Volume 1: The Fierce Tiger Leaves Its Tether Chapter 18: Mountain Bandits' Lair (Part 2)

  A Western journalist who followed the Taliban into the Afghan mountains for an interview once said: In Afghanistan, the US military controls the ground and the sky, while the resistance organization controls the underground. If the US military, which relies heavily on air mobility and air support, is the eagle in the sky, then the resistance organization that persists in fighting with the unique terrain of Afghanistan is the wolf in the den. In this battle between eagles and wolves, the eagles only have a superficial advantage, but as for who will laugh last, I'm afraid no one can make a definitive judgment.

  The mountains of Khindu Kush, as well as the numerous caves in the southern desert, became an effective "weapon" for the Afghan anti-aggression resistance organization to counter the invaders' air superiority. This is what Mullah Dadullah called a "tactic". Historically, war has almost never stopped in this country, from the Soviet Union's invasion in 1979 to its withdrawal in 1989, Afghans fought a ten-year hard battle, followed by more than a decade of civil war, and then five years ago, the US military invaded, two generations, almost all born and growing up in the flames of war. The flames that ravaged Afghanistan also tempered every Afghan, turning them into strong and excellent warriors who fear no powerful enemy.

  The light in the cave was very dim, Ling Tianxiang didn't wear night vision goggles, and none of the others had them either, yet they were still able to move swiftly, he didn't want to be looked down upon by those resistance fighters.

  "We're here."

  Ling Tianxiang slowed down his pace, they had been walking in the cave for at least an hour and a half, and had walked at least 5 kilometers, but the cave still seemed bottomless. When Ling Tianxiang saw the faint light ahead, the armed personnel who were walking in front of him had already stopped and sat or lay down somewhere. When Ling Tianxiang entered the large hall of the cave, he found that it was a natural limestone cave with an area of nearly 1,000 square meters, enough to hold hundreds of people. The light came from the central bonfire, and there was a gentle breeze in the cave, obviously with several ventilation holes.

  "How big is this cave?" Ling Tianxiang was also shocked, this is the only treasure that God left to the Afghan people after taking away all the wealth of Afghanistan.

  "I don't know, no one has ever been inside the cave." Maddy sat down, "Let's wait here until nightfall before we go out."

  Ling Tianxiang did not sit down, but instead looked around, and Swire had already been carried away to another place.

  "Are you looking for that person?" Maddie stood up.

  "I want to see him at once, and according to your rules, he is my prisoner, so it should be up to me to deal with him, shouldn't it?"

  Maddy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Follow me, I'll take you to see Abbad."

  Two people walked to the other end of the cave hall, where two armed personnel were standing next to a narrow passage that only one person could pass through. Maddie said something to the two men, then nodded towards Ling Tianxiang behind him and took him into the passage. After passing through a 2-meter-long corridor, inside was a much smaller cave, where Swillie lay on a flat large rock, while the middle-aged man named Abad was talking in a low voice with two elderly people who looked at least fifty years old.

  "Respected Abbad," Madiyd walked over, this time speaking directly in English, meaning to let Ling Tianxiang know what he was saying, while also hinting to Ling Tianxiang that Abbad could speak English. "This gentleman wants to see his captive, and according to our rules, it should be him who disposes of the captive."

  Abad's gaze quickly shifted to Ling Tianxiang, and after a brief pause, he said something to the two elderly men, who then left first. Ling Tianxiang felt a bit uneasy under Abad's stare, even though they weren't exactly friends, but couldn't be considered enemies either.

  "Was it you who blew up Zebeck's US military base?" Abbad spoke perfect English with a British accent.

  Ling Tianxiang nodded slightly, there was nothing worth denying.

  Abad circled around Ling Tianxiang, his scrutinizing gaze clearly skeptical of this Easterner who was only about 1.8 meters tall and weighed less than 80 kilograms, half a head shorter than him, having the ability to blow up an entire US military base by himself?

  "Abad..."

  The middle-aged man pressed his hand, turned around and scolded Maitide loudly for a few words. Maitide immediately lowered his head and left the cave.

  "Please sit down!" Abad walked around to Ling Tianxiang's front and sat down on a rock first.

  Ling Tianxiang looked around and then sat down on a slightly higher rock, so he wouldn't appear shorter than Abad.

  "Are you clear about our rules?" Abad said, taking out a cigarette and handing it over. Ling Tianxiang shook his head in refusal, then he lit one for himself. "But now, you are also our captive, so you should be dealt with by me, right?"

  "Prisoner!?" Ling Tianxiang sneered, "Mr. Abbad, I've always treated you as a friend, do you think friends are also prisoners?"

  Abad suddenly burst out laughing, and Ling Tianxiang immediately noticed that under his beard there were several very obvious scars, which was probably the main reason why Abad wanted to grow a long beard.

  "Friend... well, maybe we can be considered friends, but I won't give you my life."

  "I only need one thing." Ling Tianxiang hadn't thought about carrying the Swire for several hundred kilometers on mountain roads. "I just need a bit of intelligence."

  "What intelligence?" Abbad's expression relaxed a little.

  Ling Tianxiang summarized the traitor's situation, but didn't mention anything about the operation. He then said: "At first, those two should be your responsibility for interrogation, I only need to ask who is the traitor and..."

  Abad's eyebrows twitched slightly, as if Ling Tianxiang's request was a bit too much.

  "I need that box." Ling Tianxiang glanced at the safe placed in the corner of the cave.

  "Why the trunk?" Abbad swiftly turned his head back.

  "This I cannot tell you, but there is one thing I should tell you. Whatever you do, don't try to open the box, it has a self-destruct mechanism and the explosives inside are enough to blow up this cave."

  It seemed as if Abbad had eaten such a bitter fruit before, and his expression immediately sank.

  "This is all I ask for, once I get what I want, I'll leave immediately and never bother you again, and as for him..." Ling Tianxiang glanced at Swire lying on the rock, "he's of no value to me, consider him a gift left for you."

  Abad thought for a moment and then smiled, it was a good deal for both sides.