Paths of Courage (6 page)

“Assuming a Delta left Rybachiy, it would need to take a route down through the Pacific, across the Indian Ocean and up into the Atlantic to make sure it kept to the more remote regions of those oceans. To go the other routes it would have to either negotiate the choke points at Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica or the GIUK gap between Greenland and Norway. Both those approaches would be expected to be crawling with allied ships.

“My thoughts are that we should leave it to the Americans to monitor the northwestern and central Pacific and bring back what we can to protect our shores. The Americans already have Battle Groups in the south Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and the North and South Atlantic augmented by attack submarines. We should send an A-Class to patrol the lower latitudes of these oceans. With your approval, sir, we can implement this immediately.”

“Do the rest of you concur?” asked the PM.

Nods of agreement.

The PM shifted in his seat, eyeing those around the table.

“Okay, send the subs.” His voice held a slight tremor. “You are to make the hunting down and disabling of this rogue sub a top priority. The consequences of unleashing a missile carrying a nuclear or bio-warhead onto our shores would be nothing less than devastating; life as we know it would end. So, I'll put it bluntly: nail it! Reputations are on the line here; make sure there are no cock-ups. Is that clear?”

Again, nods.

Trafford looked at Admiral Engels. “Have the navy conduct sweeping searches in the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, moving to the South China Sea and then on out into the Pacific if necessary. I also recommend all shipping in and out of Korean ports, both North and South, be boarded, searched and strictly monitored right to their final destinations. We should inform the Americans and seek their help – they could also be the target. They can threaten the Koreans with retaliation and if the sub is still in their hands, it may deter them from following through. We face a very dangerous situation here; we should act immediately.”

The British Prime Minister leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers and placed them to his lips. For several seconds he stared fixedly at portraits on the opposite wall.

“Do we all agree?” he asked finally.

Each nodded.

The PM turned to the foreign secretary. “David?”

“I agree with Michael,” he replied. “But we cannot overlook the possibility of an attack from a surface vessel. The North Koreans have missiles with nuclear and bio-warheads and can deliver. Boarding and searching suspect surface vessels on the high seas should be of paramount importance. Warheads may already be on their way.” He looked at the admiral. “Robert?”

“I agree. However, a blockade would stretch our resources somewhat, but no doubt we can call on our allies to assist.”

The PM's private secretary entered the room and handed the admiral a note. He read it and looked at the PM. “It appears that several weeks ago the American listening station in the Aleutians recorded the signature of K449 in the south Barents Sea on a southerly course.”

“Exactly where?” shot Maxwell.

“From their station on Attu, the main island of the Nears, at the southern tip of the Aleutians.”

“Why were we not informed sooner?” Trafford asked.

“The Americans log all contacts and share them with us when they get round to it. That's why I went out. I phoned the Admiralty to check if we had the latest log reports; fortunately, we did.”

“That is directly west of Rybachiy,” said Regis. “If they were heading for Korea they would go southeast through the Sea of Japan.”

“That rules out loading missiles at a Korean naval dockyard,” said Trafford. “Admiral, you could be right. If K449 is the one, then missiles may well be loaded at sea in some remote part of the Pacific. Where is anybody's guess.”

“Admiral, do we know where all other Russian subs are at this point in time?” the PM asked.

“We do, sir; in conjunction with the Americans. K449's position is currently unknown, along with an Akula II-class nuclear sub – K267.”

Silence engulfed the room.

“Do we have the signature of K267?” the PM asked Engels.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Okay, we focus on both these subs. Gentlemen, we need to get this thing underway. Robert, get your people to set up the blockade and carry out a search and disable policy against both subs. This policy is to take precedence over all other matters. David, contact the Americans and tell them our intentions and see what they can do to help. Thank you.”

With that, William Maxwell stood. The others followed and all filed out of the Cabinet Room, much more concerned now about the future than they were when they had first entered.

On safely reaching the main street of Sinhung, Ryder and his team split into two groups, Song and Grace in front with himself, Bom and Chol close behind. The two groups were just far enough away so as not to create an impression that they were all together. Ryder felt conspicuous amongst the throng of inhabitants, so he kept his head down and wore the broad-brimmed peasant hat low over his ears. For the number of people out and about, the atmosphere seemed strangely subdued; no laughing, no raised voices, just a low murmur of the people going about their daily business. Everyone was dressed in drab clothing, including soldiers in their olive-green uniforms and caps.

Dusk fell as the group reached the small roundabout where the main roads joined just before the bridge; everything so far had gone well and no one had taken interest in what they were doing. They covered the last one hundred yards, weaving between the oncoming pedestrians and bicycle traffic, until they eventually reached the concrete structure and crossed without a hitch. But on the other side, things suddenly changed.

A disturbance had begun not far ahead on the main thoroughfare. A roadblock had hurriedly been set up and people were being singled out at random and herded by soldiers towards a large imposing three-storey building by the roadside. Only those on bicycles and in vehicles were let through without challenge.

Grace froze. To Ryder she looked as if she were about to turn and run. Song saw it too and gently held her. She calmed. The others looked around quickly for an escape route, but the only three side roads, including the bridge entrance behind, were suddenly blocked by more soldiers. This left them no choice but to press forward.

Ryder's first thought was to commandeer a vehicle, but this might prove difficult without drawing attention. Bikes were the thing. However, this again could be difficult. But others around them were doing just that, mainly men to women, presumably family members. The team could not all commandeer a bike each, so it was decided that just Grace and Ryder would take bikes; the other three would take their chances at the roadblock. Whilst they both waited, Song, Bom and Chol merged into the milling crowd and returned a short while later with two bikes.

Close to the roadblock now, Grace took the bike, but before she could mount, two soldiers suddenly emerged from the closely packed crowd, grabbed her and marched her away with several others. In the melee, the bike, even before it hit the ground, was snatched by the nearest person, who then rode away.

Ryder felt a surge of nervous adrenaline. The four exchanged urgent glances.

Song didn't hesitate. Signalling to Ryder his intentions, he headed into the crowd close to where those already taken were being held.

Still stunned, but knowing they had to get past the roadblock themselves, Ryder mounted his bike and went through unchallenged, as did Bom and Chol a little later. Fortunately, the roadblock was soon dismantled and the large crowd it held back suddenly pressed forward and hurriedly dispersed.

Song watched as Grace was led away through an arched entrance to the rectangular roadside building and into what looked like an open courtyard beyond. He turned away and began to mingle with the dispersing crowd, determined to find out what had happened. He enquired casually to avoid suspicion as he made his way up the road, where he guessed the others would be.

Eventually he saw Ryder and the others and quickly joined them in front of a narrow dirt alley between two barn-like structures. Although there were still people in small groups meandering about the road and footpaths, the numbers were dwindling as darkness fell. The urgency of the situation demanded they do something quickly to get the captain back. They headed down the alley until they found a small outhouse tucked away behind one of the barns. Checking to make sure it was all clear inside, Ryder led them in, ordering Chol to remain by the door and keep watch.

“This is a major problem. If we don't get the doc back, this op is well and truly fucked,” Ryder snapped, struggling to keep his voice low. He turned to Song. “What's going down here?”

“In short, she's been taken to work in the chem plant.”

“Chem plant? Oh shit! That's all we need.”

“Apparently this happens randomly, whenever the plant needs labour.”

“What else?” shot Ryder, fearing she might tell all if tortured.

“The building she's in is for processing before being taken to the plant. Nobody wanted to talk; they were too frightened government spies were about.”

“How long does the processing take?” Ryder asked, calming down.

“Couldn't find out. Guess it depends on the numbers.”

“Unlikely to transfer at night,” said Ryder, more to himself than to the others. “We have to get her out – tonight.”

“How d'yer propose we do that, boss?” Bom shot back.

Ryder had no idea, but he knew it had to be done; otherwise, despite the crash course on how to handle deadly viruses, he had to acknowledge that he and the rest would have little chance of success without the doc. Besides, he couldn't leave her to this fate. No way.

“We do what we're trained for – CTR. Then go get her.” He was referring to a Close Target Reconnaissance.

“Boss, you make it sound so simple,” whispered Chol from the doorway.

“Okay, let's do it. Dan, you go with Greg. Cam, you're with me. We need to check out the grounds first, then find a way into the building.”

They removed pistols from sacks, attached the silencers and stuck them in their belts.

“Don't use unless unavoidable,” Ryder ordered, gesturing towards the pistols. “Use knives.”

They left the outbuilding one by one and made their way out to the main road heading back towards the bridge and the rectangular-shaped target block. The road now had fewer pedestrians and cyclists and only sporadic vehicles, headlamps ablaze. The road itself was unlit, but a half-moon in a cloudless sky bathed the way sufficiently to see where they were heading. Ryder led with the others close behind. He felt the adrenaline racking up; they were taking a big risk. He worried how the doc was coping. He was plagued, too, with all the uncertainties a break-in of this type could bring, but kept reminding himself that this was specifically what they were trained for. So just do it!

The four reached the building; the large contingent of soldiers seen earlier seemed to have thinned out. Lights shone from rooms on the ground floor and some on the second. On Ryder's signal they split. He and Chol moved to the far flank and the other two took the nearest.

They stealthily encircled the front building, keeping close to the walls well within the shadows, eventually meeting up again without incident in the bush and trees at the rear. A courtyard fronted two dimly lit single-storey barrack buildings, with three open military trucks parked to one side. Small groups of soldiers milled about the yard, all coming and going in and out of the buildings. The truck drivers stood by their vehicles, smoking. Through the windows of the nearest building, Ryder could make out a number of people standing in a large open area filing towards officials, who were sitting at benches. Using binoculars he could see only a handful of soldiers in the room as he scanned for Grace. Then he saw her.

“She's there. We need uniforms to get inside,” he whispered to the others. Those around her, mostly women, sobbed or stood in a robotic trance. She looked desperate. He looked again at the soldiers milling about the courtyard and the three by the trucks, his mind calculating the risks.

The nearest were the drivers. Ryder pointed at them, then signalled to Song and Bom for a silent kill. “We need those uniforms unmarked.”

They acknowledged and the three slunk away under cover of perimeter bush until parallel with the trucks.

Suddenly a soldier broke away from a group nearby, sauntered over to one of the drivers and spoke to him. All four soldiers had their backs to the bush, watching the building entrance.

Ryder waited, hoping the man would leave, but he lingered. He signalled Chol to join them.

When Chol arrived, Ryder signalled for Bom and Song to take the nearest two whilst he and Chol took out the others. The four waited to make sure all was clear before moving silently forward between the vehicles, each steeling themselves for the kill. There could be no room for error. The soldiers had to die quietly and without fuss.

It was all over within seconds; each soldier died without knowing what had hit him. Their necks were broken with a swift, brutal twist, before any could make a sound. The four lifeless forms were then dragged silently into the bush.

They hurriedly stripped and donned the uniforms. In the uniform Ryder had put on, he found a packet of cigarettes. He was very tempted to light one, but crushed the packet instead and threw it away into the bush. When completed, he and Song shouldered rifles, pulled caps firmly down on their heads and left the bush, striding confidently across the dirt courtyard and into the building. Bom and Chol occupied themselves with hiding the bodies well amongst the scrub, hoping they would not be found until they were all well away.

Inside, the low murmuring of the seventy-five or so detainees, broken by the occasional wails and the background sound of marshal music, filled the high-ceilinged room. From a separate area off the far side, closed off by a pair of large double doors, the two men could hear muted screams. Ryder counted at least ten soldiers lining the wall behind the officials under the portrait of the ‘Great Leader' and several more spaced around the room. Lucky for him and Song, there didn't appear to be an officer in charge. In the light of the room, Ryder's disguise would now be truly tested.

He watched Grace, who looked terrified, as she glanced about in despair.

With no game plan in place, both men stayed close to each other, waiting to determine what action to take. Some of the women, after processing, were taken through the double doors on the other side by soldiers in turn; the rest were led to a cordoned-off area at the back of the room. They watched this going on for a short while, then it clicked: these women were being abused.

Ryder looked at Grace. If she were taken… He needed to see what was happening beyond those doors; this could be an opportunity to get Grace out without attracting attention. He whispered to Song, telling him what he intended and began to meander through the throng keeping one eye on the guards and another on the double doors. He purposely headed for Grace and as he went close, their eyes met and he gave her a reassuring wink. Recognition dawned immediately. She gave him a hint of a smile, papers in one hand and a sack in the other. She edged forward in the queue towards the officials.

Reaching the doors, Ryder boldly strode through and was confronted by a series of doors along one side of a narrow corridor. The screams had grown louder. He walked along the corridor opening each door. Every room had a bed, some occupied, but most were empty. He also noticed that every room he looked into had a window big enough to get through – an escape route had been found.

Back in the hall, he strode over to Song, concerned that Grace was now only fifth in line to face the officials. Telling him to return to the others, then move and wait at the back of the building, he took a place with the other soldiers against the wall behind the officials.

Grace arrived at the bench. Ryder watched, calculating his next move. She stood nervously in front of the official whilst her papers were scrutinized. The soldier to his right was definitely showing interest. Ryder had to get to her before he did.

The official handed back the papers and Grace was ushered through. Immediately Ryder stepped forward just before the soldier next to him, blocking his path. As the man backed away smirking, he boldly took Grace by the arm and led her towards the double doors.

Stepping into the corridor, with Grace in tow, Ryder, in his haste, knocked aside a soldier on his way out. The man was not happy and said so, staring hard at him. For one horrible moment, Ryder thought his disguise had been blown. He apologized profusely searching desperately for the right North Korean epithets, mumbling it was because he could not wait to fuck this woman. The soldier continued to stare and he steeled himself. The man turned to Grace, laughed and went back into the crowded room. Ryder exhaled a massive sigh of relief.

The first room they tried was occupied; Grace recoiled at seeing a naked woman stretched out across the bed with two soldiers systematically violating her. The next was empty. Ryder flicked the light on and off briefly, hoping the others would see. Song did and made towards the window.

Wasting little time in forcing open the window without breaking the glass, Ryder looked to see if all was clear. He helped Grace through, then he too dropped to the ground behind her before both scampered away into the bush.

Grace was in a state of shock, affecting her coordination. Ryder knew they could not rest until well away from this building and the town.

With Song supporting Grace, the group, led by Ryder, slipped silently through the backyards of the buildings that fronted the main road until they could go no further. Re-entering the road, he checked his compass and headed north following the road. He made sure to keep to the deeper shadows under the trees that lined the pavement. Grace could now manage to walk unaided. People were still about with a spattering of vehicles. Fortunately, the uniforms gave them protection from close scrutiny and the people ignored them.

Moving at a normal pace, the small group kept to the road, which finally ended at a square intersection and a railway station. Here they turned northeast and took the road that paralleled the tracks. Further up the line, they hurriedly crossed where there was sufficient railside cover. Once safely over the multiple lines, they made their way past cultivated fields and outlying dwellings on the western perimeter of a broad valley, before heading north into the foothills of the lower Hamgyong Mountains.