Summary:

Kid and Nikov want to set out the Champa Shariah Jamaat movement and to bring up the right hand who knows about Taha, Khatag Safawi; while also discuss about the history of Islam in Vietnam. However, their movement gets a respond with a surprising ambush, but Kid and Nikov get a brief relief from a surprise. In there, they move onward to finally take down the notorious and dangerous terrorist organization for once.

However, ISIS militants have a plan, hoping to evade capture by taking hostage for exchange to Fauzi Abdel Galam. Kid and Nikov will only be later informed also by the man who rescue them.


03:00

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

As the people were sleeping and the city was still on a shocking moment, Himari Uehara was trying to overcome the fear. But then, she got a dream …

"Ran! Ran-chan!"

Himari was running on as she found someone believed to be identical to the person she called. And she just walked beyond the depth.

Something went on and …

"Ran … Ran … you are …"

There in the ground of her dream saw a body of a girl who was the same age with her. But she was now …

walking but without …

"Where's your head, Ran? I … I …"

She was scared to see a walking body waking up but … headless. It meant, Ran Mitake might have … she was without a head, and walking with no return. And this scared Himari and …

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She woke up in fear, as the Polish priest Tymoteusz Barczewski got the noise and came in. He knew what would have to do.

"Are you okay?"

Tymoteusz could not speak Japanese and Himari was not a Pole, but it didn't prevent Tymoteusz from trying to comfort. He understood the pain and tragedy of it.

"Ran … don't die …"

"No no, she will not …"

As Tymoteusz still hugged the scaring girl, he soon wondered, when would Radosław return, and if so, would the other hostage survive, or not.

An Giang, Vietnam

Having reclaimed the city's security, however police and armed troops continued searching ground in everywhere, even when it was not in Cham houses.

A number of handful people had been taken custody by the armed police and armed troops, and a number of them were found to have ties with jihadist movement abroad. The Colonel, Mạc Đăng Hồng, alongside his Spanish advisor José Herracio, the Moroccan Amina and Qatari translator Fuad, looked on as they carried out weaponry being taken from those militants.

"Bọn chúng có khá nhiều quốc tịch, bao gồm người Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Bosnia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya và cả công dân Đông Nam Á như Thái Lan, Indonesia và Malaysia." (They have many nationalities, including Yemenis, Somalis, Sudanese, Tunisians, Bosnians, Pakistanis, Afghans, Libyans and even Southeast Asians like Thais, Indonesians and Malaysians.)

"Tốt." (Good.) As for the spending of times investigating terrorists, Herracio asked if this interrogation could help, and the Colonel was confident.

Might be, he thought it would be done before the end of the deadline.

But Dora-the-Kid and Dora-nikov felt that, the pressure was high while sailing. They knew what was about to come.

Having sailed to the other bank of the river, the fact that ISIS fighters remaining there continued to hunt them. Although the country's majority population are Buddhists and Christians, muslims constituted at least 3% in the country. However, given the fact the Chams were original people in Central Vietnam, hostility is expected, as the Vietnamese expelled them since 1475.

Islam in Vietnam has a long history, but reading it is like digging a hole. And the group needed to struggle.

"Alright, Nikov … what's the history of Islamic development in a country of Buddhist origin?"

"(Vietnamese-Islamic relations are complex. When China ruled modern northern Vietnam at 7th century, first Muslim delegation from the Arab world arrived, and the Arab traders traded with the Chams. Islam started to expand in Central Vietnam at 10th century, by then, still under the Cham's rule of the Champa state. However, Vietnam also kicked China out, and the start of Islam in Vietnam would begin with increasing encroachment from the Vietnamese, descendant of Chinese civilization.)"

"How could it examine all the grievances between the Chams and the Vietnamese? Only that? And by which way Islam turns to be the largest religion among the Chams except for few handful Central Vietnamese Cham people staying Hindus?"

"(Well … until 14th century, Hinduism was still the Cham's religion. But in the same time, Vietnamese expansion to the south absorbing Cham land. In 15th century with the defeat of China, Vietnam became increasing furious and hostile to the existence of Champa, and invaded the state in 1470s. Meanwhile, this era also witnessed the growth of sea trades from Arabia to Southeast Asia, and Arab to Malay merchants introduced Islam to the Chams. The last King of independent Champa decided to install Islam the official religion in 1471, and built up mosques. But it ended very abruptly due to Vietnamese conquest.)"

"In a way …"

"(The Vietnamese Emperor was unhappy with Islam and issued destruction of mosques. This led to the halt of Islamic movement, but the Chams found Islam as the only way to protect its heritages. While original Hindus continued to stay in Central Vietnam today, the muslims went south, fled from the persecution to live in modern Vietnamese-Cambodian land. Over the next century, Islam eventually spread further despite Vietnamese Emperor's objection and hostility. To solve the question, the Nguyễn Lords decided to allow Christian missionaries to counter the muslims of the south, having learnt that Christian Europe also hated the muslims a lot.)"

"So that meant …"

"(Yes. Not the Vietnam War legacy, Christianity had become widespread in Vietnam since 17th century, and the Nguyễn Lords … they used Christianity to encounter the Muslim Chams. This policy played a big role on creating the situation like today, where more Christians in southern Vietnam than the northern part.)"

"In a way, the Nguyễn Lords effectively used Christianity to fight against Islam, right?"

"(Indeed. Although most churches were built only from the French rule onward in 19th century, many Vietnamese families became Christians from either 16th and 17th century. In contrast, Islam was restricted and the Chams could only join the army that was sanctioned by the Emperor.)"

"An example of how grievances between Islam and Christianity could be seen from a neutral perspective."

"(The Vietnamese government did not persecute Christians until 19th century. Meanwhile, Muslims were treated like sub-humans since 15th century. But the Muslims' worst nightmare began in 19th century.)"

"19th century! Such …"

"(The Vietnamese Emperor issued manifesto claiming Islam as a heretical religion, and that the Muslims would be exterminated. From this point, anti-Cham sentiment ran high because the Chams were majority Muslims there. A Malay-Cham cleric Katip Sumat returned from Malay peninsula seeing this, called for jihad and a serious rebellion occurred for a year. The jihad, which was the only time in Vietnam a jihad war occurred, ended in failure and Vietnamese army massacred plenty of Chams. There's still a poet by the Cham diaspora abroad about the cruelty of Vietnamese army.)"

"Do you remember the poem?"

"(No, I don't speak Malaysian or Indonesian. But surely, this was a tragedy and it set the hostility between Chams and Vietnamese today.)"

"Did it extend further?"

"(Yes. French rule failed to reduce the tensions. So when Americans arrived, the Chams refused to cooperate with the United States, but demanded for their statehood. They wanted the U.S. to support from behind, but it was not helpful as Washington D.C. was more concerned to South Vietnam rather.)"

"The Chams opposed both North and South Vietnam."

"(But that's the beginning. South Vietnamese leaders did not care about the Chams, they saw them as a stain of the state and continued Vietnamization process. And 'Vietnamization' there, was not the war policy, but rather ethnic and cultural policy. North Vietnamese regime also refused to acknowledge the Cham's legitimacy as a people. This signaled a greater tragedy for them.)"

"And …"

"(When the Vietnam War occurred, the Chams participated on FULRO, or United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races, written in French as Front Unifié de Lutte des Races Opprimées, hence the naming.)"

"Chams didn't like either North or South."

"(The United States failed to honor, and South Vietnam became enemy. But when North Vietnam finally controlled the country in 1975, the situation worsened and FULRO became the entity representing anti-Vietnamese movement of the Chams. Chams had lost more men than any other ethnic minorities, others being Montagnards and Khmers. This resistance, however, failed to defy the determination of Vietnamese regime and the communists destroyed the whole region, reducing it to rubbles. Others fled to the sea and chose to become refugees and settled elsewhere. A tragedy never ended.)"

"It is still ongoing?"

"(At 1986, Vietnam implied economic and political reforms, abandoning the command policies and moved to capitalism. When Vietnam reformed, the need of new allies and partners pushed Vietnam closer to ASEAN and later, normalization of relations with the United States and the West in 1995. FULRO disintegrated after witnessing what they believed, the betrayal. Chams felt it the hardest, because they were more persecuted, while the Montagnards and Khmers, it is still a new phenomenon.)"

"Now I see why the Champa Shariah Jamaat traced the past root from."

"(Several Cham Islamist organizations have tried to establish itself and they condemned the Cham Hindus for not supportive of the resistance, basically because FULRO's Cham members were entirely Muslims. In 2006, a Salafist organization was dissolved due to Vietnamese police intervention.)"

"The Vietnamese are quite a hand faster, isn't it?"

"(But even with a trained and battle-hardened army, Vietnam is still not immune to terrorism. But the communist regime still bothers about the anti-communist organizations abroad … until the series of bombings in Ho Chi Minh City.)"

"Cannot trust the communists, but I'd rather fight against ISIS more. By a way, the Colonel is quite fairly well-perceived, as he acknowledged the past."

"(Kind of people like him are rare, man. Vietnam has recognized the Chams now, and trying to improve the standard of life, but … repression is still. Rights for the Chams? I don't know.)"

"Nail it. Hopefully, the idea of people's life would go within."

"(Unfortunately, Asian philosophy is not European or American one.)"

Kid and Nikov, after a brief of talking on a fast-speed canoe, reached the other side of the bank. They guessed that, due to this grievance, Chams still hated Vietnam even to today. There are little collaborations, even Cham and Vietnamese diaspora both hated the communist regime.

In there, they asked for a local car, but as the martial law was enforced for the whole province, they could not have another one. So they had to run for at least few hours.

The former GROM soldier crossed the river by another canoe, yes, the Archbishop and former GROM soldier, Radosław Chiemycz, had come there.

When he traveled around and stopped in the same opposite bank, he took away and ambushed a Daesh soldier. With only a Nepalese kukri knife, he killed the Daesh jihadist.

"Finally … son of a bitch."

The Archbishop just kept walking with his uniform showing the great determination of the Polish Archbishop. Having failed to realize the potential threat of Mouhamed Boukhar in Iraq, he would have to take down to fulfill the word of God.

"This man is Abdelilah Hamid Tunku Rahman, a major commander who claimed himself as protector of the Caliphate. He was designed as the captain of the ISIS force there. Malaysian national, but of Cham descent."

"They're looking for it really."

Advisor José Herracio and Col. Mạc Đăng Hồng walked on and they were interrogating several senior ISIS members being held in prison. Then, they both had their information on and on, having witnessed an increase of ISIS fighters entering the country.

On the moment, Islamic State fighters under detention felt that they didn't care, and their madness about a global caliphate had affected the interrogation. Hence, José asked to do torture, since those fighters were extremely exceptional and arrogant.

Meanwhile, Kid and Nikov sat down and turned on their computer again. And … where was Hassan Benbarki's one?

Ah yes, they had sold it.

Before moving away, they collected information about the terrorist organization Champa Shariah Jamaat, information of Taha Al-Shami, and the name of the other figures, before they found that many of them had on their List they were watching. Champa Shariah Jamaat also had the hand of Taha, albeit it needed to have the second string man, Khatag Safawi. After that, they decided to sell it to a local from a computer store and departed away.

They had to do it with a lot of pressure. Time didn't wait.

"Fauzi Abdel Galam is a renowned Cambodian-Vietnamese Cham militant who previously worked as a cleric, but since 2000s, frequent contact with Salafism in Qatar and Saudi Arabia put him into the religious ideology. Altogether, he tried to gain support and successfully have three to five mosques being run by his jurisdiction in Cambodia before managed to build one of them in Vietnam."

"(But then he felt not enough.)"

"Indeed. So when the call for jihad from the Islamic State occurred, he soon joined the rank and it was where he contacted with Mouhamed Boukhar, who was born in a Cham family in Iraq."

"(Both of them hold together a common grievance: hating the Vietnamese people and the country, as well as its solidarity to Islamic State's expansionism. They considered Western force as anti-Islamic, and had issued jihadism against several countries bombing them, like the United States, Russia and NATO countries.)"

"It's worth to notice, Mouhamed Boukhar often traveled back to Vietnam after hearing the story of ancient Champa and the state's ill-fated conquest. He had spent a lot of time learning Vietnamese language to become influent in the language, in order to be ready for terrorist cell. And the ignorant of the Vietnamese had contributed that."

"(When they are still bothering about anti-communist parties by Vietnamese diaspora, this had to happen.)"

"Alright, let's talk about Fauzi. Fauzi himself was born in there, An Giang, in this country, unlike Mouhamed. So Fauzi knew each street. He planned for a terrorist attack against the Vietnamese authorities, but it failed to materialize, so he traveled abroad to join ISIS rank. In there, he adopted many new ideological fanaticism from the organization, and had even worked closely to Tarkhan and Tamaz Batirashvili."

"(Abu Omar al-Shishani?)"

"Yes. It seems like Tarkhan Batirashvili had galvanized Fauzi Abdel Galam to make a stance. He gathered a group of the first loyal jihadists to the Islamic State. Among them included three American nationals but having Cham root: Sulayman Haqsah, Waleed Hangban and Abdollah Ali Subbiar. All were killed in Afghanistan."

"(Sounds like …)"

"You guess it. The cleric headed to Vietnam with more men and materials even though damages inflicted on them. He tried to train an army and made the black flag. He recruited many from Cambodia, the home of largest Cham muslim population, and the smaller one from the Vietnamese side. But when he tried again to wage jihad, his cell was discovered and he was arrested. But his members escaped and somehow managed to be in shadow until the bombings."

"(In order to increase the growing military tie, Vietnam sought to extradite him to the U.S.?)"

"Vietnam fears conflict with China and despises Chinese influence around her. To encounter, Vietnam sought to increase tie with Washington, while hoping to give the U.S. a gift. Fauzi Abdel Galam has been among one of the top 10 people on the wanted list of the U.S. Department, they saw him as potentially an increasing threat and a new Bin Laden in the rise."

"(If this is successful, then the U.S. will increase more military support for the country.)"

"Yes."

As Kid and Nikov were on their road, their discovery became even more important. Mouhamed Boukhar, having heard about the arrest of Fauzi Abdel Galam, decided to leave Iraq and came to Vietnam assembling the last remaining force of Islamic State, while remaining calm to recruit newbies. It meant the ISIS militants might be elsewhere in Cambodian border as well, hence …

"We have to leave. Now!"

In a base elsewhere, which the river side separated only a few steps, the fat, covered man in black, Mouhamed Boukhar, looked into the face of her, and he smiled. "Her" here was a victim of his abduction.

"Come down, it won't hurt. I want the release of Fauzi, and just that."

He ordered his men to do the video monitoring, and took very few times before it could be finished.

South China Sea

The SEAL team received new that the ISIS hideout might be deeper and closer to Cambodian-Vietnamese border, and that the United States Armed Forces would continue to maintain, waiting for further actions.

"Alright, we will have to be ready. As the Sino-Cambodian military drill is ongoing, we cannot put trouble on the already tense Sino-American relations. China has already threatened to use military invasion on Taiwan and has already sent police to suppress growing anti-Chinese riot in Hong Kong."

"And we have to wait? From which moment?"

"If the situation gets worse, the Vietnamese would likely to allow the SEAL Team to participate."

"Damn …"

On the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan and other U.S. ships deployed around, they were waiting for the final decision and reaction was just waiting a bit, until Hanoi agreed.

Kid and Nikov kept walking on as they wanted to see where it went through. Some motorbike's tracks were also found, implying them they were moving onward, although the growing number of cars in Vietnam meaning that motorbikes were being reduced.

But Kid and Nikov used it to mend along the mangroves and expectation was quite big that there would have a lot of enemy positions. And they needed to be fast.

It was a must.

Long Xuyên, Vietnam

On the same time, the Colonel talked with his men to be quick because of possibility of being under prolonged conflict, and also, due to increasing tensions between Cambodia and Vietnam as a reason of growing Chinese influence in Cambodia, as well as lack of cooperation over anti-terrorism, they only had lesser 48 hours to finish it.

The U.S. Ambassador also left the capital to head south. He also arrived to the city of Long Xuyên and asked if there were any problem.

"Mr. Colonel."

"Ambassador!" Col. Mạc went to meet the Ambassador: "Thank you for arriving, Ambassador. What's next?"

"I come to check what's going on in the region. It is unsafe to state that ISIS is fully expelled from the country, given its presence in Cambodia."

Inside the factory now being used as a military camp, U.S. Ambassador also received warm welcome from other and the advisor from Spain. However, while the meeting was warm, an officer arrived with new report.

"Đại tá, Nhà nước Hồi giáo có gửi thư điện tử tới chúng ta!" (Colonel, the Islamic State sent video message to us!)

"Huh?" The Colonel was stunned, and decided to open up, where they received a propaganda warning from the Islamic State which hacked on the government's website. In there, they saw once again, Mouhamed Boukhar, still covering the face and no one knew how was he looked like after 15 years, with a knife and a young hostage. The girl being held had a dyed red on her black hair, implying that the Islamic State wanted a message.

And the Colonel was unhappy, as he saw them again introduced in English. The video showed footage that she was tied to the wooden chair, inside an empty room and filled with the bloody color, showing something behind his motivation.

"To the Vietnamese Government from the governor the Champa Wilayat. We came here in peace and we had one short demand."

"What kind of demand he wanted for?" U.S. Ambassador David questioned, as they kept watching. The maniac Mouhamed Boukhar declared.

"I, Abu Mohammed Al-Champi, governor of Champa Wilayat, demand for the complete withdrawal of Vietnamese army from the territory, allowing us a safe passage, and the release of Abu Mokhtar Al-Champi, the first governor of Champa Wilayat, in exchange this hostage will be safe."

"Abu Mokhtar Al-Champi." Colonel Mạc recognized what he referred for: "Fauzi Abdel Galam, known by Islamic State's rank as Abu Mokhtar Al-Champi. Islamic State is known for often placing nom de guerre when it referred to somebody on its rank."

"The same thing we saw from Tarkhan Batirashvili, the Georgian jihadist known as Abu Omar al-Shishani." U.S. Ambassador added.

"The Government of Vietnam has 48 hours to contact with the family of the victim, and tell them preparing money to release the hostage. On the same time, allowing for us two helicopters for high ranking officials of the Wilayat, opening the border with Cambodia and let us go. If you continue to refuse our demand, you will fail. You have 48 hours. I repeat, 48 hours. The family or relatives have to arrive alone, open the border with Cambodia, or die."

"Right on the time we have been indicated, that mad dog …" Colonel got on the mind the anger: "I'll not like it, but 48 hours is also the time limit for the final expulsion. He seems to be aware with it."

"Whatever the armed group aligned to ISIS wants for, they are not known for being honest. They are liars, deceive and retarded. Opening the border with Cambodia means they can enter to the country and terrorize the Cambodian territory. Last year, they had conducted a series of bombings in Sihanoukville, killing 65, many were Chinese citizens. This has been the deadliest terrorist attack in Cambodia by any Islamic extremists and in Cambodia, accusation that Vietnam's border guards for allowing terrorists entering freely, something Hanoi had rejected. Allowing them in will evoke more tensions already existed between two states." The Ambassador expressed: "They know that we will not accept, never accept it, and they want to see Cambodia and Vietnam involve into a border conflict, allowing China to take hand and they will use it to evoke rebellion."

"ISIS doesn't care about victims. They understand that hostages are not worthy. Having carried the girl behind, they will look on execution. Either converting to Islam, or die trying." Colonel Mạc saw out the nature, as the Spanish advisor also agreed.

"Worst, they want war. And this is the only option. Without war, it is not Islamic State anymore. Their idea to represent a global Caliphate, came out as their refusal to accept other religions outside the extremist Salafi Islam version. Hence, it develops into the idea only Allah, only Prophet Muhammad, and that Islam has to be purified. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, or other beliefs, are banned." The Ambassador expressed: "My wife is a Buddhist herself, but her original family came from Afghanistan, they are Shi'a believers and have been victim of such trauma, they understand how much ISIS is for them."

"They are pressuring us. They will not wait anymore. They may even act earlier. We have to prepare for what's going on next." Spanish advisor José Herracio, who had long experienced terrorism as he lost his mom in 2004 Madrid bombing, concluded: "We cannot back down this time. Either win or failure depends on your, Colonel. We have to save the hostage, while defeating ISIS, is a must."

As such, the staff was standing together, in fear of possible threat from the future, they had very little option to object against.

Kid and Nikov ran as fast as they wondered if Khatag Safawi were there.

"We have to take alive Mouhamed Boukhar, and trying to figure out Khatag Safawi."

"(But he is armed to teeth, so not easy bro.)"

"Who know? We have to take a test."

"(Well then.)"

As they were walking on and on and on, their run was clearly on its best shape. They might think it could have reached the final ground. They just kept going beyond until discovering something about that.

While on the run, they suddenly saw …

"Hang on!"

Someone placed a bazooka, and took his fire on their position. Kid and Nikov were fast to be aware of it: "Damn it!"

The bazooka nonetheless, was triggered. It fired into their position, but the duo jumped away and was saved.

"BOOM!"

Yet, that's not all. Some of them also discovered it, and since the village was completely abandoned, as Kid and Nikov were running on an abandoned village, the subsequent action based on the martial law, this attack meant there were terrorists around.

The duo headed to a village, a small with only 100 inhabitants, but it was shut down completely. Dominated mostly by the Buddhist inhabitants and a smaller Muslim population of Cham origin but also from converts, they arrived to a small mosque, where they faced up …

An Imam with a gun.

"Ahamidullah … you come there, infidels?"

Kid and Nikov found that the Imam was actually appointed by the Champa Shariah Jamaat, which tied to Islamic State. Looked on the background showing the black flag of the Daesh, Kid laughed.

"I thought … we have something?"

As the Imam tried to open fire, Kid was faster than one step, shot down the Imam and he fell into the ground. They realized, this abandoned village was occupied by ISIS militants.

"Jamaat fighters! ISIS is here! Damn it!"

They had to take shelter inside the small mosque, but looked like it could not stand longer, it had been broken in some part. And Kid knew it.

"Bitch!"

They had to switch their position to avoid the mosque from being blown up, but it was not safe either. From there, they had to hide. It was an ambush caused by the militants. Although the number was much smaller than those guarding in Long Xuyên, it was enough for them to despise it.

Firing erupted as Kid took into another house, this time, a brick and stone-walled one. He responded by firing back, and Nikov also did it. Militants came from every corners.

"خذهم! خذهم!" (Take them! Take them!)

Those ISIS jihadists encircled the village in hope to see if there were any remaining. Kid and Nikov had to jump between houses and houses, to evade capture while kept firing back against it.

Battle between two sides got even tenser as ISIS had more men and materials. They threw a grenade into a market, prompted Kid and Nikov not to go elsewhere. Fighting between the ISIS militants and the duo continued.

Kid responded by firing from the window. Nikov did the same, but it was not without concern. The battle went on in some short of level, as neither tried to pull too much ammunition and bullets.

Kid and Nikov had to switch between various locations each time. Sometimes they switched between windows and windows, sometimes they jumped to another houses. They didn't feel exhausted, but they got tired for the run.

"Dang!"

But that didn't mean they could not kill. Several ISIS jihadists were taken down by the duo. Yet the increasing strength of ISIS in there forced Kid and Nikov to think tank.

They even carried Toyota trucks into the city, looking on the village and searching for the duo. Islamic State was determined to find out who.

Kid and Nikov, having crossed a lot, sat in an old robbed Cham home. A typical Cham home was a stilt, a type of house used to fend up during the flood season. The stilt, a green one and inside describing the words "There's no God but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" in Arabic on the back, alongside a TV and some stuffs down, Kid could not hold up his strange feeling as he returned to the religion he once followed but later deserted.

"Cham people … I wonder why are you all Muslims by now …"

As they were praying, Islamic State fighters surrounding each corners of several last houses in the village, trying to figure about how could the duo kill a lot of their men.

They were alarmed that it could be dangerous, but then, they saw about a green house, perhaps recently opened. The wooden door proved to be significant there.

ISIS fighters supposed there would be the location of Kid and Nikov. They ordered several men to get in. And that could be …

"Bang!"

The man who was received to seek, fell. ISIS fighters were stunned, as a strange gun fire came from nowhere. And then …

The firing increased. Kid and Nikov recognized the shooting, saying that it was not their own, nor even the style of Islamic State. The gun battle had changed tide and more superior Daesh force got crushed elsewhere. Kid and Nikov, hiding in the bedroom waiting for the terrorists, witnessed a man running on, and his uniform, a grey one, impressed …

"Guys!"

Kid and Nikov were startled again when they heard about him. This voice was so familiar: tall, resilient, impressive and religious. It was …

"Archbishop!"

"Don't call me Archbishop." He came to their, having shot down vehicles and came in with uniform of the Polish GROM, stressed: "I am standing around now, as a soldier. May the God be with you."

"Amen."

No one but Radosław Chiemycz, the Archbishop who was in Ho Chi Minh City at the time, the Polish priest stood firm that, he had to deal with a problem.

"Do you forget … Islamic State is holding a hostage in exchange?"

"What?" Kid questioned.

"A girl escaped from the attack, perhaps a week before the bombing, confirmed that the militants who attacked the bus were wearing Islamic State uniform, killing the bus driver and kidnapped a number of them, but she for somehow, escaped. However, they released all but one."

"One? What did you mean?"

"They want an exchange. Fauzi Abdel Galam, who was arrested by the Vietnamese a year ago, had been sentenced and would be extradited to the U.S. as part of growing American-Vietnamese cooperation. Mouhamed Boukhar, who had organized the group and declared allegiance to the Islamic State, wanted his master to be freed."

"Islamic State is not known for honoring their words, they cared if this could be their base. It's why such ISIS behavior made us distasteful. How can we handle them seriously?"

"Run." The Archbishop made his words: "Fight on the run!"

"Fight for it?"

"Indeed."

From the village, they were closer to the ISIS base but no one clear, what would be next.

Because on the same time, when the presence of Islamic State also followed with a hostage, it would be either a win-win situation.

21:30

An Giang, Vietnam

Meanwhile, the situation near the base of Islamic State was complex. They needed to evoke problem to fill its position in war, while hoping to see the return of their original governor, if based on ISIS ranking in its global caliphate map.

"Bọn chuột Việt Nam đó thích thế, thì bảo chúng ra đây. Vả lại, chúng hiểu chúng ta sẽ không giữ lời, và chúng cũng sẽ không giữ lời." (Those Vietnamese rats like it, tell them come. Besides, they understood we won't keep words, and they won't either.)

"Tỉnh trưởng, vì dân tộc Chăm và lợi ích lâu dài của Nhà nước, chúng ta phải giữ đức tin tới Thượng đế tối cao. Vả lại, ngài bỏ ra khoảng thời gian khó khăn từ Iraq về đây, ngài hiểu nỗi đau của dân tộc là gì mà." (Governor, for the Chams and long term of the Caliphate, we must stand firm our belief to mighty Allah. Besides, you wasted your hard time from Iraq back here, you understand the pain of the people.)

It was Mouhamed Boukhar, but his men called him under nom de guerre as Abu Mohammed Al-Champi. He still referred the previous "governor" as Abu Mokhtar Al-Champi, showing their dedication on the rank of this evil caliphate.

"Maybe …"

Meanwhile, he looked on the dark room, where the hostage, whom he knew the name or not wasn't important, he called:

"Khalid Abdullah! We have to make a final stance."

Long Xuyên, Vietnam

After seeing the video several times, and pressure of refusing to back down, the Colonel decided to take up this plan.

"Alright, we will mend along the river, while our vehicles will move forward. We only have more than 24 hours to finalize our position. We need special canoes to transport and we need to hammer the ISIS position, isolating them and cut off its border with Cambodia."

He represented to the Ambassador and the Spanish advisor, who was escorted by a Moroccan-Spanish woman army personnel and a Qatari translator. The Colonel understood it would be the only way, and a must-do job.

"Encircling them?" José was skeptical.

"We'll send the sappers in. Ambush, and take down. Meanwhile, we will send the army to surround the area. They had retreated to Châu Đốc, we could beat them."

"Châu Đốc!?" The Ambassador had yet to clear.

"The city is near the border to Cambodia, and they want to leave to enter Cambodia. Remember when the attack in Sihanoukville occurred a year ago, Cambodian Government has shown their incapability to solve the problem yet blaming our nation for not doing enough. If we can take the Champa Shariah Jamaat and its Islamic State affiliates down, it would force Cambodia to take a firmer stance, given the country has larger muslim population than us."

"If you want it, they have to do it from the same hour. We cannot let them pass through the Cambodian-Vietnamese border tomorrow. If not, a border war between Vietnam and Cambodia will be evoked. ASEAN is not the European Union." José pointed on: "ASEAN is not good enough in keeping unity as members still try to behave its own views."

"By the way, Hanoi's declared that they would extradite Fauzi Abdel Galam tomorrow to the United States authorities. Be fast, gentlemen." U.S. Ambassador David Martz marked his words: "Quick, don't be late."

"I'm sure about that."

After the discussion inside the factory, Vietnamese army was assembled, ready for another mission. Outside, the Ambassador received report that, the SEAL Team Salem would be deployed in tomorrow to help Vietnamese intelligence fighting against Islamic State's militants in the Mekong river.

It'd be more interesting, given the ambassador's text message this time.

22:10

South China Sea

U.S.S. Ronald Reagan

"Alright, Hanoi has issued allowing the SEAL Team to enter. Are you ready, gentlemen? The Salem Team will be deployed!"

"Jesus …" Many of them breathed well: "It seems like … safety put ahead."

"Yes. Now, we have very little opinion. Go! Our carrier will get closer to Vietnamese maritime border, where we are allowed to deploy throughout helicopters collaborated between Vietnam and the United States."

"Yes, sir!"

"Move, move, move, move, move!"

As the movement of warships, including the aircraft carrier, increased, the final battle was about to be heralded.