“What are her views regarding our forces based in South Korea?”
White smiled. “This is where things get really good. She is very vocal in her support of our alliance. She has stated several times in the past that she sees re-unification with the North as inevitable. However, unlike the late Shin Seong-il, she sees it as a gradual process. Her biggest fear is that a hasty reunification with the North could cripple South Korea’s fragile economy.”
Kempt nodded. It was welcome news. “When do you think this will be made public?”
“My sources tell me that Mrs. Kim is already en route to the Central Government Complex in Seoul to be sworn in as the new interim president. I suspect that CNN and all the other major news agencies will get wind of this in the next few minutes.”
“Okay then, this is how I want things to go down from our end. The instant that Mrs. Kim is sworn in I want our ambassador to pay her a visit and pledge our support to her administration. Secondly, I want you on the next flight to Seoul. Mrs. Kim needs to know that I take her ascension to the position of interim president of one of our closest allies as a positive step.”
“Very good, Mister President. What of our naval forces? Shall we recall them?”
“No, for now let’s leave them in place. I want the North and anyone else for that matter to see that we still have the ability to support our allies at a moment’s notice.”
With that, White left the Oval Office to prepare himself for his trip to South Korea.
Sitting back in his chair, President Kempt looked down at pile of paperwork on his desk. Reluctantly, he realized that the files weren’t going anywhere until he read them. He reached down and picked up the first file. He saw it was a briefing note on the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Sudan. Shaking his head, he wondered if a single day could go by without some tragedy in the world being brought to his attention. With a resigned shrug, he knew it was foolish to think like that. He picked up his pen and began to jot down questions he would want answered by the end of the day on what the global community could do to help avert another calamity.
On the other side of the world, General Pak sat at his desk, refusing to believe what he had just been told. He clenched his hands tight until his knuckles blanched. Pak took a deep breath and then fixed his steely gaze on General Lee, the commander of North Korea’s one-million-strong army.
“Sir, we have to face the fact that Operation Long Sword has failed,” said Lee calmly. “Without Shin Seong-il in place your plan will go nowhere.”
Pak gritted his teeth. Decades of careful planning had evaporated. “Who will replace him?”
“A pro-American school teacher,” replied Lee contemptuously.
“This is unbelievable. I cannot believe that he died of a heart attack. He must have been murdered by the CIA.”
“Sir, be that as it may, Shin Seong-il is dead. We must abandon Long Sword. You said so yourself, we no longer possess the resources to wage war. If Colonel Hwan detonates any of the tectonic devices on American soil, the repercussions will be catastrophic. You must recall him immediately and order the elimination of Gabriel Cypher, and anyone connected to the operation.”
Pak sat in his chair, fuming that the one chance he had to bring all of Korea under his control was slipping through his fingers like granules of sand through an hourglass.
“Sir, your orders?” pushed Lee.
“Order our forces back from the border and have Hwan abandon the operation. I want Cypher killed, and the tectonic devices brought to back North Korea immediately. We cannot afford to allow even one of them to fall into the hands of the Imperialists.”
“Very good, sir,” said Lee. He came to attention smartly saluted Pak, turned about, and left the office. He quickly walked down the long hallway to pass on the necessary orders, Lee knew that Pak was an old man and would probably not live more than a couple more years. In an instant, he made up his mind. Lee decided to talk with the other officers on the general staff as soon as possible. A younger successor would need to be identified to allow for a future transition of power. With a sly grin on his face, Lee knew exactly who he wanted to be North Korea’s next leader; it was now just a question of getting his peers to support him. Those that didn’t would soon disappear, and new, more amicable leadership would take their place.
43
The mood in the back of the Gulfstream jet was tense.
Flying at just over nine hundred kilometers an hour over the blue-green waters of the Pacific Ocean, the plane, one of a dozen belonging to the Satomi Corporation, was heading to a small airport on the outskirts of Beaumont, Texas. It was there that Mitchell and his team would be met and taken to where Cypher was holding Daniel.
The interior of the Gulfstream jet was far more luxurious than any commercial airline’s first-class cabin. At the back of the cabin, Mitchell, Jackson, Yuri, Atsuko, and her father all sat around a jet-black-painted table. On the table was a secure laptop with an open line to General O’Reilly.
On the split screen, Mitchell could see his boss and Mike Donaldson, neither of whom looked very comfortable after he had briefed them on what Cypher was planning to do to the Big Hills Petroleum Reserve.
“Ryan, you know that I have a responsibility to warn Homeland Security,” said O’Reilly. “A threat of this magnitude cannot be ignored.”
“Sir, these people have my son,” said Jackson, his voice cracking. “If you alert the authorities, they’ll kill him.”
“You don’t know that for certain.”
“General, it is clear to me that they intend to kill anyone who may be able to tie the planned destruction of Big Hill to Cypher and his people,” said Mitchell. “The only reason Cypher is willing to trade Daniel for Atsuko is so he can kill her. Once the trade is done, I have no doubt that he’ll try to kill us as well.”
“Sir, you have to give us some time to try to rescue Daniel,” pleaded Jackson. “He’s my only child. General, please, you have to give us a chance to help him.”
O’Reilly nervously bit his lip. He wanted to give his people the time to mount a rescue attempt, but he couldn’t ignore the big picture either. He was torn. His unswerving loyalty to his people was eating at him. If he failed to act on time thousands could die, and an ecological disaster could hit Texas.
Mitchell leaned forward. “Sir, I know that this is probably the hardest decision you’ve had to make since leaving the army, but hear me out. We land at thirteen hundred hours local. If you warn Homeland Security at precisely the same time, it will take them some time to mount an effective response. We can use that time to rescue Daniel and do what we can to derail Cypher’s plan.”
“General, considering that we don’t know precisely where he intends to set off his device, Ryan’s proposal has some merit,” said Donaldson. “We can track them using the GPS devices in their phones. Once we know exactly where the device is we can help guide the authorities to their location.”
O’Reilly took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. “Okay, Ryan, you’ve bought yourself some wiggle room. Don’t be late by even one millisecond. At exactly one second past thirteen hundred hours, I’m on the phone with Homeland Security.”
“Thanks, sir,” said Jackson, looking as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his chest.
“You might as well brief me on your plan, Ryan, as I know you’ve already thought of one,” said O’Reilly.
For the next few minutes, Mitchell outlined his plan. When he was done, O’Reilly and Donaldson sat there, staring at the screen and saying nothing. It was a plan born of desperation. It would either work or not. There was no way for them to influence what was about to happen from their offices three thousand kilometers away.
“Okay then, we all have to wait until thirteen hundred hours,” said O’Reilly.
“Good luck,” said Donaldson.
“Talk to you in a few hours, General,” said Mitchell as he ended the teleconference.
Sitting back in his chair, Mitchell looked over at Yuri and Jackson. “So what do you think of my plan?”
Yuri shrugged and said nothing. He trusted his friend, and if that was what he thought would work, he intended to back him all the way.
“It’s not the worst you’ve ever had,” said Jackson. “If it can get my boy out alive, then I’m all for it.”
With a look of fear in his eyes, Taro Satomi reached over and placed a hand over his daughter’s left hand. “This is a very risky plan. Are you sure you wish to go through with it?”
Meekly nodding, Atsuko looked into her father’s pained eyes. “Father, I have allowed myself to become embroiled in this nightmare. I will not have the blood of an innocent child on my hands. I will do what I must.”
With that, the cabin grew silent, each person lost in their thoughts. In a few hours, they would either have Daniel free and on his way home, or they would all be dead.