Chapter 98: New Visit Location

"I really can't believe all of this is true," Henry said, sitting in a small jet, looking out the window at the blue sky and white clouds.

Although this rented small jet was not a luxury aircraft like a Gulfstream, its comfort was still incomparable to that of a traditional propeller plane.

Brian sat comfortably in his seat and said, "You should be grateful that the airport at our destination has a qualified concrete runway. Otherwise, we would have to take a traditional propeller plane, and the bumpiness alone would make you feel like you're on a roller coaster."

Henry looked speechlessly at Brian Mills, the head of the security team, and said, "Do you think I'm a child who screams with excitement just because I'm on a plane?"

"What I find incredible is that the personnel of the United Nations Children's Fund act like puppets on strings controlled by the current President of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre."

"They said the itinerary couldn't be changed, and indeed it wasn't; they just obediently went. They even went with a platoon of peacekeeping troops. If you ask me, the symbolic meaning of doing this outweighs their actual combat capability."

"I certainly don't mean that the peacekeeping personnel are all trash. It's just that there are too few of them; if real trouble arises, they won't be of much use. At best, they can only protect the UN personnel while they flee."

"And that President seems to hope we will descend like divine soldiers to sweep away the unrest across Somalia for him. He might as well hold up a copy of the Quran and go around preaching."

The unspoken words in Henry's mind were: Perhaps the reason Somalia is so chaotic is precisely because this team visiting children's facilities has become the biggest troublemaker.

There were eight people on the plane in total: Ms. Audrey He Ben, Henry the little assistant, the four security team members he had met at the insurance brokerage firm, and a female flight attendant. The pilot was in the cockpit.

Precisely because the personnel were so streamlined, Brian rented a small jet. The United Nations paid the bill. The destination airport had already been contacted, rental cars arranged, and local officials and guides were waiting.

A moment later, Henry asked again, "I just can't figure out who decided where we are going?"

Watching this young man play the role of a timid and cowardly character, Audrey almost believed he was truly that afraid, if she didn't already know this young man possessed the talent of bulletproofing.

However, Audrey did not expose him; instead, she explained patiently, "Everyone made the decision together. Because everyone believes that the southern part of Somalia we are going to is the farthest from the unrest in the north."

Such a nonsensical reason almost made Henry laugh in anger. But then he thought about it and felt that it was not surprising at all for those with decision-making power to make such a choice.

Strictly speaking, this world has not yet undergone the baptism of the 'Arab Spring'. They simply believed that if the source of chaos was contained and prevented from growing, the problem could be solved, and that American soldiers were invincible everywhere.

The problem is that when the entire society of Somalia is permeated with the same atmosphere, unrest in one location is very likely to trigger a domino effect, causing similar unrest to erupt everywhere.

In that case, the condition of 'farthest from the unrest location' is not a guarantee of safety considerations. But no one realized this point; even stubbornly refusing to believe it, they simply trusted that American soldiers were truly invincible everywhere.

Henry's role had no decision-making power, not even the right to make suggestions. He could only privately advise Ms. Audrey He Ben, or mutter a few words under his breath.

But as long as the lady disagreed, and before there was any other evidence, Henry, as an employee, could naturally only act according to the employer's wishes.

Quickly, the plane's altitude began to decrease. Passing through a layer of white clouds, the view outside the window returned to the African grasslands.

This area is an extension of the Kenyan savanna, so looking down from the plane, one could see large herds of wild animals living on the land. Henry's super vision allowed him to see that it was a herd of zebras.

He couldn't help but sigh, "Is there really a destination we are visiting in a place like this?"

Brian explained, "Our target is a small settlement about half a day's drive from the airport. There is a child protection agency there assisted by the United Nations Children's Fund."

Old Bernie added, "Nominally, it is to care for the local orphaned children nearby, but in reality, no one knows how the funds are used or what tricks are hidden inside."

The content was somewhat cynical, so he received a dirty look from Brian. Ms. He Ben did not particularly like hearing such remarks.

So Old Bernie said again, "However, this child protection agency is still quite presentable, which is why it was included in the scheduled visit list and ultimately became a backup location."

Amidst everyone's casual chat, the small jet landed smoothly. The Italian old pilot demonstrated excellent flight operation skills, causing no discomfort to the passengers throughout the process.

Because it was a small airport, although there were management personnel, it was open on all sides. Animals were occasionally seen crossing the runway.

The apron was in front of the hangar, requiring the pilot to move the plane there himself. After communicating with the tower personnel, the Italian pilot parked the plane in its designated spot. Meanwhile, two unattended Range Rovers were parked nearby.

Brian and the other three got off the plane first, forming a semi-circle in front of the cabin door, keeping watch on the surroundings. Henry got off immediately after but did not move far away; instead, he supported Ms. He Ben as she disembarked.

Seeing the Range Rover nearby, Henry asked, "Is this our transportation?"

Sam and Mark went forward to inspect one vehicle each, while Brian said, "I did some preliminary investigation. The place we are going lacks even slightly qualified roads; most of the journey must be made across the grasslands."

"Driving in such a place, an off-road vehicle is the best choice. But the comfort is like being chewed by a dog; there's no room for luxury. If you want to combine comfort, then these Sports Utility Vehicles are the answer."

Sports Utility Vehicle, abbreviated as SUV. The Jeep Cherokee and Range Rover are considered the pioneers.

And on this land of Africa, expecting to find the latest SUVs like the Ford Explorer is purely asking too much. For Brian to get two Range Rovers was already a display of extensive connections; one could not ask for more.

Henry guessed this might be the resources of the CIA behind the scenes. However, since this was taking advantage of someone else, there was no need to point it out.

Brian also asked Audrey, "Lady, you will have to endure riding in this car for the next two days."

"It won't be an endurance. I have ridden in off-road vehicles before; compared to an off-road vehicle, the Range Rover is much more friendly."

(End of Chapter)