Ballistic Force(105)

The conspirators hastily stuffed the weapons back into the crawl space and were just setting the floor planks back into place when the barracks doors flew open and a handful of armed soldiers stormed into the confines with AK-47 assault rifles. Several of the guards were carrying flashlights, as well, and they raked the floor with the beam, rousing the few prisoners who hadn’t already been awakened. Lim shrank back in horror, realizing that something had gone terribly wrong.

The guards shouted for everyone to stand and place their hands in the air. When some of the awakened prisoners cried out and were slow to respond, the guards lashed out with the butts of their rifles. Lim tried to move back to his family, but his way was barred by several of the guards and he could only watch as Na-Li and U-Pol struggled to their feet, eyes filled with horror.

Once the prisoners had all complied with the guards’ commands, Lieutenant Corporal Yulim strode into the barracks clutching a leather-strapped nightstick. He patted the cudgel against the opened palm of his other hand as he sized up the situation.

“As you can see,” he said to the prisoners, “there’s been a slight change in plans. The insurrection has been, shall we say, called off.”

Above the murmuring among the few prisoners who were unaware of the planned uprising, Sergeant Dahn called out to the commandant.

“Over here!” he said, pointing out Prync Gil-Su and his coconspirators. “These are the instigators!”

Prync whirled and had to be restrained when he tried to charge Dahn.

“You?” Prync screamed. “You set us up?”

Dahn smirked faintly, unfastening one of the listening devices affixed to his clothing.

“You’re a shrewd man,” he told Prync, “but not shrewd enough.”

“Take them out and line them up against the rock pile!” Yulim ordered, gesturing at the masterminds behind the uprising. As Prync was led past him, he added, “If it’s any consolation to you, your betrayer will be shot alongside you.”

“What?” Sergeant Dahn cried, suddenly finding a pair of carbines aimed at his chest.

“You’ve done your part,” Yulim told the undercover MII agent. “We really have no other use for you.”

“You won’t get away with this!” Dahn protested.

“We’ll see,” Yulim countered.

Once Dahn and the conspirators had been led out of the barracks, Yulim turned to the guards flanking Lim Seung-Whan.

“Let him be with his family,” he told them. The guards lowered their weapons and Lim hurried to his wife and daughter. Yulim watch the three of them huddle close together, then added, “You realize, of course, that I also know you had a hand in their plans.”

Lim stared at Yulim, realizing the consequences of the commandant’s words.

“You’re going to kill us, too?” he said.

“We agreed on an arrangement, then you turned around and tried to double-cross me,” Yulim said coldly. “You signed your own death warrant.”

RETURNING FROM HIS mission in Kijongdong, Euikon Gryg-Il rode his appropriated motorcycle out of the tunnel linking Propaganda Village with the Changchon storage facility. He was in high spirits. True, he couldn’t point to Park Yo-Wi’s corpse as proof that he’d carried out his mission, but he was certain that Major Jin would take his word that the contractor was lying dead on the tracks somewhere between Propaganda Village and the DMZ. All that remained was for the major to follow through on his promise of a promotion, and Euikon wasn’t about to be choosy. As a low-ranking private, there was nowhere for him to go but up.

After pulling the bike off the service road leading into the tunnel, he headed for Jin’s office. The door was closed so he knocked and waited patiently.

“He’s not there,” came a voice from behind him.

Euikon turned and found himself staring at two fellow soldiers. Both had their carbines leveled his way.

“He’s outside,” the second soldier said. “He’s been waiting for you.”

“What’s going on here? Get those rifles out of my face!”

“You’re in no position to order anyone around, traitor!” the first guard said.

Euikon’s jaw dropped. “Traitor!” he exclaimed. “There’s been some kind of mistake!”

“Tell it to the major,” the second guard responded, gesturing with his carbine. “Outside! Now!”

The private was about to protest further but checked himself. Clearly there was no point in pleading his case to these imbeciles, he decided. The major would clear things up.

Outside, the first gray light of dawn was just beginning to fall across the encampment. The sky was choked with clouds, however, lending an aura of foreboding gloom to the prison grounds. Adding to the grim atmosphere was the sight of more than a dozen internees being lined up in front of one of the rock piles in the middle of the prison yard. The rest of the prisoners stood around, forced at gunpoint to witness the executions that were about to take place. As he watched the ominous tableau, Euikon felt a sudden pang of despair, and once he was led into the prison yard and stood face-to-face with Major Jin, it finally dawned on him how he’d come to be referred to as a traitor.