Five days later, night fell on the Colombia-Venezuela border, up north.
An off-road vehicle was driving in the twilight toward Ocaina.
Ocaina was located at the northern end of the Tbilisi Mountain Range, a stronghold controlled by the ELN armed forces.
Soon, the off-road vehicle reached the foothills and stopped by a forest.
The driver hadn't even gotten out when a dozen dark figures suddenly appeared.
A dozen gun barrels pointed simultaneously at the vehicle.
The driver got out of the car and shouted toward the shadows, "It's me, Josie!"
Hearing the familiar voice, the figures lowered their guns.
The leader emerged from the darkness, wearing a camouflage suit in the moonlight, with a homemade camouflage hat woven from plant leaves and vines around his bunny hat.
"Where's the guest?"
The leader asked the driver.
The driver turned toward his car.
At this moment, the rear door opened, and Song Heping appeared before everyone.
The leader went forward and politely greeted him, "Mr. Song, the chief is waiting for you. From here on, the vehicles can't make it any further. Follow us, and your safety is our responsibility now."
At this time, Song Heping was dressed in tactical gear, fully armed with a tactical vest fitted with ballistic plates, magazines filled the pockets on his chest, and he carried an M4A1 assault rifle on his back, with a bunny hat on his head.
Song Heping liked to wear bunny hats in the jungle, finding them very practical.
"Alright, I'll follow you. Lead the way."
The team leader signaled the soldiers around, and a dozen of them formed a protective formation around Song Heping, heading deep into the Tbilisi Mountain Range.
The mountain paths at night were fraught with danger.
Walking in the dark, even though Song Heping was wearing night vision goggles, he had to be cautious with every step.
Occasional strange animal calls from deep within the jungle sent shivers down his spine in the darkness of the night.
Morins' command center was set up inside the mountain range at the north end, a strategy arranged by Song Heping.
Although the southern jungle was vast, its terrain was relatively flat, and if the defensive lines were truly breached, there wouldn't be any natural protection during a retreat.
The situation here was different.
The Tbilisi Mountain Range stretched across the entire western part of Colombia, offering ample hiding spots.
Even if the war were lost in the end, they would not be completely wiped out.
Moreover, the location wasn't too far from the border. Besides hiding in the mountains, it was possible to retreat north into Venezuelan territory along the Tbilisi Mountain Range if absolutely necessary.
Morins' command center was in a cave halfway up the mountainside, as per Song Heping's request.
Given that US military advisors and the government army were involved in the operation, Song Heping had to plan for the worst-case scenario.
That was an air force bombing campaign against the ELN forces.
There were definitely caves in the Tbilisi Mountain Range, and Song Heping had instructed Morins to find one with at least two exits for the command center.
Even if the Colombian Military sent bombers and used ground penetrating bombs, it wouldn't be possible to completely penetrate a large mass of the mountain.
Another consideration was the communication signal issues.
Signal interference was severe in the mountains, with some areas even experiencing complete signal loss due to the terrain.
Currently, the ELN had their own tactical radios, but the technology was outdated.
For a military force, using satellite communications was the most reliable during operations.
However, the ELN lacked this capability. While training Anthony and the others, Song Heping learned from the trainees that ELN ground units sometimes even used walkie-talkies for contact, which had very poor secrecy.
This time, Song Heping had Morins spend a considerable amount of money to equip every battalion-level combat unit commander with a satellite phone. These devices provided both secure communications and robust signals, while the rest of the company-level units would use radios.
Despite this, Song Heping still had a concern: whether the Tame Region could hold for a day.
Only one day was needed.
As long as evidence of the Colombian government army and US military advisors—or special forces—appeared there.
Once he had evidence of their deployment in the Tame Region and of their military operations, Song Heping would immediately have it sent to Fehr in New York, who would in turn use his media resources to amplify the story.
Normally, it should ferment within 2-3 days.
Song Heping had calculated all the possibilities and discussed with Fehr how long it would take for a news story to go from brewing to exploding.
Once broadcasted or printed, the news would need to create a buzz in various press conferences. The whole process would take about 2 to 3 days.
During these two or three days, Tame had to be held.
Otherwise, everything would be ruined.
"My good brother!"
Three hours later, Song Heping, drenched in sweat, arrived at the entrance of Morins' command post cave, where the latter opened his arms warmly for a big embrace.
"In such perilous times for you to stand by my side and support me, please accept my gratitude!"