Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 174: The Kadan Island

Kadan Island rises vast and unspoiled from the Andaman Sea, its forested spine stretching long and sinuous beneath the sky. The shoreline is a shifting boundary of pale sand and black stone, where the tides draw delicate, scalloped patterns with every retreat, leaving behind trails of seashells and drift-polished coral. Along the western coast, limestone cliffs emerge from the jungle’s edge... worn by centuries of salt and wind into towering forms, streaked with ochre and mossy green.

The water surrounding the island is a gradient of blues... near the shore, it is transparent turquoise, revealing a garden of coral and sea grass below; farther out, it deepens to sapphire and cobalt, falling away into silent abyss. Shoals of fish dart through the shallows, their scales flashing silver and electric blue. Occasionally, the shadow of a manta ray drifts beneath the surface... slow, fluid, and vanishing as quietly as it came.

Inland, the island is draped in thick rainforest. Towering dipterocarp trees dominate the canopy, their trunks broad and columnar, rising straight toward the light. Vines dangle from their limbs like ropes spun from green silk, while bromeliads nest in branch crooks, blooming vivid reds and yellows. Beneath the high canopy, smaller trees and shrubs compete in the dim, humid undergrowth... a labyrinth of roots, ferns, orchids, and the soft rustle of unseen wings.

Waterfalls descend from the hills in narrow silver ribbons, carving paths through moss-covered rock and feeding crystal-clear pools edged by smooth stone. The sound of falling water is constant but subdued, softened by the dense foliage that cloaks the island from coast to summit. These streams snake down to mangrove-lined estuaries, where the land meets the sea in a tangle of roots, brackish channels, and mirrored reflections.

Birds move through the canopy... hornbills with heavy wings, parrots flashing emerald and scarlet, and tiny sunbirds flitting between blossoms. Butterflies rise from the forest floor in clouds of colour, hovering above sunlit clearings where deer graze among low shrubs.

The terrain undulates, rising into steep ridges and narrow valleys. In the highest parts, the forest opens to rocky viewpoints, where lichen grows on stone and the wind carries the scent of salt. From here, one can see the island’s full shape... the curve of hidden bays, and the endless horizon where ocean and sky blend in perpetual motion.

The air is warm and heavy with moisture, rich with the scent of earth, rain, and flowering plants. At night, bioluminescent plankton gather near the shoreline, glowing faintly in the gentle surge of waves. The sky clears to reveal constellations... reflected, shimmering, on the tide-washed sand.

Hidden deep within the mountainous jungle of Kadan Island, the Karen National Liberation Army, widely known as KNLA, maintains a low-profile base used as a resource hub, for coordination, and limited training. Surrounded by thick rainforest and shielded by steep ridgelines, the base is well-camouflaged, with makeshift structures built from local timber and thatch. A narrow footpath leads in from the coast, passable only on foot or motorbike in dry conditions.

The base currently hosts around 50 to 60 personnel, including both seasoned fighters and new recruits. Supplies are limited, brought in periodically by the sea under the cover of night. Small-scale drills are held in a nearby clearing, but heavy weapons or live-fire training are avoided to minimise detection.

Three elevated lookout posts are stationed in the surrounding hills, built into the tree line with basic communication equipment. Sentinels rotate shifts, maintaining radio contact with the main base and scanning for aerial or maritime activity.

Morale is steady but cautious. The island’s isolation offers protection, but it also makes the base vulnerable to prolonged blockade or surveillance. Communication with mainland KNLA commands is intermittent, maintained via shortwave radio.

Local support from Karen villagers on the southern coast remains quiet but consistent... mostly in the form of food, medicine, and guides familiar with the terrain. No large civilian settlement exists nearby, but scattered clusters of families live along the jungle’s edge... sympathetic and discreet.

Saw Ghay Moo, the commander of the base, is an intelligent man. The war prevented him from continuing formal education, but he has always sought knowledge... reading books, listening to foreign radio broadcasts, and learning on his own. Among KNLA ranks, he is the most proficient in English. For this reason, he was appointed to command the Kadan base.

At present, he was in his room, engrossed in a worn copy of The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer when the satellite radio crackled to life. A small bedside light was lit in the room at this time of night to facilitate his reading.

"Contacting G M. Code Three Five Six Two. Are we clear?"

A buzzing monotone followed.

Ghay Moo immediately closed the book and sprang into action. He pressed a switch on the receiver... the buzz cut out.

"G M speaking. Code Nine Seven Eight Four. All clear."

The reply came swiftly.

repeat,

Three Five. You

clicked the switch again. The

once or twice a month... always under cover of night. No fixed schedule. Each time, KNLA cleared the dock and a designated perimeter. No lights were allowed. These people could operate in the darkest of nights. No one was permitted near the area during

they carried. The crates were hauled into a hidden tunnel beneath the

sneak closer and see what was happening.

the group arrived, the rock slid open, revealing a shadowed passage. The men were ordered to stay away from it at all times. That was the base’s

that tunnel. But KNLA leadership had made it clear that this group was

medicine at the dock. These supplies were later sent to the mainland in

And because of that, Ghay Moo’s camp had been ordered to guard their activities

radio and switched to the common

KNLA soldiers. We have to clear the dock area within thirty minutes. I repeat...

radio. Ghay Moo listened for a while, then set it back on

full uniform. He knew his soldiers were already preparing... even those sleeping would be up and ready within minutes. This drill had

stepped out of his room and found his soldiers standing in formation... three

soldiers ready for operation, sir," reported his Sergeant

Begin the operation," Ghay Moo

perfected over countless rehearsals. He simply followed the soldiers as

corner to ensure no one had lingered. Once confirmed, they moved several boats to the side, clearing a wide berth for the incoming ship. Then they retreated

took up position, weapons at

binoculars to scan the entire perimeter. Each soldier stood still, alert, eyes scanning

dock... a small rise of land that offered

in," he commanded through

"Position One, clear."

"Position Two, clear."

"Position Three, clear."

...

"Position Forty-nine, clear."

came through, the dock area had fallen into complete darkness. Overhead, the sky was clear... no moon, only

came the low hum of

faint vibration across the water, growing steadily louder. Soon, the silhouette of a large ship emerged from the sea’s horizon, creeping silently into

***

the ship, Robert called