One day later, Baghdad, Green Zone, US Military Command Center meeting room.
Heavy multi-layer explosion-proof curtains tightly sealed off the outside heat, while the central air conditioning system emitted a low hum, maintaining the indoor temperature at a cool 22 degrees Celsius.
However, the atmosphere inside the meeting room was far gloomier and oppressive than outside, with a palpable sense of tension looming over everyone.
At one end of the long faux mahogany conference table sat Colonel Kote, the US military commander responsible for the overall security affairs of the Northwest Illinois region.
Seated around the table were several US Army field-grade officers from intelligence, operations, and logistics departments, as well as Carl Hoffman, the senior manager of Thunder Defense Company's operations in Illinois.
Hoffman, once a Marine Corps member, was now a senior regional manager for a defense company, and at this moment his face looked as if it could wring out water.
