Chapter 178 Escort and Firefight
After dividing the money, Sig also sent a message to the chief leader, informing Zhang Ailun that he had successfully applied for the job and had taken over the escort business, and asked him to gather at the Armed Nation.
Zhang Ailun left the Qiaodong camp and drove to the Armed Nation on West Street. When he arrived here, he saw several escort vehicles parked outside the gun store. Sig and Bailey were fully armed, wearing bulletproof vests and helmets, holding submachine guns, with pistols and fragmentation grenades on their waists.
After parking the car on the side of the road, Zhang Ailun walked over to inquire about the situation: "Four vehicles? What's going on? Aren't they just needed to escort gun oil and ordinary security equipment? Why do they need so many people? Are the vehicles carrying intercontinental missiles?"
"It's not that simple."
Sig took Zhang Allen aside and whispered, "This mission was actually issued by a friend of the boss of the Armed Nation, and the owner of the United Gun Shop facilitated this deal. Ordinary firearms certainly don't make that much profit, so he also smuggled some contraband in the car, but we are not qualified to ask what it is. On the surface, it's gun oil, security equipment, and SIG Sauer short assault rifles, but in fact, in addition to some contraband, there are also some CDs. We need to transport it safely to Wells Fargo Bank in Palmdale."
Zhang Ailun understood as soon as he heard it. It turned out that there was a transfer of interests involved in this retirement ceremony.
"What's on the disc? The password to the bank vault? Or a list of transactions that shouldn't be seen in public? At least something related to data."
There is nothing new under the sun. There must be a lot of corruption problems within this bank. Maybe we will have to ask someone to settle the accounts someday.
"I don't know what it is either." Sig was not interested in this, and just introduced some people who were responsible for the escort mission to the chief leader.
Pointing to a few black people sitting in the escort vehicle, he said, "They are scattered members who retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. They used to work for the East Los Angeles Police Department. After retiring, they formed their own security team called Cannon. They are quite famous in the circle."
He pointed at a few white people and said, "They are from Lightning, a PMC security company in Los Angeles. They are also responsible for the escort mission this time."
"Then there are idle personnel like us. The PMC company's employees make $85 an hour, the artillery team's employees make $80, and our highest is only $60-70."
Sig was a little unhappy after he finished speaking. Who can stand the minimum wage wherever they go?
It is obvious that they are also capable people, and they are all the same. If a fight really comes, he, a former captain of the Marine Corps, may not be worse than these people, right?
The main reason is that it is not very well-known in the industry, has no advertising packaging, no PMC company backing, and has not done anything sensational.
"The security team called the Cannon became famous overnight because they successfully protected their employers and mitigated risks by maintaining law and order at celebrity concerts. Their average hourly wage was only $55 before."
Bailey couldn't help but complain: "This isn't a battle on the front line, how can this be considered as experience?"
"So many people? It seems that this mission is not going to be so peaceful." Zhang Ailun was a little surprised. "If it is just an ordinary escort, there should be no need to involve so many people, right?"
"This is how the employer arranges it. We just need to do our job well."
Sig and the chief changed their equipment and got on the bulletproof armed escort vehicle. Zhang Ailun looked at the boxes of various sizes in the escort vehicle compartment, which were all guns, gun oil and common security equipment.
There are also contraband in a black box and a CD in a silver safe.
Zhang Ailun also took out his mobile phone and informed Blitz of the situation, asking him to check the relationship between the Armed Nation and Wells Fargo Bank, as well as the risks that might be encountered during this mission.
Soon Blitz sent a message: the bosses of Wells Fargo and Armed Nation had some private connections, and the person who issued this commission also had some shady transactions with the bank's people, which involved manipulating the stock market and the real estate market to make money, involving gangs and evil, marketing to create panic among the people, selling a large number of junk stocks, buying low and selling high, and various financial illegal operations.
Blitz: The people from the Securities and Exchange Commission discovered their activities and froze their accounts. The FBI opened a case for investigation, but the accounts were unfrozen after a few days.
Blitz: I haven't found out what the CD you mentioned is, but a week ago, they had a gathering with the leader of the MC motorcycle gang and invited the vice chairman of the Securities Regulatory Commission. The details are unknown. Maybe there are videos and the truth in the CD. It may just be some data packets and white transaction lists. The black box may contain some illegal goods.
Allen Zhang: Can you crack the code box and the CD? It's in our car.
Blitz: I don't recommend you to understand the inside story here. This industry is very complicated. You just need to simply deliver the goods. There shouldn't be any high risk.
Zhang Ailun: OK.
The chief leader was just a little curious about what was in the disc. If the escort mission went smoothly, it meant that the disc was just an ordinary data package.
If there are some twists and turns along the way, it means that the CD has at least affected the interests of certain people and needs to be taken care of or even destroyed, as it contains all shady py transactions.
Soon it was time to set off, and Zhang Ailun prayed that the mission would go smoothly. After all, he was just traveling here and would also visit the casino in Little Rock, but he had no intention of shooting with others.
The escort vehicle led by the artillery squad took the lead, followed by Sig in the middle, followed by the security personnel of PMC Lightning Company, and finally the other idle personnel.
After leaving the city and arriving in the suburbs, the security personnel of the artillery kept reporting the road conditions on the intercom, observing the surrounding environment and suspicious persons. However, after driving on the highway for dozens of minutes without any risks, they became much more relaxed.
"It's still an hour and thirty minutes' drive to Palmdale. There shouldn't be much risk, after all, the hourly wage is only $60." Bailey said, reporting the roadside situation on a tablet.
"You get $85, but they get $! And they all do the same job." Zhang Ailun joked: "If something unexpected really happens, the enemy's bullets won't have eyes. They will not shoot you if they think your hourly wage is low."
“I just hope it goes well.”
Bailey silently prayed to God for help. It was a waste of time to earn a few hundred dollars for an escort job.
Several escort vehicles were driving on the highway without any obstruction and nothing happened. Zhang Ailun was so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes, so he simply put on goggles and a mask to close his eyes and rest.
Soon the vehicle changed lanes and avoided the main road, driving into another remote path. It drove for another few dozen minutes without incident, but when leaving a small town, the car ahead suddenly flashed its lights and braked.
The artillery team immediately reported the road conditions, "There's a rear-end collision ahead! Slow down! There's an emergency ahead, and we're about to merge into a mountain road. The roadside conditions are complicated, so keep your speed to 40 mph."
Upon hearing this, Sig turned the steering wheel without changing his expression, turned on the turn signal and drove left.
Zhang Ailun was also awakened by the bumpy road conditions. He no longer had the heart to close his eyes and rest. He saw through the car window that two private cars had collided with each other. The tires and engines were scrapped, and two black men were there accusing and insulting each other.
He was not interested in this. He just looked at the shadows and leaves outside the windshield, checked the road information, and asked in surprise: "Why are you driving on a mountain road? The road is so remote and difficult to drive on."
"Boss, there's a traffic jam on the highway and the road ahead is closed due to construction. We have no choice but to take a detour. It will only take us an extra 20 minutes at most," Bailey explained.
Zhang Ailun felt that there was something fishy. There would be no traffic jam at any other time, but why did it have to happen at this time?
The sun could not penetrate the grove, and the atmosphere became a little depressing. The tires of the escort vehicle rolled over the fallen leaves and pebbles, making a crunching sound. Ten minutes later, when passing the corner intersection, a motorcycle and a pickup truck suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking the road.
The artillery team leading the way immediately slowed down and reported the situation: "There is an emergency! There are suspected unidentified people ahead..."
Before he could finish his words, a pickup truck in front suddenly extended its gun muzzle and fired at the armed escort vehicle. Bullets flew and flames spewed out. The leading artillery team was instantly riddled with bullets and the windshield was cracked. Fortunately, the escort vehicle was equipped with bulletproof facilities and explosion-proof tires. "Sprint! Sprint!!!"
The artillery team responded immediately, but they were panicked. The first bird to come out gets shot, and they were a little confused. "We are under attack by terrorists!!! Get out of here as soon as possible!! Call 911 for help!!"
With a push on the accelerator, the escort vehicle crashed through the roadblock amid a hail of bullets. With a buzz, the gangsters who had shot down the roadblock in front were knocked away along with the motorcycle that was blocking the road.
Sig took the opportunity to step on the accelerator and followed closely behind.
The bandit on the opposite side had just landed and hadn't had time to react. When he opened his eyes, he saw a giant steel beast rolling towards him, and it rolled over his head with a "pa" sound.
Zhang Ailun only felt the car bumping, and when he looked through the rearview mirror, he saw the young man in the back was already in a state of disarray, completely rotten.
But he could only twitch for a few seconds before the escort vehicle behind him rushed forward again and ran over his small body, making a loud noise like crushing rice crust, breaking all his bones and squeezing out his internal organs.
"Tsk." It was the first time that Zhang Ailun saw such a grand scene, but the masked gangster on the roadside still held up his gun, pulled the trigger and fired wildly at the escort vehicle. He watched the bulletproof glass being hit by snowflakes and the bullets hitting the steel plate, sparks flying.
Fuck! Is it so exciting?
If the escort vehicle wasn't bulletproof it would have been blown up long ago!
Seeing that the escort vehicle had left the corner and was heading towards the highway, the motorcycle gang was chasing closely behind, driving a pickup truck, pulling out several AKs, aiming at the tires and the escort vehicle and shooting wildly! Zhang Allen felt that the vehicle was becoming bumpy again.
Bailey couldn't stand it, "Fxxk you!!"
He pointed his gun through the shooting hole of the vehicle and fired back.
The motorcycle that was following closely behind suddenly swept away a person. The motorcycle lost control and flew out, hitting the person next to it and rolling twice on the ground.
But before they could get up, the pickup truck ran over them, and there was another bloody scene.
They aimed at the last escort vehicle and fired at it. The explosion-proof tire was finally broken and the wheel hub flew off. The vehicle was forced to stop on the bumpy road.
"Asking for support! Requesting support!"
The security personnel in the escort vehicle behind were already at a loss, and they shouted anxiously, asking their teammates for help.
The PMC Lightning security personnel following Zhang Ailun's car turned the car around, stepped on the accelerator and rammed the pickup truck directly. With a bang, they were pushed down the slope along with the car.
The Lightning security personnel hurriedly got out of the car and hid behind the bunker. All the three-point straight line and surrounding and attacking the reinforcements were useless at this time!
They just raised their arms high, believing in their marksmanship, without even looking at the enemy, and took out their rifles and started firing indiscriminately!
Just shoot randomly and that's it!!
This is the only way in this environment to have a hope that the enemy cannot hit you, but you can still scan the enemy.
Zhang Ailun watched this scene and felt that their shooting skills were no different from his own. When it came to a life-and-death situation, didn't everyone just shoot blindly?
Sig turned the steering wheel and parked the car diagonally at a pile of rocks. He found a good position for shooting, and from a high vantage point he could shoot from low. He quickly got out of the car and hid behind an obstacle, then he fired wildly at the pickup trucks and motorcycles in the area.
Zhang Ailun also loaded his gun and aimed it for fire support at a distance, with yellow bullet shells flying everywhere.
The members of the artillery team also stopped the car. The leader, Lao Hei, came up to them, took out two grenades, pulled the safety pins, and threw them over. After a few seconds, there was a loud bang, dust flew, and the motorcycle exploded.
In the face of powerful firepower, the pickup truck exploded on the spot, causing heavy casualties to the masked gangsters.
The gunfire continued for a full two minutes, and when they saw that the other side did not retaliate, they stopped shooting.
The barrel of Zhang Ailun's gun was red and hot, and he had used up several magazines.
He blew hard a few times, put it aside to cool down naturally, and took out his pistol to be on guard.
Sig exchanged a few words with Lao Hei next to him, then tried to investigate and shoot carefully. He also found several bandits who were wailing in pain and had broken limbs.
Sig immediately controlled them and questioned their origins, "Who are you? Why did you shoot us in the middle of the journey?"
"Ah! I'm dying! Save me!"
"You can't fucking die."
Sig looked at his gunshot wound, which looked like he was dying with blood spurting out, but it was all his accomplice's blood, and he himself was only shot in the buttocks and calves.
Humanitarian rescue was immediately carried out on him and he was given local anesthesia and adrenaline.
Zhang Ailun and Bailey were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield. One of the security guards nearby was unfortunately shot and killed. The bulletproof glass was broken and the glass fragments scratched his aorta. He died while in the car.
"We are from the Kama Brotherhood. This is our ranch and territory. Anyone who comes here needs to pay a toll." The gangster took off his hood under local anesthesia, revealing a white man with freckles on his face.
"Do you fucking think I will believe you?" Sig slapped him twice. Which kind of good guy would just come up and shoot at the escort vehicle with an AK without saying a word?
You must be being instructed by someone!
There are bad guys among the crowd! Even their route is clearly visible. If it weren't for the bulletproof glass and the escort vehicle, the black man in front would definitely be stuck here.
But the other party basically didn't feel anything after the anesthetic, but Sig himself was so shocked that his palms were numb. He had no choice but to look at the chief leader.
"Look at what I'm doing. They look like lawless thugs who are used to running wild in the mountains in the suburbs! Either shoot them or call 911 and have the state police take them away for investigation."
Zhang Ailun didn't want to get too involved in this matter. What was I going to do with $60 an hour? He just played dumb and let it go.
That CD must contain something deadly!
After Bailey and I cleaned up the battlefield, we counted the casualties. The enemy had 16 dead and three seriously injured out of 13, nearly wiped out. We had 2 casualties, and the rest were basically uninjured. Zhang Ailun simply returned to the car under the pretext of looking after the cargo.
(End of this chapter)
