Chapter 2109 - 859: Gang Beating~_2

But they're all carrying guns.

Hidden in vegetable baskets, wrapped within the baby's swaddling clothes, concealed in empty coffins.

The Squid 84th Infantry Brigade's positions are set up on the dunes two kilometers north of the refugee camp. Brigade Commander Ehud Barak stood in the command vehicle, his brow furrowed as he stared at the dense clusters of blips on the radar screen.

"Brigade Commander, there are too many refugees."

The staff pointed at the screen.

"At least twenty thousand, moving towards us. They—they might be civilians."

Barak was silent for three seconds.

"Make them stop. Fire warning shots."

Two minutes later, Squid soldiers fired shots into the sky.

The refugee crowd paused and then continued moving forward.

They moved quicker.

Barak's face changed.

"Fire. Shoot in front of the crowd."

Machine guns raked the ground, bullets landing dozens of meters in front of the refugee crowd, kicking up a line of sand.

Yet those people didn't stop.

They started to run.

A man in his forties, with a face full of stubble, wearing a worn-out Arab robe, ran at the forefront. His right hand reached into his robe, pulled out an AK-47, and sprayed a volley at the Squid positions.

Three Squid soldiers fell.

Then he was shredded by machine gun fire.

But the people behind him kept running.

One hundred, one thousand, three thousand—

They surged into the Squid positions, closed in, engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Gunstocks smashed into helmets, bayonets stabbed into stomachs, hand grenades exploded within the crowd, and the airborne were not just soldiers, but also those HMS warriors mixed within the crowd.

The position descended into chaotic fighting.

Barak burst out of the command vehicle, raising his gun, seeing a young soldier pinned to the ground by three men, a knife about to plunge in. He fired, killing two, as the third ran away. The soldier got up, blood covering his face, still shouting towards him:

"Brigade Commander! There are too many!"

Barak said nothing.

He watched those surging, unending human silhouettes and for the first time felt—fear.

7 AM Egyptian Ministry of Defense, Cairo

Foad II stood before the giant sand table. (Not too close to reality, even though in reality he's already... cough cough.)

The sand table, Sinai Peninsula filled with Squid men's blue flags. Twenty kilometers, fifteen kilometers, ten kilometers—they're advancing towards the Suez Canal.

The Minister of Defense stood beside him.

"Your Majesty, the Third Army's armored brigade is assembled in Arish. The 4th Division is moving towards Kantara. The air force has forty-eight aircraft ready for deployment. But—"

He paused.

"The Squid air raids are too intense. Four of our radar stations have been bombed, command and communication systems severely damaged. If we dispatch troops now, it's likely—"

Foad II raised his hand, interrupting him.

He turned, looking at the man standing in the corner.

Mexican Ambassador to Cairo, Fernando Solozano.

"Mr. Ambassador, how long before your fleet arrives?"

Solozano glanced at his watch.

"Thirty-seven hours."

Foad II nodded.

He turned to the Minister of Defense.

"Inform the Third Army, deploy forces."

The Minister of Defense was stunned.

"Your Majesty, that equates to full-scale war with the Squid—"

"What if it's full-scale war?" Foad II interrupted him, his voice suddenly rising, "They bombed our radar stations, killed our soldiers, now they're at our doorstep—do you still want me to endure this?"

He walked to the window.

Outside, Cairo's sky was blue, the sunlight was good. In the distance, the outline of the Pyramids faintly visible in the morning light.

"Notify all troops." He turned around, "From now on, Egypt is at war with the Squid."

8 AM Squid Defense Army Headquarters, Tel Aviv

In the underground command hall, over two hundred screens flickered simultaneously.

Moses stood before the control panel, his face grim.

Reports kept coming in—

Golan Heights, 7th Armored Brigade suffering more than half casualties, Syrians still pushing forward.

Gaza Strip, the 84th Infantry Brigade ambushed by HMS, position lost. Sinai Peninsula, Egypt's Third Army has crossed the border, advancing towards Kantara.

Lebanon Border, Hezbollah suddenly launched an attack, at least two battalions crossing the Blue Line.

He turned to the man sitting in the corner.

Minister of Defense.

"We're surrounded."

The Minister of Defense didn't speak.

He looked at the red dots on the screen—north, east, south, all red dots. Only to the west, the Mediterranean direction, was blue.

But in that direction, the Mexican fleet is coming.

"Moses," he spoke, his voice hoarse, "Call the Prime Minister. Tell him—we need reinforcements."

Moses was stunned.

"Reinforcements? From where?"

The Minister of Defense looked at him.

"The United States."

8:15 AM Washington White House Oval Office

The President sat behind the desk, staring at the red phone atop the desk.

It had rung three times.

He hadn't answered.

The Chief of Staff stood at the door, holding a telegram just delivered.

"Mr. President, Squid Prime Minister called for the third time. He said—"

"He said what?"

The Chief of Staff swallowed.

"He said if the United States doesn't send troops, the Squid is finished."

The President was silent for three seconds.

Then he laughed.

Laughed softly, bitterly.

"Tell them, the United States will not send troops."

The Chief of Staff was stunned.

"Mr. President—"

"Listen to me."

The President stood up, walked to the window.

Outside, Washington's sky was gray and overcast, the cherry blossoms had yet to bloom.

"The House of Representatives will vote on impeachment next week. In the Senate, Republicans want to devour me. The generals at The Pentagon say our forces are bogged down in Central America and Europe. Those people on Capitol Hill say the United States can't fight another war."