“Give us two more minutes and we’ll be done with the railroad bridge, sir. We’ll have to do the measurements on the highway bridge from site two.”
Before Rhee could acknowledge the report, Little interrupted with a whispered, “What the hell is that?”
“Where?” shot back Rhee.
“Straight across the river. Just up the hill from the construction site, on the shoreline.”
Rhee quickly repositioned his night vision binoculars and saw two, then four very bright heat sources. They were moving slowly down the hill. When he lowered the binoculars, he could see them as well — bright pinpoints that left afterimages. “Flares?” he murmured incredulously.
“That’s what they look like to me, too. But why would anyone want to use flares, especially after a large battle?”
“Perhaps because they want to be seen,” Rhee remarked dryly.
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Obviously, Colonel. But why do they want to be seen?”
Rhee shrugged; he didn’t have a good answer for that. Both men watched the bright orbs as they moved steadily toward the shoreline.
“It looks like they’re headed down to the river,” observed Kevin.
Suddenly, his radio headset crackled to life. “X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, this is Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven. UAV holds multiple contacts approaching the shore of Yanggak Island. Contacts appear to be heading for the dock. Over.”
“Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven, this is X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, we have a visual on contacts as well. Do you have an estimate on their numbers? Over.”
Rhee motioned for the portable display; he wanted to see the UAV video feed himself.
“Can’t tell for certain. The contacts appear to be using flares. They’re partially blinding the UAV’s IR sensor. Estimate six to eight individuals.”
Rhee and Kevin looked at the small screen. Shimmering balls of light filled the display. Fleeting images, no more than shadows, were obviously people, but it was impossible to see how many.
One thing was certain: the procession was heading for the makeshift pier used by the construction company. A small motorboat was tied to the dock.
When the group carrying the flares finally reached the dock, two of the lights appeared to get on the boat, while the other two stayed put and started waving in the air. Rhee watched as the boat pulled away from the dock, swung its bow around, and headed toward the south bank — toward them. Puzzled, Little looked over to see his friend was just as confused. What they were seeing just didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Rhee shook his head and keyed his mike. “Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven, this is X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One. The boat has left the dock and is moving toward the south bank. Can you give me an estimated landing position?”
“X-Ray Two Romeo Zero One, this is Alpha Three Sierra Two Seven. Our best guess is that it is heading to the concrete plant — one hundred eighty meters to your southwest.”
“Roger. Inform General Kwon we are moving to intercept,” announced Rhee as he signaled his men. They had already packed up the rangefinder and laptop and were ready to move out. “Gentlemen, it looks like we’ll be having visitors. We don’t know their intent, but it’s clear they want us to see them. Therefore, we will exercise restraint. Do not fire unless you see a clear and immediate danger to the team, understood?”
“Yes, sir!” they responded.
“All right then, let’s go see what this is all about.”
Tae emerged from the wrecked administrative building with Major Ryeon at his side; four Reconnaissance Bureau soldiers followed close behind them. Each of the special operations commandos held an emergency signal flare high in the air. As they marched across the courtyard, General Tae got his first close look at the ruined Yanggakdo Stadium some fifty meters to his left. In the growing light, he could see that it had been completely devastated by ROK and American artillery. He had to respect the enemy’s capabilities; he was also pleased that his assessment had been correct. His rather unusual orders had saved the lives of many of his rocket artillery troops. Tae’s demonstrated concern for his men’s well-being had rippled through the ranks like wildfire. His behavior was unlike any North Korean general, and because of that, he enjoyed the soldiers’ complete loyalty. Should his plan succeed, he would need it.
Taking up a diamond formation with Tae and Ryeon in the middle, the six men headed down to a dock and a small motorboat. Uneasy with being out in the open, Ryeon fidgeted as they walked, constantly looking skyward.
“Calm yourself, Major,” admonished Tae. “I’m quite certain their unmanned vehicles saw us the moment we left the building. If they wanted us dead, we wouldn’t have gotten ten meters.”
“Yes, Comrade General,” mumbled an unconvinced Ryeon. The young major was still struggling with his general’s unorthodox tactics. They deviated from everything Ryeon had been taught. When the general described how they would use flares during their walk to the construction dock, Ryeon briefly considered that his superior had lost his mind.
Tae chuckled at his aide’s discomfort. The general shared his aide’s uneasy feelings — the older man just hid them better. “I understand your misgivings, Ryeon Jae-gon, but by using the flares, we make our presence and movements, how should I say it, blindingly obvious? The Americans call this kind of behavior ‘over the top,’ and it should make them curious. I fully expect to be met after we cross the river.”
“My apologies, General,” Ryeon replied sheepishly. “I confess that I’m still having difficulties adjusting to our current situation.”
The general burst out laughing. “So am I, Major, so am I. But the world has changed, and either we accept that change and adapt, or we die.”
The two men walked the rest of the way to the dock in silence. Ryeon kept looking skyward in a vain attempt to spot a loitering UAV, just in case Tae was wrong.
Once they reached the boat, Tae, Ryeon, and two of the commandos boarded. A Reconnaissance Bureau soldier untied the line, and the boat slowly pulled away from the dock. As an added precaution, Tae ordered the two soldiers on the dock to begin waving their flares — just in case the Americans had somehow missed them earlier. The boat swung around and began its short journey to the concrete plant dock on the south side of the Taedong River. The general insisted the boat proceed slowly, again to make it clear this wasn’t a raid of some sort. He scanned the area by the concrete plant with his binoculars. He didn’t see anyone, not that he expected to. His reception committee would remain hidden until the very last moment. At least, that’s what he would do in their place.
As the motorboat made its way to the other shore, Tae went over in his mind what he would say once his party was confronted. He kept reminding himself there could be no provocative statements, no threats — just simple facts, delivered professionally.
Initially, Tae thought he and Ryeon should be in their dress uniforms. But upon further reflection, he decided that wouldn’t be appropriate. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was no more, thus the uniform had no basis and its presence would only serve as an irritant to the South Koreans and Americans. No, he and his aide would wear their combat fatigues. Even though the uniforms were soiled with dirt and sweat, their best chance at a truce demanded the meeting be between soldiers. A shiny political ornament would be completely out of place.
The engine throttled back and the boat coasted the last few meters, bumping up gently against the dock’s pilings. One of the commandos threw his flare into the river, jumped on to the dock, and secured the line to the bow. The second commando followed, looped the stern line around a cleat, and then assisted Tae out of the small craft. Once all four men were on the dock, the Reconnaissance Bureau soldiers assumed a protective position in front of the general, weapons raised.