Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz Province, Bolivia, at around noon in late August.
As soon as I got off the plane, I nodded my head.
“Not bad.”
The scenery was good, and the weather was good.
Compared to Korea, the weather was similar to that of early summer, so compared to recent places like the South China Sea or India, it was hot but not bad.
Above all, the facilities were clean and looked good.
It was not large, but it resembled an ordinary airport in that the passenger planes and related machines were quite clean.
There were no notable outliers.
After going inside the airport with the idea that the words cocaine and cartel don’t go together.
I finally found the person who came to meet me.
It was a white man in his 30s wearing a neat short-sleeved shirt and cotton pants holding a panel with ‘G&G Corp’ written on it.
He spotted us and quickly approached us and introduced us.
“Nice to meet you. I am Kenneth Young, Secretary of the Santa Cruz Acting Consular Office.”
Simply put, a diplomat.
At the end of his words, he held out his hand as if asking for a handshake, and Ron Myers, the eldest and the person in charge, answered naturally by holding his hand.
“This is Ron Myers, General Manager of G&G Bolivia.”
“Nice to meet you, General Myers. You have worked hard to come a long way.”
“no. Thank you for coming out to meet me.”
“Then, let me guide you to your accommodation first. My colleagues who came to the starting line came first.”
“All right.”
While the two of them are having a casual conversation.
I stopped.
Halfway through, Kenneth’s eyes met, because I couldn’t see him just by looking at him.
It’s like checking.
It was only then that Kenneth’s appearance and behavior caught my eye again.
It seems normal, but it seems to have been corrected.
Come to think of it, the atmosphere didn’t just look like a government official.
‘… CIA?’
Intuitively, I looked at Rachel, who was standing next to me, and she nodded at me.
As if what you think is right.
Then I looked at Harry, who was behind me, and he reacted the same way as Rachel.
Then he remembered what he had picked up during his days as a special forces soldier and as a mercenary.
There are several jobs suitable for infiltrating intelligence agents, but the most common, historically and realistically, is a diplomat.
Journalists and entrepreneurs were next.
Then, the thought that ended with a question mark quickly turned into an answer.
‘That’s right, CIA.’
Moreover, the expression of Philip, who came out as a liaison officer and stayed close to me, was not good.
To be precise, I could see a kind of wariness in the way I looked at Kenny.
It’s like looking at a competitor.
“Philip, do you know anyone?”
“yes?”
“I don’t like the way you look at me.”
“ah… No, it’s hot here… … .”
I was convinced as I heard excuses that didn’t go well with the air-conditioned interior of the airport.
He knows that Kenneth is the CIA.
In particular, since Philip is not just a member of the U.S. Army, but a person assigned by the U.S. Department of Defense to appease me, there was a high possibility that he had heard something.
The CIA is about to approach, so be careful.
I knew it even if I didn’t hear it.
It was because Philip had noticed me and moved.
“however… You don’t know each other, do you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, since Lee does a lot of overseas activities, I was wondering if we might have run into each other… Does that mean we don’t know each other?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ah, that’s right. All right.”
As I moved while leaving my thought-provoking answer behind, the cars parked outside the airport came into view before I knew it.
An SUV and a 15-passenger minibus.
I got up there and headed straight to the inn, but I burst into laughter not long after the car started.
It was because the asphalt pavement was not long, and concrete came out from the middle, and it was because I ran on a dirt road without any pavement before I knew it.
Before I knew it, there was a cloud of dust blowing from the front and back of the bus.
The ride comfort also became very uncomfortable, but fortunately, it was quickly sorted out.
It was because the accommodation was nearby.
A two-story tourist hotel with red roof tiles located about 30 to 40 minutes from Viru Viru International Airport.
I was about to get off the bus looking at the pretty neat exterior, but the first order came from Ron.
– Everyone gathers in the lobby after 5 minutes.
It was said to just unpack and come down, so it was time to say hello to the advance team that had arrived beforehand and come down.
Kenneth was standing next to Ron watching us.
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Likewise, by the time our eyes meet again.
Soon he spoke.
It started with a self-introduction just like at the airport, but the words that followed were a little different.
“… You must not leave these marked areas. If they are discovered by the local Bolivian military and police, they will be detained or deported.”
Kenneth was explaining with a map open before he knew it, when Andrei’s disapproving question came over him.
“What if it’s the process of being ejected or tracked down during an operation?”
“If we get caught, we go through the same procedure.”
“Does that make sense? How many f*cking variables are there?!”
“I know. However, since the content was strongly insisted on by the Bolivian side, in case of violation… … .”
“Sounds like a violation, damn it. Do you think the other person is a 12-year-old militia kid? The guys who rule here are a cocaine cartel that even the Bolivian military and police can’t touch. But what is a violation? Don’t you know that if you get screwed, you have to cross the border at least?!”
Andrei’s voice rose sharply.
It was worth it.
Although the exterior of the city is neat, anyway, it was because Bolivia is a country where security is dangerous.
Even Santa Cruz, where we will be staying, was one of the areas ruled by the cartel.
It was the largest drug cartel in Bolivia.
Their name is the Santa Cruz Cartel.
The fortunate thing was that the area we were staying in was an area where Western factors, including the proxy consular office in the US, mostly resided, which corresponds to the Green Zone, but other than that, there was nothing to comfort.
Because the operation was dangerous.
In particular, the cleanup of the Santa Cruz Cartel or criminal organization, which will be carried out after training and education, had to be carried out in a high-crime area outside the Green Zone.
Kenneth then opened his mouth.
“I know. In that case, you just have to return home.”
“Then what about the allowance? If I return to Korea in two days, will they give me a full allowance?”
“It will be paid as written in the plan.”
“Ha, f*ck. Are you talking sh*t?”
When Andrei spat out a swear word, the people gathered at the same time also murmured in displeasure.
Mercenaries were supposed to receive as much as they worked, but if they couldn’t work because they were detained or kicked out, they couldn’t get that much.
It is natural for those who come to make money to become sensitive.
As if recognizing this, Kenneth’s answer came out in no time.
“That’s why I’m telling you in a limited case.”
“That means… … .”
Andrei’s expression, which seemed like he was going to throw a double swear word at any moment, relaxed a little.
“You mean it’s okay if you don’t get caught? Like you’re keeping your f*ck-up with a strip girl a secret?”
“My answer is the same as before.”
In other words, during an operation that combines real battles, it is said not to be caught unnoticed.
It was cumbersome, but it was possible.
Because we, who came as military advisors, have the authority to educate and command trainees.
The route and the distribution of troops could also be determined on their own.
If things didn’t work out, I just had to order and move on the spot.
It wasn’t easy though, so as some still mumbled and chatted, Kenneth spoke out again.
“Still, in order to prevent possible detention or deportation, I will also stay with you. Bolivian Spanish is a bit different, so feel free to come to me if you need an interpreter. We will cooperate with you as much as possible.”
“Then you’re going to the site too?”
“Yes, we are going to move with the consular office security team.”
“If it’s a security team, are they mercenaries? Where are you from?”
At those words, a voice came from behind Kenneth.
A deep, old voice.
“From SEAL Team 6.”
He was a man of about the same age as Jake, with a fairly solid build.
He said as if tossing out a few letters and moved on, but suddenly he held out his hand as if to shake my hand.
I hesitated, but a short question crossed my mind.
“Are you that Asian?”
It was an unexpected question, but I seemed to know what I was asking.
Operation in the Taryl Islands a few days ago.
Since I worked with SEAL Team 6 there, the man from the same background must have heard about me.
“Well, maybe.”
I answered briefly and held hands, and a smile soon returned.
“Nice to meet you. I also thank you My cousin was there.”
“ah… okay.”
“I am Michael. You can tell me anything that makes you uncomfortable while staying here. I will do my best to help.”
At those words, the eyes of the Alpha, Bravo, and Delta teams, excluding our team, were focused.
They were looking at us with puzzled faces, and Andrei, who was in between them, laughed and spoke out.
“It seems that he impressed me by showing his monstrous skills somewhere else.”
Around the time people who are acquainted with me, who know me even a little, shake their heads as if they agree.
Ron, who had been quiet, finally opened his mouth.
“Try to focus on yourself. Take note of Clerk Kenneth’s words. Especially not only during operations, but also during rest. No, try to keep it more strict when resting. At that time, the government troops will not be there.”
At the end of his words, he glanced over at some of the playful members.
It seemed that he was mindful of a carelessness or mistake.
It was worth it.
Unlike the high crime rate or low anti-corruption index indicated in educational materials, Santa Cruz actually looked like a normal South American tourist city.
The city was so ordinary that I wondered if it was a rumor that Bolivia’s largest cartel was in control.
It was very different from the South American city in the movie, which is described as a drug kingdom.
Of course it couldn’t be.
Otherwise, such data would not have been published on the PDA.
Kenny’s words added before he knew it.
“Well, I’d better tell you this.”
As I looked at the words, Kenneth looked at the ceiling for a moment as if recalling a memory, and pulled out the words.
“approximately… A shootout involving assault rifles took place within Santa Cruz 26 hours ago. It is speculated that it was an accident in the process of selling drugs, and in the process, two members of the Santa Cruz Cartel were killed and four members of other local gangs were killed.”
“Twenty-six hours ago… in broad daylight?”
“That’s right. It’s about 14 miles (about 22 km) from here.”
When he flinched at the news that was so different from the plain appearance of the city, Andrei’s mouth opened and harsh words came out.
“f*ck, it’s right in front of you in 14 miles?”
After that, Ron’s voice was heavy.
“Yeah, that’s all you need to know. So take special care and rest comfortably.”
I couldn’t rest comfortably just listening to the words, but I had to rest anyway.
I had to adjust to the jet lag and recover my condition.
Because my schedule is to train the Bolivian police in Santa Cruz starting tomorrow, but that was not my intention.
It was to prepare for any contingency that might happen.
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Like the gunfight 26 hours earlier, there was a good chance that we would suddenly be caught up in an accident.
It wasn’t because this place was dangerous.
It was because the traces of Giandro to be found were in the middle of the territory of the Santa Cruz Cartel.
There was no choice but to bump into it, and then, of course, there was no choice but to grow.
If one day the story leaked through the police, there was a chance that the opponent would attack first.
The best way to survive is to kill the opponent first.