"Boss! We hit it! We hit him!"
When his subordinates cheered, even the usually composed Lascano couldn't help but get excited.
Is he really dead?
Watching the helicopter spin uncontrollably as it fell from the sky, Lascano felt like he was dreaming.
Before, he had gone to such great lengths, using so many elite members of the organization, emerging in full force with a meticulously planned operation, only to be caught in one fell swoop by Song Heping.
And now, it seemed that a simple Stinger missile had achieved his dream.
"Retreat!"
It took him a while to come back to his senses.
Time to make a run for it.
Because the helicopter was hit, it wouldn't be long before it was discovered, making his hiding place no longer safe.
"Burges, hurry up and drive over here, we have succeeded!"
He quickly sent the signal to the truck driver.
"Understood, I'll be there soon."
Everything had been carefully arranged.
The truck was nearby.
When Lascano and his men packed up and ran out of the woods, it took less than ten minutes for them to reach the roadside and hide in the bushes before the truck swiftly arrived, screeching to a stop by the roadside.
Lascano and his men dashed forward, quickly opened the door, and jumped on.
Thud—
With a muffled closing sound, the driver slammed on the gas pedal, and the truck quickly vanished into the end of the highway.
The news spread fast.
An hour later, a news flash appeared on television, reporting an Airbus H145 helicopter crash near Carillo City, which burst into flames and caught fire after the crash, with rescue workers commencing search operations…
Barrett had been restless in his room all day.
The initial intelligence had come from him.
Now, besides him, probably the only others concerned about the outcome would be the folks at the CIA.
It wasn't until he saw the news flash that Barrett sprang up from his seat.
He ran to the TV and squatted down, staring fixedly at the screen, afraid of missing every single word.
It was only after confirmation that he remembered to call Kelly.
"Miss, is he dead?"
"Mm, the information we have indicates that the plane did indeed take off from Saltillo City, and it was definitely a Sinoloa Group helicopter, but the crash site is now ashes, so we have to wait for the police report."
"Then…"
Barrett was a bit at a loss.
"What should I do next?"
"Keep undercover." Kelly was resolute: "If Song Heping is dead, you need to hide your identity and continue to control Balot Organization's smuggling network, keep collaborating with Shorty."
"Collaborate with him? He only listens to Song Heping." Barrett hesitated: "He doesn't take orders from anyone else."
"He doesn't have to take orders, we can make him." Kelly had a plan ready: "With Song Heping dead, the alliance with Omar and Rubio would surely fall apart, and those two are likely to lean towards the Los Zetas Organization, or it could be chaos among several parties. You can cooperate with Shorty under the pretext of avenging Song Heping; he'll appreciate having an extra hand, especially since we will do our utmost to support you here, sending a Watcher squad to your location to help you solidify your footing in Mexico."
"Fine."
Barrett finally swallowed a reliever.
His biggest concern right now was his own safety.
With Song Heping dead, in Mexico, now he was the only one left from the former Song Heping team.
Without backing, the extremely vicious leaders and followers within the organization whether they would obey him was one thing, and Shorty might even get rid of him personally to take over the smuggling network.
If he got the support from the CIA and the Watcher squad, Shorty would definitely choose to collaborate with him.
While Kelly and Lascano were busy calculating their own wishful plans and preparing to reshuffle the Mexican drug-trafficking circle, a convoy was racing on the highway towards Carillo City.
Inside the vehicle, the radio channel was filled with White Bear and others' complaints.
These guys were all puzzled as to why, after it was agreed to take a helicopter, they suddenly switched to traveling by car.
Song Heping's explanation was that it was a tactic, throwing a smoke bomb, pretending to take a flight while actually traveling by car, to throw Lascano off their real trail.
"Boss, are you suspecting that someone among us might leak our route?"
White Bear was not happy, feeling that Song Heping's explanation hurt their sentiments.
Everyone discussing the route was their own people, all brothers in arms; could there really be a mole among them?
"Better safe than sorry, White Bear, whether there's a leak or not, there's no harm in being cautious."
Song Heping said, "I don't doubt my own people, but I never make 100% assurances. Throwing a smoke bomb is good for everyone."