was stopped.
Meeting the minister's bewildered gaze, Leo allowed himself a faint smile.
"One last question, Minister. Which direction is the military camp?"