No one knew how long had passed before Song Heping finally finished collecting and reviewing the intel. He put away the tablet, rubbed his eyes, then looked out the porthole.
In the distance, a faint, rhythmically blinking infrared beacon appeared on the Horizon—that was the landing zone guidance Signal Jiang Feng had set up.
The "Pathfinder Eagle" began to drop altitude, the engine's roar growing deeper.
The helicopter weaved nimbly through the hills, using the terrain for cover.
Song Heping could clearly feel the extra G-force and turbulence.
Two minutes later, the helicopter made a neat sideslip and settled down steadily on a flat patch of sand in Hulmatu City.
The rotor gradually came to a stop, the deafening noise quickly fading into the sound of the wind.
The cabin door slid open, and a rush of dry, cool desert night air poured in.
Song Heping unbuckled his harness, grabbed his pack, nodded to the crew, then jumped out of the helicopter.
