Chapter 35: Wolf, Komodo Dragon, Devil Bird

In response to Joga's suggestion, Kaman rubbed his cheek, hesitated, and said, "You know, people in Damazin call me 'Hyena.' Although I don't like it, I suppose that's what you'd call a codename?"

Joga shook his head and said, "No, you need a new codename. We can't have people recognizing us just because they hear 'Wolf' and 'Hyena' and immediately know it's us. My codename is tied to the business and can't be changed, but yours can, and 'Hyena' isn't exactly a flattering name."

Kaman nodded thoughtfully and said, "I've had many nicknames, most of which I don't like because they're always related to death. But when I was young, fighting in Uganda, a white mercenary called me 'Komodo Dragon' because I was skilled with poison arrows and tracking."

Joga paused, then realized that 'Komodo Dragon' referred to the Komodo dragon, a creature known for tracking and consuming its prey after it has been weakened. Though Kaman had likely never seen a Komodo dragon, the nickname suggested he had shown extreme savagery in battle, in addition to his tracking skills.

Joga explained the Komodo dragon's behavior with a smile and suggested, "If you don't like it, you could consider something like 'Black Panther' or 'Cheetah,' which might suit you better."

Kaman shook his head and chuckled. "No need. It's a matter of fate. 'Komodo Dragon' is fine. They kill to satisfy their hunger, and so do I."

Joga sensed Kaman's resignation. This old man had gone from being taciturn to willingly engaging in conversation, showing he wasn't just a soulless killer. Kaman was smarter than most Africans, understanding the value of life, but reality forced him into battle, a struggle that had lasted over twenty years and seemed far from over.

Joga wasn't sure what to say but decided to change the topic. He turned to Niss and asked, "What about you? Do you have a 'nickname'?"

Niss seemed to be lost in memories and replied in a subdued tone, "I once had an observation partner, also a woman, who was very optimistic. She called me 'Devil Bird' because I would recite scriptures when the battle got intense. She said it was a 'death omen'!"

Joga could tell from her expression that the fate of that observation partner had not been good. He shook his head and waved to get their attention, then smiled, saying, "I'm your boss, but since our company currently has only three people, in my view, you're my business partners. Let's forget the past and look forward. I have a rough outline of 'happiness' in my mind, so I've set a goal for myself. I hope you'll also have goals and ideals, and we can move forward together, helping each other. We might not become the most successful team, but we can be the most humane and happiest one."

…

Two days later, in the desert outside the valley.

Two military trucks filled with munitions were parked on the desert floor. Joga had parked the pickup truck about 800 meters from the valley entrance, theatrically setting up a laser sight on the rocket launcher pod and directing Kaman to adjust its elevation.

Joga had already test-fired a few rockets the previous day. The actual effects weren't as dramatic as portrayed in movies, but they were more than sufficient for their needs. The high-explosive warheads had 4 kilograms of explosive material and, combined with shrapnel, could effectively harm people within a 30-meter radius.

The downside was that the warheads couldn't be set to detonate in mid-air, which would have increased their lethality. Since Joga had only brought high-explosive warheads, he was concerned that their shrapnel might not affect the rock walls, so he prepared two volleys for the valley entrance's walls.

After adjusting the launcher meticulously for half a day, Joga handed a wired remote detonator to the excited Kaman and said, "You do it. This is definitely more exciting than fireworks."

Kaman eagerly wiped his hands and, somewhat nervously, took the detonator. Joga instructed him to stay calm, pointing to a switch on the device, "Up is single-shot, down is continuous fire, and the middle is off. The red button is for firing. Start with one shot to test the accuracy."

Seeing Kaman set the switch to single-shot, Joga gave him a thumbs-up, put in earplugs, and waved to signal, "Fire!"

Kaman pressed the firing button, and a rocket erupted from the B-8 launcher, hitting the left side of the valley entrance's wall 800 meters away. The resulting explosion sent a shower of debris raining down.

Joga felt the heatwave from the blast, and Kaman, taking cover behind the rear truck door, was buffeted by the wind and sand kicked up by the rocket.

Spitting out sand and grinning with his white teeth, Kaman said, "That's the effect I wanted. It's really satisfying."

Joga didn't catch all of what he said, but he gave Kaman a thumbs-up and shouted, "Continuous fire, fire all the rockets!"

Kaman nodded vigorously, switched the setting to continuous fire, and retreated into the driver's cabin, pressing the firing button.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…"

The remaining 19 rockets were all fired in 5 seconds, creating a series of explosions on the valley entrance's rock face.

As the smoke cleared, the seemingly sturdy weathered rock wall began to show signs of collapse. Even from 800 meters away, with earplugs in, Joga could hear the cracking of the rocks.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the valley entrance was almost completely buried. Joga, not wanting to wait any longer, signaled Kaman to move the truck to the other side and re-calibrate the direction of the other rocket pod. Niss, equally curious, fired 20 rockets in the same manner.

With a series of explosions, the rock face at the valley entrance finally gave way, leading to a massive collapse that extended nearly 40 meters into the valley.

The location of the secret base chosen by Kanda was indeed well thought out. It was far from water sources and local people never came here. Surrounded by deserts and mountains, with no accessible roads, even climbing the mountains would be impractical.

Now, not only was it impossible to enter, but even a rock climbing champion would struggle to get through without injuring themselves.

Niss looked at the massive rock collapse she had caused and asked Joga with some curiosity, "How do you plan to get in later?"

Joga shrugged and smiled. "Once I sell this batch of arms, I'll use $2 million to buy a helicopter. After learning to fly, we'll be able to enter anytime. It will be troublesome, but safety is the most important thing, right?"