“Understood, sir.”

  The colonel regarded him for a moment. “When’s the last time you saw your family?”

  “Three years, sir.”

  “And your men?”

  “I never met them before today, but similar, I’m sure.”

  “Very well. I’ll arrange to have all your families meet you before you go out on assignment again. Just for a few minutes, mind you. Your mission is far more important than a family reunion.”

  Choe beamed a smile at the colonel and his unexpected kindness. “Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much that means to me, and to my men, I’m sure.”

  The colonel smirked. “Don’t let it get around that I’m a nice guy. It could affect my reputation.”

  Choe laughed. “As far as anyone’s concerned including myself, I’m still terrified of you.”

  The colonel tapped Choe’s chest. “As you should be.”

  35 |

  South of Yung-ni North Korean Coast

  Dawson’s visor cleared the water but he remained submerged. He slowly scanned from left to right, confirming what Control had already said. They were clear. Two different satellites were providing coverage and drones had been deployed from the submarine used to insert them just offshore. He pushed to his feet, exposing himself to anyone who might be monitoring the shore, but no one opened fire, no one shouted a warning.

  And Control remained silent in his ear.

  He advanced forward as the others emerged from the water behind him. He rushed across the rocky beach toward the tree line then quickly stripped out of his wet gear as the other five handpicked for the mission joined him. Red and the other half of the team remained on board the sub in case they needed to be inserted later, but if they were, it meant something had gone horribly wrong.

  He checked his gear and weapons as the others hid their wet gear, then activated his comms. “Control, Bravo Zero-One. We’re secure at point Alpha, proceeding to point Bravo, over.”

  “Copy that, Zero-One. Still no indication they’ve detected you, over.”

  “Copy that, Control. Zero-One, out.” He turned to the others. “Let’s get a wiggle on, ladies. I want to be out of here as soon as possible with only the holes I arrived here with.”

  Niner grinned. “Don’t you worry, BD. When we’re back on the sub, I’ll check everyone over to make sure your loved ones aren’t in for any surprises.”

  Atlas groaned as they pushed through the trees. “The sad thing is that I don’t think he’s joking.”

  “Don’t you worry, big guy. I’ll check you over twice just so you don’t get jealous.”

  Atlas shoved Niner into a tree, resulting in snickers.

  Dawson hissed at them. “Pipe down! The forest could have ears.”

  Everyone zipped their mouth shut and they continued forward, Dawson’s tactical computer guiding them to point Bravo where they had been assured their special equipment was waiting undiscovered by the North Koreans. In less than ten minutes, they were at the small clearing.

  “There!” said Atlas, pointing at the trees ahead where several parachute canopies were caught in the branches. In plain sight. The only reason the computer-guided drop hadn’t been discovered was that nobody apparently patrolled this area.

  Dawson indicated for Atlas, Niner, Jagger, and Spock to establish a perimeter while he and Jimmy pulled down the chutes.

  “Control, Zero-One, we’re at point Bravo. Confirm area is secure, over.”

  “Affirmative, Zero-One. We show no hostiles in your area. Just a reminder, you have a road less than a klick from your location that for the moment is clear.”

  “Copy that, Control. Zero-One, out.” He turned to the others. “Atlas, Niner, give us a hand. Spock and Jagger, maintain watch.”

  Atlas emerged from the trees with Niner, and the four of them set to work on uncrating then assembling their special delivery—six electric motorcycles, whisper-quiet with run-flat tires and bullet-resistant glass and casings. Both on and off-road capable. These would hopefully get them to where they needed to be on time, then out of any situation they might create. They had all ridden them in training, and they were a blast. But training was one thing. This was real life, and he had no doubt things were about to get nasty.

  Within minutes, they had six of the motorcycles assembled and a forty-mile journey ahead of them that they could easily do in half an hour if they took the roads. But that might not be possible. He straddled his bike and flicked the switch, turning on the motor. Silent. It was impressive. Bikers who loved the throaty roar of a hog would absolutely hate these machines, and it reminded him of how every time he was in an electric car, he missed the purr of his Mustang’s engine and the growl when he gave it some gas. But everything had its purpose, and while he might prefer to be riding a vintage Victory bagger with custom ape hangers into battle because it might look cool for when they made a movie of his life, it would also be heard from a mile away.

  He looked at the others, everyone now on their assigned bike, a mix of MP5s and M4s mounted in their cradles. “Control, Zero-One, we’re ready to proceed. What’s the status on that road, over?”

  “Zero-One, Control, we have two military vehicles approaching from the coast, but it’s clear ahead of them for at least five klicks. No evidence of roadblocks or cameras. If you go now, you’ll get ahead of them and should have no problem keeping ahead, over.”

  “Copy that, Control. Heading for the road now.” He turned to the others. “Let’s go, gentlemen. We don’t want to get caught in traffic.” He gunned the throttle and jerked forward far too rapidly due to the incredible torque from the electric motor. He eased off slightly, preferring not to be impaled by a low-hanging branch, then guided them through the trees, the underbrush fortunately light.

  He spotted the road ahead. “Control, Zero-One, report.”

  “You’re still good if you go now,” was the immediate reply.

  He cranked the throttle and his bike leaped forward, and moments later he was making a hard left onto the road. He did a shoulder check to make sure the rest of the team was still with him, then gunned it. “Control, Zero-One, we’re on the road. Keep me updated on any changes with the hostiles behind us and anything ahead of us. At these speeds, we’re going to come up on stuff fast, over.”

  “Copy that, Zero-One. Hostiles behind you are now two klicks back and you’re rapidly opening the gap. There’s still no sign of anything in front of you. We’ll warn you of anything the moment we see it, over.”

  Dawson leaned forward then checked his tactical computer. The kidnapped scientist was already on the ground and they had no idea where Kane was. Right now, the mission was to get as close to the scientist as possible with the hopes that Kane would be brought out to meet the man whose life he had effectively ended.

  Dawson still couldn’t believe the mission. Kane was a friend, a brother in arms, and he couldn’t believe that the man would betray his country like this. But then again, he had seen men and women he had respected for years go crazy over the past four, believing in conspiracy theories that any sane person should know were complete and utter bullshit.

  Could Kane have fallen victim? He couldn’t see how. Typically, those that believed the craziness got most of their information from social media or other dark corners on the net. Kane wouldn’t have time for such nonsense, and even if he did, he understood how the algorithms worked because covert ops used those same algorithms to manipulate what people saw. A binary society was what Professor James Acton called it, and the man was right. The problem here, though, was there was no way he could believe that Kane had fallen victim to it. Yet unless someone found proof that he was up to something good, their orders still stood.

  Kill him on sight.

  And the fact the voices in his ear were not from Leroux’s team told him the powers that be back home weren’t taking any chances. They wanted the orders executed.

  Somebody stepped from the trees, decked out in full camouflage, and raised a weapon. Dawson cursed as he reached forward and shifted the aim of his mounted MP5. He squeezed the trigger as he gently applied the brakes. This wasn’t a matter of getting past the hostile by causing him to hit the ground—they had to eliminate him so he couldn’t report back. The burst of lead from his weapon was joined by two more behind him, and before the hostile could get a shot off, his body was shaking with the impacts.

  Dawson squeezed the brakes hard, bringing him to a rapid stop. He leaped off the bike and rushed into the trees, taking a knee behind a large trunk as the others did the same, scattering across both sides of the road. He listened as he steadied his pounding heart, then adjusted toward the crashing sounds of someone approaching. His trained ear told him it was one person. He drew his Glock and quickly twisted the suppressor in place just as a North Korean regular appeared. Dawson put two in the chest, dropping the man, then advanced and put two more in the man’s head.

  He took a knee again, cocking an ear, but heard no one else. He activated his comms. “Bravo Team, Zero-One. Anybody hearing any hostiles, over?”

  A string of negatives replied.

  “Control, Zero-One, we were forced to take out two hostiles that were in the trees. Status on hostiles behind us, over.”

  “Copy that, Zero-One. We just watched the engagement. Hostiles are rapidly approaching. You have two minutes before they’re on top of you.”

  “Copy that.” Dawson sprang to his feet, heading back to the road. “Hide that body and let’s go.”

  Atlas and Niner grabbed the first hostile and hauled him into the tree line and out of sight as Dawson climbed on his bike and waited for the others.

  “Zero-One, Control, they’ll be coming around the bend in thirty seconds, over.”

  “Copy that.”

  Atlas climbed on his bike, the shocks protesting, and he gave a thumbs-up. Dawson cranked the throttle and all six of them were underway again.

  “Twenty seconds. You need to get around the next bend otherwise you’re in plain sight.”

  “No shit,” he muttered, the throttle fully cranked. The bend was just ahead. All they had to do was round it and they’d be out of sight.

  “Ten seconds.”

  He was going to make it. The question was, would they all make it? While the two men they had just killed had no radios on them, they would eventually be missed. But those in the vehicles would definitely have radios and would call in six men on motorcycles that belonged in a science fiction movie. It would blow the op. The two dead soldiers were a problem, but at the moment, they were a problem without an explanation. The North Koreans would have no doubt they had been killed by hostile armed forces, and would likely assume it was related to Kane’s defection and the kidnapping of Burkett. But they would also have no idea as to numbers and location, and if they were lucky, his team would have already completed the mission before the soldiers were discovered missing.

  He leaned to his left, taking the bend at full throttle before killing any of his speed. He struggled to maintain control, his front wheel wobbling for a few moments of terror before he regained his balance and straightened out, accelerating again. He checked his mirrors and breathed a relieved sigh to see the others had successfully navigated the sharp turn. “Control, Zero-One, report!”

  “Zero-One, Control. It looks like you just made it. No evidence that they saw you, over.”

  “Copy that, Control. Keep an eye on them. Let us know if they spot the two hostiles we just took out, over.” Dawson took the next bend in the road a little slower this time, and as he confirmed Atlas, taking up the rear, had also cleared it, he breathed a little easier and relaxed his grip on the throttle slightly. At the speeds they were doing, they should reopen the gap easily.

  “Zero-One, Control. Your two hostiles have cleared the incident area. It looks like you’re home free for now. The road is still clear ahead of you, however there could still be hostiles in the trees, over.”

  “Copy that, Control. Keep watching our six and the road ahead, and find out where the hell our target is. This entire region’s going to be crawling the moment those two don’t report in.”

  “We’re working on it, Zero-One.”

  Dawson didn’t bother responding. There was no point. He had no doubt everyone was doing everything they could to find Kane so this mission could be a success. He would just feel better if it were Leroux’s team on the other end of the comms, because in his entire career, they were by far the best he had worked with.

  36 |

  Pothong Riverside Terraced Residential District Pyongyang, North Korea

  Kane climbed into the Pyeonghwa Zunma after Kwan, the basic vehicle apparently the North Korean equivalent to a luxury sedan for VIPs. To their credit, the car was spotless and appeared well-maintained. Major Pak smiled at him then glanced at Kwan. “I trust you had a good night?”

  Kane grinned. “Excellent night.”

  Kwan giggled and took his hand. “Perfect night.”

  “I’m happy to hear that. And you’ll be happy to hear that Dr. Burkett is safely on the ground on North Korean territory.”

  “That’s great news,” said Kane. “I trust he’s cooperating?”

  “I’m not sure that’s how I would characterize it. Your briefing on him seems to have been quite accurate—an arrogant self-absorbed man who thinks he’s been put on this earth to singlehandedly solve mankind’s problems, and doesn’t care who he’s working for. He’s being debriefed right now, and the initial report is that he’s basically told everyone in the room to piss off and let him get to work.”

  Kane chuckled. “That sounds like him, all right. And are you going to let him go to work?”

  “At the moment, we see no reason why not. He’ll be supervised closely, obviously, but Command is eager to get him working so that we can get our nuclear power plant online before the end of the year.”

  “If anybody can do it, he can. We had a power outage last night for over an hour. Is that normal?”

  Pak nodded. “I’m afraid it is, thanks to your country’s sanctions.”

  Kane raised a finger. “My former country.”

  Pak bowed his head. “Your former country’s sanctions. It’s difficult to get the spare parts to repair our regular power plants. If we can get a working nuclear reactor design entirely built in North Korea, with North Korean and Russian parts, we could replicate them across the country and bring stable, bountiful power to the entire population.”

  “An essential first step to your country’s future success. Idle factories can’t produce goods, and darkened bedrooms don’t let the next generation read.”

  “Well said.” Pak glanced at Kwan then at Kane. “Should Burkett work out, I have a feeling you’ll be able to ask for anything you want, and my country will happily provide it.”

  Kane put his arm around Kwan. “I’ve already got a big part of what I want. Thank you very much.”

  Kwan beamed a smile at him then kissed his cheek.

  “But once you’re satisfied, we’ll have to discuss better quarters. While last night’s were dramatically better than my first night, I think you can do better, though for now I’m content where I am. I’m not greedy. I would like, however, to discuss a little more freedom.”

  Pak shook his head. “It’s far too early for that.”

  Kane batted a hand. “That’s not what I mean. I’d like for Kwan and I to be able to go out for a walk, go to a restaurant, sit in the park rather than be confined to my apartment. You can, of course, have a guard on us at a discreet distance. I have no problem with that and I understand entirely. I’m just not used to being cooped up.”

  Pak regarded him for a moment before giving a curt nod. “I’ll mention it to my superiors. I’m sure they’ll approve it, as long as you have no contact with anyone.”

  Kane smiled. “Agreed, no contact with anyone. Kwan is all I need for now.” He wagged a finger at Pak. “And I still think you and I are going to be friends eventually.”

  Pak laughed. “Are all you Americans like this?”

  Kane squeezed Kwan tighter. “I hope not, otherwise I’m not as special as I think I am.”

  The driver said something that Kane pretended to not understand.

  “What was that?”

  Kwan lifted her head from his shoulder and whispered in his ear. “He said we’re almost at the airport.”

  Kane stared out the window. “Excellent. I’m eager to meet Dr. Burkett.”

  Pak’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait a minute. You’ve never met him before?”

  “Of course not.”

  “But I thought you knew him?”

  Kane shook his head. “No, I know of him. I was responsible for setting up security for him when he had traveled to a conference outside the country. Scientists and people like me don’t exactly mix, but when we do, we get extensive dossiers, which is why I knew he was exactly what you were looking for, and it’s why I know who you’re looking for in countless specialties. Me knowing them is of no use, my knowing of them is everything. All you need to do is trust me and I’ll get you everybody you need, and they’ll be every bit as good in their field as Burkett is.”

  A frown creased Pak’s face for a moment before it finally relaxed into a more neutral expression.

  “Relax, Major. I promise I won’t let you down. I realize we both have a lot riding on this, not the least of which is my life. I would not have come here if I couldn’t fulfill every promise I made.”

  Pak grunted. “These are early days, Mr. Kane. Trust is built over time. Lies won’t be tolerated nor will omission. The next time we speak, I expect you to be entirely truthful and forthcoming. I don’t want anything implied.”

  “Agreed.”

  The vehicle came to a halt.

 

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