In Africa, the Cape Mountains stretched for 7, 000 kilometers. Though not widely known, they were certainly recognized as a mountain range where humans rarely tread. The area was desolate and dangerous, with virtually no human presence.
At the Cape of Good Hope, where the Cape Mountains began, Ryan surveyed his well-equipped men. Pointing at the map, he said in a serious tone, “Split into two teams for the search. Panther will take one team, and Tiger will take the second. Approach the interior from the east and west. Choose your own people.”
Since Chieftain Adam had only provided a rough location, and the surrounding distances spanned hundreds of kilometers, they needed to search for the mineral up close. There was no way to examine it directly from a distance, so the only option was to use the most primitive method-sending people and machines down to search thoroughly.
Panther, who had rushed over from Southeast Asia, nodded without hesitation.
Tiger glanced at Echo and said, “You handle the communications. There can’t be any problems.”
Echo realized that only Panther and Tiger were heading deeper into the area, while she would stay with Ryan, Bill, and others on the perimeter to conduct reconnaissance and relay information.
Noticing the serious expressions on everyone’s faces, she straightened up and said, “No problem.”
This was her area of expertise, and she could ensure it would go smoothly.
Ryan nodded and asked sternly, “Are you ready?”
Panther and Tiger both replied in unison, “Ready.”
“Let’s go.”
Suddenly, several planes took off quickly, heading toward the Cape Mountains.
“What’s our destination?” Echo asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Ryan flying in the same direction.
Ryan looked through his military binoculars at the mountains below and said coldly, “The very center.”
Echo couldn’t help but twitch her lips. She thought they’d be observing from a distance at the Cape, but clearly, she had overlooked the value of the radioactive element.
Ryan was actually going to the heart of this complex land.
As she gazed out at the white clouds outside, she shook her head slightly. There was no escaping now, and complaining wouldn’t help. The only thing she could do was face it, knowing she couldn’t escape the current situation. Echo gradually calmed down, no longer feeling anxious or afraid; any fear that was supposed to come was pointless now.
In the air, the planes scattered and flew off in different directions.
Echo frowned slightly as she looked down at the black earth below. She raised her head to glance around, spotting towering trees nearby that rustled ominously in the wind, the rugged mountains rolling in the distance, and a clear little river flowing by, so clear that she could see the riverbed. Flowers were blooming everywhere; at first glance, it didn’t seem terrifying at all, but rather gave a sense of being in a paradise.
“Echo, don’t just stand there! Come help out,” Bill called out when he noticed she was only observing her surroundings.
Echo turned at the sound of his voice and was taken aback. From what looked like an ordinary plane, the rear cargo door opened, and armed vehicles rolled out. The vehicles looked oddly compact, with tires that resembled tank treads, made entirely of compressed steel. They crushed everything in their path-trees and flowers stood no chance.
Another plane was unloading ammunition, and as Echo watched the massive crates that two people struggled to lift and the weapons being quickly assembled nearby, she couldn’t help but touch her nose. They really were arms dealers; this equipment was outrageous and seemed to be worth a fortune, the kind of high-tech stuff that left her in awe.
Echo walked a few steps over to Bill’s side, and before she could say anything, Bill pointed at the third plane and said, “All the communication equipment is in there. Just use whatever you need to direct things.”
Normally, if Tiger wasn’t around, Bill would be the go-to for communication, but since Echo was there now, he stepped aside. After all, Echo was more capable than he was.
From the corner of her eye, Echo noticed Ryan standing on the highest ridge nearby, hands behind his back, surveying the terrain and environment. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Instead, she got to work. If she wanted to make it back alive, to find out Skye’s whereabouts, and to see Skye again, she had to ensure her own safety first.
The imposing, tank-like vehicles crushed the trees that blocked their view, forming a defensive perimeter around the three planes and vehicles in the center. All the communication equipment was loaded into a mobile command vehicle, and everything was running smoothly but with a bold flair.
“Echo, this is Panther. Do you copy? Do you copy?” Just as the communication equipment was set up, Panther’s voice came through the comms.
“Copy that,” Echo replied casually from the command vehicle.
This was just a test of the communication.
Panther reported his location and the surrounding environment before falling silent. Then Tiger’s voice came through next. Once the three-way communication was established, it wouldn’t be interrupted, especially since Chieftain Adam had warned them about the dangers. Better safe than sorry.
“Are you ready?” Ryan walked over at some point and glanced at Echo and Bill.
Echo nodded without answering, while Bill chimed in, “All the equipment is ready, and the reconnaissance vehicles are on standby.”
Ryan nodded and said, “Let’s get to work.”
“Yes, Boss.” Bill responded, adjusting the communication device in his ear and issuing commands to the tank-like vehicles.
Instantly, six of them set off in different directions. Echo then realized these were specifically designed for detecting rare elements; they were like energy detectors.
With all the preparations finished, Bill walked over to Ryan, holding a piece of radiation-proof clothing. “Boss.”
Ryan glanced at him and said, “Give her one.”
Bill raised an eyebrow at Echo and said, “We don’t have any smaller sizes.”
The chemical team didn’t have any women, and since they knew Echo wasn’t afraid of radiation, they hadn’t rushed to make anything. Now that Ryan had suddenly given the order, Bill realized he didn’t have anything suitable for her.
Ryan frowned at that, and Bill quickly added, “Oh, I’ll find the smallest one we have.” He turned and headed off.
Echo looked up at the blazing sun and then at the ridiculously thick radiation-proof clothing. She lowered her gaze to adjust her communication equipment. Regardless of whether she was afraid of radiation or not, having such clothing for extra protection was a good idea. It might be hot, but her life was more important.
Time passed quickly-one day, then two.
Tiger and Panther reported back with no news, and Ryan hadn’t made any progress either. They searched everywhere within dozens of kilometers, but the tank vehicles couldn’t find any of the radioactive minerals, not even titanium ore.
Ryan frowned as he looked at the images coming through the GPS. The central part of the mountain range definitely had patches of gray-white soil, different from the black earth where they were now.
After a moment of silence, Ryan said in a low voice, “Move forward.”
Bill immediately began directing the team to advance.
Since they had prepared thoroughly, all the equipment and ammunition were mounted on mobile barriers, making it easy to move forward.
On the third day, when Ryan and the team stopped in front of the gray-white soil, the instruments on the tanks suddenly started beeping loudly. Both Ryan and Bill raised their eyebrows slightly at the noise.
Echo, hearing the reports in her earpiece, calmly said to Ryan, “Thorium ore.”
At almost the same moment, messages from both Panther and Tiger came through, confirming they had found thorium deposits as well.
Echo glanced at the distance on the GPS. There were dozens of kilometers between the three groups, yet the deposits were spread out over such a vast area. Ryan was about to strike it rich.
“Boss, the thorium content is at 90%,” Bill said, holding the freshly analyzed report, his face lit up with shock and excitement, unable to hide his amazement.
“Mark off this area,” Ryan said, his eyes cold as he gazed at the gray-white land.
Echo immediately relayed Ryan’s orders.
As the sky began to darken, Ryan said sternly, “Mark the perimeter tonight, leave a guard, and everyone else, we’re pulling out.”
The land had too many radioactive elements, so they couldn’t stay long. Now that they had pinpointed the exact location, it was time for the specialists to take over.