High Alert (The Project Book 14)

by Alex Lukeman

  That is correct.

  "You also think this person knew we would want to talk to Cotter?"

  That is correct.

  "That still doesn't provide a reason to ambush us."

  I do not have enough information to determine a reason.

  "Who is this person?"

  I do not have enough information to determine who is responsible.

  "You said the technology used to create the video has a unique signature in common with the drone Nick destroyed."

  That is correct.

  "Can you perform a search for similar technology used in other applications?"

  Yes.

  "Good. Please do so. If we can find more examples, we might be able to trace them to the person responsible."

  Processing.

  "It doesn't make sense," Nick said. "I understand why someone might want Cotter out of the way. But why pick a fight with us?"

  "And send a drone to attack us?" Elizabeth said.

  "It feels personal," Selena said.

  "Personal?" Nick looked at her. "Why do you think it's personal?"

  "I don't know, it just does. Whoever it is must see us as a threat and thought we'd come looking for Cotter."

  "They were right about that."

  The light on Nick's phone for the line from Langley lit up. Nick answered.

  "Nick, this is DCI Hood. We've identified the traitor who sent the plans for Black Dolphin to North Korea. He was an aide to General Samson of the Joint Chiefs."

  "I'm putting you on speaker," Nick said. "You said he was an aide?"

  "He's dead. He shot himself with a .45. It made quite a mess."

  "Are you certain he's the one?"

  "Yes. It gets worse. We think he also copied our war plan for China."

  "That could explain how Cotter got his hands on it."

  "I'm more concerned about China getting hold of it. The FBI is going through everything in Sanford's home and office as we speak, looking for anything that could lead us to his handler."

  "Phone records?"

  "His regular cell phone is clean. They found a throw away with calls in the phone log from different numbers, all disposable. It's probably a dead-end, but you never know. We're looking at his finances now. If there's an unusual amount of money, it might be traceable."

  "Why did he do it?"

  "We'll find out. At least the mole has been found and the leak stopped. You could even say that justice of a sort has been served."

  "That's not much consolation to the families of the men who went down in that sub," Nick said.

  CHAPTER 25

  Supreme Leader Yun Chul-Moo felt the floor tremble under his feet as the hydrogen bomb detonated in its underground tunnel.

  "Well?"

  He turned to Park Moon, the man in charge of North Korea's nuclear program. Park stood in front of an array of instruments recording effects of the explosion. He was smiling.

  "Great Leader, I am pleased to say that the test is an unqualified success."

  "What is the yield?"

  "Better than we expected. Four point two kilotons. Enough to register on the Western sensors, but they cannot be certain it was anything except an earthquake."

  "Will New Dawn be ready in two weeks?"

  New Dawn was the name Yun had given the EMP weapon he would use to attack the United States.

  "The launch vehicle will be ready in days. New Dawn lacks only placement of the fissile material and the triggering mechanism. Before we install the final components, we need to move it to the launch site. We should be ready to launch within two weeks."

  "And what will be the yield of the weapon?" Yun asked.

  "Again, better than anticipated. Based on the result of this test, I estimate yield of New Dawn at between twenty-nine and thirty-two megatons."

  "Excellent, Comrade Park. You have done well."

  Yun snapped his fingers. An officer rushed forward and bowed, holding out a flat, black case. Yun opened the case and withdrew a medal. For a moment, Park looked confused. Then he came to attention.

  "Comrade Park. You are awarded the Order of the National Flag, First Class, for achievements in scientific superiority in service to the nation."

  Yun pinned the medal on Park's white laboratory smock. He began clapping.

  The two dozen officers and lab workers present clapped loudly.

  Park bowed. "I am unworthy of such an honor, Great Leader."

  What would he have done if the test had failed? Park thought.

  "Continue with your work, comrade. I am sure you will not fail us."

  "Never, Great Leader." Not if I want to stay alive.

  When Yun had left, Park turned to his chief engineer, standing nearby.

  "You had better be right about the device being ready."

  "Everything is on schedule, Director. Unless we run into an unforeseen problem, we will be ready on time. But I wish you had said a month rather than two weeks."

  "Would you care to be the one to tell Chairman Yun that his weapon cannot be ready for him when he wants it? I told him what he wanted to hear."

  The chief engineer nodded. "That is always the wisest course of action," he said.

  "Prepare the device for shipment to Musudan-Ri."

  The two men walked out of the control center. Neither one noticed the technician monitoring the radiation readouts who'd been listening to their conversation, nor had they seen the look of dismay on his face when he'd heard Park confirm the enormous yield of the weapon.

  Cho Lee loved his country, but he loathed its leader. He knew enough about New Dawn to know it could lead to the destruction of everything he loved. Even if it were successful and the American homeland was destroyed, the Americans had powerful forces deployed in other parts of the globe. Their vengeance would be ferocious. They would obliterate the nation with their nuclear weapons.

  Someone had to stop it from happening.

  Radioactive fallout would spread over the borders with China and Russia. The Chinese didn't know what Yun was planning, but they were part of the problem. They kept him in power for their own ends. They couldn't be trusted to do what was right.

  That left the Russians.

  CHAPTER 26

  Alexei Vysotsky watched Valentina come into his office and sit down.

  She really is a beautiful woman. I envy Orlov.

  "Before you start, be careful what you say," Valentina said.

  "I take it you were successful?"

  "If you can call it that."

  "I didn't ask you here to talk about your dalliance," Vysotsky said, "though I admit, I am curious. We can leave that for another time. A problem is developing in Korea and we're going to have to do something about it."

  "What problem?"

  "That idiot who calls himself the Supreme Leader intends to set off a massive EMP explosion over North America."

  "That's insane. The Americans have plenty of assets outside of their homeland that would not be affected. They will annihilate him, probably with nukes. It will lead to chaos. We'll be drawn in."

  "Exactly. Major commands like the Seventh Fleet have orders to act independently if central command is knocked out. Once they knew Yun was responsible, they would retaliate."

  "A nuclear attack on North Korea would cover us with fallout."

  "You see, Valentina? This is one reason you are the perfect person for this operation. You understand the consequences of failure."

  "You haven't said yet what the operation is."

  "I want you to go into North Korea with a team and destroy Yun's launch vehicle. It would be better to stop him on the ground rather than trying to shoot his missile down. There is always a chance we would miss."

  "An assault team is highly specialized. They will resent an outsider, especially a woman. Why do you want me to go with them?"

  "I want to get Harker's group involved and I want you to act as liaison with them."

  "Are you serious? You want to bring in the American
s my sister works with? Why?"

  Vysotsky reached into his desk drawer and took out the bottle of vodka he always kept there, along with two glasses.

  "Think it through, Valentina. She and her comrades have proven themselves exceptional in the field. They specialize in operations like this. Like you, they are highly trained and capable of independent operation. They adapt. They are ruthless. If they were Russian, they would be my first choice for this. Your sister speaks and reads Korean. You have worked together before. A certain level of trust exists between you."

  "She is still an American," Valentina said.

  "Did you know Arkady Korov?"

  Vysotsky filled the glasses with vodka.

  "I met him a few times."

  "He was a fine officer, dedicated. It was a great loss when he was killed. For a while he worked closely with your sister's unit. He came to trust them. Once suspicion was dispelled, they accepted him as an equal. If we do this on our own and something goes wrong, it will be a public relations disaster. It could even lead to war. Yun's launch site is not far from China. If we try to shoot down his missile, it could be misinterpreted by Beijing. Plus there is more to consider."

  "More?"

  "Drink up."

  They downed the vodka. Vysotsky told Valentina about the video claiming that Moscow and Washington had formed an alliance against China and were preparing for war.

  "That's ridiculous," Valentina said. "It's obviously false."

  "Obvious to us, perhaps. Not so obvious to the Chinese. My sources in Beijing inform me that the video created consternation at the highest levels."

  "Are they really so naïve as to think we and the Americans would ally against them?"

  "They are competing with us for resources and regional influence and are becoming annoyingly aggressive. There are many reasons for them to think we'd plot against them. It's what they do, and they expect the same of everyone else. The leadership is insecure. They see the Americans as an obstacle to their expansion in the China Sea and see us as looking for ways to recover what was lost in '89. They are correct on both counts. The idea that we would conspire against them fits their paranoid view of the world."

  "We should just shoot the launch vehicle down," Valentina said. "I don't think we would miss."

  "Perhaps not, but it runs the risk of provoking Beijing into doing something foolish. Shooting down the missile could push them over the edge. Yun would claim the launch was for peaceful purposes. A weather satellite, perhaps. China is his ally. It is a dangerous situation."

  "I am not in favor of involving the Americans. Give me a Spetsnaz team and I will make sure this bomb never leaves the ground."

  "What if the Americans have also learned of Yun's plan?" Vysotsky asked.

  "If they've discovered what he's doing, they will try to stop him. Probably by sending in one of their covert units. One of their SEAL teams, perhaps."

  "That is a safe assumption. Knowing the Americans, they will act sooner rather than later. What if they happen go in at the same time you are on the ground at the launch site?"

  Valentina looked uncomfortable. "It would be difficult to avoid conflict."

  "Which is another reason I would prefer to make sure there are no misunderstandings," Vysotsky said. "We do not need an incident between our two countries at this time, especially on North Korean territory. It is a reason to seek an alliance with your sister's unit. Better to work with the devil we know."

  "How do you plan to involve them?" Valentina asked.

  "Leave the Americans to me."

  CHAPTER 27

  Elizabeth sat in a chair by her hospital bed, dressed in a light blue robe, reading a book about the Revolutionary War. It was a time in American history she found fascinating. She was due to be discharged today or tomorrow, pending final clearance from her doctors. As far as she was concerned, it couldn't happen soon enough.

  The secure phone resting in the pocket of her robe vibrated against her thigh. She took it out and looked at the display. The number was unfamiliar.

  "Yes," she said. "Who is this?"

  "Director. I am sure you recognize my voice. Is this line secure?"

  Vysotsky. I'll be damned.

  "General. Yes, the line is secure. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

  "Always the diplomat, Elizabeth. It is one of the things I appreciate about you. I trust you are healing well?"

  "Better, thanks. But this isn't a social call, is it?"

  "I have some intelligence I wish to share with you, and I have a proposition."

  "Intelligence is always welcome. If it is legitimate. I reserve judgment on the proposition."

  "Elizabeth. You hurt my feelings. I would not insult you by attempting to give you false information. You are exposed to enough of that through your newspapers and politicians."

  "As are you, General."

  "Are you aware that Chairman Yun has developed a hydrogen bomb?"

  "We suspect he is ready to test a small device."

  "More than ready. He tested it this morning and it was successful."

  "I didn't know that. That's bad news."

  "And if I told you that he has built a much larger bomb, one modeled on our own Tsar Bomba?"

  Elizabeth sat up straighter in her chair. "That would be worse news. But our sources say he doesn't have enough material for that kind of weapon."

  "You underestimated his production, but you are correct that it was not enough. Yun obtained the rest of the plutonium and other fissile material he needed from Iran."

  "Those fanatics in Tehran never give up, do they? What does he intend to do with this monster bomb?"

  "He intends to set it off, of course. Three hundred miles above your country. I don't need to tell you what that would mean."

  "You are certain of this?"

  "I am."

  Elizabeth was silent. How much should she tell Vysotsky?

  "Director Harker? You are still there?"

  "Yes, General. I was thinking. We knew Yun was working on a thermonuclear device," she said. "We've just discovered that he's developed a solid fuel engine for his missiles. It gives him ICBM capability. Our assumption has been that he plans to attack a Western target, either our own West Coast or possibly Japan. But if he has a bomb like you are talking about, that changes things."

  "We were unaware Yun had progressed so far with his missiles," the Russian said.

  "Then we've both learned something by this conversation," Elizabeth said. "His new engine was spotted installed on a modified Taepodong 2 missile. We don't think he's completely worked out the guidance system issues. He can send one up, but he can't necessarily put it where he wants it."

  "He doesn't need an accurate ICBM for what he plans. He intends to place his bomb in orbit above you by using one of his satellite launch vehicles."

  "You are sure your information is accurate?" Elizabeth asked again.

  "Yes. It comes from someone in their nuclear program who overheard Yun talking about what he planned to do. He believes that if Yun goes through with his plan, you will retaliate with nuclear weapons and destroy his country. He wants us to stop it before it happens. I agree with him. Such an event could easily lead to war between all of us. The Chinese would not stand by if you attacked North Korea."

  "Why go to you? Why not the Chinese?"

  "He doesn't trust the Chinese. Yun is their ally."

  "No one trusts the Chinese," Elizabeth said. "You mentioned a proposition. What did you have in mind?"

  "We must prevent Yun from launching. I propose a joint operation to remove the threat. We've worked together before, to good effect. It's odd, isn't it? How these things come up from time to time which are more important than the enmity between our two nations? "

  "There's nothing like a madman with a bomb to bring people together," Elizabeth said. "We didn't know about his plan, but we'd decided we couldn't risk him launching a nuclear missile. The President wants to take out Yun's launch site bef
ore it can happen. We weren't certain which one to target."

  "The EMP device is being transported to Musudan-Ri for the launch. It's the only option. His other site at Sohae is undergoing renovations to prepare for larger missiles. Our satellites show that the launch vehicle has not yet been moved onto the pad. We still have time to destroy it."

  "Forgive me for asking, General, but your special forces are perfectly capable of doing this job on their own. Why do you want to involve us?"

  "We are anxious to avoid misunderstandings," Vysotsky said. "I assumed your intelligence services would learn Yun had developed a hydrogen bomb. It makes sense someone would be sent to intervene. Politicians being the way they are, such a mission would have to be completely deniable. It seemed a good bet you would be aware of it. I had even anticipated that your unit might be chosen, as you've just confirmed. I don't want my assault team running into yours and making a mistake. The officer I have chosen to oversee the operation is well known to you. Her sister is on your team."

  "Valentina? You're putting her in charge?"

  "A Spetsnaz officer will be in charge of the combat team. Valentina will be in overall command and act as liaison between our two units. She has demonstrated her competence in difficult situations. She's the logical choice."

  "I need to discuss this with the others," Elizabeth said, "but I will consider it. The logistics could get complicated."

  "I can make staging facilities available on the Kamchatka Peninsula. It's not far from the target."

  "How much time do I have to prepare? Assuming I agree."

  "The sooner the better," Vysotsky said. "Yesterday would be good."

  CHAPTER 28

  Selena finished throwing up breakfast, stood, and flushed the toilet. She went to the bathroom sink and rinsed out her mouth.

  I can't be, she thought. It's not possible.

  "You okay?" Nick called from the other room.

  "Fine," she called out. "I'll be right there."