The Malaysian Operative

Chapter 1 : The Midnight Operation

Khun Yuam district, Mae Hong Son province, Thailand.

0400 hours.

Most people would have been asleep at times like this.

Deep inside the jungle in a secluded northern part of Thailand, a wooden hut stood, hidden by the trees and bushes. Four men armed with M4 and AK-47 assault rifles were guarding the hut. Two of them were guarding the front while the other two were guarding the back. The surrounding jungle were alive with sounds; a mixture of animals, the travelling winds and the unknown. For those who were not accustomed to it, it could be eerie. However, near the hut, the sound was disrupted by the voices of the two guards in the front who were cracking jokes and talking to each other. Boredom and routines must have dulled their sense of vigilance.

Meanwhile at the back, one of them was talking to on a mobile phone while the other yawned as he leaned against a tree. They sensed no threat and believed their shift would end peacefully just like any other days.

It was dark and the area was surrounded by thick foliage. Only the moonlight and a small gasoline lamp, which was mounted on the door of the hut, helped to illuminate the area. Still it was difficult for anybody to see anything.

Nobody would build a hut deep inside the jungle, far from other people unless they want to use it for purposes they don't want others to know. Inside the hut, two men were tied up to the chairs. One was a Malay,  the other a Chinese. There were swelling and bruises on the face of the Malay. A gunshot wound was also visible on the man's forehead, dried blood stains exposed to flies. His head was facing down and there was no indication that he was still breathing.

Meanwhile, the head of the Chinese man lolled to the side. However, his chest was moving; he was still breathing. He had also been roughed up, evident from his bruised and swollen face. With his eyes closed, he moved his head slowly. His lips were slightly open, showing gritted teeth, as he endured the pain from the torture and the beatings. He groaned.

The four men who stood guard outside the hut did not realize that nearby, four shadowy figures dressed in tactical outfits were silently approaching their position. They were a group of highly trained operatives, armed with automatic weapons, the latest tactical equipments and equipped with communication devices. Using night vision goggles, they encountered no problem in moving stealthily through the jungle to their target. Led by a 30-years old captain named Azeem, his unit members comprised of Harris, an experienced sergeant and the corporals, Andrew and Ramasamy.

"Is everybody in position?" Azeem sought confirmation from the other members of his unit.

Haris replied, "Affirmative, sir."

Azeem added, "Ika?"

He was talking to Zulaikha, a sniper for the unit who was at the moment situated nearly 300 meters from the hut. She positioned herself on the high ground while pointing her M107A1 Barret rifle fitted with a suppressor toward the hut. Hearing Azeem, she replied, " In position Alpha 1. No movement is detected within 50 meters of the location,"

"Roger, Alpha 5,"

To prevail in this kind of mission, one has to be very meticulous and precise in his planning. Before their deployment, the operatives have studied and ran the scenario many times to ensure all grounds were covered. Recon jobs were done earlier to collect intel and information. And as they drew up a plan to rescue the hostages, it was decided that Andrew and Ramasamy would neutralize the two guards at the back, while Azeem and Haris would deal with the other two in front. Zulaikha would provide covering fire in case things go bad.