As the helicopter's engine roared, the guerrilla camp in the mountain pass quickly receded into the distance, soon vanishing into a sea of dark green forest.
"We did it! We really did it!" Rodin shouted excitedly, "We’re famous now! Look at those damn guys, we turned them into pulp. Haha..."
Inside the cabin, Keith was leaning in close to Jensen, loudly discussing how they would spend their earnings from this operation. Mark, with one hand over his ear and the other holding a satellite phone, sat near the cabin door, speaking proudly about something. Du Preez, as usual, passed the time by sharpening his knife, but his typically cold, poker-faced expression now had a hint of joy.
Peter Bowman, disheveled and tearful, was overwhelmed with emotion, repeatedly trying to embrace his rescuers. But the others seemed to be bothered by his odor, politely shaking hands with him instead, creating a slightly comical scene.
Deng Shiyang remained quiet. He removed the magazine from his weapon, cycled the bolt to clear the chamber, then stretched out his legs while sitting at the cabin door, letting the wind blow against his face. As the tension lifted, a drowsy fatigue crept over him. He picked up the bullet that had ejected from the chamber and held it in his hand, using his thumb to press against the tip to fight off the sleepiness, quietly gazing at the gray sky.
Seeing this, Keith approached and patted his shoulder, leaning in to ask, "What's wrong? You don't seem very happy."
Deng Shiyang glanced at him and replied loudly, "It's nothing, just feeling a little tired."
"The mission was a success, and none of us got hurt. You did great."
"Thank you."
"Don't get me wrong, I’m not just flattering you."
Deng Shiyang gave a faint smile and replied, "I know."
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Keith grinned and patted him twice on the shoulder before returning to continue his conversation with Jensen.
Deng Shiyang took a deep breath, then tossed the bullet out of the helicopter. The yellow cartridge traced an arc through the air before disappearing into the rolling green hills below.
The Bell 205 carrying them did not return to Camiri but instead flew north under escort from two armed helicopters. About half an hour later, they landed at Viru Viru Airport in Santa Cruz.
The tarmac was crowded with people, and a nearby ambulance was on standby. Even before they disembarked, a doctor in a white coat, accompanied by two paramedics carrying a stretcher, rushed over. Behind them followed Manlinson, Harrowby, and a group of men in suits.
The paramedics, braving the strong downdraft from the rotor blades, lifted Peter Bowman onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. With sirens wailing, the ambulance, escorted by two black Chevrolet SUVs, left the airport. Manlinson said a few polite words, then got into a Mercedes S500 parked nearby, following the convoy out of the airport gate.
As the crowd dispersed, Harrowby jogged over and led the group into a hangar beside the tarmac. Near the entrance was a dark green Cherokee SUV with its rear hatch open, filled with travel bags.
"These are your belongings. Get changed quickly, and hand your weapons over to my men for disposal," Harrowby said as he waved to two locals standing next to the vehicle. The two men approached to collect the weapons handed over by the team.
It didn't take long for everyone to change into civilian clothes and wipe off the face paint. Harrowby then took a stack of brown paper envelopes with names written on them from his briefcase and handed them out, saying, "The remaining payment has been deposited into your bank accounts. Here are your passports; the visas have been arranged. I've prepared a plane to take you to Buenos Aires, where you'll disband." He pointed inside the hangar as he finished speaking.
Following his gesture, they saw a Learjet 35 business jet parked there, painted white with maroon stripes.
This mission had dealt a severe blow to the guerrillas, humiliating them and inflicting heavy losses. The ELN would undoubtedly seek revenge afterward, and as the participants in the raid, they were sure to be targeted. Harrowby had arranged the private jet to get them out of the country as quickly as possible.
After brief goodbyes, the six men boarded the plane with their luggage. About twenty minutes later, the Learjet 35 took off from the airport runway, carrying them south toward Argentina.
### Annotations:
- **Learjet 35:** A small jet business aircraft manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, Canada.