Chapter 509: Tangled

[Chapter 597: Conflict]

The war has come to a close, and with such a hasty ending, there's certainly a reason behind it. It was a rare opportunity for Americans to play the good guy, and if they lingered, their allies would be left astonished.

Of course, President Bush hoped for re-election, but he'd best not wait too long. With so many troops stationed overseas, the pressure back home was palpable. Not being able to return home for Christmas would definitely cost him points politically.

While the U.S. was planning a retreat, William White was wrestling with decisions. Due to logistical issues, he had no chance to get close to that stash of gold. There was also the concern of how to settle this group of men.

"Max, what's the situation? How many are willing to stay behind?"

"Less than two thousand. The weather's been pretty bad these past couple of days."

"Damn that idiot. Doesn't he realize that all these losses will come out of his pocket? If he pays up, only then will he get the chance to die."

"Ahem, sir, how are we arranging things here?"

"Can't go back to Africa for now. I've got a small island in the Bahamas that's almost ready. Oh, by the way, prepare a team of five hundred. I have some supplies over with that idiot, and if the timing's right..."

"Don't worry, sir. I'll pick my own people."

"Tell them there's a risk involved, and if things go south, I won't take responsibility. They'll get thirty percent of the total."

"Rest assured, sir. This is what we do."

"Make sure they understand this is a decent profit. For those wanting to retire and teach, now is a perfect time."

"Got it, sir. I'll inform them and let them choose."

William White knew this group typically wouldn't turn down an offer. Yet, he still needed to tell them. Some were suffering from war syndrome, struggling to return to reality. Others were just in it for the money.

Six months in the desert -- that's not a small sum. Plus, William White wasn't a shady boss. Or rather, he just hoped to fatten up these guys a bit.

Don't let their age fool you; these experienced bastards aren't easy to deal with. Even if not as exaggerated as Rambo, they sure wouldn't be pushovers.

Greed is original sin, or perhaps, greed is humanity's driving force. William White might be wealthy, but he couldn't just fund them with his own money.

Crossing borders for risk -- that's what it is. At this point, the idiot was probably crying in the bathroom; let's just hope he won't mind.

"Master, it's 280 kilometers round trip. We need to navigate around other troops' defensive areas, so the distance is considerable."

"That won't do. Isn't the Athena close by? These people don't need to go back; they can board the ship directly. Max 50 tons, right?"

"Master, what about the cars?"

"Dump them in the sea."

"Ahem, okay. I'll redesign the plan."

"Be quick about it. It's still chaotic for now. Once this period passes, there'll be no more skirmishes. And are you sure there's no guard?"

"No, they've all run away. I really can't understand it. Did they lose all sense of greed?"

William White was speechless. Gold and dollars -- you need to spend to have money. At this point, gold is just another shiny metal.

Sure, there's plenty at that idiot's place, but he can't use it.

The fighting may be over, but economic sanctions won't end. If only they'd be smart and quickly compensate. Otherwise, well, the outcome won't be pretty.

...

"William, are you interested in continuing to work with the CIA?"

"No, the contract's done. This time, part of them were hired by Kuwait. A large portion have chosen to retire. What? Do they want to go back to Africa?"

Bush Jr. was surprised; he guessed William White wouldn't cooperate, but he hadn't expected him to have figured out the CIA's objectives.

"Wow, I'm curious how you figured that out."

"No need to guess. Just look at the television. Wherever it's the most chaotic, you can bet those guys are around."

These troublemakers? I'd rather not get caught up with their bad luck. Look at this; it was their own people that got blown up, and it was just because those fools didn't plan properly!

Geez, maintaining mystery? What secrets do they even have?

"Well, now I'm starting to believe; misfortune really can be contagious. These idiots really are something."

Once he wrapped up his conversation with Bush Jr., William White still had to deal with his men's headaches.

Moving everyone to the Bahamas is a hassle too; these guys aren't exactly well-behaved. If something goes sideways, it could be a complete hassle.

Forget it; let's give them a month-long vacation. A bunch of guys with full wallets will surely need to burn off some of that pent-up energy.

...

"Ha, still not liking the CIA, huh? That Max really knows his stuff, dragging a bunch of misfits along and charging through."

"Yeah, with these guys, Kuwait won't look so weak anymore. At least they can put up some resistance."

"Not necessarily; they're still hired guns." Bush Sr. obviously had a broader perspective than his son. If they were really that good, William White would have never let them go.

The U.S. might have won this war, but it exposed a lot of issues. The army sent to pick up the dead suffered casualties -- which really ticked Pentagon off.

Humans are like this. Before the battle begins, the most optimistic casualties would put them over a thousand. Now, with friendly fire included, the numbers didn't even exceed two hundred.

If anyone had said that before the war, they'd be mocked. But here we are, and the losses are quite light. Still, some aren't satisfied.

Seriously, if it were just a few dozen men, that would have set records. It's the damn army's fault, having so much high-grade equipment and still allowing deaths.

And that stupid Apache helicopter? What a joke. Armed to the teeth, and still getting whacked. If only they had a fixed-wing aircraft up there -- God knows how many lives would be lost.

Yeah, whose brilliant idea was it to stop producing the A-10? That thing's way more reliable for taking out tanks than an F-16.

And those armored vehicles? They're clearly not as good as a Bentley. This isn't even funny; that thing is just a toy for the wealthy. Look at today's desert regions; those vehicles are basically standard. If you don't have a few at home, you'd be embarrassed to even nod at people.

...

If Saddam knew how Pentagon was feeling, he would probably blow a gasket. Are you kidding me? I've been beaten down, and you're still not satisfied?

"Oh, my million-man army!"

The guys who escaped are practically left in their underwear. As for weapons and gear, that can be sorted out with time.

The issue is these are a bunch of scared guys -- if there's ever another fight, they'll instinctively think about running.

Confidence or morale, it really does come from experience. You can't just sit at home and expect to build a strong army.

Saddam is now bleeding inside. He's fully aware; he's like a fish on a cutting board. If the U.S. doesn't take him out, they definitely won't stop either.

Facing a devastated country, Saddam is crying, while Kuwait is crying too. They're not the same; that guy is a reckless warmonger, while the Kuwaitis are not.

Well, it seems that to restart production, borrowing is unavoidable.

Of course, borrowing now is quite different from a few months ago. Back then, with a country no longer existing, no one dared to lend; it's different now. Everyone's trying to break their brains to figure out how to lend money.

*****

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