She caught a little gasp and then steadied. Everything as usual. Ordinary. Just another day with Kim coming home late. Keep it simple and natural. Like every other day. All she had to do now was hold it together for two or three days. Really? Could it be that soon?
It could be. She set her jaw and checked on the girls. Yes, it was now or probably never.
Vivian didn’t know how she made it through the rest of the day and the evening. But then it was almost nine o’clock. The girls were in bed reading. She was reading in the living room. Then the car drove in and she heard the garage door close and steps in the back hallway. It took all of her resolve to keep reading until Kim slipped in and kissed her on the side of the neck.
“Your hero is home. Did you miss me?”
“Manpo?” she whispered the question.
He tilted up her face and kissed her. Then grinned. His voice too was low. “Someone came?”
She nodded.
“God, I wasn’t here. Where are they?”
“Third floor probably going crazy. Yon Lee had a headache. I sent her to her room. Is Manpo there by now?”
“He should be. I’ll check with him to be sure he locked the garage.”
Dr. Kim Sung was back in twenty seconds. She handed him the key to the room that had been in her hand all day.
She whispered again. “His name is Lieutenant Hunter. Two men with him. They are Navy SEALs. Go talk.”
For a moment Dr. Sung sat down beside his wife on the sofa.
“Been waiting so damn long,” he said softly. “Now that it could almost be here, my knees are shaking.”
“Prove to them who we are, who you are. He has a radio he can use on the second floor out a window. Go see him.”
Dr. Sung had slipped off his shoes the minute he came in the house. He stood. He would make no noise on the stairs. He went up them quickly and knocked softly on the door. He heard a key in the lock, and then the door edged open. He saw a big hand gun aimed at his heart, and then a face showed.
“Lieutenant Hunter? I’m Dr. Kim Suk Sung. I believe you wished to see me.”
Hunter snapped on the room lights and opened the door. He put away the Glock and held out his right hand.
“Good to meet you, Dr. Sung. We’re still in a quiet mode?”
“Yes.”
They sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I’m so relieved that you came. Evidently my badminton player got through to the FBI. Good. How can I prove who I am?”
“Who is Johnny Carson?”
Sung smiled. “The best late night talk show host ever. I used to listen to his old telecasts when I was in school. What a treat.”
“What are the three most vial components of a nuclear bomb?”
The scientist rattled them off in rapid order. Hunter listened and nodded as if he knew what the words meant. He didn’t.
“Where are the two finished bombs being stored?”
“The first one went up north a hundred miles to Kanggye. It is in a deep coal mine where even if it went off would not endanger anyone.”
“The second one?”
“They took it over to the coast near the Sea of Japan at Kilchu. There it is housed in a deep vault of concrete and steel.”
“The manufacturing plant for these bombs?”
“Close by, less than an hour’s drive north and east into the mountains. A small community has been built from empty fields. The plant itself, and housing for the engineers and worker are all new. About five hundred people live nearby and work at the plant.”
“So many people?”
“We had fifty engineers working on one small problem. There were many problems, set backs and small victories.”
Hunter looked at the two SEALs who had been watching and listening.
“Dr. Sung, this is Tran and Chang, Navy SEALs. Both men nodded at Sung. “Okay, you’ve just passed muster. I need to use that empty room on the second floor to make a radio call. Then you and I will sit down and figure out how we can get your twelve member family out of here.”
The radio call went quickly, Hunter told Quinn the extraction was a go. They just had to figure out where and when. Back safely in the third floor room with the door locked, they got down to cases.
“We’d like to get you out of here as quickly as possible. Your wife mentioned a friend had a vacation house on the bay. Could you arrange to get your family all there?”
The scientist thought about it a moment. “Yes. I’ve told them at the plant that I must take a month off for complete relaxation. So I’m on leave right now. My two brothers and their families, eight of them
Will need to come there as well.”
“Could we do it tomorrow night? Can you phone your brothers?”
“Phone them, yes. Tomorrow night. Probably not. They will need to get off their jobs and drive their families…”
“Bring nothing, not even one bag. We don’t have room in the helicopter. Just your stash of cash and yourselves.”
“I can’t tell them that over the phone. I’ll tell them that I want a family vacation at the beach. I’ll tell them that tonight, then tomorrow I’ll drive to see each of them. They don’t live far. Yes, when I explain why we all must go, they will understand.
“Go with you or die seems to be the alternative,” Hunter said.
“Sadly, that is the state of this nation. Yes, it should work. They can come anytime after dark tomorrow.”
“We would fly in after dark. Just where is this vacation house?”
“About ten miles north of Hwajil-Il. You may have seen the lights of this town as you came on shore.”
“We saw the lights and went around the town. That can’t be more than maybe twenty five miles from here.”
“Yes, maybe a little more. Good roads. An hour’s drive.”
“Good. Can you call your friends and get their approval for you to use the house? We hope they weren’t planning on going there.”
“No, they won’t. They are old and should sell the place.”
“Good. Call now before it’s too late. Then call your brothers.
My men and I want to get out of here. We’ll fade away into that little hill behind the street that is covered with trees. We can hide there until it’s time to go. All we’ll need is some food and water. One of us will come back tomorrow noon to make final arrangements.”
They both looked at each other.
“So fast. So fast. Will this work?”
Hunter touched the man’s shoulder. “Yes, it will work. If you can get your brothers and their families and yours there tomorrow just after dark it will work.”
“What do we do with our household help?”
“Take them with you. Tell them you need them to keep the house and fix the meals. They should enjoy a week at the beach.”
“Then when we leave in the chopper?”
“We will tie them up and leave them there. Someone will find them before any harm comes to them.”
“Yes. Good. Let’s go get you some more food, and then I’ll make the phone calls. You’ll wait for me to get clearance from my friends before you go to the hills.”
Hunter nodded. “We can do that.”
A half hour later the beach house was cleared for their use and the SEALs went out the back door of the Sung house and over the back fence, each with a box filled with food enough to last them the next day. Hunter grinned as they hiked through the thick brush and trees up the hill.
“So far, so good,” Hunter said. “When we get to a good hiding place up here, we’ll contact Quinn with the good news. At least we have a place. The exact time will come later.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dr. Sung stared at the telephone. He had already called the owners of the beach house. Yes, they could use it for a few days. Now he had to call his two brothers, but how could he do it without arousing suspicion by the police he knew were tapping his phone? He snapped his fingers. The boat. He dialed the first number and his oldest brot
her came on the line.
“Hey, Soc Ho. How is it going?”
“Late to be calling. What’s the problem?”
“No problem. Want to get working on that sailboat we have partly done in the garage. Need to set up a time to get together.”
“Not sure, work is busy right now.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow morning at your shop and talk about it. I’m getting an itch to sail on that little craft.”
They talked some more then hung up. He called his other brother Youg Tae and had almost the same conversation. All three of them were in on the boat building, so the secret police shouldn’t be upset. They might not want to come with him at first, but when he pointed out that they would be shot simply because they were family of a traitor if they stayed, they would agree. All three would draw down their bank accounts and get cash, but not close them out. The police would not hear about that in a day. Then it would be best to drive singly to the each house tomorrow just after dark. He didn’t want to put off the escape any longer than that.
The next day his talk with his older brother became heated. Soc Ho simply didn’t want to go. He was an expert mechanic who had a small auto repair shop of his own. Dr. Sung had told him they would set him up with a shop in America. The final argument was that he and his family would all be killed if they didn’t come. Soc Ho reluctantly agreed.
His younger brother jumped at the chance to get away. He was a writer who had not found much success. He said he would go draw down on his bank account and go home as sick, and be ready. He was told to drive to the beach house late that afternoon.
Dr. Sung got home about 9:30 that morning. How could he contact the SEALs? He grinned and went inside and found his binoculars, a little six by thirty pair. He would go bird watching. He walked down to the gate and told the guard where he was going, and then angled into the woods in the direction that the SEALs must have taken.
It took him a half hour to contact them on the small hill covered with trees and brush. Then it was the SEALs who found him. Tran came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and yelled in surprise.
“You scared me,” Dr. Sung said.
“Better me than the secret police,” Tran said. “We’re just up the hill a ways. We hope you have good news.”
Dr. Sung told Hunter and the others about his talks with his brothers.
“They will be moving to the beach house late this afternoon just before it gets dark,” Dr. Sung said.
“Good,” Hunter said. He checked his watch. “It’s almost one o’clock. I better get on the radio and see if Quinn can get the Navy in gear. We could schedule a midnight pickup. That gives them eleven hours.”
Hunter took the SATCOM from his pack, set up the fold out antenna and adjusted it until it picked up a satellite. Then he pushed the send button.
“Quinntown, this is Wanderlust.”
There was no response. He sent the message again and this time the speaker came alive.
“Yes, Wanderlust, we have you. Progress?”
“We’re set here. Suggest today at twenty three forty-five for pickup. Does that work?”
“We can do that. Actually we’re at sea about fifty miles from our target. Plenty of time. One chopper at near midnight. We’ll need a GPS target as soon as you’re on site.”
“Wilco. See you then.”
Dr. Sung frowned. “That wasn’t in code or anything. What if the Secret Police were listening?”
“The transmissions were condensed into a hundredth of a second bursts. They also are encrypted automatically before they are sent, so they would sound like gibberish for any receiver that didn’t have this particular encrypter to decode them.”
“Good. Now I better be getting back. I’ve been thinking how to get you three to the beach house. Best will be for you to use my second car. The state furnishes the big one. I have another small one that Vivian drives. I’ll send her out in the car just before dark. She’ll pick you up a block down the street from the guard and drive to the beach house. She knows the way. I’ll follow with the girls and our hired help an hour later. I’ll tell the guard we’re off on a vacation.”
“Sounds good,” Hunter said. “We’ll meet your wife about a block down from the guard shack.”
They shook hands and the scientist took a deep breath. “I’ve dreamed of doing this for so long, I can’t believe that it’s almost ready to happen.”
“It is, Dr. Sung, it is. Well see you at the beach house.”
The SEALs watched the Korean-American hiking down through the trees and brush, saw him walk through the gate and relaxed.
“Now, all we have to do is eat and sleep and get ready to meet Mrs. Sung just after dark.” Hunter said. “I’ve got first guard duty, you guys sack out.”
Just before dark, the three SEALs worked their way silently down the hill and a block along the street that led up to the gated community. There was only one house along the route and they avoided it. They settled down in the near darkness just off the street in some trees and waited.
In the next few minutes three cars went inside past the guard and two came out. Neither one coming out even slowed down. The third one did slow and then stop. Vivian Sung got out of the car and looked into the side of the road.
“Mrs. Sung?” Tran called softly.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
They slipped into the small car, and Mrs. Sung laughed with a nervous ring.
“I’m so frightened that I almost threw up before I left. I’m not used to this cloak and dagger type thing. At least I know the roads and how to get there. We go down this next road to highway twelve and then cut through to the coast highway. It won’t take us a half hour. If everything goes right.”
It all went right until they were five miles from the beach house.
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Sung said. “It looks like a road block ahead. I know they do this now and then, but I’ve never been stopped before.”
“Just tell them you’re going with some of your cousins to a family reunion,” Tran said. “If they don’t believe you, we’ll take care of the problem.”
When she stopped the car in front of the military sedan that sat cross wise in the road, two soldiers came up. Both had rifles. One came on each side of the car.
“I’ve got the right,” Hunter whispered.
“I’ve got the left,” Chang said softly.
The soldier on the driver’s side stared into the car and shone his flashlight beam inside.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To our beach house about five miles ahead. A vacation.”
“Four of you?”
“Our whole family. These are cousins.”
“You’re not Korean.”
“No, I’m the wife of Dr. Kim Suk Sung, the scientist.”
“Never heard of him. All of you get out of the car.”
Hunter stepped out of the four door sedan on the passenger’s side. He brought up his Glock and shot the soldier on that side in the heart and the man fell. At almost the same time Chang fired two rounds into the soldier on the driver’s side. The SEALs dragged the bodies off the highway into weeds at the side. Tran had checked out the army sedan. The keys were in the ignition. He started the engine and drove the car down the highway to a cross road and parked it well out of sight down the road.
Vivian Sung leaned out the driver’s side door and threw up. She shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. Chang helped her into the car on the passenger’s side.
“Mrs. Sung, I’m sorry you had to see what just happened,” Hunter said. “There was no way around it. We have no identity papers. They would have shot us in a second.”
She wiped tears away. “I know, I know. It’s just that, well, I’ve never seen anyone killed before. Sorry. I know you had to do it. I’ll be all right in a minute.”
“Mrs. Sung. I’ll drive. You tell me where to go.”
They arrived at the beach house and parked in back. They were the first
ones there and the house was dark. They stayed in the back yard that fronted on the coast. There was a hundred feet of soft sand between them and the gentle waves of Korea Bay.
Hunter took out the GPS (Global Positioning System) and took a reading on their exact location. Tran set up the SATCOM on a picnic table and positioned the antenna on the satellite. A moment later Hunter called Quinn and sent him the coordinates. They repeated them twice, and then Hunter looked at the GPS and double checked the coordinates.
“Got it, Wandering Men. We’ve been at sea and should be in position to launch birds in two hours. See you on the tin can shortly.”
“Quinntown. Small change of plans. We’ll be coming out with the Sungs. Next target is a hundred miles north. We’ll go in with the rest of the platoon. Out.”
It was 1845. They waited for the rest of the family to arrive.
By 2200 all twelve of the Sung family were on hand. As soon as Dr. Sung arrived with his daughters and the hired help, Hunter and his SEALs grabbed the two North Koreans servants and put gags in their mouths, then tied them hand and foot. They stashed the two where someone would see them come daylight. They didn’t open the house or turn on any lights. They sat on two picnic tables in the back yard and waited. The two brothers and their wives each had two children.
“Are we going to overload the SH-60?” Tran asked.
“Not with six kids. Some of them don’t weigh fifty pounds,” Chang said. “We’re in good shape. Now all that has to happen is that they get here.”
The SATCOM came on again.
“Wandering?”
“Yep, sound off.”
“Approaching the eighteen mile mark directly off shore. Can we launch now with an ETA your sand at twenty-two thirty-five?”
“Sooner the better.”
“Roger that, Watch for us.”
A half hour later, Tran heard the chopper coming in before anyone else.
“We’ve got one big bird coming in from the wet,” Tran said.
Dr. Sung lined up the families. He gave them instructions.
North Korean Blowup Page 7
