As the team members found chairs to drop into, Alton booted up his laptop and kicked off an analytical routine to search through the North Korean information the virus program embedded in his phishing e-mail had gathered. Once processing appeared on the computer’s screen, Alton turned his eyes back to the team.
Nang wrapped his hands around a steaming cup of tea to ward off the morning chill. “Let’s do a status check. Agent O’Neil, three days ago you and Agent Silva reviewed the perimeter of the Olympic village for security weaknesses. Did you find any?”
“Yes,” replied O’Neil. “Where the northern buildings bump up against the base of the mountains, the fence is less fortified. And the closest guarded checkpoint is nearly a hundred yards away.”
“I wondered about that area,” said David, “but it’s hard to tell from the command center’s schematic.”
O’Neil nodded. “That’s why we needed a visual inspection. Looks like they’re counting on the mountain’s rough terrain to discourage intruders.”
“That’ll only keep out the honest people,” said Mallory. “A determined soldier could be over that fencing in seconds.”
“My thought exactly,” said O’Neil. “And with thick crowds inside the fence and guarded checkpoints being a few hundred yards apart, they could slip over without being spotted.”
Nang turned to Mallory. “Has your financial investigation turned up anything new?”
“I found evidence of one more bearer bond transaction. Pretty much the same as the last one: same amount, but about a week later.”
“Really?” Nang’s eyebrows bunched together in confusion.
“I figure the first one was a down payment,” explained Mallory, “and the second one was made after China delivered the flash drives.”
“I see.” Nang turned to Alton. “We discussed the bug in Silva’s arm last night. Anything new to add?”
“Not about that,” said Alton, “but let me check something else.” He returned his attention to his laptop’s search routine to see if it had finished sifting through the North Korean information. The program had stopped and now displayed a half-dozen summary lines.
His eyes grew wide.
“What is it?” asked Mallory.
Alton exhaled and leaned back in his office chair. “Our theory about the North’s interest in the Olchin Nuclear Power Plant has been confirmed. North Korean troops are on the move. They’ve been spotted in the area of the reactor.”
CHAPTER 33
Alton’s heart pounded in his chest, and not simply due to Nang’s frenetic driving. If the enemy force wasn’t stopped, North Korea would have nuclear weapons in a matter of months.
“How long ‘til we get there?” Alton asked.
“A couple of hours,” said Nang, “according to my GPS.”
“We need to hurry.”
Nang eased the SUV around a curve. “My friend, we are hurrying. But the roads are covered in snow and ice. It won’t help if I skid off into a ditch.”
Alton sighed. “You’re right.” He sat back in the seat, but his pulse continued to race.
David spoke from the back seat. “Okay, Al. Now that we’re on our way, maybe you can finally explain this to me.”
“Explain what?”
“I thought you didn’t have access to the satellite images.”
“I don’t—not directly, at least. South Korean’s NIS agency gets the images, then passes them along to us.”
“So how’d you know about the North Koreans and they didn’t?” asked David.
“It was the virus program, the one I sent to the North Koreans disguised as propaganda. The program sent back thousands of intercepted messages. I ran them through two programs. The first one translated everything to English. The second one, a Kruptos proprietary program, looks for common themes in the information.”
“Common themes?”
“Yes. From all those thousands of pages of intercepted data, the program boils the content down to key ideas. Back in NIS headquarters, I reviewed this summary to see what ideas were popping up consistently. All but one of them were the usual propaganda.”
“And the one that wasn’t?” asked Mallory, who sat next to David.
“Olchin,” said Alton. “Over and over.”
“I thought you said they used code words in their communication.”
“Yes, but one particular message gave us the Rosetta stone we needed: a lieutenant in the army referred to Olchin by name in an e-mail, and his commander—someone named General Kyon—scolded him for using the plant’s actual name. He reminded the underling to use the code words eternal fire.”
Camron, the back seat’s final occupant, snorted. “They always did have a flare for the dramatic.”
“It was the key we needed,” continued Alton. “Once I knew what eternal fire really meant, I directed the program to seek out all references to it. Turns out there are plenty. They still use a lot of code words for other locations and actions, so it’s hard to tell exactly what’s happening. It seemed like there was more than one target, but I can’t be sure.”
“The Olympics?” asked Mallory.
“That would be logical,” said Nang. “We’ve always suspected they may launch multiple attacks.”
“Yep,” said Alton. “So maybe there’s going to be a second attack, but the one thing we can be sure of is the Olchin facility is a target.”
“Does the communication indicate the timing of the attack on Olchin?” asked Mallory.
“That’s the funny thing,” said Alton. “From the messages, it looks like it would have already happened a day or two ago.” He turned to Nang. “There’s been no word of trouble from the plant, has there?”
“None. Perhaps the extra security has slowed down the Northerners’ timetable.”
“That could be,” mused David. “They may need extra time to come up with a plan B for getting inside.”
Alton fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Grey clouds filled the entire expanse of the horizon. A few lonely snowflakes began to drift down.
“We need to warn the plant,” said Alton, “before the North Koreans attack.”
“Already done,” said Nang. “And I requested a company of soldiers to meet us north of the site to help us defend it. In case there’s a North Korean mole inside the plant itself, I didn’t say why we needed the soldiers—just that we needed to rendezvous with them.”
An hour later, the convoy passed the site of the Games and turned onto a southern highway leading to the Olchin plant.
The snowfall picked up, dusting everything in a new layer of powder. Darkening clouds suggested the storm would only grow worse.
Nang spent ten minutes on the phone, coordinating efforts with the Olchin guards. He discontinued the call and spoke without taking his eyes off the treacherous road. “The Olchin contingent will meet us a kilometer north of the main gate.”
“Good,” said Alton. “We certainly don’t have enough people on our team to ward off an attack from the number of enemy soldiers the satellite images suggested.”
Nearly two hours later, the two SUVs pulled to a stop outside a chain-link fence topped with thick coils of razor wire. Inside the compound, nuclear smokestacks rose into the foreboding sky.
Nang pointed to a dirt path leading off to the left. “Our meeting point is a kilometer up that trail. There’s a perimeter road up there that’s cleared on both sides. It’ll provide good visibility of approaching enemy troops.”
Nang inched the SUV forward, trundling his vehicle across a series of ruts and gullies that crisscrossed the washed-out path.
“About my chiropractor…” said David through rattling teeth.
Alton produced a lopsided grin. “You and me both.” He scanned the snow-covered forest on either side of the trail. “We’ve already been surprised once. Perhaps we should dismount before we reach the perimeter road.”
“A wise precaution,” said Nang. “We’re about half-a-kilometer from the road. Sh
all we stop here?”
“Yeah. This will make it easier for your guys at the plant to catch up with us, too.”
Nang pulled the SUV behind a cluster of evergreens. The trailing Ru pulled up behind him. The teammates gathered together, K2 assault rifles slung over their shoulders.
Within minutes, a column of bundled-up soldiers could be seen marching from the direction of the plant. The group of fifty or so men trudged around the path’s ruts with heads down against the ever-increasing snowfall.
The commander reached Nang and saluted.
Alton turned to Nang. “I’m still worried about walking into another ambush. Can you ask the lieutenant if the Olchin guard has sent patrols up to the road?”
Nodding, Nang conversed with the lieutenant in Korean for a moment.
“He says no. They haven’t patrolled outside the fence that surrounds the property. He says he didn’t want to give up the strategic advantage of his well-defended position inside the fence.”
“Can’t argue with that,” said Alton, “but it means we don’t know what’s waiting for us up ahead.” He gazed up the trail but couldn’t make out the perimeter road through the snowfall. “At least they haven’t reached the plant yet. We’d be fighting a whole different battle if that had happened.”
“Agreed,” said Nang. “Now it’s time we advanced. I’ll send Lieutenant Kae and his men in the first wave. We’ll follow behind them.”
“Works for me,” said Camron in a cracked voice. He swallowed and peered into the woods with wide eyes. Somewhat surprisingly, the analyst had agreed to join the rest of the team on this mission. He had donned a flak jacket and helmet but still looked out of place, the realities of tension on the Korean peninsula overwhelming his normal cool reserve.
The company of South Korean soldiers split into four squads. Deploying two on each side of the trail, they advanced through the woods towards the perimeter road. Their countenances betrayed little emotion, yet a heightened sense of vigilance permeated their ranks.
The members of Alton and Nang’s teams fell in behind the squad commanded by Lieutenant Kae himself. They made their way towards the perimeter road, hugging the right side of the rutted trail. In a strange way, the forest’s oppressive silence—broken only by the soft crunch of boots through snow—rattled a person’s nerves more than the noises of combat.
From his trailing position, Alton observed the advance of the South Korean soldiers. They moved with precision, spreading out to cover more ground yet maintaining the overlapping fields of fire so crucial to defending against an enemy attack. They moved silently, billowing puffs of condensed breath the only indication of their presence.
Bit by bit, the perimeter road slid into view, now only a few dozen yards directly ahead. It showed no signs of life besides a scrawny bird hopping from branch to branch on a snow-covered fir.
At the front of his troops, Lieutenant Kae drew to a stop. He gave the halt hand signal and fixed the gloomy woods with a prolonged stare.
“What is it?” Camron asked Nang.
“I don’t know. Perhaps he saw—”
A roar of gunfire overpowered the rest of the sentence. From across the perimeter road, muzzle flashes lit up the dim forest like a swarm of lethal fireflies.
Incoming rounds smashed into nearby tree trunks and whined past Alton’s head. A South Korean soldier to the left of Kae crumpled to the ground with blood spurting from his neck.
All but Camron instinctively jumped for cover behind the nearest tree.
“Move!” shouted Alton, shoving the analyst sideways to the ground. He landed with a thud behind a fallen evergreen.
Alton himself lunged for a towering fir, joining his wife and David behind its protective trunk.
“Déjà vu all over again, huh, Al?” asked David.
Alton shook his head. “For real. At least we’re not outgunned this time. And we have better cover.”
Lieutenant Kae shouted to his troops in his native tongue. His soldiers began pouring return fire into the enemy positions.
Grenades began to detonate on both sides of the perimeter road, sending dirt, debris, and bodies flying. It scarcely seemed possible that in the space of seconds, the snowy scene had transformed from one of serenity into that of chaos and death.
The sound of gunfire and screams from the wounded rolled through the shadowy forest, and the scent of gunpowder provided an acrid counterpoint to the raw pine aroma pouring from splintered trees.
“Al, do we engage?” shouted David above the din.
“Yeah,” said Alton, steeling himself. His raised his voice so all his team could hear over the din. “Ready weapons and prepare to engage. Except Camron—you stay here.”
“Hell, no!” said the analyst, rising to his feet and scurrying to join Alton behind his pine tree. “In five minutes this spot might be behind enemy lines. I know what they do to prisoners.”
Alton shrugged. The man was right.
Nang rushed up. “We need to mass our forces to push the attackers back. If they punch through our line, there’s not enough troops back at the nuclear site to prevent them from penetrating the reactor building itself. Can you and your team help?”
“Of course. If we’re lucky, we’ll find a wounded Northerner we can interrogate.”
“Alton, look,” said Mallory. “The North Koreans. They’re falling back.”
Mallory was right. The right side of the enemy line fired only sporadically now. Dark shapes across the perimeter road could be seen bounding into the distance, heading away from the South Korean battle line and the nuclear plant.
South Korean troops began to give chase, high-stepping through snow drifts and pouring across the road.
“Let’s go!” shouted Nang. He waved forward Chegal and Ru, then led them in a sprint towards the enemy troops. He studied the snow-covered ground for a moment, then glanced back at Alton.
“Don’t let my bad leg slow you down,” shouted Alton through the discomfort of pushing through the rough terrain. “Go ahead. I’ll follow as fast as I can.”
Nang nodded and issued a command in Korean to his soldiers. They raced deeper into the blanketed woods.
The other members of the NSA team also pulled ahead of Alton. They darted from tree to tree. Camron did a respectable job imitating the pattern, but his technique lacked the polish of a trained soldier.
Within moments, Alton caught up with Camron, who had frozen in place with eyes wide open in shock. David and Mallory had stopped to see what was amiss.
Alton could scarcely speak through the lancing pain in his leg. “What is it?”
The analyst pointed to a handgun lying in the snow next to a North Korean body. “That’s a Browning Hi-Power. Only spies and the North Korea’s Storm Corps use those.”
“Spies and who?” asked David.
“The Storm Corps—comparable to our SEALS. Badass to the core. We need to be careful around these guys.”
“Good to know,” said Alton. “Nice work. Now let’s go find them.”
The NSA team continued their advance towards the enemy troops.
Without warning, a cloud of disparate pieces of information coalesced in Alton’s mind. The earlier feeling of unease, the solution at which he had grasped while falling asleep last night disappeared. In their place, recent events crystalized into a distinct picture, like the sudden focusing of a blurry lens.
Mallory had kept pace with her husband and now studied him. “I know that look. Something’s bothering you.”
Alton stopped, his chest heaving with the effort of pushing through snowdrifts.
His breath easing a bit, he faced his wife. “I’ve been wrong…about a lot of things. The North Korean strategy isn’t about attacking Olchin’s nuclear reactor. It’s never been about that.”
CHAPTER 34
Mallory drew to a halt. “What do you mean?”
“No time to explain. You trust me, right?”
“With my life.”
Alton s
tarted forward again. “Follow my lead.” He called out. “Nang—come quick!”
Nang hesitated, then backtracked. Sergeant Chegal and Corporal Ru joined him in the jog. They came to a halt in the crunchy snow. O’Neil and Camron joined the gathering.
On this end of the battle line, the sporadic gunfire had already diminished to a trickle. They no longer had to dive behind trees for cover.
Nang looked anxious to reengage in the fight. “What is it?”
“We need to coordinate our efforts,” said Alton. “What do you recommend for next steps?”
“The trail splits. Some of our troops went northeast, others headed due north. Let’s split into two teams and…” He trailed off as Alton shook his head.
Alton spoke through tightened lips. “I have to hand it to you, you’re good.”
Nang cracked a modest smile. “Thank you, but anyone could do what I do with the years of training I’ve received.”
“I bet. How’d you do it, Nang? Or why don’t you tell me your real name so I know what to call you?”
Nang cracked an incredulous smile. “What do you mean?”
“You can drop the charade. I know you’re a North Korean plant.”
Nang’s face hardened. He shouted orders in Korean to his soldiers, who stepped forward and began to level their rifles at Alton and his team members.
“Switching languages, huh?” said Alton. “I can see why. You don’t want me pointing out to your men why they shouldn’t follow you.” He turned to Chegal and Yu. “You don’t have to follow his orders. He’s a mole from North Korea.”
“But he’s served on the border for ten years,” objected Chegal. “His parents grew up in Seoul. He can’t be a traitor.”
“No, he’s not a traitor. Not to his true country.” Alton turned to Nang. “When did you switch with the real Nang? And more importantly, is he even alive?”
Nang shook his head and hesitated before answering. Distant rifle shots rang out as both teams observed the exchange of words in tense silence.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Nang at last. “Maybe the pain from your bad leg has started to influence your judgment. Or maybe you’re the one working for the North Koreans. Why else would you try to slow down my pursuit of their soldiers?” He looked towards the woods across the perimeter road and took a step in that direction.
When the Killing Starts (The Blackwell Files Book 8) Page 10