what we can tell it
looks like 100 right around that area. Plus another thousand
garrisoned close to both Chongjin and Kilju.” She looked
embarrassed for having given such high numbers.
“ But the number of them
should be much smaller around the middle of the night, when you’re
going.” Mr. Lee added.
Tom loved the night. While most people got
stomach butterflies thinking about running around in a hostile
environment at night, SAD operatives appreciated the night. He
thought of it as a blindfold that blanketed a hostile territory. He
used night vision goggles while his enemies on most operations had
to use their naked eyes. Guarding anything from him at night was
like asking someone to run with his feet tied together. At night,
he simultaneously carried the power of invisibility and nocturnal
vision. He would be the only person in North Korea in a few nights,
who would be able to see in that dark country.
“ Now,” Mr. Lee continued,
“We have some additional intelligence we just recently received.
This information comes from another one of the illegals Jiyeon and
I manage for Mr. Park.”
Tom wondered how many illegals the South had
in North Korea. It must have been a difficult operation to manage,
he thought. North Korea was a feudal society. To find a good job,
you had to come from the right family – one that fought in the
Korean war, had no history of disloyalty whatsoever, and came from
the right social class. How did South Korea have these illegals in
that country living as citizens – holding jobs, receiving food
rations, without coming from a carefully tracked family? Tom smiled
as he imagined a society that claimed it was for “the people” yet
where your class determined everything about your life – your job,
where you lived, and what food you ate. A society that says its
goal is to have equality for everyone and does this by creating
inequality – what do you call that, he thought? It seemed
irrational.
“ We have a deep cover
officer—” Mr. Lee continued as he looked down at a piece of paper,
“Officer 2135, who we stationed in Chongjin several years ago. As
you know, Chongjin is the closest major coastal city to the area
you are infiltrating. It has a deep-water port, so it has ships
coming in and going out every week. I can’t say where Officer 2135
works but we sent him a message asking if he can look into whether
any potential nuclear weapon-related cargo is coming into that
port.”
“ And so he found
something,” Tom said
“ He messaged us this
morning. He said that a ship had come in sometime in the last few
days. Near the port, he said that he saw what he initially thought
were Middle Eastern men standing near the ship, having a cigarette.
“
“ Why do you say he
initially thought that?”
“ His message said that they
also looked Mediterranean or Caucasian, as in from the Caucasus
region. He was not sure.” Jiyeon said. She held eye contact with
Tom.
“ Did he see what they were
loading or unloading from the ship?” Tom asked her.
“ No. One of his assets
reported seeing a man in some kind of protective suit, but 2135
could not confirm it. These strange men meanwhile are just sitting
in port.” Her eyes were looking at his deeply, so that Tom sensed
she really wanted to give an explanation despite not having
one.
“ Probably upset the
Chongjin cruise line didn’t match the pictures they saw in the
brochure,” Tom said.
Jiyeon smiled.
Tom continued, “But I guess that does
somewhat confirm that this base is what we’ve been looking
for.”
“ It seems like this points
to a nuclear facility. But then when we think back to 1414’s
message, it’s hard to reconcile,” Jiyeon replied as she settled
deeper into her chair.
Mr. Lee jumped in, “we wanted you to have
the full picture before going in. We will have 2135 continue to
monitor that port in case we can find anything that will help your
mission.” There was a pause in the room. At this point, Mr.
looks like 100 right around that area. Plus another thousand
garrisoned close to both Chongjin and Kilju.” She looked
embarrassed for having given such high numbers.
“ But the number of them
should be much smaller around the middle of the night, when you’re
going.” Mr. Lee added.
Tom loved the night. While most people got
stomach butterflies thinking about running around in a hostile
environment at night, SAD operatives appreciated the night. He
thought of it as a blindfold that blanketed a hostile territory. He
used night vision goggles while his enemies on most operations had
to use their naked eyes. Guarding anything from him at night was
like asking someone to run with his feet tied together. At night,
he simultaneously carried the power of invisibility and nocturnal
vision. He would be the only person in North Korea in a few nights,
who would be able to see in that dark country.
“ Now,” Mr. Lee continued,
“We have some additional intelligence we just recently received.
This information comes from another one of the illegals Jiyeon and
I manage for Mr. Park.”
Tom wondered how many illegals the South had
in North Korea. It must have been a difficult operation to manage,
he thought. North Korea was a feudal society. To find a good job,
you had to come from the right family – one that fought in the
Korean war, had no history of disloyalty whatsoever, and came from
the right social class. How did South Korea have these illegals in
that country living as citizens – holding jobs, receiving food
rations, without coming from a carefully tracked family? Tom smiled
as he imagined a society that claimed it was for “the people” yet
where your class determined everything about your life – your job,
where you lived, and what food you ate. A society that says its
goal is to have equality for everyone and does this by creating
inequality – what do you call that, he thought? It seemed
irrational.
“ We have a deep cover
officer—” Mr. Lee continued as he looked down at a piece of paper,
“Officer 2135, who we stationed in Chongjin several years ago. As
you know, Chongjin is the closest major coastal city to the area
you are infiltrating. It has a deep-water port, so it has ships
coming in and going out every week. I can’t say where Officer 2135
works but we sent him a message asking if he can look into whether
any potential nuclear weapon-related cargo is coming into that
port.”
“ And so he found
something,” Tom said
“ He messaged us this
morning. He said that a ship had come in sometime in the last few
days. Near the port, he said that he saw what he initially thought
were Middle Eastern men standing near the ship, having a cigarette.
“
“ Why do you say he
initially thought that?”
“ His message said that they
also looked Mediterranean or Caucasian, as in from the Caucasus
region. He was not sure.” Jiyeon said. She held eye contact with
Tom.
“ Did he see what they were
loading or unloading from the ship?” Tom asked her.
“ No. One of his assets
reported seeing a man in some kind of protective suit, but 2135
could not confirm it. These strange men meanwhile are just sitting
in port.” Her eyes were looking at his deeply, so that Tom sensed
she really wanted to give an explanation despite not having
one.
“ Probably upset the
Chongjin cruise line didn’t match the pictures they saw in the
brochure,” Tom said.
Jiyeon smiled.
Tom continued, “But I guess that does
somewhat confirm that this base is what we’ve been looking
for.”
“ It seems like this points
to a nuclear facility. But then when we think back to 1414’s
message, it’s hard to reconcile,” Jiyeon replied as she settled
deeper into her chair.
Mr. Lee jumped in, “we wanted you to have
the full picture before going in. We will have 2135 continue to
monitor that port in case we can find anything that will help your
mission.” There was a pause in the room. At this point, Mr.
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