NIGERIA DE GREAT

3: Into

humidity, the dense foliage alive with the sounds of chirping insects, rustling leaves, and distant animal calls. Captain Ibrahim Olaye

loited its wealth. The gold mine deep within this jungle was the heart of the cartel's operations, but it was also the reason the governm

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urney

n their minds. Their rescue of the abducted children had won the squad the villagers' trust, b

e behind Ibrahim, muttering under his breath. "I signed up to hack sy

d you rather be sitting in an air-conditioned office, p

I'm stuck here, I'll do my best not to get sh

sive heat and the endless march. Even Private Musa Dan

y territory, and every rustle of leaves or snap of a branch set their nerves on edg

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ngle's

th sprawling roots blocked their path, forcing them to find alternate routes. Streams and muddy patches

re about three days out from the mine," he said, spreading a map on the ground. "The terrain gets r

then at Ibrahim. "And if

ly and quietly," Ibrahim

eerily silent, the darkness broken only by the faint glow of the campfire. Musa's thoughts dr

ing about it

sitting nearby, her e

o," he admitted.

something, Musa. But you

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Enco

a small outpost hidden among the trees, manned by four cartel guards. Ibra

they couldn't call for backup. Ada and Musa provided co

st two guards with precise shots, while Musa took out a third. T

radio equipment. Bayo worked quickly to decrypt the cartel's

ine," he reported. "And it looks like they'

. "We'll have t

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al Str

n to show. The jungle's heat was relentless, and their supplies were dwindli

napped. "We're going to burn ou

ury of taking it slow. Every second we

ng between them. "We stick to the plan

hed Bayo. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "This

t it. We've all got our demons, man. Let's j

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tel's R

e latest intelligence. The reports of a highly trained military squad moving

ong the main routes to the mine. He also sent a small t

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sh in t

rning of the third day. As they crossed a narrow path, a

him shouted, d

quad returned fire, using the dense vegetation for cover. Bayo scrambled to jam

discipline gave them the upper hand. One by one, the car

e scene. "They're onto us," he said gr

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inal

n paths and relying on Bayo's drone to scout ahead. They encountered more traps

ght before them was both awe-inspiring and chilling: a sprawling operation with armed guards

htening. "This is it," he said. "We bring t

ir assault, the weight of the mission-and the liv