In the deserts of East Africa, an abandoned military base stood in a lawless strip of land along the border.
After the troops stationed there withdrew, the nearby village that had depended on the base for its livelihood fell into complete abandonment as well. Now, all that remained were a few dry wells and dusty yellow mud-brick houses.
The surrounding terrain was difficult to defend with light weaponry, and a makeshift airfield was of no use to most of the poorly equipped irregular fighters. As a result, no armed force had occupied the place, leaving it to decay.
But unlike days past, the abandoned military base had now received a group of uninvited guests...
Trailing billowing clouds of dust, Toyota pickups drove through the abandoned checkpoint and entered the base. A group of poorly equipped Black soldiers carrying AKs jumped out.
At the sight, several mercenaries wearing American-made gear beside a Humvee outside the abandoned hangar immediately tensed, their fingers instinctively moving to their weapons' safeties.
Advancing with several trusted subordinates, the bearded Marash walked straight up to the man in a suit at the front of the group, as though he hadn't even noticed the mercenaries' weapons. He stopped and raised his chin.
"Where's the merchandise?"
The suited man smiled faintly, turned his head, and gestured with his eyes toward the abandoned hangar behind him.
"Right behind me... Open it up and let our guests have a look."
The hangar doors were pulled open.
Inside, the abandoned hangar was packed with large, army-green crates.
Several crates nearest the entrance stood open, revealing the orange-yellow ammunition packed inside and bundles of weapons and equipment leaning beside them.
A gleam of greed flashed in Marash's tiny, beady eyes as he surveyed everything before him.
As a prominent warlord operating in the