Joe Ga's plane didn't land at Baghdad Airport, but at an air force base just outside the city of Baghdad.
The moment Joe Ga got off the plane, he saw Eric and Chris waiting at the far end of the runway.
When the plane shut down its engines, Joe Ga unexpectedly found Old Bull with Tony and a bunch of P·B's black cooks, driving over in a vehicle from inside the airport.
Seeing Old Bull get out of the car and walk over, Joe Ga frowned and said, "What are you doing here? Didn't Eric arrange accommodations for you?"
After hearing this, Old Bull shrugged his shoulders and said, "Boss, this is our station.
This used to be an American air force base, then it was handed over to the Iraqi Government, who sold off almost everything here over the past few years, and then it was left vacant.
Just last night, the guy in charge here asked me if I wanted the Super Albatross, saying it would take $500,000 to haul it over from the Iraqi Air Force Base."
Upon hearing this, Joe Ga asked in surprise, "Why haul it and not fly it here? What good is a grounded Super Albatross?"
Old Bull shrugged again and said, "Word is, the American ground service company in charge of maintenance put an electronic lock on the Big Beak Bird. It was a gift from the Americans to the Iraqi Government. I guess they're not happy to see it being sold off like that."
Joe Ga was somewhat bewildered by Old Bull's news, knowing that Iraq was in bad shape, but not to this extent.
However, the more chaotic Iraq was, the better for his plan...
Putting things in order was Joe Ga's forte!
Uniting most people and getting rid of a few misfits could help most find empathy and common interests.
As the crew opened the plane's cargo hold, Joe Ga patted Old Bull on the arm and asked, "Why hasn't Solon come?"
Old Bull's expression turned slightly strange as he replied, "The old squad leader feels he didn't handle Rabbit Squad's situation well and is somewhat upset about it.
He took Bahrain and others for a spin in Baghdad, and they should be back soon."
As he spoke, Old Bull glanced at Eric and Chris approaching and whispered to Joe Ga, "Boss, we felt something was off about Baghdad's atmosphere when we arrived. You need to be careful."
Joe Ga nodded slightly at this, then gestured to the special forces team disembarking the plane, "Grab your gear, and maintain a state of tactical readiness from now on!"
Sanderson of Team B took a deep breath as soon as he disembarked and, looking at a distant building, said with a smile, "I've been here before. Didn't expect to see such big changes after a few years."
Turning around, Sanderson looked at "Tailor" Waters and chuckled, "Remember the beating we gave here? The Iraqi brigadier general, haha..."
Waters waved it off and said, "Stop talking about that. If it weren't for Blackwater taking the fall for all those incidents, we'd have been out of work long ago."
Pointing at a low-rise building in the distance, Waters said to Joe Ga, "Boss, we should stay in that building. It has the best location and is the most reliable in terms of construction quality."
Joe Ga readily nodded and said, "Then that's the spot. Everyone, get to it. Team B and..."
As he spoke, Joe Ga scanned the multitude of special forces teams, finally addressing Signal Flag Squad, who had performed most impressively in the selection, "You're Team J. Come up with a call sign for your squad and be ready to move out with me later.
You all right with that?"
'Crow' surveyed the surroundings with his heavy eyes and gave a slight nod, "No problem, we're getting ready.
We're Team J, yeah, JAZZ. Let's go with Jazz Squad.
Boss, 'Jackal' was my comrade-in-arms. He told me a lot about you. I'm glad there are people like you in this world.
I guarantee, the men of Jazz Squad are absolutely reliable!"
Joe Ga was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, "I am willing to trust you. I've read your records, and soldiers willing to go through fire and water for their comrades are who I trust!"
Pointing at the members of Team B already donning their gear, he said with a smile, "You guys go too. I expect to meet quite a few people in the next few days. Help me make an impression."
After speaking, Joe Ga straightened his collar and went over to hug Chris and Eric one by one before saying, "I've heard nothing but bad news these last two days. Give me some good news..."
Eric and Chris, crestfallen like quails, exchanged glances, then shook their heads resignedly, "This place belongs to P·B now. Does that count as good news?"
Joe Ga glanced over the vast expanse of the air force base and shook his head, "If you could help me fill the base's hangars, that would be good news. If not..."
Eric spread his hands and said, "If you can bring in a few fearless pilots, I can get several F-16s from the Iraqi hangar.
But those planes have been grounded for many years, and it'll be a hassle getting them airworthy again."
Joe Ga paused for a moment. There was a time when F-16s were the hallmark of the world's top air forces, a common sight in movies.
This model, since the '80s, has been through every war America fought and has yet to be phased out.
Honestly, Joe Ga's heart skipped a beat when he heard 'F-16', but he quickly dismissed the ludicrous idea of claiming them for himself.