“What do you think you’re doing?” Tak demanded angrily, and Rhee explained about the transmitter and how it would help guide the missiles.
The explanation only made the North Korean angrier. “Your aircraft are spying on our country. You are sending missiles to destroy our bridges. When will you leave us alone?”
Rhee tried to stay calm. He also had leftover adrenaline from the battle. “Should we have let the Chinese kill you?”
Ban walked up and reported, “Sir, I’ve treated them, both bullet wounds. They need to be evacuated, but they should be all right once they’re in hospital.” Turning to the captain, he added, “There are five others, already dead. I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything for them.”
Tak acknowledged the report with a nod. “We just wanted to be left alone,” he said sadly, but his anger flashed again. “You’ve destroyed my country, and now the Chinese are jumping in to help finish us off. We won’t go down quietly!”
The remnants of Tak’s force, just four more men, had gathered behind their commander. As opposed to the well-equipped Southerners, the group carried basic AKM assault rifles. Rhee saw one handheld night vision scope. They looked underfed and battered by weeks of combat. Rhee wanted them to lose, but they were still Koreans. There was no joy in winning a civil war.
Rhee checked Oh and Dae’s progress. They had unfolded the transmitter, and were taking readings with a laser rangefinder. They weren’t done yet, but would be soon. There was no time for an extended political discussion, but he had to try.
Rhee spoke to the entire group. “We don’t have to fight anymore. The two factions fighting each other in Pyongyang have stopped and joined with the ROK Army. They’re turning to face the Chinese as a single force. Come back with us. Your wounded will get excellent medical care, and—”
“Desertion!” Tak shouted. “Betrayal!” one of Tak’s men added. Another said, “Surrender? I don’t want to be a prisoner.”
“You will not be prisoners. Wouldn’t you rather fight our common enemy, the Chinese?” Rhee proposed hopefully.
“It’s all lies anyway,” Tak concluded.
“Are the Chinese a lie?” Rhee countered, pointing to the corpses.
“Colonel, the transmitter checks out and is calibrated,” Oh reported. Rhee could see him gesturing with a thumbs-up.
“Dae, send the message,” Rhee ordered, frustrated. At least the original part of his mission was proceeding. A moment later, the corporal said, “Message received. Six and a half minutes.”
But the radio gave him an idea. Rhee said, “Now contact Third Army, and see if we can get in comms with General Tae. He should be at General Sohn’s headquarters.”
Rhee turned back to Tak and his men. “I’m going to get you proof that the North and South have joined forces — there is only one Korea!”
Tak and the others shook their heads, but one of his men asked, “What happened in Pyongyang? We’ve had no word since the city was surrounded.”
By the time Rhee had explained about the ROK’s truce with Tae’s forces in the city, Dae announced, “The headquarters staff is waking General Tae now.”
Rhee checked his watch. The missiles were just under four minutes out. The receiver came alive with static, and then, “This is General Tae Seok-won.”
“Sir, this is Colonel Rhee. We met on the southern bank of the Taedong River a few days ago.”
“The Special Forces brigade commander. I remember you.” The flat statement held a question.
Rhee explained where he was, and who he was with. The general listened quietly, then said, “Let me speak with the captain.”
Rhee passed the handset to the captain. Dae turned up the volume, and Tak held the receiver so everyone could hear. “This is Tae Seok-won of the General Staff.”
Tak’s men recognized the name. Some came to attention. Tak did not, but discipline held enough for him to respond. “Captain Tak Ho-rim, Fifth Reconnaissance Battalion. There is no more General Staff, and my leaders say you are responsible for the fifteenth of August and the war.”
“The General Staff is gone, but there still is a Korea, and it needs to be protected. I have many divisions under my command, and we’re going to stop the Chinese army. What are you fighting for? Your cause is lost. Join us, and fight for your home.”
“You are not the rightful leaders of our country!”
“Kim’s rule is ended. It cannot be restored.”
Tak just shook his head, and gave the handset back to Rhee. After Rhee signed off, Guk announced, “Two minutes.”
Everyone looked toward the bridge, and began taking cover. If a missile missed the bridge at all, it might miss by more than a little bit.
“Dae, signal the helicopter. Give them our location for immediate extraction.” It didn’t matter if the missiles hit or missed. Their job was done, and there was nothing more they could do. And while the sound of small-arms fire might not reach to the troops in the city, the imminent explosions would attract unwelcome visitors to the hill.
Master Sergeant Oh waited near the transmitter, and when he saw Rhee watching, gave another thumbs-up. Everything was working properly.
The laser rangefinders said they were four hundred meters away from the bridge, but he was taking no chances. Rhee was prone, behind cover. Watching through binoculars, he half-expected to see Chinese vehicles approaching the far end.
The first sign of the missiles’ arrival was a roar and fireball at the base of the bridge’s center pier. A second blossomed at almost the same spot half a second later, and quickly looking left down the valley, Rhee spotted four small sparks in a line, moving too fast to follow, each hammering the same spot on the bridge pier.
Each Hyunmyoo missile had a half-ton warhead, and the impact point was on the west side of the bridge, at the base of the center pier. To Rhee it looked not like one explosion, but the same explosion lasting six times as long, blasting and tearing at the concrete, until the span on each side began to sag, and finally collapsed into the river.
Rhee was glad they were so far away. He’d felt the pressure wave from each blast pass over him, and his ears rang with echoes of the explosions.
Oh was already breaking down the transmitter. They’d take it back out with them. Dae reported, “The helicopter’s ETA is fifteen minutes.”
They had to move back down the hill, to flatter ground. Still hopeful, Rhee turned to Tak’s men. There were seven, counting the wounded. “It will be tight, but there’s room for all of you. I promise you will not be imprisoned or punished.” Looking directly at Tak, he asked, “At least let me take your injured men with us. They’ll be in a first-class hospital within an hour.”
After a pause, one of Tak’s men spoke up. “My family is south of the capital, if they’re still alive. I’ll go. I can help carry the wounded.” A second man said, “I’ll go, too.” The remaining two looked at Tak, who said, “I’m staying, but go if you wish,” and they hurried to help the others.
The group organized themselves for the trip, each pair of Northerners carrying a wounded comrade. They stacked their weapons and other gear they wouldn’t need.
Rhee should have been satisfied, but in the face of Tak’s stubbornness, he felt like a failure. He urged, “It’s a new chance for you.”
Everyone looked at Tak expectantly, but he shook his head, and Rhee gave the order to move out. They had a ride to catch. As he turned to leave, Rhee hesitated, and asked, “Why stay?”
Tak answered, “Because I can’t imagine anything else.” The captain turned and slung his rifle, and walked south toward town.