A man nad Khamis arrived at Black Bear’s Iraq branch.
“Welco.”
After exchanging brief greetings with Khamis, we all took our seats.
Before getting to the point, I studied his face as I spoke.
The man, with his kind-looking features, appeared utterly calm.
“I hear you work for the Red Crescent.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
His English pronunciation was excellent.
If I hadn’t known otherwise, I would have taken him for a Brit—the way he spoke with such refined posh accents.
He wasn’t wearing traditional Arab attire either, but a well-tailored suit.
“Allah has decreed that I should devote my life to saving others. I simply follow His will and live in service.”
That foreign word—used to refer to his god—stood out sharply as it left his lips.
The Red Crescent was the term used for the international Red Cross within the Islamic world.
In most countries, the Red Cross used a red cross as its emblem.
But Islamic countries used the red crescent instead, since the cross evoked mories of the Crusades and Christianity.
“I heard the Red Crescent’s headquarters is currently in Turkey. If it’s Allah’s will, shouldn’t you be conducting relief operations in Iraq?”
“The security situation in Iraq is quite poor, so we temporarily relocated to Turkey. Regardless of where we’re based, our humanitarian work remains the sa.”
The reply sounded rehearsed—chanical.
The Red Crescent had left a strong impression even in Afghanistan.
Because of that, not only the U.S. military but even the Taliban and terrorist groups avoided attacking the Red Crescent.
Even an accidental strike would provoke outrage from the entire world.
Thanks to this, they could move freely through conflict zones while carrying out humanitarian aid.
There was only one place where this unspoken rule didn’t apply—the Israeli–Palestinian conflict zone.
Israel bombed indiscriminately, regardless of whether Red Cross or Red Crescent personnel were present, which had beco a major issue.
Aside from that, their activities were generally respected in most conflict areas.
“President Hussein introduced you to us.”
“I heard. Is he well? How is his health?”
The mont Hussein was ntioned, Khamis couldn’t hide his delight.
“It sounds like you were quite close. A dictator of Iraq and a Red Crescent employee—hardly a pairing one would expect.”
“He may have been a dictator to others, but he consistently supported the Red Crescent financially. Thanks to that, we were able to carry out various relief efforts.”
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t know he supported humanitarian organizations. I suppose he had that side to him as well.”
“You can’t judge a person by just one aspect. Of course, I’m not saying President Hussein wasn’t a dictator. I don’t respect everything about him either.”
There was a subtle barb hidden beneath his genial smile.
After exchanging a few more words about Hussein, I got to the point.
“I hear the kidnappers are demanding a total of ten million dollars for the five hostages. Is that correct?”
“Yes. You initially proposed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per person, and negotiations proceeded from there. Offers went back and forth several tis, but in the end, they demanded ten million dollars. There’s no more room for negotiation.”
I nodded at Khamis’s words.
If they truly had no intention of negotiating further, there was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
“An exchange of ransom for hostages, then?”
“Yes. That would be the only way. Neither side trusts the other.”
Khamis licked his dry lips and continued.
“Will you pay the ten million dollars and exchange it for the hostages?”
Agreeing too readily might only raise suspicion.
I pretended to hesitate, letting the silence stretch, before answering.
“Ten million dollars... I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”
“Hundred-dollar bills will be fine. Hand it over to , and I’ll exchange it for the hostages and bring them here.”
I shook my head.
“We’re going with you.”
“They won’t accept that.”
“Tell them we’ll co with minimal armant. We have no intention of playing gas with the hostages’ lives. No Arican officials will accompany us. A South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs will co, along with the Zaytun Unit to provide security.”
At the ntion of troops accompanying us, Khamis frowned.
“...That could jeopardize the negotiations.”
“It’s ten million dollars. That’s too large a sum to hand over without confirmation. We’ll verify the hostages first, then hand over the money. Or you can connect us directly with them for negotiations.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust ?”
Khamis asked, narrowing his eyes in displeasure.
“Even if President Hussein introduced you, we’re talking about handing over ten million dollars. You can’t guarantee there won’t be a delivery accident.”
“Hm...”
“Before talking about trust, isn’t it only natural to hand it over personally? With an interdiary accompanying us, it shouldn’t be difficult to exchange the money and hostages directly. That’s the proper way to do it. Everything is for safety. Surely you don’t think we’re afraid of them and are paying just to retrieve the hostages?”
Khamis shook his head.
“No. I’ve heard far too much about Black Bear’s reputation in Iraq to think that.”
“Our top priority is the hostages’ safety. Since we don’t know what condition they’re in, we have no intention of threatening the kidnappers with weapons. So tell them not ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to worry, set a location, and we’ll move together with you as the interdiary.”
“...Very well. I’ll resu negotiations under those conditions.”
“If negotiations drag on, doesn’t that put the hostages’ lives at risk?”
Because everything was conducted through an interdiary instead of direct talks, things had already taken quite so ti.
“Don’t worry about that. As long as negotiations don’t break down, they won’t kill the hostages. If they did, they’d never be able to negotiate through interdiaries like us again. They need people like us just as much, don’t they?”
Khamis spoke firmly, then smiled warmly once more.
Black Bear had uncovered Khamis’s true identity—he was an arms dealer.
A so-called rchant of death.
That was precisely why terrorist groups didn’t ignore the interdiary’s opinion.
If they caused trouble before negotiations concluded, he could simply stop supplying them with weapons.
That confidence was what backed his words.
“Very well. Then proceed quickly. We can’t make any more concessions. The South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs is already flying to Iraq. Blocking Arican interference alone was a major concession on our part. We’re agreeing to their ransom demand because we want this resolved swiftly.”
“I’ll do my best. If they accept, I’ll inform you of the location imdiately.”
“Please do.”
Khamis stood up.
“Then I’ll be in touch.”
He turned to leave, and Yuri followed as if to see him out.
The mont the door closed, Igor and Manager Ma spoke at the sa ti.
“...Boss.”
“Boss.”
Knowing exactly what they were about to say, I smiled.
“Don’t worry. He won’t try anything stupid.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re worried about, Manager Ma. But I can take care of myself well enough. Besides, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs coming in person, we have to put on a bit of a show. The Zaytun Unit will be in charge of security for both and the minister.”
This had been decided hastily the night before.
If the operation failed, the South Korean governnt would shoulder the risk. If it succeeded, the governnt would take half the credit.
That was why not only the Zaytun Unit was mobilizing, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself was already en route to Iraq.
“Igor will proceed with the plan and wipe them out. Manager Ma, you’ll be responsible for my protection. Since you’re worried, just make sure you carry out your duties thoroughly.”
“Yes, Boss. And...”
Lowering his voice, Igor continued.
“One of my n went to confirm the location you indicated.”
“What was there?”
“There was an artificial cave. Without the exact latitude and longitude, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find.”
“An artificial cave?”
“Yes. He approached as discreetly as possible, confird the location, and returned.”
There was probably a bunker inside, accessible only through the cave.
“Once this is over, we’ll assemble a team of only the most trusted people and go retrieve it together.”
“Understood.”
“As you know, this must never leak outside. If the U.S. or any other country finds out, they’ll co after it with everything they’ve got.”
The Hussein Collection was on the level of Hitler’s rumored hidden gold.
Everyone had heard of it, yet no one had ever seen proof.
If its existence were confird, people would rush in, willing to die for it.
“The collection can wait. Let’s finish this operation safely first. Igor, go recheck the plan and make sure there are no gaps.”
“Yes, sir.”
Igor saluted and left the room.
I turned to Manager Ma, who still looked grim.
“Manager Ma, are you really that worried about my safety? They won’t do anything insane. And with the Zaytun Unit accompanying us, there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Boss, even so, we should bring so of our own people.”
“You really are persistent. Fine—pick about five n yourself.”
“Understood.”
His resolute reply made chuckle.
Khamis contacted us again two days later.
He said they’d accepted the conditions, and that he’d tell us the location while on the move—then hung up.
A short while later, he arrived at the Iraq branch and said abruptly,
“Let’s move. Now.”
“Where are we going?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs frowned at the sudden statent.
“You must be the representative from Korea. Nice to et you. I’m Khamis.”
“Nice to et you. I’m Heo Seonggu, Minister of Foreign Affairs. But you expect us to move imdiately without even telling us the destination?”
“Yes. Just follow my vehicle. It’s a long trip, so be prepared.”
“No—”
There was no ti to argue.
I stopped Heo Seonggu from speaking and asked,
“Khamis, at least tell us the general area.”
“The Kurdistan Autonomous Region. Let’s move. Ti is tight.”
Even as he spoke, Khamis kept glancing at his wristwatch.
Seeing that, I nodded and gestured to Manager Ma.
“We’ll follow. Manager Ma, get ready. Let’s move.”
Khamis drove off in his own vehicle, and we followed behind.
“Who does business like this?”
As soon as we got in the car, Heo Seonggu complained irritably.
Was this man even in his right mind? Surely he knew where he was.
“Minister, abandon the idea that common sense applies here. This is a war zone.”
“Well, even so—”
“Your role is simple, Minister. Go there quietly, take a few photos, and return safely. I’ll handle everything else.”
At this point, the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ only role was to pose for photos that could be used for dia coverage.
Negotiations—and the operation that followed—were entirely Black Bear’s responsibility.
Realizing there was nothing he could actually do, Heo Seonggu shut his mouth.
“This won’t cause you any trouble, Minister.”
At my firm words, he cleared his throat loudly, nodded reluctantly, and crossed his arms.
After that, silence filled the car.
We left Baghdad and drove for a long ti.
Manager Ma periodically checked the GPS device.
“Boss, we’re about to enter the Kurdish autonomous region.”
The Kurds, who had assisted the U.S. military in the invasion of Iraq, were granted autonomy and governed themselves.
As a result, the Kurdish autonomous region had largely avoided the brunt of the war ravaging the rest of Iraq.
Even after entering the region, we drove for quite a while before finally reaching our destination.
“I see tents.”
Rather than buildings like a city, the area was nothing but open land dotted with several tents.
Khamis parked the car so distance from the tent camp, got out, and walked toward us.
“Get out. We’ll have to walk from here to there.”
“Wait a mont.”
Manager Ma got out first and signaled to the rcenaries assigned to protect .
The Zaytun Unit soldiers had already disembarked and were securing the periter.
“It seems safe to get out.”
I got out with Heo Seonggu. Manager Ma had already opened the trunk and was retrieving the bags of cash.
After walking about a hundred ters, we reached the tent camp and ca face to face with ard n.
“Are those them?”
“No. Those are my n. The soldiers should wait here.”
“Hmm...”
“I guarantee your safety. They’re also waiting on the opposite side, and only three of them have entered.”
It seed the choice of location owed more to Khamis than to any talk of a single god or holy war.
“Very well. We’ll also send in only three.”
I dragged along the visibly uncomfortable Heo Seonggu and entered the central tent.
Inside, three n wearing masks were already waiting.
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