North Korean Blowup (26 page)

Back at the barracks a complete grill to order steak dinner waited for them. Most of the men ate until they gurgled. Somehow the coffee was just as important as the steak.

Hunter turned out the lights in the barracks at 2130. Already

half of the SEALs were sleeping. Twice Hunter looked at the door to Beth’s room but it stayed firmly shut.

Hunter arranged with the base cooks who brought their meals that there would be no breakfast call the next morning. He let everyone sleep in to 1000 who wanted to. Then he rolled the rest out and set them to cleaning weapons, getting a count on what ammo they needed to refill their combat vests, and get back into their desert cammies. When the chow came at noon they looked more like real SEALs again.

When Hunter knocked on Beth’s door he found a note pinned there.

“Sorry to miss you sleepy head. I have a date with Mrs. General for 1000 for my tour. See you back here about dinner time. Hint, hint.” It wasn’t signed.

After chow they turned in their much worn Korean clothes and got fresh ones. Ho was still with them.

“Need Ho to find factory?” he asked Hunter.

“We sure do, Ho. This is the other half of the project. I wouldn’t think of going in there without you. We’ll do a boat ride again, I expect and then a swim. We’ll have a meeting this afternoon to plan things.”

              
The meeting was called for 1300 in the same room as before. Hunter went with his team, Bancroft, Tran, Senior Chief Chapman, Ho, and Chang. Both the destroyer captains were there as well as Quinn, an Air Force bird colonel, and a Navy captain who was in charge of the area Naval Command. Introductions were made, with the SEALs giving names only with no rank. That seemed to surprise the navy captain, but he remained silent.

Quinn led the show. “From previous planning sessions we determined that an aerial drop would not be practical. Since the target is within twenty miles of the coast we’ll work from the standpoint of a wet landing of the SEAL team on the beach as close to the target as practical. Do we have a GPS on the target?”

“Negative,” Hunter said. “Dr. Sung told me where it is. Road directions. Do we have a detailed map of the area?”

A map of North Korea flashed on a screen and zoomed into the town of Sunan.

“Good,” Hunter said. “We go up route K-Twelve from Sunan toward Anju but turn off to the right after about twelve miles. It’s a new road and not shown here. Dr. Sung said we could spot it by a pair of stunted pine trees and a tumbled down farm house just this side of the turn off. We continue on that new road less than fifteen miles into the hills until we come to the factory town. He says a whole village has been created there to support the workers. It has houses, barracks, apartment houses, stores, shops and a school. Everyone who works there, lives there and security is tight at a fenced and army controlled entrance. The entire complex has an electrified fence around it and patrol dogs.”

Commander Vuylsteke spoke up. “Last time we put you ashore about five miles north of the town of Hwajil-Il. This time it looks like we should go another five to seven miles north of the same spot to put you almost on site of the turnoff.”
               “I agree,” Bradford said. “We’ll have fifteen passengers for you this time, both squads so we’ll need two choppers.”

“So both of our destroyers will paddle up that direction,” Commander Wells said.

“About a two hour trip?” Quinn asked.

“Yes,” Wells said. “When is our departure?”

“In two more days,” Quinn said.

“Time sequence about as before?” Vuylsteke asked.

Tran spoke up. “Yes sir. We get picked up here by your sixties at thirteen thirty for a quick hop to your destroyers. You weigh anchor at fourteen thirty. Then six and a half hour run up the dog leg and we launch in the IBS at twenty two hundred and motor in ten miles to the beach. We swim in the last quarter mile with our ETA of about twenty three hundred. Your coxswains return the IBSs to your ships.”

Commander Vuylsteke chuckled. “Hunter, I want to talk you out of that man. I need him in my fire direction control center.”

       “Sorry, Commander,” Hunter said. “Tran’s work load is heavy right now. Does the timing work for you? It’s about what we did on the last run north.”

       “Looks good to me,” Wells said. “We both checked our IBS boats this afternoon and ran the engines. All are A-okay. We’ll feed you good and get you some bunks if you want some sleep.”

“Ho, you have anything to suggest?” Hunter asked.

“Hear many soldiers there. Hard to get in. Soccer team best.  find one bus to use. Friend has bus in Sunan.”

“Best if we don’t have to shoot our way in,” Senior Chief Chapman said. “Ruins the element of surprise.”

“Besides brining out three hundred troops,” Chang said.

“Get on shore. Ho grab ride to Sunan. Men hide brush. Ho   bring bus.  Drive to gate. Ho talk much to get inside.”

“How long to get the bus?” Bancroft asked.

“Luck with ride in. Three hour back to hide spot.”

“So we might get the bus moving the next morning and get to the complex, work inside, do our duty and bust out of there for the beach that afternoon or evening,” Hunter said.

“We’ll have two SATCOMs tuned to pick up your departure time,” Vuylsteke said. “Two choppers to the beach and a quick get away to the twelve mile limit where our destroyers will welcome you back.”

“Sounds good,” Quinn said. Now all we have to do is make it work.” He looked at Ho. “You sure this soccer team idea is the best way to breach their security?”

“Only way, Mr. Quinn. “Too many guns. Tank, quad fifty, many men.”

“Okay, just hope you have a plan B in case this doesn’t work.”

“Plan B is to shoot our way in and search and destroy as quickly as we can,” Hunter said.

“Any questions?” Quinn asked. “I hear none. We’ll all get together day after tomorrow at thirteen thirty. I’ll go along on one of the ships.”

“Sure you don’t want to come on shore with us, Mr. Quinn?” Tran asked.

“SEAL work is above my pay scale, gentlemen. Thank you all.”

After the meeting, Hunter sent his team back to the barracks and he cornered Quinn by himself.

“Quinn, this is way over my pay scale, but I have a suggestion.

You know what Ho has done for us already. Without him we’d have been shot to pieces before we got to our first bomb. Now he’s getting us into the base. He’s a smooth talker in his own language. Here’s my suggestion. Both Ho and Dr. Sung have provided the United States government with tremendously important services. I hope that we can repay them with some hard cash, say a half million dollars each. We should even throw in fifty thousand for brother, Youg Tae. Can you swing it?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. Dr. Sung surely is deserving, and you say Ho has done you a great service. Yes, I’ll ask the president to authorize it. I got word that Dr. Sung and his family members are all in Washington DC, where Dr. Sung is cooperating in a series of debriefings. Yes, the President is pleased so far. I think he’ll authorize it in a minute, but it must all be covert as hell.”

“Good, let me know when you’re sure it’s a go.”

Back in the barracks the SEALs had time to relax. Most of them worked over their weapons and combat vests. About 1600 Beth came back from her sight seeing tour. She had put on her Navy suntan skirt and blouse with the railroad tracks on her collar. The men whistled when she walked in.

“Thank you one and all. Do you know why a wolf whistle is a lot like the roar of a jet passenger jet?” She paused for dramatic effect.

“Because it’s nice to hear, even though you know you’re not going anywhere.” The SEALs hooted and cheered.

She waved at Hunter and they talked.

“Found our dinner spot. Best in Seoul, Mrs. Jennings says. Oh, you’ll need a jacket and a shirt and tie. Pants too I guess.”

“I think I can manage that. Six thirty?”

“Right. And I have wrangled a sedan and a driver.”

“You think of everything.” He looked at his watch. “I better get over to the BOQ and see where I can borrow some uniform stuff. A tie?”

“Very classy joint.”

It was classy. Hunter was glad he still had wads of the Korean won notes. On the drive in, they sat close together and he reached over and kissed her cheek. She shook her head, turned his face and kissed his lips.

“Yes, that’s more like it. I’ve been wanting to do that for what seems like months, actually only about seven or eight days.”

He kissed her again and she pushed in against him. They came

apart and he put his arm around her.

“This could turn out to be an extremely interesting evening,” he said.

She lifted her brows. “Kind of what I was hoping for. I don’t go chasing after every gorgeous hunk of man I see. This has been different. The mission, the danger, the shooting. That wasn’t how I wanted to remember you.”

They came to the restaurant, a flamboyant exterior with neon lights and dancing birds. Inside it was lush with tropical plants and flowers, a waterfall and a dozen tables set around a small stage.

She whispered to the hostess who led them past the tables, into a side room that had a low table, several soft chairs, and a sofa. A private dining room. The hostess said their waiter would be there shortly and left.

Hunter looked around and let a grin slip over his face.

“Commander, you high ranks really go first class.”

She stood close to him. “Enough of that. Kiss me once before we have dinner.” He did.

Dinner turned out to be a feast. They started out with a soft red wine, then a cold soup appetizer, then potato skins with cheese and bacon filling followed by King crab legs, and then the main course, huge lobsters shelled at the table. Desert was some kind of sweet creamy mixture Hunter couldn’t identify. Coffee topped off the feast.

Hunter was fascinated how she put away one course after another. She pushed a button on the low table and two waiters came and cleared away the dinner things.

Beth looked at him across the mahogany table. “You’re going back out there in two days where other men with guns are going to shoot at you. I don’t want you to come back in a black body bag.”

Tears seeped down her face. He moved to her side of the table and sat on the low pillows and held her. He brushed away the tears and kissed off the last of them.

“Hey, you know how careful we are.”

“Sanborn.”

He took a deep breath. “Yes, it happens. Only it never will happen to me. I’m too stubborn.”

She kissed him gently, then stood and went to the door and threw a foot long bolt. When she came back she had opened half the buttons on her military blouse and sat down beside him.

“I want this to be a night that neither of us will ever forget.” She kissed him and her tongue drove deep into his mouth.

The next day the SEALs were up and having breakfast at 0700. They had a short workout, a five mile run and then showers and chow time again. The afternoon session with the Korean language coach was over quickly. The SEALs had little desire to learn to speak the difficult language. They hadn’t needed it before, and the chances were that they wouldn’t need to talk face to face with a North Korean this time.  The next day they had a short workout and a final check on their gear and ammo. Two of the hideouts had been lost and were replaced. They asked for and received three AK-74s, the new version of the Russian rifle, and six filled magazines for each. By noon they were chomping at their bits eager to get into the race.

At noon they had a big meal, then put on their Korean outfits including the newly laundered soccer uniforms, ratty shoes, and floppy hats of all shapes and sizes.

At 1330 they arrived at the far side of the huge air field at the chopper pads. Two SH-60 Seahawks sat there waiting for them. One squad got in each chopper with Ho and Quinn with Hunter.  Quinn sat on the floor of the bird which usually was used for anti-submarine operation. He took deep breaths and Hunter saw him turn just a faint shade of green.

“Not used to these damn things yet,” Quinn said. “What I do for my country.” He shook his head. “Maybe in twenty four this will all be over and I can get back to civilization again.”

“This ride will be over in about ten minutes.” Hunter suddenly frowned. “Maybe, yeah in twenty four it just might all be over.”

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Landing on the destroyers and bunking out on the trip north seemed routine now on the third trip on this ship. Hunter talked with Captain Vuylsteke a while, affirmed the launch time and then went back with his men. The only special equipment they carried this time were four quarter pound chunks of C-5 plastique explosive each and one timer/detonator per man. Any one of them could blow the average building to the moon with a full pound of C-5.

As before they sacked out in Navy bunks for three hours, then had an early dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, three kinds of vegetables, and all the apple betty desert they could eat.

By 2130 Hunter contacted Bradford who was with Bravo squad on the other destroyer. He used the SATCOM. Bradford responded on the second call.

“Yeah, Brad here. Go.”

“You okay and ready for the twenty two hundred launch?”

“We’re ready here.”

“See you in the soup in a half hour.”

They signed off and Hunter had Walden put the SATCOM into its waterproof container and strap it to his back.

“You guys ready to get this job done?” Hunter asked.

He got a loud “hoo-rah” from the men.

“Hell yes,” Senior Chief Chapman said. “I promised my old lady I’d take her on a real vacation this month.”

“Ready, Cap,” Mohammad said. “About time we take these north guys out of the nuke business.”

“Good. Everybody keep your heads down. I won’t stand for another KIA. You hear?”

At 2120 the SEALs loaded the last of their gear into the rubber boat. No drag bags this time, just double loads of ammo and their C-5. The only other equipment was a cloth bag with three regulation soccer balls. Ho had scrounged.