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OR1-EP2: Battle of Rhodesia (5)

In McNeil's memory, the last time he came to Africa was decades ago. The unscrupulously spreading Tiberium has turned Africa into a barren land. GDI has only a few strongholds in South Africa and other places. The vast yellow zone is dominated by the NOD Brotherhood. Naturally, he never had the opportunity to go deep into the inland of Africa to conduct investigations. The environment there is as harsh as the Mediterranean Sea that has become the Tiberium Sea. Normal creatures cannot survive in it, and humans are the same. Human beings feel sorry only after they have lost something forever. When they finally hide in a few cities and linger, the next generation can only learn the scene when human beings can still walk freely on the earth from books. Compared with the areas polluted by Tiberium, the environment in Africa is not as bad as the yellow zone. McNeil believes that this mission has given him a rare opportunity to explore a new world that he has never had the opportunity to witness before.

Others don't think so. Among the team members following McNeil, many of them are professional mercenaries. They travel around the world, hunting for various targets or protecting important materials for large bounties, but they are often fighting another group of people, the enemy is not nature itself. In Africa, the situation is quite the opposite. The biggest test before fighting with the enemy is to save one's own life. The brash one who can only shout and scream will eventually be buried in the dark continent and become delicious food for a beast or a native.

"I don't trust them." David Roberts whispered and complained behind McNeil. "They decided to withhold the bonus so casually... Even though the person has no relatives, I bet they don't want to pay us at all."

"This is inevitable " McNeil seemed to be prepared for this. "If we die, we or our friends won't get the money. But I promise you that if I can go back alive, as long as the dead have relatives who are still alive, I will pay them back all the bonuses they deserve."

"With your words, we are relieved." Roberts stopped talking to McNeil about bonuses. He is just an ordinary worker now. He chooses to take risks in order to make enough money to make his family live a good life. He must go back alive. He originally participated in this dangerous mission for money, and he couldn't make his family suffer more losses.

McNeil divided the entire team into ten teams, and each three teams set up a commander. The teams kept a certain distance between them, and marched toward the native tribes closest to them on the map. A series of changes that happened a few days ago made Colonel Karl Duttmann realize that the indigenous people are no longer primitive people at the mercy of others. The indigenous people who may be secretly commanded by the Britannians behind them will be more dangerous than those only know how to destroy facilities. In this way, McNeil's task is not only to disrupt the deployment of the natives, but also to eliminate them as much as possible.

Everyone was walking listlessly on the grassland. The withered grass and sparse woods in the distance constituted the only scenery in the north of Rhodesia. They have to continue on their way to reach the pre-determined location as soon as possible, and only after a break can they launch an attack. McNeil pays attention to science. He would not think that tired soldiers under long-distance raids still have the ability to fight a beautiful raid. Maybe there's someone who thinks this action could maintain morale and fighting will, but that is just nonsense by people who do not understand military affairs. Despite the difficult situation, the transportation lines that restored order under the threat of bullets and tanks still provided them with sufficient supplies and ammunition. In addition, they can also return to nearby outposts to obtain other supplies.

"Captain, there's water for you."

One of the team members handed the kettle to McNeil. McNeil looked at the boy who was almost ten years younger than him, and sighed uncontrollably. This child named Carlo Fara was born in Sicily, and was out of school when he was a teenager. Since then, the only ability to support his family has been to beat, smash, and burn. Although he was less than twenty years old, he had killed more people than McNeil's recruits in their first year as a soldier, which made McNeil feel uneasy. If EU's young people only have this way as their paths towards personal value, then EU's future can be imagined.

He took the kettle, symbolically put a little fresh water on his mouth, and returned the kettle to the Italian who was still a half-year-old child.

"Save water, and save bullets." McNeil coughed a few times. "Two or three hundred bullets are just like festive fireworks in a big battle, and sometimes they can't even hit half an enemy. Pay attention when you shoot, don't waste bullets."

Decayed wooden stakes stood on the grass with some rusty wire hanging on them. Someone who was curious came forward to observe, but McNeil stopped it. The commander looked around and found some similar stakes. These wooden stakes will certainly not appear out of thin air. Someone has erected them here, and they have been there for at least ten years. Judging from these iron wires that are suspected to be part of the barbed wire, this barbed wire can be easily disassembled by violent means, unlike the barbed wire used by the EU army today, which sets many traps based on the principles of mechanics.

David Roberts followed McNeil to inspect the stakes and said casually:

"I'm afraid this is a relic from the Second World War."

"Why?"

"No one will use this kind of wire fence anymore. Even if they pull more wires, the enemy can cut all the wires with a pair of pliers." Roberts analyzed.

"It makes sense." McNeil left the stake and looked around the nearby woods, seeming to be looking for something. "I heard a veteran who had participated in the Second World War said that at that time the entire EU was afraid that the monsters from the East would come over. Even Paris was prepared to go into exile in Africa if the situation was dangerous. At that time, they built many fortifications in various parts of Africa, some just north of Rhodesia, in order to prevent the enemy from landing African colonies on the coast of Mozambique and cutting us off." He pointed to some mounds in the distance, and said with certainty: "Look for them carefully, maybe there are bunkers or other facilities left by the ancestors around."

Upon hearing McNeil's speculation, everyone was inexplicably excited. As long as there are defensive facilities around, they can use these facilities to fight a defensive war-to lure the natives to take the initiative to annihilate them all. Looking at the rejoicing colleagues, McNeil didn't want to disturb their interest. Sometimes, it is not a good thing to have a retreat, especially when the prospects are still unclear. The eagerness to find a retreat may indicate that the person has no hope of winning. However, if they encounter any accident, it is better to return to a fort than to span the entire grassland or jungle.

The team continued to move towards the north. At this time, the scouts walking in the front found a small entrance in the corner of a high ground, which seemed to lead to an underground facility. McNeil, who was notified, immediately rushed to the entrance along the route stated by the scouts. The inside was pitch black, and the internal structure and terrain could not be seen from outside.

"Unexpectedly, they have this habit. I heard that some people have also built some bunkers in Europe." Roberts was overjoyed. "Captain, we have been walking in the wilderness for most of the day, and everyone should take a break."

"No, we don't know what's going on in this place." McNeil quickly objected. "Even if everyone needs to go in and rest in the end, we must send someone to find out the situation. Or, let's go and have a look first."

However, the experience of driving under the scorching sun for a long time has completely destroyed everyone's fighting spirit. When they saw a suspected place to rest in front of them, they asked McNeil to be stationed here. Someone said in a very confident tone that they could use this place as a temporary headquarters, and then send troops to attack the natives in all directions, and it would be better to bring a large force here to meet them at any time. Even though McNeil was eloquent and quite popular, after all, he couldn't stand a hundred or so people taking turns to persuade him, but he was still subdued. He repeatedly emphasized that all actions must be cautious, and no one knows what traps the natives leave behind.

McNeil turned on the headlight attached to the helmet, holding a rifle, and walking into the passage first. The passage was very long, and the end seemed a little far away. When McNeil came to the bottom, he looked back at the exit, and only faintly saw a white spot of light. The other team members walked down one by one, and the remaining dozen people stayed outside to wait. They only hated that they had no luck in the first batch to rest.

Roberts frowned and asked McNeil:

"Captain, do you smell anything strange?"

"No." McNeil replied concisely, "Maybe you think too much about that, Mr. Roberts."

There are some doors on both sides of the promenade, which may lead to other rooms. McNeil boldly looked to a room on the left and found that it was suspected to be a dormitory. Everyone splits into some rooms on both sides, and found nothing except various rotten items. During this period, someone stepped on a skeleton and screamed in shock, and was laughed at for a long time by everyone. McNeil ignored him, but felt that the appearance of skeletons in such a disgusting place was a bit abnormal.

"They are so miserable… They can only rot when they die here, no one will carry them out for burial." Roberts shrugged as a sign of condolences.

"Don't be kidding, if we die here, the ending will not be better than them." McNeil let the others move on, and he himself squatted down to observe the skeleton. Suddenly, he found a packaging bag next to him. He picked it up and took a closer look. It turned out to be the outer packaging of compressed biscuits. The English on it indicated that these rations were produced in January 1998 in the Imperial Calendar-without a doubt, it was Britannian product. Most products of EU are in French.

"Deputy Captain, come here." McNeil showed the wrapping paper to Roberts. "Hurry up and notify the people in front to stop. Everyone keeps order, return from the same route, and exit here."

When David Roberts saw the wrapping paper in McNeil's hand, he was almost frightened to death. No one would just throw the recently produced Britannian Imperial Army ration packaging here to make a joke. The appearance of this kind of packaging paper itself shows that the Britannians have already been here.

"... Damn it, what should I do?"

"You ask me what should you do? Then who shall I ask for?" McNeil said grimly, "Get out first. We can't fight back in an unfamiliar environment."

"Roger that." David Roberts hurriedly chased the team in front of him. He asked the other players where he was, and then rushed to the front of the team to find Carlo Fara who was about to enter a storage room. The young man seemed to be very interested in what materials were stored here before, and he wouldn't mind taking some away if necessary.

David Roberts grabbed the young man's shoulder from behind and said solemnly:

"The captain has an order; everyone retreats immediately and withdraw from here."

The young man was puzzled. He didn't understand why McNeil gave such instructions. Although he is less than twenty years old, his methods of burning, killing and looting are no less than those of others, and his combat experience is also considered rich. From the bottom of his heart, he despises those who are more qualified but cowardly colleagues. McNeil is not one of the cowards, but he has too many worries. How can such a person lead the team?

"Why?"

"Where are there so many why?" Roberts shouted furiously, "This is an order, you just carry it out, and I'll talk about the remaining questions later."

Everyone was gloomy and preparing to return. Carlo Fara was the last, when he suddenly realized that something seemed to be hanging on his leg. Based on the intuition he had developed over the years, he did not continue to act, but called Roberts to ask him to check his surroundings with a flashlight. With the faint light, David Roberts discovered that the young man's legs were entangled with a thread that was suspected of triggering booby traps. He didn't dare to neglect, so he quickly called McNeil to solve the problem together. McNeil asked Roberts to look around for booby traps, while he himself comforted Carlo Fara and ordered everyone to stay away.

"Be careful from now on." McNeil pretended that nothing happened. "Remember this lesson next time... it's okay, it's just a small problem."

However, when McNeil discovered a gun-bearing native suddenly appeared in the door behind the room, his conditioned reflex motion of raising the gun also alarmed the people next to him, and David Roberts triggered it in a panic. With a loud noise, McNeil was hit by the blast and fell to the ground, his face covered with dust. He ignored the dust on his face and struggled to stand up from the ground to find the traces of his comrades. only heard continuous gunfire in his ears. Someone grabbed him by the collar, a few others took his arms and dragged him back, and others greeted other teammates to come forward and support.

"Pull the captain out, hurry up!"

In this narrow and dark environment, McNeil's teammates were caught off guard. No one would have expected the natives to hide in such a haunted place to fight an ambush. Several people were shot and fell to the ground at the beginning of the gun battle, the other people in a panic didn't care about searching for their companions carefully, but blindly returned to the enemy's general direction. When the gunfire finally came to an end, the sloppy team members took action and began to look for the teammates buried in the dust.

TBC

Chapter Notes:

Although the African Britannians seem to be very close to the Boers in reality, there are significant differences between the two. The ancestors of the African Britannians are British.

In fact, perhaps Italy and Sicily were independent member states when they first joined the EU.