A brief respite

Brian closed the back door and climbed back into the back seat. He asked Henry, who was driving, "Can you estimate how much longer it will take to get to the airport?"

"About thirty minutes, slightly less," Henry stated a number.

Brian immediately contacted the captain again via satellite phone. After the captain answered, he said, "Get the plane on the runway. We'll be at the airport in about thirty minutes. Take off immediately after we arrive."

What! Something's wrong on your end?

"Are airport staff obstructing us?"

"Take the US dollars from the safe on the plane and give them to them, then tell them to get lost! Otherwise, shoot them."

"Believe me, you definitely don't want to see your small passenger plane riddled with bullets by several machine guns before it even takes off, especially while we're still on board."

"Although we've temporarily shaken off our pursuers, I don't think those black guys will give up easily. They know our destination, which is the airport."

"Hurry up and handle things on your end. At worst, we just won't come to Somalia again."

"Remember, move the plane onto the runway quickly. We only have less than thirty minutes to get to the airport."

After putting away the satellite phone, Brian turned to Audrey Hepburn, who looked worried, and said, "Don't worry, Madam. There's just a minor problem at the airport."

"Yeah, compared to us, theirs is really just a minor problem," the big star in the back seat joked.

Finally able to sit up properly, Audrey Hepburn looked back at the way she had come. Slightly worried, she asked, "Will they catch up?"

Brian replied, "The chances are very high."

"Just to kidnap me? A washed-up star?" Audrey asked suspiciously.

"Miss, don't underestimate your own worth," Brian explained. "You're a Hollywood celebrity and a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. That means you, as a public figure, must be rescued from the kidnappers no matter what."

"Compared to special operations that involve force, problems that can be solved with money are the simplest. The difference is simply a matter of how much money is involved, which relates to the skills of the In-Betweener and negotiators."

"But from your perspective, you shouldn't assume you'll definitely be saved, or think that being captured by them is no big deal. How many days of suffering will you have to endure before they pay the ransom and get you out?"

"Believe me, to those kidnappers, your only value is your survival, but that's all you need to do. They're not going to have some five-star hotel with gourmet food and comprehensive medical care over there."

"Even a healthy, normal man would be tormented beyond recognition by these people. Let alone you, madam. Besides, you hired us precisely to prevent such things from happening."

"Please let us make a difference. I'm counting on this job to leave a good impression on me, not a bad one in the eyes of others."

"Okay." Audrey glanced back at the car behind and asked, "I wonder if anyone in the other car was injured?"

Brian didn't say much, immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and asked, "This is Alpha. Are there any casualties in the second vehicle? Over."

A moment later, the walkie-talkie crackled to life. "This is Beta, everyone safe. Repeat, everyone safe. Over."

Hey Madfak, Brian, you should check out the state of our car, it's practically riddled with bullets.

"Watch your words, there are ladies here. You stupid old dog." Brian replied into the walkie-talkie, then said to Ms. Hepburn, "Looks like they're alright, still able to swear."

Audrey Hepburn said with relief, "That's wonderful. But it looks like the rest of the trip will have to be cancelled."

"According to regulations, if the visiting team is attacked, the trip must be suspended and the team evacuated from Somalia as soon as possible. We are not war correspondents or soldiers who need to stay on the front lines," Brian replied.

"Won't those children be in danger?" Audrey asked again.

"No, those kids are worthless. The kidnappers won't even look at them," Brian said, contradicting himself.

He knew that it was common to take one's anger out on others for failing a mission, and those kids were undoubtedly a good target for that anger.

But there's no need to say these things. What if this woman, in a moment of impulsiveness, demands that they go back to rescue people? It's not a question of danger; it's simply impossible.

"So where do we go next?" Audrey asked. Although she knew the principle of interrupting the operation if it was attacked, she wasn't very concerned about the subsequent operational guidelines.

Besides having a professional team to handle this, who would think of a United Nations Children's Fund representative?

It's unbelievable that something like this could happen during a regular visit.

Brian stated, "According to the evacuation guidelines, there is no fixed route provided. Instead, the team is directed to the nearest United Nations Peacekeeping Forces base or U.S. military base," and then, under the protection of the troops, return directly to the United States by air, or transit through Europe before returning to the United States. This is the general principle.

"However, we need to go to the airport now. Once we get on the plane and take off, we'll have a lot of options."

The exact location depends on how far the plane can fly with its fuel; flying directly back to the United States is also an option.

Because this activity was organized by United Nations subsidiary organization, whether it ended normally or was interrupted abnormally, it didn't mean the local itinerary was over and everyone could go home. A report still needed to be submitted to the United Nations.

Therefore, everyone's final destination is New York. The entire event will only officially end after the report is submitted at the United Nations Headquarters.

"By the way, aren't we supposed to be notified by the separate UNICEF staff about what's happening here?" Audrey asked, remembering the other group.

Brian shook his head and said, "Let's contact them after our plane is airborne and we've confirmed it's safe. I don't think this is an operation targeting our entire team; it's more like a spur-of-the-moment thing by local terrorists."

"The other group, on the other hand, is protected by peacekeeping forces. They are much safer than us."

Brian had a personal motive here. If he reported back and received instructions, should he obey them? The issue of command authority has always been the most perplexing part of a multi-headed team.

Moreover, they themselves knew perfectly well what their real mission was during this period. They were largely responsible for the collapse of the situation in Somalia.

In this situation, it's simply impossible for Africa to launch a joint attack against two separate teams.

The local armed forces saw a fat sheep enter their territory, and their eagerness to hunt was probably the biggest reason for their encounter this time.

To be honest, this is my own fault. What else can I do but suffer in silence?