From the direction of Latagua, 400 meters above ground.
Two Colombian National Army Black Hawk helicopters skimmed the edge of the jungle.
Inside the cabin of each helicopter sat a reconnaissance squad from the 26th Leticia Jungle Brigade's first battalion, each squad comprised of nine members.
Lieutenant Louis, the squad leader, crouched at the edge of the cabin with binoculars searching the jungle below. Beside him was the machine gunner, operating an M240 machine gun and keeping a vigilant watch over the surroundings.
Just recently, the 26th Brigade had received orders that a fierce battle appeared to have broken out near Latagua, close to the border river. The sounds of explosions were intense and could be heard from over ten kilometers away.
Based on the coordinates, it seemed to be AUC territory.
The AUC had several barracks nearby, and the Colombian government army had long maintained a policy of non-interference with them.
In a sense, the ELN and FARC were the true enemies of the government army. This involved some issues of stance; the AUC shared similar interests to maintain with the government army, unlike with the ELN and FARC, who were more like archenemies.
Therefore, the Colombian government army had not been very proactive in rounding up the AUC, often turning a blind eye to their actions, letting them battle it out with the other two major armed groups.
However, this time the high command had ordered the 26th Jungle Brigade to dispatch a reconnaissance squad to the scene to find out exactly what had happened.
If it was the ELN and the AUC fighting each other, they were to act as if they had seen nothing.
If other situations were discovered, the reconnaissance squad could report back and proceed with flexible measures.
This area was a jungle close to the border, through which drug trafficking organizations also passed on their way to Ecuador, then from Ecuador's ports out to sea, smuggling into the United States using submarines or ships.
The Colombian government army might ignore the squabbles of those armed groups, but they did take action against drug trafficking organizations.
After all, the Colombian government did receive some aid from the United States every year. Although no one wanted to go to war with the drug traffickers, some results had to be delivered.
Louis's gaze, through the binoculars, scrutinized the ground. Soon, he was attracted by a truck driving on an unpaved road.
It was a local truck known as "Qiwa," quite common, with a payload of around 5 tons.
Normally, such a truck would not attract attention, but this one was different; it was covered with tarpaulin, sealed tight, hiding everything within.
The experienced Lieutenant Louis felt there was something off about this vehicle.
Could it be a drug transport vehicle?
Was the firefight due to a conflict between drug traffickers and armed groups?
The situation here was quite complicated.
Armed groups were involved in anything, including colluding with drug traffickers. They also carried out kidnappings but sometimes would clash with unfamiliar gangs.
Especially in the border areas, such incidents were not uncommon.
"Let's go down and check out that truck!"
Lieutenant Louis issued the order to the pilot.
Soon, the two helicopters, one following the other in a combat formation, began to descend, heading toward the moving "Qiwa" truck.
On the dirt road, inside the Qiwa truck's cargo hold, a pair of eyes watched every move of the two helicopters in the sky through a gap in the tarpaulin.
Seeing the helicopters begin to lower their altitude, the cook pulled his head back in and, hunched over, quickly walked to the back of the driver's cab, knocking on the rear window.
"They're coming down, looks like they've spotted us!"
The cook's face was steely, his expression grave as if facing a formidable enemy.
Song Heping slid open the rear window and said to the cook, "Wait for the right moment, and take it out. We're one kilometer from the jungle edge. We'll get off there."
"All right!"
The cook, not one to waste words, turned and returned to the cargo hold, saying to White Bear, "We still have an M72, right!?"
"One left!"
Amid the ruckus of the jostling cargo hold, White Bear gestured towards Disaster Star.
Disaster Star took out the last remaining M72 rocket launcher.
He and White Bear each had one.
But one had been used at Camp K1.
Only this last survivor remained.
The cook pointed to the sky and loudly instructed, "White Bear, get ready. When the tarp is opened, you take out one of the helicopters!"
White Bear asked, "What about the other one?"
The cook replied, "Don't worry about that! We're one kilometer away from our disembarkation point. Grey Wolf and Song He will secure the position. Once you fire, everyone will immediately suppress the other helicopter with gunfire, and we'll make our escape while they're evading."
White Bear understood that from the disembarkation point, it was about five kilometers away from the riverbank boarding point.
If they couldn't shake off the helicopter, it would be difficult for the group to safely reach the evacuation point.
But now it seemed he had no room to worry about these issues.
That's how the battlefield is.
Sometimes, you can only take one step at a time.
Thinking too much is not as good as surrendering.
If you don't surrender, just do your best.