I spent a long ti drinking and talking with Yoon Changho.
We discussed how the South Korean governnt should respond under both scenarios—success and failure.
For now, we decided not to tell the United States. You never knew what kind of sche the Aricans might pull.
Yoon Changho and I agreed that informing them after everything was over would be sufficient.
It was quite late at night by the ti I left the Blue House.
“Did you have a good talk?”
“Yes. Cancel the Russia schedule. On the day of the operation, we’ll wait together at the Blue House.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare accordingly.”
The car carrying exited the Blue House.
It sped along the wide-open roads, heading straight for Pyeongchang-dong.
* * *
“Brother-in-law.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“It feels good to co here, away from Pyongyang, after so long.”
“Does it?”
On the darkened shoreline, Kim Jongil and Jang Songthaek had cast their fishing rods and were drinking together.
n carrying machine guns stood guard around them in an iron-tight periter.
“Leaving that complicated Pyongyang behind and coming here clears my head.”
“That’s true. Taking a break like this every now and then, without thinking about anything, seems good.”
“You’ve been busy, haven’t you? eting this person, eting that person. Isn’t that right?”
His tone was flat, but Jang Songthaek felt a chill run down his spine.
He was saying that he was watching him right now.
Of course, Jang Songthaek already knew that every move he made was being reported to Kim Jongil.
But hearing it directly felt different.
“But tell . Why is the work moving so slowly, Director Jang? Do you still need more ti?”
“We’re sweeping up the military generals in one go and purging them. We’re secretly recruiting people from within the military side, so it’s taking ti.”
Suspicion began to surface in Kim Jongil’s eyes.
“Are you certain? Can I trust you?”
“Yes. We’ll be able to arrest them all soon.”
At that mont, Kim Jongil’s fishing rod jerked violently. He sprang to his feet and grabbed it.
“Right, right. This is it. Isn’t this the thrill of fishing? Hahaha!”
The rod wobbled as it plunged sharply into the water.
Clearly enjoying the pull, Kim Jongil laughed loudly and worked the line with enthusiasm.
A mont later, a fish much smaller than expected ca up.
“What is this? Isn’t it just a little minnow?”
Disappointnt showed plainly on Kim Jongil’s face.
Holding the fish caught on the hook in his hand, Kim Jongil spoke to Jang Songthaek.
“I have no interest in little minnows.”
He tossed the fish back into the sea and baited the hook again.
Casting the rod far out, he sat back down and spoke leisurely.
“Director Jang. I’ll be watching. Whether you keep catching minnows... or land a real trophy.”
Kim Jongil’s eyes never left the fishing rod.
But Jang {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Songthaek instinctively knew he was talking about the purge of reactionaries.
“This ti, we should clean everything out and start anew.”
“I understand, Chairman.”
“Right. Right.”
Sitting back down, Kim Jongil put a cigarette to his lips and lit it.
“Do you know why I’m doing this?”
“To eliminate all the reactionaries at once, isn’t it?”
“Naive. Do you really think every general we’re purging is a reactionary?”
“......”
“That’s why you’re still inexperienced, brother-in-law.”
Kim Jongil smiled coldly.
Jang Songthaek knew better than anyone how Kim Jongil had seized power.
An endless series of purges. To sit on the throne, Kim Jongil spilled blood without rest.
Even while Kim Ilsung was still alive, he consolidated his foundation and secured power.
At the sa ti, he drove Kim Pyongil—whom Kim Ilsung favored—out overseas, and pulled O Jinwoo, Kim Pyongil’s patron, over to his own side.
Even after Kim Ilsung’s death, the bloody purges never stopped.
So much so that even Jang Songthaek himself had been sent down to collective farms twice to work.
“Do you know how much power I’ve given the military all this ti? And yet those bastards think that power belongs to them and start acting however they please?”
“......”
“This ti, I need to cut the military’s power down a notch.”
Kim Jongil was extrely fearful of any external factor weakening his authority.
In the end, he chose to reclaim the power he had distributed and eliminate anything that could threaten him.
The carrot and the stick. No one used them better than Kim Jongil.
“The only one I trust is you, brother-in-law. Once this is over, a great reward will be waiting.”
“I will serve you with absolute loyalty.”
Kim Jongil nodded and turned his gaze toward the open sea.
A cold winter wind brushed past his cheeks, but he simply stared into the distance in silence.
* * *
Igor and the rcenaries completed all preparations and boarded the cargo cars of the train heading into North Korea.
The train carrying them crossed the Russian border and entered North Korea, never stopping as it continued onward.
Disembarking at Kimchaek City, they moved through mountain paths toward the operation area—the Yeohori villa.
Avoiding people’s eyes, they advanced and split into two units.
“Sergei. We cannot fail. Understood?”
“Yes. We will succeed no matter what.”
“Once we retrieve it, according to the plan...”
Igor pressed a finger against one side of the map and continued.
“A submarine sent from Russia will be on standby. The rendezvous ti is two days later at 00:10. We must arrive before that, no matter what. Understood?”
“Yes. Understood.”
Igor nodded in response to Sergei’s salute.
After splitting into two units, Igor led his n along the mountain paths for several more days.
During the day, they dug tunnels and slept inside them. At night, they crossed winter mountains.
At last, they reached the vicinity of the operation zone.
One day before the scheduled date, the Yeohori villa ca into view.
Igor observed it through binoculars.
“It’s bigger than I expected.”
“Indeed. I knew North Korea was poorer than Russia, but to have such a luxurious villa...”
“Don’t say stupid things. The ones dying are the powerless and the poor. People like that live in luxury. It was the sa in the Soviet Union. It’s the sa everywhere. Stop the nonsense and bring the map.”
Reprimanded, the subordinate pulled out a large map from his bag and spread it open.
Pointing with his finger, Igor spoke.
“Here, here, here, and here. Finally, this location. A total of five sniper points must be secured, no matter what. Whether we secure them or not will determine the success of this operation.”
“Yes.”
“Unit Five, move imdiately.”
Out of the hundred n, the rcenaries designated as snipers gathered their gear and moved.
A total of ten n broke off.
“They said support troops would take about an hour to arrive. We finish before that.”
“The number of escort troops seems higher than expected.”
At the subordinate’s words, Igor nodded. The guards surrounding the villa were all heavily ard.
Even at a glance, there were over two hundred of them.
“It was expected. Jang Songthaek said he’d stall the outer periter troops, but... we can’t trust that completely. From the mont the operation begins, we have one hour to secure Kim Jongil.”
The escort force was larger than anticipated, but retreat was no longer an option.
If not today, there would be no next chance.
— I trust you, Igor. So you must succeed.
The boss said he trusted him. The boss trusted soone the country had thrown away.
— And do not die. Let’s et again alive. This is an order.
Those were Kim Muhyuk’s final instructions before they boarded the train.
After months of intensified training, Igor had fully regained his forr edge.
He lifted his eyes from the map and stared once more at the Yeohori villa, his gaze gleaming.
Beyond the horizon, the sun was rising.
“Tell everyone to sleep. We begin the operation once the sun sets and night deepens.”
Igor entered a dug-out tunnel, lay down in his sleeping bag, and fell asleep while simulating the operation in his mind.
“Captain.”
At the voice calling him, Igor snapped his eyes open.
“It’s ti to wake up.”
All the other rcenaries were already up, organizing their equipnt.
Igor packed his sleeping bag and looked around.
Taking in the sight of his n, he removed his clothes, put on a bulletproof vest, and changed into fresh gear.
Pulling on his combat boots and helt, Igor addressed them.
“Check your equipnt. Make sure you have enough live ammunition.”
“Yes.”
After giving the order, Igor began gathering his own gear.
Rifle magazines, pistol magazines, several grenades, and a knife—he strapped everything onto his uniform, then finally clipped the radio to his chest.
“Unit Five?”
“They’re already in position.”
Nodding at the response, Igor lifted the radio.
“Ah, ah. This is Alpha. Unit Five, respond.”
A mont later, a familiar rcenary’s voice ca through.
— Go ahead.
“The mont we engage, start sniping imdiately. Blow the heads off anyone who looks like a commander. Maintain strict periter awareness.”
— Understood.
Clipping the radio back to his chest, Igor spoke to his subordinate.
“I’ll command Units One and Two. Ivan, you command Units Three and Four.”
“Yes!”
The subordinate called Ivan saluted and turned.
“Units Three and Four, this way.”
Ivan separated Units Three and Four. After confirming this, Igor stepped forward.
“I’ll explain the operation plan.”
Standing before everyone, Igor spoke.
“Units One and Two move with . Our objective is to capture Kim Jongil alive. If capture proves difficult, lethal force is authorized.”
“Yes!”
“Unit Three will infiltrate the underground tunnel behind the villa and demolish it. Prevent support from the East Sea Fleet Command. Ivan, you’ll command this directly.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The underground tunnel connected to the back of the villa was the key factor determining success or failure.
The two-lane underground road stretching 4.5 kiloters was an ergency route Kim Jongil could use to flee to the East Sea Fleet Command.
In other words, once the fighting began, it was the only escape route Kim Jongil had.
If it wasn’t destroyed, this operation would fail without question.
Patting Ivan on the shoulder, Igor continued.
“Unit Four will block the guards stationed in Building No. 2 from coming out.”
Villa No. 1 was where Kim Jongil’s family stayed, and Villa No. 2 housed the Guard Command forces.
“Once the escort troops are suppressed, secure the periter and preempt any unexpected variables.”
After issuing all orders, Igor slung the AK-74 rifle resting beside him over his shoulder and turned.
“Let’s all live and drink vodka together.”
Igor and the rcenaries began moving.
Suppressing the guard posts along their path, they advanced steadily, reaching a point 500 ters in front of the Yeohori villa.
“Ivan, take Units Three and Four and move to the rear of the villa.”
At Igor’s command, Ivan and nearly half the rcenaries peeled off.
Beyond this hill, there was nothing but open ground all the way to the villa.
Within a 500-ter radius around it, aside from guard posts, there were no structures at all.
How long had they waited?
— Alpha. This is Beta. We’re ready.
“Stand by.”
Igor continued imdiately.
“Unit Five.”
— We’re ready as well.
Everything was in place.
Checking his watch, Igor gave the order.
“First... let’s start by feeding them a rocket.”
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