Free Web NovelBaghdad International Airport, Iraq.
Once, it had been called Hussein International Airport, named after the dictator.
After the United States occupied Baghdad and U.S. forces took control of the airport, Hussein’s name was stripped away and replaced with the name of the city.
After leaving the Blue House, I departed for Iraq the very next day.
Unfortunately, there was still no word from the United States.
They must have seen the footage by now, and they would have watched the videos of their own citizens too...
While I was trying to organize my tangled thoughts, the private jet touched down on the runway.
The moment I stepped off the aircraft, I took a deep breath.
It was a kind of ritual I performed every time I arrived in a new country.
“Every time I come to this region, it feels suffocating. It’s like the air tastes different.”
“I’ve never really thought about it that way. But now that you mention it, Boss, it does seem like that.”
Shielding himself from the scorching Middle Eastern sunlight, Manager Ma responded to my comment.
This was my first time entering Iraq.
It was fascinating how the air and atmosphere felt different from Afghanistan.
“Welcome!”
As I glanced around, a {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} man who made eye contact with me snapped to attention and saluted loudly.
“Yuri Zhirkov, sir.”
I extended my hand toward the man standing rigidly at attention.
“Nice to meet you. You’re currently the head of Black Bear’s Iraq branch, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
Yuri’s stiff tone made his nervousness obvious.
“I’ll just call you Yuri.”
“It’s an honor, Boss.”
Yuri carefully clasped the hand I offered.
“I heard you used to serve under Igor.”
“Yes. I’ve followed him ever since our days in the Russian military.”
“Sounds like you’ve known each other a long time. Let’s talk while we move.”
Turning my gaze toward the runway, I saw the vehicles prepared for us.
There were several Humvees with mounted machine guns on their roofs.
“You even prepared armed vehicles. Is Baghdad that dangerous?”
“It’s relatively safer than most places in Iraq, but the threat of terrorism exists everywhere. Safety comes first—always. Above all, headquarters instructed us to prioritize your safety, Boss.”
Hearing Yuri’s answer, the reality of standing in the middle of a war zone finally sank in.
Afghanistan hadn’t felt quite like this.
“This is your vehicle.”
Fortunately, the car prepared for me wasn’t a Humvee. The one Yuri led me to was a Mercedes G-Wagon.
The G-Wagon had originally been produced as a military vehicle during World War II.
It continued to be manufactured for military use for years, before being renamed the G-Class in the 1980s and sold commercially.
Its reputation for durability—especially the military versions—was well known worldwide, and it was particularly popular among Middle Eastern royalty and the wealthy, where terrorism and assassination attempts were common.
It was so sturdy that even North Korea used G-Wagons as command vehicles, despite their high cost.
“A G-Wagon... Guess it really is dangerous here.”
They’d gone so far as to choose a vehicle that prioritized safety over comfort.
It was clear Black Bear had put serious thought into my coming to Iraq personally.
“Still, among the vehicles we have, this one offers the best ride quality. We do have sedans, but considering your safety, Boss, we chose this.”
Yuri seemed to think I was dissatisfied and hurriedly explained himself.
Maybe it was because he’d spent so long as a soldier—he was rather straightforward.
“How did you know I like SUVs enough to prepare this? Thanks for being considerate, Yuri.”
At the light praise, Yuri’s face immediately brightened.
Judging by how clearly his emotions showed, he wasn’t very good at hiding his thoughts.
“I’m relieved. I was worried you might not like it.”
“Haha, you don’t have to be so formal. No matter what anyone says, you’re the commander here. I want to respect and prioritize the judgment of the man on the ground.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my utmost to serve you!”
Black Bear’s mercenaries had a much stronger sense of loyalty to the company than other PMCs.
With not only high pay but also compensation on an entirely different level if they were injured or killed in action, it was only natural.
I glanced sideways at Yuri.
People say you can’t buy loyalty with money—but if that’s the case, you just pay enough until they’re loyal.
Mercenaries are people who’ve already put their lives on the line to do dangerous work.
The better you treat them, the more keenly they understand the value of their own lives—and the more faithfully they carry out orders.
“It should be safe to board now.”
“Everything looks fine, Manager Ma?”
“Yes, Boss. It’s reinforced enough that most firearms wouldn’t even scratch it. I’ll drive.”
Manager Ma opened the driver’s door as he spoke.
Knowing how much he disliked leaving the wheel to others, I didn’t argue and nodded readily.
“Yuri, ride with me.”
Taking it as an order, Yuri opened the rear door for me. He only opened it, though—he didn’t sit beside me.
Once inside, the luxurious interior—far beyond that of standard commercial vehicles—greeted me. fгeewebnovёl.com
Letting out a small gasp of admiration, I asked Yuri, who had taken the passenger seat,
“The interior’s impressive. Custom-made?”
“Yes. It was one of the vehicles Hussein favored.”
A completely unexpected name came out of Yuri’s mouth.
My eyes widened involuntarily as I looked around the interior again.
“Hussein’s car? How did Black Bear manage to get this?”
“In Baghdad, there’s nothing money can’t buy right now.”
Yuri’s answer carried layers of meaning.
If money could buy anything, it meant corruption ran deep.
“That’s good news for us.”
At that moment, Manager Ma checked that everyone was seated and spoke to me.
“Boss, we’re ready to depart.”
“Just follow the vehicle ahead.”
Yuri instructed Manager Ma. With a nod, Manager Ma slowly started the car.
“Yuri. Have you identified the group that carried out the initial kidnapping?”
At my question, Yuri turned his upper body toward the back seat and replied.
“Yes. Fortunately, there was a record of them contacting a Korean company, so we were able to identify them.”
He was efficient—no doubt about it.
Pleased by how quickly he’d tracked them down, I smiled.
“Who are they?”
“An armed robbery gang made up of former Iraqi soldiers. Money seems to have been their motive.”
“Did you capture them?”
“Not all of them. We caught two who were in Baghdad. They’re currently being held at our base.”
Identifying the kidnappers—and even securing custody of some of those who first abducted Kim Mugil.
My smile deepened.
“That’s good.”
It had been like searching for a needle in the desert, but thanks to Yuri’s swift action, we’d secured at least a small thread to follow.
“Have you interrogated them?”
“Not yet. It’s only been a few hours since we secured them. We did confirm that one of the locals who was helping protect and transport the hostages passed information to them. That Iraqi is currently wanted.”
I’d wondered why the hostages had been taken so easily, with barely any resistance.
Looks like there had been an inside accomplice.
“Do you think you can catch him?”
“He’s gone to ground since the kidnapping, but now that he’s wanted, if he’s still in Iraq, we’ll be able to catch him.”
The convoy exited the airport and soon entered the city of Baghdad.
The stench of war still clung heavily to the city.
“Reconstruction doesn’t seem to have progressed much yet.”
“Yes. I’ve heard it’s supposed to begin soon.”
When the war began, massive missile strikes rained down on Baghdad.
No matter how precise the strikes on military facilities were claimed to be, the damage inevitably spread across the entire city.
Whether from debris, misfires, or deliberate targeting.
As a result, Baghdad was now littered with buildings reduced to rubble by bombardment.
It was a grotesque sight.
The U.S. military had quickly repaired roads and the airport, but buildings still lacked any real solution.
As I took in the scenery outside, I asked Yuri questions, and he answered each one sincerely.
After driving for some time, the convoy finally stopped at Black Bear’s Iraq branch.
Unlike the countless ruined buildings scattered throughout Baghdad, the branch building visible through the window was completely intact.
On top of that, barricades and various weapons were installed around it, preventing any intruders from approaching within a one-kilometer radius.
“Security here is the best in Baghdad—no, in all of Iraq. No one can attack this place. Not even the U.S. military.”
Yuri said proudly as we got out of the car.
Seeing a mercenary who worked with genuine affection for Black Bear put me in a slightly better mood.
I smiled faintly and gave Yuri a light pat on the shoulder as I asked,
“Seems like it. So you spend most of your time here?”
“Yes. Unless something special comes up, I oversee all operations from here. Coordination with the U.S. military as well...”
Yuri went on at length explaining his duties.
The people working at the Iraq branch must have it pretty rough. Maybe it’s time for a raise.
“Let’s go see those guys first. I need to talk to them. Do you have someone who can interpret?”
I could speak Arabic, but not fluently.
I could understand the basics, but local slang and figurative expressions were harder to grasp.
“Yes. He’s standing by.”
With confidence, Yuri led Manager Ma and me down to the basement.
In front of a thick steel door, two mercenaries stood guard with rifles.
“You stay here. You, come with us.”
Yuri opened the tightly sealed steel door. Inside was complete darkness, not a single light.
The man assigned as interpreter flipped a switch, and the lights came on.
As the room lit up, two men wearing black hoods were revealed, tied to chairs.
“Manager Ma, bring me a chair.”
When I stepped forward, Manager Ma smoothly brought a chair and placed it behind me.
“Remove their hoods.”
I gave the order as I sat down. Yuri and the interpreter pulled off the hoods.
Their eyes were squeezed shut, likely stinging from the sudden light after darkness.
After a moment, they began blinking as they adjusted.
Watching them, I finally spoke.
“I’m going to start asking questions now.”
The interpreter relayed my words, and I continued.
“If you refuse to answer my questions, or if you lie, forget about leaving here alive. But if you tell me the truth—everything you know—I’ll let you live.”
With gags stuffed in their mouths, the men made muffled sounds, trying to say something.
“Remove the gags too.”
Once the gags were removed, one of them glared at me and spoke.
“How can we trust what you say?”
“If you don’t, do you have another option?”
“......”
“It’s not a difficult request. Even children can do this. I ask questions, you answer. Simple, right? I’m giving you a chance.”
The two men turned their heads and looked at each other.
Guessing what that gesture meant, I deliberately let out a laugh.
“Haha, that’s optimistic. You’re not thinking I’ll let both of you walk out alive, are you? Only the one who tells the truth first will leave here safely.”
Unlike my smiling face, the kidnappers’ faces drained of color in an instant.
Ignoring them, I asked the question I was most curious about.
“Why did you hand the hostages over to Monotheism and Jihad?”
“......”
Neither of them answered.
They never listen unless it’s done the hard way.
“Manager Ma. Break one finger on each of them.”
The order was given in Korean, so the two men didn’t seem to understand.
Manager Ma stepped forward and snapped the index finger of the man tied on the left.
In an instant, the finger bent at an unnatural angle.
Crack—the sound of bone breaking echoed, and a moment later the man screamed in agony.
“Aaaargh!!”
The scream slammed into the windowless walls and reverberated through the basement.
At the sound, the man on the right began rolling his eyes frantically.
As Manager Ma approached, the man began sweating profusely, his lips trembling.
“W-wait a second...”
Manager Ma didn’t stop and immediately snapped the right man’s index finger as well.
The finger bent back toward the back of his hand, dangling uselessly, and he too screamed and thrashed violently.
But the chair, firmly bolted to the floor, didn’t budge an inch.
“From now on, if you don’t answer my questions immediately, I’ll break one finger at a time. And if fingers aren’t enough, I’ll break other things too. If you don’t want to end up crippled, you’d better answer smartly.”
They couldn’t even speak—only tears streamed down their faces.
“I’ll ask again. Why did you hand the hostages over to Monotheism and Jihad? Your goal was money, wasn’t it? Or were you planning from the start to get paid and hand them over anyway?”
It was possible they’d planned to collect ransom and sell the hostages off afterward.
At my question, the two men only groaned, still refusing to answer.
I shrugged and looked toward Manager Ma. Reading my gaze, the man on the left panicked and blurted out,
“Ransom! We planned to take the ransom and hand them over to Monotheism and Jihad!”
At the same time he answered, the middle finger of the man on the right was snapped.
Hearing the scream right beside him, the man’s words came out even faster.
“M-Monotheism and Jihad paid us too! From the beginning, the plan was for us to kidnap them and hand them over. We just thought it’d be a waste to give them up immediately, so we demanded ransom first...”
That answer wasn’t quite satisfying. As I raised one eyebrow, Manager Ma stepped toward the man who was talking.
“I’ll tell you everything! Everything! Please, just stop!”
Such a reaction over a single finger.
They kept invoking Allah, but in the end, they were just human after all.
