“Now, how about we go meet our scientist?”

  37 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  “Holy shit! I’ve got eyes on Kane!” cried Child.

  The entire operations center came to a halt, everyone turning toward the main displays. A satellite shot, taken from a slight angle due to its orbit, showed a black vehicle park outside the hangar they had been watching. Its occupants climbed out and what appeared to be a chauffeur in a military uniform stood by his door. An officer waited on the passenger side while a man and a woman in civilian attire on the driver’s side rounded the rear of the vehicle.

  Leroux peered at the civilian male. It was impossible to tell who it was. “What makes you say it’s him?”

  “Just wait for it. This is a replay from a few minutes ago.”

  The man wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders and bile filled Leroux’s mouth at the betrayal. If this were indeed Kane, he’d been there only two days and already had a woman, and with the situation what it was, the woman was no doubt a pro and Kane would have already taken advantage of what was freely on offer.

  “Shit, man, that’s pretty cold,” muttered someone behind him.

  Leroux shook his head. “Don’t read too much into that. When he is on a mission, he has to play a part. Right now, we still don’t know what’s going on.”

  “Here it comes,” said Child.

  Everybody leaned toward the display and the man looked up at the sky, staring at the heavens for a solid two-count before walking toward the hangar and disappearing inside.

  It was Kane.

  Leroux collapsed back in his chair. There was no doubt that it was his friend, and the facial recognition software confirmed its findings, flashing the results on the massive screens.

  Tong turned in her seat to face him. “What do we do now?”

  “There’s nothing we can do. Once Delta is in position, their orders are to take the shot unless we’ve found something that proves there’s more going on here. All we’ve seen here is more evidence that he’s guilty. He’s at the site where Burkett was taken, and I see no evidence of handcuffs or heavy guard.”

  “Not to mention he’s got a piece of ass on his arm already,” commented Child.

  “Tactlessly put, but correct. Everything here, like everything so far, can be interpreted in two ways. And like Marc said earlier, we have to err on the side of caution. If Delta can get there in time, I see no reason for them not to take the shot.” He turned to Child. “Make sure Epps’ team has that. They might have missed it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Child tapped away at his terminal, sending the isolated footage and the facial recognition confirmation to the team controlling the operation. The fact Kane had been allowed in the open confirmed that the North Koreans had no idea the Delta team had been inserted. Hopefully, their ignorance would last long enough to put an end to this mission once and for all. Whatever Kane was up to was putting people’s lives in danger. At the moment, that not only included the kidnapped scientist, but it also included the six Bravo Team members on the ground, plus the other six and the submarine crew waiting offshore. And that ignored what could happen if Burkett was allowed to continue his work and give the despotic regime unlimited power.

  Kane and the others disappeared inside the hangar and Leroux pushed back from his station, hanging his head between his knees as his stomach churned and he fought the urge to vomit. His friend was about to die and there was nothing they could do about it, and he could find no reason that they should do something about it. All the evidence suggested he was guilty, and it was simply too dangerous to let him live. He pushed upright and stared at the screen. “Show me Delta’s position with respect to that hangar.”

  Tong brought up a map showing the six-member team rapidly closing in on the area using back roads.

  “ETA?”

  Tong shrugged. “Depends on how close they want to get. Some of them are among the best shots in the world. Niner can probably take him out from over a mile with ease.”

  “What’s the weather?”

  Tong checked. “Sunny with blue skies, no measurable wind, temperature estimate is seventy-seven degrees with low humidity.”

  Leroux sighed. “Perfect sniper weather.” He brought out his phone and sent an encrypted message to Sherrie.

  Dylan has been found. Anticipate kill shot in the coming minutes. Tell Fang I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t find anything to save him.

  38 |

  Kane’s off-the-books Operations Center Outside Bethesda, Maryland

  Fang leaped to her feet as she read the message just sent to Sherrie by Leroux, her chair crashing into the wall. “Why?” she screamed in horror and sorrow. “Why did you do this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Sherrie approached her, her arms extended to embrace her, but Fang waved her off.

  “No, don’t touch me! Nobody touch me!” she snapped as her shoulders shook. “I don’t want anybody to touch me ever again!” She folded her arms as a chill washed over her. “I have to get out of here.”

  She rushed down the corridor and opened the door to the outside. She slammed it shut behind her and ran blindly among the other containers and trailers, one minute sobbing uncontrollably, the next shouting in rage, her fist darting out and punching anything within reach.

  None of this made sense. Why was he doing this? He wasn’t a traitor. There was no way he could be a traitor. Something else had to be going on. There was just no way the man she loved would betray his country like this. But it didn’t matter anymore what was really going on. It was too late, the orders had been given, the target had been found, and the team was almost in place. She understood the calculations involved. They might never get another chance to take him out. Even if he were innocent, there was no way they could risk leaving him alive in case he wasn’t, and she didn’t blame them.

  She leaned against a container, sliding to the ground, and sat there for a few minutes before drying her eyes with a knuckle from each hand. He could be dead by now, and she gasped as she remembered there was a message due to be sent to her. If the mole inside the CIA was privy to his elimination, would they trigger that message to be sent early, or would she be tortured over the coming hours, left to wonder what final words her beloved had to say that would have to sustain her for the rest of her days?

  She pushed to her feet and trudged back to the containers housing the operations center, dreading what news might await her.

  39 |

  Sunchon Airbase Perimeter Sunchon, North Korea

  Dawson propped his motorcycle against a tree then threw some camouflage netting over it as the others did the same around him. They’d be going on foot now, as there was a checkpoint ahead blocking their route to the airport. Unfortunately for the North Koreans, and perhaps more critically Kane, the airport wasn’t far. They had four sniper rifles with them and a perimeter cleared of trees and any obstructions for a klick in all directions, intended to give the guards a clear view of anyone approaching—the security for the airport was all designed around either repelling an outright assault or preventing any covert infiltration.

  His team wasn’t there for an assault, nor were they there to sneak in. With all obstructions removed, it meant their job could be easily done from a kilometer out, which was exactly what they were going to do.

  Dawson rushed through the trees with the others, everyone silent, all having previously expressed their dismay that Kane’s presence had been confirmed. They all knew what the job was, and they would all carry it through. Yet nobody wanted to, and all would have preferred if Kane wasn’t here so they could have failed at their mission and not killed their friend.

  Niner jogged up beside him. “I’ll take the shot.”

  Dawson glanced over at him. “Are you sure?”

  Niner nodded, his expression somber, none of the usual joy in evidence. “I’m the best shot here. I can do it clean. He won’t suffer. He deserves at least that, just in case we’re wrong.”

  Dawson agreed, slapping Niner on the back. “You’re a good man. I think he’d be honored to have the job done by you.”

  Niner chuckled. “He might be honored, but he’d probably be happier to have a piss-poor shot make the attempt and fail.”

  Dawson laughed. “You’re probably right.” He held up a fist as they approached the tree line then crouched, inching forward. “Control, Zero-One. We’re at the tree line to the airport. Status report, over.”

  “Primary target is in a hangar marked Alpha Two. Secondary target was last seen entering the same hangar, over.”

  Dawson frowned. “Copy that, Control. I’m more concerned with the security. Any signs of patrols along the perimeter, over?”

  “Affirmative, Zero-One. We have a single light armored vehicle circling the ring road, four men on board, going too fast to see anything useful. They’re currently on the number three side of the airport, opposite your current position. Will advise when they approach. Note that we pulled back the drones. We can’t risk them being spotted. We’re on satellite-only now, over.”

  “Understood, Control. Just keep your eyes peeled for the targets and any patrols on foot hidden in the trees.”

  “We’ll do our best, Zero-One.”

  Dawson peered through his binoculars, searching for anything suspicious up and down the road they now faced, but found nothing. He turned to Niner then froze. He was nowhere to be seen. Dawson dropped to a knee and scanned the area when a tree to his right giggled and Niner emerged in his ghillie suit.

  “I still got it.”

  Dawson gave him a look. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you. When a tree giggles like a little girl, I usually put two rounds in it.”

  Atlas appeared in his own ghillie suit. “What, you don’t like trees?”

  Niner wagged a finger. “No, I think he doesn’t like little girls.”

  Dawson gave them both the finger. “I don’t like foliage that talks back. Now, you two ready?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then find good nests. I have no idea how long we’re going to be here and we can’t have you repositioning every time a patrol drives by, understood?”

  They both confirmed, then Niner and Atlas broke off with Jimmy and Spock as their spotters. Within minutes, Niner and Atlas were in elevated positions, their customized ghillie suits adapted specifically for the terrain they found themselves in, allowing them to blend into their surroundings.

  “Zero-One, Control. Security patrol is nearing your position, over.”

  “Copy that, Control.” He signaled to the others and everyone faded into the background as the engine of the approaching vehicle grew louder. It drove past their position doing at least thirty miles per hour, and from his vantage point, he could tell that nobody was paying close attention to the tree line and were instead focused on the road ahead or the cleared area around the airport. If this was the only security they’d have to deal with, this could prove to be a cakewalk, but unfortunately there were two dead bodies out there that somebody would be missing soon, which could see this place crawling with troops any minute now. For the sake of his team, he prayed Kane showed himself soon so they could take the shot and fall back to the submarine and safety. But part of him begged God to keep Kane inside so that they wouldn’t have to shoot their friend.

  It just might give Langley enough time to figure out what was really going on here.

  40 |

  Sunchon Airbase Sunchon, North Korea

  Pak watched as Kane shook Burkett’s hand after the introductions had been made, paying close attention to everyone’s mannerisms.

  “That’s quite the handshake you’ve got there,” commented Kane with a smile. “Not something I’d expect out of a scientist.”

  Burkett shrugged. “My father taught me at a young age how to shake a hand properly. I’ve found that with people like you who don’t understand just how much more important I am than they are, a firm, confident handshake seems to at least suggest I’m their equal. Some weak, limp-wristed handshake that many of my colleagues give because they’re intimidated by all those around them, simply contributes toward the alphas of our culture believing they’re superior merely because they’re physically strong. The meek shall inherit the earth is just a line. It’s the intelligent who will eventually rule this world.”

  Kane regarded the man with a bemused expression. “Rule?”

  Burkett shrugged. “For the lack of a better word. Control, guide, govern, however you want to look at it, the era when the strong rule the weak is coming to an end.”

  Kane chuckled and turned to Pak. “Isn’t he exactly how I described?” Kane returned his attention to the kidnapped scientist. “While I think the world would be a better place should it be ruled by science rather than tyranny, just remember, strong men and women are required until the enemy is no more, because most of the tyrants of the world don’t yet subscribe to your philosophy.”

  Burkett bowed his head slightly. “Agreed on all points.” He turned to Pak and waved a hand at the other North Koreans in the room. “They’ve told me almost nothing. Why am I here?”

  “You are here to benefit the people of North Korea.”

  “That doesn’t concern me. That’s politics. I’m concerned with science. So, I’ll ask again, why am I here?”

  Pak bristled at the utter lack of respect shown. The extraction team’s assessment of the man and what Kane had said were certainly accurate. This was an unparalleled level of arrogance and he hoped it meant Burkett knew he was as good as they thought, and was confident he could get away with anything because he was too valuable to them. “Very well, Dr. Burkett. We have a nuclear power program that has been stalled since the sixties. You’ve been brought in to fix what’s wrong and provide us with stable, uninterrupted power.”

  Burkett smiled slightly. “I’m well aware of your failed program. It can be fixed quite easily.”

  Eyebrows throughout the room shot up.

  “How?” asked Pak.

  “It’s really quite simple. The mistake you’ve made is putting your trust in the Russians. While they may be your allies, they’re not your friends. The nuclear reactor you built is based upon specs provided by them. All the advisors you’ve brought in have been Russian and all they do is confirm that you’ve implemented the specs correctly. What you haven’t been told, and what very few on this planet know, is that those specs are incorrect. Intentionally incorrect. The Russians don’t want you to have nuclear power. They don’t trust you. They’ve been actively sabotaging your nuclear program for decades, and the master stroke was the specifications they provided to you for that extremely expensive nuclear reactor you’ve got sitting in Nyongbyon that you just can’t seem to bring online.”

  Pak’s pulse pounded in his ears at the implications. Was Russia actually their enemy? For decades, they had told them to trust nobody but a North Korean, and it would appear their leaders had been right to think so. He calmed himself. “And you know what the error in the specifications is?”

  “Of course I do. We had somebody on the inside years ago provide them to us, and one of my tasks was to determine what the problem was.”

  “And you figured it out?”

  “Of course I figured it out.”

  “How?”

  Burkett shrugged. “By being me. For years none of your scientists have been able to figure it out, though I suspect a lot of that is simply because they weren’t looking. They trusted the Russian specs and the Russian advisors. This is why I rely on the science and leave the politics out of things. Trusting the source because they’re a political ally is idiocy when it comes to science. Trust the science, and you can never go wrong.”

  “Is it an easy fix?”

  Burkett tilted his head to the side and shrugged his shoulders. “On paper, I can fix it in five minutes, but it’ll require a change to the design of your reactor. Under my supervision and with the proper resources, I suspect we would be ready for initial test runs before the end of the year. Ninety-nine percent of what you have is perfectly fine. This isn’t a tear-down and redesign prospect. This is merely an exercise in correcting the flaw that was in the original specifications. Your people will have stable power by this time next year if your government is smart enough to let me get the job done.”

  A man entered the room and Pak snapped to attention despite the lack of a uniform. It was Doctor Ri Kyong-thaek, a renowned scientist and the head of their entire nuclear program, both civilian and military.

  Ri stood in front of Burkett, ignoring everyone else. “I am Doctor Ri. Are you aware of who I am?”

  Burkett shook his head. “Should I be?”

  Ri frowned. “With your level of arrogance, I’d be surprised if you’re even aware of the names of your colleagues. It doesn’t matter though. Tell me what the flaw is.”

  Burkett ignored him and instead turned to Kane. “Since you’re the only non-Korean in the room, I assume I have you to thank for my current predicament?”

  Kane bowed slightly. “I’m afraid so.”

  “And why have you done this?”

  “For entirely self-motivated, political reasons.”

  Burkett regarded him for a moment. “You mean the growing instability of our country and the inevitable collapse of the Western liberal democracy?”

  “Exactly.”

  Pak hid his shock. Here was a scientist completely disconnected from the society within which he lived, and an intelligence operative from that same society who should be fully aware of everything going on within his country and around the world, both agreeing with what was going on in their home country. Could it be true? Kane had explained his motivations quite convincingly, however delusions were still delusions, and he didn’t mind that, as long as it worked to his country’s advantage. One delusional conspiracy theorist’s shared intelligence was just as good as a sane man’s if it were accurate. But if Burkett shared in the delusion, perhaps it wasn’t a delusion after all.

 

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