The End of Terror

by Howitt, Bruce

  As the convoy approached and slowed down, two Israeli agents disabled the front truck by shooting out a tire and incapacitating the North Korean driver and officer in the cab with gas grenades and then, tossing gas grenades into the back of the truck, they neutralized the other soldiers.

  Two more Israelis repeated the exercise on the rear truck. The drivers of the SUVs were not military, merely North Korean Security minders who surrendered peacefully to Tron’s men without any opposition and before they could send any radio or phone communication. The highway to Yongbyon was mostly empty with the exception of occasional farm carts or slow-moving local vehicles. The one of the Mossad operators drove their other truck down to the ravine and then quickly hustled the North Koreans into the hidden trucks, where they were bound, gagged, and forced to lie down in the bed of the trucks.

  The paradox of the responses of the soldiers versus the two officers was interesting, to say the least. The two officers, both captains in their thirties, were raging with hate. Initially immobilized by the gas grenades, they had quickly recovered and struggled as they were being manhandled down to the hidden trucks. They were incensed, snarling threats and intimidation not only at their captors, but at their own soldiers. Their soldiers were for the most part docile and complied with all the orders given by the commandos. The two officers knew that ultimately they would be held responsible for the attack and charged with neglect of duty, an offence that could carry a death sentence. If the soldiers in their charge were interrogated by the officers’ senior commanders and described their capture, their chances of survival were slim at best.

  The Israelis had no intention of causing an international incident between Israel and China and thus had arranged to hold the legitimate scientists in a safe, comfortable location until the operation was over. Through their shared intelligence contacts with the South Koreans, Tron had arranged a safe house on a vegetable farm away from the highway and prying eyes. Tron and his men drove the SUVs to the farmhouse accompanied by one of the North Korean military trucks after his men had changed the shot-out tire. The Chinese scientists were told that they were not in any danger and that they would be well cared for the next four days.

  Tron invited the Chinese delegation leader, Wyun Hi Lee, to share tea with him while he explained that he and his crew were assuming the Chinese men’s identity. Speaking in Chinese to Lee, Tron assured him that they would be unharmed and eventually returned to China. Lee was skeptical at first, but when he finally deduced what was happening, he became quite calm and meditative.

  The Israelis acquired the Chinese scientists’ identities and some of them changed into the North Korean uniforms. This presented a challenge to the Mossad operators. The North Koreans have hygiene and cleanliness low on their priorities, so the uniforms they had to change into were grossly rank with severe body odour. One of the agents, Dudi Hon Luc, vehemently objected to wearing a North Korean uniform until Tron emphasized that it was necessary.

  “Dudi, do you think that the other North Koreans we have to meet at the facility will appreciate your walking by them with some fancy men’s cologne and deodorant on your ugly little body? Now get into that uniform! We are running late and if we don’t get back on the highway soon, the people at the research centre will become concerned as to where we are.”

  The Israeli operators, after assuming the identities of the Chinese, drove to Yongbyon. They were met at the gates and greeted warmly by the administration staff.

  Tron and his team had spent four days posing as the Chinese scientists and were hosted and detailed around the Yongbyon Scientific Centre. What they observed was an operation far more advanced and sophisticated than any of the intelligence acquired over the years had led them to believe. The innovative equipment, all of top-quality European and Russian manufacture simply proved that the UN- and US-imposed sanctions had been completely ineffective. Tron and his team also observed white scientists in white coats and masks working alongside the North Koreans. They eventually were introduced to them, albeit briefly, and Tron ascertained that the white men were Russians and Iranians, with two standout exceptions. One of the scientists who appeared to be in charge was a large, surly German who completely ignored the visitors. The other exception was a Pakistani whom Tron recognized as Ali Imra Khan, one of the original team of Pakistani nuclear engineers who had developed the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. This was certainly an eye-opener.

  Here was the absolute conclusive proof that the Iranians and North Koreans were still very committed to developing a nuclear weapon and advancing those efforts all the time. All the denials and sanctions along with the 2015 treaty were nothing more than window-dressing. The two rogue nations were aligned with each other, sharing expertise and equipment, aided and abetted by some very bad people.

  Tron and his crew were able to maintain their false identities for the four days. During that time, the North Koreans, assuming they were Chinese, willingly showed them around the complete installation.

  On their fourth day, the Israelis requested to view the massive control centre one more time. They had been able to bring some sophisticated destructive devices in their luggage. The devices were in some cases ultrasonic, so when activated, they discharged an ultrahigh-density signal. When the devices were placed on or near computers and other communications equipment, they would totally destroy all the memory and RAM when activated. This top-secret Israeli technology was not available to any other nation. It was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Israeli arsenal.

  The Mossad team strategically stood around the key communication and engineering equipment, engaging the plant operators in discussions about their duties and the specifics of the controls. Valuable information was willingly shared. In the course of these ad hoc meetings, they casually left the devices stuck to the underside of consoles and workstations to be activated by a satellite-transmitted signal once the bogus Chinese visitors had departed.

  Throughout their four days at the centre, they were treated as honoured and exalted guests. After thanking their North Korean hosts, Tron Duc and his team of imposters departed the centre. Dudi and his compatriots had to be evasive and skillful during the stay. Typically, they would have been billeted with the other guards at the centre, but they were able to convince the North Koreans that their trucks needed some repairs and they would take them back down the highway to a small village that had a service centre. Prior to the operation, the Mossad had gleaned some intelligence from the South Koreans that because of parts and skilled labour shortages, the village repair centre was the only place near the research centre for such repairs. Dudi and his companions took the trucks down to the shop and received clearance to stay for the four days. The South Korean secret service had taken over the repair shop and prepared with the Israelis for this event. The Mossad team, still in their stinking uniforms, were housed and fed in rooms next to the repair shop and basically remained out of sight most of the time.

  CHAPTER 52

  On departing the centre with effusive smiles and handshakes all around, Tron and his team headed for the farmhouse where they had detained the Chinese delegation. They were now being escorted by some new North Korean soldiers. Dudi and his men discreetly followed the convoy to provide cover in case of any unforeseen challenges. When they reached the cutoff for the farmhouse, Tron had his SUV pull over to the side of the road. The soldiers stopped also and, as they approached the SUV, Tron was now standing outside on the roadway. While Tron engaged the senior officer, two of his team used Krav Maga techniques to disable the other five. So great was the total surprise of the Koreans that Tron decided to spare their lives. There was no need to kill them. The soldiers in the second truck quickly surrendered to Dudi and his men. The Koreans were made to remove their uniforms and boots, then bound and gagged and placed in the back of one of their transport trucks, which was then driven off the road and hidden in a small copse of trees.

  When Tron arrived at the farmhouse, the Chinese were at firs
t very apprehensive because they did not trust the Koreans. Soon they realized that this was the Mossad team dressed in North Korean uniforms. Tron explained to them that they meant them no harm and would happily escort them back to Pyongyang or leave them vehicles for their own use to return.

  The head of the Chinese delegation, Wyun Hi Lee, had quickly determined what the Mossad operation was about. Philosophically, he supported any attempt to cut down Kim’s nuclear ambitions. As part of his directive from Beijing, he had been asked to identify any ways that the Chinese could either abort or at least quietly delay the program.

  Tron Duc and the Mossad offered Lee and his colleagues transit out of North Korea if they so wished. Lee accepted the offer and his group accompanied the Israelis to the coast, where they were to catch up with the other teams charged with disabling and destroying Yeongjeo-ri and Yongdeok. The team whose mission was Musudan-ri would exfiltrate to the East Coast and await a rendezvous with a fishing trawler supported by the South Koreans.

  Early in the morning that Yongbyon was hosting its “Chinese” delegation, a second team gained access to the Yeongjeo-ri research centre posing as a high-level security inspection team. Led by a Mossad officer, Lin Pho Duc, who had conducted many classified missions to countries unfriendly to the State of Israel, the team arrived unannounced in two S-Class Mercedes sedans. The NIS had liberated the cars from a hotel parking garage in Pyongyang.

  The first indication the facility managers had that they were in some serious trouble was when they were alerted to the arrival of the sedans. These were the preferred ride of the top leadership of North Korea, a rare sight anywhere. When they did show up, the people they came to see were almost always brutalized.

  The facility director, Dr. Hook Lee Dong, and his chief technology officer, Dr. Ban Jee Noon, were transfixed watching the sedans arrive and disgorge four senior military officers and four state security men.

  Both Dong and Noon hurried down to the main reception lobby to greet their surprise visitors. Both men were civilian scientists, deathly afraid of the military and the Kim regime.

  Once they were admitted to the main entrance of the facility, leaving one lower-ranked soldier at each car as a driver and guard, Lin Pho Duc began shouting orders to the submissive officials. Lin was well-built, and when he wore an angry face, he was intimidating. “Who’s in charge here?”

  The portly Dr. Hook stepped forward and introduced himself. “Dr. Hook Lee Dong, I am the general manager of this research centre.” He was shaking and sweating before who he thought were high-level North Korean state security officers.

  Addressing Dr. Hook, Lin frightened the assembled scientists even more. “We are here to examine your security. Our informants within the US and the traitorous regime to the South tell us that your security is lax and has been compromised, mignuk nom! (American bastard).”

  Dr. Hook quailed at this worst of insults.

  “Secrets from this facility are, as we speak, being evaluated by the warmongers in the US. The Dear Leader is most infuriated that this should happen, and you all know the results if indeed this is true. Dr. Hook, take me to your offices so we can immediately conduct a review of your documentation and computers. Anyone trying to hide or change anything will be taken to the courtyard and immediately shot!”

  Lin then put Lee in an arm-bar and shoved him to the main offices.

  Dr. Hook and his team were terrified. They immediately shot looks of rage at Captain Do Ro Lik, who was the NK Army intelligence officer overseeing security at the centre. Lik was shaking and almost in tears as he contemplated his fate if any security breach was discovered. Uppermost on his mind was the fate of his wife and two sons, his parents and grandparents, and his wife’s parents. If the Dear Leader was made aware of any transgression, he would be summarily executed by being thrown to a pack of wild, starving dogs while his extended family would be forced to watch. Then after his barbaric execution, they would disappear into a forced labour camp until they died of malnutrition, multiple daily rapes, and frequent brutal beatings from the camp guards. Captain Lik felt like throwing up.

  Lin had his team interrogate computer and equipment operators at random. This was done imitating North Korean senior officials who always intimidated the unfortunate people with much shouting and threats. As Lin bullied his way around the centre, his associates were following him and further terrorizing the civilian personnel.

  Lin and his team worked their way around the facility constantly prodding Dr. Hook forward to all the areas they wanted to observe. Lik trailed abjectly behind. At every station where the Mossad team halted and perused the documentation or programs, Captain Lik almost lost control of his bladder and bowels.

  As they circulated and created chaos in their search for phantom security breaches, Lin’s team deployed the ultrasonic destruction devices on any piece of equipment they identified as critical to the facility. These were synchronized to detonate at the same time as those in the Yongbyon facilities, when a specifically designated satellite would pass over North Korea and activate the devices after the teams had managed their exfiltration to the sea.

  After they completed their phony inspection, Lin and his associates called Dr. Hook and his team to a meeting in the main conference room. He had Dr. Hook and his team sit and then he addressed them, shouting and gesticulating in a frenzy. “This facility is a leaky bucket! You are all suspect of providing secrets to the enemies of the Dear Leader. Captain Lik, your security is far from perfect and we will outline this in our report. Rest assured, a full team from State Security will be here tomorrow morning to conduct a more detailed investigation based on our initial findings. You are all to stay here tonight. No one goes home. State Security will be here at 0700 sharp to interview you all again.”

  Lin then summoned a captain from the North Korean militia who was in charge of security details and instructed him to ensure that Dr. Hook’s executive team did not leave or communicate with anyone outside the facility before State Security arrived in the morning.

  Turning on his heel, he marched out of the room. His bootheels clicked like gunshots on the tiled floor. The noise was even more noticeable since there was not a sound out of the stunned and terrorized personnel in the conference room. They looked around at each other in wide-eyed silence, each contemplating if they had inadvertently caused a security leak. They were all resigned to a night of terror and stress such as they had never experienced before, and each feared imminent execution. The mere contemplation of a full-on investigation by State Security was enough to cause nervous breakdowns.

  Little did they know that State Security would be swarming all over the facility in the morning, but for a very different reason. Some hours after the Israeli impersonators had departed, the devices they had placed activated and destroyed all the memory and files in the centre’s mainframe. Dr. Hook and his technicians had no choice other than to report the disastrous effects to Pyongyang.

  CHAPTER 53

  Tehran, 0430 hrs

  As Ari and Sarah were coordinating their exfil, the air above Tehran was shattered by Israeli fighter jets screaming over their targets. Colonel Lieberman in the lead F-16I swept in low over the Basij headquarters and fired two Hellfire missiles into the top floor. His wingman, Lieutenant Ben Weizmann, followed behind Lieberman and strafed the parking lot with the Gatling cannon where hundreds of militiamen were scrambling, panic-stricken, to mount their motorcycles and spread out through the city to control the ordinary citizens.

  Two more F-16I jets piloted by Lieutenant Daran Majofski and Lieutenant Mendel (Mendy) Wolfing successfully destroyed over fifty trucks and APC vehicles at the IRGC headquarters, which was already on fire from the earlier attacks by Ari’s teams. Other F-16I jets sought out targets of opportunity at all the IRGC defences.

  Sarah and her group, having achieved mission success by capturing the leadership of the Basij, pulled back and took up defensive positions to prevent any of the Basij from leaving the compound. S
arah’s commandos, code-named Sparrows, had stormed from the trucks after they crashed through the gates and raced fifty feet for the entrance of the building, just as they had practised at Rosh Pinah. During the drive from the warehouse, Sarah and her squad had been mostly silent, dealing with their individual thoughts of armed conflict in a foreign country. Sarah mouth was dry, and every nerve was taut as a bow. She was keenly aware of the consequences once they exited the truck. Looking to her right, she tentatively smiled at Sergeant Alli Landa, her second in command and whispered, “Alli, we’ve got this.”

  “Piece of cake,” grinned Alli. Their orders were to shoot any enemy who tried to stop them.

  The whole squad tensed as they felt the truck shift down and sharply change direction to accelerate for the gates. All were locked and loaded, checking their weapons for the umpteenth time as the four GAZ-modified armoured trucks drew level with the main gates. The driver of the lead truck with Sarah riding in back made a sharp turn to the left and mashed the gas pedal. By the time the truck had covered the hundred yards to the gates, it was gaining speed and crashed through the wrought iron gates at over twenty-five miles per hour. The four gate guards were crushed under the wheels of the massive trucks. As they burst through and came to a halt, the commandos leaped out of the rear bed and raced for the building. The element of surprise was on Sarah’s side and within fifteen seconds, the special forces were out of the trucks. Sarah was shouting, “Go, go, go!”